A/N: And here is the very late chapter! Extra long as an apology for my lateness :) As always, if you notice any errors please let me know.
"You broke it!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
Charles groaned as the argument continued behind him. Honestly, how long could they continue arguing about one wooden cup? The headache he had awoken with had only worsened since morning. It hadn't helped that Erik had been gone for the last month on some mission for Apocalypse. At least Charles had figured out one of the truthnottruths from that night. The pie had been beautiful, with hundreds of thin slices of candied apples layered together to create an almost flower-like appearance. The pie itself was a wonderful brown and smelled delicious, nothing that Charles or Erik could make with what was in the kitchen. Indeed, in the trash, Charles had found remnants of burnt, thick dough. Poor Erik had probably tried to bake the pie and, upon failing that, gone to the palace kitchens and made the cook bake one for him. Charles wouldn't be telling Raven that though, he knew how she felt about all things Erik. When he had gone to pick up Bobby and Kurt for the day, she hadn't let him hear the end of it until Azazel had insisted they needed to go.
"I'll buy you both a new cup," Charles cut in as the argument escalated to pushing.
"Really?" Kurt brightened, forgetting the fight instantly, "Can it be brown? Like my old one?"
"We'll see what's available," Charles smiled tensely, trying to ignore the sharp throbbing in his temple.
"Mr. Xavier," Bobby held out his arms. "Could you carry me?"
"Me too! Me too!" Kurt demanded, his voice sharp and shrill.
Charles flinched. "Ah, not right this moment, maybe when we get home?"
Kurt pouted, kicking at a nearby rock. "Mr. Erik would carry me," he muttered sulkily. Erik had told him to call him that after they had figured out that Kurt couldn't pronounce Lensherr if his life depended on it.
Charles flushed, remembering how Erik had picked him up and carried him up the stairs. "That's not surprising," he stopped them outside of the antique dealer's stall, "Erik is very strong."
Bobby brightened, "Oh! Mr. Xavier!" He ran forward and seized a small wooden cup from a table full of wooden bowls and cutlery. Kurt beamed and ran forward, grabbing a small metal cup from an adjacent table full of metal goods.
"Mr. Erik could make this into something better for me!" Kurt ran over and held the cup up to Charles, "Like he did for you with the bathtub!"
Charles flushed as he looked down at the small tin cup. It was good most people knew Erik as Magneto, he thought, else he would be getting far more than a few curious looks right now.
"I'll ask him," Charles fondly fluffed Kurt's hair. Honestly, Erik liked Kurt so much he would probably make him a set of dishes and silverware to match if the child asked.
"Who's Mr. Erik?" Bobby asked, clutching the wooden cup against his chest.
"Uncle Charles-" Charles shushed Kurt, looking around worriedly. Thankfully, no one seemed to be paying much attention to them. Same-sex relations were frowned upon at best.
"My friend," he smiled at Bobby, "is that the cup you want, dear?"
The cups were teeth-grindingly expensive, but Charles didn't mind. With his job at the hospital, he could afford to splurge sometimes, and what better way to spend a little extra money than on the two children?
He felt the panic before he heard the call and he quickly grabbed Bobby, pulling him close as he dropped into a bow. Kurt huddled next to him as the crier passed, dropping into his own bow, with his tail tucked between his legs. He still had a scar from where a guard had almost cut it off for sticking in the air.
Charles hushed Bobby as the child began whimpering. The caravan was upon them now, passing slowly as the guards cleared the way ahead of them. Charles could feel Erik's mind, but...something was wrong. It was...blank. Emotionless.
Then came Emma Frost. Charles could feel her ruffling through the mind of everyone near them as if searching for something. He quickly shielded from her, hoping she wouldn't be able to sense his powers. He had never actually blocked his mind from another telepath before. She stopped at his mind and he froze.
Charles…
Her voice was a low purr, cutting through his shields.
Charles Xavier...come to the Pyramid by sunset today.
Then her mind was gone.
Charles waited until they were gone before rising to his feet. He was under no illusions about why she had summoned him. Erik's empty mind, Emma's words...they'd been discovered.
Bobby was crying, his face buried in Charles' shirt. Charles hushed him, rubbing his back as he rose to his feet with only a slight stiffness to his movements.
"Is Bobby gonna be okay, Uncle Charles?" Kurt asked, grabbing Bobby's cup from where it had fallen on the ground. Charles adjusted Bobby onto his hip and reached down with one hand, letting Kurt grasp it.
"What happened?" Were Raven's first words when she saw Charles at the door.
"He wanted to come back," Charles sighed as he made his way laboriously up the steps. "I'll stay so Azazel and you can continue working."
"No," Raven sighed, "It's okay. I'm done writing for today, and Azazel can man the shop by himself."
Charles sat down on the small couch, gently putting Bobby down next to him with a sharp groan. Kurt jumped up next to him, his tail thrashing back and forth nervously as he held the cup out to Bobby.
Bobby smiled weakly as he took it. He had fallen asleep once Charles had agreed to take him back to Raven's house. His eyes were puffy and red, and he kept squeezing them open and closed as if they hurt him.
"Apocalypse's caravan passed while we were at the market." Charles turned to Raven, "There was nothing I could do."
Raven rested a hand on her swollen stomach. "What happened?"
Charles smiled tightly. She knew him too well. "Erik...his mind was blank, and the telepath was searching for me. Emma Frost? She demanded I go to the pyramid at sundown."
"Charles!" Raven gasped and he looked at her in surprise. She almost sounded excited.
"You know what this means?" She grabbed his arm sharply. "Erik is bringing you to the palace! You can shield your mind from the other telepaths! The rebellion can finally have an inside man!"
Charles recoiled, yanking his arm from her grasp. "Don't you dare drag me into this!" He lowered his voice, noting the children looking at them curiously. "I have no intention of going to live in the palace. I'll break up with Erik if I have to." He didn't know how true the words were, Erik had become very dear to him, but he sincerely hoped that if push came to shove, he could do it rather than be forced to live in that cursed place with Apocalypse of all people.
"Charles!" Raven hissed but he was already turning away.
"I'll see you tonight, Raven."
The pyramid was in the very center of the town. A hundred soldiers guarded its entrance, all mutants armed to the teeth and trained in deadly combat. Charles didn't look at them as he stepped through the entrance. He only stated his name and why he was there.
"Charles?"
A shiver ran down Charles' spine as he saw her. Emma Frost. She was bedecked in white furs, though she showed more skin than clothes. Her smile was sharp, like the cutting edge of diamonds.
"Good, I'm glad you remembered. I would hate to have had to send the guards to your house, they can be rather...catastrophic." Charles began to bow but she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "No need for that," she smiled that sharp smile again, "Erik would have me killed if I let you injure yourself further for propriety."
"Thank you, my lady." Charles straightened, stiffening in surprise as Emma wound her arm around his.
"Call me Emma," She said, leading him forward down a highly lit corridor. "I must admit, I was quite surprised when I saw you in Erik's mind. After the death of his family," at this, her eyes narrowed upon him, as if to gauge his reaction, "I wouldn't have thought he would take another." Charles kept his face blank as she continued. He already knew about Erik's family. Emma prattled on, seemingly oblivious, though Charles knew better. "And a bigger surprise yet, you are an untrained telepath, who managed to hide himself in Erik's mind from me! You must know Lord Apocalypse was overjoyed to hear that his horseman had found someone, he had worried for Erik so."
She turned them down another corridor, this one much less lit. Charles stiffened as he felt the brush of another telepath against his mind.
"Don't mind Jean," Emma looked down at her nails, "she was just curious. We all wanted to know what made you so special."
"Special?" Charles queried, fear nearly choking him.
"Lord Apocalypse wanted to take your body as his own, once it was discovered you were such a powerful male telepath" Emma sighed, "Nasty business, but necessary for our king to evolve. He doesn't like to possess female forms, you see, and your telepathy was very interesting to him. Erik stopped him quite...expressively. He nearly brought down the whole castle before Jean and I stopped him."
"Stopped him?" Charles asked sharply.
Emma smiled, "Surely you noticed," she said cheerfully, "I had to wipe his mind, he's only just recovering of it now."
Charles jerked away from her, his head spinning. What did that mean? Had Erik forgotten everything? Had...Charles frowned. Had Erik forgotten him? "Wipe his mind?" He echoed.
Emma sighed, seeming unfazed. "Yes, Charles, wipe his mind."
Charles gritted his teeth together, biting back against the hard lump in his throat and the panic coursing through him. He would not give her more leverage against him by showing how he really felt. "Why am I here?" He demanded sharply.
"As much as Lord Apocalypse wants your powers, he does love Erik," Emma held her arm out to him. "He ordered that you be brought here, as a gift to him."
Charles felt horror well up within him, "A gift?" He whispered. A gift implied slavery. A gift implied chains. The scars on his wrist's burned. He rubbed them gently, ignoring Emma's curious look.
"Yes, a gift," Emma smiled, "shall we?"
Charles took her arm numbly, walking next to her though everything screamed at him to run. He knew they would find him, and then they would find those he loved too. Well, those he loved that were left. He wanted to use his powers to reach into the box with Erik's bell and trace the thread back to his mind, to see if it the thread was even still there, but he didn't dare, not with Frost standing next to him.
They turned another corner and ahead Charles could see a room full of opulent gold and colored cloths. Emma stopped him before he passed over the threshold.
"Let me make something clear," she whispered, "you are the property of Apocalypse, as are we all, but more importantly, you are Erik's to do with as he pleases. If you disobey, both are free to punish you as they wish."
They stood there for a moment, and it occurred to Charles that she wanted some form of acknowledgment from him. He nodded sharply. She smiled, "Good."
The room was empty for all but five people. Charles recognized all of them. There were two to the right of the throne, Storm and Angel, and one to the right, Psylocke. In the throne itself was Apocalypse. Charles had seen him before, during his speeches, though he usually wore a headdress of gold over his face. His eyes flickered to the one in front of the throne. Erik. He was kneeling before it, dressed in full battle armor with his helmet in his hands.
"I have a gift for you," Apocalypse gestured to Charles. "I thought it would be pleasing after your ordeal."
Erik rose to his feet, turning to look at Charles. There was no recognition in his eyes, no familiarity. Charles looked down at his feet, as was appropriate when meeting a horseman. Erik moved forward until he was standing in front of Charles.
"Charles."
His voice was cold. Charles swallowed nervously. "Yes, Erik?" He flinched as Erik snarled.
"My lord." Each syllable was full of venom.
"Yes?" Charles raised his chin sharply, glaring at Erik. "My Lord?"
Erik's lips curved maliciously and Charles felt his heart flutter in his chest. He had only once seen Erik truly violent. Charles had been attacked by a group of humans. They had pushed him to the ground and beat him until he immobilized them with his power. When he had come back to his house, beaten and bloody, Erik had left the house immediately, though Charles had pleaded with him to leave it alone, they were just angry kids after all, and no permanent harm had been done.
Charles looked away as the images of their mangled bodies flashed through his mind. They had found them the next day outside the walls of the city. Charles had never asked, Erik had never said anything about it, but always since Charles had been careful not to mention any problem he had with humans. It was too much of a risk.
"Your generosity is always gracious, my lord." Erik turned back to Apocalypse. "Thank you."
"Anything for one of my favorite followers," Apocalypse waved his hand and two slaves came in, carrying a metal box laden with jewels. "This is to complete the gift. Xavier is a telepath, after all, and I thought these would be useful in controlling him."
One of the slaves held out the box to Erik. Erik frowned as the lid of the box rose in the air. Inside were a pair of metal bracelets, inlaid with rubies and engraved with Erik's symbol, that blasted helmet.
Charles jerked back against the door, away from those things. Erik turned to him, the bracelets in his hand. Charles gasped as something brushed his neck. It was metal, he realized, a long vine had grown from the metal of the door behind him and wrapped around his throat.
"Erik, please," he gasped as it tightened. "Please don't do this!"
Erik paused, his eyes narrowing. He growled softly and Charles flinched as the vine caressed his skin. There was a painful pause as Charles met Erik's unflinching gaze. He was sure he was talking, saying something about not needing the bracelets. Erik's expression never changed, even as he turned back to the box, placing the bracelets back inside it. Charles sagged against the wall as the metal vine slid off his neck and vanished back into the door. It took him a moment to realize that the entire room was silent. Even Emma seemed to have paused.
"I thank you for the gift, my lord." Erik dropped into a deep bow. "If I need them, rest assured, the slave will not go a day without them."
Apocalypse nodded, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. Erik smiled at Charles again, that malicious, evil smile. Charles avoided his eyes. "Come then, servant, my quarters are this way." The door opened outward with a flick of his wrist, sending Charles tumbling back onto the hallway floor. Charles flinched as Erik moved past him, his cloak gently brushing against his exposed calf. Charles yanked the hem of his pants down.
"Thank you," He gasped, pushing himself off the floor and stumbling after Erik. His stomach twisted in disgust. He was thanking Erik for not putting chains on him. How...sick. What happened to Erik? Charles' boyfriend would never let himself hurt Charles outside of willing bedplay. As for that..well. Erik's powers didn't only come on a destruction setting. Charles shook his head, that was definitely not something he should be thinking about now.
Erik didn't look back at him as they moved through the pyramid. Honestly, there were so many hallways Charles would have been lost if not for Erik's mind supplying directions involuntarily as he walked. They reached the end of the hallway, a golden set of double doors made of what Charles was sure was metal. Erik waved his hand and the doors opened, confirming Charles suspicion.
"Let there be no confusion," Erik brushed into the room, leaving Charles to trail warily in behind him. "Lord Apocalypse provides servants to clean my quarters, and any other use I deem necessary. However, I can't simply have you idling around my chambers." He paused as the doors shut. Charles hissed as he heard the low baritone of Erik's bell ring. Is anyone listening?
Charles sighed, sending a small ball of energy racing through the room and the hallways beyond. The closest mind he could feel was a servant, and they were far from Erik's room.
Charles shook his head, looking back at Erik. Relief flickered in Erik's eyes and he stepped forward warily, holding his hands out to Charles in an invitation. Charles took it, stumbling forward and crushing himself against the hard plates of Erik's armor. "What's going on?" He whispered, "Why am I here?"
Erik groaned, burying his face in Charles' hair. "Emma heard your name in my head. She wanted to know more, and your barriers were no match for her."
"What on earth were you thinking about?" Charles sighed, pressing a kiss to Erik's neck.
Erik's breath caught, "Several things. She wiped me until Apocalypse could decide what to do. My lord should not have been so upset. I would never betray him, and you are loyal. I just need to pretend that you don't mean as much to me as they do until they grow to see you as I see you." Erik ducked his head and pressed his lips against Charles. Charles moaned, tipping his head up so he could achieve a better angle.
"I need to get back to my sister," he whispered, pulling back enough to break the kiss. "Am I allowed to return home?"
"Charles," Erik stroked a hand through his hair, "you must stay here. Apocalypse does not trust you because I kept you from him."
"But...Kurt and Bobby!" Charles protested.
"They can survive without you," Erik rested his forehead against Charles. "Please. Charles."
Charles blinked, reaching out to gently brush his own mind against Erik's. Erik flinched but didn't push him out.
I'm never going to be able to go back home, Charles realized as he looked over Erik's thoughts. Apocalypse will never let me go.
"I…" He drew back, "Where will I sleep?"
"I can prepare some rooms for you if you prefer..." Erik ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Charles smiled. He didn't need to read minds to know what Erik had been thinking. "Or I could sleep with you."
Erik relaxed, a relieved smile flickering over his lips, "I would prefer that," he said sheepishly.
Charles stepped back, his lips trembling with the effort of keeping a smile in place. "At least tell me there is tea in this place."
Erik laughed, turning away and moving towards two bronze double doors Charles assumed to be the kitchen. "I'll find something."
As soon as the doors closed Charles collapsed against the nearest chair, resting his head in his arms uncertainly.
"Raven," he whispered, taking her bell in his hand and tugging on its string gently. "Raven, I can't talk long. I'm being kept here. Help me." He dropped the bell as the door opened and Erik came out, holding a steaming cup of what Charles desperately hoped was tea.
"I hope you like chamomile," Erik held it out to him and Charles took it with a small grin.
"I do actually, it's good for settling the nerves and goodness knows I need that right now."
Erik's lips twitched downward, but he said nothing except, "I'll call for the palace healer, perhaps he could do something for your back."
"Perhaps," Charles cupped the tea against his chest, relishing in the soft warmth. "Are you sure there is no way to go back to my home?" He let no voice of treason or threat of running enter his voice. He might have been able to persuade Erik at his own house to free him, to break the rules, but here in the seat of Erik's master, there was no hope he would help Charles against Apocalypse's wishes.
"No," Erik's lips pressed into a sharp line as he spoke, his tone was harsh, sharp almost. Charles let the subject drop, instead turning his attention out the window.
Erik sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Would it be such a stretch to be happy here? In the seat of luxury? You could have apple pie every night, and there would be no need to hide it. You would be mine, and no one could harm you. You wouldn't have to live in fear of humans-" Erik broke off and Charles turned his head to look curiously.
"I have no fear of humans," he said softly, "they are naive and afraid, they need help and education on the ways of mutants. And as for the rest, I've had my family taken from me, my friends, my life. No things or power could ever replace that, and I would know. I'd much rather be curled up in my own bed with you and Kurt than live in this desolate place another minute."
Erik said nothing and a disappointed, almost pained silence filled the space between them, though Charles tried to pay no mind to it. He looked up as a soft ringing filled his mind, Raven's bell. I'm coming…Wait for me. He smiled, his heart swelling with hope.
"Well, no use dwelling on the past," he put down his tea and stood, holding a hand out to Erik. "Show me your rooms? I've heard you keep a torture chamber down here, or was it a harem full of a thousand women? I can never remember."
Erik snorted, though a soft smile played along the edge of his lips as he reached up and slid his own hand into Charles'. "The torture chamber first then?" He asked and Charles grinned.
"Depends, got anything fun down there?"
Erik's smirk widened playfully, "Maybe a rebel or two."
Charles hummed, reaching over and sliding open one of the clips for Erik's armor, "Sounds boring, I have a much better idea."
"Do you?" Erik leaned down and kissed him softly, tugging him gently against his chest.
Raven's bell rang through Charles mind again and he smiled.
Wait for me… it echoed, I'll be there soon.
A/N: Oh dear. Is Raven going to be able to save Charles? More importantly, should she save Charles? What was Erik thinking about when Emma caught him? *wiggles eyebrows* XD. Was Emma all you hoped? I hope to have more fun with the horsemen later. To be clear, Emma and Jean aren't horsemen, Apocalypse just keeps them high in his court so they can rat out traitors. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and that you enjoyed the chapter!