It became almost a common sight then: Charles sitting next to Erik's bed, work piling up beside him. Genetics texts, school reports, exams, science journals. Sometimes a book that had nothing to do with any of it. Erik asked him to read him things out loud, or he would demand to see the exams himself. Charles told him about mutations, about his own research into the subject matter, and they sometimes engaged in a lively discussion.

It felt good, Charles mused. Normal. Not completely normal; not a normalcy he should get used to. Just… for now… peacefully calm.

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The stronger he got, the more irritable Erik Lensherr became as a patient. The drugs were reduced to a level where he could handle pain comfortably. In Erik's case that was a high threshold of pain and an aversion to the numbness of pain medication. Hank was scowling at his renitent patient and Cecilia Reyes had long since given up on trying to convince the other mutant to take it easy on himself.

Erik had never given himself that ease.

He had been trained to survive against all odds, to take more punishment than the average human and still fight, and he had been programmed to move the moment the pain was bearable.

Reyes had immobilized the mauled shoulder and fastened the non-metallic straps securely. He wouldn't be able to remove them, unless he used a knife to cut through the bindings. Erik understood the necessity to let the bones and tissue mend. He also understood the necessity of physical therapy, which was excruciating.

To spare Charles the echoes of pain, Erik normally cut himself completely off from his partner and lover. The telepath wasn't happy about it; not at all.

Tempers rose and fell like the tide and everyone just gave the two men a wide berth, letting them have it out. It was preferable to what had been before.

School had yet to turn to normal. Azazel and Riptide were still around, which was an aberration to their normal 'schedule', which consisted of coming and going whenever they wanted. The children had less off-time than they had probably thought they would. Hank had piled reading material on them, and Azazel and Riptide had physical training lessons set up. With the addition of Harriet, Anna and Greg there were enough lessons to keep everyone busy and from thinking too much about the events of the last weeks.

Charles was finally back to handling the school's bureaucracy, but he still was with Erik more often than not. And because of that, Lensherr had made the decision.

"I caused you enough pain!" Erik snarled when Charles brought up the still shielded anchor line again. "I nearly crippled you!"

"I wasn't prepared!" Charles shot back, eyes flaring with a mirrored anger.

"Which is why this is a liability right now!"

The telepath caught his breath, staring at him from wide eyes.

"You have a school to run! You are the fucking head of this place, Charles Xavier! Those kids need you! I'm your weak spot, Charles, don't you see? Take me out of the picture and you're useless in a fight! The backlash can kill you!"

Emotions flooded through him and Erik bit back a growl of annoyance. He wasn't really aware of blasting all of it on a psychic level as well, but from the pale face and the taut lines in Charles' face he should have been able to see it.

"I'm sparing you the pain, Xavier!" he drove his point home. "I know you're not some masochist! You don't need this! You don't need me taking up your brainpower, rendering you a vegetable!"

::Shut up!::

The telepathic order was like a blast and it stilled Erik, eyes wide, mouth open. He stumbled back, bringing his right hand up to his head as the flare of power cut into his mind like a dagger.

::Shut up!:: Charles repeated again, blue eyes blazing. "You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do, Erik! You don't get to decide what I need and don't need! You don't get to play martyr because of some misunderstood protective instinct!"

Erik's jaw worked, muscles tense. "This isn't about…"

"It is!" Charles was now right in his face. "I can feel you, Erik Lensherr. I know!"

"Then stay out of my head!"

"NO!"

His good hand shot forward, grabbing the smaller man by the scruff of his shirt and pushing him back. Charles' legs hit the table and he had to use his hands to keep himself from crashing onto it. One hand wrapped firmly around Erik's wrist, the liquid blue eyes burning brightly.

The shock of contact rattled through Lensherr's mind and he nearly let go. Only nearly.

"Don't think I'm some wide-eyed, innocent kid who doesn't know the dangers of this, Erik," Charles whispered, voice as cutting as his mind. "I know. Damnit, I know! I've been in that mind of yours too often not to. I've been there with you! I felt it all and I survived it. Not just this. Every single damn time! Right from the beginning. I was in your mind so deeply, I was you. All of you. All your pain and fear and hatred. Within one fucking second! I was there when you killed Shaw! I felt that, too! I looked into your eyes through him and I felt it, Erik. I'm not weak! I don't need your protection!"

Erik was trembling with the memories of what Charles was recalling, but he refused to fall for them.

"Then shield the anchor line," he snarled.

"No."

"I'm dangerous, Charles! To you!"

"No." Charles was glaring, his grip tightening. "We have to work on this. Both of us. We need each other and we need this."

Erik let go of the sweater and wanted to push away, but the tight hold on his wrist didn't let him. He felt exhausted, his body not yet up to expending so much energy on anything other than healing.

Charles loosened his grip, stepping right up to his partner and meeting the gray eyes.

::We need this, Erik. You just as much as I do::

"You're dependent."

::No::

"But you need this."

::Yes::

He laughed humorlessly.

::I'm not better off without you::

Erik froze.

::I can see it in your mind. Don't, Erik. Please, never… never think I could do all of this alone. I need all of you. Do you understand? All.::

Even the pain?

Charles smiled. "I'm no masochist, but yes. Even that. It keeps me more grounded than you would think. What happened back in Shadowside Creek showed us how much we still need to learn. And we need to train."

"How do you train this?"

"We'll find a way."

Charles let go of the wrist and stepped away, but Erik quickly reached out and pulled him close. Wounds be damned. Hesitant arms wrapped very lightly around his injured body.

::We can do this, Erik. Together.::

::You're a sucker for punishment, aren't you, Charles?::

It got him a soft chuckle. ::I love you, too::

Erik rested his head against Charles', feeling the gentle mind-touch, quizzical and soft and so familiar. How could he fight something as incredible like this? The soldier in him yelled that it was a weakness, that it would bring him down one day, that it had already caused more harm than good.

::No:: came the murmur from Charles. ::No harm. Never. Not damaged::

Because it was also beautiful and warm and simply Charles. He needed it. Just like Charles had said.

Erik let himself fall, feeling the telepath's mind catch him, cushion his fall. Charles wrapped himself around his mind, holding tight.

I love you, he thought, not even consciously broadcasting.

Charles' fingers carded into his sweater, careful of the bandages and the wounds underneath. He received those thoughts. Loud and clear. And the caress over Erik's mind was more than enough of an answer.

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Reyes had returned to her job in New York and dropped by once a week to check on Erik and his progress. Hank had taken over the medical care, though it was growing increasingly more difficult to keep the older man in check. Erik was too restless, wanted to get back into the game, as he called it. Physical therapy had restored some mobility, but the healing wounds were a nuisance.

"You're in pain," Charles corrected him gently. "That's not a nuisance." ::Despite what you went through in your life, this isn't a bothersome itch, Erik. It was serious::

Erik smiled thinly, looking into the worried blue eyes. He was wearing his trademark all-black, but the white straps keeping his shoulder immobile were in stark contrast.

"I need you to be whole, Erik. I need you to accept your limitations for now. You're not alone in this. You were never alone."

Erik was visibly fighting the old indoctrination to be strong, no matter what. To be the alpha. To be ready and fighting at the drop of a coin.

"Never alone," he echoed, smiling slightly.

"Get it into your thick skull."

"It's getting crowded in there."

"Get used to it. I'm not leaving."

Erik grinned almost triumphantly. He pulled Charles close.

"Erik…" he warned as he was suddenly almost flush against his lover.

"Hm?" came the innocent reply.

"You're a child."

He grinned more. "When you start shaving, we can talk."

Erik leaned down and nibbled at his neck while sliding his right arm around Charles' waist. Xavier tried to suppress a moan, but it had been so long and his body simply reacted. The smile of Erik's lips against his neck told him that the other mutant was feeling it, too.

"Your shoulder," he murmured.

"There are things you can do without a left arm," Erik rumbled.

It went through Charles like wildfire and he tried to push away, but Erik held him tightly.

::Charles…::

It was almost a plea.

"You think you can handle it?" the telepath teased.

"You think you can last that long?" came the poke back.

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Later Erik cursed his still weak muscles, the pinpricks of pain small in comparison to the wave of exhaustion he felt. It was also almost embarrassing how fast he had come from the blowjob, how drained it had left him, and he had mumbled an apology to Charles.

::No need to apologize:: came the calm reply. ::It's only to be expected::

Like the shoulder pain and the muscles still cramping around his stomach injuries.

Shit!

Charles kissed him warmly, those deep pools of blue filled with loving worry and care as they looked at Erik.

::You?:: Erik managed, already falling victim to the exhaustion.

::Hm, taken care of::

Erik cursed himself again, his weakness, but he couldn't manage a verbal reply as his mind gave in to the demands for rest.