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Natural Selection

Nature does not favor the color blue. Especially in people. Erik can deduct that, and he is not some fancy geneticist, nor has any sort of official schooling. Being a hue of blue has not done too many favors for neither Raven, or the Beast.

"Not all genetic mutations, or adaptions, are beneficial." Charles tries to explain to Erik.

But Erik knows nature to be perfect, only man carries imperfection. A perfect nature does not cause an imperfect condition in man.

"Nature is far from perfect." Charles smiles. "If it was so, I wouldn't have a job."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Wha?" The piece of french toast ruined the possibility for any intelligent speech. If Erik wasn't so mad he'd be enjoying the idea of the refined Charles eating probably two day old food at a dinner that was crawling illegals and roaches.

"CIA guy." Who was doing some sort of surveillance update over the pay phone outside.

"Oh." Taking the napkin from his lap, he wiped the syrup that was dripping from his chin. "Didn't think it was important."

Something about the piss taste left from the coffee made it impossible for the subject to be dropped. The men may be close, but Erik understood that fucking wasn't the same as loving, or has having the permission to pester. "Though you were the defender of all. Protector of the small. Guardian angel of the weak. All around, St. Empathy."

"Please do go on." Charles was on his fourth cup of piss coffee. "The man was already on the skittish side already. Self preservation I suppose." He pointed to the yellowing skin around his eye.

"I didn't think you'd have it in you." Maybe this was a good thing. There was hope Charles wouldn't be on somebodies cross anytime soon. "If it came to that, we could of taken him. I could of."

"Couldn't have that. Don't want to start something with the CIA. Never goes good for them in the movies." His face suddenly became grim. "I would of had to stop it. And honestly, I couldn't take you in any condition."

"That's not what happened last night." Charles smiled, his teeth yellow from the coffee.

"Are you scared of me?" They both had scotch in hand, and less layers than usual. The linen was cool, so was the air, and it was smooth and effortless. And blue eyes, and accents, and without any trace of fear, he said "definitely," and he was thrilled.

And unlike Erik, Raven thinks Charles' black eye is hilarious. It's one of those things that become more ravishingly hilarious, and her laughter comes out in barks whenever she sees that pathetically, droopy thing. It's especially funny when he winces under bright light. What morning.

"It's not funny." He covers his eye with a bag of frozen peas. It's the most physical pain he's endured since a child, leaving a scowl on his face that cause his checks to ache. "You're going to have to eat these now that they're defrosted."

"You eat them."

"You know I can't stand frozen food." A piece of sharp ice scratched at Charles cheek. He smashed it against the counter, in a surprisingly violent manner than returned it to his sore eye. "There."

"Spoiled prat."

"No denying that." And that smile looks a bit sad.

"What happened?" Though everybody wants to, nobodies really asks, they already know who. Hearing Erik won't make it better, or tell them why.

Charles doesn't sigh, nor does he drop his smile. "Confidential."

"I see." And drops it.

Everyone knows that Erik's fucked up. Real loopy. It's a balancing act just having him around. A bomb just waiting to be tripped. Charles thinks if they all keep perfectly still, it will never go off. But Raven has a suspicion that Erik's not a bomb at all, more like a supernova. Inevitable, and around the corner.

"Thanks."

She sees and she drops it, but nothing is really settled. "Yeah." And she doesn't want to look anymore, at the man thats trying to stop a supernova.

Raven is leaving the kitchen, brushing shoulders with a man who smelt like he really needed a shower. Either his stink, or the fact that it's Erik makes her grab the front of his sweat soaked shirt. The black eye is no longer funny. "Don't touch him again."

It slipped for a second. Yellow eyes, and graying blue skin was the anchor to her threat. The hand sent to a mob victim telling them shit was about to get real serious real soon. "I'm not kidding. And I'm much stronger than I generally lead on."

Of course, she stood no chance against a man who had a more colorful kill record than James Bond, and not to mention, could control the very thing the human population stood upon. Still Charles is her brother, and the black eye may be situationally funny for a few moments, and Eric may be undeniable sexy and just a real curiosity, but brother is brother.

She turns back to wave at Charles whose looking a little shell shocked, "Got a play date with Hank, something to do with blood and experiments and hopefully nudity but you know Hank. Apparently he doesn't realize it's the sexiest time to be alive. See you on the flip side."

Charles knows that Erik is bad for him. He is definitely good for Erik. His pain is gain for Erik. The more pain Charles experienced, the more Erik became apart of humanity.

"How can you be so sure that nature is not perfect?" Erik keeps pressing. It's the closest to a theological discussion they have ever happened upon. If something that Charles is finding easy to indulge. When he was an undergraduate, and thought getting a liberal arts degree meant becoming cultured, he had participated in those a lot. Answering with a question would be too easy. "Mutation wouldn't exist. Or evolution. And being so intimate with the subject matter, you can't debate me on that."

"But what if it was all planned that way? Not a random imperfection. A planned imperfect nature."

"By God?"

"Yes, if it must be called that."

Charles sat back on his chair. "I just can't believe that."

"Me neither. Not now, anyway." Feeling a little nauseous, Charles wanted to say he did believe just for Erik. Go against his nature, just please his selection. And in that way Erik was so very bad for him. "Maybe one day."

Sorry, this one is a lot shorter. Just felt finished. Keep reading, and reviewing. I'd like that a lot. Also, post a suggestion for more chapters themes. I'll probably use them. Thanks. xD