Chapter 5
McFassy Tuesday! 2 weeks and 3 days to wait for the DVD of XFC.
I've been kicking this idea around in my head for quite some time, and I still love it. Hopefully, this works out as I want it to.
Warning: cheesy, cheeeeeeeeeeesy chapter ahead.
„Erik?" Charles began thoughtfully. He had pondered long enough about this matter. When the metalbender looked up from the chess board that stood between them and their eyes met, Charles resumed, „I wanted to ask you about something."
„Sure, go on," Erik answered, eyes locked on his friend.
„There will be a huge New Year's ball in the town hall," Charles explained, pausing and sighing slightly before he continued, „and Raven is – just like every year – constantly begging me to take her out and be her plus one for the ball-"
„Sorry to interrupt, but why doesn't she ask Hank?"
„Exactly what I replied, my friend. It seems that he is a bit too afraid to go to such a big event and so she's asking me. Not that I don't like the ball and all, I've been there for years, but... if there's only the two of us, it ends like every year. In the end she's always pissed off because she sits at the table most of the time, waiting for some gentleman to ask for a dance – because I'm just her brother, so I don't count – while I'm on the dancefloor. And when we get home, we fight," Charles sighed deeply.
„So?" Erik retorted.
„I wanted to ask you if you might join us," Charles smiled slightly, cocking his head to the side while he raised an eyebrow.
Erik stared at him, speechless. Charles waited for the older man to get himself together. „I have never been to a ball, so what should I do there? I can't even dance," Erik admitted, looking to the side as he reached for his glass of scotch. He didn't succeed in hiding the slight blush that reddened his cheeks, though. Charles smiled knowingly.
„Oh, believe me, the atmosphere at such an event is unique and beautiful, and it's really worth seeing. And as for the dancing part: I can teach you a few basics. That's no excuse," Charles' smile became even wider.
„I guess I have no choice, then?" Erik asked back, chuckling. It was more a statement than a question.
Charles shrugged his shoulders and dried his glass of scotch before he finally answered: „I suppose not. Wait a minute, I'll just search for a few accurate songs." He got to his feet and stepped towards the book shelf, where some records also had their place.
Erik waited patiently while Charles rummaged through his collection for a song that would fit for a classic Viennese Waltz.
„You don't mind me teaching you how to dance? I thought you would straight-out reject the idea," Charles chuckled while pulling out one record after the other, looking the titles up.
„Not really," Erik replied and rose from the chair to join him at the book case. „As a man I should be able to dance. It's just... I never learned it. It's about time."
Charles shot a surprised smile at him over his shoulder. He hadn't expected that reaction from Erik, who seemed a bit lost in his thoughts. After a few more trials, Charles found the record he was looking for. „Ah, there we go," he said, turning around and putting it onto the phonograph.
A slow, familiar melody began to play, and Charles waved Erik to the middle of the room, his arms wide open. The metalbender put his glass aside and stepped to his friend, a sceptical look on his face. Charles smiled at him encouragingly.
„Place your left hand at my waist," Charles instructed him, „right hand up here, into my left."
Erik did as he was told, holding Charles at his waist while the professor placed his right hand onto the taller man's shoulder.
„I'll just have to re-think this, for the woman's part," Charles mumbled to himself, before he slowly guided Erik through the first steps. Erik stumbled at first, eyes locked on the floor and his feet. After a few rounds, they both had figured it out.
„Hey, this works pretty good," Erik noted, smiling happily.
„You sound surprised. Dancing is not that hard, you know," Charles grinned back. „Now, a turn." He stepped away from Erik and made a half-turn before returning back into Erik's arms.
The smile on Erik's face was warm and... Charles couldn't call it anything else but 'affectionate'. A warm, fluttery feeling spread in his stomach at this, and he felt utterly flustered and confused. It was hard to suppress the wide grin that tried to rise on his lips.
They slowly returned to the former rhythm, and when they did another turn, he was already completely guided by Erik.
„Look what we've got here," the professor teased, „a natural." Yet, it was true. Erik was doing very well.
The metalbender looked down on the floor once again, focusing on his feet while trying to dub his obvious embarrassment.
„Ts, Erik," Charles shook his head and removed his hand from the taller man's shoulder to tilt his chin upwards, „when you dance with someone, you are supposed to look into the other one's eyes."
When their eyes met, Charles almost shivered from the intensity of Erik's gaze. Loving and gentle, yet there was that typical fire burning behind them, an expression that made his stomach tingle once more. He quickly dropped his hands and mumbled an excuse while he put another record on the phonograph. Erik smirked when he returned to him. The tune was even slower than the one before, and it was a very romantic one.
„This is probably as easy as it can get," Charles explained, smiling. „Just wrap your hands around my waist, and then it's nothing more than stepping from one foot onto the other to the beat. This is not even a real dance, to be exact, but Raven will love you forever if you dance with her like this just once."
Charles placed his own hands around Erik's neck, and suddenly realized how ridiculously close he was. His eyes, that deep shade of stormy blue, and his soft lips with the 5 o'clock shadow of a beard around them, the fragrance that surrounded him intoxicating Charles' brain. At least, he felt like that, very confused and nervous. To avoid the other one's eyes, the telepath rested his head against Erik's shoulder, and they softly rocked from side to side to the rhythm of the music. It was so pleasant, Charles hoped that the song would never end.
Cradled in Erik's arms like this, everything felt so right. Erik was warm, and Charles didn't mind the trained, hard muscles underneath the turtleneck at all. When he stole a glance at his friend, he noticed that Erik had closed his eyes, his lips curled upwards in a little smile.
Charles couldn't look away from the beautiful picture of Erik – so relaxed and enjoying the moment. Even the usual wrinkles on his forehead had vanished completely.
The song stopped, and Charles almost startled. Erik stopped his movements, and Charles squeezed his eyes shut, didn't want it to end like this, not now, not at all. Luckily, the next song began, and he realized he had chosen a record that consisted only of songs of that kind. Bless this artist, he thought, sighing quietly.
The feeling of utter contentment just increased when Erik pulled him a bit closer to his body. It wasn't much, but Charles' senses were so hypertensive that he noticed every little movement of Erik. Like the way the latter's hands softly caressed the small of his back with short strokes.
For a moment, Charles wondered if it wasn't all just a dream. He softly ran his thumb along Erik's neck, not more than a light touch, and looked upwards to see if Erik reacted. How he reacted.
Erik opened his eyes softly, his lips still curled ever so beautifully. Charles felt his heart literally skipping a beat.
And he totally didn't fall in love with Erik in this very moment.
He just leaned closer into the other one's chest, noticing very well that his heart was beating rapidly and way too fast while his stomach now had decided to spin around like crazy. Charles was sure that if he didn't hold on to Erik right now, he would have been shaking.
Although Charles was shorter than Erik, he wasn't by far, and as close as they were now, their noses almost touched. Erik's eyes, still focused on his own, were shining warmly, and sparkling with affection. It was unmistakeable.
When Charles closed his eyes and their lips met, it felt like the most natural thing to do.
The kiss was chaste and tentative, merely more than two pairs of lips pressed onto one another, but it took Charles' breath away. They didn't part for a long time while still dancing to the music. Time seemed to stand still around them.
When Erik finally withdrew and looked at Charles with clouded eyes, the professor chuckled lightheadedly.
„What the bloody hell was that," he whispered, his voice breaking mid-sentence.
„I have no idea," Erik answered, but he smiled happily.
Charles leaned heavily into his chest again, burying his face at Erik's shoulder in a last, desperate attempt to hide his nervousness, his confusion - his feelings. When his ear met Erik's chest, he heard the beat of the other one's heart, and it was racing just as his own did.
„This is crazy," Charles stated quietly. His mind felt empty, blank, swept out with nothing but joy and other indescribable emotions.
„Yes, it is," Erik's deep voice rang in his ears.
„It's late. We should better go to bed."
„Yes, we should."
Charles sighed and stepped away from the other man to turn off the phonograph. The stupid grin on his face just wouldn't leave, though. They left the study, and like a matter of course, with their arms wrapped around each other's waist respectively. It was late and the hallways were dark; the younger mutants were asleep by now. No one would see them.
When they reached Charles' room, Erik dropped his hand. „Well, then, good night, Charl-"
„Shh," the telepath interrupted him, „Come with me."
He quickly grabbed Erik's hand and opened the door to his room, pulling the metalbender with him as he entered. As soon as the lights were on, Charles could identify the expression on Erik's face as somewhat between confusion and hope.
„You can sleep here," Charles said, and smiled encouragingly at his friend. A smile that was so disarming that Erik couldn't say no.
And he didn't. They had shared a bed – either Erik's or Charles' – pretty often by now, and it really wasn't that uncommon any more. Quickly, they both changed into pajamas – or, in Erik's case, into an old t-shirt of Charles – and snuggled into the sheets. The lights were off and they lay close together, facing each other. Erik had draped his arm lazily around Charles' waist. The professor respectively wrapped his arm around Erik's shoulder, pulling him closer, resting their foreheads against each other's.
Erik chuckled lightly. „Can you tell me why we always end up in bed together?"
„Well, as for this time: Because I asked you. And as for the other times... I have no idea," Charles answered amused. „But... I could really get used to it."
Pleasant silence spread between them, and Charles felt how the warmth and Erik's presence made him sleepier with every minute passing by. Until Erik cleared his throat, whispering so low that Charles almost didn't understand: „I like waking up next to you."
„Me too." Charles smiled to himself in the dark, feeling so happy that he thought his heart would burst with joy every second now.
„Could we... you know... again, like before?" Erik asked, his voice trembling slightly. Not that he would ever admit that, the professor thought amused.
Charles didn't answer. He simply cupped Erik's cheek in his hand and kissed him on his lips. Soft, short kisses, again and again, interrupted by an alternate longer one then and there.
They lay like this for a long time, just kissing each other without exchanging a single word, until both of them fell asleep with a smile on their face.
I just couldn't resist. I know, it's cheesy as hell, but... I just needed to write it like this. Reviews, anyone? Thoughts, prompts? :3