Anote: I will post again next weekend. Erik will be moving out the prisons in our next installment. I am still trying to decide if to put him in Charles' mansion or not, it would be a stretch in the credulity of the story if I did, but I will think of something.

Do enjoy the rest of this chapter and please let me know if there are spelling mistakes etc

Chapter 7- Truth or Dare part2

'ERIK!' the younger man yelled out as the other promptly collapsed to his knees, fighting for breath from his Herculean sprint across the prison yards.

Cradling his injured arm to his chest, Charles half crawled, half scuttled to where his friend knelt, craning his head to try and look up into the man's face.

'I'm okay,' Erik sputtered and coughed weakly between deep, painful breaths. 'Did the bastard touch you? Are you alright?'

The professor nodded dumbly as he absentmindedly stroked the top of Erik's head with his good hand. He couldn't believe what had just happened! Thank goodness the older man had appeared! He was pretty sure that he could have held Pratt off for a few seconds, enough time to attract some attention at least but with that baton in play, things could have become very nasty, very quickly.

They both turned to look at the fallen guard who still lay motionless. The sharp, sickening crunch they had heard when the man slammed into the opposite wall left no doubt that he would be unconscious for awhile.

'I think I lost my head when Cooper said he saw you in the administration building,' Erik panted. 'I knew Pratt would come after you. I just knew it!'

The older man rounded on Charles with an angry glint in his eyes. 'I told you to stay AWAY!. Why didn't you just listen to me?'

Without apparent thought, the smaller man continued to stroke the other man's hair as if subconsciously trying to settle the tension and fear that pulsed in the man's veins.

'Did he ever hurt you Erik?' Charles asked instead, the possibility of which made his voice quiver.

Erik closed his eyes in despair. He would never get used to the way Charles acted towards him. Gently, he reached out for the arm that the Englishman was holding close about his body.

'No he never hurt me, but he is a not a good man. You should have stayed away.' Erik answered more calmly now, pressing lightly on the delicate arm with his fingers.

As the silence stretched on, he looked up into Charles still too pale face and saw such a look of fear and concern still lying in their depths.

'He didn't hurt me,' he repeated again with more conviction. 'Charles, your concern for my well being ….I have difficulties expressing...'

Charles flinched as the man pressed on a sore spot, which of course made Erik's temper, always on a hair trigger to begin with, flare out of control.

As he took a couple of breaths to try and release his rage, Erik suddenly noticed a few odd things in quick succession.

'What the fuck?! Have you been drinking? I can smell it on your skin! JESUS, that's the same shirt you wore yesterday! Did you even go home last night? Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!'

Instinctively, the younger man tried to lean away from this fresh wave of anger. Charles had just had one of the worst nights of his damned life and now Erik was screaming at him. It seemed almost unthinkable that only a few short hours before, they were in the prison cafeteria courtyard enjoying the orange chicken and mashed potatoes.

'I was upset!' he yelled out hoarsely in return. 'I am a grown man; I can have a beer or two if I want!'

The older man flung up his arms with a roar of frustration. 'All of this for a stupid EXAM? WHAT in God's name is wrong with you?'

'YOU ARE WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!' Charles screamed in anguish, not able to hold on to his secret any longer.

Erik lunged for the other man as he tried to crawl away. Naturally, the smaller man was no match for his strength as he gently but firmly pulled him back.

However, Erik almost swallowed his tongue when Charles, having a sudden attack of bravery it would seem, twisted around and rose on his knees to kiss him full on the mouth.

Delicately, the prisoner grabbed the younger man's shoulders and broke the kiss.

'Well that was unexpected,' he commented for want of something better to say in the pause between them.

'I wanted to do that, just once,' Charles admitted in a pathetic little whimper.

'Charles?'

Erik quickly gathered the man into his arms as violent tremors suddenly wracked his teacher's body.

'Easy, easy,' the older man whispered reassuringly. 'No harm done. I understand now.'

The Englishman didn't know what was wrong with him, he felt so cold and his teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

'I …. found you another…. tutor,' Charles shakily remarked to one of Erik's shirt buttons.

The other man huffed in amusement and hugged him a little closer, 'we can talk about this later, just try and calm down.'

Obediently, the younger man closed his eyes and clung to the comfort being offered. He was always taking care of people; his mother, his students and it was nice for a change to be taken care of in return. It was one of the qualities he liked about his current companion. Soon, he could feel the unexpected shakes die into nothingness as Erik rubbed large soothing circles on his back.

'I have to check on Pratt,' Erik interjected much too soon for his liking. 'Can you stand?'

He nodded and effortlessly it would seem, Erik hooked his hands under his arms and lifted him into to his feet.

The academic's eyes cut across to the other man, trying to read his facial expression however Erik was completely focused on the prison guard lying in a heap. It was almost as if nothing had just happened, as if he had not just revealed his secret in such an explosive and decisive fashion. Charles wasn't sure if Erik's calmness was such a good thing. However the older man hadn't struck out at him or gotten angry after the stolen kiss, all very hopeful signs that their relationship was NOT completely wrecked. Reflecting on these facts made Charles feel pleasantly numb all over.

Together, they walked forward and leaned over the man's body, neither wanting to reach down to turn him over.

'Good morning Professor Xavier,' the prison director greeted them automatically, as he belatedly walked into the waiting room.

Stupidly, the three of them stared at each other when the director, suddenly regaining his senses, stumbled back with a surprised cry and ran out the room. In the distance an alarm bell could be heard wailing loudly, alerting the rest of the guards of the disturbance and probable threat to the prisons.

'Erik?' Charles yelped in fear and confusion as the man grabbed his good arm and dragged him across the room.

'They are going to come here and subdue us. Standard protocol.'

'Subdue?' the smaller man asked nervously.

'Get down on your knees and lace your fingers behind your head.'

The confidence in which he gave the instructions took away some of the teacher's fear but it returned quickly because instead of kneeling at his side, Erik whirled away to where Officer Pratt's body lay.

Charles bit his lip as Erik took up a position similar to his, on the opposite side of the room.

'Don't even think about it! Stay put,' the prisoner growled at him. 'You WILL obey me this time!'

'Erik?'

'I'm right here. It's going to be all right.'

The prisoner hoped he wasn't lying. The guards has subjected them to numerous drills so he knew what was going to happen, but none of the mock exercises involved an injured prison guard laying stark and unmoving as if he were dead. Erik had done what he could in placing Charles away from the danger area. Now they could only wait for the outcome. He looked across at the other man who was bravely trying to keep it together. Charles didn't deserve any of this.

'You know I am not surprised that you are attracted to me, what with my good looks and killer body,' Erik teased roguishly with a bit of a gloating smirk thrown in.

As he expected Charles turned pink.

'You insufferable bastard,' the smaller man choked out.

He didn't care what the Englishman said to him because Charles was now distracted and was even struggling not to smile.

'It's my butt isn't? I also think it's my best feature,' Erik added smugly, waggling his eyebrows for effect.

Charles jaw dropped open in stupefied horror, torn between swearing out loud and laughing at this piece of foolishness.

A sudden loud noise coupled with the sound of harsh pounding feet in the corridor caught their attention.

'Don't look at the door,' the older man commanded. 'Charles look at me. Look at me! I want you to focus on the ground and cover your ears. No matter what you hear, don't get up, don't make a sound.'

With regret, Erik observed the fear creep across Charles' face again but it would be over soon.