Anote: I think its time someone got a pet name in this story :)

Chapter 19- The intervention part2

'Charles, you must wake now!' a familiar voice suddenly registered in his mind. 'Quickly, before the sun rises.'

The professor did not want to, especially as he was feeling so warm and comfortable but the corner of his brain that remembered that Erik had been injured responded to his request and his eyelids snapped open instantly to obey the call. With a grimace, he quickly hid his face in the older man's shoulder to block out the blinding light of dawn, even as Erik cradled the side of his face in one hand, nudging it in the next direction.

He was dreaming. He had to be. There was no other way to explain why he was sitting across Erik's lap in his wheel chair in the middle of his parent's rose garden.

'It is breathtaking!' the older man exclaimed as a soft mist still enveloped the bushes like decorative ribbons, despite the sun advancing quickly on the far horizon.

Charles couldn't agree more as he looked around although it had been years since he had seen the flowers at this early hour.

'Your mother must have truly loved your father to cultivate all these bushes for him,' Erik added in hushed tones, looking down at the Englishman. 'There must be hundreds of plants here.'

He was quick to observe the sad look that moved across the professor's face as he regarded the scene before him and without thinking he leaned over and rested his forehead supportively against that of the young man in his arms. Charles had told him about his deceased parents and Erik knew that the manner in which his mother had crawled into the bottle after his father's untimely death had probably left deep scars. At a very young age it was like if the young man had lost both parents and as Charles flashed him a quick smile, Erik wondered if that was one of the reasons that the professor sought out love and companionship almost desperately.

The Englishman pointed at some of the plants bordering the short flight of stone steps, 'She had the cuttings brought over from England and I helped her plant them from early morning till far into the night.'

He obediently looked in the direction that the young man indicated.

'But I like the orange ones the most,' he confessed and Erik agreeably wheeled closer to a plant of that hue.

As he presented Charles with one of the blossoms, as far Erik was concerned, if someone could transfer the colour of the professor's blush into a rose, THAT would be his favourite colour.

'I am not sure if it's my favourite or if it was because my father always picked them for my mother and arranged them throughout the mansion,' the Englishman chattered nervously, so astonished by the other man's actions that he had forgotten to say thank you. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what had come over Erik this morning.

The older man gave him a small squeeze on his arm as Charles stared up at him. 'What?'

'Why are we in our pajamas? Am I dreaming? Please say no,' the young man begged.

Completely irresistible.

'No, you are not dreaming,' Erik informed him looking off in another direction, in an attempt to hide HIS expression this time.

In the meantime, the smaller man instinctively curled in closer to the older man's chest as a cold wind blew in from the south rustling all the leaves around them in synchronous harmony. He also tucked his hands into the pockets of Erik's robe to keep them warm. While he was thrilled by, dare he even admit to himself, this unexpected romantic rendezvous, he wished that Erik had thought of taking a robe or at least a pair of slippers for him.

The older man seemed to be lost in deep thought and Charles was loathe to disturb with questions as bitter memory reminded him that Erik's temper could rapidly shifted almost by the second. It was safe to say that it was one of the least desirable characteristics about the other man.

Eventually however, the other man looked down at him, 'Ready to leave?'

He nodded his consent a little unsurely still trying to make sense of the mornings activities. As the older man neatly turned and wheeled away, Charles draped one of his arms over Erik's shoulder to better keep his balance, even as he turned his head to observe the play of the early morning light over the water of the swimming pool they were just passing.

'Actually as we are out here, and it's such a nice day, do you want to have a swim?' Erik asked in an off handed way, maneuvering close to one side.

'At this hour Erik?' Charles spluttered out in amused surprise, 'Umm…no thank you'

Spectacular!

Erik knew he should have just tossed him in earlier when he was still asleep.

Now what?

'Are you sure you won't re-consider?' he pressed persuasively, despite the fact that the young man was already shaking his head.

'I'm too sleepy to swim and I haven't even had breakfast as yet,' he protested, gesturing to the larger man to continue back into the house. 'Maybe later. Inside please.'

He almost lost his balance when Erik abruptly gripped his forearms.

'Careful,' he yelped even as the older man held him away from his chest. With a sudden clarity born of fear Charles was able to finally interpret the intent in his friend's eyes that up till now had remained hidden from his understanding.

'Oh, bloody hell! Did John put you up to this?' he inquired in a sharp voice.

'Why can you only swim? What's wrong with you?' Erik countered instead of replying.

The professor's nostrils flared as he exhaled in annoyance.

However, he eventually consented to open his lips inorder to give an answer. 'My back never really recovered and it's not strong enough for running.'

'Be angry with me if you have to be angry at someone,' Erik commented calmly, which of course deflated the smaller man's irritation that his manservant had been unusually indiscreet. The professor knew deep down under that grumpy exterior, Logan worried about and for him. However, while he was glad that these two important men in his life had found some common ground, he heartily wished they could have found another topic like football or wrestling to bond over, anything else but the inadequate amount of time he devoted to his health.

'I know I don't swim as much as I should,' the young man finally admitted with a little sigh as he looked at the water. 'I just get so caught up with things.'

Hah! Charles was making his point for him.

'It is exactly for that reason, why you should try in the morning!' Erik exclaimed triumphantly, turning the smaller man by his slim shoulders so he could see into his eyes.

The young man groaned and made a face, still not convinced.

'You're over thinking the whole issue. Here let me help you,' Erik remarked causally, as he dropped his arms to encircle Charles' waist in his large hands.

Wait.

'No! NO!' Charles cried out, desperately trying to scramble off the older man's lap which of course he knew was a fruitless endeavor but he had to try. 'Don't throw me in Erik!'

'Those puppy dog eyes are not going to work on me so direct them elsewhere. Good God Xavier, its just one length in the pool. Anyone would think I was asking you to run naked though the university!'

'Erik, please don't do this!' the small man pleaded again as he felt the resistance building where the older man held him. He was so strong, even in his injured state!

With a low growl of frustration he released him.

Dammit!

Charles was turning him into a marshmellow!

Fortunately, the small man choose to look relieved as opposed to smugly victorious, which helped to cool the anger that Erik could feel building.

Rage had always been his best tool, keeping him strong, focused and motivated and he had no wish to dull its keen edge but he also had no desire to wield it as readily as he always had especially in the professor's presence. But on the other hand, he was exceedingly concerned that when the time came he would not able to call upon his anger when he really needed it. It would be good when the Englishman's vacation came to a close and they would be out of each other's constant company.

With a single swift motion he lifted the small man and perched him on his knee to face him.

'Alright, how about you swim one length of the pool and in return I will give you a back massage,' the older man negotiated in his most influential voice. 'You will like that, won't you?'

Charles sniffed at his offering with magnificent disdain.

'Surely that is not the best you can do?' the young man queried. 'It's going to take more than that to get me into the water at this hour of the morning!'

The tall man turned pale and cold at the sneer in the other man's voice.

The Englishman was only teasing of course but he had forgotten that Erik hadn't really gotten the hang of this particular branch of humor as yet.

'And what would you have of me, my little one?' the older man asked in a soft pained voice. 'I have nothing to barter with. Everything I own, even what I wear now, you have provided.'

A strange indefinable look flitted through Erik's eyes as he placed his fingers over the professor's open mouth to prevent him from answering.

'I know what you want Charles,' he whispered as he cupped the back of the man's neck to bring him closer.

'Yes exactly!' the Englishman responded animatedly, 'Two back massages and one foot rub! You are reading my mind!'

He could see the confusion in the man's expression. Without doubt, Erik had been touched by some evil, sometime in his life staining his soul with a blot of darkness. Charles would not have minded trading a kiss for a pool length but that would have been just for a laugh.

He smiled merrily into Erik's face trying without words, to reach out to him and bring him back from the blackness to which he had momentarily strayed. He was pleased to see the other man visibly relax and look more like his normal self.

'I will try with the foot massage, but I am not sure how good I will be,' the other agreed complacently, leaning back in his chair folding his arms comfortably in his lap. It registered in his mind that Charles was now free to scuttle away, but he knew the professor's honor would never allow him to break an agreement once made. The young man wasn't built for such dishonesty. He wasn't built to manipulate people that were weaker than himself. Erik stared at the side of the Englishman's face as he leaned over him to carefully secure his orange rose in a seam at the back of the chair.

'You are a good person,' he confided into the small ear that lay so close to his mouth.

Charles stood up swiftly and stared down at the water. 'You will not think like that after I leave you a thank you toad under your pillow. I can't BELIEVE you tried to throw me into the water!'

The professor rested his clenched fists on his waist studying his current predicament. 'Do you think I should just jump or should I slide in? How cold do you think it is?'

He looked back but Erik calmly propped his head up on one hand offering no advice, apparently resting after the successful discharge of his duty.

'Perhaps I can go inside and change into some trunks?' the Englishman interjected hopefully.

'Stop procrastinating, Charles.'

With a little sigh he looked at the water again.

'Do you need a push?' the older man asked quietly, to which the other only grunted in reply.

Erik wheeled over and looked down at the watery figure splashing around indignantly, 'Sorry! I thought that was a yes.'

TBC