Anote: I am not having such a great reader's response to this story anymore. It's too long, isn't it? It's just that I love hanging out with the boys in my own fantasy world. Anyhow not to worry. Once I get at least 20 people reading, I will continue and we are way over that figure at the moment.

Chapter 33-Cold feet part3

'Charles!' Erik hissed in an annoyed whisper, 'We can't both lead!'

They clumsily tried to rearrange hands before the academic protested. 'Hang on, wait, wait…why do you get to lead?'

'Well…isn't it obvious?' Erik snorted.

The angry, mutinous look on the professor's face indicated that this wasn't quite the right thing to say.

'No, it is not obvious to me! Explain it Erik!'

The older man stared defiantly at some nearby dancers who paused to look at them curiously, 'don't you have something better to do than eavesdrop?'

He then turned back to his own partner who was still glaring at him like if he would like nothing better than to give him a swift kick in places that will remain unnamed.

'It is obvious because I am taller and stronger,' Erik explained slowly, trying to keep the atmosphere calm and friendly, 'it will be easier for me to lead. You don't really disagree with that, do you?'

From the way Charles immediately opened his mouth, he was certain that the man most assuredly WAS going to disagree. He closed it without commenting and in the interim Erik wracked his brain trying to remember if it was Charles or Hank who was leading the previous dance. He hadn't really been looking at that aspect.

'No,' the small man finally responded in a deflated voice, rearranging their hands so that Erik could have the lead, 'you're right.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, but has it occurred to you that we are BOTH strong leaders and I don't mean as with regards just dancing? We should try and be mindful of that in the future.'

Erik felt severely chagrined. Charles didn't have to be mindful, it was HE who didn't think, he who always walked over everyone is his way.

'I should have asked instead of just assuming,' the older man answered, ashamed that after all the professor had done for him, he had so caustically steamrolled over Charles. 'I'll try and remember.'

A real smile graced the Englishman's face. He was quite pleased that the usually taciturn man was at least willing to meet him half way. 'To be honest, I would be happy to just relax in your arms and enjoy the music but please go slowly, I don't know the ladies part.'

Charles knew several versions of the waltz but he was sure that there were none that involved being plastered against your partner as if you were a stamp on envelope. He wasn't about to complain about his partner's technique though, because Erik's hard, muscular body was pure heaven to be pressed against. However, it put in mind other activities that involved being this close. He fought against these thoughts for awhile but then wondered why he was bothering. They were here together at a party under a beautiful evening sky. Now, right at this moment, life was stunningly perfect. Breathing in deeply he let himself relax and enjoy every delicious inch of the man in his arms. He leaned his head back and the other man obligingly loosed his hold so that he would be comfortable.

'Do you want to lead for awhile?' Erik offered generously, looking down into the man's upraised face. Secretly, he thought he would feel completely foolish to let the professor steer him around the floor but he would try. It was a bit unnerving the kind of things he was willing to do for the small man in his arms.

'No thank you,' the academic replied, serenely humming the tune under his breath.

Erik raised a confused eyebrow, 'and what is with this dreamy smile you are giving me?'

'Hmmm…nothing, nothing. Just thinking naughty thoughts.'

Erik missed a step and they almost faltered before he quickly righted their position. The professor exhaled quickly, as always a bit shocked that the other man could bear his entire weight so easily.

He smiled hopefully into Erik's scowling face, 'Do you want to hear some naughty thoughts?'

'No, I do NOT!' the older man retorted in an alarmed voice, 'If I didn't know better I would swear you had one too many. Lean forward so I can smell your breath.'

Charles sadly pouted at this unfriendly tone.

'You are not seriously pouting at me, are you?' the other man inquired incredulously, becoming increasingly fixated on Charles' mouth while still trying to concentrate on the dance, 'Behave yourself you shameless hussy. This is a dignified waltz we are doing.'

Erik stiffened in surprise as he felt the small man's hand trail down his back and fall below his waist to cradle his ass. What on earth!

'Now who's the repressed one?' Charles asked in a strangled whisper, as Erik yanked his hand away to replace it at his shoulder.

'Don't play games with me,' he responded automatically, giving him a little shake in his confusion. They were barely moving now and he waltzed them out of the circle of dancers to prevent a collision. The older man gazed down at his flushed face, starting to be affected by whatever bizarre mood had come over the professor. He could feel Charles' hand on his shoulder restlessly caressing and clutching the neck of his suit and of its own accord it would appear he was doing the same at the professor's waist.

'Erik, can we go somewhere?'

Somewhere in his brain, Erik was already thinking the same thing, as he pulled him out of the circle of lights and into the dark grounds before the professor had even finished his whispered question.

Deeper and deeper they walked, and his heart pounded as Charles willingly followed him away from the crowd.

'I'm glad you came out here with me,' the young man remarked, melting into his arms again once they stopped walking, 'because I just need to kiss you so badly.'

'Sure, not a problem,' Erik muttered as he pulled him up and into his arms before smashing their lips together.

Christ almighty he thought he was losing his mind as Charles's tongue pressed against his mouth, demanding immediate entrance. He let the professor take control of the requested kiss as he opened his mouth to allow him in. In the meanwhile, he just concentrated on forcing his lungs to breathe so he wouldn't collapse on top of the man. God, he loved the way the Englishman would moan into his mouth when he was particularly excited. It really was quite true that it was the quiet ones you had to look out for.

He had grown accustomed (perhaps addicted would be a better word) to kissing Charles everyday now and particular enjoyed making out with him on the lounge chairs by the pool in the summer evenings. It was a new experience for him to kick back every night and pull the young man across his lap; alternating between chatting about his day and then being slowly savoured and tasted with dedicated, single minded focus. However, whatever part of his brain that wasn't warped by the fact that the professor was currently trying to suck out his tonsils urged him to take control of this little exchange before…

'Charles?' he protested a little inarticulately, as the young man began pulling him down to the ground with surprising force.

The professor shushed him as he straddled his lap; slowly tracing the contours of his wet lips with one finger while firmly cradling the back of his head with the other hand. Need lanced through Erik's body with startling force as Charles' kisses now turned gentle; soothing and teasing his bruised lips. Even as his body told himself that he had been without a lover for too long, panic flooded his heart.

'Mine all mine,' the professor whispered unexpectedly and Erik slowly opened his eyes to look up at him; cloudy grey-green on sapphire blue. He felt his last brain cell sizzle into nothingness at the intensity of the other's gaze; his chest tightening as Charles branded him as his personal possession as effectively as if he had used steel and fire.

'Charles, don't...' he begged desperately, as the young man relentlessly pushed him on his back.

They both jumped as the professor's phone rang in his inner coat pocket.

Saved by the bell.

'WHAT does that mean? Saved by the bell?' Xavier yelled out in surprise. 'Don't you want me?'

Oops.

'Calm down, calm down, of course I want you,' he blurted out hastily, ducking to avoid the fist which Charles was attempting to use inorder to knock him into next week. He did not miss the look of relief in the man's expression and Erik inclined his head in question.

'It's just that you haven't seemed interested,' the young man explained haltingly, continuing to ignore the ringing phone, 'I wasn't sure.'

Erik grunted in exasperation before raising himself up on his elbows, 'you are such a worry wart. Of course I am interested; I just have a lot on my mind. Besides which you deserve a bed and candles and all that sort of stuff, not some mindless fuck in the cold grass.'

'It is not what I want for us,' he insisted, his voice hard and stern as he saw that Charles was about to protest. The little furrow on the brow told him that the academic's mind was busy marshalling new arguments to use against him.

'So after the candles and soft mattress etc etc, can we do the mindless fuck?

Erik gaped incredulously but then laughed softly as he pulled the man into a hug and rocked him to and fro, 'I swear that you and I have the weirdest conversations. Yes, we can do that.'

He rubbed his back as the young man hid his face in his neck. 'Are you alright?'

'Sorry I jumped you. I know this is new territory for you and you are still worried that you are going to hurt me. I can see it in your eyes. I don't know what came over me.'

Erik bowed his head and held him even closer, deeply moved at the level of Charles' patience and understanding into his physique. The small man knew his fears and ordinarily, knowing that someone was aware of his weaknesses would have scared him shitless but he felt no threat from the young man in his arms. 'I told you already that you don't EVER have to apologise for kissing and touching me. I think weddings make people act a bit …um…out of character. We're good.'

Deep down, Erik wished that he could give the small man more. He deserved more. 'You still like me, right?'

'Of course. You are such a worry wart!' Charles snorted, comically echoing Erik's earlier words as if he never had similar doubts. He more than liked but from experience he had learnt to keep such mushy sentiments to himself as they made Erik moody and difficult for days on end.

The phone rang again and this time the professor answered his insistent caller.

Erik wasn't really paying attention as he rolled them to their feet and tried to remove whatever blades of grass he could see on their clothes. Giving it up as a futile job in the poor light, he dusted the professor's knees with his handkerchief and removed his own jacket to conceal whatever grass stains there were. He was too warm in any case, as Charles' astonishing little 'I-am-Tarzan-you-are-Jane' routine had left him properly hot and bothered.

'You're here?' the professor suddenly exclaimed into the phone. 'Now?'

Charles grabbed his wrist and they began walking back towards the guests, 'No, it's not a party, it's a wedding.' Erik had to lengthen his stride to keep up with the professor's eager trot.

'No, it's not MY wedding,' he replied laughingly. 'I think you know me better than that. Just stay where you are, I'm coming.'

The older man winced and shaded his eyes as they burst into the bright lights of the reception. He then helpfully began scanning the crowd looking for Charles' acquaintance and with his additional inches he quickly locked eyes with a man with his ear pressed to a cell phone, who also seemed to be searching through the guests. Erik tapped Xavier on his shoulder and then gestured to the stranger.

'Hey,' Charles quietly said into his phone, staring intently at the newcomer. Erik glanced at his face and then looked again at the strange expression in his eyes. It was clear that the professor was a bit 'distracted'. Erik regarded the man across the field curiously. Dressed in casual clothing, he was almost as tall as himself, but while he was dark, this man was fair. He patiently waited for the professor to say something or at least remember that he was standing at his side and after a few seconds he raised his eyebrows in surprise as the two men continued to silently stare at each other. Charles jumped as Erik lightly bumped his shoulder with his own.

'He's come a long way to see me,' the professor added him with such a guilty look in his face that Erik had to shake his head. The small man was transparent as glass.

'Who's that?'

'Does it matter!' the academic snapped out defensively.

Charles hastily grabbed his hand as Erik made to walk off. 'He's an old friend.'

With a derisive noise, he peeled the small hand off his arm, 'I can see that he is an old friend, but you are also omitting something; something that you know I will disapprove of if I knew. I am not a fool, Xavier. Please do not treat me as such.'

Immediately the small man looked away, choosing not to respond to that potentially flammable comment. If their positions were reversed, he would be having a world class hissy fit right now instead of this calm discussion that the older man was carrying all on his own.

'Charles you are a sensible man. Just stay in the light and keep your cell phone on you,' the larger man instructed, giving him a push in the direction he knew the academic wanted to go in, 'call me if you need help.'

He looked back and was reassured when Erik stroked his hair and smiled down at him. He was beyond flattered and surprised that at the moment of testing, the normally suspicious man had chosen to accept his word even though he behaving so incredibly shifty. 'Thank you for trusting me. I know I am acting weird, I just didn't expect him tonight. I will be back soon. Don't let anyone take my spot.'

'I won't,' the older man replied, as he veered off in another direction. 'And quit worrying. You can tell me all about it later. You still owe me a dance and just so that you know, you are the only person I trust'

Charles was about to walk away when Erik had said the latter part in such a throw away voice that it had not immediately registered in his mind. He whipped around in surprise but his partner had already been swallowed up by the teeming crowd of semi-tipsy wedding guests.

Erik groaned as he watched Logan relentlessly pull Jean across the floor towards his little corner. He had barely been seated for five minutes; did the man have eyes in the back of his head?

Wearily he folded his arms across his chest and stared straight ahead as the handyman loomed over him like an angry bear. He wished the man would just go away and let him return to his exceedingly, detailed fantasy in which the professor's cell phone had NOT rung. In hindsight, Erik was regretting his decision now because it dawned on him that it would have been a mind blowing thrill to be seduced against his will by the small man. Everyone deserved to walk on the dark side at least once in their life and he had no doubt that he would have enjoyed every minute of that journey with one supposedly timid, professor of biology.

'Logan, you can't get this way every time Xavier talks to someone. He's a grown man!' Erik protested in annoyance. 'And I really resent the fact that you don't think I am taking care of him properly.'

Resent was a mild word.

Logan waved his hands around, inarticulate in his fury while the tall red head peered curiously at the stranger who was unaware that he was inciting all this commotion.

'You weren't here!' he growled, 'you didn't have to watch the professor cry so hard that he couldn't stand up. How could you let Xavier go off with HIM?'

Erik scowled at this new information just as Jean suddenly interjected, 'Isn't that Charles' ex-boyfriend?'