When the lights go out

by codename.penguin

Erik has been imprisoned and he is pinning all his hopes that Charles will be his way out of his current predicament. The professor rescues an injured Erik from his angry prison guards and despite Erik's mysterious past, chooses to shelter him in the mansion where hopefully more than one type of healing can be found. Present day, alternate universe, no powers.

37. Facing reality part3

Chapter 37- Facing reality part 3

The professor was fairly certain that if the fire hadn't gone out in the grate, he would have slept all night in his armchair. As it was, his eyes immediately cut across the gloom to the shadowy figure standing a few feet away.

How long had Erik been there, staring silently as a post?

'What time is it?' the young man asked instead of the "What the blue blazes are you doing!?" that he was wondering in his head.

'One o'clock, I think,' the man informed him succinctly in accents that were almost as chilly as the room.

Yikes! Erik was in one of his black moods. Bloody fantastic, he thought morosely to himself.

The older man approached then and leaned over to pick up Charles' cell phone. It had slipped out of his nerveless fingers when he fell asleep, waiting for the other man to return.

'And who have you been talking to tonight?'

The menacing note in his question was palpable.

'Just Hank. Well…trying to. He sent a text saying he reached home safely but he won't pick up his phone to talk.'

A few moments that seemed to stretch out like an eternity past before Erik held out the small device for him to retrieve. 'Perhaps he is hoping that you will change your mind if you sleep on it.'

'Perhaps,' Xavier muttered under his breath.

'Perhaps what?'

Charles looked up at him in confusion as the older man grabbed his wrist and dragged him to his feet. The small man wasn't too happy about being manhandled around like this.

'Perhaps you will change your mind?' Erik supplied helpfully but in a manner that bespoke of intimidation in the very, near future.

'Erik, you're hurting me.'

'I am little on the edge, little one,' he confessed in a confused mumble, 'perhaps it will be better if you quickly confirmed for me what exactly is this situation with you and McCoy. I was under the impression that we had decided to be in this sinking ship together.'

To the professor's mind, they had decided on no such thing and Charles could not help from feeling disappointed as this was hardly the romantic proposal of his dreams. It dawned on him then, that suddenly a lot of his life seemed to be caught up with whatever shit was going on with Erik. But he didn't think that now was the time to complain about this, because it was apparent from Erik's ice cold fingers that the larger man was in desperate need of reassurance.

He hooked his free arm around the other man's waist and hugged him as best as he could, 'you are correct. It's you and me now, till the screws fall out.'

Thankfully the older man released the punishing grip on his wrist and with the quick swing in temperament that Charles had come to expect, began to tenderly massage the sting away.

'I assure you that I am smiling on the inside to hear you say this,' he replied in a flat monotone.

Charles smiled sympathetically at the expressionless look on his new boyfriend's face and he resisted the urge to sigh. They might as well as have been discussing the latest sales in Wal-Mart for all the animation in the older man's manner. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell Erik that this wasn't at all necessary; that he didn't need to mark off his territory like some wild animal but something in his head told him to just go along with anything the older man wanted tonight. Erik would need time to equilibrate and realize that just because somebody knew his secret, did not mean he was NOT in control of his life anymore.

'Charles, can you make me something to eat?' the tall man asked unexpectedly, just as the academic was wondering what to do next. 'I skipped dinner and I am starting to feel a little light headed.'

The professor expressed suitable horror before dragging him off to the refrigerator to scavenge among the leftovers. He was frantically looking over the selections when Erik rattled a box overhead. Arching a perplexed eyebrow, the young man inserted the contents into the microwave, wondering what this was all about. Erik didn't need his help to heat up a microwave dinner. With a musical ding, the meal was ready and as the professor carefully maneuvered the hot container on to a plate, Erik passed him another box with a hopeful expression. He watched with a half smile of amusement as Erik dug into the mush of his Mac and Cheese with gusto.

'Fanks' he garbled inarticulately but earnestly, 'No one makes this as good as you do.'

Charles had to softly snort at such an unusual bit of silliness from the normally serious man. 'I am going to take a quick shower.'

He placed the second heated box on the counter and then moved to the dresser to retrieve his pajamas, aware that Erik was following his every move as if he would disappear if not watched carefully. It saddened him to see the older man so insecure and uncomfortable.

'Can I stay the night?' Erik blurted out rather loudly, causing him to jump.

He wasn't sure why Erik felt the need to ask but he decided to play it "cool", sensing that if he showed any pity or hesitation, Erik would just shut down. He had gone through this with the older man before. When he had first come to the mansion, it had taken some time for the other man to find his rhythm. Most likely Erik wasn't even aware of what he was doing.

'Of course,' Charles answered calmly before walking towards the bathroom door. He didn't look back.

Erik stared at the closed bathroom door as he devoured his meal, making quick work of the first before grabbing the second carton. If his cat hadn't seated her furry little rump on the grass and refused to stalk another step, Erik would have been half way to village without even realizing it. She had sat on the edge of Charles' property line bawling at him in an almost human like fashion, rightly wondering where he was going in the dead of night without proper clothes, food or money. Erik had trained himself to operate under pressure, sweeping aside disappointments and figuratively turning on a dime if it was warranted. Always he would walk into a new situation with not only one plan in mind but ten! He had obviously become pampered and careless as a direct result of living in Charles' mansion. Reluctantly, he walked back to the house chastising himself for panicking. Christ! If he had really broken parole he would have the half the state's police force after him not to mention what that would do to Xavier. It was not the professor's fault that he was saddled with a half wit maniac.

As he irritably picked his way through the darkness, he tried to calm him mind. (The professor would have been so proud). Carefully he laid out his motivations for staying; scrutinizing them impartially and at the end of it all he was forced to concede that staying out of prison was not his primary reason for being here anymore. Living with Xavier for so long had awakened him to the fact that he now had responsibilities; tasks of honor and of loyalty tangled up with the friendships he had made could not be easily sidestepped. As he walked out of the forests surrounding the well manicured lawns of the professor's estate, he had stood there staring at the only square of light visible in the dark, knowing that his friend waited for him there; a safe harbor not only from the cold night but from his own dangerous impulses and even darker motivations.

A short time later, the professor strode out the bathroom looking around as the light from his re-lit fire picked out the shadows of the objects within. 'Erik?'

It was only as the tall man moved did Charles realize that he had been standing against the dark curtains, staring through the window.

'Erik, why are all the pillows stacked in the armchair?'

'Because I need to keep my hands busy. Get on the bed.'

Ohhhhhhhh buckets.

'Shouldn't we try to get some sleep?' the young man asked hastily, attempting to quickly open negotiations as Erik reached his side and began to nudge him forward. 'We have work in the morning.'

The Englishman had thought that perhaps the other man would want to discuss some more of this trouble with Shaw but evidently he was quite wrong. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Erik but not like this; not when the older man seemed to be holding on to his composure by a thread.

'Sleep? The older man said darkly, 'I will try but I am not sure of that. Not tonight.'

Charles didn't have time to protest any further as Erik gently pushed him face forward on to the mattress before climbing on top of him.

'What are you DOING Xavier!?' he questioned irritably, as the small man jerked suddenly almost throwing him off, 'Relax.'

Oh.

Charles felt his eyes drift close under the expert ministrations of the other man's fingers. If he had known that Erik was capable of this he would have cornered him ages ago!

'Erik, WHERE did you learn how to do that?! Don't tell me…you dated a masseur?'

'No, my father taught me.'

'…your father was a masseur?'

He grinned as Erik laughed quietly. Coming on the heels of a very tense day, his laughter was truly one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

'No one was a masseur, Charles. Father was an accountant and he taught me so that I could massage my mother when he was tired. She was a seamstress.'

'An accountant? So that's where you get your genius with numbers from.'

'Most likely.'

A seamstress? That also explained why Erik was such an undercover clothes whore.

Suddenly Erik stopped and for a second Charles wondered if he had said that last unflattering bit out loud.

'This isn't going to work,' the larger man mumbled.

'Don't stop!' Charles protested. 'What's wrong?'

He twisted around curiously as the other man slid one strong arm under his chest inorder to tuck him beneath the blanket on the bed, after which his brain then had a complete and utter meltdown as Erik reached under him again to remove his sleeping vest.

'Easy, easy,' the older man whispered as he felt Charles stiffen in surprise at his actions, 'you are entirely covered. Do you want me to snuff out the fire?'

Charles had to clear his throat before he could speak.

'I am fine,' he insisted confidently, the effect of which was somewhat spoilt when he squeaked in alarm. The other man had reached under the blanket again and slid his pyjama bottoms below his hips and almost like an afterthought, right off his body! However, the matter of fact, detached manner that the older man went about it all, did a lot to quell his instinctive nervousness.

'Much better,' the older man declared happily as he resumed the massage.

He leaned over with comforting concern, 'Alright there my friend?'

Despite the fact that he was most uncomfortable being stark naked, the professor smiled in confirmation and was rewarded with a quick kiss on the cheek.

'Sometimes this hurts, so just let me know,' Erik warned.

'It feels wonderful!' Charles countered in ferverent tones. 'Don't stop.'

Erik smiled at such a simple but heartfelt compliment. Xavier had a way of reaching out and connecting with people on this deeply personal and intimate level, just by the truthfulness and beauty of his mind.

'Dearest, can you talk to me?'

'I don't want to talk about Shaw right now.'

'Neither do I! Talk about anything you like. I love hearing your voice.'

The older man shook his head in rueful embarrassment. People didn't normally go around saying things like that to each other. Did they?

'I see you have adopted a new name for me … dearest?'

'It was either that or degenerate,' Charles replied mischievously.

'Dearest is fine,' he agreed hastily, 'What would you like to talk about?'

'Anything you like, your voice relaxes me.'

'I can recite the front page of today's Wall street Journal for you.'

'Um…i don't mean to sound picky but are there any other choices?'

'A couple came into the travel section today at work. They wanted a unique destination for their honeymoon.'

'Their visit has remained in your mind?'

'Not the couple themselves but the place they chose. Dubai. We looked at some books and I have never seen such things.'

The professor closed his eyes getting lost not only in the mesmerizing feel of Erik's touch against his bare skin but in the magical scene that the older man painted from what he had read. He listened as the other described the colorful people, the clash of old and new cultures and the long stretches of desert that appeared lifeless but were not. 'I have seen huge expanses of snow that stretched to the horizon but nothing like that. Have you?'

'The desert? No I haven't. But after your parole I would be happy to take you.'

Erik's hands stilled for a moment.

'Is that a bribe little one?'

'It's only a bribe, if it works!' he replied with an inelegant little snort.

The larger man looked down at the man below him. The professor appeared to have swept away his earlier discomfort of being unclothed and was now in a playful mood. It was curious but not unwelcome. He didn't actually want the small man burdened down by his secrets but he didn't want Xavier to be living in denial either. He had every intention of locating Shaw, gutting him like a fresh chicken and then watching him die. However Erik's present frown had to do with the manner in which the small man began to move around restlessly under his hands until he finally curled up on his side inorder to be comfortable.

He leaned over again with a questioning look.

'It was a perfectly good idea up to the point when you removed my clothes,' Charles informed him, looking up with a sigh. 'It's alright. I am fine…just ignore it.'

The older man grinned a feral smile at the sometime 'after effects' of a massage that the professor was now experiencing.

'Here, allow me,' he insisted, gently rolling the other man unto his back and nudging his legs apart.

The older man started when Charles slapped his hands away. 'Excuse me? What kind of guy do you think I am? We haven't even gone on a date as yet.'

Erik didn't know if he was more surprised at the wave of anger that rolled over him or its sheer intensity. He had observed the impish twinkle in Charles' eyes as he issued his denial but was unable to tease apart the man's words from his playful laughter. This wasn't the night for such games! Not when a worrying fear gnawed on his mind, continuously reminding him that the professor knew his secret. Charles held sway over his mind, whatever bit of his heart that still functioned and now he could control his freedom. It was singularly a most uncomfortable position to be in!

'Hey, hey…' the Englishman murmured in quiet tones, 'I was just playing.'

He patted Erik's thigh as the older man averted his face breathing hard.

'I know you are not too good at humor, dearest. Everything is really black and white in your world, isn't it?' he chatted companionably to himself, 'But you can let down your guard with me. It's safe here…why don't you give it a try?'

Erik crossed his arms and glared at the smaller man who rested in between his knees, nodding encouragingly.

'Can I take you out for dinner, Charles?'

It delighted the older man to have taken the professor by surprise and he watched in secret pleasure as a soft, warm smile slowly broke out across the man's face.

'Yes I would love that, but…'

Immediately, Erik's thick eyebrows furrowed together sinisterly, 'But nothing! What the fuck?! This isn't a fucking negotiation! You will go where I take you and LIKE IT!'

Charles ignored his rude words as he laid a gentling hand on his arm, 'But I have to talk to Hank first. He has been a good friend to us; we shouldn't do this behind his back.'

Erik, now realizing the true reason for his hesitation, nodded in agreement, 'should we talk to him together?'

Good lord! Henry would close up like a clam if they both cornered him. 'Let me give it a go and I will let you know if I need help.'

He smiled in relief as Erik calmly gave way to his request; a sure sign that the other man was beginning to pull himself together from the unexpected confessions of the night.

'It has just occurred to me,' Erik remarked in an off handed voice, 'that we are in bed together and one of us is naked and all we are doing is talking. Don't you find that peculiar?'

After a few seconds of strained silence, the older man threw up his hands in frustration, 'As you would say, "I am rubbish at this!" I try to say something flirtatious and it just comes out …terrifying. You are looking at me as if I just suggested that I spoon out your liver!'

Charles started to breathe again, 'I am sorry Erik. I didn't know you were trying to play. You have to smile a bit so that I know. Why don't…'

Erik raised his hand arrogantly to interrupt him, 'From now on, why don't you handle the appetizer and I will be responsible for the main course. And before the Englishman could ask him to explain further, Erik had ripped away the blanket and pulled him into his arms. The small man jumped in surprise but easily melted into the other man's embrace as Erik covered him with his heavy, warm body, casually kissing him slowly and deeply as if they did this every day and twice on Sundays!

The one long kiss then turned into several small kisses as Erik tested his welcome; wanting to make sure that he wasn't steamrolling the professor into doing something that he didn't want. As the academic plucked at his shirt, he quickly pinned both of the man's wrists above his head to keep them out of further mischief. 'I think one of us better keep their clothes on. Shh…, don't fight me on this. Please.'

He waited until Charles had ceased struggling to undress him and finally settled quietly on the bed, staring breathlessly up at him. They didn't have the words as mutual desire swept over them and in that small pause in time, they crossed over the line of no return together.

Erik felt his body start to tighten pianfully, as the professor obediently remained still while he kissed and nibbled a path along the column of his throat. He found it intensely arousing that the small man lay in the position that he dictated, knowing full well that the man did NOT have a submissive personality at all. Currently, he was also finding it difficult to maintain any focus whatsoever as the young man let out a series of heady moans in his ear.

'God Charles, you're just so damned sexy!' he mumbled thickly against his skin as he leaned forward to seal their lips together once again. He didn't even have to use his tongue to tease the man's lips apart as the professor opened readily for him to taste and without breaking the kiss he reached down between Charles' legs and took him into his hand. The small man unexpectedly arched right off the bed and Erik tilted his head to better capture the muffled shout of excitement through their kiss. He reveled in Charles' enthusiastic response to his touch.

Graciously he allowed the professor to take control of the intricacies of maintaining their kiss as he now concentrated fully on stroking the man's erection. Not that was any hardship as Charles was a much better kisser than he was anyway. The smaller man had a focus that he didn't have and always seemed to remember all of the movements that gave him the most pleasure.

In the meantime Erik kept telling himself not to be greedy. Over and over he repeated the words in his head. This awesome human being was allowing him to touch him intimately but even though it was more than a bastard like him probably deserved, it wasn't enough. It just had been too long for Erik and his mouth began to water as the heavy heat in his hand grew even firmer and electric to his touch. When Charles' head finally lolled back across the pillow and he started to distractedly chant his name under his breath, the older man threw caution to the wind. He would deal with the consequences tomorrow; beg on his hands and knees if that is what the smaller man demanded. The Englishman wasn't going to last much longer.

Swiftly he shifted down and with a bit of an embarrassing moan of his own, took the professor's cock into his mouth; closing his eyes to fully savor the exquisite contrasts of warm satin over steel.

'Erik, Oh God! MOVE!' Charles yelled out in warning but it had the opposite affect on his lover as the older man slid his hands under his hips to tilt his pelvis forward for a better angle. Erik could feel his own arousal starting to gather in intensity at the base of his spine and unconsciously he began to rut against him.

Fuckedy fuck…the professor was going to be the death of him tonight or was it morning? (Good GOD, who cared?!) This had gotten completely of control!

'Erik, if you want to move, now is the time to do it!' the Englishman cautioned again in a series of broken gasps as his release began to shake apart every atom of his mind and body. Instinctively seeking a strong anchor in the storm, the small man wrapped his arms and legs tightly around him and as his world collapsed, Erik eagerly swallowed the salty heat that flooded his mouth, sucking greedily to ensure that Charles rode out every last one of his orgasmic convulsions to the very end.

Reality soon began to sink in as he licked the man dry and the professor silently relaxed beneath him. Erik would be hard pressed to actually apologise for any of this as he wasn't sorry at all. It had been wonderful to bring so much pleasure to Charles; the shared experience being all the more gratifying because they cared about each other so deeply. For the first time he slowly opened his eyes to survey the devastation around them and reluctantly he pushed his own unsatisfied erection away from Charles' body. It would kill him now if the professor shouted at him or threw him from the room but to his profound surprise, the other man had already fallen asleep with a contented little smile decorating his face.