February 19th, 1958
They had all tried to give themselves time to heal in both body and mind before traveling overseas, Charles had insisted on longer but only several days after coming together were they all at the airport about to say their goodbyes. Charles had grown very fond of the younger Cluster in their short time together, learning quite a bit about them and their powers with his powers and personality for conversation alike.
He would like to say they felt the same as he watched them all look at him sadly as they were about to head to their own gate and wait for their plane. Charles received a hug from each of them and a big thank you, Erik, on the other hand, got handshakes which Charles could only guess the man preferred that anyway. He and Erik hadn't talked all that much during their physical time in each others presence, something hung in the air awkwardly. Charles had only contacted Raven and Hank once to show them that he had made it out alright and tell them they planned to go visit soon.
Parting ways Charles waved at the three boys eagerly and called, "See you around!" and then turned to his two companions, each with their arms crossed in similar manners and just as similar frowns on their lips. Logan had calmed down quite a bit over the last few days as well, though unlike the younger Cluster he didn't like to divulge into his past much but Charles could feel and see some surface thoughts that constantly flowed off of the man's mind.
"We should get going to our own gate Chuck, they're practically adults and they have each other, they'll be fine." the gruff man said in a deep voice, Charles smiled at him covering up his concern. "Yes, of course, shall we Erik?" Walking between both men gave the telepath a sense of protection, like having two bodyguards and after what he'd been through he hated to admit, but he needed that feeling.
Looking at his own plane ticket Charles mumbled, "So, to the States huh? My mind is blanking um, are we going to stay with Raven or Hank?" he looked up at Erik with questioning blue eyes only to have steely ones look to connect with his. "Hank, he has a larger place and no roommates so it's less of a burden. Raven took some time off of work to come see us as well, I guess Hank wrote her a fake note from the CIA saying they needed to question her about things." a smirk grew over the man's lips at that, he seemed proud of scrawny little hank defying the law even in such a small way.
Bubbling out a small laugh Charles agreed, "How rebellious of him." Sometimes the brunette found it hard to keep his eyes off of Erik, they just seemed naturally drawn to him as if he were made of metal himself. So he all but forced his eyes to look back at Logan again, "I'm very happy you're coming with us."
"As you've said..." the man sighed out with a non-content tone. Again, Charles had grown used to it. Though they denied it every time he mentioned it, Charles knew that Logan and Erik were similar in that sort of way of not wanting others to catch on to how much they really cared. So they covered it up by cold expressions and rude comments. It always put a look of slight shock on their faces when Charles only responded with smiles and maybe a teasing word or two.
During the plane ride Charles took the middle seat between the two men again, politely declining the offer to sit at the window. Approximately the flight would take eight hours, they would be arriving sometime in the late evening in America. So after sitting up for several hours, trying to make conversation with his two anti-social companions, Charles gave up and leaned back trying to nap. In his sleep and with the motion of the plane he had started to tip, his head gently leaning against Logan's arm as a peaceful sleep washed over him.
With a snort like a bull, Erik almost muttered something possessive under his breath but settled for reaching and pulling Charles to tilt the other way and use Erik as his pillow instead. Noticing for obvious reasons Logan's lips twitched into a smug line, "Don't worry bub, I've got no interest in stealing your boyfriend from you." When Erik didn't look so sure he added, "I had someone I loved in my Cluster too but she's gone now, I'll never love anyone but her."
Nodding in agreement the younger man muttered, "Sorry to hear that." probably the most sincere thing he would get from Erik and it was good enough for both of them.
"And he's not my boyfriend...yet. I haven't asked him."
"He'll say yes. I know it's crazy how fast love can happen within Clusters, you know each other for days and weeks and you feel these emotions you didn't know you were capable of, but you are. It was the same for me and Anna Marie. Quick, but stroke emotions and trust me it only drives you insane if you lose them. Don't lose him." Logan warned but knew he didn't need to.
"I won't. That's exactly why I did what I did to find him, I won't lose him. Or the others, I'll take out anyone who tries to hurt them." he threatened the air quietly and didn't look at the other man then, his eyes softening as he gazed at Charles' sleeping face. Lips parted slightly and eyes flickering occasionally behind his eyelids. I want to know more about him. He thought to himself.
~.~.~.~.~
There were so many hugs exchanged, Raven had all but rushed them at the airport and hugged Charles first. Looking him over to make sure he hadn't been injured between their last mental visit and their first physical one, then she hugged Erik despite him giving her a look not to. She had even hugged Logan, who had been taken off guard and unable to move away from the unexpected gesture before it happened.
Hank, as usual, had been filled to the brim with coffee to keep him awake after working himself through the night to get ahead so he would have time off to spend with his Cluster-mates. He had extended his hand, Erik had shaken it but Charles had rolled his eyes and moved to hug him instead. It was odd, something none of them had really felt in the longest time, a true sense of belonging. Even for Logan.
That night they had all been sitting in Hank's living room and drinking, scotch and vodka seemed to be the drinks of the evening and it took almost no time for the lighter weights to get a bit drunk. Charles had announced pretty quickly, "W-We should tell each other everything about ourselves, I mean we're family now so it's only right!" Yup, definitely drunk.
"That's a dum-" "That's an amazing idea!" Raven cut Erik off in a loud voice and excited eyes, "I'll go first!" Standing up as if she was giving a presentation Raven pulled the skirt down on her blond form before letting herself change into her now normal blue skin default, no one blinked an eye at it. "So ahem! My name is Raven Darkholme, I'm nineteen, born February 1st in 1939. No biological family to speak of, grew up in an orphanage at the bad side of town in Wisconsin. Instead of going into crime like a lot of kids in that area I instead threw myself into working at a shitty waitressing job. I've got three awesome roommates, Kitty and Bobby whom I rarely see since they're always busy with...things, and each other, and Irene who is my bestee in the whole world!" she grinned at that last part. "I love her!" she announced as a finisher and the others all clapped and gave soft laughs.
"Hank! Your turn!" she pointed and took a seat back on the couch before dramatically crossing her legs and downing the last mouthful of her vodka.
"O-Oh ok um, mine isn't very exciting but here goes." he stood up like Raven had but looked much more nervous, as was expected.
"I'm Henry McCoy but I prefer Hank. I've never been close to my parents, no idea why they were nice people but we never really connected on a personal level. I left home quickly when I graduated Harvard at fifteen, got a job at the CIA pretty quickly after that, own a house and a car, paid off student loans and all that adult stuff. I also was born February 1st, 1939. Um.." he had to stop and think, holding his head as the alcohol was getting to him quicker than Raven. "I'm awful with people, never really had any true friends, I get lonely so I throw myself into work and I have a tendency to push others away so I don't embarrass myself being their friends." The others clapped and Charles smiled, "You're not alone anymore, Hank."
"Thanks Charles." he nodded, "I don't feel alone anymore either." Hank took his seat then, "How about you then Charles?"
Standing up the brunette took a down of scotch before clearing his throat. "I'm what you all would call a trust-fund baby. Charles Francis Xavier, born to my parents on February 1st, 1939. My father passed when I was only three, my mother is an alcoholic and she married a man named Kurt Marko when I turned five. He and my step-brother Cain are two of my least favorite people in the world so as soon as I was able I started going to college at Oxford and stayed in my own apartment around campus to get my degree in Genetics, I'm currently working on that. I haven't spoken to my mother, Kurt or Cain in over a year and I'd prefer to keep it that way." the man said with his smile never wavering despite all of his Cluster-mates getting the feelings pouring off of him during his little speech. Instantly they knew this Kurt Marko was far worse of a man than Charles even let on, but said nothing.
"I received my share of inheritance fully when I turned eighteen last year so you are looking at one wealthy young man!~ Erik, my dear, I think it's your turn!" he gestured to the other man trying to pull the spotlight off of himself.
Not standing up Erik rolled his eyes, "Not much to tell." But eager eyes stared at him with curiosity. "Fine. Erik Lehnsherr, February 1st, 1939 just like you guys. My parents were killed soon after us all being put in the concentration camps because we're Jewish-" that started to kill the mood, excitement in such bright eyes died out quickly. "That's where I met Shaw, he worked in the camps for a long time and now I expect he had been searching for people like us there...I was taken in after all of that by a man who taught me what I do now. How to thieve properly, I live in Berlin and I do odd for-hire illegal jobs."
A hand touched Erik's shoulder softly, Charles smiled. "Thank you for sharing Erik." They all knew it wasn't within Erik's normal natural to divulge any of those things. "Feel like sharing Logan?" the telepath asked instead of demanded.
"No." and that was that. Perhaps they were all a bit more broken than the others had anticipated, Hank's loneliness was far beyond what they had expected, Raven's want to make something out of herself coming from nothing was breathtaking but hard for a young woman in that day and age with no money. Erik's past still obviously haunted him and for good reason, you didn't just snap out of a mindset like being in a concentration camp, and Charles had very clearly suffered emotional and physical abuse at the hands of his family and avoided saying it out loud even to people he trusted dearly.
~.~.~.~.~
Visiting each other properly had been like no other experience. In the end Erik and Charles were on the same plane next to each other, heading back to Charles' flat in the UK. Logan had insisted on staying behind, Hank had begun researching their kind much like Shaw had only with good intentions. If he could have a breakthrough way of finding more of them they could warn them, help them and keep them safe from people like Shaw in the future. Logan had decided to stay to be a sort of guinea pig, give Hank DNA samples or go in for bodily scans when needed, Charles knew that the man also worried over Hank and Raven.
While Erik and Charles were going to be staying together from then on, Raven and Hank were far away and didn't have the inclination to kill on sight as Erik had. So he stayed, staying with Hank and probably would occasionally visit Raven.
Indeed, Charles had stated he would be returning to his flat and go back to catching up at school, Erik had decided to go back with him and hadn't given anyone a choice in the matter. His excuse had been he was sick of Berlin and wanted a change of scenery.
Having been there before through their mental visits Erik didn't need to look around to find things in Charles' flat when they arrived. Setting his single bag of belongings on the kitchen table he cleared his throat. "Hey Charles...I'm sure you don't have food in your fridge that isn't expired so...how about you let me take you out to dinner tonight after we settle in?"
"We could just order some take out if you're tired, no need to go out." Charles answered back as he looked around, getting his own bearings again for having been gone for a short amount of time that felt like months with what he'd been through. Stopping mid-step he blinked, "Or did you mean like a...a date?" he couldn't stop the very small blush rising to his cheeks.
"I meant a date." Erik said bluntly, "I'd had plans to ask you out for Valentines Day before everything happened. Would you like to go on a date with me, Charles? I like you quite a bit, I'm sure you knew that by now though."
"I did but only recently did I figure out it seems to be more than a physical attraction." Refusing to turn around towards the doorway where Erik stood the brunette ran a hand through his hair quickly. "I would like that, but could we order in tonight? I just want to be home...with you."
"Of course, Charles. I don't care where we are as long as you know I mean it."
For the first time the two men ate dinner, just some crappy Chinese delivery from a few blocks away on Charles' couch. Erik spoke the most Charles had ever heard from him in a single evening, they talked on end about nothing and everything, politics, religion, chess, their Cluster and the possibilities, their powers. They didn't agree on everything but there was always an agree to disagree with them with a mutual respect.
After exhausting their minds with conversation the two men had long since finished eating and instead just lounged on the couch, close together and watched junk tv play in the background. Neither of their attention was on the television, instead each kept glancing at each other out of the corners of their eyes. After a long wait, Charles turned his body more fully towards his companion. "Erik, I know this is our first date but I mean...did...would you want to-"
Warm and calloused hands touched his cheeks and soft lips were then pressing to Charles. "Thank God, I was hoping you'd ask." Taking no time Erik pushed Charles to lay back on the couch and pressed himself close. "I want to but um, I've never...not with a man before." Erik trailed several hot kisses against Charles' neck, "Doesn't matter. I'll be gentle, I'll show you how and if you want me to stop I will."
That was all the shorter man needed to hear, lifting his arms to wrap tightly around Erik's neck and pulled him into a deeper and heated kiss. "I need you! I need you to give me everything!"
As promised, Erik took his time. He was slow, gentle and even more painfully slow when Charles needed things to come to a halt to adjust. The result was more than worth it, they were pressed together as sweat coated their skin as they rocked together and soft noises echoed in the room from them both.
Clinging to his new lover's shoulder Charles gasped out, "Y-you're so beautiful Erik, a-ah..your mind i-is amazing and your body feels so good in mine!"
Smiling lightly Erik muttered quietly, "Don't say such silly things when we're having sex."
And for the moment neither man thought about the troubles built in their minds. That Shaw probably wasn't dead, that there could be other Cluster's out there with wants more similar to his than theirs, the fact that none of them had true control over their abilities and had no idea how to master them, and...the fact that as they made love Charles could just faintly feel a building of energy in the back of his mind.
Sorry that this chapter was quite a bit shorter than the others but all other ideas I had written down would work far better in the sequels. I also really wanted to end it on a really happy note with just a light hint of what could be on the horizon for them.
I will probably end up re-writing this fic in its entirety so that it flows much better than how I originally wrote it. And perhaps after that I'll begin on the sequel I want to write that skips into the future with other clusters, Charles' school, him maybe creating a cluster of his own with Erik by accident. (Is that considered Mpreg if it's a mental/psychic birthing?)