"Where am I staying Charles? You're not leaving me all alone are you? I'm not exactly the most well-liked person around here. What if someone tries to attack me? I'm scared to be alone here." Erik admits.
"I was going to put you in the room next to mine on the lower level. I'm the only one who has a bedroom on this floor for obvious reasons. If you're that scared you can stay in my room, but with my ability I'd know if you were in danger. You'd stay on a cot in my room, of course, but you'd be safe." Charles says quietly.
Erik yawns widely. "I don't mean to be rude, Charles, really. Between the scotch and how tired I was to begin with I won't be awake much longer."
"Let's go to bed then. I should have been asleep an hour ago." Charles yawns in response to Erik's yawn.
"That's the best idea I've heard all day. Do you need help?" Erik asks gently.
"Yes, please. Normally I'm okay on my own, but I'm too tired to have the strength to lift myself right now." Charles admits.
"I'd do anything to help you, Charles. Hold on round my neck." Erik stands up and leans over Charles.
Charles clutches Erik's neck. He doesn't always feel secure being lifted this way. Erik carefully lifts Charles up off the sofa and puts his arms under Charles' legs. Erik puts Charles gently into his chair. "Thank you, Erik."
"I'll push you, Charles. You look as if you're about to fall asleep." Erik says gently. "You just need to direct me."
"Turn left out of the room and go down to the end of the hall. I'm the last room on the left." Charles says with a yawn.
"I remember really liking that room when I was here last time." Erik says as he pushes Charles down the hall.
"It's changed a lot in forty years. I had to change the wallpaper. When I moved some of the furniture out of the room I discovered they hadn't wallpapered the entire room. The wallpaper is much lighter now." Charles tells Erik.
"You've changed a lot about this house, Charles. Why did you do that?"
"My childhood wasn't exactly happy. My parents and I didn't get along, so when they died I decided to do something good with the house they left me. I didn't want my legacy to be my sister and my parents' biases which went opposite ways." Charles explains.
"You sister loved you right to the end, Charles. She'd changed her mind about a lot of things, but she didn't know how to tell you. She wanted to ask you to forgive her."
"I suspected she'd had a change of heart when I got a letter from her." Charles says sadly as they enter his bedroom.
"This is very nice, Charles. Do you need anything?" Erik asks watching Charles move around the room.
"You can stay in here, Erik. There's trundle bed, double, under here. I think you're right. You're probably safest in here with me." Charles wheels himself towards his closet. "Do you have clothes?"
"Yes Charles. I'm fine." Erik kneels down next to the bed, flips the bedclothes up, and rolls the trundle bed out from the bed. It's already all made up. Erik quickly changes into his pyjamas. He doesn't want to be changing when Charles comes out of his closet. That would be far too tempting for both of them. "Charles, where's the bathroom?"
"Last door on the right." Charles calls from the closet.
"Charles, are you all right in there? Do you need any help?" Erik asks from outside the closet.
"I'm fine, Erik. I'm just changing my shirt. I'll be right out." Charles calls back.
Erik decides to believe Charles and walks into the bathroom. He's hot wearing his pyjama shirt as he washes his face. He hears Charles' wheelchair as it enters the spacious bathroom. He also hears Charles gasp quietly when he notices Erik is shirtless. Erik reaches blindly for a towel. "Is everything okay Charles?" Erik asks when he opens his eyes. Charles is wearing navy blue silk pyjamas. He looks very handsome.
"I'm fine. Thank you, Erik." Charles says obviously staring at Erik's chest. He rolls up his sleeves and reaches for a facecloth on the towel rack.
Erik, now finished in the bathroom walks back into the bedroom and climbs into bed in the low trundle bed. He wants to give Charles room in the bathroom and he doesn't want to distract him.
Charles comes out of the bathroom and notices that Erik is in bed reading the book from his bedside table. He wheels over to Erik and is very close to him. "Good night Erik."
Erik sits up further in bed. "Good night Charles." He leans forward and kisses Charles' cheek. It feels so smooth under his chapped lips.
Charles leans in to Erik's kiss. It feels so natural and right for Erik to be kissing him. When they were together when they were young Erik used to kiss him good night every night.
Erik slowly pulls away from the kiss. "I love you, Charles." Erik whispers.
Charles leans his forehead against Erik's. "I know you do, Erik. I love hearing that from you. I haven't heard those words for so long. I love you too. Now, try and get some sleep." Charles smiles at Erik. He wheels himself over to the bed and heaves himself onto the bed. He slides under the covers knowing Erik is watching his every move. "Good night Erik." Charles says softly before he turns out the light.
Erik lays awake in the dark watching the dark silhouette on the bed. He finds the fact that Charles can't move once he's in bed very sad. He tucks his hands under his head as he watches Charles.
Charles smirks in the dark. "I know you're watching me, Erik. You're not going to make me uncomfortable."
Erik starts to chuckle. "I would never try to make you uncomfortable, Charles. I just sleep better when I'm not facing a window."
"That's the excuse you're going with, hmm? I don't believe that for a moment." Charles teases.
"It's true. It's rare for me to fall asleep facing a window unless the window has curtains on it."
"You know, I actually remember that from when we were together when we were young. You usually fell asleep with your face buried in my chest." Charles reminisces.
"I'm glad you have happy memories of our time together, Charles. I was hoping you did."
"All I have from our time together is happy memories, Erik. We were good together. We were strong and happy as a couple. I missed having you around." Charles admits.
"I can't believe I just heard you say all that. That's very sweet of you to say, Charles. I didn't think you would have any compliments for me." Erik admits.
Charles sighs heavily. He can't believe Erik lacks confidence like this. "Erik, despite everything that has transpired between us, that didn't change how I felt about you. I wanted to be angry with you, but I knew you and I had opinions that were two sides of the same coin. I can't blame you for the opinions you had. I have always cared for you, Erik."
"Thank you, Charles. I may not have always deserved your concern, but I do appreciate your care and concern." Erik says with a yawn.
"Get some sleep Erik. We'll talk more tomorrow and we'll go for a walk too." Charles murmurs sleepily.
Erik smiles as he falls asleep. Charles has been kind and sweet with him. He falls asleep facing Charles' silhouette in the dark.