Broken Crown
Chapter Four: Safe Harbor
(A/N: I had to double check the rating…we good! Also, I go back and forth to Anna, Anna Marie, Rogue vs Erik, Magnus, Magneto—hope it's not too confusing. Sometimes Rogue will say I and other times Ah depending on how much of a drawl she has at the time. Thanks for reading/your support! Enjoy!)
.
.
.
Anna
.
.
It was still dark outside, when Anna woke up curled up against Erik's warm body, her palms splayed across his muscular chest and her legs tangled between his long, thick ones. He wore loose pajama pants and she had taken off her own yoga pants, opting to sleep in her racer top and panties. Her gloves were tossed haphazardly on the nightstand. Erik's arms were wrapped around her, hands pressed between her shoulder blades and her low back. His long, dexterous fingers had teasingly slipped beyond the edge of her panties and tightly gripped the roundness of her ass.
"Good morning," Erik rumbled, squeezing his hands slightly, enough to leave bruises on her flesh, marking her as he often liked to do. He wanted her to have reminders of their intimacy — as if Anna would ever forget.
"Not sure that it's morning yet, Sugah," Anna rasped, her throat still raw from so much crying over the last few days. She pressed her nose against the side of his neck and breathed in his comforting scent and smiled at the ticklish sensation of the abrasive stubble of his early morning silver beard against her skin. It was that natural electromagnetic field that buzzed around his body like a shield that allowed her this moment of paradise. Once again, he'd made clear his feelings for her— love— and she'd greedily taken all he had to offer. She cared about him, probably more than anyone else alive save Kurt. But, it was too soon for her to return those coveted words, even though she knew it would mean so much for him to hear her say it. However, Magneto had always been a man of action, not of empty words. She would work hard to show him how she felt about him, until she was able to put those feelings into words. Though, knowing how perceptive he was, she might never need to voice her feelings. He always seemed able to see right through her anyway, no matter how many shields she tried to place around her brittle heart.
"In that case, can I interest you in some late night activities?" Erik murmured, shifting Rogue's weight until she was laying directly on top of him and peering down into his crystal blue eyes. "Waking up with you every morning would go a long way in soothing my weary heart. Those emerald eyes of yours are an absolute treasure that I value quite sincerely when I am the only one you're looking at."
In spite of everything, looking down at Erik, her long dark hair forming a curtain around their faces, a giggle bubbled up in Rogue's throat. "Our kingdom was destroyed and all Ah can think about is how good it feels to have your hands on me."
Erik closed his eyes and sighed deeply. For a moment, decades of loss and pain flashed across his usually stoic face. "Anna, I must admit, you are my lifejacket in this tempest storm. Before I saw your face hauling me out of the rubble, I had thought of giving up and succumbing to the bliss of death." He opened his eyes and the intensity of his gaze sent chills down Rogue's spine. "Though, likely I'd end up in Gehenna for all my failures — punishment for all the lives I've failed to protect with this awesome power I was blessed with in the darkest days of my childhood. It was not enough to save my parents, my daughter, or so many others over the years." His arms tightened around her. "If I ever lost you…," he trailed off.
"Oh, Erik," Rogue murmured, her eyes tearing up at the despair in his normally confident voice. She pressed her body against his and cupped the side of his face, her thumb traced under his bottom lip before she kissed him softly. When she pulled back to look down at him, she felt her heart constrict at the unabashed affection in his gaze. "We're being given another chance, Sugah. Ah'll be your lifejacket." She traced along his bottom lip again. "You've always been my safe harbor. Ah don't want to take you for granted."
Erik's gripped Rogue at her hips, his thumb moving in tiny circles over the soft dip of her groin, his fingers bruising on her butt as his hands tightened in desire. "Unless you're ready to re-consummate our relationship — I suggest you let me up to shower again. We have a lot to coordinate before our exodus, my queen."
Rogue didn't get up immediately, but when Erik made a strangled sound, she reluctantly rolled off of him with a chuckle. "Ah don't mean to be a tease, Erik. And while the idea of us reconnecting completely is incredibly tempting, Ah think it should wait until we've gotten to our new home. It doesn't feel right when so many others are suffering."
After running his palm over his face with a groan, Erik sat up and then swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Intimacy is about reconnecting, Anna. It means letting down one's guard enough to truly be vulnerable and yet taking care of your partner." He looked back at her over his shoulder. "You should stay here, Anna, until we leave," he suggested. "Rooms are limited after the destruction. It seems selfish to have all this space to myself."
"Ah—Ah'll think about it, Erik," Rogue agreed. She drew the sheets up over her chest and watched her would-be lover as he entered the bathroom for an undoubtably cold shower. She knew he wouldn't have minded if she joined him, and she was sorely tempted, knowing just how much she enjoyed sex with the Master of Magnetism. However, she still needed time to heal after the loss of her beloved teammate.
Whenever she and Erik finally would come together again, she wanted there to be no ghosts between them. Because, they both knew it was a matter of when, not if.
.
.
.
OoO
.
.
.
Erik
.
.
.
It was decided — one Stargate would be located in Atlantis and the other would be in Wakanda. He had no conflict with the Atlanteans, particularly with King Namor being a mutant himself. Wakanda was another country that had been targeted by various world leaders out of greed and fear— it gave them common ground. King T'Challa had seemed quite sincere in his desire to prove an ally to Genosha.
The Shi'ar had a huge intergalactic cruiser parked on the dark side of the moon. They would shuttle the interested mutants to the cruiser and then take them to the alternate dimension, the Mirror Earth. Once there, the building of shelters would be an exhausting achievement, though the Shi'ar also offered to help in that regard — as did Wakanda using the Stargate.
Within a year or two, they'd be able to transform Planet M into a larger version of the Island of Genosha, while leaving the majority of the planet pristine and natural. It would be an important priority to live in harmony with the rest of the planet's inhabitants. They would live off the land, only disturbing the planet minimally. They would also not breed indiscriminately, having more children than parents could support. Part of the problem with Earth was the over-population — people having children and then either not having the resources or the emotional capacity to care for them. If one does not grow up in a loving, nurturing environment, is it any wonder that person grows up to be a hateful, fearful monster?
Magneto himself had been guilty of fathering children irresponsibly. He knew of his daughter Anya and had loved her beyond measure. Losing her had broken him in ways he would never recover. However, the mother of Pietro and Wanda had hidden her pregnancy from him as had the mother of Polaris. Though, did he blame those women for keeping his children a secret? Perhaps not. They had been attracted to him — he knew he was a handsome man in his youth — but their fear for him had been greater. They'd given him their bodies, but never their hearts. Erik hadn't even been aware he'd had more children after Anya until he met them as adults. Planet M would be a new start for them all — to make wise and rational decisions without worry about violence.
It would be the Utopia he'd have loved to raise his daughter, Anya. Maybe, if Anna Marie was amenable to the idea, he might try his hand at fatherhood again. His feelings for Anna were very strong — they shaped his very core. In a world of darkness and disappointment, she was a shining light beckoning him to persevere. She was his equal in strength and the capacity of her heart was far superior to his own. He was certainly motivated to form lifelong attachment to Rogue, merge their bloodlines. Anna would make a wonderful mother — her heart so pure and kind. Would their theoretical children also be resistant against harm from her touch? Or maybe, in a less harsh environment she might finally learn to fully control her own power? She'd gone to Xavier years ago for help, but all Charles had done was brainwash her towards his agenda. Would another telepath be able to help her? One that didn't have anything to lose by Rogue learning independence? Did Erik want to risk Rogue no longer needing him?
For her sake, he would risk it.
Erik leaned against a pillar, surveying the ruins of Genosha. Shaw and Frost had been part of the meeting that morning, discussing logistics of the move. They'd want to bring supplies, but if Planet M truly was identical to Earth, then they'd be able to hunt and gather like humans had done for a hundred thousand years before the last five thousand years where agriculture became the dominant pattern. The average height and health of humanity had diminished with the reliance on agriculture, a less diverse diet being the factor, yet art and architecture and flourished in that environment. Some basic agriculture would be wise, means of water purification, trash, recycling, sewers. The infrastructure for sanitation were essential. They'd utilize Earth, Atlantean, Wakandan, and Shi'ar technology. They'd leave the smallest carbon footprint possible while enjoying the luxurious of the future and avoiding the pitfalls of the stone age.
The last several hours had been spent doing one final sweep over the island in search of survivors. With Xavier's telepathy, they were able to confirm if there were any more living trapped under the rubble. The Stepford Cuckoos triplets — Celeste, Mindee and Phoebe— would be on the island in a day or two, but by the time they arrived it would be too late for find any more survivors. However, at the four day mark, with Elixir's healing abilities, even the most grievous of wounds had a chance of healing. Ten more souls had been saved that day alone! However, now, those that remained in the rubble were almost certainly corpses waiting to be discovered. Should they dig them out, or let them rest in peace where they were?
"It's really an unexpected boon, King Magnus," Emma Frost said, referring to the opportunity to move off world. She leaned on the pillar opposite to him. Her diamond flesh glittered in the afternoon light. "It's frustrating not being able to read the minds of the others in the room. I can only hope there's not some greater deception at play."
"What choice do we have, but to hope?" Erik asked. He drew his gaze away from where Rogue and the Avengers still picked through the wreckage. Though, they were now removing bodies and not survivors. Anna would be especially raw that evening, so Erik would do whatever he could to comfort his beloved queen.
"So, I noticed Rogue didn't return to her room until late this morning, and she packed a bag," Emma pointed out. "I don't suppose you know anything about that, King Magnus?"
"Ah, did you notice that?" Erik mused, a faint smile on his lips. "She is my queen after all." He had felt pretty satisfied when he'd dropped back by his room that afternoon to pick up a notebook and noticed Anna's things in the corner.
"I always thought there was something between the two of you," Emma murmured. "I usually am right about these things." She gestured towards the city ruins. "The last thing to decide is what we're going to do with the bodies," Emma added quietly. "Do we cremate? Bury? Bring them with us to Planet M? Take DNA samples like Nemesis suggested to try and clone them and bring them back to life—- snatching their souls from the great beyond?"
"I think we let the dead stay dead," Erik said quietly, frowning at the idea. "If their souls have already departed, to force them back onto this plane of existence would be not only cruel, but unnatural." He didn't voice his private thought that maybe their souls would be reborn into the Utopian society he was going to try to cultivate — even if he died trying.
"Their premature deaths were cruel and unnatural," Emma huffed. She folded her arms over her ample chest and the sounds of diamonds clattering together sent a shiver down Erik's spine. "I have some training in Psychology," Emma added. "I have a doctorate in the field." She gestured towards her diamond face. "I'm more than my looks, which thankfully so, since I'm currently a walking diamond. I was thinking it would be good to include a mental health clinic as well as the general healthcare. Foley and I have put together a portfolio for you and Queen Rogue to read over." She started to run her fingers through her hair, but stopped when she realized even her hair had turned to stone. "Though, it was certainly easier to help people deal with their trauma when I could visit their minds."
"Your diamond skin is a secondary mutation, it didn't erase your natural abilities. Perhaps you simply need to deal with your own trauma, Emma Frost," Erik suggested. "If nothing else, I'm sure your daughters will be happy to offer their assistance."
"You're right, King Magnus." Emma pushed away from the pillar and started towards the steps that would lead back to the street level. "I"m supposed to meet King Namor. He wanted to discuss some more details regarding the Atlantis Stargate."
"I'm sure that's part of the reason he wants to meet with you," Erik teased. He caught Emma's knowing look. They were both quite similar — often pegged as the villain when really they were simply trying to survive and protect their kind. It was hard to obey society's rules when society kept changing the rules to ostracize you. "You mustn't keep the King of Atlantis waiting. I hear he's not a very patient man."
.
.
.
OoO
.
.
.
Anna
.
.
.
She smiled across the small table in Erik's room — or rather their apartment. The survivors were coming together and busying themselves with the routine of life. That included cooks returning to the kitchen and not only offering a menu to the residents of the island, but also stocking up on supplies and making orders for what they would need to get started at their new home planet.
"Living on a planet certainly would be easier to sustain than the Astroid M idea I had," Erik explained, slipping his fork into his mouth and humming with his eyes closed briefly at the taste of the Mediterranean bowl. "Saucier has done it again. This hummus is delicious."
Rogue nodded. The yellow skinned, four-armed mutant was a close friend of Emma Frost, having worked with her for years. While his tusks and small horns took a little getting used to — not that she wasn't used to a three fingered furry elf brother with a long tail — Saucier's skills in the kitchen were without compare.
"He's worked with the other professional chefs and cooks on creating a list of supplies that would be needed to get through two years of establishing our new colony," Rogue answered. "It's going to be hard work, but I'm looking forward to it. I think we all are."
"You and I have never shied away from hard work, Anna. It's one of the reasons I love you," Erik stated matter-of-fact.
She smiled shyly for a moment and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Oh Erik, Ah can't believe in just a couple of days, we'll be off world."
"Off this world," Erik agreed. He reached across the table unexpectedly, took Rogue's hand in his. The warmth of his flesh against hers sent goosebumps prickling down her arm. "Anna, once we settle, once we feel safe." He took a deep breath, his lips twitching nervously. "I should like to have a family with you— be they children conceived of our own hopeful union or adopted — I know you will be an amazing mother. And I should like the chance to be a father — and truly be present for any child we have."
Rogue blinked at him for a few moments, stunned into silence. She knew Erik had three grown children — Pietro, Wanda, and Lorna. He wasn't particularly close to any of them. Honestly, it was a little weird with Pietro and Wanda both being older than Rogue. Lorna was only a few years younger than Anna herself. Sometimes it was easy to forget this man was ninety years old when his mutation kept him from aging at the same rate as everyone else. With as beautiful as he was now, she could only imagine the heart-ache those irresistible baby-blues were capable of in his younger years. Erik's voice was absolutely sinful — all he had to do was read her two lines of an encyclopedia and she'd soak her panties in desire. If he even tried to lay on the charm — what woman could resist?
However, none of that was the point. Rogue didn't know if her ability would allow her to have children. Did she want to risk it? Would she be able to live with herself if her body harmed any theoretical children they might have? Did the magnetic forcefield that surrounded Erik prevent him from fathering children? Obviously not, he'd fathered four in the past. They'd had unprotected sex before — back in the savage land. Maybe the timing had been off, she hadn't been particularly familiar with the idea of ovulation and conception back in those days. But they'd certainly had enough sex during those six months that something probably should have happened.
"Try not to over-think it, Anna," Erik said, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles over the back of her hand.
Anna used her free hand to pick up her glass of water to try and quench her suddenly parched throat. She set the empty glass back on the table and met Erik's piercing gaze, squeezing his hand gently in hers.
He smiled faintly at her, but said nothing.
Sometimes, words were simply not necessary.