Chapter Text
Many hours had already passed. Charles and Azazel had covered much ground, just by walking barefoot. They were deep into some discussion over something that they did not notice that Erik's car passed them by, heading towards Shaw's hideout. Of course, Erik himself had no idea that Charles was already transfigured. Erik had indeed found the right place when he saw a car parked outside. Charles had a strange feeling come over him, like something was not right. He stopped walking, staring dreamily at the distance. Azazel had kept on walking ahead but then he stopped when he realized Charles had remained standing behind him.
"What is it?"
Charles shook his head slightly, as if to clear it."It feels as if...there is something I missed and I can no longer feel Shaw. I suppose the distance had cut off the connection-"
"You mean to tell me that the human can move now?"
"Yes. My mental powers can no longer reach him-"
"Do you think he might escape? Is that a bad thing?"
"I think it is a bad thing. We should have tied him up-"
"We should go back then!"
Charles looked at him thoughtfully."No. Let us continue and report him anyway. We'll look for my human friend Erik. He'll believe us and I'm sure Shaw will eventually be caught-"
"Alright then-"Azazel said, shrugging, since he thought Charles knew what he was doing.
"I never knew your telepathic powers could become this advanced. You were able to stop Shaw from moving-"
Charles smiled at him faintly."I practiced, you see. I was just thinking about accessing Shaw's brain and trying to understand his thoughts but since i was a rat back then, my powers were minimal. I controlled him without him knowing I did it. At first I made him keep wriggling his nose and then I made him do little actions that indicate I had control over him, like having him scratch his arm at certain intervals. Tiny, imperceptible things. When I was evolved into a human, I realized my mental powers were tenfold of what it was before so I used it to prevent him from moving and it worked!"
Azazel uttered a squeak of amazement and they both had a good laugh over it.
By this time, Erik had reached Shaw's place and had made his way stealthily towards the back door. It looked like a medium sized, storage house. The walls all gray and empty. He peered around at the windows. He was disappointed to find that the place was deserted, even from the outside. He saw that inside it was dusty and there was not much furniture. He was about to leave when he caught sight of some greenish gleaming from a slit on the floor. He decided to enter and investigate, even though it was his idea not to engage Shaw, he was too worried that Charles had gotten hurt. He saw that it was a trapdoor and that oddly enough, there were two footsteps leading away from it. Whoever had left had been barefoot. He also smelled something in the air. Something smelled like it was burning and perhaps that had caused him to act rashly and go down to that door on the floor. There was a wide set of steps and he hurriedly went down it. Beneath was a drab and sterile looking white passageway, the fluorescent light overpowered by the greenish glow from a wide open room where the smoke came from. He looked back the way he came from and then he licked his lips nervously. Should he keep on going? He looked around in the room and saw no one but he saw a pile of burnt rubbish in the middle of the floor. Farther into the room, he saw an operating table. He gingerly stepped in and then he went towards the pile, hunkering down to study it. It looked like a bunch paper and some plastic binders were burned here and it was fresh. What could have happened here?
He was sorting though the ash and refuse with his fingers when he saw a strip of picture, still intact from the burning. It was Charles. He would know that light brown fur anywhere. It was a unique shade. He also saw part of Charles's face and it arose some senseless rage inside of him. Charles had been kept here. He was intending to stand up but he was suddenly knocked over onto his side; he was momentarily dazed because something hard collided with the back of his head and then a slavering face was shoved into his.
"Where are they? What did you do with them? Give them back to me!"Shaw screamed shrilly down at him. The man was different from when he last saw him. He looked like a raving lunatic. He wasn't wearing his glasses anymore and his hair was a gray mess on top of his head. Erik had no idea what the hell he was talking about; his anger got the better of him and he punched Shaw in the face. They both grappled down on the floor, screaming and cursing, throwing more punches at each other. If Erik had not been so weak, recently recuperating from a sickness, he would have been able to deal Shaw a hurting he had never felt before. Shaw was able to shove him back towards a desk and Erik picked up a paperweight magnet. It was heavy enough and it fit his palm. He hefted it and used it to hit Shaw in the face. Blood and spittle flew from the man's mouth and he fell backwards, seemingly knocked out cold. Erik was gasping, wiping at his face with the side of his arm and when he recovered, he got up to look around. Charles is here! He wanted to question the doctor but he was unconscious right now. He was acting like a total flake.
"Charles! Please answer me! It's Erik! I'm here to save you!"Erik called out but no squeaking response was returned. He looked about the room and saw two odd-looking, clear fiberglass cages. They looked like they were big enough to hold a dog or an ape. He saw something in one of them that made his blood run cold. Light brown fur was scattered about at the bottom. This shade of brown...
Oh no! Am I too late? Erik flung a sharp glance at Shaw, his face twisting up angrily. He stomped towards the man and shook him about roughly.
"Wake up you son of a bitch! Where is Charles? Answer me!"
Shaw feebly gained consciousness, his teeth rattling as Erik kept on shaking him and then he felt a stinging ache as Erik punched him in the face again. Erik had him by the collar, screaming curses at him, interspersed by punches. He suddenly lifted a weak finger and pointed towards the large tanks filled with clear green fluid. There was some bubbling from the bottom of it that the liquid seemed agitated and opaque around that portion. Erik stopped hitting him and turned his head slowly towards the tank, eyes wide; looking as if he would go mad himself because of what had befallen his adorable lab rat. He didn't deserve to be hurt like this. Erik released Shaw and headed for those tanks. He climbed up the metal steps, his chest hurting with his fear and horror. He couldn't stop his tears from falling as he pulled away the cover and tried to peer inside, dreading to see Charles down at the bottom of that tank, dead.
"Charles-"Erik whispered desperately, his voice choked over with suppressed tears and then Shaw hit him in the back of the head once more, knocking him into that greenish soup of evolutionary fluid, unconscious. He did not sense that Shaw had gotten up and followed him up the steps. Shaw was giggling like a loon and then he returned the cover on top of the tank after he injected a tube at the back of Erik's neck.
"You'll have to replace my prodigies. You'll do...you'll do-"Shaw cooed out senselessly, tittering as he started up his machine and delivered a lethal dose of his drug into Erik. Erik's eyes flew open while he was suspended inside of the green fluid and he screamed. Whatever drug Shaw injected him with, it hurt a lot. He tried to push up at the cover on top of him, struggling, but it was no use. He still had the magnet in his other hand and he used it to hit at the cover but then, the pain was too much and he began the same epileptic dance that Charles and Azazel had done earlier within the fluid as the drug assaulted his body. He gurgled and thrashed, gripping the magnet so hard he actually dented it and then he released it when he felt a surge of change happening to him. It felt like he was being burned from the inside, like acid was running through his veins. He thought he would die like Charles. He closed his eyes and succumbed to the chemicals ravaging him. He didn't know how long he had been in there but something strange was happening to him. He became attuned to the metal within the tank.
Shaw's monitoring equipment had been destroyed but he still had his cell phone and he was recording all of this, giggling madly as he watched Erik. The transformation was internal but he saw Erik's skin shift earlier, becoming liquefied along with his clothes until he saw the muscles beneath and then the drug remade him and had done drastic changes from within. He was curious to know what Erik would evolve into but he was disappointed to find that Erik...remained the same. What changes did the drug wrought upon him exactly? Shaw was able to find out soon after. At first, he thought there was a large truck passing by, because everything seemed to shudder in the room but then, the vibrating did not seem to have stopped. He heard the strange protesting of metal around the foundation of the house. He put his phone down and he was momentarily brought to his senses when he realized he was in danger here. Erik was wide awake in the tank and he was glaring at Shaw. The metal at the bottom of the tank was suddenly wrenched violently and the fiberglass exploded to pieces when the metal stabbed though it. Erik had somehow gained the ability to control metal. The green fluid splashed downwards and Erik was freed from the tank but...he appeared to be suspended in air, as if he could float.
"You-"Erik said in a rasping voice as he pointed at Shaw, who cowered down the floor, making gibbering noises and begging not to be hurt. Erik was in such a rage that he didn't care if he ended up killing Shaw. He was about to stab him through with a hail of metal shrapnel but he suddenly felt nauseated that he fell down to the floor. Shaw, in his abject fear of being killed hurriedly got up and ran out of the house. Erik lay there on the floor, groaning, feeling as if his head was strangely full. He remained lying down, naked, while the metal about him reverberated. He could feel all the metal calling out to him, even deep within the crust of the earth. Initially, he felt powerful because of his new-found ability. Shaw did something to him, something that changed him but then it all came crashing down when he realized he was turned into a freak. He had no control over it; it overwhelmed him and he could not stop it from raging inside of him.
"What's happening? Is there an earthquake?"Hank asked Jean as they rode with her, sitting in the back of her car. They all met up after they informed each other that Shaw was not in the location they had been assigned to. This could only mean that Shaw was in the third location, and that Erik had somehow confronted him because they kept calling and texting him but there was no response.
"I don't know-"Jean said tightly.
"Do you think we should still go to-"Raven began but then she stopped because she saw something weird out of the window. The road, the very make of it seemed to shimmer and all about them, she noticed that the metal was vibrating like mad. Fences and gates; the metal sheet over some houses and parked cars. Everyone else noticed it to, the closer they got to their destination and then they suddenly saw Shaw running down the side of the road like mad. Jean stopped the car and Hank instantaneously jumped out before she came to a full stop and he went after Shaw. He clobbered the bastard and restrained him.
"Where's Erik and Charles, asshole?"Hank shouted at him. Shaw looked crazed with his fear but he lifted a shaking finger and pointed towards the direction he came from. Then he struggled from Hank's grasp, trying to run away.
"Let me go! He's after me!"
"Who? Erik?"
Shaw did not answer and tried to crawl off but Hank grabbed him by the collar and hauled him towards the car. Shaw had shut his trap and refused to say anything more. He peered in at Jean and Raven; both the women were looking at him in concern.
"You have any rope?"
"I have some jump cables in the back-"
"Good. Let's tie this idiot up before I beat the shit out of him-"
Hank then unceremoniously shoved Shaw into the trunk of Jean's car and slammed it close after he had tied him up, ignoring the juddering of the ground beneath him.
"Hank, do you think it's safe for us to continue? Something weird is going on with this earthquake. it doesn't feel natural-"
"We should! Erik and Charles might be hurt-"
Jean regarded him for a moment and then she decided to continue anyway, even though it feels as if the world was ending. Raven reached for Hank and hugged him once he got into the car. She felt afraid for some reason. Hank hugged her back and hoped that his friends had not ended up dead. He felt sorry for Charles because such a small rat had to endure so much. He only hoped that he was still alive.
Charles and Azazel were able to hitch a ride when a man with a pickup truck offered to give them a ride to the city. Charles was walking through the park with Azazel to get to Hank's house and he saw the flyers Erik had posted. It caused a swell of warm feeling to run through him at the thought that Erik kept on looking for him, even though he had assumed that Charles had run away. Charles showed Azazel the flyer.
"See this? This is my friend, Erik. He cares so much about me that he put up these pictures to try and find me-"
Azazel seemed to consider this. Not all humans are bad after all. They made it to Hank's house, knocking on the door but no one answered. Erik's car was also gone. Could they be out looking for him? Or maybe they were all at work? He sat down on the steps with Azazel to try and wait them out because they didn't know what else to do, when a car drove up close to their driveway. It was Logan, who was giving them both an odd look.
"Hey, watcha doin' there? Who are you?"
Charles stood up, feeling strange that he should be addressing Logan directly, as he is now. The other did not even know that he was the sometime lab rat that he almost killed with a meat cleaver. How could he? Charles was now a human being and none of them knew the truth about him yet.
"Well...uh we were waiting for Erik and Hank, Logan. Were they in the restaurant with you?"
"How in the hell did you know my name?"Logan asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Charles lifted up a placating hand."Please, it's kind of hard to explain right now but we have to find them!"
"Well I got all day to listen for an explanation. We closed the restaurant early. Hank had business to attend to. Now, I'm askin' again, how did you know my name? ‘Cause I don't know you at all, bub-"
"I'm Erik's friend, Charles. But Hank was the one who told me your name-"
"What?"Logan said, eyes wide. He tried to recover and clear his throat, even though the mention of the name made him think of Charles the lab rat who cooks like a dream."He never mentioned you to me-"
"Could you tell me where they went to, please? It's important!"
"They went looking for Erik's rat. I hear he's been kidnapped or something-"
"Oh no!"Charles cried out, putting a hand to his mouth. So Erik and Hank knew he was taken by force. They probably had Raven with them. Charles had worked out that they probably contacted Jean because she was Shaw's colleague and found out the address of the place where he was held captive. He had to get back there, soon before something worse happens. He noticed that Logan was still telling him about joining in on the search.
"I figured they would need some muscle to go looking for that rat. You must know about him, huh? He's got the same name as you-"
Charles did not respond to him but turned towards Azazel who watched his exchange with Logan with interest."Azazel, could you take us back there? Could you use your powers like before?"
Azazel smiled at that."I think so-"
"Hey you guys feel that? It's like there's an earthquake or something-"Logan suddenly commented, noticing how oddly the two men were dressed. Charles had already observed that the ground was quaking too but there was something more important he needed to attend to. If Erik and the rest go looking for Shaw, they might actually kill the man if they thought that he had been murdered by him. He had to stop them somehow. Azazel got up, not questioning what Charles was up to and held onto Charles's hand. They suddenly vanished out of sight, in a blink of an eye. Logan, who was rarely surprised, looked on in shock, mouth hanging open and eyes bugging out.
"Holy shit!"
Azazel had taken them back to the same place but it was not as it was before. The entire foundation had crumbled down and they were surrounded by broken cement walls and a lot of exposed metal. The ground was juddering because some sort of magnetic force emanated from the middle of this ruin and it was causing everything to break apart.
"What happened here?"Azazel asked out to no one in particular. He turned to look at his slight companion but Charles was already running towards the epicenter of that strange force when he saw who the source of it was. It was Erik. From some distance away, Jean's car was actually being dragged towards that force and she was concerned that they would get hurt if they continued. This entire thing had gone crazy. They caught sight of a ruined house and they saw two men there. One of them ran towards a dipped depression in the ground, the surrounding of which had metal floating all around it. The magnetic force was making the air shimmer and crackle all around them. This was totally an unnatural phenomenon.
"We should head back! It isn't safe here!"Jean cried out and tried to floor the breaks and turned around but she had no control of her car anymore as it moved of its own accord towards that force, moving towards it even faster.
"My brakes aren't working! Get out, both of you!" They all began to get out of the car and watched the car move towards the ruins. They stared after it, incredulous.
"That must be the source of whatever this is! I don't know what it is but if it continues, we have to get out of harm's way! That magnetic force seems to be dragging anything metal towards it's center-"
"Ok! But what the hell is that guy doing standing there?" Hank asked as he cocked a thumb towards a man in a lab coat, who calmly regarded the cataclysm about him and he did not look afraid at all.
"Hey, Mister! Get out of there!"Raven called out to the man. The man ignored them as he kept on staring at something on the ground. It must be the second man they saw but it seems...there is also a third.
Erik Let go, you have to let it go!
Erik had his eyes shut tight as he struggled with this power that he had lost control of. He lay on a fetal position upon the ravaged ground. The metal, all calling him and he was calling back to it, drawing it towards himself. Erik was surrendering to this madness that had taken over him because nothing matters anymore. He was a lone freak, transformed by Shaw and Charles was already dead, gone from him forever. He just let this rage he felt eat him up, wanting to destroy everything. A voice suddenly seemed to break though his thoughts and he tried to block it out but it was so insistent and full of calm and affectionate assurance that he reluctantly let it through.
Please, Erik, calm your mind
Erik felt arms gently circling him that he finally had to open his eyes to see who it was that embraced him. It was an attractive young man, whose skin was pale and he had dark brown, wavy hair. His eyes were a bright blue and full of tenderness and concern for him. He thought it was so strange that he struggled away from the man's hold.
"Get off me! Get off!"
"Calm down and just breathe. We're here!"
"You were in my head. How did you do that?"
"You have your tricks, I have mine. I'm like you. Just calm your mind-"The young man said soothingly. The frightful juddering of the ground and the humming vibrating of all the metal around them finally stopped; the metal shrapnel and all the metal objects floating about them slowly fell down. Everything finally became calm. The skies were already darkening with the promise of dusk, matching the quietude of that previously chaotic scene. Erik narrowed his eyes at the man. He felt familiar for some reason.
"Who are you?"
The young man smiled at him gently, eyes trembling with emotion. "My name is Charles Xavier-"
Erik shook his head slowly, as if he could not accept what the man had said."No-"
"It's me Erik! Hard as it is to believe, it's me…your Charles-"
"Can't be! He's dead! Shaw killed him!"
Charles was first at a loss as to how to make Erik understand that it was him. He looked down at the ground where he was kneeling and he saw a scrap of paper and a pen holder, the contents of which had spilled out. He picked up a pen and took hold of the torn piece of paper. He wrote on it with the same hand writing he had always used and then he lifted up the note before himself with trembling fingers so that Erik could read what he had written.
[Will you still be my friend, Erik?] Charles tilted his head to the side, gazing at Erik with that same endearing look he always gave him, blushing softly and hoping that he could finally make Erik understand that it was him. Perhaps it was this act alone that was enough to make Erik accept that this was indeed Charles, who was no longer a lab rat, miraculously transformed into a young man.
"C-Charles?"Erik said in a trembling voice full of feeling. Charles reached out and gently touched his forehead. It was like how Charles would always smooth his paw over his head while he pretended to sleep. Charles was already crying as he looked up at him.
"Yes Erik, it is me-"
Erik could not help himself when he reached out and hugged Charles to himself, sobbing hysterically. He spoke in a tear-choked and muffled voice against Charles's shoulder, unashamed that he was overcome by his emotions. When they hugged, he knew without a doubt that this person was his Charles.
"I thought I lost you forever-"
"I'm here...I'm here now-"Charles said calmly, tears streaming down his cheeks. He was just so happy that he was reunited with his friend once more. He ignored the fact that Erik was completely naked as they both smiled and laughed at each other. Only then did Erik and Charles notice that they were surrounded by Hank, Raven and Jean, along with another fellow Erik had never seen before.
"Erik, what in God's name happened here?"Hank finally had to ask and Charles suddenly uttered a giggle and smiled up at him. There was a lot of explaining that had to be done but it was better if he shared it all with them mentally and he did, using his telepathic powers.
At first, it was somewhat awkward when they were left alone in the bedroom together after such an exciting day. Shaw was taken away by the authorities. Eventually he will be hauled off to an asylum for his mental instability, because he was claiming that Charles was really a rat when it was obvious that he was a human being. Erik filed charges against him for attempted murder. He will probably be locked up for a long time, Erik will see to that. The strange 'earthquake' was on the news all day long but only their group knew what really happened. Hank later got a call from a hysterical Logan and he had to do all he can to pacify the lug. He kept on babbling about two men who suddenly disappeared before his sight and Hank had to exchange a knowing look with Raven, because they knew what Logan had meant.
Erik and Charles both stood close to their bed in hesitation, not saying a word to each other. They have always been bed mates but things are different, now that Charles was a human; a telepathic one at that. Charles was frowning slightly, brow furrowed in concern.
"Erik you've gotten so thin! I must cook you something to get you healthy again-"Charles prepared to go downstairs to cook up a storm but Erik stopped him.
"It's fine. I'll regain my health soon. It's just that, while you were gone, I was so depressed I couldn't eat and all I can do was try and look for you. I really thought you had run away and it killed me that we had to be parted like that-"
It troubled Charles that Erik sought him out so hard and had suffered in the process. He lifted a hand up, wanting to touch Erik's arm but he hesitated. That awkwardness still hung between them and Erik didn't know what to do yet.
"I...I think I'll take a bath first-"Erik said. He was wearing the lab coat that Azazel had given him to cover himself up because his clothes had been dissolved in that tank while he was being 'evolved'. Azazel was actually downstairs, sleeping on their sofa.
"Ok-"Charles said shyly, sitting on the edge of the bed and still wearing that over-sized gabardine coat that seemed to engulf him. He waited patiently for Erik to finish his bath and then Erik stepped out, wearing his pajama pants as usual, bare-chested and rubbing a towel through his hair.
"Sorry it took me a while. Had to wash that entire gunk off of myself and uhm, please ignore the twisted faucet. I didn't mean to do that-"Erik said quickly, flustered that he still had no control on his odd powers.
Charles giggled nervously in response and headed for the bathroom. Hank had given him some pale blue pajamas to change into. He saw the ruined handle of the faucet upon the sink as Erik had informed him. He had automatically gone there because he was used to taking a bath there before but he wouldn't be fitting in there anymore. He went to the shower instead, using the same Honeysuckle hand wash that he had always used. He felt odd holding the bottle in his hand now. If anyone asked him what it was like to be human, he would have no words to describe it. He felt disjointed and strange to himself but maybe in time, he will get use to it. When he stepped out, Erik was in bed, reading a book but he clumsily tried to close it when he saw Charles. Charles slowly drew close to the bed and sat down, still feeling shy and it showed. He was blushing hotly, not knowing how to act around Erik anymore. But Erik, bless his soul, finally decided to end the awkwardness between them. When Charles got into the bed, Erik reached for him and embraced him tightly.
"Erik?"Charles asked, startled. He hoped Erik would not feel the heat that suddenly rose from his body.
"I know it’s awkward between us now but Charles, I just want you to know…this does not change how I feel about you. I care about you deeply and I don't ever want to lose you-"
"But Erik, don't you think it odd that you are friends with me and yet we are sleeping in the same bed? When I was a rat, it was easier for me to act like an affectionate pet, but we are both different now. Things will never be the same between us-"
"Charles, I don't care about any of that, as long as you are with me, I'm happy-"
Charles's eyes trembled with feeling as he stared up at Erik, who returned his loving gaze. Now that he was a human being, perhaps he can now have the courage to tell Erik what had always been inside of his heart. He knew it was a strange love to offer another man but he could not fight the feelings that had been making his chest hurt with longing for a return of Erik's affection. He gently reached for Erik's shoulder and nuzzled his nose against Erik's cheek, surprising the other.
"Erik, I've been so afraid to tell you this but I've kept it for so long and now that I am a human being, I think I can be a little braver when I tell you this. I love you. With all my heart I love you-"Charles said in a trembling voice, tears spilling down his cheeks. He felt his heart aching, heedless of any rejection because he had always wanted to speak to Erik in his own voice and tell him that. Erik did not say anything for a moment, his brow creased with worry for Charles. He pulled back and then he lifted a finger up, softly wiping the tears away from Charles's fair cheeks.
"Shhh, don't cry anymore, Charles. Don't be afraid. I'm not turning you away. Maybe as time goes by, my feelings for you will also change. Who knows?"
Charles's brow furrowed in apprehension as he tried to make rushed excuses on why he and Erik could not be together."But...but you have to get married and have children and, and-"
"Charles, I don't want anyone else but you ok? What else would it take to make you see that?"
Erik stared at him hard and then he did something totally unexpected. He reached for Charles's cheek and drew him close to kiss him. Charles's blue eyes went wide, growing soft with a pleasant surprise and then he also reached for Erik's shoulders and held onto him. They kissed for a while and Charles watched Erik's face intently when the other pulled back, eyes still closed. It was hard for him to tell what was running Erik's mind right now and he wanted to use his mental powers to try and read him. So he delved into Erik's mind.
It's so weird kissing him but I can't deny what my heart wants. I think...I'm falling for him-
Erik's face softened when he saw Charles's face light up with joy."Well, that was a bummer. I was going to tell you that, but you already know what's on my mind-"
Charles looked so flabbergasted again for doing something stupid."I'm sorry! I should have asked you first!"
Erik just laughed it off and then he gave Charles a naughty grin."It does have it's merits, though. Why don't you read my mind again, hmm? Tell me what you see-"
Charles's vast blue eyes trembled with emotion, unsure of himself but he went in as Erik had asked him to and he cried out in his utter shock at the mental image he saw. His entire face went red and he shyly pulled back because he saw him and Erik...doing something else in bed.
"Oh!"
Erik started to laugh again and reached for his arms."No, we won't go there yet. One step at a time, ok? Come here, I just want us to snuggle-"
Charles drew close to Erik slowly and allowed himself to be hugged. Erik was so warm and gentle with him that the horrors that happened these past few weeks had made this moment worth it. He wondered if he should thank Shaw for changing him but he thought that was not Shaw's intention for him in the first place. Shaw had wanted to experiment on him and then cut him up, not caring if he died in the process. If only his intentions had been benevolent, it would have been easy for him to feel gratitude towards the man. Charles let out a contented sigh, resting his head against Erik's chest.
"Charles?"
"Yes, Erik?"
"Whatever that man did to me...I don't know if I'm ever going to have any control of it. I'm scared that I might lose control and hurt someone-"
"I'm sorry we weren't able to get there in time to stop Shaw from using his madness on you. I understand how you feel, Erik. We are both radically changed and the world looks like a different place to the both of us-"
Erik chuckled sadly."I think it's even harder for you. You were a rat before and now you're human. Everything must be thrown into chaos for you-"
Charles lifted his head and regarded Erik tenderly."As long as we are together Erik, I know we'll be able to get through this-"
"I hope so Charles. I hope so-"
They were at Erik's confectionery shop earlier and Charles actually squeaked in delight as he saw all the delicious chocolate morsels in the glass shelves. Erik had given him free reign to take any chocolate he wanted and Charles grabbed an entire container of Butter toffee instead. He still loved to eat them. Erik was laughing at how Charles reacted with a child-like glee, exclaiming over everything. They left the shop because they needed to get to Hank McCoy's restaurant. It was time to introduce Charles to all the staff as a human being and they had prepared for this moment for several months. It wasn't hard to teach Charles on how to act human. He was already a different kind of rat, with a human-like way of thinking. But somehow, he saw everything with wonder and Erik envied him this ability to see things with fresh eyes. Charles had met up with Jean at the institute and she re-introduced him to his family once more...as a human. Charles's mother took it hard at first, for her rat son was her pride and joy and seeing him so altered, she did not think that she could accept him as he is now. But when he spoke to her in 'rat-speak', telling her how much he loved her and needing her understanding, she finally softened and accepted the change. He was still her son, after all.
"You have to get that squeaking under control, Charles. I like to hear you when you speak rat but well, you don't want to frighten the staff-"Erik told Charles as he drove them over to the restaurant.
"I'm sorry! I didn't want to forget how to speak rat so when I'm excited, I kind of slip back into it-"
"No don't apologize. This is who you are and I love this about you but try and be less enthusiastic when we are there. We both know people don't readily accept things that they don't understand-"
"Of course Erik. I know-"
"Your friend Azazel probably needs time adjusting too. He barely goes out of the house-"
"He's still trying to cope with being human, I guess-"
"Don't worry. I'm going to help him out. I can get him a job at the shop-"
"Thank you. We have talked about getting him acclimated and I thought doing some human work might help him along-"
"Like you've helped me along-"Erik said affectionately and reached out to take Charles's hand so he could kiss it. Charles had been a big help in controlling his powers and it had become a convenience instead of a curse. He had control over metal so he used his powers to make his life easy, commanding the metal around the house with his mind, even helping Charles chop vegetables and cook in the kitchen. Charles smiled up at him, gently blushing. When they got to the restaurant, Charles was introduced to the staff and even though Hank had prepared everyone with the foreknowledge of who Charles really was, they still looked like they did not believe a word of it. Charles looked so human and he acted too human to be a rat.
"Is he really a rat before? I mean look at him, he's actually...kind of cute as a button!"Alex whispered into Sean's ear, causing the other to snicker quietly. Charles was wearing a light gray coat and he had a dark blue scarf around his neck. His cheeks were faintly pink because it was nippy outside. They had a light snow earlier so the temperature had dropped and it made the blush stand out upon Charles's fair skin. Charles's blue eyes were drawn down seriously, as he looked about at everyone after the introductions. The only reason why Alex made the comment was because Erik was standing next to Charles and the other had his arm around the young man paternally. Although he tried to look serious, it was plain to see that he was nervous and flustered by their attention. Logan looked like he had seen a ghost and was ghastly pale as he stared at Charles, recalling how he disappeared before him. Logan did not want to show any sign of weakness so he cleared his throat and crossed his arms in front of himself as he glared at Hank.
"How do we know that this is really that lab rat? Maybe you're just pulling our leg, Hank!"
Hank rolled his eyes at him."After the miracle you witnessed you still won't believe it's him?"
The rest of the staff remained silent as they eyed Charles suspiciously and Charles clasped his hands before himself shyly, looking towards Erik, eyes round and wide, as if asking for some help. Erik knew it would come to this. They didn't even know about the telepathy yet and he didn't want to get started on that. He suddenly reached out to help Charles out of his coat.
"Ok you goons! Better if he showed you, right? Come on, Charles! Let them see it's you!"
Charles anxiously looked up at Erik's stern face as Erik took off his coat. He guided Charles to the staff's locker room and helped him wear his new chef whites, which Hank had ordered for him. Charles stepped out of the locker room and looked around at everyone in the restaurant's kitchen. There was an expectant air that filled the room. Charles drew in a breath and began to do what he knew best. He showed them that amazing skill that had been honed in him, even as a young rat.
"Look at him go!" Sean said as Charles began that 'dance' around the oven and their kitchen worktable as he cooked with preternatural speed. He was making them several of his signature dishes and the way he moved around was reminiscent of that little rat that had the magic touch when it comes to creating world-class dishes.
"I'm seeing it but I still can't believe it!" Logan said, mouth agape as Charles arranged his plates with a flourish, smiling up at them in a charming way and then Charles stepped back from the worktable.
"Please enjoy-"
Erik went to him and handed him a bottle of water, while the staff sampled the dishes Charles had created for them. Erik then pulled out a handkerchief and mopped it over Charles's sweaty brow and used his fingers to sweep away the dark brown, wavy hair that fell upon his forehead. Charles looked up at him affectionately, glowing with joy over Erik's thoughtfulness. Charles had made the staff Seared Scallops with a truffle and leek sauce, Wagyu steak with a Cilantro-Lime marinade and a Chocolate Roulade. They practically gushed over how sinfully good it all was (with the exception of Logan of course; he never gushes)
"My God! Simply heaven!"Armando enthused as he swallowed a large piece of steak.
"Frockin' good!"Sean uttered in a muffled voice because he had crammed his mouth with the Roulade.
Raven had a forkful of scallop and was nodding in approval towards Charles."The master never lost his touch! Good job, Charles!"
Alex was left speechless and just kept stuffing his mouth, barely even able to chew. Everything Charles cooked was so delectable and had that melt-in-your mouth finish. Logan sampled each dish with more refinement than the others and also nodded in appreciation. Charles decided there was only one way they could accept him as their sometime adorable lab rat. He took a small whiteboard that hung on their wall and wrote on it. He then showed it to the staff, smiling diffidently.
[I'm glad you enjoyed what I cooked for you, I hope we can become friends]
"It is Charles!" Sean cried out, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets. They finally all crowded around him, patting his back and shaking hands with him. Erik quietly stayed out of the way and watched Charles with pride as he basked in the acceptance of his colleagues. He could see Charles working hands on in McCoy's restaurant once more.
The snow was falling languidly over the city, coating everything it touched in a light cascade of white. Charles and Erik walked hand in hand down the streets, because Erik had told him he wanted to take a walk under the snow for a while. The snow had fallen on top of their heads and it added a tip of ice upon Erik's long lashes and his eyebrows. Erik reached out and ruffled Charles's hair to clear it of delicate snowflakes, causing Charles to giggle joyously. Erik suddenly stopped walking and looked Charles over critically. Charles demurely pushed away at his own hair, wondering what Erik was looking at.
"What is it?"
Erik seemed to frown over something."Something's not right-"
Charles's eyes widened with concern."Am I...am I becoming a rat again?"
Erik shook his head and then he took something out of his pocket and planted it on top of Charles's head. It was a headband with Mickey Mouse ears.
"Now you're a rat! You're an adorable little lab rat!"Erik said laughing as Charles hit at his arm playfully, pretending to look wounded by Erik's joke.
"These aren't even rat ears!"Charles cried out indignantly but he was laughing along with Erik as they linked arms. Erik suddenly put an arm around him and hugged him close.
"You know that feeling that this is all a dream right now and that I'll wake up to some ugly reality soon?"Erik asked as they continued their slow walk, their footsteps leaving an imprint behind them on that carpet of pure white snow.
"Erik, don't. Let us just enjoy what moments we have now, because that's what's important; the 'now' instead of the 'what ifs'-"
"Is that the credo you live by that helps motivate you, Charles?"
"Maybe-"Charles said airily, smiling in that usual endearing way of his. From up above the lamppost, a large clump of snow began to drop down on top of Charles and Erik reacted instantly. He used his power and called forth a metal sheet to protect Charles's head. Charles heard the whiz of metal and looked up to see what Erik had done.
"Thank you, darling-"Charles said with affection and nuzzled up against Erik's arm. Erik smiled down at him, feeling like he was the luckiest guy in the world and then he thought of something he had always wanted to say to Charles.
"Charles-"
"Hmm?"
"You asked me before if I can still be your friend-"
"Yes I did-"
Erik stopped walking and guided Charles to stand before him, all humor wiped from his face now. Charles thought it must be something quite serious and looked up at him, visibly anxious. Erik reached out and held his arms.
"I'm sorry Charles but we can't become friends-"
Charles was stunned silent over what Erik had said. His eyes suddenly felt moist and he struggled to compose himself, waiting to see what Erik really meant.
"Why?"
"Because...we can't just be friends if you're already my boyfriend-"Erik said slowly, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Charles's face broke out with a relieved grin. He nearly wanted to slap Erik for kidding around like this."Erik! Quit it, ok? Stop goofing around with me!"
He pretended to be annoyed, trying to pull away but Erik embraced him even tighter, kissing him passionately for a long time. Erik finally pulled back; both of them breathless, the cold air making their breaths condense as they breathed over each other. Erik still had his arms wrapped around Charles's waist, while Charles still hand his arms around Erik's neck. He felt light-headed and warm, a dizzy smile forming on his lips.
"We'll never be friends. Won't we, Charles?"Erik whispered huskily and nuzzled a soft kiss upon his temple, making him shiver.
"Never."Charles whispered back and drew Erik close so they could continue kissing.