Author's Note: This is my first Xmen fanfic. It is slash, so take fair warning now. Pairing is Erik/magneto slash Charles/Professor X.

Summary: Set during the training sequence. Charles knows that their friendship is evolving, but it might be taking him somewhere he does not want, or cannot be. Can he resist when he does not want to? This is intended to be an oneshot. Hope you enjoy.

Hold your colour

The air between them is always electric. From the moment he met him, Charles had felt it. He does not need to use his powers to feel it touching his skin. He can see what is in Erik's mind just by glancing at his face. The other man is so full of emotions that they radiate from his eyes. Charles has never before been aware of anyone else so acutely; even Raven often seemed closed off from him, with a perfect poker face.

Being with Erik is all encompassing. His actions and words draw Charles towards him, and always seem to be awaiting his opinion on them. Sometimes in these moments Charles does not even realise that they are no longer alone in the room. Everything else seems to just fade away, and all there is, is Erik. He has never been this distracted before.

An alarming notion occurs to him without any warning. Whilst studying Erik's face one unspecial moment, he thinks it would be very easy to be overwhelmed by Erik, his passion for his own cause understandable and inspiring. His personality domineering and confident. He has known true pain, and yet his passion and drive are no weaker for it.

But this revelation came with another. It is not just Erik's powers that are magnetic, his whole person is too. This is why Charles must be the stronger of the two, to keep the others on the right path. It would be so easy just to give in, and follow Erik's convictions. But Charles is a man of principal too, just as strong, even if he unlike Erik, does not wear them on his sleeve.

"Everything that we are is superior to them," Erik was saying.

Charles realised Erik must have been speaking for some time, but it was only the last few words that brought him back into the moment. He was sitting in the kitchen of the Xavier mansion, it was late and their younger companions were busy elsewhere in the house. It was these impromptu meetings between them that often revealed the most about them. When their guards were down, and the pressure of the outside world let them be. Alone, they did not need to keep up their charades, but even still, they struggled to let one another behind them.

Charles had been content to be sat alone, but Erik had interrupted his solitude with the likely excuse of making a sandwich. He watched the knife drawer open on it's own, running along its metal sliders, and a butter knife and its sharper friend rise up into the air. He wondered whether the fridge door might now open, but Erik was now walking towards it, the knives still hovering.

"What?" Charles asked, his voice sharper than he intended it to be.

Erik raised an eyebrow at Charles' ineloquent reply to his comment. It was clear he might as well have been speaking to the wall for all Charles had been listening to him. Then again, his friend had seemed less composed since he'd been using the cerebro, perhaps there was a lot more on his mind now, in more ways than one. It had certainly taken a lot out of him at the time.

"Spying on someone?" Erik asked over his shoulder as he took the food he wanted from the fridge. "I won't judge you. You know I'd be doing the same."

Charles considered his friend's grin, before the snap of the fridge door made him look away.

"I just hear them when I am not concentrating," Charles replied. He rubbed his temples, whilst leaning his elbows on the kitchen table. Erik watched the small circles he was making with his fingers and wondered whether it was giving him any comfort.

"I thought it worked the other way around?"

For all the bragging that went on in this house, Charles was never one to showcase what he could and couldn't do with his mind. His power was what it was. But even then, Erik often thought he was holding something back from them all. Maybe the cerebro had indeed damaged him. Or maybe his powers were evolving too, like they all were?

"Usually you would be correct. But with all this training … and cerebro, I've been using my powers a lot. Occasionally I don't even know what are my own thoughts, or what are theirs. I've been so close to you all recently. It's hard work keeping you all out," Charles explained.

"And there I was, thinking I was the only one you've been 'close' to."

And without warning, the electricity was back. The very same feeling that had been haunting Charles for days. The one he had been trying to ignore, hide from, and to understand. It made the hairs on his bare arms stand on end. He looked up and his eyes flickered from Erik's expressive eyes the still hovering knives. The knives appeared to be shivering. Thrumming with the same powerful vibe in the room. The one that came from Erik. The one only Charles could feel.

"I've felt you in here many times," Erik continued, touching the side of his face. Ignoring the uncomfortable look on his friend's face. "What are you looking for?"

"My apologies Erik," Charles said. He felt surprised at this disclosure. Usually people noticed nothing when he read their mind. Was this something new, or was Erik listening for him? As in tune with him, as he was in return?

This answer did not seem to be the one Erik had wanted, as he turned, and looked at the knives. They glided towards him smoothly and began buttering his bread, then carefully slicing some cheese.

"You haven't answered the question," he said. His back still turned.

"Which question? There was more than one." Charles' mouth felt dry. He hadn't felt this nervous for a long time. His heart was beating wildly and his palms were sweating. He tried to calm himself, but as he diverted his concentration, he began to hear other voices in his head.

"I bet I could carry someone, when I fly. Maybe I could just swoop down and pick the professor up? Except that would probably be frightening. Maybe I could get Magneto instead?"

"Stupid plastic dummies, they deserve to get melted. I wouldn't miss if it were actually a person there. But no, it has to be plastic dummies. I'll show them."

"I wonder if I should…"

"Charles wouldn't like it if I…"

"I could build a better one…"

"I suppose I could get a dog…"

"If only…"

"CHARLES!"

His eyes flew open, and rather than being where he had expected Erik to be, he was now in front of him, leaning down towards his face. Charles leant back instinctively. He felt adrenaline suddenly kick into his veins. He wanted to run.

"Are you trying to keep me out too?" Erik asked. There was a knowing look on his face, which told Charles that he had been found out.

Erik knew about the electricity too. He knew everything. He could see the flush of colour over Charles' cheeks. Could hear his heart hammering in his chest. Erik was leaning closer again. Was he playing a cruel joke with him? Teasing him? Charles stood abruptly, but Erik caught him. His strong grasp holding his arms, and keeping him in place.

Charles stared into his eyes. There was nowhere for him to hide now. Erik knew, and he didn't know how. Had he been so obvious?

"Tell me why you are keeping me out?" Erik demanded. Charles felt shaken, and didn't know whether it was from the words or Erik's violent grip.

"I'm too afraid to know what you think of me," he replied at last. Words tumbling off his tongue. This feeling of being out of control was not one he had experience with. His mind, which was usually so razor sharp, had failed him. Gone mute. There was nothing coming to save him.

The exasperated noise Erik made following his admission did nothing to calm him. The unexpected and aggressive way in which he grabbed the side of Charles face made them crash into the table. Charles' hands reached back to brace himself, leaving himself defenceless. Whilst Erik held him firmly, his fingers digging into his hair, his thumb pressing harshly into his jaw.

"Do it now," Erik demanded.

"Do what?"

"Go into my mind."

"No," Charles replied. Unsure why he refused. Giving Erik what he wanted was a sure fire way of making this end. But to what end? The shock of being so roughly manhandled had made him lose control of his body, let alone being expected to use his mind.

He was shaking, but Erik gave him no mercy. His piercing eyes ignored the effect he was having on his friend. And when Charles hand came up to try and free himself, Erik easily shrugged it away. Tipping Charles further off balance.

"Then you give me no choice," Erik said.

Charles could feel the electricity shoot straight through him. Erik pushed him further back until the angle was almost painful, before Erik's lips closed over his in the most possessive and angry kiss Charles had ever experienced. He felt pain, from the strong hands wrapped around his face, the fingers digging into him. His back screamed at him, from being tilting in such an unnatural and submissive way. And his lips stung, from Erik's unrelenting ferociousness.

When he was released he couldn't breathe, and was thankful for being pushed into the table, as he couldn't stand.

"Your fault it had to be this way," Erik said, his voice broken by the fast pace of his breathing. "So now you know."

Charles didn't reply. His world had gone blank. Gone were the other voices. All there was Erik.

"And I don't need to read your mind, to know you feel exactly the same way."

The same way? Charles knew exactly what Erik wanted from him. The kiss told him more than probably even Erik knew. Erik wanted to dominate him, bend him to his will like he did everything and everyone else. It was what he had been afraid of all along. It would be all too easy to let himself be enveloped by Erik, and forget himself. He was frightened by the strength of wanting to give up. He wasn't sure he was strong enough to resist.

"Tomorrow you train with me. And you'll be in here," he said, touching his head once more. Charles knew that this was not a request. To refuse now when Erik was looking at him in such a way would leave them both out of control. "I want to be the best. Better than all of them. I am the outward sign of your magnificence Charles. My power is a reflection of yours. We are the same."

Erik looked him over one last time, before taking his sandwich like it was some kind of prize and leaving Charles to the mess of his own thoughts.

The same. The words sat heavy with Charles, and he looked around at the disorder in the room. The content of the table was on the floor, the content of the fridge strewn all over the worktop. Were they the same? They could be. So easily could be. All Charles knew was right now, he couldn't fight this. Today Erik was stronger. He'd give in. All he hoped was, that he would prove the stronger when the time really mattered. And he knew that time was coming.