Another loud crackle from the fireplace pulled Charles' attention from the game of chess at hand back to the creeping unease of the irony in the room brought on by the fact that the lovely warmth of the fire could do nothing to change the unsettling cool tension that had been settling in over the players since earlier that evening. With a solomn sigh, Charles made his move and spoke up.

"Cuba," he began somewhat hesitantly, letting Erik know which direction this conversation was taking without looking up from the board. He could not yet bring himself to meet the same gaze that Erik always wore when they discussed the upcoming trials that they knew were coming. "Russia. America. It makes no difference. Shaw has declared war on mankind, on all of us." Another pause before reaching his point then Charles finished, "He has to be stopped."

"I'm not going to stop Shaw," Erik began, his tone practically coated in a layer of obviousness that Charles didn't need to see to pick up. Nonetheless, he tore his gaze away from the chessboard to meet Erik's piercing eyes, knowing that this wasn't something that Erik wanted him hiding from. "I'm going to kill him." When Charles made no movements or sounds to respond to the claim, he continued. "Do you have it in you to allow that?" His voice sounded sincere enough in the question.

Shifting his position and drawing his hands together with his chin resting atop them, he tried to choose his next words carefully. Regardless of the sincerity, Erik knew full well that Charles had no desire for him to kill the man he had been hunting for nearly twenty years. And, in turn, Charles knew very well what it meant to Erik to be able to do this. Still, Charles had little doubt that Erik accomplishing his life-long goal would do nothing for him other than to put him in a place that Charles may not be able to recover him from. That thought, in and of itself, was unbearable, moreso than the threat of nuclear war or the distain for the idea if killing a man.

After everything that the pair had been through together, from the ocean to the road trips to the training in the grounds only earlier that day, Charles couldn't bare the thought of Erik being beyond his grasp, in more ways than one.

Before Charles could think any longer on that matter, Erik spoke again."You've known all along why I was here Charles." This was a true statement. Charles knew full well that it had always been Erik's intention to use this mission as an means to the end he was seeking. Still, Charles could hardly help but to hope that, in light of recent events, his friend's priorities may have resorted themselves. "But things he changed. What started as a cover mission, tomorrow, mankind will know that mutants exist. Shaw, us, they won't differentiate," Erik paused, letting the implication of this assertion sink into Charles' head. "They'll fear us. And that fear will turn to hatred," Erik finished, sounding so sure in his predictions of human prejudice.

It was a possibility, of course, that the humans would fear what they did not yet understand, but surely the final outcome could be a averted if the humans could only be made to see reason. Once they realized that they were all on the same side of wanting to live in peace, they certainly couldn't hate them, not after what would happen in Cuba.

"Not if we stop a war," he started to insist, hoping to bring Erik to see the same reason he wished the humans would understand. "Not if we prevent Shaw. Not if we risk our lives doing so," Charles maintained. After all, wasn't that what the humans had been looking up to for the last several decades? Soldiers who would put themselves on the line to protect them. That's what they were planning to do and what difference should it make that they had a little something different in their DNA. Mutation hadn't been something that they had asked for and discrimination against something that one had been born with was a matter that the world was trying to escape. Hitler had promoted the slaughter of people because they had not been born as he felt they should and most humans opposed that so why should this be any different.

"Would they do the same for us?" Erik's voice sounded again. That was where the doubt that Charles did not want to face lied. Surely, the humans would risk themselves to protect the world, even if it was a world different than them. It shouldn't be any stretch for humans to protect mutants if mutants would be there to protect the humans in return. Even if they weren't willing, they couldn't make that the issue at hand. Protecting the humans just for the good of protecting innocents should be reason enough.

"We have it in us to be the better men," Charles pushed, trying desperately to convey his point to Erik.

"We already are," the other cut in before Charles could further that point and Charles knew where this was leading before Erik continued. "We are the next stage in human evolution. You said it yourself!" Erik exclaimed before Charles could silence him with a stern 'no' because Erik knew very well that that was not what Charles meant by his own words. "Are you really so naive," the metal-bender continued anyways, seemingly unfazed by Charles' apprehension at this conversation. "As to think that they won't battle their own extinction."

He wouldn't take the bait. He couldn't. Charles had been called naive most of his life by people that knew nothing about him and he didn't mind keeping it that way.

"Or is it arrogance?"

That, on the other hand, did get a small rise.

"I'm sorry?" Charles asked somewhat testily.

Erik didn't repeat the goad before moving on. "Tomorrow, they're going to turn on us but you're blind to see it, because you believe they're all like Moira." Another taunt that Charles could resist.

"And you believe they're all like Shaw," the telepath deflected easily, no needing to use his abilities to know from Erik's expression that the latter didn't have any immediate response to that so Charles continued without one. "Listen to me very carefully, my friend," he started, looking at Erik imploringly. "Killing Shaw will not bring you peace," he insisted quietly. Erik needed to understand this.

With a brief pause that Charles knew was not of hesitation, Erik stared fervently in the telepath's direction. "Peace was never an option."

Feeling something inside himself break slightly, Charles dropped his gaze back to the chessboard to make his next move. With a deep sigh and a sip of the scotch that had been left forgotten in the last few moments, he turned over the last words that his friend had said in his head. Never an option. It stung. They had worked together on so much. Did Erik really mean to say that absolutely nothing had changed from the night that Charles had pulled him out of the waters in Miami? Did he still intend to leave just as resolutely as he had at the CIA base? Charles had never had the privilege of having many friends in his life, Raven had not been lying in her claim that she was his only friend, but he knew that true friendship meant more to people that this.

Glancing back up slightly, Charles spoke softly. "I know that peace has never been an option in the past, my friend, but things change," he said before pulling his eyes all the way back up to meet Erik's gaze. "Is there no way that peace can become an option for you? Can this place, this home that we're creating, be something of a peaceful place?…Can't you be at peace with me?" he expressed, throwing caution to the wind as he forced himself to keep eye contact.

When Erik didn't answer, Charles set his tumbler down on the table. "We can finish our game tomorrow night. We should turn in for the night," he said curtly as he stood from his armchair. Walking toward the door, Charles turned back with a yearning expression and sent a brief wave of concerned affection coupled with want before brushing past the doorway, leaving Erik gaping at the door once it shut.

As the door closed definitively, Erik didn't know what exactly he was supposed to do from that point. He was admittedly shocked by the wave of emotion that had crashed over him when Charles turn to face him one last time for the night. Even though he was very aware of the fact that the telepath was worried about his friend and that he harbored an fondness that had been growing stronger these past few months, he had never imagined that it would reach a state of want.

For the first few seconds following Charles' departure, Erik had thought that he had perhaps imagined that particular feeling but he couldn't kid himself; Charles was nothing if not honest. Most of the time, the guy wore his heart on his sleeve to the point that he was practically transparent. He wouldn't allow himself to send any emotions over anyone's way that may be confused for anything other than platonic unless that was the true intention.

Charles Xavier wanted Erik Lehnsherr; that much was clear.

What was less discernible was what Erik was going to do about it. If he was already being honest with himself about the current situation, he wouldn't bother trying to convince himself that he felt anything other than pure adoration for the telepath in every sense of the meaning. That was where the real problem lied. It was that adoration that was constantly turning itself into an encompassing protectiveness for the younger man.

Erik was not blind to the fact that he came off as a bit harsh, especially after his last conversation, but it was certainly not out of a feeling of contempt for Charles, quite the opposite. He merely wanted the latter to grasp the concept that humans were not going to take their little revelation well tomorrow; not all of them could be like Moira, as they had already seen repeatedly back at the CIA compounds. Even she was in a position where she needed their little band of 'freaks,' as most other humans who had been privy to the existence of mutations had taken to called these mutants; who knew where her loyalties would lie once her life and her job no longer hung in the balance.

The only other clear aspect of the matter right now was that, want or no want that the telepath may be harboring, Charles did not seem to have any desire to see Erik again for the night. He had told Erik to go to bed and that really was starting to appear to be the most appealing option at the moment.

Tossing back the last sip of scotch that was left in his tumbler, Erik rose from his seat that was somehow much less comfortable now that Charles was no longer in the room. After putting out the fire that was starting to die, he crossed the room and left without a second glance back.

The want that Charles had pushed Erik's way was starting to drive the metal-bender mad, pulsing in his ears. He wanted nothing more than to get to his own room and loose himself in much needed sleep, if sleep decided not to evade him.

Well, Erik knew that that wasn't quite true. What he really wanted nothing more than was to abandon his foolish pride, as he knew Charles though of it, and seek out the telepath. He wanted to show him that his affections were not one-sided, that the want he so strongly, albeit briefly, projected was mutual. However, if wasn't just Erik's pride that was keeping him from following through with both of their desires; as much as Erik abhorred the though of even admitting it to himself, there was also a certain aspect of fear.

Erik had spent nearly the last two decades without being emotionally, or really even physically, close to anyone. The idea that there was a man out there that could make Erik consider turning his back on his single goal in life was terrifying. He never wanted anyone to have that sort of power over him. And yet, he found himself more than willing to hand over this power to Charles. Still, he knew that this would definitely be one of those set-in-stone-either-or decisions. He couldn't have both Charles and his aims for revenge. Both options were single-destination paths that did not cross and he would not be able to turn away from either. If he choose to be with Charles, there would be no going back.

Picking up his pace in the last stretch of hallway, Erik reached the door to his room and pushed it open quickly to reveal a blonde-haired teenager laying across his bed under the sheets.

"Well," he started as he shut the door. "This is a surprise."

"The nice kind?" Raven asked, her voice betraying the small hint of anxiety.

Not feeling like answering that particular question, or to Charles later if he were to answer that, Erik deflected Raven's inquisition bluntly. "Got out, Raven. I want to go to bed," he said as he crossed to room to fiddle with objects on the dresser. "Maybe in a few years," he added, pointedly not looking in the direction of where his best friend's sister lay naked under a few thin sheets.

That is, he managed to keep his eyes diverted until he heard a soft ripple and a new voice speak. "How 'bout now?"

"I prefer the real Raven," Erik rebutted after a moment of slightly stunned hesitation. It still appalled Erik the extent to which Raven seemed to go to please everyone else when it came to her appearance. After another ripple lead back to the blonde form, it was clear that the girl hadn't understood the intention. "I said the real Raven," he repeated with a little extra emphases.

A third and final, much slower, ripple that left beautiful azure ridges and scales in its wake let Erik know that his point had been made. "Perfection," Erik said softly, keeping Raven's gaze as long as he could, only breaking the eye contact when Raven turned her gaze downward.

"Could you pass me my robe," came a broken voice from the bed. Looking down, Erik saw the white robe that had been abandoned on the chair. Staring at it for a moment, he turned his attention back to Raven.

"You don't have to hide," he told her somewhat incredulously, but still with soft caution. Stepping over to the bed, Erik sat down across from Raven, the movement drawing Raven's eyes back to himself as she stared at him expectantly. "Have you ever looked at a tiger and thought you ought to cover it up?" he asked her.

She looked away sheepishly. "No, but..."

"You're an exquisite creature, Raven," he continued on, seeing her stall. "All your life, the world has tried to tame you," he insisted, knowing even before he carried on where this was leading. He felt a twinge of guilt when he thought back about Charles, well aware of how disapproving the telepath would be if he could see what was going on. Still, Erik pushed forward. "It's time for you to be free," he finished as he leaned in to rest a hand on Raven's neck and his lips on hers.

As he did so, he could feel another pang of guilt sweep throughout him, coupled with the overpowering want that Charles had left behind. The latter feeling was intensified by the sleek feel of Raven's lips and the rough patterns that decorated her jawline under Erik's hand.

Despite all of the swirling and contradicting feelings that were swimming in his mind, the want and guilt and remorse and fear and, above all, the longing for someone who wasn't Raven, one thing remained consistent as Erik pulled back from the surprisingly chaste kiss: nothing had changed between the pair. Even with everything blowing in a maelstrom, it was still just as clear to Erik that this was the little sister of his best friend, not a lover.

This was the little sister of the man he realized he couldn't get out of his head.

With a solemn look to Raven, Erik dropped his hand and pushed himself a handful of inches back on the bed. "I think it's about time for you to leave now," he told her as carefully as he could; it was certainly not his intention to hurt the girl's feelings, and certainly not after what he had just allowed himself to do. Still, Erik needed this time to think things over and, honestly, the children really should be in bed by this hour.

Regardless of Erik's tact, or possibly there-lack-of, Raven still had a wounded look on her face as she pulled back the sheets and stood. She moved toward the door whiteout going to get her robe. As she walked out, though she turned back with a expression of gratefulness that was playing over the pain. "Thank you, Erik. You've done a lot for me," she said then turned away to cross through the door's threshold.

Throwing a glance back down at the bed below him, with its soft and expensive pillows calling him, Erik stood from the mattress and took his own leave as well. He didn't know if Raven had truly gone to bed as Erik had hoped she would but he could hardly hold that against the girl. After all, here was the metal-bender, out and about late in the night, taking the few measly steps though the hall to reach the bedroom that Charles had picked out for himself a week ago.

With a deep breath to prepare himself, he knocked on the door.

As Charles left Erik and their chess game behind in the study, his full intention was to go back to his room and go to bed. He was not going to seek out Erik Lehnsherr again, or anyone else for that matter. If that maddening man decided to take the initiative upon himself, then so be it. Charles hated leaving things as they were between them but he had already made enough of a fool of himself. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't keep his mind open to prepare himself on the off chance that Erik did choose to pay the telepath a visit.

Following Erik's presence in a manner that would allow himself to see where the metal-bender without being noticed or prying where he wasn't wanted, he was just as surprised as Erik apparently was to find Raven in the bedroom, if not more so.

Pulling out of Erik's mind and letting the two have the privacy that he knew full well they would ask of him. Charles took a shuddering breath at the reality of the situation dawned on him, making him feel even more mortified at his earlier actions in the study than he already had.

Erik liked Raven.

Charles had worn his thrown his heart out to the one man he knew he shouldn't get involved with, by all rights other than intuition. He had practically confessed his love with the stunt he had pulled, whether Erik saw it that way or not, and all of it was to be for nothing. Well, nothing other than a possible laugh between Erik and Raven at his own expense. Charles had fallen for the man that liked his sister.

What a joke.

Well, it had been a good week and, in light of recent events, Charles felt like he deserved a chance to wallow in his self-pity for a night. With a sigh, he pushed himself off from his bed that he had been sitting on and started making his way to the kitchen downstairs. He dragged his feet as he made his way though the lonely halls of the mansion, his energy nearly completely drained, leaving him emotionally and physically exhausted. The only thing that he could bring himself to do right now was to fetch the bottle of aged wine that he knew was waiting for him in the fridge.

He was so distracted in his own thoughts as he pulled to bottle out that he hadn't noticed the soft footsteps moving across the carpet toward the room. He was only pulled from his reverie with a familiar voice.

"You know, sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if you hadn't found me here that night."

"I'm sorry. What?" You…" Charles cut off a he looked up in the direction of the dulcet tones to see his sister. All of his sister. "D-dah! For God's sake, Raven! Where are your clothes. P-pu-put some clothes on," he stuttered as he closed the fridge door and looked away as he suddenly found the counter on the other side of the kitchen very interesting to look at.

"That's not what you said when you first saw me," Raven responded with a discouraged tone as she sat down at the small table. "But I guess pets are always cuter when they're little, right?" she interrogated in a way that made Charles know with out any need to delve into her mind that Raven was in that state of mind where she may not be upset with him yet but she will be by the end of the conversation.

"Raven, I don't know what's gotten into you lately," Charles chided as he alternated his glances between Raven and the wine bottle. "I thought you'd be in a good mood. Hank, he tells me that he's found the answer to your charismatic problem," he said as he pulled out his own chair and took a seat across from his sister.

Raven said nothing in response and Charles knew he had said the wrong thing but, at this point, it was really getting impossible to know what the right thing to say was. "Are you gonna tell me what's the matter or do I have to read your mind," he questioned, starting to feel himself get agitated.

"You promised me you would never do that," Raven deflected harshly and Charles knew that she was right but he could hardly fix things between he and his sister if he had no idea what it was that he had broken.

"Until recently, I never had to use my power to know that you were thinking, Raven," he told her, letting his voice convey that he was a bit hurt by the rift that had steadily been forming between them in the last few months.

"You know, Charles, I used to think that it was going to be me and you against the world," his sister said, clearly getting to whatever it was that was irking her. "But, no matter how bad the world gets, you don't want to be against it, do you? You want to be a part of it," she threw at him, as though the thought of begin an accepted part of this world was now disgusting to her.

Before Charles could get the chance to say anything else, Raven's hands had slammed on the table and she was exiting the kitchen in an irritated rush.

As he sighed softly, Charles stole another glance at the bottle next to him on the table. Standing from the table and moving to the counter to pop open the bottle, he took a single swig before deciding that even the comforting call of alcohol wasn't worth the effort it was taking to stay awake. Instead, he put the stopper back in and replaced the bottle in the fridge and retreated from the kitchen, heading for his bedroom and the awaiting promise of dreamless sleep, if he was lucky.

Yanking open the door, Charles' eyes widened as he halted in the doorway as his gazed fixed across the room. Apparently his bed wasn't the only thing that had been awaiting his return.

"H-hello Erik," he greeted out softly keeping his eyes on man sitting on the edge of his bed and the other's the piercing green eyes directed at the telepath. "I can't say I expected to see you again this evening," he said with an attempt at nonchalance.

"It's hardly evening anymore," Erik replied, matching the nonchalance with much more success than Charles had managed. "It's nearly one o'clock."

Casting a look to the clock on the bedside table, Charles saw that Erik was right; in his distraction, he hadn't realized how much late it had become. "I suppose you're right, which furthers my question: why are you here?" Charles asked, too tired to beat around the bush.

"I kissed Raven," Erik blurted out without hesitation but he wore a look that told Charles that that wasn't what was really on the metal-bender's mind.

"Is that all you came here to tell me?" Charles questioned irritably.

"No, but I felt like you should know that before we talk," Erik replied too calmly.

"I don't know what you could possibly want to talk about right now, my friend," Charles said as he removed his coat and placed it on the back of a chair before moving to stand in front of Erik. He ignored the motion that the latter gave for him to join sitting on the bed. "But thank you for informing me of the status of your pursuit of my sister," he berated.

"I'm not looking to corrupt your sister."

"Really? That's surprising because you seem to be doing a perfectly good job of it," Charles reprimanded. "Honestly, Erik, what are you doing here? Did you not have your fill of humiliating me tonight in the study?"

"No. I mean, that's not what I'm here for," Erik said, sounding as though he was starting to get agitated as well. With a sigh he spoke up again. "I never meant to humiliate you, Charles. You kind of caught me by surprise with your little stunt." he told him. Catching the narrowing of the telepath's eyes at the idea that Erik was trying to pass the blame, he tried again. "God, Charles, I don't know how to put this into words. Just look and see for yourself," he exclaimed exasperatedly as he motioned to his head.

This proposition drew a shocked expression from the telepath and a hardly noticeable intake of breath. Still, Charles moved to place his middle and index fingers at his left temple. Letting his eyes fall shut, he pushed forward, knowing that Erik could feel is presence.

As Charles looked past the surface thoughts that consisted of Erik wanting him to understand something that was apparently very crucial, though what it was, Charles couldn't quite find without probing deeper. He was a little taken aback to find that the want he had forced Erik to feel earlier was still burning fresh in the latter's mind and he could feel a hot blush starting to spread on his own cheeks at the feeling. Even more astonishing was the added desire that he found that belonged solely to Erik himself. However, what had Charles absolutely dumbstruck was what he found just barely buried under the yearnings of both of them was the blatant endearment that had spread deep into Erik's mind, entirely directed at Charles. Now he understood what it was that was so crucial.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Charles decided to take up Erik on his offer to sit next to him on the mattress. He could feel that the blush had practically spread to his ears, now the result of both attraction and embarrassment at the revelation.

"Wha-what about Raven?" he manages to ask, mentally scoffing at himself for it but not all that surprised that something so insecure would be his first concern.

"I wasn't exactly in a proper state for evaluating my decisions earlier, with the way you left me. I won't call it a mistake but it shouldn't have happened." Erik told him as he shifted his body to be leaning in Charles' direction. Charles picked up on the thought that Erik sent his way after: and I regret betraying you like that.

"Well, what about now?" Charles questioned as he moved himself as well, getting rid of a few inches that was standing between him and Erik, the adjustment leaving their legs touching.

"I'm thinking pretty clearly now," Erik replied, knowing that Charles had been referring to his first statement in his inquiry.

With that, Erik reached up slowing, giving Charles the time to back away if he wanted to do so, and settled his hand on the junction of Charles' jawline and nape, carding his fingers into the telepath's astonishingly soft hair that felt almost feminine. As Erik pulled Charles forward and leaned in himself to have their lips meet somewhere in-between, Charles felt his uncertainty vanish with the distance.

Feeling one of Charles' arms wrap around his neck cautiously, the hand gripping softly at Erik's auburn hair. The other hand rested on Erik's thigh to steady himself as Charles tilted forward slightly and allowed his brilliant blue eyes to flutter closed to turn their actions into a true kiss, rather than just the meeting of lips.

Erik felt Charles accept and respond to the kiss softly and considered deepening it but restrained. It was only fair to let Charles make the next move if he felt inclined to do so. He himself had already come here and invaded Charles' personal chambers to let the man know that he was willing to give things a try. He had also broke the ground that passed the lines of friendship that they had been so delicately skirting around the passed few days and weeks. Now, he needed to know if this was really what Charles wanted as well, if he was still willing to make this leap of faith with a man who had so little faith in others.

Charles seemed to sense Erik's reluctance, be it by intuition or by taking a peak into the metal-bender's mind. However it happened, the telepath apparently took the hint that hadn't been placed for him and moved his hand away from Erik's thigh to replace it against his shoulder. Pushing lightly, Charles maneuvered Erik to be laying against the gracious pile of pillows that were against the headboard of the bed while Charles crawled forward at the same time to straddle Erik's waist, his knees situated on either side of the other's hips.

Laying across Erik's chest and tilting his head to get a good angle, Charles pushed forward to deepen the kiss as Erik wanted, his lips parting to make way for Erik's searching tongue. The latter's hands strayed from Charles' head to rest on the telepath's lean hips where they rubbed encouragingly.

Charles gave a contented hum at the new placement and rutted once against Erik's stomach to make the older man take notice to the growing testament of Charles' attraction. Erik's only response, however, was to increase the pressure of his hands on the hips to still Charles' movements. When he Charles tried again, this time in vain, to make friction between the two and found himself restrained, he let out a slightly frustrated mewl.

"No, Charles," Erik said firmly, breaking the kiss momentarily, his voice now rough and a bit more accented, Charles couldn't help but note. "If we're doing this, then we're going to do if right. I'm not letting you be just some quick fuck." Even as he said the words, though, Erik was taking in Charles' new look. The telepath's normally so vibrant a blue eyes were now clouded and dark while his lips' usual puffy and bright red was now emphasized from the kisses that were already starting to leave barely noticeable bruises.

His reverie was broken by the small noise of understanding that came from Charles and the feel of fine fingers working their way under the hem of his turtleneck that was quickly pulled off entirely.

"So, what is this right way you have in mind?" Charles asked huskily, looking up alluringly with a smirk from where he had started to mouth kisses at Erik's jawline. The grin was quickly erased from his face and a short yelp was emitted when Erik made a sudden movement to switch their positions, leaving Charles pinned under Erik's weight and at the mercy of whatever the metal-bender

"Well," Erik began. "It starts with me being on top and you basking in all of the attention that I'm going to give you," he told the still shocked telepath coyly before leaning down to suck at the pulse point on Charles' neck. Erik pulled Charles' button-up shirt out of his slacks and snaked his hands up to rub along the length of the surprisingly toned torso, though it was still pleasantly a bit softer than that of the acreage man. He came to a stop once he reached the chest, moving his fingers to tweak at Charles' already perked up nipples while the man whimpered quietly beneath him and fisted a hand into the sheets.

Pulling up from the sinful taste that was Charles, Erik gazed reverently into the man's alluring blue eyes, now heavy lidded as the he looked back up at Erik through thick lashes. Erik placed kiss that was softer than anything Charles could have ever imagined that the metal-bender was capable of. After breaking the innocent kiss, Erik drew away again in favor of yanking Charles' shirt up farther and shuffling it over Charles' head before tossing it somewhere on the floor.

With a grin, Erik leans forward once again and covers Charles' chest in more soft but sloppy kisses, leading down from his collarbone before coming to a halt as he hovered above Charles' nipples. Ducking down, he latched his mouth onto the one that wasn't already being assaulted by Erik's skilled fingers, wrenching a gasp and a moan from the small figure below him. Charles' labored breathing was becoming more noticeable, starting to come in harsh pants as Erik's sucking gave way to nipping.

Erik released the bud that he wasn't assaulting with his mouth and laced his fingers with Charles' before the telepath could fist his hands back into the sheets and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

With that, Erik let go of both the hand and the remaining nipple that he had been teasing with rough swipes of his tongue. He started to move lower, dipping his tongue into Charles' navel for good measure just to feel the ticklish jerk and hear the tiny whimper that he released at the ministration. With a slight chuckle, Erik raised his head back up and pushed down Charles' slacks along with his boxers. He allowed himself a moment to take in the sight before him, the fine cock that was already half-hard staring up at him, before he brought his his right hand to place his fingers in front Charles' lips.

"Open up. I doubt there's any lube left behind in that bedside table from when people last lived here fifteen years ago so we'll just have to make due," Erik explained and Charles more than complied. Taking hold of Erik's wrist, he pulled the first three fingers into his mouth and went to work, coating them in his saliva as he sucked greedily and swirled his tongue around and between the digits while little moans escaped him at the thought of these being inside him.

When Erik took away Charles' new fixation, he smaller man mewl at the loss and leaned forward, pining for them. Instead of indulging the telepath, Erik cupped his face with his hand that wasn't slicked and looked down at Charles in pure adoration. After giving Charles another absurdly delicate kiss that was gone before Charles got the chance to reciprocate, Erik lifted Charles' hips up by the thigh, to which the telepath complied by hooking his leg across the older man's neck, his clouded eyes never leaving Erik's face.

"Be gentle," came a shy and hesitant voice. Looking up, Erik saw that Charles was watching him reverently, though he was flushed with more shades of pink and red than Erik could ever home to name. "This is all new to me," he clarified sheepishly.

"I promise to play nice," Erik replied, all the more aroused at the thought that he was the first man to touch Charles this way, before dropping to lick a hard strip down Charles member and across his balls, mouthing both softly before adding, "If not completely fair." He reveled in the pleased sounds that Charles was making, every whimper and moan only encouraging him more.

Sucking softly at the vein, Erik prodded a cautious finger at Charles' entrance and felt the immediate reaction of Charles tensing up. "Relax," he whispered as he stroked a loving hand up and down Charles' thigh, soothing him, before pushing his finger past the first ring of muscle. At the clenching that Erik felt around his finger, he reiterated. "Relax."

He pressed the digit a bit farther the retreated entirely from the opening. Instead, he moved his mouth down to lick at the hole, knowing that a slick, wet tongue was often preferred to a spit slicked but otherwise dry finger. Charles' hips jerked excitedly and Erik pressed on, adding the finger back into the mix now that the entrance would be a bit slicker.

Charles took the finger in eagerly and Erik complied with his, pushing in and out with the one digit until he was certain that Charles was ready for another. At the second intrusion, Erik heard the soft gasp escape and felt Charles stiffen again but the tension soon faded as it became even more pleasurable than the first had been.

Looking up, Erik could see that Charles' hands were already again fisted into the rumpled sheets. A moment later, at the addition of a third finger, Erik felt something else accompanying the soft whimper and slight tightening around him. After a few seconds, Erik realized that the feeling was all in his head, literally. The sudden awareness that, with just this, Erik was already making never-less-than-immaculately-composed Charles Xavier lose his grip on control started to strip Erik of his own restraint.

Hearing the beautiful cries that Charles was giving him as Erik began to ram his fingers in and out roughly made the metal-bender exceedingly aware of his own rapidly growing erection that was still painfully confined in his pants and underwear.

Yanking his hand from the telepath's are and loving the loud, disappointed moan that he received in response, Erik quickly shucked off the remainder of his clothing and discarded the offending articles somewhere over the side of the bed.

Turning back to face Charles, Erik saw that the telepath had left his legs up in the air where they had slipped from Erik's shoulders and was now laying back, stretched open and ready for what was to come.

Replacing Charles' calfs on either side of his neck, Erik was pleased when Charles obliged him and wrapped them around, hooking his ankles together. Erik spat onto his palm and slicked his length that was already throbbing with want. It was a crude replacement for lube but there was nothing better at his disposal and Erik was not about to make Charles go his first time dry.

Once he was lined up with Charles' entrance, Erik inched forward a bit, relishing in the broken cry that Charles emitted at the movement. Still, he paused to let Charles adjust to the foreign intrusion. When he broke his concentration on restraining himself to chance a glance up, he saw that Charles' face was heavily flushed and a few tears were trekking their way down.

Something inside Erik shattered at the sight and suddenly nothing was as important as making Charles happy. Shifting his weight to balance himself without his hands, Erik motioned for Charles to sit up a bit. When Charles obliged him, Erik reached out to cup his cheeks and stroke away the stray tears with his thumb. At that, he was rewarded with a shy smile from Charles as the telepath moved his legs down to Erik's waits in favor of encircling his arms around Erik's neck instead. Teasing his fingers into Erik's hair, he pulled him forward for a kiss that would easily rank in Erik's top five.

As he leaned into the kiss, Erik slid farther inside of Charles, drawing a quiet moan that Erik eagerly devoured. Erik's tongue slipped past Charles' lips and explored as a welcome distraction of Charles' attention while Erik inched the rest of the way in, the telepath accommodating him magnificently to the hilt.

Separating himself from Charles' mouth, Erik drew back again until only his head was left inside its hole and then thrust forward cautiously, forcing another sensual moan from Charles' kiss-bruised lips.

As Erik repeated the process several more times, he knew that he wasn't going to last very long. Maybe it was because of how tight Charles' virgin ass was or maybe it was just the thought that it was the telepath himself he was slamming into now, after all those months of not even realizing that he had been desperately waiting for this moment, that was getting him off so quickly. Whatever it was, though, it wrenched his orgasm from him after only a few short minuets.

He came with a more than satisfied groan that quickly morphed into a moan then into a cry.

"Ah, god Charles," he gasped out as lurched forward to crash his lips against the telepath's, riding out his finish until he had come down from his high, at which point his kisses became something much more delicate.

"Mmph, Erik, love," Charles breathed out, breaking the kiss long before Erik cared to do so. "As glad as I am that our little endeavor went so well for you, I'm, ah, still a bit, well," he trailed off, glancing down to his groin where Erik noticed the nearly forgotten raging hard-on.

"I'm so sorry. Let me get that for you," Erik replied with a mischievous grin that didn't disappear when he lowered himself down and took Charles' entire length in his mouth at once.

"Gah! Jesus Christ! Erik!" Charles exclaimed as he immediately bucked up and was seized by his own orgasm without warning, shooting down Erik's awaiting throat.

Erik milked the last remaining drops, swallowed, and licked his lips seductively. He placed another sweet, though now also salty, kiss at Charles' lips. It was very erotic to taste himself and Charles was certain that, if he wasn't already spent, he would be able to get it up on that alone.

"That didn't take very much, did it?" Erik joked once both of their labored breathing had calmed to much softer pants, earning a light smack to the shoulder. Laughing softly, he gathered Charles into his arms and molded himself into the telepath's back, ignoring the way that his now limp cock was rubbing in the slick crevice of Charles bum.

"Shut up," Charles muttered, snuggling himself farther into Erik's embrace and pulling up his own arms to cling to Erik's. "You couldn't honestly expect me to last very long after the performance that you gave."

"Fair enough. It's not like I did much better," Erik conceded with a chuckle.

"Not at all, my love. You did wonderfully," Charles assured before adding as an afterthought, "So, no gag reflex, huh?"

Erik let out a snort then responded. "Really? We just had sex and that's the first thing on your mind?" he asked. "But no, I lost that a long time ago," he answered the question.

"Haha, can't say I can complain," Charles mumbled sleepily, nuzzling his head under Erik's chin contentedly.

A satisfied silence passed between them for several moments and Erik was starting to think that Charles had passed out for some much needed sleep when the telepath spoke up once again.

"So, where does this leave us?" he asked quietly, sound very unsure of himself.

"What do you mean?"

"You said you didn't want me to be just some quick fuck so what happens tomorrow? Did you mean that or are we just going to.." he trailed off and Erik could hear the scared wobble of Charles' voice.

Erik tightened his hold on Charles and responded. "I didn't consciously realize that this was what I wanted until tonight, Charles, but I do want it," he told him. "Whatever happens tomorrow, I want to stay by your side if you'll keep me there. I want to be with you," he said, placing a firm kiss to Charles' crown.

"Promise?" Charles asked childishly and, in that one word, Erik could hear the relief and happiness. Looking down, he saw the sleepy smile covering Charles' face.

"I promise," Erik complied with a soft chuckle and tried to push thoughts of affection towards his exhausted lover.

Instantly, he could Charles responded to the projected feelings and Erik felt the warm presence of Charles curling into his mind and around his thoughts. The presence was coated in feelings of love and safety. Erik allowed himself a small smile as he started to nod off to the comforting, steady sounds of the light snores that Charles was starting to make.

Eyes fluttered half-way open as Charles felt strips of warmth on his face from the sun filtering in through the blinds. He pawed lazily at the space on the bed next to him. Feeling nothing there, he opened his eyes up fully to see that Erik had disappeared form the spot that he had fallen asleep on. Placing the palm of his hand against the sheets where the sun wasn't reaching, Charles felt that they were still warm with body heat.

Blinking a few times and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Charles became conscious of the sound of running water coming from the direction of the bedroom's adjoining bathroom. After untangling himself from the mess of bedsheets, Charles made his way to the bathroom.

Entering, he saw Erik standing in front of the sink with a towel draped loosely around his waist, water cascading down his bare chest and dripping from his hair that was messy from being towel-dried and not yet slicked back. Sauntering over to him after receiving a simple nod as a greeting, Charles kissed the underside of Erik's jaw affectionately.

"Good morning, love," he whispered, voice rough with sleep.

"Well, someone's awfully friendly this morning," Erik replied, looking down at charles with a grin.

Charles took a hesitant step backwards. "I'm sorry. Was that uncalled for?" he asked, not wanting to cross any lines Erik may have drawn between them.

Erik laughed and wrapped his arms around Charles' waist just over the small of his back. "Not at all," he told him before leaning in for a kiss. Charles hummed happily and smiled into the kiss.

After a blissful moment of lips melting together, Charles pulled back. "I'm sorry, Erik. As much as I'd love to continue this, I need to take a quick shower," he told the metal-bender before he had the chance to realize exactly what he was saying. "We don't have much time to waste thins morning, I'm afraid," he clarified before Erik could get the chance to say anything or make any propositions that Charles knew he wouldn't be able to turn down.

Erik looked somewhat disappointed but gave Charles a quick smile as he responded, "I'll go get some breakfast ready for us and the kids. I imagine you must be ravenous this morning." It came out as more of a purr than anything and Charles didn't get the chance to say anything in response as Erik grabbed his pile of clothes from the counter and walked gracefully from the bathroom.

With nothing left to distract him, Charles took his shower, readied himself for the day and the rest of the morning went by in the blink of an eye. Breakfast was a blur of stoled glances and touches, just small, unnoticeable brushes of fingers and shoulders. Before Charles could even register what was going on, they were all loading up onto the Blackbird and heading off to war.

"Erik? Erik." Charles tried for a response as he heard the unfamiliar voice through Erik's ears. As Erik turned around, he could see the man in the ridiculous helmet and knew that it was Shaw from what he had seen in Emma Frost's mind back in Russia.

Erik was moving toward Shaw and that blasted room and then, a moment later, there was nothing.

Charles felt his breath stop in his chest as his heart clenched. This couldn't be happening. Erik wouldn't cut him off like this. Charles may not be able to see it right now but Erik had to have a plan. Charles begged silently that he had a plan.

Gathering his bearings, Charles turned to face Moira in the meantime. "He's gone," he told her as he headed to the other side of the wrecked plane, searching for some way to help the situation.

"What?" he heard Moira's voice.

"He's gone into the void!" Charles reiterated. "I can't communicate with him there," he continued, trying to keep himself from panicking. He moved to help Moira with the radio communication, needing something to occupy his mind while he attempted to find some way to figure out what was going on with Erik.

A minuet later he was shown grace as he felt Erik's mind come back within his reach.

"He's back!" he shouted to no one in particular as he rushed to the plane door and concentrated on Erik's situation. He could feel that Erik was in pain right now, though the man seemed to be doing a good job of not letting on to that fact. Erik, whatever you're doing, keep doing it. It's starting to work. He pushed the thought into Erik's mind. Seconds later, Charles felt a sharp pain that shot through Erik's mind as the picture in his mind of the room became clearer. "It's working," he encouraged Erik. "I'm starting to see him but I can't yet touch his mind."

He could see the interaction going on between Erik and Shaw and the image of it all became perfectly open as he felt Erik smash the mirrors to smithereens by way of the metal structures in the walls.

He listened to the conversation and heard the wavers in Erik's voice as he replied to the things that Shaw was telling him. When Erik gave the signal, he surged forward with most of his concentration to freeze Shaw in his place as he reached in vain for his coveted helmet. The remaining of his occur was left to communicate with Erik. The moment Erik drops the metal bar in front of him, Charles feels his resolve in what he plans to do arise.

"Erik, please, wait," he called out in a rush, knowing he has only seconds to keep the link if Erik truly does intend to put on that infernal headpiece. "I've told you before; I know what this means to you but please! Show me that I mean more to you than that," he exclaimed and was briefly satisfied as he felt Erik hesitate as he grabbed for the helmet.

"Erik, I agree that Shaw needs to be taken out," he said, not wanting to use the actual words to say what they both knew had to happen if Shaw was ever to be stopped. "But, I beg of you Erik, please understand what I'm trying to tell you. I know that you've been planning to avenge your mother for nearly twenty years but realize that that is not a path that I can follow you on and it is not one that you will be able to come back from.

Please, love, don't let this man control your life any more than he already has, he projected directly into Erik's mind for only him to hear. Don't let him take anything else away from you. Please don't let him destroy what we've just begun to create. Charles implored, sending Erik images from the previous night that still burned hot in Charles' mind.

With the images themselves, Charles sent all of the feelings of the overwhelming love that Charles had felt at the time, desperate to make Erik understand how badly he wanted this to work between, to keep building a life together. You promised, he added, feeling rediculously like a kindergartner on a playground as he said it.

Charles didn't dare to breath as Erik said nothing and walked toward Shaw, one hand holding the helmet, the other reaching into his pocket. When Charles realized that Erik was pulling out the coin that he always carried on him, he breathed in sharply through his nose, terrified of what could be about to happen.

You're right, Charles.

Charles hear Erik push the thought toward him and watched as Erik tucked the coin into the pocket of Shaw's coat. "I'm finished letting you dominate my life," Charles hear Erik say to Shaw before the metal-bender turned away and walking from the room, tossing the helmet to the ground as he left.

Charles breathed out a relieved half-laugh half-sob and sent a blast of telepathic energy as strong as he could conjure and relaxed as Shaw crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Charles looked back up at the entrance Erik had made in the sub. "Erik," he called out once he saw the man stepping past the wreckage. Erik smiled when he saw the telepath but the expression soon shifted to a frown as turned to face the water, or more specifically, the ships.

"Charles, read the ships and tell me what's going on out there," Erik instructed him. Charles frowned, confused for a brief moment, but as soon as he did what was asked of him, his eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh, my God," he gasped. Glancing around the beach, his eyes found the red-skinned mutant he was now looking for. All of Shaw's men had stopped their fighting with Charles and Erik's own team for the time being and was looking out onto the ocean, trying to figure out what was going on. Azazel, was it? Charles sent out.

Ja, came the short response.

Would you be willing to teleport everyone off this beach in a moment? Charles needed to find a way to get all of them away quickly, before the ships start firing.

There was a few seconds of hesitation in which Charles could feel the teleporter's skepticism and mistrust. Despite these feelings, the answer came. With so many people, I would not be able to have my full range of distance, but yes, I can get everyone at least back to the states in one jump.

Thank you so much, Charles sent, relief washing over him now that he knew there was a way out. He knew that it was risky to trust on of Shaw's men but, at this point, they didn't have a lot of options.

With that settled, he turned his attention back to Erik. He could feel the man considering his next move, a move that shook Charles to the core more that the though of what Erik had planned to do to Shaw. "Erik, please, don't."

Erik looked back as Charles incredulously. "Charles, they're about to open fire on us with nuclear missiles and you want to just leave them be?"

"What?" came the voice of one of the children, sounding like Sean.

"I'm aware of that," Charles replied, ignoring the outburst from the sidelines. "Still, Azazel has agreed to get us away from here," Charles informed him. "Besides, it could be for the better. If they fire and we leave, the beach still gets blown up. They'll think us dead. No one will come looking for us," he continued, trying to convince Erik to abandon the idea of blowing up ships of the world's two largest superpowers. "We can leave in peace," he told Erik, eyes pleading.

Erik still stared at Charles somewhat dubiously, though Charles could feel his resolve wavering. He knew that he needed to quickly finish this; he could feel that they had less than a minuet. "Charles, the humans need to understand that they're not the only ones here anymore. We're not going out without a fight."

"I know, my friend, and maybe someday they will but today in not that day and launching several dozen nuclear missiles on them will do nothing to help our cause."

At that moment, Charles heard the successions of explosions that told him that it was now or never. They needed to leave. "Everyone, grab hands!" he shouted to both his men as well as Shaw's accomplices. "Azazel, please," he asked, knowing that he didn't need to explain. Turning to face Erik with a frantic expression, he extended his hand. "Please, love, I want you with me."

As Erik moved his hand, Charles was worried for a second that he was going to raise it to tamper with the weapons coming toward them. Instead, he was viciously grateful when Erik's warm had took a firm hold of his. A moment and a taste of sulfur later, they were all standing in a warehouse in God knows where.

Looking around and seeing that everyone was safe, though a little dizzy from the method of travel, Charles let out another relieved laugh-sob. He swayed on his feet, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to him, and Erik was quickly at his side, supporting him as Charles knees gave out. He collapsed into Erik's waiting arms, which curled around and pulled him close and Erik scooped him up bridal style. He placed a quick press of lips in Charles' hair before resting resting his cheek on the crown of the telepath's head. "It's over, Charles," he whispered softly so that no one else would here. Thank you.

Charles chuckled softly and asked "For what, my love?"

"Everything."

Of course, love, Charles sent to him before tossing another glance around at everyone. With a quick smile in Raven's direction once he saw that his sister was alright, save for a limp that she was sporting, he spoke up. "I would normally suggest that we all find a hospital to get ourselves checked out but given the circumstances, I don't think that it would be the best idea."

He could feel the thankfulness that Erik was emitting at the idea of not having to visit a human hospital right now. "Hank, would able to look everyone over once we get back to Westchester?" he asked, knowing that there were at least a few injured that needed to be taken account of.

At Hank's nod of consent, Charles smiled and carried on. "Wonderful. Azazel, would you be willing to take us on one more jump to get to New York? Westchester to be exact. You lot are welcome to stay there as long as you like, at least you rest up." Charles knew that the others on his side were not going to be very grateful for this invitation to people they had been fighting against but they were now indebted to them, or at least to Azazel.

When Azazel nodded, Charles smiled appreciatively and sent the location over to the teleporter's mind.

"If everyone would please grab hands again," he instructed. As soon as they had complied, Charles smelt that unforgiving scent of sulfur and suddenly they were all back in the main hall of the mansion.

Charles sighed contentedly as he looked around. He may have not always loved this house-that-had-never-until-recently-been-quite-a-home, he couldn't be happier to see everyone safe and sound back here where they belonged and, more than anything, together.

Changing an adoring glance up at Erik, Charles realized that there was one thing that could make him happier at this moment.

"Well, everyone, please make yourselves at home," he said for the benefit of the new arrivals. A quick sweep of their minds left him assured that, at least at this moment, none of them had any plans to slit any throats. In fact, what really seemed to be on their minds was that the group was surprising thankful that the war had been avoided and that they had a place to rest and recuperate for the time being. It made Charles wonder briefly why they had been involved with Shaw in the first place.

"Hank, if you wouldn't mind seeing to the injuries, I would be very grateful," Charles said before looking again up to Erik. "As for you, if you aren't too beat up from your mess on the submarine, I am thoroughly exhausted and would be extremely happy if you could bring me to my room," he mumbled tiredly as he nuzzled his face into the crook of Erik's neck, inhaling his scent and relishing in the thought that the man was still here.

Charles let his mind wander, not even registering if Erik made any reply, until they arrived at his door, which Erik easily worked open without the use of his hands. Once Charles was deposited on the bed, Erik pulled the covers up to the his chest before turning to walk out of the room again.

"Where are you going?" Charles frowned.

"I'll be right back," Erik assured without answering the question.

Charles allowed himself to follow Erik's presence to where it stopped in the kitchen but didn't make the effort to actively read it to figure out what Erik was doing. Rather, he shut his eyes and reflected on how content he was with how things went for the most part.

For starters, they had all come back and come back relatively unscathed, save for Angle's wing, which Charles sincerely hoped would heal. He would have to inquire with Hank about that later. Secondly, they were all likely safe from the government now, at least for a while if they even figured out that they had survived the bombing. To top things off, is didn't seem like Shaw was going to cause any more trouble in his condition. Since Charles had left the man unconscious in the sub, he wouldn't have been able to pull his absorbing energy trick with the missiles. By now, Shaw was in pieces a thousand miles away.

Charles felt a little bad that he felt happy about that fact but it was the way it was. The man needed to be stopped and, he supposed, for some people, stopping, mean having to put down. At least, that had beed Shaw's case.

Charles was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Erik coming back down the hall until the door opened to reveal the metal-bender walking in with a tray of tea and sandwiches, at which Charles grinned like an idiot.

"I thought you might be hungry. Even if you're not, I imagine you will be later. It's been a long day," Erik said, setting the tray down on the bedside table.

"I appreciate that, love. I'm sure they're delicious and I look forward to having them later. For now, how about we just take this time to relax," he said, patting the side of the bed next to him, silently asking for Erik to join him.

Erik smiled and didn't even bother to circle to the other side of the bed before taking Charles up on the offer, instead just crawling over him. As he did, he gathered the telepath into his arms and held him close to his chest. Charles melted into the embrace, curling up against Erik, and pressed his ear up to the spot where he could he Erik's heart beating through the uniform that neither of them had bothered to strip themselves of yet.

"Thank you, love," he mumbled against Erik, tilting is head upward to fit it under Erik's neck again.

"For what?"

"For keeping your promise," Charles replied sleepily as he started to drift off to the steady beat of Erik's heart