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xmenfirstkink2011-12-18 05:18 pm
starkmodistries.livejournal.com) wrote in xmenfirstkink2011-12-18 05:18 pm
Entry tags:
round 3 overflow post
This post is for Round 3 fills only. We ask that when a round hits 8500 comments, fillers begin moving their fills to this post.
Format:
SUBJECT LINE -- Round #, short description of fic (ex: "Alex/Hank, lab partners")
--- Link to the prompt
--- Text of the prompt
--- Link to the fill
OR
--- Entire text of the fill
EXAMPLE:
Prompt: http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/6437.html?thread=1038472#t2038174
Charles/Erik -- Charles is a bakery owner whose most frequent customer is Erik.
Fill: http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/6437.html?thread=0139482#t4502942
Charles started off the morning the same way he always did...
Heat - Part 19a
(Anonymous) 2012-04-27 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)-----------------------------------------------------------------------
It was noon by the time Erik got back to the house. He had left the diner with only one thing in mind and that was to get to Charles, to make sure that Charles was all right. Emma Frost had said that she wouldn’t tell Shaw about him, but meant nothing – the woman worked for Shaw, after all, and a little white lie like that was nothing on the morally grey scale of things that she would have had to do whilst in his employ.
Erik didn’t bother with the doorbell – he was far too much on edge for that. Besides, if there was anyone else in the house besides Charles the last thing he wanted to do was give them a head start. So he silently unlocked the door and let himself in, while simultaneously sending out his power in order to sense whether there were any intruders in the house. It took a few minutes, the mansion being so large, for him to make sure that they were alone and that Charles himself was in one of the sitting rooms in the right wing of the house. Erik immediately made his way there. He needed to check that Charles was okay and that he had not had a last minute change of heart with regards to going away with Erik that night.
He entered the room, and was glad to see that everything seemed to be as normal. The room was positioned so that the door was at the back, presumably so that the occupants were not bothered by the comings and goings of others – said others presumably being the household servants. Charles was sitting in the middle of the room on a large armchair with his eyes focused on the television at the opposite end of the room from where Erik now stood. Erik halted in the doorway for a moment, taking a minute to just look at Charles. He had almost convinced himself that his imagination had sharpened the details of this man, exaggerated them somewhat in his mind, allowing him to take on an almost superhuman quality. While this ethereal quality was somewhat diminished, the overall effect of Charles’s presence on Erik was not. Charles’s skin was still as fine, his lips as red, his movements as graceful as Erik’s memory had painted them. And Erik’s entire being still thrummed with the same need and desire and affection as they had that morning and the night before when they had made love.
No, he thought to himself, he was not making a mistake here. This was meant to be. There was no way that he was going to lose Charles. He would not let that happen. Not ever.
He stood there, watching Charles intently for a few minutes. A small part of him wondered why Charles was just sitting there and why he had not turned around to greet him with a kiss and a smile. Perhaps he had dampened his telepathy and so could not sense Erik there. Maybe he should cough, or clear his throat. Alert Charles to his presence.
It was as he was debating these things that his eyes fell on the television screen. He glanced at it idly before the screen focused for him and he saw the picture.
His blood froze.
There, on screen, on the television that Charles was watching, was a news report. And the day’s top story that the news just happened to be reporting right at that moment was the shocking and brutal massacre of the highly decorated retired military commander, William Stryker at his residence earlier that morning.
Erik’s mouth went dry.
It’s a coincidence, he tried to tell himself. Charles doesn’t know anything – he can’t know. He’s just watching the news, like he probably does every day at this time …
Heat - Part 19b
(Anonymous) 2012-04-27 06:08 pm (UTC)(link)Erik’s panic seemed to finally alert Charles to his presence.
‘Erik?’ he sat up in his seat and a faint smile made its way over his face. He looked calm and relaxed – the furthest thing away from appearing as if he had just found out that his boyfriend was something akin to a serial killer.
Erik felt himself slowly relax. No, Charles didn’t know. He couldn’t know. Erik was being paranoid – he was worrying for no reason. The news report was just a coincidence; a horrible, rotten coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless. As long as he stayed calm and Charles kept his promise not to dig into his head, then everything would be fine.
He forced himself to smile as Charles got up from his seat and all but bounded over to where Erik stood still by the doorway.
‘There you are!’ Charles beamed, reaching forward to embrace Erik warmly. ‘I’ve been worried, you know – first you disappear on me this morning, then I get that phone call, and now-’ he suddenly stilled. A strange expression came over his face and he took one step back. ‘Erik,’ he said in an odd voice. ‘Erik – what … what is that?’
Erik blinked and then glanced down at where Charles was pointing.
Only then did he realise the monumental mistake that he had made.
While in the diner with Shaw, Emma had shielded the both of them from scrutiny and any outside interest, making them practically invisible to those around them. No one would have noticed anything odd about his appearance. And after that he had been in too much of a rush to get to Charles to either notice other people or come into contact with them. And earlier to the both –
Well, moments before he had been picked up by Shaw he had been busy murdering Stryker and his pathetic little army of human soldiers.
Which was precisely the problem.
He had forgotten that from that moment onwards, he had been almost completely covered in blood. His shirt, his hands, his face … they were all marked with evidence of his actions. Seeing how Erik was obviously unharmed, there could be only one remaining conclusion.
Charles looked down at Erik’s front. Then he looked at his hands. Then, turning, his eyes fell on the still-running television report on the violent murder of a retired military official.
Immensely unusual injuries, the reporter seemed to be saying. A small army seemingly slaughtered by their own weapons … warped metal … almost humanly impossible …
There was a moment of stillness.
Charles turned his head and his eyes met Erik’s.
There was a pause.
Then:
‘Oh god.’
The words were whispered but they hit Erik with the force of a sledgehammer.
Then again:
‘Oh god. Oh god, no.’
‘Charles …’ Erik began but he wasn’t able to go any further.
‘No.’ Charles was shaking his head furiously, as if the sheer force of his denial would make it all untrue. ‘No, it isn’t. Say it isn’t. It can’t be. Not you. Erik, tell me it’s not you.’
‘Charles, I-’ This would be it. This would be the moment where Erik could deny everything. The moment where he could explain everything. Or make something up. Make anything up. Anything but the truth. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
‘Erik …’ Charles was staring at him, horror and betrayal mixed up inextricably in his eyes. ‘Tell me I’m wrong. Please make it that I’m wrong.’
Heat - Part 19c
(Anonymous) 2012-04-27 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)Erik swallowed.
‘Charles, you’re-’ he attempted. He shook his head. He needed to stop panicking, he needed to think clearly. How was it that he could think clearly while knee-deep in blood, but this – this one domestic situation – made him feel overwhelmed and terrified? ‘Charles, I promise you, it isn’t what you think.’
‘Don’t lie to me,’ Charles’s voice was low and could almost have been taken for calm if it weren’t for the tremor that ran through every note. ‘Erik – do not lie to me.’
‘I’m-’ Erik opened his mouth to deny it but before he could, Charles raised his hand to his temple and then there was a brush against his mind and almost immediately – just as Charles had been seeking – images of Erik’s previous night’s activities flooded to the surface.
Charles immediately recoiled, both physically and mentally. He took one look at Erik, before turning around and retching on the floor.
‘Charles!’ Erik said worriedly, forgetting his momentary anger and helplessness at Charles’s violation of his mind. He moved forward to help him but before he could come any nearer he was stopped by Charles holding his arm up, palm forward, even as he was bent over double.
‘N-No,’ Charles gasped, bile still bitter in his throat. ‘Don’t. Don’t come near me. Don’t – don’t touch me.’
Erik could almost feel his heart break. All his hopes, all his dreams – never mind that they had only existed since the day before – he felt them all shatter at Charles’s words, at the repulsion being broadcast from every pore of Charles’s skin. Limply, he dropped his hands and moved a step away.
‘Charles,’ he said, closer to begging than he had ever been at any other point in his life, even during his time at the hands of Shaw. ‘Charles, it isn’t what you think. There is more to the story than that. Stryker was a bad man. They all were.’
‘All?’ Charles choked, even though he must have known that Stryker hadn’t been the first – not by a long shot. Erik felt a brush against his mind just as Charles let out a horrible, choked laugh. ‘And you’re not even taking into account those poor security men that Stryker kept! Christ Erik – do you even know how many you’ve – you’ve-?’ Unable to finish the sentence, Charles turned around and dry-heaved over the carpet.
Erik remained silent. How else was he supposed to say that he had lost count?
When Charles turned back, his eyes were filled with pain and horror.
‘My god Erik,’ he whispered. ‘You – all this time! And I-’ Erik winced as Charles retched again, though nothing came up.
Neither of them spoke for a good few minutes. They just stood there, Charles bent over, heaving, with Erik standing limp and helpless at his side.
Eventually there was nothing for it, and Erik had to ask, had to somehow break this tension between them.
‘What happens now?’ he asked in a small voice, unable to look at Charles.
Charles glanced up from where he was holding himself. Slowly, eyes never leaving Erik’s, he straightened up.
‘Now,’ he said unflinchingly. ‘If you aren’t planning on killing me as well-’
Erik jerked up, horrified. Before he knew it, he had strode forward and had caught Charles by the arm.
‘I would never,’ he growled, his face fierce, gazing down at Charles, who hadn’t even flinched at Erik’s sudden approach. ‘I would never hurt you, Charles, never. Whatever I may have done – whatever you think of me, you have to know that. Not you. Never you.’
Charles stared up at Erik, unblinking, and after a moment, he nodded.
‘Very well,’ he said. ‘I believe you. But as for what happens now-’ And Erik had to cringe, for Charles’s voice was so flat, so cold and unemotional. ‘Now you leave. You leave, Erik, and you never contact me ever again. I want you gone. Now!’
It was no more than Erik had been expecting, but he still couldn’t help but try to change Charles’s mind.
‘Charles, please,’ he said softly, pleadingly. ‘I know that you – That what I have – Please, you must allow me to explain.’
Heat - Part 19d
(Anonymous) 2012-04-27 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)‘I owe you nothing,’ Charles said coldly, but Erik could tell that his plea had made a mark.
‘No, you don’t,’ Erik agreed. ‘But I owe you something. I owe you an explanation and you deserve to hear one. You can think whatever you like about me after that, but please – listen to me first. Let me – let me explain.’
Charles was silent after that and Erik was left on the most painful of tenterhooks until, at last, Charles gave him one slow nod.
‘Yes,’ he said, his voice low and his expression serious. ‘Yes, all right then. I will listen to your explanation. But after that – unless I say otherwise – I want you to leave. Forever. Do you understand?’
It was clear that Charles was highly sceptical of hearing any explanation that would absolve a person of multiple - of countless - violent murders, but at this point Erik was willing to take anything that he could get. Even if he had to leave afterwards and never see Charles again, it would be worth it. At least Charles would know why and maybe – someday, in the far, far future – he would find it in his generous heart to forgive Erik. Erik didn’t expect much, but he hoped with all his heart that Charles would one day understand.
‘Yes,’ he said, his voice low and clear. ‘Yes, I understand.’
Charles watched him carefully, before giving him a slow nod.
‘I ask that I be allowed access to your mind while you tell me your story,’ he said quietly. ‘So that I know that what you are telling me is the truth.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Erik said quickly. ‘Anything, Charles.’
Charles looked slightly more at ease at Erik’s easy capitulation.
‘Come then,’ he said, turning and leading Erik over to a pair of armchairs facing one another. He waited until Erik was seated before himself sitting down, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers together. ‘Now please. Start your story.’
Erik nodded and swallowed. He had never told anyone any of this before. His heart pounded as he realised that he would have to tell Charles everything – that he would have to relive it as he spoke. He forced himself to calm down. This was Charles. And if he had to do all this and more in order to regain some small portion of the man’s trust, then Erik would do it without question.
Taking a deep breath, he straightened up in his chair.
‘I was nearly eleven years of age when I met a man named Klaus Schmidt for the very first time …’
*
Re: Heat - Part 19d
Of course, we all knew this confrontation was going to happen, but it's still awful. OH NOOO, ERIK ;___; So painful, but thank god Charles is willing to hear him out. Not that I blame him for reacting the way he did, that would certainly be a shocking homecoming.
Great update, looking forward to more! ♥
Re: Heat - Part 19d
(Anonymous) 2012-04-27 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)I'm glad you enjoyed this! It was difficult to know how to play it out so I'm glad you thought it worked! Hopefully I should be able to have more up relatively soon!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!! xxx
Re: Heat - Part 19d
Oh, that was painful for the both of them.
*gets her tissues ready for Erik's backstory*
Re: Heat - Part 19d
(Anonymous) 2012-05-11 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)Glad you found it painful. Unfortunately, I don't think I will really go into Erik's backstory, I'm afraid - it would be time consuming and practically the same as what was shown in XMFC. Hope that's okay!
(Also, next part's up!) xx
Re: Heat - Part 19d
Glad you found it painful. Unfortunately, I don't think I will really go into Erik's backstory, I'm afraid - it would be time consuming and practically the same as what was shown in XMFC. Hope that's okay!
*nod* That is okay