round 3 overflow post

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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...

Comments

FILL: The Better Men (19f/30ish)

[(Anonymous)]

"She flirted with me, I didn't—" He took a deep breath, unclenched his teeth. "Specifics aside, I know I treated him badly. And no, I don't intend to ever make that mistake again. I... I don't understand myself sometimes." He heard his own voice go distant. "Being with him was all I ever really wanted. And I let other things, so much less important, interfere with that. I was stupid. I spent so much time trying to fit in here, to feel like I belonged... and Charles was the only one who truly gave that to me. The other boys, you remember them, I'm sure, the ones I was trying to please by keeping Charles a secret? Do you know how many of them I ever heard from, after graduation? One. Higgs. He needed money." He added, "Well, two, if you count Hotchkiss."

"Hotchkiss? The one who broke your arm? Twice?"

"I ran into him, half-drunk, at some Ministry function. He acted like we were old friends. It was surreal." The song was drawing to a close; Erik took Raven's face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You were a better friend to me than any of them, Raven. I'm sorry I wasn't better at returning the favor."

"One apology doesn't exactly make you a new man," Raven said, but she looked thoughtful rather than angry.

"It's progress, though, maybe?"

"Progress," she said. "Maybe."



"So you and Erik are old friends, right? From when you were kids?"

Charles dragged his attention away from Erik and Raven, clearly not enjoying each other's company, and back to his dance partner. "Yes, Erik was my very best friend." Was? Is? Will be? English needs more verb tenses...

"Can you give me any advice, then?" She was trying to keep her expression sunny and teasing, as if this were a joke, but her eyes gave it away. "You know, likes and dislikes? Favorite color?"

The catalog of likes and dislikes that came to his mind were neither appropriate to share nor – he hoped viciously – would they ever be necessary for Angel to know. "His favorite color is red," he said instead. He prefers me in blue, though, to match my eyes. If I have to wear anything at all. He managed not to say that out loud, barely. Perhaps Raven was right and he'd had enough champagne for the evening.

"Red," Angel repeated, a bit smugly. "Fantastic. That can definitely be arran-- Ow!"

"Sorry," Charles said, determinedly loosening his death-grip on her hand. "Sorry about that."

"Um, no problem. So, why isn't he married yet? A great guy like Erik? Does he have some dire, shocking flaw I should know about?"

"Would you like the list alphabetically, or in order of increasing heinousness?" Oh dear, that was out loud.

Angel laughed so hard and long, it segued into an uncomfortable-sounding cough. Charles finally lead her off the dance floor to recover, guiding her to the refreshments and handing her a drink.

"Sorry," Angel mumbled, gulping champagne. "You know how sometimes something just strikes you? 'Increasing heinousness'!" She dissolved into giggles again, then coughs.

Charles patted her back, maintaining his smile, and honestly was not intending to eavesdrop when Emma Frost's voice caught his ear, from where she was standing with Shaw several feet away.

"You're very cheerful tonight, Sebastian. I thought you were dreading hobnobbing with all these 'lesser creatures.'"

Shaw's only response was a barely-audible chuckle.

"Your oh-so-mysterious experiments must have gone well, then," Emma said.

"They did indeed, my dear. My work will soon be concluded, or at any rate properly begun, and the lesser creatures will cease to be an issue."

"What are you doing with that twisted mind of yours, sugar?" Emma said with a sort of weary affection.

"That would spoil the surprise." Glasses clinked together, then were set aside. "But why talk of work when we can dance?"

"Why indeed."

They passed Charles and Angel without a glance, while Charles tried to figure out why he found the conversation so very, very alarming.