Old Friend

Chapter 9

When Erik wasn’t up by 11 AM mor morning, Mystique grew tired of waiting for him. She made Xavier some breakfast and decided to go and leave the tray in their room. It was her knockings that awoke Charles and Erik, who’d been sleeping soundly until then.

When Erik woke up and heard someone was at the door he was terrified. He shook Charles, who wasn’t quite awake yet, and hissed in his ear,

“What if it’s John? I told him he could see you today. Oh no! He cannot see us like this…”

“Haven’t you told him you are a homosexual…?” Charles murmured into the pillow.

“ whi whispered Erik. “Not exactly. He’d only believe I’m going to hit on him.”

“Nonsense… He wouldn’t believe that…” Charles murmured in reply and slowly rolled onto his back. He hadn’t told his younger students about his sexuality either, but it didn’t matter, since he was expected to be asexual in any case.

“Who is it?” Erik called anxiously.

“It’s me,” Mystique’s slightly annoyed voice sounded. “I’m here with Xavier’s breakfast. Can I come in?”

Erik breathed a sigh of relief. So it was only Mystique. Oh. She knew what went on here anyway, so she might as well come in.

“Yes, Raven, come on in,” Erik replied.

Mystique opened the door and came in, carrying a tray with Charles’ breakfast. Erik recalle hae hadn’t eaten anything either, and was almost about to ask Mystique to bring him food as well. But probably she wouldn’t be very happy to do it.

Mystique shot them a look from her yellow eyes when she came to place the food tray on Xavier’s bedside table. She barely resisted the impulse to snort. It wasn’t difficult to realize what had happened.

So he didn’t want to sleep with me last night, but with a wheelchair bound cripple, Mystique thought. Terrific.

“John’s in the kitchen,” she said, stopping by their bed for a while. She could see that Xavier’s bruises were fading in colour, and many had already turned yellowish.

“You had promised him he could see Xavier today,” she continued, as though Charles wasn’t even present. Charles sighed, but decided to ignore it.

“Yes, later,” Erik replied. “We have to…get ready first.”

Mystique smiled a pointy smile. “Yes, I understand that you must. And you might want to air this room, Erik. It reeks of sex.”

Charles could feel himself blushing. Of course Mystique knew, and Charles was sure she disliked the idea, but the room didn’t “reek of sex” like she said, right? Suddenly he felt Erik entwining their fingers under the covers. It was a nice feeling, but he was hopingk wok would stop at that and not start caressing him while Mystique was in the room.

“Raven, you can leave now. We’ll manage,” Erik said.

“I am sure you will,” Mystique replied knowingly. “Don’t let me be in the way.”

Erik started to laugh when she had gone. “I actually feared it was Pyro,” he admitted.

“You should tell him that you are a---”

“He is just a boy!” Erik objected. “He’d believe I was trying to seduce him.”

“Hasn’t he seen you bring home any of your “dates”?” Charles asked.

Erik sighed. “We do have something called privacy. But we had a great time last night, hadn’t we?” Erik murmured, gently nuzzling Charles’ neck.

“Yes,” Charles smiled. “We had. You are still a great lover, Erik.”

Erik pretended being offended. “Why wouldn’t I be? Because I am older? I could have lasted longer, if I’d wanted to. Without Viagra,” he added.

Charles suddenly grew serious, and pulled his hand through Erik’s soft curls. He knew he still loved his old friend very much, and didn’t want to leave him.”

“I know you don’t need any Viagra,” he said quietly. “You’re still as virile as a 25-year-old!”

“Nonsense!” Erik laughed softly. “When I was 25 I could keep going all night! You should remember.”

“Erik, I do,” Charles assured him. “It was so long ago… since someone loved me like that.”

“Really?” Erik asked, lifting his head. “Who was your latest?”

He realized Charles couldn’t have a very active sex life at the mansion, constantly surrounded by a bunch of scared kids, but he should be able to get out *sometimes*. Therefore Charles’ reply surprised him a lot.

“You were,” said Charles.

“Me?” Erik exclaimed, staring at Charles with his mouth wide open. “But that was…”

“Over twenty years ago. I know,” Charles concluded. “There is no reason to look like that, Erik. Be happy no one else has “defiled” me.”

“Charles…! How can that be? And don’t try blaming your students, because you haven’t even had them that long.”

“Erik…please…” Charles sighed. “When you left me I was devastated. All I could think of was a way to get you back. Finding someone else was no alternative.”

“You were devastated?” Erik asked in surprise. “But… We met even after I moved out from the mansion. You never seemed devastated. You even said it was best for us both.”

Charles nodded concurringly. “I know. But I am good at keeping a straight face. I didn’t want you to see how pathetic I really was.”

“Charles, you are not pathetic,” Erik objected.

“I came over you eventually,” Charles said with an inward little smile. “You weren’t that indispensable. And I have to admit our breaking-up probably was the best in the long run. We were fighting so much, and…we would have ended up smothering each other.”

“Yes, maybe,” Erik agreed. “But that doesn’t explain why you didn’t take a new lover. Sex is not love. You could have done it without feeling unfaithful to me.”

For a moment Charles regarded his old friend like he’d been an idiot. Maybe Erik wouldn’t understand it, but Charles was at least going to try to explain.

“Erik…” he started carefully. “Look at me. You are in a different league. Who would want me, even if I was looking for sex? I can’t simply go to a bar and pick up someone. Not like you can.”

“Are you referring to your paralysis?” Erik asked.

“That amongst other things. And I am not… Truthfully, one night stands don’t appeal to me much.”

“Charles, I think you are very sexy,” Erik said, resting his head against Charles’ shoulder. “I’m sure you’d have no trouble finding someone.”

“I don’t believe “sexy” is the first adjective associated with me when people see me,” Charles sighed. “They see a wise, understanding and helpful old cripple, but hardly a lover.”

“Well…” Erik said and suddenly started to giggle. “You do have your mental powers. You can always use them to twist a few heads!”

“I am not *that* desperate!” Charles exclaimed but couldn’t help laughing as well. The laughter made his ribs hurt, so he stopped shortly.

“And I think you should tell John that you’re a homosexual,” he then proceeded. “The boy will find out anyway, sooner or later, and it’s better if he hears it directly from you than some other way.”

Erik sighed. “But he will…”

“No,” Charles said firmly. “He won’t. Take me, for example. I have told my elder students that I am a homosexual, and Scott doesn’t believe I’ll hit on him because of that. John will understand.”

“That is different,” Erik claimed. “You have known Cyclops since he was a child. He looks to you as a father. There’s a difference.”

“It is your choice, of course, Erik, but you know now what I advice you to do. You can never get an honest and open relationship if you won’t tell him.”

Charles was right, of course, and Erik knew it, and it bugged him. Would it be best to tell Pyro that he was a… Erik imagined what that would mean. John would become afraid of him.

“We’ll see,” he finally said. “Maybe I’ll talk to him…”

“He might already know,” Charles suggested.

Erik almost winced. “How could he know?”

“John is an observant boy. Maybe you underestimate him.”

Erik, who didn’t want to bring the discussion about sex and relations further, found a way to end it.

“Charles, your breakfast is getting cold. Maybe you’d like to eat?”

Charles glanced at the tray which Mystique had placed on his bedside table. Was he hungry? Yes, indeed, and Mystique – against all odds – was actually a very good cook.

“She didn’t bring you anything,” he remarked when he discovered there was only food for one person.

“No,” Erik agreed. “I suppose she expects me to come down to the kitchen and make my own breakfast. I have legs, after all.”

“Is she always like that?” Charles asked.

“Who? Mystique?”

“She appears so cold… distant and chilly. Is she like that to you too?”

Erik chuckled when he thought about it. Mystique could be a real bitch sometimes, especially when she was jealous.

“No, not always,” Erik replied. “But right now she is jealous. She doesn’t like having you here.”

“You two…?”

“At times,” Erik interrupted. “But not really. She can change, after all.”

“Oh…”

Erik reached for the tray and placed it on his friend’s lap.

“It’s late,” he said. “I must go and have a bite. Will you be alright?”

“Of course,” Charles replied, smi sli slightly. “Sabretooth isn’t still here, is he?”

“I wouldn’t think so, but I’ll keep the door locked just in case.”

Erik got out of bed, but instead of getting dressed, he merely pulled on a robe and stuck his feet into a pair of well-used slippers. Before he left he bent down to give Charles a kiss on the lips. The kiss tasted of the apple the telepath had just taken a bite of.

“I’ll be right back. Would you like anything?”

“Yes, some clothes,” replied Charles. “If I am going to see Pyro, at least I want to look presentable. That is the way he is used to see me.”

“Clothes…” Erik murmured thoughtfully. “Alright, I’ll get you that. But you know I prefer you without, don’t you?” he said with a suggestive wink.

“Yes, I know that, old friend.”