Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Erik and Charles fell into a comfortable routine as the weeks passed slowly. For three days of the week they would both go back to Erik’s room and play chess. They ate breakfast and dinner with each other and varying members of the rest of their group who had slowly become friends amongst themselves. Erik and Charles didn’t always get along and their views on matters such as politics, space travel and planet-side life differed greatly but Erik found that he actually enjoyed the heated debates.

It had taken a month on board the station and one year of studying at the academy on Earth before Erik and Charles had spoken their first words to one another. So, it didn’t seem long before Erik was making a big decision. It was reaching the end of their fourth month of training space-side when Erik and Charles retreated to Erik’s room for their customary Friday night chess game. They played quietly for a while before Erik broached the subject that was playing on his mind.

“Charles, we have a week planet-side coming up.”

Charles nodded and moved his knight across the board, “Yes, Raven’s particularly looking forward to it.”

“Do you want to come home with me?”

Charles’ eyes widened and he looked up sharply, “What?”

Erik sat back and kept his hands away from the board. If he didn’t make a move then Charles would have to give Erik his full attention. He explained calmly, “My mother would like to meet you. Actually, she’s talked more about you than me so I think that I’m being replaced.”

Charles was surprised to find that Erik was amused, “I don’t know.”

Erik couldn’t hide his disappointment although he tried, “It’s alright Charles. There’s no pressure but she would’ve never let it go if I’d not asked.”

Charles leaned forward, his hand inches away from Erik’s knee, but he was wary about actually touching him, “It’s not that I don’t want to but, I don’t want to leave Raven alone.”

Erik nodded and proposed calmly, “Bring her with you.”

Charles blinked in shock, “Erik…”

Erik ducked his gaze, “Sorry. I’m serious though. My mother loves guests and, well… the offer’s open and there’s still a week before we head back down to the surface.”

Charles leaned away and focused his eyes back on the board, “Yes, thank you Erik. I believe that it is your move.”

They went back to their game. Afterwards, neither Erik nor Charles brought up the subject again as the days passed slowly. However, even though they didn’t talk about it, Erik kept looking at Charles sadly when he wasn’t facing him and Charles would stare at Erik with thinly veiled surprise while his back was turned.

Raven finally said something three days after the conversation. She cornered Charles in his room and demanded, “What happened?”

Charles opened his chemistry textbook so that he had something to do with his hands, “I don’t know what you mean.”

Raven scoffed and changed her body so that she looked and sounded like Erik. She even had his deadpan stare, “Talk to me Charles.”

She changed back to her usual blue form and Charles scowled, “Don’t do that.” She continued staring at him until he admitted defeat, “Fine, Erik invited us to go home with him during our week planet-side. His mother is anxious to meet me apparently.”

Raven flopped down onto Charles’ bed, “Huh, I thought that you’d had a fight.”

Charles frowned, “Raven, we’re hardly poster children for the perfect family. I don’t think that his mother will be so happy when she actually meets me.”

Raven rolled her eyes, “Charles, you’re an idiot. Erik is your soulmate. His mother’s not going to care about our fucked-up dead family.”

Charles wasn’t sure what he should address first in her response. Eventually he said, “What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Charles, that is not going to happen. One, you’re Erik’s soulmate and two, you have this weird charm thing that everyone seems to fall for. Besides, we both hate going home to Westchester. Anything’s got to be better than that.”

Charles had to admit silently that she had a point, “You want to go?”

Raven sat up and answered him seriously, “Yes.”

Charles closed his textbook with a sigh, “Okay. I’ll tell him tomorrow?”

Raven flopped back onto the bed again and waved her fingers vaguely towards her temple, “Tell him now, Telepath.”

Charles frowned but he tentatively reached out for Erik anyway. Erik answered immediately, Is everything alright Charles?

Yes, everything’s fine. I was just talking to Raven. If the offer’s still open… we’d like to come home with you.

Charles was briefly overwhelmed with relief/happiness/fondness before the emotions disappeared abruptly.

Thank you Charles. I’ll let my mother know.

They cut the direct connection, ignoring the lingering presence that seemed to always stay between them, and Charles told Raven out loud, “Erik was happy.”

Raven smirked, “Of course he was. He’s bringing his boyfriend home to meet his mother.”

Charles threw a pillow at her.

When the day arrived, Erik was anxious as he lingered by the shuttle bay doors. He refrained from pacing only because it would’ve been uncharacteristic but his thoughts were running in circles. Then, all of his nervous energy disappeared when Charles rushed up to him, followed by Raven who looked extremely amused.

Charles huffed out, “Sorry we’re late.”

Erik smiled gently, “You’re right on time actually.”

Raven smirked at her brother, “I told you.”

Charles frowned at her, “Apparently Raven couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to every single person on the station.”

Raven didn’t look very contrite and she was dressed as a fair-skinned blonde girl instead of looking like her usual willowy, blue skin and red hair self. She asked impatiently, “Can we go?”

Charles rolled his eyes at his sister and Erik had to hide a smile about their sibling fighting. To someone who was an only child it looked like a strange mix of annoyance and sarcasm. Erik grabbed all of their luggage, despite Raven’s glare, and gestured for them to go ahead, “I’ll secure the bags.”

The trip back to Earth was just as strange as his first trip to the station but Erik hadn’t expected the rush of familiarity when they reached the ground. It even took him a moment to adjust to the sheer amount of metal that he could sense when they disembarked, even though he’d essentially been living in a metal shell for the past four months. They retrieved their bags without any trouble and Erik led them to a nearby bus station.

He explained shortly, “It’ll take about an hour from here. I’m sorry that Mama couldn’t come to meet us.”

Charles was relieved that he would have some extra time to mentally prepare himself to meet Erik’s parents and Raven looked unashamedly excited. She told Erik, “I’ve never taken the bus before.”

Erik looked surprised at Raven’s enthusiasm but he replied, “Well, it’ll be crowded so you should stay beside me and Charles.”

Raven nodded dutifully, looking younger than she was in her excitement, and Charles smiled with relief that Erik hadn’t made a big deal out of Raven’s statement. They boarded the long bus and Erik snagged three seats on the left side in the last carriage. The ‘bus’ was made up of three carriages that ran on the raised track that cut its way through the city skyline of New York at a dizzying height. Charles had travelled by helicopter around the city before but there was something quite different about the low-level hum of the carriage and calm thoughts of the crowded people while they passed the tops of skyscrapers, as if it was a sight seen every day. Raven spent the entire ride with her face practically plastered against the window to watch the city pass beneath them.

At the seventh station they disembarked and Erik announced, “It’s just a short walk from here.”

It was the middle of the day so the streets were busy but Raven stayed by Erik’s side. Charles was endlessly glad that Raven had finally warmed up to Erik. Erik was a great soulmate and had become a good friend but he would’ve chosen Raven in a heartbeat. She was the only family he had.

Finally, after a fifteen minute walk, they reached a tall modified townhouse that did not look dissimilar to the rest of the houses along the street. Charles swallowed nervously and before Erik could even walk up the stairs the front door was thrown open. Charles had never seen Erik smile so widely. It was startling. Erik opened his arms to the woman who dashed down the stairs and hugged him tightly.

Erik laughed, “Hello Mama.”

Erik’s mother stepped back after a moment and cradled Erik’s cheek with one hand, “You look well, Erik.”

It wasn’t the best time to realise that Erik had a really nice smile but Charles was suitably distracted by the thought.

Erik’s mother turned to them and she smiled brightly, “I’m Edie. It is very nice to meet you.”

Charles and Raven were both hugged, much to their surprise, and then she started tugging Charles gently up the stairs, “Come in. Dinner’s almost ready and everyone wants to meet you.”

Charles squeaked, “Everyone?”

He heard Erik laugh behind him. Charles turned his head to glare at his soulmate but he couldn’t be annoyed because he watched as Erik offered Raven his arm and they followed him into the house together. Once they were inside Charles was simply overwhelmed. He couldn’t understand how he’d managed to miss that there were so many people in the house as they’d approached. It took him a moment to shut out everyone’s rampaging thoughts which was easier with Erik’s calm mind as an anchor. Once that was done he was able to smile and listen to the many introductions.

As well as Erik’s mother and his father there were cousins, uncles, aunts and other various family members who were crammed into the tiny, warm house. Edie had pushed Charles gently into the living room/ dining room where most of them were grouped and announced, “This is Charles Xavier, Erik’s soulmate.”

Erik said from behind Charles, “Be nice.” Everyone laughed like it was a funny joke and Erik continued, “This is Raven, Charles’ sister.”

The topics of conversation ranged from sports to Erik’s studies and changed so quickly that even Charles struggled to keep up. There was never a moment of silence and eventually Charles had to slip out of the room into the hallway to catch his breath.

Erik followed him, “Are you okay?”

Charles nodded and waved vaguely at his own head, “I was rather unprepared.”

Erik looked unhappy, “I’m sorry Charles. I should’ve warned you that something like this would happen. My family doesn’t really understand the idea of easing someone in.”

Charles relaxed and smiled, “It’s nice that you’re so close to your family.”

Erik hugged him and to Charles’ surprise it was exactly what he needed. Erik told him earnestly, “As far as Mama’s concerned you’re family as well now.”

Charles didn’t step away but he pulled back just enough to see Erik’s expression, “What about you?”

Erik’s eyes crinkled at the corners like they only did when he was really happy, “I’m glad that you came home with me Charles.”

They both stood in the hallway, holding each other lightly and smiling until Raven stumbled out of the room to join them.

Erik asked her, “Are you okay?”

Raven huffed, “When did I get another big brother?”

Erik chuckled and stepped away from Charles who steeled himself for another round of meeting the family. When it was time for dinner most of Erik’s family left for their own homes and Charles breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He was sitting next to Erik at the dining room table and the evening proved to be lively in a way that Charles had never experienced before. Edie seemed determined to embarrass Erik as she told Charles and Raven stories from when he was younger. Charles had never seen Erik blush before and he silently resigned himself to the fact that it was rather cute.

Partway through the meal the subject of mutations was brought up. Neither Edie nor her husband were mutants but they were very proud that Erik was. When she was asked, Raven demonstrated her ability and showed off her blue form before changing back into fair skin.

Edie was very impressed and then she turned to Charles, “What’s your talent, my dear?”

Charles wasn’t sure about how much he should share but Erik looked both proud and happy. Taking the chance, Charles rested his hands in his lap and met Edie’s eyes as he said, “I’m an Alpha level telepath.”

Edie didn’t look anxious or upset which had been the reaction Charles worried about. She merely nodded calmly and kept smiling, “Strong enough to keep up with Erik then. Good, that’s good.”

Erik smiled, “Should I bring in the dessert from the kitchen?”

Edie smiled back and the topic of conversation turned to other things. After dinner Raven retreated to the spare room but Charles and Erik stayed in the dining room with Erik’s childhood chessboard in between them.

While Erik set up the board, Charles glanced towards the living room, “Your parents are nice.”

“They like you. Not that I’m surprised.”

Charles turned his attention to the board and moved his knight, “Yeah?”

Erik nodded, “You have my room while you’re staying here.”

“Where are you sleeping?”

Erik sighed, “The sofa. It’s alright. They bought one specifically long enough for me so that whenever they had guests I had somewhere to go.”

Charles shook his head, “It’s your bed.”

Erik smirked, “You’re not going to win this one, Charles. You are sleeping in my bed.”

Charles let a sly smile take over, “An interesting proposition, Erik.”

Erik flushed slightly, “I should’ve expected that.”

Charles chuckled. The gentle flirting between them was very new but, Charles liked it and Erik never complained. Occasionally, he would even reciprocate and Charles would be the one who was flustered. Charles promptly reminded himself that Erik’s parents were in the next room and refocused on the game. Conversation became the usual comfortable silence which tended to accompany their evenings of chess.

When Charles finally went to bed – alone – he struggled to fall asleep. At first he couldn’t help looking at everything in the room because there was so much he didn’t yet know about Erik. There were science trophies, a sparse amount of photographs, lots of metal objects and piles of books, including a worn copy of The Once and Future King by T.H. White that was sitting on top of the bedside table. When Charles ran out of things to look at he rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. There was no low-level hum of engines or the reassuring presence of nothing except familiar minds to lull him to sleep. Charles couldn’t convince his thoughts to settle with vehicles and people and too many minds in the background. He spent almost an hour lying in the darkness on Erik’s bed before he stood up.

As a child Charles had never slept lightly. He’d slipped into the habit of walking the entire length of his too-large house before he could sleep and he’d always ended up sitting in the kitchen in the darkness with a glass of water. He didn’t exactly have that option in Erik’s house but a glass of water did sound like a good idea. He crept downstairs and passed Erik sleeping on the sofa. Charles couldn’t resist skimming Erik’s surface thoughts as he passed and it seemed that Erik was having a nice dream.

Charles found the glasses easily in the kitchen and once one was full he leaned back against the counter with his eyes closed. He took deep breaths and slowly allowed his mind to reach out. He wasn’t invasive as he stretched out his consciousness to weave among the map of minds in the surrounding area – he kept his analysis to whether someone was awake or asleep before he moved on.

According to the tests he’d run with Hank he could reach twenty miles comfortably without stretching his limits and causing damage to his own psyche. Charles didn’t let himself drift so far in that moment but it gave him a better sense of where he was. To Charles it was just one way to remind himself that he wasn’t alone, which he needed to know more often than he liked to admit. At his family home in Westchester they were isolated even from their nearest neighbours but New York was different. New York had a pulse that invaded the soul of anyone lucky enough to live there. New York was vibrant and beautiful and chaotic in Charles’ mind.

He drew back his thoughts gently. He took with him the sense of community that he’d garnered from his mental trip and belatedly realised that he was smiling. He opened his eyes and the water in his glass sloshed slightly over the side when he jumped.

Charles gave Erik a sheepish smile, “I couldn’t sleep.”

Erik grabbed the mop from the corner and Charles shuffled awkwardly out of the way so that Erik could mop up the spill. He was done in a moment and he answered, “Would you like some hot chocolate?”

Charles had never been offered something so simple and comforting before. After a moment’s hesitation he asked, “Won’t we wake up the others?”

Erik shook his head, “We’ll be fine. We can talk telepathically if you’re worried though.”

Charles asked tentatively, Are you sure?

Of course I am. Sit down and I’ll get the chocolate.

You make it with real chocolate?

If I tried to make it with that powdered stuff my mother would kill me.

She feels that strongly about it?

Truthfully, so do I. It’s not the same. She used to make hot chocolate for me when I was a child and I couldn’t sleep. It’s habit now for whenever I’m at home.

You look like you’ve had a lot of practice.

Yes. So, why can’t you sleep?

Too much noise.

Oh, yeah, the station is a lot quieter.

Well, it’s a different sort of noise really.

I agree. Vanilla or caramel?

What?

For the hot chocolate. My mother has a variety of syrups.

Oh, caramel, please. It’s been a long time since I had something so sweet.

Well… in that case, there’s a traditional ice cream parlour nearby, if you’d like to go while we’re here.

Are you asking me out on a date Mr Lehnsherr?

I’d… I’m sure that Raven would like… but it’s not a bad idea. Would you like it to be a date Charles?

I’m more than happy to just be your friend Erik but, I’d like it to be a date, if that’s what you want?

Erik nodded and Charles suspected that his own smile was bordering on deliriously-happy. Erik relaxed and hoped that Charles wouldn’t mind him asking, How old were you when Raven was adopted?

Seven. I knew that she was a mutant immediately but I didn’t say anything in front of my mother and step-father. They wanted a ‘pretty little girl’ and I didn’t know at first that they’d adopted her. When we were alone for the first time I showed her what I could do and we’ve been brother and sister ever since. She’s my best friend.

It’s good that you have each other.

Erik placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of Charles. He was hesitant to try it but when he did he couldn’t help moaning out loud, “Oh my god. Why is this so good?”

Erik snorted and took a sip from his own cup, “It’s not bad.”

Charles snorted, “Don’t be so modest. It doesn’t suit you.”

Erik grinned and they drank their hot chocolate in peace although they were both thinking about the word ‘date’. Thankfully, when he finally pulled himself away, Charles managed to get a few hours of sleep after his early morning moment with Erik. He was endlessly grateful that his soulmate was so calm and focused for the majority of the time.

Charles woke up late in the morning and pulled a face at the sunlight that was streaming through the gap in the curtains. It was strange to see looming buildings and sunlight instead of metal and stars when he opened his eyes. He didn’t linger in bed, although a part of him wanted to, so Charles performed his morning ablutions quickly and made his way down the stairs.

It was an old building but Charles preferred Erik’s family home to his flat in upper New York or the family home in Westchester or… basically Charles owned a lot of places but he couldn’t call any of them ‘home’.

Edie and Raven were sitting in the kitchen and the sight made Charles want to smile. They spotted him straight away so that he had no time to linger in the doorway and before Charles could ask, Raven told him, “Erik went for a run.”

Charles nodded his thanks, “Did you both sleep well?”

Edie fed them toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast without hesitation. Once the plates were cleared, Raven and Edie were talking about what they should do for the day but Charles was distracted by the sight of Erik walking into the kitchen. At school Erik jogged most mornings in grey, loose trousers and a hooded sweatshirt. Apparently a lot of things were different on Earth. Erik was wearing skin tight black running shorts and a short-sleeve black t-shirt. Charles was staring.

Erik crossed the kitchen with two long strides and he pushed his long fingers through his damp hair before he poured himself a glass of water. Charles watched him with rapt attention and Raven elbowed Charles roughly in the ribs. Blushing, because he’d been caught staring, Charles prayed that his voice wouldn’t crack as he asked Erik, “Good run?”

Erik nodded, “Yes. I’m going to shower.”

As Erik walked out of the room he brushed his fingers lightly along Charles’ shoulder. Charles hoped that nobody noticed him leaning slightly into the sensation. However, since that Edie and Raven were both looking at him enough to make him blush he knew that they’d caught the gesture on both sides.

Erik came back eventually and Charles out a lot of effort into not staring at him. Erik didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary as he helped himself to breakfast and asked Raven about what she wanted to do for the day. Erik learned quickly that Raven and Charles had never actually been to anywhere except the most expensive places in Manhattan so they settled on sightseeing like true tourists.

It didn’t take long, once they’d left the house, before they hit a small snag. Charles refused to let Erik pay for anything and Erik tried to argue but the dispute was settled once Raven backed Charles up. Ultimately Erik backed off and claimed that if Charles wanted to waste his money then it was fine with him. Raven thought that the argument was ridiculous but the two boys were smiling and she had to admit that Charles looked much happier than she’d seen in a long time. Teasing and laughing, Charles spent most of the day buying Erik and Raven the most ridiculous gift shop trinkets that they could find.

They all had fun and Charles enjoyed seeing Raven and Erik getting along so well while they tried to pick out the ugliest novelties that they could find. At the end of the day they stumbled back to Erik’s house to share their stories from the day. One by one everyone went to bed and Charles and Erik were the last ones awake. They sat on opposite sides of the table in the dining room with the chess board in play.

They didn’t speak as they pushed their pieces around the board but when Charles took Erik’s king he admitted, “That was close.”

Erik smiled, “Yes, it was. Thank you Charles.”

“For beating you?”

“For playing. When I asked yesterday… I was serious. I would like to take you out on a date.”

Charles bit back a frighteningly large smile and barely managed to answer calmly, “I’d like that, Erik.”

The next day, Erik made the arrangements while Charles tried to find a way to distract his sister without feeling like he was abandoning her. When that didn’t work he told her the real reason why he wanted to be alone with Erik. She cheered, still prone to such reactions when she discovered that her brother wasn’t completely hopeless, and said, “I’d not guessed that you would go in this direction.”

Charles agreed, “It’s… more than I’d hoped for. Raven…”

“You’re not going to screw this up Charles. Well, you might but if you wear the blue jumper he’ll probably forgive you.”

Charles picked up the jumper in question, “This one? Isn’t it a bit… plain?”

Raven rolled her eyes, “You like tweed jackets therefore you have absolutely no say when it comes to fashion. Erik watches you 5% more than usual when you wear blue. Angel did the calculations.”

Charles ignored the last part for his own sanity and pulled on the jumper, “Just because I looked into being a professor does not mean that I like tweed jackets. Are you going to be alright while I’m out?”

Raven shrugged, “Sure. I like Edie. She shows me baby pictures of Erik and we discuss plans for your wedding. How do you feel about lilies?”

Charles’ jaw dropped and Raven howled with laughter. Charles grumbled (but he was smiling), “I should’ve swapped you for an iguana.”

Charles had dressed just in time because Erik appeared in the doorway of the guest room and Charles had trouble remembering what words were. Erik was wearing a maroon shirt that would’ve looked ridiculous on most people but, it was pleasantly tight and Charles had a brief, but hot, fantasy of stripping him out of it with his teeth. Charles came back to reality just in time to hear Erik speak.

Erik was smiling at him, “Are you ready to go?”

Charles nodded and Raven told Erik seriously, “Have him home by midnight or he’ll turn into a pumpkin.”

Erik laughed and Charles’ back felt warm where Erik’s hand rested as he was gently pushed out of the house. Charles liked Erik when he was serious and studying but it made him feel almost giddy to see Erik laugh and smile freely when he was at home.

Erik took him to a family-run restaurant nearby and Charles was fascinated. In his limited experience restaurants were ostentatious and necessary for business deals. Being in a warm, friendly place that was decorated in an alarming amount of colours with Erik was more welcome than Charles had anticipated.

Spending time together in public was surprisingly comfortable. It didn’t feel that different from one of their chess matches except that they talked more. Erik told Charles about his adventures with his numerous cousins as a child and Charles told him stories about his travels across the world with Hank and Raven.

Over a decadent desert that was halfway between chocolate cake and an ice cream sundae, Erik asked, “What are your plans after graduation?”

Charles hummed, “Well, there are some people who are advising me to officially step into the role of CEO and have a hands-on approach to the company. I was also offered a professorship but, ultimately I turned it down although I probably would’ve enjoyed the work. To be perfectly honest, if it wasn’t for Raven I’d probably turn my back on the entire inheritance.”

Charles looked unhappy and Erik ventured, “There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s your life, liebling, and you can do whatever you like.”

Charles flushed, “Liebling?”

Erik ducked his gaze and shrugged, “I apologise for being presumptuous.”

Charles chuckled, “It’s not presumptuous at all Erik.”

They smiled tentatively at each other. Charles asked, “What are your plans?”

Erik tried to stifle his excitement but there weren’t many people who knew about his ambitions and he wanted to share them with Charles, “I want to be a Captain in the Earth Fleet. It’s why I fought so hard to get into the academy.”

“That’s ambitious.” Charles smiled, “It’s highly contested but with your grades I don’t see that you’ll have a problem. It’s much more respected than wanting to spend all day in a laboratory.”

Erik reached across the table to hold Charles’ hand and said nervously, “Every ship needs a Science Officer.”

Charles’ eyes widened at the possibility, “Oh, I hadn’t considered…”

Erik smiled sheepishly, “Well, we have a few years to think about it. I highly doubt that I’ll land even an apprenticeship position for another couple of years at least.”

Charles smiled back, “Yes, but it’s something to consider. Thank you Erik.”

They walked back slowly to Erik’s house. On the doorstep they paused and shuffled nervously. Erik huffed and laughed slightly, “I probably should’ve done this where I didn’t have to worry about my mother and your sister spying on us.”

Charles tried to play at being coy but he was grinning too much, “Oh, done what?”

Erik smiled softly and reached out gently to slide one hand along the back of Charles’ neck. He leaned in slowly and kissed him sweetly. Charles stretched on his tiptoes slightly to kiss his taller partner back and his hands slid along the back of Erik’s coat to his shoulders so that he could hold on. It wasn’t a long kiss but as their first one it was more than promising. Erik stepped back reluctantly and Charles knew that his own cheeks were flushed pink.

Charles thought, I saw the curtains move. They are watching from the living room.

Erik chuckled, “Do you mind?”

Charles shook his head, “Not at all. Should we go inside and listen to them pretend they weren’t looking?”

Erik reached out so that they were holding hands and he gave Charles another short kiss before he said, “Yes.”

There were more late night kisses that followed when they were alone but neither of them pushed any further. They were comfortable with drinking hot chocolate and playing chess in between ignoring the knowing looks of Raven and Edie.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t stay on holiday forever and Charles felt inexplicably sad when he was packing his bags even though he wouldn’t be leaving Erik behind. On the day they left Erik’s mother fussed over them all and only Erik looked exasperated by it, exchanging knowing looks with his father. Raven was the first to hug Edie goodbye and Charles resolved that he would do something extremely nice for Raven to thank her because without her he might not have spent the week with Erik and their family.

The flight back to the station was uneventful and as soon as they were out of the shuttle Erik was bombarded by several of their friends. Erik tried to follow the frantic conversation but there were too many people talking so after a moment he raised his voice, “Stop.”

Everyone stopped talking immediately. Erik looked at Logan who was standing apart from the rest of the group and chewing on another one of his endlessly unlit cigars. The habit annoyed Erik but he ignored it in favour of getting answers, “What’s going on Logan.”

Logan drawled, “Scott’s pissed at Emma because of the way her parents treated him while they were planet-side.”

Erik closed his eyes and prayed for strength, “I told her to wait… alright, let’s go.”

Charles and Erik split up. Charles went to find Scott while Erik cornered Emma in the observatory. It wasn’t well known that Emma’s knowledge of astronomy was unparalleled but Erik knew that he would find her with the telescope.

She didn’t turn around when the doors opened and he stepped inside but she did speak, “Who told you?”

Erik sat down at the control desk, “Everyone. What happened?”

“My father. He still thinks that I should marry Sebastian Shaw. If that little rat had no money we wouldn’t have this problem.”

Erik rolled his eyes, “Emma, your father can’t force you to marry someone.”

Emma leaned back and glared at Erik. Since that he was immune to the expression he calmly raised an eyebrow in response. Emma scoffed and sneered, “How did it go with Xavier?”

Erik reclined in his seat and smirked, “Very well. Is that what you want to hear? We had a great time and my mother loved him. Do you want to hear all about it? Wouldn’t you rather go back and tell Scott that you’re not going to marry Shaw?”

“Bastard.”

Erik almost laughed, “No, my parents were happily married by the time I came along. You can’t spend your entire life refusing to apologise to people.”

Emma shrugged and looked away, “It’s worked well so far.”

Erik doubted that but he wasn’t in the mood to start a lengthy conversation with a woman who wouldn’t listen to advice. He stood and straightened his flight suit, “If you’ll excuse me, I have other things to do.”

Erik left and Emma didn’t call him back but he was sure that she was thinking about what he’d said. Not even Emma was completely immune to the truth and she just needed reminding that she’d defied her father before and she’d won. Emma would be back to herself within hours and Erik left her alone so that she could pull herself together.

When he was unpacked he considered getting up and searching for Charles. It was a fairly new feeling but Erik was growing accustomed to it. However, he didn’t have to go anywhere because there was a knock on his door and half of their friends piled into his room.

Erik raised an eyebrow at them all and said dryly, “Can I help you?”

Raven and Angel ignored him and sat on his bed whilst Azazel and Janos settled against the wall, leaning against each other, and Hank sat at the desk. The only upside was that Charles was there as well.

Charles sighed loudly, “Jean’s talking to Scott. If anyone can get him to see sense then it will be her, but Logan’s not happy.”

Erik nodded, “I spoke to Emma. I’m not sure if she really listened.”

Azazel muttered something in Russian and Erik smirked as he was familiar with the phrase. Azazel used it a lot when Emma was not around. Janos was quietly drifting off in his boyfriend’s arms like he usually did when he wasn’t interested in the conversation. Thankfully, Angel took it upon herself to change the subject.

“How is your Mama?”

Erik, Raven and Charles were happy to talk about their small holiday. Angel had gone to visit her older brother whilst Azazel and Janos had gone home to Janos’ parents. All in all, it had turned out to be a good thing that they’d been given a break because they were thrown back into demanding classes. Erik thrived on the onslaught of tests and progressive new lessons. Even the extracurricular team training had been advanced to a level where Erik was being challenged and it was good. He didn’t see Charles as much as he would’ve liked but they snuck kisses before and after their chess games and sat next to each other at every meal.

Erik went back to working in Tony’s workshop on top of everything else and, inevitably, it wasn’t long before Tony and Charles met. It was Friday evening and Erik had lost track of time as he argued loudly with Tony. Charles voice was tentative, Am I interrupting?

Erik stopped mid-word and turned to see Charles smiling warmly at him from the doorway. He was standing next to Pepper who looked equally worried and amused. Erik straightened, although he was well aware that he was filthy from working all afternoon, and he doubted that he looked dignified with oil in his hair and across his chest.

Tony bounced towards Pepper, “Love of my life!”

Pepper took an abrupt step back, “Not one more step Tony. You’re covered in… whatever that is and this is a nice suit.”

Tony stopped a couple of steps away from her and pouted, “I’ve been working.”

Erik snorted and Tony whipped his head around to glare at him. They immediately started arguing with each other again. Charles was rather amused by the display and he asked Pepper, “Is it always like this?”

Pepper sighed and smiled, “Sometimes it’s worse.” She raised her voice, “Tony, you are late for a meeting with the French Ambassador and I refuse to make any more small talk with him and his wife.”

Tony groaned, “I never agreed to any meeting.”

“Tony.”

Tony huffed and threatened Erik, “This isn’t over.”

Tony left with Pepper, three steps behind her because it really was a nice suit, and Charles cleared his throat, “Well, that was interesting.”

Erik shrugged and used his powers to pick up the various pieces of metal that were strewn around the room. He placed them neatly in size order along the desk without looking and walked to the sink to scrub his hands. Charles peered around the room with interest. Erik went through his usual routine of washing up which included getting the gunk out of his hair. He tugged off his shirt, threw it into a hidden laundry chute and before he could cross the room to get a fresh shirt from the drawer he noticed Charles’ wide eyes fixed on his chest.

Erik chuckled, “Are you alright Charles?”

Charles didn’t tear his eyes away. A small part of him cringed at the words Impressive monster which was scrawled on the left-hand side of Erik’s chest (he wanted to ask how Erik had felt about the words before they’d met but he doubted that the answer would be positive), another part was fascinated by the fact that his own words Does that line ever work? was in the exact same position on his own body and the rest of him was busy ogling.

He shrugged and kept staring unashamedly, “Yes, go ahead and carry on.”

Erik grinned and when his chest was covered again he said, “Sorry you had to see that.”

“Sorry? Erik, darling, you were arguing with one of the richest men alive who was put into place by a beautiful woman and then you took off your shirt. I should’ve visited you here sooner.”

Erik laughed, “Should I be jealous of Pepper?”

Charles grinned, “Not after I saw you without your shirt.”

They kissed and started walking slowly back to their dormitories. Erik asked, “Was there something that you wanted?”

Charles shook his head, “Not particularly. I missed you at dinner.”

Erik smiled, “You’re welcome to come with me while I’m working if Tony gives his permission. I just didn’t think that you would be particularly interested. I know that you are busy running experiments with Hank.”

Charles nodded, “Well, perhaps now and again I could join you, if Tony doesn’t mind.”

“I’d like it if you would. We’re not always like that.”

“Yes. Pepper told me that sometimes you’re worse.”

Erik laughed, “Tony’s not a big fan of boredom.”

“Do you have a lot of work to do?”

They’d reached Erik’s dorm. Rather than going inside, Erik slid his hands around Charles’ waist and shook his head, “Not really. Everything apart from my extra-curricular tasks are done for next week and I’m ahead with the rest of it.”

Erik put so much work into beating the curve that it was hardly a surprise to hear about the strides he was making in his studies but Charles still looked amazed, “Wow. Alright, well, would you be interested in seeing a movie with me?”

Erik leaned down and kissed Charles firmly, “Definitely. Goodnight Charles.”

“Goodnight Erik.”

The semester was demanding so making plans for their next trip planet-side was almost forgotten about until the last minute. Raven had already made arrangements, along with Angel, Jean and Emma, to go skiing in Switzerland but Charles was invited to stay with Erik and his parents again. This time, they didn’t stay for the full holiday as Charles had some business waiting for him at his family home. He was inexplicably anxious when he asked Erik if he’d be willing to visit Westchester for a couple of days.

Erik was uncharacteristically curious about Charles’ home and when they pulled up to the mansion in the rental car he had to stop himself from saying any of the first things which popped into his head. The mansion was huge but Charles was tense and awkwardly reciting facts about the history of the place. Erik couldn’t imagine growing up somewhere as obviously luxurious as the Xavier home but he kept quiet except from commenting mildly, “It’ll be nice to run in the garden.”

He kissed Charles cheek as he pulled their bags out of the car.

Nervously, Charles offered to share his room with Erik. They’d never slept in the same bed before but Erik swallowed his nerves and put all of their bags in the same room. After that, Charles was stuck on the phone in the study for most of the day so Erik was free to snoop. There was a lot to look at in the house but he soon lost interest since that Charles wasn’t right next to him, telling him stories about growing up with Raven.

Erik was too restless to sit and read so he went for a run in the afternoon around the expansive grounds surrounding the house. There was so much open space and nature, something Erik had only seen a couple of times as a boy when his parents had taken him on holiday, and he jogged slowly enough that he could really look around. The gardens were well maintained and there was plenty to look at on the grounds but Erik was unsurprisingly entranced by the huge satellite dish that was a few miles from the house. His fingers itched slightly, he just wanted to see if he could make it turn a little bit, but ultimately he left the temptation alone.

When he finally jogged back into the kitchen he pulled off his t-shirt and grabbed a glass of water. He was shirtless and still panting slightly when he ran into Charles on the stairs a moment later. Charles’ eyes were wide and Erik preened slightly. It wasn’t exactly a priority and he resisted the temptation (mostly) to take off his shirt around Charles on purpose but he liked the way that Charles looked at him.

“Hello Charles.”

Charles dragged his eyes up from Erik’s chest, “Hi.”

Erik smiled, “How is your work going?”

Charles struggled to remember, “Oh, fine. I’m sorry that it’s taking so long.”

“Will you be done by dinner?”

“I should be. I doubt that there is any food in the kitchen but Raven keeps every take-out menu in the drawer by the fridge so we should be alright.”

Erik nodded and shuffled past Charles. He turned back and smirked when he caught Charles checking out his ass, “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Luckily, Charles was finished by dinner and Erik was impressed with how quick the delivery-man was. They sat together in the smallest drawing room with their feet up eating take-out Chinese and talking. It was the first time Charles had ever felt truly comfortable in a place that was supposed to be his own home but he didn’t dwell on the thought. Erik was much more interesting.

Getting ready for bed that night was unusually nerve-wracking although they’d both agreed previously that nothing more than sleeping had to happen. Charles changed first in the bathroom, feeling ridiculous for being nervous, so when Erik climbed into the bed Charles was already settled beneath the sheets.

For the first few moments they stayed completely still, with a big gap between each other, and the only sound was their breathing. Charles broke the silence first when he finally relaxed and giggled slightly. Erik rolled closer and he leaned forwards in the darkness to kiss Charles. It was awkward, lying down together and kissing at that angle for the first time, but Erik shuffled closer and rested one hand on the thin strip of exposed skin below Charles’ shirt. That was better and Charles kissed back happily. Soon, sleep took over and they curled up around one another before closing their eyes.

Their first week back at the Academy for their final semester was filled with stories about everyone’s time on Earth and Erik never seemed to have a moment alone with Charles. They heard all about Switzerland from Raven, Hank was abuzz about the scientific conference he’d been to in England (although only Charles seemed to follow the entirety of that conversation) and Azazel reluctantly shared one tale about his time in Russia with Janos. Neither Erik nor Charles had a lot to share about their holiday but they kept smiling whenever their friends weren’t looking.

It became a routine that Charles would sit with Erik in the engineering department every Friday and Tony soon became used to the presence of another person. Tony teased them both mercilessly at first but he soon relaxed once he’d become used to the change and Erik kept working at the same pace.

One surprise of their final semester was the day of Erik’s birthday.

He’d not fully realised the extent of his friendship group until they’d taken over the common room to throw him a birthday party once the day’s classes were over. He was glad (and shocked) to realise that he didn’t hate it and he stayed – until he had something better to do. He was found an hour later making out with Charles in an empty classroom by Azazel and Janos who’d been looking for a private place themselves. Azazel winked and Janos huffed in mild annoyance before he pulled his boyfriend away. Charles just laughed and zipped up his shirt while Erik muttered about their friends being useless.

Studying became the number one priority for everyone once Erik’s birthday had passed. So, nothing much changed until two weeks later. They were sitting in Tony’s workshop, quietly quizzing each other for the test that was coming up, when the engineer had a video call.

Tony groaned with annoyance, making Erik look up, when he saw the user name but he answered it anyway, “I don’t work for you.”

Erik shifted in his chair so that he could see the handsome, long-haired brunette on the screen. The stranger replied, “Relax. We just need a favour.”

Tony snorted, “Yeah, I am not helping you or your boy toy. Stop calling me.”

The brunette grinned wickedly, “You could’ve ignored the call. You’re curious. You want to know why I’m calling.”

Tony shook his head, “No.”

The brunette shrugged, “It’s probably for the best. I didn’t think that you’d be any help but Steve insisted.”

Tony glared, “Fuck off Barnes.”

Charles frowned at his boyfriend, Should I be worried?

What? No, of course not. I was admiring his Earth fleet uniform.

Charles snorted, You were not.

Fair enough. You know that I don’t mean anything by looking.

You’d better not.

Are you jealous?

Perhaps. I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t drool over older men.

Erik stood up and swept his boyfriend up into a fierce, possessive kiss, I’d much rather admire you, liebling. You’re eyes are the most incredible shade of blue I’ve ever seen. They’re every shade of the ocean.

Smooth.

Am I forgiven?

I suppose, but I wouldn’t say no to some more convincing.

Tony interrupted them and they broke apart from the kiss, “Do you mind? I’m talking to someone.”

Charles grabbed Erik’s hand and pulled him from the room, “I apologise Tony. We’ll see you later.”

Erik chuckled and followed after his adorable, powerful boyfriend.

Exams and evaluations hit everyone hard. Erik had little trouble sleeping but Charles stayed up later and later reviewing facts until Erik finally pulled him to bed and curled around him. They discovered that they both slept much better that way. Erik’s coursework was handed in a week early and he spent that week studying on Charles’ bed while Charles spread out across his desk and the floor. There was no time for anything else.

Erik’s exams seemed to pass quickly and soon he was sitting outside of the exam hall waiting for Charles to finish his final Chemistry exam. Charles stumbled out looking half-asleep but confident and they hugged. They went back to Erik’s room to sleep for fourteen hours.

Once the final exam had taken place, there was a week left before the first students were taken back down to Earth. For some of them it would be the last time that they would ever be in space and Erik was startled by just how much he wished that wasn’t the case for himself.

Erik and Charles went down to the engineering department like they usually would on a Friday evening and they were surprised to find that Tony wasn’t alone. The brunette who they had seen during Tony’s video call a couple of weeks before was leaning against the wall and he was joined by a broad-shouldered blonde with a Captain’s insignia on his shirt.

Charles couldn’t be jealous that Erik was staring because he was doing a fair share of looking himself.

Erik couldn’t stop himself. He exclaimed, “You have a metal arm!”

The brunette jumped and glared at Erik. His arms were completely covered and he was wearing thick black gloves. Erik cringed belatedly and Tony snorted, “Yeah. It’s a Stark special and it’s a thousand times better than the piece of shit he used to have.”

The captain frowned, “Tony…”

Tony shrugged and waved him off, “I’ve already told you that I’m not re-joining your little boyband.”

The brunette was still glaring at Erik, “How did you know that I have a metal arm?”

Erik straightened his shoulders and refused to squirm nervously, “I’m metallokinetic.”

(An oversimplification but Erik was hardly going to contest the word stamped onto his official transcripts)

The brunette frowned, “That’s possible?”

Tony rolled his eyes, “Yeah, keep up, Terminator.”

Pepper walked into the room, “Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes, it’s nice to see you again.”

Tony protested, “No, it’s not.”

Pepper perched on the desk next to Tony and said coolly, “How can we help you?”

Tony smirked and looked triumphant. The captain sighed, “Well, ma’am, we’re having a problem near Asgard. We’ll shortly be departing on a diplomatic mission and we need a Chief Engineer. Quite frankly, we need the best.”

Tony shook his head and then he turned thoughtful, “I have a solution. Take Erik.”

Erik’s eyes widened, “What?”

Everyone was staring at Tony who shrugged, “He’s been working with me for a year and he’s not blown up anything important. If you want a good engineer then you’re not going to find anyone better than him because I’m not going anywhere.”

Charles grasped Erik’s hand in silent support. Erik protested, “I only finished my exams yesterday. I’m not going to have the results for another two months. I don’t have advanced flight training or deep space training.”

Tony smirked, “Do you want me to bring up the log book of your extracurricular activities? Besides, you’ll only be an engineer and it’s not as exciting as it sounds. Diplomatic missions are incredibly dull.”

Captain Rogers turned an interested expression on Erik, “Who’re the members of the royal family of Asgard?”

Erik scowled, “Odin the Allfather, Queen Frigga, their sons Loki and Thor. Thor is currently courting Dr Jane Foster who is an Earth astrophysicist although there are rumours that they were hoping he would marry a fellow Asgardian - I believe that her name was Sif.”

Captain Rogers nodded, “What are your plans after you graduate?”

“I’ve applied for several positions within the Earth Fleet, most of my applications are focused upon the command track. I won’t receive word about any of them until my exam results are released.”

Captain Rogers nodded and stepped forward, “I’m Captain Steve Rogers of the S.S. America and this is Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes who is a member of the crew. I’d like to offer you a position as Chief Engineer pending your examination results. Our first mission is in five months’ time if you are interested.”

Erik had just been handed one of his dreams. It was definitely too good to be true. He also had a hard time believing that they would hire a twenty-year old with no first-hand experience on a starship.

He looked at Charles who grinned widely at him and squeezed his hand gently, It’s real darling. I’m so happy for you.

Erik seriously considered the offer, “I’m Erik Lehnsherr and I will consider the offer Captain Rogers. Thank you, but… I don’t suppose that you have any positions available in the Science Department.”

Erik looked pointedly at his soulmate who was staring at him with his jaw dropped, Erik, what are you doing?

Steve looked at them both, “Pardon me if this is presumptuous but, am I right in assuming that you’re soulmates?”

Erik nodded, “Yes, sir. This is Charles Xavier. He’s currently working on his doctoral thesis in genetics. His marks are as good as mine, sir, although our strengths are in different fields.”

Steve looked impressed and he looked back at his sergeant. His sergeant shrugged, “Bruce might like a new intern to torture.”

Steve shook his head at his sergeant before saying solemnly, “I will extend my offer to both of you then. I will contact you both once your academy results are revealed. It was nice to meet you Mr Lehnsherr and Mr Xavier. Come on Bucky.”

The sergeant and the captain left briskly and Erik was left in numb shock. Charles was in a similar state. Tony was smug that his plan had worked and his best apprentice had just landed an amazing job. Pepper was the first to recover, “Congratulations Erik, Charles, I’m sure that this is just the beginning of two very promising careers.”

Erik broke out into a wide smile and he kissed Charles triumphantly, “I told you that you could do anything!”

Charles laughed, “Yes, I know. Oh Erik, it’s better than I expected.”

Pepper kissed Tony on the cheek while the two younger men celebrated and had eyes only for each other. Tony smiled up at his wife, “What was that for?”

Pepper ran her hands through Tony’s tussled hair, “For being a good man.”

She invited them to dinner and they ate in Pepper and Tony’s suite. Tony needed no prompting to start talking about the S.S. America (apparently he’d had a part in building the ship) and Erik did everything to encourage him. He wanted to hear all about the ship that would be his first. While Tony gossiped about specs and material, Pepper spoke to Charles. They vaguely knew each other although Charles did not have much to do with the day-to-day running of any part of the Academy. However, Charles had questions and it wasn’t like there were many people who understood the pressure of running a multi-million dollar company.

Pepper had never officially run Stark Industries but everyone at a certain level knew that she ran the numbers while Tony focused on the products. They really were a dream team and Charles never asked about why they were now working at his school but he would never complain.

He kept his voice down, “Miss Potts, I wonder if I might ask you a question?”

“Of course Mr Xavier.”

“Please, call me Charles, I have no intention of turning down the offer I’ve been given. I will follow Erik, for my sake as well as his, and a post on a starship is a thrilling prospect but, I will admit to a certain amount of trepidation when it comes to… family obligations.”

Pepper smiled, “Charles, I know that companies do not run themselves but, they are also not controlled by a single person. Feel free to disregard anything I say but, my advice to you, is to check your sister’s business and law scores from last year. I know that it has been the two of you for a long time, and I may be wrong, but I imagine she will thrive under the responsibility of managing your family accounts.”

Charles sat back in his chair. He knew that Raven was brilliant, of course, but she’d never pushed. She’d only ever supported him and he’d kept her close. Maybe too close.

He finished dinner in a distracted daze and he thanked Pepper for her advice before they left the suite. Erik held Charles’ hand all of the way back to his room, too excited to fuss about public displays of affection, but Charles barely noticed (which was a shame because he loved seeing new sides of Erik).

Charles pulled Erik inside instead of letting him go and said, “Should I leave the company to Raven?”

Erik took a moment to reply, “How long have you been thinking about it?”

Charles sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, “Since Pepper suggested it half an hour ago. Or, perhaps it’s been longer. It certainly doesn’t feel like a brand new idea.”

“What are you worried about Charles?”

“Ever since my mother died, I’ve been running a company that has so many divisions I can’t keep track of them all. We have investments in everything even if we don’t, precisely, produce any products ourselves and it was too much for me. I never wanted to run the company. My mother used to say that I was too much like my father – I’d rather spend all of my days in a lab than in an office – and if she could’ve left it to anyone else then I bet she would’ve. I never wanted to burden Raven with it all. I’ve been completely blind to the fact that she would run it better than I ever could.”

Erik tugged Charles across the bed so that they were curled up together on top of the covers, “If you asked me, I would stay on Earth and find another goal so that you could run the company with your sister. Honestly, I think that Raven would be happy to have a larger part in the company and I think that she’d be good at it. What would make you happy Charles?”

Charles tucked his face in the crook of Erik’s neck and thought, You make me happy. Without you I would’ve never been given this opportunity. Thanks to you I can have everything and I want to explore the galaxy with you Erik Lehnsherr.

Then, talk to Raven. Give her as much as you’ve given me and tell her that you’re proud of her. She is going to be brilliant.

Erik, I love you.

I love you to.

Charles told Raven about the offer the next day and he made his own. It took longer than one conversation before she agreed and he spent much of the time waiting for his academic results singing over control of the Xavier Estate to Raven. Whether he and Erik made it to the S.S. America or not, she deserved the world but a company was the best that Charles could do so he did everything that he could to make the transition as smooth as possible for her.

When Charles watched Raven stand up in front of the Board of Directors on her own for the first time there was no doubt in his mind that she was perfect.

Just like Charles, Erik told his mother about the opportunity but they had mutually agreed not to tell anyone else until their new jobs were confirmed.

The wait for their exam results was simply agonizing, so they went to Europe. Erik had never been although he wanted to see where his ancestors had come from and Charles adored European cities so they spent a month travelling from place to place and tried to see as much as they could.

Midway through their trip, in a small apartment in London, Erik undressed Charles slowly. He ran his hands across Charles where light and shadow from the streetlights filtered through the blinds and spilled across his bare skin. Charles reached for Erik’s hand and tugged him gently across to the bed where they slid against each other slowly beneath the Egyptian cotton sheets.

Erik trailed kisses across Charles’ pale, freckled shoulders and murmured endearments in rough German while Charles arched into every caresses. Sighing and moaning at the feel of Erik’s toned body moving against him Charles panted and smiled. Erik wrapped his long fingers around Charles’ cock and they kissed frantically. Charles reciprocated with his own soft hand against Erik’s long cock and he purred, “Come on Erik. You’re so gorgeous. You feel incredible. Yes… darling.”

They spent every night after with their bare skin sliding against each other and revelling in the sound of each other’s cries. Every morning they woke up together and Charles traced his words across Erik’s chest – pleased that he’d worked up the courage to speak to Erik that first time. During the day they explored the city and took hundreds of pictures to show their friends and family when they returned.

They spent the next month at home in New York. On the day of their results Erik paced nervously in his living room while Charles sat and worried. When their inboxes chimed they both looked at each other in panic. Raven rolled her eyes and opened her own results.

“Oh Charles, I passed everything.”

Charles hugged his sister and told her, “I’m so proud of you. These results are amazing Raven.”

She looked ecstatic with her high marks and Erik hugged her once Charles had let go, “Look at yours Charles, please.”

Charles swallowed nervously and opened his inbox. Slowly he smiled, “Highest marks of the year in five subjects and high pass marks in the rest.”

Erik kissed his boyfriend, “Well done liebling.”

Charles beamed, “Thank you, darling.”

Erik grabbed his own device, “Well, I’d better open mine.”

Erik opened the message and Charles kissed him again before he could look. When he did he couldn’t hide his happiness, “Top marks in five subjects including battle tactics and an official apprenticeship qualification from Tony.”

There were phone calls and messages from everyone that they knew. They all celebrated late into the night and Erik and Charles didn’t have time alone together until the early hours of the morning. They were lying in the same bed with their hands brushing against each other while they took deep breaths.

Erik mused out loud, “We could do anything.”

“Yes. We could go anywhere.”

Erik rolled over to face his soulmate, “I’m twenty years old and they want me to be a Chief Engineer.”

Charles kissed him, “It’s incredible, love. What are you worried about?”

Erik sighed, “Many things. What if they changed their minds?”

Charles moved closer, “Then we do something else. You’re going to have a lot of offers Erik.”

“Will you come with me?”

“Erik, I love you. Of course I will.”

Erik smiled at hearing the words out loud for the first time, “I love you Charles.”