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Steve raises a mirrored eyebrow at that. "Tony, not all of us could afford nannies growing up." In fact, in his single-parent household as a sickly kid, his mom was always picking up more shifts at the hospital just to keep the roof over their heads.
But he returns to his pizza, not addressing at all that Tony thinks he has to correct Steve, because he doesn't want to fight. They're like oil and water sometimes, there's no need to agitate.
But he returns to his pizza, not addressing at all that Tony thinks he has to correct Steve, because he doesn't want to fight. They're like oil and water sometimes, there's no need to agitate.
“You’re not missing out.” He hadn’t had much of a choice. With plenty of napkins and food laid out for him, Tony pops the tops off of a couple of beers. Honestly, for both of them, it’s about the flavor.
Beer hasn’t been able to do much for him in a long time. He doesn’t think it ever did at all for Steve.
Demolishing tsk slices, and then a few wings, Tony neatly stacks up the bones and glances up to compare his pile to the bottomless pit of the Super Soldier.
Beer hasn’t been able to do much for him in a long time. He doesn’t think it ever did at all for Steve.
Demolishing tsk slices, and then a few wings, Tony neatly stacks up the bones and glances up to compare his pile to the bottomless pit of the Super Soldier.
Steve, as usual, has finished up both his pies and wings, eating the equivalent of several grown men, but he also needs all that energy to keep up with the demand his body exacts.
He goes to wash his hands before accepting the beer, clinking their bottles together. "Car's coming along nice, if I say so myself."
He goes to wash his hands before accepting the beer, clinking their bottles together. "Car's coming along nice, if I say so myself."
Dark eyes glance up from the pile comparison. Tony doesn’t know why he is constantly trying to measure up against other people, but it’s hard not to have a rivalry with Steve. Even in the wing eating game. He gives the blue eyes man a little smirk.
“You’re not as useless at it as I thought you’d be when you suggested it. Ready to get dirty?”
“You’re not as useless at it as I thought you’d be when you suggested it. Ready to get dirty?”
Steve is usually annoyed by how often Tony always manages to make a compliment backhanded, but he's just starting to come around to the idea that that's just how he operates.
"Always. You'd be surprised, Tony. Us Brooklyn boys, we've always been ready to put to work."
"Always. You'd be surprised, Tony. Us Brooklyn boys, we've always been ready to put to work."
“Don’t make the joke,” Tony mutters under his breath. “Don’t make the joke!” A stop to clean his hands in the sink, and Tony exhales slowly as if the mirth from whatever he hadn’t said leaves him and he can carry on as usual.
The workshop with pieces of half completed car and rolling metal lockers of tools waits for them by the garage. Tony is doing this one old fashioned, making this particular project one he is in so rush to complete. It’s been good working with Steve. Different. He hadn’t expected to enjoy himself so much.
Tony rolls up his sleeves and hits play on the radio. JARVIS is installed down here, he’s everywhere Tony is, it Tony likes the vibe.
The workshop with pieces of half completed car and rolling metal lockers of tools waits for them by the garage. Tony is doing this one old fashioned, making this particular project one he is in so rush to complete. It’s been good working with Steve. Different. He hadn’t expected to enjoy himself so much.
Tony rolls up his sleeves and hits play on the radio. JARVIS is installed down here, he’s everywhere Tony is, it Tony likes the vibe.
Steve doesn't always understand everything coming out of Tony's mouth, so mostly if he just mutters something to himself, Steve's learned to ignore it.
The car is a beautiful one. She's not quite as old as Steve is, but she's definitely on in age. Tony really probably hadn't needed another car or another project, but Steve's happy to work on this with him. He thinks it's made him understand Tony a little bit better.
And, well, it sure beats knocking punching bags and dodging Nat's attempts to get him to date. "Still working on [ insert car talk here I am not a mechanic ] today?"
The car is a beautiful one. She's not quite as old as Steve is, but she's definitely on in age. Tony really probably hadn't needed another car or another project, but Steve's happy to work on this with him. He thinks it's made him understand Tony a little bit better.
And, well, it sure beats knocking punching bags and dodging Nat's attempts to get him to date. "Still working on [ insert car talk here I am not a mechanic ] today?"
Charles isn't an idiot and he knows Erik's been using fake credit cards. He does plan on telling him to put a stop to that because he has more than enough to support him, and if the man wants to argue about it, he will let him know that all of his money comes from his family anyway, meaning it's not like he'd worked hard to earn even a cent of it. But more importantly, that Erik is family.
Besides, it's obvious he has a ridiculous amount in his bank account otherwise Hank wouldn't have the means to build another jet plane that's currently taking up a lot of space in the basement of the mansion right now. That, and Cerebro. The young man's really going all out with trying to build something that's better than what the CIA ever had in their facility, and Charles has been more than happy to fund all of his projects.
He lets Erik handle the suitcase and get it checked in once they're at the airport. An hour later and they're on the private plane headed for Oxford. Charles pours them a shot of whiskey each before sitting across from Erik. He knows what's next. They're going to play a game of chess as they usually do, but before that, Charles thinks they should have a talk first, and so he blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind.
"Erik, why exactly did you agree to come back with us?" Was it out of guilt because he'd accidentally misdirected a bullet to his back? Charles had told him they didn't want the same things, but he'd also been the one to plead for him to stay and not leave. "I just... I have to admit that I can't help but wonder if I'm going to wake up one day to find you gone because this isn't what you really want." Now that just sounds like a bloody accusation. Well, it is what he's been worried about, but he could've phrased it a little better.
Besides, it's obvious he has a ridiculous amount in his bank account otherwise Hank wouldn't have the means to build another jet plane that's currently taking up a lot of space in the basement of the mansion right now. That, and Cerebro. The young man's really going all out with trying to build something that's better than what the CIA ever had in their facility, and Charles has been more than happy to fund all of his projects.
He lets Erik handle the suitcase and get it checked in once they're at the airport. An hour later and they're on the private plane headed for Oxford. Charles pours them a shot of whiskey each before sitting across from Erik. He knows what's next. They're going to play a game of chess as they usually do, but before that, Charles thinks they should have a talk first, and so he blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind.
"Erik, why exactly did you agree to come back with us?" Was it out of guilt because he'd accidentally misdirected a bullet to his back? Charles had told him they didn't want the same things, but he'd also been the one to plead for him to stay and not leave. "I just... I have to admit that I can't help but wonder if I'm going to wake up one day to find you gone because this isn't what you really want." Now that just sounds like a bloody accusation. Well, it is what he's been worried about, but he could've phrased it a little better.
Erik prepares all the things for the flight. He knows Charles doesn't like the fake credit cards but he also doesn't like the idea of living off of Charles's money. He knows it's not the same as quitting a job, but Charles has a lot of dependents and Erik doesn't want to be one of them.
And though the money is not independently his own, he is stealing it from people like Charles, though who are less open with their wallets to let in the disenfranchised. Banks, billionaires and big business: those are the places from which Erik lifts cards and numbers, and honestly, none of them have even suspected the small amounts he takes go missing.
He sits down with Charles and expects their usual game and drink, but puts down his glass when he's asked that. He gathers his thoughts for a moment, shifting the glass' position with his hand and watching the reflective colors flash and alter.
"I came back because I saw what I'd done to you," he says finally, voice contemplative. "But you aren't my enemy, Charles." He doesn't know how to vocalize it, but he'd thought that for sure he'd broken the one good thing he had, this family he's found, and with Charles refusing to come with him... he hadn't been in a good state of mind that day. Once clarity came, he'd known.
"I thought you wouldn't want to see me anymore, but yet you welcomed me back without reservation. Should I ask you why?" If this is Charles' way of chasing Erik out, he could just say something.
And though the money is not independently his own, he is stealing it from people like Charles, though who are less open with their wallets to let in the disenfranchised. Banks, billionaires and big business: those are the places from which Erik lifts cards and numbers, and honestly, none of them have even suspected the small amounts he takes go missing.
He sits down with Charles and expects their usual game and drink, but puts down his glass when he's asked that. He gathers his thoughts for a moment, shifting the glass' position with his hand and watching the reflective colors flash and alter.
"I came back because I saw what I'd done to you," he says finally, voice contemplative. "But you aren't my enemy, Charles." He doesn't know how to vocalize it, but he'd thought that for sure he'd broken the one good thing he had, this family he's found, and with Charles refusing to come with him... he hadn't been in a good state of mind that day. Once clarity came, he'd known.
"I thought you wouldn't want to see me anymore, but yet you welcomed me back without reservation. Should I ask you why?" If this is Charles' way of chasing Erik out, he could just say something.
Charles manages a small smile as he looks at Erik. At times like this, he wishes he has his telepathy, but it's also good that they're talking this way and he's not just reading his mind. What someone thinks and what they want him to know can be two entirely different things. And just because he can read a person's mind doesn't necessarily make communication any easier. Sometimes it can become even more complicated.
He presses his lips together, frowning slightly as he thinks of how to begin with answering that question. He doesn't like thinking back to that day on the beach, in Cuba. He doesn't like remembering what it felt like to have Shaw in his mind right as he died. For weeks, what happened that day had haunted his dreams at night. When before he was drinking before bed to quiet his mind, he'd started drinking more than usual in an effort to simply forget everything.
"I'm aware that mistakes were made that day. What happened, and how things escalated, was as much my fault as it was yours. Erik, what I said to you, about those men, that they were just following orders. I shouldn't have said that. It was careless of me. I only realised what that meant for you after I'd said it. And for that, I'm sorry." Men following orders had been the reason why Erik and so many others had lost their loved ones.
"Plain and simple, my darling, I wanted you to come back with us because it's where you belong. I don't want us to fight against each other. I know we're bound to disagree on some things, but I hope it never escalates to the point where we can't forgive one another. Because I don't blame you for what happened to me. It was an accident. And I'm not just saying that because I'm able to walk again. I know this is temporary. Still, I'm not going to feel any differently about you when that changes." And hopefully, Erik won't either. He hadn't exactly been the best company during that time when he was paralysed. Sure, he'd been fine for the first week, but then he'd started getting irritable and every attempt to help him was met with a glare, and he had been so stubborn about letting anyone do anything for him because he hadn't liked feeling so helpless.
"The thing is, I just can't imagine not having you around. I mean, I have gotten incredibly spoiled by your excellent skills in the... kitchen." He's definitely not thinking about the kitchen. "Besides, you said you wanted me by your side. I want that too."
He presses his lips together, frowning slightly as he thinks of how to begin with answering that question. He doesn't like thinking back to that day on the beach, in Cuba. He doesn't like remembering what it felt like to have Shaw in his mind right as he died. For weeks, what happened that day had haunted his dreams at night. When before he was drinking before bed to quiet his mind, he'd started drinking more than usual in an effort to simply forget everything.
"I'm aware that mistakes were made that day. What happened, and how things escalated, was as much my fault as it was yours. Erik, what I said to you, about those men, that they were just following orders. I shouldn't have said that. It was careless of me. I only realised what that meant for you after I'd said it. And for that, I'm sorry." Men following orders had been the reason why Erik and so many others had lost their loved ones.
"Plain and simple, my darling, I wanted you to come back with us because it's where you belong. I don't want us to fight against each other. I know we're bound to disagree on some things, but I hope it never escalates to the point where we can't forgive one another. Because I don't blame you for what happened to me. It was an accident. And I'm not just saying that because I'm able to walk again. I know this is temporary. Still, I'm not going to feel any differently about you when that changes." And hopefully, Erik won't either. He hadn't exactly been the best company during that time when he was paralysed. Sure, he'd been fine for the first week, but then he'd started getting irritable and every attempt to help him was met with a glare, and he had been so stubborn about letting anyone do anything for him because he hadn't liked feeling so helpless.
"The thing is, I just can't imagine not having you around. I mean, I have gotten incredibly spoiled by your excellent skills in the... kitchen." He's definitely not thinking about the kitchen. "Besides, you said you wanted me by your side. I want that too."
Charles is always forgiving where Erik is not, and that can sometimes lead to difficulties between them, such as when Charles forgives the people who trespass against them. And yet, he allows himself to take such advantage, because he still believes, even if Charles doesn't think it's his fault, that it was.
Well, okay, he still places most of the blame on Moira, who shot at him despite knowing his powers.
But now's not the time to have such discussions. Not when Charles is calling him darling and alluding to his skills in areas that are decidedly not the kitchen. Really, Charles. He wonders if he thinks that there's some other telepath nearby that might be scandalized, either by the idea that they have sex or that they enjoy it.
He reaches over to gently squeeze Charles' hand, since no one is around to see it, but he thinks he could use the support. It was a near thing, his leaving: he had made a choice on that beach, but he had almost made the other one. It would've caused him regrets, yes, but at the time he'd felt so monstrous, so dejected, that it almost felt like the only choice to make.
He's glad Charles can't pull that thought out of his mind.
"I do want you by my side, Charles. No one is like you are to me." Not just as a lover, but as a friend. If Erik believed in such things, he would say Charles is his soulmate, cut from the opposite side of the cloth from which he himself was made. He looks at their hands - Charles', the hands of a scholar, are soft, and Erik's are rough and worn with work. So he lifts his hand instead, and presses kisses to his knuckles, gently.
Well, okay, he still places most of the blame on Moira, who shot at him despite knowing his powers.
But now's not the time to have such discussions. Not when Charles is calling him darling and alluding to his skills in areas that are decidedly not the kitchen. Really, Charles. He wonders if he thinks that there's some other telepath nearby that might be scandalized, either by the idea that they have sex or that they enjoy it.
He reaches over to gently squeeze Charles' hand, since no one is around to see it, but he thinks he could use the support. It was a near thing, his leaving: he had made a choice on that beach, but he had almost made the other one. It would've caused him regrets, yes, but at the time he'd felt so monstrous, so dejected, that it almost felt like the only choice to make.
He's glad Charles can't pull that thought out of his mind.
"I do want you by my side, Charles. No one is like you are to me." Not just as a lover, but as a friend. If Erik believed in such things, he would say Charles is his soulmate, cut from the opposite side of the cloth from which he himself was made. He looks at their hands - Charles', the hands of a scholar, are soft, and Erik's are rough and worn with work. So he lifts his hand instead, and presses kisses to his knuckles, gently.
If that's what you're inviting us over for, I'm leaving the room and then it'll just be you and Irene.
But if all you want is drinks, next weekend's fine. I'll ask Irene if she's free.
But if all you want is drinks, next weekend's fine. I'll ask Irene if she's free.
People did have sex in the forties.
Anyone else coming, or just us three? I could invite Harold, he was the one with the ceramic cups.
Anyone else coming, or just us three? I could invite Harold, he was the one with the ceramic cups.
Hold on. When you say, people, do you mean people in general? Or did you have yourself a playful threesome in the forties? Was it with the pretty gals you were on tour with? Come on. Talk to me about it. You're allowed to spill the deets since it basically happened a gajillion days ago.
No, nothing like that.
And even if I did, I wouldn't give you salacious details because I know you'd just want more.
Why, do you go around telling everyone about your threesomes?
And even if I did, I wouldn't give you salacious details because I know you'd just want more.
Why, do you go around telling everyone about your threesomes?
Why? That's like talking about laundry day. It happens too often. Your sex life on the other hand, or lack thereof, is fascinating.
Hey. Do you think I'm annoying? I think I can be. Probably. Pepper says I am. But I don't trust her opinion. She's been asking me to shut down my lab and my suits before I end up killing myself and I've been telling her no. Because come on. If she wasn't able to make me do something while we were together, what are the chances of her trying to control me now? Right? I mean. Pfft.
Hey. Do you think I'm annoying? I think I can be. Probably. Pepper says I am. But I don't trust her opinion. She's been asking me to shut down my lab and my suits before I end up killing myself and I've been telling her no. Because come on. If she wasn't able to make me do something while we were together, what are the chances of her trying to control me now? Right? I mean. Pfft.
Yes, you are.
Are you asking for relationship advice? From me?
Are you trying to make things up with Pepper? 'Cause I'm thinking you might wanna start by not telling her that.
Are you asking for relationship advice? From me?
Are you trying to make things up with Pepper? 'Cause I'm thinking you might wanna start by not telling her that.
Are you serious?
Well, first off, you keep saying things to make me uncomfortable.
Well, first off, you keep saying things to make me uncomfortable.
Hearing Erik say that he wants to stick around; that he wants to stay brings him some relief. It's one less thing to worry about. The thing is he can't help but feel fiercely protective over the man. If Erik had been out there waging a war against the world instead of being here with him, Charles isn't sure what he would've done. Would he have tried to stop him? But at what cost?
As Erik takes his hand and kisses his knuckles, Charles thinks that he's never really known love like this. Not that they've said those three words out loud to each other just yet, but he certainly feels it. No one would think Erik capable of being kind and gentle and loving, but Charles does. He knows Erik cares for him very much and he feels the exact same way about him.
"You mean a great deal to me, Erik." He moves his hand to brush his thumb across the man's cheek. "I know this might sound terribly corny, but I do believe you've changed my life for the better, and I don't think I could be any happier than I am now." He smiles at him in an adoring way. "I am ever so glad I met you, my dear friend. But..." He then pinches Erik's cheek, albeit gently. "You do realise I've had to convince you to stay twice now. I hope you're not going to make a habit of this."
As Erik takes his hand and kisses his knuckles, Charles thinks that he's never really known love like this. Not that they've said those three words out loud to each other just yet, but he certainly feels it. No one would think Erik capable of being kind and gentle and loving, but Charles does. He knows Erik cares for him very much and he feels the exact same way about him.
"You mean a great deal to me, Erik." He moves his hand to brush his thumb across the man's cheek. "I know this might sound terribly corny, but I do believe you've changed my life for the better, and I don't think I could be any happier than I am now." He smiles at him in an adoring way. "I am ever so glad I met you, my dear friend. But..." He then pinches Erik's cheek, albeit gently. "You do realise I've had to convince you to stay twice now. I hope you're not going to make a habit of this."
Well, as far as habits go, Erik has a lot of them and they're hard to break. They're not good ones, either, but they're born out of a necessity: he has a hard shell and a hard interior, and it's difficult to get beneath all that, to find the man he is behind all the guards and the walls.
But, in essence, he is just a man, and Charles sees through to the heart of him. He knows this, but even then, it's difficult for him to believe sometimes, to really comprehend that he's there for him, that he understands, that there isn't a need to turn tail and run without so much as leaving a note. Because that is how Erik operates, that is how he needs to in order to survive.
"I'll try." That's not really an answer, but it's the only one he can give at the moment.
He does know that he loves Charles, loves him more than he's loved anyone else before. He knows that Charles is good for him, that much is true, that he has hope when he's with Charles. "I've never felt more safe," he says. "Than when I am with you." And like maybe he can find a place to be free, because even though he isn't tied down anywhere, sometimes the rest of the world just feels like a gilded cage. How does he explain that to Charles?
But, in essence, he is just a man, and Charles sees through to the heart of him. He knows this, but even then, it's difficult for him to believe sometimes, to really comprehend that he's there for him, that he understands, that there isn't a need to turn tail and run without so much as leaving a note. Because that is how Erik operates, that is how he needs to in order to survive.
"I'll try." That's not really an answer, but it's the only one he can give at the moment.
He does know that he loves Charles, loves him more than he's loved anyone else before. He knows that Charles is good for him, that much is true, that he has hope when he's with Charles. "I've never felt more safe," he says. "Than when I am with you." And like maybe he can find a place to be free, because even though he isn't tied down anywhere, sometimes the rest of the world just feels like a gilded cage. How does he explain that to Charles?
You also have a bad habit of going off on tangents. And you talk to yourself sometimes.
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