( he's thirty years old, and after a string of one-night stands; with charles having absolutely no interest in pursuing a longterm relationship with anyone, he's finally found someone he actually wants to be with all the time and it just had to be this man, this complicated, somewhat impossible man. it's ridiculous, but he loves being with erik. it's exciting. it's exhilarating. it's fun. and -- as he's pulled in close all of a sudden, he's realizing that erik's kisses are turning out to be his favorite thing in the world. )
One second... ( he brushes erik's hair back, combing it with his fingers. he knows the man cares for his appearance because he always puts in the effort to look good, whereas charles really can't care less right now that he's looking a bit disheveled. he's tired and he just wants to get erik home, safe and sound. )
There. You are ever so handsome. Let's go. ( he steals a kiss from him right before opening the door. once they're outside, charles goes over to raven and places an arm around her shoulder. he kisses her on the temple, thanking her for coming to get them as they're walking down the hall together. charles then lets his hand brush against erik's, catching hold of his fingers for the briefest of moments before he lets go. )
[ Erik has always thought that he would never stay in any one place long, never long enough to settle down, certainly. But Charles has changed him, because he feels for Charles so immensely.
It's dangerous for Charles to take his hand outside of this room, but he feels just a little bit emptier when they're not touching. Still, he says nothing. He ices out any reaction. No one outside the kids can know.
Usually, Erik's the one driving, but he feels like that might not be a good idea, so he leans against the window in the passenger seat instead. ]
Any chance there's leftover pizza in the fridge from last night?
( charles is driving with hank and raven sitting in the back. he reads hank's mind easily enough at erik's question, wrinkling his nose slightly at the mention of leftover pizza in the fridge. that doesn't sound very appetizing, especially for a first meal of the day and at this hour? no, thank you. )
I believe Moira's gone to the trouble of making us a breakfast spread, Erik. ( he cants his head to the side then. ) And Hank's eaten all the pizza.
[ Erik frowns a little bit. He liked that pizza. He was going to eat the rest of the pizza.
But homemade breakfast sounds fine, he guesses.
The drive is mostly uneventful, which is just fine by him, and then when he gets into the house, he tries to walk on his own. Sean makes a joke about his shirt, and Erik rolls his eyes and takes a seat at the table. ]
( erik, ever so stubborn. charles let him walk on his own, but he'd stayed close, just in case the man takes a tumble. erik's still on medication and that might make him feel woozy, but he's glad he seems to have the appetite for breakfast. )
Yes, love. I'll have some tea. ( not that he's expecting erik to pour him a cup because thankfully hank sets about doing just that for all of them. as ambitious as erik is with his attempts to show them that he's fine, he still might have difficulties handling a full teapot, and this one happens to be one of his favorites. the antique white porcelain pot has been with his family since the 1800s. charles thanks moira for preparing the breakfast and sits next to erik, helping him with his breakfast plate. )
Would you like a scone? Or a piece of toast? ( he rests his hand on erik's forearm then. ) I know you're perfectly capable of handling this yourself, Erik, but will you allow me to spoil you for the day?
[ It's so bad that the kids don't even roll their eyes and scoff at how cute Charles is being with him. That means he must look like shit. Or that Hank feels very guilty. Which makes sense, the guy won't even look Erik in the eyes. ]
Fine. I'll take a scone. Mind getting me some lemon curd? Or can I still do that myself? My powers remain unimpaired.
[ He takes a sip of his tea and reaches for the newspaper, because that's the kind of man he is. Raven, meanwhile, always does the crosswords by the time Erik gets to it. And usually leaves doodles in the margins. Today there's a little frog staring back at him next to an article about overfishing in upstate New York. ]
It was great. I met Weismann from the Institute for Molecular Genetics. Apparently, he's been wanting to show me his collection of books from the 1850s for ages now. I must have his missed his letters somehow. Hank, you ought to check our mailbox every once in a while. ( he breaks the scone into two pieces with his hands and spreads the lemon curd on it for erik. )
So, the man's got, hear this, the first edition copy of Darwin's On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection. Can you believe it? ( he's so impressed. ) Max has invited me to go over to his house for the weekend over the summer holidays. ( he said yes. like he'd miss an opportunity to check out his library. it's practically dedicated to the study of genetics and biology. ) Of course, I'll bring you along. ( he's learned his lesson about leaving erik to his own devices. )
[ Yeah, that was it, and not because Erik's jealous by nature and Charles is gushing about this dude's big library and cool book. Erik could've gotten him a first-edition copy of Darwin's book. Totally.
He grumbles a bit because it's hard to hide your thoughts from a telepath, and takes a bite of the scone. It's exactly what he needs. Fluffy, warm, lemony. ]
Guess I won't have to bring anything to read.
Who'll watch the others? Raven?
[ Raven's great, but she's not exactly responsible. Charles definitely still treats her like a little kid, so she sometimes still has those tendencies to be a bit immature and childlike at times. ]
Certainly not. ( he doesn't trust raven to look after the house and the kids. ) We'll just have to figure something out later. ( charles busies himself with getting erik a plate of eggs, sausage, bacon and toast. it's not pizza, but it's savory at least. )
Or maybe you lot could just come along with us. Yes? ( that earns him a resounding no from almost everyone at the table and charles lets out a slight shake of his head, although he's looking very much amused. ) There's nothing wrong with spending time in a library full of books. I am disappointed in you, Hank. ( clearly, raven's been a bad influence on him. ) But this is why I adore you, Erik. You read as much as I do. Or, well, almost as much.
I'm going to help you in the shower as soon as we're done with breakfast. ( quick little thing sent to erik in secret as he bites down on his scone. )
[ Erik nearly chokes on his eggs as Charles sends him that thought. Nobody but Raven notices, who definitely shoots Charles an eyeroll.
He also places his hand over Charles'. ]
The others don't want to go to the library, it's all right. Maybe I'll take you to see some of the sights.
[ Now all the kids are rolling their eyes and busy themselves quickly talking about anything else. It seems to have broken the tension quite nicely, since Erik appears to be in better health, so now they all feel like they can talk away again. ]
Maxwell was telling me he owns acres and acres of land so we should be able to enjoy a quiet stroll around the area. ( charles gives raven a look, imploring her to be nice, please. it might not have worked out for her and erik, but it's not like things aren't going well with her and hank. at least, as far as he's aware. it's hard to keep up with raven's ever changing interests in the men in her life. there was a time when she was constantly trying to get him to agree to go out with her which was entirely inappropriate. he's always thought of her as a sister and nothing more. )
What else did you get up to yesterday? ( he turns his attention back to erik. he'd left them for no more than a day and a half. )
[ To say things hadn't gone well with Erik and Raven was an understatement. She'd been in his bed and he'd told her she was too young and had given her what he'd assumed to be a sweet but platonic kiss, meant to infer that she should try to find a nice man her own age. And with a more similar temperament.
But perhaps he exacerbated things between them instead, because now she seems to be slightly upset that Erik has taken up an interest in her brother, which. Okay, fair, but it wasn't like she hadn't been interested in him either. ]
Mostly we played games. But nobody else wants to play chess with me. Just you, darling.
[ Sean cuts in to explain that it's because Erik's too good at chess and it's no fun to play against him. ]
( charles makes a little noise in agreement when sean says that erik is too good at chess. he's never been able to beat him. not even when he tries to read his mind. despite always losing though, he still enjoys it, because he does so love the challenge. )
What about parcheesi? Or Snakes and Ladders? I'm sure the kids would love that. ( too simple and childish for erik, he supposes. he sees raven giving him another roll of her eyes. ) What? ( he knows what she's going to say before she even says it. that she's not a kid. ) Well, I practically raised you. ( he swallows down the last bit of his scone before drinking some tea. ) You're always going to be a kid to me. My baby sister. ( and there she goes, grabbing hank's hand and leaving the table. ) Oh, come on. Raven. ( he's not making the effort to get up from his seat though, not really wanting to leave erik's side. he's too tired. he doesn't want to get into another stupid argument with her this early in the day. he sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. )
I swear, I don't know what's gotten into her lately.
[ This is a conversation for another time, not in front of the kids, but Erik does loudly think that She's not a child, Charles. She's an adult, even if she is your baby sister. She wants to be seen as a woman.
Which is unfortunate, because she wanted everyone to see her as a grown woman, which is one of the reasons she'd come onto Erik in the first place. But he had no intention of seeing her in a romantic way, which is what she apparently thought she needed, as an adult.
( probing for more answers than he should. that's what charles is doing as he reads erik's mind. and he's not bothering to be subtle about it either because his jaw clenches slightly at the question. ) No. ( erik's not interested in her romantically. well, that's a relief. or things would get rather awkward between them. if he had found that erik had developed even the slightest bit of interest in his sister, charles thinks he wouldn't wish to get between that at all. )
Not unless you want to ruin her moment with Hank. ( he refocuses his attention back on his breakfast, pouring himself more tea. )
I'll talk to her later. ( alex lets out a scoff saying that it better be later. knowing the two, they're probably at it again. ) Right, Alex. Thank you. ( he gives him a weary sort of look. things no one needs to know. thankfully, sean starts talking to them about the 'alfred hitchcock hour' episodes that he's been watching, regaling them with the stories. charles lets out a soft laugh as he listens to sean's exaggerated retellings. he's seen some of those episodes and he's fairly sure half of what sean's claiming happened hadn't happened at all. )
[ Erik's pretty sure of it too, but he listens to Sean talk about the stories because he seems so animated about it. Alex in the meantime, starts clearing up the dishes, because it's his turn to clean. The kids are swell, aren't they? ]
I think you dreamed that one up.
[ He can't help but interject. ]
No need to feel ashamed about it, but I'm sure that only happened in your nightmares, Sean.
[ He quickly pops the last bite of his scone in his mouth so that Alex can take away his plate. Aside from the stitches on his neck, this is a perfectly normal morning with all of them. ]
Thank you so much, Alex. ( charles lets him clear his plate as well. the boys are great and he's really glad to have opened up his home to them. he'd like to talk to erik someday about turning the house into a school for more of these youngsters to learn about their abilities. he's really been enjoying training the new recruits and he thinks erik's been having a good time of it too. he wants erik's support and his help. he doesn't think he can do it all on his own and he believes they'll be able to accomplish so much together.
charles lifts his hand up to sort of ruffle erik's hair when he teases sean, continuing to massage the man's scalp with his fingers as he rests his elbow on the back of erik's chair, listening to the exchange between the two. it's really amusing, and adorable. )
Let's get you upstairs, darling. ( the thought is sent to erik after a good few minutes. moira's left a little while ago. the two boys are off to play a game of tennis outside and it's just them now. charles leans in to press a kiss to erik's lips. he tastes of lemon and strawberries. sweet. charles reaches to get another fresh strawberry from the table and pops that into his mouth before he gets up, helping erik to a stand. )
[ The kiss tastes sweet, and he loves little moments like this. Since all the boys are gone, and so is Moira, he looks at Charles and waggles his eyebrows a little bit. ]
You were saying about a shower?
[ Because Erik does think he could use one, but he also thinks that they ought to take one together. And maybe he could convince Charles to work off a little bit of the tension that they'd been feeling lately. ]
Yes, Erik. ( he hasn't forgotten about his offer to help him in the shower. he wasn't thinking he'd join him, but judging by the playful waggle of the man's eyebrows, erik's obviously hoping that he would. well, he's still on the fence about that. charles had been prepared to get soaked with his clothes on, not with his clothes off. the idea of being naked together in the shower has him feeling slightly nervous. )
I just don't want you slipping and cracking your head open. ( he slides his arm around erik's waist as they head up the stairs together. ) You are trouble, you know that? ( it's only a small complain. for the most part, charles happens to like erik too much for his own good. despite the fact erik's stayed put so far, he still thinks it's only a matter of time before he decides to leave. it's not something charles wants to dwell on. in fact, he hates thinking about it, but it's partly the reason why he's been hesitant to take this a step further. he's a fool attempting to guard his own heart from a man who already owns a great chunk of it. )
[ Erik leans on Charles a little bit, hearing the hesitation in his voice but still thinking that they're all right. After all, they've never done this before, so his nervousness could be for a myriad of reasons.
He would still prefer to wait and make it a romantic outing when they first make love, but they don't have to do too much today, especially since Charles will most likely be berating Erik for not watching out for his neck. ]
I am. And I won't. But you should help me make sure.
[ Once upstairs, he wastes no time in disrobing, feeling comfortable, only feeling a little bit in pain. Nothing out of the normal. ]
( charles is barefoot but remains fully dressed otherwise in his blue cardigan, shirt and jeans, though he's rolled up his sleeves as he's testing the water in the shower, making sure that it's just nice for erik -- warm. he turns around to take a quick look at him, frowning slightly when he spots the dark bruise on his hip. so sean hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told him the two had a bit of a scuffle in the kitchen. it's at the tip of his tongue to ask erik if he had said something to upset hank, but decides against it. he's not looking to blame either one of them for this. )
Alright, come on. Let's get you cleaned up. ( he simply goes to lean on the wall next to the shower at first, arms crossed over his chest, keeping close enough that he can reach erik in case he suddenly feels faint, concerned about that because they did release him from the hospital a day earlier than necessary. ) Ah. ( he smiles warmly at erik, meeting his eyes. charles knows what he's thinking. or he can make a pretty good guess. ) Were you hoping I'd be of more help? ( he reaches for the bar of soap then, offering it to the man, waiting to see what he'll do. )
[ Well, Charles does have him at a disadvantage. Erik's fully nude now, with his clothes neatly folded and draped over a chair. Aside from the bandage on his neck, he's got plenty of little scars. But other than that, he knows he looks good. He keeps a good form. He was kind of hoping that he'd be able to get Charles interested.
Apparently not. ]
Maybe just a little.
[ But he does take the soap, and starts to wash himself with it. ]
I'm feeling fine, though. I won't just fall down and hit my head. Promise.
( he raises his eyebrows slightly, but instead of leaving erik to his own devices, charles steps away from the wall, the water from the shower hitting him on the shoulder, soaking his sleeve. ) The thing is, I believe you said you’d be fine before I left the house the other day. ( he reaches for the bar of soap, taking it from erik's hand. )
It's not that I am not interested, you know. It’s just… ( he gestures to the bandage on erik’s neck. ) I am very concerned about you. And that sort of overrides everything else I’m feeling or should be feeling. So please don't take offense that I'm not wanting to get naked with you. You are gorgeous. ( he works the soap into a nice thick lather with his hands before depositing it in the plastic tray and helping erik in the shower. charles gives his arms and his shoulders a nice rub, getting rid of any tension there, letting erik lean against him if he wants. )
I did. I am fine, Charles. It's only a little wound.
[ But he appreciates Charles being here, as he might demonstrate from leaning into him, even though he's clothed. Erik's kind of a menace, but he's a cute one. ]
Offense taken anyway, because you needn't worry about me, Charles. I've survived worse than a fight with Hank.
[ And he does heave a long sigh when Charles rubs his shoulders, and Charles might be able to physically feel the tension leave his body. He gets a whiff of the cologne that's hanging between Charles' chest and his shirt, and it makes him feel safe and cared-for. He doesn't bother to mask those thoughts, or how much he cares for Charles in turn. ]
It's not just a little wound. He almost tore your throat out. ( erik's poor neck had to be stapled, so it's not just a few stitches and it might even leave a scar. charles lets out a slight shake of his head. erik downplaying this latest injury of his isn't making charles feel less worried. he's now convinced he has to pay twice as much attention on erik just to make sure he doesn't get into anymore trouble because the man seems to think getting into altercations with people isn't a big deal. in fact, charles thinks erik actively seeks them out for no good reason. )
I'm not having you strain your neck and risk having you bleed all over again. Do you know the doctor was against letting you leave? If I hadn't convinced him that you'd be properly cared for back home, you'd still be there. ( ranting now as he picks up a loofah, he adds more soap to it before he scrubs erik's back with it. he sucks in a breath to calm himself before murmuring an apology against erik's temple. he then shuts up and makes quick work of giving erik a thorough washing from head to toe before shampooing his hair. )
You know, Erik. I think this might be the longest shower you've ever taken. You're always so quick about it. ( whereas charles takes at least thirty minutes. well, if not more when he needs to shave. he gives the man's scalp a good massage as he works the shampoo in. at this point, charles' clothes is thoroughly soaked, but whatever. he's not minding it one bit. he just wants to get erik cleaned up and ready for a good lie down in bed. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
One second... ( he brushes erik's hair back, combing it with his fingers. he knows the man cares for his appearance because he always puts in the effort to look good, whereas charles really can't care less right now that he's looking a bit disheveled. he's tired and he just wants to get erik home, safe and sound. )
There. You are ever so handsome. Let's go. ( he steals a kiss from him right before opening the door. once they're outside, charles goes over to raven and places an arm around her shoulder. he kisses her on the temple, thanking her for coming to get them as they're walking down the hall together. charles then lets his hand brush against erik's, catching hold of his fingers for the briefest of moments before he lets go. )
no subject
It's dangerous for Charles to take his hand outside of this room, but he feels just a little bit emptier when they're not touching. Still, he says nothing. He ices out any reaction. No one outside the kids can know.
Usually, Erik's the one driving, but he feels like that might not be a good idea, so he leans against the window in the passenger seat instead. ]
Any chance there's leftover pizza in the fridge from last night?
no subject
I believe Moira's gone to the trouble of making us a breakfast spread, Erik. ( he cants his head to the side then. ) And Hank's eaten all the pizza.
no subject
But homemade breakfast sounds fine, he guesses.
The drive is mostly uneventful, which is just fine by him, and then when he gets into the house, he tries to walk on his own. Sean makes a joke about his shirt, and Erik rolls his eyes and takes a seat at the table. ]
Charles, do you want some tea?
no subject
Yes, love. I'll have some tea. ( not that he's expecting erik to pour him a cup because thankfully hank sets about doing just that for all of them. as ambitious as erik is with his attempts to show them that he's fine, he still might have difficulties handling a full teapot, and this one happens to be one of his favorites. the antique white porcelain pot has been with his family since the 1800s. charles thanks moira for preparing the breakfast and sits next to erik, helping him with his breakfast plate. )
Would you like a scone? Or a piece of toast? ( he rests his hand on erik's forearm then. ) I know you're perfectly capable of handling this yourself, Erik, but will you allow me to spoil you for the day?
no subject
Fine. I'll take a scone. Mind getting me some lemon curd? Or can I still do that myself? My powers remain unimpaired.
[ He takes a sip of his tea and reaches for the newspaper, because that's the kind of man he is. Raven, meanwhile, always does the crosswords by the time Erik gets to it. And usually leaves doodles in the margins. Today there's a little frog staring back at him next to an article about overfishing in upstate New York. ]
How was your conference, Charles?
no subject
So, the man's got, hear this, the first edition copy of Darwin's On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection. Can you believe it? ( he's so impressed. ) Max has invited me to go over to his house for the weekend over the summer holidays. ( he said yes. like he'd miss an opportunity to check out his library. it's practically dedicated to the study of genetics and biology. ) Of course, I'll bring you along. ( he's learned his lesson about leaving erik to his own devices. )
no subject
He grumbles a bit because it's hard to hide your thoughts from a telepath, and takes a bite of the scone. It's exactly what he needs. Fluffy, warm, lemony. ]
Guess I won't have to bring anything to read.
Who'll watch the others? Raven?
[ Raven's great, but she's not exactly responsible. Charles definitely still treats her like a little kid, so she sometimes still has those tendencies to be a bit immature and childlike at times. ]
no subject
Or maybe you lot could just come along with us. Yes? ( that earns him a resounding no from almost everyone at the table and charles lets out a slight shake of his head, although he's looking very much amused. ) There's nothing wrong with spending time in a library full of books. I am disappointed in you, Hank. ( clearly, raven's been a bad influence on him. ) But this is why I adore you, Erik. You read as much as I do. Or, well, almost as much.
I'm going to help you in the shower as soon as we're done with breakfast. ( quick little thing sent to erik in secret as he bites down on his scone. )
no subject
He also places his hand over Charles'. ]
The others don't want to go to the library, it's all right. Maybe I'll take you to see some of the sights.
[ Now all the kids are rolling their eyes and busy themselves quickly talking about anything else. It seems to have broken the tension quite nicely, since Erik appears to be in better health, so now they all feel like they can talk away again. ]
no subject
What else did you get up to yesterday? ( he turns his attention back to erik. he'd left them for no more than a day and a half. )
no subject
But perhaps he exacerbated things between them instead, because now she seems to be slightly upset that Erik has taken up an interest in her brother, which. Okay, fair, but it wasn't like she hadn't been interested in him either. ]
Mostly we played games. But nobody else wants to play chess with me. Just you, darling.
[ Sean cuts in to explain that it's because Erik's too good at chess and it's no fun to play against him. ]
You won't play me in Risk, either.
no subject
What about parcheesi? Or Snakes and Ladders? I'm sure the kids would love that. ( too simple and childish for erik, he supposes. he sees raven giving him another roll of her eyes. ) What? ( he knows what she's going to say before she even says it. that she's not a kid. ) Well, I practically raised you. ( he swallows down the last bit of his scone before drinking some tea. ) You're always going to be a kid to me. My baby sister. ( and there she goes, grabbing hank's hand and leaving the table. ) Oh, come on. Raven. ( he's not making the effort to get up from his seat though, not really wanting to leave erik's side. he's too tired. he doesn't want to get into another stupid argument with her this early in the day. he sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. )
I swear, I don't know what's gotten into her lately.
no subject
Which is unfortunate, because she wanted everyone to see her as a grown woman, which is one of the reasons she'd come onto Erik in the first place. But he had no intention of seeing her in a romantic way, which is what she apparently thought she needed, as an adult.
But she'll learn, someday. ]
Should I go after her?
no subject
Not unless you want to ruin her moment with Hank. ( he refocuses his attention back on his breakfast, pouring himself more tea. )
I'll talk to her later. ( alex lets out a scoff saying that it better be later. knowing the two, they're probably at it again. ) Right, Alex. Thank you. ( he gives him a weary sort of look. things no one needs to know. thankfully, sean starts talking to them about the 'alfred hitchcock hour' episodes that he's been watching, regaling them with the stories. charles lets out a soft laugh as he listens to sean's exaggerated retellings. he's seen some of those episodes and he's fairly sure half of what sean's claiming happened hadn't happened at all. )
no subject
I think you dreamed that one up.
[ He can't help but interject. ]
No need to feel ashamed about it, but I'm sure that only happened in your nightmares, Sean.
[ He quickly pops the last bite of his scone in his mouth so that Alex can take away his plate. Aside from the stitches on his neck, this is a perfectly normal morning with all of them. ]
no subject
charles lifts his hand up to sort of ruffle erik's hair when he teases sean, continuing to massage the man's scalp with his fingers as he rests his elbow on the back of erik's chair, listening to the exchange between the two. it's really amusing, and adorable. )
Let's get you upstairs, darling. ( the thought is sent to erik after a good few minutes. moira's left a little while ago. the two boys are off to play a game of tennis outside and it's just them now. charles leans in to press a kiss to erik's lips. he tastes of lemon and strawberries. sweet. charles reaches to get another fresh strawberry from the table and pops that into his mouth before he gets up, helping erik to a stand. )
no subject
You were saying about a shower?
[ Because Erik does think he could use one, but he also thinks that they ought to take one together. And maybe he could convince Charles to work off a little bit of the tension that they'd been feeling lately. ]
no subject
I just don't want you slipping and cracking your head open. ( he slides his arm around erik's waist as they head up the stairs together. ) You are trouble, you know that? ( it's only a small complain. for the most part, charles happens to like erik too much for his own good. despite the fact erik's stayed put so far, he still thinks it's only a matter of time before he decides to leave. it's not something charles wants to dwell on. in fact, he hates thinking about it, but it's partly the reason why he's been hesitant to take this a step further. he's a fool attempting to guard his own heart from a man who already owns a great chunk of it. )
no subject
He would still prefer to wait and make it a romantic outing when they first make love, but they don't have to do too much today, especially since Charles will most likely be berating Erik for not watching out for his neck. ]
I am. And I won't. But you should help me make sure.
[ Once upstairs, he wastes no time in disrobing, feeling comfortable, only feeling a little bit in pain. Nothing out of the normal. ]
no subject
Alright, come on. Let's get you cleaned up. ( he simply goes to lean on the wall next to the shower at first, arms crossed over his chest, keeping close enough that he can reach erik in case he suddenly feels faint, concerned about that because they did release him from the hospital a day earlier than necessary. ) Ah. ( he smiles warmly at erik, meeting his eyes. charles knows what he's thinking. or he can make a pretty good guess. ) Were you hoping I'd be of more help? ( he reaches for the bar of soap then, offering it to the man, waiting to see what he'll do. )
no subject
Apparently not. ]
Maybe just a little.
[ But he does take the soap, and starts to wash himself with it. ]
I'm feeling fine, though. I won't just fall down and hit my head. Promise.
no subject
It's not that I am not interested, you know. It’s just… ( he gestures to the bandage on erik’s neck. ) I am very concerned about you. And that sort of overrides everything else I’m feeling or should be feeling. So please don't take offense that I'm not wanting to get naked with you. You are gorgeous. ( he works the soap into a nice thick lather with his hands before depositing it in the plastic tray and helping erik in the shower. charles gives his arms and his shoulders a nice rub, getting rid of any tension there, letting erik lean against him if he wants. )
I should have probably run you a bath instead.
you have the record for most edits lmao
[ But he appreciates Charles being here, as he might demonstrate from leaning into him, even though he's clothed. Erik's kind of a menace, but he's a cute one. ]
Offense taken anyway, because you needn't worry about me, Charles. I've survived worse than a fight with Hank.
[ And he does heave a long sigh when Charles rubs his shoulders, and Charles might be able to physically feel the tension leave his body. He gets a whiff of the cologne that's hanging between Charles' chest and his shirt, and it makes him feel safe and cared-for. He doesn't bother to mask those thoughts, or how much he cares for Charles in turn. ]
omg! look, look. i edit with love, k. dwi. ;;
I'm not having you strain your neck and risk having you bleed all over again. Do you know the doctor was against letting you leave? If I hadn't convinced him that you'd be properly cared for back home, you'd still be there. ( ranting now as he picks up a loofah, he adds more soap to it before he scrubs erik's back with it. he sucks in a breath to calm himself before murmuring an apology against erik's temple. he then shuts up and makes quick work of giving erik a thorough washing from head to toe before shampooing his hair. )
You know, Erik. I think this might be the longest shower you've ever taken. You're always so quick about it. ( whereas charles takes at least thirty minutes. well, if not more when he needs to shave. he gives the man's scalp a good massage as he works the shampoo in. at this point, charles' clothes is thoroughly soaked, but whatever. he's not minding it one bit. he just wants to get erik cleaned up and ready for a good lie down in bed. )
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)