shipping | open + overflow post

Really?

[ He lights up a bit, but he's drunk so his eyes remain a little bit tired. ]

We'll have to talk about it in the morning.

[ He knows Charles has the funds and the pull, but he's worried if they'll be able to actually follow through with this. Though, the fact that Charles didn't dismiss him out of hand and thinks it's a good idea does help things quite a lot.

He's maybe wishing he hadn't drunk so much. ]

Yes, really. We'll talk about it more whenever you want. ( charles takes erik's glass away from him and puts it away, but not before stealing one final sip. )

All right. Time for bed, my darling. No more drinking or you're going to be hungover all day tomorrow. ( he runs his fingers through erik's hair before cupping a hand over his cheek. ) At least, you are an adorable sleepy drunk and not a rowdy one. ( he smiles at him. between the two of them, he's fairly sure he can drink erik under the table. )

Fine.

[ He gives Charles a quick kiss, and then stands up so he can get ready for bed, which mostly involves stripping himself of his clothes and changing into pajamas.

Now that he sleeps in Charles' room, it's pretty simple to get changed and climb into bed, but sometimes he helps Charles get in, too. ]

Are you coming also?

[ Every night, Erik wakes up like clockwork to shift Charles' legs for him in his sleep, so he doesn't have to get up and do it himself. ]

( he'd like to finish working on his paper a bit more, but it's started drizzling outside and the thought of working alone in his study, and having to deal with the cold, and the aches in his back that comes along with rainy weather has him wanting to just get into bed with erik in order to keep warm. )

Yes. ( charles reverses his wheelchair and follows after erik. ) Do you think we should build us a bedroom downstairs? There's space in the back. ( hank's installed one of those chair lifts for the stairs which charles is happy to use, but occasionally whenever he works late into the night, sometimes he just ends up sleeping on the couch in the study, too lazy to head all the way upstairs. )

Yes. I could do that.

[ But he does like this one, and he doesn't mind carrying Charles up the stairs, either with his powers or in his arms. But he understand that Charles would like the freedom to move around. Erik would hate being confined in any way.

Once he's in his pajamas, he goes over to the side of the bed so he can properly get Charles into it. Mostly, he thinks he likes this part better than Charles does. ]

We'll draft up plans tomorrow. It'll be a big day.

( it might be a bit of a struggle, but charles can get himself into bed without erik's help. he knows though if he even attempts to do it on his own that erik will stop whatever it is he's doing, and so he waits, pretending to take his time with taking his medications and supplements. then when erik comes over, he lets him fuss over getting him settled into bed. since charles prefers to sleep with his head and neck raised above his body these days, there's two pillows for his back and head, another pillow for him to rest his legs on top of, another one to hug to his chest, and then finally, there's erik. charles will pull erik to him, letting the man find a comfortable spot to sleep next to him. )

Hank will be excited for a new project. ( not that he isn't already working on some sort of exercise machine for charles. his friend is worried about his muscles atrophying. charles is truly thankful to them both for all they've been doing for him. he hates feeling like such a burden, but he tries not to think about it that way. they've already been through that whole period of him being difficult and insisting that he can do everything on his own only to get temperamental and upset every few minutes over something or other. he's a lot more settled now. )

Hm. I really don't think I can ever get used to sleeping on my own again. ( despite all the extra pillows he's accumulated, most of which will likely end up on the floor by morning, erik's the best addition to this bed of his. )

[ Once he's got Charles settled in, he goes to the other side in order to get into the bed himself, and curls up to Charles because that's just how he likes to sleep. He sort of hates having so many pillows underneath him, but it makes them both at eye level, which is excellent for late-night talks and the occasional kiss or two, so it more than makes up for the annoyance in sleeping so high up. ]

Luckily, you won't have to as long as I'm here.

[ That was another reason he wants to work out his issues with feeling like maybe he doesn't belong here at the school. Because Charles is here, and Erik is very much in love. And when that's the case, he feels like he can shift worlds around. ]

Charles, is this comfortable?

[ He nuzzles into the crook of Charles' neck, arm draped around him, but careful not to crush his legs. ]

With you by my side, Erik, always. ( that's what erik had said to charles on the beach in cuba. that he wanted him by his side, to which he'd responded with: then come home with me, please -- which erik did, much to his and everyone else's surprise. he really didn't think he'd be able to get through to him anymore, but it was probably the shock of him getting shot that put a stop to all that unnecessary fighting. charles smiles and hugs erik to him, wrapping both arms around the man. )

Are you comfortable? ( he knows the pillows might be a bit much, but usually halfway through the night, he'll start tossing it away and end up using erik as a human pillow. it's just a lot easier for him to get to sleep like this. otherwise, he feels like he's trapped or suffocating and he doesn't really want to rely on sleeping pills to go to sleep because sometimes erik has nightmares or the children has nightmares and he wants to be there for them. )

[ Erik isn't uncomfortable, but he's not the most comfortable. It's all right. He'd much rather be in this position with Charles than not, and he gets sleep just fine just like this. ]

Yes. As long as I have you in my arms.

[ Or, arm, as it were. He never used to sleep with any partners like this, but something about Charles really brings out the romantic in him. Especially when he's only just sobering up a little. ]

I love you.

[ He says this into Charles' shoulder, but he says it nonetheless. ]

( it might be a cheat that he's a telepath so he knows erik's feelings for him are completely genuine, and that he's not just feeding him with some lie out of pity. he had worried a lot about erik sticking around out of guilt, but even so he never once tried to push him away. that's something charles would never do because he loves erik, and he would never want to hurt him like that. despite losing complete use of his legs, charles is still very much an independent person, and if anything, hank always has to remind him that he ought to let erik help him out a bit. )

Well, I love you more. So much more. ( it's said sort of playfully and affectionately as he presses a kiss to the top of erik's head. ) You are my favorite person in the world, Erik Lehnsherr. ( who would've thought? charles knows he would do anything for erik. perhaps it's a dangerous sort of love, to be willing to look past his every transgression; to know that no matter what, he'll never give up on him. he's never felt this way for anyone else. he doesn't think he ever will again. )

Wrong.

[ He taps Charles' mouth as if to silence him, but it's gentle. He's sobering up but he's still a bit drunk. ]

You can't quantify love.

[ He figures if anyone would actually know, it is Charles. Or perhaps Emma, because she's a third party and therefore, not biased towards Charles' feelings, but he'd never want Emma to read their minds for that. ]

But you're also my favorite person in the world, Charles Xavier.

[ There's a sleepy little grin at Charles' neck. ]

( charles lets out a soft chuckle at erik's response. well, they're both not wrong. but yes, love shouldn't be quantified. he takes erik's hand in his, grasping hold of it. )

Go to sleep now, Erik. ( he says that in a serious tone before he cheekily adds: ) I love you immeasurably. ( because that's allowed, yes? he presses a kiss to erik's knuckles. ) Always. Sweet dreams, my darling.

( charles usually waits for erik to go to sleep first, listening to the sound of his breathing. it soothes, calms and relaxes him in many ways. erik seems to feel most at peace right before he falls asleep. charles has a habit of sleeping in so his classes are usually scheduled for after ten in the morning. erik's classes are mostly scheduled in the afternoon, but he does have an early class tomorrow at eleven. charles thinks about waking up a bit early tomorrow. maybe he'll tell hank to help bring up a breakfast tray for them. )

[ The kiss seems to unfurl Erik's hand, and he places it on Charles' cheek, moving away from where he's situated in the hollow space between Charles' neck and his shoulder to kiss at his chin, and at the corner of his mouth. ]

Sweet dreams, shefele.

[ He murmurs this sleepily, as if the drink has accelerated his tumble into a sleeping state. He settles back in, and almost immediately falls asleep. He dreams of warm things, no doubt aided by the press of Charles against him, wakes up in the middle of the night to help Charles shift his legs, and looks at him adoringly in the dead of night until he falls asleep again, this time waking up to maybe an empty bed. He'd be much happier if it were filled, but he would also take comfort in feeling the chair out and about, too. ]

Erik, you're awake. Just in time then. ( charles is looking awfully chipper this morning. he's freshly showered, his hair slightly wet still, but he's already dressed for the day. he wheels his chair in with hank walking in behind him, a breakfast tray in hand. )

I was just telling Hank about your idea to build a home, no, a community for mutants. ( hanks lets out a sheepish smile as he puts the tray at the edge of the bed. ) But we'll talk later. Thank you, Hank. I'll see you back downstairs after class. ( charles reaches for the raisin bun and he tears a piece off to chew on as he looks at erik, smiling a little. )

You had a good sleep. ( no nightmares. he leans forward, expecting erik to give him a kiss before he sets about pouring erik a cup of coffee. ) Do you mind letting in some light? ( the curtains should be pulled back. )

Emma made raisin buns. It's really good. ( there's also french toasts, crispy bacon and sausages, and baked beans courtesy of hank. luckily for erik, charles hadn't been the one cooking this morning. )

[ Lucky him. He sits up and it's good that Hank is gone because he doesn't wear a shirt to sleep in, and barely any pants. He waves his hand and the ends of the curtain pulls make themselves useful by floating up to draw them and let light flood in.

The kiss is over too soon, but he replaces it with a mouthful of raisin bun. He'll have some french toast too, but that's generally made with milk so all the meats are for Charles. ]

Did everyone get up before me? Guess I should lay off the drink.

Not fair that Logan can't get hangovers.

[ Nothing a spot of coffee can't fix. The light is giving him a bit of a headache, but he ignores it and presses on. ]

What time is it?

Mm. Everyone's awake. It's nine. ( the food for erik's placed on a separate plate from charles because hank knows what erik can and can't eat. charles is mostly chewing on the raisin bun because it's still too early for him to have much of an appetite for anything else, even if hank is insisting that he needs to get more protein in him. )

I did some exercises with Hank this morning. It was exhausting. ( he makes a face. gone are the days when he used to be the first person up to go for a morning run. now he feels like one of his students. )

( he puts his food down and wheels himself to the other side of the bed, telling erik to lift the tray up before he hops on and gets himself comfortable next to erik, resting his back on a few pillows. he lifts his hands up to gently press his fingers to erik's temple, giving it a light massage. )

You should stop drinking so much. You know you can't handle your drinks as well as I can. ( always so proud of the fact. not that he should be drinking too much either what with the medications he has to be on. mostly for pain management. )

Edited (aksdjgfklf oops) 2022-10-04 04:21 (UTC)

Well, maybe I'm just trying to build up my tolerance so I can keep up with you.

[ But he is appreciating the light massage and leans into the touch as if he's a cat. He's certainly feeling catlike this morning, like he needs a long stretch and another nap. Some days that's all he wants to do, and he's sure if he requested it, that Charles would indulge him in such a break, but only after several I-told-you-so's.

But no, he should really get up and exercise before it's time to teach. It should wake him right up, now that the weather's finally gotten a little chilly outside. ]

What are you teaching today?

[ Erik doesn't even know why he offers morning classes, since he's not a morning person. Charles, however, is definitely a morning person, and should absolutely take over all the teaching before noon. ]

Then you needn't be trying to outdrink Logan of all people. That's just asking for trouble. ( he moves his hand down to massage the base of erik's neck, looking to get rid of all his little aches. when he spots the opportunity, charles leans over to steal a bite from erik's raisin bun before continuing. )

I'm teaching English Lit this morning. We'll be reading and discussing the first two chapters of Great Expectations. You're welcome to sit in if you'd like. ( he suspects erik will likely choose to sleep in a bit more, judging from how sleepy he already looks. he puts a pillow over his lap and gets erik to lay his head on it as he continues to massage his scalp. )

Emma says she'll be fine to take over your class for the day.

[ Charles can have the rest of his raisin bun if he wants. Erik would mostly just like a lot of coffee and some pastry to nibble on, and the toast is enough. ]

No, no, I'll teach. I just have to clean up, that's all.

[ He wanted a kiss but he'll happily melt into Charles' hands instead as a scalp massage is offered. ]

I'm not a big fan of Dickens. I find him too wordy. I can even tell when in your thesis you've paused to read him; your sentences tend to go on for ages after.

( charles lets out a chuckle at hearing that. ) Is that so? Well, what do you suggest we read then? Perhaps I'll take it into consideration.

Hemingway's a dry read. What about Woolf? Or Eliot?

[ Erik gets up and immediately has to hold his head still. ]

Have you read Knowles' "A Separate Peace"? You might like it. It's fairly recent, published maybe three years ago.

Not a classic, but maybe someday.

[ He's going to need more of that coffee. ]

I'm going to take a shower. No chance you care to join me, then?

I don't think I have. I'm going to the bookstore on Friday, so maybe I'll look for it. ( he points to his wheelchair then. ) But join you in the shower with this? ( he smiles at erik, amused, but adoringly so. ) Maybe if Hank ever gets to finishing that serum he keeps harping on about, I'll get the use of my legs again someday. ( they've had the talk about whether or not the serum's a good idea since it's experimental and risky, but charles is adamant about giving it a try if hank ever gets it finished. he wraps his arms around erik then and presses a kiss to his cheek, and then once more on the tip of his nose before giving him a good and proper kiss. there's so much he wants to do with erik, really, but there's limits to what he can and can't do, and what he wants to do even, but he thinks they're managing just fine so far. )

I'd get you a seat. We really should build a ledge into the shower so that you can use it.

[ He accepts Charles' kisses and then kisses him soundly as well. When it breaks, he covers Charles's cheek and temple and jawline with kisses, pressing a last one to his shoulder before getting up out of bed where it's nice and warm and comfortable, and making his way to the bathroom.

He's done very quickly, and comes back out to dress, holding up shirt options for Charles to pick for him. ]

I told you I'd be ready to teach.

( he raises his eyebrows slightly as he's kissing erik, thinking about that brilliant idea to build a ledge into the shower. perhaps they can do that for the new bedroom downstairs. he keeps his hold on erik's hand when the man gets up out of bed, not quite wanting to let him go just yet, the tips of his fingers hooking on erik's for a bit before he watches him go, sort of wishing he could follow along. even though, really, he's got a class to teach soon. honestly, he shouldn't be filling his head with inappropriate thoughts about erik at this hour of the morning.

by time erik gets out, charles is back in his wheelchair and he's poured a fresh cup of coffee for the man. he picks the white shirt. he likes seeing erik in lighter, brighter colors. )

We really need to get you more clothes. How about we do that this weekend? ( charles' clothes only take up half the wardrobe space, so there's plenty of room for erik's things. they can head out in the afternoon to the shops, and also to the tailor's to get erik some new suits. ) I was thinking we could have a nice dinner on Friday and sleep in the next morning. ( he helps erik with the buttons on his shirt just as hank pokes his head in to remind charles that he's got a class in ten minutes. hank tells erik to meet him downstairs for a chat about all the stuff he's been proposing, and charles gives erik a smile of encouragement. )

Sure. I'll get a nice suit for dinner. But let's talk about it later, after your class.

[ He sees Hank and gives him a little smile even though he's half shirtless. He also takes the opportunity to lean into Charles, because he does in fact like showing off that he's happy and in love. ]

Now go teach.

[ He lingers a bit after Charles finishes buttoning him up, and then he goes to take the tray downstairs and so that he can talk to Hank. But before he does, he steals another kiss, quick and easy, and then heads to the kitchen.

As he explained, he'd be teaching his morning class, but he's definitely pounded a few coffees and escaped Emma's inappropriate questions a few times by then. The conversation with Hank goes well, so does his class, though he can be found in an armchair in the library having a nap for lunch later. ]

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