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“Argh!” Heavy footsteps approach the bed closest to the door after it slams shut with a bang.
Erik looks at the boy sprawled on his messy mattress, his face buried in pillows, his irritable mutterings muffled.
“Hey,” the older man calls out to Charles, leaving his desk to sit next to the dark-haired boy who is still muttering curses. “What happened to my boy?”
“I was kicked out of class by the teacher!”
Woah. Erik certainly didn't expect that.
“What do you mean? You? Charles Francis Xavier?”
Charles snorted, seeming to take a deep breath before removing the pillow that covered his entire upper body with tense hands, looking at the German. Erik could feel his heart breaking at the sight of his boyfriend's red face, his cheeks swollen and apparently wet with tears of frustration and anger.
“Alex and Sean were talking throughout the entire class, annoying as always.” Blue eyes were turbulent with mixed feelings. Erik blamed himself for finding them fascinating even at a time like this. “I could tell the teacher was getting annoyed with the situation even with her back to the class, so I turned to face them directly. It turns out they started making fun of me, and when I was about to respond in kind, Mrs. McTaggert turned to us and thought I was involved in the situation. The three of us were removed from the classroom, and I did nothing but try to pay attention!”
The little British boy's eyes were red, filled with tears, and his stuttering voice betrayed his obvious annoyance.
Erik, who was practically resting his hands on Charles' hips, bent down and leaned in, their faces so close that he couldn't help but kiss the tip of the boy's triangular nose beneath him.
“It was unfair what she did to you, without giving you the benefit of the doubt to explain yourself, especially since everyone knows what kind of student you are.”
“It was so embarrassing, Erik.” The two stared at each other, and Charles could feel the empathy and calm he had sought so much in his boyfriend's gray eyes. “All the students staring at me, seeming to judge me mentally as if...”
The younger man covered his face with his hands as he shook his head, taking a deep breath to compose himself.
Erik adjusted his own body and Charles's, moving him closer to the corner of the mattress, then lying down on the bed himself, pulling his boy into a tight embrace, resting his head on his chest. Erik brought one hand to the top of his boyfriend's head, beginning to stroke his wavy brown hair.
They didn't need to talk much; the Xavier family was the type to vent, but then appreciate a moment of silence to put their thoughts in order. Erik knew this well; they had been through enough similar situations to know how to act.
--/--
The next day, Charles woke up alone in Erik's bed, missing his constant warmth.
“Erik...?”
He rested his hands on the mattress and sat up, looking around the room. They lived in a boarding school in Westchester, and the room they had shared for almost two years was not exactly luxurious, but it was certainly well designed, after all, they were at the best school in town. For Charles, though, a place like that was useless if his boyfriend wasn't there to share the moment with him.
After all, it was 6:20 in the morning. What the hell was Lehnsherr doing outside the room?
He was about to grumble as he got up and walked to the bathroom when two knocks on the door were heard. Charles paused for a moment. Two more faint knocks on the door. He needed to know what it was.
“Good morning... Charles.”
Alex?!
“Hey...”
Sean!?
What was going on?
“We just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday in the classroom...” The blond boy looked shy, scratching the back of his neck slightly, looking at Sean as if he expected the redhead to speak up too.
“Yeah...! That's right! We'll tell the teacher the truth as soon as classes start. Don't worry. Please forgive us.”
The way the two boys practically begged for his forgiveness was definitely the most surprising part of the whole scene. Charles was so absorbed that he barely noticed the brown eyes of the freckled boy turn attentively toward the interior of the dormitory, then look back at him as if he had never looked away.
“I-I...”
"We won't talk during class anymore, we won't bother you ever again!
"If you need us for anything, just ask, really!
Okay. Erik had something to do with that.
Trying hard not to roll his eyes and snort, Charles relaxed his body, giving a comforting smile to the frightened-looking boys.
“It's all right, boys. I am grateful for your good deed. You may return to your rooms.”
The expression on their faces could only be described as pure relief. They nodded and left, expressing their gratitude.
--/--
Erik returned to the room less than thirty minutes later as if nothing had happened.
“Good morning, my boy.” He approached from behind his boyfriend, who was sitting at the desk, seemingly taking notes in his notebook. He buried his face in the curve of Charles' neck, inhaling lightly before planting kisses on his pale skin. “What are you doing up so early, prince?”
“I could ask you the same question.” Trying to ignore the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end from the proximity, he turned to face Erik, his expression stern. “Where were you?”
“I woke up early for my morning run,” he replied simply with a small smile. “That way we'd have more time together before class started.”
“You know I don't like lies, Erik.”
The older man's expression closed in question.
“I'm not lying, prince.” He crouched down, holding his boyfriend's hands with a soft voice. “Can't you see I'm wearing my running clothes?”
“Then what were Alex and Sean doing at our door at six in the morning begging for my forgiveness for what happened yesterday afternoon?” Charles saw the moment when Erik realized what had happened with his heavy sigh and strong roll of his eyes. “Erik, I can't believe you did that!”
“I couldn't let you get hurt because of those two idiots, Charles.”
“I didn't want you to intimidate them!” The smaller man separated his hands from Erik's, looking him firmly in the eyes. “I didn't want you to do any of that, damn it! I just needed to vent to my boyfriend.”
“Charles, you have no idea how bad it is to see you in that state. If it were the other way around, I know I would do something about it too.”
“Sure, but I wouldn't scare those boys the way you did.” Erik seemed speechless at the quick response he received. “And on top of that, you lied to me just now.”
“No.” He denied calmly, shaking his head, searching for his boy's small, soft hands. "I told the truth, Prince. I was rushing at the last minute. I spoke to those bastards last night after you fell asleep. I told them to apologize, but I didn't think they would do it at this time of the morning. I expected them to make a public confession in the school hallway, but apparently I wasn't clear enough."
“Erik...”
“Listen.” He stood up, pulling Charles to sit on his lap after he had relaxed on the mattress of the bed. "I am the son of your family's head of security. I grew up admiring you and knowing that my job would always be to protect you, no matter the situation. I feel like the luckiest boy in the world to have you as my boyfriend, but I will still follow my duty. I can't look at you like that, so sad, and just stand by and do nothing about it."
Erik was serious (which sometimes made the younger man wonder if his boyfriend was really only eighteen or had been faking his age all this time), but in such a sweet way that Charles knew he couldn't resist, especially since he only spoke like that to him and no one else.
“I don't like it when you do things like that, dear.” His tone was downcast, but much less accusatory and angry than before. The gray-eyed man smiled inwardly at this.
“I know, and I'm sorry, okay?” Charles felt warm fingers caress his slim waist, being looked up at from below as he sat on the taller man's thighs. “I shouldn't have acted that way, I'll try to take it easier next time.”
Charles laughed, shaking his head slightly, his arms wrapped around his boyfriend's neck.
“I think it's unlikely there will be a next time. You know, you really scared them, honey.”
Erik smiled broadly, a smile so big and proud that Charles couldn't help but laugh softly, leaning his forehead against Erik's before they exchanged a simple kiss, filled with emotion.