ionic: ((xfc) eye contact)
[personal profile] ionic
I think this got me over the angst writing block I've had for a while, so hopefully now I can get a handle on the scenes of other things I want to write. I'm rubbish at dealing with my own feelings, so the solution is evidently to write about mutants who are also, um, bad at dealing with their feelings. Enjoy?

Title: The Way I Danced With You
Rating: G
Pairing/Characters: Charles/Erik
Word Count: ~1000
Summary: Erik and Charles share one last dance.
Note: Slight canon divergence. Basically a movie coda. Inspired by the Ben Folds ft Rufus Wainwright version of "Careless Whisper".




Erik doesn't sleep for forty-eight hours after he and Charles part ways. This is the duration Charles is unconscious in the hospital while recovering from surgery. Erik sent Azazel back to take Charles and the kids to Mount Sinai. Even if they are enemies now, Erik still doesn't wish harm upon him – upon any of them. Along with Raven, Erik checks into a hotel in the city. He calls up a favor owed to him by an old contact to keep an eye on Charles.

At last, Erik receives the message Charles has awoken. Raven retreats to her room, leaving Erik in his. They should leave then, but neither of them can quite face everyone else yet.

Instead, Erik sleeps, and when he does, he dreams.

--

Erik's back in the study Charles always favored, one out of many, though Erik never knew what made this one special and now, he supposes, he never will. The detail isn't important (except that inexplicably it is), doesn't keep everything from having a damnable sense of familiarity. He wonders, now that he has the freedom to do so, if familiarity would have ever become belonging, would have ever become home.

"I always liked this room most," Charles says, leaning against the door frame, suddenly just there. The words echo Erik's earlier thought; too close to be real. The image of Charles, all bright blue eyes, slightly rumpled hair and cardigan; too close to not be real.

"It is what you want it to be," Charles says. "Or rather, what we can agree upon."

"I'm sleeping," Erik says, the realization abrupt.

"You are. And I'm not," Charles says. "I don't wish to be invasive–"

"–but you don't mind that you are," Erik says.

Charles frowns. "I can go."

"Stay," Erik says hastily, somehow almost tripping over the one word.

"I don't know how long I can manage to, but I will," Charles says.

"I didn't want–" Erik starts.

"I know," Charles interrupts. "May I make a request? One that I hope you can, at least here, comply to."

The latter, careless comment sets Erik's teeth on edge. "Go ahead."

Charles walks over to start a record. The one and only song he and Charles ever danced to fills the room. Erik's heart constricts and his mouth goes dry as Charles' lips quirk at the edges into a smile. "One more time," he says softly, walking over to Erik and extending his hand.

It's difficult to breathe. The music and words hit like a punch to the gut. Normally pain is sharpened into something dangerous, which has over the years made it bearable and made him stronger. Not like this, not wrapped in something gentle enough to shatter his heart. He takes Charles' hand. "This once, I'll do this for you," he says.

"Thank you, my friend," Charles whispers, and he sounds like Erik feels, Charles' voice unsteady and breaking.

Erik first leads Charles through the simple dance moves, something like a waltz but more complicated and poorly timed. Charles' hand begins lightly held in Erik's, and at some point their fingers lace together, fitting tightly together like nothing could come between them right then. The record goes on for longer than Erik remembers it being, but he doesn't complain, instead lets everything shift so Charles leads now. There are missteps and they are both far from perfect in form. Erik doesn't care, nor does Charles.

From somewhere deep inside, Erik thinks that he could stay like this with Charles, could keep dancing with him here in this real and not real place, and maybe, just maybe, they could both find some kind of solace. He crushes the thought as soon as it surfaces; it's one he can't afford to have. Charles buries his face against Erik's shoulder, doesn't remark upon it though he probably heard it, felt it all the same. The music stops, but they keep moving slowly, because Erik doesn't know what will happen otherwise.

Too long, not long enough. Charles pulls back to look at Erik; he's still beautiful and his eyes are still like the brightest summer day Erik will ever know. Emboldened by having nothing else to lose and the benefit of solitude, Erik does what he never managed to do in reality, and presses his lips to Charles'. Charles gasps softly, then melts into Erik, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him back with as much, if not more, ardor than Erik gives him.

When they pull apart, they have stopped moving. There are so many things left unsaid and unfinished between them, but Erik can't bring anything else to the surface.

"Do you want–" Charles tries, chokes on the words, then manages, "–do you want to remember this?"

Yes. No. Erik wants to. But he can't.

Charles nods, an uncertain twist to his lips, and Erik kisses him again if only to stem the indecision. This belongs to Charles; it is not Erik's to keep. He knows what he'll have to do in the waking world from each day hereon out, what he can and can't carry with him.

Everything is dimming around the edges. The study shifts into something grayer and colder and not in America at all, much less Westchester, New York. Charles remains a second longer as everything else slips away.

"Goodbye," Erik says; to the moment, more so than to Charles. He'll see Charles again – an inevitability as long as they both draw breath. It just won't be this.

Charles says nothing, smiles sadly, and –

– with a jerk Erik comes awake. The pipes in the walls are creaking in an alarming fashion and the alarm clock next to his bed won't ever quite be the same. Someone pounds on his door and Erik stops. The sudden silence lets Erik hear Raven say his name tentatively, but he doesn't move, doesn't unlock the door either, the tumblers and pins fused together in the lock.

Erik tries to remember what he dreamed, but when he tries he realizes it has already slipped away. No trace remains, but he feels colder. Still exhausted, he goes back to sleep.

Charles isn't there.

Link to AO3.

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-09 03:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] winged_dreams.livejournal.com
Eeep mutant angst. <3 My favorite kind.

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-09 04:03 pm (UTC)
ext_11663: by flyingmachine on LJ ((xfc) charles - ready)
From: [identity profile] chiasmus.livejournal.com
Mine too! :D

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-09 03:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] enthroned.livejournal.com
SEE? YOU CAN DO ANGST.

Also

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaoLU6zKaws

/shot

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-09 04:02 pm (UTC)
ext_11663: by flyingmachine on LJ ((xfc) charles - ready)
From: [identity profile] chiasmus.livejournal.com
I STILL FEEL, IDK, SLIGHTLY INADEQUATE WITH IT. I NEED PRACTICE?

lololol one day, when magnets-are-neat-o least expects it, the sexy sax man will be there. 8D

also, random thought, I now kind-of want a fusion where Raven is a Vampire Slayer and Charles is her Watcher.
Edited Date: 2011-09-09 04:49 pm (UTC)

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-11 12:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pocky_slash.livejournal.com
UGH MY HEART D: D: D: WHY ARE THEY SO TRAGIC?

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-11 03:13 am (UTC)
ext_11663: by flyingmachine on LJ ((xfc) eye contact)
From: [identity profile] chiasmus.livejournal.com
THEIR STUPID FACES, ARGH. D:

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-11 08:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ovestedinterest.livejournal.com
ohhhh, this was so sweet and sad.

perfection!

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-12 04:21 am (UTC)
ext_11663: by flyingmachine on LJ ((xfc) make this go on)
From: [identity profile] chiasmus.livejournal.com
Thank you!

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-11 09:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realpestilence.livejournal.com
Erik, you're a coward. If Charles can bear to remember and lose, and still struggle towards his goals, so can you. ~glares

It had a good "dream-like" quality to it. Very sad and angsty, yet all too plausible. D:

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-12 04:42 am (UTC)
ext_11663: by flyingmachine on LJ ((xfc) eye contact)
From: [identity profile] chiasmus.livejournal.com
By himself, Erik fails at dealing with his feelings with any kind of moderation, while Charles is at least marginally more functional in that regard. D:

Thank you for reading!

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-12 12:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] krisomniac.livejournal.com
ohhhhh.... dear.

I love it. so angsty and wonderful.

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-12 04:43 am (UTC)
ext_11663: by flyingmachine on LJ ((xfc) chess)
From: [identity profile] chiasmus.livejournal.com
Thank you for reading!

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-13 12:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rubynye.livejournal.com
*cries and cries* The beauty of this is like a spear through the heart.
Edited Date: 2011-09-13 12:28 am (UTC)

(no subject)

Date: 2011-09-14 05:17 am (UTC)
ext_11663: by flyingmachine on LJ ((xfc) a moment)
From: [identity profile] chiasmus.livejournal.com
*offers tissue* :( ♥ Thank you for reading.

Profile

ionic: (Default)
esra

December 2021

S M T W T F S
   1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930 31 

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags