slash4femme | Once and Future (Fanfiction-X-Men) (Reply)

Title: Once and Future

Author: slash4femme

Pairing: Charles/Erik

Universe: X-Men (original trilogy)

Rating: PG

Warning: none

Summery: quiet evenings together on the couch.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the setting only the plot is mine.

Notes: not beta'd sorry. Written because I needed some post- Days of Future Past, newly retconned "modern" universe fluff.

They curl up together on the couch most nights. It’s one of those things they both love but neither talk about.

Charles arranges himself carefully, making sure he won’t end up with cramps from straining the wrong thing and that he can still transfer into his chair when he needs to. Erik lets him get settled before he curls himself next to Charles.

On really good days they watch the evening news together. Keeping current on world events is important to both of them and when they pull it off without the entire dissolving into anger, ill thought out words, it feels like the old days. Like going back to a time when disagreeing about politics did not spell danger as much as the thrill of having someone to argue against.

A ritual of sorts, a truce; a ceasefire for a war they are no longer fighting and one Erik thinks most days they can't ever stop. Some of the staff seem to understand that, some of them don't. Erik doesn't really care, Charles understands, and that's what's important.

Because they are who they are the majority of evenings find them both tired, heart sick or just plain irritable. Where turning on the news would mean a fight -- with the possibility of damage they won't be able to undo.

Nonsense, Charles says once, there is no such thing as damage we can't undo, not after all these years. As always Erik doesn't share his faith.

Rather than putting it a test they choose to just read most of the time, side by side leaning against each other.

Erik has taken to ereaders, tablets and smartphones like it’s second nature, like he’s always had one in his hands. While Charles understands their usefulness and even some of the appeal, but still prefers his books make out of paper. They are slowly coming around the joys of audiobook too.

Charles purchased The Once and Future King by T.H. White narrated by Naville Jason, who they both found quite charming as a narrator. Jason did different voices for each of the characters something that made Erik smile especially at the ridiculous ones. Charles would nudge Erik’s shoulder with his own as Erik tries to hide his grin behind his hand. He would take that hand in his, tangle their fingers together as they listened.

Sometimes Erik would get an expression somewhere between knowing and amused. Then he leans forward, well into Charles’ space, close enough that his breath touched along Charles’ neck, caressing the curl of his ear. Only to have Erik whisper something completely banal and sit back laughing at how Charles stiffens and blushes.

Because Erik is a bad man, who Charles should know better than to trust with truly anything pertaining to his person and well being.

He would let Erik but his arm around him though. Let Erik settle more comfortably beside him so they were even closer than before. Erik’s free hand would curl around Charles’, both of their hands resting on Charles’ knee. He might pretend like he doesn’t notice any of this, but of course he does, and it makes him smile.