XMFC/After School Special

[diecastking]

The first day of school is chaos.

Breakfast is a riot but Alex somehow gets the teeming hoards toast and cereal before class. Erik has a free first period, so he runs around the grounds and showers before his first lesson of the day: Seventh Grade (or First Form, as Charles insists on calling it).

The eleven-year-olds are somewhat in awe of him as he draws a map of Europe on the blackboard and starts laying out the alliances preceding World War I. Charles has given him free rein to choose his curriculum and he has a penchant for modern history. There won't be much Mayflower in his teachings.

After a strong cup of coffee, Erik teaches the Eleventh Grade about the economics behind the Wall Street Crash. He doesn't have a chance to catch Charles at lunch before he meets with his House. These are the students that he's supposed to see for two hours per week and coach through their powers. He'd already decided that he would have the field behind the orchard for this purpose.

The House of Silver (he would not listen when Alex said that silver wasn't a real colour) is comprised of students from all years with differing abilities. After learning their names and what they believed of their power, Erik goes through some basic exercises with them, sounding out how much control they have and how at ease they are with their abilities.

"Mr Lensherr," one of the children - a boy called Tommy - asks nervously, "what can you do?"

Which leads to Erik twirling the satellite dish like a ballerina and several rounds of applause. Embarrassing. Also, exhausting. He's getting too old for this.

He doesn't see Charles at dinner either but he finally flees to the quiet of the drawing room, just resting his eyes for a second.

Comments

[guideshapelead]

//Hush now// Charles laughs, before slowly letting himself back into the minds of the children. He doesn't want them to think he's appeared out of nowhere, rather, they just gradually come to accept his presence among them.

Clapping his hands to get their attention, he looks pointedly at the staircase.

"Bedtime."

[diecastking]

When the children simply stare at them and make a half-hearted attempt to move, Erik clears his throat and looks pointedly at the bannister.

Suddenly, there's a mass exodus up the stairs. It's good to know he can still incite fear.

[guideshapelead]

//What did you do?!// Charles demands, rather startled by the effect a cough can have on the children.

[diecastking]

Erik's expression softened.

//Looked stern// he shrugs.

[guideshapelead]

Watching the children disappear upstairs as if the hall were filling with toxic gas, Charles shakes his head in silent admiration.

"Now, where were we?"

[diecastking]

//I believe I was promising you a sleepless night and the speedy removal of your clothes// Erik considers mildly, standing a respectable distance away and moving Charles' chair towards the lift.

[guideshapelead]

Charles laughs, relaxing and letting Erik do the work of moving his chair.

//You tell me off if I don't sleep//

[diecastking]

Erik walks casually into the lift beside him.

//You can nod off during that boring genetics lesson tomorrow with that Professor fellow//

[guideshapelead]

That gains Erik a scowl from Charles, arms crossing over his chest.

//My lessons are not boring//

[diecastking]

//Raven tells me your thesis used to send her to sleep//

The lift stops. Erik guides Charles out with his hand. He won't let on that he quite enjoyed Charles' thesis and thought his conclusion inspired.

[guideshapelead]

//Raven's my sister, you're my partner// Charles points out the difference between the two of them.

//She's not expected to be nice to me//

[diecastking]

Erik grins.

//No one told me that was a requirement. I might have to rethink the whole arrangement//

The door to their bedroom opens invitingly, but Erik holds it open for Charles regardless.

[guideshapelead]

"Such a gentleman," Charles grins, taking control of his chair to move himself through the door and into their bedroom.

It's strange to think that the house is full of children, chatting in whispers in their dormitories. That's going to take some getting used to. Charles is still thinking about the he and Erik pretty much having the house to themselves.

[diecastking]

"You're getting distracted again," Erik says, reminding him with his voice that he's actually in the room.

"Am I not compelling enough for you?"

He shuts the door and locks it with a smile.

[guideshapelead]

"Sorry," Charles apologises, looking a little sheepish as he turns his full attention on Erik, showing him that he's not about to drift into some sort of seizure.

"I was just thinking about how many people are in this house now. We'll have to be quiet."

[diecastking]

Erik grins wickedly.

"We wouldn't want to frighten the children, would we?"

[guideshapelead]

"They're teenagers, Erik," Charles rolls his eyes as he lifts himself up onto the bed.

"They won't be scared. They'll be embarrassed."

[diecastking]

Erik wastes no time in crawling all over him.

"Perhaps you should read me your thesis?" Erik says innocently. "Send me straight to sleep."

[guideshapelead]

"Do you remember that conversation we just had?" Charles raises his eyebrows.

"The one where I told you you had to be nice to me?"

[diecastking]

Erik sends an image into Charles' mind, one of his lover sitting at his desk, reading.

And exactly how Erik feels when he sees it. //Change your mind?//

[guideshapelead]

//I think you should kiss me now// Charles decides, opening up his arms for Erik to fall into.

[diecastking]

Erik happily obliges, kissing Charles thoroughly and deeply. He knows he will never tire of this.

//To Homo neanderthalensis, his mutant cousin Homo sapien was an aberration. Peaceful cohabitation, if ever it existed, was short-lived//

[guideshapelead]

There's silence between them for a second, before Charles pulls back to look quizzically up at his lover. He's sure he's not read any of his thesis to the other man before.

"Have you been reading my thesis?"

[diecastking]

Erik nuzzles Charles' neck.

"I thought I should prepare for the immediate extinction of my less evolved kin."

[guideshapelead]

"I think we're a long way from that, yet," Charles shakes his head, still surprised to find Erik's been reading his own work. His only real critic outside his university tutors and peers had been his sister, and she had used his papers as a sleep aid.