XMFC/Rebuilding Cerebro

[guideshapelead]

Charles is busy at work in his office, trying to finalise plans for turning the mansion into the school that's become his dream, when a knock comes at his door. Sensing for who his visitor is, the professor smiles when he recognises the feel of Hank's mind.

"Come on in," he calls, smiling up at his friend in the doorway. "Do you bring me good news?"

"I do." What passes for a smile crosses Beast's face. "I've finished all my tests. Cerebro is fully functional, once again, and the reach should be even greater than it was before."

"Wonderful, Hank, thank you!" Charles is already moving away from his desk, not wanting to waste another moment. He wants to test the device, right now. If it really is ready, then he and Erik can start their recruitment drive once again. They can have their school.

//Cerebro is ready// he sends the message to Erik before following Hank from his office, trusting his lover to meet them there.

Comments

[diecastking]

"Not as sorry..."

Erik shuts his eyes, holding Charles closer to him, and reins in his temper. Charles would berate him for hurting Hank and, God, he wishes Charles would wake up to shout at him.

"It's not your fault," he says, and finds that he means it.

[guideshapelead]

"All I adjusted was the strength, I didn't think..." Hank is apologising, trying to explain himself, regardless of Erik's forgiveness.

"The change was minute. He coped fine before. I didn't think it would affect him like this."

[diecastking]

Erik is aware their conversation is carrying, that Charles is still unconscious in his arms and he can hear Scott laughing in the kitchen.

"It's all right. Charles..." Erik falters. "Charles wanted this. Wants this."

[guideshapelead]

"Get him to bed," Hank suggests roughly, the conversation painful.

"I'll come and check he's awake in 10 minutes."

[diecastking]

Erik nods, fleeing from the children with his precious burden.

The lift can't move quickly enough and then he's marching towards their bedroom, swift but steady, trying not to jolt his lover.

Carefully, Erik lays Charles on the bed. He removes his shoes, laughing to himself. "No shoes on the bed."

Erik undoes Charles' shirt buttons, swallowing hard. "A bit different to the last time."

He removes his trousers and then carefully tucks the blankets over him, leaving him in undershirt and boxers.

"You're going to rave when you wake up, Charles," Erik says, pretending irritability. "You don't like to be...taken care of."

Erik carefully wraps his hands around Charles'. "Today, I'm taking care of you. No arguments."

Erik couldn't wait for him to wake up and argue with him.

[guideshapelead]

It's just under 10 minutes later that Charles starts to stir, his return to consciousness incredibly slow. For a while, he does little more than grunt softly, forehead creasing and relaxing, head twisting slowly from side to side.

When his eyes finally open, he looks confused and disoriented, not understanding how he's somehow moved from the basement to his bed.

[diecastking]

Erik resists the urge to sweep in as he notices signs of Charles waking, worried he might overwhelm him.

So, he watches anxiously until Charles opens his eyes and lets out a sigh of relief.

"Charles?" he says softly, placing his hand on Charles' head and stroking his hair.

[guideshapelead]

"I don't... where..." Charles can't get a hold of his thoughts, at all, the confusion not lifting, which in turn makes him more desperate to work out what's going on. He tries to sit up, but finds his body heavy as lead, every part of him aching.

"I'm... what... I don't..."

[diecastking]

"Shh," Erik says, laying a palm flat on Charles' chest as he cradles the back of his head. "Just lie still. You've...not been well."

[guideshapelead]

"No, n-no, I need to..." Charles tries again to get up, and again his body refuses. He doesn't know where it is he's supposed to be, or why, but he feels it's important.

[diecastking]

"You don't need to be anywhere, Charles," Erik says, trying to remain calm. "Everyone's fine. You need to rest."

[guideshapelead]

"Why'm I..." Charles still feels confused, two and two not making four.

"Exhausted," he admits, relaxing back into Erik's arms.

[diecastking]

Erik sits on the edge of the bed, stroking Charles' hair and rubbing circles on his chest.

"Do you remember what happened?"

[guideshapelead]

Shaking his head no, Charles frowns as he tries to remember something. Anything.

"What time is it?" He asks, not sure whether he's even waking up for the first time today or not.

[diecastking]

Erik glances up at their wall clock, trying to rein in his panic. "Three o'clock. Charles, do you know who I am?"

[guideshapelead]

Nodding that he does, Charles grimaces at the way his body is aching.

"My head's... fuzzy." He can't come up with a more eloquent explanation, right now.

[diecastking]

Erik is suddenly frightened for Charles' magnificent mind. What about his telepathy? What if that contraption has burned out his mutation forever?

"It was Cerebro," he says quietly. "You had a seizure."

[guideshapelead]

"Cerebro..." Charles struggles to remember, but the whole day seems to have been wiped from his mind. He can't think straight, at all, in fact all he really wants to do is go back to sleep.

"I ache," he admits, hearing Erik's explanation and realising that it makes sense with how he now feels. He's not got the brain power to react with any emotion, however.

[diecastking]

Erik kicks off his shoes and crawls over Charles, slipping under the covers and drawing his lover into his arms.

"You'll be fine. Get some rest. I'm not going anywhere."

[guideshapelead]

"Erik? Professor?" Hank's voice is accompanied by a knock on the door, his blue face appearing as the door opens a crack.

"How are you doing?"

[diecastking]

Erik glances up at the intrusion and beckons Hank inside.

"He's lost his memory of today. He's very tired."

He keeps his voice level, non-judgemental. Charles does not need to see them fight right now.

[guideshapelead]

"I'm not surprised," Hank nods, letting himself further into the room and perching on the bed at Charles' side.

"Cerebro overloaded your brain," he explains simply to the Professor. He understands that the genius intellect of the other man is currently out of service.

"I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

[diecastking]

Erik grits his teeth and struggles to calm his mind. "You will disable it until we know more about the consequences."

Erik isn't letting Charles anywhere near that machine without a few iron-clad guarantees.

[guideshapelead]

Charles can't remember using Cerebro, but Erik and Hank are giving him the same story, and he has no reason not to trust either of them.

"It's too important," he declares in a mumble, half asleep against Erik's side. "Did I find anyone?"

"One set of coordinates, yes," Hank admits.

[diecastking]

Erik can't help the thrill he feels at finding another mutant - and the immediate rush of guilt at the feeling, when Charles could've died.

"You will be running more tests before another attempt." It's not a question - Charles is going nowhere near that thing until Erik is convinced it's safer.

Erik kisses Charles' temple. "We'll find him when you're well."