XMFC/Erik the slave driver

[guideshapelead]

Going to sleep with food and drink in his stomach for the first time in a while, Charles sleeps far more deeply than he ever has since coming home from hospital. It's gone midday when he comes to again, the sun high in the sky and bleeding through his thick bedroom curtains.

Despite the long sleep, the telepath still somehow manages to feel utterly drained. He supposes it would be too much to hope, to suddenly feel better the second he decides to pull himself together and sort his life out. Burying his face into his pillow, it's with great effort that he makes himself press his fingers to his temple and seek out Erik, to let him know that he's awake. He knows the easier option would be to keep quiet, but he's determined not to fall back into that.

Comments

[guideshapelead]

Placing his hands under his other knee, Charles pulls his other foot closer to him, before going a step further and stretching forward to tug the other leg over his other foot. That done, it's not hard to pull the shorts up his legs, over his knees, until they're half-way up his thighs.

[diecastking]

Erik can't help the smile that comes to his lips - the Charles he knows could never give up.

"Roll to me," Erik says, offering himself as a brace but careful not to touch. He'd let Charles reach out - if he needed him.

[guideshapelead]

Reaching for the edge of the mattress, Charles digs his fingers in and uses the strength in his arms to do as Erik tells him to. It's hard work, his arms hardly strong after so long without any physical activity, but he just about manages to roll himself onto his side.

Still, the effort isn't without consequence, and he frowns as he's overcome by a coughing fit.

[diecastking]

Erik leans forward, supporting Charles as he's wracked with coughing.

"Charles?" Erik rubs his back, unhappy with the sounds ripped from Charles' chest.

"I pushed you too fast."

[guideshapelead]

"I'm doing this, Erik," Charles says when he can, grimacing against the taste in his mouth. He doesn't want to give in now, not when he's wearing nothing below the waist aside from a pair of boxers half-way down his thighs. He couldn't be more exposed, if he tried, and he's not about to stop for pity now.

Reaching for the waist of his underwear, he pulls it up to his hip on his exposed side, before rolling back down onto his back.

[diecastking]

Erik doesn't know whether to be proud or terrified of the monster he's unleashed.

Silently, he waits for Charles to catch his breath - but his hand remains warm on Charles' shoulder, fingers brushing the soft skin of his neck.

[guideshapelead]

Reaching out for the other side of the bed when his breathing calms, Charles grunts as he realises there's no way he's going to reach. His bed is large, and he's laid very much to one side of it.

"I can't do it," he mutters, barely audible.

[diecastking]

Without hesitation, Erik bends Charles' ornate headboard round to lie across the centre of the bed.

And waits.

[guideshapelead]

"You won't always be here to do that," Charles points out, the words out of his mouth before he's truly thought them through. Choosing to keep quiet, rather than dig himself into a deeper hole, he lets his hands wrap around the bent headboard and pulls himself onto his other side. It's a quick tug of his boxers later and he's finally managed to cover himself up.

[diecastking]

Erik goes completely still.

His world abruptly catches up to him and hits him in the face. What's he doing here? Where are his Brotherhood? Why has he completely lost all interest in everything outside this room?

Erik carefully lays Charles' slacks across his knees and then stands.

"I have to make a phone call."

[guideshapelead]

"Can't it wait?" Charles asks, a hint of his old self shining through in his tone. Whilst he wants to be proud and let Erik go, he doesn't want to be left alone just yet. He still feels distinctly wheezy.

[diecastking]

Erik turns - and remembers why he's here. He can't help but smile.

"Whatever you need, Charles."

[guideshapelead]

"I need -" Charles starts to continue in his normal snappy tone, before swallowing his words. He doesn't want Erik to know just how reliant he is on his help, right now.

"I need to get dressed," he changes his intended phrase, slowly starting to feed one leg into his trousers.

[diecastking]

Erik sits, watching patiently. He wants to be here - yet he knows that his presence also invites Charles to rely on him.

And even though he wants to be relied upon, he knows it's not possible.

He may not even stay the week.

"You're stronger than you think."

[guideshapelead]

Rolling his eyes at that comment, Charles manages to get both his legs fully into his trousers before the coughing starts up again, making his head and back ache with the force of the coughs.

[diecastking]

Erik presses his chest against Charles' shoulder, hands on his chest and back, as if he can hold him together by the force of his touch.

"Easy."

[guideshapelead]

"I thought this resolution to take better care of myself was meant to make me feel better," Charles mutters when he's next able to talk, taking a moment to rest back against the wall.

"I can tell you now, I feel little better."

[diecastking]

"The effects of your...bed rest are still catching up to you." Erik's unhappy with the state his friend's in. But he also knows he's out of his depth.

"Hank should take a look at you."

[guideshapelead]

"He's just a boy, Erik," Charles frowns. Even with his Harvard degree, genius level intellect, and the new addition of blue fur from head to toe, Charles still thinks of Hank as just that; another one of the children, who needs sheltering and protecting.

"He doesn't need to be bothered by me."

[diecastking]

"None of them are children anymore, Charles." Erik shakes his head. "Hank found you...Alex found me. They are more than you give them credit for."

Erik rubs small circles into Charles' back.

"He's the closest thing to a doctor we have. Unless you want to go back to the hospital...?"

[guideshapelead]

"I'm not going back there, absolutely not," Charles is adamant on that fact. He's had more than enough of strangers dressing and undressing him like an infant, prodding and poking him at all hours of the day and night.

[diecastking]

"It's settled then. Hank will look you over and you will eat breakfast."

Erik nudges the plate of spam sandwiches, his own stomach twisted with nausea. He can't quite remember the last time he ate, and sleep is a distant memory.

[guideshapelead]

"Would you mind terribly if I finished getting dressed, first?" There's a snap to Charles' voice, aggression to hide the shame he feels at taking so long over what was once such a simple task. His trousers are still where he left them, around his knees, though he's struggling to summon up the energy to start rolling himself all around the bed again.

The realisation that this is how it'll always be, from now on, until the end of his days, is almost enough to bring tears to his eyes. A fresh wave of hopelessness washes over him, and he struggles to remember why he's trying to look after himself.

[diecastking]

Erik sees the tears in Charles' eyes and it's a struggle not to look away. So many times, he's wished that Charles would be more realistic and accept the humans could not be trusted. Now that Charles' world is nothing but bleak in all directions, he wants desperately to unwish it.

"Someone wise once told me that power lies between rage and serenity. You remember the children then? In the grounds, training? When Sean took flight? Hank ran circles around you and Alex burned the target and not your shirt? We have great things left to do, Charles. There is your serenity."

Then, his face closes and he finally looks away.

"And you need to be angry with me."

[guideshapelead]

"I could never be truly angry with you, my friend," Charles sighs, sure that Erik is closer to his serenity than anything else. Not that he's going to admit quite that much, out loud.

"And I believe my training days may have come to an abrupt close."