XMFC/I'm going to count to three...

[guideshapelead]

The school is thriving and Charles couldn't be happier. Every day he gets to see his young protégés improve their abilities and their educations, and already he can see the young men and women that they will become. And despite all the stress that comes with the job title, Charles would not give up his role as head-master for anything. It means he gets the best of both worlds; group teaching and an overall view, as well as individual classes with every student in the mansion.

This afternoon he's inspecting the house training sessions, something he always enjoys, not only because he gets to see his young staff showing off their newly honed teaching skills. He starts with Erik's Silver house, before moving on to Sean's Green. When Charles turns up, Sean's testing the range of a young boy's telekinetic abilities whilst his housemates watch on, cheering and encouraging their friend.

But when Charles sees what Sean is using, his blood runs cold. He will never, ever forget the sight of that coin hovering in front of his - Shaw's - eyes. The apprehension as it moved closer, the blinding pain as it pushed right through his skull and brain. Pain enough to kill a man, that Charles had endured for Erik's sake, to give him his peace.

He cannot stay now, cannot watch the boy hover Sean's coins in the air. The sight makes him feel sick.

Comments

[diecastking]

After house training, Erik supervises dinner with an iron rule before marking some papers while Scott plays happily by the fire in the drawing room.

He can feel Charles somewhere in the house and his mind feels uneasy to Erik, but Charles is always worrying about something and Erik will get it out of him before they go to bed.

Erik sees Scott safely in bed, babbling happily about watching "shiny silver flyers", before going to look for Charles.

[guideshapelead]

Charles has not been able to get the image of his young student floating coins out of his head for the rest of the afternoon. Thoughts have surfaced in his mind that he'd managed to stop thinking about for a while now, and the whole effect has left him feeling dazed and queasy. He'd therefore chosen to hole himself up in his study, rather than attempting dinner and conversation. He doesn't feel up to either aspect.

When he feels - and then hears - Erik approaching, he quickly brings up his mental walls. Not throwing Erik out completely, but making absolutely certain that his fiancé will not discover what has made him so anxious.

[diecastking]

The sudden distance between his mind and Charles' concerns Erik and he opens the door without knocking.

"Liebe?" he frowns, taking in Charles' pinched expression. "Is everything all right?"

[guideshapelead]

"Quite fine, thank you," Charles replies, before Erik's even closed his mouth. Colouring as he realises just how obvious he's being, he takes a deep breath and tries for something a little more convincing.

"I have a lot of work to do. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed."

[diecastking]

Erik frowns and crosses the office to stand beside his fiancé.

"Are you sure that's all?" he asks. It's unusual for Charles to shrink from over something like work.

[guideshapelead]

"Yes, Erik," Charles tries not to sound too snippy, though it doesn't work perfectly.

"I just need some time to get on top of things."

[diecastking]

"You should come to bed," Erik says reproachfully.

He understands now why Charles has shut away his mind - when he's this tired and stressed, his seizures aren't far away.

[guideshapelead]

"I'll be there soon," Charles promises, looking up from his desk to meet Erik's eye. "I promise."

Sleep, in fact, is probably just what he needs. Time to write off the day and start again tomorrow, with a clear head and fading memories.

[diecastking]

"I'll hold you to it," Erik says, pointing at the place on his wrist where a watch would sit were he not an innate keeper of time.

"Thirty minutes before I expect your wheels across my threshold, Charles."

[guideshapelead]

"I'll be there in ten," Charles promises.

"Five, if you kiss me goodbye."

[diecastking]

Erik leans across the desk and kisses Charles sweetly, tenderly.

And, without another word, retires to their bedroom to undress and read Dumas. He suspects five minutes may be optimistic.

[guideshapelead]

Unable to put his mind to his work, Charles waits only a few minutes before following after Erik to their bedroom. He knows his lover will be surprised by his punctuality, but now that the thought has entered his mind, the oblivion of sleep is all that he truly wants.

[diecastking]

Erik is surprised, but happy to welcome Charles into his arms without preceding it with a scolding for working too hard.

"I fear you're too tired for me to kiss it all better," he murmurs.

[guideshapelead]

"I think I could manage a kiss," Charles smiles against Erik's shoulder as he's enveloped into his lover's arms.

"I may even stretch to two."

[diecastking]

Erik, being deliberately obtuse, places one chaste kiss on Charles' forehead and another on the tip of his nose.

"All better?" he inquires, innocently.

[guideshapelead]

"You're an irritating man, Erik," Charles sighs as he relaxes into the other man's chest. He hopes sleep will come soon tonight, and wipe this horrible day from his mind.

[diecastking]

"I'm your irritating man, Charles," Erik says easily, finally leaning in to kiss Charles like he deserves.

[guideshapelead]

Charles manages a smile as the kiss ends, holding on tighter to Erik's shoulders.

"Take me to bed?" He asks, the tiredness in his voice showing that he means it quite literally. He's not up to anything between the sheets tonight.

[diecastking]

Erik lifts Charles out of his chair and into their bed. He peels off Charles' clothes, with chaste warm kisses to his exposed skin.

"You lie in tomorrow," he says. "I'll handle breakfast."

[guideshapelead]

"But... breakfast," Charles complains as he cuddles in to Erik's warmth.

"I like breakfast."

[diecastking]

Erik sinks beneath the covers with Charles in his arms.

"I will bring you breakfast. In bed."

[guideshapelead]

"Promise?" Charles asks as he closes his eyes, relaxes as best he can, and wills sleep to take him soon.

[diecastking]

"Cross my heart," Erik mumbles, and lets his mind drift into calm thoughts that will carry them both to sleep.

[guideshapelead]

With Erik's calm radiating through his mind, it doesn't take long for Charles to fall asleep, his last thoughts being that he hopes he wakes up with tomorrow with little memory of the day just gone...

He's back with Sean, watching his training session, watching the young boy hover the coins in front of his nose. He's laughing happily, proud of himself, spurred on by the cheers and whoops of his housemates. Unable to control himself, Charles walks closer, turning to face the boy as he stands directly in front of him.

And then the boy begins to change, growing to adulthood at an alarming rate, face contorting and turning into Erik's before his very eyes. The classroom around them warps too, and just like that Charles is back behind Shaw's eyes on the beach in Cuba. Erik's hovering the coin, threatening to push it through his skull on the count of 3. He's begging, the panic overwhelming, knowing already how this is going to end and powerless to change it without sacrificing his friend. He cries and screams for Erik to stop, but the man is mad with vengeance. He does not listen.

And the coin pushes past his eyes, and the pain is blinding agony.

Charles wakes screaming, the pain echoing into the waking world.

[diecastking]

Erik remembers this day.

He feels powerful - finally able to put this demon to rest. Charles will understand. He will have to understand that there is nothing more powerful than vengeance.

But something is wrong. Someone is screaming in his mind.

He moves the coin. It is Destiny.

Suddenly, he sees Charles' eyes. He sees the coin enter Shaw's skull - and he feels it burn through his own head, an indescribable agony.

Erik wakes - and Charles is screaming.

He reaches for him instinctively, but his own mind is poison to him. He did that, to Charles. How can Charles ever forgive him that day?