Big Things

Chapter 13

Erik didn't have to wait long. Shortly after noon he sensed the door to the flat opening and sprang up to his feet instantly, rushing out of the living room to greet Charles and then-- stopping abruptly in his tracks.

"Charles?" He gaped, unable to hold in his surprise.

Charles was in a wheelchair. He greeted Erik casually as if nothing new or out of the ordinary had happened. But he was actually in a wheelchair.

Erik hadn't seen him use a wheelchair before. Even the one time Charles allowed himself not take his spine medication -- when he used his telepathy to find out the truth about Erik's situation and prove it to Edie -- he never waited as far as needing a wheelchair. He quickly took his serum the moment his telepathy was no longer 'needed' and he was able to walk again.

So why didn't he take his serum this time like he usually would? It was all so unexpected? Erik didn't know what to make of it. Neither did he know what caused this strange change. Was the wheelchair a reaction? A consequence of what happened between them last night? Was this some kind of statement or precaution on Charles' part? Was he punishing himself or was he subtly telling Erik to back off? And did Charles really think Erik would stop being interested in him because of a wheelchair? Erik loved Charles. Wheelchairs had nothing to do with it. Wheelchairs changed nothing in the way Erik felt for Charles.

"Erik, I'm glad you're here." Charles said, ignoring how startled Erik looked.

Charles seemed exhausted but he still did his best to smile for Erik. It only made Erik's heart tighten.

Charles pointed at the tall man that was accompanying him. "This is Alzador, yes?"

In his confusion, Erik hadn't even noticed there was anyone standing behind Charles.

"Hi, kid." Alzador, for that was him indeed, said.

"Oh." Erik blinked dumbly a few times, the man's voice pulling him back to reality. "Oh, yes, that's right. Alzador! Hello! It's good to see you again."

He shook Alzador's hand while Alzador took him in head to toe, chuckling to himself. "My, my, how you've grown."

"Thanks to you, really." Erik chuckled too.

He was surprised Charles brought Alzador here so soon. He knew he asked Charles to do that for him but he didn't expect Charles to actually manage to find the man this quickly. It was almost as if Charles knew him already... strange.

He gaze kept straying down to Charles and his wheelchair quite a lot. He couldn't help it. His mind was filled with questions but he had to wait before he got his answers.

Erik was ashamed to admit to himself he didn't even know Charles still had his wheelchair somewhere in the flat. He always assumed Charles got rid of everything that reminded him of his life before the serum. Keeping the wheelchair would suggest that Charles had been considering the option of not taking the serum anymore, which Erik had no clue about.

Alzador was tilting his head at him expectantly and Erik suddenly realized that he was standing in the doorway, blocking the way to the living room and in his wheelchair Charles probably needed more space to move about the flat. Erik felt like an insensitive idiot for not thinking of that sooner and tried to concentrate on something other than the dark circles under Charles' eyes, or his slumped shoulders.

He cleared his throat. "The living room is this way." Erik jerked his thumb in the direction behind him and led the way.

"Are you alright?"

Charles' voice in Erik's head startled him, unexpected -- soft but clear. Flinching slightly in his chair, Charles pulled his mind away almost instantly.