my loathsome lover (cherik fanfic)

chapter 3

"Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As a known enemy...." (nirvana, come as you are)

On one particular evening, Erik noticed that Charles was playing chess way worse than he normally would. On every other day he would easily win, although Erik was starting to get into it again and becoming more difficult to defeat - especially since Charles promised him to not enter his mind without his permission and he trusted him to keep his promise.

But today it was definitely due to something that seemed to distract Charles and he couldn't quite figure out what it was. The students were fine and nothing big happened since he got there. After sipping on his glass of wine some more, he decided to finally ask, because he couldn't take it any longer.

"What is this about, Charles? Your moves are more predictable than ever and to be fully honest quite pathetic." He felt like he was competing against a 5-year-old, which took all the fun away from it. Of course he also enjoyed Charles' company, but not when he was barely saying a word and just sitting there staring at the ground.

"Oh,-" Charles expressed quietly. He hadn't even looked over the board properly for once, he more or less moved some pawns randomly, so he took a quick look at it. He wondered why Erik hadn't beaten him yet. Perhaps he was waiting for some improvement on his side.

But today wasn't the right time to talk about what he couldn't stop thinking about ever since they had the big conversation. There always seemed to be a more pressing matter at hand, this time it provided a perfect cover: "I have talked to Peter today. He told me you two had one conversation since you got here - if you could even call it that. He ran into you in the hall, so you decided to greet him and then give him the scariest stare he had ever seen. I've been in his mind and he's right - it was quite frightening."

"I,-" the metal bender attempted to explain, but Charles interrupted him. "You've been here for a whole month, Erik." It was a really bad habit of his to talk over others, since he could read their thoughts most of the time before they actually said it out loud, and Erik's facial expression made it very obvious how much he disliked it.

"I've been very busy," was his very poor excuse, but he couldn't come up with anything better on the spot. Sometimes he wished Charles would just stay out of everyone's business, but then again he was the best person to seek advice from.

"With what exactly? Going on morning runs and threatening the children the rest of the time?"

"That is quite a strong word, don't you think? I'm simply preparing them for the real world - unlike you," the man argued. It was obvious that he wanted to change the subject and Charles wasn't going to fall for that, so he kept pushing him on the topic.

"Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt you to visit your son from time to time and have a proper conversation. I honestly can't understand why you haven't talked to him yet."

"You don't have to understand everything, Charles."

In moments like these the telepath wished he would have never made the promise, so he could just enter his mind and figure out what this was all about. But he was an honest man and would never break his word - unless he considered it absolutely necessary - and besides, Erik would notice it instantly anyway. He didn't want him to get angry and leave again, so he would try his best to help him without his powers.

"Is this about what you told me when I asked you to stay? Are you afraid he's going to call you evil?" the man inquired. Charles relied so much on his ability to read other people's minds that it was really difficult to figure it out on his own. That's when he often said the wrong things and regretted it later. It's what happened on Cuba and on countless other occasions.