Survival of the Fittest (X-Men: First Class, M/F) 9/9 [Complete!]

[Spoo]

With X-Men: Days of Future Past coming out very shortly, AnonyMouse and I felt that it was a perfect time to share something we wrote a while back. This was a collaborated (and extremely fun) project between the two of us, because come on, who doesn't love sneezy mutants?

While this adorably domestic and family-esque story is 100% complete, I'll be updating in segments because a ) it's reallyreally long and b ) Mouse and I are incredibly cruel and wish for you all to suffer in waiting. (It's honestly more of the first one, haha). Not to worry, though! I'll do my best to update at least once a day~

For the sake of simple knowledge, AnonyMouse pulled the puppet strings for Charles, Raven, and Sean while I took on Erik, Hank, and Alex. Also, there WILL be some discreet-ish relations between Erik and Charles later on in the story. Just to throw that out there for any Cherik (or non!Cherik fans).

Now then! Sit back, relax, and try not to get hit by flying pieces of metal.

- - -

Survival of the Fittest

Part 1

by AnonyMouse and Spoo

It was the end of a long, hard day of training, the first of many. The kids were exhausted by the time everyone stopped around four o'clock, but they still had enough energy to explore the grounds of the Xavier Estate while Charles tried to prepare enough food for six people by dinnertime. Something told him after a day like today the kids would be ravenous. He barely did anything besides stand on his feet and talk all day and even he was starving.

Charles set out enough plates, cups, and silverware for everyone while the beef sausages simmered in a pot on the stove. Just as he was thinking that perhaps he should go check on the younger mutants, Sean and Alex appeared in the doorway, followed shortly by Raven and Hank. And they had someone else with them.

"Who's this?" Charles asked, smiling despite himself when he caught sight of the ball of fur in Sean's arms.

He told them jokingly when they first arrived at the mansion that they were not allowed to keep any pets. Of course, he didn't really expect them to go out and find a cat on their first day there.

"We found him outside," Sean said. He had a light scratch on his cheek, presumably from the disgruntled-looking cat he was now cradling in his arms. "No tags or anything."

The cat yowled and squirmed in Sean's grasp, twisting its head towards Hank. Charles merely stared at his students, not sure what to make of the situation, and wondering where Erik was. He needed his partner here to back him up.

"Oh my God. Have you ever held a cat before, Sean?" Raven sighed, rolling her blue eyes.

Gently, so as not to spook the already fearful feline, she grabbed onto it in a secure, yet loose enough hold. Just so the poor thing wouldn't feel trapped. Behind her, Hank looked on in interest. And for good reason, too.

The cat had been strangely attracted to him right off the bat. In fact, he was the first person it approached when it wandered out of the bushes. Perhaps it was some kind of animalistic pheromone...thing?

Maybe it was, because even then the furry creature was meowing at him.

"Soooo," Alex drawled, looking at their telepathic mentor. "What's the actual policy on pets? I'm thinking we have more than enough space. He can be our new team mascot." He turned, patting the brainiest member of their younger crew. "Sorry, Hank. You've been replaced."

Hank tensed a bit when Alex touched him -- he wasn't a huge fan of physical contact. As if it could sense this, the cat was leaning out of Raven's arms and purring contentedly as it rubbed its head against Hank's shoulder.

This was all so funny that Charles couldn't help but smile. He rather enjoyed seeing the younger mutants bonding. Here they were, people who had come together from across the country, leaving their former lives behind at a moment's notice, most of them learning for the first time that they were not alone in this world. Even though Alex teased Hank, it was no longer in a way that was malicious, and Charles could feel the genuine sense of companionship between each of the remarkable young adults.

"Wellll," he said, a bit distraught at having been stuck to handle this by himself. Where was Erik? "I'm perfectly fine with it, but I feel like we should check with Erik," he said. "He should have some input, seeing as he lives here too, don't you think?"

Raven scooted a bit closer to Hank, just so the cat would remain its pleasant, purring self. She was tempted to make some kind of parental jab at Charles ("'Check with Erik'? Really, Mom?") yet she refrained from saying anything. Especially since the man in question finally arrived.

Erik had been out on a run - or so said his gray jogging suit - and he looked to be high on whatever adrenaline had fueled him along. He was panting softly, his hands stationed on either side of his incredibly long torso, as he regarded the quintet that stood a few feet in front of him. Slowly, his gaze slid down to regard the animal in Raven's arms.

"Perfect timing," Alex noted, grinning.

Charles smiled. Erik would be out there running around after all the work he did today. The man was unstoppable; his body was as restless as his mind, the latter of which Charles was quite sensitive to. He seemed to have a stronger telepathic bond with Erik than anyone else, Raven included, and wondered whether it was due to Erik's sheer intensity or something else entirely.

"Ah, you're back," he said, sounding incredibly pleased. "We have something that needs discussing."

He nodded towards the cat, who was sliding out of Raven's arms and clawing its way up Hank's sweatshirt.

Erik's focus had yet to leave the cat; he watched on as Hank awkwardly attempted to hold it while the determined thing headbutted his temple, sending his glasses askew. For the sake of keeping Charles blissfully unaware of the red flags that were going up in his mind, Erik feigned nonchalance.

"Apparently," he commented, remaining where he stood.

Raven decided that they'd already been childish enough by bringing home a pet, which explained why she upped the ante and tossed in some puppy dog eyes. "Pleaseeeee?"

Erik ignored the plea altogether and looked at Charles. It was clear to him that the other man was okay with their newest addition, so long as he was (which he most certainly wasn't). He'd never been "okay" with cats. Not even a little.

He finally spoke: "Wouldn't it be easier to keep it outside?"

"But this house is huuuuge," Sean protested, his naturally pouty lips looking even poutier. "Why should Chairman Meow have to live outside when we have all this space we're not even using?"

Ah, Sean - their problem child, always trying to get around the rules. Well, he and Alex both seemed to get into their fair share of trouble. Raven blinked, then turned to Sean with an eyebrow raised.

"Excuse me, Chairman what?"

"Chairman Meow. You know, like Chairman Mao."

"We voted that name down three to one."

"Three to two," Sean said. "He liked it, didn't you, buddy?" The cat growled ominously as Sean reached out to pet it. He quickly retracted his arm and took a step back, looking offended.

"It does seem a bit...undomesticated," Charles said, fully aware that he was sugarcoating it.

Not only was it acting downright feral (except now that Hank was holding it it seemed to have calmed down a bit), it had a patch of fur missing. Though it did have a unique, almost whimsical pattern, with the basic wild-type tabby gene forming a distinctive "M" on the cat's forehead that made it look permanently angry. And what was up with those paws...?

"Ah!" Charles exclaimed gleefully, counting the toes on the cat's front paws as it purred against Hank's chest. "Six toes on each paw, see?" He turned and grinned at Erik, totally okay with the fact that he was geeking out. He couldn't stop it anyway and Erik never seemed to mind, though he was sure the kids would make fun of him for it later.

"So what you're saying here is that this cat is a mutant?" Alex inquired, finding the extra toes amusing.

"Polydactyl," Hank corrected.

"Which is exactly why he belongs here with us," Raven added sweetly, giving the kitty a gentle scratch beneath the chin. "He fits riiiiight in."

Erik begged to differ, but he denied voicing that opinion. He also denied the tempting urge to take a step back. Whichever way he happened to look at the situation, he was outnumbered. Completely outnumbered. Luckily - as Sean had pointed out - the mansion was rather large. It would be easy to avoid their 'guest', so long as they were in separate wings.

However... Who was to say that would stop the creature from wandering? Or shedding for that matter?

"Just make sure it stays out of my room," Erik concluded, turning on his heel to finally vacate the area. His footsteps were casual enough, but once he was out of earshot they became much swifter.

Charles frowned as Erik left the room quite suddenly, leaving in his wake a sense of uneasiness, anxiety even. The telepath felt guilty for not sensing it before, but he was so transfixed by the cat's fascinating mutation that he was for a brief moment oblivious to everyone else's thoughts and feelings.

As intriguing as the cat was, Charles wanted to follow Erik and make sure everything was okay. He did not mean to put him on the spot, and whatever his deal with cats was - whether he had some kind of phobia or just plain didn't like them - Charles would not force him to co-exist with an animal he was not comfortable living with.

"Why don't you get Mr. Mao a can of tuna?" he suggested idly. Erik seemed to be heading for his room, so Charles trailed after him. "Check the pantry. I'm sure he's hungry."

"Is that three votes then for Chairman Meow?"

"We'll talk about this later, Sean."

- - -

Erik had been so intent on separating himself from the cat's vicinity that he hadn't anticipated Charles following him. So when he heard the familiar footsteps approaching, he turned to address the accompaniment before a physical body could prove its existence.

"No," he sighed, already knowing the line of inquiries that were bound to pop up. "I don't like cats."

He moved over to his borrowed wardrobe and sifted through the hangers to find a clean shirt. A prickling disturbance abruptly came to life in his left eye, yet he easily ignored it. He had been trained to withstand immense levels of discomfort. An itch was nothing.

"Nor do I particularly want to keep it."

"The children just really seem to like it," Charles said, knowing full well that Erik hated it when he called the younger mutants 'children.' "And it really seems to have taken to Hank..."

Charles still sensed the uneasiness, but there was something else there too - something he couldn't really put his finger on. "I can assure you I will make sure it stays outside," he said, "and if it's inside one of them will have to keep an eye on it at all times. Maybe once they realize how much responsibility comes with caring for an animal they'll be begging to have it dumped off on a farm somewhere."

He smirked, more of an attempt to get Erik to smile than a genuine show of amusement. There was a weird tension between them, a tension he thought had dissipated after they spent all that time together collecting mutant recruits, getting to know one another. Erik was putting up walls again and Charles wasn't sure he liked it.

Erik didn't reply right away. He fished out a suitable shirt from the few he owned and then snagged some slacks that were hanging nearby. With both articles of clothing in his possession, he turned to finally look at Charles. He, too, sensed the invisible tension between them.

"I'm going to take a shower," he announced, disregarding everything the other mutant had said about the cat. He started out of the room, passing his teammate in the process.

When he was done, he'd come down to eat something. If he was lucky the others would have finished eating and moved on to another room by then (hopefully taking the cat with them). Erik had no qualms about eating with a group, per se, but he much preferred to dine in solitude.

Charles frowned, his stomach sinking when Erik left the room without so much as looking at him. He was torn between feeling like he was at fault for even suggesting they keep the cat and feeling annoyed with Erik's stubbornness and lack of communication. He made it clear that he was willing to make accommodations to ensure that Erik was comfortable while still allowing the kids to have something that made them happy. Didn't they deserve it, after the shocking events that transpired at the CIA facility?

Hoping that this wouldn't be the last he saw of Erik for the night, Charles reluctantly made his way back downstairs. The younger mutants were still clustered around the doorway to the kitchen, except Raven, who was trying to keep the pot of sausages from boiling over.

"I've got it, thank you," Charles said, moving her gently aside as he tried to keep the bubbling water contained. "Everything is just about ready, if you'd like to take a seat."

The kids sat down, leaving the chairs at the ends of the table empty, presumably for Charles and Erik. As Charles poured the hot water into the sink Alex cleared his throat.

"We decided on a name..." he said hesitantly.

"Yes, and what is that?" Charles asked.

"Darwin."

Charles stopped what he was doing and closed his eyes for a moment, keeping his back towards the other mutants, though he could sense their collective sadness without even looking at them.

They certainly weren't making this decision any easier for him.

TBC.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Spoo

[Anonymouse]

BRAVO BRAVO THIS IS TRULY A MASTERPIECE

nobutrly awesome job editing and writing Erik. I LOVE the title. If it were more about Charles I'd.be tempted to call it Survival of the Fittish. But as it stands Mr. Lehnsherr goes for quality, not quantity

Now then! Sit back, relax, and try not to get hit by flying pieces of metal. <----

[Dusty15]

Oooh I'm loving this already, but I knew I would from the minute I saw the authors and subject Looking forward to more!

[snuffles]

Ahhh!! I'm so excited! Absolutely fantastic so far, can't wait for the rest omg!

[Spoo]

Nonny: Ohhhhh yes. Especially later on. Mwahahaha. And LOLOL "Survival of the Fittish". That is epic. Hahaha.

Dusty: Eeeeee. Thank you, doll! We do try~

snuffles: Thanks!

So I'm going to be gone all day today, as well as tomorrow. Therefore, have an early update. It would seem that Erik is struggling juuuust a wee bit.

- - -

Survival of the Fittest

Part 2

by AnonyMouse and Spoo

Erik prolonged his shower as long as he could - which took effort, mind, because his rinses usually lasted no longer than five minutes at most. The water helped wash away whatever was trying to start up in his eyes, but the relief was only temporary. So long as the cat remained in the house, he was destined for absolute misery.

Dried and dressed, he ventured to the first level of the enormous home. His earlier hope of coming across an empty table was promptly abandoned when he noticed that everyone was still eating. Truthfully, he could have remained upstairs longer and waited out the communal dinner if he'd wanted to, but he was sure Charles would henpeck him later for being antisocial.

That and it would be undeniably hypocritical of him when he was the one insisting that they were a team and that they needed to combine their efforts in order to defeat Shaw. It wouldn't be very "team-like" of him to hide in his room. And so, doing his best to express minimal reluctance, he entered soundlessly and took his assigned seat.

He thought it was ridiculous that they'd all claimed a specific chair, but apparently that was a legitimate practice in functioning households.

'I'm glad you've decided to join us,' Charles said telepathically, not wanting to draw even more unwanted attention to the older mutant's arrival. Raven and Hank had already glanced up in acknowledgement; Alex and Sean continued eating as if they hadn't seen food in a month, blissfully oblivious to Erik's presence.

The cat was lurking underfoot now, but staying close to Hank's chair. After Alex's comment about naming the cat "Darwin" Charles couldn't bring himself to exile the poor thing to the grounds just yet. Raven smiled at Erik and passed him the bowl of mashed potatoes. Charles could tell she was trying to butter him up, but he knew from experience that this tactic had no effect on the metal-manipulator.

"Have you given any more thought to our situation?" she asked sweetly, looking at the cat that was now rubbing against her leg as Sean slipped it a piece of sausage under the table.

Erik accepted the bowl of mashed potatoes and arched an eyebrow at Raven. "I'm not sure why this 'situation' even warrants my approval," he replied, tensing when he felt something brush against his ankle beneath the table. As gently as he could manage (when all he wanted to do was kick the damn thing away from him) he shooed the cat with the toe of his shoe.

"Because," Sean said, speaking through a full mouth. "You're the head honcho." He swallowed and then impolitely pointed at Charles with his fork. "And because he told us to check with you."

Charles actually thought of himself as being the "head honcho," so to speak, but on the tail end of that realization he had another; he did defer to Erik's judgment for a lot of the issues that came up since they first formally introduced themselves, dripping wet on the deck of the government ship. It was as if he finally found someone he saw as an equal, which was pretentious of him to think, but true all the same. The kids were... well, kids, and even Hank could not deny the fact that his brain, while capable of amazing scientific discoveries, was still in a stage of adolescence.

But Erik...

"I thought it would only be fair to make sure that everyone in the household had a chance to give me their input before I make a decision on the matter," Charles said, passing Alex, who seemed unfamiliar with the concept of using a napkin, one of the extra cloth napkins from the center of the table. The boy sheepishly wiped his hands and Charles refocused on the older mutant sitting across the table from him.

"And your input isssss...?" Raven asked, batting her eyelashes at Erik.

Erik felt dramatically uncomfortable beneath the expectant stares of his companions. Everyone was now looking at him. Even Hank, who normally refrained from making eye contact if it could be helped. Sadly, having a conveniently full mouth could only prolong his answer for so long.

He had to swallow at some point.

When that happened, he set down his fork, wiped his mouth, and provided his final verdict. "The cat can stay, but I'd rather it not be in the house. There are plenty of places on the grounds that it could occupy."

Like the garage, or the greenhouse. Somewhere that wasn't the living room, or bedrooms, or general areas they inhabited. Alex didn't seem to agree with Erik's statement, and it reflected in the way he thoughtfully devoured his latest forkful. When he could speak again, he suggested:

"What if we give him his own room? I mean, the library is bigger than any shack I've ever lived in. That way he wouldn't wander all over the house. He'd stay confined to one area. A huge area, too."

"Erik makes a good point though," Charles said, as the cat paced restlessly under the table. Funny how Erik despised the thing, yet it reminded Charles so much of the older mutant in its mannerisms and general demeanor. "We all assume the cat would prefer to live inside, but it may just be an outdoor cat."

"Yes, children, listen to your father," Sean said under his breath in a terrible British accent, eliciting a barking laugh from Raven that was much less discreet.

"What was that, Sean?" Charles challenged, and the redhead froze.

"I... was... just... saying that we had outdoor cats at home. They prefer to be outside, 'cause then they can kill birds and rats and stuff."

"Are you sure you're not just scared of him because he scratched you?" Raven teased.

"I'm not scared of him," Sean insisted, though less than five seconds later he jumped out of his chair as Darwin brushed against his leg.

"Sure you're not," Alex laughed, watching as Sean settled back in his chair.

Hank was the next one to jump in surprise when Darwin invited himself onto the scientist's lap. The cat began kneading Hank's thigh, his twelve claws going to work in a sharp rhythm.

"Uhh..."

Raven came to the rescue. "Just push him off, Hank." She demonstrated by giving the kitty's rump a gentle tap with her hand. "There we go."

Darwin hopped back under the table and made his way over to Charles' end, where he plopped down directly at the telepath's feet and started grooming himself. He licked his paw meticulously and then combed it over his whiskered face.

That seemed to create enough of a distraction; it kept the others routinely peeking under the table to see what their furry guest was doing, and where he'd go next.

Out of the spotlight, Erik turned his head and discreetly scrubbed his prickling nose into his shoulder. Direct exposure - and being as close as he was - to the cat was starting to interfere with what his shower had temporarily remedied, much to his chagrin.

He needed to finish eating and leave.

Charles felt a brief spike of panic and wrenched his gaze away from the cat under the table to the mutant sitting across from him. Erik was the very picture of calm, but Charles knew that what he felt had come from him. He finished the rest of his supper quickly, glancing up from forkfuls of sausage to check on Erik, then took his plate to the sink.

"Sean and Hank, you're on dish duty tonight," Charles announced.

Sean groaned and Alex smiled smugly at Hank. As much as Charles wanted to assign both Sean and Alex to the chore, he knew better than to let the two of them work together unsupervised on anything.

Charles watched Erik's expression as he made his way back to his seat. The man no longer seemed capable of hiding his agitation; he appeared eager to get out of the room. "I'll go make some coffee," Charles said, pushing his chair back in without sitting down. "Erik? Coffee?"

It was really an invitation for private conversation and space away from the others.

"Perhaps later," Erik replied (a little too quickly) before getting up and taking his own plate to the sink. He would have left it amongst the dishes, but he took a moment to address a growing problem while his back was turned.

A growing problem of the nasal variety, that was.

The itch that was gradually feathering its way through his nose elevated in intensity; it started to turn into a different feeling altogether, and it was everything the powerful mutant could do to smother the ticklish outburst into silent oblivion against his shoulder.

To anyone else, it would appear a casual twitch - a flinch, even. But the silverware on the table begged to differ; the forks and knives rattled in time with the sneeze he'd expertly stifled, yet it was hardly noticeable. Especially since most of the others were in the process of clearing out of the room.

Coincidentally, Charles happened to be looking at the table when he saw the silverware shudder in its place. Had he seen this under any other circumstance he would have brushed it off as a mirage of sorts, brought on by his own exhaustion and tired eyes. But seeing as it was accompanied by a sharp, tingling sensation in Charles's own nose that was gone as quickly as it came, and the fact that Erik seemed to be recovering from something, Charles suspected that the shaking silverware had something to do with the other mutant.

As the kids left their dishes for Sean and Hank to clean, the cat began to follow them but then stopped, sitting on the dining room floor and licking his toes; Raven had to pick him up and bring him with her. Meanwhile, Charles lingered with his arms folded and eyes on Erik.

"Is something the matter, my friend?" he asked, knowing full well that there was. The real question was what.

"Even if I said otherwise, I feel as though you wouldn't believe me," Erik replied, finally turning to look at Charles.

There was a soft pink tint to the edges of his wide nostrils, which were twitching in tiny spasms as he nudged at them. Realistically, he knew he couldn't keep the nature of his condition hidden from Charles. There would come a point where his symptoms would worsen, and his affliction would be painfully obvious for everyone to notice.

As if insulted by his attempt at discretion, he felt the same telltale sensation return and skitter throughout his sinuses. He audibly snuffled then, trying to dislodge the tiny particles of cat dander, but it was no use. The damage was already done, the tinder already aflame.

Erik pressed two calloused knuckles against this septum as he sniffed again, this time harder. There was a dampness that now joined his forceful inhalations, and a wetness that swam in the reddening whiteness of his sclerae.

As if he hadn't already given himself away, he emphasized yet again: "I don't like cats."

TBC.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Spoo

[Dusty15]

Guh. That's the only proper reaction to this. Guh!! *more incoherent noises*

I'm SO EXCITED FOR MORE!

[Purple]

HOW DARE YOU STOP THERE

:weeps into oblivion at the perfection:

[AngelEyes]

This is so beyond fabulous! I'm swooning! The anticipation! And you write brilliantly together!!!

As if he hadn't already given himself away, he emphasized yet again: "I don't like cats."

Says it all!

[shingetsu]

D'aww poor Erik... He's always so stoic and serious..it must be very hard for him to admit having any weakness... I'm so excited already and it's only the beginning. I'm sensing a lot of metal objects flying in the near future. I wonder if our resident cat would end up liking Erik the most, that would be interesting, and torturous for Erik of course! The entire buildup is brilliant and I can't wait for the story to continue...

[SneezeyLove]

ERIIIIIC! Oh, this is so great! Can't wait for more!

[Spoo]

Dusty: THEN HAVE MORE! *Throws the update at you*

purple: Never fear! There will be lots of glorious updates~ (But expect more cliffhangers, mwahahaha )

AngelEyes: Thank you! AnonyMouse and I knew that we'd be sharing this someday, so we tried to write in a way that directly continued off of each other instead of the typical 'address everything in the roleplay response you received'. And poor Erik can't staaaand cats.

novusluna: You may be right about a few things... I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

SneezeyLove: Thanks! *Throws the update at you as well*

And so, it would appear that Erik just can't hold himself back anymore. We'd all feel sorry for him, but...it's surprisingly entertaining to watch him suffer.

Survival of the Fittest

Part 3

by AnonyMouse and Spoo

I don't like cats.

"No, you don't, do you?" Charles said, finally understanding and feeling like a moron for not having realized it sooner.

Of course. Erik was allergic. It was painfully obvious now, with the subtle redness around his nose and watery-looking eyes.

"You should have told me, my friend," he continued, frowning. "We can't keep a cat in the house if you're allergic." He kept his voice soft, so as not to alert the others of Erik's...condition. "I would have never let them bring it inside if I'd known."

"It's not something I choose to advertise," Erik responded.

He wasn't the type to openly complain about an affliction of any kind (more so when it made him seem anything less than his controlled self). It was a matter of pride over preference, but so was the way he behaved when it involved personal issues.

"If it stays outside, I'll be fiihhhh...nh'gkt!" The sneeze was a little less contained than the first, but still enough to jostle the silverware again. It also wasn't alone. "Hht'ngkt!"

Erik opened his eyes and was annoyed to find a screen of allergic tears distorting his gaze. He swiped at the wetness irritably and huffed out a German swear. This wasn't how he intended to spend the remainder of his evening.

"Sounds like a compromise to me," Charles agreed, then pressed his lips together tightly, giving Erik a disapproving look that said it all: You need to tell me these things.

Wordlessly, he handed Erik one of his own clean handkerchiefs and left the room to physically locate the others. He found them soon enough: Raven was teasing Sean and Hank by telling them that they needed to start on the dishes while Alex played with the cat. The blond had a few scratches of his own now, but he continued to pet Darwin behind the ears, laughing whenever the cat nudged his hand for more attention.

"Alex, could you please take Darwin outside and run a vacuum in the kitchen?" Charles asked, and the younger mutant glanced up at him from where he sat on the floor with the cat.

"Uh, sure?" he agreed, getting to his feet and picking up Darwin. "Come on, buddy."

Raven pouted as Alex carted Darwin away. "I take it you've made a decision?"

"The cat stays outside until we can make suitable arrangements for him to have his own space in the house," Charles said simply.

There was some grumbling, but in all honesty they were more excited than anything. At least they got to keep Darwin. Raven left Sean and Hank to the dishes and went off to explore the mansion, in search of an appropriate dwelling for Darwin.

As everyone gradually departed, Sean looked at his chore buddy. "How about...we just don't do the dishes?"

Hank mumbled something beneath his breath but then said, in a louder tone, "We have to."

"Mannn," Sean droned, heading off with Hank to the kitchen.

- - -

Having decided to venture outdoors with hopes to put some space between the cat and him, Erik walked away from the house and closer to the woodsier part of the estate. Though he was now free from his allergen, he continued to suffer; it would be a while before he would clear up, and he felt it best to spend that time in some clean air. Additionally, there was a lot less damage he could do if he wasn't inside, where a plethora of metal items were simply waiting to be thrown. Or bent. Or ripped out of the damn walls, depending on how secure the mansion's old piping was.

Above him, the clouds were dark and the atmosphere smelled of impending rain - something that didn't exactly improve his mood. He rather disliked the rain.

'Erik,' a familiar voice spoke in his head. 'Are you alright?'

No matter how many times it had happened since their meeting, having Charles' voice in his mind was something that Erik felt he'd never get used to. He knew that the telepath wasn't snooping around or anything - that he was just communicating him without being nearby, but it still threw him off.

'I'm fine,' Erik projected in return. 'I'm just getting some air.'

It went without saying, but Erik actually preferred being outdoors. The open space was reassuring, and he liked feeling as though he could traverse anywhere he pleased. It was one of the few comforts he'd found following his escape from the camps.

'The cat is now in the garden,' Charles soon informed him. 'Just so you're aware. He will be staying outside until we find somewhere else to put him, unless of course he demonstrates a preference for the outdoors. Also, you may want to come in soon. It gets pretty cold out once the sun sets.'

Erik wasn't near the garden, thankfully, but knowing that he and the cat were in the same general vicinity sent prickles of unease down his spine. His allergic reaction was fairly tame (compared to others he'd suffered in the past) and he didn't want to make it any worse. With that in mind, he started heading back inside.

Gravel crunched beneath his shoes as he approached the large house. Prior to entering, and just before he passed the garden, he was caught off guard - well, not completely, anyway, but enough to secure his attention - by the same annoying itch in his nose. Being outside, he felt less inclined to try and contain whatever was trying to barrel its way out. So he didn't. He simply stopped walking, tilted his head back slightly, and--

"EH'KSCHHHhhhuih!"

The sound of nearby bushes rustling confirmed that the loud noise had been enough to scare the cat away. Good. Wriggling his displeased nose, and giving it a firm swipe with the side of his wrist, Erik continued his advancement towards the house until he could step back inside and head to the sitting room.

Upon arriving at his destined area, he watched as Charles glanced up him from an armchair. The younger man smiled warmly and went back to reading what looked like a novel. "I'm glad you've come back inside," he observed idly. "Would you like a toddy? Perfect weather for it. I can make you one."

Charles' own drink, lovingly prepared by Raven, sat steaming on the coffee table. Uncurling himself from his armchair, he picked the tea up and took a small sip, the liquid warmth blooming through his chest.

"No, I'm fine," Erik declined, settling into a chair opposite of Charles and reaching up to rub at his itching eyes with his fingertips (something he probably shouldn't have done, but they were driving him insane).

Outside, the faint rumble of thunder rattled some of the old panes on the house. It captured the older man's attention and had him glancing at one of the windows. He sniffed wetly. The reason the rain was something Erik didn't particularly like was because seeing it brought back several memories he would have rather forgotten about altogether.

Sure enough, not a minute passed before thick drops began pelting the windows; it sounded like someone was throwing rocks at the side of the house.

"How inconvenient," Charles sighed, frowning. He had an outdoor lesson planned for the whole team the following day, and it both looked and sounded as if the storm would carry on until morning.

Sean, who had finished washing dishes with Hank, craned his neck through the doorway of the sitting room to join in the conversation, uninvited. "It's a sign from God," he said. "No training tomorrow."

"We'll just have to have it indoors, then," Charles decided, eliciting groans from both Sean and a returning Alex.

"Have what indoors? The cat?" Raven asked, her hopeful voice startling Charles and proving that it was, in fact, possible to sneak up on a telepath when they were distracted. Hank trailed in behind her, and now all four young adults were standing in the entrance to the sitting room. So much for a quiet night of reading.

"No, training," Charles clarified. "Unless you've managed to find an appropriate place to put our feline friend."

Preferably far, far away from Erik, he added silently to himself, glancing at the man in question out of the corner of his eyes to gauge his reaction.

Sure enough, Erik had looked over at Raven when she'd brought up the cat again, though he didn't make it a point to stare for very long. It was just dim enough in the room where he didn't feel his irritated features would be extremely obvious. Not unless someone was directly staring at him, which, thankfully, no one was.

Even so, the metal-bender feigned interest in the wall and kept his reddish, watery eyes away from the others, lest someone notice and point out his condition.

"Training inside," Alex reflected. "That doesn't sound too bad, actually."

"We have a very spacious bunker," Charles informed. "If you'd all like a tour."

He had deliberately skipped showing them the bunker during the first tour, as it was a bit of a mess down there, and by the time they'd finished checking out all the rooms on the first floor Sean was complaining that he was too hungry to go on. Much of the upstairs remained unexplored in addition to the bunker itself.

"Well, why don't we let Darwin stay down there?" Raven asked, still diligently fighting on the cat's behalf.

"We can't have the cat running around down there if we're training," Charles replied, looking pointedly at Alex. He could see it now - Alex's undeveloped "talent," and the cat running around with its tail on fire, all while poor Erik suffered silently in some dark corner, trying to remain unnoticed.

"But it's raining, Charles," Raven protested, frowning as she looked out the window at the dark sky.

"We have reason to believe that he was an outdoor cat before you found him, which means he's used to the changes in weather," Erik commented, adding his two cents. "There are plenty of places to take shelter along the grounds as well."

"And Darwin isn't stupid," Alex added. "He probably knows the best places to hide."

Nevertheless, there seemed to be a mutual unhappiness over leaving their newly adopted "pet" outdoors while it was pouring. Not that Erik cared, per se.

Standing up, and ignoring the tempting urge to sniff back the watery wetness that wanted to drip out, Erik left the sitting room and headed upstairs to escape the discussion that was presently occurring. That and he also needed to blow his nose. Badly.

The others were quite used to Erik leaving the room without excusing himself first, but Raven looked noticeably more distraught when Erik exited the conversation abruptly. Charles was torn between betraying Erik's trust and just telling them the real reason behind Erik's dislike of cats and telling them to stop worrying about the bloody animal.

"You both have made good points," he said, looking at Alex and nodding. "I'm sure he's gotten through a lot worse than a little rain. I wouldn't worry about him."

If his mangy appearance was any indication, then the cat was definitely a survivor.

Lightning split the sky and the thunder that followed made it sound like the atmosphere above them was ripping open. Raven frowned again and Charles gave her a stern look, catching the unspoken whisper of rebellion.

"Darwin is not to come into this house tonight," Charles stated, and Raven sighed loudly and folded her arms.

"Fine."

The kids dispersed and Charles found himself alone once again in the sitting room, but he was no longer in a reading mood. Getting up, he finished off his toddy, now cold, and ascended the massive staircase, no particular destination in mind.

TBC.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Spoo

[Dusty15]

IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER! Someone is going to sneak that cat inside…I JUST KNOW IT!

[webmeistro]

Oh lord this is so cuuuuute!!! I love X-Men stories, especially the light and fluffy variety

[AngelEyes]

Love it!!!!

[Jorm]

Good kitty

[Anonymouse]

Damn I forgot how long this was! Luckily people seem to be digging it. And it only gets better, trust me. I (and Spoo I'm sure) appreciate the reads/comments, thanks guys!

[Spoo]

Dusty: Tell me, is your mutation predicting the future?

webmeistro: Thank you! There's definitely a ton of fluffy, familial moments in here. Beneath all the chaos.

AngelEyes: Hurray!

Ouroboros: Very good kitty.

Nonny: Girl, it's MASSIVE. I was really intent on spacing out updates, but I'm eager to put the rest up (just because it's so much to go through). And yesyes! We appreciate the love, everyone. Thank you.

Soooo...remember that Charles/Erik slash disclaimer I put up in the first part? Well here it is! If you're uncomfortable with some male mutant lovin', then LOOK AWAYYYYY. Otherwise, caaaaan you feeeeel the looooove tonight? ...

Survival of the Fittest

Part 4

by AnonyMouse and Spoo

Erik considered himself fairly immune to most afflictions; he rarely fell ill, or rather, rarely allowed himself to feel ill. But when it came to cats, every single one of his internal defenses succumbed to incompetence. There was no way to avoid it, no medication that would help (not that he'd ever even resort to taking anything, mind, since he'd had more than his fair share of "pills" in the camps).

With hopes to tend to his problem, he had taken to occupying the washroom across the hall from his bedroom upstairs. The door was locked, and in addition to that - just to ensure his privacy - his mutation had a powerful, nonphysical hold on the doorknob.

His red, leaking nose was buried in the folds of a tissue as he saw to mopping up the watery byproduct of his allergic reaction. That cat was outside (where it belonged, he thought darkly) but the damage was done. The irritation was lodged far too deeply to surface right away, which meant that Erik was doomed to suffer for a while longer.

He bit back an irritated sound when that maddening itch consumed his eyes again. He squeezed them shut, and when he reopened them they were damp around the edges. The back of his long sleeve brushed against each corner, ridding it of moisture, yet his arm remained hovering when his nose decided it wanted to betray him as well.

The elliptical shape of his nostrils expanded into large circles as he inhaled shakily, and then, like a gunshot, the sneeze catapulted out - smothered into his awaiting forearm.

"EH'IDSCHHhhmhff!"

He would have swore, but just as the colorful phrase bloomed on his tongue, he was snapping forward again. This time with even more desperation.

"EGKSHHhhhhhff!"

That one had been enough to make the faucet, shower head, and door hinges tremble. Damn it all.

Denying the third sneeze that was attempting to develop, he sniffed hard and decided to leave the washroom. He could have gone back to his room, but he decided to take a detour. He wanted something to drink. Something strong, preferably. And that he could find in the library.

- - -

Out of all the rooms in the mansion, Charles had decided on the library as his destination. He was back in a reading mood, but he wanted something with more substance than a novel, and a space with more privacy than the sitting room downstairs.

The library was empty - not that he expected anyone to be in there. Hank, perhaps, but the young scientist seemed more taken with the lab than the library. Grabbing an encyclopedia at random, Charles brushed off the dusty cover with his hand and set the tome down on his lap; he subconsciously rested a loosely curled fist against his nose as he opened the musty book.

It didn't take long for the dust to wreak havoc on his sinuses.

Charles was only two sentences into the first article when the uncomfortable prickling sensation demanded his attention, making the words swim as his eyes filled with tears. Resting one hand on the page, he pressed the knuckles of the other against the side of his nose, directing a series of wet, fittish sneezes away from the book.

"Ehhschhh! H'eschhu!" He paused, squinting, and drew in another wavering breath before pitching to the side. "H'ESHchhu!"

Patting his pockets, he found a spare handkerchief (Raven made fun of him for always carrying two - something about being an "old man") and dabbed the wetness from his eyes and nostrils with sniffle. His own sneezes reminded him of Erik, and he wondered where the older mutant had disappeared to, and if he was still suffering. Tempting as it was to use his abilities to pinpoint Erik's location in the mansion, Charles refrained. The last thing he needed right now was to compromise the delicate trust between them.

Luckily for him, the mutant in question entered the room not ten seconds later.

Erik wasn't surprised to find Charles in the library. For whatever reason, they always tended to wind up sharing the same space somehow, someway. Especially when they didn't plan on it. Without saying anything, Erik advanced into the large room and headed over to where a small cabinet of imported alcohol sat.

As he poured himself a small glass of a deeply amber liquid, he asked over his shoulder (which confirmed what he'd heard on his way in): "Dust, Charles?"

"I'm afraid the maid hasn't been here for quite some time," the other man replied, smothering one last sneeze. "I wasn't expecting I'd be back here so soon, otherwise I would have seen to it myself that this place had a good dusting." Charles was sitting with his back to Erik, but he could hear the bottles clinking as Erik made his selection from the liquor cabinet. "Would you be so kind as to pour me a glass of brandy? The bottle with the pear in it."

Erik didn't provide a vocalized response, but he obeyed the request nonetheless. He poured Charles a glass of brandy and brought it to the other man before he settled in front of him on a separate armchair. It was easy to forget about one's allergic misery when there was imported whiskey traveling down their scratchy throat.

He offered a glance at the tall window nearby, watching as raindrops streaked down the glass. No doubt the storm would keep up all night with its insistent rain, thunder, and lightning.

Charles was tempted to ask how Erik was feeling now that he'd had some time away from the cat, but he opted for something more casual. Erik was like a skittish animal; move too suddenly or make too loud of a noise and he would vanish from the scene. Ah, well. Perhaps it was best to wait a moment. During that time, Charles took a sip from his own glass and swallowed, relishing in the warmth that spread throughout his body, from his core to the tips of his chilled fingers and toes. The house always felt so cold when it rained, and the telepath wished he'd stopped by his room to put on a jumper before making himself comfortable in the library.

"What are you having?" he ended up asking, half trying to make conversation, half genuinely interested in Erik's choice of drink.

"Something I first encountered during my time in Switzerland," Erik replied, gesturing to the tumbler in his hand. "Different, though enjoyable. A clear superior to its lesser kin." He sipped at the liquid once more and then lowered the drink to sit on the arm of the chair. His blue-green irises shifted to Charles again, watching the other mutant intently.

It was strange to think that only months before they were entirely unaware of one another's existence in the world. Erik had honestly thought to be alone, and Charles...well, Erik was willing to bet that the telepath would have never been able to predict his rescue of a foreign man off the Miami coast.

As Charles took another sip of brandy he noticed Erik looking at him and smiled warmly around his glass. He'd always been a bit of a lightweight -- it was amazing he didn't end up with alcohol poisoning with all the showing-off he did out at the pubs -- and the toddy and half-glass of brandy were starting to take effect.

"Evolved as we are," he ventured daringly, smiling. "Some of us still suffer from very human afflictions."

He was referring, of course, to Erik's cat allergy. Everything was naturally more entertaining when Charles was drunk, and Erik's condition was no exception. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't trying to engage in a debate, but he supposed that came from respect and deep admiration of Erik's potential. Perhaps a little bit too much.

That last thought took him by surprise and he flushed slightly, taking another large gulp to hide his embarrassment.

In response, Erik arched a brow challengingly.

"But the afflictions are in no way related to the nature of humans," he replied, keeping his tone fairly conversational.

Realistically, he knew what Charles was getting at. For all of the man's incredible intelligence, he could have an ego about him; it was most emphasized whenever there was alcohol coursing through his bloodstream. But enough was enough about that. There were other things to talk about, other topics to broach.

Taking another swig of his drink, Erik set the glass down and stood to his feet. He walked over to the window and may have used his mutation to tug at Charles' belt buckle along the way, implying that he follow. Charles had been in the process of finishing off his drink, though was unable to when he felt a pull coax him to his feet. Going with it, he set down his glass and walked over to where Erik had stationed himself.

Erik turned to regard Charles; his eyes inspected the telepath's face and took note of the slight drunken flush that reddened his cheeks. Charles wasn't one who could hold his alcohol very well - or so Erik had learned during their recruitment travels - but his effort was always very amusing.

Leaning in a bit closer, the taller man brushed his lips across a pale expanse of skin just above Charles' collar. "Would you care to offer any more commentary, Professor?" he murmured teasingly.

Charles shivered and turned his head to look up at Erik, his expression suddenly serious.

"No... no, I'm finished," he said softly, looking a little past Erik, because there was something terrifying about looking directly into Erik's eyes.

It was easier to deem them equals when they were sitting across from one another with a chessboard or something between them, but standing beside Erik reminded Charles of how different they were, and not just physically. Erik reminded Charles a bit of a panther - graceful, beautiful, but wild, untamed, capable of tearing another creature apart limb by limb. He saw firsthand the destruction Erik was capable of, the bodies he left strewn across the lawn in Russia, and Emma...

Charles shuddered to think of how she would have likely been reduced to a pile of dust had he not been there to convince Erik to have mercy on her.

And yet, despite all this, he was drawn to Erik like a moth to a flame - fully aware of the potential for danger, yet still entirely mesmerized. It explained why he gave into his urge to lean against Erik while his left hand clutched the windowsill for added support.

One of Erik's long arms wrapped around Charles' waist, holding him against his chest as they both stared out into the stormy weather. Slow kisses were deposited onto the back of Charles' neck - each one claiming and unmistakably possessive.

He was fully aware that the consequences of allowing oneself to care for someone were far too grand to risk. On the other hand, what he shared with Charles, what they'd established together, seemed to work around the rules. It was its own thing entirely - a living, breathing entity he wanted to protect, to strengthen.

Erik sniffed softly as the lingering remnants of his reaction began to dissipate. Though, not without teasing him a bit more as a final parting gift. He wrinkled his tingling nose and drew back with a wavering exhalation; it taunted him cruelly, coaxing his breath to ricochet off of Charles' shoulder. At the last second, however, he turned his head and directed the sneeze off to the left.

"EH'IDSCHHHhuih!"

He hadn't released Charles during the event, but his arm had naturally tightened around him (whether he was aware of that or not). Recovering, he resumed his previous position and provided a less than enthused comment.

"For future reference, I disapprove of all potential house cats..."

"Mmm," Charles murmured vaguely in reply. Tipping his head back to look up at Erik, he gave him a small, secretive smile, his eyes glassy with slight intoxication and...something else.

The look he was given sliced through Erik like a searing knife. His hands began moving upon Charles' sides, urging his slender fingers to slip beneath the soft material of Charles' cardigan. Afterwards, Erik's mouth became very occupied with Charles' plump bottom lip. He suckled the flushed flesh hungrily, as though it were essential that he thoroughly acquaint himself with it.

"Tell me," Erik breathed, his tone a low and sensual growl. "Did you plan this?" It was all very convenient that they'd ended up in the same room together. And now this? It almost seemed almost too perfect.

"Happy accident," Charles murmured in reply, his usual chattiness dampened by the heavy warmth of the liquor and the addicting sensation of Erik's lips and hands traveling across his milk-white skin.

He turned around in their hold to face Erik in full, brushing his hands over the other mutant's much larger ones, then allowing his fingers to travel up his arms, chest, neck, to trace along his stubbled jawline. Erik was beautiful but at the same time ruggedly masculine, sophisticated yet wild, a flurry of contradictions and extremes that Charles both adored and feared.

Most of all, he supposed that Erik appealed to him ways he couldn't explain, infused him with fervent desire that went deeper than what those girls he flirted with at Oxford could ever inspire.

Just as Charles was letting his fingers glide down Erik's torso something drew the telepath's attention to the library entrance. It was like someone stepping on a creaky floorboard in his mind, alerting him to their presence before they could physically appear. Charles stepped back abruptly, smoothing out his cardigan and brushing his hair back into place with his fingers, and nodded towards the doorway, unable to warn Erik verbally before Alex suddenly appeared.

"Did you need something, Alex?" Charles inquired, sobering up surprisingly quick.

Luckily, Alex seemed oblivious to what had just been going on before his unwelcome interruption. "Just thought I'd tell you two that Raven let Darwin back inside," he announced a little too eagerly, as if he'd been wanting to tattle on Raven for a while. "We told her not to, but she did anyway. Big surprise."

"Let him inside? More like dragged him!" Charles couldn't stop himself from sighing when he heard, and subsequently saw, Sean appear in the hallway next to Alex. "You could tell he wanted to stay outside," Sean continued. "But Raven grabbed him and brought him in. They're tracking mud all over the place. First cat I've ever seen who seems to like getting wet."

It was incredible how quickly Erik's mood could change, based on what was going on around him. No sooner had Alex revealed the situation did he adopt a look of great annoyance. He was only just recovering from his previous encounter with the cat; he'd be damned if another episode was going to start up, just because Raven had deliberately gone against their earlier consensus.

"Where are they?" Erik asked, staring rather intensely at the duo in the doorway.

Sean seemed to tense beneath Erik's powerful glower; he felt that somehow, someway, he was going to pay for this. Even if he hadn't been the one to bring Darwin back in. They'd all suffer for it. That's just how it worked.

"Downstairs," the redhead said, prior to moving the hell out of the way to allow Erik to storm by. He stayed quiet until the intimidating man was out of earshot before he looked back and Alex and Charles and said: "So, are we making bets? Because my money's on him."

"Not now, Sean," Charles said firmly, making his way towards the door and down the hall after Erik.

TBC.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Spoo

[Anonymouse]

Get comfy, ya'll, shit's about to get real good.

[Renny]

Oh my god this is absolutely perfect. Like seriously how is this real.

I haven't indulged in Cherik (or First Class at all really) in such a long time that the whole thing and all the characters are just so fresh to me right now and this is like seriously really great- I've even started fangirling over it like crazy now omfg.

And it's gonna get better? How is that even possible like I am so ready for this!!!

Also lovin' the evolution oriented title and the name Darwin for the cat. I saw the title and I just started LAUGHING MANIACALLY.

Anyway thank you guys SO MUCH for putting this beautiful work of art into my life it is truly amazing.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Renny

[Bruyere]

Gah, Spoo and AnonyMouse I am enjoying this so much. Erik's sneezes are delicious and I loved the cat favouring Hank.

[AngelEyes]

EEEP! Awesomeness!!!

[Purple]

I'm entirely okay with where this is going.

[Spoo]

Nonny: ONE DOES NOT DISOBEY ERIK. Father's word is law.

Renny: Thank you so much for your comment (though I prefer the extended version, haha). You're too sweet, and I'm glad we could bring this fandom/pairing back for you.

Bruyere: Erik is delicious in general. And yes, haha. Darwin's got a thing for Hank. Animal attraction and all. Thanks for the love!

AngelEyes: Yaaay!

purple: Hehehe. Good!

Spoiler alert! Most of this update circles around another pair of cuties, but never fear. There's still a little somethin'-somethin' from them. Nonny and I hope you enjoy some awkward Haven (Hank/Raven) adorableness~

Survival of the Fittest

Part 5

by AnonyMouse and Spoo

Charles almost felt partially responsible: He knew Raven best, knew how stubborn she could be, and he should have kept an eye on her, or at least checked up on her mentally to make sure she wasn't disobeying their orders. Now he was going to have to tread lightly, supporting Erik without making Raven feel like he was choosing sides.

As he made his way down the hall, Charles caught sight of Erik turning a corner and pressed his fingers lightly against his temple, sending a warning to Raven. 'A little bird told me you've brought Darwin in... Erik isn't happy.'

Raven didn't respond, but it didn't matter. They'd find her soon enough. And more likely than not she'd be with the cat. When Charles realized this he picked up his pace, nearly jogging ahead to catch up with Erik, and reaching out hesitantly to grab his arm, slowing him down just a bit.

"Let me talk to her," he said, almost getting dragged along as Erik refused to stop. "If she's with the cat..." He trailed off, as they both knew very well what would happen if Erik was in the same room with Darwin.

At that point, Erik didn't care what happened when he and the cat were in the same room. He was more focused on asking Raven why she'd brought the damn animal in when he and Charles had both made it clear that it was to stay outside. Even so, and in spite of his wishes, Erik found himself slowing down and allowing Charles to assess his sister's decision.

He let the other man walk away while he lingered in the hall. He then glanced behind him and just barely caught sight of blond and red hair disappearing around the corner as Sean and Alex hid. Erik gave his head a single shake before he glanced back towards the living room, unamused.

Charles wasn't surprised to find Raven sitting in his armchair like she owned the place, petting the wet, purring ball of fur in her lap. She looked up and boldly made eye contact with Charles, and the telepath felt his authority withering under her gaze. He despised confrontation, especially with someone as manipulative and persistent as Raven, and almost wished he'd let Erik go ahead and handle it alone.

"I see you've gone and done exactly what we've asked you not to do," he observed calmly, though his arms were folded across his chest in a show of disappointment.

"Asked, or told?" Raven muttered, but her front seemed to come down a bit as she looked down at Darwin. "I just can't stand the thought of him being out there in this," she said, directing her gaze to the dark, damp window.

Charles remembered when he first found Raven in his kitchen, foraging for food, little wet footprints across the linoleum tracking in the rain and mud from outside, and he sighed, forcing himself to remain firm.

"We've been over this," he reasoned, moving across the room to sit against the arm of the sofa closest to her armchair. "He's a cat. He's used to this. He knows where he can go to keep dry."

"But it's lonely out there," Raven countered.

"Lonely or not," Erik interjected, stepping into the room. "He has to stay outside."

Erik did his best to remain firm and unchanging with an expression that showed no signs of budging, yet he notably cringed when he locked eyes with the creature in Raven's arms. Just looking at the fur - the damp, long fur - was enough to make his nose twitch restlessly.

"Then I guess I'm staying outside too," Raven reasoned simply.

"Raven, please don't be ridiculous," Charles said automatically, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He knew to expect a dramatic response from his little sister, but that didn't make it any less irritating.

"Why not?" she asked, looking at Charles now. "I lived outside for the first part of my life. I should be used to it, right?"

Charles pressed his lips together until they went pale, then looked at the window. "If that's truly what you want, then go. I'm not going to stop you."

Raven didn't hesitate. She stood up, cradling Darwin, and made her way towards the entrance, grabbing an umbrella from the holder on the way out the front door. Immediately after, both Sean and Alex scrambled to the window to confirm that Raven was actually going out into the rain.

"Wow, she wasn't joking around," Sean said.

"She'll come back in when she's finished pouting," Charles sighed, not sounding too sure of himself. He glanced apologetically at Erik, then got distracted when he saw something slink across the hallway out of the corner of his eye.

She didn't...did she?

"She needs to learn how to follow the rules," Erik commented. After a moment, he looked at Charles. "I'm going back upstairs." And like a shadow, he slipped from the room and headed in the direction of the staircase - though not before surrendering to an itchy sniffle or two.

Just as Erik departed, Hank entered. Following his dishes duty with Sean, he had returned to the lab to check on the experiments and cultures he'd started earlier that afternoon; he now came out to see what the others were doing. Unfortunately, it seemed like he'd walked in on a scene. The living room had a very awkward vibe to it.

"Did I, um. Miss something?" he broached.

"Only everything, Bozo," Alex quipped. "Raven's pissed because Erik won't let her keep Darwin inside, so now she's standing in the rain to prove a point."

"I think it's pretty hardcore," Sean praised. "Fight the Man."

Hank blinked and glanced out the window, seeing Raven's figure standing amidst the downpour. His eyebrows furrowed and his head slowly shook once before he focused back on the other three males. "Has anyone tried talking to her?"

It was the bait Alex constantly waited for. "Looks like we have a volunteer!"

"Yes, Hank, do go check on Raven," Charles said absently, mistaking Hank's question as an offer to do just that.

He was too busy staring at the steps up which Erik had just disappeared, again, to be fully present in the current conversation. Raven's histrionic behavior was something he was used to, something that did not concern him as much as Erik's elusiveness. Even more disconcerting to him was the possibility that the cat was, in fact, still in the house. Split between following Erik and searching the first floor, Charles turned to the others as they continued their commentary on Raven's act of protest. Apparently Hank had slipped out the front door without Charles' awareness and was now standing outside beside Raven, who was staunchly refusing to share her umbrella.

"Could you make sure Darwin's not still around here?" Charles asked, interrupting whatever Alex had just been saying.

"What's the big deal?" Alex asked. "Why is Erik being so weird about this cat?"

Charles frowned, then glanced over his shoulder. Still no sign of Erik. Exhaling through his nose, he turned back to the boys. They had their eyes fixed eagerly on Charles, both sensing that he was about to reveal something about their more mysterious mentor.

"He's allergic," Charles revealed, keeping his voice down just in case.

Sean snorted. "Well why didn't he just say so?"

"Because it shouldn't matter," Charles explained, his voice authoritative once more. He found it easier telling Sean and Alex what to do than telling Raven. "If he or I tell you not to do something, you should listen to us, end of story."

"Tell that to Raven," Alex retorted, nodding out the window. "She's the one who doesn't seem to get it."

- - -

Hank didn't care if he was getting wet. He'd endured much worse throughout his life, and a little rain never hurt anybody. He alternated between looking down at his big shoes, or at Raven, or out ahead at the sheets of water that poured down in front of them. Eventually, he spoke.

"You shouldn't stay out here," he began. "Even if you have an umbrella and aren't getting wet. It's still cold."

And that was something the young scientist was presently experiencing. He'd never been very good when it came to cooler temperatures - probably because he'd always been lanky and lacked proper insulation to stay warm. He was already shivering, but the tremors weren't too noticeable yet (thankfully).

"I'm kind of sick of people telling me what to do, in case you didn't notice," Raven said coolly. "I don't need you out here giving me orders now."

She realized she was being melodramatic, that what Hank had said could be classified as advice at best, but she found it hard to stop herself when she went this far to prove a point. Besides, if Charles and Erik found the cat it would probably not be safe for her to go back inside, so really she had no choice but to stay out there.

Extending an arm out from under the protective barrier of the umbrella, she let the rain patter against her hand. It wasn't too bad; in fact, it felt kind of nice. Closing the umbrella, she tossed it aside, grinning at the wet thump it made as it landed in a bed of prized azaleas. She then turned to look at Hank, a small, almost defiant smirk playing on her lips.

"So, are you gonna stand out here with me all night?" she asked with her eyebrows raised, a gentle challenge.

Hank looked away from Raven's gaze, considering he found it hard to return her stare for extended periods of time. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight onto his left foot.

"I certainly hadn't intended to, but if you wouldn't mind my company, then I guess I could stay out here..."

At least for a while, he told himself. His clothes were already feeling heavy with rainwater, his glasses streaked beyond his ability to clean, and his shivering was getting a little more insistent. Nevertheless, he didn't want to leave Raven alone outside. Even if he--

"Hht'nghschh!"

The sneeze caught him completely off guard, in spite of the fact that he'd managed to duck into the palm of his hand. He sniffed a bit afterwards and felt it necessary to apologize.

"Sorry..."

Raven's smile lost some of its playful malice when Hank sneezed. It was one of the sweetest sounds she'd ever heard, more like a kitten's sneeze than that of a young man. Torn between wanting to see how long he would actually stay out here with her and her concern that he would catch pneumonia if he stood out here a minute longer, she shook her head, her wet hair sticking to her face and neck, and took his hand.

"Let's just go get dried off," she suggested, pulling him gently towards the entrance.

Hank's eyes immediately dropped down to stare at he and Raven's conjoined hands. He moved his mouth several times like a goldfish (as though he were going to say something) yet nothing came out. Not even when they were back inside and in one of the downstairs bathrooms. He seemed to shrink in on himself as things became a little more personal and secluded than they were outside, where there had been plenty of open space.

Now it was just them, alone, in the confined area of the bathroom. With the door closed. It was very, um...private.

Trying to keep his unease masked, Hank reached up and removed his glasses. He held them in one hand as he searched for something to wipe off the spotted lenses with. In the process, though, he felt another tickle blooming in his nose. He really had awful timing with that sort of thing.

"Hht'nght-tsch!"

He had used the back of his wrist to contain it, and he kept it there in case his nose decided to run. It felt like it was going to, as it often did whenever he was exposed to cooler weather (or in this case, cool rain). But this was just fantastic. Truly. Not only did he have to find something to wipe his glasses with, but he also needed something to wipe his nose with, too.

Raven smiled, gently taking Hank's glasses from him and setting them carefully on the sink. "Let's take care of you first," she said, handing him a towel and a handful of tissues. "Then we can worry about drying those off."

Hank was adorable with or without glasses, but Raven liked that she could now see his eyes so much better without a layer of glass in front of them. They were almost as blue as her natural skin, but she thought the color looked better on him than it did on her. Running her fingers through her wet hair, she grabbed a towel for herself and patted her face dry, then took Hank's glasses and delicately whisked the droplets off the lenses with a corner of the towel. Instead of returning them to their rightful owner, she slid them on and looked at herself in the mirror, smiling at her reflection.

"How do I look?" she asked, turning to face Hank so he could see his glasses on her face. "I kind of have that sexy librarian thing going on, don't you think?"

Hank paled. He had been taking care of his nose when Raven asked him that question, but he froze when he realized that a ) he'd never seen a 'sexy librarian' before, and b ) he had no clue what to say. He fumbled with a response, his pale cheeks flushing red, prior to clearing his throat.

"I don't know how to answer that," he mumbled embarrassedly, albeit honestly. "They...uh. They look good on you, though. I mean, you look okay without them, too, but if you wore glasses they would look fine."

Whatever measly shred of confidence he'd felt earlier to go and talk Raven into coming back inside vanished. He was left horribly awkward again and drastically uncomfortable. He swallowed and then reached out his hand - a silent request for his glasses.

Raven looked down and slid the glasses off her face, a small pang of regret blooming in her chest. As much as she enjoyed teasing Hank, she realized it probably wasn't very fun for him. "I'm sorry," she said as she passed him the glasses, their fingers touching briefly. "I need to think more before I say things."

Interacting with Hank was like handling a rare butterfly: He was beautiful and delicate, but if you moved too quickly or said the wrong thing you could damage him. Or he could take off, which would be just as devastating. The last thing Raven wanted was to drive Hank further into his shell.

"I also need to get some dry clothes," she added, hanging her towel back up and brushing her hair back into place with her fingers.

"I should change as well," Hank agreed, slipping his glasses back on. He moved to the door of the bathroom and started to walk out, though he stopped mid-step to look back at Raven. He shifted hesitantly and rambled. "You can...come to the lab when you're done. If you want. It's....probably not very entertaining, but I can show you what I'm working on. If you want to."

Raven gripped the bottom of her wet shirt, eager to peel the damp garment off, and glanced back at Hank with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Sure, I'd love to," she said, lifting one hand to tuck a stray lock of wet hair behind her ear. "I'll probably be like a bull in a china shop in there, but I'll try to keep my hands to myself."

Keep her hands to herself? Dammit, why did everything she say sound suggestive?

To spare Hank further embarrassment she gave him a little wave and closed the bathroom door. She needed a nice hot shower after standing in the rain for so long. Stripping off her wet clothing, she stepped into the shower and let the hot water melt away the chill. Afterwards, she pulled on a large fluffy bathrobe that used to belong to Charles's mother and threw her hair up in a towel. The contrast between the humid warmth of the steamy bathroom and the cold drafty hallway made her nose run, and she barely made it to her room before a pair of sneezes overtook her.

"Ihhtchhiuu! Hiih-... iihTSCHHeew!"

Dazed, she shook her head and continued to her room. She dressed quickly, eager to get into some warm, dry clothing, and then went to join Hank in his lab.

TBC.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Spoo

[Dusty15]

Um…I apparently MISSED PART FOUR OF THIS! So I will say that this delighted me:

looking a little past Erik, because there was something terrifying about looking directly into Erik's eyes.

And also:

"Happy accident," Charles murmured in reply, his usual chattiness dampened by the heavy warmth of the liquor and the addicting sensation of Erik's lips and hands traveling across his milk-white skin.

GUH. Thank you for all the sneezes from everyone else, too. I mean, c'mon, YOU TWO! Soooo good <3

I love the little Hank/Raven side plot and Sean's total bumbling hilarity coupled with Alex's equal level of cluelessness. Adorable.

[Renny]

Renny: Thank you so much for your comment (though I prefer the extended version, haha). You're too sweet, and I'm glad we could bring this fandom/pairing back for you.

Oh, jeez. I had a fever when I wrote that. When I went back to see it again I was absolutely mortified so I deleted most of it.

Anyways GAH! That last installment!

Hank, Raven!!!! The adorableness!

EEEEEHH!H *squeels into distance*

*finds the river between the material and spiritual worlds otherwise known as this story*

*reaches nirvana*

*dies happily*