Indoor Warmth - X-men, Charles and Erik M/M

[fraggle]

oijreogijrogijojodrsjg

Just wow, this is awesome! I'm totally hooked, can't wait for the next part.

[KickingUpTheDust]

PART SEVENTEEN.

"Is this a little better od the siduses, Charles?"

"Codsiderably."

They were now facing the same way, Erik leaning back against Charles' chest, gazing up so he had a perfect view of that utterly arresting, dripping nose that sniffled and twitched like a ripe cherry.

"This is dice." Erik murmered, "has adyone ever told you how good you look id the bathtub surrouded by bubbles?"

"Do one has ever had the chadce." Charles answered, rubbing his nose with his fist. "I do thigk I should get out rather sood, the warbth is causig be the drift off."

"Drift off, you say?" Erik raised his eyebrows, turning to face him with that oh-so-wide grin, "we cad't have that!" and he reached hungrily for Charles' neck with his mouth.

Charles stirred the next morning to the sound of knocking at the door. Sneezing and struggling up, he notices Erik's arm fall off him. For once, Erik was sleeping soundly and Charles smiled. The knocking, however, continued.

"Rise and shine, older brother!" Raven called, in what Charles deemed to be a sarcastically chirpy tone,

Fully aware that his throat was raw and dry, and his nose was plastered with dry skin from all the blowing and wiping, Charles settled for a telepathic, Good morning to you, too, Raven.

"Guess who's decided to swing by for a merry visit?!"

Charles didn't need to guess. One quick scan of the mansion showed exactly who had decided to pop in and Charles groaned.

Are you joking? Right now?

"Yes!" Raven sing-songed back with another rap on the door, "So, get up! She wants to see how her biological freak is doing, not just her adoptive one!"

She doesn't know, Raven, you know that.

"She still never did take to either of us. And he especially didn't."

I suppose not. Look, just keep them distracted while I get myself ready and I'll be right down.

"Oh, I see how it is..." Erik purred, a teasing smile at his lips as he watched Charles pull on some respectable clothing, "...you try to sdeak out the bordig after."

"Trust be, this is for your owd good, Erik." Charles told him, "Where did I - AAAEEE-khooo! - put the bloody tissues?"

"Here." Erik threw him the box, "What's wrog, are we uder attack?"

"Worse," Charles blew his nose and stuffed his pockets and sleeves with tissues from the box, "by bother has cobe to visit."

"Ah," Erik understood, "I'b dot to beet the id-laws, thed?"

"They're terribly old-fashiod, Erik..."

"So, they dod't have to dow, we cad just tell theb we're freds."

Charles gave him a stern look over the top of his crumpled tissue,

"You dow I'b just goig to cob dowdstairs adyway."

"oh, fide, " Charles relented, "but I'b wardig you, by stepfather cad be terribly rude so just you behave."

Erik made a 'ppfffffttt' sound, that quickly turned into a coughing fit, "Whed do I ever dot behave?" he scoffed.

"Do you really have to cobe dowd shirtless?" Charles asked him, weakly, barely regaining his voice, "It doesd't really help the who 'just freds' thig - HUH-tchoo!"

"What?" Erik smirked, "It's their owd fault, they showed up udadoudced."

"Baybe, look, I dod't bean to soud like ad old fart..."

"Which you cad be."

"Thagk you for that - eh, eh-HAH-TCHOO! Listed, you will behave yourself, wod't you?"

"I will! I probise!"

"HEEEENGK-SCHOO!"

"Charles, you do look awful!"

"Yes, hello bother." Charles greeted sarcastically, voice muffled with congestion and tissue, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Well, we were back in New York and thought we'd say hello before our flight to London took off. Goodness, you look ghastly, what happened?" Mrs Xavier fussed, surveying her son critically.

"It's just a cold, bother." Charles answered, rubbing his head. Being around his family always gave him a headache.

"Flu." Erik walked in, correcting him, "Id your case I'd say it was developig idto the flu, Charles."

"It's dot the flu, Erik - IIIH-TCHEW!"

"And who's this pretty-boy?" Charles' stepfather asked, squaring his shoulders. Oh calm down, you fool, Charles thought to himself, Erik could take you in a second flat.

"I'b Erik Ledsherr. Charles' partder..." stopping when Charles gave him a look, "...id cribe. Partder-id-cribe."

"And where do you hail from, Mr Ledsherr?"

Erik gritted his teeth at the mockery of his pronunciation, "Dusseldorf, Germany."

"Ah!" Charles' incredibly irritating stepfather puffed up proudly, "Parents escaped to this country after they lost the war, eh?"

The metal in the room trembled, Charles wasn't lying when he said his stepfather was rude.

"They did't have a chadce to escape." Erik smiled falsely, casually turning over his forearm to reveal his tattoo and both Mrs Xavier's and her husband's faces blanched.

"I thigk that went rather well."

"You sdeezed od by stepfather."

"I did dot, dot od purpose adyway."

"Ad dearly skewered hib with that adtique sword."

"He was beig rude! What did you expect be to do? Let hib carry od callig you..what was it? A sissy? A podce? Other hubady, hobophobic crap?" Erik drew himself to his full height, "I'b dot goig to stad by ad let by boyfred - AH-SCHOO! Ach, bein lieber...ah..ah..hah..ah, ah AH-HATCHOO! Be idsulted by sobe obdoxious...ub Gotteswillen...udglaublich...EEEEEHHH-SCHOOO! CHOO!"

Charles simply smiled and hugged him. "You called be your boyfred."

[GeldingWest]

Dawww Erik being so protective over Charles. They're both so cute and sick and just- Awwww! This is so much fun to read ^3^

[Quite Contrary]

Oh wow, sexy protective Erik and Charles being cute as always... Every time this is updated, I just want more!

[Sitruuna]

He could just speak German all the time. I wouldn't mind.

I also like how Erik walks around without a shirt.

This is great.

[KickingUpTheDust]

PART EIGHTEEN.

Erik surveyed the details once more before folding up the paper and stuffing it in his pocket. "You ready, Charles?"

"Cobig!" Charles called back, "Are you sure you wadt to take first drive? I dod't bind. You feel up to it?"

"Really, it's fide." Erik planted a kiss on the telepath's head, "As log as we're well-stocked od tissues, I'b fide."

"You have the details?"

"Portlad, Oregod. Cessily Kidcaid...HEEH-RSHOO! Body cobposed of ber - ber - bercur - UP-TCHOO! Bercury."

"Bless you, love. Groovy butatiod, there. But bercury...that's a betal, isd't it? Are you goig to be alright?" A concerned look crossed Charles' face.

"Yeah, should be fide. Bercury isd't bagnetic." Erik reassured him. "Dow cobe od...I've beed itchig to get od the road agaid."

It was a long, long, long drive with many sneezes, sniffles and stops. While Charles didn't mind the journey so much - his cold had alleviated considerably - and he certainly didn't mind staying in small travel hotels with Erik, it was getting a little tiresome having to alter the memories of those around him whenever Erik sneezed and broke something, or when receptionists eyed them suspiciously when they asked for a single room, especially when he was so tired and sneezy himself.

None of these things, however, seemed to satisfy Erik. The more Charles sneezed (and goodness, did he, as the cold fought to get out of him) the more wild Erik would get. Charles noticed the metal trembling even when Erik wasn't sneezing or coughing. He practically screamed arousal.

"Well," Erik said, pulling up to the house, "this is it."

"Right." Charles said, whipping out a tissue and giving his nose a quick blow before getting out and following Erik to the door. "Do I look alright?"

"Dashig as ever, Professor." Erik told him, cheekily, walking up the path,

"Oh God, I really ab a professor..." Charles groaned, "Do gettig roud it dow."

"It suits you." Erik couldn't resist giving him another forehead kiss before rapping lightly on the door.

A squat man with straw-coloured hair answered, "Yes?"

"Hello, Bister Kidcaid, I'b Professor Charles Xavier, how do you do? This is by associate, Bister Erik Ledsherr. We codacted you about your daughter a few days ago?"

"Yes, yes! Come in!" the man hastily let them into the house, checking the street to see if anyone was watching.

"Forgive be for dot shaking hads, I'b getting over a cold. Dod't wadt to pass adythig od." Charles smiled, noticing the thin, anxious-looking woman in the corner, "Hello, would you be Bissus Kidcaid?"

"Yes, please, sit down."

Erik noticed how much closer Charles sat to him now. He was always careful for their legs not to touch - Erik had never thought much of it. He had heard the British were not very touchy-feely people and preferred to keep at least two feet away from everyone at all times and in all honesty, Erik couldn't say he blamed them. But now Charles sat and happily let his knee rest against Erik's, relaxed.

"So, what exactly is it that you plan to do with Cessily?" Mr Kincain asked, "You are aware she is...not...normal."

"Yes, we are fully aware of that." Charles replied, "That's why we're here. To offer her help."

"Heng-TCHEW!"

"Bless you, Erik." Charles flicked his eyes round nervously but thankfully that had been a relatively small sneeze (by Erik's standards, anyway) and the little tremor that vibrated round the metal went unnoticed by the married couple.

"Help her?" Mrs Kincain repeated, "You mean...you can cure her?"

"Cure her?" Erik's head snapped up, "Cure her frob what?"

"Erik - "

"She's a mutant!" Mr Kincain said, "She's disfigured! She doesn't even look human!"

"What your daughter has is a gift, Bister Kidcaid, ad a beautiful ode at that!"

"Erik, please..." Charles lay a hand on Erik's arm and he relented, "Bister Ledsherr is berely pointig out that butatiod is dot a disease to be eradicted, but simply a dew stage id evolutiod. There is do cure for butation, but we cad teach her to codtrol her powers so that she cad live a dormal life."

"HUH-tchoo! Excuse be."

Mrs Kincain pushed a box of tissues over the coffee table towards Erik, which he accepted with a nod of thanks.

"How is it a gift?" Mr Kincain continued, "She, or rather, it, is a freak!"

"How dare you - "

"Erik, darlig." Charles placed his hand on his knee, "Calb."

"'Darling'?" Mr Kincain scoffed, "Did you just call him 'darling'?"

Charles pressed his fingers to his temple, "Baybe we cad speak to Cessily alode?"

As arrangements were made for Cessily to be taken to the mansion within the next few weeks, Charles glanced over at Erik, who was now rattling the mantlepiece ornaments with his coughing.

"I'll drive us back to the hotel." Charles told him as they made their way back down the path, "AD take first drive back hobe. Do arguig."

"Dod't be id such a huge hurry to get back." Erik winked, "We have that roob til eight todight."

"I like what you're thigkig, Bister Ledsherr."

"Are you readig by bind?"

"I dod't always have to."

[Quite Contrary]

I am obsessed with this story

[AngelEyes]

Mmmm. Exciting!

[KickingUpTheDust]

PART NINETEEN

"Hhhua-PFHOOO!"

Charles blushed, despite there being no one in the room to hear him. He hadn't intended for that sneeze to come out so loud, not to mention high-pitched. But then it was a good sign - his sneezes became higher in tone whenever a cold was on its way out. It was embarrassing, especially when he was trying to get people to take him seriously.

Not that it wasn't slightly difficult to be taken seriously anyway, being so young in a field predominantly dominated by much older men, being slightly shorter than average and his baby blue eyes and floppy hair - overall boyish face it was difficult for his peers to completely recognise him as 'one of them'.

It was more difficult when he tried to lecture university students. Bored, lazy university students who didn't deem him worth paying attention to due to the above factors, him being only a few years older than them. Several even deeming him to be the subject of ridicule due to the above factors - plus him copiously sneezing throughout the lecture.

"Throughout the years," Charles spoke, clearing his throat of the itch that was still there. He had had a cold over the past week. Granted not as bad as his current one to leave him bed-ridden and deliriously feverish (unless he was just getting old), but still an irritatingly bad autumn cold that had left him unable to use his nose for anything other than blowing. "The word 'mutant' has been given a rather negative connotation. Mainly through science fiction novels and the like. Conjuring up disgusting creatures, lab rats and monsters. But really, you mustn't knock it - hua-CHOO!" Urgh, he thought, blushing hard. That was definitely to high-pitched to be considered masculine. And right before his killer line as well, it would ruin the effect. "Mutation took us from single-celled organisms to being the dominant form of reproductive life on this planet. Infinite forms of variation with each generation, all through mutation." He finished, smiling proudly at the, if he did say so himself, groovy line.

He had pretended not to hear the boys at the back imitating his sneeze, daring each other to go louder and louder each time.

He also pretended not to hear the newly-coined phrase 'pulling an Xavier' (definition: 'to continuously interrupt yourself in a humorous or embarrassing way and trying to be groovy and carry on.')

Hhhh-h-h-huh-PFTOO!"

"Bless you, Liebchen."

Charles jumped, "Erik!" he gasped, "You frightened me!"

Erik cocked an eyebrow and smiled, "It's not often I can do that. Must have been one deep thought."

Charles smiled, "I was just thinking about how much better I feel. How are you feeling?"

"Considerably better, although if I'm honest I'll be sad to see the back of this cold. Especially on you. HHIIIIHH-SSSHHH!"

Charles thumbed away the spray that Erik's hands had failed the catch from his cheek and let out a small laugh. "If it's my sneezes you'll miss I hardly th-think you neeeeeeed be codcerd for that - HIH-TCHOOO! Excuse be - " he blew his nose and sniffled, "plenty of them."

"Oh, will there now?" Erik purred, shifting closer.

"Yes, you know, I can't remember the last time I had a clean in the mansion. I hate to think of how much...dust...some of the very old, very unused rooms that no one ever enters...have accumulated."

"Oh yeah?" Erik murmered, "Tell me more. I'd like to help out with this...cleaning."

"Oh, I bet some of these room will be thick with dust by now," Charles didn't need to be a telepath to know what Erik was thinking. Even if he didn't have his powers, Erik was screaming them out through the dilated pupils, and he wiggled his nose for effect knowing how much Erik loved it, "even just thinking about it makes my nose itch."

"Is it?" Erik's voice was so deep, Charles knew what he was feeling, "Feeling sneezy?"

"Mm-hm, but the tickle..."

"Too weak?" Erik drawled, focusing on Charles' cufflinks and softly bringing his lips to just a millimetre from Charles' nose and whispering, "Shame." kissing the tip.

"Erik - " Charles tried to warn him, but found he was unable to move his hands, "I...I...uh...uh...IIIIIHH-SHIEEEOW!"

Erik struggled to catch his breath as he felt the warm mist of his cheek.

"Well now," he growled, mentally locking the door, "that just makes me want to make love to you in this fantastically inappropriate space."

Charles sniffled and glanced around at his study and looked back at Erik with a mischievous glint in his eye, "Yes, I suppose you should."

[AngelEyes]

"Well now," he growled, mentally locking the door, "that just makes me want to make love to you in this fantastically inappropriate space."

Love this line! LOL

[GeldingWest]

Ahhhh these two! Always so adorable and you write them well ^3^ Love Charles' little girly sneezes too haha

[KickingUpTheDust]

well, it's the last part of this story BUT DON'T PANIC GUYS. I GOT THIS. i'll be shortly starting a new cherik fic. if anyone wants a story trade, i'm happy to do that, or if anyone wants to do artwork based on the story - please do! just let me know so i can drool over it forever :-).

PART TWENTY.

"HHHRRRR-ACHSCHUM!"

"Oh dear, Erik, bless you."

Erik sniffed, "Looks like you've made a full recovery. I'm still sneezing away the last of it."

"Well, you did come down with it a few days late." Charles chuckled, "At least the worst is over now."

"Far from it, schatz, I miss your sneezes while I put up with mine."

Charles laughed again quietly and kissed Erik softly, gently. Mouth opening a little more with each flow of kiss like a cockle shell prising open, until Erik felt the tickle rear in his nose again and he turned away, making a face at the mist that spritzed over his shoulder and grabbing a tissue to wipe up the mess on his upper lip.

"Which reminds me," Charles smirked, "I have a bone to pick with you."

"I hope it's the right kind of bone."

"Oh, I think it's perfect."

"Is it now?" Erik grinned, "Care to share?"

"I need to pay you back for the other day."

The telepath sneered with lust as he stared hungrily at the metal-manipulator. Truthfully, he'd been wanting to experiment with Erik's fetish for himself since he found out. Sternutophilia seemed fascinating and he could sense how much it affected Erik. The elevated heart rate, the quickening of the breath, the flood of tantalising thoughts...Charles wanted to see if he could experience it in the same way Erik did. Erik sat on his bed and Charles couldn't help but just want to kiss that bare chest all over. But for now...

"Is it ok?" Charles asked, knowing the importance of consent, "If I...?" he gestured to his head.

Erik nodded, a glint in his eye.

Focusing on Erik's body, Charles froze it. Erik would not be able to move as long as he had control over that part of his head. Slowly, he took a feather he had found before specifically for this purpose.

"You're going to tickle me with that?" Erik wondered aloud, "And I won't be able to physically stop you?"

"You wish that was all I was going to do."

Carefully, Charles inserted the feather into the German mutant's right nostril and it immediately flared like a chemical reaction.

"Charles..." Erik told him, shakily, "Sood..."

"No, no..."

The tickle was unbearable, as Charles tickled gently, oh-so-gently...Erik felt less and less in control of himself.

"Hah...huh...."

"Tickle, tickle..." Charles giggled, kissing the tip of Erik's dampening nose.

Erik knew he was going to sneeze. Charles had tickled him enough and his nose couldn't take it. No way, time for a release."Aaaahhh...huh hah...aaahh..haaaaah...huh...HUAAAAAH - "

Nothing. His nose was frozen. Suspended in the pre-sneeze tickle.

Charles, what?

Charles snickered mischievously, "I've frozen the part of your brain that's signalling you to sneeze, but allowed you to keep the sensation. God you look so kissable right now. I could just eat you up." He leaned over and kissed Erik, smiling at his madly twitching, dripping nose and wiping away the irritated tears that were forming in his eyes.

"I think that's enough now." Charles whispered, relinquishing control.

Erik didn't waste a millisecond. No time to even cover his face. "HHHHRRRRRAAA-CHOO! HATCHOO! ATCHOO! HUH-HAH-HAAASCHOOO! TCHOO! IIIIITCHOOO! EEEEHHKTCHOOOO! Ach...deid, ist....TCHOOO!"

When he finally finished he looked at Charles, who was glowing with a kind of friskiness Erik recognised well. He smiled back, panting, eyes and nose streaming.

"Yes," Charles murmured, pressing his lips to Erik, "I definitely understand why you like this so much."

"I love you, Charles."

"I love you too, Erik."

[GeldingWest]

You do not want to know what kind of inhuman noise I just made because of how amazing this chapter was oh gosh... I just... I need to re-read like 30 times

[Renny]

i...

Edited July 8, 2014 by Renny

[Quite Contrary]

I'm so sad it's over...but so excited for whatever you write next! More Cherik!

[ID2006]

I think I forgot how to breathe

[SneezeyLove]

"They did't have a chadce to escape." Erik smiled falsely, casually turning over his forearm to reveal his tattoo and both Mrs Xavier's and her husband's faces blanched.

This. I died. ERIK!!!

Also, the last bit in part 20.... Yum! And all the times Erik spoke German. I agree that he should do that all the time more often.

Excellent job! I'm looking forward to reading your next fic!

[KickingUpTheDust]

Hehehe thank you for your kind words, everyone! you'll be pleased to know i've made a start on my next fic 'Outdoor Hazards' in which Charles and Erik spring clean the mansion and take tea outside, amongst other tomfoolery :-).

[fraggle]

That was

Yep, awesome story, can't wait for the next one!!