A/N Set mid movie, Slashy undertones if you like, or just friendship if you don't, drabble that my mind started to spit at me while I was at work.

Disclaimer: if I owned X-men that beach scene would have been soo different.

Serenity In Rage

The first thing that tells Charles that something is wrong is the fact that Erik is utterly still, not just physically but his mind too was silent, any one that was familiar with Erik's mind (and Charles liked to think that he was) knew that it was always doing something even when his body was still, whether this was searching for possible exit or entry routes, classifying people by how dangerous they could be or cataloguing all the different types and amounts of metals in a room, his mind was always active.

The second thing that tells him that something is very wrong is the fact that every metal object in the room seems to be ever so slightly vibrating.

The last he knew Erik had been across the room from him, standing in a corner while he talked to some of his old Oxford friends that had invited him to a reunion of sorts. (he had had to bribe Erik into coming with promises of not being left to 'babysit' the children when he and Moira had meetings with the CIA.)

Quickly excusing himself from is current conversation, he gets close enough to hear the the ever so quiet and so calmly spoken "excuse me? Can you repeat that last comment please?" this is the third thing that tells him that something is wrong, Erik was never that calm never that quiet. Charles looks over to the person that the words (so calm and yet more deadly than a blade) were directed too; no-one he recognised, he didn't know as yet whether that was good thing or a bad one.

" I said, where is the proof of this 'holocaust'?" as the telepath hears the words he gets a sinking feeling this is not going to end well.

Erik leans forward from the wall that he had been learning against in boredom, and slowly beings to move forward, closer to the other man like a predator stalking it's pray. He moves with the same eerie grace that Charles has only seen him use when he's fighting, stopping just an inch or so inside the other man's comfort zone.

Never letting his dark eyes drift from the other man's he pulls the long sleeve of his sweater up, baring the blue number tattooed there, as Erik looks down at it the other man's eyes follow and as soon as he sees the number there he gasps "is that enough proof for you" once again the words were said in the soft deadly tone that was far more dangerous than if he had yelled them.

"I...I.." the other man stammers, his shock and lack of ability to speak normally tells his reaction for him.

This is when Charles inserts himself between them "I think perhaps it is time for us to be on our way" he speaks to Erik softly as though afraid to unleash the rage that he knows is bubbling below the surface, just waiting for the final push that will turn this meeting into a bloodbath (he knows now what Erik is capable of, their time in Russia had taught him something) " Yes, I do believe that it is" Erik's voice is still to soft.

As they leave the building together Charles can feel the minds of those he once called friends fall out of shock and into what he called gossip mode. Walking side by side towards the car it is Charles that breaks the silence "Thank you, Erik" this makes the other mutant turn towards him puzzled "for what? Charles " "For finding the serenity in the rage".

A/N I can has reviews? Please?