Suiting Up

An X-men: First Class drabble

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The X-men characters are the property of Marvel Comics, but at least this fic is mine! Something a little funny… ;) So read, review, and enjoy!

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"'Bring the box marked X'?" Charles Xavier squinted at the note as he, Erik, and the other mutants trudged through the remnants of Hank McCoy's lab. It looked as though a tornado had struck the room—or a beast had…

"Whoa," Alex commented with raised eyebrows, and the other two behind him were just as confused as the rest of them.

Moira furrowed her brow. "Is there any sign of Hank?"

Erik rolled his eyes. "No, there isn't. Don't you think if he were still here that he would've shown himself by now?"

"Erik," Charles warned. He locked eyes with his friend, hoping Erik would get the message—without telepathy—not to start an unnecessary argument.

The metal magician closed his mouth at the telepath's look. His eyes seemed to say, "Whatever." "So what's in the box?" he asked as he drew up to Charles' side. He looked over the smaller man's shoulder and read the note.

Together, Charles and Erik lifted the lid and found…cloth. Suits, really. Yellow, blue, and black. Charles picked one up and recognized the disc in the center of the chest. "Oh," he blurted. He passed it to Alex. "This is for you. It has to be—Hank thought of the center plate to channel your energy."

Alex blinked at the suit as he took it. He had nothing to say, least of all call Hank a bozo or freak.

Erik helped Charles sift through the rest: there was one for each of them, even a gray one for Moira. The suits were custom-made for them, and appeared to work with or enhance their power.

"What now? Don these things?" Erik asked.

"Yes," Charles replied. He faced the others. "Get dressed and gather at the car. Moira, if you could get the car, please."

Moira nodded and left first, and the kids went off to their rooms. Erik followed Charles to his and shrugged out of his jacket.

"I have to wonder what's running through Hank's mind," Charles thought aloud. He mused like this regardless of Erik being around.

"Don't wonder too much," the metal magician stated. "Out of the younger ones, I'd worry least about his intentions if I were you."

Charles paused, glancing in a nearby mirror at Erik's face. Of course, at this most inconvenient time Charles grew self-conscious, and he stepped into his closet to change. But not before he glimpsed the frown materializing on Erik's face. "…I know."

"As for me and Moira, I'd worry least about me," Erik ventured offhandedly.

The telepath chuckled to himself as he stepped back into his room, fighting with the zipper to bring it up all the way to his neck. "That's because I know you're evil, right?"

"Not evil, Charles." Erik's frown deepened. "Like you…a mutant."

A lump developed in Charles' throat. This was not the first time Erik had brought that difference up, and Charles had always known it was because Erik really did not see mutants and humans cohabitating peacefully. But lately these days, when he brought it up, it always seemed as though Erik were giving Charles a comparison: go with Moira the human…or choose Erik. Which was ridiculous. Charles thought Moira was attractive, but she was all business. And Erik… Erik was his friend.

Erik brushed Charles' hands away and grabbed the zipper pull. As he fixed the teeth and closed the top of the suit, he gave Charles no option but to look at his face, though Charles wanted to look at anyone but him right now. "There," the taller man muttered. He gripped Charles' shoulder and smiled, slowly zipping up his own suit the rest of the way.

"We should go." It was a miracle that Charles had not fangled his words, because it was not the suit making him feverish. No, it was not the suit at all.

Erik pulled shut the door to Charles' room and they made their way down the corridor. "So I wonder how Hank knew our sizes?"

"Yes," Charles mused, happy for a change of subject. "I wonder if Raven's and Moira's will be all right."

"Charles…"

"Yes?"

"Shut up about Moira."

Charles stupidly blushed, at least causing Erik to laugh. "Anyway, the suits were a nice present."

"I agree." Erik laughed again and slapped Charles' behind. "Who knew they'd fit us so rightly tightly?"

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I HAD to write this. Don't you think Erik needed the opportunity to hit Charlie's bum? *ROFL* Sooo funny… B)

Leave a review! You know you wanna. And then check out my other Charlerik fics! Thankies.

-mew-tsubaki :]