Title: Deceit. Chapter the second.

Pairings: Charles/Erik

Warnings: Slash, violence, ANGST. So much angst.

Summary: Erik reflects on his and Charles' relationship, Now and Then. Situations from before and after Cuba.

Disclaimer: I actually own the X men comics, and all the movies. In my head.

A/N: Another fic inspired by a song, written to Love The Way You Lie – Part One. For an enhanced experience that involves both auditory and visual aspects; listen and read. Will have a companion fic from Charles' point of view to Love The Way You Lie Part Two. Enjoy.

xXx

It's all downhill from there. When they fight, Erik hits Charles hard, spits words at him he knows he doesn't mean, causes him pain, tears his own heart out. They continue to love each other, and sometimes, when Erik is incredibly regretful, and in dark pits of self-loathing, Charles pulls him back from the brink, gazing at him with bruised eyes, and they tangle together tenderly, and the world seems right again.

xXx

After the beach, he is cold. So cold, and so alone. Raven tries to fill the gap in his life that Charles has left, and he takes her roughly a few times, from need. He vomits violently afterwards, hating himself for betraying Charles, for using Raven, using and ruining yet another person.

At some point he finds himself back where it all started. Charles mansion; in the study. This place holds too many memories: good ones, bad ones - ones that sting Erik and remind him of blood and bruises. When he takes off the helmet, he feels Charles' shock and anger, but also love and relief. When Charles wheels himself into the room, Erik truly believes he has turned into the monster that he promised never to become. He has hurt the man he loves most, so badly, that there is no way back. Then Charles reaches up to him, brings his face down, and kisses him, softly, and then harder, and harder.

He knows he will continue to torment Charles. He knows he should leave and never return. Part of him wants to hit Charles, make him scream. Part of him wants to kiss him and weep.

As they reunite, Erik fails to notice that he has knocked the black and white kings, which had once stood together on the chessboard, into the roaring fire.

They are burning.

A/N: Review it now. Or Erik will hunt you down. Although I haven't clarified if bad things will happen when he finds you, so I expect some people (myself included) would rather enjoy being hunted by Erik. I jest my dear readers, reviews, are of course, entirely optional.