Disclaimer: if do not own X Men.

Charles had a gun to his head and was trying desperately to pull the trigger. Erik laughed gleefully as he watched the man drop his arm after a long internal struggle. "No, if can't. I'm sorry. I can't shoot anybody point blank, let alone my friend." Charles dropped his hand looking desperately at him. Looking for something. Reassurance? Approval? He wanted to know he hadn't let Erik down. Erik, the man that seemed to have no hesitation when it came to things like this, no qualms about killing someone. At least that was the way Charles saw him. But Erik was no longer that emotionless killing machine the Nazis had made him into. Charles had taken those raw emotions, the burned ends where his heart had once hung, and had slowly but surely, put the pieces back together. If he had to make a choice, if he really had to he would never, could never kill Charles. Much like Charles could not pull the trigger, Erik could never consciously cause any harm or threat to come to Charles. When had he become so protective of the man? Erik laughed as he thought back to the promise he'd made Charles give him not to read his thoughts. And, as much as Erik knew, Charles had kept his promise. So, while still chuckling, he used his powers to raise the gun. Charles let it slip out of his hand. Erik put the gun against his head and then locked eyes with Charles. Charles eyes looked scared. He didn't want Erik to do this. The old Erik would have just laughed it off and unloaded the clip. But he couldn't. Not when Charles had those eyes on him. And, his natural instinct to impress a possible (hopeful) mate kicked in. He didn't even think about it as the gun slowly took itself apart before their eyes. Charles's eyes went from worried to lighting up. Impressed, pride, awe, and...was that love? Surely Erik was making the last one up. Hope. Erik shook his head ruefully as he put the gun back together and then pushed it gently into Charles's hand.

"Read my mind Charles." Erik whispered.

"But you made me promise-" Charles stopped looking at his counterpart with confusion.

"I know but right now, just this once." Erik said as he looked deeply into Charles's eyes searchingly.

"But-" Charles tried to protest.

"Just do it." Erik snapped before regaining himself and focusing his thoughts. He brought one thing to the top, overlapping all other thoughts with it. Overlapping thoughts of metal and of anything he'd dreamt of doing to Charles in the darkness of night and under the protective covers of his bed. On top of all that, everything, he was practically screaming inside his head if love you Charles Xavier. Over and over again. He shut his eyes as Charles's hand went to his head. Two fingers touched his temple before falling quickly as blue eyes looked wide eyes at Erik.

"I can hear you Erik. There's no need to shout." He said blinking at Erik before his face broke into a grin and he began laughing. Erik's face contorted into a confused pout, a look that sent Charles into even more fits of laughter. It was so bizarre on the man that he just had to laugh.

"Charles?" Erik asked after a while. He really didn't know what emotions he should have been feeling at that point so he was a bit concerned and also a bit put off.

"Oh Erik, my friend, why do you think so loud?" He asked as he finally regained himself, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Is that all you have to say?" Erik asked finally deciding on an emotion. Anger. The gun began to vibrate in Charles's hand.

"I don't really know what else to say." Charles frowned slightly as his demeanor finally sobered. Erik felt his hands ball into fists at his sides. They'd done this practice a thousand times and a thousand times Charles had said varying forms of the same thing. And a thousand times Erik had shook off his feelings as nothing more than a schoolboy crush but after all this time spent with him, he had to tell him. After he'd thought about it tirelessly he'd come to the conclusion that it wasn't a crush anymore, it was something more. So he'd decided to tell Charles about this and now this is where it'd gotten him. Embarrassed. Laughed at. Sad. Angry. And still alone.

"I see." Erik said as he began walking away.

"Erik." Charles laughed as he trailed after the other. "You don't seem to understand-" he stopped when Erik rounded on him, his eyes full of threat where they'd been promising protection only moments ago. Erik felt something inside him tug and he remembered that he'd wanted to protect this man, not hurt him. And right now, the threat was himself so he decided the best course of action would be to leave. So he turned back around, and headed inside. "Erik please. Give me a moment." Charles begged as Erik began packing his small amount of possessions. Just as he grabbed his bag and began heading to the door he felt his body lock.

"Just listen Erik." Charles said inside his head.

"Get out of my head." Erik growled.

"I need to tell you what if meant. I don't know what to say Erik. I really don't. I didn't know this was an option for you, for me, for...us." Charles said carefully. "Please stay. With me. For me. Here."

"How can if? I have so many questions. So many problems." Erik replied tiredly.

"Let me help you." Charles said as he let Erik go.

"Give me one good reason." Erik said as he held his bag closer to his body.

"I'm pregnant." Charles said straight faced. Erik sighed and hung his head as he pushed past the other and headed to the exit. "Oh come on Erik. It was a joke." Charles called after the other as he chased after him. The only joke Erik saw was the irony in the fact that he'd been dreaming of being pursued by Charles for a long time. But not like this. He ignored the rest of the pleas the other man called as he stood tall and walked out.