"Run with me: An Erik and Charles fan fic"

Oneshot

Erik had stretched his hand toward Charles, smiling warmly. Charles knew what he was thinking about obviously. He was thinking of the good old days when they were together, before they fought horribly and turned against each other.

"Won't you run with me for one day?" he asked.

Charles was perplexed. He hadn't expected him to say that but he was even more surprised at himself. He had known for some time he had been attracted to him. In fear of being rejected for obvious reasons, he hid his feelings somewhere deep inside his heart where he wouldn't look ever again. Years of concealing and not feeling, had just been all in vain because all of his feelings came back in a rush. However, he wasn't going to just act on impulse.

"Erik, are you mad?" Charles managed to say. "I can't just leave here. There are many things that need to be taken care of… do you know how much work it would pile up?" Erik laughed now. "Charles," he started to say. "We both know that's the least of you're worries." "Have you forgotten I have a duty here? I need to guide and show the students a path." Charles said in his very practical tone of voice. "Then even more the reason why you should take a break for one day only! That's all I ask." Erik said, with his smile wider than before.

He could always get into his head and posses his mind as his own and make him leave…

And he was very sure he was going mad the second he said yes to him.

Charles sighed in defeat and said "Fine. I'll go." Erik was smiling with satisfaction written all over his face. After that, they both went to his car and Erik started the engine. It took a few minutes for it to start and when it finally did, Erik pulled the drive on and started to drive.

"So where are we going?" Charles asked, trying to make some decent conversation. "I don't know." Erik said. "I haven't thought of it." And it was true. He only had thoughts of them somewhere together, hanging out and laughing like the good times. Charles looked away, embarrassed at himself.

He thought that Erik actually went to look for him because he liked him. Please! We all know that Erik and Mystique had this connection with each other. Erik only thought of him as a good old friend, and nothing more than that. He calmed himself down and collected all of those feeling he had a while ago, and hid them once again deep inside of him. It's okay… he could do this. After all, he had done this for all of his entire life.

They stopped at a tiny dinner on the way to eat something. The inside had an old, used up retro style; right on the half of the walls, they had back and white checkered and the old CD's put on displays on the upper side of the walls. They were only a few people inside (thugs and a few old people), plus the employees. It was sort of cute when you ignored the thugs glaring at you.

They sat at the bar they had and ordered some refreshing beer for both of them. They waited only a few minutes for their beers and started to drink. "I'm quite curious about something." Charles said, looking at Erik. "Why did you ask me to run with you today?" Erik looked now at Charles. "You really don't know? You can just easily read my mind." Erik said quietly. "I want to hear it from you personally." Charles said. Erik didn't answer right away. Instead, he stopped looking at Charles and looked somewhere else, deep in thoughts. He drank some more and so did Charles.

He never answered him.

Charles tried not to read his mind.

In fact, he was getting a tad too drunk to be even able to think rationally. Erik looked the same. He didn't look drunk. He always had a high tolerance against beers. He looked amused to see Charles in this state. He never thought there would be a day he saw him so drunk. Erik tried to help him get up from his seat and take him to his car. He was very heavy. Erik gently lays him down on the car seat.

Charles was recalling many things from the past. Like how he met for the first time Erik and how he felt the butterflies in his stomach. Like how at one point they were searching for the other mutants together and how enjoyable was it to be with him. Like how at one point everything was starting to change. Like how when Erik abandoned him and left with Mystique, and how heartbroken he felt. He needed to calm himself. Otherwise, he will only lash out at Erik and he didn't want that. He was barely even keeping up with Erik talking to him right now.

Erik knew Charles was too out of it to properly listen to what he was saying. It was very cowardly of him but he was saying it finally. How he truly felt all this time. He knew Charles did not see him in that light so he left with Mystique. He preferred to stay as good old friends than to risk it and ruin everything they might've had.

"Charles," he started to say quietly. "Although it might be hard to believe after everything, the truth is I am in love with you. And I just wanted to let you know because I know we will never be together (for obvious reasons)." Charles managed to get up, and looked at Erik, who was very surprised. "Are you mad?" Charles said, somewhat confused. Then again he wasn't in any state to be thinking things thoroughly. Everything else that is going to happen is pure youth and carelessness. "Or are you just playing with me? Do you think that I'm seriously going to buy that? You're drunk!" Erik released a sigh and parked somewhere so they could "talk" properly. "Charles, you're the one that's drunk for Christ sake!" Erik said impatiently. "I must be because that's all I ever really wanted to hear from you and now I'm mixing real life with fantasy!" Charles exclaimed, equally impatient. Erik fell silent. "You mean you like me?" he asked surprised. "God damn straight you're right!" Charles exclaimed. "Did you know how hard it was to try and forget you when you kept popping inside my god damn head?" Erik didn't say anything. Instead, he leaned closer to Charles and looked at him straight into his eyes.

"Charles." He called out.

"Yes?" he said.

"Do you mind if I kiss you right now?" he asked.

"Don't ask these types of things. Just do it." He said. The little distance they had between their faces came to a closing as Erik went for a kiss.

It was morning when Charles woke up in a strange place. A hotel, he concluded. He suddenly had a huge headache (well, bigger than usual) and recalled the memories that happened last night. He immediately hid his face in his hands in disbelief.

It was around then Erik was starting to get up and stretch his body. "Good morning." Erik said, yawning. "'Morning." Charles said. "Erik, did we really…?" Erik smiled. That smile of his said everything. "But what are we going to do about this? Does this mean we're going out?" Charles asked. Erik nodded in thought. "Well, do you want to?" Erik asked. Charles couldn't believe it.

All this time, he thought he was the only one in love.

He was wrong. And that thought alone was sufficient for him to answer him.

"It would be my pleasure." Charles said, smiling shyly.

"The end of oneshot."