Mutatis Mutandis

Pairing: Erik Lehnsherr and Charles Xavier (XMFC)

Reviews are love~

In these parts of New York, if you heard trouble, you stayed out of it. If you had the power to stop it, you stayed away because it would only draw attention to yourself. Attention equals trouble equals people hurt equals people dead. It's a general knowledge thing, really, mind your own business and you won't get hurt. Erik Lehnsherr mostly agreed with this statement, not completely of course, but he's not the kind of man who tends to trouble himself with other people's problems, even if their life is at stake.

Tonight would have been a good example, but Charles Xavier wasn't known for coloring in the lines.

Erik had just finished his shower and pulled his jeans on, tossing the towel over his shoulder and embracing the warmth of his hot cup of tea. He lived in a flat on the second floor of an old building that wasn't very impressive, one side of the apartment faced straight into an alleyway that was renowned for its abundant use of prostitute fucking. It became habit to turn on Charlie Barnet or George Benson and melt away to their slow jazz tunes when he heard the rushed clacks of high heels, a woman's giggle and dirty nothings being groaned out by miserable "men", if they can really call themselves even that. Oddly enough, those were not the things he heard in the alleyway right now, this, this was different… A mugging, perhaps?

Out of sheer curiosity, Erik walked up to the window and lifted it open. Leaning against the wall behind the curtain, he watched and listened as three thugs backed a frail looking man, dressed well enough to have some decent amount of money on him, further into the alley with knives and threats. He wondered briefly if he should intervene and quickly shook the thought off, content with just watching.

His curiosity quickly shifted into an amused interest in that the man was smiling in this situation and seemed completely at ease.

"I said give us your fucking wallet, princess." He… He chuckled… And for a moment, Erik actually considered stepping in because this man clearly was confused and delusional if he was laughing while at knife point.

"Princess, is it? I assure you, gentlemen, I am, in fact, a male. But I'm flattered you think I look like a princess, I didn't know thieves could compliment while mugging, that was very sweet of you." Whether the man was crazy, stupid or had some brilliant trick up his sleeve, Erik soon found himself absolutely loving his charming wit. Not to mention he was truly quite beautiful, that was a given, though. Suddenly, the hairs on his neck stood erect, one of the men with a knife was stepping closer to "Princess" (it seems Erik felt that was the best to refer to the crazy man as) yelling more threats. He should step in, he really should, this could get very nasty very fast.

In the same moment, as if he was being mirrored, Erik raised his hand to knock the knife out of the mugger's hand… "Princess" raised his hand as if to halt the mugger in his tracks. He wiggled his fingers playfully and gave a grin that seemed almost… dangerous.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He chimed. The man stepped closer, swinging his arm back to strike at "Princess" with the knife. Erik jolted to swing his hand out and stab the mugger with his own weapon only to find himself frozen in utter disbelief. "Princess" held two fingers up to his temple and suddenly, the three men were frozen.

"Can't we all just get along?" The muggers dropped their weapons and kicked them to the walls of the alley. As soon as his hand fell to his side, the three men looked around in clear confusion.

"Uh, excuse me, sir, were we just talking?" One of the men spoke up.

"Oh, yes, you were just asking me for directions to the nearest deli. I just gave you the directions, if you need me to go over them again-" One of the other men held up his hands and shook them as if to dismiss the gesture.

"No, no, that's fine. I think I'm sick or something, I don't remember talking to you or coming into the alley…" The other two exchanged glances and shrugs, eventually just waving to "Princess" and parting ways. Erik stepped out on the fire escape stair way and leaned on the railing, a knowing grin playing at his lips as he watched "Princess" take a moment to revel in his cleverness.

"That was quite a trick. I'd like to know how you did it, if you don't mind." "Princess" spun in a forty-five degree angle and tilted his head up to smile at his exceedingly handsome witness.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, my friend. They simply seemed to have had a unison change of heart and memory laps, I didn't do anything. As they say, God works in mysterious ways." "Princess" shrugged and turned to walk away, halting immediately when three knives dangled a mere two feet before his eyes and curled up from tip to hilt, dropping to the ground with three soft thuds.

"God… Or super human freaks like you and I?" "Princess" barked out the most beautiful laughter that Erik had ever heard from another man and shot his head up to him, his smile bigger than his gorgeous red lips led him to believe they could stretch.

"That was magnificent! Are you telekinetic?" Erik chocked on his mild shock and extended a waving hand to silence "Princess".

"Are you crazy? You can't-" The metal bender placed his hand over his mouth and looked around nervously, "I can manipulate metal, alright? Listen, I've just made a pot of tea, I don't think I'll be able to finish it all. Would yo-" Before he could finish asking, "Princess" had already leapt his way up the stair way and now stood face to face with the taller man, smiling expectantly at Erik. "… like some?"

"Oh, absolutely, I love tea, I'm from England, so naturally- well, not technically naturally, but yes, I would like some tea."

:

"You're German, yes?"

"Was it my name or accent that gave it away?" Charles grinned and looked up at Erik though his lashes, playing a bit on the flirty side. He could feel it a mile away, the attraction Erik felt towards him.

"Both, really. And your incredibly handsome looks. Germans have good genes when it comes to looks, you're all so very pleasant to gaze upon." Erik grinned back and fought the urge to make a comment on his guest's incredibly bright red lips.

"So, Charles, you're a professor of human genetics and a telepath… I can only imagine what sparked your interest in human genetics." Charles hummed and placed the cup of tea on the coffee table.

"Erik, you'd be absolutely amazed at just how many others of us there are in the world. Thousands- millions even, all with very unique and fantastic abilities, abilities even the most creative child could never imagine. My sister, Raven, she's a shape shifter. Her original form; dark blue skin with almost scale like features covering her body, her eyes are bright yellow and her hair is the most unnatural red you've ever seen. She can turn into any person, animal or even a statue and can change her voice to match. I know this young man who can manipulate his voice into supersonic waves that can shatter glass, knock a car out of his way, and if aimed at the ground, can send him flying into the air and soften his landing. Another young lady I know, she has what appears to be fairy wing tattoos on her back and wrapping around her shoulders, but at will she can turn them into real wings and fly and she can shoot little fire balls from her mouth- Erik, how can you not be interested in human genetics when you've seen the marvelous things these… mutants, if you will, can do? It confounds me that others like us can look at these powers and not be drooling with fascination or not want to know how we came to be! People act so nolens volens about it, I just don't understand." Charles finally slouched back into the chair defeated and gazed back up at Erik. It was in that moment that he knew he found it, what he'd always been looking for.

Erik's eyes were fixed on him, he was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and hands clasped together, his lips parted ever so slightly in anticipation. He wanted Charles to continue. He wanted to hear more. He wanted…

Charles froze when he noted the number code that had scarred over on Erik's arm and glanced around the living room, spotting a necklace with the Star of David hanging from a candle fixture on the wall. His eyes connected back with Erik's.

"You're Jewish?" Though he smiled genuinely as he asked, he couldn't help but feel he had upset Erik when his gaze had hardened and his mouth snapped shut. He immediately jumped to fix the tension he had unintentionally built. "You see, at my school for the gifted, one thing I try so desperately to instill in the criteria is a broad diversity of culture and religion, so that everyone feels a sense of acceptance and understanding. I have several teachers and students from around the world who share with the other students and faculty the customs and history of their culture and religion. But, Erik, I'm afraid I don't have any J-"

"I appreciate the offer, Charles, I do, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I'm not good with kids and I have a temper that they might find… a little on the scary side." Charles smiled and nodded in understanding, relieved that Erik had relaxed again and happy that his eyes had lit up with a slight touch of eagerness all of a sudden. "So… Could you go on about the mutants at your school? Their gifts, I mean."

"Would you like to meet some of them?" Erik blinked, his face laxed in a moment of dawning.

"Yes." His voice came out much less confident than he sounded prier. Barely a whisper.

"Are you busy tonight? I can take you to meet some of them, we can have dinner at my home, the school is my family's American estate, show off a bit, we can discuss more on the matter if you'd like-"

"Charles." Their eyes couldn't unlock, they were frozen together as if seeing each other to the core in that short lived time lock.

"You're not alone, Erik. You were never alone. You just didn't look hard enough." They stood. The only thing separating them being the knee-high coffee table.

"I have a feeling you and I are going to become very close, Charles Xavier."

"And I look forward to it with great enthusiasm, Erik Lehnsherr."

:

That night was the night Erik woke up.

That night was the night Erik's dreams stood in reality before his eyes.

That night was the night that changed everything in his life and mind that needed to be changed.

iMutatis mutandis./i