Fic: The Heart's Dark Crossroads (XMFC, Erik/Charles, NC 17)

[ginbitch]

Title: The Heart’s Dark Crossroads

Fandom: Xmen: First Class

Pairing: Erik/Charles

Length: c. 6k

Beta: The sublime kate_lear and the beautiful fengirl88 (and vice versa). Words can’t describe how grateful I am.

Warnings: Sex (explicit), homophobia (comparatively non-explicit)

Rating: NC17

This fic was originally written for a fic-exchange prompt by splintercat on erik_charles which

Comments

[kalypso_v]

Bowled over by this.

I love the hints of Charles as a metal responding to Erik's magnet - the compass image at their first meeting, and Erik's consciousness of the thrum of iron in Charles's blood.

And the meeting on the bridge that's as forceful as the original meeting under water - Charles taking Erik by surprise again with his sudden arrival in his mind (and he does it a third time back in the motel).

And the way that, once Charles finally gets there, he's so open to Erik - "Not merely trusting him to be gentle but showing him that he need not be".

And I really like the whole episode with George: his skilled appliance of his power, his certainty that he's in the right job already, and the regret for his absence when he was so much needed - to save Charles (and through him Erik) or to save King.

Wonderful not alright wonderful!

[ginbitch]

Wow! I'm bowled over by your response

[cylin]

Oh my God, I'm crying. I'm actually crying. I can't even really see the keyboard. This has never happened before. This was so, so beautiful. I'm crying. God.

I'll leave a more cohrent comment, when I can. Gosh.

[ginbitch]

*hugs you*

I am so glad you liked it! I love these two so much...

<3 <3 <3

[marysutherland]

You know what I thought about the film. All I can say is that this fic goes a long way to justifying the existence of XMFC, that it's inspired you to produce a story of such high quality. This is what XMFC ought to have had in it, and didn't. Any story that makes me like Charles has to be good, and here it's the blend of the personal and political that does it, with Charles starting to see the certainties of his life and the correctness of his prejudices crumble away. I particularly liked his prior reflections on not wanting to associate mutants with gay people, which sounded very true (and accompanied by a moment of care about Raven, which was nice). And of course you're right about him loving Tom Lehrer

[ginbitch]

I am utterly blown away by this comment! Thank you very much

[fengirl88]

I agree with marysutherland that it is exactly what the film needed. it is my great good fortune that this was the first XMFC fic I read, and it's been my headcanon ever since, to the extent that I have to remind myself periodically that this wasn't in the film...

*applauds wildly and adds to memories*

[ginbitch]

Thank you very much! *blushes*

This fic benefited so much from you and Kate joining me in this fandom - and kicking my arse with your beataing sticks!

I am eternally grateful!

<3 <3 <3

[fengirl88]

I do not remember any arse-kicking being involved or required... I think most of my comments consisted of squeeing. *grins sheepishly*

looking forward to seeing the sequel(s) when you are ready!

*hugs*

[ginbitch]

Thank you! I'm delighted that you liked it!

<3

[ginbitch]

Yay! I'll look out for your take on these two!

Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I feel quite overwhelmed! It was really important to me to get the context right with these two and to capture the balance of their relationship. I'm so glad you felt it worked! And that you picked out those lines. I really found the image of the battlefield helpful when thinking about Erik's mind and I'm so glad it made sense to you too!

Delighted you liked it!

<3