Fic: in the moonlight, on a joy ride [Erik/Charles] 2/2
part ii.
Logan looks at Lehnsherr, quietly measuring him up, probably trying to decide where his Achilles' heel lies.
Charles, still sitting on the floor, wonders what's going to happen next. He's getting a funny feeling that there are two different things being discussed here. That perhaps Lehnsherr is opposed to something Logan may not be aware of. That Charles might possibly not be aware of, at least not fully.
Lehnsherr bares his teeth like a hyena at Logan, takes a step forward and brushes his fingers through Charles' hair, the touch almost tentative. He nods at Charles and jerks his thumb towards the back row of books, something fierce blazing in his green-grey eyes. Charles can't help but let out a hopeless whimper before he leaps, follows through on the order, because that's what it is. Lehnsherr is ordering Charles to get the hell out of the way. He's running to the elevator, E. E. Cummings clutched tightly to his chest, while their voices echo behind him.
'You do not go around harassing young wor-'
'Like you're any better, '
'Touch him and I'll-'
Charles hears the elevator ping before the doors open.
'You possessive bastard, you be fucking loco-'
'I swear to God, your balls-'
The last thing he hears before the doors snap shut is: 'Do not touch the fucking hair you mothafuckah-' and the sound of a scuffle.
Dear God, he bets David Attenborough never had to deal with lions like these. They're more like hyenas.
Scott Summers, the security guard, needs to be called in two minutes after Charles makes his escape. A witness, Angel, claims there was a lot of screaming and the tearing of hair; apparently Lehnsherr fights dirty. Charles wouldn't be surprised if this is true. Rumour says they were dragged out by their hair, still wrapped around each other. 'I tell you,' he hears the girl say with glee, 'it was like watching octopuses mate, the way they were pelvis-to-pelvis close.'
'They were fighting,' Scott tells Shaw later. 'Lovers spat, apparently, they were arguing over someone,' he says with disdain.
'What do you mean?' Emma asks, dramatically.
Scott throws Charles a dirty look. 'Ask him.'
Charles flushes and practically yells, 'I didn't know, I swear.'
Scott looks at him. 'Now Charles,' he chides, 'it's a bit too late to play coy, isn't it?'
Charles finds Shaw lying prostrate on a couch an hour later, while Emma watches him pensively.
'Poor man,' she mutters. 'Here.' She tosses Charles a box of tissues. 'You need to stop crying over everything, Charles. You can't be adorable all the time, I need to stay mad at you.'
Charles takes out some tissues and blows his nose as obnoxiously as he can. Emma looks mortified, and Shaw begins to rouse, muttering, 'Heads will roll, throats will be slit, blood will flow like springs of water,' clearly horrified at the prospect of Lehnsherr trying to defile Charles, even though that's ridiculous and the furthest thing from the truth. All Charles had said was that Lehnsherr had moved him out of the way, Logan getting territorial over customer service, which they seem to think is 'code' for something else.
'Janos wants to ask you about the IT funding,' Emma says quietly to Shaw's prone form. 'Do you want me to send him away?'
'Tell him I've died,' Shaw says, and then gives Charles a dirty look. 'Practically my own child, fraternising with the enemy, Lehnsherr.' He hacks out a cough, jowls quivering.
Charles wisely keeps his mouth shut.
The next day, Charles finds marzipan rolls from Li-Lac Chocolates.
There's a note attached to the box.
sorry,
i really am.
E
Oh.
So this is how a lion woos its mate then.
Charles is definitely falling for this, damn it.
By the fourth week Charles officially takes over Story Time, with the occasional aid from Sean. During this time Charles secretly laments the loss of Lehnsherr, and reluctantly admits to himself that maybe he even misses Logan's perverse recitation of poetry.
Lehnsherr has been banned from the library and Logan on a week suspension. Charles didn't even know this was possible for a library. It seems Shaw's library conducts itself under different rules, rules based on the whims of Shaw.
Shaw has taken it upon himself, this personal vendetta of his, which results in Janos creating Old Western Wanted Posters that are composed of with pictures from the security cameras. These are then slapped all over the library by Sean, who's beside himself with glee. Charles feels like he's watching a horrid retelling of Prisoner of Azkaban sans the crazy posters of Sirius Black. Instead they've got hair pulling and punching rather than mass murder.
This, however, does not explain how Charles continues to get boxes of marzipan rolls. It also doesn't explain how Lehnsherr even knows about Charles' unhealthy obsession with them.
On the third day after 'The Incident' as Emma is calling it, Charles gets another box from Li-Lac Chocolates. This time it is filled with Busch Almond Logs and Peanut Butter Puffs and Butterscotch Crunch. Charles doesn't know if he should be worried that Lehnsherr thinks he's some PMSing girl who constantly needs doses of chocolate, or if he should do the hula dance in as much of a dignified way as possible, because good God, look at all that chocolate.
It's no surprise when Shaw finds him later, face smothered in chocolate, and vehemently denying Lehnsherr's been sending him stuff.
On the fourth day, Charles gets a completely different box, which is odd because he was getting used to the gift boxes and shopping bags. Instead he is greeted by a picture of hens skipping around with rolling pins and aprons, until he sees that it reads Two Little Red Hens. Inside he finds an assortment of cupcakes, such as Red Velvet, Marble and Vanilla. Sean watches enviously as he enters new books into the online system, which is ridiculous because Charles always shares. He has to dig around to find the note, there usually is one.
don't speak to logan. he's a prick.
E
Charles can't help but feel both outraged by this order and curious, because why would he? Logan isn't allowed to enter here. Scott would recognise him.
He slaps Sean's hand away when it tries to creep into the box.
'It's mine,' he says sharply.
Sean gives him a worried look, like he's going to start saying my precious and turn into Gollum.
On the fifth day when he gets the same box, this time filled with nothing but The Brooklyn Blackout, Charles finally awakens from his haze of deserts which leaves him eager and compliant. He comes to the realisation that Lehnsherr, the sneaky little sneaker, is trying to seduce him one cupcake box at a time.
Lehnsherr must clearly have an accomplice, and all fingers point to Janos.
On the sixth day Charles tries his hardest to avoid the next box, this time filled with an assortment of cupcakes. He can see Sean and Emma eyeing the box just like the pair of vultures from Ice Age. He can practically hear the music playing in the background with little difficulty-food, glorious food, we're anxious to try it, three banquets a day, our favourite diet.
It's a funny thing, what Charles' life has come to.
The minute he turns his back and heads to the elevator with his book cart, Charles can already hear the box being torn apart all the way from the staff room by Sean. Emma lets out a shriek that would make a Valkyrie proud.
It's during lunch break that Charles can't take it anymore, particularly now that he's seen precisely how many pieces Sean can stuff into that mouth of his when challenged by Shaw, Emma egging the two on. Shaw is still unaware of who's sending all this confectionery. When the last piece of chocolate cupcake is left, the final portion between victory and loss for Shaw, Charles snatches the box, grabs the cake and eats it all in one go. Well, as much as he can without choking.
Shaw throws him a dirty look before stalking away, mouth still covered in peanut butter.
Sean looks like he's going to keel over any second; Emma has to thump him on the back just to stop him from choking. It's when they've left that he sees the dog tags sitting in the exact place where he picked up the last cupcake, waiting for him it seems.
Tentatively, Charles takes them out, watches the way the metal constantly glints. They're different, oval-shaped instead of square, obviously designed to be broken in half. There's a series of numbers and the letter L hidden in the corner.
They look like military tags.
Charles looks around for a note, except there isn't one.
It seems Lehnsherr wants the dog tags to do all the talking and Charles can't help but wonder if maybe he's been going about this the wrong way. Maybe Lehnsherr isn't kidding around.
Maybe Charles doesn't want him to.
Charles starts wearing the dog tags, but only because he's worried he might lose them. It's not because he misses Lehnsherr-The Hip Molester.
He ignores the wolf whistles from Sean the following day. He has to remind himself it's undignified to flip him the bird.
It's during story time that Logan makes his ill-fated appearance.
Charles has a sock puppet on his left hand, his right clutching a copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as Sean narrates. Charles is supposed to be Mr Tumnus, though this is only because Sean preferred to take on the role of Lucy, said only he could master her delicacy. Shaw has taken preference over the White Witch, and so next week Charles knows they'll have to endure Shaw's 'thespian' version of story time.
Sean is supposed to talk about 'hand shaking' and Mr Tumnus is to be confused by the bizarre idea. Instead Sean goes off course and misses his lines. Charles is about to kick him in as much of a subtle way possible in front of small children when he notices exactly what has frozen Sean, mouth gaping open like a drowning fish struck midair.
Logan is returning books at the front desk and Scott is watching him like a hawk, clearly waiting for an opportunity to tackle him to the ground.
There's a moment, it's quick and fast, but it's there. Charles is worried; the shiver of fear running up his spine makes him sit up straighter. Charles knows a week is up, Logan can now officially return to the library. Lehnsherr is not keen on him talking to Logan, though in all honesty, Charles doesn't mind Logan- he's nice in his own way.
And so Charles knows, without even knowing how he's aware of this, that where Logan is, Lehnsherr will follow right after, particularly when it comes to Charles.
So of course, when Logan winks at him, Charles should have expected what happened next.
'Holy shi-'
'Cow,' Charles whispers furiously, they've got kids around them for goodness sake.
'Holy cow,' Sean repeats. 'He's not supposed to be here.'
'I think the week's up,' Charles explains, both of them still staring at Logan. Emma is shooting deathly glares at Logan, who's too busy watching Charles, clearly thinking something sinister.
Charles decides it's best to carry on with their story; the kids are starting to get twitchy.
'Come on, it's your turn.' Charles nudges Sean, who reluctantly begins again with his breathless dialogue.
It's a painful twenty-minute during which Charles keeps throwing furtive glances towards the front desk, though there is no point to this after a while because Logan disappears into the elevator. Charles can't help but let out a relieved sigh.
After they've put the puppets away and Sean is busy doing something with Janos, Emma casually taps her fingers against the polished wood and says, 'I think that went rather well. I believe Logan won't be doing anything silly today, but that's probably because Lehnsherr isn't here.'
Charles nods, foolishly believing this.
Charles is on the ground floor, all the way at the back trying to place returned books onto the shelf. It's late in the evening and there isn't really anyone here. Because it appears this is what Charles' life has come to, Charles is valiantly trying to move the books aside on the top shelf to make more room when he hears somebody cough next to him.
For a moment Charles thinks it might be Lehnsherr and tries to quickly push down the feeling of euphoria that bursts through.
It's Logan who stares back at him, leaning against the shelves a few metres away.
'So, I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I just want to say, I'm sorry.' Logan doesn't look terribly sorry, in fact he looks like the cat that ate the canary, and Charles might just be the canary. 'You know, about the other day.'
'Oh,' Charles says, wondering if there's a way out of this should things turn out wrong, 'that's fine, really. You don't need to apologise. Just try not to do it again.'
Logan smirks at him. 'Yeah, sure, I can do that.'
Charles smiles politely in return and then carries on shuffling books around, hoping that's the end of it.
'I was wondering,' Logan continues on blithely, 'you and I could go find this book I've been looking for.'
Charles slowly shifts on the stepladder to look at him, stunned over the possibility that Logan might be hitting on Charles. He wants to know if he's been walking around all this time with a neon sign across his back that says, 'Blushing Virgin Here, Ready to Mingle, Bring your Disco Stick, Boys!' because that's not what Charles wants, at least not from Logan.
Logan carries on. 'And then I'll take you out somewhere nice for pizza.'
'I'm not sure that's a good idea,' Charles says hesitantly, concerned he's entered a corny Mills and Boon romance plot-librarian seduced by the wolverine-like stalker beneath the tourism section. It's the sort of stuff Shaw would enjoy. 'I mean it's awfully kind of you to suggest, but I don't really know you and I don't think we have much in common.'
'We both wear dog tags, that's one thing we got in common,' Logan retorts, tugging a chain out from underneath his shirt.
Charles looks down and realises they've slipped out of his shirt, and can't quite stop the flush that begins to spread. They're almost like an invisible brand that says more than Charles ever could.
'They're not mine,' Charles says in a rush. 'I'm keeping them safe for someone.' He has to grip the shelf in case he starts to wobble again like the fool he is, and then end up being caught by Logan like some sort of bride in a Hallmark Original Movie.
'What do you mean they're not yours?'
But before he can respond, there's a sudden commotion in the distance and Charles is damn certain that it's Sean who's shrieking all the way from the front.
'Get your ass off that,' Sean hollers, sounding both terrified and angry.
Charles looks at Logan, wonders if this is going to get difficult.
It sounds like a battle cry and Charles knows that the next voice belongs to Janos. 'You're dead to me, Lehnsherr, DEAD YOU FUCKERRRR!'
Sweet Jesus, Lehnsherr is here. Oh god, Lehnsherr is here and he's panicking like a girl inside. Charles can't quite decide if he's excited or furious.
Charles hears Lehnsherr's voice for the first time in what feels like months. 'I thought you were keeping a fucking eye on the prick?' he yells, still not near the back and Charles knows the idiot is making his way here.
'You ruined my computer, I hope he bitch-slaps you!' Janos shouts back.
'That's Harper's Bazaar you neanderthal,' Emma hollers.
Charles decides he needs to get off the ladder if he wants to at least look dignified, but Logan ruins his plans by doing the unthinkable.
He moves forward, smirks a little, and in lieu of helping him get off, touches Charles' hip, his large hand splaying all over Charles' right hip.
It's quite possible that Charles is stunned into silence for the first time in his life.
Lehnsherr comes storming in round the corner and stops in his tracks when he sees Logan with his petty claws all over Charles' hip.
'Oh,' Lehnsherr says detached and slightly off.
There is a tense, absolutely deadly moment of silence.
'What the hell are you doing here?' Logan says at last, but Lehnsherr isn't looking at him, instead his gaze is focused on Charles' hip.
'Oh,' Lehnsherr repeats, before straightening himself and taking a halting step back and Charles knows this is all wrong, that this isn't how he wants Lehnsherr to see him, like some sort of idiot who loans out his hips for petting under the Tourism section.
Logan says, 'Fuck off, Lehnsherr, I've got a date to make.'
Lehnsherr looks abjectly mutinous.
'This isn't,' Charles starts, slaps Logan's hand away while Lehnsherr begins to retreat, and bloody hell, OK, he admits reluctantly to himself, OK. Fine. Charles maybe, quite possibly has some feelings for Lehnsherr, that maybe three more boxes of cakes and marzipan rolls would have sealed the deal and made Charles fall in love with Lehnsherr-with Erik. There isn't anyone else besides Lehnsherr that Charles is OK with touching his hips like that. Charles wants Lehnsherr, doesn't he realise this? There's no going back now, not after all that confectionery. 'This isn't what it looks like, he's not...we're not doing anything.'
'It looks like you're going on a date,' Lehnsherr says, slowly.
Charles scrunches up his nose, shoves A Complete Travel and Tourism Guide to Spain into the shelf because Janos is going to kill him if he damages it. 'Which I said no to.'
'That's because he hasn't heard the rest of it yet,' Logan adds, scowling down at his twitching hand.
Lehnsherr is staring at Charles. 'I know I've been,' he says awkwardly, before stopping. 'I thought you...was it…' but he finally settles on, 'Did I do it wrong?' Which is even worse, Charles doesn't know what to say to that other than no, OK, Lehnsherr was creepy in the beginning, but then he started courting Charles like a Victorian heroine, and somehow he's fallen for it and Lehnsherr's ruined Charles for others. Except he doesn't know how to say this without it coming out wrong.
Shaw's voice breaks through the silence, howling, 'YOU WILL DIE, LEHNSHERR!' from the back, and he knows Scott and the others must be coming now, like a herd of elephants.
So Charles does the one thing, the only thing that pops into his mind when he sees the metal glinting from Logan's chest. He pulls up Lehnsherr's dog tags, wobbles a little on the ladder and waves them around like an idiotic wombat.
Lehnsherr looks confused until he moves closer and realises exactly what Charles has been wearing all this time.
'See?' Charles says, hoping Lehnsherr, the stupid man-child, gets what Charles is trying to say.
Lehnsherr's face breaks out into a slow, pleased smile and Charles flushes when he catches the hot and possessive look that passes over Lehnsherr.
'Fucking hell,' Logan says.
Charles grins back foolishly, wonders what his life has come to when Lehnsherr stalks up to him, flips Logan the bird, lifts him off the ladder and puts him down.
Lehnsherr hooks a finger possessively under the chain and tugs at it, and Charles can't stop the way his breath hitches when Lehnsherr grabs his hip, rubs his thumb over the jutting bone before he leans forward and says, 'OK?'
Charles nods. 'OK.'
And then Lehnsherr kisses him.
Somewhere in the background Charles hears Shaw yelling, 'GET HIM, THIS IS MUTINY!'
Kissing Lehnsherr- Erik, he has to remind himself it's Erik now- is a bit like trying to get every last drop of really good coffee from a really slow coffee machine. One minute it's running smoothly, all oh, hey let me give you my sweet goodness and stick it all in your mouth and the next it's all not now, I'm not ready, in fact you're not ready for my caffeinated loving. It's like drawing blood from a stone and it's all because Lehnsherr thinks Charles is too innocent and pure.
Of course, Charles doesn't learn any of this until after 'The Incedent' version 2.0. Up until that point Charles thinks it's all going to go swimmingly well now that Erik knows Charles doesn't have any plans of riding off into the sunset with Logan.
Shaw slaps them all back to reality.
Lehnsherr kisses slow and tentative, like he's trying to figure out if this is real or not, until Charles surges forward, grabs a fistful of hair and kisses him like he's desperate for it, which he is at this point.
When they pull apart to breathe, Erik presses a thumb to Charles' lower lip, pupils blown wide but otherwise appearing composed. Charles can't quite stop the question from slipping out. 'You won't leave me will you?'
'Good God man, this is disgusting,' Logan mutters from the side, still watching them with abject horror.
Lehnsherr looks confused for a moment until he leans in and breathes his answer against Charles' lips, 'I'll be here for as long as you want me,' and kisses the corner of his mouth.
Which is around about the time that Scott comes storming in and tackles Lehnsherr to the ground, Shaw panting right behind him, wielding a copy of The Complete Miss Maple by Agatha Christie, like that's actually going to terrify Lehnsherr into submission.
Emma follows after him and jumps Logan, which would be amusing under different circumstances. But right now Charles feels like he's on America's Most Wanted and any minute now John Walsh is going to say, 'and remember, you can make a difference,'.
Instead all he sees is a furious looking Shaw.
An hour later in the staffroom, Shaw is still yelling and Charles is amazed he hasn't passed out in mortification. It's one thing to get caught kissing, it's another to be caught with the enemy by your newly appointed surrogate father.
'I've seen that stupid Vampire Journal program thingy that Sean watches, and how all the kids are getting jiggy in each others beds and necks. I don't care how dope his ride is, he's banned for life,' Shaw says, nostrils twitching.
Charles scuffs his toes against the floor and looks at the ceiling. 'But I really like him, he's not that bad.'
Shaw lets out a puff like he's a dragon. 'Well of course you-' and then he stops like he's had a sudden epiphany. 'It's that hot rod Lehnsherr isn't it? You've been feeding me his cupcakes all this time,' Shaw says, appalled.
Charles scowls at this. 'Well, you stole them from me. And anyway, he was trying to woo me,' Charles explains with a dreamy expression.
Shaw looks disgusted. 'Wooing? What kind of wooing is this? You're too young to be wooed. What sort of imbecile woos with confectionery?'
'You ate it didn't you, I'd consider that wooed,' Charles mutters.
Shaw's left eye starts to twitch and this is around about the time that Charles needs to get this sorted. He can see Emma and Sean's noses pressed against the glass door.
Chickens.
'I really like him Shaw. He's been nice to me all this time,' Charles says, privately wondering if Shaw would kill Lehnsherr if he figured out exactly how else the wooing took place, a la Hip Molesting.
Shaw sniffs disdainfully. 'We'll see.' It's when Charles trudges back to the door when Shaw adds in, 'And I've seen Atonement, so there'll be none of this hanky panky in between the Regency section, my dear boy.'
Oh God, he doesn't know what concerns him more, that Shaw has watched the movie or that he's been critically evaluating the mechanics of sex in his library.
The library feels like a morgue after that.
Shaw really does live up to his code-name The Nazi, harassing everyone and running the library with such ruthless efficiency that Charles is beginning to wonder if this is the same man.
Shaw makes Emma drag the brand new books, delivered courtesy of Alex, who's their new delivery boy. She has to stamp them all with their official logo and write the code numbers by hand because Janos is updating the system.
She's fuming by the time she's on the fourth book and shooting dark looks in Charles' direction.
Charles is punished by pushing the book-cart around all day and placing all the returned books back onto the shelves. He sulks a little in the nonfiction section. This is how Sean finds him later, reading The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten.
'You look like a Victorian heroine with a case of the vapors,' he says gleefully.
Charles sniffs disdainfully and continues reading.
'I thought I'd come by and tell you, you've got another box of deserts.'
Oh.
Janos is at the front desk.
'Here.' He slams the box down. 'He better be giving it to you good after this, I've had enough of his mooning,' he mutters before stalking away.
Charles looks at the box and sees the obnoxious writing at the top that says in capital letters- SHAW.
Charles is confused and somewhat perplexed by this turn of events. When Shaw comes out from the back and narrows his eyes when he spots the box, Charles thinks maybe they should have called Shaw their local La Llorona instead.
'What is this?' he asks, shooting a suspicious look at the front entrance, like he expects Lehnsher to come storming in with whipped cream cans squirting in the air.
'I don't know.'
Shaw leans forward, and clearly he must have seen his name scrawled over the top, because he snatches it off the desk and walks away, which is when Charles realises exactly what Lehnsherr might be up to.
'Well, I'll just go check this out,' Shaw mumbles as he strokes the box rverently.
Lehnsherr, the sneaky little cheater, is trying to woo Shaw into compliance.
Like clockwork over the next three days Shaw continues to get mystery boxes filled with mysterious things and Charles spends the time feeling slightly envious and jealous. But then, like clockwork, Charles sneaks out during lunch breaks and Lehnsherr is always outside, waiting for him.
And it's odd to suddenly see Lehnsherr as something other than the slightly creepy dude who had too many piercings. Instead he's Erik, the guy who takes Charles to local Cafés and bistros for lunch. Who'll give him pie but only if he chooses something healthy because he's starting to see that things aren't always perfect at home. He'll listen to Charles babble on and on about molecular biology and genetics and Raven and Hank, and merely scowl while Charles moons over Mr Darcy and that scene where he rises from the lake, all dripping wet.
Somewhere in between the second and third day he'll ask, 'Does this mean you're mine now?' and Charles will nod clumsily, forget his slice of apple pie and say, 'Yes,' and Erik will kiss and suck marks into his skin.
By the fourth day, when Shaw is delivered a box filled with Petrossian Blueberry Tart's and Strawberry Mille Feuille's, he scowls and says, reluctantly, 'All right, I guess I'll reconsider that ban.' He gives Charles a sinister look. 'So how was your lunch date? Was it hoppin?'
Charles splutters. 'I don't know what you're talking about. Eat your food.'
In the distance, Sean is typing away on the computer, humming, 'don't worry 'bout a thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be all right…' and Emma is whistling along with him at the chorus.
It's times like these that Charles really questions his sanity.
Epilogue
'Congratulations.' Janos says, dryly, when he sees the dog tags a few days later.
Charles blushes, and straightens out the books, trying to not look like he's just spent the past five minutes making out with Erik and getting his hip molested in the process.
'It was really kind of sad and pathetic watching him pine after you, considering how clueless you are,' Sean adds in, amused, as he reads Twilight.
Charles blows his nose in response, having caught a bout of summer flu, and Sean pulls a disgusted face at him, throwing a pack of tissues in his direction.
Shaw officially de-banned Erik once he realised Erik was the best thing since sliced bread when it came to confectionery. Although, he continues to give pointed looks and 'the birds and bees' talk which just leave Charles feeling embarrassed and running for the hills.
'You didn't know what he was up to either,' Charles says with a huff. 'You could have told me if you knew so much.'
'Yeah right, watching him pant and lust after you, his forbidden temptress, was more entertaining than watching Meredith and McDreamy sigh and long for each other.'
Charles doesn't even know what to say to that.
The thing is, Charles thought being with Erik- who he finally discovers is actually only four years older than him and studying Architecture at college- would be difficult, though it turns out that the simple things don't really matter. Erik is stubborn as a mule and he gets awfully moody when Alex gets too chatty with him and he'll huff and puff and scowl, but Charles finds him scowling adorable, so it doesn't really work.
When Charles and Emma adopt a stray kitten and secretly feed it food in the staff room, he learns that Erik is immune to it, until he actually sees Charles holding a kitten. He's pretty docile after that.
Along with this comes the discovery that Erik is hell bent on keeping things simple between them which, reluctantly, Charles admits is nice, though it does take a toll on his libido, especially when he's snug and warm in Erik's arms.
He spends the rest of the day going through the books, ordering sock-puppets and new children's books.
At five o' clock Erik makes his appearance at the front desk. Scott throws him a dirty look, still annoyed with him. They're going to watch The Lion King in 3D, which Charles had to pout and plead to see, and even though Charles is feeling under the weather there's no way he's missing this.
Erik leans over the desk and gives him a quick kiss, asking, 'You ready?'
'Yes, just let me finish this entry,' Charles says with a bright smile, feeling tingly and flushed.
He scowls a little when Charles sneezes and pulls out a packet of Glazed Cinnamon Rolls clearly baked by Azazel. That's another thing he learns, Azazel is actually Erik's roommate and the one who made some of those cupcakes.
'Here, I snuck these out for you,' he says, gruffly, and Charles tries not to melt because Erik is that kind of a contrary soft hearted idiot, a bit like a truffle. Although he'll vehemently deny it, still under a false impression that he's badass.
Sean whistles from the side and says, 'Enjoy the trip, Mr and Mr Lehnsherr.'
Erik just smirks and slides a warm palm down the small of Charles' back, moves him until he is pressed against Erik's body, chin resting on his shoulder and Erik brushes a kiss to his temple. Sean covers his eyes in horror.
Well, Charles thinks privately, it's got a nice ring to it.
Wonderful art by Felice10.
previous.
Logan looks at Lehnsherr, quietly measuring him up, probably trying to decide where his Achilles' heel lies.
Charles, still sitting on the floor, wonders what's going to happen next. He's getting a funny feeling that there are two different things being discussed here. That perhaps Lehnsherr is opposed to something Logan may not be aware of. That Charles might possibly not be aware of, at least not fully.
Lehnsherr bares his teeth like a hyena at Logan, takes a step forward and brushes his fingers through Charles' hair, the touch almost tentative. He nods at Charles and jerks his thumb towards the back row of books, something fierce blazing in his green-grey eyes. Charles can't help but let out a hopeless whimper before he leaps, follows through on the order, because that's what it is. Lehnsherr is ordering Charles to get the hell out of the way. He's running to the elevator, E. E. Cummings clutched tightly to his chest, while their voices echo behind him.
'You do not go around harassing young wor-'
'Like you're any better, '
'Touch him and I'll-'
Charles hears the elevator ping before the doors open.
'You possessive bastard, you be fucking loco-'
'I swear to God, your balls-'
The last thing he hears before the doors snap shut is: 'Do not touch the fucking hair you mothafuckah-' and the sound of a scuffle.
Dear God, he bets David Attenborough never had to deal with lions like these. They're more like hyenas.
Scott Summers, the security guard, needs to be called in two minutes after Charles makes his escape. A witness, Angel, claims there was a lot of screaming and the tearing of hair; apparently Lehnsherr fights dirty. Charles wouldn't be surprised if this is true. Rumour says they were dragged out by their hair, still wrapped around each other. 'I tell you,' he hears the girl say with glee, 'it was like watching octopuses mate, the way they were pelvis-to-pelvis close.'
'They were fighting,' Scott tells Shaw later. 'Lovers spat, apparently, they were arguing over someone,' he says with disdain.
'What do you mean?' Emma asks, dramatically.
Scott throws Charles a dirty look. 'Ask him.'
Charles flushes and practically yells, 'I didn't know, I swear.'
Scott looks at him. 'Now Charles,' he chides, 'it's a bit too late to play coy, isn't it?'
Charles finds Shaw lying prostrate on a couch an hour later, while Emma watches him pensively.
'Poor man,' she mutters. 'Here.' She tosses Charles a box of tissues. 'You need to stop crying over everything, Charles. You can't be adorable all the time, I need to stay mad at you.'
Charles takes out some tissues and blows his nose as obnoxiously as he can. Emma looks mortified, and Shaw begins to rouse, muttering, 'Heads will roll, throats will be slit, blood will flow like springs of water,' clearly horrified at the prospect of Lehnsherr trying to defile Charles, even though that's ridiculous and the furthest thing from the truth. All Charles had said was that Lehnsherr had moved him out of the way, Logan getting territorial over customer service, which they seem to think is 'code' for something else.
'Janos wants to ask you about the IT funding,' Emma says quietly to Shaw's prone form. 'Do you want me to send him away?'
'Tell him I've died,' Shaw says, and then gives Charles a dirty look. 'Practically my own child, fraternising with the enemy, Lehnsherr.' He hacks out a cough, jowls quivering.
Charles wisely keeps his mouth shut.
The next day, Charles finds marzipan rolls from Li-Lac Chocolates.
There's a note attached to the box.
sorry,
i really am.
E
Oh.
So this is how a lion woos its mate then.
Charles is definitely falling for this, damn it.
By the fourth week Charles officially takes over Story Time, with the occasional aid from Sean. During this time Charles secretly laments the loss of Lehnsherr, and reluctantly admits to himself that maybe he even misses Logan's perverse recitation of poetry.
Lehnsherr has been banned from the library and Logan on a week suspension. Charles didn't even know this was possible for a library. It seems Shaw's library conducts itself under different rules, rules based on the whims of Shaw.
Shaw has taken it upon himself, this personal vendetta of his, which results in Janos creating Old Western Wanted Posters that are composed of with pictures from the security cameras. These are then slapped all over the library by Sean, who's beside himself with glee. Charles feels like he's watching a horrid retelling of Prisoner of Azkaban sans the crazy posters of Sirius Black. Instead they've got hair pulling and punching rather than mass murder.
This, however, does not explain how Charles continues to get boxes of marzipan rolls. It also doesn't explain how Lehnsherr even knows about Charles' unhealthy obsession with them.
On the third day after 'The Incident' as Emma is calling it, Charles gets another box from Li-Lac Chocolates. This time it is filled with Busch Almond Logs and Peanut Butter Puffs and Butterscotch Crunch. Charles doesn't know if he should be worried that Lehnsherr thinks he's some PMSing girl who constantly needs doses of chocolate, or if he should do the hula dance in as much of a dignified way as possible, because good God, look at all that chocolate.
It's no surprise when Shaw finds him later, face smothered in chocolate, and vehemently denying Lehnsherr's been sending him stuff.
On the fourth day, Charles gets a completely different box, which is odd because he was getting used to the gift boxes and shopping bags. Instead he is greeted by a picture of hens skipping around with rolling pins and aprons, until he sees that it reads Two Little Red Hens. Inside he finds an assortment of cupcakes, such as Red Velvet, Marble and Vanilla. Sean watches enviously as he enters new books into the online system, which is ridiculous because Charles always shares. He has to dig around to find the note, there usually is one.
don't speak to logan. he's a prick.
E
Charles can't help but feel both outraged by this order and curious, because why would he? Logan isn't allowed to enter here. Scott would recognise him.
He slaps Sean's hand away when it tries to creep into the box.
'It's mine,' he says sharply.
Sean gives him a worried look, like he's going to start saying my precious and turn into Gollum.
On the fifth day when he gets the same box, this time filled with nothing but The Brooklyn Blackout, Charles finally awakens from his haze of deserts which leaves him eager and compliant. He comes to the realisation that Lehnsherr, the sneaky little sneaker, is trying to seduce him one cupcake box at a time.
Lehnsherr must clearly have an accomplice, and all fingers point to Janos.
On the sixth day Charles tries his hardest to avoid the next box, this time filled with an assortment of cupcakes. He can see Sean and Emma eyeing the box just like the pair of vultures from Ice Age. He can practically hear the music playing in the background with little difficulty-food, glorious food, we're anxious to try it, three banquets a day, our favourite diet.
It's a funny thing, what Charles' life has come to.
The minute he turns his back and heads to the elevator with his book cart, Charles can already hear the box being torn apart all the way from the staff room by Sean. Emma lets out a shriek that would make a Valkyrie proud.
It's during lunch break that Charles can't take it anymore, particularly now that he's seen precisely how many pieces Sean can stuff into that mouth of his when challenged by Shaw, Emma egging the two on. Shaw is still unaware of who's sending all this confectionery. When the last piece of chocolate cupcake is left, the final portion between victory and loss for Shaw, Charles snatches the box, grabs the cake and eats it all in one go. Well, as much as he can without choking.
Shaw throws him a dirty look before stalking away, mouth still covered in peanut butter.
Sean looks like he's going to keel over any second; Emma has to thump him on the back just to stop him from choking. It's when they've left that he sees the dog tags sitting in the exact place where he picked up the last cupcake, waiting for him it seems.
Tentatively, Charles takes them out, watches the way the metal constantly glints. They're different, oval-shaped instead of square, obviously designed to be broken in half. There's a series of numbers and the letter L hidden in the corner.
They look like military tags.
Charles looks around for a note, except there isn't one.
It seems Lehnsherr wants the dog tags to do all the talking and Charles can't help but wonder if maybe he's been going about this the wrong way. Maybe Lehnsherr isn't kidding around.
Maybe Charles doesn't want him to.
Charles starts wearing the dog tags, but only because he's worried he might lose them. It's not because he misses Lehnsherr-The Hip Molester.
He ignores the wolf whistles from Sean the following day. He has to remind himself it's undignified to flip him the bird.
It's during story time that Logan makes his ill-fated appearance.
Charles has a sock puppet on his left hand, his right clutching a copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as Sean narrates. Charles is supposed to be Mr Tumnus, though this is only because Sean preferred to take on the role of Lucy, said only he could master her delicacy. Shaw has taken preference over the White Witch, and so next week Charles knows they'll have to endure Shaw's 'thespian' version of story time.
Sean is supposed to talk about 'hand shaking' and Mr Tumnus is to be confused by the bizarre idea. Instead Sean goes off course and misses his lines. Charles is about to kick him in as much of a subtle way possible in front of small children when he notices exactly what has frozen Sean, mouth gaping open like a drowning fish struck midair.
Logan is returning books at the front desk and Scott is watching him like a hawk, clearly waiting for an opportunity to tackle him to the ground.
There's a moment, it's quick and fast, but it's there. Charles is worried; the shiver of fear running up his spine makes him sit up straighter. Charles knows a week is up, Logan can now officially return to the library. Lehnsherr is not keen on him talking to Logan, though in all honesty, Charles doesn't mind Logan- he's nice in his own way.
And so Charles knows, without even knowing how he's aware of this, that where Logan is, Lehnsherr will follow right after, particularly when it comes to Charles.
So of course, when Logan winks at him, Charles should have expected what happened next.
'Holy shi-'
'Cow,' Charles whispers furiously, they've got kids around them for goodness sake.
'Holy cow,' Sean repeats. 'He's not supposed to be here.'
'I think the week's up,' Charles explains, both of them still staring at Logan. Emma is shooting deathly glares at Logan, who's too busy watching Charles, clearly thinking something sinister.
Charles decides it's best to carry on with their story; the kids are starting to get twitchy.
'Come on, it's your turn.' Charles nudges Sean, who reluctantly begins again with his breathless dialogue.
It's a painful twenty-minute during which Charles keeps throwing furtive glances towards the front desk, though there is no point to this after a while because Logan disappears into the elevator. Charles can't help but let out a relieved sigh.
After they've put the puppets away and Sean is busy doing something with Janos, Emma casually taps her fingers against the polished wood and says, 'I think that went rather well. I believe Logan won't be doing anything silly today, but that's probably because Lehnsherr isn't here.'
Charles nods, foolishly believing this.
Charles is on the ground floor, all the way at the back trying to place returned books onto the shelf. It's late in the evening and there isn't really anyone here. Because it appears this is what Charles' life has come to, Charles is valiantly trying to move the books aside on the top shelf to make more room when he hears somebody cough next to him.
For a moment Charles thinks it might be Lehnsherr and tries to quickly push down the feeling of euphoria that bursts through.
It's Logan who stares back at him, leaning against the shelves a few metres away.
'So, I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I just want to say, I'm sorry.' Logan doesn't look terribly sorry, in fact he looks like the cat that ate the canary, and Charles might just be the canary. 'You know, about the other day.'
'Oh,' Charles says, wondering if there's a way out of this should things turn out wrong, 'that's fine, really. You don't need to apologise. Just try not to do it again.'
Logan smirks at him. 'Yeah, sure, I can do that.'
Charles smiles politely in return and then carries on shuffling books around, hoping that's the end of it.
'I was wondering,' Logan continues on blithely, 'you and I could go find this book I've been looking for.'
Charles slowly shifts on the stepladder to look at him, stunned over the possibility that Logan might be hitting on Charles. He wants to know if he's been walking around all this time with a neon sign across his back that says, 'Blushing Virgin Here, Ready to Mingle, Bring your Disco Stick, Boys!' because that's not what Charles wants, at least not from Logan.
Logan carries on. 'And then I'll take you out somewhere nice for pizza.'
'I'm not sure that's a good idea,' Charles says hesitantly, concerned he's entered a corny Mills and Boon romance plot-librarian seduced by the wolverine-like stalker beneath the tourism section. It's the sort of stuff Shaw would enjoy. 'I mean it's awfully kind of you to suggest, but I don't really know you and I don't think we have much in common.'
'We both wear dog tags, that's one thing we got in common,' Logan retorts, tugging a chain out from underneath his shirt.
Charles looks down and realises they've slipped out of his shirt, and can't quite stop the flush that begins to spread. They're almost like an invisible brand that says more than Charles ever could.
'They're not mine,' Charles says in a rush. 'I'm keeping them safe for someone.' He has to grip the shelf in case he starts to wobble again like the fool he is, and then end up being caught by Logan like some sort of bride in a Hallmark Original Movie.
'What do you mean they're not yours?'
But before he can respond, there's a sudden commotion in the distance and Charles is damn certain that it's Sean who's shrieking all the way from the front.
'Get your ass off that,' Sean hollers, sounding both terrified and angry.
Charles looks at Logan, wonders if this is going to get difficult.
It sounds like a battle cry and Charles knows that the next voice belongs to Janos. 'You're dead to me, Lehnsherr, DEAD YOU FUCKERRRR!'
Sweet Jesus, Lehnsherr is here. Oh god, Lehnsherr is here and he's panicking like a girl inside. Charles can't quite decide if he's excited or furious.
Charles hears Lehnsherr's voice for the first time in what feels like months. 'I thought you were keeping a fucking eye on the prick?' he yells, still not near the back and Charles knows the idiot is making his way here.
'You ruined my computer, I hope he bitch-slaps you!' Janos shouts back.
'That's Harper's Bazaar you neanderthal,' Emma hollers.
Charles decides he needs to get off the ladder if he wants to at least look dignified, but Logan ruins his plans by doing the unthinkable.
He moves forward, smirks a little, and in lieu of helping him get off, touches Charles' hip, his large hand splaying all over Charles' right hip.
It's quite possible that Charles is stunned into silence for the first time in his life.
Lehnsherr comes storming in round the corner and stops in his tracks when he sees Logan with his petty claws all over Charles' hip.
'Oh,' Lehnsherr says detached and slightly off.
There is a tense, absolutely deadly moment of silence.
'What the hell are you doing here?' Logan says at last, but Lehnsherr isn't looking at him, instead his gaze is focused on Charles' hip.
'Oh,' Lehnsherr repeats, before straightening himself and taking a halting step back and Charles knows this is all wrong, that this isn't how he wants Lehnsherr to see him, like some sort of idiot who loans out his hips for petting under the Tourism section.
Logan says, 'Fuck off, Lehnsherr, I've got a date to make.'
Lehnsherr looks abjectly mutinous.
'This isn't,' Charles starts, slaps Logan's hand away while Lehnsherr begins to retreat, and bloody hell, OK, he admits reluctantly to himself, OK. Fine. Charles maybe, quite possibly has some feelings for Lehnsherr, that maybe three more boxes of cakes and marzipan rolls would have sealed the deal and made Charles fall in love with Lehnsherr-with Erik. There isn't anyone else besides Lehnsherr that Charles is OK with touching his hips like that. Charles wants Lehnsherr, doesn't he realise this? There's no going back now, not after all that confectionery. 'This isn't what it looks like, he's not...we're not doing anything.'
'It looks like you're going on a date,' Lehnsherr says, slowly.
Charles scrunches up his nose, shoves A Complete Travel and Tourism Guide to Spain into the shelf because Janos is going to kill him if he damages it. 'Which I said no to.'
'That's because he hasn't heard the rest of it yet,' Logan adds, scowling down at his twitching hand.
Lehnsherr is staring at Charles. 'I know I've been,' he says awkwardly, before stopping. 'I thought you...was it…' but he finally settles on, 'Did I do it wrong?' Which is even worse, Charles doesn't know what to say to that other than no, OK, Lehnsherr was creepy in the beginning, but then he started courting Charles like a Victorian heroine, and somehow he's fallen for it and Lehnsherr's ruined Charles for others. Except he doesn't know how to say this without it coming out wrong.
Shaw's voice breaks through the silence, howling, 'YOU WILL DIE, LEHNSHERR!' from the back, and he knows Scott and the others must be coming now, like a herd of elephants.
So Charles does the one thing, the only thing that pops into his mind when he sees the metal glinting from Logan's chest. He pulls up Lehnsherr's dog tags, wobbles a little on the ladder and waves them around like an idiotic wombat.
Lehnsherr looks confused until he moves closer and realises exactly what Charles has been wearing all this time.
'See?' Charles says, hoping Lehnsherr, the stupid man-child, gets what Charles is trying to say.
Lehnsherr's face breaks out into a slow, pleased smile and Charles flushes when he catches the hot and possessive look that passes over Lehnsherr.
'Fucking hell,' Logan says.
Charles grins back foolishly, wonders what his life has come to when Lehnsherr stalks up to him, flips Logan the bird, lifts him off the ladder and puts him down.
Lehnsherr hooks a finger possessively under the chain and tugs at it, and Charles can't stop the way his breath hitches when Lehnsherr grabs his hip, rubs his thumb over the jutting bone before he leans forward and says, 'OK?'
Charles nods. 'OK.'
And then Lehnsherr kisses him.
Somewhere in the background Charles hears Shaw yelling, 'GET HIM, THIS IS MUTINY!'
Kissing Lehnsherr- Erik, he has to remind himself it's Erik now- is a bit like trying to get every last drop of really good coffee from a really slow coffee machine. One minute it's running smoothly, all oh, hey let me give you my sweet goodness and stick it all in your mouth and the next it's all not now, I'm not ready, in fact you're not ready for my caffeinated loving. It's like drawing blood from a stone and it's all because Lehnsherr thinks Charles is too innocent and pure.
Of course, Charles doesn't learn any of this until after 'The Incedent' version 2.0. Up until that point Charles thinks it's all going to go swimmingly well now that Erik knows Charles doesn't have any plans of riding off into the sunset with Logan.
Shaw slaps them all back to reality.
Lehnsherr kisses slow and tentative, like he's trying to figure out if this is real or not, until Charles surges forward, grabs a fistful of hair and kisses him like he's desperate for it, which he is at this point.
When they pull apart to breathe, Erik presses a thumb to Charles' lower lip, pupils blown wide but otherwise appearing composed. Charles can't quite stop the question from slipping out. 'You won't leave me will you?'
'Good God man, this is disgusting,' Logan mutters from the side, still watching them with abject horror.
Lehnsherr looks confused for a moment until he leans in and breathes his answer against Charles' lips, 'I'll be here for as long as you want me,' and kisses the corner of his mouth.
Which is around about the time that Scott comes storming in and tackles Lehnsherr to the ground, Shaw panting right behind him, wielding a copy of The Complete Miss Maple by Agatha Christie, like that's actually going to terrify Lehnsherr into submission.
Emma follows after him and jumps Logan, which would be amusing under different circumstances. But right now Charles feels like he's on America's Most Wanted and any minute now John Walsh is going to say, 'and remember, you can make a difference,'.
Instead all he sees is a furious looking Shaw.
An hour later in the staffroom, Shaw is still yelling and Charles is amazed he hasn't passed out in mortification. It's one thing to get caught kissing, it's another to be caught with the enemy by your newly appointed surrogate father.
'I've seen that stupid Vampire Journal program thingy that Sean watches, and how all the kids are getting jiggy in each others beds and necks. I don't care how dope his ride is, he's banned for life,' Shaw says, nostrils twitching.
Charles scuffs his toes against the floor and looks at the ceiling. 'But I really like him, he's not that bad.'
Shaw lets out a puff like he's a dragon. 'Well of course you-' and then he stops like he's had a sudden epiphany. 'It's that hot rod Lehnsherr isn't it? You've been feeding me his cupcakes all this time,' Shaw says, appalled.
Charles scowls at this. 'Well, you stole them from me. And anyway, he was trying to woo me,' Charles explains with a dreamy expression.
Shaw looks disgusted. 'Wooing? What kind of wooing is this? You're too young to be wooed. What sort of imbecile woos with confectionery?'
'You ate it didn't you, I'd consider that wooed,' Charles mutters.
Shaw's left eye starts to twitch and this is around about the time that Charles needs to get this sorted. He can see Emma and Sean's noses pressed against the glass door.
Chickens.
'I really like him Shaw. He's been nice to me all this time,' Charles says, privately wondering if Shaw would kill Lehnsherr if he figured out exactly how else the wooing took place, a la Hip Molesting.
Shaw sniffs disdainfully. 'We'll see.' It's when Charles trudges back to the door when Shaw adds in, 'And I've seen Atonement, so there'll be none of this hanky panky in between the Regency section, my dear boy.'
Oh God, he doesn't know what concerns him more, that Shaw has watched the movie or that he's been critically evaluating the mechanics of sex in his library.
The library feels like a morgue after that.
Shaw really does live up to his code-name The Nazi, harassing everyone and running the library with such ruthless efficiency that Charles is beginning to wonder if this is the same man.
Shaw makes Emma drag the brand new books, delivered courtesy of Alex, who's their new delivery boy. She has to stamp them all with their official logo and write the code numbers by hand because Janos is updating the system.
She's fuming by the time she's on the fourth book and shooting dark looks in Charles' direction.
Charles is punished by pushing the book-cart around all day and placing all the returned books back onto the shelves. He sulks a little in the nonfiction section. This is how Sean finds him later, reading The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten.
'You look like a Victorian heroine with a case of the vapors,' he says gleefully.
Charles sniffs disdainfully and continues reading.
'I thought I'd come by and tell you, you've got another box of deserts.'
Oh.
Janos is at the front desk.
'Here.' He slams the box down. 'He better be giving it to you good after this, I've had enough of his mooning,' he mutters before stalking away.
Charles looks at the box and sees the obnoxious writing at the top that says in capital letters- SHAW.
Charles is confused and somewhat perplexed by this turn of events. When Shaw comes out from the back and narrows his eyes when he spots the box, Charles thinks maybe they should have called Shaw their local La Llorona instead.
'What is this?' he asks, shooting a suspicious look at the front entrance, like he expects Lehnsher to come storming in with whipped cream cans squirting in the air.
'I don't know.'
Shaw leans forward, and clearly he must have seen his name scrawled over the top, because he snatches it off the desk and walks away, which is when Charles realises exactly what Lehnsherr might be up to.
'Well, I'll just go check this out,' Shaw mumbles as he strokes the box rverently.
Lehnsherr, the sneaky little cheater, is trying to woo Shaw into compliance.
Like clockwork over the next three days Shaw continues to get mystery boxes filled with mysterious things and Charles spends the time feeling slightly envious and jealous. But then, like clockwork, Charles sneaks out during lunch breaks and Lehnsherr is always outside, waiting for him.
And it's odd to suddenly see Lehnsherr as something other than the slightly creepy dude who had too many piercings. Instead he's Erik, the guy who takes Charles to local Cafés and bistros for lunch. Who'll give him pie but only if he chooses something healthy because he's starting to see that things aren't always perfect at home. He'll listen to Charles babble on and on about molecular biology and genetics and Raven and Hank, and merely scowl while Charles moons over Mr Darcy and that scene where he rises from the lake, all dripping wet.
Somewhere in between the second and third day he'll ask, 'Does this mean you're mine now?' and Charles will nod clumsily, forget his slice of apple pie and say, 'Yes,' and Erik will kiss and suck marks into his skin.
By the fourth day, when Shaw is delivered a box filled with Petrossian Blueberry Tart's and Strawberry Mille Feuille's, he scowls and says, reluctantly, 'All right, I guess I'll reconsider that ban.' He gives Charles a sinister look. 'So how was your lunch date? Was it hoppin?'
Charles splutters. 'I don't know what you're talking about. Eat your food.'
In the distance, Sean is typing away on the computer, humming, 'don't worry 'bout a thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be all right…' and Emma is whistling along with him at the chorus.
It's times like these that Charles really questions his sanity.
Epilogue
'Congratulations.' Janos says, dryly, when he sees the dog tags a few days later.
Charles blushes, and straightens out the books, trying to not look like he's just spent the past five minutes making out with Erik and getting his hip molested in the process.
'It was really kind of sad and pathetic watching him pine after you, considering how clueless you are,' Sean adds in, amused, as he reads Twilight.
Charles blows his nose in response, having caught a bout of summer flu, and Sean pulls a disgusted face at him, throwing a pack of tissues in his direction.
Shaw officially de-banned Erik once he realised Erik was the best thing since sliced bread when it came to confectionery. Although, he continues to give pointed looks and 'the birds and bees' talk which just leave Charles feeling embarrassed and running for the hills.
'You didn't know what he was up to either,' Charles says with a huff. 'You could have told me if you knew so much.'
'Yeah right, watching him pant and lust after you, his forbidden temptress, was more entertaining than watching Meredith and McDreamy sigh and long for each other.'
Charles doesn't even know what to say to that.
The thing is, Charles thought being with Erik- who he finally discovers is actually only four years older than him and studying Architecture at college- would be difficult, though it turns out that the simple things don't really matter. Erik is stubborn as a mule and he gets awfully moody when Alex gets too chatty with him and he'll huff and puff and scowl, but Charles finds him scowling adorable, so it doesn't really work.
When Charles and Emma adopt a stray kitten and secretly feed it food in the staff room, he learns that Erik is immune to it, until he actually sees Charles holding a kitten. He's pretty docile after that.
Along with this comes the discovery that Erik is hell bent on keeping things simple between them which, reluctantly, Charles admits is nice, though it does take a toll on his libido, especially when he's snug and warm in Erik's arms.
He spends the rest of the day going through the books, ordering sock-puppets and new children's books.
At five o' clock Erik makes his appearance at the front desk. Scott throws him a dirty look, still annoyed with him. They're going to watch The Lion King in 3D, which Charles had to pout and plead to see, and even though Charles is feeling under the weather there's no way he's missing this.
Erik leans over the desk and gives him a quick kiss, asking, 'You ready?'
'Yes, just let me finish this entry,' Charles says with a bright smile, feeling tingly and flushed.
He scowls a little when Charles sneezes and pulls out a packet of Glazed Cinnamon Rolls clearly baked by Azazel. That's another thing he learns, Azazel is actually Erik's roommate and the one who made some of those cupcakes.
'Here, I snuck these out for you,' he says, gruffly, and Charles tries not to melt because Erik is that kind of a contrary soft hearted idiot, a bit like a truffle. Although he'll vehemently deny it, still under a false impression that he's badass.
Sean whistles from the side and says, 'Enjoy the trip, Mr and Mr Lehnsherr.'
Erik just smirks and slides a warm palm down the small of Charles' back, moves him until he is pressed against Erik's body, chin resting on his shoulder and Erik brushes a kiss to his temple. Sean covers his eyes in horror.
Well, Charles thinks privately, it's got a nice ring to it.
Wonderful art by Felice10.
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