Snowy days 10 - tears and light

It's finally here, it's fluffy and sweet for now
first chapter chess and stairways will be linked below if you are a new reader
ENJOY! and remember to comment - I want to know what you lovely people are thinking!

The morning light shone weakly through a crack in the curtain, teasing at Erik's eyelids waking him up bit by bit, his body felt heavy, he tried to lift his head a slightly from his pillow, but he quickly gave up let it fall back into the soft feathers, groaning a little as the blood pounded painfully in his head. He could feel Charles lying heavily across his chest, his breath slightly uneven against Erik's chest, warm and humid. Erik's mind flooded with the events of the former day, the icy wave of angst of loosing Charles collapsed over him and he felt the blood freeze in his veins, he shivered and wrapped his arms closer around Charles, Charles grunted faintly and buried his head into the curve between Erik's neck and shoulder, Erik planted a soft kiss in his hair, it had a faint smell of blood and dust, but Erik could beneath it find Charles' scent, it was sweet, Erik inhaled it slowly trying to make sure that he was really there. But Erik could feel Charles' warm fingers on his side, gripping tightly in his sleep, Erik felt some calmness and ease flow through him and sleep took him again.  

The next time Erik woke up had the darkness of a cool night overtaken the light of the day, moonlight shone brightly through the curtain, casting ghostlike shadows across the floor and walls, a mirror reflected the moonlight up in the ceiling. Erik blinked slowly as he glanced up at the ceiling, he breathed calmly, he now noticed that his chest felt lighter, colder, he missed the warm heaviness of Charles' body against his chest. He felt the panic spread within, had it all been a dream? Had Charles never come home…?
Erik sat up rapidly in the bed looking franticly around in the room, he finally looked down beside him, he breathed out a heavy sigh of relief when he found Charles lying next to him, rolled over to his side on the edge of the bed. Erik rolled over closer to Charles, feeling the need to be closer to him, when he felt Charles' back against his chest, he felt Charles' body tremble. Erik raised himself with his elbow so that he could see his face; his cheeks were glistening in the moonlight, silver tears drenching the pasty cheeks. Erik drew a tender finger to the corner of one of the crystal eyes, catching a fat tear before it had a change to advance. Then he caught Charles with an arm around his stomach finding Charles' hands at his chest, Erik laced his fingers into Charles' and whispered soothingly in Charles' ear "Charles… I'm here – you are safe with me – I will never let anything happen to you again – never I promise – I will protect you, no harm shall come to you again – and those men will never, ever, touch you again, they cannot harm you anymore."
A choked sob escaped Charles' throat and Charles pulled Erik's hand closer to himself, Erik could feel the rapid heartbeat beneath the heated skin, he pulled Charles in closer into a secure hug, whispering soothingly, he felt Charles gripping him tightly, desperately. Charles let the tears flow freely, sobbing heavily. Erik turned Charles around so that they were face to face, Charles crept into Erik chest, pulling his legs under him, curling together like a ball, his hands grasping Erik's sides. Erik held on so tightly and tenderly to Charles, striking the shaggy, brown hair soothingly, as Charles shook as he sobbed, the trauma forcing its brutal way to the surface.

Time passed - Charles eventually calmed down enough so that he wasn't shaking anymore – Erik could feel Charles' heart rhythm and breath even. The minutes ticked by and every second felt like a lifetime - the only sound to be heard was the soft ticking of the clock, counting the seconds – and the lingering, hollow breath escaping his and Charles' chests.

As the sun cast its first beams between the curtains, casting weak, red light on the bed and walls. Erik shifted vaguely, he could feel the tingling in the awakening limbs, he inhaled the scent of Charles' hair deeply, the warmth spread within as he did so. He ran soft fingers tenderly across Charles' cheekbones; he gently tried to rub off some dirt and dried out blood, but it was a hopeless task without soap or warm water, instead he only left reddened skin on the pale cheeks. The blue eyes, swollen and reddened by tears, gazed gloomily at him – Erik sent him a soothing smile, Charles tried to return the smile, but the smile was broken, incomplete.
Erik cupped Charles' face, holding his face as if it was something fragile – he let his thumb examine the darkening skin at Charles' right eye – Charles winced as Erik stroked Charles' eyebrow discovering a small cut at the edge - Erik whispered a hushed apology, before he tenderly pressed his lips to his forehead, Charles closed his eyes, and Erik pressed a soft kiss to each of his dark eyelids – Charles gasped silently as Erik's lips touched his right eye. And Erik finally pressed his lips softly against Charles' delicate, pink – the kiss was slow and tender, their lips moving in perfect unison.
When they came out for breath, Erik whispered softly "Let's get you in a shower…hmmm?"
Charles nodded tiredly and Erik smiled tenderly, pushing away a few hair strands from his face while asking "Can you stand up yourself?"
Charles pushed himself up, supporting himself against the bedpost, slowly rising himself from the bed, his face grimacing in pain as he moved. He took a few trying steps, before stopping, swaying slightly a couple of meters from the bed, Erik started to get up, moving rapidly, trying to catch Charles in time, but Charles' legs collapsed under him and he fell to the floor with a soft bump. Erik was instantly at his side, shrieking "Charles! Charles are you okay?"
He carefully turned Charles over, cradling him in his arms. Charles answered him dizzily "I'm fine Erik… I just lost balance for a second."
Erik shook his head with a sad grin and said "Good… Look, I'm just gonna carry you the rest of the way, would that be okay?"
Charles nodded and wrapped an arm around Erik's neck as Erik lifted him of the ground, Charles snug his head into the curve between Erik's neck and shoulder, Erik could feel the prickle of Charles' breath against his skin as he sighed heavily.

Erik bore him out and set him down on the toilet. Charles pulled of his socks and unbuttoned his pants while Erik filled the tub. Erik turned around as the tub filled, he felt the sting again in the pit of his stomach when he saw Charles' blotched body, bearing witness to the extensive beating given to him, the red marks left by an iron pipe, cut from rings and knifes - Erik cursed in head, but regretted it immediately when Charles turned his gaze to the floor. Erik took one long stride and was instantly at his side, he supported Charles as he stood up, he helped him out off his pants and supported him over to the bath tub, he gently lowered him into the hot water, Charles gasped in pain for a second before sighing in relief as the water brought relief to his tense muscles and he leaned his head back against the edge of the tub, breathing slowly, closing his eyes as the water worked its magic. Erik kneeled next to the tub and dipped a cloth in the water and gently washed Charles' face, as he wringed the cloth blood and dirt mixed in with the water, giving it a faint orange colour, Charles would flinch every now and then, when Erik would rinse a cut or touch a sore area too hard.
As soon as Erik was done and Charles clean, he undressed himself, the bandage across his chest dropping to the floor in one smooth movement, before he helped Charles scoot over enough so that he could slide down behind him. Erik wrapped his arms around Charles' chest and pulled him back against his own chest, he felt the ache as Charles' back hit the wound across his chest, but he swallowed it down and dipped his head down to kiss Charles' shoulder, releasing a content sigh from Charles' throat – they settled back in letting the hot water wash away the previous days…

At one point when the water had begun turning cold, they could hear someone rummaging around in the next room, Erik could hear Charles' breath speeding up and his own heart throbbing faster under his skin, he tightened his hold around Charles as he turned to look out the open door
"Who's there?" Erik growled towards the bedroom, making Charles wince in his arms. Erik could hear someone flinch in shock in there and something being knocked over as the result, then Hank's stuttering voice came through the door "uuuuuuummm – It's me, Hank, where is… where is Charles?"
"He's here with me." Erik stated while running a hand through Charles' hair, gently massaging his scalp. He could hear Hank walking closer to the bathroom door, Erik stretched to see the door probably just in time to see Hank trying perplexedly trying to escape the situation stammering a sorry before slamming into the door frame, expressing ouch and finally while rubbing his sore forehead he said "Listen, I'm just gonna wait in the lab – Can you and Charles come down when you get up? I need to make a more thorough check, just… yeah – I'm sorry to interrupt again… s-s-sorry."
Erik and Charles glanced shortly at each other, both sniggering.
"Well – I guess there is no point in sneaking around anymore, I think most of the house already knows…" said Charles with a slight smile.
"I guess you are right – I might not have been the best to hide it…  I know you wanted to tell in the first place, so you don't mind do you...?" Erik nuzzled the side of Charles' neck.
"mmm… No…mmm…Erik…I think we need go down to Hank… oh… He's hyperventilating in the lab…" Charles tried to focus but Erik's lips were a big distraction.
"That… poor… boy..." Erik mumbled under his breath
"Erik seriously… we need to stop…"
Erik sighed tiredly – "Okay… just move a little so that I can get up… "


Eventually they had shifted around enough so that Erik could get out, he was about to walk into the bedroom when Charles turned in the water and cried "Erik!" Erik turned around instantly and looked down upon Charles in the water, sitting with his arms wrapped tightly round his legs, the big eyes gazing anxiously at him, and Charles continued in a begging tone "Erik – please don't leave me alone, I need you… I can't feel safe without you… please just – don't leave me alone."
Erik kneeled next to the bathtub again, cupping Charles' face with his hands and said affectionately "I won't liebling, I will not leave your side as long as you want me around…"
Erik caught a tear at the corner of Charles' eye as he continued speaking "I promise, meine kleine eule – I promise...mein Schatzen, I love you…"
Charles smiled weakly through the tears and said wavering "I love you too Erik…"
Erik lips met Charles' in a tender kiss – then Erik slid one arm around Charles' back and the other in his calves, he lifted Charles from the water, Charles' arms wrapped around his neck as he carried him to the bedroom, he set Charles on the bed before he opened the closet and found some clothes. He tried some clothes that would fit Charles' small frame, and eventually he dug out a white shirt and a pair of khakis, he lay it on the bed next to Charles, before he dug out something similar for himself, he rolled up the sleeves so that his underarms was exposed. He looked to Charles who was currently buttoning his shirt, he had pulled on the pants which were 4 inches too long, he kneeled at Charles' feet and folded up the long legs of the pants till Charles' feet were free. He looked up at Charles and said "Are you ready?"
Charles nodded and Erik stood up, taking a step to make room for Charles to stand, he wrapped an arm around Charles' waist for support and comfort as they walked through the hallway and down the stairs, soon after they reached the lab.

They found Hank pacing back and forth, the back of his neck bright pink; he was clearly still affected by the previous encounter in the bathroom, he kept avoiding eye contact with either one of them, working in silence and embarrassment, Erik told Hank that he had cleansed the rest of the wounds, which only made Hank flinch in shock when one of them spoke to him. Charles gazed pitifully at Hank every once in a while, smiling assuring to him ever so often as Hank examined his body for sprains, when Hank was finished with him, Charles looked over Hank's shoulder and saw his own reflexion on the window "Oh God - I look like a mummy!" he exclaimed. Erik sniggered slightly, Charles was right – he did look a bit like a mummy, wrapped in bandages from top to toe. Erik strolled over to Charles and helped him getting his shirt on again, before he turned to Hank "Are we finished?" he said with a raised eyebrow.
"Not quite. I still need to check the stitches on your chest – can you take of your shirt, please…" asked Hank nervously.
Erik's grin disappeared and cringed away when Hank reached out.
"Damn it, Erik don't do this to me again." Hank said desperately.
Erik looked to the floor, he didn't need medical care, he was fine – all that mattered was Charles... Suddenly he felt Charles' fingers warm against the back of his hands, his eyes met Charles' crystals, he could hear Charles' voice in his mind "Erik please – just give him a break, he's only trying to help – If you don't want to do this for his sake - then do it for mine."
Erik nodded yieldingly, he rolled his eyes when he heard Hank release a sigh of relief, Erik groaned and said "Get it over it."
When Erik unbuttoned his shirt, Hank said in a blaming tone forgetting for a second to be embarrassed "Erik… why did you take off the bandage?"
"Because, Hank, it would have gotten wet if I had worn it to the bath, wouldn't it?" Erik said sardonically. A crooked smile spreading across his face, when Hank once again turned pink and scarlet. Hank suddenly worked as quickly as he could, eager to get Erik out of there as fast as possible.
Five minutes later the door closed behind the two of them Erik gazed crooked down at Charles, Charles lips tugged up little in the corners, before he reached up on his toes and kissed Erik on the cheek, Erik wrapped slowly wrapped his arms around Charles' waist pulling him closer to him, and he dipped down his head, tilting a little to the side and leisurely approached Charles' lips, claiming them in a slow, gentle pace – their lips met the warmth of Charles' breath ghosting against his lips for a few seconds before Charles gently bit Erik's lower lip, making Erik moan slightly with pleasure. Then Erik tryingly licked Charles' lips with his tongue, but didn't push it, letting Charles set the pace, but seconds later Charles' tongue pushed through his lips and Erik compliant gave in, admitting their tongues to play lazily and gently together. After a few minutes they just clung together in a tight hug, Erik needing Charles just as much as Charles needed him, tears prickled in the corners of Erik's eyes, he sobbed quietly into Charles' shoulder, and their hold tightened.
"Erik – " Charles whispered compassionately
Erik sobbed once more and then he said thickly "I'm sorry – I just – I was so scared, I thought that I might lose you…"
"Oh Erik…" Then Charles started sobbing too, and he buried his head further into Erik's neck.
The minutes passed, they could easily have stayed like that for half an hour, but eventually they walked outside, and sat down on the same bench that Erik and Raven had sat on a few days ago, when Raven gave him "The big brother warning". Now he and Charles sat there, closely together and watched the sun move across the clear sky…
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