Afterward, on the flight back from Russia, Emma Frost trussed up in the back of the plane and nothing else they could do regarding Shaw until they landed, Erik found himself thinking about what Emma had been doing when they'd found her. He could not have cared less about Emma herself, but somehow thinking about that made him feel very strange - the way he sometimes felt in the dreams he had on occasion, the ones he woke up from sticky and wet and panting.
Are you all right? Charles asked after a while, when Erik's breathing had become harsh enough to be heard.
Fine, Erik thought back...and then, because who better to ask, if not Charles, Did you know people did that?
Did what? Charles' presence in his mind, taking the answer to his question. ...Oh. That. I...yes, I was aware.
There was something in the way he said it that made it clear: not only did he know about it, but he'd done it himself.
Oh, a few times, said Charles. Here or there. Not all that often, honestly.
For the rest of the flight, Erik wasn't thinking about Emma at all. Instead, he was thinking about Charles in her place, an image that gradually blended in with every time Charles had ever touched him. He'd done that often enough, a hand on Erik's knee, patting him on the back. A few shoulder rubs, his warm strong hands slipping underneath Erik's shirt...
Charles had ended up a little pink after the shoulder rubs, breathing harshly himself the way Erik was now, seeming frustrated about...something, Erik had never had patience enough to ask what the hell was wrong with him.
Well, now you know, Charles said, placing his hand on Erik's knee. It felt different this time; instead of giving Erik just a little jolt at first, the touch spread throughout his body, centering just below the waist.
What are you doing? This didn't seem to have anything to do with what Emma had been doing, but it was better than anything Erik had been thinking of...
And then Charles' hand moved up and over, until he was stroking the inseam of Erik's trousers. Now Erik found he couldn't breath at all, and that he was straining against his zipper, aching like he never had before.
No one will notice, Charles said, his mental voice rough. I promise you that much.
His hand inches up and up, too slow by far for whatever was coming -
And then shock bolted through him, and Erik as well, as connected as they were. Charles' hand drew back as he said, Oh my god, Raven.
***
By the time they arrived at Charles' estate the following day, the incident on the plane, while not forgotten, had receded in importance. There were other matters to worry about - namely, training the survivors to fight.
Erik had given no thought to Charles' hands since the moment they'd learned that Shaw had taken advantage of their absence in Virginia. He was therefore very surprised when a knock came at his door after he had retired for the night. When he opened it, Charles was there, with wild, red eyes, looking as torn apart as he'd looked put together in front of the younger mutants all day.
"Erik," he said, and kissed him full on the lips, his hands framing Erik's face. "Erik, please..."
Erik wasn't certain exactly what he was asking for - what Emma had done, what they'd nearly done on the plane, something else - but he'd never felt anything like Charles' body pressed against his, and so there was nothing he could say but, "All right."
Charles reached back, shoved the door shut. Still kissing Erik, he began pushing him further into the room, until they were standing next to the bed. By then his hands had begun to roam, behind Erik's back and up his chest, squeezing his ass - oh, that was good - and brushing against his front - and that was even better.
Then, he undid Erik's fly, pushed his trousers and underwear down his thighs, so that his cock was standing free, stiff and red and strange, the way it sometimes got. Erik had always felt a little embarrassed when it did that, but now all he felt was an incredible need for whatever Charles meant to do next, so strong he was trembling.
"You really ought to sit down," Charles muttered, licking his lips.
Erik sat. To his surprise, Charles then went to his knees before him. He placed one hand on Erik's thigh, the other on the base of his cock, then opened his mouth and took him in.
At this, Erik cried out, a sound he'd never realized he could make. He had never imagined such a thing, either the sight of it or the sensation - Charles' warm, wet mouth moving on him, up and down, building to something Erik had only ever experienced vaguely in dreams. He found he had no idea what to do with his hands, and settled for gripping the side of the mattress.
For a minute, it got better and better, until the pressure nearly hurt - then, without meaning to, Erik let go, felt himself jerking inside Charles' mouth as he groaned, another sound he'd never thought of making.
Charles swallowed heavily around him, a speck of white appearing at the corner of his mouth. Somehow, this seemed as good as all the rest.
He stood, and now Erik saw the bulge in the front of Charles' trousers. He hadn't thought about that before, either, but now it seemed obvious, just as exciting as what Charles had just done to him.
Erik reached for Charles' belt loops with his hands, reached for Charles' belt buckle with his gift, pulled him closer until he was standing between Erik's spread legs, the bulge just inches from Erik's face.
"I'll do it for you, too," Erik said, unbuckling Charles' belt, wondering if they could just do it here, Charles standing -
Charles' belt hit the floor, Charles' hands sifted into Erik's hair. "Oh, yes." Charles' fly flew down, Erik pushed everything out of the way, and there he was, close enough to taste. "Yes, that's allowed. Here, let me show you..."
And so began the next phase of Erik's education, which would continue for many nights to come.