#its a alex/darwin/sean/hank fic

[damn-iwantedtobecalledmystique]

i got really nostalgic about 2010s high school aus so now im writing one. it's jam packed with all the cringe you can expect from that era. and it's also about a ship that has 3 fics on ao3 and the most recent one is from 2021

[gold-from-straw]

Consequences - ch 3/3

How Cuba went down in the Consequences ‘verse... especially tackling Charles’ STUPID ‘just following orders’ comment! I hope you like it ^_^ Thank you so much for all the love this has had! This has been the first full fic I’ve written for this ship and everyone’s so lovely! I’ve got another story to come soon, the chapters will be a lot shorter but there are more of them. Thank you!

There was something different in Charles now, a resignation. He was quieter, even with the children’s training, spoke less of morality and the greater good, and when Erik narrowed his eyes at that realisation, he simply sent an image of his stepbrother being led off into one car to return to California while his stepfather carried on into New York city without a backwards glance. Who am I to speak of ethics? he asked softly, and turned to walk away.

Erik followed him, caught up with him in the corridor outside the study and pushed him against the wall, kissing him breathless. “You’re the only one I’d listen to,” he answered, and lifted him up, breathing kisses into his neck as he clung to him like he was drowning.

They lay close together afterwards, not bothering to emerge for dinner, wrapped in each other’s arms until the sun rose on the day they’d be flying to Cuba.

Charles flew with his jaw set, his eyes hard, and Erik was the one left to encourage the team, keep them calm and safe. He kept his focus on them, on the serenity needed to protect the children, both older and also so much younger than he had been when he first hunted down the same evil.

He faced Shaw. He heard Charles’ voice in his head, calming him, talking him down from the panic. I will not let you die here, Charles said, and Erik found his balance. He whipped the helmet away from his monster, felt Charles’ mind wrapping around Shaw’s, holding it in place while Erik drove the coin forwards, his mother’s brave smile at the front of his every thought.

As the coin burrowed into Shaw's skull, Erik thought he heard a truncated scream of pain .But it was gone in an instant, and he kept his focus, driving the coin through and out, ending it. He almost slumped when he saw Shaw’s body fall an empty, lifeless thing with no more power than a stuffed animal, and for a moment hysteria overwhelmed him. Was this it? Was it truly over? How could that be possible, with him still living? Charles had told him, over and over, breathed into his ear, into his very mind as they moved together, as they played chess, as they handed each other coffee, he wasn’t going to let Erik die destroying Shaw, but… he hadn’t realised until now that it had all felt like a dream, an impossible wish.

He stumbled out of the risen submarine, met Charles’ eyes as he staggered out of the downed jet, and laughed. Charles smiled, his face tense, and Erik started forwards to him, and stopped.

“The missiles… they’re firing…”

“What?”

“Charles, check! They’re both firing, both navies.”

Charles turned to the ships, his face going slack with horror, and he turned back to Erik, speechless.

“Oh my God,” Raven said, almost under her breath. Moira raced back to the jet, screaming into the radio.

Erik felt the rage rise in his blood again, tipping the balance, only this time, the balance had shifted. Shaw was dead. He had done the impossible, and come out the other side, alive. He held up his hand as the missiles screamed towards them, and stopped them, every single one bobbing in the air, peacefully.

How dare they? How dare they try to take everything from him again, after everything he’d lost, everything they had all given to stop the annihilation of their world, and the humans had the audacity to fire on him? He turned the missiles, his focus complete, and every single one aimed itself towards its origin.

“Erik… Erik, please, no…” Charles’ voice shook, and he reached out to touch Erik’s arm. Flashes of panic started to come through. Going to die Someone save us.

Erik projected calm towards him. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to Charles, not to any of them. Our Father, who art in Heaven. “Please… oh God, there are innocent people on those boats!”

The panic rose as the missiles got closer to the ships, I’m never going to see them again and Erik wished, selfishly, please God let us get through this that he could block out Charles’ worry, my children, what will they do the way it was disrupting his concentration. Will she name the baby after me

He frowned, and several missiles fell into the water. “What?”

“They’re just oh God I should never have signed on following my little girl, only four orders will it hurt Erik”

And suddenly, I don’t think I can handle feeling them all die.

“What?” he said sharply, and all the missiles fell. Erik turned and grabbed Charles’ wrists, shaking him, and the skin contact made the voices flow faster are we safe oh my God my heart is it gone what are we going to do oh God please don’t let them tell us to fire I can’t do this we’re outgunned I just want my babies I just want my mother oh God, my head

“Charles!” Erik snapped. “Block them out, shut them down!”

“I… I can’t, it hurts!”

“You, Azazel,” he said, turning to the teleporter, held tightly by Hank. Like all of Shaw’s people, he had seemed to deflate when Erik had emerged unscathed. “Take all of us away - if you get us all to safety you can go wherever you like after that, I don’t care, just…”

He nodded, and everyone gathered together, linking hands. Erik wrapped his arm around Charles’ waist, held Moira’s hand tightly, and nodded. The beach disappeared in red smoke.

They appeared in a field, and Charles sighed, his tense muscles relaxing and slumping closer to Erik. Erik glared at Azazel, not willing to trust him yet. “Where are we?”

“Wisconsin,” Azazel said. “Am I free to go now?”

“He’s telling the truth, Erik,” said Charles, straightening up. “Although,” he added, looking from face to face in the Hellfire club. “You’re welcome to come with us, if you’re interested in a different path for mutantkind. One that doesn’t lead to a nuclear winter.”

“The humans obviously aim to destroy us,” Erik ground out. “We’d be better staying together, all of us.”

“Not all of them wish to destroy us,” Charles said softly, glancing to Moira.

Erik rolled his eyes. “Only the ones in power, Charles.”

Charles made a face, and rubbed his temples. “I’m too tired to argue.” He looked up at Janos, Angel and Azazel, shifting uncomfortably. It didn’t take a telepath to see their mistrust and confusion. “The offer stands. Stay as long as you like.”

“Why are you so trusting?” Angel shook her head.

He gave a false smile. “I’m a telepath. I don’t have to trust you. I know when someone means me harm.” His face hardened. “And you should know I am perfectly capable of protecting myself and those I care about.”

Angel stared at him, then nodded once, sharply. “I’m in.”

Janos shrugged. Azazel held out his hand. Erik held tight to Charles’ shoulder, just in case the teleporter had a trick up his sleeve, but Charles simply shook on the agreement. “If I give you the location of the mansion, will you be able to take us all there?”

He nodded, and the world disappeared once more, replaced by the lawn outside the Westchester mansion. Erik felt something under his ribs uncoil at the sight of the pretentious old pile. As if some part of his body and mind recognised it as home. Charles smiled tiredly at him, and at that, his entire soul recognised home.

They couldn’t simply collapse into their room as they both wanted. There were rooms to find for the new people, by unspoken agreement in a different wing to the current inhabitants of the house. There were ground rules to cover, and even, thanks to Alex and Angel, a screaming fight about Darwin, which resulted in both of them storming off in opposite directions, Alex down to the bunker to burn off some grief.

When Erik started noticing Charles wincing and rubbing his temple every time someone snapped or glared, he realised the steady migraine he was feeling wasn’t actually his own. He slapped some money in Sean’s hand, told him to call for pizza, and hauled Charles off to bed.

“I’m really fine,” he protested, which was clearly utter rubbish by the way he was rubbing his eye socket. “I should be there to keep the peace.”

“It’ll be good for them to sort out their own problems - you’re not their parent, Charles.”

He sighed and let Erik manhandle him into the huge, dimly lit room. “It’s only eight o’clock. Would you like a drink?”

Erik just shrugged and sat on the window seat, staring out at the dusk. Now that he was finally at rest, his mind went back through the battle. It had always been like this. He’d focus on the present until the fight was over, then, exhausted, he’d revisit it and dwell, and analyse.

It was a good thing. He always remembered more than he realised at first, and he’d learned new techniques and strategies from analysing his own actions after the fact. He was just a little surprised that it was hitting him while he was still in Charles’ company. He had thought it would wait until he was completely alone.

Now he revisited the beach, a fierce pride at having lifted the sub, irritation at having lost his focus and allowed Riptide to knock the jet off course. At least he had been able to stop Charles from tumbling around as they crashed, and he shuddered at how close they had been to ending the battle there.

The fight with Shaw drew out in his mind, every moment observed from every angle. Charles was right, there was no new peace to be found from killing the man, but he did feel like he could take a breath at last, his greatest demon vanquished, his greatest threat eliminated.

And then the nukes. He clenched his fists at his sides, the thought of those ungrateful, stupid humans turning their weapons on them - and Charles! Now, without the whirlwind of voices coming through from the humans’ minds he remembered what Charles had said, how he’d tried to stop him - ‘they’re just following orders’. How dare he? What was he thinking?

There was a clatter of glass on glass and Erik looked up to see Charles staring at him in horror, whiskey dripping onto the tablecloth. “Erik… oh my friend, I’m so… I can’t believe I said it like that, I’m so sorry.”

Erik raised his eyebrows as Charles approached him, his hands fluttering. “I’m sorry, I heard… my boundaries are all shot to hell since… but I’m so sorry for being so thoughtless!”

“Charles, Charles! It’s fine,” he said, standing and touching Charles’ cheek.

“It’s not,” said Charles, looking distraught. Erik could hear his regret, and a current of fear underpinning it, and he frowned. Charles closed his eyes, and the fear peaked. Stupid stupid careless insensitive stupid boy.

“Charles! Calm down, you’re projecting.” Charles gasped and opened his eyes again, and the sound cut off completely. So did the throbbing pain in his head. Erik had expected that at least some of the pain would have been his own headache.

He pushed it to the side for a moment, running his fingertips through Charles’ hair. “It was… a stupid thing to say,” he admitted, and Charles nodded, eyes damp. “I’ve already lost one family to men who were just following orders - and I know that’s all it is for some of them. They were just too weak, too scared to do what was right, so they did what was easy.” He pulled Charles close and kissed him on the forehead. “I refuse to lose another family to men just following orders.”

Charles whimpered and pressed himself close to Erik, his fingers gripping his shirt. “Erik, I know… I know you probably don’t want me anywhere near… it’s so selfish, but… please…”

“What is it, liebchen?” he asked, trying to pull back to look at Charles’ face.

Charles struggled against him, trying to press closer. “I… I need…”

“What do you need, love? Anything.”

Charles reached up a trembling hand to Erik’s temple. “Please?” he whispered.

Erik held his hand there and nodded. “Of course.”

Before he even finished speaking Charles was sinking into his mind with another whimper, and he gasped. Charles seemed to be completely immersed in him, his mind spreading out with a greedy sigh, tangling into his very soul. I’m sorry I’m sorry so selfish I need you, your mind, so safe, I’m so sorry.

“Why are you sorry?” he asked, with a little laugh.

 It must feel so invasive… I just… you’re my anchor. You feel so wonderful.

“I’m glad to hear my mind is comfortable. And it doesn’t feel invasive,” he said, wrapping his arms around Charles’ back, plastering him against his chest. “I like it.”

“You… you do?” So cool so safe doesn’t hurt any more

“Why was it hurting?” Erik frowned.

Charles pulled back, tendrils of thought going silent. Erik tightened his arms. “Charles,” he said, warningly.

“It’s fine, I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Don’t lie to me, my friend. What was it? When you heard all the sailors?”

Charles shook his head, and tried to pull back again, but as he did so, a memory slipped out. A coin, a struggle to hold two minds, and a scream that went on and on.

Erik stumbled back, gasping, his hands pressed up to his head.

“Erik! Erik, are you OK?” Charles scrambled for him, touching him on the face, the head, the hands.

“Wh… why didn’t you tell me?” he croaked, his throat as raw as if it had been him screaming. “You felt Shaw die, you felt the coin… I hurt you!” His eyes widened with horror. “The scream that cut off, that was you!”

“I’m so sorry,” Charles said, his blue eyes rimmed with red and tears. “I never meant for you to feel it, I pulled back from you as soon as…”

“I don’t want you to apologise for that!” he shouted. “I hurt you, Charles, how can you be apologising?” He grabbed his hands, torn between shaking him and protecting him from the world. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have… I would have…”

Charles closed his eyes. “There was nothing you could have done, no other way for us to… to kill Shaw. And I know we had to, I agree with that. I told you I would take the consequences with you, Erik, and this was one of them. If I hadn’t been in control of his mind, he would have been able to absorb the energy of the coin.”

“You say you will take the consequences with me, but it seems like you’re unwilling to actually share these consequences with me! Charles…” he cupped his face in both hands. “Are you trying to punish yourself?”

“No! Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Because that would, truly, be ridiculous. Sebastian Shaw was a monster, who did his best to turn me into a monster just like him, and you do not need to force yourself to suffer for his death.”

“I’m not, Erik,” he said, sighing and slumping into him. “It really was the only way.”

“Then why, when you started feeling the pain, did you pull away from my mind? We were in this together, I would have borne the pain with you. I should have, as the one inflicting it.”

“It… it would have distracted you.”

He raised his eyebrows. “It could have distracted you, but you managed to hold him immobile the entire time. You may say you’re not punishing yourself, but I think you are. I think you’re punishing yourself for your stepbrother, as well.”

Charles seemed to give up, closing his eyes and looking wretched. “My stepbrother… I went too far.”

“He was hurting you. He hurt Raven. What were you supposed to do? Just allow him to do so?”

“I was stronger than him--”

“No, you weren’t. Your mind was stronger than his, it’s true, but you weren’t in full control of your powers then. You acted out of fear for you and your sister, and you stopped the abuse.”

“I went too far. I could have--”

“But you didn’t. You can’t punish yourself for that forever, you know.”

“I deserve to be punished for taking a life.” Charles was almost whispering now, and Erik wrapped his arms around him. Even now he could feel flashes of pain and grief and guilt.

“You know, you can come back,” he said softly, lifting Charles’ hand to brush over his temple.

Charles looked up in shock. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I… God, my defences are just shocking right now, I’m so sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry, Charles! I’ve said before, you’re welcome.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, looking up, deep blue glinting through black lashes. “I know it’s uncomfortable and intrusive, and--I just, your mind, it anchors me, I sometimes don’t even… I think my mind reaches out for yours without my intent.”

“I like it,” he shrugged. “I like the thought that I’m holding you in my mind. Protecting you.”

Charles stared at him for a moment, then surged forwards and kissed him, and their minds sank into each other at the same time. Charles sighed and went pliant in his arms, nuzzling into his neck, tendrils of thought twining around Erik’s, soft and peaceful.

“We’ll face it all together,” he said softly, stroking Charles’ hair, the strands matted with sand and sweat. “We’ll fight, and we’ll protect each other, and we won’t let anyone get away with treating us, or other mutants, like we’ve been treated. And we’ll face the consequences together, you hear? No more hiding the pain from me.”

Charles didn’t answer, but pressed even closer, clinging on, and in his mind Erik felt a whisper of yes, thank you, I love you. He smiled, and wrapped him in love.