Marvel Imagines

Erik - You Matter to Me

Erik looked up from his book when he heard the soft click of heels against the marble floors of Xavier Manor. He noticed Avery walking into the kitchen wearing a short, black cocktail dress, and looked back down at his page, before doing a double take.

He saw the moment in her eyes when she realized he was there, and stopped dead in her tracks, her frightened stare holding his. She swiped a tear from her cheek as it trickled down over a deep purple stain under her eye, then her head ducked. Her hair fell over her shoulders hiding the mark as she turned away from him.

She walked briskly over to the fridge, "I didn't think anyone would still be up." She said in a hoarse whisper as she took out a bag of peas from the freezer.

"I thought you were going to see your fiancé." Erik said, closing his book and setting it on the countertop next to his cup of tea. "Did you run into trouble on your way home?" He asked, standing up and walking around the counter to see her, but she walked away from him as he did, keeping distance between them and her back turned.

"Something like that." She muttered quietly with a heavy sigh as she dropped and banged the peas against the quartz counter until they separated from each other, then gently placed the bag against her eye with a sharp hiss.

"You should have called us. I could have helped." He said and took another step, but saw her shoulders go rigid as he approached, so he stopped. Leaning against the counter with his hip, Erik knitted his brows together in confusion. "Who was it?" He asked, "Did some poor sod try to mug you?" He asked, cracking a smile at the thought of an unsuspecting prick trying to rob Avery. In all his time with her, he'd never seen her loose a fight. Come to think of it, he'd never seen her take a hit at all. She was too fast, and too clever in her defence.

"No, I just... I'm fine." She struggled with what she could say, clearing her throat to try and ease the gravelly effect it was having on her voice.

"Avery, what happened?" He asked, taking another step towards her, but she stepped away again, keeping her uncovered eye downcast, with a curtain of hair over her face.

Her posture was tense where she stood, unable to face him, "I'm just gonna go to bed." She whispered quickly, and dropped the peas into the sink, frowning at the small trail of blood staining the packaging from the split over her cheekbone on top of the bruise.

She tried to walk passed him towards the door, but he side stepped, blocking her path as he looked down at her with deep concern, wishing she would at least look at him.

"Who hurt you?" He asked in a low whisper, as anger bubbled within him, and an idea of what might have happened started to form in his mind. Her silence was more worrying than even the bruise had been. They were training to be fighters, and bruises were a common consequence of combat, but her silence. Her refusal to look at him. That was worthy of concern.

He reached up towards her face, intending to brush her long brown hair out of the way, but when she felt his fingers graze her skin, she flinched, pulling away.

"What does it matter?" She sighed, shifting her position and crossing her arms to try and play off the intense reaction. She swiped away another tear rolling down her cheek as she ducked passed him quickly, cursing her lack of control and wishing her power was invisibility instead.

Before she had a chance to retreat, he caught her wrist and halted her steps. She slowly turned to him and saw his jaw clench as his eyes moved over the length of her bruised cheek.

"Who?" He spoke the single word again, staring deep into her wide, green eyes, framed by smudged makeup and dried tears.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She finally just shook her head, her brow creasing as her eyes flooded again and she tried to blink back the tears.