A Morning Jog is Good for Your Health

A Date

When Charles returned at the mansion after work he rushed to his room as usual, doing his best to avoid everyone. This was an easy task in a mansion so huge but still he had to be careful -- some of his relatives were in the habit of finding him no matter what.

As soon as the door was closed behind him he let out a breath of relief and let himself enjoy the flutter in his stomach and the elevated heartbeat. Erik asked him out. This sort of thing didn't happen to Charles. Usually, he kept away from everyone so he hardly knew anybody well enough to want to date them. But Erik with his shark grin and perseverance managed to sneak past Charles' defenses and find a place for himself inside Charles' heart.

It wasn't love. Charles wasn't an idiot -- love doesn't happen after a month of mutual jogging (was that even a thing?). But he could not deny the connection he felt, like they knew each other all along and meeting one another was merely a formality. Maybe he knew Erik from a past life or some alternate reality or something. How else could he explain that talking to Erik seemed so easy to him, when talking to everyone else was-- well, tricky.

He was lying on his bed, daydreaming and crushing like a 12-year old girl when his sister Raven burst through the door.

"What are you up to?" She teased the moment she got there.

Charles grinned at her and rolled his eyes, faking annoyance.

"So he asked you out, didn't he?" Raven continued, her smile growing wider, brighter.

Charles sat up on the bed and smiled back at her, nodding.

"You look happy." she noted. "I like it when you look happy."

Charles let out a huff of breath that sounded a lot like a sigh and looked Raven in her beautiful eyes. "I like it when you're happy too." he said quietly.

"I am happy, silly!" Raven's laughter brightened the room. "Especially when I know my big brother's having a date and is probably going to get laid soon!"

"Raven!" he blushed, looking anywhere but at his sister.

"What? Am I not allowed to know about sex? You're 27, I'm 25. I'm old enough."

"It's still weird." Charles said.

"I guess. But it's not my fault, the things I say. You know that." she shrugged.

Charles glanced at her again. It felt good seeing her here.

"Just sayin'" she continued, leaning in closer, conspiratory. "There's nothing wrong if you to live a little!"

Charles remained sitting on his bed, cross-legged, lost in his thoughts.

~*~

He met Erik at the park, by what they were in the habit of calling 'their tree'. Erik looked dashing. Erik usually looked dashing but particularly so tonight because it was the first time Charles ever saw him in anything but his jogging clothes. Not that Charles was that shallow to only notice beauty when it was well-dressed. But the thought that Erik had put some effort to look handsome especially for Charles made him go all tingly on the inside.

"Erik." he smiled, trying for it not to sound too sheepish.

"You look lovely." Erik said just when Charles muttered "You look handsome."

They laughed.

"Shall we?" Erik asked with that same toothy grin and Charles nodded, letting Erik lead the way.

Charles spent his days working and then instantly going home again, finding different ways to entertain himself in his room. He liked it that way -- being among people made him nervous whereas solitude was pleasant. Being outside with Erik though... that was a different thing altogether. Charles could not stop smiling.