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Charles and Erik play chess in the living room, with their drinks and a low-bright light. Charles keeps checking the time, and Erik notices this.
"What are you so anxious about?" He asks his friend taking a sip of his glass. Charles looks at him frowning and scoffs.
"I don't know what you're talking about" Charles replies looking at the game. Erik raises one of his eyebrows.
"Sure" He replies leaving the glass on the table "Did you meet with someone?" He asks jokingly "Someone whose name is-"
"Stop it right there, Erik" Charles orders looking at the man in front of him. Erik raises an eyebrow and Charles sighs "Yes, I'm expecting Eleanor to come" Erik smiles.
"What for?"
"Why are you so interested in what I do with Eleanor?" He asks narrowing his eyes with a small smile.
"Because she's like a sister to me, and supposedly my job is to scare males who get close to her" He jokes with a serious expression, then he smiles "And I've seen the way you look at her"
"Erik, please, can we talk about another thing?" He asks his friend.
"I didn't know you liked her that much" Erik comments frowning. Charles closes his eyes and sighs deeply "Oh, but don't worry she likes you too, trust me. I knew there was something between you two but-"
"Erik, I hate talking about this" Charles says coughing. He makes his move and drinks from his glass "Cuba, Russia, America. It makes no difference. Shaw has declared war on mankind, on all of us" He says changing the subject radically. Erik looks at the game "He has to be stopped" Charles says looking at his glass.
"I'm not going to stop Shaw. And neither is your so beloved Eleanor" He tells his friend "We're going to kill him" Charles stares at the man in front of him seriously "Do you have it in you to allow that? You've known all along why we were here, Charles. But things have changed. What started as a covert mission, tomorrow, mankind will know that mutants exist. Shaw, us, they won't differentiate. They'll fear us. And that fear will turn to hatred"
"Not if we stop a war. Not if we can prevent Shaw. Not if we risk our lives doing so" Charles murmurs frowning.
"Would they do the same for us?" Erik asks challengingly.
"We have it in us to be the better men"
"We already are" Erik comments "We're the next stage of human evolution. You said it yourself!"
"No. No-" Charles says taking his glass and looking down when he interrupts him. He drinks from it.
"Are you really so naive as to think that they won't battle their own extinction?" Erik asks frowning "Or is it arrogance?"
"I'm sorry?" Charles asks somewhat offended by that comment.
"After tomorrow, they're going to turn on us. But you're blind to it, because you believe they're all like Moira"
"And you believe they're all like Shaw" Charles replies. He leans foward and looks at Erik "Listen to me very carefully, my friend. Killing Shaw will not bring you peace" Erik looks at his friend.
"Peace was never an option"
Meanwhile, looking in the mirror hanging on the wall of her room carefully, Eleanor checks how does she look. She chose to wear a black and simple outfit which consists on a black tight shirt along with some capri pants and heels.
"Okay... This is it. Calm down, it's now or never" She tells herself with a smile. Then she frowns and nods "That's not really calming... But it's all going to be alright. This is where you belong, Charles is giving you a second chance. Charles is the second chance to be fine again" She murmurs at her reflection, taking some air "Even though you hate to admit it... You like him, girl, you do. And, shit... I know it's scary to feel like this towards someone" She says with a smile, chuckling nervously "But it's not something that is in your hands. I'm afraid you cannot control it, but you can embrace it" She checks her looks again, feeling confident with her appearance. She leaves her room quietly. She walks down the stairs hearing voices coming from the living room. She walks over the room and knocks on the door. Erik and Charles both turn to look at her. Erik looks at Charles and stands up.
"I don't have anything else to say" He tells his friend with a serious expression "And I'm tired, I think I'll go to have some rest, we'll finish the game another time" He starts to walk away and when he is next to Eleanor, he smiles at her.
"Wow, you can actually look like a sane person" Erik comments making Eleanor laugh. She punches his arm as he leaves and she walks into the room. Charles stares at the girl.
"What was that about?" She asks Charles as he stands up with his glass on his hand.
"We were talking about tomorrow" He informs sitting in the couch. She looks at him and he leaves a space for her to sit next to him. She walks to sit next to him and looks at him "We just have very different views of the situation"
"He sees the world as the reality he lived and you see it as your reality" Eleanor replies immediately. Charles looks at her and offers her a bit of his drink. She gladly accepts it and drinks from it. Charles stares at her.
"I have to admit you look gorgeous tonight" He tells her "Of course, you always do" She laughs softly and nods. Charles smiles looking at her "It is very beautiful, you know"
"What?"
"The mutated MCO1 gene" He starts to say "Auburn hair, is very beautiful. The hair mutation" He says with a slight smirk. Eleanor looks at Charles narrowing his eyes.
"No" She tells him "You're not" He looks at her confused "You're flirting with me. Why?"
"Why?" He scoffs "Because-" He starts to say. Eleanor looks at him expecting a continuation "You are an incredible, intelligent and strong woman" He comments making Eleanor laugh "I just never felt anything like this before"
"I feel what you feel, remember?" She murmurs smiling. He looks down closing his eyes, feeling he did something wrong "I'm going to let you read my mind for once" He looks at her.
"I'd rather read your lips" He replies with a smirk.
"Please" She asks with a smile, taking his hands. He looks into her eyes and nods taking it seriously. He puts his two fingers over his temple, Eleanor lets her see everything. She doesn't block him. But he doesn't need to see her past, he searches for her feelings. When he does, he finds every thought Eleanor had about him. He feels like the happiest man in the world when he hears the last thoughts of Eleanor.
"I am making one last promise for tonight: no matter what happens tomorrow, I'll take your offer. I am willing to stay here, where I am going to do something good and I have something and someone to care about. I am sorry for being such a mess. I would like to give you what you want, I will try but I can't promise that" She murmurs with a smile, with her bright eyes looking at Charles. Charles looks at her light eyes with a great smile. He smiles widely and laughs happily looking at her.
"Eleanor, I don't want you to try anything. All I want is you. That's all" He tells Eleanor. She gives him the glass. It's been a long time since she has been interested in someone for something more that just sex, and Charles is the same situation.
"Charles, thank you for giving me an opportunity to be happy" She tells him.
"I will do whatever is in my hand to make you live your life full of joy" He continues making Eleanor smile. She gets closer to him and he surrounds her shoulders with his arm. Although she faces him and places a sweet and gentle kiss on his lips. Charles kisses back softly pulling her closer. She continues kissing him as she passes her hand through his hair. He presses her against him by putting his arm around Eleanor's waist. She stops kissing him and smiles. He pulls away and stands up, taking her hand. They start running upstairs. When they reach Charles' room door, Charles stares at her smiling.
"I feel that-" He starts saying as she puts his arm surrounding her waist. She kisses him before he can finish, pushing him inside the room.
She starts to take his shirt off as they close the door. Charles kisses Eleanor as she leans against the door. She finally gets his shirt off as she surrounds his hips with her legs. He sits on the bed with her on top of him. Eleanor kisses him passionately as he unzips her dress. As he does this, Eleanor's hands slide down Charles' chest and she starts to unbuckle his belt. She helps him to get her dress off and laughs when she has to stop kissing him. She makes him lay on the bed and he takes his pants off, with Eleanor's help. They continue kissing each other until Charles stops kissing her and caresses her cheek. He holds her waist and switches places, now Eleanor laying down with him on top of her.
"Is this a dream?" He asks in a whisper looking directly into her eyes. She smirks.
"It would be a little wet, wouldn't it?" She replies before he starts kissing her neck. She passes her hands through his hair slowly, enjoying the time they spend together.