Charles Xavier was pleasantly surprised when he awoke that morning. The children were still sleeping, it being such an early hour, but the faculty had already started their day. In his mind, the tired shuffling of thoughts which worksheet for the seventh graders or how prepared are they for this pop quiz should it be counted for participation or content knowledge gave him a simple kind of contentment. What really surprised him though, was the quiet hum of thoughts from the man next to him.
Erik was sleeping peacefully, a special kind of gift and one he did not receive often. Charles was tempted to allow him more sleep, but alas, Erik had a physics exam to give his eleventh graders.
"Erik, darling, wake up," He spoke softly, gently rubbing his hands through his husband's hair.
Erik was quite easy to wake, especially since Charles had a permanent fixture in his mind. Between the soft jostling and the playful pokes in his conscious, Erik woke with only a flutter of his eyes.
"Good morning, dear." Charles grinned.
He allowed one quick kiss on Erik's hairline before pulling his chair closer to the bed. His fingers almost brushed against the handle, but the chair floated away.
"Erik, please," he grinned, feeling arms wrap around his stomach.
Erik wasn't much of a morning person or a cuddler. He kissed the back of Charles' neck lazily.
"A something wrong? Or are you just thinking with your dick?"
He more so felt Erik snort against his back than heard it, but none the less, he was released and his chair was pushed well within his grasp. Erik flopped ont the pillows behind him with a groan.
"What time is it?"
Charles shifted himself into his hair before answering.
"About five o'clock, give or take a few minutes."
Erik groaned into his hands. He pushed himself from the bed and stumbled into the en suite bathroom. Charles hummed as the sound of water overtook the newfound silence. He pushed his chair towards the closet and pulled out his normal pair of slacks and a light grey sweater.
As he moved across he room, he opens the curtains to see students having yoga club in the yard. The sun was bright as it rose further into the sky. The last of the morning dew clung desperately to the leaves as the end of summer heat moved in. It would be a hot day, but a good day nonetheless.
Charles hummed. Then, he joined his husband in the shower.
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Zoya sat on the roof, gazing at the changing colors of the sky. The chill of the air ruffled her hair as she took one last glance at the the country sky. She wouldn't see it for a very long time. The last of the stars dimmed in morning sun. She sighed.
"Zo, come on. it's time to go."
Zoya turned down to look at Elizabeth. She stared up at her from the ground through her orange strands of hair. With her stood Elizabeth's family and Zoya's mother. Her bags were down beside her mom's feet.
Her hands shook as she lowered herself down the raised ladder. She moved slowly, to prolong the inevitable. Zoya turned to her family once her feet touched the grass. Her mom gazed at her, her eyes a milky white and head tilted as she murmured under her breath. Her caretaker stood on the other side of the car just behind the family smoking a cigarette.
Her mother smiled blankly and patted Zoya's shoulder. Her eyes never focused on Zoya for long and this moment was no exception.
"She'll be okay. She'll be okay. She's strong. She's strong," she muttered, tilted her head side to side, listening to the different voices inside her head.
Zoya couldn't tell if she was responding to the unspoken thoughts of the people around her, or the ones that haunt her. Either way, Zoya accepted the affection and pulled her mother into a tight hug. She breaths in the sent of Christina - her mother. Under the smell of the cigarettes her mother's orderly smoked regularly, there was lavender and citrus.
"Yeah, mom. I'll be okay. I'll be safe. I promise," she whispered into her neck.
They broke away. Zoya took in her mother's appearance one last time. Her long, brown hair that was graying at the roots. Her pale skin, hanging loosely around her neck in her old age. The golden chain the hang around her neck, holding the three small birthstone. Her mother. Her brother. Herself. Zoya memorized her.
"Bye mom. I'll see you later okay?"
Her mother nodded absently, a smile never leaving her face. Zoya gave a watery grin before nodded to the orderly at the car. The woman flicked hr cigarette out with a nod. As the nurse neared, Zoya turned to Elizabeth and her family.
"Call us if you need anything, okay? Anything," Leaha spoke, her voice shaking.
"And call us even if you don't! That new StarkPhone of yours should work just as well as any old android." Johnny laughed.
Tears enter Zoya eyes, but didn't fall. She looked at the family that had cared for her all these years. Her lip wobbled as she fell into Leaha's arms for a hug. She stayed there as she listened to her mother's footsteps fade away, her voice fading as the car door closed. The orderly said something along the lines of how they'll take good care of her, and they always do. Soon, she was listening to the crunch of the driveway as her mother was driven back to the psychiatric hospital she had lived at for years.
She felt Leaha comb her fingers through her hair, tugging lightly at the twisted hair. She clenched her eyes closed as the tears fell. This had been her home for so long. She grew up under the skies, next to the corn fields and local swap meets.
Now she was leaving.
"I'll be okay. I'll be okay."
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Erik placed his papers on his desk as his first class of students tumbled in, sleep still evident in their eyes, despite it being half past nine. He sat contently in his chair, feet on a cleared section of his desk. When the last of his students were seated his called role.
"Akler. Benton. Bonnet. Caler. Dodge. Deaeler. Dant. Ellain."
Once everyone was accounted for, he passed the metal tray that had the morning's assignment around the class as he wrote the lesson plans for the day on the board.
"Today we're going to be talking about the more advance knowledge of kinetic energy. To make things more interesting, we'll being going outside to use our mutations in order to fully understand. Any disagreements?"
The metal tray landed lightly on his desk as each student filled out the questionnaire of name, date, and class. When there were no complaints, Eric rallied the senior class of students out into the hall and out the side door that led to the backyard of the institute.
"Alright," Eric started, "kinetic energy is the energy an object has because of its motion. For example, Eli uses his super strength during field day and cheats as the transfer of energy from his arm, into the force of the ball is kinetic energy."
The children snicker at Eli's sheepish embarrassment and disagreements of I do not cheat, Mr. Lehnsherr! I am using my god given talents. Erik allows the disruption for a moment more before calling the attention back to him.
"Alright. Alright. If any of you actually read the paper, you'll see that this project will be done in groups of two. And yes, Sara, you may pick your partner. But I repeat, there will be no incidents like last time! No one is jumping to the roof nor will there be any competition. Just do the project!"
The large group disbanded to do the work, all except one- Peter Parker. He simply sat himself under a tree and answered the questions. Erik let him be as he monitored the other more... restless students. They seemed to understand the concept quite easily as the finished the assignment before venturing to answer their own questions about mutations and physics, a few groups becoming three or four. The only student that was not involved was Peter. He had finished his assignment before gathering his laptop.
Faculty and students, please return to the institute. Faculty and students, please return to the institute. This is a Class Two emergency.
Charles demand echoed in his ears, as it probably did in all the professor's. Erik's back had straightened as he quickly called the students to attention.
"Children. Come along. Time to head back to the classroom. Turn in your assignments and get your books out. Start the reading."
They all groaned, trudging back into the school. Peter was the last to enter the school. Erik locked the door after a brief mental scan of the back yard for the metal ID chips every student and worker of the school must wear. Though he couldn't tell who was wearing chip, all were in the building.
The student were seated at their seats as Erik calmly entered the room. The class was silent. Upon entering many were crying into the hands. There were no further information from Charles and-
"Oh my God! Mr. Lehnsherr! Mr. Lehnsherr!"
Erik quickly turned to Jasmine, a blue young woman with wings protruding from her back. She held her phone in her hands with horror written on her face. Most of the class was gathered around her.
"Jasmine what's-"
"Everyone please report to the auditorium. Everyone please report to the auditorium."
Charles' voice broke through the panic of the classroom over the school intercom. Charles left the telepathy for the staff and faculty. The students quickly left the room, leaving behind their items and Erik. He chased after his charges and other classrooms emptied. Faces full of confusion, horror, and fear filled the hall as he was pushed to auditorium. The chattering got louder as he enter the large room, professors tried their hardest to calm the children as the news of what caused the panic spread amongst them.
Charles? Charles, what is happening? Why-
Erik please.
Charle-
"Everyone please calm down. There is no need to panic," Charles spoke as he rolled across the stage, mic in hand. "Everyone, sit. Sit down."
Whether it was of their own choice or Charles intervention, all the students sat as the faculty relaxed, not needing to handle the fretful kids. Erik quietly walked to join the other teachers that sat in the front row.
He watched Charles chest as he took a dee breath. Erik could almost feel the quivering of his fingers against the metal arm of the chair as he grasped it, knuckles white.
"Now, most of you already know... There was an incident at John F. Kennedy National Airport. Five mutants were kidnapped."
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