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Chapter Text

The small boat drifted along the ocean currents, carrying two old friends to an island of Genosha. They sat beside each other comfortably in silence while surrounded by the soothing sound of waves humming and seabirds chirping.

The setting sun, painting the sky in golden hue, added another layer of beauty to an already spectacular view. Charles would have appreciated it more, if within his head could remain calm like his appearance. For the first time, the thought of going to new place made him feel uneasy. The closer he got to the island, the more he braced himself to hear unpleasant thoughts from Erik’s people.

Charles raised his hand to block the evening light shining directly onto his face and turned aside. His gaze landed on Erik. He had his eyes closed, face relaxing and the way his face glow made Charles unable to look away.

Grey eyes locked with blue pairs. Charles realized he had been caught. He quickly broke contact, hoping his rosy cheeks went unnoticed but it was too late.

“Found something interesting?” Erik said, the corner of his mouth twitched upward in amusement.

With a sigh, he faced Erik again and proceeded to come clean. “It’s your face, Erik.” The metal bender raised his eyebrow slightly. Charles added, “You look the same since the last time I saw you.” And it was over a decade ago, he wanted to say.

Erik nodded as his lip parted in a silent ‘oh’ and returned to gaze at the ocean before responding. “Nature and isolation will do that to you, old friend.”

“Perhaps,” Charles muttered. In his mind, he recalled the time he cut himself off from the world. Unlike Erik now, he had been an absolute mess, sad and broken. What would become of him this round of isolation, he wondered.

Erik turned to stare at him, eyes narrowing. “I couldn’t say the same to you.”

Charles put on a straight face and focused on the ocean. What did Erik expect? Anger and sorrow were his only friends these days. Given more time, he would resort to alcohol again.

“I hope the island will heal you the same way it did to me.” Erik said in a calm, unhurried voice after a while.

He looked back at Erik in doubt. “What if your people don’t like me?” The people of Genosha had every right to reject him after what had happened.

Charles followed Erik’s hand moving to touch his but hesitated. It then settled on his shoulder in a light pat. “Nonsense, Charles. They know what happen was not your fault. They would find relish in your stay.” Erik continued, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll stand by you.” Erik’s words, like a gust of wind, blown all of his doubt away.

They cracked a smile at each other.

“We’re here. Are you ready?” Erik asked.

“I’m more than ready, Erik.” His smile broadened and Erik smirked back at him. Just like once upon a time, Charles thought. He felt nostalgic.

Erik then guided the boat towards the quay.

Shortly after, they came to complete stop. Erik searches his eyes to ask for permission to help him. Nodding, his wheelchair was being lifted and landed on a wooden platform. Once settled, Erik beckoned him to follow. Charles pushed himself behind him as Erik walked to the concrete pathway that led to what could be called a town square.

Glancing around, Charles could describe his initial feeling of this new land as quieted, greened and simple. Not bad from Westchester, he thought.

On the way, Charles could see many houses mostly made-up from old containers. Some were piled up on top of one another to make two or three-story house. Some others preferred to stay one floor above the ground while some more were resided in the distance, hiding behind the thick forest. Among them all lied the pointy red house, standing out among the rest. The design and coloring displayed the symbolism of the only man who possessed the power of magnetism.

Suddenly, Charles heard it. The sound of many curiosities brushed his mind. One by one, Genosha residents showed up to see who their leader had in tow. Around him stood the crowd consist entirely of mutant children, teens and mostly adults.

Charles relaxed his grip on the chair and offered them a polite smile.

Then Erik introduced him. “This is Charles or you may know him as the professor,”

“He will stay with us from now on. So, everyone please make him feel at home.” He added.

They gasped, their eyes widen after Erik finished talking. The reaction soon turned into smiles and Charles found his heart swelled with joy from their actions. Though a few people still eyed him in distrust but that’s okay, Charles could accept this.

Erik flashed him with ‘I told you so’ face before continue moving. They head towards the direction of the crimson house.

Charles hadn’t thought about it at all when he agreed to come here. He wasn’t ready if he ended-up living under the same roof as Erik. He prepared to protest.

However, he breathed a subtle sigh of relief when Erik walked pass it and instead led him to the house next door.

First things Charles noticed, fresh paint and a ramp unlike others houses in the area. With a snap of his finger, Erik had the door opened and went inside. Charles followed him. Another flick, the room lit up in warm light. He saw a tiny kitchen on his right side. A bit further was the bed and a door, which he assumed, led to bathroom. All were made with wheelchair accessible.

To his left, there was a small wooden table and books underneath but his gazed lingered on the bouquet of wild flowers, adorning lovingly on top of the table. Charles smiled fondly at the memory behind it. The morning strolls into the nearby forest, just the two of them. Holding hands, sneaking kisses under the misty jungle and they would go back when the dazzling light came. Every time, Charles would pick a bunch of wild flowers home.

“You remember.” Charles said when he sensed Erik standing right behind and turned to meet him.

Erik said to him, softly. “I never forget.”

Time seemed to stop when they stared into each other’s eyes. Erik’s gaze slowly fell down on his lip. Charles cleared his throat as his heart began to accelerate. Even though their reconciliation had been restored, he preferred their personal relationship to stay that way for now.

Charles changed the topic.

“I like what you did to this place, Erik. Thank you.” Despite this was not the luxury he used to have, somehow it already felt homely.

Erik tried to act cool but inside his mind, he was relieved that he liked what he built, Charles could feel it.

“You must be exhausted. I’ll help you unpack.” His belongings laid behind Erik. He must have floated them here when Charles busied checking out the house.

“That’s okay, Erik. I can take it from here.” Charles responded.

“Then I will bring you dinner later.” With a nod, Charles watched as Erik turned to leave in reluctance.

He stopped half way, looking back and closed the distance between them. Erik planted a kiss on top of his head and whispered, “Charles, thank you for deciding to come.” He then quickly exited.

Charles ran his hand over that spot on his forehead and smiled alone. He could allow this one, he told himself.

I want you by my side. Suddenly, those words popped up inside his mind. It took him back to that day on the beach. A long time ago, he refused. But this time he chose differently.

Chuckling, Charles thought that fate had its way no matter how many years had passed.

Indeed, just like today. It had been unpredictable. Who would have thought that his day started in Paris and ended-up in Genosha. Not like he’d complain. He just hoped that this was the beginning of everything good.

Chapter Text

The autumn wind gently caressed Charles's skin as he worked in the garden. He reached down to adjust his scarf for extra warmth, the lingering scent of its previous owner stirring his memories of that person.

A month ago, Erik had offered him a home. Now, Charles's days consisted of gardening, laughing with locals, relaxing at the beach, and, most importantly, returning home to Erik. They cooked together, ate together, and played chess before retiring to their separate beds.

Life had been good—better than Charles had expected, he mused while tending to the last batch of tiny plants. The sun was still high when he finished. Erik wouldn’t be home until much later, as he was on the far side of the island, searching for resources to expand the town. So, Charles decided to visit the newly constructed library Erik had mentioned that morning.

He strolled along the beach path. On the way, he came across a group of teenage mutants playing catch, their laughter filling the air as they tried to outdo each other with their abilities. Charles watched with joy, but at the same time, a pang of sadness struck him. Was there anywhere else in the world where they could do this so freely? He could think of nowhere. Erik had truly created a safe haven for them. Perhaps this was how it was meant to be—separation. Maybe his efforts for unity had always meant to be in vain.

Charles shook his head with a sigh. There was no point dwelling on the past. He pressed forward.

Soon, a small building appeared ahead. His senses picked up the presence of others already inside. He could make out several children gathered around their tutor, their faces lit up, eyes wide with engagement. A sense of déjà vu washed over him. He quietly reached for the door and peered through a tiny gap.

Young children listened, enthralled, to a tale of a hero’s journey to defeat a giant king. The battle of wits and tricks, not just swords, captivated their hearts and minds, eliciting gasps of awe. Nostalgia hit Charles hard. Suddenly, he was back at the mansion, surrounded by his students—his sister, Jean, Hank, everyone. Then it all fell apart in the blink of an eye, leaving him alone in reality. Unable to bear it, he turned and left as quickly as he could.

That night, Charles couldn’t finish even the first game of chess and excused himself to bed early. A look of confusion crossed Erik’s face, but he let him go.

.

.

.

In his dreams, Charles saw Raven, blood spilling over her body. It should have been him, but he was powerless, could only watch from afar. Then Jean appeared, shooting into the sky like a ball of fire until she exploded in a blinding light.

“No, Raven!”

“No, Jean!”

He shouted at the top of his lungs, tears wetting his face. He couldn’t stop.

His hand reached out toward nothingness.

.

.

.

Erik stirred in his sleep, faintly hearing Charles’s screams. Concerned, he went to check on him.

Items, including Charles, floated in the air. He was tossing and turning, still asleep. Erik rushed to his side, one arm circling Charles’s waist, the other guiding him to rest against his chest. Erik pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and whispered soothing words—“It’s okay,” “It’s alright,”—until Charles calmed enough for Erik to settle them both, along with the floating items, back down in silence.

Erik looked grimly at the man in his arms, caressing his cheek. He knew the telepath’s burdens were heavy, but he hadn’t realized they were this severe. He should have reached out sooner. Over the decades of their complex relationship, Erik had made more mistakes than not. This time, he vowed to do right by Charles. He wouldn’t let him suffer alone again.

When Charles woke up in the morning, he was surprised to find himself lying on Erik’s chest, Erik’s arm circling his waist as if to keep him in place. He glanced around the messy room and pieced together what had happened without needing to probe Erik’s mind.

Back at the mansion, Charles had sometimes woken the moment his body hit the bed, startled by the sound of items crashing to the floor. He would ache for days, unable to stop the nightmares. Erik must have heard him last night and kept him safe. Charles vaguely recalled soft, comforting words but hadn’t been able to open his eyes.

Disturbed by Charles’s stirring, Erik woke. Charles looked up at him. Erik’s mouth twitched, as if to say something but decide against it. Instead, he checked Charles from head to toe. Erik didn’t loosen his hold, not until he was certain Charles was alright.

He was grateful Erik said nothing about the nightmare. The chaos of the previous night was explanation enough, and Erik wasn’t one for words anyway. His actions spoke volumes. Erik left with a gentle kiss on Charles’s forehead, promising to return with breakfast. He did, moments later, with toasted homemade bread and an omelet that tasted better than anything Charles had ever had. His mood lifted like magic.

That evening, Charles came home early and made dinner for Erik—a gesture of gratitude for the previous night. Though his cooking skills were limited, and it showed, Erik ate with delight, his joy evident in his expression.

The next time Charles woke on Erik’s chest, and many times after, he was no longer surprised. Over the months, his nightmares grew less frequent. One night, after playing chess together, Charles asked Erik to stay.

“Stay,” he said, and Erik did. After tucking Charles into bed, Erik settled on the other side of the small bed. With a flick of his finger, the light went out, leaving only pale moonlight streaming through the windows. Neither closed their eyes yet, grey eyes meeting blue.

Charles said, broking the quiet. “I want to touch your mind.”

A faint smile crossed Erik’s face. “Charles, you don’t have to ask.”

Charles leaned forward until their foreheads touched, a gentle meeting of warmth. Their eyes fluttered shut, and their minds reached for each other, like twin threads weaving into a single, luminous cord. In that instant, their bond surged back, radiant and whole. Their love flowed through the bond—raw, genuine, beautiful—more powerful than a thousand spoken words. It was like the first time they had mind-bonded on a passionate night at the mansion, or when they touched minds in the cold ocean.

The world seemed brighter when they opened their eyes. No words were needed; their connection had been rekindled. This time, Erik leaned in, kissing Charles’s lips softly, asking for permission to do more. Charles allowed it—allowed more than just a kiss.

That night, Charles dreamed a radiant dream, one he shared with Erik—a vision of light, love, and a future unburdened by darkness.

Chapter Text

Happiness was indeed contagious, spreading through the small island like the gentle breeze that carried Peter's arrival that fateful day.

Peter showed up on a particularly breezy afternoon, the wind tousling his silver hair as he stood nervously at the door of the modest island home Erik had built. After years of hesitation and missed opportunities, he finally gathered enough courage to confess to Erik that he was his son—a truth he'd carried silently since their paths first crossed. Charles had known about this connection shortly after Erik left the mansion the last time, discovered by accident when Peter's thoughts had been particularly loud and unguarded. But Peter had asked him to keep the secret, his young face etched with vulnerability and fear of rejection. Charles had promised that Peter would be the one to break the news whenever he felt ready.

A decade later, he was finally ready.

Now Erik was hugging Charles tight in Charles's living room, his strong arms trembling with emotion after Peter had graciously agreed to stay the night and retreated to the spare bedroom inside Erik's crimson house. The metal bender's usual composure had completely crumbled, leaving him raw and overwhelmed by the magnitude of what had just transpired.

Erik buried his face against Charles's neck, his voice muffled and thick with disbelief. "What did I do to deserve this, Charles? First you came to live with me, chose to stay by my side when you could have gone anywhere in the world, and now..." His voice trembled, barely above a whisper, on the verge of breaking entirely. "Now I discover I have a son. All my life, Charles, all my life I've only known loss and destruction. Everyone I've ever cared about has been taken from me, torn away by violence or circumstance or my own mistakes."

Charles felt his own heart constrict at the pain in Erik's voice, the decades of accumulated grief and loneliness that had shaped his friend into the guarded man he'd become. His hand moved instinctively to stroke Erik's hair, offering what comfort he could. "You deserve all of this, darling," Charles responded softly, his own voice catching with emotion, threatening to break as tears gathered in his eyes. "After everything you've endured, every sacrifice you've made, every piece of yourself you've given to protect our kind—you deserve to have family, to have love, to have hope for the future."

Erik's composure finally shattered completely, and he silently cried against Charles's shoulder, his tears soaking through the fabric of Charles's shirt. Charles held him tighter, feeling the weight of Erik's relief and overwhelming gratitude flowing between them through their renewed psychic bond. For so long, Erik had convinced himself he was destined for solitude. But here, in this moment, surrounded by the love of the man who'd never stopped believing in him and the son who'd finally found the courage to claim him, Erik allowed himself to feel the full force of his joy.

Peter visited the island regularly afterward, his presence becoming as much a part of the rhythm of life there as the tides. He mostly came to stay during weekends, zipping around the settlement at superhuman speed, helping with construction projects, delivery tasks, and generally making himself indispensable to the community. Charles watched with deep contentment as the bond between father and son strengthened with each visit, observing Erik's gradual transformation from a man who'd forgotten how to be gentle to someone who smiled more freely, laughed more often, and carried himself with a lightness that had been absent for decades.

Sometimes Peter stayed with Charles instead, sprawling on the small couch in his cottage and updating him about life at the mansion with the kind of enthusiastic detail only a young man could muster. He talked about his new role as a teacher, how strange it felt to be on the other side of the classroom, responsible for guiding the next generation of mutants. He shared stories about Hank's latest inventions and the various staff members Charles remembered fondly, painting vivid pictures of a place that continued to thrive even in his absence.

During these conversations, Charles found himself experiencing a complex mix of emotions—pride in how the school had evolved, a bittersweet nostalgia for the life he'd left behind, and a profound sense of peace about his choice to be here. Peter's visits served as a bridge between his old world and his new one, allowing him to maintain connections while fully embracing his present circumstances.

Good things kept happening on the island with increasing frequency, as if the universe had finally decided to balance the scales after years of tragedy and loss. The settlement grew more prosperous, the community bonds strengthened, and Charles found himself settling into a contentment he hadn't experienced in years. As time went on, as seasons changed and his relationship with Erik deepened into something more profound than either of them had dared hope for, Charles realized with startling clarity that this was truly home—not just a refuge or a temporary haven, but the place where his heart belonged.