Erik wanted to snap back-- what made Charles think Erik cared where his attention was?-- but there was no point. Denial would serve nothing, because they both knew better. Charles had called his bluff the night he'd caught Erik outside the CIA building-- but now it seemed Erik had proof that he wasn't the only one snared in this strange connection between them.
He was slow to follow his friend into the motel, his mind turning over Charles's reaction, that anguished murmur like Erik was denying him something by shutting him out. He wasn't sure what to do with this unexpected glimpse into Charles's mind, into the loneliness that was somehow lessened by Erik's presence, and the fact that Charles wanted his trust and affection as much as Erik (unwilling as he was to admit it) wanted Charles's attention and respect.
It seemed they were both in need of a friend. The irony of that (that Charles would choose him, who was possibly less cut out to be someone's friend than anyone else in the world, to say nothing of Erik's decidedly unfriendly attraction to him) was staggering.
As he approached their motel room, he deliberately relaxed the tight grip on his thoughts, hoping that would be enough to repair whatever damage he had done with his abrupt dismissal in the car. He didn't want to continue the conversation Charles's parting comment had begun-- there was no way to know where it might take him, and he wasn't going to blunder into it half-tipsy in the wee hours of the morning. Instead, as he turned the handle from the inside with his power and slipped into the room, he said, "Going to break the bad news to Moira in the morning, then?"
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Date: 2013-12-19 10:09 pm (UTC)He was slow to follow his friend into the motel, his mind turning over Charles's reaction, that anguished murmur like Erik was denying him something by shutting him out. He wasn't sure what to do with this unexpected glimpse into Charles's mind, into the loneliness that was somehow lessened by Erik's presence, and the fact that Charles wanted his trust and affection as much as Erik (unwilling as he was to admit it) wanted Charles's attention and respect.
It seemed they were both in need of a friend. The irony of that (that Charles would choose him, who was possibly less cut out to be someone's friend than anyone else in the world, to say nothing of Erik's decidedly unfriendly attraction to him) was staggering.
As he approached their motel room, he deliberately relaxed the tight grip on his thoughts, hoping that would be enough to repair whatever damage he had done with his abrupt dismissal in the car. He didn't want to continue the conversation Charles's parting comment had begun-- there was no way to know where it might take him, and he wasn't going to blunder into it half-tipsy in the wee hours of the morning. Instead, as he turned the handle from the inside with his power and slipped into the room, he said, "Going to break the bad news to Moira in the morning, then?"