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martyrmurdock · 1 month

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Lapis Lazuli

The fifth chapter of the harem fic! I think this'll be the last Erik centric chapter for a while, and next chapter, we'll be getting into a new colour spectrum! This chapter contains... Lore related build-up, Frank and Reader interactions, fluff and all with Erik, introduction to Stephen Strange, breaking the bed (in a non-sexy way), and slight angst with Charles.

This chapter might seem a little clunky but in my defence, I wrote this before I could get proper writer's block so... enjoy!

Like before, all tagged characters will be mentioned in future parts!

The very beginning and the very end of this fic was greatly inspired by my conversations with @no-te-lo-voy-a-dar so I hope they know that I am kissing their hands rn.

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Darkness. Utter darkness. You couldn’t see your hands, nor could you see even an inkling of light. It was strangely warm though, and you felt as though the immaterial darkness was caressing you- cradling you in a way.

You sighed and relaxed, allowing your body to fall into the softness of the hands holding you.

“Do not dare to fall asleep here, dreamer.” A bland voice. Near monotonous, but regal and proper. You looked to where the voice was coming from. And strangely enough, even in the pure darkness of your surroundings, you could see him. Tall and lanky and dark- Eyes shining white, like the stars in the night skies. “My grandmother has visited upon my realm to speak to you, and I will not tolerate any disrespect.”

You wanted to speak, but you couldn’t. As if something was clogged- as if you were prevented from speaking at all. You nodded, and the man gave you a nearly unnoticeable, wry smile.

‘Hello, descendent.’ A feminine voice, loud and quiet at the same time. Warm yet cool. You didn’t know where to look, but the man simply gestured for you to look up. And so you did. Only to come across two giant pure white eyes hanging in the unending darkness. ‘You are the first one I contacted after the first Emperor, so I am unaware of what humans are accustomed to these days.’

You still couldn’t talk, so you mutely nodded instead.

‘Dream has informed me that I cannot speak to you for long, as time within the Dreaming works differently from that in the Waking. I hope you understand why I am preventing you from speaking.’

You nodded again, and even though you couldn’t see it, you could tell that she was smiling.

‘I blessed the first Emperor with some abilities. She had intrigued me. Asking me, a primordial entity that could end humanity with a snap of my fingers, to give them light.’ She… was the Void? You were speaking to the actual Void? ‘She intrigued me, and I watched her harness my blessings to become the first Emperor of Nocturnus. I watched as she formed bonds and relationships with all those that crossed her path. She was compassionate and that was what made her blessing so powerful.’

“The others after her were not.” The man more similar in size to you murmured. “Perhaps grandmother’s blessing made her descendants greedy with power. Perhaps the first Emperor was one of those rare humans.”

‘You intrigue me, little cub.’ The voice said, her tone tinged with a certain fondness and a sparkling curiosity. ‘Something different from the others. Not a lion, no.’ The crest of the Imperial was that of a lion. Black and ferocious, regal and proud. You furrowed your eyebrows. Did she not consider you the Emperor? Did she want one of the legitimate children to take over the throne? ‘You are no lion, descendant. You are no apex predator. You merely pretended to be one to survive.’

“But you cannot truly call the rest of them lions either. They no longer hunt together, nor do they form a pride.”

‘The lions that had piqued my interest have all passed into the Sunless lands, unfortunately.’ You felt the ground under you shift and move, and that was when you realised that you were standing on her palm. You wobbled slightly when you were lifted up closer towards the pure white eyes blinking at you. ‘You are a hyena. Jaws strong and unyielding. All-seeing in the darkness. Hunting in a clan.’

In the distance, you could hear sounds akin to laughing- echoing around you-

Something both warm and cold prodded at your chest, right above where your heart was. And you could feel something nearly painfully hot blossom there.

‘I care little for petty human politics. But I do wonder if you would be able to overcome the lingering remnants of an age that is long past.’ She lifted what you presumed was her finger to gently tap at your forehead. ‘I will give a small blessing of my own. One I had secretly given the first, for you remind me much of her in spirit.’

‘When the time is right, animals of the dark will be your friends. Owls will accompany you, bats will be your ears in the night.’

You had so many questions. Another blessing? The first Emperor had two blessings from the Void? If this was the second one, what was the first? Why could you suddenly see some colours, whilst the others were still in greyscale?

‘I know you have questions, cub, but I cannot answer them. It is far more interesting to watch you figure things out on your own.’

“You do not have the time to answer them regardless, grandmother.” The man looked at you, his eyes no longer glowing white and looking more… human-like. “For this dream is over.”

~ ♥~

You awoke with a gasp and sat up, wincing at the pain at your thigh and at your chest, and… everywhere in general.

A firm, rather unfamiliar hand pushed you back down, and you instinctively smacked the hand away to scramble off of the bed an into the corner of the room- which was unfamiliar, and definitely not yours- You needed to get a good grasp on where you were-

You pressed your back against the wall and scanned the room and the people within it quickly. You noticed the extravagant bed, with patterned duvet. You noticed the sofas and the mess of cushions on it, and you noticed the light shining in from the open windows- The lingering scent of gunpowder and lavender indicated that this was Castle’s chambers.

Had the night already passed? Have you been unconscious for so long? You had… dreamt of something. You remember the soft feminine voice and the low masculine one. You remember the burning sensation in your chest and the chattering, non-human laughing-

“Your majesty.” A coaxing voice, firm, but not soft. You flicked your gaze over to the woman who had called you- and you recognised her as one of the healers at the hut you had taken Peter and Wanda to a couple? days prior. “I need you to lie back on the bed so that I can check your bandages.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. You didn’t have a healer. You had fired all the royal healers when you had become Emperor. You couldn’t trust them, for you knew that it was them that did as the Empress commanded to give you poison instead of medicine when you were ill.

“Who are you?” You asked, and you were surprised when your voice came out to be cracked and raw. You cleared your throat, not moving from the corner you had pressed yourself against. “Who brought you here?”

“It was me, your majesty.” A slightly more familiar voice cut in, and that was when you noticed Murdock by the chair next to the bed you had presumably been lying in. You relaxed slightly, but didn’t make a move to approach the bed. “Frank also called in a friend, and he was the one who stitched you up first.”

“How long has it been?”

“Three days.” The woman said, and she glared at you with pursed lips. For some reason, you were compelled to obey her silent order to get back in bed. And so, you did, half-stumbling your way there when the adrenaline faded from your bloodstream. Murdock moved with the precision and speed unexpected of a blind man, and steadied you. “The wounds themselves weren’t too bad- the blade missed your femoral artery, your majesty.”

You could feel the soft silk covering him against the portions of your body that was uncovered by the garment you were wearing. The man guided you onto the bed and promptly sat on the armchair next to it. You recognised the papers with raised bumps haphazardly placed on the bedside table next to him.

“But?”

“But there was poison on the blade.”

“Figures.” You huffed out, leaning against the pillows. “Most poisons don’t work on me. So it must be something new.” You drummed your fingers onto the bed. “I wonder what it was. If I’m not resistant to it, it must not be from the Empire. Maybe it was from Stark’s Kingdom?”

“I sent your blood sample to Hank.” You heard a familiar voice say as the door to the chambers clicked shut. “We should know what the poison is, and where it came from.”

“Raven.” You grinned at your friend as her form rippled to her original one. “I can’t believe it took us an assassination attempt to be in the same room together.”

She smiled back as she walked over to perch on the edge of your bed.

“Viscount Xavier and the Grand Master are trying to figure out who sent the assassins.” Murdock said, his fingers skimming the papers. “And Foggy and the others are looking over official work, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

You nodded. You were well-rested. You could get back to work tomorrow- You had sent Charles back to his fief after reassuring him that you would be fine without him in the Capitol, and here you were, wounded, a couple of days after his departure. Now you knew for sure that he wouldn’t leave the palace-

“You’re on bedrest for a week at least.”

You glared at the woman who prodded at your arm to lift it. You begrudgingly did so, and allowed for her to check on your bandages. You had felt the knife in your thigh, but apparently, you had been cut on your torso as well.

“I don’t care if you’re the Emperor. Work now, and your condition’ll get worse.”

You begrudgingly nodded, but internally decided to get back to the office the moment she was gone.

“I can be you for a couple days.” Raven said, petting your head as her form rippled once more to become a splitting image of you. “If you’re afraid of seeming weak in the eyes of the nobles. I can mimic you perfectly.”

“I don’t want to pressure you, Raven-”

“You’re not.” She smiled at you with your own face. “I think it’ll be fun, fooling those nobles.” She reached over to kiss your forehead. “Besides, you’re a friend, aren’t you?”

You remembered the first time you met her- the first time you truly met her. You couldn’t see colour, and when she gained the courage to show you her true self, you weren’t affected. To you, she was always Raven, a good friend and someone who had helped you out of a number of sticky situations. You accepted her fully, and had often smacked Charles when he tried to get her to hide herself.

You simply smiled back.

~ ♥~

“You were a mess when Lehnsherr carried you here.” Castle said, sitting on the sofa as he flicked through one of the books that you recognised to be from the palace library. “Why the fuck do you not have a royal healer or something? Do you have a death wish or something?”

You shrugged as you sipped at the warm beverage Castle had offered you when he realised that you were up.

“I couldn’t trust them, Castle.” You muttered out, letting the warm steam of the beverage hit your cheeks. “They weren’t my people- They were the Empress’. They could hurt me. And I couldn’t take that risk.”

“You had time to hire new ones.”

“Not really. I didn’t think I would need them. I can sew myself up, and I’m resistant to most poisons.”

“Resistant to most poisons?” His eyes moved away from his book and to lock with yours. You watched as his gaze darkened. “Don’t tell me-”

“The Empress wanted me gone. And she did everything in her power to do that. Nightshade, arsenic, rat poison- and who knows how many more.” You gestured noncommittedly. “Bright side is that I just get slightly sick when I come into contact with most poisons.”

“When did she start doing that?” Castle placed his book onto the coffee table and regarded you fully. “How long?”

“Since I was twelve.”

“Why the fuck haven’t you killed her yet?”

“I want her to suffer.” You said nonchalantly, leaning your back against the fluffy pillows. “I want her to watch as I drag her children one by one in front of her and kill them as she watches. I want her to outlive all her children and live with the weight of that.”

You didn’t meet his eye. You think you know how he felt about your plans. In this scenario, you assumed he would somewhat empathise with the former Empress. Castle too, had outlived his own children.

“I’m not a nice person, Castle.” You softly said, when the silence continued for too long. “I’m cruel and selfish. And unfortunately for you, you agreed to the deal with me.”

“I know that. And I’ll keep my end of the deal. I also don’t give a shit about what you’ll do with the former Empress. She deserves it.”

Your eyes snapped over to him, and he nodded at you somewhat approvingly.

Oh. You had assumed wrong. He empathised with you more. He empathised with your need for vengeance. He empathised with your seething anger-

“The fourth prince will be yours, Castle. I promise you that. But-”

“In front of the former Empress, I know.” He cut you off. “Anything you want, your majesty.”

You weren’t sure if he was being sarcastic or not, and so, you nodded.

~ ♥~

Around a week or so of lounging in Castle’s bed and catching up on some well-needed sleep, you were back in the office with your two concubines, Charles, Erik, and Murdock’s two friends.

You furrowed your eyebrows as Charles’ white bishop took your knight. You were losing, and quite badly too.

“Xavier, are you reading my mind?”

“No?” You glared at him, and he simply grinned back. “You are literally wearing Erik’s helmet, your majesty.”

You pouted out of habit, and moved your rook to take his bishop. You knew picking the black pieces had you at a slight disadvantage, but you liked playing with them because they reminded of yourself, in a way.

Always at a disadvantage, half a step behind the white pieces- Playing in a slightly more defensive manner and having a smaller margin for error. Even now, you were waiting for the legitimate children to make their move- to retaliate against them.

“Check.”

“Fuck you, Charles.”

“Hello? Aren’t you two supposed to be working?” Nelson said, voice utterly unimpressed. “Your majesty, you’re our boss-”

“Yes. I know.” You gave Charles a disgustingly faux smile. “I didn’t lose. I’m just stepping away because as Mr. Nelson said, we’re supposed to be working.”

“Whatever you say, your majesty.”

You huffed and pushed yourself off of the armchair to walk over to your desk. You sat on the chair and looked through the huge piles of paper once more.

You hummed noncommittedly and paused when you saw a complaint from one of the nobles you had your eye on. You had an inkling of a feeling that he was related to some shady business of the Imperial family, but he was slimy and would slither out of any type of investigation you conducted.

“Daredevil…” You mused out loud absentmindedly, fingers drumming on the wooden table. “Daredevil, Daredevil, Daredevil…”

You looked at the people working in the office when the scratching of pen against paper ceased to a stop. Your eyes lingered on Nelson and Page, who were exchanging worried looks, and on Murdock, who held himself in a faked relaxed posture.

“What about him?” Castle asked, arching an eyebrow at you.

“Baron Fledric sent me a complaint about him. Something about ‘obstructing justice’ and ‘making a fool of the Capitol guards’.”

“What did he want with Daredevil?” Murdock asked, his voice curious.

You skimmed through the page and furrowed your eyebrows.

“He wants me to catch the man and execute him.”

A sharp intake of breath made you look up, but you couldn’t quite identify who the sound had come from.

“Will you?”

You tilted your head at Page’s subdued, slightly fearful voice. She was chewing on her lower lip- as if she knew Daredevil personally-

“Maybe.”

You tested the water with that answer, and observed Page’s face carefully. But as if she knew what you were doing, her expression was coolly neutral. You sighed and shook your head.

“I’m not. I’ve been looking into Fledric for a while. I know he’s up to no good. I know he’s involved with the Imperial family’s business. And if he wants Daredevil gone, then that means the man is getting close to what the Baron is hiding.”

“Do you want to find him?” Erik asked, absentmindedly twirling his two metal spheres afloat in his hand. “It won’t be too hard with Charles here.”

“What can Xavier even do?” Castle asked, voice noticeably confused.

“Well, Mr. Castle, I can read minds.”

“What the fuck.”

You laughed at the varying expressions of shock, disbelief, and resignation on everyone else’s faces.

“I don’t go around reading everyone’s thoughts, and there are some limitations, but I do know who Daredevil is. I wanted to keep his identity a secret, but their majesty wants the information.” You watched as Charles regarded Murdock. “Well, Lord Murdock? What do you know about Fledric’s business?”

“Murdock?” You looked at the said man incredulously. “Murdock?”

The man sighed and nodded.

“It was bound to get out one day, Matty.” Nelson said, in what you assumed was a reassuring manner. “You’re a horrible liar, and you would have been found out anyway if you got really hurt.”

Of course. Of fucking course. You slapped your hand to your forehead. The scars you had seen near his collarbones. The way his head would tilt towards the door right before anyone knocked- The unexpectedly smooth movements when he caught you before you could crash onto the floor-

“That’s how you know him.” You looked at Castle, who simply shrugged. “The Punisher and Daredevil- Oh Void, I was completely ignorant-”

“Now you know.”

You glared at Murdock, even though you knew he wouldn’t be able to see you.

“Now I know.” You then glanced at Erik, who didn’t look too shocked by the news. “How are you not surprised?”

“It was quite obvious. You probably would have noticed too, if you weren’t too preoccupied with other affairs.”

Murdock tilted his head to the door and slipped away from his desk to sit perched on top of your desk. Castle lowly swore as he too, stalked over your way, burying his face into the back of your neck.

“How good are your senses, Murdock?”

You knew that his other senses were sharper than most. But you had heard rumours about Daredevil- how even a whisper of his name would call him to the area. How he would open his mouth and immediately pinpoint where drugs were hidden.

“They’re alright. Sensitive to a lot of things, but manageable.”

“Red could hear me from a couple buildings away.” Frank muttered. “It’s damn hard to fight him.”

A knock on the door.

“Enter.”

And in strolled- Baron Fledric.

“Your imperial majesty. I hope my request has reached you.”

“It has, Baron.” You waved the piece of paper in front of him. “I had just been discussing what to do about it with my counsellors.”

Fledric made no move to hide the contempt from his expression. You wondered what pissed him off- the fact that you had your two concubines in your office? The fact that the majority of your counsel was not of noble birth? The fact that the bastard became the Emperor instead of the second princess he had been outwardly supporting?

“And I have decided against it.”

“Your majesty, Daredevil is a menace- The so-called vigilante does nothing but cause havoc in the Capitol- He prevents honest businesses to go bankrupt, and he makes a fool of the guards-”

“Then maybe the guards are the problem.” You said, slipping a hand onto Murdock’s knee, which was covered by the silken robe he was wearing. “From my knowledge, Daredevil only came to existence due to the fact that many of the guards were corrupt and unhelpful in stopping crime.”

“Your majesty-” he started, hands resting on your desk. Your eye twitched slightly at that. You knew that he knew an Emperor’s desk was off limits unless given explicit permission-

“And I know of a couple criminal organisations that fell thanks to him. Baron, I understand your concern for the chaos this vigilante could cause, but execution is going too far.”

You felt arms wrap around your shoulders smiled as you traced Castle’s callused, rough fingers.

“When are you taking a break, your majesty?” Murdock asked you, voice deceivingly light and whiny. His hand grasped at yours, which was on his knee, and moved it so that your palm rested lightly on his thigh. “I’m getting bored just sitting here and waiting.”

“Murdock’s right, your majesty.” Castle’s voice was gruff but clearly audible. “I’d be down to fuck on your desk again.”

You grinned when you saw Fledric immediately remove his hands from your desk and awkwardly wipe them on the fabric of his trousers.

“Not now, pretty boys. We have guests here.”

“I’ll… take my leave, your majesty.”

You removed your hands from the both of them when you heard the door click shut behind Fledric. Almost immediately, Castle pulled himself away from you and Murdock hopped down from your desk. Simultaneously, the two of them walked to their desks and you nonchalantly flipped through the other piles of papers.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing that.”

“I don’t think I’ll get used to doing that, Nelson.” You said, handing Charles the letter you had received from Stark. “Stark sends his apologies for his tardiness in sending his congratulations for my coronation.”

Erik scowled as he plucked the letter from Charles’ hands and read through the words written, his Florentine blue eyes darkening.

“The audacity.” Charles muttered, his eyebrows furrowed. “The condescending attitude-”

Stark was the King of the neighbouring Kingdom, and a thorn in your side. You had gotten word from one of the spies hidden in the main castle that one of the legitimate children were hidden there. Which one, you didn’t know.

As much as you wanted to storm in and conquer the place, the politics around the Kingdom was… rather messy. Stark had had some connections to the Imperial family before he became King, and that would indicate that he would be more benevolent towards the legitimate children. You didn’t really have a reason to forcibly enter the place.

Although the Kingdom was still small, you knew they had very talented individuals- Captain Rogers, ‘gods’ from a land far away, and of course, Stark himself- If they grew too big, they could take parts of the Empire.

“He wrote in his letter that he would send an envoy to the Empire soon. Apparently, one of his concubines escaped his palace along with one of his adoptive children.” You drummed your fingers in an annoyed manner. So, he wasn’t coming to see you directly? Even when he failed to greet you in person during the week of festivities after your coronations? And how badly had he treated his concubine? To the degree that they’d run away? “We’ll wait and see how he treats us.”

The nobles were as disapproving of the Kingdom as you were, and you knew that they too were waiting for the Kingdom to slip- You knew that with even the smallest mistake, they would ask for war.

You were at a defensive position here, black pieces against the white, and you had no choice but to wait for your enemies’ next move.

~ ♥~

During your council meeting with the nobles after your time at rest, you suggested the new legislation, allowing for the freedom of language. Raven had played her part perfectly, and people outside of your inner circle were completely unaware of the toll that the assassination attempt had on you.

Even the most pro-Imperial family nobles agreed to this new law, and you could see that the way in which the nobles looked at you changed ever so slightly. Hopefully, in their eyes, you would be a debaucherous Emperor, but one that did their job.

And perhaps this new legislation of yours would urge some of the neutral houses to look at you and your plans in a more favourable light. Perhaps they’ll feel a new wind blowing.

~ ♥~

You frowned at your reflection. Something was… off.

Right above your thrumming heart, there was a marking. And you knew that it wasn’t there before. It did not seem to be naturally formed, nor did it seem to be artificial. Its origin seemed to be something different entirely.

You remembered bits and pieces of your dreams, and you did remember some garbled words and heat in your chest. You knew dreams had powers, and that there were legends and myths of dreams influencing people directly-

You traced at the crest-like marking. It resembled the crest of the Imperial family, but- instead of the lion’s side profile, it was another animal. More canine like than a lion, but not too like a wolf. It was something different-

‘You are a hyena. Jaws strong and unyielding. All-seeing in the darkness. Hunting in a clan.’

A voice rang in your head, and for some strange reason, you could hear distant cackling and high-pitched giggling-

You pinched the bridge of your nose and shook your head to rid yourself of the…hallucinations.

A knock on the door made you shrug on your clothes and clip your cape to your shoulders as you turned around. You called for the person to enter, and you smiled when you saw familiar Florentine blue eyes regard you as Erik tipped his head to you.

“I thought I had a couple more minutes before the sorcerers arrived.”

“You do. But I needed to talk to you.”

You hummed noncommittedly as you fiddled with the sleeves of your garment.

“You can control it, can’t you?” You stopped your movement and tilted your head at him. His expression was firm, and curious. “Metal. And don’t think about lying- I remember the night of the assassination attempt.”

“I can.” You didn’t want to lie to Erik. You had always told him the truth, and you had no desire to start lying to him now. “Not on my accord though.”

“Show me.”

You sighed. You couldn’t make metal move- not when you tried. And you had tried, when you were stuck on bedrest. To you, it appeared as though the imitation of his abilities came only from incidents in which you had little to no control of your emotions. You shook your head.

Before you knew it, something glinting under the light flew towards your face and you raised a hand to protect yourself- You felt a slight pull and-

The dagger changed its trajectory and slammed into the mirror behind you.

“What the fuck, Erik?”

The man simply grinned at you as he gestured for the weapon to float back towards him.

“Beautiful.” He breathed out, taking a step towards you and fleetingly caress your cheek, his thumb brushing at your scar. “Beautiful, najdroższa.”

Erik had gotten round to slipping in words and phrases that were not of the common tongue every once in a while after the official passing of the legislation, and although you had no idea what he meant, you could tell that he had a rather fond expression on his face whenever he did so.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Lehnsherr.” You said, leaning into his touch momentarily before pulling away. “I can’t control it. It just happens when I really want it to happen or when I’m in danger.”

He didn’t let you pull away completely, instead, he captured your chin in between his fingers.

“I’ll train you.”

“I shouldn’t have these powers, Erik. I don’t even know why I suddenly developed them.” You grasped his wrist and tugged his hand away from your face. “They make me too different from the legitimate children, and if word got out-”

“-you’d be considered more blessed than the others.” He abruptly cut you off. “Don’t hide it. Don’t hide yourself.”

“It’s bad enough that I can see some colours.” You confessed, locking eyes with his Florentine ones. His eyes were cool and breath-taking, and the first colour you had seen- “The only reason I even got the chance to fight for the throne was because of my achromatopsia. And if that starts to disappear, I-”

Erik said your name.

You paused mid-sentence and blinked at him.

“Your blessing is yours, no matter how much it changes. Nobody needs to know. And even if they find out-” his eyes darkened- “I’ll handle it.”

You nodded and took in a deep breath. Erik was right. You were blessed by the Void. You knew that. Your vision had been monochromous until the day of your coronation.

“Thanks, Erik.” You straightened your back and put on a confident, fearless façade. “It’s almost time to greet Strange and his sorcerers.”

You stepped past him and opened the door of the dressing chambers, your cape fluttering behind you. And like always, you could feel your friend walk a couple steps behind you.

~ ♥~

You sat atop your throne with the laurel crown placed on your head. Your sceptre was held loosely in your hand as you watched the sorcerers from the tower steadily stream in from the various circles of magic portals.

Like always, Charles was standing at your left and Erik on your right. Your two concubines were perched atop of silken sheets and pillows at the floor near your throne, their robes flowy and pooling on the cushions. It had taken a lot of convincing and near begging for Castle and Murdock to agree to what they were doing now.

“Lord Murdock is not happy with this.” Charles said, leaning to you and whispering. “Castle doesn’t care.”

“I can see that.” You muttered lowly, sneaking a glance at the two. Although Murdock’s eyes were covered by the dark glasses, his lips were pursed and looked discontent. But that expression was quickly smoothed out by a bright grin when more people filtered into the hall. You watched as Castle fidgeted with something under the sheets- “Is that a fucking gun?”

“Yes.”

“Why would he have a gun?” you hissed out, shooting a look at Castle, who fortunately caught it.

But said man just grinned at you and looked back at the group of sorcerers that stood before your throne.

You watched as a rather familiar man approached you, his cloak floating behind him in a rather ethereal manner.

“Sorcerer Supreme.”

“Your imperial majesty.”

Strange bowed to you rather stiffly, and you knew that he was rather unused to lowering his head for anyone.

“It is a historical moment.” You said, raising your voice to address both the group of sorcerers and the nobles in attendance. “An alliance between the sorcerers’ tower and the Empire.” You rose from your throne and walked down the steps, your sceptre tapping against the marble steps. “No longer do we have to fear magic- fear the unknown, and no longer do the sorcerers have to hide.” You reached where Strange stood, and offered him your hand, which was covered by the royal blue gloves. You smiled at him knowingly. “May our alliance benefit both our people.”

Strange’s hand trembled quite badly, and you had heard from him that it had been caused by a rather bad carriage crash he had gotten into back when he was a healer. You had known the sorcerer for quite a while, as he had aided you in secret during your planning for mutiny. In return, you aided him to rid the tower of darker sorcerers such as Kaecilius and that had eventually cascaded into him becoming the Sorcerer Supreme-

He placed his hand into yours, and you made a dramatic spectacle of leaning to press your lips against his knuckles.

Applause rang through the throne room, and you smiled inwardly at your growing group of skilled counsellors.

~ ♥~

“Is that a rock?” you asked, blinking at the huge chunk of grey sitting on top of Strange’s desk.

You were in his chambers tonight, as it was the tradition to ‘enjoy’ the first night. You had expected him to make a new tower in the concubine wing, but for some reason, he decided to pick one of the pre-existing ones.

Both of you were lounging on his bed, a glass of wine in your hand, whilst Strange’s glass hovered next to him.

“Yes. It’s a Lapis Lazuli- More of a stone than a rock, but I suppose in your eyes you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”

You scoffed slightly at his words.

“Why do you have it just… there?”

Strange flicked his hand and the giant piece of… stone floated over to hover above the bed. You touched it and marvelled at the smooth coolness under your palm.

“I… don’t know.” Strange took a sip of his wine. “I think America left it here.”

You hummed noncommittedly and took a sip of the wine, the dark, sweet liquid spreading throughout your mouth and gracing your taste buds with the distinct taste of grapes and… pomegranates?

“What colour is it?”

“Blue.” He squinted at you. “Do you know what blue looks like?”

“Charles.”

You weren’t lying. Charles could show you colour if you wanted, and he had offered. It was you who had refused him every time. You hadn’t seen a point of knowing what colour looked like- not when you knew you couldn’t personally experience it. You had learnt colour through the words of people, and from other senses.

Blue to you, was the coolness of water. The colour of the sea and the skies when the weather was nice. Blue was the colour of the cold, like when Erik had refused to let you say farewell when the Royal guards took you away to the palace all those years ago. Blue was the cold shock when you saw him in your former garden with Charles-

“Ah.”

“Can I have it?”

“Sure.” Strange said, and waved his hand to refill his glass. “Why do you want it?”

“I want to give something to Erik.” You gestured at your glass, silently beckoning for Strange fill your glass as well. He rolled his eyes but did so. “I’m going to have something made from the rock.”

“Is it something like a reassurance gift for him?”

You tilted your head in confusion. A reassurance gift?

“For not taking him into your harem.” Strange said, when he noticed the confusion on your face. “Aren’t the three of you- including Xavier, of course- a thing?”

“You’re drunk, Strange. Go to sleep.”

“I’m not-”

But before he could continue, both the wine glass and the rock hovering above the bed plummeted down-

The good news was that his trusty cloak was quick to cushion the fall of the wine glass, and prevented glass shards from covering the floor.

The bad news was that the rock fell straight onto the bed. And even though the distance between the bed and the rock wasn’t too far, the chunk of Lapis Lazuli must have been heavier than assumed because…

You let out a strangled yelp when you felt the bed collapse under you.

You locked eyes with Strange, who just looked done with everything. And to be honest with yourself, you felt a similar way.

“We can take care of this tomorrow.” You said, rolling off of the sunken mattress and onto the floor, taking a large proportion of the blankets with you. “I think both of us are at least a little tipsy-”

“Good idea,” Strange agreed, and with a wave of his hand, the illumination of the room dimmed greatly.

With that said, you slipped back into the welcoming arms of Dream.

~ ♥~

“So. You broke the bed.”

You groaned at the slight teasing lilt in Charles’ words as he accompanied you to the office. You were nursing a hangover, and your old friend was teasing you. You pouted and leaned against him.

“Strange had a pretty rock in his room, and I asked him if I could have it. He brought it over to the bed with his magic and it fell when his concentration slipped.” You huffed slightly and glared at the maids who looked at you curiously. “That was it.”

“That’s not what the rumours said-”

“There are rumours already?”

“Of course, your majesty. This is the palace, after all.”

“Fuck.”

“Don’t you worry, your majesty.” Charles smiled at you reassuringly. “Most of them are positive, and there’s a lot of praise about your… efforts to strengthen the alliance.”

“Fuck.”

You felt his warm hand wrap around your wrist and stop you in the middle of the hallways. You stilled and allowed him to take your gloved hands in his.

“That’s all with business related small talk.” He said your name softly, and warm eyes bore into yours. “I want to ask you one thing. You sent the stone to craft into a gift for Erik. Why?”

You furrowed your eyebrows. What did Charles mean by ‘why’?

“Because he’s a trusted friend.”

“And I’m not?”

Even through the light hearted tone of his question, you could hear the concealed hurt in his words, as well as the tint of envy. His expression was composed, but you could see the slight tremor of the edge of his lips.

Charles was a trusted friend, of course. He was the one to offer you the actual money and power to take over the throne. He was a compassionate man, who wanted nothing more than for people like himself and Erik to live harmoniously with the others. He was lucky enough to not have gone through what you or Erik did.

He was a close friend, one that you held close to your heart. But- he was someone you would taint if you let him get too close.

“You’re not going to taint me, don’t be daft.”

“You don’t know that, Charles.” You felt his hands squeeze at yours. “You’re a knight in shining armour, my friend. A heroic man who wants to change the world for the better.”

He said your name softly.

You pulled your hands away from his and instead reached to cup his face.

“If you get any closer, Charles- You’ll have to do some questionable things for me.” You brushed your thumb below his eyes. “You know as well as I do that Erik has no qualms with doing such things. But you do.”

He did. He had tried to get you to show mercy to the first princess and her supporting nobles. To give them another chance. But you had refused to do so.

“You’re planning on keeping your distance from me.”

“Once we get the land and approval from the council of nobles, you’ll be busy, Xavier. There’ll be children who look up to you, and you’ll be a role model for many.”

You tried to pull your hands away from but he placed his own hands over yours, preventing you from doing so.

“You’re not denying it.”

“I need someone to join me in my sword dance, to be the last thing that my enemies see. I need someone who’s willing to get their hands and soul dirty with me.”

His hold on your hands loosened, and you pulled away from him. His eyes wavered slightly, and you smiled knowingly. You and Erik were on similar spectrums of a scale. Similar history, similar childhoods- Both of you were familiar with blood and pain and death. Charles was not. Erik had scathingly called him sheltered and naïve during their fights, and you had agreed to an extent.

Charles was compassionate and trusting. That was a good thing- and it was something you liked about him. You just didn’t want those characteristics of his to become… tainted.

“I know you can’t do that. And that’s why I’m not treating you in the same way as Erik.” You fleetingly brushed at his cheek with the back of your hand. “But no matter what happens, you’ll always be someone I care for deeply, Charles. I hope you know that.”

“I do, your majesty.”

Somehow, you got the feeling that your sentiment didn’t fully reach him.

~ ♥~

“I want you to hire Claire as a royal healer.”

You arched an eyebrow at Murdock’s sudden request. You were currently sitting at one of the tea tables in the concubine wing of the palace with him, the warm afternoon air caressing your face.

“Why?”

“You don’t have one, and I… may have gotten her fired from her previous job.” Murdock fidgeted in his seat slightly. “You don’t have to doubt her abilities. I assure you that she’s good.”

“Well, Murdock.” You put your elbows on the table and placed your chin on top of your threaded fingers and smiled. “What have you got to offer me?”

“You get a skilled healer.” He said sharply, lips pursing together. “You’re gaining more than me with this.”

“Shame. I thought I’d get more from you.”

Murdock bared his teeth at you in what you would like to interpret as a grin, but you knew it wasn’t. You sighed.

“Even if you didn’t ask me for that, I would have offered Ms. Temple the role of a royal healer. She obviously knows you’re Daredevil, and even if I don’t need a healer, you do.”

He furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head at you.

“You’re still Daredevil-ing, aren’t you?” You asked, taking a sip of the warm beverage in front of you. “It might be best if there was someone who has extensive knowledge of both healing and your nightly activities.”

“You’re not going to stop me.”

“Why would I?”

“You’re the Emperor. Shouldn’t you?”

You shrugged.

“You studied law, Murdock. Shouldn’t you know better than to brutally maim criminals?”

“Touché.”

“Daredevil is needed. I can’t help individual members of the public directly, but you can.”

Murdock’s smile turned more genuine and you observed the soft edges of his face. You were more familiar with the sharpness of his features stemming from his pursed lips and false grins.

“Nothing I do can change the underlying problem. Only you can do that, your majesty.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.” You said, laughing slightly. “I’ll try to live up to your expectations.”

~ ♥~

You enjoyed playing chess. You played with Charles and Erik often, and watched the two of them play each other. Now though, you were playing against Erik, with the light of the setting sun shining through the windows of the office.

It was only you and him, having sent the others back to their respective homes a couple hours before.

Erik always played with the black pieces, but the only exception was when he played you. You watched as his white rook took over your bishop.

It was your turn now. But instead of moving your own piece, you plucked his rook from the board. Erik arched an eyebrow at you questioningly as you slipped it away from the board.

Instead, you placed the piece carved from the huge chunk of Lapis Lazuli given to you by Strange.

You had considered what to have made for him. Accessories seemed to be too… standard. And you weren’t sure whether Erik would wear a necklace or a bracelet or anything. Any other ornament didn’t seem right.

Then, it had hit you. You had compared your situation to a game of chess. The whole concubine situation had all started to gather chess pieces to fight against the hidden legitimate children.

And, well- chess was something you and Erik shared.

You watched as he gingerly picked up the greyer piece. He rolled the smooth stone around in his palm.

Erik was your rook. A castle. A protective barrier. Both as the Grand Master of the royal guards, and as your personal guard.

It felt fitting, for your first piece to be your childhood friend.

Florentine blue eyes locked with yours.

“Am I your rook, then?” You smirked at his question. You knew he would get what you had been thinking. “And you, the king?”

“If you want to be. And if you want me to be.”

But you knew what his answer would be.

He placed the rook back on the board and offered you his hand. You placed your hand on top of his palm and shuddered slightly when he slowly peeled your glove away, exposing your skin- making you feel the heat radiating from his hand-

Erik looked at you as he pressed his lips onto your wrist- right above your pulse-

That was when you saw it. The way the rook filled with colour. Dark and blue, but different from the ones you had seen before.

The colour of Lapis Lazuli.

~ ♥~

“You’re cruel, Lady Void.”

The Void hummed at the disapproving voice of the comparatively new Endless as she stroked the fur of the hyena sitting on her lap. A lion sat by her feet, and it rose to a standing position at the near silent sound of footsteps.

‘If I were truly cruel, you would have remained human, Hope.’

She regarded the gold cladded former human standing in front of her.

“I thought you liked them. I thought you wanted them to win.”

‘The current Emperor intrigues me, Hob Gadling.’ The hyena raised their head from her lap and blinked at the man. ‘I am curious as to how they will cope with unexpected situations.’

“What if they don’t? What if they can’t cope?”

The Void shrugged.

‘Then they were not as interesting as I assumed.’

“But bringing the princess back? Speaking to her and gifting her your blessing?” Hope shook his head. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

‘It is fair.’ She said, her fingers scratching the head of the hyena as the lion clawed at her robes. ‘The current Emperor caught the attention of many of my grandchildren. And even you, Hope- Look at you, coming to me to ask about them.’

“Haven’t they suffered enough?”

‘From suffering comes hope. From darkness comes light.’ The Void smiled as she looked into a scene between the Emperor and their first proper connection. ‘From hardships come love.’

#recs #recs: erik lehnsherr #recs: charles xavier #recs: matt murdock #recs: frank castle #this series is so good im such a sucker for a royalty au #ohh the charles angst in this chapter … the erik fluff … so good

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martyrmurdock · 1 month

Text

Disenchanted

The third part of the a/b/o au Cherik x reader fic! This part involves the three of them being oh so very awkward around each other, coming to terms with the fact that things have changed, and R having so many doubts about themselves and about the relationship the three of them have. Charles and Erik talk to some people to understand R better and... a happy ending, perhaps.

It has been a year, but I recently got some lovely comments regarding this fic so I couldn't help myself. There may be some loose ends in this chapter, but that's cause I'm holding some stuff back for the epilogue :) Enjoy!

Masterlist/ Prev Part/ Epilogue

“You think they’ll come back, beta?” Lorna asked as she brought over a mug of tea over to you.

“They’d better.” Darwin muttered out, taking the mug from her and handing it over to you. “You were brave to reach out to them like that when it should have been Erik doing that.”

“That was the… bluebell scented one?”

“Yes.” You answered Remy’s question fondly as you rubbed at the mark on your neck. “I know Erik, Darwin. He wasn’t going to let go of his bitterness and pride soon. He’d mellow out in time, but we don’t have that time.”

“I dunno if I like them.” Peter said, munching on a twinky he somehow suddenly had. You wondered if you had a stash of them at home. You probably didn’t, but you were certain that one of the pups did. “But they’re your bondeds, so I guess I can’t really say anything.”

You furrowed your eyebrows at the silver-haired pup.

‘Do they feel off to you?’

‘It’s not that. It’s just…’ It wasn’t often that Peter’s mind had a lull. And that concerned you. A lot. You straightened your back. ‘They seem too invested in arguing with each other and- don’t get me wrong- I can tell that they both love you, but it kinda feels like you’re a little lower on their priority list.’

You hummed noncommittedly and beckoned for the younger omega to sit next to you on the sofa. With a whoosh of wind and the soft scent of snowdrops wrapping around you, you felt a warm weight settle against you.

You thought that yourself. Both your bondeds were stubborn and prideful, even if Charles would deny it. The future versions of them you had seen in- through?- Logan’s mind were more mellow. Simultaneously sharp and rounded. You wondered though. Was their mellowness and their overall softness towards you due to your death in their timeline? Without that regret, would they still… love you?

“It doesn’t matter if they’re our beta’s bondeds.” Remy said, as he moved to settled at your other. “We were with them longer. I doubt the two of them are the highest on their priority list.” His pink-red eyes regarded you. “Right, cher?”

You rolled your eyes fondly at the younger alpha and released your scent to wrap around him when you smelt the tinge of uncertainty in the Juniper scent he had around himself.

“Remy’s right.” You made a soft ‘oof’ sound when Lorna all but collapsed on top of Peter, and when her legs draped across your lap. You haphazardly handed Darwin your mug before you could spill the beverage all over the younger members of your pack. “I’m a little on the fence about both of them and where I stand with them. I know that I want to try and fix-” you paused momentarily, trying to figure out the best way to phrase things.

“The absolute clusterfuck that it your relationship with then?” Peter suggested.

“The messy divorce?” Darwin added.

“We weren’t even courting-”

“But they bit you, and you bit them?” Lorna asked, eyebrow arching as she looked utterly unimpressed. You could feel- by skimming at her surface thoughts- that she was unimpressed by them. “And then they abandoned you?”

“We were young, stressed, and we connected well.” Memories of the time back at the Xavier estate came back to you, and for the first time since Cuba, you embraced them wholeheartedly. “And we really weren’t expecting to bond, not really.”

Darwin made a disbelieving sound, making you and the others look at him.

“That’s what you think. We had a betting pool going on. About when the three of you would get together. Raven won, of course.”

“Of course she did. She knows Charles more than anyone else.” You sighed. “And as for the abandonment part- It was a mutual thing, I think. And looking back on it, Charles was the one to be abandoned twice over. Once from Erik, and the second from me.”

“Technically speaking though, you did initiate courting by giving them the charms,” Peter mused.

You shook your head.

“It doesn’t count. I’m a beta, and betas can’t initiate a courting ritual.”

You knew that that wasn’t a definite truth. You had done some research into courting rituals and habits of betas before the funding got pulled out. Before you were offered a job from Moira that changed your life. But the research out there said that betas couldn’t properly court an alpha or an omega so that was what you would tell the younger ones.

Darwin looked at you with a ‘look’ that you had be on the receiving end very often. It was a look that was a mixture of exasperation and disbelief-

You waved your hand. This was a problem for you and your bondeds to solve and not for the pups to think about. You were, however, very endeared by their concern.

“Don’t worry about it. All of you. What you should be worried about is whether or not you would like to attend Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters.”

~ ♥~

Erik would be lying if he said that he wanted to stop Mystique from killing Trask. He would be lying if he said that he didn’t enjoy seeing the fear in the man’s eyes as his blue skinned fellow mutant had her gun on him.

But Charles wanted her to stop. Erik didn’t doubt for a second that the reason the alpha wanted her to stop was because he didn’t want her to become a cold-hearted murderer.

“Raven-”

“Don’t, Charles.” Her eyes were on the human, and Erik could feel the metal of the trigger being pushed lightly. “You don’t know what he’s planning. You don’t know what he’s done.”

“We know, Raven-”

This conversation was going nowhere. Charles was too lenient with Mystique and Mystique got too stubborn and bitter with Charles. And as Charles was currently incapable of doing anything, and the mutant from the future wasn’t familiar with the Mystique standing in front of them.

He coolly regarded Trask and stretched out his hand. The gun flew out of her hand and clattered onto the floor.

“Erik!” Her voice was furious. And her natural scent of chocolate turned deeply bitter. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what they’ve done to Emma. To Azazel.”

“Both of whom are still alive.” Erik was speaking to her, but his eyes were trained onto Trask. The man was too dangerous to walk free. If Charles had his mutation, he could have made the man forget them. Forget everything, but unfortunately, that was impossible. “And so are they.”

Though general, Erik knew that Mystique knew who he was referring to. Her eyes snapped away from Trask to look at him. Her gaze flickered to Charles, and although years had passed since she had followed Erik away from her brother, she still looked at him for reassurance.

His own gaze followed hers, and Erik watched as Charles nodded.

“No. They died. With Darwin.”

“They faked their death. Raven, they’re going to come back.”

Erik twisted his hand and commanded for a strip of metal to wrap around Trask, securing him in place whilst Charles and Mystique conversed for longer. His other hand was in his pocket, where the charm you gave him was in. The pad of his thumb brushed against the warm metal.

He had promised you that he wouldn’t come back alone. He had promised that he wouldn’t betray Charles. The inner instinct within him stirred for the first time since he had attended your funeral. His inner omega wanted to please you. Wanted to please Charles too.

A laugh tore through the air, and the scent of something chemical spread through the room. Erik schooled his features to not make his displeasure and discomfort apparent. He twisted his hand once more to cover the man’s mouth with the metal.

“Why did they fake their death then?”

“We all thought they were human, and you remember our hatred for humans.” Mystique nodded at Erik’s words. “They thought that they had no place amongst us. But-”

“Their mutation manifested after they fled.” Charles continued, and Erik couldn’t find it in himself to be annoyed by it. “They can tell us more when we get back to them.” The alpha stared at Trask. “After we do something about him. Logan, would you mind knocking him out?”

Erik paused and took the time to scent the air. Charles’ scent- a mixture of leather and old books- was more potent. Clearer. A hand grasped at his forearm and Erik was quick to shift himself closer to his alpha bonded.

‘Erik?’

Whatever drug that his old friend had taken must be wearing off.

“Charles? Erik, what’s wrong with him?”

‘It’s alright, old friend. I have you.’

“Nothing we can’t fix, Raven.” Charles leaned heavily onto him, and Erik immediately wrapped his arm around the other man’s waist. “Let me just-”

The alpha pressed two fingers to his temple and closed his eyes. In an instant, Trask crumbled in front of them.

Erik didn’t know how the charm of yours worked, but the only ones that could hear his thoughts were his bondeds so he would make an attempt to reach you. The charm you had gifted him was well made. It referenced something intimate that he shared with you. He could let his inner omega admit it. He had missed you dearly. Just like he had missed Charles.

The short time he had spent with you and Charles was more memorable than anything that had happened in the decade afterwards.

‘I agree with you, old friend.’

‘We spent such a short time together, and yet…’

It was your voice, ringing in his mind.

‘We couldn’t move past it.’ Charles continued as he rested his cheek onto Erik’s shoulder. ‘Ignore it, suppress it, distract ourselves from it-’

The marks on his neck flared. It wasn’t the throbbing pain that had haunted him every night. It was… gentler. A renewal of the bond.

‘It didn’t break,’ Erik thought.

“Let’s get out of here.” Mystique said, slipping next to Charles and helping him stay standing. She kicked Trask as she passed him. “Before whatever security forces come for us.”

~ ♥~

Charles fiddled with the charm you had gifted him. He could feel your mind within it. It was weaker than your real mind, of course, but it was close enough. He could connect to you through it.

It was a well-made thing. Smooth to the touch and in the shape of a manta ray. He knew why his was of this shape. He remembered the ambiance of the aquarium where he truly connected to you. He remembered the blue glow of the place and the distinct lack of other minds to distract him.

He couldn’t feel his legs. But he could feel the buzzing of minds within the plane. Erik’s, Hank’s, and yours. Raven had wanted to come, but Charles had tasked her with keeping an eye on Trask. If any governmental authority came to make enquiries… she could handle it. He trusted her to handle it.

Logan had gone off on his own, the future version of himself having been ejected from the past version of his body. Charles could only hope that that meant the dystopian future would not come to fruition.

“It’s your move, Charles.”

Ah. Yes. The game of chess he was playing with Erik.

He moved his knight across the board.

Your mind weighed at the back of his own, and Charles assumed that you did the same to the others you had gifted your charms to. He was simply able to feel you better, with him being a telepath himself. The best way he could explain the feeling was- it was like his mind was being embraced.

His inner alpha was the calmest and happiest since the past decade, and he could feel it just yearning to purr and tuck his bondeds into a bed and curl up between them. His inner alpha was done with licking its wounds and now wanted to keep both you and Erik in the safe boundaries of its territory.

‘I truly am sorry, Charles.’

‘I know, Erik.’

Charles had wanted to hold onto his spite. His grief. The pain of being abandoned and in a state that made him all too vulnerable. But now that he was sober and in the presence of one of his bondeds… he couldn’t. He had spent more time away from them than with them, and heavens above, he had missed them.

“Will you leave again?” he asked as he watched the bluebell scented omega slid his bishop across the board. And he was pleasantly surprised at the way Erik immediately shook his head.

“No, old friend. I’ve got too much to lose now, and I highly doubt that you’d stop me from doing what I want to do.”

Charles huffed out a short laugh and shook his head.

“And I doubt that you’d do anything that crosses the line.” Charles paused and squinted slightly at Erik, who gave him a sharp smile. “You’d tell me before at the least.”

“You’d make me stop before I do anything.”

Charles shook his head. Erik blocked him too well. Besides, he would never take away his bondeds’ autonomy away from them.

“You’d ask and I’d concede, old friend. That’s how it’s always been.”

“Has it?” Charles arched an eyebrow at his omegan bonded. “I remember Cuba very differently.”

“After Cuba. When I came to you.” Ah yes. Charles remembered it clearly. Erik on his knees, dripping in regret and grief as he begged for forgiveness. He half-remembered telling Erik to leave. “If you told me to stay, I would have.”

Charles didn’t quite believe him. The plane dipped slightly.

Erik looked at him, and tapped his temple lightly, silently giving explicit permission for Charles to look into his mind. Voluntarily.

Charles mimicked the omega’s movements and pressed his finger against his own temple.

The flurry of thoughts that hit him made him take in a startled breath. Erik’s mind had always been beautiful to him. But now? Now it was breath-taking. And he was telling the truth. Charles couldn’t explain in words how he knew, but he could feel it.

“Oh, Erik…”

Charles reached to grab at Erik’s hand, feeling the calluses gracing his fingers. He squeezed gently.

“We’re almost there.”

Hank’s voice pulled both him and Erik away from the rather intimate moment they were having, and Charles was not proud to say that he had completely forgotten the Hank could hear them both. And from the frown tugging at Erik’s lips he could tell that he too had forgotten the presence of the younger omega.

It would be more fruitful to continue this conversation with you here, anyway.

~ ♥~

“We could still keep this house, cher.”

You shook your head as you watched Remy shuffle a deck of cards. Darwin stood next to you, the younger alpha’s mossy natural scent tinted with a sense of sorrow. You reached to pat at his back.

This little cottage had been his home as much as it had been yours. It was the first stable place the two of you could call home since the two of you had fled the American continents. And it had been a place that you welcomed Remy and Lorna into. A place that Peter somehow stumbled to when in his time of need.

“It won’t be safe anymore.” You said, a little sadly. “Our scents are too potent here, and if someone found it and linked it to us…”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“Are you sure your… bonded would let us stay where he lives?” Lorna asked as she placed her cheek onto your shoulder.

“Yes, pup. I’m very sure. Charles wouldn’t turn away a mutant in need of a place to stay.” You reached your other hand out to gently brush at her hair. “I’ll come with you too, remember? So don’t worry about it, Lorna.”

“Do you think they’d let me stay too? I’m pretty sure they would, cause I did get one of them out of prison, but you can never be too sure with them.” He nestled next to Darwin and sighed. “I dropped by the estate a couple of days ago and it looks alright. A little worn but it’s very, very big.”

You felt a gentle tug at your mind.

“You’re always welcome to stay, Peter.”

You twisted your head and offered the men coming towards your little group a small smile.

Your eyes, of course, lingered at the wheelchair that Charles was sitting on. Guilt blossomed at the base of your chest. You weren’t surprised to see that the mobility aid was floating above the forest floor slightly.

You raised an eyebrow at Erik, who simply responded with a sharp, knowing smile.

“Why are you all outside?” Hank asked.

“We’re saying goodbye to the house, my dude.” Peter said, suddenly appearing next to Remy with his arms filled with suitcases. “Too much evidence here. And I don’t think we’ll be coming back here, like, ever.”

“Ever?” Erik echoed as he looked at you.

“The main reason why we stayed here was because of the mutation I manifested. Being around people and metal constantly is… hard.”

You would tuck away the fact that you went nearly catatonic during the year or so after the incident at Cuba. But you had completely forgotten that Charles could read your mind just as easily as you could read his.

He said your name.

“Later.” You said, rubbing your temples tiredly. “When we get back to America.”

It was a shame. This place was where Lorna and Peter made their nests. And those nests were the first ones you had been given the permission to enter. It had taken both of them a while to make them, and you had thanked god for your expertise in secondary genders.

‘Shall I, beta?’

‘Go ahead, Remy. The quicker we do this, the less it’ll hurt.’

The juniper-scented alpha flicked his wrists and a couple of cards- all imbued with explosive energy- shot towards the house, and you watched as the place collapsed on top of itself.

There was no going back now.

You cleared your throat and turned to your bondeds and Hank. You made your way over to them, and even without looking back, you knew that the pups and Darwin were following close behind you.

You stopped in front of Charles and offered him a hesitant smile.

‘I need you to help me, Charles.’

‘Anything.’

‘My mental walls aren’t good. At all.’ At your confession, Charles smiled as he gave you an encouraging nod. ‘Could you help me keep all the voices out until we get back to your estate?’

‘Of course.’

“Thank you.”

Erik offered you his hand, palm up, and you were just about to place your hand onto his, but…

The near unnoticeable scent of Lily-of-the-valley invaded your senses and you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist.

“No.” Lorna said, and you stifled the urge to roll your eyes at the younger omega’s hiss. “I’ll bite you.”

The scent of juniper mixed with Lorna’s and you felt your alpha pup rest his chin onto your shoulder. You sighed when you saw Erik’s eyes sharpen and narrow at the pink-eyed mutant you had invited into your life nearly a decade ago. Your omegan bonded gave you a look.

“I don’t control them.” Was your response to him. “Unless we’re in a dire situation.”

“Leave beta alone, you two.” Darwin was your saving grace, as he grabbed them by the sleeves to tug them off of you. “Their relationship with their bondeds is more complicated than you think.”

Well. That was the understatement of the decade. And you still had no idea what the three of you had with each other.

~ ♥~

You fiddled with the charms of your bracelet as you walked about the estate. You were absentmindedly brushing against the surface of your little group, making sure that they were all content with being here.

Darwin slipped into the estate with a familiarity that reflected his previous time here, and you could feel that he was glad in some way to be back. Peter’s thoughts were quick and curious, and as he had some experience with both of your bondeds, you didn’t worry too much about him. Remy went with the flow often, and although there was a hint of apprehension lingering in his mind, you could tell that he wasn’t too worried.

You worried about Lorna, though. She was fiercely cautious and wary of everyone that wasn’t part of the group you had acquired, and you worried that she would be needlessly tense here.

It appeared as though Lorna took after Erik more than Peter did.

‘What?’

You winced. You had completely forgotten that you weren’t the only telepath here.

‘Don’t ask, Charles.’

‘What do you mean, don’t ask? How could I not?’ A pause. ‘Does Erik know?’

‘No. Lorna and Peter are also oblivious to it, and I’m not planning on telling them any time soon.’ You followed the faint chocolate-y scent that Raven often left behind. ‘It’s not my secret to reveal. And it might be better for all of them this way.’

‘Beta-’

Your inner instinct startled at the way Charles referred to you. Maybe it was expecting bitterness to tint the title. Maybe it wasn’t really expecting to be referred to in such a… commanding tone.

His tone softened as he said your name in your mind instead.

‘Can we shelf this conversation for later, Charles?’ You rubbed the bridge of your nose tiredly. ‘I have to go see Raven, and we have to figure out what to do with Trask. We also have to have that conversation.’

About the bond, the fact that the three of you were bondeds, and how the whole dynamic would work.

‘If that’s what you want.’

‘Thanks, Charles.’

The telepathic conversation ended there, and just in time too, as Raven rounded the corner in her natural blue form, her arms crossed as she regarded you with a coolness you hadn’t even seen from her when you first met her.

You instinctively bared your throat at her, slipping into the role of a beta far too easily when the discontent scent of an alpha hit you. This was Raven, the girl who had hugged you and demanded that Charles take you with them to the estate after Shaw’s attack at the compound, but this was also Mystique, who had spent a decade following the radical ideals of the mutant Brotherhood.

It was similar to how you weren’t the soft-spoken beta professional a decade ago. How you weren’t as… innocent as you were back then.

You didn’t know how to speak to her.

It was a silent standstill, and you didn’t dare to touch her mind. She had shields far stronger than yours up anyway, considering her longer experience being around a telepath.

The chocolate scent sweetened slightly as she relaxed her posture.

“So, you’re a mutant?”

You smiled and allowed the tension to seep away from your body. You nodded.

“I think I had the gene, but that specific criteria had to be met to trigger it.”

“Bonding?”

“To other mutants, yes. But Hank’s planning on running some tests to figure out what’s really happened.”

She reached to grasp at your shoulder, and her yellow eyes gazed into your own deeply. Her fingers dug into your flesh, but you didn’t find the sensation to be uncomfortable or painful. It was simply a reminder- to you or to herself, you didn’t know- that you were here with her.

“I heard what happened from Charles and Hank.” She offered you a smile, just like she had done so a decade ago. “Thank you.”

You smiled back at her.

“We may not have parted in the best of ways, but I consider you a friend, Raven. I couldn’t let you be used and experimented on.”

“You aren’t a friend, beta.” You flinched at her words, opening your mouth to retract your previous sentence, but Raven shot you a look which made you close your mouth quickly. “You’re bonded to Charles- you’re practically family.”

The knot that you didn’t know you had resting within your ribcage loosened. You laughed lightly and removed her hand from your shoulder to hold it in your own.

“Do you want to come and watch as I have a word with Trask, alpha?”

Her smile turned sharp and downright dangerous.

“It would be my pleasure, beta.”

~ ♥~

Charles looked a little absentminded. Erik noted the vacant look in his eyes and the way he startled when he placed his hand onto the other man’s shoulder. When Erik asked, he simply shook his head and smiled at him.

You had been wound up the whole plane trip back to Charles’ estate. Quiet, and fretting about the young… pups. Erik didn’t know what he felt, when he could smell their scents on you more than his and Charles’.

Was it regret or was it jealousy?

“You’re just in time for the show.”

Mystique’s words were rather excited, and that successfully pulled him out of whatever thoughts his inner omega was pushing into his consciousness.

“What show, Raven?”

Erik opted to release his control over Charles’ wheelchair as he walked closer to the one-way glass that allowed the three of them to see you sitting in front of Trask, your back against them.

Mystique didn’t answer Charles, and instead pressed a button, a sharp grin gracing her features.

“-you. You’re the one our security cameras captured. The mutant with so many powers.”

Through the cracking of the speakers, Erik could hear you hum softly.

“Alloy bullets were a nice touch, weren’t they?” The human asked, so vindictive despite the situation he was in. “How many times were you shot with them, beta?”

At the clearly condescending tone of your secondary gender, Charles snarled. Which was rather surprising. Erik hissed lowly and grit his teeth together.

“A couple of times. Nothing too serious though. I was worth more alive, weren’t I?” You shifted your torso slightly. “I saw your files, Trask. I know what you wanted to do with my genes.”

The displeased sounds grew louder, and Erik wasn’t quite sure if that was because of the sound ripping from his throat or Charles’. Maybe even Raven’s.

“A shame. We could have figured out how to apply that gene of yours to other people. Give them power beyond the limits of humanity. You could have been a pioneer.”

‘Breathe, Erik.’

Erik noticed that the metal of the room started to curve and crumple. He took in a deep breath and released his hand, which had unconsciously formed a fist.

You sighed.

“I’m not here to talk to you about what could have beens. Nor am I here to indulge you in your delusional ideas.” You leaned forwards, and Erik watched as the metal within the room started to vibrate. “I’m here to convince you to confess your crimes. To give up your research.”

“How would you do that? The moment I am inevitably released from this place, I will be asking for more funding to eradicate your kind. You did kidnap me, after all.”

“I can make you.”

Charles inhaled sharply, and Erik knew instantly that he didn’t approve.

But Erik did.

“A simple thought planted here, a mental nudge there…” Erik couldn’t see your face, but the morphing of Trask’s smug expression into something of fear made him feel… delighted. “And you’d go to the authorities yourself to confess your sins.”

Erik glanced at Charles and saw that his old friend had his fingers pressed against his temple, his eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed.

“Charles?”

“Hush, Erik. I’m concentrating. It’s been a while since I’ve properly used this aspect of my abilities.”

He looked at Mystique for confirmation that Charles was doing what he thought the other man was doing. She simply shrugged at him.

“Charles isn’t the naïve fool you make him to be, Erik.” She tilted her chin up to refer to said man. “He’s still pack alpha.” Whilst Erik was aware of that fact, it was an entirely different experience, seeing one of his bondeds’ eyes shift golden. “He was worse when we were younger.”

“And you’ll forget everything about us too,” you said as you waved your hand slightly.

And before he knew it, Trask’s face slammed onto the table. You sighed and stood up, stumbling slightly when you took a step. Erik extended a hand and had the metal chair move closer to you.

“Didn’t they say that their abilities are direct imitations of ours?” Erik asked, more to himself than anything.

“For making people forget things and vague orders targeting many minds, they’re very adept. But targeted control and persuasion requires… more experience. More precision.” Charles looked up at him, and Erik noted that his eyes were still golden. “They couldn’t have convinced Trask alone, and neither could I.”

“Trask won’t be an issue anymore?”

“He won’t hurt us. Not now, and certainly not in the future.”

“That doesn’t mean the danger’s gone, though.” You said, and Erik was quick to move by your side. His hand curling around your waist as he truly breathed in your scent. He dipped his face to press it against your shoulder, his inner omega surfacing with the need to smother you in his scent. Your hand reached up to caress his cheek. “Trask’s only… one of the heads of a hydra. There’ll always be something that poses a danger to you.”

“To us.”

“…Right.” You regarded Mystique with an expression that he couldn’t interpret. “To us.”

~ ♥~

A couple of weeks had passed, and despite your promise to talk to your bondeds about things, you found yourself avoiding them for some strange reason. You wanted to talk to them properly. You wanted to grab the promises of comfort and love that the alpha and the omega were clearly offering you.

But your inner instinct clearly wasn’t willing to cooperate with your logical side.

As the school had reopened, students came back and thus the younger pups you had taken under your wing were interacting and forming friendships with other students their age. You didn’t seek them out though, fully knowing that they needed this.

You yourself offered your experience as an expert in secondary gender studies and Charles was all too happy to have you work at the school as a counsellor of a sort. Considering the fact that there was a much higher percentage of alphas and omegas in the mutant population.

You looked at the mirror in your room- the same one you had a decade ago, preserved just the way you had left it before the crisis in Cuba- and sighed.

“What’s wrong with you?” You asked yourself, knowing that your reflection wouldn’t answer. “You missed them, didn’t you? You want to be with them. That’s why you gave them the charms.”

There was something wrong with you. You weren’t normal, not by human standards, not by mutant ones, and certainly not by betan ones.

You felt a graze at your mind, and reflexively, you brought a wall up. You knew that Charles could break through them easily, but this was your way of warning him to not prod at them.

You tore your eyes away from the mirror and found your way over to your desk. Looking at piles of papers of research that you had set aside a long, long time ago. When you were more interested in making the lives of betas easier. To get the rest of the world to see that betas were needed in a pack. That they benefited from pack bonds. That no harm came to the bonded of a beta if a mating bond did form.

You laughed lightly and shoved those papers away. That was the goal of a you that was younger and more hopeful. A you that had dreams and ambitions to change the world.

Not you now, who was doubtful of the beliefs the past you had held.

~ ♥~

“Here’s the thing, Lehnsherr.” Erik turned his attention to where the voice of the fellow metallokinetic who had walked up to him after the last of the afternoon lessons ended, twirling a charm around in the palm of her hand. “You don’t know them.”

His inner omega- coiled and tense from the way it picked up your deliberate avoidance of both him and Charles- made him snarl, but she didn’t flinch. She instead leaned against the wall near him and grinned.

Erik wasn’t quite sure what made her talk to him, considering the actively hostile demeanour she exhibited towards him ever since that charged reunion with you.

“Elaborate.”

“I know them.” Erik knew this, and he had inferred that Lorna in particular was fiercely cautious of anyone that came near you. Which rubbed him the wrong way. “And there’s a couple of things that you either don’t know-” her expression shifted into something colder- “or you know and are ignoring it. For your sake, I hope it’s the former.”

“They don’t think of themselves to be a mutant, but they don’t think that they’re human either.”

Erik tilted his head. But you were a mutant now. That’s all that mattered. You were like him and Charles.

As if she had telepathic abilities of her own, she rolled her eyes and pocketed the charm before crossing her arms.

“I’ve heard of the Cuban crisis. I’ve heard of how you felt- or feel- about non-mutants. It was mainly from them though.”

“What is it that you want to tell me, Lorna?”

“They probably think that you’re only willing to reinitiate the bond only because they turned out to be a mutant. Not because you actually like them.”

His blunt question was answered with an equally blunt answer. But you wouldn’t really think that.

Would you?

Your scent was as comforting and soft as before, and you hadn’t voiced anything. You avoided both him and Charles, but when you did interact with them, you acted like you had always acted. Teasing, indulging, but firm when it was needed.

He opted to stay silent, not wanting his more personal life to be exposed to a student. Not even one that you were personally invested in. She wasn’t deterred by his silence.

“You confused them, and I don’t think you made anything clear to them.”

“Lorna!”

“That’s just some food for thought. Remy’s calling me, so I’ll leave you with that.”

Erik couldn’t do anything but watch as the green haired omega disappeared from his view.

~ ♥~

“What’s your diagnosis, doc?”

“Beta, you’re a doctor too.” Hank was bluer and furrier than you remembered, but the citrussy scent of oranges remained the same. He flicked through the papers on the clipboard as you rolled your sleeve back down. “You do have the X-gene, and it looks to be very similar to the gene of a copycat’s.”

“A copycat’s?”

Hank nodded, his eyes still on the report in his hands.

“There was an older mutant that could mimic the mutations of others. It wasn’t anything permanent, but his genes had some characteristics that yours show.” He looked up at you. “But unlike his, yours is more stable.”

“So my hypothesis is correct?” You asked, opening a hand to silently ask for the report. The omega handed it to you. “The bonds did change me. Or… they triggered something to kick start it.”

“That seems to be the case.”

You wondered if the gene would have been triggered by any bond or if it had to be triggered by a bond- or bonds- with those with the X-gene.

Your hand grazed at the mark on your neck as you absentmindedly read through the graphs and words on the pieces of paper.

“He missed you, you know.”

“…I gathered.”

“No. You don’t know, beta.” Your eyes immediately landed on Hank when you heard the edge in his tone. When you smelt the chemical burn of bleach overtake the orange. “You really don’t.”

“The… perceived death of a bonded is bound to impact anyone.” Your words sounded clinical, even to yourself. You paused, trying to gather your thoughts, but Hank gestured for you to continue. “It’s just- I didn’t think it’d impact him that much. Or for that long.”

“You’re one of his bondeds.”

Thank God Charles and Raven were out for a talk at a university today. You really didn’t want him to listen in on this.

“He’s an alpha. And his omegan bonded was well and alive. Albeit estranged.”

“Do you think Charles cares about secondary genders?”

You pursed your lips. The alpha was the first one you spoke to about your insecurities about being a part of the ‘group’. And he had been the one to coax you into joining the ‘pack activities’.

At your silence, Hank sighed.

“I read your work. I rummaged through the cabinets of journals and read your articles that had been filed away and rejected. And I think you were onto something.”

“Those were written by a me that wasn’t bonded.” You were being defensive. You knew you were being defensive. You loved Erik and Charles. You really did. But… you couldn’t help but feel the disconnect between yourself and the two of them. At times, you felt like you were an intruder of a sort. “Sorry. It’s just… I don’t think that my previous research really matters anymore. The pack dynamics between alphas and omegas is something that betas can’t really interfere with.”

“Do you really think that?”

“I don’t know, Hank.” You placed the clipboard onto the table of the lab. “I don’t really know anything anymore.”

“Charles and I are pack. So’s Raven.” A clawed hand gingerly grasped at yours. “And so are you. It doesn’t matter what your secondary gender is. I considered you pack the moment you saved Darwin.”

You noted the absence of Erik, but you understood why. And if you were honest with yourself, you didn’t blame him.

“Thanks, omega.”

“You’re very welcome, beta.”

~ ♥~

“I didn’t get to say this before, but you look like a completely different person when you’re not high.”

“Hello to you too, Peter.”

Charles greeted the young omega who appeared in his office in a flurry of silver and the scent of snowdrops quickly surrounded the room. The younger mutant waved at him from where he sat and fiddled with something on the desk.

Peter’s thoughts were hard to interpret. They went by so quickly and very fleetingly, and he didn’t understand how you were able to communicate with the silver-haired mutant through his mind.

Said omega tilted his head at Charles, a rare serious look crossing his features. In these moments, Charles was truly hit with the fact that, yes, this really was Erik’s son.

“You see, I was speaking to Lorna and Remy and Darwin last night ‘cause we worried about our beta, y’know?” Charles took in a sharp breath. He was aware of your avoidance of him and Erik, and he was well aware of your warnings for him to stay out of your thoughts. But was he being inattentive? “It’s not your fault, Professor. We just pick up on their tendencies better.”

“…I see.”

His inner alpha whimpered at the mere thought of his failure at not being someone his loved ones could depend on. At the fact that he was unable to provide and protect.

Peter scratched the back of his neck as he scented the air.

“You see, Professor… They may not be an alpha, but they were always our pack leader. Even if they don’t really think so. They never really depended on us and we always came to them when something went wrong. I think they just got used to that.”

“They shouldn’t have. Darwin should have taken up the role of pack alpha.”

Peter snorted and shook his head.

“Darwin barely knows how omegas work, Professor. When I went to heat, he asked if a quote unquote service needed to be called. Beta slapped the back of his head and put me on the bed instead. Cuddling does wonders, did you know?” Peter had placed down the object he was fiddling with and was instead tapping his finger on the wooden desk. “It was just a theory they had, but turns out sex isn’t required in heats and ruts.”

Charles’ mind flickered to the articles you had written during your time as a researcher.

“Anyway. Our beta’s confused, I think. They’re the only beta in the school so that might have something to do with it too. They kind of uprooted their life to come here, y’know? And they probably feel a little out of their depth. I think that you and Erik should probably do some pack activities for them to join in with. Make a nest, and cuddle or something.”

Peter was… surprisingly perceptive. And as if the young omega knew what he was thinking, he grinned.

“I’m fast, Professor. My mind works quickly and so does my eyes. I pick up on things about as quickly as I can run. It just doesn’t show with school work.” He stood up. “Just consider what I just said, yeah?”

“I will.”

“We’re planning on going to get some nesting materials in a couple of weeks’ time. Me and Lorna need some new stuff and Remy, Darwin, and our beta’s going to join us. So… if you’d like to join, you can. Maybe Erik too?”

Charles smiled at the offer.

“I’ll ask him. Thank you for offering that to me, Peter.”

“I want beta to be happy. That’s all.”

And just as quickly as he appeared into Charles’ office, he disappeared.

~ ♥~

“Erik. Charles.” You greeted your two bondeds that strolled into your office as you closed the file you were looking at. You smiled at them and gestured at the area in across your desk. “What brings you here?”

“We need to have that talk,” Charles said, rolling his wheelchair next to where Erik took a seat.

Ah. Yes. The conversation your inner instinct was trying to avoid. You urged your unease to settle and nodded instead.

“I bonded with you before your mutation manifested.” Erik said, icy blue eyes holding your gaze with a heat that you didn’t really expect. “When I thought you were human. You having a mutation doesn’t change that.”

You fidgeted with the charms of your bracelet.

“I don’t know, Erik. Would you have been so accepting of the me now- after the faked death and the deception- if I remained human? I was pushed away from your thoughts the moment the missiles targeted you.” You curled up on yourself a little. “Did you really miss me? Or did you just miss me when my mutation came to light?”

You watched as your omegan bonded’s expression twisted into something hurt.

“Liebling-” you recalled the older, alternative version of the metallokinetic who called you that- “I missed you, mutation or not. I have… wronged both you and Charles in the past-”

His eyes flickered to Charles, who was simply listening with a calm demeanour. Erik didn’t continue, but you could feel that his thoughts were bare for both you and Charles to read. You felt the longing. The hope. And the general affection he held.

“Beta.” Charles started, when Erik pulled his walls up once more. “You belong here. With me. With Erik.”

You were taken aback at the blunt manner in which the alpha phrased the sentence. You blinked owlishly at the telepath, who offered you a small smile.

“I know we never established a pack, but you do have a place in it. A very important place.” You felt Charles graze at the surface of your mind, and this time, you let him in. “Where would we be without your attentiveness and your moderating capabilities?”

Your inner instincts stopped telling you to avoid them now. And you reeled at the sudden change of your instincts. It wanted you to purr now. To drown yourself in their scents. Was this what it was looking for? Acceptance from your bondeds and an acknowledgement of the pain you had been in?

You swallowed.

“I didn’t want to hurt either of you. I never expected that my… death would impact both of you to this degree. I’m sorry.” You fiddled with the charms again. “I shouldn’t have made conclusions for myself.”

The purr that rumbled from Charles made you relax. It was a warm, happy sound that made you smile. And when you listened more carefully, you could hear the lower purr coming from Erik too.

And it wasn’t long before your own purr joined them, leading to the cacophony of delighted purring echoing within the walls.

This was a tentative start, but a start nonetheless.

~ ♥~

Erik simply watched as the young omegas you had picked up fleeted about the store, touching at fabrics and stuffed toys and making faces. Peter and Lorna often came back to where he and his bondeds were to ask you for your opinion, which you gave readily.

“Why don’t you go find some things too, Erik?”

He shook his head at your suggestion. Nesting was not something he did.

“Come now, dear.” Charles’ tone was filled with mirth and amusement, and that made Erik shoot the alpha a glare. “Let’s at least take a look at things.”

“I agree with the Professor.” The younger, juniper scented alpha butted in, taking the handle of the cart from you. “Me and Darwin can monitor the younger omegas.”

“But Remy-”

“Go on, cher. Have some bonding time with your mates.”

You reluctantly let the boy take the cart from you and instead placed your hands on Charles’ wheelchair.

“May I, Charles?”

“Always, love.” His old friend turned his head to look up at him. “Where shall we go first, Erik?”

He really didn’t know. But at your coaxing look and the gentle nudging at his mind, Erik reluctantly walked towards a shelf of things that pulled up his inner omega.

~ ♥~

Charles had to admit that watching Erik rummage through blankets and pillows was something that endeared him greatly. The disapproving glare he would give some things and the satisfied hum he would vocalise when he found something he liked made his inner alpha thrum with satisfaction.

He felt your hand at the back of his neck, and he tilted his head back lightly to lean more heavily into your touch.

“He’s very… cute, don’t you think?”

“He is indeed. I think it’s more of Erik’s inner omega than himself, but I’m glad he’s indulging it.” Charles said, smiling when you grabbed at a random plush on the shelf to dump it on his lap. “Is this one for you, love?”

“From the things gathered in Erik’s arms right now, I don’t think he’ll pick up any plushies. But I like them and I think I can endear him to this one.”

Charles looked at the rather large shark plushie on his lap and smiled. Erik would be endeared to anything you picked, regardless of his own preferences. He would also be endeared to anything Charles himself picked, so he too, picked up a plush from the shelf.

“I don’t think he’d mind too much, love.”

~ ♥~

Although you had officially been in a courtship with Charles and Erik for around a month now, there was still a degree of dancing about the three of you were doing. Affections that were cautious and careful. Touches that were more fleeting than anything.

The outing today to the nesting materials shop changed something, and you had telepathically thanked Remy for his interference. The younger alpha took your gratitude with flourish and had teased you, saying that you now owed him a favour.

You had expected to part with Erik and Charles after the outing so that your omegan bonded could set up his nest on his own, but to your utter surprise, the man ushered both you and Charles into Charles’ bedroom and threw the materials on his bed.

So that was how you ended up here, bundled in the arms of your bondeds, wrapped up in the soft scent of bluebells as well as the warm scent of leather and old books. Your neck throbbing from the fresh bond marks your beloved mates gave you once again.

You reached a hand to cradle Charles’ cheek and purred softly at the sight of the blue-eyed alpha nuzzling at your palm.

Pressed at your back, you felt Erik dip his face into the crook of your neck as his hold on your waist tightened.

It had taken a decade, but you were back here. In the presence of your beloved bondeds in the place that started it all.

#recs #recs: erik lehnsherr #recs: charles xavier #tw a/b/o #a happy ending!!!!!!! what they all deserve !!!!!!!!#rael ur fics / series are always sooo engaging i get so sucked into the world you've created

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martyrmurdock · 1 month

Text

Endless Rain

Second part to the a/b/o Cherik x Reader au! This part includes the aftermath of the beach divorce, a little delve into Erik and Charles’ thoughts and feelings about it, Reader manifesting their mutation and meeting + saving several younger mutants- two of whom remind them a little too much of Erik. Days of Future Past (revised timeline version) inclusion. A promise for a better tomorrow. Maybe.

Trigger warning: drug abuse, use of needles in said drug abuse, general depressive thoughts, and mentioned alcohol abuse

I wrote this in a trance, I think- and tbh I actually really enjoyed writing the Reader’s interactions with the younger mutants (whom I chose out of love, and literally nothing else).

This part is based on a song by X JAPAN called Endless Rain

Tagging @no-te-lo-voy-a-dar my beloved <3

Masterlist/ Prev Part/ Next Part

The first couple of months were the hardest. You had no set goal in mind, no means to travel, and no way to really fend for yourself. You had left a piece of your clothing in an abandoned aircraft and so had Darwin. You had watched as the plane went up in flames.

You had wondered briefly what story the officials would make of your ‘death’.

When you had made your escape with Darwin, you had left a piece of your clothing as well as the pass ID from the CIA inside an old, abandoned aircraft and ensured that some of your blood was splattered on the ground nearby. You had tried to stop Darwin from doing the same, as he didn’t need to fake his death with you.

But he had, and you were grateful for that. You wouldn’t have been able to cope with things alone.

Sneaking onto airplanes, onto ships, and sometimes walking for days on end- Before you knew it, you were here, sitting in a dingy motel somewhere in Europe. From the voices coming from outside the room, you assumed you must be in Poland? Or somewhere that spoke in similar tones and phrases. You had heard Erik speak-

You hissed when the marks on your neck flared up with pain.

With shaking fingers, you grazed the marks lightly but quickly removed your hands when even the lightest of touches made tears prick in your eyes. Whether it be from the physical pain of the swollen marks or from the pain of losing your… bondeds, you didn’t know.

Now that you were out of the American continents, you were actually able to think and organise your thoughts and feelings.

Your… bondeds were not together, and if anything, they were more enemies than not. One was too idealistic, the other too pessimistic. One was passive, and the other a little too radical. You couldn’t really say anything about their methods or ideologies as you couldn’t truly understand what it was like, being a mutant. All you knew was that you had no place between the two of them.

You were a beta as well, so they wouldn’t be too affected without you. No matter how complicated their relationship may become, they would have each other.

Keep reading

#recs #recs: erik lehnsherr #tw a/b/o #recs: charles xavier #found family found family found family #i love found family so much !!!#rael i love how u always incorporate platonic relationships in addition to the main pairing within ur fics #im just such a fan of platonic expressions of love!!!!

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martyrmurdock · 1 month

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Wasurenai

An a/b/o au Cherik x Reader fic, where Charles is an alpha, Erik is an omega, and the reader is a beta. I don’t know how to explain this fic other than the fact that this was very self-indulgent and it took up so much of my brain capacity.

This part in particular will revolve around the X-men first class movie with some twists and turns. And because of the general timeline, the second world war will be referenced, and it’s not going to be specific or completely accurate as all my knowledge of the war is very Asian centric. Oh yeah- also the Cuban beach divorce is also involved.

Song that inspired this part of the fic: Wasurenai by TANAKA

Wasurenai 忘れない (わすれない): the nai form of “wasureru”, which means ‘not to forget’ or ‘not to leave something somewhere carelessly’ in Japanese.

Am tagging @no-te-lo-voy-a-dar bc I sent them a frantic ask before I wrote this fic, and some integration of their ideas are here.

Masterlist/ Next Part

You didn’t know what to do. There were too many eyes on you, and you fidgeted nervously. When your boss told you that you had a new assignment- a new job- you certainly weren’t expecting to be here. At a secret CIA facility.

With two men looking at you. One of them seemed to be more inviting, whilst the other was…not so. You shivered slightly, your inner instinct pricking at the waves of animosity that he sent towards you.

You nudged Moira’s side harshly. You weren’t supposed to be here- There must be a mistake- You literally did not want to do anything with whatever fishy shit the government has planned- All you wanted was to go back to your research-

The kinder man- the alpha, smelling of leather and old books and comfort- smiled at you, and somehow, you could feel something brush at your mind. Something foreign, but not aggressive.

“Another scientist?” The alpha asked, tilting his head to the side slightly as he regarded you. You wondered how he knew- Maybe it was the lab coat you were wearing? You had just been plucked out of your work, so you didn’t have the time to change- “They aren’t a mutant though, are they?”

A mutant? You furrowed your eyebrows at the posh, accented voice coming from him. You had seen that word- that phrase- once in one of the articles about genetic mutation a couple months ago- The alpha’s eyes seemed to glimmer with intrigue at your passing thought. But… that must be your imagination, right? Maybe he could read something on your expression?

“Then what are they doing here?”

A sharper voice. Cold and distant. You turned your attention away from the alpha and towards the taller, more rigid omega. The displeasure was clear on his features, and his scent was muted. Almost non-existent. But your nose- sharper than most due to your studies- could pick up the underlying smell of something metallic.

“This is-” Moira said your name, and you awkwardly waved your hand at the two men before fiddling with the charms of your bracelet. “They’re a specialist in the field of secondary genders.” She looked at you. “And they’re here because my superiors are… concerned about what could happen if tensions got too high.”

You furrowed your eyebrows even more. If tensions got too high, people would fight, and then they’d get over it- With little to no property damage than a couple broken chairs and maybe a punched in wall-

‘Well, unfortunately, if tensions got too high for us, there’s going to be far more damage than that.’

Keep reading

#recs #recs: erik lehnsherr #recs: charles xavier #tw a/b/o #i don't read fic as much as i used to but had to read to since rael released a new chapter recently!#this was really lovely i love how the reader is characterized #i love to see how betas are explored / characterized in fic since a lot of a/b/o stuff primarily focuses on alpha / omega dynamics

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martyrmurdock · 2 months

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im back and crazy abt them now

#art #daredevil #the punisher #matt murdock #frank castle #tw blood #oh they are everything to me #this is so gorgeous ! they look so good

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martyrmurdock · 4 months

Photo

JON BERNTHAL in THE PUNISHER (2017-2019)

#missing him always #frank castle #the punisher #gif

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martyrmurdock · 8 months

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baby steps

a/n: i've never played the game before so my bad for the ooc lmfao 🫣🫢 pure fluffy fluff with simon! <33

hope you enjoy! 🤍 please feel free to request the other 141 + konig though! :") <3

"they're beautiful, ain't they?" a small sigh escapes simon's lips, his eyes alight with awe and wonder at the night sky and that stars that glittered against it. it made your heart warm, such a simple experience and yet he was completely entranced by it all.

you wonder if he's ever encountered such an experience with others but, the way he's eagerly telling you stories about the north stars and the moon, his hand never once leaving your warmth a small part of you hopes he's sharing this experience with you firsthand. you hadn't pegged him to know anything about it but you certainly weren't about to stop his ramble.

his eyes are so incredibly expressive, it's so hard not to drown in them everytime he looks to you with a soft smile. it makes your heart ache just how innocent he seems here, so happy and free. so different from the usual stoic military persona he dons every day.

"they do indeed" you nod but you're no longer looking at the stars. no, you've found your beauty in the soldier laying contently besides you. he points to dark sky once more, undoubtedly telling you another story about the constellations but it's hard to hear him. you try to pay attention but his woody cologne fills the air around you and paired with his fingers gently toying with your finger, you can't help but look at him so hopelessly in love. his warm eyes drifts upon the moon, inhaling a deep breath of relaxation.

a moment of calm in his world of chaos

simon's eyes close, the small smile on his lips never faltering. his balaclava is pushed up to his nose bridge, exposing just how tender he really was underneath all the hard exterior. god, his smile is absolutely one of the things you love about him. you know that it's never forced, it's never even put on for a show. so it makes all the times he was caught staring at you with his cheeks softly dimpled and the corners of his eyes crinkled, lips curved into a sweet grin all the more precious to your heart.

he's only ever shown you his face a handful of times but every opportunity you had, you couldn't help but marvel at his beauty. he was hesistant for you to see the true him and even if you had been dating for a couple months, it had taken him a while to be truly comfortable and safe with peeling his safety layer away.

"ain't it considered rude to stare?" he chuckled softly, his eyes still shut as his fingers ran soothing circles on your knuckles. your eyebrow perks a little, burning slightly at the embarrassment of being caught. but you're too happy to even care, even if it makes you wonder how he's noticed you through closed eyes.

laying your head back on the grass, you look back at the stars while the cold air dances upon your skin. your body starts to cramp a little but you daren't move, in fear he would retract his hand and the moment will be over. and to your utter surprise, he moves closer. closer until your hand is completely enveloped in his big warm ones, his head settled upon your shoulder. it makes your heart do backflips, feeling the soft material of his mask graze ever so gently across your cheeks. is this what love feel like?

his cologne fills your nostrils, his scent sending a flurry of pesky butterflies invading your abdomen. his muscles stretching next to you, to have better access to hold you and it makes you gush just how soft he truly can be

biting your lip to hide the growing smile on them, it's taking you everything to not desperately wrap him around you until he was skin to skin. but here though, you let him take the pace. you were happy with whatever amount of affection he was willing to give, however much he wanted to show. you know from experience not to test the lieutenant, not to cross the lines he's drawn. you're not fully yet affiliated with his dark past, figuring he would tell you when he was good and ready. but the cracks show every so often, leaving you wondering just how scarred he truly was.

he laces your fingers, bringing the back of the skin for a small peck. he lazily slumps your intertwined hands against his chest and the back of your palm feels the steady beating of his heart. it makes your breath catch in your throat, leaning closer to him.

no more words are shared, for the love between you both radiates in waves. and simon want nothing more than to bask in it. you know he isn't a public pda man, feelings aren't something he uses all that often. he couldn't, not in this field. he was never one to wear his heart on his sleeve, any and all emotions were suppressed.

but despite all of that, he allows you to see the vulnerable side of himself. his guard is down, those walls have been cast aside for now while he lays beside you. the worries and stresses he tends to carry in his day to day life have been left back at base, ghost is placed back at base, ready to be picked up tomorrow morning

because here, this is the true simon you have in your arms

you love every side of him, but this side.... the warm and tender, the gentle and cuddly simon has to be your favourite by far. and though it was merely hand holding, it's so intimate and so loving to you. you could only hope he could feel the same. the adoration you both share is private and it's everything you could've ever dreamed of, it's what you've always wanted. it's only yours. for now however, your eyes close in peace and your hand holds him a little tighter.

baby steps...

#recs #recs: simon ghost riley #i love love love #simon is so beautiful :( <3

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martyrmurdock · 8 months

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I’m about halfway through the next Price fic but I can’t stop thinking bout Simon x childhood friend

Under the cut due to mentions of SA

Simon who at 16 has become used to your touch, craves it even but the thought of anyone else touching him makes his skin crawl.

Simon that can’t even entertain the thought of sex with someone who’s not you, someone he doesn’t trust and know.

Simon that comes back from deployment one day and you can instantly tell somethings wrong. He stiffens when you hug him, slight flinches here and there when your hand reaches out to find him. You figure out what’s wrong pretty quickly, it’d be impossible not to but you never bring it up directly. You start to telegraph your movements more, a new layer of softness to your touches, wait for him to come to you.

Simon that because of all of this is still a virgin by the time he finally confesses. He knows you have experience though and doesn’t want to let you down. You promise he could never. Teaching him how to please you while all the while letting him still maintain the facade of control, letting he know he can stop at any time.

Simon that learns to love your touch all over again, learns that it doesn’t have to be something unpleasant or painful. Touch slowly becoming one of his main love languages. He’s not as good with his words but he’s gotten excellent at showing you how he feels. Hands settling on your hips and thighs, thumb stroking over your knuckles as he hold your smaller hand in his. Let’s you run your fingers gently through his hair as he lays on your chest.

Simon always feels like he has to protect you, but there’s no place he feels safer than when your arms are wrapped around him.

#recs #recs: simon ghost riley #tw sexual assault #forgive me father for i have sinned #childhood friends to lovers with simon :( <33

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martyrmurdock · 8 months

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Always been you

Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x f! childhood friend reader

Summary: From the moment you first smiled at him as children Simon knew it would always be you.

Word count: 2k

Warnings: some nsfw content so minors keep scrolling

It starts like this, he’s 9 years old feet listlessly guiding himself to the rundown park desperate to be somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t the oppressive confines of home. The weather, as was typical of Manchester, wasn’t exactly cooperating. A dreary grey drizzle that served to keep most of the general populace indoors. Few parents were willing to stand outside and supervise their rowdy children.

That’s not to say the area was completely devoid of activity and for a while Simon was content to sit idly on the swing set and people watch. Trying desperately to ignore the clench in his chest and the sting of tears in the corner of his eyes as he watched the loving interactions between child and parent. Bitterness and wanting in equal parts threatened to consume him.

A voice from the side quickly pulls him from the harrowing thoughts, though he quickly thinks maybe they’d be easier to deal with. It’s a boy, around his age, maybe a little older and he’s boring like Simon’s deeply offended him.

“Get off the swing, I want a turn.” The demand leaves Simon more than a little flabbergasted. Apparently, he takes too long to not follow the sudden command as the boy's face twists in even more displeasure.

“I said, move!” He’s taller, and maybe it's because Simon had already been scared by Tommy that morning but he freezes.

Or maybe it’s just because he’s pathetic, his father’s voice whispers traitorously in his mind.

Thankfully, the thought doesn’t get to stick around for long as a new voice enters the fray. “Hey! Fuck off!” Both boys whirl around with wide eyes at the newcomer, neither sure how to respond to the loudly swearing girl. However, when the boy responds with what Simon assumes to be your name it becomes clear that you already know each other.

“I don’t have to listen a girl.” That proves to be exactly the wrong thing to say, Righteous indignation lights up your face and before Simon can even blink the would-be bully is on the ground, clutching his nose with a cry. You’d punched him, hard enough that Simon could see the blood spilling out from over the crying boy’s hands and down his chin. Not wanting to suffer the same fate, Simon had let you pull on his hand, keeping it in a deceptively strong grip as you marched the two of them away. When you make it far enough from the crime scene you turn to him with a toothy grin, introducing yourself and promptly claiming the title of his new best friend.

It’s not quite love at first sight, but years down the line Simon will recognise it as something close.

The fourth time you meet at the park, not even two weeks from the initial greeting, you ask after his parents. It wasn’t unusual that Simon didn’t talk much, content to listen to you chatter away but you must have noticed something different in that instance of silence. You were alarmingly perceptive like that when it came to him, your eyes feeling as if they were staring directly into his soul, seeing all the shattered hurt he tried to hide. Nodding to yourself you grabbed his hand, an occurrence that he hadn’t quite gotten used to yet - your gentle touch, and tugged him along. You walk him all the way to your house, open the door with an excited bang and march straight up to your parents.

“This is my best friend, Simon, he’s gonna sleep over tonight!” Your parents are rightfully not amused but their protests quickly die down. He has no idea what convinced them in the end, but from then on he’d somehow become a permanent fixture in your home. Dinners became a regular thing which often became sleepovers as you attempted to keep him out of the house that had caused him so much fear and pain. It was about as subtle as a brick to the face but Simon never complained, especially if it meant you’d pull him into your bed as often as possible to sleep.

He hadn’t minded the first two ‘boyfriends’, they had been nothing serious, silly childhood infatuations. Because at the end of the day, it was always him that you returned to. Crawling through his window late at night and pouting that you couldn’t sleep without your favourite pillow, because somehow, despite his protests you always wrestled him into being the little spoon.

No, it isn’t until he’s 17 and more than aware of how painfully in love with you he is that the boyfriends finally become a problem. Simon wasn’t a violent person, didn’t want to be, not like his father was. But as he holds you in his arms after you’d climbed through the window in tears, cuddling up to him under the blanket covering his bed that he swears for the first time in his life he could kill somebody. He offers too, you simply laugh and tell him he’s the best friend you could ever have. You think he’s joking, Simon’s not entirely sure he is.

You’re his first kiss, something that had only occurred at your aghast knowledge that he’d never kissed anyone at all. He’s not sure why you’re surprised, you’re the only person he ever lets near him let alone touch him. It’s simultaneously the best and worst moment of his life because now he actually knows what it feels like to kiss you. Knows that nobody will ever live up to you.

It’s then he realises that you’re his first everything really, first friend, first crush, first and only love.

He reads some of your smutty books, the ones you giggle at, a secret he’ll take to the grave, just to learn what you like. It comes about after a drunken confession on your part, liquor loosening your lips just a tad too much as you detail how much your last boyfriend sucked in bed. It’s a mistake, because now every time he looks at you he can’t help but imagine the way you’d taste. How you’d sound begging so prettily for him.

His decision to join the military was not made lightly, you’d gotten accepted into some fancy university and it’s then Simon starts to realise just how much his entire life has started to revolve around you. As much as he wants to follow, he knows that life isn’t for him, and he knows how much you want him to flourish in whatever path he chooses.

Training isn’t easy, but it’s far from the hardest thing he’d ever done. That title was reserved for telling you about his chosen career path.

“Promise me you’ll always come back home to me” you demand, parting just slightly from your hug to look into his eyes. Simon knows he shouldn’t, after all there’s never any guarantee that he will, but as has been the case since you were both 12 he can’t bare to say no to you.

“I promise love” it’s barely a whisper but you still hear it, your fingers clutching at the back of his shirt starting to shake a little.

He wants to kiss you, he always does, but standing before him now, eyes glassy from the tears you’re trying to hold back, Simon swears you’ve never looked more ethereal. As much as he wants to lean down and finally taste your lips he doesn’t, it wouldn’t be fair. Not to you or to him, so instead he presses a soft kiss to your hairline, keeping you held tightly against him.

You send him more care packages than he can count, photos, letters and little trinkets he kept tucked safely away in his bunk or on his person when he could get away with it. He gets teased for it but Simon couldn’t give less of a fuck about their poorly hidden jealousy, not when you cared for him so deeply. Not when he gets to fall asleep with your words in his head and faint scent rubbing off on him.

He’d thought that perhaps the distance would do him some good, would finally douse the blazing flames of his love for you. He really should have known better because as the day's drone on you start to consume his every thought both waking and asleep. His life becomes a series of training and missions that only serve as a way to pass the time until he gets to see you again. Because no matter how much blood stains his hands he knows you’ll always be there to wash it away. He’s aware how selfish it is, to place the brunt of his longing and emotional baggage that only continues to grow in your careful hands, but Simon’s never claimed to be a good man.

Some of the darkness slips out one night, after his brother's wedding, after the revelry had died down and it was just the two of you lying on the grass and looking up at the stars at your insistence. He’ll forever blame it on the alcohol, descriptions of the violence he’d tried so desperately to keep from you pouring from his lips in confession. He can’t bear to look at you, heart roaring in his ears as he waits for the moment you’ll run, the moment you’ll finally realise what a monster he is. That moment never comes, instead, you ensnare him in your protective grip, hands cradling him far more softly than he deserves. It’s that moment that finally cements the fact that you’re never leaving in his mind. You’re never leaving so it’s up to him to pull away before he tarnishes your light, but Simon is weak and so he stays.

It happens after his third tour, the one where he’d had too close a call, the one he’d thought for a few moments he wasn’t coming home from. In those moments he’d thought of you, of your smile and god he regretted. He regretted never telling you how he felt.

It feels like he’s barely off the plane, eyes searching desperately for you before he hears the shout of his name. He spins just in time for you to launch yourself at his chest, gripping desperately onto him. You’ve always tried to keep your affection for him private, knowing he wasn’t entirely comfortable with people staring. Neither of you cared in that moment though and Simon’s already dropped his bags, engulfing you in a near-crushing grip.

It’s an eternity before you pull away, but it’s still too soon. He briefly glimpses the tears in your eyes before he leans down and kisses you. Something in the back of his mind is screaming at him, but he doesn’t really care to listen. At first, you don’t respond and Simon finally panics as the consequences of his actions set in. You don’t give him the chance to run away though, hands grasping his face and keeping him in place.

When you pull away you don’t say anything, simply taking his hand in yours and tugging him out to your car. The drive to your apartment is silent, but not uncomfortable. It isn’t until you’ve pulled him into your bed, in a mirror image of your younger years that you finally break the silence.

“I never thought you felt the same.” The same? The implications of your words seared into the forefront of his mind.

“Silly girl, why would I ever even look at somebody else when you exist?” You let out an adorably embarrassed squawk at his words, lightly hitting him on the chest as you bury your burning face against his neck.“It’s always been you” he murmurs, the confession settling over you like a wave.

For a split second, he fears your relapse into silence means he’d pushed too far too fast. Years of pining bubbling up and over the surface at the slightest bit of reciprocation. You’re quick to shut down his internal spiral with another earth-shattering kiss, pulling away and resting your chin on his chest.

“Yeah, you’ve always been it for me too Si. From the moment I pulled you from that swing." It's a little embarrassing, how fast his heart races at the confession. Tears build in the corners of his eyes as he finally, finally lets himself fully succumb to your love. You're quick to wipe them away though, because you would always take care of your Simon.

#recs #recs: simon ghost riley #forgive me father for i have sinned #childhood friends to lovers will always do something to me #this was so sweet!!!

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