#erik befriends the crows | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gerec · 1 year

Note

Do you have any fic recs where Charles and/or Erik are animals? Or maybe just different species? I recently read a fic where they’re birds and now I’m desperate for more haha

Hi Anon, I assume the fic you read was Little Birds by winterhill? If not you should definitely get on that right away :D

This list got much longer than I expected and there's an inordinate number of cat!Charles fics for some reason lol. Anyway, all of these fics are amazing and feature either one or both as animals (or inanimate objects, yes read the teacups it's a personal favorite of mine!). I did not include anything about werewolves or satyrs/fauns in this list because there are TONS and would easily fill their own rec lists.

Hope you enjoy!

-----

Other Crabs Cannot Be Trusted by groovyphilia

Erik is a hermit crab and proud. He is also stalking a shore crab named Charles.

In which everybody in XMFC is a crab.

As The Crow Flies by groovyphilia

Erik-the-raven has seemingly made Charles' living room his permanent residence, much to Charles' despair. A kind world would allow him a peaceful, bird-less life, he was sure.

He firmly believes this until it actually happens.

This Harbour (that we call home) by nekosmuse, verilyvexed

It's hard not to get swept away by Charles' enthusiasm. The idea of finding others like him--of belonging--is seductive, but it is the thought of spending his life at this man's side that decides it. Crane or man, Erik cannot help but fall into Charles' orbit.

An alternate meeting loosely based on the Japanese folktale, The Crane Wife.

The Marimo Prince by elbatross

There in a kingdom in the crowded little body of water called Lake Xavier, ruled by a little Prince named Charles. Prince Charles can only become King when he meets his mate, but a little mutant marimo like him can only dream to find one just as he dreams of the Dry World above his little world underwater. Then, one day, there's a bird...

Tea for Two Teacups by baehj2915

I wrote about Charles and Erik as teacups based on this image from tumblr. You should definitely take a look at that post to see what Charles and Erik look like as teacups.

Swimming with Sharks by Not_You

Erik used to be a shark. Now he's not, and has to figure out how to be a good human father to his twins. Charles is willing to help.

The Westchester Zoo Chronicles by cloudyjenn (Unfinished)

When a new penguin comes to the zoo, Charles is convinced the humans have brought him a mate.

Humane Society by smilebackwards

Once Erik finally allows himself to decide that Charles is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread, he spends the next week being incredibly bitter that he's Charles' cat and not his boyfriend.

But The Cat Came Back by twelve_pastels

“Oh, look! It’s Charles, and he’s been transformed into a cat by a malevolent government program! I wonder how I can change him back and thereby secure his love forever and ever, amen?”

The Cat's Meow by ferretbaby

Based off a prompt on kink meme: When Erik offends a potential recruit to the Brotherhood, the mutant gets back at him by turning his beloved cat into a human being. Cue Charles pouncing on Erik, waking up all over him, trying to sleep over Hank's computer cause it's warm, chasing birds, caressing himself over other people and overall bothering Erik until he gets petted and purrs happily. There is sexy time eventually. Notes/Warnings: Slight Beastiality (Charles is half cat here), sex, crack, romance.

Having Kittens by so_shhy

'My boyfriend is a pregnant female telepathic cat,' Erik said. 'I think this time I'm entitled to panic.'

Strays by Teacandles

Raven's handicapped corgi Charles has a bad habit of finding stray kittens and bringing them home with him. One day, instead of finding an adorable kitten, Charles befriends a rough-and-tumble alley cat. Hank is not amused.

the pawsitively unfurtunate tail of his royal majesty king charles the third by ikeracity

A vicious curse transforms Charles Xavier, High King of Westchester, into a cat. This is very unfortunate for a number of reasons.

You're Not a Sarlacc by Pangea

Charles is a bounty hunter on a mission that requires him to brave the harsh, unforgiving desert of Tatooine.

Things do not exactly go as planned.

the fisher king's son by spikeface

charles is a merman. au, references to trauma.

More Things in Heaven and Earth by Alaceron

Erik doesn't believe in mermaids.

And then he meets Charles.

Sea Change by Red

The end of the semester means Charles is even more the absent-minded professor than his norm.

But he’s sure he would remember seeing someone like Erik at the laundromat, let alone stealing a pelt.

Carpe Tentaculum by issabella, traumschwinge

From the shallow depths of the sea close to the shore, Erik has watched Charles for quite some while now, deeming him finally worthy of being his human mate. However, it's not so simple to seduce a human when you're an octopus yourself...

Strange things out there in that deep blue sea by professor

The ultimate crackfic of ultimate destiny: a.k.a. the one where tentacle!Charles knocks up wereshark!Erik with sharktopus babies. Erik is less than thrilled with being Octomom.

Carcharodon (Crooked Teeth Remix) by septicwheelbarrow

Erik is a wereshark. Charles is the human in love with him.

A Paddling Of Two by helens78

Charles Xavier, a telepathic duck, meets Erik Lehnsherr, a metallokinetic duck.

High Tide by velvetcadence

"Teen Charles is on holiday on a remote island his family owns and has been enjoying being on his own.

He’s having fun, reading books, playing in the sea but, more and more often, when he’s in the water, he feels touches, light strokes against his feet, his shins. And they get bolder with time, though never threatening, so Charles is intrigued, and not afraid.

One night, he can’t sleep and goes on the pier to cool off, not realizing he’s going into his first heat. Except he’s not alone, and someone intends to help him go through it. –insert tentacles porn here-. And Charles enjoys it, very much."

Plutomagneto by velvetcadence (Unfinished)

Space probe: noun. An unmanned spacecraft designed to explore the solar system and transmit data back to earth.

RAVN embarks on a decade-long journey to uncover the mysteries of the distant planet Pluto.

'Til Spade and Hearse by velvetcadence

Charles the book and Erik the bookmark have been with their owner for as long as they can remember.

Or, a retelling of a love story from unusual narrators.

#gerec rambles #cherik #animal cherik #animal au #fic rec #gerec's fic rec #i swear Casey wrote a ficlet where one of them was a plug and the other an outlet lol #but I can't find it anywhere

42 notes · View notes

whatthefoucault · 2 years

Photo

It’s day 5 of Stream Ink and today’s word is Scarecrow. I was aiming for ominous, but I was listening to Erik Satie as I painted this so it came out lonely instead. Lil guy just wants to be a befriend-crow.

#scarecrow #autumn #traditional art #acrylic ink #art

3 notes · View notes

keire-ke · 6 years

Text

The Road to Safety or Ruin - epilogue

So I know I promised a few of you something of an epilogue - as you can see this is mainly more worldbuilding and more characters and generally no ending. Still, it is fairly adorable, if I say so myself. :F

[this follows The Road to Safety or Ruin, which is quite possibly the most contentious thing I have ever written, as it ended rather abruptly and with hints rather than a resolution]

The grain of wood seems like spun gold, precious and delicate. Erik’s head feels heavy when he tries to move it side to side. He allows it to fall, eventually, so that he is staring at fine cotton, though not so fine it belongs in a palace. No, the sheets feel sturdy and utilitarian, rather than fine. They are well-kept and shine with whiteness when the light hits them.

The light forms a circle on the sheets. Erik sits up sharply, mindless of his heavy head. There’s no window here. The wooden ceiling tapers smoothly into a – he scrapes for a word – a porthole, reinforced with metal. There’s nothing to see through it but the sky.

“Good afternoon."

Erik turns and nearly collapses back onto the bed, as the sudden movement throws his whole body into an undulating nightmare of nausea.

“Eat this," says the same voice, a child’s voice. It’s that child, Erik thinks as he takes the dry biscuit from his hand and chews on it, the boy with bright blue eyes and dark hair, the boy who can only been Charles’ son. “Hank says the nausea will pass, it’s a side-effect of the poison. Were you poisoned?" he asks, cocking his head to the side.

Erik raises a brow. “You were there."

“My father told me I was bringing you a sleeping draught."

“I have been sleeping. He hasn’t been wrong."

The boy narrows his eyes. “I should go tell him you’re awake."

“Am I to stay here for the duration?"

“Don’t be ridiculous," the boys says. “It’s stupid to stay in the cabin the whole time, unless you’re really sick. The air will do you good."

Erik accepts the wisdom of the words and slowly raises his limbs from the warm bunk. It’s strange, now that he thinks about it – much wider than what he would expect bunks to be – it takes over a half of the space in the cabin. Another third is taken up by a desk, on which there are papers and what looks like metallic shells of a cracked egg, if eggs grew to the size of a human head. The walls are covered with books. When he stands, Erik’s head is less than a palm’s length away from the ceiling and he is gazing down at another bunk, protruding from the wall like a shelf. The sheets there are rumpled and in the corner there is a toy – a creature of some sort, sewn together from felt.

“Is this your room?" Erik asks.

“No, it’s dad’s. I share a cabin with Kurt on the stern side."

“Is the doll your dad’s, then?" Erik reaches for the toy and holds its head between his fore and middle finger, making it nod in tune with his voice.

The boy laughs. “It was mine, but I’m too old for it now. I don’t know why it’s still here."

Erik smiles and returns the toy to its bed. Charles’ bed. “Would you show me the way?"

“Sure. Let’s try the kitchen, first, Hank said you will want something to drink."

His mouth feels dry and sandy, a fact which Erik only now begins to notice. “Hank was right."

Charles’ son opens the door and takes him down a couple of stairs and through a narrow corridor, with doors on either side, until they reach a mess hall. There are a few men and women there, and each of them turns to look at them. One springs to his feet with an expression which seems torn between lunging at Erik and shaking his hand. Summers, Erik’s mind supplies. Alex Summers.

“I see you managed to keep yourself out of jail this time," Erik says and vainly searches for pockets he could stuff his hands in.

There’s a dark-skinned man about his age sitting next to him, and Erik is fairly certain his arm is the only thing which saves his face from a punch. “Easy there," the man says, and stands. “How are you feeling?"

“Parched," Erik replies honestly. The man nods.

“Logan is out smoking, but we’ve some black tea leftover. It should help with the nausea."

“Logan is the cook," Charles’ son supplies for no apparent reason, as the man moves into the caboose and grabs the kettle. “Are there any cookies left?"

“There’s should be some in the tin. Here." He hands Erik a chipped mug full of liquid Erik would take to be a coffee on sight and tar on taste. It’s barely warm, but Erik downs the whole thing in a matter of seconds, anyway. “Let me pour you another."

“Thank you," Erik says.

“Not at all. We look after our own."

Summers snorts.

“Havoc will be happy to accept words of gratitude any minute now," the man shakes his head, indicating Summers. “He did most of the digging to get you out of the ground. Don’t expect him to stop complaining anytime soon."

“Hey!" Summers protests, and the man laughs at him.

“All true. The name’s Darwin."

“Erik Lehnsherr."

“Welcome aboard. The captain will want to see you."

“Let’s hope she means to throw him overboard," Summers mutters, with no ill-will whatsoever.

“It would be a shame," Erik says, after he drains his mug. “All that digging for nothing."

Summers turns red and the rest of them howl with laughter. Erik waits until they stop and for Summers to open his mouth to begin cursing, before he speaks. “Thank you. I’m in your debt."

Summers sputters. Erik grins and follows Charles’ son outside, into the golden afternoon. They climb a set of steep stairs so that for a moment Erik’s eyes are level with the boy’s back and the strange beacon-like device, attached to leather straps which circle his chest and shoulders.

“What is that?" he asks when they step out of the shadows.

“The harness? Dad makes me wear it if I’m outside. I suppose it’s fine, Raven makes Kurt wear one too. It’s so I don’t fall overboard." He tugs on the straps and scowls. “I’m not a child, honestly."

“So you’re the new stray," says a new voice directly behind Erik. He turns to find a young woman there – well, a woman for certain. He’s not sure of her age, her skin is weathered to brown and there are scale-like tattoos framing her honey-brown eyes, hiding most wrinkles. Similar tattoos spiral up her arms and legs. She is barefoot and wears only a leather brassiere and knee-length leather trousers. “Awake at long last. I’m Captain Raven Darkholme. You are aboard my ship, the Mystique."

“I’m—“

“I know who you are," she interrupts. Her eyes dart about the deck, as though she is looking for someone. “Good, he’s busy. Listen up, Mister Judge. I don’t like the thought of you waltzing about my ship. I don’t trust you. I will throw you overboard if you so much as sneeze at my crew, that clear to you?"

“Should I confine myself to the cabin, then?"

“Gods no. I’ve enough lazy bums on board as it is. You will be put to work, understand, and you will earn your keep. What you can’t do, you will learn, and if you won’t learn, well, the crew could use a cabin boy. You make yourself useful and maybe I’ll decide to keep you until we hit the nearest port."

“Dad says Mr Erik is staying with us," Charles’ boy volunteered and the captain grimaced and slapped a palm over her face.

“I don’t know why I allow him free reign, I really don’t. I ought to have Logan tail him. That would curb the stray-gathering. Every goddamned port, I swear to gods, every port a new stray," she says in exasperation. “Francis!"

There is a moment of silence and then a breathless “coming!" and then footsteps and Charles is walking towards them, barefoot, with loose linen trousers and white bandages around his naked torso. His hips are framed by a harness similar to what the boy is wearing, with a blinking device affixed to the front, where the belt-straps meet.

“Erik!" he says with a joyous grin. “Did you sleep well?"

“Like the dead," Erik answers truthfully, feeling warmth seep into his whole being at the sight of Charles before him, alive and – still battered, judging by the bandages and bruises – but smiling and happy.

“I see you met the Captain."

“The Captain met me, I fear."

“You mustn’t let her scare you."

“I am the captain here, I can and will throw you overboard," the Captain threatens, but Charles only laughs and takes her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles.

“Thank you, darling," he says. “I am forever in your debt."

She shakes her head and walks away, smiling. “You just make sure he’s ready for the first night watch, he’s slept enough. His eyes seem in working order, to begin with."

“Will do!"

Charles turns back to him and smiles. The bruises on his face are green and yellow. They should be gone in a matter of days, Erik thinks. The bandages must cover the whip marks, which would take longer. There are, even now, red streaks among the white. Charles moves unhindered though, when he pulls him to the side, so that they can perch on the barrels against the side.

“I see you’ve met David," Charles says softly.

Erik turns to look at the boy, who grins. “We haven’t been introduced."

“For shame." Charles frowns. “Manners, dearest. You must always introduce yourself to people you hope to befriend, and I hope you and Erik will be friends."

“There was no time," the boy whines, but straightens up when prompted and holds out his hand in a thoroughly royal gesture. “My name is David Xavier Haller. I am the thirtieth duke of Westchester."

“Erik Lehnsherr," Erik says and shakes the little hand as solemnly as he would that of the king. It’s a relief not to have to append a title as heavy as “judge" to his name, all the same.

Then something else occurs to him. “Haller? As in, Captain Gabrielle Haller?"

“Ah," Charles says and bites his lip. “You’ve heard of Gabrielle."

“Everyone’s heard of Captain Haller. She singlehandedly sank more vessels than the Genoshan fleet."

“David, weren’t you supposed to peel the potatoes with Kurt?"

David makes a face, but trudges off obediently. It takes him a few steps to hop onto the railing and climb the ropes with the ease of a monkey, up to the crow’s nest from where another childish face peers at them.

“I served under Captain Haller for a time. We had – well, Gabrielle didn’t much care for being pregnant, or saddled with a child, so here we are, David and I."

“Should I fear the vengeance of a fearsome sky-pirate captain, for touching what’s hers?" Erik asks.

Charles flushes. “You can rest easy, my friend. Gabrielle and I haven’t seen each other in years. I believe she prefers to haunt the southern seas."

What little Erik knows about Captain Haller is that she hails from the south, though how far south he isn’t sure. It would explain David’s colouring, his black curls and golden skin, far different from Charles’ brown and cream. How did she come to bed a Genoshan aristocrat sounds like a tale for a long, alcohol-filled evening.

“Darling," Charles says a few minutes later, turning to face the afternoon sun. He swings his legs over the edge of the railing and hoists himself up, until he is sitting on the edge, with his bare feet dangling three hundred feet over the ocean. “You better stay inside – I’ll fetch a harness for you in a moment. They’re very clever, you’d need to haul yourself further than twenty feet away from the ship, quite an impossible feat when you’re on board, and when you’re up in the rigging, there’s time aplenty for the harness to catch you.

“Oh, I digress. Well, I should inform you now that you should by no means feel imprisoned here. You have earned the gratitude of myself and Emma, and although I shouldn’t say so, Raven, too. She’s my sister, you see, though we have only met when I was fifteen and she twelve. We agreed that if you choose to, we will deliver you to a port of your choosing and provide you with means to ensure you live a comfortable life."

“If I choose?"

Charles turns his head to face Erik. “The choice I was hoping you would make is to stay with us. We have a small crew and we hire none if we can help it. As you can imagine we are usually pressed for hands."

“I know next to nothing about sailing."

“Ah, no trouble at all."

“The captain did mention there an open position of a cabin boy, though."

He elicits a laugh. “Naturally, though you would grow bored. The work on board is gruelling, but it isn’t hard – you will learn most things within the month, and everything else as the occasion arises."

Erik stares at the wooden boards of the deck. He says nothing at all, until there is a sharp cry from the crow’s nest and the ship tilts. Charles’ hand shoots out to grasp Erik’s forearm, even as he throws his legs back inside the ship and hops onto the deck, balancing on the slanted surface with ease. Erik remains where he is, clutching the railing, with the edges of the barrels digging into his buttocks. He isn’t afraid. He’s not even worried. All that floods him is a faint sense of adventure, the very same felling which causes him to take the Beast out for his nightly excursions.

The captain appears on deck again, moving like a snake. She reaches the side and peers over the edge, towards the horizon. “Polar whales," she says, and Erik follows her gaze. A dozen heavy, glistening shapes soar through the air half a mile away. The captain turns and waves her hand, and at the signal a bell starts ringing. Charles hands her a beacon-like device, tethered to a shelf near the cabin door, and steps back, while the ship gently rights herself.

“Whoever is not doing anything crucial hits the hammocks. We are scaling tonight, and I want everyone up and shining on the deck, one hour past sunset." She drops the device back into Charles’ hands, looks up and yells, “That goes for you too! Kurt, David, get some sleep now, if you want to help later."

“Logan wants them working on potatoes," Charles says mildly, which the captain takes in stride.

“… right after you are done with potatoes, you little sneaks!" She turns to Charles and props her hands on her hips. “You’re still on bed rest, so make sure everything is running smoothly now. I’m going down for a nap."

“Yes, ma’am," Charles says, saluting smartly. The captain nods at him and leaves, not before yelling at the two boys one more time.

“Scaling?" Erik asks when they are alone.

“Catching the aurora. We haul it in in the form of shiny, ovoid pieces; they look very much like fish scales." Charles tangles his fingers together. “You know, which reminds me. You’re an accomplished flier, are you not?"

“I do have a beast, but other than that…"

Charles waves his hand and strides towards what Erik strongly suspects is the cargo hold. He winces as he pulls up the hatch and descends the ladder into the twilight. Erik follows without hesitation. Inside, the pale laps flicker to life and Erik sees more or less what he expected a cargo hold on a sky-pirates’ ship to look like: there are crates immobilised by ropes and straps, but by the far wall there is an elongated shape, covered with tarp. The material gives way after the first tug and when it crumbles to the floor Erik is staring at a beast. At the Beast. His Beast, in fact, he notes dispassionately, when the pattern on the flank fully registers. He had the craftsmen carve the waves into the smooth steel – he knows the design as he knows the back of his own hand.

“I believe I had it stored in a supervised hangar by the sea," he says, pressing a palm against the etchings.

“I’m a pirate, luv." Charles smiles down at him and tugs at the tarp some more. “I’m truly sorry about this, but Raven wouldn’t let me keep it unless it was useful, so I fitted it with solar wings. I hope you don’t mind."

Erik doesn’t feel competent enough to comment on the additions, which look like two semi-transparent, folded fans, almost as long as the Beast itself. “What are they for?" he asks.

“Many things. Solar power, for one: you won’t need much fuel to operate her, as long as you fly in the sun a couple times a week. They ought to help with scaling, too, but that’s more complicated. There’s a theory that they stabilise the flight, but that is of course dependent on the flight and the direction of the wind; not the easiest of additions, this particular shape, but I thought…"

Charles trails off, eventually, while Erik looks at him with amusement. “I don’t mind," he says simply.

“Good." Charles pats the Beast and covers her with tarp once again. “It’s not done yet, I’m afraid. I need to run a few more diagnostics. Meanwhile, you can help me with the sails."

There are two things that disappoint Erik in the following hour: the first is that when Charles goes down on his knees before him he is merely buckling a harness around his hips. The second is vertigo. As it turns out he is not wholly comfortable with heights, though he can easily lean over the bannister and stare at the waves miles below. It’s a little different when he is climbing the rigging to reach a section of the sail Charles tells him malfunctions on a regular basis, with a bag of tools slung over his shoulder.

They settle into the nook underneath the topgalant, sheltered from the elements by the sail. Charles fiddles with the circuits while Erik tries not to look down and hands him the tools when prompted.

#fanfic #xmfc #cherik #road to safety or ruin #things that matter in writing

15 notes · View notes

ravenvsfox · 7 years

Note

hey if you're still doing prompts, the time(s) someone outside of the team (or inside) mistakes aaron for andrew or the other way around?? thanks!! i love your writing!!

There should be some sort of rule, Aaron thinks, that identical twins have to avoid celebrity.

It was disarming enough to be a teenager the first time he saw his own face with nothing inside of it, like an indifferent stone likeness. Then Andrew went and got himself famous, made himself important to everyone (including Aaron). He stares out from magazine spreads with his middle finger up when Aaron goes through the checkout counter, and he follows him closely with his reputation.

He’s had patients bow out of the exam room when they heard their intern was ‘A. Minyard’. He’s had anger and relief flip toggles in his chest when he caved and bought a magazine, finding Andrew and Neil piled in Exy gear to promote a product. They looked uncommitted and severe except when they were jostled together and shot from the side, candid, staring.

It almost makes him miss the moments with the foxes when everything was as simple as watching Andrew’s face for the changes and catching the wave to the next game.

But it’s better to have the kind of work that he knows he does best, stockpiled for the rest of medical school and the rest of his life after that. It feels good to stretch on rubber gloves and distance himself from the worst sort of rot in the world.

It feels good for his feet to throb and his head to twist itself into knots, and to come home to Katelyn, who always tries to wait up for him and never can. She passes out with her legs over the armrest of their secondhand couch and her hair fanned over the cushions. He kisses her awake more often than not.

He goes for runs, sometimes, like he never did in college. It’s when his own reflection makes his neck prickle and he thinks, god, he’s here. He’s never not here. If you’re a twin you’re a member of a club, and you’re constantly in uniform.

He gets stopped on the street and asked for his autograph, and he feels comforted to know that his “piss off” is gentler than whatever Andrew would have said.

He sees his own face hoisted at pride, watches Andrew become half of a relationship that handcuffs exy to entire social movements, and it coaxes old fear into his blood. It takes some wrangling and undoing of rusted closed spigots before he realizes that he’s impressed, too.

He hates Neil out of habit. He watches the sun make new colours with Katelyn’s hair at 5 am. He puts his alarm on snooze just so he can lie there with her. He likes that his life is a can on a string, and somewhere, tossed out into another state, in a high-rise with blackout curtains and an orange cat, Andrew has the other can.

Aaron, Katelyn, Nicky and Erik all converge on Neil and Andrew after they win their way to the end of the season. It’s an overdue visit, Nicky says. We just need Neil to get us in the door, and we know Andrew will do whatever he wants.

Aaron’s conflicted enough about it that he calls Nicky from inside the city to lie about their flight being delayed. He paces circles around their motel room until Katelyn throws a pillow at him and he finally droops into sleep beside her.

It’s the longest he’s gone without seeing Andrew since he knew he existed. He didn’t think he would feel so relentlessly unfinished without him, but he doesn’t want to be finished the wrong way either. He’s terrified of it. He thinks about the keyed-up tension of a reunion where all the old hurt of Andrew-Aaron-Nicky and all the healing of Neil-Katelyn-Erik meet and clobber each other to death.

He gets up in the middle of the night before they’re all supposed to have brunch, and he wanders out into the crisp dark morning that’s trying to be born.

It’s quiet, with the city rolling over in its sleep and the streetlights humming for his attention. He doesn’t know where he’s going. Anywhere but the motel room where his thoughts are the towels cushioning breakable china, and he’s smothered in them. He’d rather risk breaking than be choked like that.

Aaron finds the comforting neon glow of a laundromat attached to a 24 hour convenience store, and he feels for the change in his pocket. Katelyn likes those Werther’s hard candies, and she always jokes that Aaron had better hurry up, because she’s already ready to be a grandmother.

He jingles the door open and finds an empty counter and a tiled white floor that’s clean in the middle but grimy in outlines at the shelves’ edges. There’s music spilling out of the back room, something with strings and crooning vocals. There’s a wedged open door to his right with rows of off-white washing machines just beyond it.

He steps in amongst the shelves like he’s trying to camouflage himself in the brush. He likes the feeling of being completely alone with a simple choice to be made. So much of his life is noise and crowds and decisions between bad and worse.

He scoops up a bag of candy that looks a bit curled and dusty, and he finds a bottle of painkillers in the next set of shelves. Andrew’s giving him a stomach ache. The closing distance between them hurts to think about.

He drops both of his products on the glass-sheathed front counter, its hundred lurid lottery tickets glittering beneath the surface. He nods at the woman that comes bustling out of the back, wiping her hands on the back of her skirt. Her face lights up at the sight of him, and she puts both hands on the counter, leaning forward familiarly.

“Already?”

He strains for a second, squinting, waiting for murky waters to settle. She chuckles when he stays silent, and waves a hand.

“Alright, alright. You’re in luck,” she says. She abandons her post, and veers around him to the chest freezer tucked between the counter and the door to the laundromat. She produces a quart of ice-cream and presses it into his hands. He jumps a little, but she doesn’t seem to notice.

“I’m just here for these,” he says firmly, dropping the ice-cream on the piece of counter farthest away from his purchases. She tuts at him. It’s all very surreal, like he’s trying to participate in a piece of very boring, very abstract improv.

“Nonsense.” She reaches under the counter and pops a package of cigarettes with the rest of his growing pile. “No partner today? He giving you a headache?” She gestures at the tylenol on the counter, smiling slyly.

Aaron’s head starts to find purchase and screw on the right way. “Partner,” he repeats.

The woman hums and punches in numbers on the till. “He’s probably out running already, is he?”

“Neil,” Aaron guesses, and the woman looks up at him, confused. Her eyes slide over him properly, surprisingly calculating where they’re set in amongst crows feet and wisps of mousy hair.

“Andrew,” she says calmly. “Is something wrong?”

Aaron sighs. “Aaron,” he corrects. “Andrew’s brother.”

“No,” she says, marvelling. Her hand goes to her chest. “Twins?” He nods. “That’s incredible. Do you know you act just like him?”

“You don’t know me,” he says stiffly. The idea of passing for Andrew even after he’s spoken to a person is completely disconcerting.

“I know your brother,” she says, near laughing, utterly un-offended. She’d have to be, if she knows Andrew. “He might want you to think that no one does, but you learn about people when they buy things from you twice a week. That boyfriend of his is a sweet talker.”

“Maybe we’re not talking about the same people,” Aaron says, frowning.

“You got many other identical siblings?”

He doesn’t answer, a little shellshocked at the thought of it, and she laughs.

“I guess you’re good on chocolate candyland then,” she says, handling the sweating ice-cream container onto the counter opposite.

“Unlike my brother, I want to keep my teeth,” Aaron says tersely, prodding at the cigarettes as he speaks until she takes those away too.

“He knows what he likes,” she says fondly, and Aaron can feel his own expression jerking around, trying to match his feelings. It’s not often that he gets mistaken for Andrew and feels uncomfortably like the worse option. It’s the same way he felt around Neil for most of their time at Palmetto: all the more disappointing for looking so much like something he actually cared about.

She rings up his original two items and stuffs them in a bag with a receipt before he can ask. “Will I be seeing more of you, mysterious twin?”

“Uh, no. Probably not. I don’t get many breaks.”

“From?”

“Med school,” he mutters, fidgeting uncomfortably when she smiles widely at him.

“So you’re the brains and Andrew’s the beauty, then?”

Aaron makes a disbelieving noise before he can tamp it down. “Definitely not.”

The woman hands him his bag, still smiling. “Say hello to your brother and his boy for me? Tell him I’m holding his favourite for him.” She taps the lid of the ice-cream.

Aaron nods stiffly. He can’t really picture Andrew frequenting this place to buy sweets from a bubbly shopkeeper, but he couldn’t have pictured him giving Dobson extravagant ornaments for christmas until he saw it happen.

He turns, plastic bag swinging from his fingers, and he feels her eyes on his back when he breaks out into the milky blue morning.

It feels a bit like waking up, walking outside. There’s some sort of twilight zone behind him, and something bright and sobering about the way the sky is more cream than coffee.

He thinks about Neil and Andrew having an entire life where they go running and buy trashy desserts and befriend middle-aged business owners and smoke together. It doesn’t make him angry anymore, that Andrew chose Neil. You never really choose the way a person means everything to you, you just live with it.

He’s relieved to find Katelyn awake when he gets back, curled around his side of the bed, arm outstretched to the door as soon as he’s inside of it. He trips over his shoes getting out of them and slips under the covers, rolling her on top of him all at once so she laughs, delighted.

“I had the weirdest dream,” she says, yawning into his neck.

“Yeah?” Aaron says. “Me too.”

#i liked writing aaron more than i thought tbh what a messy misguided child #aftg #the foxhole court #tfc fanfic #twinyards #prompt #mine #Anonymous #ask

1K notes · View notes

imagine-loki · 7 years

Text

Blood Is Thicker Than Water, Chapter 4

TITLE: Blood Is Thicker Than Water CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 4 AUTHOR: fanficshiddles ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine that Loki and Magneto (Fassbender) have teamed up together to try and wipe out the human race. So SHIELD track down and send in a mutant (has the ability to communicate with all animals) undercover to try and get close to them for information… RATING: M

The following morning Aurora was up bright and early. She went for a jog and bumped into Erik, who was doing the same.

‘You’re up early.’ He said as he fell into step with her as she jogged around the grounds.

‘I could say the same for you.’ She smiled.

‘I like to make the most of my day. No point wasting it in bed.’ Erik said.

‘Same reason for me. Is Loki up?’

‘He’s been up most of the night. He’s not much of a sleeper. He always has his nose stuck in a book.’

‘Fair enough. Am I able to go and get my things this morning?’ She asked him.

‘Of course. And we need to pick up the mutant. We need to get the ball rolling.’ Erik said determinedly.

‘Who is the mutant? What abilities do they have?’

‘His name is Dante. He has the ability to control electricity. Which will come in very handy.’ Erik smiled.

‘Sounds interesting. Where does he live?’ Aurora asked as they stopped at the front of the house after their jog.

‘Not far from you actually. Just in the nearest village from your cottage.’

‘I still find it creepy that you’ve been spying on me.’ Aurora said as a crow swooped down and landed on her forearm as she put it out for him.

‘It was all for safety. We got information on all mutants and kept a close eye on everyone until we needed to recruit them. When you got taken by SHIELD, we had to step up and save you before it was too late… Do you know what they were going to do experimentation wise?’ Erik asked as he watched Aurora softly stroke the crow.

‘I don’t know. They didn’t tell me anything. Just turned up, caught me unaware and put me in that cell. I don’t know what I would have done if you and Loki didn’t come along to rescue me.’ Aurora lied as she looked over at Erik and smiled.

‘Well, we weren’t just going to leave you to be used for some god awful experimentation.’ Erik grinned as he put his hand on her shoulder before going inside.

Aurora looked to the crow and smiled.

‘I’m going to need you to deliver something for me.’ She said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a note for Fury.

All she had written was that she was ok. And they were already starting to trust her. Also that they didn’t have a plan set up as of yet. But she would let him know as soon as she found out anything more.

She had just sent the crow away with the note when Loki came outside.

‘Ah, there you are. Come on, breakfast is served.’ He said, making Aurora jump slightly as she didn’t notice him coming out.

‘Jesus, Loki. You made me jump.’ She said as she put her hand over her heart.

‘Sorry, darling. Come on. Or I will eat yours.’ Loki chuckled as he held the door open for her, looking at her expectantly.

She followed him inside to find that one of their minion helpers had made breakfast.

‘Don’t you guys do anything for yourselves?’ Aurora asked as she sat down at the table with both Loki and Erik to eat. ‘I can understand Loki being like that, coming from a royal background. But what’s your excuse?’ Aurora teased as she looked at Erik.

Loki chuckled and looked at Erik as well, waiting for his answer.

‘When there is someone there to do stuff for you, what’s the point on doing it yourself?’ Erik shrugged.

‘Fair enough… Just seems lazy to me.’ Aurora teased.

‘Are you forgetting who saved you yesterday?’ Erik said as he glared at Aurora across the table.

‘I was just saying.’ Aurora said as she put her hands up in defense.

Loki just chuckled at the conversation that was going on.

‘After breakfast one of us will take you back home so you can get some things you need.’ Erik said, swiftly changing the subject.

‘I’ll take her.’ Loki said quickly.

Erik looked at him with an eyebrow up.

‘Fine. Just remember to get Dante as well on your way back.’ Erik said with a grudge.

‘We will, calm down.’ Loki said as he looked to Aurora and winked at her.

Aurora didn’t know what to say or do, so she just looked down at her food and continued eating. The entire situation was so strange, she thought. She couldn’t quite get her head around it.

Erik wasn’t entirely happy about letting Loki go with Aurora alone. He had never seen Loki interested in someone before, so it was blatantly obvious to him that he was very into Aurora.

‘Make sure you keep her safe.’ Erik said quietly to Loki before he left with Aurora.

‘What do you take me for?’ Loki smirked and walked away from him to the jeep, where Aurora was waiting.

Erik rolled his eyes with a sigh as he watched the jeep drive them away down the drive.

Loki sat opposite Aurora in the jeep and he gave her a cheeky grin as they headed off.

‘What?’ Aurora asked as she looked at him.

‘Nothing. It’s just Erik doesn’t seem to trust me around you for some reason.’ Loki shrugged.

‘Maybe it’s your mischievous demeanor.’ Aurora smirked.

‘Perhaps. Or maybe he wants you for himself.’ Loki said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Aurora’s eyes widened.

‘Uh, why would you think that?’ Aurora asked.

‘Come off it, girl. There’s something about you that is very entrancing. You’re a beautiful woman.’ Loki said honestly, and that surprised Aurora.

‘Doesn’t mean he likes me in that way. I’ve heard he’s protective of other mutants. Besides, he’s not my type anyway.’ Aurora shrugged and looked out of the window.

‘What is your type?’ Loki asked.

Aurora looked at Loki but didn’t say anything. But the blush that crept up over her chest and cheeks was a big giveaway, making Loki smirk.

She just rolled her eyes and tried to concentrate on the countryside as it passed by the window. She smiled as she saw wild horses running alongside the road, they all whinnied towards the jeep before running off in another direction.

Loki looked to Aurora with an eyebrow up.

‘Do you know those horses?’ Loki asked.

‘Yes. They often go through the forest where I live. I give them a safe place to stay for a few days while they rest and graze around. They especially like all the carrots and apples I give them.’ She smiled.

Loki smiled back at her. There really was something special about Aurora. He couldn’t believe he was falling so hard and fast for someone he had just met. Someone from Midgard as well. Though he knew she was much more than just a mere mortal. She had an incredible power that amazed him. But there was something about simply being around her that made him feel, happy. He wondered if that was to do with her power with the animals. As she clearly made them all feel comfortable and at ease around her.

‘What are you thinking about?’ Aurora asked, snapping Loki from his thoughts as he had just been looking at her while thinking.

‘I’m just wondering whether you look as good naked as you do clothed.’ Loki said seductively with a grin.

Aurora’s mouth opened but she didn’t know what to say. So she closed it again and shook her head.

‘I may be a god, but I’m still male. You can’t blame me for trying.’ Loki shrugged.

When they arrived at Aurora’s place, Loki was on high alert just in case. He went into her cottage first to make sure it was clear. Then he allowed Aurora in so she could pack a suitcase with things she needed.

She was all finished packing and went outside to see Loki. But she stopped dead at the door at the sight before her. Fenrir was there, as he had smelled Aurora and wanted to check she was ok. But Loki was crouched down on front of him, softly stroking his muzzle.

Aurora couldn’t believe it. Fenrir was the leader of his pack and it had even taken Aurora a while to gain his trust and acceptance.

‘Loki?’ She said as she walked over towards them both.

He looked over to her and smiled.

‘He’s a beauty.’ He said quietly and calmly as he rubbed the wolf’s muzzle with his hand.

‘Yeah. He sure is… How did you get near him?’ She asked as she went closer to them both and Fenrir turned to her and nuzzled against her.

‘I might have a way with animals too.’ Loki shrugged and looked rather smug.

‘Seriously? Fenrir took weeks before he accepted me in his forest and that’s even with my mutation.’ Aurora grumbled as she scratched the big wolf behind his ear.

‘I have a thing about wolves. Snakes too. They’re my specialty. I befriended a pack of wolves when I was a child. They were the only friends I had. I was heartbroken when they passed away. The leader of the pack looked a lot like this one actually.’ Loki said as he gazed at Fenrir in awe.

Aurora suddenly felt a rather strong pull towards Loki. She had already found him rather attractive, yes. Also his intelligence was something she liked. But the fact that Fenrir accepted him instantly, made her wonder if there was even a bad bone in his body.

Though she knew there was, to an extent, after everything he had told her. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder if there was a lot more to him than met the eye, than what he wanted people to know about.

‘We best get going. We shouldn’t hang around here for too long. We have Dante to get as well, or Erik will have my ass.’ Loki said as he gave Fenrir one last stroke on his head and then turned towards the jeep.

‘I’ll be with you in a second.’ Aurora said to Loki, who nodded and left her to say goodbye to her friend.

‘I hope I’ll see you again someday, Fenrir. I’m not entirely sure what the hell is going on anymore. Or what is going to happen. It’s only my second day with Loki and Erik. But I already feel torn and bad for spying on them… Maybe I’m supposed to be on the other side. I don’t know… Farewell for now, my friend. Thank you for everything.’ Aurora said to Fenrir, before giving the wolf a kiss on his muzzle.

The one thing that Fenrir said to Aurora before she left, was that no matter what happened she was to stick with Loki.

Aurora wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that. But she knew Fenrir was rarely wrong, if ever. And he clearly saw something in Loki, which was good enough for her.

Erik was starting to get antsy by the time Loki got back with Aurora.

He was outside to meet them and his face was like thunder when he noticed they didn’t have Dante with them.

‘Where is Dante?’ He snarled at Loki.

‘He wasn’t there. There was no sign of him at all. Are you sure you gave us the right address?’ Loki snarled back at him.

‘Of course I gave you the right address. Did you look properly?’ Erik snapped.

‘He wasn’t there, Erik. There was no sign of him at all. He was maybe just out somewhere. We will try again later.’ Aurora said as she stepped slightly between the two men, who looked like they wanted to snap each other’s heads off.

Erik looked to Aurora and his features softened.

‘Alright. I’ll go later and check myself.’ Erik said as he took a step backwards.

‘Did you get everything you needed?’ He asked Aurora to change the subject.

‘Yes, thank you. Loki made a new friend too.’ Aurora smiled as she looked at Loki, who still looked a bit pissed off with Erik.

‘What do you mean?’ Erik asked as he looked back and forth from Loki and Aurora.

‘I have a friend wolf called Fenrir. He owns the forest. Loki met him while I was packing. Surprisingly, he accepted him very quickly.’ Aurora said, impressed.

‘That’s nice.’ Erik said coldly as he glared at Loki then went back inside.

‘What’s his problem?’ Aurora asked Loki.

‘I don’t know. He’s been acting weirder than normal from the moment we heard you were kidnapped.’ Loki said as he looked down at Aurora.

‘Really? I wonder why.’ Aurora said in wonder.

#Loki #God of Mischief #Submitted fic #submission #Blood Is Thicker Than Water #fanficshiddles #chapter 4 #magneto #S.H.I.E.L.D.#mutant #undercover #animals #daughter #dismay #trith #decide

35 notes · View notes

fanficshiddles · 7 years