Five time you didn't get it (and the one time you did)

Title: Five time you didn't get it (and the one time you did)
Author: subtilior
Pairing: Erik/Charles (but also gen-ish)
Rating: PG

For the prompt: "I'm quite intrigued by the idea of the younger mutants not knowing about Charles and Erik back when they were friends. I imagine they'd be really shocked to see their enemy, magneto, jetting off to rescue their professor.

So. Someone attacks or kidnaps or kills Charles, and everyone's sort of lost. Maybe the younger mutants are praying or begging for someone to help them, only to have their savior end up being Magneto. Maybe some of them want vengeance or to go after the attackers, only to find out that Magneto rained holy hell upon them already. Or maybe the last thing Charles says is to "find Erik," or they don't recognize the handsome older gentleman without his trademark helmet."

This - just - the ending, oh my god, I mean the entire story already had this subtle and gradually growing feeling of constricted sadness, but that ending just broke my heart. Oh Charles ::BIG HUGS::

2 stories about Charles "seducing" Erik's friends away

For the prompt: "So I dunno maybe the whole divorce scene ended differently but Erik still kind of left, but not really for good. Charles is all understanding that Erik has to 'find himself' or 'Work out his human hating issues' or whatever, and he promises that he won't force Erik to come back to him. He'll wait.

But Erik's new minions are fair game.

Cue Charles being sweet to Azazel and they are suddenly very buddy-buddy and hanging out all the time talking philosophy. Emma and Charles live a very similar life style and they often go to the same restaurants and operas and just happen to 'see' each other there. Riptide, who always kind of felt like the least powerful of the team, finds a kind and understanding friend who doesn't see him as another tool for power. Angel, seeking forgiveness, is accepted into Charles home with open arms. Raven, it's his sister of course she wants to see her brother but she's standing by Erik. Pretty much all of Erik's new friends are now hanging out with Charles, seduced by his kind smiles and generous heart, they badger Erik for being a horrible boyfriend and leaving poor Charles all his lonesome. Coming back to the lair talking about the cookies Charles made them and how he's always talking about Erik like the guy just stepped out for a cigarette, and really what kind of guy leaves a guy like Charles alone and not worry that someone else is going to snatch that up.

Of course Erik come home, he has to stop this madness unless Charles drives him crazy. Maybe some possessive, jealous sex to clear the air, and then a happy family breakfast in the morning with everyone to enjoy the reunion."

Title: Friend Like Me (WIP)
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Erik/Charles (at some point, so far it's been gen)
Rating: PG

Hahaha the portrayal of the Brotherhood is awesome in this. I love the individual character studies, the little details - this is building up to be even more enjoyable than it already is, and I can't wait :D

Title: Shared Custody (scroll down)
Author: smilebackwards
Pairing: Erik/Charles, Azazel/Raven (although this is mostly gen, really)
Rating: PG-13

Charles baking! Basically winning everyone's heart with scones ("The scone Azazel is served from the finished batch is the lightest, fluffiest thing he's ever tasted. He honestly considers defecting. Raven laughs and puts a hand on his forearm. "You look like you're having a mouth orgasm," she says.")! Azazel's crush on Raven! This is cute and hilarious (although some of Charles's complete open-arms policy regarding members of the Brotherhood is... a little... odd sometimes, but then with the slight AU-twist of the beach scene maybe that's understandable), and the ending, good lord.

The Gunpowder Files

Title: The Gunpowder Files
Author: tawabids
Pairing: Erik/Charles (although this is pretty gen)
Rating: R for violence?

For the prompt: "... In a semi-historical-maybe-maybe-not AU, Erik is known to be very dangerous and a smooth operator, killin' bad dudes and somehow getting away with it. I...don't know how. One day, this horrible rich family offers to pay Erik to kill their disabled son, "putting him out of his misery". Erik says eff that, and just gets Charles to leave with him when he skips town. They fight whatever it is that Erik fights in this fic..."

I love the writing in this fic. Absolutely love, love, adore. It's a very different take on Erik and Charles's personalities, and how they can work together instead of apart like in the movie. I like the darker side of Charles in this story, the way he's kind of... sharper around the edges, and the relationship between Charles and Erik, Erik and his mother (yay Edie!), and Charles and Edie are just.. gritty and raw and beautiful.

Utterly Unnecessary Second Fill

Title: Utterly Unnecessary Second Fill
Author: irenak
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

For the prompt: "Deadpool declaring "I ship Cherik". Maybe he has a T-shirt? Bonus if at least one person goes "WTF is cherik?""

Bwahahaha finally something lighthearted and funny after all those beautiful but sad stories! I'm actually not that familiar with either Deadpool or Nate (honestly the most I've encountered these two is Ryan Renolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which obviously isn't saying much), but good lord this is hilarious, and from what I can tell the characteristics are spot on. Also, Wade? Is ths most hilarious person EVER. I mean... "They need each other. They're two halves of the same whole, two sides of the same coin, yin to yang, apples to oranges, magnets to... other magnets." OTHER MAGNETS OMG I DIED LAUGHING.

By The Waters of Lethe

Title: By The Waters of Lethe
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Gen mostly
Rating: PG

For the prompt: "Charles's power somehow backfired and wreaked havoc on his own mind. Now he talks constantly to/about someone named Erik, who he thinks of as his protector and lover. Erik is as real to Charles as any other person, but to everyone else, he's just a ghost. "

This amazingly gorgeous and sad, and I love Raven's care for Charles here - I'm starting to like more and more stories with a focus on their relationship, and this one hits all of my buttons.

Objects in a Mirror

Title: Objects in a Mirror
Author: cityofmist
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

For the prompt: "I have seen a few prompts for Human!Charles and Mutant!Erik, but now I would like to see the opposite. Something where Human!Erik hates mutants. How would he have reacted to Charles?? Would Charles hide his mutation?? Does Raven out him to Erik?? Are they already in a relationship when Erik finds out?? Maybe Erik hates mutants because his family was killed by them. Or maybe he knows most think humans are to be exterminated and mutants are the future so he stays away from them. Anything goes. :)

Bonus if he and Charles end up together and happy in the end. "

This is beautiful - from Erik's very human prejudice to Raven's angry pride (and I love how in this fic Raven apparently walks around the house in her natural blue form 'cause there isn't anything restricting her from doing so), to the final beginnings of friendship between Erik and Charles - it's so interesting, because Magneto is so intense in his ideologies of mutant superiority, but you flip the coin and he can be just as intensely distasteful of mutants when he's human. I guess Erik just doesn't like people who are different? :P Joking, tangent, anyways this is a beautiful piece (and the part about Hank just made me sad, 'cause I could so see things going that way from movie canon), and I really can't say enough good things about it <3

2 Stories About The Children Protecting Erik

For the prompt: "I'd like something, gen or slash is fine, with the kids being protective of Erik, maybe he's physically hurt and they all rally round to help. Or someone is verbally cruel - maybe they pick up on his accent, perhaps they hear him curse in German and call him a Nazi. "

Title: Mistaken
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Gen (Erik/Charles)
Rating: PG-13

Awww this is short and packs a punch. I love how the boys protect Erik - and how Charles just knows how to handle it the best way possible.

Title: Wir Schützen Was Wir Lieben (scroll down)
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Gen (Erik/Charles)
Rating: NC-17

It's a very interesting thing that even though Erik's been in the concentration camps, because he speaks German, people assume he was on the other side of that situation, and react accordingly. This is... painful because it's so brutal, so completely visceral, and even the ending is... there's a calm, but also this unsettled feeling that things aren't quite all right ::shiver::

Family of Blood

Title: Family of Blood
Author: pentre_katblake Pairing: Erik/Charles, but really gen
Rating: I want to say R for the initial concentration camp stuff, but PG-13 probably also works...

For the prompt: "... I would love the see a fic where Charles meet another survivor of Shaw “experiments”, except this mutants isn’t on a path of revenge, nor hating humans, because it’s very clear in his/her head that the worst part of her life was inflicted to him/her by a mutant and not by a human..."

I apparently have a kink for living survivors of Erik's family. This story is... I don't even have words. The character of this story isn't even Erik or Charles, it's Ruth Lensherr, Erik's younger sister, it's her life and the lives of the X-Men as told through her eyes, and it is amazing because you take Erik and Ruth, you put them both in the same circumstances (Shaw trying to get more out of their powers), but when they both get out Ruth gets love while Erik doesn't, and that really shapes the people they become and the ethics they have. The story brought me to tears more than once, there are so many places where I just want to snatch Erik up and hug the living daylights out of him (well and Charles too), because it's not just simple and easy and happily-ever-after, it's life in the truest form, and I adore it ::snuggles up to the story and gazes into it's eyes::

Let's Take A Chance on Happiness

Title: Let's Take A Chance on Happiness
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

Written for the picture prompt, as well as this: "On his mother's birthday he gets dressed up and combs out his hair and buys a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He might not have a grave to visit, but he sets the flowers by the window and sits all day. He knows she won't come home, but he has to do it."

::sobs:: Oh Erik. No rec would do this fic justice. Just go read it. And then go hug your mom and tell her you love her.

Five Lessons Charles Taught (and One He Learned)

Title: Five Lessons Charles Taught (and One He Learned)
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

Written for the prompt that's basically a different phrasing of the title.

I love the little insights to each of these characters - Darwin gets some love, yeah! - and the interactions just feel very true and very them. Some of it's sad, some of it's funny, and all of it is life.

3 stories about Charle's Childhood

So this is a triple rec because they all resulted from the same prompt, but they are all beautiful, so you should just keep scrolling until you reach the end of the page and have read all three.

The prompt is: "So somehow Charles gets turned into a kid/baby. While the team scrabble to work out how to put him right they try to look after him. Turns out, Charles doesn't need much looking after. If he's a baby, he never cries. If he's a little kid, he's really self-sufficient.

Everyone's charmed/amused by this except one person (I vote Sean - being the walking, stoned Irish Catholic stereotype that he is in the film he probably has a big family) who is really unnerved by this. All babies cry. Kids that age are not that independent - they're just not. Unless they're used to nothing happening when they cry/used to fending for themselves.

When he's returned to normal, they question Charles about this."

Title: The Welfare of a Child
Author: oddegg
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

Oh this one made me cry. The little things Charles does, Sean's reaction to them, the final confrontation when Charles was back, everyone's reactions - goddamn, excuse me while I go cry again just thinking about any child growing up like that, Charles in particular. Oh Charles T_T


Title: Self-Reliance (scroll down past The Welfare of a Child)
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

This one actually has funny bits in it, mainly because the kids are mad about the divorce and so keep thinking about Erik in quite unfavorable terms (I mean - "Sean thought of a two year old who was so self-sufficient that he set his own bed times and wished he knew what rock Erik was hiding under so that he could go scream in his ear and shatter his eardrums," BWAHAHAHAHA, because Sean could literally do that, OMG), but still. I love the idea that Sean goes to Charles after he's "normal" again, because Sean in the movie was just... there, but he shows such depth and maturity here, it makes me happy :)


Title: Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails (scroll down past Self-Reliance)
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

This one is just - THE ENDING, OH GOD, THE ENDING. A punch straight to my heart.

Our Fallibility

Title: Our Fallibility
Author: lyceumidence
Pairing: Gen (mainly), Erik/Charles (just a little bit)
Rating: PG

Written for the (paraphrased) prompt: young!Charles actually made his mom love him, tried to undo it by the time he got older and knew better, but by that time it was too late and he'd already messed up her psyche.

This is... oh my god it's beautiful and so painful and there's always that underlying unease of "something's not quite right," and you feel for Charles's mother, you really do, but what really got to me was that very very last section at the end - god it brought tears to my eyes. Oh Charles, all you wanted was to be loved (snatches him up and hug him and then runs away from Erik very very fast) T_T

Enervate

Title: Enervate
Author: Just Another Anon
Pairing: Erik/Charles, but also gen-ish
Rating: R (for implied rape and non-con)

Written for the prompt: "Charles had an abusive childhood (like in the comics, but worse) and when he finally got away, he repressed everything behind mental walls, to the point he doesn't really remember anything about it. After the events of the movie, his mental state deteriorates, and those walls come down."

The pacing of this fic is perfect - the slow, gradual buildup of something's not quite right, to oh shit but it's too late, and to Charles's complete lockdown, is completely beautiful. I love how it shows his absolute love and devotion to Raven - I feel like there's not enough emphasis on the fact that he loves her even though she's blue, but "Right now she’s blonde and pretty – she’s usually blonde and pretty, but she’s really blue and pretty, and she can make herself look like anyone at all, and he thinks she’s pretty much amazing" made me go YES CHARLES LOVES HER ORIGINAL FORM AS WELL. It's also painful, especially when we get to all the memories that Charles has locked up, and those lines about how Charles protected Raven from Kurt, and Emma turning into diamond form out of instinct - those brought tears to my eyes. Oh Charles.

Fluorescent

Title: Fluorescent
Author: aaido
Pairing: Gen
Rating: R for implied non-con as well as torture

Written for the prompt: "AU where Erik & Charles end up in something akin to what Erik has always feared, lab rats for some agency or government, and Erik (and/or other members of their little family) are used as leverage to force Charles to perform increasingly nasty things for their captors. Bonus points for Erik trying to preserve Charles' foolhardy idealism throughout because he can't bear to see him lose it this way."

Omph. How to fully describe this - it's such a harsh look at what could have happened to Charles and Erik, and how humans truly fear what they don't know, and the lengths they're willing to go to undo that fear, and even though I feel so bad for Charles as he slowly loses his faith in humanity, I can't help but also feel like "well of course, what were the humans expecting, treating him like that?" I just want to hug the both of them >_<

The name for God on the lips and hearts of all children

Title: The name for God on the lips and hearts of all children
Author: oddegg
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

Written for the prompt: "The first time Charles purposefully manipulated another's mind, he made his mother love him."

The prompt broke my heart, and the fill took the pieces and ground them into dust. It's so painful, especially the part where Charles goes to a friend's house and sees how other mothers interact with their children >_< Also, the last line is my favorite line and packs an incredible punch.

Untitled (the drinking game one)

Title: Untitled (the drinking game one)
Author: oddegg
Pairing: Established Erik/Charles to me, although it could also be seen as gen
Rating: PG (unless mentions of shots and alcohol merit a higher rating?)

Written for the prompt: "The kids start a drinking game where they take a shot every time Charles says 'groovy' or 'my friend.' They are always drunk."

Bwahahaha how can a prompt like this not end up in hilariously amazing fic? Or amazingly hilarious? I especially adore the fact that Erik gets to yell "SHOTS!" so the kids don't miss a drink, and these two lines are priceless:

Erik said thoughtfully “Perhaps next time you should smoke up every time he puts his fingers to his forehead.”

Sean looked up at him, slightly green, and said “There’s not enough Mary Jane in the world, man!”

Couldn't Swallow, Couldn't Get To Sleep (WIP)

Title: Couldn't Swallow, Couldn't Get To Sleep (you'll have to scroll down to Fill #2)
Author: Anonymous
Pairing: Can't tell if it's Gen or Erik/Charles, so I'm going to label it as both for now
Rating: PG-13 so far

For the prompt that asks for someone to figure out that Charles's childhood wasn't idyllic, even with the money and the mansion. This is a WIP, and I normally wait until WIPs are finished before reading them (what can I say, I'm a sucker for instant gratification), but man... I have to rec this, because the slow build up and the gradual insights we get from Erik's point of view of Charles's childhood is heartbreaking and chilling makes my heart ache. Part of me wants the author to draw it out longer so I can really take my time savoring the suspense, and part of me is biting my nails going "OMG tell me what happened NOOOOWWWWWW."

No Compass Guiding Me

Title: No Compass Guiding Me
Author: red-wilderness
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG

Written for this prompt: "So...what the hell happened to Erik's father? LOL! It's never mentioned. Does he die in the camps? Does he live and reunite with Erik later? Does he also have a secret mutant power??? Bonus points if Erik's father is a badass mutant. Extra bonus points if he totally disapproves of Erik's ideology and sides with Charles - thus proving that one CAN live through hell and still come out the other side not embittered/hating humanity."

Isn't this already the best premise!? I hadn't realized how much I needed this in my life until I read the fic - and it's amazing. Erik's dad is badass and wise and he loves his son while being such a dad - "There isn’t an easy way to contact him, of course, because apparently Erik is a terrorist now, and they are going to need to have a talk about that. " ::rolls on floor laughing:: This is so much LOVE XD