Patience( Book Two)

Aftermath: Broken Glass

"It's better to feel pain,

than nothing at all,

the opposite of love's 

Indifference."

________Charlie_______TW: Heavy Themes___________

Brooksville

Population: 758

When Raven was a young girl she had the type of mind that could conjure worlds. The type of mind that kept her fascinated with the universe that blossomed so quickly around her. It was magical in a way, how the Earth would lean briskly into Raven's small ears and giggle fondly at such peculiarities that would sprout there. Laughter, freshly picked from the daisies buds would fall open in her palms before trailing under her feet like the breadcrumbs in a fairytale. She believed in everything she was told, a sort of naïve trust in the world that she fell into. And more often than not, the world caught her if she tripped, a soft pillowy cloud ready to keep her afloat in her imagination. Keep the fairies alive in their ceramic homes and the fantastical creatures hibernating soundly beneath her toes. Bright blue eyes, oversized bag full of jars, the sound of Charles stepping slowly into Raven's creation. The two would play for hours in this wonderland before the call of the evening light. And the days continued on as so, years would pass blissfully, until something in Raven shifted. She grew tired of games, began to look for solace in the arms of others and eventually forgot all about the worlds she created. The grass overgrown inside the ceramic fairy homes and the jars got lost to time. And, the day came, as it always does, for change. Seasons passed and Charles and Raven's absence left the place feeling a few degrees colder. Without warmth and care, the Xavier Estate was left empty, Mr. and Mrs. Xavier gone to whatever life had in store for them. Eventually the staff was let go, no longer needed to care for the siblings or prepare dinner for the family. No gardeners to clip the vines and no weekly blade to chop the grass, the place was left to rot and crumble. Finally, Mother Nature was left to reclaim what was always hers.

It was just before seven in the morning when Charlie got his day started, there was a certain degree of unwanted panic that came with all of this. Some confusion scratched against his skin as he lay tangled in the sheets of his childhood home. He and Erik had taken a room down the hall, one of the larger guest halls. They managed to find some sheets and blankets that were left behind with everything else here, abandoned and moth eaten. But, they had done their job to fight against the chill. Of course, part of the warmth had come from the steady rise and fall of Erik as he held Charlie close, sensing the panic that had overtaken him. Charlie watched Erik, his eyes moving lazily beneath his eyelids as dreams ran rampant in his mind. His strong chest holding his kind heart. The way his calloused hands held Charlie's waist, as if to ask him to stay. The way that, even here, Erik smelled of fresh strawberries and sweet vanilla cakes.

"You're beautiful," Charlie whispered as he kissed Erik softly on the forehead. Unable to sleep, Charlie had made himself a list of things to do before everyone else woke up. They were simple things like getting the electricity, water and heat turned back on for the house. That wouldn't be much of an issue and if he wanted to fix up the other guest room for Sylvia and Colette he needed water to clean everything. He needed to call Marina and let her know Raven was okay and somehow find a way to get some breakfast made. Because if Charles knew anything it was that Erik would be starving and Raven would be angry. Charlie tried to push away thoughts of Raven for now, knowing he would cross that bridge when she woke up.

Charlie tip-toed to his suitcase and pulled out a sweater and sweatpants before quietly leaving the bedroom. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet and the strange shadows that played on the walls of the hallway were unsettling. He was sure, as he passed each on, to open the long curtains and let the future sunshine in. The dust was dancing in the air by the time he was done, it layered on everything, smothering everything. He made a mental note to make another call to get this place cleaned. Years of neglect probably left it much more unsanitary than he thought. Charlie frowned as he made his way to the stairs, the strangeness of being here was settling in. The feeling was odd, he had changed so much. He had grown a few inches, his scars had lightened up and his mind had become unclouded. He had seen the world through the eyes of someone new and now to return here, it was like he was walking into the home of a stranger. This place, whatever it had been to him, no longer belonged to him. He was a guest here, and maybe in some way that was better than the soul crushing nostalgia and longing that should come. Maybe it was a sign that he would be okay during his time here, that getting Raven better wouldn't be the harrowing mental task he had thought.