Queer, Mutant, German, Jewish. Many people hated Erik Lehnsherr because of those things. But Charles didn't. Charles loved Erik because of who he was.
When you're married to an ex-mass terrorist people expect you to be a bit of a psychopath. Charles may be a psychic but he wasn't a psycho. He'd heard it all, people always found a reason to hate him: too smart, too innocent, too optimistic, disabled, telepathic, queer. He was used to it by now.
They were both used to it by now.
Nothing stopped the happy couple from enjoying their evening chess game in their living room, occasionally accompanied by a glass of scotch.
Nothing stopped them from being affectionate. Now that they were legally married, they no longer had to hide their relationship. The kisses behind closed doors from their youth were long gone. Things have changed since then, now their small kisses on the cheek or lips didn't have to be hidden. They could freely walk down the street, hand in hand.
Many of the students in Charles' school looked at them with a mixture of expressions. Admiration, confusion, curiosity, surprise and mock-disgust.
They admired how their relationship seemed to have withheld decades of fighting but at the end of the day, love triumphs over hate.
The students were often confused how they were together, two mutants with vastly different political ideas that were known for being enemies for many years. But deep down, they never really hated each other - they couldn't. Their love was much stronger than their hate... (or sexual frustration as many of the children referred to it as).
Some of the younger students were curious about their intriguing relationship, they wanted to know how their beloved headmaster ended up with his husband. No one - apart from the two men themselves - knew the entire story. Not even some of their closest friends knew.
When you hear the names Magneto and Professor X, you think of the great enemies both fighting for mutant rights in vastly different ways. You don't tend to think of two men whose love is stronger than most people's. Newcomers at the school are surprised when they see the pair together outside of a class situation. Whether it be seeing them play chess, watching Erik push Charles' wheelchair as they went for a walk around the grounds or simply seeing them smile at each other. Their smiles were what shocked people the most. Many people had never seen a smile that showed the sheer amount of love the two men had for each other.
Some of the older students regarded them in mock disgust. They disliked seeing them be affectionate but that was probably because many of them were jealous that they didn't have a partner - Charles' words. Erik believed that it was just because they were being little assholes to piss them off (not that it actually worked).
No couple has ever loved their partner more than Charles and Erik. To Erik, Charles was the best person in the world, the only person who understood him and the only person who truly saw him for who he was as most people failed to try and see past his 'I'm an evil villain don't talk to me' facade.
Charles thought that Erik was incredible: passionate and intelligent. His witty remarks and logical arguments always kept Charles on his toes. He was the only person Charles didn't have to pretend to be strong for.
They had been through so much together but that has never stopped them. Perhaps soulmates are just too people who are too stubborn to be pulled apart. No matter what happens, they always return to each other as, at the end of the day, love triumphs all.
