Charlotte Xavier - A Thousand Years

First Date

"Don't leave my hyper heart alone on the water
Cover me in rag and bone sympathy"

~ "Sorrow", The National

... ...

The peace talks had been a temporary solution at best, Charlotte knew, but it had worked for the time. The violence traded like blows between the Brotherhood and the Friends of Humanity slowed and shrinked in scale though the prejudice remained on both sides.

Eventually, after deliberation, the President had agreed to regard the Brotherhood and Friends of Humanity equally as terrorist groups and therefore equally punishable under the law. They also agreed to pursue the Friends of Humanity just as fiercely as they hunted Magneto, who Charlotte regretfully gave up as Erik Lehnsherr.

It was nearly two years later that they next saw each other.

...

Charlotte had grown into her academic persona with age. She had not lied when she'd said that she was one of the foremost experts on evolutionary genetics. With time, she became the foremost expert, the go-to consultant on all matters mutant, as well as a voice for equality on all fronts.

Charlotte wasn't a real professor at a university but some occasionally asked her to speak. Columbia was one of them and had specifically asked her to give a series of guest lectures about recent advances in genetics. As she had done little lately in academia outside of mutants, she accepted the offer.

On her third lecture, Charlotte was discussing the recent developments in DNA sequencing. "Just last year, amazing progress has been made." She began, looking out to the full auditorium of students and several teachers. "Between the developments of Maxam, Gilbert, and Sanger, methods to sequence human DNA are not far off. Within a few decades surely—certainly within your lifetimes. Now, what we can learn from these developments..."

In the back of the auditorium, a familiar presence came in through the back doors. Erik met Charlotte's eyes and nodded before leaning against the back wall to listen.

Charlotte recovered with barely a pause and continued her lecture with more gusto than ever.

...

After the last straggling students had left, Erik came up to meet Charlotte in front of the stage.

Charlotte greeted him with a kiss to Erik's cheek and a smile. "I was beginning to think it would be another ten years before I saw you, my love."

"I was in New York." Erik said quietly. "I thought I might catch you out...I need to speak with you."

Charlotte paused. "Is this business or personal?"

"Both, I suppose." Erik replied.

Charlotte nodded. "Alright, but you're taking me to dinner then if it's not just business." She told Erik sternly but ruined the effect with a fond smile.

...

Ten minutes later found them seated in an Italian restaurant for dinner.

Charlotte chuckled quietly as they glanced through the menus. "In twelve years, this is our first date."

With a shrug, Erik replied. "It depends on your definition of a date. One might consider our late night chess games dates."

Charlotte smiled nostalgically as memories of those long nights full of chess and conversation and companionship came to her mind.

After a waitress took their orders, Charlotte studied Erik before her and saw the tension in his frame. She reached across the table to grasp his hands in hers. "Why did you seek me out, Erik?" She asked quietly. "What's this business of which you spoke earlier?"