Minds over Metals: Cherik Fic Rec Blog

A Charles Xavier/Erik Lehnsherr fanfiction blog/archive. Submissions now open, so submit fics you recommend if they haven't been featured here before!

[keirametzbrassknuckles]

I forget how much of the X-Men movie verse is just

Charles: my old friend, my love, we could have retired to a house by the sea where no one knows us and I would have kissed you in the sunshine and tenderly fed you fresh fruit every day for breakfast had shit not gotten real. Please reconsider your decision to kill us.

Erik: I still dream of that house by the sea and making love to you every night and bringing you your tea made just how you like it every morning, my love, my old friend. I'm gonna kill you now.

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: librata

Rated: Explicit

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 9,057+

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr makes a foray into the life he thought he had left behind him long ago and accepts a job as a hired submissive for a wealthy man looking for something he can't seem to get on his own. Charles, it turns out, isn't awful, but if his past offers any sort of indicator for what's to come, Erik can't be entirely sure.

Or, an AU in which submissive!Erik and dominant!Charles learn how to grow together.

Rec notes: I am a big fan of Sub!Erik and I was so excited when I found this. This is another in progress fic that left me guessing and I’m excited to see where Librata takes it. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: InsertSthMeaningful

Rated: Teen

Pairings: Erik/Charles, Erik/Shaw 

Length: 8,226

Summary: One lovely spring afternoon, a Stranger walks into Raven and Irene's coffee slash flower shop and straight into Charles' life. He's deliciously tall, a mutant- and, in Charles' opinion, incredibly sweet when you get to know him, which Charles is more than willing to do.

There is only one problem: Charles' Stranger is married.

Rec notes: In which Charles falls for a married!Erik. I love the little details in the fic, like the chapter names. It’s a quick but sweet read.

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: nextraordinaire

Rated: Mature

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 2,611

Summary: A month is too long a time to wait to offer an apology. Erik doesn’t know if it’s too late to beg for forgiveness.

Rec notes: I went on an angst binge and this one of my reads. It’s short but is beautifully written with a lot of background plot. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: Voiid_Vagabond (Saturn_the_Almighty)

Rated: Mature

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 4,187+

Summary: Charles is a geneticist on his way to a conference in Australia. Erik is a wildlife photographer headed the same way.

During their flight, disaster strikes and they are the only two remaining, stranded on an island. Alone. Can they survive until help arrives? Will help ever come? And can Charles tell Erik he thinks he's attractive before they get rescued or will he take that to his grave?

Rec notes: Cherik! but stranded on a desert island. I read the first chapter yesterday and it’s brilliantly written. Be forewarned though that it includes a graphic post-crash scene. I can tell that this fic is going to be one for the books and I’m excited to see where Vagabond takes it. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: InsertSthMeaningful

Rated: Explicit

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 3,986

Summary: After a rather exciting night of forging an, ahem, alliance between their kingdoms, Charles of Westchester and Erik of Genosha are expected to return to their kingly duties and friendly diplomacy. Erik, however, has plans to continue the negotiations. And in all honesty, it's not like Charles is complaining.

Rec notes: To start the new year, InsertSthMeaningful has decided to bless us with a smutty sequel to Nocturnal Alliances. Building on the beautiful UST from the first part of the series, we get to see our beloved kings consummate their alliance.   

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: nextraordinaire

Rated: Mature

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 10,927

Summary: Running from unicorns hadn’t been in the work description when Charles’d applied for the research position, but from reading all the reports about the ‘rather aggressive behavior’ they showed towards researchers in general, it shouldn’t have come as surprise.

Rec notes: Charles and Erik go searching for unicorns in the mountains. For scientific research. (Yes, really.) Of course, unicorns are violent to anyone who is considered ‘impure’ so they can’t get to close... right? 

I love this treat of a fic. It’s got unicorns, cryptid science, and sexual tension. What more do you need? 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: ikeracity

Rated: Teen

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 3,034

Summary: Charles decides that the best way to confess his feelings to his best friend is to surprise Erik at his apartment, naked, wearing nothing but a bow. It's perhaps one of Charles's worst ideas--or his best.

Rec notes: In which Charles decides to “gift” himself to his best friend Erik for Hannukah - and nothing goes as planned. I literally screamed when I read this fic. I love awkward moments. It’s so funny but also very cute. I love friends to lovers as a genre and I love everything ikeracity writes, so of course I was bound to love this one.  

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: ikeracity 

Rated: General

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 4,349

Summary: Charles has a terrible habit of multitasking, and that is probably why he absentmindedly tells the pizza man that he loves him when hanging up.

Then the pizza man says it back. And Charles is pretty much smitten from there.

Rec notes: This is an older ikeracity fic that is super funny and cute. This is for anyone who’s accidentally said “I love you” to a service worker. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: bettysofia

Rated: Explicit

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 8,352

Summary: Lorna Dane practices her photography every day. Her favorite model, who frequently ends up on her Facebook wall? Her dad. All of her friends always comment on how ridiculously hot he is.

When Charles Xavier happens to come across a photo of a ridiculously hot older man on Facebook he is instantly smitten. And he is determined. He is going to get that man.

Rec notes: More Dadneto! I love this fic, it’s a fast and fun read with an older!Erik and a PhDStudent!Charles. Erik is Raven’s friend’s Dad and Charles sees how hot he is and immediately decides to befriend him. Thirst turns to friendship which then evolves into something more. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: Butterynutjob

Rated: Explicit

Pairings: Erik/Charles, Erik/Logan/Charles, Shaw/Charles

Length: 92,000

Summary: Charles has always fantasized about bondage and being a submissive. When he sees an ad for "Professional Dom, Master Erik" he can't resist making an appointment. It's too bad Erik does not allow himself to date his clients...

Rec notes: In this fic, Charles finds himself interested in the bdsm scene and hires Erik to be his pro-dom. But their relationship eventual grows from merely being professional to something more.

Fam, when I tell you this is one of the hottest fics I have every read I do not say that lightly. But, it is also NOT for the faint of heart. Butterynutjob tags it appropriately so you can steer clear if any of those things upset you (and I’ll be honest and say I skipped the dubcon chapter). 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: g33kyclassic

Rated: Explicit

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 116,872

Summary: Charles is completing his PhD at Oxford when he finds himself in dire need of a new job to support himself and Raven. Erik is a grumpy Mutant Student Counsellor who has yet to fill his student assistant position. Enter Prof. MacTaggert and her matchmaking ways to bring her student and her friend together (in platonic, professional compatibility, of course). Will things stay platonic for Charles and Erik? Only time will tell.

Rec notes: This is a novel of a fic at over 100k words but it’s worth the read. Charles is a struggle PhD student who ends up working for Erik as an assistant through the help of Moira. Together they work to take down an anti-mutant professor, and of course, fall in love.  

I like this fic because it delves into some of Charles (and Erik’s) discomfort around his telepathy, which in this verse, forced Charles to lie about his strength in order to even stay in England. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: InsertSthMeaningful

Rated: Teen

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 4,475

Summary: Once upon a time, Erik burgled the wrong window – and made a friend.

Now, he is on his way to visit him.

Rec notes: A cute historical AU where Charles is a prince and Erik is the common boy who climbs into his window to meet him. The fic centers mostly around a night together where they share wine, snacks, and kisses. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: InsertSthMeaningful

Rated: Mature

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 2,301

Summary: Charles gets rather more than what he bargained for after he accidentally leaves himself unmuted in a Zoom class and drops a not-so-G-rated remark about fellow student Erik Lehnsherr. Then again, he doesn't really mind the outcome.

Rec notes: Finally, a fic for our trying times. In this one, Charles gets caught perving on his classmates/rival/acquaintance Erik while unmuted in their Zoom class together. It’s a fast and funny read. I love how mortified Charles is when he realizes his mistake. 

Remember to mute your mics, people. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: librata

Rated: Mature

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 5,119

Summary: He doesn't know if he's buying too much, too little, or even the right things at all, because he's never entertained a guest as important as Edie Lehnsherr.

Rec notes: In which Charles and Edie get off on the wrong foot at Targét just before they are suppose to meet for the first time. This fic is a quick, sweet, and fun read. It’s nice to see a different characterization of Edie and how she and Charles eventually bond over Erik. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: dedkake

Rated: Teen

Pairings: Erik/Charles, (past) Charles/Moria, (past) Erik/Magda

Length: 4,648

Summary: Erik gets the news that he's being moved to teach a new grade level and he has some serious decisions to make. Charles tries to help.

Rec notes: A super cute fic where Charles and Erik are both teachers and roommates. Erik is unhappy about his new grade level assignment and insists they go on a fishing trip (without the fish) as he figures things out. I love how Erik is characterized in this fic and their relationship as friends/roomates into something more. 

[mindsovermetals]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Author: kianspo

Rated: Mature

Pairings: Erik/Charles

Length: 4,170

Summary: While working as a model for Raven and Emma's clothing line, Erik experiences a strong attraction to his shoot partner. These things happen, except Erik has a boyfriend, who does not take this at all well.

Rec notes: I have a soft spot for breakup fics, even though they pain me. Relationships can be complex and I like when fics tackle that reality. 

In this one, Model!Erik has palpable chemistry with another model that throws Charles into a jealous doom spiral that causes a huge rift in their relationship. This fic is an angsty one, but it does end in a good place.