it’d be nice to say it’s like old times but the taste is different. the kiss is half anger and he’s biting back a startled laugh for the briefest moment before he focuses on the bite of teeth and lips. because it’s mostly lips, and mostly teeth, and charles’ hands at the sides of erik’s neck and weren’t they arguing a moment ago? about one of those fundamental differences that so often defined their relationship and charles had gotten angry, in erik’s face about it, his teeth grit and his cheeks pinking with effort and — oh. he supposes it was in the l o o k that erik had given him, something dark eyed and angry and the moment seemed to stretch until — kissing. he’d mistaken the glint in his eye for ‘maybe erik is about to hit me’ and yet here they were. old times but not. different but still satisfying, it takes the edge off deep hunger. charles still leans into it, still grabs for him, still wants in a way that he shouldn’t
( in his mind, without the fore knowledge, they’re still lovers. illegal but willing to risk it. of all the things they are — murderers the both of them, soldiers, lost and alone and reaching for something — queer doesn’t seem so scary. )
he kisses back until he can’t breath and his lungs protest and even then charles stays close, panting against erik’s skin for an untroubled moment. his mouth goes to erik’s jaw ( right where jaw meets neck, below his ear, close enough that he can feel charles’ breath ) and he gives a nip, not gentle. his teeth scrap against stubble the way his chin had moments ago and when he pulls away his eyes are hard, and defiant. a subtle try me. the modern era has tempered his sense of propriety and his fear. he’s not ashamed of kissing men anymore — like he had been those first few times in boot camp, or every time he and erik had stolen away and lost their thoughts like prayers on sinner’s lips.