Any other man and they might have backed down in an instant. But Charles is tipping his head back and staring at Erik, nothing but the clear light in his eyes and a mouth that betrays something quite like confusion.

"So you're just going to carry my weight, are you?"

His voice is dropped low, an unfathomable ache settling behind his ribs and his chair righted on four legs. "I don't want you to."

Because Erik is a survivor and it isn't fair, Charles doesn't want to bow him under the insistency that he must protect him. He's not a fragile creature and even if he can't imagine the horrors of needing to prostrate yourself for basic neccessesity, the thought of Erik doing it for him is even worse.