"You left before we could have a serious conversation about fantasies, how am I supposed to know what's off-bounds?"

He's teasing, his hands framing Erik's too warm face as he leans in. Breath ghosts over Erik's cheek as he grins, that red mouth curving upwards in sweet supplication. "Fine then, if nursing you back to health isn't allowed may I tell you I missed you dearly? Or will that cause you to simply shrivel up inside?"

For all the laughter in his voice and his eyes, the truth does shine out from him. He touches Erik in a way that is both possessive and reaffirming, thumbs tracing the line of his cheekbones and his eyes mapping every worry line in his skin. Charles cannot say when you are gone I lose myself too because he doesn't actually know how to. But Erik carries part of him and if he is taken away, so is it.