( when erik mentions that he'd had him in mind when he'd tried to seek peace by starting a family of his own, charles gives him a bit of a smile, brushing the tears off his own cheek. he feels so much for him. he's proud of erik. of all that he'd tried to do for himself, even after all the mistakes they'd made. the two of them. they'd abandoned each other, but they also keep finding their way back to each other somehow. it's not the future he wants for either of them, what with all the terrible things that have happened, but he's accepting of it. )

Considering you did draw the line at letting me be sacrificed to a false god, I'm going to have to give you a pass on that. ( it's his turn to try to be funny, but he does mean it. charles reaches out to pat erik on the shoulder once, twice. he knows what erik's feeling; what he's thinking: that he needs him, that they both need each other. he sighs, and decides on a whim to just pull him into a hug, a little hesitant at first, now knowing if erik will accept it, but he wraps his arm around the older man and pulls him in close anyways, simply looking to offer him some comfort, some reassurance that they will be alright. )

I am truly sorry for all the pain you've been through, and for any pain I might have caused you, Erik. I think... ( he bites down on his bottom lip, worrying at it as he tries to come up with the right words to say to him. ) I'm just glad that, despite our differences, no matter what, in the end, you always seem to come through for me, for us, and I'm thankful for that.