"I can't believe you would spring something like this on me without any warning."

"If I had told you first, would you have come to brunch?"

He doesn't answer, already knowing this will be a disaster, an impromptu meet and greet with the 'someone new' in his father's life. Erik doesn't like most people as a rule and it's unlikely he'll make an exception for the person who could potentially replace his beloved mother in his father's life.

It's unfair - he's understands this in his head - because Jakob Lensherr has been a widower for the last fifteen years and in all that time he's never once brought someone to meet Erik. There have been occasional dates and fleeting dalliances he knows, but nothing serious enough to risk adding more tension to the already strained relationship between father and son. The fact that he's doing it now after all this time can only mean that he's serious; that he wants this person to stick around.

"No probably not," he acknowledges with a shake of his head and his father chuckles and looks incredibly smug at being told he's right. As usual. "I just don't see why I have to meet her. It's your business who you date not mine."

His father sighs, the frown on his face and the wrinkle in his brow a clear indication that he's disappointed with Erik's reaction. He takes a sip of his Earl Grey tea (and when did his father start drinking tea and not coffee?) and then leans back in his chair, eyeing Erik steadily. "You're my son and you're important to me. And this is someone very special to me too so I expect you to mind your manners."

"Fine. What's her name?"

"Charles," his father says with a warm smile blooming over his face and before he even has the chance to absorb the implication of what he's just heard, Jakob is waving to someone approaching their table from behind Erik. "Ah and here he is."

He turns just in time to see a mop of brown hair and a blue cardigan step into his father's arms, Jakob smiling as he pulls 'Charles' close and greets him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, you must be Erik," the young man turns to him with a soft smile, friendly and clearly delighted and god he's just a kid – "It's nice to meet you finally. I'm Charles Xavier."

He's certain that he looks like an idiot, mouth gaping open at the man standing there, offering his hand for Erik to shake. His father looks at him with wry amusement before gently guiding Charles into his seat at their table on the restaurant's outdoor patio. Charles himself looks slightly uncomfortable, his eyes darting back and forth between father and son.

"He's a man."

"Astounding observational skills, Erik. Yes, he is."

"You didn't...I didn't know..."

"That I dated men?" his father chuckles again, pressing a kiss to the palm of Charles' hand that makes the younger man beam, fond and unapologetic at the public display of affection. "To be fair, this is a first for me. 'Expanding my horizons'. 'Finding myself', if you will. Whatever it is that people say these days about exploring their sexuality."

"You didn't tell him about me?" Charles asks, expression uncertain as his father waves his arm to catch the attention of one of wait staff. He turns to Erik next and says with painful sincerity, fidgeting a little with the cuff of his sleeve, "I'm sorry this must be quite the shock for you."

He doesn't mean to be rude, really; because the man from all indications so far is polite and well meaning – not to mention ridiculously attractive with piercing blue eyes and freckles dusted lightly across the bridge of his perfect patrician nose. But he finds the words bursting out before he can stop himself, just as their waitress arrives at the table to take Charles' order. "Just how old are you?"

"Ah just a moment please Erik," his father interjects, turning to the woman with a grin. "A cup of Earl Grey please and Eggs Benedict for this handsome young man here." And because his father has always been a charming old bastard, Charles blushes beautifully at his words and the waitress gives them both a sly wink as she leaves with the order.

"Now then, let's answer both your questions shall we? Charles," Jakob says with such affection and warm regard Erik can't help but feel the tiniest twinge of what might be jealousy twisting in his gut. "I didn't want Erik to develop any preconceived notions about you. I thought it would be much better to have him meet you in person and let you win him over with your devastating good looks and your brilliant mind."

"You're such a charmer, Jakob." Charles laughs and oh he has a chuckle like hot chocolate on a blistery winter day, coupled with the kind of soothing English accent they use for automated messages to set people at ease. "And now I'm certain I won't be able to live up to such high expectations."

His father takes Charles' hand and strokes his thumb gently over the smooth skin of his knuckles. "Darling, you've already exceeded all my expectations."

Charles beams, like a little boy who's just opened his Christmas present to find he's gotten exactly what he's been asking for all year. And his father is looking at him now with an adoration that used to be reserved solely for his mother when they were still happy and in love.

Before she got sick and he handled it the worst way possible.

"You haven't answered my question," he snaps and doesn't care that Charles winces ever so slightly and his father frowns at the sharpness of his tone. "How old are you? Where did you two meet?"

"I'm twenty-eight," Charles answers, voice still warm and expressive though he sits up a little straighter under Erik's glare. "I have a PhD in Genetics and I'm an Associate Professor at the University."

"So…you're colleagues. That's how you know each other."

The two of them glance at each other then, seeming to decide without words just what and how much to share with Erik before his father says, "Yes, though I knew Charles before he started teaching at Columbia. He used to be a student of mine, doing his undergrad."

"But nothing happened then," Charles is quick to jump in and clarify and Erik stifles the urge to sneer at the thought of his father lusting after an even younger Xavier. "I took Jakob's English Lit. class as a break from my science course load. I heard what an amazing professor he was and I thought maybe I could learn the material and how to be a good lecturer from watching him teach. But we haven't seen each other in years; it's only since I returned from Oxford and joined the faculty that we reconnected again."

Erik is pretty sure it's still a bit strange, this relationship between Charles and his fifty-eight year old father; the thirty year age difference notwithstanding, sleeping with someone who used to be your prof. seems…wrong somehow. He wonders if Charles has daddy issues. Or issues with authority figures. Or is maybe taking roleplaying the professor and his naughty student to an uncomfortable real life extreme…

Fuck, and where did that come from? He really doesn't need to think about his father having sex with anyone, let alone a man two years younger than himself. He rubs his face and pointedly ignores the hand holding still happening at the table, pushing down all thoughts of Jakob Lensherr and what he might or might not be doing in the bedroom with a man younger than his own son. The other two seem to sense his inward retreat and wisely steer the conversation towards more mundane topics.

Their food arrives and Erik quietly digs in to his cheese omelette while his father and Charles continue to converse, Jakob asking questions about Charles' Friday class and his new batch of students. If he hadn't been told that the two men were dating he could have easily mistaken this for a simple meeting between a professor and his star pupil. He watches Charles talk excitedly about everything from his curriculum to the quality of the papers being turned in, waving his hands to make his point as he quotes stats and terminology Erik doesn't fully understand (though he doubts his father fares much better). It's a fascinating dynamic that has Erik riveted; Jakob complimenting the younger man on his research and his rapport with his students with a look of such pride on his face while Charles flushes pink and positively glows with pleasure, as though he's embarrassed of the praise yet craving the man's approval.

"Erik," Charles says, pulling him from his musing, "I'm so sorry you must think I'm terribly rude. Here I am going on and on and you haven't been able to get a word in."

He glances over at his father who has one eyebrow raised, giving Erik his 'well, what are you waiting for socialize like a normal person' face. "It's fine. Umm…sounds like you enjoy teaching."

Charles smiles at him then, and oh god the way he's looking at Erik, eyes wide and so earnest makes him want to reach out and touch his cheek to see if this man is actually real and not a figment of his imagination. It's really unsettling that his father's date is making his stomach twist into knots.

"I do love to teach," Charles admits with a slight shrug of his shoulders, "but that's enough about me. Jakob tells me you're an environmental lawyer." He reaches over and places his hand over Erik's, squeezing it lightly. "That sounds fascinating. Please tell me more."

Erik is barely aware of the passage of time, entrenched as he is in his discussion with Charles as Jakob looks on them both with fond amusement, jumping in periodically but seemingly content to let the two of them make their respective arguments. They bicker and laugh and move effortlessly from topic to topic from Erik's work to politics to education reform, ordering more coffee and tea and completely oblivious to the myriad comings and goings of the people around them. It's three in the afternoon before Jakob finally interjects, reminding Charles he has to be home by four pm.

"Oh yes, my sister Raven is coming over for dinner I should get home! Just let me visit the restroom before we go."

He pointedly does not watch the man's retreating back; does not take notice of the broad shoulders under the cardigan that brings out the sky blue of his eyes. Does not wonder how far down his freckles go and does not imagine the shape of the man's ass and how it would feel in his hands.

Oh fuck.

"I'm glad to see you and Charles hit it off." Jakob pats his hand and waves to the waiter for their bill. "I had a feeling you two would get along if you just gave him a chance. He's quite wonderful you know. Intelligent and charming. And kind. Not to mention that delectable body he has under all those layers."

Erik chokes on a mouthful of coffee and sputters, a bit shocked that for a moment, he'd completely forgotten that Charles was his father's date.

Charles is all of the things Jakob said and much more. Most importantly, he's the first person Erik's met since Magda that he genuinely likes enough to want to see again.

For the first time since his mother died all those years ago, he hates Jakob Lensherr again, just a little bit.

They offer to give him a ride home but he declines, the need to get away suddenly overwhelming. Charles shakes his hand firmly and tells him they should see each other again soon and Jakob smiles at them both as he slips a possessive arm around the young Professor's waist.

Erik waves goodbye and heads in the opposite direction from where Jakob's car is parked on the street, ducking around the building and out of sight. When he peeks around the corner again his father has Charles pressed up against the side of the car, hands gripping the younger man's hips as they kiss long and slow and unreservedly.

He wonders how Charles' lips taste, if they're silky soft with a hint of Earl Grey.

He wonders how Charles would fit in his arms; what he would feel like pressed up against Erik.

He wonders what kind of son he is, to want his father's lover.

And to think Jakob had worried, that Erik wouldn't like Charles.

He sighs and thinks it might be a long, long while before he'll be coming to another Sunday brunch.