The Road to Oxford

[x]

It was an innocent enough piece of mail: a standard envelope with a stamp in the upper right hand corner, an address scrawled in the center, and a return address scrawled in the upper left hand corner. The only thing at all stunning or spectacular about it was where the letter had come from: Oxford University, Office of Graduate Studies. Charles worried his bottom lip as he considered the envelope in his hands. The anticipation was going to kill him at this rate, but...what if Oxford had denied his application? He was remarkably young for a potential graduate student—only sixteen—and the fear that his best shot at getting away from his stepfamily had rejected him was enough to make him sick.

Charles took a deep breath and grabbed the letter opener. This was it, then: the moment of truth. He quickly sliced the envelope open and pulled out the contents. With his eyes closed, he unfurled the papers and slowly opened his eyes.

“Congratulations on your acceptance...”

With a breathless laugh of relief, Charles collapsed into a nearby chair and read over the words again and again until he nearly had the letter memorized word for word. Accepted. Oxford’s graduate program had accepted him. Come September, he’d be starting his graduate studies in Oxford, England. Hundreds of miles away from the Markos and Westchester. He could cry from the intensity of the relief of it all.

Raven. The thought of his sister immediately cut through the relief. Raven would want to know that he’d gotten into Oxford, that they’d be leaving for England in a few short months. Charles got up, grinning like an idiot before stretching his mind out to sense where his sister was. Sensing her presence, he immediately ran to where she was.

“Raven, you’ll never guess what came in the post today!”

[Deleted]

Raven had known about Charles' desire to go to Oxford for a long, long time. Of course it made her nervous, though. She never asked what would happen to her should Charles go running off to Oxford, leaving her alone. She hadn't thought that he'd want to take her with him. Of course, she didn't  have his mind reading capabilities, so she didn't know where his head was at in the whole thing. She was indeed near. She was in her room, listening to a record, singing to herself seeing that she thought no one was home. She had the volume up rather loudly too, so that drowned out her hearing which meant that she was singing at the top of her lungs. She was surprised when Charles came bursting in to her room. 

He was cooing about something that came in the mail. "A check for a million dollars?" She asked with a laugh as she lifted the needle from her record so that she could pay attention to the man who she saw as a brother. ...well. Most of the time. The other thoughts, she shook away really, really fast. "It has to be something along those lines for you to be so excited." And then she saw a letter in his hand. "Wait.." she gasped. "Charles.. is that the letter? From Oxford?!"

She clasped a hand over her mouth and she squealed excitedly. "You got in, didn't you?!" Of course she deduced this only because of the sparkle in his eye, as well as the fact that the envelope was opened. "Congratulations! I'm so proud!" She flung her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. This was his moment. She wouldn't let herself wonder what would happen to her now. She'd dwell on that on her own time. "I can't believe it finally came.."

[x]

“A check for a million dollars?” Raven teased with a laugh as she pulled the needle from her record. “It has to be something along those lines for you to be so excited.”

Charles laughed a little; like they had any need for a million dollars. Though, actually... Raven gasped when she noticed the letter in his hand. “

“Wait. Charles...is that the letter? From Oxford?” He nodded and she clasped a hand over her mouth, squealing in excitement. “You got in, didn’t you?” He nodded again, grinning like an idiot and shaking a bit from the excitement of it all.

“Congratulations,” she said, flinging her arms around him. “I’m so proud!”

He hugged her back, laughing and grinning like a fool and probably projecting his excitement to the whole house.

“I can’t believe it finally came...”

“Yes, and even more so that I’m accepted,” he responded as they broke the hug. “They have a spot reserved for me come the start of term in September.”

Charles could still scarcely believe it. The one thread of hope he’d been clinging to since the start of his final term at Harvard, and it had paid off. Come August, he and Raven would be on their way to England and could leave Westchester behind. Then there would be graduate studies, research, and reveling in their freedom. Well, provided Raven wanted to come along.

“We’ll have to decide what we want to do about housing, though; I’m not sure if the administration would be willing to let both of us live in the dormitories, especially since you wouldn’t be a student...but they do provide listings for apartments in the city!”

He paused for a moment and looked back at her. “That is, if you want to come with me. I mean, I can understand if you wouldn’t; we’d have to work something out with your own schooling, after all, and it can be challenging to adjust to a new environment on such short notice, but—”

He cut himself off, having the good grace to look a bit sheepish from his babbling. Charles didn’t want to leave Raven behind in Westchester; Kurt was a terrible man at the best of times, but downright beastly at worst and he would worry himself sick over her constantly if she stayed behind.

[Deleted]

Even though she was too nervous to bring up the subject about moving with him, apparently  Charles had already thought of that. Once he started prattling on about housing options, she fluttered her lashes and her mouth dropped open. "We?" She smiled a bright, beaming smile. "Of -course- I want to go with you! Why wouldn't I? That would be just crazy!" She laughed. "Honestly I was worried you wouldn't want me to go with you. I've been nervous about you getting that letter. I thought I'd have to.. I thought we wouldn't have each other anymore." 

She'd become rather reliant on Charles, and maybe he was the same with her. He was the only one who knew the real her, and he knew every detail. Things that she'd never share with anyone. Things she -couldn't- share with anyone. "Thank you, Charles.. You have no idea what it means to me that you want me to go with you. And don't worry about me going to school. I'll switch schools, and hey! Maybe I'll get in to Oxford one day, too." She grinned. 

That honestly wasn't likely in Raven's opinion. She was smart, sure, but she wasn't quite as much of a genius as Charles was. Sixteen and going to Oxford.. it was impressive no matter who you were. "So, when are we leaving?" The sooner the better. Sure, the mansion was amazing, but she wanted adventure! And who better to have adventures with than Charles Xavier? "And don't worry.. I know. Keep the blue hidden." She smiled warmly. 

[x]

“We?” Raven brightened at that. Had Raven honestly though Charles would just leave her behind? “Of course I want to go with you! Why wouldn’t I? That would be just crazy!”

She laughed a bit at the idea, and Charles laughed as well. “Honestly, I was worried you wouldn’t want me to go with you. I’ve been nervous about you getting that letter. I thought I’d have to...I thought we wouldn’t have each other anymore.”

“Raven, I will always want you with me,” Charles assured. “You’re my dearest friend; I can’t imagine Oxford without you.”

“Thank you, Charles,” she said. “You have no idea what it means to me that you want me to go with you. And don’t worry about me going to school. I’ll switch schools, and hey! Maybe I’ll get into Oxford one day, too!”

Charles grinned. She was certainly intelligent enough to get in to Oxford one day, if she kept up her grades. He had full faith in her abilities.

“So, when are we leaving?”

Ideally, as soon as they could manage. If they could be guaranteed housing immediately, Charles would prefer to leave on the first flight out of the country. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. They’d have to get a flat set up in Oxford and Raven still had the final few weeks of school left. The earliest they’d be able to leave was mid-June.

“Well, that’s still to be decided. We should probably get a flat set up before we actually leave here. Ideally, we could go as early as June,” Charles answered. “The sooner, the better, as far as I’m concerned.”

“And don’t worry, I know,” she added with a smile. “Keep the blue hidden.”

He nodded in agreement, offering her a smile in return. While he wished the world was a better place, one where they didn’t have to worry about her being caught, they had to be realistic. One day, the world would see her natural blue form and find it as fantastic as he did. Until then, however, they had to be careful. Discretion was the better part of valor, after all.

“I’m glad,” Charles replied, pausing for a moment before smiling again. “Though, honestly, Raven. Did you really think I wouldn’t want you to come with me?”

[Deleted]

Charles had an idea already of when they could possibly leave. Of course setting up an apartment would be the best idea.. it would be irresponsible of them to just take off without a place to live first. When he asked if she honestly thought he wouldn't take her with him, she simply smiled. "I didn't wanna cramp your style, Charles. You're gonna be an Oxford student. You're gonna go off and do great things, and meet people and.. I just don't want to hold you back." Of course he'd give her a speech about how she could never hold him back, but she was always honest with him on how she felt. When he asked, at least. 

"And did you really think I -wouldn't- want to go with you? I mean, it's great here, and I have no complaints about my life.." Aside from Charles' family that were rather.. standoffish. "But without you, I have nothing. I'd likely just run off again and find somewhere else to be." She paused, and again, she started to smile. "Actually, I'd probably run off to find you and hide in your dorm room at Oxford if you didn't invite me." She laughed. "So it's probably better that you did." 

He believed that she could get in to Oxford one day. She wouldn't argue with him.. maybe he was right. She wasn't sure if that's what she wanted, though. It was hard to figure out what it was that she wanted.. There were thoughts in her head that she dismissed a lot, but she never dwelled on them enough to figure out what it was that she really desired to do with her life. She was very content with one day being a personal assistant to Charles Xavier who was going to go on to great things! 

[x]

“I didn’t want to cramp your style, Charles. You’re gonna be an Oxford student. You’re gonna go off and do great things, and meet people, and...I just don’t want to hold you back.”

Hold him back? Oh, like she could ever do that. Sometimes he was a little worried that it was more the other way around. Her mind was older than she looked—he’d known that early on—and sometimes he wondered if she ever got annoyed with him because of it. If she ever wondered that she could be doing something else and was instead sticking with him. It was...kind of intimidating, in a way.

“And did you really think I wouldn't want to go with you? I mean, it’s great here, and I have no complaints about my life—” Well that made him feel a bit relieved. “—but without you, I have nothing. I’d likely just run off again and find somewhere else to be.” Raven paused, and then smiled again.

“Actually, I’d probably run off to find you and hide in your dorm room at Oxford if you didn’t invite me,” she said with a laugh. “So it’s probably better that you did.”

“Well, firstly, you will never ‘cramp my style,’ as you put it,” he teased with a grin, “so put that concern out of your mind. And honestly, Raven, I don’t want to go off and ‘do great things’ or meet people without you by my side. Who else will stop me when I blather on about stuff no one cares about?”

Because that tended to happen a lot. Some poor unfortunate sod would get him on the topic of his latest passion and he’d be spewing scientific jargon and all sorts of information and speculation faster than one could blink. If it weren’t for Raven, he’d be absolutely hopeless in dealing with people.

“As for whether or not you’d want to come with me...well, I don’t want to ‘cramp you style,’ either,” he admitted. “After all, come September I’m going to be diving headfirst into graduate courses and whatever else they ask of me. I won’t be much fun, I’m afraid. And you could be doing pretty much anything you want; I don’t want to hold you back, either.”

He worried his bottom lip a bit as he confessed his own concerns. After all, he adored Raven; she was his sister, his dearest friend—his only friend, to be brutally honest—and he wanted her to be able to do whatever made her happy.

[Deleted]

"Oh, psh," Raven mused playfully. "I don't have a style to cramp! Besides, while you're busy doing your school stuff, I'll be doing the same. Finding a school to go to, and meeting new people. Bothering you about cute boys and mean girls while you're trying to focus on your studies.. don't worry. I don't plan on being any less irritating while you're attending Oxford." She wiggled her brows and giggled.

She loved the teasing back and forth that she and Charles did with each other.  Of course, they were like siblings, but sometimes - sometimes, Raven saw him as something more. She couldn't help it, though. He was the only one who knew about her abilities who didn't cry about her, or ran from her, or beat her for it like everyone she knew in her younger days did. And, she was a girl. It was just something that sort of hit her once in awhile.

"So, what comes after Oxford? Have you decided yet?" She plopped back down on her bed, and she grabbed her pillow, clutching it to her chest while she listened intently to Charles's life plans. The two of them never wanted to be parted from each other, but one day, it would likely happen. He'd meet someone, get married, have children, and she'd have to go her own way. It was something she had thought of, but never wanted to believe. Unfortuantely, as they grew, it was coming more and more in to view. 

She wanted to treasure the time with him that she had while she still had it. 

[x]

“Oh psh,” Raven replied, her tone playful. “I don’t have a style to cramp! Besides, while you’re busy doing your school stuff, I’ll be doing the same. Finding a school to go to, and meeting new people. Bothering you about cute boys and mean girls while you’re trying to focus on your studies—don’t worry. I don’t plan on being an less irritating while you’re attending Oxford.”

She wiggled her eyebrows and got both of them giggling. He loved this, this easy back and forth. What would he ever do without her? He couldn’t even imagine where he’d be without her around; she’d become such an integral part of his life.

“So, what comes after Oxford? Have you decided yet?” Raven asked, returning to her bed and cuddling into her pillow.

Charles hummed in thought, plopping down on the edge of her bed. Up until now, he’d been so focused on getting into Oxford (well, any school far from Westchester, but his father had studied in Oxford and Charles wanted to keep up the tradition) that he hadn’t really thought about after.

“Well, I may pursue several degrees instead of just the one,” he admitted. “After all, the standard program, even for a PhD is five years at the most. I’m young enough as it is; and who would really a twenty-one-old professor, anyway?”

He laughed a bit at the thought of it. “I’ll probably keep at it until I’ve gotten to a more acceptable age for teaching positions. After that, well...I’ve thought about trying to get a teaching position somewhere. Maybe Columbia. Haven’t quite decided."

Then he gave her a sly, teasing glance.  "But definitely something that will let me spend the rest of my life in tweed and cardigans!"

There were some things he couldn’t exactly plan for—marriage, children, things that still made him blush a bit when he thought about them—and logically, he knew creating rigid plans was utterly ridiculous and an exercise in futility. Still, it was a nice thought to have at least some idea of where he wanted to go.

“What about you?” He asked her, looking over at where she listened with rapt attention. “What about when you get done with school? Anything you want to do?”

[Deleted]

Raven always found it easy to talk to Charles. The conversations just seemed to flow between the two of them. When she asked what his plans were after college, she expected him to give the answer he had. She always admired him for that. His thirst for knowledge. "Oh, of course. Wouldn't expect you to live without the tweed. Never." She teased with a giggle. 

"Hmm.." She hummed to herself and stared off at the ceiling for a moment. "Maybe do some traveling. I don't know, I kinda wanna see the sights that the world has to offer. Of course, it would be much more fun painting the world red if you came with me, though. Buuut I understand. Jobs involving sweater vests take priority." she teased again, this time playfully slapping him with the pillow. 

"In all honesty, though? I'm just hoping that one day the world stops being so closed minded, and then, maybe I can travel the world as myself. I know that's not gonna happen, though. However! I have no intentions on ever going to Germany again. So that's one country I can cross off my list." This time, her smile was small and it seemed to hold a slight sadness. 

"Until then, I'm super excited to with you. Oxford U, here comes Charles Xavier. Ready to conquer everything you have to teach him." She winked playfully. "Oooh! We should celebrate!"

[x]

“Oh, of course,” she teased back. “Wouldn’t expect you to live without the tweed. Never.”

He grinned and giggled at that as well, before waiting for her response to his question. It would only be natural that one day they would basically go their separate ways, set up their own lives, but Charles sincerely hoped they could still keep up the easy relationship they’d enjoyed for so long. He couldn’t imagine his life without Raven in it in some fashion.

“Hmm,” Raven contemplated, looking up to the ceiling as it if contained the answers she sought. “Maybe do some traveling. I don’t know, I kinda wanna see the sights that the world has to offer.”

He smiled at that. Raven had always liked to move, to get out and see the world whenever she could, even if it just meant sneaking day trips to New York City when they could.

“Of course,” she added, “it would be much more fun painting the world red if you came with me, though.”

Charles perked up a bit at that. Maybe he could take a gap year between his degrees and they could go see the world together?

“Buuut I understand. Jobs involving sweatervests take priority,” she teased, hitting him with the pillow and knocking him flat onto the bed.

He snorted in laughter as he grabbed at the pillow and failed miserably. So, instead, he settled for grabbing the nearest soft object and clutching that to his chest.

“In all honesty, though?” Raven continued, “I’m just hoping that one day the world stops being so closed minded, and then, maybe I can travel the world as myself. I know that’s not gonna happen, though.”

Charles wanted it to. He sincerely wanted for Raven to be able to walk down the street in her natural form and have people be as awed by it as Charles himself was.

“However,” Raven chirped, “I have no intentions on ever going to Germany again. So that’s one country I can cross off my list.” Her smile wasn’t as strong as it had been, and Charles’s heart ached for her. She’d told him about her life before she wandered into his kitchen so long ago. His resolve to keep her away from Kurt’s violent temper and Cain’s bitter rage only became stronger when she told him.

“Until then, I’m super excited to be with you. Oxford U, here comes Charles Xavier, read to conquer everything you have to teach him,” she said, winking playfully at him. “Oooh! We should celebrate!”

He laughed at that.

“I wouldn’t mind showing you around London once we have some down time,” he offered. “I could show you were the old family townhouse used to be, before it got bombed out.”

Not the most pleasant memory, but still far better than most of the memories here at Westchester. There was so much in London that he’d love to show her as soon as he could. She’d love London; it was full of all sorts of things to do.

“And celebrate? What sort of celebrating do you propose we do?”

Knowing Raven, something wonderfully fun and probably a little illegal. Which, really, was the best kind of celebration, in his opinion.

[Deleted]

The way his eyes lit up when she mentioned him traveling with her made her realize that he was actually thinking about the prospect should he get some sort of time off of school, but considering his obsession with academia, she wouldn't hold it against him if he were to not be able to. He was destined for greatness. He had to be. But for now, they were teenagers! And they had to get in to a little bit of trouble. Right? At least in Raven's eyes, that was the case. "Well, seeing London sounds absolutely fantastic, buuuuut.. afterwards," She shifted forms to where she looked like a much older woman. Not too old, but distinguished enough to be in her early forties. "Do you think I can pass for being of legal drinking age?" She laughed in a voice that wasn't her own before she shifted back to being her normal human formed self. "I know. Went a bit too old. But better safe than sorry, right?" She grinned teasingly. 

"You know," her voice softened as she pulled her pillow back to her chest to cuddle it. "This happy, shiny  you? It's my favorite kind of Charles." She'd seen every kind. The angry Charles, the sad Charles.. Happy, and irritated, and stressed out Charles. Of course she loved all of them just the same, but this was, by far, her absolute favorite. "You're so excited, and you have this..this look in your eyes about so many possibilities of the future. Giddy looks good on you." Another smile formed on her lips that were painted with her favorite pink lipstick. "Now! Have I buttered you up enough to let me have a drink or two?" 

Another laugh escaped her lips. Of course she meant every word of what she said, but Raven had a tendency to take a serious conversation and turn it in to something funny. Even though she had no walls with Charles - she mostly let him in on everything - she still had a defense mechanism about things that she had maybe even been hiding from herself. "Well no matter what we do tonight to celebrate.. I definitely want you to show me around. You should probably do that sober."

[x]

“Well, seeing London sounds absolutely fantastic,” she replied, “buuuuut...afterwards...” She shifted into a much older woman, obviously in her early forties. “Do you think I can pass for being of legal drinking age?” She laughed at her own joke, and Charles joined her as she shifted back into her usual form. “I know. Went a bit too old. But better safe than sorry, right?”

Well, the legal drinking age in England was eighteen, with sixteen and seventeen year olds able to consume alcohol on a licensed premises so long as the beverage came with a meal and the order was placed by an of-age adult, but that wasn’t really the point. Alcohol was something Charles was careful with. He wasn’t legal to drink in the U.S., anyway, so that was usually his excuse to avoid it. Now, though...he might be willing to have a drink every so often.

“You know,” Raven added, cuddling her pillow back to her chest. “This happy, shiny you? It’s my favorite kind of Charles. You’re so excited, and you have this...this look in your eyes about so many possibilities of the future. Giddy looks good on you.”

He smiled at that. Happy Raven was his favorite Raven, too. The times when they could just goof off like the teenagers they were rather than have to deal with anything else...when they could just be kids. Carefree, even if only for a moment. Those were wonderful moments.

“Now,” Raven chirped. “Have I buttered you up enough to let me have a drink or two?”

Charles rolled his eyes and tried not to smile—failing on the latter part, which he tried to disguise by pulling the soft item he’d grabbed up to cover his growing grin.

“Well, no matter what we do tonight to celebrate, I definitely want you to show me around. You should probably do that sober.”

He snorted. “Good lord, can you even imagine? Me giving a tour drunk. Or doing anything while intoxicated, for that matter. You’d probably get a good laugh out of it, though.”

She’d probably film it if she could; claiming she was saving it for posterity when he sobered up enough to be upset by it. And then she’d give him that teasing grin of hers and he’d melt and let her keep everything she filmed so long as it didn’t fall into the wrong hands. Though...they did have the mansion mostly to themselves tonight...Kurt and Cain off Charles-didn’t-care-where doing he-didn’t-care-what. Maybe they could indulge themselves...? Just once, of course.

“Well...we do have place mostly to ourselves tonight,” he said. “Maybe we could have a drink or two, in celebration?”

[Deleted]

Raven was never sure on the legal drinking ages, mostly because Charles wouldn't even -think- about letting her indulge in such delinquency. ...What Charles didn't know (Okay he probably knew) was that Raven would every so often sneak some of Kurt's liquor while he was away and while Charles was too busy with his studies to notice. But now, he was actually considering giving in and letting her have a drink or two, which - in Raven's mind - meant as much as she wanted. "Really??" She beamed. "Yes! Yes, definitely!" she spoke in response to him repeating that it was a celebration. 

"I promise it'll be fun. Let's go to a pub. We'll have a couple drinks, play a little pool... It'll be exciting. What should I wear?!" She scrambled off of the bed, and started to tear through dresser drawers and then her closet to find something perfect to wear for the evening. It wasn't often that she got to have nights on the town, so when she did? She wanted to be dressed to the nines. Maybe one of the floral or paisley numbers she had in her closet. Those prints were quite popular. 

"What about this?" She pulled out a white dress that was splattered with a pink paisley print on it. "Too much? Too little?" It was like she hadn't been out in years! Even though that was obviously not the case. "More importantly..what are -you- gonna wear?!" she gasped. 

[x]

“Really?” Raven’s excitement was enough to knock Charles on his posterior had he been standing, even with his shields at full strength. She all but cheered in his slightly hesitant willingness to effectively break the law.

“I promise it’ll be fun,” she insisted. “Let’s go to a pub. We’ll have a couple of drinks, play a little pool; it’ll be exciting! What should I wear?!”

Raven scrambled off the bed and Charles sat up, watching in stunned amazement as she immediately began to tear through her dresser and her closet. He’d never really understood that particular question—though, considering his cardigan-stuffed wardrobe, Charles really didn’t have many settings between comfortable and fancy. If he wasn’t in a cardigan or something equally comfortable, then he was probably in a suit and hiding his misery behind a well-practiced fake smile.

“What about this?” Raven pulled out a white dress with a pink paisley print. “Too much? Too little?”

Charles blinked before realizing he should probably give a response. Just as he opened his mouth to answer, Raven gasped.

“More importantly, what are you gonna wear?”

The boy shrugged. “Um...a button down and slacks?”

Was that acceptable? It wasn’t exactly like he got out much. A sixteen-year-old in college? All the girls only cooed over him like he was their kid brother.

[Deleted]

It was like Raven never got out of the house. It of course wasn't the truth, but it wasn't always that she got the green light to go out to a pub, drinking and having fun with Charles. In fact, that was something that never happened at all! And Raven was going to take full advantage of it. "Hmm.." she pursed her lips, nodding at his choice of clothing to wear for the evening. "That sounds nice.. just, promise me one thing. No sweater vest. Just for tonight." she grinned teasingly. 

Instead of asking him to leave the room while she got dressed, she simply scurried behind a changing screen and she started to get dressed there. He couldn't see anything of course, and she wasn't finished talking to him yet! She tossed her clothes that she had previously been wearing on to the top of the screen while she changed. "So, i'm sure you'll want to set up some ground rules, even for a celebration..so let's hear 'em." she teased again. "I'll start now by promising I'll behave myself, and I'll stop drinking the moment I feel like i'm going to fall off of my chair."

[x]

“Hmm,” Raven considered, before nodding. “That sounds nice. Just, promise me one thing. No sweater vest. Just for tonight.”

She gave him a teasing grin and Charles let out an over-dramatic groan as he collapsed back onto the bed.

“If I absolutely have to,” he replied, as though it were some sort of major concession. But really; he didn’t wear sweater vests that often, did he?

“So,” Raven said as she scurried behind a changing screen, “I’m sure you’ll want to set up some ground rules, even for a celebration, so let’s hear ‘em. I’ll start now by promising I’ll behave myself, and I’ll stop drinking the moment I feel like I’m going to fall off of my chair.”

Charles laughed at the corresponding image his mind conjured up.

“Excellent! The biggest rule is no getting separated; we’re both not legally supposed to be there, so it would be best if we kept each other close at hand,” he added.

And if either of them lost control, then they would have to get out of the pub as fast as they could manage. Part of the reason Charles had been so insistent that Raven refrain from drinking was his fear that she’d get drunk and lose control of her shapeshifting. His worst nightmares were made up primarily of a big slip-up resulting in Raven being taken away and all manner of horrible things happening to her.

“And we can’t drink all that much; just a drink or two,” he insisted. “I’m all for celebrating, but I’d also like to avoid a hangover tomorrow morning.”

...Though, he was curious: would he be able to cure a hangover with his telepath? And just how badly did he want to know the answer to that?

[Deleted]

Raven knew why he didn't want her to drink, especially in public. And it was a sound fear... Raven didn't think about it as much as Charles did. Perhaps part of her wanted to get caught. It was the rush of it all..the thrill. The urge to rub it in the faces of everyone..it was the same thrill she had when she was a little girl, first discovering what she could do. Only instead of being beaten by her parents, she'd see a look in Charles' eyes that would kill her. She'd see fear, terror, and disappointment. Things she couldn't handle seeing. 

"Okay, okay. Just one or two." She finally resolved with a rather dramatic sigh. After she finished changing her clothes, she came out from behind the changing screen, and she walked back toward the bed where Charles was sitting. "So! What do you think?" She gave a little twirl, and then struck a pose. "I'll try to not let you get drunk enough for a hangover. I'm pretty strong, but i'm not sure I could carry a drunken Charles home." She laughed. 

[x]

Raven had always had something of an issue with authority. If it was illegal, then she’d see it as potentially fun. Raven would be the kind of girl to see a protest or a riot or something of the like going on and run in with a whoop and screaming something to the effect of “Screw the man!” Really, she meant well, but it never failed to make Charles worry.

“Okay, okay,” she conceded after a long pause. “Just one or two.”

A dramatic sigh followed the concession and soon enough, Raven came out from behind the screen.

“So,” she chirped, doing a twirl and striking a pose at the end. “What do you think?”

“Lovely as always,” Charles answered instantly with a smile. He knew absolutely nothing about women’s fashions, but Raven always looked wonderful, in his opinion.

“I’ll try to not let you get drunk enough for a hangover. I’m pretty strong, but I’m not sure I could carry a drunken Charles home,” Raven promised with a laugh.

“Hey,” he retorted, grinning and trying to hold back his own laughter. “Are you calling me fat?” He fixed her with a purposely exaggerated look of suspicion.

Though, to be fair, he'd done a fair bit of bulking up in the last year; his growth spurt had finally kicked in, thank god.  If it hadn't, he'd worry that he'd spend the rest of his life as the only male he knew who clocked in at under five-foot-five.

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Raven fluttered her lashes playfully when he told her she was lovely as always. "Aw, you're so sweet, go on..." She cooed. "No, seriously, I like the ego boost. Go on!" She grinned teasingly. She immediately started to dig through her closet for shoes. She didn't have very many pairs of shoes, but the ones she did have were quite nice. She pulled a pair out, and then plopped down on the bed to place them on her feet. 

When Charles commented to her not being able to carry him home, asking if she was calling him fat, she laughed. "Oh, please! Only your brain..and  maybe your ego." She teased again, slipping the shoes on. "See? And just like that, i'm ready. You officially take longer to get dressed than a girl. Now c'mon! You're too handsome to hide it behind that demure look you've got going for you. You need to show it off!" She took him by the hand, stood up, and led Charles to his room where she fully intended on going through his wardrobe. Oh yes, she was going to dress him. And there probably wasn't anything he could do about it.

"It's gonna be so fun!" she squealed with excitement. That was probably a matter of opinion, though. Chances were that he didn't find it particularly as exciting as she did. Oh well!