"5 Times Erik didn't agree to a pet and 1 time he did"

[lifesmarvels]

Title: 5 Times Erik didn't agree to a pet and 1 time he did (Kind of)
Fandom: X-Men First Class
Pairing: Gen, background Hank/Alex
Genre: Humour, Family
Rating: K
Word Count: 1106
Summary: It all started with a fish.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or this movie, it's all Marvels and these associated with them. If I did, the final scene would make much more sense and there would be a kiss in front of a friggin satellite dish. 
Author's note: So, the_me09 prompted me before Christmas with something, I can't really remember with what and the first paragraph of this came to life. Since I'm a lazy sod, it got finished only today. Set in some AU Universe when they all live happily in the mansion after Shaw and try to start open a school. Un-betaed so if you spot any typos, say so, so I can fix it.

It started with a fish. Or more precisely with Sean that wanted to have a fish. That started the debate between children about if and what they should buy as a family pet. Charles looked at them and promptly left the room, the coward. So it was left to Erik to discourage the wild group from any motions of animals in the house. It was enough that Hank shed.

He thought he successfully explained to them how bad of idea it is to introduce any pets in the mansion.  He couldn’t be more wrong.

1.

The first surprise waited for him one week later. There was a koi fish in the bathtub on the third floor. What more, it was a dead koi fish. He found it more or less accidently following the atrocious scent filling the corridor. It seemed that fish corpse could stink like nothing else.

He sighed and with a stormy expression stomped to Sean’s room. The boy was clearly forlorn at the sight of his scaly friend swimming with its belly up, but the minute of interrogation showed that it happened because of lack of any feeding. Apparently not everyone was aware that pets need to be fed. The red-head was made to clean up the fish and return to his room without dessert. Erik had vague suspicion that Charles is trying to make him domestic and is succeeding.

2.

The second catastrophe stroke few days later during the talk with a contractor about rebuilding south wing so it would be more suitable to teach super powered children in. He didn’t notice it at first, or he did, but didn’t paid too much attention to it. After all, what is one firefly? It probably flew in through the open window from over the nearest pond.

But then the one firefly became two, became three, became an entire swarm and they tried to wave the insects off while  walking their guests to the door. Explanation proved to be as irritating as the last time when there was weird appearance of animal in the house. Angel run down the stairs yelling for them not to hurt her darlings. Erik was startled for a minute, wondering who he meant and then he realized that she was one more child who broke his no-pet rule in this house.

He didn’t know if he was more irritated at their stubbornness or simply angry for the way they kept ignoring his ban. Ignoring clumsy excuses about stupid boys opening the doors when they’re not supposed to, he opened every window in the room and watched with grim satisfaction as every one of the damn bugs flied out to the garden. Angel started offended lecture, but snapped her mouth shut at one of his look. Smart girl. Apparently lack of dessert wasn’t enough of demotivation for this bunch so he grounded her for a week and canceled Saturday night out. He tried to ignore Charles’ amused looks, the man didn’t even try to help.

3.

He had enough time to completely forget about the debacle in the preparation to opening the school and mediating more and more heated fights between Xavier siblings.  Until one morning found him waking up to something warm and breathing. At first he didn’t even realized the wrongness until he rolled onto his side and came face to face with a panting monster.

Well, maybe a monster isn’t most accurate word. After all, it was just a dog. A big, golden, furry dog, who apparently decided sleeping next to Erik in his own bed was the best idea ever. He sprung from the bed with a barely suppressed yell and the creature stood up on his pristine white covers, emitted a bark and waggled its tail happily. Whoever brought this to their house was going to pay.

It appeared the culprit this time was Alex who yelped and hid behind Hank when he saw Erik storming into the kitchen trailed by the excitable heap of fur. This time it took only one growl before the boy was pulling on the creature’s collar and driving it back to town. Hank shoot him silent ‘sorry’ and went after his boyfriend, least the blond decide to just hide the dog in the shed. At least the scientist didn’t want any additions to the household. He had enough problems with his own grooming.

Erik massaged his temples in a hope that the growing headache will go away if he’ll wish it strongly enough and went to change his sheets. Alex will get few additional hours of reading classes and hopefully it will dissuade him from any further stupid ideas.

4.

The next one daring enough was Raven and he had to admit, she was at least the one most original. But it didn’t mean he appreciated being woken at dawn by the singing rooster.

He took no small amount of glee at her face when he served chicken broth this evening for dinner. He figured she was punished enough.

5.

Apparently Charles didn’t intervene, because he was secretly a teenager and also wanted a pet in the house. It became clear one afternoon when he strolled into the man’s study for a signature on one of more important forms just to catch him cooing to the brown lab rat. He ignored the abashed look and stared at the offending animal trying not to think about (labratschmidtlabsexperimentsratshavetofightforfoodcan’tgiveitawaywilldie) anything.

He turned on his heel and left without words. Paperwork could wait. The next evening met with a certain lack of any cages and Charles into one of his apologetic moods. Just to be a little spiteful he excused himself from their traditional round of chess and went to bed early. He didn’t sleep enough anyway.

1.

The little creature was huddled under the old rusty bucket in the old barn and mewed piteously when Erik scooped it up. It was shaking, from the cold rain or from the fear of the strange, he didn’t know, but bringing it closer to his chest seemed to help a little. He was just going to wait out the sudden downpour under the roof, he didn’t count on finding anything here. And yet, here he was cuddling a little kitten, who apparently over its fear was purring contentedly next to his ribcage.

He named it Elsa and ignored any looks he got from everyone in the house. After all, they did want a pet. It’s not his fault, it didn’t like anyone beside him. (It tolerated Hank and sometimes allowed him to feed it, but it was as far as its patience to children went.)

Comments

[the-me09.livejournal.com]

Another amazing fic I missed! WHAT THE HECK MAN!

Gah! So adorable and of course they get a kitten because cats are adorable and purry and awkejflsfa so cute. Erik+kitten= squealing lots of squealing.

I love how Sean's just like lololol fish don't need to be fed!

Alex of COURSE would choose a dog. OF COURSE.

So wonderful my dear!

<3

[kiriana16.livejournal.com]

LOL IT'S LIKE JUMPING AT YOU FROM BEHIND A TREE WITH FICS.

Cat's are the only furry creatures Erik might accept in his house. Doesn't hurt that this particular one is very nasty tempered, jealous one, who likes to monopolize Erik's time. I bet Charles is not a happy panda ;)

HE THOUGHT THEY WERE SELF-FED. JUST LIKE IN AQUARIUM.

What do you mean 'of course'? ALEX IS NOT PREDICTABLE AT ALL.

Eee~~ LOVE YOU <3