markedformore | (no subject)

Four days in jail. It's not a hardship to Erik. In fact, the room is much better than his current one at Charles' home given the current state of the walls. He's whiled the time away by sitting against the wall and scratching lightly at the bandages on his arm, nudging an old coin along his knuckles before he does it again. He carves his thoughts into a singular minded path and the days pass with ease.

He has been in so many cages before. This is simply one more.

When the gates of this particular hell open on the fourth day, Erik gathers his things and steps past the bars, not expecting anyone to have come to greet him. Charles has visited, but Erik had requested that he be permitted to be released on his own. Clad in the simple white t-shirt and sweatpants he's been permitted, he feels like a lab rat who has now had all his tests completed. It's why, when he is standing outside of the prison, that he feels utter disappointment ravage him when he sees who has come to collect him.

"Billy," he greets evenly.

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Billy isn't exactly sure what he'd expected when the bandages came off, but the sight of the wounds make his stomach churn. He knows what wrist restraint wounds look like, had lived with them long enough to magically heal them away, but he still hasn't forgotten what they'd looked like.

He shifts forward, bringing a hand up to hover over Erik's arm. His voice is hushed, but tense and full of worry -- and anger. "What happened?"

Erik draws his arm away, not willing to let it be touched. He takes his time bandaging them up as he's learned to do with precise and efficient movements. "I woke up and it was like I was twelve years old again," he says, calmer than the situation calls for. "The table, the wall, the weapons, the encouragement was all there," he says the word with heavy disgust.

Billy lets his arms drop to his sides, as he takes it in. He's had a glimpse of the sort of pain Erik's been through, and he knows from personal experience that being confronted with something like that is just another one of the island's M.O.'s. That doesn't make it any easier to take.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, unsure whether that's the right thing to say, but he is. "Did you at least tell someone else? Like Xavier?"

"Charles doesn't need to know every waking moment of my life," Erik replies instantly, perhaps out of some desperate need to prove that he is not under Charles' thumb, as much respect and fondness as he has for the man. "But yes," he finally says. "He knows. He had to dismantle a whole portion of his home because of it. I couldn't imagine not telling him."

That isn't really the point; Billy just wants to know that Erik's told someone about it, and Xavier just seems the logical person, considering how close they are.

"I just meant..." Billy sighs and shifts his weight, aware how silly he's going to sound. "You don't have to keep things from everyone. And I know you don't want to tell me everything, but..." He trails off and shrugs, not sure where he'd been going with that train of thought.

"You can tell me stuff."

It's only that he doesn't want to inundate Billy with the tragedy that seems to be his life. Erik doesn't feel particularly upset by it so much as it catches him off-guard and sends him back to that place in which he is an emotional child. Apart from that, he does as he always has -- pushes the emotions deep enough so that they cannot interfere.

"Clearly, I'm fine now. I needn't have worried you."

"I'm going to worry no matter what," Billy says, which is the basic point he's trying to get at. He lifts his chin and gives Erik a shrug. "So you should probably tell me stuff in the future just so I know what I'm worrying about."

Not that the line ever worked on any other adult Billy tried to get to see him as something other than a kid that needed protecting, but it's always worth a try.

Erik presses his lips together, weighing the words in mind. "Well," is all he says, unsure that he can do such a thing. "If you want to worry about me, then I suppose that we ought to have an honest conversation wherein I answer some of your questions."