"I don't believe I do," he admitted, equally quiet. The doses were limited, and while more might be made, he thought it best to set them aside, for whatever might befall them in the future. This silly game he was playing with himself, indulging his weaknesses, had to stop.

And now, with his powers returning like a surging tide, Erik's mind was a nearly impossible temptation. It had been a decade since they'd last allowed themselves that sort of intimacy, beyond those few moments on the beach months ago.

"I think it's best if I went home."