send me ⛓ for an arranged marriage AU between our muses
Magneto was dead. It happened slowly--shockingly--out in the field. Something something humankind had finally found a way around his otherworldly metal-manipulation. Charles thought, somewhere deep and selfishly inside his head, that he'd be relieved. Magneto was cold and calculating and looked at Charles with such distance in his eyes it was a wonder the stunted telepath ever once loved him thought him capable of change.
He did change. For the worse.
Yes, he had...but it wasn't relief Charles felt as he put Vivian to bed that night. It wasn't grief either. Ahead of them now lay the unknown; Erik Magneto had been the rock anchoring the Brotherhood together. With him gone, Charles very much feared whatever order had been instilled would start to fracture. Starting with his frightful partner, Emma Frost.
The Diamond Queen had not taken the loss well. To what degree, Charles tried his hardest to sidestep but there were a handful of new bruises around his wrist to show for it. He didn't blame her, not really...while he'd never been permitted very far into their inner circle (relegated mostly to nanny once his powers stopped working properly) he knew Emma had cared for the metal-bender to some degree.
So when she promptly decided Charles would be taking his place (or adopting a new role,) he was floored.
"I...ah..." he stammered, looking anywhere but into those dark blue eyes. He knew this declaration did not come with generosity in mind: the equal footing she and Erik Magneto shared they'd cultivated together. He also knew saying no would not end well, so he stood there, grinding his teeth and hoping he didn't look as terrified as he felt. When an answer finally entered his mind, he took a deep breath and tried to keep the words from shaking.
"Why...why me? I'm not...I haven't exactly exp-perience in any position of p-p-power. Wouldn't, ummmm...wouldn't Azazel be a better fit?"
