Title: A Gentleman's Prerogative
Fandom: X-Men First Class
Characters: Charles Xavier, Sebastian Shaw
Length: 300 words
Content notes: oblique/implied reference to noncon
Author note: part of my Patterns of Light noir AU series; this comes just before Chemistry
Summary: “You turned me down the first time we met,” Shaw says.




A trickle of sweat runs down Charles’s spine. He tells himself it’s just the heat, the New Orleans spring that feels like summer already. The air is heavy with the smell of wisteria, moss and damp.

“You turned me down the first time we met,” Shaw says. He sounds as if it still surprises him. Maybe it does. There must be plenty of young men who want the kind of life he can provide.

“I was with someone else, if you recall,” Charles says, mock-protesting.

“Hardly,” Shaw says reprovingly. “A passing acquaintance, at best.”

He would have checked up on that; of course he would. This fucking conversation is like walking on eggshells.

“Blame my mother,” Charles jokes. “She raised me to believe it’s the height of bad manners to ditch your escort for another beau.”

Shaw’s lip curls. “Etiquette is for debutantes,” he says. “The only thing that matters is to know what you want, and take it.”

Charles forces a smile. “That's all very well, but you can’t always get what you want.”

“Oh, I can,” Shaw says, with a grin that makes Charles feel cold inside. “I’m sure you can too. I doubt you ever have to settle for second best.”

Charles doesn’t usually have any trouble looking smug, or so various people have told him over the years. Somehow it’s harder to do on purpose.

“Life has been good to me,” he admits. It sounds suitably complacent; once upon a time he’d have said it was true.

“So what made you change your mind?” Shaw’s gaze seems to pierce through to his bones.

Charles takes a deep breath. “I’m ready to try something new,” he says.

“Well,” Shaw says, “I think we can promise you that. Emma, honey, why don’t you fix us all a drink?”