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Erik wasn’t sure that there was any one of his babies that he could say took after him, and that was something he was fine with.
Honestly, he was. They all looked like their Daddy and he had hoped that would be the case. Nina and Anya and their brown hair, Jean and Lorna’s face shape, their little noses and mouths that seemed to look just like their Daddy.
The whole way through Charles’s pregnancy, it was something they talked about. Who did they think their babies were going to look like with Erik insisting Charles and Charles insisting Erik. But now they had their answer.
Or so Erik thought, but apparently everyone didn’t see things the way he did.
“I can’t get over how much she looks like you,” Charles said, his eyes going from Erik’s face, down to Jean’s. “I swear she’s your double.”
Erik couldn’t help but give him a look. He didn’t believe him at all. How could he when it was so obvious that Jean looked the most like Charles. Her little eyes are so similar in shape, though Erik supposed the color could be closer to matching his, in some lights. Not to mention her nose, her mouth, even what he could see of her face structure under her little chubby baby cheeks.
“She’s certainly not,” Erik replied, “If she’s anyone’s double, it’s yours. All of them look so much like you. Just the way I always hoped they would. I got my way for once,” He added, teasingly, only to get a gentle push. Charles wasn’t going to be too rough, Erik was holding their baby after all.
“You’re joking, right?” Charles asked, “She’s definitely not got my nose. Thankfully. I think Lorna’s the only one I’ve passed that onto. I would’ve preferred to let that die with me.”
Erik leaned over and pressed a kiss to Charles’s nose—the object of all his issues, or so it seemed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re perfect. I don’t want to hear you talking about yourself that way.”
“But I have to sit here and listen to you?” Charles asked back, “Come on, look at Jean. And I mean really look at her. Those are your eyes, love. Your nose. That hair! I know we joked about my beard, but she definitely got that hair from you.”
“I thought it was part of her mutation,” Erik replied, “Kind of like Lorna and her green hair.”
At that, Charles just gave him an amused look, “Please. There’s no doubt in my mind that baby Erik had hair just that color. And I can see in your mind. In your memories. You’re not going to be able to lie to me about this.”
Erik just rolled his eyes and refocused his attention on the little girl looking up at him and holding tight to his finger. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the little girl looked like him. It was just that he couldn’t see it, even if Charles did insist that he could.
It wasn’t that Erik had anything against the kid, he loved his honorary nephew, and his mutation. Not just what he could do but his three fingers, his blue skin, his tail, all of it. It was no secret how Erik felt about physical mutations, after all, no one could question it.
But what he did have a bit of a problem with was the smell that seemed to accompany each Kurt as he teleported. The puff of smoke that didn’t have the most pleasant of smells.
Most of the time, his reaction was something he could hide, but when he was cooking with Jean strapped to his chest and the little boy appeared suddenly, well, there wasn’t much he could do. A look crossed his face before he could stop it, smelling the air.
At first, he thought that Jean may need to be changed—it wasn’t a scent one hoped to smell when cooking. It only took a moment longer to realize what the source was, and then he schooled his features.
Though, apparently, it was only a moment too late. From the table, he heard Raven laughing at him. The only thing he could do was be thankful that she wasn’t mad about his initial response.
“You and Jean could be twins,” She informed him, “You two had the same look on your face.”
Erik looked down at the little girl and, as though knowing what was going on, she looked up at him. Neither of them had a look on their face anymore, so Erik couldn’t argue too much. He didn’t get to see the way Jean’s nose wrinkled, scrunched up at the scent.
“I can’t imagine,” Erik replied, honestly, “How could she have the same look when she looks nothing like me?”
Raven raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “You’re joking right?” She asked, “She looks just like you. Nina looks like Charles, Lorna has her own thing going on, though I can see some of each of you in her. And Jean is you made over, Erik. If there was any doubt who the father was, there wouldn’t be anymore.”
“Charles said something similar,” Erik commented, looking down at his little girl. Only now could he admit to himself that maybe, just maybe, she had gotten her hair from him. Charles had said he imagined a young Erik with red hair and that would be right. He did when he was younger and it got darker over the years. A little more brown mixing in with the red.
“He’s right, but don’t tell him I said that,” Raven instructed. “He’d let it go to his head and that’s the last thing we need. But she does look so much like you.”
Erik nodded a little, before saying quietly, “Thank you.” It had to be a compliment that someone so cute and pure and innocent could look anything like him. His precious daughter, looking like him. It felt wrong, but a compliment all the same.
“We’re having a bit of a problem,” Erik said, walking into the lab to find Hank, holding Jean in his arms.
The other mutant looked up from where he was working at a microscope. Eyes scanned over Erik and Jean before nodding and standing. “Alright, what seems to be the problem?”
“Charles and I are debating if Jean has a fever and we can’t find a thermometer. Charles swears she’s warm but I don’t think she is,” He replied, “We were wondering if you had one down here.”
Hank nodded and moved around the room, grabbing a thermometer and bringing it over to Erik. “Is she sick? Anything else going on that you’re worried about?”
Taking the little stick and sliding it into Jean’s mouth—something she seemed to be fighting—Erik replied, “She’s a little fussier than usual, but nothing other than that. She’s still sleeping well and eating. I think Charles is cold and being a little over protective, but better safe than sorry.”
“Absolutely. I’m sure it’s nothing but it’s better to catch it sooner rather than wait until it’s bad, if something is going on,” Hank said.
For a moment, Erik ignored the other man, his sole focus on his little girl, rocking her gently from side to side as he held the thermometer in place in her mouth. Anything to try to soothe her so he could make sure she was okay.
“Shhh, shhh,” He whispered, “It’s alright, little girl. We just need to make sure you’re alright. Daddy and Papa are worried about you. Let us see if you’re warm or not and we can help you if you are. Are you feeling bad, sweetheart?”
He was so caught up in the little girl in his arms that Erik didn’t even notice the way Hank’s eyes were on the two of them. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Hank started, catching Erik’s attention. “But Jean certainly gets her looks from you.”
The way he said it, Erik couldn’t decide if it was a compliment or not. It almost sounded like something someone would say if they were hitting on him or, worse, his daughter. But there was almost disgust or something in his voice as he said it.
There was a clear look of confusion and uncertainty on his face as he replied, “Thank you.” The words came out slowly as he looked at the other man. He wanted to refocus his attention on his daughter but he couldn’t just yet.
“It’s just the looks on your faces were the same. It’s not a look you have on your face that often, only around Charles and your children. But still, it’s so much like the look on Jean’s face right now,” Hank said, “It’s almost fascinating to see.”
There was something about Hank talking like that to Erik that he was apprehensive about but, even still, he looked down at the girl in her arms. There was, perhaps, something about the set of her little mouth that was reminiscent of Erik’s. It wasn’t something he had noticed before, but it was there, he had to admit.
The sound of beeping caught his attention and Erik looked at the thermometer. 98.8. Charles was right, but just barely, and it was hardly enough to worry about. With that off his mind, Erik left the lab with Jean, as fast as possible.
Erik had Jean on his lap, gently bouncing her on his knee. His hands were on her sides, making sure she was secure and not going to fall or go anywhere. No matter how old his babies got, he was always too worried about hurting them.
Not that they were exactly old at this point, just a little over four months, but still, he was no less afraid than he was at four days.
As he bounced his legs, with the little girl, she giggled and laughed. A sound that Erik would never get enough of. It had never failed to bring a smile to his face, and even make him laugh as well.
“I may not be able to see you,” Irene said, sitting down next to him on the couch, “But I can still tell how similar you two are.”
“Have you been talking to Charles and Raven?” Erik asked, looking over at her, his smile slowly fading. But only for a second as he remembered what he was doing and went back to bouncing the girl, just to make the laughter return.
“And Hank,” Irene replied, “Still, there is something similar, even in your laugh. I’m sure your smiles look alike as well. In fact, I know they do.”
“Your powers?” Erik asked, glancing over at her but he wasn’t going to take his eyes off his daughter for a second longer than necessary, not when he had her so happy and amused by something he was doing.
A little piece of good he could do, make laughter and not screams of pain, smiles instead of tears. No matter how long he had been here with Charles, it was still shocking to realize how much he had changed, how much everything had changed. His life wasn’t what it once was and he was grateful for that.
“My powers,” Irene confirmed with a nod. “I can, in a sense, see the way you both smile, see what your daughters are capable of, see the ways they can change this world, either for better or for worse.”
“But you’re not going to tell me about any of that.” It wasn’t a question. Erik knew she wasn’t going to. Irene was always secretive about the future. She could play the part of a pawn to move things forward, or use everyone else as he pawns to help out, but she wasn’t about to bluntly admit to what she knew. Morals with her powers, much like Charles had with his.
“I’m not,” She said, “But they are all capable of great things. Even if they could be bad, they could be great. Just like their parents. We’ll see, in the long run, Erik, just how much like you she is. But, for now, that smile and laugh, they’re all yours.” And, with that, she got up and walked away, leaving Erik with Jean once again.
During her speech, Erik had been distracted from what he was doing. But, now that he was alone, he looked back to his daughter. “What do you think she meant by that?” He asked, not getting any answer except for a giggle from Jean as he started bouncing her again.
Really, there wasn’t a better answer he could’ve asked for. And, if, in that moment, he heard the similarities between her laugh and his mama’s—the one everyone in his younger years said he had as well—then maybe being like his mama wasn’t the worst thing for the little girl.
It didn’t begin to sink in at all that one of his babies looked like him, not at all. No matter how often people commented about it and tried to convince him.
At least, not until one of the kids was staring at Erik as he walked Jean around the room, trying to soothe her. Or, ultimately, get her to sleep.
It was getting late and, really, all the students should be in bed. All babies too. Lorna and Nina were both asleep already. Charles was in bed and Erik was still trying—and failing—to get Jean to calm enough to join her sisters.
This had been happening more and more recently, yet Erik didn’t know why and, if Charles knew, then he wasn’t letting on at all. The little girl had always been a little more fussy than the other two, but it had been so much worse for the last week or so.
Erik was running on so little sleep when Sean, of all people, walked into the kitchen—Erik didn’t want to know what the boy was doing up and in there at that kind of time.
For a moment, the boy just watched the two of them, his head tilted to the side. It almost made Erik uncomfortable and he figured that if he ignored him for long enough, the boy would get tired of it and leave.
Alas, he didn’t seem to take the hint and, after a moment, he said, “You two are alike. Is this like your karma or something?”
Erik found himself looking away from the fussy child and to the little boy. “What do you mean?” He asked, needing to know.
“I mean you’re difficult, she’s difficult. Even right now, you have the same look on your face. She’s definitely your daughter,” Sean said as he looked away, making his way to the fridge.
It took Erik a moment to recalibrate his brain and follow the kid, “What do you mean the same look on our face? She’s crying.”
“Yeah, but you still look the same. You’re frustrated, so is she. It’s the same look. She gets it from you.” Sean said, not looking at the two of them once again, still looking through the fridge before coming out with a cupcake that Erik was wondering why it was in there, of all places.
Because that was what he was supposed to be thinking about. Not the things that Sean was saying.
“We do not look alike,” Erik said, glaring at him, annoyed. He hated it, the idea of someone, especially Sean knowing something like that about him and the little girl. It just wasn’t right.
“Sure man,” Sean said, closing the door and walking out of the room leaving the two of them alone. It was clear he didn’t believe anything that Erik said and yet, somehow, he found himself wondering.
Charles, Raven, Hank, Irene. None of them were enough to convince him, but now Sean had noticed and he was far from the most observant of them all. If he had noticed it then maybe there was something to it.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Erik took in the way his face looked. It was something he hadn’t really thought about too much. For years he hadn’t much considered the way he looked, beyond trying to look decent for his mate. But now he took in the details and noticed the little things.
Things that he had noticed in their daughter’s face. The color of his hair was similar to Jean. The shape of his nose, maybe, was more similar to Jean’s than Charles’s was. The shape of his mouth, the way he smiled and frowned. The color of his eyes—the shape of those were still more Charles than him, he had to stick to his original opinion on that.
Maybe his problem was that he had never paid much attention to the way he looked. Everyone else saw his face all the time, saw the way he looked and he didn’t. That could account for why he didn’t see how Jean looked like him.
His little daughter was certainly his, certainly looked like him. It somehow filled him with pride and dread at the same time. Her, or any of his kids, taking after him seemed like a reason to worry.
“What’s going on, love?” Charles asked, rolling up behind him, watching him. It was a little terrifying even still but there was something about the attention from Charles that filled him with excitement and happiness.
“Thinking that Jean might just look like me,” Erik replied, turning away from the mirror. “Everyone kept saying that and I didn’t believe them. But Sean told me last night. I think it might be true. If he’s noticed it, it must be, right?”
Charles laughed softly and nodded, “Yeah, as much as I think you’re being a little mean to the boy right now, I think you’re right. Jean is your double, she looks more like you than anyone else. There’s a lot there she certainly didn’t get from me.”
“She looks like my mama,” Erik commented, quietly, “And I was always told I look like her.” That was still a memory that filled him with love and happiness. A sense of nostalgia filling him, and thoughts of happier times with her still alive.
It might be clear that he was trying to make it easier for him to understand. More like a good thing in his mind, and not a bad thing. It wasn’t bad to look like his mama. She was nice, kind, and loving. She wasn’t like him, but he looked like hers.
Of course, he wasn’t going to say all of that to Charles right now. He knew it would turn into a big discussion that he didn’t want to have right now. And Charles seemed to understand all of that.
“I’m sure she does, love,” Charles said softly, reaching for Erik’s hand and pulling him down to press a kiss to his lips before his face was pressed against Erik’s neck, scening him. “I’m sure she does.”