I know your deepest thoughts... [PV ERIK ~ English Only]

Her blonde hair, as shiny as usual, curled around her neck before falling down her shoulders. Although October was nearing its end, the weather was still quite good that particular afternoon, which is why Emma Grace Frost, exhausted after a long mission in freezing Russia, had decided to go for a swim in the Greenwich Hotel’s indoor pool. Nothing could keep her away from the soothing feeling the cold water gave her when it brushed against her skin and seeped through her toes, neither sickness nor the weather; besides, what could a little winter breeze do against a women who could turn to diamond in a blink? Ever heard of the saying “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”? In Emma’s case, it was definitely true. She had always understood her luck when it came to her secondary mutation – how some had been cursed with blue skin or fur, and how she had been blessed with the shiny, glamorous and impenetrable gem. Although she was tired because of her trip to Russia, Emma was still in a good mood; she was in such a good mood, in fact, that she was willing to joke, which was rarely her case. She smiled, amused at the idea of telling Eric something along the lines of “ I want to cook your bread, just to make sure you’re well fed ” or “ God has a name, for it was Magneto. ”

After throwing her towel on the nearest crimson deck chair, Emma slowly descended the silver metallic ladder that lead into the pool. When her body came in contact with the water, she sighed: she could already feel her stiff back relax as if the water were giving her a massage. What Emma loved about swimming was that it was one of the only sports that could keep her in shape without making her perspire. She hated perspiration, not only because she felt uncomfortable when her forehead was visited by those tiny sweat droplets but also because it destroyed all attempts she made to seem as flawless as she liked to believe she was. That was why she was doing the crawl, to keep her slender figure the way it was for as long as she could: she knew that one day, the time would come where she would not be able to act flawless anymore, and that day was nearing with every year she gained and every wrinkle that appeared on her forehead or on the sides of her eyes.

She had been swimming for approximately half an hour when she heard some footsteps on the tile floor. Interrupting herself in her exercise, she slowly got out of the pool before quickly drying herself with her crimson towel. While doing this, she gazed towards the other person in the room, realizing it was Erik. He seemed surprised to see her. Trying to liven up the moment, she attempted a joke – we did say she was in a good mood, remember?

- What? It was either this or blue, and we both know that blue is the colour of the weak.

She said, smiling, talking about her towel before laying it elegantly on the deck chair. She then sat down on the chair, and added with a mysterious tone:

- I know your deepest thoughts.

Before lying down on the deck chair and closing her eyes, waiting for him to say something.

When he woke up that morning, he felt that something was missing. He couldn’t feel the warm body of a certain woman lying next to him as he used to. That was the precise moment when he realized his bed was empty. Though he couldn’t face it, he had to admit that Raven had taken a much important room in his life than he had thought. Yet, he was the one who had sent her far away from him. Unless the weather had changed, Russia was one of the toughest countries he had ever known, a perfect place to challenge someone’s accomplishments and skills. A perfect place for two young women like Emma Frost and Raven Darkhölme, walking on high heels and enjoying some grog. That thought made him laugh, and after a few seconds he quickly suited up and stepped out of his room, ready to start a brand new day in absolute loneliness. He took a deep breath before taking the elevator. Downstairs was probably crowded with people he didn’t even care of. Those precise people who’d come and talk to him for hours about more or less anything. Avoiding them, that’s what he wanted, and that’s what he did when he pushed the button that led to the underground. He’d have breakfast a little after the gym, for he needed to spend a peaceful and relaxing moment before actually going to work.
Erik giggled when the doors opened. How could he think about work? A few months ago he’d have refused such a responsibility. That was before he realised the whole world was inhabited by a mixed population, not only was it made of human beings, but also of a dominant species that was his : mutants.

« What? It was either this or blue, and we both know that blue is the colour of the weak. »

He remained silent for a while, doing nothing but looking at the magnificient woman facing him as she was lying on the deck chair. What a surprise for him. He didn’t know she was to come back so early, and wondered if his princess was round there too. His gaze going back and forth the room, watching every detail of it without really watching. Just trying to find something actually blue.

« I thought you’d be back much later. What happened, then? »

He started taking off his shirt and then he took off his pants, wearing nothing but a man’s swimsuit, feeling the cold air on his back that made him shiver –or was it Emma’s physical appearance ? Of course not, he was neither a womanizer nor a middle-aged man looking for much more than just company.

« I know your deepest thoughts. »
« And I’m afraid yours are a mystery to me. »

He stared at her one last time and jumped into the pool. The water was cool and it seemed to wake him up for the second time.

« How come you’re here so early, tell me? » He had said that in such an authoritarian tone, letting her guess without even reading his mind how concerned he felt for the mission he had given his most precious secret agent. If only she had fulfilled it...

She could feel his gaze undressing her; his eyes were caressing her body as if they were trying to give her a massage. Emma had long been admired and coveted by men, which explained why she was so gifted in the art of manipulating them or knowing exactly what they wanted, even without reading their minds. And so, although Emma Grace Frost knew that Erik was looking at her body – and enjoying what he was seeing from the looks of it – she immediately guessed that his main thought was whether his sweetheart had returned as well, and if so, where she was. There was no need to read his mind for that: staring at his face and eyes sufficed for her; she had quickly discovered which facial expressions matched which due to her several years of telepathy.

As Emma saw Erik gaze across the room, she mimicked him, trying to see what it was he was looking for. She curiously noted that there was actually nothing blue in the room : all of the deck chairs were crimson or white, set to match the pool’s walls on water – for even the tiles that made the swimming pool were of a red color rather than a blue one. She could not remember why, she could not remember since when; all Emma could remember was that red had always been the color chosen by the most powerful and influential people. Some may refer to them as ‘bad guys’, extremists would say ‘evil’. For her part, she liked to think of the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle as “visionaries”.

She was drawn from her thoughts by a rather dashing man in his early thirties, occupied unbuttoning his shirt and removing his trousers while he asked her a question. Emma noticed that Erik was in quite well physical shape, contrarily to M Pavlenko, the Russian man she and Raven had been sent to ‘deal with’. After taking a sip from the martini she had asked one of the bar men to deliver to her – for every decent girl liked a good cocktail – Emma answered Erik’s question with the following:

– Oh, you know, just the usual… He tried to run away, we caught up with him, and I believe you know what happened after that…

When Erik confessed not being able to read her thoughts, Emma dared a shy smiled: she did not know why, but she always smiled when men told her things like that. It was probably because behind all the coldness and professionalism, Emma was still a woman, and a darn great one at that. She still had sensitivity – though well concealed – and appreciated any man capable of making her feel as she should feel: mysterious, desirable and young.

A splash, followed by rapid and masculine swimming strokes – those were the sounds Emma had heard when Erik had finally jumped and began to swim. She picked up a magazine she had brought with her – Azazel had been kind enough to stop by the store on the way back so that she could purchase the latest issue – and started flicking through it, looking for some content that might be of interest to her. When she heard Erik’s voice echo once more from the swimming pool, Emma raised her left brow, trying to process what he was saying, before dropping her arms to the side all too suddenly, seeming annoyed by his query. It was only after a few seconds of waiting and of sighing that Erik was allowed to hear Emma’s answer:

– I know you’re wondering about how she did. I can see it in your gaze, there’s no need to be a telepath for that! She did fine, if you really want to know. I wanted to challenge her a bit more than you told me to, and that didn’t work so well, but otherwise, everything was fine.

Should she have admitted she had changed the plan on him, just for the sake of a little bit of amusement on her trip to Russia? There was only one way to find out, as Erik was about to answer. She quickly added:

– And what about you? Have you managed to keep everything under control without me, or do I have to go on a quest to attempt to fix any plans you may have ruined?