( dedicated to milan , who will always be my #1 napkin )

"So what are we doing here?" Raven asked, bored. Charles rolled his eyes at her. The two sat down at a table in the corner. He waved at a waiter who brought them two drinks.

"We're having fun, Raven," he said, looking around the pub and sipping his drink. He saw a bunch of students from Cambridge around the various tables and pinball machines.

"Fun is just us two hanging around an hour away from home?" she said, unimpressed. Charles sighed.

"Raven, I'm sorry that you weren't able to go out with those people, but in all honesty, they were..." He made an iffy motion with his hand. She huffed and rested her head on her hands. Earlier in the day, Raven had met some new "friends" from Oxford. However, after Charles had screened them with his powers, he had not approved.

"Charles! You can't keep 'protecting' me," she complained with air quotes. He raised an eyebrow and took another sip.

"Stop whining, you're not a child," he said, examining around more. Raven sighed.

"You treat me like one, I swear," she muttered. He laughed. She looked up at his wandering eyes. "Are you looking for her?" He turned his head to her.

"What?"

"That girl from a couple days ago," said Raven. "The one with the blue dress? Gave you a napkin and you had goo goo eyes for hours afterwards?" Charles blushed slightly but shook his head.

"I did not have goo goo eyes," he denied. She scoffed.

"Yeah you did," she said. He shook his head again.

"No, I'm not looking for her but now that you mention it," Charles said while putting his hand in his jacket pocket, "I do need to call her." He took out the beige coloured napkin, and Raven facepalmed.

"Geez, you're sad," she shook her head.

"She was quite nice and I liked her face, don't judge me," he defended. She rolled her eyes but waved her hand.

"Go call her. Just don't get all lovey dovey on me," the blonde said.

Charles grinned at her but proceeded to get up to call the girl named Clara. He walked over to the bartender and asked for some change for the payphone. The man nodded and handed the Brit some coins, which he took to the nearby phone. As he went to the little corner, he gazed back out at the students walking around and chatting the afternoon away. Through the glass of the walls of the payphone, he saw a flash of blue and his quick eyes were averted. His hand was about to slide in the coins, but then he saw her.

Clara Robinson. The girl with a certain uniqueness in her voice and face. What a perfect coincidence.

Charles grinned and stuffed the already-wrinkled napkin into his pocket again. He gave the coins back to the confused bartender, thanking him, and then practically ran over to Raven. She looked up, still bored but slightly interested.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Raven teased. He rolled his eyes again but grinned at her.

"I think my napkin just walked in."

~

Clara sat down in the booth with Susan and two other boys from Cambridge. Susan was talking cheerily to the boys, but Clara sighed a bit. The small pub was filled to the brim with students since it was a weekend. The two girls' dates were some big jocks who had fallen under Susan's charm. Clara had just been yet again dragged along onto the outing.

"Here, Clara," Susan said grandly, handing her friend a beer. "Now, what were we talking about?" She became very interested in what her date was saying, which in all honestly, wasn't much.

"Do you want this? I'm not in the mood," Clara said to the jock across her. She pointed to her cup. He nodded, already having downed his own glass. She slid it over, and he took it gladly. While he drank, Clara looked around the pub. She desperately wanted to leave. She fidgeted with the her light blue cardigan. British students crowded around booths, talking about philosophy or crushes. Suddenly, like an angel from heaven, she heard someone's voice.

"Hi," he said. Clara glanced up, and her eyes lit up at the sight of a certain Charles Xavier. Susie let out a small sigh of frustration, and the two jocks narrowed their eyes. Clara and Charles were unfazed.

"Hello," she said back. He grinned.
"What is the probability?" asked the man. Clara laughed.

"Reasonably low," she smiled. She suddenly remembered her friends and awkwardly introduced them to the man. "Uh this is Charles. Charles Xavier." Her friends nodded and mumbled some greetings. Clara turned back to Charles and smiled. There was a pause, and she wondered if he was going to ask her anything.

"Croquet!" Charles exclaimed. She raised her eyebrows and was taken aback a bit by the sudden explosion. He cleared his throat. "Sorry. I mean, do you play? Do you play croquet?" Clara smiled more.

"Um, not recently," she said, interested.

"What about Sunday morning?" asked the man. Clara shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm actually busy," she said with a small frown. Charles looked confused but then he nodded.

"Oh right," he said. "Him." He pointed upwards as if pointing to heaven and then walked away with his hands in his pockets. Clara laughed a little.

"He is strange," Susan commented. Clara smiled.

"A bit."

~

A few days later, Clara walked out of the large, Anglican church and dusted off her dress. She pulled off her white gloves and put them into her small purse. Her brother, Stephen Robinson, walked next to her, occasionally pushing up his black rimmed glasses. He was taller but a year younger than her, a bright young man interested in...well he wasn't exactly sure yet (probably something along the lines of helping the world). He pulled down his suit jacket and bumped her with his elbow.

"I swear someone in that choir was off key," he said with a cheeky smile. Clara rolled her eyes.

"You need to stop being so negative, Stephen," she scolded. He put up his hands in defense. They both laughed. He pushed up his glasses again and then nodded to someone sitting on the nearby wall.

"I've never seen him before," he commented. Clara followed his gaze and held back her grin as soon as she saw Charles Xavier. He was swinging his legs and reading a book, taking small notes every once in awhile.

"I'll be right back," she told her brother. She fixed her hat a bit and walked up to Charles. "Hello." He looked up and grinned at her.

"Why hello there, Ms. Robinson," he said, bowing slightly like he did the first time they met. She laughed.

"Call me Clara," she smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was looking for a certain Clara Robinson but she seemed to have appeared in front of me," he smiled back. He closed his magenta book and slid the pencil behind his ear. She tilted her head to look at the cover.

"What're you reading?" she asked.

"I'm fixing my thesis actually," he tapped the cover. "It's my little idea journal." Clara nodded and smiled more.

"So...did you ever go to church?" she said, motioning to the building behind her. Charles shrugged.

"Once upon a time," he grinned. She rolled her eyes but the grin was contagious. He jumped down from the wall and dusted off his hands. "What are you doing for lunch? Raven and and I are going out with a friend. Care to join?" She looked at her family and then back at him with a playful smile.

"Sounds lovely."

~

Clara followed Charles into the busy restaurant. He waved at a blonde, and Clara recognized her as his sister, Raven. There was another man with them. He had curly black hair and a big smile to match Charles'.

The pair walked over to the table, and she pushed back some hair. Charles slid next to Raven, across from Clara, and the other man opened up a seat for her. She hung her cardigan on the back of the chair and sat down.

"Hi," Raven said with a kind smile. She looked less scary from the other night. Clara smiled back.

"Hi. You're Raven, right?" The blonde nodded.

"And you must be Clara," she said. Clara nodded. "Charles' has been talking non-stop about you." Clara's face turned pink, and Charles rolled his eyes behind the menu.

"Stop lying, Raven," he muttered. Raven winked at him.

"Hi, I'm Jonathan White," the other man said. He reached over the table, and Clara shook his hand.

"Clara Robinson," she said. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Why, the pleasure is all mine," he winked at her. She felt herself blush again, and Raven laughed.

"Don't get cheeky, Johnny," Charles said. Jonathan shrugged but continued to smile. Clara smiled a bit more too.

"Would you like to try some homemade coffee?" Raven asked, pulling a small thermos out of her bag. Clara nodded but Charles shook his head at her.

"Don't touch it, Clara, don't touch it," he said. The blonde girl rolled her eyes.

"Charles doesn't like my coffee," she complained as she put the thermos away. Jonathan was laughing. "Philistine."

"Not my fault," Charles put his hands up in defense. Clara let out a little laugh, and he grinned at her.

"So Charles," Jonathan smirked, "you've been to church with a good woman. Are you feeling holier than thou?" He laughed.

"Positively saintly, thank you," Charles grinned. Raven and Jonathan laughed more, and Clara tried to hide her wide smile. Soon, the food came: a large roast chicken, some vegetables, and a couple drinks. Charles passed around the drinks, and Raven started to cut the meat.

"So, Clara what do you study?" Jonathan asked.

"Arts," Clara responded as she put some food on her plate. "Languages and literature. I'm thinking of doing a PhD eventually." He nodded in approval.

"And what in?"

"French medieval literature and poetry," she said, encouraged. Jonathan looked at a loss for words, while Raven held back her laughter. Clara looked back down awkwardly. Charles glared at them.

"Light or dark meat, Clara?" Raven asked, still amused. Clara looked up.

"Um light please." Raven scooped up some chicken onto the other woman's plate.

"Charles?" asked the blonde.

"I'll WING it as usual," he winked. Raven groaned.

"How PLUCKY of you," Jonathan grinned. The blonde rolled her eyes more.

"Oh FOWL!" Charles declared. "FOWL play!" Clara was laughing now.

"Will you two stop it?!" Raven said loudly. The boys burst into laughter. She turned to Clara. "Don't worry about those two. They're pun-mad." Clara smiled to herself.

"That's ok," she said a bit hesitantly. She poked her food with her fork. "I won't EGG them on." Jonathan doubled over in laughter.

"That was marvelous!" he exclaimed. "Very good. 'I won't egg them on.' Indeed, indeed." Clara looked up at Charles who was grinning at her. Jonathan laughed some more. Suddenly, Charles spoke up.

"I'm inviting Clara to be my partner for the May Ball," he said. Clara widened her eyes in surprise.

"Is that so?" Raven asked, with a large smile. Charles nodded confidently.

"Yes."

"Well you two have fun," Jonathan said, also smiling. Clara looked towards Charles, and he grinned more at her.

"Will you?" he mouthed as Raven and Jonathan continued to eat and talk. She smiled with delight and nodded.

"Yes," she mouthed back. His eyes lit up, and he smiled even more.

Clara was starting to fall in love that smile.

~

hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! thanks so much for all the positive feedback!!!!

also note: their relationship is kinda moving fast buT it's kinda because of the movie (TTOE) so sowwyyy oops

okay byeeee