Summary: Chris and Wyatt pre-slash. Set in the changed future. Set in 2025. Chris is 20 and Wyatt has just turned 22. It's Wyatt's birthday and the whole family is preparing a huge surprise party for him. Things take an unexpected turn when Wyatt's spell to make his birthday more 'lively' turn out in a way he did not expected it to.
Title: The Strength of Deception
Author: Skya
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in my fanfiction. They all belong to their rightful owners.
Rating: M (For language and mature themes)
Warnings: Mention of gay relationships, a.k.a. slash, pre-slash, death and violence.
Feedback: Would be very much appreciated.
Author notes: My first Charmed fanfic. I hope you'll enjoy!
The Strength of Deception
Chapter 1
Wyatt Halliwell startled awake as his little brother, Chris, jumped onto his bed, chipper like a child of five year old on Christmas Eve.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIG BROTHER OF MINE!" The little brat yelled into his ear, while grinning and bouncing up and down on Wyatt's legs.
"Ow! Chris! What are you, five? Get off my legs!" The grumpy twenty-two year old blonde pushed his little brother off his bed who landed with a thud.
Chris glared at his brother as he picked himself up from the floor. "Boy, aren't we being Mister Morning Person here," he muttered under his breath. He couldn't see Wyatt's smile, hidden under the covers.
No matter how many times he said that it's not true, Wyatt loved his little brother and Chris' antics could make him really happy. Not that if you asked him, he'll ever admit it. No, he'll deny it for sure. But that's just what a big brother is supposed to do. And Wyatt played his part very well.
"Well, that's what you'll get for waking me at six in the morning, Chrissy!" he yelled from safe position on the bed, his voice muffled by the covers.
"It's 7:01!" Chris protested while bouncing back on Wyatt's bed.
Wyatt shot him a look.
Chris rolled his beautiful green eyes. "But I guess that's still a bit too early for you, oh almighty Wyatt."
"Exactly. Now if you'd excuse me, I have a date to go back to with Mr. Sandman." Wyatt curled up in his bed and stuck his head under his pillow.
Chris smirked mischievously. "Well, I guess I'll just have to make the sacrifice of letting you to your sleep and your date with Dreamland," he offered. Chris knew that Wyatt's greatest love was to sleep and he has teased him for that many a times through the years.
"Yea, you do that," replied the pillow.
"Alright, then I'll also make the sacrifice of eating all your pancakes and muffins and other delights mom especially made for you on your birthday." The twenty-year old brunette started to climb off the bed when an arm suddenly shot out and grabbed him round the waist and pulled him back onto the bed with Wyatt on top of him.
"Dramatic much?" He smirked before starting to tickle his little brother. Chris squealed and began to laugh.
"Stop it - ha-ha!-, Wy- hi-hi! - att!" He laughed uncontrollably.
"Nope! That's what you get for waking me up that early!" Wyatt shot back. Then, as an afterthought: "And for threatening to self sacrifice yourself for me by eating my breakfast."
"You- ha-ha- asked for it!" Chris said before orbing out of his brother's grasp. Wyatt landed face first on his pillow. "Oomph!"
Laughing sounded behind him and that was his only warning before tickling fingers attacked Wyatt and made him squeal like a girl.
"Hey! No fair, using magic!" He protested between laughs.
"Well, you're a good few sizes bigger than me, how's that fair?" Chris responded offhandedly and continued his 'torturing process'.
Wyatt suddenly flipped around on the bed, consequently throwing Chris off the bed, again. But this time, Chris grabbed onto Wyatt's arms and they landed together on the floor.
"Ow!" The both chorused.
"How's waking me up at 7 in the morning and giving me bruises for a birthday present?" Wyatt complained to his brother while trying to discern his own arm from Chris'.
"For your information, you landed me a lot more bruises in ten minutes than those Cardek demons did in a whole hour, and coming up to wake you was mom's idea, not mine." He defended himself while trying to detangle his legs from Wyatt's.
As if on cue, Piper's voice rang through their heads and ears. "Wyatt! Chris! Come down for breakfast, it's getting cold!"
"See?" Chris cried triumphantly. "She thought you ought to 'enjoy' your whole day of birthday. You only turn 22 once in your life." And a thought like this could only come for their lovely mother, Piper Halliwell.
"Yeah well," Wyatt said while standing up, "you still could have done it on a less chipper way than you did just then."
"Hey! I was on caffeine high!" Chris blinked. "Actually, still am. Who do you think helped mom making your breakfast?" He plopped himself down on Wyatt bed and snuggled himself between the sheets, trying to find a comfortable position.
"Get off my bed!"
"No."
"Yes."
"Nope."
"Yep."
"Nu-uh."
"Ya-hah."
Chris just shook his head.
"Oh come on, Chris! It's freezing!" Wyatt complained.
"Well then, go put some clothes on!" He referred to Wyatt who was only clad in his boxers.
"Bed is warmer."
"Do you want mom on your ass?" Chris said in a sing-song voice.
Wyatt grunted. "Evil imp," he muttered.
Chris just grinned and bowed, which was quite a difficult feat, seeing as he was still lying in Wyatt's bed, so it became more of a bob of the head. "Thank you! I try to be."
Wyatt just ruffled his hair and went to the closet to get his outfit for the day.
Chris' grin got even wider, knowing he had won this round. Just like he always did with their friendly banters. Wyatt was such a big softy.
Five minutes later, they were bouncing into the kitchen. Or rather, Chris was bouncing into the kitchen pulling Wyatt behind him, who was stumbling over his own feet.
A smile lit up on Piper's face when she saw her boys so happy in each other's company - for Wyatt, 'happy' was a debatable term -, and she walked over to her eldest son to give him a hug and a few kisses on his cheeks.
"Happy birthday, sweetie," she smiled when she let Wyatt go from the suffocating embrace, a.k.a. the special mother embrace.
Wyatt grinned. "Thanks mom."
Leo was next. "Happy birthday, son!" he said while giving Wyatt a more manly, though not less loving hug. Leo had been in the kitchen for a while now, helping Piper and Chris with their cooking. Well, at least he tried to help, though neither Piper nor Chris let him help, knowing his cooking abilities were equal to zero.
"Thanks dad!"
"Geez, I just feel so loved at the moment." Chris said sarcastically, not having received any hugs when he came into the kitchen.
"Aw, come here, lil' bro!" Wyatt laughed and pulled his brother in a way too tight embrace.
Chris yelped. "Help, dad! Wyatt is trying to suffocate me!" Seeing that Leo was too busy laughing, he turned to his mother. "Mom!" he whined.
Chuckling herself, she put on a stern face, which was completely ruined by her chuckles, she said, "Wyatt, let go of your brother, we have a cold breakfast waiting for us that'll only keep getting colder."
Wyatt complied and let go of Chris. "Yes mom." He replied as the half-angel he literally was. Chris snorted and turned around to walk to his seat. But before he got there, he tripped over a toy on the floor and promptly fell to the floor.
After two seconds of silence, came the reaction of Chris. "Ow." He commented dryly. Sitting up, he looked around for the cause of his ungraceful lowering to the floor. His gaze fell on his cousin's plush toy. "What is Penny's toy doing in the kitchen! This is the third time now I ended up on the floor this morning. Keep this up and I just might consider of staying on the floor for the rest of the day."
"Saves you the trouble of falling on your ass every time." Wyatt teased.
"Language!" Piper and Leo admonished in unison.
Chris smirked. Wyatt rolled his eyes. Their parents sighed.
"She must have left it here yesterday when Phoebe stopped by for a visit with the whole bunch. Coop asked where you were, said something about can't wait to give you your birthday present." Piper explained.
"How's uncle Coop?" Chris asked while Wyatt pulled him up from the floor.
"Yeah, we haven't seen him for a while. I wonder what the present is." Wyatt mused. His uncle Coop was a cupid, so all his gifts were amazingly interesting to say the least.
Piper chuckled at her son's eagerness. "Well, I guess you'll just have to wait till you see him again tonight!"
When they were finally sitting around the kitchen table, eating their breakfast, Piper put up the big question.
"So, Wyatt, what are you planning on doing today?" She asked sweetly.
Wyatt rolled his eyes. That was his mom's standard question on his birthday, wanting to get him out of the house so that the rest of the family could decorate it for a 'surprise' party. And if he guessed correctly, which he did, the next thing she'd be say was…
"How about going to the movies? Or go to the park! It's such a nice weather today, it would be a shame not to be outside," she pushed on.
Yup, that Wyatt could have guessed too. She always says that. Even if it wasn't nice bright and sunny outside, like when it's pouring, she still would find something to get him out of the house.
"I don't know. Maybe do some homework in my room. Don't feel like going out today." He replied casually.
The other three occupants of the room nearly choked. Although, for different reasons. Piper choked because she was starting to panic that their surprise party would be ruined and Leo choked because he was shocked to hear that Wyatt actually wanted to do some homework, on his own accord, without death threats from his family! Now Chris choked, purely because he couldn't hold his laughter in when his brother said that and his tea went down the wrong way.
Wyatt quite amusedly watched his family coughing and turning red. "What? Was it something I'd said?" He wondered innocently.
Chris decided to come to his parents rescue, and he smacked Wyatt up his head. The twice blessed witch glared at his brother, who smiled sweetly at him.
"You, mister birthday-boy, will have the honor of going with me to the library today!" Chris grinned.
Again, three choking sounds from table number 'kitchen'. This time, it was for the same reason.
"Excuse me?" Wyatt asked incredulously.
"You heard me."
"But… The library?" Horror was evident in his voice.
"Yup, you know, the place with all those books on the shelves and where people can borrow those books from?" Chris retorted flippantly.
Piper and Leo were just speechless. They knew that Chris loved the library, but Wyatt was just horrified by it. To take him there on his birthday would be pure torture!
"Chris, are you sure-" Leo began, but got stopped by his wife's hand on his arm. Piper didn't think that was such bad idea, in fact, it was brilliant! She smiled encouragingly at his youngest son.
"But…" Wyatt tried again, but got cut off by the younger witchlighter.
"No buts, buddy. You promised me, remember?"
"Oh come on! That's not fair!"
"Yeah, well neither was the –" Wyatt cut him off by slapping a hand in front of Chris' mouth, before Chris could say the snake tent. Wyatt knew that Chris hated snakes and he had taken his little brother there on his 19th birthday. Payback's a bitch.
Piper looked suspiciously at them two. "Neither was the what, Chris?"
"Nothing!" Wyatt replied nervously, his hand still clamped tightly on Chris' face.
"Wyatt."
"Yes dad?"
"You're suffocating your brother." Leo pointed at Chris who was glaring at his brother while slowly turning red.
"Woops!" Wyatt let go of Chris and looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, kiddo."
Said 'kiddo' gratefully breathed in the sweet odor of oxygen and shot an annoyed look at his brother. "Can it with the kiddos. I'm twenty years old, for crying out loud!"
Piper wouldn't be distracted that easily. "Neither was the what, Chris? Wyatt?" She said in a tone only a mother could muster.
"Eh," Chris stammered.
"We, uh," Wyatt stuttered.
Piper glared at them. "I'm waiting."
"Should go, eh,"
"To the library!" Wyatt exclaimed and grabbed his brother's hand while standing up.
"Yeah, we really need to get going. I still need to grab my library pass and all, you know." Chris laughed nervously.
"Boys!" Piper groaned, not wanting to let them go without answering her question, and without finishing their breakfast. Apparently, Leo thought the same.
"But you haven't even finished your breakfast!" Leo said worriedly, gesturing to the half-eaten breakfast.
"Wonderful breakfast, really delicious, thanks mom, thanks Chris. But we're full now, really." Wyatt rushed.
"And we have to get going." Chris added.
"So…" "So…"
"Bye!" They chorused and orbed away before their parents could say a thing.
Piper shook her head exasperatedly. "They are worse than when they were in their teenager years." She muttered. When she turned to her husband, Leo was eating again. He looked at his wife when he felt her eyes on him. "What?" He had a confused expression on his face. Piper felt like banging her head on the table. And while they were not paying attention, two chocolate muffins suddenly disappeared in twinkling blue orbs.
"So Chris, where are we going, actually?" Wyatt asked with his mouth full of muffin, dropping himself into his desk chair. They had orbed back to their rooms to get their stuff.
"The library," Chris replied while rummaging through the drawers for something.
"But Chri-his!" Wyatt whined.
"Quit your whining!" Chris shot at his brother.
"Hey, I'm the birthday boy here!"
"Yes you are, but we're still going to the library."
"Chrissy!"
"The library at the Magic School, okay?" Chris rolled his eyes. "And don't you 'Chrissy' me or we may actually be going to a real library where they certainly won't have books about demons, witches, spells or potions."
"Well, if you look at the sci-fi department…"
"Smartass."
"Imp."
The librarian looked up when bright blue orbs filled the library. The twinkling orbs formed into Wyatt and Chris.
"Hey Ms. Saunders!" They greeted simultaneously.
The 30 year old librarian smiled. "Hey boys. What are you doing here so early on a Saturday morning?"
"It's Wyatt's birthday." Chris answered as if that should explain everything. He walked over to one of the tables and threw his bag on top of it.
The brunette lady grinned. "Happy birthday, Wyatt," she congratulated him and pulled him into a hug and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks." Wyatt blushed and ran a hand through his hair, muzzling the blonde curls up a bit.
"But that still doesn't explain why you're here."
"It's all thanks to Chris," he shot a look at his little brother.
"Don't give me that look, Wyatt." Chris said without looking up. Turning to Ms. Saunders, he smirked, "Mom and dad needed to get him out of the house, so I took him out of the house."
Ms. Saunders nodded. "I see. Well, you boys enjoy yourselves here. I'm going to look for Mrs. Edelman to join me for breakfast. See you around!" With that, she left the library.
"What are you planning to do here?" Wyatt asked.
Chris pulled a college bloc, pens, notebooks and some files out of his bag. "I'm going to do some research. And you can you whatever you want, as long as you stay here."
"Demons again?"
"Yup." He replied as-a-matter-of-factly. They all knew that one of Chris' greatest hobbies was to hunt demons. Or doing anything related to magic, really. Wyatt thought his little brother was really suited to be the witch/whitelighter that he was.
"Can I borrow a pen and a notebook?" Wyatt asked, suddenly getting an idea.
"Sure, help yourself." Chris went over to the shelves and pulled out a book. "Make yourself comfortable," he winked, knowing they would have to sit there for at least two more hours. Maybe after that, they could go shopping. It was Wyatt's birthday after all and Chris decided that his big brother needs some new shirts. With a satisfied nod he went back to his research.
Wyatt sighed and sat down on a sofa. There was something he wanted to do. Because you see, Wyatt Halliwell had a dilemma. It's about his birthdays. It was not that they were boring, or that no one cared to do something, because they did throw him lots of birthday parties. The problem was, all the parties are about the same. Morning, big breakfast. Get out of the house. Lunch, outside, again, do whatever he wants as long as he isn't in the house. Evening, 'surprise' party. Night, P3. Well, the first few years they were fun, but come on, every year?
He looked at his notebook. Wyatt the super-witch suddenly got a great idea! He was a witch, right? That meant he could write spells, right? He wanted his birthday to be something more, right? Alright! So, Wyatt began scribbling on his notebook.
Sparkly magic, far and near
Listen to my request right here
Though all my birthdays has been nicely
Make it this year a lot more lively!
Wyatt re-read his spell and nodded satisfied. It was good enough and it made clear what he wanted. It could work. It would work. It's going to work!
To be continued…
A/N: Criticism very much welcome!