I don't own Charmed nor will I ever. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: Written for the All in the Family Exchange.
Stunned to discover his son curled up in a ball, a worried Leo froze before concern for his youngest took over. "You okay, kiddo?" he gently prodded.
Refusing to appear vulnerable and weak in front of his father even though they were repairing their relationship, Chris decided to lie even as he realized Leo wasn't going to buy it. "I'm fine," he tried.
Leo dropped to his knees beside Chris and squeezed his shoulder. "Christopher," he chided.
"Dad, I'm okay," Chris lied again.
Leo didn't want to worry Piper but he'd play the mom card to get Chris to talk and wouldn't even feel guilty about it (maybe. He still felt guilty about the role he played in his children's lives and that likely wasn't going away anytime soon). "Do you want me to get one of your aunts? Or I can call your mom to help you."
"No!" The yell even surprised Chris but he didn't want his mother dragged into this. "Dad, I'm just having a bad day. I'll get over it in a few minutes."
Leo eyed his red-eyed son skeptically. "You've been crying, buddy. You don't have to tell me specifics if there are future consequences involved but you can let me in. I'm your dad and I want to help you if you'll let me. That's what I'm here for." He didn't want like seeing either of his children upset.
Chris shook his head and cursed himself when more tears started forming. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath.
Leo smiled. "I should say something about your language but you grew up with your mother and aunts. Honestly, I'm surprised your brother isn't swearing with everything that goes on in this house. And I know nothing I say is going to stop you."
"Plus, I'm an adult," Chris pointed out, his voice cracking despite the (somewhat forced) grin on his face.
"True, but you're still my kid. You ready to talk yet?" Leo hated pushing Chris but seeing his son so upset was hurting him too.
"It's a lot of things that have come crashing down on me at once. I tried to push it away but that only works for so long. It's not that big of a deal." Chris tried to downplay everything because he couldn't afford to fall apart, not now. The deadline to save Wyatt was looming and that was way more important than his issues.
"Nobody is infallible. It's okay to be vulnerable sometimes, Chris. Nobody's going to think any less of you." Leo put a hand on Chris' knee and waited for him to talk.
Chris choked on a sob and reluctantly grabbed Leo's hand when his father offered it. Leo squeezed Chris' hand, which surprisingly felt warm and comforting to the twenty-two year old. "I'm sorry," he told him, not even sure what he was apologizing for in the first place.
"There's nothing to be sorry for," Leo soothed, wondering if Chris would object to being pulled into his arms. Considering the shaky ground they were still on, he decided against it, figuring a hug would be unwanted.
Even though he loved the current versions of his mother and aunts (and father, a traitorous voice in the back of his head whispered), Chris missed ihis/i mother so much he could barely stand it. "Just missing some people," he finally said, not willing to risk more because of future consequences.
Leo wondered if this had to do with Piper's death in the future - she hadn't gotten any details from Victor but she knew enough to worry about their son and how he was handling it. He had been knocked back on his heels upon hearing the news but this wasn't about him. "You don't have to tell me details but is this about your mom dying?"
Chris tensed up. "Who told you?" he finally rasped.
"Piper did. She's scared for you, and so am I."
"I can't talk about it," Chris automatically answered, gearing up for a fight.
Leo saw his son was about to run and decided to put a stop to it. "You want to go out to eat? I'm sure Paige and Phoebe would like to go with us too."
Chris cocked his head in confusion at the change in subject. "What?"
"I'm starving and you probably are too." He mostly just wanted to make sure Chris didn't get lost in his own head and distracting him seemed like the best plan.
"Uh, sure?" Chris floundered. The offer had come out of left field and he didn't know how to handle this.
He clapped his hands. "Great! I'll call your aunts and then we'll go. You want to shower? It seems like you've been in the Underworld. And then we'll figure out something to do afterwards, just me and you. How's that sound?"
Chris did a double take. His father was trying really hard to make up for his mistakes but he hadn't quite expected this. "We can't do too much - we do still have to save Wyatt, Dad."
"You can relax for a few hours, Chris. There's nothing wrong with that."
There was a lot wrong with letting his guard down for a few hours when the evil that was after Wyatt was loose but Chris chose not to say anything, not wanting to disappoint his father when he was up to spending the day with him. "Fine. I'll be right back," Chris told Leo before rushing off to grab a quick shower.
Leo quickly called both Paige and Phoebe, who were definitely willing to spend some time with them, and then checked in on Piper and Wyatt for a few minutes. As expected, she was thrilled Leo and Chris were still trying to recover their relationship, and also worried that he was in the midst of a bad day. She calmed down once her ex-husband reassured her he was taking care of it. He returned home just in time for Chris to come out of the shower. "Your mom is happy we're spending time together. Pretty sure she burst my eardrum," Leo joked.
Chris snorted. "I can imagine. Let's get this show on the road then!"
Surprisingly, his father and aunts did manage to cheer Chris up and they considered it a victory. Plus, Leo and Chris took another important step forward. Unfortunately, they were all fourteen days away from Chris' birth and the devastation that would set their lives on a new course.