Title : The chime was so beautiful
Author : Foxhana
Genre : Angst
Progress : Complete / In Progress
Fic is : One-Shot/Multi-Chappies
"Chris come on, lets go! Everyone is waiting for us!"
Wyatt shouted as he ran up the stairs to his bedroom. Well, Chris and his bedroom actually, both of them shared a bedroom ever since Chris was born. They never slept in a different room before. Well, excluding Chris sleeping at Victor's.
Wyatt never knew why Chris liked grandpa so much more than anyone else. Chris would go to their grandpa's house at free time that's longer than half an hour that he's got. Every single time, never once did Wyatt not see Chris not mentioning about not going to Victor's. Sure he loved grandpa as well, but he just was not as enthusiastic as Chris was; he only went on weekends.
"..."
Chris stared at himself in the mirror. He did not know what to wear. He stopped going out with his family ever since he was 14. The angst had started first, then the sacarsm and insults he threw to his family and parents because he was angry, angry at them, angry at Wyatt, angry at them for making Wyatt so important and himself, not. Ever since then, he rejected every invitation from Wyatt to go out with his friends. He did not know them, why should he go partying or whatsoever with them? They were Wyatt's friends, not his, never his. Whatever Wyatt has, he could never have them, including their family. Then he stopped talking to everyone in the manor, except for the needed communication with Wyatt when they were vanquishing demons.
Chris stared into his closet. There were only three shirts and two pairs of jeans. Five pieces of clothes was there ever since he was 14. He is 18 now and still wearing the same thing he had. Well, the clothes were passed down by Wyatt, and they were oversized for him then so he did not mind wearing them since he would grow into in sooner or later after he hit puberty. But he never did, at 18 he is only almost half the size of Wyatt's.
Wyatt opened the door to their room and looked at Chris.
"Chris, are you coming? We're going to fetch grandpa for this family picnic. It's not every time that everyone's there. Come on."
Chris looked at Wyatt and pulled out one of the three shirts and just slipped it on. To think he was worried about what to wear, grandpa knew and has seen it all. He would not mind. He was grandpa after all. So why was he worried? Because everyone would be there? Well, guess not anymore. Even if everyone was there, they would never notice. Never notice what Chris wears, never looked at his hair, never glanced at his shoes, he was not even at background at the corner of their eyes.
"I'm done now. Lets go Wyatt. Sorry for the wait."
Wyatt's eyes softened. He looked at Chris's shirt and sighed. Chris never wanted anything he bought for him. On every single birthday of Chris's, Wyatt bought clothes, caps, shoes, watches, and everything that he thought Chris would need. Chris would always reject those that Wyatt could wear, and gave those that he could not, to orphanages.
Wyatt walked over to his own closet and pulled out a deep green sweater. As Chris was about to walked out of their room, Wyatt pulled him close and slipped the sweater onto Chris.
"At least wear something that'll keep you warm. It's cold out there and your shirt is so thin from the wear and tear.. Chris.. at least take care of yourself?"
Wyatt's hand passed Chris's arm as he adjusted the sweater on Chris.
"Look, you've grown thin again. Are you eating right? Well, never mind if you're not recently. There's plenty of food out when we reach there, I'll make sandwiches for you okay? Lots of them. I'll feed you till you grow into my clothes."
Wyatt never knew what Chris was thinking. They are brothers, blood brothers. They are also the charmed ones. There are supposed to be three charmed ones, and with Wyatt and Chris together they are the charmed ones. Because Wyatt was the twice blessed, he was counted as two.
Wyatt could hear the jingle, he knows Piper is calling for him. But it was rare that Chris and him was alone at the manor, so he wanted more time like this with Chris alone. Chris's hair was messy, and tangled. Did he comb it every morning? Maybe Wyatt should get up as early as Chris does and comb it for him every morning. Wyatt looked at Chris's table, searching for a comb or brush. Oh god, everything he has was on his table, and there was no combs or brushes. Oh dear, he does not even own a comb? Wyatt took the comb he kept in his back pocket and brushed it through Chris's hair.
Wyatt sent back a message that they'll orb there once they are ready. He heard the car drove away a few seconds after.
Chris looked up at him. Oh god again, those eyes are hollow. How long have they been like that?
Chris pushed Wyatt's hands away gently. "Wyatt, my hair is fine like that."
"No it isn't. It's messy." Wyatt started brushing his fingers through Chris's hair. Why are they tangled? Oh right, Chris did not own a comb.
Chris took Wyatt's hand down gently again. "It is fine Wyatt. Let's go."
"Chris, they've gone to fetch grandpa first. We need to talk."
Chris looked at Wyatt. Wyatt frowned at Chris's eyes. Why are they so tired looking? What did he do?
"We don't need to talk. We need to go. Grandpa's waiting."
Chris started to walk out of their room again.
Wyatt grabbed him and brought him close again.
"We do."
"..."
Chris looked down. Feeling a stab in his heart each time the perfect Wyatt looked at him. The perfectly combed hair, the shirt that fits so nicely, the pants that hung handsomely and the face of an angel. Chris was so not Wyatt. Why could not Chris be more like Wyatt? Maybe he should give his powers and the soul of a charmed one to Wyatt, so Wyatt could be the thrice blessed. So that Chris need not be in pain. How many times has he seen his parents looked at Wyatt? How many times has he seened the look in their eyes, the eyes that wished Wyatt to be everything good, and only Wyatt to be everything they wanted, and are so proud of.
How many times has his parents looked at him? More than a few. But then, he was always looked upon as only the second child.
Chris was Wyatt's shadow.
"Chris, I'm going to my friend's birthday party and I want to introduce my little brother. The cute one."
Chris felt another stab. Everytime Wyatt tried to make him happy, he felt a notch worse, and then the stab came. Why could not Wyatt just leave it?
Maybe he should just go with Wyatt and then let him be satisfied for once.
"Birthday?"
Wyatt's eyes lit up. This was the first time Chris took any interest in things he said.
"Yeah, a friend's birthday party. I'll buy you clothes and everything you want, kay?"
Chris felt another stab. Going with Wyatt? Maybe not this time.
"I see. Maybe another time."
Wyatt's face fell. Why could not he just make Chris happy?
Chris let Wyatt doll him up like a wooden doll, and walked towards the door after he's done, eyes still hollow.
"Chris, we're orbing."
Wyatt took Chris into his arms and held him tight.
Chris felt another stab. What is it with Wyatt today? It was just a picnic. Grandpa's there yes, that's a first since grandpa don't usually go because of his health. Grandpa was mortal.
Every time they had a family picnic, he would go to grandpa's house and take care of grandpa. Because grandpa was his one and only that he lived for.
Chris looked up at Wyatt again.
"Okay."
Wyatt looked down at Chris again, and hugged him tighter.
"Lets go then."
Wyatt orbed them into the bushes behind their family. Piper and Phoebe was busy laying out the cloth. The rest of the family was bringing stuff out from the car to the space they found.
Wyatt looked at Chris and smiled.
"You have leaves in your hair"
Wyatt swept them away gently. Chris felt another stab.
Chris looked at Wyatt for another time today and noticed that Wyatt was the usual Wyatt. Perfect. No leaves or branches on him, only a shirt that was a little crumpled.
So the both of them stayed behind the bushes with Wyatt holding Chris tightly in his arms until the sisters finished putting everything up.
During the picnic, Piper looked at Chris from behind him. She always looked at Chris from behind and did not know why she could not looked at him in the eye. Was it because he was Chris? She felt guilty for the umpteen time, and for once, plucked up some courage. The rest of the family was playing at the open space. Victor was sitting down leaning against the tree because it was not convenient for him to get up and run about in his age now, and Piper was accompanying her father.
Chris was talking happily with Victor and she hated to interrupt their moment. Since this was the only chance she would not want to miss it. Piper took a sandwich made by herself and tapped on Chris shoulders. She could see Chris going stiff for a second, then turned around and stared at her.
"Chris, this is for you. I-I made it myself. Try it, it's really nice. It has peanuts, your favourite." Or it used to be. Chris ate peanuts at every chance he has before he was 14, before he closed himself up.
Chris stared at the sandwich in her hands and stared at her again. He then took it without touching her hands.
"Thank you."
Piper felt relived. She felt happy, that Chris was willing to forgive her.
Chris turned towards Victor and handed the sandwich to him.
"It's for you grandpa."
"But you just made one for me! And I finished it!" Victor laughed.
Piper's face felled. She knew it would not be that easy.
"It wasn't made by me." Chris smiled at Victor.
Victor took it and smiled, tore the sandwich into two and gave half to Chris, which Chris put it in Victor's hands again. "Take it all, worry about your health grandpa, I'm still young I'm strong." Chris smiled widely at Victor.
Piper looked at Chris's smile. When had she seen this smile? How many years ago was that?
Chris and Victor kept on chatting away while Victor ate the sandwich.
Chris waited for a while while Victor finished the sandwich.
Piper looked at Chris all the time he was chatting with Victor. How did it come to the stage where there was completely no communication with Chris and the people who lived in the same house, especially herself?
Chris stared at Victor for a while while he rested, and brushed away the breadcrumbs on Victor's chest.
Chris's hands paused for a while, then continued brushing away all the breadcrumbs from Victor's chest. He then got up and started walking.
Piper stared and him and panicked. "Chris! Where are you going?"
"Bathroom."
"Oh. Okay. Erm, come back soon okay?"
Chris did not replied but continued walking towards the bathroom. Victor's heart had stopped beating. Therefore Chris no longer has to live. There was no where to go if grandpa was dead. Therefore he should be too.
Over at the open space far away Wyatt looked at Chris walked into the bathroom, and at Piper staring at Chris's back. He hoped that something was not wrong. He walked over to the Piper and sat down to make some sandwiches for Chris.
Chris walked into the bathroom and into an empty stall. Then he orbed.
Chris orbed into his and Wyatt's bedroom. He looked at his own bed. Then pulled out a potion from under the pillow. He sat down and tucked himself into his bed, and opened the bottle. He looked at his table. Then he drank the potion.Wyatt was feeling tight at his chest, but beared with it as he wanted to make sandwiches for Chris. He was waiting for him to come back.
So was Piper.
Chris put both the bottle and bottle cap on the table, then lied down and tucked himself in. It would be a good sleep in years.
That's it. A spur of moment fic.
