Chris stayed away from the manor until late that night, after Phoebe, Paige, and Wyatt were all asleep. Personally, he had no regrets about the kiss, but since he knew he'd crossed the line of normal Whitelighter-charge relations, he decided to go down and say what he thought he should.
He orbed into the study, where Piper was alone at the desk. Chris coughed, and she looked up, her face blank.
"Hey," he started nervously. "I just wanted to come by and... Well, about this morning. I was way out of line, and I just wanted to apolo-"
"Don't worry about it," she stopped him, giving him a warm, reassuring smile. "It's okay, really. I actually... kinda liked it."
His face broke into a smile, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. So did I. But... um... isn't it kind of... improper?"
Piper shrugged, rolling her eyes. "According to whom? Do you really think I give a rat's ass about what the Elders think anymore? I mean, I will always love Leo, and I can't really hate him for becoming an Elder, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shut up and abide by their stupid little rules again. They've taken too much from me."
"Okay, then," Chris said, a bit thrown off by the bitterness that underlined her cool, calm tone. With the emotional rollercoaster she'd been on since Leo left, came back, then left again, Chris couldn't help wondering if she'd end up changing her mind in an hour, or a day, or maybe even a week. Still, he forgot his concerns as soon as she stepped toward him, and leaned in for a kiss. He kissed her back, with deepening intensity until they both pulled back, gasping for air.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked, catching his breath. She nodded, and reached up to unbutton his shirt. He did the same, fumbling with her blouse until she pulled him onto the couch. He relented, letting her guide him. All he knew was that he wanted her.
=x+x+x=
Chris awoke the next morning to find himself in vaguely familiar surroundings. He sat up, realizing with a start where he was - on the couch in the Hallwell study, wearing only boxers and a T-shirt. He looked around, trying to figure out what to do. After a few minutes, he managed to stop panicking enough to form a plan. Step one: locate his pants. Once he'd done that, he initiated step two: orb out, and and hope like hell that nobody other than Piper had known he was there.
After quickly changing his clothes, Chris went back to the manor, orbing into the foyer and strolling nonchalantly into the kitchen. Phoebe and Paige, who were sitting at the table trying to feed Wyatt, smiled and greeted him, but Piper barely looked up from the stove, where she was making French toast.
"Chris, come on, sit," Phoebe invited. "Piper's the best cook, you have to try her French toast."
"Sure," Chris said awkwardly, sitting down next to her. "So... what's on the agenda for today? Anything that involves a messy vanquish?"
"God, I hope not," Paige said, wrinkling her nose.
Phoebe nodded in agreement. "We don't want to see any nasty demons today, do we, Wyatt?" she asked her nephew, while trying to get him to open his mouth and take the spoonful of food she was holding. Wyatt made a face, and Phoebe grinned triumphantly at Chris. "See, even the baby doesn't want to do it."
Chris rolled his eyes. "The baby doesn't want to eat the strained peas and carrots you're attempting to feed him."
Paige laughed. "Sorry, little guy. You need to get a few more teeth before you can start having the real peas and carrots. Which, come to think of it, isn't much better than the mashed stuff."
"Oh, don't tell him that. I'll never get him to eat anything," Piper groaned setting plates of food down in front of her sisters. She returned to the table with two more plates, and set one down in front of Chris. He couldn't help noticing that she didn't so much as glance at him, but decided to shrug it off for now. However, as he continued to eat, he was aware that she didn't look or speak directly at him once during the entire meal. After Paige and Phoebe had left the room to get Wyatt cleaned up, he called her on it.
"Piper, are you mad at me? For last night, I mean. Because I'm really sorry if I-"
"Don't be ridiculous," she cut him off, in a false, exaggerated cheery tone. "Last night was fine. Better, even."
He stared at her questioningly. "Then what's with the silent treatment this morning?"
She looked confused for about half a second, then shrugged. "Don't take it personally. I've got a lot on my mind right now."
"So we're okay?" he pressed.
"Absolutely," she assured him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make sure my sisters are doing alright with Wyatt."
Piper walked away, leaving Chris staring stupidly after her. "Don't take it personally?" he repeated. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He shook his head, and orbed out, twice as bewildered as he'd been when he woke up.
He orbed into the study, where Piper was alone at the desk. Chris coughed, and she looked up, her face blank.
"Hey," he started nervously. "I just wanted to come by and... Well, about this morning. I was way out of line, and I just wanted to apolo-"
"Don't worry about it," she stopped him, giving him a warm, reassuring smile. "It's okay, really. I actually... kinda liked it."
His face broke into a smile, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. So did I. But... um... isn't it kind of... improper?"
Piper shrugged, rolling her eyes. "According to whom? Do you really think I give a rat's ass about what the Elders think anymore? I mean, I will always love Leo, and I can't really hate him for becoming an Elder, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shut up and abide by their stupid little rules again. They've taken too much from me."
"Okay, then," Chris said, a bit thrown off by the bitterness that underlined her cool, calm tone. With the emotional rollercoaster she'd been on since Leo left, came back, then left again, Chris couldn't help wondering if she'd end up changing her mind in an hour, or a day, or maybe even a week. Still, he forgot his concerns as soon as she stepped toward him, and leaned in for a kiss. He kissed her back, with deepening intensity until they both pulled back, gasping for air.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked, catching his breath. She nodded, and reached up to unbutton his shirt. He did the same, fumbling with her blouse until she pulled him onto the couch. He relented, letting her guide him. All he knew was that he wanted her.
=x+x+x=
Chris awoke the next morning to find himself in vaguely familiar surroundings. He sat up, realizing with a start where he was - on the couch in the Hallwell study, wearing only boxers and a T-shirt. He looked around, trying to figure out what to do. After a few minutes, he managed to stop panicking enough to form a plan. Step one: locate his pants. Once he'd done that, he initiated step two: orb out, and and hope like hell that nobody other than Piper had known he was there.
After quickly changing his clothes, Chris went back to the manor, orbing into the foyer and strolling nonchalantly into the kitchen. Phoebe and Paige, who were sitting at the table trying to feed Wyatt, smiled and greeted him, but Piper barely looked up from the stove, where she was making French toast.
"Chris, come on, sit," Phoebe invited. "Piper's the best cook, you have to try her French toast."
"Sure," Chris said awkwardly, sitting down next to her. "So... what's on the agenda for today? Anything that involves a messy vanquish?"
"God, I hope not," Paige said, wrinkling her nose.
Phoebe nodded in agreement. "We don't want to see any nasty demons today, do we, Wyatt?" she asked her nephew, while trying to get him to open his mouth and take the spoonful of food she was holding. Wyatt made a face, and Phoebe grinned triumphantly at Chris. "See, even the baby doesn't want to do it."
Chris rolled his eyes. "The baby doesn't want to eat the strained peas and carrots you're attempting to feed him."
Paige laughed. "Sorry, little guy. You need to get a few more teeth before you can start having the real peas and carrots. Which, come to think of it, isn't much better than the mashed stuff."
"Oh, don't tell him that. I'll never get him to eat anything," Piper groaned setting plates of food down in front of her sisters. She returned to the table with two more plates, and set one down in front of Chris. He couldn't help noticing that she didn't so much as glance at him, but decided to shrug it off for now. However, as he continued to eat, he was aware that she didn't look or speak directly at him once during the entire meal. After Paige and Phoebe had left the room to get Wyatt cleaned up, he called her on it.
"Piper, are you mad at me? For last night, I mean. Because I'm really sorry if I-"
"Don't be ridiculous," she cut him off, in a false, exaggerated cheery tone. "Last night was fine. Better, even."
He stared at her questioningly. "Then what's with the silent treatment this morning?"
She looked confused for about half a second, then shrugged. "Don't take it personally. I've got a lot on my mind right now."
"So we're okay?" he pressed.
"Absolutely," she assured him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make sure my sisters are doing alright with Wyatt."
Piper walked away, leaving Chris staring stupidly after her. "Don't take it personally?" he repeated. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He shook his head, and orbed out, twice as bewildered as he'd been when he woke up.