tommygirl | The Reveal - prompt # 25

Title: The Reveal
Fandom: Charmed - Chris
Characters: Chris, Lila (OFC)
Prompt: 25. Strangers at

fanfic100
Word Count: 811
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Okay, I wrote this one awhile ago, but it sorta fits this prompt and the next story that I've written for the challenge (it's at the beta at the moment) is a sequel to this one. I also did a bit of revising on it as well. So yeah, posting it again to prepare for the next. Feedback always appreciated!

Fanfic100 prompt # 25-strangers

The Reveal

“Um, I’m a witch,” Chris stated. He tried to give his voice an air of authority and calm, but he was feeling anything but. He knew he shouldn’t be saying these words, sharing this information with her. He could list about twenty reasons off the top of his head—he wasn’t staying here, he still cared about Bianca, he had a job to do, this wasn’t his home—but none of those mattered when he blurted out the words.

For her own part, she took the information rather well. She smiled tentatively, nodding her head and glancing around the room as though she expected to find out she was Punk’d. No one else was there and the look on Chris’ face made her legs nearly give out.

He stumbled for words now, “I wasn’t planning to say that, but, well, it’s out there now and it’s the truth.”

She crossed her arms and said, “What were you planning to say?”

“What?”

“You said you weren’t planning to say that. Were you planning to lie to me?”

Uh-oh. He had been raised around enough women to know this was not a good thing. The look on her face was one of fury and her stance was that of someone about to attack. Why, oh, why did Wyatt have to be born with all the powers, including the ability to speak to women? Chris gulped and said, “Lila, it’s not—"

She shook her head and said, “I helped your friends. I saved your life and nearly got arrested for it—"

“I can try to explain this if...”

“Chris, I don’t know that I want to hear this. How can I trust that you’ll tell me the truth? Since it appears to be a touch-and-go sort of thing for you.”

His hand twisted into a fist and he sighed slowly before responding, “There are certain things I’ve grown up acutely aware of, Lila. Things that most people don’t understand. I don’t choose to lie...it’s more an omission of the facts.”

“Still a lie.”

“We’re practically strangers, Lila. There are people who've known me for years who will never find out my true identity,” he offered, hoping it would appease her.

It didn’t. “It’s...still...a...lie,” she responded slowly, as though she had to enunciate every syllable because he was too thick to understand otherwise.

“It must be nice to live in a world so black and white,” Chris snapped. He glared at her, angrier with himself for revealing so much, than he was with her. What had he expected to happen? He had grown up around Wyatt. He knew how people feared witchcraft and all that it implied. He saw the way people reacted when his family revealed their true identities—rarely going well for anyone involved.

Why would he think Lila would be any different? And why was her reaction bothering him so much? She was nearly a stranger to him, someone he had known for a few weeks and who had helped him out of a bind. It wasn’t like he owed her his soul or anything. It wasn’t like he would be sticking around long enough to see that look of revulsion on her face.

“That’s not—" she paused and laughed mirthlessly.

“What?”

“You think this is about the fact that you said you’re a witch, but it’s not. You’re so stupid.”

“Come again?”

“Leave it to me to get tangled up in...you're an idiot. I couldn't care less that you're a witch - you could be an elf for all I care."

"An elf? Have you been watching Lord of the Rings again?"

"My point is that I'm pissed at you, but you're apparently clueless as to why. Tells me a whole lot."

"It doesn't tell you anything! This isn't the type of thing you share with just anyone, let alone some strange neighbor that you've known for a couple of weeks."

If the words stung, Lila didn't let it show. It almost made Chris hug her to him, the strong air she had about her. It reminded him so much of his mother and aunts growing up. Maybe that was why he always ended up entangled with strong women. Not that he was entangled. He was completely untangled. He didn't care what Lila did or how she felt or how freaking strong she turned out to be. He didn't have time for that.

Her voice was quieter when she spoke again. "You could’ve trusted me, Chris. I thought you’d realize that given the way I protected you before.”

“It’s not the same thing.”

“Right. Because you can’t allow anyone to get too close or it will ruin that protective armor you’ve got going for you. Can’t allow yourself to care for anyone. Might kill you.”

He mimicked her stance and replied, “You’re right. It might.”

She rolled her eyes at him, hardly the response he was expecting, and then her face contorted into one of wonder and worry. She asked, “Who hurt you so badly?”

He shrugged. He had already revealed too much. He wasn’t about to travel down memory lane with her and he refused to care how that made her feel. She wasn’t his problem. She wasn’t the reason he had come back here. He stiffened up and said, “I’m not an open book, Lila, and I never will be.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I don’t answer to anyone and I learned a long time ago that the only person I can count on his me. Understand?” He noticed her trying to cover the hurt and he added, “Now get out of here.”

And she did. Rushed out the front door, slamming it shut behind her. Chris saw his mother come down the stairs, holding Wyatt, and she glanced at him curiously. He shrugged and orbed out before he could be asked any more questions. He was really sick of stupid questions.

{Fin}