A Little Kept Secret + other stories (Chris Halliwell x reader)

Grief

"Y/n, open the door."

"Y/n? Sweetie, can we come in?" Pipers voice traveled muffled through the closed bathroom door that Y/n was leaning against. Her legs were tucked up against her chest, her elbows resting on her knees, her arms crossed and tucked close to her stomach. She felt numb even though he stomach was twisting and her throat felt so tight that she was sure she wasn't going to be able to breathe soon. She stared at the wall, her eyes flicking over the rough surface with no real attention being paid to the detail.

"Y/n, please sweetie, we just want to know that you're okay," Phoebe pleaded from the hall. Y/n took a shaky breath, her face blank as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She can't say how long she's been sitting there, blood still caked on her clothes and staining her fingernails. She was still bleeding from different cuts and scrapes that she refused to allow Leo to heal for the thirty seconds that it took her to walk to bathroom as soon as everything was over. Screams echoed around in her head, her name pulled horrifyingly from a pair of lips belonging to the person she held closest. The person she tried so hard to protect. The person whose blood is dried beneath her fingertips, whose cry is piercing against her mind, whose scream is etched forever into her heart.

"Y/n, we need to know you're okay," Paige said. She's not okay. There was shuffling outside of the door, the knob twisting against the lock and hushed voices whispering.

"Y/n, open the door," her eyes squeezed shut, her face twisting up with a held in sob. She reached up and unlocked the door, scooting to the side of the tub so he could slip inside and shut the door behind him. Chris kneeled down in front of her, his face open and warm, further breaking her from her catatonic state.

"Hey bub," he whispered softly, cupping her cheek.

"I can't," her voice broken terribly, a sob crawling up her throat and escaping without permission.

"I know." Chris wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up from the floor. He gently guided her to the sink, turning the faucet on and testing the warmth before guiding her hands under the flow of the water. He scrubbed her hands for a good two minutes, sweeping under her fingernails countless times to wash away the dry blood. She watched it swirl down the sink, a rosy pink that made her heart crumble. He spread the soapy water up her forearm, smoothing the dirt off of her skin, cautious of her bruises.

When all of the blood was washed from your arms and hands, he cleaned your face with a warm washcloth, leftover makeup from the day paling in comparison to the dirt and blood that splattered  on you face when he got to her. Y/n closed her eyes, leaning into Chris' gentle touch, tears flowing silently from her eyes.

Chris guided her out of the bathroom with one hand on her lower back and the other holding her arm. The sisters were outside of the door, stopping themselves from wrapping her in a group hug when Chris shook his head. He led her into her bedroom, closing the door behind them. He pulled out a tee shirt and a pair of shorts, looking away as she changed into them. He orbed her bloody clothes out of the room so they were nowhere in sight, then gentled her into her bed. He tucked her down into the blankets, smoothing her hair away from her face.

"Don't leave," she whispered brokenly, voice cracking. Chris looked down at her with a pained expression, forcing a gentle smile and trying his hardest not to cry at the broken expression on her face.

"Never," he whispered, crawling into the bed behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his body and surrounding her with as much warmth as possible. Y/n sighed as she relaxed against his warmth, tears still falling from her eyes

"It hurts," she whispered, holding back a sob. Chris pulled her around until she was facing him, running his thumb along her cheek, sweeping away her tears.

"I know," he said. A sob fell from her lips, breaking the invisible dam that she had built up. Chris pulled her into his chest, rubbing her back and smoothing his fingers through her hair as she cried and screamed and sobbed into his chest, mourning the loss of her sister.