Friday Fic #4
Feb. 14th, 2004 05:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tarotgalI had intended to write a story in the Hercules fandom, but after watching Charmed Friday morning, I got totally inspired and wrote this instead. Leo is just WAY too sexy-cute :-) Yum. I love a whitelighter in a t-shirt and jeans, all rugged and cute and hurting. Yum. Yum. Yum.
This probably needs more editing, but I want to go to sleep and I'm soooooo tried and it's 6 hours past Friday already so here we go.
Title: Hoping
Author: tarotgal
Fandom: Charmed
Rating: G
Warnings: het
Pairings: Piper/Dan-implied, past Piper/Leo
Spoilers: This takes place sometime after episode 2-14 “Pardon My Past” and before 2- 16 “Murphy’s Luck”. It discusses things that happen up to that point. It can be read without understanding the series, but probably would make more sense if you knew what whitelighters were and who the characters in general are :-) It doesn’t give away any hints as to what happens after that part in the series, however.
Disclaimer: Charmed is owned by the WB, and I have no affiliations with them or anyone involved. Only the plot is mine.
Summary: Now that Leo is mortal and able to get sick, he does. Is it another obstacle in his attempts at winning Piper back, or an opportunity to get closer to her?
Notes: Fourth in my series of Friday fics
Smiling at the irony, Leo backed out from beneath the bar on his hands and knees. He looked up at the light, his nose twitching. It took but a second, a second looking at the bright light that was a reminder of what he was no longer, before his shoulders raised and head snapped down. “ihhh’Ksh!” He ran a hand through his hair, setting off the natural blond highlights. Shaking his head, he picked up his wrench and crawled back under.
“Everything going all right there?” asked Phoebe, heading into the bar area with a hand towel and a few empty glasses.
“Just fine,” was Leo’s muffled reply as he gave the connection one more turn with the wrench. He crawled back out and stood, rolling his head from one side to the other. It wasn’t exactly his place to answer that things were not all right at all. Piper was still seeing Dan, Leo currently had no money and no powers and no choice but to work for the sisters at P3, and on top of it all he was sore and tired. “ihhh’KSh!” And, apparently, sick with something. “Excuse me,” he said softly, thinking that saying something to the extent of ‘bless me’ would be too painful given his situation.
“Funny, you don’t sound fine,” Phoebe said, looking over at him. “Not getting sick are you? Too bad you can’t have one of your whitelighter buddies come down and heal you.” She took a moment to study him more closely. Sallow face, bags under his eyes, his normal white t-shirt and jeans looking more rumpled if possible. “You’re not… really sick, are you?” Then, without waiting for an answer, her eyes fell upon the small clock by the register. “Oh my gosh. Is that the time? I’m going to be late to class.” She grabbed her bag and slung it over one shoulder. “Ah, tell Piper I had to leave before the shipment got here and…” Phoebe crossed the floor of the club in a hurry, graceful nonetheless in heels. As she bolted up the stairs, she finished, “And I’ll cross my fingers that she doesn’t kill me.”
Leo called up from the bar, “Oh, uh, I could get the—” The door to the club closed. “—the shipment,” Leo finished. “I’m here anyway.” He rubbed the back of his hand over his brow. “I’m always here.” While that wasn’t precisely true, it wasn’t far from the truth. He worked there, he slept there, he left for meals and errands but that was about it. “hih’Shhh!” His head snapped forward at the sneeze, and this time he managed to cup a hand over his mouth and bottom of his nose. Of course, if things continued as they had all morning, he’d need to go to a hospital and get checked out. But he couldn’t do that because inevitably they’d want his medical records and social security number, neither of which he had. Or at the very least they would want his name and it wouldn’t be long until someone did a little research and found that not only had he been born seventy years ago but died in World War II. “heh’Ksh! ihhKSHH!” Leo reached over and found a napkin without even looking for it. He knew his way around P3 pretty well by now. He rubbed his nose, then leaned against the bar with a sigh, resigned to endure whatever this was.
The shipment arrived not ten minutes later, and Leo signed for it, directed the drop off, and helped move the crates to speed matters up. The last box had been moved into the storage room and the truck had pulled out by the time Piper arrived at the club. She had a glow about her that Leo recognized immediately, and though he did not wish to look away from her beauty and miss one moment of her, he couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact as she walked in. Her tight top was a bright orange-red with some sort of ruffle going from the front and down the long sleeves. He tried not to notice that, or the way she walked with such grace and command in a short skirt. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking around. “Where is Phoebe?” she asked, with her usual tone of casual frustration.
“Classes,” Leo answered. “She apologized profusely before she left, but—”
“Well that’s just great,” Piper said with a sigh, walking a lap around her club, inspecting. She began rambling for her own benefit, rather than to speak with Leo. “She was supposed to wait for a shipment of alcohol this morning. I specifically called and asked her to come in because I was sleeping over at Dan’s and…”
“I took care of the shipment,” interrupted Leo. Piper turned towards him, blinking. “I helped them unload, checked the order to be sure it was right, and I signed your name to the order since I couldn’t very well use my own.” She still stared. He gestured towards the bar. “Oh, and I fixed that leaky beer spout that’s been giving you trouble. And checked all the light bulbs in the stage sign because one had burned out, and I took a call from the band saying they’d be getting here to set up around five.”
“Goodness,” she said, walking over. “You have been busy this morning, haven’t you?”
“I like to stay busy.” He shrugged and squatted down to clean up his tools. It was easy to stay busy when it kept his mind off constantly thinking about Piper. “And I like to help. That didn’t change when they clipped my… my wings.” He stumbled on his words, feeling another sneeze coming on. He turned his face into his shoulder and cupped one hand to his nose and mouth. “hh’Shhh!”
“Bless y…” she started. “Wait, was that a sneeze?” She leaned on the bar counter from the outside, peering over and down.
Leo shook his head. “No, ah—”
“No?” Her exaggerated movements had her scratching a finger against her temple. “That’s funny, because I could have sworn I heard you sneeze just a moment ago.”
“I mean, yes, I was a sneeze. But it was nothing.” He picked up the packed toolbox and rose, dusting himself off. “It’s a little dusty down there is all. I’ll get to work on that… next… if… ihh… if…” Though he tried very much to finish the sentence, wishing he hadn’t started it in the first place, the need to sneeze overpowered him. He cupped his free hand to his nose and mouth again and turned his head to the side. “hih’Kshhh! Ihhh'Ksh! Emm, oh. Sniff! Excuse me.” He scrubbed the tickles in his nose away with the side of his hand.
She didn’t say anything for a while. She simply studied him closely, her eyes moving up and down his body. Slightly self conscious to suddenly be the object of attention after fighting so long to be, he leaned forward so she at least couldn’t inspect him below the waist. She didn’t need to be reminded of why he was there in the first place. Finally she reached forward and placed her palm on his forehead, then the side of his face by his eye, then his cheek. “Leo, you’re burning up. And you’re sweating.”
“I’m just working hard,” he said, though he had to clear his throat just after saying so. “You know me. Busy, bus…” He suddenly fell forward, slumping, grabbing onto the counter on his side to keep from falling. The tool box, however, slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor with a loud crash, splitting open, spreading tools across the floor. He closed his eyes, wincing. “Sorry,” he apologized weakly, then let go of the bar and sank to his knees. “Sorry… I’ll clean… those up…”
“Leo!” Piper laughed, trying not to sound exasperated. “You’re clearly sick, and you’re not doing anyone any good by pretending not to be.”
Still down on the floor, he turned his head towards his shoulder and coughed. It was a strong, dry cough that shook his entire body. It took him a few moments to start breathing normally again and when he did, he felt a hand on his upper arm. He looked up to see Piper hovering over him. “Let me help you up. You look unsteady.”
“I think I’ll be all right,” Leo replied softly, not wanting to lie right to her face but not wanting to worry her either.
“Leo, I know unsteady. I collapsed on the floor right over there a few weeks ago, remember?” Of course he remembered. He’d been watching over her then. And he’d been unable to do anything at the time. But he couldn’t let her die, even if it did mean having his wings clipped for bringing her back to life. Smiling slightly, he nodded and let her help him up. He held onto the counter as he straightened, leaning half on it and half against Piper. With a deep breath, he started for the supply room where he’d been staying since becoming a mortal again. “Where do you think you’re going?” Piper asked, with her usual no-nonsense tone but with softness to it he hadn’t heard from her since right before they broke up.
“To lie down?” He tried, hopefully. She looked confused, and suddenly realized that she hadn’t wanted him to leave working altogether, just get off the floor. “But I can put up flyers for tonight if you’d rather I do that,” he said quickly, taking a few steps on his own. This was clearly a mistake, as his legs gave out again and he fell against the counter, coughing.
She went after him, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him. “Of course I don’t want you to. I want you to rest. And I want you to come back to the manor with me.”
Hardly believing what he had heard, Leo closed his eyes and forced himself to shake his head. “No, Piper. I shouldn’t. That… that would bee too hard for you. And Dan’s just next door. It’s not right.” He held his breath, hoping for a moment that she would protest and say that she wanted him there in order to nurse him back to help because she loved him. Hoping she would say that she’d already broken it off with Dan, realizing that he could never understand her and love her the way Leo did. Hoping that she would not need to answer, and simply catch him in a kiss so strong that it made his powers return and he could orb them home to be together.
But none of his hopes were realized as she spoke. “What would be right? Letting you sleep on the cold floor of the supply room while you’re sick?” She asked, breathing a bit heavily because of his weight against her. And yet, Leo could almost sense her heartbeat and know that it was not only his wait that made her breathe hard. Had she no feelings for him at all, she would almost certainly bring him an extra blanket and insist he sleep in P3. But somewhere, deep down, she really did want him close so she could watch over him, the way he used to watch over her. “No, I’m taking you to the manor to fix you some of Grams’ best cold-busting tea and make sure you get some sleep. Besides, Dan took off for a few days to visit Jenny. So I’m taking you home where you can get well properly. And that’s the last I want to hear from you on the subject.”
He nodded weakly, then covered his nose and mouth again. “ihhh’Ushhh! hihSHHH!” Wishing he still had the napkin, he sniffled wetly. “Excuse… me…” Clearly there was another sneeze on the way and one he didn’t want, judging by his tightly squinting eyes, the furrow of his brow, and his clenched teeth.
Quickly Piper waved a hand with a quick jerk and the rest of the room froze, including Leo. She seemed glad that her intuitions were correct and she could freeze Leo in human form. Able to let go of him and slip away for a few moments, she dug around in her purse until pulling out a tissue. Then she repositioned herself, with an arm around him tightly, but the tissue pressed to his nose and mouth. Then she gave another quick flick of her hand and everything unfroze.
Leo’s head snapped forward, nose buried in the tissue this time as he sneezed. “hehh’SHhhhhh!” Incredibly glad for the tissue, he took it from her and blew his nose rather badly. She waited for him to recover his breath before nudging him forward, away from the bar, across the large club, and up the stairs.
*
Home. Piper had said she was taking him home. She’d used that word, whether she’d meant to or not, and Leo had been sure to notice it. And he had to admit, even having visited other charges in their places of residence and even after visiting the places of his childhood that were now strip malls and parking garages, there was no place on Earth that felt more like home to him than the Halliwell Manor did.
The moment they entered, she had directed him to the living room couch, claiming the parlor was too stuffy even in winter. Then she took off to the kitchen by way of the dining room, and returned along the same route with a steaming mug of tea, not much later. Leo sat on the couch, his arm bent on the arm rest, his head resting on his arm. Piper looked down at him, shaking her head. She reached down and scooped her arm around his legs at the knees, pulling them onto the couch. He turned in his seat to accommodate this, leaning back against the soft padded arm of the couch. Piper took a seat on the other side of the couch, on the edge where his legs weren’t. She handed the tea over to him carefully, then pulled the gray knit throw from the back of the couch. She unfolded it by waving it then draped it over his front, tucking it behind his shoulders and beneath his neck matter-of-factly. He remembered watching her knit the blanket years ago as a present for her grandmother, and now she was trusting its warming powers to Leo. “There. Now drink.”
Leo had to admit that the blanket, though thin, made him feel much warmer in mere moments. He sniffed at the tea, then turned his head away. “heh’Kshhh! ihhh’Kshhh!” He sighed deeply and sniffled, looking around, hoping there would be a tissue box or something nearby. Not finding one, he sniffed hard and took a sip of the tea instead. He nodded as he swallowed. “Good.”
“That’s Grams’ best remedy for the common cold,” Piper explained. “Drink as much of it as you can.”
Nodding, and sniffling, Leo obeyed. “What’s the secret to it? I can’t quite place the… the herbs.” He sniffed hard to keep the urge to sneeze away.
“The secret is that it puts you to sleep for such a long time that you feel better when you wake up.” Leo laughed and coughed, and continued drinking. He sniffed again and went to rub his nose into his shoulder, but the blanket was there. He coughed from congestion and closed his eyes to the discomfort.
“Not having a particularly good time now, are you?” Piper asked, watching him pull into himself more.
Leo had to admit that feeling sick and miserable with Piper tending to him was so much better than feeling sick and miserable any other way. But he couldn’t say this much to her. “I haven’t been sick in about forty-five years. I’d forgotten how horrible it feels to be sore and congested.” He ran his hand through his hair again and coughed, wincing at the sensation. He closed his eyes.
Piper nodded, looking at him sympathetically. She reached out, her instinct being to caress his cheek, pet him comfortingly. But she retracted her hand, catching a glimpse of Dan’s house outside the living room window.
Even without his whitelighter powers, he could sense her, and waited until she put her hand down before opening his eyes again. She was leaning close, her hand was warm on his leg, her sense of caring was at an all-time high. Now was the time to talk to her, to confess all that he had told her before and hope that somehow, some way, she would take him back. It had to be now. Everything began floating through his head now, as though the fever and congestion had suddenly cleared magically, allowing him to express himself freely. He thought of the way they had fallen in love, both knowing the secrets of magic and yet falling in love as though it were the most normal of relationships. He thought of the necessary deception and distance. He thought of the problems, the complications, but also of the kisses, those special moments on top of the bridge or just sitting together in the club. He remembered how she saved his life, with a confession of true love and emotion, instinctively given just as her hand had raised a moment ago. She was still the same, the same woman he had fallen in love with, the same witch he had always known. And now he was back to being a mortal, just like she had thought he was at the beginning of it all. If this cold didn’t prove that, it wasn’t good for anything. For now, now was the time to explain and win her back. Now, when she was sympathetic to his feelings and so close that they could kiss. Now was the time to make all he was hoping for come true.
He opened his mouth, about to speak, the words filling his mind. But instead he snapped forward with another sneeze. “ehh-heh--” This time, she saw it coming, and froze him again while retrieving a box of tissues from the bathroom. When he unfroze, he snapped forward with great force. “Yshhhh!” Welcoming the tissues, he took one and blew his nose. He was much more a handkerchief person, but wasn’t going to complain, certainly. “Excuse me,” he whispered. Then, gesturing towards the tissues in his hand as he folded them, preparing to blow his nose, “Thanks for these.”
“I like to help people, too, remember?” she said, smiling that soft Piper smile of hers. Leo went weak to see it accompanied by a twinkle in her eyes. But then, a second later, the twinkle was gone, and she was back to business and patted his leg several times instead of leaning in for a kiss. “Finish the tea, and then get some rest, Leo. I’ll check in on you in a couple of hours. All right?”
Reluctantly, he nodded, mouth closed. He watched her walk slowly up the stairs and disappear. Without the strength to walk and stand on his own he could not follow. Without his powers he could not go after her or be with her. Be even if he could, the moment had passed. He would have to leave the task of winning her back to a later moment in time. Hopefully, a moment in which he did not feel so absolutely miserable.
He snuggled into the back of the couch where the soft cushions were. He curled up with the blanket, to drink the rest of the tea. His head drooped and body relaxed. The cup fell from his fingers, but landed on his lap not the floor. Not caring enough to make the move to pick it up, he let himself fall asleep, dreaming of a time when he might be able to sleep in the manor again, this time as Piper’s whitelighter and husband, not just her handyman.
:-)
This probably needs more editing, but I want to go to sleep and I'm soooooo tried and it's 6 hours past Friday already so here we go.
Title: Hoping
Author: tarotgal
Fandom: Charmed
Rating: G
Warnings: het
Pairings: Piper/Dan-implied, past Piper/Leo
Spoilers: This takes place sometime after episode 2-14 “Pardon My Past” and before 2- 16 “Murphy’s Luck”. It discusses things that happen up to that point. It can be read without understanding the series, but probably would make more sense if you knew what whitelighters were and who the characters in general are :-) It doesn’t give away any hints as to what happens after that part in the series, however.
Disclaimer: Charmed is owned by the WB, and I have no affiliations with them or anyone involved. Only the plot is mine.
Summary: Now that Leo is mortal and able to get sick, he does. Is it another obstacle in his attempts at winning Piper back, or an opportunity to get closer to her?
Notes: Fourth in my series of Friday fics
Smiling at the irony, Leo backed out from beneath the bar on his hands and knees. He looked up at the light, his nose twitching. It took but a second, a second looking at the bright light that was a reminder of what he was no longer, before his shoulders raised and head snapped down. “ihhh’Ksh!” He ran a hand through his hair, setting off the natural blond highlights. Shaking his head, he picked up his wrench and crawled back under.
“Everything going all right there?” asked Phoebe, heading into the bar area with a hand towel and a few empty glasses.
“Just fine,” was Leo’s muffled reply as he gave the connection one more turn with the wrench. He crawled back out and stood, rolling his head from one side to the other. It wasn’t exactly his place to answer that things were not all right at all. Piper was still seeing Dan, Leo currently had no money and no powers and no choice but to work for the sisters at P3, and on top of it all he was sore and tired. “ihhh’KSh!” And, apparently, sick with something. “Excuse me,” he said softly, thinking that saying something to the extent of ‘bless me’ would be too painful given his situation.
“Funny, you don’t sound fine,” Phoebe said, looking over at him. “Not getting sick are you? Too bad you can’t have one of your whitelighter buddies come down and heal you.” She took a moment to study him more closely. Sallow face, bags under his eyes, his normal white t-shirt and jeans looking more rumpled if possible. “You’re not… really sick, are you?” Then, without waiting for an answer, her eyes fell upon the small clock by the register. “Oh my gosh. Is that the time? I’m going to be late to class.” She grabbed her bag and slung it over one shoulder. “Ah, tell Piper I had to leave before the shipment got here and…” Phoebe crossed the floor of the club in a hurry, graceful nonetheless in heels. As she bolted up the stairs, she finished, “And I’ll cross my fingers that she doesn’t kill me.”
Leo called up from the bar, “Oh, uh, I could get the—” The door to the club closed. “—the shipment,” Leo finished. “I’m here anyway.” He rubbed the back of his hand over his brow. “I’m always here.” While that wasn’t precisely true, it wasn’t far from the truth. He worked there, he slept there, he left for meals and errands but that was about it. “hih’Shhh!” His head snapped forward at the sneeze, and this time he managed to cup a hand over his mouth and bottom of his nose. Of course, if things continued as they had all morning, he’d need to go to a hospital and get checked out. But he couldn’t do that because inevitably they’d want his medical records and social security number, neither of which he had. Or at the very least they would want his name and it wouldn’t be long until someone did a little research and found that not only had he been born seventy years ago but died in World War II. “heh’Ksh! ihhKSHH!” Leo reached over and found a napkin without even looking for it. He knew his way around P3 pretty well by now. He rubbed his nose, then leaned against the bar with a sigh, resigned to endure whatever this was.
The shipment arrived not ten minutes later, and Leo signed for it, directed the drop off, and helped move the crates to speed matters up. The last box had been moved into the storage room and the truck had pulled out by the time Piper arrived at the club. She had a glow about her that Leo recognized immediately, and though he did not wish to look away from her beauty and miss one moment of her, he couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact as she walked in. Her tight top was a bright orange-red with some sort of ruffle going from the front and down the long sleeves. He tried not to notice that, or the way she walked with such grace and command in a short skirt. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking around. “Where is Phoebe?” she asked, with her usual tone of casual frustration.
“Classes,” Leo answered. “She apologized profusely before she left, but—”
“Well that’s just great,” Piper said with a sigh, walking a lap around her club, inspecting. She began rambling for her own benefit, rather than to speak with Leo. “She was supposed to wait for a shipment of alcohol this morning. I specifically called and asked her to come in because I was sleeping over at Dan’s and…”
“I took care of the shipment,” interrupted Leo. Piper turned towards him, blinking. “I helped them unload, checked the order to be sure it was right, and I signed your name to the order since I couldn’t very well use my own.” She still stared. He gestured towards the bar. “Oh, and I fixed that leaky beer spout that’s been giving you trouble. And checked all the light bulbs in the stage sign because one had burned out, and I took a call from the band saying they’d be getting here to set up around five.”
“Goodness,” she said, walking over. “You have been busy this morning, haven’t you?”
“I like to stay busy.” He shrugged and squatted down to clean up his tools. It was easy to stay busy when it kept his mind off constantly thinking about Piper. “And I like to help. That didn’t change when they clipped my… my wings.” He stumbled on his words, feeling another sneeze coming on. He turned his face into his shoulder and cupped one hand to his nose and mouth. “hh’Shhh!”
“Bless y…” she started. “Wait, was that a sneeze?” She leaned on the bar counter from the outside, peering over and down.
Leo shook his head. “No, ah—”
“No?” Her exaggerated movements had her scratching a finger against her temple. “That’s funny, because I could have sworn I heard you sneeze just a moment ago.”
“I mean, yes, I was a sneeze. But it was nothing.” He picked up the packed toolbox and rose, dusting himself off. “It’s a little dusty down there is all. I’ll get to work on that… next… if… ihh… if…” Though he tried very much to finish the sentence, wishing he hadn’t started it in the first place, the need to sneeze overpowered him. He cupped his free hand to his nose and mouth again and turned his head to the side. “hih’Kshhh! Ihhh'Ksh! Emm, oh. Sniff! Excuse me.” He scrubbed the tickles in his nose away with the side of his hand.
She didn’t say anything for a while. She simply studied him closely, her eyes moving up and down his body. Slightly self conscious to suddenly be the object of attention after fighting so long to be, he leaned forward so she at least couldn’t inspect him below the waist. She didn’t need to be reminded of why he was there in the first place. Finally she reached forward and placed her palm on his forehead, then the side of his face by his eye, then his cheek. “Leo, you’re burning up. And you’re sweating.”
“I’m just working hard,” he said, though he had to clear his throat just after saying so. “You know me. Busy, bus…” He suddenly fell forward, slumping, grabbing onto the counter on his side to keep from falling. The tool box, however, slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor with a loud crash, splitting open, spreading tools across the floor. He closed his eyes, wincing. “Sorry,” he apologized weakly, then let go of the bar and sank to his knees. “Sorry… I’ll clean… those up…”
“Leo!” Piper laughed, trying not to sound exasperated. “You’re clearly sick, and you’re not doing anyone any good by pretending not to be.”
Still down on the floor, he turned his head towards his shoulder and coughed. It was a strong, dry cough that shook his entire body. It took him a few moments to start breathing normally again and when he did, he felt a hand on his upper arm. He looked up to see Piper hovering over him. “Let me help you up. You look unsteady.”
“I think I’ll be all right,” Leo replied softly, not wanting to lie right to her face but not wanting to worry her either.
“Leo, I know unsteady. I collapsed on the floor right over there a few weeks ago, remember?” Of course he remembered. He’d been watching over her then. And he’d been unable to do anything at the time. But he couldn’t let her die, even if it did mean having his wings clipped for bringing her back to life. Smiling slightly, he nodded and let her help him up. He held onto the counter as he straightened, leaning half on it and half against Piper. With a deep breath, he started for the supply room where he’d been staying since becoming a mortal again. “Where do you think you’re going?” Piper asked, with her usual no-nonsense tone but with softness to it he hadn’t heard from her since right before they broke up.
“To lie down?” He tried, hopefully. She looked confused, and suddenly realized that she hadn’t wanted him to leave working altogether, just get off the floor. “But I can put up flyers for tonight if you’d rather I do that,” he said quickly, taking a few steps on his own. This was clearly a mistake, as his legs gave out again and he fell against the counter, coughing.
She went after him, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him. “Of course I don’t want you to. I want you to rest. And I want you to come back to the manor with me.”
Hardly believing what he had heard, Leo closed his eyes and forced himself to shake his head. “No, Piper. I shouldn’t. That… that would bee too hard for you. And Dan’s just next door. It’s not right.” He held his breath, hoping for a moment that she would protest and say that she wanted him there in order to nurse him back to help because she loved him. Hoping she would say that she’d already broken it off with Dan, realizing that he could never understand her and love her the way Leo did. Hoping that she would not need to answer, and simply catch him in a kiss so strong that it made his powers return and he could orb them home to be together.
But none of his hopes were realized as she spoke. “What would be right? Letting you sleep on the cold floor of the supply room while you’re sick?” She asked, breathing a bit heavily because of his weight against her. And yet, Leo could almost sense her heartbeat and know that it was not only his wait that made her breathe hard. Had she no feelings for him at all, she would almost certainly bring him an extra blanket and insist he sleep in P3. But somewhere, deep down, she really did want him close so she could watch over him, the way he used to watch over her. “No, I’m taking you to the manor to fix you some of Grams’ best cold-busting tea and make sure you get some sleep. Besides, Dan took off for a few days to visit Jenny. So I’m taking you home where you can get well properly. And that’s the last I want to hear from you on the subject.”
He nodded weakly, then covered his nose and mouth again. “ihhh’Ushhh! hihSHHH!” Wishing he still had the napkin, he sniffled wetly. “Excuse… me…” Clearly there was another sneeze on the way and one he didn’t want, judging by his tightly squinting eyes, the furrow of his brow, and his clenched teeth.
Quickly Piper waved a hand with a quick jerk and the rest of the room froze, including Leo. She seemed glad that her intuitions were correct and she could freeze Leo in human form. Able to let go of him and slip away for a few moments, she dug around in her purse until pulling out a tissue. Then she repositioned herself, with an arm around him tightly, but the tissue pressed to his nose and mouth. Then she gave another quick flick of her hand and everything unfroze.
Leo’s head snapped forward, nose buried in the tissue this time as he sneezed. “hehh’SHhhhhh!” Incredibly glad for the tissue, he took it from her and blew his nose rather badly. She waited for him to recover his breath before nudging him forward, away from the bar, across the large club, and up the stairs.
Home. Piper had said she was taking him home. She’d used that word, whether she’d meant to or not, and Leo had been sure to notice it. And he had to admit, even having visited other charges in their places of residence and even after visiting the places of his childhood that were now strip malls and parking garages, there was no place on Earth that felt more like home to him than the Halliwell Manor did.
The moment they entered, she had directed him to the living room couch, claiming the parlor was too stuffy even in winter. Then she took off to the kitchen by way of the dining room, and returned along the same route with a steaming mug of tea, not much later. Leo sat on the couch, his arm bent on the arm rest, his head resting on his arm. Piper looked down at him, shaking her head. She reached down and scooped her arm around his legs at the knees, pulling them onto the couch. He turned in his seat to accommodate this, leaning back against the soft padded arm of the couch. Piper took a seat on the other side of the couch, on the edge where his legs weren’t. She handed the tea over to him carefully, then pulled the gray knit throw from the back of the couch. She unfolded it by waving it then draped it over his front, tucking it behind his shoulders and beneath his neck matter-of-factly. He remembered watching her knit the blanket years ago as a present for her grandmother, and now she was trusting its warming powers to Leo. “There. Now drink.”
Leo had to admit that the blanket, though thin, made him feel much warmer in mere moments. He sniffed at the tea, then turned his head away. “heh’Kshhh! ihhh’Kshhh!” He sighed deeply and sniffled, looking around, hoping there would be a tissue box or something nearby. Not finding one, he sniffed hard and took a sip of the tea instead. He nodded as he swallowed. “Good.”
“That’s Grams’ best remedy for the common cold,” Piper explained. “Drink as much of it as you can.”
Nodding, and sniffling, Leo obeyed. “What’s the secret to it? I can’t quite place the… the herbs.” He sniffed hard to keep the urge to sneeze away.
“The secret is that it puts you to sleep for such a long time that you feel better when you wake up.” Leo laughed and coughed, and continued drinking. He sniffed again and went to rub his nose into his shoulder, but the blanket was there. He coughed from congestion and closed his eyes to the discomfort.
“Not having a particularly good time now, are you?” Piper asked, watching him pull into himself more.
Leo had to admit that feeling sick and miserable with Piper tending to him was so much better than feeling sick and miserable any other way. But he couldn’t say this much to her. “I haven’t been sick in about forty-five years. I’d forgotten how horrible it feels to be sore and congested.” He ran his hand through his hair again and coughed, wincing at the sensation. He closed his eyes.
Piper nodded, looking at him sympathetically. She reached out, her instinct being to caress his cheek, pet him comfortingly. But she retracted her hand, catching a glimpse of Dan’s house outside the living room window.
Even without his whitelighter powers, he could sense her, and waited until she put her hand down before opening his eyes again. She was leaning close, her hand was warm on his leg, her sense of caring was at an all-time high. Now was the time to talk to her, to confess all that he had told her before and hope that somehow, some way, she would take him back. It had to be now. Everything began floating through his head now, as though the fever and congestion had suddenly cleared magically, allowing him to express himself freely. He thought of the way they had fallen in love, both knowing the secrets of magic and yet falling in love as though it were the most normal of relationships. He thought of the necessary deception and distance. He thought of the problems, the complications, but also of the kisses, those special moments on top of the bridge or just sitting together in the club. He remembered how she saved his life, with a confession of true love and emotion, instinctively given just as her hand had raised a moment ago. She was still the same, the same woman he had fallen in love with, the same witch he had always known. And now he was back to being a mortal, just like she had thought he was at the beginning of it all. If this cold didn’t prove that, it wasn’t good for anything. For now, now was the time to explain and win her back. Now, when she was sympathetic to his feelings and so close that they could kiss. Now was the time to make all he was hoping for come true.
He opened his mouth, about to speak, the words filling his mind. But instead he snapped forward with another sneeze. “ehh-heh--” This time, she saw it coming, and froze him again while retrieving a box of tissues from the bathroom. When he unfroze, he snapped forward with great force. “Yshhhh!” Welcoming the tissues, he took one and blew his nose. He was much more a handkerchief person, but wasn’t going to complain, certainly. “Excuse me,” he whispered. Then, gesturing towards the tissues in his hand as he folded them, preparing to blow his nose, “Thanks for these.”
“I like to help people, too, remember?” she said, smiling that soft Piper smile of hers. Leo went weak to see it accompanied by a twinkle in her eyes. But then, a second later, the twinkle was gone, and she was back to business and patted his leg several times instead of leaning in for a kiss. “Finish the tea, and then get some rest, Leo. I’ll check in on you in a couple of hours. All right?”
Reluctantly, he nodded, mouth closed. He watched her walk slowly up the stairs and disappear. Without the strength to walk and stand on his own he could not follow. Without his powers he could not go after her or be with her. Be even if he could, the moment had passed. He would have to leave the task of winning her back to a later moment in time. Hopefully, a moment in which he did not feel so absolutely miserable.
He snuggled into the back of the couch where the soft cushions were. He curled up with the blanket, to drink the rest of the tea. His head drooped and body relaxed. The cup fell from his fingers, but landed on his lap not the floor. Not caring enough to make the move to pick it up, he let himself fall asleep, dreaming of a time when he might be able to sleep in the manor again, this time as Piper’s whitelighter and husband, not just her handyman.
:-)
no subject
Date: 2004-02-14 03:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-14 06:43 pm (UTC)Thank you for letting me know I wrote her well. While I heard Leo's voice in my head while writing and set it in his POV, hers was the one I concentrated on more. But as I watch the darn show at least twice a day, it's not too hard now to hear all of them in my head.
I just couldn't resist kicking the poor lad while he was down. Just makes it feel all the better when looking at future events :-) And I can't resist a mix of angst and need and sneezing *G*
Heehee! Oh, and I'm glad the freezing wasn't too... cheesey. I was worried about how that came out. I added a little to that second time (a tad more physical description) just now when editing. *I* liked it, certainly. So I'm glad you found it to be sexy, not cheesey *G* Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2004-02-16 02:18 am (UTC)Second, I thank ou because I LOVED it! I'm sure that Hercules has its own highpoints, but Leo is just adorable. LoL, I had forgotten that that (Leo losing his powers/Dan, the boy next door) had even happened. But, ah, Leo. You're good.
Any further Charmed fics your muses might push you to jott down, know you've got one rather enthusiastic fan-girl out here. :)
-c
Re:
Date: 2004-02-16 02:34 am (UTC)And you're absolutely right. Leo is just adorable :-) I'm so glad you liked the story! I started another one about a month ago that's far from being finished. A little more of a stretch to make Leo sick at that point in the series, but not too bad, I think. Anyway, yes, it's very nice to know that it'll be read when I finish it, or write others. Thanks for taking the time to read this and provide me with fb :-)
If you need any help catching up on things, let me know. The thing I like about the show is that it's very packed full of things that go on for seasons on the show and don't get resolved easily. And, yet, it's not difficult to jump in and get what's going on at any moment in the series. And I'm just a sucker for sleeping guys, so tonight's episode was yummy in that respect. heehee! I'm still not a huge fan of Chris(I started disliking him when Wyatt did, and because I don't like watching 10 episodes with a character I know nothing about)... and he's not making it easy for me to like him right now... but I'd rather see Piper and Leo together again than risk a horrible paradox and the end of the world.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-16 05:55 am (UTC)Hehe, I see no reason why Elders (that's what he is, now - right?) can't get sick. :) And I certainly would have no qualms with it.
Aw, thanks for offering the help, Hon. The episode summaries that I scanned were...lacking in detail. A single paragraph hardly does an hour long show justice. And somethings confuse me.
What I would REALLY like to know, if you don't mind, is what happened to Cole. I remember he was there - evil, but there - in a lawyer/DA capacity, seducing Phoebe (early eps), then somewhere along the way he became The Source, then renounced his demon-y ways, married her, became evil again(?) or at least regained control of his powers, was divorced, tried to win her back (perhaps not all in that order) and then...then I don't know. Now he's gone and I think I remember liking him, so this is all rather upsetting.
Oh! and, come to think of it, why Leo is now Piper's "ex-husband". Last I really remember of the couple, Piper was still pregnant and Leo was installing something - a window? - into the baby's room. Really, I didn't know the baby's name (or gender) until I read the ep summaries and deduced it from the references to this unknown character. Hmmm, perhaps I'm more behind than I realized...
It would be wonderful if you could add any pieces to this sadly lacking picture of Charmed that I have. :)
And, again, your fic was great. Really. One thing I forgot to say - that was one of the reasons I extremely enjoyed reading it - was that your characterization was dead on. I could hear Piper saying every line - none sounded out of placed or forced. Both Leo and Piper, actually. I'm not surprised, as I don't think I've really read any dialogue of yours that sounded wrong, but it was one of the most striking features of the ficlet. 'Twas good. :) Can't believe I forgot to commend you on it earlier...Sorry 'bout that. :)
-c
Part 1 of reply...
Date: 2004-02-16 07:21 am (UTC)Tonight's ep. was chock-full of nummy goodness. And he healed her in his sleep!
And snuggling together like that... but the way Piper looking longingly down at him from above, and how instinctually he would not let her go... that's so Leo. And that's so them. I know it might be a little forced, but deep down they are SO soulmates and I don't think it will be only renewed based on their having to save the world. I think there will be more to their relationship in the end :-)
Hehe, I see no reason why Elders (that's what he is, now - right?) can't get sick. :) And I certainly would have no qualms with it.
Well, they're like elves. They're immortal... whitelighters can only get injured/killed by darklighters. So it's a little bit of a stretch... but to my knowledge they've never said that Elders and whitelighters can't get sick... *G* Good point :-)
What I would REALLY like to know, if you don't mind, is what happened to Cole.
Okay, I've seen about 80% of the episodes in Cole's storyline. So I might be leaving something out... but as I saw him dating Phoebe, then them trying to kill her, and I like Cole, I worked hard to understand and catch up on all the episodes relating to that. So here goes:
-He posed as a DA, dated her.
-She pretended to vanquish him but fell in love with him instead.
-Her sisters found out, and finally grew to be cautious but okay about him being a demon.
-He tried to be good and succeeded for the most part, but couldn't always not use his powers.
-He went undercover for the sisters, helping them keep tabs on the Brotherhood and the Source
-But as he betrayed the source, he had to keep an eye out for demonic bountyhunters. Which meant he could never be with Phoebe top-side for long.
-Thanks to another woman who was trying to kill him(as a demon, he killed her lover) she threw a potion phoebe made to his powers and the demon Bathazar was destroyed (his demon half).
-So as a mortal, he proposes to Phoebe and all seems well again
-But then in a horrible episode where it looks like everyone's about to die, he saves them all by using a horrible magic that makes him steal the Source's powers. They become part of him- the part that used to be a demon (i.e. fills the void left when his demon half was killed)
-They get married, though Phoebe doesn't get that the Source's powers have taken over Cole (i.e., he's becomming the Source) After the wedding, Cole wants to get her pregnant so she can carry an evil child.
-She eventually gets it and he goes down below to do evil things full-time
-The part I'm fuzzy on- somehow Cole is not the source any more, or maybe he is but it's not a full-time thing, and instead he's back in the world trying to win Phoebe back. He goes into a tail-spin of depression trying to get her back or die trying.
-He's so powerful that they try everything and can't vanquish him. Even he keeps trying to commit suicide but it doesn't work. He doesn't want to live without Phoebe
-Then comes episode 'Centennial Charmed' which I've seen 4 times now because Paige has a cold and sneezes(so I had to make wavs). Cole creates an alternate reality and kills Paige so there is no power of 3. Problem is, she goes unknowingly sneezes and orbs away as reality changes around her. So she and Cole are the only ones who know reality changed. She tracks down the other sisters, and together the three are able to vanquish Cole- who is not the Source in that reality, just Balthazar. Then reality goes back to the way it was and Cole is basically snuffed off the show in an alternate reality which feels very open-ended and unsatisfying to me since I still liked him. But that's what happens.
okay... I'll address the rest in the next post...
Re: Part 1 of reply...
Date: 2004-02-16 07:48 am (UTC)-Thanks to another woman who was trying to kill him(as a demon, he killed her lover) she threw a potion phoebe made to strip(not just bind) his powers and the demon Bathazar was destroyed (his demon half) leaving Cole
Part 2 of reply...
Date: 2004-02-16 07:58 am (UTC)-After all the problems/angst over having the baby, they finally have it, expecting it to be a girl(as all the Halliwell's have had for over 400 years, and as Piper saw in her vision of the future). It is, instead, a boy. They name him Wyatt Matthew Halliwell (Wyatt is Leo's last name, and Matthew is Paige's)
-Grams is skeptical at first and don't want to accept him since he's a boy(and she hates men), but she grows to love him- and the sisters all adore him naturally
-Since he is the powerful twice-blessed child, every week there's a new demon out to kill him and take his powers. But Wyatt has shields that protect him, and Leo and the Charmed ones to look after him. So he manages to survive every epsiode :-) And some of the episodes are humorous where he accidentally orbs a dragon out of a tv program, etc. Typical baby plots :-)
-Then comes the big Season 5 finale- 'Oh My Goddess' where the greek titans break free from big ice blocks and take over the world. The only way the elders could stop them thousands of years ago was to make mortals into gods to stop them, but then the mortals didn't want to give up their powers (and became Zeus, Posidon, etc.) The Titans hate the elders for stopping them, and use whitelighters to get up to the clouds where the elders live and kill them all off (except for a few who escape to earth). To keep the Titans from ruling the world, and because he's one of the few left, Leo becomes an elder so he has the power to make the sisters Gods. They stop the titans with their powers, and finally give their powers back, but the final result is that Leo is still an elder.
-Elders aren't allowed to live on earth, and thus Leo can't live the married life with Piper any more. He can't even be their whitelighter and protect them.
-"Luckily" this mysterious half whitelighter named Chris shows up from the future during 'Oh My Goddess' and helps guide them and helps Leo become an elder in order to save the world. He refused to say who sent him back in time or why... though finally explains that he went back because in the future Wyatt becomes evil and takes over the world and he's there to stop Wyatt from that (supposedly by helping to stop evil influences and the constant demon attacks)
-Leo makes Chris the sisters' new whitelighter
-Leo still visits his son from time to time, but Piper finds it too hard to not be with him anymore, and they decide to separate for good.
-Piper is in such emotional pain that Leo (with his spiffy Elder powers) takes her pain away so he can feed it back to her slowly enough for her to handle their breakup
-Leo is kidnapped (Chris' plan) and cannot reverse the spell. Piper cannot feel anything, Phoebe gets a new empathic power, and Piper turns into a Valkyrie. Leo is rescued and reverses the spell finally... and Piper tries again to finally cope with the loss of her husband. But a few episodes later, she's going on dates again.
-But, as you saw in the episode tonight, the problem is that in splitting Leo and Piper up, since he turned out to be their son last week, he might suddenly cease to exist. And since he does exist and changed history when he travelled back in time, that creates a huge impossible paradox that threatens to destroy the whole world. So, basically, they need to get back together. Which is fine by me as I think they shouldn't have split up in the first place. I mean, it was against the rules for a witch and whitelighter to marry, and to have a baby- they broke those rules. Why can't they break the rules about Elders not living on earth and having families? Seems logical to me. After all, he's an Elder, he's making the rules now! Grrr. I just like Leo and Piper. I think this whole season with them splitting has been annoying as the reason wasn't strong or real enough for me.
Part 3 of reply...
Date: 2004-02-16 07:59 am (UTC)The other sisters'-
Phoebe is dating her boss, moved to Japan with him, moved back. He finally found out she's a witch, and understands now why her empathic powers(and constantly having to skip out on him) always made their dates odd.
Piper worked at a temp agency- new job every episode. Each job had to do with magic. So she met this boyfriend when a temp job took her to his house to break up a magical fued that had been going on for centuries. Both families almost died, and he's one of the few that didn't. Paige really likes him and they start dating. But, obviously, he's got a lot of karama issues as he used magic to hurt others for so long. It's hard to see her use powers and not use them himself, so he gives into temptation and bad things happen. Which is why he finally decided to bind his powers in tonight's episode.
*sigh* Okay, so that's a season and a half in a nutshell. If you want more details, let me know, as I've seen all these particular episodes twice at least.
Though I'm still a little foggy on why Chris got Leo kidnapped. At the time it seemed fine since we didn't know who Chris was. But now I'm baffled. Maybe he didn't want Leo around because it hurt his mommy... I dunno. Doesn't make much sense to me. But, again, I don't think they should have broken up even if he was an elder. He's still Leo, and he still loves her and watches over them all.
your characterization was dead on. I could hear Piper saying every line - none sounded out of placed or forced. Both Leo and Piper, actually.
Awww! Thank you! I do worry about that when writing fics in a fandom for the first time. But I really do have a strong sense of them, so I'm glad that came through as well in the writing as it does in my head. Thank you for mentioning it as something that stood out!
I'm not surprised, as I don't think I've really read any dialogue of yours that sounded wrong
Err... well... there's quite a few of my star wars stories that have strange lines here and there that seem very wrong to me. But thank you for the compliment, still. I do try :-)
Re: Part 3 of reply...
Date: 2004-02-16 08:48 am (UTC)there's quite a few of my star wars stories that have strange lines here and there that seem very wrong to me. LoL. Now, imho, star wars has to be taken with a grain of salt. It can't count. Going from cannon, at least what was seen in the movie, purely at face value, Qui-Gon would have to be a rather insensitive, callous git, who, though he may mean well, sacrifices whatever it takes (though sometimes it takes things which are not his to sacrifice) in dogged pursuit of one fixed goal. And Obi would be a blundering, impulsive child whose most useful attribute appears to be the piloting of submarines through the planet core. Granted, there are flashes of other character aspects, but they are few and far between - as are the moments where more can be read into the characters' actions. And then if you take the ghastly books written about pre-TPM...ugh. The only good Jude Watson did was introduce Xanatos as common villian for the fanfiction writers to manipulate.
But I digress. :)
I much prefer your characters to those sanctioned by Lucas. Which means no true rules to be broken. :-D If I can see them sneeking off during the middle of a state function to have at each other, I can see them saying pretty much anything. LoL.
But - Charmed. Thanks for the explanation. It's so nice to know what's going on. :)
Re: Part 3 of reply...
Date: 2004-02-16 09:09 am (UTC)As for Star Wars- I agree with most of that. Canon Qui does seem cold and insensitive almost all the time... but he does have his lighter moments... trying to save Ani and his mother, tiny little gestures and words towards Obi here and there, relaxing and having faith in the living force, recusing Jar Jar(*sigh*) Though, as you've explained to me, he's much colder in Jude Watson's books.
But Obi-Wan- I think a lot of how I characterize him comes from Ben in the original series. He's stern and logical still, but you can tell he really cares about Luke as a person, not just as the person who's going to save the universe. While I know TPM-Obi-Wan has a long ways to go before getting to Ben's characterization, there are a lot of little bits of caring and ways he uses his powers that connect the two. Like the deathsticks scene in AotC. I love that scene. Ani uses his powers to get into Padme's bed... whereas Obi uses his to make a guy go re-evaluate his life- heehee! And Dax- that's such a bubbley friendship that shows a lot about the sort of relationships he has and who he attracts as friends. I really liked the progression in AotC as being between TPM-Obi and original series-Ben... and I try to remember that the character aspects we see flashes of are the ones that most likely come out in the more private situations brought out in my stories, rather than the ones Lucas focuses his cameras on :-) heehee At least, that's how I justify it to myself as I write, being the canon whore that I am :-)
But I prefer my (and most of the Master_Apprentice list's) characterizations of the Jedi boys to the canon ones. heehee *gets urge to write another sneaking off in the middle of a state function story*
Re: Part 3 of reply...
Date: 2004-02-16 05:24 pm (UTC)LoL, I can see flashes of your characters in the movies, but by and large refuse to picture them in any way shape or form of canon. Though that might be because I read your (and nerm's) fanfiction before I actually saw any of the SW movies.;) I guess I just assumed that they would be a bit more outward with their emotions (though obviously not so much as in slash). Instead, they weren't my boys! Well, I could see it Obi, the few lines that he did have, but not Qui. I definitely cried when Qui died (but I cried during Lelo and Stitch...), and that little touch of the cheek did say much more than anything else in the film, but I wanted the Qui and Obi I read about. Of course Obi is expaned in Attack of the Clones and that makes me happy, however...Le sigh.
New rule: no reading fandoms without background. (hence Charmed:)
Re: Part 3 of reply...
Date: 2004-02-16 05:36 pm (UTC)But, yes, it is certainly dangerous when characterizations are different. Though *sigh* that look Obi gives his master's statue in AotC gets me as much as Qui's death scene. *sniffles* There's SO much more in his look there than just a master-apprentice relationship. *G*
My biggest problem with reading fanfic before the fandom(or before my own feelings on the characters are formed) is that I tend to fall in love with the first way I see things. So I read Sirius/Remus before I even started the books, and that's my main OTP. And then I read some Percy/Oliver and now I can't see them with anyone else, etc. Once I read one way an event happens in fanfic, I have a HARD time seeing it any other way (or writing it any other way, myself) So I can completely see how you can fall in love with nermal's/my Qui and Obi first. Heck, who wouldn't? They're such snuggley, cuddley Jedi boys! Er... except in my new fic... but that's not their fault.
Perhaps it is because it's 12:30pm my time and I still haven't gone to sleep for the night(er, day) but I laughed out loud at your Lilo and Stitch line. Sounds like me! Though I've not seen that movie (I'm not a big Elvis fan, though I find Stitch to be utterly adorable) But I do cry at everything. Still, that doesn't make the death any less emotional. Think I'm going to go try and sleep. Jumanji's on. I cried during that the first few times I saw it, too, LOL. But it might soothe me into sleep... *crosses fingers*