Well this idea came to me quite some time ago (after I read several PMs and reviews suggesting I write a purely 'Charina' fic). It's just that I haven't got the time to actually type it out - until now. I don't know how people are gonna respond to it but... I just wanted to get it out. So one shot :)
P.S. I haven't written in so many months so forgive me if it feels a little rusty or confusing. I've never written stories with that great amount of flashbacks so just to avoid a little confusion, the flashbacks are in italics. But you guys already know that :) I am still trying my hardest to improve on my barely there writing skills.
Summary: Totally AU. Chuck is a successful game designer. Celebrating the New Year all alone in a foreign country, Chuck's thought kept going back to an encounter he had with a certain someone about six years ago.
Disclaimer: You know the drill. If I were to own Chuck, I'd be idling away, all day, writing my own version of Chuck fanfics. Oh wait. That's what I'm doing right? Wait. Don't answer that.
The blaring of horns and shouts of vendors hawking their wares permeated the air of Bangkok's busiest night market. Scent from the various food stalls selling anything from fried quills to chocolate pancakes intermingled; creating an altogether unique blend of sensory experience. Yet, with all the distraction caused by the cacophony of voices, his thought was wandering thousand miles away, back to that fateful encounter in London; six years ago.
The night when he first met her.
It happened really fast.
One moment he was drinking alone in a bar, glancing at the striking brunette with her black-rimmed spectacles sitting across from him, and the next he was lunging full speed at her, tackling her to the ground as he felt the bullet whizzed past.
She'd stared in shock for a fraction of a second before her hand shoved him roughly aside, firing two shots at someone above him. All he heard next was a grunt and something heavy crashing onto his back. Cursing, she rolled the weight off of him and grabbed his hand, making a run for the bar's exit as the place rang with the sound of guns going off and tables and chairs toppling behind.
Even amidst all the chaos, he could hear the litany of expletives coming from her. He'd remembered thinking how sorry he would be if in the last instant of his life, those colourful words would be the final thing he would hear accompanying him to the after-world; not some words of comfort coming from his loved ones as he drew his dying breath. At least he would go out in a blaze of glory. Well sort of. The only problem was he didn't know who the heck this girl was that he felt the need to be a hero in those crazy seconds – stunning as she was.
As soon as they had exited the bar, she was still dragging him along, sprinting down the back alley to a car, parked inconspicuously a few metres away. He didn't need any invitation as he jumped into the open-top convertible. No sooner had he seated, the engine was already revving and the car was almost instantly at full speed ahead.
It wasn't until she reached the inner road after zipping down the highway did she glance in his direction and addressed him for the first time. "Looks like we'd lost them. Wasn't that fun?"
"Fu-nn?" he sputtered in disbelief. "How was that fun? You nearly got killed. We, nearly got killed. I wished you wouldn't take your life that lightly. And who are those bad guys? Drug lords? Dear God, please tell me they're not-"
"Terrorists?"
"Assassins."
"Because drug lords are somehow better?" She laughed, clearly unfazed by the events that had just occurred.
"Well assassins often have a wealth of resources to track people down. That's how they do it in the movies," he added when she shot him a look.
"Right. And how would you know that I'm not the bad guy here?"
"Well, judging from the many movies I've watched, the bad guys are always those big, burly men with black suits and mean face. As far as I can tell, those dudes fitted the bill. They did look efficient, though. But," he looked at her, "obviously, you're not bothered at all. You must be some kind of a cop or something. Which should be a good thing... right?"
"Obviously," she replied matter-of-factly. "And don't worry. I'm very skilled at what I do also. I'm kinda one of the best in my field. So, where are you staying?"
"Hilton... the one adjacent to Paddington station. Why? Do you need a place to hide? You can stay there."
"Oh honey, how thoughtful of you. I'm actually thinking of sending you back to your hotel. But hey, if we are talking about your hotel room, hiding is not the only thing we can do in there. Know what I mean?" She grinned and continued, "You know, for someone who'd just saved me from a bullet, you sure do blush like a girl. And you definitely can scream like one too."
"Well, the fact that I was at the mercy of a crazed driver hurtling down the highway at a million miles per hour and not to mention that I'm freezing my butt off in your convertible, I guess I got the free pass to yell my head off just now."
She whistled in delight. "Sensitivity and spunk." Taking off her glasses and placing them on the dashboard, she gave him a quick once over and looked at him cheekily. "Such a turn on."
Embarrassed as he was, he couldn't help being riveted by her blue eyes. They seemed to sparkle with such zest and temerity that his discomfort reduced significantly.
"Mesmerised already?" her voice broke him out of his reverie. "So soon?"
"Huh?" Was he staring?
"Not that I mind. You're hardly the first," she added with that teasing voice of hers causing him to flush pink once more. Quickly, he looked away and concentrated on the scene passing by outside.
"Can you," he cleared his throat, "get the top up? I'm about to turn into a human popsicle here."
"Whoops. Silly me," she chuckled pressing a button and up it went; finally shielding him from the chilly night air.
"How did you move so fast like that?" she asked after a while. "Had you not scream like that, I'd have bet that you were a trained spy." As she pondered on her own words, she cast a curious glance his way, noting his attire of a jacket, shirt, jeans and... Chuck Taylor shoes. "Are you?"
"Do I look like a spy to you?" he squirmed slightly in his seat. "It was purely reflex action. Can't really explain it but when I saw the guy raising his gun at you..." he let his voice trailed off.
If she wasn't convinced, she only let it show with a shrug of her shoulder and let the matter slide; her attention back on the road for the rest of the journey.
"Here we are," she declared as the car stopped next to his hotel. She waited silently, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. Since he made no motion to leave, she leaned forward, resting her forearm on his shoulder. "Are you by any chance working up the courage to invite me to your room?"
"Are you always this forward?"
"Are you always this unintentionally sexy?"
Despite himself, a chuckle escaped his throat diffusing whatever nervousness he was feeling. Gazing at her, thoroughly unsure of what he should be saying next, he could only come up with, "Stay safe." Unbuckling his seat-belt, he raised up his hand as a sort of a good-bye and proceeded to move but he immediately felt her hand on his cheek, pulling him down for a short kiss.
When she pulled away, he found himself staring wide-eyed at her as she smiled back at him.
"For saving me just now. I don't know who you are or why you were crazy enough to do it but I owe you one."
"Chuck," he muttered, swallowing a little. "My name's Chuck," he said more confidently this time.
Her lips curled at the end. "Cute name."
"Names like that won't let you score with the ladies," he joked.
"Works fine with me."
"Aren't you gonna tell me yours?"
She merely winked and shook her head. "Nope. Well not now at least. When everything's over, I'll come and find you."
He had to smile at that. "I might not even be here."
"Chuck, I will find you."
That was the last word she'd said before she sped off into the night, leaving him standing outside his hotel lobby; feeling cold and all alone as the gloomy sky finally started to drizzle.
The sound of a vehicle honking jolted Chuck from his brooding as he side-stepped just in time to avoid being hit by the ubiquitous three-wheeled taxi.
He continued his amble down the humid night market, walking aimlessly from store to store; with neither any specific direction in mind nor anything in particular that he wanted to purchase.
It had been six long years. Though Chuck had a fair bit of trouble letting go, he'd worked on getting over her. And he did. He had moved on. So why was he suddenly thinking about her? Especially now, when he was all alone in a foreign country. You know why. He sighed and half wished that it was just a figment of his imagination. A lot of women have red hair, he told himself. But none like her, the voice countered. Touché.
Turning around, Chuck trudged to the side of the road, hailed a taxi and headed back to his hotel. A night out didn't do the trick after all.
Stepping out to his hotel balcony, he gazed at Bangkok's night sky, observing that there were more stars dotting the sky here than in London. It was definitely a wonderful sight. Bringing the bottle of water to his lips, his eyes close momentarily and in those quiet seconds, he could hear her whisper to him, Make your wish, Chuck.
Fireworks crackled continuously along the banks of the Thames as the city celebrated the start of another year. Revellers thronged the street braving the cold; some in their funny shaped hats and oddly framed glasses that were decorated with lights.
Kisses and hugs were making their way all around when the countdown finally ended as the place erupted in cheers and applause, accompanied by singing, chanting and dancing throughout the night.
Getting thoroughly into the spirit of the New Year, Chuck received and gave the hugs that came his way. The kisses on the cheeks; he'd welcome. The overenthusiastic lip-lock from a drunken bloke who'd then said, "Call me"; well that, he could do without.
As he made his way through the crowd, he yelped in surprise when cold hands covered his eyes and a while later, warm breath whispered in his ears, "Make your wish, Chuck."
Familiar.
Then, "I told you I'll find you."
There was no doubt in his mind as he turned around, his face betrayed slight surprise as he took in her different appearance. He hadn't even gotten a word in before her lips crashed against his; throwing out anything coherent out of the window. And when the rest of the world faded into the background and they'd eventually stumbled clumsily back to his hotel room, the only thing running through his mind was; she'd stolen his lips and his body. He only wished that she wouldn't end up stealing his heart as well.
Standing in front of the mirror, he fussed with his shirt collar for the third time. His mouth set into a grim line, he stared at his own reflection and wondered why he was feeling uncommonly on the edge the entire day. Again, the little voice inside his head started to rationalise everything and this time he didn't even try to argue with it. Because a part of him – the part that had for so long demanded answers – had hoped that it was really her that he'd seen this morning.
A glimpse of her at Bangkok International Airport was enough to set his heart racing. It beat once again in furious fashion and an ache he thought was long buried came crawling to the surface begging to be soothed.
As he stepped over the threshold, he tugged once more at his collar. Chuck pondered on his choice of shirt, deliberating for a while whether to change it or not. Sighing, he decided that it was ridiculous. The chances of meeting her again was next to impossible after the day she'd failed to show up. So debating on whether or not the shirt was a wise choice was, he admitted, a silly preoccupation.
With renewed resolved, he quashed all those inner musings and pressed the button for the lobby. But as the glass elevator began its descent, his traitorous thoughts started to replay her parting words; "We'll meet each other again in the New Year."
The hotel bar was surprisingly not as packed as he thought it would be. Aside from the few (probably guests from the hotel itself) waiting to celebrate the dawn of another year, the bar was only half filled. Most of the party goers must have headed to the other countdown venues with the promise of fancy pyrotechnics and performances from some of the international and local bands. This suited Chuck just fine. All he needed was the company of a couple of drinks and he will head up to his room to prepare for tomorrows round of interviews.
Then, just like that night in London so many years ago, amidst the excitement coming from the people at the bar, there she sat, not a few feet away; her blue eyes fixated upon his. And all of the feelings that he thought was long gone came rushing back full force.
She did keep her promise after all, Chuck thought with no small sense of irony. Even if it was five years too late. With trepidation, Chuck, at long last, took a step forward towards her.
He was finally going to get all his questions answered.
Thanks for reading :)