Wooo! Okay, I've had this one the brain for about a month now and it was just begging to be typed. Ellie is away on a conference for the hospital during this so its a little easier for this scenario to happen. Also, Casey is a little OOC but I like it that way (grin) Hope you do too!!
"I still don't see why you guys can't just put me up in a hotel for a few days."
"Because over 60 percent of government agents work in hotel chains. Someone would recognize you or you would do something stupid to compromise your cover."
Chuck sighed loudly and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Someone just broke into my house; I think my cover has been pretty compromised already."
Casey shot him a look comparable to "shut up or die" and continued to type away at his computer. "Well then we're not going to do anything else to make that worse, now are we?" he asked in a fake sweet voice.
The younger man sighed again and fell into a kitchen chair. "And Ellie or Morgan is out of the question because?"
"Because you'd have to explain to them what happened and that would compromise your cover yet again."
"I could lie. I could say the house is being fumigated or…something." Chuck protested weakly.
Casey shook his head. "Please, Bartowski. A two year old could lie better than you. Not only that, Ellie would ask why the house was being "fumigated" and Morgan would want to see. Not only that, how do you plan to explain the words "Intersect or Die" scrawled across your bedroom wall in red paint? So no, that plan won't work."
Chuck let his head fall back and stared up at the ceiling in Casey's apartment. Everything in the NSA agent's house had a very stark, clean feeling to it; this wasn't a place to live, it was a place to work. There was kitchen table along with a toaster and a microwave sitting in the dining room along with a plant that was more than likely fake. A whole wall of computers and monitors were hooked up across the room and half-empty coffee cups, some a few days old, were scattered across the cluttered workspace. There was a couch in the living room that looked slightly more comfortable than bed of barbed wire and small TV sitting on collapsible table sitting against the wall. Chuck let out another sigh, realizing that this would be his home for the next few days until Ellie got back from her conference.
"And, one more time, why am I not staying with Sarah?"
Casey's jaw clenched and he paused for a second from typing. "Because your little crush on her would probably lead her to shoot you before the night was over. Plus, Sarah flew to Washington an hour ago to run the samples on the note we found this morning."
Chuck laughed suddenly. "I do not have a crush on Sarah!" he exclaimed a little defensively. Casey shot him another look causing him to look down a little. "I-I mean, yeah, I did. But it would never work. She's still in love with Bryce and being involved with me would just compromise the mission." Chuck smiled faintly and played with his watch, looking at the kitchen table.
The older agent sighed quietly to himself and closed his eyes for a moment. He was starting to get a headache and hated to see the other man look so depressed, also he was getting tired of the word "compromise." He glanced at the clock on his computer and absently popped his knuckles. It was already 11:30 and he still had half a report to type. Normally, he'd be watching his monitors, keeping an eye on the man who was currently sitting a few feet behind him. He'd memorized Chuck's nightly routine (1) and knew this was throwing him off. Stretching a little and wincing as his back popped all the way down, Casey turned to Chuck. "The shower's down the hall if you want. I have something to finish up here."
Chuck jumped a little and nodded. "Okay." He replied quietly, standing up and walked out of the room. Casey heard the bathroom door close from down the hall and turned back to his computer. A part of him felt bad for keeping the kid here when he knew he'd rather be somewhere, anywhere else, but he also knew that Chuck would be safest with him. He was trying hard to be nice but it came across more irritated most of the time.
A few minutes passed and the shower was turned off, the water running down the drain loudly as it did. He could hear Chuck walked around the bathroom and getting dressed along with the sink being turned on and him brushing his teeth. Being an agent trains you to listen to everything, even the things most people can't hear from a few rooms away. It almost seemed to be an invasion of privacy but considering all of the cameras he'd rigged in Chuck's house that hardly seemed to be an issue anymore.
The younger man walked back into the living room, the scent of shampoo and body wash following him as he came in. He sat down on the couch and stared at Casey's back for a minute. "Hey Casey-" he started but the older agent cut him off.
"Yes you can turn on the TV. Just keep it quiet alright?"
Chuck nodded and walked over to the TV and turned it on, turning down the volume immediately to keep it from bothering the other man.
Casey smiled faintly to himself but kept it hidden. Chuck tried so hard to please everyone and yet all of the shitty things in life seemed to be attracted to him like a magnet. He listened for a minute as the kid sat back down on the couch and settled on some medical show on the discovery channel. Tuning out the noise and ignoring the different medical problems that were being discussed, (Casey, unbelievably, had a pretty weak stomach) the agent went back to typing his report.
OooooooooooooO
About an hour and a half later the report was finished and Casey had emailed it to the Intersect. Sarah had called about 45 minutes ago to explain that even though there was a definite fingerprint on the note they'd found in Chuck's room, it turned up no match in their database. She said she'd keep trying and would call him with any details and to try not to kill Chuck before the night was over.
Casey nodded and hung up, bringing up a picture of the note on his computer. It was pretty cut and dry; most threatening letters are. The words "See You Soon Chuck" were typed in bold letters on blank sheet of paper and carefully placed beneath a picture of Chuck and Ellie, a dangerous looking knife stabbed through the center of the picture. No prints were found on the knife but a perfect thumb print was found on one corner of the note along with another print on the back. But now, the evidence seemed completely useless since there was no match for either.
The agent stared at the note for a long time, almost willing another clue to surface. It was impossible to track handwriting since it was typed and the ink came from an office supply store somewhere in the United States. This wouldn't be hard at all. Suddenly frustrated, Casey turned off his computer and stood up, turning to see Chuck asleep on the couch.
The younger man had his arms crossed over his chest and his head was resting against the wooden armrest. It couldn't be comfortable, in fact, Casey knew it wasn't. Quietly, he reached down and shook the sleeping man. "Wake up, Bartowski. Time for bed."
Chuck sat up slowly and looked around the room, almost confused where he was. "What's wrong with me sleeping on the couch?"
"No deal. You're coming into my room so I can keep an eye on you. Plus, my gun is in there and it's easier to get to if I need it."
Chuck didn't move for a few seconds, seemingly weighing his options.
"This isn't up for debate. Now get up and get in the bedroom." Casey snapped, fatigue and irritation putting an edge on his voice.
Nodding, Chuck stood slowly, wincing at the crick he had in his neck, and followed Casey back into the hallway.
The bedroom was empty and plain, a small bed and a dresser taking up a little bit of space on the open floor. A cold draft floated through the room from the window, causing the floor to be twice as cold as it had been in the living room. Casey stepped past him and rummaged around through the closet, pulling out a sleeping bag and a pillow and tossing it on the floor beside the bed.
Chuck walked over to the sleeping bag quietly and sat on the ground to unzip it, too tired to protest or make any kind of comment. The events of the day had worn him out both physically and mentally and his usually quick wit and dry sarcasm were far from his mind. Between seeing Ellie off to her conference in New York, the house being broken into and completely ransacked, and Casey and Sarah basically kicking him out of his own house, all he could think about was sleep. He lay down silently and pulled the thin layer of the sleeping bag up over his shoulders. You'd figure Casey would at least have a decent sleeping bag he thought irritably as a shiver coursed its way though his body. He could feel holes in the insulation as well as a small tear in the fabric at the bottom near the zipper. However, those thoughts along with everything else faded away as sleep started to take hold of him again and drag him under.
Casey waited for a few minutes before he was satisfied that Chuck was asleep and allowed himself to relax a little in his own bed. He stared at the ceiling for a long time, unable to fall asleep or even feel tired. Below him, Chuck started to twitch and move around, the screechy sound of silk and nylon rubbing together making it impossible to ignore. However, that wasn't what he was listening to; it was the chattering of the younger man's teeth. Occasionally, a shiver would cause him to shift restlessly in his sleep, his body trying to find a warm spot. Casey sighed loudly and rolled onto his side.
"Bartowski, get up here." He growled at the restless young man on the floor. In the darkness, Casey could see Chuck's eyes open and look over at him.
"Huh?" he mumbled tiredly, his teeth clicking together quickly.
"I said get up here before you freeze to death." Casey answered through gritted teeth, hoping the darkness was hiding the blush that had somehow found its way across his face.
"Why?"
"Because I fucking said so. Now do it!"
Chuck's eyes widened a little and he obediently did as he was told, crawling into the bed beside the other agent and lying as still as possible. Casey nodded once and rolled over so that his back was against Chuck's, closing his eyes and willing himself to fall asleep.
The younger man took a deep breath and held it for a minute, moving very slowly to get into a more comfortable position.
"Chuck, so help me God, I have a gun under my pillow and I will not hesitate to shoot you somewhere that isn't life threatening if you don't stop moving." Casey grumbled quietly, the tone of his voice convincing the other man that he was completely serious.
Once again, Chuck became perfectly still and stayed that way for a long time. Slowly, his body began to relax, the other man's body heat keeping him warm and comfortable. Sleep won over again and he closed his eyes, feeling safe and secure for the first time all night.
OooooooooooooO
At some point during the night, unbeknownst to either of them, Casey had managed to turn over and drape his arm across Chuck's waist, pulling him away from the edge of the bed and closer to him. Chuck, in return, had curled up against the older agent's chest, his head resting against his shoulder gently. They slept on, completely oblivious to their position until the alarm clock began to blare at 6 am the next morning.
Chuck opened his eyes slowly and winced at the irritating noise. He wanted desperately to go back to sleep but knew that if Casey got up he wouldn't be able to. The man in question kept his eyes closed and a firm yet gently grip around the younger man's back. Without looking, he reached into his pillowcase and retrieved a small, yet deadly dagger, hurling it at the offending alarm clock and pinning it to the wall. Chuck gasped, amazed at how good agents were at doing that and realized that Casey would be needing a new alarm clock before long.
"When do you go to work?" the question was soft and surprising coming from the agent, considering most of the time he sound pissed.
"Uh…I close today, so not until 4." Chuck answered softly.
"Good. I'm on the same schedule." Casey took a deep breath, his eyes still closed. "Go back to sleep."
Nodding a little and smiling softly to himself, the younger man closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep once again, snuggling a little deeper into the agent's chest. Maybe living with Casey for a few days wouldn't be as bad as he thought.
(1) Reference to my other fanfic "Surveillance" Check it out : D
Okay, I know I left a bit of cliffhanger with the whole note thing but it'll come up in a later story I'm writing, so no worries. Hope you guys liked it!! Let me know k??