Title: Kept
Author: Night_Lotus
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 265
Disclaimer: I neither own Chuck nor its marvelous characters, but I do have fun bringing them out to play.
Author's Note: A special thank you to fluties_flake for providing the prompts, "stolen" and "hidden." I was just finishing preparing a batch of Indian butter chicken, when the impetus hit to get this short little, "almost drabble" out there. And yes, there is indeed fresh, minced garlic in the dish.
The thin, papery white skins crackled as she stripped the individual cloves of garlic, preparing them to be included in the pot of spice-laden chicken curry on the menu for Sunday's dinner.
Under the guise of waiting for Chuck to accompany him to their late-morning shift at the Buy More, John Casey watched her, scrupulously drinking in every detail. How she nimbly and fastidiously wielded the knife as she quickly minced the cloves and tossed them into the crock pot. He loved a woman who knew how to command the business end of a razor-sharp knife. How she paused every so often, tilting her head to one side to toss her velvety, chocolate brown locks over her shoulder. Tresses that he continually dreamed of tangling around his fingers as he drew her plump lips to his to lick, suck and nibble on their sweetness.
"Hey, buddy!" Chuck called out cheerily as he bounced into the living room, "Ready to head to work?" Casey unabashedly diverted his gaze from Ellie. "Yeah, let's go." Ellie paused to look at them. "I'll see you both for dinner tonight. Seven o'clock sharp," she sang out as they headed for the door. "We'll be there, sis," Chuck replied, as he and Casey exited.
Casey remained silent as he and Chuck walked across the courtyard to the car. Ellie Bartowski had stripped him bare and stolen a precious commodity that belonged to him. Something he had never truly allowed another to access; a possession that had remained hidden beneath layers of iron-clad barriers. But, tonight, he intended to take it back.