A steamy little stand-alone that I HAD to write. It popped into my head when I saw the Charah preview for next weeks episode. All the jealousy.


It shouldn't bother her. No, that's not true. It should, but she shouldn't be this angry. This jealous. Chuck had every right to see other women, they weren't even cover dating anymore.

The hand that grazed against his, as the two of them held what was obviously a pleasant conversation. At that moment, Sarah imagined twenty different ways to get rid of that hand.

She knew it was pathetic, the way she was watching the two of them over the survaillance camera. The BuyMore wasn't exactly a place where they could get cozy. But she knew if she didn't watch, the possibilities of what they could be doing would play over and over in her mind.

He was laughing now. That charming smile, the laughter lighting up his eyes. Sarah wondered what they were talking about. Chuck and Hannah had so much in common, there was no telling.

Hannah. What was her last name? Sarah didn't think she'd ever known. What she did know, was that Chuck had met her on a plane heading to Paris. And they'd been fast friends ever since. He had even gotten her a job at the BuyMore, and now every hour he was there, Hannah was right there beside him.

How Sarah despised her.

She knew it wasn't fair to Hannah, to hate her so much. She hadn't done anything wrong. And Sarah hated admitting to herself why she felt that way. Because despite everything they'd been through, despite the trouble they could cause...

She loved him.

She groaned as she let the admission wash over her. How could she love him? She'd been careful hadn't she? Had kept her guard up? She just hadn't anticipated Chuck Bartowski. The man got under her skin like nothing else ever had.

She forced herself to turn away from the screen. It was better this way. As much as she was hurting inside, this was how things had to be.

"Sarah?"

Sarah snapped out of her daze, unsure of how long she'd been thinking. Apparently long enough for Chuck to end his conversation with Hannah and make his way down to Castle, where she was.

"Yes Chuck?" she asked, clearing her throat and trying to make herself look busy.

"Are you okay?" he asked, continuing to walk down the stairs he had paused on. "You seem kinda....I don't know."

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" she knew her voice was shaky, but she hoped it wasn't obvious.

"Sarah..." Apparently it was obvious. She could see the concern in his face, and hear it on his voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, i'm fine." Second time she's said 'fine' in the last twenty seconds. Now he's going to know that she obviously was not fine.

She was turned away from him, so she could close her eyes when his hand touched her shoulder and he wouldn't see.

"I know things haven't been the same between us lately Sarah." said Chuck, his hand still on her shoulder. "But I still want us to talk to each other."

"Chuck..." she started, and sighed. "You won't like what I have to say."

"Try me."

She turned to face him, fighting an internal battle with herself. Things between them had been left unresolved, she could settle it, right now. One way or another. It was better to just leave things where they lay. It was safe. But could she really stand it if he found someone else, with things left the way they were?

"I don't want things to be complicated between us. You have every right to do whatever you want. To be with who ever you want." she said, deciding against delving into it any further. He wouldn't let her drop it.

"Is this about Hannah? Sarah, we're just friends."

"I don't want to talk about it." said Sarah, walking past him and heading towards the stairs.

"Well I think we need to talk about it." said Chuck, grabbing her hand to stop her. "We both know things have been tense between us ever since Prague. But Sarah, you have to know that I only left beca-"

"I know why." said Sarah, cutting him off.

"Then what is this Sarah?"

"It doesn't matter."

"No, it does matter!" said Chuck, anger filling his voice.

"What do you want me to say Chuck?" she snapped, his anger fueling her with her own. "Do you want me to forbid you to talk to the newest Nerd Herder? I don't think it will help much, considering it looks like she's already got her claws in you."

"You were watching us?"

"Kind of hard not to when she's undressing you with her eyes in front of everyone!"

"That's not fair..."

"Life isn't not fair Chuck. The sooner you realize that, the easier life will be." She turned away from him again, only to be turned around a second time. She opened her mouth to tell him to let her go, but was interuppted with his mouth on hers.

She knew she needed to pull away, but the feel of him against her was too much. Everything she had been keeping inside, every word that she'd wanted to tell him, was boiling to the surface.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, he slowly raised his head from hers. There were no words spoken, she guessed he was trying to see her reaction to his boldness. She didn't know how to react. She didn't know if she could. After another moment of silence, a slow smile spread across his lips as he bent towards her again.

The intensity in the room could have been cut with a knife. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, if it was possible. She slid her arms up his back and buried her hands in his hair. And still he was kissing her, slowly backing her up into the wall closest to them.

She was boiling inside, wanting him even closer but knowing it was impossible. She grasped at the front of his shirt, knowing she was going to have to come up for air soon and dreading it.

He left her lips, but not to step away from her. His lips on her neck felt a lot better then they probably should have. Sarah gasped for air as she raised her head, to give him better access. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able have to control of her knees. He seemed to read her mind.

He leaned away from her, not backing up an inch. He breathed heavily, and she could see fire in his eyes.

"Desk?" he asked, and she knew he was giving her an opportunity to stop them before things progressed even further.

"Desk." she confirmed, knowing it was a bad idea but not wanting to end the moment just yet. He quickly turned away from her to shove the paperwork off the nearest desk, the lamp clattering to the floor beside it. He turned back to her, putting his hands under her arms to lift her onto it. She circled her legs around him, bringing him to stand directly in front of her.

Again his mouth was on hers before she could utter a word. This Chuck surprised her. Usually he was so uncertain of himself that he was never so forward. Only once before had she seen this side of him, and that day had gone a lot like this one was.

He slowly started to slide his hands underneath her shirt to stroke her back. Skin to skin, it was unhealthy for that innocent touch on her back to feel so right. And it felt so right being in his arms. More right than anything she'd ever known in her life.

"Thanks for using my desk Bartowski. Now i'll have to burn it." said Casey, from the top of the stairs. Chuck quickly released Sarah, red from embarrassment.

"No need Casey." said Chuck, straightening his hair and shirt.

"No need my ass." said Casey, coming down the stairs and smirking as he noticed Sarah hop off the desk and wipe at her lipstick. "It's about time you two decided to do something with all the sexual tension, but next time I find it happening on my desk, someone is losing an appendage."

"No problem." said Chuck, looking back at Sarah. The look melted her heart.

It was a look that spoke of love, and of happiness. And promises of things yet to come.

*******************

FINISHED!

My first completed Charah fic. It was a stand alone, but, hey, I finished it.