Title: Casey vs the Chocolate Cake
Rating: PG, if that.
Ship: Chuck/Casey
Word Count: About 1,500
Warnings: Ultra fluffy; Yup, it's tooth achingly sweet
Beta: The wonderful ru_salki99
Disclaimers: Not mine
Feedback: Please. It makes me happy.
Summery: This is an answer to a picture prompt at the Chuck group plotbun_shelter The picture? A piece of chocolate cake. Mmmm.
Warding off a bunch of angry customers, Casey headed towards the worker's lounge. The sales floor was practically empty of workers today and he needed a break from moody customers, who were jumping on him the moment they saw he was free with the last. If he didn't get a way now, he'd end up killing one of them.
Just as he thought. The whole sales team was here. It was Lester's birthday and he had brought in 'treats' for his co-workers. Bottles of soda, chips and cupcakes overflowed the small table that graced the lounge. Music was blaring and a small crowd of the employees surrounded Lester, who was sitting in a throne like chair and wearing a crown
Seeing Chuck standing by himself, he walked over. The boy was currently staring down and slowly unwrapping the liner from a cupcake,
"This is very elementary school of Lester," Chuck commented without looking up.
Casey smirked. "How much you want to bet he even had his mother bake the cupcakes?"
"I'm betting rather highly," he said taking a small bite. "If I thought that Lester had made them himself, I'd not be eating any."
Casey grunted in agreement and picked up one of his own. Getting some chocolate icing on his fingers, he licked it off.
Chuck eyed him at that. When he shook his head so as 'to free it from thoughts', Casey smiled.
"When is your birthday?"
Casey eyebrows shot up, shocked at the question. "Can't say."
"Oh, it's top secret like area 51 and who assassinated John Kennedy, is it?"
Casey gave his paper thin smile. "It was the traitorous scum Oswald. Everybody knows that; sixth floor, from the book depository window, with 6.5 mm caliber Carcano rifle."
Chuck rolled his eyes. "Do they? I can google over a thousand website that prove-"
He shrugged as a smile tugged at his lips. "I could have made that shot."
"Well next time I need someone who-" He stopped, "Hey, stop trying to distract me!" Chuck bumped into his shoulder with his own, "So when is it?"
Casey looks sideways at him, "Why do you care?"
"It's just that I realized that I've known you for over a year and no where within that year have we celebrated your birthday."
"And we won't be in the upcoming year either."
Chuck huffed and moodily took another bite of his cupcake. The two of them watched as Anna and Jeff brought over gifts for Lester to open. After a few minutes, Chuck went back to his station at the Nerd Herders desk.
The next day, Casey was sitting in the lounge again. This time he was eating his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"Hey! I got something for you," Casey looked up to see Chuck had joined him.
Casey's eyes narrowed. He watched as Chuck brought out a piece of Tupperware from the fridge. Purposefully turning his back on Casey, Chuck took whatever was in the Tupperware and placed it on a plate. Walking back over, he pushed it towards him. It was a piece of chocolate cake.
"Happy birthday," Chuck said brightly.
"It's not my birthday."
Chuck gave a twisted smile, "I figured."
"Then why?"
Chuck sat down next to him. "Well, I thought that if I did this for a whole year, one of these days I've got to be right."
Casey stared at the chocolate cake, "A whole year?" Ick. "The idea of eating chocolate cake for a whole year makes me sick."
Chuck leaned in and teased, "Well, you could always just tell me. One day, one piece of cake."
Casey sighed and leaned back, "Chuck," he warned, "I can't."
"What does it matter if I know?"
"It matters to me, not to them," he admitted in a whisper.
It was private. You don't share those sort of details with the asset. You just don't. Not unless you want to land yourself in a load of trouble and most certainly not, unless you want to get yourself attached.
Chuck gapped, "You mean you're not telling me because you don't want to and not because some protocol?"
"Exactly."
At this Chuck got up and left the room. Casey frowned. Starring at the cake again, he picked up the fork and took a small bite. It was sweet and from that one taste alone, he longed for more. Instead, he just pushed it away.
Months passed. Summer turned into fall and Chuck's own birthday came. Casey listened on the headphones as him, Ellie, Awesome, Morgan and Sarah celebrated his big day. He had been invited, but hadn't bothered to show up. Instead, he listened as the group babbled on during their dinner. After, it was followed by a round of 'Happy Birthday' and dessert. Casey heard someone mention chocolate cake. As he also heard Chuck moan with delight at the first bite, his heart dropped. Suddenly he was regretting not going.
That night, after everyone had gone home or to bed, he showed up at Chuck's window. Knocking gently, he waited for an answer. When the window opened, Chuck didn't seem surprised to see him standing there.
"Hey," Chuck yawned. He was already in his shorts and t-shirt and his hair was all sticking up. Casey figured he had dragged the kid out of bed.
"Happy birthday," Without his meaning to, a big grin worked its way onto his face. He bit his lip to try to kill it.
Ducking his head through, Chuck leaned his arms against the window frame. His face was now less then a foot away from Casey's own, "Right on time. In another few minutes, it would be midnight and it would have all been over."
"And then you turn back from the princess to the pumpkin you really are, right?"
"I think you've got that wrong."
"What? You saying that you're always the princess?"
"What do you want Casey?" Chuck clearly wasn't in the mood to play.
"How was the dinner?"
"Good. Ellie cooked dinner and afterwards we had cake."
"Chocolate?" he asked even though he already knew.
"Yeah." Chuck quirked an eyebrow. "Want some?"
"Um, yeah a little won't hurt, I guess."
Without a word, Chuck left. As Casey stood there waiting he felt ridiculous, but he remained. A minute later, Chuck passed a sizable piece threw the window.
"Thanks."
"Sure, no problem." Chuck went to close the window.
"Night," he said before he did.
"Night, Casey. Oh, and next year if you want cake, you're going to actually have to show up for the party." With that he shut the window again.
Casey walked into his darkened apartment. Going into his kitchen, he poured himself a cup of milk and sat down with the cake. Delicious. It had been well worth bothering Chuck for. Still, after taking a few more bites, he finished his milk and pushed the cake away. He shouldn't be eating this sort of thing at this time of night. He had to go to bed. He had work in the morning.
Thanksgiving came, as did Christmas. He spent both alone. The Bartowski family had both apple and pumpkin pie, Casey noted. No, chocolate cake had been included.
One day in early January, he asked Chuck over to his place.
"What is it?"
"Sit down."
Chuck did as he asked, as Casey went into the kitchen. When he came out he had a tray. On it was two glasses of milk and two plates with chocolate cake. Settling it down on the coffee table, Casey plopped down next to Chuck on the couch. Casey handed him a plate.
"You invited me over for cake?"
'Yeah, shut up and eat it." He told him as he turned on a movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai. As the movie started, he took up his own plate.
For two and a half hours, they say there watching the movie and eating cake. When the movie ended, Chuck turned to him, "So this is your idea of a good time?"
Casey jerked his head, "Sure, why not?"
"Hmm, well, I had a nice time too," He got up. "It's getting late."
Casey followed him over to the door.
Chuck turned and gave a weak smile, "Night John."
"Night." As Chuck started to leave, Casey grabbed him by the arm, stopping him "Wait… I just wanted to tell you something."
"Yeah?"
"It's my birthday."
Chuck smiled. "I know. Happy Birthday, John." He leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Casey's eyes fluttered shut. Pulling him a bit closer by the shoulders, he deepened the kiss. Chuck tasted as sweet as he always imagined.
When they pulled apart Chuck just looked at him, "You have a good one?"
"Yeah, I did. The best."
Chuck licked his lips as he eyes sparkled mischievously "Sometimes it's just better to give in to temptation and eat the chocolate cake."
"I'm starting to see that," He gave Chuck another quick kiss, "I'm going to make sure I do so from now on."
"Glad to hear that."