Here comes Round 2! For real this time. Also, concern was expressed that Lizzie would interfere with the pairing, but, as promised in the first chapter, she's not here for that. Really, she's here to facilitate their relationship and support Chuck. That said, this first part probably won't settle those concerns as much as I might wish. XD

(-)

"What are you doing with him?" Chuck heard Casey say something but was still fuzzy and half-asleep. His back and scalp tingled in that pleasant nearly-numb fashion that said he'd gotten a thorough petting.

"Shh, you'll wake him," Lizzie hissed, and Chuck felt himself being gently displaced. He realized he'd been laying across her lap like he did for Casey and was suddenly much more awake as he knew why the big man was upset.

He still pretended to be asleep as he heard Lizzie pull Casey away, closer to the door. "Your kitten got sleepy when I was petting his head, and he collapsed on me and nearly purred when I rubbed his back until he fell asleep."

"Chuck…he did that for you too?" The nerd could hear the uncertainty growing in the agent's tone.

"Casey, kittens like attention and affection. They might not accept it from everyone, but they'll let people touch them besides their owners. Doesn't mean anyone else owns them. And my touch relaxes him, winds him down. His owner's touch excites him, gets him riled up. Don't get up in arms and jealous over this; it isn't worth it."

"You…you aren't…?"

"I'm not stealing your kitten. That would be impossible. He loves his owner. But I certainly want to come over and pet him whenever you'll let me. That's a sweet little kitten you have there." He could hear the grin in Lizzie's voice.

And he could hear the embarrassment in Casey's tone as he said, "Um, he…gets a little unruly, but he's usually a good boy." Even if he was being talked about when he was still in the room with them, it felt good to hear Casey praise him and Lizzie compliment him. Chuck was a good, desirable kitten.

"Anyway, I should go. By the way, you should really put a collar on your kitten so it's clear who he belongs to. I can only imagine how many people would like to make him their own. Also, he fell asleep right before Scene Seven: Grizzly Bear versus Laundry Bear."

Chuck blew out a raspberry and started giggling before he could help it. He put a hand over his mouth, but, while it stifled his laughter, it was already too late; he had given himself away.

"Uh-oh, sounds like a naughty kitten was pretending to be asleep so he could eavesdrop. I'll let you take care of your pet. Goodnight, little kitten," Lizzie said before the door opened and closed.

The nerd was dreading Casey coming around the sofa again. When the agent did, he was giving Chuck and evaluating gaze. "Um, sorry?" Chuck tried.

"For what? Eavesdropping or making me jealous?" Casey's voice was neutral, and Chuck couldn't tell if he was mad or not. But since he spoke multiple versions of Casey's language, that had to mean the big man was making a deliberate effort to mask the emotion behind the words.

"Both? I woke up and started listening and…" Chuck's cheeks were warm, "I don't remember falling asleep. Just like that time with you, I just woke up."

"I feel like I have a fickle kitten," Casey said, frowning down on the nerd.

Chuck let out a whine, then scowled back, though he was pretty sure it more resembled a pout. "You have a sensitive kitten. Which I'm pretty sure you enjoy. And you also-" Chuck cut himself off as Casey's lips started to curl. "Are you messing with me? You're mean." Surprising even himself, he stuck a tongue out at the agent, who laughed.

The big man slid a hand through his curls as he sat down next to him. "Careful, or I'll find something for that tongue to do."

The nerd grinned, hopeful. "Like give all kinds of attention to your dick?"

The agent frowned and looked away. Chuck sighed. "Don't get my hopes up. You know, one day you're going to have a kitten sucking your dick whenever you want, and you're going to feel stupid about all this."

Casey's pupils grew large and he licked his lips. "Get your pants and come upstairs. I believe I was promised Round Two." And the agent rose and went up the stairs without another word.

God, he was hard already. Chuck just changed in the living room into his pajama pants and T-shirt. He wanted to be completely ready to pounce on the bigger man. His plans for Round Two would probably lead to victory, which was important in his overall scheme to make Casey his.

When he got upstairs, Casey was already dressed. They got onto Casey's bed, and Chuck's mind supplied a, "Ding ding! Round Two!" before they went at it. Their initial struggle left them lying on their sides, making out. Chuck slid a leg between Casey's earning him a gasp and a shudder.

"These pants make everything more satisfying, don't they? I can feel your cock so much better." Chuck paused all motion of his hips to slide a hand to grasp Casey's dick almost completely, with just a thin layer of cotton between that hot flesh and his hand. "God, you're so hard and you're warm, and I can feel you twitch and pulse."

A growl that sent shivers down Chuck's spine preceded Casey grabbing his hand. Then a hard thigh was between his legs. "Kittens aren't supposed to use their hands. Why don't you be a good boy for me?"

And Chuck rubbed himself against Casey's leg without complaint. "Do you like your kitten using you to get off? Do you like how badly I need you?"

"I love it, kitten. But I feel like a bad owner; my sweet kitten doesn't have any toys." Chuck's legs tightened around Casey's thigh and he sped his hips movement at that assertion. "Any loving owner wants his kitten to be able to lay on the floor and play with his toys when his owner is too busy to give him the attention he needs.

Fuck, Casey meant business tonight. But Chuck wasn't done. "Then would you play with me sometimes? Good owners buy toys they can use with their kittens as well as toys the kitten can play with alone."

Big hands gripped his ass and helped him speed his hips' movement. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, my innocent little kitten? I bet you haven't played with toys before; you'd love to have me show you how."

Okay, this was getting out of Chuck's control now. "I'd love to see anything you want to show me, sir. Can…can you be on top of me?"

Chuck was immediately pinned to the mattress, legs spread and Casey's big hot dick rubbing against his. "Is that better?"

"So much better. You're so strong, and the weight of your muscle makes me feel safe. I'm always safe with you."

There was a pause and Chuck looked up to meet those blue eyes and found them…sad. "I…I promise you are, kitten. I'm not going to hurt you again, and nothing will hurt you while I'm with you."

Oh, right. Chuck had said that right before Casey revealed he'd been playing with Chuck. But the nerd was so far past that. "I know, sir. I wouldn't be your kitten if I didn't know that."

Those hips resumed motion, and the nerd wrapped his arms around Casey, letting his hands move up and down the bigger man's spine, enjoying the sigh it drew. But then he put his real plan into action. He slid one hand down to the agent's ass on the pretense of speeding up his hips. A big hand fisted into his hair in warning, and he gasped. It didn't stop him, though. The hand traveled from the cheek and quickly used the loose fabric to push its way in between, finding Casey's entrance through the material and teasing.

The gasp and groan that earned him was satisfying, and as the hand slid out of his hair to intercept Chuck's hand, Chuck grabbed it and put one big thick finger in his mouth before Casey could stop him. When the agent whined and made no attempt to reclaim his hand, Chuck added another finger, tongue teasing the digits and sucking while he hummed in satisfaction.

Casey was shaking, especially his hips. He must really not play with his ass, if it was that sensitive. But he was no longer making any attempts to stop the nerd, ass pressing back against the teasing finger. "Bad cat," he ground out in between moans. Chuck just sucked up another finger and smiled. He had two fingers teasing and pressing against Casey's ass, and he loved how quickly the big man was unravelling for him.

Chuck took his free hand and slid it between them again. Casey had focused more on his ass, so his hips had stopped moving forward for the most part. But when Chuck's hand wrapped around him, the moan he let out was filthy and desperate, and his hips started moving back and forth.

Letting the fingers fall from his mouth, Chuck said, "Does it feel good?"

The big man whined and nodded. "So good, you cheating bastard. I can't…"

"I'm not breaking a single rule. And I promised you, didn't I? That if you let me in, you wouldn't regret it? You haven't even let me in yet, and see how good it feels?"

More whining and a nod. When Casey said nothing, Chuck said, "Think about how good it will feel to let me inside you for real. My fingers, my cock. There's no one else you could trust to touch and please you like I will. No one else could make you want to feel vulnerable like I know I do."

"Chuck, I can't…oh fuck, I'm close…" Casey was whimpering and desperate, and nearly vibrating.

"Let go. Just let it all go, because you are so, so safe with me, John."

Casey cried out as his muscle grew rock hard and Chuck felt the agent's pants get wet when that dick kept letting out spurt after spurt of hot cum. His hand was trapped against that muscular ass, so he just pushed as much as he could to keep Casey cumming.

As the agent wound down, he whimpered and trembled, and Chuck felt that muscled body soften the way he loved. "God you're perfect," he said softly, running one hand through the short hair on the agent's head. "Thank you for trusting me. You're always so good to me."

It took a minute or two for Casey to fully return. "That was…" The voice was a little hoarse from shouting. "That was, um…"

"Incredible?" Chuck offered. "Freeing? Amazing? Spectacular?"

"New," Casey said. "That was new."

"Aw, you're no fun. You know it was better than new."

"My kitten is getting unruly. What should be done about that?"

"Subdue him with pleasure until he calms down?" Chuck suggested.

Warm blue pools considered him. Then that big body lifted from on top of his. "Turn over and spread your legs, kitten. I'll take good care of you."

Chuck instantly obeyed, enjoying the hand that immediately grasped his ass. But it was grabbing underneath, with four fingers sliding behind Chuck's balls, and the nerd whimpered. "Please?"

The hand started moving, and while it pressed a little at the back near Chuck's entrance, it was mostly on his ass and in between his legs. "Go on, do your thing."

He started humping into the bed, desperate for release after feeling everything Casey had done. "Not too fast."

Chuck whined. "You're mean, Casey. Your kitten is so nice to you."

Casey's other hand was suddenly pulling Chuck's hair, much to the nerd's relief. That growling voice said, "If my little kitten wants something, he should ask for it like a good boy."

"Please touch my ass, sir. My little hole wants to feel your fingers."

That got him exactly want he wanted. Those big fingers rubbing and pressing on his ass. The thin fabric separating them hardly mattered. "How is that, kitten?"

"Soooooo good, sir. Let me go faster, please?"

When he looked back and got a nod, he moved his hips faster, relishing the increased friction. "You're so kind to your kitten, sir."

"And all those things my kitten was saying?" Casey asked, and Chuck looked back as much as he could when his hair was being pulled. Casey looked…uncomfortable.

"I meant every word. Even if you torture me and leave me hanging, I won't take it back." He waited until he had Casey's eyes before saying, "I love you, and you can trust me with everything."

"You are impossible," Casey grumbled. His fingers on Chuck's ass moved faster and pressed harder. "Go ahead, kitten. You can cum whenever you want to."

Chuck was humping the bed at a frantic pace, body tightening as he got close to release. "Pet me, sir. Your hands make your kitten feel loved."

The hand in his hair disappeared to stroke up and down his back rapidly. It was enough. With a gasp and a mewl, Chuck's eyes fluttered shut as he came, body going taut and letting every bit of cum out all over the inside of his pajama pants. He was going to be happy when Casey would finally let them touch directly instead of always needing to wash his pants. Cumming inside Casey while the big man helplessly spilled himself everywhere was almost as appealing as cumming all over Casey while the agent filled him up.

As soon as he came down, Chuck slipped off his pants, making Casey jerk and look away. Chuck started laughing as he reached for tissues to clean himself up a little so Casey could have the first shower. "Do not pretend that you haven't had me naked and begging on this bed. Don't act like you didn't touch me and finger-fuck my ass and make me cum over and over again."

"That was…"

"First aid, I know. But you had seen me naked before that too. Are you saying I can't be naked around you in person unless I'm roofied first?"

Casey scowled. "Of course not!"

Chuckling, the nerd said, "Then I can take my cum-soaked pants off. And you can have the first shower." When silence fell between them, Chuck slipped off his T-shirt and asked, "Speaking of finger-fucking, you seemed to know just how to please me, but your ass seems untouched. I'm right, aren't I? You wouldn't trust anyone else to touch you that way. And it doesn't seem like you've done much exploring either."

His bear growled and refused to look at him. "No one touches me there. Not me, not any of my partners."

"Not like it's hard to picture a guy like you always topping…how many partners? Guys, I mean. I've met a couple of the women you've been involved with." It was something Chuck had wondered about, and he had suddenly gotten the guts to ask.

"Jealous?" Casey asked, and Chuck could tell he was trying to avoid the topic.

"No. Curious. I already know I'm special to you, Casey. You clearly know how special you are to me. I'm just wondering how much you've done this."

The agent swung his legs over the other side of the bed so his back was to Chuck. "Just two. Neither was serious, and they didn't last long."

The silence that came after that was thicker, more tense. "Oh…" Chuck moved to get right behind the big man. "Well, you either learn incredibly quickly or have a lot of natural talent for this." He slid his arms around the agent and bit down on his shoulder, the one not bruised from the previous night. It wasn't hard, just a little love bite, but he relished the way the bigger man tensed and gasped. "Go on and shower, John. I think I've made a mess of you."

Chuck was pinned to the mattress with his hands trapped over his head before he realized that Casey had turned around. "You have no idea," the big man breathed. "Not a fucking clue."

The agent sounded angry, but Chuck, having majored in Casey Communications, could tell that the older man was scared. "I'm your fluffy little kitten. You're safe with me."

"You're a lot more dangerous than fluffy." There was an edge of ice to those blue eyes as they speared into him. "I don't think I could have found a riskier pet."

That ice hurt. "I love you, John. And, sure, maybe I'm more clever and cunning than your average kitten, but that means I can figure out what you need and have the balls to give it to you."

Because that was what was scaring Casey right now: the fact that Chuck was pushing to get the agent in the most vulnerable position he possibly could, and that Casey wanted to let him. He saw the appeal of being able to let go, and let Chuck take care of him for a change. But the bigger man was so used to keeping control, of needing it to ensure his safety, that letting that go had to be terrifying.

"Your kitten is worth the risk," Chuck said. "But there's no risk in trusting me with this. And you know that. You wouldn't even consider it unless you knew you were completely secure with me."

Those blue eyes melted. "How did you find your way in here?"

And Chuck realized that he was lying in the inner sanctum, the most fortified and guarded place in Casey's castle. And the dragon himself, which he finally realized was Casey, had opened the doors for him. "I'm pretty sure you've been inviting me in right before you try pushing me out the door. You've been a terrible host until recently."

Casey laughed at that. "Now that you're here, it's hard to remember why you're supposed to leave."

"Then don't try to make me anymore." Chuck easily shook off the hand holding his wrists and leaned up to kiss the older man. It was gentle, trying to show how safe it was to let Chuck in. "You should shower," he said when they parted. "You can't be comfortable."

When Casey grunted and gave Chuck one final kiss before getting up and leaving, the nerd couldn't help but sigh. He was naked, but he didn't want to put on fresh clothes until he'd had his own shower. And Chuck was entirely comfortable and content to be in Casey's bed naked.

So he was lounging in that same spot when Casey came in with a towel around his waist, drops of water sliding down that scarred skin in a hypnotic fashion. A quick look at Chuck sprawled naked and Casey turned to his dresser and opened a drawer. And Chuck immediately sat up to get a better look. He hadn't given it much thought, but even if he had, he probably wouldn't have imagined so many scars. Granted, it wasn't like Casey's skin was a patchwork of scar tissue, but Chuck could count at least seven distinct ones on the big man's back: bullet wounds, stab wounds, cuts, even a burn on his left lower back. "Wow."

On autopilot, he rose and moved to get a closer look. When tension flooded Casey and he glanced over his shoulder at Chuck, the nerd paused. "I just…can I? There's so many…"

He got a nod and Casey turned his face fully away, a trace of resignation in his expression. Chuck wasted no time, but slid his fingers down Casey's spine, garnering a shudder. There had been a cut from his left shoulder blade to halfway down his spine. In the middle of his right side, there was a small thin oval-ish scar that Chuck assumed came from being stabbed with some blade. Oddly puckered flesh not too far below that more at the center of the agent's back had to have been a gunshot wound. And he let his fingers trace along them all, and others, finally placing his hand over the burn scar.

"I can't quite say they're beautiful, but they're certainly striking. I suppose they are your kind of beauty. Each one is a different badge of survival, right?" Chuck tried to lean around and meet the bigger man's eyes. When those blue eyes finally met his brown ones, they were tentative and slightly confused. "They look good on you."

When Casey looked both confused and maybe a little hurt, Chuck hurried to explain. "I'm not glad you got hurt; I'm happy you healed and eventually found your way here. And they aren't ugly. I saw that look you gave me. I like how they look on you. They make you look like John Casey."

"They all have bad stories behind them," Casey said, turning his face away again.

"Lots of people wear their past on their skin. Most do it with tattoos, but that's far too tame for you. You're hardcore," Chuck said, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked. Casey chuckled a little. "It's one way to put it."

"And how would you put it?" Because since they were having this discussion, they might as well get these issues out of the way if Chuck could manage it.

"Damaged."

There it was. "Everyone is damaged, Casey. Not everybody shows it on the outside." Chuck sighed and kissed the man's back between his shoulder blades. "I should shower so we can go to sleep but…if you want to sleep without a shirt, that's perfectly fine. You aren't going to disgust me or scare me away. I may be a fluffy kitten, but I'm not a pussy."

That got a real laugh from the agent. "Go shower, kitten."

So Chuck did. And when he returned, the agent was on the bed, shirtless. Grinning, Chuck climbed in, eagerly eyeing the big man's chest to see what history he wore there. Casey didn't give him much time; he immediately reached and turned off the lamp beside the bed.

The nerd traced outlines in the dark until Casey rolled him away before pulling Chuck close to be his little spoon. Chuck felt ridiculously warm and comfortable. It was another place where he fit like he was made to be there. "You're perfect," he whispered before he closed his eyes.

(-)

So, Chuck is two for two. But it's not like they'll just stop. Round 3 is on the way.

Also, Casey doesn't know about the castle metaphor, but he is referencing Chuck slipping into his heart. He can only tell him if he doesn't say it directly, though.

And it's not like Casey is completely ashamed of his scars; in a changing room with other agents or soldiers he isn't hiding behind a towel, but with the guy he loves who doesn't share those kinds of experiences, who says that Casey isn't damaged, he's self-conscious because he looks damaged. They probably would be considered unattractive by the normal population who doesn't take shooting, stabbing, and burns as a given. And I love the "your scars make you beautiful" trope. It is a wonderful trope of acceptance and love.