A/N: This was supposed to be a one-shot (at least my attempt at one) but there seemed to be a number of people who requested I continue it. While I don't have a clear picture of where this is going, not having planned much past the ending of the last chapter, let's see where it takes us.
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck
Chapter 2
Chuck began to stir, a faint sound pulling him from his sleep. He figured he must have fallen asleep in his desk chair again, as he was sitting up, although it was much warmer and more comfortable. He could feel the sensation of soft skin between his … hands? His eyes still closed, his mind finally sprung awake, presenting him with a whirlwind of images from the day before. The concession stand, roller derby, Sarah…. SARAH!
He's eyes flew open, taking in his surroundings. He now recalled the evening on the couch with Sarah, obviously having fallen asleep. Everything was as he left it. Sarah's feet were in his lap, his hands still holding one foot and her injured foot still on its pillow for elevation. The room was now bathed in early morning light, but there was one glaring difference. That was the glaring faces of three women staring back at him.
"Gah!" he squawked, jumping slightly. A beautiful auburn-haired woman, he recognized as "Red Sonya" from the rink, the one that had helped him, was sitting on the coffee table with her elbows on her knees, chewing on an apple as she stared at him. She had a smirk on her face that frightened him more than a little. Behind her was the assistant coach, Rizzo, her arms, one still in a cast, folded across her chest and her eyebrow quirked up in question. She looked equally as scary, though more dangerous. The third woman was younger, long auburn hair as well, though darker than Red's. She sat on the arm of the adjacent loveseat with a much more amused, and perhaps adoring, expression.
"Good morning…. Chuck," Red stated, accentuating the "K". "So…" she continued, looking back and forth between him and Sarah, "is this how you take care of our friend?" she asked accusingly.
"WH-what? No? I… I mean, yes. But-but I was just sitting here. I didn't do anything, I swear," he rushed out, gently releasing Sarah's foot to raise his hands in surrender. "Wait… how do you know my name?"
"Your pal Martin-"
"Morgan," the other red-head interjected.
"Morgan. Whatever," Red corrected, rolling her eyes. "He spilled the beans, told us all about you. We have ways of making him talk," she confessed, bouncing her eyebrows.
"Like… any of you just asking him?" Chuck challenged, certain that Morgan would reveal any state secret if one of these beautiful women simply asked him.
Red bobbed her head from side to side, conceding his point. "OK. We just asked him. We weren't about to let some rando run off with our friend and do God knows what," she proclaimed, sitting up straight, taking on a more serious expression.
"Well, I swear to you, I didn't do anything. After the hospital, I brought her home, she took a shower-" The three women's eyebrows raised causing Chuck to begin to panic further.
"By herself! By herself," he exclaimed. "Then, I made her dinner, I cleaned up and was going to leave but she asked me to stay and watch some TV. So…." he trailed off, shrugging sheepishly as he gestured at his current position.
"Mmmm. Chuck… foot's cold," Sarah murmured in her half sleep, beginning to stir on the couch. Everyone stopped and stared at her, including Chuck. When her eyes fluttered open, she sleepily blinked, looking in confusion at her teammates and then at Chuck.
"What… what are you guys doing here?" Sarah asked, trying to push herself up on her elbows.
"We could ask you the same thing, Blondie," Red retorted with a wry smile, quirking an eyebrow. Sarah just rolled her eyes and let out a "tsk" at her friend, shaking her head in amusement.
"You guys are a bunch of mother hens. Admit it, you were worried about me?" Sarah teased, sticking her tongue out between her teeth. The three other women scoffed, trying to play it off.
"Please…" Rizzo chimed in, brushing off her insinuation. "We just brought your car back and wanted to make sure you weren't taking advantage of the geek here."
"That's nerd…" Chuck interjected, raising a hand. They all just looked at him flatly and he slowly lowered his hand, clearing his throat. Sarah slowly shifted her feet off of Chuck's lap, swinging her legs to the floor.
"Make yourself useful, Carina, and hand me those crutches. I gotta pee," Sarah declared, gesturing toward the crutches laying on the floor. Carina did as instructed, helping her friend stand up and get situated on her crutches. Once Sarah was out of the room and the bathroom door closed, Carina turned on Chuck.
"Thanks for what you did, Chuckie, but we got it from here." Chuck looked on in confusion, glancing at the other women, who nodded as well.
"Right…. Right, sure. Of course. I'll just uh… I'll get out of your way…" he trailed off, trying to hide the hurt he was feeling. He stood up, placing the throw pillow back in its proper place. He patted himself down, looking around Sarah's apartment, ensuring that he had everything.
"Well, I guess I'll just…." he trailed off, nodding and pointing at the door as he started toward it. Opening the door, he looked back at the women, who were watching him leave. Giving them a wan smile and a half-hearted wave, he took one last glance over the apartment and left, closing the door behind him.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Once Chuck got back to his apartment, finding himself alone and confused, he did what he always did in situations like this: he cleaned. Dusting every surface, vacuuming rugs, as well as couches inside and out, he was a machine. All the while, he kept playing over the events of the previous night. Admittedly, Chuck had been attracted to Sarah from the start, even from afar. There was just something intriguing about her. Undoubtedly, he would have rushed to the aid of anyone that would have been injured at the roller rink, but he couldn't deny that he felt a heightened sense of urgency when it was Sarah.
As fascinating and alluring as he thought she was from afar, she was infinitely more so in person. She was smart, funny and incredibly beautiful. What's more, she was kind. He was surprised that she had asked him to stay at all, let alone after dinner was finished. In hindsight, he couldn't believe that he was so forward as to put her feet in his lap. That was far more intimate than he had realized at the time, but she hadn't complained. In fact, she seemed to enjoy his ministrations of rubbing her foot. It had been a very long time since he'd shared that kind of intimacy with someone, even as innocent as it was. She'd had a rough day of it and needed some help relaxing. Any port in a storm, right?
As his mind wandered, his body continued on autopilot, cleaning his bedroom, the bathroom and was finishing with the kitchen, when a pounding on the door shook him from his trancelike state. Checking the clock on the microwave, he realized that it was near lunch time already, taking him by surprise at how much time had passed. Putting the dish towel over his shoulder, he made his way to the door. Pulling it open, he stood in shock as a rather aggravated looking Sarah Walker stood on the other side, braced on her crutches.
"Sarah? What...what are you doing here?" he asked, looking her up and down and then around the courtyard. Before she could speak, Chuck interrupted, pulling his door open all the way. "You need to have that foot elevated. Get in here and sit down," he demanded, placing a hand on the center of her back to help guide her to his couch.
Sarah tried to protest, but Chuck wouldn't allow her to get a word in edgewise, now that he was in "mother hen" mode. Taking her crutches, he helped her to sit down and swing her legs up onto the couch. He pulled some pillows from the nearby loveseat to give her something to elevate her foot.
"Chuck... will you…. Chuck, I don't need-"
"Tell me you didn't walk all the way over here on those crutches. You're supposed to be resting, keeping your foot elevated," he chastised lightly, taking care to tuck the pillows under her foot. "Can I get you something to drink? How about lunch? Have you eaten?"
"Chuck!" Sarah shouted, trying to break him from his rambling. He stopped, blinking at her in surprise as he knelt beside the couch. Sarah stared at him for a moment before letting out a huff. "I could use a glass of water," she relented, the trek over having been more strenuous than she'd expected. Chuck was off like a shot, bringing her a glass of ice water with a bendy straw. Sarah's mask slipped slightly at the sight of the bendy straw, almost allowing a smile to break through before she remembered she was mad. Taking a sip, she looked around for a place to set the glass down, only to have Chuck take it and place it on the end table.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?" Chuck asked, kneeling beside the couch again.
"Somebody," she enunciated rather harshly, "left without so much as a word. No note, no 'goodbye', no phone number. Nothing!" Sarah spat out, her brow furrowed in hurt and anger.
"But…. but… they...they said…." Chuck trailed off, looking supremely confused, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder.
"'They' said? They said what? What did they say?" Sarah asked, tilting her head, her aggravation escalating.
"Wh-uh… C-Carina? I… I think that's her name. Tall, red- … an-anyway, she… she thanked me and said, 'we got it from here' and your other friends just nodded, making it pretty clear that my services were no longer required," he said, his eyes dropping to the floor. "They're your friends. I couldn't exactly tell them 'No'. Plus, I'm sure you'd want to have them around to help you rather than me. I'm just some weirdo from the roller rink," he stated with a dejected shrug.
When Chuck lifted his gaze to meet hers, Sarah's brow was furrowed in aggravation, but she was staring off into space, not focusing on him. He wasn't entirely certain why she seemed so angry with him for leaving. It wasn't like he wanted to, but he didn't really have a lot of choice. It wasn't as if he had any right to stay there. He wasn't anything to Sarah but an acquaintance maybe. He wouldn't be so bold as to suggest they were friends. She had friends; very beautiful, dangerous looking friends. He was a dorky nerd with few social graces and had no business being in her social circle. He wasn't certain what to label what it was they had together, caregiver and patient perhaps? Maybe her friends weren't the caregiving type, so she had to resort to seeking out the only other person she knew nearby. That made the most sense.
"How about I fix you some lunch?" he asked, pushing himself to his feet. "The remote's on the arm of the couch if you want to watch some TV. I'll just be in the kitchen." Chuck gave her a tight smile and stepped out of the room, leaving Sarah to lay there with a confused expression that Chuck seemed to miss.
Chuck began assembling his ingredients in the kitchen, pots and pans clanging. As he was about to turn on the stove, he heard a knock at the door. Two visitors in one day seemed like some sort of record. Wiping his hands on the dish towel, he threw it across his shoulder as he made his way to the door. When he opened the door, a dark-haired blur pushed past him before he could even get a word out.
"Hello, Chuck. Nice to see you. Can I come in?" Chuck said sarcastically as he stared at the empty doorway. Closing the door, he turned to see his sister facing him, unphased by his comment.
"So? How'd it go?" Ellie asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
"H-how did what go?" he replied in confusion. His ignorance earned him a jab to the shoulder.
"Ow!"
"You know exactly what I mean," she challenged. "Sarah! Tell me you didn't just drop her off at her house and leave?" Chuck shook his head, but his sister didn't give him the chance to actually respond. "Well, why aren't you there now, taking care of her? I told you to take care of her. She seems really nice and-"
"El-"
"-and she's pretty. You need to get back out there, meet somebody and Sarah seems perfect. You can't stay hidden away in this apartment or-or in your office, buried in your computer." Chuck gestured with his hands for her to keep it down, but Ellie just barreled on.
"I know that your heart was broken. I get that, but don't let that come between you and a chance for happiness." Chuck made a slashing motion at his neck, trying to get his sister to stop, but when she was on a roll, there was little to be done to stop the "Ellie-train" after it left the station. "Sarah seems so great and she actually seemed to have a genuine interest in you. So, why are you here… cleaning," she gestured with exasperation at the towel on his shoulder, "instead of being with her, helping her when she needs it most?"
"Ellie, I was trying-"
"'Cause I'm over here, Ellie," Sarah called from the couch, waving her hand in the air so she could be seen over the back of the couch. Chuck blew out a sigh, closing his eyes as the embarrassment washed over him. Ellie looked between her brother and the couch, her head flipping back and forth in surprise. Ellie at least had the decency to look contrite, giving her brother a wincing smile. He gave her a pained smile in return, his eyes going wide and nostrils flaring.
"Hi, Sarah. S-sorry, I didn't see you over here," Ellie apologized as she made her way to the couch. "I see you've got your foot elevated. That's good. How's the pain?"
Sarah shrugged, trying to mask her amusement, and slight embarrassment, at having to listen in on their personal conversation. "It aches, but it's not unbearable."
"Ok. Do you mind if I take a look at it?" Ellie asked, gesturing to Sarah's ankle.
"That-that's not necessary. I don't want to-" Sarah stopped in mid-protest at the look Ellie was giving her. Realizing that she wasn't going to get out of it, she acquiesced. "Well, since you're here," she said with a slight chuckle. Chuck's sister flashed Sarah a smile before kneeling and taking off the splint.
"El, I was just making lunch. Are you staying?" Chuck called from the kitchen, having returned to his task. Ellie blinked, looking between Sarah, her ankle and the kitchen.
"Uh… N-no. No, thanks. I ate on the way here. I'll just uh… I'll just check out her ankle here and let you two get back to…" Letting the sentence go unfinished, she examined Sarah's ankle carefully, nodding in approval.
"Looks like the swelling has gone down a little, but the bruising is more pronounced. That's to be expected. Just keep it elevated and ice it periodically. Ibuprofen for the pain, but no more than four at a time. More than that and it can upset your stomach." Sarah nodded her understanding as she watched the doctor put the splint back on. When she finished, Ellie peeked over the couch to see where her brother was before digging in her purse, withdrawing what looked like a small leather wallet. Flipping it open she took out a business card. Taking a pen from her bag she wrote on the back of the card and slipped it to Sarah.
"In case you need anything, and I mean… anything," Ellie whispered, her eyes flicking in the direction of her brother. Sarah gave the woman a shy smile, nodding her understanding as she lifted her hip and slipped the card into her back pocket.
Ellie stood and made her way to the kitchen, drawing up close to her brother. "I'm sorry. Really, I am," she whispered into his ear as she gave him a hug. Pulling away, Chuck could tell from the look on her face that she was being sincere. He knew his sister meant well and hadn't known Sarah was there, but he still felt the ache of humiliation in his chest. Mouthing "I'm gonna go", and thumbing over her shoulder, she made her way to the door.
"Well, I'm gonna get going. It's been a long night so I'm gonna get some sleep. Sarah, it was nice seeing you again," Ellie called into the living room as she opened the door, hearing Sarah's reply in kind as the door closed behind her. The apartment was plunged into silence, the only sound being Chuck's work in the kitchen. Chuck couldn't bring himself to say anything to Sarah, still feeling embarrassed about Ellie's disclosures. Once he'd finished lunch, he set places at his small dining table and finally approached the couch.
Sarah was looking over her phone when she saw him, quickly putting it away to look up at him. "Lunch is uh… it's ready," he stated, gesturing over his shoulder while nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "Can I help you to the table or…" he trailed off. His hand was extended toward her, offering his assistance. With a small smile, Sarah took his hand and allowed him to help her to the dining area. Much as he'd done at Sarah's apartment, he sat a chair beside her, giving Sarah a place to put her foot up. Thanking him, she situated herself at the table and waited for him to have a seat.
"Wow. Grilled cheese and tomato soup? I-I haven't had this since I was a kid," Sarah declared, looking over the prepared food.
"I'm sorry. If it's too… juvenile or whatever, I-I can make you something el-"
"No! No. I love it, I just haven't had it in so long. It… it kind of reminds me of when I was a kid," Sarah confessed, her smile growing. "When I fell off my bike or hurt myself outside, mom would always make me grilled cheese and tomato soup to make me feel better. So, I'd say this is perfect. Thank you," she said quietly, giving him a tight smile. Chuck cleared his throat, nodding as he returned her smile.
After a moment of silence Sarah continued. "I don't remember her grilled cheese sandwiches looking this fancy though. Wow. It looks… beautiful. Can I say that about a sandwich?" she asked, chuckling at herself.
Chuck ducked his head, chuckling with her. "Well, I dunno about beautiful, but I like to think I'm coming close to perfecting my grilled cheese skills." Sarah giggled at his comment, pulling the two halves of the sandwich apart, watching the strings of melty cheese stretch and break. Leaning over her plate, she dipped the corner of the sandwich into the soup and quickly brought it to her mouth in the hopes of not dribbling too much.
"Mmmmmm," she moaned, her eyes closing and her body slumping as she chewed. "Oh my God. That is sooo much better than my mom's grilled cheese. Wow. That's…. What's in this?" she asked, pointed at the sandwich.
Chuck finished chewing his bite and swallowed, his cheeks and ears taking on a rosy shade. "I use sliced sharp cheddar and muenster. Getting a good crust on the bread helps too. A lot of times the bread gets soggy in the middle, so it doesn't get as crispy. Choosing the right bread is almost as important as the cheese you use." He glanced at Sarah and saw her grinning back at him. "I'm rambling, aren't I? I'm sorry."
"No, don't be. It's good that you're passionate about things. I'm just lucky enough that cooking is one of them. That's two incredible meals in as many days. A girl could get used to this," she replied. Sarah's eyes grew wide in surprise at her own words. Blushing slightly at the comment, she dug into her soup and sandwich again to give her something to do with her mouth beside embarrassing herself. They ate in silence for a few minutes, only the crunch of the toasty bread and the soft slurping of soup could be heard. After a couple of minutes, it was Chuck that broke the silence.
"About Ellie earlier… I'm sorry you had to hear that. If it was half as embarrassing for you as it was for me, you must be mortified," he admitted, chuckling at himself.
"Well… I-I mean, it was a bit awkward. That's why I made my presence known." Sarah was quiet for a moment as she mustered her courage to approach the subject. "From the sounds of things, you haven't had much luck in the relationship department."
"As Ray Charles used to sing, if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all," Chuck joked with that self-deprecating lilt to his voice.
"Do… do you wanna talk about it?" she asked, taking a spoonful of soup. Chuck studied her for a moment, his smile fading. He averted his eyes to his own bowl, absentmindedly stirring his soup.
"Ellie used to try and set me up with her friends. Before every blind date she'd tell me 'Chuck, nobody wants to hear about your ex-girlfriend, especially on a date.' She was right. I can't help but feel that same strategy should apply here."
"Is this a … date?" Sarah asked, the corner of her mouth turning up. Chuck's eyes grew wide, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.
"I-I uh… No. At-at least I … I don't think… it's highly unlikely that would ever be the case," he croaked out, swallowing thickly.
"I'm trying not to take offense to that, but why do you think it's highly unlikely? Is it the whole roller derby thing? Or maybe because I'm an invalid?"
"What?! No! God, no. It's not you. I-I mean, it is you, but not...GAH!" he exclaimed, closing his eyes and shaking his head at himself. "What I mean is… you're an intelligent, outgoing, strong and incredibly beautiful woman. I seriously doubt that your dance card will ever be empty enough that you'd have to resort to the likes of me. Hence, there would be no date." Sarah ducked her head at the compliments, stirring her soup with her spoon. Looking back up, she considered him for a moment.
"Well, I reject your presumptions, but let's say for the sake of argument that this is, in fact, not a date. Then you could freely discuss these things without violating your agreement. Right?" she asked, an eyebrow raised in question, a smugness to her grin. Chuck stared at her for a long moment, trying to unpack all she'd said but it only left his head swimming.
Blowing out a long breath, Chuck placed his spoon in his bowl and rested his forearms on the table. "My only real relationship was back in college my junior year. Much like the corpse flower, my love life was late to bloom and, once it did, reeked of death," Chuck joked, chuckling as he shook his head. Sarah chuckled along with him but sobered quickly as his smile fell. "Things were great, or so I thought. In hindsight, I was naive and overzealous, trying so hard to please her, to give every reason to stay. I thought she was smart and pretty, way out of my league to be honest. Though, not nearly as much as …" Chuck stopped, catching himself and shaking his head at himself.
"Anyway, I'd never been in a relationship, so I did what I thought a guy was supposed to do. Shower her with thoughtful gifts and adoration, compliment her … woo her. I… I thought things were … were serious. After several months of dating, I came to find out that, while I had assumed our relationship to be exclusive, she on the other hand… did not. Nor did my roommate for that matter."
"Oh, God," Sarah breathed out, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Yeah… that's what she said when I walked in on them," Chuck admitted, looking green as he swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Jesus!" Sarah exclaimed, sitting back in her chair, blinking in disbelief.
Chuck gave her a tight smile, trying to smile through what was clearly a painful memory. "I felt so stupid. I should have…. I should have known or-or expected something like that. Like all the years before that, where I went ignored, unnoticed or teased, all of that was behind me? Just like magic… POOF, I was suddenly interesting?" Chuck shook his head, his lips pulled into a tight line.
"I took a chance on love - or what I stupidly thought could be love- and got burned. I spent the rest of college with my tail between my legs and just focused on my work. I figured if I kept myself busy, buried myself in my studies, that I wouldn't have time to look around and see that I was alone." Chuck grew silent for a moment, and all Sarah could do was stare in shock.
"After college, I kept with the same philosophy. I kept my head down, focused on work. Ellie got worried, feared that I'd burn out or worse. To appease her, I went on a few dates with her friends from work. Those were total disasters. Mostly it was my fault. I wasn't in a place, mentally or emotionally, to try to date anyone. I didn't know how to 'be' around them, how to act or what to do. I always second guessed everything, figuring I'd blow it like I did the last time. It was so awkward and … miserable, for both of us. The last one was probably eight months ago and finally Ellie conceded defeat and stopped trying to set me up. Until today apparently…" he trailed off, shaking his head.
Sarah couldn't help but begin to chuckle. She tried to keep it in, pursing her lips together, but that just seemed to make it worse. Her shoulders began to shake, her eyes watering until the laughter just bubbled out of her. She felt terrible, knowing how it must seem after Chuck had confessed so much to her, but she couldn't hold it in.
"I'm… I'm so sorry," she wheezed, trying to catch her breath, wiping at her eyes. "I'm just imagining you on a date with one of Ellie's friends and… and the look on the poor woman's face after you confess all that… Oh, God. I know it's not funny, but…" Sarah took in a few cleansing breaths, trying to get herself back under control.
"Well… I'm glad I amused you," Chuck stated, trying to smile but looking rather embarrassed. Instinctively, Sarah reached across the table and placed a hand on his wrist, squeezing it.
"No. No don't… don't be embarrassed. Don't you see it? You're sitting here with me, we're talking, laughing… OK, I'm laughing, but still. You're talking to me, and were you worrying about all that other stuff?" she asked, waving her other hand around through the air. Chuck looked between her hand on his and Sarah's face, not knowing which one he should focus on. Seeing this, Sarah gently pulled her hand away, bringing it back to her lap. Now focused on her face, he blinked away his confusion.
"I… I guess not. I… didn't really think about it. We were just talking. It's not like a date, there's no … pressure, no expectations. I was thinking more about you than about … me," he confessed sheepishly. Sarah twisted her lips to the side, trying to fight a smile.
"Can I tell you something?" she asked quietly, not meeting his gaze. She could see him silently nod out of her peripheral vision, so she continued. "I … I'm terrible at relationships too. Not for the same reasons, but terrible, nonetheless. I've had a hard time trusting people, opening up to them, letting them in," she admitted, tapping her chest. "I've never even had a guy back to my apartment before," she confessed, chancing a tentative glance at Chuck. He seemed taken aback, his chin on his chest. She could see his mouth working, trying to form a question but he was hesitant.
"Until last night, that is. And to top it all off, sitting on the couch with you…. You rubbing my foot until I fell asleep, that…" she sighed, trying to find the right words. "That's the most… intimate I think I've ever been with someone." When Chuck's eyebrows threatened to shoot off his face, she realized how that must sound. "Don't get me wrong, sex is intimate -or it can be-, but last night was a level of trust that I… I don't think I've ever had, with anyone. So, when you left this morning it… it hurt," Sarah admitted, swallowing thickly.
"Oh… oh God. I'm so-"
"Don't apologize. Don't. I-I get it. At least now I do. My friends were being a bit overprotective and they neglected to inform me that they were the reason you left. I'm going to have a very serious 'talk' with them when I see them."
"Hey. No. Don't-don't be too hard on them," Chuck interrupted. "They were just looking out for you. They care about you. But…" he added, looking a bit nervous, "to be honest, I really didn't want to go."
"Yeah?" she asked, the corner of her mouth turning up. Chuck nodded, looking down at his bowl again.
"Spending the night with you… Not-not spending the night with you as in, you know spending the ni-" Chuck stopped himself before he spiraled out of control. "What I'm trying to say is that I really, really enjoyed spending that time with you, taking care of you. It-it made me feel… useful… needed… wanted," he said timidly. "I haven't felt that in… a long, long time. So, when I had to leave, it hurt me too," he confessed, lifting his gaze to meet hers. The two stared at one another for a long moment, searching each other's eyes. Eventually, Chuck blinked rapidly, averting his gaze to the table, his neck and ears taking on a reddish hue again.
"I've got more soup on the stove if you need," he declared, beginning to stand up. "I can get you a warmup or… or I can make you another sandwich. Do you want another sandwich? I-I can make it without the Muenster this time if you prefer, or maybe I have some Swiss if you'd-"
"Chuck," Sarah spoke quietly, taking hold of his wrist as he passed by. He stopped in his tracks, halting his nervous rambling as well, staring down at her. "I'm good. Sit," she instructed, gesturing with her eyes toward his chair. He nodded, slowly sitting back down as she released his wrist. "Do you have plans today?" she asked, leaning down to try and capture his downcast gaze.
"Um… I… I was supposed to help at the concession stand tonight, but… I-I don't have to go. I can call off if you need help."
"Well, I was hoping that maybe I could convince you to sit with me, watch some TV or something." Chuck considered her and was dumbfounded when he saw that she looked, of all things, bashful. Sarah Walker, the brilliant college professor, badass roller derby queen and breathtakingly beautiful woman, looked nervous around … him.
"O-Ok," he breathed out dumbly, nodding his head, unable to come up with anything more eloquent to say. She gave him a smile that threatened to cause him to melt into a puddle on the floor. The two finished their lunch in silence, Chuck cleaning up the dishes while Sarah hobbled to the restroom.
When Sarah came back, she worked her way to the couch to find Chuck sitting there. There were pillows stacked on the opposite end and a pillow in his lap as he sat there, fiddling with the remote. She stood there for a moment, looking over the scene before he seemed to notice she wasn't moving.
"I got you some pillows. Get comfortable and we can find a movie. I've got hundreds on my media server, plus several streaming services." He patted the couch beside him before returning his attention to the television. Worrying her bottom lip for a second, she sat down on the couch, laying her crutches on the floor. Chuck sat back further, lifting his arms up to give her room to place her foot on the pillow. Sarah then laid down, but to his surprise, she instead placed her head on the pillow in his lap and propped her foot on the arm of the couch with all of the other pillows, where Chuck had intended her head to be.
Settling in, she hummed in contentment as she wiggled to get comfortable. After a long moment, she realized that Chuck's arms were still in the air, and he hadn't moved. Sarah turned her head on the pillow to look straight up at him, trying to hide the grin on her face. Chuck was staring down at her in complete bewilderment, not knowing how to react or what to say.
"Are we going to watch something?" she asked, hesitantly, trying to appear as though it was no big deal. In fact, it was a very big deal. This wasn't something she did, ever, but when she sat down on the couch, the compulsion just felt so natural. So, rather than place her feet in his lap again, like she had the night before, she wanted to be closer to him, push the level of intimacy just a bit further. Sure, it was out of her comfort zone, but the look he was giving her was beginning to make this new "zone" feel a lot more comfortable.
Chuck tried to keep his heart from beating out of his chest as he looked down into her face. Her gorgeous, cerulean eyes, with a faint, dark gray ring around the outside, he felt like if he tipped forward any further, he'd fall into their fathomless depths. Her head in his lap was not an unwelcome development, but it was certainly surprising. He felt like he was out of his depth, uncertain what to say or do. The fact that she seemed so unphased by it all made him question if he was reading way too much into this. Maybe this was some platonic thing that friends did? With Morgan as his only real friend, this was definitely not something Chuck would be open to, but he couldn't rule it out as something the bearded man might attempt.
Then he saw it. As Sarah looked up at him, asking him a question he couldn't understand, he saw it. Sarah swallowed hard, like she had a lump in her throat. Chuck knew that feeling all too well and spotted it immediately. Was she… nervous? Around him?
Blinking himself back into consciousness, he looked at his arms, which he still held up, not knowing where to put them. Obviously, he couldn't leave them hanging in the air. He looked from his arms to the couch and the woman laying on it, trying to find a neutral area where he could set them down without being too inappropriate. Sarah watched him curiously until she finally seemed to catch on.
Taking Chuck's left arm, Sarah pulled it down and placed it across her stomach and laid her hands on top, holding it in place. Unable to hold his gaze, she turned her head to look at the television again, hoping that she wasn't pushing things too far, too fast. She relaxed a little more when she felt the tension in him release. Clearing his throat, Chuck rested his right elbow on the arm of the couch, continuing to scroll through his media library.
"What um…. What are you in the mood to watch?" he asked, his voice a bit shaky.
"Hmmmm. When I'm sick, I like to watch something that's fun, light-hearted. I know I'm not sick, exactly, but still, I think I'd like some kind of feel-good movie." Chuck hummed his understanding, nodding, even though he didn't know she could see him in her peripheral vision.
"As you wish. I-I mean… that's fine with me. Whatever you want," Chuck corrected, continuing to scroll through the list of movies until he finally found the one he had in mind. As the movie began to play, he set the remote on the arm of the couch, his gaze dropping to the woman lying with him. He studied her hands, which were still resting on his, trying to block out the fact that she was pressing his hand into her stomach. He could feel her smooth, taught abdominal muscles through her shirt and the warmth radiating from her was beginning to feel like an inferno.
He was eternally grateful for the pillow in his lap, otherwise he feared the thoughts that were racing through his mind would make themselves known, embarrassingly so. Chuck didn't want to pull his hand away, ending this contact with her, but he needed to do something. Taking a chance, he slowly turned his hand over beneath hers, his palm now facing upward, their palms now touching. He paused, waiting to see Sarah's reaction, hoping she wouldn't interrupt their contact. When she looked down at their hands, Chuck held his breath as he watched her, waiting. She turned her head slightly, looking up at him out of the corner of her eye. He feared he might have ruined the moment, but she said nothing, only turning back to look at the television. It felt like an eternity, but when she laced her fingers through his, gripping his hand and pulling it firmly against her, he thought he might explode with joy.
Chuck let out the breath he'd been holding, a little more forcefully than he'd intended. He could see the corner of Sarah's mouth turn up, telling him that it hadn't gone unnoticed, causing him to berate himself internally. Thankfully, she didn't call attention to it, so the awkwardness bled away, only leaving the incredible warmth and intimacy of this moment as they sat watching the movie.
On screen, an older man began to read a story to his sick grandson, flipping through the pages of the book. "The Princess Bride, by S. Morgenstern. Chapter One," he began. As the movie continued, Chuck stole glances at Sarah, both interested in her reaction to the movie and also drawn to her beautiful features. When the farm boy, Westly, uttered his first words, Sarah's head snapped up to look at Chuck. Being caught staring, he tried to play it off, returning his gaze to the television, but he could feel the heat rising in his neck and face.
Sarah studied him for a moment, having heard the exact phrasing Chuck had used echoed in the movie. His neck and cheeks grew nearly crimson, but she wasn't certain why exactly. She'd caught him looking down at her, but she wasn't certain if it was because she'd moved to look at him or not. Setting those questions aside, she turned her focus back to the movie just as the narrator divulged the true meaning of the phrase "As you wish". A knot formed in her stomach, just beneath their clasped hands, and she couldn't help but squeeze his hand involuntarily. Simultaneously, Chuck flinched, clearly showing that the phrasing had affected him in some way as well.
There seemed to be a tension in the air, an awkwardness between them, that lasted for a long moment as the narrator went on to describe the burgeoning romance between the characters, Westley and Buttercup. Thankfully, when the child in the movie broke into the narration, questioning if it was a "kissing book", Sarah burst out in laughter, helping to diffuse the tension. Their focus now back on the movie, the awkwardness soon forgotten, Chuck and Sarah sat in comfortable silence as they watched.
Chuck was pleased to see that Sarah had seemed to enjoy the movie, laughing along with him throughout. It was one of his all-time favorites, so he hoped that she liked it, giving them at least one thing they could have in common. The credits began to play, and Sarah closed her eyes as she listened to the music. Chuck saw a smile on her face and could hear a faint hum, or so he thought. He stared down at her soft features, studying every curve and contour. Spotting a few hairs that were laying across her cheek, without thinking, he lifted his right hand and gingerly brushed them behind her ear with one finger.
Sarah shivered, breathing in a slight gasp at the sensation of his finger ghosting across her cheek and over her ear. Her grip on Chuck's hand strengthened and he could feel a tension in her stomach beneath his hand. He sat, mouth agape, looking at his hand in shock. Normally, he would never do something so forward. Then again, he would normally never be in this situation either, a gorgeous woman resting her head in his lap. Before he could put much thought into it, his knee-jerk reaction kicked in.
"Oh my God. I'm… I'm so sorry," he breathed out, practically choking on the lump in his throat. "I…" he croaked out, unable to come up with anything to explain away his actions. Sarah blinked her eyes open and turned her head to look up at him, confusion painted across her face.
"Why… why are you sorry?" she asked, searching his eyes, even though he had a hard time maintaining eye contact.
"The-the thing… with-with the hair. I… I dunno what came over me. I swear I'm usually more respectful of people's space and-"
"Chuck," she exclaimed, trying to get him to stop his rambling. She stifled a chuckle when he pulled his lips in tight, making an adorably guilty face. Her amusement was short lived as she considered him for a long moment, Chuck doing his best to hold her gaze out of respect. Slowly her brow furrowed as she concentrated.
"I'm having a hard time figuring you out," she confessed, looking up at him thoughtfully. "One minute you're this … confident, passionate, take charge kinda guy. Then other times, like now, you're so shy and timid, like … like a dog that's been beaten. Is this what she did to you? Made you afraid of getting close? Or… do I… do I make you uncomfortable?" she asked quietly, concern on her face.
"What? No! No, you don't- ... I'm comfortable, very comfortable. I…" he paused, averting his gaze for a moment. "I have no idea what I'm doing," he admitted, slumping slightly. "I'm… I'm completely out of my depth with you." Sarah perked up at that admission. "You are so far out of my league… I don't know how to act around you sometimes. Taking care of you, making you food, that sort of thing I can do; I'm good at that. But the other things… I just can't imagine…" he trailed off, blinking as he looked away.
"You can't imagine what?" she questioned at just above a whisper. She squeezed his hand, trying to get him to look at her. Eventually, he did return her gaze, but she could see the nervousness in his face, feel it in the wetness of his hand.
"I can't imagine a world in which you would actually be interested in someone like me, in a … 'more than friends' sort of way. You're… well, 'you' and I'm … I'm just," he stated, not finishing the thought but simply gestured at himself. "What could I possibly have to offer you that would make up for all my other shortcomings?"
"Well, let's see," she began, wetting her lips as she stared up at him. "You're kind, caring, funny,,, and you're a great cook. Your family and friends are important to you and you'd give the shirt off your back to someone in need. You care more about others than yourself. Chuck, you've been hurt, deeply, but instead of being bitter and angry, you're open and caring. You're handsome, but you don't know it, you're brilliant but you don't flaunt it. I think the real question is, what am I going to have to do to prove to you that I could be worthy of someone as amazing as you?"
Chuck sat there like a fish, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to formulate a response. Sarah's grin spread as she watched Chuck, so taken aback she thought his brain might shut down completely. She let out a soft chuckle as she stared up at him, his reaction adding credibility to her statements.
"I… I don't know what to say to that. Th-thank you?" he said, almost as a question. She smiled back at him, seeming to enjoy her place resting on his couch, head in his lap. Blinking, he took in a deep breath, looking down her body to her injured foot, still elevated on the pillows at the other end of the couch. "How about I get you some pain relievers and something to wash them down with?" Sarah considered him for a moment, then gave him a tight smile, nodding in agreement.
Releasing her hand, he helped her sit up just enough that he could slip out from under her and gently lay her down on the pillow again. He gestured for her to stay, as if she might run off at any moment, which earned him a giggle as she shook her head at his antics. After a few minutes, he returned with a glass of water and some pills in his hand. He helped her sit up, handing her the tablets and water to wash them down with. She offered her thanks as he took the glass from her and placed it on the end table.
"I've got one more thing," he declared as he knelt beside her on the couch. From his back pocket he pulled out a sock.
"A... sock?"
"Yeah. One of my socks. I thought your toes might be cold, and since my socks are rather large, it would be easy to slide on without hurting you." He gently took her injured foot, placing it on his knee as he slid his sock over her foot, including the splint. He took great care not to hurt her and made sure it was comfortable for her. Setting her foot back down, he met her gaze and gave Sarah one of his signature grins.
"There ya go. That should-" Chuck was interrupted as Sarah leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, sliding a hand behind his neck to hold him close. Thoroughly shocked, a high-pitched whimper escaped him, almost causing Sarah to giggle into their kiss. Once he regained some control of his faculties, he returned the kiss, sliding his hands up and down her arms.
The kiss was soft and slow, like drifting on a lazy river. They felt no need to rush as they both savored the moment. When the kiss finally broke, they rested their foreheads together as they caught their breath. They sat in silence, staring down at each other's lips.
"I… I should have brought two socks," Chuck whispered, with a deadpan expression. Sarah snorted before breaking into a chuckle, leaning in and kissing him again, giggling against his lips.
"I don't need another sock, but I could use some popcorn," she suggested, bouncing her eyebrows at him. "And this time, I'll pick the movie," she declared with a wry smile.
A/N2: That must have been a pretty nice sock. I wonder what movie she'll pick? I'm kinda flying by the seat of my pants on this one. It'll be an adventure for all of us (hopefully).
Thanks for all the support of the initial chapter. I hope you find this one to be better than a kick to the shin at least. Let me know either way. I love you hear from you via review or PM.
Be well and stay safe,
JW