A/N: For everyone asking, my daughter is physically okay, and does not have COVID. (In fact she gets her second vaccine in a few days) We're working on things. She encouraged me to do my normal birthday routine and post a chapter. I'm trying guys. You know writing is my therapy and if I'm not…or can't, that tells you where my head is. Give those you love a big hug and kiss. Chuck and Sarah vs College Ch 34
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
Chuck dropped the spoon with which he was eating his cereal.
"What, you can't do that?" Zondra asked him, chuckling as he stared at the TV.
"That is the most sexual, and yet unsexual, thing I think I have ever seen," Carina admitted, transfixed by the images.
"I think I pulled a hamstring just watching it," Chuck muttered. On the screen, a man was doing squats, while a woman, who had her legs wrapped around his torso, was simultaneously doing sit-ups. "Don't even ask," Chuck told Sarah before she could comment.
"That settles it," Sarah said, heading toward their room. "Next class, we're doing yoga, and stretching you out."
Chuck turned to Zondra, fear coloring his features. "Calm down… she'll take it easy on you. She won't bend you up like a pretzel."
"That's the last thing I'm worried about," Chuck admitted. "Seeing her there, in those clothes, doing all those stretches…"
"Don't wear anything tight, Blondie," Carina bellowed. Zonda and Chuck both looked at her. "What?" she shrugged. "Think I can bring Morgan?"
Chuck and Zondra shared a look.
}o{
"Why are you here?" Chuck asked Zondra.
"What, and miss the train wreck of Morgan and Carina doing yoga together?" Zondra asked Chuck.
"I don't believe you," Chuck told her. He looked up as the door opened and admitted someone. He turned to Zondra, grinning.
"Not a word, Curls. Not. A. Word," she hissed, as she waved at Dakota. Dakota gave a wave with her fingers, and sent Zondra a smile. "I swear to Jesus I will kill you if you say anything."
"That was impressive, how you did that without moving your mouth," Chuck told Zondra.
"You don't understand the phrase not a word, do you?"
"Nope," Chuck replied.
"Okay class," Sarah said. "Let's start out with an easy pose. Mountain pose." She showed them the form, which had her standing straight, her arms reaching to the sky. "Now, for those of you who aren't used to yoga, don't overdo it." She looked right at Chuck.
"How in the world can I screw this up?" he asked, reaching upward. He quickly grabbed his ribs. "Ow."
"For the love of God, Bartowski," Zondra said, shaking her head.
}o{
"Aren't you worried about me getting too much dopamine?" Chuck asked Sarah a little later.
"I'll chance it," Sarah said, giving him a shove to help him down into wide-angle, seated forward bend.
"I don't think those parts of me are supposed to touch the floor," Chuck argued.
"Careful Blondie, I know you want kids one day," Zondra warned, chuckling.
"Keep it up, Z," Chuck blurted out. "I see you watching your state." Zondra turned to him, confused. "You know… Dakota," he whispered loudly. Zondra's eyes narrowed. "IT'S THE DOPAMINE!" he screamed, as he jumped to his feet and took off. Zondra was in pursuit in an instant. He fled out the door, Zondra chasing after him.
"Why do I even bother?" Sarah asked, shaking her head.
}o{
"Listen, I'm glad you two have grown so close, but can you not do that crap during my class?" Sarah asked.
Chuck opened his mouth, then shut it. "I'm sorry, Sarah," he said, contrition in his voice. "I got… carried away."
"No, it's my fault. I scared him, and we both know he spooks easily," Zondra admitted.
"No, I pushed her," Chuck countered.
"I get it," Sarah said, holding up her hands and laughing. "But I am legit concerned about Chuck and his endurance. I want him to be able to take care of himself. I know your new job is fairly straightforward, and Z, you'll protect him with your life. But I'd like to know that if the worst happens, and he's forced to run for his life, he won't pull his hamstring the second step he takes."
"Okay, we are getting serious," Zondra told Sarah.
"Do I get a vote?" Chuck asked.
"Sure," Sarah told him. "I'm going to ignore it, but you can have a vote."
}o{
Chuck was packing up things in his bedroom when he found an old Batman shrinky dink. "Hey, Morgan!" he yelled out. The bearded one entered the room. He'd been helping Carina pack her stuff for her move. "Look what I found!"
Morgan looked at it, sighed, and shook his head. "Man, this brings back bad memories," Morgan groused.
"What?"
"Not that shrinky dink in particular, it's just…" Morgan trailed off, sighed, and sat down on Chuck's bed. "So, it was my and Carina's first fight." Sarah stepped out of the bathroom, where she had been packing things. "She went with me to see Mom."
"Oh boy," Sarah muttered.
"So, we were talking about what to get Mom's seven-year old niece for her birthday, and I said when I was that age, I loved shrinky dinks. Carina didn't know what they were, and just asked, in front of my mom, 'Isn't that what happens after men take cold showers?'" Chuck and Sarah burst out laughing. "Oh, sure, you two laugh, but my mom, noooooo," Morgan said, walking out the door. "Shrinky dinks," he sang. "It's what happens when you take a cold showerrrrrrrr."
}o{
"What are we doing?" Chuck asked Zondra, downstairs in their old weight room. Chuck realized there were two yoga mats rolled out.
"Until we get into the new house, we are going to stretch you a little," Zondra told Chuck.
"Aww, you don't want me getting hurt," Chuck said with a smirk.
"I could care less," Zondra told Chuck. "But Sarah's right; if you got hurt or killed, Sarah would mope and be pouty, and I don't want that."
"You know who else doesn't want me to get hurt or pout? Me."
"Again, don't care," Zondra told him. "So, we're gonna start with warrior pose." She showed him how to spread his legs properly. Chuck did so, and gave the bring it finger beckon. Zondra snorted as Chuck lost his balance as he did so. "Spread your legs apart," she told him. Chuck sank lower into the pose, groaning. "No, Chuck, not your feet further away from each other, but give yourself a wider base the other way."
"Oh, like this?" Chuck asked. "That's easy."
"Okay, now once you have this mastered, then you put your feet further away and sink lower, but don't hurt yourself." Chuck did as he was told.
"Easy peasy," he told her.
"Let's hold this for a minute, and then we'll turn our hips the other way," Zondra told him.
"I got this," Chuck told her.
}o{
Later that night in bed
Chuck jumped from the bed screaming, grabbing his thigh and beating on it. The next thing he knew, he was knocked to the ground, on his stomach, Sarah massaging his thigh. "Next time listen to Zondra," she told him.
"I did, I did," he whimpered.
"She told you not to go too deep in the stretch," Sarah admonished, massaging out the cramp.
"I was trying to show her I'm not completely useless, physically," Chuck told her. "I know I'm not the greatest when it comes to the physical side of things, but if she and I are going to be partners-"
"Chuck, you're going to be partners in selecting students that might be good CIA agents," Sarah reminded him. "You aren't going to be an agent or anything."
"I know, I know," Chuck told her. "It's just… I don't know."
"Chuck, you do too know," Sarah told him, working the knot out, eliciting a low groan from Chuck. "You want her to like you, and she does, she likes you for you." There was no answer. "Chuck?"
He had fallen asleep, and Sarah decided it was best to just leave him there. She pulled a blanket off the bed and placed it over him. Kissing him on the forehead, she crawled back into bed.
}o{
The next class was ready to begin when Chuck walked in, late. He walked up to Dakota, feeling Zondra burn twin holes in the back of his skull with her glare. "Hey, Dakota, can you do me a favor? I need special help with my stretching, and wanted to be up front to better see the instructor. But I hate to leave Zondra alone. Would you mind taking my normal spot beside her?"
"I'd love to," Dakota replied. She gathered her stuff, and headed toward the back.
Sarah smiled at Chuck. "Okay everyone," she said, addressing the whole class. "Let's start out in Mountain position." She glanced over at Chuck. "And try not to pull anything," she muttered under her breath. Chuck pressed his lips together, blew out his cheeks, widened his eyes, and struck the pose…
…not pulling anything.
}o{
"Well done," Chuck," Sarah murmured, walking by him. He was holding a plank position going on thirty seconds. "Remember class, the stronger your core, the better everything is going to be." She went back to the front of the room. "Time for crunches."
Everyone groaned. "Nestle?" Chuck asked. Sarah gave him a look. "Just trying to lighten the mood."
"Lighten your talking," Sarah mouthed at him.
He clamped his mouth shut.
}o{
"You've been practicing," she said to him, after the class. Chuck was wiping off sweat, and downing a bottle of water.
"Well, you and Zondra are right," Chuck admitted. "I have a career now, a real job, and I need to quit acting like a college student, and act like an adult. I need to be in shape for many reasons."
"You know, some studies show an uptick in the bedroom with those that practice yoga consistently," she said in a low voice.
"I might die if there's an uptick," Chuck choked out. The two of them watched Zondra and Dakota leave together. "There's your uptick." Sarah swatted Chuck, but couldn't stop herself from laughing.
A/N: I know this was supposed to be the Collective but I hadn't touched this in so long, I figured a little humor would be okay before we go back to the story. Take care, hopefully updates more regularly on this one.