Burbank California 7 AM
Chuck Bartowski opened his eyes, praying that the events of yesterday weren't a dream. He prayed that he had actually had the courage to stand up for himself, to remind Sarah and Casey that trust was a two-way street. He looked down, smiling as he saw the blonde hair spread across his chest.
"So it wasn't a dream." He whispered softly.
"No. It was better than the dreams I've had." Sarah said, opening her eyes.
She smiled, leaning up and kissing him softly.
"Good morning." She said, and he smiled.
"Good morning to you too." He said, kissing her again.
"As much as I want to stay in bed with you all day, we need to talk. So let's get dressed and go to breakfast. Coffee and chocolate croissants from that bakery down the street sound good?" He asked, and she smiled.
"Sounds perfect. For the record, chocolate croissants are my favorite breakfast food."
"Good to know."
The two quickly went and got dressed, Sarah saying that they could shower when they got back. She smirked as she saw Chuck watching her get dressed. He looked like he enjoyed watching her put her clothes on as much as he had enjoyed taking them off the night before. No man had ever looked at her like that. To be fair, her only comparison had been Bryce, given that the few one night stands she'd had had been asleep when she left. Bryce had looked at her as though his favorite toy was being taken away from him whenever she got dressed. She was quite sure that if Bryce had his way she would spend all her time in bed waiting for him to deign to grace her with his presence. That definitely would never happen. Neither would her and Bryce. Even if he was alive, hell would literally have to freeze over before she would be intimate with him again.
"Sarah?" Chuck called, breaking the blonde from her thoughts.
"Sorry Chuck. I was...lost in thought."
"Can I ask what you were thinking about?" He asked, and she winced. She knew Bryce was a sore subject for him. But she also knew that if they were to progress and try to be a them, she needed to be honest.
"I was thinking about Bryce."
"Oh…" Chuck said, trying to keep the hurt from his voice. He had just shared a night with the most amazing woman he had ever met and she was bringing up Bryce. Bryce fucking Larkin.
"He never looked at me like you do." Sarah said, halting his train of thought.
"You look at me like I am the most beautiful woman in the world, whether my clothes are on or not. When I would get dressed after sex with him, he just looked at me like someone had taken his favorite toy."
Chuck glared at the thought of Bryce, of anyone looking at Sarah like that. No woman should ever be treated like that, but for someone who was supposed to have been her partner to treat her in such a disgusting manner was unforgivable. It was yet another reason to add to the list of reasons why he hated Bryce Larkin.
"I'm sorry Sarah." He said, taking her hand.
"You have nothing to apologize for. Last night was amazing, and for the record, the best sex I've ever had."
"It was amazing for me too and- Seriously? Like you're not just trying to stroke my ego?" He asked, and Sarah laughed.
"Seriously Chuck. The best sex ever. Hands down. Also, just so you know, Bryce was a shitty lover. He couldn't pleasure a woman if his life depended on it whereas you Mr. Bartowski are a certifiable master."
Sarah laughed at the broad grin on his face. Chuck threw on his clothes and the two left the house. Ellie and Devon worked a double, so they wouldn't be home for a while. Chuck was grateful they had been preoccupied. As much as he loved his sister, he didn't want her asking a bunch of questions about his relationship with Sarah.
Ten minutes later they were seated at a table at the small french bakery down the street, enjoying espresso and chocolate croissants.
"You picked a good spot, and I don't mean just the food." Sarah said, looking down at the table. She had asked Chuck to grab a table while she went to the restroom. He had chosen a table at the back of the room that provided an unobstructed view of the cafe's only entrance while also having the added feature of being right by the restroom. Goodness forbid something happened, they could get out through the window in the restroom. Not a pleasant thought, but better than being dead.
"I'm glad you approve Agent Walker." He said quietly, and she smirked.
"Agent Walker is now wondering how her boyfriend understands basic tradecraft." She said, and Chuck smiled. Then his smile faded.
"We'll get to that in a minute. First, we need to talk. Seriously." He said, and she nodded, keeping her fear bottled up. Chuck wasn't Bryce. He would never sleep with her and then leave her. That wasn't who he was.
"Okay Chuck. Let's talk."
"Sarah, last night was the most incredible night of my life. I think it's safe to say you have ruined me for anyone else, which is good. I don't want anyone else."
"Neither do I. Chuck, I promise you, this is real. You're my guy."
"Does that mean I can finally call you my girl?" He asked, and she nodded.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me. But I need us to do one very important thing." He said, and she raised an eyebrow.
"We have to trust each other. I trust you Sarah."
"And I do trust you Chuck. However, I think we both understand that that trust is new. It's something we'll have to build on." She said, and he nodded.
"I have spent my entire life hiding who I am and lying. There are things I have done that I'm not ready to talk about. When I am, I'll tell you. But I will never lie to you." She said, and he nodded.
"And I will never lie to you. When you're ready, I will listen to whatever you want to tell me." He said, and she smiled.
"Thank you Chuck. Now, let's talk about D.C. for a minute. More specifically, the training you will be going through."
"Firearms and hand-to-hand." He replied, and Sarah nodded.
"Among other things. I was also thinking we'd teach you how to spot a tail, and some other counter-surveillance tricks."
"Sounds like fun."
"It can be. It is also the most serious training you will ever go through. If I think you are not taking it seriously, I will pull the plug in a heartbeat. Your ability to defend yourself, your safety are too important to not take seriously." She said, and he nodded.
"I understand Sarah. I also need you to understand that your safety matters to me too. When we're in the field, I need you to promise me that you won't look at me like an asset. I'm your partner, just like Casey. Okay, maybe not exactly like Casey but you get the idea." He said, and she laughed.
"Okay, Chuck. So...partners?" She asked, raising her mug in a toast.
"Partners." He replied, and the two toasted their new partnership.
"You know, our briefing isn't until 11, and we still need to shower…" Sarah trailed off, and Chuck gulped.
"Check please!"
A/N: So here we have the next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! So far, things are looking good for Chuck and Sarah! But like they said, this trust is new. So don't expect all sunshine and roses. Next stop, Washington D.C.