Friday finally rolled its head around, and Chuck was happy to have some recharge time.
The week seemed to have been endless, most of the days just feeling grey for him. Everything customers did seemed like a day ruiner, even though they were just minor inconveniences or just easy jobs. Every shift felt like a prison sentence and hanging out with Morgan felt like a chore.
Sarah was keeping her distance, letting Chuck do the reaching out, which he appreciated. He would occasionally call or text to check on her or to just shoot the shit if he was too down. He had to admit to himself, and once to her, that just hearing her voice brought him a bit of sunlight.
Chuck emerged from the Buy More, reveling in the sunlight and the touch of his new jeans on his skin. "Today's not a bad day, Ellie," Chuck whispered to the sky.
Hearing footsteps approaching, he lowered his head and opened his eyes to see a smiling Devon Woodcomb coming towards him.
"Hey Chuck, I just missed you for the day, huh?" Devon asked, his face falling a little, seeing Chuck in his day to day clothes.
"Only if you need help with your tower again," Chuck said, faking a laugh. "What's up?"
"I came back to pester you a little about the place," Devon said honestly. "I have a bidder, but I wanted to offer it to you one more time before I accept this one. This guy, Jeff, is well… he's different, and I really like you."
Chuck chewed on a fingernail and stared at his feet for a moment. "Only $400, right?"
"Yup! Utilities and all included. We can go splits on Wi-Fi, but that's the worst of it," Devon confirmed.
"I'll take it," Chuck said, nodding his head and swallowing roughly.
"You will? That's awesome!" Devon beamed, offering a fist bump that Chuck returned.
"How soon can I move in?" Chuck asked, really thinking about getting a permanent roof over his head for the first time in too long.
"As soon as you're ready, I guess," Devon chuckled.
"I'm ready as soon as I can get you the money."
"That works for me. When should I expect you?" Devon asked, crossing his arms, all into business mode.
"As soon as I can get to the bank. So hopefully Monday?" Chuck was brimming with eagerness for the first time in a few weeks.
"Works for me. I'll give you a key on Monday then," Devon said, beaming ear to ear and offering a full handshake, which Chuck shook with gusto.
As Devon took his lead, Sarah practically tagged in.
"Hey, you're Sarah, right?" Devon asked, pointing a finger gun at her.
"Yeah! You're the printer guy with the room available, right?" Sarah asked, making sure she actually knew the guy and she didn't have a stalker.
"It's not available anymore," Devon said with a smile.
Sarah's face fell, her heart breaking in her chest. "Some… someone took the room?"
"Yeah. Our boy Chuck over there just snagged it. He's moving in Monday. Look at that slugger, he's still smiling."
As Devon headed back to his car, Sarah witnessed Chuck his beaming face turned to the sky once again, his thumbs through his belt loops and happy tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
Sarah ran at Chuck, going full speed, throwing herself into him and wrapping her arms around him.
"I'm so proud of you, Chuck. Congratulations," Sarah said, nearly crushing the poor, thin man's ribs.
"Thanks, Sarah," Chuck said in a hoarse, pained voice, but hugging her back all the same.
Sarah let him go and turned her face to the parking lot, blushing furiously at her out of character behavior. She just couldn't help herself after hearing the best news since Chuck got hired.
"I'm so glad you took the room, Chuck. I know it's a gamble, not knowing Devon, but he's a good guy. I ran a background check on him."
"You what?" Chuck asked, his eyes growing large.
"I ran a background check on him. Landlords often do background checks, and I think it only fair, and necessary, that would-be renters do background checks on the landlords," Sarah explained. "He has a flawless record, which is good, since he's a surgeon."
"He's a surgeon?" Chuck asked, his throat closing up. "I get to live with a doctor?"
"I know, Chuck, I know," Sarah said softly, hugging him again. "I know how much living with a doctor will mean to you."
"He and Ellie could have been coworkers, friends, if things had been different."
"I know," Sarah whispered, rubbing his back in soothing circles, "I know."
After a moment, Chuck let her go and smiled, trying to keep his emotions in check, at least a little. "How are you, Sarah? How's your Friday?"
"My Friday's good, Chuck," she said, a wide smile on her face, showing brilliant white teeth. "Are you ready for our weekend at the ocean?"
"Our what?" Chuck asked, his head tilted to the side.
"Our trip to the ocean. We talked about it on Monday, remember?"
"Oh, oh man. We're actually doing that?" Chuck's eyes were wide again. "I mean, if you have other things to do, I'm not going to hold you to…"
"My weekend is clear for it, Chuck. You're not escaping this weekend getaway," Sarah laughed. "Is spending the weekend on the beach with me, at a beach house really so bad?"
"No, it's not bad at all. I just… won't it be expensive?"
"No," Sarah stated plainly. "It's my dad's beach house. He doesn't use it very often and it's mine to use as long as he's not there."
"Oh, well that's convenient. I guess we're going to the beach, then," Chuck said with a massive grin on his face.
"Great. Let's swing by my place long enough to grab some stuff, we'll gas up, and we'll head out. It's a four-hour drive, so it'll take us some time to get there," she informed him.
XXX
After a long road trip mixed with conversation, jokes, music, and comfortable silence, the pair arrived at the beach house around 10 p.m.
"Well it's a little too late to actually go the beach, but we can have some wine and popcorn, and watch a movie?" Sarah offered as she and Chuck brought their things into the house.
"That sounds great to me," Chuck said as he took Sarah's roll-along case from her, making her smile. He carefully put the large case on the bed of what he assumed to be the master bedroom, and then took his humble rucksack to the guest room.
Chuck laid down on the bed, letting his head rest on the massive pillows, the memory foam mattress holding his tired form with a soft caress.
He lost track of time as he laid there, because Sarah had to search him out.
"Chuck? I thought we were going to watch a movie?" Sarah said, leaning against the doorway, barefoot and wearing a light blue sundress, a white clothe belt cinched around the middle.
It took Chuck a moment to find his voice as he drank Sarah in, looking so relaxed and casual. "Wow," said, failing to keep that thought in his mind.
Sarah ducked her head with a blush and a wide smile. "Thanks," she laughed.
"I said that aloud, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did," Sarah confirmed, smiling and looking at him from under her eye lashes. "It's okay, though."
"So uh… that movie. Let's do it," Chuck said, springing up from the bed.
Walking out to the spacious living room, Chuck noticed that Sarah had plenty of time to set up while Chuck was relaxing. A bottle of white wine sat in an ice bucket next to a big bowl of popcorn, all ready to go. The massive flatscreen on the wall had a movie of Sarah's choosing queued up and ready to go.
"You're definitely ready for movie night," Chucked laughed, joining his blonde host on the couch.
"Oh yeah," Sarah confirmed as she hit play. "The only thing missing is a thunderstorm."
Chuck nodded. "I bet I'll start to like thunderstorms now. They're not so bad when you have a roof over your head, or even a car to sit in."
"You'll have a permanent roof come Monday, Chuck," Sarah told him, nudging his side. "I know I already said it, but I'm proud of you. You have a job; you're getting a nice apartment; you're holding together so well while not trying hide or ignore your emotions; and you haven't let any of this sour who you are, Chuck. You are one hell of a person to know, and a hell of a friend."
Chuck swallowed hard, his eyes locked on Sarah's. "Sarah, you can't… you make me feel too good when you brush my ego like that."
"I'm not brushing your ego, Chuck," Sarah whispered, their heads slowly drifting towards each other. "I mean it, Chuck Bartowski. You're a good man, and anyone should be happy to call you friend," she said, their breath hot on each other's lips.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep up this act, Sarah," Chuck almost moaned.
"Keep what up, Chuck?" Sarah played innocent, although Chuck was almost sure she knew what he was talking about.
"I don't think I can keep acting like there's nothing special between us. 'Just friends' don't escape to a beach house together for a weekend. 'Just friends' don't talk this close to each other. 'Just friends' don't have this kind of…"
"Chemistry?" Sarah finished for him. Chuck nodded in response. "Hey Chuck?"
"Yeah?" Chuck asked, his eyes closing as he felt Sarah's lips brushing his.
"Too much talking," she whispered one more time before closing that last tenth of a millimeter of space, their lips fully coming together as they kissed.
Chuck's entire brain short circuited as Sarah kissed him, him kissing her back on instinct alone. The kiss lasted for a few long seconds, time seeming to hold still.
The couple pulled apart and looked at each other, gaging the other's the reaction. "Wow," Chuck said for the second time that evening.
"Yeah, I agree," Sarah said, her fingers pressed to her tingling lips. How… how do you feel?"
"Lightheaded a little bit," Chuck said, nodding. "Really good. The butterflies have evolved to full-sized raccoons."
"Raccoons?" Sarah asked, laughing fully, her head falling back against the plushy couch.
"You heard me, Sarah Walker. You put raccoons in my belly," Chuck confirmed.
The two looked at each other for a moment with gentle smiles before Chuck said, "Sarah? Can I kiss you again?"
"Mhmm," Sarah said with a smile before leaning in to kiss her nerd once again.
Once satisfied, they turned their attention to the movie, holding hands and leaning into one another for the duration of the film.
That night, laying in bed, Chuck rewound the conversation and both kisses in his head a million times. He fell asleep thinking about the good night kiss Sarah had given him before they split off to go to their rooms.