The light snapped on. Chuck blinked. 'Hi, Casey.'

'Bartowski.' The agent was seated in his lounge chair wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt. Headphones rested round his neck, and his feet were bare. On the coffee table were a mug of coffee, half a sandwich on a small white plate, and a gun.

'Brought you some dinner. Ellie's famous chili.' He waggled the tub and smiled hopefully.

'I heard every word.'

'Yeah, I know.' Chuck searched Casey's face, trying to read his mood. 'Sarah said I have you to thank for this afternoon's timely rescue. So, thank you. It was much appreciated.'

'Mm,' Casey growled. 'What exactly is it that you want? I distinctly remember telling you not to use that key unless you absolutely had to.'

'Well, you know what? I guess I absolutely did have to.' Chuck sat down on the sofa, dropping the tupperware onto the coffee table. 'I brought The Transporter, too. In case you feel like watching it.'

Casey stared at him. 'What part of 'absolutely have to' do you have a problem with?'

'The part where I absolutely had to come over here and see you,' Chuck replied calmly despite his heart racing and his palms becoming distinctly sweaty. 'The part where I finally got why it is that everyone who sees us together is convinced we're a couple. And the part where actually, I'm okay with that, surprisingly.'

Ignoring the agent's scowl, Chuck leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his neck. Half-smiling, he continued. 'You know, it was never in my game plan - as far as I had a game plan, that is - to fall for a guy who has to be the meanest, grumpiest goverment assassin in the entire United States. I have a beautiful fake girlfriend who I care for deeply. A fantastic life that alternates mind-numbing boredom with sheer terror and frequent near death experiences. I have almost no time to spend with my sister, who I have to lie to every time I see, or my best friend, who, by the way, also thinks we're sleeping together. And my nerd credentials are slipping with every day I don't put in at least three hours of computer gaming.'

He looked at Casey, a serious expression on his face. 'My cover with Sarah is definitely not working. Captain Awesome's right; my heart's just not in it, not any more. So I had to come over here, even though I know that if I exchange a fake relationship with her for a fake relationship with you, things are probably only going to fall out the same way.'

Eyes narrowed, Casey said in an odd tone, 'And what way would that be, Chuck?'

'Oh, you know, you're straight, I apparently used to be straight. I'm an asset, you're my handler, you can't risk being compromised, and it's all for my safety.' Abruptly Chuck sat up. Angrily, he said, 'You know what? I'm getting tired of being around two people who would rather face an army of bad guys with only a toothpick and a napkin for weapons than maybe, just maybe take a chance on happiness.'

'Happiness makes you sloppy, gets you killed,' Casey drawled.

Chuck scowled. 'Yeah, well, maybe I'd rather be happy and dead than constantly opening my heart to you guys and getting shot down in flames.' He sighed, his anger draining away, leaving him looking lost all of a sudden. 'I know there can't be anything between me and Sarah. It was just a dream I had for a while. I know I can't stop being the Intersect, and that's pretty much killed off all the other dreams I had, too. And you...'

'What're you saying, Bartowski? I'm your last resort?'

Chuck looked up, surprised at the hurt in Casey's tone.

'No! God, no. I suppose I'm saying I need a holiday too. From all of this.' He waved an arm, vaguely encompassing the room and Casey, who was still scowling. 'I got taken hostage by a terrorist today. Not because he wanted to take over the world, but because he wanted to win the Koi Carp World Championship. And all I could think while I was tied up was what if you're actually lying on a beach somewhere? If this guy shoots me, it's going to ruin your holiday.'

He scrubbed his face with his hands, then, leaning forwards, propped his chin on his fists. Looking at the coffee table, Chuck said quietly, 'I'm tired of being shot at, Casey. I'm tired of having my heart broken. I'd like the chance to go lie on a beach somewhere and let the world take care of itself for a change. But I guess that's not going to happen.' He sighed. 'I'd even settle for getting laid, but as we've established, that's not going to happen either. With anyone.'

There was a long pause as Chuck stared at Casey's sandwich, while the agent watched him impassively.

'Did you put mayonnaise on that beef?' Chuck asked, incredulous.

Casey unhooked his headphones and stood, picking up the plate and the tupperware container.

'Okay, I'm going! You're right, I shouldn't have come. Here.' Chuck dropped the key onto the coffee table, not meeting the older man's eyes, and turned to leave.

'I'm out of horseradish.'

'What?' Chuck turned, one hand on the door handle.

'I put mayonnaise on my beef sandwich because I'm out of horseradish sauce and I can't exactly go out to the shops if I'm supposed to be away at training camp, can I?' Casey said with only a touch of his habitual sarcasm.

'Okay...' Chuck frowned as Casey turned and walked through to the kitchen.

'Put the damn DVD on,' the agent called, and Chuck heard beeping from the microwave.

Heart pounding again, he hurried to do as Casey said.

A minute later, the agent was back with two bottles of beer in one hand and a steaming bowl of chili in the other. He sat down on the couch beside Chuck.

'Here.' He didn't look at Chuck as he handed him a bottle.

'Thanks,' Chuck felt himself blushing a little and hurriedly concentrated on starting the movie.

#

Chili eaten, Casey got up to put the bowl in the kitchen. He turned off the overhead light as he came back in, leaving the room lit only by the television. Sitting down again beside Chuck, he leaned back and put his bare feet up on the coffee table alongside Chuck's sock-clad ones. And sitting side by side, they watched the film in silence, although Casey snorted in derision at the scene where a missile destroyed the protagonist's house.

Chuck felt himself relaxing by degrees as the movie and the beer did their work, until at last the movie finished, plunging the room into almost total darkness.

'That was nice,' he said, stretching. 'Thanks for letting me hang out with you. And I'm sorry for ranting earlier.' He shifted forwards so that he could stand up, but Casey put a hand on his shoulder.

'I'm not Walker,' he said gruffly, eyes flicking over Chuck's face in the low light. 'And I'm not entirely straight. If you want to stay, you're welcome.'

'Oh?' Chuck asked, surprised. Then as Casey leaned in, he grinned. 'Oh!'

Casey kissed Chuck lightly, sucking a little at his top lip, giving the younger man chance to change his mind. Chuck leaned into the kiss, deepening it, his palms rising seemingly of their own accord to settle on Casey's muscled chest. A low moan escaped him, and as if that was a signal, Casey wrapped his arms around Chuck's shoulders, pulling him close. Tasting of chili and beer, he plunged his tongue into Chuck's mouth, making the young man moan again. One of Chuck's hands slipped round to Casey's back, holding him needily, while the other ran up his chest and neck, over his jaw, then threaded its way into Casey's hair, massaging his scalp and drawing an answering groan from the older man.

They broke apart, panting, and Casey cupped Chuck's jaw with one gentle hand. 'Want to take this into the bedroom?' he rumbled, blue eyes locked on Chuck's brown ones.

Chuck beamed. 'Yeah, I do.' As they stood, he added, 'I thought you didn't like me.'

Casey kissed him again softly before turning him and pointing him towards the bedroom. 'I wouldn't be much of a spy if I couldn't lie convincingly, now, would I? Besides, you've been so busy ogling Walker you wouldn't have noticed if I'd tried giving you flowers and taking you out on dates.'

'So that's what the rose was about? And taking me on stakeouts?' Chuck grinned mischievously over his shoulder.

Casey swatted his behind.

'Hey!'

'Can it, Bartowski!'

He dropped onto the edge of the bed, leaning back on his elbows and smiling up in the near-darkness. 'Say it like you mean it, Casey.'

A low rumble was all the answer he got before Casey, stripped to the waist, leaned over and kissed him thoroughly. Chuck purred as Casey found the hem of his t-shirt and tugged it up. Breaking the kiss, Casey made Chuck sit up for long enough to get the t-shirt over his head and off, then he was pushing the young man down again, further onto the bed, half covering that slim body with his own, larger, muscled torso.

Chuck surrendered to sensation, kissing Casey with dizzying intensity and running his hands over the agent's bare back and ribs.

Casey twitched. Chuck grinned. 'Ticklish?'

'Had that rib broken four times.'

'Oh, ow. I'll be careful.'

Casey kissed Chuck again, linking hands with Chuck, lifting the young man's arms above his head and pinning them to the mattress.

Chuck moaned into Casey's mouth as his erection hardened further. Excited by being held down, his hips bucked up, rubbing denim against denim, feeling the unmistakeable outline of Casey's own erection pressing against him.

'Like that, huh?' Casey growled, amused. He bent his head and slowly licked at the curve of Chuck's ear, then took the lobe into his mouth and sucked.

'Gaah!' Chuck managed, before the older man licked and sucked his way down that long neck, pausing to bite gently over a pulse-point. By the time Casey had worked his way back up the other side of Chuck's throat and nibbled his way along the young man's jawline, Chuck was breathing hard and whimpering.

'You were saying?' Casey asked, smiling, before cutting off any possibility of an answer by kissing Chuck so thoroughly that he barely noticed his hands being released.

He did notice Casey's hands sliding inside his jeans, though, stroking his erection through his boxer shorts. It was only by an effort of will that he held off the orgasm that threatened, breaking off from kissing Casey to breathe deep lungfuls of air.

'Something wrong?' Casey stilled, watching Chuck carefully.

'Unless you want me to embarrass myself, maybe we should... uh...' Chuck trailed off as Casey tightened his grip. 'Oh God...'

Casey rolled off Chuck and quickly tugged off the young man's jeans and underpants. 'You can do your own socks,' he grunted, pushing his own jeans and boxer shorts off in one fluid movement.

Chuck scrambled to pull off his socks, finding coordination a little trickier than usual. 'How do we... what would...'

'Relax, Chuck,' Casey reassured him. 'We don't have to do anything you don't want to. And I promise you'll enjoy it.'

Chuck wished he could see the older man's face. Raising his head anyway, he said, 'I know. I just haven't done... anything... in a long time, and never...'

'Never with a man? It's not so very different.'

Chuck heard the sound of a drawer opening, then a plasticky click followed by something being set down on the bedside table.

The mattress dipped beside him again, and then Casey's hands were stroking his penis, covering it in lubricant. Chuck's hips bucked up into the older man's warm, sure grip.

'Casey, I'm really not going to last,' Chuck gasped, an edge of panic to his words.

'I've got you,' Casey murmured in his ear, then his mouth covered Chuck's again, and the world contracted to those two sensations, of hard, masculine lips on his, tongue plundering his mouth and the rasp of stubble against his chin, and hands moving smoothly, firmly, quickly up and down his penis.

With a cry, Chuck came, spilling over into Casey's hands.

The big man waited until Chuck's breathing had started to slow before letting go of him and fumbling for a tissue on which to wipe his hands. That done, he kissed Chuck with incredible tenderness, holding him until at last Chuck reached over and traced the line of Casey's cheekbone, his jaw.

'What about you?'

'We've got all night,' Casey rumbled. 'I can wait.'

In answer, Chuck kissed him, pushing at his shoulder until he rolled onto his back. Casey let him kiss his way down his neck and across his chest, pausing to lick tentatively at Casey's nipples. When the older man drew a sharp breath, he sucked at first one, then the other, enjoying the way Casey's breathing became a little more ragged.

Growing bolder, Chuck explored his way down Casey's body, being careful not to press on his ribs. Resisting the temptation to blow a raspberry on the agent's toned abdomen, he moved lower, hesitating over Casey's groin.

'You don't have to.' Casey reminded him, one hand lightly brushing over his hair.

'No, I know. I, uh, I want to. I'd just like to see you, make sure I'm doing it right.'

'I shouldn't be here, remember? We can't put the light on.' Casey's voice was tinged with regret. 'Just do what you like, and it'll be fine.'

'Okay.' Chuck lowered his head and breathed out gently.

Casey shivered at the feeling of warm breath ghosting over his rock-hard penis, then jumped as Chuck's tongue licked delicately at the head.

Chuck wrapped his hand around Casey, feeling the solid velvet width in his palm. He licked at the head again, then took him into his mouth.

Casey groaned as wet heat engulfed him, trembling with the effort of keeping his hips still. Then Chuck began to suck, his head sliding up and down as his other hand cupped Casey's scrotum.

The agent gripped the sheet, head pressed back into the pillows. 'God, Chuck! That's... ohhh...' Speech deserting him, he groaned again.

Chuck concentrated on sucking harder, taking more of the agent into his mouth, sliding his tongue over the sensitive glans. He was rewarded by Casey's breathing growing faster, more ragged, until he was panting.

A hand threaded through his hair, tugged.

'Chuck, I'm going to...'

The young man grinned around his mouthful, gave one last hard suck, then pulled back, pumping rapidly with his hand.

Letting out a hoarse cry, Casey thrust into Chuck's hand, coming in spurts over his fist.

Chuck was still grinning as he moved back up the older man's body, placing a trail of kisses up his stomach, across his chest and onto his mouth.

'Pretty good for a first time, huh?' he smiled.

'Yeah,' Casey agreed as his breathing returned to normal. 'Here.' He handed Chuck a tissue and the young man wiped off his hand, settling beside him with a sigh.

'Can I stay?' Chuck asked, hopefully.

Casey grunted. 'Sure. I'll wake you up in time to go home before work. Just don't hog the blankets.'

'Okay.' Chuck turned on his side, draping one long leg over Casey's thighs. 'Night, John.'

'Mm. Night, Chuck.' Surprisingly quickly, Casey fell asleep.