Title: Chuck vs. Life
Author: marybr
Characters: mainly Chuck/Sarah (but the regulars are there – Casey, Ellie, Morgan, Awesome, etc.)
Chapters: 14/?
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters portrayed in this fic. I'm gaining nothing with this, except the sheer joy of being Chuck/Sarah's puppet master.
Summary: First of all I suck at summaries, so regard this fact as you read this. The fic fits right after the last episode aired (1x11), and it basically picks up after those events. It's nothing more than Chuck and co. moving on with their lives, and especially centering on how Chuck and Sarah will deal with their mutual feelings. I know, this summary blows… Just read the first chapter, and you'll get a sense of what is actually about.
Chapter XIV
Chuck began to wake up. He unconsciously kept a small grin plastered on his face, even during the time he was asleep. He started to reach for Sarah in bed with his left arm, as memories of the last night came rushing back to his head. Those memories made his small grin turn into a pretty wider one. However, as his hand sought the person responsible for said happiness, Chuck got worried 'cause all it found was an empty space. Was it all a dream? Could it be that his mind played such a cruel, and yet vivid trick on him? Just the thought was enough to scare Chuck, and made him open up his eyes quick and immediately. When he did so, he realized that Sarah wasn't in bed with him.
He lifted his head a bit from the pillow for a while, still a little groggy from waking up. Then he took a once over the room, and was relieved to see none other than Sarah standing in front of one of the large windows. She was barefoot, wearing his white "Working Class Hero" t-shirt from the night before, and that was all. Her bare legs looked like they went on for a mile. She had her back turned to him as she gazed outside, and the mere sight of her brought the wide grin back to Chuck's face. He didn't imagine everything, thank God; he thought.
Chuck, in his bare chest and sweat pants, got up from bed and went to Sarah's direction. She was so deep in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice he had woken up. On his short walk he glanced briefly at the alarm clock, which flashed 9:03 AM. He stopped right behind her.
"Good morning," Chuck said, wrapping his arms around her torso from behind, wearing the biggest smile.
Sarah was startled by Chuck, her mind and thoughts were miles away from there.
"Hey, uh, good morning," she replied a little awkwardly, turning around to face him or to escape from his grip. Not even Sarah herself was exactly sure.
Chuck sensed something, but didn't think much of it.
"Why did you get up so early? Let's go back to bed," he said with the smile still on.
"Oh, I'm not really the sleep-in type, you know," Sarah said as awkwardly as before, while taking a seat on the small sofa.
Ok, now Chuck knew something was up. She was acting all strange, distant, and well, weird.
"Is something wrong?" he asked concerned, taking a seat on the armchair next to the sofa.
"No, nothing's wrong," she stated softly, but couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.
"Come on, I can see that there is. Did I do something? Or said something, I don't know…" he said talking a lot with his hands, trying to catch her gaze that seemed fascinated by something on the floor.
"No, really. There's nothing wrong, especially not with anything that you did or say," she awkwardly put it, fidgeting uncomfortable on her seat.
Chuck sighed. Loud. Sarah felt even worst, but he wasn't ready to let it go yet. If the tough question that was burning in his mouth needed to be asked, he would ask it. No matter how much the answer scared him, and no matter how much it could potentially hurt him.
"It's about last night, right? You didn't mean to do it, you think it was a mista…" he began to ask softly, but was cut by Sarah.
Sarah couldn't let him go any further. Even 'though she wasn't looking at him, she could sense the sadness, she could sense the distress deep in his voice. Occupational hazard. She couldn't let him finish this misinterpretation of what was really going on inside her head.
"I'm afraid," she blurted out, looking directly at him for the first time.
Chuck was caught off guard by her statement, and at the same time he felt really confused. He looked into her blue eyes, and saw all this angst. All he wanted to do was to fling himself over her, and kiss her most ardently. He couldn't bear to see her looking that way without doing something to stop it. But he brought himself back to the moment to get to the bottom of what it seemed like to him a quite surreal event.
"Afraid? Afraid of what?" he asked sounding more like a plea than a question, while staring right back into her eyes.
This was extra hard for Sarah. She wasn't used to open herself up. So, it took a while for her to sum up the courage to answer him. He waited patiently, and began to grasp the extent of this fact about the woman he was so infatuated with.
"That this won't last," she managed to spill it out, uncomfortable with being in such a vulnerable position.
She wanted to add "and I want it too", but it was more vulnerability than she could display so soon after her previous opening, and honestly it wasn't necessary. At that instant her eyes were telling Chuck that, and much more.
At first he didn't quite know what he was supposed to answer to that, but he knew for sure he was relieved that his earlier thoughts were wrong. He also knew for sure that he wanted to be there for her, he wanted to make those feelings and those thoughts go away.
So, Chuck slowly got up from the armchair and took a seat next to Sarah on the sofa. She kept watching him, uncertain of what was going to happen next. He simply gazed into her eyes for quite a long moment, and surprisingly she locked eyes back. They remained like that in a delicate unspoken understanding. He got what she was saying, he understood her reservations whether he agreed with them of not. So, he gently took her left hand with his right one.
"We will make it last, we will make it work. Together," Chuck softly, and yet seriously put it.
She took in his words. She had to hand it that it felt very good to hear the words "we", and "together" coming from his lips.
"Can we take one day at a time, and worry about later when it comes?" he asked, while caressing her hand that was still wrapped in his.
"Can we do that?" he added in the same tone, but this time flashing his best charming smile.
"Yes, I suppose we can," she replied, flashing him an adorable smile back, and looking down for a while in a moment of shyness.
"Good," Chuck stated, smile still in place.
"I'm sorry, I'm so bad at this," Sarah said shyly, while searching for his eyes again.
She felt the need to apologize for her fears of vulnerability, and opening herself up. Relationships were definitely not her strongest suit. She could beat, and probably make a man twice her size cry like a little girl, but to say what she was feeling was a real challenge.
"Well, we'll work on that too," he said, now offering her the Chuck megawatt smile.
Sarah took a good look at him, smiling so brightly at her, and she couldn't help but mimic his wide grin. Suddenly, she realized that man sitting in front of her, willing to go to any length to be with her, to make this work, and she was unable to control her impulses. She leaned in and kissed him, gently and sweetly. He definitely wasn't expecting it, and it felt better than any description could ever do justice.
She pulled back, and coincidently the eyes of both people lingered closed for a while longer.
"Wow!" was all Chuck could softly exclaim, after he opened his eyes.
"What was that for?" he managed to add the question.
"Nothing, just for being you," she honestly said.
Apparently this open up thing is not that bad, she thought.
They smiled at each other, and Chuck felt like the luckiest guy in the world.
"So, since we're already up, wanna grab some breakfast downstairs?" he asked with excitement apparent in his voice, while standing up.
"Sure," she replied, standing up as well.
Chuck and Sarah took quick showers, and simultaneously changed their clothes. He was sitting in bed tying his black chucks when Sarah walked out of the bathroom, after fixing her face. He looked up at her, before standing up. They were both ready to go.
"Love the top," he stated with a playful smirk on his face.
She was wearing the blue top with small buttons.
"Oh, you noticed," she said, blushing slightly.
He came closer, and stood very near to her.
"I notice everything about you, Sarah," Chuck stated seriously, but charmingly, in a geek way instead of a player way.
She blushed even more, but kept eye contact and a pleased smile on her face. His adorkable cuteness always got to her.
"It's nice to see you do, too," he half-joked, smiling brightly.
"Don't get too cocky," she joked back, hitting him playfully with her elbow.
Both laughed out loud. Chuck put his arm around her.
"Can we go?" he asked, still grinning.
"Yeah," she replied, grinning as well.
"I just have to follow protocol here, and phone my CIA contact. Whenever an agent is out of his assignment's jurisdiction it's norm to personally touch base daily with your contact. Company policy, you know," Sarah said completely serious this time.
Chuck exaggerated nodded with a straight face.
"I love when you talk spy to me," he joked, still wearing a serious face.
Then he opened up a huge smile, and Sarah chuckled at his joke. She went to her things to pick up her cell phone, and then she made the call. After that they went to get breakfast.
They got directions to the dining room, where the breakfast was served, from one of the bell-boys at the lobby, and as soon as they reached it they saw Ellie seating alone at one of the small tables. She was wearing biking top and shorts. They headed to her direction.
"Hey, sis," Chuck said, unable to keep the silly grin off of his face.
"Good morning, Ellie," Sarah added right after Chuck, smiling as well.
"Hi, good morning to you two. Sit down," Ellie politely said, smiling back at the couple.
"Where's Awesome? And more importantly, what's with the outfit?" Chuck asked amused, after sitting down.
"Oh, don't get me started... Devon planned this 'awesome' bike ride with his San Francisco friends for the both of us. He's upstairs making some last minute arrangements, we just had breakfast. You know it's completely not my scene, but since he went to that hands-on couples cooking lesson with me last weekend, I felt it was only fair to compromise," the brunette said with zero enthusiasm.
"I feel for you," Chuck said half mockingly, half honestly.
"So do I," Sarah said plain honestly, sitting down next to Chuck.
"I knew I could at least save the both of you, that's why I didn't mention anything. No one should be subjected to this. I was going to leave a message on the reception desk for you, I didn't want to wake you two," Ellie said in the same tone as before.
"Anyway, what are you guys planning to do? You can keep the car, 'cause Devon's friends are picking us up and bringing the biking gear in a few minutes," she added more enthusiastic about her brother and girlfriend's plans.
"We don't know yet, I guess we'll see what we see, right?" Chuck said to his sister, while looking from her to Sarah.
"Yeah, we don't have any plans made," the blonde replied candidly.
Awesome came to the table wearing biking clothes like Ellie.
"Good morning, sleepyheads! Honey, the guys are here. We can go now," the captain said, looking from the couple to his fiancé.
"Great!" Ellie said with a little sarcasm, but not enough for her fiancé to pick up on, before she got up.
"Are you two sure you don't want to tag along?" Awesome asked Chuck and Sarah.
"Oh, we're sure. Thanks, 'though," Chuck replied in the same tone as his sister.
"Ok, then. Here are the car keys," Awesome said, handing Chuck the keys.
"Have a nice ride," Sarah genuinely said to the fiancés, with a smile on her face.
"Thank you," Ellie replied wearing a paler smile on her face, before she and Awesome took off.
"Let's get some coffee?" Chuck turned around to ask Sarah with a smile.
"Lead the way," she replied smiling back.
They went to the self-service breakfast table, which had a great spread of muffins, rolls, bagels, fruits, eggs, bacon, all the typical things. But Chuck and Sarah were only interested in some coffee, and muffins; both were the type who didn't enjoy heavy stuff in the morning.
After they had their coffee over some light conversation, they went to the car headed to San Francisco. They decided that when they got there they would figure out what to do.
They were driving around enjoying the sights of the beautiful city when Chuck had an epiphany.
"Oh, I know where we can go," he said, turning the steering wheel.
"Yeah, where?" Sarah asked enthusiastically.
"You'll see when we get there. It's quite near," Chuck replied, smiling at the lady on his right.
"You should know that I'm not a big fan of surprises, and I'm not very patient either," she light-heartily warned him with a smile on her face.
"Duly noted," he joked, guiding the car straight ahead.
A few minutes later they arrived to their destination, and Chuck turned off the engine of the parked car.
"Here we are," he stated almost proud, midst a bright smile, while unbuckling his seat belt.
"A pier?" Sarah asked interested, while doing the same.
"Exactly," Chuck answered, getting out of the vehicle.
Sarah got out as well, and he locked the car. They started walking towards the pier.
"Since I can remember my dad used to bring Ellie and me here to eat at this diner on the pier whenever we were in town visiting Uncle Tom. Everything on the menu is incredible, you'll see, especially the extra fluffy huge stack of pancakes, with homemade maple syrup, and cinnamon butter," he went on all excited, smiling at the memories.
Sarah paid close attention to the story, interested to hear his memories.
"When we were kids we only cared about them. It didn't matter if it was no longer breakfast time. My dad turned his nose up at us having pancakes for lunch, but my mom always indulged us. When she was no longer coming with us he didn't say a word, in fact he was the one motivating us to order them," he added, now with a paler smile.
Sarah noticed the touchy subject, and she didn't like seeing him feeling down at all.
"Well, I know it is no longer breakfast time, but I'm up for pancakes. What about you?" she asked with over excitement, while locking arms with Chuck.
The gesture didn't go over his head, and he looked to his side at Sarah with a brighter, appreciative smile. She got the look and empathetically smiled back.
"You don't even have to ask," Chuck replied, walking arm in arm with Sarah.
They reached the place, and got a table outside on the deck with a marvelous view to the blue-green Pacific Ocean, and the sandy beach. Then they ordered the famous pancakes, and sat waiting.
"Wow, I can't believe. It must be 9 years since I last been here," he said, looking at the ocean.
"Long time. With your dad and Ellie?" she asked in interest.
"Yeah, it feels like a lifetime ago, and yet it seems like yesterday, you know?" he put it, returning his gaze to Sarah.
She nodded.
"Well, I couldn't have asked for better company to return," he added with a smile.
"Thanks," she said, smiling bashfully back.
They continued talking for a while about random stuff and life in general, when the waiter approached with their plates.
"… he did it, and I wound up actually falling flat on my face," Sarah finished telling him a story, while laughing out loud with Chuck.
"Well, I didn't…" he started to say, but was interrupted by the waiter.
"Here are your orders. Enjoy," the waiter said, putting their pancake plates in front of Chuck and Sarah, along with a small plate with homemade cinnamon butter, and a gravy boat filled with homemade maple syrup.
"Thanks," the couple unintentionally said in unison, before the waiter left.
"If it tastes as good as it smells I'm satisfied," Sarah said, picking up the fork and knife.
"It tastes better," Chuck replied, while doing the same.
"But, as I was saying earlier, I didn't imagine myself living like this either. Not only the part about having the Intersect stuck in my head, that's a given, but I never thought I'd be living with my sister and working at a Buy More at this stage of my life," he confided while spackling some butter over his stack of pancakes.
Sarah nodded, listening to everything he was saying, while covering her pancakes with syrup.
"I mean, you and I know quite well the reasons why that happened. But the thing is, since our truth serum brush with death experience, I decided I needed to get a move on, you know, get my ducks in a roll once and for all," he added, before eating a fork full of pancake.
"Yeah, I vaguely recall that. If I can remember correctly it culminated with you wanting us to break-up, you know, fake fake break-up, our pretend relationship," she joked with sarcasm, midst a malicious, sassy smile, before eating some pancake herself.
Sarah joked, but in reality that day was awful for her. It was really hard for her to maintain her detachment when all she wanted to do was give in to her emotions, and tell Chuck everything he wanted to hear, and everything she wanted to tell him.
"Please, do not remind me of that. It's a moment I'd rather forget. But fake breaking-up with you was not the only thing on my list, that day I actually started working on an idea I had back in college for a software. I think I'm on to something good," Chuck said rather enthusiastically.
"And I never told anyone that before," he added in disbelief of how at easy he felt about sharing stuff with Sarah, at easy to the extent that he didn't even realized he was doing so.
"Not even Morgan?" Sarah joked with a smile on her face.
Chuck laughed, and shook 'no' with his head since his mouth was then full.
"Well, I'm happy for you. You should really go after what you truly want," Sarah added honestly, eating another fork of pancake.
"God, I thought you were exaggerating about this pancake, but it really is amazing," she finished after swallowing the last piece of pancake she ate.
"Chuck never lies," he said with a smile, before shoving a big piece into his mouth.
"Chuck should stop talking about himself in the third person," Sarah stated with a wide grin on her face.
Both laughed midst full mouths. They finished eating, and Chuck gentleman-like paid the bill after some protest from Sarah. Then the couple walked side by side towards the pier's carnival. Chuck pondered for a moment if he should go for holding her hand. As juvenile as it sounds, they were in that sort of awkward beginning of a relationship. At that time when you overthink every action, and start to analyze if the other person will receive the gesture well. And having been shut-down by Sarah so many times in the past certainly didn't help the situation.
Despite all of that Chuck, as smoothly as a guy like Chuck could possibly act, went ahead and softly held Sarah's hand while holding his breath in anxiety. She held his hand back, and looked to her side at him with this mix of shyness and loveliness in her beautiful smile. Chuck locked eyes with her, and let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. Then he flashed the trademark Chuck megawatt smile to her. And life couldn't get sweeter than that, was the general consensus.
They were walking through the rather crowded carnival, and as the couple was lost in their own little moment, at their own little world, Chuck felt something hit his legs. He looked down at the same moment as Sarah, and there it was a little girl of approximately 5 years old. She had long black hair tied in a high ponytail, and big hazel eyes.
"Hi, sweetie! Are you lost?" Chuck said, while letting go of Sarah's hand and lowering himself down to the child's level, taking the time to look around in search of her responsible.
"I wanna go to the carrousel," she said pointing at the ride near the couple's left.
"But mommy and daddy are in line with Josh for the cups," she added with a pout in a rather whining tone.
"Ok, and what's your name? We need to find your mommy," Chuck sweetly asked the kid.
Sarah kept hearing their conversation at Chuck's side, but still looked around trying to spot the girl's parents.
"My name is Sophie. I'm in trouble?" the raven haired girl asked, looking down a bit embarrassed.
"No, no… I'm Chuck, and this is Sarah," he said, pointing at him and Sarah respectively.
The girl shyly smiled at them, and they smiled back to reassure her.
"We'll help you find…" Chuck was saying when he saw a woman rushing towards them from behind a group of teenage boys.
"Sophie, Sophie… Oh my God! You started to scare me, dear," the woman with a visible small bump said, leaning down to hug the kid.
Chuck got up and retrieved Sarah's hand.
"Hi, we just found her, and were about to start looking for you," Chuck said to the brunette woman in her 30's.
"I'm Chuck, and this is my girlfriend, Sarah, by the way" he added with a friendly smile.
At the moment the words "my girlfriend" came out from Chuck's mouth he felt pure bliss. To be saying that for real for the first time was a feeling he could not quite describe. The realization made his smile grow even wider. Sarah felt practically the same hearing the words coming from his mouth. So, she smiled brightly at the woman.
"I'm Natalie, thank you so much for keeping an eye on her. This one here is something else," the pregnant woman said, placing a hand on top of her daughter's head.
"It was nothing, really," Sarah politely stated.
"Ok, now let's go meet you dad and Josh, sweetie," Natalie said to Sophie.
"But I wanna go to the carrousel, I came so close," the girl pleaded with her mom.
"I can't go with you now, dear. Mommy can barely keep anything in her stomach as it is, if I start to spin around… Your dad will bring you and Josh after the cups like we promised," the woman reasoned with the child.
Natalie took Sophie's hand to leave, and the look of sadness in the girl's face was heart breaking.
"Now say thank you to this nice couple," she added softly.
"Thank you, Chuck. Thank you, Sarah," Sophie politely and sadly said, looking up at them.
Chuck couldn't let that happen, in fact he had a great and wicked plan.
"You know what? You should get a ride at the carrousel. Like you said, you came so close. It wouldn't be fair to just leave, would it?" Chuck asked Sophie excited.
The kid's face lit up instantly.
"Yeah… Sarah will take you, won't you, hun'?" Chuck asked Sarah in a teasing tone, wearing a big mischievous smile on his face.
Sarah shot him a surprised look.
"There's no line, and I would just love to get a picture of this," he added in the same tone and demeanor, pulling the iPhone from his jacket's pocket.
Sarah then shot him another look, which could only be described as a mix of devious, shock, and well-played-Bartowski. Sophie looked so happy that she had no escape.
After getting permission from Natalie, Sarah took the girl's hand and guided her to the carrousel. Chuck and Natalie followed them, and stayed by the ride's rail. Sarah sat Sophie on the white horse the girl had quickly called the instant she sat foot on the carrousel, and sat on the black one right behind her. Chuck couldn't get the grin out of his face. The carrousel started spinning, and every once in a while he would wave at Sarah and Sophie. The latter always waved back enthusiastically, unlike his girlfriend who merely shook 'no' with her head. Chuck enjoyed taking several pictures of them. Sarah faked some forced smiles for him, but reality was she was really enjoying the whole situation.
The ride was over, and the couple bid farewell to Sophie and her mom. Chuck and Sarah never received a hug as tight as the kid's appreciative one. Although neither commented on the subject, both wondered what it would be like if they ever had a kid together in the future. And both felt a pleasant feeling about the idea.
The sun was starting to go down, and despite creating a beautiful view, it was starting to get very chilly with the cool sea breeze blowing through and all.
"You're so gonna pay me for that one. You know that, right?" Sarah asked Chuck smiling, as they walked down the pier's carnival hand in hand, which came pretty naturally by now.
Chuck noticed Sarah wasn't wearing a jacket, so he kept walking while taking his own jacket off. He stopped, and Sarah did the same.
"Here," Chuck said, holding his jacket open behind Sarah so she could slip into it.
He didn't even ask if she wanted it or not, he went ahead and anticipated her need without Sarah having to say a word. She was clearly and visibly impressed as she slipped her arms into his jacket.
"Thanks," she replied, looking back at him and smiling seductively.
"And don't you worry, I'll make you copies," he teased, coming back to stand in front of her, and smiling charmingly back.
"You should be afraid of what I can do to you, Bartowski," she teased back, adjusting into his jacket, and removing her long blonde hair from under it.
"Please, don't talk like that. You're sounding like Casey," he joked, while helping her with the jacket.
And as he helped her with his jacket, he took a moment to gaze directly into her beautiful blue eyes. There was something about the sunset's light hitting her face that made him get this unstoppable urge to kiss her. Sarah saw this urge clearly in his eyes, and to be honest, she was feeling the moment, and she desired the same. So, Chuck grabbed both of his jacket's lapels, and brought Sarah close slowly. Their lips crashed, and he kissed her very passionately. More passionate than ever before. It was a very long kiss, and when their lips parted both were in desperate need of some air.
"You kiss Casey like that?" Sarah managed to tease him, still in short of air and with swollen lips.
Chuck simply smiled at her, while taking a deep breath.
"I thought you didn't like PDA," she added, unable to stop smiling, looking around at all those people at the carnival walking by.
Chuck looked around.
"I guess to me there were only you and me here," he plainly put it, smiling back at her.
Sarah got a little flushed with his words, and flashed him a shy smile. There were more butterflies in her stomach than she could handle. So, this was what it was like when the real thing came along, she thought. Chuck put his arm over her shoulders, and they resumed their walk.
"It's getting late, we should head back," Chuck said, looking at his watch.
"Ok," the blonde replied naturally.
The couple turned around and started walking back to the car, but Chuck stopped when he spotted a cotton-candy booth.
"Let's get a cotton-candy first," he said to Sarah with more excitement in his voice than he had planned.
"What are you? 8?" she asked with a smirk, turning around to tease him face to face.
"Come on, tell me you don't want one," he insisted, smiling wider than before.
Sarah faked to be thinking hard.
"I want one," she replied after a bit.
"That's what I thought," Chuck stated, before him and Sarah approached the booth.
"May I have two, please?" he politely asked the lady who tended the booth.
While Chuck retrieved the money from his wallet, the woman handed Sarah the cotton-candies, and they exchanged thank-yous. He paid her, and got his treat from Sarah. They continued their slow walk back to the car while eating the cotton-candy, and talking about nothing of consequence. Shortly after, Chuck had already finished his. So, he was walking holding Sarah's hand, and couldn't help but notice that her treat was still half whole. He didn't think twice and swiftly bit a big chunk of it.
"Hey!" she protested in a rather high-pitched tone, turning around to face him.
"What?" he replied playing dumb, but unable to hide the mischievous grin on his face.
"You practically finished it," Sarah stated midst a laugh, before eating the last piece left.
She took the opportunity to hit him with her elbow, not quite lightly this time around.
"Ouch!" Chuck whined also midst a laugh, while rubbing the spot.
"It's going to leave a bruise, I bruise easily you know," he joked in the same tone.
"I think you'll survive," Sarah joked back, grinning like a child.
Chuck stopped walking suddenly, and Sarah seeing that did the same.
"I'll make it up to you," he stated, pointing exaggeratedly, for comic effect, at a teddy picker machine.
"Let's face it, I throw like a girl. And you've seen me with guns, I'm guessing with bb guns I'll suck the same; so, my best chance to win you a stuffed animal has got to be the teddy picker. Really, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I took my girl to a carnival and didn't score her one?" he delivered his monologue, and headed towards the machine.
"You don't have to…" Sarah started to say, while following him.
"No, I want to," Chuck cut her smiling, while getting some change out of his pocket.
Chuck stared through the machine's glass checking their options out, with Sarah standing right behind him doing the same.
"What do you think? Which one do you want?" Chuck asked rather seriously, moving his head from side to side studying the pile of stuffed animals. He was really into the game.
"I don't mind, really…" Sarah replied, unconsciously mimicking Chuck's head movement.
"The alligator, that green-ish alligator on the top. It seems to be the easiest to pick up," she added, pressing her index finger on the machine's glass to point the stuffed animal to Chuck.
"No way I'm getting you that ugly alligator!" he protested, turning around to face her for emphasis effect.
"I'll go for that cute, pink pig back there," Chuck added, doing the same with his finger to show Sarah which one he was talking about.
"It looks difficult to get," Sarah warned him.
"Oh, I'm getting it; games are my thing. You just start thinking of a name, 'cause every stuffed animal deserves a name," Chuck replied with a smile on his face, before starting to crack his knuckles and neck in mockery.
Sarah smiled widely at him. Then, Chuck shoved the coin into the teddy picker machine, and grabbed the stick to guide the pick-up hook. Sarah stood right behind him, watching anxiously. He moved the hook back and forth, studied carefully to place it right above the pink pig, and finally hit the red button above the stick to launch the hook down.
The couple watched closely the hook going down, and ultimately picking up the pig. However, on its way to bring the stuffed animal to the pick-up hole, it actually dropped the pig.
"There's no problem, second time is the charm. Now it's easier, anyway," the nerd said, after some 'ahs' and 'nos' were uttered by the two of them.
Sarah rubbed his back in support, and then, he put another coin in. Chuck did the same as before, and hit the red button. The hook went down once more, and picked up the pig. However, this time it brought the pink cuteness all the way above the pick-up hole, and dropped it down.
"What did I say?" Chuck rhetorically asked wearing a bright smile on his face, while retrieving the stuffed animal. His hands were actually sweating.
Oh, men and their need to impress, Sarah thought. But in this specific case, it was actually very sweet of him, she thought further.
"Here," he added pleased with himself, while handing her the pig.
Chuck wanted indeed to impress Sarah. He wanted to be the best he could be for her; he wanted to make her proud of him, and proud to be with him. She definitely had a way to bring out the best in him. If only he knew he didn't even had to try. Sarah already liked him only for being him. But that was something he would figure out eventually… with time in the relationship.
"Thanks, I love it," Sarah said smiling kind of bashfully, and holding the pink pig.
Then she took a step forward towards Chuck, and her face wound up inches apart from his. She looked straight into his eyes, and gave him a quick, delicate, soft kiss on the lips. It was still new for her to be the one taking the first step on this type of situation. Doing something like this was to put herself in a vulnerable position, but at that moment she felt quite comfortable in doing so.
Chuck could feel his heart pounding faster, and in that instant, the entire struggle he went through with her in the past seemed to have been worthy.
He offered her his arm, and she locked hers with his. They continued to walk back to the car.
"Decided on a name?" he asked midst a smile.
"No, I'm bad at this," she replied, while holding the pig up so they could look at it.
"Come on, she needs a name," Chuck pleaded.
"I know, I know… A cute female pig: Miss…" he added excited.
"Piggy," Sarah finished his sentence with a smile.
"Yeah, that's it. Miss Piggy," Chuck stated with an indefinable smile, a little surprised with Sarah.
"What? I was a child once, too," Sarah replied with a smirk gracing her features.
"Aren't you full of surprises?" Chuck rhetorically asked.
"Miss Piggy, huh? I think it's a good name," Sarah absently mumbled, staring at the pink stuffed pig in her hand with a grin on her face.
"Yeah, I think it's a great name," Chuck replied with the same grin on his face, pulling Sarah closer to him, as they continued walking to the car.
A couple of minutes later they reached the car, and happily headed back to the B&B to get ready for the wedding.
A/N: Thanks for the last chapter's feedback! I hope you all enjoyed this new one as much as I did writing it. I've got to admit that this is as fluffy as I can get, I mean, I like romance and all, but I particularly like it when the relationship doesn't lose its spark, you know. So, I'll never let go of the teasing, and the bickering, and probably some minor fights (in the future), 'cause that's what I think keep everything interesting, and frankly, believable.
Another thing, for those keeping close track, I "killed" the rehearsal dinner. I just figured it would be overkill and pointless to have another separate event – plus, this chapter was getting too long -- but everything that would have happened there I'll forward to the wedding; so, nothing will be lost really. That's all for now :)