Chuck Versus Thin Ice
By Steampunk . Chuckster
Summary: On the doorstep of the Olympics, top American curler Sarah Walker has lost her mixed doubles partner and her boyfriend in one fell swoop. Her coaches throw newbie Team U.S.A. curler Chuck Bartowski onto her team and thrust them into the Olympics, hanging America's curling hopes on two people who only have a short amount of time to learn to trust one another.
A/N: Strap in again, folks, because there is a lot happening in this chapter. A lot. Have fun!
Disclaimer: I don't own this show. I don't own the characters in this show.
The chill he'd felt all day long, through the four-person bobsled event and then during Ellie's gold medal slalom race, was finally gone. When he and Sarah had gotten back into their room, he'd let her have the shower first, since she had a meeting with her team and needed to grab dinner before that. Essentially, he made a sacrifice, turning up the heat in their place and changing out of the snowy, damp clothes and wrapping himself in blankets, so that she could take her shower first while he sat on the couch shivering.
He took a long shower when the bathroom was free, long enough that Sarah was gone by the time he got out, but she'd left a bag of food on the table for him to eat when he emerged. Between the hot shower, the warm clothes, the heater blasting, and the spicy kimchi soup with noodles, cabbage and sprouts in it, he was able to get rid of that shiver he'd been suffering from all day.
Chuck even walked down to the market to order some hot tea and brought it back up to the room so that he could snuggle on the couch and watch whatever event was going on.
He turned on the men's curling event, South Korea against Sweden.
Just as he settled in, he heard a loud BANG! at his door. He nearly spilled his tea it was so loud and sudden. Then another BANG! BANG! BANG!
Was someone…kicking his door?
Oh, shit. Shit, it was Cole Barker. A man who regularly carried a five-hundred pound sled and, in the words of Becks, looked like he was made out of filet-mignon had found out where Sarah's room actually was. He was going to kick Chuck's ass now. Because he doubted Barker was the type of guy who'd ever hit a woman, even if he was a smarmy patronizing douche. But Chuck was here. And maybe he'd beat up on him instead.
It wasn't logical, but he still thought it.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Or it was Bryce.
Bryce somehow found out what he was in the planning stages of potentially doing and he showed up to punch Chuck in the face for it.
Chuck frowned darkly and threw his blankets off of him, setting his tea down.
If the son of a bitch wanted to try it, let him. He'd get what was coming to him. Chuck would make sure.
He'd blown himself up enough by the time he got to the door that when he opened it, he was nearly shocked enough that he fell onto his ass.
"Ellie! What—?"
"YOU ARE GOING TO TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH YOU AND SARAH RIGHT DAMN NOW OR SO HELP ME, CHARLES IRVING, I WILL MAKE YOU CRY!"
He blinked. She wasn't yelling, but the hissed tone she was speaking to him in, through clenched teeth no less, felt like yelling to him. Or worse, perhaps. "W-What are—?"
"DON'T EVEN!" she snarled, and she pushed her way into the room, slamming the door behind her. She smoothed her features out and looked around the room. "Wait. Sarah's not here, right?"
"Um. She isn't—"
She grabbed his arms and looked right into his eyes. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
Chuck jumped and blinked some more. "Are you…Are you seriously this mad right now?"
Ellie eased back and made a face. "No! I'm overreacting! Obviously! But I need you to be honest with me. Are you fooling around with Sarah?"
"What? Fooling around? What's that even mean? We're not—"
"Don't lie to me, Chuck." She gave him a look.
Chuck took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "What makes you think there's anything going on between me and Sarah?"
"I didn't really even think much about it, honestly. But then I was having dinner with Devon and I mentioned how unnecessary and nice it was of Sarah to use her day off to come out into the cold to watch your sister's event. How I really like her, how sweet she is., and how that guy Bryce Whatever-His-Sucky-Name-Is was a total loser for not hanging onto her. How she deserves someone nicer and sweeter. And I saw this look…"
Chuck made a face and Ellie pointed at him.
"It looked a lot like that, actually!" she rushed. "The look that was just on your face! Oh my God, it's true." Then she shook her head and continued. "I cornered Devon. I asked him what the hell the look was. And he just…exploded."
"Exploded?" His eyes widened. "Do we need to call a clean-up crew or—?" Smack! "Ow! Geez, Ellie!" He rubbed his arm.
"Apparently that night when you fell out of bed and bumped your head—"
"Why does everyone keep phrasing it like that?" He rolled his eyes.
She ignored him.
"Devon went through your bedroom to wet the cloth or whatever and when he came back out, he saw that only one bed was used, Chuck. In the middle of the night. ONE BED."
Chuck froze. Oh, God. They'd been sleeping in Sarah's bed that night. In the tumult and confusion and worry, they hadn't thought about what kind of impression it would give his brother-in-law if he saw that only one bed was being slept in.
They did it.
They finally slipped.
"I can tell by the look on your face that you know you've been caught. ONE BED, Chuck. Don't even try to act like one of you has insomnia and was watching TV."
"That's it. That's what happened."She gave him a flat look then rolled her eyes. "I really handed that one to you, didn't I?"
"Yup."
"Chuck…Devon also saw Sarah hold your hand after my event when you two were leaving. Or he said 'sort of holding hands', which…I don't know what that means exactly, but it sounds pretty non-friendsy, and definitely non-partnersy."
"Those aren't words."
"Do I look like I give a fuck, Chuck?"
He groaned and pushed his hands through his hair, then gestured to the couch. Seemingly placated, his sister walked over to the couch and sat down. He plopped down next to her and muted the TV, preparing himself for the inevitable. There was no sense denying anymore. Keeping an important secret from Ellie, he could do. But outright lying to her? That was too much.
"You need to understand, El. Social media, the press, what Sarah's gone through with the whole Bryce debacle and the shitty misogynist coverage of her involvement with him, and her competing in the Olympics without him…All of that stuff has made it kind of imperative for us to, uh…sneak."
"Just say it outright, Chuck. What's going on with you two? One bed was being slept in that night."
"Yep."
"So you two are fooling around?" "What's this 'fooling around' crap, El? We're not fooling around. We're dating."
Her eyes widened and she clasped her hands together, pushing the tips of her fingers to her lips. "You're dating?" she asked, and he could see her shoulders practically vibrating. "We're dating."
"So this isn't just an Olympics fling thing like in Sochi—"
"Jesus Christ! Why does everyone act like that one time with Hannah was such a big deal? I slept with her the one time! And Sarah and I slept together way mor—Nope, not going there."
"I mean, yeah. You really don't have to continue. It's fine. I think I get the gist."
Chuck winced. Then he settled and scratched the back of his neck. "So now that you know, I hope you understand why it's something we've tried to keep, er, under wraps."
But Ellie was too busy practically diving across the distance between them to throw her arms around him and squeeze him tightly. "I am really proud of you."
"Proud of me?" he chuckled, hugging her back. "For what? I don't even know what I did to make that exceptional woman interested. It just…happened. All of the time we've spent working together and training and it just…We clicked."
She pulled back. "You sell yourself short every time and that's how you end up with broke-ass, soulless, succubus shit heads like Jill Roberts." He let out a surprised laugh. "But Sarah! She's a wonderful girl. She's a woman! So instead of thinking you don't deserve this, tell yourself over and over and over that you do, because you are also wonderful."
Chuck smiled. "I'm gonna try. Because I'm pretty friggin' happy. She is…" He sighed and felt a dreamy look come over his features. "She's better than any woman I could ever dream up. And you know how crazy my imagination can get."
Ellie laughed. "I know." Then she paused and put her hands on his shoulders. "Let me just say this. Her last boyfriend broke up with her a few weeks before they were set to go compete together in the Olympics. In the process, he also screwed over the men's team and your coaches. Do you think in a million years you'd ever do something like that?"
He made an offended face. "I'd never do that. Ever. Especially not to her, but not to anyone. She's worked practically her whole life to get here and she deserves to be here."
"Exactly." Her face shone with pride. "You're already so much better than he is. That aside, I didn't bring you up to be no slouch. You're a good guy, and sooo handsoooome." She pushed at the side of his face as he tried to bat her hands away.
"Stop it."
Ellie giggled. "Why'd you keep this from me for—Wait, how long has this been a thing?" Her eyes widened. "When we were in San Jose and we were moving her in—"
"No, no. That wasn't when this started. It started here, in PyeongChang. But it, erm, it had been sort of building before that. I think. I mean, for me."
She snorted. "You were in love with her the second you saw her in Chicago pushing those rocks around, you doofus."
"I was not! You make me sound like a stalker!"
"Oh come onnn. It's sweet! She got you into curling, she practically saved you with curling, and now you're dating. That's the sweetest thing ever." The giggle she let out made him pull his chin back and give her a look. "Sorry, I'm just excited! You have a girlfriend and she isn't a fucking monster. The exact opposite, in fact."
Chuck laughed. "I'm really glad you like her, not that she's particularly unlikable."
"Mmmm nope. Not at all."
"But I-I still need you to understand why I didn't tell you. I mean, neither of us have told anybody. There's too much pressure with the whole Bryce thing, with us being in the public eye. We're—I dunno, I guess we're trying to just have a good start without all of that," he sighed. "Like a normal couple would."
"I get it, Chuck. And you know I'm not gonna say anything at all. Except to Devon. If he has to continue living his life in this are-they-or-aren't-they limbo, he might actually die. I'm serious. He's having a bit of a meltdown."
He chuckled and nodded. "That's okay. I trust 'im. He's Captain Awesome."
"I'm so excited you're dating Sarah—that that's really a thing—I'm not even going to be mad at you for calling my husband his superhero name yet again."
"I don't know why you're not just used to it by now, ya know?"
She pointed and glared. "Never."
He was suddenly pulled in for another hug and he decided to just relish it for a bit before she pulled back. His sister's happiness was important to him, and making her proud after everything she'd done to give him as normal of a life as possible in their circumstances was equally as important to him. This felt really good.
"Just know," she said, still holding him by his biceps. "If you screw this up, I'll most likely side with Sarah. I kind of like her a lot."
"Noted." He nodded emphatically. "But also, I have no intention of screwing it up. I'm…I'm happy, El. I mean, I'd be happier if I could hold her hand outside of this room. Or, I dunno, kiss her. Hug her, even."
"Then do it."
"I can't. The social media hounds would pounce on us and it'd be such a huge mess." Chuck sighed. "She's right. There will be a lot of gross takes about her being unable to keep from sleeping with the men she curls with in mixed doubles. And I'm not letting them do that to her just because I want to be a little more free to show affection in public."
"Ugh, God. She is right. I can just hear the crap now." She shook her head. "No, I get it. And she's still in the middle of the women's team event. I read an article about how they could take gold if they continue performing the way they started off. Beating Canada?" She whistled. "I can understand why you guys wouldn't want that extra publicity and distraction."
"It sucks, though." He frowned and flopped backwards, landing with his head on the Team U.S.A. pillow. "Remember how when you and Devon went to Sochi, you could just…be? There were no stupid reporters after you, no tweet storms or shipping names or anything like that. It was just you and him being normal and enjoying the Olympics together."
"It was nice."
"Yeah!" He sat up again and thrusted his hand out, palm up. "Exactly! I wish Sarah and I could just be like that."
"You can't."
"Nope."
"Well, it's just something you have to deal with, I guess. A sacrifice you have to make if you want to date her. You aren't keeping it a secret forever, anyway, right? It just means you have to wait until—When are you waiting until?"
"Probably 'til we get back to San Jose and away from this media-ridden village."
"See? That's only, like, a week. Can you do that?"
"I dunno, El. It's getting to the point where I think I might be able to do just about anything for her."
Ellie just barely shoved down the squeal he'd seen revving up in her face. "This is seriously the best thing ever. I mean, I know I have a gold medal and it's everything I've worked for since…since we were kids, practically. But this is the best. I'm trying to be chill."
"Well, you need to be chill with Sarah, too, please. Like, don't go pinching her cheeks or squeezing her or anything. We had a pact not to tell anyone and I'm worried about how she'll react if she knows that you know. You know?" He winced.
But she just nodded. "I will not let her know that I know. I promise. I'm not gonna be the one that messes this up for you. Nope! And I will keep Devon from letting anything slip." His sister looked him right in his eye. "He doesn't have anymore events, so if I have to tie him to his bed and pay his roommates to leave him there and ignore his cries for help, I will."
Chuck cracked up. "That seems extreme."
"This is important to me, Chuck! You deserve someone who is sweet and talented and looks like a supermodel. And I've even seen her laugh at your horrible jokes and ridiculous voices. She. Is. Perfect. For. You." Ellie grabbed his face and squished his cheeks a bit. "I'm not going to lie, part of me sort of thought she was perfect for you before. But I neeeeever thought in a million years that it would actually happen. Neeeeever."
"Oh, thanks."
She let him go and smacked him gently with a giggle. "Shut up. Not because you don't deserve her. You're an amazing guy, Chuck. Seriously. And I don't say that about straight men very often. I married one of the best. And semi-raised the other one of the best."
"What about Morg—?"
"No," she teased. "Nope. Not him."
Chuck laughed and shook his head. "That's cold."
"Seriously," she giggled. "I just didn't expect it because it seemed like neither of you were interested in much else besides…the tournament. I guess. And Sarah went through all of that fuckery with Bryce, so I figured she'd be in sort of a 'Men Suck' place for a bit." She reached up and pinched Chuck's chin. "I was wrong. I guess I underestimated your charm."
He laughed. "That makes two of us. I have no idea what I did, but I'm gonna just…not question. And do whatever I can to make sure she's happy."
"Good plan, little brother." She sighed happily. "You know, I feel like I might just float back to my building now."
"You need me to go with?"
"Uh, thanks for the offer, but I'm probably going to go grab my hubs and tell him everything, threaten him with death by strangling if he tells anyone, and have him take me back. I could go alone, but why should I when I can have him there?" She shrugged and stood up. "I need to get my extra layers from his room anyway. I left it all piled on his bed. Woops."
Chuck laughed. "I'm sure he doesn't mind. He's a good, chill dude."
She made a face and shrugged. "He's all right, I guess."
They chuckled together and he walked her to the door of the apartment. And then she turned on her heel to face him. "Hey, I'm sorry I'm such a mom-sister. The way I jumped at you about this. I just want to know, I guess. Maybe that's pushy…"
He chuckled and shook his head. "I mean, you are a bit of a mom-sister, but you had to be for most of my life. So…I can't blame you for it." He went in for a hug and held her tightly, trying to push her question out of his mind and not let it make him spiral. "I love you for it, actually."
"Well, I love you too. And hey, all of the extra stuff, the social media and public attention, that isn't important." She pulled back and patted his chest. "Sarah's trying to win a gold medal right now. Support her. Be your usual Chuck self and be what she needs the way Devon's done for me." Then she grabbed his shoulder. "She is gonna need you as they start getting into the later draws."
"I'm gonna be here. I promise, Ellie, I'm not messing this up." He was serious about Sarah, he realized as he stood there with his sister at the door. But as he opened the door to let her out into the hallway, he knew he couldn't say it out loud, especially not to anyone besides Sarah herself. And that…? Well, it would have to wait until later, when things were settled, when the Olympics were over. Because Ellie was right. Sarah still had this tournament. She needed him not to throw curveballs. She needed him to just be here to support her. Makes things as easy as possible for her. Let her put all of her focus into winning that gold medal.
By the time Ellie left to go back down to her husband's apartment, Chuck had managed to slot only that into his mind. The women's team had two matches tomorrow. They needed to win them both. That was his focus. It had to be his focus.
Or he'd honestly lose his entire damn mind.
-oooo-
It was during the second End of their morning match against the Olympic Athletes from Russia, as she waited for Jane to set up her last throw, that Sarah chanced a subtle glance up at the stands, in the area behind Beckman and Graham's table, where Chuck and the men's team typically sat to watch.
He was there. Of course he was there. But he looked a little uncomfortable, which was strange. And then it wasn't strange. Because right next to him sat Hannah Yee, slopestyle snowboarder…and also the woman actively trying to shove her way into Sarah's boyfriend's pants.
What in the hell—?
"Sarah!"
She swung her gaze down to Jane at the far end of the ice sheet. "This look good?" she asked, trying to play it off, setting the broom.
"Yeah, yeah, it's good."
Jane made her throw and Sarah forced herself to focus on it, but she was still struggling deep down.
As Jane's shot came off perfectly, lying two of their rocks in counting position, Sarah looked up again. Hannah was still there sitting next to Chuck. It hadn't been a figment of her imagination. Why in the hell was she here? Better question: Why in the hell was she sitting next to Chuck?
Sarah didn't even notice Morgan sitting on Hannah's other side. Because Hannah was leaning in and talking to Chuck and he was leaning away a little bit and this was not a nice feeling. She knew she was letting it get under her skin unnecessarily. She knew there was no reason not to trust Chuck completely. And she did trust him. But this sucked.
Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her arm and she was pulled off of the ice to stand beside it. "You were kind of in the way," Anna hissed.
"Oh. Sorry."
They were all mic'd so her teammate didn't say anything else, but "What is going on with you?" was implied in the look she sent her. Sarah just shrugged as though she was fine.
She glanced at the scoreboard. They stole two points in the first End and were in good position to get a few more. She had to focus.
But it was easier said than done, and that was why she was forced to take only one point to finish the second End, leaving them with three points to Russia's zero.
It wasn't until the fifth End finished, with the U.S. up five to two, that Sarah was able to take a deep enough breath to recover from her forced "focusing". And she glanced up to see Hannah was talking to Morgan now but that she was resting a hand on Chuck's shoulder.
She felt stupid for thinking it, but she also felt like that shoulder was hers to touch like that. This was dumb. She was dumb. But Chuck needed to nip that damn Hannah situation in the bud real quick, or Sarah would lose her mind out here on the ice. And it wasn't fair to her or to her team.
Honestly, it wasn't fair to Hannah, either. She wasn't here because she enjoyed curling. She was here with the hope of enjoying Chuck. And nobody was dispelling her of the notion that this was something that would be happening.
But then she noticed Chuck waving a little as her teammates grabbed their things to make their way off of the sheet and head into the locker room for a short break. She furrowed her brow at him as he carefully eased his shoulder out from under Hannah's hand. The other woman didn't seem to notice as she conversed with Morgan. And then Chuck subtly brought his hand up to the side of his face, his thumb and pinky sticking out, and he mouthed, Check your phone.
He sent her one last wide-eyed look, and she turned on her heel to grab her towel, water, and follow her teammates.
She hustled to her things and fished her phone out. She'd gotten a shit ton of texts from Chuck while she was curling, and she angled her cell away from her teammates as they all sat in comfortable silence.
She opened her phone and scrolled all the way to the top of Chuck's multiple texts he must have been sending throughout the entire half.
So you won't see this til later but you need to know that Morgan just showed up WITH HANNAH.
Another text was under that. Like, he did the whole "Look who I ran into" thing! I didnt know this was happening. Hes trying to wingman. I made him go to the bathroom with me and I read him the riot act. But I dunno what to do. Help.
The next text was time stamped a few minutes later. Morgan went to get a drink and left me here alone. Send help. Pls.
And then another few minutes later: I dunno what else she needs here. Like when you try to put your hand on someones leg and they pointedly move their leg so your hand meets air, THAT SEEMS LIKE A CLEAR SIGNAL.
The next text was six minutes later. Oh wow. That shot. Sorry. Not to interrupt the SOS theme. I just needed you to know the way you slid that through the port set me on fire.
And right after that: Nobody else is gonna see these texts right? Shit what if Becks grabs your phone by accident? YOU HAVE SIMILAR LOOKING PHONES.
Twenty minutes went by before he texted again. Hannah: Your partner is really good. Me: The whole team is amazing. All of them. (Thought you might appreciate how I covered our bases there.)
Sarah held back a snort, coughing a little instead and taking a drink of water. Then she looked at the next text from fifteen minutes later. She just asked if I have a girlfriend. Said no. It sucked. I dont want her sitting here. I want to tell her the truth.
She bit her lip and scrolled to the next one, which came a minute later. Dont worry I wont. Just know I AM OVER HERE DYING. There were a lot of upset emojis after that text. An array of them.
And finally. Pls help me. Help me help me help me help me. Morgan is wingmanning and I feel dbl teamed. I am alone in this wilderness do you think Becks n G will let me sit with them at their table?
That was the last text he sent, just a few minutes before halftime.
She immediately responded, biting her lip with a sigh.
You have to take care of this. Bcuz I saw her with her hands on you and it honestly made me a little crazy down here. I dunno how cuz she cant know about us but you need to find a way. This is bad for my game.
She hit send and felt like she must sound so selfish to him. But this tournament was so important. They'd talked about why it was so important to her. She couldn't have this whole Hannah thing hanging over her head. She sent him more.
I wish I could teleport up there and maul yr face to make things clear but I cant. Too much riding on this event.
She saw he was typing and she waited, bouncing her knee nervously and glancing towards the door. She needed to see his response before they went back out there.
Yr right, he sent. And then: I am so sorry. Theres nothin I can do abt it now since shes here already but Im gonna take care of it, ok? I promise. Focus on the curling. Win. I got this. Ya?
Sarah took a long breath and responded with a Ya. On second thought, she added: Sorry Im a jealous girlfriend. I trust you for the record.
Oh this is really good for my ego. ;) but just know id rather not be in this situation right now and instead just enjoying watching my girl kick russian ass. So do that. Ill handle the other thing.
His response made her smile a little and she tossed her phone back in her bag, climbing up to her feet with her teammates and going back out there to win.
Five Ends later, they did win. They stomped the Russian team nine points to three.
And Sarah had forced herself not to look up into the stands again. Not until the end when they won. Chuck was grinning at her, Hannah and Morgan clapping next to him, but he was all she needed to see for her spirits to lift.
She had no idea how he was going to handle the Hannah Yee predicament. But he said he would handle it. And she trusted him. She just had to focus on her curling.
It was almost an hour later when she finally walked into her own apartment. She needed a nap after her restless night of tossing and turning in bed. They'd both been so tired after the celebration for Ellie's gold medal that they'd slipped into their respective beds after showering and they'd conked out. But she woke up six different times, still nervous about the tournament, she figured.
Chuck had said all the right things to reassure her the other day when she'd opened up about her concerns for the women's event. But the thing she appreciated the most was that he didn't just tell her to stop being nervous. He didn't dismiss her concerns, or make her feel stupid for dwelling so much on public perception, for wanting to prove gave the best advice he could've possibly given her. He told her to just do what she was accustomed to doing—win.
She just had to stay focused and curl to her fullest potential. She knew what she was capable of. And she had the best teammates at her side. This was easily the best team she'd ever been on. Everyone was tuned in, everyone was on the same page, and even Lou had found her voice on the team.
Everything was clicking.
She just had to hang onto this.
But first she needed a nap, because they were facing China tonight, and she knew from experience that this team had some technicians on she moved into the bedroom, toeing her socks off and tossing them in the general direction of her suitcase, she saw Chuck was here. He'd said something earlier about maybe watching a bit of the ice dancing competition before the China match later that night, so she'd figured she'd be alone for a while.
Sarah found she liked this better.
He must have been reading and had fallen asleep, because the book was open, the pages smashed against the bed next to him like it had slipped out of his hands and landed facedown. She giggled under her breath and stripped down, pulling her yoga pants and a sweatshirt on over her underthings.
Then she moved to the side of his bed and picked up the book, smoothing the pages as best she could, putting it on the nightstand, and turning off the lamp he'd had on. She set an alarm on her phone just in case, set it next to his book, and carefully climbed onto the bed with him. She cuddled into his side as slowly as she could, trying not to wake him up, and she used his shoulder as a pillow, draping her arm over his chest.
But then his arms wound around her and pulled her even closer, and she felt him press his lips to the top of her head with a sleepy hum.
"Sorry. I was trying not to wake you up."
"Mmmmm, I'm okay with this," he murmured in response, and she grinned, tucking her feet between his. They were even warmer when he was wearing socks."Go back to sleep. I'm just here to nap."
"Is that all I am to you?" Chuck teased. "A mere pillow for you to lay your head upon?"
She giggled at his Shakespearean accent. Or his attempt, at least. "Right now? Maybe."
"Oh, that's cold." But he laughed even as he said it. And then he gave her a warm squeeze again, kissing her forehead this time. "By the way, you four absolutely destroyed that ice today. Every single shot was money and I'm surprised the Russians even got anything out of it. That was some of the best curling I've ever seen."
"It felt pretty good."
"I'm proud of you. All four of you. You girls put on a damn show." Then he paused. "Women. Not girls."
She smiled and hugged him tight. "Thank you. Here's hoping we can continue putting on performances like that."
"You can."
He said it so matter-of-fact that she felt it buoy her confidence on the spot.
"And you will," he added.
Sarah pushed herself up to hover over him then, as she remembered his flurry of texts from earlier, and the reason for them. He was already awake, and that feeling she'd had of needing a nap had left her now. "Hey."
"Hm?"
She smiled a little as he reached up to gently push her hair behind her ear, his fingers stroking down her jaw. "Did you, um, happen to have a talk with Hannah yet?" She rolled her eyes as he winced. "There's my answer."
"It just…Morgan was there and it would have been really awkward if I asked him to leave. They went off together when I said I had to go back and nap."
"Mhm. And she didn't straight-up offer to come back and nap with you? That's surprising," she said in a flat voice.
Chuck made a flat face. "Stop," he said, his voice just as flat. "You know I'd never let her anywhere near this bed."
"I do know that. But the problem is she doesn't know that. And it's going to continue to bother me until she does."
He huffed. "I knoooow, I know."
Sarah's mouth fell open and she raised an eyebrow. "Wow, not even two weeks into this relationship and I'm already getting that You're-A-Nag tone."
His eyes widened and he laughed, grabbing her by the waist. "Oh my God! That's not even what I was doing!"
"It was! The only thing missing was the eye roll!" she laughed back, grabbing his hands and pinning them against the bed on either side of his head.
"But I didn't roll my eyes, did I?"
"No. But you went, 'I knooooooow I knoooooow' like I'm a nag, like I'm repeating the same thing over and over and it's annoying." She smiled, hoping he didn't think she was actually mad at him. But she knew she sort of had a point.
"You aren't repetitive and you aren't a nag, Sarah. Even if you were a nag, you can naaag me aaaaall damn day long. Twenty-four seven. I give you permission." He dove in to kiss her neck as he drawled the words, making her laugh.
"I don't need your permission," she giggled as he turned them over and pinned her to the bed.
"I stand corrected. You can nag me, or not nag me. Either way. With or without my permission."
She was still giggling even as he caught her lips in a hot kiss, opening his mouth and gathering her up in his arms as their tongues met. God, he didn't even ease his way into it. He didn't go from zero to ten; he just started at ten. His hands splayed on her back, fingers curling against her sweatshirt, fisting it. And when she felt his hips grind against hers, she pulled out of the kiss with a soft gasp. "I came back here to take a nap," she breathed, grinning as he dragged his lips down to her neck.
The second she spoke, he let go of her and moved to roll away. "Oh. Got it. Sorry."
Sarah desperately twisted her fingers in his shirt and yanked him back on top of her. "No, no. I'm not taking a nap now," she breathed, her tone almost offended.
He laughed against her lips even as she tugged his shirt up his torso.
-oooo-
Chuck Bartowski took a deep breath as he turned the corner and looked down the hall. A couple of athletes were leaving their apartment. They smiled greetings as he passed them by, but all he could muster was a half smile and a wave.
Because he was riddled with nerves.
He'd slept in this morning, staying in bed even as Sarah carefully slipped out from his embrace to shower and leave for a meeting with her teammates and coaches. They'd gone undefeated in five straight matches now and he could feel the effect it had on Sarah. She'd had him howling with laughter last night after defeating China eight to four. She'd leapt onto his bed after she'd showered and she'd jumped up and down, her feet on either side of his body. It was the craziest thing he'd seen her do since he first met her less than six months ago. Like, totally free and almost even unhinged. It filled him with glee.
And when she'd undressed and crawled into bed with him for a celebratory roll in the sheets, so to speak, she'd been especially loose, unrestrained, and mischievous.
He'd never admit it out loud, especially to her, but he'd woken up this morning a little sore.
That said, he had no complaints.
No, he'd felt good. Great, even.
And then Hannah had called, and he'd been forced to tell her he'd meet her. He had every intention of asking her to join him at the coffee shop, or maybe in the food court, somewhere out in the open but also where nobody could overhear the conversation.
But when he said the word "private" instead of saying "somewhere we can't be overheard", she'd said her roommates were watching an event and her apartment was free, and he hadn't been able to get out of it, no matter how he tried to twist it.
So here he was, standing at Hannah Yee's apartment. It was different from the door she'd taken him to four years earlier. He thought. He'd been a little buzzed. And it was nighttime. Her hands were already under his clothes by the time they got into her room and her lips were covering his, and they'd barely made it to the bed, if he remembered right.
It had been fun. He'd liked her.
And then he'd gone home two days later, having had a great Olympics experience. Contacting her again hadn't even crossed his mind. And seeing her again here, four years later? He really hadn't expected or wanted it. He felt a little mean for that last part.
None of this was her fault, and he hoped it didn't have to be too serious or dramatic. That he could just say what he needed to say, let her down easy, and go back to his own apartment to ease all of this extra stress with some TV, or maybe Morgan might play video games with him.
He didn't want Hannah to be hurt. She was cool. She was nice. Talented. And she could easily hook up with some other athlete. Easily. He just had to let her know he couldn't—wouldn't be that athlete for her.
Not this time.
Or any time hereafter.
He knocked on the door, knowing exactly what he was going to say.
Well, not exactly.
He…sort of knew. He had an inkling.
Somewhat.
But by the time he'd freaked himself out and was ready to run the other way, Hannah was standing there, door open, smiling invitingly. "Hey, there. Come in, Chuck."
"Oh. Yeah. Thanks. Hi. Right. Thanks."
Chuck stepped into her apartment and then he just stood there, running his hands down the light jacket he wore, the white Team U.S.A. one he'd only worn once for his post bronze medal interview with Mike Tucker at the NBC studio.
"Can I get you a drink?"
"Um nope. No, thanks. I'm good. Not thirsty. Heh."
"Shame." She sent him a bit of a cheesy snort and smiled with a wink. Then she gestured to his jacket. "Can I take that for you? I've got the heat on in here so you might get a little warm in that."
"Hah. Warm, yeah. No, I mean. No, I'm good. I'm good with the jacket on. All good. All good in the hood." Then he let out a nervous laugh and pulled at the high collar on the jacket. "Except that this doesn't have a hood. It's hoodless. Hah."
She giggled. "You're such a dweeb."
"Yes. I am. And a geek, a dork, a nerd, a doofus, whatever else…all of the things. I'm trash, really. Utter trash."
"Whoa, I wouldn't go that far." She winced and smiled at him. "I think you're pretty cute. And even though I was a little tipsy in Sochi after that closing ceremony, I remember you being the exact opposite of trash. I, um…had a really good time."
"Oh. Yeah. Same."
"So I was thinking…I mean, we're here again, at the same Olympics. And I have it on good authority my roommates aren't coming back for a few hours. They took the train all the way into Gangneung. It's kind of spur of the moment, but maybe we can…" She shrugged her shoulders a little shyly. "I dunno, have some fun?"
Chuck swallowed crooked and coughed a few times into his fist. "Hah—sorry, I—ahem." He took a deep breath. "You mean right now. Now now? At this moment? You wouldn't be, erm, referring to…playing a board game. Or cards."
"Sex, Chuck. I'm definitely referring to sex."
"Oh. Well. Wow. Okay." He jerked and held his hands up. "I didn't mean okay like as in let's do the—No, I just meant okay as in I'm acknowledging what you just said, how you, erm, cleared it up, your clearing it up. Hey, say we just sit down and talk for a sec instead." He gently put an arm on her shoulder and gestured to the nearby chairs.
"Instead of sex…" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Seriously?"
"Um…yes?"
"I'd rather have sex. I spent seven minutes of my life manipulating my friends to go to the event in Gangneung instead of one here so that we'd have extra time alone." He tried to respond but she continued, poking her finger at his chest. "I'm completely sober this time and haven't been dancing for two hours straight, so I have every intention of taking advantage of this opportunity. I'm making this count, Curls."
That almost sounded to him like a threat. And he'd be turned on right about now if Hannah Yee wasn't Hannah Yee…and instead she was a certain blonde with blue eyes, a kick-ass penchant for whiskey, and a distinct interest in the broadness of his shoulders.
"You can't," he breathed. She frowned and tilted her head in question. "I-I mean, I can't. Do this. With you. I can't do it with you. The sex. I mean, sex. I can't have sex with you." He shut his eyes tightly. At least he'd finished with a complete sentence, he supposed.
"Excuse me?"
"I don't think it's a good idea for us to have sex." He inwardly rolled his eyes at himself. He didn't think it was a good idea? Of course it wasn't a good idea! He didn't want to have sex with her, for one. And secondly, he was dating Sarah Walker. No part of him had the desire to touch another woman, before they'd started sleeping together, before they'd become curling partners even.
And he felt like maybe right now wasn't the best time for him to have this realization—that he'd wanted Sarah Walker even when she was dating another man, that he'd yearned for her to smile at him or even talk to him when they were around the Curling Center together back when they were headquartered in the Midwest with the full club. She'd been in a serious, multiple year relationship with Bryce, and still… God, he'd been stupidly into her even then. Like a middle schooler with a crush on the most popular girl in school.
"What do you mean it isn't a good idea?" Hannah asked slowly, and he shook himself, forcing himself back into this moment. This predicament. "Sex is always a good idea." She smirked a little, still not really getting what he was saying, apparently.
He let out a high-pitched sound of doubt and pressed his lips together, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head to the side. "Is it? 'Cause, I dunno, I think that there are just some instances in which sex is not a good idea. And, erm, I think this is definitely one of those instances."
"Okay, what is going on here?"
"I'm—I don't think I'm being clear. So I'm gonna try to do that."
"Yes, please."
"We can't have sex, Hannah. I'm sorry. I can't do this with you." She pulled her chin back and raised her eyebrows. "I mean, I can't. Not because of you. But because of me. And where I currently stand." He cleared his throat. "On the issue."
"Do you have a girlfriend back home? Because that's all you have to say, Chuck. If you're dating someone I get that. But, like, use your words, dude. Not to mention, that could've been something you told me earlier. Like, a quick 'I have a girlfriend' would've sufficed."
Oh God, if only it were that easy. He wished it were that easy. He wished he could just flat out say, Sarah Walker is my girlfriend. I'm dating Sarah Walker.
But he couldn't. Telling his sister was one thing. But he didn't know Hannah Yee enough to trust her. He'd slept with her that one time four years ago. And as nice and cool as she seemed, he couldn't put the rest of Sarah's tournament in this woman's hands like that. If she spilled the beans and the public got wind of the fact that Bartowsker was a real thing, that they were really together, it might have the potential to throw Sarah and the rest of her team off their game. It could cost them the gold medal they were well on their way to winning.
He couldn't be that guy.
He wasn't going to be the reason why Sarah didn't fulfill her Olympic dream to win gold in curling.
"N-No," he finally said, and it hurt him to say it. Not to mention, Hannah looked even more confused now. "It isn't that. I'm just…changed. I'm, erm, different."
Hannah stared at him for an uncomfortably long time. "What does that even mean?"
"Um. Well. The Chuck I was back when we slept together in Sochi is not the same Chuck that I am now."
She shrugged. "Why? You have something against two grown people finding each other attractive and having fun?"
"No…Sex is…fun. I like it."
"Okay, well—" She stopped suddenly, then narrowed her eyes. "Are you gay? Dear God, if you're gay you put on a helluva show with me that night."
Chuck frowned, ready to deny it vehemently and loudly. But then he shrugged. "You know? I'm not, I'm not gay, but I can definitely see how you came to that conclusion. But no, I'm straight. About as straight as any man can be when Idris Elba is a real person living on this planet."
She gave him a weirded out look, then shook her head. "Okay, so then it is me."
"No, it's not like—"
"Because you don't have a girlfriend, and you're not gay. You had no problem with this four years ago, Chuck." She pointed with both hands to her body and he purposefully did not drop his gaze from her face. Nope.
"I don't have a problem with…that. With you," he rushed out, shaking his head. "No, it's not—You know what? It's maturity. That's what it is."
"Maturity…" she said in a doubtful voice, popping her hip and working her jaw.
"Yes! See, four years ago I was, you know, twenty-three and I had the whole ski jumping thing that made me, like, super confident and cocky. And getting laid was a pretty big priority, ya know? I was super excited about it."
"Oh, okay. So you just…hopped into bed with any ol' chick, is that it?"
"No! I was into you! That's not it, at all! You're very…fetching."
"I'm fetching?" She made a face that clearly read what the fuck?
"No. Well, I mean yes. You're—Ignore that part. Ignore I said that. I was really into sleeping with you in Sochi. We had fun drinking and dancing and I really did want to have sex with you."
"So you slept with me because you were drunk? Is that what you're going with now?"
"No! Not at all! I wasn't drunk! I was having fun! I was a little tipsy but I knew what I was doing. I knew what I wanted. I wanted you. Then! I just…"
"You don't now. Got it. Loud and clear."
"No, no. You aren't getting it. I mean, wait…I don't want sleep with you, it's true. But not because you aren't pretty suddenly, or because you aren't cool anymore. You're great. It's just that I was into this sort of thing back then, you know? Having sex just to have fun. And I've matured in four years. This isn't the sort of thing I do anymore. I'm not—I'm not here for that."
Hannah pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips, arching an eyebrow. "And I haven't matured in four years."
"What?"
"We both thought having sex was fun and a 'good idea'," she mocked, making air quotes, "four years ago. But you've matured since then. I, on the other hand, haven't because that's something I still want to do." She tilted her head. "Did I get that right?" The sarcasm. The heavy, heavy sarcasm.
"You didn't. Because that's not what I said. At least, I didn't mean to say that. You seem very mature. I mean, you were mature then. And you're mature now. It's just not my priority. I want to focus on being here this time. Taking it all in. I don't need to have sex."
"I don't, either, you asshole! I just thought it'd be fun! But I'm rethinking that now!" She put both hands out, obviously incredibly offended and pissed off, and she scoffed, shaking her head. "I don't really know what your deal is, dude, but I think you should leave."
"No, no. I'm—I've made a mess of this."
"Yup!"
"But wait, I just…Let me just explain."
"No, I don't think so." She marched up to the door and wrenched it wide open, pointing into the hallway. "Bye."
"My words weren't the right ones. I just got nervous."
"Bye."
He moved towards the door once she grabbed his arm in a firm grip and started pulling him. "No, please. Let me explain."
"Say whatever you want at this point, but you're gonna have to say it on the other side of this door."
"It'd just be super unfair of me to let you keep thinking that we're gonna sleep together, you know? So I wanted you to-to be free!"
"Oh, my God! Just get out!"
"But I really just wanted to tell you so that you didn't keep wanting to—"
"Trust me. I don't want to!" She shoved him into the hallway.
"Please—Please don't—" The door slammed, hitting his foot hard enough that he had to hop back and pull it up into his hands with a wince. "—hate me," he whimpered. He slumped and walked away from her room, wincing and hobbling because holy crap, those doors were heavy.
"I hate it when people hate me," he mumbled to himself, pathetically, and he made his way back up to his floor with a storm cloud hovering over him.
Hannah Yee absolutely hated him.
She hated him.
And he deserved it.
He deserved the throbbing foot and the guilt.
He deserved worse.
A/N: Surprise! Chuck is a man. And even the greatest of men can be really freaking dumb sometimes. Love you, Chuck! Ya dummy.
-SC