A/N: We last left our friends standing on a beach, having professed their love for one another. That's it, right? We made it? Show's over? Jobs done? No? What d'you mean no? Fiiiiine. As promised, Date Night Part Four : The Reckoning (OKay. There's no "reckoning". I've just always wanted to use that in a movie title or something. Nothing to see here... as you were.)
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.
Chapter 22
Chuck and Sarah walked hand-in-hand back toward the pier, which felt to them like a return to civilization. Chuck was still overwhelmed by the revelations Sarah had shared just minutes ago, and he found himself stealing glances over at her as they walked. He noticed the smile on her face began to broaden, before she let out a giggle and pulled him to a stop.
"What?" she asked, looking up at him, amusement in her eyes. "You keep looking over at me, and while I don't mind it, it seems like you want to say something but don't know how." Chuck ducked his head, feeling embarrassed for being so obvious. Even so, Sarah continued, bending to try to capture his gaze. "Chuck, if there's something on your mind, just say it. Please. I don't know about you, but I'm in uncharted waters here." Chuck looked at her in astonishment.
"You? But… you've had so many relationships." His eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he rushed on to correct himself. "Whoa. I'm sorry. That sounded really bad. What I mean is, compared to me, you've had far more experience with relationships. And with much more … sophisticated men," he added looking a little crestfallen.
"Chuck, please don't judge me by my past," she pleaded, looking down at her hands. "I've made plenty of mistakes in my life. And I know that on screen, I may seem worldly and experienced at life. The truth is, I've always felt lost in this world of glitz and glamour. Sure I can play the part, but I don't feel like I belong there. It … it wasn't until the gala that I felt really comfortable in the limelight. That was because you were there with me. The way you looked at me, nobody's ever looked at me that way, with such love and admiration. I've never felt more beautiful. Then dancing with you, I realized how much I'd been missing out on. Yes, I've been in relationships, but they were always out of convenience. We rarely spent time together outside of work, and when we did, it was always in the public eye. I always felt so alone. Spending time with you this week, tonight especially, has been worlds away from any other relationship I've had. So, yes. I'm in uncharted waters, and frankly, I'm a little scared," she finished, swallowing thickly as she lifted her gaze to meet his.
"Scared? What… what do you have to be scared of?" Chuck asked, sounding a little breathless.
"Of you! Of us. I… I don't really know how to do this and I'm scared that I'm going to screw it up. If I say or do the wrong thing, I'm afraid I'll scare you away. Please believe me when I say that I love you and I really want this to work."
"God. I was afraid it was just me. I'm… I'm freaking out a little bit over here. OK, m-more than a little bit. I mean, you're a pretty big fish, Miss Sarah Walker. Us mere mortals are quite intimidated by the prospect of what it would take to be worthy of you. I don't know that I am, but by God, I'm gonna try. Whatever it takes. I want this to work too." Chuck took her hands in his and gazed into her eyes. Realizing that they were both on the same page, they let out sighs of relief.
Chuck blew out a long breath, "OK. What do we do? I mean, when we get back in front of the cameras. How am I supposed to act? What am I supposed to say? What about the show and… and your friends. Oh, God. What about the media? They'll have a field day with this. Imagine how they'll hound you when they find out it's me, of all people?" Sarah grabbed him by the face, her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her.
"You're spiraling out of control. And what d'you mean 'you of all people'?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.
"Well… you know. I'm me and you're you. Let's face it, I'm your Lyle Lovett. You're this positively gorgeous, brilliant actress and I'm…. well… not," he shrugged. With little warning, Sarah smacked him on the chest. Not as hard as the punch earlier, but startling nonetheless.
"Hey! That's enough of that. While looks don't matter that much to me, I think I lucked out pretty well. You're a very handsome man," she cooed, smoothing his shirt down, which he didn't think needed it, but he wasn't about to argue. "I don't care what the media thinks. For once, I've found someone that'll put me first and who makes me happy. And my friends? Pfft," she chuckled. "Are you kidding? They've been giving me crap about you this whole show," she admitted, looking a little sheepish. "They were all pulling for you; Zondra, Megan, Roan… hell, even Casey. I love you, and soon, the whole world's gonna know it."
"But what about the show? Isn't this going to ruin the ending? I mean, the big reveal is supposed to be full of tension where nobody knows who's going to be chosen. Right?" he asked, looking a bit panicked.
"No. You're right," she nodded in agreement, "but I have some ideas for that. First, we need to get through the remainder of tonight." He nodded solemnly, glancing at the sand. "Awww, hey. I didn't mean it like that. I am so excited to be here with you; to see what else you have in store for tonight. I just mean that we need to get over this hurdle first, before we worry about the finale." She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him. When she pulled away, she was licking and tasting her lips with a wry smile.
"OK, so what do we do? Do we just pretend that nothing that just happened… happened?" Chuck asked, sounding uncertain.
"Yeah. I think that's for the best. I don't know how much the cameras got of our little scene back there," Sarah began, a smirk spreading across her face, "but I think it's best if we just act like we have all night. It's gonna be difficult, but I think it's best."
"Right. You're right. I'll try, but I'm a terrible actor. I hope I don't-" Chuck stopped short when Sarah placed a finger on his lips.
"I was referring to myself, Chuck. I may be an actress, but I still find it very difficult not to… to touch you," she breathed out, sliding her fingers down his shirt absentmindedly. Catching herself, she jerked her hands away, awkwardly trying to find a place to put them. Chuck swallowed thickly as he watched her hands. "See," she added, looking rather sheepish. Chuck cleared his throat, shaking himself back to reality. He took her hand in his, holding it gently.
"Well," he started, looping her hand around his arm, "I've quite enjoyed you holding onto my arm all evening. Will that be good enough?" Sarah's face beamed as she smiled up at him, hugging his arm tightly.
"I'll just have to settle for this, I guess," she replied with faux exasperation. She began to lead them back toward the wooden pathway, the lights and sounds of the pier growing closer. Ahead, they could see a few people milling around a bench that was just off the pathway. Chuck could make out that the larger of them, the one pacing, was John Casey.
"Well, it looks like the firing squad is waiting for us. Just so you know, it's not easy for me either," Chuck confessed, keeping his head facing forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sarah turn her head to look up at him, a quizzical expression on her face. "I really… really like kissing you. In fact, I really wanna kiss you right now, but I suspect the cameras are watching us." Sarah hummed, squeezing his arm a little tighter.
"For the record," she said, in a loud whisper, "I really … really like kissing you too. Fair warning, I'm going to do it every chance I get." Chuck's jaw dropped, only partly in jest, but Sarah still giggled, bumping her shoulder into him.
As they walked by Casey and the two cameramen, Chuck caught the smirk on Casey's face. He wasn't sure what that meant. Was it a knowing smirk, having witnessed what transpired? Or was it a smirk because he knew they owed him. Either way, it wasn't like Chuck could ask him without giving something away. Returning the smirk with a forced smile of his own, Chuck and Sarah made their way back up the large steps to the pier's boardwalk.
Back in familiar territory, they settled into their previous routine. The two walked side by side, Sarah's arm still wrapped around his, as they made their way back to the location where they had been dropped off. Chuck was silent, still trying to come to terms with the events of the evening. He kept playing over in his mind all of the little comments Sarah had made over the past week, her body language, and all of the things that had led him to question how she really felt. Given what she'd just confessed, he saw all of it in a new light. All along, she had felt much the same way he had, but had also been fearful of the reaction of confessing the truth. Maybe not fearful for the same reasons, but he understood the impossible position she was in. Not only did she need to worry about her public persona, with the paparazzi always watching, but now she had to worry about sticking with the agenda of the show, with its cameras that were also always watching. When did she have time to just be herself?
His own admission, confessing his love for Sarah, had felt so liberating. He had felt very strongly for Sarah for so long, fearing that he was confusing love with infatuation. There was so much to be infatuated with. She was breathtakingly beautiful, smart and kind, always photographed with a smile on her face. It was easy to fall for her. As was always the case, Chuck's emotions lived close to the surface. That meant that they were easily seen and even more easily damaged. Trusting too easily, loving too hard, he felt doomed to repeat the mistakes of his past. But the more he learned about Sarah, the more she opened herself up to him, showing him the real woman beneath, the more it became apparent that he was, without a doubt, in love with her. In his wildest imagination, he never believed there would be a world in which Sarah Walker would ever love him back, but here they were. Strolling arm in arm with the, likely not so secret, knowledge that they were in love.
"I can hear you thinking over the noise of the crowd and rides. Is it that serious?" Sarah asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. Chuck smiled apologetically at her, shaking his head.
"No. I was… I was just thinking. You ever see the movie The Sixth Sense?" he asked, glancing at her.
"Sure. 'I see dead people', right?" Sarah inquired with amusement.
"Right. Right. Well, if you haven't seen it through to the end, spoiler alert. Do you remember at the end, when Bruce WIllis discovers that he's actually one of the dead people?" Sarah nodded, her eyebrow raised, looking curious as to where this was going. "It's at that moment, that I replay the interactions from throughout the movie and it all becomes clear. The whole time, the signs were there, but I was too blind to see them or so focused on the moment that I missed the clues. I felt….really foolish that I hadn't picked up on all those signs before." Chuck gave her a soft smile. "Did uh… did you experience the same thing? When you watched it, I mean," he rushed out. Sarah twisted her lips to the side, turning to look around the boardwalk as they continued their stroll. The tone in her voice sounded as though she had picked up on the fact that he was using the movie as an analogy, covering their conversation within the guise of a movie plot.
"No. I pretty much knew from the beginning. I picked up on the signs. Some of them were really hard for me to miss." Chuck nodded his understanding. He felt like an idiot. He had been so transparent about his feelings for her, but he just didn't have the self-confidence to believe that she could reciprocate those feelings for him.
"Now, to be honest, I did have some help. A … friend of mine… she'd watched the movie several times before. So she pointed out a number of things. So… don't beat yourself up about it." She gave his arm a strong squeeze, chancing a glance up at him. Chuck knew that this conversation was a little on the ridiculous side, but she'd played right along and even went so far as to reassure him.
When they got to the limo, Casey stepped ahead of them and opened the back door. Chuck noticed the older man was still wearing a smirk, but Chuck didn't want to risk a discussion about it with the cameras rolling. They both thanked him and got in the back seat. The two sat with a reasonable space between them, trying to keep up the charade for the cameras. Chuck gave a nod to Jason, who was right where they'd left him, sitting in the back of the limo filming them.
Chuck glanced at the space between them and noticed Sarah's hand was resting on the seat beside her. Her long, slender fingers and well manicured nails were beckoning to be held and caressed. He took a long blink, trying to shake those thoughts from his head. When he opened them again, he stared at the space between them and felt a pull, a force, that urged him to close that distance, to be closer to her. He slowly looked up, hazarding a glance at Sarah. He was surprised to see that she was staring at the same empty space between them. He watched her gaze shift to his hand, which was similarly resting on the seat beside him. He continued to observe her gaze trace a path up his arm until she noticed him staring at her. Simultaneously, they both swallowed thickly, giving a shy, awkward smile and diverted their gaze elsewhere.
"So…. um… where uh… where are we going now?" Sarah asked. Chuck was thankful to have a break in the silence. So much so that his answer came out a lot louder and more forceful than he had intended.
"Not far!" Cursing himself, he winced, sighing in exasperation. "It's… it's just up here," he continued, pointing out of the window. The limo slowly pulled to a stop on a fairly deserted downtown Santa Monica street. As expected, the door opened to reveal Casey, standing at attention as he held the door open. Chuck stepped out, then offered his hand to Sarah. Her face beaming, she took it and stepped out of the car, her gaze firmly locked on Chuck.
"God. You two are gonna give me cavities," Casey grumbled, rolling his eyes at them. Sarah turned to Casey, preparing to protest, but just gave a hum and shrugged her shoulders with an 'oh well' expression. Chuck didn't know what to say to that, glancing between Sarah, Casey and the cameraman on the sidewalk filming the encounter. Sarah laced her arm around Chuck's and looked up at him expectantly.
"Oh right! Um… th-this way," Chuck gestured, leading her down the sidewalk. The limo pulled away, passing them and then disappearing as it turned at the next corner. After walking for almost a block, they came upon a brick paved street that was blocked off by large steel posts. Chuck couldn't hold back his smile as he turned onto the closed street, garnering a confused look from Sarah. The "street" was lined with shops and eateries and had planters and raised flower beds filled with greenery and flowering plants. The sound of music could be heard as they continued walking.
'What is this place?" Sarah asked, both looking and sounding fascinated. Ahead of them, the street was not only lit by street light but also dozens of strands of white lights. There were patio tables set up behind short, wrought iron fencing outside some of the restaurants, various food and drink carts dotted the street, plus a small stage with a live band. The place was swimming with a melting pot of people, all laughing, talking and … dancing.
"This is the 3rd Street Promenade. They have live bands and salsa dancing some evenings. I… I had such a great time dancing with you at the gala the other night, I thought you might like to do it again." Chuck gave her a sheepish shrug, looking from the crowded street ahead down at Sarah.
"Are you kidding?" she exclaimed, bouncing in place. "I love to go dancing!" When she turned and looked up at him, she moved to him, rising up on her tiptoes before catching herself. Diverting her course at the last second, she instead kissed him on the cheek. Chuck couldn't help but hum his appreciation as he locked gazes with Sarah as she lowered herself back down. She rolled her eyes at herself, giving him a shy smile.
"How about we grab a table, get a drink and maybe an appetizer and then we can do some dancing?" Sarah nodded enthusiastically, so Chuck continued to lead her down the promenade.
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"This is really great. Great music, great atmosphere… great company," Sarah mused, taking a sip of her Mojito as they sat on the patio area of a Mexican eatery, in easy view of the band and all of the people dancing. Chuck hummed, finishing his sip of Pacifico and placing the bottle down on the table. He pushed his chair back and stood, offering his hand to her.
"Care to dance?" Sarah beamed up at him, taking the offered hand, following him out onto the promenade. The song changed to a slower number, allowing them to pull each other close. There was a fairly large crowd, but given how open the space was, couples weren't dancing on top of one another. That gave Chuck and Sarah a modicum of privacy as they slow danced to the music.
"You know, nobody has ever taken me dancing before," Sarah confessed, her head against his cheek as they swayed. Chuck pulled away, looking at her with an incredulous expression. "It's true. A lot of guys don't like to dance, I guess. They're too afraid their fragile male egos will get crushed if they look foolish or something." Chuck snorted in response, shaking his head in amusement as he settled back into his previous position.
"Well, I have no issues making a fool of myself. I'm quite skilled at it," he joked.
"Skilled at making a fool of yourself or dancing?" Sarah teased, hissing out a giggle.
"Most certainly the fool part, as I'm sure you've witnessed on more than one occasion. The dancing part? Let's just say I enjoy it, with the right partner." The rush of air across her ear as he accentuated the 'P' made her shiver, humming out a soft moan.
"And, can I just say, I have a really hard time believing that nobody has ever taken you dancing. From what I've read and… well, from dancing with you, it seems like something you really enjoy. Why wouldn't your date, boyfriend, significant other, whathaveyou, want to take you somewhere you're sure to enjoy?"
"Not everyone's like you, Chuck. In the short time I've known you, you've discovered more about me than anyone else has cared to try. Honestly, there's a lot about myself that I didn't want to share with others... until you. With you, I want to share all of myself. Especially the one thing that I've never given anyone else. My heart," she whispered, turning closer to his ear to ensure that only he could hear. She could feel the shiver that ran through him and it brought a smile to her face. As she played over what she'd just said, she felt a little embarrassed.
"God. That was pretty cheesy, wasn't it?" Sarah huffed out, sighing in exasperation.
'What? No! No. Maybe. Maybe a little, but hey," he whispered back, moving closer to her ear, "I love cheesy," he confessed, the emphasis on "love" being very apparent. Chuck could feel her squeeze him a little tighter, growing silent as they continued to sway to the music.
When the music changed to a fast-paced salsa number, they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes. They didn't have to say a word, a smile was the only answer they needed. Taking her hand, Chuck gave her a spin, eliciting a squeal of delight from Sarah as they dove into the dance.
For the next hour, they danced, alternating between fast and slow dances, only taking short breaks to grab a drink. Neither could remember a time when they'd had more fun, dancing and laughing with each other. Everyone around them was so friendly, applauding them and remarking how great they looked together. Neither Sarah nor Chuck corrected them for the cameras, only thanking them for the kind words. There were a number of other people with cameras, taking pictures of the band and various dancers, so the cameras that followed Chuck and Sarah blended into the crowd.
Once the band began to pack up, Chuck gave a sigh of resignation. "Well, I guess it's pumpkin time. I'd better get you home. I promised I'd have you home early since it's a school night." Sarah chuckled, giving him a light swat on the arm.
"I suppose you're right, but I don't wanna," she pouted, stomping her feet as they walked, looking like a petulant child.
"Yeah. Tell me about it. But you have a… an important day tomorrow. You'll want a good night's sleep. Some big decisions to make." Chuck grew quiet as they walked and Sarah grew concerned, glancing up at him frequently. After a few minutes, she bumped her shoulder into his.
"Hey," she said, trying to get his attention. He turned to meet her gaze, his brow furrowed. "What's the matter?" she whispered.
"It's kinda stupid but…" he trailed off, looking rather sheepish. Sarah squeezed his arm, trying to give him some reassurance. Taking a deep breath, he blew it out. "It just seems like a Cinderella tale, and the clock bell is tolling. Once we get back, I feel like that limo is gonna turn back into a pumpkin and I'm gonna go back to being… well, I guess I'm already my nerdy self, but you know what I mean. Like all that's happened, it'll all have been a marvelous dream." His shoulders slumped a little as he huffed, looking forlorn.
"OW!" Chuck squeaked, jerking his arm that Sarah had been holding. "What the...you're really violent tonight," he admonished her, rubbing his arm with a child-like pout.
"See. Not a dream," she retorted, giving him a devilish grin. After studying her for a moment, he began to chuckle to himself, shaking his head in amusement. They resumed their walk, arm in arm until they reached the end of 3rd Street and the steel barricade posts. On the other side sat their limo, gleaming in the streetlight. A cameraman was near the limo, filming their approach. Casey had been their shadow all evening, staying at a distance but always keeping a watchful eye. He picked up his pace to reach the limo before they would, giving him time to get the door for them.
"Well, your chariot awaits, m'lady," Chuck announced in a posh British accent, gesturing toward the limo. Sarah snickered at his antics, shaking her head in amusement. Climbing into the limo, they found their seats, choosing to sit a little closer than on their previous trip.
The ride back to the show's house was quiet, Sarah and Chuck looking out of their respective windows. As they traveled down the Pacific Coast Highway, Sarah had a view of the ocean, at least occasionally when there was an opening between houses. Chuck could only see the hills and buildings dotted along the road. It was getting late, nearing 1:00AM, but there was still some traffic, though nothing to slow their journey.
Gazing out through the window, lost in thought, he felt something brush the pinky finger of his hand that was resting on the seat beside him. He almost jumped instinctively, but steadied himself. If he drew attention to it, then the cameraman would be forced to focus on it too. As he sat still, he realized that Sarah's hand had wandered across the space between them and was gently caressing his finger with hers. It was very light, almost like dipping one's toe in a pool to test the waters. He fought the grin that was threatening to grow and, instead, returned the gesture, caressing her finger with his. Soon, their pinky fingers were curled around one another. It was a small gesture, one that, even though they had to keep up appearances for the cameras, they could use as a way of expressing their feelings for each other.
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Chuck walked her to the front door of the guest house, the very door where this date night began. She knew she was walking slower than normal, but she really didn't want this night to end. Chuck seemed to be just as reluctant, as his pace was just as leisurely. Finally reaching the door, she turned to face him, the porch light showing the nervousness on his face. She imagined she looked much the same, the butterflies dancing in her stomach. She wanted so badly to kiss him, a proper good night kiss, but the cameras were rolling and they still had parts to play. Still, she refused to end the night without giving him, and herself, something.
"Chuck, I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this date has been. I can't remember a time when I've had more fun. Thank you. No matter how things go tomorrow, I'll never forget this night." WIth that, she rose up on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck for a tight hug. Her check pressed to his, she turned her head even further so her mouth was nearly touching his ear. "I love you," she uttered at barely a whisper, taking great joy in feeling his body tense and shiver. When she pulled away, she looked up into his eyes and swore she could see a spark within them.
"Ditto," Chuck replied. "I … I mean, me too. I… I had an amazing evening. Tonight has been the highlight of my life. Thank you for sharing it with me." He gave her that warm, loving smile. The one that made his eyes shine and the corners of his eyes crinkle. Handing her the large teddy bear he'd carried from the limo, Sarah took it, hugging it to her body.
"You take good care of her, Chuck Beartowski," he said, with his brow furrowed, pointing at the stuffed bear. Sarah giggled, giving the bear an extra squeeze.
"I have no doubts," Sarah responded, giving Chuck a small wink. Chuck chuckled to himself before taking a deep breath.
"Well, I should let you get inside. Thank you again for everything. I hope you enjoyed yourself." He slowly backed away, waving as he went.
"I really did. Thank you, Chuck. Good night." She waved in return as she stepped into the house. Stretching it out as long as she could, the door finally closed. Letting out a deep sigh, she rested her forehead on the door. After a moment, she stood up and spun around to head to the bedroom she'd planned on staying in tonight. In doing so, she nearly ran straight into Zondra, who was standing directly behind her.
"GAH! Geez, you scared the shit outta me. What are you doing here?" Sarah questioned, holding a hand to her chest in an effort to still her heart.
"Spill!" Zondra demanded, her arms folded across her chest. "I need details! And don't hold out on me. I'll check the camera footage to corroborate," she challenged, pointing a stern finger at Sarah.
"Whoa! Chill with the Spanish Inquisition. Wow. I just walked in the door-"
"Yeah. Yeah. Blah , blah," Zondra interrupted, grabbing Sarah by the arm and dragging her to the couch. "Soooooo? How was it? Where'd ya go?"
Acquiescing, Sarah began to give a brief retelling of the night's events, touching on the highlights. Zondra sat in rapt fascination, hanging on her every word. When she glanced over the events on the beach, Zondra put her hand up in protest.
"Whoa. Whoa. Hold on just a second. You mean to tell me that you two walked out onto that moonlit beach, a spot that has very strong personal significance to him, and after everything that happened, you just turned around and walked back? Seriously?"
"A lady never kisses and tells," Sarah replied, tossing her hair, trying to look innocent.
"Oh my God! You kissed him?" Sarah was about to protest, try to deny it all, but huffed in resignation.
"He offered to bow out of the show because he thought that I wanted to be with Will and he didn't want me to have to make that choice." Sarah just gave a shrug as Zondra's mouth hung wide open.
"And so you kissed him?" Zondra asked, looking confused.
"No, I yelled at him, hit him…. And then I kissed him," Sarah admitted, wincing.
"AHHHH! You kissed him! I knew it! So? How was it? Was he any good?" Zondra bounced her eyebrows at her, enjoying teasing her friend. Sarah sat quietly for a moment, which caused Zondra's expression to grow serious. "That bad?"
"It … it was… mind blowing," Sarah mused, grinning like a fool. Zondra just sat there with her mouth agape, staring at her friend.
"I told him," Sarah confessed, looking a little embarrassed.
"Told him? Told him what?"
"I… I told him that…. that I …. loved him. It… just kinda … slipped out."
"Holy shit. Are you serious?"
"Well, yeah. I do love him. I realized that after everything, I -"
"No. No. I know you love him. That's no secret. It's been written all over your face. I'm just shocked you actually said the words. Who'da thunk it?" Zondra mused, pleased with her teasing jab. Sarah lobbed a pillow at her, which glanced off Zondra's arms as she brought them up to protect her face. Cackling, Zondra deflected yet another, as Sarah emptied the couch of throw pillows.
"OK. OK. I give!" Zondra pleaded, holding up her hands in surrender. Sarah fell back on the couch, mock pouting. "Alright, so you tried to deflower the nerd on the beach. Then what happened?" Sarah rolled her eyes at the remark but just went on with her story.
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Chuck walked in through the patio door, quietly closing it behind him. The house was dark, except for a few night lights in the hallways and a few under counter lights in the kitchen. Letting out a deep sigh, he paused for a moment before he broke into a celebratory dance, complete with fist pumps. Once that was out of his system, he began to walk through the living room, toward the kitchen.
"So, I take it things went well?" Came a voice from the dark. Chuck jumped, clearly startled, and scrambled for the light switch. Flipping it on, he saw Will leaning on the kitchen island eating a bowl of cereal.
"You're uh… you're… you're awake," he stammered out. "You've been there… the whole time… huh?" Chuck asked, swallowing thickly. Will just smirked, continuing without answering the question.
"So the date went well?" He inquired again, taking a bite of cereal.
"Yeah. It was… it was really great. We had a good time. Well, I had a good time. I think she had a good time, too."
"Good for you. That's great. Congratulations," Will offered sincerely. Chuck nodded, not really knowing what to say to that. Glancing out of the corner of his eye he looked at the cameras, giving him the ever present reminder that they were being watched. He didn't want to ask about Megan, and it felt incredibly awkward to discuss the date with Will, so he opted to flee the situation.
"Well, it's been a long night and I'm pretty wiped. I think I'm gonna hit the sack. You uh… you enjoy your cereal, there. Is that … is that Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries? Nice … nice choice. Well um... g'night," he concluded his rambling with a wave as he made a hasty exit.
In his room, Chuck closed the door and leaned against it, shutting his eyes and berating himself for sounding like such a basket case. Letting out a huff, he looked down at his hands and realized he was holding his fluffy, pink and white unicorn. Naturally, he'd been holding it through the entire ordeal with Will downstairs, just adding further insult to injury.
Letting out a groan of frustration, he moved toward his bed, kicking off his shoes. He placed the unicorn on his bed and stripped down to his boxers and changed into a t-shirt for sleeping. After brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed, he slid under the covers and pulled the unicorn in tight. Laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, he played over the events of the evening, absentmindedly stroking the fur of his stuffed companion.
After nearly twenty minutes of staring at the ceiling, his body exhausted but his mind wide awake, he heard a tapping on the balcony door, nearly sending him through the roof. The balcony was on the second story, so it was quite surprising to hear a noise coming from it. Slipping out of bed, he made his way to the french doors that led to the balcony. Unlocking the door, he quietly opened it, peering through the crack in the door to see if he was just imagining things. Of all the things his imagination had cooked up on his short trip from the bed to the door, he never imagined he would find Sarah standing outside the door.
"Sarah? What… what are you-" before he could finish, her lips crashed into his, her arms wrapping around his neck. After the initial surprise, he too wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. The moan that escaped her throat sent Chuck's mind into a tailspin. He was completely consumed by her, not even knowing or caring which way was up. Nearly a minute went by before she pulled away to catch her breath.
"I couldn't go to sleep without kissing you. I wanted to kiss so badly you when you dropped me off, but we just couldn't. I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, and the only thing I could think about was you. Maybe… maybe I could… stay here… with you tonight?" She asked shyly, staring up at him through her lashes. The insinuation nearly broke him. He moved his jaw, trying to speak, but the words wouldn't come out, like someone had punched him in the stomach and he had no air. When she began tracing her fingers down his chest, biting her bottom lip, something in Chuck broke free.
"No!" he exclaimed, taking her hands in his. Her startled expression gave way to hurt and it broke his heart. Sarah began to pull her hand away, but Chuck held fast. "No… not… GAH," he groaned out in frustration. "Sarah, there is nothing I would love more than for you to stay … to spend the night ... with me. E-e-e-ven if it's just sleeping," he rushed out. "I just don't want it to be… here. I know this sounds completely ridiculous, but I want all of our first times to be special; private. Away from all of … this," he added, gesturing all around him. "Please don't think that, in any way, it means that I don't want to be with you. I was lying here staring at the ceiling too, unable to think about anything but you." The hurt on her face melted away, her smile returning ten fold. Glancing past Chuck towards his bed, her smile grew even brighter, her eyes sparkling. She placed her hands flat against his stomach and slid them up his body until they met behind his neck.
"You really are an amazing man," she breathed out, pulling herself up to kiss him again, this time more slowly and more softly. When she pulled away, she had a devilish grin etched across her face. She stepped past him and moved toward his bed. Before he could protest, she pulled the fluffy unicorn off of the bed and held it out, as if it were damning evidence. Chuck just gave a sheepish shrug, looking a little embarrassed.
Sarah's grin turned mischievous as she turned her back to him. Chuck could just make out what she was doing and his mouth fell open in shock. When she turned back around, she was still grinning, but was curiously amused by his expression.
"Did… did you just … just rub that unicorn all over your…." Chuck couldn't say the word, just gesturing generally in her direction. Sarah looked down at her chest, then snapped her head back up to look at Chuck with her mouth agape as well.
"No!" she exclaimed in a loud whisper, smacking him with the stuffed unicorn. "Well… maybe… yeah, sort of I guess," she admitted, chuckling at the situation. Shyly, she stepped closer, holding the stuffed animal in both hands in front of her. "That's where I spritz my body spray. I… I was trying to rub some of it on the unicorn… you know… so you would be reminded of me." Sarah ducked her head, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
Chuck just stared in awe at the woman before him. She seemed so different than the bold, confident woman he'd grown to admire from afar. This Sarah, the one he professed his love for, she was far more open and caring than he ever knew. There was a youthful innocence to her that seemed so counter to the public persona that the rest of the world saw. She allowed herself to be vulnerable around him and he felt so incredibly fortunate to know this side of her, to be the recipient of her love and kindness. If anything, it made him love her all that much more.
Sarah looked up at him through her lashes, then pouted at the expression she saw," What?"
"You're so incredible. God, I love you," he breathed out, moving in and kissing her passionately. The fluffy unicorn squished between them, the two kissed and held each other until the need for oxygen was too great for either of them to ignore any longer. Separating, they rested their foreheads together, trying to catch their breath.
"I love that you wanted to do that for me. Make the unicorn smell like you, but man is that cruel. I already can't stop thinking about you, missing you. It's like those food scented candles. The place smells like cinnamon rolls, I want cinnamon rolls. When my new buddy smells like you… I'm just going to want you all the more." Sarah's smile lit up the room as she fidgeted with the unicorn.
"You know, you already got the girl. You don't have to keep buttering me up," she teased, rubbing her nose against his.
"I'm just getting started and I'm not about to stop now. You ain't seen nothin' yet," he retorted, with a determined glint in his eyes. "I love you, and I'm not going to let you forget it. As long as you'll have me, I'm in it for the long haul." Placing a hand on his cheek, Sarah planted a soft kiss on his lips. Even when she finished, she was still so close that their lips brushed when she spoke.
"You're so good for my ego. I accept your offer. But, if I don't leave now, ... I'm not leaving," she confessed with a smirk. They both chuckled but sobered quickly, realizing that their little rendezvous was at an end.
"I don't wanna know how you got up here, but can you get down ok?" Chuck asked, stepping back to look her in the eyes.
"Not only have I trained in various forms of combat, but also gymnastics and parkour." She gave a shrug as if it were no big deal, walking out onto the balcony. Chuck just chuckled as he shook his head.
"You're like … the greatest superhero ever. I feel like … Jane Foster or… or .. Mary Jane Watson," he mused, a dreamy look in his eyes. Sarah turned around, with a salacious grin on her face. Quickly she closed the distance between them and kissed him hard, making a rather loud smacking sound when she pulled away. Chuck just stood stunned as she backed away.
"You're such a nerd," she mused, shaking her head in amusement, "but you're my nerd." With a wink and a kiss, she hopped over the railing into the night. Chuck could only stand, rooted in place, as it all washed over him. The evening had been like a dream, and if the exchange of 'I love yous' wasn't enough, she had gone out of her way to sneak into his bedroom just to see him, to kiss him. If he smiled any harder, he figured his face would cramp up. Lifting his fluffy unicorn, he drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her. It was incredibly intoxicating yet so comforting. He knew that the ever present fragrance that was 'Sarah' would slowly drive him mad, but he loved that she had wanted to leave a piece of herself with him. While his previous experience in relationships was limited, and very dysfunctional, nobody had ever done anything like that for him.
Closing the balcony door and pausing at the deadbolt, he left it unlocked, grinning as he made his way back to bed. Crawling under the covers, he let out a deep sigh as he settled in. Chuckling at himself, he pulled the unicorn in more tightly, relishing in the smell of sweet pea and vanilla. Smiling like a fool, he replayed the evening's events in his mind as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
A/N2: And….. SCENE! Finally, the date is over, good, bad or indifferent. Now, the show's finale looms. I wonder how that's gonna go? Guess I'll have to wait until I post the next chapter. ;)
As always, your kind words of encouragement are greatly appreciated. I love reading your reactions and opinions on how the story is processing. Keep 'em comin'.
Joe