The Detective and the Tech Guy
Authors: Steampunk . Chuckster & dettiot
Rating: T
Summary: A case of mistaken identity and murder brings Sarah Walker, Pinkerton agent, to sunny California. Protecting the heir to the Bartowski Electronics Corporation should be just business - but Chuck Bartowski fills out a suit nicely and makes a mean martini. Chuck lobbied to hire the Pinkerton Agency, but had no idea the detective they'd send would be as alluring, intelligent and fascinating as Sarah Walker. Will the detective and the tech guy solve the mystery, distracted by the riddle in their own hearts? An homage to The Thin Man movies co-written by Steampunk . Chuckster and dettiot.
Disclaimer: We don't own Chuck or The Thin Man series. And we're making no monetary profit from this story.
Author's Note: They just keep coming! This one was written by dettiot. Enjoy! - SC
XOXOXOXOXOXO
What was she thinking, inviting Chuck Bartowski to visit her?
Sarah Walker looked around her studio apartment, feeling her breaths come fast and short. Yes, she lived in a good, even trendy, part of Chicago. Yes, her place had hardwood floors and large windows that let in the sunlight, something that was very important during the cold, long winters. But it was a studio! Her whole place would take up a quarter of the first floor of Chuck's sleek, modern condo. She didn't have any outdoor space, let alone a private roof deck. And while Chuck could look out his windows and see the ocean, Sarah looked out hers and saw a minimart and an acupuncture clinic.
None of that mattered, she knew deep down. She wanted him to spend time with her here, instead of always being on his turf. Chicago was a very different place from Los Angeles and Chuck knew that. And he was far from a snob; he wouldn't care that she had a small apartment or where it was located. All he would care about was her.
At least, she hoped so. That hadn't stopped her, though, from moving around her apartment cleaning like a demon, tidying and rearranging in the hopes of making the place look bigger, nicer, more luxurious.
Normally, she was very happy with her apartment. It was conveniently located, letting her get downtown to her office with a minimum of hassle. In good traffic, she was a half hour from O'Hare by car–and since her apartment came with a parking space, it made up for the lack of fancy amenities. Besides, with her job, she was so rarely in Chicago. Having Chuck come and visit her for four days meant she would be here for the same length of time, and she couldn't remember the last time she had spent that long in her apartment without working.
As she gathered up a pile of mail, Sarah felt a smile bloom on her face. Because there was the envelope of photos that Chuck had sent her, of their trip to Coronado. The envelope had arrived a week after she had returned to Chicago, unheralded and unexpected. But they were not unwelcomed. She had been incredibly touched Chuck had taken the time to print off the pictures he had taken during their trip and mail them to her, rather than just emailing the cell phone photos.
She had left the photos by the door to her apartment, so they were the last things she saw as she left her apartment and the first thing she saw when she came home. But even though she had looked at them several times, Sarah stopped her cleaning and flipped through the photos again.
When she came to her favorite photo, she paused, holding it in her hand. Chuck had taken it when they were walking on the beach, their last night on the island. He had turned them so their backs were to the ocean, the setting sun turning the sky pink and orange behind them, and held his phone out to snap a selfie of them. At the last moment, she had turned to kiss his cheek, so swept up in the moment and him that she hadn't been able to resist. The photo was a little blurry and badly framed, but she loved it because of the smile on Chuck's face and the light in his eyes.
That trip to Coronado had been like a dream come true. She had felt so light and easy and free there. She hadn't needed to worry about anyone watching them or their secret being discovered. It let her focus on other things. Good and bad, from teaching Chuck how to dance to doing her best to lower her walls a bit and answer some of his questions about her past.
Even though Chuck's visit to Chicago wouldn't be exactly like Coronado, she hoped it would be a little like it. She wanted to continue the progress they had made during their last trip, how it wasn't just about the sex, as earth-shattering and mind-blowing as it was. No, their time in that beach house was just as much about being together, sharing themselves with each other. It didn't come easily to her, but Chuck … Chuck made her want to open up. Open up and let him see the real her.
There was no one else on Earth who got that opportunity. Maybe it was time to tell Chuck that. Because she was pretty sure he had an inkling about that, but she wanted him to be sure of her.
Glancing at the clock, Sarah saw that Chuck should be here soon. She should start getting herself ready for his arrival, removing the signs of her crazy cleaning whirlwind. But before she did that, she plucked her favorite photo from the envelope and carried it into the kitchen, where she used an egg-shaped magnet, one that advertised a brunch cafe down the street from her apartment, to hold the photo on the front of her fridge.
Sarah took a step back and smiled widely. She would be the first to admit that her apartment was somewhat impersonal. But now … now it felt a bit more like a home.
A home where a woman would welcome her boyfriend on his first visit to her.
Her smile remained on her face as Sarah walked into her small bathroom to begin preparing for Chuck.
XXX
If he tapped his foot any faster, he might start wearing a hole through the floor of the cab. But Chuck Bartowski could care less. Because he was in the same city as Sarah! He would be seeing her in mere moments!
It was doubtful that the plane had reached a higher altitude than Chuck during the flight from LAX to O'Hare. Ever since they had made these plans, making a second try at visiting Sarah in Chicago, Chuck had felt like he was floating. Because this time, nothing would get in the way of this trip.
Although it had been two months since he had seen Sarah, it had felt different from the other times they had been separated. That was what their time together in his apartment and then on Coronado Island had done for their relationship. Because now … now, he felt a confidence in them. It was hard to define or explain, but he no longer felt like Sarah was going to change her mind about dating him. Or that the separation was going to harm their relationship. He knew she was in this just as much as he was. Not that she hadn't been from the beginning, but now there was no doubt, no hesitation.
With a soft laugh, Chuck looked out the window of the cab. His mind was going round and round in circles and his thoughts probably didn't make any sense. But he was just so giddy at knowing he was here in Chicago, that soon he would be exploring Sarah's city with her.
He had spent several hours preparing a list of sights and activities for them. He had been thrilled that the Cubs were in town; he had always wanted to see a game at Wrigley Field, and he thought Sarah might enjoy it, too. After all, she had been willing to see a Bulls game with him, so he could probably convince her to do a baseball game with him. Sarah seemed like someone who would like baseball better than basketball, so–oh, God. What if she was a White Sox fan?
Fumbling in his pocket, Chuck pulled out his phone and quickly pulled up the baseball schedules, then heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the White Sox were also in town this weekend. With that settled, he slid his phone back into his pocket and leaned back against the seat.
So there was a baseball game on his list. Then there was visiting the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Navy Pier–there were so many places to visit and so little time. Of course, he was hoping this was just the first visit of many, and anything he didn't see on this trip could be saved for a future trip.
His knee was bouncing as the cab got closer, he hoped, to Sarah's apartment. He was just so eager to see where she lived. To get more insight to the mysterious woman he had completely fallen for. Chuck knew that Sarah had a hard time letting people in. The fact that she was letting him visit, letting him stay in her place … he was taking this as a good sign. Another indication that his earlier thoughts were right: there was no reason to doubt when it came to the two of them.
Catching sight of a street sign, Chuck felt his heart leap up into his throat. They were on Damen Avenue–that was Sarah's street. He was on Sarah's street! In the midst of the City of Big Shoulders, in Sandburg's Chicago, he was perhaps only yards away from Sarah's building.
Chuck couldn't wait to see Sarah again. To hold her in his arms, to see her smile and hear her laugh. He wanted to kiss her for an hour, he wanted to hear everything that had happened to her since he last saw her, he wanted to read to her from the volume of Sandburg in his suitcase and see the play of emotion in her eyes. She might be able to keep her face smooth and not show what she was thinking there, but in her eyes he could see what she was feeling.
The cab slowed and came to a stop in front of a brick-and-stone building. "This is it," the cabbie said in a Middle Eastern accent.
This was it! Chuck pulled out his wallet and paid, adding a large tip on top of the fare. "Thank you," he said, quickly climbing out of the cab and nearly stumbling over his own feet. Yanking his suitcase out of the trunk of the cab, he closed the lid and watched the cab drive off. Then he looked up at the building and took a deep breath.
It was a nice building, he thought. Well-maintained, lots of windows, and–and why was he standing out here?
Lifting up his suitcase, Chuck walked up to the front doors and ran his eyes over the apartment listing. The name Walker, written in bold black ink, jumped out at him. He pressed the button next to her name and waited what felt like an eternity but was probably only twenty seconds.
"Hello?"
God, her voice was amazing. How did she squeeze so much feeling into it? Chuck had to clear his throat a little before he could say anything. "It's me. I mean, it's Chuck!"
He could hear her giggle before she said, "Come on up!" Then came a loud buzz and Chuck pulled open the front door, nearly throwing the door against the side of the building in his eagerness.
Even with the weight of his suitcase, Chuck had to take the stairs two at a time to the third floor. He skidded a little as he rounded the corner out of the stairwell, feeling his lungs burn and his heart beat faster as he saw Sarah, standing in the doorway of what had to be her apartment.
When she caught sight of him, the wide, beaming smile that spread across her face made his heart feel like it was going to come right out of his chest. Giving thanks for his long legs, he crossed the distance between them and dropped his suitcase as he reached her, so he could wrap his arms around her tightly.
Her body was soft and warm, but her strength was undeniable in the grip she held him in. Chuck could feel her press her face against his neck, her breaths against his skin making him feel hot all over. "Sarah," he whispered, feeling that rush at having her in his arms again.
Sarah lifted her head and kissed him deeply, her hands sliding into his hair. "C'me in," she mumbled against his lips, pulling him towards her apartment.
Through some fluke of luck, Chuck flailed his hand out and found his suitcase, tugging it along with him as he kept kissing Sarah while she pulled him the rest of the way into her apartment.
Chuck wasn't sure how he didn't fall flat on his face with all this complicated maneuvering, but he was pretty sure Sarah wouldn't have allowed that to happen to him. Not right now. Not when they had a much more fun kind of maneuvering to come.
XXX
Her nerves had nearly reached critical mass and she was ready to start cleaning again when the buzzer sounded, alerting her that someone had pressed the button by her apartment number at the front door.
Sarah scampered to the intercom, feeling like a teenager. "Hello?" she said in a rush, her free hand coming up to stroke her Tiffany's necklace.
"It's me! I mean, it's Chuck!"
Just like that, the tension broke and Sarah felt a swelling of emotion inside herself. There was desire and happiness and relief and such a sheer, unparalleled joy that she couldn't help giggling. "Come on up!" she said, opening the front door for him and then stepping out of her apartment so she could see him as he exited the stairwell.
This was the moment she had been waiting for ever since taking that last look at him before going through security at LAX. Through the last two months, even with all the phone calls and video chats, she had wanted to see Chuck again, in person. And in a minute she would.
And when he pushed open the door of the stairwell, his face slightly flushed and his suitcase clutched in his hand, Sarah felt like her world made sense again.
The smile that split his face made her feel like bouncing up and down. Like shouting to the rooftops, "I have the most amazing boyfriend in the world!" She had never felt like this and it should make her feel scared, but it didn't. This feeling made her happier than she had ever felt before.
Scratch that. She had never felt happier than when Chuck strode down the hallway and wrapped his arms around her, holding her so tightly and so close that she wondered if they might become one person.
She needed him. All that mattered was getting him into her apartment, getting naked, and having her way with him.
It was all a whirl of hands and lips, flying clothes and bumping into furniture. Through some kind of magic, Chuck even brought his suitcase into her apartment while she was kissing him for all she was worth. Not that he would be needing anything from his suitcase for a while.
Their lovemaking was a bit rushed and a bit awkward, their timing just a little off due to their separation. But it didn't matter to Sarah. They had experienced more technically superior sexual encounters, but she was quickly becoming addicted to the realness of their first time together after being apart. Because the passion and fire and tenderness was just so vast and all-encompassing that she could only remember that, not the way they bumped foreheads or how their rhythm was jerky and uneven.
But the best part was afterwards, when they were in bed and naked, their skin covered in a haze of sweat and their hearts slowly starting to beat in time. Part of Sarah felt embarrassed to be even thinking such romance novel thoughts, but … but it felt right. It felt honest and true and right.
Rolling over, Sarah draped herself over Chuck's chest, letting one hand trace lightly over his shoulder and upper arm as she gazed at him. His eyes were closed and he was beginning to breathe more normally. As she touched him, his eyes opened lazily and he gave her a soft, sated smile. "Hey."
"Hey," she answered, stretching a little to peck his lips. "I'd offer you the tour of my place, but that would involve moving, even if this place is a studio."
Chuck let out a soft rumble of laughter, the vibration moving from his body to hers in a very delicious manner. "We've got plenty of time for that."
"Only four days," she said, pouting a little. At the sight of a flicker of guilt in his eyes, she smoothed out her face. "I know it was all the time that we both could get. I'm just greedy."
"Me, too," Chuck said, cupping the back of her head gently as he lightly kissed her. "But I keep reminding myself that I'll definitely be coming back again. There's lots of chances to see all the sights."
Sarah arched an eyebrow at him. "That's what lured you to Chicago? The tourist attractions?"
The slow, sexy smirk that he sent her way would have made her knees tremble if she was standing up. "More like this one particular work of art … something special called Sarah Walker."
"Good answer," she said lightly, even as she leaned in and attacked his mouth.
After a few minutes of kissing and rolling around in her bed, Sarah shifted, propping herself up on her elbow. "Seriously, was there a lot you wanted to see? Because I'll admit, I haven't done much sightseeing myself, so I'd be a crappy tour guide."
"Then we can see the sights together, for the first time!" Chuck said, his face lighting up. "That's even better."
Laughing, she kissed his nose. "You are such a bucket of sap, Mr. Bartowski."
"And I seem to be rubbing off on you, Ms. Walker," Chuck said with a wide grin.
"Maybe," Sarah said, brushing her nose against his. "Although if that was the case, we wouldn't be talking now."
Even as his ears went red, Chuck grinned. "Give a guy a little time to recover. Hey, I've got a way to pass the time!"
To Sarah's surprise, Chuck pulled away and got out of bed, walking over to his suitcase and bending down. Not about to pass up this opportunity, Sarah sat up and tugged the sheet over herself as she ogled his naked body. Specifically his nicely-made ass.
When he turned around, Sarah felt her eyebrows rise into her hairline. "A book?" she asked as Chuck returned to bed.
"Yep!" he said, giving her a smile. "Something I've wanted to read you for a while." Chuck paused, halfway under the sheet. "If that's okay …"
She felt a strange flutter in her chest, a feeling like she was holding something very valuable and precious in her hands and she didn't want to crush or damage it in any way. It made her unable to speak, so she just nodded.
He gave her a small smile and finished getting into bed. Gently he pulled her down, settling her head on his chest and unknowingly placing her ear over his heart. Sarah watched as he opened the book in his hand and found his place. He cleared his throat and began speaking.
Hog Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler,
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders
At first, Sarah was utterly confused. What was this? But then, when he read the last line of the stanza, she realized what this was. It was Carl Sandburg, the poet that Chuck had referred to when they had first talked about him visiting her in Chicago. He had remembered that? Remembered and brought a volume of Sandburg, and decided to read a poem out loud to her?
Chuck paused and looked at her for a moment before he continued, giving her a chance to adjust to this unexpected, amazing, wonderful development. His voice was smooth and deep and soft, making the poetry come alive, making the sentiment of Sandburg's love for Chicago feel more personal. Like it was about them. About their relationship.
She had never been a fan of poetry. But if she could have Chuck read it to her, she was definitely going to change her mind. Because this was a moment she wanted to have happen again. Again and again, for the rest of her life.
When he finished, she hadn't even fully realized it, so caught up in his spell. It took Chuck leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to her lips to snap her out of her thoughts. "Sarah?"
Sighing, she looked up at him. "That was beautiful."
A flush of pleasure made him look so young and sweet and wonderful that Sarah thought she might just melt. "It's not exactly a sonnet," he said sheepishly. "Trust Chuck Bartowski to try and charm a woman with Sandburg instead of Shakespeare or Neruda."
"It was beautiful," she repeated. "And perfect."
Because it was. Because she had never experienced anything like this.
Sarah hoped Chuck had gotten enough time to recover, because there was no way she could wait any longer to express all the feelings he had created inside her.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Sarah kissed him slowly and softly, feeling like she was pouring herself into him. And this time, their lovemaking was in total sync. But more than the physical pleasure, Sarah was swept away by the emotion. By the beautiful, perfect feeling of being with Chuck.
Being with the man she–
XOXOXOXO
Author's Note: Cruel, cruel way to end that. Hehehehe. Read on! Review! - SC