A/N: It's been a very long while since I've updated this story. Lots of real-life stuff took up all my time and attention. Nothing bad, no medical issues or anything. Just life, full stop. Anyway, to recap, Chuck came back to Stanford earlier than he'd planned at Sarah's request. They've been together in his (their) new house for most of the day. When we left off, Chuck was just beginning to massage Sarah's feet after dancing with her. What might have happened next? Reread the last couple of chapters if you wish to recall the details of their reunion. Then, when you're ready, read on.

Disclaimer: I've never made a buck from anything having to do with Chuck. Of course, that means I don't own Chuck either, because you know …

Chapter 49 – I Want You to Want Me

Monday August 19

Sarah was slowly waking up. She tried to resist, unwilling to leave the dream she was having because it was too enticing to abandon just yet.

Dream-Chuck had gotten injured again playing baseball. Not a catastrophic injury like last spring, but something more mundane. It was a sore arm or a similar issue. Exactly what the injury was wasn't clear but that didn't matter. What mattered was that Dream-Sarah had been assigned as his physical therapist. She was getting a chance to apply her education to assist in her boyfriend's recuperation. Having worked out a very professional and thorough schedule of therapy, she was utilizing her training and skills to help him get better.

The problem was, for Sarah to conduct Chuck's therapy, she had to touch him. And when she touched him, as usual, one thing led to another and before she fully realized it, she was engaged in some very unprofessional, but much, much more satisfying, "therapy" with her curly-haired nerd. And he with her. The fact that his injury didn't impede him during their "therapy" session didn't seem strange to her at all.

It was for this reason she didn't want to leave her current slumbering state behind. But something wasn't quite right and she felt it, even in the middle of her delightful dream. Something she was unable to reason out. So, unfortunately, the call to full awareness couldn't be denied. With a grumbly whine, the real Sarah returned to the land of the living.

And immediately realized what the problem was. The wrongness that she'd been aware of, even while she was still asleep and dreaming of highly unprofessional, but very enjoyable, "therapy." Without having to open her eyes, she knew what was missing. Her patient … err … boyfriend. Chuck. Reaching out, she ran her hand over his side of the bed.

Her fingers confirmed what she already knew. Empty. So much for continuing his "therapy" in a much more physical (and infinitely more pleasing) way in the waking world. He was gone, but not very long ago since the bed was still slightly warm. Maybe he'd only gotten up to use the bathroom and Patient-Chuck would soon be returning to Dr. Walker's examination room so she could scrutinize him. Intimately.

"Chuck?" Sarah rasped; her voice still rough with sleep.

No answer. He's not nearby. Probably downstairs. Damn it. Rolling over to her other side, she reached for the nightstand next to the bed where she'd left her phone. Picking it up, Sarah saw the time. Just past 8:30 am. What was he doing up so early? Especially since they hadn't gone to sleep all that long ago, at least in her viewpoint. Somewhere around 3:00 am.

Good grief! I knew he was in good shape, but he must be in better shape than I imagined if he's already up and about. She giggled at that thought. Down girl.

Thinking back over their after-dinner activities the previous evening, Sarah couldn't help but smile.

Dancing together had been so much fun. Her boyfriend's lessons had really made a difference. He still made a few mistakes, stepping on her toes from time to time, but his comfort level and confidence had gotten a lot better. That meant her feet were in far less danger than they had been at the baseball banquet. Sarah knew that he would only get more skilled the more he relaxed and practiced. The more they danced with each other. Thinking about going out dancing with him broadened her smile into a happy grin of anticipation.

Chuck's other surprise had been wonderful too. The foot massage he'd given her was downright sinful. So unexpected. Her feet had rarely felt better. He's very good with his hands, Sarah thought, blushing and giggling anew at her own unintended double entendre. Memories of what happened next caused her to hum contentedly.

Chuck softly caressed the foot he was holding. "All done!" he smiled tentatively. "How do your feet feel?"

"Fantastic, Chuck. Just wonderful," Sarah answered with an appreciative grin.

"I'm glad, sweetie," he responded, his smile growing less tentative and more genuine. "You'll need to hang out for a little bit, though. Allow your feet to recover," he explained.

"For how long?" She wasn't interested in sitting around on the couch. She had other ideas, better ideas, about how they could occupy their time. And each other.

His reply didn't help matters. "Not too long. Only about five minutes or so. Just long enough to allow the muscles and tendons a chance to calm down a little."

Sarah pursed her lips and pouted. She'd waited months for them to make love and was impatient with anything delaying them doing so again. Her classes and his research would resume soon enough to limit their time together. And Sarah was intent on making the most of the time they had before then. A thought popped into her head which returned the smile to her face. Shifting her legs away from where he was still holding them, she sat up. Still smiling, Sarah crawled the short distance to where Chuck was seated and climbed into his lap, straddling him. She had been very careful to follow his directions about her feet and avoided putting any pressure on them. Propping her elbows on his shoulders, she began running her fingers through his hair, smirking when his eyes fluttered at the sensation.

"Hi," she breathed. When Chuck scrunched up his face in an exaggerated scowl, Sarah twisted her lips to the side trying hide her smile. "Relax, Mr. Science. I only crawled over here. I didn't use my feet at all, I promise."

Chuck hummed. "I saw that. Pretty clever there, Miss Walker," he added with an amused snort.

"It was, wasn't it?" Sarah agreed, grinning cheekily. Leaning in, she placed a quick kiss on her boyfriend's lips. "Thank you, baby. My feet really do feel great. It was very sweet of you to learn how to do that."

"It's the least I could do if I'm going to ask you to risk your toes around my clodhopper feet when we dance," he joked.

"You won't get any argument from me," she deadpanned.

"Oh! Ouch!" Chuck complained. "You're not supposed to say that!" He grimaced and shook his head.

"No?" She schooled her features to prevent her amusement from showing.

"No. You're supposed to lie to me to build up my confidence," he answered, unable to keep the grin off his face any longer.

"Well, shoot. There goes my plan to con you into giving me foot massages whenever I ask for one," Sarah stuck her lower lip out in an exaggerated frown.

"I'll do that anyway," Chuck admitted. "Anytime. Just ask."

"I knew that already, baby," she giggled, ruffling his hair. Sobering, she went on, "But seriously, your dancing really has gotten better. A lot better. And that's no lie."

"Honest?" His eyebrows rose in question.

"Honest," Sarah nodded.

"Thanks," he smiled shyly before leaning in to kiss her softly.

"You're more than welcome," she smiled after their lips parted. "Now, I'd like to go back upstairs. Has enough time passed yet? Or are you going to have to carry me?" she teased.

"Sarah, it's not been nearly enough time. How could you even think that?" Chuck responded, shaking his head again. "If you don't want to wait …" She shook her head emphatically. "OK then. Looks like I'll have to carry you." He put his arms protectively around her. One behind her back and the other under her bottom, fully intending to comply with her request.

"Wait a second. I was only …" Sarah began. She squeaked in surprise when Chuck nonchalantly stood up, still holding her securely. Before she could say another word, he had shifted her around so she was cradled in his arms.

"It would help a lot if you put your arms around my neck," he said. When she playfully reached up and put her hands on his neck and gently squeezed, he added, "Without choking me, if you don't mind." Snorting in amusement, Sarah did as he asked. "Thanks, m'dear."

"You really don't have to do this, Chuck," she tried once more. "I was only teasing."

"Even I figured that out," he replied with a crooked half grin. She giggled. "S'okay. I don't mind."

Sarah marveled as he carried her up the stairs almost effortlessly and into their bedroom. When he gently placed her on the bed, she didn't relinquish her hold from around his neck. Smiling up at him, she tightened her grip and tugged on his shoulders. He lost his balance and landed next to her with a soft grunt.

"I know a way we can occupy ourselves and keep me off my feet at the same time," she said, raising her eyebrows and smiling suggestively.

"Somehow, I thought you might," Chuck replied, smiling softly.

"See? I always knew you were smart," Sarah teased. Reaching out to cup his cheek, she gently kissed him. When she broke the kiss, his smile had been replaced by a look of renewed desire.

Then he pulled her close and kissed her again.

…

They had finally exhausted themselves in the middle of the night. Chuck's stressful journey back from the East Coast on Saturday and his long drive up from Los Angeles earlier in the day had finally caught up with him. After showering separately, much to her disappointment, they'd tumbled into bed in the wee hours, quickly falling asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

Reliving her memories warmed Sarah all over and she felt her body begin to buzz with renewed excitement. I could get used to more nights like that, she thought. A lot more. Days too. But for that to be possible, I'll have to go find out where my errant boyfriend has wandered off to. Looks like I need to have a talk with him anyway about leaving me all alone in bed like this. We need to set some ground rules about sleepovers, she smirked to the empty room.

Sighing, she sat up and stretched, pleasantly surprised to discover that her muscles didn't protest too much. Chuck had been as gentle as he'd promised. She got out of bed and stretched a bit more before padding into the bathroom to begin her morning routine.

Her toothbrush was right where she left it. In the holder with Chuck's. Her toothpaste next to his. Their cups side-by-side. His cup on the left; hers on the right. "Left-handed Chuck, right-handed Sarah," he'd declared, stating the obvious. Mr. Science on full display. She smirked and shook her head as she recalled the matter-of-fact expression he'd worn.

Even though there were two sinks and Chuck had offered her the choice of which one she wanted to claim as hers, she'd made it clear that she preferred to share the sink that he used. Her desire to be as close to him as possible taking precedence in her mind. Sarah recalled his shy smile when they'd begun to brush their teeth in tandem last night. That was the right choice.

She unzipped her toiletry kit to begin her habitual daily preparations. First, she took out her vitamin bottle, shook out a tablet, and returned the bottle to her case. But when her fingers closed around the next container, she stopped short. It was her package of birth control pills. Her mother had insisted that she begin taking them before she'd started her freshman year at Stanford. "Better safe than sorry," her mom had calmly declared, surprising Sarah with her level-headed practicality about the challenges of college life for young women. Especially Pretty young women. She had intended to tell Chuck about them already, but their reunion the previous day had been so overwhelming that she'd completely forgotten about them.

Sarah took one every morning, so that wasn't a concern, but she wanted to be honest with him about the pills. And to explain why she still wanted him to use his own protection. He hadn't minded yesterday, but he didn't know she was on birth control. She knew that boys often rebelled against using condoms when they found out that the girl that they were with was already "protected." Her roommates had told her more than a few stories of boys pitching fits when the girls had brought up the subject. She didn't think Chuck would be like those boys, he hadn't so far, but boys could be weird about such things. The truth was, she just didn't know. Sex and everything connected to it was as much untrod territory for her as it was for him. Until yesterday. Huffing out a breath in frustration, she shook out a pill and took it along with her vitamin before proceeding to brush her teeth. Since her boyfriend had already seen her without makeup, she opted to forego the remainder of her usual preparation and finish up by just brushing out her hair.

She looked at herself in the mirror and decided she liked what she saw. While she was content to go find Chuck right away, Sarah decided that going downstairs stark naked might not be the smartest option. Particularly given what she had forgotten to tell him. What she still needed to tell him. I better find something to put on. She took the birth control package with her as she left the bathroom.

The moment Sarah came back into the bedroom and saw her overnight bag, she had an idea. A very delicious idea. Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Rummaging through her case, she found the tee-shirt Chuck's mother had given her back at the beginning of the summer. The one that she'd cuddled with to console herself while he was on the other side of the country. She slipped it on and tugged it into place. More or less suitably attired, her pills in hand, and with a plan fixed in her mind, she set off in search of her curly-haired nerd.

Chuck was trying to figure out what to fix for breakfast but he wasn't making much progress. His mind kept wandering. The last twenty-four hours were playing and replaying inside his head. Sarah. Sarah. Sarah. Oh God, Sarah! He'd snort and shake his head trying to clear it, admonishing himself that he better get his act together. And he would begin to think about breakfast options once more. Only for his reunion with his beautiful blonde girlfriend to storm back to the forefront of his thoughts, shoving everything else to the side, including his ideas about breakfast. He stuck his head in the refrigerator for the fourth time but still couldn't decide what to prepare. Nothing seemed adequate, not quite right, to feed the amazing girl … um … woman who still slept upstairs.

I can't think straight, he fretted. Maybe some coffee would help. He tapped himself on the forehead. What am I saying? Of course, coffee would help! Chuck frowned and twisted his lips to the side in consternation.

"OK Bartowski, you finally made a decision. Good for you! It's about time. Coffee. Duh! Some genius you are," he groused. Then he laughed. "Don't let Sarah catch you talking to yourself or she might run for the hills as fast as she can." Giggling to himself, he pulled the coffee maker out to the middle of the counter and used the pot to fill it with water.

It was right about then that he heard a toilet flush upstairs, followed by the sound of water running. Boy! That's good timing on my part, he mused.

Since they hadn't had coffee with their dessert the previous evening, Chuck retrieved a new bag of coffee beans from the cupboard. He opened the bag and took a deep whiff, breathing in the rich aroma. Fragrant with a noticeable hint of chocolate. "Sarah should love this," he nodded. Using his new grinder with a practiced hand, he ground the appropriate amount of beans to just the right consistency, unaware that he'd begun to hum.

As soon as Sarah reached the top of the stairs, she could hear Chuck clattering around in the kitchen. And something she didn't expect and wasn't sure she was actually hearing. Was that music? By the time she made it to the bottom of the stairs and approached the dining room, it became clear what the unexpected sound was. Chuck was humming! He even threw in a few "doodle-dee-do's" every so often. It sounded so happy and carefree that she put her hand over her mouth to keep from giggling. Has he always done this? Or was it something new? A reflection of what happened yesterday? Sarah didn't know, but his obvious happiness washed over her. And she suddenly recalled an occasion, long ago, when she'd witnessed her father acting a lot like Chuck was now.

She was very young, just a bit past her fourth birthday. They lived in a small house not too far from the naval air station where her father was based. She'd been playing in the postage-stamp-sized backyard and found a pretty caterpillar. After carefully picking it up, she was slowly walking around the corner of the house toward the equally diminutive front yard, intent on showing her parents her latest discovery. As soon as she saw her father, she knew he was in a very good mood because he was singing while he tinkered on the family car. Not words, just nonsense sounds, "doodle-dee-do doodle-dee-dum dum-dee-dum-dee-dum" but his happiness was obvious, even to a four-year-old.

"Why you singing, Daddy?" she asked.

"I'm happy," came his answer. Then he noticed her cupped hands. "Whatcha got there, Princess?"

"A cad-a-pidder!" she proudly exclaimed, opening her hands to show him. Her blonde pigtails bouncing in her excitement.

"That's a real pretty one! Almost as pretty as you!" he'd teased.

"Oh, Daddy!" she giggled, blushing when he tickled her under her chin, her hair flying as she laughed.

"Let's go show Mommy!" he suggested. "She'll want to see what you've found too. I bet she'll be surprised. And she might have a surprise for you in return."

"D'ya think she'll sing like you were doing?" she wondered, wide-eyed.

"She just might," Daddy chuckled. He crouched down and pulled her into a warm hug. "Oh, Punkin! I hope you get lots of chances to feel as much joy in your life as I do right now." Before she could ask what he was talking about, he added, "Let's go find Mommy!"

Her mother enthusiastically "oohed" and "aahed" over her caterpillar then encouraged her to put it back where she found it so it could grow up into an even more "beautiful and majestic" butterfly. When she got back inside, her mother shared her own surprise, the news that she was expecting a baby. Sarah was going to have a new brother or, possibly, a new sister. In all the excitement, she forgot about her father's comment to her out in the yard.

Sarah smiled softly at the memory of that day. The day she learned that she was going to be a big sister. A big sister to a baby they named Molly. Even though she was a brat, she still loved her little sister. Like she loved the man in the next room. Well, maybe not exactly the same way, she thought, pulling her lips between her teeth to hold in her giggles. For some reason she couldn't immediately explain, she suddenly wanted Chuck to remain unaware of her presence, so she could spy on him. Well, maybe not spy so much as "observe" his behavior when he thought he was alone.

To that end, she slowed down and began to tiptoe the rest of the way toward the entryway to the family room and the adjacent kitchen. It was then that she realized that the sounds coming from the back of the house had changed. Chuck wasn't just humming anymore, he was singing! Was that a song from "The Wizard of Oz"? "We're Off to See the Wizard"? It sounded like it but the words were all wrong.

Chuck stopped humming long enough to take another sniff of the freshly ground coffee.

"Mmmm! That really does smell good," he sighed happily. "You chose well, young padawan," he chortled. Then, being as careful as possible, he tipped the ground coffee into the grinder lid. Retrieving the filter basket from the open top of the coffee maker, he filled it with the coffee. After replacing the basket, he closed everything up and pressed "Start." The grumbly sound of the coffee being brewed had him humming again.

"Hmmm. Hmmm. Do-dum-dee-dum-dee-dum-do-dum."

He suddenly realized what he was humming and snickered quietly. I'm off to see the wizard all right. Ever since I met Sarah. Thinking for a minute, he went on.

"Oooooh! I'm going to make some coffee!" he sang tentatively, his voice rough and a little shaky.

Pause. More thinking.

"The most wonderful beverage of all!" Less shaky, but still tentative.

Another pause, shorter this time.

"The drinkiest drink you'll ever drink! If ever a drink there was!" A bit more confidence.

A breath.

"If ever, oh ever, a drink there was! This glorious coffee is one because …" The coffee maker was grumbling in time with his singing. He giggled and began to grin.

"Because, because, because, because, because …" He was getting louder.

Dramatic pause.

"Because of the wonderful things it does!" Now, he was waving his arms around like he was conducting an orchestra. "Doodle-lee doodle-lee doodle-lee-do!"

"I'm going to make some coffee! The most wonderful beverage of alllll!" he finished with a flourish, his right hand pressed to his chest and his left arm raised with that hand thrust theatrically in the air toward the ceiling. After a beat, he lowered his arms and danced a little jig, caught up in his impromptu silliness.

That's when he heard a noise behind him.

Sarah quietly gasped at what she was hearing. Chuck was singing! Singing! Carefully placing her pill container on the dining room table, fearful that he might hear it rattle and intending to come back for it, she crept closer so she could hear better. She peeked around the corner and saw Chuck. He was next to the kitchen counter over by the sink, facing away from her, his hair in a riotous mess. Her fingers twitched with her desire to play with those disheveled curls. He had on his LA Dodgers boxers from the previous evening and a tee-shirt. From the shirt's color, she guessed it was the same one he'd worn at dinner. The one with "Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder" on the front.

He has a nice voice! Probably a tenor. Untrained for sure. Could benefit from a bit of practice too. Would he practice with me, I wonder? But, oh my! He's not bad. Not bad, at all. Certainly not as bad as he made out to us last fall. He may think he's bad, but he isn't. Not to me, anyway.

Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. He was being ridiculous and it was completely adorable. She was utterly charmed. He looked and sounded so carefree and happy, the cutie. It took her a moment for the actual words he was singing to register with her.

Oh my God, he's singing about coffee! Making coffee. He's such a goofball. This was a different side of him that she hadn't seen before. At least to this degree. Just being silly. Waving his arms like a conductor. And that flourish at the end? Priceless. The absurdity, and his creativity, took her by surprise. Ohmygod! Really? Dancing too? A jig?

Sarah couldn't help it. She tried to hold her absolute delight inside but was only partially successful. Instead of laughing out loud, she snorted. And the snort led to a giggle. Then a fit of giggles that only grew when she saw him react and turn toward the noise she was making.

Chuck heard a snort and a giggle behind him. Startled, his shoulders hunched as he turned toward the noise, knowing who it was. The only person it could be. The second he saw Sarah laughing, his face turned bright red with embarrassment.

Sarah saw the look on her boyfriend's face and realized what he must be thinking. Fearing, incorrectly, that her laughter signified mockery rather than delight. She rushed to his side, intent on dispelling his misunderstanding; her amusement forgotten.

"Sarah, I …," he began awkwardly, not meeting her gaze.

"No, Chuck. No," she interrupted. "Don't say what you were going to say. Don't even think it for a moment. Please, don't be embarrassed. Please." She reached out to squeeze his arm in reassurance before sliding her fingers down to grip his hand.

"I must have looked like an idiot," he persisted, still not looking at her.

"You're wrong," she corrected. He looked at her dubiously and snorted.

"You're just saying that," he frowned, slow to believe her.

She gave his hand a sharp tug. "I mean it! You're not an idiot!" Softening her tone, she continued, "In fact, I thought you looked pretty adorable." She punctuated her confession by letting go of his hand to slide her arms around his shoulders and going up on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his lips.

Finally relenting, Chuck grinned crookedly and snorted again, this time, in amusement and gathered her into a hug. "Adorable, huh?" She nodded. "If you say so."

"I do," she replied, her voice muffled from where she was burrowed into his chest. He chuckled and tightened his arms, as did she, both of them happily sighing. After a long moment, she went on, "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too, Little Miss Sneaky-sneak," Chuck replied teasingly.

"I was not sneaking," she lied, enjoying him teasing her.

"Yeah. You were," he insisted, "How else could you have gotten so close to me like that without me hearing you?" He knew how, but didn't want to admit that he'd gotten swept up in his impromptu singing.

"I was not," she replied, just as insistent. "Besides, a herd of elephants could have come through here with all the caterwauling you were doing," she added with a good bit of snark.

Chuck pulled back from the hug so he could look at her face, his eyebrows lifted in amused surprise. "Oh Ho!" he crowed in triumph. "The truth finally comes out!"

"So, you want me to insult your singing? Am I hearing you right?" Sarah countered, equally amused.

"Wait …," he paused, realizing that his girlfriend had turned his teasing back on him and she was watching him expectantly. Sighing, he narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Well played, Miss Walker. Well played."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Bartowski. Thank you," she replied primly. "I always knew you were smart," she added sassily, bouncing her shoulder. That got him laughing.

As his laughter faded, he finally noticed what she was wearing. "That's one of my tee-shirts!" His eyes widened in surprise and he pointed. "I thought I'd lost it somewhere. How …?"

"Your mom, Chuck," Sarah offered. "She let me borrow it."

His eyebrows went up as he nodded his head in understanding. "The bag Mom gave you right before you left our place last spring."

"Uh Huh. You are correct, Sir," she confirmed, smiling. "She also gave me one of your pillowcases. They were both in your laundry bag."

"Ewww! My dirty laundry? That's gross!" He looked disgusted.

"Not gross at all, Chuck," she disagreed. "Yeah, they might have needed washing, but they smelled like you. With you being away, I needed something to help with my loneliness. Your mom, bless her, understood that."

"She must really like you if she did that, Sarah. Wow. OK, then," he revealed.

The knowledge that Chuck's parents thought that much of her made her smile.

Then he pursed his lips and twisted them to the side. "You got that stuff and I didn't get so much as a scented handkerchief to keep me company for all those long lonely weeks. Sacre bleu!" he complained teasingly in a very good French accent.

"OK, D'Artagnan. Quit yer bellyaching," Sarah admonished, smirking. "How was I to know that your mother was going to do that? It caught me completely off-guard. I didn't know I even wanted something of yours until she gave me the bag. I didn't have anything like that I would give to you."

"Off-guard, huh?" he said, very amused.

"Yes, off-guard. Your surprise gifts did a number on my usually stellar mental faculties," she grinned, reaching up to touch her necklace absently.

"I see," he replied, trying to look serious and failing.

"Yes," she nodded emphatically. "They turned my brain to a bowl of mush."

"That sounds awful." Teasing. "I'm surprised you survived."

"Hush, you silly man," she pretended to fuss. When Chuck started to giggle, she smacked his arm good-naturedly.

He sobered and turned his head to look her full in the face. His eyes were bright, filled with love and adoration. The way he'd been looking at her for a long time. The same, but also … different. Because of what they both experienced yesterday. The things they'd learned about each other that no one else knew. Or would ever know. How their relationship had grown to a new level because of those shared experiences. She wondered if she had the same look in her eyes and if he could see it too?

The warmth she'd felt earlier during her reminisces began to rise inside her again. Pulling him tightly to her once more, she tilted her head back, silently asking for a kiss. Chuck didn't need any more encouragement and pressed his lips to hers. Their kiss lasted a while. The fact that there were only a few thin layers of clothing separating them only added to their enjoyment.

Chuck eventually ended the kiss, but didn't pull away. "God, I love you," he said softly. The depth of what he was feeling caused him to close his eyes and take a deep breath. When he opened them again, their eyes met and Sarah felt herself melting even further. No one had ever looked at her the way Chuck looked at her, like she was the only thing that mattered to him in the entire world.

"I love you too," she said, kissing him again as soon as she finished saying the words.

At that exact moment, the coffee maker made another grumbling noise. They whined at the same time then laughed.

"Somebody wants attention," she muttered, unhappy with the machine for interrupting them.

"Apparently." He shrugged apologetically, looking at the coffee maker over his shoulder and turning back. "Would you like a cup?"

"Yes, please," she smiled, resisting the urge to tease him about getting up so early even when he didn't have to. "Biggest cup you can spare," she added, her smile widening into a full grin.

"As you wish," he responded, grinning when she giggled. He stepped out of her embrace and went to open one of the cabinets. Pulling out a large mug, he showed it to her. When she nodded her approval, he proceeded to fill it from the coffee pot. While he was occupied with pouring his own cup, Sarah went to the refrigerator in search of cream, followed by a couple of spoons from the silverware drawer she'd discovered the previous evening.

They each fixed their coffee how they liked it. She took the spoon from Chuck once he was done and took it along with hers to the sink.

Taking a sip, Sarah hummed happily. "My goodness, Chuck. Where did you get this? It's yummy."

"You really like it?" Her approval pleased him immensely.

"Oh, yeah," she answered, taking another sip. "It's the most wonderful beverage of all, doncha know," she added with a cheeky grin. Chuck groaned and looked down at the counter shaking his head.

"You're not going to forget that, are you?" he pouted.

"Nope" She pressed her lips together in a straight line and shook her head.

A snort. "Great."

She reached out and squeezed his forearm. "You were cute and it was funny." When he started to frown, she ducked her head so she could look him in the eye. "All kidding aside, you weren't that bad, sweetie."

"Sure," he replied, not believing her.

"I am sure," she insisted. "I'm also not lying to you. I wouldn't do that. If you got some coaching and practiced a bit, you would be a pretty decent singer. I liked your voice."

Chuck looked at her strangely for a couple of seconds, his cheeks getting slightly red. "Thank you. That's kind of you to tell me that." He paused. "My plate already has a lot on it with my research and baseball. Whatever time I have available beyond those things I hope to be spending a lot of it with you." He shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"No disappointment on my end. I'm just glad I'm on your list," she deadpanned.

"Please," he scoffed. "You're the most important thing to me. I don't need a list to know that," he added sincerely.

She couldn't help herself. "I'm a thing now?" That got him chuckling again.

"Stop," he chided, shaking his head in faux consternation. "You're the most important person to me," he corrected, leaning in to kiss her.

This time it was her growling stomach that intruded on their playful romance. "Traitor," she complained.

"Welp, looks like it's time to get some food for my girlfriend's tummy," he wisecracked.

"Poop," she said when he left her to walk over to the refrigerator.

"I heard that," he declared, wagging his finger at her jokingly.

"I don't care," she retorted. "If we don't figure out breakfast pretty darn fast, you're going to hear worse than that, bub."

He barked out a laugh as he swung the door open and poked his head into the refrigerator for the fifth time. After considering the choices, he turned to look over his shoulder. "What do you think about loaded omelets with hash browns on the side?"

"Sounds good. Whatcha gonna put in the omelets?"

"Hmmm. I was thinking about sauteing up some pancetta, mushrooms, peppers, and onions to put in 'em. And doing the hashbrowns Waffle House style."

"What's Waffle House style?" she wondered.

"It's a restaurant chain. A lot of 'em are in the south. Open 24 hours a day. My grandparents in Georgia like to go there for breakfast whenever they want. Morning, noon, or night."

"Yeah, I've heard of them. The Waffle House Index on the Weather Channel and all that. You've been there, I take it?"

"Oh, yeah," Chuck smiled, remembering. "Every time we've visited Gommy and Grandaddy, we go at least once. Terrible for you but pretty tasty just the same."

"I bet," she laughed. "And Waffle House style? What's that?"

"You're in for a treat there, sweetie," he grinned, rubbing his hands together. "There's lots of ways you can order your hashbrowns. They claim that there's hundreds of combinations. I won't bore you with all the options or combinations. Besides, Mom taught me to order them 'scattered, smothered, and covered.' I never bothered to try them any other way," he shrugged.

"What does all that mean exactly?"

"Scattered means spread out so the potatoes get crispier. Smothered means sauteed with onions. Vidalia Onions, to be exact. And covered means melted American cheese on top," he recited proudly. "Very southern and very good. Lots of cholesterol too." He grinned.

"God, that all sounds amazing," she admitted. "But it also sounds pretty fattening. Guess we'll have to figure out ways to work off all that food, won't we?" She bounced her eyebrows and grinned at him suggestively.

"Ahem … Guess we will at that," he blinked and smiled crookedly, yesterday replaying in his mind again. He was still getting used to this new dynamic in their relationship.

"OK, then. Chop, chop. Feed me, Seymour," she commanded, clapping her hands. "What can I do to help?"

Chuck shook his head to clear it of the things he was remembering. "Would you chop the peppers and mushrooms and onions while I get the frying pans going?"

"On it," she nodded, gathering the various fillings from the fridge and placing them on the kitchen island beside the cutting board.

Sarah did the chopping, making sure to chop enough onions for both the omelets and the hashbrowns. Meanwhile, Chuck started to sauté the pancetta. When the veggies were ready, he asked her to scrape them into the pan with the already cooking meat. After everything was cooked sufficiently, he set it aside in a bowl. Taking the second pan, he began to cook the hashbrowns with a good dose of salt and pepper, making sure to scatter them around so they could crisp up the way they'd discussed. After a few minutes, he added the remaining onions.

The delicious smells were making her mouth water. As was watching her boyfriend work around the stove. She shook her head at herself. What is it about Chuck cooking that turns me on so much? Deciding that it didn't matter, she smirked and kept watching. When he turned to look at her, she was proud that she didn't react and give away her ogling.

"Would you keep an eye on the hashbrowns for me, sweetie? I've got to get started on the eggs."

"I could do that for you," she offered.

"Maybe another time, but for now, let me do this for you. Pleeeeease?" he wheedled, making a face.

Sarah laughed at the comical performance he was giving her. "OK, I'll do what you want," she acquiesced. "For now." He giggled and kissed her on the cheek when she stepped up to the stove.

Chuck pulled a bowl from another cupboard and cracked three eggs into it. After adding some salt and a few spoonfuls of water, he proceeded to vigorously beat the eggs until they were frothy. Satisfied with his effort, he poured the mixture into the same pan they used to cook the meat and vegetables. As the eggs cooked, they souffléed and Chuck quickly added half of the already cooked filling. When the eggs looked done, he flipped them in half for a few seconds before sliding the finished omelet onto a plate. Then he started the entire process all over again.

Sarah got his attention. "Is this how you wanted the hashbrowns cooked?" He glanced over and nodded.

"They look good, but they need to be flipped so they crisp on both sides," he directed.

"You got it, Chef Boyardee," she chirped. When he turned to her in surprised amusement, she giggled.

"Can it," he retorted with a snorted laugh. "And get flipping." She snickered with her tongue between her teeth, but didn't say anything in return. She was too busy concentrating on trying to avoid flipping the potatoes out of the pan onto the stovetop.

Chuck finished cooking the second omelet and Sarah added the cheese slices to the hashbrowns to complete their meal preparations. After everything was plated, she admitted to herself that it was more food than she normally ate for breakfast. She also allowed that she was hungrier than normal. Much hungrier. Hmmm. I wonder why? He handed her a plate and silverware and they carried their food, along with their topped-up coffee mugs, into the dining room.

"What's this?" Chuck asked, setting his plate and mug down on the table.

Shit. Her birth control pills were still laying there, right where she left them, forgotten.

"They're mine, Chuck," Sarah answered, picking them up. "Please don't be mad."

"Why would I be mad?" He looked at her quizzically. When he took in the pained expression on her face, he began to worry. "Oh, God! Sarah, what's wrong? Are you ill? Is it something bad? Is that … is that why you didn't say anything? Because you didn't want me to worry while I was away on the Cape?" He spiraled, reaching out to give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Chuck …" she tried.

"I'm here now, baby. Don't you worry. We'll get the best doctors. Doesn't matter whatever it is. We'll figure it out."

"Chuck!" Sarah raised her voice and tugged on his hand.

That got his attention and he stopped, breathing hard, his worry clearly evident. It hurt her to see the abject fear in his eyes where she'd so recently seen nothing but happiness and love.

"I'm fine, sweetie. I promise," she announced firmly. "Nothing is wrong. I'm not sick." He eyed her uncertainly. "And I'm certainly not dying."

"Then what …" he started, very confused.

"They're my birth control pills, Chuck," she answered apologetically.

"Oh! Is that all?" He let out a shaky breath and chuckled, gathering her into his arms for an emotional hug. "Y'all scared the crap outta me. I thought something terrible was wrong." He squeezed her tighter. "Oh my God, Sarah. I'm so relieved." When he pulled back to look at her, she saw that he had tears in eyes, as did she.

"I'm sorry, baby," she sniffed sadly. "I brought them downstairs to tell you. When I caught you singing, I put them on the table because I didn't want them to give me away if they rattled and you heard it. And I just forgot about them. I'm really sorry." She sniffed again, but Chuck was beginning to smile.

"So, you were sneaking and spying on me, after all," he teased gently.

"Yeah, ya caught me, Officer Bartowski. I'm Sneaky Sarah, the not-so-super-spy. Guilty as charged," Sarah sniffed again, this time with a small grin. "But I really am sorry, too, for not telling you that I'm on birth control."

"It's none of my business," he shrugged. When she looked surprised, he explained. "Mom and Dad gave me the 'safe sex' talk before I went off to England the first time, not that I was in any danger of getting into any trouble on that front back then." She gave him a perturbed look for bad-mouthing himself. "And they did it again before I came up here last fall."

"But I still should have told you," she insisted, sounding contrite.

"You just did," he shrugged. "Besides, since you'd been here a while, I sort of assumed you took them. I thought most, if not all, college girls took them."

"That's probably true," she agreed. "But doesn't it make you mad that I've been asking you to use a condom anyway?"

"Why should I be mad?" Chuck replied, looking surprised. "I know that the pills alone aren't one hundred percent full proof. Neither are condoms. But when they're used together, they are. Mom and Dad were pretty thorough when they lectured me." When he saw the relief on her face, he finally understood. "Does this have anything to do with those boys we were discussing yesterday?"

"Yeah, them again," Sarah admitted sheepishly.

"Thought so," he nodded. Sighing, he went on, "Your roommates need to hang out with a better class of people."

Sarah barked in laughter. "You are too right." She rose on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. "Thanks for understanding, baby."

"I love you, Sarah. Your body is your business and I respect that. I should be thanking you for trusting me and telling me something so private and personal. I'm just glad you don't have anything terminal."

She giggled, "Oh, I have a terminal condition, all right." Seeing his surprised reaction, she added, "I'll love you until the end of my days."

He nodded and relaxed, beginning to smile. "Likewise."

They sealed their agreement with a long kiss. Both relieved but for different reasons.

The misunderstanding over Sarah's pills and the subsequent discussion about their true purpose had lasted long enough that their breakfast had begun to cool. After a quick warmup in the microwave, they returned to the dining room to eat, holding hands through the entire meal. Except when one of them needed to refill their coffee mug.

Sarah pushed her empty plate away and drank the last of her coffee. She didn't feel the least bit guilty about eating so much. She had plans for today too. "That was scrumptious, Chuck. No kidding. Thank you, sweetie."

"Ah thank you most kindly," he drawled with a pleased smile. "Ah'm glad y'all enjoyed it. Mr. Forkner and Mr. Rogers would be pleased too."

"Do they work for Waffle House?" she asked.

"Yes. Joe Rogers and Tom Forkner," he nodded. "They were the founders, but they're gone now. Back in 2017, just about a month apart. Lucky for us, their legacy lives on."

"I'd like to go to eat at one sometime."

"If you keep hanging around me, you can count on it. Sooner or later, we'll go to Georgia and visit my grandparents."

"I'd like that. Meeting them and Waffle House, both," she confirmed. When he beamed in pleasure, she laughed.

"Unfortunately, the fun part is over," Chuck sighed, sobering. "That means it's time for the much less fun clean up." As he finished speaking, he pushed his chair back and stood, picking up his plate and mug in the process.

"I'll help, Chuck," Sarah offered. "That way the work will get done that much sooner." And I can spring my surprise that much quicker, she added silently, following him into the kitchen with her own plate and mug.

They agreed to divide the chores between them. Sarah returned the unused vegetables and other items to the refrigerator while Chuck cleaned up the coffee maker. With those tasks complete, they stood side-by-side at the double sink. On one side, he cleaned and oiled the two cast iron skillets they'd used. On the other, Sarah quickly rinsed the plates, mugs, and preparation bowls before loading them into the dishwasher. Even though the dishwasher could probably do the job unaided, her years of living in military housing had conditioned her to always rinse stuff before putting them in the dishwasher.

Sarah looked over at Chuck but he was still engrossed in tending to the skillets. She left the dishwasher trays pulled out and the door open for the time being. It was the main prop for her surprise. Remembering where the disinfectant wipes were stored under the sink, she knelt and pulled a couple out of the container so she could clean the counters and stove top.

She finished about the same time Chuck was done working on the cookware. Glancing over at him, she hurriedly threw the used cleansing wipes into the trash. Then she went to stand in front of the dishwasher and watched him put the two freshly oiled skillets on the back of the stove to allow them to dry a bit before returning them to the cabinet.

While he was still distracted, she turned away from him to face the dishwasher interior and leaned over, keeping her legs straight, pretending to rearrange the items it contained. She checked over her shoulder and saw him turning around, so she tugged on her tee-shirt to raise the hem slightly. She was ready to play. Time for my surprise!

"Um … Chuck? Did I put the stuff in the dishwasher the way you wanted it?" she asked, not looking at him. It was a dumb thing to ask, she knew he wouldn't care, but she wanted … no, needed him to look at her. She heard him scoff, but didn't look at him, waiting for his reaction.

"I'm sure it's fine, sweetie. We didn't use enough stuff to really mat—," he stopped mid-word and gasped. He must have finally looked at her. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. "You're not wearing any … um … ahem … yeah."

She could hear him swallow nervously and grinned. I've got you now! You're all mine, mister. Trying to appear nonchalant, she looked back over her shoulder. He was staring at her wide-eyed and speechless, frozen in place. Her plan appeared to be working perfectly.

"You checking me out, Chuck?" she asked, feigning surprise. She knew he liked what he was seeing, his boxers didn't hide very much. But when she looked at his face again, she didn't see the loving desire she was expecting. Far from it. Oh, no!

He looked mortified; his face red with shame. When he saw her looking at him, he closed his eyes and looked away. "I'm s-sorry, S-Sarah. I sh-shouldn't have stared. I'm … I'm so, so s-sorry." As he finished stammering, he covered his face in his hands.

This wasn't the reaction Sarah wanted at all. She rushed over to where he was standing in abject misery. "Chuck, look at me," she asked softly.

"I'm so sorry, Sarah. You must think I'm terrible." he replied from behind his hands. She could see the tension in his shoulders.

"No, I don't think you're terrible, Chuck," she corrected. She reached up to hold his wrists and gently tugged. "Please look at me, baby. Please." Reluctantly, he did as she asked. She could see that his eyes were red and full of self-recrimination.

"I'm … sorry. Truly," he said, looking and sounding miserable. "You deserve better."

"No, I deserve you, Chuck. I deserve you, just as you are," Sarah responded adamantly. "I'm the one who should be sorry."

"What?" Now he was confused. "Why?"

"I wanted to tease you. You know. In a sexual way," she explained. "To get you excited. So we could make love some more. I didn't think about how you might react, beyond what I hoped." She blushed to be saying what she wanted out loud. Her boyfriend wasn't the only one learning to deal with new things.

The tension in Chuck's shoulders eased and he visibly relaxed. "Really?" She nodded sheepishly. "That was definitely a new experience for me. Still, I shouldn't have ogled you. And I absolutely was ogling you. And I'm sorry," he apologized.

"But that's just it, baby. I wanted you to ogle me."

"You did?" He was confused again. "What about respecting you and not taking advantage of women and everything else?"

"You would never take advantage of women, me especially. And I know you respect me. You've proven that time after time. But this is different."

"How?"

"We're a couple and we're here alone. No one can see us. How we act in public is one thing. How we act at home is another," she explained. "We've been making love pretty much continuously since yesterday. I even dreamed about you … us last night and woke up wanting you. I planned to do what I just did. I wanted to see your reaction." Chuck looked surprised. She smiled and pointed down at his body. "Before you got embarrassed, I definitely saw your initial reaction."

"I'm sorry about that," he frowned. "It's just that I … uh …" He stopped talking and awkwardly scratched behind his ear.

"You what?" she prodded, having a pretty good idea what he was going to say. If she was right, she had the same feelings.

He sighed. "I want you, Sarah. I've wanted you since forever." He hung his head, not meeting her eyes.

"That's wonderful, baby! I want you to want me. I want you too. That's why I didn't wear any panties and bent over so you could see. I wanted you to react. And you did," she smiled. Chuck still looked surprised, but less so.

"If I'm being honest, I always react like that to you. Almost since the beginning." It was Sarah's turn to be surprised. "I have taken a lot of cold showers since I met you," he shrugged. "Even when I was afraid of all of the physical stuff."

"And now that you're not?" she grinned.

"I'm still sorry that I react like that so quickly when I'm around you," he pouted and shook his head.

"I'm not," she grinned wider. When he still looked serious, she held up a finger asking him to wait. While he stood there, she hurriedly put a wash tab into the dishwasher, closed it up, and turned it on. Then she grabbed his hand and started walking toward the stairs. "Come with me."

"I've seen this movie before," he deadpanned. She looked at him over her shoulder and giggled, the color rising on her beautiful face.

When they reached their bedroom, she kept going and pulled him into the bathroom before letting go of his hand. She stood in front of him and repeated her actions from the kitchen, taking advantage of the room's bright lights.

"Look at me, Chuck. Please. Take a good long look," she encouraged him.

She peeked over her shoulder to make sure he was doing as she requested. He reacted as she hoped he would but without any negative aftershocks unlike before. When she saw his physical reaction, she stood up. She turned back to him and spoke.

"Now take off your clothes, sweetie." Instead of complying, he hesitated. "Please. I want to see you. All of you," she implored, lifting a hand to caress his cheek. He leaned into her touch then swiftly tore off his tee-shirt and dropped his boxers. As soon as he was naked, she removed her own tee-shirt. Now they were both naked and staring at one another.

"You are just breathtaking, so beautiful," Chuck whispered in awe.

"So are you, baby," Sarah smiled. She stepped up to him and ran her hand down his chest until she reached his groin. He shivered at her touch. "Your reaction, this reaction, thrills me. To know that you love me and that you want me, drives me completely crazy." She leaned up and kissed him hotly. He groaned because of the kiss and because she hadn't taken her hand away.

"You should know that I react the same way." When one of his eyebrows arched questioningly, she clarified. "No, my reactions aren't as plainly obvious as yours. I could give you the evolutionary biological reasons why that is true, but it really doesn't matter at the moment." That earned her a grin. "What I'm saying is, I react to you like you react to me."

To prove her point, she removed her hand from his groin, only to take hold of his wrist and bring it to her breast. "You feel that?" He nodded and she could see the desire in his eyes. Good. "That's me reacting to you. They're always like that when I'm around you. It drives me nuts. You drive me nuts. In the best way." She kissed him again.

Then she tugged his hand down her body until he was touching her between her legs. "I know you can feel that." He nodded again, half smiling and blushing. "This is your fault too," she teased. "I've taken so many freaking cold showers because of you, baby. You have no idea." She took his hand away from her middle but didn't let go.

"We don't have to do that anymore, though. Do we?" he asked. "Take cold showers, I mean."

"We do not," she confirmed, pulling him down for another warm kiss. She broke the kiss and walked out of the bathroom, Chuck in tow.

"Now what are we doing?" he asked, even though he had a pretty good idea. They were both naked and he wasn't a complete fool. He just wanted to hear what his girlfriend would say. She wasn't the only one who could play.

"Whaddya think, babe?" she asked rhetorically. "We're naked and we're reacting to each other. We're turned on. No lying about that." She put her arms around him and hugged him tight. "We're going to do what I planned on doing when I sprang my little surprise on you downstairs the first time. We're going to make love," she added, stating the obvious.

"Even I figured that out," he joked.

"But I want to try something a little different to start, if that's OK." She announced, biting her lower lip. He whimpered softly and nodded. When she did that biting her lip thing, it made him a little insane and he would do anything she asked. She giggled knowingly and kissed along his jaw until she reached that particular spot on his neck. When she kissed him there, he softly growled and she hummed in happiness. Pulling back so that she could see his face, she pointedly looked over at the bed. It was still unmade, so she merely said, "Lie down and scoot over toward the middle, baby, please."

He did as she asked and she sat down next to him. Without another word, Sarah began to imitate what he'd done to her yesterday. She lightly ran her fingers down his body, but rather than moving them all over, as he had done, she traced a line directly down his torso. When she reached his navel, she tickled it until he giggled. Then she proceeded to gently rake her nails from his navel to his thighs and from one hip bone to the other. Without her touching him in any other way, she was causing him to react and react strongly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Like you did yesterday," she explained. "I'm memorizing you."

Chuck took her literally and was even more confused. "But I was tracing your entire body, touching you all over. You're just concentrating on one area." She'd guessed that he'd say something like that. Perfect. She'd been waiting to spring this line on him for a while.

"Can I help it if I'm a better scientist than you and my research is more focused?" Sarah replied with a cheeky grin.

He was beyond surprised, his eyes widened as his mouth flew open in shock. Her response had caught him completely off-guard. Then he started to laugh. He screwed his eyes shut and laughed harder. She was so pleased that she'd gotten the reaction she was hoping for. Getting him to laugh like that. Taking full advantage of his distraction, she leaned down and began peppering the skin she'd been caressing with soft butterfly kisses. As she was kissing him, she slid her hand over to touch his groin. When she heard his laughter morph into a soft gasp, she shifted her focus and kissed the warm delicate skin moving under her fingers.

"Oh!" Chuck exclaimed breathily. She felt him shiver. Or, maybe, shake himself, but before she could continue, she felt his hand gently touching her arm. "Uh … um … Sarah … um … you shouldn't do that," he mumbled haltingly.

Stunned, she looked up at him. He wasn't the only one who had done research and preparation. And she'd also had the 'benefit' of rooming with the other CATS for four years. Everything she'd heard and read, all the gossip, too, said boys liked this a lot. Liked it a whole lot. What was going on?

"What's the matter, Chuck?" she asked, puzzled by his reaction. "Why shouldn't I do this?"

"Um … girls shouldn't do that. When boys find out, they act really mean and say nasty things about girls who do … um … do that," he tried to explain, blushing furiously and clearly upset.

Chuck was just trying to look out for her, even though it was silly. He was being silly. Still, she couldn't help melting a little at his concern for her. Putting her first, like he always did. Only her Chuck would behave this way, she was certain.

"Do you feel that way, Chuck? Would you think badly of me for doing this? Say mean things to me, about me?"

"No! No, of course not. I love you! I would never think badly of you. I couldn't," he protested. "I'm talking about other guys, not me."

It struck Sarah, suddenly, that this situation was almost the mirror image of what happened between them yesterday. Of her trying to stop him from pleasing her. It took an effort to keep from laughing at the absurdity of both their actions. What a pair we are! He'd helped her see the truth and, now, it was her turn to help him do the same. He wasn't thinking clearly, his concern for her interfering with his normally logical brain. It was her job to change that.

"I know you love me. But then how would those 'other boys' find out about what we do in private? Are you going to tell them?"

"No, I would never tell anyone. Ever. We agreed that our lovemaking is just for us. Private. No one else needs to know about it. I wouldn't tell anyone anyway," he declared. "I've heard too many guys being big jerks and saying awful stuff about girls too many times. It makes me so mad. I tried to ignore them but I wasn't always successful." His upset had progressed into teeth-gritting anger.

"Even Morgan?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.

He grimaced. "Yeah, even Morgan. Sometimes," he frowned, sighing. "But he was all talk, as far as I know. Girls didn't pay much attention to him in school." He shrugged. "At least, that's what he told me. I think he talked like that trying to fit in with the other guys. I never told him to cut it out because I wasn't in school with him. I had no idea what his life at school was really like, what he had to put up with. Beyond what he's told me, of course. And I've never heard him say anything like that about Alex, I swear."

She smiled. "That's good to hear. So, you won't think badly of me and you won't tell anyone." He shook his head. "That means no other guys can say anything mean about me from any kind of true information, right?"

"That's right," he confirmed.

"So, what's the problem?" She leaned down and kissed his skin again. And got a drawn-out hiss in response. A pleased hiss, despite their conversation.

"Um … When you put it that way …" he began but his voice trailed off. "But …"

"Have you realized yet that we were in this exact same situation yesterday? Except I was there where you are and you were here, where I am now?" she asked, hoping he'd put it together.

He thought for a moment. "I guess you're right, we were," he admitted, sheepishly.

"And how did that turn out?" she asked. She softly ran her tongue across his skin this time. It was obvious he'd been sweating. He squirmed and she was pretty sure she heard a quiet whimper.

"Oh. Yeah, I see what you mean," he shrugged his shoulders, remembering.

"Yeah," she agreed. Another soft kiss. Another equally quiet hiss. "Please let me love you like you've loved me." Her soft pleading seemed to finally convince him.

He drew a slow breath in through his nose and nodded. She smiled and squeezed his thigh, before she tucked some of her hair back behind her ears. And returned to what she'd been doing.

Like the previous day, it was a learning experience for both of them. Sarah was as careful as Chuck had been with her, maybe even more so. The realities of his anatomy dictated that. Being the recipient of Sarah's total focus was beyond anything in Chuck's experience. He couldn't process what was happening to him, so his brain simply gave up and gave in to the sensations roiling through his body. The effects of Sarah's gentle loving attention. Listening to the sound of his voice dripping with pleasure, continuously murmuring 'SSSaarraah,' drove her crazy.

Unlike the previous day, there was a moment when Sarah almost panicked. In the throes of his ecstasy, Chuck put his hands on her. She froze, recalling stories about how boys could get aggressive, try to force girls to do what they wanted. But this was Chuck, so even with what he was feeling, he wouldn't hurt her. But he also couldn't remain passive and just voice his pleasure, he had to show her. As always, his touch was gentle, stroking her hair, softly caressing her shoulders and upper arms. Sarah smiled inwardly and breathed out a relieved sigh.

His hands never stopped moving even when she felt his pulse begin to slow and his passionate exclamations stilled. She was watching the astonished grin grow on his face; despite the deep breaths he was taking. When he opened his eyes and looked down at her, she smiled.

"That was amazing. You were amazing, sweetie," she said.

"My line," he responded slowly. He seemed to be having trouble forming words.

"I stole your line?" she asked, seeking clarification.

"Uh huh," he nodded. Seeing the look on her face, he continued, "Brain no work."

Sarah rocked from side to side, laughing. Chuck giggled in reply and tugged on her arms, encouraging her to join him further up the bed.

When she reached his side, he rewarded her with a warm kiss.

"Thank you, Sarah. That was indescribable," he complimented her, adding an "amazing" for good measure.

"You're welcome, baby. I enjoyed it too," she said sincerely. The realization that she gave him that much pleasure, settled within her, sending a powerful electric charge racing through her veins. Something moved within her, primal in its force. Sarah couldn't fully comprehend what it was, that would come later. Chuck was doing distracting things with his hands and his mouth. And, after a bit, with the rest of him.

Sometime later, they were laying side by side, trying to catch their breath. Each sporting matching grins. Their fingers were intertwined, reflecting their mutual need to be in physical contact.

"Whew, boy!" Sarah exclaimed, running her free hand through her disheveled hair.

"You can say that again," he quickly replied. She felt his eyes on the side of her face, so she turned her head to more easily look at him.

"Whew, boy!" she repeated, smiling with her tongue between her teeth, giggling at her own cheek.

"Ah ha!" Chuck snorted and laughed. Their amusement slowly faded and they lapsed into silence once more, each basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

In the stillness, she recalled a question she had about a comment he'd made the previous day.

"Chuck, what did you mean yesterday when you talked about doing 'research' and 'preparation'?" she asked, looking at his face.

"Yeah, that," he nodded, blowing out a breath. "While I was in Massachusetts, during my free time, I read some e-books and searched online," he shrugged, "so I wouldn't be completely uninformed when I got back to you."

"You searched online?" she questioned. "Wasn't that kind of difficult? I mean, difficult for you to avoid seeing stuff you didn't want to see?"

"Yes, it was," he agreed. "I would read the search results before clicking on any web pages. That allowed me to steer clear of most sites. In the end, I ended up going to just one page."

"Really?"

He nodded and shrugged.

"What sort of site did you find?" Sarah was definitely curious. She made a mental note to ask him about the books he'd read later.

"It was a site that talked about … um … sex positions," he admitted, reddening slightly.

"Sex positions? Really?" Sarah was incredulous. She had a hard time picturing her Chuck on a website like that. "Did it have pictures? Videos? How could you look at them?"

"No, they didn't have any videos," he shook his head. "No pictures, either … no photographs, I mean. All they had were drawings with outlines of people. Pretty generic actually."

"How many did they have listed?" she was blushing, but she was also very interested to hear what he would say.

"Weelll," he hesitantly began, his own blush increasing. "Over five hundred, last time I was there."

She was dumbfounded. "Over five hundred?" she giggled in disbelief. She couldn't imagine that many.

"Uh huh, over five hundred," Chuck confirmed, nodding emphatically, his eyes huge.

"Oh, this I gotta see!" Sarah declared, a wide grin covering her face.

A/N2: Chapter title comes from the song by Cheap Trick. The opening few verses of the song sum up Sarah's viewpoint in this chapter.

A/N3: There is really a website like the one mentioned at the end of this chapter. It's amazing what you find when you're just doing research for a story.

A/N4: My continued thanks to WillieGarvin for his ongoing support. His friendship and guidance are two of the reasons I'm still enjoying working on this story. Salute!

A/N5: Thank you for reading. Please drop me a PM or leave a review. Let me know what you think. For those of you who have left reviews or PMs previously, thank you. I appreciate each and every one of them. Thank you to everyone who's followed or favorited this story, too. Your support means a lot to me.

A/N6: If you enjoy Chuck fan fiction here on the fanfic site, go over to Facebook and join the Chuck Fanfiction group that's there. You'll find nice folks who share your interest in our favorite spy couple. You are not alone.