1: Shhhhh
Bartowski can’t stop talking, even in the most dangerous of situations and it infuriates Casey so much that it feels as if every hair on his body is standing on end.
“Shhhh,” he hisses, looking daggers at the kid and hoping it’ll have some effect.
They lurk in the looming shadow of the warehouse waiting for a signal from Walker. If they’re discovered then it’s curtains for the whole operation and probably them along with it, yet still Bartowski is babbling. He’s probably ordered himself a pizza while he’s waiting. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“So… when I get in there what am I supposed to do again?”
All of a sudden Casey loses his mind. The kid’s lips are soft against his and he’s kissing him fiercely. He’s kissing his charge! Isn’t that what Walker does for a hobby? The strangest thing of all is that Bartowski is kissing him back and as their tongues dance together Casey leans in closer, pressing his full weight against Chuck, feeling the kid shove right back. He’s tall and solid and Casey has this insane urge to fuck him right here.
He pulls away, but not before the damage is done.
2: Never Happened
Chuck saves the day with his previously unknown knowledge of how to divert transmissions. He’s starting to feel like James Bond -- or maybe James Bond’s nerdy friend, Double Oh No.
To be honest, he hardly took any notice of what happened inside the warehouse. There was some shooting followed by Karate and the usual pile of enemies then he stopped a satellite from doing something bad, but his brain was unable to concentrate on unimportant stuff. He was far too busy thinking about making out with Casey.
Afterwards, Chuck gets into the car wondering what’s going to happen next. He glances to his left at the N.S.A. agent who has a nasty gaze on his cheek and he’s filled with an insane desire to clean it with antiseptic. All the way home he chatters about the usual crap and it’s only when he’s standing by the fountain that he realises Casey hasn’t answered him once.
“I could come in to- to talk about… it,” he stammers, because ‘it’ is the only way he can think of describing that kiss.
“It never happened.” Casey slams the door leaving Chuck shifting awkwardly from foot to foot outside the big man’s apartment.
3: Against the Wall
Casey rarely falls apart and when he does he makes certain that nobody is aware of it. This is why it smarts so much when Sarah and, worse still, General Beckman both ask if he’s okay within five minutes of each other.
“I’m fine,” he snaps for the second time and he’s a little concerned that the grumpiness will be an added indication that his state of mind is not as it should be.
“You have vacation time owing, Major. I insist that you take it.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he replies because it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get away and clear his head.
“As soon as the Intersect issue is resolved,” adds the General, her words dumping Casey right back into that bad mood.
He contributes a little to the conversation about pornographers from Romania, but really he’s thinking about how good it felt to push Chuck up against the wall and mouth fuck the kid like kissing was about to be outlawed. It’s proving a lot harder to stop wanting nerd boy than he thought it would. In fact it’s proving impossible and the only solution is to keep away.
If only he could take that vacation now.
4: On the plane
Chuck’s been suffering from split personality for a week, wanting, and in equal part, dreading the chance of spending some time with John Casey. When he finally gets that opportunity his brain turns to mush and not because of the memory of that kiss.
Right now he’s jammed into a narrow seat on a flight to Bucharest and the only reason his knees aren’t knocking is that they’re butted up against Casey’s bigger manlier ones.
“You okay there, Bartowski? You’re a little pasty.” Casey looks shifty. When doesn’t Casey look shifty?
“I don’t like planes,” he answers, feeling as limp as the warm salad leaves that’ll probably be served up for lunch.
“You don’t need to like them. You just gotta sit still in them for a couple of hours,” comes the dry answer. This time Casey doesn’t even look up from the newspaper he’s reading.
It’s not flying that bothers Chuck, it’s claustrophobia and this
sensation is trebled when nature calls and he squeezes inside the bathroom.
Mile high sex can’t be possible in anything less than business class --
not that Casey’s gonna be fucking him on the plane.
He pales from shock. Is that what he wants?
5: Plan B
This isn’t his idea of vacation. Casey unpacks, placing neatly folded shirts and underwear into the drawers and hanging up the rest of his clothes in the small closet that he and Chuck have to share. It’s not the only thing they have to share either and Casey eyes the bed suspiciously.
Forty eight hours and he’ll be away from here and clear of temptation. When the fuck did Charles Bartowski became the object of his infatuation?
“If this makes you uncomfortable I could sleep somewhere else,” says Chuck, stammering over the words in a way that Casey finds horribly appealing.
“Why the hell would I be uncomfortable?” he snarls, glaring at the kid to cover up his embarrassment and before Bartowski has a chance to mention the kiss he adds, “the deal is I protect you and separate rooms aren’t an option.”
~~~
Plan A is to arrange a shipment of snuff porn with the Romanian gangsters and then get the fuck out of the country leaving the C.I.A. to clean up. When this fails and they end up trapped in the dank cellar of a derelict farmhouse Casey has to think of Plan B.
Kissing Chuck isn’t it.
6: Inside Out
The unexpected kiss turns Chuck inside out and makes him churn with longing.
“Can you work your hands free?” asks Casey, backing off a little.
Chuck shakes his head. “No one knows where we are,” he says, resigned to the fact that they’re going to die.
Casey smiles. “You really think we let you wander around without a tracker on you at all times.”
Chuck has a feeling that the device is more likely to be attached to his liver than his watch but his primary concern is how to get his lips back in contact with Casey’s.
“Walker will be here soon,” says the N.S.A. man uncertainly.
Chuck doesn’t want Sarah to save them. When she does Casey will go back to being that silent detached man who’s only there to guard his brain.
The sound of a disturbance upstairs makes them pull away from each other. Casey launches himself backwards and the chair splinters as it impacts against the brick wall. Within seconds the man is free and untying the ropes that are trapping Chuck.
“Do we get to talk about it this time?” he murmurs as Casey pushes him into a corner, shielding him with his body.
7: Damned If You Do
An exchange of gun fire begins and Casey picks off the Romanians, careful not to injure the C.I.A. team who are closing in from behind. He can feel Chuck’s body pressed up against him; the kid is breathing fast and the puffs of air against the back of Casey’s neck are not helping his concentration. He’s tried hard to quell this obsession, but doing so only puts him off his game even more. It’s a classic ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation.
“Down,” he yells to Chuck, shoving the kid further into the corner as the Romanian gangsters make a final attempt at escape, kicking open what looks like a coal chute with access outside.
Putting himself in the way of the makeshift exit Casey reaches for his knife and fights them off at close range, sustaining nothing more serious than a few bruises along the way. Some higher power is on his side because he felt sure his minutes were running out. The higher power turns out to be Sarah Walker who excels at hand to hand combat and as she gives him a cursory inspection his eyes immediately turn to Chuck.
He’s damned all ways.
8: In the Car
Chuck hurries to get in the car. He has no intention of hanging around; he’s seen enough of Romania to last a lifetime.
“That was close,” says Sarah as she pulls out of the driveway and onto the dirt track road. She may be talking to Casey, but it’s him she’s looking thoughtfully at through the mirror.
“Too close,” answers Casey.
“The snuff movies were faked,” says Sarah. “We found the ‘dead’ girls living in a hostel in Stoenesti.
Chuck heaves out a sigh of relief because the images of slaughtered women have been weighing heavy. He hates the Intersect.
They pull in to the hotel car park and Sarah rests an arm across Casey’s shoulder. It’s an intimate gesture and Chuck can see that she’s worried about the man. “We fly back tomorrow,” she says. “I’ll pick you up at ten.”
Casey nods and gets out of the car with Chuck following behind like a lost boy.
“Casey… John, we’ve got to talk,” says Chuck as soon as the door to their room slams shut.
But the big man isn’t in the mood for conversation. Instead he closes in, attacking Chuck’s lips and propelling him backwards onto the bed.
9: In the Zone
He’s in the adrenaline zone and it’s a dangerous thing. Casey’s been hard ever since he and Chuck kissed and the fighting was just added fuel. He’s been trying to keep his feelings on the down-low but he’s certain that Sarah knows. He should learn to control himself or walk away from this mess and turn in his badge. He has to leave. Now.
“Casey?”
He can’t be latching on to Chuck’s mouth and drowning in the kid. He can’t be throwing him down onto the bed and ripping every piece of clothing from his body. He can’t be shoving down his own pants and shorts and rubbing himself off against Chuck’s erection like a desperate teenager.
“God, Casey.”
He can’t do this because he doesn’t fuck guys anymore -- certainly not guys whom he’s paid to look after. He can’t do this because Sarah knows he’s compromised and it’s her duty to tell Graham.
“Fuck!”
Chuck’s wide-eyed, looking up with this expression of dumb wonder, and Casey can’t help but reach for the kid’s cock, bringing him off in explosive jerks of spunk.
“Fuck, yes.”
He comes the moment he feels wet heat spatter in droplets over his belly.
10: Talking to a Chair
Chuck was a stupid kid and now he’s a stupid adult. Naïve, dumb, idiotic -- any of those adjectives will do to describe him.
He’d thought that maybe this meant something to more than one of them, but seconds after the sex is over Casey races off to hide in the bathroom and Chuck knows he’s made a monumental mistake. When the big man sneaks out, looking anywhere but at him, Chuck wants to rip the computer out of his brain and go back to being that ordinary nerd who was retrospectively content with having no one.
“Casey? We- we don’t have to-to do…?” he says trying to fix things with an overdose of shaky words.
The N.S.A. man pointedly ignores him and Chuck may as well be talking to a chair or that plastic ficus in the corner of the room so, deciding that Casey was right, he runs for cover in the shower.
Luckily he remembers to take clothes in there so he doesn’t have to deal with Casey not looking at him naked and when he emerges the big man glances up.
“I ordered for you,” he says and there on the trolley is Chuck’s favourite sandwich.
11: Who’s the Man?
The worst thing about this whole fucking mess is that Casey’s still obsessing over Bartowski. That lightning ten second frot has only succeeded in making him want the kid more. He’s screwed. Totally fucking screwed.
Sleep doesn’t happen. There’s a rift the size of the Grand Canyon that stretches between them and Casey knows it’s of his making. He’d run if he wasn’t the kind of man who carries out commands to the letter. He doesn’t recall ever being directly ordered not to fraternize with Bartowski.
Sharing a table in the restaurant they eat breakfast in silence and it’s so unusual for Chuck to be entirely without words that Casey begins to get twitchy. When they’re standing in the foyer with luggage by their sides, he finds himself hunting for things to talk about. Small talk that’ll ease the tension. Problem is he’s not good at that.
It’s a relief when Sarah walks through the door and Casey’s in such a rush to get away that he doesn’t notice they have company until they’re about to get in the car.
“Who’s the man?” he asks her quietly.
“Romanian secret service.” She nods at the gun which is pointing Chuck’s way.
12: Ice Cream
Today is not going well. Chuck thinks back to how Saturdays used to be spent playing Gears of War with Morgan while they gorged on pizza and ice cream. Still, at least having a gun aimed at his ribcage is more comfortable than eating eggs while trying to pretend that he didn’t come all over the surly statue sitting opposite him.
Chuck Bartowski, this is your life. Get used to it.
“What do you want from us?” snaps Casey, turning around and glaring at the Romanian agent.
“Nothing serious, Major. We’d just like to discuss why the United States is operating in Bucharest without prior agreement.”
Casey grunts a noncommittal answer and stares out of the window while the Romanian gives Sarah directions in a thick foreign accent.
They arrive at a secure complex and with a flick of ID enter the barbed wire gates where Sarah does as instructed and pulls to a halt outside a sprawling concrete building.
Chuck prays that he gets to stay with the others but instead he’s encouraged into a tiny room. A waiting area they call it but he’d describe it as a cell.
He’s alone and scared. Where’s Casey? He needs him.
13: In the Back
Casey’s fully aware that his life isn’t at risk, but he also knows that Chuck’s is. The kid’s brain is stuffed full of global military secrets and if these guys get wind of it then they could do anything to try and extract information from the Intersect. Fuck Bryce and Fulcrum and the whole goddamn C.I.A.; Bartowski doesn’t deserve this crap.
Eventually the door opens and Casey’s led handcuffed into an interrogation room where he’s shoved in the back and pushed into a chair. The Romanians may not be going to hurt him but they sure like to throw their weight around.
“Major Casey, why are the N.S.A. and the C.I.A. working together? This seems highly unusual.”
“Not for American agencies. We understand co-operation and we hope you do too.” Casey out stares the interrogator and gains a small amount of satisfaction from it. He’s not about to be intimidated by a bunch of Eastern European jerks.
“What we really don’t understand is why you brought an electrical store worker with you. Why is Charles Bartowski so important?”
It’s the question Casey’s been dreading. Chuck’s cover has been busted.
“He’s important to me,” he says slowly. “Not to my government.”
14: Used to Be Friends
Chuck is pacing frantically around the holding cell, trying to figure out what Morgan and Ellie are going to think when they realise he’s disappeared for good. This trip started off badly with his fear of flying and, except for those thirty seconds of ecstatic sex, has continued to deteriorate.
Who’d’ve thought he was the kind of guy to end up imprisoned in Romania? It would almost be funny if he wasn’t shivering with fear and close to whimpering. He wishes Sarah was here to protect him, but more than that he needs Casey. John Casey, the big brusque man who Chuck thought he almost used to be friends with. John Casey, the only person he’s had some kind of sex with for an embarrassingly long time.
“Casey!” Chuck heaves out a sigh of relief when the N.S.A. man unexpectedly enters the cell, the door clanging shut behind him.
“You okay?” Casey is on him like a rash, kissing him hard, the burn from that unshaven skin melting Chuck until he’s falling back onto the narrow bunk in a replay of yesterday’s events.
“I’m good,” he murmurs as Casey straddles him, pushing up his tee-shirt and mouthing each nipple hungrily.
15: In the Bathroom
Chuck’s so fucking grateful for every scrap of affection thrown his way that Casey’s beginning to hate himself and has to concentrate hard on staying clear of those kicked puppy eyes. The least he can do is give the kid a good time -- something to remember him by.
Resting a palm on his Chuck’s crotch Casey covers him with kisses until the kid is moaning blissfully; hopefully it’s enough to convince the men who are watching through the two-way mirror that they are lovers. Shocked by how much he wants him, Casey hurriedly unfastens Chuck’s pants, shoving the clothing down until the kid’s cock springs free. It’s thick and cut, pretty enough to make his mouth water, and keeping him covered as much as possible, Casey goes to work.
The kid thrusts into his mouth, and Casey lets him lead the play, sucking at that prick as it slides into his throat. When Chuck climaxes with a groan Casey crawls upwards and closes in for a kiss, regretting, for one bittersweet moment, that time spent hiding out in the bathroom yesterday while he reined in his feelings. They could have had one good night together. Now they have nothing.
16: Five Things
“I’m sorry.”
Chuck can’t hear the words, but he can see them form on Casey’s lips.
Years ago he and Morgan made up this game where they have a wish list of five things worth selling their souls for. Morgan’s has always been about women. It’s changed a little over time--She-Ra and Kimberly the pink Power Ranger have slipped out of the top five--but Ellie has always remained number one.
Chuck’s public list is much the same--except that for obvious reasons he never wanted to sleep with his sister--but his private list is different. He wants his dad to explain why he was such a dick. He wanted to know why Bryce ruined his life -- he knows that now but it still doesn’t make things easier. He wanted Sarah Walker. Nowadays, however, the number one slot on his wish list is taken up by John Casey.
All Chuck wants to know is whether the man likes him, and if he does then why the hell does he keep screwing with his mind? Hasn’t his brain taken enough punishment these past few months?
“I’m sorry,” mouths Casey again as he leans in and kisses him lovingly.
17: Kitty Cat
Under these circumstances, making out with Chuck is painful and awkward, but there’s also a small sick part of Casey that’s turned on by the idea of being watched. His prick throbs and he hisses out a sigh of pleasure when Chuck reaches down and nervously rubs at him.
This is wrong. The kid’s already confused and hurting and this is only going to make matters worse. The problem is that that mouth is becoming an addiction and Casey can’t help raising the stakes and dragging him closer.
They lie tangled together on that narrow bunk. Fingers tease down the zipper of Casey’s jeans and he knows he should stop this, but when Chuck wraps a fist around him and begins this slow, dry stroking, Casey’s lost, arching upward, his breath forced out in a purr of satisfaction.
Chuck grins. “You sound like a big old kitty cat,” he murmurs, but Casey ignores the comment. He’s been called worse in the past.
As soon as the kissing starts up again Casey comes violently. Chuck’s hand is gripping him tight and sliding up and down his cock and it’s dirty and wrong and so fucking good that he can’t think straight.
18: On Drugs
There’s no time for post sex cuddling. One minute Chuck has a fistful of Casey’s cock and the next the Romanian’s have learned all they needed to know and he’s sitting in the back of a rental car on the way to the airport. There’s been a reality shift and he’s living in another world. An unrelenting smile is fixed firmly on his face, everything washing over him in waves of happiness, until he hears Sarah Walker talking under her breath.
“Are you on drugs, Casey?” she murmurs, looking sideways at the big man who’s keeping his eyes plastered to the road ahead. “You don’t get involved. You know that.”
Chuck can feel Casey glancing at him through the mirror, but he doesn’t meet his gaze, just keeps staring out of the window as if he’s totally oblivious to the conversation happening in the front of the car.
“You can talk. Remember Bryce? And anyway I’m not involved with Bartowski.”
A sudden lump appears in Chuck’s throat as he listens to the quiet rumble and that lump spreads like cancer when Casey continues to destroy him with words.
“Just doing what needed to be done to keep the asset safe.”
19: Wanting What They Can't Have
The journey home is a nightmare for Casey; he’d rather be back in Chechnya. He has Chuck on one side of him staring blankly out of the window and Sarah on the other, her fists clenching and unclenching, and he spends the entire flight wondering if he’d survive a free fall from thirty thousand feet.
As soon as they hit tarmac Casey has the buckle of his seat belt undone, ignoring the aggressive looks from circling flight attendants, and he’s off that plane in the blink of an eye.
“Work this out now,” snaps Sarah as she drops them off home and Casey nods curtly whilst wondering how he’s supposed to do that.
He follows Chuck with every intention of offering explanations, but talking becomes less important the moment they’re inside the apartment and their mouths get reacquainted. They can’t keep wanting what they can’t have--they can’t keep having what they can’t have--but somehow Casey can’t stop himself.
Shaking with need, his hand slides into the waistband of Chuck’s jeans and the sudden gasp from behind them is less of a turn on than the breathy noises the kid is making.
“Chuck! What are you doing?” says Ellie.
20: Gone Bad
“What about Sarah?” demands his sister.
Oh God, things’ve gone bad! This was complicated enough already without Ellie getting involved. Casey’s looking shocky, those blue eyes are growing wider by the second, and it’s up to Chuck to take charge before the big man decides to kill people.
“We broke up,” he says, staring at Ellie over Casey’s shoulder. “And this is none of your business, sis.”
“But you and Sarah were so good together,” she says desolately as if she’s the one whose relationship has ended. “I thought you’d got over this.”
Got over what? Chuck’s confused. Got over being gay? He’s a brand new member of that team.
“You and Bryce were so long ago.”
“Me and Bryce?” Chuck loses his temper, fed up with all the assumptions people keep making about him. “We were friends. We didn’t have sex.” He looks from Ellie to Casey who’s still frozen like a statue. “He and I do have sex though and we’d like to get back to it.”
“Fine! I was only looking out for you.” Ellie storms off and Chuck leads a zombie like Casey into his bedroom.
“I’m screwed,” says the N.S.A. man as the door closes.
21: Psychological
Casey stands at the window, wondering how in the hell he managed to mess things up so much. He’s compromised the mission. He’s put Chuck’s life at risk. And now everyone knows everything.
“What do I do?” he breathes helplessly.
Arms curl around his waist, inexplicably causing him to relax, and he purrs at the sudden kiss to the back of his neck.
“There’s a bed,” says Chuck softly. “We could use it.”
Fingers begin unbuttoning his flies and Casey turns around in the circle of Chuck’s arms, knowing that this time the sex can’t be construed as anything other than need. There’s no psychological effect of danger, no adrenaline buzz, just John Casey wanting Chuck Bartowski.
Clothing comes off piece by piece and they fall onto the bed, springs creaking from the unexpected weight.
“You need a new mattress,” says Casey as he shifts a little to avoid the coil of metal that’s poking its way through layers of material.
“There’s something else I need more,” says Chuck, grinning as he slides downwards, his lips making contact with the tip of Casey’s cock.
The kid’s new-found confidence is a huge turn on and Casey finds himself in that free-fall.
22: If Only
If only he’d known how much fun blowjobs could be then Chuck would have tried doing them years ago. His first few licks are pathetic, but then he gets braver and takes Casey’s cock fully inside his mouth to discover that it feels awesome and tastes even better.
The big man makes the best kind of noises, lying there and letting Chuck explore him, and there’s seriously nothing else in the world he’d rather be doing. To think he wasted fourteen post-pubescent years playing video games!
When he finds himself gargling salty mouthwash Chuck’s not so sure it’s still the greatest thing ever, but then Casey immediately switches position, going down on him, and Chuck reckons that reciprocity is… is… oh God, such an amazing word.
The sex doesn’t end there. They have a nap and afterwards when Casey rolls over on top of him Chuck wonders if he’s about to get fucked, but instead there’s frottage and talking.
“In Romania,” groans Casey as his erection glides against Chuck’s, “I was protecting the asset.”
Chuck frowns.
“But not because it was my job to do it,” the big man continues and there’s a serious amount of pain in those eyes.
23: The Third Time’s a Charm
Casey rarely eases up enough to fall for someone. He was in love with a girl in high school, but a month after he joined the military--in order to secure their future--she left him for a pencil dicked accountant. His only other meaningful relationship was with a photographer in Groznyy. Ilsa died in a bomb blast and Casey never thought he’d get over her. Today, for the first time ever, he’s pretty certain that he has.
They say the third time’s a charm, but when Casey sees Chuck brimming over with feelings then he’s sure this affair is cursed rather than blessed. Not allowing himself to dwell on this, he reaches a hand down and begins to stroke them off together.
“Oh God, Casey,” moans Chuck and he silences the kid with kisses, trying and failing to stop them from meaning anything.
Coming first with a shudder, Casey works Chuck off with a handful of his spunk, watching the expression on the kid’s face when he reaches climax a minute later. Naïve brown eyes gaze up at him and it hurts somewhere inside when Casey finds himself wondering whether there’s a way to secure their future.
There isn’t.
24: On the Phone
Chuck’s developed a bad habit of Casey-watching. He hopes he doesn’t have goo-goo eyes, but thinks it’s a possibility. Once, he tried to make his Casey-watching face in the bathroom mirror, but that turned out weird when Jeff caught him at it and thought he was making goo-goo faces at him. That was a scary day.
Now Chuck does his Casey-watching with added subtlety and a definite longing in his pants for the time when their shifts are over and they can go home and have sex.
“Is your sister around tonight?” whispers Casey and Chuck shakes his head and smiles. His spy guy never admits to it, but it’s obvious he prefers the Bartowski place to his own, probably because it’s homelier. Of course a coffin is homelier than Casey’s place.
Casey walks off to answer his cell and Chuck continues to watch him over the top of the delivery sheets. All the time he’s on the phone the big man looks increasingly grim and as soon as the call is over he’s racing out of the door.
Chuck follows him over to Weinerlicious. “What’s up, guys?” he asks, worried when he sees Sarah and Casey’s matching bleak expressions.
25: Snakes
It’s the call Casey’s been dreading and panic wriggles inside his belly like a nest of snakes. His first reaction is to grab Chuck and run. His second is to go talk this through with Sarah. She’s a damn good agent, but she’s on his side. They’ve been through enough together for him to know that.
“Nothing to worry about, Chuck,” says Sarah brightly.
Casey’s so preoccupied he didn’t even see the kid come in. Turning to look at Chuck he keeps his expression as blank as possible.
“Go back to the Buy More and stop interfering,” he snaps, knowing that this above anything is the give away that something is wrong.
“I’m not a moron, Casey,” says Chuck, his hand reaching out to Casey’s forearm.
“I know.” Just for a second he allows his fingers to brush against Chuck’s. “Intersect 2.0 is up and running,” he says. “Beckman’s ordered me…” Damn it, he’s getting weak.
“You have to kill me.”
Chuck’s not a fool and he’s not a coward and Casey admires him for the way he’s taking this news.
“Unless we find a way to remove the information from your brain then, yeah, I have a kill order.”
26: Having to Work for it
Chuck’s relationship with Jill was all about having to work for it, but this thing he has with Casey is so damn easy. It therefore makes total sense to him that a spanner has been thrown at the affair.
“So, Casey… how are you going to go about terminating me with lethal prejudice?” he says, covering up his fear and anger with the usual Chuckisms.
“That’s just movie crap,” growls the big man, but his eyes are soft and hurting.
“Ooookay, but I still think it sounds cuter than assassination.”
“Chuck, you’re not helping,” says Sarah. “We need to think.”
“I’ll just be sitting here writing my eulogy then.”
“CHUCK!” Sarah and Casey are so in sync it’s scary.
“Any useful contacts outside the N.S.A.?” asks Sarah and Casey looks thoughtful as he munches on a hot dog.
Chuck had a suspicion that Casey was a comfort eater and this proves it.
“I know some people in Eastern Europe who may be able to help.”
“Help with what?” asks Chuck, jokes pushed to one side. “What can they do?”
“Get us away from here,” states Casey and the look he throws Chuck screams out loud that the feelings aren’t one-sided.
27: Three Years From Now
Casey makes the call someplace safe where he can’t be overheard and when it’s over he stares at the bleak grey ocean for a few minutes while he collects his thoughts.
Those months spent dark in Chechnya were some of his best and worst times ever. He’s never had anything to do with his contacts since Ilsa’s death, but those people now may be the only ones who can save Chuck’s life. Life and death intertwined. This is how it feels to be conflicted.
Three years from now he’ll have enough money invested to retire from active service. He always planned on moving somewhere desolate and building a quiet mountain retreat for one. The idea that it could be for two makes him break out in a sweat. It’s not a bad feeling, just a little terrifying. Chuck is not the kind of person he imagined sharing his life with.
When the phone vibrates in his hand he almost drops it.
“Someone can help you,” says Grisha. “They’ll be in contact soon.”
“Thanks,” replies Casey, but the line is already dead.
Following his instincts he heads back to Chuck’s home.
Chuck is his refuge.
Chuck may soon be a refugee.
28: Twilight Zone
John or Johnny?
Chuck tries these out in his head over and over again because it sucks calling the man by his last name, but Casey seems to be stuck firm.
He’s living in the Twilight Zone. Sometimes he finds himself whistling the theme tune, especially when he’s thinking about how gorgeous Casey looks when he comes out of the shower all dripping wet and guh!
Ellie and Awesome are coming around to the idea that their reticent neighbour is now a permanent fixture in Chuck’s bedroom and all would be cool if only the N.S.A. hadn’t issued that pesky execute order. Oh and the C.I.A. apparently now want him locked in a cell for the rest of his natural born days. Not so great.
Chuck’s stepping into his pants when he looks out of the window and sees a dark-haired girl approach Casey’s apartment.
“You’ve got a visitor,” he yells and as the big man appears, wrapping himself around him all dripping wet and guh!, the woman turns her head and Chuck gets one hell of a flash.
Russian, weapons, killer, French, photographer, Casey, agent, secret service, Groznyy.
“Sugar Bear?” he mutters.
“Ilsa?” Casey’s as grey as a ghost.
29: The Most Important Thing in my Life
Pulling on some clothes, Casey runs outside to greet the woman who’s supposed to be dead.
“You,” he says and he can’t think of any follow up words that aren’t about pain and betrayal.
She smiles sadly. “If I ever saw you again I was going to say that for months I lost my memory and was lying in a hospital in Groznyy. I imagine, under these circumstances, that story won’t convince you.”
“All this time you were alive. It was a set up. None of it was real.”
The bottom is still dropping out of Casey’s world when Ilsa leans into him, kissing him long and deep and it’s so familiar that he can’t do anything but kiss her back.
“You were the most important thing in my life, John,” she murmurs, her lips a fraction of an inch away from his, and Casey needs to believe her because otherwise everything else could be the same kind of sham and where would that leave him then?
“Grisha sent me to help with your problem,” says Ilsa and it’s only then that Casey remembers how much danger they’re in and he bundles her hastily through the door of his home.
30: Nice View
Chuck was never a curious person, not like Jeff and Lester who are always watching and trying to come up with dirty goods on someone. Things changed, however, the moment he opened that email and ended up with the federal reserve of secrets stored inside his head. He hangs with spies now. He’s learned to snoop.
At first he thought that the dark-haired girl must be a super assassin, but it turns out she has a license to kiss not kill and Chuck gets a nice view of her technique. He watches Casey cup her face and pull her in closer and can’t quite believe what he’s seeing because that big mean man belongs to him.
Replaying the Intersect, Chuck sees flowers, gifts, love--all the ingredients of a relationship--and he brushes away a stupid tear that forms at the rim of his stupid eye, heaving in deep breaths of air when he sees Casey and girlfriend approaching.
“Is this him?” she asks as soon as Chuck opens the door. “He’s not what I expected.”
“Yeah, this is Chuck,” growls Casey and not for the first time Chuck wishes he was called something more masculine and forceful -- like Dave.
31: Magical Moment
Casey’s spent four years dreaming of being reunited with Ilsa and it was supposed to be a magical moment. Now that she’s been resurrected he feels… nothing. He has no right to be angry--they were both liars--but all that time he believed in her, she was investigating him. There’s no other explanation. Two undercover agents don’t just bump into each other in a flower market in Rome. Life isn’t like that.
“I worked with your friend Bryce Larkin,” she says to Chuck and the kid looks blankly at her.
“I.. I… don’t get it,” he says looking from Casey to Ilsa. “I thought you were French secret service.”
Ilsa nods. “You do know a lot.” She cocks her head to one side and Casey’s stomach turns somersaults.
“You hurt him and I’ll cut you into tiny pieces and feed you to the fish,” he snarls and all those years of longing fall away.
Ilsa looks curiously at the two of them. “I didn’t think he’d be your type, John.”
“None of your business.” Casey feels uncomfortable as hell. “Just give me the name of that rogue Fulcrum doctor and go.”
The girl smiles coolly. “Ilsa Trinchina,” she says.
32: Make it Better
By the time Ilsa leaves, Chuck’s in a state of panic.
“How can she…? She’s going to laser my head! Casey, how can we trust her?”
Casey takes Chuck in his arms. “Pack a bag,” he murmurs as he kisses a path across to Chuck’s mouth.
He tastes faintly of lipstick and Chuck pulls free. “What?”
“Do you trust me?”
“I don’t know what to believe,” says Chuck miserably. Maybe Casey and Ilsa are working together. Who knows?
“Pack an overnight bag. We need to get away.”
Casey knows how to make it better and before he can blink, Chuck’s in bed with a naked man whose mouth is busy doing wicked things – wicked enough to make him forget the vague red sheen coating those lips.
Slippery fingers squirm into him, working that sweet place inside, and as Chuck comes hard down Casey’s throat, worries are temporarily relegated to the back burner.
“Trust me,” says Casey as he pushes Chuck over to one side then curves in behind him, his cock nudging away insistently.
Chuck tenses up, wondering if this is part of their plan, but then the raw, perfect pain of being fucked for the first time overrides everything.
33. Leaving
Chuck may be a mess, but that’s nothing compared to how screwed up Casey’s feeling right now.
He told himself not to have sex with the kid then he went ahead and did it anyway. And yeah, he knows Chuck’s not a kid age-wise, but he’s just so goddamn innocent, showing every ounce of pain, and this above everything else makes Casey want to protect the hell out of him.
While Chuck’s in the bathroom, Casey phones Sarah and explains that they're going away for the weekend, then he calls the Buy More and lies about stomach flu. After that it’s hotel reservations and the thought of escape.
Loading bags and a bewildered Chuck into the car, Casey takes the interstate west towards Thousand Oaks.
“I guess you staked out some bad guys here,” says Chuck, looking dubiously up at the hotel entrance.
Actually Casey made a point of picking somewhere that wasn’t associated with work, but that seems kind of moronic and so he just grunts noncommittally.
They check in and are taken to a hotel suite that’s big on luxury then, once the door closes, Casey daydreams about leaving everything, except Chuck, behind him.
It sounds good.
34: Do me a Favour
“Casey, this place is amazing,” says Chuck as he stands on the private terrace, wrapped in a bathrobe and looking up at the view of the mountains. “We are..? Are we… going back?”
“Do you want to?” says a rumbling voice from behind him and Chuck honestly doesn’t know the answer. If it wasn’t for Ellie and Morgan then he’d be happy to hide away here forever.
Casey stands closer and folds Chuck up in strong arms. “If Ilsa can erase the Intersect data then they’ll leave you alone.”
“Maybe.” Chuck may have only had dealings with the security agencies for a short while, but he’s got this crazy idea that they like to tie up all loose ends.
“Do me a favour,” he says, turning around. “Don’t let them keep me in a cell.”
“I won’t.” Casey rests his forehead against Chuck’s. “I’ll take care of you.”
Chuck believes him. He may not know what to do for the best, but his trust in the big man has been rekindled and after the promise is sealed with some thorough kissing they end up lying together on one of the loungers, Chuck straddling Casey, his hands busy working them off.
35: Nothing at All
Casey’s answer to everything is exercise and Westlake is the place to self-medicate. They golf and mountain bike and they swim and they fuck and it’s great therapy. In fact he’s so busy trying to take Chuck’s mind off this mess that he almost forgets there’s a problem. That is until vacation time is over and they’re getting into the car ready to drive back to L.A. when things begin to sneak into his head. Stupid things. Badly thought out things.
“Hey, Casey? Are you tripping or something, big guy?”
If they just kept heading east…
“Have you heard from Ilsa?”
The question snaps Casey back to reality. Chuck wants a life. He doesn’t want to be hounded by every agency in the world forever.
“Casey? You’re freaking me out. Can you pull over?”
Casey obediently parks at the side of road. “I’m freaking me out too,” he admits gruffly and when Chuck leans over to kiss him they end up making out in the car like teenagers.
Four years ago John Casey lost touch with himself. Since that day he hasn’t let anything penetrate the shell, nothing at all.
Now he’s back and he doesn’t like it one bit.
36: Reward
The first time Chuck met Casey he wanted to hit him over the head and run like hell and there are still moments when he’s not far from doing it. Like now for instance, après blowjob, when he tries to reward the guy with kisses and small talk and gets a “Shut it, Bartowski,” in return.
Leaving Casey alone to get over his bad mood Chuck wanders into the kitchen, hunting for milk and cookies, and finds his sister there with the same idea in mind.
“Can’t sleep either?” she asks, pouring a second glass.
“Ellie, I love you and even… even if I’m not here when I should be, I’m thinking about you, okay?”
Ellie fiddles with her engagement ring and it’s obvious she’s not heard a word. Maybe that’s for the best.
“Am I doing the right thing?” she asks.
“Do you love him?”
His sister nods.
“Then you’re doing the right thing, sis.”
Casey appears, rubbing bleary eyes. “Come back to bed,” he yawns.
“I can’t believe I’m getting used to you two,” laughs Ellie as Chuck follows the big guy.
The second the bedroom door closes Casey shoves his PDA in Chuck’s face. “Tomorrow,” he says tersely.
37: Divide and Conquer
The medical facility is disguised as a research laboratory. Casey must have driven past it a hundred times and never suspected any subterfuge.
“Tell me if you flash on anyone,” he hisses as they enter the compound. The lack of security reassures him that this isn’t a government operation, but his teeth are still clenched from an outbreak of nerves.
Ilsa’s waiting to greet them. “In here,” she says to Chuck. “I’ll explain everything to Casey while you’re being prepped.”
Chuck looks so vulnerable as he’s led away that Casey can’t help thinking of Romania and his heart lurches.
“He’ll be fine,” says Ilsa. She’s dressed in scrubs and bears no resemblance to the girl he thought he knew. “We both had secrets, John,” she adds and he nods once to acknowledge the truth.
“The procedure is practically non-invasive. He’ll wake up confused, but that will pass.”
“Is there a risk?” Casey asks and Ilsa takes a step closer.
“All surgery is dangerous,” she explains and there’s a look in her eyes which is cold and calculating and sends shivers down Casey’s spine. All he can think of is divide and conquer.
“I need to see Chuck now,” he snaps.
38: Everything I Know I Learned From TV
A needle enters Chuck’s skin and just as everything begins to get swimmy a face appears and a series of images flash through his brain.
“Casey?” he yells at the sound of a disturbance.
“I’m here,” says the big guy as Chuck passes out.
~~~
He wakes up lying on Sarah Walker’s couch. “I’m wearing a dress and no panties,” he croaks to anyone who’s listening.
“Want me to call you Britney from now on?” Casey smirks as he hands Chuck a glass then helps him sit up.
“You know gossip about Britney Spears?” Chuck spits back the mouthful of water.
“Everything I know I learned from TV news.” Casey’s smiling though and Chuck has a feeling the man reads National Enquirer in his spare time.
“Hey,” says Sarah throwing a bundle of clothes at Chuck who smiles inanely and then gets dressed, stuffing the hated hospital gown under a cushion.
“Passports and I.D.’s are here.” Sarah hands Casey a manila envelope. “Beckman and Graham have no idea Chuck’s missing, but they will soon.”
“Thanks.” Casey takes the documents from the girl.
“Tell Ellie… something,” Chuck says lamely.
“I will, I promise.” Sarah Walker kisses them both goodbye. “Now go!”
39: Cold and Wet
They drive north, stopping first at a car dealership to exchange Vicky II for a three-year-old Escalade. It doesn’t hurt as much as Casey thought it would. The car is big, mean and powerful and he likes it a lot.
After an overnight stay at a motel, when they’re both too stressed to do anything but curl up and sleep, they head for Fresno where Casey transfers funds from an offshore account and arranges a new set of I.D. for them both.
“Don’t you trust Sarah?” says Chuck looking at him with shocked brown eyes.
“I don’t trust anyone,” replies Casey, except you, he adds silently. “That’s why we’re alive.”
Chuck looks at him solemnly. “Ilsa was working for Fulcrum.”
“Which proves my point.” Casey tries to smile, but it gets lost somewhere.
He begins to relax once they cross the border into Wyoming. The weather turns cold and wet, which means there’s less people about to bug him, and when they stop for the night at the Super8 in Riverton he unwinds enough to remember the important part of this road trip.
“God, that’s good,” moans Chuck as Casey eases up, eases in and then fucks him into tomorrow.
40: Playing doctor
Chuck wakes up alone in the car in the middle of nowhere and he’s beginning to suffer from horror movie panic attack when he notices Casey outside opening some gates.
“What are you doing?” he asks when the big guy gets back into the car. “Breaking and entering not good.”
Casey ignores him and drives up the track which leads to a one-storey cabin nestled snugly into the trees.
“You… you bought a house?” Chuck climbs out of the Escalade. “How?”
“Just renting it until the legal stuff is done.”
“You did this for me?” Chuck’s speechless.
“For us.” Casey kisses him soundly then unlocks the door. “Come on.”
The place is cute despite feeling cold and damp. While Chuck unpacks clothes and makes up the bed, Casey’s outside being macho and chopping logs. He comes in with an armful of firewood and a sorry-for-himself expression.
“I’m hurt,” he says, pointing to a cut on his thumb.
“I like playing doctor.” Chuck grins.
Casey looks at him with hot, hungry eyes and even though it’s freezing they don’t make it as far as the bedroom.
Chuck may have a government computer stuck in his head, but his future’s looking bright.
DONE