(no subject)
Title: Ellie versus The Bad Day
Author: Cassie
Fandom: Chuck
Pairing: Ellie/Awesome
Rating: PG-13
Written for: storydivagirl
Prompt (and optional prompt): bath bombs (relaxing after a rough day at the hospital)
Disclaimer: Josh Schwartz is king among geeks, making me nothing more than a loyal servant.
Archiving and Distribution: Em and the bubble archive? Definitely. All others? Probably, but it would be nice if you asked first.
Notes: Thanks to em_meredith for hosting the 'thon, to Clr and Em for the bad day examples, and a multitude of people for putting up with my whining these past couple of months.
~~~
"Today was a disaster," Ellie grumbled as she dropped her bag on top of her dresser and plopped down on the bed next to Devon.
He set down his book and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Bad afternoon at the hospital, babe?"
"The worst," she confirmed, leaning into him. "Mrs. Carrick threw up on me, Johnson's chart got lost, and -" She stopped abruptly and offered him a wan smile. "You know what? It's not even worth rehashing."
Massaging her shoulder in sympathy, he asked, "Want me to draw a bath for you? It might help you relax."
She smiled gratefully at him. "Would you?"
"Absolutely," he said, bounding from the bed and heading for their private bathroom. He stopped just short of the doorway and turned back to her, asking, "Should I add one of those bath things?"
She nodded. "That would be heaven. Maybe one of the lavender ones."
"Can do," he said, disappearing into the bathroom. A moment later, he reappeared, just as she was starting to get undressed. "Um, where exactly would I find them again?" he asked.
"They should be in the cabinet under the sink, next to the extra bottles of shampoo," she told him.
He shook his head. "Nope."
"Are you sure? I know I had some. They were - Chuck."
He looked at her blankly. "Huh?"
"Chuck," she repeated. "He was asking about something he could do to cheer Sarah up - something about a bad day she'd had at work or something - and I mentioned how whenever I have a bad day, you always offer to draw me a bath. He probably took my suggestion to heart and borrowed my bath bombs to make it more special."
"Want me to go look for them?" Devon asked.
She shook her head. "No, I'll go. They're probably stashed in his second drawer where he thinks I don’t know he hides stuff," she said, pulling on her robe and tying the sash. "Honestly, it's amazing how thoughtless he can be at the same time that he's being so sweet."
Padding down the hall, she headed to Chuck's room, barely paying attention to her surroundings until she flicked on the light and saw a man-sized figure standing outside the window.
One hand immediately flew to the belt of her robe while the other went to her mouth. This part of the city had always been so safe, so family-friendly, so… Wait. She recognized that green shirt. It was a Buy More shirt.
Ensuring that she was completely covered by her robe, she undid the lock and threw open the window. "Morgan! Stop lurking right this minute and show yourself!"
A deep voice answered as a man who was obviously taller and wider than Morgan stepped out of the shadows. "You shouldn't open the window when there are strange men outside."
Ellie blinked in surprise at both the words and the person who spoke them. "John? What on earth are you doing out there?"
Casey peered back at her, unnerving her with his calm unblinking stare. "I was looking for Chuck."
"Chuck isn't here. He's out with Sarah."
Casey narrowed his eyes and she instinctively took a step back. "Out with Sarah?" he practically growled.
"Yes," she answered, squinting in confusion when his glared intensified. "They're on a date."
"A date?"
"Yes!" she repeated. "What has gotten into you? I expect this kind of thing from Morgan, but you… this doesn't seem like you, John."
His features immediately smoothed out and he offered her a tight smile. "I'm sorry. It's not. I was just… surprised."
Not wanting to prolong the odd encounter any longer, she accepted his apology. "Okay. I'll let Chuck know you stopped by."
With that, she firmly shut the window in Casey's face, snapping the lock back into place and pulling down the blind. Honestly, she loved her little brother, but he had the strangest friends.
She was so rattled by Casey's unexpected appearance that she nearly walked out of the room without retrieving the items she'd gone looking for. Bath bombs. Chuck must have borrowed them; there simply wasn't any other reason to explain how they had gone missing from the cabinet she kept them in.
Resisting the little voice in her head that told her she didn’t really need them to enjoy her bath - and that she'd had enough surprises this evening and didn't need anymore by snooping in Chuck's things - she pulled open the second drawer of his dresser. Sock, sock, t-shirt, new Xbox game, D&D dice… jackpot! Just as she suspected - several neatly wrapped bath bombs in her favorite scent.
Lifting one from the drawer, she bounced it from hand to hand. Chuck wouldn't notice if just one was gone, would he? Plus, she could always replace the missing one tomorrow, as well as replenish her own supply. He'd never even have to know she'd been in here, she thought as she turned off the light and exited the room.
"I just had the strangest encounter with John Casey in Chuck's bedroom," she told Devon when she got back to the bathroom.
He looked up from where he knelt by the tub, expertly adjusting the water to exactly the temperature she liked. "John? Really?"
She nodded and handed him the bath bomb. "He was lurking outside the window."
"Ah, you mean Morgan," he said, taking it and gently dropping it into the water.
"No, I mean John," she said, shaking her head. "It was really bizarre. If it weren't for how normal Sarah is, I'd be really worried about the kind of friends Chuck keeps attracting."
Devon made a soft snorting noise. "Don't be. He'll grow out of it eventually, settle down and make some normal friends."
She shrugged, not quite convinced. "I guess."
"Stop worrying about Chuck," Devon said, taking her hand and drawing her closer to the tub. "Your bath is ready."
Dropping her robe, she stepped into the tub, relaxing as the warm, foamy water lapped against her skin. It felt like heaven.
"You know, suddenly this day doesn’t seem so bad. And I have an excellent idea on how it can get even better," she said, holding out a hand and smiling at him in invitation. "Why don't you join me?"
*The End*
Author: Cassie
Fandom: Chuck
Pairing: Ellie/Awesome
Rating: PG-13
Written for: storydivagirl
Prompt (and optional prompt): bath bombs (relaxing after a rough day at the hospital)
Disclaimer: Josh Schwartz is king among geeks, making me nothing more than a loyal servant.
Archiving and Distribution: Em and the bubble archive? Definitely. All others? Probably, but it would be nice if you asked first.
Notes: Thanks to em_meredith for hosting the 'thon, to Clr and Em for the bad day examples, and a multitude of people for putting up with my whining these past couple of months.
~~~
"Today was a disaster," Ellie grumbled as she dropped her bag on top of her dresser and plopped down on the bed next to Devon.
He set down his book and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Bad afternoon at the hospital, babe?"
"The worst," she confirmed, leaning into him. "Mrs. Carrick threw up on me, Johnson's chart got lost, and -" She stopped abruptly and offered him a wan smile. "You know what? It's not even worth rehashing."
Massaging her shoulder in sympathy, he asked, "Want me to draw a bath for you? It might help you relax."
She smiled gratefully at him. "Would you?"
"Absolutely," he said, bounding from the bed and heading for their private bathroom. He stopped just short of the doorway and turned back to her, asking, "Should I add one of those bath things?"
She nodded. "That would be heaven. Maybe one of the lavender ones."
"Can do," he said, disappearing into the bathroom. A moment later, he reappeared, just as she was starting to get undressed. "Um, where exactly would I find them again?" he asked.
"They should be in the cabinet under the sink, next to the extra bottles of shampoo," she told him.
He shook his head. "Nope."
"Are you sure? I know I had some. They were - Chuck."
He looked at her blankly. "Huh?"
"Chuck," she repeated. "He was asking about something he could do to cheer Sarah up - something about a bad day she'd had at work or something - and I mentioned how whenever I have a bad day, you always offer to draw me a bath. He probably took my suggestion to heart and borrowed my bath bombs to make it more special."
"Want me to go look for them?" Devon asked.
She shook her head. "No, I'll go. They're probably stashed in his second drawer where he thinks I don’t know he hides stuff," she said, pulling on her robe and tying the sash. "Honestly, it's amazing how thoughtless he can be at the same time that he's being so sweet."
Padding down the hall, she headed to Chuck's room, barely paying attention to her surroundings until she flicked on the light and saw a man-sized figure standing outside the window.
One hand immediately flew to the belt of her robe while the other went to her mouth. This part of the city had always been so safe, so family-friendly, so… Wait. She recognized that green shirt. It was a Buy More shirt.
Ensuring that she was completely covered by her robe, she undid the lock and threw open the window. "Morgan! Stop lurking right this minute and show yourself!"
A deep voice answered as a man who was obviously taller and wider than Morgan stepped out of the shadows. "You shouldn't open the window when there are strange men outside."
Ellie blinked in surprise at both the words and the person who spoke them. "John? What on earth are you doing out there?"
Casey peered back at her, unnerving her with his calm unblinking stare. "I was looking for Chuck."
"Chuck isn't here. He's out with Sarah."
Casey narrowed his eyes and she instinctively took a step back. "Out with Sarah?" he practically growled.
"Yes," she answered, squinting in confusion when his glared intensified. "They're on a date."
"A date?"
"Yes!" she repeated. "What has gotten into you? I expect this kind of thing from Morgan, but you… this doesn't seem like you, John."
His features immediately smoothed out and he offered her a tight smile. "I'm sorry. It's not. I was just… surprised."
Not wanting to prolong the odd encounter any longer, she accepted his apology. "Okay. I'll let Chuck know you stopped by."
With that, she firmly shut the window in Casey's face, snapping the lock back into place and pulling down the blind. Honestly, she loved her little brother, but he had the strangest friends.
She was so rattled by Casey's unexpected appearance that she nearly walked out of the room without retrieving the items she'd gone looking for. Bath bombs. Chuck must have borrowed them; there simply wasn't any other reason to explain how they had gone missing from the cabinet she kept them in.
Resisting the little voice in her head that told her she didn’t really need them to enjoy her bath - and that she'd had enough surprises this evening and didn't need anymore by snooping in Chuck's things - she pulled open the second drawer of his dresser. Sock, sock, t-shirt, new Xbox game, D&D dice… jackpot! Just as she suspected - several neatly wrapped bath bombs in her favorite scent.
Lifting one from the drawer, she bounced it from hand to hand. Chuck wouldn't notice if just one was gone, would he? Plus, she could always replace the missing one tomorrow, as well as replenish her own supply. He'd never even have to know she'd been in here, she thought as she turned off the light and exited the room.
"I just had the strangest encounter with John Casey in Chuck's bedroom," she told Devon when she got back to the bathroom.
He looked up from where he knelt by the tub, expertly adjusting the water to exactly the temperature she liked. "John? Really?"
She nodded and handed him the bath bomb. "He was lurking outside the window."
"Ah, you mean Morgan," he said, taking it and gently dropping it into the water.
"No, I mean John," she said, shaking her head. "It was really bizarre. If it weren't for how normal Sarah is, I'd be really worried about the kind of friends Chuck keeps attracting."
Devon made a soft snorting noise. "Don't be. He'll grow out of it eventually, settle down and make some normal friends."
She shrugged, not quite convinced. "I guess."
"Stop worrying about Chuck," Devon said, taking her hand and drawing her closer to the tub. "Your bath is ready."
Dropping her robe, she stepped into the tub, relaxing as the warm, foamy water lapped against her skin. It felt like heaven.
"You know, suddenly this day doesn’t seem so bad. And I have an excellent idea on how it can get even better," she said, holding out a hand and smiling at him in invitation. "Why don't you join me?"
*The End*