Chuck Bartowski, Chuck, Thataways

[mm_joann]

So you know that Chuck guy? With the bajillion alternates? You have the one who likes to shag Jake Foley now.

He's dressed in a suit.

And wearing glasses.

And not entirely unpleased with the chance to take a breather and sort out his head before rescuing his dad.

Comments

[youknowtheword]

Waaaait a second. Is that - ?

"Chuck?"

[talldarkngoofy]

Chuck's head snaps around.

"Ca- hey!"

[youknowtheword]

Devon beams, and suddenly Chuck's table is plus one brother-in-law.

"Hey, bro!" he says, clapping Chuck on the shoulder. "I didn't know you came here!"

[talldarkngoofy]

"I... didn't know you came here, either."

[youknowtheword]

"Well. 'Hey, bro, I hang out at a restaurant at the end of the universe.' Sounds kinda crazy, you know?" Devon settles in comfortably. "I've been wantin' to bring Ellie, but I can never find a door when she's around. Ah, she'd love it, though. Someday."

He will find a way to make this happen.

[talldarkngoofy]

"You could... let her through when you have a door?"

<<

THEY COULD MEET JAKE.

Er.

[youknowtheword]

"Yeah, that's the thing, bro," Devon says. "It's always when she's at work and I'm at home, or vice versa. What am I gonna do, call her and say, 'C'mere, babe, there's a door I need you to walk through.'" He makes a somewhat distraught face, then brightens. "Milliways is just pickin' its timing."

It can't be planning to let him and Chuck in and keep Ellie out. That would be ridiculous.

[talldarkngoofy]

"Yeah, that... could be a problem."

[youknowtheword]

"Not to worry, bro," Devon says cheerfully. "It'll happen."

And with the preliminaries out of the way, he's looking a little closer at Chuck. "Nice threads," he says. "Is that for a, uh - you know?"

Okay, so Devon's not sure if the concept of top secret really applies in Milliways, but it's best to be careful, right?

[talldarkngoofy]

A bit carefully blank: "A what?"

...CLEARLY HE'S SIGNALLING YOU TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT HIS, ER, YOU KNOW, DEVON.

Or... not quite up to speed with you.

[youknowtheword]

"Right, right, bro." Devon nods emphatically, then winks. "Your secret's safe with me."

Chuck trusted him with it; the least he can do is keep it.

[talldarkngoofy]

....Chuck is not even going to ask.

"So how long have you been coming here?"

[youknowtheword]

Devon ponders the question.

"Long time," he says. "Kept me sane in med school, and my internship? The other interns hated me for always looking like I'd gotten a full night's sleep." He laughs. This is a joke.

No one has ever hated Devon.

[talldarkngoofy]

"-Wait, really?"

DEVON'S BEEN COMING TO MILLIWAYS FOR WAY LONGER THAN CHUCK. THIS IS UNFAIR.

[youknowtheword]

"Yeah," Devon says. "Once I hit my residency it stopped showin' up so much, but it was still around."

He grins at Chuck. "I'm glad to see you here, man, I didn't think I'd ever see someone from home here."

[talldarkngoofy]

"Yeah, I've... been coming here for a while now."