Here's something that started out as a one shot but then I decided to make it into some sort of series… of one shots. The basic premise comes from a different story I was working on, but decided to scrap, in which someone at one point asked Chuck to describe his relationship with Blair in one word, and the word he chose was "luxury". I didn't get anywhere with that story, but I did decide to use that bit as the backdrop for a series of pseudo-fluffy bits and pieces "examining" the CB dynamic in season three. Don't know how many parts there will be, or how long they will be (some might just be a few short paragraphs) but right now the idea is that after a series of "chapters" taking place during the unseen summer between seasons two and three, the installments will be based on things we see or that they allude to in the season three episodes. Does that make sense?

Warning – sometimes drifts into fluffy territory, and if this ends up having several "chapters" you'll be hearing the word "luxury" a lot.

With that said… hope you enjoy the read =)

Chuck breathed a content sigh before placing another kiss on the top of Blair's head. It was early afternoon, the day after he had made his declaration of love, and they were relaxing together in the new room he had gotten at the Palace. He had stretched out on his back, propped up against the large pillows. Blair was curled up by his side, resting her head on his shoulder, her left leg draped across his and her left hand stroking his chest, every now and then letting her fingers play with his chest hair. He had never felt so relaxed, so much at peace.

They hadn't spoken for about ten minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. He wasn't sure what she was thinking about, but he hoped it had to do with him. His own thoughts were about her, and about the events that had transpired since he finally managed to say those three words, eight letters.

Now that he had said them he could hardly believe it had taken so much effort to do so, that it had been so hard to get the words out. God knows he had felt it for so long. For over a year and a half, which was forever to a teenager, he had been consumed with her, with thoughts of her, with his feelings for her. Yet even when he'd known without a doubt that she felt it too, even after she had said those words to his face, he had been too scared to say them back.

It was quite ridiculous. How could it be so scary to say those words to her? It had been one thing when he first started feeling it. She hadn't felt it back at that point, that much had been certain, so saying it then would have been emotional, and probably social, suicide. Then there had been a period when he wasn't sure what her feelings were, and at that point it was also too great a risk to reveal that he not only liked her, he loved her. But when he had known she loved him, what had he been afraid of? He knew she wouldn't reject him, even though he had rejected her twice when she had professed her love for him. What could possibly have been so scary?

It wasn't scary anymore. Once the words had been said he had broken the barrier, and by now he had said them a hundred times over. The words came so easy once they had already been said, and he was almost unable to stop himself from saying them. He wanted to tell her over and over again. What had just recently been his biggest fear, telling her he loved her, now felt like a luxury. He could tell her how he felt and nothing bad would happen.

He kissed the top of her head again. He loved the way it felt to kiss her, whether it was on her lips, on her head, on her cheek or any other place on her body. For a year and a half he had desired to kiss her, day and night. Anytime he saw her he wanted to press her lips against her. For a while she had been willing to let him do so, so long as he did it where no one could see. During those first few weeks when they had a secret fling going on they would engage in hour-long make-out sessions and he had been her more-than-willing guide while she explored the to her newfound territory of sex. He had enjoyed those weeks more than she had ever known. When they were alone together he had been able to tell himself that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, and from a sexual standpoint that had sometimes been true. But she hadn't wanted him out in public, she hadn't been infatuated with him like he was with her.

Then their fling had ended, and for months he hadn't gotten to kiss her, or touch her. Then he had had a brief week of happiness, the week after his father's wedding, during which she had been more than willing to kiss him. The long make-out sessions had returned, but then he had chickened out and stood her up, effectively cutting off his access to her lips. After that he had wondered if he would ever get to kiss her again.

During senior year he had enjoyed a few opportunities to lock his lips with hers again, but he had never been able to just walk up to her and kiss her whenever he pleased. Still, every time he had seen her he had wanted to do just that. He had cringed every time he saw Nate give her a kiss during the time Blair and Nate had been back together; even though he tried to deny it to himself he had been incredibly envious of his best friend who enjoyed the right Chuck himself had been dying to have for so long.

Now she was lying there next to him, and he was free to kiss her as much as he wanted to, wherever he wanted to. It was pure luxury. Every time he got the urge to kiss her all he had to do was draw her close. And she kissed him, often, as happy as he was that they could finally kiss each other whenever they so pleased. The thought of getting to enjoy this luxury for an indefinite future made him smile even wider.

"Mmm…" he heard her purr before she placed a kiss on his chest.

"Mmm what?" he asked, kissing the top of her head again.

"This is so nice" she murmured.

"What is so nice?" he prodded, lifting up her hand to his lips.

"Snuggling with my boyfriend" she said, and he could hear from her voice that she was smiling.

He chuckled happily. It was wonderful to hear her call him that. When he had first fallen for her he hadn't even been able to admit to himself that he would like to be her boyfriend. He wanted to be with her, but the term "boyfriend"… Chuck Bass was nobody's boyfriend. And then he had heard her refer to Nate as her boyfriend during their brief period back together junior year and he had been forced to admit to himself that maybe it would be at least a little bit nice to bear that title. In private. The thought had made him feel ashamed and he had done his best to ignore it whenever it had appeared. Then with the way things had gone he had never dared to think he would ever get to be that person in her life. It was weird how things sometimes worked out.

He hadn't even been her boyfriend for twenty-four hours yet. She hadn't even used that word until now. He could definitely get used to hearing it. In fact he now looked forward to her referring to him by that term. It was a form of security. She was his now, they were together, and in case anyone wondered what he was to her the official answer would be "boyfriend".

The previous night, after they had gotten to the Palace and finally made love, he had held her tight and mumbled a question against her lips, asking her to be his girlfriend. She had giggled, told him "yes", and teased him for even asking the question. He had told her he thought a formal question was in order and she had giggled again and kissed him in a way he had only ever dreamed she would. But she hadn't used the word "boyfriend". Until now.

"What was that?" he asked, pretending not to have heard her moments ago.

"Snuggling with my boyfriend is what's so nice" she repeated.

His smile widened. Hearing her use that word wasn't scary or demeaning like he had thought it would be. It was luxury.

Suddenly she giggled.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing… Just surprised, that's all."

"About what?"

"This is without a doubt the longest I've ever heard you be quiet in bed."

He scoffed.

"Somehow I doubt that. You spent the night sleeping in some sort of tangled heap with me; that was at least seven straight hours of silence."

"Yeah… You talk in your sleep though."

"I do not!" he said, secretly worried that he might.

"Okay fine" she smirked. "But I didn't say it was the longest you've ever been quiet in bed, I said it's the longest I've ever heard you be quiet. And I was asleep too last night so I didn't hear you."

"How do you hear someone be quiet?" he asked.

She laughed slightly and gave him a playful shove. He shoved her back, moving her off of him so that he could lie on his side facing her. He pulled her as close as possible and let the next kiss land on her lips.

"I was curious…" Blair mumbled against his lips. "What's on your mind? Like I said, you're never quiet in bed."

"Nothing's on my mind" he said. Then he smiled. "Except you. Can you blame me for not speaking? After what transpired between us prior to this snuggle session I was completely unable to use my words."

"After?" she echoed teasingly. "Most of the stuff you uttered during was pretty unintelligible."

He laughed and kissed her again. He loved that the banter was still there. The edge was still there. They hadn't gone soft and fluffy just because they were now boyfriend and girlfriend. Being able to be gentle, loving and relaxed with her while still keeping that witty banter going, keeping that edge that was him, was luxury.

Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think.