Purple Reign:
The first thing Blair felt, as she reluctantly gave up to her body's decision to wake up, was the impossibility to move.
She slowly tried to change the position of her legs to gain back control of all the still asleep muscles and, when she understood that she couldn't, she also became aware of the fact that there was something rather heavy weighting on her. Something that, she realized as all of her senses progressively came back to consciousness, smelled like finest men's cologne and Scotch and left on her skin the sweet sensation to be touched by soft, smooth silk.
Blair finally found the strength to open her eyes. Even though the room was dark and her sight was still blurry, as she turned her head on the pillow, her eyes immediately focused on Chuck, sleeping by her side. She softly smiled at the image of her husband: somehow, during the night, he had ended up using her as a cushion. He had wrapped his right arm and one of his legs around her, unconsciously making sure that she wasn't putting any distance between them. Although Blair had known for years that was the way Chuck used to sleep, the fact that he managed to be possessive and a bit insecure even when he wasn't conscious never missed to amuse Blair.
She had to fight the sudden desire to place a kiss on his lips, closing her eyes to resist to the temptation. She really didn't want to wake him yet. Asleep, he looked more calm and peaceful than she had seen him in days. It had been a rough month for Chuck.
Returning to the real world after their honeymoon in Europe had meant to him having to face everything they had left behind, too lost in their euphoric bubble to focus on anything that wasn't each other. They had managed to keep away the worries, the responsibilities and, most of all, the memories of what had happened before their wedding for six amazing weeks, spent in a dazzling mix of great sex and soft talks about the future they were going to build together.
Chuck had looked so happy, so finally complete and free, that Blair had never found the courage or the will to break his temporary estrangement from the truth of what they had gone through. She had felt the need protect him from that inevitable pain for as long as she could.
But, once back in New York, their almost surreal nest of happiness had crashed against the reality of people whispering and questioning, of paparazzi standing in front of The Empire for hours, impatient to catch "The billionaire heir Chuck Bass" to ask him how his father had exactly died, if he had anything to do with it, if he was pleased about it.
Even though Chuck had publicly handled the pressure in a very distinguished and dignified way, Blair had seen him struggling with being forced to remember that night, to come to terms with what it had meant to him. It was a silent war she had observed him fighting against himself, conflicted; she had been sure about it, between feeling that he needed her and not wanting to drag her into that hole of dark thoughts.
"Don't shut me out," Blair had asked him at dinner, after a couple of days of that mute suffering. "Do you think I don't know that you're hurting? You can tell me, Chuck. I want to know."
"I'm not shutting you out, Blair," he had whispered, after a long sigh. "I just…" he had placed the fork he was holding on the plate and closed his eyes, breathing in. "You shouldn't have to deal with this. I'm not supposed to feel weak. I'm supposed to be stronger. I'm supposed to make you happy, but I'm failing."
"I am happy," she had given him a bright smile, "I'm your wife and I want you." Hearing those words, Chuck had opened his eyes again and Blair had remembered the same gaze staring at her during their honeymoon, so full of serenity and peace. She had covered his hand with hers, feeling nostalgic but not discouraged: that man was still there, this was just another side of him, another piece of the complicated mosaic her husband was. "All of you. Whatever is that you're feeling, I can handle it."
He had remained silent for a while, keeping his eyes on her. Blair had seen his lips tremble a little as if he was scared to say out of loud what he was thinking, so she had held his hand with more strength, making him feel not only physical contact, but also her emotional presence.
"I shouldn't care," he had started breathing heavily. "And I don't. I don't care about him, Blair, not anymore."
It was just a half-truth, Blair knew it, but she had left him the choice to believe in it. Forcing him to face how deep and how painful the wounds his father had left on his soul (at that point Chuck couldn't even bring himself to pronounce Bart's name anymore) was a cruelty that she wasn't going to make him go through.
"You can't ask yourself to be fine, Chuck. He tried to kill you." She had pronounced the last words in a trembling whisper, literally unable not to show her anger and her disgust. She had never hated anyone in her whole life as she had hated Bart Bass.
Chuck had taken a deep breath, shaking his head. Blair had caressed the back of his hand, silently encouraging him with her eyes to explain himself.
"It's not just that, Blair. He's never loved me and I know now that it wasn't my fault. But all my life I thought that running Bass Industries was my dream. I grew up knowing that I had to get ready for this moment and I wanted to be prepared. And now that I finally am that dream feels…" he had stopped, trying to find the right word. "Spoiled," he had finally said, with a bitter tone.
Blair had felt the need to hug him but, knowing there was more; she had just kept on holding his hand.
"He poisoned it. Not only he tried to kill me to keep his position, he also tried to destroy everything I love. Lily, Nate…you," he had stopped again, unable to continue.
The terror he was feeling at that thought was so blatant that Blair had to rapidly close her eyes to stop herself from crying. Every word had been like a knife ran through her heart. The way he was talking, all the hurt and the anger she was feeling in his words had made her body physically ache.
"Chuck, we're all safe," she had said immediately, trying to calm him down. "I am here"
She had stood up and sat on his knees. Chuck had taken her in his arms, placing his hands on her back. Seeing his eyes turning wet from unshed tears and sensing his fingers trembling from the fear he was finally letting himself feel, Blair had realized that she would have done anything for him. She would have been his shelter, his family and his home. She would have been everything he didn't have and everything he couldn't be. He was her husband, her king, and all she had felt to want was to make him feel safe and happy at the peak of her possibilities.
Chuck had briefly closed his eyes one more time, to fight back the tears. Then, opening them again, he had looked down. "Everything he's done, he's done it because he couldn't let his company go, it was the only thing that mattered to him. And I want to rule it; I want it so badly that it makes me feel like I'm tainted. I let him fall and I don't regret it. I don't feel guilty, Blair. What does this say about me?"
"It just says there's no place for him in your heart anymore," Blair had answered, running her fingers through his hair. He had risen up his gaze at her touch and she had reached his cheeks with both of her hands, so that she could hold his head and force him to look at her in the eyes. "You were born to be in charge of Bass Industries, Chuck, it's who you are. You are an extremely talented, ambitious man who has worked every day of his life to reach this goal. You've taken care of your legacy with more respect and more passion than Bart has ever done." Blair had felt pride turning her eyes wet and she had made her hands slither across Chuck's chest, just to feel his heart beating fast. "He didn't have a soul. All he could do was destroying everything around him and eventually he destroyed himself. But he can't take anything away from you anymore. You can't change the past, but the future is in your hands and I know you're going to run your company with strength and power, you'll do it amazingly well."
Chuck had let his head fall on her shoulder, intensely breathing in. He had looked so vulnerable in that moment that Blair had felt proud of the way he had learnt to completely let her in, to let himself trust her without a single doubt.
"Will you be by my side?" he had asked her after a minute of silence, in a murmur. He had raised his head to be able to meet her glance again. Blair had smiled, taking his chin between her fingers.
"I couldn't and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," she had told him, with the most reassuring tone she had managed to give to her voice, even if she was still feeling emotionally weak from the pain she had seen him fighting with.
Chuck had suddenly kissed her, a deep and greedy kiss that had made her understand exactly what he wanted from her. Her thoughts had been confirmed a few seconds later, when, separating his lips from hers, he had said: "I need you, Blair. I need you now."
Blair had started kissing him back passionately, to make sure he knew she had understood. He had taken her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
A few days later, as she was standing by his side and tightly holding his hand during the press conference in which Chuck had been officially announced CEO of Bass Industries, Blair had thought back on that lovemaking as one of the best gifts her marriage had given her till that moment: the awareness of how deeply Chuck belonged to her and how much he still needed her.
Blair's eyes were still closed when Chuck woke up. He let his somnolent gaze embrace her figure, he noticed how he had wrapped her body with his arm and his legs in his sleep.
He didn't remember it, but he wasn't surprised. When they were together he was hardly able to stop himself from touching her, he couldn't help it. He had to feel her proximity, whether it meant just skimming over her shoulder with his hand when they were sitting next to each other in a public place or never missing a single spot of her skin during sex.
He weakly smirked, realizing that she wasn't sleeping from the way her chest was lifting and lowering; her breaths weren't regular and calm as they were when she was lost in oblivion.
Blair had an unconscious tiny smile pictured on her lips and Chuck wondered what she was thinking about. Obliviously, whatever was running through her mind, was giving to her face that pleased luminosity. He felt an unstoppable curiosity definitely killing any trace of sleepiness in his body: he was so happy and so proud of knowing her so perfectly well that he didn't like the idea that there could be a place in Blair's mind precluded to his ability to understand her.
Chuck started to make his leg slowly slither on hers, to let Blair know he was awake. Then, noticing she was still keeping her eyes closed to torture him a little (it was something she liked to do, since she usually woke up before him), he put his free hand on her neck, lightly tapping his fingers on her skin. He didn't have to keep on for long, at that touch Blair's eyelids snap opened.
Chuck grinned, pleased with himself. "Good morning, beautiful," he whispered.
"Good morning to you, Bass," she said. The delicate smile she had on her lips became larger.
Chuck moved the leg which was still tangled around her body so that she could roll on one side to face him, but he still left his arm lazily leaned against her waist. Then, gently, he made his head slide on the pillow, to get closer to her lips. He kissed her, closing his eyes to fully enjoy the touch of her mouth.
"What were you thinking about?" he asked her after, unable to hide the desire to know. "You were glowing," he added with fake nonchalance, trying to sound a bit less interested. He was irrationally dying to find out what was the reason behind the delighted expression pictured on his wife's face and he knew that, if she had understood how much fascinated he felt, she would have made him fight to get his answer.
Blair, who had in the meantime placed an hand on his chest and was toying with the buttons of his silk pajama, gave him an amused look.
"A woman has her secrets," she casually answered with her best innocent tone, even though Chuck could see her eyes shining from the pleasure of keeping him hanging.
Realizing that he had to use some of his weapons to get what he wanted, Chuck smirked naughtily and rapidly moved under the sheets, without giving her the time or the space to stop him. In a second he was on top of her, enjoying the way her cheeks had immediately turned pink.
"Not if she's married to Chuck Bass," he told her. Conscious of the way Blair loved how he lacked of modesty (even though she liked to pretend to be annoyed by his hardly contained arrogance), Chuck pronounced the words with pride. Then, seeing how she had closed her eyes and happily given up to his intentions, he bent his head down to kiss her.
His lips were only an inch away from her mouth when the noise of something heavy falling coming from the other room broke their moment. It was immediately followed by the sound of someone stumbling and then they finally recognized Nate's voice, who had pronounced a loud and not very elegant: "Shit!".
Chuck sighed. Since they still hadn't found a house to buy that matched up with his wife's expectations (every proposition he had come up with had been rejected by Blair, who was still trying to find something that impeccably fitted the idea she had in mind) they had been staying at the Empire.
Nate had provisionally moved to a suite one floor below. Being it just a temporarily solution, Nate hadn't bothered to bring in his new hotel room all of his stuff, so he still used to show up to come get some of the clothes he had left in his room (actually, Chuck had a suspect that his best friend often used it as an excuse to spend some time with him, probably scared that his marriage would have changed something in their relationship).
To Chuck's surprise, the idea of living there had been Blair's.
A few days before the end of their honeymoon, while they were walking hand in hand through Via Montenapoleone [1], in Milan, he had asked her in which of his hotels she would have liked to stay until they'd chosen a satisfying place to start building their future as a family.
Blair had looked deeply pensive for a while and Chuck had found himself staring at her expression completely stunned: the flowing of thoughts made her look like a mature woman, there was something maternal and tender in the way she was reflecting. He had felt secure, protected by the strength in her eyes and by the certainity that she wouldn't have left him. She was his roots, the solid rock by his side; she was the woman who was giving him the concrete possibility to build a family. One day, she would have been the mother of his child.
"The Empire will be perfect, Chuck," she had said after a few more seconds of wondering.
Chuck had stopped walking, looking at her in astonishment. He had felt incredibly exposed, suddenly possessed by a wave of weakness. As much as he loved that hotel, The Empire had seen the most painful moments of their relationship, there were so many hurtful memories cherished between those walls, in every spot of that building.
He had nervously breathed in. "Are you sure, Blair?" he had asked her, with feeble voice.
"Of course I am," she had answered. She had placed a hand on his face and smiled at him lovingly. At her touch, Chuck had felt something warming up his chest, unable to keep his eyes away from her serene and completely calm face. "The Empire is not just what we were, Chuck, it's also what we've become. It's us rising from our ashes, stronger and finally ready for our fate," she had softly caressed his cheek. "Together," she had finished, with an even wider smile.
Thinking about it now, that was probably the memory of their honeymoon he treasured more jealously.
"Why did you stop?" Blair suddenly asked him, bringing him back to the present.
Chuck giggled at the annoyed pout which had appeared on Blair's lips. "Nathaniel could hear us," he provoked her; perfectly aware that at that point Blair wouldn't have minded anyone's presence in the penthouse.
"I don't care," she said indeed, like he had predicted.
Chuck smirked as she grabbed the collar of his pajama and pulled his head downer to finally kiss him.
Thirty minutes later they were eating. Chuck's valet [2] had brought them breakfast in bed, along with Chuck's morning newspapers.
Even if Dorota hadn't been pleased to share the management of the house with someone, Blair really liked the man, who was incredibly well mannered and reverential. His name was Ivan, he was Russian and it looked like his duties consisted in making sure that Chuck didn't have to do anything for himself, except for walking the dog. Even though she already knew it,living an everyday life with Chuck had given her the confirmation that he had to be the most spoiled and vain creature she had ever met and that included herself.
Blair took a bite of her croissant after having immersed it in the mixture of coffee and milk in her cup, looking at her husband: he was sitting, his back leaned against the bed's headboard, sipping an espresso. She smiled, noticing how focused Chuck looked while he was fulfilling his daily morning routine of reading financial pages.
After a while, probably sensing her gaze on him (he could always tell when she was looking at him and Blair cursed him for this particular ability because, every time, he ended up smirking at her with that pretentious vanity she couldn't help but adore), Chuck turned his head to bring his eyes and his attention back on her.
"So, are you finally going to tell him what you were thinking about?" he asked her, while placing the newspapers on the night table beside his side of the bed.
Blair, who had forgotten about the pretext which had eventually led them to amazing morning sex earlier, gave him a questioning look. Then, noticing how his expression had changed into the one he used to have when he couldn't get what he wanted (a small wrinkle would appear on his forehead every time he wasn't pleased about something), Blair had to keep herself from laughing.
He could be such a stubborn and obstinate person that she knew he would have kept on insisting until she had given up and told him.
She thought for a moment that she could have continued to torture him for a while but she also knew that would have meant foreplay to the both of them and they couldn't be late for work. She sighed, shaking her head.
"You can be so annoying, Bass," she teased him, placing the empty cup of cappuccino back on the tray. Then, getting closer to him, Blair couldn't help but smile with amused resignation at the victorious light in Chuck's dark eyes, as he put an arm around her shoulders.
"You should have thought about it before marrying me."
"Who said I didn't like this side of you?" she playfully responded to his joke, before placing her head on his chest. "Anyway, I was just thinking about last month," she said with a dreamy tone. "About the press conference. You have no idea how proud of you I felt in that moment."
As much as she loved toying with his need to control and know everything, she realized after pronouncing those words, even that peculiar way of flirting couldn't stand a chance in front of the happiness she felt with letting him know how deeply she respected him.
Chuck smiled shyly and glanced down. It was one of the many contradictions Blair loved about him.
He could be the most arrogant and presumptuous person nine times out of ten, but then there always was that circumstance when looked insecure and fragile, like if he was still the sixteen years old boy trying to convince himself that he wasn't a failure. Even though Blair knew how hard Chuck had worked to finally reach a real and aware self-esteem, something different from that ostentatious self-importance he had always showed off to the world, sometimes he still had to fight to see himself as someone he could be really proud of. It was one of the many scars she couldn't cancel from his soul but that she loved deeply, as parts of the man she had chosen to spend her life with.
"Sometimes when I go to work it still feels like that place doesn't belong to me," he confessed her, speaking in a low voice, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
Blair raised her eye-brows. "Is something wrong?" she asked him.
Chuck had been fine ever since that moment of weakness he had faced after their honeymoon. Every now and then she caught him looking very pensive and quiet, but most of the times she felt he was happy. Still, Blair had noticed how he wasn't showing that enthusiasm she had expected him to feel once taken complete control of Bass Industries. She hadn't interrogated him about the topic though, she had preferred to wait for things to follow their natural curse, knowing that Chuck would have needed time to process everything and finally let himself feel satisfied about what he had achieved. It was something he had to and, Blair knew it, wanted to do on his own.
Chuck shook his head, raising his eyes again and giving her a tiny smile. "Nothing is wrong, Blair."
He delicately shifted his arm from her shoulders,and then he got up and grabbed the night-gown which was folded on the chair next to the bed. Blair stayed still where she was, looking at him.
He silently put on his purple robe, then he got closer again and bent down to kiss Blair on her forehead. "You don't have to worry about this, I'm fine," he told her. "It's just a sensation."
Blair watched Chuck walking towards the bathroom, wondering what she could do to stop him from feeling like that. She thought about him staying in his office, surrounded by the austere furniture Bart had filled the place with and her heart ached, as she realized how suffocating and intimidating it must have been for Chuck. She had to fix it; she wouldn't have allowed anything or anyone to upset him.
Then, suddenly, she smiled with satisfaction, as the energy of a great idea started spreading in her mind. When he closed the door she took her mobile phone from the bedside cabinet and sent a text, feeling extremely proud of herself.
The same day, during the afternoon, Blair was sitting behind the desk in her office, lips curved into a satisfied smile, as she watched Jack Bass stepping through the entrance.
Her secretary, who was keeping the door open to let him walk in, shyly glanced at him.
"Mr. Bass is here for you, Mrs. Waldorf. Do you need anything else?" she asked. Jack turned back to look at the girl, who was now blushing evidently.
Blair rolled her eyes, not having any difficulties to imagine what kind of gross flirting he must had put Danielle through before entering. She shook her head. "No, Danielle. You can go now."
Jack smirked and took a seat on one of the chairs in front of Blair's desk as the secretary left the room.
"My compliments on your taste in secretaries, Blair," he observed, looking back to the now closed door. "She has a great ass."
Blair ignored the comment and crossed her legs. "Aren't you curious to know why I've asked you to come here?"
Jack, who had moved back his eyes on her, leaned his back on the seat-back of the chair, making himself more comfortable. "I assume you need something," he started, the smirk still on his lips. "I also assume that my nephew doesn't have to know, or you wouldn't have asked me to meet you without him around." He opened his arms, to explain in a gesture how obvious it all looked to him.
Blair nodded. "You assume right."
Jack giggled, clearly amused by the situation. "If you're planning on cheating on Chuck with me I must inform you that I am not available," he said, before sighing theatrically. "I'd like to remain alive."
Blair sighed with annoyance, giving him a warning look. "I don't have time for jokes, Jack," she admonished him, clarifying she wasn't in the mood for his games.
Jack leaned forward in the chair, placing his hands on the desk. He started tapping his fingers on the wood. "So, what could the Queen of New York ever need Uncle Jack's help with?" he asked.
"I need Chuck to stay of town for three days. I'm sure you can make it happen," Blair answered, twisting her fingers together. She smiled at the surprise appeared on Jack's face.
He frowned, confused. "I'm not his boss Blair; I can't make him do anything," he said, looking at her with questioning eyes. "Actually, it works the other way around."
There had been a time when Jack would have never accepted to work under Chuck's control, a time when he would have fought to get everything Chuck had, with all of his cynicism and his secret and manipulative ways, but now things were different. Blair knew Chuck had understood that everything Jack had done, he had done it out of jealousy. It had been one of the many terrible things Bart Bass had done in his life, creating an environment where people could become bitter and cruel, where it was legit for an uncle to grow to hate his nephew. But, eventually, Chuck and Jack had managed to re-build a good relationship, based on the peculiar respect they felt for each other at that point, realizing that they didn't have an enemy in each other, but that they had one in common. Even though Blair wasn't Jack's biggest fan, she had been extremely proud of Chuck when he had given his uncle an important position in Bass Industries and allowed him to move back in New York. He was family to Chuck, the only person left that he shared blood with, and Blair couldn't and didn't want to discuss his decision to have him in his life.
"I know that. I also know that Chuck has planned for you to go to London next week, I've overheard one of his phone calls some days ago," she explained. "Now, you could ask him to come with you. I'm certain you can find a way to make him think his presence is indispensable," she concluded, pleased with herself. It was such a perfect plan.
Jack looked serious for the first time since they had started that conversation. He crossed his arms with a thoughtful expression. "Chuck is not as easy to deceive as he used to be, Blair."
Blair laughed, realizing once again how their relationship had changed. It was clear to her Jack didn't like the idea of potentially ruing Chuck's trust. "You're not deceiving him; you're just helping his wife to give him the best surprise," she declared, with enthusiasm.
Jack stared at her for some seconds, and then he sighed. "What do you have in mind?"
Blair, who had been dying to finally reveal that great idea she had kept for herself till that moment, handed him a folder full of notes.
"Let's just say I want to do something to his office," she said, barely holding her enthusiasm. "I don't want him to be surrounded by memories of Bart. It's his room, he should feel powerful and in control when he's in there," she kept on, more talking to herself than to Jack.
She had spent the whole morning with the best architects and interior designers she had managed to find, trying to create the perfect space for Chuck. They had promised that it could have been ready in three days, even though that would have meant having to work during the night too. But, she had understood, being Blair Waldorf Bass meant that no one was ever going to say no to you. She really enjoined the feeling.
"And what do I gain?" Jack asked. Blair, who had been waiting for this question, smirked.
"Less space, actually," she said, showing him the project. When he noticed his own office had been reduced into a smaller one to make Chuck's larger, he looked at her with irritation. Jack was about to say something, but Blair stopped him, raising her hand.
"I may know where Georgina has been hiding," she added, enjoying every second of the astonished expression appeared on Jack's face.
After a second he tightened his lips in an annoyed sneer.
"Do you know about…?"
"About how Georgie disappeared after you two had sex and you've been stalking her without succeeding ever since?" Blair anticipated him, lighting up with enjoyment and self-esteem. "And before you ask, yes, Chuck told me. He tells me everything," she concluded, feeling the usual pleasure she felt every time she came out victorious from a conversation, getting what she wanted. "So, do you have feelings for the psycho killer doll?" she provoked him. "I couldn't think of a better pair."
At the end of her speech Jack grumbled. He looked extremely peeved. "I don't do feelings," he said proudly. "I just want to get into her pants one more time."
Blair laughed, that statement sounding very familiar in her ears. "Whatever you say, Jack. So, do we have a deal?" she glanced at him, knowing she had won.
Jack nodded. "Sill a master in manipulation, I see. I can understand why my nephew is so in love with you," he commented, standing up. "You two have found each other."
The day after Blair pretended not to know about the business trip Chuck announced her he had to go on, doing her best to look unaware and also a bit disappointed at the thought of not seeing him for some days. She didn't like lying to him, she knew how much he valued trust and how sensitive he was on that account, but this time it would have been worth it. He would have loved her surprise; Blair was absolutely convinced about it.
Stepping off the Bass jet, three days later, Chuck breathed in and smiled, happy to be back in New York.
The trip had been honestly superfluous. They had closed a deal for the acquisition of a new building (Chuck was planning to open five new luxury hotels in Europe by the end of the year and London had been his first choice), something that Jack could have easily done on his own, since all the details had been already sorted out before the trip had been planned. To explain why his uncle had requested his presence, Chuck had come to the conclusion that Jack had wanted to show him concretely that he was trust-worthy, in one of his silent and unclear ways. However, eventually, even if he would have rather avoided those three days away, he had ended up enjoying that time with him. They had bonded over business talks and exquisite Scotch and Chuck had found extremely amusing hearing Jack ranting about Georgina. He had also found some time to go on ascots[3] shopping (Jack had followed him just to make fun of his vanity and his obsession for purple): all of those beautiful accessories had been folded and placed in an apposite luggage, which in that moment was being carried by the flight assistants to his limousine, along with his other four suitcases.
Chuck waited for Jack to climb down the stairs which connected the jet's entrance to the ground and when he felt his uncle touching his shoulder he turned to say bye.
"I will see you tomorrow."
Jack nodded, shaking his hand. "Enjoy your night, nephew," he said with a smirk, before walking to his own town-car.
Chuck did the same, reaching Arthur who was waiting for him in front of the limousine.
"Good evening, Mr. Bass," he welcomed him, politely taking off his hat. He opened the door and kept it open so that Chuck could slide inside.
Blair's perfume reached him even before his eyes had time to rest on her. She was waiting for him, sitting with her legs crossed under the fabric of her purple gown and a wide smile curving her lips.
"Welcome home, Chuck." She greeted him, as he sat down on the black leather seat next to her.
Chuck looked at her completely stunned; he wasn't expecting to see her there, she was supposed to wait for him at home, as they had planned when he called her some hours ago from the plane.
"This was unexpected."
He slid on the seats, so that he could get close enough to her to kiss her. Meeting her lips and her tongue Chuck realized how much he had missed her body during those three days: although they had spoken on the phone every evening, nothing compared to the possibility to touch her. He was just starting to make his hands slither under her dress when she stopped him.
"Slow down, Bass," she said, interrupting the long kiss, "I won't let you ruin my surprise."
Chuck frowned, confused, asking himself what she was talking about. All he wanted to do in that moment was making love to his wife.
"I thought this was the surprise," he answered, glancing down at her dress. "You should know you shouldn't wear purple if you want me to keep my hands off of you," he put his lips on her neck which was left nude by the neckline and started to place brief kisses on her skin. "Besides, you're dressed to kill and I miss you."
Blair swallowed hard. Even though she looked really determined, Chuck smirked as he saw her trying to resist to the temptation.
"Oh, I'm planning to kill you, but I'm afraid you will have to wait some more time," she told him. She reached his bowtie with her hands and unraveled the knot, before pulling it out. "Good things come to ones who wait, Chuck," Blair declared. Then she started running the silk fabric of his tie through her fingers, smiling softly.
"What do you have in mind, Blair?" Chuck asked, extremely curious. He was feeling equally intrigued and frustrated by the mysterious ways Blair was using.
"You'll see."
Blair's mischievous smile was the last thing his eyes were able to catch, before she wrapped the bowtie around his head, forcing him to blindness.
Even though Chuck had always been a fan of sex games, being forced to walk without being able to see where he was going wasn't exactly his supreme idea of foreplay. He grumbled, holding Blair's hand as tight as he could, sure that she wouldn't have let him fall.
"Where are we going, Blair?" Chuck asked for the tenth time. He could have easily got rid of his improvised bandage, but he was sure this momentary torture would have led him to something extremely pleasant. Chuck thought for a moment about how he would have enjoined having blind sex with Blair and the idea allowed him to walk for a few more steps.
"We're almost there," she assured him, as they stopped.
He heard the sound of an elevator's doors opening and then he felt Blair dragging him inside. The ride was pretty long, so he assumed they were in a high building, maybe a skyscraper. It wasn't the Empire, he was sure, but somehow the place felt familiar.
When the elevator ringed again and Blair guided him out of it Chuck felt the smell of fresh wall painting reaching his nose. He was about to rise up his free hand and finally take off the bowtie from his eyes, but Blair strongly took his wrist and stopped him.
"Just one more second, Chuck," she promised, opening a door with some keys.
As they stepped inside hand in hand and stopped after a few steps, Chuck felt the smell becoming more robust; he took a deep breath, excited to know where he was and what Blair had in mind.
He felt her hands trembling on his face and he knew in that moment she was emotional. At the thought of her face lighting up with feelings Chuck couldn't help but smile, as her fingers worked to pull the bandage away.
After he gained back his sight, Chuck had to think about it for a second before realizing where he was. Then, as he turned on himself, his eyes ran all around the room and he understood: it was his office, only that it didn't look like the one he had left three days ago.
First of all it was considerably larger. It wasn't just a big office anymore, now there was also a sitting room area, a billiard table and a bar on one corner.
The wood panels on the walls had been replaced by a purple elaborated textile wallpapers and the room now looked far less suffocating and imperious to his eyes. Everything, from the black leather armchairs to the carpets on the parquet, seemed like something he would have chosen for himself.
He noticed, as he focused on the details, that he could spot his initials everywhere: on the balls on the billiard table, on the pillows on the sofa, even incised on the marble of the fireplace; all of his favorite paintings had been brought there from the Empire, along with may pictures which had been placed on a small table in front of the couch. There were pictures of him and Blair from the wedding and their honeymoon, one with Nate where they both looked extremely young and one with Lily.
Then his eyes finally focused on the desk, which was placed in front of the wall on the opposite side of the room, in middle, between the two big windows.
It was made of dark wood, but the tabletop was a black marble sheet.
Chuck thought it was the best piece in the chamber, but he had to change his mind when he noticed the chair behind it. It was throne shaped: the wood had been lacquered with black varnish and it had been inlaid with so much care and precision that it almost looked like a sculpture, while the seat was coated with purple velvet. It was beautiful.
Chuck brought his eyes back on Blair, still too surprised to speak. He opened his mouth to say something, but she anticipated him.
"Do you like it?" she asked him, a bit insecure. Realizing she was scared he may have not appreciated her surprise, Chuck took her hands his and kissed them.
"Are you kidding me? It's amazing, Blair," he answered, feeling joy and emotion wetting his eyes with moved tears. "It's perfect. It's big, it's luxurious, it's regal, it's purple," he explained himself, feeling excitement with every word. "It's-"
"It's you," Blair ended the sentence for him. "It' also a bit megalomaniac, isn't it?" she added and laughed softly, pointing at his initials on the pillows.
"How did you know how much I needed this?" Chuck asked her, still dazzled by the surprise and by that satisfaction he felt in his chest. "I didn't even know that I did."
Blair looked at him in his eyes and raised a hand to caress his cheek. "You said you didn't feel like you belonged here and I wanted you to love this place. I wanted to you to feel strong and secure in here and I knew it wasn't possible if you were surrounded by his memories," she said, without needing to explain who she was talking about. "It is your kingdom now."
Chuck looked around one more time, a tiny smile on his lips. "He would have hated it, there's too much purple," he said, giggling nervously. For a second the image of Bart's face came to his mind, cold and ruthless as he remembered it. He shook his head and sighed. "I thought about changing this place so many times..." he added, looking down.
"But you didn't."
"I didn't. I was just scared it would have meant something if I did, that I had to get rid of everything that reminded me of him because I still cared," Chuck finally admitted, both to Blair and to himself.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder and let him place his hands on her hips. She held him tight, soundlessly.
"Thank you," Chuck whispered after a minute of that silence, not able to find the words to express how grateful he truly felt. Even though he couldn't see her, Chuck knew that a smile had appeared on her lips.
"I meant what I said the other day, Chuck," she told him. "I feel so proud of you. I just wish you could always feel proud of yourself."
Suddenly, Chuck felt the need to kiss her. He squeezed her hips and pushed her body close to his. She raised her head from his shoulder to dace him again. Their lips met for a long and passionate moment. He kept on kissing her till they both felt breathless, their hearts racing from the emotion and the desire.
"What do you say if we christen your new throne?" Blair proposed him, unable to hide her arousal.
Chuck looked at her in adoration. "I love you," he murmured in her ear, before lifting her up.
As he carried her in his arms, Chuck felt powerful. It wasn't just the place she had created for him to make him feel like that, it was Blair herself, with the love she had for him. He had a realm and, more importantly, he had a queen. He couldn't have asked for more.
Notes:
[1] Via Monenapoleone is one of the most beautiful and famous places in Milan. It's the place to go for high quality shopping, if you have the money.
[2] At some point of the series, Chuck stopping having a valet (or they probably just stopped showing he had one). I think it's unacceptable, lol. So, in my mind, he has one. And he'll keep on having one.
[3] The ascot is a kind of tie. We've seen Chuck wearing it several times. First that comes to my mind is 2X03, at Blair's party. Anyway it has English origins.
[4] English is not my native language, I'm Italian. I hope there aren't too many mistakes. A big thanks to Daphne who corrected the fic!