Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine.
A/N: Pieces in italics are the flashbacks to memories Blair should have had through the summer.
When Chuck pleaded with her moments ago, the idea of a whole summer just the two of them had infuriated her because it hadn't happened, but now she couldn't think of anything else. She thought back through the summer, the various boys she had hung out with while she was traveling around on her own, she thought back to the time she had spent with her father and Roman. Then she remembered each clip as if he had been there, how much happier she would have been, how much brighter it all would have been because this tinge of bitterness wouldn't have stained every memory of the summer.
Like the plane ride for example, where they could have spent hours talking, about everything, themselves, or their favourite subject: everyone else. Or they could have amused themselves on one of those couches that had just been reupholstered, no words required. Of course, there had been business people on the plane as well so they probably wouldn't have anyway, instead he'd have secretly slid his hand up her thigh, eliciting a gasp from her lips and she'd look out the window so he couldn't see her blushing deep red, as his fingers danced along her legs and he nibbled on her ear, whispering what'd he much rather be doing. Someone would walk past and he'd remove his hand and let out a nervous but oh-so-innocent cough, they'd pass and she'd look over at him and they'd both burst out laughing.
Instead she'd spent the flight looking out the window, drumming her fingers on her knees and wondering how long it would take him to get to Italy on a commercial flight.
In the airport he would have shuffled her easily from the aircraft to his limo with his hand placed gently on the small of her back guiding her where to go and they'd both be giddy with excitement at the prospect of spending so much alone time together, especially, she blushed now at the thought, the limo ride.
Instead she had wandered around the airport for a few hours trying desperately to contact Chuck in some way and find out if she should stick around and wait for him, if he'd caught a flight right away or if he wouldn't be coming in until the evening and she'd just wait for him at the airport hotel.
The ride from the airport to the hotel in the heart of Rome would have been spent doing everything but looking out the window and seeing any of the actual sites. It might have even started before the driver started driving. Chuck would have given the address of the hotel and as soon as the divider between the driver and the passenger was up his lips would be crashing against hers and she'd be sitting on his lap and allowing him to trail wet and eager kisses down her neck as she loosened his tie and waistcoat buttons.
Unfortunately she had spent the ride in a minicab bawling her eyes out having found out that Chuck wouldn't be joining her after all, she'd be seeing Rome and Tuscany alone or going early to her Dad's in France. She furiously bit all her nails away to nubs as she stared absently out the windows, not looking at anything, lost in her own thoughts. Forever coming back to a resounding, why?
At the hotel in Rome, where the wrought iron bed frame had been in the building for over a hundred years and was one of the newer pieces in the hotel, she'd likely be laying out her clothes to decide what to wear the next day while Chuck showered in the room next door. She'd turn around and look in the mirror, beaming because Chuck made her feel better than Nate ever had. She'd take the blue and white striped traveling outfit and hang it on the door, placing the others back in the closet. She'd change into her delightfully lacy nightie and wander over to the window, brushing the linen curtains aside and watching the stony street below. A soft breeze would blow her hair off her shoulders and she'd smile at what a fairytale she was living. Chuck would come up behind her and leave a small delicate kiss on her porcelain-skinned shoulder. She smelled so sweet, he'd tell her, even after a day of traveling from America to Italy. He'd leave a special kiss behind her ear as well before turning back to the bathroom to get dressed. She gave him a funny face and he shrugged, telling her she just looked so perfect standing there then that he couldn't resist losing the moment. Words like those would never fall from Nate's lips without a script.
Blair however had spent that first night in the airport hotel instead, contemplating flying straight back to New York, her trip absolutely unsalvageable. She cried more into her pillow and had a long talk/cry with Serena on the phone, which had helped. She sat herself up afterwards and cleaned her face and became awash with determination. She slept amidst thoughts of the perfect revenge. The best revenge, after all, was living well. So she was going to spend the summer doing just that, and making sure Gossip Girl (and therefore, Chuck) knew all about it.
The next morning she'd wake up long before Chuck even considered waking up. She showered, dressed, perfected her hair and make up before going to see if he was up and dressed as well. She shouldn't have been, but she was shocked to discover that he was still fast asleep, sunlight tumbling from the floor-to-ceiling window and street sounds making their way into the room from below. He was clearly more affected by jet-lag than she was and could sleep through just about anything. She thought about taking the cushion from the chair by the door and whipping it at his head, but that wouldn't be a very kind way of repaying him for the lovely private flight. So she tip-toed over to his bedside and sat on the edge next to him, delicately tracing his face with her finger. He didn't shift, she lightly brushed a few strands of hair out of his face and smiled at the small smile that he wore when he slept. He rolled onto his side facing her, still asleep. She looked around for a feather but as always, the things are never around when you need them. She brushed her lips against his, smiling as she did so, and kissed him, getting a reaction out of him almost instantly. His eyes flashed open and then closed again and he kissed her back passionately, his hand raising to the back of her head. "Come on, sweetie, there's Rome to see!" she say eventually when she pulled away. He squinted as if thinking and then answered, "We have a whole week to see Rome, we could just spend the day here…" she rolled her eyes and he pulled her down on him again, kissing her lips again, "its such a pretty room" she finally breathed into his ear and he smiled. She kicked off her shoes and rolled onto the bed next to him.
Of course she hadn't woken up in that room next to his but in the airport hotel room, and it was still dark out when she woke. She fixed herself up and left the hotel with her bags and took a taxi to the city where she spent the day mostly between the café and the travel agency, talking with her dad and booking the early trip from Rome to the south of France.
After that first day spent in the hotel room, Chuck ordered up the finest room service and they'd ate heartily, having spent the day in more physical activity than any day of touring could have brought them. She fed him a strawberry and slowly and seductively licked the chocolate off the side of his mouth. And the trays had barely been cleared when their lips were crashing each other once more, their hands roaming rapidly around their already half-naked bodies to clear the remaining clothes. The next day they'd wake in each others arms and gaze at each other fondly before getting up to get ready in their respective rooms for a day of touring Rome. That day she knew she should never, ever underestimate Chuck Bass. He had planned the whole day to be a replica of Roman Holiday which he knew to be one of her all-time favourite films. He toured her around a bicycle and they visited all the sites they could manage in a single day. He bought her a rose and held her hand as she walked along the Trevi fountain. They sipped pink wine in a café and ate pasta al fresca on a patio. They walked along the cobblestone streets in the moonlight, fingers lightly entwined, chatting about nothing in particular.
She spent her day with a blond Italian man who spoke very little English and most of his English was limited to sports knowledge, which she of course, didn't share. But he was decent arm candy and she made sure she had lots of pictures of him and her at famous sites around the city, even if she barely looked at the ancient architecture itself. Even that day, she debated returning to New York because if today was anything to go on, the entire trip would be miserable. Gossip Girl was full of posts questioning Chuck's decision to remain in New York for the summer, and as of yet, news of her own galavanting across Europe hadn't made the page yet. She cursed her phone and munched by herself on a piece of French bread at a busy outdoor restaurant.
On their seventh and last day in Roma, the two young lovers went shopping. Both of them being fashion lovers, it was the perfect fit, they spent hours browsing through expensive ateliers and found one-of-a-kind pieces to bring back to the city. Chuck found a beautiful yellow sundress, which fit Blair perfectly and he couldn't take his eyes off of her when she was wearing it. They decided to split up for an hour to do some souvenir shopping for their friends but after 20 minutes he had called her to ask if she was almost done. That night she modeled all of the dresses she'd gotten and they talked about which parties they'd wear what to and which of his outfits looked best with her dresses. Then he'd happily undress her and hold her in his arms before slowly putting the next dress on her. It was the best game of dress-up he could imagine. She spent that night in front of her window again in her room, looking down at the street where a kid was kicking a ball around with his dog. Chuck came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, she smiled and reached her arms up around his neck, his head resting on her shoulder and looking out with her. "Tomorrow you meet my dad" she whispered. He was nervous. He hadn't said so, but she knew he was, he'd never met a girls dad before, not in this context at least. He acted casual though, "I've met him before," but his voice cracked, giving himself away, she turned and looked into his eyes. "I know, you're lucky he already likes you," she lied, watching relief spread over his features.
On Blair's last day in Rome, which was also her third, she got up early so she could be in the hired car and at her father's villa by lunch, hopefully. As Rome passed outside her windows she vowed that she'd be back, so she could replace this memory of the city with a better, happier one. She was no longer feeling sorry for herself, but channeling all the energy into revenge on Chuck.