NOTE: I hate spoilers. Please don't refer to them in any reviews! See my profile for the definition of a spoiler. Thanks for respecting my wishes! XOXO Sharon
This is sort of a companion piece to "The Morning After". The two oneshots are not related, but they are in the same vein. Someone hears a converation they were never meant to hear, much with the same result.
He knew he probably shouldn't be here.
He knew that things had been a little… different, for lack of a better word.
But he couldn't get her out of his head.
They hadn't been together since the night of her birthday party, but they had talked through text message.
Well, mostly he did the talking. She responded, though he could tell she was uncertain.
He was just as uncertain, though that wasn't going to stop him from continuing this… whatever "this" was.
He'd never felt this way before. He'd never wanted a girl so badly… when he'd already had her.
But she did things to him. She made him feel sick, but in a good way… well until he was blabbing about the odd sickness and ended up revealing everything that was going on with him. And she'd figured out what he was saying even though he didn't know how to put it into words. He probably shouldn't have been so open about everything, but how could he lie? He didn't know what this was, or why it was.
All he knew was that something had happened to him when he slept with her the first time.
And he knew that he still wanted her, so he'd gotten her again, hoping that would make all this weird feeling crap go away. It hadn't, of course.
And now he couldn't get her out of his head.
He wasn't sure he wanted to.
So that was why he was here.
The Waldorf Penthouse.
On Thanksgiving Day.
It was a holiday, sure, and people were meant to spend it with family and giving thanks and all that crap.
But it'd been a few days now since he saw her and he figured that visiting a friend in a house full of people wouldn't raise any eyebrows, and he'd be able to see her again without giving her the option of turning him away.
He didn't give her any warning. He just showed up.
That was his first mistake.
People always say to mind your own business. They say it's not polite to listen to other people's private conversations. He never gave much stock to what people said. He didn't follow other people's rules. He followed his own.
His second mistake was not listening to what those people said.
… because he did listen in on a private conversation…
And there was no way to un-hear this.
"Blair, I saw you with Chuck," Serena said.
Chuck had been on his way to the kitchen area. One of the staff members had directed him to Blair, and he'd walked slowly, not wanting to appear too eager. He needed all his confidence firmly in place—like it ever strayed—so he could do what he came to do and not let her shut him down.
As he came to the doorway, he saw Serena and Blair talking at the counter. He slowed and was debating whether to make his presence known, since Serena was there, when he heard her words.
He froze. It was sort of cosmic karma that he'd been the one to see Serena and Nate together and now Serena was the one to see him and Blair. But what exactly did she see? And would she tell Nate?
Blair looked away and sighed.
"I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, sleeping with him once maybe I could understand, but twice?"
Well, apparently Blair thought Serena had seen everything. She'd just admitted to it even if Serena didn't already know. He would worry that Serena might tell Nate, but if Blair didn't seem worried, then he could put that thought to the side and smirk instead because he knew exactly what Blair was thinking that caused her to sleep with him that second time.
She knew how good it was. He'd been careful to make sure she enjoyed every single second of her first time. And her response had definitely shown that he'd been successful.
When they'd been together that second time, he didn't even have to take any extra steps to make sure she enjoyed it. She'd been wild for him. He'd managed to get her off twice before he finally gave in him self. It wasn't until they were done that he realized his back was stinging from her nails.
He hadn't minded though. If anything, it turned him on… even now… just thinking about it.
"Wait, you slept with him?" Serena asked, incredulous.
"Shh," Blair said, glancing around to make sure no one could hear.
Chuck ducked back a little more, but he'd already sunk away when he decided to listen to the conversation instead of interrupting. So he knew she wouldn't see him.
"Ugh, Blair!" Serena said, disgusted and shocked.
"What happened to no judging?" Blair said, offended.
Chuck just listened. He was used to being called heinous and disgusting, mostly by the two girls in that room, so Serena's reaction didn't bother him. And Blair's didn't either. He knew she wouldn't want anyone to know, and he knew that he was definitely not what she'd planned for.
He'd never planned for her either.
"I'm not, but, Blair… I thought you wanted to wait? I thought you wanted to make things special?" Serena said, trying to recover.
Chuck hadn't really stopped to think about what Blair was feeling about this whole thing. She knew how he felt… the nauseating butterflies… the fact that he liked her… he'd proven to her exactly how special her gift to him was in his eyes. In his mind, that night had been special—though he might have used a different word with the same result. But what did she really feel? Especially after their second time…
"What? Nate gets the free pass and I'm the slut?" Blair snapped, trying to defend her actions.
Chuck heard the words, but he didn't want to hear them. He really didn't. She wasn't saying what he thought she was saying… was she?
"Tell me you didn't sleep with Chuck for revenge?" Serena asked after a moment, unable to believe what she was hearing.
Chuck was holding his breath too, hoping that Blair would tell Serena exactly what she wanted to hear. Hoping that Blair would say, "No, Serena. I wouldn't do that. I slept with him because I wanted to. I slept with him because I like him. I slept with him because he's great in bed." Hell, he'd even take "I slept with him because he was there, anyone would have done really."
Anything but to hear her say that she slept with him to get revenge against Nate.
He needed to hear her say anything but give confirmation that he'd potentially ruined his friendship with his best friend—the only person in this world that he actually cared about besides her—because she had decided to use him as a means to an end.
"Well, it wasn't because I like his natural musk," Blair retorted hotly. "And besides… nothing hurts more than sleeping with the best friend, right, S?"
If this is what butterflies did to you, he never wanted to feel them again.
Those same nauseating flutters seemed to have swelled and instead of fluttering they were trembling.
It hurt. This fucking hurt.
And then Serena stood up, and muttered, "Way to prove a point."
And she turned to walk around the stool.
And she saw him.
She froze.
Blair was standing up too. "Well, I learned from the master!" she said, taunting Serena.
Then she realized that Serena had left their argument and was staring at something.
Blair saw him too.
"Chuck…" Blair murmured, momentarily losing her balance.
He walked forward to the end of the counter.
Both girls watched him, wondering what he was about to say.
Serena was too confused. Why was Chuck even here? And why did he have…
Blair was wondering how much he'd heard, but figured he'd at least heard the last part. She'd oddly been looking forward to the text messages he sent her at least once a day. She had told herself not to reply, that she shouldn't be involving herself with Chuck Bass anymore than she already had, but she couldn't stop from messaging him back.
And, truth be told, the fact that Chuck Bass liked her and actually admitted to having butterflies for her pleased her. She'd never felt more giddy. The knowledge that she'd had such an effect on someone—too bad it couldn't have been Nate—made her feel more desirable and happier than she'd felt in a long time.
She started to go back over everything she'd said to Serena in the last minute or so and realized that he had the most ridiculous timing because he'd come at the worst possible time, hearing the worst possible thing… and judging by the look on his face…
She wasn't going to get any more text messages.
He dropped the bouquet that he'd been carrying on the counter before making eye contact with Blair.
"Point proven," he said.
And then he left.
"What was that?" Serena said, flabbergasted. She turned to look at Blair. "Why was he here? The Bass' aren't supposed to be here, are they? I mean, it's customary to bring flowers or something for your host but only if you're invited. Blair? Blair?"
Blair was ignoring Serena. She walked around her and went to pick up the flowers.
She knew Chuck Bass very well. And in all the years that she'd known him, she'd never seen that look on his face. But she knew what it was. He'd run the gamut.
Hurt. Anger. Rejection. Pain.
She didn't even know she had the power to make him feel that way.
But she had.
And she hadn't meant it.
"Oh, Blair…" Serena said as she finally realized that Chuck had brought the flowers for Blair. The Bass' weren't joining them for dinner. She should have known something weird was going on the second Blair said that she'd slept with Chuck twice… that Chuck had slept with her twice. That wasn't like him. And it wasn't like Chuck to show up with flowers for a girl either… especially after he'd already slept with her.
Serena's head nearly exploded as all these thoughts rushed through and she realized that Chuck Bass actually liked Blair… and he'd just heard what Blair said… and it looked to Serena that Blair really hadn't wanted him to hear it.
Blair touched one of the pink rose petals.
She hadn't meant it.
She hadn't meant a word she said.
She hadn't slept with him for revenge against Nate….
But perhaps it was better if Chuck believed she had.
"Serena, I think you should be going," Blair finally said.
"Blair, I—," Serena started.
"I'm uninviting you from Thanksgiving dinner. Leave," Blair said.
"But, Blair—," Serena tried again.
Blair walked to the other side of the room and tossed the flowers in the trash.
"Jealous? You didn't get to sleep with him first?" Blair said, picking up their argument from earlier. "There had to be somebody left on the Upper East Side."
"Stop," Serena snapped.
"Bye," Blair said as she left the kitchen, knowing Serena could find her way out. She went up the stairs to her room. She had to change. Her mother wasn't going to approve of this outfit… and she wanted to look her best for her father.
… and she wanted to pretend that Chuck Bass had never meant more to her than a casual acquaintance… sometimes friend.
It was over.
His eyes had said that clearly enough.
Yes…
Him believing what she said?
It was definitely for the best.
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The End.