Summary: Chuck and Blair try and cope with their new relationship. I've encorporated some storylines which I hope to see in season 3.

Basically, I got this idea after reading the Nate/Serena fic Living In Your Afterglow, and decided to do a similarly structured story but with Chair :-)

I will include Nate (as much as he annoys me), and Serena (but i have something up my sleeve for her), maybe Carter, definitely Georgina, maybe Dan but probably no Vanessa.

Anyway, Enjoy. (Oh and I promise to update Remembering Friday very soon!)

3x01 – My Life in Reverse

"Why don't you let me buy you a drink?" Chuck asked smarmily as he walked over to the bar, addressing a generic blonde model. Chuck didn't know what came over him- maybe it was the scotch or maybe it was the fact that Blair was still in Milan with her Mother, without him, might he add. Surely now he was her boyfriend (he still got a little grossed out by the term, but he was willing to accept it for Blair), he'd get to go to Milan too?

But no, Lily had agreed to hand Bass Industries over to him when he was 18, and Chuck had turned 18 about a month ago. It had been a grand yet sophisticated affair, with all of his friends there (except Serena, who was still MIA), and many member's of the company's board had been in attendance too. So when Chuck and Blair snuck upstairs during the party to handle some business, it wasn't surprising that a member of the board had been the one to catch them in the act. It was safe to say Blair was more than a little embarrassed, and the board member looked a little disappointed. So Chuck decided to take his business very carefully from then on; the company meant a lot to him, it was the only thing left from his father except for the engagement ring.

Chuck now sat himself down on the barstool next to the blonde. He was in the Palace Bar, and although he didn't live with the van der Woodsen's anymore – the Humphrey's had moved in – he was back in his suite, and didn't feel like drinking alone tonight. The blonde was a typical model, pretty much the opposite of Blair.

"Sure, but you have to tell me your name first!" The blonde looked at Chuck and giggled. Her eyes widened at his appearance; he and Blair had finally been to Tuscany this summer, so his usual pale skin was slightly tanned and his normally severely slicked back hair was a little looser, due to Blair's complaining that when she ran her fingers through it she got product all over her fingers.

Chuck smirked at the blonde's response, even though I'm a kept man, I've still got it, he thought.

"I'm Chuck Bass"

XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO

Blair Waldorf was sat on a plane from Milan to JFK airport. Luckily she was in first class, so she wouldn't have to put with all the annoying commoners who snored loudly and who talked to her as if she was one of them. Blair was most certainly not a commoner. She hated flying though, and without Chuck there to calm her nerves by making lewd comments in her ear, she had to grip the armrest to keep herself from going insane.

She hadn't planned to come home this early, in fact she wasn't meant to be coming home for another 5 days (that way she would have 2 weeks to relax in the city before she started ugh, NYU). However, she wanted to surprise Chuck. She didn't think she'd miss him so much, after all she'd only been away from him for a week, but she was aching for him.

When the plane finally touched down at JFK, Blair was brimming with excitement. She told her driver to go straight to the Palace Hotel – she didn't want to waste time changing when she could be with Chuck. She checked her appearance and her eyes did look tired, but luckily it was nothing a bit of concealer could fix.

It was 9pm when Blair finally reached the palace hotel, and she decided to have her belongings brought up to Chuck's suite with her. She didn't know how long she'd be staying there but she'd definitely be staying the night – her mother and Cyrus didn't even know she was returning.

Someone else who didn't know she was returning, or indeed known anything Blair had done this summer apart from getting together with Chuck, was Serena. Serena hadn't really told Blair - or anyone else for that matter – where she was going, and all Blair knew was that she'd gone to Fiji with Carter Baizen. The day she left Serena had called her from the airport telling her to have a good summer and not to worry about her, although of course Blair would. Serena was with Carter Baizen, for goodness sake. Who knew what he would do to her?

XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO

Chuck didn't know what made him bring the blonde up to his suite, as the only girl who'd been in the suite all summer and pretty much all year, was Blair. Chuck didn't even feel an attraction to this girl, even though she was doing her best to flirt with him. The ride in the elevator up to his suite hadn't been heated like it usually was with Blair, there were no passionate kisses or passionate arguments shared between Chuck and the blonde, just awkward silence as Chuck contemplated what he was about to do and the blonde idly examined her nails.

Chuck told the blonde to sit down in his living area and that he'd get them a drink. Instead of heading to his bar though, he went to the large bathroom he had. He turned on the light and winced at the sight of himself in the mirror. He was angry at himself for doing this. Blair had only been gone a week and he was already turning into the old Chuck Bass. The womanising, have sex with every girl Chuck Bass. He felt sick, and he realised he didn't like it. He knew he'd been changing ever since he fell in love with Blair. Sure, his character was the same, still as witty as ever, but he didn't want to sleep with every girl he met, he just wanted to be with Blair.

So he decided he was going to tell the blonde to leave. However, when he reached the living area, he found more than one girl occupying the room.

XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO XOXO

Blair had expected Chuck to be sat at his desk doing some late night work for the company or lounging on the sofa catching up on some TV, or even hanging out with Nate (the two were almost back to normal now).

What Blair had not expected, was for Chuck to be nowhere to be seen, and for a tacky looking fake blonde haired model to be sat in the chair in which she herself usually sat. Blair quietly shut the door behind her, and the girl turned her head to look at Blair, a scared look forming on her face as she took in Blair's angry expression.

"And just who are you?" Blair asked, sounding every inch the evil bitch she was. The girl visibly shook as Blair began stalking over to her. Who was she to know the guy had a girlfriend? He had never mentioned it.

"I.. I..." but the blonde who was still unnamed never got to finish her sentence, as it was at that precise moment that Chuck emerged from the bathroom, about to tell her to leave.

"Blair?" Chuck half asked, half greeted, a genuine smile forming on his face as he realised she was really here. But then he noticed that the blonde was still sitting on the chair, looking scared. Blair had 'caught' him, although he hadn't actually done anything with the girl. Chuck knew Blair wouldn't believe him though. He was Chuck Bass. He had a bad reputation and he knew it.

It was at this moment he realised how much he hated the old him

"You" Blair pointed her perfectly manicured finger at the blonde. "Get out." She stated it so bluntly it was as though she was an army leader, and the girl didn't even bother to object. She got up and practically ran out of the room, not glancing at either Chuck or Blair as she made her exit.

Chuck and Blair stood in his suite in silence, Chuck looking at the ground so he wouldn't have to look Blair in the eye. He didn't want to see the hurt in her eyes, the hurt he'd seen so many times before when he'd caused her so much heartache. He only wanted her to be happy around him, in fact he wanted her to be happy all the time. It made his stomach churn knowing how he'd hurt her. He didn't even know why he'd brought the stupid blonde back to his suite. She was nothing compared to Blair. Old Habits die Hard, I guess.

"Blair" Chuck whispered, and he finally lifted his head so he could take in her expression. He could tell she was sad, but of course this expression was covered by her cool exterior, that told everyone but him she was just angry. Chuck could see through this though, he knew she was just trying to fool him into thinking he hadn't hurt her.

"Your lips aren't swollen" Blair noted, as she took in his appearance. He was wearing a black suit with a dark green tie, which matched the green dress she was wearing. She found it hard to believe that even when at opposite ends of the world, they were still so in sync with eachother.

"Yes?" Chuck replied, confused as to what Blair was getting at.

"You didn't kiss her?" Blair asked, also confused. When she had seen the blonde girl in Chuck's suite she had assumed that Chuck had cheated on her, assumed that he'd gone back to his old ways.

"No, and I wasn't planning on kissing her either" he stated, beginning to walk over to Blair.

She took a step back however, still not feeling entirely comfortable with this whole situation. He'd obviously invited the girl up to his suite, the suite only she was meant to go in, and he'd probably flirted with this girl to coax her into coming up here with him. Blair felt an all too familiar sick feeling in her stomach.

"Its fine Chuck, I don't need an explanation I just need to think." Blair said sadly, as she turned away from Chuck and began to open the door. She had some things to figure out. Did she trust him? Could she trust him? Sure nothing had happened between him and the girl, but could she believe what he was saying?

It's times like this where she wished Serena was here.

"Blair, don't go, please..." Chuck pleaded. Chuck Bass never pleaded to anyone else except Blair. He knew though. He knew that she wouldn't stay, he could see in her eyes that she needed to think about everything because she was confused and sad, so when she didn't reply to his plea – instead walking out of the door, shutting it behind her – Chuck didn't go after her. He returned to his bar and poured himself another glass of Scotch.

She needed time, and he was going to give it her.

Up Next: Blair encounters an old problem, Chuck goes from anti-hero to BE MY HERO, and Nate has a sports car? Too bad they can't get in touch with Serena...