Wrong
By: RedHairRurouniFan
I decided to try my hand at writing a Gossip Girl fic. This was written from a prompt my friend gave me of three words: book, water, and candy. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl.
Blair was holed up in her room, reading one of her favorite books, though she'd never admit her interest in it. She was curled up on her queen-sized bed, reading The Little Mermaid, for the fifty-second, no, perhaps it was the fifty-third time. To be honest, she'd read the book so many times, she couldn't be sure how accurate her count was.
The Little Mermaid had always held a certain fascination for her since she was a child. Call it a guilty pleasure if you will. The first time Dorota showed her the Disney movie, she declared she wanted to be a mermaid, swimming free in the open sea. But the part that Blair loved more than anything was the happy ending that Ariel got, despite the obstacles in her way. She'd always identified with Ariel, wanting to be free, but instead being confined to a lifestyle because of both her parents' and society's expectations of her. Blair had always craved the perfect happy ending for her and Nate. She had decided he was her Prince Charming since before she could remember. She dreamed that one day, he would sweep her off her feet and they would be together, forever, regardless who she was, just like Ariel.
Once, Nate had taken her to the beach, during one of their honeymoon periods, so to speak. He'd confessed to her, before he kissed her goodbye, he thought she'd like the beach, considering she used to love The Little Mermaid. Blair didn't bother correcting him; she was so happy that he'd even remembered, considering the many things about her he never seemed to care about. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she wondered, from time to time, if Nathaniel Archibald was really her Prince Charming. But, quickly, she'd dismiss the thought, assuring herself she couldn't be wrong, she was never wrong.
But, now, as Blair sat reading the tragic ending of the Hans Christian Anderson version of The Little Mermaid, the original version, the thought that maybe, just maybe, her Prince Charming wasn't Nate, kept creeping up on her. She loved originals, and couldn't help but think that the original Little Mermaid was worth believing over the Disney version. If so, then the young woman she so identified with came to a tragic end, with no happy ending to speak of, except the bitter knowledge that her love was in love with another. At the moment, she feared that the original Little Mermaid identified better with her situation. Right now, she was riding the wave of bliss, and she knew that the crash wasn't too far off. She could just imagine the water, symbolic of her relationship, rising, with her riding along. But happiness doesn't last forever, not in real life anyway.
As she was brooding, she hadn't noticed that she was now laying on her bed, as opposed to sitting, and her book was lying beside her, flopping open uselessly. But one other thing had escaped her notice, the fact that someone else was now standing in the room, watching her intently. He slowly made his way toward Blair's bed, and only the creaking of the bed springs alerted her to his presence.
Blair bolted upright once she heard the sound, eyes wide, with an appearance of a deer in the headlights. She knew no one in her family would sneak up on her, and Dorota would never bother her when she was reading The Little Mermaid of all books.
"Chuck!" Blair exclaimed, annoyance tinting her tone.
Chuck Bass smirked. "Well, hello to you too, Waldorf. Glad to see you're happy to see me, because I missed you so much," he replied, sarcasm with just a thread of sincerity woven into his words.
Blair blinked. She was surprised to see him, and shocked at the unmistakable note of sincerity in his tone, despite how he tried to hide it. What really shocked her though, was a tiny fluttering in her stomach. She promised herself long ago that she would never, ever, entangle herself with Chuck Bass again. She'd gone down that road once, and he only broke her heart.
"Blair?" Chuck asked, concerned.
"Are you… worried about me?" Blair murmured, her presently doe-like eyes peering at him hopefully.
"What? Worried? Never."
"If you say so, Bass."
A moment of comfortable silence followed as Chuck's eyes roved around Blair's room. He hadn't been here in ages, and he missed the soft femininity coupled with controlling energy that only her room could harbor and not seem forced or unwelcoming. Finally, his eyes landed beside her, and he smirked again.
"The Little Mermaid, Waldorf? Aren't you a bit old? Or are you reliving childhood memories?" Chuck teased.
To his surprise, Blair flushed, and started to stammer. "W-Well, I-I, I just found it lying around. It's been… a while… I gu-guess. Besides, what's wrong with liking The Little Mermaid?"
"Nothing. It's just a children's book. It's a Disney movie, Waldorf. What self-respecting eighteen-year-old would read something like that?"
"Well I would!" Blair said hotly. "I happen to like The Little Mermaid, okay? Got a problem with that, Bass?"
"I never said that," Chuck responded, pretending to be unfazed by her reaction. Inside, on the other hand, he was reeling. Blair Waldorf? A Disney lover? Did he even know this girl at all? Did Nate? Considering her reaction, he'd be shocked if even Serena knew her interest in this.
"What did you mean?" Blair interrupted his train of thought.
"I meant… nothing. It's kinda cute," Chuck finished, the corners of his lips turning up just slightly. No matter, he knew it was enough. No one knew him as Blair did.
"Well, let me tell you… what did you say?" Blair said, eyes wide in disbelief.
"I said it's cute. Don't like that either, Waldorf?" he shot back.
"N-No. I've loved The Little Mermaid since I was little. Guess it just never went away."
"Tell me what you like about it," Chuck encouraged.
"Well… I can't put my finger on it exactly. It's a combination of the elements in it, I guess. The love conquering all obstacles, the characters, the mermaid and being in the water, and how everything works out in the end, despite how messed up everything got. But you know what? Most of all… I adore the happy ending. It's what I've always wanted. Ever since I saw the movie, actually."
Chuck was silent, regarding Blair with an inscrutable expression on his face.
"What? Is that stupid?" Blair said, steeling herself against the insults that were sure to fly her way at any moment.
"No. It's not stupid," Chuck simply replied. Blair cocked her head in confusion. "Anyway. I came over because I thought you might be lonely. With Nate away and Serena at God knows where, I figured you might want some company. I even brought some of your favorite chocolates."
"Chuck… That was… sweet of you. Thank you," Blair murmured, at a loss for words because of how sweet his gesture really was.
"Well… you're welcome. Have a chocolate. They're fresh." Blair smiled, and took one gratefully.
"Mmm… they are good. Thanks, Chuck. Really. Thank you," Blair said, giving him a bright smile. She only hoped he understood she was thanking him for more than just the chocolates.
"You're welcome, Blair."
With one last smile at each other, Blair thought, "Maybe… just maybe, I could be wrong about some things…"