Story: Always
Author: LadyLissaLight
Summary: 'I'll always love you' she whispered. Ten years later and Chuck Bass is standing at the altar, waiting for his bride, when Blair Waldorf ruins the wedding. C/B SAP.
"I love you, Chuck Bass," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his and he could feel the heat of her all over him.
He closed his eyes, "I love you Blair Waldorf," he whispered back.
"Always," she murmured, and he felt the cool of her breath on his face before she fell asleep, leaning her head on his chest and curling her body even more tightly around his.
He kissed her forehead before settling down to sleep himself.
XXXXXX
Chuck stared at his reflection in the mirror and tugged at his bowtie. He looked emotionless, flat, lifeless. There was no spark in his eye, or even the slightest smirk on his face.
This wasn't how he was supposed to look on his wedding day.
He sighed and stared at his clothes, finding invisible faults with the tuxedo, and the bow tie.
He started slightly as Nate entered the room, smiling at Chuck. Clapping his oldest friend on the shoulder, he prompted, "You don't look happy."
Chuck shrugged the hand off, "I'm not happy Nathaniel. I'm only marrying her because her father could be extremely useful to Chuck Bass industries. Not that she needs to know that," he said harshly, and Nate stared at him, surprised.
"What? But you two have dated for so long... I thought..."
"You thought I cared?" Chuck laughed bleakly. "How could I possibly care for her? She's horrible. She wears the wrong colours, she says the wrong things, she doesn't know me..." He realised he was dangerously close to actually revealing something, and shut his mouth firmly, going back to brushing specks of dust off his suit.
"Then why are you marrying her, Chuck? The Chuck I know wouldn't do that."
"The Chuck you know would. The Chuck I used to be would have no reason to marry someone for any reason other than love, because he had love. I don't. And frankly, Nathaniel, I don't need it. My father was right, love makes you weak."
His friend looked horrified, and was speechless, Chuck saw. Not that he cared. He was past caring.
The door pushed open again and this time a stunning blonde entered the room, wearing a troubled expression. Her gown was a brilliant pink, not a colour Serena would usually wear.
"Sis," Chuck drawled, "here to wish me luck?"
"I'm here to tell you not to go through with it, Chuck!" she exclaimed. "You don't love Alexandra!"
Nate stared at Serena in surprise, but Chuck rolled his eyes, "This is the Upper East Side, Serena. Nobody marries for love. Did Lilly love Bart? No. But their marriage worked."
"No it didn't!" Serena protested. "Please, Chuck... I talked to Blair."
Chuck stiffened; his hands froze on his bow tie. Jerkily, he turned to Serena, his face drawn, and said to her through clenched teeth, "Don't say her name. Just go. Both of you go!" He yelled, and Serena grabbed Nate's arm, looking frightened. As they headed towards the door, he heard Nate hiss at Serena, "You knew?" and Serena say something in reply, before the door closed, leaving Chuck alone.
Alone. He would always be alone. Weakening momentarily, he sunk into a chair and sighed. Just as he stood up again, the door opened for a third time, this time entered Dan Humphrey, who Serena had brought as her plus one to the wedding.
"Er, Chuck, they're telling me that it's time," he said, watching Chuck carefully.
"You can leave now, Humphrey." He said icily.
"No, wait," said Dan, pausing slightly.
"What is it?" Chuck snapped.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Spare me the lecture, Cabbage Patch."
"It's to get back at her, isn't it?"
Chuck paused with his hand on the door handle. "What?"
"Blair. To get back at her for leaving. But it won't work. She's either gone forever, or she'll never be gone."
"I hate to break to to you, Brooklyn,' Chuck sneered, "But I haven't seen, or thought about, Blair Waldorf in years."
He wrenched open the door and strode out.
The chapel. It was garishly decorated. The way she wanted it. Chuck detested it. Everything was so overdone.
He stood there, with Nate on one side, and the priest on the other, and felt sick. This wasn't how he'd imagined his marriage.
Once upon a time, he had never dreamed of getting married.
Then she had come along and suddenly, it had seemed a wonderful possibility. To be able to spend the rest of his life with her. But that was gone now.
The music started, and internally, he rolled his eyes.
Down the aisle came Serena, dressed in the garish dress, smiling with her best society smile, before glaring at Chuck at she approached the altar.
Then she came down, and he almost cringed at the sight of her. Her dress was a powder puff. Her makeup ostentatious. Her hair comical.
She approached him, smiling, and he found himself, for once, not even bothering to muster a fake smile, but simply looked at her, with no warmth in his gaze.
Her expression turned confused, and she looked at him with a question in her eyes.
The priest went through the speech, blathering on, while Chuck ignored him and prayed (no pun intended) for the ceremony to be over.
He vaguely said 'I do' and heard her say it too, but when Father whatever-his-name-was said 'Speak now or forever hold your peace,' his heart pumped so fast as he heard a voice.
"I object."
He must be dreaming. It was her voice. There was no stress in the voice, she sounded cool, collected, and totally sure of herself. This couldn't be real.
He turned, half daring to hope, and saw her.
His heart almost exploded with love.
She was amazing. Beautiful. Flawless.
There she was, standing there in the latest Stella McCartney asymmetrical dress, with Louboutin's and a black clutch, her hair styled to perfection, and her lips a divine shade of nude.
Every single person in the room gasped, whispered to their neighbour in a shocked tone of voice, or at the very least, raised their eyebrows.
Blair Waldorf.
She was magnificent, walking down the aisle with utmost confidence, as if she was meant to be there.
Serena's expression was one of smug happiness, while Nate had broken out in a broad grin at the sight of her.
She completely ignored Chuck however, and stepped towards Alexandra, who looked shocked.
"Excuse me?" Alexandra mustered.
"You're excused," Blair smiled and Chuck could have kissed her. This was exactly the way she always began her takedowns.
"What?" Alexandra stammered.
"Alexandra, I don't know who you are, or why Chuck is marrying you, but when he proposed you should have said no!" Blair snapped loudly. "You have no right to try and steal someone else's man!"
The audience broke out in mutters, while Alexandra looked bewildered and slightly hurt.
"What?" She turned to Chuck, "Chuck, what?"
"Chuck is mine." Blair continued, now sounding angry. "I lost him once, and I am not going to lose him again to another skinny blonde!"
"Look," said Alexandra, "I don't know if you're just an angry ex-girlfriend, or what, but Chuck and I are getting married. He loves me."
Chuck saw a flash of deep sadness in Blair's eyes, but he knew he was the only one who had. Her expression remained calm and unruffled.
'Chuck," she said, speaking slowly as if to a toddler, "loves me. And not you. Me."
"You're crazy," whispered Alexandra.
Blair rolled her eyes. She finally turned to look and Chuck ad when their eyes met, he felt right again. Like everything was alright. As if everything that had happened had been erased, now that she was here. And he knew that he would never let her go again.
"Blair," he said hoarsely.
"Bass, I've missed you," she smirked.
He couldn't help but smirk back at her, "I bet you have. But you haven't said it."
She knew what he meant. She looked at him with her heart in her eyes and whispered, "I love you, Chuck Bass. I always will."
He couldn't help himself; he stepped forward, closed the final gap between them, pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
To kiss Blair was like to spend an eternity in heaven. God he loved her.
Chuck distantly heard the audience gasp, and Alexandra say something, but all he felt was Blair.
They pulled apart and he told her, "I love you too," he smirked at her, remembering the day so many years ago that he had told her the same thing.
"Say it again," she whispered, smiling.
"I love you," he kissed her forehead.
"I love you," he kissed her nose, her neck, her shoulder.
Breaking out of their own little bubble, Chuck and Blair turned to see an Alexandra who looked both angry, and like she was about to cry.
"Chuck! What is this!" she cried, her voice breaking. "We've been together for three years! Why are you doing this? Don't you love me?"
"I'm sorry Alexandra, but Blair and I have been together since we were 16." He told her honestly.
She burst into tears and rushed out, the crowd of onlookers staring at the scene before them.
Chuck felt someone hug him from behind and turned as much as he could to find Serena had wrapped her arms around both him and Blair, and soon enough Nate joined the hug.
Amongst all the scandalised socialites, and doctors, lawyers and hotel chain owners, Blair, Chuck, Serena and Nate all laughed.
Because I'm in a sappy chair mood.
This was very, very sappy, so please don't hate on me for the sap, I actually really loved writing this.
XOXO
Lissa