Blair leaned down and kissed Chuck seductively, caressing his silk-clad arm. She let her mind run through the long list of "games" they could pick from for the evening. He set aside the society section and deepened the kiss. His plan of a night in was sounding so much better than a night out by the minute.
Blair broke the kiss with a naughty little smile. She let her hand drift down to the knot keeping his robe closed. "Staying in, huh? What did you have in mind?"
"Well, I was thinking we could…Shit!"
Chuck stopped mid-sentence and bolted upright, nearly knocking Blair off the bed. Hand clamped over his mouth, he made a beeline straight for the bathroom.
"Chuck? What the hell?"
The only response she got was the sound of painful retching.
Blair winced as she put it all together. The dim lighting in the suite. The way he rubbed at the spot directly between his eyes. Being in his silk pajamas at 8:00 pm. Reading the society page. (The one section of the paper he always said required the least amount of brain power.) His headache excuse for leaving the festivities early. (The one excuse he always used honestly.) His sudden need to pay homage to the porcelain throne in the middle of dirty talk.
Chuck had a migraine. A bad one.
Quietly, Blair padded over the bathroom. She soaked a washcloth with cool water and knelt down beside as he struggled to catch his breath. Chuck looked up at her with exhausted eyes as she wiped the sweat and tears he'd never admit to from his face. Her heart ached and all she wanted was to wrap him up in her arms and cuddle him until he felt better.
"Hey," he whispered, his voice rough and raw.
Blair ran her fingers through his sweaty hair. "Hey yourself. Think you're done?"
"Yes." Chuck gagged. "No."
Blair rubbed his back trying to loosen his too tight muscles. She felt horrible about her freak out mere minutes earlier. All that slamming and screaming must have been torture for him, and he'd kept his composure like a pro while she was probably making him feel a lot worse. She might as well have taken sledgehammer directly to his skull.
As he finished, Blair got up and filled two plastic cups, flipping on the nightlight they installed for such occasions.
"Here," she said as she handed the cups to Chuck. "Mouthwash and water."
Chuck swished the mouthwash around in his mouth and spit it out. Then, he did the same with the water. He tossed the cups into the trashcan and flushed the toilet, visibly cringing at the sound.
"Did you take anything?"
Leaning back against the wall, he drew his knees to his chest and closed his eyes. Even in the dim glow, there was no missing the fine lines of pain marring his face.
"Yeah. About a half hour ago. It just got flushed down the toilet." He groaned. "I feel gross. I'm going to take a shower."
"Chuck, you can barely stand. Let me run you a bath."
She turned on the hot water and grabbed the lavender bath oil she always made sure they had on hand. Not only did it help take the edge off the headaches and migraines that plagued him, it was a like miracle drug for any time she needed to get him to unwind enough to get some real rest after a stressful day.
"You don't have to do that," Chuck said, eyes still closed.
Blair shook her head. She poured some of the oil into the water. "Laying on the floor in the fetal position while water falls down on you is not taking a shower. It's just sad." She capped the bottle and turned back to him. "Now, do you want to strip yourself or do you want me to do it for you?"
Chuck managed a weak smirk. "As tempting as that offer is, I think I can manage. Besides, it's not nearly as fun with out the ravishing."
"Really?" Blair rolled her eyes. "You are actually thinking about sex right now?"
"What can I say? It's part of my alluring charm."
Wobbling a little as he stood, Chuck slid off his slippers and peeled off his clothes. He let out a contented sigh as he sunk into the hot water. Blair slid a rolled up towel behind him to help support his head and neck.
"There," she said. "Now, relax and let the lavender do its job. I'm going to go change. I'll be right outside if you need me."
Chuck let his eyes close. "Kay."
She knew is head was killing him when he made no attempt to convince her to join him.
Blair kissed his forehead and left the bathroom. She went over to the dresser she claimed as hers when she started spending multiple nights in Chuck's suite and dug around for something comfortable to wear. She made quick work of her dress and tugged on a pale blue camisole and a pair of silky navy pajama bottoms she borrowed one evening from Chuck and never returned. (Not that he had complained about it. She knew he found extremely sexy when she wore his clothes after a night of intense lovemaking.)
After getting some fresh clothes for Chuck and turning down the duvet, Blair went back into the bathroom. She set the clothes on the counter and perched on the edge of the tub. Gently, she cupped his cheek. He leaned into her touch.
"Feeling any better?" Blair asked softly.
"Not really." Chuck's eyes fluttered open and shivered. "I think I'm ready to get out. Water's getting cold."
Blair helped him out of the tub. She wrapped him up in one of the fluffiest towels they owned. "Clothes are on the counter. Do you want some help?"
"I think I can take it from here. Though, I was really hoping you'd be offering to help me out of my clothes to night not into them."
"Oh, trust me as soon as you're feeling better, Bass."
Blair took care of the tub and the towels while Cluck alternated between tugging on his clothes and leaning against the counter for support. Once he was finally dressed, she helped him stagger into the bedroom.
Chuck collapsed onto the king-size bed and curled up on his side. Blair pulled the covers up over him, tucking them up under his chin. She sat on the bed and stroked his hair.
"There. Now just close your eyes and sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."
"Lie down with me?" he asked. He fixed her with biggest puppy dog eyes he could manage and that no one other than Blair would ever believe he could pull off.
"Give me a minute." Chuck actually whimpered when she stood. "So needy, aren't we? I'll be right back."
True to her word, Blair was back in a matter of minutes with some overnight supplies.
"Here, take this," she said, handing him a couple painkillers and a glass of water. She helped him sit up, so he could swallow them. "And just in case you feel sick again." She held a small trashcan up. "Here's some easy access."
Chuck laughed. "You've really thought of everything."
"I'm nothing if not a perfectionist, especially when it comes to taking care of my migraine stricken boyfriend." She laid a cool cloth on his forehead.
"Hmmm, I smell lavender."
"There's some of your favorite oil on the cloth." Blair switched off the lights and slid under the covers behind Chuck. "Now, I someone requested some cuddling."
She placed a kiss on his shoulder and curled around him.
"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Chuck asked as Blair started to rub gentle circles on his queasy stomach.
"Shhh, sleep now. We have plenty of time to list all my shining attributes. Right now, you need rest. I'll be right here when you wake up."
"I love you."
Blair was never going to get tired of hearing those words come out of his mouth. She kissed his shoulder again and snuggled closer, feeling his breathing start to even out.
"Love you too."
Tomorrow, they would spend the day in curled up in bed with room service and classic movies. Blair would immerse herself in the world of Audrey Hepburn while Chuck slept through his post-migraine exhaustion. Then, when he felt better, they would make love well into the night.
Yes, this may not have been what Chuck had in mind when he suggested staying in, but, in this moment with him sleeping peacefully in her arms, Blair couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be.