14 years old Blair Waldorf made a quick stop on her way downstairs to check her emails. She would go through Gossip Girl posts later, she though, scanning through 36 new messages. The letter she so badly wanted to be there apparently wasn't, and she was already shutting her computer down when she suddenly saw it, the answer she had been waiting for.
"Nate!" she called immediately, all excited and quickly opened the message.
"May the 19th", she stated contently, looking up at her boyfriend.
"Really? Chuck's birthday? But how...?" Nate blinked in utter amazement. No one knew when Chuck Bass' birthday was and Nate had been trying to get hold of the date for ages, but to no avail. Yet there she stood, Blair Waldorf in her princess-like lace creamy dress, matching pumps and a head band, her innocent smile right in place, telling him she found out Chuck's birthday only three days after he had asked her to.
"'Have my ways, Natie", she smirked, making her way to him and wrapping her arms around his neck playfully. "So what do you say we make a surprise party for Bass?" she whispered in his ear.
"Totally", he agreed, before turning around and planting a quick kiss on her lips. "You are amazing!"
Two weeks of non-stop planning later Chuck Bass' Palace suite was fully ready for a surprise birthday party - it was stuffed with champagne, scotch, tequila and other booze; decorated with happy birthday signs and 'surprises' for a special quest game; catering and animation were ready; an amazing hand picked and made cake was awaiting it's glory hour in the owen; a huge pile of gifts was placed in the living room's centre; all the guests arrived. When it was first announced there was going to be a surprise party for Chuck Bass' birthday the whole teen UES was shocked - it was the news for nearly a week - Chuck never celebrated his birthday and there were rumors that he, as the spawn of Devil, didn't have one. But when they got to know that Blair Waldorf herself was throwing the party they were ecstatic. Blair was not the Queen yet, but everyone was sure she would be the next Queen of Constance as soon as she turned Freshman the following year. So those who received a black enveloppe with an invitation considered themselves extremely lucky - they were sure to attend something unbelievable, outstanding, and very exciting. That was exactly the type of event Blair and Nate had planned and 7:30 pm, May 19th Blair was standing among the guests, greeting them and explaining that the birthday boy was about to arrive.
"Where are you? It's been 30 mins, people are getting bored! - B" texted Blair Nate furiously as her boyfriend who was supposed to bring Chuck to the party on time was nowhere to be seen. She had expected them to be a little bit late - Nate had always been the slow one, but she was really running out of jokes, locked up in a dark penthouse with all of their classmates - for the better effect Chuck was supposed to enter a dark and seemingly absent room before the surprise was revealed.
"Complications, B! Can't find him. - N" was the reply she got. So she cautiously made her way through the crowd to go and chit-chat with Penelope. She couldn't say she particularly enjoyed the girl's company, but she was promising and Blair was seriously considering her as her future head-minion.
It was right when they were discussing ridiculous kitten heels that one of the girls was wearing when the suite's door's handle slowly turned. Everyone held their breath and, as they saw Chuck's silhouette in the doorway, they happily screamed "HAP-PY-BIRTH-DAY-CHUCK! SUR-PRISE!", but the screams died out as they saw him. He was obviously very drunk, his shirt dirty, his eyes red and hair messy, his posture unsteady. But what really scared them was his angry face.
"Today is not my birthday. Nothing to celebrate, you may get the hell out", he hissed, quickly making his way through the crowd and disappearing in the bedroom.
"Penelope, Kati, Iz, come here. This is your first task. If you succeed, consider yourselves my official minions at Constance. Handle this - apologize and throw a party in the bar. The first round of drinks is on me. Just don't let it turn into a disaster!" she instructed the awestruck girls firmly before following Chuck.
"Bass? What the hell was that? Don't you think you are acting just a tiny little bit rude?" Blair was practically fuming as she entered his bedroom - she had held a cold facade in front of the girls, but deep down she was furious with Chuck for ruining her perfect party.
"Today is not my birthday", he hissed back, plopping up on his elbows as he was already lying on his bed fully dressed.
"Oh no, you Basshole, I know damn well today is your birthday, I've bribed the hospital that was unfortunate enough to welcome you into this world!" she seethed at him.
"Then I'm not in the mood for your party", he retorted, taking a bottle of scotch from his bedside table and bringing it up to his lips.
"Drinking straight form the bottle, how middle-class of you", she commented, still angry, but already sensing something more than simple meanness behind his behavior.
"Oh, would you shut up? My head's killing me", he brought his other hand to his already pounding from booze forehead, pressing his fingers against his temples in an attempt to soothe the pain.
"Wait, have you had too much to drink?" she watched him shocked, amused and slightly alarmed. "No, no, no, that's what Serena does, Chuck Bass drinks an awful lot but he never gets sick from drinking!" she said slowly, feeling something really bad was going on as Chuck winced, dropped the bottle and quickly pressed his other hand to his mouth with a grimace.
"I'm fine!" he managed through greeted teeth.
"Shhh, Chuck, if you're nauseous you have to get to the toilet, you are going to throw up! Believe me, I'm Serena's best friend!" she was starting to panic as he didn't respond, staring into the space with an absent yet pained look.
"Get up, let's get you to the bathroom before it's too late!" she commanded and pulled him by his arm. She hadn't expected him to, but he obeyed and she dragged him into the bathroom just in time for him to drop to his knees and violently throw up into the sink.
Her motherly instinct, or friendly feelings or something very different suddenly kicked in and she was by his side, rubbing his back and caressing his hair, trying to make him more comfortable. When he was done she flushed the toilet and let him rest his head on her shoulder as he caught his breath. While he couldn't see it, she quickly texted Nate: "Chuck's very drunk, will get him into bed and go home. Go home too. - B". The reply she got was "OK, night. -N".
"Feeling better?" she asked in several minutes, her hand still running trough his hair.
"Yeah", he breathed out. Normally he would have never let her see him like this, but now he was too sick and exhausted to be embarrassed.
"Here", she said, handing him a glass of water which conveniently stood on one of the shelfs. She watched as he gulped it greedily. He did not speak and she sensed that he was not ready to. She knew she had to make him feel okay before she could get him to talk.
"Come on, let's get you in the bed", said Blair softly, helping him up. He winced several times and she realized his head was still hurting. Together, they stumbled to his bed until he flopped down. She silently undid his tie and took off his jacket. She was sure he would start making creepy remarks, but he let her undress him without a word. It scared her along with the dull look in his eyes. She had never seen Chuck Bass holding back from a gross comment.
"Now, come here.." she whispered, covering him with his comforter and sitting down at the edge of his bed before placing a pillow on her knees.
"Come here, I'm gonna make it better.." she promised, placing his head on the pillow and starting to rub circles into his temples. Her fingers pressed firmly and gently against his scalp, making the pain lessen. He signed contently, closing his eyes and she continued massaging his head for a couple of minutes before saying something.
"Now, Chuck, tell me what's going on", she urged him carefully and she felt his once relaxed neck and shoulders tighten again.
"It's just a bad day.." he tried to brush her off, but, of course, to no avail.
"No, Bass", she said firmly. "I've seen your bad days. You get super drunk and end up with a whore", she winced slightly at the word, but still used it for the effect. "You don't end up sick in your suite".
"Well, I had a bad cocktail on a bad day", said Chuck irritatingly. "It's none of your business anyway", he added, thinking she would get offended and stop asking.
"Chuck, that's enough. Man up and tell me already!" she replied, not even in the slightest offended by his words.
"All right, if you totally have to know, I'll tell you!" he spitted out, sitting up, suddenly boiling with anger. "14 years ago I killed my mother!" he stated and covered his face with his hands quickly as he didn't want her to see the tortured expression on his face.
"Oh, Chuck..!" she breathed out, shocked, scared, and lost, and then, without really thinking, she hugged him tightly. Usually, Chuck Bass didn't do hugs, but now he craved for comfort so much he let her wrap her arms around him securely and buried his head in the curve of her neck. As her hands wandered around his back, he relished the physical contact, so rare and precious and desired for him. He reveled in the reassuring warmth of her body pressed agains his until he was ready to confess his darkest secret.
"She couldn't really bear a child - she had poor health and she knew she was risking her life by getting pregnant. Yet she wanted a baby so badly she decided to go with it and look what it led her to", he said, his hoarse voice just above whisper. "I should have never been born, or even conceived, for the matter", he finished.
"Never say such a thing ever again", said Blair, softly yet very firmly. "It was not your fault. And Evelyn, she didn't want just a baby - she wanted you. You are her precious son, and you are worthy of her sacrifice. You are loving and caring, you are smart and you have potential and you are the best friend on this planet to Nate and.. to me", she admitted after a pause. She then leaned back and looked straight into his dark brown eyes. "Don't you even dare blaming yourself!"
"Now, you're exhausted, you need to sleep it off", she stated, making herself comfortable on one side of his bed and patting the space next to her. He lain down and she cuddled next to him, wrapping her arms around him again and pressing her lips to his cheek for a second.
"Happy birthday", she whispered and as she placed her head on his chest she heard him whispering back.
"Thank you.. for everything".
Review and alert as I might, if I have time and inspiration, turn it into a series showing every Chuck's birthday since the age of 14.