There was a chill permeating the Bass household. It must have been the snow from outside, because Henry woke up with a shiver. He opened his eyes slowly, rubbing them awake.
Little Henry made his way downstairs to the tree only to find his parents seated at the couch, both holding steaming mugs in their hand. They had decorated the tree weeks ago, with Henry's ornaments that he made and with candy canes. He had helped Dorota with the lights and he had even put the star on the top.
"Look who's awake," Blair smiled as she spotted her three year old on the steps. His hair was a mess but she couldn't bring herself to care much. His face grew a large grin and his eyes, once upon a time drowned in sleep, shot awake as he spotted the collection of gifts near his parents.
"It's Christmas!" he exclaimed as he rushed down the stairs. His paisley robe fluttered behind him as he ran to the tree. He could barely contain himself as he spotted the hoards of presents, wrapped in a myriad of colors of ribbons and bows. He sat down near the sofa and picked one of the nearest boxes up. He held it in his hands and shook it violently against his ear.
"Calm down, don't break anything," Chuck laughed as he looked at the joy on his son's face. He couldn't remember a Christmas with his family, so seeing the excitement and the smiles on Henry's face was surely a moment to never forget. Blair leaned into his shoulder, sighing softly as she cuddled in the little nook. He bowed his head against her, turning slightly to kiss her forehead. His arms tightened around her body as he rubbed her robe.
"This feels nice," she sighed as she closed her eyes. Blair could have stayed in that moment forever, sipping on warm cider with her husband without a worry in the world. It was one of the few days that both Basses were free from their hectic lives, and they both relished each and every moment spent together with Henry in their brownstone building.
"Mom, look what Santa got me!" Henry's voice broke her trance as she opened her eyes to see Henry holding a bright red truck in his hands.
"Wow, that's great," she smiled to him, nodding him as he dragged his truck across the floor. The truck was a momentary infatuation among the rest of his presents. He moved on from present to present, unwrapping all the bows until he came across a small box wrapped in lavender with a violent ribbon. He spotted his father's name on the tag and decided to give it to him.
"I think this is for Dad," Henry said as he placed the box on his father's lap. Chuck held the box in his hands with a surprised look. He unraveled the bow to open a David Yurman jewelry box; he didn't know what he expected as he opened the lid but he smiled once he saw what was inside. It was a gold ring, with CB engraved on it.
Blair took the ring out of the box and placed it on his pinky with a small kiss on his cheek. Chuck blushed momentarily as he saw the ring on his hand. It brought him back to years ago, when they were together and their biggest concern was college among Brooklynites. He was such a boy then and both he and Blair had gone through so much; it had only brought them to this very moment, where they were having a family Christmas with their son.
"I fell in love with the boy. I don't want you to forget it," she said with a shy smile. Sometimes, she knew him better than he knew himself and he wouldn't want it any other way.
"Thank you so much Blair. I love it," he beamed at her and she could feel her heart skip a beat when she saw the small gap between his teeth - she loved that smile of his. He held her face in his arms and she felt the cold press of the ring against her skin and she nuzzled into it as he kissed her.
"And I love you Chuck Bass," she smiled against his lips. She leaned back into the sofa as he held her hand while Henry opened the rest of his presents.