Disclaimer: Don't own Gossip Girl
Warnings: Slight spoilers ahead!
It Happened One Christmas Eve
Bright hues of yellow, red, blue, and pink sparkled against the dark green of the freshly-cut, pine Christmas tree. Not particularly impressed, however, was one Charles Bass, who was looking on a different sight with utter disdain.
Sitting primly near the tree, her emerald Jenny Packham dress draped carefully over her stockinged legs, was Blair Waldorf. In one hand was an auspiciously-wrapped gift, and in the other was a glass of spiked eggnog, the latter of which she was sharing over war stories with Dan Humphrey.
It was Christmas Eve at the van der Bass-Humphreys, and though Lily and Rufus were fighting, both adults were putting on a happy face in order to convince the Waldorf-Rose and Archibald families that all was well in their marriage.
Chuck reclined in his chair, swirling around his glass of scotch, the ice clinking against the crystal like sleigh bells. As usual, the Christmas spirit evaded him. The only reason he came to Lily's in the first place was to assuage Eric, who had arrived home early from his vacation out of concern for the state of his family. Really, all Chuck wanted to do was slink back to his suite and continue his date with alcohol, and, maybe his new girlfriend Raina, if she was home from Christmas Eve dinner with her father yet.
"Okay, everyone, it's time to exchange gifts!" Lily announced, clasping her hands together with mock-cheer.
Chuck rolled his eyes, body turning to stone as Lily placed a hand on his shoulder. The insincerity in her voice was astoundingly obvious to him, and most likely, to everyone else, but not wanting to ruin the night, Chuck decided to bite his tongue.
"I'll pass out gifts, Lily. I find that delivered with Waldorf cheer, everyone enjoys their gifts that much more," Blair volunteered haughtily. The gift in her hand was deftly handed to Lily as Blair explained, "Serena's not here, but she deserves to get a little Christmas when she comes back. Be sure she gets it."
"Of course," Lily smiled warmly.
Blair bent down to retrieve a couple presents, and stood up with a smirk on her face. "Nate, this one's for you." She handed the present to the blonde-haired man, who grinned toothily.
"From you? I can't even imagine what this could be," Nate laughed, shaking the box to his ear.
Blair's rosy lips turned up in a smile. "No cheating!" she chastised playfully, before turning to Anne Archibald and handing her a small box wrapped in gold Christmas paper.
Anne looked surprised as she accepted her gift from Blair. "Why, Blair, thank you!"
Chuck still didn't get why Blair insisted on getting Nate's mom Christmas presents. The rational part of him figured that it was just personal ambition, because Anne held the key to many an opportunity, but the envious part of him always wondered if Blair secretly wanted to reunite with her childhood love. It was a jealousy that consumed him since the first time he and Blair made love, and an insecurity Chuck would have until the day he died.
Chuck never, not in a million years, expected to feel that same jealousy over Dan Humphrey, which is why, as Blair handed the chiseled Brooklynite a decadently-wrapped present, he found himself wanting to laugh. Chuck just didn't understand how, in the span of little over a month, Blair and Dan could actually forge a friendship. Hell, if he wasn't in denial, Chuck might've been obliged to say that the two were actually flirting. His only solace in the matter was the fact that he outwardly moved on first, what with Raina practically living with him these days.
Sullenly, Chuck watched on as Blair passed out the rest of the presents. He saw the flash of confusion his ex-girlfriend's face as she picked up his gift to her, and Chuck could only hope that she wouldn't hate him for still trying to be a part of her life, in some shape or form.
"Chuck, you really didn't have to…" Blair trailed off as she glided her fingers over the small present.
Fueled by nervous energy, Chuck tried to flatten his tone as he replied, "It's nothing, really. Just a little something I picked up on the way."
"Well, here's yours," Blair responded with a small smile, setting a bag on Chuck's lap that was teeming with tissue paper.
Blair returned to her seat beside Dan, and, as everyone unwrapped their presents, Chuck could hear Dan whisper, "This – this is awesome, Blair. I – seriously. It's just… wow." Craning his head, Chuck tried to see what Dan was talking about, but the flying shreds of gift wrap prevented him from doing so.
Deciding to focus on his own present, Chuck dipped his hands in the bag, flinging aside excess tissue paper in the process. At the bottom of the bag, Chuck's fingers felt some sort of silk fabric, and, pulling it out, he saw that Blair had gotten him a gorgeous, custom-made scarf. Attached to the scarf was a note:
Just because we can't be friends doesn't mean we aren't. Merry Christmas, Chuck. Always, B.
Chuck tried to smile at the sentiment, but he couldn't. There was too much pain in just being Blair's friend. Sure, he was dating Raina, and he really liked her, too, but in all reality, you don't really get over someone you've dated for two years in a mere two months.
Raising his head, Chuck met Blair's gaze. The brunette was trying on the burgundy headband he'd gotten her, and when Blair saw Chuck watching her, she grinned mutedly.
Thank you, she mouthed, before getting to her feet, camera in hand. "Alright family, friends, and foes," Blair began. She threw Jenny a playful look as she mentioned the last word, prompting the flaxen-haired girl to laugh knowingly. "It's time for the showing of the gifts. Raise your glasses, and then raise your presents. Dorota's making scrapbooks for everyone here tonight and I want everyone to be equally represented. Humphrey, care to lead the toast?"
Chuck's eyes shot daggers as Dan agreed with a shy smile. Dan, dressed dapperly in black pleated pants, a white shirt, and a green tie, stood up, glass of eggnog raised (Chuck didn't miss the way his tie matched Blair's dress). "Uh, I'll start out by saying thanks for the honors, Blair," Dan began, catching Blair's stare with a warm smile. "Anyways, we all know that the past few months haven't exactly been, you know, a cake walk. There's been a lot of struggles and a lot of tears. The thing is, though, that dwelling on the past? It does nothing for us. We've gotta focus on the here and now, not on what could have been. Why?" He paused. "Well, we can't fix our history, but we can fix ourselves."
Lily dropped her head, prompting Rufus to place a tentative hand over hers.
Blair and Jenny smiled at each other, each remembering their conversation back in the Waldorf penthouse that fateful day.
Chuck lowered his eyes. He'd never actually say it, but Dan had a point.
"The best part is that none of us are alone in doing this. As family and as friends, we have each other's backs, and that's the way it should be, because you know, at the end of the day, that's all that matters. I mean, I don't know what I would do without any of you. Everyone here has taught me something about life and about myself, and I - I think I can speak for all of you when I say that the people in this room? Are one of a kind. I wouldn't trade them for the world. Merry Christmas, guys. Cheers."
"Cheers!" the group said in unison, clinking each other's glasses with renewed spirit.
Blair handed her camera to Dorota, who then proceeded to make her way around the room, snapping photographs of each person surrounded by their piles of presents. When Dorota came up to Chuck, all glowing and jolly and… well, kind of Mrs. Clause-ish, his mouth twitched. It wasn't a full-on smile (he wouldn't allow it), but for some reason the maid had an effect on him. A flash went off, temporarily blinding Chuck, as Dorota took her chance to capture the semi-smile on Chuck's face.
"You're the next Annie Leibovitz, Dorota," Chuck drawled dryly, fingering the scarf Blair got him between his thumbs.
"Annie Leibovitz have nothing on me," Dorota replied with pride.
After Dorota moved on to her next victim, Chuck directed his attention to Blair and Dan once again. He noticed that Dan was holding something wrapped in red and topped off with a bright green bow. Leaning forward with his glass of scotch gripped between two hands, Chuck watched intently as Dan handed Blair the present with the faintest hint of red gracing his cheeks.
Blair turned to Dan, an eyebrow raising curiously. She slid a French-tipped fingernail beneath a loosened part of the wrapping paper, and slowly separated it. Chuck couldn't quite tell what was going on, but he definitely noticed the way Blair's eyes widened as she caught a partial glimpse of the present inside the paper.
Suddenly, Blair started ripping the wrapping paper open with fervor, and, tossing it aside carelessly, let her mouth fall open as she looked at Dan's gift to her in amazement.
Chuck prepared to strain in order to hear the conversation, but, lucky (or not so lucky) for him, Blair's excitement over Dan's present of a first-edition A Tale of Two Cities was uncontainable. "Oh my God, Humphrey! This can't be real! Where did you – how did you - "
Dan laughed as Blair gripped his shoulder, yearning for answers. "I remember you telling me you were obsessed with Charles Dickens. I asked around, and someone in my writing club told me about a bookstore where they sold first-editions. I, uh, figured since you kept me company over the holidays, that it's the least I can do. Besides, your present was no easy feat, either, you know. I mean, The Maltese Falcon director's notes? Unbelievable."
Chuck couldn't believe what he was hearing. Abruptly, he got to his feet, his eyes shifting to Blair to see if she noticed.
She didn't.
In fact, enthralled over her new book, Blair was hugging Dan, who had his arms wrapped around the trim brunette like they were dating or something.
Chuck moved into the kitchen, where a tray of shrimp was arranged around a bowl of red cocktail sauce. He grabbed one, dipped it in the sauce, and popped it in his mouth. From where he was standing, Chuck got a good glimpse of Blair and Dan. They were friends at the moment, but deep in his heart, Chuck knew that they would evolve into more.
Was he jealous? Mad? Furious, even? Hell yes. Chuck was also, however, something else: intrigued.
Dan brought out another side of Blair that even he'd never seen, and Chuck couldn't help but wonder why that was. Was it that Dan actually made her happy in a way that he couldn't anymore? Chuck had no idea, but he did know that the smile on Blair's face was genuine, and that fact warmed him to the core.
Chuck thought back to the presents he and Blair exchanged. Scarves and headbands. They were two things that first attracted Chuck and Blair to one another. They were two things that hadn't been worn by either of them in a long time. They were two things that represented a mad, passionate love that was barely flickering these days.
Watching as Blair, giggling, threw a balled-up piece of wrapping paper at Dan, Chuck realized what he had to do. He loved Blair, god did he love her, but that wasn't enough anymore. He had to let her go, had to give her the chance to fly. If he was lucky, she would fly back right into his arms.
As of now, though, Chuck was adamant about one thing: Dan Humphrey was by no means his friend, but if Blair was happy, then the Brooklynite was no longer his foe.
AN: I used a line from GG, the whole note from Blair (plus a couple of added words). Anyways, I loved writing this. I like my Chuck in this story better than the show's current Chuck! Lol! I know that on the show, the writers are gonna make Chuck go ballistic if Dair happens, but I would rather have Chuck be a little more mature. I guess I feel like Chuck should want Blair to be happy, and if Dan can provide that happiness, then it should be enough for him for the time being. I hope you guys enjoyed!