Title: It's Only Denial
Word Count: 474
Rating: PG just because I don't want it to be G
Warnings/Spoilers: 2.01
Summary: But they were there for a reason; a reason she'd never admit, not to him, not to herself.
Official Disclaimer: All Gossip Girl plots and characters belong to Cecily von Ziegeser, Josh Schwartz and the CW. I do not own the people or the company. The characters I featured are not mine.
Blair ran across the bright green grass towards where he stood, her heels getting wedged in the dirt. "Chuck!" she cried after him, partly a question, a statement, a plea. She stood for a moment, tentatively; her dark curls brushing against her bare back as he slowly turned towards her.
The insistent smirk that usually graced his lips was gone, replaced by a look of sadness, disappointment. Chuck stood looking at her for a moment, taking her in through his blurring eyes; her green flowered dress, her long ringlets; lightened from the summer sun, the way her lip gloss shimmered in the early evening light.
"Look, I know what that pin means to you." He clenched his jaw tightly, willing himself not to lose control, as he looked her straight in the eye. "You gave it to Nate the first time you said you loved him." Chuck's voice trailed off at the end of his sentence, but he couldn't, he wouldn't, let her see how much she'd hurt him with a tiny gold pin.
Under his gaze, Blair suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable. She fidgeted unconsciously, shifting from foot to foot as she tried to resume her usual bitchy queen bee tone. "Well, I asked for it back." She raised her eyebrows. "I thought James should have it now."
Chuck just stood there, watching her, blinking his dark eyes slowly. He bit his tongue, ground his teeth; did everything he possibly could to keep the moisture that was gathering in his eyes from falling. "Do you…uh…" He stumbled over his words, something he never did. He stared at the ground, tracing little circles on the wet grass with the toe of his dress shoe. "Do you really feel the same about him as you did Nate?" Chuck managed to look up, his wet eyes pleading with her delicate face. He knew that if she was as in love with James as she had been with Nate for so many years, he wouldn't stand a chance.
"I do," Blair said, all too quickly, hoping he couldn't tell she was lying. She looked right at him; her own eyes filling with unshed tears that threatened to pool over.
Chuck blinked in only slight surprise, searching her face for some sort of explanation. He saw none, only a blush in her cheeks, defiance in her eyes, and a teardrop that he knew she would deny. So he mumbled the first thing that came to mind. "I'll see you at school."
Blair watched him as he stepped around her; watched the slump in his shoulders and the weakness in his strides across the lawn. She began to cry for real, tears slipping out of her eyes and down her porcelain cheeks.
"Ugh…" Blair sighed, wiping the irrational tears from under her glistening eyes. But they were there for a reason; a reason she'd never admit, not to him, not to herself.
She might still love him.
Author's Note: I wanted to do another scene rewrite for 2.01, since the first one I did was before the episode even aired. I don't know if anyone likes these or not, but I enjoy writing them, and I'll probably continue writing them throughout the season, taking the best, worst, saddest, happiest...etc...CB scene from the last episode and rewriting, sometimes changing and adding on. I will be starting a new chapter story soon too, Blair-centric CB, so look out for that.