A/N: I have a schedule. I am very adamant about sticking to it. Alas, I have realized it's Valentine's Day, and I refuse to ignore my new trend of writing CB fics for holidays. Heh. I am going to have this be future fluff though, instead of S3. I'm seeing CB angst coming up, especially with recent events. Therefore, we must go back to the future. ;p

Enjoy!


"No gifts."

"No gifts?"

"No gifts."

"Wow."

"I know."

"Damn."

"I know!"

Both men sighed.

"Man, you're screwed," Nate said, sympathetically squeezing Chuck's arm. His best friend did not take the sympathy, only turning his head up till his glaring eyes met with the now panicked blues. He released his arm and stuffed his hand into his pocket.

"Thanks, Nathaniel, I hadn't figured that out yet," he rolled his eyes, reaching for the abandoned scotch glass in front of him. Nate watched as his friend began the long trek to an alcoholic oblivion. Before the glass even made it to Chuck's lips, Nate stole it away and held it at a safe distance.

"What the hell are you doing?" Chuck asked, his eyes intent on the glass, flicking back at Nate in a frustrated anger.

"This is not the end of the world, man. So what if Blair says she doesn't want gifts for Valentine's Day?" Chuck groaned at the repeated knowledge. "You don't have to listen to her. After all, a lot of times no means yes."

Chuck raised an eyebrow, amused at his best friend's logic. "Clearly, you have not been in many relationships—" he cleared his throat, "or successful ones rather," he amended. Nate's eyebrows narrowed at the offense and the fact that Chuck had managed to distract him by the minor insult and pull two glasses out from the lower cabinet, one for each of them. He gave in, much to his chagrin, and drank the scotch that Chuck poured out for him.

"It's February 13th," Chuck began, moving around the bar to cross his room. "I have chocolates, peonies, Breakfast at Tiffany's, diamonds, the works. And she doesn't want any presents?" he sighed, running and hand through his hair and turned back towards Nate who was still sitting at the bar though now solemn and silent. "She must have known I would have gotten her gifts months ago, which I had."

Nate's eyes rose to Chuck's, seeming to have instantly gotten over what hurt the tiny dagger might have caused. "So, just give them to her. She's Blair Waldorf. She won't complain."

Chuck nodded, seeming to think his words over in depth. "You make a valid point," he murmured, wrapping his hand around and his jaw momentarily. "I was going to call in a dump out of rose petals leading to our bedroom too. Do you think I should cancel that as well?"

Nate was gaping when Chuck finally looked back at him. "What?"

"You really go all out," he said, clearly in shock over all that Chuck had listed. He had no doubt in his mind by now that there was more he hadn't told him, probably daytime activities and appearances by people she adored.

"It's Blair," Chuck said, as if that explained everything. After a beat, Nate chuckled and shook his head. He placed his glass back on the bar and slipped off the stool, walking over to Chuck. He placed his hand back on Chuck's shoulder, feeling humored and hardly noticing that Chuck's muscles were now much more relaxed and less likely to punch him at this point.

"You're screwed," he repeated, this time cracking a grin. Chuck's eyebrows narrowed. Nate released his grip and slipped his hand back into his pocket. He sighed. "In all reality, I don't know what you're worried about. From what you've told me already, Blair's 'no-gift' rule will dissolve the instant she starts gushing at her pile of gifts and romantic set-up in the bedroom."

"There's something else," he insisted. Nate rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Maybe Blair just doesn't want to exchange gifts this year."

He scoffed. "Please. Blair has never said no to a gift before, unless she was angry or it was…cheap." Nate raised his eyebrows, amused.

"I believe I mentioned this already. But in case you missed it, the point still rings true. You've got nothing to lose except for maybe half a second of whining and crying because you didn't listen to her demand."

"She's keeping something from me."

"And this is why she's refusing to take gifts?" Nate asked, an eyebrow rising on the spot. Chuck waved him off and turned back around, facing the window. He knew he wasn't making much sense, but he couldn't help the gut feeling that was consuming him, no matter how much he thought it through.

"Look…" Nate trailed off, checking his watch, "I've got to go meet Serena, so…?" Chuck waved him off again, not bothering to look at him. Both were aware no real anger was between them and it was only the reality of Chuck's frustration that made his forehead develop such thick droplets of sweat.

"Hey," Nate said, just as he was getting to the doorway. "You're over-thinking this, man. Tomorrow's going to be great." Chuck nodded briefly and the blonde boy left, leaving the brunette to his thoughts, staring out the window and wondering what the hell Blair was keeping from him.

No gifts?


He woke up the next morning and stretched his arm out across the bed when the normal comforting heat was absent beside him. He groaned on hearing Breakfast at Tiffany's playing in the next room over. He groaned and buried his head in his pillow.

"Blair!" his yell muffled.

"Shh!!!" she shushed him from the other room. He rolled his eyes and untangled himself from the sheets. At least she was still in the suite, that's encouraging.

The site that greeted him on exiting the bedroom was not so encouraging. There she sat, amongst roses and chocolates, even a closed box that no doubt held glittering jewelry – going off of the Tiffany's label engraved on its velvet top.

"Blair."

She held up her hand to silence him.

"Blair," he growled, his voice rising. She huffed and paused the movie, looking up at him clearly irritated. He, for one, did not think she really had a leg to stand on in the midst of all her presents.

"What?" she snapped. His eye twitched.

"What is all this?"

"What? Oh, this?" she asked innocently, gesturing at the beautifully wrapped boxes surrounding her. His eyes narrowed.

"Yes. This," he spat. She sighed, casually twisting a few locks of hair around her finger.

"Well," she shrugged, "apparently I have a secret admirer," she chirped cheerily, standing in one swoop to her feet and dropping a box of chocolates in his hands as she passed him on her way to the kitchen to put her flowers in a vase.

Chuck tossed the chocolates back on the couch. A secret admirer? Who? He was going to kill him. Nobody 'secretly admires' his wife.

"Who?" he asked in his continually demanding voice. Blair rolled her eyes as he followed her into the kitchen. She pulled a vase from the far corner cabinet and filled it with water in the sink. She sighed, knowingly.

"It's a secret admirer," she told him slowly as if he were a small child. "That means it's a secret." She nodded, beaming as she brought the vase around and placed the flowers in them.

"Blair," he ground out, so sure of himself that she knew and just wasn't telling him.

"Chuck," her eyes flashed to his, her tone finally dampening a little just on the verge of a frustration that could quite possibly build to anger. She challenged him with that tone.

"You hate roses. Why are you so excited?"

"I don't hate roses," she rolled her eyes. "I just prefer peonies. There's a difference," she stated simply, light air back, as she transferred the vase to the kitchen table. Chuck scoffed as she moved and then returned to her seat on the couch, pressing play on the movie again. He shook his head in disbelief and tried his very best to contain his anger.

"What?" he ground out, the minute he flipped his phone open.

"Dude, man, what's up?"

Chuck sighed. "Nathaniel, how is it that I've been given the pleasure of your call this morning?" Blair turned and smiled at him briefly before turning back to her movie, popping chocolates in her mouth like popcorn.

"Chuck…" he said slowly, clearly having caught on to his friend's bad mood. Chuck rolled his eyes and moved back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Blair seemed unmoved. He sighed and leaned back against the door.

"You'll never believe what happened. This morning—"

"You woke up to Blair with a circle of chocolates and roses around her?"

Chuck blinked in disbelief. "You're the secret admirer?" He was gaping. Nate smiled wildly, quite proud of himself.

"I like to think of myself more as a…" he pondered, trying to think of the perfect word, "delivery boy?" Chuck was still gaping.

"You don't still…" Chuck began, fearing the worst and preparing to be angrier than he'd ever been. Nate nearly spat his drink into the phone.

"What?! Of course not. Dude, she's yours."

Chuck nodded, an extremely tiny smile forming on his face. He loved to hear things like that, especially from the only other man his wife had truly fallen for, whether in high school or not.

"I just…" he sighed, "I thought I'd give you a hand, so you wouldn't be so stressed."

Chuck's eyes narrowed. "Give me a hand?"

"Yeah. I mean, so Blair doesn't want you to give her gifts for Valentine's Day. I sent the gifts as a 'secret admirer' on finding your secret stash, and this way she can still have the gifts you got for her without her being angry at you about it." He beamed. Chuck tried to ignore the nagging feeling telling him to interrogate Nate on everything he had just said, especially in regards to him finding the gifts to begin with.

"That is just about the stupidest thing you could have done."

Nate frowned.

"Now she's going to think some rich idiot is in love with her and is going to go on and on about the gifts and flowers all day and how he knows her so well. She'll completely forget about her 'no presents' rule and complain that I didn't get her anything!"

Nate gulped.

"And where are the peonies?! Only moronic selfish bastards get their wives roses!"

Nate looked over into his room where Serena and Vanessa were holding their bouquets of roses close which they'd received from himself and the other individual in the room, Dan Humphrey.

"Look, Chuck, I'm sorry, I—"

Chuck hung up on him, fuming. He whipped the door open, only to see her standing with her pouty lips before him, a concerned look on her face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. He sighed and shook his head.

"No." He leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. "Good morning," he smiled sweetly at her. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Ah-ah-ah, Bass," she waved a finger at him. "No holiday mentionings today," she kissed him briefly on the cheek and flitted back towards the living room. "Now what are we doing today? Since it is a normal, free day and the two of us have nothing to do." She turned the TV off, and Chuck noticed to his chagrin that before the movie had been nearing its end.

"Uh, don't you usually like to go out shopping with Serena on your free days?" he asked, honestly needing to be free of her and the need to be so near to his presents and not be able to take claim of them. And where the hell were the peonies?!

"Well, yes, but she's having some sort of double date with Dan and Vanessa," she shrugged. "I guess it's some sort of special love day for them."

"Huh." Chuck shook his head at her, his tension building more by the second. From his experience guys had found Valentine's Day an irritating holiday to just give their lovers sweets in exchange for extra sex, but never had Chuck wished Blair would accept the holiday more than today.

"Is she with Nate yet?" she asked, quirking her head in his direction and completely ignoring his sarcastic tone. He sighed and shook his head, walking towards her now in full view of the presents.

"No."

She rolled her eyes. "Nate needs to get his head screwed on straight. It's Serena after all."

He smirked.

"I wonder what rich idiot loves me," she said excitedly, heading back towards her gifts. He groaned and somehow she didn't hear it, or at the very least dismissed it.

"I'm sure it's no one of importance," he muttered.

"Oh, I doubt that," she said, relaxing into the couch as she folded her legs beneath her and grasped hold of the closest gift. "Not just anyone is rich enough to buy all of this." Her eyes widened as she spoke and Chuck cursed himself for being so stupid as to inform Nate about his frustrations.

"Blair," he groaned, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Miraculously she heard him, however faintly.

"Hmm?" she asked, untying the ribbon from the first gift.

"Do you mind if we open the gifts later?"

Her eyes flicked to his. "Why?" she questioned. "It's Valentine's Day, and I'd be insulting this poor idiot if I didn't open his gifts right away." Her eyes flitted back to the gift and she continued to opening it.

He gaped at her, in disbelief that she'd just used the holiday she didn't want to recognize as an excuse to open the gifts he couldn't bear to tell her were his. When he thought about it long enough, he wondered why in the world it was actually difficult for him to tell her the gifts were actually from him. Oh right – no gifts.

He cleared his throat. "I think I'm going to go out for awhile, Blair." Her gaze snapped to his form retreating into the bedroom.

"What?! Why?" she stood to her feet and followed him into the bedroom.

"I…uh, I've just got to clear my head is all." He looked up briefly and smiled at her. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Clear your head? For what? Are you…" Suddenly a thought dawned on her and her lips curved into a devilish grin. "Are you jealous of my secret admirer?" He halted in his steps and turned to her, glaring.

"No."

"You are," she stepped towards him, smoothing her hands up and down the loose buttons on his shirt and unbuttoning a few. He was angry at the little secret he was holding back, but the idea of sex definitely calmed his nerves. He decided it was just the release he needed to officially re-polish his cover and just let his beautiful wife her day and her gifts. It was after all about her, not his pride or lack thereof.

She made no more movements though and her smile slightly dimmed. She stepped away from him and sighed, clearly deciding to retreat from teasing him. He was grateful at least for that.

"Well, don't be long," she said. "I might miss you too much." She turned back into the hallway and settled herself onto the couch for more gift opening. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, trying to think of some sort of decent place where he wouldn't see couples showing their full display of affection in broad daylight. Not that he wouldn't normally enjoy that, but he was feeling the heightening tension of the worst Valentine's Day ever. He took in a deep breath, got dressed and stormed out of the suite, leaving an oblivious Blair behind him watching Breakfast at Tiffany's for the second time that morning.

By the time he got back it was later than he had expected. The sun had set long ago and he hoped Blair wouldn't be angry that he had stayed out so long doing practically nothing. He had only walked around, been driven around when he didn't like what he saw. Every text he got was something from Gossip Girl informing all current or alumni attendees of St. Judes and Constance about the romantic gestures she had seen throughout the day. He was going to check in on the buildings and businesses he had built or started throughout the last few years, but he figured some form of PDA would probably be seen there as well, or at least some sort of decoration. After sighing too many times to count, he found himself in the elevator heading up to The Empire penthouse.

All of the lights were shut off in the suite, except for the gleaming moonlight shining in on the remaining unwrapped gifts surrounding the chocolate and roses still existing in front of the television. He figured Blair was probably asleep and shut his eyes in the agony of his stupidity in staying away just because he felt he was about to explode. All he wanted was to give her the gifts that had him thinking about her in the most beautiful, intense ways. He just wanted to see her eyes twinkle and her perfect ruby lips smiling up at him because she was so grateful and in love with him. He wanted see her gasp and gape in awe when she saw the rose petal–decorated bed and candlelight he'd set up for her and only her because that was just how in love with her he was.

He sighed and made his way to the bedroom, noticing just before he went in that there was a dim light glowing beneath the door. His eyebrows furrowed and much to his surprise when he opened the door there sat Blair Waldorf in her shimmering lingerie-clad body, waiting for him with inviting eyes. He was gaping and couldn't speak.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Bass," she smirked, her lip gloss glistening on her perfect pouty lips. Her hair lay straight across her shoulders and the combination of love and lust he witnessed in her deep brown eyes was enough to make him climax on the spot.

Slowly, he walked over and slid out of his shoes and jacket. His eyes roved over her and he decided he was the luckiest man alive. "I thought," he cleared his throat, trying hard to breathe. "We weren't doing...gifts…this year," he finished.

She smiled wide and stood to her feet, walking sultrily towards him. "You should have told me," she said against him sweeping him up in a much needed passionate kiss. His hands instantly flew to her waist and gripped her gently, moving about her body. She was so warm and it only enticed him further as she intensified the kiss.

Thank God, she knew.

"I have a gift for you too, Bass," she murmured, breaking away from him and leading him towards the bed.

"Oh, I'm sure you do," he said huskily, briefly taking note of all the lit candles decorating the room and the two wine glasses and bottle of wine positioned appropriately in the center of the room.

"No," she laughed quietly, "not just that."

"Oh, that's more than—" she placed a hand over his mouth to stop him from talking. He kissed each finger, enjoying how it made it harder for her to continue the conversation. He couldn't tell whether the day's frustrations had been a waste of time or the perfect solution. All he could see was Blair's deep brown eyes shining at him. When she turned away for a moment to reach for something in the top drawer in her dresser, he noticed how rose petals decorated the room and bed and he smirked to himself.

She had wanted to lead.

His eyes widened though when he saw the object she had pulled out and was holding before him. He gaped, feeling himself truly unable to breathe. She pursed her lips, hoping he was taking the results well. A couple minutes later she was starting to panic.

"Say something," she requested.

His eyes finally flicked back to hers. "You're pregnant."

She nodded softly. "That is what the positive sign usually means." She attempted a chuckle. Her eyes diverted from his but any anxiety melted away when she looked back up at him. She swore he had never looked more in love with her than at that moment. He jumped at her and attacked her lips, his hands roving desperately all over her body. She leaned back into the bed and pulled him closer, smiling into his hot, husky breaths filled with endless love confessions.

"God, I love you, Blair," he murmured on every inch of her skin. She gasped, her fingers tightening in his silky locks as he touched her. For the life of him, he could not remember a single prior frustration from that day. Everything had blurred into oblivion until all he could see and taste and touch was his beautiful Blair Bass. His heart jumped at the knowledge of his baby that lie inside of her. When he was not kissing her, he was smiling wildly, hardly aware of any world outside that room or any moment outside of that moment, or any individual outside of the soft angel that lie in his arms.

Best. Valentine's. Day. Ever.


A/N: Oh! Just barely made it before midnight! Hope you enjoyed! ;p I'm really not satisfied with the last few lines, but hopefully you liked it. ;p