Curiosity Rather Than Love

~Run~

Blair swept into Chiswick House all sparkle and shimmer. Her bright white gown was a testament to her innocence. With crystal pins were worked into her upswept hair. Her dark eyes and pluming fan of feathers the only slight indications of her predilection for a flirtatious nature. She paid her respects to the host and hostess and elegantly slipped towards the ballroom floor, a predator amongst oh so many prey. She succinctly selected her first dance partner, luring him in, and allowing him to take her to the floor for the first dance of the evening.

Chuck arrived not a great deal of time later. His finely tailored suit hugged his hard edges, his dark eyes holding a glimmer of mischief. Old friends greeted him in the ballroom, as they collectively surveyed tonight's offerings. Chuck was laughing at a joke when he suddenly held the flute of champagne in his hand a little tighter.

Floating across the floor was her. After all of this time, he had begun to doubt if such a memory had not been a hallucination. But no, here his Goddess was before him, Diana in her orb, descended from the heavens.

Chuck watched her quietly for long moments before at last querying, "Does anyone know who that it?" with a nod of his head.

Carter Baizen was the first to respond, "We forgot how long you had been gone, Bass!"

Already two sheets to the wind, Carter sloshed his glass of Scotch in her direction, "That minx is Blair Waldorf. Would you like… an introduction?" Carter smirked.

"No," Chuck declined. "not at this time, thanks."

He wanted to watch her more. The sight of her—being in the same space with her, made his blood boil. His observations led him to conclude she was a coquette of the first degree. She enjoyed a good game and he would give her one. One that she would lose and he would wipe that perk smile off her lips with supreme satisfaction.

Chuck worked his way to stand near her, eavesdropping on the conversation she was having behind her fan.

"I want to crush her." His quarry said to her companion.

"What has Jenny ever done to you?"

"Her existence is the problem, not what she did or did not do." His temptress huffed.

"Any plans?"

"Not yet, but I want her off this island for good when I am through with her."

"I heard about Georgina. I can't believe you did that!" The companion shook her head.

"It had to be done; it was disgusting. And honestly, that loathsome servant she loved so much broke my favorite fan." Blair looked thoroughly indignant.

Chuck smirked at the unexpected darkness of the vision before him. She had exposed her game. Now Chuck sought an introduction from a less inebriated, more polite friend.

"Ms. Waldorf, I must tell you how excellent you look this evening." His friend Nate, with the silver tongue, dripped the compliment like honey.

Blair curtseyed, lowering her eyes, slowly waving her fan as she did so. Rising, she lifted her eyes, glimmering black irises ringed in deep brown, her mouth set in the most teasing smile. Chit, he thought and imagined slamming her against the wall and making her moan.

"Ms. Waldorf, please allow me to introduce a long lost friend. This is Mr. Charles Bass who has been abroad these past few years."

"Mr. Bass, a pleasure." She proffered her gloved hand; taking it he bowed and kissed it. The action itself was unremarkable, gloved hand in gloved hand, but he gave her a smirk. He could see it; the look in his eyes made her pause a moment. He had her intrigued. So Chuck would not ask her to dance; that would be too easy.

"Tell me Mr. Bass of your travels? I have not had such wide experiences of the world."

So he would talk awhile. But only just long enough.

"Only so much can be learned in the hallowed halls of our colleges. I felt the true completion of my education was to go out and see what the world holds. I visited our colonies across the world as well as America and the Orient. It is amazing how exceeding different we can behave; our ideas of correctness and acceptability. Yet human nature, at our core? We all share the same weaknesses." He paused, daring her with his stare. She refused his bait so he wounded her in turn. "If I might beg forgiveness, I must pay respects to Mr. Humphrey and his daughter."

A curt bow and Chuck was gone. He need not look back to know Blair was perfectly incensed.

~Devil~

Chuck strolled into the Waldorf parlor, his usual darkness punctuated with a streak of purple silk from his necktie. Blair was all smiles as she offered her hand to him; they bowed and curtseyed in perfect sync. His lips brushed her gloved hand, his mind loathing the fabric incasing that hand; that milky white hand that he wanted on his body, against him, feeling the throbbing of his blood under his hot skin.

He took the seat she offered, not next to her, but near enough. "Have you resettled comfortably, Mr. Bass?" She twittered.

"Suitably well. Enough with the niceties, however," Chuck cut to the quick of it. "You have a game to play, and I can help."

He watched Blair's eyes go from warm to cold, "Whatever could you mean, sir?"

"You have a target to destroy, and I as well could benefit from the action, therefore I offer my help." Chuck was perfunctory, smoothing the fabric of his trousers.

"Go on."

"You want Ms. Humphrey gone from this isle, I could make it happen. There would be gains for me if the family was to leave London." It was not entirely true what he was saying; Chuck could not give a toss about the Humphrey family. His prey was the woman sitting across from him.

"But what if I were to destroy her first? What would my reward be?" Blair had begun mirroring his dismissive air.

"Jenny would be gone, what other pleasure do you seek?" Just a little further.

"My fan is in a state of woeful disrepair. I imagine you must have some splendid ones from your travels?"

So delightfully easy. "Indeed, just for bribes such as these in fact."

"I want them all."

In his mind Chuck scoffed a little, but his prize was so much more valuable. "Deal. If I should win, I want you."

"You want…me?"

"You're afraid you'll lose?" He challenged her as a distraction.

"Certainly not! Just…" She paused. Nervous, she looked over at him. Chuck feigned a look of absolute boredom, as though he made much riskier, more important decisions everyday.

She threw her reply at him, the proverbial gauntlet. "Deal."

~Run~