Every Other Sunday
Disclaimer: The story's mine and so is this raging case of insomnia but that's about it!
xoxo
Two magazines, one cup of coffee, and half a grapefruit later, a heavy hand pounded at the door of Blair's penthouse, the penthouse above Eleanor's that Blair bought when the former had gotten sick. Whether it was because of the caffeine or the prospect of seeing Nicholas, Blair immediately perked up and jumped to her feet, starting towards the door.
Briefly, Blair checked her reflection in the hallway mirror. It was an instinct of Blair's to look her best, especially in front of the man with whom she once fell in love. Though she was still wearing her silk pajama set, Blair felt presentable with a long pink and white robe covering her peach-soft skin. Blair bent forward and flipped her hair back for natural volume just before opening the door, and fixed a smile on her face as she did so.
A little boy with wide blue eyes and curly dark locks parted to the side stood in front of her, and Blair could hardly contain her smile as she crouched down and scooped up Nicholas in her arms.
"Hi, my baby!" Blair cooed happily as she hugged her son.
"Hi, mom!" Nicholas replied. "Hey, look what Dad bought me! Now I can talk to him every day!" He waved a cell phone eagerly in Blair's face.
Blair opened her mouth, surprised. She shot a withering glance towards a waiting Chuck before turning her attention back to Nicholas. "I'm sorry, honey, but you're way too young for a cell phone," Blair said, holding her hand out expectantly. "Let me have that please."
"No! Dad said I could have it and I'm not giving it back!" Nicholas shrieked, wiggling out of Blair's embrace.
Chuck's deep voice cut in. "Nicholas, do not speak to your mother that way. Give her the phone. Now."
Immediately, the boy's voice became hushed and he jammed the phone into Blair's outstretched hand. As he stomped his little Lacoste-clad feet all the way to his bedroom, Nicholas shouted, "You're mean, mom!"
Blair got to her feet and threw her hands on her hips, a scowl drawn across her face. "A cell phone, Chuck? Really? He's six-years-old, not sixteen! What's next, a pack of cigarettes and some Playboys?"
Chuck leaned against the door frame and crossed his right foot over his left. "Come on, Blair, lighten up. He's a kid. He needs his father. I bought him phone so that he'd be able to call me whenever he wants. You do want Nick and I to have a healthy relationship, don't you?"
Blair gritted her teeth. Within five minutes of opening the door, Chuck had managed to give her a headache. "Don't you dare question the way I raise my son, Chuck, I –"
"Your son?" Chuck asked, incredulous. "Last time I checked, Nick's my son, too. Divorce doesn't change that. It takes two to tango, sweetheart. Or mambo horizontally, I should say."
"I'm glad to see your wit hasn't been lost," Blair bit out before letting a heavy sigh escape. "Look, Chuck, I'm sick to death of fighting with you. It's been five months and I think we're both adult enough to make decisions together regarding Nicholas and what is and what's not appropriate for him. And really, to be quite honest, I have enough to deal with right now without adding bi-monthly feuds with my ex-husband into the mix."
A look of sympathy crossed Chuck's face. "Contrary to the portrait you've painted of me as being related to Satan himself, Blair, I don't wish the worst upon you. In fact, as the mother of my child, I wish for you the very opposite. The news that Eleanor's very sick hasn't gone unheard and if there's anything –"
Blair held up a hand. "Don't. I appreciate your concern, but it is what it is. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go speak to Nick. It's not enough that he thinks I'm the bad guy because he can't see you every day; now I'm Nurse Ratched because I won't allow a child to have a cell phone."
"Calm down, Blair. I didn't realize that this would upset you so much. I never would have even gotten it for him if I would have known. You know that all I want is for Nick and me… and you… to stay connected," Chuck tried to convince Blair as his loafer toed the border between Blair's penthouse and the outside hallway. "You've known that ever since the divorce. We're still a family and – "
"Stop saying that, Chuck! We haven't been a family since you chose work over us!" she shouted, her voice strong before falling into an accusing whisper. "You were never there. Ever. Not for Nick's fourth birthday or fifth birthday or sixth birthday, not for my law school graduation, not for any of it." Blair poked him in the chest with her index finger reproachfully. "Do you know how many nights I sat up waiting for you to come home from work and how hard I tried to be attractive to you when you finally did? Of course, you didn't care. Actually, I'm not convinced you even noticed. You just needed your beauty sleep so that you could wake up and ignore your family all over again the next day. Do you know how much it hurts to come second to a job?"
Chuck was incensed by the implied accusation that he didn't care about his family. His chest rose and fell with deep, deliberate breaths as he tried to keep his temper. "I did what I had to do to provide for us, Blair," he bit out through clenched teeth as his fingers gripped the door frame tightly.
Unmoved, Blair shook her head as she trailed her eyes over his form. "You just don't get it, do you? You used to try so hard not to be like your father, but now… now I'm doubting you ever weren't him," she lamented.
That comment seemed to hit Chuck square in the stomach as all of the air dissipated from his lungs. "Blair..." he trailed off weakly. Blair suddenly felt very guilty at the sight of Chuck's crestfallen face and realized that maybe, just maybe she went too far this time.
Their story was scary and romantic and angsty and tragic all at once, and the fact that it was over pained Blair to her very core. That pain made her lash out, made her want to hurt him. Still, though, those bottomless pools of chocolate gazing back at her managed to make Blair's heart flutter. Perhaps it was the intensity of that fluttering that caused Blair to reach her hand out and wistfully graze Chuck's neck with her fingertips. Lowering her hand downwards to smooth the lapel of his cream-colored jacket, she could feel Chuck trembling beneath her touch. "I know the real Chuck Bass is in there somewhere," Blair said in a hushed voice. "Bring him back to me."
Chuck fought to speak, fought to breathe, but Blair's actions had left him paralyzed. Only after Blair backed away did he collect himself. Standing up straight, Chuck adjusted his tie, and nodded resolutely, before managing to choke out, "Two Fridays from now?"
"Like always," confirmed Blair with a curt nod.
Blair closed the door quietly, pressing her back against it, and put her hand to her mouth to contain a heavy sob. Little did she know, Chuck still lingered on the other side.
"What's wrong, mom?" Nicholas' small voice asked as he padded into the entrance hall, an action figure hanging limply in his hand. "I didn't mean to make you sad."
Blair wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and ran to her son. "Oh no, baby. No, no, no. You didn't make me sad, I promise. "
Nicholas dropped the toy and began to wring his hands. "But you're crying," he pointed out as only a child would.
Blair reached for her son's hand, grasping it gently. "I'm just fine, honey. See?" She forced a wide smile for emphasis. "Now let's get you ready to go visit grandma. You know how much she loves that yellow polo on you."
xoxo
AN: Yep, I know this was a totally angsty chapter and I'm very satisfied with it. Regarding the show, a lot of people really want CB to get back together LIKERIGHTNOW, and I'm one of the minority that doesn't (hence why I'm having them be divorced in this story). That being said, I so ship C/B/happiness, so hang tight and take that as you will! From now on, I'll try to update weekly.