The Path Least Expected
By Misha
Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.
2. Changes
Blair doesn't see Bruce for more than a month after the hospital gala, because he's off to the Far East on business.
She's glad, because she needs time to face him after that kiss. She knows that it probably meant nothing to him; that it was probably just a meaningless impulse that he forgot about as soon as it happened. She didn't have the same luxury because that kiss, as meaningless as it was, helped throw her entire world into a tailspin.
It wasn't really Bruce that was the cause, but the devastating attraction that she felt for him, an attraction that had caught her off-guard and was completely unwanted. Chuck was her destiny, she'd finally accepted that, and that meant she wasn't supposed to waver from that. It was ok to be mildly attracted to another man, she knew that not even Chuck would begrudge her casual sex during their time apart, because God knows he was indulging, but she wasn't supposed to feel a devastating attraction for another man. With just one kiss she'd felt like she could lose herself in Bruce forever. It reminded her of the way she felt with Chuck, the way she'd felt that night in his limo, and that was the scariest part.
So she was happy to avoid Bruce and not have to confront her inner turmoil. However, her reprieve couldn't last forever and six weeks after their kiss, she runs into Bruce at a social function. Blair had expected that when she did run into him, he'd be pleasant, but distant, once more a cordial stranger. That is not the case. Instead, there is a new awareness in those fascinating eyes of his and in that moment, Blair knows that whatever impulse motivated Bruce to kiss her still exists.
She's at the party with one of her safe pretty boys and Bruce has one of his brainless bimbos for a date, but that doesn't stop Bruce from claiming her for a dance. Before she can catch her breath, she finds herself in his arms on the dance floor, trying to ignore the rush of attraction.
"How was Tokyo?" She asks lightly.
"Exhausting," he tells her, but it's obvious he doesn't want to talk business, "you look beautiful, Blair."
"Thank you."
"You're not like any other woman I've ever met." Bruce says suddenly.
Blair blinks, not sure what he means by that. "Excuse me?"
"I can't forget you or convince myself not to pursue you." He tells her and she can see the desire in those fascinating eyes of his. "But at the same time, I also can't treat you like any of the other women in my life. I thought about sending you flowers while I was away or jewellery or some other token of affection, but that seemed too much like I was trying to buy you and I knew that wouldn't go over well."
"Bruce…" Blair begins, not sure what to say. It's flattering that he wants to woo her, but also incredibly alarming, because she's already too attracted to him without any effort on his part. If Bruce Wayne decides to pursue her, she's not sure she's going to be able to resist.
Bruce puts a finger to her lip, cutting off her protest. "Have dinner with me, Blair. Not a business dinner or a society function, but just two people getting to know each other."
Blair nods before she can stop herself.
"How's Friday?" He asks.
"Friday is fine." Blair says lightly, not sure what she is getting herself into.
Bruce smiles and then the dance ends and he returns her to her escort.
Blair doesn't seem him again for the rest of the night, it seems that he has disappeared. As she catches sight of his bored date, who appears to have been deserted, it hits her that there's a pattern with Bruce. It seems that every time she runs into him at a society function he makes an appearance, then disappears for the rest of the night, often leaving his date behind. The only night she can think of that doesn't fit the pattern is the night of the hospital gala. He was with her the whole night, rarely even leaving her side.
Blair shakes her head, determined not to over-analyze things. Bruce had been an attentive date because it was good for the foundation. If he had set up any of these other dates specifically to get attention for the foundation, he'd probably be attentive to them as well. Still, it is curious that he always disappears into the night and it's just one more piece of the puzzling enigma that is Bruce Wayne.
Blair pleads a headache an hour after Bruce disappears and gets her date to take her home. He leaves at her apartment with a chaste kiss on the cheek and as she gets ready for bed, her mind is occupied with thoughts of Bruce.
Blair knows the biggest problem with Bruce is not that she's attracted to him, attraction can be ignored, but the fact that she finds him utterly fascinating. Bruce is the ultimate mystery. He portrays himself as a brainless playboy, but after five minutes in his company, it's obvious that there is so much more lurking beneath the surface. Then there are those compelling eyes of his, they hint at darkness and tragedy and make Blair want to learn all of his secrets.
Despite spending her early years with Nate, Blair tends to be more attracted to dark, complicated men. Maybe it's because of Nate, after all that didn't work out so well for her. Still, whatever the reason, Blair likes her men best when they are dark and complicated. It's one of the many things that scares her about Bruce Wayne, because while she knows that she should run the other way, she finds herself more drawn to him every day.
If he was the brainless playboy he pretended to be, this would be easy, but he's not and that's what scares Blair about her attraction to him. She can walk away from easy, but she's never been able to resist a mystery.
Once again, Bruce is exactly on time and again he brings her flowers. This time its orchids and the flowers are already in a vase. Baccarat and stunning. Blair can't keep the surprise off her face.
"I noticed last time that you didn't have a vase, so I thought I'd provide you with one." He tells with an easy smile. "It makes it easier for the next time I bring you flowers."
"You sound sure there will be a next time." Blair says lightly as she places the vase on her table.
Bruce just gives her a smile that oozes confidence and offers her his hand. She takes it and they head down to his car.
Dinner is at one of Gotham's best restaurants and as they enter, Blair is aware of the camera flashes. This might not be a business dinner, but cameras are still to be expected since Bruce is a tabloid darling and she's catching up.
It's still new to her, courting the press, instead of trying to avoid it, but if Brenda Barrett can do it for ASEC, then Blair Waldorf can do it for the Wayne Foundation. The brunette model is one of Blair's role models, though her taste in men is horrendous—Blair likes bad boys, not criminals.
"So why all the simple pretty boys as escorts?" Bruce asks as they're served their first course, "I would have thought you preferred more substance."
"I could ask you the same thing," Blair rebuts, sending the question back to him, "I mean don't you get bored with all the vapid airheads?"
"Constantly," Bruce tells her with a laugh, "but they're easy."
"I think that part is obvious." Blair retorts with a smirk.
Bruce laughs again. "That is not what I meant. They're easy in the fact, that they're uncomplicated, they don't demand anything from me emotionally. I'm not good with relationships or with letting people get to close to me."
Blair wonders if that's a warning. She doesn't ask, because really she doesn't need the warning, she doesn't want to become involved with Bruce, it seems to be happening against her will.
"Your turn." Bruce says and this time he turns it back on her.
"Same," Blair admits, "I need an escort, but I don't want to get involved emotionally."
"Does that have something to do with Chuck Bass?" Bruce asks shrewdly. Blair's surprise must have shown on her face, because Bruce smirks. "Blair, your history with him is public knowledge. Besides, I made it a point to learn everything I could about you before you were offered the job as the face of the foundation."
She doesn't know why she's surprised, after all it makes sense that they would check out her background and Lucius implied as much. She thinks it's because she still gets caught off-guard by Bruce's image as a brainless playboy, but the more time she spends with him the more she realizes just how false that image is.
"I don't know how to get to Chuck out of my system," she admits, "and honestly, I don't want to. I've tried in the past and failed and now… I accept that we'll always be drawn to each other. We're not together now, because I need to find myself without him, but… If two people are meant to be together, they will be and I believe that I'll find my way back to Chuck." It's her turn to issue a warning.
"Is that a warning?" Bruce asks lightly, but his eyes are as intense as ever.
"It should be." Blair says softly. "I mean… I shouldn't even be here. You're not simple, Bruce, and I don't think you could ever be a pleasant distraction and that scares me."
"The best things in life are often scary," Bruce counters, "do you really want simple? Are you really happy with your mindless pretty boys, just waiting for the time to be right for you to be with your supposed true love? Don't you want more out of life?"
Blair doesn't know how to respond, because she does, but she wants it with Chuck.
After a moment, Bruce changes the topic and the conversation goes back to being light and easy. Even as they're discussing a movie they've both seen, Blair knows that they're both thinking about what was said. They'd both warned each other off in a way and yet neither of them had seemed to listen to the warnings.
Blair wasn't going to walk away from Bruce because he was emotionally unavailable, there were a million reasons why she shouldn't pursue this, but that one didn't even register. After all, Blair was never one to turn down a challenge.
At the same Blair knows that Bruce isn't going to walk away from her because of her situation with Chuck. If he wants her, he'll pursue her, Blair knows that. She also knows that if he does, it'll be the biggest challenge her feelings for Chuck have ever really faced…
Bruce is a more serious challenger than Nate ever really was, because really she only wanted Nate because she thought she was supposed to and even in a world without Chuck or Serena, they still wouldn't have worked out. She knows that now. She likes her men with more depth than Nate, but while on the surface Bruce is a lot like Nate, he really isn't and he's the most intriguing man she's ever met. As much as she loves Chuck, Blair can't help but be drawn to Bruce and that terrifies her.
Blair laughs and smiles during dinner, having a good time despite herself. Bruce is a fantastic dinner companion and like before, she really enjoys his company. Though this time, there's a more serious undertone than before and she's always aware of the sizzling chemistry between them. This is not a business dinner or even a casual dinner between acquaintances. This dinner is the start of something that Blair's not sure that she's prepared for, but at the same time she doesn't know how to stop it or even if she really wants to.
That night, Bruce walks her up to her apartment and kisses her goodnight. This time it's not a simple goodnight kiss, it's deep and intense and lasts a long moment.
For a crazy second, Blair considers inviting him in, but she knows it's a terrible idea and she's not ready for that step. Bruce doesn't press, but she knows that if she did invite him in, he'd accept.
In the end, she manages to resist temptation and he leaves her after a second kiss. It's as intense as the first one and she know that it will haunt her for days.
Her body aches for Bruce and release and she tosses and turns that night, unable to sleep because of the sexual longing. Physically she wants Bruce, but emotionally she's still holding back.
Thankfully Bruce is called to Singapore the next day and he's gone for another month. By the time he come back, school is about to start again and Blair is in New York more often than Gotham. She's still doing her foundation business, but it' less balls and more lunches and hands on events.
She sees Chuck briefly when Nate throws a party to kick-off a new school year. They're all there, but it's not like it used to be. There's a tension between Nate and Serena, because she chose Dan, and a tension between Chuck and Blair, because she chose herself.
Still, they try to work through the tension, because they want it to be the way it used to be. But the truth is, it can't be and maybe one day they'll adjust to their new reality, but right now it's weird and awkward. They're the Non-Judging Breakfast Club, but they aren't in high school anymore. They've grown up and they've changed and they've grown away from one another. They'll always be there for each other, but they are no longer each other's whole worlds and that's both terrifying and heart-breaking at the same time.
After the party, Blair is called back to Gotham for a few days. She's unsettled from the realization of how much life has changed and she's eager for the excuse to escape back to Gotham. Gotham feels as much like home to her as New York these days, which is another strange feeling. She feels constantly unbalanced by how much her life has changed in nine months.
The day she returns to Gotham there are a dozen red roses delivered to her door. Dinner tonight. I'll pick you up at 8. There's no name on the card, but Blair know who they're from. As she puts the roses in the vase Bruce got her, she wonders if she should be flattered or annoyed by his presumption.
Still, she's ready for eight and as usual, he's on time. "I should slam the door in your face," she tells him, but she's smiling as she says it, "don't you know that it's polite to ask a lady to dinner instead of just telling her?"
"I was afraid that if I asked, you might say no," Bruce tells hers, "I didn't want to risk that."
Blair shakes her head, but she's still smiling and she takes Bruce's arm.
"How was New York?" He asks as he helps her into the car.
Blair pauses, wondering how to answer. "It was good." She says finally, unwilling to explain how disconnected she feels from her old life. "I've been thinking about taking a break from school." Blair tells him suddenly.
Bruce raises an eyebrow, obviously surprised by her announcement. "I thought you were committed to school?"
"I was… I am…" Blair confirms. "I just… Columbia wasn't my first choice. I was supposed to go to Yale, but that didn't happen. There was NYU and then Columbia and I don't know if it's what I want."
It's the first time she'd admitted this to anyone, even herself and she has no idea why she's confiding in Bruce.
"I'll finish off the semester," she tells him, "and then I'll make my decision, but I think I may take some time off."
It's a decision she didn't even know she was contemplating, but it feels right.
"Speaking on behalf of the Wayne Foundation, we'd love to have your full attention." Bruce tells her, "and as your friend, I want you to do whatever feels right for you."
"Are you my friend?" Blair asks softly. It's not a word she'd use to describe Bruce and it feels odd and weirdly disconcerting to hear him use it.
"I want to be," Bruce says sincerely, "I intend to be your lover, Blair, and I believe that the best lovers are also friends."
Blair has no idea how to respond. Bruce is making his intentions clear and the part of her that clings to the idea of Chuck and Blair living happily ever after is screaming inside of her head, but the rest of her…
"Friends sounds nice," she tells him, taking a sip of her red wine. "As for the rest, we'll have to play it ear."
"I can be very persuasive." Bruce assures her, taking a sip of his own wine.
Blair laughs and gives him a coy smile as she tucks a loose piece of hair behind her ear. She's attracted to Bruce and fascinated by him. The attraction is one thing and if it was just attraction, she'd have no issues giving into it. She can handle attraction.
What scares her is how often she finds herself thinking about Bruce and how much he fascinates her. She doesn't want to be drawn to this dark, compelling man, but she is. She knows that if she gets physically involved with him, it's not going to be simple and she might not be able to walk away without a second glance. She doesn't want to get involved.
Not just because of Chuck, but because she's trying to find herself and she's not sure a man with as many secrets as Bruce appears to have is the answer. There are a million reasons to walk away, yet as she drinks red wine and flirts with him, she knows that she's not going to.
When he escorts her home that that night, their goodnight kiss is much more heated than before. Bruce presses her against her door, his mouth hot and demanding against hers, and Blair responds with a passion that surprises even herself.
She knows that Bruce is waiting for an invitation. He's too much of a gentleman to press for one, but his desire is obvious. She also knows that if she makes the invitation, it will change everything between them.
"Do you want to come in for coffee?" She asks breathlessly when they finally break apart, deciding to throw caution to the wind.
"I want to come in, but not for coffee." Bruce tells her, his eyes more intense than usual. "I'm not in the mood for games. If I come in, I'm not leaving. Not tonight."
"I know." Blair assures him and she turns to unlock her apartment door.
Bruce's hand is over hers before she can even get the door open and before she know what is happening, she's in his arms and he's carry her into the apartment. He sets her down long enough to close and lock the door, but not long enough for her to gather senses, even if she wanted to, and before she knows it she's back in his arms.
Even though he's never been further than her foyer, he seems to instinctively know where her bedroom is and he wordlessly carries her there and gently sets her down on her king size bed. He quickly joins her on the bed and claims her mouth in another passionate kiss. Their formal wear is discarded without a second thought, making a pretty pile on her bedroom floor, but neither of them is thinking about their clothes, just about each other.
Blair is caught up in a tidal wave of emotion as she gives herself to the moment. It's not like it was with Chuck. With Chuck it was so intense that she always lost herself. It had been part of what had initially drawn her to Chuck, the fact that with him she could leave all her inhibitions behind.
It's not like that with Bruce. The whole time Blair is very aware of who she is and who Bruce is. Yet, at the same time, she still feels different and more confident and beautiful than ever before. Instead of being lost in the moment, she feels like she's discovering a part of herself she hadn't even known existed.
Afterwards, Blair lies in Bruce's arms and finds herself looking into those beautiful intense eyes that always hold so much more knowledge and personality than he shows the world. Suddenly the feeling of knowing him vanishes and she realizes that he's still a complete mystery to her. In many ways, despite the fact that they've just been intimate, they're still strangers. They've spent very little time together when you break it down and more than that, Blair is aware that there is a lot of Bruce that he hides from the world. She has a feeling that very few people know the real Bruce Wayne. She wants to be one of them, but she knows it's far too soon for that.
"This was supposed to be a growing experience. My time at Wayne Foundation, I mean," she says suddenly. She wants to share herself with Bruce, even if he isn't ready to do the same. "For years, I've been convinced I'll end up with Chuck someday. It's our fate, to be together, no matter how much we've fought it at times." Her voice grows wistful. "We were ready to stop fighting it. This was supposed to be our last separation before we began our lives together. I wasn't supposed to divert from that path or even want to."
Bruce is silent and his eyes are blank, giving away no hints at what is going through his head. Blair wonders if she made a fatal mistake, mentioning her love for another man while lying in his arms.
"I've never been good at relationships," Bruce says finally. "My parents died when I was young and since then… I've never been good at letting people close to me. So I can't relate to the idea of one defining love that is supposed to shape your future." He puts a gentle hand on her face as he looks into her eyes. "However, life has taught me that life doesn't work out the way you expect it will and that just because you're waiting for the right time, it doesn't mean that it will come."
Blair is silent, processing his words.
"I might not have someone else waiting in the wings, but I can tell you that there have been many times over the last few months where I tried to talk myself into running in the opposite direction." Bruce tells her, before she has a chance to say anything. "As I said, I'm not good at relationships and I've learnt to just avoid them all together. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to walk away from you Blair. Not because I believe in fate or destiny, but because you intrigue me the way no other woman has."
It's not as romantic as the idea of fate that she's long since attached to Chuck, but it's very real and honest and Blair can't help respond to what Bruce is saying.
"I'm willing to take a risk and see what there is between us." Bruce tells her, sending a thrill down her spine. "Are you? Or are you so set on the idea of the life that you mapped out for yourself when you were too young to know better, that you refuse to consider anything else that might cross your path?"
It's an interesting question.
"I don't know." Blair answers honestly. "All I know is that I'm here and at this moment, I don't want to be anywhere else."
"Me neither." Bruce tells her and he claims her mouth in another kiss. Blair loses herself in the kiss and for the moment all serious discussions are abandoned.
"Do you have to go back to Singapore?" Blair asks Bruce the next morning over coffee and bagels.
It feels odd to be sitting in her kitchen, having breakfast with him. Not only does it feel more normal than Blair is accustomed to, it is also incredibly intimate. She's in a satin robe, while Bruce is shirtless, wearing only his boxer briefs and their lack of clothing adds to the feeling of intimacy. Blair pulls her rope tighter, feeling oddly shy, the intimacy unnerving her despite the fact that she and Bruce now know each other very intimately indeed.
"Not for a few months," Bruce assures her with a smile, "for the foreseeable future, all of my business will be in Gotham."
Blair doesn't know if she's relieved by his answer or disappointed. In one way, it would make her life easier if he just disappeared again, at least until she could sort out her feelings. But at the same, she would miss him if he was gone. "I'm glad." She tells him after a moment and is rewarded with a smile.
"Do you have escorts lined up for your next few events?" Bruce asks lightly.
"Nothing firm," Blair tells him, "I have a few arrangements in place and I can always find a suitable escort." She didn't add that her choice of escort often depended on how she wanted the evening to end. Not that she'll be calling on any of her safe, uncomplicated lovers anytime soon—none of them could hold a candle to Bruce.
"Well, you won't need them anymore," Bruce tells her and she knows he's not speaking as her boss, but as her lover. "From now on, as long as I'm in town, I'll be your escort."
Blair isn't surprised that Bruce wasn't willing to share her or let her hide behind her selection of safe escorts. "Won't that interfere with your schedule?" She asks lightly. "I often need to stay longer than an hour or two."
Except for when he's with her, Bruce always seems to disappear early. Blair doesn't know why he disappears, it's one of his many secrets, or why he stays when he's with her. There's something intoxicating about the idea that she might have some sort of effect on Bruce, but it's also a dangerous line of thought, because then she would have to think about the effect her had on her.
"If I have to leave, I'll warn you, and I'll try to keep such occasions to a minimum." Bruce assures her.
She wonder if he gives his other escorts the same courtesy, though the memory of their bored, pouting expressions, she'd guess not. She'd like to know what makes her different, but it's too early to ask that.
"The press will have a field day." She warns instead.
"Let them." Bruce says, his voice firm. "We started something last night, Blair. Actually, we started it months ago and last night we finally stopped avoiding our fate. I want to see where this thing between us will go. Are you with me or should I walk out of here right now and we'll one cross paths when foundation business demands?"
You love Chuck! The seventeen year-old Blair yells in her brain. Blair ignores the voice, just like she once ignored the voice that reminded her that she loved Nate and that even if he had dumped her, it was still wrong to have sex with his best friend in the back of a limo. She doesn't like ultimatums, but she understands Bruce's motives.
"If you're going to be a regular visitor, I really should know what kind of coffee you like." She answers lightly. She might feel like she's in over her head and that this is a betrayal of everything she's ever wanted, but at the same time she's not willing to let Bruce walk away.
"My time away from Gotham have taught me not to be picky," Bruce assures and there is a smile on his handsome face, "whatever you have on hand will be fine." Bruce gets up from the table. Blair does the same and a moment later his arms are around her. "However, I could use a bath wash that doesn't smell like baking," he teases her, nuzzling her neck, "that we need to rectify immediately."
Blair turns in his arms so that she can gaze up at him. "That can be arranged." She promises. "Though I think you make vanilla smell sexy."
"Do you now?" Bruce asks, his arms tight around her, his gaze warm and affectionate. "I like the sound of that. I also have to admit, I think you make vanilla smell pretty sexy too."
Blair giggles and wraps her arms around his neck, enjoying the closeness. As she looks into his deep, mysterious eyes, she knows she's just taken a big step back from the future with Chuck that she had planned on for so long. However, as Bruce captures her lips in a gentle, but passionate kiss, she can't bring herself to care.
For the first time in years Blair doesn't know what her future holds, if she'll find her way back to Chuck despite the odds or if this thing with Bruce will be anything more than a pleasant diversion, but she can't bring herself to regret the decisions that lead her to this place in her life. Even if it wasn't turning out how she'd always expected.
She'd always thought it was supposed to be Blair and Chuck, but if that was true, then how come this felt so good? From the moment she'd met Bruce, she'd felt drawn to him, and as much she'd fought it, deep down she'd known that they would be lovers. Now they were and she has no idea what happens next, but she needs to find out, even if it means screwing up all her carefully planned future.
For the first time in years, her future is unclear and Blair thinks she should be scared, but as Bruce's hands slip under her robe, all other emotions flee and she loses herself in the ecstasy of the moment and the deep attraction she feels for this mysterious, fascinating man.