Title: Sins of Our Fathers
Chapter: 3 of ?
Pairings: Chuck Bass, Blair Waldorf
Setting: New York, late 50s ( with flashbacks )
Description: What if in telling the story of how he got rich, Bart Bass did what he did best his whole life… Lied. Now, that he's gone, his son is left to wonder if he'd inherited his father's gift – destroying everything he touches. He is learning to live with that possibility until he meets someone whose downfall he is not ready to watch.
CHAPTER 3
"How could you?" Serena yelled at him, interrupting his breakfast. Her blonde hair cascaded around her in slopes, her eyes watery and furious. Chuck shifted his head to the side and looked at the maid who waved apologetically while muttering something he didn't quite understand.
"Care to explain?" he asked, putting another piece of neatly chopped meat in his mouth.
"Stop it! You know why I'm here!" But his arched eyebrows refused to acknowledge the reason for her sudden visit. "You threatened Dan's sister!"
Chuck's eyes widened in fake surprise and he brought napkin to his lips. "Is that what he told you?" he shook his head. "I'd never take you for someone who'd fall for a liar. But, then again, you are falling for everyone these days".
Serena stared at him disbelievingly as he calmly stood up and poured a drink.
"I didn't threaten her".
"Chuck, she went home shaking-"
"All I did was stage our encounter and I may have pretended not to know who she was. I invited her for a friendly drink. And she accepted".
His nonchalance and no sign of guilt drove her insane.
"Friendly? You told her-"
"The truth, Serena. I told her the truth" he sat back in his chair facing her again. "I told her that we live in a closed world and that outsiders often feel compelled to run for their lives. Now, does that sound like a threat to you?"
"I did you a favor and you should've known better than to bring him here" he added after she remained silent and took another sip.
A long sigh escaped her lips and she sat down on one of the chairs.
"Should I tell the help to bring an extra plate?"
"No".
Slumped in her chair, Serena tried to remember how much time and how many opportunities she had to see Chuck in this light. But, being an optimist she always was she refused to believe it. She remembered different time and a different boy.
"Why are you doing this, Chuck?" she asked silently. "Why do you take so much pride in ruining other people's lives?"
His face froze. He was either asked or asked himself this question way too many times in the past few days to just laugh it off. So, he held the same expression until his face started to twitch.
"You talk as if you don't know me" he discarded it at the end.
"I talk like this because I think I do" Serena said as she leaned forward. "I know you weren't always like this. I know you're not doing this out of spite. And for some strange reason I can't even be mad at you. But, it has just become so hard to be around and make excuses".
"Then don't, Serena. It's as easy as that".
In his mind, it was. For a moment, he thought that was exactly what she'll do. She stood up and gathered her things.
"If you want to apologize, you know where to find me" she said.
"Off so soon?" Chuck asked ignoring her. "To Brooklyn, is it? Repairing damage?"
Serena eyed him carefully waiting for his guard to fall, but she saw nothing.
"No, you're going to take care of that. I'm going to see Blair Waldorf. My mother thinks we can be friends again. You know, like when we were six" she laughed at the last word, but stopped as she saw the smirk on Chuck's face and a familiar flash in his eyes.
"Tell her I said 'hey' " he said meaningfully as he watched her brain putting the pieces together.
"Don't you dare!" she shrieked. "Besides, her mother wants her to see her with Nate and I am going to encourage it!"
This little sense of victory she had wavered when Chuck showed no sign that he will obey. She didn't like the expression on his face, so she turned around and left, uttering goodbye that was left unanswered.
Chuck wasn't shaken by the information Serena just gave him. Image of petite brunette was enough to occupy his mind completely. She was different; intriguing, mysterious and… challenging. And Chuck Bass never back down from a challenge.
"William!" he called, his eyes lighting up. "Get me Nathaniel on the phone. I have a proposition to make".
In a beautiful elegant restaurant, one table was louder than others.
Blair decided it was because of the sweet Spanish wine she was drinking but whichever the reason was, she couldn't deny she was having a wonderful time. That gave her even more joy when she remembered the look on her mother's face and her 'I don't like this. I don't like this at all' line repeated in various form over the last day and a half.
After all, it was her idea to get closer to Nate, so when he called with an idea to gather the playground group for dinner, how could she say no?
It took her only several minutes to realize that Nate was here because of Serena, but it didn't bother her. He might have been her love when she was six, but he has grown to be rather uninteresting. For a moment, Blair wondered if she would even notice that if they hadn't moved away. Would she be attached to his hand, planning their wedding?
Serena was there because she had to be. She was still as vibrant and perky as Blair remembered and it didn't take long for them to bond again. In the process, Blair managed to squeeze out interesting details about the life on the Upper East Side and to her surprise it wasn't as dull as she thought.
But, the only thing she couldn't understand was why he came. Just to complete the circle?
Chuck Bass didn't seem like the sentimental type. Imagining him as someone willing to laugh over childhood memories didn't fit. Maybe that's why she hasn't seen him laugh once. Instead, she caught his narrow eyes looking at her on more than once occasion.
It must be the wine.
"Yes!"Serena exclaimed, making it impossible not to pay attention to what she was saying. "And you always tried to wear your coat in color that matched his!"
It's been whole ten minutes since Serena started remembering everything about Blair's childish, but according to her, undying love for Nate. Champagne she was drinking had a side effect; it other's eyes roll.
Nate wasn't taking it very well. First, he started shifting uncomfortably in his chair then he begged her to stop until he finally gave up and was now just playing with his glass. It must have dawned on him that his plan wasn't working.
"We were children, Serena" Blair said politely, to her own surprise. "You can't expect me to remember everything. However, I do remember Bass' scarves".
She brought already prepared bite to her lips, pretending not to notice silence that fell on the table.
"Actually, it was just one" Chuck said smirking and raised his glass.
Nate looked between the two. "Wait, you do remember him?" he asked chuckling. "But, at the party… I introduced you".
Blair smiled at the genuinely surprised look on his face. So naïve.
"Oh, that. I'm sure that Bass here is a gentleman and I didn't want to make uncomfortable as he thought of ways to apologize". Another bite.
"You two are way too much alike!" Nate laughed.
"Really?How so?" Blair asked.
But, now, her skin was burning. She tried hard to appear as if she didn't notice his eyes on her; chewing, sipping, talking… And always watching. Nate's blue boy-like eyes provided shelter from. She could read them.
There was nothing boy-like in those dark eyes across the table. To read them, Blair knew she would have to look deep into them. That thought scared her inexplicably. His matureness wasn't a pretense. It was like he willingly aged too soon. Something, she didn't know if to admire or be sad about.
"I…um…" Nate began and looked nervously at Chuck. "It's just…"
"Nathaniel!" Chuck's voice interrupted. "I think we're boring the ladies".
"Yes, you are!" Serena jumped in, sounding a little slurped.
Suddenly, Blair felt disappointed. She wanted to know.
It must be the wine.
She was tipsy, but not tipsy enough to forget that a drunken lady is not a pretty sight. She looked at Serena's face and then Chuck and Nate's nodding told her that it wasn't new. So, she nodded, too.
"Serena, I have to use the ladies' room. Come with me".
Blair stood up slowly testing her legs, afraid they might be too shaky. She watched Serena dragging herself from her seat and kept her arm close enough to catch her if she lost balance. Nate tried to help, but Serena slapped his hand away. He looked hurt.
Inside the ladies' room, Blair used every trick she had learned over the years of her mother's fondness of alcohol. She dabbed cold water on Serena's neck and put some on her face, careful not to ruin her make-up. Happy, blabbing Serena disappeared before her eyes and instead sadder, teary eyed version jumped in.
"You might want to slow down with the champagne" Blair told her trying not to sound judgmental.
Serena turned around and took in her reflection in the mirror; slumped shoulders, red face and even her hair didn't look as shiny anymore.
"He doesn't want to have anything for me. He says I'm too complicated".
And there, before her eyes, Blair saw a puzzle. She quickly searched through everything Serena told her, but she couldn't find anything meaningful enough to explain her state.
"Who does, Serena?"
"Chuck ruined everything".
Another piece of the puzzle, but Blair didn't know where to put it. Question formed in her mind and it made her restless.
"You and… Chuck?" she asked cautiously.
"No!" Serena looked at her. "But, you would never understand".
Serena said nothing after that and Blair was happy about it. Her mind raced trying to make some connection between Chuck and Serena's ruined romance.
"I want to go home" the blonde stated eventually.
Back in the restaurant, as they approached the table, Blair saw Chuck and Nate in heated discussion and was able to hear 'You're insane' from Nate before they spotted them and silenced. Minute by minute, things she wanted to know about Chuck Bass piled up, but it was clear that the night was over.
Nate's eyes flew to Serena and then to Blair silently asking for her well-being.
"I'll take her home" he offered.
"May I offer you a ride home, Blair" Chuck asked as they walked towards the exit, him behind her.
"No need, I'll just hail a cab. Thank you" she replied calmly.
"I insist. It's dark and you don't know the city well" his voice so low, she could've tripped on it "Please".
The prospect of being alone with Chuck Bass made her nervous. Chilling sensation inside reminded her of things she used to be afraid of and couldn't tell why he summoned it, too.
It was the wine. The only way she could explain how her skin burned and chills went down her spine whenever he looked at her. She was told he's diabolical and dangerous, and apparently, capable of ruining someone's romance, yet she couldn't find the strength to just walk away.
"Okay" she said finally, once they were out and the cold air hugged her. The snow was falling again.
She saw Nate give him a strange look, the first one tonight she couldn't decipher.
And then, it was just them.
She didn't know a lot about cars, but she decided she liked the long, elegant Cadillac whose door opened for them. Leather seats welcomed her inside and their smell tickled her nostrils, along with the scent of masculine perfume that intensified as the air around them became warmer.
They sat in complete silence.
Blair hated being in the dark about anything but there was no way she could ask everything she wanted to know. Snowflakes under the street lights seemed distracting enough. She never had a chance to drive through New York City at night and even if she did, she didn't remember it. She liked how navy blue of the sky mixed with orange light outside. Whenever they passed the window with the light turned on, she wondered about the lives of those inside; something she was doing since she was a little girl.
"Like what you see?" Chuck's voice came in a whisper, but sudden.
Turning slowly, she waited until facing him completely before saying simply. "Yes".
"Does that mean you're staying?"
The same feeling again; chills and burning.
"I might" Blair said and swallowed. "But, the snow will go away. Will it still be this beautiful?"
Chuck didn't reply and looked away. Few moments of silence more in which she carefully observed his features. Jawline, nose, lips, hair…
"I apologize for Serena's behavior. I'm sorry if she ruined your evening" he said still looking somewhere in front of him.
Seize.
"I understand. Heartbreak can do that to someone". Subtle, ever so subtle.
This was the moment when she would learn more. If she was just talking to someone else… But, there was nothing from him; not a twitch of a jaw, not a look, not a word…. Nothing. She just saw as he straightened his pants. That was it.
Too busy thinking, Blair missed when they entered a more familiar street. Car stopped suddenly and she saw her building outside. That saddened her.
She watched his gentleman gestures, opening the door, exiting first, holding them for her… Smiling.
"Thank you for the ride, Charles" she said and it felt awkward.
He chuckled.
"Chuck. My friends call me Chuck".
"Is that what we are? Friends, I mean?"
He lowered his head slightly and looked at her underneath his eyebrows. The same look and the same feeling.
"It's good to have you back, Waldorf. We made a good team back then".
"Good night, Bass" she said smiling, too aware that she didn't like the category he put her in.
"Good night, Waldorf".
Blair walked away and didn't turn around. She listened carefully and it wasn't until she was walking across the lobby that she heard door closing with a thud. He was looking.
"How was dinner? Did Nate bring you home?" Eleanor waited with questions.
"No, Chuck Bass did" Blair replied calmly and went to her room.
The next morning, when the flowers arrived, she lied they were from Nate.
A/N: Thank you all for reading the story.
I'm counting on you to tell me everything you like or don't like. That's the only way I can improve. :)
Lora
P.S. I promise more action in the chapters to come. Just wanted to shape the mood and characters first. Feel free to tell me if you think it's dragged out.