A/N I'm sorry this took so long. This fic will be moving to the crossover section in a few days.

Thanks to Robin for the beta.

Chuck wakes up late, face buried deep in the pillows to hide his eyes from the sunlight, noticing the pounding inside his skull first, and the lack of company second. Confused he lifts his head just enough to look around the suite, squinting against the harsh light as he searches for signs of Damon. That's when he notices the lack of bloodstains on the sheets or lightly throbbing welts on his skin.

He's just finished showering and getting dressed when the sound of the door being unlocked echoes in the suite. He freezes mid-step, for a second thinking it's Damon and feeling his heartbeat momentarily falter in something he can't quite put a word on, but when the door swings open to reveal Nate standing there Chuck doesn't let it show.

Nate's all 'I-called-you-five-times-yesterday-man-what-the-hell' and he ends up on the couch (his couch) with a scowl on his face that lasts all but five seconds because his Nathaniel is a lot of things but not the one to hold a grudge. They order room service, enough food to sustain at least five people, as they start up the first round of Halo. The first joint is lit as soon as Nate's out of nachos, and it's not long before the game is forgotten in favor of slumping back against the pillows on opposite ends of the couch, smoking and talking well into the afternoon. It's been a long time since it was just the two of them Chuck realizes, as he sneaks the joint out of Nate's hand, smirking at the lazily offended "Dude" from his best friend. And if one of the reasons why that is, is still at the back of his mind two joints later, he chooses to ignore that fact all together.

.;:*:;.

Chuck doesn't know it yet, but a few months later he'll be standing in the middle of a club and watch his best friend's (ex)girlfriend take her dress off onstage. Her dance will be far from the seductive moves of the experienced dancers, but his throat will dry up and his heartbeat race nonetheless because Blair's all dangerous curves and feral smirk and he'll find himself drawn to her, to the new version of her that he's never seen before.

The kiss later on in the limo will be unexpected, at least from his point of view because she's always been off limits (Nate'sgirilNate'sgirlNate'sgirl) and when he asks her if she's sure he won't be asking her as much as he'll be asking himself because he can tell that he's playing a dangerous game. Chuck's always been the predator but right then he won't be so sure if he's the hunter or the prey; he feels too exposed, too unsure of what to do with the trust she's showing in him. But she'll kiss him again and it will chase away all doubts or second thoughts. He'll ease inside of her, slowly and carefully, focusing on her nails digging into his shoulder to keep from coming right then as if he was the inexperienced virgin and not her. Their eyes will meet, and he'll know he's a lost cause but will refuse to believe it at first. It won't be until she literally purrs in his ear as he scrapes his teeth over the pulse point on her neck, sending jolts of electricity down his spine and shoving him off the edge. That's when he'll know, because Chuck might have thought himself a monster but with Blair he will finally want to be something more than that, feel like he might dare to try and be something other than the beast.

He's always liked the dangerous games the best.

.;:*:;.

The End

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