Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"Do you think there is something going on with Nate and Serena?" Blair asked as she dressed for bed after having dinner with their two best friends to give them the news that they were expecting a baby boy.
"You saw it too," Chuck concluded as he helped her unzip the pale blue dress she'd worn for the occasion.
"They were trading curious looks all night, and things felt more tense and awkward than they should have been," Blair nodded, "Even when they are at each other's throats it is more comfortable than it was tonight. Has he said anything to you?"
"He mentioned that he feels he's well over Diane and dating again," Chuck replied, "He didn't give details though."
"Which is odd, isn't it?" she prompted him as she slid out of her dress and slipped into a nightgown, "Don't you two go into graphic detail regarding your conquests?"
"I wouldn't say graphic detail, but things do go into the PG-13 rating category on occasion," he explained as he loosened his tie, "But when I've been with you the ratings toned down. I never felt comfortable going into those details with him, and not because you two were former lovers. It was my feelings for you that I didn't want to share with him. You have always been special to me. I didn't want to betray that."
"What about when he dated Serena?" Blair inquired as she helped him with his cufflinks before moving to the buttons of his dress shirt, "Was he forthcoming with details then?"
"Not as much," Chuck replied as he stood with his hands to his sides as he allowed her to undress him, "He went into more detail than I really wanted him to, but he wasn't as detailed as he's been with other women that meant far less."
"Well, Serena and I are meeting tomorrow to shop for more baby clothes now that we have a more specific color palette to work with. I'm going to make her tell me what's going on," Blair stated as her hands shifted to his pants as she opened them up and shoved them down to his ankles.
"There may be nothing going on," Chuck pointed out as he kicked himself free of the last article of clothing.
"And maybe there is," she replied as she began scratching lightly at his chest, "Tomorrow I'll know for sure. Even if she lies to me, I'll know. She's a horrible poker play, so I'll see right through her."
"Nathaniel isn't any better," Chuck agreed as he placed his hands over hers to still her motion, "You on the other hand are an excellent poker play, but you need to stop this little seduction that you have going right now. You're wandering into dangerous territory that we've been advised against."
Blair took a step back to realize that Chuck was completely naked in front of her. She hadn't even realized that she'd fully undressed him. It was done mostly out of habit. They'd made love every night before going to be bed since they tied the knot. A sickening feeling settled in the pit of her stomach when it occurred to her that this would be the first night they couldn't be intimate.
"It's okay," he cupped her face tenderly in his hands as he witnessed the tears well in her eyes.
"But this is the first night…" she replied, her voice thick with the emotion she was feeling.
"I know," he nodded, "The first night we aren't going to make love since we were married. I know, but we have the best excuse."
"I don't want to use excuses," she stated as a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye, "I want to make love to my husband."
"This is temporary," he reminded her as he caught the tear quickly with his lips.
"I love you, Chuck," she replied as more tears escaped.
"I love you too," he stated, "And we don't have to make love every night to prove that is true. Just being with you, just holding you in my arms, just feeling you next to me is enough."
"I don't know if I can fall asleep without you wearing me out," she admitted sheepishly.
"We won't know until we give it a try," he stated as he pulled her towards the bed. After pulling the bedcovers on her side of the bed away, he nudged her to lay down. He was just about to join her when she stopped him.
"Could you put pajamas on?" she requested, "I'm going to be too tempted if I know you're laying naked next to me."
"I suppose the silk pajamas can make an appearance," he nodded as he went to the dresser to pull out the items that were neatly folded inside. The silk felt foreign against his skin as he slipped into the garments. It had been months since he'd worn them. When he climbed into bed, Blair curled herself against him. It took awhile, longer than it ever had for her to fall asleep, but she did and she managed to sleep through the night.
"Can I borrow your housekeeper?" Serena inquired as she met up with Blair the next day to start their shopping adventure.
"I've been to your apartment. The answer is no," Blair stated as she sipped on her tea, "I would never subject our sweet Rosa to that pigsty. I thought you hired a maid to come in once a week."
"I've hired seven," Serena replied, "They all quit after only a few weeks. I'm seriously starting to question my hiring skills."
"Have you thought perhaps that that the fault is in how you just throw your belongings anywhere they land?" Blair offered, "You were well behaved when you stayed in my mother's penthouse and even when you stayed with us at The Plaza. What happened?"
"This is my home," Serena replied, "I should be free to do as I wish in my own home. I can control the temperature of the apartment. I can walk around in as many or as few clothes as I want, and I will put my belongings wherever I choose."
"That's your decision," Blair agreed, "But it's going to make it difficult to keep a housekeeper. What does Nate think of the mess?"
"Oh, he doesn't mind. He's just as messy as I am," Serena waved away the question without a second thought.
"I knew it!" Blair exclaimed, "There is something going again on between the two of you. Why didn't you tell us?"
"No, there's nothing going on," Serena tried to cover, "He's just been over a few times for dinner. It's been completely innocent."
"Nope, that's not going to work," Blair shook her head, "This is me you're talking to. Nothing between you and Nate is completely innocent. What is the big secret?"
"We don't want to make a big deal of this just yet," Serena confessed, "We've gone through this all before and it didn't work. We just don't want to set anyone up for disappointment, especially ourselves. By no means am I going to compare what Nate and I have to what you and Chuck have, but I think Nate is for me what Chuck is for you; my match. If it doesn't work this time, I'm going to have to seriously think about joining a convent or something."
"S, you know I love you, but the nuns will never let you join their profession. You simply have too much…life experience to qualify," Blair selected her words carefully.
"So basically my options are to make it work with Nate or end up as one of those crazy old cat ladies that you read about that lives with thirty cats and then meet their maker and becomes food for those cats," she pouted.
"You're being ridiculous, not to mention morbid," Blair scolded her, "Even if things don't work out with Nate, for some reason, you will not end up living in your apartment with thirty cats."
"Really?" Serena looked hopeful.
"Of course. You don't even like cats."
"That's not helping," Serena glared at her best friend.
"You and Nate are in completely different places than you were the last time," Blair stated, "I think you have as good a chance to make it work as Chuck and I."
"I wouldn't go that far," Serena sighed, "You and Chuck are as solid as diamond. You're indestructible. Nate and I have no chance to match that."
"Nothing is indestructible," Blair insisted, "Even diamonds can be reduced to dust with the right tools. You know better than anyone how difficult my relationship with Chuck has been, but we want to get it right now. That's the best place to start."
"I want to get it right with Nate," Serena replied.
"Just promise me that you won't run away when things get a little difficult," Blair requested, "Because you do have a tendency to do that."
"I know," Serena nodded, "And I'll do my best, but I might need you to call me out on it."
"Happily," Blair smiled as she linked her arm with her best friend, "So have you two…"
"No, we haven't had sex yet," Serena interrupted her, "We're taking things slow. He's spent the night a few times, but it only progressed to petting."
"You're not dogs, Serena," Blair stated.
"I know," Serena sighed.
"What's the real reason that you haven't had sex?" Blair pressed.
"I don't want to be disappointed," Serena admitted, "He's a good guy, but he just wasn't that good in bed."
"Maybe he's learned a few things since you were together," Blair offered, "He was obviously satisfying enough to entertain Diane."
"What if it isn't even him?" Serena inquired, "What if the reason we aren't good together is because of me?"
"I'm guessing it was Nate," Blair assured her, "Remember I've been with him too, and he left a lot to be desired when it came to our nocturnal activities. If that's still the case, there are things you can do. Did you ever try teaching him what you liked and didn't like?"
"I didn't want to hurt his feelings," Serena replied.
"Then you'll have to find your own way to satisfy those womanly urges if his talents haven't improved," Blair replied, "Do you want that vibrator that you gave me as a wedding gift? Christmas is coming. I can wrap it up for you."
"You mean you haven't used it at all?" Serena's eyes widened in surprise.
"I certainly haven't needed it," Blair laughed, "And Chuck certainly doesn't need any lessons…Now enough of this talk about sex. I can't have it for a few months, so I'd like to keep my mind off of it."
"However are you going to manage?" Serena chuckled.
"Cold showers, I think," Blair sighed, "It's only been one day, and I ache for him. Last night was pretty emotional for me as it's the first night we've spent together since becoming man and wife that we didn't make love before we fell asleep, but Chuck was terrific about it."
"I used to be surprised when you'd say things like that, but now I'd be disappointed if he wasn't terrific about it," Serena replied, "He must be pretty excited about having a son."
"He's still pretty surprised by it," Blair replied, "He confessed yesterday that he googled father and son activities, which sent him into a panic because he didn't know how to do most of the activities listed."
"That's ridiculous," Serena stated.
"That's what I said, but he's still pretty nervous about it," Blair replied, "I just hope he snaps out of it in six weeks."
"He'll be fine," Serena assured her, "He never thought he could be committed to one woman, and look how well that's turned out."
"I didn't expect you to want to hang out at a Knicks game today," Nate replied as he sat in the luxury suite as they watched the game on the court below, "You never want to watch basketball with me."
"What can I say? I needed a guy's night out," Chuck shrugged as he drank from his glass of flat soda as Nate worked on his third beer, "And Serena and Blair are having one of their sleepover makeover nights. I'm not really feeling like yet another avocado mask facial."
"Does that mean you aren't allowed to go home tonight?" Nate inquired.
"I'm allowed home, just not until later, after Serena's asleep," Chuck replied, "Blair's going to send me a text when Serena falls into a sugar coma. She's feeding Serena a steady diet of sugar tonight."
"She'll be passed out in no time," Nate laughed, "Are you going to ditch me as soon as Blair calls you?"
"Probably," Chuck smirked.
"You love being married, don't you," Nate smirked along with him as he eyed the ring on Chuck's left hand. It was a sight he was still getting used to seeing, yet he knew to Chuck it felt completely natural.
"I love being married to Blair," Chuck nodded, "I love coming home and knowing that she's either there waiting for me or will be home before the end of the day. The consistency is comforting."
"You make me want to get married," Nate replied. He paused for a moment before adding, "Serena and I are dating again."
"Blair and I had a feeling," Chuck nodded.
"It's been a little awkward," Nate confessed, "Obviously we had sex in our previous relationship, but every time I make my move she pulls back. It's beyond frustrating. Then she wants me to spend the night with her and just cuddle…cuddle. I'm a young male in my sexual prime, and my girlfriend just wants to cuddle."
"Have you asked why?" Chuck inquired.
"I don't want to ask my girlfriend why she only wants to cuddle. That would be incredibly awkward," Nate replied.
"And the uncomfortable erection isn't?" Chuck added, "Look, sometimes you have to have the tough conversation to move forward in the relationship. Your lack of emotional connection has doomed your past relationships. Do you want this one to crash and burn the same way?"
Nate took a long drink of his beer as a way of avoiding having to answer Chuck's question.
"How excited are you that you're having a boy?" Nate inquired.
"Excited…Terrified," Chuck stated.
"What? Why?" Nate asked.
"What do I know about raising a son?" Chuck replied, "I'm not exactly a manly man."
"Are you kidding? You're the manliest man that I know," Nate replied, "Just ask all those women that you were with."
"Having a good pick up line does not make me manly," Chuck replied.
"What was your pick up line?" Nate inquired, "I've always wondered."
"I'm Chuck Bass," he stated, with a half smirk.
"That's it? That's all it was?" Nate's jaw dropped in surprise.
"When you have the trust fund that I do, that's all that was needed," Chuck replied.
"I have a trust fund myself," Nate pointed out.
"You never flaunted it the way I did," Chuck stated.
"You have me there," Nate conceded, "But getting back to your son, you'll figure out how to raise him as you go."
"But there are certain things that a father should teach his son that I just don't know how to do," Chuck replied, "I can't fix a car. I can't grill meat. I wouldn't know the first thing about pitching a tent or making a birdhouse out of wood. Hell, I can't even throw a spiraled football."
"That is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Nate fought hard not to laugh at his best friend, "Your son isn't going to care about any of that just like you ever cared that Bart couldn't do any of that."
"Yes, Bart is the parent I want to model myself after," Chuck responded sarcastically.
"Fine, if it bugs you so much, learn how to do those things," Nate stated, "I'm sure Arthur could teach you about cars. I'll teach you to throw a spiral pass, and I'm sure we could find people to teach you the rest. You've always been smarter than anyone has ever given you credit. When it comes time for your son to learn all these things, you'll be an expert."
"Yeah, maybe," Chuck sighed.
"Even if you don't learn those things, there are tons of things you'll teach him how to do," Nate replied, "Perhaps even some of the most important things, like peeing standing up."
Chuck couldn't fight the laugh that escaped.
"Come on, Man, it's going to be great," Nate patted his back.
"Yes, it is," Chuck nodded as his phone chirped with the signal of a new text message.
"You ditching me?" Nate inquired as Chuck read his message.
"Yes," Chuck nodded as he pocketed his phone.
"Well, I got three quarters and three beers out of you. That's not bad," Nate stated.
"Did you want a ride?" Chuck offered.
"No, I'll stay until the final buzzer," Nate replied, "If you see Serena, can you keep what I told you about us to yourself. We've agreed to keep this quiet for awhile."
"Your secret is safe with me," Chuck assured him, "Night, Archibald."
"Night, Bass," Nate replied.
"It's about time you got home. Serena's been asleep for an hour already," Blair greeted her husband when he climbed into bed.
"Traffic," he muttered his explanation as he kissed her lips, "I'm sorry. Arthur did the best he could."
"I thought I was going to have to fall asleep without you next to me," she stuck out her lip in a pout.
"Never," he whispered as he opened his arms to her so that she could curl in against him.
"Good night, Chuck," she sighed happily.
"Night, Beautiful," he replied as he kissed her forehead as she drifted off.
TBC. . .
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