A/N: Yes, I know I probably shouldn't be starting another fic until I finish Time Won't Heal These Wounds, but I needed something a little lighter than all of the angst, blackmail, and drama in TWHTW. I promise to finish it, though. :)

Please let me know what you think of this story. Should I continue? It's completely AU, I know, but I always love the ideas where Chuck and Blair meet later in life. The show didn't focus on college nearly enough and then they all just sort of stopped going.

Chapter 1

As Blair stepped onto the sidewalk, she placed her Audrey-inspired Tiffany cat-eye sunglasses on her nose and took a moment to look around at her surroundings. It was a beautifully clear day with a cloudless, bright blue sky. The slight breeze blew her chocolate curls over her shoulder, and she could smell the sweet scent of flowers in bloom. She smiled to herself and slung her Chloe bag over her shoulder, heading down the path she had long since memorized.

She held her head high and commanded the attention of all of the other underclassmen as she marched authoritatively in the direction of Durfee Hall. She may only be a freshman, but that didn't make her presence any less formidable. She was determined that everyone in her dorm would know her name within a month, and they would cower at the mere mention of Blair Waldorf.

This was the day that all of her life's goals would come to fruition. Yale was no longer a dream of a starry-eyed little girl with ribbons in her hair; it was the reality that she was currently living. From the time she was old enough to understand what it meant to be a college graduate, she'd set her sights on Yale as her one and only option. It was her father's alma mater after all, and no other school would do.

Yale was her number one priority and her first love, but Nathaniel Archibald was her second love. She and Nate had started dating and became the power couple of Constance / St. Jude's their freshman year of high school. They were the perfect match - on paper anyway. Blair always took control of their relationship, and, for the most part, Nate was happy to let her make all of the decisions. Even though they'd been dating for the past four years, Blair had had little desire to progress their relationship physically, much to Nate's dismay. She'd explained to him how important it was that their first time be perfect, but every time he tried to create a romantic evening for the two of them she feigned an emergency at her mother's atelier or a sudden bout of food poisoning. They had fooled around, of course, but she'd never let him get very far past second base. She wasn't sure what was holding her back, but something just didn't feel right.

Nate started classes at Columbia a week earlier, and she already missed him. She missed their routine of Thursday night dinners and Sunday brunches. His presence in her life had become comfortable and familiar, so this new long distance dynamic to their relationship was going to be an adjustment. Before he left last Saturday, they had a quiet, romantic dinner by candle light, and each vowed their faithfulness in the next chapter of their lives. Blair had reminded him that, in her eyes (and in the eyes of many slutty girls), flirting was the gateway to cheating. He agreed with a subtle nod and told her he loved her and she shouldn't worry. She had every intention of making love to him for the first time that night as a reminder that he wouldn't need to find satisfaction in the arms of another girl, but she backed out once again, settling for some PG-13 level dry-humping. Nate didn't dare express his frustrations, but he wanted to remind her that he wasn't a 15 year old boy who got off on merely rubbing against his girlfriend. He didn't want to seem like an asshole for pushing her, but 4 years was a long damn time to wait. He told himself that he deserved some kind of medal for that level of patience.

Making her way into the dorm hall, she found her suite relatively easily on the third floor. She had been quite pleased to learn that she would have full amenities in her unit with multiple suitemates. Walking in, she found a common area furnished with a basic navy blue couch and loveseat and two gray chairs. The rug was a thick wool of neutral blues, grays, and beiges. The kitchen was small, but was nicely adorned with a full fridge, a small stove, a microwave, and a bar top with three stools. While the decor certainly wasn't what she would have picked out, it was tasteful and clean.

Heading down the hall, she found three bedrooms: two doubles and a single. She had tried hard to get the single, but she was informed that it was already spoken for, and there wasn't anything they could do to change that. Despite threats and multiple phone calls from her father, she had to settle for one of the doubles if she wanted to stay in Durfee Hall. She scrunched her nose in a look of disgust as she saw one small bathroom situated in the middle of the bedrooms. One bathroom for five girls, what could go wrong? she thought to herself.

After inspecting each of the doubles, she chose the one with the larger closet space. Two twin-sized beds lay perpendicular to each other with a big window in between overlooking a small garden below. The room was basic, but it would do, especially compared to underclassmen housing horror stories she had heard about other Ivies. She made a note to send Dorota a to-do list and have her loyal maid decorate to her liking; she'd make it feel like home as much as possible.

"Ah, you're here!" A bubbly voice came from behind her. She turned to see a tall, voluptuous blonde with a smile full of sunshine. Blair could've sworn that she was one of the most beautiful girls she'd ever seen in her life, and a small twinge of jealousy already started knitting its way inside her stomach. "You must be Blair. I'm so excited to have you as my roommate," she cooed.

Blair smiled at her, and after a brief once over, decided that she had lucked out with this girl as her roommate. While she may steal the spotlight wherever she goes, she certainly didn't seem like she was going to be a nerdy, stick-up-her-ass, judgemental type that she'd expected. She extended her hand, and replied, "Yes, Blair Waldorf. And you are?"

Serena pulled her into an awkward hug, and said, "No stuffy handshakes here. We are roommates after all," Her laugh was infectious, and Blair couldn't help smiling bigger at the vivacious blonde, "I'm Serena van der Woodsen. Your mother is Eleanor Waldorf, right? I love her designs!"

Blair frowned slightly at the mention of her mother, but quickly recovered. No need to get into the details of her contentious relationship with her mother, "Yes, that's me. Serena van der Woodsen? New York socialite? The same girl who was posted all over Page Six, sunbathing on Valentino's yacht and dancing on bars in Santorini? You're infamous."

Serena grimaced, slightly embarrassed that her reputation had already followed her to college, but she giggled, "Well, what happens on Valentino's yacht should stay on Valentino's yacht."

Blair raised her eyebrows in amusement, and asked, "So have you met the other girls? I hope we haven't gotten paired with a bunch of sticks in the mud."

Serena gave her a confused look, "Girls? We are the only girls."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Blair asked cautiously. "There are two other bedrooms."

"These are co-ed suites," Serena replied matter-of-factly. "You didn't know?"

"You mean, we have to live with...boys?" She couldn't hide the disgust in her face. "I have to share a bathroom with boys?! This is unacceptable."

"I've met two of them already, and they aren't that bad," Serena rolled her eyes playfully. "The double belongs to Carter Baizen and Dan Humphrey. Carter is really hot," she sighed dreamily, "and Dan is...cute in a tortured, uptight writer kind of way. I think he's pretty quiet."

Blair nodded, as the reality washed over her that she'd just have to deal with this little bump in the road or risk getting a dorm with a communal shower for the entire floor. She shuddered at the thought, and asked, "So who got the single?" She didn't add that she had basically threatened the Dean of Student Affairs for the single room to no avail.

Serena frowned slightly, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Blair, and stammered, "His name is Chuck Bass. I haven't met him yet."

Blair narrowed her eyes at Serena, "If you haven't met him yet, how come you seem so unsure about him?"

"He has a certain -" Serena sighed, "a certain reputation."

"What kind of reputation?" Blair coaxed.

"Not a good one," Serena admitted. "He has a reputation for being a billionaire playboy. He keeps scotch by his bed and a different girl in it each night. I'm really surprised that he even enrolled from what I've heard about him. He's set to inherit his father's fortune, so I'm not sure why he's here."

"His father-" Blair tapped her hand on the desk in front of her, trying to remember where she had heard the name 'Bass.' "His family owns Bass Industries? His father is Bart Bass?"

"One in the same, " came a smooth voice from the doorway behind her.

Blair flinched and Serena frowned as they both turned toward the sound, embarrassed to have been caught discussing him. Blair had to fight hard to keep her eyes from widening at the sight in front of her. He had to be the most singularly handsome man she had ever seen. Nate was incredibly attractive with his adorable grin and sparkling blue eyes, but this guy had the face of an old Hollywood movie star. He had the most well-defined features: a chiseled chin, sharp jaw, straight nose, and almond eyes. Her gaze took in his attire, and she concluded that very few men could dress themselves as well as he did. He wore a light gray pinstripe suit with a cream-colored dress shirt underneath; his ensemble was accented with a fuschia tie and pastel pink pocket square. The look was decidedly feminine, but on him, it exuded sheer masculinity.

Blair felt entirely too exposed as his gaze traveled her form slowly, intentionally, appreciatively. His eyes lingered on her bare thighs a little too long, and she shifted uncomfortably, wishing that she had opted for a more modest hemline despite the August heat. Her insatiable jealousy cut through her like a knife once again, however, when she watched his eyes move to Serena, his focus remaining blatantly on Serena's round breasts that were barely concealed in her lacy, turquoise summer dress.

Serena was the first to step forward and flash her million-dollar smile at him with an extended hand, "Serena van der Woodsen. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He took her hand with a soft kiss to the knuckles, and responded, "The pleasure's all mine, I assure you."

Serena flushed, and Blair rolled her eyes at his obvious and shameless flirtation. He moved his gaze back to her, and asked, "Something wrong, Waldorf?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but the words stuck in her throat. How does he know my name? After a moment, she regained her ability to speak, and answered flippantly, "Not at all. Just realizing that there must be some truth to that reputation of yours."

He smirked, "Care to find out for yourself?"

"Ugh," she grimaced dramatically, "No thank you."

"Suit yourself," he chuckled as he turned to exit the room. His own bedroom door slamming shut a few moments later.

Blair immediately turned back to Serena and groaned, "He's heinous. Do we really have to live with him?"

Serena shrugged, "I didn't think he was so bad. At least he's nice to look at."

"Are boys all you think about?" Blair asked incredulously.

"No," Serena laughed, "I also like clothes..and boys in clothes...or boys out of clothes…"

Blair couldn't help but smile at Serena's stupid jokes, "Well, that's one thing we can agree on. Fashion is my entire life. We have to go shopping together."

"Oh, my God, yes!" Serena squealed, "It's been too long since I've had a female shopping buddy. My brother doesn't have the greatest opinions when it comes to fashion." She walked over to Blair's closet which was already full of designer pieces and ran her hands over the luxurious fabrics, "You might have the most beautiful wardrobe I've ever seen."

Blair beamed with pride, and laughed, "Well, my boyfriend doesn't think it's nearly as endearing as you do when he has to sit in a boutique for hours while I try on outfits."

"Wait, you have a boyfriend?" Serena asked. The look in Blair's eyes when she'd first seen Chuck certainly hadn't been the face of someone thinking about her boyfriend.

"Yes, Nate," Blair pulled out her iPhone and showed her a picture of the two of them from prom.

"Oh, B, he's so cute! Look at those baby blues," she cooed, clearly taken aback by the handsome stranger hugging Blair. "How's he going to feel about you living with three hot guys?"

"He trusts me," Blair responded pointedly. "What about you?"

"Nah, I'm single," she answered, "Figured it'd be fun to play the field for a while."

Blair caught the implications in Serena's voice, "In other words, sleep around?"

Serena nudged her arm lightly and laughed, "Well, it is our first year of college. It's a time for experimentation and exploration. Why not have some fun?"

Blair allowed her mind to wander back to her last night with Nate when he had cupped her breasts through her dress before moving his hands to the zipper at the back. She'd quickly pulled his arms back around her waist and kissed him fervently in hopes that he wouldn't notice her refusal to let him undress her.

Blair, it's been four years. Can't we have a little fun? I want you so bad.

With that request, she climbed on top of him and straddled his thighs, grinding her hips down onto his own as seductively as she could. She knew it wasn't much and that her actions probably continually left him with the worst case of blue balls, but it was the best she could offer him.

She now looked at the blonde in front of her who seemed to own her sexuality and flaunt it freely. Blair wondered if she could ever be like that. She secretly hated being so tightly wound that she didn't even know what an orgasm felt like. Serena seemed so confident in the pleasures that random hook-ups could bring that Blair felt more determined than ever to experience that level of physical intimacy with her own boyfriend.