I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer. Now that fall is here and school is back in session come Thursday I should have a lot more time to write and update my fics. This is a fluffy one shot that came to me yesterday and I had to write it. Hope you all enjoy. Thanks as always for the huge amount of support you all show me. I appreciate it. As always nothing belongs to me.
Blair came awake to the sound from the baby monitor of her seven month old son, Henry, beginning to fuss. She didn't need to open her eyes and glance at the clock to know that it was around four-thirty in the morning. This was a new sleep pattern for him. Suddenly a week and a half ago the perfect baby that had been sleeping through the night since he was three months old had disappeared. The first night Blair had gone in and fed him (she was slowly weaning him at this point) which she learned by night three had been a mistake. She had contacted the pediatrician who had explained the sleep pattern to her. He also walked her through the routine of no talking and a quick return to bed. He explained if she stimulated him he would be ready to play and not sleep. He also warned her against feeding him as he would begin to look for a 4 AM feeding every night.
So she had stuck to the routine for the past eight days and still he was waking up like clockwork. She was suddenly cursing the decision that she and Chuck had made three months ago to let the night nanny go. She'd give anything to have a full night's sleep again.
Chuck groaned next to her as Blair looked over at the clock. Four twenty-eight. Her son was more accurate than her Piaget.
She sighed as she started to push the duvet back. Chuck reached out stopping her.
"I'll go. You go back to sleep." He leaned over placing a kiss to her temple as she laid her head back down on her pillow.
"Thank you," Blair mumbled. She was only too happy to let him take this one.
Chuck had been away on a business trip for the past two weeks. It was the first one he had taken since Henry was born and it killed Blair when he told her he had to go. She had even cried a little complaining that she was scared to be alone with Henry.
Chuck had wrapped her in his arms and kissing the top of her head reminded her that with a full charge nanny, a full staff, Lily around the corner and not to mention Dorota on hand she was hardly alone. If he had been hoping to reassure her he had failed miserably. She was still pouting the morning he left.
His arrival late last night had been met with his son already asleep much to his disappointment. The only silver lining was his gorgeous wife naked and waiting for him in bed. It had been thirteen very long days apart and they didn't waste any time talking.
Chuck sat up running a hand over his face. Not only was he exhausted from travel and jetlag he was also physically tired from two rounds of lovemaking before they went to bed. Blair was insatiable, not that he was complaining but it meant that he'd only had about three and a half hours of sleep at this point.
He yawned pulling the covers back. He swung his feet onto the floor and slid on his slippers.
Blair forced her eyes open watching him slip on his robe. "Remember limited interaction. Change his diaper; give him a cuddle and right back down in the crib."
Chuck nodded mumbling "got it" before heading out of the room as his son began to really make some noise.
Blair was too tired to reach over and lower the volume on the monitor. She closed her eyes as Henry started in on the really loud squawking. She was already feeling herself begin to drift off.
Chuck pushed the nursery room door that was only slightly ajar fully open. The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of the nightlight on his dresser. Chuck's gaze immediately fell on his seven month old son who had sat himself upright.
Chuck hadn't realized just how much he had missed his son until that moment. He literally felt tears prick at the back of his eyes. He rushed over to the crib. Henry upon seeing his father lifted his chubby arms into the air. He was sniffling and trying to take a steady breath.
"Hey there, buddy." Chuck reached down and lifted his son into his arms. Henry immediately laid his head onto Chuck's shoulder. Chuck placed a kiss to his forehead as he rubbed his cashmere covered back. "Can't you sleep?"
Henry took a couple of deep breaths sniffling again. Chuck wiped a tear from his son's cheek. "It's okay, Daddy's here and Mommy's right down the hall." He hugged him tightly trying to reassure him. "I missed you so much."
He walked him across the room to the changing table and laying him back he carefully unsnapped his Jacadi pajamas.
Chuck had worried when he left that Henry would forget him, not that he'd ever tell Blair that, but clearly he knew exactly who Chuck was; all those morning and night Skype sessions between him and Blair with Henry on her lap had helped. Deep down inside he was beyond relieved.
He stared down at Henry. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" He reached out running a finger along Henry's nose and over his cheek. Henry grabbed onto Chuck's finger babbling away. "You and your mommy are my world. Don't ever forget that." He leaned over kissing Henry's hand before pulling his finger free and started to change his diaper. Chuck was amazed by how much his son had grown in just two weeks.
"You're such a big boy now." Chuck rubbed his bare tummy.
Henry gurgled and smiled up at his father. Chuck smiled back. "You're awfully chipper for four-thirty in the morning. You obviously take after me." Chuck continued to talk as he removed the wet diaper and wiped his bottom. "Long before you and your mommy came along I would just be getting started around this time. I'd be at some after party probably with a set of twins on my arm."
Henry giggled as Chuck applied a little powder. Chuck raised his eyebrows at his son. "You like twins too? You are my son aren't you?" He leaned down kissing his tummy. "But you know what? I would much rather be here with you in the middle of the night than attending some stupid party. And who needs twins when they have your gorgeous mother."
Chuck finished the task at hand and redressed Henry before picking him back up. He kissed his son's cheek and squeezed him gently. "Do you know how lucky we are, Hen? We have your mommy in our lives. You may not realize it yet but your mommy is the most perfect, beautiful, smart woman in the world."
He started to walk back over to the crib. "I've done few things right in my life but falling in love with her was the best thing I ever did."
As they approached the crib Henry began to whimper. Chuck kissed him one more time and laid him down pulling the cashmere blanket partway up.
Henry began to kick his feet and cry. Chuck reached down smoothing his hair along his forehead. "It's time for night, night, Henry. You need your sleep and so does Daddy."
Henry stared up at Chuck with his big, brown eyes full of unshed tears. Chuck patted his tummy. "I love you. Good night." He started to turn from the crib and immediately Henry rolled himself onto his stomach and pushed himself upright crying.
Chuck stopped at the door taking a deep breath. He knew what Blair had told him to do but the loving dad in him told him to go back to his crying child. His heart won out and he returned to the crib lifting his son out of it.
He sat down in the overstuffed rocker and cradled Henry in his arms. "Fuck, sleep patterns; I think you missed me." He began to rock gently watching his son settle. He leaned down kissing his son's forehead and inhaling the sweet baby smell that was unique to his son. "I think from now on I'll send Uncle Jack on the business trips. Does that sound like a good idea?"
In response Henry blew a spit bubble. Chuck smiled down at him wiping a finger along his lip. "My thoughts exactly." He ran his finger on the underside of his son's chin feeling the soft skin. "Do you want to know something?" Henry's eyes were starting to close. Chuck leaned down whispering to him. "I missed you and your mommy so much that I almost came back the second day. Your daddy is getting soft, Hen." He kissed his cheek. He continued to gently rock his son.
Within a few minutes Henry had fallen asleep. Chuck rocked him a few more minutes before carefully getting up and returning the baby back to his crib. He quietly backed out of the room scared of making any sound and waking him.
He silently hoped Blair had fallen back to sleep as well or she wouldn't be pleased about him not following her instructions.
But Blair hadn't been sleeping instead she had been listening to her husband do everything he wasn't supposed to do. At first she was annoyed and was nearly at the point of getting out of bed herself until she started to listen to what Chuck was saying and then her heart melted. How could she possibly be upset with a man who was such a wonderful husband and father?
Chuck entered the master bedroom to find Blair sitting up with the bedside lamp on.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't let him cry." He was on defense as he crossed to the bed tossing his robe onto the padded bench at the foot of the bed.
Blair had gotten up onto her knees and had come to the edge. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" There were tears in her eyes.
Chuck slightly shocked slid his arms around her waist placing a kiss to her lips. "Not for at least four hours."
She stared directly into his eyes. "I love you, Chuck Bass, so much it consumes me." She kissed him deeply entwining her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck.
He slowly lowered her back onto the bed settling himself between her spread thighs. He started a trail of kisses along her jawline and down her neck.
She released a whimper but before he could expose her breast to his roving mouth she pulled hard on his hair causing him to look up at her.
"A couple of things before you distract me completely; no swearing in front Henry and definitely no talk about your wild, hedonistic past. I don't want him picking up your bad habits or your fondness for twins." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Understand?"
He smirked down at her. He'd promise her anything. She was the love of his life and the mother of his child; he'd deny her nothing.
"I understand." He leaned down kissing her again. "Although the twin thing is out of my control; it's a Bass man thing and I don't see it skipping a generation."
She rolled her eyes dramatically. "You're incorrigible."
"I know I am but you love me in spite of it." He went back to placing kisses along her shoulder.
Blair sighed contentedly. She did love him, more than anything else in the world and she'd take a million sleepless nights if it meant listening to her husband take such loving care of their son. No amount of sleep could compete with that.