A/N: Happy Limoversary, everyone! As some of you may know, I had some issues last week that severely hindered my creativity and concentration, so please forgive any glaring errors I may have missed during revisions. I wanted to get this out in time.
Chuck Bass didn't consider himself an overly sentimental man. He had his wife and son, a handful of good friends, and an adoptive mother who loved him unconditionally; everything else was dispensable. Sure, he partook in all of the pleasures that his opulent wealth afforded him. Money made life easier, but he'd learned the hard way that life is meaningless without people to share it with. He would sacrifice his entire fortune to ensure the health and happiness of Blair and Henry – a fact that he damned well made sure they knew every day through his words and actions.
He was well aware that his resistance to making a responsible choice for his family was unreasonable, but the decision proved itself to be more difficult than he could have anticipated. On some level, he couldn't sever the connection between his fondest memories and the pretentious vehicle that was as much his trademark as his signature scarf.
Regardless of his emotional response, though, he knew it was a necessary move forward. The mechanical maintenance on his twenty-year-old limousine was growing exhaustive, and it was only a matter of time before the motor gave out. As much as he loved this particular limo, he could no longer ignore the perpetual threat of breaking down in rush hour traffic, or worse, engine failure causing an accident. Logically, he should've upgraded the limo years ago, but Henry and Blair both had access to towncars, and even he didn't use the limo as often as he had in his youth. So, for purely sentimental reasons, Chuck held onto the outdated vehicle.
Now, with a bittersweet laugh, he pulled his wife into the backseat against the supple leather bench where, fifteen years prior, she'd given herself to him in more than just the physical sense. She leaned back into his chest, resting her arm against his thigh while he toyed absently with the bracelet encircling her wrist. They sat in silence as Arthur put the vehicle in drive for one final ride through the city.
Blair let out a quiet sigh. "This is harder than I expected."
Chuck turned her body so that she was facing him, and gently placing his thumb beneath her chin, he gave her a soft, reassuring kiss – one reminiscent of their first kiss shared in the confines of this very limousine. "I love you," he whispered as he pulled back.
She smiled. "You've been in love with me ever since that night."
"Mm," he lifted her hand to his lips. "Don't pretend like you weren't smitten, too, Blair."
She chuckled aloud mockingly. "Please, you were like a little puppy dog, following me around at my birthday party."
"Really?" He smirked. "I seem to remember that party a bit differently."
"And what, pray tell, do you remember?" Blair murmured, snuggling against her husband.
"My head is filled with the most vivid images of your black dress hitting the floor, my hands peeling those little stockings down your legs, your desperate pleas for me to -"
Blair cut him off with a kiss, her cheeks flushed with the memory of exactly what Chuck taught her to do that night. "Okay," she relented breathlessly. "Maybe I was a little more into you than I let on then."
"Well, you did make the first move," he mused.
She rolled her eyes in feigned irritation, but prodded playfully, "Which time?"
"Fair enough," he laughed, kissing her gently, "But I was referring to our first time together in the limo."
Blair turned her body toward Chuck's, brushing her fingers over the wedding ring sitting on his left hand. Back then she couldn't have known that fifteen years later, they would share their final ride in the same vehicle in which their journey began. Her eyes filled with tears of bittersweet remembrance. "That night changed everything that I believed my life was supposed to look like. It was as if I could see myself clearly for the first time in my life. I wasn't the perfect little princess society told me I was."
"No, you weren't." He lifted her chin to look him in the eyes. "You have always been more than that. I'll never forget the feeling I had watching you on stage. You were Blair, but you weren't. You were so undeniably sexy and confident. When we got into the limo, I should've thought of Nate, but you were all I could focus on. You were the only thing that existed or mattered. The moment you kissed me, I was gone. It took every single ounce of strength I had to make sure you were ready because I had never wanted anything more in my entire life than I wanted you then."
His next kiss matched the intensity that they felt as teenagers; he pulled her body close to his own, running his fingers over her hips, letting himself get lost in the feel of her curves and the sensual arch of her back. She moaned into his mouth, dragging her fingers through his hair to massage his scalp. Many people would argue that passion wanes after years in a monogamous relationship, but that certainly wasn't true for these two. If anything, their desire for one another reached a different level in marriage than they had experienced in their youth.
In the early years of their relationship, they were desperate for each other, and they made a game out of delaying their gratification to achieve explosive orgasms that left them both panting for more. After marriage, Blair secretly feared that they could grow boring; she never questioned their intense sexual chemistry as it had been a thread woven throughout each of their interactions for years, but she feared that the familiarity and routine of marriage could diminish the intrigue and mystery of their encounters. Of course, her fears were entirely unfounded, and their first act of lovemaking after their wedding vows proved to be an almost spiritual experience for both of them. Over the years, the bedroom was the one place where they made themselves completely vulnerable, stripping away all of the layers that they don in public and showing each other who they are to their very cores. They weren't afraid to ask questions, to tease, to express taboo desires; their sexual experimentation often led to raw conversations and an even deeper emotional connection than anyone could understand. Chuck had never believed in soulmates, but he knew without a doubt that his soul was tethered to Blair's on every level – both physical and emotional.
"The things we've done in this very limo," Blair said, pulling back as Chuck let out a low groan, clearly remembering what 'things' she was referring to. "Poor Arthur," she laughed softly.
"The man is paid well for his discretion, and -" Chuck motioned toward the partition. "-after our hate sex spree in 2010, I upgraded to a soundproof partition and bought him some noise-canceling headphones. Although -"
The self-satisfied smirk that spread across Chuck's face gave Blair pause, and she nudged him in the shoulder. "Although what? Why'd you never tell me about the partition?"
"You always got off on the thrill of being caught." Her mouth opened to a scandalized gasp, as if her exhibitionist nature was lost on her husband. "Come on, it got you so hot that I wasn't about to tell you and ruin your fun."
"God," she reminisced, growing increasingly warm as memories flooded her mind. "We must've done it at least a dozen times in here in just the matter of a few days. I hope Arthur got a raise then."
"Hmm," He lowered his head to kiss a path from her collarbone up the column of her neck. "You were so needy. It was such a turn on." His hand reached beneath the hem of her dress to slowly trail up her thigh. "It still is."
"Needy?" She scoffed in mock offense. "Me?"
"Oh, yeah," he murmured as his fingers reached the top of her thigh high stockings. "You were practically panting with lust before we even made it to the backseat. You were ripping at my collar and pants at the same time -"
"Please," she inhaled when he kneaded the supple flesh of her upper thigh, "You were the one who ripped the clasp on my favorite Agent Provocateur bra."
"Worth it." He moved his hands to cup her breasts in emphasis. "And if I recall correctly, I bought you several more to replace it."
"Yeah, but I had to cross my arms over my chest all the way across campus until I could borrow a safety pin from a random fashion design professor."
He snickered at the memory of Blair chastising him for ruining her bra, but he could see behind her eyes how secretly exhilarated she was by his aggressive movements. He reminded her, "That's not any worse than the time you got my boxers stuck in my zipper right before a board meeting and I had to remain seated the entire time, even when greeting potential investors. I couldn't even stand to shake their hands."
"But," Blair pouted, "I just wanted to show you my appreciation, and in my defense, Armani really needs to invest in better zippers."
He groaned, remembering the erotic sound of her dainty hand pulling his zipper down in the middle of his quiet office. He let his hands continue their ascent up her thigh once again, this time allowing them to tease the band of her underwear. "I will say it was definitely worth letting that business deal fall apart. You fulfilled nearly every naughty fantasy I had that year."
"Every fantasy, you say?" She quirked an eyebrow.
"Oh, trust me," he smirked, "My mind conjures up new ones every day. We will never run out, especially since you introduced me to the world of literary roleplay."
"Speaking of which," she gave him a languid kiss, running her fingers down the lapels of his jacket, "Gatsby's next."
"'He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God.'" Chuck quoted the Fitzgerald novel softly, drawing her face closer to his own. "'So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her.'" He slowly leaned in, pressing his lips against his wife's as if it was the first time he'd touched her. "'At his lips' touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.'"
Blair leaned into Chuck, who continued to pepper kisses across her clavicle. "Poor Daisy was never going to live up to his obsessive, idealistic views of who she was supposed to be."
"Hmm," he murmured into her neck, "That's the difference, isn't it? The moment we kissed, you opened my eyes to who you really are, and you exceeded every narrow-minded expectation I had before that moment. You're the very embodiment of the idea that reality is far better than fantasy."
"And you had plenty of fantasies about me, didn't you, Chuck?" She teased, well aware of the active imagination that her husband had before they got together, though to this day he still hadn't revealed to her the extent of his naughty fantasies as they'd related to his best friend's girlfriend.
"You have no clue, Blair." His voice was gruff, muffled against the material of her dress. "I tried my best to suppress it, but, God, you have no idea the things I wanted to do to you even then."
"Did Arthur ever say anything?" She bit her lip. "After that night? When I would slip into your limo late at night?"
"No, he knew better," Chuck smirked. "But every once in a while, I would see a knowing glint in his eyes. Remember that time senior year you made it your mission in life to torture me with your seductive charm until I told you that I love you?"
"Oh, yes," she recalled. "As I remember, you rejected me on multiple occasions."
"It wasn't easy," he admitted. "When you were sitting on the hood in that little plaid skirt, I wanted nothing more than to bend you over the hood in front of everyone."
"Chuck!" She gasped aloud, but she let her mind ponder the image briefly. They'd done plenty inside the limo, but the hood was new territory. She wondered for a moment if it was as impractical as it sounded and decided that she wouldn't know until she tried it. She added hood sex to her running mental checklist of things she wanted to try at least once. "You fended me off so easily that I started to question my own appeal."
"Bullshit," Chuck called her out. "You knew exactly what you were doing to me. I'm just lucky that I'm just as stubborn as you are. Arthur definitely knew something was up when he picked me up from the bar after you purposely spilled your drink in my lap, using it as an excuse to touch me. I walked with a limp all the way to the limo."
"I don't know if I ever told you, but I called Humphrey after that, needing advice because I didn't think it worked. That's how I knew to bait you in Serena's bedroom," Blair inhaled softly, looking up at Chuck. "So many of our memories are tied to this thing, aren't they?"
"It's been there through some of our best moments, certainly," he agreed.
Bittersweet memories washed through Blair, and soon, the tears resurfaced, and she couldn't brush them aside any longer. She let them fall with a self-deprecating sigh. "This is so silly, crying over an old car."
"It's what the car represents." He pulled her into his side, resting his chin against her head as he stroked his palm soothingly up and down her arms. "It's like a piece of our own personal history."
"Even before we were together," Blair responded, "It was at the core of some of our best times together – going to parties as a group, me lodged between you and Nate, rolling my eyes at your antics. This limo always felt like a second home. I always felt at peace in here."
"Remember when you pulled my scarf off my neck on the way to the Kiss on the Lips party? Your hands brushed against the skin of my neck, and my body reacted." He chuckled. "I did a pretty good job of convincing myself that my pounding heart was a result of the alcohol and not your proximity. You've always had a strange effect on me."
"I can't believe that fifteen years have passed." She swiped at her face, brushing away the few stray tears that had escaped. "It was here when you said you loved me, when you told me that you'd give up your empire for me, when I admitted aloud for the first time that I was in love with you. It's just so hard to let go."
"I know, baby." He kissed her gently, caressing her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.
"Make love to me, Chuck." She reached behind her back, lowering the zipper on her dress to reveal the same chemise she'd worn on that fateful night fifteen years earlier. For years, she'd left the sentimental piece of lingerie tucked neatly in a keepsake chest, but as she'd dressed for the evening, it felt entirely appropriate to pull it out one last time.
"God, I love you," he muttered into her lips. Emotions swelled heavily in his chest, and he was determined to make this final coupling in the back of his trusty limo one to remember.
XOXO
A few weeks later, Blair and Chuck accompanied Henry to school in the family towncar as they had many times over the years. They said their goodbyes, hugging their son and ensuring that he knew exactly how much each of them loved him, before returning to the vehicle.
As Blair settled into the backseat, Chuck whispered something to Arthur before joining his wife. He turned to Blair and asked, "Do you have some time before you have to be at the office?"
"Yes," she affirmed. "I have a meeting at one, but I'm free until then. What's going on?"
"I have something I want to show you." He lifted her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss against her knuckles.
"Ooh, a surprise," she smiled back at him. "I'm intrigued."
"And I think you'll really like this one."
When Arthur pulled into a large iron gate beside a sign that read "Henley Luxury Automobiles," she frowned. She knew that Chuck had custom ordered a new limousine, but stubbornly she wasn't looking forward to it. She tried her best to feign excitement, but she just didn't have it in her. A new limo wasn't going to replace the old one, and she'd just as soon use the towncar from then on out.
"Hey," he cupped her cheek in his hand. "The limo's not the surprise."
At that, she perked up, new intrigue replacing her indifference. As Arthur opened the door to the couple, Chuck helped Blair out, leading her to a private bay at the back of the dealership. Her eyes immediately landed on a black limousine, not unlike their previous one. She could make out the updated body and shiny exterior, but for all of its lavishness, it was just another expensive car.
"Here," he opened the door for her, and she settled into the back, letting her eyes linger on the upgraded interior. It was certainly more streamlined than the older model; it was beautiful, but it just made her feel sad.
"It's nice, Chuck." She offered him the sweetest smile she could muster.
He reached for her hand and flattened it against the leather bench on which she sat, running her fingers up and down the seam. "See how supple the leather is?" he asked. "Smooth as butter. I can't wait to make love to you on this bench. You won't stick to it like you used to when things got heated between us." He gave her an amused laugh, but it fell flat between them.
She nodded, soaking in the feel of the soft leather. Admittedly, it was more luxurious than its predecessor. "I love it," she spoke softly, her voice lacking the luster she tried to convey.
"I think you'll love it even more when you look at the headrests." He raised his eyebrows, nodding toward the two pieces mounted on either side of the bench. She narrowed her eyes to read the small embossed characters: CB 2007.
Drawing her fingers over the numbers, she asked quietly, "What does it mean?"
"After our last ride with Arthur a few weeks ago, I had the original bench removed." He brought her hand to his chest. "I couldn't part with it, either. It just means too much."
Tears welled in her eyes as realization slowly dawned on her, "So this -"
"Yes," he nodded, kissing her gently. "I had the original leather reconditioned so it's softer than it's ever been, but this is the same bench." He took her hand and hooked it over the back of the seat, tracing their joined fingers over the subtle indentations permanently etched into the leather. "See?" he said.
"You kept my bite marks?" She laughed out loud.
"Of course," he smirked. "You tried so hard to muffle your screams. I'll never forget the way you felt writhing against me when we were stuck in standstill traffic. I'm certain the car behind us could see the whole car shaking."
"If Henry ever finds those," she warned, "You'd better have a good story prepared."
Chuck winked.
"I love you," Blair smiled, genuine joy causing her chest to ache.
"I once told you that the back of the limo was sacred," Chuck pulled her to him. "I meant it."
