Chapter 27
"Oh, my God, Chuck," Blair cooed, lifting the tiny Ralph Lauren Mary Janes from the store display. "Look how little."
"Adorable," he deadpanned, but a slow, lazy smile spread across his face as he watched his girlfriend fawn over tiny, impractical baby shoes.
"Come on," she nudged him in the shoulder as she returned the shoes to the shelf. "Don't be like that. Help me pick out a gift for Dorota's baby." She held up the tiniest little Burberry pinafore dress and jutted her lip in adoration, looking as though she might melt from how overwhelmingly adorable it was.
"I'm sure Dorota will appreciate a nice donation to her wallet to compensate for the lack of paycheck after the baby's born." He picked up a tiny bow tie and studied the design on it.
"Oh, stop being so sensible," Blair admonished, showing him a pair of Dolce and Gabbana patent leather derby shoes to match the bow tie. "Of course we will make sure that Dorota is taken care of financially while she's on maternity leave, so don't ruin my fun with your negativity. When will I get to shop for a baby again?"
"When we have a family of our own," he rasped softly, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and resting his palm against her flat stomach, imagining the tiny flutters of their child kicking excitedly against his hand.
She froze, letting his words sink in to make sure that she had actually heard him correctly. They'd had plenty of vague conversations about the future, but neither one had ever broached the topic of children. After all, they were only nineteen and marriage was still many years away. A year earlier, Chuck couldn't even tell her that he loved her, and now he was openly discussing their future. Her heart swelled, and she rested her head against his shoulder, placing her hand over his on top of her abdomen. "You really want children?" she asked quietly.
"I want children with you," he corrected, tightening his hold on her. "I want a family with you."
"Do you want a boy or a girl? I can picture a little boy in suits and bow ties, trying to mimic your behavior." She laughed softly. Her mind played images of a dark-haired toddler trying to narrow his eyes into a smoldering gaze while forcing his lips into Chuck's characteristic smirk.
"While I'd love either, I think that a little girl with your doe eyes and penchant for mischief would have me wrapped around her tiny little finger. I wouldn't be able to deny her anything." He turned her to face him, holding her chin between his thumb and forefinger while he looked into her eyes. "Much like her mother, I'd die to give her the world."
She'd never really thought about having kids before, not even when she was with Nate, but now, listening to Chuck speak so openly, she realized that she wanted nothing more than the future he described – a family with him, little Bass babies that they could love more than either one knew was possible. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his, pouring all of her emotions into the kiss. "I love you so much, Chuck."
XOXO
"Finally alone." Blair arched a flirtatious eyebrow at the figure on the screen of her iPad and slowly slipped one sleeve of her satin robe down her shoulder to reveal the straps of her sheer La Perla bra that she'd purchased just for this occasion. She watched Chuck's eyes glaze over with lust as she lowered the second sleeve, letting the robe pool around her waist. The flowers stitched over the bra were designed in a way meant to tease a man, just barely obscuring her breasts from his view.
Chuck drank in the sight of her – the heaving of her chest in the confines of that damn bra and the roundness of her breasts spilling from the small cups. He exhaled slowly and settled back into the pillows behind him as his arousal grew nearly unbearable. "God, baby," he groaned, toying with the tie on his pajama bottoms to occupy his eager hands. It might be afternoon in Japan, but he considered his current apparel a strategic choice for his scheduled cyber-romp with Blair. "I miss you."
"Only one more week," Blair smiled softly, biting her lip, "But for now, I need you to focus." She ran her hand in a slow path over the swells of her breasts, dipping her finger beneath the cup, drawing satisfaction from the way his eyes followed her every movement.
"Trust me, Blair," he rasped, "You have my undivided attention."
Blair smirked, reaching her hands around her back to unclasp her bra, but before she made contact with the hook, a light knock sounded at the door.
"Mommy?" Cora's soft voice called.
"Shit," Blair cursed under her breath, frantically pulling her robe back over her shoulders. She adjusted it over her chest just as the door creaked open and Cora's little head peeked around the corner. Blair cleared her throat and smiled at the child, ignoring the chuckle coming from Chuck on the other side of the iPad screen. "What is it, darling?" She motioned Cora to enter.
"I can't sleep." The little girl rubbed her eyes wearily, padding into the room. "Can I sleep with you?"
Blair forced a smile, suppressing her more carnal desires in favor of comforting her young daughter. "Of course you can, angel."
Cora bounced onto the bed, and her eyes finally found Chuck's image on the device beside her mother. "Daddy!" she squealed in excitement even though she'd just spoken to him a few hours earlier.
"Hey, there, sweetheart," Chuck greeted her with a genuine smile. He had been looking forward to spending some quality time – albeit through technology – alone with Blair, but seeing his daughter's angelic face made his heart thump with pure joy. In the two weeks since he'd returned to Japan, he and Blair had scheduled intimate video calls at least eight times, but they'd only managed to have phone sex twice. There were constant interruptions and scheduling conflicts because of the time difference. Their video calls were scheduled around lunch time for Chuck and after Cora's bedtime for Blair. Inevitably though, Chuck would have a business emergency or Cora would need extra attention. It was now Saturday night in New York and Sunday afternoon in Japan, and they'd both been banking on finally getting some time alone together. "What are you still doing up? It's almost midnight in New York." Chuck adjusted the iPad so that it no longer captured the length of his torso, instead focusing it on face.
"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep," she answered. "What are you and Mommy talking about?"
Chuck smirked in Blair's direction as she took a sip from her water, covering a cough at Cora's inquisitiveness. "I was just telling Mommy how much I miss home and about all of the things I can't wait to do as soon as I get back."
"I can't wait for you to get home." She nodded enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. She'd been incredibly patient and understanding with Chuck's absence, but she missed her father terribly. "What is it you can't wait to do when you get back?" Blair narrowed her eyes at the screen, hoping Chuck could see the warning behind them. Cora was too young to catch the innuendos in his answers, but there was no point in challenging her skills of observation either.
Chuck arched his eyebrows knowingly as a white flag of surrender and focused his attention entirely on Cora. "Well, the first thing I want to do is give you a great big hug, and then I want to take you to breakfast and eat all of the chocolate chip crepes we can stomach."
"I can't wait," she yawned, stretching her small arms above her head and snuggling into the oversized pillows behind her. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you, too, sweetheart," he responded, wishing more than anything that he could tuck her in himself. "Goodnight."
"'Night, Daddy."
Blair kissed Cora on the temple, whispering that she was going to wash her face before bed and quietly tip-toeing into the ensuite bathroom with the iPad in hand. She closed the door softly behind her and set the device on the vanity.
"Where were we?" Chuck husked suggestively.
"Sorry," Blair's face fell. "I don't think it's going to happen tonight. Cora hasn't been sleeping well lately, and I don't want to risk her waking up again. She's not suspicious yet, but I imagine she'll start to wonder soon why we keep talking late at night behind closed doors. She's very perceptive for her age."
"Yeah," he exhaled in frustration. His body had remained in a perpetual state of arousal since Blair had left his bed in London two weeks earlier, and it was making it even harder to focus on work. Construction crews were breaking ground next week on the new resort, and he had to ensure that everything was ready if he wanted to return home on time. He hadn't told Blair, but there had been several frustrating setbacks that could stall his homecoming if he didn't get them sorted out in the next six days. "Listen, Blair, this week is going to be really busy, and besides my regular meetings with Cora, I'm not going to have time for…extracurriculars, unfortunately. I can try to make time because, of course, you're my priority, but -"
"No, it's okay; you'll be home soon." Disappointment swirled in Blair's chest, but she knew that it was best for him to remain focused on work without the distraction of trying to make these video calls with her work. He never said as much, but on each of their calls, she could see the stress weighing on him, outlined in the ridges of his mouth and the darkness around his eyes. He was weary, and it made her heart ache for him because he was doing all of this for her and Cora. Of course, it was for him, too, but ultimately it was so that they could move forward together without any tension between them.
"But how about some fodder for your imagination until we see each other again?" She winked, standing so that her whole body came into frame. She dropped the robe from her shoulders completely, leaving it in a heap on the floor beneath her feet. Unclasping her bra, she let it join her discarded robe. She twirled slowly, running her hands down the length of her torso to cup her breasts and hook into the waistband of her underwear, shimming out of them with a hypnotic rotation of her hips. Her movements were languid, letting Chuck's eyes drink their fill of her naked form. After the criminally short striptease, she lifted her nightgown over her head before returning to her seat at the vanity. "Sorry I can't give you more than that right now."
"Mhm," he hummed appreciatively. "You've fueled my fantasies for the week; I just hope that you are ready to fulfill them as soon as I land on US soil Saturday."
"I look forward to it, Bass," she purred.
"I love you." His voice held a quiet reverence that caused her heart to flutter in rapid succession. In all the times that he'd iterated those three words since his return to New York, his tone always took on a sincerity she'd never heard before, as though his careful enunciation gave credence to the sentiment – a quiet promise that he would never take those words for granted again.
"I love you, too, Chuck." His ears would never tire of hearing those words from her mouth. He ended the call and settled back into the bed, letting his mind replay the naughty images of Blair that he'd just memorized. He really did have a lot of work to do, but surely he could spare fifteen more minutes. It was Sunday after all.
XOXO
"Mommy, hurry up!" Cora admonished her mother for her slow movements as she yanked her own boots on over her tights. It was mid-December, and she hadn't seen Chuck in person since October. "Daddy's jet arrives in an hour, and we can't be late."
"Darling, it's a forty minute drive." Blair's reminder was just as much for herself as it was for her daughter. "We will leave in plenty of time to meet your father."
Blair took extra time with her make-up and hair, making sure to arrange it around her face in the way that she knew Chuck loved. She pulled on a form-fitting red Balmain dress with a pair of Tamara Mellon high point pumps. After spritzing perfume on her wrists and checking her reflection in the floor length mirror, she summoned Dorota to get their coats and call for the chauffeur.
As their town car pulled out into busy Manhattan traffic, Blair bounced her legs nervously and swirled her ruby ring around her finger. She'd spoken with Chuck every day, but she hadn't seen him in person since their trip to London. She knew that he was ready to make their reunion official, but she had to remain firm in her decisions to keep things quiet. Her apprehension grew into anxiety the closer they got to the airport. She trusted Chuck, but he was never as cautious as she was. They both knew to be careful around Cora, but she was afraid that Chuck would be far too lax around Serena and Nate. Granted, neither of their blonde friends were particularly perceptive, but Serena had always been strangely observant of Blair's behavior around Chuck.
"Mommy, are you okay?" Cora broke into her thoughts, resting her small hand on her mother's arm.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine," Blair smiled down at the little girl. "Just a little chilly."
On one hand, the drive felt like an eternity for both of the Waldorfs, but, on the other, Blair wished she had a few more minutes to get her thoughts in order. She gripped Cora's hand in her own and led them to the tarmac just as the crew descended with Chuck's luggage. The cold cut through her camel trench coat, and she rubbed her hands over her arms in an attempt to warm herself – and perhaps to calm her nerves. Her heart pounded in her chest when she made out the figure of a man wearing a well-tailored suit at the top of the stairs, and when she shielded her eyes from the sun, she could see that it was Chuck. Her breath hitched at the welcomed sight; he was devastatingly handsome, and she yearned to run to him with open arms. He made his way quickly down the steps, and before she even realized what was happening, he wrapped both her and Cora in a tight hug. She gasped, but she soon melted into him.
He pulled back and knelt down beside Cora, wiping small tears that streaked down her cheeks. "I missed you so much, sweetheart."
"I missed you, too, Daddy," she sniffled, wrapping her arms around his neck once more. "Please never leave me for so long ever, ever again."
"I promise," he nodded, "that I will do everything in my power to make my business trips as short as possible." He was careful not to commit to any promises that he might eventually have to break.
"What's that?" She pointed to the two wrapped boxes peeking out from his jacket pocket.
"This one is for you." He presented her with the smaller of the two, and she quickly tore it open, peering inside the velvet box. Her eyes sparkled when she saw the tiny silver locket inside. Chuck opened it for her to reveal two photos – one of Cora and Chuck at the butterfly garden and the other of Blair holding her in a tight hug on the first day of school. He latched it around her slender neck and kissed her on the temple. "So that, no matter what, you'll always have Mommy and Daddy close to your heart."
"Thank you, Daddy," Cora smiled, running her fingers over the ornate design of the locket. "I love it so much. I'll wear it every day."
"You're welcome, Cora." He smiled at her, his heart swelling with joy at the thought of spending the rest of his life finding ways to make her happy. He'd give the world for her to never know an ounce of sadness.
"What about that one?" She motioned to the other box.
"This one -" He pulled it from his pocket, "-is for your Mommy. Unfortunately, I missed her birthday while I was gone, but I couldn't let twenty-six go unacknowledged."
"Oh, Daddy," Cora's eyes twinkled. "That's so thoughtful of you. Isn't that so thoughtful, Mommy?"
Blair chuckled at Cora's prompting, and she looked carefully into Chuck's eyes, maintaining a casual demeanor despite her heart pounding against her ribcage. She tentatively took the package from Chuck and opened it to reveal a dainty necklace with a small charm dangling from it. She studied the small flower detail on the charm and looked up at Chuck in question. "It's the birth flower for November," he explained.
"It's beautiful," she said, fingering the delicate chain of the necklace. "Thank you."
She reached up, wrapping her arms around her neck, figuring that a hug for a kind gift wouldn't draw any suspicion from their daughter. Before she could pull back, Chuck's lips brushed her earlobe and he whispered, "This represents more than your birthday. November is the rebirth of our love story, too. I'm sorry I missed your birthday, but tonight after Cora's in bed, I'm going to spend the rest of the night making it up to you."
Blair's cheeks flushed crimson, and she felt heat spread throughout her body in anticipation. He was so warm that she felt the loss of his touch when they finally parted. Clearing her throat, she smiled down at Cora and back at Chuck, "Let's get some breakfast. You've promised Little Miss some crepes, and it's all she's talked about for two days."
The three of them settled into the back of the town car; Cora sat in between her parents, but she only had eyes for Chuck as she regaled him with the same stories that she'd already told him over FaceTime. Chuck didn't seem to mind though; he nodded enthusiastically and asked well-timed questions to which he already knew the answer. Cora's head bobbed and her eyes shined brightly with each passing minute. Blair just sat back and watched the most endearing interaction between her favorite two people. Every now and then, Chuck would catch her attention over Cora's head and offer her a sly smirk or a flirtatious wink.
As they ate breakfast together, Blair allowed herself to imagine that this would become a regular Sunday morning tradition for them – as a family. She was still cautious about thinking of them that way, but everything just felt so right in that moment that she could actually picture this as her future. For the first time in a long time, she accepted the fact that happiness was in reach, that she and Cora could really have everything they'd both ever dreamed of – she just had to make sure that neither she nor Chuck screwed it all up in the meantime.
XOXO
Hours later, Chuck sat atop the chaise in Blair's penthouse, scotch dangling loosely between his fingers. He wasn't in much of a mood for alcohol, but he needed something to occupy his hands. Blair was perched on the far end of the chaise, sipping a glass of wine, but she was anything but relaxed. Every few minutes, her eyes wandered to the stairs, afraid that Cora would have another restless night like she had for the past week. She'd checked and double-checked that Cora was indeed asleep, but they were both too nervous to make any dangerous moves that little prying eyes might witness.
Chuck finally filled the silence between them. "How did she take the news about Louis?"
"Surprisingly well," Blair answered, "Honestly, I think she was relieved. Cora loves Louis, but she could sense that we weren't a great match. I think she always viewed him as more of an uncle or a cousin than as…" Her words trailed off as she looked up at Chuck. She inhaled sharply when she realized the words that she'd almost spoken. She'd been so close to committing to an entirely different life, to hoping that Louis would fill the void that Chuck had left behind. She'd never really thought of him as a father-figure to Cora, but now she recognized that he never really fit that role anyway. He loved Cora, but he never seemed to view himself as a parent, either.
"It's okay, Blair." Chuck scooted slightly closer and rested his hand on her knee. "It doesn't hurt anymore, and even if it did, I deserve it."
"No, I just realized that he never acted like a father to her, and she never saw him that way even though he was here from the time she was born." She shook her head and let out a wry chuckle. "I think Cora knew better than the rest of us."
"But he was good to you, to Cora? Surely that's been difficult for her." There was no malice or insecurity in his words, but there was a hint of concern for Cora. He didn't want her entire life – her relationship with Louis – to change because of his presence.
"Louis's been great," Blair explained softly, resting her hand on top of his. "He had a hard time with the broken engagement, but after I talked to Cora, we all decided that she would still see him regularly. She FaceTimes with him once or twice a week. Things are tense between him and me, but we agreed not to let that affect Cora."
"That's really great, Blair." He laced their fingers together, raising her knuckles to his lips. His eyes followed hers to the stairs, and he asked, "Do you think she's asleep for good?"
"I hope so," Blair sighed, biting her lip. "I've really missed you, Chuck."
"You have no idea how tough the last few weeks have been," he agreed, pulling her to her feet so that he could wrap her in a hug. "It was so hard to focus on anything but how much I wanted to get home to you."
Home. It felt like he was home.
She grasped his hand and pulled him toward one of the lower level guest rooms, locking the door behind her. "I don't want to risk bringing you into my bedroom yet, in case she does wake up, but Dorota's upstairs. If she can't find me, she'll go to Dorota. She won't even think to look in here."
Chuck arched an eyebrow playfully. "So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that it's been far too long since you've touched me, and you better put your hands on me right now before I scream from all of this pent-up frustration."
"Mhm," he sighed, wasting no time unzipping her dress and letting it fall to the floor. He lowered his head to her shoulder, kissing a trail along the column of her neck as he murmured, "All you had to do was ask."
She pulled at the buttons on his dress shirt, hissing when his tongue made contact with the sensitive pulse point jumping in her throat. "You know you can't stay the night, right?"
"Why not?" he whined, picking her up in his arms and depositing her onto the bed so that he could continue his exploration of her body. He propped himself on his side with one arm and pulled her stockings down with the other. "Can't I just sleep in the guest room like I usually do?"
"No," Blair rasped breathlessly as Chuck nipped at her ankle, working a path up her leg to her knee. "It's too much temptation. If you're here, I don't know that I'll ever make it back to my bedroom."
"Guess we'd better make this time count then, huh?"
He finished undressing her, and then he spent the next few hours making good on his promises until they finally extracted themselves from one another's arms. Chuck made his way back to the Palace, deliriously happy and hopelessly in love – two emotions that he didn't think would ever coexist inside of him again.
A/N: Hi, so I promised you I wouldn't abandon this story. I know it's been months, but I definitely plan to see it through. Honestly, this is probably my favorite story that I've written, and I'm having a hard time ending it. I don't really want to let it go, but realistically, it's only got another chapter or two. As always, thank you all for sticking with me through this journey. By the time this story is finished, it'll be nearly 400 pages long. It's just mind-blowing to me that you all willingly read that many pages of my work. Much love to you all. :)