Practice Makes Perfect (cont.)

"What's going on in here?"

Blair froze at the sound of Nate's voice, immediately snapping her knees together as her legs hung off the edge of the table. Chuck instantly took a step back from her, cursing under his breath all the while. She straightened her posture and swallowed hard as she turned to face her ex-boyfriend. Nate's face was confused, as usual, and there was a terror that scorned his blue eyes and sent a shot of guilt through her being. Chuck must have felt the same, for he did not look up to face Nate. He simply stared at the floor and waited for Blair to take the lead.

"We were just discussing some expectations for Cotillion," Blair said calmly.

Nate's brows knitted together as he stepped into the room, "Right now?"

Chuck cleared his throat then, feeling as though he should step in, "Yes, well, you know how Blair is a perfectionist. She just couldn't wait." She can't wait to get her hands on me.

Blair glared at him and he smirked in return, marveling at her silent wrath. Something about dangerous dark eyes really turned him on. Everything about her turned him on. Blair turned back to Nate with a heated expression, "I'm going to ignore him, and so should you. Let's go back; I'm sure you both have a lot to work on before Cotillion."

Nate nodded awkwardly, still unsure what to make of the scene. Chuck had been unusually sensitive to Blair's needs since the breakup. Normally, Blair would turn to Serena in those situations, but Nate tried to understand the fact that Serena had been a sore subject in their relationship and therefore could not provide the safe haven that B was so desperately seeking. She'd distanced herself from Nate. She'd distanced herself from Serena, too, from what it seemed like. Chuck and Blair were more alike than any of them had previously realized, and while that normally would have been an easily accepted truth, Nate noticed that his best friend was different. Chuck wasn't as Chuck. He wasn't hooking up with different girls all the time, he wasn't drinking himself into oblivion every single night. He was actually involving himself with his friends and his schoolwork. Additionally, he was showing more of an effort toward Cotillion than Nate had expected. He seemed to be tirelessly striving towards perfection for Blair, a task that Nate knew was not easily achieved. But he was doing so without missing a beat.

Nate's eyes narrowed and he turned to exit the room.

Blair outwardly sighed with relief, "Thank God we weren't engaging in…our usual activities. It would have broken him."

Chuck shrugged slightly, "Wouldn't have been as delicate as we would have liked but it would have gotten the point across without a doubt."

"Ew, that's a thought I can live without," she said, scoffing and crossing her arms.

"What is?" Chuck said, taking a step toward her once again. She swallowed and he stared at the porcelain flesh of her throat, "The idea of Nate walking in while I'm having my way with you? Of him hearing all of those little noises I shamelessly evoke from you?"

A blush rose to her cheeks and she blinked rapidly, "This is hardly the time or place to be talking about this, Bass, and you know it."

He chuckled, took another step, and mockingly said, "I've never been one to play by the rules, and you know it."

He placed a few strong fingers underneath her chin and lifted her face so that she was staring up at him. He took in the sight for several moments, though to Blair it felt like hours. He stared down at her with such intense appreciation that she felt herself getting lightheaded. Chuck had never faltered in letting her know that she had his full attention and she loved that. His amber eyes were serious as he leaned down and kissed her passionately.

"Guys? Are you coming or what?" Nate called from outside of the room.

"Oh my god," Blair gasped as she pulled away, "This is borderline stupid and very reckless. We need to tell them soon."

Serena watched as Nate, Chuck, and Blair entered the rehearsal hall. All eyes flew to them, whispers filled the air, and phones were pulled out to check and see if gossip girl had any explanation. She swallowed, noticing how Blair was walking much closer to Chuck than Nate. She would have to have a talk with Chuck about their plan, for he seemed to not even be giving Blair the chance to miss Nate. It would ruin everything.

She felt weird about it at the same time. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about going with Nate. She wanted to believe that Dan wouldn't care, and she also wanted to believe that things between her and Nate were completely over. She liked Dan. Nate liked Blair. But every once in a while, she would look up and see Nate staring at her, and the amount of curiosity in his dark blue eyes would unsettle her. She didn't want to do anything to Blair again, and though she trusted herself, she didn't trust that Nate's eyes would never wander again if he and B ever got back together.

She continued to watch her best friends, and she saw that familiar look. She saw how his face seemed to light up as the music began to play. She saw him look down at her, a small smile touching at the corners of his mouth as he did so, and Serena blinked. The familiar look wasn't on Nate's face this time, but Chuck's. What?

Chuck stared down at Blair and it was like nobody else was in the room. He heard the music, but barely, because the sound of her sweet little chuckles as they began to dance was music enough. They'd all learned how to dance when they were much younger. It was expected of them, really, to be able to dress up and act like members of high society. Part of that was in preparation of Cotillion, of course, but part of it was just because it was something they all did. Despite this, Chuck felt like he hadn't truly danced until he was dancing with Blair.

Blair's brows knitted slightly as she looked up at him, "What are you thinking about, Bass? You look like you're actually…smiling."

He shrugged slightly, "Maybe I am."

"Why?"

They continued to sway with the music as they spoke. Chuck tried to muster up the words, the three words he'd been grooming in the depths of his mind for years. He felt them every time he looked at her. He felt them every time he began to plan the night of Cotillion. He felt them every time he even heard her name. There was just something about the two of them, Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck, that seemed to fit. He'd never felt that with anyone, even platonic friends. She was the only thing that felt real.

His throat felt dry, "I…I just am."

"Whatever you say," she said.

Blair couldn't decide why she felt so secure with him staring at her like that. Nobody ever had. She should have felt more insecure. She'd never had anyone else's undivided attention, and that kind of attention was something that Chuck Bass was always able to provide her. She inhaled softly as she looked around them. Suddenly everyone else appeared again, nobody paying attention to them. She glanced over her shoulder at Serena and Nate. They were closer than any of the other couples were, dancing in perfect tune, and laughing loudly. Serena and Nate were both beautiful and golden and completely oblivious. Blair began to think deeply then about how easy it was for her to see their similarities. Nate's hand was on the blonde's waist, gripping it tightly, though not as tightly as Chuck was gripping her own. Serena's arms were draped lazily around his neck, her perfect white smile lighting up her face as well as the rest of the room. Nate was staring intently at her.

Something inside her should have moved at the sight. A month ago, it absolutely would have bothered the shit out of her. She wouldn't have been able to handle the thought of the two of them together. But there she was, unbothered and comfortable in the arms of Chuck Bass. She loved it. She loved a lot of things.