A/N- Your support of this story just makes it so fun to keep writing! Thank you all. I hope you like this chapter- I have to do two huge mid-term projects tomorrow, so reading reviews would be lovely to stop me from going crazy! Enjoy…
The Lost Weekend
--
Chapter Five
Rise and shine, S! Even It Girls have to face hangovers, but after what's being called the party of the year, I bet it was worth it. But you might find you have some strange bedfellows…
Serena sat up and had that strange moment of being completely unsure of where she was. Trying to ignore the pounding in her head, she looked around. She recognized the blue drapes, the flat screen TV, and the old movie posters and realized she was asleep on the floor of her family's entertainment room. How the hell had she gotten here? How was she in pajamas?
And why were Blair and Chuck asleep next to her?
The three of them were practically buried in a mass of blankets and pillows on the floor. Serena knew she certainly hadn't put them there.
She heard a soft knocking on the door, and groaned when the door opened and let in glaring sunlight. It was Eric, holding a tray of fruit and coffee.
"Morning, sis."
Serena shushed him, covering her eyes. "Eric. I'm right here, stop shouting."
"I wasn't. I can't believe you're up this early."
"How did I get here? Why is Blair here? Why is she wearing my pajamas?"
"Me, me, and me. Blair called me at about three o'clock in the morning and said she was bringing you both home in a taxi. By the time she got here, she was exhausted too and kept complaining that she couldn't breathe in her dress. So I brought her some of your pajamas, and set up some pillows and blankets in the entertainment room because none of you were really in stair-climbing condition."
Serena thought hard, trying to remember any of this. Nothing. Eric contined.
"I got you dressed to go to sleep, and by the time we came back, Blair and Chuck were already passed out here. You just got in next to them and fell asleep in like two seconds."
"Wow. I must have been hammered."
"Uh…yeah."
Serena winced. "Did I throw up?"
Eric nodded sullenly.
"On you?"
He nodded again, shuddering in remembrance.
"I'm sorry! Thank you for being the best brother in the world!" She hugged him tightly.
"Oh, man, you need to brush your teeth. Or shower. Preferably both."
"Done. Did Chuck throw up?"
"Nope. He was asleep just like that when I left last night."
Serena and Eric looked at the sleeping Blair and Chuck, all entwined limbs and peaceful expressions.
"They look kind of sweet." Serena smiled.
"Til they wake up, right?"
Serena laughed, grabbing a cup of coffee and taking a long sip. "Chuck really does have an iron stomach."
"Either that or he's dead."
Serena looked slightly alarmed, and they both looked to see Chuck's chest rising and falling under Blair's hand. "He's fine," She got a little woozily to her feet, "I'm going to shower. Thanks again for helping out."
"That's what I'm here for. Have a crossaint at least." He held one out.
"Yum. Love ya." She took it and messed up his hair.
He shook her off. "Love you too."
--
Blair woke up, completely disoriented. Her head swam as she sat up, and it took her awhile to realize she was in the entertainment room at Serena's house.
Serena and Chuck's house, she corrected herself, looking down at a soundly sleeping Chuck Bass beside her. She gently moved his hand off of her so she could get to her feet, and try to figure out the best way to get out of here without waking him up. She vaguely remembered last night, and thought maybe she had been in a taxi at one point. That must be how she had gotten here.
And she remembered making out with Chuck. A lot. In front of everyone she knew. How very un-Waldorf like of her. Blair looked down at her crumpled dress and bra on the floor and shoved them into her huge purse.
She needed to get out of here. Clear her head. Figure out what had happened before she could do any kind of damage control. She and Chuck weren't even sure what they were, and now the whole school would be asking. What had she been thinking?
But first things first. Seeing as she was currently wearing Serena's heart-print pajamas and there was no way she was doing a walk of shame in her hooker dress, she was going to need clothes.
Blair tiptoed out of the room without waking Chuck, and was relieved to not see Serena.
"Making a break for it?"
She spun around to see Eric, looking amused from his spot at the kitchen table.
"WTF, Eric! Lurk much?"
"I wouldn't be so rude to the person who tucked you in last night."
Blair sighed. "Thank you, I guess. Where's Serena?"
"Showering."
"Oh, good. I'm just going to go borrow some clothes and head home."
"Looks like you had a quite a night." Eric grinned, holding up his phone.
Blair's shoulders sagged. "Let me guess. Gossip Girl has pictures?"
"And streaming video," Eric smiled mischievously, "I thought you and Chuck broke up."
"We did! We are broken up, I just—I have got to get out of here." Blair sighed, putting her head in her hands.
"I'll tell Serena you said hi."
Blair rolled her eyes, going upstairs to Serena's bedroom. She heard the shower still running in the hallway, and knew Serena liked to take epically long showers when she was hung over, so she had still had time.
She walked by Chuck's room (unable to resist seeing what it looked like- very, very clean and lots of dark blues and grays with a perfectly organized closet) and finally found Serena's. It was all gold and pink, and a total wreck. Serena had apparently agonized over what to wear to Penelope's party last night- there was a mass of clothes on the floor and pairs of shoes thrown haphazardly all over. Blair sorted through them to see if there was anything she could just throw on- Serena was a lot taller than her, so jeans were pretty much out.
She finally dug out one of those weird T-shirt dresses Serena seemed so fond of and pulled it on, folding Serena's pajamas and putting them in the corner. The shirt dress swallowed her, so Blair found a belt and some brown leather sandals. She looked at herself in the mirror.
"Oh, I'm Serena. I don't wear pants, ever." Blair mocked, thinking she kind of looked like a bag lady. How did Serena make this look so effortlessly cool?
Whatever. She heard the shower turning off, and knew she had to get out of here.
Blair slipped back out the door, and walked down the stairs quickly. She heard Eric talking on the phone in his room.
Phew. Home free.
"How do you manage to still look gorgeous after the night we had?"
Damn it.
She turned around to see a very sleepy-eyed Chuck closing the door to the entertainment room behind him.
"Hey." She said, standing there a little awkwardly.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yeah. I should go. My mom's probably wondering where I am."
They both knew that was lie. Chuck ran a hand through his hair. "Why are you wearing Serena's clothes?"
Blair couldn't help but laugh. "How'd you know?"
"Not exactly your style. But then again, I would never have figured Blair Waldorf for wearing that dress last night either."
"You did notice." She smiled.
"Of course," He crossed to her, his voice still a little raspy from sleep and making Blair's heart speed up, "Every guy at that party wished they were me."
"Yeah. Last night…was interesting for sure."
They looked at each other, memories flooding back of making out in darkened corners. She remembered him saying things into her ear that would make even Georgina Sparks blush, remembered straddling him in a booth in a back room, but couldn't quite remember if anything else had happened.
"What are you thinking?" Chuck said softly.
"How much do you remember about what we did last night?"
"Everything I remember was incredible." He said, brushing her hair back behind her ear with one hand.
She closed her eyes, leaning against his hand. "I don't know if it was such a good idea, Chuck. You were wasted. We shouldn't have-"
"Don't say that." Chuck took her face in his hands, suddenly looking much more awake.
"I just--we were in no position to be going public- you and I don't even know what we are, let alone what to tell everyone else--"
Chuck sighed, way too hung over to deal with this. "Blair, come on. Who cares about what everybody else thinks?"
She put her hands on her hips. "You have met me, right?"
"What are you, ashamed of me?"
She didn't say anything for a minute, and Chuck shook his head, disgusted. "Maybe you should just go."
"Chuck, wait-"
"No, forget this, Blair. It's just the same old story as last year. You only want to be with me when you can keep it your dirty little secret."
"You only want to be with me when you can't have me." Blair shot back.
"You kissed me last night, Blair. You asked me to that hotel last weekend. I didn't start any of this, you did."
"Meaning you don't want to be with me? I just forced it on you?" Blair said, feeling a hot flush of embarrassment.
"That's not what I said!"
"Then what, Chuck? What are we even doing?" Blair demanded.
An unbearably long silence fell between them.
"I'm leaving." Blair said, unable to look at him.
"I don't know what you want from me, Blair. I never do."
"I don't want anything from you! Let's just forget this ever happened. We'll just tell people we were drunk. It was a party; it happens."
Blair walked over to the elevator, and left without another word.
Chuck watched her go, feeling exhausted and hung over and…something else. The way he always felt when Blair walked away from him, like some part of him had been ripped out.
"Ugh, I feel awful. How are you not sick after last night?" Serena said, walking up behind him in a bathrobe with her hair in a towel turban.
Chuck opened his mouth to reply, but his throat felt choked.
Serena looked in shock at the sight of her stepbrother on the edge of an actual human emotion. "Are you okay?"
Chuck swallowed hard. "I'm fine."
"Where's Blair?"
"She left. Somehow, what happened last night was my fault. Everything's always my fault."
"Last night when you guys kissed? How is that anybody's fault? It's a good thing." Serena said, mystified.
"Apparently being with me is never a good thing. It's always a mistake. It's always a regret."
"Chuck, don't say that. She's just…being Blair. She wants to be with you, I know she does. It really messed her up when you left her last summer."
"I don't what else I can do to make up for that!" Chuck said, his voice breaking.
"Have you actually told her you're sorry?" Serena said, leaning against the wall.
Chuck thought this over for a second. "Maybe…not in so many words."
"Well, there you go. Apologize. I can't believe you haven't already."
"I'm new at this, Serena. And Blair's not exactly the easiest person to make happy, as you well know."
Serena smiled. "You are signing up for a lifetime of misery, bro."
"You don't think Blair's worth all of this?"
Serena considered this for a moment, looking up at Chuck.
"I didn't say that. I would never say that. Blair will make you absolutely insane, will make you want to rip your hair out, but at the end of the day…she's the best friend I ever had. She will care about you like nobody else in this world. She'll believe in you, fight for you, take care of you…she's absolutely worth all of this. Don't mess this up again, Chuck. Make it right with her. I wish I could."
Now Serena was about to cry. Chuck crossed to her, his hand on her arm. "She'll forgive you, Serena. She misses you."
Serena impulsively hugged him. "Thank you, Chuck."
Momentarily shocked, it took him a moment to pat her awkwardly on the back. Nobody hugged Chuck. Ever.
"What, are we bonding?" He broke away as quickly as possible, laughing nervously.
"No one's ever beat me at a drinking contest. I have to at least respect you now." Serena grinned.
--
Blair sat in her bubble bath later that day, trying to read a magazine but unable to stop thinking about Chuck. She had felt so free last night, so unburdened, so unBlair. Chuck was the only person who had ever let her show a side of herself that wasn't perfect and pristine, and she loved it.
I don't know what you want from me, Blair. I never do.
She couldn't answer him because she had no idea either. What did she want from Chuck? A boyfriend? A partner in crime? Just sex?
You know what you want, her subconscious not so gently reminded her. You said it yourself.
Three words. Eight letters. Say it, and I'm yours.
But she was just wishing for something that would never happen, no matter how many vodka shots he did or how many times they ended up in each other's arms. Blair sank lower in the hot water, closing her eyes and remembering last weekend in the hotel, in the shower together, the steaming hot water pounding her back, Chuck's wet hand cupping her breast, his teeth gently brushing the muscle in her shoulder as he kissed her skin--
Suddenly, her phone vibrated with a new text message. Blair mentally shook herself, looking down at the phone. Chuck. Of course.
Can we have dinner tonight?
Blair wiped off her hands on her fluffy blue towel, considering the offer. After a moment, she texted back.
Where?
I'll pick you up. Eight?
Fine.
Blair snapped her phone shut, not allowing herself to think this was anything other than a fancy break-up. From a relationship that didn't even exist. This is what happened with everyone- her dad, Nate, Serena- everyone just got tired of dealing with her. Why would Chuck be any different?
--
"Miss Blair? Mr. Chuck is here to see you!" Dorota called up the stairs.
Blair stared at herself in the mirror, looking like an entirely different person from last night. She was wearing a structured red and white Herve Leger dress with red pumps. She had pulled her hair back into a bun and her signature headband (this time, white with a large red rose) was back in place. Apparently, emulating Serena's wild mane of hair look had led to her doing very, very bad things. Controlled was much more her style anyway.
"I'm coming." Blair called back, picking up her white leather clutch purse and walking down the stairs, feeling anxious.
Chuck was wearing a beautiful black suit with a red tie (almost like he knew to match me, she thought), and holding a bouquet of a dozen yellow roses. Blair raised her eyebrows.
"Flowers?"
"Your favorite. You look beautiful tonight." Chuck said, holding them out to her.
"You look more sober tonight." She handed the flowers to Dorota, who went to the kitchen to put them in water.
"Should we go?"
"I guess."
They walked outside to his waiting limo, and Chuck opened the door for her. She looked at him, shaking her head.
"What?" He laughed.
"I just…no one ever knows you can be like this but me. I try to tell people, and they never believe me."
"What am I being like?"
"A nice person." She got in the limo.
They both sat down and rode in silence for a few minutes. He noticed her smiling as she stared out the window.
"What?" Chuck asked.
"I was just thinking…this is the first time we've been alone in a limo together since--"
"Victrola." Chuck finished for her, smiling too.
"Can you believe that was almost a year ago?"
"Almost exactly a year ago."
"It seems like much longer." Blair said, turning to look at him, her cheek resting against the leather.
"I know," His hand slid over to cover hers, "I missed you so much this summer, Blair. I'm sorry for everything."
Blair blinked, more than a little shocked. "Chuck--"
"I would give anything to go back and do things differently." Chuck said, his voice so low she could hardly hear him.
She took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "Thank you."
He leaned towards her, kissing her forehead.
Blair leaned against his shoulder. "About this morning…I just got a little…crazy," She laughed, "You make me crazy."
"It's okay. I can take it."
"Really? You can handle me?" Blair laughed.
"I think you know the answer to that." He took her face in his hands, kissing her cheek, her neck, the side of her mouth, everything but her lips until Blair was almost dying.
"Bass?" Blair laughed.
"Yeah?"
"Really kiss me."
"The demands start already." He grinned.
"Get used to it." She grabbed his collar, pulling him to her.
--
"Why are we in the Meatpacking District?" Blair wrinkled her nose as they got out, holding hands.
"Broaden your mind a little, please. I made reservations at Scarpetta. My dad knows the owner."
"Serena always says there's good shopping here. She would know all about good prostitute-wear, I guess."
"This was just voted the most fashionable district in New York. Get with the times, Waldorf."
"That is so metro that you know that."
"You want to date someone with no fashion sense, I hear Dan Humphrey's available."
"Ugh. No thank you. Metro away." Blair smiled, waving her hand.
They reached Scarpetta, and the hostess (slash model, thought Blair) seemed to recognize Chuck.
"Mr. Bass- your table's ready." She flashed him a brilliant white smile, leading them to a table in the back.
Blair waited to see if Chuck would notice the girl's ridiculously short black skirt. He didn't seem to, fixing the cuff of his sleeve.
"Enjoy your meal." The hostess said, still smiling that vacant smile and practically falling out of her shirt as she handed them their menus.
"What did I say? Prostitutes." Blair muttered, opening her menu.
"Who?"
"Oh, please, Chuck. That girl practically let your motorboat her boobs right here."
"That's Theresa. She's an old friend."
"Right. Because you have so many friends who are girls."
"Relax. She's got nothing on you."
"Good answer. What are you getting to drink?"
"Just water for me. Hearing Serena turn her stomach inside out all morning kind of killed my taste for alcohol."
"I remember those mornings. And she's probably doing it all over again tonight." Blair said testily.
"I don't think so. She and Eric were watching a movie with their mom when I left."
Blair looked up from her menu. "On a Saturday night? No way."
"You know she's the reason for all of this."
"What do you mean?"
"She told me that I should make it right with you before I ended up like her—depressed and Blair-less."
"Depressed? Yeah, right."
"She said you're not even taking her calls."
Blair looked away. "I don't really need judgment from you, Chuck."
"I'm not judging, I'm just stating facts. Serena misses you."
"How sad for her." Blair said in a tone that clearly indicated this conversation was over.
Chuck took the hint, looking down at his menu without another word.
Blair sighed, putting her hand on his. "Chuck. Please don't let Serena ruin this for us. This night's about you and me, not her."
He looked up. "You're right. Enough about Serena," He raised his glass, "To us. To starting over."
Blair clinked her glass against his, flashing him one of her rare genuine smiles.
I spy with my well-informed eye B and C having their first real date—in the Meatpacking District, no less. Could this be the beginning of a new age? The reign of B and N went down in flames, but Chuck always read a little more royal to me anyway. He may not be a lord, but the Bass name is practically synonymous with dirty, filthy rich. Certainly if we're talking deep pockets, Blair's traded up.
But will a new man be enough to fill the S-shaped hole in B's heart? Only time will tell. You know you love me. XOXO Gossip Girl.
A/N- Review if you want more! Thanks!