Title: I Bid You A Sweet Adieu
Author: BookCaseGirl (Abby)
Date: August 6, 2009 (Beginning) November 3, 2009 (most recent update)
Rating: T
Classification: There really isn't much of one; a mixture of everything.
Summary: Sequel to Bittersweet Welcome! Six months later, Chuck and Blair are finding that some things will stand in their way of being happy and staying together successfully. As with any stab at their relationship, there are many hurdles to leap over.
Author's Note: I am baaack! I don't know how many people are majorly mad at me for not having written anything long in so long, so I'm also not sure if I'll get any reviews. I plan on working hard to keep up with this now, and if there's anyone out there reading my collection of drabbles, know that that'll be taking a back-seat for a bit. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or any other product names that are mentioned.
A special thanks goes to my beta, Amber (:
As Vic made his way into Pasquale's (that marvelous pizza parlor on Eighth street), he hugged his wool coat closer to himself. The floppy ears of his hat blew in the wind that greeted him as he entered the restaurant.
Once he was seated, he ordered a large sausage pizza and a glass of soda (the lunch of a true man). He watched the waitress's behind slide from side to side as she walked away from the table (it was an honored tradition for Victor every time he came in).
He began to fiddle with his napkin and silverware, and suddenly an old, dusty memory hit him like a ton of bricks. He remembered the first time he had been here, when he was introduced to Pasquale's.
"C'mon, kid; it's pizza. Who doesn't love some greasy, cheesy, fattening slice of heaven after a cruddy day at school, huh?" Nate rubbed his head affectionately with his fist and Vic pursed his lips, fighting back the beginnings of a smile only his father could bring out.
"This place smells disgusting."
"Yes, but as soon as you take your first bite, that opinion will change, believe me bud." Nate hugged Victor close to his side, and Vic felt a warm sense of something happy wash over him.
It was only second grade, and he had already been rejected multiple times. All he wanted was to know what it was like to kiss a girl – a beautiful girl who mystified him with every step she took and every word that left her lips. That girl was Lilly, and all he had wanted was one kiss, one little touch of their lips.
And she had rejected him. It was cold and calculated, even for a measly second-grader. It hurt Vic and he wasn't really sure that he would ever recover from it.
And then, ten minutes later (after a rush order was requested by his dad), when that delicious hot mess of a piece of pizza hit his tongue, it all was better. He felt the cheese slide down his throat and warm his insides, and as Vic washed it down with some root beer, he became complacent. There would be other girls; it wasn't like Lilly was the only pretty female in his class, or at his school.
"Feelin' better already, kiddo?" Nate asked him, smiling broadly. Victor grinned back as he crumpled his napkin under the table and got it ready to fire at his dad. He was completely blind-sided though, when something hit him in the nose first. It was a balled-up piece of straw-wrapping, and he gasped in shock that his father had beat him to it.
"Hey!" Vic took the crumpled piece of napkin and chucked it at his dad's face, laughing when Nate sputtered from getting little pieces of unraveled paper in his eyes and up his nose.
That was how the battle of father and son (an ongoing battle of fun and thrills) had begun. It had been a tradition for him and his dad (Chuck Bass was not his father; he was sure of it; it was all a damn lie) to come here after an unpleasant school (or work) day, and just forget about the world. They had their little paper fights, and as the years went by and both got older, there was more talking than throwing of paper.
Victor smiled at how much fun he had had with Nate – er, his dad. He needed to be sure to emphasize that word whenever it crossed his mind. Chuck was not family; they did not share blood. He didn't want to share anything with that sex-crazed man-whore.
He was brought out of his slightly (okay, maybe more than slightly) anger-induced reverie when the waitress set his pizza down on the table along with his large root beer. He politely (sleazily?) asked her for her phone number, which she proceeded to write down on his napkin, and scarfed down three pieces of pizza before leaving quickly.
Vic left the napkin on the table. He wouldn't bother calling her; it was probably a fake number anyway.
**********
Chuck woke up later than normal from his and Blair's....friendly activities earlier that morning. He glanced at the clock, then at the side of the bed usually reserved for Blair, and gaped. She'd "let him sleep in" (also known as pissing him off because now he was surely missing something important at work), and now he was fuming.
He was sure that it wasn't her intention to make him fume; she probably figured (being a kind, loving woman and all) that he could use a nice break from everything.
Chuck Bass just didn't do breaks. He couldn't handle them. During every second of one of his 'breaks' there would be something on his mind, something taking him away from what he should have been focusing on – relaxing.
He threw the mess of covers that had been tangled up around him back and (tried not to) stomp into the kitchen. Chuck covered up his scowling face with an attempt at a smile, but that attempt turned genuine when he saw how very beautiful Blair was.
The sun was peeking through the window and could have been blinding if not for their chocolate brown curtains. But at that moment, Chuck couldn't think of a more beautiful thing than her face framed by the golden rays that came through the windows in their kitchen. Her hair was straight and in loose tendrils that framed her face angelically. There was no makeup on her face, and he wouldn't ever have it any other way.
She was beautiful, and she was his.
"Morning," Blair said, her voice soft.
Chuck walked over to her instantly and wrapped her warm, frail body in his strong one (he always loved playing the big protector, and she never seemed to mind). Breathing in the scent of her hair and the supple skin of her neck, he pressed kisses in the space where her collarbone turned into her soft shoulder.
"Good morning," he murmured onto her skin, tongue darting out to taste what smelled so delicious.
She giggled quietly and held onto the ends of his hair as his face buried deeper within her neck.
"Chuck," she admonished, tugging him away. "I think we should pace ourselves a little bit more than we have."
"But where's the fun in that?" He smirked at her (the smirk he knew got her La Perlas all twisted and in a bunch), and pecked her lips. "We're young; seize the day, Blair."
"The last time we 'seized the day'" - she quoted with the index and middle fingers on both hands - "our son caught us. I think we should...be a little more cautious." She ran her delicate hands down his bare chest and he wished with all of his heart that he didn't feel the tingles and twinges that he did.
Letting out a sigh full of remorse and sadness, Chuck resigned from the argument, softly melding their lips together one last time before standing up and looking down at her appraisingly. She smiled up at him (somewhat apologetically).
"I suppose you're right. There's probably time for all of this..." his hands trailed down her sides and he didn't have to look at her to know that her eyes were closed in desire. "Later." As a parting gift, he gave her a little tap on her upper thigh. Blair squealed and managed to whack him on the arm before he left the room.
**********
She followed him out, trailing behind at a safe distance. He didn't really realize she was there until they'd reached the bedroom, and he began to unbutton his shirt and take it off. Chuck turned around and stared at her for a moment before grabbing the towel he'd lain out on the bed and striding into the bathroom.
Wow.
If there was an award for quickest mood swing, Chuck surely beat out everyone Blair knew – including every one of her pregnant friends (and she had quite a few). She pushed the bathroom door open and leaned against the frame while he continued to ignore her.
"Do I need to be admitted to the hospital for hallucinations and possible insanity, or am I correct in thinking that that little bit in the kitchen really did just happen?"
No answer.
"Because there were agreeing murmurs on both sides, Chuck – however reluctant one of those sides might have been."
And then Chuck – silent-treatment king – graced Blair with his words (though as soon as they were out of his mouth, she wished he had just kept ignoring her). "If you think that's what I am mad about Blair, then maybe we don't really know each other as much as we'd hoped. Or rather, maybe you don't know me anymore."
"Chuck -"
"No. Listen for once, Blair!" She stared at the floor, gulping. This had come out of nowhere, right? There wasn't a sign she'd missed? What in the hell happened from the kitchen to their bathroom? She had so many questions for him, just like every other time when he was angry with her.
"Who pays the bills? Who provides for a family that isn't even officially his own yet? That's right, me. Not only do I have to provide for you people, but I don't even have control over my own goddamn life anymore! You called my workplace and told them I wouldn't be coming in today, did you not?" He'd gotten closer to her, taking advances with each emphasized word he voiced (and there was a lot of emphasizing).
Her voice was weak and meager, coming from a place deep within her that was tired and scared of losing him. "I told them I thought you could use a -"
"No, Blair, you told them that I would not be coming in." Blair shuddered hearing her name being uttered from his lips in such a disgusted and fed up manner. She had heard him upset before, but now he just seemed so much more angered than ever before.
"How do you think that looks to them? That I have my girlfriend take care of all the dirty work? You're not even my wife and already you're playing the role."
She was instantly brought back to that moment, years ago, when she'd thrown him that brunch with the executives at Bass Industries, and he had said words so close to those, they may as well have been the same. Blair felt a tear mark its trail down her cheek and wiped it away with the side of her hand, hoping he hadn't seen. Crying was for the weak.
"I just thought that..." she couldn't find the words, but Chuck found them for her.
"That's exactly it. You did not think, Blair. Until there are rings on our fingers, you're not allowed to do things like this. I feel like I'm imprisoned in a place that doesn't belong to me, and I'm being controlled by a careless and selfish person. Tell me, did you even think about asking whether or not I could handle missing a day?"
"No." Blair looked at the floor again, her lips pouting, endless tears spilling from her eyes. She had screwed up, and she felt like she couldn't fix it this time. Usually she could, but now it felt like the mother of all screw-ups.
And then something occurred to her – the gears clicked in her mind, and she felt a plan forming, despite her current state of catatonia.
"Then why don't we just get married?" She looked up into his eyes, hopeful. She grasped onto his hands, and he allowed her to hold them, but made no move to hold hers.
"The fact that you think that will fix everything is the reason we can't get married, Blair. We can't get married until there's balance in this relationship. And if we never achieve balance...well then, I guess we're right back where we started fifteen years ago then, aren't we?" He wasn't looking at her anymore, but instead was gazing out the window in their bedroom. She could hear the rain pouring, and cracks of thunder rattled the house.
His hands fell from hers and he began to walk out, veto-ing the idea for a shower. She caught his arm before he left. Too weak to meet his dark eyes again, she stared at the floor as she made one last plead.
"Where did this come from, Chuck?" Blair sobbed and gasped as more tears filled her eyes and spilled out.
"It's six months of bottled-up turmoil." His voice was sad now, and he sounded exhausted. "I never wanted this to happen, Blair. I tried to fix it – carefully, and without affecting much. But every time I tried, you just screwed it up again. We need some time apart, otherwise we'll suffocate." Chuck kissed the top of her head, and she continued to cry.
Neither of them wanted this, but both of them knew it might be for the best in the long run.
End Note: Baah, was this okay? I just don't know if it came out of nowhere or something. I liked the fight (don't worry, they will most definitely make up very very soon (:), but it almost felt...rushed? Reviews would be greatly appreciated (:
