Thanks for the great reviews guys they really inspired me to keep going!
He must be masochistic. Why else would he be here? It wasn't like prom was the amazing rite of passage for himself and the other kids of the UES that it was for most middle America teens. Getting dressed to the nines and riding in limos wasn't an infrequent or special occurrence for them. (In fact, over the next month Chuck's attendance would be expected at at least three different black tie dinner dance events.) And it was unlikely that any one at St Judes or Constance had vowed to lose their virginity in the afterglow of senior prom. Chuck would frankly be shocked, not to mention a little appalled, if any one present had managed to make it to the end of senior year virgo intact. Not everyone was initiated into the seamier side of UES life as early as he had been, but the borough was built on a healthy appreciation of three things – money, scandal and sex – and the children of the elite could hardly remain immune to the pressures of this value system for long.
Most of his contemporaries cultivated a fairly blasé attitude to sex. It therefore used to amuse him when Blair discussed the potential loss of her virginity to Nate like it would be some cataclysmic, earth-shattering event. Having assisted in numerous deflowerings, Chuck had felt secure in dismissing Blair's attitude to sex as the comically quaint product of naiveté. Then she had lost her virginity to him, not Nate, and it had been Chuck's earth, or at least his world view, that had been shattered. Because what had been pleasant but meaningless with other women, suddenly meant everything with Blair.
Blair. She was the reason it was masochistic for him to be attending this futile social ritual. Seeing her with Nate would be hell. Yet still he had bought a ticket and chosen a tux. He wasn't entirely sure of his own motives for doing so, but he liked to think it was because he thought the sight of her happiness would somehow lessen his own misery and strengthen his resolve to do the right thing and let her go.
Or maybe it would just make him more miserable he thought, as he watched Nate lead Blair into the ballroom, looking amazing in a black and gold creation. He smiled wryly, considering how Blair would look even better next to him in his black and gold striped vest. He honestly didn't plan to match her outfit. It just seemed to be a knack they had. He and Blair had the same colouring after all. And also having the same mindset seemed to ensure their fashions continually complemented each other, even before they became...whatever it was they were.
She was glowing tonight, he thought, as he watched Penelope, Hazel, Is and Nelly approach her and Nate. A long time ago he had had the secret satisfaction of making her glow like that. But she wasn't glowing for him tonight, he reminded himself glumly, stopping his feet from moving towards her of their own accord. He took a fortifying, furtive swig from his hip flask. He hated the idea of what Nate might have done to give her that glow. For the first time he stole a look at Nate to see if he was similarly ebullient. And sucked in his breath. Because Nate's stiff carriage and forced smile was totally at odds with the easy grace of the girl at his side. While Blair, despite her lack of height, seemed to tower majestically in the face of her bitchy underlings, Nate seemed to wilt uncomfortably under their sharp scrutiny.
It was odd that he, along with everyone else, used to think Blair and Nate were so perfect together, an ideal match. He was the knight errant to Blair's queen. It struck him tonight that while that comparison might hold true, knights were only ever meant to serve queens, not be their consorts. The knight really should end up with a damsel in distress (mmm, Chuck could think of one blonde he knew that fitted that role), while the queen needed a king by her side to rule all those beneath them. That was why Nate and Blair didn't match up. So many years she had tried to make herself better for him, tried to make herself enough for him, it had really been him that wasn't enough for her. Blair Waldorf was way out of a guy like Nate's league.
But he was who she had chosen. Chuck was relieved that Blair obviously hadn't noticed her date's unease. It meant he still had time to remind Nate of their last conversation, in particular what would happen to him if he hurt Blair by appearing less than thrilled to be her date to the school prom. He headed over to the couple as they were busy filling in some forms. But as he approached they moved away, leaving only Hazel, Penelope, Is and Nelly behind. That was how he came to overhear their plot to humiliate Blair by having Nelly crowned prom queen in her place. His talk with Nate would have to wait. Blair was this school's only queen and she had the right to be acknowledged as such, had won it by sheer force of will and years of ruthless self-control to ensure she was never less than the perfect student, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect daughter and, yes, the perfect bitch. He'd make sure that before they left those wannabes that surrounded her realised that, not only could they never measure up to Blair Waldorf, but they could never successfully bring her down either. Especially not when she had Chuck Bass in her corner. Chuck was beginning to enjoy his new role as the guardian of Blair's happiness.