Water
Summary: "I´m sorry, does it hurt?" she asked unable to help feeling concerned. "No, it feels fantastic" He said between clenched teeth "I was hoping you would burn my other hand you know, double the fun."
Chuck is disowned and moves in with Vanessa. A.U. pairings: C/V N/B D/V
Author`s Note: This fan fic is based both in the book and the series characters.
Chapter one: Home Sweet Home
i
The sound of footsteps made Vanessa aware of Dan´s arrival, yet she didn´t lift her gaze from the book. She was mad at him, well not so much but he didn´t know that. And she sure as hell wasn´t going to be the first one to talk. They´d had quite an argument over the phone, and though she did understand his concern over Serena and Blair´s latest fight, (his devoted love for the blonde was so obvious he might as well write it all over his face) but it still hurt to be left dateless at the proyection of her very first short, which was tonight.
Not so far behind her, the tinkly rustling of bottles made her realize joyly that that wouldn´t be the case anymore. Dan had come, four hours earlier but maybe he needed to talk about Serena or something had come up. She ignored his fake coughs and remained staring at her book, even though she was reading for the third time the same paragraph.
Dan exhaled loudly, she grinned he always did that when he felt guilty and was about to give one of his long and barely articulated apologies.
"What are you doing here?"
Vanessa´s smile dissapeared at the sound of that voice. That condescending, breathy voice. She turned slowly, still struck by desbelief. "Chuck Bass"
"Yeah, I know what my name is. Now if you would please answer my question. And quiet ogling me, It´s disturbing."
Vanessa closed her eyes, willing the mirage to go away. Had she wanted for Dan to reevaluate his priorities and come to her so much her mind had overdrived to insanity? The scene in front of her could be nothing more than a delusion besides Ruby had told her this mornings that her breakfast blueberry muffin looked weird.
Or maybe she was still dreaming, still in bed and the past months had been nothing but a creative and long dream. Maybe she would wake up to find her best (only) friend hadn´t deserted her in order to help his UES girlfriend pick a new "it" dress because said UES girlrfriend´s best friend had stolen and sabotaged all her "it" cocktail gowns.
Vanessa shook her head in dissaproval, there was something horrendously wrong with those girls. She wondered (hoped) , not for the first time, if Dan wasn´t mistaking infatuation for love.
"My best story will be about you and me, V. Then after I get famous you´ll direct the movie and we´ll travel around the world and find a lorax. But before we get married you´ll have to learn how to make blueberry muffins, so you can cook and clean for me and if you get other´s boy attention I´ll have to lock you in a basement... ouch, no wait Vanessa stop throwing snowballs at me. I´m trying to prosose here!... Jenny stop laughing... Fine, I´ll let you out once a week... What? I´m making an effort... Well, at least admit it was funny, the whole wife slash maid deal not the us getting married part, that I meant. In fact V I think we should engage now, Cedric can be my best man and... Ok, mouth shut, but you can´t avoid our lifetime commintment forever V. We´re meant for each other..."
Vanessa let out an involuntary light laugh. Too deep into her memories, where she wasn´t hurt or dissapointed, to actually remember she had company.
"Are you stoned?" Said company mocked, and he was right to mock. She looked ridiculous standing less than ten feets away from him with her eyes shut and the book she had previously been holding now laying at her feet.
"I wish" She regained her composture quickly, Chuck glared at her and she remembered why encountering Chuck Bass on a thursday noon in the speakeasy he had bought (saved) was so astonishing.
Chuck Bass was still wearing pijamas and flip flops, and looking damn nonchalat about it.
"What are you doing here?" Vanessa asked, conveniently ignoring the fact that Chuck had asked her the same question a few minutes ago.
"Bart kicked me out of the penthouse for disobeying him, I can´t move to my suite because I sold it so I could buy this place and Bart cut off all of my bank accounts. This is everything I own now." he stated indifferently as he poured scotch into his glass and downed it in one go.
Only to have another...
And another...
That much amount of alcohol could not be healthy.
Vanessa didn´t care about Chuck Bass, he was just another trust fund jerk who liked to play with everyone at arm reach like they meant nothing. He had played with her, damaging her ability to trust people, he had humilliated Dan and attacked Jenny. Chuck Bass was scum and he didn´t deserve Vanessa´s help.
But she approached him anyway and sat in front of him, because even though he was the poster child of everything she loathed, he had saved the speakeasy, maybe he´d done it to piss off Blair, maybe he always kept his word. All in all to her it didn´t matter, she owed him and only because of that she would try to help him.
"So... perhaps if you explained to your fa-"
"He said that only if I turned this bar into a rentable bussiness he would take me back. Meanwhile I´m disowned."
"Ah hu..mmm...I don´t know how to say this, but you can´t stay here."
"I own this place I can do whatever I want" Chuck replied haughtily.
Vanessa really tried not to enjoy the moment to much, "Yes, you do. And you the wise owner already ordered the bar to be fumigated. So if you want to sleep next to dead rats and cockroachs be my guest."
Chuck´s face fell and all mirth and cockiness faded. Emotion´s he had never experienced before took over him: fear, desperation and regret. He had nowhere to go, no money and last time he checked no friends.
It must have shown on his face because the girl sitting across him flashed a sympathetic smile at him and he scowled (Chuck Bass hated simpathy) before she stood up and left the table. He barely registered Vanessa talking to someone. He was alone, he´d never been alone. Money always brought the attention and company his personality often drove away.
Should he apologize to his father, admit making a mist-
No, he wasn´t wrong. The bar would be a smashing success and then Bart would have to accept Chuck´s abilities for bussiness. He could borrow some money from Eric or maybe pawn some of...
"Ummm, Chuck" Vanessa hesitated. This was so very wrong. Hell would freeze over before she finished the next sentence. "The guys from the fumigation company are already here. And ...ummm... if you have no other place to go" Even though his dead-like expression screamed he didn´t Vanessa internally hoped that he had a brothel or somehing where he could crash. "You can stay at my place, I just called my sister and she says it´s alright." Had she seriously just offered her house to Chuck Bass? Please say no. Please say no. she repeated mentally.
He got suddenly up and stalked quite quickly towards her, his face only two inches away from hers, locking eyes intensely with her. Was he pissed? "Fine, bring my suitcases and call a cab. I need a shower"
ii
"Home sweet home" Vanessa exclaimed in feigned exitation. Behind her Chuck was exploring the loft with a dessaproving look on his face. Though the loft was huge (twice the size of Dan´s) and the furniture occupied little space, the rest of the Abram´s residence was split into what Ruby and Vanessa liked to call creative spaces. Ruby´s was filled with sound equipment, her guitar and an old batery she didn´t use anymore but was to emotionally attached to so she refused to get rid of it. And Vanessa´s had a proffesional camera (she was still working to pay for), her computer and editing devices.
"What´s up with your walls, did a clown throw up all over them?" Vanessa ignored the contemp on his voice and dragged his heavy suitcases to the small semi-empty room both sisters used as an extra storage space. "Anarchy? You´re stuck in the sixties, just like your tv."
"My sister is responsable for the decoration and though your opinions are fascinating I really need to have lunch and get ready for my short´s premiere tonight." She walked over to the kitchen, with Chuck and his comments following not so far behind her.
Vanessa served Chuck a plate of the frozen lasagna she had cooked on the microwave and resisted the urge to smirk at the look of indignity he shot her. "I´m not hungry anymore" He announced after pushing his plate away. "But I do feel like having a big cup of strong black coffe."
"Make it yourself, our maid took the day off." She informed Chuck sarcastically.
Vanessa finished her meal and entertained the fantasy of having Chuck wash the dishes. That, she thought, would be a signal of the apocalypse.
"Damn!" he yelled, and Vanessa saw he had spilled boiling water on his left hand, she approached him to get a better look, his skin had taken an angry crimson shade and when she put a pack of ice over his burnt hand he winced. "I´m sorry, does it hurt?" she asked unable to help feeling concerned.
"No, it feels fantastic" He said between clenched teeth "I was hoping you would burn my other hand you know, double the fun."
"You really make it hard to feel sorry for you." She said irritably.
"One of my many charms."
"Along with scheming, drinking and whoring right? You´re a real prize." Vanessa blurted without much thought, and before Chuck could respond she cut him off. "I´m enjoying this little war of ours but like I´ve already said I have a premiere to get to."
He snorted "where? The Brooklyn community center for film amateurs?"
She swallowed a rude retort in which she put his sexuality on doubt and instead answered like the mature girl she was trying to become "Nope, Martin Salem´s house." She didn´t expect him to know that Salem was a famous and well respected alternative director. The thought of Chuck Bass watching "The fury", an emotional thriller about the nature of beauty and destiny, was ridiculous.
"You´re blinding me with your succes. Down to important things, are there gonna be hot artsy and easy girls? Or just a bunch of old people beaming at an aging tree?"
"Bit of both. But most people just go for the open bar."
"I´m convinced, I´ll go with you." And with that said he left the kitchen, taking with him the ice pack.
"I didn´t invite you" Vanessa whispered but Chuck was out of earshot. And a quick glance at her watch told her she only had two hours to get ready. She sighned, silently praying to make a good impresion on the judges.
iii
It was a good choice, she rarely used dresses but a loose black dress jenny had made for her matched with the concept of her short. Maybe if she was fast enough she could leave without Chuck. She tip toed her way out of her room, shoes in hand.
She was three steps away from the door.
Two steps.
Her hand on the doorknob.
A loud knock startled her, and she cursed. Had Ruby forgotten her keys?
Anyway it was all ruined, surely Chuck had heard her voice and would come out any second. So much for stealth.
Whoever was on the other side of the door would get a piece of her mind, and god saved them if they were mormons.
She opened the door with too much energy, "What?" she was too pissed to care about being rude.
"Dan..." All the anger drained from her leaving her weak and unsure. Should she slam the door on his face? Should she forget about his negligent treatment? "It´s wonderful, you came!" Her mouth, it seemed had decided to dissconect from her brain and all reasoning.
Dan arched an eyebrow and looked away, he was feeling guilty. She knew. Vanessa had always known how to read her best friend. "I only dropped by to wish you luck before the contest. I have this really important thing with Serena, I can´t fail her I´m sorry."
But you can fail me, nice to know what all those years of unconditional friendship mean to you.
"Oh, nah It´s ok, I don´t mind." Vanessa lied, and the look on his face told her he knew it. It also said I wished you didn´t care.
"I´ll make it up to you, I promise. Next friday we´ll spend the day together." Her heart leapt in joy and she tried to hide her exitement.
"Agreed, Humphrey. Umm... Bye, Serena must be waiting."
He nodded and there was an awkward silence in which Dan just stared at her. She looked away, not masochist enough to want to know whatever Dan was to scared to say to her face. I don´t care about you anymore.
He left and she realized her vision had blurred. A quick look at the mirror showed her the source, as a few teardrops fell al the way from her eyes to her chin.
Great, her makeup was ruined.
"I´m ready, Let´s go get some action." Chuck´s voice came from the bathroom.
"In a minute" She shouted, making her way speedily to her room.
Half and an hour of a sulking Chuck ("public transportation is beneath me") and a subway trip later both arrived on time to the event.
Chuck flirted with trashy looking artists wannabe and Vanessa had a heated debate about the declining quality of national movies.
Time flyed by and before she could assimilate it, her short was about to be proyected.
In front of impotant directors, well-known actors and the very acclaimed Martin Salem.
Her hands were shaking, and for the first time since she had lifted a camera at the age of six and recorded herself and Dan playing hide and seek, did Vanessa doubt her talent.
What if she sucked?
What if everyone ended up leaving before the short ended or worse what if people fell sleep?
Why aren´t you here Dan?
A soft yet cold hand took hold of her own shaking right hand, she looked at the source of comfort.
It was Chuck.
She relaxed and allowed herself to enjoy the product of her hard work.
People clapped and congratulated her. Even Martin Salem had said he was too stunned by the beauty of her concept to worship it the way it deserved to be worshipped.
Vanessa´s short was a succes.
She was offered different projects and a guy named Maurice Muffington talked to her about a Yale scholarship.
The night turned out to be one of the most amazing, beautiful and important of her life. She had fantasized about a night like this so many times. Though none of those fantasies had included Chuck Bass.
He surprisingly had been one of the firsts to praise her work. Though she believed he only said it out of politeness.
It wasn´t until they reached the loft that she dared to ask. "Did you really like it?"
"Does it matter?, everyone there was practically drooling after your short. Thay surely know more about cinema that I´ll ever care to find out."
"Just answer. Please" Vanessa insisted.
"If It´s so important to you." He sighned loudly "I didn´t like it, I loved it. You managed to create a piece of poetry by using non-verbal language. And the end in black and white was just perfect. It was really touching."
Vanessa smiled broadly "Thanks" and then proceeded to break into graceful fit of laughter. "I touched Chuck Bass´s heart. I´m so making me a t-shirt that says it."
"Shut up, I´m going to bed, if you can call that thing a bed." He was about to get up but Vanessa wasn´t ready to be alone. Wasn´t ready to let the magic of the night slip away from her.
"Don´t go..ummm there`s scotch" she offered hesitantly.
Chuck Bass wasn´t Dan Humphrey, but he was all she had at the moment and she would make the most of it.
They talked a lot, first about her short then about how the speakeasy was going to be great. Two sixpacks later they were talking about brittish punk bands and what had been the most fucked up thing they´d done while under the influence of alcohol. Chuck admitted have´d slept with a girl that ended up being Kati Farka´s mother and Vanessa told for the first time about how she and her Vermont friends had vandalized a Micky the Mousse statue by throwing panties and bras all over it.
Then they proceeded to play thuth or dare and Vanessa was sure her ribs were permanently damaged after Chuck Bass danced rather uncoordinatedly to the song Testosterone by Bush on top of the living table.
That song would never bring anything but laughter from her.
"Now´s your turn. Truth or dare." Chuck asked, half slurring half whispering. Vanessa realized he was one of those drunks that gets intense instead of annoying.
"Thruth"
"Why aren´t you and Humphrey living your Brooklyn fairytale?"
Vanessa rubbed her eyes and scowled at the naughty smirk Chuck was displaying. And without much thinking she answered "He´s in love with Serena. And I´m in love with Dario Argento."
He ignored her answer,
"Why not fight for him, why are you leaving him to a shallow girl like S? They barely have anything in common. Once he gets tired of doing her he´ll come to you. I would, if I was him."
That was a topic that still stung, even in her inebrieted state, it was like swallowing needles. "As long as Serena makes him happy, I´ll stay away."
"That the reason you hooked up with Nate?" he asked quizically.
"I felt an attraction towards Nate because he reminded me of Serena." She laughed as Chuck smiled lazily and sighed while staring into space, obviously enjoying some sort of lesbian fantasy.
"Not like that, you pervert!" Vanessa explained "When Dan told me he was dating her I tried to find what made her interesting in his eyes, besides her obvious beauty. Because Serena and Blair are the kind of girls we used to make fun of, but the more I spent time with her the more I realized she wasn´t another bobble headed UES girl. She was aware of the deep flaws of her world and she tried to scape from it. So when Nate showed signs of having the same trouble dealing with your nice pretend world. I felt that maybe if Dan fell for Serena I could fall for him and watching my best friend joining lips with Serena Van Der Woodsen wouldn´t feel like swallowing tiny sharp objects. But It didn´t work out and I don´t think I like Nate that much, I sort of dated him to get over Dan ."
"Makes sense." He said while swirling his scotch.
"What about you and Blair? Weren´t you two in love?"
"I don´t know. What I´m certain of is that she doesn´t love me."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because, she knows Nate is my only friend and how much he means to me, if she loved me she would forget whatever game we were playing and she would tried to make us reconsile. I´m Chuck Bass, everyone who visits GG must know by now that my father disowned me, yet the only people who have offered help were Eric and you. And by the way, since I´m drunk and I will most likely forget about this tomorrow, I´m sorry for the play I pulled on you the other day and I´m really thankful that you took me in."
"You´re welcome. Mmm... I don´t mean to be pushy but, you should talk to Blair, really talk without insults or games. Think about what you are missing if she does love you back."
"I already told you, I´m not sure I love her."
"Do you think about her all the time?"
"Yes"
"Do you hate the idea of her having sex with another guy?"
"I would destroy him" Chuck assured her darkly.
"Do you want her to be happy, even if her happiness isn´t by your side?"
"Bass men don´t love like that."
"Well, I´d love to give you an advice or something but..." She yawned " I´m too tired to think anymore. We´ll continue tomorow."
"Don´t go, come here." Chuck patted the couch seat next to where he was now laying comfortably. Vanessa to drunk to see anything wrong with sleeping next to Chuck Bass, a guy she barely knew and that had previously abused of her trust in order to humiliatte her, just shrugged and cuddled next to him. Enjoying in a very self destructive way the smell of cheap beer and twelve year old scotch that pefumed his clothes.
Both fell sleep promtly, unknowing that it was eight o´clock in the morning and that Blair Waldorf was on her way to the loft.
Author`s Note: I`d love to read whether you like this story or not. Be kind and leave a review.
