A/N: I am determined to get this done tonight. Prepare yourself for angst. *gulp* *hopes self doesn't die in the process of writing this*

*in awe that author's note was so short XD*

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Ch.2—Waterworks

He cleared his throat loud enough so that she could hear, and yet completely subtle to the rest of the individuals in the adjoining room. She spun to face him and pure panic covered what was absolute confidence all over her face. She tried to avoid his gaze in the following seconds, but he strode to her and grabbed a hold of her arm, pulling her into the next room.

"Chu—" she giggled fakely to those who might have seen the strange, drama-induced transaction.

"Blair, I need to speak with you," he said forcefully. She knew then any denial or resistance would be out of the question.

She gulped, scared out of her mind and beginning to sweat when he closed and locked the door behind him. The thought of abuse didn't even attempt to enter her thoughts, but she was terrified nonetheless. Forcing herself to think he would be amused by the situation just didn't make sense with the way he had reacted. His glare from across the room had hardly been friendly.

When he turned around and faced her, he walked slowly to where she was and waited. The silence was unbearable for her, and almost more torturous than watching him kiss the dean, or seeing that angry look of his directed at her.

"I can explain—"

"Can you?" he asked, the anger rising in his voice. Her eyes stayed pinned to his. "Can you explain how or why you didn't inform me of the real plans behind your designated activities of this evening?" He raised his eyebrows at her momentarily.

Her lips parted.

"You used me, Blair."

She blinked, fearing if she looked away he would shun her, and if she continued to force her gaze upon him fully that his stare alone would break her.

He took a step closer to her.

"You knew I would take up the challenge, and so used that well-known piece of information to carry out your plan." He sighed. "I don't know what you were planning, and I don't care."

She remained motionless.

"When I jumped on board for this relationship thing, I expected to trust me. I expected you to trust me the way I had and have learned to trust you all year. I will forever be grateful for what you did for me on that rooftop at Victrola."

Her eyes watered, and she tried to blink back the tears. Now was hardly the time to cry, but she never wanted to relive that awful memory again. Regardless if she had brought him back from the edge or not.

"But that doesn't excuse what you did tonight."

She wanted to speak, to defend herself, to prove what she did tonight was justified. But she couldn't find it in herself to discover the answers. She couldn't defend herself, couldn't justify what she had done. Because…it wasn't justifiable. Nothing about tonight was right, or good. It had been a plan she concocted and knew would work brilliantly, but what she hadn't taken into consideration was the fact that together her and Chuck work better than she ever could alone. Now she had hurt both of them, and there was no doubt within her mind that her initial goal would even succeed at this point. Not that she was concerned with that ridiculous anymore. All she really had to worry about was what was right in front of her.

And showing emotion.

Goodness knows what that would do, how that would enrage him. Her supple glossy lips thinned and pursed against each other. She wanted to speak, to fix this. But she had no excuse other than her untimely selfishness, and that confession would do anything but fix the situation. If anything it would make it all worse.

"I would do almost anything for you, Blair Waldorf, and I think you know that. I hope you know that, otherwise I'm seriously worried about the state our relationship has fallen into."

She blinked again, to keep the tears from falling out of her eyes. What was he saying? Was their relationship over? Was everything she worked so hard for…to get him…to keep him…was it all over because of this stupid mistake? Her eyes widened.

Now, she regretted it even more, and the swallow struggling to make its way down her throat made it even harder to keep those tears from falling. His eyebrows narrowed. In part from what she had done, and partly because of her absolute silence practically from the moment they had entered the room and he had locked the door. He searched her eyes for some sort of answer, some sort of key as to where her mind was heading, where it was currently placed. He saw the tears resting in their frozen spheres, and knew she felt guilty about everything that had happened. He figured as much. But he needed more, and it seemed she had nothing to give. She clearly had no idea on what to say. Either that or she did not think he deserved explanation, which was quite obviously crazy. But her silence did not excuse her from this apparent one-sided conversation. Just as whatever cause she had for doing what she did him tonight would not excuse his immediate forgiveness, if his forgiveness at all. The act alone did not only humiliate him completely, but it also showed all too well her lack of trust in him.

"You let me kiss a guy, unknowingly. You didn't even consider telling me what your plans were in the process of this horrendous act. You lied to me. It wasn't our game from the summer. It was your game and I was the chief pawn in a move you thought would be the most conniving and brilliant scheme to claim your prize. Instead working with me as a team, you put yourself above me and lowered me to the place we so often give a Humphrey or an Abrams. It is more obvious to me than it has ever been. Not that I even contemplated it before this. You don't trust me," he finished breathlessly.

"I do trust you," she insisted, and he was glad that she had suddenly decided to give some sort of vocal, verbal eruption…but it was hardly the input he needed. She fought hard to keep the tears within her eyes. The addition of speaking, however, put a hold on her self-restraint, and a single tear rolled down the side of her face. She was almost sniffling, but she forced herself not to. It did not appear to even matter though. Whatever insults he was throwing at her inside his mind he had decided not to voice, and for that she was grateful. At least that she could cling to. He didn't even look like he cared that she was falling apart. He obviously was too upset to even consider what her ultimate guilt and regret was doing to her.

For a moment she even wondered if he regretted telling her he loved her on that warm spring afternoon a week after graduation. She highly doubted he would even think about saying it now. It would seem so far from the truth anyways. She might not even believe it.

"Please," he scoffed, looking at her in complete disbelief.

"I do!"

"What proof do you have? What cause would make me even think about believing you?"

She gaped, and after a moment slammed her mouth shut. What could she tell him, really? She didn't want to lose him, but…what could she say? Sorry seemed like a lie, even if it was true.

He shook his head at her returned silence and turned away from her. There was nothing more he could say that she hadn't already heard since the entered the room, maybe even on repeat. He turned for the door, and when he was almost there she went after to him.

"Chuck—wait!"

He stopped for her. It seemed he would always stop for her. After a moment, he turned back around and faced her. And waited.

But she said nothing.

She didn't want him to go; she didn't want to leave like this. She didn't know what him leaving like this would mean for them. She didn't know anything about what any of this meant. She only knew how badly she wanted to erase what had happened, and realize how serious the consequences would be in her impossible insistence for popularity.

But she couldn't take back time.

And she didn't know what to say.

She just…didn't want him to go.

"Where are you going?" she asked, desperate to know, willing to do anything he asked of her. She just wanted to be with him. It felt like the only thing that would help stitch them back together.

"Away."

The thought occurred to her that he might be leaving the country because of all this, and she couldn't believe he would go so far, but knowing his track record it wasn't exactly unlikely. She gulped.

"Let me come with you," she took a step towards him.

"No," he put up a hand to stop her ascent and she took a few steps backward.

"I need to go alone, for awhile."

She didn't move, was scared to again, was going out of her mind with grief, and panicking to an unhealthy degree. Yet still she wanted him to say more, wanted him to explain why he had to leave, as if the answer wasn't already obvious. She needed to hear it, even if it was painful and even if she was the most undeserving creature in the world for what she had done.

It seemed he understood.

He sighed.

"Without you."

And he turned again, unlocked the door, stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind him. Blair Waldorf slunk to the floor, of which she now pinned her eyes to. They released her tears. The strength within them had finally worn out.

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"I wish you would have called me earlier," Serena said, sympathy etched all over her face. She handed the sniffling brunette a tissue from the Kleenex box between them. It seemed the sobbing beauty could not find anything but her own tears clear in the morning light.

She was still dressed in her soft, silk pajamas, and after trying her best to get through the night on her own, the first activity she engaged in on waking was calling her best friend and demanding she come over. When Serena asked which location she was currently residing in, the soft sigh followed by a mumbled 'the penthouse' told her where to go. She should have realized that being in a place as uncomely as NYU would hardly be comforting at a time like this.

"I had to try and fend for myself at least a little bit, S," she dabbed her eyes with the tissue some more, forgetting for a moment that it was the same one she had used for her nose. Serena grimaced, and offered another clean tissue instead of spoken words. "Thanks," she said, softly.

The blonde nodded. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Blair sighed.

"Everything this time," she said, tucking one of the stray brown strands behind her best friend's ear.

"I told you everything, S. I don't know what else there is to tell." She shrugged casually, avoiding her friend's gaze and grabbing for another tissue. Serena grabbed hold of her hand before she could gather the soft material to her face and their piercing gazes met. "S, give me the tissue." She spoke slowly, trying very hard to rip her hand away…to no avail.

"Tell me what happened, then!"

"I told you!" she shrieked.

Serena sighed, releasing Blair's hand and shaking her head. She brought up her own hand to her forehead, holding the aching creases in her palm. "B, you told me you did something and he didn't like it and he left and then I came over to make you feel better, and you told me you'd tell me more details." Her eyes snapped back to the brunette, who was now avoiding her gaze. "That was a requisite for me coming over."

Blair finally looked back to her. She scoffed. "Well, if I knew there would be requisites I wouldn't have called in the first place."

Serena shook her head miserably, leaning back against the support of the couch.

"B…"

Finally, the brunette looked at her and her face softened. She looked so vulnerable suddenly and Serena almost regretted asking this of her. She looked so…broken.

She gulped.

"It'll make you feel better," Serena encouraged.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "Ok."

Serena's eyes brightened and she tried not to show her excitement, though sat up just a little straighter all the same.

"I may have…" she stretched her arms in front of her awkwardly, and the girl before her feared for the worst. "…manipulated Chuck into making out with the gay dean of NYU in order to suck-up to him, the end result probably allowing me to present the next big speech at the…school?"

Serena was gaping when Blair finally looked back up at her, and honestly the brunette was convinced she was going to leave. Chuck was furious the night before and now her best friend was going to leave too. She sighed inwardly. This situation could not get any worse.

"B…" she was nearly shuddering as she spoke.

The young Waldorf gulped, listening as best as she could, and trying to not focus more on the awful things spoken to her in her mind.

"…Chuck can get pretty kinky…" she swallowed hard, almost in disbelief that she was saying these known facts out loud. "…but that's disgusting, and if he even agrees," she sighed, "I think you're in serious trouble."

Now Blair slunk back into the couch. "Gee, thanks for telling me what I already know, S." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey," Serena focused back in on her friend and the dilemma she had called her there for. "This isn't unfixable." Those deep brown eyes perked up at that, and focused on the blonde's every word. "What was the last thing he said when he left?" She looked hopeful and Blair tried to draw on that, but her face fell nonetheless.

She sighed. "He said he needed some time…alone…without me."

Serena's face fell along with her best friend's. "Those were his exact words?" she cringed.

Blair gulped, nodding, and hardly taking notice when her friend slumped back into the couch again and exhaled loudly. Serena sat up again, and leaned forward—almost into her best friend—seemingly determined about what she was about to say.

"You can't give up, B." Their gazes caught again. "If he said he needs to be alone, then just give him a few days." She was smiling now, and Blair was disgusted by it. She stood up suddenly, being unable to handle her happiness. It wasn't as if she was in the situation, after all.

"No, you don't understand, Serena! He yelled at me about how I don't trust him and how I should've told him everything beforehand, and I know I should have and I totally regret it, but what am I supposed to do? Just say sorry?!" she crumbled onto the carpet, and Serena's heart ached for her. She had been blown away when the brunette stood to her feet and started pacing. So much for the hopeful demeanor she had tried to pass on…

"B, this isn't the end of the world." She rubbed her hand in soft circles across her back and shoulders. Blair's head snapped up and glared at the blonde, who somehow managed to avoid those blazing brown fires. "I'm serious. He isn't breaking up with you. This is just your first big fight as a couple. We all experience them, and unless we're extremely unreasonable and immature…we all get through them."

She sighed, falling back from her perch on her knees to flat on her rear end. "I guess…" she brushed a hand through her hair, trying to erase the tears and all those horrible accusations and actions and feelings. "But are we immature and unreasonable?!" she suddenly wondered. The thought did not seem impossible.

Now Serena sighed. "A year ago…I would've said yes, definitely."

Blair's eyes widened.

"But now…? No, definitely not."

She was unconvinced.

"You've both grown up so much in this last year. Maybe all he does need is an apology."

She scoffed. "Please. This is Chuck Bass we're talking about."

Serena raised her eyebrows. "I'm aware." She cleared her throat, turning Blair to face her. "Listen, how about you just take his words for what they are."

She looked puzzled.

"Wait a few days and then see where he stands."

She still seemed frustrated, but gave a small nod in response. Serena leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"You'll be alright."

"Yeah…" she said lamely, accepting the hug Serena so eagerly now gave. Her thoughts contradicted her though.

Somehow she doubted she'd be 'alright'. Be it now, or a few days from now…she was going to remain emotionally miserable.

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She giggled, growing more and more enamored by his touch along the silky, smooth curve of her back. He was so tangible, so touchable, and he was all hers. Finally.

"Chuck," she whispered, pulling him to her. He caught her off guard by kissing her, but she didn't mind in the least. In fact, she wrapped her leg around him and pulled herself closer.

"Mmm, Waldorf, are you…frisking me?" He quirked an eyebrow when she pulled away ever so slightly and smirked playfully up at him.

"What if I am?" she quipped. "Are you going to complain?"

His eyes darkened at the question, and he pressed his forehead against hers gently. "I think you know the answer to that question."

Her little pink tongue slipped out from between her lips and outlined the form of his lips, which parted almost the instant her soft moisture melted on his mouth. A twisting passion play between their lips and tongue drew her to cling to him tighter, and it sent shivers down her spine when his fingers ever so carefully found their way up her skirt and beneath the near see-through shirt she had adorned that day. Just for him.

"Chuck," she moaned, and he had to keep himself from flat-out smiling. He had only been dating Blair Waldorf for just over a month, and he honestly could not remember ever being happier than this.

Suddenly her lips stopped moving and her tongue slipped out and buried itself back in her own mouth. His eyebrows furrowed and he pouted when she backed away ever so slightly from his face.

"What is it?" he asked, genuinely worried.

"Would you ever leave me?" she asked. Her voice was so small, and he would have gaped or cracked a joke if he didn't know exactly where her fear lay.

"Blair—"

Her eyes were almost tear-filled as he spoke, and in that moment he regretted every moment of hurt he had caused her before. He swore to himself he would never do it again, not if he could help it.

"No, never."

Her eyes lit up, ever so slightly. "Not for anything? You would always forgive me if I did something awful?" She was panicking, and he knew it, but he had to make her feel safe…just as Serena had said all those months earlier.

"Always," he pressed his lips softly on her adorable little nose.

"Even if I cheated on you?"

He backed his face away from hers, his forehead creasing. "You wouldn't, and besides, when have you ever cheated on anyone?"

"Marcus," she stated neutrally, and he swore she shrugged her shoulder. He laughed shortly, thinking she was joking, but…she wasn't. She was completely serious. His jaw dropped a little and then softly closed.

"I don't think he really counts, do you?" he muttered, beginning to kiss down her neck torturously. She shuddered enjoyably.

"I still dated him, even if it was just to make you jealous."

Chuck smirked at the reality of that fact. "May I just say that you succeeded in that endeavor?"

She smiled at his words. "Well, obviously."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I always succeed in winning you over." She rubbed her nose playfully against his own and grabbed hold of his lips with her teeth.

Chuck didn't have to acknowledge the truth in her statement. His moan was true enough.

Blair sighed.

She didn't know why she had been so worried just in the waking weeks of their blossoming relationships. It was only for a brief moment that she considered the possibility of him leaving her and why. But it had never happened, and she didn't doubt a moment after that.

Except for when Serena came back at the end of the summer, of course.

Her best friend had to be right.

Chuck wasn't going to break up with her…

Was he?

Every thought, every intention of the evening had been so misleading. She didn't blame him for being so pissed at her, but everything screamed BREAK-UP to her. She was so scared, and such an idiot.

"Why are we here?" he raised an eyebrow. The low-class gathering place of NYU students was hardly the place he wanted to spend his evening with Blair.

She smirked. "Remember our game from the summer?"

He knew she couldn't resist it for long. They had had far too much fun during their little 'experiment'.

"Mmm," he acknowledged. "What about it?"

She inclined her head towards the far side of the room. "I've got the perfect target."

Chuck raised his eyebrows and turned to where she was looking.

"White shirt, short brown hair…"

He could see no one else with that description, and turned back to her in half skepticism, half shock. "She's a guy." As much as he wanted to avoid it, his voice spoke disgusted.

Her smirk grew wider, and she leaned in close. "You still up for it?"

It took him only a moment to decide. This would be by far the most disgusting thing she had dared him to do, but he wasn't backing down…and the post-game sex was always well worth the wait.

"What's his name?"

She closed her eyes in agony.

She shouldn't have challenged him. She knew he would do it, if for nothing else…for her, and for his ego, his undeniably cocky self—it was one of the things she loved most about him.

And now she was paying for it.

She should have told him.

She should have planned something with him.

Together they could have blown Vanessa Abrams and the dean out of the water.

Now it was all over.

And she was sure—if it wasn't already clear in his mind, it would be soonthey were over too.

It didn't matter what Serena said, or what she had been forcing her mind to think.

She knew Chuck better than anyone. And she knew that look written all over his face. She had seen it a few times already, and it always meant the same thing.

We're over, we're through. For good this time.

Sigh.

Sniffle.

Cry.

Sob.

She was going to need some more Kleenex.

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A/N: Omg. SO hard for me to write. ESPECIALLY that first scene. Omg. Almost tears….SO close. *gulp* Y'all better review. This was painful.