Dichotomy

Summary: He will destroy her. It's the one thing about him that she can say for certain. Chuck/Vanessa

Setting: season 2 (around the era of "Remains of the J")

dual.

Vanessa leans against the counter as she sits in the kitchen of the Humphrey/van der Woodsen household. Dan is perched on the stool next to her, a mug of fresh, hot coffee in his hands. She feels her phone buzz in her pocket and, without looking at the display, hits 'ignore'. "...So what time is Lily and Rufus' anniversary/celebration of beating the odds and fates of the universe party?"

"Seven," Dan answers succinctly. He's choosing to ignore her phone call avoidance, Vanessa knows, because he's got bigger fish to fry during this conversation. His head is cocked partially to the side, the look on his face the very definition of quizzical. She's known Dan long enough to know that look is only going to be followed by questions and conversations that she either isn't going to like or is going to make her wholly uncomfortable. Or both.

"So-" At this, Vanessa manages to hold back a sigh but still rolls her eyes. "- word on the street is that Nate and Blair called it quits. Coincidentally, not long after that blast hit with that picture of you and Nate."

Vanessa swallows her own sip of coffee, careful not to gulp. "'Word on the street'?" Vanessa scoffs at Dan's use of the out-of-date colloquialism, an eyebrow raised. "I think you've been spending way too much alone time with Rufus lately."

Dan narrows his eyes. "Interesting. You know, I thought that there would be more fanfare when this happened. From you, especially."

"I don't really do 'fanfare', Dan."

"That means," he continues, as if she hadn't even spoken, "that something happened with either Chuck, Nate, or both."

"I don't think either one of them would be interested in a devil's threesome," she quips. "Even if I happen to be involved."

Dan sighs. "Vanessa-"

"Your waffles are burning," she cuts him off, eager for the distraction that has him turning around to keep the nearly antiquated waffle iron from bursting into flames. A mini-inquisition with Dan was certainly not on Vanessa's agenda when she came here nearly twenty minutes ago and now she's more than grateful to have the opportunity to escape for the chance to see her intended target: Jenny.

Vanessa hesitates in the doorway to the younger girl's bedroom before rolling her eyes at her own cowardice and knocking decidedly on the door frame. She needs to do this. "Hey."

Jenny turns from her position by her bookshelf so her back is facing the window instead of the door. She doesn't return the greeting. "What are you doing here? Came to gloat or something? Send a Blair Waldorf-inspired warning my way?"

"What?"

"I saw the blast about Blair and Nate. Looks like you and Chuck both got what you wanted. So congratulations; your deal with the devil worked."

It's hard to pretend that doesn't sting somewhat, even if Vanessa knows there's a little truth to that statement. It's simply hard to take when the situation isn't exactly the same now as it was then. "No, that's…I'm not here about that, Jenny. I came to apologize."

Jenny scoffs, her arms crossing defensively over her stomach. "Did you now?"

Vanessa tries to ignore the venom in her tone, telling herself that Jenny's hurt, but it isn't easy. "Yes. I never should've let a guy come between us, even if - I thought that…" she trails off, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter what I thought. All the lies and just everything wasn't worth it." Although, Vanessa guesses, if she were to really think about it, she'd be forced to admit that's not entirely true. Thinking of where she woke up this morning and who she spent last night with, she can't honestly say that it's all bad. And, she finds, she can't honestly say she regrets everything. Because she doesn't. "…I'm sorry."

"If you want me to talk to Nate, tell him about the letters-"

"Oh, I get it now. You decided, I'm sure after you'd already driven the final nail in the coffin of Blair and Nate's relationship, that he suddenly wasn't what you wanted. So now you think you're doing me a favor by giving me your leftovers?"

"No, I just-"

"Thought you could ease your guilt and dump your excess baggage all in one go?"

"Why are you acting like this when I'm actually trying to apologize?" Vanessa wonders, baffled.

"You've been swimming with the UES sharks for awhile now - excuse me if I don't think you're being sincere."

"Jenny-"

"And I don't need your apology, Vanessa. Not anymore." Jenny's words combined with the cold look of dismissal in her eyes says it all:

They're done here.

"I'm sorry."

It's the first thing she says to him once she finally reaches his table and for a moment Nate frowns in confusion. She's twenty minutes late and briefly he thinks that's what she's apologizing for. But then he looks up and actually meets her gaze and realizes what she's apologizing for isn't simple.

Vanessa sits down at the table across from him and reaches for the glass of water that's been placed in front of her. She moves it, Nate notices, but doesn't take a sip. She's fiddling with a bracelet around her wrist and he notices that it looks markedly different from the rest of her usual jewelry. Nate wonders if it's a gift from Chuck - but, at the same time, he doesn't think he really wants to know the answer. "I know that you probably don't want to hear it…" she trails off, almost as if she's expecting for him to cut her off or interrupt. He doesn't.

"Actually," Nate counters, "I kind of do."

"I'm sorry. About what happened the other night," she continues. "It shouldn't have happened."

"…That's it?"

Vanessa frowns. "What else is there to say, Nate?"

"Why the hell didn't you tell me the truth the other night? It would have saved me a lot of embarrassment and if you didn't want to be there...I mean I invited you to an event and you ditched me to be with Chuck."

Her eyes narrowed. "I did want to be there. You invited me as a friend, remember? Or was that just a line?"

"Of course it wasn't. I'm just saying, if you were just honest with me-"

Vanessa crosses her arms across her chest, her expression hardening. "Honest. Right. Like you were honest about the fact that when you came to my apartment, technically speaking, you and Blair were still together?"

"You knew about me and Blair. I didn't know about you and Chuck."

"And?"

"Seriously?" Honestly, Nate doesn't know what to make of Vanessa's apparent callousness. He doesn't know how he thought this lunch would go, but this certainly isn't it.

"I don't owe you anything, Nate. I didn't come here to grovel or beg for your forgiveness if that's what you're looking for." She stands abruptly, almost knocking over her glass of water in the process. "I apologized for what happened that night at the Palace and if that's not enough-"

"I'm not saying it's not enough-"

"Then what are you saying?"

"I…." He knows he's disappointed at the way things have ended between them now. He's disappointed in the way things ended between him and Blair. He's disappointed that it seems Chuck for all his bastardly habits of selfishness is apparently getting the girl. Again.

He stands, pushing his chair back from the table. "I'm saying that I hope you and Chuck enjoy each other."

Nate isn't sure whether or not he's saying it with sincerity, but he thinks he wants to be.

Vanessa takes a sip from the glass in her hands, then frowns, turning up her nose in distaste. Champagne.

She sets the glass on a table off to the side, ignoring a pointed look sent her way by Blair. Interestingly enough, she chooses not to say anything. Puzzling, but Vanessa doesn't spend much time thinking about it. She does wonder where Chuck has gotten off to.

After Lily and Rufus give their obligatory toast and speech and cut the cut celebrating the momentous occasion, Vanessa takes a piece and surreptitiously sneaks toward the balcony, where she, unexpectedly finds Chuck leaning against the railing and sipping scotch. He turns to face her at the sound of the door closing, though his expression is unreadable. "Cake?"

He pulls a face, making it more than obvious that his immediate response is no, as he shakes his head. "Is that sheet cake?"

"The best sheet cake in the city. From Flor's over on 5th." Vanessa steps closer, offering it, and she guess, herself, towards him.

"...Sure; why not?" Chuck shrugs. He takes the fork from her hands and rations himself a small portion of the cake with Lily and Rufus' faces on it. "Good," is all he says but he goes in for another piece, betraying his aloof commentary. Vanessa grins.

She lets him eat about half of it, because she's feeling an irrational streak of guilt for leaving him to go see Nate, even if, this time, nothing happened. She doesn't realize she's been watching him until the sound of Chuck clearing his throat reaches his ears and he's standing in front of her, fork outstretched towards her. "Thanks."

She takes it back, spears off a piece for herself. "...So, Jenny hates me."

"And?" Chuck shrugs, his disinterest apparent. "She's sixteen. She hates everyone."

"Thank you. That helps." She shakes her head. "She was my friend. And she hates me, now, because of what happened with Nate."

"Speaking of the Golden Boy," he utters the nickname with a slight sneer. Vanessa wonders if another friendship has been damaged. "…how was lunch?" Chuck is still facing forward when he asks this but Vanessa can't help but sigh in exasperation. Of course he found out about her lunch with Nate.

She rolls her eyes. "Awkward," she admits. "But necessary, I guess."

"Nothing happened."

"Right."

"I mean it-"

"I believe you," he interrupts her. His tone is surprisingly convincing.

"Why?" she asks doubtfully. "Because you had me followed?"

"No," he says simply. "Because I believe you."

As surprising as it is, as much as this is more than likely guaranteed to go into ruins - because of their differences, because of who they are - she finds that she wants to believe him, too.