A/N: I managed a quick update this time! :) I'm on a roll with this story at the moment. No promises for the future, though, I'm afraid. But I do try.
"Oh, Mom," Serena sighs, resting her cheek in her hand. "You look so beautiful."
Lily turns back and forth, craning her neck as she examines her reflection. "You think so?" she asks apprehensively.
"Of course!" she gushes, standing from her position on the chaise. She joins her mother in front of the mirror.
Lily looks radiant, and Serena knows from Dan's jaw-drop reaction when she pulled him aside earlier to say hello that she looks pretty damn good herself. She feels good, too. It's been a long time since she's shared a moment like this with her mother.
Lily tucks a stray piece of hair back into Serena's artfully messy bun. "You look beautiful, too, honey," she says softly, kissing Serena's cheek. "You look happier than I've seen you lately. I'm glad."
Erik raps on the door and sticks his head in. "It's time."
Serena meets her mom's eyes in the mirror. Both sets of orbs look a little watery. "I love you," she says, because it seems like the appropriate moment.
Lily looks at her adoringly and pulls her into a warm hug. After a moment, she extends an arm, beckoning Erik to join them. She holds them close and kisses their foreheads. They both smile encouragingly, giving her the benefit of the doubt even though this is wedding number four.
"This one's going to last," she promises before she releases them from her embrace.
The afternoon is beautiful, sunny with a few clouds dancing across the blue sky. The small garden is full of lilies and close friends. She cries only a little when her mother walks down the aisle, partly from emotion, partly from the glare of the sun's rays in her eyes. She spends the rest of the ceremony beaming, laughing to herself as she observed Blair and Dan sitting uncomfortably next to one another.
When vows are said, rings are exchanged, and the newlyweds share a kiss, Serena hooks her arm through her now-official stepbrother's as they follow their parents down the aisle.
"Sis," he smarms, as she'd known he would.
"I swear to God, bro," she growls back threateningly under her breath, but she can't stay angry. "You clean up good," she adds jokingly, because it's not as though it's a surprise. Even at the height of his debauchery, Chuck always looks good.
He leans in a bit closer. "And you look like sunshine."
She smiles in wonderment, mouth open and exposing her pearly-whites. "You did not just say that to me."
Chuck places his free hand over his heart. "Forgive me." He gently unhooks her arm from his, and it's only then that she realizes that they've reached the end of the aisle, guests are beginning to disperse, and Dan is waiting for her.
"There's something…romantic in the air," Chuck finishes, his voice low, before walking off as though he doesn't have a care in the world.
Dan joins her the minute he's gone. "You look beautiful."
She smiles softly even though his words sound a bit generic. She knows he means them. "Thank you."
He frowns at the spot her stepbrother just stood in. "What's up with him?"
Serena shakes her head, searching for Chuck in the crowd that's forming. "I honestly don't know."
~x~
She talks quietly with Erik as Lily and Bart share their first dance as a married couple, but when another classical piece is piped into the ballroom, someone dressed in Armani appears at her side.
"May I have this dance?" Chuck asks, extending his hand formally.
She blinks up at him, shocked. She hadn't seen this coming. Nonetheless, she's not opposed to dancing with him – though she should probably dance with Dan first.
Erik sees her hesitance and inputs, "It's tradition. The second dance. The best man is supposed to dance with the maid of honour."
She frowns at him, playfully insulted that he would take Chuck's side in a debate. "Nuh-uh!" she protests, even as Chuck grasps her hand and gently pulls her to her feet. As he drags her onto the dance floor she insists, "There is no such tradition."
She gives in as he pulls her body smoothly to his. He's done all the cotillion dance classes, as they all have, and she can't deny that he moves well. Very well. She tucks her head into his shoulder and lets him lead.
"There's no tradition," she murmurs stubbornly.
He laughs. "Do you know what happens tonight?"
The way he says it sends shivers down her spin. There's an enticing, almost seductive, promise in the way he speaks the words. She tries to be causal as she pulls back in order to meet his eyes. "What happens tonight?"
"The happy couple jet off to European destinations for their honeymoon, which guarantees us some alone time of our own."
"Except for Erik," she points out softly, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. "And your oh-so-attentive servants."
Chuck smiles knowingly as he steers them expertly around the dance floor. "The hired help does as they're told. I can hire them to leave. And Erik is much more independent then you're willing to give him credit for."
Avoiding his point, she says, "I should dance with Dan."
"Don't worry. Your date is busy dancing with mine."
Sure enough, Dan and Blair are dutifully waltzing as if they, too, feel some obligation toward tradition. Neither looks particularly happy about it; Blair, in fact, looks positively murderous even as she and Dan banter back and forth without missing a beat. Serena can't help but giggle at the sight.
"What do you have planned?" she asks before her courage dissipates.
"Whatever your heart desires," he smirks, eyes drifting down her body and back up in one smooth movement. "Whatever any part of you desires."
She steps back before he can feel the body heat that springs up with her blush, patting his chest and smirking right back. "I'll let you know," she informs him coyly.
And she knows that he watches her as she walks off to offer her boyfriend an escape.
~x~
"We'll miss the plane."
Bart's patience is wearing thin. He's given them all short-but-heartfelt hugs and is satisfied with that as a goodbye. Lily is much more hesitant.
"Darling, we own the plane," she tells him as she studies her children and stepson worriedly.
"We'll be fine. We're always fine," Serena reminds her mother, hoping that she doesn't sound bitter. She's not trying to hurt Lily; it's just a fact. All three of them are more than capable and entirely used to taking care of themselves.
Lily's concerned eyes land on her daughter, whose wild side has always been prominent. "You'll watch out for her, won't you, Charles?"
He nods, smirking at the way Serena glowers. "Of course…Mrs. Bass."
She smiles softly, kissing all of their cheeks one last time.
"We'll be fine," Serena repeats forcefully.
Lily's fingers comb through her daughter's hair, now loose and falling onto her shoulders. "You'll take care of my baby?"
Erik makes a disgruntled sound. "We'll all take care of each other. Now go and enjoy your trip."
Finally, with a lot of prodding from them all, Lily's out the door. The kids wave back, say their goodbyes and their I-love-yous. When the elevator doors close, all three of them move to the windows, peering down onto the streets below as the driver piles bags into the limo. Lily blows one last kiss up toward the window, and then they're gone.
All three of them collapse on the couch, a bit deflated. It's been a long day, and that's obvious in their appearances. Erik's wearing pyjama pants and a thin t-shirt; he looks like he's ready to fall into bed. Chuck's in a button-down with the first four buttons undone and a pair of pants that are a bit worn in the knees. Serena's hair tumbles down her back, still in uneven waves from her bun, and she's wearing a lightweight summer dress. It feels as though they should be partying, but they all seem much more prepared for a quiet night of iced tea and the movie channel.
"The place is all ours," Chuck says.
"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Erik replies wearily, and Serena giggles.
Chuck rolls his eyes at them. "Three weeks," he murmurs contemplatively. "Three weeks."
~x~
The first couple days are comfortable. They stay home on Sunday, eat brunch food, pancakes and waffles and omelets all day, and watch movies to which Serena has most of the lines memorized. On Monday they all skip off school, ease Lily's worries when she calls from Venice, and act, for the first time, like a real family. They play Monopoly and let Erik win; Chuck tries to teach them how to make strawberry margaritas. Serena can't handle the blender and they require the staff's help for the first time in order to clean up the berry-and-alcohol splattered kitchen.
She showers to get the red mixture out of her hair, and Chuck 'accidentally' walks into the bathroom when she's done. She perches on the edge of the counter and kisses him in only her towel until Erik demands to know where the hell they both are. Once the youngest member of their family falls asleep in front of the TV, she and Chuck talk quietly, sipping leftover wedding champagne and playfully nudging each other's feet and elbows until they both give in to temptation. She falls asleep with her head on his chest, one leg hooked lightly over his.
On Tuesday they return to school and she knows that Dan senses something different in her.
"You seem happy," he says during their lunch break, his thumb tracing patterns on her palm. "I thought you'd be in an awful mood once your mom was gone and you were stuck with your…stepbrother."
She shrugs secretively, but she knows it's more endearing than annoying. "Chuck's…better than I've ever given him credit for, that's all," she says easily, and kisses him before he can question it.
Blair is also in an irregularly good mood. Chuck gave her a couple special glances that Serena didn't miss during his best man speech at the wedding, and Blair seems softer somehow. Calmer, less bitchy. Almost like she might be falling in love.
"What is up with you, B.?" Serena asks laughingly when they buy fruit cups after school before settling on the Met's steps. She hopes there's an additional explanation for Blair's joy.
On Blair's face, her silliest smile appears, and she shrugs in a way that indicates that she knows, but she's not going to tell. "The sun's gorgeous today, huh? I'm so glad it's almost summertime!"
Blair's blissful tone sends a red-hot flash of jealousy coursing through Serena's whole body. She freezes for a moment before she can compose herself again. "Sure," she agrees, even though she can't remember exactly what her best friend just said. All she can hear is the voice that belongs to the same person who's made Blair so agreeable wringing in her ears: you look like sunshine.
~x~
She pulls the book he's reading out of his hands when she gets back from eating with Blair and kisses him fiercely.
"Whoa," he murmurs when he pulls back for oxygen.
"No talking," she orders, undoing his tie and throwing it over her shoulder.
His eyebrows fly up as she leans in to kiss him again. His hand skims down her side appreciatively, but he pulls away from her again, this time sooner than necessary.
His eyes bore into hers like he can read her soul. "Someone's territorial," he says, with a touch of amused amazement in his voice.
She's pushing herself up and off the couch before he can even think another thought. She grasps his tie in one hand, taking it as an odd form of punishment, and grabs his book, flinging it directly at his head.
"Hey!" he yelps when it makes contact.
"Jerk," she hisses, storming off to her room, and from then on it's war.
~x~
Erik dutifully eats dinner with them for the rest of the week. Serena feels bad for him. He looks like an innocent kid eating with parents who are on the verge of divorce. Serena and Chuck stab viciously at their food while he eats cautiously, eyeing them like they might start throwing things.
"Remember, like, two days ago?" he asks hopefully, pointedly. "When we all hung out together? And everyone was happy? Wasn't that awesome?" He pauses. "We should do it again."
Chuck opens his mouth but Serena shoots him her best glare. She shoves the salad bowl toward Erik and glowers at him as well. "Eat your food," she says sternly.
~x~
From then on, Erik avoids them both unless he finds them in relatively good moods. They make sure to check in with him now and again, but otherwise leave him to his own devices. Serena would never admit it, but Chuck was right. Erik can take care of himself; she doesn't need to baby him.
She starts wearing his ties to school, hanging loosely over pristine white and pale blue short-sleeved blouses and seersucker skirts. She's not sure what message she's trying to get across, exactly, but he seems to understand it.
She occupies as much of Blair's time as she possibly can. She suggests shopping trip after shopping trip, dinners and lunches and even breakfasts. Whenever Blair tries to get out of something Serena insists that they need to bond, and Blair can't protest to that, following her obediently off to have one more drink before they head home. When she sees Chuck and Blair get into his limo together, she slides in at the last minute as well, smiling beatifically and gushing about how perfect this is, she was just thinking about how she needs a drive home.
For his part, he becomes the king of interruptions. If she's talking to Dan in the hallway, there's something he desperately, urgently needs to discuss with her. They're half-naked in her bedroom once when Chuck barges in without even a smidge of shame and announces that Lily and Bart are on the phone. Of course, once Dan makes his awkward exit, it turns out there is no phone call.
It all comes to a boil when she spots Chuck and Blair out of one of the school's windows, flirting obviously as he leads her to his limo. Serena walks out of the building – it's a brisk walk, but nowhere near a run – and calls teasingly, lightheartedly, "Hey, leaving without me?"
They both stare at her.
"You have a test this period," Chuck informs her, his voice dangerously low.
Two can play his game, and he should know that, she figures as the replies cheerfully: "Well, I had to talk to you about something kind of urgent."
He grits his teeth and gently releases his hold on Blair's hand. "If you'll excuse us."
She scowls, bewildered, "But –"
"I'll drop by for a study session later, okay?" Serena asks, as if nothing's wrong, kissing her friend's cheek before she shoves Chuck into the limo ahead of her.
"This has got to stop," he fumes.
Serena smirks, satisfied. He is so obviously horny. "I win," she states.
His teeth grind together. "Fine."
She leans toward him, teasingly ordering, "Say it. Say that I win."
His eyes are dark and she has to remind her body not to react when he looks at her. "You win," he bites out. He takes a deep breath, frowning at the gloating expression she wears. "Now what?" he demands.
Serena smiles mischievously, driving him crazy for one last moment. He's forgotten that all she wants are the same things that he does. Their immature war tactics fade away, already disregarded. They understand each other now. They're going to try to acknowledge things with some shades of reason.
She sits back, looking at him through her eyelashes. "Kiss me," she says.
And he does like there were never any other options.
~x~
"Erik's going to be home soon." She knows that this kind of kills the mood, but it needs to be said. She sighs when she feels him kiss his shoulder. She peers up at him and giggles, "This is the point when I'd normally go…home, I guess. It's been a while since I've done…this."
"This isn't that," he insists, his fingers running down her bare back, tracing her spine.
"No?" she asks, tilting her chin upward and waiting for him to elaborate.
"No," he reiterates. "Firstly, because this should have happened years ago."
She rolls her eyes. "You are such a man whore," she tells him simply, daring him to contradict her.
"And yet…I've still been missing out," he reminds her.
She blushes, pressing her warm cheek into his neck.
"And," Chuck continues. "I would, at the very least, walk you back to your home. I'm a gentleman."
She kicks at his calf halfheartedly. "Right," she says, but she's only partially sarcastic.
"Also, this isn't exactly conventional…it's kind of the antithesis of conventional. But still, it's not…nothing."
"No?" her voice is surprisingly small.
"No. It's somewhere…in between."
She understands that. Right and wrong, good and bad, heaven and hell. It's a combination that find itself somewhere in the middle of all those extremes. She's officially entering shades of grey.
He pulls her from her philosophical thoughts by asking, "So, sis…compared to Humphrey – "
"Oh, no," she insists vehemently, rolling away from him and covering her ears dramatically. She is not about to compare sex with Chuck to sex with Dan.
"You can admit that I win," he teases. "Just say it. I win."
She sits up instead, holding the sheet to her chest. "Don't call me sis in bed," she groans. "Don't call me sis, ever."
He swings one arm over her body, pushing her backward again. She gets the wind knocked out of her for a millisecond as her back hits the mattress. She notes how his hand reaches up and catches her head before it falls into the pillow. She stores this small detail away in her mind. Chuck has a reputation for a reason, she'd readily admit that, and this was very, very good…but she thinks that this exact moment might be her favourite. She's trapped there, but in a way that feels secure.
"I'll stop if you admit that I win," he says.
She rolls her eyes. "Erik. Home. Really soon," she reminds him.
He nods, sitting up as well. In an instant he's wearing boxers again and holding one of his bathrobes out so that she can step into it. He smirks.
"Want me to walk you to your room?"
~x~
Sex changes things, but not in any typical way, of course. Nothing about them is even remotely predictable.
They're still doing their respective dances. He and Blair banter and joke, secretive smiles springing up in sync, the air around them positively buzzing with sexual tension. She's still with Dan, constantly assuring him that she's fine, kissing away his worries, trying to mimic the angelic, tinkling laugh she used to have around him. And then there's Nate, still in the picture, still in her world. Her first everything, the one that got away, her always-maybe-could've been. She tries avoiding him just because it's easy.
Not much has changed. All that happens is that they're forced to pick their sides.
Chuck chooses to remain involved. He taunts Dan, plants questions and doubts in his mind, references Serena and sex in the same sentence, annoying the hell out of her. She knows it's a test. He teases Nate, too, but not to the same degree. He's just trying to assess her reactions on as many levels as possible.
She decides to stay far, far away from the subject of BlairandChuck. She doesn't discuss it with either of them. She no longer interferes, simply turns around and walks away quickly if she spots them together. If Blair appears at their home, she makes the wise decision to take Erik out for coffee.
She's not stupid. She's a little too wild sometimes, but she's never lacked intelligence. She knows that one of them is going to get hurt, and it's going to be whomever it is that loses their rationality, that falls too fast and ends up in too deep.
A lot of the time, as she turns away from the school's intimidating pair, she thinks it's her.
But some days, sometimes, when Chuck eyes her as he jeers at Dan…she thinks it's him.