"Good morning, Party Queen"

Blair wrinkled her nose slightly, her mouth felt dry and fuzzy, her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth as she peeled just one eye open. The first thing she caught a glimpse of was Chuck grinning down at her smugly. She closed both eyes tightly and let out a small whimper "Quit yelling at me, Bass."

He chuckled softly and pressed his lips to her shoulder, sliding up against her warm body as his hand found the opening of the shirt she was wearing "I'm not yelling… that's called a hangover." Blair flinched again, his voice still rather loud in her ear.

So it was a hangover, it didn't give him permission to give her a headache as well. It wasn't the first time she had been drunk, but it had been the first time this agent had been saved by the man she had been protecting. It was ironic, but it didn't matter. He had been there for her.

She groaned and shifted restlessly in bed "I'm hung-over and weak, leave me alone" she complained meekly.

"Mhm. Yet, as I remember, I saved you from Jason, who was pawning on you. Perhaps I should get an award" he laughed "It would've been terribly rude if I had taken advantage of you last night while you laid in my bed, passed out after you stripped for me and stole my pink dress shirt."

She opened her eyes and tried her best to glare at him, wrinkling her forehead when the bright lights got to be too much and she had to close them again.

"Come on" he teased, burying his hand in her hair as he nibbled on the edge of her jaw "I'm Chuck Bass."

She groaned, before remembering a certain conversation. Chuck must have seen the wheels in her mind spinning fast and he immediately moved away from her, deciding suddenly that he should probably take a shower for the business meeting he had later that day. Or that was the excuse he was thinking of as he quickly made his way over to the door.

"You're not Chuck Bass," she said, opening her eyes, her eyes dancing with an emotion Chuck had never seen in her eyes before "without me."

He paused, only a couple of inches from the bathroom door. He took a deep breath and debated what to reply. That he had said it in the heat of the moment? That he didn't mean it, even though he really did? That he wanted to make this relationship work really badly?

"I did." He said, watching her closely.

Blair sat up, her head pounding, but she ignored it and stumbled over to Chuck. Still clumsy from the night of partying, she allowed Chuck to steady her before wrapping her arms around his neck. "That has to be" Chuck took in a breath "the sweetest thing I have ever heard." He let out the breath.

"It's true, though."

She bit her lip to try and let the words that were trying to escape stay in her mouth. This would have been the perfect time to admit that the only reason she had started talking to him was because Mason made her. That she was an undercover agent protecting him from insane men who probably wanted to kill him. But she couldn't. This was too unreal; this was something that Blair had been waiting for, for so long. There was someone who cared about her and was willing to make their relationship work, and have no strings attached.

Which was why she didn't tell him the truth and replied with a simple kiss. And that kiss led to another and another and another. But Chuck paused, his arms remaining around her waist protectively. "Do you want to?" she whispered, leaning into him.

He did, that was the truth, but this wasn't the time. She was hung over, and he wanted the first time they made love to be romantic, and this wasn't it. "I do," he said "but" She flinched, as though he had slapped her. Chuck had said the word 'but'. When men said that, it was usually followed by something like 'I have an STD, so next time'.

"I want to take things slow."

Blair sighed, and smiled, still in his arms. "Who knew Chuck Bass was a romantic?"

Chuck grinned and kissed her lips before leading her over to the bed. "Now you do."

Blair smiled and let Chuck lay next to her, his arms wrapped around her waist, their bodies so close that their heartbeats start to beat at the same pace and their breathing began at the same pace. "Don't leave me," she whispered, her eyes closing. After all, she still had a hang-over, her head hurt, and she was still tired from all the dancing and drinking that had been done.

"I won't," Chuck whispered, his head resting in the opening of the collar bone and his lips on her neck. She shivered and cuddled closer to him, and for some reason, she believed him. Blair trusted him, and that was the best thing that she could ever give Chuck.

All Chuck wanted was to be loved, and he felt those feelings with her. It consumed him like a disease, but he couldn't ignore the feeling that was biting at him. He knew that she was hiding something, that Blair wasn't telling him everything. She would though, unless she wanted his PI to follow her. Or he could always ask Serena.

Whichever one was more appealing when he decided to investigate or perhaps he would even allow her to explain everything.

***

Blair woke up hours later to the weight of the bed shifting slightly. A groan escaped her ruby lips as she opened one eye and then the other, noting that the shades were drawn and forbidding light to enter the room. Her eyes traveled to the empty space next to her and she rolled over into it, the smell of scotch and sweet smoke filling her nose.

Chuck had moved. Before she could call his name out, she heard cursing coming from the open door. Blair, frowning slightly, slowly sat up in the bed. She hadn't heard Chuck swear since she had met him, and this surprised her. What was he doing?

Crawling out of bed, she blew a piece of hair out of her face and walked out of the room, following the sound of more then one voice. Who was here with Chuck?

If she wasn't hung over, Blair probably would have realized that she was half dressed and that there was a percentage that someone else was in the suite, but she wasn't thinking straight. Quickly, she took a sip of water and two Tylenol pills that were lying on the bedside table. He was so sweet! Crawling out of the bed, Blair followed the voices to the kitchen. Quietly, she poked her head around the corner and smiled to herself.

There was her Chuck, cursing under his breath as he watched Rachel Ray. He was trying to cook lobster, or something that looked like sea food, and from where Blair was standing, he was failing miserably. He here was, standing in nothing but a pair of pajama pants and slippers, his bare back facing her, trying to cook a somewhat editable meal.

She stood there, leaning against the empty doorframe with almost nothing on and watched as Chuck tried to cook. He probably wouldn't have noticed her standing there if the whisk hadn't fallen to the floor and she hadn't laughed as another string of curses left his mouth. Quickly, Chuck turned to see the petite brunette standing in the doorframe, half dressed. Frankly, the fact that girl of his dreams was half dressed was more distracting then the goo of whatever he was trying to cook slowly trailing down his chest.

"Whatchya doing?" she asked, watching him the doorway.

Chuck smirked before pausing the cooking show. "Well, I'm trying to cook you some sort of amazing lunch, but failing at it."

"Epically," Blair added, walking up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "But I appreciate the attempt."

There was so much that Blair wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him the truth, that them meeting days ago was planned. That she didn't see him as another person she was protecting, that she saw him as more. She wanted to tell him the truth. And the only thing stopping her was the reaction he would give her.

After all, how would your 'person of interest' react if you told him that the only reason you met was so you could protect him from killers?

Pulling her tighter, Chuck rested his forehead against hers. "We could always order room service."

She laughed and moved her arms around his neck. "You have a business meeting though," she said, trying not to loose her train of thought as he kissed her neck.

"It's Sunday. I could always call Kara and tell her to reschedule the meeting." Chuck said, his lips grazing over her neck.

Blair immediately tensed up. Kara. Who the fuck was Kara? The name alone sounds like a stripped name. Chuck oblivious to her tensing up continued. "She's probably at the office, so it wouldn't be a problem."

Blair shook her head, sending curls flying everywhere. "No. Go to the meeting. I have an essay to write for my history class and study for my anatomy class."

Still oblivious to the tension that had bloomed, Chuck's lips continued to graze her neck. "I could help you study for anatomy."

Sighing, she pushed him away and ignored his pissed-off look. "No. I have school tomorrow." And with that, she turned and walked back into his bedroom. It took him about, oh, three seconds, to realize that he had mentioned his secretary Kara without mentioning that she was thirty years old, married, and had three kids.

This was one of the reasons he hadn't really been in a relationship.

***

"Yes mom. Yes, I get it. I know, bring a date, a present, and look nice. Got it. Yes, I'm writing it down. Bye. Love you too." And with that Blair Waldorf closed her phone, sighed, and turned to the blond standing next to her. "My moth has informed me that there Cyrus is having a party in a couple of days and I need to bring a date."

Serena laughed and tucked a piece of blond hair behind her ear. "Take Chuck," she said simply and Blair scoffed. It had been almost a week since they had gone partying, and four days two hours and three minutes since Blair and Chuck had talked. At all. Which was unheard of for a newly blooming couple, but Blair was still mad at him.

Why, you may ask. Well, right after she had left Chuck in the kitchen by himself, he had called this 'Kara' and made her tell Blair that yes, she was married, and yes, she had children. Then, Chuck just happened to mention how adorable Blair was when she was jealous, and she had said she wasn't jealous. Of course, he rolled his eyes and took a shower, leaving his cell phone in Blair's hands. Now, if you have strippers on speed dial and haven't deleted them from your phone once you got a girlfriend, this girlfriend may just assume the worst.

And she did, and threw a bowl of spaghetti at her boyfriend's head and told him never to call her again. Which he obliged.

"Chuck and I are currently not speaking," Blair said stiffly, before glaring at the woman before her. She and Serena decided to spend the day at the spa, and this woman was doing a horrible job at painting the brunette's toenails. "Anyways, since when have I listened to my mother?"

The blond shrugged "I don't know, but I was hoping that Nate would have a friend there. I mean, he knows a lot of the people who are going, but he'd rather spend the night with his best friend then stuck-up society whores."

I think any of the elites would rather spend the night with their BFF's then the society whores.

"I'll bring someone. Maybe Jason," Blair lied, ignoring the shocked look on her friend's face. Actually, Blair was planning to skip the party and tell her mother that she had had tons of homework and a makeup test that she just could not miss.

"No, no, and defiantly no. Sorry, I will personally kill you if I see that slime ball enter your mother's penthouse." Serena said, smudging her nails as she pointed her finger at her best friend. She groaned and handed her hand back to the nail woman and waited for the talented painter to fix it.

Blair laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not taking Chuck and that is final."

Serena grinned at her friend before grabbing Blair's cell phone with the hand that was finished. "Well, if you're not going to invite him, I will."

Ignoring Blair's protest, Serena flipped open the cell phone.

C-

wanna go to a party with me? It's for my stepfather.

-B

With that, Serena closed the cell phone and looked smugly at Blair. "And that is because I think you two just make a darling couple…and it's for getting you back for making me go to that smelly gym last week."

Blair pouted, but she couldn't help but hope a little that Chuck was going to reply with a yes. Trying to act cool, calm, and collective, Blair opened up US Weekly and pretended to read about how David Letterman admitted to having an affair. Big freaking whoop.

The both girls looked up at the sound of cell phone vibrating against wood. Oh. My. God.

"MINE MINE MINE!" the two friends yelled as they reached for the cell phone. Blair grabbed it, smirked at her friend, and looked at the screen.

B-

depends on when, waldorf. i do have a busy schedule.

-C

Quickly, she replied.

C-

thursday night. eight o'clock. don't be late!

-B

She giggled and Serena giggled. Chuck was going to the party! And then Blair remembered how she was mad at him. "I'm mad at him, S! This doesn't help the 'ignore until he apologizes' part of my plan!"

Serena sighed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. He's going and you're absolutely thrilled about it. And now he gets to meet your mother."

Blair smiled at the thought of meeting Eleanor Waldorf.

And then it dawned on her that every man that met her mother broke up with her within the next forty-eight hours.

Oh shit.

***

"Chuck! Calm down or else I may have to call Mark and let him know we aren't heading toward the Eagle Awareness Banquet!" Nate Archibald threatened as he watched his best friend comb back his brown locks not once, not twice, but three times.

Chuck snorted, glared at Nate and then shoved him into the limo window. This was coming from the man who complained almost ten minutes ago how his man bangs weren't perfectly blow dried.

Nate groaned and quickly glanced at his reflection. "Thanks. Now my hair is ruined."

His friend responded with something like 'you twit', but Nate pretended he didn't hear anything. The last thing he wanted to do was get into an argument with Chuck before they exited the limo and went straight into the storm.

"What should I expect from a party thrown by Eleanor Waldorf?" Chuck asked, curious of Blair's mother.

Nate pondered over this for a moment. "High class society snobs, drinks, drunken business men, the usual," the door opened and the two exited before entering the National Art Society building. "Oh, and-"

He was never able to finish his sentence and warn Chuck of Cyrus Rose. Cyrus happen to adore giving hugs to his guests, and even though he had no idea Chuck was his stepdaughter's 'boyfriend', he still ran up to the billionaire and hugged him.

Chuck awkwardly stood, not sure who this strange man was. Perhaps he would have shoved Cyrus off of him if a certain elegant brunette hadn't gasped at the sight of Chuck and Cyrus hugging each other. "Cyrus!"

The short stout man let go of the tall awkward man and turned to smile at his stepdaughter. "Blair! What a pleasant surprise!"

Blair forced a smile onto her lips. "Cyrus, I think mother was calling you a minute ago, saying something about the decorations in the ballroom." Cyrus nodded, hugged Blair, and then scurried off to find his wife.

Her eyes met his and she gave him a small smile before walking over to him. "Glad you could join us, Bass."

Chuck grinned, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," then he thought about it "although, if Mark or Kara, my married secretary, calls you and asks where I am, saying that I never attended a banquet, it's your entire fault."

Blair rolled her eyes and struggled out of his grip. "Perhaps that would have happened if I hadn't called Mark about, oh, ten minutes ago and told him of the change of plans."

He looked at her, in awe that he had been outsmarted. Chuck Bass had finally met his match.

She laughed at his shocked face before taking his hand and pulling him into the ballroom, where hundreds of society's best were dancing. Chuck looked at the familiar faces that were looking back at him, staring at his hand wrapped tightly around Blair's as though their hands belonged to aliens.

Eleanor Waldorf watched her daughter and Charles Bass enter the ballroom together, looking rather happy. She, of course, had no clue that it was Blair's job at the current moment to protect the billionaire's life (in fact, she had no clue that Blair was an agent), but thought that the two made a rather dashing couple. Hurrying over to the couple, she gave a tight smile to the two.

"Blair, your dress makes you look fat," Eleanor noted, looking at her daughter before her eyes turned to Chuck "Charles! I had no idea that you were coming. Why, I thought you had the Hilton's Banquet to attend tonight."

"I wouldn't have missed this get-together for anything, Ms. Waldorf-Rose." He said, giving her a charming smile that made Blair melt inside. Eleanor almost believed that Chuck was being sincere. Almost.

Yes, she knew of his partying past, which made her wary of him and her daughter dating. In fact, she hadn't liked any of the men Blair had brought home except for Jason Brentwood. That relationship had ended months ago, leaving Eleanor more upset then Blair was.

"Of course, Charles. And how is your business doing these days?"

He grinned, not surprised by her question. "Terrific. Actually, we are planning on opening a new hotel around New Years. You, Cyrus, and your lovely daughter are more then welcomed to come to the opening if you'd like. How is your fashion business doing?"

Eleanor nodded stiffly, before turning abruptly and going to talk to Serena van der Woodsen and her gentleman boyfriend.

Blair relaxed immediately as her mother left before turning to Chuck, noticing his weird look. "What?"

Chuck snorted and rolled his eyes. "You let your mother talk to you like that, Waldorf?"

She sighed and looked at the ground. "What else can I do? My father lives in France with his lover, so she is the only family I have left. I can't exactly shun her out of my life, now can I?"

Well, she had a point.

Chuck sighed and pulled her close. "She hates me, doesn't she?"

Blair laughed. "Absolutely! Did you see the look on her face when you escorted me here? She looked so angry!" Chuck laughed "And the fact that you asked about her business makes it better."

He looked at her. "Why?"

"She hates talking about how Jennifer Humphrey is now the most requested fashion designer, leaving her in second place."

A laugh escaped his lips. "Then she does hate me. Your stepfather, on the other hand, absolutely adores me."

She shook her head. "No, he just enjoys giving out random hugs."

With that, Chuck pressed his lips to hers, stopping her from continuing to talk. She relaxed in his embrace and kissed him back, not caring that the few photographers allowed into the event were wildly taking pictures of them.

"Promise me something?"

He looked at her. "Anything."

"Promise me you'll take me to Paris."

Chuck looked at her, considering this was the most random conversation that she had brought up so far. "Where did that come from?"

"Well, I want you to meet Daddy. And Paris is the most romantic place in the world."

Looking at her, Chuck was willing to do anything for the woman in front of him. "Well, if it means so much to you…"

Blair rolled her eyes and gently shoved him. "It does! My mother would absolutely hate it."

"Well then, we'll go to Paris for spring break! I hear Europe is best in the spring."

She sighed and pulled him close. "Good. I'll hold you to that."