Act I
To flaming youth let virtue be as wax
And melt in her own fire.
'Hamlet'; Act 3, scene 4, by William Shakespeare
Chapter I
Fill Me With your Poison
Spotted: B strutting into class fifteen minutes late, looking decidedly frosty. Does it have anything to do with a moment shared with C in the rain just minutes earlier? Thought no one was watching B, but you should know I always am. xoxo GG.
The courtyard was full of screaming girls and laughing boys as they ran to shelter from the rain. Chuck sauntered along per usual, having removed his signature scarf and depositing it in his inner pocket. He wore a water proof red coat, fashionable yet effective, buttoned up it kept his inner uniform from becoming soaked and resulting in that unappealing wet dog smell. With his odour protected, he continued to stroll along, taking his time and enjoying the view. Nothing rushed Chuck Bass, not even rain. Besides, even getting soaked was worth it to observe shapely girls in short skirts attempt to keep them from flying up while running, especially when certain girls did not succeed.
Chuck smirked as Sarah Bates shortened skirt slipped up showing a sneak of pink. He languidly brushed his hair back from his eyes to get a better view, frowning in annoyance as he felt the wet brown mess. Admittedly he had a small container of emergency gel in his locker, but it was sad to think the half hour he'd taken to shape it into perfect disarray was wasted. All thoughts of his hair dissipated as he spotted a certain brunette, standing under the covering of one of the school buildings, as cool as ice. She watched the squealing boys and girls with wide brown eyes, one perfectly plucked eyebrow raised, revealing her contempt. Chuck's feet immediately changed direction, as he made a bee line for her, all thoughts of other school girls in flimsy skirts forgotten.
Blair spotted him before he reached her, her lip curled in disdain and she stepped back slightly. She could tell by his smirk that he was in the mood to torment rather than talk. She glanced towards the door across the courtyard, which led into the shared entrance of St Judes and Constance Billiard. He could tell she was contemplating whether to make a run for it, but then her eyes flicked back to him and her chin jutted out in that familiar stubborn set. Chuck smirked as she bore a hole into him with her eyes, daring him to keep on his course.
"Aren't we going to be a bit late Waldorf?" he commented, checking his designer watch as he stepped under the shelter. His coat dripped heavily onto the dry bricks. Blair scrunched up her nose in disgust, quickly stepping back from the water.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm waiting for the rain to stop," she snapped, eyes flashing. She was always defensive when in a position of vulnerability, like a wild animal. It's what he loved about her "Shouldn't you be smoking a joint somewhere?"
Chuck raised his eyebrows. "You raise an interesting point," he drawled, reaching into his inner pocket he felt for a familiar smooth roach, and a lighter. It was meant to be for Nate, but this opportunity was too good to waste. He took them out, Blair's eyes widened in horror as he placed it between his lips and flicked the lighter. She quickly glanced around, ascertaining the presence of any teachers and probably imagining all sorts of dreadful outcomes if any one, student or teacher, spotted her standing next to Chuck Bass as he smoked a joint.
"I didn't mean here you idiot," she snapped, grabbing it from between his teeth as he just got it lighted. She quickly threw it onto the bricks exposed to the beating rain. It was soaked through, immediately extinguished and rendered useless.
"That was good stuff, you owe me," he drawled, unfazed. The loss of a hit was worth the look of panic on her face. He smirked slipped the lighter back into his pocket. His eyes raked over Blair, from the red hair band perched on top of her perfect curls, right down to the small black heels on her dainty feet. "Shall we negotiate on price now...or would you just like to pay me out right?" He smirked as he moved his eyes back up to her face, lingering on certain parts before he got there. He lent forward, suggestively reaching out a hand to brush a small strand of hair which was stuck to her cheek by the humidity.
"You're a pig," she huffed, quickly stepping back. The slight reddening of her cheeks told him she was feeling otherwise. The disgust in her eyes unfortunately, revealed that though her body may be relenting, her brain was far from agreeing.
"And you're too easy," he retorted, pretending that it was out of boredom he moved his gaze to glance lazily at the now almost empty courtyard. The problem with playing with Blair was on occasion, or nine times out of ten, he lost as well.
They stood in silence, the beating of heavy rain the only sound between them. Chuck heard the wind chimes of her phone as it she flicked it open behind him. He glanced down his watch, then up at her.
"Five minutes late now, decided to push the boundaries have we?" he asked.
She glared at him, then out of at the steady rain filled courtyard again. She was biting her lip, her eyebrows drawn, a sure sign that she was beginning to worry.
"Why don't you just make a run for it, if you're so concerned?" he queried, truly curious now. Blair was rarely, if ever, late. It was not like her to shirk a single minute of class, not with her sights set on Yale.
She looked at him, and he could tell she was contemplating not answering. Finally she sighed, shoulders slumped, defeated. He was surprised, but tried to hide it.
"I wasn't predicting such a downpour, I came in early to fix posters for the social committee," there was that slight whine creeping into her voice, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. As an only child Blair still hadn't lost the traces of childhood.
"So?" he failed to see the relevance, raising his eyebrows.
"So I don't have an umbrella, and if I go out there I'll get soaked," she snapped, eyes flashing. "I'd expect, even considering your IQ, at least you'd understand that basic concept."
"Insulting my intelligence is not the way to my heart."
He could tell she was bordering on saying something extremely unladylike, instead she inhaled deeply. Despite his flippant reply, Chuck did understand Blair's emergency. Though laughable it would seem to an outsider, as Queen B. Blair had to maintain an illusion of perfection, otherwise the vultures would descend. Jenny Humphrey had illustrated that all too clearly. He, out of the four, was probably the most able to understand this. He too had a certain reputation to maintain, albeit it was opposite to perfection.
"Where is Serena anyway? She said she wasn't coming in today, because she wasn't feeling well." Slight concern tinged Blair's tone, but there was more annoyance at the inconvenience of her best friend being absent in an emergency. Of course she could have called on a minion, but none had been at hand when the downpour started, and now all were in class. She was not going to demean herself by being at their mercy and ridicule.
"She went out with that socialite last night...Pippy, Poppy, whatever," he remarked disinterestedly. Girls like that were insignificant in his opinion, he preferred them with some sort of mystery. There was nothing mysterious about possessing zero brain cells. "Lilly's visiting her mother, Father is away on business as per usual." His lip curled in disdain as he mentioned Bart. "So sleeping through her hangover was probably the better option to attending school."
"If that's the case then why are you even here?" Blair queried.
"Because..." of you, Chuck hesitated, it was on the tip of his tongue.
"Because?" she prompted.
He glanced at her, she was watching him with one eyebrow quirked up, an amused lift to her lips. An object of amusement, that was his role wasn't it? He quickly changed tact midway. "How could I resist watching girls run in short skirts, which tend to ride up?"
"You're disgusting you know that," she sighed. But she said it matter of factly, rather than with her usual disdain.
"Just the way you like it," he retorted automatically. He slipped his hand into his pocket, fingers running over his lighter. He was starting to regret the loss of that joint.
"The rain is letting up," he noted, it had progressed from pounding to a steady drizzle. He ran his hand through his hair, forgetting it was wet. He quickly withdrew it, rubbing it onto his jacket.
"I'll still get wet," Blair noted, coming to stand beside Chuck. He turned to glance at her, her curls cascaded onto her perfectly pressed blazer. Her long eyelashes framing her brown doe eyes as she watched the rain fall. He was seized with a sudden urge to touch her, to run his hands through her soft curls, feel her eyelashes brush against his cheek. He turned to face her now, without consciously deciding to.
"What?" she asked sharply, noticing his intense gaze. "Do you have a problem Bass?"
He wanted to answer yes, you're my problem.
"Perhaps I could be of service," he commented instead, an idea occurring to him.
She raised her eyebrows. "Do you have an umbrella hidden in that garish coat?"
"No," he smirked, "But I do have a coat, unlike you. One that cost $700 and is water proof."
She looked at him, he could tell she was contemplating his words, trying to find his angle.
"And what are you going to wear?" she asked suspiciously, frowning. Chuck was almost as obsessed about his appearance as she was.
"I can wait," he shrugged. "I make it a rule to never be less than ten minutes late to first period anyway. Besides it will match your headband." He added, smirking.
"Fine," she relented.
"I knew you couldn't resist taking off a piece of my clothing," He grinned angelically as she rolled her eyes, and proceeded unbuttoning the jacket with dexterous fingers, slipping it off. Blair reached for it with fingernails painted a dark red, contrasting with the bright jacket.
"Uh-uh not so fast," he said, smirking.
"What is it you want Bass?" she asked, not taken by surprise as he held the jacket up carefully out of her reach. She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.
"Well seeing as you still owe me a joint, and now for this..." he pretended to contemplate it for a moment.
"You know by the time you finish deciding, the rain would have stopped," Blair snapped, her voice rising in annoyance.
"A kiss," he enunciated carefully, watching her dark eyes. He was amused to note she was startled, taken off guard. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at him, and then they flicked to his full mouth involuntarily.
"You have to be joking Bass," she finally hissed, trying to regain her composure. She quickly glanced around, ensuring there was no other hidden presence listening and recounting their exchange to gossip girl.
"A kiss for a coat, seems fair," he said, unrelenting. "And may I remind you that as you continue to insult me, which I'm sure you're planning to do, other students are in class receiving an education which will propel them to an Ivy school."
Blair bit back her retort, realising the sense in his words. She checked her phone again, recognising time was ticking away, and the longer she spent arguing semantics with Chuck the later she would be to class. She knew he would not relinquish the coat until he got what he wanted. She glanced out at the rain, actually contemplating running through it.
"Tick, tock Waldorf," he stated, amused at her dilemma.
"Did you know this counts as sexual harassment," she snapped, glaring at him.
"Like you won't enjoy it?" he asked.
"Fine you win," she huffed, ignoring his comment and relenting as the digital numbers on her phone changed yet again. She quickly stuffed her phone back in her pocket, scrunching up her nose in showy disgust. "Let's get this over with."
Chuck prevented himself from intoning excellent, for fear he'd sound like a perverted Mr. Burns. Instead he settled on smirking superiorly, carefully draping his jacket over his arm. He stepped forward, reaching out to take Blair in his arms.
"No hands," she shrieked as he moved to put his hands at the crook of her back, in the familiar way. "You said a kiss, that's it."
Chuck frowned, his face darkening, thinking about being vindictive and arguing the point. Then again he was reminded that the rain could not last forever, and just as Blair's time was running out, so was his.
"Fine," he relented, repeating her sentiment. "Just a kiss then."
"Fine," she said, exhaling slightly, her shoulders relaxing. Maybe he could have pushed the point after all. But Blair was already leaning forward, and Chuck did the same in anticipation. Blair had her hands clasped behind her back, as if trying to decrease body contact. It made her awkward as she lent forward and up. Still the anticipation built as they drew closer slowly.
Finally their lips met, slow and soft, then something else took over, something familiar. It felt like fireworks bursting under his eyelids. Blair lent forward even more, something desperate in the way she kissed him, desire welling up. All thoughts of minimising body contact was lost as her hands came unclasped and she clutched at his wet hair, dragging him closer. Chuck's own hands were already on her, one resting on the crook of her back, the other entangled in her brown curls. Her eyelashes brushed his cheek, so soft, like butterflies wings. Just like he remembered.
Suddenly there was a loud bang, interrupting the small bubble which had emerged to envelope Blair and Chuck. Blair disengaged startled, she quickly pushed him away and stepped back. Chuck looked for the source of the noise, it was the door to the entrance hall, which had come free of the restraint holding it open and had shut violently. He blinked slowly, looking at his surroundings with a surreal feeling. He found he was breathing rapidly, his heart beating in his chest. His fingers tingled where they had been touching Blair, he was certain his face was as flushed as hers.
Blair stood a step away from him, also looking stunned. Her brown eyes met his dark ones, he saw a flicker of something cross her face, but then it disappeared. The icy glaze fell over her once more, she quickly straightened her blazer, turning her back to Chuck. She went to step out of the covering and into the courtyard.
"Wait, Blair..." Chuck called desperately, quickly reaching out he grabbed her arm.
"What Chuck?" she asked, looking at him, raising an eyebrow challengingly. He could tell she was trying to keep her voice neutral.
"You forgot this," he drawled, holding out his coat as he tried to regain his own composure as fast as he could. He planted a smirk on his face, he wasn't certain it was very convincing though. "After all you earned it." It was a stupid thing to say, he regretted it almost as soon as it slipped from between his tingling lips.
She didn't even bat an eyelid, just jerked her arm out of his hand with disdain, and turning with a flick of brown curls she walked away on heels and dignity. He stood there dumbly, red coat still held out, and watched her make her way to the now closed door and open it. She let it slam behind her without a glance back. He hadn't even noticed it had stopped raining.
Chuck thought about throwing the coat on the ground and kicking it, but he reconsidered. After all it was a beautiful red. Instead he grabbed his phone from the pocket and pressed the number four speed dial.
"Sir?" a male voice answered.
"Bring the car around to school Arthur, I think I've come down with something," he drawled, with his usual cool composure. He didn't wait for an answer, merely snapped the phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket, draping the coat over his arm.
He knew his resigned driver would be out front within ten minutes, he'd been with Chuck long enough to know not to query his requests.
He forced a smirk as he glanced at his watch, the day was still young and his 'parents' were out of town. It was time to find somewhere more lively then the empty courtyard of his school. After all Chuck Bass had a reputation to consider.
With red jacket draped over his arm, he sauntered out from under the covering and headed to the open school gates.
A/N: I think there is a potential story here. Maybe focusing on the Van der Bass family as well as Chuck and Blair's relationship, with some Humphrey/Serena thrown in, and Nate of course lol. Set in season 2, because it was my favourite. Chuck-centric.
Anyway please review = ).
If you google "normal_115-001" the first picutre is what inspired this chapter. I know he's wearing an orange coat, but I reckon he looks more dashing in red lol. I may use a picture to inspire each chapter... (Does anyone know how to put page links on this thing? lol)
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who reviewed, I'll mention your names in the next one. I've written two chapters almost which I will post soon = ). Maybe on a weekly basis, so that I don't get too behind as I'm apt at doing lol.