Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"Did you bring the necklace that I sent to you yesterday morning?" Chuck inquired as they both woke up to the bright morning light. Blair had concluded that thick blinds would need to be the first thing she purchased for his home. The bed, which was the most comfortable thing she had ever slept in, was the only real piece of furniture that he had.
She nodded as she tried to recall where her purse had ended up the previous evening. She had a feeling that he'd ask about the necklace.
"Let's go find your purse," he stated as he slid out from the bed and helped her up, sliding a silk robe around her shoulders before they made their way from the room. He knew how uncomfortable she was walking around naked anywhere but in the bedroom.
"Where did this come from?" she asked as she slipped her arms into the appropriate holes.
"My little secret," he stated as he held a finger to her lips.
"Dorota or Eugenia?" she smirked.
"Trade secret," he responded as he kissed her to keep her from asking more questions. "Now, where is that purse?"
They walked barefoot through the rest of the house. It looked completely different in the daylight. The entire floor was encased in wall-to-wall windows giving off an amazing morning glow. Most of the actual rooms were at the center of the floor plan with the exception of the master bedroom and bath. The floors she noticed were hardwood finished. Each room that they passed was painted in a rich and striking color to which she knew she could determine the perfect theme.
They made their way into the kitchen to find a wonderful spread of food laid out for them.
"The work of elves?" she eyed him curiously.
"Just call me Santa Claus," he chuckled, "Ho, Ho, Ho."
"Can we eat first before we search out my purse? I'm starving, and you gave me quite a workout last night," she mused as his arms wrapped around her waste from behind. He nodded into her shoulder as he led her towards the marble countertop. There were no chairs to sit in or a table to eat at so Chuck lifted her easily onto the counter as she reached over to pick up a handful of red grapes to eat.
"So, what do you think of this place in the morning light?" he asked as she looked over her shoulder to admire the space.
"It's amazing," she admired, "I can truly see you living here."
"And will you be here with me?" he inquired as he ran his hands along her thighs as she feed him a grape.
"Chuck?" she gasped.
"I know you want to do the dorm thing. I don't understand why exactly, but I know it's important to you. I want you to have that, but I also want to have this with you," he explained as he averted his eyes slightly to look at the connection his hand had with her thigh as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. She knew that he was hiding his eyes so that she wouldn't see his emotions. Even on the best of days, sharing their emotions was still difficult for both of them. "We can figure it all out."
"Chuck Bass, are you asking me to move in with you?" she giggled in excitement.
"Yes, actually, I am," he confirmed as he looked into her eyes finally, "We don't need to make it a formal thing. We don't even have to tell your mother. In fact, I would prefer that we didn't."
"I'd first have to tell her that we're together," she responded.
"You haven't told her yet?" Chuck exclaimed in disbelief.
"I haven't exactly been spending a lot of time at the house, and she's spent most of that time in Paris," Blair tried to explain.
"Blair, you have to tell her preferably before your father does," Chuck responded.
"She's not going to like it," Blair pouted.
"Well, it's your time to finally take a stand against her . . . declare your independence," he offered. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "You aren't ashamed of me are you?"
"Of course not!" she exclaimed.
"Then what is it?" he inquired as he saw the hesitation in her eyes.
"Telling her is the last step to making us official," she explained, "It's the last step towards me actually believing that this is really happening between us. I still wake up some mornings convinced that this is all a dream, but thankfully you are lying right beside me to assure that I know it's real."
"All the more reason to spend our nights together," he smirked.
"As if I actually needed another reason," she teased as he bent into kiss her collarbone.
"We need to find that purse," he mumbled against her skin as he continued to kiss a path from one collarbone to the other.
"After we eat," she reminded him as she reached over again and grabbed another handful of fruit.
Chuck bit down gently on her shoulder. "I'm done."
"I am not breakfast," she laughed as he picked her up slightly and slid her closer to the edge of the counter so that he could press against her.
"But you taste better than breakfast ever could," he responded as he continued kissing her neck. Her head was tilting back to expose it to him even more as her breathing became shallower.
"Chuck," she moaned as he found the sensitive bit of flesh at the hollow of her neck and licked it lightly as she rocked against him ever so slightly.
"What were you saying about wanting to eat?" he smirked against her skin as she dropped the handful of fruit back on the platter. A few rogue grapes missed the tray and rolled to the floor.
"I don't care," she responded as his hands went to the knot at her waist and slid her robe open to reveal her flesh to him. The silk at her shoulders fell away to rest at the crooks of her elbows as her arms came around his mid-section to pull him closer.
"I suppose now is as good of a time as any to christen the kitchen," he declared as her legs wrapped around his waist.
"Two rooms down," Chuck smirked as he helped her off the counter after they had made love. Her knees didn't support her weight as they had turned to gelatin during their recent encounter, and she would have crashed to the floor if he hadn't had a tight hold on her. "A little weak in the knees, Waldorf?"
If she hadn't needed both arms to hang onto him she would have slapped him, but she did so she had to settle for biting his collarbone roughly.
"I love it when to play dirty," he hissed into her ear. She scowled at him in response. "Let's go find that purse of yours."
"What is so important about this key?" she asked, "It was just a clue to find your new place."
"The key really does unlock something that I want to give you," he explained, "And you have the only key."
"What would happen if I lost the key?" she inquired as they began their scavenger hunt. There were only a limited number of places it could be.
"We'd have to call a locksmith," he replied, "Because I'm pretty sure that you'll want this gift. It will come in rather handy in a few days time."
She looked at him curiously. "What are you up to, Bass?"
"We have to find that purse for you to find out," he stated as they went from the window she had found him the previous evening and then back to the bedroom where they began to dig under the clothes that had been thrown around the room in their haste to christen his new place.
The frustration of not being able to locate her purse was starting to get to her. She knew that she had it when she left her mother's apartment because she remembered Dorota handing her the bag, which also meant that she would have had it when she got into Chuck's limo. But now she couldn't remember if she had it in her hands when the driver helped her out. Chuck quickly located his phone and called his driver to have him check. Sure enough, the purse turned up and minutes later it was being delivered to his penthouse.
"Now, let's solve this puzzle," Blair stated as she pulled the box out of her purse and held out the key to him.
"What did this unlock in the book?" he inquired.
"For god's sake, Bass, let's just get on with it!" she exclaimed.
"Taking the Lord's name in vain. That doesn't seem like a wise thing to do for someone of your intelligence," he chuckled.
"Fine, I'll have your name in vain, you motherchucker," she snapped as she slapped his still bare chest. He had put his pants on for the sake of the limo driver, but he had forgone the shirt, which he was now regretting as he saw the bright red handprint on his chest that she had inflicted.
"Waldorf, that one hurt," he replied as he rubbed his chest.
"I thought you liked it dirty," she responded playfully as she stepped forward to give his chest a soothing kiss.
"Will you answer my question," he requested as she continued to peck at his chest in an effort to make amends.
"There was a tiny lock on the grandfather clock," she stated, "The key opens it."
"It was my mother's father's grandfather clock," he told her as he led her to the clock, "Supposedly, he was a man with a unique gift for building hidden compartments in ordinary things. I didn't even know this was here until I pulled your key out of my mother's jewelry box."
"This was your mother's?" she inquired as she looked at the key with a new appreciation.
"Yes," he nodded, "After Bart died, Lily made sure that I was given all of her things. They apparently held a sentimental value for my father."
"Bart as a sentimentalist, why is that hard to believe?" Bart mused.
"Because he was a hard ass," Chuck offered as he took the key from her as they approached the clock and unlocked the small lock. "If you look from a distance, do you see any hidden compartments?"
"No, it looks like a regular clock," she replied as she squinted her eyes to try and find what he obviously saw.
"Now, come closer," he requested as he prompted her to take two steps closer to him, so he could show her what he saw.
"This is unreal!" Blair exclaimed as she reached out to touch the hidden compartment. It blended in perfectly with the rest of the clock.
Chuck then opened the compartment, using the small key once more for the hidden lock underneath. Inside revealed a small gift wrapped box which he handed to her.
"Dorota, Eugenia, or a saleslady?" Blair inquired as she inspected the beautifully wrapped box, wanting to know who had wrapped it for him.
"Santa Claus, remember," he chuckled.
"Ho, Ho, Ho, and all that," she rolled her eyes as she pulled at the ribbon and began to unwrap the box. Inside, over a layer of cotton was a keycard. She pulled it out and looked at it curiously.
"It works the elevator that you rode up in last night," he explained.
"How did I get up here last night?" she inquired. She hadn't needed it before, and his chauffeur hadn't needed it that morning.
"The doorman let you up last night and my driver this morning," he explained. "He's very good, and very discreet. You probably didn't even know that he had to do anything to let you up."
She nodded to indicate that he was right. "Why is this necessary if the doorman is there?" she inquired as she held the card up to him.
"It's symbolic really. I'm giving you a key to my place. I want you to know that you can come and go as you please," he explained.
"This is going to come in handy when I start my decorating," she smiled as she put the card back into the box.
"Which room sound we christen next?" he inquired as he pulled her towards him.
TBC. . .
