I'm sorry if there may be mistakes when you read but I haven't had the time to revise the whole thing. I wanted to post it as soon as I could since I was inspired to write :P I really hope you'll like it. Things will go fast as the chapter pass. Tell me if you'd love longer chapters, I may be up for it before my holdays end. Comments are love :3

….

I wish I could say that I've got no regrets

but saying that would be one more to pile on my desk

Back at the Empire, Nate looked busy talking to someone he didn't recognize at first.

He walked slowly in his suite to find Dan Humphrey sitting on the red couch, a glass of what it looked like margarita in his hand. He didn't want to argue with him so he glanced briefly in their direction and then went to his bedroom.

Once inside, he got rid of the jacket of his suit and started to unbutton his shirt a bit.

He wanted to inspect the bruise he had on his torso closely. He had been so careless after he got it because it still hadn't became purple, but now he was regretting not contacting a Doctor. The pain was great and he couldn't walk properly because of it. Plus, it was easy that anyone could hurt it even more by bumping on him by mistake. It could happen casually at a party for example.

He raised the shirt and started to examine the bruise.

From the darker purple it was the day before it was actually turning into a light shade of lilac. He knew next stadium would be turning into green or gold, then it would fade... Hopefully.

He had gone to the Doctor that morning but he sadly saw he had left earlier. He may got late there because he hoped he wouldn't be in his studio, but he preferred to tell himself that he just mistaken reading his schedule. It was just a bruise after all. Not that he hadn't a lot on other parts of his body, they just were invisible. There were bruises left inside that you never show but that you have. They hurt more than these mere purple frailties caused by silly accidents. They would go away with time, not like inside bruises. Those on the other hand could last forever. God knew how long it would pass before healing the one he had on his heart.

"Ouch" he murmured under his breath.

He fingered the spot and the pain grew, and he wished he hadn't been so thoughtless in the first place to get that mark.

"Damn, Chuck" he heard all of a sudden. Nate had cracked the door open and he slid inside of his friend's room. "What is that? Are you hurt?" He looked worried.

Chuck kept watching his reflection in the mirror and then lowered his shirt.

"Believe me, you don't want to know" he said and tried to drop the subject as he fixed his shirt while he walked outside. Nate followed him of course. "Besides, aren't you busy with Dan Humphrey?" he asked just to make sure Brooklyn boy had left.

"Dan is gone. He needs to check on -uhm he needs to write an article for the magazine that has accepted him at the end of the Summer" Nate explained.

Chuck reached the bar and poured himself a bit of scotch. "Thank you Nathaniel, I didn't need to know" he said before sipping on his glass.

Nate wouldn't give up, he was sure. "What happened to you, Chuck? You didn't have that thing when we left LA one week ago."

His best friend sighed and looked carelessly elsewhere. "Nothing happened, Nate" he changed his tone, feeling slightly annoyed. "I just fell from the bed. Is that lame, don't you think?" he chuckled, trying to sound true. His sarcasm failed him though. Again.

"I know what's a fight bruise. I've had too many when we were in High School because I played Lacrosse and other sports, and the guys from other teams weren't really friendly sometimes. If you have been in one, I-"

"You don't need to know, told you. Is just a bruise, it'll disappear in few days."

"Some don't. You could have a broken rib or-" he tried to explain, but he was cut off.

Chuck rolled his eyes and spoke frankly. "I went to a Doctor earlier. He said everything is fine and gave me something to put on the thing" he explained, but Nate didn't seem to swallow it. He looked concerned and Chuck hated that stare. He was able to control himself and his life, he damn knew he didn't have to worry for that bruise. "Believe me when I say is nothing and stop acting as if you were my Mom."

Nate shook his head. "Sorry if I'm worried!" He exclaimed, suddenly raged. "We're supposed to be best friends. We check on each other."

"We're not ladies, Nathaniel. I don't wait outside the door of the bathroom for you."

"Enough with the sarcasm, I got it. Just think that whoever caused you that bruise... he's gonna pay. Drop the pride, Napoleon."

His friend turned and left the room, he heard the bell of the elevator rang after a while so he got he went out. Finally he had time alone, then. He had to shower and get rest for at least a hour. The bruise pulsed from under his shirt and he had no idea what to take to stop the pain.

Before he could throw himself in the bathtub, Gossip Girl dropped another of her blasts.

Oh-la-la seems like old lovers reunited. Spotted in front of the Andrews Medical Center: our soon to be princess and our king. Who would imagine the pair would enjoy a date at this unlikely place? A source confirms B had a long visit at the gyno. No one knew what C was doing there but we know there was eye fucking. Is their flame still alive and what B's Prince would think of this? B, you need to tell him before tonight's celebration! Not every thing can be kept secret... Nothing is more entertaining than royal scandals! xoxo

He rolled his eyes and drop the phone on the bed. Thanks to Gossip Girl he had remembered about tonight's dinner. He wasn't ready to face Blair again. Not that night where she would be with her annoying Prince. He could probably use an excuse, he thought. No one said he had to attend a stupid royal celebration in Louis name.

Although his mind suggested he didn't have to go, he did. He wondered what did help him to get off his bed after a long restoring nap for his aching ribs. As soon as he got up, they were hurting again. He shook his head angrily and had another shower to prepare for the night.

If he was about to see Blair and her family he had at least had to be at his best.

She and everyone had to know one thing in particular. He wasn't hurt and he won't be hurt. She had to believe he was happy and live her own happiness with Prince lame from Paris, and he had to try and figure out how to go on without her.

Who cared what he did, his facade with Blair couldn't be dropped.

Once he arrived at the party alone, he rolled his eyes at the highly royal room the celebration was held. It looked too weird, not too American nor European. It had a style he didn't surely love and what made it worse were pictures of Blair smiling with Louis on the walls. He thought he could vomit.

He stepped more inside and noticed his best friend Nate. Like the afternoon at his suite he was still talking to Dan Humphrey. He wondered what may had tied the both of them together, they looked deep in conversation talking about God knew what.

Chuck decided to change path to avoid his friends questions about his bruise and headed right, where there was the bar. He asked for a scotch, the only drink he thought could soothe the pain that was already started to grow on the right part of his torso.

"Isn't too early for that?" a joyful Serena asked.

He looked indifferent at her and sipped his favorite liquid. "Just trying to warm my throat."

"Mmmh. You wanted to say burn" she clarified with a giggle and then ordered herself a drink. "Chuck. Nate has told me about -"

"Good old Nate he couldn't keep his mouth shut" he complained.

"You need someone checking on you, it can get serious."

He sighed, slightly annoyed. "I find it annoying that he sent you to make me change my mind. He didn't see it wasn't that bad and that I can take care of me?"

"He told me it's big and it's on your ribs. Some may be broken" his step sister explained as Chuck started walking away from the bar and she had to follow him. "I've called my Father earlier in the evening, and-" she tried to finish before being cut off again.

"Is just a bruise, Serena. Don't worry too much about it" he recommended. "It'll go away."

She sighed "You're really stubborn, aren't you?"

"I don't get why all this hype. Is not going to damage a thing. Now if you'll excuse me."

Chuck tried to walk faster than he was able to and reached the room nearby. It was smaller though there were more people inside of it. He wondered where Blair was and somehow he knew that hadn't to think about her in the first place. He knew how hard it was since it was Louis party, but who said he had actually need to meet her?

For what, above all. Consider his life without her again? Being conscious for the tenth time that she didn't belong with him and she was getting married soon?

Being in LA had been too easy. Nate had tried to cheer him up and they had wild nights out with Serena at the most exclusive clubs of the State. They had danced and got drunk several times in order to let go of the worries of life, and just have fun. He succeeded in the purpose when he stopped checking Gossip Girl and its meaningless and hurtful blasts of Blair and her Prince doing shopping. The face he saw on those pictures didn't look Blair's happy face, though he tried his best not to think about it. A picture couldn't say everything since it was snapped all of a sudden. She was probably deep in thought.

He never stopped thinking about her of course, and so the pain eased a bit while taking long walks or daily trips to Venice on a yacht property of the Vanderbilts.

He wandered from room to room of the nice French embassy because he just wanted to avoid silly conversations about his bruise. He finally found a room that was empty at the end of the corridor, and got in. The lights were obviously turned off and he didn't bother to switch them on. He felt the need to be apart from other people all of a sudden, from his friends above all, and that looked like the perfect place.

He walked towards the huge windows where he spotted a balcony. He thought it would be nice to get fresh air and perhaps lit a joint when he felt other steps behind him of what it looked like heels, and he couldn't help but turn in response.

He couldn't believe it was actually her.

"Blair?" he asked, his voice far from sure seemed to echo in the large room.

She stepped forward. "Chuck?"

"Shouldn't be you in the royal room since it's your party?" he asked, suddenly trying to start what he wanted to look like conversation although he knew he didn't know what to say.

Blair seemed to giggle in the dark. He could barely see her face but he swore she had red lipstick and her hair up. He couldn't make out the color and the model of the dress she was wearing, but it looked black.

"Not exactly. Why are you here, though?" Her question looked bitter, so she rephrased. She didn't want to look rude. "I mean, why are you hiding? I thought you were a party animal" she shrugged and made an half smile.

He lowered his head a bit and shrugged. "I don't bear too much people tonight. And sorry to tell you this since your huh threw this party, but I'm slightly bored."

Blair smirked, but didn't answer. She noticed the way he had avoided to refer as Louis as her fiancé. It was still weird for her to call him that since it had been pretty clear to her and Chuck that it wasn't him the one he wanted to call that but eventually came to terms she deserved happiness and happiness looked like Louis to her.

"Why are you here, on the other hand?" he asked, not sure she would answer.

"Doing the same thing as you, apparently" she grinned.

"Want to get some air?" he offered, then walked towards the balcony. "Would other people see us?" he made sure, because he didn't know whether or not there were other balconies nearby, but Blair shook her head and nodded, suggesting him to go on and open the window.

Outside, the air looked unsaturated and finally both took deep breaths of relief.

Chuck went to the right and Blair to the left. They weren't that far from each other since the balcony wasn't that big, but still they sensed that they didn't know what to do or to say to the other after long time no see.

This was the second time that day they had met, and the first had been easier. They hadn't spoke much if not about finding the exit of the Medical Center and where were their cars. Nothing actually serious had been touched, and neither them. The physic element was missed between them, but Chuck thought it wasn't the case to betray Louis again and Blair's decision like that. People would know and he didn't want to destroy Blair's dream of being a princess.

He turned to look at her, surprised to got it right inside.

Her hair were up and she had pendants. A red lipstick marked her lips and a one shoulder tulle dress long up to her knees covered her body.

She wasn't looking at him, but at the city outside when he noticed her right hand on her stomach. He thought it was just reflex, but she seemed to smooth her dress right there, exactly how she had done that morning when he took off.

"Have you had a great time in Los Angeles?" she asked all of a sudden, he was still looking at her, and it was unexpected for her.

He nodded. "Yeah, it was great" he just answered. "Bet not as great as yours. You know how much I love Monaco, but I prefer it in the Winter."

"That's a really great city, I felt like home" she started to say, a big smile on her face.

He smiled back then put his elbows on the balcony's marble stone. "Great to hear" he managed to say in a whisper.

It wasn't really great. Once she and Prince charming would get married -damn he loathed how that word sounded in his head, but he had to get used to it- the possibilities Blair and her husband could keep living in New York were really few. He had a beautiful mansion back there in Europe, and he knew he would make sure to let Blair live a happy life as a princess.

Her dream would become true only if she moved on from Manhattan, from him.

He suddenly wondered if she thought about these things sometimes.

At some point Chuck coughed. Blair turned to look at him and he instinctively put a hand on his ribs under his suit jacket, the one located where the bruise was. The sudden cough had hurt him so much that he was now holding the molding with his other hand. To anybody he could look like someone who was about to vomit or had stomach spasms and needed to hurry to the toilet in order to make it stop. He was hating himself so much in that moment because he knew she would worry, and this was the last thing he wanted.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned like he thought she would be. "Where does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt" he lied, trying to put himself right and drop the hand from the balcony.

"Then why are you keeping his hand on your rib? Let me see" she hurried for his hand, but he recoiled back, hitting the end of the balcony with his back.

"It's nothing" he repeated.

"Blair? Are you out there?" a voice called and saved him. They heard steps moving towards the balcony. Thank God Chuck wasn't visible from outside since the window had a curtain.

Chuck acknowledged it was actually Louis calling her, so he nodded and smiled one last time at Blair as to suggest her to go and met her soon-to-be husband before he could catch her with him on the balcony and she wouldn't have a proper explanation. Wasn't so likely to find your fiancée in an empty room with her long time ex boyfriend. He again didn't want to be the cause for Blair and Louis to break up.

"Sweetie, I'm right here. I'm coming" she said before entering the room. He also heard her say to let's go out of there and not leave their guests alone before the resounding sound of the door closing behind her and her Prince.

Chuck exhaled deeply and gripped a hand on the molding to fix himself. Once he inspected the hand he had put on his bruise, he noticed it was red. He thought it was because of the balcony or something he didn't see he actually touched since the lights were down in the room, but then he realized it was its own blood. That's when he started to fear his friends were right.

….

Blair's dress: http : / www . Polyvore . com/cgi/set?id=35243010 (removed the spaces)