Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
"Good morning," Blair smiled as she woke up to see Chuck staring at her intently. She could hear the soft sound of the blinds opening as the sun's glow began to bath them in an otherworldly glow. This felt more like a dream than any she'd been having for months.
"Good morning," his smiled widened.
"How long have you been awake?" she inquired as she rolled into his arms.
"Awhile," he replied as his hands roamed along her nude body. It had been a tricky situation the previous evening as they prepared for bed. She had insisting on rolling herself up in a towel so as to comply with the no sex policy that he'd established, but she'd become too warm during the night and cast it to the floor.
"Careful, Bass," she smirked as his hands roamed to the dangerous territory of her derriere, "That goes against your no sex policy."
"It's difficult to remember my no sex policy with your sexy body rubbing up against me," he replied as he caressed her backside a little more firmly.
"That feels good," she sighed happily as she found herself pressed up against him more fully. She mentally was cursing the presence of the boxers she felt against his hips. She wondered when exactly he began to wear any sort of undergarments. Her hands went to his hips to remove the garment, but he quickly halted her.
"They stay on," he chided her.
"Since when did you start wearing boxers?" she verbalized the thought she was having.
"I don't often," he conceded, "But proposing to you seemed like an appropriate place for them."
"No sex, boxers, what else has changed about you during our time apart?" she inquired.
Chuck looked towards the clock and determined it was time for his medication. He rose from the bed without a word and found his travel bag that he had to keep with him at all times now before disappearing into the bathroom.
"Chuck, you don't need to hide away while taking your medication," Blair stated as she plowed into the bathroom after him the moment she realized what he was doing.
"This isn't something I'm comfortable with yet," he admitted just after he swallowed his pills, "So forgive me for not wanting to broadcast my disorder to the world."
"There is no world here, just you and me," she told him, "I don't want you feeling as if you need to hide away to deal with this, especially from me."
"The doctors made the diagnosis. I'm taking the medication, but I'm far from accepting of this. This is going to take some time to wrap my head around," he told her as he rested his hands against the marble countertop to offer support.
"This isn't anything you have to be ashamed of," Blair whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body up against his backside, her cheek pressed into his back.
Chuck's head fell forward as his arms entwined with hers. Looking towards his reflection in the mirror, Blair spotted a single tear tumbling down his cheek that brought on her own.
"I'm damaged goods; I always have been."
Blair's arms tightened around him as she buried her head into his back again so he wouldn't see the tears that were coming. Just hearing him say the words broke her heart.
"Let's go sit in the sun," Blair suggested, her voice thick with the sobs she was desperately trying to hold back.
"We have no bathing suits," he reminded her as she lifted herself up onto her toes to kiss his cheek.
"You have boxers. I have a bra and panties. It's all the same," she replied, "Our clothes should be here by the afternoon. We can make due until then."
He nodded in agreement.
"Do you have a toothbrush in that bag?" she inquired as she motioned towards the black leather tote that was sitting atop the counter.
"I do," he replied.
"Do you mind if I use it?" she pressed on, "My teeth feel a little fuzzy."
He dug into the bag until he found the brush and tube of toothpaste. "I'm going to tell our caretaker to bring us breakfast on the beach. Any requests?"
"A croissant would be lovely, if it's an option," she replied.
He nodded as he disappeared to allow her a few moments to freshen up.
Chuck's somber mood continued through the morning. Blair tried everything in her arsenal to cheer him up, but it was to no avail. He was most comfortable with being depressed, so she let him stay in his somber mindset as he read from the book he'd had with him on the plane the day earlier, though the pages were hardly turning.
"I'm sorry," he stated suddenly as he set the book aside as he gave up on his ruse. "This is supposed to be a celebration of our reunion, and so far there hasn't been much in the way of celebration. How about we pop some champagne and toast our reunion?"
"What happened to being the designated driver?" Blair inquired as she rose from her chair to relocate herself into the chair with him.
"I can toast without partaking," he sighed. Clearly he had forgotten his predicament for a moment.
"Let's try sparkling cider," Blair offered. Their caretaker suddenly appeared as if she had been summoned. Blair smiled as she requested their drinks.
"Mister Bass, your jet requested final clearance. It should be landing within half an hour," Yvechelle announced just before she turned to retrieve their drinks.
"I like her, Bass," Blair smiled as she burrowed her head into his chest, "She like a Caribbean version of Dorota, always there when we need her, but never around when we don't."
She felt him chuckle against her. "I thought the same thing when I met her."
"Let's go for a swim," she suggested, "By the time we need to dry off our clothes should be waiting for us."
"Have you forgotten that we aren't in proper bathing suits?" he reminded her as his finger traced along the lace trim covering her breast. Even though he wanted to take things slow, he couldn't fight the temptation for long, and being so close after so many months made the longing for her that much greater.
"I can behave if you will," she spoke softly as she watched his fingers with fascination. Everything about their reunion felt different yet familiar. The way his touch felt was the same, but the way he touched was completely foreign. She was used to him mauling her as he tore at her clothes. Parading around in her lingerie had never been an option. He usually had it off before she could take a step past him.
"You're so beautiful," he said as he lowered his hands to her waist to anchor her into his lap. "There isn't a lot in this world that is beautiful to me, but you are. Every inch of you is simply exquisite."
Blair felt the heat in her cheeks brought on by his compliment. It had been so long since she'd allowed another man's word to have such an effect on her. Louis showered her with compliments, but they never were allowed to enter her heart they way Chuck's words were. She knew she'd hurt and embarrassed Louis by calling off the wedding so close to the actual date, and she'd left him to deal with the fall out all on his own. She would always feel awful about that, but she had to follow her heart.
Blair was startled from her thoughts as she felt Chuck's lips against her cheeks.
"You were a million miles away from me for a moment," Chuck whispered into her ear.
"I didn't care for Louis like I care for you, but I feel horrible for the way I left things with him," she admitted as she burrowed in against his chest again, "I just tossed his ring back at him and walked away."
"Do you think it would have hurt less if you'd given him a long, drawn out explanation as to how you've always loved me more than you loved him?" Chuck inquired.
"No, but he still deserved an explanation," she replied, "And so do you. I was wrong to go back to Louis after what happened between us at that bar mitzvah. No matter what you may have said, I should have followed my heart. It leads back to you. It always has."
"I was just giving you what I though you wanted," he replied.
"I wanted you," she responded.
"But it's easy with him," Chuck replied.
"It's easy because I don't care enough about him to make it difficult," Blair explained, "Love isn't supposed to be easy, Chuck."
"But it should make you feel good," he stated, "And I don't do that."
"Perhaps not everyday, but I feel a hundred times better with you in the good moments than I do with Louis in his greatest moments. I've made my choice, and I'm not going to let you talk me out of it. I choose you. I love you."
Chuck struggled out of the chair and ventured towards the water's edge.
"Don't you dare drown yourself, Bass," Blair hissed as she followed him, "I will breathe life back into you and then beat it out of you again."
Chuck turned towards her suddenly. With speed that startled her, he had her in his arms as he plowed his way through the surf until he was deep enough to drop her without fear of injuring her.
"Chuck Bass, have you lost your mind?" Blair hollered as she surfaced, sputtering water as she went. He was bent at the waist, laughing hysterically. As she found her footing she began slapping at any piece of exposed flesh that she could find, intending to inflict the most pain she could.
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you look wet?" he laughed as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pinning hands at her waist.
"Don't even try using that Bass charm on me right now. It's not going to work. You dropped me into whatever body of water this. I could have drowned."
"You were the one that wanted to go for a dip," he pointed out as she struggled against his grip in an attempt to free her hands.
"This wasn't what I had in mind," she continued to scowl at him. "I was hoping for a joyful frolic in the surf, not being unceremoniously dumped into the water."
"I'm sorry," he pouted pathetically, "How shall I make it up to you?"
"I would say something sparkly, but you took care of that yesterday," she smiled as her thumb traced the band of her ring to ensure that it was still on her finger. She would have been heartbroken if she'd lost it so soon after receiving it, but she knew Chuck would take it harder.
"Make a decision, Waldorf," he commanded her as she began weighing her options, "This is a limited time offer."
She thought for a moment. It suddenly occurred to her that they hadn't truly kissed since she'd accepted his proposal. "One kiss that leaves us both weak in the knees."
He allowed her arms to be freed as he tightened his hold around her waist. Automatically her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she anchored herself to him in anticipation, unconsciously licking her lips. The sight of her tantalizing tongue drew out a moan from the back of his throat as his lips touched hers. He was gentle at first; his lips barely grazed against her as he gave her just enough to rekindle her desire for him.
She whimpered as his tongue ran slowly along the seam of her lips seeking permission, which she quickly granted, her fingers tangling into the hairs at the nape of his neck as he angled himself to get better access. There tongues began a familiar duel for dominance.
"Chuck," she gasped as she broke free reluctantly for breath. Her chest was heaving as she gulped in the desperately needed air. Her head came to rest in the hollow of his neck as she hung onto him for dear life.
"Was your wish granted?" he smiled against her neck as he continued to peck away.
"Knees are definitely weak, yours?"
"Sufficiently shaking," he replied.
"Let's go dry off," she suggested, "Our cider should be waiting and our clothes should be arriving soon."
He nodded as he followed her back to their chairs were he tossed a towel around his hips before he wrapped the other towel around her shoulders, rubbing gently to dry her off.
Blair reached for the two glasses of freshly poured cider and handed one to Chuck. "Will you say the toast? You always do so wonderfully."
Chuck cleared his throat to give himself a moment to gather his thoughts. "To renewed love and a promising future to come. May we never let obstacles come between us again, big or small. May every moment we have together be something to cherish, and may we cherish every moment we have together."
"Perfection," she smiled as she rang her glass against his before taking a sip.
"Are you hungry?" he inquired as he took his own sip before setting the glass aside, "I could have Yvechelle make us something as it's nearly lunch time."
"I am a little hungry," she nodded, "Perhaps a light lunch on the veranda."
"There is a dining room to use," he told her as he took her hand and led her back into the home.
"Why would we use a dining room when we have such a stunning view from the veranda?" she smiled as they climbed the staircase to their bedroom where their luggage had already been unpacked.
"Noted," he nodded as he began rifling through the drawers to determine which were his and which were hers. He wasn't the least bit surprised to find that all but two of the drawers and more than three quarters of their closet were full of her clothes, but he had enough to get by. He quickly grabbed a couple of garments and disappeared into the bathroom without a word.
Blair looked towards the closed bathroom door for a moment trying to discern his mood. She went through a mental checklist as she had done so many times before. Could she have said something to upset him? Was there something in the room that could have sparked an unhappy memory? He suddenly emerged with a smile on his face in a fresh change of clothes, looking as dapper as always.
"Something the matter, Beautiful?" Chuck inquired as he stepped towards her upon seeing the slight frown on her face.
"You disappeared so suddenly. I thought perhaps you were upset about something," she explained as his hand ran along her cheek gently. The towel around her shoulders fell to the floor.
"I just stepped in to change," he replied, "I wanted to remove myself from temptation."
"Temptation," she repeated in the hope that he'd elaborate.
"My beautiful fiancée standing in our tropical bedroom in nothing more than her lingerie," he smiled, "I don't know of much that would be more tempting than that. To make it impossibly more tempting, she's dripping wet, and although I'm trying to be a gentleman here, the garments are virtually transparent at the moment leaving very little to my overly vivid imagination."
Blair felt the blush creep up to her cheeks as she tried to cover herself. Chuck quickly caught her arms and pinned them behind her back as he brought her flush against him.
"I wasn't complaining," he smirked, "If it's possible, you are more beautiful than I remember."
Blair's eyes immediately clouded over with lust as they settled on his lips. He may be trying to be noble, but she wanted the hormone driven man that she'd fallen in love with. She'd been starved of his affections for far too long. She needed him. "Chuck, please, make love to me."
"So tempting," he whispered against her lips, "But not yet."
"Why not," she pouted, "I need you so desperately."
"The feeling is entirely mutual," he assured her as he ran the pad of his thumb along her lips, "But I've wrecked so much of my life with sex. I want to enjoy these moments we have together without the complications."
"But sex is what brought us together," she insisted.
"Love brought us together," he told her, "Sex got in the way of that. That night you danced for me at Victrola, I felt a connection to you that I've never felt for anyone else in my life. We should have explored that, but instead we had sex and that drove you away."
"That's not what happened," she insisted.
"Perhaps not at first," he conceded.
"Chuck . . ."
"Please, Blair, just let me have this," Chuck interrupted her, his eyes pleading with her to relent.
"Do you not want me?" she broke down in tears.
"Don't say that," he replied as he began to wipe away her tears, "Don't even think that. I want you . . . so much, but I want to do this the right way, all of this. I've wasted so many chances with you that I don't even know how many that you've given me. I can't waste one more. My heart cannot take one more. You are everything to me. You're the air I breathe. Please, Blair, let me get this right."
The silence in the room was nearly unbearable as she processed his request.
"Okay," she nodded finally.
"Thank you." His eyes were filled with the gratitude and love that he felt for her.
"Let me change out of these transparent clothes, and then we can have lunch."
He kissed her lips softly and then stepped away. Unlike him, she was not going to remove the temptation as she stripped off her bra and panties in plain sight of him before she pranced over to the dresser to decide what to wear. There was no hint of her previous awkwardness at being naked, nor was there any attempts made to discourage his gaze. She may have agreed to his request to wait, but she wasn't going to stop tempting him into action.
"Our first full day in paradise is gone," Blair sighed as they sat on the beach and watched the sun slip below the horizon. She was sitting in his lap once more with his arms around her waist. At his side was a champagne bucket, though all it contained was another bottle of sparkling cider.
"Speaking of paradise, you'll need to come up with a name for our Caribbean getaway," he told her as he kissed her shoulder lightly.
"Doesn't this place already have a name?" she inquired as she took a sip of the bubbly liquid in her glass. She felt guilty about drinking in front of him, even though he insisted that he was fine with it. He'd had Yvechelle go as far as open a bottle of the finest champagne they had on the island, but she hadn't had a drop of it until that moment, even then it was just a tiny sip.
"It does," he nodded, "But it's not actually one that I'd consider keeping."
"What is the name?" she pressed.
"Misery Island," he revealed reluctantly.
"Why in the world would someone name such a beautiful island something so awful?" Blair gasped.
"I haven't a clue," Chuck replied, "But I would say that this island deserves a name that is more fitting. Wouldn't you agree?"
"I absolutely agree," she replied, "How about Paradise Island?"
"Is that as creative as we can get?" he chuckled.
"Waldass Island," she suggested.
"Bassdorf," he chuckled.
"Bluck," she laughed along with him.
"Chair," he tossed out there.
"Let's agree to not name it after ourselves or any combination of our names," she replied, "How about Evelyn Isle?"
"After my mother," he realized quickly, "My real mother."
"Elizabeth really wasn't your mother, was she," Blair frowned.
"Jack found out I was doing the DNA test and had the results altered," Chuck explained. "Elizabeth didn't know. She genuinely thought she was my mother."
"Does that mean that you have a sibling out there?" Blair inquired.
"No," he shook his head, "Her son died as an infant. Bart wasn't his father. They may have had an affair, but it didn't result in me."
"How did you find out?"
"Jack told me. When he came to New York to help clear Bart's name and take down Russell Thorpe, he told me. I didn't take his story at face value, so I had it investigated. Elizabeth Fisher's son was born three months before my birthday," he explained.
"Does anyone else know any of this?" Blair asked.
"Nobody else knows," he shook his head, "Not Nathaniel, not Lily. It was one of the things that set me down my path to rock bottom."
"I'm sorry I brought any of it up," she replied. If she hadn't brought up Evelyn, he wouldn't have thought about what happened with Elizabeth. It was a sting that would not go away anytime soon, especially now that it had all been a lie.
"It's okay," he told her as he nuzzled her neck, "I like the idea of naming the island after my mother. As long as you're okay with it."
"Are you sure?" she pressed, "I want this to be a place that we come to escape the world and our problems."
"It will be," he assured her.
Without warning the skies above opened up, sending torrential downpours upon them. Blair let out a squeal of surprise as she picked up the ice bucket and dashed towards the house. Chuck however laid back and let the rain wash over him.
Realizing that he wasn't behind her, Blair looked out to try and find him. She was startled to see that he was laying in the sand where she had left him with his arms stretched out. She thought perhaps something horrible had happened to him and ran back out. She fell to her knees next to him and began shaking him, "Chuck, Chuck, are you alright?"
Chuck began laughing as he pulled her on top of him, kissed her deeply.
"Chuck, it's pouring down rain!" she slapped his chest as she pulled away, "Come inside before you catch a cold."
"Stay here with me," Chuck held her hand tight. "I've never taken the time to enjoy these wonders of nature. It's about time I do, and I want to enjoy this with you."
"Chuck, I'm dripping wet."
"Doesn't it feel wonderful," he laughed out.
"No, it feels wet," she replied as she freed herself from his grasp. "I'll enjoy the storm from inside. Come join me when you return to your senses."
She waited, patiently for nearly thirty minutes. He laid still as the water continued to pour down on him when Blair suddenly had an epiphany. He wasn't simply enjoying Mother Nature's offering. He was letting it wash away his sins, as if it was the only way he could truly ever be worthy of being with her.
When the rain reduced to a mere sprinkle he picked himself up off the sand. When he stepped inside, Blair's arms wrapped around him immediately.
"You're cold," Chuck replied as he felt her shiver against him, "Let's get you out of these wet clothes."
"You're soaked to the bone," Blair replied as she began unbuttoning his shirt. Her hands were shaking. He grasped her hands to still them before he picked her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom, bypassing the bed on his way into the bathroom where he set her on the edge of the tub as he turned on the warm water. "Bathe with me," she requested.
"This feels like entrapment," he told her as he lifted her blouse over her head.
"I promise to behave," she told him as she resumed her unbuttoning of his shirt.
"No funny business, Waldorf," he cautioned her as he shrugged out of his shirt and then removed his trousers.
When the tub was full enough, Blair slipped into the water and waited for Chuck to join her. She didn't have to wait long as he quickly slid in behind her. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they savored the feel of their bare skin against one another.
"This feels a hundred times more intimate than sex," Blair announced suddenly.
"Why do you say that?" he inquired as he reached for the sponge and began running it along her skin.
"You've had sex with probably hundreds of women, but how many times have you bathed with any of them?"
"Only with you," he assured her.
"That's what I thought," she smiled, "This is special, sacred even."
"Everything with you is sacred."
"When you say things like that, it makes it very hard for me to keep my promise about behaving," she giggled, "Because all I want to do right now is turn around and have my way with you."
"Part of me wants you to have your way with me," he chuckled, "But a larger part of me wants us to wait. We have the rest of our lives."
"I know," she sighed, "But it doesn't make the waiting any easier."
"I know," he nodded, "But I love you for agreeing to it for me."
"I love you too."
TBC. . .
Kind of light with the responses last chapter. I hope you all like this one a bit better.
FYI, I have not yet watched the 100th episode of GG, but I've been told I will not like what I see. Hopefully my fellow chair fans have not given up yet. I honestly don't believe that Blair will allow herself to stay in such a farce of a marriage for long. I'm hoping for a swift annulment. Who's with me?