After having successfully dodged Chuck for the entire first week back at school, he'd at last caught her off guard. She could see him coming a mile off- people on the other side of the world could probably have seen him, given the same, flamboyant scarf he'd taken to sporting each day. But thanks to his close proximity, Blair was left without the option of gathering her things and making off in the opposite direction. So, with no available exit route in sight, she cast her eyes down, sat very still and tried her hardest to become invisible.

'You've been avoiding me.' Chuck stated flatly, towering above her with his palms face down on the concrete table.

'How perceptive you are.' She offered him a smile that was laced with poison. 'Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to doing just that.' Dropping her eyes back to her textbook, Blair shooed him away with a wave of her hands.

'Nice try.' He grinned, ignoring her dismissal as he slid onto the bench opposite her. 'I've been looking for you all week, you're alarmingly good at hiding.' Chuck commented, tapping his fingers on the table. 'So, what gives with the evasion?'

Her head snapped up from her reading and she glared viciously at him. Chuck merely smirked, taking the opportunity her distraction provided to prise the book from her fingers and snap it shut.

'That's better- fewer diversions.' He remarked, sliding the hardback tome out of her reach while nudging her untouched lunch a few inches closer.

Blair looked at him coolly, ignoring the box of prepped vegetables he'd replaced her reading materials with.

'Come on.' He whined. 'Why are you treating me like I'm patient zero all of a sudden?'

Blair scoffed and, much in need of another way to occupy her hands, pretended to search through her bag. 'You know exactly why.' She hissed, her eyes averted. 'You can't be trusted.'

Chuck laughed casually, reaching for her crudités. 'Oh please, all these melodramatics for the sake of one kiss?' He mumbled through a mouthful of cucumber.

'Shut up!' Blair spat, looking about herself in case any prying eyes, or gossip-hungry ears were present. 'I thought we agreed to a mutual understanding that that never happened.'

'No, you agreed that with yourself, I never said anything of the sort. In fact,' he continued, tracing the length of one of her fingers atop the table. 'I've been re-playing it all week long.'

Blair snatched her hand away. 'Don't touch me.'

'You're no fun to play with anymore.' He grumbled.

'I'm curious.' She began, glancing at his proud, self-assured expression. 'Do you actually want us both to lose Nate?'

'Maybe,' he grinned. 'If it means I get to put my head back between your-'

'Chuck!' She cried, interrupting him. 'Let's get things straight, shall we? Whatever momentary lapse of my better judgement I suffered last week, it was a one off. It never should have happened, and it never will again. Is that clear?'

Chuck pretended to ponder her demands, turning his head from left to right. 'And what if I don't agree to your terms?'

'I don't really care.' She spoke. 'It's a new school year, and as far as I'm concerned that means a clean slate. You have no proof, it's my word against yours.'

He laughed. 'Look, the way I see it is this; your relationship with Nate is hanging on by a thread, and Serena isn't here to keep you company. I'm really the only friend you have left, why push me away?'

'You know I hate you, right?' Blair checked. 'With a burning passion.'

'Don't be so theatrical.' He swatted the air, then picked up another stick of cucumber and doused it in hummus.

'Oh sure, just help yourself to my lunch why don't you?' Blair tutted, frowning at the sizeable dent he'd made in her food during his short time spent tormenting her.

'My bad, I thought it was just here for decoration.' He eyed her carefully and pushed the container even closer to her. 'Don't hold back on my account.'

Blair sighed at his lack of subtlety but chewed on the end of a carrot to shut him up. 'You know, Serena was a lot better at this. I'm surprised she didn't leave you her notes.' She complained. 'Happy now?'

'Immensely.' His mouth quirked slightly. 'You know, you should come to The Palace sometime, I could have the chef make you anything you wanted.'

'I have a private chef at home, Chuck.' She reminded him.

'And this is what he gives you?' He snickered, looking down at the plastic box of raw vegetables; they both knew she'd specifically requested it in place of something heavier. He didn't say it, he didn't have to. 'I think Eleanor might need to reconsider his position. Why don't you come to the hotel after school?'

She opened her mouth to protest, but his hand was already raised in the air to stop her.

'Don't get your panties in a twist- I'll invite Nate too. We can order room service and watch one of those tedious movies you like.'

'You don't have to coddle me just because Serena isn't here. I'm fine.' Blair said brusquely.

He leaned closer, tucking a loose strand of hair back into her headband. 'I know.'

Blair pushed his hand away. 'Then why are you acting the mother goose with all these false niceties?'

Chuck held his chest with a dramatised sigh. 'You wound me. What makes you assume they're false?'

'Because I know you.' She said pointedly, crunching on a piece of cucumber.

'Fair point.' He agreed, smirking. 'Will you come anyway?'

'Do I even have a choice?' Blair groaned.

'With me? Always.' He winked, before getting up and disappearing into the throng of students, all headed for classes their parents had paid through the nose for them to flunk. She doubted very much that he was planning to attend to his final period.

After classes had concluded for the day, Blair stood in her bedroom. She'd considered staying in her uniform, not wanting him to think she had dressed for the occasion, but she loathed to spend more time than was necessary in her school clothes. He knew it, and he was smart enough to know that anything else would have been simply an act of protest. So the question of how one dressed for a strange evening of snacks and movies with their boyfriend and his best friend was answered, in the end, by a fitted dress and cardigan.

'Well, don't you look nice?' He husked appreciatively, greeting her through the open door with eyes that roved unabashedly across her figure. 'Alpaca?'

'Cashmere.' She corrected him haughtily, picking at a small ball of lint. 'Is Nate here?' Blair asked, ignoring his compliment to peer into the suite.

'He's on his way.' Chuck opened the door wider and ushered her inside. 'Come on in.'

She huffed loudly, but walked into the room- it was warm, and there were lamps dotted around the space that gave off a soft, dim glow. The first thing Blair noticed was that he'd scattered all the cushions from the couch across the floor in front of the TV. Next came the affront on her nose. Along the length of his kitchen counter, Chuck had arranged platter upon platter of rich, steaming food.

'What's all this?' Blair asked on her approach, eyeing the dishes and plates cautiously.

'Dinner.' He replied casually. Peeling Blair's cardigan from her shoulders, he lay it over a chair, then guided her closer towards the display of dishes.

'There's a pasta, broccoli, some salads and-'

'Lobster pot pies.' She finished, eyeing the flaky, golden pastry that topped small ramekins.

He hummed an affirmation. 'It's still your favourite, right?' There was a hint of concern in his tone, and she wondered if he could really be worried that he'd not procured the dishes she loved best. That wasn't like him, he was self-centred and sly, not thoughtful and caring.

'It is.' She murmured. The gesture, and his strange tenderness, had touched her somewhat. 'I didn't know that you-'

'I pay attention when you talk.' Chuck grinned. 'Sometimes.' He added for good measure.

'Nate told you.' She assumed, narrowing her eyes at his generosity.

'No.' He shook his head. 'He still thinks your favourite is grilled chicken salad.'

Blair snorted uncharacteristically. 'Of course he does, that's his favourite.' Then she turned to regard him with a proper smile. 'What are we watching?'

'The choice is on the coffee table.' Chuck picked at a stalk of roasted broccoli, gesturing towards the cushions.

Ambling over, Blair recognised a few of her Old Hollywood favourites, some of his – mostly arthouse and foreign - and an action movie that was no doubt a nod to Nate's preferences. 'Points deducted for the distinct lack of Hepburn, Bass. But I commend your efforts overall.'

'I think we've all seen Tiffany's one too many times at this point, Blair.'

She feigned a gasp. 'Sacrilege.' Blair lowered herself onto the pile of cushions, adjusting her back against the couch. 'You can never watch Tiffany's too many times.' She looked back at the DVD cases and had to stifle a giggle. 'You think Nate could make it through Wild Strawberries without falling asleep?'

Chuck tittered from the kitchen. 'Not a chance in hell.'

As if he'd been summoned by the mention of his name, a quick rap on the door signalled Nate's arrival. Chuck dashed from the kitchen to open the door for his friend. She heard them exchange something that sounded distinctly like boyish slaps on shoulders, but didn't turn to look, waiting instead for him to acknowledge her first.

Since the last night of their summer vacation, Blair had struggled somewhat to look Nate in the eye. She knew why, of course, but it didn't make it any simpler. The guilt over what she'd done had been eating her up inside and, though she knew he wouldn't confess, she couldn't dismiss the feeling that Chuck was only ever one glass of scotch away from trying it on with her again. A boundary had been crossed, and she understood him well enough to know he didn't like to leave a door ajar when he believed he could go through it instead.

'Hey, Blair.' Nate breathed, throwing himself down beside her on the cushions. He landed with a thud and kissed her on the top of her head.

They ate, then watched Wild Strawberries, well Blair and Chuck did. As predicted, Nate had fallen asleep in the space of about thirty minutes, his arm still curled around Blair's shoulder. On her other side, Chuck sat quietly watching the movie.

The silence, and Nate's arm slung around her, proved quite the breeding ground for Blair's guilt to multiply.

'Do you think we should tell him?' She whispered, when her thoughts could no longer be contained in her mind. 'I just feel so bad.'

Chuck's head whipped around to face her. 'Are you insane?' He hissed, surveying Nate to make sure he was truly asleep. 'Blair, we can't have this conversation here, come on.' He got up from the cushions and held his hand out to her expectantly.

Sighing, Blair extracted herself from her boyfriend's warm embrace and let Chuck lead her into the bedroom, where he silently closed the door. He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the made bed where they'd first kissed, patting the space beside him.

Blair hesitated.

'I don't bite.' He complained, watching her dither by the door.

'Yes you do.' She frowned but moved to sit beside him, leaving ample space between them.

'You can't tell him, Blair. Some things are just better left unsaid.' Chuck implored her to stay silent.

She knew it was true, but it didn't feel right. 'I feel awful. I can barely stand to look at him.'

Chuck's shoulders slumped and he pulled her hand out of her lap, stroking it. 'I was the one to encourage it, if anyone should feel bad, it's me.'

'But you don't.' She stated plainly, reading the indifference in his expression.

Chuck shrugged. 'It was only a kiss.'

'It's different for me than it is for you.' She explained. 'A kiss is nothing to you, but I'm only supposed to kiss Nate.'

'We were drunk, Blair. It's not a big deal. Telling him will just blow it all out of proportion. Friends kiss sometimes- don't forget I've seen you playing truth or dare with the girls at Butter.' He touched her shoulder against his.

'But it wasn't truth or dare.' She protested, lifting her hand out of his; the way he rubbed her fingers was too gentle, too comforting.

'So just tell yourself it was.' He exclaimed. 'Tell yourself I kissed you and you had no say in it.'

'I can't.'

'Why not?' His voice came close to a plea.

She wanted to tell him she couldn't do that because of some deep-rooted desire to protect the sacred honesty she believed a relationship should be built on; she wanted even more for that to be the truth.

'I asked you to, Chuck.' Blair admitted. 'I wanted you to.' The second half of her confession was something she'd been trying her hardest to deny. Because, no matter what he promised her, it wasn't as simple as just a kiss. It had been much more, and she wasn't entirely confident that it couldn't have gone even further- had she not opened her eyes and snapped out of it.

He exhaled deeply and turned his body towards hers. 'Look, it was just the heat of the moment- you were upset that Nate didn't show for the party that night. You had a few too many drinks, we were alone, and we made a mistake, a pretty innocent one at that. So what? It's not a crime to be briefly attracted to someone you know you shouldn't be.' Chuck looked her straight in the eyes. 'You can't spend your life worrying about it. It's not like you're harbouring some secret crush and have plans to trade up.'

'No, of course not.' She agreed quickly. 'In the cold light of day you disgust me.' Blair joked.

He chuckled at her and shook his head. 'We're friends, aren't we?' Chuck pressed.

She looked at him, the only friend she really had left- the one who knew her favourite foods and films, who could talk fashion, art and literature with the best of them. Blair swallowed what felt like gravel. 'Yes.'

'So let's forget about it like you wanted, go back out there and watch your boyfriend sleep through one of the greatest films of all time.'

Blair nodded and let him lead her back out into the living room, but she couldn't shake the discomfort. Something had shifted and, she didn't know it yet, but her life, trundling along its safe, known route, was only days away from being entirely derailed.

AN: Thanks so much for the reviews you guys left on the story since I had to re-upload it. You really made me smile and laugh. I'm very clumsy it's true, but I'll keep my fingers away from all the important buttons besides 'publish' for now, I swear! Lots of love to you.