A/N: This is getting somewhat distressing on my part. I think I may be roughly 60 percent water and 40 percent pure fluff.
From age seven Blair had been aware that flowers meant something more than pretty petals and long stems.
It was during recess; while she kicked her legs in sync with Serena on the swings, when she tried to explain what the daisies in their hair meant. "My mom told me that flowers say things."
Serena smiled widely as she leaned back on the swing, "They say things? Like, hey put me back! I was just moving in!"
Blair's lips turned up and she shook her head, "No! That's silly. I mean they say things with words."
Serena's eyes widened, "Your mom can talk to flowers?"
Blair sighed; this was harder to explain than she had thought. "My mom can't talk to flowers; she told me that they say things."
In response Serena stopped kicking, losing momentum for a split second, "Flowers talk to her? Oh! I can see it! 'Mrs. Waldorf you look stunning in that shade of blue!'"
Loud laughter bubbled out from the girls and caught the attention of a pair of boys playing on the slide. The sandy-haired boy stared at them silently but the dark-haired one watched interestedly. "Let's swing."
Before the other boy could protest they were in front of the girls.
Serena stared at the boys before telling them through her giggles, "You can have your turn once Blair is done telling me the things flowers say to her mom!"
Blair tried to kick at Serena but only managed to spin her swing around and they laughed even more, "Oh never mind!" She stopped kicking and once it was harmlessly still she hopped off. "You can go on if you'd like."
The boys looked at each other and then Nate stepped forward staring at Serena, her golden hair streaming behind her. "Thank you Blair."
Blair nodded to him, avoiding his eyes, "Your welcome."
Serena still kept swaying higher and higher before Blair gave her a pointed look and she sighed.
She looked towards Chuck, "Did you want a turn?"
He flitted his eyes to Nate who was blatantly gazing at Serena and shrugged, "No, that's alright."
Blair watched as Nate and Serena laughed together and swung in tune. She picked absently at the daisy in her hair before carefully smoothing her skirt and taking a seat on the bench.
Chuck took that as his cue and sat beside her. "So what does that say then?" He was pointing towards the flower she had been fiddling with moments before.
Blair looked up at him, "You really want to know?"
Chuck teased her more than anything else and she didn't want to tell him if he was only going to mock her about it.
The smile on his face made his eyes brighter, under the age of ten Chuck had already mastered his lethal charisma, "Yeah, I would."
Blair smiled back, "A daisy means innocence."
Chuck cocked his head at her, "So do you know what a lot of flowers mean then?"
She watched as he picked at the scarf around his neck, "Only common ones, I don't know rare Brazilian types or anything. It's hard to keep everything in order since there are so many and then colors change with the meanings too."
He smirked, "So, let's say I want to get my Grandmother a bouquet of peonies. What would the flowers be saying?"
Chuck didn't know anything about the language of flowers but he often saw his father giving peonies to the women he ran around with. He knew enough about them to deem them inappropriate.
And for some strange reason Chuck gravitated to impropriety.
Blair's smile turned wicked, she saw the glint in his eyes and knew he was aware that they were misbehaving. "Peonies are often used as an aphrodisiac, so I for one am worried about what goes on by your Grandmother's house."
Chuck lifted his eyebrow at her, he knew what that meant solely because his father wasn't very discreet about his rendezvous', but how did little naive Blair Waldorf know?
He smirked at her devilishly, "Perhaps you'd like to meet her yourself?"
They both began to laugh; knowing that they were being unruly but no one was there to reprimand them. It was only natural that later in life the two schemed together.
Serena looked over to see Blair grinning wildly and Chuck gripping his stomach as they laughed. "Hey, what's so funny?"
Nate watched them as well but they were laughing too hard before Blair could gasp out, "Just talking about Chuck's Grandmother."
The recess bell rang and everyone scampered indoors. Nate offered his arm to Serena who took it but she kept looking back at Blair and Chuck curiously.
The smile on Blair's face fell.
It was a couple months before Nate and Serena slept together, forever changing the dynamic between them all forever.
They were walking around Central Park on a Saturday afternoon.
Blair and Serena had just finished going into a deemed "chick" store and were making their way over to Nate.
He smiled as they walked up, "Hey, Chuck had to go off for a second but I got these while you two were shopping. They each reminded me of you."
That was when he held out two flowers, each sending completely different messages. Blair nearly cringed as she stared at her boyfriend's outstretched hand.
The flower he was giving her was a white carnation and the flower he was giving Serena was a red chrysanthemum.
Blair was in awe that even unwittingly Nate could make her self- esteem drop to her ankles.
In the flower translation he was telling Serena he was in love with her and telling Blair that he thought she was sweet and pure.
Serena squealed loudly, "Thanks Natie! It's so pretty!"
Blair tried to swallow her grimace and mumbled, "Yes, thank you, it's beautiful."
She twisted the stem of her flower uncomfortably before Serena tugged on her arm, "Oh! Look there's any ice-cream stand! Let's go get some! Please?"
Blair looked at Nate who seemed equally as enthused and tried not to appear surly. All she really wanted to do right now was sulk by herself. "No that's ok. You guys can go get some; I'll just stay here and wait for Chuck."
Serena barely even looked back as she and Nate went arm in arm to the ice-cream stand.
Blair waited until they were far enough away before throwing her flower angrily into the garbage-can.
"Why are you all by your lonesome and throwing gifts of nature into trash receptacles?"
Blair spun around to see Chuck standing with both of his arms behind his back.
She huffed, "Well if your boyfriend gave you a flower telling that you were 'sweet and pure' and the one for you best friend said 'I love you' what would you do?"
Chuck tried not to smirk, "First let me clarify, it would be my girlfriend. But if let's say, I don't know Nate, did start to give me flowers I'd think he believes that I'm special and don't deserve the overt lovey-dovey crap."
Blair crossed her arms while rolling her eyes, "Yeah, right. And what do you have behind your back?"
At this Chuck grinned and told her cheekily, "Pick a hand, any hand."
She snorted, "Your third hand sticking abnormally out of your-"
He cut her off, "Hey now, let's not be feisty. I'm trying to cheer you up."
Blair sighed but couldn't help the smile growing on her face, "Left."
He moved his left arm and held out towards her a waffle cone filled with vanilla ice-cream and covered in sprinkles.
Blair's eyes widened, "How did you know that they were..."
He only smiled at her, "You still have another hand."
She took the ice-cream from him and licked it before it could start to drip, "The right one."
Grasped in his hand were two intertwined blue hyacinth flowers. Blair's eyes flickered up to his in surprise, blue hyacinths meant dependability.
She reached for them thoughtfully, "Thank you Chuck."
He shrugged, "Yeah, well, I've noticed Nathaniel has been doing an excellent job of disappointing you lately, even if he hasn't."
Blair took another lick of ice-cream, "Did you ask what these meant?" She held up the flowers with an inquisitive expression.
He nodded, "While you're well versed in the language of flowers I am not. I was debating between those and a chunk of a hemlock branch."
Blair frowned, "What does that mean?"
Chuck grinned wickedly, "You will be the death of me."
She hit his shoulder sharply, "I appreciate that."
He only snickered, "At least I didn't tell you that you were pure."
Blair glowered, "You said that he did that because it meant he didn't think I wanted what was it, oh right, 'overt lovey-dovey crap'."
Chuck tugged her elbow, leading her over to sit on the cement edging of a display, "Clearly I was lying to make you feel better."
She sent him a dark look, "Well at least Nate's could pass off as true."
Chuck's smug grin slipped briefly before he put it back in place, "Don't throw us around interchangeably. Think on it. Have I ever let you down?"
They fell silent as she enjoyed her ice-cream. She had never really thought about it in those terms before. Unless of course he was out of the country or something equally as binding, Chuck was always there for her.
He was even more reliable to her than Serena at times.
He back leaned against a tree and readjusted his scarf, "You know you can admit it. I won't tell anyone."
Blair stared at him blankly, "That you're always there when I need you?"
He smiled slightly at the words but shook his head, "Well as long as you're aware of that. I already was, but I meant that you liked my flowers better than Nate's."
He gazed at her self-importantly waiting for a response. She rolled her eyes, "As if I would ever own up to that."
Chuck scooted closer, "Come on, you can even whisper it if you want. I'll be the only who hears."
She pursed her lips, "That's reason enough not to acknowledge it. You'll just lord it over my head."
He shrugged, "Fine. Although, just as a side note, you might want to stop sniffing at the flowers as you're trying to lie about not liking them. But if you won't admit it, I get some of your ice-cream."
Blair moved her cone aware from his reach and hastily pulled the flowers away from her face in embarrassment, "You could have gotten your own! This is mine!"
Before she had a chance he jumped up and grabbed it from her hand, sticking his mouth over the top.
Blair made a face of disgust as he handed it back, "Uh...you can have it now."
He wrapped her fingers around it though, "No, I insist, it is yours after all."
She glared at him for a moment before flashing him a mischievous grin. Blair then proceeded to skim off the layer of ice-cream he had salivated on to wipe it across his scarf.
Chuck looked from his scarf to Blair in shock. "You just put ice-cream on my scarf."
She resumed eating her ice-cream now that the contaminated part was removed, "I know."
In retaliation Chuck nudged the cone into her face, smearing it all over.
Indignant, Blair tipped the remnants of her ice-cream over onto Chuck's head and smashed the cone into his hair.
They stared at each other for a moment before Chuck reached up to touch the sticky cone pieces in his hair with a revolted expression, "Real mature Waldorf."
He flicked a piece at her and she dodged it with a delighted smile on her face, "Please, as if I started this whole thing."
Nate and Serena walked up chatting amongst themselves before noticing the appearances of the other two. Chuck made to yawn and motioned his thumb towards Blair making Serena giggle.
Blair quickly stood up and took Nate's hand, "I need to go clean up, let's go."
He didn't even notice the flowers his girlfriend was clutching, or that the one he had given her was tossed carelessly in the garbage.
She had spent hours on her bed with a comprehensive book filled of every possible flower known in existence and their meanings.
It all came down to this.
She had two bouquets decided upon. One was full of white violets and the other striped carnations.She wasn't quite sure when her knowledge of flowers and their meanings took such a large jump from vague to expert.
She delivered the striped carnations to Nate with a feeling of immense relief.
Blair handed them to him and watched his befuddled expression. "Thanks Blair, they're really nice. Did I forget that today was something important? Why are you giving me flowers?"
She tried not to roll her eyes; this was only reassuring her that she made the right decision.
Blair had been thinking on it for days and she knew she couldn't turn back now. "No, Nate."
She handed him a pocket version of 'The Language of Flowers' and kissed him on the cheek, "Look them up. And I'm sorry."
Blair had marked the page for him as seeing she wasn't aquatinted with a man who knew anything about identifying flowers except for her father or Roman.
He flipped to the page to see a dot beside striped carnations, they were defined as 'Wish I could be with you, refusal'.
Nate looked up to find Blair had already left.
After she walked away from the Archibald's she knew where she had to go next, but she wasn't sure if she was ready.
Blair hopped into a cab and gave directions only to chicken out seconds later and return home. She stormed inside pacing anxiously for over an hour before Eleanor walked though the doorway.
One look at Blair's face and she sighed, "What is the matter?"
Blair took a shaky breath, "I'm suffering from emotional trauma. No need to worry."
Eleanor shook her head, "Well, I hope you sort that out then."
It was strange that it was her mother's half-hearted attempt to ease her that motivated Blair out the door again. But it did and she waved a goodbye as she dashed out to the street and into another cab.
Seven cab rides later Blair was ready.
She knocked determinedly on the door of Chuck Bass' suite. The bundle of white violets was beginning to bend under the pressure she was applying to them out of nerves.
She knocked again, more intently this time when the door was jerked open. Chuck squinted at her before leaning back to glance at a clock.
It was one seventeen, a.m.
He wasn't dressed for company; or rather he wasn't dressed at all, except for the pajama bottoms that hung low on his hips.
Blair tried to focus on what she had come to tell him rather than the fact that his hair was tousled attractively or the fact that it was an ungodly hour and she was standing outside his room with flowers.
She handed them to him apprehensively. After everything she had done to him he had the right to slam the door in her face and leave her standing there.
But she was tired of pleasing everyone else.For once Blair Waldorf was taking control of her life and she was taking what she wanted.
And what she wanted was Chuck Bass.
Blair held the flowers out to him, "They're white violets."
Chuck had shaken off his drowsiness once he realized that Blair was there to see him. She had come on her own choice, to him. "What do they say?"
Blair meet his eyes confidently, "Let's take a chance on happiness."
With that said Chuck grinned and pulled her closer, their lips collided with familiar ease but the caress held a new edge to it. They weren't sneaking around, grabbing stolen kisses or betraying their hearts any longer.
They were official.
Chuck tugged her into his room slamming the door shut behind her before pulling away abruptly.
Blair frowned at him in confusion, "What are you-"
The smile on his face was one that Blair only ever saw. It was one that Chuck hadn't been using much because he had no reason to. He rummaged around and pulled out a vase filling it with water before carefully placing the violets inside.
Blair watched his actions her eyes dancing with amusement. "I think you're enjoying those a little too much."
He lifted an eyebrow before stepping closer to her, "Really?" He brought his lips to hers roughly biting at her lower lip tauntingly. "I could say the same to you."
Blair's smirk grew to match his, "I had been considering bringing you a garland of roses."
Chuck let his hands slide down her arm in a way that only he could make her gasp. "And what would those have meant?"
She got to her feet pulling him towards his bedroom before shrugging, "Oh, well, I guess they suit you, they mean beware of virtue."
Chuck laughed and stared in wonder at the beautiful girl in front of him. "It's a little late for you."
Blair gazed at him challengingly, "Care to warn me again?"
And this time when she once again succumbed to the Chuck Bass charm she didn't feel anything but hope.
Happiness was right there for her, inside of a vase and inside of Chuck.
A/N: I know, alright. Ice-cream banter, corny lines, flowers, this could be the dictionary defined antonym for angst. But I can't stop writing it and you all should enjoy it before the writers turn the show into a full blown anguish inducing segment of television. Oh, and because this took precedence over my College essay revising, make it worth my while, please review!