Disclaimer: I don't own Gossip Girl, etc. etc.

C/B Love story.

They crossed paths. Shortly after graduating from college when she'd headed back into the city to start up life on her own. She was engaged then. A Yale bred athlete named Bryson had proposed a few days before they graduated college. She was throwing a housewarming party and had invited her old friends, family, and all the influential Manhattan elite that she knew from long ago. As Blair mingled and drank amongst her friends, she had felt a pair of eyes watching her intently. She'd turned around and began scanning the room for the source of her discomfort. And then she'd spotted him.

Chuck Bass. He was exactly the same, other than a rougher look that came with age and a harder body covered with an Armani suit. He was staring at her and she could sense the resentment that emanated from his entire being. The last time that they had seen each other had not been pleasant. He had pleaded with her not to leave New York, to stay with him and go to college in the city. He had promised to change and be a better person, to be the better man that she needed. She had refused him. Told him that she couldn't put her dreams on hold just for the off chance that they might be able to make things work. She told him that they had tried and tried and tried. That things hadn't worked out for over a year, and that she couldn't continue to put herself through that. And with a tearful goodbye they had parted ways. She hadn't seen him or heard from him in five years, but seeing him standing before her took her back to that time and allowed her to forget everything that had transpired since they were last together.

Blair forced a smile across her lips, something she wasn't feeling, so much more that she wanted to give. Just as she sensed him about to come over, Bryson stepped beside her and grabbed her waist. He'd kissed her lightly across her lips, and when Blair was able to look at where she'd seen Chuck standing, he was gone.

Two years later. Blair was walking down the hospital corridor in the maternity ward. She came bearing gifts and smiles and loads of excitement. She asked the nurse at the desk where Mrs. Humphrey was and was directed to a room at the end of the hallway. As she neared she heard many voices talking and recognized some of them instantly. Reaching the doorway she spotted Serena in all her maternal beauty sitting on the hospital bed holding a precious bundle of joy. Dan was standing next to her with the look of a proud father, and the grin of a silly man in love with both mother and child. Scattered across the room were Lily, Bart, Eric, Jenny, Nate and Chuck. Blair's breath caught as she caught sight of Chuck looming in the corner of the room, looking like a dark trespasser in the happy family.

Blair reached Serena and greeted her friend with warm affection. She caught sight of the chubby baby girl in her arms and couldn't help the swirl of emotion that overtook her. Greeting everyone in the room, Blair went to stand by Lily who opened her arms and received Blair like a second daughter. The two women stood speaking to each other as Serena and Dan cooed at their baby.

Blair felt him approach her before he even touched her. He asked her to join him for coffee downstairs to help him bring up the cups for everyone else. Blair nodded, avoiding his eyes as she felt everyone in the room look in their direction. She silently exited the room and walked side by side to the elevator. They ordered their drinks from the cafeteria, paid the woman and made their ascent back to the room. Finally on the ride up in the elevator Chuck spoke.

"How have you been?" he asked quietly, looking at her awkwardly.

"I've been good. I've seen better days, but nonetheless I'm feeling happy." Blair responded honestly.

"I heard you called off the engagement," Chuck stated.

"Yeah, well sometimes things don't work out."

"I guess the right thing for me to say is 'Sorry to hear that,' but I'm not. I'm actually glad you're not getting married."

Blair looked at him, but before she could find words to tell him the elevator arrived at their floor ending their conversation.

A few months later, Blair was downstairs in The Palace having dinner with Serena. Serena was lost in conversation about baby Gabriela and Blair nodded along silently. She spotted him then. He was standing near the bar, drinking alone and quietly in the corner. He always seemed like a loner, always finding a way to loom in the background as if he wasn't part of the world around him. Blair continued to eye him throughout her dinner with Serena, and after finishing and parting ways with Serena she made her way to the bar.

She didn't know what had possessed her to go to him. She'd learned to stay away from him a long time ago, but that was when the mere sight of him caused her to lose control and end up in bed with him. That was a long time ago. Time had passed and things had changed.

She edged closer to him and he finally looked up. She smiled at him. He stared at her. She sat down next to him and the bartender quickly reached her and asked what she would like. As she opened her mouth to respond, Chuck quickly interjected.

"The lady will have a Strawberry Daiquiri," Chuck informed the bartender as he glanced at Blair. She smiled at Chuck, surprised he still remembered her favorite drink.

"Ms. Wardolf, what a pleasant surprise," Chuck said.

"How are you, Chuck?"

"Never been better."

"You could have fooled me. Why are you hiding in the shadows drinking?"

"Well I obviously wasn't hiding well enough if you managed to find me."

"Ah, and what or who were you hiding from? Your own demons perhaps?" Blair asked sheepishly.

Chuck looked her up and down, stripping her naked with his eyes. Blair stood her ground and refused to let him make her uncomfortable.

"It seems the only demons I can't get away from are the ones from my past." Chuck finished his drink in one gulp and stood. He held out his hand to Blair, who eyed him warily.

"Come lets get out of here. I've had enough to drink for the night."

Blair stood and took his hand. There was something in his eyes, a tenderness that reached out to her. He looked so alone and so in need of connecting with another human being.

Chuck led Blair through the back of the restaurant and through the kitchen. They took an elevator there and proceeded to the 18th floor. Blair knew he was taking her to his room, and though she questioned her ability to resist him behind closed doors, she desperately wanted to go with him. If anything, she needed the contact with another person just as much as he did. Not the connection to a friend like Serena or her other friends, but someone who understood who she was beneath it all, someone who understood her so well because they were just like her. Chuck was her other half. They were the same person underneath it all, although on the surface they were as different as night and day.

When they reached his room, Chuck made his way to the bar and poured out two glasses of scotch.

"I thought you said you'd had enough to drink," Blair said as he came around the bar and stood next to her handing her the drink.

"Yeah well I lied. I was just looking for an excuse to get you out of there," Chuck smiled that devilish grin that she remembered from years ago. It had seemed like an eternity since she'd seen him smile at her like that. That fluttering emotion that she'd felt long ago came back to her.

"Oh, and why did you want to bring me up here?" Blair asked, sending Chuck an all too familiar flirtatious look.

Before she could register what he was doing, Chuck's lips came crashing down on hers. The glasses they held in their hands fell silently onto the floor staining the carpet. Neither of them seemed to notice as they lost themselves in the passion and desperation of the kiss. Their teeth clashed, tongues collided awkwardly before they found the right angle and pace in which to kiss one another. Chuck pulled Blair off the stool she had been sitting on and dragged her to the bedroom.

Their clothes were quickly disposed of. There was no sweet talking, no words of love exchanged. They were just two lonesome people finding solace in each other's arms. Each one realizing how important the other meant. Neither of them willing to analyze those feelings at the moment.

Chuck found Blair's naked breast and took her in his mouth. She arched off the bed at the intense sensation Chuck caused within her. She was already wet and waiting for him to invade her body. As his teeth and tongue worked hungrily on her breasts, his fingers found their way to her core and entered her. The double assault to her senses was too much to bear, and Blair found herself instantly coming undone under his expert touch. Just as Blair had managed to catch her breath, Chuck thrust into her with preliminary. Blair cried out as he impaled her, the feel of him inside of her reminding her of what only he could do to her body. Chuck was the only man who had ever managed to control her bed as she lost control of herself. He had a power over her that he well understood, a power he took advantage of as he staked his claim.

Chuck was groaning and grunting above her as his pace became erratic. They were both having trouble breathing, both sheened with sweat and unable to get a grasp on the other. Their hips ground against each other furiously intent on finding release. She felt Chuck's shoulder tense beneath her hands and she knew he was about to find his release. Just as the shout of pleasure escaped him, Blair found her own release joining him in ecstasy.

Two years later. It seemed that the time was never right for them to be together. After their encounter in the bar all those years ago, Blair was needed in France to take care of her ailing father. Her father had been diagnosed with cancer and had entered the final stages of the disease. Ramon and her father had split years before, and so Blair was more than willing to go tend to her father in his final stage of life.

Chuck and Blair had made no promises to each other. After that night together, they'd casually seen each other for dinner or lunch, and always ended up sleeping together. At times Chuck would come to her home in the middle of the night. Without questions, without comment, without s single word uttered, Blair would lead him to her room where they would spend the next few hours making love and scared to let go.

While in France, Chuck had kept in touch the first few months that Blair was away. They spoke on the phone, emailed each other, kept in touch on IM. But neither of them spoke of a future together, neither spoke of love or commitment. Both were afraid of how fragile their relationship was, and if it could withstand the added weight of a long distance between them. After about a year, Blair stopped keeping in touch. Her father's condition had progressed and her entire focus was on her father. She tried to ease his pain, keep him occupied, spent every waking moment by his side, needing to cherish those last memories alongside of him.

After her father passed away in July, Blair felt her life had just been hallowed out. She'd lost her father to a horrid disease, and no longer had anyone to fill her days. She decided that staying in France would be detrimental to her spirits, and so headed back to the states.

It was August when she saw him again. She was walking down the streets and happened to cross paths with Chuck. He was as handsome as ever.

She smiled.

He smiled.

He grabbed her arm and led her to the nearest store. He looked around, spotted all the sexy expensive lingerie and his grin grew seductive. He asked the sales associate to lead him to a dressing room and bring in her most expensive lingerie in order for his wife to try on. Blair didn't argue the fact that he'd called her his wife. In fact she actually liked him addressing her as such. The woman hastily led them to the back room and brought back a selection of her finest designs. Chuck closed the door to the dressing room behind him and hung the flimsy material on the hooks behind the door. Without asking he began to unbutton Blair's blouse.

It was excruciating for Blair to stand there as Chuck took his time undressing her. He moved slowly down her blouse and then removed her skirt. By the time he leaned in to kiss her, Blair was ready for far more than a kiss. She pulled his head down anxiously and captured his mouth with her own.

Momentarily untangling himself from her lips, Chuck whispered into her ear, "You have to be quiet or we'll be caught."

His words sent a thrill through her body. They began to kiss hungrily again, but cautious to not make any sounds. He undressed himself with the help of her unsteady hands and sat down on the bench opposite the door. Blair straddled him and before she could sink down onto his erection, Chuck plunged upward and entered her. Blair had to bite down hard on her lip to keep from screaming out. Chuck fought the urge to groan as he felt how tight Blair fit around him. They rocked their hips slightly uncomfortable in the position they were in, but neither willing to break contact.

It was fast and nearly not enough for either one of them. Blair scratched at Chuck's back as she came violently, and feeling her come undone around him brought Chuck to come as well. Blair looked at Chuck after their heartbeats had stilled.

"I love you, Chuck."

Chuck inhaled sharply as he heard the words he'd longed to hear for years.

"Oh, Blair, I love you too. I've loved you for so long."

Blair's eyes filled with tears as his words touched her heart. She couldn't believe that after all these years she had found happiness with the person she should have stayed with all along. She longed to take back all those years that they had spent apart, but being apart from each other had let them value their feelings for each other a lot more. She knew that despite all the distance between them, their hearts were never far apart.

"Chuck, promise me we'll never be apart again. I don't want to mess this up anymore. This, right here, by your side, is where I want to stay."

"I wouldn't let you go even if you wanted to."

This time when their lips found each other, it was a sweet and tender kiss. It was a kiss of love and hope, knowing that they had a lifetime ahead together.