A/N: This story is dedicated to Lauren. She asked me to write a one-shot around a non-judging breakfast club double date. Instead, her request was snowballed into a multi-chaptered story. I honestly need to stop writing so much. On a side note, updates for all of my stories may be few and far between until May 5th. I have a lot of exams before then. Thank you in advance for your patience and please review! They really do encourage me to write!
Monday
"Blair! I am so happy you're here! We missed you and Chuck like crazy all summer!" Serena exclaimed, running to embrace her best friend.
Blair laughed as she held on tightly to the blond.
"Yeah right. I'm sure you and Nate were bored to death without us. I read that blast on Gossip Girl the other day. You know the one about you and Nate skinny dipping in the pool late at night. I'm sure you were bored to death S, but I missed you too."
Serena scoffed, although her cheeks flushed at the memory.
"Our skinny dipping moment definitely pales in comparison to some of your escapades with Chuck this summer. They may not have made it onto Gossip Girl, but I recall you telling me about a certain missed board meeting?"
Blair rolled her eyes, trying hard to suppress a smile. "It was totally his fault. He was the one who forgot he had the board meeting. He practically attacked me when I walked into his office. He got carried away and missed the meeting. I was completely innocent in that particular scenario."
"Oh I'm sure you didn't enjoy every moment of it. Blair Waldorf engaging in office sex. Who would have guessed?" Serena mocked her, winking in her direction.
"People change S. We all have," she informed her as she dragged her towards the house. "This is going to be fun! The non-judging breakfast club is together again. We still have one week to spend together before our summer vacation is officially over. By the way, where's Nate?"
"I told him to prepare lunch for us, so he should be in the kitchen. Should being the operative word there of course," she answered.
Blair nodded as they entered said kitchen to find Nate actually attempting to cook. There were pots and pans everywhere. Kitchen utensils were strewn all over the counter top and was that flour on the tip of his nose? Serena let out a giggle at the scene before her.
"I have a strong feeling we'll be eating out for lunch Nate? What are you trying to cook exactly?" Blair asked, taking a seat at the counter.
Nate looked at her helplessly as she carefully surveyed the mess in the kitchen.
"I'm trying to make spaghetti. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong here! This doesn't even look like spaghetti!" he cried, pointing to the pot on the stove for emphasis.
Serena waltzed over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, wiping the tiny bit of flour off the end of his nose.
"You need to turn the stove top on or the water will never boil honey," she articulated in an overly pleasant voice.
Blair burst out laughing and despite her initial resistance, Serena did too.
Nate glowered at the girls as he turned the knob on the stove. "I knew that. I just...forgot."
"Tell me Nate. Is there a reason you needed flour to make the spaghetti? It comes in the box," Blair managed to choke out as she tried to contain her laughter.
"In my defense, I have never cooked before in my life and Serena was making me nervous," he shot back. "She kept going on and on about how important this week was going to be for the non-judging breakfast club. She kept reminding me not to screw things up. Where's Chuck, by the way? He's bound to be screwing something up already."
Blair smirked and Nate breathed a sigh of relief now that their attention was off of him and his questionable cooking skills.
"Well, since we decided to dismiss the help for the week, Chuck was kind enough to offer to bring in our luggage," she enlightened him.
Nate raised an eyebrow. He highly doubted that his best friend would agree to do hard labor unless he was being forced to do it. Bringing in the luggage was probably classified as being hard labor for Chuck.
"You and Serena were the ones who decided to dismiss the entire staff for the week. Speaking of which, we're only here for another week Blair. You have plenty of your clothes and other things here already from summers past. What could you possibly have needed to bring?"
Serena shook her head slightly to show her disapproval, although a tiny smile escaped from the corner of her lips. She knew Blair was doing this to torture her step-brother, but he most likely deserved it.
As if on cue, Chuck staggered by the kitchen, dragging two large suitcases behind him. He had a scowl on his face. He just had to go and open his stupid mouth. Nate was about to let out a loud laugh when Chuck silenced him with a single withering glance.
Blair skipped over to give him a heartening kiss on the cheek.
"You are such a gentleman Chuck!" she squealed loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Now hurry up or you won't be getting a tip!"
She then leaned in close to his ear and whispered. "This will teach you to think before you speak darling."
"You are so going to pay for this later Waldorf and I know it was your bright idea to send the staff off for the week. Serena merely went along with it," he seethed as he headed towards their room at the end of the hall.
Blair turned back towards Nate and Serena who were more than amused by what had transpired before them.
"So, what did he do this time?" Nate asked, breaking the temporary silence.
Blair grinned. "You're getting more and more perceptive Nate. Your best friend may have made a joke about abandoning me again this year like he did last year in Tuscany."
Serena gasped and Nate simply shook his head. When would Chuck ever learn?
"I was joking Waldorf!" Chuck protested as he came into the kitchen and handed her her purse.
His scowl was still deeply inset into his face and Blair felt a twinge of guilt. She knew Chuck had been joking around, but she secretly relished in making him do things that he would ever only do for her. If Nate or Serena had commanded him to bring in their luggage, he would have buried them alive. Chuck would have laughed in their face first of course.
Blair hopped off of her seat at the counter, looped her arms around his neck, and kissed him hard. She owed him at least one earth-shattering kiss. Chuck wrapped his strong arms around her waist in response, pulling her tiny body firmly against his own.
"I know," she whispered against his imploring mouth. "You are so sexy when you're irritated with me, you know?"
Chuck smirked. "Am I now?"
He pulled her in for another mind-blowing kiss only to pull back when Nate dispelled an uncomfortable cough into the air. Serena simply rolled her eyes at the scene before her, although she was secretly ecstatic for her best friend. She had never seen Blair so happy before in her entire life. Her step-brother had given her something that no one else could.
Chuck loosened his hold on Blair's waist, but remained silent.
He slowly gestured towards the pot on the stove, which was currently bubbling over and said, "So, I guess we'll be lunching out then Nathaniel?"
Blair and Serena burst out laughing as Nate frowned, sending his best friend an ineffective glare.
"I am so glad we ate before coming to the pool party. Jenny still has absolutely no taste in caterers," Blair declared as she slipped on her shades and leaned back into her lounge chair.
Serena nodded. "Well, I for one can still not believe you handed your throne over to Jenny so readily."
Blair shrugged. "I had to hand the responsibility down to someone else and I always saw potential in little J. Besides, I am technically still the Queen B for another week."
"Regardless of her taste in caterers, her guest list for this party is absolutely flawless. The lacrosse team has been working out all summer."
"Don't let Nate hear you S. He might get jealous," Blair teased.
Serena rolled her eyes at the brunette. "You sure you're not thinking about Chuck there B? He gets jealous if you so much as glance in another guy's direction."
Blair giggled in response. She loved the fact that Chuck was still so insecure even though they had officially been together since the start of summer vacation.
"He does not get jealous that easily S. Besides, Chuck and I totally trust each other as well," she retorted.
"Oh really? Then you wouldn't mind that he was talking to Vanessa right now?"
Blair shot up from her seat and tore off her sunglasses, shielding her eyes against the sun.
"Where?"
Serena pointed towards the other end of the pool where Vanessa was indeed currently indulging Chuck in a friendly conversation. Blair began to use her soothing words to stop herself from overreacting.
"Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly," she murmured repeatedly.
Serena continued to flip through her magazine. "I think I saw a little hand to arm contact there Blair."
That was it! Screw Grace Kelly! She was going to deal with that troll right here and now! She knew that Lily had invited the Humphreys to accompany them to the Hamptons for the summer, but inviting Vanessa to come along for the ride was too much! Dan and Jenny were both alright in her books now, but she could never be friends with Vanessa.
"Chuck," she said in dangerously low tone as she gripped his arm.
Chuck winced at the contact and tried desperately to loosen her hold on him. "Vanessa and I..."
"We were just talking," the former interrupted.
Blair pushed Chuck behind her and turned to confront Vanessa. "I must have missed the part where I asked what the two of you were doing. Now, I am only going to say this once and Blair Waldorf does not like to repeat herself."
"Does Blair Waldorf like to talk in the third person?" Vanessa retaliated. "Despite what you might think Blair, I am not scared of you."
Blair took a step towards her. "Listen carefully Brooklyn. Whatever fantasies you have in that delusional little head of yours regarding my boyfriend, you can forget them. I understand that both Dan and Nate have rejected you in the past, but that does not mean that you can waltz in here and..."
"Blair," Serena soothed, trying to keep Vanessa from her wrath. "I am sure Chuck and Vanessa were only having a friendly conversation. Is that so hard to believe?"
Serena had made her way over to the trio in hopes of restoring some peace between them. She had no idea that Blair would have taken her joke so seriously. There had been absolutely no hand to arm contact between the two! She sent an apologetic glance at Vanessa as Blair spun around to glare in her direction. Chuck merely stood there, holding his breath. Suddenly, he was grateful that they were at a loud pool party. No one seemed to notice the commotion.
"Is that so hard to believe?" she shouted. "He slept with her once! What makes you think he won't do it again?"
Serena looked between Chuck and Vanessa in shock.
"You knew?" Chuck and Vanessa asked in unison.
Blair laughed sarcastically. "Of course I knew! I saw it with my own eyes! I simply convinced myself that I was being delusional!"
Chuck stepped forward and grabbed a hold of her hands, but Blair shrugged him off. Serena gave Chuck a warning look, advising him to give her space with her eyes. Meanwhile, Vanessa had wisely disappeared into the crowd.
Blair returned to the other side of the pool, grabbed her tote bag, and headed for the door.
"Blair! Have you seen Chuck and Serena?" Nate asked cheerfully as he approached her.
He received no response to his question and before Nate knew what was happening, he fell back into the pool.
"What the hell did you do Chuck and why am I being punished for it? Lucky for me, that was the deep end or I'd be in the hospital right now for serious head injuries," he announced as he climbed out of the pool.
No one else had seemed to even notice that Nate had fallen into the waters.
"I don't think you want to know Nathaniel," Chuck insisted.
Serena cast him a glare. "I think he has the right to know Chuck."
"Yeah man. You can tell me," Nate urged.
"I slept…with Vanessa," he blurted out.
Chuck and Serena both turned to witness his shocked reaction to the news. Nate merely paused for a brief moment before speaking up.
"When? At Jenny's party?" Nate asked.
"You're not mad?" Chuck questioned him, wary of his calm response.
Nate smiled. "Well, I am a little upset, but I'm with who I'm meant to be with now. Besides, Vanessa and I were technically broken up. I was being a hypocrite the first time around with you and Blair. I'm not making that mistake again. So, did Vanessa tell Blair about it or something?"
"Actually, Blair saw them in the act herself. I guess that explains why she was so eager to rekindle her relationship with you the next morning," Serena offered.
Nate nodded. "Yeah, that's probably why and to think I was worried she would reject me when I waited for her at the pond that morning."
"Wait!" Chuck interrupted them. "You mean nothing happened between you and Blair before then?"
Nate laughed. "Of course not man! We were just friends up until that point. Nothing happened. Really!"
"What about that night you were at her place? Dorota wouldn't even let me see her. I was going to tell her I loved her that night."
Nate frowned in confusion before he recalled the night in question.
"I only stayed until she fell asleep. Nothing happened between us."
Chuck rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I need to find Blair. Where do you think she would run off to?"
Nate and Serena shrugged.
"Well, I'm going to go look for her. I think I have an idea of where she might be. See you back at the house," he said as he got up to leave.
"Sounds good man," Nate replied.
"Good luck!" Serena shouted after him.
The blond turned towards Nate the moment Chuck had left. "Are you sure you're alright with this whole Vanessa thing?"
Nate took her face in his hands to reassure her. "I meant what I said. I don't care about the past because I'm sure in some way it was what brought me to you. I've always loved you Serena. You know that."
She leaned into kiss him before she jumped back abruptly.
"You're making me wet Nate!" she squealed, laughing all the while.
"You know," he started, pulling her back towards him as she continued to try and escape from his embrace. "The pool party is kind of lame and Chuck should be out for awhile. I say we head back to the house and..."
He trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Serena giggled and gave him a slight push. Nate stepped back to balance himself only to slip on a pair of sunglasses that someone had left behind and before he knew it, he fell into the pool again, except this time, he took Serena with him.
"Nathaniel Fitzwilliam Archibald!"
Chuck ran as fast as he could down the length of the beach. He knew Blair was probably seeking solace at their place by the rocks. It used to be their secret hiding spot as children. They used to hide there whenever Serena and Nate started to annoy them. The two blonds would try to find them all the time, but they never could. The rocks hid them well enough.
"Blair?" he whispered as he witnessed a tuft of chocolate brown hair peeking over the rocks.
"What do you want Chuck?"
Her voice was no longer angry, so Chuck mustered up the courage to approach her. He sat down beside her as the two admired the clarity of the waters before them.
Chuck spoke up first. "Blair, I..."
"I forgive you Chuck," Blair interrupted him. "We weren't even dating yet, so I really don't have a right to be mad at you."
He intertwined his fingers with hers and nodded. "I still shouldn't have done it. I know how much you hate her. It's just that I...I needed someone. Seeing you with Carter and then Nate completely tore me apart. I just...It was like I had nothing left, you know? I was thinking about you the whole time."
Blair laughed and quickly kissed him on the cheek. "I know, but just so you know, nothing was going on between Nate and me before then."
She settled her head in the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"I love you Blair Waldorf," he said, burying his nose in her fragrant hair.
She smiled and looked up at him, her brown eyes connecting with his own.
"I love you too Chuck Bass. I love you too."