Prologue of This is Life

"Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life."— Leo Buscaglia

Author: lcmeester aka Lily

Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or any characters. Gossip Girl belongs to Cecily Ziegesar, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and the CW.

Summary: Post 1.10 — Takes place after Chuck sees Nate and Blair kissing. What would have happened, if Blair hadn't slept with Nate and Chuck had apologized to her?

Rating: T / PG-15

Pairing: Chuck/Blair

A/N — Nate's father never got arrested, nor did he do anything illegal. A special thanks to Anki for her BETA. *hugs*

*

"Even when you think you have your life all mapped out, things happen, that shape your destiny in ways you might never have imagined."

Deepak Chopra

*

Blair continued kissing Nate as she opened the door. When she pulled him with her into the room, she sensed him giving someone a wink.

"Who was that?" Blair asked breathlessly.

Nate shut the door behind them and locked it, before beginning to unzip her dress.

"Uhm - just Chuck," Nate went on with undressing her, but she stopped his movements. Somehow she felt, as if she was about to do something she would regret.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked her confused.

"I - I can't do this, Nate." Blair shook her head and started to dress again, "I have to go".

"Hey, I know you're afraid, but trust me. I will be slow and very gentle so it won't hurt as much," he tried to convince her.

Blair shook her head. "It isn't about that, Nate. I - I don't feel well. I'll give you a call."

Before Nate could respond, she was already rushing out of the door.

--

Chuck was walking down the stairs with a familiar aching in his heart. The same feeling that had consumed him, when Blair had walked away from him. When she had left him standing on the dance floor and told him to leave her alone. When he had heard her agreeing to go to Cotillon with his best friend.

He had fucked up. Like always. It happened with all the people who mattered to him, who he cared about.

He had known that Blair would be furious if she ever found out what he had done, but he couldn't help it. He was too afraid to lose her. He had grown up seeing her planning her life together with Nate and deep inside he knew, that Nate was her Prince Charming. The One, who was going to sweep her off her feet and give her her happily ever after.

So when he heard his best friend talking about winning her back, he had started plotting. But, of course Blair had found out about it and had rushed back into Nate's arms.

But he also knew that Blair was the only girl he had ever cared about. He couldn't lose her. Before Blair, before the night after Victrola, he hadn't even thought about the same girl twice. Women were at his feet,and to him they were just something to pass his time. But she had brought out a new side in him. Something he hadn't even known to exist. Just like he had brought out the happy, carefree Blair in her.

He decided to apologize to her, to explain his doing. She would forgive him. She had to.

--

Blair raced down the street, her head spinning. Had she just turned Nate down, after being told that he loved her? She finally got her happy ending and just threw it away? She didn't know, what was wrong with her. She had hoped, Chuck would come after her and she would have forgiven him, but he hadn't. Instead, Nate had showed up and turned out being her knight in shining armour.

Blair was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice Chuck shouting her name.

"Blair," Chuck put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around.

Blair glared at him angrily. "Didn't I tell you to-"

"Blair, just listen," Chuck said earnestly. "I know I shouldn't have done, what I did. I don't know why I did it, but I had no intention to hurt you or ruin your Cotillion." He looked straight into her eyes and their gazes met.

She knew that she had already forgiven him, the minute he had tried to explain, but she decided to let him sweat a little. So she cocked one of her perfectly arched eyebrows, like she had done so many times before, and waited for him to continue.

"Blair, I'm s – so - sorry." Shit. He was stuttering.

She was shocked for a moment.

Chuck wasn't someone who admitted, that he had done something wrong, he had never apologized for anything in his life. He was Chuck Bass after all. And here he was standing, saying those three words no one would have ever thought, he'd be capable of. Well, not exactly those three words, but still.

Blair tried to remain impassive. And failed spectacularly. She couldn't help, but smile. He had really apologized to her, had told her that he was sorry. She didn't know, why she felt so touched by a simply apology. She actually felt more, than she had felt when Nate had told her he loved her.

"If you're looking for a way to make it up to me, you can consider while taking me home, Bass." She still needed a lift home and she didn't want to hail a cab. God only knew, if the seats in them were cleaned nowadays.

"So - friends then?" Chuck saw through her easily and smirked, opening the door to his limo. Of course he wasn't simply going to settle for just being friends with her, but he had to show her that he cared and that she could trust him first, before going any further.

"Friends," Blair nodded and got in.

--

Spotted: Blair Waldorf getting in a certain Bass' limo. Sure, they had been hanging out while S was in Connecticut, but we thought our Queen was back together with N? Or has she fallen for his best friend? Paradise doesn't look so sweet…

You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.

--

"So… what are you doing during the holidays?" Blair asked, as the limo started to move.

"Going to Monaco. My father has a business meeting arranged and he wants me to join him." Chuck sighed.

"That optimistic, huh?" Blair grinned.

"If you're interested, then you go with him," he replied carelessly.

"What are you doing at that meeting anyway?" Blair turned her head to look at him.

"Checking out the girls. Bart thinks that Victrola needs a fresh face for the advertisement," Chuck rolled his eyes.

Blair remained silent. Somehow it bothered her, that Chuck would be going away and meet with girls, which was strange, seeing as she should already be used to Chuck banging everything in the field of his vision.

"What - you're jealous?" Chuck said with a smug grin on his face.

"You wish." Blair retorted and rolled her eyes. How did he manage to see through her so easily?

"As matter of fact I do," Chuck responded, obviously amused. "And by the way, I've already thought of a proper way to show you how sorry I am." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

"You're disgusting," Blair huffed.

"Don't act like you don't enjoy it."

Smug bastard. Blair turned away from him to hide the smile, that was again forming on her face. Indeed, she loved bantering back and forth with Chuck. It had been their thing for as long as she could remember.

"And what's your grand plan for the holidays?" Chuck went on with their conversation.

"My father is coming with Roman to New York for a couple of days." Blair said excitedly.

"I thought Roman was his boyfriend?" He looked at her questioningly.

"Exactly my point. He was his boyfriend. By the end of the holidays this little dork will be the furthest thing on his mind." She was still furious about how he had managed to steal her father and her mother's husband all at once.

"I love it when you talk dirty, Blair." He shook his head, smirking.

She grinned mischievously. Roman better watch out for her.

--

To be continued

A/N: I know, that this episode was like ages ago, but this idea popped into my head. This is my first fic and english isn't my native language, so please keep that in mind, while reading. Let me know what you think and tell me if I should continue this story. I don't mind constructive criticism at all - and reviews would be lovely :)