Inside track

Inside track

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

(Robert Frost,  The Road not taken.)

“C’mon Humphrey, hurry up, we don’t have all day long!” Chuck urges him as he paces faster.

“Why can’t you make the corridors of your hotel any longer?” Dan sarcastically replies, as he struggles to keep up with him. “Don’t forget I’m carrying a heavy bag with my laptop, paper drafts and stuff.”

“Here, let me help you, my grumbling damsel in distress.” Chuck takes the shoulder bag from him.

“Thanks, honey.” Dan murmurs, before kissing him.

Dan’s was just a tender way to thank him, but Chuck has other plans and turns it into a very demanding kiss.

He doesn’t care if someone could catch them, passing by.
He’s his own Hotel, after all, he’s free to do whatever he pleases.

And he happens to like kissing his boyfriend a lot.

“You can also consider it as a little restoring break, so now, Humphrey, less complaining and more walking, we still have three corridors to cross.” Chuck resumes walking again.

“We exchanged a relevant amount of fluids in these last weeks and do you still go on calling me ‘Humphrey’?” Dan snorts, but at least now he walks faster.

Chuck winks at him.

“It’s a pet name, you ninny!”

“Oh.”

Finally they reach a closed door.

“What should I expect beyond the threshold, a playroom, Mr. Grey’s style?” Dan stares suspiciously first at his boyfriend, then at the door, then at his boyfriend again.

“Don’t give me too tempting  ideas, Humphrey.” He chuckles, as he draws out the key that opens the door. “Actually it was something I was saving for someone else, but, except for the anatomy, you and her are pretty much the same, so you should like that, too, sweetie.”

Pushing the door finally open, Chuck lets Dan step inside and he stares in wonder at what seems to be a huge library and videolibrary.

It has at least six floors of stacks, in elegant and refined ebony wood.

While the DVD collection is stocked in several glass cabinets next to a 42 inch large HD screen.

“You’re right. I guess that Blair would have loved it like I do.” Dan sighs, half nostalgic, half ecstatic, as he wanders around.

“It’s something I've been working on for a couple of years, collecting stuff from all my several journeys. There are books from at least twenty different countries, translated in more than ten languages. And it’s more or less the same about DVDs.” Chuck proudly explains as he places Dan’s bag on an armchair. “So, yes, Daniel, there’s plenty also of those Russian, Polish or whatever other language documentaries you fancy so bad. You know, this was something just too precious to be opened to customers.”

Dan is already climbing on one of the ladders, snooping around.

“This almost feels like one of the most iconic Disney Movies’ scenes!”

“I know. So, should I expect you to sing any moment now, my Belle?”

“Ah-ah. Very funny… Chuck Beast!”

“Don’t you even try, Humphrey!” Chuck growls.

Very Beast like, but Dan knows better than to make him notice that.

“However, you would love my singing!” Dan retorts.

“There are other things I love more about you, sweetie, and if you bother to climb down I’m gonna show you properly.” Chuck cocks his eyebrow in a way that is too irresistible for his boyfriend.
Not to mention the low, hoarse voice.

Two minutes after they are already busy making out on one of the comfy brown leather Chesterfield sofas.
 

“No matter the very good time I’m having with you, baby, now duty is calling me.” Chuck unwillingly parts from him, fixing his purple tie. “I have to run over my presentation, before an important business meeting.”

Saying so, he moves towards the round mahogany table, where there’s his laptop and all the documents he needs.

“Pick whatever book you want, watch any DVD you please, just using headphones. That’s why I brought you here, so I can focus on my job as you’ll keep quiet.”
 

Dan gets up from the sofa, reaching him.

“So, Chuck Bass, are you hinting that I’m pesky?” He sits on his lap.

“I’m just saying, Dan Humphrey,  that sometimes there’s way too much caffeine in your system.” He strikes back, caressing his legs, trapped in his jeans.

“I’m a writer, I need caffeine to keep me up all night long.”

“I keep you up all night long and without even a drop of stupid coffee!” Chuck makes him blush as Dan parts from him.

According to Chuck's previsions, Dan keeps quiet for a while, at least half an hour, engrossed in reading Joyce's first edition, slouching on the previous sofa.

“Are you enjoying your reading, darling?” The young businessman peers at him from the edge of his laptop.

“Mm-mm. A lot. After all, there’s not much difference between this guy and me: he wrote ‘Dubliners’, I wrote… Upper East Siders!” The young writer chuckles.

“Whatever you say!” Chuck rolls his eyes, although, deep inside, he’s amused.

There’s another quarter of an hour of quiet, courtesy of Dan Humphrey.

“You know what, Chuck? If I didn’t know it already exists, I would write a poem about us.”

“Really? So, pretend it doesn’t exist, what would it be about?”

“Two roads diverged in a wood and the author mulls over which one he should take. And no longer ago, I was in the author’s same situation: there was the Serena road, first love certified, less rugged, but maybe not as safe as it looks; and there was Blair street, apparently steep, gravelly, but that could have led to the most peaceful oasis ever…”

Chuck decides he has worked enough and reaches his lover on the sofa.

“And then what happened?” He murmurs, his slender fingers sinking into Dan’s curls.

“Out of the blue it appeared an inside track, utterly unexpected…” Dan murmurs, caressing his boyfriend’s flawlessly shaved face. “Best trip ever. I wish it could never end.”

He leans closer, kissing the left corner of Chuck’s mouth, then his chin and the spot that his white shirt leaves available.

Chuck smiles, as his hands slip under Dan’s grey T-shirt and he pulls him closer.

“Who says this has to ever end?” He whispers to his ear, torturing the tip with his teeth, right before placing his lips against his and kissing him for a dangerous amount of time that could make him arrive late at his important business meeting.

 

It’s Monkey, who prevents that.
As a proper dog, he can track his owner, following his scent - more like, a very expensive Italian cologne - and he reaches him from the still open door, jumping on the sofa, where the two lovers were about to lay down.

Dan and Chuck part and regain a more composed posture.

“Monkey!” Dan enthusiastically greets him with some pats on his back and the dog happily jumps on him

Like owner, like dog.

“Monkey, be warned. I won’t tolerate this display of affection towards Dan any longer." Chuck retorts and immediately the dog cowers at his owner’s feet.

Dan chuckles.

“Were you jealous of Monkey… or of me?”

“Uhm. Both?” Chuck grumbles, as he pats Monkey’s head.

“How cute!” Dan grows softened, giving him a peck on his lips.

“So, speaking of roads to choose, do you think that Blair is going to be happy?” Chuck asks him as he’s getting ready to go.

“For the first weeks. Yeah, maybe, having achieved her lifelong dream and everything. But give her time, she is gonna figure out that she’s trapped inside a golden prison.” Dan states, as he fidgets with Monkey’s pointy ears.

“And Blair Waldorf is not meant to remain in a prison. And once she wants to break free we’re gonna help her, aren’t we?” Chuck winks at him.

“Well, surely you’ll do more than me.” Dan admits sheepishly. “Besides, let’s not forget how important you are to her.”

“I’m not so sure anymore about that, not after seeing how close she was growing to someone else: you.”

“Oh. Do you really think so?” Dan wonders, amazed.

“I know what I saw. So, Daniel, maybe we quit fighting for the right fight too soon.” Chuck sighs.

“We should keep fighting, but this time… together.” Dan suggests.

“Huh?” Chuck stares at him with curious eyes, as he caresses his own chin.

“Hypothetically speaking, if it’s clear that we’re together now and pretty intentioned to remain together, both of us still have very strong feelings for Blair and probably she feels the same about us.. So, still hypothetically, if she ever should manage to break free from her marriage and all the damn Monegasque burocracy… why should she have to choose between us, when she could have us both?”

Chuck doesn’t just flirt with that idea… he’s already making love with it.
With that oh so appealing possibility.

He caresses Dan's shoulders and allows himself to get one last passionate kiss, before walking away.

“You know what, Humphrey? Hypothetically speaking, that’s an inside track I’d really like to take!”

--

THE END