Everything She Ever Needed Ch.18 - Bath Time, Bed Time & Time Outs
Hey, everyone! As always, soo sorry for taking forever with the update, I'm hoping to get the next one out MUCH sooner! Also, thanks so much for favoriting, reviewing, and putting this story on alert, I truly appreciate it and love hearing what you have to say! :)
Chapter 18 - Bath Time, Bed Time, & Time Outs
After being woken by Eleanor, Serena contented herself with very quietly watching the large flat screen TV mounted to the living room wall. But soon Carabella was fussing from her swing anyway and the blonde was reminded that she was on baby watch, while Blair caught up on some much needed rest. It was fun to her, although everyone kept telling her and Blair how un-fun it was going to become. She had heard all of that before and as she carefully picked up her newborn daughter, she refused to believe that she would ever find it to be anything less than enjoyable.
“Hey, baby, what’s up?” Serena asked lightly, placing her hand behind Carabella’s neck as she stood up and gently rocked her.
Serena breathed in the lightly perfumed scent of the Pink Chicken hat atop Carabella’s head as she walked towards one of the windows. It smelled faintly of Blair’s dark tresses from having been snuggled against her neck for hours, and it was just so familiar and right that she would not know how to describe it in any other way.
“Mommy probably wouldn’t like it if I taught you phrases like, ‘what’s up?’” laughed Serena, as she took in the regal brick buildings outside the penthouse window. The sun was beginning to lower against the sky and rays of light were beaming into the room, warming her skin. She did not care a bit that she was holding a crying infant in her arms because in a way, it just reminded her of how perfect everything seemed to be.
“You’re not going to stop, are you?” The blonde questioned with a grin and pulled Carabella away from her chest to inspect her frustrated, yet adorable face. The harder crying that resulted gave her, her answer and she resumed the rocking motion as she headed for the staircase. “Okay, we’ll go get her, but I have to warn you…sometimes she’s not in the best of moods when you wake her up.”
Serena bumped the slightly ajar door of Blair’s bedroom further open with her shoulder and walked inside, not bothering with the lights. She found it more relaxing with the way the curtains were drawn closed and the room was darkened and cooled by the blue hued walls.
As she and Carabella made their way towards the bed, she could see Blair starting to stir. The brunette’s back was facing away from her, but Serena could see the slow movements of her groggily taking her sleep mask off before rolling onto her back.
Blair was already smiling as her fiancée sat beside her and sank back against her satiny pillows, while holding their daughter. If Serena had not been there to witness it all, she would have never suspected that Blair had just delivered a baby not even a full two days ago. Her hair was tousled and flatteringly loose around her face, setting off her freshly rested complexion.
“I have a little someone who wants to see you.” Serena announced.
“Yeah…” Blair murmured as her smile grew impossibly wider and she rubbed her eye, almost rivaling all of the cuteness emanating from Carabella. “Sorry I slept so long.”
“Be quiet, you deserve it.” Serena traced along Blair’s jaw to the back of her neck, pulling their foreheads together before sealing their lips. The kiss was slow and undemanding for a few seconds, but the wailing baby between them was anything but undemanding.
“Okay, okay, I promise I’m not ignoring you, baby girl.” Blair whispered in a hushed, soothing tone after having freed her mouth from Serena’s. She then set to work on unbuttoning the top of her black-and-cream striped silk pajamas, which had a good chance of acquiring some stains before the day was through.
It never seemed to have taken so long to undo buttons in all of their lives, but once the task was finally completed Serena was gladly handing Carabella over. The blonde did not mind the whole crying aspect; she just preferred to see and hear her baby being happy. She also figured that to be a good reason why everyone kept telling her to be prepared for long days, and equally tiring nights.
“Alright, here you go,” the brunette continued to whisper as she offered the baby her breast, “Let’s try not to make a mess this time.”
Serena smiled absently as she watched the interaction, knowing that her words referred to her first attempts at breastfeeding while still in the hospital. To say the least, Carabella had not inherited any of Blair’s table manners in her genes or they had yet to show themselves. They were both humorously hoping for the latter.
Carabella immediately quieted and her gorgeously thick eyelashes even fluttered to her cheeks as she closed her eyes in contentment. Her tiny hand rested on Blair’s chest, lightly flexing and releasing, and creating her own form of simple entertainment. The older brunette could not stop herself from shooting her fiancée a giddily triumphant smirk.
“You two are too cute together, it’s like almost wrong.” Serena insisted while reaching her fingertips out to run them over the infant’s dark strands of hair. This caused her to open her eyes, lazily focus on Serena for a moment, and then let them slip closed again with a small sigh. “See, that’s what I mean.”
“She can’t help that she’s so cute. Me, on the other hand, well I have some control over it.” Blair giggled until she was cut off by the blonde’s mouth once more.
*****
When Carabella had woken from what had seemed like her millionth little cat nap of the day and she had finished eating for what must have been the billionth time, Serena and Blair decided to embark on another of many ‘firsts,’ this one being - bath time.
“B, I don’t think she’s going to like this.” Serena stated with skepticism in her voice, as she watched the brunette trying to gently wrestle Carabella’s fidgety limbs from the confines of her outfit.
Blair just smiled down in that charming way of hers. “Nonsense, S, she’s going to love it. Every girl loves bubble baths, especially when you want to relax…”
“She certainly doesn’t seem very relaxed now.” The blonde mumbled under her breath, angling her face away to keep her expression of doubt unseen.
“Well, you’re going to find out.” Blair responded to the words that Serena thought she could not even hear and then handed her a naked, squealing Carabella. “Here, put her in.”
Blair watched primly from her perch on the edge of the bath tub, atop one of her ivory towels with the gold stitched monogram ‘BCW’ as Serena hesitantly and experimentally lowered the baby into her own small tub within the bath tub. What resulted was the room immediately being filled with high, shrill cries.
“I told you!” Serena exclaimed, before trying to remedy the situation by softly stroking Carabella’s arms. But the infant was not having it and continued with her loud protesting.
“Maybe the water is too hot!”
“It’s not too hot! You made me refill this thing like three times!” Serena accurately reasoned.
Blair scoffed and cocked an eyebrow, before leaning down to test the water’s temperature herself, even though her body was painfully opposing the movement. Sitting on the solid marble surface was not the most pleasant thing to do after just having had a baby in the first place. Her fingertips nearly reached the surface and a murmur of discomfort was just behind her teeth, when Serena’s hand grasped her own.
“Blair, stop. I can tell it hurts.” Serena firmly stated, her voice conveying that she was not going to tolerate any arguments about the situation.
The brunette righted herself as swiftly as she could manage and haughtily folded her hands in her lap, yanking one of them away from the woman kneeling on the tiled floor beside her. “Oh, fine!”
“Yes, now just sit there and relax…” Serena advised, drawing out the last syllables of the words as she turned her attention back to her task. “You know, for as much as you used to dislike kids and babies before you found out you were pregnant, you’re certainly proving yourself to be awfully protective in just a short amount of time.”
“Shut up, S!” Blair spat. She proved the blonde’s words all too true when she could not even tear her gaze away from her whimpering daughter and her fingers twisted nervously against each other, itching to reach out and soothe the crying.
“It’s not a bad thing, B.” Serena was calmly gathering washcloths and baby shampoo from a towel beside her on the floor, flaunting her skills of keeping level headed while her girlfriend was close to having a heart attack.
“Serena! Would you just be quiet and make her stop crying!” Blair suddenly demanded when she could no longer stand it, her eyes flashing with insistence as she smacked her hand against the bathtub for effect.
Light gold colored tresses tossed gently as Serena shook her head, not being able to control how humorous she was finding the entire situation. “You’re mother is so dramatic, Carabella, and she’s the one who thought you were going to like this.”
The sudden sing-songy tone of Serena’s voice as she teased Blair offered a distraction to the unfamiliar setting that Carabella had found herself in. Concentration creased the smooth skin of her brow while she worked to focus on the smiling figure above her, lessening her loud vocalizations.
“There, that’s better, isn’t it?” Serena announced as she gently loosened Carabella’s fisted hand and held it between her fingers and thumb, while she drizzled warm water over her shoulders. The infant squirmed a bit at the sensation before realizing that it was not all that bad.
“I think she was just cold…”
The blonde looked over her shoulder to catch Blair’s eyes when she received no response, but instead she was met with the sight of her girlfriend grinning adoringly as she watched their daughter.
“B?”
“What?” Blair snapped, jerking herself out of the trance.
Serena smiled lightly, a mix of something like understanding and sympathy showing on her face. “Nothing. This is just strange, isn’t it?”
Blair’s eyes cast themselves on their now occupied newborn once more and she released a sigh. “It’s different…in a good way. But I’m still trying to get used to it, and used to having her. It just makes me feel so different.”
“That’s alright though…right, B?” The blonde spoke uncertainly, as if she was concerned for the explanation she might receive. Her fingers still held Carabella’s hand while she anticipated the response.
“Of course!” Blair quickly offered, not wanting to give the wrong impression. “It’s just that -”
A sudden and airy coo interrupted the sentence with infectious happiness and Blair’s luminous smile was practically automatic, like she had been hearing the endearing sound her entire life.
“Yes, we’re talking about you, sweetheart!” the brunette stated animatedly. Her hand was outstretched and her fingers wiggled in Carabella’s direction, catching her eyes. The motion caused more little noises, and if Blair’s pleased expression was any indicator, she was close to melting into a puddle of goo.
“It’s just that you never thought Blair Waldorf would be caught dead talking or acting like she did just now?” Serena added bluntly, yet with purposeful humor in her tone.
A happily defeated grin came over Blair’s face and she could not deny her girlfriend’s words, she had no reason to, there was nothing in her mind urging her to pretend anymore. “Exactly…”
Serena did not need to say anything to acknowledge how pleased she was with that single exclamation, the grin parting her lips and the expression in her dark blue eyes told everything. Smile still in place, she brought her fingers from beneath the warm water and flicked them towards the brunette’s face lightheartedly.
“Hey!” Blair whined, squeezing her eyelids shut and blinking away the droplets.
“Sorry, couldn’t help it.” Serena had already resumed entertaining Carabella and wetting down her short hair, by the time Blair was able to focus again.
“That went right in my eye,” complained the brunette.
“You cry more than Cara does.” The blonde teased as she simultaneously uncapped the bottle of Noodle & Boo shampoo she was holding and squeezed a small amount into her palm. She worked the liquid between her hands for a few moments before gently beginning to massage Carabella’s scalp, and talking lightly to her. “See, that feels good doesn’t it, baby?”
“Yes, S. Well, you just better not get that in her eyes!” Blair demanded, still disgruntled over the face full of water she had received from her loving girlfriend.
“She’s completely safe, mama. It says, ‘tear-free formula’ right on the bottle.” Serena assured, while she played with the foamy bubbles covering Carabella’s dark hair, using care while running her fingers over her sensitive soft spot.
“And you’re just going to believe that!?”
Serena’s brows knitted together and she slowly turned her face to the side, floored by how much worry this harmless event was causing Blair. “Yes, Blair, I am going to believe it and you’re going to believe it too. I promise I’m not going to pour it in her eye…she’ll be fine, okay?”
The brunette’s eyes narrowed at Serena’s condescending tone, then sweetly stated, “Fine, but give me that wash cloth over there.”
The little cloth was swiftly placed in Blair’s open palm, folded into a long rectangle - edges aligned and even, of course - and then handed back to Serena. “Here, you can put that on her forehead, just in case.”
As annoying as Blair could be at times, it still managed to put a smile on the blonde’s face. “Okay, deal…” Serena laughed, humoring the brunette. Somehow she was not surprised that Blair was overly concerned with everything having to do with her newborn, and she could not have imagined it being any other way.
*****
“Did you like your bath!?” Blair asked in a happy tone, further energizing the way that Carabella’s arms and legs were moving. “I think you did!”
“She’s never going to go to sleep if you do that.” Serena smiled as she laid a brand new, pink striped Petit Bateau footed pajama set on the changing table beside the infant.
“Then mommy will stay up with her because she’s much too adorable to leave alone!” the brunette gushed in between kissing the tops of Carabella’s tiny feet.
Blair lightly walked her fingers along her bare belly and chest, until she reached her face and cupped her delicate head in her hands. Then she lowered her own head so that her nose brushed the end of Carabella’s and made her brown eyes blink rapidly. And her voice became hushed and sincere when she whispered, “Yes, you are, Cara, and I love you more than anything.”
Blair touched their noses together one last time, kissed the baby’s soft forehead and then pulled away to begin dressing her in her night clothes. Carefully placing her limbs into the correct places with some struggle and then clicking the small metal snaps into each other, while Carabella watched drowsily. It seemed that the events of her first real bath were thoroughly exhausting and finally beginning to take effect, despite her mother’s playfulness.
“There! All ready for bed time!” Serena announced, as she watched the brunette finish bundling up their daughter so she could bring her to bed. Now they could only hope that ‘bed time’ would come quickly and easily, and without much interruption once it was achieved.
Taking a white cashmere blanket with pearly satin trim and draping it over Serena’s shoulder, Blair quietly instructed, “Here, take her blanket. I’m going to take a shower while she goes to sleep.”
“Alright…” the blonde stated absentmindedly, while she focused on turning down the bedding and not disturbing the infant lying over her arm, who was going still with sleepiness.
While Blair showered, Serena lounged against the numerous pillows, holding Carabella against her chest and amusedly watching as she fought sleep and finally lost the battle, her dark eyes eventually drifting closed of their own volition.
“Is she asleep?” Blair emerged from the conjoined bathroom expecting the answer to be ‘no,’ but when the blonde in her bed raised her forefinger to her lips and glanced downward, she instantly hushed knowing she had been proven wrong.
“She tried to stay awake for you, but she just couldn’t…”
Blair smiled in understanding as she smoothly took her daughter from Serena’s arms so as not to wake her. She then wrapped the loose flaps of the blanket tightly around her small body to keep her cozy and walked across the room, laying her down in the bassinet Harold and Roman had custom made for her in France.
“Well, that’s alright, because I have a feeling that in about two hours she will be awake again.” Blair whispered to the woman that she was now sliding into bed with.
“Mmm, don’t remind me…” Serena’s voiced purred into the brunette’s ear, she disregarded the thought to instead press random, feathery kisses against freshly showered skin and wet hair. “It’s my turn to have you now.”
Her straight teeth pinched her flesh, as Blair bit into her lip, sighing in response, “Yes…”
The blonde settled her weight over Blair, continuing to tease her by nibbling and sucking at her neck.
“You know four to six weeks is a long time,” the brunette pointed out, stopping to let out a little moan as Serena sharply nipped her earlobe. “But I think we could find a few ways to - Ow!”
“Oh! I’m sorry!” Serena rapidly exclaimed, shifting her weight and recognizing that cry as being from pain, and not from what she had been doing with her mouth.
Blair gave a breathy laugh through her discomfort and turned to her side, holding the blonde’s arm and pulling her to lie closely against her back. “Maybe four to six weeks will be just fine.”
Serena giggled in agreement and pushed into the warm form in front of her, but something in the gesture was mischievous and told both of them that they would not go untouched for such a long duration of time, especially if it was not absolutely necessary.
“So, where do you want to get married?” Blair asked, changing to a less tempting subject.
Serena exhaled in what could only be considered total contentment and smiled while winding a russet colored curl about her fingertip. “I don’t care, as long as you are there and I get to marry you. Oh, and I would like for it to be anywhere that Gossip Girl won’t be.”
Blair seemed to find some humor in the confession, for she shook her head lightly against her feather pillow. “Agreed! Now, we just have to get your ring. Maybe in a few days we can take Carabella for her first visit to Tiffany’s.”
“As long as you feel up to it, B.” Serena whispered quietly, making it obvious that - just like their daughter - sleep was beginning to take over.
Carefully turning around in Serena’s embrace, Blair found her blue eyes already closed but with a slight smile still on her face. “Don’t you want to show off your baby?” she questioned with a smile of her own.
“I want to show off both of my babies…” the blonde replied with her eyes still shut. It was a sly remark, yet completely honest, and Blair had to marvel at how someone could make her so happy by doing the same things that would normally irritate her if done by anyone else.
After the brunette had studied Serena’s unsuspecting features in appreciation, she gently touched their lips together until her fiancée kissed back. “I love you, Serena.”
And with drowsiness heavy in her voice, the blonde answered back, “I love you too, Blair.”
*****
Just as predicted, the sound of fussy wails interrupted the stillness in the room only a few hours later. Serena stirred first, and nestled her face further into Blair’s neck and chest, wanting to remain in her comfortable position and continue sleeping.
“Your turn…” Blair whispered, after the noisy sound had begun to pull her from her slumber. She sleepily pet the long blonde hair lying haphazardly over Serena’s head, hoping to give her some silent encouragement to go and calm the crying.
“No, your turn.” Serena mumbled back and the words were hardly audible due to her quiet tone and her mouth being obscured against the silk material covering Blair’s shoulder.
The brunette gave a little moan of disappointment and refusal. “Dorota’s turn.”
“Dorota isn’t here…”
“I call a time out then.”
The blonde eventually lifted her head from its soft resting place, realizing that she was most likely going to lose the debate. “You can’t call times out, B.”
“Fine, team effort.”
“Fine.” Now, Serena knew that she had definitely lost and was already beginning to move to sit against the headboard, waiting for Blair to do the same.
“Okay, go get her for me…please.” Blair murmured, eventually adding the polite request as she turned onto her side and buried her face further into the comforter, eyes still closed.
“Why me?” Serena whined, using one hand to rub her eyes and the other to turn on the lamp beside her.
“That’s your part of the team effort.”
“Your part seems easier than mine,” the blonde complained, although there was no real seriousness in the statement.
But even if there had been, Blair was prepared to defend herself in that authoritative way that was so uniquely her. “I have one word for you, Serena. Labor. Your part will never be easier. So there.”
Serena huffed, yet still smiled at the response; that was the last blow of defeat. So, dragging herself up from the bed, she went to follow her orders. Just like always, because she would never lose that weak point that always had her easily giving into Blair.
Thanks for reading, hope you liked it! Next chapter the girls will be taking a trip to Tiff's again, among other things! ;)