Lips pressed firmly together in an uneasy line, Blair continued to studiously avoid looking at Chuck. Every muscle in her body was tensed; it seemed she might fracture if touched at that moment. Pandaemonium held reign on the streets and there was a decapitated corpse only a few feet away, but the realization that she had just willingly kissed Chuck Bass of all people was the thought worrying itself at the edges of her mind. She refused to let herself dwell on the fact that she had actually enjoyed it.
But, no. It hadn't really been willing. She'd been understandably shaken at seeing him bloodily dispatch a monster, not to mention their desperate flight from the school and the horrors that they had witnessed. Anyone was bound to act out irrationally under the circumstances, it had been a night of mounting shocks. And anyway, if it were anyone's fault it was Chuck's, a fact that she was magnanimously willing to overlook given that he had saved her from that creature mere moments ago.
Despite this private resolution, his quiet apology brought her up short. Reluctantly, she glanced at him sidelong, realizing that sincerity was reflected on his face as well as in his voice. For some reason, she fancied it would almost have been easier to handle a normal smirk or lecherous lear. His genuine regret was oddly unsettling. She let out a long, rattling breath before responding, wishing she could assume her normal careless, confident air.
"It's alright Chuck," Blair said stiffly, turning on the faucet and regarding the column of water intently as if it might have all the answers she was looking for. "Under the circumstances, I'll let it slide."
She stepped aside to allow him access to the sink, grabbing a washcloth to hand to him once he was done. It was a foolish little plan--a bit of water would hardly remove the blood staining his suit much less put the rest of the topsy-turvy world to rights--but it was the only improvement Blair could think of at the moment.