Fic: don't need to blow out my candles (Chuck, Serena) PG
It seems I've come down with a bad case of writing friendship fics involving Chuck. Not that I'm complaining. This isn't so much a friendship fic, anyway, as a brother/sister fic, but still, same general idea.

Title: don't need to blow out my candles (i've got everything i need, already)
Author: Eliza Ann (frozenmolasses)
Characters/Pairings: Chuck, Serena (Chuck/Blair, Nate, Lily, Eric, Dan, Jenny, Georgina)
Summary: Chuck awakes that morning to find a badly wrapped gift sitting on his chest. 'Happy Birthday! Open this immediately!' reads the card.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I'm just taking them out of the toy box. It all belongs to Josh, Steph, and the CW.
Spoilers: Up to 2x25, takes place on Chuck's birthday.
Words: 608
A/N: Chuck/Serena is seriously underrated. I don't really ship it, but I adore their brother/sister bond and I wish there were more fics about it. And because I'm almost sure she knows him better than she lets on. Feedback makes my world go 'round.

Chuck awakes that morning to find a badly wrapped gift sitting on his chest. 'Happy Birthday! Open this immediately!' reads the card. He carefully lifts it up and sets on his night table, pulling on his bathrobe. He knows who it's from.

Upon walking into the kitchen, he's greeted with a bright smile that slowly fades as Serena takes in his appearance.

"You didn't open it?" She looks almost a little hurt.

"Trust me, sis, if I open it before I have my coffee, no matter what it is, I'll hate it."

"Fine," she says, passing him a mug, "but you better like it. It took forever to find."

"I told you not to get me anything, you know." He stirs in the cream, leaves out the sugar.

"Even the Devil gets presents on his birthday. Besides, even though we still don't share any of the same DNA, you are now, technically, my brother. It would be wrong not to get you anything."

He just raises his eyebrows and tries not to let it show that he's flattered that she would call him that. But he reminds himself that two years is a long time, and things change faster than that.

He goes back to his room and looks at the box for a few seconds, then gets dressed. He doesn't open it.

Blair gives him several multi-colored bow ties and a few more things that you can't wrap in a box. He doesn't think any gift will match this.

Nate gives him a call and promises a huge party when he gets back. But it's what's behind the words that counts. He can hear the smile and it makes him think that maybe, just maybe, everything is going to be okay between them.

Lily gives him the biggest, and by far the scariest, present. Chuck knows you can't fit a multi-million dollar company into a box, but he he wishes she'd tried. Then maybe he wouldn't have to open it yet.

Eric gives him a beanie baby and a wonderfully written card. The stuffed otter makes him question his brother's sanity, but the card makes him think he the wisest person he's ever known.

Dan gives him a copy of his story about him that's been fed through a paper-shreddar and crumbled up. There's a sticky note at the bottom of the box that says 'Sorry'. The words 'You're forgiven' come to mind before he can stop them.

Jenny gives him a slight smile and hands him a plate for his cake. It's more than he thinks he deserves from her.

In the mail he finds the standard Georgina gift: porn, coke, and a quickly scrawled note: 'C- May God help you find your way away from our dear queen. <3 G'. He find himself smiling. So the bitch really is back.

Halfway through dinner, Serena tells him that if he doesn't open her present soon, she'll take it back. He nods smugly. Honestly, he's curious, but torturing her is just too much fun.

When he finishes his cake he finally gives in and goes back to his room and opens the box. On top he finds a note. 'Chuck, do you have any idea how gross it is to dig through your room? I'm not even going to ask about that one video. Anyway, I know the past year has been really hard for you, but I don't think that means you should forget who you are. Maybe this will help you remember. Love, Serena.'

When he looks into the box, his breath catches.

The next morning, as he leaves for Blair's, Serena notices what he's wearing and smiles at him. He nods and touches the black and red scarf around his neck, smiling back.