ericvanderwood-blog

[ericvanderwood-blog]

@gossipdujour​

As Eric neared an all too familiar penthouse suite, he mentally crossed off another name on the list of people he wanted to surprise with a visit. Chuck Bass. The elder male was many different things to many different people, but to the younger van der Woodsen, he’d first been a confidant. Then they’d become brothers. Sure, there had been a fair amount of ups and downs over the years, but what family didn’t have them?

He glanced down in the bag he held to make sure that he had everything. A new toy for Monkey? Check. It was practically tradition for him to bring something new whenever he stopped by and who would he be to break it now? A joke mug for Chuck? Double check. One could never have too many mugs that proclaimed the beverage inside most likely wasn’t coffee.

With that, Eric raised his free hand to knock on the door. Much like the other people he’d already surprised and those still on the list, he would have called or texted ahead of time to identify himself. But of course, that wouldn’t be a surprise, just an announcement or request to stop by and visit.

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trstans​:

          𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐇𝐔𝐆  𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘  𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒  𝐇𝐈𝐌  𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋  𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄  ,   and  he  wraps  his  fingers  around  one  of  the  coffee cups  .   it’s  likely  a  bad  idea  ,   to  drink  caffeine  while  popping  painkillers  like  they’re  candy  ,   but  he  doesn’t  have  it  in  him  to  reject  the  cup  ,   and  so  he  sips  at  it  ,   tight  lipped  smile  on  his  face  .

eric  is  something  out  of  a  fairytale  ,   or  a  romcom  .   he’s  the  kind  of  guy  tristan  had  always  envisioned  himself  marrying  when  he  was  younger  ,   but  that  only  makes  the  guilt  so  much�� more  gut  wrenching  .   eric  has  done  NOTHING  to  deserve  the  lies  ,   and  yet  tristan  has  done  nothing  but  lie  these  past  few  days  .   it’s  all  for  the  best  ,  he  knows  that  ,   but  it  still  feels  horrid  .

          ‘     never  a  bad  time  for  you  !     ’          yes  .   yes  ,   it’s  the  worst  time  imaginable  ,   why  are  you  in  manhattan  ?    he  loves  eric  ,   he  does  ,   and  the  last  thing  he  needs  is to  lose  him  because  miles  can’t  let  go  of  the  past  .

“Perfect,” Eric started as he lifted his own cup out of the drink carrier and took a couple of sips. Thankfully, he had a fair amount of tolerance, plus he was pretty decent at limiting himself to only a couple cups a day unless he had to meet a deadline. “Sorry again for not giving you a heads up, but I just wanted to come back home for a bit. Surprise you, surprise family and friends,” he continued.

"And while I’m here, maybe we can arrange a couple of date nights?” he suggested. Provided that Eric didn’t wake up in all too familiar dark hole or jet lag didn’t have anything to say about his plans, he wanted to spend plenty of time with his loved ones as well as catch up with those he hadn’t seen in awhile. “Or date days too. Whenever you’re free. Although I imagine that we’ll have some things to cross off the wedding planning list now that we’re in the same place again.”

After the words left his mouth, Eric could have sworn his heart fluttered with excitement. Sure, there had been no shortage of stepdads and ill fated marriages that he’d been witness to over the course of his life. But he believed in Tristan as well as himself, in the love that they shared. There would be a happy ending in the van der Woodsen clan.

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trstans​:

          𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐊  𝐎𝐍  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒  𝐇𝐈𝐌  ,   and  he wracks  his  brain     -     was  he  expecting  company  ?    the  only  people  he’s  awfully  close  with  who  know  of  his  return  are clare   &   jenna  ,   both  of  whom  would  have  had  the  decency  to  text  before  coming  .

he  rises  from  the  couch  ,   scrambling  to  hide  the  yellow  cap  bottle  of  prescription  painkillers  laying  in  plain  view  on  the  coffee  table  .   whoever  it  is  ,   tristan  doesn’t  need  them  knowing  .   but  who  could  blame  him  for  needing  the  brain  fog  to  keep  him  sane  ?   everything  has  gotten  so  complicated  in  just  a  matter  of  days  .   he’s  lying  to  the  sweetest  ,   loveliest  guy  on  earth  ,   his  ex  husband  won’t  get  the  divorce  tris  needs  ,   and  his  nightmares  have  grown  harder  to  ignore  .

slim  fingers  wrap  around  the  doorknob  ,   and  he  tugs  the  door  open  ,   a  polite  smile  etched  on  his  lips  ,   a  smile  that  falls  the  moment  he  sees  who’s  on  the  other  side  ,   if  only  for  a  moment  before  he  remembers  to  grin  .          ‘    eric  !     ’          fuck  .   he’s  royally  screwed  .

“Tristan!” Eric greeted as he aimed to pull him in for a hug, mindful of the drink tray he held in his hand. “I’m sorry for not giving you a heads up, but this was meant to be a surprise,” he continued after he pulled away. “Got coffee to hopefully make up for it though.” As he spoke, a slight pout formed on his face in order to keep the joke going.

His relationship with Tristan felt like a dream come true and there were no words for the regret he felt some days at keeping things from him. But everything that Eric had stored away were matters Tristan didn’t need to worry about. Unless they became too much to handle on his own - which he hoped that day would never come - then he didn’t plan on saying a word. Technically speaking, withholding information was a form of lying which was something his mind never let him live down on some days. At the end of the day though, he loved Tristan with all of his heart and soul which was exactly what he decided to focus on as the bright grin remained on his face.

“Is this a bad time?” Eric questioned while his grin morphed into a softer, understanding type of smile. “Because I can always leave the coffee and come back later.” There were a multitude of ideas as to how to occupy his time just in case his arrival was inconvenient. No shortage of things to do now that he was back home, but if Tristan was alright with him staying then that was just what he’d do.

[ericvanderwood-blog]

@trstans

The Upper East Side. Eric’s old stomping grounds. This was where the van der Woodsen family planted their roots in between ex-stepfathers, where he’d spent plenty of his formative years. He was happy to be surrounded by familiarity once again, but he also found himself being pleasantly surprised by the things that had changed during his time away. If this was a game of spot the differences, he was pretty sure that he’d win with flying colors.

Of course, he wasn’t home for the sole purpose of going on a sight-seeing tour. That was an added bonus, but what had truly brought him back was a spur of the moment idea. Tristan had left London with the promise that he’d return soon. There was just some business that had to be taken care of. So, Eric had occupied himself with his usual routine until a thought wandered up to the front of his mind. What if he went to surprise Tristan? A quick trip back to surprise his future husband, maybe do the same thing for a few of his loved ones?

So, he’d packed up his bags for a short stay and gotten a ticket, then was homeward bound before he knew it. Now, Eric just needed to find Tristan. So he set off towards his fiancé’s place after he made a quick pit stop to get some coffee for both of them. Once he arrived at his destination, Eric knocked on the door as a bright, lovestruck grin appeared on his face

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