set: season one.

When Nate and Blair first break up, he's thrilled to pieces.

No more faking it. No more pretending. He doesn't have to give a fuck anymore.

Except then he's all alone. His dad's in rehab and it's not as if his mother's ever really been there.

You see, when he was lonely before, he'd turn to Blair or Chuck. And now he can't turn to Blair because she probably hates him (and he can't blame her for that, can he?) and Chuck's been acting a little stranger than usual.

And for the first time in his life, Nate feels truly alone.

So he texts Chuck a little more often. He talks to his mum a little bit more. He visits his dad once or twice. Hell, he even considers ringing Serena.

It's not enough.

He's still alone.

So he asks about Blair—wants to know if she's just as lonely as he is. He figures that she's always been there for him, so she's just got to be here for him now, when he actually needs her.

She can't hate him forever, right?

And no matter what Chuck says, he's not playing her. He's not. He really does miss her.

He's lonely.

He doesn't like being lonely.

With her, he doesn't feel so lonely.