Authors Note: Because I kind of like the idea of Nate falling in love with Blair again.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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i.
He gets coffee with her on a Wednesday.
Nine days after her divorce, it lasted less than six months.
"I mean, what was I thinking? Marrying Humphrey? Ugh. Did nobody check to see if I had brain damage." She sounds royally pissed off, scrunching up her nose as she scans her credit card.
(He'll never tell her this, but he thinks she looks beautiful with her nose scrunched up, blue eyes squinting with anger. He always thinks she's beautiful.)
He picks two seats next to a window, she always used to like them best.
He pulls her chair out for her.
(He's always a gentle men, a white night, shining armour. Always the good guy, sweet. Dashing, a prince. While he used to resent it, couldn't he be bad? just once, he loves it now. The way Blair's blue eyes shine with adoration, and her the first smile he's seen on her in a while.)
"How are you, Archibald?" She asks, sipping her coffee delicately. insert coffee type here.
"Good, - the real question is, how are you?" He leans in closer, she scraps a piece of hair behind her ear and lets out a sigh.
"Stupid? I knew marrying someone from Brooklyn was a mistake," His heart sinks when he looks at her. So he directs the topic of conversation some where else. A laugh spills out of her lips exactly fifty two times during two hours of coffee. He swears it's the happiest sound in the world.
ii.
He takes her to a movie on a Thursday.
A month after her divorce.
He takes her to a theatre he found, one that plays Audrey and Grant, and all the other films she adores. It doesn't hurt that it's small and cosy, either.
"This is perfect!" She squeals. He no longer sees a twenty three year old, who he barely knows. He sees the fifteen year old girl he used to love.
She sits herself in the very middle of the theatre. Is confused when nobody else shows, he shrugs his shoulders.
(He's decided not to tell her that he bought out the whole cinema just so he could watch her as she watched her favourite film. Or, so he could (maybe) make out with her.)
He leans in right after Fred - or Paul, or whoever, tells Holly that he loves her at the library and Blair's squealing in delight. He dives in, her mouth is still against his for a moment but she kisses him back.
It's sort of awkward after that, and he's sort of really nervous.
Her hand finds his first, though. A few minutes after the brief kiss ended. They stay like that for the rest of the film.
iii.
He takes her ice skating on a Friday.
A month and a bit after her divorce.
She arrives dressed in cream stockings and a light brown cashmere sweater (that looks a lot better on than it sounds). She's even added a small snow white beanie atop her head.
She drags him around the rink, gliding effortlessly along the ice. He follows her, not as graceful but nearly. It's the first time he's heard her giggle like an idiot in years. She tugs on his hand, jutting out her lower lip, pulling him along faster.
(He forgets that he's an adult now. It all feels so eerily familiar. Back when they were young, and he was confused. Stuck between Serena and all the things he wanted, but couldn't have. The forbidden fruit appeal is even more appealing when you're younger. And Blair, beautiful Blair, who loved him and whom he loved. Perfect Blair, everything he could ever want Blair. Yet, he was confused. Stuck between wanting to break out and try something his parents didn't want (serena) opposed to staying with who he really wanted but his parents wanted also (blair). Oh, a foolish child he was.)
She rests her head against his shoulder as he unties his laces. Her eyes fall closed, and her mouth is in a straight line. She's fallen asleep against him. He smiles at the sight, untying her laces also.
He shakes her awake gently. Laughs when she rubs her eyes. Pulls his lips downwards into a frown when she smacks him on his shoulder.
"Hot chocolate?" He offers, eyes looking at the stand.
"Yes, please." Blair huffs, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the stall.
iv.
He takes her shopping on a Saturday.
Two months after her divorce.
She greets him at Bendels with a frown, a scarf thrown carelessly around her neck as she marches towards him.
"What do you want?" She snaps, crossing her arms across her chest. It's then that he spots the ring glinting on her finger, and he feels his heart sinking to the bottom of his chest. He feels himself locking it up in a cage.
"What's that?" He nods his head towards the ring. His voice is rather harsh, angry, hurt. He thought they had something. She shrugs her shoulders, allowing a small smile to slip onto her lips.
"We're gonna give it another go," She explains. Nate's too blind in his anger to notice how nervous her smile looks. How forced it is.
"What happened to, 'I can't believe I married Humphrey'. What about the fact he cheated on you with Serena?" He's furious, and he doesn't know why. He thinks he might loves her again (he knows he loves her, knows he never really stopped) but she had never given him any signs of still being into him. Apart from that kiss, short, sweet. And, you know, all those other signs.
"Don't remind me. Everybody loves Serena. Everybody must have her!" She retorts. He barely remembers Serena and the Shepard wedding. It happened so long ago (and so did they).
"I'm gonna go," And then she's gone before he gets the chance to apologise. The chance to try and make amends. He gets drunk instead.
v.
He shows up at her house on a Sunday.
Three months since the divorce.
One month since the encounter at Bendels.
He dons the green sweater, heart pin still intact from when she gave it back to him in their last year of high school. It doesn't really fit anymore, it's (way) too small, but it represents them.
It takes an hour to convince her just to talk to him. He knows Dan isn't around, he knows they aren't getting back together. Her finger still carries the ring.
(But he saw her slipping it on when she saw him waiting in the foyer. He thinks she might be just as scared as him. Scared to face whatever this was.)
It takes her half an hour to agree to a date. A proper date, a real one. One where the two of them could pretend that they didn't know each other, that nothing that had happened between them had happened.
"I've kind of missed you, Archibald." She pecks his cheek, grinning. Smooths out her skirt, walks up the stairs. Stops. Then smiles softly back at him.
"I've kind of missed you." He feels kind of giddy. He hasn't really felt this way in years. Not exactly like this at least. He knows he's falling too hard, and he doesn't really expect the two of them to last if they begin.
But.
They are them. And they've got history. Years worth of it. And once upon a time, before a whole bunch of drama commenced, it used to be the two of them. Serena and Chuck were just their best friends, separate drama that the two of them were barely involved with.
(Okay, so maybe Blair was involved with Serena's drama and Nate was involved in Chuck's but the two of them never, really, swapped sides.)
He leaves her house in high spirits.
vi.
He takes her out for dinner on a Monday.
He's stopped counting the days since her divorce.
(And he swears that he loses his breath the moment she enters the restaurant. He can't think straight, is frozen still. She rolls her eyes as she pulls out her seat, commenting on how un-gentleman like it was of him.)
His fingers curl around hers as he walks her to her car after the meal. His jacket slung carelessly across her shoulders.
She smells of cinnamon, and all things sweet.
Or maybe it's his imagination, he's never thought she smelt like cinnamon before. He watches her lips move, she's snapping her fingers in front of his face -
"Are you even listening to me, Archibald!" He arms are crossed against her chest, and she's never sounded or looked more like the girl he used to love.
He dives straight forward, crashing her lips with her own.
And she kisses him right back.
vii.
He tells everyone (they tell everyone) on a Tuesday.
It's been - oh who even cares how many days since the divorce?
Serena has a fit, storming off. Screaming obscenities at Blair, (you don't love him! you're using him, b. the prince left you, humphrey doesn't want you and chuck's dead. he's the only guy who likes you and now you're using him!) in a flurry of long blonde hair, and blue silk.
Dan glares at Nate, (how could you? i thought we were friends!) and storms off, following Serena's lead.
Everyone else (Lily, Rufus, Eleanor, Anne, Howard, Cyrus, Jenny, Vanessa, Kati, Is and a few other faces they haven't seen in a while.) are silent. He thinks maybe telling everyone at a reunion sort of dinner was the wrong move.
Is and Kati let out a squeal, and start rambling on about how high school it all is and how they always knew they were destined to be together. They hug Blair, they hug Nate. They hug everyone.
Their parents are happy.
(They've always wanted this, after all.)
And Nate feels okay when he looks over at Blair and sees her beaming with delight despite Serena's harsh words. He intertwines their fingers together, and oh god has he missed this. Missed her.
vii.
He marries her on a Wednesday.
Three years after her divorce.
(He swears his heart stops beating when he spots her flowing down in silk and ivory and looking as gorgeous as ever. He thought for a moment that she wasn't going to show. That she was going to think this was a bad idea. He almost forgotten that she's wanted this since she was five years old.)
It still takes him by surprise that she loves him (even after all this time, apart, together).
His hand is on her waist, her hand is on his shoulder. The two of them glide effortlessly across marble floors, memories of their cotillion fluttering through his mind. A smile tugging at his lips.
"I love you, Blair." She lets out a small laugh, resting her head against his shoulder. Eyelashes fluttering close. Long, black, lashes resting against skin that felt like the finest silk.
"Always have. Always will?" She asks, voice hopeful despite already knowing the answer.
"Always have. Always will." He repeats back to her. Lips reaching down to touch hers, lightly.
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AN: So this was out of character and kind of really sucked.