Disclaimer: Gossip Girl is not owned by me, unfortunately. A/N: Humouring myself with this fic. Based on a dream I had this morning, totally not kidding. Woke up laughing. AU.
Downward Spiral
Dan was on the phone to Nate discussing Blair as usual. He knew it was over between them, but that didn't mean he'd stopped loving her. Nate was a good friend, but Dan understood that he was caught in the middle. Especially since Blair had gone back to Chuck. Nate told him to do what everybody else kept telling him - to give Blair space. She obviously didn't love him. She hadn't wanted to go to Italy with him and be in his shadow, though he'd told her countless times, it wouldn't be like that. They were equals. It broke his heart when Blair hadn't even told him she had changed her mind. She just left him. He understood now how his Dad felt after Lily left him for Bart.
Why was it Humphrey's were so unlucky in love? It wasn't because they were from Brooklyn surely? Why did it matter where they came from? Wasn't loving someone about loving them because of who they were not because of where they came from? He remembered when Blair had told him, 'he had her heart'. She had chosen him and they had kissed in the loft. It had been a moment of triumph. But what happened? Why hadn't it lasted? Was Blair scared of commitment? Or had she merely used him until Chuck was ready for her?
"Look man, Chuck needs to talk. I'm sorry, really. Just take it easy and don't do anything stupid."
Stupid. Apparently that's what he did now. Things that were stupid. Like jostling Chuck in a drunken state, trying to find out what it was that Chuck had that he didn't. Maybe Blair left him because their relationship needed to be more physical? Maybe he needed to own a hotel, wear a suit or part his hair. Maybe he needed to drink scotch at all hours in the day. Maybe he needed to be a dick. But none of this won Blair. He had lost her love, her friendship, her trust.
But he didn't get it? How was he the bad the guy? He'd given her everything she'd wanted. He'd been her friend, listened to her dramas, helped her escape Louis and Gossip Girl, shown her she was still a princess in his eyes and yet she still chose Chuck Bass.
"Yeah, man, I won't do anything stupid." Dan told him, hanging up and throwing the phone against the wall. He wasn't at the loft. Instead he stood in the middle of Georgina Sparks' lounge room. Philip was at work. Milo was asleep and Georgina was making coffee in the kitchen.
"He's right you know? You have done nothing but stupid things all summer. You need to forget about her. She has. Why don't you sit down and finish your book? They loved the idea in Italy."
"What's the point? Everybody hates me, nobody cares about the truth." Dan was angry. Hating everything about his life. He was sick of Chuck getting everything he wanted. Dan brought the bottle of scotch to his mouth and gulped it down. He hadn't even noticed the cold.
"Would you put on a jumper!"
"Why? I was just going back to bed." He took the bottle with him. This made Georgina act. She pulled a woolly purple jumper belonging to Philip off the couch and pulled it over Dan's head, rubbing his arms and talking loudly in his ear. He just wished she would leave him alone. He was nothing. He had lost Blair. He had lost his status. Why did Georgina even care?
"You asked me to come to Italy with you, leave Milo for the Summer and help you when you were at your worst. You know, I came because I owed you Dan. It's been five weeks since we got back and you haven't done anything but mope for Blair. I get that you loved her and I know she did, but she was scared of letting go. She made her choice and you have to be the better person Dan, you have to show her that she made a mistake. That's why you need to come back from this. You need to publish this book. You need to keep living. Your life doesn't revolve around Blair's. You can stand alone."
"But I'm sick of being alone! I've been alone for five years! I thought everything was finally changing.' Dan wrenched himself from her grasp. His clothes were all over her floor. He was a mess, he knew it, but he couldn't pull himself out of this depression. Jenny was gone. Eric was gone. Vanessa was gone. His father had his own problems to deal with. Georgina sat down beside him, running her hand through his hair. "Would you stop that? We're not dating!"
"I'm sorry, I can't help it. Having Milo has released my maternal instincts. Thankfully your shouting hasn't woken him. Will you just have a shower, it will warm you up and you'll smell less like a farm animal. Please?" Georgina said, brushing her hand down his cheek.
He flinched, not by her touch but by his phone ringing in his hand. Georgina took it from him, telling him to go have a shower. She had often wondered what it would be like to live with Dan, especially when they had dated in the first year at college, but now she was glad she had Phillip. This version of Dan was his worst self. She had spent most of the summer shouting at him to do things or not do them. She was organising his marketing, sales and social life. Philip supported her decisions. He didn't get angry at her when Dan trashed their apartment. He got up to talk to him when he went through the liquor cabinets in the middle of the night, and she took his phone when he started drunk dialling Blair with abusive and hopeless messages.
"Dan's phone, this is Georgina?"
"Where's Dan? I need to speak to him," Serena said.
"Well he's busy. If you cared about Dan, which I doubt you do, because your actions tell otherwise, then you would be here. What is it you need from him?"
Because that was all Serena did these days. She had desperately tried to win back Dan when she realised Blair had feelings for him but lost both their friendships and respect. Dan had told her about the fight he had with Serena over the sex-tape she had filmed to get back at Blair and they were not on good terms. If Serena was calling it was not to ask if Dan was ok.
"My boss wants to make Inside a movie."
"Really? You actually want the world knowing you are a shallow, selfish, whore?"
" I don't really have a say." Serena replied, grimly.
"We'll think about it." Georgina said, lightly.
"I need an answer by the end of the day."
"Then no. I won't let you use Dan's book to make you look good to your boss. Goodbye Serena."
Georgina tossed the cell phone onto the couch. Dan had showered and walked out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. She picked up his clothes from the lounge before he could wear them, running to put them all in the washing machine. He really needed new clothes, half of these he'd worn when he was eighteen. He was shouting at her. His hair dripping wet. Sometimes she wondered if she'd ever get over Dan Humphrey. She handed him Philip's clothes to change into.
Milo stirred in his sleep and Georgina got a little carried away, trying to help button up the shirt around Dan's chest, falling into him with a slight 'oh'. It only made Dan more frustrated but at least she got to touch his abs. She supposed she should actually go and call some people and leave Dan to get dressed himself, but she hadn't trusted leaving him alone after catching him on multiple occasions taking a cab to Blair's. She had to try and remind Dan there were good things in his life. He might not have Blair anymore but he still had his family and her and Phillip and Milo. She smiled to herself as she confiscated his phone again and watched Dan pull down the towel and pull up his boxer shorts. She grinned against her hand enjoying the view. Dan shouted at her but she ignored him. if it wasn't for her, Dan's career would have been stuffed.
"Get some rest and when you wake up I want you to write 15'000 words on Revenge."
"Like it's that easy," Dan murmured.
"You're an incredible writer, Dan. It is that easy, if you'll let it."
Dan sighed, he must be a real mess if he was listening to advice from Georgina Sparks.
A/N: Please review! I freaking love Georgina Sparks and Deorgina!
