Disclaimer: Gossip Girl is not owned by me, unfortunately. A/N: Humouring myself with this little fic. Like or hate? Leave a comment explaining why. I love Rufus and I love Ivy, so here's my story of how they grew closer. Extended due to high demand.

Good Publicity

Ivy's heels clicked importantly down the cement hallway, clipboard in hand, thinking of what else she had to cross off on her 'to do' list. Rufus was tuning his guitar, the rest of the Lincoln Hawk band members chatting animatedly about old tour memories as they got ready to rehearse. She didn't have time to chat, she needed to get everything sorted for tonight. She didn't want to let Rufus down, considering he had bet on her when Lily refused.

It was all Ivy could do to thank Rufus for letting her become his Publicist. Thanks to Nate she was able to get the Spectator to promote the tour for Rufus and it enabled the both of them to get away from the craziness that was the Upper East Side after Chuck's father returned from the dead. She didn't want to think where she might be if Rufus hadn't given her this chance.

She checked that there was water on stage, that the light crew knew what they were doing and other important things. He had written a few new songs over the years and wanted to perform them tonight. Ivy had never realised how talented he was until she had heard the songs. She thought Lily was crazy for going back to Bart Bass and divorcing Rufus.

"Ivy?" Rufus called her back to the stage. "Take a break for a moment will you? You're making us all nervous. Looks like you have everything covered."

"I suppose... I could...rest...for just a second," She sat on the edge of the stage beside Rufus who was strumming his guitar. "Do you miss her?" She asked. She liked talking to Rufus. It felt easy, like he didn't judge her like the rest had.

He sighed, "Lily and I have a history and for a time I thought we were on the same page but then there were choices she made that I never could agree with. This being one of them. I can understand her obvious surprise learning Bart was still alive but what I can't understand is her sudden desire to go back to him. I don't think I will ever understand."

Ivy nodded, it was strange how relationships ended so suddenly. She had told Rufus all about Max when he'd tried to blackmail her. It was like people went crazy if they spent too much time on the other side of the bridge. She liked Brooklyn. It was different to the upper east side but at least the people seemed not to care. There was less stress. It was like she could finally be herself and not worry about being posted onto Gossip Girl.

"Do you think Lily will ever talk to me again?" Ivy asked quietly. Rufus stopped strumming. The others had gone to get coffee Ivy noticed.

"I think after what happened with CeCe, she's going to find it difficult to believe you. She will probably always think of you as a thief. Her and CeCe never had a close relationship - I think she was jealous of how close you and CeCe were."

Ivy hopped off the stage, saying she needed to get back to work and Rufus allowed her to do that, watching her carefully and only calling her back if he needed to delegate responsibilities. Ivy wondered whether Nate would come to the show, or if he was still dating Diana Payne, whom she didn't like very much. She went back to her errands and only returned to the stage to answer a phone call that Rufus had flung at her because Sid was having a crisis with a costume change.

"H-hello?" Ivy stuttered, hoping it wasn't Lily.

"Ivy?" It was Dan. "I was looking for my Dad?"

"He gave his phone to me. He's busy... Can I pass on any messages?"

"Yeah, can you tell him I'm not going to make it tonight and I'm sorry, I'm still stuck in this writer's panel and won't get out 'til late."

Ivy nodded and said, "Yeah... sure, I'll tell him." It seemed like a millennium when Carol had paid her to become her daughter so she could open her trust fund without causing any uproars and to do that Ivy had to befriend Dan and Serena. Ivy was hired because she was an actress, and Lily would never believe Ivy genuinely cared for CeCe and wanted to be part of their family.

She just needed to stop feeling so lonely. She had wanted to have a family, like Serena's. It seemed strange that once upon a time she had liked Dan. She could see a lot of his father in him, and it didn't help that the more she spent talking to Rufus, the more she liked him. Perhaps it was because they were both so lonely and shunned by the Upper East Side and Lily that Ivy gave the idea to Rufus in a hope that it would be fun, or even exhilarating: he needed to go back and do what he loved: play music.

"Who was that?" Rufus asked later when he'd escaped the zipper fiasco.

"Dan says 'hi' but he's not going to make it."

"First Jenny, now Dan - well at least I can be happy that our fans still like me."

"Maybe they'll come to the next one." Ivy offered, handing over his phone with a faint smile.

Rufus took a sip from his water bottle and they practiced a few more songs before it was time for them to go on stage and perform. Ivy stood backstage tapping her heels to the beat and beaming like an idiot, because the crowd roared with approval and Rufus looked like he was actually enjoying the attention. His new songs captured a different tone but the applauding went on for several minutes after he'd completed them, indicating that they loved them as much as the old.

Between the interval and the toilet break, Ivy congratulated Rufus, telling him Jenny and Dan would be proud. He swept his sweaty hair from his face and grinned, still pumped from the crowd. He seemed genuinely pleased with her feedback and patted her on the shoulder as if to say 'thanks for making this possible' and returned to play the old favourites.

Ivy went to get a beer and sat in with the crowd. Lily was even more stupid to let him back on the market, she thought, watching several crazy middle aged women and screaming teenagers throw their underwear onstage in a hope he would hang a piece on his mic stand. She sipped her beer slowly, admiring Rufus as a friend who was talented but also as a man who was an amazing father to his kids, and to his step-kids.

She remembered what he had been like with Serena and Eric, even Chuck. Unfortunately her father hardly measured to the same height. She craved for something like what Rufus had with Dan and Jenny. She prayed to be loved. Rufus winked in her direction as the lyrics floated off his tongue and into her ears and again she felt an almost forbidden pull toward Rufus.

Lincoln Hawk played their last song and the crowd applauded for an encore, but they were running over time and the next band were coming onto the stage. Rufus shook each of their hands, waved goodbye to the crowd and beamed at his mates, hardly daring to believe that their first show was a hit. He was on such a high that Ivy couldn't help but smile back, proud of his efforts, of his comeback and of his talent. She was glad she was able to shared it with him.

Jason, Brad and Sid had gone to enjoy their success by signing autographs with a beer in hand while Ivy said she'd be along shortly. Rufus pulled the clipboard from her hand and she protested, with several things to do. "You deserve a beer as much as the rest of us. Tonight's success was mainly because of you." Rufus told her.

She had another beer and talked with the band, hearing crazy stories about Rufus' days when he was supposedly more "reckless" and "free". They drank many more beers and shots, laughing about the "old days" and the "crazy fans" who asked them to "sign boobs" or "bums" in exchange for good publicity. They laughed about the "fashion" and the "80s mullets" that they "all rocked" and about the "girls" who followed them to each town, hoping for "a night in."

Ivy heard all about how Lily took the photographs for the cover of Rufus' first album contributing to his sudden rise to fame. They also talked about how Lily was still married to Bart and how that love affair was suddenly over. Ivy steered the conversation back to the crazy fan girls because she saw Rufus was looking down. Jason, Sid and Brad went to dance with a group of keen twenty-somethings, reliving their past and leaving Rufus and Ivy to talk about other things.

"Look at them dancing," Ivy snorted. Rufus peered at his phone, disappointed there were no messages. "My feet are killing me. I don't know why I decided to wear heels." She was trying to distract him from Lily. He had been quite a mess after Lily dumped him. He constantly checked his phone hoping to hear from her, but never did.

"Jenny used to love heels. Apparently they make your legs slimmer." Rufus muttered.

"Really? Well one random did say he liked my legs," She smiled, drinking the last of her third beer. "But that was before he groped my bum and I stuck my heel through his foot." Rufus laughed, "People should know they are not just shoes, they're weapons." She grinned when he said, "I'll remember that for next time"

"When was the last time you 'groped' someone?" Ivy asked.

"'Groping' is such an ugly term. Touching is nicer."

"Touching sounds even worse!" Ivy scrunched up her face with disgust.

"Well, what would you call this? Stroking?" Rufus said, running his hand down Ivy's shoulder to prove his point. Ivy stared at Rufus, enjoying the gesture. She wondered if he had realised the effect he had on her and imagined what would happen if she kissed him.

"Definitely, inappropriate 'stroking'." Ivy murmured, wanting him to touch her anywhere else.

"You're probably right." Rufus said, leaning forward slowly. "Definitely inappropriate.."

Ivy's breath caught in her lungs as Rufus' mouth brushed against hers and their drunken state fuelled a passionate kiss that had broken the tension surrounding them. It was new and exciting and Ivy was too drunk to think rationally. She got up from the bar and pulled Rufus away from the loud pounding music and into an empty dressing room, backstage.

"We shouldn't be doing this-" Rufus said, taking off his jacket and pulling off Ivy's clothes as their lips met, desperately falling back against the locked door and then again onto the vacant couch.

"You mean hot sex in an empty dressing room after you just played an amazing concert?" She asked. Rufus chuckled. How was it someone so young could have this effect on him? Her sharp gasps egged him on as he pulled at her lips. Her clipboard lay forgotten on the floor beside her heels and she had never imagined that Rufus would be the one to turn her on. His stubble scratched against her face and her eye-lids fluttered deliriously as they broke apart suddenly, and she protested, until he started rubbing her beneath her dress.

They were both lost in a drunk-fantasy state, enjoying their bodies pressed against theirs, both so desperate to stop feeling alone. Her chest heaved up and down as she unbuckled his jeans, feeling his cock hard against her leg. He kissed her fiercely and she moaned and squirmed against his hand, forgetting she was trying to return the favour.

Rufus worked on her breasts causing Ivy to respond with curse words. She rubbed his cock, feeling more confident when he grunted his approval. She pulled down her knickers hastily, perhaps what they both needed was Sex Therapy.

"Ivy, are you sure?" Rufus forehead was pressed against hers. He didn't want to make any mistakes. He wanted to be sure this was ok with her. Even in his drunken state he was extra cautious. Ivy encouraged him to keep going, "If I wanted you to stop, you would have known by now." She kissed him again to let him know how much she wanted him.

Rufus rolled on a condom hastily, trying to keep his head because Ivy started placing slow kisses along his neck, hardly daring to think what would happen if they got caught. Rufus gradually sank inside her, appreciating the mewling noises she gave him. "This is so bad..." She gasped. She was consumed by lust, wrapping her legs around his waist, and bracing herself against his stronger body.

"Good 'bad', or bad 'bad'?" Rufus grinned when she answered with 'good bad' and started kissing him back deliriously. He was her first older man and she was emitting noises she'd never made with anyone else. She brushed his forearms, appreciating the scars and hair that many other boys lacked. There was something intriguing her about Rufus Humphrey.

"Do you think the others have noticed we're missing?" Ivy asked.

"Let's-hope-not," He bucked to each word, feeling her tighten around him. He liked the feel of her breasts in his hands, sweeping against her milky skin and groping her bum because he could.

"Oh yes... Oh God...!" She screamed beneath the music.

"Ivy..' Rufus groaned, knowing he was almost there. He cupped her face gently and kissed her again while she rode out her orgasm grasping his shoulders tightly. "Thank you." He really meant it. He couldn't have been so successful with the band if she hadn't have helped him.

She felt amazing, still connected to him, and they lay like that until the music stopped, talking softly about life and aspirations. Ivy knew if anybody found out about what had happened, it would be plastered over Gossip Girl. She was glad she was able to share this moment privately, telling Rufus they better get dressed before anybody discovered them missing.

Rufus reluctantly peeled himself from her stunning body and pulled his pants back on. She found her blouse and trousers, tidying up her lipstick and hair. She had just gone to pick up the clipboard when the door opened and Lily stood gaping at her appearance from the other side.

It was obvious by her face that she was shocked and also disappointed. Ivy thought it unfair considering how she had treated Rufus in the first place.

"You slept with her?" Lily demanded, almost as though the words were fighting to stay inside her mouth. "She's only Twenty-three, Rufus! What were you thinking? Is this some way to pay me back for leaving you for Bart?" She sounded furious and confused.

"Lil what are you doing here?" Rufus failed to flatten his scruffy hair, buttoning his shirt, agitatedly.

"You've made it clear you don't care about Rufus, why don't you go back to you Bart!" Ivy said loudly, confronting Lily angrily. How dare she turn up at the concert after everything she did.

"You disgust me Ivy, I cannot believe you would stoop to seducing Rufus. Wasn't stealing my dead mother's fortune enough for you?" Ivy's looked stunned momentarily until Rufus grabbed her round the middle to stop her from slapping Lily across her face in retaliation. He told her to stay in the room while he "sorted things" with Lily. It frustrated her so much that Lily had so much power over him still. She wished he would just man up, like he had tonight. Lily didn't deserve any more of his soul.

She wanted to kick something. Instead she took out her phone and peered through the crack in the door. Rufus hadn't closed the door properly. Lily was ranting about Rufus' behaviour and Ivy started recording everything, eager to bring Lily down once and for all.

"Just because Bart is alive doesn't mean I don't still care for you, and finding you and Ivy - my god Rufus! I just can't believe you would do this to me!" Lily said.

"You can't do that Lil! You married me and then acted like it meant nothing. I've known you long enough to know he's got something on you, because you would never just up and leave, not after everything we went through."

"Bart and I never divorced Rufus, that meant our marriage was never legal and things weren't working out anyway, we always fought Rufus - we're doing it now! It was over before Bart came back but you knew that."

Rufus threw his hands in the air in frustration, "Again, something you decided all by yourself. That's why your marriages never lasted Lil, because you never gave them a chance!"

"Rufus-" Lily sounded hurt, she tried to touch his arm, making Ivy jealous.

"Lil, I don't want you here. For the first time in a long time I actually remembered there was something I loved more than I loved you." Lily moved her hand away as if she was zapped by something. Rufus didn't need to continue, he'd already proved his point.

"Just because I left you for Bart doesn't mean we have to stop being friends." Lily murmured.

"Lil, what makes you think you deserve to still be my friend." Lily started crying and Ivy stopped recording. She didn't want to post the video onto Gossip Girl anymore. She felt sorry for Rufus. It was enough punishment for Lily not to get her way this time. She wanted to whisper in Rufus' ear that things could get better, if he let it. She pushed open the door, pocketing her phone. What they shared had meant more to her than a one night stand. She didn't want it to end.

A/N: Review please! What did you think? Have I convinced you to like Rufus x Ivy now? Screw Rufly (as much as I hate to say..) and bring on Rivy! (I think I need to have a shower now! Apologies for the dirty mind. I blame fanfiction.) Most likely will not be the end of these two - stay tuned for more one-shots.