A/N: At last, a start to the Blair and Nate story I've wanted to write since...I forgot! And this story is not summer based. Its almost the beginning of senior year and naturally Blair's questioning things, you know as you do. She and Chuck got together during the summer again. If your a BC fan, you probably will not want to read this unless you tolerate NB. And its the first chapter, so nothing spectacular happens, it just setting things up (: and if you want, leave a review.
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"Shall I stay the night?" Chuck Bass asked Blair Waldorf cautiously. Normally, he was very far from cautious but Blair made him nervous. She had been different tonight; something was off and he wanted to ask her but he knew if he did, it would most likely result in his head being ate off. They had dinner with Eleanor after coming back from the Hamptons. In all honesty, Blair loved her boyfriend but ever since that party when Chuck convinced her that they could work, work properly as a couple, she'd been spending almost every night with him. She wanted space. She wanted clarity; she needed peace to figure out where her life was going, if she even liked the person she was becoming with him.
"I was actually thinking of visiting Serena or something." Blair replied, searching for any excuse to throw him off. The sex was good, but the thrill was lost. Maybe it was the cheating, the whole forbidden love syndrome, but Blair wasn't as exhilarated when they were together anymore. Considering Nate supported team 'Blair heart Chuck always and forever', they weren't forbidden anymore. They were free to attend brunch – as a couple, to walk to school – as a couple and just be together now. All the things she and Nate had done, she was now doing with Chuck. And he was surprisingly accepting of her demands, as long as he got what he wanted in return of course.
"Fine," Chuck replied, his tone verging on vicious, "I'm picking you up for brunch tomorrow." He told her in his best 'I'm your boyfriend now' tone. A smile curled on Blair's lips. He was trying; he was really giving them a try.
And she wished that was enough.
"Okay, I'll see you then." She responded in a sweet tone. She rolled off her bed and kissed him on the mouth before he went out the door. Chuck pulled back and paused for a moment, just to look at her.
"This is good, isn't it? Us together, the power couple of the Upper East Side." He murmured. Blair froze.
"Yep," she blurted, "it's great." She confirmed. Chuck raised an eyebrow in amusement and then walked away.
Blair shut the door and flopped down on her bed. It wasn't great. It was good, but not great. He was being supportive, caring and all…unlike Chuck. The Chuck that seduced her in the back of a mil months ago. How in the hell did the summer of two thousand and eight ever result in them as a couple, she didn't know. She was Blair; she had pride, dignity and commanded your respect.
And the same girl let Chuck Bass crawl back into her bed in a matter weeks later when he stood her up on their supposed romantic summer getaway?
"What the fuck am I doing?" She groaned into her pillow. She honestly had no idea. School was beginning the day after tomorrow and she came to the conclusion that school should just rule her life this year, if she was going to get into Yale. Chuck and his fantasies would have to wait, Serena and her stupid Dan drama too. And Nate-
Nate.
Blair and Nate barely talked all summer. What was there to talk about? He was probably still staring at Serena in her DKNY bikini in his mind right now. Not that N and S had been together during summer. Not that Serena had informed Blair about anyway. Blair got up and looked at the photo on her bedside of her, Nate and Serena together. She smiled, with a tinge of sadness. She picked up the photo frame. Chuck must have wondered why it hadn't been replaced with a new photo of them lounging in the Hamptons over summer, but Blair didn't care. She found her index finger was tracing Nate's face. The hair, the eyes, the nose and that stupid cute smile.
"Stupid Nate." She whispered. Well, he was stupid. But he was hers. Was. She couldn't bare the thought of Nate and Serena together, although Serena had constantly assured Blair that it wasn't possible. Then there was Vanessa. Well, Blair knew Vanessa could not compete with her. He needed me. Blair thought bitterly, resisting the urge the throw the photo across her room. Kitty Minky wobbled up to her and she stroked his fur. She knew Chuck didn't need her, not the way Nate did. And Blair needed to be needed.
Blair Waldorf was lost. And she needed someone to find her again.
--
"Nate Archibald." Vanessa greeted him as he strolled into the café where she worked. A smile spread across his face at the sight of her. Someone to talk to was here. He could talk to Serena, but it's not like he could pour his heart out to her when she was going to tell Blair about it.
Vanessa came out from behind the counter and he enveloped her in a hug. "I missed you." He said gruffly. He genuinely did. Vanessa was his new Chuck, basically. Things with Chuck were not so good. Nate couldn't quite put his finger on it, but things had changed. He thought he didn't mind him with Blair.
He thought a lot of things.
Nate sat down and Vanessa got out a mug. "What will it be then?" She asked.
"Surprise me." He replied, smiling.
"So, how are things with Serena?" Vanessa asked, probing for information.
"There's nothing going on between Serena and me." Nate replied in a monotone. It was his mantra for all summer, basically. "How are things with Dan?" He shot back.
"Well, surprise, surprise nothings happening there either. He's not over her. And at this rate he never will be." She rolled her eyes. "I hear Blair and Chuck are the only happy ones these days. They're cute together. Evil cute, ya know?" She added. She set down his cup of coffee and Nate gulped it down.
"I haven't really been talking to Blair so I wouldn't know." He admitted, sadness lining his tone. Vanessa looked into his eyes, knowingly.
"Well maybe you should go talk to her then. How long were you two together anyway?" She inquired.
Nate smiled, remembering. "Dating – dated since kindergarten basically." He said hesitantly. Vanessa smiled. Although she'd never admit it, she always thought the childhood romances were the ones that lasted. When you have intense feelings for someone at that age, they never really go away, completely. Like her and Dan. They'd been best friends, and then fell in love, but it was too late.
But it wasn't too late for him and Blair.
"It's still there, isn't it?" She quipped. Nate looked up into her dark brown eyes. Vanessa knew him so well, already.
"It's still there." He repeated.
--
"You ever think we chose the right paths, B?" Serena asked breathily. After Blair's little reminiscent time, she had gone over to the van der Bass residence to visit her best friend. They were lounging in the blond's bedroom, having a good old fashioned best friend heart to heart.
"Sometimes I question being with Chuck," she began, "but I think he might be the one for me-
"Really?" Serena interjected. Blair shot her a glare, "it's just…okay, Blair don't kill me for saying this but you two seemed like a summer couple." She said, her cheeks red with embarrassed. "You're in love with him?"
Blair couldn't answer that. Actually she could.
"No, but I could fall in love with him." She corrected. She could. It was just taking time that was all. You don't fall for someone the first time you see them.
"I remember, you completely fell for Nate the first time you saw him," Serena said sentimentally, "you were like "S, S! Look at him." She giggled. A smile couldn't help but appear on Blair's face too. Apparently, the age of innocence was over.
"Yeah well look how we turned out." She said sarcastically.
"You two should at least be friends or something. You can't just throw history away like that." Serena said sympathetically. She knew Blair missed him; he was a huge part of her life, the biggest. He was her rock, her fucking fairy prince who swooped into save the day. But then again, Nate and Blair were never just friends.
"It's late. I better go home; Chuck's picking me up for brunch." She informed Serena. "He's being all supportive." She added, smiling.
"Chuck actually dealing with a girl the morning after, huh?" She cracked.
"Where's Humphrey? Still in your heart?" Blair questioned, although she already knew the answer to that question.
Serena looked out her bedroom window at the view.
"I'm just…not ready for him yet." She told her. Blair picked up her trench coat and put it on, it was raining outside. Blair loved walking in the rain; she had a dream about it once. Fall weathers had entered early this year. Of course, Eleanor would greet her with a "We are Waldorf's, Blair! We have cars, for god's sake!" But Blair didn't care.
Me too. Blair thought to herself and Serena showed her out.
--
"You're not going out in that, are you?" Vanessa demanded of Nate.
"I have to go home, I've been here all evening Vanessa!" He insisted. He was in no mood for his mother's issues, when he enough of his own.
"Hey," she said, nodding her head in the direction of the door, "look who it is."
Nate turned around, expecting Dan or Serena.
It was Blair, hair soaked, mascara running and she seemed to be walking aimlessly.
In a way, she knew he was here. This café was surely his new hide out since he and Chuck weren't the same, and how could they ever be?
She glanced into the building. Nate was looking straight at her. The raindrops hit her head harder now. Vanessa was there too, looking at her. But all she could see was Nate.
She nodded at him and smiled. It was a strange smile. Was she smiling because she still was in love with him? Because she knew they should be friends? Or was it a goodbye smile?
All she knew, whatever this thing with Nate was now, it was far from over.