A/N: What is this story, even? I've been marathoning Friends and it just sort of happened? This is such a messy one, guys. Very loosely based off of Friends but really not at all. Elements of How to Make It In America. Kind of Derena heavy? Idk. I don't have anything against them. I like their angst. Might be some Vanessa x Nate action. No idea. Clearly I haven't planned this well. Ridiculous. Idk what I'm doing anymore. Anyway, tell me what you think! DB will definitely have more of a build up in this one than in my other stories.

xo Gia

It had been eight years since Dan had seen her. Eight years, and he hadn't thought of her, not really.

After interning with The New Yorker for two years, he'd finally taken a job in the literature department. He spent almost every morning and every afternoon with his closest friends at the same quiet cafe right outside of Central Park. He had been dating a pretty girl named Nora for almost five months. His life had established a secure sense of normalcy.

Until…

"I didn't know where else to go."

She's dripping wet, blond hair plastered against her face, veil askew. The white of her dress is nearly blinding and Dan has to blink a few times, needs to convince himself that this is not an illusion.

Blair is the first to move, rising from her spot on the couch and running to her old friend.

"Oh, S," is all she says, wrapping her arms around Serena's shoulders.

Dan is still stuck in his place on the couch, staring at Blair's absence, wishing they could go back to ten minutes ago when everything was fine. Because everything was fine. And he still can't completely understand why Serena chose to come here of all places and disrupt everything in his life.

"I couldn't do it," Serena sighs, brushing a few strands away from her face. "I didn't love him."

Blair nods and sits her down on the couch next to Dan, tells her that she did the right thing. She tells Serena that they are her family. Dan wants to roll his eyes. He is not Serena's family. He may have wanted to be, a long time ago, but that is far behind him now. He doesn't even recognize the girl he's staring at on that couch.

Or maybe he recognizes her too well.

As soon as Blair leaves to fetch Serena a green tea, Dan lets out a breath.

"Didn't see that coming," Vanessa says, without the slightest bit of subtlety.

Serena shifts uncomfortably. He notices her staring at her own fidgeting hands.

"Dan, listen," she says, voice soft.

He stops her. "Don't," he says, "It's good to see you."

Blair returns and huffs immediately, glaring at him.

"Humphrey, honestly. Scoot over. Did you suddenly lose your manners?"

He hadn't even realized how close he normally sits next to Blair in front of their friends until someone who is not Blair is sitting next to him. Although Nora had commented on how bothered she was by how easily he'd throw his arm around Blair or touch her leg like it was nothing. Even though it was nothing.

He moves over quickly and finds Serena even closer to him to make room for Blair.

There's ivory lace spilling onto his leg and a small part of him wants to throw up. He can only think about elementary school and childish phrases like, "switch places so I can sit by my friend."

"So, I'll ask the question that everyone wants to ask but is too polite," Vanessa starts, taking a sip of her black coffee, "Serena, what are you doing here?"

Serena repeats that she couldn't go through with her wedding to some wealthy brain surgeon and Vanessa rolls her eyes.

"No," she shakes her head, "What are you doing, here?"

Vanessa was nothing if not loyal. He could still remember the night he returned from Brown, licking his wounds. No matter how many times they had tried to make it work, she could never give Dan what he needed in a relationship. Her thoughts were constantly elsewhere, her heart was elsewhere and at some point he got exhausted waiting for her to just want him. When he had finally put everything on the table, he can still remember the way she cried. The way she walked away and slammed the door behind her. Vanessa listened to his sob stories. Blair smoothed her thumb over his knuckles whenever he heard Serena's name. Nate took him out to get him laid as many times as Dan would let him. Dan knew that on some deeper level, Nate was also doing it for himself. Serena would never fully love him either. Now he can't imagine spending his time with anyone else.

"I went to Blair's old penthouse and Dorota told me she didn't live there anymore. Then I went to her new apartment, and she wasn't there. I knocked on her neighbor's door until this old guy answered and told me that she spends most of her time outside of work here."

Dan has never heard her sound so desperate.

"You made the right choice, sweetie," Blair reaches for Serena's hand and squeezes gently.

For the first time that afternoon, he sees Serena crack a small smile, "Thanks."

xx

Dan, Blair, and Serena walk back to her apartment and Blair turns on the shower, waiting for it to get hot. She breaks out her extra shampoo and body wash supply like the prepared psycho she is and sits at the kitchen table with Dan while Serena takes a shower.

"Humphrey," she says, without blinking, "Don't start this again."

Dan laughs quietly, stares at his fingers thrumming the table, "What is this? I'm not starting anything."

The sound of running water relaxes him. He's sure he spent the majority of his college career sitting in Blair or Vanessa's room listening to them shower while he read a book. And then there was that year that Blair and Vanessa lived together and he was practically their third roommate.

"Then lose the puppy dog look. Call Nora, or something."

Dan rises, rummages through Blair's fridge for something to eat. He'd lost his appetite at the cafe. He settles on a Mediterranean pasta salad and reclaims his spot at the table.

"I don't need to call Nora. I'm fine."

That word is starting to lose its meaning. He picks absentmindedly at his food.

"You are the reason my grocery bill is always so high," Blair says, but the edge in her voice is lost. It was lost a long time ago.

He shrugs, grins. "Before me, you didn't even know how to buy groceries."

The bathroom door creaks open and Dan glances over his shoulder to see Serena standing with a black towel wrapped around herself. Her face is stripped of make up and she gives him half a smile before retreating into Blair's room to change.

"Vanessa hates that she's here," Blair sighs, "I don't think Nate was too pleased either."

Dan nods, shoves a bite of food into his mouth so he doesn't have to talk. He could care less that Serena is back. He refuses to let her consume his life the way he did for most of high school.

"I don't care, mom," He hears Serena say over the phone. It reminds him a lot of being sixteen again, "I couldn't marry someone I don't love."

When she finally hangs up, she asks Blair if she can stay at her place for awhile. She doesn't have any friends in the city anymore. Or at least, the ones she has, she doesn't want anymore. Dan is maybe a little bit proud of her for not growing up to be Lily 2.0.

"So, B," Serena starts, pulling up the last chair at the table. She has traded her wedding dress for a large teal wool sweater. Dan notes that she skipped any pants. "You and Vanessa are friends now?"

Blair gives a brief nod, smiles. "People can change, I guess. Once you get over all the incense and Keroac references she's not too bad."

Dan rolls his eyes.

"And Nate?" Serena asks.

"Lives across the hall." Dan answers and stands to toss his food in the trash.

He wonders what it must feel like, to be on the outside of a world she used to be the center of.

"That must be nice," she nods.

"Oh, yes," Blair rolls her eyes, sarcastic, "I've met so many wonderfully vapid women on behalf of Nate. Not to mention when he and Humphrey come over to raid my fridge for leftovers."

For the first time in eight years, Dan hears Serena's toddler-like laugh that made him fall in love with her in the first place. He doesn't have those feelings anymore, of course. Just smiles, and meets her blue eyes.

"We should do something tonight," Serena suggests, "Help me get acclimated to my new surroundings."

Blair smiles, eyes warm. "Sure."

Dan doesn't miss the look of concern she shoots him before rising to clean the kitchen.

xx

Dan goes home to take a shower and change into something more comfortable, then makes his way back to SoHo and finds himself outside of Blair's apartment again. He's never felt hesitation entering Blair's apartment, but today is different, for an obvious reason with blonde hair and a glistening white smile that used to take his breath away.

He pushes the door open to find Blair standing in the kitchen wearing a black lace dress, snug against her small frame. Her tights are black and her shoes are a suede royal blue. She turns to face him and her eyes light up with a smile.

"Hey, I think S is almost ready. Since when does it take her longer to get ready than me?"

She runs a hand through her loose curls and Dan laughs softly, shaking his head.

Insecurity flashes through her eyes, "What?"

"Nothing," he says softly, "You're beautiful."

Blair rolls her eyes and takes a sip of wine, "Shut up, Humphrey."

Dan hasn't seen Serena since freshman year of college and she has matured greatly in her time away. He can pinpoint the way she resembles her mother, the lines around her mouth, the way she squints her eyes when something is amusing. She steps out of the guest room in a brown leather mini skirt and an ivory blouse. She's still pretty, the kind of pretty that still gives him some semblance of butterflies.

"Are we waiting for Nora?" Blair asks, interrupting his thoughts.

"She's working at the gallery. She said she'd meet us out."

Serena's curiosity is peaked as she steps into the kitchen, "Who is Nora?" She asks, and her normal tone has seemed to return. "Does Daniel Humphrey have a girlfriend?"

Dan snorts, as if it's that hard to believe.

"She's just as pretentious as he is," Blair supplies, "If that's even possible. But she's kind of funny I suppose. Sometimes. When it's convenient for her."

He chuckles lightly, "Thanks, Blair. I think you've really captured her essence."

Blair does one of her little hair flips and leads them out the door, giving Nate's door a pound on the way out. He catches up shortly after.

The party they go to is loud and not unlike many of the other parties they go to. Vanessa approaches them with a bottle of Jameson and offers shots, which everyone refuses, except Serena who takes the bottle gladly.

He spots Nora's long black hair and raven tattoo on the back of her arm and excuses himself to greet his girlfriend. He presses a kiss to her ear and whispers a hello.

Nora's hazel colored cat eyes meet his and she smiles. "Did you come alone?"

"No, actually," Dan starts, trying to approach the topic casually. "I came with Nate and Blair, and Serena."

Her lips are painted red and he would rather just kiss her than have to have this conversation, especially sober.

"Serena," her brow furrows, "Like, ex-girlfriend slash love of your life Serena?"

"Something like that," Dan mumbles.

Nora just nods, cool as ever, and says, "Right." Then she walks away.

Sometimes she really annoys him. He doesn't bother chasing after her, knows she'll call in an hour begging to see him anyway. Instead he pours himself a drink and chugs it in a matter of seconds, then pours himself another. He follows that pattern until the room starts to blur.

x

"You're not honestly considering letting her live with you," Vanessa slurs, and the smell of whiskey overwhelms Blair's senses. She rolls her eyes.

"There's nothing to consider," Blair starts, "Serena is like a sister to me. I could never turn my back on her. Not even for-"

"Dan," Vanessa finishes.

Blair nods and looks out at the room. Serena already has men fawning over her and fetching her drinks. Some things will never change. She had seen Nora leave over thirty minutes ago and Humphrey was still sulking around like a mopey idiot.

"She's going to suck him back in," Vanessa says and it makes Blair's nails sink into her palms.

"Who cares?" She shrugs, "If he's enough of an idiot to get sucked back in, who are we to stop him?"

Blair takes in Vanessa's outfit, her oversized maroon sweater, leather leggings, camo boots and those hideous feather earrings that her friend insists on wearing all the time. She wonders for a moment how she got to this place, when two tasteless, pretentious, hipsters from Brooklyn became her closest friends. She knows it happened sometime soon after Chuck had kicked her to the curb for the final time. She had felt like she had nobody and for whatever reason, Dan took her in with open arms. Probably some weird loyalty to Serena. She never questioned it too much.

She watches Dan knock over a few bottles of champagne and takes it as her cue. In a matter of minutes she finds herself under his arm, supporting his side as she walks him out of the living room.

"Where is Nora?" She asks him, suddenly annoyed with how drunk he is.

"Fuck her," Dan spits out and trips over his feet, nearly pulling them both down.

Blair is exasperated. She knew this would happen. Dan has always had this terrible habit of dropping everything to be available for Serena.

"Stop it," she pushes him up against the wall, "You told me you wouldn't start this again."

Dan scrubs a hand over his face and lets out a long groan. He should call his girlfriend.

"Take me home, Waldorf," he sighs.

And she does.