Author's Note: i'm so sorry it's been so long since i've posted anything. all of my updates will be up shortly and quite a few one shots as well. :D please review, they keep them coming

He'd invited her to come with him for the day, to the funeral for his best friend's father. For Chuck, whom she'd just recently seen the good side of, it wasn't her place to go. Chuck needed to surrounded by his friends and Nate needed to concentrate on him and only him. So she'd called him as he got ready in the morning, told him to call her when he got home in the evening. She told him that she'd talk to him later and just to try to pass on her condolences to Chuck. To it he agreed, he'd ended the conversation with a simple, 'You mean everything to me V.'. She smiled at the comment, he knew what her feelings were also. It was the feelings that they both knew would carry him through the hard day and make him just a little bit more relaxed.

All through the day her thoughts stayed with him, while he was being the good best friend, the shoulder to lean on, while he was being the Nate she loved.

Her words helped him all day, the entire time he watched how much Blair loved Chuck and how she wanted nothing more then for him to be alright, for him to lean on her Nate knew that that was what he had with Vanessa. That no matter what she did in the past she did it all because she wanted and needed him, and he needed her all the same.

As she poured people cups of coffee and went about everything in her every day life she listened to the conversations about 'the bastard that owned all of NYC'. She felt for Chuck, she really honestly did. It was the moments she finally decided that life as a UES was not as easy as they all seemed to pretend it was.

Ten o'clock at night was when she decided that Nate must have been tied up taking care of Chuck to call, and she understood. She didn't bother to make a moment of complaint. Instead she lit the aroma therapy candles, filled the bath up with warm water and lots of bubbles, and grabbed herself a magazine to immerse herself in. All of it just to give her something to do for the entire night, lately Vanessa wasn't used to sleeping alone. Who would have thought that Nate would have such an objection to being all alone in the Brownstone without his mother there.

Vanessa was completely zoned into her own world, she hadn't heard the tapping on her front door. She never even noticed the bathroom door open and shut. It wasn't till the hand moved a piece of stray hair from her forehead, her hazel eyes popped open and were met instantly with his beautiful sapphire ones.

"Hey beautiful"

His warm voice greeted her as he bent his head to hers and brushed his lips gently to her own. His hand remained on the side of her head where he'd tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Hey you, I wasn't expecting you."

She smiled at him as he lifted his head from hers. He had a certain sadness in them, and, she could imagine how he felt, watching his best friend crumble at the seams, even if he was Chuck Bass. Chuck Bass did after all have a heart, he just hid it well. Nate was the one that showed more emotion in every case. Watching Chuck lose his father was hurting him also.

"Chuck's in bad shape, and, I need you tonight."

Vanessa didn't even have to say anything, she simply nodded her head and reached for her towel. Nate picked it up first and held it for her as she stood up from the tub and let him wrap her up. He pulled her closer to him, her damp body against his Armani suit. He held her like there was no tomorrow, like this was all they had. It was all Vanessa needed, knowing that all of it was because Nate needed her, letting all the doom from the day exposed.

Arms loosened from around her and he kissed the top of her head as he turned away and headed back through the bathroom door and into her room letting her follow. Ruby was gone for the night, somewhere or other with her band, just as she always was. It left them the apartment to themselves, just as they both enjoyed on many levels.

She changed into pajamas, her eyes on him the entire time. His back was to her as he loosened and discarded his tie, button up shirt, shoes, socks, and black pants. His movements were pained and stressed, she knew exactly what he needed for the night.

He was the first to pull down the orange comforter and aqua sheets, in his white tee shirt and plaid boxers he slid under the covers as she brushed through her damp hair. Meeting his gaze in the mirror she met his gaze in the mirror as she took a final brush with the lime green brush before placing it down on her draws and turning to him.

Climbing up on the bottom of the white Ikea bed she crawled forward as he pulled down the covers for her to climb into. She did so right away and finally felt what they'd both needed as he wrapped his arms around her and she put her head directly to his chest and cast her leg over him.

"I love you Vanessa"

He whispered into her ear as she clung to his form and he held her just as tight. Taking in every moment he was fortunate enough to spend with her.

"I love you too Nate."

Whispering not to break the moment he kissed the top of her head and they both shut their eyes to sleep for the night. Taking in the facts that you only had the rest of your life to spend with the person you loved. Sometimes that wasn't even long enough. All anyone could do was revel in the moments they had together, enjoy the comfort of one another's arms, and just love, unconditionally and irrevocable.