"Ms. Blair, you have visitor!"
"Who is it Dorota? It's late…" Blair said as she tied a knot closing her black silk robe and headed down the stairs where she came to find –
"Dan…" she said taken aback as she stopped in her tracks, "What are you doing here?" she asked timidly as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and folded her arms.
Dan let out an exasperated sigh and set his duffel bag down on the foyer floor.
He rubbed his hands together nervously, "Look Blair, I know I got upset today and judged you and Chuck pretty harshly but I didn't really know where else to go and I could really use some help."
She stepped down the last few steps of the staircase towards him, "Is everything ok? Is it Serena?"
"No. It's uh – well I can't really say a lot but I kind of…need a place to stay for a little while."
"Oh," she said softly and her eyebrows crunched together in thought.
After a few seconds, Dan sensed her discomfort and chimed in, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to overstep or make you uncomfortable," he began reaching for his bag, "I'll figure something out."
Blair blurted, "No! Wait…"
He looked up at her.
"Of course you can stay," she finished.
He tried to read her, "You sure?"
"I know things ended messily with us to say the least. But we are still friends. Right?" she smiled weakly.
Dan couldn't help but scoff as he grabbed the back of his neck and nodded, "Yeah," he nodded again this time realizing the words he said to her last year were still true, "You'll always have me, Blair," he said looking at her earnestly.
Her eyes fluttered at his words and she nervously rubbed her arm changing the subject, "I uh. I'll go set up Serena's old room."
.
The next morning after he's done shaving he dries his face with a towel. As he puts it back he caught a glimpse of something bright and glimmering on top of her jewelry box. As he picked up her necklace with the ring Blair walked in –
"Oh God!" Blair put her hand to her chest, "You scared me half to death Humphrey."
"Sorry," Dan apologized then realized he was still holding the ring, "I uh…" he put it back on her jewelry box awkwardly, "It's a hell of a ring," is all he managed to say.
"Dan..." Blair said apologetically.
"It suits you," he said bitterly as he closed the door and went back to the room.
.
On his way out later that day he walked down the stairs towards the elevator and saw Blair pacing back and forth in the foyer on the phone -
"It's just lunch, Chuck."
"No, I know we talked about it last night. I just thought – "
"Of course I understand."
"I know."
"No, I know you love me."
"Ok."
He passes her as she hangs up the phone and lets out a sigh.
"Humphrey, can you please spare me whatever smug and condescending comment you're thinking of making?"
Dan shook his head, "No, I uh. I'm just headed out to Eisenberg's to pick up some lunch. I actually ordered a sandwich for you too just in case."
"Oh."
He headed into the elevator and asked her, "Turkey Florentine with a side of cucumbers right?"
She smiled just slightly as the elevator doors closed on him.
"Thanks, Humphrey," she said quietly to herself.