Its classic, she tells herself as she takes a seat at the bar. She is still in her Constance uniform - short plaid skirt, knee socks, and white button up shirt untucked. Every man's fantasy that is at the bar she is currently drowning her sorrows away at.
"What you want?" the bartender asks, eyeing her up.
She knows he knows she's not legal. She also knows he doesn't care.
"Shot of Bacardi...and leave the bottle," she runs her hands through her tangled half curly-half straight mess of hair and lets out a shaky sigh.
Dan had just broken up with her for what seems like the billionth time, except she hadn't even seen this one coming. It was inevitable really, they were bound to end it sometime. She just hadn't expected him to say this was the last time.
It was official.
His words still rung in her head from the break-up.
"We come from two different worlds, Serena. Theres too much going on, its either something with out parents or..." he trailed off.
"Or what, Dan?" she breathed.
"Or you."
"What do you mean, or me? So you're saying all our problems are my fault?" tears threatened to spill.
"It can never be simple with you. Theres always going to be something you cant explain or cant tell me. I'm tired of being second best to Blair and Nate and Chuck. Make that fourth best. It will never be just you and me...not with them always here."
"So thats it...you're going to make me choose between you and them? You're really giving me an ultimatum?" I spoke angrily.
"Yes! Because that's how it has to be if things between us are going to work Serena."
I knew my answer and spoke without hesitation, "I choose them. I'm always going to choose them. So don't make me choose Dan."
"Fine, then go. If thats who you'd choose, then I'm gone."
"You're punishing me for being who I am. Well i'm not going to change. Not for you." i walked out the door, never looking back.
The bartender slid a bottle and a shot glass down in front of her and poured a shot for her, watching as she downed it. He watched as she poured another...and another. Half a bottle later he thinks he probably shouldn't have let her drink this much if he wants to keep his liquor license.
"Hey Blondie, you got a friend you can call?" he asks as he tries to pry the bottle out of her hands.
"Hey! I never said I was finished Mr. Bartender! Don't you know its rude to take things from people. Dan took something from me. He took my heart. I loved him and he didn't even love me. Why are men such jerks?" she slurred.
"Want me to call this Dan kid. Ask him to come get you?" he looks around awkwardly, thinking he so did not sign up for babysitting a drunk teenage girl...no matter how hot she was.
"NO! You know what, I lied. I loved Dan, but I love Nate. Natie. Nate Archibald. Ooh! You can call Natie! I haven't talked to him in forever, how do you think he is?" she asks like a little girl.
"Blondie, give him a ring. It's already one A.M and its a thursday. Don't you have school in the morning?" He asks pushing her cell phone that was sitting on the bar closer to her.
She ignores his question, grabbing her phone and calling one of the few numbers she knew by heart.
"Hello?" a groggy voice answered.
"Natie!" she yells.
"Serena? Where the hell are you, are you drunk?" He sits up immediately looking at the clock (its now 12:15 in the morning) as he tears off the sheets to his bed.
"You're no fun. Neither is this bartender! He made me call you. He says I have to leave. Tell him I don't have to leave Natie." she pushes the phone towards the bartender, who cleaned up her mess. Nate protests on the other line, but she is too incoherent to even acknowledge the voice.
The bartender huffs, already annoyed with the blonde girl whose problems he couldn't care less about and says, "this is the bartender at Irish Times Pub. You're friend is drunk and says to call you so I'd suggest someone come get her before I'm forced to call the cops."
"I'll be right there, don't let her leave. Please." Nate hangs up and quickly changes into something before rushing out of his house and grabbing a cab.
It takes him 25 minutes to get there and when he does, he doesn't understand why she's hear. They're on the lower west side of Manhattan and he didn't even know Serena knew about this part of New York.
He walks in and spots her immediately. How could he not, considering she is still in her uniform and every man's eyes are on her, watching her every move. He's always known how hot and sexy she is, hell even all of Manhattan knew that, but seeing these men (some old enough to be her dad) stare at her, makes him take off his jacket and place it around her shoulders.
She feels something being wrapped around her and she tenses for a moment before she hears his voice.
"Why are you here, Serena?"
In all of her drunken self, she hears concern and genuine wonderment in his voice. She can't remember the last time he has spoken to her with this voice.
And she's back at square one. Those feelings she thought she got over, come rushing back. Because he's Nate and she's Serena and no matter what happens, no matter where she is she knows he's always going to come.
"You came."
"Of course I came Serena. Come on, lets get out of here." he slips a hand on her back and they try to ignore the sparks that somehow always ignite when they touch.
"Not unless you get me food first! I've been drinking on an empty stomach," and the effects are taking place she adds in her head.
"Can't say I'm surprised Serena. How long have you been here?" he asks with a touch of concern.
He thinks he hears the bartender grumble something along the lines of long enough and he cant help but crack a grin because its Serena and its impossible not to grin in the presence of her.
"Who keeps track of time when they're having fun, fun, fun" she responds with a hint of bitterness which he immediately picks up.
Her mind flashes back to Dan and she gets angry and hurt and upset and pissed off all over. She spots the bottle sitting a few inches from her hand and she eyes it. She knows Nate is staring, she can feel his eyes. And when she reaches out to grab the bottle, she's not surprised when she feels his hand tug her hand back.
She thinks she hears him say that's enough and its not as condescending to hear him say it as it is sweet. He's looking out for her, just like he always has.
She remembers him slowly pulling her to her feet and gripping her waist tightly to stabilize her. Despite standing slowly, she gets a rush to her head and only then feels the full effect of just how much alcohol she consumed.
They climb into a cab (more like her stumbling in) and she's not surprised to hear him give the cab driver his address.
"Thanks for saving me Natie," she mumbles before falling asleep on his shoulder.
She wakes up when she feels herself sinking into a mattress (she takes note of the irony of waking up when she gets into bed) and realizes that Nate must have carried her into the room (his room to be exact).
And then she feels it.
It starts in her stomach, then rises to her chest until it reaches her throat.
She clambers out of the sheets (she notices that her shoes are off which makes running much more convenient) and makes it to the bathroom thats connected to his room just in time to spill the contents of her stomach (which isn't much) into the toilet.
She feels him holding her hair back and cant help but think about all the times he's done this for her in the past (because Blair is squeamish and Chuck is Chuck Bass: he doesn't deal with throwing up, so that always left Nate to do the dirty work).
He whispers soft, calming words into her ear, stop crying S she hears. She lifts her hand up to hear face to feel the trail of tears slipping down her flushed face.
"I'm sorry," she chokes out as she slithers down to lay on the floor of the bathroom, only for Nate to pull her onto his lap, cradling her.
"For what" he asks softly.
"Everything. I lied, Nate."
She's drunk and she doesn't even know why she's bringing it up now, of all times. But she does.
"What'd you lie about?" he asks, looking into her crystal-blue eyes (which just so happens to be his favorite color).
"I did come back for you, Natie." she looks away, not being able to bear the eye contact.
"What do you...oh. I thought you came back for Eric?" he speaks gently.
If this was any other person, he would not even bother to question the person. But it's not, it's Serena, and he knows (of all the people to know her best) that the only way to get Serena to open up is through alcohol.
"You are the reason I came. Eric is the reason I packed, and got on the train. I just couldn't bear going another day not seeing you Nate." she cautiously stands up and starts pacing (a nervous habit she's always had) and Nate can't help but grin a silly little grin because she really did come back for him.
"So I was right?" he smirks.
She stops pacing at stares at him incredulously because she just told him she came back for him and she points out that he was right.
She gets that look on her face that he's seen too many times and he quickly guides her back into the bathroom for her to spit up stomach acid (he forgot to grab her something to eat on his quest to bringing her home) and when she's done the tears are back.
He almost feels his heart splitting because he loves her. He has since the first time he's laid eyes on her and he doesn't plan (or intend) to stop anytime soon.
He uses his thumb to wipe away a few tears.
"Hey. I thought you were used to the throwing up part" he attempts to make a joke to get her to smile.
"You are so good to me, Natie. And I...I'm me. I'm like a hurricane that destroys everything. How can you still treat me like nothings wrong when I left? I always leave. How is it that I can be with Dan, and not be afraid, but even being friends with you scares me? I've tried to fight loving you for so long, but I don't know how much longer i can fight" she admits
"Because...its you and me, Serena. You can't fight it, so stop trying. I'm not going to hurt you Serena, I'm not Dan." he adds.
"I can't loose you, Nate. Out of everyone in my life...you can't be the one I loose."
"You won't loose me."
"What if I leave?" she looks at him and they both know an again is hanging on to the end of that sentence.
"I won't let you leave. I'll follow you around the world if it means being with you. We work, Serena. We. Are. Fate. Stop fighting the inevitable. Stop fighting us." he pleads with her.
For a while, all they do is stare at each other and she can't count the seconds (could be minutes) it took her to cross his room (they somehow ended up in during the conversation) because all she can think about is how badly she wants to kiss him.
She pauses halfway between him and where she was standing (he thinks she's second guessing herself because she's Serena and he's Nate and this is the one thing she's never dived head first into) to look at him.
He's standing there in jeans with a shirt (inside out) and shoes that don't match and all she can think about (well besides kissing him) is that he came. She called him at (she thinks) one in the morning drunk and he came to get her, despite the fact they have to get up for school (in the back of her head, she knows they're not going). He came.
He tentatively walks toward her, unsure of her motives (he wouldn't be surprised if she made a move towards the door and bolt) but when she sees her crack a grin he thinks (no, knows) that he'd do anything to see her smile (it's the most beautiful smile he's ever seen) and it automatically makes him smile.
They meet somewhere in the middle and he wraps his arms around her waist (tightly, because he's never letting go) and she puts her arms around his neck (she's wanted to do this for so long). They stare into each others eyes, memorizing every little detail (and every moment between them).
He asks, point blank. Gives her the option, because if he doesn't he's not sure what will happen in the future. "Are you sure you want this? You can leave, and never look back. Tell me you don't want this, and I'll leave you alone."
She smiles thinking of how sweet he is (and how relevant it is to say that, because they both know it's her thing to leave) to say that. She doesn't answer him.
Not with words, at least.
They start out slow, sweet and classic (nothing like them) because it's the first time they've kissed (where it can actually mean something now).
But the passion (always there between them) that each of them has buried surfaces and the intensity is enough to fill the room (good thing it's just them two in his house).
His hands make their way to her hair (blonde ball of fury) and her hands are grazing his abs (rock hard, which are so turning her on) under his shirt.
They break apart (after centuries of kissing) and they're both out of breath. He notices her eyes are different shade of blue (deep blue) and he can't help but pull her back in for another kiss.
She's the one that makes the next move (kind of a big step for her since it's him) and she practically tears his shirt off of him (neither of them hear the rip sound signaling that she actually did tear it off him)
He slowly unbuttons her shirt (teasing her) and he thinks its working until she just rips all the buttons off and quickly slides out of it (then he knows its working) and he smirks.
One by one each piece of clothing comes off until they are left with nothing and he hovers over her (they somehow made it to the bed) taking in her beauty.
And while this is not the first time they've done this (won't be the last either) he wants her to remember this time 50 years from now.
"You called me of all people." It's not a question, so much as a statement because he already knows why.
" I love you." she explains in between each burning kiss. "And only you, Nate."
He kisses her long and hard (he can taste the alcohol still).
"Ten years" he whispers
"What?"
"I've been waiting ten years for you to say that so that I could say I love you more."
They don't say anything else after that; just letting their emotions take over them (once more).
They watch the sun rise together on the roof of his house (he's wearing sweat pants and no shirt and she's wearing his shirt, the ripped one, and no pants, because the shirt is long enough to be a dress on her) with Serena wrapped in his arms.
"It's so beautiful" she whispers
"Yeah, you are"
They don't really speak, but then again they've never really needed to. They know each other well enough to not have to speak.
Life is full of uncertainties. There are different roads to take, different paths to choose. They don't know where life is going to take them, or what destiny has in store for them, but whatever it is...they'll do it together.
Because he's waited too long to let this go, and she doesn't think she'll ever love someone as much as she loves Nate.
Because he's Nate and she's Serena and that's enough of a reason to last forever.