Chapter 2

Dan had been studying her ever since she had entered his loft. He had told her that she could stay in his room and that he would sleep on the couch. Blair had thanked him with as much of a smile she could muster so late at night, and had gone to his room to unpack her stuff.

Just for tonight anyways.

No questions were asked about why she came back. He didn't think he even wanted to know why. When she first left, he had been dreaming of the day she would realize her mistake and return to him so that they would have their happily ever after. He would divorce Serena and she would leave Chuck. Except that the longer he waited the more pathetic he felt.

Nate and him still hung out for lunch when Nate wasn't busy with his mayor duties. It felt like he was back in high school again hanging out with his best friend. Except that Nate had moved on in his life, and had a successful career and a beautiful wife, Rachel. Dan had met her only a handful of times but knew right away that she was perfect for his best friend. His hunch turned out to be correct, as they got married two years later.

Meanwhile, Dan hadn't gotten any further in his life since Blair left him. He was still the aspiring Brooklyn writer that couldn't seem to get over a girl. Except this time it was her brunette best friend he had trouble forgetting. Marrying Serena seemed to him to be the next step in his life and it felt like it was for a few months into their honeymoon. He had just completed his first draft of his book 'Outside' and was off celebrating with his newlywed wife in Spain. His life was good. Only the illusion quickly faded for him and the realities quickly started to set in.

He married the wrong girl.

"Again, sorry for the short notice. I just really needed a place to stay at and I couldn't think of anywhere else to go to," Blair told him as she appeared out of his bedroom wearing a plaid shirt of his and some boy shorts. She was leaning against the frame of the bedroom door observing him intently.

He cleared his throat, walking from his seat at the kitchen towards her, "It's fine," he replied cooly as he leaned his arm against the opposite side of the frame to face her.

There was a deafening silence in the room as they stared at each other, both trying to figure out what to say.

Not able to hold her intense gaze anymore, he moved his eyes to her shirt, which he then realized was the plaid shirt he wore the day she approached him to have sex for the first time. Memories flooded his mind of the times where they spent the whole day in bed together discussing literature and watching movies, with the occasional love making sessions in between. Those were the days he knew he loved her and never wanted to be with another girl. Waldorf ruined that for him.

"I hope you don't mind," Blair said as she played with the collar of her shirt, noticing his eyes on her, "clumsy me had forgotten to pack my pajama tops," she let out a small laugh, attempting to lighten the mood.

As much as he resisted, he couldn't help a weak smile escaping from his lips. God, how he missed her laughter.

"Look Dan, I miss you. Despite how we ended things I really do miss you, and-"

"Don't," Dan interrupted her before she could continue with what he knew would make it that much more difficult for him. Leaning his head back against the frame as he closed his eyes, he continued, "this is exactly the kind of topic I hoped we could have avoided."

"No, we are talking about this," she protested, "I'm not going to let your stubborn ass get in the way of us talking after all of those years of ignoring each other. So, here I'll start. Hey, Dan, nice seeing you again. I'm fine, thanks. Yes, I miss you too!" she said as she made a telephone shape with her hand which was held up to her ear.

Dan chuckled at the little show she put on, "that was more of you having a conversation with yourself," he told her as she gave him a face that meant that she was serious. It showed the vulnerable side of her that he loved so much. "This is three years too late, don't you think?" he told her.

"I messed up and I know that, but I'm done with Chuck. I'm here now, telling you that I missed you. That's got to count for something, right?" Blair asked him, taking his hand in hers to play with his fingers like she used to.

He moved his focus to her eyes to see her looking up at him with those doe eyes he had come to love. No, not again, he told himself. Those eyes would make him give his heart to her again, only for her to smash it into pieces in favor for a Bass. He knew that cycle, and was not going to go through it again. Blair might say she wanted him now but next week she could be all about Chuck again. He never knew with her and probably never would

"No, not anymore. It might have when I asked you not to leave with Chuck and to stay with me three years ago. But now, it just doesn't," he sighed. It was in the middle of the night and he was too tired for drama right now.

"You can't just keep on throwing that in my face! It was a mistake. One that I wholeheartedly regret, but I can't turn the freaking dial on the time machine and rewind us back to three years ago. I honestly would if I could, but I can't," she exclaimed, "I watched Back to the Future in the plane. It was the only movie they had that I wasn't completely repulsed towards," she explained once she noticed his amused expression at her geeky time machine reference.

"Actually, you would be better off turning the dial all the way back to before you replaced me for Chuck, without even breaking up with me," Dan retorted back at her.

"See! We're already back to bickering and arguing with each other. It's like nothing has changed!" Blair exclaimed.

Dan groaned in frustration as he ran his hands through his curly hair. They had only been together for less than half an hour and already they were bickering like they never stopped. As much as he wanted to use this as another reason not to be with her, he couldn't seem to hide how great it felt to bicker with her again.

He realized that he hadn't said anything for the past minute as he was stuck in his thoughts, but soon realized that Blair had a mischievous smile on her face. Shit, was he smiling at her again? But before he knew it, he felt two hands pull his collar towards her as their lips crashed into each others. Dan couldn't fight the feelings that had been threatening to burst all night, and gave in as he tangled his hands into her hair to deepen the kiss. He was about to back her up into his bedroom but was stopped when she abruptly pulled away, leaving him confused and gasping for air.

"Good night, Humphrey," Blair whispered into his ear making sure to brush his earlobe with her lips. She then moved down his face to plant a lingering kiss on his cheek, before turning around to walk into her room making sure to close the door behind her.

Dan stood there frozen in his spot, staring at the door of his bedroom that was just shut right in front of his face. "That bitch."

She was right. Nothing had changed.