Rating: PG13-ish?

Feedback: Yes, please!

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine.

A/N: So, I've obviously decided to continue this, and it didn't even take me quite as long as I expected it to.

A/N2: Also, while this is based on the tv show, it may not follow all the events that have happened so far in the series.

Spotted: S and B getting a little more than friendly at Chuck's birthday bash, while everyone around them drooled (and yes, Lonely Boy and N were there too). It may have been just an innocent game of spin-the-bottle, but they sure could have fooled me. Foursome, anyone?

Part1:

When Serena's mouth tasted like vodka, she liked to kiss Blair's neck. She could spend half an hour, sometimes more, just focused on that one body part. Blair certainly wasn't complaining.

When it was more the taste of gin that found Blair's tongue, Serena would often get a bit more daring, slipping her hand underneath Blair's blouse. The first three times this happened, Blair calmly pushed Serena's hand away. By the fourth time, however, she had decided that she kind of liked having Serena's hand there.

When Serena's lips were coated with that unique mix of salt, lime, and tequila, she became more talkative. Blair could never keep a shiver of excitement from running through her body whenever Serena whispered huskily in her ear. Sometimes, Blair would even forget to pay attention to what Serena was actually saying. It was enough to simply listen to that velvety voice, something between a purr and a growl, as it flowed around her.

Blair, herself, could control Serena's actions as well. If she was in the mood for french kissing, all she had to do was drink some of their 1995 vintage Château Margaux. Serena couldn't resist the temptation of the deep red wine, with its hints of raspberry and oak and blackcurrant, and would spend plenty of time trying to devour Blair's flavorful lips.

Before Chuck's party, Blair had thought that she knew almost everything about the striking blonde. After all, in spite of the many fights, they had been best friends since forever. But these were the types of new things that Blair was now learning about Serena.

When Serena's skin tasted like Dan, though... It was a muskier taste. Hard to describe, but easily identifiable. When Serena tasted like Dan, Blair didn't hesitate for a moment before kicking the girl out of her room.

- - - - -

The first time that Blair kicked her out, Serena was confused. She didn't need to be told that it wasn't normal for two best friends to enjoy making out with each other. But still, Serena hadn't expected Blair to kick her out. Especially after just one kiss. They'd certainly kissed plenty of times before, at that point. This time, she hadn't even gotten a chance to really do anything that would warrant getting evicted from Blair's presence.

Luckily for Serena, she was a quick learner. Because the second time that Blair kicked her out, Serena realized what the problem was. After that, she made a point of never trying to kiss Blair if she'd recently kissed Dan as well. Somehow, the brunette seemed to know.

Serena was glad that there appeared to be no hidden cameras in either her own or Blair's bedrooms (or in one of the closets -- how fitting, by the way, for two girls to make out in a closet -- in the Bass' suite). Serena knew that it was only the fact that no one else knew what was going that made it possible for whatever this was to continue. Blair had totally freaked out when Gossip Girl mentioned their spin-the-bottle kiss.

"Well what did you expect, Blair? We kissed in front of at least fifteen people. Did you really think that Gossip Girl wouldn't find out about it?"

Serena sighed in exasperation. She hadn't really been worrying about the kiss, even though she readily admitted that it was more intense than she had been expecting. But Blair's complete mortification about the whole thing was only making her feel worse.

"I don't know. I guess I didn't think about it. I mean, I OBVIOUSLY didn't think about it. Kissing you in public isn't something that would have happened if I had been thinking about it."

Serena tried not to feel hurt. She knew that she shouldn't care what Blair said. If she had been sober that night, then she wouldn't have kissed Blair either. Right?

"It was just a stupid game, B. No one cares. Sometimes you really need to take that stick out of your ass."

Blair's mouth gaped open in shock, as Serena turned on her heel and walked away. She knew that she had no right to be mad at Blair, but she simply couldn't help it.

But away from any potentially prying eyes...that was an entirely different matter. So one, two, sometimes three nights a week – after a party, or a club, or a date with a boyfriend -- Serena and Blair somehow managed to find themselves alone in a room (or a closet, that one time) together. And they certainly weren't using this time to sit around and talk. Chatting about all the random things that BFFs chatted about was reserved for situations marked by daylight and sobriety.

Serena didn't know what they were doing. Not really. She just knew that she enjoyed it, and if she didn't think about it too much, then she didn't need to worry about what that might mean.

It was just that, after that kiss...she immediately wanted to do it again. So, the next time that she had Blair to herself and was sufficiently tipsy, Serena couldn't stop herself from answering the question of what Blair's lip gloss tasted like. She hadn't been quite able to figure it out that first time. But now she knew. Serena had always liked the taste of strawberries.

- - - - -

As Blair walked down Madison Ave, she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, and in the split second before she turned around to see who it was, her entire body tensed. Because, while odds were good that it was either Nate or Serena, she didn't know which one it would be, and that left her feeling unprepared.

With the strange state of her relationship with Serena, Blair was no longer sure how to act around either of them -- the boyfriend and the best friend whom she occasionally made out with. She hated not knowing how to act. Still, she had long-ago learned how to control her reactions, so she at least knew that no one would notice the momentary flinch.

"Hello, beautiful." It was Nate. Once the identity was verified, she simply continued walking, with Nate now keeping pace beside her. "Out enjoying Eleanor's credit card?"

"Actually, I'm enjoying the result of my father's latest bout of guilt for no longer living in the same country as me. He likes to send me money every once in a while."

"Ah, yes. That was my next guess. Anyway, I was going to call you later, but since I've found you, I'll just mention it now. My parents are going to some benefit tomorrow night and are making me go too. I didn't pay attention to the details, but it's sure to be boring. So I was wondering if you wanted to come and keep me company." Nate flashed one of his winning smiles. "Plus, it'll be an excuse for you to wear one of the new outfits you just bought."

"Tomorrow night?" Blair frowned. "Sorry, I can't. I told Serena that I'd go with her to the show with the latest Project Runway designers."

"Well, cancel. I'm sure she can find someone else to go with her. She's got Dan wrapped around her little finger. He'd go."

"But the point is, I said that I'D go. So I'm going."

"You know, I used to be able to always count on you to come to stuff like this when I needed you. You'd drop anything. But it's not true anymore. I'm your boyfriend, and I'm asking you to go, and that used to be enough for you. I've been trying to be the perfect boyfriend, because everything needs to be perfect with you, but apparently it's just not working." Nate was sounding increasingly bitter. "I just don't understand what's going on, Blair. What exactly do you want from me?"

Blair stopped in her tracks and whirled around to stare incredulously at Nate. "Are you serious?? Why on earth should I have to drop everything, on short notice, to go with you to this thing, which you've only described as likely to be boring? I'm sorry, but my world doesn't revolve around you, Nate, and you shouldn't expect it to!"

Blair briefly started to walk again, before stopping again. She hadn't meant to have this argument right now, but she couldn't help it, and she wasn't done yet. Blair had been feeling so stressed lately, and she needed to release some bottled-up energy in a way that didn't involve kissing and Serena.

"And that's another thing... Not too long ago, I did everything for you! I was the PERFECT girlfriend. But you were oblivious. You didn't care. And then, you slept with my best friend!"

Nate ran an agitated hand through his hair. "You can never let that go, can you? I made a mistake, and I've acknowledged that. But I've moved passed it! You should too."

Blair released a brief sound that could almost be interpreted as a laugh. "Yeah, like you wouldn't drop me in a second if Serena would actually have you."

Nate waited just a little bit too long before replying, "That's not true, Blair."

"Yes it is, but whatever." Blair was livid. "But now that I don't ask 'How high?' whenever you tell me to jump...NOW you suddenly turn into the perfect boyfriend. That's why you suck, Nate. Because you're only good to me when you think I might leave you. You don't want a girlfriend who drops everything to be with you. You think you do, but you don't. You had one, and you CHEATED on her! So I will never cancel any plans for you ever again. Understand?"

Blair stormed off, leaving a stunned Nate in her wake.

Later, alone in her room, Blair had moved on from anger to sadness. When had her life become such a mess? Who was she kidding? Her life had always been a mess. She reached for her phone, ready to text Serena. She needed someone to help cheer her up.

Before she got the chance, though, Serena was suddenly at her door. For a moment, Blair had the irrational idea that her own thoughts had magically conjured up Serena for her.

"Hi. Eleanor let me in." Serena could instantly sense the melancholy surrounding Blair. She had seen Nate and Blair arguing in the middle of Manhattan today. It had to be bad, for Blair to actually make such a scene with so many witnesses. Serena knew that Blair always hated it when she wasn't in complete control over her emotions, especially when there were other people around to see it. "Are you okay?"

Blair scoffed. "What, Dan wasn't available? Are you here for the latest booty call?" Even though she had wanted to see Serena, Blair couldn't help but be suspicious of the sudden appearance, given what usually happened lately when they were alone together at night.

Serena cringed. They had never talked about what was going on between them. But now didn't feel like the right time to start.

"No, Blair, that's not..." She trailed off, reaching out to grab Blair's hand and soothingly run her thumb across the flawless skin. "You're my best friend, and I like being around you. So I came over. And I've known you long enough to know when you're upset, so you don't have to bother with trying to pretend that nothing ever affects you."

Blair hesitated, turning to look up at Serena's sympathetic face, before wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde. Serena quickly followed suit, enveloping Blair in a warm and comforting hug.

"Nate and I had a fight. I hate it when we fight." Blair slowly calmed down, as she felt her own heartbeat match Serena's. Serena didn't say anything, just ran her hand up and down Blair's back, allowing Blair to continue at her own pace. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm still with him." Blair paused. "Will you stay over tonight? I don't want to be alone."

Serena felt her heart beat faster at Blair's admission of vulnerability. If Serena had any say in the matter, Blair would never be sad again. "Of course, B," she whispered gently. She turned to softly kiss the side of Blair's head, before resting her cheek against the spot where her lips had just been, and squeezing Blair a little tighter.

And for the first time in a while, Blair felt truly comfortable.

A/N:This will have at least one more chapter. Hope you like it so far!