Hello! This chapter is slightly longer than the others - at least it felt like it when I was writing it - but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.
Thank you for all your kind reviews, I was really touched. Hope I won't disappoint you with this one.
This chapter wasn't beta-ed so I apologize for any mistakes that must've sneaked in!
When Sonja kissed him sweetly, Dan tried to respond with the most similar passion. When she pulled away, she smiled at him and stroked his cheek, her nose reddened by the cold winter air.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay on your own? I mean you could always take a break and join me."
"I would love to" he said sincerely "But I really have to make this deadline or Alessandra is going to kill me."
"I'm going to miss you so much" she said, kissing him softly.
"No you're not. You're going to spend your time baking with your mom and hunting with your dad. You won't even remember my name once you'll set foot on Finnish ground."
Sonja laughed and kissed him again. They heard the announcement for the boarding of her flight.
"It's time" Dan told her. "Call me on your New Year?"
"Definitely"
They kissed again, longer because it was their last kiss before a week. Then Sonja reluctantly pulled away and with one last squeeze on his hand, she went to take her flight to Finland. Dan stayed at the airport until he saw the plane take off. Then he took a cab to Blair's so he could pick up Ombeline for the week.
When he arrived, he was surprised to find more people than expected, and people he didn't know. They were all dressed smartly and surrounded by cocktails and elaborated appetizers. He spotted Ombeline sitting at the bottom of the stairs with her little green coat on and a red bow in her curls. She was holding with her a little bag -probably full of dolls- and Mr. Freezoo. When she saw Dan coming her way, she instantly stood up and walked toward him.
"Daddy, let's go" she said.
Dan picked her up and kissed her on the cheek.
"Wait, I have to see your mother first"
"Let's go" Ombeline insisted with a whiny voice.
"Just wait, Ombeline"
Dan started to look around for Blair and when he didn't find her downstairs, he resigned to go up to her room. He found her there, but not alone. She was standing in the middle of her room wearing a cocktail dress and high heels and Chuck was standing in front of her, with his hands on her hips. They were both smiling and talking really low. Dan knocked on the door and they turned to him.
"I just wanted to let you know that I picked up Ombeline" he told Blair.
She looked at him and nodded.
"Good. She was being really difficult and rude to the people downstairs."
"I think she hates that kind of thing" Chuck said, showing downstairs with his chin.
"You mean random people walking around her house in fancy clothes and preventing her from playing wherever she wants?" Dan asked "Yeah, she is being difficult for a two-year-old, I guess."
Blair pursed her lips at Dan's comment. So it was starting. They disagreed on what their daughter should be disciplined about. It wasn't much of a surprise though; they obviously had had very different up-bringing. Still, Blair had hoped for long that their differences would be their strength, but it was pointless. Their differences were the reason they had been broken up for two years and almost five months.
"We can all guess where she took that from" Blair said.
"I'm going now" Dan said "See you next week."
As soon as he left the penthouse, Ombeline became brighter and merrier. She started telling him about the day she had spent with Dorota and Mr. Freezoo. Dan listened to her religiously, not wanting to miss one bit of her daughter's imagination. She always invented the craziest story for her toys. Once, she even refused to touch Mr. Freezoo for three days, because she was mad at him for going to space without her.
When they got to the loft, Dan immediately changed her into her pajamas and he made them two hot chocolates before sitting next to her to watch The Little Mermaid. When she fell asleep, her little body curled up against his, Dan thought that it was a feeling he would never get tired of. She smelled like apricot and mint. He hadn't had a lot of time with Ombeline since her birthday and he wanted to enjoy this week with her to its fullest. So he took her to bed with him that night, instead of putting her in her room.
It was three in the morning when someone knocked on the door. It took Dan a while to realize what it was, and he turned to Ombeline to check on her before getting out of his bed and walk to the door.
"Who is it?" he asked.
He heard a moan in response and it convinced him to open the door. Serena was standing there with her shoes in her hand and her hair messy. Her eyeliner had produced black trails on her cheeks and her bottom lip was bleeding a bit. Her eyes were red and glimmering.
"Jesus Serena. What happened?"
"I fell" she shrugged "I think I screwed up"
Dan took her to the bathroom and made her sit on the border of the tub while he attempted to clean her up. He listened to her telling him how she had ended up at his place. She had been at an event with Lily and Rufus. When she started to get a bit too drunk, Lily told her to go before she would do something embarrassing. So she listened to her mother and went out with people she had met in the streets. She couldn't remember exactly what she had taken. The only thing she knew was that breaking her heels while getting down the stairs of a nightclub had been her wake up call. She had taken a cab and had given the address of the loft because she couldn't go back to her mother's in such a state.
Dan gave her one of Sonja's pajamas and waited for her in the living room. When she joined him, tears were filling up her eyes.
"Why am I like this, Dan?" she asked. "I don't know who I am anymore"
It was like they were seventeen all over again. Dan pulled her into a tight embrace and told her what they had all been telling her.
"We're here for you, Serena"
As soon as she calmed down, Dan took her to his room and laid her next to Ombeline. Then he went to settle on the couch with a warm blanket.
Blair arrived at seven in the morning, as soon as she received Dan's text.
"Where is she?" she asked him.
"Sleeping with Ombeline" Dan yawned while pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"I thought she was better. She looked better" Blair sighed taking the cup he was offering her.
"It's obviously going to take more than a new job to fix whatever issues she's having."
Blair nodded with a haggard face. Dan saw her and stroked her cheek with a finger.
"We'll find a solution. Don't worry"
Blair nodded again and smiled at him this time. Dan turned to put the coffee pot back on its stand and he shivered when he felt Blair's hand sneaking under his shirt.
"Don't" he said turning back to face her. Her eyes were dark and her smile devious. "Serena is about ten feet from us."
"So what?" Blair hands roamed from his back to his torso. "She's seen us before. Twice."
"Yeah, but it's not the same thing. And what about Ombeline?"
"She's just like me, she could sleep until noon even if there was a marching band in the living room."
Blair lightly scratched his chest up and down.
"Kiss me, Dan. I know you want to."
God, he wanted to. For the past month, he had craved Blair's kisses like they were oxygen. It electrified him, a kind of bittersweet feeling that kept him wanting more and more. But the guilt he felt afterward was too powerful. Especially when they kissed at the loft where he had been building a home with his wife.
Once they did more than kissing, but as soon as Dan's hand had left her underwear, Blair had cursed herself for letting it happen. Still, the following day, she didn't protest when he pressed her against the fridge in her kitchen, his tongue invading her mouth.
"Dan" she moaned, kissing him from his neck up to his lips.
Dan grabbed the hair at the back of her head and violently pressed her lips against his. He leaned back against the kitchen counter, pulling her against him. Blair wrapped her arms around his neck and buried herself deep in the moment. She couldn't believe how good and normal it still felt, even when they had been apart for so long.
When they broke the kiss for air, Blair rested her forehead against his, breathing loudly.
"I'm still mad at you for the way you talked to me yesterday" she said
"I kind of don't care" Dan answered, placing another kiss on her lips before pulling away.
He went to the bathroom and Blair sat behind the bar, cross by his behavior. He always acted so distantly after their kisses. She pulled out her cellphone to tell Chuck she was cancelling lunch. She would rather spend the day with Serena. She was planning on taking her to the spa and then spend the rest of the day at the penthouse, eating macaroons in front of Clueless.
Blair had just hit the "send" button when she felt Dan's lips against her neck. He was breathing heavily against her skin and each flick of his tongue behind her ear gave her a hard time to contain her moans. She stopped trying when she felt his hands on her breasts. Blair grabbed the back of his head and pulled him against her, wanting him closer. His hands roamed over her breasts for a while and soon one of them started going down her body to reach under her skirt. He wasted no time in placing his hand where she longed it to be. Pressing against her center in circular motion, Dan started to feel his own arousal growing in his pajamas pants. He had just slipped his hand under the fabric of her underwear, bringing his fingers to her already wet flesh when they heard the door of his room open.
Dan jumped away and Blair put her skirt back in place. Serena appeared, groggy. When she saw Blair, her face brightened a little.
"Did Dan make you come?"
Dan tried to hide his amusement at the ambiguity of the question –and how accurate it was to the situation –behind a cough. Blair completely ignored him.
"He texted me, yes" she answered Serena.
"It really wasn't necessary" Serena said.
However, she went to hug Blair.
"How about we spend the day together?" Blair asked, stroking her hair "I miss you"
"I would love to, B, but I have a couple of things to go over with Carter."
"How is it going by the way?" Dan asked, handing her a cup of coffee.
"Pretty good. I like it, at least. It challenges me a lot."
Dan smiled at her. Sure it would take time before Serena returned to her old, passionate, smiling self. But the importance was that they could see she was getting there, one step a time.
"I'm gonna go home and change before going to work" Serena said putting down her cup "Dan will you call me a car?"
She went to his room while Dan took his cellphone out. As he dialed the car service, he watched Blair walking closer to him and she slid one of her hand under his shirt once again. She stroked his stomach, pulling a little on the hair she could encounter there. She could feel him shiver against her. Blair stopped right before Serena reappeared, wearing the clothes from the night before.
"I'll leave with you" she told her without looking at Dan.
Blair knew things were starting to get dangerous, and the fact that Sonja was on her way to Finland made things more tempting. However, she wasn't ready for it to happen. Right before leaving, she went to kiss her sleeping daughter and waved simply at Dan as she was passing the door.
Dan tried not to be disappointed by her departure. It was probably best this way. Who knew what could have happened if Serena had left them alone? Earlier in the kitchen, Dan had felt ready to push her to her limits, just so he could hear her breathe his name. It was sort of an addiction to him. Things would have definitely gone out of hands, and he was barely getting used to the idea of kissing another woman than his wife –although Blair being that other woman sometimes rendered the situation easier.
/
Two days later, it was New Year's Eve. Elise and Dorota were therefore unavailable to baby sit Ombeline; Blair had a meeting and Serena was helping Lily planning the party she was about to host. It only left Nate and Ivy for Dan to take his daughter to. So he dropped her off and Ivy convinced him to leave Ombeline there for the day, so she could play with Travis a little. He then went to a painfully and unnecessary long meeting with the permanent staff of Details Magazine.
When he got back to the loft, Blair was there, sitting on the couch. She was wearing a pale pink dress which made her look quite severe and her long locks were falling on her shoulders. He loved when she wore her hair down.
"Do you still have a key?" he asked her.
"Of course I do. Where is Ombeline?" Blair stood up and walked toward him while he was dropping his coat and scarf.
"Nate's."
Blair nodded then crossed her arms.
"How was your day, so far?" she asked.
"Not bad. What about you?"
They were both standing in front of the couch, two feet away from each other. Dan didn't dare get closer.
"Gossip Girl seems to think that your day was much better than 'not bad'" Blair told him.
Dan frowned and pulled out his phone to log on the infamous blog. There was a picture of him with a small blonde woman walking in the streets and laughing.
"I can't believe she stills follows me around. My life has become so boring." Dan logged off and looked at Blair. "That girl was just an assistant at Details. She was getting coffee at the same place as I was."
He watched Blair walk closer to him and taking his unbuttoned collar between her fingers. He could smell her; he could feel her breath on his neck.
"I don't know why, I always assumed you preferred women with dark hair" She placed a kiss on his neck.
"Not always" Dan said "Although there is one particular dark-haired woman I cannot stop thinking about."
His hands went around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. Then he grabbed her ass and leaned in for a passionate kiss. Blair started moving, grinding her entire body against his. When he leaned her back to kiss her neck, it brought the lower part of her body closer to his and she could feel the evolution of his arousal on her thigh. She grinded against him and it made him moan, sucking flesh harder into his mouth.
"You're going to leave marks" Blair warned him.
But he ignored her. He kept licking and sucking relentlessly on the same spot. He wanted to see her pink skin purpled by his treatment. His hand went under her dress, roamed over her stockings and garter belt and started massaging her ass. Blair brought one leg up around his waist so she could feel him pressed against her while she unbuttoned his shirt.
Her dress was unzipped and his shirt was on the floor when the ring of the house phone jarred them from their moment. They were close enough to see on the ID tag that it was an out-of-country number calling.
"Shit" Dan muttered.
"Don't answer it" Blair told him.
"I have to. I already missed her call yesterday."
Blair felt his body leave hers and she watched him pick up the phone.
"Hey. How are you?" he asked not looking at Blair.
She was fuming. Dan always made it seem as if he had to protect his relationship more than she had to protect hers. After each moment they had shared over the last month, he always gave her the guilt act. Blair was pretty sure Dan considered that Chuck deserved to be cheated on, while it was the worst thing he could do to his oh so perfect wife.
Dan felt Blair's murderous glare lingering on him and he couldn't focus on his conversation with Sonja, so he left for his study. He closed the door behind him and sat behind his desk.
"My mother is really disappointed you didn't come with me, you know"
"She would have made me gain about thirty pounds with all her meals and cakes" Dan said
The door opened and he saw Blair enter. She looked him in the eyes with no particular emotion on her face and started to take off her dress. Dan shook his head and held a hand in front of him to indicate her to stop. But she didn't. Instead, she kicked off her heels while Sonja was telling him about her mother's latest recipe.
"Oh and Helsinki is so beautiful under the snow. I really wish you were there to see it yourself"
"I wish I was with you too" Dan said, almost mechanically as he watched Blair walk closer to him in her underwear.
She turned his chair so he would face her and kneeled in front of him, stroking both of his thighs up and down. Dan reached to push one of her hands away, but she gave him a strong pinch.
"Ouch!"
"Are you okay?" Sonja asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I… bumped my toe"
Blair was starting to unzip his pants and Dan tried to take a moment to think about what was going on. It was fucked up.
"You are so clumsy. I miss that. I miss you."
"I miss you too" Dan said, barely restraining a gasp as Blair's hand cupped him over his boxers.
"Hey so guess what happened yesterday?"
Sonja started telling him a story about her little brother but Dan couldn't focus on it. The only thing he was pretty much aware of was Blair pulling out his already hard shaft from his boxers. Her eyes locked with his as she put her hand tightly around it and started to stroke slowly, up and down.
He wanted to take her hand away but he couldn't. She was genuinely starting a fire within him. His left hand was still holding the phone to his ear, while his right one was gripping at his desk, trying to hold on to the last bit of sanity he still had. However, that bit flew away when Blair pulled out her tongue and gave a long, slow lick up his entire length. When it arrived on top, she circled him with her mouth and he had to cough to dissimulate his moan.
"Hey, I'm sorry, I…I don't feel very well"
"What's wrong?"
"I must've eaten something. Oh God" he hissed as Blair was cupping his balls in her hand. "Listen, I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"
"Alright, then" Sonja seemed disappointed "Get better. I love you"
"I love you too" Dan said, seeing and feeling Blair smile around him.
He hung up and threw the phone on the desk. Then he pushed Blair away with both of his hands and pulled her up by the shoulders. Her mouth was red and swollen; it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Dan grabbed her hair just above the back of her neck and pushed her against the desk.
"I'm tired of you trying to break my marriage" he whispered.
Blair sat on the desk and spread her legs so he could settle in between.
"Are you going to do something about it?" she asked
Dan's mouth immediately landed on her neck and his hands reached to the clip of her bra, releasing her breasts from their confines. He took a moment and gazed at them. They still looked perfect, just like he remembered. He could hear her moan when his hands settled over them softly, playing with each bit of flesh his fingers could find. At that instant, neither of them had any doubt about what was about to happen. And neither of them seemed to want to put a stop to it.
When her hand went back around his shaft, he decided they had avoided the moment long enough and made quick work of unclipping her stockings and divesting her from her underwear.
Then they stopped moving, looking each other in the eyes, telling this way things they usually couldn't. Blair pulled his head to hers and kissed him softly on the lips. Dan responded to her kiss and took her by the hips as he made his way inside her.
It was like going back in time. She felt exactly the same to him. Dan wondered how it was possible, since she had had Ombeline. But Blair still felt like she did all those years ago. She was still his Blair. He stood still, buried deep inside of her in the best angle possible. Then Blair started moving her hips shyly and Dan got the message. He started thrusting inside of her, his eyes never leaving hers. Setting up a slow pace, they were rediscovering each other's bodies.
Blair was literally panting. Dan felt too good inside of her. She liked the way his hands were resting on her hips, casually. She liked the way his mouth started to nip behind her ear, maliciously. She loved that taking her on his desk still made him harder than any other place. Blair leaned back on one elbow and steadied her balance by placing the other hand on his shoulder.
"Faster" she asked
He obeyed. He didn't want to tease her; they didn't have time for that. All he wanted was to see her skin pink and hear her moan. And she did. As Dan was picking up the pace, thrusting faster, he watched Blair's head fall back, her mouth open as she let out the most delicate sound of pleasure.
Dan laid Blair all the way on the desk and then leaned down above her to grip at the opposite end. He made his motions harder, watching Blair's breast bounce with each of his thrusts. Her mouth couldn't seem to close anymore. She rested under him with a hand on her eyes as moans turned into screams when Dan pounded harder and harder. She could feel her release building inside of her. Dan could feel it too, and he made his best to keep a steady rhythm to pleasure her without coming himself.
Then Blair's hand went up his back and grabbed the back of his neck. Her eyes were closed, her brows frowned, and she leaned up to put her body flush against his as she reached the peak they had been heading to. Dan felt her clench around him and slowed up, thrusting smoothly into her climax. Then when he was sure she had come down from her height, he picked up the pace again. It didn't take long for Blair to start moaning again and this time Dan joined her. When he felt really close, he kissed her on the lips then on the forehead against which he grunted from the release he was experiencing inside of her.
She let him rest on top of her, a thousand thoughts going through her mind. She tried to remember the last time they had had sex. Almost three years before. Blair couldn't believe she had lasted three years without feeling Dan this way.
Dan hoisted himself up on his hands and looked her in the eyes.
"Tell me you're on the pill"
Blair stopped breathing. He was doing it again. He was ruining the perfect moment they were having by thinking about life. He could never really detach himself from the outside world. Perhaps she was more unscrupulous.
"I'm not" Blair said "I'll go to the drugstore and buy a morning after pill"
"Fuck, Blair" Dan pulled out of her and zipped his pants. "How can you not be on the pill? Don't you and Chuck never…?"Dan felt like throwing up just thinking about Chuck and Blair this way.
"Please" Blair said as she put her bra back on "He's Chuck Bass. We use condoms."
"It's not completely efficient Blair"
"Neither is the pill. Do I need to remind you under what circumstances we had Ombeline?" Blair put her underwear back on and fixed her garter belt. "You're not my father, Dan. I can decide how I want to protect myself."
He could see that she was upset and even though he thought not taking the pill was utterly stupid, he didn't want to fight with her. Not when they had just reunited. Dan walked toward her and helped her zip her dress up. Then he put a gentle kiss in her neck and wrapped his arms around her. He heard her push out a deep sigh.
"It was just like I remembered" he whispered in her ear.
Blair shivered, turning around to face him.
"For me too" she said.
They kissed again for a few minutes, not ready to let go of the other. However, time was passing by and they both had things to do before each of them went celebrating. So Blair put her coat back on and commanded him to kiss Ombeline for her.
Dan let her go after one last embrace. They would not talk again for a while, with the exception of one text Blair received in the early morning of January 1st.
"I can't stop thinking about you. Happy New Year."
/
Blair finished applying her make up while listening to Serena and Ombeline playing tea party with Mr. Freezoo. Like each spring since she was born, Ombeline had developed a new aspect of her personality. That year, since she knew more than four hundreds words, Ombeline had become curious. She was always eager to understand and know more.
"Mommy, come play with us!"
"Just a second, darling. Please tell Nenna to dress you"
She hated that Ombeline had Dan's creative fiber. He was always ready to invent a new story with her whereas Blair could never really meet the standards. When Blair arrived in Ombeline's room, Serena was just finishing putting a bow in her head. Blair sat carefully next to them on the floor, trying not to wrinkle her dress.
"You still haven't told me who your date for tonight is." Blair told Serena who smiled.
"You'll see soon enough. So, have you and Chuck agreed on a date for the wedding yet?"
"No" Blair shook her head "He wants a spring wedding, I want a fall wedding and I'm the bride, I should be deciding."
"Yes but it's your second wedding" Serena reminded her.
"Insignificant details"
"Can we play now?" Ombeline asked.
"Sorry, darling, but the guests are starting to arrive. Let's go downstairs."
The three of them made their way to the living room to find Nate and Ivy already there, kissing and laughing as caterers wandered around them to finish setting up the party.
"You have been married for two years now. Don't you ever get pass the honeymoon phase?" Serena asked them.
Nate left Ivy to grab Serena by the waist and whirl her round. He then did the same with Blair and took Ombeline in his arms to tickle her.
"What's with him?" Blair asked.
Ivy smiled looking at Nate.
"We went to the doctor today" she answered Blair. "I am three months pregnant."
Blair and Serena both gasped with their hands on their mouths. Of course, they went to hug Ivy and congratulate her.
"Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl this time?" Serena asked.
"I don't know" Ivy said with a content smile "I think Nate wants a girl real bad."
The elevator opened and Chuck appeared. He went directly to kiss Blair on the lips then turned to Nate who told him the great news. As Chuck congratulated them, more guests started to arrive. Soon enough it was Dan's turn to get out of the elevator, Sonja holding his arms.
As soon as their eyes met, Blair's breath was cut short. It had been two years and eight months since they broke up. Dan and Sonja walked toward the group and greeted everyone.
"I missed you" Dan discreetly whispered to her ear while giving her a light hug.
Blair shivered. The last four months had been a rush of adrenaline caused by their affair. They hadn't slept together again since New Year's Eve, so the tension between them grew each time they met. Most of the time, it had been stolen kisses during brunches and parties, sometimes it was dirty texts, e-mails, voicemails.
Dan would visit her at work when he had a meeting in Manhattan. They ate lunch at her desk; their hands would sometimes meet. Then right before leaving, Dan would pull her into a deep kiss, rendering the both of them completely breathless.
"So what are we celebrating again?" Sonja asked "I find it hard to keep track sometimes."
"Waldorf Designs just opened a new store in Madrid" Serena told her. "And also, Ivy is pregnant with her second child!"
"What?" Dan's eyes widened "Guys, it's amazing; congratulations" he gave Ivy a hug and hit Nate gently on the back.
Then he picked up Ombeline who was tugging on his pants to catch his attention.
"So you're going to have a new friend" Dan told her. "Travis' little brother or sister should be arriving in a few months."
"Can I have one too?" Ombeline asked with interest.
Serena and Ivy exchanged an awkward look while Nate tried not to look at Chuck or Sonja. Dan's eyes went from his wife to Blair, then back on his daughter.
"Maybe you will" he told her.
"I want a big brother" Ombeline said "Like Jenny"
It lightened the mood and Blair walked toward them with a smile.
"I'm afraid it's too late, darling" she said, kissing Ombeline on the cheek.
Some people interrupted them to congratulate Blair, but they remained most of the time together, chatting.
"Oh there he is" Serena said, looking toward the elevator.
Blair understood she was talking about her date, so she turned around, eager to meet him. Blair frowned her eyebrows when she saw Carter Baizen coming their way.
"What the fuck?" she couldn't help saying
"No-no word" Dan and Ombeline told her in unison.
"She's right, though" Nate said watching Serena taking Carter by the hand and bringing him to them.
"Hey, so Ivy, Sonja, this is Carter. And you already know the others."
"Hi everyone" Carter said with a half-smile.
"Aren't you engaged?" Blair asked him bitterly.
"I was" Carter said "But we ended it about a month ago"
Then probably to avoid an interrogation, he squat down in front of Ombeline.
"You must be Ombeline" he told her, shaking her little hand "You know, I almost didn't believe in your existence, when Vanessa told me about who your parents were. Hey, you wanna see something cool?"
"Stay away from my daughter" Blair told him.
But Carter ignored her and started random movements with his hands and finally, a daisy appeared. Ombeline's eyes widened and she took it excitedly in her hands.
"Magic! Magic!" she kept saying.
"This is so sweet" Ivy said "Why don't you guys like him?"
"He is an ass and a con-artist" Nate answered her.
"And look at his hair" Blair added.
"Are you Nenna's husband?" Ombeline asked Carter.
"We'll see" Carter told her with a wink "For now, I'm just her boyfriend."
"What's a boyfriend?" Ombeline asked him.
"It's like your mother and Chuck" Carter told her. "They like each other, and they laugh together and sometimes they kiss"
Blair was astonished that Carter Baizen was the one having this conversation with her daughter. Even though Ombeline had never asked her that before, Blair was pretty sure it wasn't a stranger's duty to explain that kind of things to a kid. However, it didn't seem to bother Carter at all. Blair opened her mouth to put him back into his place, but Ombeline interrupted her.
"Mommy and Daddy kiss"
No one talked for a few seconds. Carter looked up to Blair whose face was red then Dan whose mouth was slightly open and went back to Ombeline, stroking her cheek.
"I don't think so, sweetie."
"They do. When they say hello"
Sonja turned to Dan while Chuck turned to Blair. Serena came to their rescue.
"She must be referring to when Dan kisses Blair on the cheek to say hello. He does it with me too."
"Yes" Ombeline said "Daddy and Nenna kiss too. Is he her boyfriend too?"
"Ha" Carter chuckled "Come back and ask me that in sixteen years. You'll have a good laugh."
"Okay I think it's enough. Ombeline, go play to your room"
Blair shot Carter a disdainful glare and took her daughter by the hand to take her upstairs. She made sure that Ombeline was comfortable with her dolls before she left the room. She was walking back to the stairs when she heard someone whispering her name while she passed in front of her bedroom. Blair turned to the left and saw Dan sitting on her bed.
"Are you crazy?" Blair asked closing the door behind her "What if someone sees us?"
"I don't care" Dan stood up and went to put his hands on her shoulders "I missed you"
Blair softened. She took his hands in hers and intertwined their fingers.
"I missed you too"
"I told Sonja I was going to the bathroom" Dan said "And I know I can't kiss you because it'll mess up your lipstick. But I really needed to see you alone"
Blair nodded and settled against him for a hug. Dan held her tightly around him, breathing in her scent.
"I dream about you" he told her, not breaking their embrace "I dream about the two of us"
"Dan…"
"I dream about making love to you, again and again"
Blair's breathing got heavier and her hands started moving against Dan's chest.
"I want you, Dan" she whispered.
Their moment was broken by the door opening. Carter appeared and smiled when he spotted them.
"Serena just asked me to come and open this particular door" he said "I understand you daughter's misunderstanding earlier"
"Go away, Baizen" Blair said.
"Actually, I think it'll be less suspicious if you guys come back with me"
Dan and Blair looked at each other.
"He's right" Dan said "We should go"
"Always the wise one, Humphrey" Carter said "And don't worry guys. I didn't see anything"
Dan and Blair reluctantly followed him downstairs where they went to sit next to their respective partners.
"I can't believe Ivy is pregnant again" Sonja told Dan "I wonder how they'll handle it, with Travis getting older and her plays. She'll probably have to stop performing for a year. At least, if I ever get pregnant, I'll still be able to take pictures"
There was another one of Sonja's messages to hint him that she wanted children. Dan did his best to avoid the subject, because he didn't want to hurt her. But he didn't feel ready for another kid. Ombeline was great, and he felt like it was enough for now. Besides, they had only been married for a year and they were still young. They had time.
"Hey Dan" Serena drew his attention "Rufus told me to tell you that he needs to see you tonight. He says it's about Jenny. We can head there after the party"
"Do you know what's going on?" Dan asked, his brows frowned.
"He just said that the two of you need some time alone to discuss it" Serena shrugged.
Dan turned to Sonja.
"Is it okay if you go back home alone after the party?"
"Sure" Sonja squeezed his arm for support. "I hope it's nothing bad"
"Me too" Dan said.
And the party went on. More people congratulated Blair, two photographs took pictures of her with Chuck at the bottom of the stairs. She smiled and gave thanks and laughed with the others. But her heart ached. Dan was talking with Sonja, his arm around her and the sight disgusted her. She didn't want him to smile at anyone but her. She didn't want him to whisper into anyone's ears but hers. She didn't want him to love anyone but her.
Blair couldn't tell if it was due to their physical reconnection or if she was recovering sight after a long period of blindness, but it had become clear to her that she loved Dan. She was in love with him; she could feel it in every part of her body, in every layer of her soul.
The problem was that Dan wasn't a liar and he wasn't cruel either. So if he looked Sonja the way he did, it was certain he had strong feelings for her.
When it was time for them to go, all of Blair's friends hugged her –Dan a little shorter than the others –then left. Blair went directly to put Ombeline to bed, trying not to think about Dan and Sonja.
For his part, Dan waited for a cab to come and pick up Sonja before he started walking toward his father's with Serena. They had walked a few steps silently when Serena put a hand on his arm to stop him.
"Okay" Serena said "Rufus didn't actually say he wanted to talk to you. I'm the one who does."
"What?" Dan asked.
Serena gave him a knowing look and he understood. She wanted to talk about Blair.
"What is going on with the two of you?" Serena asked point-blank
Dan didn't answer and started walking again. He was craving for a drink, but he knew he couldn't take Serena to a bar. She followed him.
"Dan, talk to me" she insisted "Are you guys having an affair?"
Now that he was hearing someone saying it out loud, the situation became way too clear. He and Blair were having an affair. They were betraying the trust of two people that had done nothing but love them –at least for his part. Was there really any emotional or sexual connection that could justify that kind of behavior? He was doing exactly what his mother had done to his father. What he had hated her so much for.
"Dan" Serena stopped him again and moved to face him "I want you to hear something. This situation is fucked up. Imagine what effect it would have on Ombeline if you guys get busted. Public scandal, divorce, seperations; she is two years old"
Dan refused to look at her. She was putting his worst fears into words.
"But in spite of that, I believe in you and Blair" Serena said. "Ever since the day Ombeline was born, even though you guys were broken up, I could see that you and Blair make sense, as a family. So if you're able to tell me that it won't hurt Ombeline, that you guys will be careful, I'll pretend not seeing you turn around to go back to her tonight"
Dan looked at Serena. She was supporting it. She was actually supporting him and Blair seeing each other. No wonder she started dating Carter Baizen.
"So? What do you decide?" Serena asked him.
"I can't say it out loud" Dan said
"It would make it too real" Serena nodded "Well guess what? It is real, and you're going to have to start dealing with it. So Dan, what do you decide?"
"I'm going to see Blair" the words came out of his mouth more easily than he had thought.
And as soon as he pronounced them, he felt lighter. He was going back to Blair.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Serena asked him with a smile.
He smiled back and kissed her on the cheek before running in the opposite direction. When he arrived at the penthouse, he shouted her name. Blair looked at him from the top of the stairs, she was already wearing her pajamas.
"Humphrey, are you crazy? You're going to wake up Ombeline."
Dan climbed the stairs, two steps a time to join her faster.
"Is Chuck here?" he asked.
"He left right after you guys. What's going on?" Blair asked him, worried.
Dan didn't need words to answer her. Instead he leaned down and kissed her with a feverish passion. Blair instantly kissed back, wrapping her arms around him. A few seconds later, Dan broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.
"I don't understand" Blair said with shortened breath "I thought you were supposed to be with Rufus."
"There is no one else I want to be with right now, Blair. It's you, only you."
He kissed her again because it was too good. They had a hard time reaching her room without breaking the kiss, but they made it.
Blair helped him take off his jacket and shirt. Her pajamas followed with his pants. She wasn't wearing a bra and Dan's hands flew immediately to her breasts as he started kissing her again. The feeling overwhelmed her and she had to lie on the bed otherwise she would have collapsed in his arms. Dan lied above her and never stopped kissing her. Blair was meeting again with the Dan she had known all those years ago. Just like before, he want insistent, he was confident. He was her Dan.
When he started grinding his erection on her center, Blair started to see stars. She prayed that nothing interrupted them this time. It was just the two of them apart from the world.
It came a point when Dan couldn't bear the fabrics of their underwear between them. He clumsily took them off and positioned himself at her entrance, hard, and more than ready. Blair could feel heat radiating from his body. Right before he moved, she halted him.
"I still don't take the pill" she said "We should use a cond…oh!"
She couldn't finish her sentence because Dan had entered her, his entire length buried inside her warm den. He moaned at the feeling and looked her in the eyes as her started moving slowly. He pushed inside and pulled out with a torturously slow pace, not because he wanted to tease her, but because he wanted to feel every inch of her. They never broke the eye-contact and as Dan leaned down to kiss her on the lips again; they both became aware that it wasn't just sex. They were making love.
Dan could see that she was on the same wavelength, so he never sped up. He could feel her gradually become wetter around him and her moans grew louder. He kissed her to muffle them, because he didn't want to wake up Ombeline. Blair's nails dug into his back and as she bit softly his lower lip. She escaped from his lips only to gasp his name. It sent a wave of pleasure through Dan. He wanted to hear it again so he gave a hard thrust.
"Dan!"
And another one.
"Ha! Yes, Dan"
Then Dan couldn't anymore. He needed to find his release, but not before he gave her hers. So he hoisted himself up on his hand and started to thrust faster, stronger and if it was even possible, deeper. Her legs wrapped around him, her hands resting on his hips so she could feel his muscles stiffen under the effort. Dan watched her as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth to scream out her pleasure as she went. It drove him closer, and his motions became erratic, he was unable to maintain a steady rhythm. When she felt him getting tense, Blair spread her thighs to welcome all he had to give her. She could actually feel him shoot and leak inside of her. And even though she had just experienced a powerful orgasm, she could have sworn nothing had ever felt better.
She gave him time to catch his breath, and when he could process a coherent thought again, Dan rolled off her, releasing her from his weight. They stayed there for a moment, kissing, cuddling, even laughing a little.
Then they took a bath together; just water, no soap or bath salt so he wouldn't smell like her when he would go back home to his wife. She walked him to the elevator. They had to summon it three times, because they weren't ready to part yet.
When he finally left, Blair went back to bed. She could scent him on the sheets. His disgusting cologne, the one she hated so much. She wrote herself a note to remember to buy a morning-after-pill again, then drifted off to sleep, enveloped by his smell.
/
Then they started again with the lunches, the texts, and the kisses. Every time Blair thought of him, it was like she was on fire. She shamelessly thought of him every time she had sex with Chuck.
One of them would always go to the other unexpectedly. Once, she found him at his loft in the middle of the day. She knew Sonja would be teaching and that he would stay home to work. So she delegated her work for the day and drove to Brooklyn in a cab. Ten minutes after she arrived, Dan was sitting on the couch, his shirt on the floor and Blair was above him, riding him ceaselessly, to the point where he had to bite her shoulder to control the sensations and wait for her.
Another time, he found her at her penthouse. He knew Chuck was in Switzerland for a business trip and he left Nate a little earlier than planned at the bar to join her. Ombeline was asleep and Blair was eating, still wearing her work clothes. He didn't waste time. Dan stood her up and lifted her so she was sitting on the dining table. He thanked the warm weather that allowed her not to wear tights while he was pulling down her laced thong and kneeled in front of her.
She started to moan at the first lap of his tongue against her. Dan licked and sucked and licked again, driving her insane. She seemed to be in a complete different world, a world where pleasure and lust were the state religion. Dan spotted her purse on the table, next to her plate and stretched his arm to reach inside it without leaving her moist flesh. He grabbed her cellphone and looked at her. She had seen him moving and confusion could be seen all over her face.
"What are you doing?" she asked between gasps.
Dan didn't answer but gave her the phone. She took it and on the screen she could see he had dialed Chuck. Her eyes widened but before she could press the little red button, Chuck's voice could be heard. She looked at Dan and he was looking back. His mouth left her center only to whisper to her to talk to Chuck. She could see his mouth wet with her fluids as he said the words. While his tongue went back to work, she held the phone to her ear.
"Blair?"
"Yes" she tried to sound normal "Just wanted to know how you were doing"
"It's four in the morning here, Blair."
Blair internally cursed Dan for not thinking of the time difference; then she thanked God for the rhythm he had adopted.
"I'm sorry" she said, trying not to gasp "I…missed you"
When the words left her mouth, Dan's tongue entered her. She lied back on the table, certain her it would be the death of her.
"I wished you were here with me" she said looking straight at Dan.
His tongue slipped out, only to be replaced by one of his fingers.
"Yeah, me too. My meetings are going well though"
I don't give a fuck about your meetings, Blair wanted to answer.
"I can't wait for you to get back" she said instead
Two fingers and Blair bit her palm.
"We're still going to the opera with your friend from Vogue, right?"
"Yeah" Blair answered in a gasp as Dan pulled away from her.
"Hang up" he whispered as he stood up and started unbuckling his belt.
"I have to go…Ombeline is crying" she said.
"Alright. Good night, honey"
"Good night"
Dan's pant pooled around his ankles as Blair got down from the table. She was going to take off her heels when Dan stopped her.
"Keep them" he said, his eyes dark. "And turn around"
Blair's eyes widened, her brain registering his demand. He guided her by putting a hand on her shoulder and turning her back to him. Then he pushed on the bottom of her back so she lied facing the table. Blair rested her cheek against the cool, polished wood and held her breath when she felt him tug her dress up to her hips. Dan watched her bite her lip as he took her right knee and lifted it on the table.
Blair had had sex multiple times with Chuck Bass, yet, she had never felt so exposed. She felt Dan's hands roamed over her ass, then he pushed inside of her with rapid stroke. The position turned him on too much. There was Blair, the mother of his daughter, her legs spread for him, her most intimate part wet for him.
Dan put his hands on her shoulders so her body would meet his every time he thrust. And he thrust hard. This time wasn't about showing her how much he cared about her. It was about showing her how good he was at pleasuring her. Blair's hand fisted on the table as she threw her head back and completely gave in to him.
"God, Blair. I'm going to…"
As soon as she heard him, Blair's sensations were magnified. It turned her on to see him turned on by her submissive and exposed posture. She started meeting his motions with some if her own and finally met her release. Dan followed her almost instantly, unable to hold back longer.
Blair hadn't touched herself for years. However, that same night, when Dan was gone and she was in her bath, her hand reached down as she could still feel every bit of their previous moment.
/
Dan shivered from the cool air as he left Alessandra's office. It was definitely too chilly for the month of September. He held the manuscript tight against his chest and made his way to The Inspector's headquarters. Nate had asked him to meet him for lunch.
When he arrived, Nate was on the phone and gave him a sign to sit. He seemed tense. Dan assumed it was because Ivy was due three weeks later. When he hung up, he crossed his hands on his desk and sighed.
"What's going on?" Dan asked.
Nate looked at him for a while then leaned back on his chair, smoothing his tie on his chest. He always did this when he felt uncomfortable.
"I had a fight with Ivy yesterday…" he started
"Oh, I'm sorry" Dan said
"That's not the story, Dan" Nate said sharply.
Dan was taken aback by his tone. Nate had never talked to him this way.
"As I said, I had a fight with Ivy yesterday, so I wanted to go out and cool my head a bit. You were at an exhibit with Sonja and Chuck had an early meeting today so he couldn't go out. I went by myself, at first. Then when I was really starting to get drunk, I did something I knew I shouldn't have. I called Serena."
"You went to a bar with Serena?" Dan asked, astonished "Nate you know she can't…"
"Don't lecture me, Dan" Nate said, shaking his head "I perfectly know what I did. The thing is Serena started to get drunk with me. And we were talking about stuff, I don't even remember what. What I remember though, is that she let something slip. Something she shouldn't have, perhaps."
Nate stopped talking but kept looking at him, insistent. Dan's heart started to beat faster.
"Is it true?" Nate asked "About you and Blair. Is it true?"
Dan looked at his friend. Was he supposed to deny everything or be upfront with him? It had been years since Dan last felt so powerless. His silent, however, was enough for an answer.
"What the fuck Dan? Are you out of your mind?"
"Nate…"
"Why are you doing this to Sonja?" Nate asked "Has she ever done anything to hurt you?"
"You don't understand…"
"Then explain. I wanna hear it."
Dan took a deep breath. He could see that his friendship with Nate was at that instant hanging on a thread.
"I don't know why it happens" he said "I don't know how it happens. All I know is that something is constantly pulling me back to her, no matter what I do. I can't help it."
Nate laughed bitterly.
"You realize you're recycling the same phrases Blair gave us in high school whenever she was trying to explain why she was with Chuck, right? Is it what you want? To become her new Chuck Bass?"
"This has nothing to do with Chuck" Dan said firmly as anger started to build inside of him.
"It does, Dan. This 'we can't explain it' bullshit only makes sense because you know what you are doing is wrong. It's shield that you use to avoid seeing what a dick you really are. Have you even thought, at least one second, about how it would affect Ombeline?"
"Are you telling me I'm a bad father?"
"You sure act like one. But don't worry, I don't think Blair could even compete for mother of the year either."
Dan stood up. He felt ready to punch Nate in the face. But it wouldn't have changed anything.
"I'm outta here" he said turning back to leave.
"Don't bother getting in touch with me" Nate said right before Dan closed the door behind him.
On his way back to Brooklyn, he dialed Blair's number. He needed to feel that whatever had been happening between them was anything but wrong. Blair never picked up.
When she saw Dan's name on her phone, Blair ignored it and smiled at Chuck who was making his way to their table. He kissed her and sat in front of her.
"So?" Blair asked "What is the big surprise?"
"Well, as you know, I've been travelling to Switzerland a lot lately" Chuck said, summoning the waiter with his hand.
"Yes" Blair simply said, waiting for the rest.
Chuck leaned toward her and took her hand in his.
"I am opening a second version of The Empire. In Geneva"
"Oh my God! Chuck, this is so exciting!" Blair squeezed his hands.
Chuck smiled and nodded in appreciation.
"The only thing" he said "is that since it's only the second one, I will have to be on the field for about two years to start running it"
Blair's hand loosened around his.
"Are you leaving?" she asked.
"We are leaving, yes" Chuck nodded.
Blair hands immediately left his.
"What are you saying, Chuck? You know I can't leave"
"Why not?" Chuck asked "You can run Waldorf Designs from anywhere in the world. We'll get you the best employees in Geneva."
Blair shook her head. Leaving New York was definitely out of the equation.
"What about Ombeline?"
"She would come with us, of course. Once she turns three, she can start school there. She'll get used to it fast enough; you always speak French to her."
"We can't take her away from Dan" Blair said.
"We're not taking her away from him. You're just moving abroad and she is coming with you because every kid should be with their mother."
"Chuck, do you even realize what you're asking me here?"
"We are engaged, Blair. You are supposed to be with me." Chuck told her, annoyed.
"Chuck. You know I can't." Blair's voice was firm and confident.
They engaged in a stare contest for a while before Chuck broke it with a smirk on his face.
"I know about you and Humphrey, Blair"
Blair stopped breathing. That was the last thing she had expected to hear from him. Chuck didn't look at her as he was ordering for the two of them, but Blair's eyes couldn't leave his face.
"How do you know?" she asked softly.
"I figured it out. The way you were distant after each family brunch; the two of you always disappearing during gatherings. Come on, Blair. Did you really think I was that stupid?"
Blair then realized how obvious the two of them might have been, sometimes.
"So what?" Blair asked "Are you trying to punish me?"
"No Blair, I'm trying to save you" Chuck said, hitting his hand flat on the table. "Can't you see that the two of you are never going to go anywhere? He is never leaving his wife for you, Blair."
"I would have never asked him to" Blair said, feeling pathetic.
"Because you know he wouldn't have done it. I love you, Blair. Geneva is an opportunity to start a new life, together, just like Humphrey did with Sonja. It's time to move forward with your life."
Blair tried to contain her tears, but her face probably gave away her emotions. She didn't want to believe what Chuck was telling her, but she couldn't deny that every word had been true. She took her purse and stood up from her seat.
"I've lost my appetite" she said before leaving.
Chuck did not go after her. She waved her hand in the air to hail a cab and went straight home, trying not to let the tears escape her eyes. She felt stupid. She felt idiotic. She felt naïve for thinking that Dan and her had had any special bond beyond their daughter.
When she got home, she found him on her couch, reading a book to Ombeline. He saw her and instantly stood up, walking toward her.
"Are you okay?" Dan asked as he saw her face.
Blair simply nodded.
"What are you doing here? Where is Elise?"
"I dismissed her." Dan said "I thought I could wait here with Ombeline for you to come back."
Blair nodded, her eyes on Ombeline flipping pages of the little book. She refused to look at Dan, even when he took her arms in his hand.
"Listen Blair, I have something to tell you. Nate knows. About us."
Blair looked at him this time. Dan didn't seem the tiniest bit worried.
"I'm moving to Geneva" she said.
She saw Dan frown.
"What?" he asked.
Blair cleared her throat and removed her arm from his hand.
"Chuck is going to go there for business. And I'm going with him."
She walked passed him toward the kitchen and Dan followed her.
"Are you serious? When the fuck did you decide that? And without consulting me?"
"I don't have to consult you, Dan. We are not together, we're only sleeping with each other"
Dan's heart clenched at her words.
"You have to consult me with something deals with Ombeline. Because I'm assuming you'll take her with you." he said.
"I'll try to bring her back to New York at least once a month, for a week. And you can always visit. It'll only be two years"
"No." Dan shook his head "No way. You have no right to do this to me."
"No right?" Blair said turning to him "Dan you gave me every right when you broke up with me three years ago, while I was six months pregnant. You're the one you made the situation how it is today"
Dan couldn't say anything. Blair walked toward him and put her hands on his shoulders.
"Listen, Dan. There was a reason why we didn't work. No matter how much we want to believe that there is something there, it's not powerful enough to overcome all the obstacles in our way. And it led us to do something terrible. We should have never started this relation again, especially since we were already bounded to other people. Serena knows, Nate knows and Chuck just told me that he knows too. It would have been only a matter of time before Sonja became aware of it."
"Chuck knows?" Dan asked. "Blair, that's why he wants you to go with him, he wants to keep us apart."
"Maybe he does. And he would be right to" Blair said. "Dan, as long as we continue to see each other on a weekly basis, we will never be able to move on. But we need to."
"Do we, really?"
"Yes, Dan!" Blair's hand flew in the air and tears started rolling down. "Go home to your wife, have children with her! Live your life and let me go. Don't let Ombeline give you the idea that you have to hold on to something that wasn't meant to be."
Again, the words attacked his heart first.
"You think we weren't meant to be?" Dan asked.
"Tell me one thing, one thing Dan, which proves the contrary"
But Dan couldn't. He couldn't find that thing to say, he wasn't even sure he was looking for it.
"So this is it?" he asked. "This is how we end?"
Blair could see how bitter he was.
"We ended a long time ago, Dan. We just never had the courage to admit it."
They looked at each other for a while, then Dan broke the contact and went to grab his things in the living room. Blair followed him and watched him kiss Ombeline goodbye.
"I'll see you soon, darling" he told her.
Then he went toward the elevator and pushed the call button. He turned to Blair who was still looking at him, standing up in the living room.
"I love you, Blair" he said without flinching "And I know you love me too."
Blair looked up and tried to contain her tears one more time.
"I do" she answered "But there are cases where love is not enough"
Dan shook his head.
"That's a Chuck idea, Blair. I'll prove you wrong someday, somehow."
The elevator doors opened and Dan stepped into it. As Blair watched the doors close on him, she wondered if she could allow herself to hold on to his last promise.
Relax, people! There are two chapters and an epilogue left. I hope you guys will bear with me because I'm loving the next chapter soooo much! It has the return of two significant characters in both Blair's and Dan's lives and more Carter.
Anyway, just let me know how I did with the smut, I wasn't very inspired. See you at the next chapter!
Bisous!