"How about Kelsey?"
Serena wrinkles her nose as Dan's voice comes floating over from the couch, looking over her shoulder at the back of his head. It's buried in the baby name book, a worn binder book on his lap. They've been looking at names for a few months, but between him recognising every second one as a character from some book and her knowing far too many people, the list of names they agree on is abysmal. Not to mention they've yet to discuss the issue of last name. Tradition holds it should be Humphrey, but Lily has been leaning towards carrying on the Van der Woodsen name and the weight it carries in high society.
"Makes me think of Kelsey Grammar…where did that come from anyway?" Serena picks up her yoghurt, making her way over to sit beside him.
"Apparently I have an aunt Kelsey somewhere."
"You want to name our baby after an aunt you've never heard of?" Her tone is light, begetting the little smile on her face.
Dan gives her a frank look, handing over the list, "I've heard of her, she smelled like old cheese and feet," Serena giggles, popping a spoonful into her mouth, "And it works for either gender if we have a boy. Which we won't."
Rolling her eyes, she pulls out a page from the pocket of her shorts and drops it into his lap. "What is this?"
"Blair's list." Serena mumbles around the vanilla yoghurt, licking a little off her top lip. Dan unfolds the paper dubiously, "Only Blair Waldorf would actually make a formal list of baby names." Serena nods, leaning over his shoulder to read them.
"Reagan? Like the president or the girl from the exorcist?"
Serena laughs again, "That one's definitely out." She reaches around his hands and scrawls it out. She peruses the names, noting how old fashioned her best friend's suggestions are. All classy, affluent sounding names, all names befitting a Waldorf or a Rhodes.
But a Humphrey?
"Margery…It might sound a little weird with Humphrey, Margery Humphrey…" Serena muses in his ear, head propped on his shoulder. Dan looks at her, sitting next to him all loose and glowing, and it takes a moment for her to realise he's staring. Her mouth is full again, so she frowns at him in curiosity.
"Humphrey?" Dan wants their baby to have his name, pride swells in him every time he imagines it, but they aren't married and he knows how important such things are to the people of the Upper East Side. His girlfriend swallows, smiling at him,
"Yeah, I mean, isn't that what you want?"
"I..well of course it is, but is that what you want? What about the Van der Woodsen name?" He hopes he doesn't sound petty when he mentions the name, but he knows in many circles people see him as an accident Serena keeps around because she fell pregnant, and it raises his hackles to think of the elitism based on surnames.
"They'll always be a Van der Woodsen, his or her last name doesn't matter. Besides, the baby should be proud to be a Humphrey," Serena leans on him, kissing him gently on the jaw, "I'm proud he's a Humphrey."
No matter how many times she says it, Dan always brightens when Serena comes out with such things. She's happy with him, she loves him, she's proud of him…it's big for Dan, monumental, considering his biggest fear is that one day she'll want the title and dynasty a Humphrey can't provide. He grins, taking her chin and pressing a kiss to her mouth. He pulls away, breathes her in and pushes back against her lips.
"Mmmm you taste like vanilla.." He murmurs, setting the book aside and running a hand up her side. Serena giggles, one hand threaded between his thick dark curls and the other resting on his thigh, and he strokes her hip gently. Dan pushes more fervently at her, and when Serena begins to lean back his stomach comes into contact with hers. She stops, looking down at the prominent bump between them and meets his gaze apologetically.
"I don't think this is going to happen." There's a disappointed light to her eyes, and he isn't sure if it's directed at the situation or herself. They've always had a healthy sex life, but as pregnancy had progressed and Serena had gotten less comfortable with herself their time together had become infrequent. At this point, it was almost impossible. She's looking at him anxiously, and it takes him back to that night in this same loft, Are you mad?
Dan dislikes insecurity on her, and he sighs dramatically, "But you taste so good!" She smiles a little, and he takes her face in his hands and peppers it with kisses, making her laugh that four-year old laugh he loves so.
"So, what have we managed to come up with so far?" Dan's halfway through the 'M' boys names, stuck on the fact that Morpheus actually made it into a published book of baby names. Serena's sitting on the couch opposite, legs tucked up under her and leaning on a stack of cushions.
"For girls we have…Lola and Eva, and boys is Kaleb, Noah and Samson."
He considers her a moment, brown eyes narrowing imperceptibly in thought, "Samson sounds like something you'd name a Labrador.." Serena rolls her eyes good naturedly but makes a note next to the name, "At this rate, we are never going to agree on anything. He's going to be Baby Humphrey till third grade."
Dan smiles at her, stretching his legs out as he puts the book aside, "We have girls names we agree on, maybe it's a sign."
She looks at the names again, "Yeah…I don't know about this though, what if the baby doesn't look like a Lola or a Kaleb…how did your parents pick your name?"
Dan stands up and clears their mugs from the coffee table, taking them to the sink, "They had one name for a boy and one for a girl. I was always going to be Daniel."
Serena wrinkles her nose, "No-one calls you that though."
"Yeah well, Mum says I acted more like a Dan than a Daniel, not that I have any idea what that means."
Serena chuckles as she goes to stand, but she drops back to the couch feeling light-headed. Her brows knit in frustration, she's really getting over being so pregnant, and she very slowly tries to get to her feet again, "That's what I mean though, maybe it's best if we wait and see what he looks like when he's born."
Dan nods, washing the cups out and wandering back over to wrap his arms about her waist, "Works for me, as long as you don't name her while still sucking on the gas like Georgina did." Her eyes crinkle in laughter, and she loops one arm around his neck while the other rests against his face.
"I always wonder what possessed you to let her name him 'Milo'."
"I liked to believe it was after that cat from the kids movie Milo and Oatis. Then later I figured, knowing Georgina it was probably the drink and was thankful she didn't call him Coffee or Bourbon."
They both giggle, and Serena kisses him softly while he strokes her lower back.
A ringing has him pulling away from her, and he pulls out his cellphone to see Alessandra's name flashing. He shoots her an apologetic look and Serena waves him away, pulling all the sheets of paper together and slipping them into the front cover of the baby name book.
"Alessandra, hey. No, no it's fine, it's not too late.."
As Dan wanders off into the next room, Serena sighs and sits at the counter, face resting on one hand braced against the bench. His new book launch couldn't have come at a worse time with her being in her final weeks of pregnancy, and though they tried there are some things Dan simply cannot miss. He'd even attempted to postpone the whole thing, but she wouldn't hear of it; this was unplanned as it was, and her biggest fear was that he felt compelled to stay with her because of the baby or that he would put his life on hold for it. So Lily and Blair came over when she felt lonely or he was out of town for a few days, and Dan did the absolute bare minimum for his agent and publicist. Every time Alessandra rang, Serena knew it meant he had one more thing to either put off or attend, and though he did it at her behest she missed him intensely when he was gone.
Dan comes back into the room, shaking his head at the phone as he tosses it onto the couch.
"What is it?" Serena asks, frowning.
"Nothing, she wants me to go to this conference thing on Tuesday."
"What kind of thing?"
He rubs the back of his neck, "It's something about signing on for a potential trilogy over the next six years, nothing concrete.."
As quick as she is able Serena hops off the stool, "Are you serious? Dan, that's amazing!" She bounds into his arms with as much grace as a thirty six week pregnant woman can, and he loves the way she thinks of him before herself, laughing and embracing her tightly.
"Serena, we have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, it's one of the last ones till, you know, this all happens." He says, gesturing in a round about way to her belly, and she blows a raspberry as she leans back to look at him.
"Dan, I'm a big girl, I can do that without you. This is too important for you, you're going."
Dan loves his girlfriend and their baby with every ounce he can, but when Serena says it with conviction and certainty in her blue eyes excitement buoys in him. This is the first concrete step he's been shown in terms of being more than a fly-by-night author; it's all he's ever wanted, second to the blonde being of bright exuberance in his arms now.
He smiles widely in appreciation of her consideration, her kindness, hell, just for being her, "I'm going to be an author, a real I've-written-a-series-of-books author."
Seeing him so excited makes her grin, his happiness igniting her own, and Serena plays with the thick curls at his ear, "I'm so proud of you."
He kisses her passionately, and though his joy is infectious she can't help but wonder why seems more excited about this than he was when she told him he was going to be a father. Doubt seeps into her mind, bringing insecurity and just a hint of fear. But his hand finds her own and threads their fingers together, and Serena buries it beneath layers of pure, simple happiness she finds in this moment right here, moving in to kiss him again.
You're being paranoid.
Right?
A/N: Not a lot happened, but I don't like having massive time jumps within one chapter. Anyway, I know there's a Lola on the show (Lola, Ivy, Charlie, it's ridiculous…) but it was on the list before she popped up. Thanks to all my lovelies who are reading and reviewing :)