It amazed her how quickly she accustomed herself with his presence again. Only a week after they 'danced' on the roof, she found herself dressing up to meet him. She glanced at her bed on the way to her wardrobe; over thirty outfits tried and discarded. She promised herself she would never take a page out of Blair's book, but she wanted to look perfect. Although she knew he would say so anyway. She smiled, and picked up an old dress, knowing this would be the last she'd try something. Black, and short, and with gentle gold glimmers; she worn it before.
'Hi,' he said, his lips breaking into a smile once he saw her.
'Hey,' she responded as she stood in front of him. 'I see you've tweaked a few things here and there. Nice haircut,' she praised, and ran his fingers through his short hair. She kind of missed the feeling of his curls against her skin.
'Yeah, well, I had to, once my Dad said I looked like Aunt Matilda,' he explained, and pretended to shudder at the thought. She laughed, and he smiled at the beautiful sound of it.
'You look just like you did in high school. I kind of like it.'
'Good. You look perfect tonight, by the way,' he said, and pressed his lips to her cheek, causing her to smile knowingly.
'Now, are you ready to go?' he asked, and extended his hand before him.
She took it. 'I am,' she said excitedly.
'You still haven't told me where you're taking me,' she moaned, as they walked out of her building.
'It's a surprise. And we don't need a car,' he declared, as he waved her driver off.
'So we're slumming it. Hmm, let me think, we're not going to Harlem, are we? Because I forgot my bulletproof vest,' she joked, and he threw his head back with laughter.
'Ooh, I can smell the judgement. Don't worry, princess, I'm taking you a lot closer to home.'
-xoxo-
They stopped at the main gates of the park, and he stood in front of her, looking down at her confused face. He smiled to himself, as he reached in the pocket of his jeans, taking out two pieces of paper and handing them to her.
She giggled when she read the top of one. 'The Ice Capades?'
'I'm an adult. I can take it. Besides, you're here with me, so it's okay.' He watched her glance over the tickets again, and his heart raced at the fact that she looked so happy. He couldn't not be overjoyed at the fact that he got the opportunity to make her feel that way again. The chance to make amends.
'I thought they broke up in, like, the 90s.'
'Well, get ready to see magic happen, because they're here today.' He took her hand again, and led her through the gates.
-xoxo-
'I cannot believe how much of a baby you are! What happened to being an adult?' she asked, as they walked hand in hand down the paths of the park.
'Hey, when I was a kid, Mickey Mouse would have never done the things I saw him do tonight. It completely changed my perspective on things!'
She laughed with him. 'You were worse than the children!'
'Well, now I know never to watch it again,' he said, and pulled her towards the side of the lake. It sounded so cheesy, but he could actually see the stars glimmer in the water. She gripped the side of the fence around it, and he took a moment to look at her. She was...breathtaking.
She caught him stare, and a soft blush crept to her cheeks.
'You know, I think only psychopaths and killers look at something that intensely,' she joked, and continued to look at the gentle movement of the water before them.
He snorted. 'Psychopaths, killers and people in love,' he rectified, and looked for her reaction.
She closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply, not being able to control a slight smile in the corner of her lips. She wasn't sure she was ready yet.
'Dan...' she started.
'Hey, I didn't say which category I fit under,' he spoke, knowing when to take the pressure off of her.
She broke into laughter, and smacked his shoulder, playfully. 'Don't say that! It kind of worries me, since it's just the two of us here.'
After she said it, he realised that, indeed, they were alone. An idea popped into his head.
He jumped over the rail, on the edge of the lake, and turned towards her with a bright smile on his face.
'Come here,' he instructed, and held out his arms to help her over.
She laughed in disbelief. 'You better be kidding! Get back from there! You'll actually get us arrested this time,' she joked, and took a step back from the fence when he asked again.
'Hey, we're alone. You said so yourself. No one will ever know.' He leaned over and pulled her towards him, picking her up over the bar between them, and dropping her beside him.
'Dan, are you crazy?' she joked, but once she saw him unbutton his shirt, she started laughing hysterically. 'Yep, you are!' she declared, and attempted to jump on the safe side.
'No, you don't!' He picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder slightly, and walked so close to the edge, she couldn't see anything else but water.
She tried to get some words out in between giggles. 'Dan, it's not fair, I'm still dressed!' she shouted, and tried to push against his shoulder, away from him.
'I gave you a chance to undress and you betrayed my trust trying to escape. So that's really too bad,' he declared and jumped.
The contact with the water was unexpected, and the shock stilled her legs for a moment, but soon after, she started treading the water, resurfacing. With mock anger, she started to look for Dan, twisting around in circles. But he wasn't there.
'Dan?' she shouted, moving hair away from her face. 'Dan?' she asked again, getting worried without realising. 'Oh, God, Dan?' she asked again, and screamed loudly once his hands gripped around her waist.
'You jerk! Never scare me like that again!' she scolded, as her hands touched his shoulder and face frantically. 'God, you should be incarcerated for this!' she said, softly smiling once she noticed he was laughing.
'Miss van der Woodsen, would it be possible that you care?' he whispered in the small space between them, his arms holding her tightly against him.
Her hands were still placed over his cheeks. 'Of course I care, you son of a...'
'Serena?' he asked, interrupting her before she completed that little sentence. He noticed her lips were shaking with the chill of the water.
'Yeah?' she responded, suddenly whispering without realising.
'I'm glad to hear you care.' He said it so softly, she wasn't sure she heard it. Or maybe that had something to do with the proximity of his mouth from hers. His lips hovered just above hers, their breaths mingling, and his gaze pierced hers, almost as if he was asking permission.
She closed her eyes, and just waited, her chin slightly angled towards him. In a matter of what seemed like hours, he grabbed her top lip in his, slowly, and gently pulled away from her. Her eyes opened, and she saw his gaze still rested on her, suddenly unsure. A hand moved at the back of his neck, and she lifted her chin, allowing him to press his lips firmer on top of hers. She relaxed in his embrace almost instantly, breathing him in. She opened her mouth just a little, allowing him to slip his tongue against hers, and she moaned softly in his mouth at the familiar feeling. Her back arched against him, and he moved his hands underneath her thighs, resting her on his hips. She breathed out loudly when she felt his lips against her neck and shoulder, and she ran one hand against his hair, his shorter strands creating a tingly feeling against her skin. She shivered with pleasure.
Their foreheads joined, and when their gazes met once more, she saw the seventeen year old she fell for in junior year. Her Dan. She pressed her mouth against his once more, gently and perfectly, before swimming back to the edge of the lake.
-xoxo-
She turned to face him once they got to the entrance of her building.
'It seems every time I'm with you, I get soaked. But even so, I had a lovely time tonight,' she said, and blushed a little.
He smiled down at her. 'Me too. Make sure Dexter doesn't see you when you go upstairs, or he'll call the cops on me,' he warned, and threaded his fingers with hers.
She giggled. 'Dexter worked at the Palace. Matthew works here, and he's a friend of Dexter's. How about you come upstairs? Protect me?' she suggested, her gaze avoiding his.
'I would love to, but I think it's better to take things slow.'
She smiled. 'Me too. However, I think this can be allowed,' she said, and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down towards her, easing her access to his lips.
It wasn't long until his arms tightened around her waist.
A/N: Oof, sorry for the long delay, but the new chapter is finally here. This was never intended to be a long story, so I think there's only one chapter, maybe two left. Enjoy, people, and review! :)