Forever is About to Start

Chapter 9 - The Kiss – Part I


After their brief moment in the library, Dan and Serena barely talked to each other. They have been avoiding each other after their parents somehow reunited.

The same night they met on the library, they found out about Lily and Rufus. Dan arrived in the loft to walk in his father sharing a passionate kiss with the blond. Not even the news about Aaron and Serena break up which he found out the next morning, thanks to Gossip Girl, could help how he felt about dating his almost step-mother's daughter.

Serena on the other hand was cooler about their parents' status. She knew they loved each other and she was happy for them and sure that if Dan and her got things figured out it would be okay but she felt he growing distant in the last few weeks and she understood that it was too much for him to handle.


Tonight they would met. It was opera night and though the kids weren't too excited to watch it, Lily wanted the whole family to be together, especially on an important event like the Opera. She had hopes Charles would finally give in her invitation for him to come back and live with them and her hopes were specially renewed when Bart's attorney gave her the adoption papers Bart has signed before his death.

"So, excited for tonight?" asked Serena to Dan as they met during lunch

"Not exactly, but Vanessa seems to be going with Nate, so I must as well stay with them" he said totally uncomfortable

"Oh. I am sure you will like it, you better watch it with your family, I already said Nate I'm watching with them. The story is beautiful and the text is touching" she said with a half smile

"It is Italian Serena and I'm sure the few Spanish classes I got won't save me more than two words"

"To understand love you don't need words. It is all said in their eyes" she said excusing herself to leave


Dan sat there, thinking about the words she has said to him. In the last weeks all she has tried was to show she cared about him but he locked himself and now he could see she was hurt. But how could she think about them when their parents were having sex in the next door? Anyway, it didn't make it any easier to look into her beautiful blue orbs and know that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

He wished he was different, he wished he felt differently about this whole situation but he couldn't help who he was. His moral standards were this high and he was proud to be this guy. How could he date his potential step-sister? What if Lily and Rufus got married and they had to live in the same house? Lily's wedding track wasn't one to be ignored, that was a huge chance they would marry or at least live under the same roof. No, there was no way he would ever feel okay about it. The simply thought made him feel incestuous.


How stubborn can someone be? Serena asked to herself. She knew he wanted her but he couldn't get over their parents relationship. Everybody has a right to be happy and he should be happy for their parents and be happy that they got a third chance to make it work between them. So what if they could be step-siblings? She for sure knew worse cases, especially on Upper East Side. People didn't care about these kind of things anymore. They weren't brother and sister and they loved each other, why it had to be so complicated? Why had Dan to be so complicated? She would never ask her mother to give up on Rufus again and she is sure Lily wouldn't consider it either. She was happy for her mother, she was happy for Rufus, she was happy for Eric and Jenny that were closer than ever but she couldn't help but feel deeply sad about how it ruined any chance she got with Dan. They had this beautiful love and forever was only waiting for them and now they were part, probably for the rest of their lives because she knew her mother and she witnessed most of her marriages and relationships and she knew that what she felt for Rufus was bigger than what she felt for anyone before him. Serena believed that he was her mother one true love and that first love is always special and unforgettable but unfortunately this is not how Dan thought. Tired of think about it and to wear her heart down thinking about possibilities that would never come true, she decided she should get ready to the opera. She really enjoyed it and it was one of the few memories she has about her dad before he disappeared. He used to take her to watch some kids' operas and she learned to love it since then.


"Prepared to your society debut?" asked Jenny excited as she met her father in their kitchen.

"Not so much. I'm a rock singer, what do you think I know about operas? Especially on Italian. It will be a complete disaster but Lily really wants all of us to be there, so I guess I must have to be prepared. I just hope nobody asks me about it or what did I think about this or that act" he said a bit frustrated

"Daddy, I've been enough around this people. You pretend to have an opinion and talk a bit about it, even if it makes no sense, they will pretend they understood and will offer their opinion, you will pretend to agree and everything will be fine" she said taking a look in the dress she designed and made for herself.

"When have become the wiser member of this family?" he asked as Dan entered the room, adjusting his tie

"Since some of you got blind" she said and looked to both men "We should be going, it is rude to be late"

"Fine, Ms. knows-it-all" said Dan rolling his eyes


Arriving at the theater Rufus quickly found Lily that excused herself and told him she had some business to do with Charles and told Eric to show them the way for their seats.

"Where is Serena?" Jenny asked looking over to her brother

"She is going to be with Nate and Vanessa, in the Archibald's box" Eric shrugged

"No wonder why she doesn't want to stay with us" said Jenny glaring at Dan

"What? This is not my fault" he said defensively

"If you say so" said Jenny

"Kids, I think it is not polite to discuss in the opera" said Rufus smiling to his daughter

"Yeah, let's go" Jenny agreed, shaking her head to Dan


"Guys, I'm really sorry to be the third wheel but things are still awkward between Dan and I" said Serena as they walked to Nate's family box.

"No problem, Serena, we are here to watch the opera, nothing more" said Nate smiling

"Yeah, Serena, everything is fine" said Vanessa reassuring the blond

"Thank you, guys" she said softly

"It is just like Dan to feel this way about your parents" said Vanessa "He is the most stubborn person I ever met"

"Yeah, but he is right, it is weird to date the son of your mother's boyfriend, isn't?" she asked hoping that maybe someone else thought like her

"I've seen worse" chuckled Nate

"This is who he is Serena, it wouldn't be this big of a deal, but this is who Dan is" she said sympathetically

"I guess you are right" she said as they stepped into their box


The opera finally started and so Nate and Vanessa make out session. Serena was clearly uncomfortable and didn't know where to look or what to do.

Finally she decided it was best for her to leave. It is not like she was crazy about operas anyway. She decided to be in one of the benches in the hall instead of join her family. She wasn't willing of leaving an awkward situation to get into another.

Dan realized when she left Nate's box but decided to think she had left to go to the restroom. Though he couldn't understand any word in Italian, he indeed could see it all in the looks and gestures in the acts. He could see how much it hurt for the lead male character to be apart of his love. The way the lead female sang sadly a song with some of her maids made Dan think if Serena was this broken because he saw a lot of himself in the guy. He quickly brushed the thought out of his mind.


After twenty minutes he noticed she hasn't come back yet. He was starting to worry about her but he couldn't move his eyes from the show in front of him. It was one of the most beautiful things he has even seen and suddenly he was imagining how great it would be to watch it with Serena by his side. He looked to his father and Lily and saw how happy they were. He looked to Jenny and Eric and saw how they interacted and loved each other. They were really good friends and for a moment he contemplated if that's not what really matters. Everyone was happy, except for Serena and him, who were miserable. Why would he care if she would potentially be his step-sister? It wasn't like he was dating Jenny. Ugh, it is better to avoid such comparison, it is definitely gross and not he needed some air to forget all these thoughts that he was successfully avoiding for the last weeks, he excused himself saying he needed to go the restroom.

He left his seat and when he was about to reach the main hall he saw her. She was leaned in the wall, in the very back of the theatre and he could see how touched she was by the show. Not being able to control himself anymore he walked straight to her direction.

"Hi" he said shyly

"Hey" she answered wiping her tears

"It is really beautiful, one of the most beautiful things I've seen" he said looking to the stage

"Yeah, it is. Love is always beautiful to watch not so much to live though" she said trying to concentrate herself on the stage as well

"Serena…" he started

"No Dan, it is okay, I should get back to the box, I see that Nate and Vanessa finally decided to watch the opera instead of behave like fifteen years old" she said smiling slightly

In the stage the hero was visiting secretly his girl and Dan could see he was proclaiming his love and devotion to her. Feeling like he couldn't make it anymore he reached for Serena's hand before she could leave. He saw her teary eyes, he softly slid his finger through her cheek and when the tears finally rolled he wiped them not losing her eyes for one second. Slowly he got closer and closer until their forehands touched

Not knowing what to say or what to do any longer, Dan just followed his heart and brushed softly his lips against hers.


AN: I am way late, I know, but I wanted their first kiss in this story to be special. I feel that this chapter still didn't work out like I wanted but I decided it is best to give you guys something instead of wait for inspiration to write something better.

Next let's see how they handle the kiss. This is about a kiss, not any reunion, not yet, I should warn you.