a/n: Sorry it's been a little while... the tennis on tv is distracting! This one's dedicated to Maria as it was her birthday yesterday. So, happy belated to the sweetest girl and biggest Ryan fan!


Blake woke early to her unfamiliar surroundings. The fresh sheets, infused with a different detergent, and her shirt, covered in yet another new fragrance. One she hoped wouldn't be foreign to her for much longer. Strong, sweet, safe. She looked up at the ceiling and hugged herself with the soft, white comforter, breathing it all in. Save for her uncharacteristic affair with Leo, Blake wasn't used to staying the night so casually at a guys house, so she was anxious about how the morning would pan out. Would he kiss her as if it were a normal thing now, or would they tread carefully around each other to respect boundaries? After all, it wasn't like they were dating. She wasn't really sure what it was that they were doing. She figured she'd let him take the wheel.

'Oú le vent me porte' she'd always say to herself when she was unsure of a situation. 'Wherever the wind takes me.'

He wasn't aware of it, but Ryan woke around the same as Blake did. He'd slept like a baby after his dream of an evening and was fully refreshed when he opened his eyes. He didn't want to wake Blake up, so he lay in bed for a while, just thinking about it all. As long as she hadn't skipped out on him while he was asleep, he didn't think it could have gone any better. Not too fast, but just fast enough to keep him replaying it in his head.

Those lips.

That hair.

Those eyes.

'you awake?' she texted him.

'yeah, you?'

'hahahaha'

Not ten seconds later, Ryan was at her door, hanging onto the door frame by one arm and leaning in with a grin.

"How do you like your eggs?"

"No, no, I'll totally cook breakfast!" Blake chirped. She swung her legs out of the bed and pulled her jeans on so she was a little more decent. Ryan averted his eyes and eyed the carpeted floor so not to stare at her long, Cannes-tanned legs.

"No, come on. You're the guest."

"No, seriously. You know I like cooking."

"Whatever makes you happy," Ryan shrugged in defeat.

Ryan sat at his kitchen island, watching on as Blake did her thing. She clumsily found her way around his kitchen, eventually locating everything she needed, with minimal input from Ryan who was thoroughly enjoying his view. Above all else, he was enjoying actually having some human company, but the fact that it was Blake didn't hurt either. She floated around, humming an unidentifiable tune while she tended to her omelets. "Plates!" she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," he obliged and held the plates out for her while she dished up.

"Bon appétit," she said cutely as she set the plates down.

"You want a coffee?"

"I'm actually feeling pretty refreshed already. What about some juice?"

"Yeah, me too… I just gotta get my coffee fix in the morning. Apple or orange?" he said as he opened up the fridge.

"Uhm," she pondered. "Surprise me!"

Once breakfast was over, Blake wondered if that signified her cue to leave. She wasn't sure. It didn't feel like it. In a weird way, she kind of felt like she lived there with him now. Ryan was showing no signs that he was bored of her or needed her to leave. It was just….comfortable. That was the word that kept dancing around her mind when she tried to describe the way she felt. Everything was so easy and light around him. But at the same time, arms were warmer, breaths were louder, jokes were funnier. Everything was emphasized around Ryan. Yet she still couldn't get enough.

Ryan sat there on the sofa with his arm around Blake while they watched Food Network. Comfortable. He lazily drew circles up and down her arm with his fingers and watched her from the corner of his eye whenever he got the chance. She was so enthralled by the TV that she didn't even notice the attention on her.

"Oh my God," she suddenly blurted out as she shot up off the sofa. Ryan's eyebrows flew up. "My mom is going to kill me. Oh, wow, I have to get home. I'm so sorry to be so abrupt. I completely forgot." She paced back and forth in a fluster, quickly grabbing her things and stuffing them into her bag. "Ryan, I'm so sorry," she repeated.

"No, no. It's fine. Get home safe." he reassured her by the door. "Just as long as you come back at some point."

She slowed down for just a moment, stopping with the front door open, looking honestly into his eyes. "You'll see me soon," she promised as she leaned in, hugging him tight. "Thank you for everything," she spoke as she rushed off, disappearing into her black SUV.


Save for a thank you text later that same night, he heard nothing for a couple of days and had to really talk himself out of calling her. He wanted Blake to be the one to initiate this time. If she wanted to go slow, he didn't want to put any pressure on her. After all, he told her he'd wait as long as it took…

Blake spent the next few days with her family, trying to silence their suspicions about where she was the night she didn't come home. Blake's mom had been asking all of her children if they knew anything about a new guy in Blake's life, and her brother Eric had gotten extremely suspicious, quizzing her relentlessly, determined to find out who the guy was, and what he was doing with his baby sister. They'd grown up together and were as close as a brother and sister could be, so Eric was always overprotective of Blake. Kelly and Penn had both been on the receiving end of his famous glare before they met his high standards, and Blake really didn't want to think about that happening to Ryan right now. It was way too soon.

"Blake, come here!" Eric grabbed his sister by the waist and tugged her toward the sofa where he was sitting. "You can't get away from me that easily. Spill."

"E, forget it! Get off me," she cried as she tumbled onto the sofa.

"You better talk. You know I'm stronger than you. We've been through this before, little sis."

"Yes, I've been trying to forget the mental trauma you inflicted on my previous boyfriends. I'd like to avoid it this time."

"This time, huh? So there is a guy?"

"There is not a guy! Leave me alone!"

"So it's a girl? Hm… interesting. I would have never guessed it'd be you to swing the other way. I always thought maybe Lori, but-"

"Eric, shut up! I'm not gay. Not that it's any of your business."

Eric held on tighter, tickling his sister into submission. "The sooner you tell me, the sooner you're free."

"Do you really have nothing better to do?" she scowled up at him.

"No, actually. I have nothing to do all day, so…"

"Why do you always insist on making my lovelife hell, Eric?"

"Because I'm your big brother, and it's my job to make sure you don't end up with an asshat," he said matter-of-factly.

"Like you."

"Exactly. Gotta show 'em I've got 'em figured out."

"Oh really," Blake mocked. "And what if they're older than you? Then what?"

"What? Another one?! What is this new thing with you fucking old guys?!"

"Eric!"

"What?!"

"Nobody is 'fucking'. Would you keep your voice down? My God."

"You expect me to believe your relationship with Leonardo DiDouchebag was strictly platonic?"

"Eric, I'm a grown woman now. What I do, and who I do it with has nothing to do with you anymore."

"Whatever. So who's the new geriatric?"

"He's 34, Eric…"

"That's still a lot older than you, Blake…"

"So what? He's mature and smart and knows what he wants in life. I'm done with boys who are trying to figure their lives out. I'm ready to settle down."

"Woah, Blake, you're 23. You have time."

"Just trust me?" she pleaded with her brother. "You know I've always dreamt of having a family while I'm still young. I'm not saying right now, but before I'm thirty, for sure."

"I do trust you," he said as he finally slumped down on the sofa next to his baby sister. "You've always made great decisions. It's actually kinda crazy how right you always are. I just worry sometimes that one day that might not be true. I don't want you to get hurt. You're still my baby sister. The fact that you got your period and grew boobs is just a technicality," he laughed as he looked adoringly at his sister who giggled back.

"I love you, E."

"Love you."

Blake grabbed her brother and squeezed him tight, somewhat glad that they'd had this talk. They would bicker like cat and dog, but at the end of the day, he was her brother. That's what big brothers were for.


'hey, are around today? Can I come see you?'

Shit. Ryan was getting ready to go out for lunch with a friend when he read her message. He panicked and replied immediately. He'd been waiting for her to get in touch with him for days now, so he couldn't exactly be picky.

'Sure. Wanna get lunch?'

'Perfect can we get takeout though?'

'Yeah, of course. What do you feel like?'

'Whatever you fancy. I'll eat anything! I'll be there in 30'

Ryan quickly messaged his friend with a horrible excuse as for why he couldn't make lunch before he called up his favorite Chinese takeout, ordering just about everything on the menu.

Girl liked to eat.

After he ordered the food, he ran upstairs and started primping himself in the mirror, changing outfits over and over again, wondering what she'd like the most. It was kind of intimidating that she was so into fashion; Ryan had his sloppy days and he worried what she thought about the way he dressed. He was torn between a mature v-neck cashmere sweater, or a simple black fitted t-shirt which would make him look younger. Eventually deciding on the simple t-shirt, he began ruffling up his hair, trying to make his distinctive hairline less defined. It wasn't receding; it had always been like that, but he hated how it made his forehead look sometimes. Luckily for him, he didn't really have anything else to be self conscious about; that was his one physical insecurity. He spritzed himself in his signature Hugo Boss and headed back downstairs to wait for the food.

Blake arrived not too long later, greeting Ryan with a warm embrace and a kiss on the cheek, explaining how she'd wanted to see him sooner, but got caught up with her family. She didn't want them to get too suspicious this soon.

"Wow, how many people are coming over?" Her eyes widened as she saw the kitchen island covered in boxes upon boxes of takeout.

"Just you and me. I didn't know what to get, so I just got…everything," he smiled cutely.

"Well I guess we better get started then!"

Ryan was going to suggest they plate up and take the food into the dining room, but Blake had already made herself comfortable on a stool opposite him at the kitchen island. She didn't need any encouragement to dig in, already getting a little bit of everything on her plate.

He liked that.

"So what have you been up to?" she asked with genuine interest in her eyes.

"Not a whole lot to be honest. Little bit of work for a new movie I'll start filming soon, but not much else. I'm really glad you came over. I missed you after you left… is that an uncool thing to say?" he screwed up his face, questioning himself.

Blake's face broke out into a smile. "No, that's really cool actually…" her mascara-black eyelashes kissed as she looked down shyly. He made her want to skip all these awkward formalities society expected them to go through and just skip straight to being together. There was so much there between them; she could feel it with every word and every moment, so it felt strange that they were being so cautious around each other… 'taking it slow.' In a way, she liked this stage that they were in. It was all secrecy, discovery…new realms. Unchartered territory. It wasn't like before. They were allowed to feel things now. Take in all the things they worked tirelessly to un-notice about each other when they were with other people. She liked how she felt vulnerable around him, like she wanted him to protect her, to look after her. She felt nerves when he looked at her that she hadn't felt in a long time. Not since she was a teenager. But all at the same time, she wished they would just stop kidding themselves and cut to the chase; all the suspense was just delaying the inevitable. Or so she hoped. "I really did miss you, too," she said.

"Are you gonna be sticking around for a while? The premiere is coming up in what like a week?"

"Yeah, I can't believe it came round so quick! This is actually my last day in LA. I have work in the morning," she winced.

"Well, that sucks. I wish you could stay."

"I wish you could come with me," she said with a glint in her eye.

"If only it were that simple. I doubt your ex would appreciate that."

"Yeah... was actually a big part of why I didn't wanna be seen with you after him and I broke up." Blake began twisting her fork in her noodles, thinking about it all. How much everything had changed so quickly. Wondering if she should have done anything differently. "I didn't want him to think I cheated or that I broke up with him for you. It would break his heart," she lamented.

"Did you?"

"Did I what?

"Did you leave him for me?" Ryan hadn't intended for their lunchtime conversation to become so deep so quickly, but now that they were on the topic, he had to know. She'd been playing fairly coy since she'd been in LA, so he was trying to get as much information as possible on where he stood with her.

Blake simply nodded. Her expression was almost one of shame or regret. Ryan worried.

"What's wrong?"

"I just... I don't wanna hurt anyone."

"Do you regret it?"

"No... no, it's not like that at all. I just wish it could have all worked out differently. I wish it would have been easier. I made some really bad decisions and lost myself along the way."

"Leo?"

"Yeah," she breathed, looking away slightly.

"Hey... it all worked out fine."

"I'm not proud of how I got here." Blake had lost her appetite all of a sudden. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't dump this all on you." She laughed a little in an attempt to shake it off.

"No, come on. I wanna be able to talk about these things. I know it's early days with us, but I wanna have open communication. Get it off your chest."

"Because of the way I went about things, I put your feelings on the line, while I basically just used Leo." She began shaking her head, so ashamed of her recent actions. Although most girls have done the same, without the good intentions Blake did them with, she still felt horrible about it. It just wasn't her.

"Come on... you can't be so hard on yourself. I don't mean this in a bad way, but don't you think he was using you as well? He's not the serious relationship type."

"Yeah, you're probably right... but that's not me. I've never been with someone just for the sake of it."

"Well, my feelings are just fine now that you're here. And I completely understand why you did it," he assured her.

"Thanks... I know, this all probably sounds stupid. It shouldn't be such a big deal."

"No... not at all. It's not stupid, its... it says a lot about you, that you're so upset about this. You care, and you care about doing the right thing, and that's more than most people. You're special, Blake..."

A smile appeared on her face. A happier one this time. He'd done it again; she was seventeen again, blushing in front of the boy she liked. "I should come round more often for compliments," she joked. He laughed. He had a lifetime of compliments for her. He wished he could say more, but it was too soon.

"Well, you're welcome any time."


"Don't go. Blow off work," he said with the ethereal blonde in his arms. They were laying on the couch, half-heartedly watching a movie they'd both already seen when he managed to coax Blake into getting more comfortable with him.

"I wish I could. I wish we could stay here forever," she mused as she circled her finger around his chest.

"Fuck it. Who needs a job? Stay."

"Unfortunately, I happen to need my job," she said as she propped herself up slightly on her elbow.

"Well can you promise you'll actually keep in touch this time?"

"I'll have you wanting to change your number," she grinned.

"I highly doubt that. But, go ahead and try."

"Or you could come with me..." she raised an eyebrow, watching for his reaction. "You could stay at my place."

"Blake," he sighed, caressing the side of her face. "I would love to, but I gotta stay here and work."

"Who needs a job?"

"Ok," he laughed. "You're gonna come to realize that I talk a lot of shit, and you're gonna have to ignore most of it. Unfortunately, I also need my job."

"So, I guess I won't see you until the premiere," she said with a frown as she pulled herself up off the sofa.

"What about the day before?"

"I can't. My whole family is gonna be in town. All the kids too."

Ryan got up, straightening out his shirt which had gotten crumpled by Blake nestling up beside him.

"That's a good enough excuse," he smiled. "I'll let you off, Lively."

"Oh, thank you, so much," she mocked with a roll of her eyes. Ryan smirked at her. She had a sassy side which she did well to cover up most of the time, but he liked it and he would do his best to work it out of her. There was nothing more stimulating for him than a girl who could talk back. Not in a combative way like Scarlett did, but in a way that would keep him on his toes. He saw that in Blake, and it was only making him more intrigued.

Blake got her stuff together and headed for the door with Ryan trailing close behind, watching the way her body swayed.

"Thank you so much for everything, Ryan. The food was great. I'm sorry most of it went to waste!"

"Yeah, that was my bad," he laughed. "You want some for the road?"

"Oh, no, it's probably best I go easy on the takeout. I always end up eating so much when I'm home. My mom is out of control in the kitchen."

"Runs in the family then?"

"Ohhh yeah," she grinned. "Anyway, Ryan. I'll call you. Thank you for this afternoon...it's always fun with you," she said softly, with a shy, close-mouthed smile.

"Always my pleasure," he responded.

"I'll see you soon."

She gingerly held his side as she leaned in, pressing her lips against his, but before he could kiss her back, she broke away, leaving him hanging there for more as she disappeared off into the darkness and into her car.

Until next time.


It was June 15th, and Hollywood Boulevard was swarming with Green Lantern fanboys and Blake Lively fangirls, reporters and paparazzi. Everyone except the female lead herself. Ryan was already walking the red carpet, posing for photos and doing interviews. It didn't matter how many movies he did, the premieres always flustered him a little. The red carpet looked glamorous through the eye of the camera lens, but it was a whole other story from where he was standing. There was no innate wiring in a human which made him able to stand comfortably in front of hundreds of screaming people. That was where fight or flight was supposed to come into play. Nonetheless, he always managed to come off as cool, charming and dapper even if he was anxious inside.

He was midway through answering a question he'd been asked two dozen times already when he heard a roar to his right.

"Blake!" a herd of girls screamed as Blake stepped out of a black car in her sheer, white, flower-appliquéd Chanel couture dress, with her army in tow.

She really had brought her entire family.

"Boys, stay close. Come this way. Just smile," she instructed her three nephews, with protective arms draped over them, making sure they were okay during their first major exposure to her world. Everywhere she looked, she saw a family member. It definitely made the whole event that much more fun and it allowed her to feel at home as she walked the carpet in front of hundreds of strangers. She spent several minutes taking photos with her whole family, before breaking off and taking photos with different family members—her brother, Eric, holding her hand and guiding her along the whole way.

Blake spotted Ryan a little way off down the carpet, and they exchanged a quick, knowing smile. Ryan watched her for a moment, walking down the carpet. She looked like a bride, and it was all he could think about. Her messy, fishtail braid, falling all the way down her left side and her long, slender arm hanging down the other. He must have been thirty feet away, but he could still hear that laugh of hers and he was struggling to concentrate on his interviews. He kept looking over to her to get her attention before nodding his head for her to come and join him.

"Hey, E, I gotta go. I'll see you inside," she smiled as she let go of her brother's hand.

As Eric looked at her, he saw Ryan in the background and he saw the way he was looking at his sister, allowing him to finally piece it together. "You said the guy was 34, right?"

"What?" Blake was completely caught off guard and didn't immediately catch onto what he was alluding to.

"Ryan looks about 34 to me...don't you think?" he teased.

"Eric please," she looked up at him, trying her hardest to hide her distress. "Not here. Drop it." That was enough of a confirmation for Eric. He gave a hearty laugh to play up to the cameras, and Blake returned a wide smile before walking off, a little unnerved that her secret wasn't so secret anymore.

"Ryan!" she beamed excitedly, greeting him with a side hug and a kiss on the cheek. The paparazzi went wild, hollering at the pair, calling them in all different directions.

"You look beautiful," he whispered in her ear.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she offered back. Each time they leaned into each other, the roars of the crowds got louder and they laughed through it. They were having fun fueling the fire for a little while. They gave the cameras what they wanted, laughing and joking with each other, and keeping some kind of contact at all times. Sometimes at premieres, it was awkward to have to play up to the cameras with a co-star, but with Blake it wasn't forced. If the cameras weren't there, he would have wanted to have his arm around her anyway... he would have wanted much more than that.

So would she.

But for now, they would play down any rumors, and keep their fledgling relationship behind closed doors.

Nothing is perfect, but your imperfections equate. Your love is worth it, and for that, I will wait.


a/n: ahhh so in response to Haylee's request for a comic con flashback...yesss i wanted to write comic con so bad, but I ended up just skipping cause I know everyone wanted me to hurry up and get to the actual relationship. I might just do a quick flashback in it's own chapter, unless i figure out a way to incorporate it into the next chapter. Also, omg i have no idea how im gonna write the proposal yet but im so excited. A little way off yet.

Also, a lot of you probably wont care/wouldnt have noticed but im a perfectionist so it was annoying me... for anyone who's really up on their Blake knowledge, I know her and Leo didn't split up after Cannes, and they were supposedly still together long after the GL premiere...until like mid october I think, but, again, I just wanted to cut to the chase and start writing Blyan. anyway! let me know what you think and what you want next in the reviews! Ideas are very welcome!

and happy birthday Maria!