Dan opened the door for Serena, who was still moving as though she could hear the music from the club. Her head was bopping as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind pulled her hair up and turned around, "Unzip me?"

He reached out, tugging at the zipper of her sparkly dress and then turning around so she could undress and get into her pajamas. "Do you know what you guys are doing tomorrow?"

"No idea. Blair and Nate will probably spend the day having boring sex," she said. Dan could hear the sound of her dress dropping to the ground and her fumbling around her back for her other clothes. "You know you don't have to turn around, Dan," she sung out. "We've been there, done that."

Dan stayed where he was, his eyes firmly focused on the blank wall in front of him. "How is Copenhagen?"

"Amazing," she sighed. "I'm dressed, you can turn without losing your honor."

Slowly, he turned back around and faced Serena who was in a crop top hoodie and matching shorts. "Do you always plan your outfit to sleep in?"

"Only when sharing a room with cute boys," Serena winked, flipping her hair. "Oh cute," she said, clapping. "You have a sink in your room? You don't even need to leave to brush your teeth."

Dan nodded before opening up his wardrobe to find something to sleep in. "How do you guys do it?" he asked, pulling out a t-shirt and throwing his shirt into his laundry basket.

"Do what?" she asked, her mouth full of toothpaste.

Dan flailed his hands around him, "This. Date each other, break up with each other, be friends. Repeat. Since the two years I've met you all, I've seen Blair be with Nate and then Nate be with you and then back to Blair? And then back to you? And now you all are visiting each other in different countries and Blair and Nate are doing… whatever."

He watched as she dainty spit out her toothpaste. "We're young, the wounds that we leave are more like paper cuts and we choose to forget that we ever hurt each other," she answered. "I don't really have a good answer for you, Dan. We grew up together, we know each other too well and are too intertwined to ever be out of each other's lives for good- so we accept that what we do is fucked up and move on." Serena moved to the air mattress and settled on it, resting her head on the pillow. "I'm not tired yet," she complained. "Tell me what you've been up to since that dreaded New Years Party."

"A whole lot of nothing," he replied, moving to the sink to brush his own teeth. "Studying, mostly. Avoiding all the UES hot spots, which is easy to do when you recognize Brooklyn as the superior place to be in New York."

Serena watched him as he crossed the room to his bed, "Have you been working out? You look good."

"Serena," he said, his tone soft but firm.

"Can't blame a girl for trying to hit on you," she laughed. "I thought you might go for it, given that Nate is in Blair's room. I guess you're not as self destructive as I judged, which makes you a better person than I am."

"What did happen with you and Nate? You two were dating the last time I saw you." Dan turned on his side to look at her.

Serena closed her eyes, "What always happens. Nate thought he wanted me, we started to date and then he realized he just likes the chase. It's why Blair is so good at getting him. She knows how to be chased. She plays the game. I just want someone to say that they like me, let's be together. Why does it have to be so complicated?" Serena yawned, "I think your rejection has made me tired."

Dan flipped off the light on near his bed and shrouded them in darkness. "Goodnight, Serena."

"Goodnight, Dan."

"So," Blair said as her and Dan ran into each other on the way to the bathrooms the next morning. "You and Serena have fun last night?" her eyebrows wiggled at him.

"I'm not doing this," Dan replied.

"Doing what, Humphrey?"

"This," he said, motioning between them. "Swapping stories like we are that kind of friends."

"So there is a story," she said, clapping her hands together. "When Nate said he was inviting Serena, I got worried about who was going to entertain her. And look how perfect it worked out!"

Dan began to shake his head, but was interrupted by a bathroom door swinging open and Nate walking out. Nate was freshly showered, a towel wrapped around his pelvis and suddenly Dan didn't seem like he wanted to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

"It worked out perfectly," he nodded, catching the door before it closed and stepping into the room with a shower. If he was a gentleman, he would have let Blair go first but he was already picturing Blair and Nate and their late night activities and he needed to wash away that vision and quickly.

Once showered, he made his way back to his room where Serena was lounging on his bed, still in the clothes she slept in.

"Blair thinks we had sex," he said curtly.

Serena sat up, "Why does she think that?"

"She took something I said out of context and I decided not to correct her." He ran a hand over his chest, "I don't know, it was dumb. I'll correct it the next time I see her."

"Don't," Serena instructed. "Let her think whatever she wants."

Dan shook his head, droplets of water flying across the room from his wet hair. "I don't think that's a good idea, Serena. We're trying this whole honesty thing to be friends-"

Serena put her hand up, "Did you tell her we had sex? Did you say the words 'Serena and I fucked last night'?"

"No, but-"

"Then you aren't lying. Blair is the master at hidden truths and only saying what she wants you to know. We can play that game too, Dan." Serena bounced up, looking around the room, "Do you have a spare towel?"

He pointed to his wardrobe, "I really don't think this is a good idea."

Serena walked over to him, her finger tracing his arm and leaned in and kissed him. Her teeth grazed his lower lip as he opened his mouth slightly in response. She pulled away and winked, "See, now it's not a lie. We can say we made out and it is technically true." She stepped back, pulling her shirt over her head before Dan could turn away and pulled the towel around her. "And you've seen my boobs, so check that off the list, too."

"Why do you want Blair to think we hooked up?"

"I don't care if Blair thinks it," Serena replied as she walked to the door.

Dan pressed his hands against his face, rubbing his eyes, "Jesus Christ, this is about Nate fucking Archibald again, isn't it?"

He could hear Serena's laugh as she made her way to the bathroom. Dan sunk down on his bed, shaking his head in disbelief. How, after more than six months, had he found himself in almost the same position again- a girl using him for Nate? At least, he told himself, it was only the weekend.

"My man," Nate said, swinging his arm around Dan as Dan entered the kitchen where a party was just starting. "We were thinking you were going to bail on us, one night was too much of a good time."

The rest of the day had been uneventful, Blair had taken Nate and Serena into town to show them around and Dan had declined stating that he was working on a paper. While Blair tried to beg him, nodding not so subtly at Serena, he put his headphones in and typed random words into a word document until she went away.

Dan had used his Blair-free day to read a book while it was still warm enough to sit outside. Blair had texted him to state the plans for the night had changed, that they were going to stay in (until they decided to go out) and party in the kitchen. She had gathered up anyone who wanted to and Dan was expected to be there as soon as she said to be. So when he was texted (more like summoned) at 8 on the dot, he stayed in his room and watched an extra episode or three of a tv show he was into.

"Dan," Serena squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "Nate thought I tired you out last night and that you were bailing. I said, no way. Not my Dan."

"Your Dan?" Blair asked, a glass in her hand filled with what looked to be red wine.

Serena pressed her forehead onto his shoulder, "At least for the weekend. It was so great seeing you last night, it would have been a shame if you didn't join us tonight, too."

Dan patted her back, trying to find a way that this situation wasn't a complete fallacy. He knew in order for his friendship with Blair to work, they both had to be honest. Although, when he thought more on it, she hadn't told him about Nate. "How did you like Brighton?"

Nate chimed in, his eyes locked on Dan's hand on Serena's back, "It was great. Blair was a great tour guide." He wrapped his arm around Blair's waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing the top of her head.

Blair beamed, "I showed them the lanes and the Pavilion. You should see the pictures Serena and I got."

"I've gotten so many likes on them, B. Dan, we need a picture," Serena said, handing her phone off to Blair. "Get one of me and the boys." Serena moved so she was in the middle of Dan and Nate and Dan thinly smiled for the photo, watching as Blair's face barely managed to keep a smile on it while she played photographer. Serena wanted pictures of her and Dan and Nate in as many poses as possible, looking at the picture and then handing the phone back to Blair for another one, claiming they could do better.

"I'm done," Blair said, a tight smile on her face as she handed the phone back. "I need another drink. Humphrey, do you need one?"

"Sure," he said, excusing himself from Nate and Serena who were flipping through the pictures.

Blair brought them to her secret stash of expensive red wine that she tried to hide from the rest of the students. What Blair didn't know was that everyone had tried the wine and determined it was disgusting. If Blair heard about that, Dan was certain she would state it was because they didn't know what good wine was. She poured each of them a glass as she glared at Nate and Serena.

Dan watched her watch them, "Something wrong, Blair?"

"I'm never going to get out of a triangle, am I? Nate and Serena. You and Serena. Nate and Serena."

"Me and Serena?"

'Yes," she said, taking a sip of her wine. "Remember that funny moment when you were so desperately in love with me that you dated Serena?"

Dan scoffed, "I don't think I would classify what Serena and I did as dating… or that I was desperately in love with you."

"Oh, but you were, Humphrey," she said, turning her head to look at him and batted her eyelashes at him. "I remember it so clearly, the way you would look at me even when I was with Nate. How you saved me from that humiliating Halloween and you were there when Nate went on his sailing adventure. Did you block out everything from dating me? Was I that horrible?"

Dan noticed for the first time that night the slight slur in her words. "Blair, are you drunk?"

"We might have had a couple of glasses prior to coming here. I may have consumed a bottle to myself. Nothing more than I could handle. But you left me with the two of them all day. It was painful."

"Aren't you and Nate?" he asked, confused.

"Yes, but you add in Serena and it all gets messy." She took another sip from her glass. "And honestly, Nate is boring."

"What?" he was surprised.

Blair moved her hand as though it was talking, "Sailing, weed, more sailing, it's so much of the same."

"Blair, what are you saying?"

"I told you," she said, pressing her finger into his chest, "I was homesick. I reached out to Nate, we've flirted online a bit and he decided he wanted to come visit. Get the gang back together. I thought maybe there would still be a spark, and there is- physically. I mean, look at him," she said, using her hand to move Dan's head so he was looking at Nate and Serena who were ignoring everyone else in the room. "He's a true specimen. But spending actual hours with him? Yawn."

Dan moved his head so she wasn't touching it anymore. "Blair, I think maybe you have had too much wine."

"Do you still love me, Humphrey?" she asked, her voice low.

"Blair," he breathed out, turning to her. "I don't think this is the right time, if there is one, to have that kind of discussion."

Blair nodded, standing up straight. "So it's a no, got it." She pretended to check the air before losing her balance a little and bumping against Dan. "I'm going to go to bed. Add this to the long list of regrets I run through before sleeping."

"Do you need me to walk you there?"

"To my room?" Blair laughed. "Humphrey, it's right there."

"I know, but you're-"

"Can you tell them my room will be open? And to keep it down? I don't have my earplugs with me."

Dan let her leave before approaching Nate and Serena and then excusing himself to his room. He was in no mood to drink. It was around midnight when he heard the door open quietly. He turned on the light to see Serena creeping into the room. "Serena?"

"Sorry, was I loud?"

"I thought you and Nate were going to sleep in Blair's room?"

Serena huffed, "You think we're going to go hook up in Blair's room that she's sleeping in? Come on, we're messy but that's another level. Nate's on her floor and I thought you wouldn't mind if I just stayed on the air mattress again? If you do, I can go find a spot on Blair's floor."

Dan motioned to the air mattress that was still unraveled on his floor. "Suit yourself."

"Thanks," she said, not bothering to change out of her shirt but just slipped the jeans she had been wearing off as she climbed under the sheets of the air mattress. "Dan?"

His hand hesitated over turning off the light, "Yes?"

"Do you think Blair hates me?"

Dan turned off the light, "No, but I think you all need to figure out how to stop giving each other thousands of paper cuts and grow up a bit."

"Harsh," she replied, the sound of her moving around on the air mattress filling the silence between them. "Harsh but fair."