I don't see why we have to go to tonight."
Blair sighs and rolls her eyes dramatically, even though he can't see her face from the en suite. She folds the tissue in her hands and presses it to her lips, blotting the colour.
When she turns into the bedroom, she finds him on the bed, tie in hand, pouting. She wants to kiss him.
"Because Nate asked. Because we said we would go. Because he's your best friend."
She moves to meet him and winds her arms around him. "Take your pick, Humphrey."
"I know. I know. It's just been such a long week." He nuzzles himself into her, searching his head to the spot between her breasts.
Blair frowns. "I know, pet. Why don't we make a deal?" His head tips up and he meets her eyes. A hint of humour creeping in.
"Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?" He waggles his eyebrows, his telltale, shit-eating grin breaking out.
"Stop." She snorts a laugh, despite herself. "I meant, we could stay for a little while and then maybe go out to dinner, or a movie?"
The pout has re-appeared. "You're telling me that we have a sitter for the first time in god knows how long, and you want me to look at you in that dress all night in public?"
She snatches the tie from his hands and starts working it around his collar. "If I'm not mistaken, it was staying in that got us into this particular predicament."
"I'm just that irresistible."
She rolls her eyes again, patting the knot with a satisfied nod.
"Get your coat, Humphrey."
...
"Thanks again for doing this for us on such short notice, E. I warn you, she's been so fussy lately." Blair runs an affectionate hand over her daughter's mess of dark curls.
Eric presses a wet kiss to the girl's red cheek as she squirms in his arms. "Don't worry, B. Hattie and I will be fine."
"Ugh. I hate it when you call her that. She's Harriet." The baby coos up at her mother's voice, stretching her arms out.
"Don't listen to her, E." Dan reaches to lift the baby into his arms, earning an appreciative, little giggle.
Eric steals her back with a huff. "You two get out of here. Say hi to everyone for me."
...
The room is packed full and Dan let's out an audible grown. As he shrugs of his coat, he leans forward and presses his lips to the corner of her ear.
"Soooo, do you wanna to get out of here?"
Blair laughs and tugs him forward. She spots Serena glittering across the room and drags them into the crowd.
...
"Why don't we go to Film Forum? The Passionate Thief is playing tonight."
They step into the night and she shivers, the glow of all the champagne dimming in the cold.
"Ugh. And schlep all the way downtown?"
He wraps his arms around her waist, nuzzling his nose into her neck.
"Waldorf. Come on. When was the last time we were in an actually movie theatre? With adults?"
The wind whips her hair into a craze, catching in her sticky gloss.
"Fine, but I want cotton candy."
He laughs, turning her in his arms. "I can make that happen."
...
"Isn't it a little odd?"
Blair pops a chunk of candy into her mouth, feeling it melt into nothing. He shuffles behind her into the aisle, a bag of popcorn balanced in each arm. "Isn't what odd?"
"Well, there is no one else here." She scans the empty theatre again.
Dan shrugs dismissively, plopping into his seat and shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
"It's Thursday night. I would just expect more people."
"Shhh. It's starting."
...
Blair laughs, lost in the movie. She forgets all about her sore feet, her fussy baby and the empty seats around her.
She doesn't notice Dan shifting next to her. Eyes darting to the back of the theatre. Toes tapping nervously on the tacky floor.
She doesn't notice until the movie sputters to a stop, leaving them in complete darkness.
She turns to him, "I wonder what's going on?"
She sees him then, looking at her in the dark. His shy smile. Hand gripping the small box so tightly his knuckles have turned white.
She lets out a small gasp, involuntarily reaching to the pearls twined around her neck.
The screen flickers back on and she turns back in surprise. Black screen. All white letters.
Voglio passare il resto della mia vita con te.
Her Italian is bad. She can only make out a few words, but it doesn't matter. When she turns back to him, his eyes are brimming with tears. A thin gold band with a single iridescent pearl between his fingers.
"What do you say, Waldorf?"
She feels her smile warm her whole body and leans forward to press a hard kiss to his mouth. When she pulls away her own tears are starting to fall.
"Italian, really? Could you be more pretentious?"
He leans his forehead onto hers and traces a finger over her cheek. "So. Mean."
She laughs, and pulls him forward into sloppy kiss.
She thinks of all of their years, the squirming baby, sleeping somewhere across town.
"You already know the answer."