"Drink, Blair?" Nate asked, coming in behind her and placing his hand on her back and leading her further into the room.

"Vodka." She paused, "And three shot glasses."

"Blair," Nate said, his voice strained. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Yes," she replied with a curt head nod as she placed herself on the arm of the couch. She glanced down at Dan who was busy focusing on his own hands. Nate replied by getting up and returning with a bottle of vodka and three shot glasses. He set them down, one in front of Dan, one in front of Blair and then sat between the two of them, setting the last in front of him. "Oh no, Archibald, they are all for me."

"Seriously?" came the reply from both the males and she shook her head. She debated saying yes but it was probably a good idea for all of them, well mostly her and Dan, to be on the same page.

"Okay," she said, leaning over and lifting the shot glass. "Bottoms up." The three of them downed the clear liquid with all three of them making a face afterwards. "Pour another one."

"Blair," Nate said reluctantly as he looked to Dan. Dan shrugged in reply and Nate let out a slight puff of air before filling the glasses back up.

"One, two, three," she counted before leaning her head back and letting the alcohol burn her throat. "Delicious," she said, putting the glass down. "One more?"

"No," came the reply from both Dan and Nate.

Nate looked at her, "I think two is enough for the span of thirty seconds. And I think maybe I should go busy myself in a different room so the two of you," he looked from Blair to Dan and back again, "can work on whatever you need to work on."

"Stay," Blair commanded. "I think we should all have a nice evening as friends."

Dan, who had stayed genuinely quiet and stoic, snorted. "Yeah, I think that's going to work out really well for us. Maybe if you want to have a nice evening as friends, you should go back to hang out with Chuck and Natalie."

"Natasha," she corrected.

Dan nodded, "Right. I wasn't properly introduced to her, so-"

Nate stood, "Okay, enough. I'm going to go to the kitchen."

"Sit," Blair commanded again and Nate reluctantly sat back on the couch. "As I was saying, a nice evening with friends where we can all discuss our favorite things about each other. Nate, you go first."

Nate looked at her, helplessly raising his hands, "I don't want any part of this."

"You put yourself in the middle when you almost refused to let me in as I was standing in the rain, Nathaniel Archibald. There are two sides to every story and I think I should get to tell mine."

"Dan didn't tell me anything," Nate said, looking confused and turned his head to Dan. "He came here and said he had a rough evening and was wondering if I was free, which I was. Then you came in barging in, accusing me of cheating may I add, and then plopping yourself on the couch."

Blair looked at Dan, "You didn't tell him anything."

"I didn't think there was anything to tell," he said, raising his shoulders. "I just mentioned that we had a fight."

"You didn't mention how you broke up with me?"

"I broke up with you?" he sounded outraged. "If anyone broke up with anyone, it was you with me. You can't twist this, Blair."

"You said the words, 'Are we breaking up?' That is breaking up with me!" she protested, sliding from the arm of the couch to the cushion and leaning over past Nate. "What was I supposed to say to that?"

"You said you wanted to be alone," he countered. "And needing time. How is that not saying we are breaking up but not using those words."

Blair puffed out air, blowing her hair from her face, "I need another shot, Nate. Pour."

"Same," Dan said, leaning forward and grabbing his glass.

"I think you two should work out whatever this is without me," Nate protested before pouring vodka into each of their glasses, avoiding his own. "You can have my living room, just don't involve me."

Blair nodded before dismissing him with her hand, "Then go. But don't go far in case I need someone to pour my liquor."

"Pour your own, Blair," Nate said, laughing as he stood up. "I don't know what's going on here but don't make any stupid decisions." He was looking at Blair as he said the last statement and she pointed at herself and mouthed 'Me?' "Yes, you."

Blair looked offended before pressing herself into the cushions of the couch. "How rude," she said, "he's picking sides already."

"I think he's just giving you sage advice," Dan said, lifting up his shot glass. "Shall we?" he said, lightly tapping his to hers.

Blair took the shot and then turned towards him, "I went to your apartment."

"I was here," he replied.

"I can see," she said, leaning against the arm. "Dan, I'm no good at this."

"What part?"

"Every part," she admitted. "I don't want to blame this on Chuck because it's not really his fault but that was my last actual relationship. Can you imagine that? That being the last true memory I have of being in love and doing all these things. I don't know how to act anymore."

Dan nodded, "So you are possessed? Should I call a priest?"

"Dan," she said, leaning in to him and pressing her index finger against his chest. "Dan, I am scared of what this is."

"So am I," he said, turning to look at her.

Blair leaned into him so they were practically touching noses and stared into his eyes, "You could have fooled me. You seem so confident and nonchalant about everything. Like oh, hey Blair, I love you. Just like it's this easy thing to say. Or, hey Blair, here's a key."

"I wasn't confident about either of those things and may I say, you reacted very poorly to both of them so really my confidence is just getting lower and lower." He laughed slightly but Blair could tell that it was the kind of laugh that you do when you are trying to hide what you really feel. "I'm not confident in this, are you kidding me? I haven't felt this unsure of myself since high school."

"Me either," she admitted. "I just get so overwhelmed with everything when it happens. I don't know why I even do what I do half the time or say what I say. I don't really think this is moving too fast, it just came out. I'm scared of being hurt, of letting myself completely free fall."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Dan told her, placing his hands under her knees and slightly pulling her towards him. "It's natural to be scared, Blair, but I think that maybe you need to start facing things head on instead of completely running away from them. I can't take much more of it."

"I'm sorry," she said, looking at his hands which were now placed on her thighs. "I am. I don't want to break up."

"Neither do I," he told her, leaning in towards her. "I can take back the key, Blair. You don't have to take it."

"No," she told him. "I want it. I just react badly to surprises, I guess."

"Yeah, well remind me of that around your birthday."

"Nate, you can come back in now," Blair called, and was not surprised when the door handle to the living room immediately turned. "Were you listening?"

"Just making sure no one got hurt," Nate said, slightly clapping his hands together. "And that you didn't do anything stupid."


The vodka kicked in halfway back to Dan's apartment and both Dan and Blair were giddy as they walked back hand in hand. They kept stopping to kiss and Blair had felt bricks digging into her back on multiple occasions. She didn't even notice, well she at least didn't mind, the rain anymore. She tugged Dan along as they reached the bookstore and Blair dug out that key from her purse, taking a few moments to get it in the lock and then turning it.

"You're drunk," Dan laughed.

Blair shook her head, "No. You are."

Dan nodded, "That I am."

As they stumbled in to the storefront, Blair's choice of entrance over the street entrance to Dan's staircase, Blair pulled Dan towards her, her back against a shelf. "I don't know why you stick with me."

"Me either," he joked, letting his lips dance on her neck.

"Hey," Blair said. "It's only funny when I say it." She tugged at his shirt which was still wet and clinging to his body. "I love you, Dan." Blair tugged the shirt upwards, revealing his bare chest under it and wrapped her arms around her neck. "But mostly I love this bookstore."

"Mhm," he muttered as he worked to take Blair's shirt off. He was kissing down her chest and Blair's back was arched slightly against the books.

"We should go upstairs," she said between curt breaths. "And we can use my key."

"We should," he nodded, sliding his hands down her back and on her thighs. He lifted her up, pushing her against the shelf. "Or we don't have to?"

Blair nodded, "Too far." She held on to his neck as she started to work on his belt.

Although she certainly enjoyed the make up part of the break up, when she woke up the next day surrounded by shelves and wrapped up in Dan's limbs, she definitely didn't want to do the break up part again.