It becomes so obvious, even those on the sidelines begin to notice.
Ben has got good at picking up on the subtleties of body language in prison, where correctly reading the emotional atmosphere and shifting undercurrents was something you had to learn fast if you were to have any chance of staying alive long enough to get paroled.
His new aptitude at interpreting facial cues allows him to instantly pick up on Serena's desire, Rufus's sincerity, Damien's bile.
Ben himself, on the other hand, had learned to school his own features into an emotionless mask that carefully gave little away of the turmoil within.
Conversely, for all their practice at lying and deception, Blair and Dan's feelings tended to be openly and uncomplicatedly reflected in their faces. And Ben, in his handful of encounters with the pair at the loft, or at the events Serena drags him to, picks up on the subtle indicators of their attraction to each other.
Ben knows because - as good as he is at reading people nowadays – he has never been able to share the silent, almost telepathic communication that seems to go on between Blair and Dan in their shared glances.
He sees it in the way Dan's eyes stray to Blair's face whenever they are with a group of people, whether or not she's the one speaking.
He gets it from the way Blair watches Dan when he doesn't know it, looking at him as if he's some secret or problem she can't figure out.
He picks up on the fact that at parties Dan invariably appears at Blair's side at some point in the proceedings and wordlessly proffers a plate of food he has prepared for her.
He senses that the playful slaps, pinches and occasional kicks Blair bombards Dan with are just an excuse to touch him.
And it doesn't escape his attention that Dan always presses closer to Blair's side whenever another male comes on the scene. (Especially, a certain dark-hard deviant who was apparently Serena's step-brother, but who, unlike Dan – also her step-brother – she had assured Ben she had not dated.)
So when Serena explains the convoluted web of interpersonal relationships that exist in her little world, he is surprised that she makes no mention of a connection between Blair and Dan.
"So Blair and Dan have never dated?" he seeks to clarify, because he figures that as everyone's romantic histories seem so complicated, it is possible that the liaison could simply have slipped Serena's mind.
But she bursts out laughing. "Blair and Dan?" She questions incredulously, eyebrows raised. "They can't stand each other," she dismisses with a chuckle.
The next even Ben is reluctantly dragged to is a party in celebration of Chuck's new position in the Thorpe business empire. It is also evidently a chance for Chuck to reassure the stockholders in Bass Industries of the company's stability, by flaunting the extreme closeness of his professional and personal relationship with Raina Thorpe.
Ben sees Blair gazing wistfully at Chuck as he dances with Raina.
The pair moves together gracefully. But, according to Ben's adjudication of their body language, rather soullessly.
Dan comes up behind Blair. He tentatively taps her on the shoulder and holds out his hand. Blair responds with a warm smile – her genuine good humour a marked contrast to the brittle smirk on the face of the guest of honour – and she puts her hand in his. Then, without saying a word, Dan leads her onto the dance floor, holding her carefully, as if she were something infinitely precious. And Ben knows, that no matter what Serena says, they're a couple.
Raina realises it too. At the same party no less.
After Blair had effected Raina's reconciliation with Chuck, the two had established a policy of polite diplomacy towards the other. At events such as these they would acknowledge one another cordially, Raina would make an admiring comment about Blair's dress and Blair would respond with an approving remark about Raina's shoes, and then they would usually pass on. Apart from this they shared little contact as individuals, although they had been forced to interact as part of a group on several occasions. And during such encounters Raina has seen Blair and Dan interact.
But it doesn't really hit her until the celebration party.
It is not much really. Just a scrap of conversation, most of which really doesn't even mean anything to her, because she has no idea what they're talking about.
Blair, always the perfectly correct and polite party guest, comes up to swap a few words with Raina as the nominal hostess.
"Excellent turn-out," Blair purrs. "Another successful exhibition of Bass hedonism."
Raina is about to respond when Dan struggles through the crowd to appear at Blair's side.
He looks at Raina as if he's not really seeing her and mutters a quick 'hi' before turning to talk to Blair. As a beautiful heiress Raina is not accustomed to such disinterest from men. It makes her annoyed, but also just the tiniest bit intrigued about what could have drawn Dan so forcefully to Blair's side.
Unfortunately his opening remark does not enlighten her, as turning from Raina, he tells Blair cajolingly, "I promise to observe the two seat rule this time."
"It's not happening, Humphrey," Blair replies frustratedly. "I've told you before, it puts the 'ic' in 'esoteric'."
"I'll pay for the popcorn."
"You always pay for the popcorn. And besides, if memory serves me right, you still owe me ten over the antics of a certain distressing blonde bombshell."
Dan shakes his head. "No, I settled that bet by buying you the souvenir programme at the Manet exhibition."
Blair smiles patronizingly. "That was in settlement of our bet over the continuing disappointment caused to you by your beloved stepsister. But you still owe me for your scoffing at my dire predictions that your not-so-beloved sister was also bound to re-appear on the scene before long and also cause you continuing disappointment." Blair pauses and looks off at a point beyond Raina's shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there appears to be a girl from Hamilton House here who's wearing tights as pants. I swear, I'm going to have to institute daily wardrobe inspections before anyone goes outside."
Blair disappears into the crowd, and after mumbling incoherently about evil dictators for a few seconds, Dan follows her.
And it suddenly strikes Raina that the two of them always seem to be in the middle of a conversation.
They never simply say hello to each other when they pass each other at these events. Their opening lines to each other are always comments (often gibes) that indicate they are resuming an earlier conversation.
Blair and Dan seem to be involved in an endless dialogue together, in which everything else in their life merely acts as a brief interruption.
Despite their seeming differences, the two have a rapport that goes beyond repartee. Throughout their banter, they seem comfortable with each other.
Raina glances wistfully over at Chuck, engaged in conversation with one of the very blonde cocktail waitresses. In the beginning, she had high hopes for their relationship, as they seemed to have so much in common. But it was beginning to feel like she was waiting for them to arrive at a place they might never reach. In marked contrast to Blair and Dan, lately their exchanges had become stilted and awkward.
And Raina can't help wondering who it is that are the true couple.
Through wordless communication or endless conversation, it was thus becoming clear to even those on the outskirts that Blair and Dan are in sync the way only two people in love could ever be.