A/N: I am so overwhelmed by the response to this story! Again, to all of the non-members, anon reviewers, and anyone else I couldn't thank via private message: thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I love hearing what you think of the chapters, so keep doing it! Enjoy this next one...
Sara. Oh Sara. Thanks as always. :) You put up with my millions of emails, so for that you should get a reward. And thanks to Marlie.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl.
"Wait...what?"
"I'm so glad to hear you listen to me Serena," Blair said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I told you this already."
"I thought you said he was spending a few days, not moving in! Where is he staying?"
Blair bit her tongue, afraid of Serena's reaction. "Your...room?"
"My room! B!" Relief washed over Blair when she heard her laughing.
"Well, his room now. And S, he's Nate's friend—you know how Nate gets when he needs a favor."
"Ugh, puppy dog eyes?"
Blair smiled knowingly. "Yes." She had been talking to Serena for the past hour in the living room, both girls finally catching up over the phone for longer than five minutes.
"Well as long as your okay with it, then I guess it's fine," Serena replied. It was silent for a moment. "Well..."
Blair furrowed her brow. "Well...what?"
"Is he hot?"
"Serena!" Blair shrieked, laughing into the phone. "Does it matter?"
Serena scoffed. "Of course it does! So...is he cute?"
Quickly, she replied, "No, Serena. I don't like him in that way." Blair cringed at herself; she sounded like an eleven year old in denial over her first crush.
"I didn't ask if you liked him," she clarified. "I asked if he was hot."
"You are impossible," Blair sighed, taking a sip of her wine.
"Come on B! I can tell you're not telling the truth."
Blair let out a breath. "Serena."
"Fine. I guess I'll just have to be the judge of that." Blair's jaw clenched at the thought of Serena meeting Dan. "Listen, B, I have to go. But I'm so excited to see you in two weeks!"
"Yeah, same," she replied semi-enthusiastically, her mind still thinking about Serena's visit.
As she hung up, Dan walked out of the elevator.
"Hey," he said, walking into the living room to sit opposite of her.
She smiled. "Hi. You're home late."
"Just one of those days at work," he shrugged.
"Did you eat? Dorota made this amazing salad tonight; there's some left over."
Dan shook his head. "No thanks. I ate at my desk." He pointed to her glass. "I'd love some wine though."
She smiled and got up. A minute later, she came back with the bottle and a glass, handing it to him.
He leaned back in his chair. "So. In an effort to get to know each other better, I was thinking we could play a little game."
"Oh?" Blair mused, taking a sip of wine, getting more comfortable in her seat.
"Yup. Twenty questions; you and me, right now." He unfolded the piece of paper from his pocket. "Two rules: you must be honest and no judging."
She gave a nervous laugh. "Okay."
"I printed the list of questions from some website, so who knows what's on it." Dan cleared his throat. "Question one. Any siblings?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Only child. You?"
"Younger sister named Jenny." He looked at the list again. "Do you...smoke?" He wasn't expecting this question.
She scoffed. "Of course not. Do you? Because if you do, you can pack your—"
He cut her off. "Relax, I don't smoke."
She looked down, slightly embarrassed. "Let's stick with the conventional questions, shall we?"
Dan laughed. "I told you, I don't know what's on this list. And besides, it's more fun this way."
She sighed. "Fine."
He smiled in defeat. "What was your favorite thing to do as a child?"
She cocked her head to the side in thought. "I really loved to ice skate in the winter. Not competitively, but for fun. What about you?"
He smiled. "My dad's in this band. Or...was. Anyway, I loved going to his concerts. Some days I would sit backstage and watch from the side. But other nights, I would sneak into the audience and watch from out there. I loved being part of the crowd of people. When people held up their lighters, I would hold up my thumb."
Blair swore she saw him blush.
He cleared his throat. "Favorite holiday?"
She sighed happily this time, leaning back in her chair. "Thanksgiving."
"Why Thanksgiving?" he asked, surprised by her answer.
"The coming together of family, the décor, the pumpkin pie." Blair smiled, her thoughts going to her father for a moment. "What's yours?"
"Christmas, of course," he said as if it were obvious.
She furrowed her brow. "That is so cliché. Everyone says Christmas."
Playfully defensive, he replied, "I have my reasons."
"And they are..."
"The music, the lights, the smell of pine trees, the horrible sweaters." Blair laughed. He continued, "It's the only time of year where you can walk down the street and say hi to a stranger, and they'll say hi back. And mean it. The cheer and merriment in New York at Christmas is completely contagious and makes me want to never live anywhere else."
Blair felt her heartbeat quicken, so completely captivated by his response, she considered switching her holiday to his.
"Favorite word?"
She thought for a moment. "Luscious."
"Luscious?"
She nodded. "Whenever I hear it, I just think of...red. Big, juicy strawberries; an incredible lipstick. The soles on my favorite Louboutins. It's such a warm word. And whenever I say it, I just feel sexier." Her honesty was surprising her tonight; it must be the wine.
Dan swallowed, thinking how ironic it was that luscious was her favorite word; because it was the exact word that described her.
His gaze was her lips when she asked, "And yours?"
He lifted his eyes. "Ruminate. To think; to ponder. I...ruminate often before I write." And for a writer, his answer wasn't nearly as descriptive as hers. But his mind was elsewhere.
"I like that word," she said, giving a genuine smile.
He smiled back and then looked down at the paper, clearing his mind. "Favorite sound?"
"Heels clicking off the marble floors at Barneys. You?"
"The choir of keyboards typing at work." And in a voice that sounded like a radio announcer, he added, "The sound of productivity." Her laughter echoed through the room; he drank in the sound.
"Okay, next one. If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three things would you need to survive besides food and water?"
"Hmm..." Blair pondered. "Breakfast at Tiffany's, a box of macarons, and Dorota." She sat back, satisfied with her answer.
He let out a laugh. "Okay, first, you totally cheated your way into five things, since you would need a TV and a baker as well. And...wait...Dorota?" He gave a disapproving look. "Really Waldorf?"
"Don't refer to me by my last name," she said, voice high and motherly. "And yes, Dorota would keep me company. I thought we said no judging."
He put his hands up. "I'm simple. I would need a pencil, a pen, and a notebook."
"That's so boring."
"Look who's judging now," he said accusingly, smirk on his face.
He next read, "If you had a billion dollars, what would you do with it?" Dan looked up at her and smirked. "Moving on, since you already have a billion dollars..."
She kicked his foot. "I do not," she said, laughing. "But if I did, I would give a lot to charity or open a house for girls who need guidance." Seeing his face at her revealing answer, she added, "And of course, I would buy some shoes and fabulous clothes. And a house in St. Barts. You?"
"I'd buy my apartment building back from the new owner," he joked, before hoping it didn't offend her. "No, I would probably pay off all my student loans and then walk down the street and hand $100 bills to people. I feel like that would be really fun." This she laughed at. "And then I would move somewhere completely new and just write. I wouldn't need to worry about anything: money, work, school. Just my writing."
"I like that idea better," Blair said quietly, before taking another long sip of wine. She couldn't tell if the warm feeling running through her was the alcohol getting to her, or Dan.
Dan looked at the list again. "Any tattoos?"
The look she gave him told him no. No she did not.
"Me neither," he said quickly. "So I'm guessing no weird piercings?" Again, the answer was clear by her face.
Laughing, he asked the next question. "Have you ever been cheated...on?" It was only then did he realize what he had asked.
And that did it. Just like that, Blair snapped right back to the place she was at before she met Dan. He watched as she physically and mentally withdrew from the game, backing away slightly in her chair. With a wobbly voice, she stood up and said, "You know what...it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow." She picked up her wine glass and went into the kitchen.
"Fuck," Dan muttered to himself, closing his eyes and dropping his head. Nate's voice rang through his mind. She just broke up with her boyfriend of three years...
Why didn't he read the damn questions before asking them?
He got up quietly and followed the path into the kitchen. The sight of Blair Waldorf wiping her eyes while washing dishes made him want to crawl in a hole. He knew an apology would probably make her feel worse, so he took a risk and broke the silence. "Question 21: Ever have a horrible, insensitive, jerk of a roommate?"
To his relief, she let out a watery laugh. She turned to him. "You're not horrible. You couldn't have known."
"So I'm just an insensitive jerk?" he teased, praying his attempt at humor would work again.
Laughing, she flicked water at him. "You're none of them."
He let out an audible sigh. "Good." It was silent for a moment before he added, "I should have looked at the questions before-hand."
Blair shook her head. "It's really okay. But to answer the question...yes. I don't want to talk about it, but yes. I've been cheated on."
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, and she gave a small smile in return.
Blair set the wine glass upside down to dry. "So what's the next question?"
"Are you sure you want to still play?"
She shrugged. "Why not."
"Okay. Next question is..." A smug grin spread across his face when he saw what it was. "Blair Waldorf...what turns you on?"
Her jaw dropped. "Maybe I don't want to play anymore," she said laughing.
"Last one?"
She relented. Crossing her arms and leaning back on the counter, she said the first thing that came to mind. "The expected answers: someone who can make me laugh, but also knows when to be serious. Someone who accepts me for exactly who I am and never makes me feel embarrassed or ashamed. And...someone. Someone who isn't afraid to have fun. But chocolate and presents also turn me on, as does a man who can sit with me on a bench, feed the ducks, and not complain once. And a man who can play an instrument can really turn me on." Blair smiled, content with her answer, before walking over to meet him in the kitchen doorway. She placed a hand on his arm. "This was fun; I'm glad we did it."
"Me too."
"See you in the morning," she said, before making the walk upstairs.
"Goodnight," Dan answered back, making a mental note to call his dad tomorrow.
He needed to borrow a guitar.
A/N: :) Like where it's going? Please review! I so love hearing your thoughts.