Serena was sitting next to the bed rubbing circles on the back of her brothers' hand. "Hey," Nate said and Serena whispered his name and was in his arms before he could say anything else. Nate looked over at Erik, the boy was asleep, he looked so much younger than he actually was. "He's ok S."
Nate tried to get her to stop crying by reassuring her that her brother was ok but she just held onto him tighter because she could've lost her brother, she could never lose Erik.
"Serena," Blair said as she and Chuck came into the room, Blair took Serena out of Nate's arms and held her. Chuck stood back with Nate watching the girls.
"Doctors say he'll be fine, he just needs to start using an inhaler now," Chuck informed them.
"I called my mom but I got her voicemail," Serena said once she calmed down a little, moving from Blair to Nate finding more comfort in his arms than that of her girl best friend. "I'm just waiting for him to wake up."
Nate squeezed her arms. "They're going to keep him here tonight," Chuck said taking Blair's hand in his. "You should probably go home and come back tomorrow."
"No," Serena said shaking her head. "I want to be here when he wakes up, I don't want him to be alone."
"We're going now, call us when he's home," Blair said touching Serena's shoulder. "Nate, are you coming with us?"
"I think I'll stay here for a little while," Nate told them looking down at Serena and Blair nodded, she looked back at Erik and left the room without saying anymore. "I'm going to go get coffee, I'll be back in a minute," Nate told Serena and she nodded going to back to sit next to her little brother.
Serena's phone rang and she answered it quickly, the number was blocked so she was hoping it was her mother, "Hello," she said listening for any sign that it was her mom.
"Hey Serena," Dan's voice came from the other end of the line and Serena's shoulders slumped and she sighed heavily. "Not the greeting I was looking for."
"Hey Dan, yeah I'm sorry, I was hoping this was my mom," Serena said getting up to leave the room so she wouldn't disturb Erik.
"Your mom? Is something wrong?" Serena explained to Dan the type of relationship they had with her mother, they were too old for nannies now but ever since Serena and Erik's father left, she was never a part of their lives, she showed up for events to pretend that she was mom of the year but other than that they never heard from her.
"Well, Erik's in hospital, he's had some kind of Asthma attack," Serena said as calmly as she could. "They're keeping him here for observation."
"Oh ok, well do you want me to come there?" Dan asked and she could picture him walking around scratching his head as he tried to come up with a plan to get to her. "Mom's trying to set up some family game night thing but I'm sure I can skip it."
"No, no it's ok," Serena said spotting Nate who walked into Erik's room and started to panic when he couldn't find her. Serena waved at him but he wasn't looking in her direction. "Nate, I'm here."
"Nate's there?" Dan asked in a jealous tone and Serena cringed, looking to Nate when he raised an eyebrow at her, she mouthed Dan and he handed her her coffee and stepped back into Erik's room. "Wow, no wonder you don't want me to come see you."
"Jeez Dan what do you want from me?" Serena asked, she was really tired and worried and she didn't need any of this. "He's my best friend, of course he came when I called."
"You called him instead of me Serena," Dan exploded into the phone and Serena took the phone away from her ear. "I'm your boyfriend you're supposed to call me."
"I get that, but I panicked and he was the first person I thought of," Serena said rubbing her forehead. In the background she heard a girl's voice that didn't sound like Jenny or Mrs. Humphrey asking if he was alright. "I thought you said this was an 'only family' thing."
"That was my friend Vanessa," Dan said, sounding a little embarrassed and Serena shook her head.
"You know what you really need to get of your high horse, I tell you everything when it comes to Nate and you didn't even mention to me that you had a friend named Vanessa," Serena said as softly as she could looking around to see if anyone was listening to her conversation. "So every time you were helping Jenny with an essay, I'm guessing you conveniently forgot to tell me that Vanessa was there helping as well."
"Serena you don't get to turn this around and blame it on me," Dan said and Serena scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"I do," she said forcefully. "I get to say anything I want because I never lied to you, ever, I have to go."
"Why? Is Nate calling?" Dan said in a mocking tone and Serena wished he was in front of her so she could slap him.
"No, because my brother just woke up," Serena said breathing heavily as she tried to calm herself down. "You know what, just go back to your family night with Vanessa and don't bother calling me ever again."
"Are… are you breaking up with me?" Dan asked and Serena nodded only realizing after a few seconds that he couldn't see her. "This is such a ridiculous thing to break up over."
"Even if it is, we're over," she said, she couldn't believe how shocked he sounded or how relieved she felt. "Goodbye Dan."
Serena shut her phone off and almost ran into the room to hug her brother. "I need to breathe," he said and Serena let go of him quickly and sat down on the bed, taking his hands in hers.
"You don't know how much you scared me," she told him squeezing his hands. "Why didn't you tell me something was wrong?"
"There wasn't anything wrong," he said. "I was just stressing for that huge test we have next week and the next thing I know I feel like I can't breathe and then you came in right after I fell of the chair."
"I'm so glad you're alright," Serena said, hugging him again but not tight enough to stop his breathing.
"When can I get out of here?" Erik asked looking from Nate to Serena.
"Tomorrow," Serena told him. 'They want to keep you for observation tonight."
"Ok, so I guess you guys have to go now then," Erik said and Nate nodded, Serena looked like she was going to burst into tears.
"I can stay," she said, she didn't want Erik to be alone especially not tonight.
"Go home, get some sleep, I'm going to do the same," Erik said and Serena didn't look convinced so Erik laughed at her and told her to leave.
"Ok, I'm going to tell the nurse to check on you and call me if anything is wrong," Serena said hugging her brother. "I love you."
"You'll take care of her?" Erik asked Nate as he stood up to follow his blond best friend.
"Don't worry, I never fail when I'm on Serena duty," Nate reassured and half teasing Erik with a smile and the younger boy nodded but still looked wary. "I'll stay with her tonight ok?"
"Ok, I think that makes me less stressed," Erik said and Nate laughed, Serena and Erik were always looking out for each other, they had to be their own parents growing up in a world with absentee parents, with Serena stepping in multiple time to play mom to Erik instead of just being his sister.
"We'll be back in the morning to get you," Nate said and walked out of the room. "Sweet dreams."
Erik sighed, maybe tonight his sister would finally tell him the truth about her feelings and maybe Nate will feel the same, he was almost positive Nate would feel the same but it was all up to them.
Nate found Serena harassing a nurse to get her to stay with Erik and keep an eye out for him. Flashing the nurse a charming smile he apologized on Serena's behalf and led the blond out of the hospital. "Where do you want to stay tonight S," Nate asked and she turned to him confused. "You didn't think I would leave you alone did you?"
"I thought you'd want to go back to your 'date'," she said rolling her eyes. "With Bree Buckly."
Nate almost laughed at the way she twisted Bree's name around. "Nah, I like you more," Nate said and Serena blushed. "We'll just go to your place, I don't want to wake my parents up."
"Ok," Serena said nodding, they were making their way up to her apartment when she asked, "So what did Bree do that was so 'sketchy'?"
"She was asking about Grandfather," Nate said frowning. "I'm assuming her main plan was to see how much information she could get out of me so they could screw my family over, family wars can be brutal."
"I told you I had a bad feeling about her," Serena said and Nate laughed. "What's so funny?"
"I was waiting for you to say that," he said and she shrugged and smiled at him. "You go change and I'll make hot chocolate."
"Thanks Natie," Serena said staring at him for a beat under the dim light of her living room before leaning in to kiss his cheek. She smiled at him and made her way upstairs to change.
Nate took the cups up to Serena's room once she was done, the apartment felt so empty without Erik in it, even though he didn't make a huge noise, she always knew he was there, moving around. Nate handed her a cup and sat on the bed with her, she put the TV on and found a channel with cartoons on, the old kind.
"I broke up with Dan tonight," Serena said so suddenly that Nate choked on his hot chocolate. "He was being … so difficult about things and I just snapped."
"What did he do?" Nate asked incredulously because they were perfectly normal at school the day before.
"He just took this whole relationship between us too far," she said turning to look into Nate's eyes. "He has no right to judge anyway because he has a friend … who's a girl, that he never even tell me about over for family night."
"Urm," Nate started trying to figure out what to say. "Serena…"
"Yes, yes I know, terrible reason for a breakup," she said and Nate shrugged, it wasn't actually he understood why she did it.
"No I get it," he said. "I'm just sorry I was part of the reason."
"It's not your fault, it's been over for a while and we were just fooling ourselves into thinking we could make it work," Serena said as she rested her head on his shoulder and Nate immediately tilted his head to touch hers. "We've been drifting for a while, fighting about everything that separates Brooklyn from the Upper East Side, I guess it was just time for that to be over."
Serena finished her hot chocolate and put the cup on the table, trying to cover up a yawn as she did so. "Are you tired?" Nate asked, he knew Serena was running on adrenaline and worry after everything that happened.
"Yes," Serena said rolling her eyes and getting under the covers.
"I'll sleep in Erik's room tonight," Nate said after a stretch of silence. "I don't think he'll mind."
"Nate we've slept in the same bed before," Serena said patting the space next to her for him to get in.
"Yeah but we were like ten the last time that happened," he said and Serena gave him her best sad face she could because as much as she could sleep alone, having Nate close to her was all that she needed to feel like everything would work out. "Ok just don't hog all the blanket, you always did that."
"I did not," Serena said pouting and trying to look anywhere but at Nate when he took off his shirt and pants.
"I remember because I suffered," Nate pointed out and Serena laughed, getting under the covers Nate turned to his side and switched the lights off before whispering goodnight to her.
"Nate," Serena asked after a while, she was laying there in silence, staring at the ceiling trying to find a way to let him know how she felt. She didn't want to scare him off or make it awkward but after her talk with Erik she felt like maybe she should take a chance. "Are you awake?"
"Hmm," Nate mumbled turning to face her. "You have terrible timing."
Serena laughed at his sleepy voice, she opened her mouth but stopped before she could say anything, the whole moment just felt so charged, they were in her bed it was dark and cozy and perfect and what she wants with Nate all the time but she doesn't know how to tell him that she wants this with him, that she wants them.
"Serena did you fall asleep," he asked chuckling to himself and Serena giggled in spite of herself. "What's on your mind?"
"Nate I love you," she said and Nate picked his head up to look at her, in the dark her could still see her eyes shining like blue orbs and he knew she was biting her lip waiting for his answer.
"I love you too," Nate said tucking her hair behind her ear.
Serena reached up and took his hand in hers keeping it on her cheek, she took a shaky breath and tried again. "No I don't mean I love you as my best friend," she said squeezing her eyes shut for a second before continuing. "I mean that, I'm in love with you and I'm pretty sure I have been for a very long time."
Serena held onto his hand and closed her eyes as she waited for a reaction, she heard Nate chuckle a little and then she felt his lips press onto hers, Serena's eye's flew open and she let go of his hand and pulled away even though all she wanted to do was kiss him. "I knew what you meant," he whispered running his fingers over her cheek.
"Wait you knew how I felt?" she asked and Nate nodded. Serena slapped his chest and glared at him in the darkness. "How could you not say anything you just let me believe that I was hiding this, how could you let me suffer like that?"
"Serena it wasn't like that," Nate said as Serena turned away from him. Nate put the light on and sat up on the bed so he could look at her. "Come on look at me S."
"No, why should I," she said blinking quickly because the light, as dim as it was, hurt her eyes, her cheeks were burning hot because how could he do this to her?
"I didn't know until a couple weeks ago," he said and she looked at him out of the corner of her eye and then she raised her brows asking him how he found out. "Chuck told me."
"What does he have to do with this?" Serena asked, Chuck was one of their best friends but he wasn't one for butting into any relationship, he'll do a take down any day but the only thing with feelings that he did was with Blair.
"Well Blair wanted us to be together no matter what by the end of the year," Nate said laughing because when Blair had an idea she didn't stop until it was a reality. "So Chuck came to me, he didn't want to spend his year trying to get us to 'see the light' so he just told me what he knew."
"Why am I always the last to know?" Serena asked sitting up as well, then she thought of something. "Why did you go out with Bree?"
"Well the cheerleaders had been coming to the courts for weeks, watching us and talking to us and Bree had taken an interest in me," Nate explained and Serena growled making Nate grin. "So Chuck thought we could use it to our advantage."
"That's why Blair dragged me to the courts?" Serena asked and Nate nodded. "I can't believe her."
"Oh no, she has no idea," Nate said and Serena raised an eyebrow. "She just thinks that Chuck planned it but she doesn't know how much of it he planned."
"So I'm not the only one left in the dark," Serena muttered and Nate smiled taking her hand in his. "And the Hamptons?"
"I wasn't sure if I believed Chuck and I needed to know how you'd react to you and me as a couple," he said pressing his lips to her hand. "After that weekend I was sure you at least liked me more than a friend."
"And then you used Bree to make me jealous," Serena said shaking her head. "I was so mad at you for abandoning me like that."
"We weren't sure if this jealousy thing would work, we knew your reaction to Bree made Dan angry and you didn't seem to care very much so I had to do what I could to make you jealous until that relationship was over," Nate said and Serena gasped how could they just pass of her relationships like she wouldn't be hurt when they ended, even though it felt over for so long that she really wasn't. "So after you two broke up I just had to wait for you to confess your feelings."
"You weren't going to date Bree anyway, were you?" Serena asked and Nate shook his head no. "You used her."
"She used me," Nate said shrugging. "She just wanted information from me so it was a mutual using, we just didn't know it yet."
"So why take her out on the date and not just act like you were going out," Serena asked.
"Chuck thought it would be best to make it authentic in case you or Blair decided to spy, the date was a complete fail in any case so not going near that again," Nate said and Serena groaned. "What's wrong?"
"I just realized how fast I admitted this to you," she said covering her face with her hands. "I'm not even single for four hours."
"Do you care?" Nate asked slyly and Serena slapped his chest again but lightly this time. "You don't care."
"I don't but this is going to make me look so bad," she said lying back down and turning her head into the pillow and Nate laughed.
"No, I think the upper east side will breathe a sigh of relief," Nate said and Serena peeked up at him. "According to Chuck everybody knew how we felt about each other but we thought we were hiding it pretty well."
"I can't believe this is happening," Serena said looking at Nate, they were lying face to face.
"Not the night you were expecting huh?" Nate asked and Serena shook her head.
"This has been an eventful night," Serena said covering her face again.
"Can I kiss you now?" Nate asked sheepishly and Serena giggled and nodded scooting closer to him so she could wrap her arms around his neck when they kissed.
A/n : OMG I am soooooo sorry I uploaded the wrong thing so I really didnt mean to do that thank you to GG for pointing that out, I was in such a rush to get this out to you guys that I forgot to read it lol sooooo sorry about that again I hope you enjoyed the real chapter now
You guys are amazing I love the comments, because I took long to add this chapter it's pretty long hehe the final chapter is next and I have an idea for a sequal so I'll get started on that as soon as my first exam is over, the final chap should be up soon I promise I wont make you wait an entire weekend lol
Thank you soooooooo much for the reviews please remember to review this chapter as well
So Erik is going to be fine, Nate and Serena have finally let each other know how they feel and we see Chuck's master plan hehe you just gotta love Chuck, I really enjoyed writing this chapter
Until next time (^^,)