I have no idea what this is. Fluffy, super fluff, I'm sure. I hope you like it all the same. I think it'll be a oneshot. Please review, even if it's negative.
He followed close behind her, never letting her get quite out of sight. It was safe to say the party had ended, the storm thundered noisily outside, lightning occasionally lighting up the hall like the flash of a camera.
She had slipped inside her room, the door still open a crack when he reached it, and he cautiously slipped in after her. He closed the door firmly, locking it, before turning to face her. But she wasn't looking at him, instead he saw her back as she gazed listlessly out the window as the sudden summer storm drenched the city with much needed rain.
He took a moment to appreciate her backside and the way her white linen sundress clung to her curves. They hadn't made it inside before the rain really began to fall and they were both drenched. He watched the water snake down her arms from her hair and drip off her elbows into puddles on her floor. Her hair was matted to her skin and goose bumps had erupted on her arms. She still hadn't turned to face him and he wasn't sure how long to let the silence hang between them. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, she beat him to it.
"I really don't know what you want from me Humphrey," she said with more than a little irritation edging the words. "I'm still getting married."
For whatever reason her words confused him and he knitted his brow as he mulled them over. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off again by whipping around almost angrily, arms folded across her chest. "Why are you still here? Go away," she demanded, but the bite was gone. She almost sounded as if she was begging him to just leave, make things easier for her. Her eyes definitely betrayed her, tears threatened to fall.
If Dan were to say he was confused, that would have been an understatement. Upon his return from the Hamptons in early August, he had found an invitation to Blair and Louis' engagement party waiting in his stack of mail. He and Blair had carried on their film discourse via phone and email as planned during the summer, but she had been careful not to ever mention Louis. If Dan ever probed for information on the subject, she quickly changed topics, diverting to the weather or the film being watched. He assumed (hoped really) that everything was fine and she was just bored with nothing to do around the palace and that was the reason she was so faithful to their movie nights. An invitation was not unexpected, save that she had never mentioned she was throwing a party. It was not strange that he should be invited considering how close they had become over the last several months.
He had not had a chance to see Blair before the date of the party arrived. He did his best to follow proper etiquette, feigning support for this marriage that he really felt was doomed. He dressed nice, appropriate for the warm summer evening, brought a present and did his best to blend in. He watched Blair from across the party as she chatted with guests, no one that he recognized, her smile never reaching her eyes. In moments when she thought no one was looking, she looked overwhelmed, like she was struggling to just breathe, but these moments always passed quickly, the fake smile quickly plastered on to save face.
He probably watched her for two hours before she felt his eyes on her. She was having one of her "moments" when her head suddenly snapped up and she made eye contact with him. A mix of emotions played out on her face, recognition at first, then surprise, confusion, and lastly anger or maybe annoyance. She decidedly looked like she didn't have time to deal with him before the fake smile was back and she leaned into Louis to whisper in his ear. He nodded, with that stupid kind smile Dan was starting to hate, and Blair walked swiftly away from his side, the first time that evening, and into the stairwell leading away from her building's roof.
Dan had carefully stuck to the sides of the party all evening, shaking his head no at the cater waiters who tried to give him hors d'oeuvres, although he did order a drink or two. He knew he was not behaving properly, something Blair would surely chastise him for later, sulking by his self against the wall, refusing to talk to the others guests. Why had he come? He knew this would be painful. He put his glass down on a nearby table and followed Blair inside.
He found her in the bathroom between her room and Serena's, angrily primping herself in the mirror. When she saw his reflection, she turned toward him, annoyed and pulled him inside the small room, closing the door behind him. He studied her face for a moment, as she waited for him to say something, obviously irritated. She looked so pretty, even when she wanted to hurt him. "What are you doing here?" she finally snapped, lip involuntarily curling in a snarl.
He wanted so badly to close the distance between them, kiss her, hug her at least. Hell, he'd settle for a handshake at the moment, he's missed her so much. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, "First of all, hi. Nice to see you. And you invited me..," trailing off on the end as if it was obvious.
"I assure you I did not," she replied quickly, meaning it to sound harsher than it did. Realization of the situation had caused her to say it softly and a worried look to cross her features.
"What's wrong?" Dan asked, confused by her reaction.
"I did not invite you," she said brushing past him, opening the door and making her way back to the party. "Don't follow me," she threw over her shoulder before she made it out of her bedroom. Dan was left in confusion in the bathroom staring at the place where she was just a moment before. Stupefied, he made his way out of the bathroom and into her room. He looked at her large bed, neatly made, everything in its place.
As dirty as it sounded, it was a perfect metaphor for the Blair he knew. To everyone else she was this beautiful young woman, perfectly made up, everything in its place. His fondest memories, were when he got to know the real Blair, like the bed with sheets pulled down, perfect for curling up with his New Yorker to read while they planned their day. Imperfect and comfortable.
He rubbed the back of his neck, already dreading where he knew this situation was going. He was absolutely, incredibly infatuated with her. It was pretty obvious to him that she did not return the sentiment. He lazily made his way back towards to roof, the impending party that waited there. He would leave, just as soon as he congratulated Blair and Louis and put a rest to this.
The entire way up the stairway to the roof, Dan was constantly stepping to the side to let guests past. After the fourth or fifth time, he just stayed on the step watching the steady trickle of guests file past him. He was trying to decide if there was a fire or some other emergency, when another passerby brushed against him while speaking to another guest following close behind him. "I just don't feel that was very ladylike. Especially given her upbringing." Dan crinkled his features in confusion and looked toward the door warily. It wasn't like Blair to intentionally sabotage herself, but it was like her to unintentionally shoot herself in the foot. Dan summoned the courage and forcefully made his way up the stairs and through the doorway to the roof access, bumping several guests without so much as a "sorry."
The sight he was greeted with was nearly 180 degree change from what he had left. There was a storm brewing in the late evening sky and more than half of the guests had left. Louis and his mother were trying desperately to keep his sister and Blair apart as they screamed at each other. One of the pub tables intended for guests to use to set down their food and drinks had tipped over, spilling its contents on the concrete roof. The remnants of a brightly colored beverage were on Louis' sister's dress, giving Dan a pretty good indication of who started the fight. Blair was never one to back down quietly.
Dan watched with amusement (he couldn't help his self, leave it to Blair) as the girls continued to fight. Eventually, Louis forcibly moved Blair away from his sister and started talking to her in what Dan could only assume was a soothing tone, looking at her with that stupid kind face of his. Dan didn't know why Louis' kindness bothered him so much. Maybe it was because he seemed weak, always trying to please everyone. Stick up for Blair, fight for her if you really love her. Instead he was just trying to dissuade her from physically assaulting his sister. Louis' mother looked appalled, and was shaking her head in Blair's direction as Louis' sister played on her mother's sympathies, summoning tears Dan could bet weren't real.
Blair's expression had changed from one of destruction to blank with wide eyes as if the gravity of what she'd done were just now sinking in. Louis eventually left her side, planting a kiss on her temple and escorted his mother and sister past Dan and out of the building. Louis' sister threw a wicked look in Dan's direction and Dan was starting to understand what was going on here. All the other guests had left and the caterers were attempting to clean and collect tables as the storm threatened to spill at any moment. A wind had picked up and lightning was flashing in the distance. Blair sat alone in the chair she had occupied all night, head in her hands. Dan made his way to her, unsure of what was expected of him in this moment. What would a friend do?
She snapped her head up, much like she had done earlier in the evening and did not seemed thrilled to see him still here. She rolled her eyes and sighed simultaneously, looking to side, anywhere away from him. "I didn't invite you," she said suddenly, with all the bite she was lacking earlier. "And I don't want you here. Or near me, ever again. Just go." She didn't wait for his reply as she jumped from her chair and charged past him.
He caught her elbow, made her stop. "Let go of me," she demanded, voice dangerous.
"Blair, just talk to me for a minute. Please?" he asked, as kindly as he could. She looked defeated for a moment, then wrenched her arm from his grasp, but stayed put. "What?"
"What's going on?" Dan asked, the sincerity of his worry evident in his expression. Blair just narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong?" Dan continued.
"You!" she shouted, uncrossing her arms from in front of her and gesturing violently in his direction. "Your stupid book. Louis' sister read it and is convinced you're in love with me. She invited you in hopes you would make a scene. You didn't."
"But you did," Dan said. "I'm not the one overturning tables and spilling drinks on expensive dresses. That was all you."
"She was trying to convince Louis that you were in love with me. I did not purposefully overturn a table, I bumped it and it fell over and things escalated."
"I'd say," Dan replied softly, studying her face.
"It doesn't matter now anyway, because Louis understands the misunderstanding. He was particularly convinced when you showed up, but did not 'fight for me.'" Dan's eyes widen at the wording and darted to her face, then to the ground as if he were embarrassed. "He understands that we are just friends and your book is fiction." Here Blair paused and tried to read Dan's face but he refused to make eye contact with her. "It is fiction, right? Don't answer that. Of course it is. No one could say nice things about me. Especially you," she added with a wry chuckle.
Dan looked from the ground to her face with a shocked look. "Do you really think so little of yourself? Blair, I fully believe everything I wrote about you in my book. You are one of the most aggravating, beautiful, loyal, witty people I have ever met in my life. Don't ever think that no one could see your value."
Blair's features wrinkled in confusion, as her breath hitched and she softly shook her head in disbelief. "No, it's fiction. It's not about me," she said with a weak smile, trying to convince Dan and herself.
"I meant every word," Dan replied.
Blair's eyes widen slightly and she looked to the ground with an unfocused gaze. "Excuse me," she said as she made her way towards the door. Lightning flashed and thunder clapped, a few drops began to fall from the sky, slowly increasing in volume.
"Blair," Dan called out after her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, with a look of utter confusion on her face. The rain was increasing, but she glanced up to the sky as if this was the first time she'd noticed it. She turned back towards the building and quickly made her way inside.
Dan pushed a short amount of air out through his nostrils, a sigh of defeat, acknowledging that the situation could've gone much smoother or been avoided altogether if he had listened to her when she had told him to leave. With little other options, he followed her.
He now found himself alone with her, in her room both of them dripping wet, Blair trying not to cry and the last thing she had said to him still ringing in his ears. 'I really don't know what you want from me Humphrey. I'm still getting married. Why are you still here? Go away.' He finally found the courage to speak and said, "I promise to leave you alone, if you'll answer just one question."
"Yes, I love him," she blurted out.
"Not my question," he replied gently and took several steps to lessen the space between them. He took her cold, damp hand in his surprisingly warm ones. She looked at him in stunned silence, much like when he had caressed her shoulder before their first kiss, as if she was having difficulty comprehending what was happening. She nervously made eye contact.
"All those things I wrote about you, I meant them. I believe you are smart, beautiful, and determined. You are so strong and can be so soft at the same time, I…," he trailed off with a lack of sufficient words. "You amaze me Blair and I just, I want you to feel that you are all those things with whoever you decide to be with. Does Louis make you feel that way?"
Blair looked as if she could scarcely breathe, and looked to the ground, avoiding Dan's eyes. She gently tugged at her hand, trying to remove it from his grasp. He didn't release it and she looked into his eyes again. She studied his face and could only find honesty and urgency.
Using her free hand, she pulled his lips down to meet hers and kissed him urgently, one solid kiss before she pulled back to see his reaction. He released her other hand and wrapped one arm around her, pulling her close and cradling her face with the other. He kissed her sweetly and passionately, relishing in the feeling of release. He'd wanted to do this for the longest time.