A/N: This marks the first chapter after Seth and Blair become open with their feelings for each other, after a 3-day hiatus. I've been busier than usual these days, hence the slow updates. Not a worry though, since a write with a plan (unlike GG writers), and have a good 50 more chapters planned already in the making. I definitely have a clear idea of where the story is headed. As for all of you who are worried about Bleth not ending up together, or being too fluffy and sweet all the time...don't! There'll be plenty of drama to keep everyone happy, and I promise that our Seth and Blair will be happy in the end, in one way or another. You'll just have to keep reading to see what happens! Again, appreciate all the reviews and comments, and would love to get more suggestions or ideas. It would also be great if some of you faithful readers could spread a good word about the fic so I can collect some more readers. :)

Lots of love and Happy International Women's Day! Go feminism!

"Pssst…Cohen! Here!"

Seth heard a voice hiss at him from around the corner. Before he could react, a hand reached out to grab him by the back of his collar, sending him toppling backwards and into the History classroom. Within seconds, he found himself smothered with kisses from his forehead, to the tip of his nose, to his ears, and finally his lips. He let out a loud moan.

"Shhh!" Blair commanded. She shoved him hard against the table, causing the globe to topple over. With Seth's back against the table, she continued to lean on top of him, not giving him a chance to protest – not that he wanted to, anyway. He did his best to match her rhythm, eating up each kiss hungrily and eagerly. He was just about to speak out and ask for air, when she suddenly tore away from him, wiping her mouth and straightening up her mane.

"B-Blair?" Seth asked in a questioning tone, getting up and brushing himself off. He winced as he realized how much his back was aching from its frequent impact with hard surfaces ever since him and Blair started seeing each other. He stretched, arching his back.

"Maybe we should do this somewhere more…private," Blair suggested playfully, approaching him again, like a sly feline trying to catch her prey. She had thought she heard someone coming, but the room was quiet again, allowing Blair to return to her frisky mood. She pressed her lips against his ear, and blew a hot breath of air, causing shivers to run down Seth's spine. She could feel him trembling, which gave thrilled her immensely.

"Uh…well, you know, we could always go to my place, maybe catch up on some video games, or maybe watch Lord of the Rings - " Seth started rambling again, unable to think straight with Blair so close to him. He could feel her warm body against his, and the closeness was almost too much for him to handle. Plus, she smelled nice – like a mixture of a honey and lavender. Vanilla, maybe? No, definitely lavender.

"I can think of many other activities we could do at home," Blair answered suggestively, causing Seth to gulp. He wasn't used to this sort of attention from a girl. Even when he was dating Summer, their time together consisted of an occasional sloppy kiss and watching episodes of The Valley. Suddenly, the bell rang, and Blair pulled herself away from Seth again, leaving him craving for more.

"Time for class," she declared, picking up her books from a nearby table. She waved her fingers at him, and smiled seductively. Seth felt like he needed an entire pitcher of ice water to calm himself down.

"Can I walk you?" he asked, rather timidly. He didn't want to separate from her – not even for a minute.

Blair looked a little uncomfortable, and hesitated. "Well, I wouldn't want to make you late for your English class," she replied, shoving him lightly towards the door. She nodded her head to the right. "You go that way, and I go this way. See you tonight, okay?" Blair gave him a soft peck on his left cheek before slipping through the tiny crack of the door, disappearing into the crowd.

Blair sighed. It wasn't that she wasn't happy with Seth – she was – in fact, she didn't remember being so happy with any guy, not with Nate, not with Luke, and well, definitely not when she was with Chuck. Since that fateful night of the performance of The Age of Innocence, Blair and Seth had been spending a lot more time together at each others' houses. In fact, Dorota was so accustomed to seeing Seth sneak out of Blair's bedroom late at night, that she ended up leaving a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for him to have as a late-night snack. Just like Santa Claus, Dorota had said. Blair smiled at the thought.

And it wasn't just the amount of time they had been spending together. The quality was good, as well. They discussed everything from movies to art to Radiohead. It seemed that even for two people who were from completely different worlds, they had managed to find some common ground to bind them together. Blair knew deep in her heart that Seth made her so very light and happy inside – even a little giddy. She found herself walking down the halls with a senseless grin plastered on her face at all times, and a little bounce in each step. She also found that she laughed a lot more at his silly, lame jokes which used to make her roll her eyes. She relished every moment they spent with each other, and it was refreshing to not be in a relationship that revolved around constant sex or tortured angst, as it had been with Chuck and Nate.

All this, of course, wasn't the problem. The problem was, even though literally the entire school had witnessed their passionate kiss on the night of the performance, Blair still wasn't sure whether she was ready yet to announce to the world that Blair Waldorf was now dating Seth Cohen. The word itself made Blair cringe. No offense against the guy or anything, but he wasn't exactly the most popular guy at Harbor – or popular at all, for that matter. It had taken a lot of time and sacrifice for Blair to work up to her position as Queen, and she wasn't sure whether she was ready to sacrifice all of that for a curly-haired boy with an unhealthy obsession with toy horses.

"I've brought you some macarons," a voice suddenly called out from behind her door.

Her heart skipped a beat as Seth walked in sheepishly, a delicate paper bag in his hands. She greeted him with a long hug and a peck on the lips, which eventually turned into a ten minute long make-out session. By the end of the ten minutes, it was Blair that was on her back with Seth on top, crushing the macarons to pieces. Seeing that the desserts had been utterly destroyed, Seth finally retreated and rolled onto his back beside her, leaving Blair gasping for air. Blair held on to his hand, and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"Hey, Blair? I was just thinking…you wanna maybe go out tonight instead? Catch a movie, eat out?" Seth suddenly suggested.

Blair sat up slowly, combing out her hair and thinking carefully about her reply. "What's wrong with staying in? There's so much more we could do right here," she said coyly, climbing on top of him again.

Seth grabbed her by her waist and flipped her over playfully, causing her to giggle. "We can't just spend our entire lives in this bedroom," he replied, wrapping a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked beautiful, as always, blinking up innocently at him.

"Of course we can," she replied, nibbling on his ear. Seth almost surrendered right that moment, but he reminded himself that he meant business. He gently took Blair by her shoulders and shifted her to his side, where she could no longer distract him with – well, herself.

"Blair, I want to take you out on a date. Just say yes, okay?" Seth had learned that the only kinds of conversations that worked with Blair were the ones where he was willing to be firm.

Blair raised an eyebrow at him, impressed in spite of herself. He was learning quickly. "Alright, fine," Blair sighed with a slight pout. "Give me a moment. I'll get dressed, and you can take me wherever you want, okay?" she said, getting up from the bed.

"I can stay here and help you pick out an outfit," Seth cajoled, sliding up to her.

"In your dreams," Blair narrowed her eyes at him and shoved him hard onto the bed. She ushered him out of the bedroom, but not before Seth sprung up and snatched Blair's Cabbage Patch Kids from her dresser.

"I'm taking her hostage," he said, waving the doll in front of her and shuffling outside.

Blair laughed as she pushed him outside, rolling her eyes. She shut the door behind him, and let out a heavy sigh. Now what? She scrambled inside her closet for the appropriate attire fit for social suicide.

After around twenty minutes, Blair finally walked out of her bedroom. Seth stared at her in shock, as he looked her over from head to toe. She had a scarf around her head, which covered both her hair and her mouth, and her eyes were shielded by a huge pair of Chanel sunglasses that were tinted pitch black, her dark brown eyes nowhere to be seen. The only patch of skin left on her face was her nose. The rest of her outfit was equally ridiculous and left her completely unrecognizable. She had on a full leather bodysuit, resembling Cat Woman – not a super hero that Seth was particularly fond of. He cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Uh, Blair, I think I said I wanted to take you to the movies, not rob a bank," he joked. He reached out to take off her sunglasses but she pulled back defensively.

"I happen to think this is the perfect attire for a casual evening out. So, are we going or what?" she asked lightly, walking ahead of him.

"Blair, people are going to think you're crazy. That, or that I'm crazy, for hanging out with a wanted suspect," he reasoned with her. But she was already heading down the stairs and towards the door.

"Are we going, or what? It's not too late to change your mind," she challenged him, her hand on the doorknob.

Seth finally gave in. He took her hand and pulled her away from the door gingerly. "Look, Blair. I know what you're trying to do. I know you're not ready to come out as a…couple or anything. I'm sorry I tried to push you, okay? Now can you please just let me see your face, already?" he reached out and snatched off her scarf, letting her hair fall loose.

Blair reached up to take off her sunglasses, folding them inwards. "So you don't mind that I want to keep this…us a secret?" she asked in a small voice, sitting down on top of the bench next to the door.

He sat down next to her and took her hands, placing it in his lap. "I'm upset that I can't parade you around and show you off to the world yet, but I understand. Let's take it slow, okay?" Seth raised his hand to brush her cheek lightly, bringing a smile to Blair's lips. She promised herself that she would fix this, no matter what it took. She was sure she could come up with a plan that would allow her to walk around Newport on Seth's arm, and be damn proud of it too. She just had to think.

After a fulfilling night of Dorota's signature lasagna and plenty of cuddling, Blair returned to school determined to put an end to the hiding. How could she come out to her minions and the rest of the snobs at Harbor about her and Seth's budding new romance? Surely she had nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, she was sure that if they just gave him a chance, they would be able to appreciate the Cohen charm as well. She was just repeating this in her head, trying hard to convince herself of this, when she walked past the English room, catching a glimpse of her awkward…friend. She hung back and watched him, stammering and stuttering as he spoke to the new English teacher about his essay. She rolled her eyes. It was going to be a tough job convincing the others that he had any bit of cool inside of him, and he really wasn't making the job easier with all his whining.

She was going to continue walking, until she noticed the teacher. Miss Collins was a fresh graduate, and all the boys at school were drooling over the hot new teacher. Blair wouldn't exactly call her hot, but she knew teenage boys and their hormones. She was just attractive enough to catch their attention, and created a buzz from the moment she walked through the door. Suddenly, Blair knew exactly what she had to do. She smiled in satisfaction at her own brilliance. By the end of the week, she was sure that she'd be able to march out with Seth in open daylight, and they would be able to go wherever they wanted to.

"Ryan, is there something on my nose?" Seth asked, looking left and right. He was trying to catch up to Ryan, who was speeding down the halls, minding his own business as usual.

"No Seth, for the hundredth time, you look fine," Ryan replied, impatient. It seemed that dating Blair Waldorf had spiked up Seth's neurotism index yet another notch. He was constantly worried that people were watching him, or talking about him, and Seth had mentioned several times that he wanted to respect Blair's decision of not going public – although it didn't seem like that to Ryan. Ryan did notice, however, that Seth seemed to be getting more attention than usual. It wasn't just about his kiss with Blair; that had happened almost two weeks ago, and the news eventually died down shortly after. The stares and the whispers intensified today, and even Ryan was starting to feel uncomfortable with all the looks being thrown in their direction.

"Do you think maybe, it's because they found out that Blair and I are dating?" Seth asked Ryan in a low voice, unable to stop moving his hands. "Because that wouldn't be cool, and I'm pretty sure she would kill me if she realized people found out." He ran his hand through his messy hair, exasperated.

"Are you sure you're cool with this? I mean, all these secrets and hiding – it's not really healthy in a relationship," Ryan pointed out.

"Ah, words of wisdom, my friend," Seth replied. "Although I do want to point out that in our case, it's completely healthy, and even a little sexy. Random hookups in the chemistry lab, stealing kisses in the boys' locker room. You have to be real stealthy to pull that off, you know," Seth exclaimed, wiggling his fingers at Ryan. Ryan kept silent, giving him a look that managed to capture perfectly everything he wanted to convey. Seth always wondered how he did that. "Okay, fine. So it's sub-optimal. But I'm getting used to it. And I'm giving her the time she needs to come out of her shell. She's just a little shy. She'll come around," Seth said, trying to convince himself.

"Blair Waldorf…shy?" Ryan asked, his face completely serious. Seth met his eyes and sighed. He really needed to talk to her again about this. Just as he turned around, he noticed another group of girls staring at him and whispering. He was accustomed to this type of treatment, once in a while. Usually they alternated between completely ignoring his existence and then spreading some sort of rumor about how Death Breath Seth had stepped on a skunk. Or something juvenile like that. This time though, it seemed that they were looking at him with an expression of…awe. A girl even winked at him suggestively, leaving Seth thoroughly confused.

"Did she just -" Seth turned to ask Ryan, finally allowing himself to look away.

"Yup."

Just when they were about to discuss further, Blair showed up out of nowhere and slapped Seth hard on the back. "Cohen," she snapped. "Just the Jew I wanted to see!"

"I thought you didn't want people at school to…know about us," Seth remarked, dropping his voice to a low whisper. To his surprise, Blair laughed.

"Oh, no worries, Seth. I'm starting to see the light," she exclaimed, clapping her hands together in glee. To his absolute distress, she seemed to be in an awfully cheery mood – too cheery. "Now, come with me. We've got to do something about…this," she said, gesturing to his hair. She pulled him by the wrist and dragged him into the boys' washroom, locking the door behind them.

"Blair, I don't think this is the way you wanna go if you want to be low key," Seth said sarcastically, raising his eyebrow slightly.

"Oh, shut up, Cohen," Blair retorted, grabbing a bottle of gel from her tote bag and handing it to Seth. "Now squeeze," she commanded.

"What?!"

"Squeeze. The hair gel. In your hands, and put it on your head. God, Cohen, have you never heard of hair gel?" Blair cried, exasperated.

"I have, but I have opted for sixteen full years of my life not to use it, for good reasons," Seth replied defiantly. No one was messing with his man locks. Not even Blair Waldorf.

"Yes, for the sole reason that you seem to prefer looking like a muppet," Blair remarked under her breath. She squirted the gel onto her own hands, and rubbed them together, preparing to do the job herself. "Here, allow me," she said, reaching out to tame his hair.

"No…no no NO!" Seth fought her off with all of his might, almost slipping on the wet floor. He finally managed to unlock the door, fumbling with panic, then stumbled out of the washroom. Blair hurried to wash her hands off before rushing out behind him.

"SETH COHEN! YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" she barked at him, her eyes burning with rage.

Seth immediately dashed towards Ryan, who happened to be nearby, talking to Marissa. "Christ help me, Ryan. That woman is insane," he said, cowering behind him. He pulled the both of them to one side, away from Blair's line of vision. Blair stomped towards them, looking left and right for a sign of Seth, then, giving up, walked away briskly. Seth finally relaxed and allowed himself to reappear. "Thank God."

"Hello, Seth. Having a fun-filled day, I suppose?" Marissa asked with amusement. She watched as he continued to glance nervously around him, drawing even more attention to himself.

"Could you perhaps enlighten me as to why I am getting all this sudden attention? These girls…they're looking at me like I'm a gigantic, walking chocolate bar," he said, shuddering at the thought. He dropped his voice back to a whisper. "Is it because they know about me and Blair? I mean, I knew she was popular, but I didn't think it would make the whole school suddenly want me," he commented, shaking his head in wonder. He caught yet another girl checking him out, and quickly looked away.

"You think it's because of Blair?" Marissa asked, laughing a little. She cleared her throat, realizing that both Ryan and Seth had no idea what was going on. "There's a rumor going around, but it's not about you and Blair. It's about you and…Miss Collins," she replied, her voice trailing off as she gave Ryan a look.

"Miss Collins?! The English teacher?" Seth cried out loud. He noticed the stares escalating, and dropped his voice back to an appropriate volume. "What do you mean? What are they saying?"

"Well apparently, word has it that you two had a fling in the summer before she started teaching here, and that you lost your virginity to her. And - " Marissa paused for a dramatic effect, "that she thought you were the best she had."

"Didn't you spend your entire summer with the DC heroes?" Ryan asked, glancing over at Seth suspiciously.

"World of Warcraft and anime. But that's besides the point. Where on earth did you hear this?" Seth asked, turning to Marissa.

Marissa shrugged. "The whole school's talking about it. Of course I know it's complete bullshit. But I guess the others thought it made some sense, considering you've been seen with both Summer and Blair, only two of the hottest girls at Harbor in a span of two short weeks," she replied. She was still a little angry at him for the way he treated Summer, regardless of how strong his feelings were for Blair.

Seth glanced at his feet. There could only be one person that would benefit from his dirty street cred. "I've gotta run. I'll talk to you at home, okay Ryan?" he said as he rushed down the halls.

When he finally found Blair, she was in the cafeteria, surrounded by her little minions. She literally shone in the sunlight, looking radiant as ever, as she spoke excitedly. "Well, I knew about it a long time ago. My cousin's friends with her, and she raved on and on about him. Why else do you think Summer went out with him back then? And why I made out with him that night? I was curious, so I wanted to experiment," she explained, while her minions looked thoroughly impressed. They bombarded her with questions, and Blair began patiently answering each one, filling in all the details with nothing but her imagination. If Seth weren't so angry with her, he would have praised her for her quick wit. But he was downright furious.

"Blair," he said in a voice, just loud enough to interrupt her storytelling.

"Cohen!" she exclaimed, in a voice that was a little too high-pitched. She rushed towards him, trying to usher him aside. But he wouldn't budge. "Why don't we go talk in a private place?" she threatened instead of requested, shoving him by his arm, but to no avail.

"We're not going anywhere until you explain to me what the hell is going on," Seth replied, suddenly feeling bold. He never imagined that he would have the guts to speak to Blair Waldorf that way, but he was tired of being manipulated by her. First the headscarf, then the hair gel, and now – this. He was beyond his limit.

"What do you mean?" Blair asked, her voice turning cold itself. Blair knew that she would sooner or later have to explain all of this to Seth, and that he wouldn't be pleased, but she also wasn't about to let him belittle her in front of her minions.

"You know exactly what I mean, Blair. All of this. All these rumors and gossip and scheming? Why couldn't you just come out and tell me that you were ashamed to be with me as I am?" Seth asked, hurt and disappointed.

Blair stayed exactly where she was, refusing to move. They stood a foot away from each other, eye-to-eye, as Blair raised her chin to meet his accusing glare. She swallowed, but refused to show any sign of her weakness. Her minions fell silent, watching the confrontation, as if ready to take out their camera phones and record the entire thing any minute now. A small crowd was gathering around the two of them as the other students also grew curious about the intense exchange.

"I don't understand why you're so upset, Seth. All the boys are dying to get close to Miss Collins. There's nothing to be ashamed of," Blair tried to sound as casual as possible without revealing any of the truth. She was hoping that Seth would catch the hint and finally back down, but he didn't.

"I'm upset because you lied, Blair," he said, point-blank. He turned around the face the other students and spoke directly to her minions. "I didn't sleep with Miss Collins. I don't even know her. The only time I ever spoke to her was this morning, when I was asking why I didn't get an A for my stupid essay." He turned back to face Blair, as the students widened their eyes in surprise and watched for Blair's reaction. "Blair, I am who I am. If you aren't ready to accept me for that, and to be upfront about it, then I guess it's just too bad. Honestly, I really like you, and these two weeks have been amazing when we're alone, but whenever we're at school, or out in public, you act like a nervous wreck and you can't relax, not even for a second. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be your puppet and lather gel all over my hair just to please you. That's not who I am."

"And this is who I am. I gossip and I scheme and I spread rumors. I'm paranoid and nervous and it matters to me what people think. If you wanted someone carefree and relaxed with a sunny disposition, you should have chosen my blonde friend the last time she came to visit!" Blair knew she was being unreasonable, but she just couldn't help but launch her warped logic into full force. She was embarrassed, and Seth had made her feel terribly guilty and ashamed of herself – all of which were her least favourite emotions. She turned to the crowd and yelled at them. "What are you all staring at? Don't you have anything better to do?" The students nearby hesitated, then scattered away like a swarm of bees. She turned back to Seth, only the two of them now, still standing a foot apart from each other.

"I don't want your friend Selena or whatever, Blair. It's not about her. It's about you and me. And you have to decide. This is who I am. I don't have one-night stands with teachers, and I don't spend my spare time douching it out with the boys. I want to be with you – everything you are – neurotic, bossy, demanding, violent as hell – but 100% you. Now you just have to decide whether you want to be with me, too."

Blair bit her lip and looked up at him. Seth was awfully attractive the way he was, and she had to admit there was something sexy about him when he tried to be serious. She finally eased up and rolled her eyes. "It's Serena, you dumbass," she replied. "And yes, I do want to be with you," she said earnestly, taking a step closer to him.

With that, Seth took it as an indication that she had made up her mind, and reached out to grab her by the waist, and kissed her. Blair responded eagerly, drawing closer to him, shutting out all the gasps of shock and surprise that surrounded them, and the sounds of camera phones snapping away as they took pictures of the two, fully engrossed in one another. It was the second time that they had done this at school with the entire student body watching. This time, however, Blair no longer cared what anyone thought. She had come to Newport to be free, and kissing Seth Cohen in the open cafeteria was the closest she had ever come in her entire life to feeling completely free. They stood there, kissing and holding onto each other while the others watched. The students at Harbor would later on refer to Seth as the boy who stood up to Blair Waldorf, and no one ever questioned again what Blair Waldorf was doing dating Seth Cohen. They were finally equals.