A/N: This may seem like an uneventful and a non-Bleth focused chapter, but in fact, it will have a lot of bearing on their future, and for Blair's character development. Please be patient - more goodies will come soon! I'm also struggling with the fact that Seth and Blair have missed Thanksgiving, Chrismukkah, AND Valentine's based on the current timeline. Will try to work my way around it, though. As usual, it would be great if you could give me some reviews! Thanks for all my usual supporters and fans - I'm writing this for you!
"Coming!"
Seth approached the door in his PJs, barely awake. He had spent the entire day catching up on his sleep after spending the night at Blair's again, on yet another movie marathon. Seemed that her idea of spring break was simply to educate Seth on all things Audrey, and Seth was pretty sure he could memorize the first fifteen minutes of Breakfast at Tiffany's by now. He swung open the door to find Blair, looking as fresh as ever in a Columbian blue dress, with a bag of bagels in her hand. Close behind her was Serena, who was sporting a bright yellow tank top and very short shorts.
"May we come in?" Blair asked cheerfully, marching in before Seth could even answer. He stepped out of the way and opened his arm to give a welcoming gesture, reluctant to open his mouth since he hadn't even had time to brush his teeth yet. Blair didn't seem to mind though, considering she walked straight into his arms and planted a big smooch directly on his lips. Serena looked away uncomfortably as they relished in the moment, distracting herself with the interiors of the Cohen house. Just then, Ryan appeared down the hallway, peering curiously at them.
"Seth? Blair?" Ryan paused when his eyes reached Serena, whom he remembered from Blair's debut party. "Hey…what's up?"
Serena looked into his clear blue eyes, and blushed slightly. She didn't recognize the stranger, but he was awfully attractive. She gave him a small smile, and looked back at Blair for an introduction. Blair had turned around in time to catch their greeting, and already the wheels in her head were fast at work.
"Ryan!" Blair called out at him emphatically, sounding a little too friendly. "How good to catch you here! I was just telling my friend Serena here, what a great guy you are!" she exclaimed, giving Serena a meaningful look.
Serena stuck out her hand for Ryan to shake, and the two of them lingered for just a moment longer than necessary before pulling away. Blair nudged Seth in the ribs, but Seth was a tad too sleepy to notice what was going on.
"Soooo, I say that we should all head out today and enjoy the nice weather, don't you? Ryan, you don't look like you have any plans. Care to join us?" Blair flashed Ryan her most dazzling smile, and batted her eyelashes at him. Seth threw her a strange look, curious as to what his girlfriend was up to this time.
Ryan looked slightly uneasy, sensing from Blair's ultra-friendliness that something was up. "Nah, you guys go ahead. I think I'm gonna catch up on some studying during the break. Have fun, though!" he waved at them before retreating back to his pool house.
"Seth!" Blair slapped him hard on the arm as soon as Ryan was out of earshot. She glanced over at Serena, then shoved Seth to the side, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Get with the program!"
"What program? What's with you?" Seth asked, looking over at her.
"Can't you tell what's going on? Love at first sight! Happening right before our eyes! React, Cohen!" Blair shot back at him, hands on her hips.
"You mean those two? Ryan and blondie over there? Uh Blair, you do realize Ryan has a girlfriend right? May I remind you of another tall, skinny blonde named Marissa who also happens to be your friend?" Seth informed her slowly, waiting for Blair to concede.
But Blair was adamant. "I know Ryan has Marissa – for now. But I thought you said they're not really stable anyway. Weren't you the one who told me that Marissa's a walking pile of baggage? Don't you want something better for your friend?"
Seth looked at Blair suspiciously. "And I thought you told me that your friend Serena was just as bad. What makes you think things will be better for Ryan if he gets with her?"
Blair bit her lip. Seth had a point this time. But she wasn't about to give up – at least not without a good fight. "Serena is a work in progress. Plus, wouldn't it be great if Serena could find her true love here, and stay in Newport too? Then we'd both have our best friends, and we can be together all the time! All four of us!" Blair squealed in excitement.
Seth sighed in defeat. He knew how much Serena meant to Blair, and that she would be much happier if she had her best friend with her in Newport. But more so, he knew his girlfriend well enough to know that she wasn't likely to give up until she had her way – regardless of what Seth may say or think. He gave her a big kiss on her forehead, and walked off to talk to Ryan. This was going to take a whole lot of bribing.
Meanwhile, Blair returned to Serena's side, who had now made herself at home in the Cohens' open kitchen. "So S…I saw the way you looked at Ryan. Looks like someone's got a wandering eye," she teased her friend.
Serena laughed to cover her embarrassment. "Blair! It's not like that. I mean, I was just caught off-guard. I didn't expect to be seeing anyone else here," she replied casually.
Blair rolled her eyes. "Please, you don't have to explain to me. My eyes would be roaming too, if I were dating that muppet boyfriend of yours."
"Don't make fun of Dan," Serena protested, turning to face Blair. She paused, drumming her fingers on the kitchen counter. "It's just that…things haven't really been going that well for us lately," she confessed.
"Oh? Trouble in paradise?" Blair remarked with a smirk. Seemed like things might work according to her plan after all. She was just about to continue when she saw Seth reappearing with Ryan behind him. Ryan gave his trademark "cool" wave at the two girls, while Seth signaled upstairs to indicate that he needed to get dressed. Blair took that as her cue, and followed Seth, running up the stairs behind him and leaving Serena and Ryan alone in the kitchen.
"Don't you think they're so cute?" Blair exclaimed eagerly, clapping her hands together as soon as they were in Seth's room.
"I don't know, Blair," Seth replied doubtfully, "I practically had to drag Ryan out of the pool house to get him to agree to this. Just to let you know, he knows exactly what you're up to, and he's not liking it one bit."
Blair waved her hand carelessly. "Oh, he'll come around. No one can resist the great Serena van der Woodsen for long."
Seth took a step towards her, grabbing her by her waist and drawing her near. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I can," he breathed into her ear.
Blair turned her head to meet his eyes, and the two of them took a moment to continue where they had left off. "Let me help you get dressed – or undressed," she purred at him, pulling the knot of his robe loose. Seth's robe fell onto the floor, revealing his t-shirt and boxers. Underneath the soft fabric, Blair could feel Seth's body stiffen against hers. She moaned softly in response. The two of them had come so close to letting it go in the past couple of days, with all the nights spent together watching romantic movies, but each time, something had interrupted them to keep it from happening.
"Seth," Blair gasped, breathing heavily, "maybe we can just tell them to wait a little longer." She was tugging away at his shirt, throwing it above his head.
Seth had forgotten all about his morning breath, and was trying hard to concentrate with Blair's hands and lips gliding over his body. He knew he had to say something before things got out of control. He took a giant leap backwards, falling into his bed. Just as Blair was about to retaliate by climbing on top of him, Seth held out his hand in protest.
"Wait, Blair," he called out as Blair started to unzip her dress. She stopped dead in her tracks.
"What?"
Seth sped up suddenly and approached Blair from behind, zipping her dress back up for her. "Not now, okay? Let's not keep them waiting," he answered, giving her a soft peck on her nose.
Blair's face fell in disappointment, her forehead touching his lips. Every bit of her body ached with anticipation, and she felt as if she was going to explode with her need for Seth. She had felt this urge before, during her time with Nate and amidst all the sex games she had played with Chuck, but this time was different – she wanted to give all of herself to Seth to show him just how deeply she cared for him. But she knew he was right, and that Serena and Ryan were probably experiencing some majorly awkward times while the two of them were hidden away in Seth's room.
"Okay," Blair finally replied with a pout. She walked over to Seth's closet and threw him a shirt. "Now put it on before I change my mind."
Seth gave her a sly smile and pulled the shirt over his head. He couldn't help but feel smug at the kind of effect he was having on Blair Waldorf. "Don't worry, you'll get it someday," he promised her, touching her hair lightly. His touch brought shivers down Blair's spine, as usual. After another good ten minutes of intense spit-swapping, Blair and Seth made their way down the stairs at last, catching Serena and Ryan making small talk.
"Seth!" Ryan called out, looking immensely relieved. Blair understood perfectly how he felt – neither Serena nor Ryan were much of a conversationalist, which was what made Blair see them as the perfect pair in the first place. Ryan could brood while Serena could mumble, and the both of them could take turns pretending to be righteous – it would be epic. Blair smiled in satisfaction and headed out the door, leading the way.
Ten minutes later, they were arriving at the Crab Shack to get some lunch. Granted, it was nothing like the lobster rolls that Blair and Serena were used to having at Luke's Lobster on the UES, but this wasn't so bad. The four of them packed into a cozy booth and ordered their food before Blair sprung into action.
"So Seth," Blair cooed sweetly, "why don't you tell Serena all about your wonderful adopted brother, Ryan?" She blinked hard at him.
Seth took the hint and turned to Serena. "Well, Serena. Ryan here is accomplished in many different areas. He has singlehandedly turned wifebeaters into a fashion item in Newport, and he specializes in punching people. Intrigued yet?"
Blair shot a death glare at Seth, while Serena gave the two of them a strange look. Ryan widened his eyes, as if expecting no better from Seth. He glanced down at the table, while Serena drew in a sharp breath. She was ready to kill Blair, right then and there. "What exactly did you want us to talk about, Blair?" she asked her in a frosty tone.
"Oh?" Blair responded in feigned innocence. "I thought it'd be nice for four friends to just get together and get to know each other. After all, now that Cohen and I are together, it's just common decency to introduce his family to my best friend." She blinked rapidly at her. "Besides, I'm sure you two will have tons to bond over. Maybe you two can recount to each other all the run-ins you've had with the police?"
"Uh Blair, I don't think that's appropriate," Seth said slowly, trying to phrase his words delicately.
"What? I'm sure Ryan doesn't mind. Right, Ryan? No judgement here, I promise," Blair reassured him, touching his arm lightly.
Ryan sighed heavily and gritted his teeth. He was doing this for Seth. He turned to Serena. "So, you had a rough past too, I'm guessing?"
Serena looked a little uneasy. "Well, not anything major. Just associated myself with the wrong kind of people for a little while."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Ryan nodded along. Their eyes met briefly in understanding, before Serena turned away again.
"Excellent!" Blair chirped, squeezing Seth's arm tightly. She loved it when things went according to plan. Just as she was about to point out Serena's affinity for bad boys, Blair saw two familiar figures walking through the door. Her heart dropped. It was Summer Roberts and Marissa Cooper – heading straight towards their table.
Marissa seemed to perform a full-body scan on Serena, the moment she saw her sitting together with Ryan. Her expression was one of surprise, of confusion, and most of all, of hurt. She refused to look away from the two of them as she stood in the middle of the restaurant. The waiter that had attempted to seat them eventually gave up when he realized that she had more important business to take care.
Everyone stopped breathing as they waited for either Ryan or Marissa to make the next move. Being his brilliant self, Ryan stayed exactly where he was, completely silent. Blair could do nothing but look away guiltily, and even Seth seemed at a loss for words, which was awfully rare for him. It was actually Serena who spoke first, figuring out quickly by the way things looked that she was no longer welcome here.
"Blair, could you come to the washroom with me? I forgot to go, back at Seth's house," she proceeded to glide out of the booth, but Marissa stepped up to them, stopping them from moving any further.
"No, don't go. You can all be here for what I have to say," Marissa told them with authority, making Serena, and even Blair, shrink back into their seats. She turned slowly to Ryan.
"Ryan, I don't need you to explain to me what this is. I know things haven't been going too well between the two of us lately. And I – I had hoped that we would work our way through it, but I guess I should have been more clear about the way I felt – feel." She took a deep breath and looked right into his eyes, as if no one else existed in the entire restaurant. "I know life with me isn't easy. I've got tons of drama and I've let you walk right into it the moment you came to Newport. First it was Luke, then my mom, then my alcohol issues…but I don't want to let you go, Ryan. I'm willing to fight for us, and to do anything and everything to make it work. Please Ryan, choose me. I need you. You mean everything to me, and I'm hoping that you still feel the same way about me, too." Marissa finally stopped at the end of her big speech, which was followed by another deafening silence. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Seth began clapping. He did so for a few seconds, then, when he realized no one else had joined in, finally stopped.
Ryan rose immediately from his seat after the sound of Seth's clapping ceased, and swept Marissa up in his arms to give her a long kiss. They paused to look at each other, then continued kissing until everyone in the restaurant started clapping. Blair stood up boldly as the kiss drew to an end, bracing herself for what was next.
"I'm sorry, Marissa. This was all my idea, forcing Ryan to come even though he didn't want to at first. I will admit that I was a little out of line. Please accept my apology," Blair said, her voice somewhat strained.
Marissa turned to her. "It's okay, Blair. I actually have to thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have realized how much Ryan means to me, and how much I love him." She turned to give Ryan a warm smile, looking lost in his eyes.
To Blair's relief, the tension was broken by the waiter, who had brought finally brought over their food. The four of them made room for both Summer and Marissa, and they all chatted over lunch like close friends. By the time they were done, it was already late in the afternoon, and Seth and Ryan had to head home to help prepare dinner. Serena and Blair stayed behind to take a walk along the pier.
"You know, I keep thinking about what Marissa said back there," Blair remarked, lost in thought. "She just stood there, so sure of herself, and so fearless. I don't think I could ever do what she did."
"You mean, what she said to Ryan? About how much she loves him?" Serena asked.
Blair looked out into the waters. "Yeah, that," she replied softly. She looked up suddenly, then laughed hollowly. "I mean, is she out of her mind? She's lucky he didn't turn her down in front of all those people."
Serena shrugged. "Sometimes, you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable, even when you're scared."
"You know, you sound just like Dan. He told me to take risks, that I need to let go of my pride," she said, rolling her eyes.
"And he's right, B. You've built all these walls around you to keep yourself protected. Maybe it's time that you let someone in so they can help tear them down," she told her gently.
"But Seth? You think he's the one? That scrawny little brat?" Blair half-joked, her eyes full of hope nonetheless.
"Who knows? No one does for sure. But I think you'll know, when you're ready. That day will come, B, when you find a love that completes you and heals you."
"When I'm ready," Blair echoed, keeping the words close to her heart. They stood there, side by side, staring at the calm, blue sea. She wished desperately that Seth could be the one, that she would finally be able to let go and allow herself to be free – free to be loved, and also, to be hurt. Free, so that she would no longer feel as if she had to work in order to win affection. Free, so that she could be content in the knowledge that at last, she was good enough.
One day.