Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or its Characters.
Chapter 14: Dinner for Two
Blair emerged from Dan's bedroom slightly flushed but with clothes straightened. She could tell that Serena knew perfectly well what she and Dan had been doing, and secretly loved it. Don't get her wrong, she didn't want to hurt Serena, but she did want her to know that Dan was hers now.
"What's up?" Blair asked sitting down next to Serena on the couch.
"You saw the blast I'm assuming?" Serena sighed.
"Yes I did. I'm not exactly happy about it either." Blair answered. She saw Ben glare slightly at her but then look back down at his feet. He was sitting in the old chair across from them. Blair hated how quiet he was and found it creepy.
"Blair I know you don't like her," Serena hesitated, ", but she did those things to me when she thought I had put her brother in prison."
"You said that before but it doesn't change the fact that the girl pulled one over on all of us, including little Humphrey. I don't let anyone with that much skill at scheming out of my sight."
This time Blair felt Ben's glare linger on her and Serena shifted uncomfortably on the couch while Blair held her posture. She wasn't going to let Ben the parolee intimidate her. Blair looked up and smiled at Dan walking out of his bedroom and joining them in the living room. Now it was 2 against 2.
"All I'm saying B is just give Juliet a chance. With her being in town I know it's only a matter of time before we are all in the same room and I need to know you're not going to go and corner somewhere." Serena reasoned.
Dan's eyebrows shot up impressed. Serena knew Blair well.
"And I'll I'm saying S is that if you won't watch your back, I'm going to watch it for you."
With that Ben stood up angry.
"Listen Blair! I know you hate my sister because of what she did to Serena but that was my fault. Don't put this on her." Ben argued.
"OH? So did you tell your sister to frame Serena and turn her friends against her and then to knock her out and leave her in a motel room all drugged up to die?" Blair yelled standing up.
Ben just looked at Blair not knowing what to say.
"Guys! Please! Let's not fight!" Serena pleaded moving between them. She looked over at Dan who had his arms crossed by Blair's side. "Dan please some help?"
"I think that Blair has a valid point Serena." He answered.
Serena's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"Thank you." Blair smiled at Dan. He is so going to get rewarded for that later she thought.
"Not you too Dan." Serena sighed heavily.
"No Serena, they have every right to be upset. Juliet did take it too far." Ben surrendered rubbing his hand down his face. "I guess I feel like I pushed her to the breaking point though. I was so angry back then and desperate that I used her. Blair please understand that Juliet was only doing what she did because she loved me. She is not who you think she is."
Serena walked over to comfort Ben and hugged him. Dan and Blair just looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"I'll buy your sob story Ben and give your 'innocent' sister another shot—but if she turns out to be the person I thought her to be, I will not hesitate to take her down." Blair said politely with a hint of sarcasm. Serena frowned at her.
Dan was impressed with Blair holding her ground, and took her hand in his to back up her warning. Blair squeezed his hand in thanks.
"Thank you Blair for understanding. You won't have to 'take her down'. "Ben smiled faintly. He looked at Serena and smiled more strongly. "Would you like to go grab a bite?"
"I would love that." Serena beamed at the sound of an exit and grabbed her jacket. "We'll see you guys later then?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yeah." Dan answered forcing a smile. The air was still a little thick from the tension. "Bye."
"Bye" Serena and Ben said together closing the door behind them.
Dan brought Blair's hand up and kissed it.
"You were amazing."
Blair smiled but then hesitated glaring at him slightly.
"You know I have no intentions of giving her another shot right?"
"Yes I followed that, but if I did, then Serena did also." Dan reasoned. Blair sighed annoyed.
"I know! It's going to make this even harder! I hate how she can be so naive sometimes!"
"Yeah she can, but I can see now what she sees in Ben."
Blair looked at Dan confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Well Serena is often fuel but blinded by her emotions. I think Ben is the exact same way. He obviously feels guilty and doesn't want to see what his sister has become."
"Great! Now there's two of them!" Blair exclaimed. Dan chuckled.
"We can at least be happy that Serena has finally met her soul mate." Dan joked walking into the kitchen. Blair's heart fluttered happily a little at Dan's words. "You must be starving. I can put of some pasta? It's quick."
"Sure." Blair smiled walking up to the counter and taking a seat.
She watched him move about the kitchen, studying him. She loved how he had to measure everything precisely and loved it even more when he asked her opinions on which noodles to make and what kind of sauce she preferred. Dan was so thoughtful and really cared about what she thought.
"Your staring Waldorf." Dan grinned looking up at her.
"Maybe I just like what I see." She grinned back.
"I know the pasta looks so good!" Dan joked.
Blair laughed and got up from her seat, and made her way around the counter to Dan. His eye's never left hers as she moved slowly towards him. When she reached him she gently took the stirring spoon out of his hand and placed it down. The way she was looking at him made Dan weak in the knees. She reached up and ran her hands threw his hair resting them on his face, while Dan's hands laced around her waist. This wasn't passion filled with need and desire—it was just Dan and Blair, understanding one another without having to say anything. Dan had never had so much depth with another woman. He guessed Blair had been thinking along the same lines, because he saw her waver slightly unsure suddenly dropping her hands. He rebounded quickly and grabbed her hands bringing them up and kissing them once again, all the while looking right into her dark brown eyes. He saw love there but also slight fear. It worried him. He reached out and ran his hand threw her hair, resting it on her face and glided his thumb gently caressing cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned slightly into Dan's hand.
"Dan…" Blair started but stopped not knowing how to say what she needed to say. Dan saw her struggle.
"What is it? Blair you know you can tell me anything. What's bothering you?"
Blair opened her eyes and looked directly into Dan's.
"I'm scared."
Dan looked at her confused.
"What are you scared of?" He asked concerned.
"Us." She whispered. Dan could see her eye's starting to moisten with tears.
"What why?"
"Because I…" Blair started but hesitated. One side of her, the stubborn and prideful, would never show any weakness—and feeling scared and even talking about was unacceptable, but the new side of her—the side Dan brought out more and more, wanted him to know how she was feeling and what she afraid of. It was her thoughtful and emotional side—as side she used to hate showing and still did a little, but with just her and Dan, it felt natural. It felt real. They felt real.
"Blair?" Dan asked again. She could hear the fear in his voice and felt bad. That hadn't been her intention to scare him, this was just a little harder for her then she had originally thought.
"Dan…" she started again a little more strongly this time"…I think I love you."
Blair watched Dan's worried frown quickly change into a beaming smile that lit up his entire face and kissed her. The kiss wasn't fueled by desire or need, but of passion and happiness. He parted from her slightly, still resting his forehead on hers.
"I love you too Blair." Dan whispered. She could hear the happiness thick with emotion in his voice and suddenly the tears she had been holding back came busting out and lined her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, letting her bury her face in his chest. She finally calmed herself and leaned back to look up at Dan again.
"I'm sorry you must think I am an emotional nut case." She tried to joke.
"Not at all. You are the strongest woman I've ever known." Dan answered smiling. Blair looked up at him confused.
"How does showing weakness and crying make me the strongest woman in the world?"
Dan laughed slightly at her confusment.
"Blair. It takes another kind of strength to tell someone how you feel and especially to say those three words. To be honest, I have thought often that the emotional side of our relationship would be the hardest, but here you go again shocking me."
Blair looked at him a moment dumbfounded. She understood what Dan was saying but had never thought of it as strength.
"I never thought of it like that." She admitted.
"Showing what you think are your weaknesses to the person you care about, is the bravest thing you can do." Dan smiled. "Is that why you're afraid of us? Because you love me?"
Blair nodded trying to hold back fresh tears that had suddenly stung the back of her eyes.
"Dan you understand me and just know me, in ways that took Chuck years to figure out, and we haven't even been dating that long. I'm scared because I never thought I could just click with someone but I do with you." New tears started flooding her eyes and falling down her checks. "And that just makes me wonder when the ball is going to drop. It can't stay this good forever and that scares me!"
"Blair it won't always be perfect. Are we in an infatuation stage? Probably. But we are very similar Blair to where we don't give up on someone we love, and once we commit ourselves we mean to see it threw, and I believe with all my heart, no matter what fights, misunderstandings, problems, bickering, or challenges that face us, we will work through it and find each other again."
"Please don't promise me that Dan! Promises always get broken."
"I don't have to promise you anything Blair. I'm telling you that that's who I am and that's who you are."
Blair calmed down at his words and she hugged him this time. Blair felt like a huge bolder had been lifted off of her shoulders and her head felt clear. She didn't realize until now just how much she needed to hear Dan say all those things. She pulled back and bent up brushing her lips against Dan's gently.
"You always know what to say." She smiled through her blood shot eyes. Dan smiled back and wiped a tear off her cheek.
"Another Humphrey sentimental quality." He joked again.
Blair turned and saw the sauce boiling.
"I think dinner is done." She smiled.
Dan jumped a little suddenly remembering their surroundings and quickly turned off the burners.
"I think your right." He laughed. "I have a surprise for you."
Blair beamed at the mention of a surprise.
"What is it?"
Dan opened the fridge and pulled out Blair's favorite bottle of wine.
"I think that this would be perfect for tonight." Dan smiled.
Blair walked over and kissed Dan deeply, taking the bottle out of his hand. They parted a little breathless.
"How did you get it? I can't even get another bottle until new shipments come in next month!"
"Let's just say that I have been holding onto it, waiting for the right moment." Dan smirked.
"And this is definitely the perfect moment." She smiled.
Suddenly their phones went off.
"It's just like Gossip Girl to ruin a good moment!" Blair sighed dramatically handing the wine back to Dan and walking over to her phone next to the couch. Dan saw her frown.
"What does it say? Who is it about?" He asked making up there plates of pasta.
"It's Juliet again." Blair said coldly. "She has been spotted outside a motel, looking homeless. This is just great! You know as soon as Ben and Serena see this they will go to her rescue!"
Dan sighed heavily at the truth in Blair's words and opened the bottle of wine.
"You know what this means then?" Dan asked.
"What?" Blair asked walking back over to the kitchen.
"We only have an hour, maybe two before they show up on my doorstep with her."
"You can't take her in!" Blair yelled.
"If I took Ben in, I can't say no to Juliet, especially if we both just agreed to give her another shot." Dan reasoned.
Blair slouched disappointed but then got an idea.
"I could use this to my advantage!" She shot excitedly. Dan rolled his eyes.
"I had a feeling you would." He laughed.
Blair's phone went off again. It was Serena.
"We know her so well." Blair sighed.
"Serena?" Dan asked pouring Blair's wine.
"Yes. She said Ben wants to help Juliet. She is fishing for a reaction."
"Then give her one she won't expect." Dan grinned.
"Like what?"
Dan walked around the counter and sat next to Blair.
"Tell her we want to help and to bring Juliet back to the loft. Tell her we meant what we said about giving her another chance. She can have Jenny's old room."
Blair thought for a moment and smiled.
"Then we can keep a closer eye on Juliet." Blair thought out loud.
"Exactly." Dan smirked
"You are brilliant." She beamed watching him take a big bite of pasta. Dan looked over and smiled at her before leaning forward and giving her a quick kiss.
"Learned from the best."
XXXXX
Yay! What will happen when Juliet moves into the loft? Things are gonna get crowded! Can Blair keep up a nice front around her because we all know that Juliet will see right through it! And what will happen when another familiar face returns to town and stirs trouble! Stay tuned guys! Loved the reviews! Thank you for reading!