Bittersweet September

Leighton was gone all summer in LA. Ed had made a trip to England to visit his family for a couple of weeks. They kept in touch via text, having not seen each other for a while had made it easier to accept the hook up for what it was and get back to their individual lives. They had planned to meet just before shooting started to discuss their summer and spend quality time together as friends.

"Sebastian and I are back on... We talked and things are better." Leighton expressed once they had ordered their lunch at their favourite outdoor spot at the cafe.

"I'm happy for you, Leight. Jess and I sort of entered this casual relationship."

"No way, so do you like her then?" Leighton asked

"Yeah, she's cool." He smiled

"I'm glad."

"Listen, Leight... I think you should know, I told Jess about that night."

"You what? Why would you do that?"

"Why would I lie? She won't tell anyone don't worry."

"Well I hope not, as Sebastian doesn't know and I'd like to keep it that way. I just don't want to give him any reason to worry."

"I get it." He rubbed her shoulders."Jess is really understanding, she won't say a word."

"I guess, honesty is the best way to start something." She sighed

"It's alright, Leight... It's not like you're hiding something from him... there's nothing to tell... right?" He eyed her, waiting to see her response.

"No, it was nothing." She said firmly

Gossip Girl Photoshoot -Season 2 Promo

The gang were getting restless, waiting for their shoot. They were all goofing off till the cameras were set. Leighton began dancing and jumping around, accidentally bumping into Ed a couple times.

"You're giving me a hard on." He joked, and she giggled, causing Jessica to look over. Leighton playfully pushed him away. Jessica asked the cameraman to be excused for a bathroom break.

After the photoshoot, Ed was waiting for Jessica to change so they could go home.

"You alright?" he asked her, while giving her a kiss on the cheek

"Yeah..."

"Great. I'm starving, let's grab dinner." They began walking until Jessica suddenly stopped

"Actually... no. I think I'll stay at my place tonight."

"What? Why?" Ed asked, confused

"I think... Look... If you still have a thing for Leighton then maybe you should tell me."

"What? Jess, come on... because of the boner comment? That was a joke."

"The fact that you know what I'm talking about proves something is still there between you two."

"Jess, I swear it's nothing, you know me, you know her, we've always been this way."

He began walking but realised she wasn't following.

"Jess, come on, can we go?"

"Ed... I really like you, and I believe this could evolve into something pretty great one day, but I don't want to be in the middle of anything, Leighton's not only my colleague but she's also become a friend..." Ed sighed as she continued, "Look, just think about it, okay? I'm not going anyway, so when you're ready for something a little more than well, this, let me know." She kissed his cheek and walked in the opposite direction.

xoxo -The Cold Exterior, The Fire Below

"Whoa, Josh hang on!" Ed ran after him, "What's this?" he asked, pointing to his script

"What?" Josh said, frustrated

"It says whisper something inaudible..."

"Yeah?"q

"What the fuck am I supposed to say?"

"You're kidding right?" Josh sighed, restlessly, "Ed, you and Leighton have been whispering dirty, flirty nothings in each other's ear for over a year and now you can't think of a single thing to say? Jesus!" Josh walked off.

xoxo

"What names does he call you when you make love? Where does he put his hands... Does he..." In that moment, just touching each other again, had Ed reminiscing, and knowing that Sebastian was on set, made him even more bothered... Why does he get the girl? What does Sebastian do, better than me. Ed completely lost focus on the scene and decided this was his opportunity to be real, knowing that Leighton was such a good actress, she'd never cause a scene.

"I want you. Want you to come for me." He whispered before heading back to the script.

xoxo

"What the hell was that?" Leighton barged into Ed's dressing room.

"Be more specific?" Ed urged in his calm, cool tone.

"YOU whispering sweet nothings!"

"I had to say something inaudible... it says so in the script." He smiled coyly

"That's the best you could think of?"

"Well, it fit."

"So this is all about Chuck wanting another night with Blair and nothing to do with us...?"

"Obviously" Ed held his laughter. Leighton always looked adorable when she got mad."I don't even know how you took it there... maybe you're the one who needs another night with me."

"It's not funny Ed."

"You're right, it's not. In fact, it's pretty poetic what similar stages you and Blair are in." He winked. She wanted to laugh, but contained herself.

Ugh he's so smug. She thought to herself

xoxo

Leighton ran to meet Sebastian at the parking lot

"Hey babe." She put her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his lips but as soon as she did, he pulled her arms off of him.

"What did Ed whisper in your ear?" He asked, sternly

"Some gibberish." She said, nonchalantly

"Some dirty, flirty thing I bet."

"What?" She looked dumbfounded, "Where is this coming from?"

"I overheard Josh and Ed talking in the hall... Guess everyone seems to know about your special friendsip... except me."

"Wait, Seb, no, come on." She called as he got in his car

"Leighton, I told you, if you want this, then show me, yet you never do, yet you have no problem opening up to him."

"He's my friend..." She said, trying to comprehend what was happening

"And what are we?"

"We are in a relationship..."

"Really? Then why does it feel like I'm a stranger to you?"

"You're not-"

"-Look, Leighton." He cut her off, "Maybe it's just too soon for you." He was about to shut the car door, but she stopped it from closing

"I don't wanna be with him." Her voice had this urgency, "I want to be with you."

"Just because you don't want to date him doesn't change the fact that you share things with him that you won't with me. I don't wanna be your second option. Maybe you don't know what you want, but I know you don't want a relationship... At least not right now... I'm sorry, but I'm done."

A tear streamed down her cheek as he drove off. She quickly wiped it and walked back inside the studio. The ability to turn off her emotions was something she had learned due to upbringing

xoxo -Seduction

Ed and Leighton were about to shoot 'Blair seduces Chuck in Serena's room'

He walked in, in Chuck's formal attire, watching supposedly Blair light her candles.

"What are you doing, Blair?" His voice was shaky

"Serena knew how upset I was, she didn't want me to be alone, so she let me sleep over." Leighton was very much in character, Ed however was not once he pulled the strings off her dress and watched it fall to the floor. It's been months since he had seen that much of her body... And once they were kissing, the memories flooded back to him

-Flashback -A Passionate Affair to remember

That hungry kiss, the desperation to feel every part of each other before the imaginary timer brought them back to reality. He couldn't believe it. He was standing right there, with Leighton infront of him. She pushed him onto the couch, slowly undressing infront of him. It's finally happening He thought. He gazed up at her, seeing her beautiful, bare body for the first time. He grazed her thighs as she sat on his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist. He began to kiss her neck, it was rough, it was urgent, being able to touch her, being able to hold her on top of him, he had no idea how much he wanted it until it was happening. She helped him take off his clothes, and he carried her to the bedroom. Once she was on his bed and he finally got on top of her, they were lost. The pace was insane. They were so unaware of where their hands were, they were too consumed by the passion between them... and there it was. He was finally inside her.

-End of flashback

Once the scene was shot, Ed paused for a minute. The memory of that night so engraved in his head as soon as he had touched Leighton. Thank god he hadn't messed up the scene. He was still panting after touching her again, it may have been for the show but it still excited him enough to remind him of that night they had sex.

Leighton was in her dressing room when Ed had barged in. She still hadn't changed from that little black two piece she wore in the scene. The sight of her, after what had just happened in the scene, and the memory that re-entered his head, made him gulp.

"What are you doing here? Can you let me change!" She groaned. Ed said nothing. He locked her dressing room door.

"Ed, what are you doing?" She sighed, as he walked towards her. She started to feel nervous, the closer he got. Proving that she had the same flashback during their scene but was trying hard to fight it.

Now he was too close. Head to head, chest to chest. Nose to nose. She tried to move away but she was paralysed. His lips met hers and she knew she had to give in. He pulled her up onto her dressing table. It was different this time, slower, intimate, not as rough as the first time. They made love right then and there on the table.

xoxo -The Perfect Goodbye?

Ed and Leighton never spoke of their 2nd night of passion. Perhaps it was the perfect goodbye since they had both seemingly moved on after that.

Ed had shown up to Jess' door that night exclaiming, "I'm ready." and they had began a serious relationship. Leighton also felt it was time to put Sebastian first.

Ed and Leighton's characters on the show were getting so much time together which made it easy to focus on their own lives once off set. Maybe that 2nd night was the last itch to scratch, since things were a bit easier. Their friendship was less flirty when Sebastian and Jess were around and due to their new relationships, they were rarely alone, so they very much enjoyed their Chuck and Blair scenes. Whether or not the scenes had any affect on them, they would deny it.

Their friendship had still remained strong, it was just more platonic. They helped each other with gift ideas for valentines day, and Leighton and Jessica actually got pretty close. Sebastian and Ed didn't bond as easily, but Chace, having known everything that went on between Ed and Leighton, was always there as the boys' buffer, making sure everyone got along and making sure Ed never exposed anything about his previous feelings to Sebastian.

Despite the bliss. There were certain awkward moments when they were out altogether. They were very connected and knew they'd have to tone it down infront of their partners. They never knew whether it was because Chuck and Blair were so connected, or maybe Chuck and Blair were that way because of THEM. But by the time they were shooting seasn 3, things got a lot easier for both relationships. Sebastian and Leighton, and Ed and Jessica were pretty serious.

xoxo -We'll always have Paris? Or everything ends in Paris?

Once Ed, Leighton and Blake were shooting in Paris, the distance between him and Jessica was getting tough. He did not want to believe their relationship was deteoriating so he made an effort. Leighton and Sebastian were happy. He wanted to be happy too, but it was short lived. After a phone call from a friend had let him know that Jessica had cheated on him with his best friend. Ed called her and broke up over the phone. He turned to Leighton for comfort. As much as she loved Jessica, Ed will always be family to her.

Shortly after, Leighton and Sebastian had broken up. There was no fight, no drama, they had just realised they had tried for 2 years and it was time to end it. That was one day before the infamous Paris Train Station scene.

As they stood there, Leighton in that gorgeous red dress, both them were almost in tears. Everything felt too real. The heartache their characters felt, the heartache they both felt in their personal lives. They were the one comfort each other had since they started filming this show three years ago, and they could feel it, their characters pain over losing each other, was heartbreaking for both of them.

xoxo

Once the cast were altogether shooting in New York, everyone was better. Ed and Jessiqca took time to heal, but were able to work together. Ed and Leighton both had each other during their break ups, when they needed a friend, they were the perfect friend for each other. Even their desires for each other weren't on their mind as their hearts healed. Ed moreso than Leighton, she was able to move forward from break ups a lot easier than Ed.

But when there's smoke, there's fire.

Once Chuck and Blair were on their hate-sex marathon, something had awoken again in Ed and Leighton. Maybe it was just because the right amount of time had past since their newly single status, or maybe it was because once they touch in those scenes, they both know what it does to them. The spark came flooding back out the moment their lips had touched and their hands were on each other's bodies. Ed and Leighton then rekindled their relationship with plenty of passionate nights on and off screen, whenever they could. Finally they could satisfy that itch that only they could scratch after two years of depravity. Only Chace and Taylor knew, encouraging Taylor to write 'Makes Me Wanna Die' a song aspired by both Chuck and Blair, and Leighton and Ed.

xoxo

"I can't believe you got away with that." Chace laughed, handing Ed a beer as they sat on their couch to watch the game.

"What?"

"The 'accidental I love you' scene you did today?"

"I'm sorry, is it my fault my character's a blurte?" Ed joked

"You know what I'm talking about... the brush of your lips on Leighton's boobs... It's still in the final shot."

"Ah well, if you blink you miss it. They hid it well enough."

"Man... I wish one of my co-stars would let me rub my face on her boobs." Chace chuckled

"Well... Leighton's mine." He winked, "So are her boobs." He smirked and Chace rolled his eyes.

"What is this thing between you anyway? Some sort of friends with benefits?"

"I guess..."

"You're cool with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be..." Ed downed his beer. He did not want to think about that. Any expectations he had regarding Leighton would just upset him. He wasn't going to think again, he just wanted to enjoy having her now, in whatever form they were in.