A/N: I know, I know, I haven't updated in forever. I lost my muse for a while, and then I was dealing with all the college nonsense most of us go through at some point or another. But now that Gossip Girl is back, and NS are finally together! (My detest for Jenny has grown increasingly with each episode. She needs to go away.) I'm definitely much more into my writing. I'm going to aim for a new chapter every two weeks at the least. I'm trying to force myself into a normal pattern so hopefully it works. I hope you all like this chapter, it has a good mix of fluff and drama in my opinion. But I guess I'm rather biased considering I wrote it. Title is the wonderful song basically everyone knows by Lifehouse. And now, onto the next chapter of Learning To Fall…

Chapter Two: Hanging By A Moment

"Forgetting all I'm lacking

Completely incomplete

I'll take your invitation

You take all of me

Now, I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held on to

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you."

Nate's eyes fluttered open, moving directly to the clock next to the bed. 9:42 am. A soft sigh fell from his lips; it was much too early to be awake. He went to lift his arm but couldn't, it was pinned down by a head of blonde curls. Nate's arm was wrapped around Serena, her face was nuzzled into his chest, and her hand was draped lazily across his abdomen. She was the only girl he knew who looked beautiful while sleeping. His free hand shifted slightly, his fingertips brushing through her curls carefully. Spending the night with Serena hadn't been something planned. He didn't want to rush anything with her, and she wanted their relationship to start the right way. They had spent the night eating Chinese takeout, talking about the year they were apart, and watching cheesy movies, exchanging gentle kisses every few moments. Serena had fallen asleep in Nate's arms, and before he could realize it he was asleep as well.

"Good morning, beautiful." he whispered in her ear.

"Mmm…" she mumbled in response, pressing herself closer to him. Nate chuckled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her head.

"Time to wake up, sleeping beauty." She shook her head lightly in disagreement. Serena had never been a morning person; from the time she was born she had much preferred sleeping in late. She moved around slightly, her face nuzzling in the crook of his neck.

"More sleep…just cuddle with me." she whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his skin. Nate sighed softly, giving in and wrapping his arms firmly around her petite frame. Serena couldn't help but think that this was where she belonged. Waking up in Nate's arms was the most perfect feeling in the world.

"Just for a little bit longer...we do have to face the world eventually." he whispered against her hair. In all honesty, Nate wanted to avoid the world for as long as possible. Once they got back out into the world, people were going to try and ruin them. Blair would be far from happy, and that Dan guy's crush on Serena had not gone unnoticed.

"Nathaniel Archibald, stop worrying." His eyes widened lightly at her words; it was amazing how well they knew each other. "As long as we have each other, no one else matters." A soft smile slipped onto his face and he pulled her closer.

"You know me pretty well Ms. Van der Woodsen."

"Even better than you know yourself sometimes." she added softly, her fingertips slipping over his abdomen. The butterflies fluttered underneath her gentle touch. He brushed his hand over her bare shoulder, slipping carefully under the straps of her tank-top.

"Yeah…" he whispered, his voice taking on a deeper tone. She was slowly overtaking all of his senses. His other hand tucked her hair behind her ear, pressing his lips carefully to her earlobe.

"Nate…" she gasped. He was the only one who knew her weak spots, and he used that to his advantage. Her nails dug into his side gently, causing a soft moan to escape from his lips. He shifted her carefully in his arms, his lips trailing down to her neck. His skillful mouth massaged her neck gently, nipping at her pulse point. She shivered involuntarily, tilting her head to the side and pressing her body closer to him. "God, Nate…" she mumbled, her eyes closing gently, her mouth a slight O shape. He couldn't help but smirk arrogantly to himself. Nate bit down on her tender skin before pulling away. His fingertips brushed over the light red mark, knowing it would be a hickey in about an hour. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked over at him. "Did you just mark me?" she asked seductively.

"Mhm…so everyone will know that you're mine." He leaned forward to brush his lips against hers, but came in contact with the back of her hand instead. Nate glanced at her with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Morning breath." she mumbled, her hand still clasped firmly over her mouth. He chuckled softly and shook his head, tugging her hand away and pressing his lips firmly against hers.

"I don't care." he whispered honestly when he pulled away, his gaze connecting with hers. A soft blush crept onto her cheeks as he looked at him. "When you've waited as long as I have…morning breath doesn't really matter." He wasn't going to let something as simple as that keep him from kissing his girl. She was his right? "Will you…will you be mine?" he asked, his voice quiet and nervous. Serena bit her lip softly, smiling at his word choice.

"I think that in a way I've always been yours…" she replied honestly, her tone matching the volume of his. "You know? You're the one thing I've always wanted. But time was never really on our side. And now…I'd love to be yours. As long as you'll be mine." She finished with a smile, waiting patiently for his response. He replayed her words in his mind, a light smile sliding onto his face. It was everything he had ever wanted to hear and so much more.

"I've always been yours and I'll always be yours." Nate leaned forward kissing her softly, his hand connecting with hers and grasping it tightly. She pulled her lips from his, her forehead pressing against his. It felt like a year hadn't even passed…it was all the same, but even better then she could have ever imagined. Being away from him for so long gave her time to think. This wasn't some fling, far from it. This was real, and she refused to let it slip through her fingertips.

"I'm sorry I left…I just had to-." He placed his fingertip over her lips to stop her from speaking. He shook his head lightly, not wanting to talk about it.

"I forgive you. I want us to start fresh…that means leaving the past where it belongs. In the past." He lifted her hand to his mouth, his lips brushing over her knuckles. Serena still felt the guilt for leaving without so much as a goodbye, but she would leave it be for now.

"Okay…" she whispered with a nod. Serena pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth before sitting up in bed, pulling her hair back in one swift motion.

"Where are you going?" he asked, frowning at her.

"To brush my teeth. Come on." She stood up, motioning for him to follow her. Lily tended to buy things in bulk, so there were plenty of spare toothbrushes. Serena had yet to unpack, so she just grabbed two extra toothbrushes out of the closet in her private bathroom, setting one down on the sink for him. As she turned the faucet on, she felt his hands snake around her waist, pulling her back flush against his body. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, making her smile. The two brushed their teeth together in comfortable silence. It was like they were an old married couple in a way, and Serena liked that. She could picture this being a daily routine for the rest of her life. Little did she know, Nate was feeling the exact same way. Neither said a word about it though, in fear of scaring the other one away. It seemed rushed in a way, but it was far from rushed. They had both been waiting a really long time for this, and they couldn't wait anymore.

"As much as I hate to say this, I should probably get going…I do have to make an appearance at Blair's eventually." Nate said with a sigh, wrapping his arms around her once more.

"Right…Blair…your girlfriend. My best friend." she said with a sigh. As much as she cared about Nate, she still felt a bit guilty about the whole situation.

"Hey…we're doing the right thing."

"The right thing for us, not for her…"

"You have to put yourself first sometimes, Serena…what do you want?" he asked her seriously.

"You." she replied, without a moment's hesitation. "I want to be with you."

"So be with me." His fingertips brushed against her cheek carefully, pulling her mouth to his. "I'm ending it with her today…I'm tired of waiting to be with you." Despite the pain her best friend was going to be put through, she couldn't help but grin playfully at him.

"Finally." she whispered. Their lips reconnected, moving together as one. They were finally getting their chance to be. What they wanted was so close, all they had to do was reach out and grab it.

--

Good morning upper east siders, Gossip Girl here. What could possibly be bigger than Serena's surprise return from boarding school? Spotted: Nate Archibald leaving S's home early this morning. Just some breakfast between friends? Doubtful. And what does B have to say about this early morning rendezvous? My guess is soon enough she'll be in need of a new best friend...and maybe a boyfriend too. I'll be sure to keep you updated on this blossoming love triangle. You know you love me.

XOXO,

Gossip Girl

--

Nate decided to go home and change first, he was sure he smelled like Serena. But maybe that was just all he could smell. After a quick shower he got dressed and headed over to Blair's. He wasn't sure exactly what to say, or how to go about breaking up with her. This had been his first real relationship, and he had spent most of it chasing after Serena. Maybe Blair had seen it coming and she would just accept it. Yeah, and maybe hell would freeze over. He rehearsed a bit on the ride over, trying to get into the correct mindset. But as usual, Serena kept sneaking her way into his thoughts. After some failed attempts at concentrating he figured he'd wing it…what's the worst that could happen?

"Have you heard the latest from Gossip Girl?" Blair questioned him seriously, agitation in her eyes.

"No, I haven't…what'd she say?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That you were seen leaving Serena's house this morning…explain to me how this happened. Please, don't leave out any details." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, wanting him to tell her that it was merely two old friends catching up over coffee. Blair had always wondered about Serena and Nate. Sometimes she caught him staring at her, but she always assured herself it was just her mind playing tricks on her. However, now she wasn't so sure.

"Blair, we need to talk." They used that line in movies all the time, so he figured it'd do the job.

"Those words are generally followed by a long break up speech…are you breaking up with me?" she asked, her voice reaching a higher pitch as she questioned him.

"This hasn't been working for a while now, Blair. The connection isn't there anymore…" he said softly, trying to be as sympathetic as possible.

"No." she said simply, leaning back in her seat.

"No?" he questioned, confused.

"I refuse to let this happen. Blair Waldorf does not get dumped." She was firm in her decision. Nate wasn't going to break up with her, she wouldn't allow it. "We can work on things, get back on track. Be the way we used to be."

"It's not that simple, Blair." he said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. He didn't understand why she was making this so difficult…oh wait, yes he did. It was because she was Blair Waldorf. When Serena left, Blair took over as the Queen Bee…what she said was basically law. "I'm not going to let you keep me in this relationship. It's over." Nate really had tried to be sweet about it but she was trying too hard, and now it was just frustrating. "Nothing can fix this. We're just not meant to be." For the first time in her entire life, Blair had no idea what to say. How was she supposed to respond to that?

"I love you." she said simply, trying to keep the tears at bay. He sighed softly, his guilt steadily increasing with each passing second.

"I know…I loved you too." He had loved her, once upon a time. And maybe his love for her would've grown deeper with time…but he was in love with Serena, and nothing was going to change that. "I want us to be friends, Blair. I like having you in my life, I don't want to lose that."

"Could you please leave? I'd really appreciate it if you would just leave me alone right now." she said quietly, refusing to look anywhere in his general direction.

"Blair…"

"Just go." He merely nodded his head and walked towards the door.

"I really am sorry…" And with that he did as she wanted and left. As he set foot outside, it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He was finally going after what he wanted instead of watching it pass him by. He could finally claim Serena as his own; he wouldn't have to deal with heartbreaking rumors about her sleeping with other guys, and he wouldn't need to wonder who she was spending her nights with. A part of him was afraid that this was all a dream…and if it was, he never wanted to wake up.

--

"Blair isn't an idiot. She must know you kicked her to the curb for Serena." Chuck said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Might I add that it seems like you did a horrible job of ending things with her." The boys were sitting in Nate's living room; he was trying to get some insight into the situation. Chuck Bass wasn't exactly the king of relationships, but he definitely knew how to handle women.

"I don't know how to break up with people. Unlike you, breaking up is not my area of expertise."

"I merely know how to let a woman down easy. It's all about patience and timing, Nathaniel."

"I was tired of being patient, and we both know the timing never would've been right. It's over now and that's all that really matters to me."

"And you really think Blair is going to accept this?" he asked seriously, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe not right away…I figure once she gets into a new relationship I'll be nothing but a distant memory."

"Blair has a lot of power in this community. I'd keep an eye out. She's a rather ingenious specimen."

"Don't I know it. I've seen it all firsthand." A frustrated sigh slipped from his lips, he didn't understand why things had to be so difficult for him and Serena.

"Anyone home?" Serena walked into the living room, smiling softly at Nate. "Hey." she said, walking over to him and kissing him gently.

"Why hello to you too, Serena." Chuck said, an amused smirk dancing on his lips. She turned in surprise, noticing Chuck's existence in the room for the first time.

"Chuck. I didn't know you were here…" she said, slightly embarrassed.

"I already know all about Nathaniel's absolute infatuation with you, there's no need to be embarrassed." She bit her lip, blushing softly at his comment.

"It's all just a little new for me…" she said, her voice a bit quiet.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone. Have to get back to the hotel for lunch. Salmon, I believe. And I'll be having Kendra for dessert." He winked at them, smiling his signature Chuck Bass smile, before grabbing his jacket and walking out of the room.

"He'll never change." Serena said with a soft laugh.

"Nope. Chuck Bass will always be Chuck Bass." Nate doubted that Chuck's womanizing ways would ever change, but he wasn't certain.

"So…how'd it go?"

"Better than I expected…she was hurt but I didn't go into much detail as to why I was breaking up with her." he admitted. "I don't think she'll cause too much trouble for us…" Serena's phone started buzzing in her pocket, she flipped it open to read the new message:

Word on the street is that Blair Waldorf is on the warpath. Has the Queen Bee been betrayed? Is this newly found urge for revenge the result of a broken heart? Let's hope N & S are paying attention. It seems to me that they may have pushed B a little too far.

XOXO,

Gossip Girl

A/N: So? Did you love it? Hate it? I'm not the greatest at portraying the amazingness that is Chuck Bass, but I'm working on it. Reviews are absolutely wonderful and give me inspiration to keep on with this story! =)