"We're in Manhattan I'll give you that Blair, but is stopping at your place really that necessary?"

Blair had all ready opened the taxi door, but turned back to face Dan. "I'm not properly dressed, and if you remember I'm a dictator of taste. It'd be a travesty to turn up like this… Unless, it's because you can't bear to wait a single minute extra." She stared back at him.

Dan shuddered a bit beneath the scrutiny; Blair Waldorf really had a gift at making you feel like something exposed on a Petri dish. Perhaps, a dictator of taste wasn't the only avenue for her 'evil' pursuits…

Blair leaned forward and poked him in the abdomen, "Well, Daniel?"

"You made me rush out the door, Blair. I was just under the impression that time was of the essence here. Don't mind me—your wardrobe is of course of vital importance. A matter of life or death even." Dan rested his arm on the backseat and crossed his legs.

"As long as we understand each other.

"I won't be more than ten minutes." She slammed the door behind her.

-―-―――

Dan's hand went to the door, but he felt a tug at his sleeve and froze. Slowly he angled his face to observe his backseat companion, keeping the rest of his body planted in the spot.

Blair removed her hand and instead occupied it at the hem of her skirt. She peered out the window at their final destination, before staring straight ahead at the seat in front of her. "We didn't go over any procedures for our arrival. The usual 15 minutes may be over-kill, but there should be something…"

"No one's going to notice, Blair, and we're all ready late."

"Five minutes." She faced him then. Dan was struck by the forlorn set of her eyes.

"Fine, but it'll be your turn to wait—" Dan countered.

"I don't think so, Humphrey."

"Do you really think you'd win against me if it came down to a race, Blair?"

"I'd beat you in every way imaginable, Dan."

"Not in those heels." He lazily indicated to her footwear, as if it really needed mentioning.

"Not with the busted kneecap I'm about to give you, if you dare!"

"You really overestimate your strength, Blair. Or dexterity as I'd obviously dodge any kind of maneuver you made."

"Don't test me," Blair ground out.

Dan dropped a couple bills and got out of the cab.

-―-―――

"How dare you! You—"

"Blair?"

Blair stopped dead in her tracks. "Nate… and Raina. Umm, this isn't really the bring a date to lunch affair, Nate?" Raina had her arm looped through Nate's, and both had that dopey look to them that implied they were only beginning to notice the newcomers of Dan and Blair.

"My father's gone too far, I want to help." Raina proclaimed.

Blair doesn't listen; she's immobilized by Dan standing behind Nate in such close proximity.

Dan scratched the back of his neck, and peered at Nate then the building they were all loitering outside of. "So we should all just go in, huh?"

"Hold on, did you come with Dan, Blair?"

"I don't follow your line of questioning."

"Well you just got out of the same cab, didn't you?"

"It's public transportation, Nate, I don't have control over the dregs of society that may or may not be allowed access."

"What she means is that I was on my way, and we… intercepted." Dan kept switching from Blair and Nate, unable to hold onto one fixed target.

"That would be a simple way of putting it, I suppose."

"Why over complicate it? It was just a means to an end." Dan's stare was hard to classify, so she doesn't bother trying. Not at the moment.

"Exactly. We just had the same aim."

"Carpool, if you will."

Blair crinkled her nose, "Really, Humphrey? In what world does a Waldorf 'carpool'? Ugh, even saying it out loud is nauseating."

"Yeah, went a bit too far there, didn't I?"

"Are we settled then? Let's get inside all ready." Blair plowed on.

-―-―――

"Dan you made it." Rufus noticed then the rest of the procession coming through the door. "Did you carpool?"

Blair rolled her eyes at Dan, "Humphreys." Dan laughed.

-―-―――

I apologize for yet more filler, but I imagine Dan and Blair's interactions as having that meandering quality. At least where Blair's denial is concerned… Anyway, thanks for putting up with me ;)

And the reviews are always appreciated :)