He was sleeping – a deep, dreamless slumber brought on by exhaustion – when suddenly he was woken up by what literally sounded like someone trying to turn his front door into a pile of matchsticks. Letting out a growl,he buried his head under the pillow and willed the idiot responsible for this monstrosity of a wake-up call to fuck off and die.

When the pounding continued,he rolled out of bed and made his way to the door, cursing fierily the whole way there.

"What?" He hissed as he pulled the door open.

The sight awaiting him caused a tired groan to escape his lips.

"Fish!" Al shrieked happily, throwing her arms around his neck and causing them to stumble backwards and into the apartment. "You're back! And awake!"

"I am now" He replied grimly as he gently peeled her off of him. "For fuck's sake Al, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Late?" She questioned breezily, staring over at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes before breaking out in a spontaneous pirouette.

"I have had the most marvellous evening!" She declared and seconds later ended up in a heap on the floor.

"You are drunk." He stated, offering his hands to her and pulling her back up to her feet. He let out an indignant sigh when she hugged his arm affectionately, beaming up at him.

"That is a statement I cannot deny…" She replied, articulating every syllable carefully.

"Some guy," she continued, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she mentioned the poor man she had most likely left broken-hearted, "Had the nerve to imply that he would be able to drink me under the table!"

Her appalled face caused him to snicker and she shot him an annoyed glare from under furrowed brows.

"He had the audacity to utter such a blasphemy, and I simply had to prove him wrong." She drawled haughtily, "But it took its toll on yours truly…which is why I need coffee."

"Who won then?" He smirked, cocking an eyebrow at her drunken state. This question earned him another offended glare.

"I did, of course!" She frowned, "Now where is my coffee?"

"You have a coffee maker in your apartment." He sighed, feeling the hope of getting back to sleep anytime soon quickly evaporate.

"But you have that lovely little machine…" She said and smiled as they made their way over to the kitchen area, referring to his espresso machine.

All hope definitely gone in that second, he realized that he should probably put something more on than the pyjama bottoms he was currently sporting.

"I will be right back"

He went back inside his bedroom and pulled a t-shirt over his head. As he put his arms through the sleeves of the shirt, his eyes fell on the headband adorning his bedpost.

Blair's headband.

He had laughed when she left it there, asking her if she was staking claim. She had replied with a 'I just don't want you to miss me too much, Bass' and a wink of her eye, and he hadn't said anything because he was hoping it really might help.

Blair. She told him she would come by. Tomorrow.

Now there was only a few hours left before he would get to see her again, get to explain – apologize – make everything right. A touch of something he couldn't quite identify in the pit of his stomach. Everything would work out. If she turned out to be pregnant, that would be okay - more than okay - there is nothing the two of them can't handle together. He just needs to apologize for being such a god damn idiot, freaking out like he did.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by what sounded like a minor explosion, coming from the kitchen. As he came running into the room he found Al on the floor - soaking wet - and laughing so hard there were tears running down her face. There was water on the floor too, and tiny piles of coffee grains on the counter, the floor, her shirt.

"Are you out of your mind?" He snapped worriedly, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Making coffee…"Al managed to blurt out in between fits of laughter.

"And making coffee made you end up soaking wet on my floor how exactly?" He retorted with an amused smirk.

"I was…you know…" Al explained, gasping for air and struggling to work herself back into an upright position, "…and then; boom!" She mimicked an explosion with her hands, and the gesture caused her to once again break down laughing.

He stood there looking at her for a second or two before he got moving.

"Alright, come on." He sighed, pulling her off the floor for the second time in less than twenty minutes. "Dry clothes, coffee, and then you are going back to your place."

"Are you making me coffee?" Al asked in a hopeful tone, as she got back up on her feet.

"I am making you coffee." He repeated patiently, knowing there were very few people on the planet that he wouldn't have kicked out ages ago and a little taken aback about the fact that she was becoming one of them so fast. He found her an old pair of pyjamas in his dresser and quickly returned to the kitchen to prevent another mishap.

"Here."

"Ah! Fish, you are a darling!" Al beamed, and then resolutely pulled her soaked shirt over her head.

"Do you mind!" He hissed, turning his back to her semi-clad form, and in the same time thinking that that might be the first time those words have ever escaped his lips in a situation such as this one.

But honestly, his 'turn that one-piece into a no-piece'-days were long gone before tonight. As long as he wasn't referring to Blair.

Al merely chuckled at his shocked outburst, and he could hear her get out of her jeans.

"All covered up." She informed him moments later.

"Good." He smirked as he turned around, "Now sit down," He motioned to the sofa in the other end of the room, "I don't want to end up soaked and covered in coffee grains too."

Sending him a last glare in mock offence she did as she was told, and he got to work making them their coffee.

As he walked across the room moments later, mugs in hand, he called out for her but she didn't respond. Reaching the sofa he found her curled up as a cat - fast asleep. Resisting the temptation to throw a pillow at her, he simply decided to follow her example and returned to bed.

"You can't be serious, mate!" The complaining voice was barely audible, her mouth forming the words hidden deep in a cushion. "I am dying here, Fish!"

"You are British, you will live." He snickered, more than pleased with his little payback. "I made you coffee…Now get the hell out, will you?"

"You made coffee?" Al's voice was back to hopeful as she lifted her head from the cushion and shot him an expectant look.

"I did, even though you don't deserve it." He smirked, shoving her with his foot to persuade her to sit up.

"Alright, alright. I am leaving, jeez." She groaned, reaching out for the coffee mug and clutching her forehead in her other hand. "What big plans do you have for today that causes you to throw me to the curb at this ungodly hour?"

"Blair is coming." He told her as they made their way to the door.

"She is?" Al's face lit up, "Do I get to meet the mysterious wonder that is Blair Waldorf this time around?"

"This might be your lucky day."

"I might start believing that she is nothing but an imaginary friend, unless I get some proof of her existence soon." She winked, and leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, Fish"

"Stay away from heavy machinery now, will you?" He called out after her, "I will be running out of clothes if you keep this up."

His request earned him a raise of her mug in salute, and a bubbling laugh before she disappeared around the corner.

The knock on his door a while later surprised him at first, but as he walked up to the door and noticed Al's shirt on the armrest of the sofa he wasn't confused any longer.

"Realized that you forgot something?" He smirked as he opened the door.

He barely had time to react - the butterflies just beginning a joyous dance - before he could feel the sharp sting of her hand connecting with his cheek.

"You make me sick!" She spat, and the darkness in her eyes startled him. Apologies andexplanations are dying in his throat and leaving a bitter aftertaste.

"Blair…" He began, but she cut him off and pushed him in the chest with both hands, causing him to stumble backwards into the apartment.

"Worthless, deceiving, lying son of a bitch!" She spat, emphasizing each word with a punch to his chest. "You are just the same, untrustworthy ass that you used to be!"

No, you're not. The words echoed in his mind but somehow he couldn't find it in himself to raise his voice and repeat them out loud.

"Please, Blair, would you let me explain?" He reached out, putting his hand on her arm. He barely made contact with her skin before she shrugged away and threw herself out of reach.

"No!" She hissed, "You don't get to do anything. I can't believe you would do that to me!"

For the first time since she stormed through his door, her anger seemed to dissolve a little, and her features softened, revealing some of the pain brewing underneath.

"I'm sorry…" He continued, walking the short distance up to where she was standing and reaching out for her hand again.

"No!" She cried out again, and her other hand struck against his cheek again, leaving a stinging mark on his skin. The adrenaline pumping through his veinsalmost kept him from feeling at all.

He desperately tried to get his head around how his stupid mistake had turned into this, and somehow felt as if he was watching a terrible accident happening without being able to do anything to stop it.

Not that that would keep him from trying. Raising his arms in defeat, he backed away thinking she might need some space to cool down.

"Blair?"

"Shut up!" She yelled, clutching her head in her hands and shooting him a frustrated look."Just…don't!"

Seconds laterhe could see the expressionless face belonging to her ice queen mask distort her features, and watching her shut off sent chills down his spine.

"I guess I only have myself to blame." She stated, brushing some invisible piece of dust off the lapel of her coat.

"Thinking that you had changed, that you…" She paused, looking away temporarily, and he could see the muscles of her jaw working as she swallowed hard.

"…well obviously I was wrong." She continued moments later, and he didn't know what to say to shake the vacant look out of her eyes.

"You are just like him."

No, I am not. The defiant voice of a little boy lost long ago, yelled from the back of his mind. I am nothing like him.

It hurt. Hearing those words from her hurt. More than anything because she was the one person who knew just how much - the one person who knew everything, who fully knew him.

She knew and still told him that, compared him to him.

"You know what…" She spat, the fire returning to her voice once again, "…you are worse! He didn't accuse your mom of cheating! At least he was happy about the prospect of having you in his life!"

She paused again, and he could tell that she was gathering energy to deliver her final blow, and he braced himself for what was undoubtedly to come.

"He was happy…" She repeated, and they both simultaneously looked over to the old, battered picture frame standing on a shelf in the bookshelf. When their eyes met again he sucked in a breath and held it in.

"…and look where that got him."

You killed her. She didn't say that but he could hear the words echoing between them. For a second he thought that she had slapped him again, but the distance between them ruled that out. Still there was a stinging sensation reverberating through every fibre of his body.

They stood in silence - facing each other but neither of them seeing the person in front of them. She was the first one to break from the daze, and ran towards the door.

She was out the door within seconds and the sound of the door being slammed shut behind her was what brought him out of his thoughts.

"Blair!" He yelled out, following after her out into the corridor. Still not prepared to give up – far from it.

She had almost reached the elevator before he caught up with her.

"Blair!" He called out again, and reached out for her, ignoring the risk of receiving yet another slap in the face. "What about…"

"Let go of me!" She snapped, as she spun around and faced him, "I don't want to hear any of your excuses!"

"But what about…"

"Like I would ever allow myself to get pregnant with your child." She sneered, "There is no baby…just like there is no us. I am done."

Her words momentarily drained him off the last ounces of fight power, and once again he watched her as she walked away.

Only this time he couldn't rid himself of the feeling that it might truly be the last time that she did.

tbc