A/N: I want to thank all those that have read the story. I appreciate it. I've also read all of the reviews. I'm glad I'm getting the feedback and I enjoy hearing what you have to say about the story so far. Anyways, enjoy!
"W-What?" Blair asked.
Dan gave her a confused look. Did she not notice that he was down on one knee, holding a box with a ring inside and asking her if she would marry him? He cleared his throat.
"Would you like to marry me?" he asked again, this time hoping for a reply that wasn't in the form of a question.
Blair looked at the ring and then at Dan's eyes. The ring was gorgeous, something that she should be drooling over. But yet she couldn't say what he wanted to say, and she didn't know why.
"Blair? Did you hear me?" Dan asked her, looking worried.
Blair nodded her head, but no voice would come out. She got up from the bench and started walking. Dan closed the ring box and quickly got to his feet. He ran after her.
"Blair, what's the matter?" he asked.
Blair stopped walking. She turned to look at Dan. He looked so broken. Why hadn't she even given him an answer? This wasn't like Blair.
"You don't have to say yes, you know." he told her in a calm, soothing voice.
"I know, it's just that it was a surprise." Blair said.
"Well, that was the point." Dan said with a small laugh.
"I know, it's just…. Don't you think that getting married would moving a little fast? I mean, we just got back today." Blair said.
"A little fast? We've been dating since freshmen year. The first time I told you I loved you was on Valentine's day during our sophomore year. And that was years ago." Dan told her.
"I understand where you're coming from, but I don't want to get married right now. And it's not that I don't love you. I do, but we just graduated. Don't you think we should be planning careers instead of planning a wedding?" Blair asked.
Dan sighed. Here was the girl he loved with his whole heart. The one that he had been positive would have said yes to a marriage proposal, just told him she wanted to wait. Blair smiled at him and squeezed his hand.
"I'm sorry. I know how much you were counting on me to say yes." Blair said in a sympathetic voice.
"Well, I don't want to push you to do something you're not ready to do. Come on, our dinner reservations are in twenty minutes." Dan said, grabbing Blair's hand.
They walked back to the taxi that Dan had gotten for them. The ride to the restaurant was quiet. Blair didn't know what to say. Dan looked calm on the outside, but she knew better. She had really hurt him. She reached over and grabbed his hand. He looked at her. She smiled.
"I love you, Dan." she said.
"I love you too, Blair." he said.
She placed his hand on her lap, her own hand on top of his. They arrived at the restaurant in minutes. Dan paid the cab driver, before helping Blair out of the taxi. He held her hand as they walked into the restaurant. The waiter showed them their seats. Dan pulled Blair's chair out for her. She smiled at him as he did. Once they were both seated, the waiter gave them their menus.
"Anything to drink?" he asked.
"Yes, two cokes." Dan said.
"Actually make that one coke and a diet root beer." Blair said.
The waiter took their drink orders and walked away. Blair looked at the menu. Dan looked at her. She looked so beautiful.
"Diet root bear?" he asked, wondering where the sudden change came from.
"Yeah. I thought I would try something different tonight. Why? You look shocked." she said.
"Well it's nothing, but it is a little strange. I mean you are the only person I know that threw a fit when a waiter brought you a Dr. Pepper instead of coke." he commented as he looked at the menu.
"I was younger back then. Immature. I've grown up since then." she said.
"That was last year." he said, an innocent smirk appeared on his face.
Blair opened her mouth to say something but the waiter came back with their drinks. He placed their drinks in front of them before taking their orders. Blair waited until he left again to talk. She turned to Dan and smiled.
"I miss that little café in New Haven. You know the one where we had our first dance?" she said, trying to make their awkward conversation a pleasant one.
Dan smiled, remembering that night. It was a cold March night. They had just finished having dinner and he had taken her to a small café where he finished his English assignments. It had been a magical night. They had stayed there until four in the morning, just dancing. As if the rest of the world didn't exist.
"Yeah, I remember." he said, looking up at her.
She smiled back at him. At least he wasn't mad at her. That was enough to get her through the night. The rest of the dinner went by smoothly, a surprise to both of them after the failed proposal. Dan paid the bill before helping Blair put on her coat. They walked out of the restaurant, hand in hand. They couldn't take their eyes off of each other that they didn't see the people that were walking on the street. Dan bumped into another guy, dropping the guys glove.
"I'm sorry." Dan said quickly as he bent down to retrieve the fallen glove.
"It's no problem." said the guy.
"Nate?" Blair asked as she looked at the man in front of her.
Nate looked up and saw her. He smiled his million dollar smile before looking at Dan and smiling at him also.
"Blair! Dan!" Nate said ecstatically.
He hugged Blair. They separated and he shook hands with Dan. He still looked the same, only a bit more mature. His hair was a bit shorter and he was a bit taller, but he was still the same old Nate Archibald. Nate slipped on his glove.
"Wow, you two look amazing." Nate said, still smiling.
"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." Blair said.
"Well, spending summers in Malibu and surfing everyday doesn't do any bad." Nate said.
"So I'm guessing you still live in the city then?" Dan asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, me and my wife live in an apartment on Madison." he told them, his cheer seemed to drop when he mentioned his wife.
"Married already? You seem to be all set." Dan said, laughing a little.
"Yeah, some could say that." Nate said.
The three spoke for a bit, before Nate got a text from his wife urging him to come home.
"Well, it was nice seeing you." Dan said as Nate walked away.
"We should hang out." Nate said before leaving.
"Yes, we should."
"Tomorrow?" Nate asked.
"Sure."
"I'll call you later and give you the details." Nate said as he climbed into the awaiting limo.
Blair and Dan watched as the limo drove off. Blair linked her arm with Dan's as he hailed them a cab. He helped Blair get in. He kept his arm around Blair as they drove through the city, back to Blair's. He kissed her forehead.
"It's strange isn't it?" he said.
"What is?"
"That tonight I propose to you, and we find out Nate's already married." Dan said, still not able to digest it.
"It is strange, but you do know that I'm sorry, don't you?" Blair said, looking up at him.
"I know you are." said Dan.
The rest of the ride was kept silent. His arm never left her. She took a short nap on his shoulder sometime during the cab ride. He gently woke her when they reached her building. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled when she saw him looking down on her.
"Time to go home, sleepy head." he said.
She yawned and got out of the car. She kissed Dan goodnight before heading inside the building. After she stepped into the building, she heard her phone ring, informing her she had received a text. She smiled as saw that it was from Dan.
Get some sleep
She laughed to herself. He was a writer, and yet that was the best he could think about. The elevator doors opened and she stepped out, still looking at her cell phone screen.
"Blair." she heard his voice say.
She looked up from her phone and stared wide eyed at Chuck Bass in her living room. She closed her phone and shoved it into her purse before walking up to him. He sat on one of her mother's imported sofas. She dropped her purse on a chair. She still couldn't muster up anything to say to him.
"Not going to say hi?" he said as he got up from the sofa.
Blair stood where she was. He smiled and walked up to her. His hands in his pockets, just like the Chuck Bass she had known all her life, would do. She smiled at him before speaking.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well since you live here, I came to see you." he said, walking back to the sofa.
"Yes, I can see that but why are you here?" she asked, stepping closer to the sofa.
He sighed. She could see something else was on his mind. Something that she couldn't understand.
"I needed to talk to a friend."
Blair felt her wide eyes get smaller. She had rarely seen the side of Chuck that actually wanted to talk. That was completely unlike him. He was Chuck, and the only thing he liked to do was fuck. But as she stood there right now, she saw the Chuck she had only witnessed when she was eighteen.
"You can talk to me." she said, as she placed her hand on his knee.
He looked up at her and sent her a small, quick smile. He sat up straighter. She took her hand off his knee and settled onto the sofa.
"My life is so messed up." Chuck started.
"How?" Blair asked.
"I just feel like I can't ever be enough for someone. My father expects more. But how can I give him more, when he won't even look at me."
Blair placed her hand back on his knee. She had seen Chuck suffer from his father's constant ignoring. He always tried to hide it from other's, but she could see right through him.
"Sometimes you can't give more. Sometimes you can only give what you have. And what you have is extraordinary." Blair said sincerely.
Chuck looked up at her. Their eyes locked. Her hand stayed on his knee, as if it was permanently glued there.
"So how was your night?" he asked.
"Oh, yeah." she said, as she took her hand off his knee. "Me and Dan went out for dinner."
"Sounds like fun." he said.
"It was. He actually proposed." she said, not looking at Chuck.
"Proposed? So am I looking at the future Mrs. Humphrey?" he asked.
"No." she said quietly.
His eyes grew wide. Why would Blair say no? He decided not to push her. But for some strange reason, he was happy she hadn't said yes.
"Hey do you want some cake? Me and Dan didn't get desert." she said.
"Sure." he said.
Blair went to the kitchen to get them some cake. When she came back, they started talking again. It was like the good old days. They talked about everything, from Chuck working for his father to Blair's annoying college roommate. They talked the whole night. Neither of them noticed the sun had come up until Dorota walked in to the living room. She looked surprised as she saw the two on the sofa. They both turned to look at her.
"Good morning Miss Blair. Mr. Chuck." Dorota said before heading to the kitchen.
Blair watched her leave before getting off the sofa. She found herself laughing. Chuck watched her in confusion.
"What is it?" he asked.
She looked at him and smiled.
"It's just that we just spent the whole night talking. It's just comforting, that's all." she said.
He smiled back at her before he also got up from the sofa. He grabbed his jacket and slipped it on. He looked at her.
"Do you want to grab some breakfast?" he offered.
"No, it's alright. I have to catch up on some sleep." she said, feeling her tiredness kick in.
"I guess I'll see you at dinner then." he said as he walked towards the elevator.
"I wouldn't miss it." she said as he walked into the elevator.
She watched him as the elevator doors closed, leaving her all alone. She felt happiness take over her. She wanted to squeal, but she didn't know why. Was it wrong for her to be looking forward to dinner with Chuck that night? She grabbed her purse and headed upstairs. Her eyes were getting droopier by the second. She reached her bedroom and shut the door behind her.
She shrugged her coat off and kicked her shoes to the side before climbing on top of her bed and pulling the sheets up. She briefly closed her eyes before she heard her phone ring. She groaned but got up to find her phone. She looked at the caller ID. It was Dan. She opened the phone and put it to her ear.
"Hello." she said.
"Good morning." she heard Dan say cheerily.
"Yeah, good morning." Blair said drowsily.
"You seem tired. Did I wake you?"
"No, I was actually going to go to sleep right now."
"Now?"
"Yeah, I uh, stayed up watching old movies with Dorota." she lied.
"Well, get some sleep then. I wouldn't want to you be tired all day."
"I will. What are you up to today?" she asked.
"Me and Nate are going to go golfing." he told her.
"Sounds like fun." she remarked.
"Yeah. I better go, he's going to be here in a few minutes. Get some rest now."
"I will."
"Love you."
"Love you, too." she responded.
She closed her phone and placed it on her side table before plopping down on her pillow. She pulled her silk sheets over her head and instantly fell asleep.
Dan shut his phone and shoved it in his pocket. He heard his father walk into his old bedroom. He looked up at him. Rufus sat down at the edge of his bed. A smile plastered on his face.
"So how was it last night? Am I gaining a daughter-in-law?" Rufus asked.
"No, I'm afraid not."
Rufus's grin dropped.
"What happened?"
"Nothing, just too fast for her. It's not like she doesn't love me." Dan responded.
Rufus let out a sigh of relief. Dan gave him a weird look and opened his mouth to say something, but a knock at the door interrupted him. Dan got up from his seat and grabbed a coat on the way out.
"Me and Nate are going golfing." Dan told his dad.
"Well that's good. Have fun, son."
Dan waved to his father before opening the door. He was expecting Nate but instead was greeted with a man in his late forties, starting to gray and bit over weight in a dark suit and matching hat. Dan looked at him.
"Mr. Archibald is in his limo downstairs waiting for you, Mr…."
"Humphrey." Dan finished for him.
He shut the door behind him and followed the man downstairs. Outside his Brooklyn building, was a long black limo waiting for him. The man opened the door and Dan slid in. The man shut the door before heading to the drivers side. Dan saw Nate drinking a small glass of a clear liquid. He lit up when he saw Dan in the limo with him.
"Hey, man." he said.
"Hey."
The limo started up and drove out of Brooklyn. The two guys enjoyed some small talk, but didn't converse that much. The ride became quiet, but was interrupted but the sound of Nate's phone ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket but quickly turned it off without answering it. He pushed it back into his pocket. Dan watched curiously.
"I'm guessing it was no one important." Dan said.
"Just my wife." Nate said.
"You could have answered it. I don't mind." Dan said.
"I didn't want to answer it. She's a crazy, needy bitch." Nate replied.
"She can't be that bad."
"Yes she is. I don't even know what I saw in her. Maybe it was the money. She wasn't anything special, to be honest. Just another girl with a huge inheritance check. She helped me out of my family's money trouble, so I guess the least I could do was be married to the bitch." Nate told him.
"Do you love her?"
"I tell her I do, but I don't think I do. And I don't think I ever will." Nate said in a dead tone.
"Well at least she said yes to your proposal." Dan said, settling back in his seat.
"You proposed to Blair?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, last night actually. I thought she would say yes, but when she said no, I just felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and stomped on by her highest heels." Dan said.
"Do you know why she said no?"
"She said it was too soon."
"Girls always say that. Maybe you two should try living together and then propose to her."
"Living together?" Dan repeated.
"Yeah, then at least you two will know what married life will be like. It's like a small step."
"Hmmmm." Dan considering what Nate had just said.
Would that actually work? He and Blair living together. Alone. No one else but them. It actually didn't sound that bad. And it wouldn't be moving too fast. Blair would be up for it. He would even move into her penthouse if she wanted him to. The more Dan thought of moving in with her, the more excited he got. Now all he had to do was ask her.
Blair awoke from her nap many hours later. She looked at her appearance. She had been so tired, that she hadn't even gotten out of the dress she had worn the night before. She rubbed her eyes and hauled herself out of bed. She looked at the clock. It was half past five. She had dinner with Chuck at seven thirty. What was she going to wear?
She bounced out of bed and gallivanted towards her closet. She looked through all the dresses. None of them were good enough. She needed to get something new. She quickly changed into a skirt and a shirt and grabbed her handbag before leaving her penthouse to go to Bergdorf's,
She didn't know why she wanted to buy a dress. It was just dinner with Chuck. She should be buying dresses for when she has dinner with Dan, the one she loves with her whole heart. But something inside told her that Chuck didn't deserve to see her in an old dress. That he deserved the very best. These thoughts shook her to the very core.
She arrived at Bergdorf's but saw a swarm of paparazzi around the store. She pushed herself past the "photographers" to get inside the store. Once inside, she immediately saw the cause of commotion. Serena was there as well, looking at dresses. She seemed like the free-spirited Serena she had always known. So happy and full of life.
Blair decided to get out of there before Serena saw her. She was sure Serena's publicist wouldn't like pictures of Serena yelling at her making their way into every magazine out there.
Blair started looking for dresses on the other side of the store. They were all pretty, but none stuck out to her. That was until she saw a royal blue, on strap sitting in the corner. She immediately ran over to it and picked it up. She checked the size. She smiled when she saw it was her size. It was all too perfect.
She took the dress to the check out corner and quickly bought, before Serena saw her. She walked out of the store without being seen. She hailed herself and cab and giddily rode back to her penthouse.
She ran out of the cab and straight in the elevator. She was so excited. She sprinted to her bedroom once the elevator doors opened. She spent time on her hair. Every curl place perfectly. Her makeup pristine and her accessories matched the perfect dress just right. Before she knew it, it was seven thirty.
"Miss Blair. Mr. Chuck is waiting for you." she heard Dorota call.
Blair looked at her reflection and took a deep breath before she opened her bedroom door and left. The butterflies in her stomach flew freely.