AN- A couple of movies and shows have found their way into this chapter. Hope you like this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
A huge thanks to bsloths for beta reading this.
As it turns out, the lead pair of the NYU annual play barely look at each other in the eye on the final day.
And that kiss in the end turns out to be a hurried, quick peck on the lips; so quick like the other was poisoned.
The theatre majors scowl from back stage. Why had they ever agreed to let English majors play the lead?
Richard Clampton on the other hand looks purely disappointed. Perhaps he had seen just too much in Blair Waldorf. She still was very pretty, he thinks, consoling himself.
Charlotte Wilkins in the audience just waits with bated breath. She knows that Blair would come back in a fit of rage and she needs to be prepared to do whatever Blair needs to feel better.
And amidst all this, sits a very amused Nate Archibald. Blair hated Dan, sure. But he had never seen either of them so uncomfortable with each other before. What exactly was going on between these two?
Well. That went well. Dan mocks himself, picking up his stuff and making his way out of the makeup room.
"Dude!" A very happy with himself Nate Archibald stops him on his way, "What was that?"
Like he knows. Even when they had hated each other in high school they had managed a perfect act.
And they didn't hate each other now. Not really.
And hadn't they just sort of kissed, very passionately at that, at the last rehearsal?
So. No. He has no idea what that was.
"How is it going with Charlotte?" He asks instead, wanting to change the subject.
Nate's sparkling eyes dim a bit and he frowns at Dan, "Yeah. About that…Dude, I know she's your cousin and all but…" He trails off and for a second Dan is tempted to just tell him that Charlotte was as much as his cousin as the sky was green and he didn't have to do any of this.
But then his eyes turn to his right as he catches a pair of Purple Jimmy Choo shoes turn the corner.
Blair.
She would not even bother to kill him this time. He would guess an 80-20 to be buried alive.
More importantly she would be heartbroken. She had put so much into this. In her argument he'll say that she was only trying to make the world a better place…
So Dan Humphrey finds himself encouraging Nate Archibald to give his 'cousin' another chance.
"Bring her to Blair's New Year's party." He pleads with him.
He watches as Nate contemplates for a moment and then reluctantly agrees.
Dan sighs in gratitude.
Now, he just has Christmas to get over with.
It's one of those rare December days when the sun is actually shining and Blair finds herself sitting on a bench in the middle of the campus taking in all the sun she can.
It's a very NYUish thing to do and she hates herself for it but these days she has been doing way too many of these university things. But if she really comes to think of it, and even though they are still instances where she sticks out like a sore thumb, she has been feeling more and more one with the place these days.
She isn't sure if she is happy or not about it. (Someday, perhaps someday she will thank Humphrey for all of this.)
The sun hits her hair and bounces off into a million particles lending a golden sheen to her otherwise brown hair. She closes her eyes in satisfaction.
The thing with Nate and Charlotte has been going on better than she expected. Just yesterday Charlotte had informed her that Nate had asked her to go with him to the New Year's Eve party Blair was throwing.
She sighs pleasantly. Nate must really like Charlotte.
Now, she just has Christmas to get over with.
Christmas morning she finds a very haggard looking Humphrey in her living room.
"I come in peace." He says, extending his hand out to her, "and the Yule spirit."
Blair looks at his hand and then back at him. Now that she had calmed down and was back in the UES , she could think clearly.
There was a possibility this wasn't his doing after all.
She takes his hand, "Apology accepted Cabbage Patch."
She then takes a good look at his rumpled hair and creased shirt, "Did you run all the way from Brooklyn for this?" She quirks up an eyebrow and smirks at him, "I'm touched."
"Funny." He deadpans, "But I was running around." He says as he picks up the bag he left on the coffee table, "looking for a Christmas present for you is sure not an easy job."
Blair's eyes go round with shock and he silently prides himself on catching her off guard.
"You bought me a Christmas present?"
"I did say I came in peace."
She still hasn't been able to fathom it. In fact sometimes she has trouble figuring him out all together.
But she did love presents.
Very tentatively, Dan hands her the package and she unwraps it with as much care.
It's a green silk scarf. She touches it, it's soft and supple and she loves the subtle sheen it gets when the light falls on it.
It's…
"It's beautiful…" She says honestly.
And so much for cold Christmas Day, it's suddenly stifling in the room.
He takes the scarf from her hand and slowly folds it into two, taking two steps closer to where Blair is standing.
"Do you know something?" She asks suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"This is my first Christmas present this year."
His eyes meet hers and perhaps it's because it's too early and Humphrey hadn't been around to get her coffee but she continues, "Mother and Cyrus decided to spend Christmas on a cruise this year."
He then understands. This was not about presents.
"Why didn't you go to Paris then?" He asks curiously.
"Ughhh…" She makes a face, "Chuck is holidaying there. I'll be sure to run into him."
"About that…" And now that he has started it seems that the rambling would continue, "Why him?" he asks even though really it wasn't his place and hadn't he said so himself that they were two deprived souls meant for each other?
Blair laughs at first, a soft bitterish laugh and then sobers up as she looks at him seriously, "because he is the only one who loved me more than he loved Serena."
Dan isn't expecting that. He knew the two friends shared issues, but he didn't know they ran so deep.
And he doesn't know how to defend himself against her statement.
He isn't sure why he wants to.
So instead he takes another step closer and slowly loops the scarf around Blair's neck, "Why are you telling me this Blair?" he asks quietly.
"I don't know Humphrey." Blair answers. "Maybe, because I like you."
His hands still at the scarf and before he can ask her if she was on crack or something, she continues, "You know, the way I like my cabbage patch dolls. It's kind of pathetic."
He nods, swallowing a nervous lump forming in his mouth.
Quietly, he finishes his ministrations, putting the two ends of the scarf inside a loop and forming a knot at her throat.
"There, it fits." He says, taking a step back and admiring his handiwork.
She rolls her eyes at him and then smiles, her fingers lightly moving over the material.
He finds himself smiling back into those brown eyes.
Because the truth is he likes his cabbage patch dolls as well.
And it is kind of pathetic.
When he gets home there is a package lying at his door.
Bibbity Bobbity Boo…' The card on the top read and Dan instantly recognizes the magic words Fairy Godmother uses on Cinderella.
Inside, there is a brand new Navy Blue blazer with a note that reads, 'Stuff that ego of yours and wear this for my New Year's party. I refuse to be seen with you in that ridiculous long tie and flannels.'
He should be offended. He really should, but he is too busy smiling.
AN- So? Do review? Anything in particular you want happening at the upcoming New Year's party?