AN- As always a big thankyou to my beta bsloths for going through this.
Good morning Upper East Siders, guess who we saw coming out of Chuck Bass's limo last night? The last we had seen of Charlotte Wilkins had been by the side of Nate Archibald but by the sight of this picture Meloryrose sent me it seems B's very own protégé has learned to aim higher. My congratulations B, looks like you have taught well…Let's just hope now that this time it lasts longer than most of C's encounters.
X.O.X.O. Gossip Girl
"Ha!" Blair exclaims triumphantly as she finishes reading the latest blast.
"Ha? Is that your reaction to it? Ha?" Dan looks up from his own phone, "how much of this is your doing Waldorf?"
Blair turns to look at him a little cautiously; she hadn't exactly roped in Dan into her latest plans yet. She stalls for a second before realizing that this really was just Humphrey, "Oh! Relax, will you? I just introduced the two of them. It's not like I have opened a dating agency now, is it?"
Dan shakes his head at her, "I cannot believe this Blair. Hadn't we decided that Charlotte's love life was not ours to play with?"
"How about jogging your memory a bit, Cabbage Patch? You didn't have as many reservations when you were scheming to get her together with Nate."
"First of all, it hasn't been even two weeks since that one blew up on our faces and secondly, yeah, I was on board that time because it was Nate! Give or take a few brain cells that guy is actually nice, but Chuck Bass? What kind of old vengeance do you hold against Charlotte Wilkins?"
Blair narrows her eyes at him; sometimes she just wonders why she stands him anyhow, "Humphrey, will you stop jumping to conclusions. I'm not pushing Charlotte into anything this time."
Dan gives her a skeptic look, "So you said the last time."
"Well, this time I actually mean it. She doesn't even like him. All I have done is opened her choice to more upper class men and nothing serious will come out of it anyway. Chuck isn't the easiest person to like, you know."
"You liked him!" he retorts.
"Yeah, well. I associate with you now. So, it's already been established that I'm certainly not flaw proof."
Dan rubs his temples, "I think I'm getting a headache."
"Don't worry about that. It's not like you use it all that often. Just do as I say and it will all fall in place."
Ignoring the combination of a half smirk-half smile look Blair has seemed to have perfected, he picks up his jacket and heads out of the door.
"Where are you going, Humphrey?"
"To save Charlotte from starring in another sequel of The Blair Witch Project."
He isn't angry. He doesn't have the energy for it any more. He is … Confused. With the whole Nate-Charlotte thing behind them, him having confessed his feelings to Nate and Serena (even going as far as getting their blessings), he had been thinking that it was finally time for Blair and him to focus on them. He wasn't naïve to think that Blair was in love with him too, but he wasn't that blind either. There was something between them; Blair just didn't want to look at it.
And he had really hoped that now when her head was free of matchmaking ideas she would have the time to take a clearer look at the entire, 'Maybe we're more than friends-we certainly did make out' situation they were in.
Clearly, it was not to happen soon.
The other thing was Charlotte…He just didn't trust Chuck, never had, never would. And whatever hope Blair had out of this couple he was not going to get another girl roped in into another of their games.
"You, don't like him or anything. Do you?"
Charlotte takes a quick sip from her soda before answering, "Who? Chuck. Noooo." She makes a face, "That Gossip Girl blast this morning was misleading. Blair had taken me to this Charity Gala last night and then after introducing me to Chuck, she disappeared. I couldn't get a cab back and Chuck offered to drop me back."
"That's it?" He can't help being skeptic, "Chuck Bass was being nice?"
Charlotte nodded, "I thought it was strange too. However, he was very curious about you and Blair?"
Dan looked at her more closely, "What do you mean?"
She shrugged, "You know, what is the nature of your relationship, did Blair spend a lot of time with you. So on and so forth." She let out a little chuckle, "he wanted to know if there was any chance you guys were dating or something."
Dan looked down at his plate, hiding his face with a sudden interest in his fries, "What did you tell him?" he asked quietly.
She shrugged once more, wondering why was he asking her an obvious question, "Why the truth of course? That you and Blair were just friends and that's that." Her eyes widened a little as she thought back, "I was right. Wasn't I?"
Dan looks at her and cracks a smile at the anxiety on her face, "Yes. Yes you were right."
Charlotte sighs, "I knew it. Chuck is hallucinating if he thinks they could be anything going on between Blair Waldorf and you. It's already a big deal that you two have managed to become friends."
He smiles, unable to give an answer in words.
Finishing her food, Charlotte thanks him, "Thank you for lunch Dan. I had no idea I was craving a cheeseburger. All the fancy food Blair forces you to eat gets to you after some time."
Dan laughs, "I know exactly what you mean," he smiled pleasantly at her, "and you're welcome," he said, laying an affectionate hand on hers.
And as dumb and oblivious as Dan Humphrey can be at times he completely misses the shy smile Charlotte throws at him.
It's only in the evening that Blair gets a chance to get out of her penthouse. She had left the NYU dormitory sometime before, preferring instead to get back to the familiarity of her space and Dorota. There was also the constant worry of running into Dan Humphrey. She wasn't avoiding him, not as a rule at least. She just didn't think it was necessary that she must face the disappointed look he gets in his eyes when he sees her.
It bothers her. Angers her, of course, because he really has no right to judge her, question her motives or make her into some sort of villain when she's only trying to help. But it also hurts her a bit. She really hadn't tried to force Chuck and Charlotte together. Yes, it's convenient but she was done with match making.
As such.
It wouldn't hurt though if Charlotte figured out the way into the inner Upper East Side Circle on her own. Of course a tiny little shove from Blair's side would be necessary to get her over the threshold. Frankly, as far as she was concerned Dan Humphrey was overreacting as per usual. She was only helping Charlotte keep her eyes open. Really.
Introducing her to Chuck had been easy. Since their break up, the two had fallen back into a mutually beneficial friendship where they admired and often helped the other with their plans for world dominion. It wasn't easy, considering it had been but a year back that they had professed their love for each other, But that boat had since sailed away. Now, she knew exactly what made Chuck Bass tick. And as far as women were concerned, Chuck Bass's type was limited to the combination of XY chromosome.
But even she had been surprised by how easily Chuck had fallen into a conversation with Charlotte. Mostly, he would be suspicious if Blair was the one introducing him to another woman, but he had seemed enthusiastic even by his standards. She had last seen them drinking and talking together at the bar when she had quietly slipped out of the charity function. Perhaps there was hope for Chuck Bass and Charlotte Wilkins after all.
It's with these thoughts that she enters the dorm room of Charlotte and is satisfied to see her in a very happy mood, "Well, someone is jovial today," she comments on entering.
Charlotte grins and Blair takes a surprised step back. The girl looks different, like nice different. Like I could be in love and could not keep it a secret different. Her hair was back to its orange and she wore it in a nice braid and the cream of her flowy dress (the kind Blair would never wear herself but did wonders for Charlottes' blossoming figure) only made the look more subtle.
"You look…different." Because the fact that she is presently surprised does not mean she is about to shower any one with compliments, "your hair…"
"Back to fiery red, I know…" Charlotte tells her but offers no further explanation. It's only when Blair throws a withering glare at her, because she never did have a thing for silly coyness that Charlotte answers, "someone told me that he prefers me the way I am."
Blair raises an eyebrow, "He? Would I know this certain someone?"
Charlotte blushes, "You do. Very well in fact."
The brunette hides back a triumphant smile; apparently the thing with Chuck had gone better than she had anticipated. Even though she was a little surprised that Chuck had actually told her something like that, "So tell me more. What else have you and this certain someone have been up to?"
"Don't you want me to tell you who he is?"
Blair shakes her head, "Let's not jinx it. The last time we mentioned a man's name Jenny Humphrey came and ruined it all. I know who it is and I'm very happy to tell you that even though I had promised myself I would not fix up anyone anymore, you have my full blessings."
Charlotte throws her arms around her and Blair has to detangle herself with a bit of distaste, "Oh! Thank you so much Blair. I thought you would not approve."
Blair takes two careful steps back, "Approve? Why would I not approve of such a match?"
Charlotte nods, "He really is nice. Very attentive."
Blair keeps her sarcasm at check, "I'm sure he is. So tell me what all have you been two up to."
And Charlotte explains her how they had gone for lunch and how he had held her hand through it all.
"Held you hand?" Chuck had never done anything like that with her. To come to think of it they had never gone out a lunch date before either. It was always food at the Empire, mostly in bed if they did not have the energy to get out of it. She feels a twinge of jealously as Charlotte continues, "Oh! Blair, he is just so nice. I think I could be in love with him."
Blair sighs, if this was true then she should better prepare herself for a Dan Humphrey lecture on non-interference and letting people be and so and so forth. She was also afraid that it would start with something like I-told-you-so. It was not going to be pretty. She would get defensive, he would get angry and they wouldn't speak to each other for sometime more.
She didn't know why it bothered her so much.
Getting over her dilemma, she goes back to more important matters at hand and she advices Charlotte that it was now necessary that she observe the man in question's behavior with utmost attention and then they would know how to plan their next move.
A week passes and she pointedly ignores Humphrey for the most of it. The only class they share is Rick's and there are more important things to do in there (like look at the two timing bastard straight in the eye till he squirms) that she does not have the time to deal with Humphrey.
It crosses her mind though that there is something missing about her day when she doesn't talk to him. She later concludes it to be her missing the coffee Humphrey brought for her each morning. She makes Dorota run coffee errands each morning after that.
She makes it a point to meet Charlotte every other day though. Gossip Girl has been unusually quiet about the whole thing and she needs the Chuck-Charlotte details from the horse's mouth itself.
"Well…Well. Have the two of you made it to the bedroom yet?"
Charlotte blushes; "No" she says quickly, "he's too much of a gentleman to rush things."
Blair stares at her agape, "You've got to be kidding me."
Charlotte gives her a surprised look, "Why do you sound so surprised? It's only been three dates."
Three dates. She had just met Chuck the other day and he had not as much as mentioned Charlotte. This was getting more and more absurd by the minute.
"Uh…So what all have you guys been doing?"
Charlotte grins happily and the flush on her cheek was getting redder and more irritating by the minute, "Well, there was this lunch and then we went the other day for a movie. He even took me down to Brooklyn to some art shows."
Blair almost has a heart attack, "And you mean to say that in the midst of this you haven't had sex."
Charlotte finally looses a bit of the Cheshire grin, "Now that you mention it, it does sound strange. We haven't even kissed yet. But I guess he's too sweet to want to sleep with a girl on the third date."
She obviously hadn't heard the girl right, "You mean Chuck. And Chuck is exactly the type to want to sleep with you on the first date. Actually he doesn't even wait for it to be a date."
"I'm sure. But why would I be interested in Chuck Bass's sexual routines?"
Blair takes a seat, takes two quick breaths and looks at the girl in front calmly, "You have been dating Chuck Bass haven't you?"
There is a gasp and then a giggle from the other girl, "Chuck Bass? Whatever gave you that idea B? I'm talking about Dan."
Blair is glad she is sitting down, "Dan Humphrey?" she manages.
Charlotte laughs again and explains in detail how Dan had been the best company the past week. And Blair realizes that this is what he had been doing while she had been ignoring him. And there she had been thinking that he would have been miserable without her. A bit like she had been feeling.
"So," she questions, curbing the sudden anger down to minimum, "is it official then?"
Dan and Charlotte. Charlotte and Dan. It makes her sick. She cannot believe Dan was such a hypocrite. All this time he had been warning her not to attach Charlotte with anyone and it had been only because he had wanted her for himself.
"Well…" Charlotte pauses, "he hasn't really said anything. But I'm sure he likes me too. Don't you remember how he had been the one to dance with me the night nobody had wanted to?"
Blair remembers. She had thanked him that night for looking out for Charlotte. How was she to know?
She excuses herself after a while, saying that she did not feel too good. Charlotte stops her, "B? what's wrong? You don't look happy."
Blair declines. Of course she was happy. She makes a move to go and then something makes her stop, turning around she looks at Charlotte, "Are you sure? Dan Humphrey is a bit too Brooklyn for Mr. Right. "
"Oh! C'mon Blair, how can you say that? He is your friend now?"
"Yeah." She says softly, "Yeah. He is."
But Charlotte is not assured. She looks at her friend intently and asks if she thought Dan was only playing with her, "You're close. You would know." She goes as much as to say that she would not have presumed to think of it first herself had it not been for Blair herself who had advised her to observe him carefully and for all it had only strengthened her earlier belief that Dan did like her.
The bitter feelings occasioned by this speech, the many bitter feelings, made the utmost exertion necessary on Blair's side, to enable her to say on reply, "Charlotte, I will only venture to declare, that Humphrey is the last man in the world, who would intentionally give any woman the idea of his feelings for her more than he really does."
Charlotte seems ready to worship her friend for a sentence so satisfactory, and Blair was only saved from raptures and fondness, which at the moment would have been a dreadful pain, by the sound of her phone ringing. It was Dorota and she needed to go home to decide which dress to send for dry cleaning.
She leaves the campus bewildered and confused. When and how had this happened? And why on earth did she feel so rotten about it?
Not in the mood to go home she makes her way to a coffee shop. It is only when she had seated herself at a place which she recognizes does she remember that she had come here before with Humphrey. The coffee tastes heavenly and she assumes that this is where Dan used to get her coffee from. She approves of his taste.
Only in caffeinated beverages though.
It's with a feeling of losing something that she remembers the day they had spent together during the play. They had talked movies, theater, art and books and she had never held more lively conversations with anyone.
She had never felt more alive.
She remembers their first kiss during rehearsals, she remembers that night in Brooklyn and the look in his eyes when she had told him to go back. She remembers his concern about dating a professor. And she isn't a fool to not know that the two had had a brawl regarding literature. He was looking out for her. He was always looking out for her.
Oh! Had she not bought Charlotte forward! Had she left her where she ought, and where he had told her he ought! Things would have been different today. She was sure of it. She and Dan would not have been as distant as they had been lately.
How had she been so blind?
With sudden tears springing to her eyes, Blair pays for her coffee and makes her way out. Her heart pounding, her head confused.
And it is like someone has left a colorful fountain open that it finally dawns on her. She knows now, had suspected a bit for sometime but had been to vain to give it much thought.
She was in love with Dan Humphrey.
And there was nothing she could do about it now.
AN- I hope you liked it. Please do review!