Disclaimer: I own notta.

Author's Note: Well, my goodness it's been awhile! I apologize, work just got extremely hectic for awhile. I promise most of my updates will come a lot quicker than this one did! I want to thank everyone who's favorited(only on FF is that an verb), alerted, and reviewed this story! I've tried to respond to most privately, but for those who don't have accounts or didn't hear from me(I'm sorry!): THANK YOU!

HUGE HUGE HUGE Thank You to ivorykeys09 for beta-ing AND suggesting this word. She was on double-duty this chapter :) And my loves over on Tumblr - you make my Dair heart skip a beat. Couldn't do any of my writing without you guys!

There is some things you must know before reading this chapter: 1. I could have easily gone M, but I hate making my babies go OOC so I decided not to. 2. I almost re-wrote this entire chapter after seeing the 5x18 promo, but decided that would be a stand-alone down the road. 3. This talks place sometime during their internship in Season Four. Everything up until that point happened - just no Louis.

Now that I've bored you to tears - Enjoy!

Elevator

"I've always been one to like my space. I really don't need strangers - especially poorly groomed strangers - invading my Chanel No. 5 'personal bubble'. That, of course, means elevators are some of my most detested places. Fortunately, I don't make a habit of climbing into just any elevator in any building. Apparently, Humphrey's mission in life must be to prove every assumption I have wrong – and he's done a fairly decent job thus far."

Blair Waldorf never ran late. Running late was a luxury that the less important and far less noticeable had the privilege of using, but since she was far from either of those, she made it a point to set three separate alarms.

The first was set an hour before she actually had wake up; Blair liked to think of it as her "you have one last hour – make it count" alarm. The second alarm was set fifteen minutes before she needed to wake up; she liked to think of it as her "fifteen minutes – there is no sense going back to sleep, so start making your to-do list while you have the time" alarm. Then the third and final alarm, unlike the first two, was actually set on an actual alarm clock and not her phone. The clock was set on the vanity so she had to actually get out of bed to shut it off. It had the worst sound of all - two large bells made sure it woke her and the majority of the Upper East Side up. Blair liked to think of to as her "get the hell out bed and start picking out your outfit" alarm.

It was a system that never failed. A system that she had used since her time at Constance. A system that proved just how much of an overachiever she was. Over the years Blair found herself boasting about the setup. It was obviously something that set her apart from the crowds in high school, the masses in college, and now the select few at W Magazine. This system was her safety blanket. This system was fail proof.

Until today.

Today Yves Saint Laurent wearing, Jimmy Choo stomping, and Chanel smelling Blair Waldorf was pushing her way through the morning rush to get in the doors of the large, familiar building of W Magazine. She had practically begged her driver to ramp curves and run over several pedestrians in hopes she would make it there with at least a moment to breath. Unfortunately, no begging in the entire world could have helped the severe traffic they'd encountered. Blair had even been so desperate as to almost suggest she walk the rest of the way, but decided she might as well look put together instead of windblown if she was going to march in late.

In hindsight, she was probably overreacting. The majority of the interns and even several of the regular staff walked in after Blair. But that wasn't the point. She had something to prove and she wasn't about to be grouped with the irrelevant masses. No, she was born to stand out in a crowd and she expected to do so in every way possible. Plus, beating Dan Humphrey into the office had become a small victory in itself.

Blair would never admit, but he was actually good at his job. Sure, she had learned early on that he was intuitive and intelligent, but the fact that he could actually complete with her standard of work was beyond annoying. She had expected him to do his fair share of sucking up (he was good at that) but would soon melt into the standard while she continually came out on top. That day had yet to come and his brown nosing had slowed substantially. Once he realized he didn't need it to make himself known he stopped wasting his time.

Sure, her bitterness toward his lack of revealing where his internship would be had worn off. After all, she hadn't disclosed those details to him either. She would even go far to say that there were days she actually enjoyed him being a part of her internship experience. He made her work load a tad easier, the conversations were always enthralling, and the banter kept her on her toes. She ignored the fact that sometimes her eyes lingered in his direction for a moment too long. And that she didn't feel like her morning had actually started until he came over, leaned himself against her desk, and discussed the film or book he had just found in some no-named second hand shop in Brooklyn.

Dan Humphrey had become Blair Waldorf's escape from all the pressure in her life. And he knew nothing of it.

But all that aside: he was still competition. He was the steepest of competition and Blair always came out on top.

Today she was most definitely not going to beat her friendly rival into the office, but that didn't slow her pace as she made it across the main floor lobby. Flashing her I.D. at the familiar security guard, she reached the elevator and was slightly relieved to find herself standing alone. She was already at her wits' end and she wasn't sure she could bear standing in a crowded elevator for the sixteen-floor ride.

She pushed the "up" button several times and glanced up anxiously while she waited for the door to open. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the elevator to the far left opened and Blair practically ran toward the empty compartment. She quickly hit the button to floor sixteen and took in a calming breath.

The doors were almost closed when suddenly an arm slipped in between and Blair practically jumped at the sudden appearance of another entity. She blinked several times, allowing the shock to wear off. Her words seemed to be stuck in her throat as the new occupant of the elevator walked the short distance to the back corner. The man only looked at her once he had settled calmly against the edge.

"Good morning, Waldorf." Dan Humphrey said, holding out one of the disposable coffee cups in his hand, "Figured you'd need a little pick me up."

The expression on her face could probably melt Hell, but his quirky smirk never faltered as he continued to hold out his offering. She gave him a one over, probably looking more judgmental than observational, but she was really just taking in his appearance. She had never been one to find his attire at all appealing let alone suitable for a given occasion. Today he wore a pair of fitted dark jeans, his usual petticoat, and those obnoxiously pointed leather shoes. She assumed his top was some sort of sports jacket or male cardigan. Typical. Dan Humphrey was typical.

Or at least that's what Blair told herself. She told herself that when Dan would skip lunch and she'd be left alone in the break room. She told herself that when she saw one of the other interns standing too close during a casual conversation with him. She told herself that when he'd make a witty comment during their morning staff meetings and she could literally hear the other interns' panties drop. She told herself that when she'd find herself dialing his number at night as she settled in to watch another classic.

Blair Waldorf spent a lot of her time telling herself just how typical Dan Humphrey was and even more time convincing herself she didn't need typical. She needed extraordinary.

"Late night last night?" Dan asked, breaking her rapid train of thought.

He still held the coffee out for her to take and finally, coming out of her daydreams, she reached out and took the warm cup. She immediately pressed it to her lips and tasted the familiar sweetened and creamy concoction. She rolled her eyes; it was so typical of Dan Humphrey to know just exactly how she took her coffee.

"No later than yours," Blair commented, feeling the small drop in her stomach, as the elevator started moving.

"I just figured with House on Haunted Hill being so – not up your alley," Dan smirked, taking a drink of his own cup, "You'd have a bit some trouble falling asleep."

"Don't flatter yourself, Humphrey," Blair said, leaning against the other side of the elevator, "Vincent Price stopped scaring me after House of Wax."

"Whatever you say," Dan shrugged, "So your sudden gasps during the movie were just because I have that kind of affect on you? Good to know."

Blair could feel the heat in her cheeks rising and she inwardly cursed herself for allowing Dan Humphrey of all people to turn her into this sort of crushing schoolgirl. She kept her cool exterior and opened her mouth to come back at his comment, but the sudden jerk of the elevator made her yelp instead.

"What was that?" Blair asked, her nerves breaking through her calm voice, "We're only on the seventh floor – we shouldn't be stopping. The door isn't opening. Is no one getting on? Why aren't we moving? We're going to be late. We're already late."

"Blair, take a breath," Dan pushed himself off the rail and walked closer to her, reaching out to push the "Open Door" button.

Blair took a sharp intake of breath and realized how close he was to her when his cologne and black coffee filled her senses. Idly, she found herself thinking it was a smell she could easily get used to. Her eyes closed momentarily before opening them to realize the door wasn't opening on his command. Her heart rate spiked at the sudden feeling of being trapped.

"Why isn't it opening?" Blair's voice cracked and she pushed Dan's hand aside, trying her own hand at pushing the button. Like it would suddenly make the elevator realize that someone important was aboard and it would immediately open.

Nothing of the sort happened.

"It's stuck." Dan stepped back and looked up at the row of numbers above the door. "We must be stuck between the seventh and eighth floor."

"Well thank you for that brilliant insight," Blair glared, "And how does that help our situation?"

"The same way your edgy sarcasm does," Dan looked back at her.

Blair rolled her eyes and looked around the controls, finding the door for the emergency phone. She quickly picked it up and waited impatiently for someone to pick up on the other side.

"Hello?" Blair nearly yelled, "Yes, hi, my name is Blair Waldorf and I am stuck in your elevator. Which one? I don't know – the one that's not moving! Now I'm going to be late for my internship. This is a very important internship with W Magazine, not that I expect you to – hey!"

She quickly protested as Dan took the phone from her hand and decided it would be best for him to continue this conversation. Ignoring her complaining, he placed it to his ear, "Hi. Yes, we're stuck in the elevator on the far left if you're facing the elevators. It looks like we're between floors seven and eight. Okay, do you know how long it will take? Sure, yeah we're not going anywhere. Thanks."

Dan hung up the phone and looked back at Blair with an annoyed expression. She just crossed her arms and shook her head, "Well, did they say how long?"

"They're getting their maintenance team to look at it. He'll update us as soon as they know something." Dan walked back over to the other side of the elevator and leaned against the wall.

Blair shook her head, pulling out her cell phone to call the magazine and inform them why they'd be late. She couldn't stop the frustrated groan that escaped her lips at the lack of bars in the corner of her screen.

"Great," Blair stomped her shoe childishly, "No service. Do you have service?"

"The elevators are a dead zone," Dan commented lazily, "Everyone knows that."

"Apparently not everyone," Blair bit back.

"Apparently."

Silence fell over them. Blair crossed her arms over her chest, tempted to tap her toe in impatience, but in the quiet atmosphere it would certainly annoy both her and Dan. So instead she tapped her fingers in a wave formation against her coat sleeve.

At first her mind drifted toward all of the things she needed to get done. If she had just been on time, or early, she wouldn't be dealing with this problem. Then she found her eyes glancing toward Dan, slightly thankful it was him she was stuck with. A stranger would no doubt try to make petty, unneeded small talk, and being by herself would probably have her nerves completely fried. At least with him there he would keep her calm and centered.

He did that a lot for her. More than she was willing to admit.

When the phone rang almost fifteen minutes late Blair jumped, gripping her chest in surprise. Dan pushed himself off the rail once again and went toward the phone that was closer to Blair, but she was obviously too surprised to move toward it.

"Hello," Dan answered, his voice always so smooth and calm, "Um, yeah I guess we have to be. Sure, okay, thanks. Oh – hey, can you do us a favor? My name is Dan Humphrey and I'm with Blair Waldorf. We're both interns at W Magazine. Can you tell them we're stuck and we'll be there as soon as we're um – unstuck? Great, thanks."

Blair knew he did that for her. She didn't have to ask and she didn't even have to hint that she wanted him to. He just did it. Blair couldn't help but genuinely smile at him when he hung up the phone.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Dan smiled at her.

Their eyes connected for longer than necessary and Blair felt her heart rate spike again for the second time that day. Blair would never admit it aloud, but the temperature between them had been steadily growing since winter break. She first realized it when her arm accidently grazed his at the cinema and her breath caught in her throat. It had been a harmless graze, but the sensation of her bare arm against his was enough to send her back into a hormone raging teenager. Then there had been the constant need she felt after that to reach out in touch him or have him sit as close to her as possible.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be! She wasn't supposed to fall for someone from Brooklyn, especially Dan Humphrey. She had tried to convince herself that this was nothing but a mere crush; sexual deprivation made a person do crazy things, but that was a poor excuse. Especially since she knew that all she had to do was show interest and Chuck would have her in a moment. But she didn't want Chuck. She'd rather have built up sexual frustration and late night debates with Dan than guaranteed sexual rendezvous with Chuck.

Blair Waldorf of today would make the Blair Waldorf of Constance die a thousand deaths, but the Blair of today was far happier than that Blair could ever imagine.

"How long?" Blair finally broke the intense silence between them.

"At least an hour or so," Dan admitted, almost nervous to see the kind of reaction this news would bring.

Blair was exhausted. Blair was stressed. Blair needed a break. Maybe this was the world's way of giving it to her. Inside this seven by seven elevator there wasn't much she could do, and for that fact she was almost grateful. She took in a deep breath and brought her coffee cup up to her lips, but stopped suddenly.

"I suppose that means I should stop drinking this coffee," Blair smiled.

Dan laughed, "Yeah, I guess that's not a bad idea."

Dan grabbed the strap of his messenger bag and removed it from his shoulder. Blair watched as he dropped it to the ground and took a seat on the floor next to it. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of how dirty these floors were and how there was no doubt plenty of spilled coffee, crumbs, and God only knew what else residing beneath her feet. Dan didn't miss her disgusted facial expression and couldn't help that even it melted his heart.

"So you're going to stand the whole time?" Dan let his legs go straight out in front of him as he looked up at Blair from his spot in the corner.

"This is a Marc Jacobs' coat – straight off the runway - and under that is a Yves Saint Laurent dress," Blair argued. "I am not about tarnish it with leftover lunches, cheap coffee, or other unknown substances."

Dan shook his head, but dropped the subject. They fell into another comfortable silence as Dan pulled a book out of his bag and Blair went to scribbling something down in her leather bound calendar. Dan felt his eyes straying from the written word to the long legs standing barely three feet away, but he didn't let them stray long. The last thing he needed was her accusing him of being some sort of pervert. He let his eyes trail up to where she was gently nibbling on the top of her pen, oblivious to the fact that she now had an audience.

She was beautiful. Not just in her general looks, although those alone would stop traffic, but in her demeanor. Sure, she could be harsh and cold to strangers, but as Dan began to get to know Blair he realized just how much of an act that really was. How compassionate she was to those she cared about and how passionate she was about life in general. It was moments like this, or like the ones at his Brooklyn loft, that he preferred; the moments when she felt comfortable enough to be her genuine self; no games, no protection mechanisms, no attitude. Simply Blair.

He was pulled away from his thoughts, and the sentence he had now read over thirteen times, when he heard the soft clicking of her heels. At first he thought it was her annoyed, anxious habit of tapping her toe, but when he looked up he saw she was slightly swaying from one foot to another. When he glanced down at her shoes he immediately knew why.

"Those shoes look comfortable," Dan commented with a smirk.

"They're meant to look at or for walking short distances," Blair bit down on her lip in pain, "Not impromptu stand-ins."

Dan rolled his eyes. He wasn't about to allow her to stand the rest of them time in pain. They still probably had at least a good hour still, if not longer, and if she was already in pain now, her feet would probably swell and burst before they moved again. He sat his book down on the floor next to him and leaned forward, beginning to undo the buttons of his coat. It wasn't long before the coat was off and beside him in a cushion-like formation.

"There, now sit," Dan pointed at his coat on the ground.

Blair knew her eyes went wide as she stared at him. It was a small gesture, but to her it meant so much more. She was from wealth. She had dated wealth her entire life. She knew what it was like to receive lavish gifts or grand gestures, but small sentimental things were a near never in her life. It had been Nate's style when he thought that's what she wanted and Chuck had even done it on occasion when he wanted to get what he wanted, but never just because.

Dan expected a sarcastic comment about his choice of coat or lack of style, but instead she remained quiet. She looked at him for quite sometime before setting her bag on the floor to remove her own coat, which she tossed across her bag, and then moved to take a seat next to him.

"Thanks, Humphrey," She smiled at him. "If they're not hurting they're not helping, right?"

Dan laughed and watched as Blair moved to remove the abusive footwear. She leaned over toward him as she did so and his breath hitched. She smelled like jasmine and lavender. He had been close enough before to catch her scent numerous times, but every time made his heart skip. He watched her little toes stretch beneath her sheer black tights and couldn't help but smile. For some reason he felt like he was experience a moment in Blair's lifestyle that very few got to see, but that she did quite often.

"You don't need the help, Blair. I'm sure you'd look great in bunny slippers," Dan commented, almost immediately regretting the words coming out of his mouth.

He had fought so hard to keep his feelings neutral toward her. He knew it would end in nothing but heartache for him, but there he was falling more and more for her with every wrinkle of her nose or twitch of her toes. He didn't meet Blair's eyes, but he could tell she was looking at him. Instead he just tilted his head back to lean against the elevator wall.

Blair's eyes were on his for quite some time. She hoped he would look at her, but he never did. She curled her legs up under her, sitting with knees facing toward him. She wondered how they had gotten to this point. Not the elevator per se, but their relationship. For the longest time Dan had simply been an addition to Serena. He wasn't his own person even, or at least not in Blair's mind. She had been an addition to Serena to him. They didn't have a connection if Serena wasn't in the picture, but yet here they were. Having long, meaningful conversations. Going to get coffee on Sunday mornings to discuss literature. Eating pizza in the loft and discussing absolutely nothing of importance. Serena hardly came up in conversation if only in passing.

"Have you talked to Serena much?" She asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer. She knew his feelings for her were still there, or at least she thought they were, but she wasn't sure she could stand it being verbalized by him.

"Serena?" Dan looked back at Blair, glad the subject was changed easily, "Not really. Why?"

Blair shrugged, "Just wondering. I know she was torn between you and – well, I know things were looking like they'd start over for you two not too long ago."

Dan shook his head, "Story of our existence, but no. I think it's time I realize that ship needs to sail on without me. It only leads to heartbreak down the line."

She wanted to stand up right there in the elevator and do a happy dance. She loved Serena, but Dan deserved better than the way she treated him. Serena was excellent and Dan was wonderful, but together they were a disaster. Blair hated watching Dan try to make it work while Serena refused to see just how crazy about her he was.

Dan waited for her to say something, but when she didn't, he cleared his throat. "How are you and Chuck?"

Blair gave a dry laugh, "I kissed that ship goodbye a long time ago. Sometimes you just need to know when to say 'when.'"

"Good for you," Dan smiled, actually believing her when she said it.

She nodded weakly, looking down at her hands as they idly played with a ruffle on her dress. It had been so obvious to her after spending the summer overseas. Chuck certainly wasn't the one she wanted. Of course, at the time she didn't actually think Dan would be the one she wanted, but the universe was obviously out to kick all of Blair's expectations to the curb.

"You've always deserved better than Chuck," Dan broke the silence, finally looking at her, "Even at Constance when you were a complete bitch you deserved better."

Blair couldn't help but laugh at his blunt honesty. She wasn't about to argue either. If anyone deserved not to be murdered for calling her a bitch it was the Humphrey family. She looked over at him as she laughed, her own head landing against the wall behind her.

"It's not like you were a peach either, Humphrey," Blair countered, "You fit right in with scheming back then."

"It was eat or be eaten. Not my proudest moments."

"Mine either."

"We wasted so much time in high school, you know that? We could have been debating writers and critiquing classics years ago." Dan swallowed, "I think I would have enjoyed high school a lot more if that's how it had been."

Blair's heart was nearly beating out of her chest as Dan spoke those words. Could they actually be thinking – feeling - the same way? She had kept her eyes on the door until he said that last sentence. She couldn't help the way her eyes drifted back to his.

When their eyes connected, Dan swore he heard Blair gasp quietly. The silence between them was deafening and he was pleading her to say something, but she didn't speak. He was about to open his mouth to say something else, lighten the obvious intense mood in the small space, but before he could her lips were on his.

It only took Dan a split second to get over his shock and kiss her back with all the passion he could muster. He easily slid closer and let his hand come to the back her neck, almost in fear that she would pull away once she realized she was actually kissing Dan Humphrey.

That realization never came and the kiss deepened.

Blair clung to him and felt herself falling into some sort of dazed spell. It was the most compelling kiss she had ever experienced. Her hand reached out to grab the material of his shirt, as if in some way to pull him closer still. Their tongues wrestled for dominance and Blair let out a breathy moan when she felt his free hand tangle itself in her hair. Blair Waldorf wanted nothing more than to melt into Dan Humphrey and allow this moment to last forever.

And then the elevator moved.

They broke their kiss, only from the shock of suddenly moving, and quickly came to their senses. Neither Dan nor Blair wanted to speak first. Both of them almost wanted to leave the moment alone, not to ruin it with excuses for their actions. For the first time they felt like they were doing exactly what they wanted and were exactly where they needed to be.

Dan was the first to stand, offering his hand to Blair, before they both began gathering their things. Blair quickly slipped on her shoes and tossed her hair, knowing it probably looked the way she felt: completely undone. The remaining eight floors went by in busied silence between the two. Blair almost attempted to say something, but stopped herself by popping a mint into her mouth. Dan did the same, but faked a cough instead.

When the door opened they both stepped out, with Blair heading to the right while Dan headed to the left. They had already lost several hours to their day and just needed to jump right into their given tasks. Her heart sank as she stepped out of the elevator. It was like she was stepping back into reality and this new reality might have to be without Dan. What if she had completely ruined their friendship?

She started to turn down the hall when she felt something, or someone, grab her wrist gently to stop her. She turned back to face Dan, who didn't drop her wrist once she had turned. Instead he pulled her closer and leaned in to place the gentlest, yet most romantic, kiss on her cheek.

"Tonight I'm taking you to dinner," Dan moved to kiss her other cheek, "And then we're going back to my place to watch Funny Face."

"It's a date?" Blair asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"It's a date," Dan sealed the confession with a chaste kiss to her already swollen lips.

And that was the day Blair Waldorf began to waiver on her stance against elevators.

Author's Note: As always, I want to hear your thoughts! And never fear, M is making a return in the very near future!

Oh! And suggestions! Because lets face it; without them these stories would not exist! I have F, R, T, & V decided but all other letters are fair game!