A Thousand Words Unsaid (Many Words Unsaid)
Characters: Dan with mentions of Lily, Rufus, Blair, Jenny, Serena and Chuck.
Spoilers: Every episode in Series 1 to 4; I refuse to accept Blair is pregnant in any universe. Cece is alive.
Summary: This is written in the Taciturn universe and is a continuation from Tantrum, Tiaras and Graduation. It is written from Dan's Point of View (POV).
Un-beta'd, all mistakes are my own.
A Thousand Words Unsaid (Many Words Unsaid)
Maybe there is a reason why their story ends like this, unfinished, undone.
When the music ends they part without a word both retreating to their respectful places. He doesn't see her again after that. He returns to England a different man, with his embittered parts severed and locked away. Who knew one musical moment could give one closure of many years in the making.
Lily and Dad's Tenth Wedding Anniversary is what brings him to New York after many years. He arrives in New York dreading the whole hullabaloo that he knows will ensue at the archetypical Upper East Side party which is totally different from the quiet life his grown accustomed to in Box, Wiltshire. It's their Dad's big day and he and Jenny didn't have the heart to say no.
They arrive at their Dad's and Lily's place to find the place buzzing with activity, it was full of caterers, decorators, stylists, etc all striving to make sure that the Upper East Side biggest party due to take place that night was going to be a roaring success.
Lily is in the middle of the activity, glasses perched on her nose as she approves the different things being brought to her for approval. All that is put on hold upon spotting them making their way into the living area from the elevator.
Lily is ecstatic to see them and there are many hugs and kisses all around. Eric and Serena are nowhere to be seen, Lily says that they'll be around later and they will be traveling to the venue together as a family. Lily then hands him over to a woman brandishing pins and a tape rule around her neck. There are some tuxedos and suits Lily has hand picked out for him lying on a bed in the guest room that he will be residing in during his stay. He needs to try on the clothes laid out and choose an outfit for tonight. The woman with the tape rule around her neck shoves him into a room while she and her assistant decide on what outfit he should try out first.
He settles for an Armani suit, accompanied with a baby blue shirt, a navy blue Burberry silk tie and brown Ferragamo brogues.
Later that evening they arrive at the party as family and are greeted and treated like royalty. A lot of people come over to offer their congratulations, his Dad and Lily look so happy. In the midst of congratulations he gets introduced to a lot of people, Lily and Dad can't help but brag about his little success.
Dad and Lily are ushered off somewhere, Jenny and Eric disappear together, Serena is Serena and is partly the life and soul of the party. He slinks to a corner with a glass of champagne in hand and makes small talk with the few people who have come over to talk to him. From time to time he observes the scene before him and spots a few people he hasn't seen since high school.
He tries to enjoy himself and when he is not leaning against the wall, he mingles and makes small talk with those around him. Conversations are peppered with talks of business, yachts, the new house in the Hamptons or The Vineyard. Occasionally it strays to England, Bath especially. Many people are keen to tell him how fascinating they find the place or how much they love the architecture and history once they find out he lives near Bath. No one seems to know where Box is, so he always says he lives near Bath to give them an idea of where Box is. If he is honest, he didn't know where Box was either until he moved there, so he can't exactly blame them for not knowing.
When he isn't in conversation/mingling, he is either tugging at his tie or adjusting his collar. He doesn't know why the stylist had to tie it so tightly.
All night they've sneaked looks at each other. His blatantly obvious, hers discreet and surreptitiously beneath her lashes when she thinks no one is looking but, he is looking. Plus he knows her, even after all these years and an ocean between them.
There are the obvious digs and bon mots tossed his way whenever they are around each other but, he shrugs them off without care. He knows this is her coded way of having a conversation with him, he knows the full interrogation would come later. Maybe a few years ago he may have been quaking in fear at the thought, right now he is ambivalent. She is not as scary as she used to be.
The Beatles "Penny Lane' is being played by the live band and he finds himself gravitating to where she is standing alone at the bar nursing a martini while Chuck is off somewhere. He doesn't want to think of things Chuck may be getting up to and with whom.
He gathers up courage and asks her to dance, she responds by snorting and then grabbing his hand and leading him to the dance floor. It's not a particularly slow song but, he finds himself grabbing her hands in his and they begin to sway in perfect sync and rhythmically to the music.
"I thought I banished you." Are the first words that come out of her mouth.
He responds by saying "I couldn't exactly say no to my Dad's and Lily's anniversary citing Blair's banishment as an excuse?" They may have bought his made up many excuses of being busy many years ago but, it wearing thin now. And citing a girl (well she is a woman now) banishing you from your own city as a reason for not coming home was plain ridiculous.
Blair raises her eyebrow at his response and then smiles. She doesn't say a word after that and they continue to dance.
"Lady in Red" by Chris De Burgh starts to play and they move into each others arms almost instinctively and begin to sway to the music making little synchronized steps with their feet.
Maybe it is the music, maybe it is the ambience it elicits, all those memories of yester-year begin to filter through and he finds himself pulling her closer that there is no space between them. She does the same, gripping his waist so tightly. Her hair brushes against his left cheek like a caress from where her head is positioned on his shoulder.
Her perfume tickles his senses, he doesn't recognize it. It smells like her, spirited and elegant.
As they continue to sway to the music, it is as if their bodies being so close to one another are expressing everything their lips couldn't say. Just like they couldn't those years ago; well he did but, hers came a bit too late.
The song changes a few times but, he stops paying attention after "Un-break my Heart" by Toni Braxton and "Just a Kiss" by Lady Antebellum. He wants to savor this moment, he knows he may never get this opportunity again.