Can't Stay Away - Chapter 14
Title: Can't Stay Away
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Word Count: 1,290
Author's Note: Since you all asked so nicely for another update today.... Seriously? You guys rock.I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a feedback whore, and you guys are freaking amazing. Thanks so much for all the kind words about CSA.
Previous Chapters
Chapter 14
Dan shook his head at Serena. “I’m still not sure how setting up my sister is a good thing.”
“You can always wait to see if something happens between her and Nate,” Serena suggested with a wide smile.
“Or not,” Dan countered, his face screwing up in a grimace. “I mean, it’s weird. You should have seen the way she looked at him before we left for school. And I think they were making plans to go out again-”
“They went out?” Serena interrupted, intrigued.
“Who went out?” Blair demanded, sitting down beside Serena.
“No one,” Dan started.
“Nate and Jenny,” Serena answered at the same time.
Blair wrinkled her nose as if she had smelled something foul. “Nate and Jenny? Ew.”
“Thank you,” Dan said loudly. “I think.”
“As friends,” Serena clarified, nudging Blair.
Blair shrugged. “Well that’s a relief. I mean, Nate and Jenny? As a couple? That would be a little … odd.”
“To say the least,” Dan agreed quickly. He looked quizzically at Blair. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be holding court at the Met?”
She flashed him an annoyed, but indulgent, smile. “Serena and I need to talk.”
Serena shook her head. “If this is about the auditions-”
“What auditions? Dan asked.
“-you can count me out,” Serena finished. “I’m not setting Nate up with some random girl.”
“Wait, you’re trying to set up Nate?” Dan laughed.
Blair sighed and looked pointedly at Dan. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Someone else you can harass with your presence?”
“Blair!” Serena protested.
“Actually, Serena’s helping me with a problem.”
“And that would be?”
“It’s really none of your business.”
Blair sniffed the air delicately. “It’s just as well. I didn’t really care anyway.”
“OK, can you two quit sniping at each other?” Serena interjected, getting aggravated.
“It’s what we do best,” Blair said sweetly. She rolled her eyes at Serena’s exasperated look. “OK, fine. Geez.”
“Actually, Blair could probably help,” Serena said slowly.
“Or … not,” Dan refuted, blinking several times. “She hates Jenny.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I-”
“Stop!” Serena yelled. She rubbed her temples. “God, you two are giving me a headache.”
Blair ducked her head guiltily. “I really don’t hate Jenny, Dan.”
“Since when?”
“Since she saved my mother’s fashion show and finally put my mother in her place,” Blair replied smugly. “Besides, after what I did to her last year, it might help me square my karma to do something good for her now.”
“Oh.”
“See? So how can I be of assistance?”
“Dan thinks Jenny likes Nate,” Serena explained.
Blair shrugged. “She’d be blind not to.”
“Serena thinks I need to set Jenny up on a date. Give her someone other than Nate to think about,” Dan continued.
“Not a bad plan. Who are the prospective guys?” Blair turned to Serena.
“Still thinking on that,” Serena admitted.
“Well, think harder. And think of some more girls for Nate, too.”
“Wait a minute,” Dan said with a smirk. “Explain why you two are setting up Nate?”
“She is.” Serena pointed at Blair. “I want no part of it.”
“It’s not going to work,” Dan told Blair calmly.
Her eyes narrowed. “And why not?”
“When we were in the park a week or so ago? He totally ignored a girl who was checking him out.”
“She was probably some insipid twit with an overbite the size of Montana. Nate has taste, you know.”
“Actually, she kind of looked like … you.”
“You may be on to something, Humphrey,” Blair conceded quickly.
Dan chuckled. “Look, all I’m saying is when I asked him, Nate said he wasn’t interested in anyone right now.”
“Really,” Blair said softly, her expression pensive. She looked at Dan once more. “How long has Nate been staying with you now?”
Dan shrugged. “I don’t know. Three weeks?”
“Huh.” Blair stood up suddenly. “I have to go.”
“Go?” Serena repeated, stunned. “Go where? You just got here.”
“I know, but I have … something to do.” Blair announced, distracted. She spun on her heel and stalked out of the courtyard.
***
“Jenny! Hey, Jenny, wait up!”
The blonde turned as she reached the corner, scanning the crowd of strangers around her before landing on a smiling face. She couldn’t help the return grin that immediately spread across her face.
“Eric!” She waved, waiting for him to catch up.
“What are you doing here? I thought you had school,” Jenny started without preamble as he got closer.
Eric shrugged. “Yeah, I had a therapist appointment.”
Jenny’s smile slipped slightly. “How’s that going?”
He kept grinning. “Good, it’s good. I’m doing good.”
“That’s great, Eric.” The street light lit up, allowing them to cross with the other pedestrians crowding the New York City sidewalk.
“What about you?”
Jenny held up the cup of coffee warming her hand. “Working for Eleanor got me addicted to caramel lattes,” she admitted. “I can’t quit.”
He laughed and nodded, stepping up onto the curb. “So how are things with Nate?”
Jenny came to an abrupt halt, causing a near-collision with the people around them. Several people cursed at them, yelling at them not to stop. Eric grabbed Jenny’s hand and pulled her off to the side. He stopped when they were around the corner.
“I … I don’t know …” Jenny flushed. “We’re friends.”
“Right,” Eric said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “That didn’t look like just friends to me. Or Jonathan. He asked me how long you two had been going out-”
“We-”
“-which made me wonder the same thing,” Eric finished, not letting her interrupt. “So? How long?”
She shifted and leaned against the brick wall, sighing. “We’ve been together a couple weeks now.”
“And I take it no one knows,” Eric guessed correctly.
She nodded. “It’s … easier that way. At least while Nate’s living with us.”
“Doesn’t that make it awkward for you two to … you know. Be together?”
She couldn’t stop the small smile that toyed on her lips if she wanted when Nate was mentioned. “Surprisingly, no. It’s nice having him around.”
“And there’s the added level of adrenaline at always being found out,” Eric teased, nudging her.
She laughed. “Yeah. There is that.” She scuffed the toe of her ballet slipper shoe on the sidewalk. “How did you know?”
He snorted. “How could we not? There was enough chemistry between you two to light a small country.”
“That obvious, huh?”
He nodded. “But I’m happy for you, Jenny. Nate’s a good guy.”
“Well, he’s already a giant improvement from my last boyfriend,” she replied without thinking. She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. “Oh, God, Eric. I … I didn’t mean …”
Eric shrugged and waved it off. “Asher was an ass. To both of us. We’re better off without him.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, grinning. “We are.”
“And I’d definitely say our new boyfriends are a nice improvement,” Eric went on as they started walking again.
Jenny laughed and slipped her arm though his. “I couldn’t agree more.”
***
Chuck’s eyes narrowed as the petite brunette approached in the hallway. Intrigued, he leaned against his locker, waiting. “You lost?”
“No,” Blair said smugly, her eyes wide and her lips smiling. “But I think I may have found something out that I thought you’d be interested to know.”
Chuck smiled. “Do tell.”
She stepped closer to him, their faces inches apart. Her eyes were bright, illuminated. He knew that look: Blair had a secret.
“I think I know why Nate doesn’t want to move in with you and rejoin society.”
Chuck’s eyebrows arched. “Oh, really?”
“Two words: Jenny Humphrey.”
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Word Count: 1,290
Author's Note: Since you all asked so nicely for another update today.... Seriously? You guys rock.I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a feedback whore, and you guys are freaking amazing. Thanks so much for all the kind words about CSA.
Previous Chapters
Chapter 14
Dan shook his head at Serena. “I’m still not sure how setting up my sister is a good thing.”
“You can always wait to see if something happens between her and Nate,” Serena suggested with a wide smile.
“Or not,” Dan countered, his face screwing up in a grimace. “I mean, it’s weird. You should have seen the way she looked at him before we left for school. And I think they were making plans to go out again-”
“They went out?” Serena interrupted, intrigued.
“Who went out?” Blair demanded, sitting down beside Serena.
“No one,” Dan started.
“Nate and Jenny,” Serena answered at the same time.
Blair wrinkled her nose as if she had smelled something foul. “Nate and Jenny? Ew.”
“Thank you,” Dan said loudly. “I think.”
“As friends,” Serena clarified, nudging Blair.
Blair shrugged. “Well that’s a relief. I mean, Nate and Jenny? As a couple? That would be a little … odd.”
“To say the least,” Dan agreed quickly. He looked quizzically at Blair. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be holding court at the Met?”
She flashed him an annoyed, but indulgent, smile. “Serena and I need to talk.”
Serena shook her head. “If this is about the auditions-”
“What auditions? Dan asked.
“-you can count me out,” Serena finished. “I’m not setting Nate up with some random girl.”
“Wait, you’re trying to set up Nate?” Dan laughed.
Blair sighed and looked pointedly at Dan. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Someone else you can harass with your presence?”
“Blair!” Serena protested.
“Actually, Serena’s helping me with a problem.”
“And that would be?”
“It’s really none of your business.”
Blair sniffed the air delicately. “It’s just as well. I didn’t really care anyway.”
“OK, can you two quit sniping at each other?” Serena interjected, getting aggravated.
“It’s what we do best,” Blair said sweetly. She rolled her eyes at Serena’s exasperated look. “OK, fine. Geez.”
“Actually, Blair could probably help,” Serena said slowly.
“Or … not,” Dan refuted, blinking several times. “She hates Jenny.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I-”
“Stop!” Serena yelled. She rubbed her temples. “God, you two are giving me a headache.”
Blair ducked her head guiltily. “I really don’t hate Jenny, Dan.”
“Since when?”
“Since she saved my mother’s fashion show and finally put my mother in her place,” Blair replied smugly. “Besides, after what I did to her last year, it might help me square my karma to do something good for her now.”
“Oh.”
“See? So how can I be of assistance?”
“Dan thinks Jenny likes Nate,” Serena explained.
Blair shrugged. “She’d be blind not to.”
“Serena thinks I need to set Jenny up on a date. Give her someone other than Nate to think about,” Dan continued.
“Not a bad plan. Who are the prospective guys?” Blair turned to Serena.
“Still thinking on that,” Serena admitted.
“Well, think harder. And think of some more girls for Nate, too.”
“Wait a minute,” Dan said with a smirk. “Explain why you two are setting up Nate?”
“She is.” Serena pointed at Blair. “I want no part of it.”
“It’s not going to work,” Dan told Blair calmly.
Her eyes narrowed. “And why not?”
“When we were in the park a week or so ago? He totally ignored a girl who was checking him out.”
“She was probably some insipid twit with an overbite the size of Montana. Nate has taste, you know.”
“Actually, she kind of looked like … you.”
“You may be on to something, Humphrey,” Blair conceded quickly.
Dan chuckled. “Look, all I’m saying is when I asked him, Nate said he wasn’t interested in anyone right now.”
“Really,” Blair said softly, her expression pensive. She looked at Dan once more. “How long has Nate been staying with you now?”
Dan shrugged. “I don’t know. Three weeks?”
“Huh.” Blair stood up suddenly. “I have to go.”
“Go?” Serena repeated, stunned. “Go where? You just got here.”
“I know, but I have … something to do.” Blair announced, distracted. She spun on her heel and stalked out of the courtyard.
***
“Jenny! Hey, Jenny, wait up!”
The blonde turned as she reached the corner, scanning the crowd of strangers around her before landing on a smiling face. She couldn’t help the return grin that immediately spread across her face.
“Eric!” She waved, waiting for him to catch up.
“What are you doing here? I thought you had school,” Jenny started without preamble as he got closer.
Eric shrugged. “Yeah, I had a therapist appointment.”
Jenny’s smile slipped slightly. “How’s that going?”
He kept grinning. “Good, it’s good. I’m doing good.”
“That’s great, Eric.” The street light lit up, allowing them to cross with the other pedestrians crowding the New York City sidewalk.
“What about you?”
Jenny held up the cup of coffee warming her hand. “Working for Eleanor got me addicted to caramel lattes,” she admitted. “I can’t quit.”
He laughed and nodded, stepping up onto the curb. “So how are things with Nate?”
Jenny came to an abrupt halt, causing a near-collision with the people around them. Several people cursed at them, yelling at them not to stop. Eric grabbed Jenny’s hand and pulled her off to the side. He stopped when they were around the corner.
“I … I don’t know …” Jenny flushed. “We’re friends.”
“Right,” Eric said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “That didn’t look like just friends to me. Or Jonathan. He asked me how long you two had been going out-”
“We-”
“-which made me wonder the same thing,” Eric finished, not letting her interrupt. “So? How long?”
She shifted and leaned against the brick wall, sighing. “We’ve been together a couple weeks now.”
“And I take it no one knows,” Eric guessed correctly.
She nodded. “It’s … easier that way. At least while Nate’s living with us.”
“Doesn’t that make it awkward for you two to … you know. Be together?”
She couldn’t stop the small smile that toyed on her lips if she wanted when Nate was mentioned. “Surprisingly, no. It’s nice having him around.”
“And there’s the added level of adrenaline at always being found out,” Eric teased, nudging her.
She laughed. “Yeah. There is that.” She scuffed the toe of her ballet slipper shoe on the sidewalk. “How did you know?”
He snorted. “How could we not? There was enough chemistry between you two to light a small country.”
“That obvious, huh?”
He nodded. “But I’m happy for you, Jenny. Nate’s a good guy.”
“Well, he’s already a giant improvement from my last boyfriend,” she replied without thinking. She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. “Oh, God, Eric. I … I didn’t mean …”
Eric shrugged and waved it off. “Asher was an ass. To both of us. We’re better off without him.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, grinning. “We are.”
“And I’d definitely say our new boyfriends are a nice improvement,” Eric went on as they started walking again.
Jenny laughed and slipped her arm though his. “I couldn’t agree more.”
***
Chuck’s eyes narrowed as the petite brunette approached in the hallway. Intrigued, he leaned against his locker, waiting. “You lost?”
“No,” Blair said smugly, her eyes wide and her lips smiling. “But I think I may have found something out that I thought you’d be interested to know.”
Chuck smiled. “Do tell.”
She stepped closer to him, their faces inches apart. Her eyes were bright, illuminated. He knew that look: Blair had a secret.
“I think I know why Nate doesn’t want to move in with you and rejoin society.”
Chuck’s eyebrows arched. “Oh, really?”
“Two words: Jenny Humphrey.”