Fic: Reprise (Chapter 1)
Title: Reprise
Pairing: Blair/Dan
Rating: T (for now)
A/N: This is a future fic...NOT AU. Disregard anything that happened in the wedding episode, as this was written before that aired.
Disclaimer: I do not own GG or any of its characters.
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Chapter 1
Five years later...Brussels.
He rubs his temple with his fingers and sighs. He's already exhausted and the damn show hasn't even started yet. He still has to unload the t-shirts, put out the CDs and merchandise, help set up the sound booth, double-check the mics...
He took the job as their writer/blogger/quasi-interviewer/whatever else they needed-when he became their fucking manager, he wasn't sure.
They'd needed a guy who could write good lyrics, post website updates, and make sure they didn't make idiots of themselves during interviews. After his second book's success had died down, Dan couldn't think of anything better to do than this. Three days after he'd signed up for the job he was on a plane to Madrid.
It's been a month since then, and although he hasn't slept less in his life, he's actually enjoying himself. Sure it's hard work, but overall, he gets to travel Europe and get paid while doing it. And the music's great.
Today, however, is another story. Miles is still hungover from last night-and it's four in the afternoon-Woody is nowhere to be seen, Posey is outside smoking a cigarette, and Max is...Max is fucking asleep on the stage.
Sighing once more, Dan stands and asks the bartender for bottled water. He gets a confused look in response and laughs to himself.
Right. He's in Brussels.
Not feeling like making a fool of himself by attempting sign language, he just walks across the dance floor. The venue they're playing at tonight is the equivalent of the American House of Blue's: bar, stage, limited seating, and plenty of open space for crowds to cattle together. It's cleaner than most of the places they've been too; he takes it as a good sign that he hasn't seen any cockroaches skirting the floors. The house manager also speaks pretty good English, so that's an upside.
He spots their drummer on the floor, lying on his back behind his drum set.
Hiking himself up on the stage, Dan yells, "Rise and shine Max!" He hits the percussion for extra effect.
"Fuck you, man," Max groans, groggily sitting up. "What time is it?"
Dan doesn't even look at his watch. "Time to get off your ass and help. Go find Woody. I'll get Posey and Miles."
He doesn't wait for an answer, instead making his way backstage. After tripping over a few wires, he finds the back door. "Break's over, Poe," he says, spotting her once he opens it.
She takes one last drag before dropping it to the gravel. "Already?" she teases, stepping on the cigarette to end its life.
He lets the door close behind him and walks the few steps to meet her. "Any idea where Miles is?"
She shakes her head and chuckles. "Knowing him, he could be bloody anywhere."
Dan smiles at her accent; a true Brit. Around the rest of them, her voice cuts deep. From years of smoking and singing, it's low, raspy, and soaked with soul. The guys may be good, but Posey is the pride of the group. Dan swears her voice could melt ice.
"Well he better not be. We've got two hours until showtime and there's a shitload of stuff to do."
"Easy there," she laughs. "It'll get done. It's not our first time, you know."
"Yeah, yeah." He looks up at the sky; stars are brightly scattered across it. "Alright, I gotta go find Miles. Please go set up," he says, sounding more impatient than necessary.
"Ten-four," she answers with a wink.
An hour later, everyone's on stage and running through a song. Miraculously, Miles had sobered up and was putting out the t-shirts by the time Dan had returned inside. Once confirming the schedule with the stage manager, Dan finally lets himself relax. The band sounds great, the merchandise station is set up, and he's told they'd sold out the show. It isn't a large venue-they average around 400 people-but so far, their tour has been a huge success.
After picking up dinner for everyone from a nearby café, Dan leaves the band in the green room to do their usual pre-show ritual. It's already a mess in there, so he's thankful to leave. They have another show here tomorrow night, and apparently they thought that meant to make themselves at home. He mentally notes to leave ample time for cleaning tomorrow.
Dan runs his hand through his hair and, after sidestepping the crowds of people lining up, he steps out onto the cobblestones. Although it's chillier than a few hours before, the wind feels refreshing and wakes him up a bit. Streetlights line the street and fill the alley with a warm glow, and he can smell something delicious coming from the chimney of a nearby bakery.
Checking his phone, he sees that he has five missed calls. Deciding he can talk to Rufus tomorrow, and he calls Nate back instead.
After a long, foreign dial tone, he answers, "Hello?"
"Nate, what's up?"
"Hey man! How are ya?"
Leaning back against the brick building, Dan nods to no one in particular. "I'm good, I'm good."
"Where are you tonight?"
He lets out a breath. "Brussels. Have you been?"
"No, but I've heard it's a great city."
"Yeah, from what I've seen of it. How are you and the Mrs?" Even though it's been a year, Dan still finds it weird to say that. Deciding he hates that expression, he adds laughing, "I mean, Serena."
Nate laughs back. "We're great. That's, uh, actually why I called."
Dan's heart starts to thud. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." Nate clears his throat. "Serena's pregnant."
Even though they're married, Dan still didn't see this coming. It still amazes him that the two people who seemed the most lost in college somehow has it all figured out.
Despite the small pang of jeaousy, Dan can't help by smile. "Really? That's awesome. Congratulations man."
"Thanks! We're really excited. We just found out a few days ago, and she'd kill me for telling you already, but I couldn't help myself. You're in Europe, anyway. No one we know is there."
"True...it's just me. My lips are sealed," Dan promises. He checks his watch. "Shit, man. I gotta go. Show's about to start."
"No problem."
Feeling slightly guilty, Dan says, "Sorry. But hey...I'm so excited for you two."
"Thanks. And you gonna be in Dublin soon? Maybe S and I can meet you there for a few days, if she can fly. That place is on our go-to list."
"Yeah! We're headed there in a few weeks. I'll call you with the details."
After saying goodbye, Dan rushes inside to find that the show has already started. Tonight they have no opening act, so they can play their full set. Walking through the crowds, Dan's relieved to notice everything's running smoothly. All speaker and mic levels are perfectly balanced, the band sounds like they're playing their first show ever, and Posey's killing it. The crowd's dancing, alcohol is flowing, and new fans are being born in the room.
After the day he's had, he decides he deserves a drink, and walks over to the bar for a beer. Sitting comfortably on a bar stool, he takes a sip and revels in being off his feet for the first time in hours. Closing his eyes, he lets Posey's voice release the tension in his muscles and thinks about his conversation with Nate. He loves being abroad, traveling with the band, doing something completely new and exhilarating. But it was nights like these-after conversations like those-that made him ache for home. Forcing all thoughts of New York out of his mind, he rubs his eyes.
"Cabernet, please." The voice snaps him out of his reverie. Why the hell would someone order red wine at a place like this? Without thinking, he laughs to himself and opens his eyes.
Blinking rapidly, he stares at the woman and the entire world goes silent.
Shaking his head, he looks away, determined that he's just seeing things. Taking another sip of his drink, he hears the bartender ask her in broken English, "You in Brussels! You must try beer!"
She shakes her head vehemently. "Oh, no. I don't drink beer."
"I happen to know for a fact that's not true." He doesn't even comprehend that he's speaking before he hears himself.
"Excuse me-"
She freezes once she lays eyes on him; her face fading white as snow. Swallowing, she says, "What?" He's now three feet away.
He smirks and leans in close to her. "I said I know that's not true. Or do you not remember?" That memory burns in his mind; he can tell by the look on her face that it burns in hers too.
She looks absolutely stunned. "What are you doing here?"
"The better question is what are you doing here?"
"I asked you first," she snaps.
A laugh rumbles through his chest. "I'm with the band."
She raises a brow with a look of disgust. "You're in the band?"
"Am I onstage, Waldorf?" he retorts smartly. "I said I'm with the band."
She doesn't respond to that.
"So...your turn." He sits down on the barstool next to her. "What brings you to Brussels? Did Serena or Nate tell you I was here? Come looking for me, Waldorf?" He gives his most winning smile.
She scoffs. "In your dreams."
That one stings, but he doesn't show it. More seriously, he asks, "Blair...why are you here?"
She shrugs and raises her chin. "For your information, I'm on an extended vacation. I heard the music from outside, I needed a drink, and this place looked more sanitary than the rest of the block." Her eyes narrow. "If I had known you were here, I would've kept walking."
After a moment of silence between the two, Dan concedes. "Well...it's good to see you Waldorf."
Instead of answering, she turns and walks away.
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tbc
A/N: Anyone interested? I know it's different...but I have a lot of ideas for it. Reviews are encouraging!