we had to learn how to bend without the world caving in (1/2)
Title: we had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue
Spoilers: A few from the 5x18 preview.
Pairing: Dan/Blair
Summary: This is what happens next.
This is what happens next:
Dan invites her in, properly.
Throws her coat over a stool and pulls a beer out of the fridge for her. He clinks his open bottle against hers and they both laugh.
Blair picks the movie (It Happened One Night) and Dan makes the popcorn.
It is like every other movie night they've shared in the loft. It's Blair's choice and Dan brings her snacks and they share the same space on the sofa.
It is the same. Only different.
Now their touches are deliberate, not accidental. Their flirting isn't innocent. And when Dan's arm snakes around her shoulders and she lays her head down on his chest, it isn't played off as a friendly gesture between two people who aren't really friends. There is no more mistaking their actions - they are pure and simple and promise so much more.
"When did you know?" Blair asks above the movie.
Her voice startles him into alertness, half-asleep from being lulled by her rhythmic breathing and the warmth of her body pressed against his.
"Know what?"
She pushes herself up and brings her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. She ducks her head shyly, focusing on the material of the sofa rather than his curious gaze.
"When did you know you loved me? I know you haven't said it, but…"
Dan reaches out to her, carefully tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. His hand lingers against her cheek and when she meets his eyes, he answers, "It was late in the afternoon. You were standing on your tip toes, back lit by the sun. You reached for a book and laughed. That's when I knew."
She releases the breath she was holding in, the latter half is caught in Dan's mouth.
Then she settles back against his chest.
They are both asleep by the time the credits roll.
-x-
Blair wakes to the smell of coffee.
She is aware of only three things: coffee, the brightness of the room, and Dan's arms securely around her.
Carefully, she opens her eyes to the bright sunshine. She nearly groans, but it's lost in her throat when she hears Rufus say, "Good morning!" cheerfully.
Blair shoots up and finds Rufus fixing breakfast in the kitchen and Lily perched on a stool sipping coffee.
She elbows Dan awake and stumbles over her explanation, "I was… We, um… I must have fallen asleep and…"
All three ignore her - Rufus concerned with waffles and Lily the paper and Dan with wiping the sleep from his eyes.
"Breakfast should be ready in five. Hope you're hungry."
Dan laughs and kisses her temple, as though he's woken up to something completely normal and they've done this a thousand times before.
Blair shoots him a deadly glare, bounding off the sofa and smoothing down her wrinkled clothes.
They all find their way to the table. Their plates overflow with waffles and eggs and bacon and their cups with hot coffee. Rufus and Lily fill them in on why they're there and Dan tells them a funny story about something that happened the other day and Blair gives up on glaring at Dan to laugh with the rest of them.
Blair thanks Rufus for breakfast and volunteers to do the dishes. Dan steps in to help, his fingers grazing the small of her back when he takes his place beside her at the sink.
"Good morning," she tells him, smiling up brightly at him when she hands him a plate to dry.
He smiles and then whispers against her lips, "good morning."
-x-
Dating Blair Waldorf isn't much different than being friends with Blair Waldorf.
They do everything they did when they were friends (and fake friends). They sip coffee as they walk through Central Park arguing about which movie to see (or exhibit to visit or book to read or song to add to their collection). Visits to the theatre and MoMA are regular occurrences in their week, as are pizza and movie nights at the loft.
But now when they walk, their hands are always linked together. And Blair always rests her head against his shoulder with her hand placed precariously high on his thigh when they are in a dark theatre. And they kiss in front of the Met and after a long day of traipsing all over the city, she'll rest her weight against Dan when as he studies a new piece at the Frick.
It's everything they were before. Only more.
One night, when they are alone in the loft, they do as they always find themselves doing on nights in: he orders a pizza and she picks Breakfast at Tiffany's to watch. Again. Dan doesn't even complain (much) because she juts out her bottom lip in a pout and then attaches those lips of hers to his neck, sliding across the column of his throat before he can cement his argument for something else entirely.
With their bellies full of pizza and red wine, they are huddled together on the couch - Blair enraptured with the movie and Dan with the waves of dark hair down her back.
"I love this song," Blair murmurs wistfully when Audrey begins to sing Moon River.
Dan mutes the television and bounds off the sofa, ignoring Blair's protests.
It takes him a minute to find the record, but when he does it's not long before the beginning strains of Moon River are filling the loft.
He walks back to her and extends his hand, a smug smile drawing up the corner of his lips. "Dance with me."
It's not a question, so she places her hand in his and he pulls her up and into his arms. They slow dance across the hardwoods - bodies pressed close together as they move in perfect sync to the music.
Blair laughs when he dips her low enough that her hair sweeps against the floorboards.
He pulls her back to him, kisses her once on the mouth, and picks up where they left off.
"I didn't know it could be this easy," she says against his shoulder.
"What?"
He spins her and pulls her back in, smiles when he sees her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes.
"This… love. I didn't know it could be like this - fun and simple and easy."
He presses his lips to hers, laughs as he says, "Maybe because you're doing it right this time."
Then he twirls her.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
They're both dizzy and laughing and the song has long been over, but they don't care.
-x-
The first time they have sex is, admittedly, a disaster.
He's too nervous and she's too eager and they can't get the rhythm right and they collapse into a mess of limbs and plush hotel linens, unsatisfied.
They dress in silence and refuse to meet the other's eyes.
He walks her home and moves to kiss her lips, but misses and ends up kissing her nose.
She just laughs and says, "Call me later, Humphrey."
-x-
When they come back together, they are both ready to concede defeat and shake on being friends again.
"Is this what you really want?" he asks, hand extended, poised and ready to seal this deal of theirs.
"How can this work if we can't…"
Dan's hand drops to his side. "I love you, Blair. We can make this work."
"What did you just say?"
"What?" he huffs.
"Say it again," she insists, stepping closer and pressing her palms against his chest.
"I love you?" He doesn't say it as a fact, but poses it as a question.
"Yes," she nods furiously, heart constricting her in chest. "You've never said it before."
"Jesus, Blair. Don't you know by now? That I'm so stupidly, helplessly in love with you?"
"Just… say it again."
"I love you."
Blair smiles - a dazzling, thousand-watt smile - that he barely catches a glimpse of because she's throwing her arms around his neck and crushing her lips to his.
They peel away layers of clothing. Stripped bare, she pulls him down to her bed and he covers her. Heat radiates between them - it grows and pulls and burns.
She wraps her body around his, urges him inside of her. He takes his time - studying her body and watching the gold flicker in her eyes. When he finally enters her, she stutters out his name in a breathy moan and he sighs "I love you" hotly against her ear before they begin to move in unison.
Their lips touch the entire time they move together, sharing the same breath, but their eyes are locked together until the current overtakes them and they are drowning, drowning, drowning… Eyes closed and clinging to one another as the pleasure pulls them under and rolls through them like waves.
This time, when they come together, it is nothing short of perfect.
-x-
Everything is fun and simple and easy.
Except for when it is not.
They argue (often) about films and books.
But then there are times when her insecurities over take her or his frustrations get the best of him and it all comes to a head.
Blair comes bursting into the loft late one Tuesday evening, heels clicking furiously across the floor and poison on her lips. "Were you going to tell me you were with her?"
Dan settles back into his chair and looks up at her expectantly from his laptop. "Am I suppose to know what you're talking about?"
"Serena!" she screeches. "It's always going to go back to her, isn't it? You're always going to pick her over me," she accuses him, her voice catching on the tears that she is fighting so furiously against.
Slowly, Dan picks himself up from his chair and rounds the table to stand before her. "Blair," he says calmly, gripping her arms, "You are the one that I want to be with. You and no one else."
"But everyone always picks Serena ," she says weakly.
"Not me." He cups her chin with his hand and draws her eyes up to his. "I choose you, Blair."
And then her fears subside. Her insecurities fall into the back of her mind. And she is more certain of Dan's love for her than ever before.
But there are times when she is hurtful for no reason other than to be hurtful because it was who she was for so long. She uses precious things against him and spews names of exes at him like accusations.
And there are times when she says "Chuck" in a way that is meant to compare and cut. It always has him sighing and tugging on his hair in frustration, but leaving before either of them can say another word.
She always comes to him (though sometimes it takes her days to swallow down all of her pride) to slip her arms around him, bury her head in the spot where his shoulder meets his neck, and whisper apologies until he kisses her, forgiving all of her transgressions.
Then it is back to being easy.
Until it's hard again.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue
Spoilers: A few from the 5x18 preview.
Pairing: Dan/Blair
Summary: This is what happens next.
This is what happens next:
Dan invites her in, properly.
Throws her coat over a stool and pulls a beer out of the fridge for her. He clinks his open bottle against hers and they both laugh.
Blair picks the movie (It Happened One Night) and Dan makes the popcorn.
It is like every other movie night they've shared in the loft. It's Blair's choice and Dan brings her snacks and they share the same space on the sofa.
It is the same. Only different.
Now their touches are deliberate, not accidental. Their flirting isn't innocent. And when Dan's arm snakes around her shoulders and she lays her head down on his chest, it isn't played off as a friendly gesture between two people who aren't really friends. There is no more mistaking their actions - they are pure and simple and promise so much more.
"When did you know?" Blair asks above the movie.
Her voice startles him into alertness, half-asleep from being lulled by her rhythmic breathing and the warmth of her body pressed against his.
"Know what?"
She pushes herself up and brings her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. She ducks her head shyly, focusing on the material of the sofa rather than his curious gaze.
"When did you know you loved me? I know you haven't said it, but…"
Dan reaches out to her, carefully tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. His hand lingers against her cheek and when she meets his eyes, he answers, "It was late in the afternoon. You were standing on your tip toes, back lit by the sun. You reached for a book and laughed. That's when I knew."
She releases the breath she was holding in, the latter half is caught in Dan's mouth.
Then she settles back against his chest.
They are both asleep by the time the credits roll.
-x-
Blair wakes to the smell of coffee.
She is aware of only three things: coffee, the brightness of the room, and Dan's arms securely around her.
Carefully, she opens her eyes to the bright sunshine. She nearly groans, but it's lost in her throat when she hears Rufus say, "Good morning!" cheerfully.
Blair shoots up and finds Rufus fixing breakfast in the kitchen and Lily perched on a stool sipping coffee.
She elbows Dan awake and stumbles over her explanation, "I was… We, um… I must have fallen asleep and…"
All three ignore her - Rufus concerned with waffles and Lily the paper and Dan with wiping the sleep from his eyes.
"Breakfast should be ready in five. Hope you're hungry."
Dan laughs and kisses her temple, as though he's woken up to something completely normal and they've done this a thousand times before.
Blair shoots him a deadly glare, bounding off the sofa and smoothing down her wrinkled clothes.
They all find their way to the table. Their plates overflow with waffles and eggs and bacon and their cups with hot coffee. Rufus and Lily fill them in on why they're there and Dan tells them a funny story about something that happened the other day and Blair gives up on glaring at Dan to laugh with the rest of them.
Blair thanks Rufus for breakfast and volunteers to do the dishes. Dan steps in to help, his fingers grazing the small of her back when he takes his place beside her at the sink.
"Good morning," she tells him, smiling up brightly at him when she hands him a plate to dry.
He smiles and then whispers against her lips, "good morning."
-x-
Dating Blair Waldorf isn't much different than being friends with Blair Waldorf.
They do everything they did when they were friends (and fake friends). They sip coffee as they walk through Central Park arguing about which movie to see (or exhibit to visit or book to read or song to add to their collection). Visits to the theatre and MoMA are regular occurrences in their week, as are pizza and movie nights at the loft.
But now when they walk, their hands are always linked together. And Blair always rests her head against his shoulder with her hand placed precariously high on his thigh when they are in a dark theatre. And they kiss in front of the Met and after a long day of traipsing all over the city, she'll rest her weight against Dan when as he studies a new piece at the Frick.
It's everything they were before. Only more.
One night, when they are alone in the loft, they do as they always find themselves doing on nights in: he orders a pizza and she picks Breakfast at Tiffany's to watch. Again. Dan doesn't even complain (much) because she juts out her bottom lip in a pout and then attaches those lips of hers to his neck, sliding across the column of his throat before he can cement his argument for something else entirely.
With their bellies full of pizza and red wine, they are huddled together on the couch - Blair enraptured with the movie and Dan with the waves of dark hair down her back.
"I love this song," Blair murmurs wistfully when Audrey begins to sing Moon River.
Dan mutes the television and bounds off the sofa, ignoring Blair's protests.
It takes him a minute to find the record, but when he does it's not long before the beginning strains of Moon River are filling the loft.
He walks back to her and extends his hand, a smug smile drawing up the corner of his lips. "Dance with me."
It's not a question, so she places her hand in his and he pulls her up and into his arms. They slow dance across the hardwoods - bodies pressed close together as they move in perfect sync to the music.
Blair laughs when he dips her low enough that her hair sweeps against the floorboards.
He pulls her back to him, kisses her once on the mouth, and picks up where they left off.
"I didn't know it could be this easy," she says against his shoulder.
"What?"
He spins her and pulls her back in, smiles when he sees her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes.
"This… love. I didn't know it could be like this - fun and simple and easy."
He presses his lips to hers, laughs as he says, "Maybe because you're doing it right this time."
Then he twirls her.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
They're both dizzy and laughing and the song has long been over, but they don't care.
-x-
The first time they have sex is, admittedly, a disaster.
He's too nervous and she's too eager and they can't get the rhythm right and they collapse into a mess of limbs and plush hotel linens, unsatisfied.
They dress in silence and refuse to meet the other's eyes.
He walks her home and moves to kiss her lips, but misses and ends up kissing her nose.
She just laughs and says, "Call me later, Humphrey."
-x-
When they come back together, they are both ready to concede defeat and shake on being friends again.
"Is this what you really want?" he asks, hand extended, poised and ready to seal this deal of theirs.
"How can this work if we can't…"
Dan's hand drops to his side. "I love you, Blair. We can make this work."
"What did you just say?"
"What?" he huffs.
"Say it again," she insists, stepping closer and pressing her palms against his chest.
"I love you?" He doesn't say it as a fact, but poses it as a question.
"Yes," she nods furiously, heart constricting her in chest. "You've never said it before."
"Jesus, Blair. Don't you know by now? That I'm so stupidly, helplessly in love with you?"
"Just… say it again."
"I love you."
Blair smiles - a dazzling, thousand-watt smile - that he barely catches a glimpse of because she's throwing her arms around his neck and crushing her lips to his.
They peel away layers of clothing. Stripped bare, she pulls him down to her bed and he covers her. Heat radiates between them - it grows and pulls and burns.
She wraps her body around his, urges him inside of her. He takes his time - studying her body and watching the gold flicker in her eyes. When he finally enters her, she stutters out his name in a breathy moan and he sighs "I love you" hotly against her ear before they begin to move in unison.
Their lips touch the entire time they move together, sharing the same breath, but their eyes are locked together until the current overtakes them and they are drowning, drowning, drowning… Eyes closed and clinging to one another as the pleasure pulls them under and rolls through them like waves.
This time, when they come together, it is nothing short of perfect.
-x-
Everything is fun and simple and easy.
Except for when it is not.
They argue (often) about films and books.
But then there are times when her insecurities over take her or his frustrations get the best of him and it all comes to a head.
Blair comes bursting into the loft late one Tuesday evening, heels clicking furiously across the floor and poison on her lips. "Were you going to tell me you were with her?"
Dan settles back into his chair and looks up at her expectantly from his laptop. "Am I suppose to know what you're talking about?"
"Serena!" she screeches. "It's always going to go back to her, isn't it? You're always going to pick her over me," she accuses him, her voice catching on the tears that she is fighting so furiously against.
Slowly, Dan picks himself up from his chair and rounds the table to stand before her. "Blair," he says calmly, gripping her arms, "You are the one that I want to be with. You and no one else."
"But everyone always picks Serena ," she says weakly.
"Not me." He cups her chin with his hand and draws her eyes up to his. "I choose you, Blair."
And then her fears subside. Her insecurities fall into the back of her mind. And she is more certain of Dan's love for her than ever before.
But there are times when she is hurtful for no reason other than to be hurtful because it was who she was for so long. She uses precious things against him and spews names of exes at him like accusations.
And there are times when she says "Chuck" in a way that is meant to compare and cut. It always has him sighing and tugging on his hair in frustration, but leaving before either of them can say another word.
She always comes to him (though sometimes it takes her days to swallow down all of her pride) to slip her arms around him, bury her head in the spot where his shoulder meets his neck, and whisper apologies until he kisses her, forgiving all of her transgressions.
Then it is back to being easy.
Until it's hard again.