It's so weird and amazing when life is giving you signs and you are too stupid and refuse to see them. In the case of Blair Waldorf, she isn't just stupid, she is blind too. And she is a masochist who can't make a difference between simple things as good or bad. That's why she leaves Dan Humphrey and runs after Chuck Bass. It is logical. It was always that way, Chuck Bass is the one she always goes back too. He knows it, she knows it, even Dan knows it.

Four months after the infamous not-even-break-up between Dan and Blair, he finally goes back to New York, after he spends the summer in Rome with Georgina. If people were around him sufficiently, they would say that he is changed somehow. He doesn't whine, he doesn't analyze the situation, he doesn't talk about it…You can say he's over Blair Waldorf. Maybe Georgina did something about it, maybe he learned how to move on, maybe…

But people aren't around him as usual so hardly anyone can see the difference. Rufus is back in the loft and things seem to go the old way, except they don't. The Humphreys men have been screwed over (pretty good) by the loves of their lives and there is nothing they can do about it. Almost nothing.

…

The day Dan walks in on his father making out semi naked (ok they are probably having sex) like a teenager with Ivy, it's the day Dan explodes. He has a huge fight with his father and hard words are hanging in the air. He doesn't want to see Rufus as someone who would go to bed with just anyone (not to mention that he is old enough to be her father) in order to get over the woman he loved his entire life. Humphreys don't to that, they ramble, write stories or songs, they wait, but they aren't like that…Probably. He packs his things and catches a cab. When he goes to Nate's (Chuck is not in the city, there is an empire to win back) he welcomes him. But, Lola is already there and Dan hates to stay there and ruin their night…or week. Nate insists him to stay, so the three of them end up drinking light beer on the balcony. He doesn't want to talk a lot about Rome or about Blair, but he blurts out that he is writing a new book. When Nate asks what is it about this time, the doorbell interrupts them.

"Going somewhere" – Dan can hear her voice. She doesn't know that the bags are Dan's.

"No, actually, Dan is here"- She is quiet for a moment, and then asks why isn't he in Brooklyn. He and Lola go inside the penthouse and he tries to look at her cold and without an expression. And he succeeds.

"My father is having a company, and there is no place for me there anymore" – He says.

"A woman?" – Nate teases.

"Yes, but please don't ask me more. I'll spend the night here and tomorrow I'm checking in a hotel." – Nate reminds him that he can stay there as long as he wants, or as long as Chuck isn't there. Like he needed to point that out.

Blair comes to visit Nate, so she can talk about Chuck and the usual thing that is bothering him, so she can make a plan how to win him back and not irritate him in those hard moments for him.

She came for that…but Daniel Humphrey catches her eye. His hair is short and now she isn't sure why the hell she was demanding that from him the entire time they were together. Not that he doesn't look good, but he seems different. Like he isn't the Dan that was waking her up with soft kisses and hugs, the Dan with soft curls and two days beard, something that would pass only among the pretentious Brooklyn writers. She shakes those thoughts off and goes to the kitchen pretending that she needs a bottle of water. Then she signals him to join her in there.

"From all the places you chose to come here?" – She whispers. He tries not to sound friendly.

"All the places?" – He asks. She can't help but notice how his black v-neck suits perfectly on his torso.

"Hotels, Alessandra, Hudson…I know you don't have many people that would welcome you, but here? Chuck is coming back in few days…"

"I'm at Nate's, not like I'm intruding Chuck's space. Plus it's for a night." – He hates that he is actually explaining himself.

"You should know the best how annoying is for a new couple when a third wheel is complaining about life all night long" – She continues.

"First of all I'm not complaining about anything. Second of all, if they are asking me I'd rather stay alone on the balcony drinking…Don't bother me Waldorf, like it wasn't enough to see my Dad with Ivy…" – He blurts out.

"IVY" – She screams and he instantly and without thinking puts his hand over her mouth.

"Shhhh!" – He shushes her, becoming aware that his hand is the only obstacle between his and hers lips. – "I didn't mean to say it out lout in front of anyone. Do not, I repeat, do not say this out loud in front of anyone, am I clear?" – He talks very quietly, still pressing his hand over half of her face and she just nods staring into his eyes and they both know the tension is dangerous. After all, he doesn't want to go through the same depression that was following him the entire summer, and she already put her bet on Chuck. Again. Like a complete idiot. And god, Humphrey does smell nice. When he takes his hand off her lips, a small red lip print is on the inside of his palm and his inner loser tells him to smell it, and it smells like strawberries. The smell disturbs him and he washes his hand immediately.

…

The same night, Dan decides to leave Nate's penthouse. He lies to him that he would check in a hotel, rambling how he doesn't want to disturb them or ran into Chuck and Nate believes him. Or he pretends to. It doesn't really matter.

Downstairs Blair is waiting for him in her town car, and once his luggage is in the boot, the car takes them to the Waldorf's penthouse.

Inside, everything is the same but it isn't. It seems cold, odd, like he hasn't been there for decades. Dorota isn't there, as Blair says she has shortened her working hours because she has two babies and she doesn't really need her that much in the evening. Because she spends the nights with Chuck, Dan thinks.

"You can sleep in Serena's old room" – She says shortly.

"You know, I can still go to a hotel" – He makes one of his uncomfortable faces, when he realizes how stupid the situation is.

"Nonsense. This is the least I can do…" – She cuts her words, realizing what she says.

"Yeah…" – He picks his suitcases and drags them upstairs.

…

The room is completely clean, nothing says that Serena used it the previous year or so. The bed has no sheets, her scary birds aren't hanging above the bed, there are no frames with her face…nothing. Just a plain room.

"Here" – She says, carrying fresh sheets, placing them on the bed. He looks at her and then she makes a hand gesture for him to get off the bed so she can tuck in the sheets. He helps her do that and they end up spreading dark brown sheet over the bed, simultaneously tucking the ends in and passing hands to flat the bed.

"Thanks" – He says. It's awkward. She wants to say something, but she doesn't. – "Good night"

"G'night" – She mumbles.

He can hear her walking in her room, then in the bathroom, and he tries not to think that his former (or is she actually?) girlfriend is taking a shower just a door away from him. He gets his lap top, tries to surf on the Internet, but his thoughts are drifting away. When she doesn't make any noise anymore, he lets himself go to the bathroom and get ready to go to bed. From some stupid reason he lets the bathroom door semi opened.

..

They can't sleep. She gets out of bed, goes to get a glass of water from the kitchen, goes back, rolls in the bed and hates the whole insomnia thing. Except, she knows exactly why she can't sleep. In the other room he lies stiff in the bed, staring in the ceiling, hands under his head and he thinks he hears a noise. Nothing happens. He is imagining things. Why would she come to his room? When he goes to close the bathroom door, he can hear her talking on the phone. He can swear it's with Chuck, because she sounds whiney and it's not in her nature to sound like she begs someone for love. It takes him superhuman force not to open the door from her side of the bathroom. He goes back to bed.

She did talk to Chuck. Also she did walked into the bathroom, wanting to go to his room, to apologize for everything, to tell him that she cares about him so much, except that she doesn't know for anything better than Chuck, and that his love was greater than Chuck's and for the first time in her life she was mortified that if she was about to act like an insane bitch, he wouldn't have her back…because he's not Chuck, because once his heart is broken it wouldn't be fixed with whores and alcohol.

And just like that they end up drifting to sleep, refusing to talk about the pink elephant in the room.

…..

Next morning, she has an internship interview and she is up two hours before. She picks clothes and shoes, then accessories and just when she wants to get in the bathroom, the door is locked. She stands in front of it like an idiot and decides to knock.

"Showering, be out in five minutes" – He yells. She shrugs, and starts counting the time. And all though she is annoyed that she has to share the bathroom again (he'd probably leave it a mess) she smiles on the whole situation. He used to do that before too, and was ending up using the bathroom in the next half an hour.

When ten minutes are passing she starts to walk back and forth. She feels stupid to knock again so she decides to get dressed while she waits, but she doesn't because she hates to brush her teeth and wash her face in nice clothes. When twenty minutes pass she is pissed off already.

"Humphrey!" – She shouts, knocking two times and the sound of her knocking can tell more than her annoyed voice. He doesn't respond. She can hear the water running and she rolls her eyes. Not only she has no time now to take a shower, but he ruins her morning ritual too. Thirty minutes pass and now she is furious.

"Humphrey!" – She isn't knocking, she is slaping the door with her full palm. – "It's my turn in the bathroom" – Her face is practically glued to the door. – "What are you doing in there?" – She tries to sound a bit nicer. Still no answer, just the water running. – "Stop being such a girl, what took you so long?" – She knocks like five times non stop and then the door opens. Her eyes are slowly traveling up from his legs, the towel that is wrapped around his waist, his abs, his belly button, then his semi dried sculptured torso, his hair still wet and combed back…She finally looks in his face, it's covered with shaving foam and…What was her question again? In any other circumstances he'd have a smut face for catching her checking him out shamelessly (not that she is aware of doing it) but now he is serious.

"Yes?" – He says with voice that is still sleepy. She feels embarrassed.

"I'm running late" – She stutters.

"You can come in, I'm not done yet" – He says nonchalantly, holding the razor in his hand. She realizes her mouth is hanging open. He goes back to the mirror and she stands next to him. She takes her tooth brush and starts brushing her teeth.

If you are watching them from aside, they don't look any different than a young couple that has just started living together. A busy morning, the two of them almost killing each other for the bathroom time…

"What" – He asks when he catches her staring at him in the mirror.

"Nothing" – She says with mouth full with toothpaste. She looks away and keeps brushing her teeth. Not that he doesn't look at her and the silky black night gown hanging loosely on her shoulders. That's when he cuts his face and mumbles a curse.

"Ah…you were always talentless when comes to shaving. That's why you are walking around like Yeti" – He presses a piece of paper towel and can't help but laugh on her comment. She cleans her mouth, has a glass of water and gets the razor from his hand.

"Sit down" – She commands and he listens, even though she sworn not to do anything about her ever again. – "Let me help you"

He sits on the toilette seat, and Blair stands in front of him, gently dragging the razor down his jaw line.

"How was Rome?" – She asks.

"Fine" – He answers looking away, not really knowing what to do with his hands. He'd put them around her waist but…this isn't that situation any more.

"Just fine?" – She asks.

"Yes"

"Did you start writing something else?" – She drags the razor another time and now he is more relaxed.

"Yes. A novel." – She is so close now, it's scary.

"What's about?" – She asks naively.

"About…." – He sighs – "…how the good guy doesn't get the girl" – He says. She doesn't ask any more questions. She shaves his face carefully and he has to swallow to wet his throat every time her hand is touching his face.

"You're done" – She says and he stands up, seeming so much taller than her.

"Thanks" – He says. – "It's all yours" – And he walks out of the bathroom and she realizes that she stares. When did he get so…so good looking, she asks herself.

tbc