Fic: Reprise (Chapter 2)
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 2
He searches for her the entire night.
After 90 minutes of playing, the band ends the show with their single, but catcalls and chants bring them back out for an encore. When the crowds are off the dance floor and the band's signing merchandise for fans, Dan's left with an empty room. He only stops looking for her when they leave for their hotel.
He doesn't sleep that night.
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"Aren't you supposed to be doing something?" she snides, gesturing to the stage and sitting beside him at the bar.
He should be shocked, but by this point, nothing surprises him about Blair Waldorf anymore.
His heart jumps a little at the fact that she showed up for their second show in Brussels, but he forces himself to not think anything of it.
He shakes his head. "Nope...this is the easy part for me. I just sit back and let them do their thing. I start once the show's over. So I'm free for the next," he looks at his watch, "hour." He grins, and it's only now that he greets her. "Evening, Blair."
She lifts her chin. "Good evening, Humphrey."
"So...did you come back to see me?" he teases. 'Or could you not find any other sanitary place in this city? I went to a great café for lunch. If you'd like me to, I'll show you the way."
Blair just rolls her eyes and flashes a smile that shows she's not amused. "No thanks."
"Well, then...can I interest you in a walk?"
She takes a deep breath and exhales loudly, her eyes remaining on his. She steals the last sip of his drink and slips off the barstool. "I suppose I could use some fresh air."
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It ends up being too chilly for a walk, so they end up back at the stage bar. They sit side-by-side watching the show and not talking for the rest of the night. The room clears out and the silence slowly becomes unnerving.
"There you are," calls Max, walking up to them and slapping a hand on Dan's back. "We're waiting for you in the green room."
Dan nods. "Right, okay. Um..." He looks at Blair with a bit of uncertainty; he's not done talking-or, not talking-with her, but he has his job to do. He looks back at Max. "I'll be right there."
Once they're alone again, he tentatively rests his hand on her shoulder. "Do you wanna get another drink?"
As she contemplates his question, she worries her bottom lip between her teeth. "A drink would be fine."
"Good. Just..." He looks towards the green room. "Let me just make sure everything's square here." Unconsciously, he takes her hand and leads her backstage, but she lets go almost immediately.
His heart plummets deep in his chest at that-and even further once he opens the green room door. It's a complete mess. Their dinner cartons are open and on different surfaces, various jackets and shirts are strewn about, and the cigarette in Posey's mouth is filling the room with smoke.
Blair looks absolutely horrified.
"Guys, can you clean up in here please? And Poe...take the cigarette outside," Dan scolds, picking up her discarded jacket and throwing it at her.
"Welcome to Europe, Fitz: the land of smoking indoors," she replies back, a satisfied smile gliding across her face.
Blair watches Dan roll his eyes and surrender, leaning back against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
Miles whistles. "Fitz, you didn't tell us you had company. Who's this gorgeous lady?" he asks, walking up to the doorway.
Dan brings his arm up in front of Blair's chest before Miles can get any closer to her. He gets the warning and steps back.
"This is The Letter M," Dan says, telling her the band name even though she's seen it on the posters. "Everyone, Blair; Blair, everyone."
Each member calls out their name.
"Miles."
"Max."
"Mike Woods. But you can call me Woody."
After slowly exhaling a puff of smoke, their singer smiles. "I'm Posey." She sees Blair furrow her brow. "I came after they named the band."
"Oh." Giving a small smile, Blair nods. "Well, it's nice to meet you all. Your performance was..." She searches for the word. "...great."
Not the adjective Dan expects, but he inwardly gives her an A for effort.
After no one makes a move to speak, Dan ends the awkwardness. "Okay, well, we're going to go. Can I trust you guys to pack everything up? We leave around noon tomorrow."
Waving them off, Miles replies, "Yeah. Don't worry about it."
"You two have fun, now," Woody says, winking at Blair.
She visibly cringes, but remembers her manners. "Have a good night."
They aren't even out the door before Dan's apologizing. "Sorry, they can be...annoying sometimes."
"It's okay."
"Where're you staying? Is there a bar there?"
She nods. "Yeah. It's not far."
Most of their walk is silent, with them standing more than a foot apart from each other. It's not entirely uncomfortable, but he knows it'll be easier to talk with alcohol in their system, so he accepts the quiet.
Once they get to the bar, she excuses herself to use the restroom and leaves Dan alone with their drink orders. He's utterly tempted to order her a beer-mentally begging himself to-but he knows that'll ruin the night faster than he can say-
"What did you get me?"
"That was fast," he remarks, standing to pull back her chair. "I didn't order yet."
"I was just washing my hands," she says, before smiling at the waiter walking up to them. "Cabernet, please."
Beer. "I'll have the same, thanks."
She takes the folded napkin and places it on her lap. "So..."
He settles back in his chair. "So...how have you been?"
Huffing out a breath, she shakes her head. "Why do you care all of a sudden?"
He frowns. "What the hell does that mean?"
She holds her answer until the waiter places their drinks on the table. Taking her time and reveling in making him wait, she takes a sip of her wine. Coldly, she finally says, "You didn't seem too interested in how I was five years ago."
"Well five years ago, you made a choice I couldn't stand watching you make." He takes a handful of nuts from the bowl but doesn't eat them. "Just because I stopped talking to you doesn't mean I stopped caring." He throws some peanuts in his mouth.
"Well it would've been nice to have been clued in, Dan," she whispers harshly.
He sighs. "I'm sorry."
She's not done. "Not to mention, you disappeared into thin air when it all blew up in my face three years later." She unconsciously fiddles with her ringless finger.
He nods, remembering the night he'd ended them.
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"I'm sorry, but I can't watch you do this."
Tears rim her eyes. "Why not?" she asks breathlessly. "Because you love me? Because you think I still love Chuck? Because you don't think I'm worth this?"
"No!" He rubs his face with his hand. "No, Blair." He looks at her right in the eyes. "Because you don't love him."
She lets out a breath. "Yes I do, Dan! I do, I promise I do! I love Louis." Tears keep leaking from her eyes.
He sighs. "Each time you say that to me, it sounds like you're convincing yourself it's true."
She sniffles. "I thought you were my friend, Dan. Out of everyone, I never expected you to do this to me."
His heart breaking, he looks at her sadly. "Yeah, well. Out of everyone, I never expected you to do this to yourself."
He can hear her sobbing when he walks away, but he forces himself to not look back. He'll see enough of her in the papers.
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"I'm sorry," he says again.
She nods, forgiving him for tonight; she's too tired (and tipsy) to fight anyway.
"So, when did you change your name?" she asks curiously, helping herself to some peanuts.
He laughs. "They started calling me that my very first day here."
"Why?"
"For some reason I'll never know, I remind them of F. Scott Fitzgerald."
"It's because you're a writer," she says in an isn't it obvious tone.
"One of their songs is called Gatsby."
"They must love that book then."
He laughs again. "It's probably the only book they've ever read."
"Probably." She finishes her wine and looks at her watch. "It's getting late."
He takes her cue, and signals for the waiter. After paying the check, he walks her to the hotel elevator.
"So I guess this is goodbye."
He exhales. "I guess so."
Not quite ready for that yet, he clears his throat and asks, "What city are you going to next?"
"I don't know. I've just been playing it by ear."
"Come with me." Just like last night, his mouth is moving faster than his mind.
She freezes. "Come with you?"
"Yeah."
"And where will that be?"
He smiles, because he knows she won't be able to resist it. "Paris."
She thinks for a long minute. "I'm not traveling with you by bus or van or however else you move from place to place."
His laugh echoes through the lobby. "I would never expect you to." He starts walking backwards. "Same number?"
She sighs at herself, not believing she agreed to this. "Same number."
"I'll call you. Night Blair."
She smirks despite herself. "Night Fitz."
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tbc.
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A/N: So...some questions are being answered :) I'd love to hear your thoughts!