Fic: Etched On Her Heart (Part I)
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Blair/Dan
Rating: Mature
Title: Etched On Her Heart
Summary: Post-100th. What happens when Dan & Blair DO make it to the Dominican Republic...
A/N: Takes place after the 100th. Some details are changed...you'll know what they are. Read & Review please :) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own GG or any of its characters.
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Part I
She hates admitting it to herself, but god almighty this outfit is comfortable. The sweatshirt's insides are lined with soft cotton, and although it's too big, the extra fabric makes it extra cozy. The t-shirt isn't as scratchy as she assumed it would be, and as for the leggings...well...she may need to buy herself a few more pairs.
Regardless of her successful outfit, the situation she's gotten herself into is still a fucking mess. She's at LaGuardia with Dan Humphrey, her custom Vera Wang is crumpled up in a bag, and she's on her way to get herself a divorce.
They'd slipped out early enough to have time to grab their passports, and after getting two tickets to the Dominican Republic, they settle on the plane.
She stares at the television monitor on the back of the seat in front of her for what seems like hours. The screen shows an interactive map of the United States, and her eyes follow the little airplane icon with each millimeter it moves. Her vision starts to blur after a while, and the last two things she registers before falling asleep is the kiss Dan presses to her temple and that they're flying over West Virginia.
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She wakes up to a tickling feeling on her ear. Dan's lips are a millimeter away and she feels his breath whoosh across her skin. "Blair," he whispers, tentatively resting his hand on her thigh. "We're here."
He smiles at the way her face scrunches up at the intrusion, before slowly blinking awake to stare at him. She looks both confused and annoyed, and a moment passes before she closes her eyes again.
Dan freezes. Was she seriously going back to sleep?
"Blair," he says more loudly. "We're here."
This time her eyes fly open. "I heard you the first time, Humphrey. I was just hoping this was all a nightmare."
He sighs audibly, unsurprised that she's reacting this way. Once he has her wedding dress and the other small bag he's packed from home, he leads them off the plane and through the airport. Since it's just after midnight, the place is fairly empty.
Even through the dark, the air is balmy and sweet smelling, but grey clouds still rumble over their heads. It seems the island weather is reflective of her mood, and Blair's thankful that she isn't ambushed with bright colors and a blinding sun. She feels a migraine coming on.
Since it's so late, their only choice is to go straight to the hotel. The taxi ride is hot and nauseating and she immediately tunes out Dan. She's not listening, but he's obviously failing at communicating to the driver.
She interrupts, "I usually request five-star hotels, but since we're on limited funds and this is rather last-minute, I'll settle for a four-star."
He rolls his eyes. "Thanks." He hopes she hears the sarcasm in his voice.
After a twenty-minute drive, they arrive at the resort. The lobby is clean and welcoming, with pretty furniture and warm colors, and the staff quickly finds them a room. Blair remains as incognito as she can by placing oversized sunglasses on her face and averting eye contact. She doesn't know how much press the Royal Wedding, Part II has gotten here, but she doesn't want to take any chances.
When they step into the room, she barely registers the double beds and ocean view, and instead walks straight to the bathroom. After scrubbing off the airport and traveling germs from her face and hands, she crawls into bed and pulls a pillow over her eyes. She hears Dan rustle about the room, closing the shades and lowering the lights. A moment later, she hears the distinct sound of glass hitting glass right next to her, and after peeking one eye out from under the pillow, she sees he's placed a plate of fruit on the bedside table.
Once she hears the bathroom door close and the shower start to run, she sits up in the dark and eats the handful of grapes. Her stomach immediately settles and the glass of water dampens the headache. She falls asleep before he comes back in the room.
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"What are we supposed to do here for two days?!" Blair exclaims at the woman, her palms flat on the desk between them. Even though she's tiny, she looms over the poor woman like a giant, and Dan lightly grips her shoulders and backs her away.
They're at the Office of the Civil Registry, where Blair had dragged him to at eleven this morning. She had tried to go at seven-thirty by lovingly waking Dan by pulling the covers off his bed. After calmly-but coldly-informing her of the time and ridiculousness of the request, she ended the conversation with, "Fine! Stay here. I don't need you anyway."
She'd returned no less than five minutes later with two coffees and muffins. When he had raised his brow at her, she spat out, "I'm a young woman on an island of strangers. Forgive me if I didn't want to get kidnapped." She pauses. "Again."
Now here they were, and the clerk was informing Blair that due to a family emergency, the judge couldn't see her for two days.
"I'm sorry, Miss. I'll do whatever I can to have this done as soon as possible," she says to Blair in a trembling voice, before picking up the phone and barking to someone in Spanish.
When they're outside, Dan can tell Blair's about to explode. The Civil Registry building is not far from the beach, and he just lets her lead the way. He walks fifteen feet behind her as she storms down the sandy path that winds around large bushes and vegetation. After a minute, he loses sight of her, but just calmly continues following her trail.
When he reaches the clearing, an empty beach greets him. The waves just tumble one after the other, breaking into a foamy white, and he hears a few bugs buzz by him.
Blair's lying flat on her back, staring up at the sky and the palm trees that frame her view. He never pegged Blair Waldorf to be a sand-in-your-hair kind of girl, but here she is, chestnut locks tangled in the shore. Her shoulders shake with each silent sob she cries, and her face is long streaked with tears.
Without saying a word, he lies down right beside her and turns his head to press a kiss to her wet cheek. "Two days isn't that long," is all his says, before curling his fingers in hers.
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It takes Dan three hours before he buys them both a bathing suit. When he comes back from the hotel gift shop, Blair almost bursts into tears for the second time. The suit he has on is a tropical pattern of lime greens and blinding turquoises, and is so horrid she can't even look at him. The suit he got her is nothing better, but she doesn't put it on. Instead, to Dan's confusion, she throws on the white linen outfit that came with the room. It's a one-size-fits-all drawstring pants and a long sleeved shirt. She's swimming in the fabric, but he just lets her do her thing and keeps his mouth shut.
But by that afternoon, after lying on their private patch of beach for a few hours, Dan can't hold out any longer. She looks completely overheated. Her skin is flushed, her forehead is damp with sweat, and he can see her nonchalantly fanning herself with her magazine.
"Blair," he says, but she pointedly ignores him. He sighs and disappears for a minute, before coming back to drop the bikini on her stomach. "If you don't take that off, you're going to melt. And we can't have that happen before you sign the papers, now, can we?" he teases. She laughs only because she's grateful for the shadow he's cast over her body. She frowns when he steps away, taking his shadow and her shade with him.
She's silent for another minute. "I just haven't worn a bathing suit since...you know." Her voice is soft and oh so quiet, and her gaze is glued on the ocean.
"It's just me, Blair."
Something uncoils in her at his reply.
She nods and goes inside to change. Once she steps back outside and feels the breeze hit her body, she gives a sigh of relief. The air feels glorious on her skin.
"Nice," Dan comments, looking at the suit. (And her.) She's incredibly thin-the stress of the accident and wedding obviously took its toll. He notices a faint scar below her bellybutton and she folds her arm across her stomach to shield herself. "I'm going for a swim." She's gone in a flash.
He watches from his lounge chair as she slowly walks until the water hits her knees, before diving into the waves. When she's under longer than he expects, he stands in a panic. Her head bobs up a second later, but his heart is still beating like mad.
He's going in.
"What are you doing?" Blair asks when he swims up beside her.
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
She rolls her eyes and continues to tread water; her toes barely touch the sand below her. She watches as Dan floats on his back and stares at the sky. She follows suit. "The Dominican Republic isn't so bad," she says, closing her eyes to appreciate the warm sun and relaxing water.
They stay like that for what seems like hours, their shoulders bumping the entire time. It's only when Dan grabs her foot and pretends to be a sea creature does she move from her lying position. "I'm going to kill you!" she screams, swimming to catch up with him. He's laughing so hard he has to stop and catch his breath, giving her the opportunity to finally reach him. She pushes him underwater for twenty seconds before letting him return to the surface for a breath, only to be splashed in the face once more.
She doesn't know how she ends up in his arms, but she's suddenly there. The water's cold now, but his body is warm, and she wraps herself a little tighter around him. They're both panting from their chase, their breaths loud and fast between them, and the electricity is turned up instantly. His eyes are on her lips, and hers on his. They meet halfway in the middle and brush their mouths against each other. It's salty and messy and wet and honestly, a drowning hazard, but it feels too good to care.
When she pulls away, she's panting for a whole new reason, and without saying a word, turns to swim back to shore.
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They don't mention the kiss. In fact, they just continue the day like it never happened.
After dinner and more reading on the beach, they both change for bed and fall asleep in silence.
They're awoken by thunder and rain. The beautiful weather from yesterday is nowhere to be seen, and Blair's nerves return instantly. She doesn't know how they're going to last all day in the room together.
They lazily watch movies, stopping only to eat lunch and walk around the hotel for a bit. She falls asleep during some boring Western movie, and wakes up to find herself curled into his side; he's still awake, but doesn't notice her yet. The rumble of her stomach gives her away and she blushes in embarrassment. "Hungry?" he asks.
"Starving."
The rain has stopped and the clouds have cleared away rather quickly. Blue sky peaks through as they sit down at the hotel patio for dinner, and the sky becomes a gorgeous canvas of colors.
Once they return to their room, Blair opens the glass doors and announces, "I'm going for a walk."
Dan nods. "Okay. Want me to come?"
She purses her lips in thought. "Um..." she thinks out loud, "I think I'm going to go alone."
"Okay," he replies, turning his attention back to the television.
Relieved that he isn't offended, Blair adds, "But thanks for the offer," before turning to step out of the glass doors.
The sand feels warm between her toes. The breeze is cool from the earlier rain and the sun is about to set, so she's thankful for the heat it brings. Houses are lined up along the shore, each a different color and wrapped with wide white porches. She loves the city and knows she's an urban dweller, but the thought of waking up to the water each morning sounds more appealing than ever before.
She is the only one on the beach, for the most part, until she comes upon a crowd of people. It takes her a moment to see what's going on, but when she spots the reason, it's loud and clear. A wedding has just started along the beach, and the other walkers have stopped to watch.
It's pretty much the opposite of her wedding. For starters, the bride looks positively radiant. Her white dress stops at her knees, which brings even more attention to her bare feet and pink pedicure. Her hair is pulled into a side-swept bun, which is adorned with an island flower. The groom is wearing a lighter colored suit and his smile couldn't get any wider. She walks down the aisle to U2's "Beautiful Day" instead of a traditional instrumental piece, and after homemade vows and personal promises, they kiss right as the sun sets.
Blair can't tell if her tears are for the happy couple's future or for everything she never got.
She doesn't leave from her spot until the wedding guests have left and the crowds of beachgoers are gone. It's dark now, and she knows Dan will worry, so she starts the stroll back to the hotel. This walk was supposed to be her time to clear her mind and think about her life. She's supposed to be alone in her thoughts and all the focus is supposed to be on her.
She's both annoyed and unsurprised that her thoughts keep drifting back to her Brooklyn boy.
Yes, her's.
She's become oddly possessive of him in the recent weeks and an unfamiliar feeling passes through her veins at the thought of Serena taking him back. He's barely left her side in the past few months, and although he can be more aggravating than anyone she's ever met-ever, ever-he has become the most constant thing in her life.
When she opens the glass door, she announces her return. "I'm baaack," but her voice stops when she sees Dan asleep. He has already changed for bed and is under the covers, but the television is still on. She moves to turn it off, but switches on the bathroom light so she can see.
She washes and changes as quietly as she can, before slipping into her cool sheets. The combination of her earlier nap and beach walk has her wide awake, and she keeps turning to look at Dan.
Her thoughts drift once again to their ocean swim yesterday and she feels herself smile as she replays their kiss. She feels a blush rise to her cheeks and throws off the covers. She feels much too warm for blankets.
She fists the sheets to keep herself in bed, but can't deny herself any longer. Moving from hers and into his, she smiles as he unconsciously moves over and gives her more room. He's still asleep, and after staring at him for another minute, she leans down to rain kisses across his face. He makes a noise of appreciation and drowsily wakes when her lips reach his mouth. He returns the kiss with fervor, wrapping his arms around her small frame and curling her into his body.
"Blair," he whispers, moving his mouth to her neck and sucking on her pulse point. She sighs and grabs his t-shirt, craning her neck to give him more room. After a few seconds, she needs to kiss him again, and moves to do so. No matter how close she gets to him, it's just not close enough, and she starts impatiently tugging at his clothes. He hovers over her now, kissing his way down her neck and collarbone. He stops to lift the slip off of her body, leaving her completely nude, and continues his path down her skin. His attention moves to her breasts, and after teasing her with his mouth and fingers, she arches her back. "Dan," she moans, writhing beneath him. "I need you." She's desperate for more friction and for his clothes to be off.
"Shh," he says, continuing with his ministrations and moving to lavish her other breast. Her hand tangles in his hair, pulling him down to where she needs him most. He kisses down the smooth plane of her stomach and her breath hitches when he stops to press a soft kiss on the scar she hid from him earlier.
"Yes, yes, yes," she repeats like a mantra, over and over again, when his lips reach her heat. His talented tongue works her until she feels the familiar, but all-too foreign, tingle slowly build up. When he slips another finger inside her, she comes with the soft cry of his name. He continues even as the waves of ecstasy roll through her, and until she feels him make his way back up her body. She kisses him soundly once he reaches her lips and tastes herself. "I need you," she says again, aching for him to fill her. She hurriedly drags his shirt off his chest and kisses his shoulder. After sliding him out of his boxers and whispering that she's on the pill, he finally slips inside her. They both moan at the feeling, and Blair presses herself against his skin as he begins to move inside her. It's warm and tight and slow and passionate and feels so so right.
Pleasure ripples through her with each grind, with their mouths and noses brushing softly against each other. The sensation of him is overwhelming and she can feel herself slipping with each movement. With one last thrust, she shudders against him, falling over the edge with another cry of his name. Dan follows a moment later, kissing her passionately as she clenches around him. She continues to press her mouth against his sweaty skin, needing to touch him constantly, and works to slow her breath down. Looking into his eyes, she presses one final kiss before nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck and slipping into sleep.
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"The humidity makes your hair look ridiculous," she whispers, pulling on one of his curls the next morning and waking him up. "I think you need to shave your head. It's irreparable."
"You're such an exaggerator," he says with a yawn, amused at her mood and smiling like a fool. He's just happy to wake up next to her.
"I am not! Seriously, at this point, dreadlocks would be better."
He shrugs. "Okay. I've seen a couple places on the island that can do them. Maybe this morning we can go?" He leans in to kiss her softly.
"No!" she says against his lips, eyes widening in fear. "I take it back."
Dan just laughs and slides his hand down her lower back. He pulls her close to him, until their mouths are a breath apart. "Morning."
"Morning," she mumbles, pressing her lips to his again. She can't stop.
"Ready to get divorced today?"
She lets out a breath and smiles. "Yeah."
They lounge for a little while longer, before ordering room service, showering, and changing. Blair feels more refreshed than ever. It's most likely the sex-she hasn't felt that satisfied in a while-but it's also the relief of what's coming. And Dan.
She feels like a thousand pounds is lifted off of her the moment she signs the papers. Louis is done. Her marriage is over. She is an independent woman again. She at last feels hopeful again.
"This," she says, gesturing in between them as they walk out of the building, "isn't going to be easy."
He doesn't react.
She continues, "I'm serious, Dan."
"Wait. Weren't you the one who came into my bed?"
"Yes, but-"
"Okay. That's my point." He stops walking and takes her hands. "I'll go at your pace. I'll follow your lead. You just got divorced; there are a million things that complicate this situation. I get it."
She releases a deep breath.
"Besides," he says, giving her a devilishly handsome smirk. "I'm most likely going to be arrested for kidnapping you, so we have many more hurdles coming our way. We'll deal with them as they come." She laughs and wraps her arms around his waist, continuing the walk to the taxi.
"And remember," he adds, "I'll always-"
"Be there," she finishes for him, his promise etched on her heart. "I know."
And he will be.
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{Part II}
A/N: I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts! :)