Ask Me In

She has no idea how long they stand in the middle of the living room, but neither seems to be in any hurry to stop their current occupation. His left hand caresses her cheek while his right hand and arm are wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly to him. What began as a litany of "Dans" and breathless sighs escalates to something much deeper and significant that transcends any intimacies they have shared before.

"Oh, my God," she thinks through the haze and frenzy. "Such a good kisser." She knows it is so much more than that, and yet she feels girlish and lightheaded and loved, completely lost in the moment. She does not want this...whatever he is doing to her lower lip...to stop. Ever. But then she loses that train of thought as he shifts his attention from the gentle, thorough nips his lips make at hers to a deeper exploration of her mouth with his tongue. She moans as he captures her entire upper lip in between his, deepening the kiss until she feels his tongue skid across the roof of her mouth.

"Dan" is all she can voice in response, tightening her two-fisted grip on his sweater. She tries to draw him closer, and is frustrated to realize there is no closer. She involuntarily groans in frustration, and to her dismay, he immediately stops kissing her.

"Blair?" She is immediately disarmed with how sweetly he says her name, as if he has hurt her or has crossed some line of decorum.

"Don't stop," she manages. "Just want you closer," she says before finding his lower lip again. She wraps her hands around the back of his neck, fingers grazing his dark curls, reinforcing just where she wants his mouth in relation to hers. She says his name again, low and sultry, just to keep him focused. His latest volley does not disappoint, filled with longing and desire and love. The room starts spinning and she realizes this...this... is what she did not know she had been missing.

After some time, she feels him start to pull back, and instinctively she tightens her hold around his neck, worried the spell will be broken.

He whispers, "Blair," in response, and she feels him smile against her mouth. Dan draws his right hand up so that he is now tenderly caressing both of her cheeks. She, in turn, eases her arms back down to his chest, right hand flush against his heart. He lightly kisses her mouth once more, lands a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, then rests his forehead on hers. She finally looks up at him.

"What?" she asks softly, and a little breathlessly.

He pulls his head back just a fraction so that he can look deep into her eyes. He is literally all smiles: broad, happy grin and twinkling, brown eyes that crinkle at the corners. There is a flush to his cheeks, and that the thought occurs to her, that this is tangible proof of his desire for her, ignites something deep in her center. She fights the urge to say something teasing when she realizes two things, that she cannot remember when he has looked so happy and that he is only a reflection of her own smiling, blissful face.

"I don't know, I thought you might still want to come in, maybe take off your coat. Set down that giant purse of yours that contains all the mysteries of the Upper East Side. Not that I am complaining, in any way, about our current situation. Because I could stand here with you forever. But, well-"

She effectively ends his charming ramble with another kiss, files this debating tool away for the next time he gets mouthy about the Impressionists, then reluctantly disengages from him. It takes starting twice, but she finds her voice. "Yes, I think I would like to come in and stay. You are most obliging." She turns then, and without another word, he helps her off with her coat, neatly drapes it over a barstool, and sets her purse atop it.

He offers her a beer, which she declines with a raised eyebrow. She feels too heady for wine, but does accept his offer of sparking water, which, to her quiet delight, he brings her in a glass. He abandons the beer he was nursing when she arrived for a bottle of water.

They settle on the loft's comfy, blue sofa, site of multiple movie nights and several heart to hearts. He nervously peels the label off of his water bottle. She takes it from him with a knowing smile, sets it on the coffee table, and returns her attention to the man on her left. Dan looks at her in that meaningful, soulful way that is his habit. He is always just looking at her, reverentially. She recognizes the meaning and importance now, and wants to kick herself for every time she previously denied the significance of that look. She briefly wonders how long Serena and Chuck and everyone else in Manhattan knew about this, and how long she has known, but refused to admit it. She will not dwell on that now; she sees her future before her and she embraces it by embracing him.

The sofa provides a more level playing field for round two. Their kisses linger, and are less urgent, more languid and intimate. She explores the angles of his cheekbones and the slope of his nose with delicate fingers, traces the lines of his sideburns with her thumbs. Even at their most contentious, she could never deny the appeal of his beautiful jawline. She takes great pleasure in kissing her way down the right side and back up the left. She bites down harder than she intends at the juncture of his jaw and carotid, feels his pulse vibrate against her lips. She kisses it, as if to make it feel better, but secretly thrills at the thought of leaving her mark on him.

He groans in pleasure, pulls his arms from around her back to grasp her face with both hands, and intensifies his kisses. He returns the favor, leaving a trail of wet kisses along her jaw and down her neck. She feels him nuzzle her there, and then sigh, not moving from where he has buried his head. The heat from his breath on her neck raises goosebumps on her arms.

"God, Blair, you smell so nice. I have wanted to tell you that for so long."

"You like my Chanel #5?"

"More than you could imagine." He raises his head then, and looks at her desirously, but then suddenly, shyly.

In that moment, in just the short blip of her rapidly beating heart, she recognizes that beyond their non-date dates, this crazy attraction, the undeniable lust and need, just how deeply he feels for her and that she is not the only one taking a risk here. She cups her hands over his cheeks, thumbs brushing over the peaks of his cheekbones, and proffers a quick kiss to his lips, and says sincerely, "I am so glad to be right here with you. No matter what happens. This is so surreal, but I know it is right."

"Blair, I still can't quite believe this is happening-"

She asks, "How about now?," punctuating her inquiry with another deep, spine-tingling kiss.

"Keep doing that. It helps. A lot."

"Dan..."

Later, they lie in a tangle of limbs, still on the sofa, shoes kicked off and under the coffee table. His arms are wrapped around her tightly and wonderfully possessively. She lays down the length of him, has worked open a couple more buttons on his dark sweater, and has pillowed her face on the broad expanse of warm skin exposed underneath. Her left hand is behind his neck, playing with his curls. Her right hand rests flat against his chest. She feels him kiss the crown of her head and she feels ridiculously content. She knows she faces a world of challenges outside the walls of the loft, but for now, she feels there is a place for her with Dan, and she has never been happier.

She has a strong suspicion that he has not slept with anyone for some time, so she is grateful, but not surprised, that he has let her set the pace, and not pushed her to go any further. When did the fact that a nice Dan Humphrey was a good thing, and not an unfortunate thing, happen?

They have both been quiet for awhile, laying contentedly on the sofa; she cannot ever remember Dan this silent. But his left hand has been stroking her back softly while his right lays possessively at her lower back. She strains her neck back and offers him a pair of kisses to the underside of his jaw as thanks.

The quiet reverie is interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. "You have another girl coming over, Humphrey?" she teases. Then with a mischievous grin, she digs in his front pocket for the offending phone. She enjoys his sharp intake of breath. To his credit, he recovers immediately and his hand resumes the circles on her back.

"Just hit ignore. You're here. No one else would call this late, except Nate. And he'll leave a message."

"It is your dad. Could be about Lily. You should answer."

Reluctantly, he takes the cell with his left hand, but when she starts to get up, he keeps his right hand on her back. She settles back down against him, enjoying the rumbles of his baritone as he speaks to his dad.

"Hey, Dad. What's up?"

"No, it is okay. I'm up."

"CeCe did what?"

"Wait, wait, Ivy? And she made you leave?"

'"You're doing what? Sorry, um, yeah, of course it is okay."

"Yeah, yeah, just call me back."

Confused, Blair asks, "Dan, what's going on?"

He lets out a regretful sigh, and starts to sit up. She does the same, now facing him. "We have about five minutes before my dad, Lily, and a whole lotta luggage get here. I hate to put you on the spot, and I understand if you want to keep this...us...quiet until...things are more settled. I don't think I can get you a cab before they arrive. So I can stash you in my room until they are asleep, or-"

"What has happened?"

"The will was read at the wake today. Apparently, CeCe has left most of her worldly possessions, including Lily's apartment, to Ivy Dickens-"

"Wait, do you mean to Lola, the real Charlotte Rhodes, or to fake Charley 'Call Me Serena' Rhodes Ivy Dickens?"

"You know about that?"

She dramatically rolls her eyes. "Who doesn't know about that by now? Never mind the fact that she was all over you at the Pink Party, flirting about Alaska, of all things...but that doesn't matter...why are Lily and Rufus coming here?"

"I guess the apartment was actually CeCe's, and she left it, along with most of everything else, to Ivy, who apparently has kicked them out."

"So they are headed here? Brooklyn. And not a hotel, even though they have several at their disposal through Bass Industries?"

"The loft is my dad's. He probably thinks it is romantic. He is calling back when they are downstairs so that I can help him with their bags."

"I'm not sure what to do. I mean, Rufus already knows, doesn't he?"

Dan looks down sheepishly. "He knows how I feel about you...and that I kissed you on Valentine's Day...and about the prenup. We haven't talked much since CeCe passed. He's a little freaked out about, well, you know, you being married and me, you know, being involved...hung up...on, you, the Princess of Monaco."

"You make it sound so romantic," she says with a laugh, then leans over to punctuate with a quick, reassuring kiss.

"I don't know how this is my life," he sighs, then kisses her more deeply. "But if I get to do this," he kisses her again, "then I am not complaining."

"Well, I am not facing Lily and Rufus looking like this-"

"You look beautiful," he says sincerely.

"Liar. You have to say that. I'll just be a few minutes."

He barely has time to straighten the pillows on the sofa before his cell starts ringing. He taps on the bathroom door, and lets her know he is heading downstairs.

Lily is kissing both his cheeks before he can even say hello. "Daniel, my darling, can you believe this is happening? You are such a dear for taking us in like this. I promise the lawyers will have this straightened out in a few days. This is all Carol's fault-"

"Dan, come over here and help with these bags. Lil, if you carry your jewelry case and your make-up bag, I think Dan and I can manage the rest."

"Dad, I-"

"Rufus, did I call Serena to let her know where we are? Oh, and Larissa. What happens when she shows up for work tomorrow. Oh, wait, I gave her the day off because of the long day today. I wonder if she would come to Brooklyn?"

"Dad, I really need-"

"Just a minute, Dan. Lil, I think we'll be okay without her. If not, we'll arrange a cab over for her. We'll work it out."

"I think we should go back in the morning to take pictures of everything."

"I am sure the insurance company has pictures of everything...Dan did you just leave the door open...oh, Blair, uh, hello?"

"Blair?" echoes Lily.

Blair shoots a quick, murderous, WTF, look at Dan.

"Dad, Lily, I was trying to tell you that Blair was here." Addressing Blair, "They are anxious about leaving everything at the apartment and were discussing a few things on the way up."

"Well, can you blame them? Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey, I put a kettle on the stove. Can I fix you some tea? I figured it was too late for coffee."

Rufus recovers first from the sight of Blair Waldorf (Grimaldi, at least for now) in the kitchen offering beverage service. "Thank you, Blair. That would be very nice."

She shoots Dan another pointed look. "Dan, why don't you help them get settled with their bags. The water isn't quite boiling yet."

Stammering, he finally regains the ability to speak, "Yes, of course." He leads them back to Rufus's room. "I've pretty much taken over Jenny's room with my office, but I have left your room alone, Dad. The bed is made, but, well, I didn't exactly have time to dust."

"Dan, it is fine. We know you weren't expecting us."

"Yes, Daniel, thank you. We will be nice and cozy. Oh, but look, you have some lovely candles burning for us. Are those Jo Malone?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so. Um, okay. I am going to go check on the tea because honestly, I am not sure Blair knows how to boil water."

When he is back in the kitchen, he asks "When did you have time to put candles out, and since when do you make tea?"

"Well, I spotted the candles when I was looking for a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. They are mine anyway, remember? And who doesn't know how to make tea? It's not rocket science." She adds, flirtatiously playing with his collar, "Besides, you know you like making it for me. Why would I deny you that pleasure?"

"Oh, that's your story." He smiles flirtatiously, with a waggle of his eyebrows, before leaning down to kiss her.

"Dan, do you have any extra hangers...oh, uh, excuse me."

"Dad-"

"Mr. Humphrey, how do you and Mrs. Humphrey take your tea?"

"Pardon?"

"Your tea. Sugar, honey, milk?"

"I like mine with just a little honey. Lily likes hers a little sweeter, so a little more honey, and a splash of milk." He looks lost for a moment.

"Dan, go round up some hangers for your dad while I finish the tea."

Both Humphrey men leave wearing the same confused expression.

Later, after Blair carries tea in for the Humphreys, after she helps Lily hang her most critical couture, after she tags in for an overwhelmed Rufus as Lily's legal avenues sounding board...after Dan helps Rufus fashion an extra garment rack from a broom and two ladders, after Dan runs down to the corner bodega with a shopping list only Rufus Humphrey could write (eggs, flour, baking powder, berries, juice, Tylenol, and top shelf gin)...they find each other on the blue sofa sometime after 2:00 am.

Her feet tucked underneath her, she rests her head on his chest, exhausted. He wraps his arm around her automatically.

He whispers into her hair, "You were amazing tonight. Completely unflappable and always saying the right thing. I don't know what we would have done without you. And I know you have so much else to deal with. This can't be how you expected the evening to go."

"It felt good to be needed again. And you are a good son, Dan. I know I have given you and Daddy Goody Two-Shoes in there hell for your codependency, and I will deny it if you repeat this, but you are lucky to have each other."

"Your secret is safe with me...you falling asleep?"

"Almost."

"You need to get home."

"I should get home. Ride with me?"

"Of course."

"Can...can we stay like this a little while longer?"

"Whatever you want."

Rufus comes out a few minutes later, and sits across from them in one of the armchairs. Dan and Blair both look up, but neither makes any effort to move or separate.

"Hey, Dad. Is Lily all settled?"

"Yeah, she's been asleep about fifteen minutes. I really cannot thank the two of you enough. This day has been brutal on her. I am sorry if we disrupted your plans."

Blair smiles at the sentiment, knowing that Dan had just thanked her for the same thing not fifteen minutes earlier. "No worries, Mr. Humphrey. Movie night is easy to reschedule."

"I am going to ride back to the city with Blair. I'll be back in about an hour. Text if you think of anything else you need. Blair, you ready?"

"Yeah, I just need to find my shoes."

"Find your shoes. I guess I should probably call for a cab. That would be helpful. I don't think I can get a car service this late out here."

"...sss okay."

Rufus walks them to the elevator, and hugs his son again in thanks. "Good night, Blair. Be careful out there."

As soon as the elevator doors close, she links her hand in his. "I thought your dad was going to hug me there for a second."

"It won't be much longer, I can tell you that. He'll wear you down."

The trip into the city is mercifully swift at the late hour. She is asleep, nestled in his arms, before they are across the Manhattan Bridge. He wakes her a couple of blocks before her building.

"Walk me up?"

"Okay."

He asks the cab driver to wait for him, then jumps out and is around the other side of the cab to open her door in a flash. Their time in Brooklyn is familiar and easy, but he is not sure how she wants him to comport himself here on the Upper East Side (where paparazzi and royal minders jump out of the bushes at the most inconvenient times). So he is surprised, pleasantly surprised, when she takes his hand and leads him into her building.

Once they are in the elevator, she wraps her arms around him, snuggling her face into the crook of his neck for the entire elevator ride. She makes no move to disengage when the elevator doors open.

"I think this is your floor."

She sighs heavily, snags the lapels of his coat, and draws him down for a last kiss goodnight. He moans when she parts his lips with her tongue. She immediately clasps a hand over his mouth. "Ssh, you'll wake Serena. She gave us her blessing, but this is still hard for her.

"I'm sorry. Second chance?"

She barely nods in agreement before his hands are framing her face. He kisses her passionately, does that thing to her lower lip again, but then sighs, stopping before things get beyond their control. She looks up at him, through her long eyelashes, and reluctantly releases his coat. She backs slowly out of the elevator, eyes never leaving his.

"Good night, Dan."

"Night, Blair."