Chapter Text
At 28 years old, Blair Waldorf is convinced love just simply isn’t meant for her. Two divorces, two children taken away from her, two years of fighting just to end up with nothing. Maybe it just isn’t in the cards.
She used to think that true love could save her, that all she needed was someone to hold her at night and whisper sweet words in her ear, that love would make all her problems melt away. But it seems love doesn’t work like that. It only takes, and takes, until only a shell of who she used to be is left. She’s never felt as small as she does right now.
- -
Somewhere in Italy, Dan Humphrey has too much love to give. He’s convinced his biggest burden is his heart, too big for his own body, too eager to be shared. For Dan, love has always been his biggest downfall.
He jumps in too fast, gives too much, too quickly, cannot contain his feelings and emotions even if he tried. Serena saw this, saw his abundance of love and tried to take it all for herself, but instead turned it into something evil, something rotten and spoiled. Sometimes love can grow sour in an instant. He’s never been good at masking those feelings either.
- -
When she sees Dan again, on a rainy day in Paris, she’s surprised. She wonders if he’ll recognize her, if he’ll be polite and say hello or pretend he doesn’t see her. She’s even more surprised when he smiles and sits down across from her, with that toothy grin that has only ever looked good on him.
“Who would’ve thought I’d ever run into the queen of the Upper East Side in Paris of all places. Don’t you have a borough to go terrorize?”
“Queens need their rest too. It really takes a toll on you, screaming at people and ordering them around all day.”
“I bet it does.”
She laughs, a real, actual laugh, for the first time in weeks. There’s an easy air around them, no tension like she would’ve expected. Clean slates. His brown eyes pierce into hers, and it makes her feel more at home than she has in years. Another surprise, even though it shouldn’t be. There’s a reason she called him her best friend for so long.
“So why are you in Paris? Aren’t you supposed to be in Rome? If I had known you were here, I’d have gone somewhere else.” she says, ever the mean girl.
“Next time I’ll text you a warning to stay away.”
She laughs, too loud and unabashed, and his eyes light up. It always was such a great joy to get her to laugh like that.
“I had to go to London to visit Jenny and some publicists, and thought I might as well stop in Paris before heading home. You always had such a way of talking about it, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I think I see the appeal.”
“How long are you staying?”
“Not sure. A couple of days, maybe. Don’t really have anything to hurry back to.”
“Well, if you’re here anyways, you might as well get the grand Blair Waldorf tour of Paris. The reviews online are raving, saying it’s the very best tour in all of Paris.”
He laughs, nods his head. “Why not. It’s only your first time in Paris once.”