Comfortable • A Birdie Fanfiction on GG

Blair Waldorf's mouth was dry when she opened her eyes. She took off the blanket she did not remember having covered herself up with and sat up on the couch she had slept on instead of her bed. Once again, she had fallen asleep in her living room – the TV had been turned on mute all night and the latest French Vogue was flipped open on the floor next to a half empty glass of wine. She switched off the TV and caught a glimpse of her cellphone blinking with a red light. Hardly had she called her voice mail that Serena's warm and shiny voice seemed to fill the room.

“Hi B, still remember me ? The tall blond-haired girl who laughs like a four-year-old girl ! Well, there's something you gotta remember too, we're supposed to have lunch together today ! I'll see you at the gallery then. Ciao bella !”

Blair frowned as she felt the start of a headache coming.

***

“Good morning Ms. Waldorf !”
“Good morning Pierre. Any mail for me ?” Blair asked as she stepped out the elevator and marched down the hall.
“Actually there is a letter from your maman for you !” The butler handed out an envelope, the stamp of which being Chilean. “She seems to really have a good time with Mr. Rose !”
The brunette tucked the envelope in her handbag and smiled to the butler, “Yes, indeed.”
“You're not opening it ?”
She kept silent as Pierre was smirking back at her, and right before she headed to the door, she said “Could you send a cleaning woman to my loft ?” He nodded. “Good.”
Pierre could not help thinking Ms. Waldorf had been acting strange for a few weeks.

***

“So, what's up ?”
“Nothing, really,” Blair paid for her hot dog and they started walking down the avenue. Serena's insistent gaze on her made her feel uneasy so she gave her a little smirk, “I'm fine, let's just... talk about you. How's business doing ?”
Serena shrugged her shoulders because she knew Blair would not talk at all, and answered her question. “Bad actually. It's been six month since I've taken on the gallery and I feel like nothing has changed.”
“Well, it's Brooklyn,” Blair said with a little ironic smile before she bit into her hot dog, “Oh damn it, it's much better than sushis.”
“I'd rather say the art suck,” Serena sighed.
“And what about Vanessa ? I saw a few pictures of her and I think it's pretty good. Besides, you've thought about her, haven't you ?”
“Yes, but no, I mean, I feel pretty bad about her, with Dan and everything...”
“Come on !” Blair said, “It was two years ago, can't you just let it go ? It was not your fault !”
“I know but -”
“You're still in love with him, eh ?” Blair stopped and put her hand on Serena's arm, “I know you S, I know you don't want to admit it, but you're still in love with Dan Humphrey and as long as you keep silent about it, you won't be able to move on !”
Serena raised an eyebrow, “And that's Ms. Blair Waldorf who's saying that to me ?” Seeing that Blair was not reacting, she started walking again. “Well, aren't we all ?”
“Aren't we all what ?” Blair asked.
“In love with your first love.” Serena had said that like it was obviousness. She'd often use this tone, some things were obvious to Serena Van Der Woodsen that were not other people's minds, like Blair's. But this thing, she totally agreed with.
“I guess...” Blair threw the piece of newspaper that had been given to her with her lunch and rubbed her hands together. “I'm in the mood for a hot coffee !” she cried out suddenly after keeping silent for a few seconds.
“Take a takeaway then or I'll be late” Serena warned.
“Ain't Jenny replacing you right now ?”
“Yes she is, but I can't let her alone too long.”
“Oh that's so nice of you,” Blair said in her so unique ironical tone, “You're the boss, you're supposed to be treating her like Miranda Priestly's bullying Andy in 'The Devil Wears Prada' !”
Serena laughed and threw her arm around Blair's shoulder. They've been best friends like, forever, but she had to admit their friendship has grown dearer and dearer to her since she realized that Blair was the only steady thing she had in her rocky life. College had parted their high school team – Blair went to Yale, Dan to Dartmouth, Nate to UCLA and she had gone to Brown. Well, she had tried Brown, she dropped off of it after two years. Studies were not her cup of tea, and so she had modelled for several months before Rufus Humphrey asked her to take on the gallery. At first she had thought it was a joke, but he had explained that as he had resumed songwriting, he was not able to run the gallery anymore. And in the end, running a gallery was kind of fun, she even enjoyed it pretty much. The only condition was that she had to keep Jenny as an employee which would not have bothered her this much had not she been Nate's current girlfriend and Dan's sister. That said, she enjoyed her company.

“Don't you wanna come in for a second ?” Serena asked Blair who had frozen in front of the gallery door.
“Why ?” she asked back rudely.
“Why not ?”
Blair sighed and followed Serena inside.
“I can understand why you're not selling anything. It's so sad in here !” Blair looked around her and her eyes ended on Jenny. Her lips parted in surprise before curling into her so also famous fake smile. “Hi Jenny.”
“Hi Blair.” Little Humphrey looked as surprised as Blair just did while Blair and Serena went to the latter's private office.
“That was awkward.” Blair stated as she fell down on a chair.
“Well I can understand why,” Serena said with a laugh. Blair's cold look made her fall silent.
“I can't understand why he's dating her !” Blair sighed before she let her head fall down on her crossed arms. Serena sat on the desk on which Blair's head was resting and put a comforting hand on her best friend's shoulder.
“They've been to UCLA together, things have changed, and she's a sweet girl...”
“Shut up.” Blair said, her face still hidden.
“And why don't you go and talk to him ?” Serena suggested, a little bit annoyed by Blair's behaviour.
“Because I've moved on !” Blair sat up and flashed her a wary look.
“Okay, I take back what I just said.”
“Thank you Serena.”
“But I'm just saying that it's been four years and -”
“Thank you Serena !” Blair said in a louder voice.
“Okay, okay, I won't say anything more.”
“Good.”
The two fell silent for a moment.
“Dan called me last night,” Serena finally said, waking up Blair's attention, “He was drunk.”
Blair stood up and gave Serena a hug. “Did he ask for money again ?”
Serena nodded. “I don't know what's wrong with him...”
“He's lost you...” Blair said, stroking Serena's arm.
“But that does not explain why he's become an alcoholic !”
“Trust me, S, that's an explanation...” Blair suddenly stood up and grabbed her handbag. “Anyway, I've gotta find a job ! I'm back in New York for two weeks and I'm still unemployed, and my mother's gonna hate me if I don't get to find a job !” She kissed Serena on the cheek and left her office before Serena could say something. Serena sighed. She knew something was wrong with Blair. She wondered too how Jenny had managed not to talk to her brother for two years now. She wished she could have written him off her life the same way.