Archive of Our Own

As soon as Blair read the script she knew it was a project that she needed to become a part of. On the surface it seemed like just another throwaway coming of age try-hard of a film: two twenty-somethings transpiring around New York for three days and eventually falling in love? Please. Blair had seen that film done so many times over that she almost fell asleep just thinking about it. 

But after closing the last page of the script and wiping away her tears with her left hand, Blair hastily reaches for her cell. She’s already imagining how she can convince her agent to get her an audition. 

The Rise and Fall of Us was pitched as the lovechild of When Harry met Sally and The Big Sick , with all the charm and whimsical melancholy of a John Huges film. The script attracted Blair for a multitude of reasons, but mainly for its simplicity. Instead of having a complicated plot filled with hijinks and crazy antics -- which Blair had to admit, were fun movies to star in -- The Rise and Fall of Us was primarily character-driven, relying heavily on the dialogue between the two leads to propel the film forward. 

Blair knew that it wouldn’t be an easy role to play. The film’s female lead, Daisy, was struggling with being financially unstable in the wake of a bad breakup alongside burgeoning questions about her sexuality -- two things that Blair knew were sensitive issues that needed to be addressed carefully by whoever got the part.  

And yet, Blair could see herself in Daisy. She knew the feeling of vulnerability that came attached to an emotionally toxic relationship, the scared, two am thoughts of what if this is the best I will ever have? The ingrained belief that the relationship, despite never being found by love, could still be salvaged, be saved if only I was better, if only I could give him what he wanted.

After her audition -- because, after all, she was Blair Waldorf. Whatever she wants, she gets --   Blair smiles coyly at the team of producers and casting directors that are staring up at her in mild shock, with a hint of awe. “So, when do I begin screen tests?” she asks, walking up to the table and plonking her script down this a solid thunk.  

The news of her casting was plastered all over twitter the next morning. 

---

“Nate was good,” Blair says vaguely, waving her hand in the general direction of his headshot. “You should consider him for a supporting role. Maybe Colton? That way Fall of Us would attract the viewers of his pathetic daytime soap.” 

Serena Van Der Woodsen, the executive producer for The Rise and Fall of Us, let out an exasperated sigh. Immediately Blair felt the oncoming feelings of guilt: she knew she was being difficult. And she likes Serena -- the two of them had worked on projects before and even lived together during the filming of an action thriller a few years ago. It was just that all the actors who had auditioned for the role of Josh, the love interest of Daisy and the film’s dual protagonist, were just not right. Blair refused to work with actors that weren’t of the highest calibre and demanded nothing less than “pure chemistry” with her leading man. 

Needless to say, the casting directors were getting very frustrated with her very quickly. 

“B, I know you’re looking for someone... special to work with,” Serena says tactfully. “But truthfully we’re running out of time, not to mention established Hollywood actors that fit the casting call.” There was a pause as Serena considers her next words. “Shouldn’t great actors be able to make something out of nothing? Think of it as an experiment of sorts. A way to grow your skills!” 

“Chemistry can’t be created out of thin air,” Blair snaps in response. “And besides, I’m already confident in my proficient acting skills, thank you very much. ” 

Serena hmmed and gathered the headshots, tapping them on the tabletop so they created a nice, neat pile. It occurs to Blair that despite her age, she was acting like a spoilt Disney Channel star. 

Whatever, she tells herself, pulling her shoulders back so she was sitting at full height. One does not become an Academy Award winner at the mere age of twenty by being accommodating. 

“The studio is bringing in a fresh batch of guys for you to screentest with tomorrow.” Serena stands up, grabbing her latte off the marbled table with her free hand. “I suggest you put those proficient acting skills to use and find yourself a Josh before they find themselves a new Daisy.” Serena exits the room with a pointed look at Blair, leaving her to sip her coffee in anger over the incompetence of male actors in LA. 

The fact that her first audition with Humphrey was an accident would make great PR for the studio. Blair can see it already: headlines boasting Waldorf and Humphrey: Accidental Match of the Century! An Academy Award winner unknowingly instigating a fight with an up and coming actor that a casting director just happened to see, proving their “undeniable” onscreen chemistry? It was the stuff of legends. 

Unfortunately, Blair doesn’t see it that way. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Blair says flatly, refusing to look at Humphrey. 

Serena eyes them both warily. “I’m aware that your first interaction was...less than ideal-” 

Humphrey mutters an almost unintelligible “yeah, you can say that again,” at the same time Blair scoffs. He glances over at her, his expression unreadable. Blair glares back. 

“But the entire team thinks you two complement each other perfectly onscreen.” Serena smiles coyly over at Humphrey and Blair has to refrain herself from gagging. “Dan, the studio thinks you could make some waves around here. An undiscovered diamond. They think you have the potential for some nominations if everything goes to plan.” 

Blair jumps in before Humphrey even has a chance to respond. “Don’t kid yourself, Serena. This guy wouldn’t know the first thing about acting in a professional environment! Just look at him: he’s probably been in like, what, two pretentious indie films where a girl with pink hair dumps his ass for not being spontaneous?” 

“Jeanie’s hair was blue in Ellipses, actually.” 

She continues her spiel, ignoring Humphrey’s interjection. “I bet he wouldn’t know a real romantic film if it knocked him on the head. And what about pre-release press? If that outfit is what he thinks is acceptable for an audition, I shudder to think what he would wear to a premiere. Has he ever done a red carpet interview before? You know how brutal those reporters are Serena. He’s going to tarnish my reputation! I’ll never be considered for an Academy Award ever again!”

“He has a name, you know, and is sitting right here.” 

“Whatever. Point is, I refuse to work with an unprofessional. Tell the studio they have to pick someone else.” 

“Jeez Waldorf, People! was right. You really are a drama queen.” 

The glare that Blair sends in Humphrey’s direction is menacing. 

“You just caught her on a bad day, is all,” Serena says, shooting Blair a look that says shut the fuck up! “Dan, if you want to be on this project, then you’re on it, no questions asked. Blair, I know how much this role means to you, but if you can’t find it within yourself to work with Dan, then I’m afraid there’s not much I can do.” 

There’s silence as both Serena and Humphrey look at her. Despite Serena’s words, Blair knows that Humphrey needs her in this role. She was right with what she had said earlier: acknowledgement of his performance in Fall of Us will hinge on how famous his co-star is. People notice Blair. They clock her every movie. Her fans sell out theatres and critics fight to be able to review her films. If Humphrey stars alongside her in a romantic comedy he will instantly be branded as Hollywood’s newest heartthrob. 

Blair doesn’t owe Humphrey jack squat. But she does really want to play Daisy, which is why she finds herself crossing her arms and saying “fine,” in the most flippant tone she can muster, ignoring Serena’s happy squeal and Humphrey’s sigh of relief. 

---

They get through the table reads and rehearsals with minimal interactions. Apart from a few hostile sentences that are spoken here and there to appease their production team, Dan and Blair only address each other through Josh and Daisy. However, a week before they were scheduled to begin shooting on the studio’s lot their mutually beneficial situation came to a crashing halt.

“Production heads think that you and Dan are ignoring each other,” Serena says, cornering Blair against the coffee machine.

“Really?” Blair replies sweetly, “whatever gave them that idea?” 

“Don’t bullshit me, B. I know what game you’re playing. And it’s not working, either.” 

Blair sighs. “What do we have to do?”

“A week of bonding activities to enhance the “trust and intimacy” between the two of you.” Serena notices the grimace that covers Blair’s face and hastily continues. “Don’t worry, I got you out of producer supervision. You’ll only have two security guards.” 

“I am twenty-five years of age, S. I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Blair, it's just a week of pretending to like the guy. Then once shooting begins everyone will be too busy seeing you two as Daisy and Josh that no one will notice if you take a few jabs at each other. Plus, you’re scheduled to shoot the sex scene with him in three weeks. Wouldn’t you like to make filming that less awkward?” 

Blair considers Serena’s words. As much as she hated to admit it, Serena was right. It was only a week, then she could go back to hating him during filming.

Which is how she found herself in the middle of a cheap laser tag arena, empty except for her, Humphrey and their two security guards, Cash and Brad. 

Humphrey flips the plastic gun in his left hand as he walks towards Blair. “How is this supposed to make us like each other, again?” 

“Heck if I know,” Blair replies. “But I do know one thing.” She accentuates her last two words by snatching the gun out of his hands. “I’m going to win. ” 

Humphrey barely reacts to her taunts, instead arching his left eyebrow and eyeing her somewhat lazily, which annoys Blair. “You sure, Waldorf?”

“Never been so sure of anything in my entire life. ” 

An hour and three games later Humphrey was pulling through with a lead of 2-1, much to Blair’s disgust. 

“You cheated,” she says as they look up at the brightly lit LED scoreboard. 

“Nope,” Humphrey replies, popping the p. “I’m a natural.” Blair raises an eyebrow at him, her eyes disbelieving. “Okay, so maybe not a natural, but there was an arcade near the neighbourhood I grew up in. Not much else to do for kids in Brooklyn.” 

Blair scoffs. “Of course you grew up in Brooklyn.” 

“What the hell is wrong with Brooklyn?” 

“It’s for phoneys and fakers who could never have made it Manhattan.” 

“As opposed to the shallow and conceited ways of the Upper East Side?” 

“Someone’s been doing their research.” Blair thought nothing of her comment but was struck by its implications when she realised that Humphrey was blushing .

Blair pretends she hadn’t noticed, which was plausible due to the darkness of the arena. “Yeah well, it’s not every day you get the chance to work alongside an Academy winner.” He drew himself up to his full height. “Had to see what I’m up against. Wanna try and beat me again?” 

“You’re on.”

---

Serena had been right: having a week of ‘bonding’ with Humphrey had made beginning filming easier. Instead of ignoring each other, they had fallen into a pattern. One of them (usually Blair) would instigate some sort of insult or taunt and the other would quip back, creating an ongoing push and pull. Blair had to admit, Humphrey did keep her on her toes. She had always surrounded herself with people who could keep up with her antics, and Blair was surprised to admit that Humphrey fit that bill. 

They still weren’t anything akin to friends, which Blair was thankful for. The mere thought of it caused her to shudder with contempt. But she was woman enough to admit that it was nice being able to immerse herself in the role of Daisy without spending an outrageous amount of time and effort just to ignore Humphrey. 

And truthfully? Serena was right: they did work well with each other on-screen. Obviously the first couple of shots had been a bit rough -- you could cut the tension on set with a knife -- her and Humphrey eventually found their footing. It helped that they were surrounded by such an incredible team of writers, directors and producers that were more than happy to jump in whenever they were struggling for a scene. Blair had to admit that Humphrey was dedicated to the film: he barely blinked when she dragged him into her trailer and demanded they rehearse a particularly difficult scene between the two of them on the steps of the Met. 

“I don’t understand why it’s just not working, ” Blair laments, throwing her hands up in the air. “I can feel Daisy’s emotions -- it’s right there ! So why isn’t it working ?” 

Humphrey eyes her warily. “Was that a rhetorical question?” 

She glares at him, which led to him raising his palms up in surrender.

“Okay, okay. Just stop taking it so seriously.” 

“Stop- taking this seriously? ” Blair splutters. She vaguely wonders if she could get away with throwing her script at his head. “Daisy is revealing to Josh that her ex emotionally abused her for years. How can I not take it seriously ?” 

Humphrey eyes her, his face blank. His aversion to emotions was slightly unnerving to Blair, who wore her heart on her sleeve. She relies so much on expressions to gauge other people’s weaknesses and their motivations, but with Humphrey? It was almost impossible. 

Almost.

“This role is very important to you, isn’t it?” 

Ah, finally. Blair has been waiting for Humphrey to bring up why she was so adamant about playing Daisy. She knew that he had heard about her on-again-off-again relationship with business tycoon Chuck Bass -- he would have had to be living under a rock not to. Every detail of their relationship had been documented since they were fifteen and determined to make waves in their respective industries away from the imprints of their parents. The whole world knew about their fairytale reunion on the Eiffel tower on Blair’s twentieth birthday, just weeks before she stood holding an Oscar in both hands, thanking Chuck for his unrelenting support. A mere year later they made headlines again when Chuck sold her for a hotel, resulting in a collective uproar of the press, her fans and her legal team. Ever since then articles upon articles were spawned detailing every ugly fight, every hostile conversation and every abusive tendency Chuck had inflicted upon her. 

Four years later, Blair took great satisfaction in the fact that her empire was still growing while Chuck’s had crashed and burned. 

“Waldorf?” 

The sound of Humphrey’s voice snaps Blair back into the present. “This film will be important to lots of people.” 

“That wasn’t my question.” 

She crosses her arms across her chest. “Yes, Daisy is important to me, a fact you already knew. That doesn’t solve the fact that this scene isn’t fucking working. ” 

“Shake it out.”

Blair eyes Humphrey as if he had just sprouted three heads. “ What?”

“Come on, it’s like the first thing they teach you in acting classes. Shake your body out, get loose.” She simply stares at him, discontent evident throughout her features. “What, it’s not like the scene could get any worse. ”

I mean, he does have a point, Blair thinks and begins to self-consciously shake out her arms, then her legs. 

“Good. Now imagine you’re talking as Daisy to Colton, not Josh. What would you say to him if you had complete freedom? No worries about what he would do to you, what he would say to you. What would Daisy say if she had a safety net and was completely free from the weak person she was when she was with Colton?” 

Colton was Daisy’s abusive ex-boyfriend. 

It isn’t a completely terrible idea, so Blair takes a deep breath, inserting herself into Daisy’s mentality, and begins. Once she had finished real tears had appeared, which she hastily reached up to wipe away.

“Don’t,” Humphrey says softly. Blair had forgotten he was even there. “Daisy cries during the scene.” 

Blair nods.

“Are you ready to try it again?” she says, “I have some ideas for how we can incorporate some improvisation into the scene, make it more flexible.” 

He smiles at her. “Let’s go again, then.” 

(Almost eighteen months later, during the press preview of The Rise and Fall of Us, critics will call the scene between Daisy and Josh on the Met steps Waldorf’s most unequivocally moving and authentic performance yet. Her dominating on-screen presence that has rendered her an Academy Award winner still shines throughout the scene, however, this time encapsulating the vulnerable and fragile emotions that accompany the harrowing task of confronting our demons. An empowering depiction of the long-lasting and often subtle after effects of emotional trauma, this scene -- as well as the film as a whole -- is sure to resonate with audiences across the globe. ) 

---

Blair loves acting. It’s her passion, her calling in life. She had been acting since she was in diapers. It was in her blood. But no matter how many sex scenes she has filmed over the last eight years, she would always curse younger self for not choosing something normal. It wasn’t the fact that Blair wasn’t comfortable with her body -- quite the opposite actually. It was purely because of the sheer awkwardness of having to pretend that she was engaging in mind-blowing sex with a near stranger. Scenes regarding nudity were tricky: they took a long time to shoot and often required the most editing. For that reason they were usually scheduled in the first few weeks of filming, allowing time for any reshoots that need to be completed later on. 

It was a perfect set out for the directors, but for actors? Not so much. Faking an orgasm into someone you hadn’t even kissed yet was uncomfortable on so many levels. 

But Blair was nothing but a professional, so when the director calls for her and Humphrey to remove their robes she does so with effortless ease and strides towards her mark. 

“Ready to be seduced, Waldorf?”

“In your dreams, Humphrey.” 

They make it through the foreplay with minimal issues -- a body was a body no matter who inhabited it. The mechanics were the same for every guy -- and through two takes of the sex scene before there was a problem with lighting. 

“Stay where you are guys,” Alex, their director, orders. “That position is perfect.” 

That position was Blair on top of Humphrey, her hands placed on the mattress on either side of his head. Due to Fall of Us being targeted to an audience in their mid to late twenties the sex scenes could be raunchier than a traditional rom-com -- resulting in a thin white sheet covering only their thighs. Thankfully due to the spontaneous nature of Daisy and Josh’s hookup, Blair is wearing a tasteful cotton underwear set that was on the modest side, while Humphrey has the luxury of wearing boxers that resembled shorts more than underwear. 

When it looked as if the issue with lighting wasn’t going to be resolved sooner rather than later Blair lifts her hands up off the mattress, causing her to flop onto Humphrey’s chest. In an effort to avoid looking at his face -- which was mere inches away from hers -- she moves her head to the side and places both palms on either side of his warm chest. Since Alex isn’t looking in their direction she drapes her legs off to the side, detaching their lower bodies from each other. 

“Uh, you good there?” 

For some reason, Blair takes defence to his words. “Well I wasn’t just going to hang there, was I?”

He chuckles. “Fair point.” 

They lay in awkward silence for a few minutes until a loud crash happened behind them. Blair instinctively jumps up at the sound, accidentally kicking Humphrey in the shin in the commotion. 

“Ouch Waldorf, that hurt!” 

“Oh quit it, you big baby. I barely even grazed your ankle, jeez.” 

Alex appears out of nowhere, his expression grim. “Hold still guys, I don’t want to have to retake earlier scenes when we’re already behind. Can you do that for me?” 

Blair nods diligently and Humphrey gives a half-hearted thumbs up. “God I hope this is over soon,” he mumbles softly. 

“Get real Humphrey. You’ve done sex scenes before, it’s going to be at least another three hours before we get to the end of the scene.” 

“Someone’s been doing their research.” 

She rolls her eyes, ignoring his jab. “Just wanted to know what I was dealing with, Humphrey,” Blair says sweetly. “It’s true what they say, you know. Movie stars are always smaller than average.” 

His eyes narrow and he tightens his grip on her waist. She resists the urge to smirk. “Do you even know my name, Blair?”

“Of course I do, Dylan. ” Blair has to admit, she is a bit annoyed that he refused to rise to her bait. 

“You should use it more often.”

“Okay, Dylan. It’s really cold inside this studio, isn’t it Dylan? We should go get coffee after this scene is over. What do you say, Dylan?” 

“You are genuinely the most difficult woman I have ever met, you know that?” 

“Thank you.” 

Eventually, Alex comes back and within no time they are rolling again. It’s harder to get back into Daisy’s head than Blair would have liked. In her defence, Daisy is supposed to be madly in love with the man in front of her. She is supposed to be burning with lust. 

Blair is decidedly not.  

After their thirteenth take Humphrey groans and flops back onto the mattress. Everyone, including Blair, is frustrated. 

Alex stands on a crate that is next to the camera. “Everyone except for the first camera, out! We’re trying something new.” 

A chaotic five minutes follows that announcement as the entire crew shuffle their way out of the studio, dispersing out into the hallway. Blair refuses to apologise, instead focusing on what she needs to do to make the scene work. She asks Alex exactly that. 

“Pretend he’s someone you are attracted to.” 

“Gee thanks,” Humphrey interrupts. Blair glares at him. 

“You’re a great actor, Blair. You work best when you interject personal experiences into your characters. That's what makes them so engaging to audiences. So tell Dan what you need to get you in the mood, then we’ll go from there. Okay?” 

Blair stares up at the ceiling, cursing God for putting her in this position. “Okay.” 

Alex nods and walks towards the camera, putting some space between him and the set. 

“Look, Blair, I know this is awkward. But it’s been a long day, don’t you just want to get this over with? Plus, I know you care about this film. If this is what we need to do to make it work, then don’t we owe it to ourselves to try?” 

Blair flicks her eyes down from the ceiling, giving Humphrey a once over. “Are you always this self-righteous?” 

“What can I say? You bring it out in me.”

She sighs. “I’m ticklish on my stomach, that’s why I keep flinching when you go near it. Also I - I like the pressure. And I wasn’t kidding earlier, it really is cold in here. You’re warm.”

He waits for a beat, obviously waiting for her to continue. When she doesn’t, he nods. “Okay, I can work with that.” 

It takes them two cuts before they find their stride. Blair can almost feel the joy radiating from Alex at finally having the scene at the level that he envisioned. 

(She very pointedly doesn’t think about how it felt to have Humphrey’s hands roaming her body, griping at her hips just right. She doesn’t replay the groans she elicited from him in her mind as she nibbled at his skin, lower and lower. Nor does she think of the way his hand fit around her neck as he pulled aside her hair to suck, his chest arched up to push against hers, creating pressure. And she most definitely doesn’t think of when she let out a soft groan, as a result of him playing with her breasts, and how almost immediately after she could feel it against her thighs. 

It barely even crosses her mind.) 

---

After six weeks of shooting on the studio lot in Los Angeles, they’re flown out to location in New York. Since Fall of Us relied heavily on the backdrop of New York it made sense that all outside scenes needed to be shot in the actual location that they’re set in. 

As Blair boards the plane she is jumping with nervous energy. She hasn’t been back to New York since, well, she broke up with Chuck. Blair loves New York -- it would always be her city, her home -- but she is apprehensive about going back. They were to film in several locations that she had frequently visited with Chuck, including the bar where he took Blair’s virginity.

(No need to tell her how vulgar and uncouth losing your virginity in a dingy dive bar bathroom is: she was already well aware.)

As they prepared for take-off she notices Humphrey gripping the armrests, his knuckles turning white. “What is wrong with you?” she asks. “You’re ruining my zen.”

His reply back was short and lacked any teasing, which was how Blair knew something was up. “I hate flying.” 

“You’re an actor,” she says dryly. “Flying is basically in the job description.” 

This earns her a glare. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” 

Rolling her eyes, Blair moves to look out the window once again. Her thoughts turn back to New York, which inevitably led her to think about Chuck.

Ugh.

“You’re from Brooklyn, right? Hope you don’t get lost in the Big Apple.” 

If Humphrey was weirded out by her attempt at small talk, he doesn’t show it. “I went to school on the Upper East Side, actually.” 

Blair raises an eyebrow. “You went to school in the Upper East but you lived in...Brooklyn?” She didn’t bother to hide her distaste.  

“Acting scholarship. My sister got one too, though hers was for textiles.”

“Fashion designer?” 

Humphrey laughs. “She likes to think so, yeah.” 

As soon as the words left his mouth the plane surges forward, informing them that they are taking off. 

Finally. Despite her nerves at being in the same city as Chuck, Blair is desperate to be back home again. She opens her drinks menu and eyes her choices before settling on a Cosmopolitan. Feeling charitable, Blair goes to hand Humphrey the menu, but is surprised when he grabs her hand instead.

“I don’t have a stress ball,” he explains, his breath shallow. Instinctively Blair intertwines her fingers into his. “I usually always have one in my carry on, but my roommate's dog ate it.” 

Blair snorts. “That’s pathetic Humphrey.”

“My name is Dan. ”

“I know,” she replies. 

She doesn’t let go of his hand until they’re safely up in the air. 

It was her first day off since they had begun shooting in New York and Blair is restless. Serena was spending the day with her family and despite her insistence that it would be more than okay for Blair to tag along, she has no interest in making nice with strangers for an entire day. 

She does that enough during press season. 

So that left Blair with nothing to do but wander aimlessly around set, watching her co-stars have their five minutes of fame while shooting the b-storyline. 

Around mid-morning Blair is caught off guard by the last person she wants to see. 

“Blair?”

“Dan!” she exclaims, turning to stand in front of the coffee pods that she had just organised into neat rows. 

“So you do know my name.” He regards her curiously, resulting in her pulling herself up to her full height. She was Blair freaking Waldorf for God’s sake. 

“Told you.”

“What are you doing here on your day off?” 

“What are you doing here on your day off?” she parrots, somewhat childishly.

“I asked first.” 

“What is this, first grade?”

To her joy he relents. “I had to pick up my call timesheet for tomorrow. My hotel didn’t have a printer.” 

Blair wrinkles her nose. “Why wouldn’t you just look at it on your phone like the rest of us in the twenty-first century?” 

He shrugs. “I prefer paper.” 

“Weird.” 

“Not as weird as organising coffee pods at work on my day off.”

Blair can feel her cheeks heating up, undoubtedly showing her embarrassment. “Serena was busy,” she says somewhat sheepishly. 

“Here’s a novel idea: do something by yourself. Or are you one of those celebrities that must be surrounded by company at all times?” 

In an instant, her embarrassment disappears. “I am not. And not that it’s any of your business, but last time I was in New York I didn’t have a very enjoyable time. I’d rather not revisit that, thank you very much. ” Playing the abusive ex-boyfriend card was a cheap shot, but a shot that Blair was not opposed to utilising. 

Humphrey’s features soften. “Oh.” There was a beat of awkward silence before he begins to make his way towards the exit. “You know, I was planning on going home to Brooklyn today. Just walking around, seeing what's changed. You could come if you want.” 

“Brooklyn? As if. I wouldn’t dare tarnish my reputation by being seen there. ” 

He is already on his way out before she finishes her sentence, almost as if he expected her to say that. For some reason that bothers Blair, but she can’t put her finger on why.

“Suit yourself.” 

She waits until he is halfway down the corridor before she relents. “Humphrey, wait!” He turns. “One condition: No one can know I was ever there.” 

“Sure princess.” Blair bristles at the nickname. “But I get a condition too -- don’t look at me like that, if you get one so do I -- I want you to call me Dan.” 

She rolls her eyes. “Whatever, Dan .” 

Much to Blair’s surprise, they have fun. Brooklyn isn’t her beloved Manhattan, but it does have an obscene amount of coffee shops that blow the brown sludge in LA out of the water. They roam around a couple of used bookshops for several hours -- Blair picks up a hardcover of Pride and Prejudice, much to Hump - Dan’s distaste. Eventually, they make their way to the neighbourhood where Dan’s precious Arcade is. Much to Blair’s joy (and Dan’s annoyance) the block had been turned into a dingy looking theatre that only seemed to play movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

“Look,” she whispers, tugging on Dan’s sleeve. “It’s almost exactly like the theatre I used to go to as a kid!” 

Dan looks at her warily. “ You went to a cinema like this ?” 

“Yes, judgy. I used to skip my Maths tutoring sessions to watch the ‘endless’ Hepburn screenings on Sundays.” 

“You calling me judgy? That’s rich.” 

“Whatever.” Blair grabs his elbow. “We’re going.” 

It’s halfway through the movie -- a weird French film that had numerous shots of couches for no reason at all -- when Blair notices Dan looking at her. “What?” she snaps, annoyed that he was interrupting her movie experience.

“You really love movies, don’t you?”

“Dan, I’m an actor. Of course I freaking love movies.” 

He shakes his head, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling. “You’re not what I expected, Blair Cornelia Waldorf.” 

“Is that a good thing?” 

Dan looks up at her, biting his bottom lip thoughtfully. “Yes.”

A blush creeps up onto Blair’s cheeks and stays there long after the final credits roll. 

----

Filming for Fall of Us finishes two months later. There will still be reshoots, but Alex is confident that only two or three scenes needed to be tweaked, so Blair considers this the official end of filming. To celebrate, she rents out the bar at the Plaza and invites all cast and crew, urging them to “get drunk and spill Hollywood’s secrets!” (Needless to say, Blair gains brownie points with several crew members, practically guaranteeing her some good press when reporters inevitably hound the assistants for dirt near release date.) 

She’s four cocktails in when she spots Dan and with the liquor running through her bloodstream she doesn’t hesitate in sliding up to him. “What’s up, Humphrey.” 

“Not my name,” he replies, taking a measured sip of his beer in an attempt to seem more sober than he actually was. 

Serena, who was sitting next to Dan at the bar, giggles. “Well technically, it is.” 

Dan turns to look at Serena, smiling, and God, Blair needs another drink. “I guess it is.” 

“So Dan, what are you going to do with your life before press season? Go back to begging for pathetic indie Lonely Boy parts?” Blair interrupts, making sure both Dan and Serena’s attention was on her. 

To Blair’s surprise, his reply was honest. “I’m actually thinking of going home for a bit. Maybe stay with my sister, enjoy my last view months before being branded as Blair Waldorf’s co-star .” 

She snorts. “Funny. You really think they’re going to care about you?” 

They both know that was a lie. 

He lifts his beer up in a mock salute. “Cheers, Waldorf. To making one hell of a movie.” 

Determined to one-up him, Blair grabs the beer out of his hands and chugs, her eyes never leaving his. “Cheers, Humphrey.” 

They’re laughing outside her hotel room, spectacularly drunk, leaning against each other as they struggle to find her key card. 

“I don’t-” A hiccup interrupts Blair’s sentence. “I don’t know where Serena went. Do you know where Serena went?”

Dan smiles. “No clue. Am I supposed to know where Serena went?” 

“Well, it’s not as if I’ve been the one making fuck me now eyes at her for the last three months.” 

“You think I like Serena ?”

She rolls her eyes. “Everyone and their mother likes Serena, Humphrey. You’d be an idiot not to ask her out.” 

“I don’t want to,” he says simply.

Blair laughs, but even to her own ears, it sounds hollow. The cocktails that she had downed hours earlier were swirling around her stomach, mixing horribly with the tequila shots that her, Alex and Dan had downed just twenty minutes prior. “Is it just me, or is this hallway starting to spin?” she quips, lightening the mood. 

“Oh, shit yeah. Quick, gimme your key card. We have to make our way to safety.” 

Dan snatches the card out of her hand and inserts it into the slot while Blair attempts to hold in a smile. “You’re ridiculous.” 

“And yet you never once kicked me off the set. Honesty Blair, I was surprised you made it through the last three months without getting me thrown off the film. Nate and I had a bet going. I lost, by the way.” 

The sound of Blair’s purse being thrown onto the coffee table echoed throughout the room. “I’m a professional,” she states, kicking off her Jimmy Choos.  “Which is more than I can say for you .” She accentuated her last word by sticking out her index finger and driving it into Dan’s chest, a movement that ultimately caused her to lose her balance. 

“Woah there Waldorf, you good?” 

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” she says, forgoing the filter that usually prevents her from speaking her innermost thoughts. “Cocktails are the best .” 

Dan chuckles, and due to their proximity, Blair feels it. She hasn’t been this close to someone since… 

“That they are,” Dan muses. “I think it’s time to get you into bed, no?” 

“Only if you come with me,” Blair hears herself saying, which, woah . “Ignore that. I’m drunk.”

Humphrey doesn’t reply but instead takes her hand and leads her towards the bedroom. 

“I’m not usually this messy when I drink, I promise. I am an Academy Award winner, you know.”

He hums. “I know.” 

Somehow he gets her in bed, snuggled against the pristine white sheets. “Hey, Dan?” Blair says, “can I ask you a question?” 

“Sure.”

Blair fiddles with the duvet for a few moments, trying to buy herself some time. She didn’t actually have a question for him: she just didn’t want to be alone.

Her alcohol riddled brain makes it hard for her to come up with anything plausible, so in the end, she settles for the truth. “Can someone die from being alone?.” 

This causes Dan to pause in the doorframe. “As if that’s something you need to worry about.” 

Blair scoffs. “You really don’t know me at all do you?”

“I’d like to.” 

She closes her eyes. “My parents were never around when I was a kid. Don’t get me wrong, they’re good parents, but I was raised by Dorota, who now has her own family.” Blair feels the end of the bed dip, indicating that Dan has sat down. She took it as a sign to continue. I didn’t have friends, I had minions. And then there was Chuck. Who never really loved me.” Blair lets out a sigh. “Maybe I deserve it. Being alone.”

“You’re not perfect, Blair. I know that better than anyone. But you don’t deserve to feel this way. And you definitely deserve someone better than Chuck. What he did to you was inexcusable: no one should ever have to go through that.” 

Without opening her eyes Blair pats the spot next to her in the bed. “I doubt you’ll be able to make it back to your room tonight, Humphrey. Passing out in the Plaza’s lobby is not a good look for an up and comer.” 

“Always looking out for me, huh?” 

“You wish.” 

Blair waits until Dan was under the covers and curled up on his side before she speeks again. “Thank you. It’s hard to - to have friends when you’re famous. Everyone always wants something from you. But not you. Thanks for that.” 

“Anytime, Waldorf. You have me, always.” 

Despite the dizzying alcohol-induced haze that clouds Blair’s thoughts she knew that Dan had meant it. It was a discovery that she did not want to begin to unpack at three in the morning when she was on the verge of throwing up the entire contents of her stomach. 

“Goodnight Dan.” 

“Night Blair.” 

(If Blair had been less intoxicated, she would have noticed that somehow during the night Dan’s arms had reached out and around her waist, bringing her closer. She would have noticed that she had snuggled against him and laid her head down onto his chest while he exhaled in pleasure. She would have noticed that their legs and hands had become intertwined. That for the first time in years Blair had slept soundly through the night, feeling safe in his arms.)  

--- 

All too soon, it’s press season. Ever since the trailer for Fall of Us was released six weeks earlier fans had been going crazy for the film: it had been the number one trending tag on Tumblr for a week. Blair could barely make it an hour without an Instagram comment or tweet about the film coming into her notifications. 

There had been minimal disparaging comments from critics, which truthfully made Blair nervous. She knows that it’s a good sign. It simply means they are actually doing their job rather than sprouting out personal opinions about her or the film. However, Blair can’t happen to think that the lack of negative press only acts as a way to set Fall of Us up. It makes sense, logically. The higher the expectations, the easier it is to not meet them, right?

“You’re being insane,” Dan says flatly. He hands her a mocha latte and a danish. “And stop fidgeting. Aren’t you meant to be the experienced one out of the two of us?” 

“Ah yes, because giving me coffee is absolutely going to help me stop fidgeting.”

“I needed something to do. The interviewer is late.” 

Blair smiles viciously into her coffee cup. “It’s part of their power plays. You get used to it eventually.” 

She takes pleasure in the alarmed look that crosses over his face. 

It is  Blair’s first time meeting Dan in person since the reshoots. Surprisingly enough they had kept in touch over the last few months -- at first it was simply Dan sending her childish memes that made Blair roll her eyes in annoyance. She had refused to reply out of principle ( who still watches Riverdale anymore? ) but eventually Blair gave in, texting him a particularly lengthy Tumblr post ranking ‘pretentious white boys from indie films.’

I suggest you take a look at number four, her text reads. I found it very informative. 

His reply cames back an hour later. What can I say? My performance in Ellipses moved people. 

Somewhere along the line they had begun to text every day, which eventually led to face timing to watch movies together. Blair doesn’t know-how, or why, but she and Dan have become something akin to -- dare she say it -- friends .

“You ready for your first real press circuit?” she asks. “Hope you bought some advil.” 

“It won’t be that bad, surely?” 

(It is.) 

Vogue makes them play the Newlyweds Game , which in Blair’s opinion is so distasteful and overdone but whatever, she’s getting paid to be there. She slaps on her award-winning smile and forges forward, ignoring the ache that comes with four days of non-stop smiling to reporters and journalists and photographers. 

Georgina, their appointed interviewer, takes a dislike to Blair immediately, causing her to pull her shoulders back and prepare for battle. She knows a showdown when she sees one. 

They make it through the game with minimal disruptions (Blair only has to kick Dan under the table twice) and eventually make it through to the question and answer part of the segment. 

“So, Blair,” Georgina starts, her smile twisting into a calculating smirk that reminded Blair vaguely of a great white shark. “It’s been a while since your last, shall we say, romance . Is there anyone new on the scene, or have you been sticking with your pattern of being involved with your directors?” 

Dan shuffles awkwardly in his seat. Blair pastes on her most placating, accommodating smile. “No romance on the cards for me, I’m afraid.” Her eyes never once left Georgina’s. “Though I do have to say, if questions about my love life -- which one can easily just google -- is what Vogue thinks will sell copies, then they sure did pick the best reporter to run their company into the ground, didn’t they?” 

There is a beat of silence as Georgina stares at her. Blair can feel Dan’s eyes on her -- most likely glaring, knowing him -- but she doesn’t let that derail her. “I’ve been in this game a long time, Georgina , was it? How about you ask us about the movie now.” 

It is an order, not a question. 

Georgina’s gaze turns to Dan. “So, what was it like being cast in your first Hollywood blockbuster?” 

Dan shoots Blair a look that seemed to scream I am so out of my depth . Blair has to bite her lip to stop herself from giggling. It’s almost endearing, how unsure but excited he is about everything.

Somehow they scrape through the rest of the interview, and the photoshoot that follows. Although Blair does get to pour coffee onto Dan’s head (mimicking a scene from Fall of Us that is shown in the trailer), which improves her day greatly . 

“I’m going for a walk,” he mutters quietly to her afterwards, avoiding the attention of their security details. Blair can hear the exasperation in his voice. “Want to come?” 

Suddenly Blair finds herself thrown back to a year ago; bored and lonely and organising coffee pods. Dan had extended the same invitation back then and Blair had taken it, resulting in one of the best days she had experienced in a while. 

Maybe she should start taking risks more often. 

“How are we going to, you know, get rid of them ?” 

Dan’s eyes sparkle with mischievous intent. “Leave that to me. Meet me out the front of the hotel in twenty.” 

“Okay, okay,” Blair says, trying to breathe through her laughter. She stabs her spoon into her ice cream cup and quickly turns around so that she is walking backwards. “I need to look you in the face when you answer this question.” Dan avoids her eyes, already knowing what she is going to ask. “What the fuck made you star in Ellipses ? Like I’ve heard of selling your soul to the devil, Humphrey, but I didn’t think you’d go that far.” 

Dan reaches forward to grab the plastic spoon out of her ice cream, to which Blair protests. They are walking along a pier at Coney Island -- Blair’s suggestion, she hasn’t been to the beach in forever . She did make Dan pay for the cab ride over, though -- and Blair would be lying if she doesn’t admit that her choc mint ice cream was the most delicious thing she has eaten in a long, long time.

The wind whipped around them and Blair vaguely wondered if she had a hair tie in her puse. “I was fresh out of high school, wanting to prove to my asshole classmates that I had something to prove,” Dan replies. 

Blair snorts. “Like that makes it any better. I doubt any of them were wowed by your performance.” 

He clasps the spoon close to his chest, pretending to look affronted. “Hey, I’ll have you know that I have made it on many tumblr rankings as a result of Ellipses . Now I know that it’s not the same as an Academy Award, Miss Waldorf, but it’s pretty close.” 

A laugh escapes from Blair before she could trap it. "Can I have my spoon back now?” 

Dan tilts his head and hums. “Well,” he starts before taking off his shoes. Blair looks at him curiously, only judging him a little . “You’ll have to catch me first!” he finishes before making a dash down the boardwalk towards the sand. 

“Not fair!” Blair shouts in his direction, already unbuckling her sandals. “That’s cheating!” 

She catches up with him on the beach where he was waiting for her, holding the spoon up above his head. “Come on ,” Blair pouts. “My ice cream is melting.” 

Dan’s reply comes quickly. “Not my fault. You should have eaten it quicker.” 

“We can’t all be hoover machines that devour food at an astonishing rate,” she teases. “And besides, my diet plan doesn’t allow ice cream. I wanted to savour it.” 

“Diet plan?” 

Blair rolls her eyes. “Yes Dan, I have a diet plan. Actresses don’t have the luxury of looking like we just rolled out of bed and being called ‘ruggedly handsome’ by the press. Especially ones who have an Oscar under their belt.” 

There's a moment where Dan flicks his eyes leisurely up and down Blair’s body. She stands tall, refusing to be self-conscious despite her heart beating furiously in her chest. “You shouldn’t have to deal with that shit,” he says eventually. Blair lets out a long exhale. She doesn't know what she would have done if his words had been something more along the lines of-- 

Blair’s thoughts are cut off by Dan handing her the spoon. She takes it and immediately digs it into her ice cream and shovels it in her mouth. She is acutely aware of the fact that she feels comfortable enough in Dan’s presence to act like herself. Not the Blair Waldorf she presents to the media, to her fans. Not the Blair Waldorf that is seen at awards shows, or on the arms of rich men in clubs late at night. 

It was a Blair Waldorf that she holds, guarded , close to her chest. 

She finishes her ice cream and licks the spoon, letting out a satisfied sigh. 

“That good, huh?” 

Dan’s voice interrupts her as she flicks her eyes up at him, spoon still in her mouth. Blair hopes she doesn’t look as guilty as she felt. He is looking at her, really looking, not just glancing. Distantly, Blair wonders how long he has been staring. 

“Why do you keep choosing to hang out with me?” she asks instead. “Is it because you’ll get good press?” 

They have already been photographed by three different paparazzi groups since arriving at Coney Island two hours ago. Not to mention the countless amount of tourists that have been videoing them shamelessly. Blair has no doubt that photos of their outing were already trending on Twitter. 

It doesn’t bother her, not this close to release date. Her and Dan are creating positive buzz for Fall of Us and if the fact that the public thinks that they’re dating will persuade them to see the movie when it premieres? Well then that’s on them, honestly. 

“I like hanging out with you,” Dan replies simply. Blair looks back at him, unconvinced. “Oh come on Blair, you’re not terrible to spend time with. Sure you talk too much and you’re way too demanding -- you should work on that, you know -- but you make me laugh. And you have great taste in movies.” 

Blair holds her head high and raises an eyebrow. “Obviously.” 

“And,” he continues, “you always smell nice. A mix between vanilla and coconut. During press it’s always Chanel No 5 -- don’t look at me like that, I have a sister. I know stuff -- but every day during filming it was vanilla and coconut.” 

“Oh,” Blair says, looking out into the icy blue of the ocean. “Thanks, I guess.” 

Without either of them noticing it had become late into the afternoon: the sun tinged with a burnt orange glow that allowed for a chill to sweep down onto the beach. Blair breathed in deeply, letting the salt air fill her lungs. “Things always feel better down here,” she says, more to herself than to Dan. 

He murmurs in agreement. “My dad used to take me down here after a bad day at school, even in the winter. We would sit over there-” he gestures vaguely behind them “- and he would buy me ice cream. We wouldn’t talk or anything, just sit. After like an hour we would go home and I would be ready to show my face up in school again.” 

Blair takes a minute to respond. “That sounds nice.”

“It was.” 

Dan mimics her stance and stares out into the water, lost in thought. Blair thinks back to her childhood days spent at Coney -- her mother had to call in three hours before they were expected to arrive to make sure that a section of the beach had been blocked off for them. She was never allowed in the water, never allowed on the boardwalk, never allowed the chance to experience the rides or taste the salted taffy. It was a small price to pay for all the brilliant opportunities Blair has had, she knows. 

It doesn’t make it hurt any less. 

“I want to go in the water,” she says suddenly, bunching up her skirt in her hand to ensure it didn’t get wet. It was designer, after all. 

It only takes Dan a minute of staring at Blair in shock before he whips off his shirt and rolls up the cuffs of his skinny jeans. Her hair was undoubtedly in a tangled mess and Blair couldn’t remember where she had dumped her shoes -- thankfully she still has her purse, nestled safely underneath Dan’s white t-shirt -- but her lips still tasted faintly like choc mint and Dan was smiling up at her, his eyes glinting. 

They spent what felt like hours just playing in the water, acting like children. Blair knows they were being photographed, knew that photos of her drenched and looking like a drowned rat with a shirtless Dan Humphrey would be all over People! by the morning, but she doesn’t care. 

Instead, Blair creeps quietly behind Dan and wraps her arms around him, ignoring his protests as she dumps him in the water. He retaliates, of course, by clasping his hands around her ankle to tickle her feet, which results in her splashing Dan’s face in a childish manner. 

(Blair has never seen him that happy in the entire time she has known him. It delights her that she gets to see this side of him.  Not Serena, not some random fan that would only appreciate him for his -- admittedly handsome -- looks. 

No, it’s Blair that gets to see him like this; loose and happy and free. 

Just Blair.)

Everything around her is golden and for the first time since Chuck, Blair allows herself to fully enjoy her life. 

Eventually it gets too cold for them to stay in the water. Dan stands up first and offers Blair a hand. She takes it, refusing to look at him. Blair knew that if she did, she would do something that would ruin whatever tangible friendship they had created between them. 

“I have a loft up in Brooklyn,” Dan says and Blair looks at him blankly. He scratches his neck, trying to find the right words. “Well actually, it’s my sisters, but she’s in Paris for the month.”

“I’m failing to see how this is relevant,” Blair teases, reaching down to pick up her purse. She squints up at the boardwalk, trying to see if her sandals were still there. Thankfully, they were. 

“Uh, we could go there? We don’t have an interview till like eleven tomorrow. I could make us some hot chocolate?” 

“Sure,” Blair shoots out, distracted. She’s already making her way up to the boardwalk to retrieve her sandals. “What’s the bet that someone has trashed my shoes?”

“Did you hear me? Blair?”

“Yeah, hot chocolate? Don’t back out now Humphrey, you got my hopes up.”

She is too busy fiddling with her shoes to see him smiling broadly at her, full of tenderness and hope.

“This is ridiculous,” Blair exclaims, pointing to Dan’s shirt that was hanging off her body. It stopped mid-thigh -- Dan wasn’t that much taller than her -- and was bright orange with the words free the turtles! stamped across it in neon green. “This is a fashion crime of the highest order.” 

Dan laughs. “My sister is really into saving the environment. She gave me that shirt for christmas a few years back. Unironically, if you can believe it.”

“Give me something else. I can’t wear this!” Blair crosses her arms across her chest.

He pokes his head out of the kitchen and glances at her. “You look fine. You always look beautiful, you know that.” 

“Well, at least it’s comfy,” she grumbles, padding her way over to the couch. 

Dan frowns. Blair wonders if she should have said something else. 

They sit in front of his TV eating grilled cheese sandwiches. There’s a Harry Potter marathon on FreeForm so they watch that instead of switching to Netflix, despite Blair’s complaints at having to watch the ads. 

“It’s the experience ,” Dan claims. “Didn’t you ever do this as a kid? And have to run around doing chores during the ads?” 

“You have to know that I most certainly did not ,” Blair replies haughty. “Our movie nights were always on DVD’s, anyway. Dorota used to bring me a new movie every Friday.”

“Dorota?” 

Blair feels a blush creeping up onto her cheeks. “Our maid. She was my nanny too, kind of. I was mostly raised by her.” She pulls a chunk of melted cheese out of her sandwich and eats it with her fingers, humming as it slides down her throat and warms her insides. “Dorota always smelt like lavender and she used to wear this maid’s outfit, even when my mom wasn’t around. I told her she didn’t have to but she said it made her feel like she was in a movie. I can still hear her voice in my head, saying Miss Blair, you and your family have the luxury of playing a role whenever you feel like it. This is my way of playing a part. ” 

She takes a pause to bite into her sandwich. Dan waits patiently as she finishes chewing. “Dorota would let me go into the city without a security detail. This one time -- I think I was around eight or nine? -- we found a theatre just down from Madison. It looked pretty much the same as that one we went to here, in Brooklyn, remember?” 

Dan nods diligently. He stretches his legs out along the inside of the couch leaning forward to tear a piece of Blair’s grilled cheese. She doesn't object, instead bending her right knee to block his legs from extending any further. It backfired, however, as he simply pushed himself back so that his feet were resting on her knee. 

“Your feet are cold. Anyway, we were there for what felt like hours . I don’t remember what films we watched -- I wish I did. After each movie we had to both go and get snacks so we kept losing our seats and having to move. Dorota was terrified about me getting lost or kidnapped, so I had to hold her hand pretty much the entire time. I didn’t mind it. During one movie Dorota had started to cry. I was young, so I wasn’t feeling anything other than excitement from being in a new place. Seeing her cry over something as simple as people on a screen was bewildering, yet fascinating. On the cab ride home I remember thinking I want to be able to make people feel, like Dorota did . It was the day I decided I wanted to be an actor.” 

“It sounds like you miss her.”

Blair nods. “I do. I still see her every Christmas, but it’s -- it’s not the same, you know? She has her own kids to worry about now. A husband too. Her own family.” 

There’s a beat of silence. Dan doesn’t offer any apologies, to which Blair is thankful. She doesn’t need someone to fix her problems, or pretend that they can be. The fact that Dan was able to listen to her story without interjecting meant more to Blair than she expected. His hands fiddle with his empty plate as he searches for the words he wanted to say. Blair finishes off her grilled cheese while she waits for him to respond.

“In interviews,” he starts. “You always made it seem -- seem like your parents were the ones that got you into acting.” 

Blair reaches for Dan’s plate, to which he willingly hands over. She places both of them onto the coffee table, careful not to scratch the glass. “Yeah. It seemed like the simpler, logical choice. Plus, I don’t like the press knowing everything about me. They already have enough.” 

Dan regards her seriously. “Well, thank you for telling me.” 

“Thank you for making it easy to tell you,” she says honestly. They exchange soft smiles, the kind that only become available once you share a piece of your soul to another. 

An explosion happens onscreen -- Harry and his entourage have just been discovered in the ministry of magic -- and the moment passes. 

They spend the next hour watching the movie in companionable silence before drifting off to sleep. Blair goes first, shuffling closer to Dan and laying her head on his shoulder, ignoring his strangled protest. “It’s the least you can do,” she says, “for making me wear this hideous shirt.” 

Dan procures a blanket seemingly from thin air (although it was probably from the back of the couch) and lays it on top of them. He presses a soft, fleeting kiss to Blair’s forehead before he snuggles back down into the couch and relaxes his body. It was so quick that Blair barely manages to register that it happened -- but it did. 

And surprisingly she isn’t upset by it, which scares her much more than Blair is ready to admit. 

---

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HOLLYWOOD NEWCOMER DAN HUMPHREY (SO FAR)

Article:

Vanessa Abrams 

Photography:

Scott Rosson 

Let’s be honest: before last week, I had absolutely no idea who Dan Humphrey was. I told him this as soon as we sat down -- don’t judge, I had just downed two espressos -- and immediately feared the worst. 

What kind of actor takes well to being told they’re basically invisible? 

Humphrey simply laughs. “I wouldn’t expect anything different, unless you like to waste your time watching pretentious indie films with shitty endings.” 

It was at that moment that I decided that Daniel Humphrey was exactly the type of film star the entertainment industry needs right now. 

Externally, he has all the makings of a Hollywood golden boy. Floppy hair that’s appropriately scruffy, soulful eyes and the classic bad boy smirk? Check. He’s charming, flirtatious and knows how to work a room. 

However, despite digging his James Dean facade (have I mentioned how seriously hot he is? Because, well.) I decided  to dig deeper into the curious enigma that is Daniel Humphrey. 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Dan attended the prestigious St Judes Secondary School in New York’s Upper East Side on an acting scholarship. “I was one of those weird, artsy theatre kids,” he says with a shudder. “I remember thinking that it was cool to wear all-black ensembles like, every day.” 

After St Jude’s came a brief stint working as a barista in his dad’s cafe, before working part-time in a bookshop. “I had a string of crappy jobs after I graduated. I never really cared enough about them, which looking back was a terrible decision.” I interject by telling Dan how refreshing it is to be interviewing someone who struggled just like the rest of us millennials, which grants me a laugh. 

“I think I always knew I needed to be doing something creative, something where I got to exercise my imagination,” Dan explains. “It wasn’t until a friend of mine roped me into being an extra for some tv show that I seriously considered acting.” 

And so it began. After several appearances as an extra Dan landed his first big role as a secondary character in the indie thriller Howl.

“It was as if I was thrust into this whole new world. No matter what anyone tells you, acting in a film is so different to acting on stage. You have to learn a whole new way for your body to move, to express emotions. You have to change the way you utilise your voice. Even the language they use on set was daunting.” 

“But eventually you figure it out,” he says. “I have to admit, I watched a lot of behind the scenes segments to try and learn the lingo.” 

I am reminded again of just how much Dan challenges the current norms in the film industry. He’s like a breath of fresh air after years of having copious actors with the personality of a cardboard cutout dominate our screens and newsfeeds.

After getting sidetracked by talking about our mutual love of New York’s underground art scene -- seriously, this dude is awesome -- we eventually make our way to his upcoming Hollywood blockbuster, The Rise and Fall of Us . 

After asking him what it was like getting to work with such an acclaimed cast and crew, Dan’s face lights up. “Getting to work with Alex Grisky was an honour,” he gushes. “Watching him direct is like magic. Working on Fall of Us was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.” 

At this point, I’m bursting with curiosity. I, like you, pretend I’m above celebrity gossip, but come on, who are we kidding? We’re only human: feeding on Hollywood rumours is like our kryptonite. So, when I ask Dan Humphrey what it was like to work with Academy Award winner Blair Waldorf -- who, as we all know, isn’t the easiest to act alongside (remember the Waldorf/Archibald drama of 2013?) -- I did so eagerly and without shame.

There’s a pause as Dan mulls over his words and I hold my breath. Are we finally going to get some more dirt on Hollywood’s princess, Miss Waldorf? 

“Don’t tell her this,” Dan says, and I lean forward. “But I learnt so much from working beside her, it’s insane.” I sit back in my seat, only mildly disappointed. Waldorf’s talented: we all know that. 

A simple google search could have told me that.

“It was hard at first, being thrust into working with each other on such a character-driven film without an established sense of trust. The turnaround for my casting was pretty quick, so we didn’t get a lot of time to connect before rehearsals, which is what normally would happen. But eventually we found our footing. It’s such an incredible script and both Blair and I connected with it so deeply, which I think is evident throughout the film.” 

Speaking of a quick turnaround for casting, I finally got to the bottom of what actually happened at Dan’s audition for the romantic comedy-drama. 

“Oh, well,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. My reporter instincts are tingling with the potential for discovering a juicy story. “It’s kind of funny actually. I was at the studio to audition for another film -- it was for a role as the best friend of some weird superhero film, if I remember correctly -- and Blair was, uh, talking to someone in the hallway of the casting offices. I vaguely remember her saying something about coffee?” Dan laughs, his eyes flickering around the vacant dinner we are sitting in.

“Anyway, I must have, uh, disagreed with her comment which, well-” Dan pauses, looking me in the eyes. “-don’t ever make Blair Waldorf mad if you can help it.” 

At this point I’m laughing so hard I can barely keep track of what he’s saying. I ask Dan if he knew he had instigated a fight with Blair Waldorf, Academy Award winner and diva extraordinaire, and he merely shrugs. "To be honest, I don’t think I really gave a shit. She said something that I disagreed with and I just instinctively corrected her. It didn’t really register to me that I should have treated her any different just because she was famous.” 

After hearing this I decide that I’m at least thirty per cent in love with Humphrey. I tell him so and he blushes. “Well, I’m glad someone is,” he says good-naturally and I am again struck by just how normal Dan is. He’s not naive: he knows what goes on inside the industry. But he is determined to remain impassive to the strong pull of the toxic celebrity culture that surrounds him. 

“Within five minutes it was a full-on argument,” Dan continues. Despite repeatedly claiming that he doesn’t remember the catalyst for the argument, the slight pink of his cheeks says otherwise. (Although that may just be because of the stifling New York heat -- guess we’ll never know.) “It was kind of a blur: we were both waving our hands around and screaming in each other’s faces. Very dramatic -- my old acting coach from St Jude’s would have been very proud of our expression .” Dan pauses to chuckle at the thought. 

‘Everything kind of fell away as we were arguing -- it was one of those surreal moments where I was aware that there were dozens of people watching us, but I didn’t register it. I was so focused on getting my point across to Blair that I just forgot. I think she felt it as well. Eventually we both ran out of steam -- or arguments, I don’t remember -- and there was a moment where we just kind of stared at each other. We were essentially strangers that had just engaged in a screaming match for twenty minutes. I felt like I knew her without really knowing her at all, which even as an actor was a weird experience.” 

He’s on a roll now, so I sit back and listen. “Little did we know that Eric, one of the casting directors for Fall of Us , had been in that hallway. That feeling I explained before, of knowing someone without really knowing them, is essentially the foundation for the film.” Dan smirks; confident and coy. “Before I know it I’m being told that I have “wicked chemistry” -- which is a direct quote by the way -- with Blair Waldorf and that the studio wants me to star as the lead alongside her.” There’s a pause. “And this was all before nine am on a Tuesday.” 

Dan’s dry sarcasm catches me off guard once again, although at this point I’m not sure why I’m surprised. The timer on my phone goes off, signalling that I can free Humphrey of the absolute joy of being interviewed. We exchange the usual pleasantries (“It was a pleasure ,” he says with a smirk, his Hollywood facade making an appearance.)  before Dan offhandedly mentions a gallery he thinks I’d like in Brooklyn, writing down the address in the back of my notepad.

I’ve met a lot of celebrities in my time of working as a reporter for Vibrant, but none are as layered (and sarcastic) as Daniel Humphrey. He is aware of the treacherous and fickle game that is stardom and yet he seems content to merely be a spectator. “I’m just here to do what I love,” he claims. “I don’t need people’s validation to be content. All I want to do is help make films that people can connect with, that resonates with them. Inspires them. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.” 

So there you have it, folks. You might not have heard of the insanely talented, handsome and somewhat satirical Daniel Humphrey until last week, but trust me , after the release of Fall of Us you’re not going to be able to get enough of him. It’s time the industry got shaken up by something real , and Dan is just the man for it. 

Watch out Hollywood, because Dan Humphrey is here to stay. 

Catch the trailer for The Rise and Fall of Us here, or read our newest entertainment articles here . 

---

They’re meant to arrive together. The two leads of a highly anticipated Hollywood blockbuster arriving separately to their own premiere? Practically unheard of. 

The premiere for Fall of Us was being held in New York, rather than LA, in order to pay ‘homage to Daisy and Josh’s story’ (Alex’s words, not Blair’s.) And yet it is five-thirty -- twenty minutes before they were scheduled to walk the red carpet -- and Dan still hasn’t shown up to meet Blair at her apartment. The traffic is going to be unbearable, Blair thinks as she sits on her couch glaring up at the clock. 

Blair Waldorf is never late to her own premieres. That is reserved for B-list actors and newbies who are indifferent to the blood sweat and tears hundreds of individuals have put into the film. Not to mention the cheap shots the tabloids take to actors that behave scandalously at premieres. 

“I’m so sorry,” Dan blurts out the second he sets foot in her apartment. “I tried to get here as fast as I can but-” 

“Save it,” Blair interrupts harshly, already pushing him back through the door. “The limo is already waiting.” 

Silence fills the elevator as they begin their descent. Blair lets the tension stew for a minute (or two), making her annoyance evident. It’s more for show, really. It’s premiere night, for god’s sake. She’s almost jumping out of her skin with excitement and nothing, not a soul in the world, can take that from her. 

Eventually Dan breaks the silence. “You look stunning, by the way.” 

Blair rolls her eyes. She’s wearing a black and gold strapless Marchesa couture -- custom made of course -- cinched in at the waist to create a full skirt. Adorned on the skirt were intertwining gold circles that mirror Daisy’s tattoo that can be seen on her ankle in the film. Her hair is twisted into an updo that is elegant yet appropriately dishevelled, her nails painted gold to match her dress -- the same colour as her custom Louboutin’s. She is wearing minimal makeup, just some mascara, lipgloss, highlighter and some subtle contouring to accentuate her features.

Blair is the textbook definition of perfect . 

“I still like you better in neon orange, though,” he adds, which earns him a smile.

“Why were you late?” 

“Jenny got herself arrested, again.” Blair’s face twists in shock and confusion. “Some protest about the harm caused by fast fashion. I had to ring someone to bail her out.” 

There is a twinge of something in Blair’s chest, sharp and hot and quick. She pushes it away immediately, turning her attention to the shiny buttons on the elevator wall. “But rich of your girlfriend to bail her out of jail on the biggest night of your life.” 

Dan’s face whips towards her so fast that Blair is surprised that his neck doesn’t snap. “Jenny’s my sister, ” he says. “I don’t think it would matter if it was my wedding day : she would just play the little sister card and rope me into helping her. One of the cons of being the oldest, I guess.” He shrugs.

“Oh.” 

The elevator dings and Blair rushes forward. She bunches up the bottom of her skirt into her right hand and holds her clutch in her left, avoiding Dan. 

He catches up with her easily, opening up the door to the limo before their chauffeur has the chance to do it himself. “You really thought that Jenny was my girlfriend ?” 

“Oh come off it Humphrey,” she says sliding into the limo. 

Blair is right: traffic is insufferable. She tells Dan they’re going to be late in the hope that he will drop the subject. 

He doesn’t 

“You really think I had a secret girlfriend that I never told you about?” 

Suddenly anger washes over Blair. “How the fuck would I know?” she says, glad that the screen between them and their driver is up. “It’s not like I read about your relationships in People! .” 

Dan stares at her. “Cut the crap, Blair. What’s the attitude really about?” 

Blair’s eyes flick up to his face, meeting his gaze. “This is our premiere.” 

Thankfully Dan has the sense not to respond with a sarcastic or teasing quip. Instead a simple “yes” escapes from his lips. 

“By the end of tonight, we’re not really-” Blair stops, unable to get the words out. Surprisingly Dan reaches out and takes her hand, a gesture that Blair appreciates. It’s comforting knowing that someone was there for her, someone that wasn’t her mother or Serena. Blair knew she was acting childishly, but truthfully she was scared. Scared of being vulnerable. Of exposing another part of herself that could eventually lead to her getting hurt again. She inhales sharply and Dan squeezes her hand in reassurance. Blair musters up all the courage she has before she continues. “We won’t see each other much, after tonight.” There’s silence. “Not unless we get cast in another movie,” Blair adds with a humourless laugh. 

“You really think we were just friends out of convenience ?” 

The disbelief in Dan’s tone gives Blair the strength to look at his face. Much to her astonishment he looked hurt. “No, of course not,” she says. “I just- I thought that’s what you thought we were.” 

Dan’s face breaks into a smile. It’s a real one, big and blinding. “Miss Blair Cornelia Warldof, I’d would be my honour to be your full-time friend, effective immediately.” 

She huffs and whacks him in the shoulder with her clutch. “You’re such an ass.”

“Now, that’s no way to talk to a friend!”

Red carpets are always a strange combination of anticipation, excitement, boredom and a twisted sense of self-satisfaction. The red carpet for the Fall of Us premiere is no different. Blair makes her way down the velvet ropes arm in arm with Dan, smiling for people she’s never met and waving at the people she has. They quickly work out a system: whenever Dan is faced with a reporter that pushes him out of his death he will gently squeeze Blair’s arm and she will jump in. Blair doesn’t mind the constant interruptions -- she likes to think her father would be proud. She has vague memories of Harold doing something similar at her first public appearance when she was little. Being in the public eye was daunting no matter what background you come from. 

Blair catches Dan’s eyes on her often. She knows logically that he’s probably just watching her work the room -- she is a professional after all. But there’s a small, niggling part of her that knows that’s not it. His words from earlier echo around her brain. 

You’re stunning.

Despite the constant distractions surrounding her -- the lights, the cameras, her co-stars -- Blair’s mind keeps returning to Dan’s statement. Surely it doesn’t mean anything. He has always been vocal about the fact that he’s attracted to her, so why should tonight be any different? 

Eventually, they’re shuffled towards the theatre where they take their places in the back seats. It’s Blair’s favourite place to be seated during premiere’s. She is able to see the entire audience’s reactions to a film that she has worked so diligently on for so long. 

Blair declines a glass of chardonnay when the waiter comes -- she wants to be able to remember everything about this experience -- and notices when Dan does the same. “You excited?” she asks. 

“I don’t think I’ve been this excited since Christmas as a kid,” he replies. 

She smiles. It’s small and secretive, belonging only to them. 

As soon as the lights dim and the music begins to swell Blair feels it in her stomach. The feeling they always talk about in great literature and pretentious poetry. The feeling of complete and utter adoration for one’s passion. 

The opening credits flash before them in vibrant colour. A tingle goes through Blair’s entire body when she sees her name in large block letters across the large screen. It begins in her fingers and makes its way down to her toes as she bites her lip in excitement. 

It never gets old, seeing your name on screen like that. 

Daniel Humphrey flashes on-screen seconds later. 

Blair hears Dan’s sharp inhale as he stares wide-eyed at the letters in awe. She turns her head to look at him, unabashed. This was a moment she wanted to save, to file away for later so one day she can remember what it felt like to witness this moment. What it felt like to see the look of pure satisfaction that was evident all over Dan’s face. 

He looks over to Blair, their faces just inches apart, and takes her hand. "I'm glad I got to do this with you,” he whispers. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

“Me neither,” comes her reply. 

And despite their rocky beginning and Dan’s annoying tendencies, Blair finds that she means it. 

They’re outside the theatre, leaning against the brick walls of the building. Blair’s head is tilted upwards to look at the sky. It’s a mesmerising kaleidoscope of stars all colliding and crashing and shining . “I wouldn’t do this with just anyone,” she says, breaking the silence. 

Dan raises an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

She looks down at him, nodding seriously. “Oh yeah. This entire outfit is custom made. Probably cost more than your shitty loft in Brooklyn, FYI.” 

A shout comes from inside, slightly muffled. Blair would normally be annoyed at missing the afterparty of her own premiere, but tonight she was content to be out in the quiet. 

Even if it is a bit cold. 

“Here,” Dan says, noticing her chattering teeth. He places his blazer over her shoulders and Blair is instantly warmer. The scent of his aftershave is overwhelming -- musky and woody and oh, is that toothpaste?  

Blair tries to ignore it. 

“Thanks.” She turns towards him, wincing as the hem of her dress catches on the brick. “So, your first premiere. What’s the verdict?” 

“Not enough tiny sandwiches,” he says automatically, which makes Blair laugh. “The company wasn’t half bad though.” 

“Wasn’t half bad?” she repeats incredulously. “You watch your mouth there, Humphrey.” 

Dan turns towards her, his body loose and comfortable in her presence. All night he had been stiff and composed in the presence of the cameras, but since they ditched the party Dan had reverted back to his normal, slightly gawky, self. Blair watches him as he fiddles with his tie, loosening it slightly. His fingers are long and nimble and Blair wants.

“You going to kiss me already, Humphrey?” 

Blair is startled to realise that she isn’t nervous to finally take a metaphorical step forward, despite it being disguised within a poorly concealed quip. Especially since she didn’t realise that kissing Dan was something she wanted to do until about, well, three minutes ago. But in the back of Blair’s mind, she knows that maybe (definitely) that this had been brewing for a while. Weeks and months of working alongside each other had forced them into the other’s orbit: coercing them into forming a friendship based on trust and mutual respect. It’s what I needed, Blair thinks vaguely, fidgeting with her clutch. Maybe love isn’t always burning red with passion. Maybe it’s bright orange and neon green. Comforting and gentle and safe.

There’s a tense moment where the air is still between them. Dan swallows. “I didn’t know I was allowed to.” 

“For god’s sake Humphrey,” Blair says with an exasperated smile. “Do I have to do everything ?”

Dan opens his mouth to answer her question, but Blair grabs his tie and hurls him forward before he has a chance. Their lips meet and Dan lets out a surprised “ oh ” before moving away slightly. There’s a horrible second where Blair is worried that she miscalculated before Dan’s hands are on her waist, pulling her even closer , and then they’re kissing, really kissing, and it’s everything that Blair has ever dreamed of. 

They stay there for a while, kissing under the stars before Blair pulls away. She’s breathless and ecstatic, filled with hope and anticipation. This is it , she thinks. The beginning of everything . 

Dan grabs her hand and brings her closer to him, carefully moving so as to not squash her skirt. It’s a gesture that Blair appreciates more than she is willing to admit. “So,” he begins. 

“So,” Blair repeats, her voice teasing.

“I have a loft in Brooklyn.” 

Blair is reminded of their trip to Coney Island where Dan used the same line. She laughs. “Your sister’s loft.” 

“You mean my sister who is currently being detained in jail for the next twelve hours?” 

Blair was already making her way towards their limo. “Let’s go,” she says, taking Dan’s hand. 

They hold hands the entire ride over -- Dan absently tracing symbols across her palm while Blair presses kisses into his jaw. She takes a minute to look at him, really look at him, and is pleased to see a faint blush present on his cheeks.

“I meant what I said earlier,” Dan says. “I think you’re stunning.” 

It warms her from the inside. 

Later, in the privacy of his loft when they’re snuggled under his navy sheets,  he’ll say it again. And again. And again. He’ll whisper her name like it’s a prayer, gripping her waist like it’s a lifeline that he needs to survive. He’ll be gentle and tender and Blair will finally understand what it means to be loved by someone wholeheartedly. Understand what it’s like to be loved without games or ultimatums and the endless stream of what-ifs . 

But at this moment, it’s just them.

Dan and Blair, together, against the world.