𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓, gossip girl

𝟏𝟏. 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏; 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚
( 𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗂, 𝖾𝗉 𝗑𝗂 - '𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗇𝗂𝖿𝗂𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁𝗂𝖻𝖺𝗅𝖽𝗌' )

𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐒𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆, as he usually did for every holiday. Those plans, however, did not include going to New York nor dealing with family drama. No, no... His plans only included Martinis at a yacht in the Caribbean. Everything about the trip was already settled with his friends — even his suitcase was fully packed — when Eleonor Waldorf called saying Nick had to spend Thanksgiving in New York because she wanted him to meet her boyfriend — they had been together for months, yet Nicholas managed to avoid the meeting. Honestly, from the many calls and texts he got from his sister ever since she met the guy, Nick felt as if he already knew Cyrus. Also, there was a fair possibility the lawyer's relationship with the Waldorf matriarch wouldn't last, so what was the point of meeting him anyway?

Still, after much insistence from his mother, Nicholas left behind his suitcase that was prepared for the sunny trip that awaited him and got in his car for a not-so-exciting trip — sure, New York's great and all but what about the warm weather and turquoise blue sea? Nick would sure have dreams about Barbados during the entire holiday. Seriously, if his friends were to bump into Rihanna while he's dealing with family drama, Nicholas would lose his shit.

On the bright side though, Nick hoped he would get to see Gwen and annoy her until she snapped at him — he adored the way she frowned and wrinkled her nose while angry and frustrated, it was really cute. If he got to see Gwendolyn then perhaps his holiday wouldn't suck so much. It had been months since they last saw each other, he knew she needed that space. Hell, even he needed space as well! If his fake relationship was supposed to succeed then his thoughts of Gwen should be buried — and they were, most of the time.

"Finally! You're home." Nick heard as soon as the elevator's doors opened. Blair had her hands resting on her hips as she stood in their home's entrance hall.

"Aw, I always knew you missed me." he pinched his sister's cheeks.

"Yeah, that would be a 'no'." B sent a fake smile in her brother's way and slapped his hands away. "We're making pie." she grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the kitchen. "Mom is making us spend my favorite holiday with Cyrus' family, so I need a bit of tradition to keep me grounded."

After Blair's plan to break Eleonor and Cyrus apart went wrong due to a rare case consciousness on B's part, the couple was stronger than ever. Cyrus even moved in with the Waldorfs, and Nick didn't know how he felt about it. The last time another male lived in that place it was his father, and, even though the eldest Waldorf kid knew how much their dad cared for him and his sister, he couldn't help but feel as if Howard was being replaced. The worst part was that the man didn't seem to mind being absent in his children's lives, way too settled with his Parisian life. Nick knew Blair had the same worry as him, she wouldn't be so bothered by their mom's boyfriend if she didn't. That's why, as the older brother, Nicholas had to push his apprehension and fears aside in order to seem cool and nonchalant for his sister's sake.