A/N – Hi there. First of all, lets just be clear. AU. This being the case, I have tweaked anything I felt like in order to fit the story. Such as making Nate and Sophie the same age, roughly 43. And, well, whatever else I felt like, to be honest. Go with it,
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School – Present Day
25th Reunion, Class of 1985
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"Nathan Ford!"
Nate turned to the voice instinctively, even as recognition registered in his brain and immediately sent off warnings of 'danger, Will Robinson, danger!'
He cursed silently as his suspicions were confirmed. None other than Sophie Deveraux was making her way towards him, with that same natural grace he remembered all too well.
Before he could as much as speak, Nate found himself surrounded by long dark hair and sure-to-be expensive perfume, as Sophie wrapped him in a hug. Luckily, childhood manners kicked in and Nate managed to return the hug for a moment before Sophie pulled away, grinning.
Nate caught his breath. Twenty five years later, she still stole it from him.
"Hello, Sophie," he greeted her, stuffing his hands in his trouser pockets absent-mindedly.
"Oh! You do remember me!" Sophie squealed slightly.
He looked at her in genuine confusion, "How could anybody forget you?"
Sophie just laughed, "Only a few people have remembered me so far. After all, I was only here for my last year. And I was gone after we graduated."
"You went home," Nate smiled at the bittersweet memory.
Sophie had lingered with him at the airport until the final boarding call, unwilling to say goodbye just yet. He'd thought of that day for months, long after the letters stopped. But then college started up, life moved on, and eventually Nate all but forgot the beautiful British girl he'd loved his senior year.
"Nate, I..." Sophie was interrupted by a long haired man coming up beside her and handing her a glass of champagne, before slipping an arm casually around her waist.
"I... this is Eliot," she said instead, nodding towards the younger man, "My... boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you, Nate," Eliot drawled, surprising Nate with a hint of a southern accent.
Nate took the offered hand in a firm shake, all the while smiling tightly. "Well, it's good to meet the boyfriend."
If the other two noticed the emphasis on boy, they didn't let on, and Nate silently chided himself for acting like a jealous fool when he had no right.
"Excuse me, I'm just going to powder my nose," Sophie said, smoothly extracting herself from Eliot's arm and heading towards the bathroom in one move, leaving Nate and Eliot standing, awkward tension in the air.
"Only Sophie could say 'powder my nose,' and not sound ridiculous," Nate mused aloud, surprised when Eliot laughed and nodded in agreement.
"I don't think Sophie is physically capable of sounding ridiculous."
"You're not wrong," Nate agreed, relaxing slightly.
The two men took in the room silently, Nate pausing to smile and nod to an old classmate. They landed on the open bar at the same time, and moved towards it in sync. Nothing like a little alcohol in place of forced conversation.
They reached the bar just in time to be handed a beer each by the bartender, a young blonde woman in a long black dress covered by a short white apron.
"I was actually hoping for something a little stronger, sweetheart," Eliot protested, offering the beer back to her.
The blonde stared back, unimpressed, "Drink your beer and play nice."
And with that, she was gone, ducking beneath the counter and not resurfacing.
A long and bewildering moment later, Nate had to ask, "Where did she go?"
Eliot sipped his beer slowly, "Damned if I know. There was something wrong with her, that's for sure."
Before they were forced to make any more small talk, a booming voice rang through the room from the stage.
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"Alright people, let's get this thing started! Welcome to your reunion, Class of 1985!"
The young black man in a snazzy patterned sweater paused to adjust his oversized headphones and fiddle with the settings on his computer as the room cheered.
"Ok, here we go. Let's start off with a song from a movie that came out the year I was born. And yes, you should feel old. Just kidding, people, just kidding. Enjoy the music, here we go."
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The loud synthetic pop of Simple Mind's "Don't You, Forget About Me" filled the air, causing chuckles from the crowd as they were each brought back to individual and shared memories.
Sophie chose that moment to reappear, sliding seamlessly back into place next to Eliot, smiling at the music.
"Come dance with me," she demanded of Eliot, pulling him towards the center of the makeshift dance floor.
Eliot looked less than enthusiastic about the dancing, but followed dutifully. Nate smirked as Sophie pulled Eliot close to her and the boy was helpless to resistance.
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Nate nodded along to the music, wondering for the millionth time why he had even come to this stupid thing.
"Nate Ford!" A male voice called out over the music before a heavy hand clapped on Nate's shoulder, "How the hell are ya!"
Nate turned and couldn't help the grin that spread as he took in his old friend, "Bobby, man. It's been years. How's the family?"
Bobby laughed in a long suffering way, "You know, same ol' same ol'. The wife's always bitching about something or another. And the twins are nearly ten now, and can't seem to sit still for more than a minute. But eh, it could be worse."
"That it could," Nate agreed, secretly proud of himself for keeping his tone light.
"How about you, Nate?" Bobby asked. "Last time I saw you, you were dating that pretty little blonde thing. You guys ever get hitched?"
"Maggie," Nate supplied, "Yeah, yeah we got hitched."
Bobby looked around, as if searching for her.
"It... didn't work out," Nate explained, in as much as a vague sentence could be an explanation.
"That's a shame," Bobby nodded along, oblivious.
A sudden crackle filled the air, causing the room to stop mid-dance and listen. In the next instant the room went dark, the only light coming from the candles on the dinner tables.
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A hushed silence fell. Nate turned to where he assumed Bobby still stood.
"Well," he said, "This can't be good."
TBC