I do not own Intelligence, it's characters, or anything you recognize. This plot, however, is mine.

I wrote this in one day. I started it in my first class of the day after I finished a test on Thursday and by my last class I was proofreading. This is going to be a multi-chapter, hopefully. Special thanks to yagmuysu for reading this in advance and telling me you liked it. I used your song idea for the title, by the way. This chapter is dedicated to you Yagmur!

And thank you to everyone who has favorited or reviewed my two Intelligence one-shots. Hope you guys like this!

Like ships in the night
You keep passing me by
We're just wasting time
Trying to prove who's right
And if it all goes crashing into the sea
If it's just you and me
Trying to find the light

Ships in the Night by Mat Kearney

"I can't believe you talked me into this."

The pair stood in the doorway, their hands purposely entangled, standing entirely too close for comfort. Their sides pressed together, body heat sizzled around them, and Riley audibly gulped at the close proximity, longing to step away from him before she did something stupid, yet she stayed right where she was.

"It didn't take much convincing. You obviously wanted to come," Gabriel gloated, knowing he was right.

"I didn't want to come," she hissed, her voice dropping when a passing couple glanced their way. "You tricked me."

He stared at her incredulously. "How did I trick you?" he asked, bewildered.

"You did," Riley insisted. "I don't know how exactly, but you did. Because I wasn't planning on coming and then somehow you found out and suddenly I'm standing here, all dressed up, staring at people I never wanted to see again."

"So it's my fault," he concluded.

"Exactly."

"Why is it that anything negative that happens is automatically my fault, but if it's positive, you take credit for it?" he asked, mostly joking.

"Because I'm brilliant and you're just superhuman," she retorted.

Eyebrow raised, he echoed, "just superhuman?" He stared at her, not understanding the brunette's logic. "That's like saying Superman was just a superhero."

"And fictional," she added, her tone audibly mocking him. "Superman isn't real."

"But I am," Gabriel retorted. "And I don't deserve to be associated with a 'just'. It's a major understatement," he complained.

Riley rolled her eyes. "Drama queen," she sing-songed.

"It's drama king, actually." He hid a large smirk. "If you're going to insult people, Riley, you should be politically correct."

Riley scoffed, unimpressed.

She desperately wanted a drink but adamantly refused to enter the large gymnasium filled with cheesy decorations and forgotten classmates. She wasn't ready to face ghosts from past just yet, but tequila sounded real nice right about now. Lots of tequila.

"Besides," he continued. "Everyone should go to their high school reunion."

"I didn't go to the fifth," she pointed out.

"But this is the tenth," he responded with a self-satisfied smirk. Riley rolled her eyes, giving him a 'who-cares' look. "You graduated high school, college, and have a highly successful career. These things should be celebrated, commemorated even." Gabriel recalled his own high school reunion. "Once you see all your old friends again, this who nervous thing will seem stupid."

"Aw, are you remembering your reunion?"

Gabriel made a face. "You know, I'm not that much older than you."

"Whatever you say, Dad," she lightly nudged his shoulder.

He grimaced. "Don't ever call me that again."

"I'm not nervous, you know," she said, going over his encouraging statement in her mind. "it's just... high school wasn't exactly my thing," she chose her words carefully, thinking back to the nightmare called high school. "The whole popularity gig, the dumb cliques..."

"Most people think they hate their high school days until they actually go back and then they realize they were wrong all along."

She gave him a pointed look. "You hated high school?" she asked, practically daring him to disagree.

"Well," he winced, shrugging sheepishly, "no, not exactly. But," he continued before she could declare victory. "I'm not most people."

Riley rolled her eyes when she spotted that egotistical smirk. "Let me guess: valedictorian, prom king, star quarterback."

Gabriel couldn't exactly deny it. "I played basketball, too," he couldn't resist adding.

She looked less than pleased. "Good for you, Sparky."

Gabriel suddenly turned serious. "I get it, Riley. Your childhood wasn't easy and you don't want to be reminded of it."

"So we can leave?" she pleaded half-heartedly, yet something was holding her back. Riley could leave any time she wanted, but a small part of her wanted to stay, for reasons she simply couldn't understand.

"No." Gabriel smiled when she predictably frowned. The two partners constantly contradicted each other, but somehow it worked. They worked. "We are going to go in there," he gestured to the gymnasium, "and show these losers what successful looks like." The Secret Service agent attempted a smile, appreciating the effort he was putting into making her feel better, but a puddle of dread began to settle in her stomach at the thought of seeing those people again. "And all the woman will admire your good taste in men."

Riley laughed and his heart jumped at the sound. "You know we're only pretending to be a couple, right?" After Gabriel discovered the details of her reunion, he insisted she go, practically pleading her to consider it, calling it a necessity of life, and then told her he would pretend to be her boyfriend so she had something more tangible to brag about other than her thriving career.

He returned her grin. "Whatever," he dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"How did you get Lillian to give us time off?"

"Blackmail." He sighed when she gave him a disapproving look. "Bribe?" he questioned as she silently scolded him, knowing he was kidding. "I asked for the weekend off."

"That's it?" She didn't believe him. Gabriel was the country's number one asset, he couldn't simply just ask for time off. His job was never ending, he couldn't hit pause whenever he wanted. "You just asked?"

"What can I say," he shrugged, "I guess she likes me."

Riley rolled her eyes," your never-ending ego is the size of Texas."

"Sounds like a country song," he winked, briefly recalling their playful conversation from a few months back.

"That nobody wants to hear," she filled in, smirking.

The laughter present in his eyes faded into a solemn seriousness and she knew it was time. The stalling period was over. "You ready?"

She drew in a breath. "I guess so."

Gabriel gently tugged on their connected hands and gave her an encouraging look. With one more glance at him, Riley turned and reluctantly entered the lively gymnasium filled with all kinds of colorful decorations.

High school... best years of your life.

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