This is my first fanfic in years, and my first Gossip Girl fanfic, so I hope you enjoy. It's more inspired by the books, but parts are inspired by the show as well. Since I am a book purist, I happen to love the Nair, Blate, Waldibald, whatever you want to call them, pairing. This is a songfic, sort of. Read and review, please!

Rating: T to M, mostly for language

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the books, show or songs.

Never Tear Us Apart

Chapter 1: Back in our town

Back in our town

You were the only one who really knew me

Laughing out loud

We always knew you could see through me

-Ivy

Click. Clop. Click. Clop. Click. Clop.

He could identify the sound from a mile away, after all, he had been trained to do so from an early age. The intensity of the sound amplified as she neared. The resonance of the five inch Christian Louboutin heels forcefully stabbing into the linoleum echoed in his ears. Each step was full of purpose, full of anger. Only one person could make walking sound like a physical assault of the ground. And honestly, only one person would think it practical to wear stilettos to work in a hospital.

The staccato of her heels against the floor stopped at the entrance to the room.

"Blair," he uttered her name for the first time in many years. The sound leapt from his tongue naturally, like he had been saying it everyday. He loved the sound of her name; he always had. He whispered it without turning around, but he was sure she could hear. He knew she had developed keen senses when it came to him; he felt the same way about her.

"Nathanial." Her soft voice still purred with a high-pitched whine quality to it, but it bit with a sharpness not unfamiliar to him. His friends had always teased him about how he could listen to that voice all day, but it was one of her features he loved the most. It was like everything she said, she was pleading with him to pay attention to her, and that gave him a little bit of a head trip to know he was that important to her.

It also didn't hurt that he was stoned out of his mind for most of the years he dated her.

"I could tell by the sound of your Louboutins," he stated, exaggerating a French accent. He turned around to meet her eyes, flashing her the trademark Archibald smile. Her dark blue eyes were piercing, just as he remembered. He recognized the coldness in her stare all too well. He smirked. She scowled back.

"I'm pleased that you learned something while we were dating, although, these…" she lifted a spectator heel clad foot to show that there were no red soles, "…are Brian Atwoods." Nate grinned showing two rows of perfect teeth, and Blair's icy exterior slightly melted. She hoped he hadn't noticed how she had to suck in her breath when he first turned around. He still had the same effect on her, every time.

Composure B, never let a man see all your cards, even if that man is N.

"It took you long enough to get here. I've been here for almost four hours. I thought you'd be the first in line to verbally attack me," he mocked. She placed her hands on her hips, taking in the characteristic I'm- Blair-Waldorf stance. And she was dressed in what he could only refer to as a Blair dress, a knee-length, black number with a white collar, and a black satin ribbon tied into a big floppy bow around her tiny waist. Ten years, and it was comforting to know that some things had not changed, even if he knew that many of the most important things had. A large white lab coat swallowed her petite frame, with Blair C. Waldorf, M.D. embroidered in bright blue over her left breast.

"Don't flatter yourself, Archibald…I saw your father's name on the ER runner, so I came to see him. Had I known the prodigal son was here, I would avoided this Hallmark moment all together." Her voice was steady, although she was shaking inside. It was her turn to smirk at him, she wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her squirm.

Nate clutched his chest in mock pain. "We don't need two Archibalds to be put in the hospital for broken hearts, Blair. It is so like you to be snooping around, although, I am surprised you didn't hear from all the other UES crows first. I bet we're the talk of the town…" Nate turned back around, he had to break the stare. Her smile was still so sexy, the thought of those lips curled up was stirring up some feelings deep inside of him; feelings that he did not think were very appropriate for the circumstances. "He's sleeping now, but he asked about you."

For the first time, Blair acknowledged the other person in the room. Nate's father, the indestructible Captain Archibald, lay in the bed, small, his legs covered in blankets. It was funny how time changed all perspectives. When she was growing up, the Captain loomed over her, and when he would give her a hug, his strength often overwhelmed her. Nate was the opposite, he had always been gentle with her, not lumbering like his strict father. The roles were reversed now. She could see Nate had developed some muscle in his shoulders and back, he looked toned, stronger, probably from all the rigging and sailing and whatever else people on the high seas did, if he still did that. "How is he?"

"He's okay. They told Mom that he has the signs of heart failure, probably from the years of abuse with…you know…" Maybe the roles weren't reversed, and Nate was still the vulnerable little boy who couldn't admit his father's defeat in life. "They started him on some IV medications, and have him on oxygen. They said the chest x-ray looks better today than it did on admission, less fluid or something. His legs still look like shit. I think they are doing an ECHO this morning."

Blair nodded. She walked over to Nate's side, careful not to brush against any part of his body; she was definitely not ready for that. She uncovered the Captain's legs, and looked at the pinkish-purple skin, swollen with backed up fluid from his poorly pumping heart. She lightly pressed her index finger against his leg, and watched as it made a slight indent. She looked up at Nate, not expecting him to be staring right back at her. She turned back to the leg.

"Pitting edema…" she stated, matter-of-factly. Nate looked at her quizzically as she continued, "you know, swelling. It's not as bad as it could be, but they're going to have to keep diuresing him to get that extra fluid off. They've probably got him on fluid restriction, and no salty foods, okay?" She averted her eyes.

He nodded like he was paying attention, but he wasn't. He couldn't help but look over every inch of her body. She was still so fucking gorgeous. He had to fight the urge to grab her and take her right there on the floor. A small part of him wished she had gotten fat or gross in some way, even though he knew she'd never allow that, because then he wouldn't feel so fucking stupid for leaving her in the first place. No such luck. He wanted to remember everything about her in this moment. How her hair, shorter than he remembered, flowed back from a red headband (how characteristic) falling in soft curls over her shoulders. She had a small ink stain at the bottom of the pocket over her left breast. He bet she knew it, and he bet that it drove her crazy.

She abruptly re-covered the Captain's legs. This was way more personal than it should be. She wished Nate would stop looking at her. She was post-call, and after a night full of lacerations to be stitched up, consultations on decubitis ulcers and a broken nose to contend with, she was pretty damn tired after her three hours of sleep. Her coat was filthy, and she began to play with the button that was hanging by it's last thread. She was a mess. The three years of residency that she had already completed left her with permanent bags under her eyes, no matter how many Aveda facials she got. Her hair was a mess, and having been up in a ponytail all night, it had that unforgivable crease as evidence. She couldn't stand the thought of him seeing her like this.

Over the years, she had played the scene when they reunited over and over again in her head, as she was prone to doing. She was supposed to be in a ball gown, perfectly coiffed and perfectly made up. She would walk down a winding staircase as he watched afar from the outside terrace. She would walk towards him and be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Snow would start falling down lightly from the sky, enveloping them in a white blanket as he touched her face and kissed her.

But instead, she looked like ass, and he, even though he had slept in the bedside pull out bed, he looked as sharp and sexy as he possibly could. He was like a fucking male version of Serena, and she hated him for it.

Nate didn't notice the imperfections of Blair's face. He never understood how obsessed she was over her appearance. He always thought she looked gorgeous, like a little fox with her delicate features. He noticed that her face had matured a bit, and that she was skinny as ever, her chin jutting out, exposing the incredible jaw line that he used to trace with kisses.

She was beginning to feel that familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach again, the first time she felt it since medical school. She would not allow this to happen just because Nate decided to come back. She was Blair fucking Waldorf for pete's sake. She owned this shit, it was her turf on which he was a trespasser. She could control her body and her mind, and no one, not even Nate could interfere with that. She grew angry as he stood there, smirking, thinking that he could just walk in after ten years and have her laugh with him like they were friends. They were not friends, he forfeited that benefit years ago when he left without so much as a goodbye, see you soon. Her forehead wrinkled, and it felt like the room had froze over. Blair was pissed.

"Will I be graced with your presence during his hospital stay? I think we have some things to talk about…" he asked, trying not to reveal his hopefulness. He wouldn't realize it until later that afternoon, but he felt extremely comforted by the fact that she wore no ring on her finger and still had her maiden name.

"Nate, I just want to make it clear to you that this thing is strictly regarding your father's health. I care about him and your family, but beyond that, we don't have anything to discuss. If you want any clarifications on anything, just have the operator page me," she stated coolly, glancing at her watch. "I have clinic. Tell the Captain I'll be by to visit with him later."

Nate could feel the atmosphere change, he always knew when Blair's mood changed, it was best to leave her alone. But he was not in high school anymore, and standing here in front of her, on uneven ground, he realized he was not afraid of her anymore. "Blair, I'm glad to see you are as bitchy as ever."

She stopped and turned around. "You know you love me."

And with that, she was gone.