AN: I had to delete my story 'Loving You'. My laptop got stolen and most of what I'd written was on it and I couldn't write it all again. So here's the new story, 'Dangerously In Love'. Enjoy! And don't forget to review, it really helps motivation!

Chapter 1

'Haley! Wait up!' Nathan had waited outside her class, but when she came out, she had just ignored him and continued to walk to her dorm. He'd half expected her to still be pissed off with him. 'She is, after all, a drama queen' He thought. 'Too much time with Brooke'.

'Haley!'

Finally having enough, she spun round. 'What?!'

'Can you just calm down?'

'Do not tell me to calm down!'

'You're being completely irrational.'

'God! You're incorrigible! I don't want to talk to you!' Spinning on her heel, she resumed her path to her dorm.

'Uh oh. What happened now?' Peyton asked dryly as her roommate stormed in and flung herself on her bed.

'Nathan! I swear to god that boy will drive me to my grave.'

'Ok, I'm biting. What happened?'

'Last night I was working on my paper, and it was his fault I hadn't done it anyway. So yeah, I'm trying to work when he just waltzes in here and demands my attention!'

'Ok…' Peyton said, not quite following.

'So he's lying on my bed when I keep telling him "Nathan, I'm busy, this paper counts for half my grade." But no, he keeps whining that he's bored and stressed and the least I could do is be a good friend.'

'Uh huh.' Peyton nodded.

'Right, so I was really mad. Like I was stressed enough with this awful paper, and he's crying like a baby saying that I'm not being a good friend. Me! When he's the one insisting that his boredom is more important than my final grade!' Haley finished indignantly.

'Wait, why was it his fault that you hadn't done it earlier?'

'Cause I went to his stupid post-game party.'

'Haley, you would have gone anyway.'

'I know. I shouldn't blame that bit on him. But it just really made me mad that he always thinks that his problems are more important than mine!'

'What was his problem?'

'I don't know…' Haley shrugged.

'You didn't ask?'

'I was really busy!' Haley defended, feeling guilty.

'Yeah, but all that time you spent arguing with him you could have helped him instead.' Peyton reasoned.

There was a moment of silence.

'Crap. He tried to make up today.'

'He said sorry?'

'Well not upfront, but it's Nathan. And I was kind of running away from him, so… Aw! Peyton! I feel really bad now. I should go say sorry.' Haley grumbled as she stood up and smoothed down her clothes.

'Thanks Peyt.' Haley gave her friend a hug and left the room.

Peyton shook her head and smiled.

Haley hated grovelling. Especially to someone like Nathan who would milk it for all its worth. 'Be calm' she told herself. 'Don't rise to the bait. And remember why you're here.'

She knocked on Nathan's door. Usually she'd just go in. She knocked again. And again. 'He probably has his damn music turned up.'

Her patience wearing thin, Haley knocked one last time and then pushed the door open, hoping to God that Lucas wasn't getting changed or anything. Luckily, Lucas was nowhere in sight. His brother however, was currently sitting on his desk chair, with a black haired freshman perched on his lap, their lips glued together.

Nathan was brought to a start by the door opening loudly and pushed the girl off his lap. He saw an unimpressed Haley standing in the doorway, arms crossed, wide stance. Not a good sign.

Turning to the girl standing in front of him he said 'It's been fun Tracy, but you should go now.'

'It's Casey.' She replied.

'Whatever.' Nathan said indifferently, still sitting. The girl flounced past Haley and out of the room. Haley rolled her eyes at Nathan, not bothering to say anything about his promiscuous ways. He had a smirk on his face.

'Hello Haley,' He said smugly. 'This is a surprise, considering twenty minutes ago you were running away from me.'

'And in twenty minutes you managed to find and engage in activity with a willing specimen. Is that your new record?' 'So much for being polite and grovelling.'

Nathan shrugged his shoulders in response.

'So, can I help you? Cause, you know, I was kind of busy, but the friend I am, I stopped what I was doing to help.'

Haley pressed her hands together, suppressing the urge to throw something at him.

'I wanted to say I was sorry being stressy and not listening to you in case something was really wrong.' She managed to get out sincerely.

'Apology accepted.'

There was a pause.

'So…' Haley prompted.

'What?'

'Don't I get an apology back?'

'For what?'

'For you being an ass, and if nothing was wrong, then continuing to disturb me when I had to do that paper for today!'

'You came here for an apology from me?'

'Nathan,' God was he trying her patience, 'I came to apologise, but I deserve an apology too! This is such a pathetic argument! Why is it still going on?' With her frustration rising, Haley looked one last time at his still-smirking face before she too flounced out of the room.

Nathan jumped up and went after her.

'Haley!' He was getting the weirdest sense of déjà vu.

She stopped and let him catch up with her.

'Hales, I was just messing with you. I'm sorry too.'

'Serious?' She asked, studying his face for any signs that he was still teasing. She found none.

'Yeah. I know that paper was important and I was being selfish. Sorry. I love you Hales.'

Her face lit up with a 100 watt smile. 'I love you too, hotshot.' He flashed her smile. Not that cocky smirk, but a genuine smile.

Nathan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her back down the corridor to his room.

'You know what would be awesome right now?'

'Intrigue me.'

'Make up sex,' Nathan answered with a cheeky grin.

'Were you just born horny?

'Basically.'

Haley looked at him, smiling coyly and they entered Nathan's room, the slam of the door signalling their make up.

It was now evening and the darkness was settling in. Haley sat up with the sheet wrapped around her and pressed some buttons on her cell phone. It rang a few times and then Peyton picked up.

'Haley James. Where did you get to?' She greeted.

'I'm still at Nathan's,' Haley whispered as she gazed down at Nathan's sleeping form. He looked adorable when he was asleep, 'probably cause his mouth's shut' she thought.

'Ok, why are you whis-'? There was a beep and then Peyton's voice cut out.

'Damn it!' Haley yelped out loud, then put a hand over her mouth as Nathan started to stir. Peyton's phone had obviously died. 'Stupid girl! She never charges it!'

Haley scrolled down her contacts, wondering who would be in the vicinity of Peyton…

'B Brooke… No, I would have heard her in the background… Lucas is probably with her… J Jake…Jake!

She called him.

'Hey, what's up?' He answered.

'Nothing much, are you near my dorm?'

'Um just in the elevator, yeah.'

'Good. You're going to be there for a while, yeah?'

'Uh huh. Why, you want to join?'

'Jake! Seriously, are all boys born horny? You; Nathan. Lucas is probably with Brooke right now…'

'Well I wouldn't say all boys, just the ones you're friends with.'

'Ha Ha' Haley deadpanned. 'Anyway, in about fifteen minutes, this guy should show up-'

'Who?'

'His name's Oliver, and I'm meant to be going on a date with him at seven thirty-'

'Well it's just gone seven ten Hales; shouldn't you be deciding which shoes to wear right about now?'

'Jacob...'

'Sorry, continue.'

'Right, well I got caught up so can you tell him that I'm sick or had a family emergency or something? Please?'

'Ok, I will, but don't you think that's a bit harsh? Shouldn't you call him as well?'

'Yeah I would but I don't have his number. And as for harsh, he only asked me out to see if he could get a senior to date him. So I doubt he'll be too heartbroken.'

'You're not a senior.'

'Yeah, but he launched into this big explanation about how he sees dating older women as… I can't really remember but I didn't have the heart to turn him down. Plus he's kind of slow, but he's funny at least.'

Jake had reached Peyton's dorm and went in, giving Peyton a quick kiss and putting Haley on speakerphone.

'So what did you get caught up-?' Jake started.

'She went to Nathan's,' Peyton put in.

'Peyton! How many times! Charge your cell!' Haley scolded.

'Yes mom, now come on, spill it.'

'Spill what?' Haley played dumb.

'Don't play dumb. You've been MIA for about 5 hours now. 6, in fact.'

'So? I'm at Nathan's.'

'Haley, come on! You slept with him again didn't you?' Peyton asked.

'Yeah, and?' Haley muttered begrudgingly.

'Well nothing really, it was just fun jading you. I better go, Jakey boy's here-'

'See Haley, girls are horny too. You just got some, Brooke's probably getting some, and Peyton's just about-'

'Oh no JJ. Not all girls, just the ones you're friends with,' Haley rung off, grinning to herself.

She looked back down at Nathan, surprised to find him very much awake and looking up at her.

'You had a date?'

'Yeah, this guy Oliver wanted to bang a senior.'

'I heard.'

'Nathan Scott, have you been eavesdropping on my private phone conversations?' Haley gasped in mock outrage.

'Well you woke me up with all your shrieking,'

'I bet I did. You hungry?'

Nathan sat up and stretched out. 'Starved. You worked me up quite an appetite.'

'So nothing's been happening?' Brooke asked Haley disbelievingly.

Haley was lying on her bed with Brooke sprawled out across Peyton's.

'Brooke, for the millionth time, no!' Haley said exasperated.

'Haley James, does Nathan Scott ring a bell?' Brooke decided to try a different angle.

'Um yeah?' Haley said unsure.

'God Haley! You can be so dense. Did you sleep with Nathan again?'

'Let me guess, Radio Peyton?'

'It was Jake actually, and did you?'

'Yeah.' Haley said defensively. All of a sudden she was being interrogated within an inch of her young and tender life.

'That's all you have to say?'

'Brooke, what are you talking about?' Haley said, slightly aggravated.

'So you guys are just friends who sleep together every now and again?'

'I don't know. We're friends yeah, but I don't know.'

'Do you like him?'

'As more than a friend?' Brooke nodded. Haley shook her head no. 'It's Nathan. I love him, he's like one of my best friends, and we've just happened to sleep together a couple of times.'

'What does he think about it?'

'We never really talked about it or anything. It never turned into a big deal. I'm happy with my life right now, so I wouldn't want anything to change.'

'Does that mean you want to keep sleeping with him?' Brooke asked brazenly.

'It means that if it happens, it happens.' Haley replied firmly.

'But are you off the market?'

'Of course. I had a date last night.'

'Which you didn't go on because you were in Nathan's bed.' Brooke teased.

Haley threw a pillow at her.

'I am completely single Tigger, but that doesn't mean you can try and hook me up with every guy on campus.' Haley warned her friend knowing only too well what was going through her mind.

'Alright, alright.'

'Dude,' Lucas threw a stray bra at Nathan which he found on his desk.

'Oh yeah, sorry.' Nathan replied, his smirk and tone showing that he was anything but.

'Do I even want to know?'

'It's Haley's if that's what you mean.'

Lucas screwed his face up. 'Eww! Did not want to know that.' Nathan shrugged in response.

'When're you going to admit that you like her?'

'What?Like her like her? Dude, this is Haley. My very good friend who admittedly, is hot, that I've happened to sleep with a couple of times. No more, no less.' Nathan declared honestly. His brother spent way too much time with his girlfriend. Nathan loved Brooke, she was a great friend, but between her and Lucas's meddling ways…. Oh boy.

Haley sat on a bench, relishing in the warm spring breeze. As she sipped her frappe, she thought about what Brooke had been saying earlier.

Her and Nathan? Really?

Sure he was hot and charming. A ridiculous flirt who exploited his popularity with the entire female race. But she also knew that he was funny and sweet and caring. Haley felt like she knew most sides of Nathan, and on the whole, she liked what she knew.

Talk of the devil, well think of the devil more like; from where she was sitting she could make out the figures of Nathan and Jake walking towards the gym. As they walked past a horde of girls, Nathan flashed them his notorious smirk. Haley laughed gently, especially when she saw Jake try and dodge them with his head down. Peyton would have been proud.

'Earth to Haley…' Haley snapped out of her reverie to see Lucas standing in front of her.

'Oh! Hey!' She shifted up the bench to give him room to sit down.

'What're you thinking about?' Lucas asked as he plonked himself down next to her.

'Nothing really.' Lucas gave her a look.

'Hales?' Haley saw the concern written on his expression, and hey, it was Lucas, so she thought she might as well share. Plus, Brooke had probably already filled him in on their conversation earlier.

'I was just thinking about what Brooke said earlier.' Lucas raised his eyebrows in query.

'About me. And Nathan.' She clarified.

'Ah. That.'

'Yeah. That.'

'So…'

'I don't know. I'm fine with the way everything is right now. Not just my friendship with Nathan, but everything. I'm genuinely happy, but now I keep getting these ideas in my head.'

'About?'

'What it would be like if we were ever to be more than friends.' Haley said uncertainly, turning to face Lucas to gauge his reaction.

'Oh.' There was a brief pause.

'How long have you been thinking about it?' Lucas asked gently.

'Um, honestly? About 30 minutes. It was just after everything Brooke said today. I don't know. Maybe it's always been there at the back of my mind or something.'

'Hales,' Lucas paused before continuing, 'This sounds like a bit of a U-turn. I thought you had a 'take it as it comes' attitude to all of this.'

'Yeah, so did I, but all of a sudden…' She broke off, unable to vocalise her feelings.

Lucas felt for her. She seemed so confused now, and unfortunately, the subject of her confusion was his brother who was complex character in himself.

'Hales, are you sure that this is what you actually feel and-' Lucas was cut of by a squeal.

'Boyfriend!' It was Brooke. 'Friend!' She turned to Haley, but upon seeing her friend's perplexed expression, she sat down on the other side of her and took her hand.

'Haley?' She asked softly. 'Are you ok?'

After Haley and Lucas ran through their conversation, filling Brooke in, she sighed.

'Oh Haley. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen. You know me, speak first think later.' Brooke's eyes were filled with guilt.

'No Tigger. It's not like you started anything up. I think this is something that's always been in my mind.

'Luke,' Lucas turned to his girlfriend. 'Do you know what Nathan thinks about any of this?'

The dreaded question. He didn't know exactly what Nathan thought, but he could make an accurate guess. One that wouldn't go down well.

'It's probably something that's never even crossed his mind.' Haley interrupted. She didn't want to hear what Lucas might have said.

Sighing, she stood up. 'Brooke, it's almost 2.30. We should get going or we won't get good seats in the movie.'

When they had gone, Lucas remained sitting on the bench. He could tell that this wasn't going to go away for a long time, and the journey from here to happily ever after – whatever that may be, would not be an easy one. No way. No how.

Should he try and make things easier and talk to Nathan? But that would probably end up backfiring and make things worse. Should he try and wean Haley off the idea? Again, that would just make things complicated. Well, more complicated than they already were. He didn't want to just sit back idly and watch people he cared about being hurt. What to do?

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