A/N: This is my newest Definitions of Love oneshot. The first I've done for Camp Rock. This is a futurefic. I would say the first time he tries to ask her out it's a few years after the movie. And there are a few weeks or months in between each of his attempts to ask her out . So it spans some time. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac


Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock.

Definitions Of Love: Fumble

Fumble (verb) 1: to grope about clumsily 2: make awkward attempts to do or find something 3: to fail to hold, catch or handle properly. [Synonyms: grope, fish, bobble, botch, bungle, flub, foul up, mangle, mess, muff].

Ever since Nate met Tess, his calm, cool composure had begun to slip. He couldn't explain how a girl he barely knew could have such an effect on him. When she was around, he would fumble over his words and it would take him ten minutes to produce a decent, coherent sentence. By the time he regained control over his speech, Tess was on her way out of the room, not sparing him a second glance (and he barely earned the first glance for being a member of the famous Connect 3).

Nate was pretty sure he had never met anyone quite like Tess. She was beautiful, talented and confident (and the most self-centered, selfish and spoiled person he would ever become acquainted with which was saying something as he had spent half his life around people in the entertainment industry). So maybe she needed a little work, but Mate like that about her. She was imperfect which proved she was human and not the "She Devil" as Caitlyn had began to refer to her as. One thing Nate was certain of, he hadn't felt like this about anyone before. Tess had him completely obsessed with making a good impression on her. Yet he couldn't seem to stop making a fool of himself.

The first time Nate tried to ask Tess out on a date, everything he had to say came out in a mangled mess. He came across as a total idiot stuttering over the words "would you…?" The like-to-go-out-with-me part didn't even come out sounding relatively like English. Gibberish was more easily understood than what spewed out of Nate's mouth at rapid fire speed. Tess's eyes had widened and she frowned before walking away without a word.

His friends had stood by, watching the scene play out. Nate found he didn't much like having his personal life become a substitute for a daytime soap opera (this wasn't the Hills for God's sake). But their reactions to what had occurred only served to drive home the fact that he had blown it big time.

Mitchie and Caitlyn were suppressing giggles in his presence for a good three days after the incident. Nate couldn't really blame them—if he wasn't so utterly humiliated he would have to admit that it was pretty amusing. But as he had never been so embarrassed in his life (not even that one time he had fallen while on stage in front of millions of fans watching Connect 3 on live TV), it was getting old.

Shane had only chuckled and patted him on the back, saying "smooth," and not bringing it up again. At least, that way it didn't rub his gigantic mistake in his face every five seconds. Yet it didn't help him remedy said mistake either.

Jason hadn't said anything or laughed but then again Jason was almost completely oblivious to everyone and everything around him. Again, no help whatsoever.

The second time Nate tried to ask Tess out on a date, he came prepared. He had written out exactly what he wanted to say and memorized it as he would his song lyrics. He repeated it to himself under his breath at least fifty times before he trusted himself to try the finished product on Tess. Somehow even that wasn't enough to save him from looking like a fool. He completely botched his planned speech—he had blanked out as soon as he walked up to Tess and what he could remember didn't come out right. The words were in the wrong order and he was pretty sure he had mispronounced some of the most commonly used words of the English language. Tess reacted as anyone would: she scoffed, rolled her eyes and walked away. Nate was mentally kicking himself for weeks. Why couldn't he pull himself together for thirty seconds to say at the very least six words? "Will you go out with me?" Why was that so hard to say? Tess must have thought he was an idiot—and he was beginning to believe to himself.

When Nate finally, actually went out with Tess, he wasn't even the one to ask. Tess had approached him and requested that he be her escort to a charity benefit that her mother was hosting (only for publicity Tess was certain). Nate wasn't her first choice, but he would do. Of course, he couldn't say no. Perhaps if he spent some more time around her when it was just them, he would be more comfortable around her—not such an out of character buffoon. Plus, this semi-date could quite possibly lead to a real first date and he didn't have it in him to pass on that chance.

Tess set specific guidelines for what was to occur during the "date." Nate was to arrive, in a tux, and meet her at the entrance to the grand banquet hall—in which the even would be held, at a precise time. While at the benefit he would get her drinks and dance with her. And he had to be ready to follow any command she might have on the spot. She had to keep up certain appearances so that she reflected well on her mother and stayed in her good graces.

Of course Nate was more than happy to play along. He didn't trust himself to say more than a few words at a time, so he kept all his responses short and only spoke when absolutely necessary. When they were eating dinner he had to focus all his attention on his movements—so he wouldn't cause a scene by making too much noise or spilling something. When they danced he had to concentrate hard on where he put his feet, he didn't want to know what she would do if he stepped on her. As the night drew to a close, he was proud to say that he had made a good impression. He hadn't done anything foolish the whole night. And when he was about to leave, he even got a "we should do this again sometime." He managed a "How about Friday?" Nate couldn't hold back his surprise when she actually said yes.

On their first real date, Nate took Tess out to a fancy dinner he was sure she would appreciate. The only problem was this situation was entirely different from the charity benefit. A dinner for two required more extended conversation than Nate was sure he could handle. His cap had been about five word phrases and now Tess was asking him questions like "What's your family like?" How do you answer that in five words or less?

"Um," Nate had started, "Well…" he only had about three words left before his tongue got tied in knots and all he could say was mfamisgoo. Was it possible to sum up his family in three words? "My family is…" (Damn, guess not).

"Probably nothing like mine, right?" Tess interrupted. There was the solution, allow her to talk about herself. She couldn't possibly get sick of that, and it saved him from humiliating himself. "I mean, my mom is traveling 99% of the year and even when she is home She isn't really there. She thinks I am too old to have a nanny around, which I am, but sometimes I think that at least when I had a nanny I wasn't alone all the time. I hate being lonely. It sucks."

Nate nodded, and Tess continued, "But you never have to deal with being alone, I bet your family is great. And even if they weren't you still have Shane and Jason around all the time. And Mitchie and Caitlyn too, right? I don't have too many friends…I can't imagine why though," Tess rolled her eyes. "I am a bit of a jerk…a lot of the time. I really should work on that."

"You're not that bad," Nate responded then he swallowed not sure if he trusted himself to continue. "We're getting along just fine right now, aren't we?"

He thought he was in the clear. All the words had come out perfectly. Tess was even smiling. Nothing else could go wrong, right? Wrong. Nate reached over to take Tess's hand—or at least he attempted to. About half way on the way to do so, Nate's arm connected with his water glass, knocking it over and sending water across the table and into Tess's lap. She yelped and slid her chair backwards. Nate froze, bracing himself for whatever her reaction would be. He wasn't sure what he expected but it certainly wasn't what happened next.

Tess began to laugh. Real genuine laughter that caused her eyes to scrunch up and her cheeks to flush a pale pink. Nate's eyes widened—on the list of possible things that Tess could have done, laughing wasn't at the bottom it wasn't even on the list. Yet here she was in a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"I like you Nate," Tess said when the laughter finally subsided, "You know, you're not afraid to have flaws. I always have to act perfect and I'm tired of it. You make me feel like I don't have to be so pristine all the time. Like I could spill a glass of water and not run screaming from the room or like I could sit here with my dress damp and not feel like I need to berate you or change immediately. Being around you makes me feel…liberated."

"It's funny that you should say that I'm not afraid to have flaws because when I am around you I feel like I can't do anything right," Nate replied blowing out a breath, "And the only reason I haven't fled the restaurant is because I think I lost all feeling in my legs since I was so afraid of how you react from me dumping a glass of water in your lap."

"What a pair we are," Tess laughed lightly, "I have to admit we're an odd match, but I think it might be right."

Nate couldn't help but agree. And a few years down the line, he was glad they had agreed to go on a second real "first" date (in an attempt to make up for Nate's small blunder), a do over of sorts. Because even though it had taken him three months and a dozen attempts to propose, Tess Tyler would say yes and they would live happily ever after (or something like that, this is the entertainment industry after all).

A/N2:I know Nate could technically be OOC because he is supposed to be the level headed one I think (while Shane is more wild and Jason is oblivious). But the point of this storyline was that Tess made him behave out of character and the level headed side of him was aware of it though he couldn't really do anything about it. Anyway, review please! Thanks! –Mac