I work in the dead of night

When the roads are quiet

And no one is around

To track my moves.

Racing the yellow lights

To find the gate is open

She's waiting in the room

I just step on through.

Manwhore. Player. Pimp. Womanizer. Cheater. Playboy. Nathan Scott had been called many things for his promiscuous ways. Even his friends had begun to gang up on him, calling him "The Assassin." Nathan had a very simple plan of attack. Go out to the club. Get good and liquored up. Find a target. Flirt, give a few simple lines. Follow the girl back to her place. Get his kicks. Wait for her to fall asleep. Leave without a trace.

It wasn't complex. It wasn't something to be proud of. It was the only way Nathan knew how to navigate in the world without getting hurt. Everyone made it very clear to him that he left a string of broken hearts in his wake. Nathan didn't care. He had been through enough heartache in his life that all he cared about was keeping his walls intact and making sure his heart was never broken.

That is, until Haley James.

You get in, you get done, you get gone

You never leave a trace, or show your face, you get gone

Should've turned around and left before the sun came up again

But the sun came up again.

Nathan blinked up at the ceiling. Her cinnamon hair was spread across his chest and she was breathing deep and even. Their legs were tangled together beneath the sheets. Everything in him was screaming at him to get out of that apartment and leave. Something in him wouldn't let him. He couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

I was a killer was the best they'd ever seen

I'd steal your heart before you ever heard a thing

I'm an assassin and I had a job to do

Little did I know that girl was an assassin too.

Slut. Whore. Skank. Prostitute. Hooker. Easy. Haley James had been called many things for her promiscuous ways. Even her friends had begun to gang up on her, calling her "The Assassin." Haley had a very simple plan of attack. Put on a sexy dress. Go out to the club. Find a target. Flirt, bat her eyelashes. Follow the guy back to his place. Get her kicks. Wait for him to clean himself up in the bathroom. Leave without a trace.

It wasn't complex. It wasn't something to be proud of. It was the only way Haley knew how to navigate it the world without getting hurt. Everyone made it very clear that she left a string of broken hearts in her wake. Haley didn't care. She had been through enough cheaters and heartbreakers to last her a lifetime. All she cared about was keeping her walls intact and her heart protected.

That is, until Nathan Scott.

Suddenly I'm in over my head and I can hardly breathe

Suddenly I'm floating over her bed and I feel everything

Suddenly I know exactly what I did but I cannot move a thing

And suddenly I know exactly what I've done

And what it's going to mean to me, mean to me

I'm gone

He thought she was asleep and she knew it. Haley purposely took slow, deep breaths to give the appearance that she was asleep. She braced herself for the moment that he would untangle himself from her embrace & sneak out of her apartment. Everything that had happened that night broke every rule Haley had ever made for herself. She somehow didn't care. Every part of her wanted him to leave. Something in her made her hold him tighter. She couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

I was a killer was the best they'd ever seen

I'd steal your heart before you ever heard a thing

I'm an assassin and I had a job to do

Little did I know that girl was an assassin too.

The darkness came and went. Light shone through the window of Haley's large bedroom. Her inner clock automatically woke her as the sun hit her face. She shot up in her bed, gasping quietly as she noticed she was not alone.

Nathan awoke slowly when his body lost its source of warmth. He blinked slowly and took in the warm yellow walls around him. This was definitely not his apartment. This was not good. Nathan slowly sat up and observed the obviously distressed petite woman to his right.

He smiled slowly, "Are you alright?"

Haley's head whipped around to face him, "NO! No, I am not alright. I don't do this!"

Nathan smirked, "Have sex?"

Her eyes narrowed, "No, idiot, stick around for the morning after. You were supposed to leave but apparently you didn't get the memo. Obviously I couldn't leave, because, oh, you know, I LIVE HERE!"

Nathan just continued to smirk, "Feisty. I like it."

Haley reached out to try and smack him but he caught her wrist just in time, "Now, now, hitting is never ok, Haley James."

Haley groaned, "You're not supposed to know my name!"

Nathan chuckled, "Why are you a hitman? In the witness protection program?"

Haley smirked, "Nope. I'm an assassin."

Nathan blinked in disbelief, "An assassin? You're called the assassin?"

Haley's cheeks were dusted with a light blush, "I-I don't know why I'm telling you this, it's not something I'm proud of, but my friends call me the Assassin. I'm a bit of a player, in female form that is"

"I can't judge you," Nathan's deep voice rumbled, "I'm known in my circle as The Assassin as well,"

Haley rolled her eyes, "Oh great. Now I have to get tested for sure,"

Nathan laughed, "You're funny."

"No shit." Haley deadpanned, "Now are you going to make me sit here and talk about this or can you get the hell out of my apartment?"

Nathan's smirk returned to his face, "You don't really want that, now do you?"

"Uh, no. I'm pretty sure I do want you to get the hell away from me."

"Haley, Haley," Nathan said shaking his head, "If you really wanted me to leave you would have immediately noticed that I'm still holding your wrist and have been throughout this entire conversation and snatched it back and if you really wanted me to leave you wouldn't let me do this!"

Nathan gently tugged on her wrist, which sent her crashing into his chest. He immediately raised his other hand and threaded it through her hair directing her lips toward his. Despite her tough exterior, Haley immediately succumbed to his kiss. Their lips moved slowly and softly against each other. This was light years away from their kisses last night. Last night had been all about a quick fuck. This was something more.

Nathan slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Haley moaned softly in appreciation. She curled his tongue around his, drawing it further into her mouth. Haley was broken out of her trance as she felt Nathan hardening against her stomach.

Haley immediately pulled away from his embrace. She untangled herself from the bed, all while managing to keep the sheet around her body. She began to pace in the room, internally analyzing the situation.

Nathan watched in fascination as this beautiful girl worked dutifully at wearing out the floor beneath her. He never did this. He never stayed for the morning after. He couldn't explain himself, he was caught under Haley James' spell.

"My sister Quinn told me I need to be more open to people," Haley said quietly, "She said that since guys have treated me so horribly I closed myself off to everyone. All I had to do was put myself out there and I would see that not everyone was a jackass. I couldn't take that chance, so I came up with a plan. I would act like a guy and everyone but me would get hurt. It was working perfectly until you came along."

Nathan sat quietly for a moment, "What if I told you that when I was seven, my mom abandoned me and my dad? And that because of that I don't know how to love someone? That my dad hated me and treated me like shit because he thought it was my fault that she left? I came up with a plan too. I never let anyone close to me. My brother Lucas is the only one that has ever seen me with my guard down, until now. I don't know why I'm telling you this. I don't know why I didn't leave while you were asleep. That's my thing. I wait until the girl is asleep and I sneak out without a trace. With you, though, I couldn't. Every part of me was telling me to get out of your bed and get back to my apartment, but I stayed. I'm compelled by you Haley James."

Haley reluctantly let a tear travel down her cheek, "Well, it sounds like you've been through hell and back. I just had some douchebag cheat on me a few times,"

Nathan frowned, "No one should have that happen to them Haley, but I'm not trying to compare war stories. I'm trying to tell you that obviously we have something more than a quick fuck or a one night stand. I'm not saying we're going to get married, but I'm saying that we have something we shouldn't just throw away."

"How can you be so sure?" Haley asked

Nathan gave her a small smile, "Because I couldn't leave."

She's an assassin

She's an assassin

She's an assassin

She's an assassin, and she had a job to do

Song Credit: John Mayer & John Clayton, Battle Studies.