Okay that one shot was actually a departure from the normal for me. Generally I write fluff. Lots and lots of fluff.

This was also posted elsewhere under the working title Destinations.

Imagine if Tree Hill was normal: Lucas and Nathan got along, Dan and Deb got a divorce, no one committed cold blooded MURDER, contraceptives did their job, Keith lived, Ravens won state, seniors actually considered multiple colleges, high school progressed at a speed faster than that of a turtle's. There you have the inspiration for this story.


Nathan rang the doorbell before quickly returning his hands to his pockets. It was late in the winter and he had just finished practice, something that was becoming more of a chore the closer they got to the playoffs. As expected the door swung open wide and he hoped for his girlfriend on the other side. He had told her that he would be over the moment practice ended and hoped that she had been waiting for him.

Lydia laughed at the crestfallen expression on Nathan's face before motioning him in. "Robbie's home so I suggest you leave the door open," she warned, referring to one of her older sons. It was no secret that none of Haley's brothers approved of a Scott boy for their baby sister's first boyfriend. "Oh, and I hope you brought a hard hat," she jokingly called up the stairs to his retreating back.

Nathan made it a point to stop in Robbie's room to say hi to him. He figured that it couldn't hurt being friendly to the insanely overprotective brothers. But then again, alerting them to his presence wasn't one of his brightest ideas. He knocked tentatively on Haley's shut door and then pushed it open, hearing her terse response.

"Close the door," she ordered, barely moving from her position in front of her desk. Confused, Nathan turned to do just that, leaving a gap of a couple inches. He ventured further into her room and was surprised by the mess that lay scattered…everywhere. "What are you doing here?" Haley asked and by the way her eyes moved to her computer clock, he knew she had lost all track of time.

Carefully, Nathan responded slowly, "Practice is over. I thought I told you I was coming by today." He peeked over her shoulder, eager to know what had gotten his normally organized girlfriend completely out of sorts. "Applications?" he asked knowingly, hearing her frustrated sigh.

"More like the bane of my existence. I'm sorry I forgot, Nathan. But I'm really swamped right now. Can you manage without me?" Haley asked, turning and smiling sweetly at him. Nathan dropped his backpack next to her desk and then stretched out on her bed, knowing exactly what she was doing.

"You don't want me here to see you freaking out," he guessed correctly as she sighed. "Haley, it's cool. I get that you aren't perfect. I really do. Now if there's anything I can do to help you get rid of all this stress, id' be more than willing to help out," he offered, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Haley just gave him the look that let him know he'd been busted before pointing towards her door. "If you're just going to sit there and crack jokes, I suggest you get out before this gets bad," she warned. "I don't need any of this crap from you, Mr. Basketball Scholarship. I don't need any distractions right now," she pleaded the last part.

"Hey, I worked damn hard—"

"For the last four years with your dad's legendary status hanging over your head. Sweetie, I know and I sympathize. But now it's my turn to work damn hard so please get out of my room," Haley pointed to the door again and let out a relieved sigh when he sat up and rolled off her bed.

Unexpectedly, Nathan quickly kneeled in front of her chair and grabbed hold of her hands. It was easy to read the panicked look on her face and he laughed slightly, "Relax, I'm not insane. Listen to me, Hales, you've been working damn hard for the past four years to, okay? This is your chance to show everyone else that. Now you've helped me through all those bad games and bad tests so I think it's only fair that I help you now."

"What are you talking about?" Haley questioned tiredly, her eyes suddenly drooping shut.

"Exactly. Maybe it would help if you just talk to me about this. I mean, that's what always makes me feel better, getting to talk to you and knowing that you're listening. Maybe your essays will come easier if you just talk to me," Nathan suggested, guessing that the essays were her main problem.

"We could try," Haley conceded, allowing Nathan to pull her to her feet and guide her to her bed. As they settled with her head resting on his chest, Haley let out a sigh of contentment and Nathan already knew that he was helping.

"Shoot, ask me anything," he prompted when she lay still for too many minutes.

"What are you passionate about?" she mumbled into his chest, her eyes growing heavy.

Nathan thought for a moment, choosing his words quickly and carefully. "I'm passionate about basketball…but I wouldn't want to write 500 words on it. You know what makes me feel passionate? The adrenaline rush from right before a game, the fun I have when I play a pickup game with Luke and the other Rivercourt guys, knowing that my dad is proud of me, sitting down to dinner with your family and knowing I belong, how I can look into your eyes and just know that you complete love and trust me. All those things…they make my life worth living so I guess that's what I'm passionate about."

"Did I make sense?" Nathan wondered, glancing down at his now-sleeping girlfriend. She would probably kill him for letting her sleep but he had the feeling that she needed rest more than anything else. Carefully he slipped out from under her and stealthily slid her pillow under head. He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead before setting her alarm clock for two hours and slipping out the door.

"You're not staying for dinner, Nathan?" Mrs. James questioned him as he opened the door. She was wiping her hands with a dish rag and he took a second to deeply inhale the smell of a home-cooked meal.

"Not today, Haley fell asleep though," he explained and watched her eyebrows go up in question, "Trust me, she needs it. I set her alarm clock for a little later though so can you tell her I'll see her tomorrow?"

"Of course," she replied brightly. "Drive safe," she called, shutting the door behind him.

Haley awoke with a start as her alarm shrieked right next to her ear. Annoyed, she slammed a hand down on the offending device and then collapsed back onto her pillow, trying to figure out how she got into bed. Of course, her boyfriend, correction: her deeply stupid boyfriend who had coerced her into straying from her work.

Haley bolted out of bed and immediately moved towards her desk, intent on finishing her essay or at least a rough draft. Moving the mouse, the screensaver quickly disappeared and she found that someone, other than her, had recently used her word processor. Her eyes scanned the page quickly, a smile starting to break out onto her face, before she carefully read over it again.

I love… basketball

Tim

Whitey

My mom

My dad

Lucas

Your parents

How protective your siblings are

Your mom's mashed potatoes

How you will never tell anyone about this

You

Good luck…you don't need it.

Correction: her wonderful and amazingly supportive boyfriend.