Just a short little Natalina fanfic because I watched Polar Bears earlier and was feeling the flow. Takes place after No School Fools Day during the summer before Nat's sophomore year. Hope you enjoy it:

Nat was pressing some keys on the piano.

He'll admit that he was feeling pretty anxious. The band was doing well enough, Rosalina was entering her senior year at Amigos High School and got along famously with NBB's new bass player, Kristina Reyes.

But the year had been a rough one so far.

To recap, Rosalina broke up with him in April after a relationship full of ups and downs that made a roller coaster look tame. Then after quitting the Naked Brothers Band, she returned to play guitar since they had gone through the effort of replacing her with Kristina as bass player.

It took a heck of an adjustment period but the band was finally coming back from the bottom. Cooper was in talks with the label and was planning a Naked Brothers Band World Tour for the following summer, since NBB would likely slow down once Rosalina went to whatever college she chose.

Nat would like to think that he was completely over Rosalina and ready to get on with his life. But how could he? She was everything to him... her smile, her eyes, her beautiful body. And so much more than her looks... she made him happy. She was there for him when his friends abandoned him so many years ago, forcing him to rebuild the Naked Brothers Band from a dream of four year olds.

Despite their fights, he was still happier with her than he ever was with anyone else. Even after the breakup... she had this way with her. The way she walked into the room, the way she looked at him when she wanted him to kiss her, the way she loved him with all her heart.

"You are gonna have to bring me dowwwwwn. Pick me up and lift me from the groooound. And girl when you are not aroooound. I'll be fly, fly, fly... flying away by now. And we'll be fly, fly, fly, flying away for now..."

"Haven't heard that song in a while." Quassim said, walking in mid-song.

"What? Yeah... Just... trying to figure things out you know?"

Quassim nodded, "I can only imagine what you're going through. Are you going to talk to her?"

"About what?"

Quassim gave him a look.

"We're at a good place right now... I don't want any more drama coming back onto the band." Nat decided, closing up his musical binder and deciding that he was done for the day.

"The band wants you both to be happy... and if you're still in love with Rosalina, and she's still in love with you... then I think you should try again."

"You think she still loves me?" Nat asked, hoping for a certain answer.

"I don't know," Quassim admitted, "back in New Orleans I didn't even realize how crazy she was about you. So focused on Little Grace you know? I was blind to it. And then all of a sudden." He threw his hands up. "I guess it was meant to happen."

Nat smiled, thinking of how rough that trip had been. Rosalina had been furiously jealous the whole time they were in New Orleans (actually, she was pretty jealous in Sioux City, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and Cleveland too) and apparently it all boiled down to a miscommunication of girl talk. But it had worked out... Rosalina overheard him shouting that he was in love with her... and the rest was bliss.

"I don't know what to do man." Nat confessed, "I don't want my heart broken again. And I don't want it to affect the band... but... I don't want to go through life without her."

Quassim shrugged, "How about you tell her?" He offered, "Tell her how you feel and if you don't think a relationship is the right way to go about it... then don't date. But you spent a long time avoiding it... I think you owe it to her and to yourself to tell the truth."

"Thanks Quassim."

Nat left the studio and made his way back to the apartment since they were having a sleepover that night.

While he cleaned, he put in tape of the original NBB concert with Cole Hawkins as the lead guitar and Rosalina on the cello.

The work flew by with Hardcore Wrestlers (with Inner Feelings) and Rosalina in the background and soon the field was primed.

Kristina showed up first, still not having gotten the hang of the fact that starting at seven sharp meant starting after eight despite several previous sleepovers.

"If there was a place to hide... I'd go... but no.

If there was a place to hide... I'd go... but no.

You're... there... wherever I may land...

You're there... wherever I may

Fall Two hundred twenty five thousand miles a...way...

I can feel you as close as an inch."

"Is that new?"

Kristina made him jump.

"Woah, didn't hear you come in." Nat said, putting the bench back up and sitting down again. "No, it's not new."

"How come I've never heard you play it?"

Nat shrugged, "I don't think I ever released it. I wrote it after the Silver Boulders broke up."

"Oh." Kristina said... feeling awkward.

"Um... we can put your stuff here under the piano for now." Nat offered to which Kristina nodded.

The two sat on the purple couch on opposite sides, not sure what to say or to talk about.

"Oh... hi." Alex said, walking in. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Guess that's the theme."

Nat laughed.

"Well since you two seem to be having such a rousing discussion I'll just go to the kitchen."

Nat gave him a sarcastic thumbs up and started tapping his fingers.

One by one the band showed up until everyone had arrived, David being the last one to show.

"What took you so long?" Thomas asked.

David replied, "I had that date with Victoria tonight."

"Forgot about that." Thomas remembered.

"Can't believe I lost a girl to David Levi of all people." Quassim sighed, "What has our world come too?"

"Ohhh, Quassim's ego is hurt." Rosalina teased, earning a laugh from Nat and Alex.

The sleepover became a "hang out, play video games, and don't go to sleep" type of sleepover. The band played a brief game of Truth or Dare which ended shortly after Rosalina was dared by Thomas to kiss Nat.

Nat told Thomas that that was uncool with the backup of everyone else (except Rosalina and Jesse stayed quiet).

"Okay okay, I'm sorry."

Nat decided he didn't really feel much like playing anyway and decided to go to his room for a little alone time.

To be honest, he didn't necessarily want to have a sleepover tonight. But school was only a few days away and the Homecoming dance was scheduled for the first Friday of school. So they wouldn't have the opportunity for a while.

A soft knock on the door forced Nat to get up and open it, not even realizing that it was unlocked anyway.

"Oh, hi Rosalina."

"Hey." Rosalina stepped into the room and shut the door quietly, sitting on Alex's bed on the bottom bunk. "Are you okay?"

Nat nodded.

"I mean I get why you were upset, but you know how Thomas is. He just... acts without thinking... a lot."

Nat chuckled, "I guess that's fair." He decided, sitting down on the bed as well.

"So why'd you come in here? That afraid to kiss me?"

Nat chuckled again, "It didn't have anything to do with you Rosalina. I just didn't feel like playing anymore."

"Ah."

Nat nodded and sighed, "So, are you excited for the year?"

Rosalina nodded, "They say senior year is the best of your life."

"This is true."

You could cut the tension with a plastic spoon.

"So why'd you come in here?" Nat asked, realizing he didn't earlier.

"I just... I wanted to see how you were doing. Kristina mentioned that you were a little... distracted earlier."

Nat shrugged, "I don't feel distracted."

"No, but I can see it. It's this cute thing your eyebrows do when you start thinking about... um... stuff." Rosalina tried to get her head on straight, realizing what she had said.

"Cute?"

Rosalina stuttered, which was not like her at all, "Um.. yeah. Cute... I used... I used to find it cute."

Nat smiled, feeling comfort that she still thought he was cute. And felt awkward enough to try and lie her way out of it... but what she didn't know, was that her hands started flapping. She was acting.

"So, you didn't come here for any other reason? Just to check on me?"

Rosalina thought about it and nodded, "Yeah, why?"

"Just wondering... do you have a date yet?"

"Date?" She said defensively, "I'm not dating..."

"I meant to Homecoming. Its next week after all."

"Oh right... that. Duh. Um, yeah, no, no date." Rosalina took a deep breath, "I don't know why I'm so nervous; I can't think straight." She turned the question, "Do you?"

Nat shook his head, "I'm not sure if I want to go with anyone."

"Have you tried asking people?"

He shook his head again, "I've had a couple of offers from fans, and a couple other girls around school... but I just don't think I want to go with them."

"You, you should go with Kristina. You know, as friends."

"Kristina?" Nat asked, trying to figure out how that would make sense.

"Yeah... she's a friend... and she's a girl so she can be your date. Then you don't have to go with someone you don't like, and you don't have to go alone."

"What about you and your dateless status?"

Rosalina shrugged, "I don't really want to go with anyone who's asked me."

"But you think Kristina and I should go together because she's a girl?"

"Yeah... I mean, its nice that a boy and girl can be friends... and they should be able to go have fun at a dance together."

"Like we did at Prom?"

Rosalina nodded, "Like us, yeah."

That was it. That was when he knew beyond reasonable doubt... she still had feelings for him. She said basically the same thing last year when she thought Little Grace and him were in love, making a point to insist that she did not have feelings for him.

"So there's no one you want to go with?" Nat asked, inching a little closer.

"Um... no, not really. I mean..." Rosalina tried to figure out a way to explain it without lying and without telling the truth, "Maybe... maybe one guy but, there's no chance of that."

"Why?"

Rosalina thought about it for a minute, ignorant to Nat inching closer by the centimeter, "I just doubt that he wants to be with me."

"Have you asked him?"

She took a deep breath and exhaled, "To the dance or to be with me?"

"Either."

"No." She said, her voice a whisper.

"But what if he wants to be with you... because he never stopped loving you?" Nat asked.

"Well... I guess I should have asked."

"What's stopping you?" Nat wondered.

"At the moment... the heavy weight on my chest." Rosalina admitted.

"Let me help you." Nat offered.

She nodded and leaned closer to him and guided his hand to her heart.

"It's pounding." Nat noticed.

"I'm sorry... for everything Nat." Rosalina said, holding his hand even though he took it off her chest. "Michel... the Christmas thing... the whole thing. I ruined our relationship..."

Nat pressed his free hand to her lips to silence her.

"It's okay. I wasn't exactly the perfect boyfriend... I got angry and jealous. And I should have heard you ought. I was a jerk."

"No but..." She sighed, "I started it by letting Michel kiss me. I should have stopped him; I should've pushed him away... I should've told you right away the first time."

"I once told you 'if it's meant to be, it'll be.' You remember that?"

Rosalina nodded.

"Then let's let it be."

"I..." A smile grew on her face, "I'd like that."

Nat smiled and kissed her deep and passionately, holding her for the first time in a long time.

When the kiss broke they met at the forehead.

For a short moment there was silence until Nat asked,

"Please tell me you didn't let me kiss you just to finish that dare."

Rosalina laughed, "Can't say that I did."

"Then let's get back out there." Nat offered.

"Or... we could stay in here." Rosalina counter-offered, pressing Nat down to a laying position and propping herself on her elbow next to him.

"What do you have in mind?"

She leaned down and kissed him, memorizing the feeling of his lips once again and praying that they'd never be apart again.