NEVER GONNA LOSE!
Hi Everyone! I am officially back! I know it's been forever but hopefully it's worth the wait. I'm working hard to try and make sure I can update this story regularly I also think this is gonna be a lot longer than NGB as I've finished seven chapters I think and it's already over 40000 words! Crazy! Anyway thanks to everyone who reviewed my sneak peek I'm glad you like it and I hope you like the actual chapter and it answers some of your questions. I have a vision in mind but I would like to say I am still open to suggestions. I also got a few comments saying they love the Brooke/ Nathan sibling stuff ME TOO! It's one of the initial inspirations for this story so I hope I don't disappoint you guys. Also a HUUUUGE thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my other one shot "IT"S TRICKY" you guys totally rock I loved your comments and I am trying to work on a couple of oneshots in the same vein so hopefully I can get those out soon. Once again a MASSIVE thankyou to my beta my long suffering but completely deserving of the pain for torturing me as a youngster (payback is a bitch and so am I, shit I should've saved that for Brookie! Damn!) I grudgingly am thankful for your help! HAHAHAHA!" OW she just hit me! Anyways, please read and let me know what you think of NEVER GONNA LOSE!
DISCLAIMER; I don't own OTH or anything in any way that resembles one tree hill, however I'm holding out hope that Mark Schwann might read this and be so enamoured with my fantasy world he'll let me write in that James Lafferty must perform all of his scenes shirtless. I did mention this is a fantasy right?
CHAPTER ONE
Nathan sat dangling his legs over the edge of his surfboard as he stared back at the beach. The calmness of the ocean or the sereneness of the day hadn't caught his attention. It was the blonde girl laid out on a beach chair tapping her foot to the beat blasting from her headphones that had him transfixed. Nathan smiled as he watched his girlfriend wave in his direction. He hadn't been as sly watching her as he had thought and as usual Haley had put him firmly in his place. Luckily for Nathan Scott that place was by her side.
Still smiling he made his way ashore, picking up his board as he hit the sand. When he was positive Haley's eyes were fixed on him as he shook the excess water from his dark hair and flexed his chest and stomach muscles smirking at the red hue that he knew would be creeping up her face.
Haley sat mesmerised as Nathan slowly made his way up the beach towards her, water dripping and running down the taut muscles that rippled nicely under summer tanned skin.
"Whoa it's getting hot in here" Haley muttered as she started to fan herself.
"You're outside" Nathan reminded her as he dropped his board on the sand and looked over her flushing face.
"Apparently" She muttered looking down at the book in her lap rather than her half naked boyfriend "How was the water?"
"Nice" he replied "The view wasn't half bad either" he smirked as he looked her up and down in her swimsuit.
"Either is this one" a blonde girl cut in as she walked past Nathan with her equally scantily clad friends
"Sluts" Haley muttered glaring at the girls retreating backs
"Hales?" Nathan asked amused
"Can't you put a shirt on or something?" she hissed
"And deprive you of this view?" he said flexing his muscles "I wouldn't dream of it baby"
"You're so..."
"Sexy" he smiled while she lowered her sunglasses to look him in the eye
"I was gonna go with cocky" she retorted
"And with good reason, as you well know"
"Nathan!" Haley exclaimed blushing furiously
"What?"
"Don't be so crass"
"What's so crass about it?"
"It's private"
"Parts" he added grinning as she glared at him
"Nathan Scott, what we do, or in our case do not do is not open for discussion in public" she whispered darting her eyes for anyone listening nearby
"Haley no-ones listening, they may be looking but who can blame them?" he shrugged
"Can you turn down the ego a notch it's giving me heatstroke" Haley bit back
"I wasn't talking about me, my girl is hot" he smirked
"Flattery won't get you anywhere Nathan"
"Its got me a few bases loaded hence you're understanding of the aforementioned cockiness"
"Did you just use a word with more than ten letters?" Haley asked Nathan "And since when do you use football references"
"Cockiness is only nine letters Hales" Nathan replied after counting them off on his fingers "and it's baseball not football"
"Whatever" Haley dismissed turning back to her novel before screaming as Nathan picked her up and threw her over his shoulder in one movement than sprinted towards the water "NATHAN!"
"What?" he asked innocently before throwing them both into the water.
"I can't believe you did that!" Haley exclaimed as she pushed her wet hair out of her face.
"What can I say, I like you wet" he smirked
"You think you're so charming" she huffed
"You know I am" he grinned as he folded her into his arms
"I'm still mad at you" Haley said as she melted against him.
"For now" he replied cheekily before capturing her lips in a mind-numbing kiss.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A few hours later Haley sat cross legged on the beach-chair behind Nathan rubbing her hands over his back while he looked out over the ocean.
"Today was nice" she murmured
"It only took all summer for us to get a whole day to ourselves" he grumbled
"I know"
"I'm glad we did though" he replied taking her hand from his shoulder and placing a kiss on her palm.
"It was a good summer" Haley smiled as she leaned her chin against the back of his shoulder
"It was" he agreed "Although I'm sorry I was gone for so long"
"You don't have to apologise, training camp was important and it was only 3 weeks, and besides you came to cheer camp with me" she giggled
"For the last time I was not at cheer camp" he protested
"You kind of were"
"Haley I was a counsellor for the basketball camp" he argued
"The basketball camp that is a part of the cheer camp" she grinned
"They are two separate camps, and with the exception of the year I was at High Flyers I've been at that basketball camp every summer" he reminded her
"But you didn't sleep in the cheer camp every night every other summer" she gloated before the smile dropped from her face "Did you?"
"No" he replied quickly
"Nathan!"
"Haley!"
"Don't change the subject!"
"No this was the only summer I slept in the um… girls camp"
"Really?"
"I promise, and for the record I only did to be with you" he turned his head to look her in the eye
"Thank you" she said softly before pecking him on the lips.
"Your welcome baby" he replied returning her kiss
"Cheer camp was fun though" she grinned as Nathan groaned.
"I was at basketball camp!" he pouted as Haley laughed uproariously
"I'm sorry" Haley guffawed while Nathan continued to pout. Haley started to run her hands over Nathans back again "I love these letters on you" she said as she ran her fingers over the small letters tanned into the skin between his shoulder blades.
"I can't believe it hasn't faded yet" he groaned
"It wasn't that long ago"
"It was the start of summer Hales" Nathan half turned to look at her while Haley smirked back at him. At the beginning of summer the group had taken Peyton's dads boat out for the day and Nathan had asked Haley to put sunscreen on his back. When she'd finished she had zinked her initials and a heart onto his skin. By the time they made it home it was tanned into Nathans back much to Haley's delight. "You just had to mark me" he shook his head
"Like you can talk" she retorted pointing to the two hickeys that currently adorned her collarbone
"Just marking my territory" he smirked
"And I was marking mine" she returned his smirk as he leaned his head fully back onto her shoulder. "That's why I re-zinked you last week" she added a little quieter
"Haley!" Nathan exclaimed
"I had to make sure all those groupies at Duke know that you are off-limits and 150 percent mine" she argued
"You're lucky I love you" he said his blue eyes boring into Haley's brown ones "And I'm 151 percent all yours"
"I am lucky" she agreed as she leaned down and closed her lips over his. "Mmm" she moaned as Nathan intensified the kiss. Haley was taken off guard a moment later when in a single movement he flipped himself over and laid Haley back so he was hovering over her on the sunbed. "How'd you do that?"
"I have skills" he replied cheekily before leaning in and capturing her lips once more. Nathan deepened the kiss, running his fingers down her side as Haley entangled hers in his hair.
"Damn it" Haley cursed when the sound of Nathan's cell broke the moment.
'Ignore it" Nathan instructed as he continued to kiss her
"Okay" Haley immediately complied as his lips started to work their magic.
"Damn it!" Nathan growled when the phone started ringing again.
"Just answer it" Haley tried to soothe. Clearly frustrated Nathan snatched his phone and checked the id on the screen
"This better be important Luke" he growled into the phone.
Twenty five minutes later Nathan pulled his new black mustang convertible to a stop out the front of the Roe house. "I'm gonna kill Lucas then kill Brooke, and then I'm gonna dig up his body and kill him all over again" Nathan grumbled as he walked around to open Haley's car door.
"I'm sure it;'s not that bad" Haley tried to soothe
"No bad is the state he's gonna be in once I'm through with him" Nathan muttered as they made their way up the porch and around the side to the door that led to Lucas's bedroom. From outside the door they could hear Lucas pleading with his girlfriend and by the sounds of it Brooke was in no mood to listen. "Here we go" Nathan muttered before turning the knob and stepping inside. Haley and Nathan took in the commotion in the room before looking at each other with raised eyebrows. Lucas was handcuffed to the bed clad only in a pair of boxers while Brooke fussed around the room hanging shirts on hangers before placing them inside the closet "Brookie?" Nathan asked
"I'm busy Nathan" she dismissed taking a pair of trousers from the suitcase on the floor and looking them over before hanging them in the closet
"What are you doing?" Haley asked
"Helping Lucas unpack" Brooke replied
"Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't he supposed to do that when he gets to college?" Nathan looked inquiringly at his sister
"Lucas isn't going to college" she shrugged
"He's not?" Haley and Nathan looked over at Lucas who sighed
"He's staying with me" Brooke shrugged again as she inspected a shirt before discarding it into a large box marked Goodwill
"So he's gonna stay here chained to his bed instead of going to Chapel Hill?" Nathan looked over at Lucas who shook his head.
"That's right" Brooke replied continuing to sort the clothes from the suitcase
"Now we've got that settled, let's go Hales" Nathan grabbed her hand and turned towards the door
"Nathan!" Haley pulled back on his hand
"Hales?" Nathan whined
"No" she told him firmly before turning around to face Brooke "Now B Scott, why is Lucas not going to UNC?"
"I told you he's staying with me" Brooke replied moving to unpack the next suitcase.
"I've already tried reasoning with her Hales" Lucas spoke up
"How did she get you locked up?" Nathan stood next to the bed "and how did you manage to call me?"
"Don't ask dude" Lucas shuddered
"Brooke where are the keys?" Haley asked
"Hales are these ties as hideous as I think they are?" she held up two ties for the blonde to inspect ignoring the question
"They're fine" Haley rolled her eyes taking the ties from Brooke "But you're not, now tell me what's going on"
"I told you, I changed my mind about letting Lucas leave, so now he's staying and I'm helping him unpack"
"Brooke" Haley stilled her friends hands. Brooke looked at the suitcase in front of her for a moment before bursting into a flood of tears.
"Oh crap waterworks, dude we need to get out of here" Nathan started looking around frantically for something to free his friend.
"Shutup Nathan" Haley glared over her shoulder as she enveloped Brooke into a hug.
"I I I ddon't wwant hhim tto lleave mmme" Brooke cried
"I'm only going to Chapel Hill baby" Lucas tried to soothe her "I'm not leaving you"
"Hhe's ggonna bbe wwith ggirls aalmost aas ppretty aas mmee" she continued to wail
"I'm not gonna look at any other girls I promise" Lucas tried
"Except your professors, and your RA if she's a girl" Nathan put in getting a glare from the others
"It's gonna be okay" Haley rubbed Brooke's back. Eventually Brooke started to calm down and pulled back to look at Haley through tearstained eyes.
"You don't think he'll find someone almost prettier than me?"
"There's no-one prettier than you" Lucas tried again
"You should probably check out the competiton before making such claims man" Nathan interjected
"SHUTUP NATE!" all three yelled in response
"Lucas loves you, and you love him, you'll be okay, and in the meantime you've got me" Haley smiled softly at her friend
"Promise?"
"I promise" Haley smiled before both girls threw themselves into each others arms in a tight bear hug
"Do you think you could unlock me now" Lucas asked meekly. Brooke pulled back from Haley and wiped the last tears away before standing up and leaning over Lucas and kissing him deeply while inching her hand towards the waistband of his boxers
"Urgh wait until I've left the room or dug out my eyeballs with a rusty spoon before you do that" Nathan put both his hands over his eyes.
"I was just getting the key" Brooke glared at her brother "Unless you wanted to do the honours"
"URGh No" Nathan shuddered while Brooke kissed Lucas again as she unlocked the handcuffs. When his arms were finally free he wrapped them around Brooke and pulled her into his chest dropping kisses on the top of her head.
"I'm sorry" she whimpered
"It's okay" Lucas replied holding her tighter
"I just don't want to lose you"
"You won't"
"I think we should go" Nathan whispered to Haley as they watched the couple in front of them
"Take these with you" Lucas held out the handcuffs
"Urgh it's okay, I've got my own" Haley declined while Nathan broke out into a full blown smirk. Lucas looked at them strangely before the light bulb flashed on above her head "Oh right, so Brooke can't lock you up again, got it" she replied taking the silver cuffs from the blonde boy.
"We'll see you tomorrow morning before you leave" Nathan said as he ushered Haley towards the door. "And Brooke I expect to see you at home" Nathan called out in his best 'Dad Voice' as he closed the door behind them muffling the sounds of Brooke's retort.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Sorry about that your meals on us" Haley helped wipe up the mess at the table before retreating back to the kitchen to find Brooke chopping baby spinach leaves into tiny pieces. "Brooke you have to be more careful" Haley told her friend as she threw away the wet napkins.
"Sorry" Brooke muttered continuing to chop
"Are you upset you didn't get to go with Luke today?" Haley asked
"Why would I be upset? I'm ruining my manicure covering the breakfast rush so he can have his parents take him off on his college experience with college girl coeds." she chopped a little harder
"So you're completely fine" Haley crossed her arms
"Completely, there's nothing to be upset about" Brooke agreed the knife flying through the leaves.
"Which explains why you're cutting salad leaves into tiny unedible pieces" she pointed out
"What?" Brooke looked up
"The salad leaves" Haley pointed at the green mess on the chopping board
"Great! I can't even get this right" Brooke threw the knife down in frustration "I thought I was chopping herbs but instead I managed to destroy the lunch special. Remind me to talk to Luke about staying away from home economics majors"
"Brooke it's going to be okay"
"How do you know?"
"Because you've got so much going on yourself, this year is your final year as Ravens cheer captain, student body president and head of the social committee. Plus, you've got me"
"But you don't got me I'm a big college guy now!" Nathan chirped as he walked through the kitchen grinning.
"Right" Brooke stared at her brother "Big college guy with your big college guy classes and college guy games and college guy dreams and college guy dorm rooms!" Brooke brought her fist down on the chopping board
"That's usually how college works Brookie" Nathan looked confused
"Honey please stop while you're not so far behind" Haley pleaded with him
"Behind what?" Nathan looked around the room while Haley rolled her eyes
"Ignore him" Haley instructed
"But he's right there's a whole other world awaiting Luke's arrival in Chapel Hill" Brooke snarled
"Actually he's probably already there" Nathan said looking at his watch "Karen wanted to get an early start and thanks to your luggage cull yesterday repacking the car didn't take as long, although I did have to drop multiple boxes off at goodwill thanks to my fashion conscious sister"
"Great not only has my boyfriend officially left me for a place bursting at the seams with whores wanting to get in his pants, they'll be flattering, show his ass off to it's best potential pants at that!" she screeched
"Brooke calm down" Haley reached out to put a hand on Brookes arm
"Yeah sis, think about it, Luke's skinny ass won't look good no matter what he wears"
"Right" Brooke huffed before grabbing her purse and storming out of the café. Haley watched Brooke leave before turning to her boyfriend and fixing him with a steely stare.
"What did I say?" he asked innocently
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nathan gingerly walked through the front door of the Scott residence. After a thorough tongue lashing from his girlfriend, and not the kind he would've liked; Nathan had been packed off to "comfort and bring some peace to Brooke's otherwise shattered world" as Haley had put it. Or rather as he described it "Using some charm to knock some sense into his over the top somewhat mentally challenged sister" Nathan made his way up the staircase following the increasing sound of what he dubbed as 'Brooke's pissed off chick music'. It was times like this that he detested his sister's friendship with Peyton and her collection of questionable noise. Standing outside her door he took a deep breath before pushing the door open holding up the supplies of chocolate items that Haley insisted he bring with him.
"Don't you know how to knock?" she snarled
"I come in peace!" he replied in his best alien voice
"That stopped being funny oh 17 years ago" she retorted
"Fine I guess I'll keep all of this chocolate goodness for myself" he said peering into the bag
"No! gimme!" Brooke put her hands out to take the offered bag from her snickering brother.
"So what's all the stuff" Nathan asked looking around the room that was strewn with clothes shoes, makeup, cd's and all other kinds of things that Nathan didn't want to think about.
"Just getting my stuff together she replied taking a huge mouthful of ice-cream before throwing a stack of cd's into a nearby box.
"Stuff for what?"
"My 'I need to get wasted because my boyfriend left me behind to play basketball with sluts and whores' party tonight" she replied going through some shoes
"I thought it was Tim's farewell party tonight?" Nathan asked while Brooke shot him a look in return. "Ok-ay" Nathan ran a hand through his hair. "I think you need to take a step back and think about this rationally" Nathan took the bottle of vodka that Brooke was trying to stuff into her clutch and placed it on the floor next to him. "Besides it's against NCAA rules to let the sluts and whores on the court" he pointed out
"Not helping" Brooke sunk down onto the floor and leaned back against the side of the bed
"Brooke, Lucas isn't going off to party with basketball groupies. He's going to college it's the next step in life, that's all" Nathan sunk down next to her
"The next step that he's taking without me"
"Trust me, you're with him every step of the way and it's only one year."
"What makes you so sure?" she looked up at Nathan who took a deep breath before replying
"Because he's a college freshman and you're a high school senior who'll be in college in one year" Nathan explained "That is if you don't flunk calculus and have to repeat and then I guess it's two years" he shrugged
"Would Nathan Scott prefer the red or black stiletto shoved up his ass!" Brooke snarled holding up two shoes for his inspection
"Neither" he recoiled before addressing her again "Brookie I'm exactly where he is, in two days I'm leaving for Durham without Haley. It's a whole new world, and I'm looking forward to it, I've been waiting for this day my whole life. College is part of the future but so is Haley. And in my heart I'm taking her with me. Just the same way Lucas is doing with you"
"You and Haley have it all so together, me and Luke are different" Brooke tried to blink away the tears she could forming in her eyes.
"No we're not trust me. We're all as scared as shit as each other, some of us are just better at hiding than others"
"You and Haley aren't hiding anything, you're the perfect couple and in a year you'll be just as happy as you are now, with your finishing each others sentences and disgusting displays of affection, honestly you two make me sicker than Jeyton do, and that's saying something"
"You don't want to start on disgusting displays of affection, because you and Luke are at the top of the puke list" he pointed out grimacing.
"He's gonna forget about me Nate" Brooke looked up at her brother.
"Trust me no-one could ever forget you Brookie, and if they do I'm here to kick their ass"
"Promise?" she looked up from under her lashes
"Promise" he agreed chuckling at the small smile that spread across his sister's face
"HotScotts all the way" she held out her fist
"HotScotts all the way" he bumped fists. Before leaning forward and taking a spoonful of her ice cream "I'm pretty good at this peptalk stuff huh?"
"Yeah, you're the new Oprah" she said sarcastically taking the spoon from him.
"So, she's worth billions" he snickered taking the spoon again and grabbing some more ice cream.
"That's mine" she whined
"Consider it part payment for my excellent advice"
"What advice? The part we're you threatened to kick Luke's ass or the bit where you admitted you were scared" she retorted in a baby voice
"All of the above, besides I need food since Haley kicked me out of the café before lunch due to your little hissy fit"
"I did not throw a hissy fit!" she screamed punching him in the shoulder
"Sure, like you didn't just give me a bruise, I think there's a law about that, and if it's not there should be" he rubbed his shoulder
"And they're laws about killing your siblings but I'm close to breaking that one too" she huffed before punching him again
"Geez with mood swings like this no wonder Luke left" Nathan muttered before making a dash for the door when he noticed the look of pure rage aimed at him.
Brooke screamed and threw a shoe at the closing door.
A few hours later, Haley was searching the beach for Nathan. Tim's party was in full swing on the sand out the front of his parents newly purchased beach house. They had refused permission for him to hold a party in the house after the blow out he'd hosted at the beginning of summer, so instead he'd strung up fairy lights and built a bonfire on the beach in front. Haley and Nathan had arrived earlier to help set up to find Brooke bossing people around and taking over while Tim started on the keg.
Once the party had started and people began showing up Brooke's anger seemed to evaporate instead replaced with sadness. Now she was sitting with Mouth and Peyton drinking and arguing about who had the suckiest day. After failing to stop Brooke from downing her fifth shot she decided that drastic measures were called for and she needed Nathan to get Brooke out of there.
Finally she spotted the back of Nathan's head. Making her way across the sand she stopped when she recognised the dark haired girl he was talking to. Sue Garvey had been obsessed with Nathan since freshman year. He'd never batted an eye in her direction but that hadn't stopped Sue from making it clear to the girls at school that she wanted a piece of Nathan Scott. After Nathan and Haley had gotten together last winter Sue had been a total bitch to Haley, using the video from winter formal as ammunition. Haley swept some of her sunkissed hair over her shoulder and walked over to the pair placing her hand on Nathan's lower back. The look of irritation immediately left his features as his eyes lit up when he noticed his girlfriend standing beside him.
"Hey baby" he greeted her taking his hand from his pocket and wrapping it around her waist "I was wondering what happened to you"
"Dealing with Brooke" she shrugged before looking up at the glowering brunette "Oh hi Sue, I didn't see you there"
"I'm sure" she muttered in return "Nate and I were just talking about college, it's so great he's going to Duke" she gushed as she fluttered her eyelashes. Haley inwardly groaned at the girls blatant flirting before smiling up at an uncomfortable Nathan
"My man is gonna kill it up there"
"I'm sure Nathan is going to do awesome, it's just a shame it's so far away from Tree Hill" she smirked, and you she added mentally
"It's not that far" Haley replied moving closer to her boyfriend while staring straight at the still smirking girl
"Well, I guess it is close enough for me to catch his first game of the season, I wouldn't miss it for the world"
"Me either, I'm glad I have my name on a players ticket" Haley replied while Nathan stared back and forth between the two girls
"My Dad is a Duke alum and has season tickets" Sue retorted "Besides I was just telling Nate I can't wait to see him play in Duke's colours," She added flirteously
"You're gonna look hot as hell in that uniform baby" Haley winked at Nathan before turning to face Sue again "Or out of it, Speaking of, I didn't want to interrupt but I was wondering if you wanted to come take a dip with me" she asked Nathan stepping back and placing her hand on his stomach
"You want to go in now?" he asked with a raised eyebrow
"Right now" she grinned running her hands across his shirt before grabbing the hem and ripping it up over his head "What do you say?"
"I'll race you" he grinned back cheekily
""You betcha" Haley leaned up wrapping her hands around his neck and dropping a quick kiss on his lips, before subtly turning his back towards Sue as she called over his shoulder "Sorry Sue, I need to steal my boyfriend away, you understand" a full blown smirk of her own crossing her features as she noticed Sue's eyes land on the letters tanned into his back. Haley giggled before grabbing Nathan by the hand and dragging him away down the beach his shirt still in her other hand.
"I thought we were going swimming?" Nathan asked confused when he realised they were heading back into the throng of partygoers.
"No we're not" Haley replied
"But you said"
"That was to get you away from that slut" Haley added continuing to drag him along "Here put some clothes on" she threw his shirt at him
"You took it off me!" he exclaimed
"Besides the point" Haley retorted as she dragged him along the sand.
Further down the beach Brooke sat with her head resting on Mouths shoulder while Peyton drew in the sand with a stick.
"Life sucks and then you're boyfriend leaves for college" she moaned
"At least yours is coming back" Mouth complained
"Or has to go visit his grandma in Savannah, what's so damn good about Savannah anyway?" Peyton griped continuing to draw
"Once again at least yours is coming back" Mouth repeated
"Shelley was never good enough for you Mouth" Brooke soothed
"No she was too good for me, that's why she took my heart and crushed it in her pretty perfect French manicured cheerleader hands" he crushed some sand in his fist
"Please she's no Brooke Scott" Brooke dismissed "Besides your better off without her"
"No I'm better off with her, without her I'm just a shrivelled up nobody who doesn't even count as a has-been! And why so she can go off and kiss surfer boys and cheer for whoever she's cheering for in Arizona" he yelled as he threw his cup across the sand
"College sucks!" Brooke exhaled
"No Shelley sucks!"
"Jake's Grandma sucks!"
"People who leave for college suck!"
"You rang!" Tim sang as he plopped himself down on the sand beside Brooke
"Go away Tim" Brooke rolled her eyes before taking another swig of her drink.
"But I'm leaving for college, and I also suck" he wriggled his eyebrows at her
"One Eww, and Two, double eww" Brooke pushed him away, the huge sombrero he was wearing half falling from his head.
"This night has magic written all over it! C'mon, to the next step!" he cheered rasing his cup
"Dude no" Peyton lifted her head to glare at him before resuming her drawing
"Tim have you been watching American Pie?" Brooke asked with a raised eyebrow
"May-be?" he replied
"Me too!" Mouth exclaimed
"I had to get me some stiffler moves for college, I rented a whole heap of movies, American Pie, American Pie 2, American Pie 4, American Pie 5, American Pie 6, Van Wilder, Animal house, Accepted.. " he counted off on his fingers.
"Tim college isn't really like that" Peyton chastised
"Yes it is, the ideas for these come from real life experiences, directors don't just make this shit up"
"No" Peyton shook her head in disbelief
"I can't wait to learn "how to blow shit up with my mind" it's gonna be awesome!"
"You know I don't understand why Kevin and Vicky have to break up they could have made it work, long distance is tricky but when the feelings are there you make it work right?" Mouth looked around the group
"Mouth you need to get over it, Shelley's moved on and now so should you" Brooke suggested
"Dude you still obsessin over that? Didn't she dump you after prom?" Tim looked at Mouth
"It was after graduation, and thanks for reminding me" Mouth crossed his arms.
"Don't hate man" Tim held his hands up in front of him
"I'll hate you if I want to" Jake quipped as he joined the group
"JAKE!" Peyton screamed before throwing herself into his arms.
"Whoa Skinny girl, I was only gone for a week" he hugged her back
"Great your love life's solved can we get back to mine?" Mouth asked as Peyton attached her mouth to Jakes and held him to her in a vice grip.
""Please anythings better than watching that" Brooke took another swig before handing her cup to Mouth who took a gulp as well.
"Young love, it's touching. But there's a hottie with a bottie just awaiting my attention somewhere… over there" Tim pointed across the beach fixing his sombrero and then lurching to his feet and dancing away
"Once again eww" Brooke muttered
"What the hell is a bottie?" Mouth looked at Brooke
"Something you get in college" Brooke said sarcastically
"You know it sucks this whole being left behind thing" Mouth turned to face Brooke who nodded "But you're lucky Brooke"
"How am I lucky, my boyfriend left me?" she asked in disbelief
"Lucas loves you, and unlike my girlfriend …I mean ex-girlfriend he wants to make it work, He'll be back all the time. Chapel Hill isn't that far away"
"It's a life away" Brooke mumbled
"What's the real problem? Don't you trust Luke?"
"Of course I do, If I'm honest it's not that, I'm just scared I guess"
"Of what?"
"Of not being good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, …of being alone…"
"You're not alone Brooke, you have so many friends that care about you, so many people who would be there in an instant if you needed them, and you have Luke"
"Except he left me"
"He didn't leave you Brooke, he left Tree Hill there's a difference"
Mouth smiled at Brooke and took the cup from her hand before walking away past Haley and Nathan.
"Are you okay?" Haley asked gingerly sitting down where Mouth had been placing her hand on Brooke's shoulder who was staring intently at the cell phone in her hands.
"Yeah, I'm gonna be okay" Brooke half smiled as she wiped a tear away "I have to make a phone call" she smiled at them both before she started walking off on her own dialling on her phone. When the voice answered on the first ring all Brooke could say was "I miss you"
"She's gonna be okay Hales" Nathan soothed rubbing his hands over her shoulders
"I know" she replied
"Are you okay?" he asked moving around to face her
" I don't know are we?"
"Of course" he replied emphatically
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I love you"
"Do you?"
"You honestly aren't questioning that are you?"
"No" she replied
"Haley?"
"I know you love me Nathan, and I love you too,"
"But?"
"What if it's not enough?"
"Trust me it's enough"
"But how can you be sure?"
"Because I feel it"
"Yeah" she shook her head
"Haley you've tried to break up with me 48 times this summer because you're scared of what's gonna come after it, and once again I'm saying the same thing I've told you 48 times, we are not breaking up! Come hell and high water we are gonna be together this year!"
"It's not that simple" she shook her head to stop the tears she could feel forming
"Well guess what it is that simple I love you and you love me, we love each other and we want to be together"
"But life's not simple Nathan"
"Which is why we can beat anything that it throws at us. I believe that, you and me we're forever, I promised that to you and I don't break my promises"
"What if you don't have a choice?"
"I only have one choice Hales and it's you"
"It's gonna be so hard this year" she burrowed her head into his chest his arms automatically wrapping around her.
"I know" he agreed
"I'm gonna miss you so much"
"Nah, Brooke will have you so busy you wont have a chance to miss me, plus I'm gonna be calling you and visiting so much your gonna be telling me to go away"
"No I won't"
"Yes you will 'Nathan I need to study!' " he mimicked
"I don't sound like that" she smacked his shoulder
"You kind of do baby" he chuckled "But it's ok, I kind of like it"
"Don't tease me"
"Never" he leant down and captured her lips in his
"Mmmm" she moaned as she fisted his shirt to pull him flush against her
"I need to show you something" he reluctantly pulled away
"Show me later" she replied before crashing his lips back to hers. Nathan kissed her back hungrily for a moment before pulling away again
"I need."
"Later
"Haley"
"Later"
"I really"
"Nathan Scott you have exactly one second to get your lips on mine or else"
"Yes maam" he replied before moulding their lips together in a mind-numbing kiss. Nathan felt his mind wander away as he succumbed to the feeling of her in his arms no matter how many times they kissed it was never enough, he was positive he could kiss this girl for the rest of his life. Eventually they pulled back and Nathan rested his forehead on Haley's and let his eyes wander over her face drinking her in.
"So what did you want to show me?" she asked
"Huh?"
"You wanted to show me something?"
"Oh right?" Nathan snapped out of his fog and laced his fingers with Haley's and started leading her down the beach
"Is it at your beach house?" Haley squinted into the darkness as they moved further away from the party and headed towards the white and blue beach house owned by the Scotts.
"Kind of" Nathan answered still walking
"What do you mean kind of?" she asked suspiciously
"It's kind of two parts" he said handing her a small silver key.
"What is this? are you giving me a key to the beach house because that's kind of weird not to mention completely unnecessary it's not like I'm ever gonna come here without you, or Brooke or neither of you for that matter, and I know where the spare key is kept I mean everybody does, come to think of it, maybe you should find a new hiding place the last thing you need is some random showing up and helping themselves to your liquor cabinet. Oh my god, that could totally happen Nathan we need to move the key! Could you imagine what your Dad would say if some idiot Tree Hill High person broke in and drank all your Moms vodka and your Dads Scotch! And it would be all my fault for not making sure you moved the key and I'll get arrested for being an accessory and then everyone will blame me and I won't be invited over ever again and your Mom will hate me and oh my god, my parents will be so disappointed in me and…" Nathan cut off her ramble with a kiss. When he broke away he looked down at her with a chuckle
"Got it all out"
"Sorry" she mumbled
"I like it when you ramble… a little"
"Nathan" she smacked his arm
"Hey Domestic Violence!" he called "Anyway the key's not for the beach house"
"It's not? Oh, wait what's it for?" she peered down at the key in her palm
"Something much more important" he grinned before swiping the key and throwing it out into the ocean
"Nathan! What the hell did you do that for?" Haley screeched in disbelief
"I don't need it"
"You said it was for something important"
"It is"
"Then why the hell did you just throw it away to sleep with the fishes you dumbass!"
"Sleep with the fishes, really?" he snickered
"That's what you took from that?"
"Relax babe, I don't need that key, and trust me neither do you" he tried to pull her back towards him.
"If that's the key to your moms booze we are so dead" Haley looked frightened
"Trust me it's not"
"We need to find it" Haley said removing her shoes and her top
"What are you doing?"
"Going to look for the key my dumbass of a boyfriend just threw into the ocean without thinking, I mean really Nathan"
"Hales" Nathan picked up her shoes and grabbed her wrist before she could remove her skirt
"Nathan I'm gonna find the key"
"No you're not"
"I know it won't be easy but I've got to try"
"That's not what I meant, come on let's go up to the house" he tried to steer her towards the beach house
"How you just threw away the key, we kind of need it to get into the place" she said sarcastically
"That's not the key to the beach house for the last time" he stifled his laughter as he led her up the dock towards the back of the house
"We need to go back the longer we wait the harder it's gonna be to find"
"We're not gonna find it Hales"
"Being negative isn't helpful Nathan"
"I told you it's fine" he replied again as he pulled his key chain from his pocket and unlocked the sliding door and pulled Haley inside flicking on switches the further he got into the house
"Nathan we really should go back, I don't want to have to explain to Deb why she can't drink her vintage vodka"
"Haley, the key is gone, and it is not for my moms alchohol or for this house it's for something much more important. So can we please relax and I'll show you"
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed "Please tell me you didn't swipe the keys to City Hall?"
"Haley" Nathan shook his head as he climbed the stairs to his room Haley in tow
"What's it for then? The dealership? Dan's car? Deb's Lexus? Oh no it's not for Dan's safe is it? How am I supposed to explain to colleges my criminal record?"
"Haley the key is for that" Nathan pointed out towards the balcony from his bedroom
"Huh?"
"Out there" Nathan prodded
"The balcony? But balcony's don't have keys?" she looked confused
"Haley James I love you but sometimes you need to shut your brain off" he tapped his finger on her forehead
"It's not like I can just switch it on and off" she retorted
"Why not? Tim seems to do it effortlessly enough?" Nathan shrugged
"Funny?" she replied as she stepped out onto the balcony and spotted the gold padlock attached to the balcony railing. "What is this?" she looked over her shoulder a t a smirking Nathan
"The key's important thing" he shrugged
"I don't get it" she looked at Nathan quizzically "why would you put a padlock on the railing?"
"Look at it closer" he instructed. Haley looked back at her boyfriend who was now smiling brightly at her in encouragement. Awkwardly she took a small step forward and then another before reaching out and touching the smooth metal of the railing with her hand. She ran it along until her fingers grasped the square padlock and she held it firmly in her hand. She looked up at Nathan and then back at the padlock as her fingers brushed over etchings in the metal. Looking closer Haley read the inscription on the padlock Nathan & Haley with a date underneath it,
"I still don't get it" she looked up meekly at Nathan who was still smiling widely
"It's our names Hales"
"I can read Smartass" Haley smiled
"And the date that you agreed to be my fake girlfriend"
"What?" Haley looked at the padlock again and sure enough that was the date that Haley had dragged Nathan out of the gym to "work on her balance" marking the beginning of their "relationship".
"I told you it was important"
"But why that date?" she asked still running her fingers over the padlock
"I could have used our actual anniversary, or the day we first kissed or the day we said I love you for the first time, but none of those seemed quite right" he explained
"Couldn't remember the dates" she quipped
"No, and don't interrupt. That was the day my whole world changed, the day you were truly brought into my life, and the day we became Nathan and Haley, it may not have been real then but it was the beginning" he finished
"It's perfect" she smiled up at him. They stood staring at one another for a moment before Nathan leaned in and captured her lips in a soft kiss. The pulled back and Nathan ran his thumbs in soft circles over her cheeks "Baby" Haley opened her eyes
"Yeah" Nathan replied
"I still don't get it" Nathan chuckled at his girlfriends cuteness.
"Okay, he stepped back and sat down on the chair next to the railing and pulled Haley down so she was leaning back on his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around her small frame. "I was watching the discovery channel the other day, and"
"You were watching the discovery channel?"
"Yes and don't interrupt" he scolded while she giggled
"Sorry"
"As I was saying, I was watching the discovery channel and there was this show about tourist attractions around the world, and they were showing this wall in Italy or France, or Rome or somewhere"
"Rome is in Italy baby"
"Haley" he warned
"Sorry" she settled back against his chest
"As I was saying… there was this wall where people came to show one another their eternal commitment and love for one another"
"They have sex on a wall?" she asked dumbfounded
"Haley! No they don't have sex on a wall and will you please let me tell you the story?" he blew out
"Sorry" she winced flashing him one of her cutest smiles that she knew would have him forgiving her in 4, 3, 2, 1.
"Anyway people come to the wall to show their commitment to one another. They engrave their names on a padlock and then attach it to the rails on the wall. When they've done that, they throw away the key and the padlock is there forever as a symbol of the bond between them"
"That is so romantic" Haley gushed
"I thought you'd like it"
"Oh so that's why you bought the padlock?" Haley glanced over at the rail at the padlock.
"Yes"
"That's so sweet" Haley laid her head down on his chest
"So I bought the padlock picked the date and had it engraved before I put it on the rail"
"Why this rail?" she asked staring at it
"This is our spot Hales, I couldn't think of anywhere else, I mean we have some other spots, but ultimately this is the one place we always come back to, besides the market street dock and your bedroom window didn't have anything it could be attached to. So I put it here"
"To show our unbreakable bond"
"Pretty much" he brushed a strand of hair from her face as she leaned back to look at him
"So when are we gonna throw away our key?"
"Um Hales" he looked confused "I already did"
"Nathan we should have done that together"
"Technically we did you were there"
"What?"
"When I threw away the key"
"I think I would remember something like that"
"I would too considering it happened less than an hour ago"
"Wait what?" she looked back at the padlock then at the beach "That's what the key was for?" she punched him in the chest
"Ow Hales"
"Nathan you had me scared half to death that I was going to jail for accessory to a robbery!" Nathan looked confused before he tapped her on the forehead with his finger
"Can the real Haley James please stand up"
"Not funny Nathan" she smacked his hand away and tried to stand up
"Where do you think you're going?" he pulled her back down onto his lap
"I'm going to find that damn key"
"But it's gone"
"I'll find it"
"Don't be so stubborn"
"I am not being stubborn, but if anyone is gonna throw it away than it will be me"
"Fine" he relented and pulled a second key from his pocket.
"What is this?"
"The key"
"But you threw it I saw you"
"Yeah but these locks come with 2 keys I was gonna give you this one after I showed you the padlock"
"Why?" she asked as she took it from me
"Give you a get out clause" he shrugged.
"Nathan, I don't need a get out clause"
"Promise?"
"Of course" She stood up and grabbed him by the hand and dragged him down the stairs and out of the house
"Where are we going?" he asked as she dragged him to a place by the water
"To put the keys to our hearts together, where they should be" she replied before throwing the key into the ocean at the same spot Nathan had thrown his earlier.
"That was kind of corny Hales" Nathan teased
"You bought the padlock"
"Good point" he agreed before he pulled her into his arms kissing her once more. She pulled back and began running up the beach
"Hales where are you going?" Nathan yelled exasperated
"To move the house key!"