AUTHOR'S NOTE: So here we are, the last chapter of this story. I'm not going to lie, I know this will be INCREDIBLY cheesy and rushed and not that great, but I honestly didn't know how I was going to end this story so it's a miracle I got to this point! I am so ridiculously grateful for everyone who has followed and reviewed; it's not worthy of all the amazing kind words, but I promise that the next one I post will be infinitely better (I actually have two started that both have a first chapter written and very detailed outlines, which is more than I can say for this one!) Thank you so, so much for sticking with me and I hope this isn't too much of a disappointment. I would never have finished this if not for everyone's kind supportive words.

I also owe OTHFangirl an apology - she made a very good case for why we needed some hot Naley sex in this chapter, but as much as I tried I just couldn't include anything. I'm sorry to leave you all with metaphorical balls that would be bluer than poor Nathan's in chapter 17.

Final disclaimer: I still don't own OTH or its characters, and in this chapter I blatantly stole some dialogue straight from the show, so thank you to whoever wrote S1 ep22.

If you had told 18 year old Nathan Scott to have some patience, chances are he he would have narrowed his ice-blue eyes and shot daggers at you - if you were lucky. The unlucky might have received some form of physical assault. Both would have watched his back as he stalked away.

28 year old Nathan knew better. He'd been forced to wait for things to happen. He knew patience didn't necessarily mean the outcome was going to be the one he wanted, but he could no longer beat and bully his way into getting out of waiting. So even though every instinct in him screamed to not let Haley get away for a second time, he knew that he couldn't rush her. He knew she had a lot to get her head around. They were meant to be together and she would come around eventually. He just had to wait.

In the end, he had to wait three days.

"Took you long enough."

Haley startled at the voice that had broken through her thoughts. She had been standing at the edge of the Rivercourt, staring at the black Land Cruiser that had been parked up on the grass the last time she'd visited. The same Land Cruiser that reminded her of Devil12. The same Land Cruiser she now knew Nathan owned.

Because Nathan was Devil12.

That fact still rocked her, despite the time she'd had to go over their messages with fresh eyes. It just seemed so impossible that of all the people in the world, the man who had broken her heart was the one to capture it again.

Nathan stood, holding a basketball to his hip and smirking in the way that made Haley's knees weaken and head feel fuzzy. As their eyes met, Haley watched as the smirk melted into a genuine smiled that filled his whole face and crinkled the edges of his eyelids.

"Hey"

She tried to swallow, but her throat was desert-level dry. "Hey."

"I'm glad you're here."

"You are?"

"Of course," Nathan smiled again, gentler this time. "I've missed you."

God, she had missed him too. It had only been three days, but she'd felt his absence through her phone from the day of the wedding. Still, she'd sought to find him for a reason, and now wasn't the time to get lost in those devastating eyes or heart-melting smile.

"We need to talk."

Nathan nodded and by some unspoken agreement, the pair headed over to the ancient wooden bench that overlooked the river. Unlike the last time they had sat together at the Rivercourt, the sky was heavy and grey, a storm imminent. Haley could almost smell the rain in the air.

"Ok, so talk..."

Haley blew out a breath. The words she had practiced in her head as she'd driven towards the old basketball court to find him had suddenly vanished.

"Nathan, I'm scared."

It wasn't what she had intended to say, but it was the truth. It was the feeling that had kept her away from him for three long days, the feeling that prickled at her heart any time she even attempted to think about them having a happy future together.

"Why?"

Nathan's blatant confusion surprised her. "What do you mean, why?" She repeated

"Why are you scared?" Nathan turned so his body faced hers, his knees brushing against hers at the same time Haley felt the first drops of rain plop against her skin. "Haley, look, I'm not the guy that believes in fate, or destiny, or whatever. But everything is telling us that we're meant to be together. What's scary about that?"

"Everything?" Haley repeated dumbly.

"Come on, Hales. Of all the girls I could have started chatting to on that app, it was you that I found? I didn't even know you lived in Tree Hill when I moved back, but you are and Clay is dating your sister. Peyton and Brooke want us to be together again... hell, even your mom seems to want us back together."

"And what about you?"

"God Haley, how can you not know that?" Against the grey of the sky, Nathan's eyes seemed even bluer as they searched hers. A drop of rain fell against her eyelashes and she blinked, sending it tracking down her face like a tear. "I want you. I've always wanted you. Even when I pushed you away all those years ago, I wanted you."

Haley closed her eyes, this time feeling real tears pressing their heat against her eyelids. "You can't just say things like that, Nathan"

His calloused thumb came out to tenderly brush at the moisture on her cheeks. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "It's the truth, Hales. And do you want to know another one? I'm scared, too."

Her eyes fluttered open in surprise. "You are?"

"Yes. I'm scared of losing you again. I'm scared of you running away..."

"But that's just it!" Haley exclaimed, moving away from Nathan's touch. "You never lost me, I never ran away... that was all you, Nathan! You left me! You ended things and I've spent the last ten years never feeling whole again. I've spent ten years being set up on crappy dates with losers and never letting myself feel that excitement or that bravery. Who's to say that won't happen again?"

Nathan's jaw dropped open. "Wow. Really, Hales? That's what you're afraid of? That's what you think of me?"

The look on his face was enough to make Haley regret yelling at him, but she knew they couldn't dance around her fears anymore. It was what she had wanted to tell him, what she needed to tell him. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if her fear was a tangible thing she was holding close to her body. The rain was falling faster now, the wet drops leaving large circles against her skin and flaring out as they landed on her clothes.

"If that's how you really feel, then you don't know me at all," Nathan announced, his voice louder now, low and strong. "And clearly you told me that you forgave me, you lied."

"What? Nathan, no I didn't!

"Yes, you did!" Nathan roared back, standing up to tower over her. "We sat right here and I told you everything, about all the threats and pressure from my dad, how I gave you up because I thought it would be the best thing for you, and you forgave me. You. Forgave. Me." He annunciated, stepping so close to Haley that she could feel the heat coming off his body. It was a struggle to crane her neck to see him as the rain fell relentlessly against her eyes. "And now you're throwing all that history between us right back in my face. Using it as a reason why we can't be together now."

"That's not fair! I forgave you because I understood what happened back then, and because if I didn't forgive you, I'd never be able to move on! I didn't expect to be moving on from you with you!"

"That's not how forgiveness works, Haley!"

Silence fell between them, apart from the sound of Nathan's harsh breathing and the thrum of the rain hitting the heated concrete court. When Nathan spoke again, he sounded exhausted.

"I can't keep doing this," He shook his head resignedly, sending droplets of water flying through the air.. "I can't keep being reminded of everything I worked so hard to move past and grow from. That was the whole point of that stupid app, Hales... I wanted a fresh start, with someone who could see past all the mistakes I've made, who could love me anyway. And then I met you there and, God, you were like an angel, Haley. I knew I could trust you, from the moment you called me out on my cheesy pick up lines, I knew I could be myself with you."

The threat of a smile twitched at Haley's lips as she remembered his first words to her, the flirty banter about devils talking to angels that had her hooked. It wasn't that long ago but it seemed so simple back then, when their anonymity shielded her from how she was feeling now - so burdened from their past history together.

Lifting a hand to her face to wipe at the rain water, she sighed. "Is that it?

"You know, my pride says, yeah that's it. Just walk away..." Nathan shook his head again and Haley had to close her eyes against the spray of rain that fell from his damp, dark hair. "But my heart says, just forget about your pride, you idiot. You love this girl and even if you're gonna catch pneumonia, your ass is gonna stand out here in the rain until you convince her to forgive you."

The rush of heat that flooded her body made Haley forget that they were both soaked to the skin, their clothes sticking uncomfortably to their bodies. Love. He loved her, and she knew she loved him - she'd never stopped. Maybe that was enough.

"So come on, Hales. Meet me halfway here?"

She lifted her chin to meet his eyes, and as she did, she knew it was more than enough.

Pressing her lips together to starve off the giddy grin that threatened to consume her, Haley raised her eyebrows in a challenge. "Why should I?"

She saw Nathan's face soften, the moment the understanding hit his face. He loved her and she loved him back. It really could be that simple. "Because I love you. And because you're looking really hot standing here in the rain and I'm thinking, I have to kiss you."

As she exhaled a breath, Haley let her lips relax into a smirk the man in front of her would be proud of. She ran her fingers through her hair, sluicing the rain away from her face as she conceded. "Well, if you have to."

The relieved grin on Nathan's face almost made her giggle, as he pulled her towards him and their lips met. It had only been three days since they'd last kissed, but so much had changed between them. This kiss was different, more than just the kisses of want and lust that they'd shared inside the limousine and Brooke and Lucas' wedding. There was plenty of want and lust now, but Haley could feel the tenderness in Nathan's kiss, and the love.

"Wait, wait," she pulled away, breathlessly, giggling again as Nathan's head moved to follow her lips. "Wait a second."

She pulled her phone from the pocket of jeans, the screen instantly becoming dotted with rain and she prayed that her iPhone's waterproof rating would hold. Tapping on the bright red icon that had lived on her home screen for the past few weeks, she pulled up a message and tapped a few more times.

"Haley?" The frustration and confusion in Nathan's voice was adorable, but she knew she couldn't look up at him.

"Just wait!"

She tapped a few more times before she hit the send button and slid the phone back into her back pocket. As Nathan pulled her back towards him, she immediately felt the vibrations from the pocket of his shorts. It was impossible to keep a straight face as Nathan frowned at her. When his lips descended again, she couldn't help but giggle.

"I think you have a message. You should check that."

"It can wait."

She laughed again. "Come on, Nathan."

With an exaggerated sigh, Nathan pulled his own phone out. Haley saw the small flashing light of a new message, and was close enough to read his screen.

I love you, too.

Nathan's laugh was interrupted by a rumble of thunder from somewhere in the heavens above. Haley looked at him, eyes wide. "We should get out of here, this storm is getting bad."

"Yeah," Nathan agreed. "Someone once told me that you can actually get hit by lightning more than once."

"Oh really?" Haley played along. "That person must be super smart."

She could never get tired of watching him laugh, or that she was responsible for the happiness that radiated from his warm skin. She knew exactly how he felt.

"It's ok," he pulled her towards him once again, his grip firm against her wrist to stop them slipping from the rainwater. "It's worth the risk."

The rain continued to fall, but neither cared as they pulled each other even closer, their lips exploring and teasing, a dance they never wanted to end.

It felt like being struck by lightning.

The End.