Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own any of these wonderful characters, as much as I'd like too, they're simply not mine.
Authors' Note: Ok everyone, this story leaves off after the night Nathan collapses at the basketball game, and is taken to the hospital, where he promptly leaves and goes to stay the night with Haley. This will primarily be a N/H story, with a little of the Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke, storyline thrown in, as well as some other characters. Hope you enjoy!
Inside of You
Chapter 1
The Morning After
The bright early morning sun shone through the open drapes, showering a line of light upon Haley James' closed eyes. She slowly blinked them open and shut in an attempt to edge herself out of the warm cocoon of sleep that enveloped her. When she tried to roll over on her side, she found a warm body blocking her way.
Haley arched her head up to see the silent form of Nathan Scott curled closely around her. And for a moment all she could do was stare at him. He's so beautiful, she thought, as she watched his body expand and retract from his even breathes, the soft flutter of his thick eyelashes as they flickered up and down, and the way his dark hair fell flat against his head from sleeping.
Haley wondered how everything had come so far so fast. It seemed only a short time ago her and Nathan had been in entirely different worlds living completely separate lives. But none of that mattered when they were together, in this minute nothing mattered except the two of them.
Almost as if she was a moth drawn to a flame, Haley unconsciously brought her hand up, and ever so lightly caressed the side of Nathan's jaw line, feeling the smooth skin underneath her fingers twitch from her touch. When she saw Nathan's eyelids bob up and down, she ran her hand gently across his cheek a few more times until he woke up.
As there eyes finally met Haley couldn't help but smile at him.
"Hey," she spoke to him quietly.
"Hi," he whispered back, brining a hand up to rub his eyes.
"How are you feeling?"
Nathan yawned, stretching out his body tensely before falling back into his previously relaxed state. "Good............better," he replied, smiling back at her.
"Well that's good to know," she began, feeling all of a sudden nervous under his intense eyes, "because I wouldn't like to think that you slept uncomfortably....I mean I know I can snore sometimes, it can be pretty bad. Not that I snore all the time, just....you know when I'm sick or something. Not that I'm sick now, I'm just saying I don't snore all the time. Only–."
"Haley," Nathan called, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"Yeah ," she answered, pausing to look at him finally and noticing his wide-eyed expression. "I'm babbling aren't I, or is that I do snore and you don't want to tell me?"
Nathan puffed out a laugh, rolling his eyes in amusement. "Yes you are babbling, and no you don't snore...at least not that I know of," he gave a her teasing smirk.
"Good, great, really great, in fact now I can go tell Lucas that he's a big fat liar all those times he said I snored when we were younger," she finished quickly.
Nathan's smile faded at her last comment, and was then replaced with a look of mixed jealousy and curiosity. "You guys used to sleep together as kids?"
"Well kind of, but not really, we had this place in the woods we'd go camping at in the summer, I always had bad allergies, and runny noses so Lucas always teased me about snoring. Actually there was this funny story one time," Haley began with a chuckle, noticing Nathan's complete lack on interest as he propped himself up on the pillow with his elbow. "But I'm guessing he's not what you want to talk about right now."
"Not really," he answered, looking down at her again.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bombard you with old nostalgia, its just sometimes when I get...nervous, I tend to ramble on, it's just one of many bad habits I have, " she said, looking anywhere but at him.
"I make you nervous, " Nathan smiled, a new sparkle glittering in his eyes as he leaned closer to her.
"Pfftt......Noooooo," Haley lied, rolling her eyes to emphasize her point to him, "the situation makes me nervous. I mean here we are: you, me, in my bed alone, talking about my snoring. Not really a recipe for confidence."
"We actually you were the one talking about it, I was the one lying here thinking about how much I'd really like to kiss you," he retorted moving a few inches from her face, his eyelids falling low as he stared at her mouth.
"Oh," she looked at him expectantly, yet hesitantly as she began biting her lower lip.
Nathan gave her a reassuring smile before he brushed his lips against hers slowly, feeling her soft skin against his own. He then deepened the kiss, feeling Haley's hand come up and graze the side of his face before entangling its way into his hair. He leaned into her more, their bodies entwining together, as the moment became stronger, all of their emotions becoming elevated.
And it then it became too much, and Nathan couldn't handle it any longer.
He moved back, breaking contact and taking deep breaths of needed air as he rested his forehead against hers.
"Wow," Haley breathed, her eyes filled with desire, at seeing this new side of him.
"Thanks," Nathan replied with a cocky grin, "I do what I can."
She tenderly smacked him on the arm, and shook her head, before pulling the covers over her body. Suddenly feeling very vulnerable from their kiss. Nathan mimicked her actions and returned to his side of the bed plopping his head back down on the feather pillow behind him.
"Thank you," he repeated after a few minutes of silence. He looked over and saw his companions raised eyebrows and continued. "No, really I mean it, thanks for letting me stay last night, thanks for being my friend, for all of it."
Haley could swear she felt her heart jump at his declaration to her. "You're welcome," she answered warmly.
Feeling awkward about what to do next, Nathan ran a hand through his hair leisurely, bringing it down his face with a yawn. Haley watched him, looking at the clock on the wall closest to him.
"Don't you think you should call your parents Nathan," she asked him, mindful of his mother's worry.
"Why," he snapped at her, turning his eyes to the ceiling.
"Because, I bet their both worried to death, did you even tell them where you were going last night," she snapped back.
"No I didn't tell them where I was going, and no their not worried. You don't know my parents, the only thing they care about is what social-slash-sport-event they can attend next, and that's about it."
Haley sighed, and squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. "That's not true Nathan, I know your mother loves you, she talks about you all the time. Your father loves you too, he's just–."
"Can we not do this right now, I'm really tired and I'd just like to sleep a few more hours before I have to go back to the insanity of life, " he said, looking at her when he finished talking.
"I'm just worried Nathan, I don't wa–," Haley began, but was cut off again.
"Haley please....can we just sleep, I'm so tired. I just want to sleep. Can we just sleep, "he whispered, curling his body into hers until they were meshed together, sheltered from the outside world for as long as the moment would last.
A/N: Like it? Hate it? Want it to stop? Let me know, I love feedback, and the more you tell me what you want, the more I give back.
