Lucky
by Heather
"...And then I saw you, and I told myself that if I could just get up, I would walk over to you. I would tell you how much I need you, how much I want you. And how nothing else matters."
A small smile tugged at the corners of Haley James' mouth as she recalled Nathan's heartfelt words. So much had changed in these past five weeks, it was almost incomprehensible. She would have never thought, on that cool October morning, that she would be here now with Nathan, feeling like this.
"Don't say I never gave you anything," Nathan Scott remarked confidently, exuding an aura of confidence tinged with cockiness. Haley, surprisingly, found this somewhat alluring. The way one corner of his mouth tilted up slightly when he was trying to charm her, the way his eyes scanned the full length of her body, taking her captive. The way....
No, she couldn't be thinking this. She was Lucas' best friend. She was his tutor. That's what tutors do. They, well... tutor.
She quickly brushed the thought from her mind. "Do you see this book? Cause this book is me, I am math."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped.
"It means that you can work your whole 'I'm Nathan Scott, Mr. Big Shot, scoring my touchdowns' on someone else because..."
Nathan chuckled softly, with his characteristic smirk forming on his lips.
"I don't even play football."
"Whatever. The point is at the end of the day all your bluster and BS don't mean anything to math. Cause Math don't care, and neither do I."
So many things had changed. They were here, together, in her room. He had just poured his heart out to her. He had told her the words that she was for so long waiting to hear. Everything was perfect. She had everything she wanted.
She cared.
She took in a sharp breath, exhaling slowly. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts of her boyfriend that she had almost forgot to breathe. Nathan seemed to have that affect on her.
Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice flooding from her bedside.
"Haley? Can I stay with you tonight?" His words came low and throaty, surely the result of his drug use and dehydration.
She tilted her head up in his direction, her features quickly softening to a slight smile when she looked at his gorgeous body sitting on her bedside.
He needed her.
The past few weeks hadn't always been good times; Haley had watched as all the weight Dan Scott had put on him over the years bare all it's weight onto his shoulders. He couldn't withstand the pressure. Tonight she watched Nathan collapse onto the freshly polished gym floor, certainly a direct cause his father. She couldn't let him go back to that house, the house that had been a constant source of heartache for him. She wanted to be near him. To kiss away all his worries and fears. Make him feel safe.
She wanted him to stay in her bed tonight.
Partially out of habit, and partially due to her sudden nervousness, Haley positioned her left index finger between her teeth, nibbling anxiously. Apprehensively, she extended her other arm and reached for the doorknob, shutting it softly behind her.
She wasn't quite sure why she did it; no one was home. She wanted to keep him safe, though. Keep the tumult of the world away, at least for one night.
Haley pivoted around on the heel of one foot, facing Nathan. His head that just a few moments ago was facing towards the carpet, sat erect on his shoulders, a questioning gaze playing in his eyes.
She quickly diverted his penetrating gaze, and walked slowly towards him. Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest, as she rotated one wrist, a strange habit she had picked up from Lucas when they were young. She took another deep inhalation as she reached Nathan. One slender leg was positioned between his two expanded ones. He looked up at her from his sitting position, his deep blue eyes searching hers. She extended her hand, finding its resting place beside his forehead. She rubbed her thumb from left to right across the wrinkles on his forehead, slightly disheveling his brow. He closed his eyes, and lifted his hand, completely covering hers. She lovingly turned her hand over, causing his much bigger one to encase her smaller one. Almost as if they were in synch, they let their conjoined hands fall onto the top of Nathan's thigh.
Haley gave him a reassuring smile, and gently tugged his hand with hers, an indication that she wanted him to stand. He obliged, but his equilibrium immediately became askew. Haley released her hold on his hand and repositioned it around his waist in an attempt to stabilize him. He grunted quietly with a furrowed brow.
"Dammit Nathan, don't stand up so quickly. It's a freaking miracle I even made it here," he reasoned.
After assuring that he could stand on his own, Haley moved her hands to his shoulders, whirling him around gently until he was facing her, although her petite frame was only content to stare at his broad chest. Her eyes lifted, meeting his gaze. Her hands shifting again, this time on top of the shiny buttons of his black Ravens shirt, right above his heart. She swiftly began unbuttoning them, intent on removing the restrictive material from his exhausted body.
"You'll never get to sleep in this, and you definitely need it," she remarked.
Soon the shirt was completely unbuttoned, and Nathan continued to search her eyes in wonderment as he took the sleeve from one arm, then the next. He turn away deftly, draping the shirt onto the back of the green chair which was resting beside Haley's computer. Now he was left only is his thin white undershirt and his pants. He reverted his eyes back to her beautiful brown orbs, a look of certainty in her eyes.
"I've never seen her like this before. She's wonderful to me, especially after the way I treated her outside the gym earlier."
He took a step towards her, leaning down slowly to place a sweet peck upon her lips. He was completely oblivious to the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach.
She made no response, only wrapped her small arms around his waist, guiding him towards the bed. Before they reached it, however, Haley stopped.
"Take your shoes off," she demanded.
Nathan turned towards her.
"Another questioning look," she thought.
"So, um, so you can be comfortable. Sleep." She rubbed the back of her neck with her free arm timidly.
"Oh." He shook his head.
He leaned down cautiously, removing one shoe then the other. She felt her stagger under his weight. He instantly rested his strong hand on the small of her back, giving her back the stability that she had given.
Nathan kicked his shoes haphazardly across the floor, then dropped onto the bed, exhausted. He was surprised to feel pressure on his ankles. He turned his eyes downwards, and he found Haley, squatting, pulling his feet off the floor and onto the softness of the mattress.
He smiled to himself.
"What did I ever do to get this lucky?"
He laid back against the soft pillows, and closed his eyes, inhaling then exhaling deeply. He opened them again to see Haley's eyes fixated on him, a look of adoration in her eyes. He blew a kiss in her direction, and she giggled softly. She made her way to the other side of the bed, and sat down beside Nathan. Haley reached over, turned off the lamp, and rolled over towards Nathan.
He immediately lifted his arm, resting it on her hip. The warmth of his touch coursed through her body, warming her all the way down to her toes. Haley extended her arm also, and ran her fingers through his thick brown hair. Then she felt the heaviness of his hand as he pulled her tiny body nearer to him, closing the gap between them.
Haley placed her head on his shoulder, her forehead resting beside his jawline. He slowly moved his calloused hand to the soft exposed skin of her arm, rubbing up and down delicately. She sighed in agreement, her hot breath traveling over his neck. He felt a trail of kisses upon his jaw. Nathan reached over, intertwining the fingers on his free hand with hers.
Unanticipatedly, Haley's slim leg moved from the bed, and positioned it on top of Nathan's more muscular one. Nathan smiled as their legs tangled together, her warmth flooding over him. She began sensually rubbing her pink socks down his leg.
Nathan's deep blue eyes widened, meeting Haley's. He cocked one eyebrow up, the corner of his mouth turning upwards. He leaned over, settling his forehead on hers. She leaned her face toward his, pressing their lips together. He kissed her feverishly, tasting the sweetness of her mouth. Letting the raw passion take over, Haley open her mouth slightly, allowing him the full access of her mouth, swiftly burrowing her hand further into his hair. Suddenly his tongue collided with hers. He grasped onto the smooth skin on Haley's arm tighter. A soft moan escaped her lips as she pushed her torso into his.
"I want her so much," he thought.
Suddenly Nathan tore his lips from Haley's. She opened her eyes, and Nathan noticed her brown searching his blue.
"Not tonight, Haley," he whispered, deep and husky, "Not right now. You couldn't even begin to imagine how much I want you. How much I want to be with you, touch you. I told you that. But I can't do this tonight, Hales. I was in the hospital. Dehydrated. I couldn't get "it" to, well, you know, even though I really want to. But more that that, I won't force myself on you. I don't want you to look back on your first time and regret it. I want you to be ready. I know you girls dream of it being magical and wonderful. Well, it's just not going to be that way if we do this now, Haley. I'm not even sure if I'm the guy for the job. I want to be, though, and I want to make it as comfortable and memorable as I possibly can for you."
Haley immediately realize that he had assumed wrong. She replied, still breathless, "Nate, you are perfect. Don't ever think your not good enough for me. When I'm ready, I'm know that I want my first time to be with you. Only you. Don't ever doubt that. But tonight I'm not ready, and it's obvious you are in no shape for that either. I'm sorry I gave you the wrong idea. I guess the hormones were raging for the both of us."
Nathan chuckled.
"I guess that just happens when you care about someone the way I care about you," she continued, "But it won't happen tonight. Someday, though."
"Yeah, someday. I'll be ready and waiting whenever you are. Just don't wait too long," he said with a smirk.
Haley hadn't heard him, though. Nathan looked down to find her sleeping figure resting in the crook of his neck. He felt her heavy breath rise and fall against his arm. Nathan couldn't help but smile. With Haley laying beside him, her arm across his chest, and their legs and fingers intertwined like this, he was in Heaven.
"Pure Heaven. She's perfect. She deserves a good guy, but yet here she is with me. I really am lucky. So very lucky."
Nathan placed a peck into her hair before his own eyes snapped shut.
Now he could finally sleep.
THE END