Author's Note:I've been trying to upload this for five days now!! Sorry it took so long, there was something wrong with the system. Thanks for the reviews!! Keep it up!

Lucas lay alone on his bed, knowing that it was dark outside and that Keith was already fast asleep. All his senses told him repeatedly that he should be in a deep slumber by now, but he wasn't. The blonde hairs of his head were nestled deep into his pillow and his limbs were tucked safely beneath his sheets, but his eyes remained wide open.

His mind continued with activity.

The words Peyton had spoke to him still stuck, adhering to the fibers of his skin and echoing in his brain. At first he laughed at the foolish thought that he could be anything more than friends with Haley. After all, they were Lucas and Haley. The part of best friends was scripted from the moment she moved to Tree Hill. But now, it didn't seem like such a foolish thought anymore.

And there was that ridiculous feeling in his chest that happened each time he thought of her face. Her sunshine smile and her delicate eyes. The abnormal panging, banging, sticky feeling in his chest seemed to appear. He could think of Brooke or Peyton or Angelina Jolie even and nothing that odd happened.

But when he thought of Haley? Thump thump went his heart.

Finally crawling out of bed, he picked a pair of jeans off his floor and pulled a sweatshirt over his head to cover his bare chest. Slowly creeping out of the kitchen door, he felt a surge of adrenaline rush through. This wasn't the first time that he was going to Haley's house at this time of night, they grew up together, sleepovers included. But tonight, it was a whole different world.

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She was sitting at her computer, checking some friends' websites, downloading the latest episodes of her favorite TV show, typing her thoughts unto an untitled Word document.

Her cursor blinked rapidly, a beacon on the practically empty page. The immaculate white was stained with only two words.

"Haley Scott."

When she was younger, in the goofy sixth grade phase of her life, her notebooks were covered in doodles. Hearts and arrows and bubbly writing over and over again with the words "Haley Scott" along side with "Lucas Haley" and "Mrs. Lucas Scott." At that time, it was still Haley and Lucas together against the world. It was before Nathan or basketball teams or tutoring or any of the insane drama that they had been swept into over the past few months.

The words leapt off the page and cut into her eyes. Years ago, she held her secret wish inside. Through days and nights and periods of fun as well as unhappiness, it was all about one guy. But he was her best friend. At times her only friend. So she did her part to save their relationship. She kept quiet, darted her eyes in the opposite direction when he hugged her, prevented herself from feeling butterflies when his fingers touched her face. She would never let a soul know that she was in love with Lucas.

But that was ages ago. Before Peyton, Nathan, Brooke.

Haley was over Lucas. They were friends, it was not only a statement but a fact. Written in stone as well as tree trunks.

Nathan was her boyfriend. She needed to mend their relationship before anything else.

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He arranged himself among the roof tiles, sitting patiently and just watching her. Haley looked so deeply concentrated, he wondered what she was doing at the computer. She just sat there, her fingers poised above the keyboard and yet not typing.

Finally, he could take it no longer. He reached his left hand to the glass and tapped softly.

She fell off her chair. Looking up slowly, partially frightened of a robber or rapist, her face flooded with relief when she saw him.

Quickly clicking something on the computer, she hurried to the window and opened it, letting Lucas tumble unto her floor headfirst.

"Oops," she giggled, pulling him up.

"Ow," he replied, rubbing his neck. With his arm lifted, his sweatshirt moved to reveal a thin strip of skin above his jeans. Haley bit her lip as she caught herself staring at the sexy lines of his hip bones.

"What's up?" she asked, nonchalantly. She crawled unto her bed, pulling her legs up so her chin met her bare knees.

"Just felt like saying hey."

"Hey."

"Hey." He smiled. "You aren't going to make me leave now, are you?"

She rolled her eyes. Haley Scott. Haley Scott. The two words danced within her mind as she looked at his angel blue eyes. It made her wonder, yet again, whether she wrote those words wanting to be Mrs. Nathan Scott or Mrs. Lucas Scott.

"Hello? Earth to Haley."

"Sorry, I was spacing out there for a minute." Offering the explanation as she smiled sheepishly. Though he wanted to, he couldn't smile back. He was just sitting at the foot of her bed, gazing at her, registering her every movement.

Slowly, he began to move towards her.

"Haley..." The word rolls off his lips like a forgotten song. His eyes locked unto hers.

"Luke..." Unconsciously, her body unwrapped itself from the position she was in to envelope him in her arms.

Their faces inches apart, their breaths shallow, it was the perfect moment to end the façade of "just friends".

But they didn't. Instead of pressing his cool lips on hers, he kept them inches from her face. His hand lifted to tuck some stray hairs behind her ear. His touch sent shivers up and down her spine.

Haley's heart beat wasn't just a monotonous sound anymore. It whispered to her, a syllable a beat. Kiss him. Kiss him. Kiss him. But she couldn't. How easy it would have been to lean her face in those few extra inches and shatter their insecurities. But this was Haley. The one who considered the consequences and acknowledged reality even when she would be better off without doing so. Her eyelashes caressed her cheeks as she blinked slowly, opening her eyes to unveil the vulnerable and sweet Lucas before her.

"We..." the word stuck in her mouth. She wasn't sure where the sentence would go. Every beat every bone everything told her that she should be honest. Confess how she felt and let go of all the ties that prevented her from falling in love with him. But she couldn't.

They were just friends.

"Let's sleep?" he offered. Leaning back, he settled on top of her covers as she stayed frozen in her sitting position. Why had he come here just now? Why hadn't he kissed her?

Because he knew. He knew that she was the same Haley James that refused to get into a pool unless it was the perfect temperature. She wouldn't kiss him until it was the perfect time. And he was scared. What if this wasn't the perfect time? He was willing to gamble on love. Even though the hurt from Brooke was still fresh. But he would never gamble on his friendship with Haley. Because that's what mattered most.

He encircled his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him. Snug together, cradled in each other's warmth, they closed their eyes. But neither slept. They lay, feeling the other's breath, heartbeat, body against their own. Refusing to acknowledge their feelings, wondering what the other thought. Longing for this intimate moment to mean more. Much more. More than just friends.

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In a different bed, Nathan was in a similar situation. His arms wrapper around a delicate torso, wisps of dark hair tickled his face. And he could feel the rhythmic breathing against his body, reminding him that she was fast asleep. But he couldn't. He was wide awake and brimming with remorse.

What had he just done?

He came home from Haley's, angry and envious. When they were first together, he congratulated himself on being able to infiltrate the seemingly solid relationship between her and Lucas. He was getting back at his half brother for joining the team- and for Peyton.

But as Nathan and Haley's relationship continued on, he realized exactly why Lucas was so protective over her. She was beautiful and strong and vulnerable and fragile. She was naïve and adventurous at the same time. Around her, he felt strong. He felt the need to stand up straight and be wiser.

Nathan had buried himself so deep in his infatuation with the little brunette, he didn't realize the whole parts of herself that she kept locked away from him. The parts of herself, the pieces of an intricate puzzle, that she revealed to only one other person. To Lucas.

Silently, he yelled at himself. Why had he allowed himself to fall so hard for her? Her smile made him forget his worries and her hugs made him feel safe. Her kisses brought him to paradise.

But it was Lucas she took comfort in. It was his hugs that made her feel safe. It was his smile that brought light into her life.

You couldn't delete years upon years of love and memories with a push of a button. He began to question whether Haley ever really loved him. It was cruel to think of it, because he knew she cared. If she hadn't cared, she wouldn't have cried and begged him to mend their relationship.

But had Haley done so only because she didn't want to see Nathan hurt?

The confusion and tension and anger and envy built inside him. And when she showed up at his door, asking if he wanted to talk, rationality flew out the window.

And now he lay, with a body nestled against his, and all he could feel was regret.