Okay this is in honor of One Tree Hill having it's all new episode tonight. I think I figured out the past part of this story, but i'll get into that in future chapters. What i promised in the last chapter (the time with Brooke etc. will come later.) Right now, this chapter is sort of an interlude and it'sdedicated to Nathan'sRavenwho wanted to see something physical between Haley and Nathan...

Nathan watched the ball sail up and slam into the hoop silently.

A perfect basket.

Basketball as the one constant in Nathan's life. It was the one thing he knew would always be there. The re-appearance of his wife had pushed him back to the river court at 4 am. The lights were turned on, even though the sky was becoming slightly blue with the promise of a new day.

"You're here too?"

Nathan looked up. A few feet away, Haley stood shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her short jacket seemed to light for the spring weather and Nathan briefly wondered if she was cold.

"I can go—" Haley offered.

"No," Nathan said, surprised at how hoarse his voice was, "stay."

"I just wanted to see if it was still the same," Haley said walking down onto the court, "so much has changed."

"Twelve years will do that to a place," Nathan agreed. Haley nodded and looked around. The court looked the same, down to Nathan standing there in loose cloths with a basketball tucked under his arm. Haley wrapped her arms around herself, worried about the tense silence that settle over them.

"Are you cold?" Nathan asked, his voice soft.

"I'm fine," Haley said shaking her head. Nathan smiled slightly at her stubbornness and reached into his bag, pulling out the coat he had thrown in there. He offered it to Haley who accepted it hesitantly.

"Thanks," she said pulling it on. Immediately she felt calm, although a part of her wondered how Nathan could still have such an effect on her. Deciding not to worry about it, Haley walked over to Nathan and held out her hands. He shot her a puzzled glance, "give me the ball," she said.

Nathan shrugged and passed it over. Haley lined up and took the shot. Her form wasn't perfect, but the ball sailed through the air and bounced off the board, swishing through the hoop.

"Nice shot!" Nathan said.

"Thank you," Haley laughed bowing slightly. An idea formed in Nathan's mind and he smiled suddenly, "what?" Haley asked cautiously.

"You up for a game?" Nathan asked, "a little one on one?"

"Alright you're on," Haley said, "what's this for?"

"If you win, I'll do what you want and if I win you have to do what I want," Nathan said.

"Hey, you play almost professionally," Haley argued.

"I thought you didn't follow my life," Nathan pointed out. Haley gave him a dirty look, "fine, I won't use my right arm."

"Done," Haley said, bouncing the ball and coming over to him. The two played for a minuet before Nathan managed to steal the ball and pitch it into the hoop, winning the game. Haley laughed and shook her head, "that wasn't fair!"

"Hey," Nathan said throwing his arms out, "I can't help it if I'm good."

"So what do I have to do?" Haley asked looking at him. Nathan tilted his head to the side, wondering how far he should go. Finally he settled and smiled walking forward. Haley looked at him warily. He took the basketball from her hands, his own big ones covering her small ones. She let the ball go and it fell to the ground, bouncing between them.

Nathan kicked the ball away, closing the gap between them and capturing her lips with his own. Haley didn't struggle, her mind went completely blank and her instincts took over. The part of her that should have screamed 'you belong to Derek Woods!' was silent. Instead her hands let go of his to come around his neck as she felt her knees weaken slightly.

Nathan's suddenly free hands wrapped around Haley's waist, pulling her against him and deepening the kiss.

But at the worst time possible, Haley's mind snapped on and she pulled away, stumbling backwards.

"We can't!" she cried, her voice thick, "Nathan I'm engaged to marry someone—I haven't seen you for twelve years and—" Haley took a breath and ran a hand through her hair, "no," she said calmly, "we are adults, rational and grown up."

"True," Nathan said approaching her, "but what fun would that be?"

"Oh no," Haley said with a frantic grin, "no no, you do not still have the same effect on me as you did when I was—"

Nathan pressed his lips to hers again. Haley gasped but then succumbed to the kiss, glad for once that his arms were around her to keep her from falling down.

"sixteen," Haley finished when they pulled apart for air. For a minuet they both were silent, each watching the other as if to figure out who would move next. Haley did, stepping back. She took another step back too.

"Don't," Nathan said softly, "don't go. Don't run away, not again."

Haley turned around to face him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I tried," she whispered, "so hard to forget you. For twelve years I told myself you didn't exist. And you know what?" she said laughing bitterly, "I was getting pretty good at it. I told myself you were with her and you were happy and I should be too. That I fucking deserved the happiness you had!"

"Her?" Nathan demanded, "her who!"

"The girl that picked up your phone when I called to tell you I had it with music and I was coming home," Haley said, "the same girl that picked up the second time I called, and the third until finally I just stopped calling."

"Haley I don't know what you're talking about," Nathan said, anger creeping into his voice, "because I tried to move on too. You think it hasn't been hard for me? Every street I walk down in Tree Hill has your face on it. I still have the apartment and it looks exactly like it did the day I realized I couldn't move on while living in it. You're the one who went and got engaged for Christ's Sake, not me!"

"Yeah and the second I got in the car I had a complete breakdown!" Haley yelled back.

"And that's my fault!" Nathan roared back.

"Yeah it is!" Haley yelled, "because maybe if I wasn't still in love with you I could be happy!"

Cliffhanger! Does Nathan feel the same? Dun Dun Dun! Who Know? ME! and I'll let you readers know soon too. Until next time...