Shown
Summary: On Day 12, Nathan confesses something on his video that Daley overhears… AU season 2
Day 12 Morning
Nathan walked into the jungle, the camera balanced in his hand as he walked. The dirt moved beneath his feet, the sun beat down on his shoulders. He moved to a secluded spot and placed the camera down. Turning it on, he pressed record and sat back, sighing to himself.
"Okay," Nathan sighed, "this is kind of huge, so it's hard for me to say it out loud. Well the last time I talked about… Daley… I confessed that I had feelings for her. Strong ones. I told Mel, who reacted as I suspected- surprised, supportive, then is pushing me to tell Daley.
Like I can. Whenever I try, my throat closes up and I get all nervous. That's never happened to me before. What does that mean?" Nathan ran a nervous hand through his hair, "and… I guess… I hope it's not obvious that I like her so much. I mean, yesterday I cheered her on and stuff, but I also stammered and got confused when we were talking about the whole leadership deal together, and I just… I love it whenever I'm near her, when we danced at Abby's dance; I loved that… so much. My hands on her waist, her hands on my shoulders, and… you know what I mean. I'm so glad we aren't at each other's throats anymore, and that we're sort of… friends. I hope I can put it that way. I seriously pray that I can. I guess it's kind of obvious that I… that I… I love her. Not that I'd be able to tell her. Or tell Mel the extent of my crush. If I tell Mel, she'll pressure me even more to tell Daley. And I… I'm just not read to tell her that I even like her. If I'm rejected, I'll have no where to hide, no where to run. And nor will my heart. It'll be snapped in two," Nathan sighed again.
"So… I guess it's kind of dumb, me falling for her. Maybe I should learn from this… but how can I learn when my heart is breaking?
Which is why I can't tell her. So my heart can still dream. Well, I got to go help out with finding food. I just hope I won't do something completely dumb. Or dumber than what I normally do," and Nathan shut off the camera. He went into the jungle; and when he was definitely gone Daley climbed, still shocked, out of the bushes.
F29DWN
Daley walked over to Nathan, who was shelling coconuts. His hair fell all over his face. Daley nearly blushed just looking at him, still unsure on how to act.
"Hey Nathan, do you have the video camera with you?" Daley stammered.
"Yeah, here," Nathan handed her the camera and grinned. Daley turned to go, shell shocked even by the brief finger touch exchanged during the passing of the camera. Any touch with Nathan would now rattle her spine.
"Oh and Daley?" Nathan called after her. Daley spun around, her bright red hair whipping into her face.
"Yeah?" she asked, nervous that Nathan had held her back to tell her, and she didn't know how to react yet.
"When you're done, could you come back to help me shell these coconuts?" he grinned, the very smile that made Daley both bubbly happy yet nervous as well. Daley's knees went weak with relief- he wasn't telling just yet.
"Sure," Daley smiled pleasantly, and then turned to leave again. She walked over to a secluded area of the jungle, and set down the camera. Daley flicked it on, put in her tape, and pressed record.
"Okay, so I'm a little startled. I mean, right from the get go I thought I was alone. Alone in love, I mean. Starting with day 3, I have continuously fallen for Nathan. But you know this already. Well, my little diary friend, I have a nice or frightening surprise for you today.
Nathan loves me too.
Oh, he didn't tell me so. I was a rat, I know. But Nathan got up in the middle of breakfast to do his diary. He seemed so distant to me lately… and to everyone else. I was horribly curious. I left to 'go get more fruit' because of this. He had such a solemn expression on his face. I hid in a bush, hoping he wouldn't hear me.
Guess he didn't," Daley tucked a strand of her curly hair behind her ear and looked around nervously.
"He talked about how he couldn't talk around me because he was nervous. How he loved to be near me. How he was glad we weren't in competition anymore- AKA friends.
He also talked about how he was having trouble telling me how he really felt. How he… how he had feelings for me.
And then… then he confessed he loved me.
I was stunned. I'm still stunned. How do I act around him now? Before it had been easy- I pretended I didn't like him that way.
How am I going to do that now?" Daley sighed and shut off the camera. She turned around and walked through the jungle and then back to Nathan- who was still shelling coconuts.
Daley looked so upset that Nathan grew concerned.
"You okay, Day?" he asked kindly as Daley set down the camera.
"Um… yeah. Just a little… exhausted, to be truthful. It's been a long 12 days," Daley mumbled.
"Then take a rest, I'll handle the coconuts," Nathan grinned. The smile sent more waves of emotion through Daley.
"Do you want me to leave?" Daley murmured, hoping he'd say no but also praying for him to say yes- all at once.
"Nah," Nathan smiled again, "It's nice to have someone to talk to. Heck, even your presence is nice, Day," immediately Nathan blushed and stopped talking. He couldn't let another comment like that slip.
Daley blushed as well but sat down. She hugged herself tightly.
"It's getting windier," she murmured, shivering slightly.
"Yeah. I hope we'll all be warm enough tonight," Nathan murmured.
"There's no doubt we'll all be warm, there's so many of us," Daley smirked a little, "but I'm kind of afraid whether there'll be a storm or not."
"That too," Nathan nodded and grinned, causing Daley's stomach to do major flip-flops.
"Yeah," Daley hugged herself more as the wind picked up.
"Do you want me to go get your sweatshirt?" Nathan's voice was full of concern.
"Thanks," Daley smiled at him. He grinned back and left to camp. Daley blushed a little and stared around at the jungle.
When it's so obvious that we care about each other… Daley could have slapped herself as Nathan came back.
"Hey," he smiled and handed Daley her sweatshirt.
"Thanks," Daley smiled and pulled it on over her head.
"Yup," Nathan nodded and sat down next to her. Their shoulders brushed up past each other, and remained touching. Chills went though both their spins, yet neither moved. Admittedly, both expected the other to move.
"I can't believe we've been stuck here for twelve days," Daley murmured when it was obvious that no one was moving.
"So much has happened, yet the one thing we want most to hasn't," Nathan agreed.
"Rescue," both whispered at once. At this telepathy, both laughed nervously.
"I want to go home," Daley murmured softly.
Nathan instinctively wrapped his arm tightly around Daley's shoulder before he could stop himself. He rubbed her top arm section briefly and pulled her in closer to him. He brought his face close to hers.
"We're going to go home," Nathan murmured softly. Daley stared back at him, comforted by his close grip on her. But she was also nervous by their closeness. So she settled her head on his shoulder, praying this was a good compromise between kissing him and running away.
"I hope so," she murmured quietly. Nathan wrapped his free hand around her instinctively, and both didn't wish to leave. The closeness they felt was overwhelming yet comforting.
From behind them, Melissa watched against a tree, smirking.
F29DWN
Nathan sat along the beach, the waves lapping at his feet. Darkness clouded the world, as it was nighttime. The others were all sitting around the fire, eating dinner. The moon lay overhead, flanked by millions of stars. Deep in thought, Nathan closed his eyes and opened them again. He repeated this procedure often, trying to clear his mind of the one thought that filled it up again and again, plaguing it.
Daley.
Thoughts of Daley, all thoughts of Daley; filled his mind and controlled it. They pushed out other thoughts with overpowering force. They made him nervous as he tired to wipe them from his mind. But to no avail. Daley filled up Nathan's mind wholly and completely.
As if on cue, Daley walked up behind him. She hesitated before sitting down, nervousness filling her body. Finally she won the battle, and sat down next to Nathan.
"Hey," Daley murmured. Nathan nodded.
"Hey. What's up?" Nathan asked, inching himself a little closer to Daley. Daley noticed, but didn't react. She didn't want him to move away.
"Not much… I'm just bored I guess," Daley sighed.
"Welcome to the club," Nathan laughed. Daley laughed briefly herself, before going right back to being nervous.
On the off-chance that we can be together, where will that leave everyone else? It'll be awkward for the others, and if (God forbid) we break up… it'll be Armageddon. I don't know how to handle that, but I sure can't handle how I feel right now. I have to tell him, Daley thought desperately.
"Um, Nathan, I kind of have something to tell you," Daley murmured softly, "and I just feel horrible about it. But it'll also make things easier on you, I guess, so…" Daley blushed furiously.
"What is it, Day?" Nathan's voice was filled with concern. He wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulder, sending waves of pleasant emotion throughout Daley's spine.
"I… I overheard you when I was collecting fruit… I overheard you making your video diary this morning!" Daley paled a little and bit her lip in shame. Nathan's eyes widened, but his face was still full of concern and his arm was still around her shoulder.
"I heard you, and I feel terrible. I know that's no excuse. I feel terrible that I listened, and it was very obvious that it was never meant for me to hear. But I heard. It makes your job easier," Daley blushed and looked down at the ground.
"So you know that I… that I love you," Nathan sighed, and ran his hand through this hair.
"Um… yeah," Daley murmured softly, blushing and lowering her gaze from Nathan's eyes to the sandy ground.
Nathan sighed and pulled back away from Daley, "I understand, you don't feel the same way about me." I'll never get to hold her again, he thought in despair.
"That's… that's not true," Daley murmured, "but I'm not exactly the world champion at admitting my feelings."
"You… you… like me?" Nathan murmured softly and went weak in the knees.
"Like's a little weak," Daley smirked.
"Fine, let me rephrase," Nathan chuckled nervously, "you love me?" Nathan couldn't help it- he grinned.
"Yeah," Daley smiled shyly, her heart pounding against her chest. Nathan, without even thinking of stopping himself or feeling at all nervous, leaned in to kiss Daley. Their lips met willingly, and with the kiss waves of emotion went surging through both of them. Nathan and Daley pulled apart, and the reflection of the stars shown in their eyes.
"I… I um…" Daley stammered, her heart pounding out of her chest.
"Yeah," Nathan stammered. Daley leaned in and kissed Nathan again. Nathan kissed back, and their kisses grew fierier by the second. They pulled apart, breathless and with a high feeling in the pit of their stomachs.
"Again?" Nathan panted. Oh my God…
"Yes," Daley nodded and Nathan leaned in again and their lips met once more.
F29DWN
Nathan walked over to Melissa the next morning. She was humming to herself.
"Hey Mel?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah?" she smiled at him.
"I… I think… I told Daley how I really felt?" Nathan couldn't help smiling.
"Oh? How'd it go?" Melissa smirked.
"Great. The feeling's mutual," Nathan blushed.
"Yay! You guys really are together!" Melissa cheered.
"Yeah, in a big way," Nathan murmured softly.
"What do you mean?" Melissa's face wore concern.
"I mean, we're kind of… in love," Nathan said very softly so that Melissa could barely hear. But she did, and screamed loudly.
"That's amazing!" Melissa cried. Nathan grinned sheepishly as Daley walked over.
"Hey Nathan," she murmured softly, but her face bore a smile.
"Hi Day," Nathan returned the grin and let out a soft cough. Melissa took the hint and slunk away slowly, leaving them alone.
"Did you, erm, tell her?" Daley looked up at Nathan, whose own gaze was intense. Daley, in response to this, blushed.
"Yeah. And I think you might have heard her reaction," Nathan smirked.
"Yup," Daley grinned. She leaned over on impulse and wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck loosely. Nathan automatically wrapped his arms around her as well, but on the waist. Their faces were mere inches apart.
"I love you, Daley," Nathan breathed before colliding their lips together. Daley deepened the kiss immediately, and broke it just to create a new kiss. More kisses erupted and multiplied until they were out of breath. Daley leaned her forehead and nose against Nathan's whilst panting heavily.
"I love you, Nathan," Daley murmured. Nathan grinned at Daley and pulled her in closer to him. They leaned on each other for a while, before Melissa coughed behind them. They reluctantly broke somewhat away from each other.
"Come on, you two," Melissa giggled, "Jackson needs your help in collecting fruit."
They grudgingly followed her, but both grinning anyway. Nathan held out his hand, and Daley took it- lacing her fingers with his.
(2,336 Words) This is a one shot, people. No sequels. But please review! I love feedback- it keeps me updating.