This one is a little bit shorter but I just wanted to update this story! It's almost finished. Sorry it took so long! I've pretty much typed it up four different times and I wasn't satisfied until this one.

Nathan tossed a penny up at Haley's bedroom window, praying it didn't damage the glass or anything.

He'd tossed pebbles up there plenty of times, but this was all he could find in his dad's car.

He couldn't believe he was here, doing this. It always came back to her. He'd fought it for too long.

He was surprised that he'd pulled up to the curb and jumped out of the car immediately. He knew himself, and he knew that normally he would've drove around the block a few times, attempting to talk himself both out, and into this.

But this was Haley. He didn't owe himself anymore of an explanation than that.

But why wasn't she coming to the damn window? She was home.

Quinn and Clay's car was here. Along with several others.

Where could she be? Why wasn't she answering?

She wasn't that deep of a sleeper.

He tossed another coin up at the window, cringing at the loud noise. Must have been a quarter.

But that still didn't get her.

Dammit, Haley. If he had to climb up there and knock on the window-

"Nathan?"

He whipped around to see the girl of his thoughts standing behind him.

Within a second, he'd stepped to her quickly, gathering her in his arms, leaning down and kissing her.

Haley didn't hesitate to return his kiss, her hands raising to rest on his cheeks.

He put everything into that kiss. Every thought he'd had since the moment they'd seen each other again.

He was pretty sure he'd almost knocked her over because of it.

After a moment, he'd removed his mouth from hers, and instead of saying anything, he hugged her tightly.

Haley didn't say anything either. She just returned his hug, one hand nestling in the short hair on the back of his hair, the other gripping the hood of his sweatshirt.

Nathan pressed his face into her hair, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath, squeezing her tightly to him.

"Are you okay?" She finally asked him, pressing a kiss to his hair, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm not," He informed her, letting out a slow, deep breath. He lifted up his head from her neck, looking down at her.

A billion thoughts were running through his head right now, but of course, they all lead back to her.

"Oh?" She asked him quietly, smoothing her hands down his shoulders.

"I'm not good with words, Haley, you know that," He began, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't say that," She argued, shaking her head.

"Sure, sure..." He laughed, clearing his throat and smiling down at her.

She was everything.

"I've been doing some self reflecting..." He informed her, offering her a small nod. "In the last... Forty minutes or so?"

"Good or bad?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

He let out a laugh, shrugging his shoulders. "Y'know, Haley James, usually it means bad. But... I don't think this is bad at all," He informed him, a small grin forming on his face.

"Well get to it then. Self reflecting?" She said, nudging him.

Great. She knew. He could see it in her eyes that she knew exactly what was happening.

He may as well just kiss her, and then he wouldn't have to figure out what to say, because she already knew.

He let out a deep breath, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

"After some thought, I've come to the conclusion that I no longer want my life to progress without you by my side... Officially," He said, clearing his throat.

"Really?" She hummed out, taking a small step closer to him.

He felt his blood pressure rise at the simple act.

"Really," He confirmed, resting his hands on her waist. "That was bad."

"I think you're doing better than you think you are," Haley informed him, standing on her toes and kissing him quickly.

Now it was her that almost knocked him down. Her that was throwing all of her emotions into him.

And boy did he feel them. He felt them right along with her.

The pain. The confusion. But mostly the... Well... The 'L-word.'

"What changed?" She asked him after kissing him for a minute.

He let out a deep breath, smiling at her. "I talked to Lucas..."

That surprised her. Maybe he could surprise her every once and awhile.

"Dammit, see if I ever tell him anything ever again," She mumbled, shaking her head.

"I just... I don't understand why you were so different with him than you were with me," He said quickly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "With me... You were very, I don't know, relaxed with our relationship."

"Well..." Haley trailed off, sighing softly. "I didn't want to freak you out, I guess?"

He rested his forehead on her's briefly, closing his eyes. "I care about you so much, Haley... I didn't mean to hurt you at all. You should've just told me I was being a dumbass."

"You weren't, baby..." She said quickly, holding his face in her hands. "You had every right to be hesitant and want to take things slow, and that's why I didn't push you too hard."

He kissed the tip of her nose lightly, blinking his eyes open and looking down at her. "I want everything with you, Haley James. I want your weird quirks, your constant talking... I want the way that you begin to ramble when you get nervous or upset. I want the way you change me to be a better person, even if it's not on purpose..." He whispered, stroking his hand down the side of her face lightly. "I want how when your feet are cold you stick them on me to warm them up and how you encourage us to go out but then always try to seduce me into going home, and how it works almost every time," He said, grinning when she let out a laugh. "And that laugh... I want that laugh forever..." He hummed out, kissing her nose again. "I know it's not going to be easy, and we still have a lot to figure out... But most of all, Haley, I want you."

Haley smiled up at him, kissing him again, her hands coming to rest on his chest, gripping his sweatshirt tightly.

Nathan held her close, his eyes fluttering shut once again.

"I don't think you're a bad at this as you think you are, Scott," She mumbled against his lips, before pulling away and grinning up at him.

"So, is that a yes? You'll be my girlfriend?" He hummed, raising his eyebrows at her.

"I don't think you even needed to ask that," She laughed, hugging him tightly, pressing her face into his shoulder.

He felt a gust of wind remind him that they were still outside, his eyes slanting down to her once again. "Haley, what were you doing out here?"

"I was just... Taking a walk," She mumbled into his sweatshirt, shrugging slightly.

"Alone? By yourself? At night?" He asked her, shaking his head and scowling.

"Mhm," She responded, rather than addressing the annoyance in his voice. "Are you staying the night, or what?"

Nathan glanced over to her house, there were quite a few lights still on. He looked down at her, but she was still rubbing her cheek against him, eyes closed.

"I'm going to need a few things, of course," He said, clearing his throat.

"Go ahead," She hummed, finally looking up at him.

"A toothbrush," He informed her, chuckling quietly.

"I can manage that," She said, winking up at him.

"An unused toothbrush," He specified, clearing his throat.

"Ah, yes, because I was going to take my nephew's Spider-Man toothbrush and give it to you," She said sarcastically.

"Wait- do you have a Spider-Man- you know what, it doesn't matter, any will do," He said, smirking slightly. "Preferably the color blue, but I'll take whatever."

"I'll look around. Any other demands?" She asked him, laughing quietly.

"I get to be the big spoon," He said, tapping her nose.

"I was going to make you sleep on the floor. Are you kidding? In a house full of my family we're not sharing a bed," She joked, winking at him.

"You're right, you get too handsy in the mornings..." He hummed, glancing over at the car he arrived in. "Maybe I'll just go home."

"No, no!" She argued, squeezing him tightly to her. "I'll control myself. Of course, you can be the big spoon. Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" He asked, raising his eyebrows down at her.

"I forgot how much of an ass you are when you're my boyfriend," She joked, smiling up at him.

He felt his heart jump out of his chest at her words.

They felt right. So, so right...

He leaned down and kissed her quickly.

She returned the kiss just as urgently, pulling him closer to her.

The front door open and closed loudly behind them, causing them to part.

Nathan's back was to it, but he'd heard the voice of Jimmy James calling to Lydia as he exited the house.

Why did this always happen to them? They never got to tell anyone their exciting news. They always got walked in on.

They were in front of Jimmy's house, so it made sense.

He saw Haley cautiously look past him, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Hi, Dad," She offered, clearing her throat.

Nathan turned around slowly to see Jimmy's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh, your mother is going to love this," Jimmy said quickly, waving the trash bag that was in his hands around. "It is something, right? Not just a h-"

"Yes," Haley answered quickly, shaking her head and sighing, looking up at Nathan with a smile.

"Okay, okay..." Jimmy rushed over to the big trash can, throwing the bag in before looking at them again. "I'm going to pretend I didn't see this. You two come in and tell her."

"What?" Haley asked, laughing quietly.

"I forgot to get her a present, so this will do," Jimmy joked, winking at them. "Kidding, of course. Come inside in a few minutes."

And with that, he was gone.

Nathan looked down at Haley, raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe we should sneak through the window instead," Haley said, rolling her eyes and laughing.

"Well, my third demand was no more sneaking around," He said, kissing her forehead.

"Fine," She laughed. "We'll play my dad's little game."

"For a little while," He said, nodding down at her. "And then you're going to get super tired an insist we go to bed."

"I am?" She hummed out, grinning up at him. "And then what?"

"We get to make out and then go to bed for real," He laughed, kissing her forehead.

"I like this plan," She informed him, patting his chest. "Okay, I'm in."

He laughed, leaning down and kissing her once more.

"I feel it, Haley James," He whispered in her ear.

That made zero sense.

But when he met her eyes, she didn't look confused at all. She just smiled and nodded back to him, confirming that she felt it too.

The l-word.

xxxx

He smiled at Haley from his spot on her bed, tucking his arms behind his head and watching her as she went through her nightly routine.

A few steps had been added since they were young college students.

When he asked her what she was doing, she told him it was to keep her from getting old, to which he laughed and rolled his eyes.

He, on the other hand had pretty much brushed his teeth and then sat on her bed. And that was like ten minutes ago.

Lydia had been overjoyed to see them. But she'd been quiet too, as to not wake up the kids all over the house.

He'd never heard someone whisper scream in excitement.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him, looking at him through the vanity in her room, raising her eyebrows.

"How early I'm going to have to leave tomorrow," He informed her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Right. You probably want to get back to see Sawyer and Lee..." She hummed, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"I do," He confirmed, smiling at her. "Are you ever planning on coming to bed?"

She smiled, rolling her eyes at him. "You know, I'm probably going to make you start doing this with me."

"I like aging," He informed her, chuckling quietly.

"Not to stop that, just because I don't want to do it alone," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Plus it's just good for you."

"We'll see," He said, clearing his throat.

She stood up after a few moments, leaving the room.

He raised his eyebrows, picking up one of the pillows off her bed and hugging it to his chest.

She entered a minute later, closing the door and locking it behind her, turning the light off as well. "Okay, my dear, I am all done," She laughed, crawling onto the bed next to him.

He smiled at her, leaning over and kissing her cheek. He grinned, touching his nose to her cheek again. "Your face smells good, I'll give you that."

She laughed, turning her head and pressing her lips to his briefly. "This feels right, doesn't it, Nathan?"

"It does," He confirmed, reaching across her and turning off the lamp that was on her night stand. "Kinda wish we were drunk though, because we lose all memory of other people in this home when we're drunk."

"Damn us for having a conscience," She joked, rolling her eyes.

Once his eyes adjusted to the dark a little bit, he slid down, settling into the bed and opening his arm up to her.

She saddled up next to him, her head resting on his chest, her arm laid across his stomach.

"Maybe we can go to my apartment tomorrow night," He joked, shaking his head.

She laughed, stroking her hand over his stomach lightly. "Maybe you should sleep without your shirt on?"

"Maybe you'd get too turned on," He mumbled, laughing quietly.

"Maybe I'll take my shirt off if you take yours off," She countered.

He smirked slightly, rolling his eyes. "Well then maybe I won't be able to sleep, and I'll have to sneak out and take a cold shower."

"Maybe I could join you," She hummed, kissing his chest lightly.

"Or maybe, we can just end this conversation right here," He said quickly, shaking his head.

"You're a 27 year old with too much willpower," She laughed, shaking her head. "When you were twenty, I could get you to do whatever I wanted with the flick of my wrist."

He laughed at her comment, kissing her forehead. "I taught you everything you know, Haley James. Don't think I couldn't do the same to you."

"Oh, I know you could," She laughed, shaking her head. "But I'm saying, if you take off your shirt, there's a very good chance I'll take off mine too. And that definitely would have worked on you when you were twenty. Even in a house full of people."

He looked at her, sighing at her suggestive gaze.

Dammit. He was melting.

He nudged her to sit up, rolling his eyes. "Well, it turns out your suggestive tone and big brown eyes still work on me today," He mumbled, quickly yanking his shirt over his head.

She laughed, rubbing her hand over his back, a grin on her face.

He turned and looked at her expectantly, raising his eyebrows.

"Well?" Nathan said, gesturing at his torso.

"In your dreams," She hummed, rolling over so that her back was facing him.

"You're terrible," He grumbled, pulling her back onto her back, looking down at her.

"Oh, Nathan, as soon as my shirt comes off, we'll be done for," She reminded him, shaking her head. "Is that what you want?"

He maneuvered himself until he was on top of her, supporting himself with his arms and raising his eyebrows at her.

Haley was laughing quietly until she met his eyes, and then her laugh got caught in her throat.

Her hand stroked up his torso, before coming to rest on the side of his face.

Nathan kissed her quickly.

And she gave in just as easily, deepening the kiss almost immediately.

Pretty soon, he was supporting himself on one arm, the other slowly sliding into the shirt she was wearing.

She grabbed his hand and moved it back to her waist, not breaking the kiss.

He smirked slightly, ignoring her and continuing his hand's trek once again.

Haley hummed slightly, pulling him even closer to her.

He considered it a small victory that she didn't move his hand down once again.

"You're asking for trouble," She mumbled quietly, before continuing to kiss him.

"Maybe it's you that can't resist me," He informed her, pulling back and raising his eyebrows.

"I think there's some truth to that," She mumbled, pulling him down and kissing him again.

Nathan kissed her for a moment, before kissing her cheek, along her jaw, before making a slow trail down her neck.

Haley squeezed her eyes shut, letting him continue for a little while, before she was tugging on his hair lightly.

He looked up at her, raising his eyebrows. "Hm?"

"You're right. Shirts stay on. I can resist you anymore than you can resist me," She laughed, nodding at him.

He smirked at her, kissing her briefly, before falling on the bed next to her, reaching his arm down and grabbing his t-shirt off the ground.

"You staying the night was a bad idea," She informed him, rolling her eyes as he pulled his shirt on.

"Probably," He said, clearing his throat. "You're a bad influence on me."

"Me?" She gasped, cuddling up next to him when he laid down once again. "You instigated it."

"No, you did," He argued, kissing her head lightly. "With your little deal, and then you didn't hold up your end."

"It's a good thing I didn't," She laughed, shaking her head and smiling at him. "I'm so happy that you're here though."

Nathan smiled at her words, looking down at her.

He felt his heart start to race. She was it for him. She'd always been it for him.

He even knew at the ripe old age of eight. And here he was, nearly twenty years later, still pining after her.

"I think I'll keep you around for awhile," He informed her, nodding slowly.

"Good," She said, kissing his chin lightly. "And I think going back to your apartment in Charlotte is sounding more tempting by the minute."

"We could come back for New Years..." He hummed, shrugging his shoulders.

"One problem... Neither of us have cars and I don't think that Quinn will love it if we take hers..." Haley trailed off, shaking her head.

"My dad owns a car dealership. Let's just take one of his," He said quickly, shrugging. "Or I could buy a new car."

She laughed, patting his stomach lightly. "Or we could just... Stay in a hotel for a couple of nights?"

"I like that plan too," He mumbled, kissing her head. "All I know is, staying at my parent's house was a hell of a lot easier when I didn't have you."

"Same," She laughed, kissing his cheek lightly. "We'll figure it out tomorrow, okay? Goodnight, Nathan."

"Okay. Goodnight, Haley James."

One thought passed through his mind after those words:

I love you.