Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill

Note: I needed a break from studying, so here you go:o) Once again, I know this gets old and meaningless, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your wonderful reviews and support! It's the best Christmas present:o) The song in this chapter is "Christmas of Love" by Little Isidor and the Inquisitors. It's a really fun, upbeat song, so download it and listen to it while reading:o) Oh, and this is still day two in the story at the beginning.

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"Nathan stop!" Haley groaned as Nathan threw another bag of Doritos into her shopping cart.

"Oh come on! You are shopping on Brooke's dime. Well, her parent's dime, but it's all the same." He smiled, throwing in some whip cream.

"What in the world do I need that for?" Haley asked, stopping the cart and crossing her arms. The only thing in the cart that she had put there herself was water, soda, some chicken breast, and a pint of strawberry ice cream. Everything else Nathan had thrown in.

She immediately regretted her question as Nathan's smile grew three sizes. "I think we can find some use for it-"

Haley didn't let him finish; she just grabbed the cart and rammed it into his side.

"Ow!" Nathan called out, grabbing his side. "What was that for?"

Haley ignored him and just kept strolling her cart down the isle. Rolling her eyes to herself, she contemplated leaving the cart and coming back later. However, Nathan quickly caught up to her and grabbed a box of Cracker Jacks out of the cart.

They walked in silence as Nathan ate some Cracker Jacks and Haley filled her cart with food that she was actually going to eat.

Finally, as Haley pulled the cart into the check out, Nathan seemed to regain his voice. "Okay, I guess can ignore the fact that you almost tried to kill me over by the peas and give you this."

Haley looked up at him as she began loading the groceries onto the counter. He was holding a colorful, plastic bracelet. Before she could respond, he grabbed her hand and slid the bracelet onto her wrist.

"Don't say I never gave you anything." As he said this Haley scoffed, but on the inside, she couldn't ignore the fact that her hand was still burning from his touch.

XXXX

"Really, I think I can find it myself. Or I can just take a cab…" Haley reasoned. She wanted to go to the Rockefeller Center to skate and Nathan was insisting that he bring her.

"Who goes skating by their self? Unless you are like some loner or loser…"

"I am not a loner, or a loser. I just don't see why you need to come. Don't you have something more important to do?" Haley looked up from her cell phone, which she was using to text message Peyton to find out the scoop on Lucas and Brooke.

Nathan laughed, "Yeah, but she's coming over later."

Haley's mouth dropped open and she made a gagging noise, "You are such a…guy."

"Um, thanks?" He mused while opening the apartment door. "So I'll come get you for skating later? I have basketball until five, so I can get you at six?"

Haley let out a deep breath and flipped her phone closed, "yeah I guess." She knew that she wasn't going to talk Nathan out of bringing her and she didn't really want to have to walk home by herself on her second night in New York.

Nathan flashed her a smile before closing the door, sending Haley's stomach into a flip-flop. "What is my deal?" Haley thought to herself, but she didn't have long to figure it out. Her phone rang loudly and Haley quickly picked it up.

"Hey my ex-best-friend turned man-whore!" Haley answered the phone with a sarcastic tone.

"Hey Haley." Lucas sighed into the phone.

"Is Brooke there?" Haley questioned while opening a bag of chips. She didn't even notice that they were the Doritos Nathan had picked out.

"No, she's actually at the café working." Haley was surprised to find that he sounded a little disappointed.

"Oh. Okay…so are you going to tell me what's really going on with you two? I know you Lucas. You don't just sleep around with random girls. Unless you count Peyton, and I'm not."

"Nothing is going on, really. It was a onetime thing, she even said so. And I know I don't just sleep around with random girls, but it just happened. I don't know, it's like we have this connection."

"You said have."

"What?"

"You said you have a connection. You didn't say had."

"Well, I meant had."

"Lucas…"

"I don't know Haley! She is just…refreshing. I mean, obviously it isn't going to go anywhere because she lives in New York. But, it's fun for now. Plus, I don't think we could ever really work out. We are completely opposite."

"Her room is full of books. Classic books." Haley didn't know why she felt the need to tell Lucas this, but for some reason it came out.

"What?" Lucas' voice was full of shock.

"She's an English major. Remember?" Haley said after biting into a chip. "So maybe you two aren't so different."

There was silence over the phone and Haley knew that Lucas was thinking about what he had just learned.

"But don't tell her I told you about the books!" Haley added quickly.

"Why not?"

"I don't know…Just let her tell you if she wants." Haley knew that she was somehow trying to protect Lucas. If he started forming a bond with this girl and then she came back to New York, Lucas would go right back into his brooding which meant a lot of nights with Peyton. The less of a connection they made, the better.

"Okay…But hey, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Tell me about New York! Have you gone anywhere?"

Glad for the subject change, even though she was the one who had brought it up, Haley sighed, "No, not yet. But I am going to the Rockefeller Center tonight to ice skate. And I think I might go shopping a little before then. Do you want an "I Love New York" tee shirt or a tiny Statue of Liberty?"

Lucas laughed, "Um, I guess the Statue of Liberty. Wait, are you going by yourself?"

Haley let her mouth drop at this. What was the big deal?

"Who else would I go with?" Haley asked, for some reason not wanting to tell Lucas about Nathan.

"I don't know? Haven't any of Brooke's friends introduced themselves to you?"

"This isn't Tree Hill Lucas, people have more to worry about than a small town girl in a big city. But if it makes you feel better, I am going to the rink with someone."

"Who?"

"Brooke's next door neighbor, Nathan Scott." Haley said quickly, like ripping off a band-aid.

"Nathan as in a guy and Scott as in my last name?"

"Yes, he is a guy. And yes, his last name is Scott. I thought that was a little freaky too. Any long lost brothers you want to tell me about?"

Lucas laughed and assured her that no, none that he knew of.

"So…you like this guy?"

"What? No! I just met him. Plus, he's kind of an ego maniac sometimes."

"Calm down! I was just asking. So he's a jerk huh? Why are you going to the rink with him?"

"Because he offered and like you implied, I shouldn't go alone." She answered, standing up to throw away her empty chip bag.

"Plus," she said, catching a glimpse of the plastic bracelet around her wrist, "If Brooke isn't how you thought, maybe Nathan isn't how I think. Maybe there is a little more to him."

XXXX

Haley dropped her bags on the floor of the apartment and quickly grabbed a bottle of water. She had been shopping for three hours.

After hanging up with Lucas she had managed to hail down a cab, which took her to Barney's. She had never been there before, but she had always heard that it was one of the best places to shop. Little did she know, it was four stories tall and was packed with so many people that she was sure some kind of fire code was being broken.

The prices had been outrageous and the people had been rude, but she had managed to buy a really cute sweater. It was just white, but it was extremely soft and looked really good on her. She also bought a black newspaper boy hat that a women had actually stopped to tell Haley it looked good. She picked up two jackets that were on sale, one for her and one for her sister. Finally, she bought a silver heart necklace for Brooke. She decided she was going to leave it on Brooke's counter before she left as a thank you.

After Barney's she had gone to a little street shop and had bought some post cards for her family and Lucas.

Looking at the clock, she decided that she had enough time to take a shower and get ready before Nathan showed up. And to her surprise, she was actually anxious for him to come and she didn't know if it was because she was so excited to see the Rockefeller Center or to see him or both.

XXXX

"You look good." Nathan smiled after taking a good look at Haley, which made her a little uncomfortable.

She was wearing her new sweater with a pair of dark jeans. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun. The only makeup she was wearing was mascara, and only a little.

Nathan couldn't believe how different she was from all of the girls he knew. Sure, he hung out with tons of beautiful women. But they didn't have the same kind of beauty Haley had. She was a pure beauty.

"I mean, you look really beautiful."

Haley, not believing that Nathan would actually use the word "beautiful" unless it was to get someone into bed, rolled her eyes. "Don't even try it. You can work your whole "I'm Nathan Scott, Mr. Big Shot, scoring my touchdowns" on somebody else because-"

"I don't even play football."

Haley shook her head, "Whatever. The point is at the end of the day all your bluster and BS don't mean anything to me. Because I am not a tramp and I am not sleeping with you!"

"Whoa!" Nathan held up his hands. "Jumping the gun a little? Who said I wanted to sleep with you? All I said was you look beautiful. Can't you take a compliment?"

Haley bit her lip and tore her gaze away from him, her cheeks turning the color of a rose. Well that was embarrassing.

"Sorry," she finally mumbled, "and thanks."

Nathan, amused at Haley's blushing, just laughed, "It's okay. So, ready to go?"

"No," Haley thought to herself as she nodded and followed Nathan out the door, "I'm not ready to deal with the way your hand resting on my back is making me feel."

XXXX

"Look, I don't want to show off or anything, but-"

"Isn't that your default setting?" Haley interrupted him as she clung to the side of the rink. "Sorry." She mumbled after managing to stand up straight.

"As I was saying," Nathan said as he stood perfectly stable in front of her, "I am pretty good at this, so if you want me to help you, I can."

Nathan held out his hand and found himself wanting Haley to take it. "What is the deal?" He thought, jumping a little as Haley took his hand, instantly warming it.

The music was blaring loudly over the rink as couples skated around, and Haley smiled, letting herself believe for one second that she was holding the hand of her boyfriend.

Baby picture you and me, hanging round a Christmas tree,

Covered lights and an angel up above, Christmas of love

Haley stumbled a little as Nathan began to pull her on the ice. "It's okay, you got it!" Nathan found his voice again and began gliding her along the edge of the rink.

Haley tried to focus on her feet, but all she could think about was Nathan's hand on hers. She knew he was trouble, that much was clear. But so was Brooke, and Lucas was having fun with her. Why couldn't she have a little fun?

Baby everywhere we go, bring a little mistle toe,

We'll be hugging we'll be kissing like two turtle doves

Christmas of love

Nathan smiled to himself, since Haley was looking down at her feet, but then quickly frowned. He barely knew this girl and he already knew there was something different about her. Too bad she would never give him a chance. But even if she did, she lived in North Carolina.

Telling everyone Santa's gunna come,

Have a lot of fun at Christmas time

Now he's on his way,

Everybody say have a Merry Christmas of love

A rowdy teenager sped closely past Haley's other side, scaring her, and as she went to move, forgetting she was on ice, she felt her feet go out from under her.

Just imagine making out by the firelight,

Christmas of love, Christmas of love

Forgetting to let go of Nathan's hand, she pulled him down with her. Of course, he landed directly on top of her. "Well this is cliché." Haley laughed despite herself, noticing that Nathan never let go of her hand.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Nathan started laughing too, forgetting the awkward position they were in.

Telling everyone Santa's gunna come,

Have a lot of fun at Christmas time

Now he's on his way,

Everybody say have a Merry Christmas of love

After a moment, the laughter stopped and they were left looking at each other. Nathan had never worked so hard to control himself. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he knew it wasn't the best idea. Nathan began lifting himself up, surprised that he was actually thinking about her feelings.

However, he felt her grab his jacket and pull him back down.

Haley had no clue what she was doing. This was not rational. This was not her. But, for once, she didn't care.

"Care to make this an even bigger cliché?" She smiled, propping herself up on her elbows before placing her free hand on the side of his face, and bringing her lips up to his.

Baby, make a little wish, then you put it on your list,

Santa's sending everything you've been dreaming of,

Christmas of love, Christmas of love, oh, Christmas of love

XXXX

A/N : That was SO fun to write! Hope you liked it!

Next chapter: "What are we doing?" Brooke asked, wiping a some snowflakes off of her skirt, afraid to look into his eyes. "Living."

Next up for Nathan and Haley: Nathan opens up to Haley over some hot chocolate, and finds out a life changing fact…