A/N: Another update! I've decided that there will be about 4-5 chapters more of this story. I've finished Chapter 42 already, it is just being beta'd so that should be up soon!

Chapter Forty-One

Haley's initial reaction to Nathan's kiss was that she shouldn't be kissing him. They still hadn't come to any sort of agreement and she was someone who liked to have everything sorted and a decision made. That way, she wasn't thinking about what she hadn't done while she was doing something else. But it was so hard to keep thinking logically when he was kissing her. Nathan was a really good kisser. He had such soft lips…

Suddenly, something rough and scratchy brushed the bottom of her lip and she pulled away to see what it was. "Oh, Nathan, you have a cut," she noticed, trailing her finger gently along the line beneath his lower lip that was grazed.

"It's nothing," he whispered, and started placing chaste kisses along the side of her face.

"But…mmmm…we have to talk," Haley stated, twining her fingers in his hair.

Nathan pouted against her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist. "But I prefer doing this," he demonstrated by kissing her shoulder.

"I'm sure you do, but I…oh…I need…we need to finish talking."

Nathan sighed but pulled his head up and looked at her expectantly. Haley made to move back, but he only pulled her closer and maneuvered her so she was sitting on his lap. "We can talk, but you're not going anywhere."

Haley grinned briefly then twisted her head so she could look up at him. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," Nathan replied without hesitating.

"You still have to go back to Charleston when your leave is –"

"We'll figure that out later," Nathan assured her. When all Haley did was nod quietly, Nathan asked, "Are you sure?"

Haley took a deep breath and smiled. A minute ago she would have said that she didn't know; that they still didn't really know each other well enough to be certain. But now, sitting on Nathan's lap, with his arms around her and her head against his chest, she just felt so comfortable. Like she never wanted to be anywhere else; like she was safe. And she had never had that feeling before. "Yes," she answered, "I'm sure."

When Lucas walked out of the shower the first thing he did was check his watch to make sure he would be ready for Brooke's arrival. Glancing at the time, he put the watch back down, but then did a double-take; it displayed the same time it had when he had gotten into the shower. He picked up the watch again, and upon closer inspection realized that the hand wasn't moving, and his watch had in fact stopped. He fished out his phone from inside his jeans, and looked at the numbers on the display screen: it was now twenty minutes past the time Brooke said she would be there!

He pressed her number on his speed dial, only after which he realized she would be waiting for him downstairs. However, she picked up before the second ring. "Hey Broody! I'm sorry I'm late-"

"You're late?" He said it as a question, but Brooke didn't realize that.

"I know, I'm really sorry, but there was this huge traffic jam! Someone had an accident at the top of my road and you have no idea how long I was there for! I almost went back to my house to put the car in the garage and walk it, but then some cars joined the queue behind me and I had to just wait," Brooke went on. "I hope you're not mad."

"Nope, not mad at all. How much longer do you think you'll be?"

"Not that much actually. I'm about two blocks away from your house."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"Bye."

Lucas quickly changed and found the movie they were going to watch so he could take it downstairs with him. He had just put the DVD case on top of the living room television when the doorbell rang. He jogged over to the door and opened it for his girlfriend, who was standing there with her hands on her hips and a big smile on her face. "Miss me?"

Lucas chuckled. "You know it."

He leaned down to give her a sweet kiss, which Brooke returned as she slid her arms across his back. Lucas hooked his fingers into the loops around the waistband of her three quarter jeans to pull her towards him, slanting his mouth over hers to kiss her more deeply. Brooke sighed and kissed him back for a few moments more before pulling back. "I think we should probably take the rest of this inside," she grinned as she told him.

Lucas flushed as he realized they had been on the verge of making out in their doorway with the door wide open for everyone outside to see. He stood back so that Brooke could come in, but as he did so he realized it was nearly half past the hour already. "Hey, I brought the DVD downstairs, would you mind popping it into the player while I go remind Nathan about his meds?"

Brooke nodded. "Sure."

She scooted off to the living room, while Lucas went to the downstairs guest room, where Nathan was staying. Without knocking, he opened the door, saying "Hey, Nate–" but cutting himself off when he realized that his cousin had company.

There was some girl sitting on Nathan's lap, who he was involved in a very heated kiss with, but at the sound of Lucas' voice they both broke away and looked towards the door, and it was a minor miracle that Lucas didn't fall from the shock. Rather than that, or gauge his eyes out, which was his second choice, Lucas turned around quite sharply and closed his eyes tight. When that created disgusting mental images in his head, he stared through the open door into the hallway.

"Hey, Luke," Nathan said uncomfortably to his cousin's back.

"H-Hey, Nathan. Uh, Miss James," he choked out. "I just came to remind you to take your meds."

"Thanks, I'll do that."

Lucas would have liked to just walk out of there right then, but there was a burning question in his head, that he couldn't help but ask. "So, er, you two are…I mean have you been?"

"We're going out," Nathan stated.

"Okay. Right. Erm…"

"We haven't been –"

"No, no, that's okay, no details necessary," Lucas said quickly and then ran back down the hallway.

Inside the guest room, Haley looked up at Nathan who had an amused look on his face. "I think that went well."

Brooke had just returned from the kitchen where she had fetched herself a drink and sat down on the couch, when Lucas returned, looking…actually, Brooke couldn't quite place the look. "Nathan okay?"

Lucas nodded vigorously, but didn't make any move to sit down or come further into the living room.

"What happened?"

Lucas shook his head in disbelief and made a few hand gestures before finally saying, "I walked in there and I found him…making out!"

Brooke's nose crinkled. "Making out? What do you mean; he can't exactly make out with himself," she laughed and then almost choked on her drink, when she thought she had realized what Lucas was trying to say. "Ew! Lucas that is gross! Why did you tell me that! I don't want to know Nathan's little boy habits!"

"Huh? What do you – oh Brooke!" Lucas said, disgusted himself.

"You started it!"

"I didn't say Nathan was making out with himself! He wasn't!"

"Well, then who's in there with him?"

"Miss James!" Lucas exclaimed.

To Lucas' surprise a huge grin broke out across Brooke's face. "Really?" she asked, excitedly.

"Hey…did you know about them?" Lucas demanded.

"Well, I –"

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that they were dating!"

"They weren't, Lucas! All I knew was that Nathan had sort of a crush on her, and that wasn't because he told me, I figured it out for myself," she added.

"How did you figure it out?"

"It was pretty obvious, Luke."

"From what?"

"Lots of things!" Before he could ask, she clarified, "Like the way he was always looking at her –"

"Everyone looks at the teacher in class when she's talking."

Brooke was hardly able to restrain a laugh. "No, Luke, they don't. And the ones like you who do take lots of notes; Nathan hardly ever took any. Lucas, honey, if Nathan likes her, what does it matter? Stop being such a girl about it and just watch the movie with me, okay?"

Grumpily Lucas agreed and sat down next to Brooke on the couch. Having already put the DVD in, Brooke pressed play on the remote and snuggled up next to the side.

Lucas caught no more than a flicker of the menu screen, but as soon as the credits started he frowned. "Brooke, this isn't the movie."

"I know. I found this one at home when I was getting ready and I thought we could watch it instead so I brought it with me."

"Another chick flick?"

Brooke gave him her sweetest smile.

Lucas groaned. "Brooke."

"I promise you'll like it –"

"That's what you always say and I never –"

"Please?" Brooke asked, dragging out the word, pouting at her boyfriend.

Lucas sighed heavily. "Once this ends, we're watching my movie."

"Deal. Thank you, boyfriend." She quickly kissed the corner of his mouth as a show of appreciation. "And if you're a good boy throughout the film, you can expect more of what happened on the porch after," she teased, but was shocked beyond belief when Lucas sort of frowned. "What? You don't want to make out?" she asked incredulously.

"It's just…"

"Oh My God. Don't tell me you can't make out because your teacher is in the house!"

"No, it's not that. It's just that they're…" When Brooke looked at him expectantly, he finished, "Well, they're making out!"

"Oh, good grief!"

"Well –"

"Come on," Brooke stated, and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Without replying, she started marching to the guest room and Lucas quickly ran after her. "Brooke!" he exclaimed when she knocked on the bedroom door.

There were a few moments scrambling before thy heard someone clear their throat and say, "Come in."

Although Lucas was trying to pull her away, Brooke swiftly turned the knob and walked inside, leaving him to sulk in the doorway. Nathan and Miss James were both on the bed, but fully dressed and sitting on opposite sides of it. Brooke couldn't help the small smile on her face at the sight of their somewhat disheveled appearances, and the messy bedspread. Way to go Nate, she thought.

"Hi," Brooke said sweetly.

"Hello, Brooke," Nathan muttered, his displeasure obvious, while Haley gave her an embarrassed smile.

"I don't know if Nathan told you," she said to her teacher, "but Lucas and I were staying in because he's not supposed to be left alone – well, I don't know if the Doctor said so, but Karen didn't want him to be."

"Oh, uh, yeah, he told me," Haley replied.

"Well, see, there was somewhere I wanted to go today," Brooke said, not a complete lie, since there had been, but she hadn't minded staying in either, "and I was wondering if maybe, now that you're here, you could stay with Nathan, just while Lucas takes me there. That is, if you haven't got plans for today," she added.

Nathan looked over at Haley expectantly, waiting for her answer. "No, I don't have plans."

"So, you can stay?"

Haley smiled. "Yeah. You guys have fun."

"Thanks!" she said cheerfully, and skipped back to the door where Lucas was waiting. "See you two in a few hours. Don't do anything Lucas and I wouldn't do," she said in a mock-stern voice to Nathan, who chuckled, while Lucas blushed profusely.

After Brooke closed the door, Lucas stared at her. "Hey, I got us out of here, now you don't need to be around while your cousin and your teacher get smoochy with one another," she explained, walking down the corridor.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to say that!"

Brooke grinned at him as picked up her jacket from the rack. "Are you embarrassed?"

"Of course I am!"

"Well, it's good for you. Now, come on, put your coat on and let's go!"

Lucas grumbled, but did as told and followed his girlfriend out the door.

Nathan grinned at Haley the moment the door closed. "So…it looks like it's just the two of us," he stated, giving Haley a very suggestive wink.

She blushed, but returned his smirk. "Don't go getting any ideas. I am here just to take care of you."

"Oh, yeah? 'Cause you know," he began, as he lay back down on the bed, "I think I need a check-up."

"Nathan!" Haley exclaimed, and playfully slapped his shoulder. When Nathan winced, she put her hand on her mouth. "Oh, Nathan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your shoulder, is it bad?" She moved so that she was lying next to him, so she could get a better look.

"It's perfect, now," he smirked, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh, Nathan," Haley chided, but didn't make any move away from him. She was feeling pretty perfect right then as well.