"Oh, God, Nate," Peyton grunted softly as she rolled off him. Nathan grabbed her by the side and pulled her swiftly to his body so that they lay like spoons in the middle of the oversized bed. Neither of them had expected to be here, but now that they were, neither of them wanted to break the undeniable connection between them. He reached for her hand and wove his long fingers between hers. She rested her head on his chest, her fingernails lazily scratching the chiseled muscles of his stomach. Nathan could smell the sweet citrus scent of her hair, silently reveling in the feeling of her in his arms. Then, quickly, he rolled them over so that he was on top of her. Peyton smiled at his sudden impulsiveness as she wrapped her legs around his strong back. She had missed this, the simple feeling of Nathan's weight pressing against her. It still felt exactly like it had at sixteen.
They were both quiet for several minutes. Nathan hovered over her body, staring into those green eyes he had once known as well as his own. "I'm leaving tomorrow, Peyt," he finally whispered. She nodded silently as she ran her hands down his back and across his bare waist. Peyton pulled him closer to her and rested her chin on his shoulder. She just needed to feel the weight, to feel him against her. As long as she could feel that weight, everything would be okay.
Finally, she found the courage to say the one thing echoing in her mind. "I know," she murmured softly before Nathan pressed his forehead to hers. He stopped her sentiment temporarily with a brief kiss before pulling back to hear what she had to say. "I'm trying not to remember that right now. I'm trying to just remember what this feels like and not think about all the other stuff that awaits us outside these four walls. To let this feeling be burned into my mind."
"I have an idea," Nathan said as he tried to get up, but Peyton swiftly pulled him back down. She couldn't stand letting him go right now, even for a moment. She would have to let go of him permanently in far too little time. He would return to Haley, Tree Hill and everything that defined his life now.
"Don't go yet, Nate," she pleaded. "Just stay right here with me just for a little bit longer."
Nathan brushed a reassuring kiss over her forehead. "I just need to get something from my bag, Babe," he said as he scrambled off the bed. Peyton smiled privately as she heard him use his high school term of endearment for her. It had been a long time since anyone had called her that. Actually, it had been a long time since she had allowed anyone to call her that. However, a moment later, the happiness faded as she felt the cool rush of air hit her body when he leapt from the bed. With that single moment, Peyton knew that it was gone. The spell had been broken. All too soon, she was once again reminded of his impending departure and the aftermath that this night would inevitably have on her relationship with Lucas and his with Haley. "There it is," he announced as he came back over to her. He smiled down at Peyton lounging in his bed. "Hey," he whispered.
Peyton turned slowly and grinned up at Nathan over her shoulder just in time for him to snap a photograph. She smiled and thought to herself that at least he would have something to remember this night, a tangible token to prove that all of this had actually happened. She grabbed for the camera and aimed it at him. "My turn," she insisted before clicking another shot. Nathan pulled the Polaroid from the camera and handed it over to her before climbing into the bed next to her. They watched together as the photographs developed and laughed when they saw the results.
"We both look really happy. Wonder why," Nathan mused. "Looks like we just had the most amazing sex or something."
"Hmm, that sounds about right," Peyton agreed before leaning over to capture Nathan's mouth. They were quickly lost in the moment as he tangled one hand in her blonde curls and the other found its rightful place on her bare hip. She moaned hungrily against his mouth before working her way into his lap. When she had successfully managed to swallow all of the oxygen from Nathan's body, she finally leaned back on her arms and gazed up at him.
"Hey, Peyt?" he asked. He was trying to find the right words to say exactly what he was feeling. He didn't want to scare her, but he needed for her to know how he was feeling. He laid his head against her chest, pressing his ear against her pounding heart. She reached for his hand this time and rubbed her thumb over his knuckles to reassure him. "I might love you."
She didn't miss a beat as she replied, "I might love you, too, Nathan."
Nathan covered his face and collected his thoughts. He couldn't go back there. He had moved on with his life years ago when he had married Haley, or at least he had tried to. Every day since that night with Peyton, he continued to try. As he sat there in the locker room, an overwhelming feeling hit him. With the wave of somberness came a sense of suffocation. He stared back at the photograph of her from that night. He needed to find the only place where he could still be with her. Set beside a pristine beach and a crystal blue ocean, Nathan felt like he could be with her at his old beach house. And maybe, if he closed his eyes tight enough, she could be with him too.