Quote of the Day:

Phoebe :( at Emma's beauty pageant) Now, the way I see it, our real competition now is Cameron. Oh my God, they just took her sweater off. Look at those arms! Hello Michelin Man!

Chapter Twenty-Four –Running To Stand Still

His jaw was set, his face in a hard line. He squared his eyes across the table and noticed Lucas glaring back. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Julian looking down at the plate in front of him. It brought a smile to his face.

"We doing this or what?"

He nodded before glancing at Julian who seemed ready enough. It was the day after Thanksgiving and the girls went shopping. His parents had taken all of the kids to the zoo in Charlotte, so it was just the three of them. They did this every year. It had become a tradition and somehow it was more fun now that Julian was there to hang out with them.

Thanksgiving had been a good day. Everyone went over to Karen and Keith's for the whole day. The kids ran around in the backyard, the women all stayed in the kitchen cooking, and the men watched the football game that was on. After the game had been over they went play football with the kids. Jordan had surprised him bye wanting to be on his team. That had been a first.

Then after they all played board games. It was fun. The whole day had been really good. Better than he thought it would be.

Every single year his Mom and Karen had cooked a feast for Thanksgiving. They really outdid themselves every year. Over the years there just seemed to be more and more food. He and Lucas loved it. Whatever was leftover they ate most of it the next day. Last year Lucas had eaten more than him and wouldn't let it go for months. This year he wasn't letting Lucas or Julian beat him.

No, he was going to eat the most. He hadn't eaten anything all morning and he was starving. The food looked so good. Everything was spread out all over the table. He glanced down at his plate that was full to the top. He had fixed himself as much as he could. The food was just the best and they didn't want it to go to waste.

"I'm ready," Julian muttered as he held up his fork.

Lucas nodded. "Last won eating is the winner!"

"Good luck," Nathan smirked. They all dug in at the same time and Nathan instantly went for the turkey. Karen had spent all day yesterday cooking it and he was sure that it was the best in the world. He had enjoyed it so much that he closed his eyes every single time he had eaten a piece.

He wanted to eat slowly, unlike Lucas and Julian who both seemed to just be inhaling the food. He chuckled. He was going to enjoy the food. Thanksgiving was always the best holiday for food. Next he had some of Karen's stuffing. He savored each taste. Then he tried some of the yams and rice dressing. It was while later when he started fixing himself another plate.

He knew he could have easily stopped there and been good but with the grin that Lucas was sending him he knew that his brother would never let it go if he won two years in a row. No, he could eat more. At least, three more plates. He had that much in him left.

Julian took a deep breath. "It's getting hot in here."

Nathan glanced at him and noticed that he was sweating. Julian wasn't quite as built as the two of them. Last year he had almost fallen asleep only after his second plate. They had made fun of him all day long until Brooke got back from shopping. You just couldn't make fun of Julian with Brooke around, unless you wanted your ass kicked by a girl.

"I'm unbuttoning my pants," Lucas told them as he reached down.

"You keep your pants on," Nathan stated with a chuckle.

"I'm getting a little full," Julian muttered as he burped. He then held his hand over his chest as he took another deep breath.

"Wimp."

"Chump."

"Yeah-yeah," Julian chuckled. "Brooke made a big breakfast." He explained further and Nathan shook his head. Such a rookie mistake.

"And you ate it?"

He nodded. "I couldn't not eat it. You know how crazy Brooke is about her cooking. She already thinks that she can't. I didn't want her to think I didn't want to eat it because she cooked it. That would've just hurt her and I didn't want to do that so I ate all of it and it made her happy."

"Well good for you," Lucas smiled. "But you still lost."

"I don't care."

Nathan continued to eat as he listened to them go back and forth. If he didn't know any better he would think they were a couple, they argued so much. It was always something with them.

It was a good hour later when he glanced at his brother across the table. Lucas was moving his fork slowly over the rest of the food in his plate. He knew from the look of his brother that Lucas was tired. He wasn't going to lie. So was he. He couldn't go anymore. His stomach was so full that it was actually hurting. He was stuffed. Their eyes connected before they both glanced down at their plates. Both of them still had food in them.

"Let's just say that we both won," Lucas suggested.

He was too full to care at this point.

"Deal," Nathan muttered as he tossed the fork into his plate. He couldn't breathe. He inhaled before letting it go slowly. Then carefully he stood up and stretched. Lucas did the same and they started walking towards the living room lazily. "Shouldn't we clean this up?"

Lucas glanced at the mess they made on the table. "Nah, maybe later." Nathan wanted to laugh but it seemed like too much of an effort. They reached the living room a second later and both of them fell on each a sofa. Julian was sitting in Lucas's chair with his feet up. Nathan laid himself back and closed his eyes.

"I can't move," Nathan declared.

"What are we watching?" Lucas asked tiredly.

Julian shrugged. "Something about interior designing. I don't know it was on when I got in here and I can't find the remote."

Nathan glanced around the room. "It's on the coffee table." He noticed that it was closer to Lucas and he pointed to it. Lucas lifted his head off of the cushions and held out his hand to get it. It was still a few feet away.

"I can't reach it," Lucas muttered.

"Come on, man. There about to start on the living room. I don't want to watch this."

"Then you come and get it."

"I'll get it," Julian mumbled as he stood up and grabbed the remote. It was seconds later when he started flipping through the channels. Some cheesy chick movie started playing and instantly he glared at Julian. He noticed his brother doing the same.

"What the hell is this?"

"The Man in the Moon," Julian answered smiling. "It's one of Brooke's favorite movies."

"Dude, come on," Lucas complained. "You're so whipped!"

"Yeah, it's not like she's here," Nathan pointed out.

"Turn it, Baker, I can't watch this shit!"

"I guess you should've gotten up and got the remote, huh?"

"You're such a girl," Lucas muttered.

"My wife loves this movie. Don't sit here and tell me that you don't watch chick flicks with Peyton when she wants you to. And even though you wouldn't admit it, I know that secretly you like some of them." He grinned at Lucas.

Lucas scoffed. "I might watch them with her but I do not like them!"

"Oh, come one. Peyton told me that you cried during Titanic."

"For the last time, I had something in my eye," Lucas declared in frustration.

Nathan chuckled. He laughed so hard when Peyton told him that story. In fact, he didn't stop teasing his brother for weeks over the phone while they were still in college. Julian was still laughing and Lucas seemed pissed.

"It was kind of sad that he died. She could've like switched with him like every thirty minutes or something."

He eyed Julian in disbelief. "Not that I don't love that you have a sensitive side to you, I do, but really Titanic? The both of you? You're both chicks!"

"You mean to tell me that Haley never made you watch some girly movie with her?"

"Nope," Nathan muttered with a straight face. They didn't need to know that he had watched countless chick flicks with her. That was none of their business.

"He's lying," Lucas stated as he grinned at him. "Haley told me about the Notebook incident."

He glared at his brother as Lucas started laughing. "Shut up, Lucas."

"Please tell me that he cried," Julian chuckled.

Nathan tossed a small pillow towards the room and watched as it slammed into Lucas's face. It didn't help though. His brother smirked before turning his attention to Julian.

Lucas nodded. "He cried big time. I think Haley might have mentioned something about holding him while he cried for several minutes."

"Dude!"

"That's so not true," Nathan stated nervously. "Plus, I was just trying to get closer to her and it worked. She let me sleep over that night!" He smirked before relaxing himself.

"Whatever, chump!"

He rolled his eyes as they continued watching the movie. He wasn't really paying attention. He didn't want to watch this but he didn't want to move either. He was too tired. He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep. It didn't help when Julian and Lucas started laughing at the movie.

Before the movie ended Brooke and Peyton had returned home with like a million bags. He would've gone help but he couldn't seem to move. In fact, all three of them just sat there and watched as the girls came back and forth with bags. Then they had to sit there and listen as Brooke and Peyton told them all about their shopping day. They had been up since three this morning.

"The line was just so long."

Peyton nodded. "And these stupid bitches tried cutting us!"

"What did you guys do?" Lucas asked grinning.

"Brooke clocked the big one," Peyton revealed.

Nathan chuckled as he glanced at her. "Nice."

"That bitch was asking for it and she called Peyton a curly headed slut!"

"Why she called you that?" Julian questioned.

Peyton shrugged. "I might have called her fat."

"Peyton," Lucas started.

"What? She was and she tried cutting in front of us," Peyton explained. "And she called me a bitch first."

"Sounds like today was a success," Nathan noted.

Brooke clapped her hands. "I bought you guys so much clothes. I can't wait to dress you up in it, honey." She leaned down and kissed Julian softly on the lips.

"I'm sure he'll love that," Lucas quipped.

"Hold on one second, Broody. Peyton will be dressing you up, too. And Nathan don't think that you're off the hook. I got you some cute shirts and I want to see how they look on you," Brooke stated as she pointed at him.

"I told you I didn't want anything," Nathan muttered.

Brooke titled her head to see him better. "I bought the game you wanted."

He quickly sat up. "Where is it?"

"That's what I thought," Brooke chuckled. "It's still in the car. You guys can play it later."

"Who won the eating contest?"

Lucas held up his hand. "We called it even. There was just too much food."

"You boys better have cleaned up your mess," Peyton stated as she glared at Lucas.

Nathan's eyes found Julian's as he grimaced. Peyton was going to kill them once she walked into the dinning room and noticed all of the food they left on the table. Oh well. He was still too full to get up and do anything about it. Peyton would get over it eventually and she wasn't his wife. She'd be pissed at Lucas the most.

Lucas placed his finger over his lips while looking at him. He chuckled before glancing across the room. Brooke had already started stripping Julian of his shirt and making him try on the ones she bought for him. Just like a chump, Julian stood there and let her dress him.

Just another day in Tree Hill, he thought.

~***~

He found himself at the Rivercourt later that afternoon. He dribbled the ball and ran up before shooting a lay-up. Things just seemed better when he played. He blocked everything else out and just played. In those times, it was just him and the ball. The basketball was like an extension of him. Nothing had ever made as much sense as basketball to him. It used to be his whole world.

He tossed up a three pointer and watched as it sailed straight into the net. Swish.

He took off running to get the ball and lifted it in his hands. It was then that he noticed Lucas walking towards him.

"Luke," Nathan greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Lucas responded with a grin. He glanced at Nathan for a few seconds before taking a seat on the bleachers. Nathan held the ball firmly in his hands. "What are you doing out here?"

"Mostly thinking," Nathan answered before going sit on the bleachers as well. "Peyton still pissed about the dinning room being a mess?"

"She's still not talking to me," Lucas chuckled.

She had been livid when she noticed what a mess they made. Nathan had taken off soon after as they started arguing back and forth. He didn't feel right just standing there and listening to them argue like that. He placed the ball on the ground.

"Sorry."

"She'll get over it. What are you thinking about, little brother?"

What wasn't he thinking about? He thought about it for a second before he turned to face his brother before answering.

"You know when I heard about the tour, I just got mad at her. I was so mad because she didn't want to be with me and I was mad at her because she had this stupid dream that was taking her away from here. I know that sounds selfish but its how I felt. I told her it was over…I told her to go. I didn't really mean it. She left anyway."

He felt Lucas's hand on his shoulder a second later, comforting him.

After he stopped drinking and the hangover wore off, this is all he'd been able to think about. Since she had left he just hadn't been the same person. He let himself go and drowned himself in booze and self pity. That wasn't him. He wasn't that guy. He couldn't believe the way he had acted. It just wasn't him.

"We had one stupid fight and I just gave up. I did the same thing I accused her of all those years ago. I walked away from us. She was just being honest about not believing in marriage and I just took it as her not wanting to be with me. It was so stupid. Like we have to get married now? I wasn't even thinking about that at all. I just wanted to be with her and I just had to push until there was nothing left and now she's gone. I don't think she's coming back. I don't know what to do." He shook his head before placing his head in his hands.

"You don't know that."

"She didn't call today," Nathan muttered. "She's called every single day since she left and today…nothing."

Lucas took a deep breath. "You haven't been answering her calls," he pointed out.

"I know," Nathan nodded. "I know I sound ridiculous but it made me feel like she actually cared. I know that sounds stupid."

"She loves you."

He felt his stomach twist. "The other day after the game, I went out."

"I figured. Owen told me you've been spending a lot of nights over there. Why you telling me this?" Lucas questioned.

"I ran into Courtney," Nathan explained.

"Oh," Lucas breathed.

"I was drunk and she wanted someone. I kissed her."

"Nathan, I –"

"Let me finish," Nathan cut him off. "I kissed her and then we went back to her place. I was just ready to get over Haley and move on with my life. I was still so mad at her for leaving. I just didn't want to feel it anymore."

"So you fucked her," Lucas gritted out. "I really don't want to hear this, Nathan. You're my brother and I love you but Haley is like a sister to me."

He shook his head. "I couldn't do it."

"Wait, what?"

"When we got to her place, I just…something snapped inside of me. I couldn't do it so I left," Nathan explained. He glanced at his shocked brother for a few seconds before shaking his head. Was it that big a deal? He had been so ready to just fuck Courtney and move on with his life. But once they got to her place, he just couldn't go through with it. He didn't want her.

"Wow."

"I was wrong. She told me how she felt and I fought back for all the wrong reasons. So what if we don't get married? As long as we're together, that's all that'll matter, right?"

Lucas shrugged. "I guess."

"We love each other. That should've been enough but I had to ruin it. I just wanted to make sure that she'd be mine forever and I wouldn't lose her like I did before. I didn't even care about her reason for not wanting to get married. I didn't even really ask. I was just so hurt that she didn't want to be with me."

"But she does," Lucas stressed.

"She did," Nathan corrected. "I was being a jerk."

"What else is new?" Lucas teased as he smirked at him.

"I can't believe I told her to go…that I pushed her to go," Nathan sighed in frustration.

"You were just letting her go after her dream."

"She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay and work on things with us. I told her that it would never work and that I was ready to move on. I basically told her that I didn't want her here."

"You're right. You're a jerk," Lucas agreed.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Nathan muttered before glancing around the Rivercourt. He felt like the world's biggest jerk at the moment. He didn't know if Haley would ever forgive him or hear him out even. He didn't even know if he deserved another chance with her.

"You should call her and tell her what you just told me," Lucas suggested.

He nodded. "You're right. I should call her."

"Later. Now, let's go back to my place so I can school you in this new game. Julian is waiting for us," Lucas said standing up.

He chuckled. "That's on you if you want to get beat."

~***~

The next few hours were spent in Lucas's living room playing their new fighting game. It's not like they could really do anything else. It was raining hard outside, the raindrops pouring hard against the house. Playing video games was the only thing they had to do right now.

"Take that!"

"You bitch!"

"Hit him," Nathan shouted as he pointed to the TV. Lucas and Julian were currently in their seventh match. It was a second later when Julian's guy slammed Lucas's guy into the ground before kicking him. Nathan chuckled.

"You like that?" Julian taunted as he continued to hit the button for his man to continually kick Lucas's guy. Lucas's face was in a hard line as he tried his best to get up and out of Julian's path.

He snorted. "Just wait until I get up!"

Nathan shook his head as he sat back and watched the two of them. Peyton and Brooke were currently upstairs trying on all the new clothes that they bought and then they were going to set up all the toys they bought for the kids. Those girls bought so much stuff today. Nathan didn't even want to know how much they spent. He knew it was a lot.

The doorbell rang and both guys didn't even seem to notice. He stood up and slowly made his way in front of the TV towards the hallway.

"You're totally blocking my way!"

"Oh, come on!"

He chuckled as both of them shouted at him as he made it out of the living room. They were just too easy. He could only imagine if the boys would've been there. There would've been way more noise and way more competition. The boys were going to love this game. He made it to the door seconds later and opened it with a smile on his face. It fell instantly when he noticed her standing there all wet.

His eyes found hers and in an instant he was lost.

There were so many things he wanted to say, he needed to say. But standing there with her nothing was coming out. All his thoughts and words seemed to be lost. Just the sight of her standing there in jeans and a tight green shirt with her hair flowing down was making him light headed. The bag hanging over her shoulders wasn't helping matters.

She was standing out of the rain in front of the door now and it had stopped hitting her. Her body was still covered in water, raindrops still rolling down her face. Even wet she still looked perfect. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he let out a slow deep breath. Then before he could stop himself he was right in front of her, just inches from her face. He leaned in slowly, his hand reaching under her chin and lifting her face up to meet his. When their lips finally touched his eyes snapped shut. The soft perfect feel of her had his head spinning.

He kissed her slowly, his lips moving carefully over hers, not wanting the kiss to ever end. His head titled to the side to get better access as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Slowly the kiss started to build up. Somewhere along the way their tender kiss turned into a fierce passionate one. His hands roamed over her wet clothes until they landed on her waist as he pulled her more into him. When the kiss finally ended, he pulled away gasping for air and was left wondering how it was possible to love her more that he already did.

How had he let her go? How had he not answered her calls in all these weeks apart? He had missed her more than words could say. Why couldn't he say anything?

She stood there panting, her lips red and swollen for their kissing, determination in her eyes as she glanced up at him. "I love you and I'm not going anywhere. I'm not running away from us…not anymore."

His heart seemed to flutter in his chest, as if it finally came back to life. Then slowly his stomach started doing flip flops and his hands started shaking. She always seemed to make him feel alive. Tell her, he screamed in his head.

"Haley, I –"

There were so many things that he needed to say. He needed to apologize for the last month and the way he acted. He needed her to know that he was sorry that he didn't answer her calls and that he knew he was being childish. He wanted her to know how much he missed her and that no matter what he wanted to be with her. Nothing would ever change that. It didn't matter if they got married or not. He just wanted to be with her forever.

But before he could say any of those things she cut him off.

"Wait," Haley muttered. "I have been practicing this the whole plane ride here and I want it to be perfect, so just let me finish."

He nodded as she took his hand in hers. And them much to his surprise she bent down, her eyes never leaving his. He glanced at her confused for a few seconds unsure of what was happening. She smiled softly at him.

"I always hear people telling me how much I changed you. Brooke, Lucas, Peyton –all of them tell me that, but I guess what they don't see is how much you changed me. You did, Nathan. Loving you has made me such a better person and if I wouldn't have spent my whole life running scared of what I felt for you then we wouldn't be here right now. This moment. I love you…I'm in love with you. That's never going to change."

"I love you, too."

"I know you do," Haley smiled. "Before I left for the tour you said that I didn't believe in us…that I didn't have faith. But you're wrong."

"I –I…" Sorry just didn't seem like enough.

"I was scared that somewhere down the road things would change…we would change and I didn't want that. I just want to be with you."

"I want to be with you, too. No matter what. I love you, Haley."

She nodded before taking a deep breath. "I gave you my heart…and it's been with you all these years. Nathan Scott, will you marry me?"

Just when he thought he knew what the hell was happening she caught him off guard again. He gazed down at her stunned for minutes and he couldn't help but noticed how different she seemed. She seemed…happy. And she was asking him to marry her? What was going on? Was this a dream? No, this wasn't real.

She squeezed his hand as if answering his question and he couldn't help but smile before laughing softly.

"What?" Haley demanded. "This seemed so much more romantic in my head. I also didn't think it would be raining and I didn't think I would be wet and cold. And well I pictured you answering a lot quicker. You think this is stupid, don't you?" Her face fell.

"It's perfect," he rushed out. He knew if he let her she could just ramble on and on all night long if he didn't stop her.

"It is?"

He nodded. "That wasn't why I was laughing."

"Oh," Haley breathed. "Well, then what is it?"

"It's just," he paused for a second chuckling. "Julian and Lucas are never going to let this go. I'm never going to live this down." He motioned down to her and smirked before reaching for her other hand and pulling her up. Once she was standing again he smiled.

"Is that a yes?" Haley asked with anticipation in her voice.

He went to open his mouth to answer but before a word could come out he heard Brooke yelling at him from the living room. His face fell.

"Nathan, who is it?"

This was hands down the best moment of his life, and although it felt like a dream, he was sure that Brooke's voice made this whole thing real for him. There was just no way that he was dreaming this. No way was he letting Brooke Davis-Baker take this moment away from him. This was real and that's when it hit him. They were going to come and then they'd all be all over her and he'd be pushed aside. The girls would want to know everything and he wouldn't be able to see her until hours later.

He just couldn't give into that. There was just no way. He loved his family a lot but there were just something's that you were meant to experience alone. This was one of those moments. As if she read his mind, she smiled.

"Let's get out of here," Haley suggested as she glanced behind him through the half open door. So far no one had come looking for him yet. So far.

She squeezed his hand tightly in hers before turning and pulling him with her. They were in the pouring rain a second later as they ran in the yard towards the road. He realized that he didn't have his keys to his truck and he ran to the side of her as his hand stayed in hers. Then as quickly as he could, he lead them to his house. The rain didn't seem like it was giving up any time soon and he smiled. He seemed ok with that.