A/N: Thank you so much again to everybody who is reading this. And special thanks to those of you who take the time to leave me some feedback. It is very much appreciated. You guys are great!!!

Hope everybody likes this chapter. Please let me know.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

Peyton woke up at the beach house Sunday morning, and stretched out her long limbs. Her dad had left for sea again on Friday, so it had been a difficult moment for her. However, he'd reassured her that he'd be returning in a month's time, for a few weeks next time, so that had made his departure a little easier. Plus Nathan had come over when she'd called him and she'd found comfort in his strong arms and lingering presence. The one downfall of having her father home had been that she'd got less time to spend with Nathan. She'd missed him, even though she'd seen him at school.

Last night, there had been a party for her birthday at the beach house – Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis style. So even though it had been in her honor, she was very aware that that was just the excuse they'd used to have a party. But that was fine, she didn't mind. Last night had been a lot of fun, especially since Nathan had stuck by her side the majority of the night, and hadn't flirted with any other girls. In these early days of their reunion, she wished she could freeze time so that she wouldn't have to go through the next stages that would surely follow – the days when he wouldn't be so attentive and loving. They'd been back together a full week now, so time was closing in on her. Another week or two and he'd be showing a different side, the one opposite this one. She knew that. So, she may as well enjoy these moments while they lasted. After all, it was in these times when she was happiest, when her world felt complete. Or at least it would if it weren't for that sinking feeling of dread for the upcoming days when it would start falling apart again.

But she wouldn't dwell on that. She would take the good times while they lasted and deal with the bad ones when they came.

For this reason, she'd decided to follow Brooke's advice and avoid any communication with Lucas Scott. Brooke was right – Nathan wouldn't be pleased to know she'd been spending time with the half brother he hated so much. She could say she was doing it for Lucas, and that would partly be true. Nathan would never let that go. He'd be out for blood – Lucas's blood. Hell, he freaked out when Lucas only looked at her. But she couldn't honestly say it was the only reason. She had to admit that she was doing it for herself as well. She didn't want to argue with Nathan. She wanted things as they were as long as possible.

'You always let him control you?" Lucas's words from the music store echoed in her mind. She tried to push them out, ignore them. Deny them. Nathan wasn't controlling her. She was making her own choice. But the words kept repeating themselves to her, almost haunting her.

"You ok?" Nathan asked, propping up on one elbow.

She smiled at him. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Nathan replied with a shrug. "You looked deep in thought. What were you thinking about?"

"You," she responded.

"Oh. Should I be worried?"

"No, of course not. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you didn't seem to be thinking happy thoughts," he answered.

"I am happy, Nate," she assured him. "But, for the record, what do happy thoughts look like?" she challenged teasingly. "What do any thoughts look like?"

Nathan grinned. Yeah, she was fine. "Sorry, too early for philosophical questions," he said with humor.

"Oh right," she said laughing. "So by tonight, you'll have an answer?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I pick 'C'. When in doubt, right?"

"It's not a multiple choice question, so 'C' is not exactly an option."

"Yeah, it didn't work on my History test either," he joked. "But hey, what do you expect from a dumbass jock anyway?"

"Baby, don't say that," she ordered harshly. He'd said it in humor, but it bothered her just the same, because she knew he really felt that way. In every other aspect, he was the most cocky, self-confident, egotistical, guy she'd ever met. So to hear him tear himself down really affected her. "You're not a dumbass."

Nathan chuckled again. "Peyton, I'm failing all my classes," he said pointedly. "Except gym."

"Well, so what? That doesn't mean anything."

"How can it not mean anything? If I was smart, I'd know the answers and I'd be passing."

"No, if you went to class more and studied, you'd know the answers and would be passing," she countered.

Nathan nodded in response. "Ok, well, it was just a joke anyway," he told her.

"Well, it wasn't funny, Nathan."

"Alright, so I'm not smart or funny," he said with a cocky smirk. "Good thing I'm hot and have a killer jump shot," he added arrogantly.

Peyton laughed at him. There was the Nathan she knew and loved. "You're too much, you know that?"

"I know. That's why you love me," he teased, resting his hand across her flat stomach and gently stroking the smooth flesh with his fingertips. "So," he added, changing the subject. "Did you have fun last night?"

She nodded, her skin tingling from his touch. "I had a blast."

"Good," he said, kissing her lips. "You were throwing them tequila shots back pretty good. No hangover?"

"Nope. Not at all"

He felt the rumble of her tummy beneath his fingers and it made him smile. "Apparently my girl's hungry," he commented lightly.

She rolled her eyes in amusement. "Nothing gets by you."

"What do you say we take a shower and then go out for breakfast?" Nathan suggested.

"What do you say we take a shower and then just stay in?" she counteracted provocatively, running her fingers up his chest, then smoothly tracing circles around the nipple ring he wore. As far as she was concerned, the longer they kept the outside world out, the better. She stared in his eyes, watching them darken with desire. It really was funny, and flattering too, at how little it took to turn him on.

Nathan looked at her intently, loving the feel of her hands on his skin. He too loved these early days following their latest reunion. In these times, Peyton's attention was focused on him alone. She didn't ignore him to go work on a sketch or to listen to music. She was completely his.

On top of that, she would initiate sex a lot more. Not that she never did in the later weeks – she wasn't the kind to just sit back and let him make all the moves, but it was less often, and he'd usually be the one to get things started. He liked it when she took charge. He liked it a lot. He liked it in any girl actually. It was a huge turn on when a girl wasn't ashamed or embarrassed of her own sexuality. But when it was Peyton, it was even more intoxicating.

Not that he didn't also enjoy being the seducer at times. He did. Especially when Peyton was in one of her frigid moods, and he managed to penetrate her icy demeanor by setting her body aflame. Sometimes it was a quick spark, sometimes a slow melt. Either way, he enjoyed it. Other times neither happened and she would just get angry and accuse him of only wanting her for sex. He hated that. Then they would argue. Both their tempers would get the best of them, and insults would be thrown back and forth, foul names exchanged, and then, depending on whose house they were in at the time, she would either leave, or kick him out. Sometimes she broke up with him over it, sometimes she didn't. But it didn't matter. She never meant it anyway. It was just something she tended to throw at him in the heat of anger.

But none of that mattered right now, as she rose gracefully from the bed, taking his hand in hers, and guiding him toward the shower. He followed easily. Right now, in this moment, everything was perfect.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––

Peyton closed her eyes as her head lolled back in pleasure, both hands at her sides, using the shower wall to steady herself, as Nathan's fingers and tongue wreaked havoc on her body and her senses.

Warm water poured steadily over their sensitive bodies, enhancing the physical intensity of every touch. Peyton felt nearly delirious with pleasure as an involuntary, uncensored cry of pure ecstasy escaped her lips.

As her first climax passed, she slowly opened her eyes. Through the foggy glass door, something caught her eye and she jumped with a shriek in shock. Nathan stood upright, wondering what had happened. He turned to where she pointed and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. Someone was standing at the toilet – taking a leak. He couldn't believe it.

Nathan opened the shower door a crack. "Tim!" he shouted. "What the hell are you doing, man?"

"Sorry, I had to go really bad and all the other bathrooms were occupied."

Which meant there were still people from last night's party at the house. No surprise there. There were always teenagers crashed all over the place after these parties.

"Well, so is this one," Nathan responded irritably. "Get the fuck out!"

"Don't worry, dude, I didn't peak."

"Tim!" both Nathan and Peyton shouted simultaneously.

"Ok, ok, give me a second. I can't just stop mid-stream, you know."

"Next time, piss outside," Nathan warned him.

"Next time, lock your door," Tim replied, flushing the toilet.

Peyton screamed as the water temperature changed.

"Oops, sorry, Peyton," Tim said, washing his hands."

Once Tim was gone, Peyton buried her face into Nathan's chest and started to laugh hysterically.

Nathan held on to her and just laughed with her.

When she calmed down enough to manage a few words, she mumbled them against his chest. "Should have locked the door, Doofus. Even Tim knows that."

Nathan chuckled. "Hey, at least it wasn't your dad this time."

She broke out in laughter once again. "Well, I sure am glad you didn't react the same way," she said. "I doubt my dad would have liked you telling him to 'get the fuck out' of his own house."

"Your dad doesn't like me telling him 'hi'," Nathan said begrudgingly.

"He's just looking out for me, Nate. He doesn't think you treat me right," she told him teasingly.

Nathan frowned. "How would he know? He's never around."

He regretted the harsh words as soon as the laughter died in her eyes. "Peyton, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"No, you're right," she admitted. "He doesn't know. It's true, he's not here enough."

Nathan pulled her in tightly and held her against him, wishing he hadn't said anything. "At least you know he wants to be here. I mean, it's for work, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't see why he can't get another job around here."

Nathan nodded in understanding, but he didn't know what to say to her, so he just continued to hold her. It was true her dad could probably work in Tree Hill and see his daughter every day, but it probably wouldn't pay as well and he was Peyton's sole provider.

At least her father wasn't like his mother, who didn't even need to work, but chose to spend her time doing charity work rather than be with her family – with him. Peyton's father did it out of love, to give her the best he could, but his mom, she just wanted to be away from him. And he hated her for it.

"Do you know when your mom will be home?" Peyton asked, as though she'd known he'd been thinking of her.

"No, and I don't care," he answered.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't," he denied. "She'd rather be with her charity cases than with me, so fuck her."

"Maybe she just wants to feel useful. You know?"

"Whatever," he replied irritably; annoyed she was taking his mother's side.

"Hey," Peyton said softly, pulling back to look at him. "Don't get mad at me, ok. I'm just…"

"Defending her," he cut off.

"No. Just trying to understand, that's all."

"It's easy, Peyton," Nathan told her. "She travels all over the world, doing a job she doesn't even get paid for, because she'd rather do that than be a wife and a mom. And I say the hell with her. When I was a little kid and she was gone half the time, it bothered me, but now, I don't need her anymore."

Peyton kissed his chest softly, knowing his issues with his mother bothered him a lot more than he cared to admit, but his resentment toward her overshadowed everything. He really believed he didn't care anymore, but Peyton knew better. Anger was always his weapon of choice to block out all other unwanted emotions. She knew that, but she wouldn't call him on it, because it wouldn't do any good. He would only get angrier.

She looked up at him and smiled. "You know what I just thought of?" she asked in amusement, trying to lighten the mood again. "We've gotten caught at my house, at your house, but anytime we've been anywhere that's supposed to be more… risky, we've never been caught."

He grinned at her. "That's not true. Whitey caught us in the locker room that one day."

"Well, yeah, but we were fully dressed."

"Yeah, because we got dressed and then two seconds later, he walked in."

"That still doesn't count as getting caught," Peyton reasoned.

"Well, he knew what we were doing, so it kinda does," Nathan countered. "Ok, what about that time at the beach when that lifeguard…"

"Oh yeah," Peyton said as she remembered. "He was rude."

Nathan laughed. "And in that department store's change room."

"We didn't get caught that time either."

"I know. I was just remembering. Best day at the mall I ever had," he replied with a grin. "Oh, ok, how about when you went down on me at the movie theatre? That chick in front of us was watching the whole time."

"Ok, you're just making things up now. I never went down on you at a movie theater."

"Really? Are you sure?"

She gave him a look. "I'm pretty sure I'd remember that."

"Oh. Must have been a dream then. Sorry, I get fantasy and real life mixed up sometimes," he said lightly.

"Right. Or maybe it was with one of your skanks."

"No, it was definitely you. I'd never get you mixed up with anyone else."

"So, you're saying, you have a fantasy of me giving you a blow job at the movies. And this other chick? Is she part of the fantasy too?"

Nathan grinned sheepishly. "She was just watching."

"Oh ok. Well, even so, keep dreaming, because that one's never gonna happen."

"Not even maybe someday?" he asked in a joke.

"Not even."

"Ok," he said, giving her a kiss. "I can live with that."

"Good, you're gonna have to," she said, giving in to his kiss. "The water's starting to get cold," she commented, pulling back.

He nodded. "We should probably actually wash, huh?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "Probably."

–––––

By the time they finally made it downstairs, several of the guests from last night's party had left, but many still remained. They kicked everybody awake and a while later nearly everyone was gone. Brooke, Tim, Damien and Bevin stayed. And Peyton, of course.

Nathan looked around at the mess and enlisted his friends' help in the clean up. With the six of them working at it, it didn't take long. Afterward they decided to go somewhere for a late lunch. But they didn't know where, so they took out the phone book to help make their decision.

"How about Shobey's?" Brooke asked. "That's that restaurant close to Peyton's."

"No," both Nathan and Peyton said, remembering the horrible breakfast he'd purchased from there. "Their food sucks."

"Ok, what about a pizza place? There are tons of those in here."

"I don't want pizza," Damien said.

Brooke frowned. "Well, we have to agree on something. All right, there's Karen's Café. I heard they serve good food."

"They do," Bevin piped in. "They make the best burgers."

"So, let's go there then," Brooke said.

"Ah, I don't know, guys," Peyton said hesitantly. "Isn't there somewhere else?"

"Peyton," Brooke whined. "We've been looking for hours…ok, minutes, but still, I'm starving. What's wrong with Karen's Café?"

"Nothing, I'm sure they have great food, but…"

"But what?"

"Well…Lucas's mom owns it," she revealed.

"Oh," Brooke said in understanding.

"How do you know that?" Nathan asked.

"Uh, because my dad brought me there before he left. Turns out he knows Karen, and that she's Lucas's mom."

"Ok, so maybe we should pick somewhere else then," Brooke suggested quickly.

"Aww," Bevin said in complaint. "I love their food."

"Bevin, sweetie," Brooke said, "we can go there another time. It would be way too uncomfortable for Nathan."

"Oh right, ok. Sorry, Nathan," Bevin said.

"Hey, I'm fine with it if you all want to go there," Nathan said with a shrug. "Who cares if Lucas's mom owns it?"

"Are you sure?" Bevin asked him.

"Yeah. What is she gonna do? Throw out six paying customers?"

"Nate," Peyton said, trying to dissuade him, hoping she sounded reasonable. "The chance that Luke will be there is pretty high. Are you ok with that?"

Nathan frowned. Since when did Peyton call him Luke instead of Lucas? "Whatever. He's always trying to get into my world. It's time I messed with his a bit," he said with mischief gleaming in his eyes.

"Nathan…" Peyton started to argue but was cut off by Tim and Damien's cheers and high fives. "I'm not going if you guys are just out to cause trouble," she said sternly.

"We're just going to eat, Peyton," Nathan said dismissively. "Let's go."