For Mariaana, my inspiration :)

---

The girls were all gathered at Brooke and Haley's apartment for the highly anticipated Fantasy Boy Draft and were waiting on Peyton for her choice.

'Come on Peyton, who's your pick?' Brooke demanded, bouncing on the soles of her feet. She was excited to get her plan into action and steal Chris Keller away from Rachel.

Peyton licked her lips and stared at the girl across the room. Haley scowled back as though challenging Peyton.

'I pick, Nathan.' She smiled coyly, just to rub it in.

It wasn't that Peyton was just having fun and being a bitch; she wasn't Rachel after all. She was trying to protect Nathan from getting hurt again, she had been there for him when Haley left and he had been a wreck. It wasn't fair for Haley to just waltz back in a demand Nathan's heart. It wasn't a toy. It was fragile and broken from the last time she had played with it.

Chaos broke out in the apartment once Brooke's plan was ruined, meaning that she was stuck with Chris Keller all year, and Lucas was under the mercy of Rachel. Peyton rolled her eyes at Brooke's bad fortune, secretly thinking that she only had herself to blame. Peyton couldn't complain though, first pick was a genius idea from Brooke.

'How could you do it?' Haley demanded in a hush whisper.

Peyton sighed, 'I told you I was gonna.' She got up to leave, hoping that Haley wouldn't follow.

'He's my husband, you can't date him.' Haley pushed.

Her comment caused Peyton to smirk, 'Actually, I can do whatever I like! Kinda like how you did last year when you walked out on Nathan; don't you think?'

'It's not that simple.' Haley urged, blocking Peyton from the fridge.

'Okay denying me food won't make me surrender by the way. Do you people never leave? It's like I'm constantly swatting flies away.' Peyton moaned referring both to Haley and Ellie.

'Can't you just stay out of this? It's nothing to do with you. Leave us to deal with this and you can concentrate on your Mom thing.' Haley suggested, waving her hand in a shooing motion.

Peyton scoffed, 'No, because that would make me like you. Walking away isn't my style, and you know what? Nathan's my friend so I can't stay out of this.'

Finally it seemed Haley realised that she wasn't going to win. Peyton had her mind set and was clearly still seething about Haley leaving. She knew better than to keep arguing against a certain blonde when she was angry.

Haley retired to her room, and Peyton was left to clear up as she listened to Brooke's ranting. It didn't really seem fair, considering the fact that it wasn't even Peyton's apartment.

'Chris Keller?' Brooke winced for the hundredth time, 'I mean Chris Keller!'

----

At school the next morning, it seemed that everyone was buzzing about the Fantasy Boy Draft. There was even talk of date nights.

'So, who got the Tim?'

The girls all pulled disgusted faces, 'You didn't even get drafted!' Brooke put him out of his misery.

Haley hastily exited the table, feeling Nathan's lingering gaze. She was shortly followed by Brooke who wanted to escape Lucas.

'Put me out of my misery, Sawyer.' Nathan requested, dropping into the seat beside her, thinking that somehow Haley must have got her way

'Hey! Have a little faith.' She scolded, 'I told you I'd use my first pick wisely, I picked you but I can always trade with your whiney wife though if you want me to?'

'No.' He said a little too quickly, 'I mean, thanks for this.'

'What are friends for?' Peyton smiled, 'So date night?'

He laughed, 'I've seen that twinkle in your eyes before.'

She let her thoughts drift back to when the pair had been dating and the trouble they had gotten into, 'It was fun though, you have to admit.'

He nodded in agreement, 'Sure was, it feels like forever ago now.'

'Well what do you say to going out tonight then? We both need some fun.' Peyton proposed.

'Yeah that sounds good actually, and I'm really sorry about all of this Mom stuff you've had going on.' Nathan said sincerely.

She chuckled, 'Crazy parent problems, wouldn't be Tree Hill without them.'

'Story of my life.' Nathan nodded, 'So, lets do something tonight. If worst comes, we could just get really drunk.'

'Deal!' Peyton laughed getting up to go to class, 'See you about eight?'

'I'll pick you up.' He committed.

---

All day, Peyton's mind was occupied with what she and Nathan were going to do with their evening. It had been a while since they'd hung out together, and it was even longer ago that they'd been together; before all of the Haley and Lucas drama that followed.

As much as she wanted to cheer Nathan up, she really didn't fancy a night playing basketball. In the past they'd played one-on-one probably on a bet or after some kind of banter, but there really wasn't any point in playing against Nathan. When it came to the game, he really was a superstar; she never could get the ball off of him unless she used dirty tactics. She remembered one such occasion when she was losing badly so she distracted him with a kiss. Of course being them, it had turned into much more than a kiss. A coy smile crept onto her face as she thought back to them almost being caught as they'd undressed on the blacktop. Squealing and laughing, Nathan had dragged her into the bushes and they'd continued their fulfilment of lust hidden from a nearby Dan Scott. She missed the excitement and the passion they'd shared. No one had ever come close to being as thrilling as Nathan Scott had been for her.

She was still debating her decision when she returned home that afternoon. She put it to the back of her mind though, thinking that if they ended up in a bar it wouldn't be a horrible way to spend the night. She showered and changed choosing her leather jacket to shrug over a black tee teamed with jeans.

Right on cue, at eight o'clock, Nathan knocked at her door. Then he remembered that it was Peyton's house and let himself in going straight up to her room.

'Hey.' She greeted warmly, putting some records back in their sleeves.

'I like what you've done with the place.' Nathan smirked gazing around her room, his eyes lingering on the wall of faces, 'What's with the random number?'

She gazed at her wall, 'It's roughly how many people there are in the world right now.'

'Of course it is.' He didn't know why he was surprised by such a random answer. He continued to survey her room as she sorted her music out. He knew she had a weird OCD about music and didn't want to get on her bad side by insulting it; he'd done enough of that to last a life time.

'What is this?' He asked.

Peyton glanced up to see what he was referring to, it was her closet door. Clearly for all to see was Nathan's name beneath Peyton's.

'Is this what I think it is?' He kinked a brow, 'Kind of kinky, it beats notches on a bedpost I guess.'

She threw him a disgusted look; trust Nathan to think that she'd write her 'list' on her black closet door in brilliant white paint.

'You slept with Anna too?' His eyes bulged.

'Her and the Foo Fighters, yeah. Seriously, this so not what you think.'

He shrugged, 'It's possible, oh.'

'Oh?'

'Dan. As is Dan my dad? What is this list?' Nathan asked grossed out.

Peyton sighed and pulled open the other door to show another list, headed with Brooke's name. 'Okay, this is what I awoke to one morning, courtesy of Brooke. It's a um, well it's difficult to explain; it's basically Brooke's rules so that we never have another Lucas fiasco. These are the people I can hook up with.'

Nathan raised his eyebrows at Brooke's dedication. Then scanned her list, 'Cooper too? Are there no other men in this town besides the ones I'm related to?'

'She got my Dad too.' Peyton sighed.

'So why has my name got an asterix?' He asked, noting that he was the only one.

'Haley. In case you get back together, then you're struck off the list.' She enlightened him.

'Then it'll be slim pickings.' he joked, his ego not hit by his break up.

'Actually I traded Anna for Dave Grohl so there's some hope.' She shrugged before slapping him away. 'Right, chop, chop before you delve in too far and find something incriminating.'

His eyes lit up, 'Oh, like what?'

'Not in your wildest dreams would I tell you.' She flattened his excitement, 'Now what do you want to do?'

'Well you know burning boat got cancelled the other week?' He questioned.

She gave him a perplexed look, 'No.'

'Doesn't matter, anyway, I thought we could go and get rid of some stuff.' He revealed.

'Have you got a trailer? I've got so much I could chuck out.' Her lips twisted into a smile.

He copied her action, 'I have but it's full from my baggage.'

'What are you burning?' She asked softly as she rooted through her drawers.

Slipping a hand inside his pocket, he pulled out a promotional picture of Haley and Chris from the tour.

'Good pick.' Peyton commented, knowing how much the tour had torn him apart. 'Letting go, right?'

He grappled for a moment, 'Of my depression, yeah.'

'Excellent!' She smiled widely, something Nathan hadn't seen in a while, 'Now what to burn?'

'How about this?' Nathan suggested, picking up a floppy hat from Peyton's bedpost.

'Because I have such an issue with that hat, that's really going to help me let go of the past.' Peyton mocked taking it from his grasp, pulling it onto his head and over his eyes.

He didn't look impressed by her action, 'Maybe I'll burn it then.'

Peyton seemed to have given up on her search and had taken a seat at her desk, to the puzzlement of Nathan.

'Um, did I just get ditched or something?' He asked perplexed, 'Only that's real cold.'

Pulling the top off a pen, she shook her head, 'Don't worry hotshot, I'm just making something to burn.'

He went to peer over her shoulder, curious, 'You know that's really not the point. You're supposed to be getting rid of something from the past, not making something new.'

The pen lid was now between her teeth, and she had a look of concentration on her face, 'Wait.' It sounded like a growl due to the fact that she had something in her mouth. It silenced Nathan.

A few long minutes later, she finished and held it up for his opinion. It was a rough sketch, but it still surpassed Nathan's drawing skills by a mile. It was clearly Peyton depicted, he could tell by the signature curls and her long legs. She was wearing a mask, as were the couple of unidentified characters beside her. She had written a caption; A story of drama and tragedy, starring Peyton Sawyer.

'Well, that's jolly.' Nathan remarked sarcastically.

'Yeah well that's why I'm burning it. I'm fed up of all of these, these palavers. They've been following us like a dark cloud.' She explained, 'It was so much easier when it was all about basketball and making out.'

'Sure was.' He agreed, 'And damn we had that down.'

Peyton laughed heartily, lighting up her face. 'It's all changed so much, we were high school kids then, not married or with surprise mothers.'

He nodded along, 'Well lets not be miserable about it, lets do something about it.'

Together they agreed that after they'd been to the burning boat, they would let go of their mistakes and the dramas of the past year.

---

As the original date for Burning Boat had been cancelled, it seemed that fewer people had turned out than usual. That suited Nathan and Peyton just fine as it meant they were less likely to run into anyone they knew.

Whitey was there for his role of host. He gave the pair a somewhat frosty welcome, knowing how destructive they'd been as a couple.

'Nathan.' He growled, 'Miss Sawyer.'

'Hey Coach.' Nathan nodded noting his cool reception, 'We're just letting go of the past.'

The old man seem to soften a bit at that admission, 'Well if you can do that together without tearing each other apart then that's something.'

The pair laughed, knowing that they'd driven the man mad when they'd been dating what with Nathan skipping practise for making-out and arguing.

'That was a long time ago.' Peyton said softly, 'We've grown up since then.'

Whitey couldn't help but agree, he didn't think he'd witnessed such a transformation in two people in all of his years. They'd certainly changed in the short space of a year. There was something, a feeling when he looked at the pair that made him keep his thoughts about Nathan's marriage to himself. For the first time since school had begun, Whitey saw Nathan relaxed and happy, he would have been a fool to interrupt the high spirits.

'Well, enjoy the night.' He said and doffed his imaginary cap before going on his way.

'Let's get a drink.' Nathan suggested, leading Peyton towards the stands. It was a cool night and they were both in need of warming up before the fire was lit.

In a gentlemanly act, Nathan refused to let her pay.

'This is nice.' Peyton remarked in a soft, sing-song voice. 'So different to last year.'

Nathan snorted in what she assumed was agreement. They took a seat on the bleachers and hugged their cups.

'So what's your plan?' Peyton wondered aloud, 'Focussing on basketball?'

He nodded slowly, 'Yeah, as much as it will please Dan, I really want to get into Duke.'

'I'm sure you'll get there.' She smiled, 'And it's your dream, not Dan's, he lost his chance a long time ago.'

Wringing his hands, he looked into her eyes, 'What if I've lost the motivation? The push to do it, happiness can make you feel invincible.'

'It can also distract you.' Peyton pointed out, 'Anyway, anger is motivation. Remember before, when Dan was grinding you and I was…there, well you never had any problems playing then.'

'It wasn't only anger that drove me. Like you said, you were there.' Nathan repeated, making Peyton gasp under her breath.

'Me?' She questioned not realising that she had impacted Nathan in any other way than in the bedroom.

He fixed his gaze on her searching green orbs, 'Yeah, I mean you were my girlfriend. You were always the one screaming the loudest and meeting my eyes; looking at me like you were proud not just happy that we were winning.'

'I was proud.' She confirmed taking his hand.

He shrugged, 'That and you were damn sexy, those legs in that skirt.'

Smacking him in the arm she smiled, 'So it was my bedroom skills?'

'Can't say they didn't help.' He jested, knowing that it would cost him another hit, 'I'm kidding, it was that you believed in me. No one ever did; my Dad was never proud; Whitey just expected me to fail; half the kids in the school hated me and wanted me to fail; the team just wanted a great season. You were different, like you knew how much I wanted it and you actually wanted me to succeed.'

She frowned, 'Of course I wanted that for you. I saw how hard you worked and you're really, really good. Who wouldn't believe in you?'

He puffed as though he had a few answers to that question.

'Hey,' she commanded his attention, 'Do you know why I started dating you?'

Shrugging he couldn't help but give a quick remark, 'My dashing good looks?'

'You are an amazing moment killer.' She complimented, 'Don't kid yourself, you're not all that.'

Nathan looked pained, gripping his chest where his heart was, 'Not all that? Have you seen this face?'

'Okay, okay, you have puppy dog eyes that would make anyone confess; you're not a bad bit of boy toy.' She said, not looking at his face that would no doubt be gloating.

'Can I hear that again please?' He requested, loving every minute.

'No.'

Shrugging in defeat he didn't push her, 'Sorry, you were saying.'

'Well it wasn't for your modesty that I went out with you.' She scoffed. 'You just seemed lost like me, and I could see in those brief moments that you were kind beneath the tough exterior; again like me. You were fierce and determined, so, so passionate about your art. That's rare, you know. I always admired that about you; the fire you had inside you.'

He raised his brow at hearing her talk so highly of him.

'I still do.' She told him, 'Admire you; you're about the strongest person I know.'

'Thank you.' He said sincerely, 'It wasn't just one sided though, even if I didn't show it; I cared.'

Nodding she smiled, 'I know. You could never fool me with your masks.'

'Tonight the masks come off, right?' Nathan asked referring to the picture Peyton had drawn earlier, 'No more hiding.'

'No more hiding.'

---

'You ready?' Nathan challenged as they approached the vast boat.

With twinkling eyes she nodded, 'I've been ready a long time.'

It seemed as though they sighed together as they threw the past away.

---

'So,' she began slowly, knowing that she was treading on fragile ground, 'You and Haley?'

He hung his head, 'I can barely stand to look at her, but in another way I don't want to hurt her.'

Peyton gave a sad smile at his mixed up mind, 'It's because you have a heart, Nate.'

'That or I'm stupid.' He sighed.

She forcibly turned him to face her, 'Nathan you are not stupid. She is for letting you go, but that's beside the point. It sucks; what happened, and I'm sorry that you had to go through it. But you've come out the other side as a different boy, it's a good change.'

'You think so, Sawyer?' He wondered.

'Are you kidding? I know so.' She assured him, 'You're going to be fine by the way. If it's supposed to be it'll happen. You don't have to make a decision on anything right here and now, you should have absolutely no doubt in your mind.'

Realising she was right, he nodded, 'Who knew you were so wise?'

She laughed again, making Nathan cheer up a little, her laugh was sunshine canned. 'I've always been wise; you just never let me talk when we were together.'

'That would have been time wasted.' He said firmly, 'I had a hot girlfriend, chatting wasn't on my mind.'

Peyton blushed, although she wasn't sure why.

'Where should we head to next?' Nathan asked apparently not bothered by his comment.

'I could eat.' Peyton shrugged.

His eyes sparkled, 'How about Giuseppe's?'

'We have a life long ban.' She reminded him although she was grinning at the memory.

Back when they were dating, it had been one of their favourite haunts. They weren't stingy on the portions, and it was cheap. In fact they'd both gladly still go there if it hadn't been for the incident after one of Nathan's more memorable wins. Peyton had dared Nathan to strip, and he never refused a dare. Unfortunately Giuseppe didn't approve of naked boys who danced on tables in his restaurant. It was too bad really considering the trade he'd missed out on over the past year or so.

'That was your fault.' Nathan tried to blame her.

'No, I think it was your pride. I never expected you to actually do it. The whole restaurant saw your ass!' She shook her head at the memory.

He kinked an eyebrow, 'They saw yours too.'

She cringed in embarrassment, 'I completely forgot, and that was all your fault. You were the one to lift my skirt.'

'Hey,' he held up his hands, not wanting to take the buck, 'It wasn't my fault you didn't bother with cheer bloomers.'

She narrowed her eyes, 'Actually, you were the reason I didn't wear them, if you remember?'

A glazed over look passed over his face as though his mind was elsewhere; in the past perhaps.

'I claim all responsibility.' He chuckled, 'I should be commended for that; bloomers are criminal.'

'Chinese?' She suggested, changing the subject from her underwear.

'Sure. Just tell me one thing.' He requested, his eyes dancing.

She knew she probably wouldn't like the question.

'Do you wear them these days, the bloomers I mean?' Nathan asked, curious as to whether his demands had had a lasting effect on her.

She laughed her glossy laugh again, 'No, and you should know why.'

His nose wrinkled, 'Ew, are you referencing a rash or something?'

She pulled a face, 'Dude, what is wrong with you? No, the reason I don't wear them is because you made me burn them on the boat last year.'

'That was an inspired idea.' He winked, holding open the door to the restaurant for her.

The host sat them and Nathan called a waiter over straight away as he was obviously hungry, 'Yeah we'll have two cokes, beef in black bean sauce, noodles - lots of noodles, chicken fried rice, pancakes, and erm, lemon chicken and prawn toast please. Oh and sweet and sour sauce.'

The waiter nodded, and Peyton sat open mouthed.

'What?' he blurted, wondering why she was staring so insanely.

'You ordered for me.' She managed, still shocked.

Frowning he scratched at his head, 'Well I'm not sharing with you, you eat all the weird stuff.'

'I meant you remembered what I like.' She explained, picking up her chopsticks to rehearse the technique she had never fully mastered.

His face relaxed, 'Of course I did. You suck with chopsticks, by the way.'

He watched intently as her face contorted, concentrating on the task, 'I don't get it.'

'Here,' he offered, rising from his seat so that he could take her hand in hers to instruct her, 'Like that.'

'I feel enlightened.' She said in a breathy tone, 'I knew you had to be good at something.'

'Hey,' he pointed a finger in her direction, 'You know my talents go further than that.'

She gave a half shrug and a coy smile, 'Well you are okay at basketball.'

In reply he gave her a pained look.

'You think very highly of yourself, hotshot.' She told him, secretly happy to see Nathan back to his confident old self.

'It's all the adoring fans, I can't help but agree with them.' He told her, puffing his chest in a joking manner.

She kicked him under the table to shut him up.

'Violence, that's original, Sawyer.' Nathan chuckled, thinking of the many times he'd been at the mercy of her tirades of aggression.

Her eyes hooded as she thought back to their rocky relationship. She remembered how much they used to argue and although some would see that as a huge flaw in a relationship, she wouldn't have changed it. It was an outlet for them, and it brought out their honesty. There were no masks back then in that relationship, they had both been themselves, truly themselves.

'What's on your mind?' Nathan asked as their food was settled on the table.

Peyton reached for prawn toast and settled her eyes on him, 'Us.' She replied bluntly.

Her answer made him freeze mid-reach, 'Us?' he echoed.

'Yeh, how we were together.' She shrugged, 'The screaming, the fighting…'

'The hot make up sex?' He continued.

She couldn't help but smirk. 'No. The way we were with each other. There was no hiding, we were ourselves, I haven't been like that in a while.'

He frowned, not following, 'You haven't been yourself?'

'Not really.' She muttered, 'I mean when I was with you I never hid how I felt or what I thought, I don't know maybe it was a selfish way to be in a relationship but it felt freer. With Lucas and Jake it was different. Well, I was hardly with Lucas, that was the worst version of myself, and I hate myself for doing that to Brooke. I never felt more trapped because it was this ugly secret. How can you have a proper relationship when it's an affair? And then there's Jake. He had so much going on; I could hardly bother him with my petty problems. For both of them I felt like I had to put on another persona, to be the best version of myself. That sounds silly, of course I want to be the best version of myself, but I'm not perfect, I don't want to hide my flaws.'

Nathan listened intently to every word, 'I get what you mean, completely. With Haley I was the same. She was like this saint and I had to live up to that, it's hard.'

Peyton laughed, 'How did we end up dating people with such impossible standards to beat? Come on, it's us, we'll never be the saints they are!'

'Hear-hear.' Nathan smiled, clinking his glass against hers. 'Glad to know that I bore the brunt of badass Peyton Sawyer thanks for that.'

'Hey, because you were Mr Fantastic.' She returned.

'I'm sorry for that by the way; I was a jackass back then.' He shook his head at his own actions.

She waved her hand dismissing it, 'You don't need to apologise, really. And I mean we couldn't have been that bad, we still talk to each other. We just had stuff going on that we didn't know how to handle.'

'Yeh and acting like a hurricane clearly helped us.' Nathan scoffed, 'You know earlier, you said why you started dating me?'

'Mmm.' Her emerald orbs bored into him.

'Well I started dating you for the same reason; your fire.' He admitted, 'Every other girl was just your stereotypical cheerleader looking for a hot night or whatever. You were different, feisty and sharp. You spoke to me like I was more than a ball player, no one ever did that. I think that back then you were the only one with an inkling that I wasn't from a privileged youth.'

She nodded in a deep understanding, 'I always wondered what it was you saw in me, you could have had any girl.'

'I chose you.' He reminded her softly.

Once more, her eyes glazed and she felt butterflies dance around her stomach. She wondered how she could ever have let him go, and then she remembered all of the drama Lucas had created.

'Thank you for taking my side.' Nathan said after a long time, 'About the Haley thing, I mean.'

She shrugged, 'You're in the right. Plus I don't like people who leave and just waltz back like nothing's happened.'

'Me neither.' Nathan chuckled.

'It's different for them; it's so hard on the people who are left behind.' Peyton sighed, people leaving was her specialist subject. 'Promise me one thing, Nate.'

'What's that?' he asked, meeting her fiery eyes.

She hesitated but his deep stare urged her to continue, 'You won't forgive her because it's what everyone else is telling you to do, or because she's sad, or because you're being nice. Forgive her because you can let it go and move on from it. Don't forgive her for anything else, because that would be a lie. Lying to yourself, that's an awful kind of betrayal.'

'I promise.' He told her in a whisper. 'Now you have to promise me something.'

She frowned, intrigued, 'Okay.'

'You won't push everyone out when it comes to this Mom drama. We're all here to listen if you need it.' He offered, 'Or on anything for that matter.'

Her eyes were glassy, 'Promise.'

'Hey.' He said in a softer voice than Peyton imagined him to ever have, 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.'

She shook her head profusely, 'I'm just happy, this is nice.'

Offering a smile, he wondered vaguely just why they had split up.

---

All too quickly it seemed that the night was at an end. The pair faltered when they reached Peyton's door, wondering whether to act on how they were feeling. Both tried to bury it but it was bubbling at their lips.

Peyton sighed and opened her door. She turned to Nathan, trying to read his face.

'I had a really great time tonight.' He told her softly, his eyes focussed on her lips.

She kept her voice even, 'Me too.'

Bowing her head she looked to her feet. Noting the irony of her beaten converse against his trendy basketball sneakers, it showed how different they were. Maybe she'd been blinded by his kindness and she didn't really like him in that way at all, or maybe she was looking for reasons to snap out of her strange crush; she wasn't quite sure. She could barely believe her own thoughts, but there was no denying it any longer; she was crushing on Nathan.

After Haley had left him so broken, she'd grown defensive of him, trying to protect him from the heartache in the same way he would for her. She thought she was just looking out for her friend, and maybe she was; at first. Then, as she'd spent more time around him at school and on this crazy date night, she realised that it wasn't just being a good friend. She wanted more than that. It was the boy she'd fallen for all that time ago but with more compassion, more kindness, and more softness to him. She liked the new him even more.

'Peyton.' He began unsteadily.

She looked up and met his stormy blue eyes.

Reaching out, he pushed a curl out of her line of vision so that he could look her in the eye properly. He then gently caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

She gazed at him with such a conflicted look. She seemed so troubled in that moment that all he wanted to do was make everything better for her. Before he let himself think about what he was going to do, he took a deep breath and leaned in for a kiss.

Immediately Peyton pulled back, not letting their lips meet. He had been right there for the taking but she couldn't do it.

Nathan hung his head, 'Oh jeez.'

Before she could explain herself, he set off in a jog.

'Nathan, wait!' She demanded, calling out to him.

He didn't turn; he only picked up his speed. Nathan Scott didn't do vulnerable, he didn't do defeated, and he certainly didn't do rejected.

Peyton stopped running after a minute, realising that if Nathan really wanted to run away, she'd never be able to catch him. 'I wanted to kiss you back.'

Her voice was so strangled and tormented that it urged him back to her.

'I did Nate, and maybe I should have, I don't know. It's just,' She trailed off as he approached her, 'I'm sorry.'

'Peyton, don't lie to make me feel like less of an idiot.'

'You are not an idiot, Nate.' She said firmly, 'In another situation, on another day, I would have kissed you.'

He could tell from the sincere look in her eyes that it was the truth.

'It's just that, well, I don't want to be, be your rebound.' She wrung her hands in a nervous manner, 'I'm sorry, it's just that you're married and I'm a mess of emotions, I didn't want to make a mistake.'

He nodded in understanding, a deep frown etched on his face.

'Nathan?' she questioned.

'You're right.' He said finally, 'I'm sorry.'

'No.' She shook her head furiously, 'Don't apologise. I want you to know that I felt, I feel the same. I just can't.'

'Everything's going to get weird now, right?' He sighed, he was clearly mad at himself.

'We can't let it. We need to be there for each other as friends right now. I need my friend, and I think you need a friend too.' She told him, 'If it's meant to be, you and me, then it'll happen, you know?'

He smirked, 'You're too wise, Sawyer.'

Ignoring the strange air between them, Peyton reached in and hugged him tightly. 'No matter what, I'm here okay? I think I'll always be there for you. Don't push me away because of this. I wouldn't go without a fight anyway.'

'I know you wouldn't.' He grinned at her determination. 'Thank you, Peyton.'

Her eyes twinkled and her mouth curved to a small smile as she watched him walk away. She could only hope that she hadn't just thrown away her chance at some happiness.

---

In Tree Hill that night, five couples went on five dates. Some shared an evening with someone they hated, as was the case of Brooke who had to suffer Chris Keller for a night. Some were with a close friend like Haley who had ended up with Mouth. Some were treading new ground like Skills was with the mysterious Bevin. Others, like Nathan and Peyton were in the company of a person they held highly in their heart. And then there were those like Lucas paired with Rachel, someone he was sure he'd never fully understand.

It was to be a night of arguments, admissions and affection.

The evening would spark a new relationship.

It would reignite one couple's feelings for one another.

And the actions of two would lead to the possible end of the road for one pair.

---

I'll leave it to you to decide which couple(s) fit the three statements, it's your interpretation :)

Hope you enjoyed!