I'm back! For those of you who have read Celebrity Crime, I think you're gonna like this nice change. It may be confusing, but I would love to get back to you on any problems in personal responses. For those who haven't read Celebrity Crime, well, you don't have to to understand this story, it's complete 180. You're more than welcome to read my first story though! Speaking of personal responses, I'm working on the ones who reviewed CC. But enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just the plot.

Each Other's Comfort

Ch. 1 – The Excuse

7:15 p.m. – Trojan Country Apartments

"Haley!"

Nathan shut the door with urgency. He was on edge, having one the worst nights of his life and all he wanted to do was see Haley.

"In here!"

He heard her voice from the hallway and automatically migrated towards it. He passed their silly pictures that showcased their foyer/hallway. In his haste, his large shoulder accidently brushed against the frame that was styled in four squares of what you take in picture booths at the movies or mall. One corner had them smiling regular; the next had them doing the West Coast sign, the left corner had them sticking out their tongues and puffing out their faces, and the last had a simple kiss. It was in techni-colors that gave the edgy/modern feel that their mutual friend, Peyton, produced while playing around with her editing software. The picture tilted slightly but Nathan barely noticed.

He walked the hallway fast, tight strides until he noticed light and poppy music coming from the room to the right. He deduced that Haley was in their office room. He turned to enter and stopped at the doorframe.

He smiled. He didn't want to approach just yet, because the view right now calmed him.

Haley lightly mumbled to the song as she faced their desktop, completely engrossed in her work. Nathan took advantage. She was sitting Indian style in the computer chair but there was a gap big enough to show her lower back. The green shirt rid up to expose her tiny 23 tattoo right in the middle with their high school colors. He smiled/smirk at the sight.

Nathan had the same tattoo on his lower back, but only he and Haley knew about it. They both got the matching tattoos as a graduation gift. He continued to watch Haley mess around on the computer. Based on the clicking, he figured she was editing her melody to her project. He smiled bigger.

"And done," she said. "I can feel you staring, you know."

Nathan stayed where he was but lifted his gaze when she swiveled the chair to look at him. Her honey/blond hair was in a messy ponytail and she had her black-rimmed glasses that seemed to demand attention to only her eyes. She was "scrubbed" – one of their many slang words – meaning she was dressed-down but she was beautiful to Nathan.

"How's your project?" Nathan asked. He leaned back against one side of the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. He felt his serene smile.

"Added the finishing touches," Haley said. "I'm going to obsess over it and probably change the whole thing for a different feel this weekend. How was dinner?"

Nathan scoffed lightly at her comment that allured to her as a perfectionist. She wasn't, when it came to her work. No, she was OCD, anal perfectionist when it came to her music. But his scoff turned bitter at his disastrous meeting before now.

"Same bullshit as always," he said. "'Nathan, you need bulk up.' 'Nathan, 28 points per a game is nothing. I could do that blindfolded with an injured knee.' 'You think you're gonna make it? Not with that weak fade-away. I'm 50 years old and can block your shot all the way to Tree Hill River.' 'Your age, I was scoring 40. You're a shrimp, kid.' I don't know why I agree with these stupid dinners."

"Your father is an ass."

Nathan laughed. They've been together forever, and he still wasn't used to her bluntness when it came to his father. She always hated the man; the feeling was mutual on his father's part. Another nagging he always got from Dan Scott every week since elementary school.

Haley James never uttered an expletive adjective to describe even Hitler or Osama Bin Laden. Haley never called anyone an ass or a bitch, not even Rachel Gatina – who did some pretty nasty things to Haley that still upsets Nathan to this day – her high school rival. Haley was literally the nice girl. But mention his father, and she cursed. He loved it.

"I don't know why I put myself through this." Nathan said. He was bummed and didn't understand for the life of him why he sees his father when all he ever does is belittle him. He needed assurance and comfort. That's why he left his father in the dust of scotch on the rocks and went straight home to Haley.

"Because he's your father and we always want our parents' approval when we know we're just setting ourselves up for failure," Haley said with a sigh and a puppy-dog look.

Nathan smiled softly. She felt his pain, hell; she was going through with it since puberty, the time the verbal abuse began.

"It's okay, Nathan," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, because he means nothing. He's just jealous that you've accomplished way more than he could ever do."

Nathan watched as she got up from the chair and went to him. Her small frame squished against his torso in a hug and he let his arms fall and pulled her close. His favorite perfume invaded his nostrils. She talked against his shirt.

"You've been ignoring what he's been saying for ten years. He's only on your ass because you're in school. One more semester and you can throw money in his face to shut him up."

Nathan laughed.

"Repeat after me," she said. "My name is Nathan Scott."

"My name is Nathan Scott," he said, with a hint of humor. He already felt the bitterness going away.

"I'm the 22-year-old senior captain of the USC Trojans Men's Basketball Team."

He repeated.

"I didn't blow my knee out my freshman year and I'm going to lead my team to the NCAA championship."

He repeated.

"I'm not my father."

"I'm not my father," he said.

"Because Haley said so."

He laughed out-right genuine. "Say it," she said.

"Because Haley said so," he said.

She looked up at him and smiled huge. His days were centered on making her happy and seeing that smile. He simply loved it. She adjusted her legs so that she was centered. He felt her arms tightened around his back and he heard her groan as she tried to hug him so hard that he lifted from the ground. It never happened. He was 6"2' 210 pounds worth of muscle. Haley barely reached 5"4' and 120 pounds. But he found it cute every time she tried.

He squeezed back and they stayed like that for a few minutes. Nathan felt better. Then again, Haley always had that effect on him. He breathed her strawberry shampoo and placed a tiny kiss on top of her head.

"Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Feel better?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, Nathan?" She said, her voice muffled by his polo shirt.

"Yeah?" Content was in his voice.

"What would you do without me?"

"I'd die."

"I'm here always."

His arms broke from her back and his right hand pushed her slightly off his body. He glanced down at her face and placed his hand on the left side of her chest. "I'll be here forever," he said.

She reached up, her hand already gripping his neck. She went on her tippy-toes and licked her lips before Nathan felt her softness on his chapped lips. The kiss wasn't chaste enough but it wasn't long either. It was the exact middle that him a little weak in the leg strength department.

He wasn't for sure who broke first but when he opened his clear dark-blue eyes, her chocolate brown eyes were shining back at him. They were wide and Nathan been with Haley long enough to know what expression her eyes were telling him. He wasted no time as he went back for the kiss, this time his rough hands guiding her to the other side of the doorway.

He made sure he wasn't rough in the pushing. There was a light thud as her back collided and he slipped his tongue in her waiting mouth. His mouth took control, both lips dominating her bottom lip, sucking, licking, and nipping the bottom counter-part of her mouth. She moaned as her top lip tried to stroke his mouth, but it just couldn't compete.

He pulled away slightly for a breath and went back to work. He pressed his body close as he continued his dominate pattern on Haley's bottom lip. His rough hands travelled down her sides before it gripped both sides of her jean-clad thighs. He pulled up and felt the air whoosh up.

His lips never stopped kissing her as he transferred both of them to table inside the room. He sat Haley at the edge as his mouth pulled back, his teeth catching the lip he was working on and lightly pulled. She hissed and he smoothed the pain over with the flat of his tongue. His angle changed as his hands trailed up until they cupped her neck. He felt her pulse going crazy under his palms and this time he moaned. He felt the heat of this make-out session and he knew he had to stop before they did it again on this very same table. It barely lasted the last time.

His brain was telling him to stop but his body seemed to go rogue. He kept kissing her and she kept encouraging it. He moaned again and shifted his angle when her head pulled back. It came back to his face, only to have what he really wanted – her lips – facing away from him. She was panting, struggling to find her breath and he had to thank her even though his body was protesting. She stopped him before it got too heated… well, before things got sweaty, was more appropriate.

He took a deep breath and it came out shaky. He pulled his head back and stayed where he was. Haley still clung to him. They didn't say anything for the longest time.

It had to be five minutes before their breathing was normal. Nathan still cupped her neck while her fingers tightened on his triceps. He gently glided her face until she faced his. She had that beautiful smile on her face and Nathan felt the tension switch to one of normal. He smiled back.

"So did you break up with him yet?" He asked.

"Um, not yet," she said. She let go of him and Nathan felt himself being pushed away. She slid her butt down until she was vertical. "I'm going to tonight. That's why I stopped you. I have to get ready."

He allowed her to move past him and out to the hallway. He stayed in the room while Haley tracked to her room, which was just across the way. He sat on the table as he watched Haley strip her shirt off on the way to her room and he raised an eyebrow. He saw the hot pink strap across her back for a split second before she disappeared in her room. Her door was still open though for communication.

"Gonna use the same excuse?" Nathan asked.

"No, I'm going to use a different one."

"Right," he said, exaggerating the word. He even laughed out right.

"Excuse me; I've used different excuses for all the men I broke up with!"

Her tone made him bite the inside of his cheek. Her voice was shrill, with genuine insult but it pitched at the end. It made Nathan think that he was supposed to be scared of the ferocious kitty when Haley used that tone.

"Boys," he said, correcting her. "And what excuse did you use for Sean, James, Lucas, Marvin, and Joseph?"

She entered the room with a nice silk blouse with the jeans she was wearing. He felt his eyes trail her body, appreciating everything that God blessed her with. She was very simple, but incredibly sexy to him. He stopped at her feet and noticed the black toed-boots that gave her three inches of extra height.

When he made eye contact again, Haley was leaning against the opposite wall with her arms crossed. He pissed her off, and he secretly grinned. He completely understood Neyo's "Mad." Haley, on the other hand, didn't and he liked it that way.

"That's beside the point," she said. "I'm using a new excuse with Paul tonight."

"Okay, sweetheart."

"You know, Nathan Scott, one of these days you're gonna choke on that condescending tone. Just you watch."

He nodded as she looked down at her watch after she said it. She cursed and left the room to grab her purse, yelling that she was gone.

"Let me know when you use the same excuse!"

He couldn't help but get a last jab in.

11:15 p.m. Nathan and Haley's Apartment

Charlie Sheen went to rehab today. So him and his wife are at different rehab centers and the only reason why is so he couldn't stab her.

Nathan chuckled then full-out laughed at the joke. He was sprawled out on the living room couch, vegging out on some Lays Original potato chips. His wife beater was a little higher on his stomach, exposing his happy trail and he was in maroon-colored basketball shorts. One of his legs rested off the couch.

Tonight, he made a new favorite TV show. He stumbled across Chelsea Lately while flipping channels. He was bored and just happened to flip to the E! Channel where he caught the blond telling a joke about the Kardashians. It was fucking hilarious and now here he was feeling like he couldn't breathe and tears formed at his eyes.

He was listening to another comedian put his input in the pop culture topic when he heard the door slam. His head diverted for a quick second before his attention focused on the show. He called out to Haley.

"Hey Hales!"

She didn't say anything but he heard footsteps. He figured she went to her room real quick to take off her shoes before she came back to his voice. He was still watching and started to guffaw when he felt her presence.

"Hey, you have to watch this," Nathan said, turning his head to her. "New fave show, babe. This chick, Chelsea Handler, is fucking hilarious!"

Her pouty look made him frown.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I broke up with Paul," Haley said.

"O-kay. That was the plan, yes?"

"Yes."

"What excuse did you use?"

She sunk her head on the headrest, her forehead thudding on the subtle décor. She groaned and refused to look at him. He sensed what was happening, but tried really hard not to be an asshole.

"The same excuse as always," she said. "That I slept with you."

Nathan maybe counted three seconds before he busted out laughing. She groaned again before slapping her palm on the couch. He continued to laugh, his stomach contracting with each breath he took.

"I'm doomed!"

He finally stopped when he saw the permanent pout. He calmed down enough to gently pull her wrist towards him. Her body followed, climbing over the couch. He closed his eyes at her familiar warmth and he felt her arms snuggle his ribs. Her head rested on his muscular chest, her face away from his. He knew she could hear his heart beat.

"You're not doomed," he said. "Hales, those guys are boys. You're beautiful, driven, smart, and freaking funny as hell, and they can't handle you. They're intimidated by you. But not all of them are. And you're gonna find that dude."

He caressed her hair while he talked and gently moved his hand down to the side of her cheek at the end of his mini-speech. He put a little more force on her cheek and the move coaxed Haley to look at him. Once her chin rested on his sternum, he looked deep in her chocolate eyes.

"You're beautiful, Haley," he said. "That guy is gonna come. And he's gonna be a man who's gonna treat you right. Not a boy who's gonna pee his pants."

She laughed and that's what he wanted. He wanted to see her smile.

"You feel better?" he said.

"Yeah."

"Good." He puckered his lips and she moved the inch for the kiss. It was sweet and chaste. "Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"What would you do without me?"

"I'd die."

"I'm here always."

Her right hand itched towards the left side of chest. He felt her fingers lightly trace the cotton and he desperately wished he decided to be his cocky self and lounge around with no shirt. He wanted to feel her fingers trace his skin but he settled for the hypnotic movements that made his eyes drop to that bedroom lust. She was looking where she was tracing when his eyes slightly lift to meet her stare.

"I'll be here forever," she said.

End chapter.

Hope you liked. Reviews are welcomed. : )

CAli