Author's note: This idea has been in my mind for quite a while now, so I thought I'd finally test it out. I'm going to write a lot of flashbacks about Nathan and Haley being kids, just because I thought Naley as children would be cute. The story itself, though, is basically set AU of season one to begin with.

The way which Nathan Scott looked towards his best friend was completely lost on her; intent, protective, loving. There was no harm in saying that Nathan Scott was in love with Haley James, although he'd never admit it to it. It was obvious to everyone around them, just not Haley herself. Haley was too engrossed in the magazine article she'd been reading, anyway: 'How I found love with my best friend'. The word which sprung to mind when considering Haley's point of view on this particular article was sceptic. Was it even possible to have known someone for almost all of your life and wake up one day to discover you were in love with them?

Yes. Nathan knew there was, he was peaking eagerly over her shoulder wishing that the article could be some kind of trigger, that she'd magically realise what he'd known all along. Please love me, Haley James.

They stood alone behind the counter of the café which his mother owned; Deb's Diner. It'd always just been he and his Mom, ever since his father had walked out on them, realising he'd loved, Karen, the mother of his first born son more. He hated Lucas Scott, passionately. His 'big brother' attended Tree Hill High, too; was the captain of the Ravens – The basketball team – and just a complete and utter ass, especially to Nathan. As if on cue, Haley was talking about Lucas and his current girlfriend, Peyton, and he realised he'd not heard a single word she was saying, he was too busy thinking, and staring into those beautiful, brown eyes of hers. "-And then they just started making out right there in the middle of the courtyard. I mean, dude, talk about serious PDA." With a roll of her eyes, Haley shut the magazine and looked around the desolate café.

It wasn't often that the whole place was completely empty, but time was getting on and almost no-one remained within the quaint little building, short for Nathan and Haley. In her usual fashion, Haley was remaining behind as late as she could – She'd always preferred the company of Deb and Nathan to that of her own family; with the family of two, things were so much simpler than at home with her six siblings, constantly fighting. She'd stay at work until she was finally told to leave, then she'd go home, head straight to her room and spend the rest of the evening studying – Sometimes texting Nathan, at the same time – until finally heading to bed.

"You're so beautiful." Shit. Had he really just said that out loud? He didn't mean to do that, and then she was looking at him, startled, confused, with the expression of a deer caught in the headlights. It became apparent then that he had to think fast. "Brooke. I was thinking about her, imagining...Sorry."

Was it wrong that jealousy rippled through Haley's veins as he told her this? It spread like wild fire, and she found herself pursing her lips, although tried hard not to make it clear that she wished so much he was thinking of her. "Yeah, you and every other guy in school. I seriously don't get the attraction – Okay, so she's a cheerleader, and she sleeps around, but isn't sex meant to be special, anyway?" Was it possible she was growing dorkier with every word she said? "I mean, I want my first time to be special. Maybe I'll wait until I'm married, I don't know, I never thought about getting married before, really. Have you?" As per usual, she was babbling, typical Haley James.

Sex, to Nathan, wasn't such a big deal, but marriage was. If he was honest, the first time he'd thought about his wedding day was when he was five years old: a young little brunette girl had come up to him in the playground in kindergarten and asked if he wanted to play 'Mommy's and Daddy's' with her, because all the other boys preferred playing with the prettier, more popular girls. He'd agreed and despite only being a child, playing at being her husband had been magical. Always, Nathan had been the outcast, even at such a young age; and he'd watched the other children playing this game day in day out, and always they did same thing; the boy played as a doctor or a police man, the girl played as a teacher or a nurse; they'd come home play at cooking in the kitchen and then rock one of the baby dolls from side to side, before putting it down in a crib with four or five others.

But not Haley. She'd informed him straight off the mark that she wanted to be a singer, and he could do whatever he wanted, he didn't have to do some boring job if he didn't want. She'd rolled her eyes and informed him that being a fireman was 'such a cliché' – Of course, he hadn't known what that meant, but the way she'd said it caused him to begin crushing on her, even back then. He'd told her he'd play for the NBA and they could live in a big house, and unlike the other children they didn't need to steal all of the babies from the doll corner of the kindergarten, because they could have one child, and that would be enough. He remembered that when they'd finished playing, she'd kissed him on the cheek and said he was nicer than the other boys, he didn't kick sand in her face in the sandpit, or tell her that she was too short to ever be a cheerleader like the other girls.

The memory would be forever implanted in his mind, it was his first memory with his best friend. Eleven years had passed since then and although he knew she probably saw him as a brother, never had a day gone by when he didn't just want to kiss her and tell her how much he loved her. "I should get going." She finally told him, breaking into his thoughts. Hanging up her apron behind the counter, the most beautiful girl in all of North Carolina – In Nathan's opinion at least – walked away, leaving him left behind, with nothing but 'what ifs' floating through his brain. As the door closed behind her, he stared for several moments longer. "I love you." He whispered to the ghost of her presence, before turning off the light and heading up to bed, hoping that for one night only his dreams wouldn't be plagued with her, and he could finally get some rest without wondering if she'd ever love him back.