Cancer//Nathan Prescott x Reader

f i v e

you wake up to tapping at your door. You're immediately hit with the stench of chlorine, you changed last night but you still smelt like the pool. You sat up and stared at your door and the tapping sound began again.

"Who..who is it?" your hoarse and raspy voice called out

"It's um," the person stopped and sighed "It's Nathan."
you immediately shot up from the bed and ran over to your dresser.

"Give me a second." you called out and grabbed the wig from your desk, you usually took it off while you slept..not all of your hair had fallen out but it was really short and having long hair gave you some sort of confidence. You don't know you guess it just helped you feel average and people didn't stare at you and immediately know about your illness, you hated all the pity people would immediately show you..that's basically why you're keeping it a secret here. You made sure to adjust it just right, you pulled the hair up to your nose and immediately noticed how it smelled solely of chlorine;you groaned and stood up. You cleared your throat and pulled open the door.

"Nathan, hey...um..what..what are you doing here?"

"I'm just..I wanted to check on you and make sure you were fine." he looks sort of concerned still

"Yes. Yes I'm fine," you pull down on your pajama shorts, so they're not too high up, "I appreciate the concern..seriously Nathan, thank you so much for..what you did..if you weren't there I don't know what would've happened.."

"Well you would've been fine because you wouldn't have been sitting on the edge of the pool. (Y/N), you know I basically put you in danger right?"

"No, you didn't I should have said something..plus I can swim..I just..pulled a muscle and couldn't swim back up..." you lied, how weak would you seem if you were able to swim and was just not able to swim up because of your frail body. You didn't want Nathan to feel bad either..so you lied.

"Oh," he sighs of some sort of relief "I couldn't stop thinking of how I almost fucking killed you, it is still a bit of my fault but..I thought you couldn't swim at all and I had pressured you into sitting on the edge of the pool."

"It's fine." you smile at him

"Well um..I guess I'll go now.." he flashes a slight smile

"Um..wait. Do you have classes today?"

"No. Why?" he looks confused

"Um..well I thought maybe I could show my gratitude and buy you something to eat..or..something?" you smile, you're genuinely grateful to Nathan. He looks taken aback and stops, he looks like he's thinking about it before he answers.

"Sure. Okay..I guess, I don't really have anything planned.."

"Cool, I'll meet you in the parking lot. Just let me shower really quickly.."
he nods and walks off down the hall. You quickly grab your shower supplies and head to the showers, you try your best to scrub the chlorine smell from your body and hair. You quickly get back to your dorm after taking care of out personal hygiene, you blow dry your hair and quickly change into something a bit warm..a soft thin sweater and jeans. You leave your room and head out to the parking lot, you notice the guy you saw earlier by a blue car;seems like he's waiting for someone. You approach him.

"Nice set of wheels..this your car?" you gently put your hand against the hood

"Thanks," he leans further onto the car,siting on the hood;smiling at you "Yeah..it's mine."

"Cool.." you stare up at him,brushing your hand against the car

"How are you today,(Y/N)?"

"I'm good..you?"

"Same," he tries to strike up a conversation "You hear about that incident last night, at the vortex club party?"

"No? What happened?"

"I heard someone almost drowned..that's so wild right? The school would've been in so much trouble.."

You immediately and literally face palm
"Oh my god." you say embarrassed, you didn't think people noticed

"What? What's wrong?"

"That was me, I almost drowned.." you feel like an idiot

"What?! Seriously? Are you okay?" he sits up from the car, and looks at you very concerned..his hand gently and carefully touches your shoulder

"I'm fine now..I didn't think anyone saw.." you drop your hands to your sides, you look up at him timidly

"I'm glad you're okay..geez, that sounds scary." his hand rolls off your shoulder and down the side of your arm before his hand returns to the car. you looks at him before giving a gentle smile.

"I have to go, see ya later Warren." you gently wave;get nods and waves back before you head over to Nathan's truck. You open the door and climb in,closing it back once you're in.

"'That the guy you like?" Nathan looks at you with a slight smirk

"I just met him yesterday.." you nervously laugh

"He looks like a nerd." Nathan slightly chuckles

"Stop, he's nice." you playfully shove him

"Whatever.." he stops and starts up the car before he pulls out onto the road.

"Maybe I'm into the nerdy type, what's wrong with that?" you finally reply after silence

"Nothing. Just seems kind of lame.."

"How so?"

"Nothing..I mean I'm sure you'd be so excited for him to show you his action figures, after all you seem like a nerd yourself." he jokingly replies with a smirk on his face

"Oh haha," you sarcastically reply "I may be lame Nathan, but not that lame.." you sit back in the seat with a smile on your face;you turn your head to look at him fully..like stare at him. You smile to yourself, you're relieved that he doesn't hate your guts...I don't think he'd consider you two friends but you're certainly closers then before and he seems a bit nicer.
You both go to the diner and enjoy a meal and a couple of laughs before you return back to the dorms. You enjoyed your time with Nathan today..