A Very Happy Birthday

by anni

Nathan and Haley celebrate her birthday. Complete fluff.

Title: A Very Happy Birthday
Author: Anni
Email:
Summary: Nathan and Haley celebrate her 17th birthday.
Disclaimer: I am poor. I own nothing. It is very sad.
Notes: This story was written for the wonderful and lovely Ashley (finn21), for her 21st birthday... because I loff her.
Another Note: Sorry for the lameass title. I couldn't come up with anything else.
Another Other Note: This is pure, shameless fluff. Complete schmaltz. So, just be warned. Oh, but there's nakedness, too, so that's nice.

Haley trudged up the stairs leading toward hers and Nathan's apartment. It had been such a long and exhausting day, from having to get up at the butt crack of dawn so that she could catch a ride with Nathan to school before his morning basketball practice to working a five hour shift at the café after her afternoon tutoring sessions. She wanted absolutely nothing more than to crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head and forget all about the fact that she would have to do it all over again the next day.

But to add on top of all that, Haley also wanted to forget that today was her birthday. Seventeen years old and marked by nothing more than a slightly burnt homemade batch of chocolate cupcakes that Brooke brought for everybody to share during their lunch period.

Now Haley didn't consider herself spoiled or high maintenance by any means. She didn't need constant affirmation from others to be happy with herself and she didn't need all sorts of gifts just to know that people loved her. She didn't need a huge party with tons of guests and all the trimmings just because she'd turned another year older.

But that didn't mean it wasn't nice all the same.

She thought back to her last birthday. Her mother had cooked a big dinner and two of her brothers came home from college just to celebrate with her. Lucas and Karen had come over and her dad made her wear this silly princess tiara and a feather boa while everyone sat around and sang and laughed and had a great time. There were balloons and streamers, cake and ice cream.

And presents! There were so many presents. It was wonderful and she was happy. Very happy.

A few weeks ago, when Nathan asked her what she wanted this year, she'd told him that it was best that they didn't make a big deal of it. Money was tight and it wasn't like seventeen was the hugest birthday ever. He didn't need to get her anything. In fact, she'd told him that he didn't really have to worry about doing anything special for her at all.

She was lying, of course, in that way that all girls lie about things like that, but this was Nathan and she should have known by now that if she didn't write it out and duck tape it to his forehead, he just wasn't going to get it. The boy was dense, no two ways about it.

And that's why, instead of waking up to breakfast in bed with a vase of roses on the side, she'd gotten a cold pop tart as he rushed her out the door so that he wouldn't be late and have to run extra laps. Hell, she hadn't even gotten a kiss on the cheek as he'd jumped out of the car and raced off to the gym.

He hadn't met her at her locker before first period or walked her to any of her classes. He'd spent all of history, the only class that they had together, playing some stupid paper football game with Tim. And then, as if all that wasn't enough, the jerk had the nerve to steal her cupcake during that tiny lunchtime celebration!

Dumb, stupid, meanie jerk!

Taking a deep breath, Haley tried to calm herself down. She wasn't mad, not really. Because, you know, she'd told him she didn't want anything. And she didn't want anything, she didn't need anything. Like she'd already said, she wasn't high maintenance and she didn't need birthday presents and the sort. She absolutely didn't.

Her eyebrows drew down again in a scowl. But even if she didn't need it or want it, he should have needed and wanted her to have it!

Oh well, she had another hour or two to herself before he got home from work. That meant that at least she wouldn't be subjected to an evening of sports and video games on this day that was supposed to be her day. She could take the time to relax and settle from all of the aforementioned stress. She could take the time to get over the fact that her husband was such an insensitive jerk.

And if she didn't get over it, when he got home, she could just kick him the shin and huff off to their bedroom, slam the door, and make the jerk sleep on the couch.

"Stupid jerk," she muttered, jamming the key into the lock with more force than was necessary. She swung into their apartment and was met with the unpleasant mess that still remained from half of the Tree Hill High varsity basketball team coming over the night before to watch some game and make a wreck of their tiny home. They were all stupid jerks, too.

So, apparently there would be no settling. The neat freak in her, the one that cursed the fates regularly for pairing her up with such a non-neat freak, would not just let her leave the place like this.

"Cleaning on my birthday. Freaking perfect." Her hands settled on her hips and she could feel her eye begin to twitch. There was rage boiling up in this mild mannered tutor girl and holy crap, was Nathan going to get it when he got home. Oh yes, the boy would have no idea what hit him.

Haley had known what she was getting into when she married Nathan. He was who he was and who he was was not always the most considerate person in the whole world. For the most part, she was able to let stuff slide because she knew he tried for her.

He was terrible at doing dishes, but once in a blue moon, he would load up the dishwasher for her. Most times she would end up having to do them all over again because he would pack it too full or forget the soap or what not, but it was the effort that counted. And sometimes he would remind his slobby friends to clean up after themselves and throw their trash away. Hell, sometimes he'd even take the trash out after they left. It was against the very core of his spoiled brat nature to care about those sorts of things, but he did it for her. And she loved him for even trying.

But it was her birthday, dammit, and trying wasn't good enough today! Haley resisted the urge to stomp her foot down on the ground in a fit.

And that was when she spotted it. His backpack, tossed carelessly on the counter so that a few books had spilled out the open top and knocked over a not quite empty beer can. Keith must have let him off work early.

Well, good. He was home. That made it much easier to just kill him now.

"Nathan!" Her voice echoed throughout their little apartment as she strode toward the bedroom. It was a small space they lived in, and really, nothing more than a regular indoor voice was ever needed to be clearly understood throughout, but frankly, she wasn't in the mood for an indoor voice type conversation. No, she was in the mood to yell and be bitchy, which she figured was her right because she was never the bitchy one in their relationship. That was usually Nathan's role.

"Nathan!"

Reaching their darkened room, she threw her book bag down on the bed, hoping to catch him the middle of a nap. Haley was surprised, however, when she flipped on the light and found their bed empty. She turned toward the bathroom and found the door open just a tad, a dim light peaking out through the thin crack.

"Nathan?"

She pushed into the small room and her jaw dropped. This certainly wasn't what she'd expected.

Their normally messy bathroom had been cleaned, quite well surprisingly enough, with the bathtub scrubbed down and the sink washed off. There were no clothes draped over the shower rod or damp towels wadded up on the floor. Even the toilet seat was put down. The place was almost unrecognizable.

Nathan must have dipped into her collection because the room was littered with various candles of shapes and sizes, creating that soft glow, and the differing scents mixed together to tickle at her nose. A bath had been drawn with a generous amount of bubbles added in, and, as Haley stepped closer to take a look, apparently an array of rose petals, too.

That rage she'd been feeling just a moment ago dropped away and was replaced by a new emotion.

Confusion. She was just really, really... confused.

There was a small card perched at the edge of the bathtub and Haley reached forward and plucked into her hand. It was a grocery store hallmark card with a mess of pink roses across the front. Opening it, she found "Get in," scribbled in that messy handwriting she knew so well.

Hmm. Weird.

"Nathan?" Haley called, turning around toward the bedroom, hoping to be able to find him in their seemingly empty apartment. She hoped he hadn't lit all these candles and then just left. That was the very definition of a fire hazard.

She was about to venture back out of the bathroom when another card caught her eye. This one had a cheesy picture of couple on the beach, watching the sun set. There was another message inside. "I told you to get in."

Laughter bubbled up inside her belly and she shrugged, deciding to let go of the day's agitation, all that frustration that had built up toward Nathan, and play along. The bath did look awfully inviting and it would be interesting to see where he was going with all of this.

Toeing off her sandals, Haley kicked them to the side and then began to unbuckle and slide off her jeans. She felt a little bit weird, this whole set up with Nathan no where in sight. It felt almost like there was someone just waiting to jump out and scare the bejeezus out of her or like maybe this was some kind of gag for candid camera. That was ridiculous, of course, but it was still a little strange.

Discarding the last of her clothes into the laundry hamper, Haley stepped into the bathtub and slid into the soft combination of water, bubbles, and rose petals. Ah, but this felt so wonderful, nothing better after the day she'd had and the soreness that never failed to set into the balls of her feet and travel up along her calves and thighs after a longer shift at the café.

Nathan always liked the water scalding hot when he showered. When he was finished in the morning, the mirror was always fogged over and a billow of steam would follow him when he left the bathroom. It felt like it would take forever for the room to air out enough for her to not have to struggle for breath when she went to get her own shower in. He teased her for being a wimp, but she liked the water warm, just bordering on hot so that the smooth liquid could work at her muscles and let her relax.

And this was perfect. A sigh escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered shut and she slipped as far down into the water as their tiny bathtub would allow. Brushing her hair up off her neck so that it wouldn't get too wet, she let her head rest against the edge and sat, not quite waiting, but just sitting.

A few peaceful moments passed before Haley finally heard some movement coming from the living room. The soft strains of Nathan's Barry White CD began floating back toward the bathroom and she giggled. That particular CD seemed so out of place amongst the rest of his rap and R&B, but he'd explained to her that it wasn't that he liked the music, it was just that Barry White was a sure fire way to get laid. No girl could resist Barry White. Not even her, he'd said.

The giddiness twisted in her stomach, that feeling that would bubble inside her whenever he was close, and she wondered at the control he had over her. Not ten minutes ago, she'd been raring for a fight and while she couldn't say that she was a hundred percent happy with him just then, she was melting and she knew it. He just had that power over her, that power to take all of her resolve and resistance away and turn her into a mound of goo.

His footsteps padded down the hall, and she opened her eyes and watched the entrance, waiting for him to make an appearance. A few seconds later and the door pushed open and there he was. He was still wearing the khaki shorts and green polo from the morning, but his feet were bare against the linoleum floor. The shadows formed from the array of candles cast across his face and she could see a small smile curving those lips of his, half teasing and half something else she couldn't quite place.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you," he started to sing in that off-key voice of his, stepping up to the edge of the tub and squatting down to sit on the floor beside her. In his hands, he held a flute of something, champagne maybe, and in the other, a bowl of steaming food. She couldn't quite see what it was. "Happy birthday, dear Haley Baleyyyyy, happy birthday to you."

Haley laughed openly then, shifting over so that she could meet his lips half way for a short kiss. "Yeah, I don't know, honey, but I think you should leave the singing to me."

He shrugged, not at all ashamed that he couldn't carry a tune. "Look at this, all this trouble I went through for you, and this is the thanks I get. Maybe I'll just eat this myself then." He gestured at the bowl still in his hand.

"But I'm hungry," she pouted, letting his teasing tone relax her even further. "What is it, anyways?"

"Your favorite." He looked quite proud as he scooped out a spoonful and held it out for her. "Mac and cheese: food for my goddess."

Haley laughed and rolled her eyes, blaming the flush of her cheeks on the warmth from her bath. She still couldn't believe that he could get her with his lameass lines even now, after all this time together. "Nathan, that was just really bad. You should be ashamed." He raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled again. "But I'll forgive you this time 'cause you brought the cheesiest with your cheese."

She opened her mouth and he lifted the spoon to her lips, watching with his dark eyes as she took the bite and then licked her lips. She loved how he looked at her. That intense gaze and those beautiful eyes. They were definitely a big part of that power he had over her.

The taste of her favorite food filled her mouth and she couldn't help the laughter that rose in her throat once again at the thin, slightly water-y texture. "Nathan! This isn't even real Macaroni and Cheese. It's Easy Mac, all you do is pop it in the microwave!" She scooped up a handful of bubbles and tossed them, watching as they burst apart and floated down to sprinkle over his shirt and shorts.

He gave her a blank stare, but she could see the smile in his eyes. "Have you always been this much of a complainer, Haley?"

She grinned, reaching out to grab his wrist so that he'd bring her the next bite. "Yes, and you're stuck with me."

The two dipped into silence as she swallowed down each spoonful he gave her. When she'd finished, he handed her that glass from earlier, and she was grateful to learn that it was just cider instead of champagne. It was a school night, and they all knew how she handled her liquor.

Her head fell back against the rim of the tub and she watched him from beneath droopy eyelids. He reached up to take hold of her hand as it rested on the edge. Lifting it up to his lips, he turned it over and placed a soft kiss in the center of her palm. It was the little things that always made her feel the most special, sending shivers up her spine and making her very aware of the fact that she was a girl, a woman, and her Nathan, well, he was very good at those little things.

"Where are you going?" She asked when he set her hand back down and stood up unexpectedly.

"I'll be right back." Then, with a quick wink and that famous smirk, he left the room.

Haley missed his presence almost instantly, having to resist the urge to pout. Nathan could rile her up like nobody's business, as her earlier near fit was evidence of, but he could also calm her like no one else. He could make her stop her constant rushing and just relax by being nothing more than himself, by having nothing more than just that strong and confidant air about him.

By being nothing more than just Nathan.

The music in the living room switched over to this tacky CD Tim had gotten them as a wedding gift, another one of those slow, romantic jams that were sure to get into any girl's pants type things, and Haley felt the sudden urge to laugh and cry at the same time. She'd been so mad at him, thinking that he would just ignore her birthday because she told him that it was no big deal. She should have known better.

Nathan would never be heavy on the emotions or the type of guy to recite poetry and talk about feelings like Luke was. He wasn't the sweet and shy type like Mouth or even the overly complimentary like Felix, but he had never failed to make her feel like the most special girl in the world. He'd never made her feel like anything less than his whole world.

And she'd underestimated him yet again.

Nathan pushed back into the room, this time minus his shirt. Haley swiped at her eyes quickly to get rid of any moisture that had begun to form there as she cocked an eyebrow up at him, fighting to keep her expression easy and her tone light, pushing her early thoughts aside. "Why do I get the feeling you've got a hidden agenda about all this birthday business?" She ticked the reasons off on her fingers. "The music, the candles, the bubbles and rose petals, the sudden lack of shirt..."

Nathan gave her a smarmy grin. "What's hidden, Hales? I've had you naked from almost the time you got home."

She laughed outright then. God, she loved him, all his stupid lines and dirty innuendos included.

"Time to make room," he told her, unzipping his pants, pulling them off, and tossing them back into the bedroom. She heard the thud as they hit the floor and she knew that she was going to end up having to pick them up later. The hamper was right there in the bathroom with them, but she didn't have it in her to nag him about it just then, not when he was standing before her like he was.

Tall and strong, handsome and completely without clothing. All that delicious naked skin and all hers. Her husband.

Haley scooted forward, the water swishing with her sudden movement, as she tried to make room for him. The fact of the matter was, though, that the tub was barely big enough for one of them, and after a very uncomfortable experience in the first week of their marriage, they'd always opted for showers together instead.

She looked up as he stepped in behind her, his face set in concentration as he worked on how they were going to get this to work. "Here." He reached down and grabbed her hand, helping her to stand as he lowered himself in behind her. Despite the fact that the room was pretty warm, the sudden brush of air over her naked form had goose bumps rushing across her skin and she couldn't stop herself from shivering. Nathan smirked up at her as she shook slightly and she could feel that blush spread across her cheeks at his ogling.

He finally settled in, opening his knees and lifting one leg to rest along the outer edge so that there was space between his thighs for her to sit. Haley nearly jumped at the soft smack that landed on her rear when he was finally situated. "Get down here."

His hands wrapped around her hips as the two tried to set her down in the most comfortable way possible. The combination of their weights and sizes had the water level in the bath splashing over the edge, sending a wave of soapy water across the bathroom floor. Yeah, she'd have to clean that up later, too.

A minute later and Haley was finally positioned semi-comfortably in front of him, her arms draped over his legs, her back to his chest, and her head tucked into the crook of his neck. It was a little awkward and probably wouldn't take all that long to become uncomfortable, but for now, it was nice. It was really nice.

His hands slipped underneath the water to smooth across the flat plane of her belly, stroking her skin and relaxing her until she felt almost boneless against him. A content sigh pushed from deep in her lungs as his lips pressed a small kiss against her temple.

"Is this okay for your birthday?" His quiet voice broke through their silence, but she could hear it in his words that he just wanted to make sure she was okay. He was always making sure she was okay.

"It's perfect." And she meant that. This, just being with him, it was perfect.

"Yeah, it really was a stroke of genius, this whole bath thing," he murmured. Haley titled her head back to look at him, his head resting against the rim of the tub, eyes closed, and a small smile curving her lips. "Brownie points for being romantic and you're naked the whole time." He opened one eye, mischief shining in the bright blue. "I love it when you're naked."

"Nathan!" She giggled despite herself as his hand came up to goose her. "I'm thinking you've just lost all your brownie points." She shifted slightly so she could pop a quick kiss against his bare chest, just to let him know she was teasing.

"Yeah, but you're still not wearing anything, so I still win."

Haley looked at him again, smiling at that cocky smirk of his, the one that could simultaneously piss her off and turn her on. He was a jerk, but he was her jerk.

She shifted again, trying to make her position a little more comfortable so that they could stay in just a bit longer. Her movement sent another wave of water over the edge and spread the remaining bubbles even thinner, making her and Nathan's bodies more visible beneath the surface.

"You didn't have to do all this, you know." She traced small circles across his skin where her hand rested on his thigh. "I'd have been okay."

His chest rumbled beneath her in laughter. "Yeah, right. Hales, you were ready to kill me when you got home." Bumping his leg against hers, he jostled her body teasingly. "I know that tone of voice."

Haley flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, shut up." That was true enough. She had been ready to kill him; she'd been planning to make him pay for ignoring her special day, even when she'd told him that he could. It made her cringe to think that she had acted in that whiny female way that she hated in other girls.

"Anyway, I wanted to do something for you." His voice dipped into that gravelly tone he would use sometimes, quiet and deep and oh so very sexy. It never failed to send a blush clear from the tips of her ears down all the way to her toes, spinning a warmth in her chest and her stomach and settling in that place between her thighs. "I want you to be happy."

His words brushed against her temple as he leaned in to drop another kiss against her skin, and she shivered again.

It was such a simple thing he'd done, just running her a bath and microwaving her dinner. But at that moment, it made her feel more special than any amount of balloons or streamers or cake and ice cream could.

"I am happy."

It came out as barely more than a whisper and stayed, hanging in the air around them. Her eyes fluttered shut and she leaned back into him as she basked in his presence and melted into his embrace.

She'd started to kind of drift off and she wasn't sure how much time had passed, probably not more than ten minutes, but she was jolted back into awareness as Nathan began to move beneath her, popping a kiss against the base of her neck and pushing her to sit up.

"Sorry, baby, it's just this water is getting a little cold."

"Yeah..." She moved forward to pull the plug as he stepped out of the tub and reached for a pair of towels. The first, he wrapped around his waist and she stepped out of the tub, reaching for the second, but he didn't hand it over. Instead, his eyes just took a slow perusal up and down her damp form. Now, Haley had definitely become more comfortable with being naked with him during their marriage. As young newlyweds, they'd spent quite a bit of time in the undressed state, but his intense gaze could still unnerve her and being out of the water was quickly making her cold.

"Nathan, give it." She tried to reach for the towel, but he held it out of her reach.

"Oh, did you want this?" He smirked. "Well, let me help you."

Haley rolled her eyes as he began to pat her down, drying off her skin and lingering just a little longer on all her bits and pieces, but her stomach still twisted at the feel of his hands. His hands always felt good.

The urge just overtook her then and she leaned up on her tiptoes, dropping a kiss first on his chest, then his collarbone, his jaw, and lastly, as his face tilted down towards hers, his lips. His arms pulled her firm against his body and his mouth overtook hers, his tongue smoothing out almost immediately to seek entrance, and she let him, encouraged him on. Her own hands traveled up along her shoulders and neck to tangle in the damp hair at the very nape and anchor herself to him as much as she could. His kisses always felt good, too.

Nathan pulled back suddenly and it took her a moment to adjust to not being in contact with his mouth anymore. When she finally caught her bearings, she opened her eyes to see him staring back at her in that way that made her heart pound in her chest.

"I love you, Haley."

She grinned, loving the sound of that. "I know."

He nodded, staying quiet for just a second before that mischief was back in his eyes. The next thing she knew, his arms had wrapped around the back of her knees and his shoulder tucked into her stomach as he lifted her up. Her new position rewarded her with an appealing view of his back and ass, still covered by the thick terry cloth of his towel.

Hmm, she would have to remedy that.

She heard him laugh when the thick material hit the floor. "Yeah." His hand laid a firm smack on her bottom as he headed back into the bedroom. "It's time to make this a very happy birthday."