I wrote this for the Fanfiction Exchange at The Writer's Corner and I thought I could share it with you. It's not our average Nathan/Haley, but I'm working on a sequel for it. The idea is to make it a trilogy, this being the first part of it.

All comments are welcomed.

Challenge:

Include: N/H, victim of the crime by Phoenix, angst, kissing in the rain, lust

Exclude: fluffy Nathan nor Haley, cheating, pregnancy, character deaths, out of character behavior.

Asked by: Janet

Author: Lena

Rated: R

Disclaimer: I own a bow and a dozen of arrows. Does that count for something?

Thanks to my beloved beta, Raven.

Aftermath

The night closed around the long river that crosses Tree Hill and the dark figure moved among the shadows like a cat moves when it's about to hunt a prey. The slow movement of his legs and arms, the posture of his back, the constant piercing stare to the front… Nathan Scott was a shadow. And he had been one for a while now.

His fingers played with his wedding ring, as he often did so lately. A constant tic: playing with the small, light gold band that weighted so much in his hand. The circle that was trapping him on the inside.

He hadn't always felt like that. At the beginning he was very happy with his married life and his wife. Haley had been everything he ever wanted, and his desire to be with her and protect had overcome all the obstacles that had been laid upon them. Now he had had his Haley, and she had had him.

But somewhere down the line, the past years had blurred those feelings into an intoxicating routine that was suffocating him. Every day was the same as the previous, and his life had become a parade of automatic moves and replies. The same words, gestures, caresses. The same way to make love, to touch her, of her touching him. He was trapped living the same day, over and over.

Lost illusions, try the best that you can do

You might get another chance

But he felt that there was no other chance.

Nathan entered his apartment and the burden of routine weighed down on him once again. He went to the fridge and grabbed a beer, opened it and sat on the couch to watch some TV. Haley would be there in a moment, arriving tired from work, complaining about her job, about their lack of money, about the rashness of their previous decisions, about her need of to be wanted and loved.

Nathan heard the key on the lock of the door and closed his eyes, sighing. It was about to start one more time…

"Hey…" said Haley between tired and annoyed at the usual sight of Nathan doing absolutely nothing in the couch of their apartment. "Is there any dinner?" she asked, although she knew the answer of that

"Some leftovers of yesterday's Chinese" was Nathan's answer while he flipped the channels in the TV and decided to watch some old basketball games.

Haley sighed and went to heat the food. She noticed that the kitchen needed to be cleaned, the floors needed to be swept, the laundry needed to be done. She sighed sadly one more time. Some days she was so tired she did not have the energy to do all that. She did not have the energy to work, cook, clean, do the laundry and also be a tigress in bed. By the time she'd finish with all her daily burden, all she wanted to do was to collapse in bed and sleep as much as she could.

But Nathan could not understand that. He did not say a word, but Haley could see the disappointed stare in his eyes every time they made love. She could see that he was not satisfied, that he was losing interest.

Haley poured the leftovers in two plates and set the table. "Dinner's up" she called to Nathan "If you can call this dinner" she finished.

Nathan got up and went to the table "Well, you could've cooked" he murmured

"So could you" she added, with a little anger in her voice

"Hales, I work all day" he stated

"So do I" she spat "and then I come home and I clean, I cook, I study..."

"Yeah, you do" he replied tired "wonder woman" he said under his voice but Haley heard him

"What is that supposed to mean, Nathan?" she yelled "I try my best and all I get is that disappointed look in your face and those snarky comments. Nothing is ever enough for you"

"No, Hales, nothing is ever enough for you" he replied "nothing I ever do is enough for you. I don't bring enough money, I don't help enough. I don't do anything right these days…" he looked at her deeply "What happened to us? We used to have fun, we used to enjoy each other. We used to really be together. Now is just this… routine. Nothing is exciting anymore"

"You mean I'm not exciting anymore" she replied "You think I did not realize how you much you don't enjoy it… us" she finished. The sadness in her eyes reached Nathan deep inside

"It's not like that" he started softly "It's just that you don't even seem interested anymore…" he tried to explain but Haley was too tired and angry to let him

"Interested? Nathan, I have a thousand things going on in my life! Excuse me if my attempts to pay the bills interfere with your want of having a sexbomb in the bedroom, anytime you want it. Maybe if you'd help around a little more I might be more in the mood?" there was condescendence in her voice and that made Nathan angry.

"In the mood for what? The same old moves, the same old story. We're young, Haley and we already behave like an old…"

The end of that sentence struck both of them

"Married couple…" she finished for him "That is what we are, Nathan"

I lost the evidence. I'm running out of clues

That much I would have sacrificed

"I know" he went on "but I never thought you'd run out of it so soon"

Haley's eyes filled with tears "So the blame is on me, all on me, huh? Did you ever stop to think that maybe you're the one that is not motivating me?"

Haley moved towards Nathan, her heart broken, the burden of all their lives finally taking the best of her and she started to punch Nathan's chest with her fist, while her sobs went higher and higher "How dare you blame it on me? How dare you?"

Nathan tried to calm her, but Haley was beyond calm, her fists kept hitting Nathan's chest. He finally grabbed her wrists and she looked at him, her face filled with tears.

Something clicked on them as Nathan crashed his lips on Haley's and she held him tight, her nails sinking in his back, all her anger and frustration turned into lust for him at that moment.

And you're the victim of the crime

The sound of rain pouring on the outside woke Haley up the next morning and she contemplated the other side of the bed empty. She sighed and got up, her body showing the marks of the night before.

As she entered the kitchen, she noticed the suitcase next to the front door. Nathan was sitting in the table, silently sipping his coffee.

"What is this?" asked Haley with a trembling voice.

He looked at her with his clear blue eyes filled with pain and regret "I have to leave, Haley. We can't go on like this. I have to leave now, and retain a small hope of changing and being together in the future. If I stay, we're gonna break apart and we're gonna destroy each other"

"So you're just going to quit?" she asked, angry and disappointed.

"No, I'm going to try to be something better so we could have a future together one day. But right now, I'm not good enough for you, for us, and it's killing you and me in the process…"

Haley could not understand, she did not want to.

"Fine…" she said "Just leave then"

Nathan tried to hug her, but she refused. He left sighing, almost crying. Haley stood there and her eyes focused on their wedding picture. She realized she could not let him leave like that. She ran outside and yelled his name. Nathan turned around as Haley ran towards him, both getting wet by the rain falling, and she jumped into his arms and kissed him eagerly.

"Try to come back to me" she whispered in his ear "I love you"

"I love you" he said before turning around and leaving, while Haley stood there, watching him leave.

Lately, I'm not expecting you

Please forgive me for the stuff I didn't do.

1397 words.