This is an AU fanfic, Recently wedded; Nathan and Haley are in college, attending Duke University; they also have welcomed the newest member of their family, Noah Lucas Scott. They realize playing house is a lot more difficult and strenuous to their careers, leaving their marriage at a fray. If you read this story and enjoy it, please leave me some reviews, honestly, as a writer, it's reviews that inspire you to write, because I can't promise this story will escalate without some reviews.
It was four pm and Nathan was at basketball practice, as usual, Haley was at home finishing her schoolwork while simultaneously tending to their two-week-old son, Noah. Sitting at her desk that was located in an open small area by their kitchen, she solved her math equations and worked through her accounting and managerial problems as well. The apartment was a mess, and so was Haley, her hair was a mess; she hadn't slept in days and was growing bitter and agitated by the second. Nathan was no different, with the new baby it was difficult balancing on no sleep and an angry partner on the edge of it all, leaving Nathan and Haley to jump at each other's throats whenever they spoke. Whatever they spoke about always ended up as a launch missile starting a new argument. Upon hearing Noah wail through his nursery she stood up to go tend to their son, it was frustrating at times, the baby would cry although it had been fed, changed, and catered for its every need.
Picking up the baby from the crib, she patted its back and paced around the nursery.
"What is it Noah? Are you hungry?" she calmly spoke as sat down on a chair and unbuttoned her shirt. Shaking his head and crying even louder, Haley took it as a sign that he wasn't hungry. Quickly buttoning her buttons she walked out of the nursery still patting his back in an attempt to make him stop crying. She glanced at the clock wondering what time Nathan would be home; she still had to get dinner started as well as start a paper that was due in tomorrow. She heard the door open and quickly turned; it was her husband, who at this point, she wanted to castrate.
"Hey," He said dropping his keys onto the kitchen counter he walked towards Haley and Noah.
"Where have you been? Practice ends at three thirty, it's almost half past four, I need help with Noah, I have a paper due in tomorrow and I haven't even started." She spoke above the cries her son was projecting.
"Haley, I had to pass by one of by classes to pick up an assignment that's due tomorrow, too! Not to mention that the gym is at the end of the campus!" His voice was loud and it boomed through the walls of the apartment."
"Can you just hold him while I go shower, because I haven't in the past thirty eight hours." She held out Noah for him to carry. Nodding, he carried him and walked into the living room.
It was almost six; Nathan was finishing some of his schoolwork, Noah was asleep and she was half way through her paper and walked into the kitchen. She pulled out two bowls and a carton of milk. She grabbed the cereal and poured it into the two bowls and the milk respectively. She walked placed both bowls on the table, and called Nathan to come and eat.
"What the hell is this?" he spoke angrily.
"Dinner" she shrugged. Nathan stood up and hit the chair so hard it fell onto the wooden floor.
"I haven't eaten a proper meal in weeks, Haley!"
"Oh, well join the club!"
"You are unbelievable! Haley I have basketball practice, I'm working like a maniac at the auto shop trying to pay some bills around here, the least you can do is make me a decent meal!"
"Well excuse me for being an absentee wife! I'm sorry husband; you see I've been busy, tending to YOUR son all day and that's partly the reason I don't have a job, and not to mention the fact that I have a ton of papers to write and tests to study for!" she bit back. He took his jacket from the hanger and stormed out of the apartment. She had grown accustom to it, whenever they dove into a heated fight he would walk out of the apartment.
Coming home from classes, Haley sat in their living room working on yet another assignment on her laptop; Noah was asleep in his crib and Nathan was on his home from his classes, she hoped. It had been two days since their argument, enough time to let them both cool their tempers. It was a calm day, well calmer than usual, Noah wasn't as fussy, Haley managed to clean the apartment, take a long bath, make actual dinner, and finish some class work. Some days she felt as though she was at the top of the world, and some days like she was complete crap. Nathan walked into the apartment, kicked his shoes off and took off his jacket.
"You're home." She said with a smile, she didn't like fighting with him, but sometimes it was inevitable.
He sat next to Haley and stretched his head on the back of the couch. "And you're in a good mood." He smiled and put his head down on her lap and stretched his legs across the rest of the couch.
"That's because our son slept through the whole day, giving me time to clean the apartment, take a long shower, make real dinner." She said as she stroked through his hair.
"That's nice." He said groggily as he slowly dozed off; it had been a long day, and more than anything he wanted to take a nice long nap. Letting him nap on her lap for about a half hour, she stood up to go to the kitchen; Haley made lasagna and it was just about time to remove it from the oven.
They had their dinner, and were now in the living room watching SportsCenter, Nathan was immersed in the basketball match and concurrently holding Noah. Haley was seated next to him; she was on her laptop finishing off the rest of her work.
"My mom and dad called, they invited us over for the long weekend." He said, still facing the television screen.
"I don- don't want to go." She said looking at him.
"What do you mean you don't want to go?" he said facing her.
"Nathan your parents aren't really hostile. Your dad always makes these jokes that are really insults thrown at my back, and your mom always tries to correct whatever I do, and makes me feel like an incompetent wife, and now, mother."
"My parents are not that bad, my dad maybe, but my mom? Haley she gave you all those recipes and tips, she's really welcoming"
"Exactly, giving me tips to improve the crappy job I'm doing!"
"Haley, I respect your parents, why can't you do the same?"
"Maybe because my parents respect you? And yours, well, don't!"
"My parents deserve to see Noah"
"Well then why don't you go with Noah, and I'll stay here"
"Sure, so my dad can recognize my marriage is a fail and remind me that it actually is!"
"Are you even aware of the words coming of your mouth?" she said with a tone that carried sadness and anger. She stood up and walked to their room and slammed the door shut.
It was something she thought she prepared for; she had read and had been told that married life, and life with a baby would be heavy on their relationship. It was a lot of sacrificing and strain, not to mention that the deprivation of sleep no help either, she was relieved that it was common for couples to fight once a baby was in the picture, so she knew it was something they would overcome and get over once they could handle things. However, apart of her was concerned and worried that this might not only be due to their newest family member, but that they were slowly drifting apart regardless of their strenuous lifestyles.