Happy belated Christmas, Mama Goat. This would have been posted last night if FFNet hadn't been a booger butt.
Anyway! Happy Boxing Day. Have some Laley!
Disclaimer: I don't own jack.
She let herself into the house without knocking and hung her jacket on her designated hook, toed off her shoes next to his, and made her way into the living room while her parents followed her. It was that time of year again, Karen's Christmas parties were always the highlight of the holidays but this year it made fifteen year old Haley into a ball of worry that she tried to hide behind her usual wit. She forced a big smile as she spotted Karen and crossed the room to give her a hug. "Hey boss."
"Hey baby girl." Karen greeted her with open arms and it eased some of the worry that Haley held inside. "I'm glad you could make it."
"We wouldn't miss one of your parties," Lydia James promised as she joined the duo. After seven years, Jimmy and Lydia James were used to the ease that Haley had with her best friend's family; Haley was always so worried about being perfect but around Karen, Lucas, and even Keith, Haley relaxed and acted like the teenage girl that she was. "Thank you for inviting us, Karen."
"Of course," Karen told her and let go of Haley to greet her fellow mother with a hug. "Haley, I think Lucas is in his room trying to decide on a tie if you would go rescue him?"
"Sure." The redhead teenager grinned and raced through the living room and down the hall to Lucas' room where she knocked quickly before ducking inside. Lucas was attempting to fasten his tie and failing miserably; she bowed her head and grinned. "You're kind of hopeless, Lucas Scott."
"You here to save me, Hales," he asked as he held the tie out to her.
Being sister to several brothers who were hopeless with ties had made Haley James particularly gifted with male apparel. She slung his tie around her neck and began to work it into a basic knot. "So… Your mom is in a good mood, both my parents are in a great mood…. Are we really telling them tonight?"
"We agreed on Christmas," Lucas reminded her. He ran his hands over her forearms as he dropped a kiss to her forehead. "I don't understand why you're so scared anyway, Hales. My mom loves you, Keith loves you, your parents love me… They're not going to have a problem with the two of us dating."
"But it's going to change everything," she whispered. "It means no more sleepovers or campouts or anything where it's just the two of us over night – at least not til we're eighteen. And I just… I like when it's just the two of us."
"I like it too," he promised. "But if they know then I can hold your hand and kiss you in public without worry about it getting back to them."
"I do kind of like that idea," she confessed. She pulled the tie over his head and tightened the knot just tight enough to make him glare at her before she stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. "I know it's a good thing, Luke. I'm just scared."
Ever her best friend, he pulled her into a tight hug and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "I'll protect you."
"You better." Haley laughed and pinched his sides.
He pulled back from the embrace and ran his thumb over her jaw. "Have I told you that you look really beautiful tonight, Haley James?"
"Thank you," she whispered; she reached up to pull his hand from her face, curling her fingers through his. "You don't look half bad yourself."
"Gee thanks." Lucas kissed the tip of her nose. "We should get out there before they send someone to look for us."
"Yeah," Haley agreed.
Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they left his bedroom; Haley curled her arm around his waist and leaned heavily against his shoulder. As they approached the living room, they stepped a few feet apart. Keith had arrived while they'd been in Luke's bedroom and the boy greeted his uncle with a strong handshake and a hug. "Merry Christmas, Keith."
"Merry Christmas, Luke," Keith greeted him and then turned to Haley. "Merry Christmas, Haley."
"Merry Christmas," she replied and sneaked in to give the man a hug while Lucas greeted her parents. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Keith promised. "How are you liking work at the café?"
"I actually love it," she confessed. "Karen is a pretty good boss."
"Yeah," he agreed.
"Are you ever gonna kiss her," Haley asked quietly.
Keith laughed. "Are you ever gonna confess to the world how you feel about my nephew?"
"Maybe I will," Haley teased. "Miracles have been known to happen."
Karen came into the living room carrying a tray of mugs filled with hot cocoa for everyone; Haley moved to help her but was waved off. "You are not working tonight, Haley."
"Okay, okay," she relented and squeezed into the chair Lucas was sitting in. He wrapped an arm around her, angling his body toward her so they fit better into the small space. "Now?"
"Probably not going to be a better time," Lucas whispered in her ear. He found Haley's hand and laced their fingers together. "Guys, Haley and I have something we want to tell you."
"You're pregnant," Lydia guess while Karen spewed hot cocoa. "Oh. Right… Probably a bad room to make that assumption in."
"I am not pregnant," Haley told her mother with a roll of her eyes.
"You're doing drugs," Jimmy asked.
Haley rolled her eyes once more before lifting their joined hands. "We're dating and you two aren't even remotely funny."
"Oh." Lydia waved her hand. "That's all?"
"Really," Karen asked. "We've been predicting this since you two were about twelve."
"Gee thanks, ma," Lucas growled. Haley backhanded his chest. "What's with the boyfriend abuse?"
"Be respectful to your mother," she ordered. "But you guys knew?"
"You're both pretty terrible at keeping secrets," Keith jumped in. "Plus necking behind the garage? I have security cameras guys."
"Oh god," Haley groaned and buried her face in Luke's neck. "I'm gonna go die now."
"And you thought they were going to be mad." He laughed and dropped a kiss to her head.
"Mad," Karen asked. "Haley James, you told me when you were eight years old that you came from a big family and that Lucas and I needed you more. You've been family for the last seven years, kiddo. I could never be mad about you dating my boy."
"And, honey, you weren't exactly subtle when you were writing Mrs Lucas Scott all over your diary in sixth grade," Jimmy told her as he leaned over to pat her head. "You know your sisters talk."
"I am gonna kill Taylor," Haley informed the room.
Lucas laughed and kissed her temple. "Mrs Lucas Scott, huh?"
"Shut up," she ordered and smacked his shoulder. "I was twelve and stupid."
"Well now you're fifteen and kissing me so…"
"I'm never gonna kiss you again if you don't drop it."
"Yes dear," he agreed readily. "Now can we please get back to our regularly scheduled festivities?"
"Yes," Karen agreed. "Everyone to the kitchen so we can eat ourselves into tryptophan comas."
Lucas stood and pulled Haley from the chair as the adults lead the way into the kitchen. He tugged on her hand and she fell against him, grinning as he tipped his head towards her. "Really," she asked against his lips. "You're gonna kiss me now? You are so predictable."
"Shut up," he ordered playfully as he kissed her. "Merry Christmas, Hales."
"Merry Christmas, Luke," she replied as she snaked her arms around his neck to pull him down for another kiss.
"Hey," a voice called from the kitchen. "Stop necking and get in here!"
Haley laughed; her blush started at her neck and chased up to her cheeks as she burrowed her face into Luke's shoulder. "Well… At least nothing changed?"