Naley Forever. :)
OTH gOTHs, that's what we are. :)
Enjoy this, ayt? It's all thanks to Mark Schwann. (wink)
"Where have you been?"
She's asked him that question for weeks on end now, feeling like a naggy mother and refusing to show him how much he'd worried her. Again and again he'd give him the usual replies, forcing her to wonder and doubt her husband.
Three weeks ago he'd been out with a friend (a friend she didn't know?). Before that, Whitey had him stay and do more drills (this was most unlikely for Nathan had been a favorite of Whitey's for some time now and was certainly not going to make him run extra laps). And just last week he said he'd been held up at the part time job he'd been undertaking.
He was lying and Haley knew it, and it was killing her to have all these thoughts swimming into her head on the night of their 3rd year anniversary. She didn't want anything to ruin this night with the man she loved.
That morning, she surprised him with a breakfast ready made in bed. His favorite waffles which she could make to perfection and a full plate of sausages, pancakes and scrambled eggs.
Haley brought her arm around his toned upper torso and let her hand roam around his chest to wake him up, drawing circles near his heart unconsciously. She sang into his ear and saw him smile in his sleep.
"Hey you sleepy head, get your ass up I have waffles ready," she whispered in his ear, knowing well that the smell of breakfast had awaken him moments before.
"Hales…" he mumbled, playfully defiant against getting up from his comfortable position in her arms.
"Oh you big baby, it's enough that I have to deal with James! Now you too?" she tsked.
Without warning, he turned deftly and rolled over her to pin her to the bed. She yelped in surprise and allowed him to straddle her as punishment for waking him. His eyes loomed over with love, appraising her beauty and noting the swelling feeling he endured when he looked at her, even after all these years.
"Hello, gorgeous. Who are you and where's my wife?" Nathan asked jokingly with a big grin that lit up his entire face.
Haley gave a smile. "I took care of her," she promised, grabbing Nathan by the neck to give him a kiss.
She laughed as his fingers roamed about her body, tickling her in the places he knew she couldn't handle being touched by his fingers.
"Happy anniversary, Haley," he mumbled, smiling.
"Happy anniversary," she replied with the same beam.
"Where's James?" Nathan asked, eyeing his breakfast greedily.
Haley obliged and brought him the tray.
"Your mom picked him up just 15 minutes ago. She's promised to take him off our hands for the whole day," Haley grinned, plopping herself down on the bed beside him bouncily.
"So it's just the two of us?" Nathan asked with a cocky raise of his brows, shoveling food into his mouth quickly.
"Yes sir," Haley laughed.
"Well then, screw breakfast," Nathan muttered, enveloping Haley with his arms again.
"Not so fast, Michael Jordan, we've both got work," Haley laughed again, pushing Nathan away, who almost choked on his food and raised his arms in disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me, Hales."
Haley shook her head like an innocent child. Nathan groaned.
"I'm sorry!" she kissed Nathan's cheek. "But you know we can't afford to miss a day's work if we want to eat next month."
Nathan nodded in agreement sadly.
"We're still on for dinner though, right?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course! Then maybe after that… If you're a good boy, I'll think about your anniversary present," she whispered seductively in his ear.
Nathan swallowed his toast and smiled.
"Oh I'll be good," he promised.
"Good," Haley laughed and jumped off the bed. "Dinner's at 7 in that new Italian place then."
Nathan paused.
"I, uh, might be a little late."
Haley stiffened and looked at him curiously.
"Oh, why?"
Nathan fumbled with his fork.
"I've got… this basketball fund raiser thing to go to. Whitey's asking the whole team to come," Nathan quickly said.
"Oh," Haley mumbled.
"I'm really sorry, Hales," Nathan said sincerely, with his best apologetic face.
"No, no. It's okay, if it's for Whitey," she tried to smile; though her insides were being poked by the insane thought that he might be lying to her again.
"You're the best, Hales."
Better to check with Lucas about this.
Haley stepped into Karen's café with a worried expression and a gray cloud above her head. She stormed in and pulled on her apron without a word to her boss, who had learned about Haley's moods very early on.
Lucas was wiping the counter when Haley came storming past with a jug of coffee in hand.
"Mornin' Mommy," Lucas teased, as he so often did after James' recent arrival.
Haley made an annoyed grunt in reply.
"Whookay? What's got you in a crappy mood?" Lucas asked, throwing the rag aside and turning to face her with arms across his chest.
Haley set the coffee jug down with incredible force and glared at Lucas like he was the most repulsive thing she's ever seen. He was taken aback and stepped farther away from her.
"Whatever I did, I'm sorry," Lucas said quickly, knowing better than to mess with an angry Haley.
"Agh, I'm sorry, Luke. It's just that…" Haley paused.
"Do you have a team fundraiser that Whitey asked you to go to tonight?" Haley asked.
"Uh, I don't think so," Lucas thought. "Why?"
"Nothing, nothing," Haley said, her heart falling. So Nathan really had lied to her?
Lucas shrugged. "Hey, Hales. Is anything up with Nathan?"
Haley shook her head. "Why? Do you know anything, Luke?" she asked, eyes piercing.
"No, no. It's just that he's been skipping some practice sessions and Whitey's getting worried," Lucas informed. "He says he's been getting medical checkups."
"He has, has he?" Haley mumbled. "After I'm through with him, he'll be going to the hospital everyday."
Haley fixed herself up beautifully in an elegant black dress, similar to the one she wore to the prom. She let her hair fall downward in loose curls, simple but classy with a normal necklace and very light make up.
After what Lucas told her today, she didn't know what to believe anymore.
A knock at the door sent her out of her reverie. She pulled on her high heels and scurried to the door. When she opened it, however, there was no one in sight. She stepped out unto the porch, only to find that she had stepped in a giant bouquet of red roses. She picked them up with a smile and saw a trail of petals leading across the porch.
She followed the trail, her insides bursting with joy. She was surprised to find that someone had decorated the front of her home, adorned with lights and a lovely smell. Nathan himself was at the bottom of the steps.
Haley smiled and hid her face in her hand, unable to suppress a big grin.
"Nathan…!"
"Haley, I love you more than words can say with all my heart. All these years, I know I tell you that everyday but somehow I feel it isn't enough to make you understand just exactly how much you mean to me. I know were always honest with each other… and there's nothing we hide from each other but…"
Haley took a breath.
"I have a confession."
Haley nodded like she understood.
"Somehow, I've always wanted to be your dream guy, your perfect man that you've always dreamed of. And when you ran off with… Chris," Nathan coughed out, like it took all his might to say Chris' name. "I couldn't forgive myself because I couldn't understand why you wanted him more than me…"
"Nathan, I…" Haley tried to interject.
"Shhh," Nathan soothed, telling her it was okay.
"Then I thought that maybe you had this thing for… musicians. And I wasn't one!" Natahn exclaimed with utter cuteness and frustration.
Haley couldn't help but smile.
Nathan let out a breath. "Haley James Scott, these past few weeks I've been taking guitar lessons, just to prove to you that I can be your perfect guy. And so tonight, I could do this…"
Nathan went over to the bushes and pulled out a guitar, which looked like brand new, probably his own. He slung the strap over his neck as Haley laughed softly amidst silent tears. Then, he began to play their song.
I'm gonna love you more than anyone…
I'm gonna hold you closer than before…
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free…
I'll be free for you anytime…
I'm gonna love you more than anyone.
Before he even finished the song, Haley had run up to him, thrown her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the intensity and love that she could muster. Nathan dropped his guitar and lifted her high in the air, cradling her like a baby.
"Nathan, you know that you were my perfect man from the beginning," Haley mumbled, running her fingers through his newly cut hair.
"And I hate Chris, I thought you knew that," Haley added then laughed.
"Right," Nathan laughed along and submitted into another kiss.
"So you didn't like my playing?" Nathan asked.
"Are you kidding? It's such a big turn on," Haley smiled. "It couldn't hurt to have you serenade me more like that… Who taught you?"
Nathan scratched his head.
"Errr…"
"So Chris is back in town, isn't he?" Haley smirked.
"For a little while, yeah," Nathan smiled.
"So it's my turn to give my present to you…"
After, 2 hours late for their reservation, Nathan and Haley enjoyed their night alone together.
