Just Next Door

An OTH Jaley Short

By AlexB

Two

When his eyes opened again, it was night out.

He'd only managed to get his shoes and his shirt off before he fell into bed, he was so tired. And even now, he was still exhausted. But, more sleep would have to come later. Jake was starving, and he had to check on his baby.

He stumbled part way down the steps and into the living room. His parents were passed out on the couch wrapped around each other under a blanket. The tv played on around them. The glare from the screen bouncing off them.

"Ma, Pop?" His mother's eyes cracked open. "Where's Jenny?" She hadn't been in her bed when Jake checked on her, and she hadn't been in the bassinet in his parent's room. She wasn't in the play pen in the livingroom now. Even still, he didn't panic. Why? Because his parents were sleeping like rocks, and if something had been wrong with his daughter, say...had she been kidnaped, they would have woken him up and told him.

"Still with Haley, babe." Jake's mother mumbled. "Haley said the she would Jenny-girl for the night and let you sleep." There was a smile on her face that Jake had never seen before. "Go check on them, babe."

Jake nodded absently, moving toward the door. He closed it behind him, and his mother laughed a sleepily laugh that shook her shoulders gently. Her husband pulled her closer, there was a smile on his face, too. "Don't think the boy would much appreciate you playing match-maker.

"Just a little push," the woman yawned, burrowing closer. "He loves her. Can't you see it?"

"A blind monkey withe bifocals could see it." They laughed. "I see it." Jake's father said again hoping that his son knew what he was doing. He settled back into the couch to go back to sleep. "Just going to take him a minute to see it, too. If he hasn't already."

"Took a minute for you, too." She smiled rubbing a hand over the man's brawny chest.

"Yeah," he laughed. "But he was worth it." His big hand absent rubbed her shoulder. Jake's mother smiled up into her husband's face. "Damn right."

Jake raised his fist to knock on the James' door, but stopped mid-action when he caught the picture in the window. Haley was lying on the couch. Jenny lay on her chest. They were both sleeping.

His heart caught in his chest before jumping into his throat. Absently, Jake reached for the doorknob forgetting to knock completely. He didn't have anything on his feet, so his footfalls were silent. When he reached them, Jake knelt, rubbing his hand over his daughter head. Jenny stirred, she hated to be messed with then her eyes were closed. Jake managed to quiet her.

"Not bad." Haley's sleep husky voice moved over him. When he looked at her, Haley's eyes were dark. She was waiting. She was waiting for him to do something, anything. So Jake did the first thing to come to mind. The only thing that had been on his mind.

He kissed her. Nothing huge. Okay, it was enormous even for just the brush of lips. Once, twice, three times. Before he could go back for more, Jake stopped himself. He started to pull away, but Haley stopped him. Fisting her hand in his shirt.

What he saw in those amber orbs burned Jake from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. She watched his throat work as he swallowed hard. There was no going back. He knew that. She knew it, too. But Haley wasn't about to go another minute just being Jake Jagielski's friend.

She let go of his shirt. And before he could move, she threaded the fingers of her free hand through his hair and pulled him back to her. Haley kissed Jake with all the pent of emotion she had for him.

He didn't pull away. Didn't stop her. Jake just gave in. He let go. He have her everything he had and then some. His plans had backfired. Staying away wouldn't be possible now. Not after this. Never after this.

They had to stop to breathe, but they didn't move away. His muscles were cramping, but nothing would move him. Everything felt right, right were he was.

So they rested. Catching their breath with their foreheads resting together.

Jake didn't open his eyes, no, not yet. He wanted to savor what he was feeling. He wanted to hold it to him for as long as he could, and hoped to God that he remembered it later. Because this was all that he was going to be able to have once reality crept in.

"Jake?"

When he looked at her, there was question in her eyes. What now? they asked. Jake didn't know. He wished to God that he did.

Her hand touched his face, and again he closed his eyes. "It wasn't a dream." He barely got out.

She shook her head. "No." Haley replied. "Not a dream. I love you, Jake Jagielski." She hadn't meant to say that. Not out loud. But now that the words were out there, she wasn't going to take them back.

"Haley-"

"I love you, Jake, and don't you dare tell me that you don't love me, too."

"I do."

She smiled. "Good."

"But Haley,"

"No buts," she quieted him with a finger to his lips. "Leave it." She said. "At least for now." Her eyes pleaded. Jake nodded, letting it be.

"Only for tonight."

"Stay." She asked. "You and Jenny. Stay with me tonight.

"Okay." They knew their parents wouldn't mind. It was Jake, and he had stayed at Haley's place before. In her room before. Nothing had ever happened.

But that was before he had kissed her. Now Jake wanted a lot of things to happen. But they wouldn't. Not tonight. He was determined that nothing would happen. Nothing but a few kisses, because he really wanted to kiss Haley again, badly. Thank god he had his daughter to back him up.

"Jake!" Haley exclaimed when he picked both her and the baby from the couch. To him, she weighed no more than a feather at the moment. This could very well be his one and only chance, and Jake was going to make the most out of it. He was going to make it count.

Jenny continued to sleep, only stirring when they were lied on the bed. He and Haley lied on either side of her. The room around them had this blue glow effect that came from the moon shining into Haley's open window.

She reached out an arm, again taking Jake by his collar. When she pulled him to her, Jake didn't even try and stop his smile. He like this side of Haley. He liked it a lot.

"You want to kiss me again," she said. "But you're taking your sweet time about it." When he was leaning over her, careful not to scrunch his daughter, their lips barely a breath apart she said, "I think I like coming after you."

"You won't have to come after me anymore tonight. I'm not going anywhere." Haley chose not to comment on that. Not just yet. Not right now. Right now, she wanted to drink this, and him in. She wanted to remember it, and remember it well, because it could very well be a long time before they were together like this again. Haley knew that she had a battle on her hands. And she was going to have to knock some sense into her boy next door.

Their second kiss was just as potent as the first. It was more than enough to get them in trouble if they weren't careful. Lord, the boy knew how to kiss, Haley thought hazily. She was lucky. Real lucky. Her guy was a hottie with a heart.

As the night went on, Jake didn't like the space between them. He resented it. They were close, but not close enough for him. So Jake lay his daughter on his chest, and pulled Haley close to his side, and they slept that way. Together. All of them. All night.

Jenny hadn't woke, not once.

When Jake opened his eyes it was to the sun. He was still holding his daughter. He was still holding Haley. And for awhile longer, Jake just lay there thinking. There was no easy way around this. He had a daughter, and Jenny would never become second. He smiled. Haley. She loved him. He loved her. They were just kids, but that didn't mean that they still didn't have something real, right?

Well, he wasn't about to just sit back and do nothing when he had his own way of making thing official. Jake left his girls sleeping and made his way home. His parents were sitting at the breakfast table with his sister Kady. Jake was half-way up the steps before he stopped.

"Why don't you go check on them, babe?"

"Mom" He called over his shoulder. It was a beat before she answered.

"Yes?"

"I love you." She was silent for another second then she said, "I know."

Upstairs in his room, Jake snatched his lettermen from the foot of his bed. Rushing from his room, he jogged down the hallway. He was at the top of the stairs before the froze to a stop.

Because standing at the bottom was Haley Marion James, and her eyes were spitting fire.