A/N: I know it's been a long time, so I hope a few of you might still be around. Enjoy, and please let me know if you'd like me to continue! :) x
Hayley left dinner feeling a lot better. Nero had always had a way with her, it was calming and peaceful, and with the added joy of Lucius at their table, they had had a remarkably nice evening despite the bumpy start. But even with Nero's usual joviality, she couldn't help but feel a little pang in her chest for Happy. His sudden change of heart had her mind whirring, and she debated for a long time whether to call him or to leave things when she got home.
In the end - and with some persuasion - she managed to get Nero to drop her back outside Happy's place. She sported a takeaway pizza box in her hand, hoping that she might be able to get onto his better side by bringing food, and she knocked a handful of times before she searched her bag for the key he had given her to his place.
"Hap?"
She pushed her lower lip out a little as she struggled with the key in the dim porch light, but it eventually gave and the door opened. It was dark inside, except for one light in the hall, and she picked her way carefully through, resting the pizza box on the kitchen table as she did.
"Happy? Are you here?"
She could hear him, somewhere. He sounded like he was working out, rhythmic grunts and groans filling her ears. Maybe he was burning off his frustration - she had been known to do the same, there was no harm in a little exercise to get you to work through whatever mess was going on in your head. She'd done it plenty of times, it was why she liked to run, just to get her head right.
"Baby?"
She ha just reached his bedroom door when she heard someone cry out. It wasn't Happy, this time, but a woman, a voice she didn't know, and Hayley suddenly realised from the sound of pleasure that emanated from this stranger that Happy had company. She felt her heart fall into her stomach at the very idea and, in a panic, she backed away quickly, trying to keep her silence to avoid being caught. Her hip collided with the table, however, knocking it over and the sound of the lamp crashing to the floor suddenly had Happy looming in the door frame, completely naked and with his gun his hand, aimed at her.
"Hayley?" He stared at her in some confusion before he lowered the weapon, noticing the way she had immediately, compliantly put up her hands in defence. "What are you-"
Before he could finish the sentence, she had lost it. She whirled her handbag at him in fury, slamming it angrily against his stomach. "THIS is you not feeling well?" she demanded, gesturing towards the bedroom. She could just about see one of the girls from the clubhouse, some tattooed little thing who must be barely over the age of eighteen, pulling the sheets around her naked body, a little embarrassed. "This is what you left me standing there for?"
The very idea was insane, and she shook her head, thumping him with her bag again before she turned around and started to make her way out of the house. Happy coloured, feeling the heat in his ears, and he started towards her.
"Hayley, I-"
"Fuck you." She was furious, her eyes sparkling with rage as she turned to look at him again. "I don't even… just, fuck!"
She couldn't even get her head around what she wanted to say. What a goddamn asshole! She shook her head, adamant, as she stormed through the hall and towards the front door. Happy grabbed at a towel from the kitchen quickly to cover himself up, trying to reach for her at the same time to stop her.
"Hay, it's not what it looks like."
"Oh yeah?" She stopped abruptly and turned on her heel, her hands resting on her hips. "Tell me what you think it looks like then, Hap, because all I can see is you getting your goddamn balls drained by some skank in the other room. Or am I wrong?" She stared at him challengingly and, when he remained silent, she rolled her eyes. "Thought so."
Happy's protestations and efforts to make her stay fell on deaf ears as she charged out into the night and started to walk aimlessly down the street. She could feel the overwhelming sense of frustration overtaking her, her whole body aching with anger. What had she done that had been so bad he'd gone and buried himself knee-deep in some other woman? All they had done was go for a pizza - it was meant to be a nice evening, an actual date, and it had ended like this?
She felt herself breaking down and paused. It was cold out here, and she wrapped her arms around herself, lowering herself to sit down on the front step of someone's house to try and get a grip on herself. He hadn't chased her out like she had sort of expected him to, and she shook her head as she pulled out her phone.
- Are you busy? :( -
It took Opie barely a second to text her back.
- What's wrong? -
She hesitated for a moment or two before deciding to be honest with him. She pulled at her lower lip for a second before tapping out her message in response.
- Can I stay on your couch tonight? Having a bad night. :( -
Her phone lit up almost instantly with his name, and she felt a sense of relief overtake her as she answered. "Hey, Harry."
"Where are you?" he asked immediately, his voice abrupt and raspy. The background sounded loud, like he might be at the clubhouse, but over the next few seconds, it grew quieter. Perhaps he'd moved outside.
"I don't even know." She looked up for a street sign. "Magnolia and Main, or something like that. Just a few down from Happy's place."
She could hear Opie's bike revving over the line. "I'll be there in three minutes. Don't move, okay?"
She couldn't have if she wanted to. it was so cold, that she simply sat huddled on the step, her jacket pulled up to cover the nape of her neck. She felt miserable, heartbroken by the events of the evening, and she sat there in silence until she hear the crunch of Opie's boots approaching her.
"Ah, shit." He crouched down to her, instantly pulling off his jacket to wrap around her, noticing her shivering. "Come on, Hay, I got you. Let me take you home."