Chapter 9

Haley awoke to the bright rays streaming in across her bedroom wondering how she stupidly forgot to pull the blinds frowning as she struggled to tug the sheets down from her body.

That's when she noticed him lying huddled on his side facing her just like he was last night seemingly he hadn't moved an inch. His boyish features so apparent on his peaceful face as he slept so different from the man shed come to know.

Haley sighed softly. The events of yesterday has obviously knocked them both out. Nathan was sleeping like the dead.

She was just about to scramble out of her side of the bed when her bedroom door burst open.

'Guess who finally had sex last night.' Brooke squealed over excitedly before she came to a halt her eyes bugging out her mouth dropping open .'What is HE doing here in your bed?'

Haley groaned already feeling a headache coming out.

'Haley…' She screeched.

'God why do you have to be so loud?' Nathan grumbled.

'Did you two have sex again?' Brooke questioned brazenly it was as if it was actually an appropriate thing to barge in saying.

'Brooke…' Haley scolded her. 'Do you even….' She began letting out an aggravated sigh. 'Look at us.'

It was only then she noticed Nathan in his crumpled-up work suit on the outside of the bed.

'I stayed with Haley to make sure she was ok.' Nathan offered not wanting to inflict more of her screeching upon him. He pulled himself up into a sitting position.

Brooke just kept on watching him as though she were seizing him up.

'You can stop looking at me like that….as much of a moron you think I am I was genuinely worried.'

'Well running on your previous daddy records you can understand why I'd be a little sceptical.' Brooke quipped not given him another look. 'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine now I promise. It was just a little stress.'

'A little right well I'm not surprised.' She said shooting daggers Nathan's way again.

'Brooke me and Haley have been through this…' He sighed.

'Haley and I..' Haley corrected him.

'Huh?' Nathan said.

'Haley and I…' She repeated.

He just grumbled something in response, god and she thought her and Brooke weren't morning people.

'Brooke can we just have a moment..' Haley said.

'Fie you're off the hook for now.' She said pointedly towards Nathan. 'I'll make us some breakfast but none for you.'

Nathan blew out a breath of relief as she finally shut the door behind her.

Haley smiled. 'Intimidating isn't she..'

'More like annoying. God I hope Lucas doesn't end up dating her.' Nathan mumbled more to himself.

'Eh that's my best friend your talking about.' Haley reminded him.

'How? You two are like opposites.'

'Well you always said I'm annoying.' Haley retorted with a smirk.

'You're not that annoying.' Nathan said. 'I better get home and get showered.' He stood up from the bed then patting his crumpled work clothes down before he met her gaze again. 'Look Haley… I meant what I said yesterday just in case you're thinking it was all just in the spur of the moment with what happened...'

'Ok.' She said softly.

Their eyes caught for a moment before quickly looking away. Nathan cleared his throat. 'Right I guess I'll see you later..'

'Or Monday I'm not allowed in work remember?' She teased him.

'No I know but I'll pop over or if I don't mum will with lunch there's no stopping her Haley especially once she finds out about last night.'

'Brooke's here, I'll be fine.'

'You might need a break from Brooke.'

Haley giggled at that. He wasn't sure how he never noticed the sound at all maybe because she never had around him but it was refreshingly heart rendering and the rush he felt inside of himself complete knocked him off kilter. Yep he needed out of this small bedroom.

'Nathan…will you just make sure..'

'Your desk yea I'm on it don't worry.' He smirked looking back at her as he reached her bedroom door.

'Am I that obvious…' She pouted.

He just chuckled.

'Thanks Nathan.' She said softly then.

'You have nothing to thank me for.'

Haley hadn't even counted to ten when Brooke barged in her bedroom door again.

'Ok spill.' She said as she tucked herself into the bed beside Haley and took a spoon out of the ice cream tub before passing it too Haley.

'Breakfast..' Haley said with a quirked eyebrow.'

'You're pregnant and I'm well I'm doing it so you don't feel alone.'

Haley just shook her head.

'What happened between you two?

'He took me to the hospital.' Haley said like it wasn't exactly breaking news.

'Yea and….' Brooke said.

'What's there to tell, Nathan found me in the office I was doubled over in pain he brought me to the hospital where they said it was ligament pain brought on by tress so he brought me home told me to take today off and now we're here.'

'Ok girl you skipped a major detail there like what was said between you two? Why was he sleeping in your bed?'

'On my bed not in.' Haley corrected her. 'We just passed out when we got back. We both agreed we were going to try a little harder at least being civil to each other for this child's sake if not our own, clearly all the agro between us is only adding to the stress and it's not necessary.'

'Ok do you believe it? Because I think he will just revert back to his factory settings of being an a-hole.'

'I don't doubt that trust me I haven't wool over my eyes but it's not just Nathan Brooke haven't exactly being miss sunshine where he is concerned.'

'Just be careful ok. I'm worried you'll let your guard down and this thing could end up even uglier between you.'

'What do you mean…'

'Just….'

'Brooke I'm not going to sleep with him case and point I've learned that the hard way.

'I don't mean that. I just….I think maybe with all this baby stuff involved, your just more vulnerable Haley to liking him and that's only gonna end painfully for you.

'I've no expectations where Nathan is concerned, he's not that kind of guy he doesn't have to tell me that he's shown me.'

'I just thought you should know, be.. '

'Be careful I know, I got it alright.' Haley said smiling as Brooke hogged all the ice-cream to herself. 'So you and Lucas…'

'imagine if the other scot brother got me pregnant does that mean we'd be like sisters..'

'only if were planning on marrying them.; Haley said dryly. 'also don't even joke about that.'

Brooke just giggled. 'I like him Haley , I like him a lot. That scares me, I'm not sure I want to commit to it. I'm not sure I can'

'well we are some pair aren't we.' Haley said as she took a spoonful of ice-cream. 'I'm committing to a brother because I'm having his child despite seeing no future between us and you won't commit to the brother whom there is a real possibly you have a future with..'

'I think this calls for another tub of ice-cream and a Sex and the City marathon.'

Haley just giggled. 'Well I am on bed rest for the day.'

'And I am officially joining you.' Brooke winked as the two girls giggled.

XXXXX

Haley actually couldn't believe this. Well she could and she couldn't when it came to where Nathan was concerned. Nathan like he said had come along to her 16-week scan, even picked her up from her apartment this morning - came on time.

Things were fine, a little awkwardly quiet on the way over but it was okay between them. They seemed to have found that amicable ground again since they night he involuntarily stayed over and promised her he wanted to try and Haley wanted to give him that chance.

Yet his attention was 50/50 since he came in here idly glancing the doctor's way and tapping away on that phone of his every now and again.

Sure he had stayed with her through the scan, glanced up at the screen at the appropriate moment offered a smile before not so subtly glancing at his phone again.

'It's weird to imagine it's the size of a lemon….just so tiny.' Haley said softly. The doctor had left them in the room now as she'd gone to retrieve a copy of the scan.

Nothing but silence.

'Nathan…' Haley hedged softly. 'Nathan…' She said a little harder.

This time he put his finger up to her as if to quieten her as he scrolled through his phone.

'Unbelieve.' Haley mumbled as she glared at him before sitting up on the bed and all but slapping the damn incriminating thing out of his hands.

'What the hell Haley?' Nathan fumed at her as his phone dropped to the vinyl floor below him. 'What is your problem?'

'Put the damn phone away Nathan. Did you even hear what I said to you? Did you hear anything the doctor said'

'Nathan rolled his eyes at her dramatics. 'Of course I heard, I'm here aren't I?'

'Are you Nathan? Because you've been glued to your damn phone the entire time.'

'The promotional campaign has just got off its feet Haley I've lots of people to answer to this week you know that..'

'Stop speaking to me like you do in work, were not in work.' Haley spewed at him.

Nathan gritted his teeth against the snarky comeback, he figured it would be a miracle if they'd get through this appointment without taring each other to pieces. It was then he noticed the pooling of unshed tears in her eyes and he sighed as he slipped he silenced the damn thing and slipped it back into his pocket.

Haley had been a spitfire from the moment he met her, well able to handle him - since pregnancy she was in ways even more of a spitfire but as quick as her anger came her upset preceded.

The joy of hormones his mother had told him to be extra nice to her which was proving difficult when nice wasn't even a word in their dictionary from the start.

'Hales look the phone is away…' Nathan said then as he held up his hands. She was staring straight ahead she wouldn't even look at him now.

'What were you saying about small it is….' Nathan cajoled her.

'Its about the size of your dick. Tiny.' Haley spat at him.

He could have chuckled only he knew there was a pretty good chance she would scream. he had to admit he admired her colourful comeback however false it was. 'Hales you and me both know that's not..'

'Don't even try and finish that sentence.' She warned him.

'I mean it certainly wasn't tiny in your mou…' Nathan began just as the doctor burst through the door smiling warmly at the pair. Anyone on the outside would have presumed the mother's onset of tears was for a completely different reason.

'Ok Haley bloods, protein everything is as it should be and you're doing just fine I know you had a slight scare there last week but you're doing just fine just to remember to look after yourself as much as the baby okay?' Haley nodded taking the necessary documentation from the doctor as the doctor gave them a brief overview of other important factors to consider at future appointments.

No less than 10 minutes later both of them were making their way out of the hospital with Haley high tailing it ahead.

'Where are you going?' Nathan called after her just about catching the door as it swung back in his face.

'I'm meeting Brooke for lunch.' Haley said.

'Oh…well I can still take you back right? I thought you said you needed a lift back.' Nathan said flustered.

'No plans have changed.'

'What in the last ten minutes?'

'Yea actually guess I wasn't the only one taping away on my phone.'

Nathan gritted his teeth. 'Fine I shouldn't have took my phone out I get it but you're making a very big deal out of this…'

Haley scoffed at his lame attempt at apologising, it seemed every Nathan Scott apology was followed up with a by the way I don't even know what I'm apologising for, Mr I'm never at fault.

'Oh of course I'm the one making a big deal when the truth is you're the ill-mannered ass.' Haley said as she crossed her arms over herself.

'I apologised, I put my phone away what more do you want?' She blew out, his patience at its last straw with her.

'How about you step out of my way and let me get on with my day?' Haley quipped.

His eyes were burning with irritation, the way his gaze emblazoned her almost had her trembling.

And he finally left her at peace.

XXXXX

'Well I guess I was wrong and don't have to worry about your feelings in all of this..' Brooke admitted as Haley continued to roll her brunette locks through the curling iron. Haley had just finished up telling her about their first check up together.

Haley just shook her head as she thought about it. 'Maybe I over-reacted…. and sure maybe pregnant women can over-react but for the majority of it he was being so damn rude.'

'Haley you being pregnant and over-reacting is like me in normal life.' Brook mused. 'But no it doesn't sound like your overreacting. I would have thrown his phone out the window.'

'And then to put his finger up as if to shush me…I need to just stop thinking about it.'

'How did you guys leave it?'

'He started getting stroppy and I told him to get out of my way and well that maybe the first time he's actually listening to me.'

'I'm sorry Haley.'

'It's not your fault.' Haley said as she finished up the waves in Brooke's hair.

'I know I'm just sorry daddy is such an ass. I want to say to you it's a shame it wasn't Luke but then I like having him for myself.'

Haley laughed softly at that. 'Oddly enough the thought of that is more disturbing. He feels more like a brother or something.'

'How does that work if I'm like your sister?' Brooke frowned.

Haley just shook her head at her silliness. 'I swear you're like the blonde one of us 90% of the time.'

Seconds later the doorbell rang and Brooke panicked .'Oh my god he is early, I'm not ready where is my purse, my phone…..my bag…'

'Relax you're ready, your purse and phone are in your bag which is currently in your hand.' Haley said as Brooke glanced down where inf act her bag was resting. 'Your hair is done, you look lovely.'

Brooke blew out a breath.

'Have a great time, be safe and remember..'

'no more Scott babies right.'

'Well no I was going to say call me if you're staying at his but yeah I guess that implies that too.' Haley said with a flick of her hand.

'Ok can you answer him I need a minute.'

'Sure.' Haley smiled as she all but bounced down the corridor before swinging the door back with a wide smile which immediately dropped as she noticed the guilty looking Scott brother standing beside him.

'Hey look who it is.' Nathan said as if the 50/50 chance Haley was going to open the door warranted that kind of greeting.

And within seconds the door was slammed in his face.

'Hey look who it is…' Lucas said giving his younger brother a look like he was an idiot which well he knew he was. 'No wonder your failing.'

'Well I didn't see you saying anything only standing there like a mute.'

'I didn't have to she's knows I'm coming for Brooke.'

'So what you stand mute at the door?' Nathan repeated.

'Maybe if you took my lead it wouldn't be slammed in our faces.'

'You've got to help me man….she hates me.' Nathan sighed as he shuffled uncomfortably in the narrow hallway.

'Can you blame her?'

'You said you were going to help me.'

'I did by letting you come here.'

'Jee thanks.' Nathan said sarcastically. 'You know I gave you a load of tips with Bro…' The words died on Nathans lips as the brunette of Lucas affections pulled back the door with a perfectly poised hand of the hip of her purple boob tube style dress, eyebrows raised for effect. 'What is he doing here?' She said unimpressed.

Nathan just rolled his eyes.

'You look stunning.' Lucas said.

She smiled softly before the mean glare came back on her face as she looked at Nathan.

'He followed me.' Lucas said with an easy shrug.

'Like a stray dog huh…'

'Can I just talk to Haley please?' Nathan said with his hands in his pockets a mirror image of the sorry schoolboy who had misbehaved.

'No that would require getting past me.' Brooke said crossing her arms then.

Lucas smirked. There really was no messing with Brooke Davis.

'Haven't you a date to attend to?' Nathan mumbled.

'We can just have it here in the house maybe go for a drink after when the stray dog disappears or maybe someone else will take you in…'

'Brooke please….I just want to talk to her, I even brought her favourite chocolate and some other random crap she likes.' Nathan said almost desperately now as he held up the bag she hadn't noticed.

'How did you know?'

'Well she's kind of left hints around the office I went off that.'

Brooke smiled at that, if anything this situation was quite humourless now. She'd love to see her friends reaction if it was a bag of things she hated especially coming from the man himself.

'Fine.' she clipped. 'But if you make her cry….I swear you'll wish you were on a stray dog.'

Nathan just gave Lucas a look closely resembling a 'do you realise you are dating a mad women?' before he acknowledged Brooke sheepishly, best not to say anything more. He wouldn't be surprised if the brunette had a pitch fork she was going to stab him with at this stage.

'She's locked herself in the bedroom.' Brooke said shaking her head at him before she walked ahead of Lucas. 'Come on Broody.'

'Good luck.' Lucas said as he closed the door after them.

Nathan just cringed, they were only seeing each other a couple of weeks and they were at the nickname stage already.

He walked down the narrow hall to her room at the end where sure enough he door was closed. 'Haley…' He knocked gently and waited.

Nothing.

'Hales…'

'Why are you even hear Nathan?'

'Because I want to apologise.' He talked back through the door.

'At 9pm at night I'm sure you've other places to be or people to be screwing…'

'Haley I'm sorry.' God he was beginning to sound the Lucas realm of pathetic. Even his vice was whiny, perhaps she was enjoying this.

He almost stumbled into the room as the door was pulled back with blunt force from where his elbow was rested across it. Haley looked bemused for a second before her 'screw you' Nathan face was plastered back on again like a work of art. 'You know you should buy apologies in bulk if you're going to hand them out that often.'

'Peace offering…' He said pulling out the share size bag of Maltesers.

Her eyes lit up a little as if she'd been witing on that chocolate from the chocolate gods to jut land in her apartment tonight at 9pm.

Ok so he was a coward trying to win her around to his side again with chocolate but with his list of screw ups when it came to this whole pregnancy lately he needed some armour even if it did come in the form of a small bag of Maltesers.

'You can't throw a bag of my favourite chocolate at me and hoe for the best.' She countered stubbornly, she was really fixated on that bag though.

'So you don't want them?' Nathan wondered innocently watching her fixate on them, trying to hold off on the smile as she all but lept and snapped the bag from him before he even thought about retracting. She crossed her arms resting the bag close to her body as if he was going to steal it back.

One amusing girl she was.

'Look Haley I'm trying here, I'm gonna make bad mistakes maybe even awful ones..'

'Nathan a mistake is like forgetting the appointment or not showing up or I don't know….but blatant respect isn't a mistake, you just acted like you didn't even care…'

'I know that, I'm an idiot Haley ok…I do care I do I guess the phone helped distract me a little.' He admitted. 'I mean being in that room with all those antenatal care posters and then seeing the thingy he rubs on your tummy and the scan…it all just it freaked me out okay and I know that's not the mature thing to say, it's not what you need to hear but I want to be honest with you…'

'Nathan I get that ok I was freaked out too….I'm terrified actually believe me I know what it's like to want to run from something that's too real' She said as their eyes met. 'I mean god there's days I didn't want to go to scans at all, just wanted to pretend it was a normal day and this wasn't happening….and then I felt horrible for that, that I could think that..' She said softly, disgusted with herself.

'You shouldn't feel guilty for that Haley, you've been amazing through all of this…you're not the one who said they didn't want this baby at the start..'

'That's just it though Nathan. I think you think I'm handing this really well and I'm not. I have all them same thoughts you do, all them same worries and absolute freak outs but I feel like I can't tell you because the moment I do you might blow up and tell me that us keeping this child is a mistake.'

He nodded understandably as her words hit him. Of course she would feel that way. 'How I acted today didn't help that…'

Haley just shrugged.

'I know you'll find this hard to believe but I couldn't give up this child Haley it would just be too hard, I think a part of me like you would always wonder what if you know? I mean in the beginning I guess I thought that would be the easy way out but I think it would be the hardest in the long run…'

Haley smiled sadly. 'We just seem to be running circles Nathan…same arguments, play nice one day and then the next it's like hell has frozen over again…'

'We will just keep trying, it's hard not to fight with you though..' He teased her softly then as she gave him a look. 'Yea well seen as your 92% jackass you can see why…' Haley challenged him.

'I'll take that 8% you've taken off means you've accepted my apology.'

'5% of that was for the Maltesers.'

Nathan chuckled as he shifted on his feet. 'Do you want to take a walk?' The words had left this mouth before his brain had even caught up with that the hell he was at.

'At after 9pm in the city?'

'Ever being on pier 15 Haley?'

'Not exactly my neighbourhood.' She countered.

He smiled. 'Come on. There's something I think you might like. Unless you're tired…'

She was biting her lip a little.

He knew she was contemplating going with him.

'I still feel terrible about earlier so I'll be sucking up to you all night…'

'Ok let me grab my jacket.'

XXXXX

'I never would have pegged you as a rocky road kind of girl.' Nathan said as the pair of them walked along the pier cones in hand.

'Why?' Haley said as she licked her cone.

'Well it's a little edgy Haley I would peg you more for a ..'

'What vanilla plain and boring…' Her tone wasn't defensive more like she was expecting the comment from Nathan.

'No I was going to say vanilla because it pleases everyone.' He mused as she shot him a look.

'So now you're saying I'm a people pleaser?'

'Well you certainly know how to please.' He quipped back teasingly.

She felt her cheeks flare. 'That's not….you shouldn't have said that.' Haley fumbled awkwardly.

Nathan just smiled at her clumsiness with that particular topic of conversation.

'Can I ask you something and can you not take it out of context or make fun of me for asking it? I'm genuinely just curious..'

'Ok…' Nathan said not so surely clearly the tone of her question unnerved him.

'Have you slept with anyone since….?' Haley trailed off.

Ok he had not been expecting that. Well he didn't know what he had been expecting but it certainly was not that.

'No.' He said honestly.

'Why not?'

'Why'd you ask?'

'Do you have to answer with a question?'

'Do you not want me to?' Nathan said trying to keep his serious face before he smiled. 'Eh let's just say the whole baby thing…'

'Kind of a dampener…' Haley interceded.

'Just we were so careful and it happened.' He said softly.

Haley nodded. 'Ok….enough.' She said rather abruptly then. 'No more baby talk which ironically I know it's the whole reason we're even out here together but still no more.'

'I agree but can I say one more thing before the ban?'

'You're on the clock Haley teased.'

'I didn't realise you were freaking out the way you were over it I guess I never asked.' Nathan said. I mean I feel like you're the only one that might understand me but I'm also pushing you the furthest way and I don't want to do that anymore.'

'We can try I guess….and be there for each other.' Haley added on softly. 'I mean it is us so…'

'We haven't' argued all night…'

Cause you couldn't…' She implied jokingly. 'You're still on penance Nathan.'

'I know but it's actually felt easy for once…'

'For once…' Haley scoffed. 'You really find it that hard to like me?' Her tone was teasing.

'It's not that. You're just super easy to piss off its kind of fun.'

This time Haley did shove him as they continued walking further down the pair away from the busier section. 'See that's the weird thing my friends, even my mom and my sister would never say that about me….I think there's just one component of your personality that completely irks me.' She mused.

'Likewise.' Nathan countered.

Haley laughed softly. 'Are we fighting?'

'I don't think so…your laughing so…' Nathan shrugged as the two of them shared a smile.

'Ok let's play a round of 20 questions…' Haley said as they continued to walk along. Nathan just gave her a bizarre look. 'Oh come on it'll be fun less of the seriousness for a while.'

'Fine if it'll keep you from going all moody on me.'

'FYI you are so the moody one out of the two of us you know at the office we call…' Haley stopped herself then and her big mouth realising what she was about to say.

'You call me….' Nathan continued for her, he wasn't annoyed he'd heard the name himself - he enjoyed watching her squirm a little though clearly feeling a little bad over it.

'Nothing.' She squeaked.

He chuckled. 'Haley relax it's not like I haven't' heard. I actually can't believe I've become that person in work my dad always…..' Nathan's words fell away from him then realising what he'd been about to say or rather about whom.

'What were you gonna say?' Haley said softly and he made the error of looking into her eyes again as she asked him and just like before the words came spilling out.

'He worked at a dealership and I used to go there when I was a kid you know I was fascinated by it the cars and all..'

Haley smiled as she listened.

'So My Uncle Keith worked there too and I helped him out a lot while dad was in the office. I never really went into the office until one day Keith asked me to get something from dad so in I went and my god Haley…he was just insane…I remember thinking what happened to my dad, he was pacing about the place like this crazy man, shouting bad words as mom called it…' Nathan mused. 'and pulling his hair out, he was like….like….'

'Like you, he was like you…' Haley filled in for him then smiling at the familiarity of the story.

Nathan expelled a soft sigh. 'Ok I'm admit I'm not as calm as I'd like to be in the office but I'm not like a crazy person am I?'

'A little.' Haley giggled. 'Well you were coming up to finalising that merger.'

Nathan just smiled at the sound of her laugh, god he loved her laugh. the thought was as casual as a summer's day and yet had him stopping as he turned to face outwards the water lapping rather roughly against the pier. Did he really love something about Haley, it wasn't a real word that prefaced in his dictionary, it's not really something he ever thought about. Nathan shook his head of his thoughts, wow was he really going to analyse this now? So he liked her laugh. Love her laugh Nathan. love. Love - like….whatever.

'You ok?' Haley said then as she noticed him standing facing the water. Haley followed his lead and leaned her arms over the railings looking at the choppy waters below them.

'You thinking of your dad?' She asked softly.

I'm thinking of you. 'What about yours?' Nathan said deflecting the question which was not to Haley's surprise.

'What about him?'

'You've never said much only that he left.'

'There's nothing much more to say.' Haley said softly. 'He left and even when he was around he wasn't really a dad in the sense. I mean I didn't realise it at the time but I thought it was normal not having your dad at home ever when you came in the door from school, or never there to help you with your maths homework or to get the damn stabilisers off your bike which I had to ride with for your years and got teased…' Haley tried to joke about that but Nathan knew it still hurt her.

'The girl I've come to know would ride the bike with those stabilisers and not give a damn..' Nathan said as he nudged her.

Haley smiled. 'Maybe so but maybe she had to…'

Nathan felt his hear constrict at her words laced with the kind of painful nostalgia of what never was. 'I wish you had that Haley, what I had with my dad…..I know I don't have it anymore..'

'It's a double-edged sword huh….I mean I don't know what's more painful to have it and have lost it or never have it I mean I think it's harder to lose something..'

'It's all hard.' Nathan said softly as they stared out at the water.

'Well we are just a right pair aren't we…' Haley teased softly. 'I thought we were supposed to be having fun.'

Nathan smiled. 'Twenty questions?' He said catching her eye. She smiled at the boyish look on his features as he asked her, all of a sudden didn't look his age of 25 but more like a boy she'd never known but in ways she would have liked to.

'Let's make it ten and the winner buys the loser lunch..' Haley proposed.

'Wait the winner buys the loser lunch..' Nathan scrunched his face.

'Yea it's like you don't know whether you're gonna get a lunch you hate or not…'

'But what do you get out of it?'

'Just pure evil enjoyment.' Haley mused as Nathan chuckled.

'You've also just stated your gonna win.'

'I am.'

Nathan just shook his head at her. 'Ok let's make it easy my favourite food?'

'Hmm most girls would say buffalo or chicken wings maybe even prime rib but I'm gonna go with Karen's Sunday dinner.'

He just looked at her like a deer caught in headlights and Haley giggled.

He smiled at the sound. 'How did you do that?'

'I've heard great things.'

'From the women herself?'

'From everyone….Peyton, Luke..'

Everyone except me. Nathan couldn't help but think. He didn't understand why that all of a sudden was bothering him.

'Right ok ….let me see your favourite food….don't laugh this is just the first thing that came to mind ok…'

'Right..' Haley drawled wondering what concoction he was going to come up with. Am I really that weird?

'Mac and cheese?'

Haley's mouth dropped open. Nathan chuckled. 'I seen all them little packets on your desk.'

Haley hung her head in shame. 'No one is supposed to see them I've them squeezed in magazine files.' She mused. 'Ok….they're for late nights in the office.'

'Hey, I'm not judging I lived off pot noodle for years.' Nathan teased her.

'You can tell I'm a fresh graduate huh microwave mac and cheese..'

'That stuff can't be good.' Nathan said laughing.

'No but the real stuff is and yea it's my favourite food, I'm not ashamed.'

'You should be.'

'Shut up.' She said shoving him.

'Anyone ever tell you you're kind of rough Haley James?'

'No just you funny that.'

Their eyes met then in a smile as they glanced back out at the water.

And so it continued between them they asked each other everything as random and easy from favourite colours, even favourite numbers, drinks, fruit, season….laughing and teasing each other's at their answers but both genuinely feeling at complete ease as they escaped the weight of the unknown even if just for a night.

'A city you really want to visit…' Haley continued as they both walked through the gateway to her apartment.

'Berlin…' Nathan answered. 'Or anywhere in Europe really. What about you?'

'London. What?' Haley said as she caught the look on his face.

'Of anywhere in the world you live in New York might I add and you pick London.' He wondered.

'New York isn't a carbon copy of London Nathan and I love the rain, I heard it rains a lot over there.'

'You like the rain?' He said amused by her answer.

'I'm getting the feeling I shouldn't answer that again.' Haley said shaking her head as she turned to him at her door.

'No just adding it to the never-ending list of weird things about you I have in my head.'

'You have a list of my weird quirks in your head?'

'It amuses me.' Nathan shrugged.

Haley laughed at that.

'Maybe you should have lived in Seattle Haley it rains there all the time.'

'Oh so now you're trying to get rid of me…'

'No believe it or not I actually like having you around.'

She just gave him a playful smile that told him she wasn't all that convinced by his words. 'Tonight was..'

'Nice for a change…' Nathan filled in.

'Yea.' Haley agreed. 'It was kind of like a date actually.'

Nathan's eye's bugged out of his head and she started giggling.

Her laugh was so infectious he was sure he'd have dimple lines overnight. 'you're playing me.' He stated actually feeling rather sheepish for how easily he fell for that.

'It's not like you don't deserve it.' Haley teased. 'I do think I've punished you enough.'

'I'll remember that when I'm bringing you lunch in work on Monday.'

Haley pouted. 'I forgot you won.'

'Still a little sore Hales?'

'Maybe.' She admitted.

'Guess I better let you go..' Nathan said then as he shoved his hands into his pockets all of a sudden feeling a little awkward.

'Have a nice weekend Nathan.' Haley said softly as she put the key in the door.

'You too and Haley…'

'Yea…' She said turning to him again.'

'I meant what I said so if you need anything even if it's just a baby freak out give us a call okay…'

She nodded softly giving him one last smile to match his own and she was surprised more than the fact alone that she felt she would like to call him but by the feeling inside that she'd miss him tonight as he walked away from her.

The feeling that she could have spent longer in his company, time had escaped them tonight as if giving them a version of themselves that made everything in her life seem ok - however long it would last.