"Whose party is this again?" Haley asked warily as she, Peyton, Brooke and Lucas climbed out of Peyton's black convertible.

"Vegas Haden's! He just got off of probation, so it's like a 'welcome back' party." Brooke chimed in cheerily. She'd been in a good mood ever since she and Lucas had gotten back together. "It's because she's finally getting some," had been Peyton's morose explanation. Haley preferred to think of it as love.

"Is, um-"

"-Nathan going to be there?" Brooke finished. "Yeah, probably."

Haley let out a little groan. She found it hard to breathe whenever she was in the same room with him, and with things being so tense between them, Haley began to rethink exactly how much fun was going to have tonight.

As the group entered the house, party already in mid-swing, Lucas and Brooke quickly left them, probably to go make-out somewhere.

Peyton seemed to read Haley's thought, and looking after them in disgust, asked irritably, "Where's the keg?"

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Haley slowly walked around the big house, mostly wondering where Brooke was, when she peered into a room and saw Nathan. He was obviously drunk, slurring his words and rowdily clapping his friends on the back. Tim was waving a broken beer bottle around clumsily, acting like an idiot, 'as usual' Haley thought. Peyton appeared behind her, holding a cup filled with beer. Haley gave her a grim smile before turning back to watch the scene in front of them.

Peyton cleared her throat noisily, and Tim spun around, cutting Nathan with the broken bottle. They winced as blood began to trickle from the cut on his forehead. Haley instantly approached him to survey the bleeding scratch. "You're going to need that taken care of," She said quietly. Nathan looked at her angrily. "Yeah, well, you can say whatever the hell you want, but that doesn't make you my mother."

"You're right. I'm not your mother. But, whether you like it or not, I'm still your wife."

And with that, Haley took him by his wrist and pulled him out of the house.

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"Is the first-aid thing still in the same place?" Haley asked softly as she rummaged through Deb's kitchen cabinets. Nathan, who lay on the couch with a wet towel to his cut, nodded and smiled unnoticeably. He had sobered up quite a bit after Haley had pulled him from the party, and was waiting patiently as Haley looked for a bandage.

Haley sat on the edge of the couch next to him as she took the towel in her hand, dabbing at the cut. "Tim is so dead," she muttered. Nathan laughed softly as he reached up to touch the cut. She pushed his hand away, cautioning him, "Don't touch! You're going to infect it." Nathan laughed. "You sure know a hell of a lot about first-aid." She smiled. "Well, let's just say that I've fallen off my fair share of bus stairs." Haley gently put a thin piece of bandage-tape on the cut. Her touch was tender and yet able as she lightly smoothed it on. "That should do it." She said softly. Nathan gazed up at her. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Pull me out of there."

"Well, I wasn't about to let Tim attempt surgery on you." She said playfully as she gently brushed his face with her hand. Nathan gave her the first truly happy smile she had seen him wear in a long time. Haley smiled back at him, and gently ran her fingers through his hair.

The chemistry between the couple was obvious. There was so much sexual tension in the air Haley was afraid she might be swallowed up in it. But, among, the desire and longing, there was, in fact, love. The love from a man, knowing he would be taken care of. The love to know what it felt like to be needed again.

Haley, obviously feeling the tension, looked down, smiling embarrassedly. "I, uh, I should be going." She said, standing.

"Wait. Do you, uh, do you have to?"

Haley was stunned by the question. "Excuse me?"

"We could, you know, watch a movie or somethin'." Nathan said quickly.

Haley cocked her head to the side. "Which one?"

Nathan walked to the cabinet and pulled out a DVD. "The Notebook?"

Haley smiled. "Nathan, you hate romantic movies."

"It's your favorite." He said lightly, his voice full of laughter.

Haley bit her lip, but then looked up at him and smiled. "Okay."

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