A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I worked on this chapter for a long time, trying to make it really good, so I hope you like it. Please review after you read, even if you don't like it, just so I know someone's reading. I love constructive criticism. Also, I know it's unrealistic that they like each other so quickly, but I have a hard time writing people as hating each other. Think of this as one of those 'love at first sight/only happens in the movies' type things. I know I wouldn't last too long being mad at someone if they were as hot as James Lafferty.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything
Chapter 5: Bedtime Conversation
A few minutes later, Nathan and Haley had said goodbye to everyone else and then went home. They were both exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. They were both changed for bed and were now sitting on the couch talking, when Haley yawned.
"You should go to bed, you look tired," Nathan said.
"Thanks, a girl always likes to hear she has huge bags under her eyes from a man," she replied.
"I didn't mean it like that," Nathan said trying to defend himself, not noticing her sarcasm.
"I was kidding. You look tired too. We should get to bed, you'll need you're energy tomorrow."
"Oh really, you have some plans for us?" Nathan joked.
"Men," Haley sighed, "you all have such perverted minds."
"I know, we're moving in to the house," Nathan laughed, "are you going to help move the boxes in?"
"Nope, 'a woman never carries her own boxes'; at least that's what my mother says. I think she'd kill me if I tried to move anything, or your mother would do it for her."
"I think they may have hired movers, which is ridiculous since we live right next door."
"Yeah, well let's just get some sleep," Haley said as she sat down on the bed.
"I can sleep on the couch if you want," Nathan offered and Haley was surprised.
"No, it's okay. We might as well get used to it," she said.
"You don't snore do you?" he asked jokingly.
"No, do you?"
"Not that I know of," he replied and turned off the light. He got in the bed on the opposite side of Haley and they both lay down.
"So have your opinions about me changed since yesterday?" he asked hoping she'd say yes. He knew the marriage would be so much easier if they could be civil towards each other and he was actually starting to like the idea of being with her. She was such a nice and beautiful girl, different from any of the whores he had dated or hooked up with in the past.
"Actually yes, you surprised me today," she answered and he was relieved.
"How did I surprise you?"
"You weren't as much of a jerk around me as you are around other people; it seems like you actually care when you are around me."
"I do care," he said sincerely.
"Why?" she asked him, clearly not expecting him to care.
"I want this to work between us, I think we could be good together, and I like you."
"Why do you like me?" Haley said shocked. No boys had ever liked her except for Mouth when they were ten years old. She was always thought of as 'tutor girl', a nerd that only hung out with the boys. How did Nathan like her when he had only known her a day?
"You're different. You're not afraid to be who you are, and you're pretty. That helps too," he answered and she could tell he was being sincere.
"Thanks, you're pretty too," she said laughing.
"I was being serious and you ruined it by laughing, and I prefer not to be called 'pretty'."
"I'm sorry, how about hot?" she asked, laughing again.
"Are you drunk?" he asked finally noticing how giggly she had become.
"Maybe a little," she said holding up her fingers making a sign that looked like a little bit.
"I was with you almost the whole night and it didn't look like you had that much, how much champagne did you have when I was gone?" he laughed at her. Even though it was dark he could see her on her side of the bed trying to count on her fingers how many she'd had.
"I don't remember," she said still giggling.
"You should sleep, sober up for tomorrow."
"Okay, fine," she said and rolled over to her side of the bed further.
"Goodnight," he said and rolled to his side.
The next morning Haley woke up with a pounding headache. She felt a pair of arms wrapped around her and was surprised to see Nathan behind her, still asleep, with his arms wrapped protectively around her. She also surprised herself by not trying to break the embrace, but trying to snuggle up closer to Nathan.
After about five minutes Nathan woke up. He realized his arms were around Haley and she was awake. He quickly pulled away.
"Sorry," he said, rolling to his side of the bed.
"No, it's okay," she said while pulling him back to her. He was surprised by her actions.
"Are you still drunk?" he asked, confused and wrapped his arms back around her.
"I was drunk last night? Cause I don't remember. I remember bits and pieces from the night. Dancing, coming home, calling you pretty."
"Yeah, you had a little too much champagne."
"That could be the reason I have a pounding headache," she stated.
"Do you want me to go see if I can find some aspirin in our bathroom?" he asked and went to get up.
"No, stay here," she said pulling him back down to her.
"Why?" he asked, still surprised that they ended up together without her pulling away and not letting him up.
"I don't know, but I just get this safe feeling when you have your arms wrapped around me. I could possibly get used to waking up like this every morning, minus the headache."
"Are you sure you don't want me to find you something? I'm sure there is something in the bathroom."
"No, I'm okay."
"Okay, and by the way, I like having you in my arms too," he said and smiled at her. "I could get used to it too." She smiled back at him. Somehow as the time over the last two days passed, she hated him less. She knew that if Nathan kept acting like he had been towards her, the marriage would be definitely bearable. Over time, she might even fall in love with him.
"What time are our parents and the movers coming over?" Haley asked as she rolled over to face Nathan, her face even with his chest and resting there.
"Noon," Nathan replied. "It's ridiculous; we're only moving our clothes and stuff. We don't even have furniture, but we have movers."
"When are we going to pick out furniture and colors for the house?" Haley said excitedly. She always liked looking at furniture and matching colors to design rooms. She was thinking of going into interior design for a major in college, but she wasn't sure.
"Maybe tomorrow?" Nathan replied. "Do you have any ideas yet?"
"Maybe I have a few ideas; do you have any specific colors you want?" Nathan started to answer, but Haley cut him off, "besides your basketball colors."
"Not even one room of my colors?" Nathan said with a pout.
"The gym can be in your colors, how about that?" Haley bargained. She had never been very fond of the color blue.
"Fine, as long as we don't have a whole house full of pink."
"Definitely not, I don't even really like pink that much, it's so girly."
"Then why did you want a pink wedding?" Nathan asked chuckling and confused.
"I just have always pictured myself having a pink and yellow wedding. I saw one in a magazine once and I liked it."
"What colors do you want to have in the house?"
"Well, I was thinking for the living room maybe yellow walls with a deep red color for furniture and trim and stuff, and then the opposite for the family/TV room," Haley said and Nathan could tell she probably had most of it planned out already.
"Okay, that sounds nice. Now what about the kitchen?" Nathan asked, knowing she probably knew what she wanted, but he didn't care, as long as she was happy with the house and he got his blue and white gym. They continued to talk about colors for the house for a few more minutes when the finally noticed the time.
"Crap, it's 11, we need to get up," Nathan said after looking over at the clock.
"I don't want to get up," Haley whined and snuggled herself further into Nathan's embrace.
"People will be here in an hour. You don't want them to come up here and find us still in bed, do you?"
"No, I guess not."
"Okay, why don't you go take a shower and then I'll take a shower while you're getting ready?" Nathan suggested knowing women always took longer to get ready than men, at least the ones he'd dealt with before had always been that way. Haley finally got up and took an outfit into the bathroom.
While Haley was in the bathroom, he continued to lay on the bed and think. Haley looked so beautiful that morning, even with her hair all messy and no make up, she looked great. She seemed to be warming up to him, and for that he was thankful. He knew they had both been reluctant to go into this marriage, but he was trying to make the best of it. He knew she had hated him from the start because of his actions towards Lucas. The truth was he didn't really know Lucas, he just knew that his father wanted him to hate him and that he could possibly take over his spot on the basketball team. Basketball wasn't as important to him as it was to his father. He loved to play, and thought it would be great to continue to play in college, but he couldn't see himself in the NBA playing for a living. He wanted to do something else with his life, possibly a doctor for a sports team, but he wasn't sure yet.
Haley came out 15 minutes later towel drying her hair. "Your turn," she said as she smiled at him and Nathan got up and went into the bathroom. Haley sat at her vanity, which had already been set up with a few new lip glosses and eye shadows when they moved in, and started to apply a small amount of make up.
While she sat there she began to think about Nathan. She thought about how nice he had been to her, even though he probably went into the relationship just as reluctantly as she had. He was not his, what she considered 'normal' self with her, he was kind and charming. She could definitely see this marriage working if he stayed the way he had been, the fact that he was hot as hell helped a bit too. Maybe he never really had been that mean, she just always perceived him to be based on what she had heard from other people. Maybe his hatred towards Lucas was only based on his father's actions. Now she'd get to know how he really was, and maybe that wasn't so bad after all.
A/N: So not too much really happened in this chapter, just some new nicer feeling revealed. I think this was a pretty well written chapter for me, it definitely took me long enough to write. Please reply if you are still reading this, I promise to TRY to be better at updating. The next story I'll update will be Daddy's Blue Eyes and Mommy's Auburn Hair which is also a Naley story I've been working on. Please review and I hope you liked the chapter!
Stephanie JJ