I seriously love this chapter. It was so much fun to write. Ahhhh! Im excited! Read and Enjoy! MERRY CHRISTMAHANNAKWANSIKA (can anyone seriously spell that? IF you can... let me know because... wow.)
Chapter 21: Better Days
And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just the chance that maybe we'll find better days
"Hales, you really don't need to do that. I can fix my own tie." He informed her. She smelled like her normal, intriguing perfume. Her hair was it's normal brown, curly mess, just the way he liked it.
"No you can't you liar." She smiled. She looked up into his eyes, and immediately blushed and looked away. She walked over to the coat rack, smiling as Nathan helped her into her black pea coat. She muttered her thanks, opening the front door. "Oh Nathan! It's snowing!" She gasped. It hadn't snowed in Tree Hill for Christmas since she was a little girl.
"So?" He grumbled outwardly, although his stomach was doing all those gushy, annoying things that only came with watching Haley be so happy. He watched as she twirled around and around on her way to the car. He followed.
"Nathan! It's snowing on Christmas Eve! That means there will be snow on the ground on Christmas morning, and even that it could be possibly snowing!" She told him, shutting his large SUV door behind her.
"It's not that big of a deal." He groaned.
"Yeah, dad, actually it is." Nicole piped up from the back. Hannah nodded in agreement.
"Why is it always 3 on one? Nicole, you're supposed to be on my side." Nathan tried.
"Oh please, you're just mad because no one cares about what you think. And I've never been on your side about anything. Ever." She blew out. He glanced over at Haley who was smirking to herself.
"Oh, and I suppose you think it's funny!"
"No one cares what you think." She repeated, turning up the volume on the Christmas music.
-..
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And designer love and empty things
Just the chance that maybe we'll find better days
"It's negative, Luke." She cried.
"Did you want it to be positive?" He asked timidly, embracing her in a tight hug. Her tears drenched the front of his shirt as she considered it. Finally, she nodded her head yes.
"Well, maybe we could go to the doctors to make sure this week."
"It had to of been wrong. I had all these signs, and at first I thought the vomiting was just because maybe I was sick. It is winter. But then it was every time I smelt something nasty. And then my period came, and went, without you know, actually coming. And then I started getting these headaches, and all I want to do is sleep. And I was listening to Peyton talk, well complain, about her pregnancy and then I started to realize that those were all things that were happening to me! And first I thought, I can't deal with this, I can't be a mother. But then, I actually started thinking about having a family with you, and buying baby clothes and all that stuff... and I started liking the idea." She cried slightly to him, in a very rushed, blurred manner, causing him to only catch about half of it.
"Brooke,I want to have a family with you too." He smiled.
-..
So take these words
And sing out loud
"Why won't tell me? It's Christmas! Come on, give me something!" Hannah goaded Nicole as they walked from their car into the café.
"He's just... my best friend. That's it."
"Do you still talk to him?"
"Once in a while, but not very much anymore." She sighed disappointedly, slapping on a happy face as Karen ran at them.
Lagging behind, Haley shivered as the cold air fit her nylon-clad legs.
"I still can't believe it's snowing!"
"Yeah, yeah... It's freezing, let's get inside." Nathan pouts, still brooding over his earlier defeat.
"You're such a baby. Hold on one second." She told him, grabbing his hand to stop him and sticking out her tongue.
"Haley," Nathan groaned tiredly. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to catch a snowflake... come on, try it."
"I don't want to. I just want to go inside, where it's warm, and eat a ton of food!"
"DO IT!" She yelled, shocking him into sticking out his tongue and bending forward slightly. Hearing laughter behind them, he straightens up and turns around.
"Haley James getting THE Nathan Scott to act like a child. Some things never change, huh?" The man smiles, causing Haley to turn around as well.
"MOUTH!" She exclaims, rushing over to hug him. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas Haley." He smiles. "Hey Nathan."
"Hey man, Merry Christmas...What are you doing here, I thought you were staying in New York for a while?"
"Well, I had to film some of our lovely hometown for a project I'm working on," He said, flashing his camcorder. "And no time better than the holidays. I was plesently surprised about the snow, I just wish I would have known about this freezing cold."
Nathan flashed Haley a look. "I never said it wasn't cold. I said I loved snow. Huge difference." She defended. "Mouth, do you wanna have dinner with us? We're all meeting at the Café."
"I'm not really dressed..."
"So? Everyone will love to see you... pleeease?" She begged, giving him her classic eyes.
"Not the eyes Haley... man... yeah I'll come."
"Yes! Come on, let's get inside before the big baby over here cries or something."
"Watch who you're calling names Haley." He said sternly, raising his eye brows.
"What would you do about it?" She smirked, as he held open the door for her. "Such a gentlemen. You're doing well for a screw-up." She laughed, emphasizing screw-up. "Everyone, look who we found."
"Is that MOUTH!" Peyton smiled as she hurried her five month pregnant body over to him.
"The one and only." He grinned, greeting everyone.
-...
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
"Where are Lucas and Brooke?" Karen wondered aloud as she and Haley busily prepared the large dinner.
"I don't know." She shrugged, mashing potatoes.
"Well, they better get here soon. I-" Karen started.
"PIMP DADDY!" Hannah screamed from the other room, causing Haley and Karen to retreat from the kitchen.
"Merry Christmas Lucas, Brooke." Karen smiled at them.
"Is dinner almost ready mom? I have barely eaten at all today."
"Almost. We made enough to feed the city though. Goodness." She replied.
"Not with Haley here." He chuckled when Haley's head and arm shot up, punching his arm. "Kidding Hales, just kidding."
"What are you three laughing at?" Haley shot over at Hannah, Nicole, and Jenny, who were giggling crazily.
"You... guys are... under... the mistletoe." Hannah laughed.
Both Haley and Lucas looked up quickly, sure enough, it was hanging mockingly above their heads. The room became silent as they stared at it.
"Haley, I thought you made sure there wasn't any hanging this year." He muttered, eyes fixed on the suspended plant.
"So did I."
"Why does this happen to us?"
"Tradition hates us, Lucas Scott. I thought you knew that."
"JUST KISS ALREADY!" The girls shouted frustrated.
"If your tongue comes-" Haley started.
"I know Haley, I know." He laughed as he bent down. He placed an abrupt peck on her lips before they both turned away in disgust.
"Ready to spike the Egg Nog now Luke?" Keith chuckled.
"Please, Keith, you were ready to spike it an hour ago." Dan snickered.
"He already DID and hour ago! Stop trying to make the kids drunk, Keith." Karen scolded.
"He's not trying to get us drunk, he's trying to get himself drunk." Lucas laughed.
"A wise man once said, "Family gatherings are easily beared with a little love and a whole lot of alcohol." Keith replied.
"That was you!" Lucas chuckled. "You told me that in the third grade."
"And if I remember correctly, that was also the first year you had to kiss Haley. See, you should have taken my advice."
"Hey!" Haley spoke up. "This is NOT pick on Haley day."
"Everyday is pick on Haley day, just no one ever tells you." Nathan smirked.
"Hey, now, enough of that, Haley, I need you in the kitchen."
-...
I need someplace simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive
Soon after, dinner was on the super-extended table and everyone was chattering as usual. Karen was telling Haley and Deb how she missed having this dinner at her home, but it would be too hard with so many people this year. The men sat toward the other end, fully consumed in a discussion about what else, basketball. Meanwhile, the rest of the girls sat at the opposite end, giggling at Brooke's story from college.
Then the annual gift-exchange took place. As a rigged tradition, Lucas and Haley had gotten each other, Keith and Karen, Deb and Dan, and because of Nathan and Brooke, Peyton got Brooke this year, Nathan and Jake, and then Nicole got Jenny, Jenny got Hannah, and Hannah got Nicole. The gifts were stupid and fun, usually poking fun at the other one. Lucas had gotten Haley a video game, then told her its so she can play it when she has "extra time" in which Haley replied wistfully, "Who told you I had extra time, maybe when I die..." In return, Haley had gotten him a book entitled, "The Book for People Who Have Read Every Other."
Hours later, Jenny, Nicole, and Hannah had all been taken home by Peyton and Jake, who took Nathan's car since they had gone there with Karen and Keith. Mouth had gone home a little while after dinner, after taking adequate footage and pictures of the whole gang. Deb and Dan had left, claiming fatigue. Leaving Karen, Brooke, and Haley to finish cleaning up the leftovers, while Lucas, Keith and Nathan had a very active conversation about the 'Direction of the politics of this nation of ours."
"Alright, see you guys tomorrow." Lucas yawned, closing his car door and starting his engine.
As Nathan and Haley turned the corner, they stared at the empty parking spot that Nathan's car used to occupy.
"Crap, I forgot Peyton and Jake took my car. You think we could still catch a ride with Karen and Ketih?"
Haley's frown quickly grew to a knowing smirk as she looked over at Nathan. "They've left, trust me."
"What?"
"Tradition, Nathan. Tradition, and once again its coming to bite us in the ass." She told him, turning around and walking back onto the sidewalk. "Karen and Keith..they... have a little fun on Christmas Eve. And they aren't playing with any toys."
"Ohhh..." He understood. "We could call someone?"
"At," She checked her watch. "One thirty in the morning? I don't think so. We can walk, it's not THAT far."
"Yes it is, it's definitely more than a mile!"
"Said Mr. I get paid to be an athlete." She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, I do. So when I get pneumonia from being out here in the freezing cold, I'll tell them YOU wouldn't let me call anyone."
"Okay, you do that." She laughed.
"I will." He pouted.
"The snow looks so pretty, doesn't it?" Haley smiled warmly up at her surly walking partner.
"Yes Haley. It does." He replied angrily.
"My feet hurt though." She complained.
"Take 'em off then." He muttered.
"I can't, hello, snow is accumulating on the ground."
Nathan stopped and sighed. "You wanna piggy back ride."
"But it's 'More than a mile,'" She mocked.
"Yeah, but I do get paid to be up to it right?" He smiled arrogantly, flexing his arm, which was covered in his sweater and coat.
"Does your head EVER deflate?"
"If it did, I'd lose all my charm." He smirked his trademark smirk, making Haley get rather flustered. "So, you on or not?"
"There isn't a catch or hidden fee is there?"
"Well, now that you mention it..." He joked slyly, bending over to allow her access to his back.
"Thank you Nathan."
"No problem, and by the way, you had to of lost like... fifty pounds since I last carried you."
"Last time you carried me, I was pregnant and huge."
"Good Point." He laughed.
.&.
And the one poor child that saved this world
And there's 10 million more that probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them
"What do you think mom and dad are doing?" Hannah questioned into the dark of their bedroom
"Prolly comin' home." Nicole muttered into her pillow.
"How can you sleep? Christmas is tomorrow, plus, mom and dad still aren't home. It's one forty five!"
"Go. To. Sleep." She commanded.
"Our plan didn't work." She continued. "The mistletoe backfired and we didn't have time to do anything else."
"Uh huh..."
"We need to get them together. They love each other."
"Uh huh..."
"So, what are we going to do about it? Nicole... Nicole! Great, thanks a lot." She muttered to a sleeping Nicole.
-...
I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that we'll find better days
"Finally!" Nathan sighs as they turn onto his street.
"You can put me down now."
"Gladly. You weigh a ton!" He fakes seriousness, watching Haley's face fall. "Kidding, you're like... tiny now." But his 'save' was too late, Haley had already hit him with a snowball. "Hey..."
She quickly jumped on his back, tumbling him to the ground before he could hit her with one too. Except, her plan didn't go as planned, and they rolled over, leaving Haley on his chest. They were both laughing, still woozy from the Egg Nog.
"Haley..." Nathan whispered.
"Huh?" She laughed, but got cut off by Nathan's lips crashing into hers.
"I love you."
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