Disclaimer; I do not own anything. I simply borrow the characters from OTH.
Daddy, again!
"Nathan?"
"In here." Nathan answered from down the hall.
Haley followed the sound of his voice and stopped when she reached Lydia's bedroom. She leaned into the doorframe and smiled when she saw Nathan hunched down in front of Lydia, helping her getting into her bathing suit.
"Hey, what are you two up to?" She asked amusingly.
Nathan turned his head and were about to answer her when Lydia beat him to it.
"Swim Mommy!" She exclaimed as she whipped her head around to look at Haley, and almost tripped as she was just about to put one of her legs through the opening of the bathing suit.
Luckily, Nathan noticed what was about to happen so he quickly took a hold of her tiny body to prevent her from falling. "Whoa, hold on Lyd, we're almost done here." He chuckled lightly and was barley able to help her finish putting on the suit before she raced over to Haley.
Haley couldn't help but chuckle at how excited Lydia was about going swimming. Nathan had brought her into the pool ever since she was born, and started early to teach her all the basics about swimming, and she was starting to get the hang of it now at the age of three years old. It was one of her absolute favorite things to do. At times they actually had problems getting her out of the pool once she was in. She was practically a fish by now.
"Mommy swim too?" She asked and looked up at Haley with big, pleading eyes.
"I'm sorry baby, Mommy can't join you today." Haley said and ran her hand through her dark locks just as a tiny pout appeared on Lydia's face. "But I'll come with you next time, okay?" She quickly added and smiled down at her daughter when her pout disappeared just as fast as it had appeared.
"Okay Mommy." She quickly replied before she bolted out of her bedroom and down the hall.
"Remember to wait for your Dad and don't forget your floaters!" Haley whipped her head around and shouted after her before she disappeared around the corner.
Nathan chuckled lightly as he walked up to Haley. "Well, it seems like I better change fast so she doesn't jump into that pool without me, seeing she's known for having her mothers patience." He said jokingly.
Haley narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head with a smile. "Yeah well, then at least you know what you're up against. So I'd say you better get your butt into those trunks before the yelling starts." She winked at him. "I'll head downstairs and make sure she keeps away from the water until you're ready." She patted his shoulder lightly before she turned and walked the trails after Lydia down the hall.
Haley kept scribbling down in her notepad while she kept stealing glances every now and then to the twosome in the pool. She was unable to hide her smile as the sound of splashes and happy laughter continuously filled her ears.
She was working on the lyrics for her next song, and what better way to get inspired than watching two of her favorite people in pure ecstasy as they were playing around in the pool.
"Daddy no!" She suddenly raised her gaze when she heard Lydia squeal out at Nathan.
She put her pen down and chuckled when she saw Lydia trying to get away from Nathan as he chased her. Her tiny arms were desperately splashing around, making her body spin around in the water rather than moving away from him. Another high pitched squeal erupted her when Nathan finally got a hold of her, before he lifted her up above his head and threw her back into the water.
Haley couldn't help but hold her breath while Lydia was under water, until she resurfaced again and her delicate laughter cut through the silence.
"Daddy, again!" Her face was nothing but a big smile as she looked at her father, who grinned back at her.
"Again, huh?"
"Uh-huh." She nodded feverishly. Her eyes widening in anticipation as Nathan slowly approached her.
A wave of joy surged through Haley as Nathan repeated the action, and Lydia laughed so hard that she was almost unable to keep her head above the water.
"Careful so she doesn't swallow too much water." She automatically called out to Nathan, when she saw Lydia's laughter was draining her strength to keep herself above the water.
Nathan also noticed she was having trouble at the moment, so he quickly swam over to her and brought her to the stairs. "I think it's time for a little break." He said and held her in his arms while he got out of the pool.
"Play ball!" Lydia exclaimed the second Nathan placed her down on the ground. She was about to take off when Nathan halted her.
"Careful Lydia, no running around on the wet tiles. You have to dry up a bit first and at least put on your sandals so you won't slip and fall." Nathan said with a chuckle and motioned for them to walk over to where the towels were lying next to Haley's chair.
Once they reached their destination, he hunched down and wrapped the large towel around Lydia and helped her dry most of the water off of her body, before he patted her butt and asked her to go inside and find her sandals. As he reached for his own towel, Haley got up on her feet and walked over to him.
"Have I told you lately how sexy you are?" She said and traced her finger down his still wet chest.
Nathan raised his eyebrow and smirked at her as he wrapped the towel around his shoulders. "Well…" He pretended to think about it for a while, before Haley let out a chuckle.
"Down boy." She winked playfully. "What I meant to say is that you are really great with her, and it's easy to see how much she loves spending time with you." She paused for a second. "And you know, that's kind of sexy." She added and gazed up at him through her eyelashes with a small smile.
Nathan returned her smile and looked into her eyes. "Thanks baby. But you know, this version of me? I mean, the way I am with her. And with you…"
"Mhhm?" Haley nodded her head.
"The easiest thing in the world." He stated in all seriousness and held her gaze for another second before he started drying himself with the towel.
Haley closed her eyes briefly and smiled to herself with a silent sigh. She knew he loved being a father more than anything, and that he loved spending time with their kids. She knew that he simply enjoyed every second with them, and that's more than she could ever ask for.
She allowed herself to stay in her Nathan-induced haze for another second before she shook herself back to reality.
"I know I don't have to say this, but thank you."
Nathan met her gaze again and was about to reply when Lydia came running back outside. "Daddy, look!" She called out as she came standing next to them. She had managed to put the sandals on her feet, but she had put the left one on her right foot and the right sandal on her left foot.
Both Haley and Nathan couldn't help but laugh when they noticed. And when they saw Lydia's grin slowly fade, Haley quickly hunched down to her level. "Oh sweetie, you did very good. But you put the sandals on the wrong foot. Here, let me help you change them." She caressed her cheek, before she helped her switch them onto the right foot.
"See? Doesn't that feel better once you have the right sandal on the right foot?" She asked with a smile.
Lydia looked down at her feet for a second, not really noticing any difference. "Ok Mommy. Play ball now Daddy?" She looked up at him with big eyes.
Haley let out a chuckle and placed a small kiss at her temple as she got back up. "You guys play ball. I have to go down to the café to do some inventory before I stop by the studio to sign a few papers. Plus, Chris may have mentioned something about a 'crisis', so I guess I have to drop by and check up on him." She shook her head and rolled her eyes in amusement.
Nathan let out a chuckle and shook his head in response by the mention of Chris' crisis.
"Also, can you please try and get her to change out of her bathing suit so she doesn't get sick? I don't like her running around in those wet clothes for too long." She added.
"Yeah, I'll see what I can do about that. By the way, good luck with the Keller-crisis." He teased with a chuckle.
"Ha-ha. Thanks." Haley rolled her eyes again, before she raised on her tip-toes and pecked his lips. "Well, I suppose I can trust the two of you to hold down the fort while I'm away then." She said playfully and patted his chest lightly before she walked away.
"You know it." Nathan replied as he watched her retreating form.
It was late afternoon when Haley finally returned back home. She walked straight into the kitchen, after she entered from the garage, to put away the groceries she had gotten on her way home from the studio. As she cleared the bags and put the food away, she couldn't help but wonder where the others were. She knew Jamie was having a late practice, but it was normal that at least one of the family members made their presence known when they heard her enter the house.
She finished putting away most of it, except the things she was going to use for dinner, before she walked into the living room. Once she rounded the corner, she noticed the TV was on, with the credits rolling over the screen. She smiled softly to herself when she saw the twosome cuddled up on the sofa, both sleeping. Lydia was lying with her upper body halfway on top of Nathan, while her legs were lodged between Nathan and the back of the sofa. Nathan had his arm securely around her tiny frame. They both looked so peaceful.
She walked around the sofa and carefully hunched down next to them. She felt a little bad, but she had to wake them up, otherwise they would face a series of problems later tonight when they had to put Lydia to bed.
"Nathan?" She spoke softly and tapped her fingers lightly on his chest.
When she saw him start to open his eyes, she moved her hand to Lydia and stroked her knuckles across her cheek. "Lydia, honey? It's time to wake up." She tried softly at first, but it seemed like her daughter was in a deep sleep as she failed to get a response.
"Oh, hey. You're home." Nathan smiled tiredly once he adjusted his eyes.
"I see you've been having a rough day." Haley returned his smile and chuckled lightly.
"Yeah, we actually did have an intense round of basketball after you left. So it was only right to finish our play date with a movie while we were waiting for you to get back." He laughed softly.
"The Little Mermaid again?" Haley asked knowingly.
"I tried to make her watch Shrek 2, but of course the effort was futile." Nathan shook his head softly. "I don't even know why she keeps wanting to watch that movie, since she basically knows every scene by heart." He laughed and looked down at her, giving her a tiny nudge to wake her up.
"Hey Lydia, Mommy's home." He said and felt she started to stir slightly.
"Mommy?" She spoke up tiredly as she fluttered her eyes open.
"Hey baby girl. Did you have fun with Daddy today?" Haley asked.
"Uh-huh." She nodded and climbed on top of Nathan's chest, as she went from a sleeping state to wide awake in less than a second once she realized Haley was back. "I win, Mommy!" She grinned and jumped off of Nathan and into Haley's arms.
"You did?" Haley laughed and almost fell back when Lydia flew into her arms like a projectile.
Lydia nodded excitedly. "Daddy not good."
Haley couldn't help but laugh at that, while sending a sympathetic look over at Nathan who feigned hurt by placing a hand on his chest. "I can't believe I was being schooled by a 3 year old." He played along and sat up. "This retirement is clearly making me out of shape."
"Yeah, I'd say." Haley teased and stood up, Lydia still in her arms. "You want to come and help me make us dinner?" Haley asked and looked at her daughter.
"Yes! Gummy bears!" Lydia squirmed in her arms.
"Did Daddy give you gummy bears while I was away?" Haley raised her eyebrow suspiciously and glanced over at Nathan.
"Yes!"
"Nathan!" Haley scolded.
Nathan got up on his feet and held his hands up in mock surrender. "So much for keeping our little secret, huh Lydia?" He chuckled and popped a kiss on her cheek.
"What am I gonna do with the two of you, huh?" Haley rolled her eyes in amusement and couldn't help but laugh when Lydia broke out into a giggle as Nathan tickled her side.
"Okay, traitor, let's go help Mommy in the kitchen." Nathan laughed and placed a sweet kiss on Haley's cheek, before he walked towards the kitchen.
Haley followed him and put Lydia down, so she could get started.
"By the way, what was Keller's problem today?" Nathan asked as he pulled out a cutting board and a knife.
"Oh, he had misplaced his guitar, and thought for some reason that I knew where it was." She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"You mean the 'Haley James'?"
"What?" Haley stopped what she was doing and looked up at Nathan.
"Of course he didn't tell you…" Nathan shook his head and chuckled.
"Tell me what?"
"You know that guitar I got for him at the Tric tenth year anniversary? You know, the one he sold back in the days because he gambled away the money that was meant to pay for your song?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, it turned out that he named that guitar 'Haley James', in which he revealed by accident I think, when I gave it to him. I remember him turning awfully pale when I asked him if he actually named that guitar after my wife." He laughed.
"Oh lord…" Haley groaned and joined in on the laugh. "At least we were able to find 'me' standing behind a load of boxes in the storage room." Nathan gave her a pointed look. "Yeah, don't even ask me how it ended up in there." She shook her head and continued what she was doing.
"Believe me, I don't want to know." Nathan chuckled.
Chris Keller really was something. Nathan remembered the time when he hated him for coming on to Haley and trying to split them up. And if he had told him back then that he had named his guitar after Haley, he probably would've given him another punch. But that was all in the past, and he had learned a long time ago that Haley only saw him as the goofy, little brother. Still, he couldn't exactly say that he was Chris Keller's biggest fan, but at least he managed to provide him with a few good laughs every now and then. Something he always welcomed.
Haley slumped down in the sofa with an audible sigh, throwing her head against the back as she closed her eyes. She was beyond exhausted after spending almost the entire evening fighting with a very persistent 3 year old who'd refused to go to bed. After several rounds of going back and forth with running and hiding, Haley had eventually given in and let her go to sleep in their bed. Of course they wanted her to get used to sleeping in her own bed in her own room, but every now and then, they simply had to surrender - and not only to get the piece and quiet for the remainder of the evening, but for their own sanity as well, as their little toddler could be quite the handful at times - and that's why they allowed her to get tucked in and sleep in their bed until they were going to bed themselves. It wasn't the first time they had to argue to get her into bed, and she was positive that it wouldn't be the last.
She felt Nathan take a seat next to her and opened her eyes only to see him holding out a glass of wine to her.
"Thank you." She sighed and accepted the glass before taking a sip.
"That bad, huh?" Nathan chuckled lightly as Haley moved her legs to rest them in his lap.
"Sometimes I just wonder if she wakes up in the morning and actually decides, right there and then, that she's going to make my life a living hell once the sun has set." She complained, yet with an underlying joking tone.
"I'm sorry baby." He said and rubbed his hand up and down her leg. "But I'm pretty sure she's not that devious - yet." He quickly added and smirked teasingly at her.
"Some nights I beg to differ." Haley shook her head and let out another sigh followed by a chuckle.
"You know, I did offer to take this one for you." Nathan spoke softly as he moved his hand to her feet. "Since I'm partly to blame for her being like this tonight." He said, feeling slightly guilty after letting Lydia fall asleep earlier.
Haley moved her hand to his arm. "No, Nathan. I don't think it would've made any difference whether she had fallen asleep or not. Besides, even though it might be slightly challenging from time to time, I still want to spend any time that I can with her. She's still my little angel." She smiled warmly. "Or, she might also be a devious, little devil only disguised as an angel." She added, turning her smile into a pout, which caused Nathan to laugh.
"She sure has her moments."
"Yeah…definitely."
Nathan turned his head to look at Haley. He smiled and held his arm out for her. "Come here, let's watch a movie or something. And if you're lucky I might even let you fall asleep on me. Cause you know, I heard it's pretty good." He smirked at her when she huffed and shoved him lightly in his shoulder. However, it didn't take long before she willingly scooted herself closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Sighing contently when she felt Nathan's arm wrap securely around her, keeping her close to him.
"I was actually going to tell you that I'm not going to fall asleep right here, because I hate it when you're right." She heard Nathan chuckle. "But I think it's safe to say that I'm going to lose that battle." She tilted her head so she could look at him. "Our daughter already got it all figured out, seeing as this actually is the best place to fall asleep at." She smiled sweetly and snaked her arm around his torso, hugging him tightly.
Nathan leaned down and found her lips in a tender kiss. "I don't mind being a human pillow for my girls." He said lingering in front of her lips, before he kissed her one more time, reveling in the feeling of her soft lips against his.
"Mmm, good." Haley pulled back with a satisfied smile, before she settled herself back with her head on his shoulder. "And promise you'll carry me upstairs when you've finished the movie?" She asked in a sweet voice, smiling to herself when she heard Nathan chuckle.
"You know I will." He said and kissed the top of her head, before he found the remote and turned the TV on.
Once he found a movie worth watching, he relaxed himself with his feet on the coffee table in front of him, and his wife cuddled closely into his side; her hand gently rubbing up and down his chest.
As the movie started, he couldn't help but think that this moment right now, was perfect. He couldn't imagine a better way than to start the day with one of his girls, and then end it with the other one. With that thought he leaned his head down and rested his cheek on top of Haley's head with a smile on his face.
A perfect ending to a perfect day.
AN; It's been way too long since I've actually been able to sit down and write, and I feel rusty as hell, but I hope this was acceptable.
Thank you for reading and reviewing - always!