"Nathan." I felt her shove my arm gently.
"Can we talk?" she said shyly.
Waking up from the dream was the scary part, it just felt so… real.
"Uh, wuh. Haley?" I replied completely baffled with the sudden wakening.
"You look like you just saw a ghost. Bad dream?" she questioned with much worry.
"I guess so… but it was just so, detailed." I said not even knowing where to begin.
"So, uh, can we talk?" she repeated her self even more nervous than the first time.
"Sure." I said feeling creepy feelings of déjà vu.
You know when you have an extremely explicit dream and the conversations you have in that dream you remember word for word? No, is that just me? Maybe I'm just nervous for the babies due date approaching. But anyways, I remember the conversations and I feel like I have to follow every word I said in that dream because if I didn't I would feel like I'm altering the world or something.
"I just wanted to say I'm sor—" there's the déjà vu kicking in.
"It's ok, whatever you're sorry about it's ok. Because I love you Haley Bob." I said as I smile genuinely at her.
"You mean it?" she said as she looked up into my eyes. There it goes again…
"Of course I mean it, have I ever lied to you baby?" I said feeling a sense of relief having been able to realize that the dream was in fact, just a dream.
"That dream you just had, how bad was it?"
Oh Hales you don't want to know….
"Pretty bad." I said chuckling nervously just at the thought of it.
"Was it as bad as mine from last night?" she said as she turned to look at me.
God that face of hers… With just a few words she can capture me completely. Yeah she was getting a bit chubbier, but hey, she was eating for three. And even if she was round as a ball she was still hot as hell.
"Worse. Much, much worse."
"Tell me about it, I just guess bad dreams run in this household." She giggled with a little snort to accompany.
"Well… we were arguing at the doctor's office…" I started.
"We were at the doctor's office for the appointment I have today?" She questioned.
"Yes, that one. Anyways, we were still really mad at each other and avoiding each other as much as possible."
"Mhm." She said egging me on to continue.
"So you went to Luke's place to cool off while I just went straight home."
"Where is this going…?" she asked confused.
"I really hope you take this next part well…" I replied nervously because this was just so out of the blue.
Me and Brooke? Come on now… well… that sex tape was a one-time thing and we were drunk and completely different people back then!
"Just tell me." She said with a comforting hand on my cheek.
I had to sit up for this. And she followed my actions.
"I-in the dream—Brooke came over, and she uh… well…"
How in the hell do I explain this to Haley?!
"Yes... and? She what honey?"
God, I really don't want to tell her.
"She seduced me and we had sex!" I blurted out.
Smooth… real smooth Nathan.
"Wait, what?" Haley replied confused as hell.
"In the dream, we had sex on our couch."
"OUR couch?" Haley asked growing angry.
"Yes, baby, but this doesn't mean anything—"
"You had a dream about having sex with another woman while we were fighting… not just any woman, but Brooke." She stated.
"Yes but—"
"But nothing, you'd understand if I was uncomfortable with this, right Nathan? Because that's what I am… uncomfortable" she said bluntly.
"Haley, it doesn't mean anything. You know the relationship I have with Brooke."
"You two had a sex tape together…"
Ouch, low blow Hales.
"Yeah, I know, but… you see…" I said as I began to stumble on my words.
"I know it was just a dream Natey but, don't you remember how uncomfortable I was when we found that tape? I couldn't look at Brooke the same way for a long while…" she said with doubt filling her voice.
"I'm sorry for telling you it's just I needed to let it out—" I explained.
"Just like I needed to let out my scary dream about your parents to you last night?" she said pushing me into a corner I couldn't escape. This was the exact position I put Haley in last night… she must've felt miserable trying to fall asleep with an angry me.
"Yeah, but—"
Yet again with the empty thoughts but moving mouth.
"I'm sorry… I should've been happy that you were being honest with me." I said submitting to this quarrel of ours.
"I'm glad you were able to step into my shoes. But I swear if you have another sex dream about Brooke I'm going to reconsider this marriage" she said in a teasing tone.
"All right, fair enough" I smiled as I kissed her on the nose.
"HE HAD A DREAM ABOUT HAVING SEX WITH BROOKE?!" Lucas exclaimed as he handed Haley the piece of apple pie she's been craving all afternoon.
"SHHHHHHH!" she said as she eyed him evil-y.
"Brooke? As in my girlfriend, Brooke Davis?" Lucas repeated as if hearing wrong.
"Yes, and I can't help but feel so extremely uncomfortable with it. I don't want to be angry at him because it's not his fault, but is this like a freaky message or something?" Haley said biting on her nails.
"Well…" Lucas started but didn't continue.
"Well what?" Haley questioned as she licked the spoon clean from her bite of pie.
"Brooke and I have been fighting a lot lately."
"So what does that have anything to do with Nathan and Brooke having sex in a dream?"
"I don't know, maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions, but… uh, maybe I'm not satisfying her." He tried to explain to Haley.
When it came to topics like these he had a hard time discussing things with Haley. He knew how innocent of a girl she was and that was a main reason people fell in love with her, but explaining to her the sexual aspects of his relationship with Brooke just didn't lay comfortable with him.
"Satisfying her? Ew Luke, I did not need to hear that." She said practically choking on her apple pie.
"It's just that we're in this comfortable stage with each other, plus she's been busy planning stuff for homecoming. Sometimes I feel like she's more worried about your and Nate's relationship more than ours." He explained.
"Brooke just has a good heart, she doesn't have the chance to help people much because she's not that close to that many people…" Haley tried to convince Lucas.
"I guess so, I'm just worried we're headed for turmoil."
"Don't say things like that!" she said smacking his arm.
"Ouch! You know pregnant people should be less violent!" he exclaimed.
"Well you should talk to Brooke more!" she said not realizing how loud the two had gotten.
"I'm sorry" Lucas said apologizing to the customers around them.
"Luke—I love you like a brother but you need to fix things with Brooke." Haley pressed on him."
"Is this for my benefit or for yours?" he said with a cocked eyebrow.
"Mostly mine but you know, I'm trying not to be selfish" she smiled teasingly.
"Oh Haley Bob the most cunning gal I know." He said as he kissed her on the forehead before he headed for a table that needed attending.
I thought maybe a quick run would ease my mind from my crazy dream that wouldn't leave my thoughts but almost an hour has passed and yet I'm still affected.
As I run down the street I can see the garden I ran away to. I start to steady my pace and gradually I'm at a walking instead of running pace. From afar I can see a petite brunette just staring into the roses. And to my worst nightmare, it was the person I wanted to avoid most; Brooke.
"Nathan?" Brooke questioned as she saw me approach.
"Hey…" I said trying to make as little eye contact as possible.
"Going for a run?" she smiled at me as she looked back at the other flowers.
"Yup, just clearing my mind."
"And how's that going?" she asks happily.
"Terribly."
"Wanna talk about it?" she offers as she sees the worry brush past my face.
"I don't know if I'm comfortable talking about it with you…" I admitted.
Like hey Brooke, I had a naughty dream about you just last night. That's totally normal.
"Well would you like to just talk?" she offered again.
"Sure." I said as we started heading back towards my house.
"So what you're trying to say is Luke thinks we're in a comfortable stage and he doesn't know how to further our relationship?" Brooke asks totally convinced of my advice.
"Yes, I know that guy better than he knows himself." So this is probably the reason I had that freaky dream…
"Thanks Nate, I feel really bad for talking about myself this whole time. Please tell me what your dream was about" Brooke asked nosily.
"Well… uhhh. Don't hate me after I tell you."
"Come on, I'm sure it's not that terrible.
"Oh it's pretty bad."
"Just spit it!" she said getting excited.
"Well… it was about me and you."
"Me and you?" she said shocked.
"Yes. Me and you."
"And…?"
"You were telling me about how Lucas wasn't satisfying you."
"As in…?" she asked getting embarrassed not wanting to say the actual words.
"Yes as in not having sex with you." I let out bluntly.
"So…?"
"So me and you kind of… well yeah, put the pieces together" I said getting embarrassed this time.
"Oh my God…" Brooke said blushing red like a tomato.
"Yeah…"
"Does Haley know about this?" she asked concerned.
"I told her right after I had the dream."
"I feel like a terrible friend."
"Wait, why?" I asked not knowing what was on her mind.
"Haley must feel so weirded out by all of this."
"Mhm. She was still pretty uncomfortable with it when she left to go to the café."
"I mean, who wouldn't be?!" Brooke practically shouted.
Before we knew it, rain started falling.
"It's okay Brooke, it was just a dream." I said trying to ease her worries as the drops continued to wet our clothes.
"But… I'm like number one Naley supporter. And I know Haley must still hate me from the sex tape…" she said as she rain hit her face.
"She doesn't hate you…" I began remembering her telling me she couldn't look at Brooke the same way.
"Yeah but she doesn't love me either." She looked down at her feet.
"Hey. Brooke listen to me" I said with my hands on her rain stained cheeks.
"Haley loves you to death. Like one of her sisters."
"Thanks Nate." She said hugging me right in front of the house as the rain continued to soak us.
"I really needed that." She said separating from the hug.
"Well… I better get going now. I'm gonna go to the café and catch up with Luke. See you later!"
"Be careful in this rain!"
"I will!"
Coming over to the café. Can we talk? Read the message Brooke sent to Lucas.
"She's coming over now?" Haley questioned.
"Yup. I guess so." He said not taking his eyes off of his phone.
"Well should I go then?"
"Oh no Hales you don't need to do that. Especially because the rain is starting to get heavier."
"But I don't want to be in the way."
"Want me to call Nathan for you?" Lucas offered to Haley.
"Sure, get me a bowl of mac and cheese before you do." She smiled.
"Alrighty" he chuckled as he headed to the back.
"Hello?" I answered the phone.
"Yeah, hey Nate. It's Luke."
"What's up man, is Haley ok?"
"She's amazing, but she needs a ride home and I'm still stuck at work. I don't want her walking in this rain by herself."
"Alright I'll come now." I said glad that I knew I wasn't the only one worrying about Haley.
"Cool, bye."
"Bye."
As I drove there I was surprised to see that Brooke had just gotten to the café. But by the time I was there the rain was extremely heavy.
"Great." I said trying my best to look for the rain jacket of Haley's that I brought for her.
"It's in here somewhere." I said to myself as I looked in my backseat.
"Gotcha!" I exclaimed as I got ahold of the black raincoat.
Quickly I ran to the door and tried to take shelter.
"Baby" she smiled at me from the counter as she munched on her bowl of mac and cheese from the looks of it.
"Ready to go?" I asked her as I stepped towards her to give her a kiss on the forehead.
"Not quite yet, I want to finish this bowl" she giggled.
"You know I can pack you some to-go?" Lucas suggested.
"That'd be amazing" she smiled widely.
"Then let me get some for the mother of my godson's slash nephews." He said going to the back.
"Hey you two I'm really sorry about that dream." Brooke said right after she made sure Lucas was in the back.
"It's ok Brooke…" Haley said putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
This is what I loved about Haley. She was so forgiving.
"I know that it was just a dream and everything but I know if it were me and Haley was having sex with Lucas I'd be furious" she said frustrated with herself.
"You can't beat yourself up about this. Just worry about your problems with Luke, honey." Haley suggested to her.
"Yeah, listen to Haley. All you can really do is try and work things out with Lucas. Once you do that everything will be back to normal." I chimed in.
"Thanks you guys" she said bringing us in for a group hug.
"Here's the mac and cheese for the hungry mommy" Lucas said as he placed the brown bag in front of her.
"Thank you soooo much."
"Oh and there's also a bowl of chicken noodle soup with extra noodles!"
"I love you!" Haley exclaimed.
"Hey!" I said nudging her teasingly.
"You know I love you too Natey."
"You better."
"Ok. Bye you two see you tomorrow."
"Bye" Brooke and Lucas said in unison as I put the coat on Haley and we headed towards the door.
3:30 AM
"Can't sleep baby?" I asked as I see her eating her chicken noodle soup from the café on the couch under a blanket as she watches How I Met Your Mother.
"I got hungry." She chuckled.
"Is there room for me on this couch?" I ask as I stand above her.
"Of course." She says as she opens the blanket for me.
"I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate about your dream the other day." I started. The guilt I felt about not listening to her just angered me at the thought.
"Let's just forget about all of this ok?" she smiles at me.
"God I love you so much." I said as I kiss her passionately.
Instead of returning the usual 'I love you' she just smiles at me. But with that smile she says more than any kiss could.
"Some day I'll tell our kids about how amazing their mommy is." I said as I can't help but smile from her smile.
"And I'll tell them how amazing their daddy is." She chuckles.
"Are you scared?" I ask suddenly.
"For giving birth?"
"No… for becoming parents." I clarify.
"Not really. Are you?"
"Yeah, I am. Like, what if I'm not good enough? What if I can't handle two kids?"
"You'll—we'll do fine baby." She said as she turns the TV off.
"Am, I worrying for no reason?"
"No. I'd be worried if you weren't worried." She laughs as she places her bowl on the coffee table next to us.
"Well. As long as we stick together I know we can conquer anything." I reply optimistically. Because at this point I really do believe that we can get through this as long as we work together.
"Rose and James will have the greatest, strongest, kindest, and most loving father any kid could ask for." She says as she rests her head on my shoulder.
"Haley, I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate you for saying that."
"You needed to know it. I'm proud of you."
"I'm proud of you too baby."
A/N: I decided to not do a rewrite and instead continue with what I had in mind. The reviews from the last chapter were overwhelming to say the least but most definitely the most helpful I've ever gotten. Thank you all for being so honest with me with your thoughts. I know I won't be able to please every single reader and it's safe to say I've lost a couple readers from the choices I've made with chapter 25 but I'm glad there are/were people who stuck by me regardless of the evident 'controversy.' I really do appreciate the criticism because I only grow from it. Also, all the reviews were all tastefully written and I'm glad none of the reviews were just flat out insults because that's what I expected originally. So thank you all so much and I hope all of you stick with me on this journey that Naley/Brucas has left! I feel an end nearing but don't be too disappointed because that just calls for a new fanfiction that I have in mind. Thanks and don't forget to review!