Summary: North to the lights to watch the snow fall, East to the city we can see it all, South to the ocean, West to the mountains, It doesn't matter where we go as long as we're together.
Notes: Hiiiiiii. This is a one-shot I started last summer before I was involved in a pretty horrific car accident. I'm working on the next chapter of "In Your Eyes" (if anyone still remembers that story, that is) and I hope to post that chapter soon. But in the meantime, here is another installment of the "I Belong with You" series. This one-shot is inspired by "Anywhere but Here" by Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, one of my favorite musicians.
Some language and sexual innuendos but nothing terribly graphic. (Spoiler: I'm saving that for the next chapter of IYE.)
The transition from high school to college is hard for any student, but throw in a marriage, an infant, and a basketball scandal, and the transition was harder than most for Nathan and Haley. Short on time and money, the early days of college tested their strength as individuals and as a couple, and although they struggled, they eventually figured out how to juggle school work, basketball, and family without letting the various balls drop.
Some days were harder than others. Right now Haley was going through a difficult time with mid-terms and spring break approaching. Her friends were preparing for vacations in sunny hot spots, but due to Nathan's basketball commitments, both of their academic schedules, caring for a nearly two-year toddler, and lack of funds, Haley was forced to remain home. Nathan knew how much she loved her family and loved their life together, but he also knew that sometimes she wished she had the ability to act like a carefree college student, even if for a few days.
So working with Lucas to take Jamie to Tree Hill for a long weekend, he put his plan into motion.
"So why aren't we going to Tree Hill?" Haley asks her husband as they are packing their son's overnight bag.
"Mom has been wanting to see Jamie and since Lucas was already driving home to visit his mom and Lily, I thought he could take Jamie and we could have a couple of days alone," Nathan tells her.
Haley shrugs. "I guess, I just… Jamie hasn't really been away from us and I feel like we're just pushing him off on your mom."
Nathan panics for a second. His entire plan hinges on Lucas and Jamie being gone for the weekend, and if Haley decides she'd rather keep Jamie with them or go with Lucas to Tree Hill, his plan would be shot.
"Babe," he says as he packs the last pair of Jamie's play shorts. "Jamie needs this time with my mom, and we need this time. You've been slammed with school work and taking care of Jamie while I've been at practice or games, and you deserve a break, even if only for a few days. Jamie will be fine with my mom. You know how well she's done since last year."
"I know, I'm not really worried about her taking care of Jamie, I just feel like with school and basketball and Luke around, we haven't been able to spend much time together the three of us," Haley admits as she places diapers in the bag.
Sitting on the bed, he grabs Haley's hand. "Hales, I want to be with the boy as much as you do, but I think we also need some time just me and you. We'll drive down Sunday afternoon and pick Jamie up, and then the three of us can be here all week. Luke's flying to see Peyton so he'll be out of our hair."
Smiling, Haley sits beside him and rests her head on his shoulder. "Don't tell Lucas, but I'm looking forward to it being just us around here for a week. I love him, but it's hard sometimes with all four of us cramped together."
"He can be such a cockblocker."
"Nathan!"
He laughs at Haley's indignant reprimand. "Hales, I'm only partly kidding. Jamie is the true culprit."
"You are incorrigible," Haley scolds before shrieking when Nathan turns and pins her to the bed.
"I thought you liked my incorrigible ways," he teases as he presses his lower half against her. "And with Lucas and Jamie gone for the next two days, we can be incorrigible together."
"Really," she purrs, her hands sliding up his chest to—
A loud coughing from the doorway sends them scrambling to sit up. Lucas, holding a squirmy Jamie, rolls his eyes. He has caught them in similar compromising positions enough that it doesn't phase him anymore.
"Alright, Jimmy Jam, say goodbye to your handsy parents," he tells the toddler.
"Mama," Jamie calls, wiggling until Lucas puts him down. The young boy toddles over to his parents and Haley sweeps him up in her arms, covering his face in kisses as Jamie giggles and shrieks in amusement.
"Mama's going to miss you, James, but you're going to have so much fun with Grandma," Haley tells him. "And Mama and Dada will be with you before you know it."
Jamie leans over to grab Nathan's shirt. "Dada go?"
Nathan ruffles his hair. "Dada not go. Jamie and Luke go."
The young boy's eyes fill with tears and he clutches Nathan's shirt even tighter in his tiny fist. "Dada go!"
"Oh Jimmy Jam." Nathan takes Jamie from Haley, wrapping his son in his strong embrace as the young child cries into Nathan's neck. "Jamie and Luke are going to have so much fun. I bet you'll even get ice cream." He rubs Jamie's back, soothing the upset toddler.
"Ice keem?" Jamie sniffles as his cries slowly start to subside.
"Yep, ice keem," Nathan confirms. "Lots and lots of ice keem." He ignores Haley's soft admonishment as he continues to reassure his son. "It's okay, Jamie, you're going to have such fun with Grandma and Mama and Dada will come get you soon."
After a few more moments of comfort, the little boy is back to his usual smiley self. "Bye Mama, bye Dada," he tells his parents before squirming out of Nathan's arms and ambling over toward Lucas.
Nathan and Haley laugh before sweeping Jamie into their arms and peppering him with kisses. "Mama and Dada love you," Haley tells him as she hands the wiggling toddler to Lucas. "Nathan will take his bag to your car."
Jamie waves his chubby hand at Haley as Lucas turns to leave. "Bye bye Mama!"
"Bye bye Jamie! See you soon!" Haley says as she tries to fight back tears at her little boy leaving.
Lucas and Nathan make their way to Luke's car. As Lucas is buckling Jamie into his car seat, Nathan puts the bag in the trunk before closing it soundly and stepping around to tell Jamie goodbye one more time. He leans down to press a kiss to his son's head.
"Bye buddy, I love you," he says as Jamie waves the worn plush basketball that is his near-constant companion. "Be good for Grandma, okay? And eat lots of ice keem, okay?"
"Ice keem! Ice keem!" Jamie chants excitedly as Nathan shuts the car door.
"Thanks for that man, seriously," Lucas says as Jamie's shouts for ice cream can still be heard through the closed door. "Gonna be a fun two hour drive."
Nathan slaps Lucas on the back, laughing at his brother's disgruntled tone. "Relax, he'll fall asleep about ten minutes after you start driving, guaranteed."
They both turn and look at the animated toddler still chanting and waving his toy basketball. "God, you better hope so," Lucas mutters before walking around and getting in the driver's seat. "I'll text you when we get to your mom's house, alright?"
"Thanks, Luke. We really do appreciate it."
Lucas waves at him as he drives off, and Nathan feels a tiny pang in his heart as he watches them leave. He'll miss his boy.
But as much as he'll miss Jamie over the next couple of days, he has a plan in store for Haley…
"Nathan, you were so excited to have me all to yourself for a couple of days and now you're kicking me out?" Haley laughs as she grabs her purse and the key to their car. "What are you up to?"
Nathan grins. "Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, alright Hales? Go see that new movie with your favorite actor in it, I know you've been wanting to. You've been so stressed lately, you deserve a break."
Haley eyes him, knowing her husband is up to something but not wanting to press him about it. Besides, he's right – she really does want to see the Hollywood dreamboat's newest movie. "Alright, Nathan Scott, you're up to something but since I'm about to go see Ryan Gosling, I don't really care."
"Haha," he says dryly as Haley throws him an impish grin. "Have fun, babe."
"Oh, you know Ryan and I will," she says as she blows him a kiss on the way out the door.
Nathan watches as Haley backs the old bucket they call a car out of the driveway. Once she is out of sight and he's sure she isn't going to turn around and come back for any reason, Nathan rushes to put his plan into action. Boxes are pulled out of closets, furniture rearranged, items placed here and there, lights hung… he is a whirlwind of activity, bustling from room to room in their tiny home. He drags chairs outside and wrestles Jamie's plastic sandbox from the tiny shed in their backyard. Needed items are dropped off by friends he roped into helping. When he checks the clock after finally setting up the last room, he realizes Haley should be home in about twenty minutes – just enough time for him to shower and get dressed and surprise Haley at the door.
He can't wait to see the look on his girl's face…
North to the lights to watch the snow fall
Standing anxiously by the front door, Nathan waits for Haley to pull into the driveway. He feels like he did as a young kid on Christmas morning, nerves jangling with excitement and anticipation.
The beat-up car turns into the driveway and Nathan has to stop himself from rushing to greet Haley. "C'mon, Hales," he mutters as his wife takes her time getting out of the car. "What is she doing?"
Finally, she emerges and makes her way to the front door. Nathan glances in the mirror and adjusts his clothing. He looks ridiculous, he knows that, but he'd do anything for his girl. The sound of keys jangling in the front door causes him to scramble backwards. He steps near the back corner so that he won't be the first thing she sees when she walks into the hallway.
"Nathan?" Haley calls as she opens the front door, head down as she is rooting through her purse. "I'm ho—." She trails off as she looks up, stunned to see a winter wonderland in her hallway and front room. She slowly spins around, taking in the sight before her. Small twinkle lights hang around the room, the cozy blankets they only break out on the coldest of nights are laid on the floor in front of the fireplace where a fire is blazing, what appears to be white shoe polish is streaked across the windows, and a tray with two mugs of hot chocolate is perched on the hearth.
"Wh-what is this?" She murmurs as she glances around the room. It's like a small ski lodge has replaced her house.
"Hi, Hales," Nathan says as he steps from the corner. Haley bursts into giggles when she sees what he is wearing: ski pants, a thick sweater, wooly toboggan, and mittens.
"What is going on? Nathan, what is this?"
He shrugs, realizing how silly he must look. But the giggles and light shining from Haley's eyes make it all worth it.
"I just wanted to do something nice for you."
"By dressing for winter in the middle of spring?" Haley laughs.
Taking her hand in his mitten-covered one, he pulls her toward the nest of blankets and pillows on the floor as he explains his plan.
"I know you're bummed about not being able to go anywhere for spring break and—"
"Nathan, I'm not," Haley tries to protest before Nathan shushes her.
"Hales, you are and I get it. We can't really have the typical college experience, and I wouldn't change that for the world because you and Jamie are the best things that have ever happened to me, but I know sometimes you wish you could be like one of your friends. We can't really afford to go anywhere, so I thought I would do the next best thing," he says before urging her to lay down on the blankets and sitting beside her.
Haley's eyes begin to fill with tears and Nathan rushes to finish his explanation. "I want you to have everything you want, Hales. And I'm sorry that you can't have a college experience like your friends, or even go on a spring break trip, so I thought I could bring spring break to you. First stop: a ski trip."
"Oh Nathan," Haley says as tears roll down her cheeks. She throws her arms around his neck and covers his face with kisses. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."
"It helps that you're hot," he teases her.
"Speaking of hot, are you not burning up in that get up?" Haley asks as she snuggles into the blankets and pillows.
"God yes," he exclaims as he jumps up. "I wanted to give you the full experience but shit, I am burning up." He throws the toboggan and gloves into the corner and quickly removes the sweater and ski pants to reveal a simple t-shirt and shorts underneath. He settles beside her on the floor, leaning back against the pillows. "Would you care for some hot chocolate?"
"Mmm, yes please," Haley grins. She takes the mug from Nathan and takes a sip of the lukewarm beverage. "Delicious."
Nathan jokingly rolls his eyes. "Hales, it's probably ice cold by now. You don't have to lie to me."
"I'm not," she protests. "Sure, it may not be steaming hot but it's perfect. This is perfect."
Nathan smiles, the soft, secret smile he shares only with her. "I don't know about that. It's not much, it's not anything really and—"
"And it's perfect," she finishes. "Nathan, this is amazing, I mean it."
He ducks his head as a blush colors his cheeks. "It wasn't much trouble, I just had to—"
"Nathan," Haley says firmly, drawing his attention. "I love it. Everything about it. You did an amazing job setting this up."
"Okay," he says with a shrug.
"So tell me where we are," Haley suggests.
Nathan grins. "Well, I know you've always wanted to go skiing, so I thought I would bring it to you. Or at least a cabin in the woods."
Haley laughs. "Is that shoe polish on the windows supposed to be snow?"
"Yep. Shoe polish does wash off, right?"
East to the city we can see it all
After a rather heated makeout session in front of the fire, the couple relaxes comfortably against the pillows, Haley's head resting on Nathan's chest while her hand idly traces patterns on his shirt-covered stomach.
"This is so nice, Nathan. Thank you."
Nathan presses a kiss to the top of her head. "I wish it could be more…"
"Hey! Enough of that. This is a little slice of heaven and it's wonderful. I miss Jamie, but I've really missed alone time with you. This is exactly what I needed."
"Well, it's not over yet," Nathan tells her as he moves under her, shifting Haley to the side.
"What are you doing?"
Nathan grins and winks at her. "Just wait right here, beautiful."
He gets up and dashes from the room. A few moments later, he is back, holding a dress that Haley wore to one of their high school dances, a pair of heels dangling from his hand.
"Nathan, what is going on?" Haley asks, confused as to why her husband is standing before with one of her old dresses.
"I told you, it's not over yet. Now I need you to change and put this on. Can you be ready in about five minutes?"
Haley nods, confusion still clear on her face. "Are—are we going somewhere?"
"Not exactly," he cryptically tells her. "But yes."
"Nathan," she calls after him as he leaves the room.
"Just get ready, Hales!" He shouts from the hallway.
"Men," she mutters to herself as changes from her shorts and t-shirt to the dress. She slips on the heels and walks to the mirror near the front door, fluffing her hair into some semblance of order. She has no idea what Nathan has up his sleeve…
After a few minutes, Nathan approaches from the hallway and Haley's jaw drops at the sight of her husband in his slim blue suit, a white collar shirt unbuttoned at the throat, exposing his tan skin. Nathan is equally stunned at his wife before him in the body-hugging dress, a tasteful amount (but not nearly enough for Nathan's tastes) of décolletage displayed by the neckline of her dress.
"Damn," he mutters under his breath. He clears his throat before continuing. "Hales, you look amazing."
Haley feels the blood rush to her cheeks. "Oh stop, Nathan," she says as she waves off the compliment. "The dress doesn't fit quite right since I've had Jamie, my hair is a fright, and—"
"Hales," Nathan interrupts as he steps forward and grabs her hands. "You are beautiful no matter what you have on but right now? In that dress? I'm hard already."
Haley's blush deepens an even darker shade as she hisses, "Nathan!" But inside her stomach is doing flip-flops at how much he still desires her.
"Just speaking the truth, babe," Nathan tells her with a wink. "Now, are you ready for our next destination?"
Grinning, Haley reaches up to press a kiss to his lightly stubbled cheek. "With you? Always."
"Right this way, m'lady," Nathan exaggeratedly drawls as he holds out his arm for her to take. Haley giggles as she places her arm in his and he escorts them down the hall to the small dining room located off the kitchen. As they get closer, Nathan moves away and tells Haley to close her eyes. Her nerves jangle with anticipation at what he has in store for her.
She hears the muted thump of something being placed on a table and the clink of silverware hitting a glass. She grins inwardly at the thought of Nathan trying to cook for her. His last attempt nearly brought the fire department scurrying to their house. She takes a subtle deep sniff. Nope, no burning smell…
"Okay, open your eyes," he tells her, and as Haley opens her eyes, she is amazed at how Nathan has transformed their tiny dining space into an art gallery. The few paintings that she brought from Tree Hill or that Peyton made for them are hung on the walls alongside color copies of other paintings. She can tell Nathan clearly searched "famous paintings" on the internet because the copies are a hodgepodge of abstract, impressionistic, and pop art – from Monet's water lilies to Warhol's soup cans to Mondrian's grid paintings. Everything is jumbled together, no rhyme or reason to any of it, and she has never loved him more.
"Oh Nathan," she sighs as she looks around the room.
"Do—do you like it? I was trying to make it like a big city art place. Like in New York or somewhere," he sheepishly explains.
"I love it. It's great, honey. Thank you," she tells him as her heart is nearly overwhelmed by the love she feels for the amazing man before her. "This is so incredible, Nathan, but I have to ask: you didn't put more holes in the wall to hang the pictures, did you? You know the landlord said—"
Nathan laughs and pulls Haley to his side, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "Oh my beautiful, worrisome wife. No, I used those sticker things you use in Jamie's room."
"Oh good," she sighs in relief. "Not that I wouldn't still love it if you had done that, but I didn't want to try to explain to Mr. Franklin why his dining room walls are covered in nail holes."
"Would madam like a tour of the gallery?" Nathan asks as he holds out his arm.
"Madam would," Haley grins as she takes his arm. Nathan attempts to explain the art on the walls, but as he knows nothing about art, his lectures end up consisting of jokes and nonsensical comments that soon have Haley giggling hysterically. It is so rare that Nathan lets himself be so silly, usually only around her and Jamie, and it warms Haley's heart every time.
"And now we have reached the end of our tour. We do hope you have enjoyed yourself at Scott's House of Old Paintings," Nathan says in a snooty voice.
Haley claps and cheers her appreciation and Nathan grins at how into it she is. His wife is such a goof.
"Well, after every art museum visit, one must then dine at a super fancy restaurant, right?" Nathan asks as he directs her attention to the dining room table. "Welcome to Chez Scott, the finest restaurant in the city."
"Ooh la la," Haley says as he seats her at the table. He has set the table with her grandmother's china, and she feels tears prick the corners of her eyes at the thought of Nathan going through the boxes in their storage shed, digging through to find these pieces. She grabs his hand and brings it to her lips, pressing a kiss against the knuckles. "I love you so much, Nathan."
"Wait until after the meal, Hales. You may change your mind," he laughs.
She smiles and sits back in her chair. "Okay, feed me."
"Give me just a few minutes."
He leaves for the kitchen and Haley can hear the over door opening and closing, various cabinets and drawers opening, and the jangle of silverware. Soon the aroma of roasting potatoes reaches her and her stomach grumbles. The pop of a champagne bottle opening startles her and Nathan's hastily uttered "shit" leaves her giggling.
"Everything okay, honey?" She asks between giggles.
"Yeah, everything's fin—ow, shit!" is the response.
"Nathan?"
"I'm okay, Hales, everything's… okay," he reassures her as the clanging of pots and pans grows louder. "Just give me a few more minutes."
True to his word, a few minutes (and some more cursing) later, Nathan emerges from the kitchen carrying a platter of chicken, roasted potatoes, and grilled asparagus topped with hollandaise sauce.
"Wow, Nathan, this looks incredible! Did you… did you do this?" Haley asks, skepticism clear in her voice. "Do we still have a kitchen?"
"Ha ha, my wife the comedian," Nathan retorts. "Our kitchen is just fine because I got Hannah, Steven's girlfriend, to cook everything. I just had to keep it warm in the oven."
He heads back into the kitchen to grab the bottle of champagne, filling Haley's glass and his own when he returns. "Don't tell Whitey, he would kill me if he knew I had a fake id."
"Your secret is safe with me, babe," she reassures him.
He waits anxiously for Haley to take the first bite and sighs in relief when she gives an approving nod.
"Nathan, this is delicious!"
Soon the meal is over, and Nathan quickly clears the table of the dishes. When he returns, he grabs Haley's hand and pulls her from her seat.
"Our next destination involves another change of clothes. Go put on that bathing suit I love and meet me in the backyard, okay?"
Haley gives him another quizzical look but simply nods. She's along for whatever Nathan has in store for her…
South to the ocean
"Oh Nathan, it's absolutely beautiful out here," Haley gushes as she slowly spins in a circle to take in the transformation of their backyard.
Tiny twinkly lights hang from the trees whose branches are decorated with brightly colored paper flowers. The two lounge chairs they keep on the small deck are placed underneath the branches of the largest tree, oversize beach towels folded at the foot of each chair. Jamie's kiddie pool is situated between the two chairs, the garden hose dragged over and slowly filling the small pool, and his sandbox is nearby. A tray holding fruity cocktails completes the look of a backyard beach oasis.
Nathan grins at the compliment but has to swallow harshly when he focuses on what his wife is wearing. What little she is wearing, actually…
Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun, a few stray tendrils ticking her neck. But all Nathan can focus on is the way her breasts threaten to spill from the emerald-colored cups of the bikini top… the tiny wisp of fabric between her legs that barely covers her center… the golden skin begging to be kissed….
Hot damn, his girl is smoking hot.
"Uh… I mean… uh," he stammers, at a loss for words as he stares at Haley.
Blushing, Haley looks down and picks at the material of the top in an attempt to hide her pink cheeks. "You, uh, like?"
Nathan nods eagerly, uncaring that he's acting like a preteen boy seeing his first half-naked woman. "I love." The tightening in his shorts can attest to that fact…
When Haley glances up and gets her first glimpse of her husband in his bathing suit, her mouth waters. Nathan has always had a sculpted body due to his workouts and training for basketball, but since he began playing in college and increased his training to keep up with the competition, his body has become even more chiseled and defined. A fact that delights Haley to no end when she lays her head on the hard planes of his chest, her fingers tickling along the cut lines of his abdomen…
Down girl, she tells herself as she takes a deep breath to calm the swirling desire building in her.
"I know it's not the beach at spring break but—"
"It's perfect," she tells him in a gentle but firm tone. "Nathan, all I ever need is you and Jamie. I don't need fancy vacations or the typical college experience. I just need my two favorite guys."
"But Hales—"
Haley steps closer to him, grabbing his hand and clutching it to her breastbone. "Nathan, I love this. Today has been great. I don't care if we never go anywhere, just as long as I'm with you. That is all that matters to me." She ended her declaration with a soft kiss to his knuckles.
Nathan smiles. "I promise you, babe, one day I will take you anywhere you to want to go."
Grinning, her nose crinkling in the adorable way that he loves, she responds, "Hmm, I just might take you up on that one day."
"Now, I think we have some fruity drinks to enjoy," he says as he nudges her toward the lounge chairs. "You go sit and I'll turn off the hose."
"Yay," she exclaims with joy, clapping her hands together. "I love those!"
Laughing as he heads to the side of the house to turn off the faucet, he marvels at how excited Haley is over something as simple as a cocktail. He's not surprised, not really, because Haley has never been one for rich indulgences. She treasures the small things, the simple things done by or for someone she loves. For Haley, it truly is the thought that counts, whether it is a drawing Jamie brings home from daycare with his name "written" in his illegible scrawl or a night in with Nathan watching her favorite movie.
As he makes his way over to where Haley is sitting, he takes a moment to study his wife. She is stretched out on one of the chairs, sipping her drink. He grins when she shivers as the cold liquid hits her tongue, an eyebrow quirking in anticipation when he notices the effect the chilled drink has had on certain other parts of her anatomy. The tiny cups of her bathing suit top can barely contain her breasts, and as Haley leans over to place her glass on the ground, Nathan bites back a groan at the sight of her breasts swaying with her movements. His groin tightens when she settles back into the lounge chair and adjusts the cups, his fingers itching to be the ones touching her golden skin.
Goddamn, how did he get so lucky?
Without a second thought he stalks over to her chair and quickly straddles her. Her soft cry of surprise is swallowed by his mouth covering hers in a frantic kiss. Her lips part naturally, willingly, and Nathan takes advantage, his tongue darting in and out of her mouth, wrestling with her own, tracing her teeth… Hands soon join the party, teasing, tickling, touching every available inch of her skin. Not one to be left out of the fun, Haley follows his lead, her hands lighting his nerves on fire as they wander across his chest and down his back. He grunts when her hands land on his ass and give it a firm squeeze, but her laugh swiftly turns into a moan when he pinches a nipple.
"Nathan," she breathes out against his lips.
He can't answer, his mouth otherwise occupied with tasting her neck.
"Nathan," she says again and, because he has explored this body for the past four years and knows it as well as his own, he knows exactly what she wants. Her plea is answered when he trails his lips down her chest, his tongue dipping beneath the fabric of her bathing suit to tease a nipple.
"Yesssss," she hisses, her legs coming up to settle around his hips and cradle him closer to where she wants, needs him always.
But all too soon, Nathan slows his ministrations and untangles himself from his wife. She whimpers in disappointment and he grins at her frown.
"C'mon, babe. We have one more stop to make and then I promise, I will do all sorts of naughty things to you."
"Promise," she pouts.
He leans down and kisses her, stealing her breath when his intensity. "Promise," he whispers against her mouth as they end the kiss. "I left you some clothes in the hall bathroom. Meet me in our room in ten minutes, okay?"
He presses one more quick kiss to her lips and scurries away, leaving Haley to shake her head in amusement. She glances around the backyard again, her grin melting away to a soft smile as she studies the work her husband put into transforming their small yard to a beach oasis all for her.
Goddamn, how did she get so lucky?
West to the mountains
"Can I come in, babe?" Haley asks through the closed bedroom door. When she entered the hall bath, she was surprised to see Nathan had left her a pair of her long-johns and a toboggan. She had expected a skimpy piece of lingerie but her husband had been a fount of surprises all evening so what was one more?
So here she stands, long-johns on and wooly toboggan on her head, waiting to be let in her bedroom. She hears Nathan moving around, a soft thud followed by cursing.
"Nate, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I—I'm fine. Hold on just a sec, Hales," he tells her, and she swears he sound a bit out of breath.
Before she can question him further, the door swings open and Nathan ushers her into the bedroom. Which has been transformed into a campground – their bed has been shoved against one wall to create space for two sleeping bags surrounding a mock campfire, bright pieces of red, orange, and yellow construction paper taped to a few small plastic logs. A plate with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars sit beside the "fire."
"Welcome to Camp Scott, nestled deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains," he tells her as he grabs her hand and leads her to the sleeping bags. "I thought we could have our very own campout."
At her grin, he knows he has hit it out of the park with this one. One night, early in their dating relationship, Haley told him that some of her favorite memories with her family involved the campouts they would have during the summer. They would travel to camp grounds around the state, but if funds were tight, as they often were in the James household, they would set up camp in their backyard, where they would spend hours telling ghost stories, making s'mores, and watching the stars before eventually falling asleep.
"Nathan, you remember me telling you about that?" she asks with tears in her eyes.
His unoccupied hand reaches up to brush against her cheek, and Haley turns to press a kiss to his palm. "Of course I do, Hales. I remember everything you tell me. Except maybe when you tell me to take out the trash," he says with a laugh.
Rolling her eyes, Haley echoes his laughter before turning serious. "Nathan, everything tonight has been so great, I can't believe you did all this for me, but this? This right here is all that I ever need from you. You, me, Jamie, and a campout in our backyard is pretty much my perfect anything."
Nathan blinks back his own tears at the sincerity of her words. "I love you, Hales, so much."
Haley brings their still joined hands to her lips. "I know," she whispers. "I love you more than I ever thought possible."
Clearing her throat, she smiles and gestures to the plate of s'more ingredients. "So, you gonna fix me s'mores or what?"
"Yes, m'am," he tells her with a nod before leaning down to grab the plate and turning to leave the room. "Back in just a minute."
A few minutes later, Nathan is back with a plate of ooey gooey s'mores, a plate that is immediately dropped on the floor when he sees Haley laid out on one of the unzipped sleeping bags, her long-johns and toboggan in a crumpled ball next to her, the dim light from the lamp on the bedside table casting shadows on her bare…naked…delicious… flesh….
"Wha—I mean… Christ, Hales…"
"You like," she purrs as she trails a finger down her sternum.
"I fucking love," he growls as he quickly strides across the room, his clothes discarded in his wake until he is standing before her. His eyes trace the curves of her body, the swell of her breasts, the gentle slope of her belly, the softness of her thighs… His wife will be the death of him one day, he just knows it.
But what a way to go.
Soon there is a tangle of limbs and guttural cries filling the quiet room. At one point, the lamp is knocked off the table, leaving the room in darkness. Later, as the couple lay entwined together on the floor, Nathan feels a laugh against his chest and glances down at Haley, who is looking at the ceiling covered in glowing stars.
"Are these the stars from Jamie's room?"
fin