NBA Live Tournament
Title: NBA Live Tournament
Author: Kait
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1907
Characters: Nathan/Haley, Lucas
Setting: Frshman year of college
Summary: Nathan decides to host an NBA Live Tournament for all of his teammates at Duke...without Haley's permission. What happens when they ask her to join in?
“I can’t believe you invited the entire Duke Basketball team to an NBA Live tournament in our apartment without asking me,” Haley sighed pouring a bag or chips into a bowl.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that coach wanted all of us to get to know each other and we thought the tournament would be fun and all the other guys live in the dorms so I suggested here,” he explained for what had to be hundredth time in the past week, since it’d been planned.
“I get that but you could have at least asked,” she added a few more bowls of snacks to the collection she had on the kitchen counter.
“Look, I invited Luke and the guys said you could play too if you want,” he wrapped his arms over her shoulders hugging her to him, “we’ll let you start second round, since you’d be the odd number.”
“Do I look like I want to play a game with you?” she asked annoyed, giving him her classic pissed face.
“Oh, Nathan you’re in trouble man,” Lucas stood in the doorway, reading Haley’s body language without even seeing her face.
“And if you want to stay out of trouble I suggest you keep your mouth shut,” Haley replied, pulling Nathan’s arms from around her and slammed the door as she walked to their bedroom slamming the door behind her.
“What did you do?” Lucas asked dropping his overnight bag in the corner of the room.
“I planned this tournament without asking her,” Nathan sighed, “it was stupid I know, but I knew she would say yes.”
“Of course she would but she may have had other plans,” Lucas pointed out, grabbing a hand full of chips; “she put this whole thing together too, didn’t she?”
“Yes,” he sighed, “but that was totally her, she did it all on her own, something about making a good impression.”
“Oh dude, she is going to hold this over your head for a long time,” Lucas chuckled as the doorbell rang.
The troops are arriving, Haley sighed to herself when the doorbell rang. She held an economics book in her lap, studying for her first test as a college freshman. The loud rambunctious noise of the group of boys in her living room had her groaning and slamming her book closed moments later.
Deciding she should at least try and get to know the guys, that she would be supporting week after week once the season started, she brushed her hair and pulled it back, before moving to the door. She snuck out quietly keeping an eye open in case she was spotted. Making it to the corner of the wall she peered around, Nathan and Lucas were kicked back on the floor against the couch, cheering and booing with the rest of the guys. She didn’t recognize any of the boys sprawled throughout her living room, but she could tell they were all relaxed and smiling. The two boys holding controllers were both leaned forward toward the TV with thumbs moving as rapidly as they could make them.
“Hey I thought you said, you didn’t date,” the guy standing in the kitchen announced loudly.
“I don’t,” Nathan called not bothering to glance away from the TV.
“Then who’s the girl?” asked another guy who had turned to find her standing there.
“Hey,” Nathan stood up coming toward her, “guys this is Haley,” he turned toward the group of guys, “Haley these are the guys.”
“Ohh,” a chorus rang out before Haley could say anything. Apparently the first game was over, resulting in a loss for one of the boys.
“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” the winner did a little dance across the room before ending in front of Haley, “the names James Jordon, just call me JJ,” he spoke with a heavy southern accent taking up her hand to place a small kiss on it.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Haley giggled. Nathan was clutching her side a little tighter now, annoyed with the charms of his teammate.
“Well thank you madam,” JJ replied, turning to the kitchen to retrieve a soda.
“Haley you going to play?” Lucas asked as she settled on the floor next to him.
“You know I can’t play these games,” she answered him, as Nathan sat on her other side handing her a drink.
“We’ll put the safety on and set it to easy,” the guy from the kitchen offered, settling against a wall.
“C’mon Hales,” Nathan pouted next to her placing his chin on her shoulder, knowing he’d probably end up digging himself deeper if she lost the first round than for the gathering itself.
“Sure okay,” she chuckled as the next game started and two new guys took the seats on the couch. Mike, as she’d heard him called, left not to long after his loss in the first game saying he was going to find his girlfriend and may be back later.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
After four rounds eliminating all but two, leaving none other than the residents of the apartment squared off in the final round. Haley was seated on the couch behind Nathan whose head was resting comfortably next to her knee from his seat on the floor.
“Okay, final round,” JJ, Karl, Cameron, and Lucas were the only one’s left. Karl and Cameron, Haley had learned, were the only other freshman this year and they were having fun hanging with the young couple and Lucas.
“Haley,” Nathan grunted when she manipulated the player on the screen to steal the ball from his player.
“I’m just playing the game,” she sighed. He didn’t understand how she’d made it this far she didn’t even understand the game of basketball, nor did she understand video games, “ooh that was cool,” Haley laughed as one of her players made an alley oop pass.
“Wait hold up,” Nathan pressed the start button his control turning to eye Haley cautiously, there was no way she could be making those plays, she’d never even played the game before. Lucas shrugged when Nathan glanced at him; he was sitting next to Haley he had to know how she was doing that. Giving them one last long look he turned back to the game, but he missed Haley handing the controller back to Lucas.
“Five,” JJ commented when the clock started ticking the last few seconds causing the controllers to vibrate letting the players know they only had a certain amount of time remaining, “four,” Nathan used his own created player modeled after himself to steal the ball from her ‘Lucas’. He was going to have to remember to delete that one, “three,” he stopped short of the three point line, pressing the correct button as JJ uttered, “two,” right as the buzzer sounded and moments before the screen froze signaling the end, his shot bounced out. Haley had won.
No way had Haley won. He turned to see Lucas and Haley hugging the controller between them, and he got that suspicious look again, but decided to wave it off for the moment.
“Good try man,” Cameron slapped him on the back, “just be glad the real you plays better than that.”
“Sorry honey,” Haley laughed, placing a kiss on his pouting mouth before jumping up to do her victory dance causing the guys to laugh at her goofiness, he’d always loved that about her she wasn’t ashamed to be who she was.
“Alright well we got to go,” Karl checked his watch, “it’s almost midnight and I’m sure there is a party going on somewhere that is missing us.”
“You guys don’t need a cab?” Haley checked knowing the alcohol had been flowing throughout the afternoon and evening.
“Clean and sober,” JJ responded taking her hand for a kiss once again, “thanks for hosting the tournament, and it was great to meet you Haley, Lucas.”
“You too man,” Lucas offered a hand and led them to the door.
“That was fun,” Haley sighed grabbing bowls as she moved from the living room to the kitchen, “we should have them over again sometime.”
“Fun for you maybe,” he grumbled silently following behind her grabbing up bottles and cans as he went.
“Don’t be a sore loser,” she ordered, dropping everything in the sink and turning back to their bedroom, “this was your idea, and since I won, you and Lucas are going to clean this mess up and then maybe I’ll think about accepting your apology.”
“I didn’t apologize,” Nathan stated stubbornly, his back turned to her. He knew he’d just made it worse, but at the moment he didn’t care. Lucas stepped back into the apartment as the door to the bedroom closed.
“You made it worse, didn’t you?” Lucas sighed, starting to clean up as Nathan grabbed a beer and flopped over onto the couch. “She had a right to be pissed, and don’t get mad at her for beating you.”
“I’m mad at her for cheating, there is no way she could beat all of those guys, hell Luke you let her beat you,” he huffed.
“I didn’t let her beat me, she kicked my ass,” he muttered still upset about that one himself. “And she didn’t beat you, I did.”
“What?” Nathan’s head popped up, “you played for her?”
“Dude, I was totally helping you, she was going to forgive you after everyone left, but you totally went pathetic loser on her and she’s pissed now more than before,” Lucas replied, “I was going to stay here tonight but I think you two need to talk, and don’t get mad at her it was my idea.”
Nathan sighed as his brother grabbed his bag and left the apartment, the place was silent. He never liked the quiet, that’s one of the reasons he hated that big old house, there weren’t enough people there and it was always too quiet. That’s why he’d hated it when Haley’d left two years ago he had been alone and it had been quiet. Slowly pulling himself to his feet he dropped his bottle into the recycling bin, loaded the dishwasher, and wiped down the counters before making his way back toward their room.
He pushed the door open slightly and he could make out her figure lying under the thin sheet. Her eyes were closed but he was positive she wasn’t sleeping. He carefully stripped down to just his boxers before sliding onto his side of the bed trying to be as gentle as possible. He placed one hand on her hip, and pulled her closer while the other wrapped underneath her head and he hugged her tight.
“I cheated,” she murmured into his chest and he shivered at the feel of her warm breath and the feel of her lips whispering over his skin.
“I know Lucas told me,” he breathed deeply, “and I’m sorry, I deserved to be beaten, and I should have asked you before I invited all of them over.”
“Apology accepted,” she grinned, “that’s all I really wanted to begin with, a heartfelt apology. Now can we get onto my winning celebration?”
“I don’t know,” he raised an eyebrow as he chin bent to his chest to look at her, “what does this celebration entail?”
“Well…” she pushed up on an elbow whispering in his ear. Her shrieking giggles filled the small apartment moments later as the couple enjoyed a very nice and very private celebration.
Author: Kait
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1907
Characters: Nathan/Haley, Lucas
Setting: Frshman year of college
Summary: Nathan decides to host an NBA Live Tournament for all of his teammates at Duke...without Haley's permission. What happens when they ask her to join in?
“I can’t believe you invited the entire Duke Basketball team to an NBA Live tournament in our apartment without asking me,” Haley sighed pouring a bag or chips into a bowl.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that coach wanted all of us to get to know each other and we thought the tournament would be fun and all the other guys live in the dorms so I suggested here,” he explained for what had to be hundredth time in the past week, since it’d been planned.
“I get that but you could have at least asked,” she added a few more bowls of snacks to the collection she had on the kitchen counter.
“Look, I invited Luke and the guys said you could play too if you want,” he wrapped his arms over her shoulders hugging her to him, “we’ll let you start second round, since you’d be the odd number.”
“Do I look like I want to play a game with you?” she asked annoyed, giving him her classic pissed face.
“Oh, Nathan you’re in trouble man,” Lucas stood in the doorway, reading Haley’s body language without even seeing her face.
“And if you want to stay out of trouble I suggest you keep your mouth shut,” Haley replied, pulling Nathan’s arms from around her and slammed the door as she walked to their bedroom slamming the door behind her.
“What did you do?” Lucas asked dropping his overnight bag in the corner of the room.
“I planned this tournament without asking her,” Nathan sighed, “it was stupid I know, but I knew she would say yes.”
“Of course she would but she may have had other plans,” Lucas pointed out, grabbing a hand full of chips; “she put this whole thing together too, didn’t she?”
“Yes,” he sighed, “but that was totally her, she did it all on her own, something about making a good impression.”
“Oh dude, she is going to hold this over your head for a long time,” Lucas chuckled as the doorbell rang.
The troops are arriving, Haley sighed to herself when the doorbell rang. She held an economics book in her lap, studying for her first test as a college freshman. The loud rambunctious noise of the group of boys in her living room had her groaning and slamming her book closed moments later.
Deciding she should at least try and get to know the guys, that she would be supporting week after week once the season started, she brushed her hair and pulled it back, before moving to the door. She snuck out quietly keeping an eye open in case she was spotted. Making it to the corner of the wall she peered around, Nathan and Lucas were kicked back on the floor against the couch, cheering and booing with the rest of the guys. She didn’t recognize any of the boys sprawled throughout her living room, but she could tell they were all relaxed and smiling. The two boys holding controllers were both leaned forward toward the TV with thumbs moving as rapidly as they could make them.
“Hey I thought you said, you didn’t date,” the guy standing in the kitchen announced loudly.
“I don’t,” Nathan called not bothering to glance away from the TV.
“Then who’s the girl?” asked another guy who had turned to find her standing there.
“Hey,” Nathan stood up coming toward her, “guys this is Haley,” he turned toward the group of guys, “Haley these are the guys.”
“Ohh,” a chorus rang out before Haley could say anything. Apparently the first game was over, resulting in a loss for one of the boys.
“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” the winner did a little dance across the room before ending in front of Haley, “the names James Jordon, just call me JJ,” he spoke with a heavy southern accent taking up her hand to place a small kiss on it.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Haley giggled. Nathan was clutching her side a little tighter now, annoyed with the charms of his teammate.
“Well thank you madam,” JJ replied, turning to the kitchen to retrieve a soda.
“Haley you going to play?” Lucas asked as she settled on the floor next to him.
“You know I can’t play these games,” she answered him, as Nathan sat on her other side handing her a drink.
“We’ll put the safety on and set it to easy,” the guy from the kitchen offered, settling against a wall.
“C’mon Hales,” Nathan pouted next to her placing his chin on her shoulder, knowing he’d probably end up digging himself deeper if she lost the first round than for the gathering itself.
“Sure okay,” she chuckled as the next game started and two new guys took the seats on the couch. Mike, as she’d heard him called, left not to long after his loss in the first game saying he was going to find his girlfriend and may be back later.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
After four rounds eliminating all but two, leaving none other than the residents of the apartment squared off in the final round. Haley was seated on the couch behind Nathan whose head was resting comfortably next to her knee from his seat on the floor.
“Okay, final round,” JJ, Karl, Cameron, and Lucas were the only one’s left. Karl and Cameron, Haley had learned, were the only other freshman this year and they were having fun hanging with the young couple and Lucas.
“Haley,” Nathan grunted when she manipulated the player on the screen to steal the ball from his player.
“I’m just playing the game,” she sighed. He didn’t understand how she’d made it this far she didn’t even understand the game of basketball, nor did she understand video games, “ooh that was cool,” Haley laughed as one of her players made an alley oop pass.
“Wait hold up,” Nathan pressed the start button his control turning to eye Haley cautiously, there was no way she could be making those plays, she’d never even played the game before. Lucas shrugged when Nathan glanced at him; he was sitting next to Haley he had to know how she was doing that. Giving them one last long look he turned back to the game, but he missed Haley handing the controller back to Lucas.
“Five,” JJ commented when the clock started ticking the last few seconds causing the controllers to vibrate letting the players know they only had a certain amount of time remaining, “four,” Nathan used his own created player modeled after himself to steal the ball from her ‘Lucas’. He was going to have to remember to delete that one, “three,” he stopped short of the three point line, pressing the correct button as JJ uttered, “two,” right as the buzzer sounded and moments before the screen froze signaling the end, his shot bounced out. Haley had won.
No way had Haley won. He turned to see Lucas and Haley hugging the controller between them, and he got that suspicious look again, but decided to wave it off for the moment.
“Good try man,” Cameron slapped him on the back, “just be glad the real you plays better than that.”
“Sorry honey,” Haley laughed, placing a kiss on his pouting mouth before jumping up to do her victory dance causing the guys to laugh at her goofiness, he’d always loved that about her she wasn’t ashamed to be who she was.
“Alright well we got to go,” Karl checked his watch, “it’s almost midnight and I’m sure there is a party going on somewhere that is missing us.”
“You guys don’t need a cab?” Haley checked knowing the alcohol had been flowing throughout the afternoon and evening.
“Clean and sober,” JJ responded taking her hand for a kiss once again, “thanks for hosting the tournament, and it was great to meet you Haley, Lucas.”
“You too man,” Lucas offered a hand and led them to the door.
“That was fun,” Haley sighed grabbing bowls as she moved from the living room to the kitchen, “we should have them over again sometime.”
“Fun for you maybe,” he grumbled silently following behind her grabbing up bottles and cans as he went.
“Don’t be a sore loser,” she ordered, dropping everything in the sink and turning back to their bedroom, “this was your idea, and since I won, you and Lucas are going to clean this mess up and then maybe I’ll think about accepting your apology.”
“I didn’t apologize,” Nathan stated stubbornly, his back turned to her. He knew he’d just made it worse, but at the moment he didn’t care. Lucas stepped back into the apartment as the door to the bedroom closed.
“You made it worse, didn’t you?” Lucas sighed, starting to clean up as Nathan grabbed a beer and flopped over onto the couch. “She had a right to be pissed, and don’t get mad at her for beating you.”
“I’m mad at her for cheating, there is no way she could beat all of those guys, hell Luke you let her beat you,” he huffed.
“I didn’t let her beat me, she kicked my ass,” he muttered still upset about that one himself. “And she didn’t beat you, I did.”
“What?” Nathan’s head popped up, “you played for her?”
“Dude, I was totally helping you, she was going to forgive you after everyone left, but you totally went pathetic loser on her and she’s pissed now more than before,” Lucas replied, “I was going to stay here tonight but I think you two need to talk, and don’t get mad at her it was my idea.”
Nathan sighed as his brother grabbed his bag and left the apartment, the place was silent. He never liked the quiet, that’s one of the reasons he hated that big old house, there weren’t enough people there and it was always too quiet. That’s why he’d hated it when Haley’d left two years ago he had been alone and it had been quiet. Slowly pulling himself to his feet he dropped his bottle into the recycling bin, loaded the dishwasher, and wiped down the counters before making his way back toward their room.
He pushed the door open slightly and he could make out her figure lying under the thin sheet. Her eyes were closed but he was positive she wasn’t sleeping. He carefully stripped down to just his boxers before sliding onto his side of the bed trying to be as gentle as possible. He placed one hand on her hip, and pulled her closer while the other wrapped underneath her head and he hugged her tight.
“I cheated,” she murmured into his chest and he shivered at the feel of her warm breath and the feel of her lips whispering over his skin.
“I know Lucas told me,” he breathed deeply, “and I’m sorry, I deserved to be beaten, and I should have asked you before I invited all of them over.”
“Apology accepted,” she grinned, “that’s all I really wanted to begin with, a heartfelt apology. Now can we get onto my winning celebration?”
“I don’t know,” he raised an eyebrow as he chin bent to his chest to look at her, “what does this celebration entail?”
“Well…” she pushed up on an elbow whispering in his ear. Her shrieking giggles filled the small apartment moments later as the couple enjoyed a very nice and very private celebration.