(no subject)
Fic for the 200th Joy/Haley thread!!
Author: glazed-over08 / Wendy
“You are going to look so awesome, tutorwife.” Brooke ran a comb through Haley’s curls and her dimple deepened. “Every guy out there is going to want you.”
“Not the point!” Haley folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know how you convinced me into doing this. Seriously! I’m going to make a fool out of myself, Brooke.”
“Don’t get all hysterical on me; this is for a good cause.”
Haley raised an eyebrow. “The last I checked, Clothes Over Bros wasn’t exactly a charitable organisation.”
Brooke’s eyes narrowed into little slits and glared at Haley through the mirror. “Haley James-Scott. Who took you in when you were homeless? Who gave emo-tutor-girl hugs when she was down? Who gave you some fabulous make-up tips? Who let you crawl into bed with me when you had a bad dream about failing your finals?” She cocked her head, waiting for an answer.
“Okay, fine.” Haley rolled her eyes. “You.”
“Thank you,” Brooke nodded, deftly tying up Haley’s hair into two pigtails. “Now, you’re going to go out there, and you’re going to rock the stage so bad that these guys are going to wish they saw you before Nathan ever did. And they’ll all start bidding so much that Clothes over Bros will get the money it needs to buy new cloth and material. Now am I a genius or what?”
“Nobel prize-worthy,” Haley replied dryly. “I hope some creep doesn’t buy me.”
“No worries. Isn’t Nathan gonna buy you?”
“We fought.”
“What is it this time?”
“He called Mr. Waffles a silly stuffed animal.”
Brooke’s eyes widened. “He didn’t!”
“Oh yeah, he did!”
“Rule #428- never ever insult a girl’s stuffed animals. If Lucas had insulted Princess Sniffles or my pretty plants from India, I’d castrate him. I mean, you put up with Nathan’s basketball and Playstation, why can he like Mr. Waffles?
“Exactly!” Haley glanced at Brooke. “So. He’s not going to buy me and some creep is going to. And I’m so going to mess up on stage. I officially love tonight, Brooke.”
“You were born to be on stage, Hales. Come on. And remember to give Nathan a hard time about Mr. Waffles. That way, he’ll never do it again.”
*
Nathan fought his way through the throngs of people at Tric and made his way near the front of the stage, clapping Lucas and Jake on their backs.
“Dude, ready to fight off the wolves?” Jake asked, laughing.
Nathan shrugged. “We fought, and I think I’m the last person in the world she wants to see right now. So, I don’t know.”
Lucas smirked. “Come on. You have to buy her. You want some jackass to buy her and kiss her at midnight?”
“Who said anything about a kiss?” Nathan felt his fists clench in his pockets.
“Brooke said the boy toy auction rules apply here,” he shrugged.
Nathan rolled his eyes. Leave it to Brooke. “You could buy her, right?” he asked, looking hopefully at Lucas, and then at Jake.
Jake stared at him like he was nuts. “And let some weirdo spend the night with Peyton? No thanks.”
“I’m buying Brooke, man.” Lucas piped in.
Nathan glared at his brother. “She’s auctioning off the girls. She’s not for auction, right?”
“Yeah, but anything could happen. You know Brooke.”
“Tell me. What exactly are brothers for again?”
Lucas smirked. “Think again. It’s clothes over bros tonight man.”
“Heh. You’re funny.” Nathan shot back sarcastically. He was stuck. His brother was being a complete girl and his wife still wasn’t talking to him over Mr. Waffles, and now he had to deal with the idea of her kissing some random dude at midnight. Fantastic.
“Come on. Think Nate,” he muttered to himself, looking around the room. Finally, he breathed easy when he laid his eyes on someone he knew he could count on. Tim.
*
“Why in the world do I keep on letting Brooke talk me into doing things like this?” Haley mumbled under her breath, hearing the wild catcalls out in the audience as Brooke announced Bevin’s name. Twirling one ponytail around her finger, she remembered when Nathan was the one on the stage, and she was the one, fighting off all the hungry vultures. Oh, but he had looked so good, that she didn’t blame them for wanting to buy him. Boy Toy written across his chest, flexing his muscles, his strong chest and broad shoulders. Haley felt herself weakening, but caught herself just in time when she remembered that she was still pissed at him.
He had referred to Mr. Waffles as a silly stuffed animal! He didn’t even have the decency to say bear, but instead lumped it together with all the other stuffed animals in one big category. She still remember when they were seven and Lucas and Skills had called it Mr. Pancakes by accident. She had kicked the both of them in the shins and ran home angrily. Smiling to herself at the recollection, she wondered if they both still remembered that.
Mr. Waffles wasn’t just a bear, or any stuffed animal. He was her friend. She had always been the only girl at the Rivercourt, doing her homework at the benches while the guys played ball. Mr. Waffles was her getaway. The one where she talked about the things that Lucas and the rest wouldn’t have wanted to hear during grade school. Girly stuff. Crushes. Buying her first bra. He’d been her friend forever, and Nathan was going to have to deal with it. She wanted him to want to deal with it. She wanted both her loves to get along.
She cringed as she heard Brooke yell ‘SOLD!’ and realised that Skills had finally bought Bevin. He was probably out there right now, thrash-talking the rest of the guys he had beaten out. “You be trying to buy my shorty, dawg?” she imitated Skills under her breath and burst out laughing to herself. Theresa, in line behind her, gave her a funny look and prodded her forward gently. “You’re up, Haley.”
Haley felt her heart go into overdrive and her palms starting to sweat up. There were only two things that had made her felt more nervous than this, and that was the first time she had played on this stage. The other was waiting in the hospital for news on Nathan. God, she had been nervous. She still remembered everything clearly. The doctor coming out to tell her that he was okay. Her rushing in, her body dwarfed in Lucas’ coat. Seeing Nathan’s eyes open. And knowing that she loved him so much.
“Gentlemen and gentlemen, next I present to you, Haley!” Brooke yelled into the mic, the music escalating as Theresa pushed Haley out onto stage. “Be cute,” Brooke hissed at her as Haley walked past her onto center stage.
Haley froze as the lights shone into her face. What had Brooke told her to do again? Ahh. Dance a little. Sexy dance. Uhhh. Okay. They had been through this routine before many times. Brooke had drilled her till she knew it like the back of her hand.
Swivelling her hips to the beat of the music, she twirled one ponytail around her finger, singing the words of the song.
“It’s tutor-girl Haley, people! Naughty girl in nice packaging? I’ll let you figure out for yourself!” Brooke continued, excited with her new role as auctioneer. “Do I hear a $10? $25! $35! This is going fast!”
Haley laughed, enjoying herself. Brooke’s excitement was contagious. And she owed it to Brooke to do this. She shoved both her hands into her mass of curls and gyrated to the beat of the song, doing what Brooke called her signature sexy hair manoeuvre. She shimmied out of her poncho and long denim skirt that Brooke had insisted she wear, revealing her cheerleader’s outfit underneath as the crowd’s cheers got even louder. She thought she heard Nathan yelling, but she wasn’t sure. Kicking off her shoes as well, she ran forward bare-feet, and cupped her hands to her ears, signalling for more bids. Inwardly, she laughed at how incredulous it all was. Shy Haley James, but once she was on stage with music, she changed into a whole different person. It was like she had a persona on stage. Brooke was right; she was born to be on stage.
*
“What the HELL IS SHE DOING?! She’s STRIPPING ON STAGE!” Nathan yelled over the noise as he watched the bids go higher and higher.
“You stripped too, dude. And it’s not like she’s naked or something. Bare-feet, though. That’s hot. I think I might have a foot-fetish.”
Nathan smacked Tim on the back of the head. “I’m asking you to DO ME A FAVOUR, not OGLE MY WIFE!”
“Ow! RELAX!”
Nathan glared at the blonde guy next to him who was frantically pulling out more bills from his wallet. “Don’t even think about it, scrawny-ass. Or I’ll hurt you.”
The guy took one look at Nathan, whose eyes were spitting fire, and froze, the bills still in his hands.
Tim waved his hands in front of Nathan’s face, trying to get his attention. “Dude, do you want me to bid now, or what?”
The shouts got louder and louder and Brooke could barely be heard. “251 dollars and 32 cents! Going once!”
“Dammit, I only have $250!” Nathan yelled angrily. He could have killed himself for not bringing more money. “Give me all you have, Tim!”
Tim dug around in his pockets and produced a few coins. “Here, Nate.”
“41 cents? That’s ALL YOU HAVE? 41 FUCKING CENTS?”
“Going twice…!”
“BROOKE! SLOW DOWN!” Nathan shouted. On impulse, he reached over and grabbed a bill out of the blonde guy’s hand, shoving everything into Tim’s hands. “BID!” he bellowed.
“Uhhh, 351 dollars and 73 cents!” Tim shouted, waving his hands around madly.
The crowd quietened. It was the highest bid of the evening.
“351.73, going ONCE, GOING TWICE…” Brooke grinned from ear to ear. Over three hundred bucks! “SOLD!”
The crowd erupted into cheers, and Tim whooped exuberantly. And finally, Nathan breathed a little easier.
“Hey,” the guy tapped Nathan meekly on the shoulder. “Uhh, you’re going to return that, aren’t you?”
*
“So Haley, how’s things, man? Are you thrilled to be out with the Tim?” Tim bounded down the steps of Tric, Haley following behind. She was thankful that someone she knew had bought her, and not some crazy psychopath. She couldn’t, however, help feeling a little wistful that Nathan really hadn’t bought her. Guess he was still thinking about the fight. She sighed a little under her breath.
“Are you okay?” he peered at her. “What do you want to do?”
“Umm, you’re the boss,” she smiled. His enthusiasm was infectious.
“Oh, let’s take a walk, then! It’s nice out.” Tim said, reciting the line Nathan had given him.
Haley shrugged. “Okay,” she nodded. “Why did you bid for me, anyway, Tim? Why’d you bid so much too?”
He paused for awhile, and then spoke. “Well, I hardly get to see Nathan nowadays, you know. He’s married. To you and all that. So, I just wanted to talk to you and see how he was doing. It’s awkward if I just ask him like that.”
Haley felt herself smiling. “Tim, you don’t have to feel awkward around Nathan or me.”
“I know, but it’s different now. We don’t hang out as much as we used to.”
“You can still come around and hang out with Nathan. Play some Playstation together. Shoot some hoops at the Rivercourt. Don’t feel like you can’t, okay?”
Tim’s eyes lit up. “Aw Haley, you’re the best!” He engulfed her into a tight hug, taking her by surprise. “You rock.”
Haley laughed, as he hugged her harder, nearly knocking all the air out of her. “You’re welcome, Tim,” she patted him on the back.
*
Nathan crouched behind a bush, swearing as a thorn cut his hand. What in the world was Tim doing? He was supposed to walking her home so that he could go in and apologise to her for being an ass about Mr. Waffles. Jumping her bones, in the middle of the street was not on the agenda. Jealousy bubbled inside of him as he counted to five. He grumbled under his breath to himself again. “What kind of a hug takes FIVE SECONDS? Let go already, Tim.”
*
Haley disentangled herself from Tim’s power hug as she heard some rustling in the bushes. “Do you hear something, Tim?” she cocked her head to the side.
“No,” he played dumb, as they continued walking. “Just the sound of my heart beating excitedly because you let me come by to play Playstation with Nathan.”
She laughed. “Okay, Tim. Just remember, at the end of the day, you gotta return him to me.”
Tim waggled his eyebrows. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep him all energised so that you can have your nightly bedroom lambada.”
“TIM!” Haley couldn’t help herself from giggling. She opened her mouth to retort, but stopped short when she heard more noises behind. “Did you hear that?”
The footsteps got louder. “Hear what?”
Haley turned around, getting worried. Were they being followed? She scanned their surroundings, looking for anything suspicious. God. She hoped nobody was following them, or hiding in the bushes. What if someone came out and ambushed the both of them? She tried to steady her breathing. Tim was strong, she supposed, but he was no Nathan. Only Nathan made her feel safe. She wished she’d never fought with him, or he would be with her right now. Where was Nathan when you need him…
…her gaze settled on a wildly familiar red Reebok basketball shoe peeking out from behind a large oak tree.
“Nathan?” she called out incredulously, her arms going into a kickboxing stance, just in case she was wrong.
As though on cue, the shoe magically zipped back behind the tree.
“NATHAN SCOTT! You come out here RIGHT THIS MINUTE!”
No answer. Hah. It had to be him.
“I’M WAITING!” she called, her arms folded across her chest, her foot tapping.
Meekly, he came out from behind the tree, both hands held up in surrender, his head hung.
Haley shook her head. “What the hell are you doing behind a tree?”
“Hales, I-” Nathan started to explain but realised Tim was still standing there. “Umm, I’ll take it from here, Tim. Thanks man.”
“According to the rules, she owes me a kiss, though, doesn’t she?” Tim deadpanned.
Nathan’s eyes shot fire. “Well, Haley’s my wife, and that means we’re one and the same. So if you want a kiss, you’ll have to make do with me,” he hissed at Tim.
Tim involuntarily shuddered. “I love you, dude, but not in that way,” he said, and then looked at Haley. “Thanks for the walk, Haley. I’ll see you,” he grinned and turned around, walking away.
Haley nodded at Tim, and turned to glare at Nathan.
*
Nathan closed the front door softly behind him as Haley threw her boho bag on the couch and walked straight into their room, slamming that door behind her.
He shook his head. He was really in trouble now. Haley never slammed doors. Only when she was really angry. Pushing his hands into his pockets, he opened the door to their room slowly.
She stood with her back to him, looking blankly out of the window. The light shone off her hair, making her look like an angel. God, she was beautiful. He could never tire of looking at her. Ever. She was all real, all his, all perfect. Her voice was amazing. Not many people knew, but he was always someone who was particular about voice. He hated squeaky, shrill voices, he hated fake voices. And Haley most definitely had neither. She spoke in a voice that was kind, a voice that made him want to open up to her, a voice that was never harsh or hurtful, a voice that was melodic and beautiful.
And right now, her voice melted him. “You scared me.”
Closing the gap in between them with a few quick strides, he reached for her from behind and wrapped her in his arms. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Haley sighed at the tone of his voice and relaxed in the familiar feel of his strong arms. “I’m still mad at you.”
“Haley, I didn’t think you wanted to spend a night with me, but I didn’t want some skulk drooling over you either, so I got Tim to bid on you,” Nathan replied candidly. “With my money,” he added as an afterthought.
“That doesn’t explain why you felt the need to follow us!” Haley raised her voice a little.
“I wanted to see that you got home safely, Hales. I’m sorry.” His voice softened and he turned her around to look at him. “Come on, look at me.”
Haley laid her hands on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart. Even before she went out on stage, she knew she was going to forgive him. She always would. And it was because she loved him. And she always would. But she wasn’t going to tell him that unless he made it up to her. “Okay, what?”
“I’m sorry for acting like a stalker and following you and Tim. I am, I really am.”
Haley felt herself melting like she did every time. “You’re a lousy stalker.”
“I’m a lousy stalker,” he repeated after her. “I suck at being a crazy stalker. But I can’t help it, Hales. I’m crazy. I’m crazy about you.”
A small smile appeared on her lips. She couldn’t help it. “You are so corny, mister.”
He smiled back at her. “And I’m sorry for being a jackass about Mr. Waffles.”
Haley toyed with the collar of his shirt. “You could never bring yourself to say his name.”
“Well, I’m a new man now,” Nathan quipped, smiling. “I went back to Dan’s for awhile today to look for some stuff, and I found Sergeant Max.”
Haley raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Sergeant Max?”
Nathan looked a little embarrassed. “Uhh. Okay, um, Sergeant Max is the name of my stuffed animal when I was a kid. Stuffed dinosaur, actually.”
“You had a dinosaur?” Haley exclaimed, giggling. “How cute.”
Nathan pretended to be hurt. “It was very manly and macho and strong, thank you very much.”
She smirked. “Sergeant Max,” she repeated again, incredulously. “Nathan Scott owns a Sergeant Max.”
“Anyway,” he said, before she started on him again. “That’s not the point. I remember how much I’d been through with that dinosaur, and what a great friend he was to me when I was a kid, and now I can understand how much Mr. Waffles means to you too.”
A smile spread across Haley’s face. “And,” Nathan continued, before she could say anything. “I brought you, and Mr. Waffles, a peace offering.” He reached into his pocket and took out a bundle of cloth and handed it to Haley. “Here.”
Haley’s eyes widened as she saw it. A mini Ravens jersey. Turning the little jersey around in her hands, she saw ‘Waffles’ across the top, and the number ‘23 ½’ below it. “I love you for doing this, and I love you for being understanding, Nathan Scott. I love you.”
“I love you too, Hales.” Nathan whispered, and put a finger under his wife’s chin, tilting her lips up to meet his. He kissed her softly, his lips lingering on hers and pulled away. “Try it on him,” he grinned, as he saw the excitement in her.
Grinning, Haley walked over to the dresser where he sat. “Where did you get this, anyway?” she asked, as she gently pulled it over Mr. Waffles’ head.
“Brooke made it for me while grumbling about some Rule 4-2-something, and Lucas sympathised with me so he helped out with the size. He says you kicked him in the leg once over Mr. Waffles, so he knew how I felt,” Nathan laughed.
She giggled. “He remembered, after all.” She patted the jersey down and stood back, admiring Mr. Waffles in it. “Doesn’t he look cute?”
Nathan smiled at the both of them and reached for her again, pulling her to him. “Uh huh. Good looks run in the family, after all,” he said huskily.
Haley smirked back at him. “How much did you pay for me, anyway?” she said back, her throaty voice matching his.
“#351.73.”
She tilted her head up to look at him in the eye seductively. “Guess I’m yours for the night then, Mr. Scott.”
“Oh, I know so.” And just as Nathan leaned down to pull Haley in for a kiss, he could have sworn he saw Mr. Waffles give him an approving wink right before shutting his eyes.
The End.
Author: glazed-over08 / Wendy
“You are going to look so awesome, tutorwife.” Brooke ran a comb through Haley’s curls and her dimple deepened. “Every guy out there is going to want you.”
“Not the point!” Haley folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know how you convinced me into doing this. Seriously! I’m going to make a fool out of myself, Brooke.”
“Don’t get all hysterical on me; this is for a good cause.”
Haley raised an eyebrow. “The last I checked, Clothes Over Bros wasn’t exactly a charitable organisation.”
Brooke’s eyes narrowed into little slits and glared at Haley through the mirror. “Haley James-Scott. Who took you in when you were homeless? Who gave emo-tutor-girl hugs when she was down? Who gave you some fabulous make-up tips? Who let you crawl into bed with me when you had a bad dream about failing your finals?” She cocked her head, waiting for an answer.
“Okay, fine.” Haley rolled her eyes. “You.”
“Thank you,” Brooke nodded, deftly tying up Haley’s hair into two pigtails. “Now, you’re going to go out there, and you’re going to rock the stage so bad that these guys are going to wish they saw you before Nathan ever did. And they’ll all start bidding so much that Clothes over Bros will get the money it needs to buy new cloth and material. Now am I a genius or what?”
“Nobel prize-worthy,” Haley replied dryly. “I hope some creep doesn’t buy me.”
“No worries. Isn’t Nathan gonna buy you?”
“We fought.”
“What is it this time?”
“He called Mr. Waffles a silly stuffed animal.”
Brooke’s eyes widened. “He didn’t!”
“Oh yeah, he did!”
“Rule #428- never ever insult a girl’s stuffed animals. If Lucas had insulted Princess Sniffles or my pretty plants from India, I’d castrate him. I mean, you put up with Nathan’s basketball and Playstation, why can he like Mr. Waffles?
“Exactly!” Haley glanced at Brooke. “So. He’s not going to buy me and some creep is going to. And I’m so going to mess up on stage. I officially love tonight, Brooke.”
“You were born to be on stage, Hales. Come on. And remember to give Nathan a hard time about Mr. Waffles. That way, he’ll never do it again.”
*
Nathan fought his way through the throngs of people at Tric and made his way near the front of the stage, clapping Lucas and Jake on their backs.
“Dude, ready to fight off the wolves?” Jake asked, laughing.
Nathan shrugged. “We fought, and I think I’m the last person in the world she wants to see right now. So, I don’t know.”
Lucas smirked. “Come on. You have to buy her. You want some jackass to buy her and kiss her at midnight?”
“Who said anything about a kiss?” Nathan felt his fists clench in his pockets.
“Brooke said the boy toy auction rules apply here,” he shrugged.
Nathan rolled his eyes. Leave it to Brooke. “You could buy her, right?” he asked, looking hopefully at Lucas, and then at Jake.
Jake stared at him like he was nuts. “And let some weirdo spend the night with Peyton? No thanks.”
“I’m buying Brooke, man.” Lucas piped in.
Nathan glared at his brother. “She’s auctioning off the girls. She’s not for auction, right?”
“Yeah, but anything could happen. You know Brooke.”
“Tell me. What exactly are brothers for again?”
Lucas smirked. “Think again. It’s clothes over bros tonight man.”
“Heh. You’re funny.” Nathan shot back sarcastically. He was stuck. His brother was being a complete girl and his wife still wasn’t talking to him over Mr. Waffles, and now he had to deal with the idea of her kissing some random dude at midnight. Fantastic.
“Come on. Think Nate,” he muttered to himself, looking around the room. Finally, he breathed easy when he laid his eyes on someone he knew he could count on. Tim.
*
“Why in the world do I keep on letting Brooke talk me into doing things like this?” Haley mumbled under her breath, hearing the wild catcalls out in the audience as Brooke announced Bevin’s name. Twirling one ponytail around her finger, she remembered when Nathan was the one on the stage, and she was the one, fighting off all the hungry vultures. Oh, but he had looked so good, that she didn’t blame them for wanting to buy him. Boy Toy written across his chest, flexing his muscles, his strong chest and broad shoulders. Haley felt herself weakening, but caught herself just in time when she remembered that she was still pissed at him.
He had referred to Mr. Waffles as a silly stuffed animal! He didn’t even have the decency to say bear, but instead lumped it together with all the other stuffed animals in one big category. She still remember when they were seven and Lucas and Skills had called it Mr. Pancakes by accident. She had kicked the both of them in the shins and ran home angrily. Smiling to herself at the recollection, she wondered if they both still remembered that.
Mr. Waffles wasn’t just a bear, or any stuffed animal. He was her friend. She had always been the only girl at the Rivercourt, doing her homework at the benches while the guys played ball. Mr. Waffles was her getaway. The one where she talked about the things that Lucas and the rest wouldn’t have wanted to hear during grade school. Girly stuff. Crushes. Buying her first bra. He’d been her friend forever, and Nathan was going to have to deal with it. She wanted him to want to deal with it. She wanted both her loves to get along.
She cringed as she heard Brooke yell ‘SOLD!’ and realised that Skills had finally bought Bevin. He was probably out there right now, thrash-talking the rest of the guys he had beaten out. “You be trying to buy my shorty, dawg?” she imitated Skills under her breath and burst out laughing to herself. Theresa, in line behind her, gave her a funny look and prodded her forward gently. “You’re up, Haley.”
Haley felt her heart go into overdrive and her palms starting to sweat up. There were only two things that had made her felt more nervous than this, and that was the first time she had played on this stage. The other was waiting in the hospital for news on Nathan. God, she had been nervous. She still remembered everything clearly. The doctor coming out to tell her that he was okay. Her rushing in, her body dwarfed in Lucas’ coat. Seeing Nathan’s eyes open. And knowing that she loved him so much.
“Gentlemen and gentlemen, next I present to you, Haley!” Brooke yelled into the mic, the music escalating as Theresa pushed Haley out onto stage. “Be cute,” Brooke hissed at her as Haley walked past her onto center stage.
Haley froze as the lights shone into her face. What had Brooke told her to do again? Ahh. Dance a little. Sexy dance. Uhhh. Okay. They had been through this routine before many times. Brooke had drilled her till she knew it like the back of her hand.
Swivelling her hips to the beat of the music, she twirled one ponytail around her finger, singing the words of the song.
“It’s tutor-girl Haley, people! Naughty girl in nice packaging? I’ll let you figure out for yourself!” Brooke continued, excited with her new role as auctioneer. “Do I hear a $10? $25! $35! This is going fast!”
Haley laughed, enjoying herself. Brooke’s excitement was contagious. And she owed it to Brooke to do this. She shoved both her hands into her mass of curls and gyrated to the beat of the song, doing what Brooke called her signature sexy hair manoeuvre. She shimmied out of her poncho and long denim skirt that Brooke had insisted she wear, revealing her cheerleader’s outfit underneath as the crowd’s cheers got even louder. She thought she heard Nathan yelling, but she wasn’t sure. Kicking off her shoes as well, she ran forward bare-feet, and cupped her hands to her ears, signalling for more bids. Inwardly, she laughed at how incredulous it all was. Shy Haley James, but once she was on stage with music, she changed into a whole different person. It was like she had a persona on stage. Brooke was right; she was born to be on stage.
*
“What the HELL IS SHE DOING?! She’s STRIPPING ON STAGE!” Nathan yelled over the noise as he watched the bids go higher and higher.
“You stripped too, dude. And it’s not like she’s naked or something. Bare-feet, though. That’s hot. I think I might have a foot-fetish.”
Nathan smacked Tim on the back of the head. “I’m asking you to DO ME A FAVOUR, not OGLE MY WIFE!”
“Ow! RELAX!”
Nathan glared at the blonde guy next to him who was frantically pulling out more bills from his wallet. “Don’t even think about it, scrawny-ass. Or I’ll hurt you.”
The guy took one look at Nathan, whose eyes were spitting fire, and froze, the bills still in his hands.
Tim waved his hands in front of Nathan’s face, trying to get his attention. “Dude, do you want me to bid now, or what?”
The shouts got louder and louder and Brooke could barely be heard. “251 dollars and 32 cents! Going once!”
“Dammit, I only have $250!” Nathan yelled angrily. He could have killed himself for not bringing more money. “Give me all you have, Tim!”
Tim dug around in his pockets and produced a few coins. “Here, Nate.”
“41 cents? That’s ALL YOU HAVE? 41 FUCKING CENTS?”
“Going twice…!”
“BROOKE! SLOW DOWN!” Nathan shouted. On impulse, he reached over and grabbed a bill out of the blonde guy’s hand, shoving everything into Tim’s hands. “BID!” he bellowed.
“Uhhh, 351 dollars and 73 cents!” Tim shouted, waving his hands around madly.
The crowd quietened. It was the highest bid of the evening.
“351.73, going ONCE, GOING TWICE…” Brooke grinned from ear to ear. Over three hundred bucks! “SOLD!”
The crowd erupted into cheers, and Tim whooped exuberantly. And finally, Nathan breathed a little easier.
“Hey,” the guy tapped Nathan meekly on the shoulder. “Uhh, you’re going to return that, aren’t you?”
*
“So Haley, how’s things, man? Are you thrilled to be out with the Tim?” Tim bounded down the steps of Tric, Haley following behind. She was thankful that someone she knew had bought her, and not some crazy psychopath. She couldn’t, however, help feeling a little wistful that Nathan really hadn’t bought her. Guess he was still thinking about the fight. She sighed a little under her breath.
“Are you okay?” he peered at her. “What do you want to do?”
“Umm, you’re the boss,” she smiled. His enthusiasm was infectious.
“Oh, let’s take a walk, then! It’s nice out.” Tim said, reciting the line Nathan had given him.
Haley shrugged. “Okay,” she nodded. “Why did you bid for me, anyway, Tim? Why’d you bid so much too?”
He paused for awhile, and then spoke. “Well, I hardly get to see Nathan nowadays, you know. He’s married. To you and all that. So, I just wanted to talk to you and see how he was doing. It’s awkward if I just ask him like that.”
Haley felt herself smiling. “Tim, you don’t have to feel awkward around Nathan or me.”
“I know, but it’s different now. We don’t hang out as much as we used to.”
“You can still come around and hang out with Nathan. Play some Playstation together. Shoot some hoops at the Rivercourt. Don’t feel like you can’t, okay?”
Tim’s eyes lit up. “Aw Haley, you’re the best!” He engulfed her into a tight hug, taking her by surprise. “You rock.”
Haley laughed, as he hugged her harder, nearly knocking all the air out of her. “You’re welcome, Tim,” she patted him on the back.
*
Nathan crouched behind a bush, swearing as a thorn cut his hand. What in the world was Tim doing? He was supposed to walking her home so that he could go in and apologise to her for being an ass about Mr. Waffles. Jumping her bones, in the middle of the street was not on the agenda. Jealousy bubbled inside of him as he counted to five. He grumbled under his breath to himself again. “What kind of a hug takes FIVE SECONDS? Let go already, Tim.”
*
Haley disentangled herself from Tim’s power hug as she heard some rustling in the bushes. “Do you hear something, Tim?” she cocked her head to the side.
“No,” he played dumb, as they continued walking. “Just the sound of my heart beating excitedly because you let me come by to play Playstation with Nathan.”
She laughed. “Okay, Tim. Just remember, at the end of the day, you gotta return him to me.”
Tim waggled his eyebrows. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep him all energised so that you can have your nightly bedroom lambada.”
“TIM!” Haley couldn’t help herself from giggling. She opened her mouth to retort, but stopped short when she heard more noises behind. “Did you hear that?”
The footsteps got louder. “Hear what?”
Haley turned around, getting worried. Were they being followed? She scanned their surroundings, looking for anything suspicious. God. She hoped nobody was following them, or hiding in the bushes. What if someone came out and ambushed the both of them? She tried to steady her breathing. Tim was strong, she supposed, but he was no Nathan. Only Nathan made her feel safe. She wished she’d never fought with him, or he would be with her right now. Where was Nathan when you need him…
…her gaze settled on a wildly familiar red Reebok basketball shoe peeking out from behind a large oak tree.
“Nathan?” she called out incredulously, her arms going into a kickboxing stance, just in case she was wrong.
As though on cue, the shoe magically zipped back behind the tree.
“NATHAN SCOTT! You come out here RIGHT THIS MINUTE!”
No answer. Hah. It had to be him.
“I’M WAITING!” she called, her arms folded across her chest, her foot tapping.
Meekly, he came out from behind the tree, both hands held up in surrender, his head hung.
Haley shook her head. “What the hell are you doing behind a tree?”
“Hales, I-” Nathan started to explain but realised Tim was still standing there. “Umm, I’ll take it from here, Tim. Thanks man.”
“According to the rules, she owes me a kiss, though, doesn’t she?” Tim deadpanned.
Nathan’s eyes shot fire. “Well, Haley’s my wife, and that means we’re one and the same. So if you want a kiss, you’ll have to make do with me,” he hissed at Tim.
Tim involuntarily shuddered. “I love you, dude, but not in that way,” he said, and then looked at Haley. “Thanks for the walk, Haley. I’ll see you,” he grinned and turned around, walking away.
Haley nodded at Tim, and turned to glare at Nathan.
*
Nathan closed the front door softly behind him as Haley threw her boho bag on the couch and walked straight into their room, slamming that door behind her.
He shook his head. He was really in trouble now. Haley never slammed doors. Only when she was really angry. Pushing his hands into his pockets, he opened the door to their room slowly.
She stood with her back to him, looking blankly out of the window. The light shone off her hair, making her look like an angel. God, she was beautiful. He could never tire of looking at her. Ever. She was all real, all his, all perfect. Her voice was amazing. Not many people knew, but he was always someone who was particular about voice. He hated squeaky, shrill voices, he hated fake voices. And Haley most definitely had neither. She spoke in a voice that was kind, a voice that made him want to open up to her, a voice that was never harsh or hurtful, a voice that was melodic and beautiful.
And right now, her voice melted him. “You scared me.”
Closing the gap in between them with a few quick strides, he reached for her from behind and wrapped her in his arms. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Haley sighed at the tone of his voice and relaxed in the familiar feel of his strong arms. “I’m still mad at you.”
“Haley, I didn’t think you wanted to spend a night with me, but I didn’t want some skulk drooling over you either, so I got Tim to bid on you,” Nathan replied candidly. “With my money,” he added as an afterthought.
“That doesn’t explain why you felt the need to follow us!” Haley raised her voice a little.
“I wanted to see that you got home safely, Hales. I’m sorry.” His voice softened and he turned her around to look at him. “Come on, look at me.”
Haley laid her hands on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart. Even before she went out on stage, she knew she was going to forgive him. She always would. And it was because she loved him. And she always would. But she wasn’t going to tell him that unless he made it up to her. “Okay, what?”
“I’m sorry for acting like a stalker and following you and Tim. I am, I really am.”
Haley felt herself melting like she did every time. “You’re a lousy stalker.”
“I’m a lousy stalker,” he repeated after her. “I suck at being a crazy stalker. But I can’t help it, Hales. I’m crazy. I’m crazy about you.”
A small smile appeared on her lips. She couldn’t help it. “You are so corny, mister.”
He smiled back at her. “And I’m sorry for being a jackass about Mr. Waffles.”
Haley toyed with the collar of his shirt. “You could never bring yourself to say his name.”
“Well, I’m a new man now,” Nathan quipped, smiling. “I went back to Dan’s for awhile today to look for some stuff, and I found Sergeant Max.”
Haley raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Sergeant Max?”
Nathan looked a little embarrassed. “Uhh. Okay, um, Sergeant Max is the name of my stuffed animal when I was a kid. Stuffed dinosaur, actually.”
“You had a dinosaur?” Haley exclaimed, giggling. “How cute.”
Nathan pretended to be hurt. “It was very manly and macho and strong, thank you very much.”
She smirked. “Sergeant Max,” she repeated again, incredulously. “Nathan Scott owns a Sergeant Max.”
“Anyway,” he said, before she started on him again. “That’s not the point. I remember how much I’d been through with that dinosaur, and what a great friend he was to me when I was a kid, and now I can understand how much Mr. Waffles means to you too.”
A smile spread across Haley’s face. “And,” Nathan continued, before she could say anything. “I brought you, and Mr. Waffles, a peace offering.” He reached into his pocket and took out a bundle of cloth and handed it to Haley. “Here.”
Haley’s eyes widened as she saw it. A mini Ravens jersey. Turning the little jersey around in her hands, she saw ‘Waffles’ across the top, and the number ‘23 ½’ below it. “I love you for doing this, and I love you for being understanding, Nathan Scott. I love you.”
“I love you too, Hales.” Nathan whispered, and put a finger under his wife’s chin, tilting her lips up to meet his. He kissed her softly, his lips lingering on hers and pulled away. “Try it on him,” he grinned, as he saw the excitement in her.
Grinning, Haley walked over to the dresser where he sat. “Where did you get this, anyway?” she asked, as she gently pulled it over Mr. Waffles’ head.
“Brooke made it for me while grumbling about some Rule 4-2-something, and Lucas sympathised with me so he helped out with the size. He says you kicked him in the leg once over Mr. Waffles, so he knew how I felt,” Nathan laughed.
She giggled. “He remembered, after all.” She patted the jersey down and stood back, admiring Mr. Waffles in it. “Doesn’t he look cute?”
Nathan smiled at the both of them and reached for her again, pulling her to him. “Uh huh. Good looks run in the family, after all,” he said huskily.
Haley smirked back at him. “How much did you pay for me, anyway?” she said back, her throaty voice matching his.
“#351.73.”
She tilted her head up to look at him in the eye seductively. “Guess I’m yours for the night then, Mr. Scott.”
“Oh, I know so.” And just as Nathan leaned down to pull Haley in for a kiss, he could have sworn he saw Mr. Waffles give him an approving wink right before shutting his eyes.
The End.