Tree Topper

Summary: Some Naley Christmas fun.

Nathan's headache was getting worse by the minute. He felt like they have been Christmas shopping for hours and they weren't even buying any gifts. Instead, Haley insisted on finding the perfect Christmas tree for their apartment. Nathan could care less about decorating but he didn't think it would take this long.

"The real ones look better." Haley commented.

"Ok, let's get a real tree." Nathan replied.

"But then, we would have to keep watering it."

"Fine, lets get a fake one."

"But I always had a real tree at home."

"Ok fine, let's a get a real tree."

"But they're so expensive.." At this point Nathan knew better than to butt in, apparently his wife was having an argument with herself. He rolled his eyes as Haley kept debating the pros and cons of a real tree versus a fake one.

"Nathan.. hello! Were you even listening to me?"

"Hales.. look here's the deal, a fake one is cheap and we can use it next year."

Haley thought about it for a second and decided that he was right. She came up to him and gave him a kiss on the lips. "You're so right." She smiled. "A fake one it is."

Nathan sighed in relief. He felt like strangling her one minute and ripping off her clothes the next, but Nathan was content in the fact that his wife was happy and seeing the smile on her face always made Nathan think that anything was worth it.

The feeling didn't last long, as Haley spent forever picking out which fake tree to get. A Douglas fur, a pre lit tree, white one or green one. Nathan was going insane and so was the salesman that was helping him. Haley turned the corner to browse through more trees on the other isle. Nathan took the opportunity to set himself free.

"Look." He turned to the salesman. "I love my wife, but I swear I am this close to becoming a widower .. so here's what your going to do.. see that tree there.. its just the right size for our apartment, you will do your job and convince my wife to take it, you got it?!" Nathan stated, sending a cold, glaring stare at the innocent salesman.

"Sure." He said nervously.

"Great."

--

Nathan crashed on the couch. It had taken forever to get the tree and once they found it, Nathan had to bring it up to their apartment and assemble it. Needless to say he was beat and wanted to do nothing more than watch TV. Haley came out of the bedroom, jumping in excitement.

"Thank you so much." She said giving him a kiss on the cheeks. "It looks so good." She added, "Now come on."

"Huh?"

"Come on we have to get decorations?"

"Decorations?"

"Yeah, we need to get lights and ornaments and garland.."

Just hearing her talk about it was bringing back his headache. He refused to go, but she pouted and gave him those puppy dog eyes.

"That's not going to work Haley." Nathan declared, trying to hold his ground, but of course he knew Haley would eventually win out. "Daym her." He cursed to himself as he got up and drove to the store.

When they reached the store, Nathan was relieved that Haley wasn't as indecisive as she was earlier. He was pushing the cart as Haley kept dumping, what he called "useless crap" in it.

"Whoa, what's this?"

"An angel."

"I know that, why are you getting it?"

"For the tree, silly."

"Isn't that too big for the tree?"

"No, it's the perfect tree topper."

"What? There's no way I'm going to have a doll on top of my Christmas tree. What will people think when they come over?"

"THEY will think that OUR tree looks beautiful."

"Whatever, we're not getting it… why don't we get a star or something."

Haley ignored him as she added the angel to the cart. He tried taking it out but she stopped him cold.

"Don't you dare Nathan Scott." She threw him a cold look. Nathan knew better than to cross her now, but he wasn't out for the count. In fact, he knew exactly what he was going to do.

They left the store shortly and Haley went right for decorating the tree. Nathan was relieved that Haley didn't want him to help or as she called it "mess things up."

"Nathan, dear." Haley said in a cute innocent voice.

"What do you want?" Nathan said, knowing what she was up to.

"I can't reach." She said holding out the angel figurine for the top of the tree.

"I told you, I'm not putting that thing on top of the tree, next thing you know, you'll be putting up pink ornaments."

"Nathan please.. please please.." She said pleading in front of him.

"Fine." He grumbled to himself as he placed the angel on top of the tree.

Later on ..

"I'm done." Haley called out from the bathroom. Nathan got up and went to the bedroom and grabbed the towel. Haley came out, toweling off her hair. Nathan stepped in the shower as his wife went to the kitchen to make dinner. When he was finished, Nathan wrapped a towel around his waist and went to the bedroom. Just then, Haley came barging in, looking very annoyed.

"What the hell Nathan!!?"

Nathan looked at her with a confused look, but he knew why she was mad. "What're you talking about?" He responded innocently.

She grabbed his hand and led them out to the living room where she pointed to the top of the tree.

"My angel! Where did you put it?! And you think that putting a picture of me up there will not make me notice that it's gone!"

"I hate that doll."

"Angel!" She corrected.

"Well whatever.. since you wanted an angel on top of the tree, I put one up."

Haley looked at him confused. "What're you talking about!?"

"I took that stupid doll out and replaced it with a real angel.. cuz you're my angel." Nathan said with a genuine smile.

"I really hate how you can be so annoying and sweet at the same time." She said with a mix of annoyance and happiness.

"Does it help that I'm hot?" He grinned back.

"You have no idea." She replied quickly and pressing her lips against his and then her hands tugged on the towel wrapped around his waist. She quickly discarded it and upon doing so Nathan lifted her up and dragged her back to the bedroom.

--

Brooke stood in front of Nathan and Haley's Christmas tree.

"Aren't we a little conceited, tutorgirl." Brooke said as Haley walked into the living room. "I taught you well."

"What're you talking about?"

"Putting yourself on top of the tree?"

"Oh yeah about that.. I put up an angel figurine up there, but Nathan hated it and took it down and so he put a picture of me instead because, as he said it, I'm his angel."

"Aww, tutorgirl that is so sweet."

"Tell me about it, my back is still sore."

(Gasping) "Tutorslut!!" Brooke replied back, both of them laughing.

--

Nathan walked into Karen's café to meet up with his friends.

"Hey guys, are the girls here?" Nathan asked his half brother Lucas and his other friends Skills and Jake.

"Obviously not." Skills replied, not bothering to look up at Nathan.

"Am I missing something here?" Nathan asked confused.

"Yeah, a clue." Jake scoffed.

"Luke, what's going on?" Nathan asked, getting a little frustrated.

"Like you don't know.. thanks to you Brooke, Peyton and Bevin are all mad at us."

"What does that have to do with me?" Nathan responded.

"Brooke told everyone about your stupid Christmas tree… now she's all like, well Nathan put Haley up on his tree.. why am I not on your Christmas tree."

"Yeah!" Both Jake and Skills replied at the same time.

"It's hard already hard enough being the brother of the idiot who got married in high school, Brooke practically gets all excited when I go down on my knees to tie my shoe."

"Peyton's already wants a key to my place." Jake added.

"Bevin wants to take me on her family vacations." Skills added also.

"So thank you Nate for making us look like the worst boyfriends in the world… now I have to go to the mall later to take Holiday pictures with Brooke."

Nathan stood there smiling to himself amused. Nodding his head, he turned around and went to the counter to get a cup of coffee and as he did the guys all muttered something under their breath.

"Ass."

"Whipped."

"Tool."

Fin