day twelve: ironic twist of fate - haley/peter - one tree hill/heroes - fanfiction
Title: ironic twist of fate
Rating: PG
Fandom: One Tree Hill/Heroes
Pairing: Haley/Peter (hint of Haley/Nathan)
Characters: Haley James Scott, Peter Petrelli (James Scott, Nathan Scott, Monty Petrelli, Simon Petrelli, Heidi Petrelli)
Word Count: 2123
Spoilers: Heavily spoiled for all of Heroes up-to-date, and right up to 5x01 of One Tree Hill.
Summary: Haley leaves Nathan on a stormy Monday Morning.
Note: Day twelve of my 25 Fics In 25 Days Challenge. Written for callmeadreamer, who requested Haley/Peter to the song "Honestly" by Bethany Joy (although that didn't come into play really, sorry). OMG, THIS IS MY LONGEST FIC IN FOREVERVILLE! I couldn't stop myself! Very very much based off this sneak peek of season five.
Warnings: none.
Originally Posted: 12th December, 2007
Haley leaves Nathan on a stormy Monday morning. He leaves early for physical therapy, and she hurries to pack her and her son’s bags. Jaime plays basketball with Lucas while Skills helps her load up the car, and her two friends hug her tightly before she drives away.
She wants to say her heart breaks leaving him behind, but he broke it for her months ago when he tells her he has nothing left to live for.
-
She already has a new job lined up in New York, teaching at a private elementary school. Her passion had always been teaching teenagers, but this job pays too well to pass up, and it also allows Jaime to be a student there and she’s always thought he deserved the best.
She finds a nice little apartment in a good part of town - it’s cheap, but thankfully nothing is broken or suspicious smelling. Jaime has his own room, and they decorate it together. Haley’s never been much of an artist (that was Peyton’s thing, Haley had her music) but she paints a border of basketballs on the wall.
When Jaime is eating his lunch, she cries in the bathroom and clutches the paintbrush to her chest.
-
She shouldn’t have favorites, but she can’t help but adore little Monty Petrelli to bits. He’s polite and well-mannered and really cute as a button. One time during recess, he sits down beside her and offers her his cupcake before regaling her with stories of his daddy who apparently can fly (she takes the stories with a grain of salt, but he’s clearly got an amazing imagination).
When it becomes clear that he doesn’t exactly have many friends (although why is beyond her, he’s such a sweet boy), she introduces him to Jaime and despite the age gap, they seem to get along famously.
And that is how she ends up meeting Peter Petrelli.
-
Jaime rushes into her classroom one afternoon several weeks after they moved to New York, Monty on his heels.
“Mom! Mom!” he shouted, causing Haley to sigh softly but smile. She picks up her purse before turning to face the two excited boys.
“Ready to go Jaime? Monty, what are you doing here? Isn’t your mother here yet?”
“Actually, Heidi had an appointment.”
When Haley glances up, she’s pretty sure she’s almost blinded by just how pretty the man in front of her is. Her voice seems to falter and her fingers dig into the strap of her bag. The man smiles, holding out his free hand (the other one holding Simon Petrelli’s hand tightly).
“Sorry, I’m Peter. I’m Simon and Monty’s uncle,” he says, and Haley slowly reaches across to shake his hand, hoping desperately that she isn’t giving away just how warm and clammy she suddenly feels.
“Nice to meet you Mr Petrelli. I’m Haley Sco-um, Haley James. I’m Monty’s teacher,” she rambles, biting her lips to stop herself from saying anymore. Peter just smiles a bit more, nodding.
“I know. Uh listen, Monty was hoping Jaime could come play this afternoon.” Haley’s breath hitches nervously, and she glances down at her son. Apart from while he’s in class, Haley hasn’t spent a moment away from him since moving to New York, even going as far as to let him snuggle up in her bed at night (and she knows that’s not exactly the best parenting skill, but she just can’t stand being alone after so many years of having her husband by her side). “Oh hey, it’s cool if you’ve got something planned already - maybe we could schedule something for later this week, but you’d probably have to talk to Heidi.”
“Oh no!” Haley interrupts, blushing slightly. “No, uh, it’s not that. No, you know what, that sounds fine.” Haley smiles tightly and threads her hand through her sons hair as he beams up at her, but Peter can clearly see her reluctance.
“Hey uh, why don’t you come with us? I was just going to take them to Central Park, but I’m not used to three kids. I could always use a spare set of hands,” he insists, but Haley can see he’s just saying it for her sake. She appreciates it nonetheless, and her stomach flops at the thought of spending the afternoon with such a pretty man - it’s been far too long since anybody showed interest in her. So she smiles and hitches her purse over her shoulder and ushers the boys out of her classroom.
-
She’s almost ashamed to admit that the afternoon spent with the Petrelli boys is probably the best time she’s had in over four months. Peter buys her ice cream while they watch the three boys play jovially, and they talk about everything from the weather to what’s playing on Broadway this week. When the conversation finally stilts, Haley turns to Peter with an amused grin.
“You know, Monty was telling me the funniest thing the other day.” Peter turns back to face her with a lazily curious smile.
“Oh really? I did hear that Monty inherited my wit,” he teass, and Haley rolls her eyes.
“Haha. No, he was just telling me about how his father could fly. Isn’t that just ridiculous?” Haley chuckles, licking the melted icecream from her fingers. Peter’s silent beside her, and when Haley glances back at him his eyes are dark and stormy. “Peter?”
“Listen, Monty’s been through a hard time. My brother Nathan died a few months ago, so he’s been saying some insane things to try and place his dad on some sort of pedestal,” he pauses for a moment, “but it’s not true.” Haley glances worriedly over at the boys, nodding slowly.
“I knew that it wasn’t true, obviously. But I didn’t know about your brother,” she hesitates, reaching out to place her hand over his, “I’m really sorry Peter.” He smiles half-heartedly, entwining his fingers with hers.
“Thanks,” he murmurs; and the subject it promptly forgotten.
-
The next time she sees Peter Petrelli, it’s entirely unexpected. She steps out of her apartment, Jaime’s hand in one of her own and her purse in the other - and then Jaime is shouting Peter’s hand and when Haley glances up he’s there, stepping out of the apartment next door. He smiles warmly at them and wraps Jaime in a hug.
“What are you doing here?” she blurts out, and he cocks an eyebrow at her as if to say ‘gee, nice to see you too’, which makes her blush. “Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s okay. This used to be my apartment,” he says, “I’ve moved in with Heidi to help take care of the boys, but I still have most of my stuff here. I just had to pick up some books.” At that, he waves the books he’s holding in his grip, and she smiles wryly at him.
“Talk about a small world,” she mutters dryly and he laughs as he leads the way down the stairs.
Just before she gets into the taxi he hails down for her, Peter pulls her aside and smiles gently at her, “do you maybe want to get coffee sometime?” She hesitates, “you, uh, can bring Jaime with you. I just - well I think there’s something there and I think you feel it too.” She smiles.
“Yeah, yeah okay.”
-
She doesn’t end up having to take Jaime along, since Heidi graciously offers to take him with her and the boys to the zoo for the day. She’ll readily admit, she almost feels lost without him, but he’s so excited to be with his friends that she can’t help but be a little excited too.
Peter takes her to a nice little café that’s fairly quiet and inconspicuous, and she enjoys herself more than she’d ever have expected. He mentions he used to be a hospice nurse which she says sounds like a quietly heroic job and he blushes in a way that makes her fall a little in love with him right there and then. He asks about her life back home and she briskly discusses her life with Nathan to which he smiles darkly at.
“Guess we’re both mourning our own Nathan’s. Kinda ironic really,” he says, and she can’t help but agree. It’s almost too ironic, she decides with a sigh.
-
He calls the next day, and he’s waiting for her the day after that after the school day ends. He’s clutching a small bouquet of pink-hued lilies that make her smile.
“Jaime’s in the hallway with Simon and Monty. I just wanted to see you by myself for a moment,” he tells her as he hands her the flowers with a grin. She chuckles softly and places a gentle kiss to his cheek, which he responds to by dragging his hand over her own cheek fondly.
She pulls away to place the flowers down on her desk and when she turns back he’s smirking in a way that give her tingles down to her toes.
“So Haley, what’s this I hear about you singing?”
-
Their first real date comes the following weekend - again, Heidi is minding Jaime and Haley frets for a little while, but Heidi smiles and assures her that Jaime will be just fine so Haley really has no choice but to follow Peter willingly.
He takes her to a nice restaurant, one so unlike any she’d been to in Tree Hill, but that was a given. He lets her order anything she liked (don’t worry about the price, he tells her with a wink, and she falls even more in love with him in that moment) and they take some of the restaurant’s specialty chocolate cake to go and eat it on top of their apartment building as they watch the stars and listen to music on the radio Haley brought up with them. It was easily the most romantic evening she’d had in years, and it made her heart ache a little for Nathan.
“Sing for me,” Peter laughs as his tongue darts out to lick away a chocolate crumb from the edge of his mouth - and how can she resist? She leans across and presses a soft kiss to his lips, and then rises to her feet on the ledge of the building and sings about halos as her black dress swishes around her legs.
-
They make love two weeks later after their fifth date - Peter reads Jaime a story and Haley tucks him in, then they sneak next door to Peter’s empty apartment.
They’re quiet after, basking in the glow; Haley smiles against his chest as his fingers crawl through her short hair. And then she feels him exhale deeply and she twists around to face him with curious eyes.
“What’s wrong?” she murmurs, a tiny coil of fear twisting in her gut. He offers a small smile and brushes his fingers across her face.
“There’s something I need to tell you, about me. And my brother.”
And so he tells her, and with wide eyes, Haley accepts Peter whole.
-
Haley goes back to Tree Hill on a sunny Saturday. Nathan’s waiting for her outside their home, freshly shaven and scowling. She sighs and if she slams her car door a little too hard, well maybe she’s just built up too much frustration on the drive there.
He rises to meet her half way but doesn’t meet her eyes. She lays her hand out between them expectedly, “well, where are they?” Nathan sighs heavily and walks back towards the house, Haley close behind. He hands her the papers sitting on the coffee table.
“I was hoping you’d change your mind when you got here,” he admits gruffly, and Haley almost falters but then she remembers Peter.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, and he nods in understanding.
“I should’ve figured,” a pause, and then, “look Hales, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the way everything happened. I screwed up, I know that.” Haley nods slowly and half-smiles.
“I know. I guess I’m sorry too. Maybe I should’ve tried harder,” she murmurs, but Nathan shakes his head.
“I don’t think so Hales, you tried pretty hard. I was just too stubborn to see what I had left to lose.” Haley can’t disagree with that, so she simply nods and presses a soft kiss to his cheek.
“I’ll bring Jaime down when school lets out next month, and you’re welcome to come up whenever,” she says, and he smiles genuinely and says his thanks. She turns to leave but he calls her back.
“Just - just be happy. You deserve it,” he tells her stoically, and Haley smiles.
“I plan to be,” she says - and with that, she walks away.
Rating: PG
Fandom: One Tree Hill/Heroes
Pairing: Haley/Peter (hint of Haley/Nathan)
Characters: Haley James Scott, Peter Petrelli (James Scott, Nathan Scott, Monty Petrelli, Simon Petrelli, Heidi Petrelli)
Word Count: 2123
Spoilers: Heavily spoiled for all of Heroes up-to-date, and right up to 5x01 of One Tree Hill.
Summary: Haley leaves Nathan on a stormy Monday Morning.
Note: Day twelve of my 25 Fics In 25 Days Challenge. Written for callmeadreamer, who requested Haley/Peter to the song "Honestly" by Bethany Joy (although that didn't come into play really, sorry). OMG, THIS IS MY LONGEST FIC IN FOREVERVILLE! I couldn't stop myself! Very very much based off this sneak peek of season five.
Warnings: none.
Originally Posted: 12th December, 2007
Haley leaves Nathan on a stormy Monday morning. He leaves early for physical therapy, and she hurries to pack her and her son’s bags. Jaime plays basketball with Lucas while Skills helps her load up the car, and her two friends hug her tightly before she drives away.
She wants to say her heart breaks leaving him behind, but he broke it for her months ago when he tells her he has nothing left to live for.
-
She already has a new job lined up in New York, teaching at a private elementary school. Her passion had always been teaching teenagers, but this job pays too well to pass up, and it also allows Jaime to be a student there and she’s always thought he deserved the best.
She finds a nice little apartment in a good part of town - it’s cheap, but thankfully nothing is broken or suspicious smelling. Jaime has his own room, and they decorate it together. Haley’s never been much of an artist (that was Peyton’s thing, Haley had her music) but she paints a border of basketballs on the wall.
When Jaime is eating his lunch, she cries in the bathroom and clutches the paintbrush to her chest.
-
She shouldn’t have favorites, but she can’t help but adore little Monty Petrelli to bits. He’s polite and well-mannered and really cute as a button. One time during recess, he sits down beside her and offers her his cupcake before regaling her with stories of his daddy who apparently can fly (she takes the stories with a grain of salt, but he’s clearly got an amazing imagination).
When it becomes clear that he doesn’t exactly have many friends (although why is beyond her, he’s such a sweet boy), she introduces him to Jaime and despite the age gap, they seem to get along famously.
And that is how she ends up meeting Peter Petrelli.
-
Jaime rushes into her classroom one afternoon several weeks after they moved to New York, Monty on his heels.
“Mom! Mom!” he shouted, causing Haley to sigh softly but smile. She picks up her purse before turning to face the two excited boys.
“Ready to go Jaime? Monty, what are you doing here? Isn’t your mother here yet?”
“Actually, Heidi had an appointment.”
When Haley glances up, she’s pretty sure she’s almost blinded by just how pretty the man in front of her is. Her voice seems to falter and her fingers dig into the strap of her bag. The man smiles, holding out his free hand (the other one holding Simon Petrelli’s hand tightly).
“Sorry, I’m Peter. I’m Simon and Monty’s uncle,” he says, and Haley slowly reaches across to shake his hand, hoping desperately that she isn’t giving away just how warm and clammy she suddenly feels.
“Nice to meet you Mr Petrelli. I’m Haley Sco-um, Haley James. I’m Monty’s teacher,” she rambles, biting her lips to stop herself from saying anymore. Peter just smiles a bit more, nodding.
“I know. Uh listen, Monty was hoping Jaime could come play this afternoon.” Haley’s breath hitches nervously, and she glances down at her son. Apart from while he’s in class, Haley hasn’t spent a moment away from him since moving to New York, even going as far as to let him snuggle up in her bed at night (and she knows that’s not exactly the best parenting skill, but she just can’t stand being alone after so many years of having her husband by her side). “Oh hey, it’s cool if you’ve got something planned already - maybe we could schedule something for later this week, but you’d probably have to talk to Heidi.”
“Oh no!” Haley interrupts, blushing slightly. “No, uh, it’s not that. No, you know what, that sounds fine.” Haley smiles tightly and threads her hand through her sons hair as he beams up at her, but Peter can clearly see her reluctance.
“Hey uh, why don’t you come with us? I was just going to take them to Central Park, but I’m not used to three kids. I could always use a spare set of hands,” he insists, but Haley can see he’s just saying it for her sake. She appreciates it nonetheless, and her stomach flops at the thought of spending the afternoon with such a pretty man - it’s been far too long since anybody showed interest in her. So she smiles and hitches her purse over her shoulder and ushers the boys out of her classroom.
-
She’s almost ashamed to admit that the afternoon spent with the Petrelli boys is probably the best time she’s had in over four months. Peter buys her ice cream while they watch the three boys play jovially, and they talk about everything from the weather to what’s playing on Broadway this week. When the conversation finally stilts, Haley turns to Peter with an amused grin.
“You know, Monty was telling me the funniest thing the other day.” Peter turns back to face her with a lazily curious smile.
“Oh really? I did hear that Monty inherited my wit,” he teass, and Haley rolls her eyes.
“Haha. No, he was just telling me about how his father could fly. Isn’t that just ridiculous?” Haley chuckles, licking the melted icecream from her fingers. Peter’s silent beside her, and when Haley glances back at him his eyes are dark and stormy. “Peter?”
“Listen, Monty’s been through a hard time. My brother Nathan died a few months ago, so he’s been saying some insane things to try and place his dad on some sort of pedestal,” he pauses for a moment, “but it’s not true.” Haley glances worriedly over at the boys, nodding slowly.
“I knew that it wasn’t true, obviously. But I didn’t know about your brother,” she hesitates, reaching out to place her hand over his, “I’m really sorry Peter.” He smiles half-heartedly, entwining his fingers with hers.
“Thanks,” he murmurs; and the subject it promptly forgotten.
-
The next time she sees Peter Petrelli, it’s entirely unexpected. She steps out of her apartment, Jaime’s hand in one of her own and her purse in the other - and then Jaime is shouting Peter’s hand and when Haley glances up he’s there, stepping out of the apartment next door. He smiles warmly at them and wraps Jaime in a hug.
“What are you doing here?” she blurts out, and he cocks an eyebrow at her as if to say ‘gee, nice to see you too’, which makes her blush. “Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s okay. This used to be my apartment,” he says, “I’ve moved in with Heidi to help take care of the boys, but I still have most of my stuff here. I just had to pick up some books.” At that, he waves the books he’s holding in his grip, and she smiles wryly at him.
“Talk about a small world,” she mutters dryly and he laughs as he leads the way down the stairs.
Just before she gets into the taxi he hails down for her, Peter pulls her aside and smiles gently at her, “do you maybe want to get coffee sometime?” She hesitates, “you, uh, can bring Jaime with you. I just - well I think there’s something there and I think you feel it too.” She smiles.
“Yeah, yeah okay.”
-
She doesn’t end up having to take Jaime along, since Heidi graciously offers to take him with her and the boys to the zoo for the day. She’ll readily admit, she almost feels lost without him, but he’s so excited to be with his friends that she can’t help but be a little excited too.
Peter takes her to a nice little café that’s fairly quiet and inconspicuous, and she enjoys herself more than she’d ever have expected. He mentions he used to be a hospice nurse which she says sounds like a quietly heroic job and he blushes in a way that makes her fall a little in love with him right there and then. He asks about her life back home and she briskly discusses her life with Nathan to which he smiles darkly at.
“Guess we’re both mourning our own Nathan’s. Kinda ironic really,” he says, and she can’t help but agree. It’s almost too ironic, she decides with a sigh.
-
He calls the next day, and he’s waiting for her the day after that after the school day ends. He’s clutching a small bouquet of pink-hued lilies that make her smile.
“Jaime’s in the hallway with Simon and Monty. I just wanted to see you by myself for a moment,” he tells her as he hands her the flowers with a grin. She chuckles softly and places a gentle kiss to his cheek, which he responds to by dragging his hand over her own cheek fondly.
She pulls away to place the flowers down on her desk and when she turns back he’s smirking in a way that give her tingles down to her toes.
“So Haley, what’s this I hear about you singing?”
-
Their first real date comes the following weekend - again, Heidi is minding Jaime and Haley frets for a little while, but Heidi smiles and assures her that Jaime will be just fine so Haley really has no choice but to follow Peter willingly.
He takes her to a nice restaurant, one so unlike any she’d been to in Tree Hill, but that was a given. He lets her order anything she liked (don’t worry about the price, he tells her with a wink, and she falls even more in love with him in that moment) and they take some of the restaurant’s specialty chocolate cake to go and eat it on top of their apartment building as they watch the stars and listen to music on the radio Haley brought up with them. It was easily the most romantic evening she’d had in years, and it made her heart ache a little for Nathan.
“Sing for me,” Peter laughs as his tongue darts out to lick away a chocolate crumb from the edge of his mouth - and how can she resist? She leans across and presses a soft kiss to his lips, and then rises to her feet on the ledge of the building and sings about halos as her black dress swishes around her legs.
-
They make love two weeks later after their fifth date - Peter reads Jaime a story and Haley tucks him in, then they sneak next door to Peter’s empty apartment.
They’re quiet after, basking in the glow; Haley smiles against his chest as his fingers crawl through her short hair. And then she feels him exhale deeply and she twists around to face him with curious eyes.
“What’s wrong?” she murmurs, a tiny coil of fear twisting in her gut. He offers a small smile and brushes his fingers across her face.
“There’s something I need to tell you, about me. And my brother.”
And so he tells her, and with wide eyes, Haley accepts Peter whole.
-
Haley goes back to Tree Hill on a sunny Saturday. Nathan’s waiting for her outside their home, freshly shaven and scowling. She sighs and if she slams her car door a little too hard, well maybe she’s just built up too much frustration on the drive there.
He rises to meet her half way but doesn’t meet her eyes. She lays her hand out between them expectedly, “well, where are they?” Nathan sighs heavily and walks back towards the house, Haley close behind. He hands her the papers sitting on the coffee table.
“I was hoping you’d change your mind when you got here,” he admits gruffly, and Haley almost falters but then she remembers Peter.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, and he nods in understanding.
“I should’ve figured,” a pause, and then, “look Hales, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the way everything happened. I screwed up, I know that.” Haley nods slowly and half-smiles.
“I know. I guess I’m sorry too. Maybe I should’ve tried harder,” she murmurs, but Nathan shakes his head.
“I don’t think so Hales, you tried pretty hard. I was just too stubborn to see what I had left to lose.” Haley can’t disagree with that, so she simply nods and presses a soft kiss to his cheek.
“I’ll bring Jaime down when school lets out next month, and you’re welcome to come up whenever,” she says, and he smiles genuinely and says his thanks. She turns to leave but he calls her back.
“Just - just be happy. You deserve it,” he tells her stoically, and Haley smiles.
“I plan to be,” she says - and with that, she walks away.