Title: Haven's Annual Winter Festival
Fandom: Haven
Author:
klutzy_girl Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,050
Characters/Pairings: Nathan, Audrey, Duke, Nathan/Audrey
Disclaimer: I don't own Haven and never will. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: Written for the
schmoop_bingo prompt, winter holiday/festival.
Summary: Nathan and Duke drag Audrey along to one of Haven's many festivals. Things happen between Nathan and Audrey.
“Do I really have to go?” Audrey Parker whined to her partner and best friend, Nathan Wournos. She just wanted to stay inside where it was warm. Was that too much to ask?
“Yes, you do. It’s Haven’s Annual Winter Festival and you have to go. I’m forced into it every single year, and we’re forcing you to go,” Duke explained. He hated the festival. It was usually way too cold, and the old ladies kept dragging him off to various booths.
Audrey sighed. “Fine. But I don’t like the fact that I have to be out there in 45 degree weather when Nathan and I could be solving this case.” She was interested to see how this festival would turn out, however. Haven’s festivals were always … attention-grabbing to say the least. The Haven Halloween Festival had been one of the weirdest festivals she had ever attended. Audrey wondered if this one would have a parade too, or if it’d be too cold.
“Audrey, we’ll solve the case later. It can wait a few hours. Besides, the person having the Troubles is probably at these thing anyway. Everybody’s there, like usual.” Nathan gave Audrey a puppy dog smile.
“Don’t think that works on me, Nathan Thaddeus Wournos.” But Audrey didn’t tell him that it did work. He’d use that smile on her all the time then, and she wouldn’t be able to resist him. Whoa, where had that thought come from? Nathan was her best friend. That was it.
“Hey, don’t full name me. And stop laughing, Duke, or I’ll tell her your middle name!” Nathan threatened. He glared at both of them.
“I already know his middle name already, but definitely keep that as leverage,” Audrey encouraged. She laughed at the look of outrage on Duke’s face.
“So, let’s get going.” Duke scowled at them both, and the two officers followed him out of the station. The three arrived at the festival about five minutes later. These annual festivals were always in the same place. The one year it had been moved, outrage had ensued.
“Audrey, dear, you look a little cold,” murmured one of Haven’s residents, Jean Marshella. She fussed over her for a few minutes before going over to help someone at a booth.
“These old ladies never leave me alone,” Audrey muttered as Duke and Nathan headed straight for the food table. She swore those two were obsessed with the food that Haven served at festivals. They always went for the food as soon as they arrived, and then they kept eating all day.
“Yes, they have their chocolate lava cake!” Nathan happily cried as he grabbed a piece of cake from the dessert table. He loved this cake. It was excellent.
“Nathan, you aren’t going to eat real food first?” Truth be told, Audrey wanted something from the dessert table first, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.
“I’ll eat real food … eventually.” Nathan dug into his piece and made his way towards the games. Duke got distracted by someone random walking by and went to go hit on her, so Audrey followed Nathan.
Once it started to get dark, the fires started up. Duke was off playing games, so Audrey and Nathan sat down by one to warm up. Audrey covered herself up with a blanket.
“You okay?” Nathan asked her. He was worried about her. He was warm, but Audrey probably wouldn’t tell him if she was cold or not. She was determined to be independent.
“I’m fine, Nathan.” Audrey smiled at him and then grabbed his hand. She had known Nathan could feel her for months now, and took the initiative to touch him whenever the opportunity presented itself.
“I love you.” Nathan realized what he had said a few seconds after the words left his mouth and he panicked. He tried to pull away from Audrey, but she wouldn’t let him go.
Audrey wasn’t about to let Nathan run away from this conversation. It was time they finally faced up to their feelings for each other. “I love you, too.” Wow, it felt really good to actually sat that out loud! She should have told Nathan she loved him before. But maybe it was good that Nathan had confessed his feelings for her first.
Nathan beamed at her and then leaned in for a kiss. “I’m glad you love me.” The two sat there on the log and kissed for a few minutes.
They were interrupted by Duke wandering by with another girl. “Took you two long enough. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” He left just as quickly as he arrived.
Audrey and Nathan pulled apart and both were laughing at Duke’s intrusion. “Well you heard him,” Nathan murmured.
“You ready to ditch this festival, Wournos? I want to get back inside anyway.” Audrey was tired of being outside in this freezing weather. They had been outside for hours now and she was really starting to get numb.
“Sure.” Nathan stood up and then helped Audrey stand. The two made their way back to the station and from there, drove to Audrey’s apartment. It was closer than Nathan’s, and neither felt like making that drive.
Audrey popped in a movie as Nathan went to go get snacks from her kitchen. He and Audrey knew each other so well they took food from each other’s kitchens without asking now. Both were fine with that arrangement.
Nathan came back with popcorn and some other assorted snacks as the movie started. Audrey leaned into him and the two ended up watching three movies that night.
They fell asleep halfway through movie number three, since they were too tired to stay up any longer.
Every year, Nathan and Audrey attended Haven’s Annual Winter Festival without complaint since that was what partially led to the two finally becoming a couple.
They would forever be grateful to that festival, and even got married during a festival once. It was a nice, cold day in Haven.
“I’m glad we decided to go to that festival all those years again. Will never complain about going to another one again,” Audrey murmured to her husband one night.
“Same here, Audrey.” Nathan grinned at her and then kissed his wife.
Yeah, Haven festivals weren’t all that bad.