Author- Emily-Grace Mendes (Brookebynature)
Disclaimer- I don't own the characters or the show. Just this story.
A/N- I loved the idea for this story, but I will admit I kinda stole it from somewhere. So it's not entirely my idea (though i did put a One Tree Hill twist on it) Hope you enjoy xxx
Watching
He watches as Haley breaks down. Thankfully, Lucas catches her before she hits the ground and damages the baby.
He can see him growing in there, but Haley doesn't know yet.
Though he knows she suspects.
--
It's at the hospital where he first came up here, taking his place amongst others watching their own families.
Nobody cries, although, Nathan guesses they want to.
He wants to cry too.
But the tears won't seem to leave his eyes.
She thinks he can't know how much she loved him, and she thinks he won't ever know about the child she suspect is growing inside of her.
But he does know.
And that's what hurts the most. Because he needs to tell her. He needs to be there, promising that things will be okay, and that he'll be with her every step of the way (because he will be). The pain in his chest is just getting worse now.
It's like having that God damn HCM. Lucas has it. He lied.
Nathan can tell who's lying now. He doesn't know whether it's a good thing, but he's been given that power all the same. It must mean something.
--
He stares down at his own body, lying in the open casket as everyone peers round.
And he watches as his father's smirk stays present on his face. He doesn't even have the decency to hide it.
Still, Nathan didn't expect any better.
The pain in his chest only worsens when Haley steps onto the platform, wanting to tell everyone how much she loved him.
He thinks that if crying were able to happen up here, then there would surely be a salty river running down his cheeks as he watches Lucas prise Haley away from the microphone.
He sees her place her hands on her stomach. And that's the same point where everyone else guesses it was her pregnancy test. The point where they all made mental notes to congratulate her when the shock of her husband's death wears off, and the point where they start wondering if it's a boy or a girl, the point where they think about buying baby clothes in nine months.
Nathan already knows Haley will give birth to their son. And he knows his name will be Nathan James Scott.
Nobody else does, not even Haley. But he knows what she's feeling, and he wonders if that's what's responsible for this worsening pain.
Maybe it's her heart breaking.
--
That pain returns (it had been gone a while) when he watches Haley agree to marry Chris. He knows she doesn't love him, not really.
But she sought comfort one night, one night after drinking a bottle of merlot, while Nathan James was at basketball camp. Chris was there, he was the one that found her, and he was the one who carried her to her bed, offering the softest of kisses upon her forehead.
And she captured his lips and he undid the button on her shirt. It wasn't what she wanted, and it sure as hell wasn't what Nathan wanted to see.
But it helped her (for that night at least) so he was grateful to Chris, for that, and for giving her another child to love.
It's a girl this time, he can see.
He smiles a little when Chris places that ring on Haley's finger, and she smiles too. But it's a smile of sadness, of wishful thinking, of imagining that it's Nathan preparing to marry her (again.)
--
Their wedding is small and only Brooke, Lucas, and a few others are there to witness it. It's not the rock star wedding people might have imagined. But Nathan knows that's not Haley's style anyway.
She's already had the wedding of her dreams.
Nathan watches Brooke cry, and Lucas hold her close to him. He knows why she's crying.
She wants it to be him standing up there at the alter with the girl he loves. She wants Haley's heart to stop breaking, and she wants Lucas to get better (because the HCM is starting to take it's toll.)
--
He's joined next, by Lucas, his brother, the one who, in the beginning, he never felt any compassion for.
And he grins at him, pulling him into a hug as though they haven't seen each other for years. (They haven't)
But then his smile fades, as he feels that pain in his chest, the same pain that Nathan feels, as he watches Brooke cradle their three children, all girls, in her arms, trying to hide her tears from them.
He asks Nathan whether she'll be okay.
There's no point in lying. Lucas will be able to tell.
"Probably not."
Lucas is just grateful for his honesty.
"How's Haley?" he just wants to believe she's happy, but he knows he doesn't have to ask Nathan to know the answer to that.
"I just wish her heart wasn't still breaking."
"So that's the pain?"
Nathan just nods, and they speak no more words to each other.
They're both merely waiting.
--
It's Chris that's next, something they didn't expect.
But he never feels the pain in his chest, because Haley's heart never breaks. And he knows that. He never expected it to, not really.
Nathan offers a half-smile, but turns his attentions back to his wife, who's trying to entertain her children by singing and miming actions. They laugh, and he wills Haley to laugh too.
She never does.
--
Lucas thinks he might cry when he watches his daughters surround Brooke as she finally breaks down, offering her hugs and kisses and everything else they could think of to get their mommy to laugh again.
That pain is still there, but the tears don't come.
Nathan knows it won't disappear. So does Lucas.
Chris has never felt it, he just continues to watch his daughter.
--
It's just Haley and Brooke now, and their brood.
Nathan and Lucas smile when they move in together, little Nathan being outnumbered by six girls.
Lucas wishes he and Brooke could have had another child, a son, just so that he wasn't the only guy, and partly, so that he wouldn't grow up thinking that cheerleading and barbies were more important than basketball.
But he sees Nathan smile when his son attends his first basketball game, as captain. He's only in the juniors, but they all know he'll be the best.
He takes after his father.
--
They enter at the same time, it's a car crash that allows them to be reunited.
Nathan hugs Haley and she thinks she might cry into his chest. But she doesn't. The tears don't come.
The pain in Lucas' chest is gone now, it left as soon as he heard that giggle. He kisses both dimples and she flings her arms around his neck, pressing her body into his.
No one would guess their ages.
But ages don't matter now.
--
Nathan wonders if that's it now, if he was only waiting for Haley. But he stays, as does Lucas, and Brooke and Haley.
Perhaps this is what they've been resigned to forever: watching. They don't know.
But they appreciate it.
Please review xxx