Title: Long Time Coming

Author: D Sollers

Subject: ONESHOT. BL "So Brooke, was it everything you dreamed of?"

Brooke thought a moment, trying to carefully put into words exactly how she was feeling. She couldn't complain. She was 22, right out of college with great friends and a nice apartment. And with her shop finally opened, it was exactly what she always wanted, always pictured.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with One Tree Hill, nor at this present time would want to. Hello? Have you even watched the show recently. No I didn't think so.

Author's Notes:

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Brooke Davis glanced down at her watch, there were fifteen minutes left and counting. Her eyes darted throughout the small shop and at the different dresses hanging in the window. Deciding that the manaquin needed to have her hands on her hips, she rushed towards it and propped the hand on its left hip.

In the background she could hear her friends talking, faint whispers about how much money they were expecting to bring in on the first day. She smiled at the familiar faces of Mouth and Rachel, two of her high school friends who had moved to New York shortly after she had.

The night before she had gotten a call from Haley and Nathan, both wishing that they could be there with her as her shop opened but knowing that their lives stopped them. Haley was seven and a half months pregnant, this time with a little girl and Nathan was working endless hours trying to afford the new car that they had recently bought.

Even Peyton who had been there at the start of her fashion line, had sent her an email explaining how she would have liked to have been there. But an ocean and a boy had caused the distance between the two friends, as Peyton left Tree Hill for life in Paris.

She had gotten flowers that morning from her parents, and a check attatched. They had insisted that it was her back up plan, in case the Clothes Over Bro's clothing line hit and missed.

But Brooke heard nothing of it, this was her dream. Every hard earned piece of money, long hours and endless nights spent sketching when she could have been out partying, had landed her there. Everything was falling into place for her and she smiled triumphantly.

Who would have thought that the class slut of Tree Hill, would have become successful? She wasn't singer with a happy marriage, she didn't have a best seller under her belt and she sure as hell didn't have two art studios in different cities of the world.

She was Brooke, queen of all things pretty.

And this store was no exception. Beautiful jewel colored curtains hung in the windows and the lights were lowered offering a flirty feel around the place. It was smaller than she had hoped but nevertheless beautiful.

"Okay, countdown Mouth! Gretchen, get the champange," Rachel said lifting her glass. Brooke ran her fingers down her dress and smiled at Rachel, knowing that in a matter of moments, all of her hard work would finally pay off.

Brooke looked towards at shut doors and turned back to her friends. "I think I'm going to be sick," she whispered as she wrapped her arm over her stomach. "What if no one buys anything? What happens if I lose all of the investors money?"

Mouth wrapped his arm over Brooke's shoulder and laughed at his friend.

"Brooke relax okay, this is it. Your big moment and it's now or never."

Brooke took a deep breath, knowing that her friend was right. She looked at Rachel and sighed. "Rach, open the doors."

"Don't you think you should..."

Brooke cut her off with a firm shake of her head. "Just open the doors, alight guys Pretty Girl is officially open. Let's make some money."

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It was eleven o clock by the time that the final customer left Brooke's shop and she was watching as Mouth estimated the money that she had made. Rachel hung up her cell phone and made her way over to Brooke. "I've got to hand it to you Davis, you really did great today."

"Thanks Rach," Brooke smiled sadly.

Rachel was going to say something but Mouth interupted her with a laugh.

"So Brooke, was it everything you dreamed of?"

Brooke thought a moment, trying to carefully put into words exactly how she was feeling. She couldn't complain. She was 22, right out of college with great friends and a nice apartment. And with her shop finally opened, it was exactly what she always wanted, always pictured.

But something in her heart held her back from saying yes. The familiar ache that had been there from the begining of her clothing line, the missing person who filled her endless nights dreams. The love that she had tried her hardest to forget and had given up to her best friend.

Lucas.

"Lucas," Mouth said quietly.

Brooke snapped to with the mention of his name and she shook her head no. "I know what you're thinking Mouth, you're thinking that I'm thinking about Lucas but that's not true..."

"No Brooke, he means Lucas. As in the guy that's standing at the door," Rachel said as she pointed to the locked shop.

Brooke's eyes widened and she turned around, praying that they weren't playing games with her and yet at the same time, wishing they were. Her breathe caught in her chest as she saw him smile at her and ask if he could come in.

Rachel walked towards the door but Brooke cut her off. "Don't," Brooke whispered. Rachel looked at her in confusion but Brooke sighed. "This is something I need to do," she explained.

Rachel rolled her eyes and turned back to Mouth. "Let's get home, I need to get my beauty sleep for the runway show tomorrow." Mouth shut the register and grabbed his jacket, handing Rachel hers. "We can go out the back," Rachel said as she glanced one more time at the person who had become her best friend.

Hoping that Brooke would be all right, Rachel placed her hand in Mouths and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Take me home."

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"Brooke," Lucas smiled softly.

Brooke held his gaze as she shut the door quietly behind her, whispering hello herself. After a few moments of silence, Brooke spoke up. "What are you doing here Lucas?"

"I came to see you, to see the shop. You have no idea how proud we all are of you," Lucas said. Brooke led him over to the bench in front of her store and sat down, listening intently as Lucas continued. "I would have been here earlier but there was an accident right outside of the airport. I got stuck in traffic."

Brooke nodded her head. "I'm glad you came, even if the store is closed already. It's good to see familiar faces, I need all the support I can get."

"I still can't believe Mouth and Rachel are living together," Lucas said with a laugh.

Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "I can. Mouth is a great guy, it just took Rachel a while to finally admit that she had feelings for him. They seem pretty happy now, I mean they're no Naley but they're still cute."

"You should see Nathan and Haley now!" Lucas laughed, as he pulled out his wallet and showed her a picture of his nephew, Kieth. "I still can't believe they're parents. It's been four years and I'm still not use to it. And now Haley's pregnant again."

Brooke nodded her head. "How's your mom?"

"She's okay, some days are better than others... When she found out about Dan, I thought I was going to lose her all over again."

Brooke shook her head no. "You're mom is the strongest person I know."

"Second," Lucas said, smiling at his ex girlfriend. Brooke looked down to the ground and listened as he continued. "She's actually dating again, Larry came back to Tree Hill and they've been dating for a little over six months now."

Brooke found herself amused. Peyton and Lucas were together, as were there parents. She fought back laughter and he raised an eyebrow. "What's funny?" Lucas questioned.

"Isn't it weird? I mean you're dating your moms boyfriends daughter, that just seems weird to me."

Lucas stayed quiet and then looked away from her. "Peyton and I aren't together anymore," he explained. Brooke stopped laughing and for a moment felt bad. "She's in Paris now, with Jake and Jenny too."

"Luke, I'm sorry..." Brooke whispered quietly.

Lucas laughed. "It's okay Brooke, Peyton and I haven't been a couple since college. We stayed together for about a year after you left Tree Hill and then we both realized..."

"What did you realize?"

Lucas looked down at her and smiled. "We realized how wrong we were for staying together for so long. We weren't in love, we were just confused with everything that had happened. And when we realized it, I told Peyton to find Jake and make things right. I had already lost you, I knew that. But Peyton, she had a chance at happiness."

Brooke took a minute to let what he had said sink in, they hadn't been together for years? And yet none of her friends had told her? No, that wasn't possible. There was no way that Haley could have kept that from her.

"How come no one told me?" Brooke questioned.

Lucas sighed. "I asked Haley and Nathan not to tell you. I just figured it was better for you, to not have to remember the whole mess. And Peyton, well she was probably embaressed. She let her feelings for me ruin you two's friendship only to realize that our hearts weren't with each other."

"Oh..." Brooke said finally.

The lights in the court yard dimmed and in the distance Brooke could see the security gaurd. "I guess it's time to get going," Lucas said finally.

"Yeah..." Brooke smiled and then leaned over to kiss him on his cheek. "Thanks for coming Luke, it's been good seeing you."

Lucas stood up and looked towards her shop. "I could walk you to your car if you want," Lucas suggested.

Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "I have some more work to do before I get going anyways but thanks."

"Okay well...I'm glad we had a chance to talk," Lucas said as he stuffed his hands into his jeans.

Brooke smiled up at him, revealing the dimples that he had fallen in love with. "Me too, hey if you ever need a tour guide around New York, you can give me a call. It's the least I can do."

"I'm in town for a couple of days actually."

Brooke grabbed a pen from her purse and took a hold of his hand. Scribbling her number on the palm of his hand she leaned up to give him one more kiss on his cheek.

"Night Luke," Brooke said with a smile as she made her way back to the shop.

Lucas watched and yelled after her.

"Goodnight pretty girl."

The End.

Okay, so it was kind of fluffy. But hey, with the crap we've been given, don't you think we deserve a little fluff?