Summary: He's waiting for his someday.
Rating: T , for one mention of stuff.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters.
He watches as her hand flits past her ear in a deft, practiced movement, sweeping her golden locks out of her face. She smiles as she bites her lip and looks down, as she tends to do when she's just a little bit nervous. And he can't help but smile at that. They're sitting at this ridiculously small table at the hipster restaurant his friend recommended, grinning at each other stupidly, and that's perfectly okay with both of them.
***
He shuts the door behind him, and he knows he's wrong to leave her in their home, alone. He strides down the hall, and down the stairs, and he knows it's not right but he can't bring himself to turn around. He gets into the backseat of the waiting car and turns, hoping to see her running after him, or at least calling down to him from the window, some sign that she's willing to fight for him. But he knows it won't happen, he's the one who should be fighting for her, and really those moments only happens in movies. He should know. As the car rolls smoothly toward his destination, he realizes he's abandoned her in an eerily familiar way and he knows she's already building walls around her heart once more.
***
He's having dinner with someone who is actually laughing at his lame jokes. But her laugh is nothing like her laugh. He reminds himself he shouldn't compare her to her, but he can't help it. There are quite a few differences, but there are two glaringly obvious ones. She's older than she was, and she's an actress. An actress who is getting a lot of media attention because of an indie film she did that's being critically acclaimed. She's his mother's friend's niece, and she's nice. He goes out with her several times, and they have several pictures that end up in a number of those magazines. He wonders if she sees them, and if she cares.
***
His father shows up at the beach house one day, a month or so after he stopped seeing the starlet. It turned out she really didn't understand him at all, or maybe she finally understood he'd never really love her. But now his father is standing in the foyer, and he wants to know what will make him happy. It's ironic because he doesn't seem to have cared until this moment. Then again, he's never been this kind of sad, or whatever he is now. His mother had fussed at him while they were at dinner the other night. She must've thought it was serious if she spoke to his father. So instead of lying, he tells his father the truth. They have their first real conversation, ever. And he's on his way to that small town on the other side of the country, hoping that it will hold the answers to questions he hasn't dared to ask.
***
She's alternatingly fire and ice, and he finds his heart is beating again. She's managed to awaken his humor and confidence again. He hangs around the small town, running into her by chance more often than not. It's not like he's purposefully planning their meetings, it is just a small town, nearly impossible to avoid someone. She's living with her best friend, while helping her oldest friend through the darkest period of his life. Their 'elephant' is nowhere to be seen, even though it's his brother who is wallowing in darkness and having trouble finding his way back to the light.
***
He's sitting on the beach, thinking about other nights they had on the opposing coast, and suddenly she appears from seemingly nowhere. They tend to meet here quite often, as they're both fond of the ocean, but tonight is different. Her eyes are full of fear and he's reaching out for her hand before he registers why. She cries as she tells him about her brother being reported as missing in action. He soothes her as best he can and hopes the just this once he can enough for her.
***
It's been a month, and people want to know when he's coming back to 'the real world,' or as his mother says, 'home.' But he can't explain to them how it doesn't feel like home without her there. So he tells them as soon as he can, completely noncommittally. He's not ready to go, her walls are finally coming down. And they are friends again, sort of. At least, he's meeting the people who are important to her. Her best friend sized him up immediately, and the first moment they were alone, threatened him on pain of death, then questioned his intentions. Later he was cornered by her oldest friend, the comeback basketball star, and given the same treatment. He assured them both he only wanted the best for her too.
***
Their 'elephant' arrives in time for the beginning of the high school basketball season, with a ring on his finger and a visibly pregnant wife. His brother is angry, and tells her he had no idea what was going on, he swears he would've told her had he know. His wife is just as apologetic, as skeptic as she had been, she says she didn't expect anything like this from him. Her best friend is just as surprised as she is, and she doesn't bother trying to keep that a secret. She's gracious to each of them as they come to her separately. She tells them not to worry, it was none of her business, she doesn't really care, and surprises everyone by sounding like she actually means it.
***
He's breathing her scent and feeling her hands everywhere. She's absolutely perfect and he loves the way they've always seems to just fit together. He's mumbling terms of endearment and declarations of love. She's repeating his name breathily and telling him everything he thought he'd never hear again. And then it's over, and he doesn't want to succumb to sleep, afraid she'll slip away in the darkness.
***
I'm sorry. That's all the note says. He wonders if he really has been dreaming this entire week, they never left his room, save for the occasional meal. He finds the person who has sort of become his only friend in this small town, and immediately asks him where she's gone. He puts the ball down, and sits on the bleachers, and looks like he doesn't know how to begin. He sits there thinking about what he's going to say. His answer wasn't what he expected. New York, London, Milan, Paris. She's gone with her best friend to fashion week, or weeks rather. She'll be gone for a month. He sighs and spins the ball in his hand nervously as he says that he should know that she really just needs time, and he shouldn't push her or he'd regret it. He nods as he joins his 'friend' on the bleachers, completely baffled. But he knew exactly what he meant, and knew it would just take time.
***
The city feels too large. It takes too long to get to the beach house he's come to call home. He sits in traffic and reminds himself that it was entirely his choice to be here. He rolls along at an achingly slow pace in his car. He can't explain why it felt like the right decision, but he knows it was. It seems like he can't explain a lot of things these days. He turns the volume up just a little when he hears the familiar opening to a song he swears he's heard a thousand times. It's kind of special, kind of. When the second verse begins, the longing is threatening to overcome him. He switches to the music player, and ironically the first song on his shuffle is the song he just turned off. He laughs at the ridiculousness of the situation and skips the song. He really hopes she's almost ready, because he doesn't know how much longer he can hold on.
***
The lights are on, and he checks the street for familiar vehicles finding none he assumes whoever is here was dropped off. He cautiously makes his way up the front walk and opens the door, half expecting his father to be waiting for him. He explores the first floor, and sees and hears nothing until he gets closer to the back yard. He walks out the back door and finds a festive atmosphere. His sister comes forward and simply says surprise as she hugs him. And that's when he sees her. He's staring at her, afraid to touch her for fear that she's a dream once more. She simply tentatively places her hand in his as they begin to walk through the crowd. All he really notices is she's here, finally.
AN: So that's my latest Peyton/Julian work. I guess I was kind of in an angsty mood. But they always find each other in the end in my world.