Title: They grew up and grew old together
Pairings: Brulian
Summary: They grew up together, play mates to best friends. They grew old together, best friends to lovers.
Dedication: To Elli my Twin, Merry Christmas
Victoria Davis and Sylvia Baker were best friends. They had grown up in the same town and same neighborhood. They went to the same school and were in the same classes. They shared the same interests and liked doing all the same things; they shopped together and even got their hair done at the same time and place. They turned to each other when Victoria's husband slept with another blonde and when Sylvia's husband was on another business trip, they were each other's support network. So it was really no surprise when they both got pregnant at the same time, only a few months apart. Victoria was hoping for a little boy, just so her husband will stick around, and Sylvia she just wanted a little angle that will fill the void of her absentee husband. Sylvia's water was the first to break, and she was rushed to the hospital with Victoria and Paul (her husband) by her side. The labor only lasted about four hours and soon enough the Baker family was blessed with a little boy.
When Julian was two months old Victoria went into labor, her husband was in New York at the time, so Sylvia came and with Julian in tow she gave her support. Unlike her best friends easy labor Victoria's lasted close to twenty hours and by then she was throwing things around the room like there was no tomorrow.
"I am going to ground this little boy till his 50 if he doesn't come out right this instance!" she yelled at her doctor who only just chuckled before addressing the cranky woman.
"Ok Victoria I see a head, just give me one last big push and your there." Victoria pushed and screamed with all her might and before long a scream could be heard as her child finally entered the world. Arms opened Victoria got ready to meet her son.
"Congratulations it's a girl." Thinking that Victoria's cry was one of happiness, they left but only Sylvia knew that it was a cry of anguish.
By the time the kids were two they were already as thick as thieves, they got up to any trouble that they could find and you never saw one without the other. Victoria was now a single mother looking after a kid whom she never got to attached too. Once her husband found out it was a girl he left and never looked back. Brooke looked just like her mother and always wanted to be hugged by her, but when her mother ignored her all she could do was jut out her bottom lip that quivered and Sylvia would hug her till she was happy enough to be put down again.
When the kids hit five they were now starting to school, Julian who was pretty smart and loved to do things with numbers couldn't wait to start, whether Brooke was scared about not making any friends and being left behind.
"Don't worry Brookie, I will be there." Julian said, trying to make his best friend smile.
"I don't want you to make new friends."
"I won't your my best friend and I can't replace that. And who else will I help to make Brookie Cookies." Julian replied while taking a bit of the burnt cookie that they were sharing. Brooke just smiled at him and grabbed the cookie from him before stuffing it in her mouth. The next day Victoria showed up at Sylvia's doorstep and handed Brooke over to her, before turning and walking back to her car, Brooke tried to wave but Victoria just ignored her as she drove down the driveway. Sylvia watching sadly as her best friend left her daughter on her doorstep. She quickly got the kids ready and drove them to Tree Hill elementary. She walked them to the classroom and waited for the teacher to finish with the parents she was with now.
"Hello, I am Ms. Taylor." The teacher said while putting her hand out.
"Sylvia Baker" she said shaking the hand.
"Julian Baker is my son, and Brooke Davis is his best friend, and also my goddaughter." The two grownups continued to chat while Julian and Brooke looked around at all the other children playing and running around the room. The found a little table in the corner and started to draw while Julian's mum and their teacher continued to chat.
"Hello." Came a voice from across the table, looking up they saw a boy with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. Julian smiled at the boy and waved while Brooke mumbled a hello and looked down at her lap.
"I am Lucas."
"I am Julian and this is my best friend Brooke." Julian said while introducing the two, Brooke snuck a quick glance at the young boy and smiled, Lucas smiling back. Before the three could chat more the Teacher called everyone to the front of class Julian grabbed Brooke's hand and pulled her to the teacher, giving her a quick smile.
When they were 8 Peyton Sawyer came into their lives, creating different feelings between the two best friends. Julian on one hand thought she was very pretty and nice, but Brooke thought she was too grumpy and bitchy, but she did agree that she was pretty. Though against her will. So now at lunch it wasn't just Julian-Brooke sharing cookies, but soon it was Julian-Peyton-Brooke sharing cookies.
"Julian why does Peyton have to play with us, you said you would never replace me." Brooke said with a sad voice. Julian looked at his best friend and saw that she was trying not to cry.
"Brookie, you will always be my best friend, it's just that I sort of like like Peyton and I thought to go out with her that my best friend would have to approve." Brooke perked up at that, Julian NEVER likes like a girl. And Julian looked so hopeful when he said that he wanted her to approve that she couldn't say no.
"Ok, I will be nicer." She said, as she remembered the time her and Lucas went out. But this was the first time a girl was coming in-between her and Julian and she didn't like it that much, but she pretended to. The next day Brooke saw Julian and Peyton holding hands in class…it lasted a week. After that Peyton and Brooke became best friends too and Lucas and Julian became buddies. They all went to Peyton's mother funeral and Julian held Brooke's hand the whole time and didn't let go, even when they were in the car. And when Lucas and Nathan talked for the first time Brooke leaned her head on Julian's shoulder and watched as the two boys started to become brothers.
High School came and Brooke and Peyton joined the Cheerleading squad and Lucas joined the Basketball team with Nathan, Julian became a tutor and met Haley James, who then became Haley James best friends with Julian and Nathan Scott's girlfriend. Their group of six then became bigger with the likes of Mouth, Skills and Chase joining their group. But Brooke and Julian remained the same and you never really saw one without the other.
In their junior year Brooke and Lucas decided to give it another shot at dating, and often teased Peyton and Julian to get together again.
"Hey my awesome best friend in the world." Brooke said barging into Julian's room.
"Yes Brookie. What do you want?" Julian asked, still using his old nickname for her and raising his eyebrows.
"I was wondering if you could help me cook your amazing pasta that I love so much. Please. It's for mine and Lucas's date tonight." Brooke asked, giving Julian her pout which he can never say no to.
"Brooke you don't have to pout, I would have said yes anyway. I love cooking with you." Julian said grabbing her hand and pulling her into the kitchen. They spent the afternoon cooking and throwing food at each other.
"Brooke, come here I surrender." Julian said while putting down the bowl of egg and floor down. He looked around when he heard a giggle behind him and saw Brooke throw a mashed banana at him. He growled and grabbed her by the waist pulling her to his chest, tickling her sides.
"Truce?" She looked up at him and realized how close their faces were and that Julian's eyes have turned just a tad darker. Before Brooke could do anything stupid she grins and whispers.
"Truce." They stood how they were for a while longer, trying to push away the feelings that had started to bubble at the bottom of their stomachs.
"I um better go, Thanks again Julian." Brooke said before giving him a kiss on the cheek, grabbing the container of food and leaving. Julian sighed, not knowing what he was thinking at the very moment.
On the way to Lucas's house Brooke couldn't stop thinking about how she nearly kissed her best friend. Shaking those thoughts from her head she decided she was going to enjoy the night with her boyfriend. Walking up the Lucas's door she paused and took a breath, and then she turned the knob and opened the door. Walking in she wasn't prepared to see the image that greeted her though. There on Lucas bed were both Lucas and Peyton under the covers; both looked up when they saw who was at the door. Brooke dropped the food she was holding and ran out the door. Lucas followed her, having jumped up and put a pair pants on, but was to late seeing her drive away.
Julian had just gotten out of the shower when the doorbell rang, going over and putting his jeans on he quickly raced down the stairs and opened the door to see a crying Brooke.
"Brookie what happened?"
"Lucas and Peyton." She said hiccupping, not needing her to explain any more he took her in his arms and hugged her.
"Babe I am sorry, come on, let's get you into the shower and you can tell me everything." He said, she just nodded and together they went to his room to try and mend her broken heart.
The next few weeks were hard, Lucas went around the school sporting a broken nose and black eye, Peyton couldn't even talk to Haley who sided with Brooke, and Nathan tried to tiptoe his way around everyone, trying to stay on Brooke and Haley's good books while still talking to his brother. In the center of this were Julian and Brooke and Julian stood by Brooke no matter what happened or who says what. Brooke didn't forgive Lucas and Peyton until senior year, and even then she still didn't trust them.
After Julian and Brooke graduated they decided to go to Duke University and to share apartment, by that time their feelings for the other had grown and they didn't know how to act on them. They finally snapped when Brooke came home from a date, and Julian and she got into a huge fight.
"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE HAPPY FOR ME!"
"BECAUSE HE IS JUST GOING TO HURT YOU AND I AM GOING TO BE LEFT TO PICK UP THE PIECES."
"I NEVER ASKED YOU TOO." Brooke screamed, having had enough of Julian's protectiveness.
"I WANTED TO BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" Julian screamed back, looking Brooke in the eye. Brooke stopped and starred back, not knowing what she just heard.
"What?"
"I love you Brooke, ever since the night you found out about Peyton and Lucas, and I want to be more than your best friend." He said, letting the silence overcome then.
"Oh." Came Brooke's reply. All of a sudden she jumped onto him and kissed him.
"I love you too."
Ever since that night they had their ups and their downs, but they made it through. And now at the slender age of twenty-three Julian watched as his best friend made her way down the aisle. Both their mothers sitting on their respective sides, even though they were family. Victoria had reunited with Brooke and the two were as close as ever, and as Julian watched his best friend in the white gown she always wanted to wear, he felt a pang of sadness. They were no longer best friends anymore; they were lovers and soul mates. And they would always be there for one another. With their best friends who had now become a part of their siblings, they finally said I Do's and today was the start of not their relationship but the start of another chapter in their long written history.