Author's Note: Well hello hello. I am back. Anyone else as shocked as I am that it didn't take years for me to get this up? Well apparently the only time I get inspration to write is when I have eight million things to do. I guess it is a way to get out of doing them. I don't really know the reason, all I know is this fic is actually coming along. As I am sure you all have notices I replaced the prolog with this, that is simply because it was to short and at this point it served no purpose. I have learned my lesson and from now on am only going to post something once I am sure I am ready. Now, I will stop talking and let you all read. I really am hoping this gets a better responce then the prolog cause if it doesn't I don't know how long lived my sudden brust of inspration will be. So please, if you like it, REVIEW! Even if you don't, I just want all your thoughts. Lastly I just want to give a quick THANK YOU to my new beta Jane, you saved my butt girl.
Hope you enjoy. Here is Chapter One...
Chapter One:
"People love others not for who they are, but for how they make them feel."
--Irwin Federman
The door closes but I don't bother to look up from my sketch, I know who it is, that is probably why I feel a smile creep on to my face as I hear his footsteps come closer. Then what I am waiting for, his arm snakes around my waist and I feel his lips on my neck. Now I look up and put the sketch down before turning to him. Our lips hit each others and I smile before pulling away. "You smell" I say scrunching up my nose and moving back slightly.
"Well thanks" He laughed and leans in again before I put my hand to his face.
"Nice try but you need to take a detour to the shower before this can continue."
"How about you be my tour guide?" He gives me that playful smile that he knows I can't resist and I roll my eyes.
"Eh, tempting as that sounds I am going to have to pass" I say and pick up my sketchpad again.
"Wrong answer" he whispers in my ear before leaning and picking me up effortlessly. I let out a yelp but it is no use, his lips have already silenced me and I can't help but give in.
I walk out of our room in nothing but a pair of sweats I found laying on the bed. I have a towel and I trying to dry my hair the best I can as. I make my way in to our small kitchen I smile when I see her standing over the toaster. She's gorgeous in nothing more then one of my old tee shits and a pair of black underwear that she swears are shorts, not that I am complaining or anything. Her hair is still wet and starting to wave from the moisture. I smile as I wrap my arms around her tiny waist and I feel her relax in to me.
"What's for dinner?" I ask softly as she turns and wraps her arms around my neck.
"Toaster waffles" She smiles.
"Yum" I laugh.
"Don't complain" She says still smiling as she pulls away from me "At least I feed you"
"I wasn't complaining" I say and pull her back to me with a smile matching her own "But you might want to check your master piece because it's smoking…." I laugh as she jumps away from me and turns to the toaster that is now emitting puffs of black smoke. She curses and pops the black waffles up and tries to grab them before I stop her, "Give it up babe… they're ruined" I laughed and she frowns "Hey" I smile and lean down "Smile… it's not the end of the world" I tell her and she moves away from me slightly.
"I can't even make toaster waffles Lucas" She sighs and grabs the waffles and throws them in to the trash, "Yeah, you can't make scrambled eggs or macaroni and cheese either… it's not that big of a deal" I joke, but the upset expression doesn't leave her face. "How am I supposed to be a wife if I can't cook?" She sighs as she slumps down on the bar stool next to her. "Easy, you just keep being yourself" I smiled at her before setting out two bowls and grabbing the box of frosted flakes that is sitting on the counter. "Why are you so good to me?" She asked as I pour the cereal in to the bowl in front of her. "Because you are good to me… and because I love you" I wink at her before grabbing the milk out of the fridge. "I love you too" she smiles before grabbing a spoon and digging in to her dinner.
When I wake up it is only a little after 6. The sun isn't up yet but my fiancé is. He gets up at the crack of dawn every morning and goes for a jog, despite my protests. He tells me they are just long walks, but I am not dumb, He scares me, he thinks he is invincible. I know how hard it is to have had to give up everything he has or how hard it was for him to give up everything he had to, but I can't help but think that in his quest to regain the things he's lost, he pushes to hard and it is only a matter of time before the world starts pushing back. For now though, I just want him to be happy again, he deserves it.
I hear the door squeak open. I love that he tries to treat me, every morning he tip toes in to the apartment after his run, he showers as quietly as he can before crawling back in to bed, thinking I won't notice his absence. I play along for the most part, just because he tries so hard.
About fifteen minutes later the bed dips and I feel the warmth of his body come closer to mine. I move slightly to be closer to him and I smile when I feel his arm pull me in to him.
My run this morning was ruff. It's been getting worse lately, due in my opinion, to all the medication that Brooke insists I take. I try and tell her that I am fine, but she worries. If only I could trick her in to thinking I was taking the medication the way I have tricked her in to thinking I don't go running in the morning. I don't do it to be deceitful or anything, it's just that my runs are something I need and they are something I don't get with her constant worrying.
The alarm goes off at seven and I feel her body move next to mine. I don't normally go back to sleep. Mostly because I can't but also because there is something about watching her as she sleeps that makes me feel content. The only thing better then watching her sleep is watching her wake up. She is so beautiful first thing in the morning. The way her eyes slowly meet mine, the way she smiles before she lightly kisses me. I don't know what I would do with out it.
"Morning gorgeous" I smiled down at her.
"Morning handsome" she smiles back before stretching slightly.
"How'd you sleep" I asked as I take her left hand in mine, tracing the ring on her finger slightly.
"Like a baby" she says before looking down to our hands and smiling "What about you?"
"Good" I lean down and kiss her again and I can feel her smile.
"I have to get in the shower" she says as she slowly pulls away.
"No you don't" I say to her as I pull her closer to me "Lets just stay here all day."
She laughs and sits up before stretching again "Nice try baby but someone has to pay the bills around here" she winks at me before getting up. I know she is joking, but I still feel horrible that most of the finances fall to her. While my writing job at the local paper pays okay, it isn't nearly enough to cover the cost of living in the city. I wish I could give her more then this crammed little one bed room with a five floor walk up. But I am doing the best I can, and I know she knows that, but some times I can't help but wonder if she wishes she had more.
"Stop brooding" I hear her yell from the bathroom "Your face is going to get stuck like that you know" she pops her head out the door with her hot pink tooth brush sticking out of her mouth.
"I'm not brooding" I mumble back.
"Liar" she says before spitting the foam from her mouth.
God I hate how well she knows me sometimes.
I hate my job. I hate my job, I hate my job. I should love it. Starting my own company, making my designs, creating a label; I should be having the time of my life with it, but there just one problem…
"Brooke!"
God the sound of her voice literally makes me want to crawl out my skin. I can hear her stick thin stilettos clicking fiercely against the hardwood floors and I am secretly pray one of them breaks and she blows out and ankle or something. That would leave her out of commission for at least a week, two if she breaks it…
"Brooke… you're late… again!"
Damn. She made it. "I am not mother. It is 9, I got here at 8:30" I huff
"You were suppose to be here at 8" Victoria says as she makes her way to my desk, "This place is a mess Brooke… you are the most unorganized person I have ever met, this is not how you run a business. This is ridiculous, how do you find anything in this mess?" she harps.
"I manage" I say as I unknowingly start to stack up some of the sketches that are lying on top of my desk.
"Well you need to pull it together because we have a full day ahead of us and I wouldn't plan on leaving here until at least 10" she says, looking around my office one last time before shaking her head and leaving.
I hate my job.
"Have you guys made anymore wedding plans?" I am at a local court with Nathan. It's just after two in the afternoon and I finished up my weekly article early so I decided that it wouldn't hurt to get a round of hoops in with Nathan before I had to head home.
"Nah" I tell him before passing the ball back to him "Brooke has been super busy lately."
"How has working for Victoria been for her? I can't imagine it's been easy" Nate says before shooting the ball. He signed to the Knicks about two years ago and has been playing with them ever since. He bought Haley a small studio just out side of Queens and she teaches music classes during the day and has been working on putting together an album at night.
"She hates it. I wish she would just quit already, but she is convinced she will never be able to get the label off the ground with out her, so she is sticking it out for now."
"Haley says she hasn't seen her in like two weeks."
"Tell her to join the club; we finally got a night together last night for the first time in like a month." I sigh before shooting the ball. I missed but Nathan quickly rebounded.
"That's ruff dude. But listen you two should stop by for dinner sometime. Jamie is dying to see you guys."
"I know… we miss him, I know Brooke would love to do dinner, I will talk to her when she gets home and see when she is free."
"Alright bro, well I better get going, Jamie will be getting off school soon. But I'll see ya okay? Give me a call" he tells me as he packs up his stuff.
"Sure thing man."
The soft clicking of my heals was the only sound to be heard as I make my way down the narrow hallway of the apartment building. After adjusting the arm load of papers I somehow managed to get the door open, kicking it shut with my foot before I make my way over to the small kitchen table, dropping the papers with a small grunt. Letting out a sigh, I drag my fingers through my hair, pulling it back before letting it fall. I turn a little and smile when I see the dim light coming from the cracked bedroom door. My smile grows slightly as I quietly push the door open. The TV is playing softly and my fiancé is laying on the bed, still fully dressed, holding the remote as he sleeps. I smile at how peaceful he looks before I tip toe my way into the small bathroom. I remove my jewelry before discarding my clothing and turning on the shower to a steamy, hot setting. I step in and let the hot water relax my mussels as the water pours over me. I jump slightly when a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind, but I soon relax again, melting in to his arms with a tired smile as he kissed the crock of my neck softly.
"Hey you" my raspy voice spoke softly, as I move my hands over his. "Hey you're self" he smiled against my neck "You know, if you keep working these long hours we are never going to have sex again!" I let out a soft chuckle before turning to face him, letting my arms wrap around his neck "I'm sorry I'm late again" "It's fine" he smiled slightly, leaning down to kiss my lips softly "I know you are busy saving the world and what not" I laughed again, resting my head on his chest as he ran his rough hands softly up and down my bare back "It's just… right now everything is getting started and it feels like it never ends, I mean Victoria is on my ass twenty four seven." "Well it takes a lot of time… but you are amazing… the company is amazing… you're doing great" Lucas smiled down to me "It just has to take off… and it just feels like it is taking forever" I sighed, drawing small circles on his muscular chest
"It will happen soon though…" he reassured me "You're just getting started" "Well according to Victoria we should be twenty steps ahead of where we are right not" "Don't let her get to you… you are doing great… and if it weren't for you and all you're talent she wouldn't have a job" Lucas said lending down to kiss me again "Just ignore her" "I wish it was that easy" I said rolling her eyes slightly "How is the writing coming?" "Fine, I finished early" He smiles "That's because you're amazing" I tell him, kissing him myself this time.
"Nathan and Haley want us to have dinner with them this week, Nathan said Jamie has been asking about you" "I miss him so much" I sigh "I think I am just going to tell Victoria I am sick and we can go tomorrow" "Sounds good… but do you remember the last time you told her you were sick?" He asked looking down at me with raised eyebrows "We will just lock the doors this time, then she can't walk in on us having sex again" I state as a small smile starts to creep to my face, He laughs "I think that is why she hates me so much" "No" I tell him "She hates you because you are poor" "Right" he sighs playfully, "That and you some how convinced me to marry you"
"Aw yes… and don't forget the fact that I am holding you back from being great" he mocks "Well that to" I smiled, drawing on his chest again "You can hold me back though… your worth it"
He laughs again and I lean up and kiss him "Thanks babe."
I have noticed they changed the review button... it is much easier to find now, just look down and click. =] Hope you all enjoyed.