Author's Note – This is a Lucas/Haley One Shot that I wrote a while back. Hope you enjoy and leave reviews! I eat them for breakfast!

"Hales, you know I hate these parties.." Lucas whined as he proceeded to throw his best puppy dog eyes at her. They were getting close to Nathan's Beach House and if he wanted to change her mind about going it needed to happen soon.

She rolled her brown eyes at her best friend and then let out a sigh full of confusion and frustration, "I know. And you know that I don't like them either but.."

Lucas knew why she had wanted so badly to come to this party, "..but Nathan wanted you to be here." He finished for her and averted her gaze, afraid she might see his jealously.

"Yeah.." She answered softly.

"Well, then we go and we have fun." His smile was fake and she knew he was just doing it because she wanted him to.

"Thanks, Luke." Her voice was soft as they stepped up on the deck of Nathan's beach house, " I guess it's now or nev-." The door swung open to reveal a blatantly drunk Tim with his arm slung around a nameless brunette.

"Hey Lucas. Man you have got to get in here…the girls are still fresh. Go get you one, man." Tim slurred and Lucas quirked a brow.

After Tim had given Haley a nod and exited the doorway, the two entered the famous Scott Beach House. Neither was impressed because both had been there before. Haley had started tutoring Nathan here; which was something Lucas had never really gotten over but had accepted. Lucas had drug Haley along with him on countless occasions to parties with the simple excuse being that he didn't want to go alone.

Lucas had wrestled with his feelings for Haley for a long time now, and he couldn't ignore the way she had started to fit in more and more with Nathan's 'crowd'. He also couldn't ignore that he was losing his best friend, tutoring session by tutoring session.

"Nathan!" Haley's voice broke Lucas out of his reverie and his reflex of smiling kicked in, "Great party!" She screamed over the music.

"Thanks, Hales." Nathan bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Lucas watched, annoyed. "What was that for?" The rose color on Haley's cheeks told everyone she was obviously surprised by the gesture.

"For the 'A' on my History exam." A drunken smile broke out on his face and he turned to Lucas, " You better hold on to this one. She's head and shoulders above Brooke and Peyton, Man."

Nathan faded into the crowd with Haley following closely after him and Lucas left to play Nathan's words over and over in his mind.

A few hours later Brooke had found Lucas and was adamantly talking his ear off about the latest gossip; most of which he didn't find interesting.

"Lucas. Lucas! Earth to Lucas!" Brooke waved her hand in front of Lucas face and he snapped backwards.

"Sorry. I was just a little.." He looked to the spot where his eyes had been glued to before Brooke had intervened.

Brooke, being the curious cat on the block, followed his gaze and found Tutorgirl and Nathan on the other end of it, "You know, they make a great couple…"

A shocked Lucas turned to look at Brooke. "They're just friends."

"Yeah. Just like Marc Anthony and JLo. Oh, wait. I guess they're the kind of friends who get married. Do you think that's what Tutorgirl and Nathan are?" Brooke inquired as she looked mischievously to Lucas.

I saw you there last night,

Standing in the dark,

You were acting so in love,

With your hand upon his heart.

Lucas blinked rapidly and looked back to Haley. She was laughing and had her hand on Nathan's chest. Obviously a sign of flirting when it came from a girl; Brooke had tried in plenty of times.

He stood up and made his way through the crowd that separated him from the two of them. His fingers grasped Haley firmly around the wrist.

"Hales. I'm not feelin' too well. I think I'm gonna head home."

A worried expression lit up her face and she turned to Nathan, " Uh, I'll talk to you later. I have to go."

She wrapped her arms around Lucas's waist and smiled back at his younger brother, "Come on, Luke. We'll get you home. Fix some hot chocolate and I'll let you pick the movie."

The smile that graced her face widened as she told of the events of the night to come. That was their routine for whenever one of them was sick.

"Nah, it's okay Hales. I think I just need to get home."

But you were just friends,

Atleast that's what you said,

Now I know better from his fingers in your hair,

I'll forgive you for what you've done,

If you say that I'm the one.

She watched him as he spoke as they made their way to the door. It was half-open with girls of all ages piling in and out.

"Haley!"

They stopped when she heard him. Lucas turned to see who it was and caught a sight that made his stomach turn. Haley was in Nathan's arms and his hand was entangled in her hair. Obvious signs of a pretty intense hug.

Nathan and Haley both wore matching smiles and she issued him another good-bye. Her arm found its way back around Lucas's waist as they walked home.

"Hales?" Lucas finally broke the silence when they were two blocks from his house.

"Hmm?" Her gaze was fixed on the cracked concrete beneath their feet.

"What's up with you and Nathan?"

She pondered the question a little too long and Lucas immediately jumped to his own conclusions, "We're just friends."

There was that phrase the he had longed to destroy. Just friends meant one thing and one thing only—two people who don't want to acknowledge how they truly feel about the other person.

"Good."

His reply was short, yet strong. " Why is that good Lucas? Should I not be allowed to have any other guy friends but you?" She removed her arm and began walking further away from him.

"No, Haley. That's not what I mean and you know it."

Her hands were on her hips and she was stopped; facing him, " Then tell me Lucas Scott. What the hell did you mean?"

"I meant that you don't need to get mixed up with Nathan. He's not good for you Hales." He looked at her sympathetically.

Her eyes rolled in their sockets and she let out another exasperated sigh. "God Lucas. What are you jealous or something!"

She had finally hit the nail on the head.

"That's it! You're jealous aren't you?"

His head hung and he also found a convenient distraction the cracked concrete sidewalk. His eyes caught her shadow as it moved towards him.

"Luke. We're just friends…That's all we'll ever be." For a minute she thought he was talking about him and her. Luke and Hales destined to be everything but more, " it would never work with Nathan and I, because I don't love him."

I've had other options too,

But all I want is you,

Girl, your body fits me like a glove,

And you shower me with words of love,

While you were just friends,

A least that's what you said,

Now I know better from his fingers in your hair.

I'll forgive you for what you've done if you say that I'm the one.

After she broke away from him Lucas felt a void that went to his bones.

"Haley. I have to tell you something." Lucas looked up to her. His eyes piercing, " I am jealous of Nathan. He gets to see you smile and hear you laugh the way that makes everyone in the room smile."

The pause was drawn out for emphasis; she had to understand.

"And. To be completely honest it's taken me a while to finally get used to the fact that you are tutoring him. But it's taken even more time to get over the fact that I'm losing you to him and it's scaring me. I'm losing more than my best friend. I'm losing the woman I love more than anything. Hales, I want to be with you. Forever and always. And I'm willing to forget about everything that's happened this past year, If.."

Another pause added to the silence on the street.

"If you tell me you want to be with me too."

Haley couldn't believe her ears. He was giving her an ultimatum. Declare her undying love for him in exchanged for forgiveness for what happened with Nathan this past year. This was like something that happened on those cheesy teenage aimed shows on the WB.

"Lucas. I don't know if I can do that. I love you...I really do. You mean more to me than anything, even Nathan. So I shouldn't have to tell you that I want to be with you. Because you should already know that I can't live without knowing you're only a phone call away. That I can't breathe if I know you're in pain. And that it hurts me that you don't trust me enough to believe when I tell you Nathan and I are Just Friends." She finished and tears threatened to spill over from her eyes.

It's not my style to lay it on the line,

But you don't leave me with a choice this time,

Why weren't you true?

You know I trusted you,

When you were just friends,

At least that's what you said,

Now I know better from his fingers in your hair,

I'll forgive you for everything you've done,

If you say that I'm the one.

He looked at her and his heart broke, "Haley, you know I'm only doing this because this is the only thing I feel is right."

"I know, Lucas and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I made you believe that Nathan and I were together. It's just, I see so much of you in him and this little sliver of hope makes me think that someday maybe he'll turn out to be half the man that you are." She smiled through her tears and wrapped her arms around him.

"So, Hales. Am I the one?"

Her breath tickled his neck as she spoke, "Yes, Lucas Scott, you're the one."

I'll forgive you for what you've done,

If you say that I'm the one.

Song by Gavin DeGraw- Just Friends.