Title: Absolutely Zero

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I own no One Tree Hill characters, just the basis of the story.

Summary: They were together for 2 years just trying to be happy. Life tore them apart and they let it. Lucas and Peyton angst. One parter

Author's Note: Ok, so I really hope you all like this story. I've worked really hard on this and I'm really hoping you review and tell me what you liked and didn't like.

She sat on the step as her breath penetrated the icy air that night. Surrounded in the pain of her broken relationship. Her fingers were numb from the cold, but the feeling subsided as she watched him walk into the distance. He faded from sight but never from her memory. They gave it all for each other...in the beginning. She risked her best friend, destroyed any chance with Jake, and fought with her dad. He risked Haley, lost anything with Brooke, and fought with his mom and Keith. He no longer cared though and she still loved him. And somehow no matter what the pain, they were both to blame.

You. You were a friend. You were a friend of mine, I let you spend the night. You see how it was my fault. Of course it was mine. I'm too hard at work. Have you ever heard of anything so absurd, ever in your life? I'm sorry for wasting your time.

Of course, he'd stayed at the motel that night. It was his fault...back then. He let them cross that line, when she needed comfort. She was vulnerable. And at the end of sophomore year, they were official, and they were happy. Happy until the basketball season of the junior year. Dan decided to take notice of Lucas and all he wanted to do, from that point on, was please his father. He and Nathan had made basketball the center of their lives. He didn't worry about Peyton anymore and he didn't love her like he used to. Yet, the sad thing was, she let him. She had the opportunity to draw for the school and his opportunity was to play basketball. They just forgot to care, but they looked happy to the outside world. They still wanted to make it work when they were deteriorating. And now...it was her fault.

Who am I to say this situation isn't great? It's my job to make the most of it. Of course I didn't know that it would happen to me. Not that easy.

Maybe they didn't end it because it was good. They didn't have to have serious talks anymore, or worry about each other. It was just something to fall back on when things got rough. They took it for granted, when it was a living time bomb, bound to cause pain. He finished junior year with a state championship under his belt. She wanted to celebrate that night, but he went to the bar with the team. He was becoming a monster. Becoming exactly what his life had been set against. Becoming his father. He didn't see it then. Didn't see how she cried herself to sleep. Then again maybe he didn't want to see it. He blocked her and everything else good in his life out. He cut her from his priorities. No one else made him what he was, but himself. That was his fault.

Hey, what's that you say? You're not blaming me for anything? Well that's great but I don't break that easy. Does it fade away? So that's why I'm, I'm apologizing now, for telling you I thought that we could make it. I just don't get enough to believe that we've both changed.

She never blamed him. Never once said it was his fault that they strayed. They weren't who they used to be. They grew apart. Senior year came and he found other girls. She was naive and wouldn't let herself see him for what he really was. He was his father and she was Deb for taking his shit. He apologized every time he came back from another girl and every time she let him back in. She saw how different he was. She saw that he wasn't the Lucas Scott who spent the night in the motel. He didn't listen though. He kept telling himself that he was exactly the same. He'd catch the pain in her eyes and saw it was his fault. He'd turn his head and she convinced herself that she pushed him away. She made herself believe that it was her fault.

Who am I to say this situation isn't great? It's my time to make the most of it. How could I ever know that this would happen to me? Not that easy, no. All along the fault is up for grabs, why don't you have it? Well it's for sale, go make your offer, I'll sell it for no less than what I bought it for. Pay no more than absolutely zero.

She couldn't escape the relationships that were doomed from the start. So, she worked with what she had. She tried so hard to make them work. Tried to make him love her and tried to make him care. She tried to talk and he'd belittle her. Kept telling her that she wrecked what they had. That's when she stopped trying. That's when she was convinced that she was to blame just as much as he was. He didn't want to be responsible though. Never wanted to know that he wrecked the best thing that he ever had. And by the end of senior year, they were nothing. She wasted her time and that was her own fault.

Well neither one of us deserves the blame because opportunities moved us away. And it's not an easy thing to learn to play. A game that's made for two. That's you and me. The rules remain a mystery. See it can be easy.

Looking back, they were both at fault. Life ripped at their relationship until they felt ready to just give up. Each one let it happen and each one wasted time. He couldn't stay committed and she expected so much. Each had let them become exactly what they had tried so hard to not be. He was his father, who cared about no one but himself. She was weak and just stayed because there was no one else. So she sat on the step after she erased him from her life. He was hurt, but finally saw her for what she was. Something amazing and he'd forgotten in the process of trying to be someone that no one respected. They were emotionally drained, but ready to rebuild. Rebuild themselves before worrying about a relationship.

Who am I to say this situation isn't great? It's our time to make the most of it. How could we ever know that this would happen to me, not that easy, no. All along the fault is up for grabs and there you have it. Well it's for sale go make your offer, I'll sell it for no less than what I bought it for. Pay no more than absolutely zero.

She was hurt by the way things ended. He was hurt that she didn't want him. But together they were nothing anymore. Together they were worth absolutely zero. And somehow no matter what the pain, they were both to blame.

Author's Note 2: Ok, I do love Leyton together but I like how this story came together. I hope you liked it and if you do then I can put up some other one parters I'm waiting to write for you guys. The song used was Jason Mraz - Absolutely Zero. Review!!