Pairing: Brooke/Lucas
Rating: PG
She's scared of the dark. Of course she'll never admit it; it isn't in her nature to do so.
And when she thinks about it, it's not so much the dark as it is the realization that she's alone.
Alone is the part that gets her.
In the quiet black of the night...
In a bed too oversized that she knew she had to have...
Brook is still alone.
But tonight, somehow it feels different.
She sits up in bed and glances around, doe eyed and fearful in a way nobody sees her.
There is a tap against her window; she frowns delicately.
Tap on my window, knock on my doorI want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore
Her feet land against the floor, and with a silent gracefulness she heads towards the noise.
He crouches outside beside a tree, a familiar desperation in his eyes.
She pushes up the pane and glares. "What?"
"Did I wake you up?"
"What do you think, jerkoff? It's three o'clock in the morning."
He rakes a hand through his hair, through what's left of it, and sighs. "Sorry. I dunno, I just thought..."
"Thought what?"
"I had a feeling you were awake."
Her face softens, and she learns there is something she's more afraid of than the dark. It's Lucas.
"What do you want? It's raining, you're gonna freeze."
"It's okay."
"Don't be stupid," she warns uncertainly. "So what is it?"
"You."
"Me. Me what?"
"You're beautiful when you smile, you know that? Even when you don't."
"Are you kidding me, Lucas?"
"Not even a little."
She searches for the lie he's telling, but she can't pinpoint it. This isn't an admission of guilt, or regret, or the cohesive thought process he usually goes through before saying anything like this.
I don't mind spending everydayOut on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
This is raw.
It's pure impulse, and she doesn't expect it from him.
He leans up and brushes a kiss against her forehead. She can still feel the intermingling of his lips against the water that bears down outside.
"I just thought you should know," he whispers, an uneasiness in his tone filling the void of the silence.
She nods and stares at him because she cannot formulate a response that is anywhere close to articulate.
"Okay," she breathes. "Goodnight."
"I'll see you tomorrow." And just like that, a pattern is established. He smiles, and it's real.
And only for her.
She pulls the window shut and climbs into bed. Darkness envelops the room as her bedside lamp is turned off.
But Brooke isn't scared.