Hey there, I am starting another story. I know, I know, I shouldn't be but this is not a traditional story. It is a collection of song fics based on the couples of One Tree Hill. So each chapter is a story in and of itself. I hope you like them.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the songs/lyrics behind each chapter.


Life is not made up of one memory; it is made up of a billion little moments that are then thrown together into a messy sometimes downright disastrous but wonderful catastrophe that is called a lifetime. There are ups and downs, twists and turns, and times when you just want to die. But when you can get through those hard times there will always be better times as long as you trust that there will be and let yourself truly live.

Chapter One: "Little Moments"

A beautiful clear day in May...

The day was hot, but thankfully almost over. It was about 4:30 in the evening and the sun was making its way across the sky to set in the distance. It had been one of those days that were so muggy that even the soles of your shoes would stick to your feet as you walked along, not to mention the clothes on your back. Within minutes of leaving the comfort of your air-conditioned home or car, any fabric you wore would probably have been soaked through with a mixture of humidity and sweat. The soon-to-be disappearing sun was a relief to everyone in the town of Tree Hill, NC.

Keith Scott let out a contented sigh as he sat on his porch swing watching the sun set west. The display of colors on the horizon was breathtaking. There were reds, oranges and pinks, even some purple on the eastern horizon that blended with the many other shades of colors that made up the vivid sky laid out for the world to see. The only thing that would make this better was something to drink. He was parched.

"Wow. The sun set is beautiful tonight," the man heard from behind him. It was a familiar voice, the very familiar voice of his wife of ten years. Sometimes he couldn't believe that she married him and that she stayed with him all these years. She was the most beautiful sight in the world to him, more so than the rich and vibrant sun set that was happening in the distance.

She started walking towards the swing that he occupied. That's when he noticed the two glasses that she had in her hands.

"Whatcha got there?" He asks sending the woman a smile. She sat down on the swing and placed a glass in his outstretched hand.

"Just some iced tea. It's hot out here, thought you might want a refreshment."

"Oh, you know me so well." He sipped his tea as she settled onto the seat. He raised his arm and settled it on the back of the swing and she moved closer into his side. The two watched the sky until the sun was completely gone in a comfortable silence, the slight breeze rustling the leaves of the trees that surrounded the house the only sound that could be heard. Every once in a while the couple could hear the hum of a swamp cooler starting down the street.

Keith let out a contented sigh as what light was left began to fade and the sky turned its nightly shade of inky blue. The stars in the sky illuminated the darkness. The forecasted full moon had yet to make its appearance. There was, however, an owl in a nearby tree that would let out a call every few minutes.

Keith tried to swivel in his spot on the swing to see if he could spot the perched creature. He could not quite maneuver to see it because of the woman sitting next to him, leaning into him. With her body weighing against him heavily, that's when he realized that she had fallen asleep. The peacefulness of the evening must have lulled her to sleep. In fact he was feeling sleepy as well. He figured they should move this inside.

He went to wake her up as he whispered her name close to her ear. He then kissed the side of her head and she let out a sigh of contentment. Her eyes slowly opened, and she glanced his way. They shared a short but extremely sweet kiss.

When she pulled away she went to grab the half-full glass of sweet tea that she had brought out for herself before the sun had set.

Just then, a large bird flew by- it was the evasive owl. The experience startled the short-haired brunette half to death, and she jumped in surprise. Her glassware had tipped in the commotion and the cold liquid was spilled down the entirety of the front of his shirt.

"Oh, shit Keith." Karen cried out as he hopped up in surprise. The ice cold liquid felt good against his heated skin but had startled him nonetheless; as had what his wife had just said in her astonishment. She had yet to realize what she had just let slip from her pure lips.

Keith looked at her as if she were an alien. That's how foreign that word sounded coming from his loving wife. He could only remember one other time that he heard her utter that dirty word. He remembered the particular day when they were still in high school.

About fourteen years ago…

Keith Scott sat in the driver's seat of his rusted yellow F-100. It had been his dad's when he was growing up and had since broken down. In the last couple of years the two had worked to fix it up to a drivable condition. In fact, he was supposed to be getting a can of paint to touch up the paint job. Instead he was sitting in his girlfriend's driveway waiting for her to come down the steps that led up to the front door of her split-level home.

He kept the engine running as he waited for her. He was going to teach her how to drive manual. She just had to get her pretty little butt down there.

When he saw her skipping down the steps, her yellow sundress lifting with the wind beneath it; his face lit up with a bright smile. He loved just watching her walk. She was the most graceful person that he had ever met, aside from his mom. Her presence in any room made the room all that much brighter.

Once she arrived at the driver's side window she looked at him; her smile just as bright as his. She popped up on her toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. He sent her a wink.

She walked around to the passenger side and opened the door to climb in. After closing the door, she looked at him. She leaned over, and their lips met in a tantalizing, one could say sinful, kiss. Her hands wrapped around his neck as his pulled her closer across the seat.

He loved the taste of her. She tasted like strawberries and cream.

"Hi." He started, once they broke away from each other.

"Hiya," She returned with a breathless voice. He could hear the joy and excitement laced in her tone.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

"Heck yes." She confirmed, reaching for the seat-belt and buckling up.

Once the strap was secure, he expertly backed up and drove off down the road.

The two drove in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Keith turned on the dial on his radio unit. On came "Cold as Ice" by Foreigner.

"Man, I love this song." He said as he turned it up a little. He started to tap his steering wheel along to the beat. Karen was getting into it as well. She started singing the chorus. He glanced over at his girlfriend then, as she sang along a little off key. She really is stunning. He grinned.

With his eyes still on the road, the two listened to more songs on the way to their destination; an abandoned parking lot on the outskirts of town.

He pulled the truck to a stop, putting the stick shift into park. He turned towards her and noticed her smile had faded a little. Her nerves were beginning to show. Her hands were fidgeting.

He reached over to clasp his hands with hers, stilling her nervous movements. She looked at him then, seeing his reassuring smile. "You ready for this?"

"I think so." She answered.

"Look Kare, you have nothing to be afraid of. I'll be right here. And if all else fails just slam on the brake." The young man reassured her. After a minute or two of silence, he spoke again, "You're gonna do great."

He kissed her on the cheek and pulled away from her. He opened the door to jump out just as she did the same. He winked at her as they walked by each other. She giggled. He always made her feel so safe.

With the two situated in their new positions, he began by instructing her about the differences between a manual and an automatic. He then went into an explanation about how this particular truck was different than other manuals. It was an old vehicle after all. He explained how she had to press down hard on the brake as the key was rotated in the ignition to turn on the old beat-up truck. He explained the process of switching gears alternating between the clutch, the brake and the gas. Ten minutes later, he wrapped up his talk by saying one last thing.

"Okay, when you're ready, we will start off slow."

A few minutes later, her nerves had steadied and she did just that, slowly doing as he had instructed her.

The young couple spent the next few hours in the parking lot, taking a break to eat the picnic lunch he had packed earlier that day. They set up on a patch of grass right by the lot. His mom had helped him pack the basket with salad and chicken fixings. His girlfriend was very grateful and showed him just how much as they messed around on the picnic blanket after the food had been consumed and put away.

After she felt confident enough, he suggested she drive them back to her house.

"I don't know Keith. You think I'm ready for that?" She was back to being nervous.

"Heck yes, I think you're ready. I don't think you're that much of a menace to other driver's on the road." He joked, making the smile jump back to her mouth. He always knew what to say to make her smile. They were perfectly suited for each other.

She proceeded to make her way back to her house, while Keith was in charge of the music.

Twenty minutes later, she pulled back into the driveway of her parent's house. She went to put the stick shift in park. It took a little effort on her part but eventually she got it. She glanced over at her boyfriend who was giving her a smirk. She smiled softly back at him and reached over to place a gentle hand on his cheek. He was reaching for her when her foot slipped off of the brake and with it being an old truck there was a certain thing that she forgot to do to turn it off properly. He had forgotten to mention that particular information to her, seeing as how the parking lot they had been driving in was flat and her driveway, well, was not. It had just slipped his mind.

Neither of them noticed as the truck crept backwards in the driveway, until they picked up a little bit of speed.

"Woah!" The young man yelled as the crew cab hit something behind them.

"Shit!" the young brunette called out, but clasped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she had said.

The young man sitting in the passenger seat turned his head to the girl seated next to him with wide eyes. He had never heard her swear before.

His shock turned to amusement as he let out a small chuckle when he could tell she was embarrassed. Her face was the color of a tomato. It wasn't like he could be mad at the beautiful girl sitting beside him. It was after all an old truck and to him she was the cutest thing this side of the sun. He didn't even know what they hit, for all he knew they could have hit a person. (They didn't.)

...

He came back to the present as Karen was attempting to apologize once again. He started laughing at the memory that had invaded his thoughts at that particular moment with his wife. She gave him an exasperated glare, thinking he was laughing at her. Her hand on her hip in defiance of the hilarity of the situation they now found themselves in.

What with his laughter permeating the air around her, she could not hold herself together either, and she started to laugh as well.

Once they had both calmed down, she suggested they go inside and that he change out of the now wet shirt. He accepted the offered hand and the couple made their way inside their home.

Yeah, I live for little moments like that...

A few minutes had passed and Karen was in the kitchen heating up some plates of leftover spaghetti from the night before. She made sure she put heaps of cheese on each before setting them on the turntable in the microwave. When the first one was done she put it on the kitchen table and put the second one in to repeat the process. She called Keith to let him know dinner was ready. By the time he made his appearance in the kitchen of their two-bedroom house, the second plate was ready to be pulled out. The two sat down to eat the day-old spaghetti. They ate; exchanging conversation as they devoured their food.

When their plates were cleaned off and safely in the dishwasher, which Keith loaded and Karen rinsed, they pulled out a carton of ice cream. Keith grabbed the bowls as Karen grabbed the various condiments that would go on top of the delicious treat. They had chocolate syrup and caramel, whipped cream and chopped peanuts. She dished out a couple of scoops in each bowl while he grabbed the spoons and heated up the caramel. He knew that she loved her caramel warmed when she drizzled it over the top of her ice cream.

Now, they could have chosen an ice cream flavor that had all of their favorite condiments in it, but there is something about being able to make your own little ice cream sundae that appealed to them on that particular night in May.

They were celebrating after all. Karen had given him a very early birthday gift in the form of a positive pregnancy test. She had wanted to bake him a cake but they both knew how that had turned out last time.

Last July...

It was Keith's birthday. It was a big one too. The dreaded 3-0. Yep, he was turning 30!

He didn't particularly feel like he was older than he was the day before. He didn't want to make a huge deal out of the milestone age. Karen, on the hand, had a few surprises for him that day, starting with breakfast in bed. She made him his favorite, her famous waffle recipe with the whole works, bacon, eggs, hash-browns. Of course it also was not complete without a side of warm maple syrup and orange juice.

Throughout the day, she had little surprises for him. There was a special treat in his lunch when he opened it up during his break; a treat and a note. He found a present in his truck after work. Small things like that, that made him fall even more in love with her. If that was even possible.

That evening when he had returned home from work she was waiting for him with his favorite dinner, steak and potatoes. He was a simple man and liked the simple things in life. You could never go wrong with an expertly seared steak.

As they sat down to eat, Keith could see the steam emanating from the garlic bread. It had probably just been taken out of the oven. The meal was consumed with a bottle of red wine that was paired nicely with the marinated steak. The two lovebirds talked as they ate their food and before long, their plates were empty. After topping off their glasses with the rest of the wine, they set about cleaning up from dinner. Most of the clean-up had been done before and so all they had were their plates and the serving dishes that were on the table. They washed the dishes in record time.

"Why don't you go relax for a little bit? I have another surprise for you for dessert."

He acquiesced and walked out of the kitchen to go sit in the living room. Karen heard the TV turn on but could not quite make out what the program was. But it didn't really matter to her, she had a cake to finish.

...

"Okay, the cake is in the oven." Karen said twenty minutes later as she walked into the living room where her husband was seated on the couch. "Whatcha watchin'?"

"McClintock." He answered, his eyes lingering on the television. She sat down next to him and watched the old western. She did not particularly mind watching the movie. It reminded her of simpler times when she was a kid and she would watch it with her dad, who was a huge John Wayne fan. She didn't mind this retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.

Before long she grew bored and shifted her eyes to watch her husband's face instead. Just by glancing at him, she could tell how invested in the program he was. His face was locked on the television set and every emotion possible could be read on his face. Karen smiled at the worried expression on his face at that moment.

He must have felt her eyes on him. He turned towards her, catching her by surprise. Her smile grew at the loving look on his face. He leaned towards her and gave her a modest yet affectionate kiss. She could feel the passion coursing through her veins even during such a simple kiss.

...

In the distance, the couple could hear an alarm going off. She was the first to break off the heated and passionate make-out session. What had only started as a simple kiss had hence transformed into an ardent "over-the-clothes" snogging.

"Oh, no! The cake." She cried as she pushed him off of her and made a mad dash for the kitchen.

Keith smiled and laughed. His girl was so funny sometimes.

Just when the smell of smoke registered in his brain, the smoke detector down the hall went off, which set off a chain reaction of the rest of them. The house was abuzz with the incessant beeping sound coming from the alarms all over the house.

He sighed as he got up off the couch and made his way to the kitchen, where the smell was even worse, with a hint of lemon in the air. He found his wife's form by the oven. She had just taken the burnt beyond recognition cake out. She forcefully set it down on the stove top. It was certainly too late for the lemon cake she had slaved away all morning on.

The birthday boy could tell something was wrong with the girl standing in front of him. Her shoulders were slumped forward and he could see the tall tale signs of a tearful moment as those same shoulders started to shake with her sniffles. Next came a sob as her emotions overcame her. But before she could get even the first tear out, he had embraced her from behind.

"It's alright, Kare." He said, trying not to laugh at the young woman's expense.

She turned around with her sad expression directed at him, still in his arms. She could clearly see his barely hidden amusement. She frowned and said, "don't laugh at me. It's not funny."

She glanced at the ground with her down-trodden countenance, not wanting to see the glimmer of mirth on her husband's face. Things were never boring when you had Karen Scott in your life. She was easily distracted, sometimes to a fault. As with most things in life though, it's the imperfections that make it perfect.

Yeah, I live for little moments like that.

...

An ordinary day in the last odd fifteen years...

The two newly weds, seeing as how they had not been married but a year, as of yet, had decided to go hiking for the day. They packed up a few things to take with them. They had dressed the part, a few layers on that they could then peel off at their leisure. They had even taken a few days worth of food, just in case. You never knew what would happen with these two together.

Once they were all ready to go, they hopped into Karen's Jeep Cherokee and rambled down the road to their destination, a hiking trail in the next town over.

After arriving at the impromptu spot, the two ambled out of the car. Keith threw the pack with all of their stuff on his back as Karen put some chapstick on. He held out his hand, and she took it. The couple made their way hand in hand to the trailhead.

...

Karen gave a 'hmmph' as she stopped in her tracks, glancing at the map in her hands once again. She turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. Keith, being where he was standing-right behind her, was in the way. He stopped her body from running into his and moved when she looked up at him, away from the map.

They walked for a few more minutes when she stopped again, changing directions once again to walk perpendicular to their previous course.

When it happened a third time, the young man had finally had enough. He didn't even know if his wife knew how to read the map that she clutched in her hands.

They were lost. Keith and Karen Scott were lost. He could admit that to himself as his wife of almost a year looked at the map in her hands. She turned it this way and that, as if turning it just so would tell her which way to go. As if it were a magic map. But he knew that there were no ifs, and, or buts about it. They were officially and truly lost. But they were together. He decided to brooch the subject carefully with his wife.

"Hey hone. I think we might be lost." He said, gaining her attention away from the blasted guide in her hands.

"What makes you say that, Keith?" Karen glanced his way with narrowed eyes. She stood with one hand fisted on her hip, holding the map haphazardly away from her body.

"Not that I'm not loving the path were taking to get back to the car, but are you sure you know the way back to the car?" He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Karen's left eyebrow lifted, and she stated with a tilt of the head "I know how to read a map, Keith."

His thoughts were skeptical and showed on his face. He shrugged it off as she went back to looking at the map. "See here it says..." She walked toward him to show him something but lost her place as soon as she reached him. She looked up at him, as if to say 'give me a minute'. He shrugged and waited for her to find her train of thought and place on the map once again. After a minute when she looked back at him, her expression was different. She had resigned herself to the facts at hand. She didn't know how to read the guide, she didn't know where in the heck they were, or how to get back to their car. She looked down at her hands as she folded up the map.

He took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eye. His countenance softened towards her as she looked at him with pleading eyes. He slid his hands down her arms, calming her as they made their progress to her hands. He clasped her hands in his and gazed at her with such love and devotion that her knees went week. She had a hard time standing up when he beheld her like that. But she stood her ground, still holding his hands.

"We are lost. But at least we have each other." He said smiling.

Yeah, I live for little moments like that.

...

Coming back to the present from his memories, he noticed his bride had again fallen asleep. It had happened as they watched a movie, later that night.

All in all, it had been a good day. They sat together, just as they had on the porch swing, but in a more comfortable setting. She watched with her head in the crook of his shoulder. By the end of the movie, she was fast asleep. The combination of the wine with dinner and the comfortableness of him beside her, had lolled her to sleep.

He knew she must be comfortable as he glanced down at her, because he was far from it. The entirety of his right arm had fallen asleep a few minutes ago. The credits started to roll on the Television screen in front of the couch that the two occupied. His arm started to tingle and he just about moved it from underneath her sleeping figure. She looked so peaceful and angelic with the light from the now visible moon seeping in from the window. He couldn't bear to wake her up.

He lived for moments like this where he could say for certain that his heart truly belonged to her.


Hope you liked the first installment! I have had this planned for a year or more. I just had to find the time and inspiration to getting around to finishing it. I knew I wanted to get some stories written for February for this collection because they are all based mostly on love songs which fit perfectly with this month or last month, depending on when I get this up. This is a few weeks late...I didn't really edit this that well. I just really wanted to get it up. I am not really sure I liked the ending that much. It feels like it is missing something right before that last line.

Let me know your thoughts? Did you like the couple I chose for the song?

Also, how was the format at the beginning? I didn't write too long of an author's note did I? Should I put in all the lyrics for the song at the beginning? At the end? Should I let everyone guess the song? Or should I just leave it like it is and say that you should go listen to the song? It is a great song, go listen to it. I also wanted to know if you all would like to know what song I choose for the next chapter before I post it as well (that gets rid of the 'guessing the song name' idea? And should I put which couple I am writing about at the beginning or would that be too much?... Just let me know.

One more question: Should I just leave this collection, specifically for OTH or do you guys 0want me to add other couples from other fandoms as well? I only have a few songs that I found for others, while I have tons of OTH ones.

See ya!