A big thank you goes out to my beta, Kat! •


R e v i s i t e d
A One Tree Hill fanfic


Chapter Three: Moonlight Becomes You

A big goes out to my beta,

The light had faded.

Nathan Scott watched the sunlight's leisurely retreat from his walls and tried to sum up some kind of emotion, but all that was left was an alcohol-induced numbness. He didn't know how else to deal with the pain that he was helpless to escape. Drinking was the only thing he knew how to do with any authority, perhaps with the exception of basketball.

He'd never pictured himself here. Even just a year ago, his wife had been a faceless stranger and he'd been living it up to the fullest—parties, sex, basketball, you name it. He was Dan Scott's boy, the star player on the Tree Hill Ravens. And now he was just Nathan, emancipated from his parents, separated from the only person in his life that made him feel worthwhile, and without a single person to help him through it. Not to say his friends hadn't tried; Peyton had tried to shame him into some sort of action, Brooke had made a couple of cheeky comments about how if she were in Nathan's shoes, she'd be kicking Chris' ass for stealing away his wife, and Lucas was constantly there as well, urging him to try and talk to Haley, try to understand what her motivations for leaving were.

Nathan had pushed them all away and retreated to his empty apartment, allowing the rage and pain to fester as he tried to remember if he needed to buy more beer.

Idiot, he cursed himself. How could I tell her that we were over if she left?

He'd always frowned upon flowery declarations of love. 'I need you like I need air,' had only conjured up laughter in years past. However, he couldn't stop himself from thinking the same thing now that Haley, his beautiful wife, had left him to suffer alone in Tree Hill.

Which was another thing he'd never counted on. He'd always assumed that as soon as high school was over, the sleepy town of Tree Hill would be a thing of the past. He had plans to apply to Duke University and join the basketball team there. And after that, he was a sure shot for the NBA. Why not? He was, after all, Dan Scott's boy, and the basketball prodigy of the Carolinas. Who could turn him—or his father's money—down?

Not so anymore. He doubted he'd be leaving Tree Hill any time soon, since he had legally divorced his parents and their financial support. Not that he regretted this action. What he regretted was letting Haley slip through his fingers. She could tell him it was for her dreams and for her career, and he didn't doubt that these were the two primary motivations for her to disappear on tour with Michelle Branch. But she couldn't plausibly deny that Chris wasn't part of her decision to leave, either.

Chris. Nathan's fingers tightened around the bottle of beer in his hand. The thought of that scrawny rat-bastard never failed to incite these feelings of rage in him. Healthy or not, his desire to seriously maim the performer wasn't going anywhere. If he ever saw that guy again, Nathan would make sure that the kid regretted ever being born.

He took another swig from the bottle and stood, heading for the refrigerator. He couldn't' remember if he had food in there or not. As he swung its door open, the lock clicked on his front door. He snapped his attention over to the foyer, wondering who would dare disturb him—he'd been something less than hospitable of late—and turned to face whoever came into his dungeon-like apartment.

The minute he recognized who the intruder was, an icy shock ran down his spine like lightening, and his eyes went wide. The bottle of beer fell from suddenly limp fingers and dimly he was aware that his mouth had dropped open. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered the fact that his bottle had shattered on the counter, but he couldn't bring himself to care. A trembling wracked his body as he lost physical control of himself in a way he'd never experienced before.

This just can't be happening

"Hi, Nathan." Haley James-Scott stood in the doorway to their demolished apartment, looking radiant and exhausted all at once, staring wordlessly at her broken husband.

•••

Brooke scurried around her house and thanked God again that her parents very rarely came home. As she tried to decide if candles would be setting the wrong atmosphere, her fingers twisted in the satin of her scarlet-red shirt, cut to expose one graceful shoulder. She'd carefully applied her makeup and chosen a pair of flattering boot-cut jeans. A scarf that matched her shirt had been saucily tied about her waist and she'd spent at least an hour straightening her shoulder-length hair.

Belatedly, she realized she was nervous. Which was ridiculous, because Brooke Davis was absolutely never nervous, especially when it came to friends. Most definitely when it came to guys. And never when it came to guys she considered friends.

Shit. Lucas Scott was making her nervous.

She didn't care to examine just what about Lucas was making her feel like a deer caught in headlights. She wrote it off to their somewhat turbulent past and moved on. After all, she was dating the wild, dashing and protectively adorable Felix. Her feelings for Lucas were strictly platonic. Weren't they?

Of course they were.

At the last minute she ditched the candles, but she left the dining room lights slightly dimmed. As she finished setting the table, the doorbell rang. A quick glance at the grandfather clock standing regally against the wall told her that, as usual, Lucas was punctual with a capital 'P.'

She took a moment in her dash to the door to check over her appearance. She didn't know why—this was Lucas, after all—but somehow knowing that she was looking her best helped to calm her nerves. She liked looking good for Lucas. But she didn't care to examine the reasons for that, either. Taking a soothing breath, she pulled open the door and nailed him with her best Davis-diva smile, hoping to knock him dead.

In fact, the results were flip-flopped. She was the one left reeling from the sight of him on her doorstep, smiling warmly, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans. The blue in his shirt electrified his eyes, so azure and bright tonight that the heavens might have been green with envy behind the stars. He was still so devastatingly handsome it took her breath away, and she felt the old urge to lean against his chest well up in her before she could control herself.

Hoping none of this showed on her face, she tilted her head toward the dining room and stood to the side to welcome him in.

"Hey there, Broody. Come on in," she told him, and he grinned at her as he stepped inside, offering the ice cream he'd picked up on the way for dessert. She took it, allowing the cold shock of contact with the container to bring her back to her senses. This was Lucas. Those three words were fast becoming a mantra.

"Nice place." Lucas glanced around the Davis home in admiration and approval. For a moment, Brooke wondered what prompted the comment, and then realized that during their relationship, she'd spent far more time at his place than he'd ever spent at hers.

"Well, my parents spared no expense," she replied, walking toward the kitchen with the ice cream in her hands, eager to get the dessert into the freezer. "They never did."

A warm chuckle came from Lucas then, and he glanced at her retreating form. "Lifestyles of the rich and famous?"

"Overrated," she replied quickly. "But not by much." She winked at him over her shoulder and he laughed again, thinking she looked beautiful in the low lights. Candlelight would have been better—she looked like some kind of Aphrodite in candlelight.

He shook that thought out of his head and wandered into the dining room. He could smell whatever it was that Brooke had made for dinner and it had his stomach rumbling. Whatever it was she had prepared, it certainly had a fantastic aroma.

"Need any help in there?" he called, studying the beautiful grandfather clock.

"This is woman's work, remember?" was her glib reply. He smiled to himself and shook his head.

"How Martha Stewart of you."

"Anything to spend more time with Miss P. Sawyer. Especially since I've been trying to get all of the juicy details about her living situation." She appeared carrying a large, covered platter, which she set down toward the center of the table. Salad and tongs, French bread, olive oil and red sauce had already been arranged with the plates and silverware. "She's been stubbornly quiet about it, but she won't last against me long, she never does. Have a seat."

He took his chair and found himself staring across the table directly into her eyes. He could tell she was a little nervous, but eager for him to try the food. She was watching him closely as if trying to memorize every aspect of him, and a smile played about her lips as her fingers found her napkin and twisted. It was a vulnerable gesture, and one he'd never seen from her before. He reached across the table and covered her fingers with his own, giving them a gentle squeeze. Then he uncovered the large serving bowl and gaped.

She'd made a beautiful Penne Rustica, complete with prosciutto, shrimp, grilled chicken and parmesan. The sauce looked perfect, creamy and delicate, and it was garnished with a sprig of barley and spiced gingerly. It was an elaborate Italian meal, and it took Lucas completely by surprise. He hadn't expected her to pull out all the stops this way. Then again, this was Brooke. Pulling out all the stops was her forte.

He looked up at her and smiled. "It looks great."

She grinned back at him and reached for the serving spoon, taking a playful swing at his hand with it. "Don't just stare at it, Broody, dig in! I didn't put it out here for us to look at it all night."

He followed orders, serving her first before scooping a generous amount of pasta onto his plate. After adding some salad to his helping, he glanced up and found her holding up her glass, one brow lifted in quiet, teasing challenge. Accepting, he lifted his own glass and let his lips quirk into a small grin.

"To dinner between friends," she said.

"To beautiful meals made by beautiful ladies," he countered, tapping his glass against hers. "Cheers."

"Cheers," she repeated slowly, her eyes locked on his face as if she were trying to disconcert some answers from his deep blue gaze.

For the first few minutes, they ate in silence. Lucas was blown away by the food. Brooke obviously had talent in the culinary field. He wondered if she realized it, or if anyone had ever told her before. Then he wondered if she'd ever cooked for Felix. He hoped not, which was probably very jealous and possessive of him, but he found he couldn't help it.

He looked up and caught her gaze. "Brooke, this is amazing," he said.

Her smile burst across her face like the sun burning through thin morning clouds, but she attempted to wave away his praise nonchalantly.

"No need to get all knight-in-shining-armor on me, Lucas. It's not that great."

"Au contraire," he replied. "I had no idea you were this talented in the kitchen."

She opened her mouth as if to argue, then closed it and glanced away. "Thanks, Luke."

He didn't press the issue further, and a comfortable silence fell over the table once more. One topic he was hoping to avoid was Felix. He hadn't really liked the guy since the first day they met, but he seemed to be doing a lot of good for Brooke. At least he wasn't hurting her, which was more than Lucas could say for himself. True, he'd rather screwed up Brooke's congratulatory party after she'd been elected class president, but he was trying to be a good, supportive boyfriend.

On the other hand, he burned with curiosity to know what had prompted Brooke to have a change of heart about the new guy. At first, she hadn't seemed to like him any more than Lucas had. Then again, he'd never really accounted for fatal attraction, either.

"What are you thinking about?" Brooke asked softly, her eyes on his face under lowered lashes.

"Nothing." Then, after a bite of the pasta, he reconsidered. "Felix." He said it like an admission of guilt, and he avoided her gaze for a long moment afterward. Brooke paused, her fork hovering halfway down to the plate.

"Lucas—"

"You don't have to defend him, Brooke. If you think he's a good guy, and if he's making you happy, then that's all that matters." He shook his head. "He's trying to be there for you, and he cares for you. No matter how much I dislike him, those are two big points in his favor."

"Luke—"

"And he's better to you than I ever was, so I guess I really can't fault the guy, so—"

"Luke." She let her fork drop to the plate with a clatter, finally silencing him. She'd been hoping Felix wouldn't come up, but there hadn't really been a way around it. She didn't know how to tell him what attracted her to Felix, maybe because she wasn't entirely sure. He was good looking, yes, and he had a wild streak that kept even her on her toes. But he had promised her that he would protect her, and perhaps that was what had cinched the deal. The problem was, no matter how much she enjoyed being with Felix—and she did enjoy being with him—a part of her couldn't help but yearn for Lucas. It was quiet, but constant. She missed him, missed feeling like she was falling in love with him, missed how safe and special he'd always made her feel with just a look or a smile.

Working with him on her campaign for the presidency hadn't helped either. He'd been so eager to help, so supportive, that she'd lost another part of her heart to him. He'd stood back, ready to catch her if she fell, but knowing the whole time that she couldn't fail. How could she? This was Brooke—she could do anything. He always had the right words to keep her fighting, and for the first time in her life, fighting clean. She'd taken the high road and it had paid off. All thanks to Lucas.

His eyes were on her now, electric pools of blue, wide and questioning at her sudden outburst. He'd let his own fork come to rest on his plate, and he was sitting very still, lips slightly pursed as he interrogated her with his gaze.

"Let's not talk about Felix," she finally murmured. His hand covered hers again for a minute, his expression turning apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Brooke, I didn't mean to—"

"Let it go, Broody," she replied, attempting a grin. But she took a moment to lace their fingers, enjoying the feel of having his larger hand curled around hers. He was warm—he'd always been so warm—and his grip was comfortably firm.

She could have hated him for making her second-guess her relationship with Felix. After all, Felix was turning out to be quite a guy. There was a lot more to him than she'd originally assumed, just as she was sure he'd learned a lot more about her than he'd expected. But hating Lucas just didn't work. He genuinely cared about the people in his life, and he was there, no holds barred, if someone he loved was in trouble. His presence was like a comforting blanket, one that she wanted to draw around herself and hold onto tightly.

Yeah, well, that blanket unraveled rather quickly for you the last time you let yourself fall for Luke, didn't it?

She looked at him and sighed. He seemed different now. More confident, more sure of himself and what he wanted. And, like it or not, she was pretty different now, herself.

After a moment, she pulled her hand away and finished off her plate. Lucas glanced at her when her fingers left his, but didn't question it. Instead, he finished his food as well and stood to help her clear.

"I'm helping with the dishes," he told her, stacking dirty plates.

"No way. This is a thank-you dinner, you don't get to work," she argued.

"Well, you can't stop me, so I guess I do get to work."

She bumped him with her elbow as they walked into the kitchen. "I could stop you if I really wanted to."

He grinned at her. "Right."

They settled into an easy routine. He'd scrub and rinse the plates, and she'd dry them and put them away. For about two minutes, they worked without a word, and then Lucas couldn't take the silence any longer. Instead, he pulled out the faucet's nozzle and sprayed her liberally with water. She shrieked in protest and snapped her towel at him, which was mostly ineffective because it was hardly even damp. He laughed as she went at him with loosely balled fists, pulling back and trying to spray her again and catch her wrists all at once.

Brooke was laughing too, trying to pay him back for dousing her with cold tap water. She pounded at his chest until he caught her wrists, then attempted to attack him with her full body. When they finally quit wrestling, both of them soaked and breathless from laughter, she realized she was splayed against his chest, her wrists still in his grasp. He must have realized their positioning just then as well, because his laugher died and she found herself once again staring into his eyes.

They stayed like that for only one too-brief moment before they both pulled away and started doing the dishes again. All attempts at further playfulness were strained, as neither knew how to handle what had just transpired between them.

"Brooke." His soft voice cut through the quiet kitchen like a knife, and she jerked her head in his direction to catch his gaze. "Dinner really was amazing."

She smiled at him. "Thanks."

They dried their hands and walked toward the door, Lucas trying to be casual and failing miserably, Brooke trying not to notice and failing as well. He stepped out of the house and onto the porch, then turned back to her, an almost-wry smile on his face.

"It wasn't poisoned, was it?" he asked. She laughed and shoved at his chest.

"Maybe," she replied conspiratorially. "You'll just have to wait and see."

He laughed with her for a moment, then wiggled his shoulders a little and shifted his feet. "Thanks again. I really enjoyed it. I hope you'll cook for me some more."

"Depends on how nice you are to me." She smiled at him and tilted her head, eyes sparkling with good humor. They were both stalling, they both knew it, but neither could bring themselves to care.

"Well…" He paused and decided to face reality. "Goodnight, Brooke."

She stepped onto the porch with him. "Goodnight, Lucas."

He nodded and backed away from her, his eyes on hers, and then turned and headed for home. She watched him go, heart doing back flips, and wondered why every time he walked away she felt like a little part of her was dying.

He was disappearing into the night, his shirt fading against the shadows, and she was letting him walk away. Again. But how could she go after him? There was the fact that he'd betrayed her, the fact that she was with Felix now, to consider. And yet…

"Luke!" She ran after him as best she could barefoot, and he turned at the sound of her voice. He just had enough time to pull his hands out of his pockets as she collided with him, and his arms wrapped around her waist to steady them both.

"Brooke, what's—"

"Shut up," she ordered, face buried in his chest as she tightened her grip around his neck. She could feel him tense as if to pull away and prayed to any higher power she could think of that he'd stay put. After an agonizingly undecided moment, he relaxed and tightened his grip, dropping his cheek to the top of her head.

"Lucas." She tilted her head back and opened her mouth to try and explain what she didn't even understand. She didn't have to. He, like always, knew just what she was trying to tell him.

I can't let this happen, he thought desperately, but he knew he wasn't going to stop it. How could he? He was helpless to resist her. And he didn't want to, anyway.

She was raising up to her tiptoes, her arms still around his neck, and he wasn't pulling back. For a moment, he fought against the overwhelming urge to kiss her, and then he surrendered. He'd never been much of a fighter anyway.

Their lips met, whispering over each other in a sweet mockery of kissing before he took the final plunge and fully kissed her. She melted against him, as if this moment was what she'd been waiting for after long years of absence. As a feeling completeness washed over him, he pushed away all thoughts of Dan, and basketball, and Felix and their past and let himself sink into the moment. After all, he wasn't sure he'd ever get another chance at this again.

They pulled back after a minute-long eternity and stared at each other. It took another eternity for them to step back from each other, and Brooke brought her fingers to her lips as if he'd burned her.

"I…"

He shook his head. "Shouldn't have done that," he finished. His heart felt like it was splintering. How could he have let that happen?

He wasn't prepared, however, for the flash of hurt that sprang across her eyes with hurricane force, or for her to retreat a few more steps. Immediately realizing his mistake, he reached for her, but it was too late. She turned and darted from him, leaving him standing alone in the dark, wondering how he could have possibly screwed up with her so badly…again.

•••

Gooseles • Ah, you're right. Getting all the 'blah blah blah' out in the first chapter can really slow things down, can't it? I'm really glad that the first chapter caught your attention. Description is a huge part of the way I write. I happen to think that surroundings are very important to behaviors, and add some flavor to a scene. I promise Peyton's plan will be revealed soon, but things probably won't go smoothly for Ms. Sawyer quite yet. I'm a big Naley fan, too, and I hope I handle their reunion with some semblance of reality. Thank you again for reviewing, I always look forward to reading them!

Mel • Thank you very much! I love writing this story so far, so keep your eyes open for updates!

l-a-c-18 • I'm glad you like the story so far, and thank you for your compliment. It killed me when Haley left with Chris on tour, so I decided to bring her back. I hope you enjoyed the dinner scene! Brucas is my favorite, too!

RoseRows • Whew! What a relief to hear that my attempts on adding philosophical perspective are so far successful. Since Lucas always struck me as such a deep thinker, I wanted to add part of that aspect of him into the plot. I agree with you about Haley and Nathan, as well. Believe me, it won't be a kiss-and-make-up deal. Thank you for reviewing!

Gerky • Thank you! I'm very glad you took the time to review, and I hope you continue to enjoy my story!

BrucasJeffnTrishforeva • That's quite a pen name, but I like it! Thank you for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too!

Heather Dawn • Thank you very much, I appreciate your kind words! I'm trying to keep up as much as possible. I left Peyton and Jake out of this one to focus on the dinner, but they'll be back with a vengeance in chapter four! Thanks again!

BRookelUCAS716 • I'm glad you're caught up in the story! I'm glad you find the plot interesting. Thanks for your sweet review!