Equal But Opposite Reaction
By: Sari
Disclaimer: No, I don't own OTH. If I did Brooke and Lucas would be back together and Felix would be in a ditch somewhere. Haley wouldn't be going insane and she and Nathan would be back together.
Summary: AU Brucas. Successful bachelor Lucas Scott meets hard to get, feminist Brooke Davis and a rollercoaster ride occurs as both begin to fall in love.
Part 6
"In love the paradox occurs that two beings become one and yet remain two." – Erich Fromm
Brooke awakened slowly but extremely refreshed her body encased in loving warmth. She smiled and turned around so she didn't wake up the sleeping man beside her. Yesterday night she had been feeling down after their confrontation with Tim and Theresa but at her request Lucas had taken her back to his penthouse and had been a perfect gentleman. He catered to her every need showing her where everything was in his large apartment before guiding her to the bedroom and making his way to the door.
- FLASHBACK -
"Lucas wait…" Brooke murmured. "I want you to stay with me."
His face took on an adorable expression that she couldn't read. "Brooke you don't want me to do that."
Brooke got out of the bed and crossed the room quickly, pressing her mouth against his in a hot, passionate, needy kiss. Pushing him against the door and closing it in the process her hands made their way underneath his shirt casually pulling it off and stroking the hard muscles of his chest and stomach.
"Brooke…" he gasped, kissing along her jaw and making his way down her neck. "We shouldn't do this…you're hurting and I'm going to feel terrible in the morning."
She fondled him, teasing him into releasing another moan into her mouth. "Why?" She whispered.
"I feel like I'm taking advantage of you." He said in between placing kissed along her collarbone, having already peeled the tight dress off of her.
She grinned evilly, nibbling his ear lobe. "Isn't it the other way around?"
They both moaned the other's name when Brooke grinded herself wantonly against his body. He was tight with need for her and she in turn was the same way. "I need you." She gasped.
He finally gathered enough willpower to push her away, catching her eye and keeping her gaze locked on him. "Brooke…we shouldn't do this." He managed to say firmly.
She sighed and nodded smiling tearfully. "I know…"
He smiled tenderly, wiping her tears away again. "Let's just sleep okay?" He pulled her to the bed and tucked her in getting in beside her and pulling her against his chest.
"Thank you…"
- FLASHBACK -
Now here they both were half naked under the covers and she didn't feel an ounce of shame, just an incredible sense of comfort. That was something new to her, she didn't think she could feel this comfortable with anyone. She ran her hand through his short blonde hair and sighed contently as he moaned and moved closer to her. She continued watching him until he slowly began to wake up.
"Brooke…?" He groaned.
"Yeah it's me." She answered.
His blue eyes opened and he rubbed them sleepily. "What time is it?"
She glanced at the clock on the night stand. "Seven thirty."
He cursed. "I'm late and I still have that mess with Nathan to clean up." He looked at her his apology already ready but Brooke beat him to it. "It's your job Luke, I understand."
"Are you sure? I don't want to leave especially after yesterday…"
She smiled. "I'm fine Luke. Tim can't keep me down that long. You have to go to work."
He nodded and got up and she couldn't help but admire his lean body, all he was wearing was boxers the rest having been pulled off in their desperate struggle that had almost turned into a night she knew she wouldn't have forget. But she had no regrets; she knew that Lucas was right to have stopped her. It would have destroyed their budding relationship if she had just used him for sex.
Ten minutes later he stepped out the bathroom and walked over to the bed leaning over and placing a sweet kiss on her lips. "I'll see you later. Make yourself at home…my maid comes around 12 so you can tell her to wait around until you're ready to leave so she'll lock the door, or if you want to leave before then just call me and I'll tell her to get here earlier."
She waved goodbye and waited a couple minutes until she heard the slamming and locking of the door. She stood up then and took a quick shower trying hard to ignore the feeling to dig through his belongings. Thankfully, her cell phone rang breaking the silence and taking her mind off searching through Lucas's stuff.
Glancing at the caller ID she smiled. "Hey Peyton."
"Brooke Davis are you absolutely insane? What was with you last night? You totally ripped into Theresa and Tim and got Lucas to join in to boot!" Peyton yelled.
"Seeing those two got me so angry Peyt, it was just an undeniable fury that I couldn't control and it came out the way it did. Lucas…" She trailed off smiling to herself. "Lucas said what he did with his own free will."
"Where are you now? I called the office and you weren't there and I called your house and you weren't there either."
"I'm at Lucas's house I didn't feel like being alone after that fight."
"YOU SLEPT WITH HIM?" Peyton yelled.
Brooke laughed. "No Peyt, I wanted to but he stopped me."
"He stopped you? The guy must be more of a saint that I first realized."
Brooke chuckled. "It's nothing like that…he was just stopping us both from making a mistake we both would have regretted."
"Brooke please tell me you plan on keeping that man under lock and key. No one deserves to be that damn nice."
"Believe me Peyt, I plan to." She said smiling. They chatted together for a few minutes while Brooke browsed through Lucas's medicine cabinet having been in there when her cell had rung. She eyed a row of pills on the last shelf of the cabinet with interest. "Hey Peyt…"
"Yeah?"
"Lucas has a row of medicine here…like 6 bottles how sick can he be?" She asked all of a sudden very worried.
"What are they for?"
"I don't know they just have the names of them and how much he should take."
"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe they're old a lot of people keep old antibiotics." Peyton said. "Brooke, don't jump to conclusions I know you. You're just looking for something to wreck what you two have. Ask him and he'll tell you what they're for."
Brooke let out a shaky breath. She just had to keep repeating to herself that Lucas wasn't a bastard like most of the guys she had dated before. "You're right Peyt, I am one self-destructive mess. I'll talk to him about it. Thank you."
"I'm your best friend it's my job."
"I know…" Brooke said softly. "And I don't think I tell you how much I appreciate it sometimes."
"Oh look…you got me tearing up."
Brooke laughed. "That was the point."
"Oh shut up, I'm going now."
-
Lucas watched hisyounger brother warily. The stress from the past few days was starting to show on his young face. He knew deep down that his brother never really meant to hurt Haley but his actions were reckless, and his reckless behavior however explainable hurt everyone around him.
"Hey Nate."
Nathan smiled slightly at his brother. "Lucas here to save the day once again?" He asked bitterly.
"Nathan don't get angry at me, you don't have a right to." Lucas warned.
Nathan nodded and ran a hand over his face. "I'm sorry."
"I know." Lucas sat on the chair across from Nathan. "Want to tell me what really happened that night?"
"We won the game Luke, and you know how I get after a game. There are parties, girls, and alcohol and the MVP of the game is treated like a king. I had too many drinks and next thing I know I was upstairs with some girl whose name I don't even remember. I don't remember most of the night but I do remember that I didn't have sex with that girl Luke. No matter how drunk I am I would never hurt Haley that way."
Lucas sighed, leaning back in the chair. He had been dealing with Nathan and Haley's problems ever since they had gotten together and frankly he was sick of it. "Nate, you have to shape up."
Nathan looked at him. "What does that mean?"
"It means that your lifestyle is destructing not only yourself but others around you. You constantly have Haley in tears and leave Nancy and I to scramble after you to clean up your messes. Nate I love you but I can't have the stress of wondering when is the next time I'll have to bail you out of jail or suppress some newspapers or comfort Haley because your drinking screwed up your head again."
"Lucas, everyone knows your Mr. Perfect but you don't have to rub it in my face."
"Damnit Nathan don't make this about me! I'm talking about your drinking problems, your screw ups, and your wife." Lucas shouted. He backtracked suddenly knowing that Nate would just get more offensive if he got angry. "Nate I'm trying to help, just hear me out okay?"
Nathan nodded, knowing that his brother wouldn't give up until he had come to some sort of agreement and the stress it would take him to do so wasn't good for his health. "Alright Luke I'm listening."
"You're not just going to listen, you're going to take what I say to heart and act upon it." Lucas said sternly.
Nathan nodded again. "Get on with it."
"Your alcohol is becoming a major problem Nate. I'm going to sign you up for a rehab camp for as long as the counselor feels you need to be there. That means if you have to take some time off of basketball then so be it." Lucas looked at Nathan but Nathan didn't say a word. "I'm also going to get you and Haley marriage counseling. She already agreed to it when I sent Brooke over there to talk to her so you need to agree to it as well. Once again, that will go on for however long it needs to go."
Nathan sighed and looked at his brother knowing that he was telling this for his own good. "Alright Luke." He said tiredly. "Anything else?"
"Nate…this isn't fun for me you know…"
Nathan smiled. "Luke I know it isn't. I'm being a pain in the ass."
Lucas smiled at his brother glad he didn't put up that much of a fight. Breathing a sigh of relief a grimace appeared on his face as a stabbing pain shot through his chest. "Oh shit." He gasped through the pain.
Nathan was immediately at his side. "Lucas what the hell?"
Lucas whimpered softly and slammed his eyes shut as the pain in his chest grew. He thought back slightly to the night before and realized that in all drama there was last night he had forgotten to take his medicine and in the rush to leave the house this morning he had forgotten again. "Well that explains it." He muttered to himself.
"Explains what? Luke is it your heart?" Nathan growled and snatched for Lucas's cell. "I need an ambulance here as fast as humanly possible!"
Lucas tried to speak through it but couldn't, knowing that Nathan was blowing this all out of proportion. Regardless the pain was too strong and Lucas passed out, losing the war against unconsciousness.
-
"What the hell is going on?" Brooke growled at Nathan upon entering the emergency waiting room.
"Lucas passed out." Nathan said tiredly. "It's his heart condition…"
Brooke eyes widened. "Heart condition?"
"Ask Haley when she gets here, I have to go fill out forms for Luke."
Brooke wanted to protest, demand that Nathan tell her right now but she knew thinking like that was selfish. His brother was in a hospital bed and he must be exhausted. It hadn't even reached two o'clock yet and she could see the dark circles under his eyes.
So she waited, and no one told her anything. She was just about to blow up when Haley arrived her face red with exertion. "Brooke how is Lucas?"
"I don't know no one will tell me anything."
Haley narrowed her eyes and marched up to the nurses' station. "Hi, I'm Haley Scott and my brother-in-law is in here and I need to see him now."
The nurse's eyes widened and she immediately shuffled through the papers and looked for Lucas's chart. "Lucas Scott right?" She stammered.
"As if there is any other damn Scott in this hospital, YES." Haley yelled.
"Room 201 please, right down this hallway and to the left."
Haley rolled her eyes and Brooke followed her down the hallway to Lucas's room. Opening it they saw Nathan sitting in a chair asleep by his brother's bedside and Lucas up staring out the window. "Hey Luke." Brooke said softly. "Are you okay?"
He smiled at Brooke and Haley. "I'm fine, a little relapse because I haven't been taking my medication as religiously as I should be."
"A little relapse?" Haley shouted breaking up the moment between Brooke and Lucas. "Lucas if you didn't notice you're in a hospital bed! Don't you ever scare me like this again or the next time you end up in the hospital they'll be pronouncing you dead!" Haley burst into tears then and this awoke Nathan, he went to her and surprisingly she let him hold her against him.
Brooke raised an eyebrow at Haley and then turned to Lucas. "So when were you going to tell me about this heart condition you have?"
He looked down guiltily. "I'm sorry, I didn't think it was important."
"You didn't think it was important to tell me about your health?" Brooke eyed him incredulously. "Luke you must be kidding me."
"Well Brooke my heart condition isn't something you can just bring up in the middle of Sunday brunch." He said sarcastically.
Brooke closed her eyes and counted to ten then looked back at Nathan and Haley who were watching them. She glared at Nathan enough so he would get the hint and giving the two of them a wave he walked out the hospital room dragging Haley along with him. Brooke walked to the door and shut it and then sat in the now vacant seat, all while Lucas stared at her.
"Tell me how it happened. Now." She said.
He sighed and seeing that he wasn't going to win got comfortable. "I told you that Dan had a problem in college and he never was able to play basketball again didn't I?" He asked.
She nodded not sure where this was going. "Well the reason why he wasn't able to play anymore was because at one of his check ups they found out that he had a genetic heart defect called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, otherwise knows as HCM. It's a thickening of the heart that obstructs flow of the blood and causes abnormal heart rhythms."
Brooke's eyes filled with tears the questions about his college life that she had been asking since she met him finally being answered. "Oh Lucas…"
"When I was in college I was on my basketball team and you were right when they called Nathan and me an impenetrable pair, but one day at practice I started getting these weird chest pains and I brushed it off thinking it was just exertion from practice." Lucas eyes clouded with tears and he struggled to get the rest of the story out. "The next thing I know the pain got so intense that I could barely stand and the last thing I remember before passing out is Nathan screaming my name. Everything else is a blur…" He whispered. "But I didn't wake up for almost a week they told me. Then they diagnosed me with HCM and told me if I wanted to live I had to give up basketball, it was putting to much stress on my heart."
Brooke got up and crossed the room climbing onto his small hospital bed and hugging him. "Lucas I'm so sorry."
He smiled and kissed her. "I was born with it, there's nothing anyone can do about it. Going pro had been a goal for me for so long but I had to realize that there were other things in life besides basketball that could make me happy."
"Do you miss it?"
He smiled sadly. "All the time, especially when I'm so close to the game but can never play it. But like I said, I care more about my life and how playing basketball would affect my chances of survival to ever try playing it again."
Brooke sighed. "Earlier this morning Peyton called me and she distracted me so much I started looking through your medicine cabinet…"
"And you saw all the prescriptions?" He finished.
She nodded. "It scared me to death."
He smiled lopsided at her. "They're all the medications that deal with either HCM itself or the symptoms."
"Are you in pain a lot?"
"If I do the dosages when I'm supposed to not really. I have a constant headache but I've had it so long that I barely notice themunless I get stressed out, then it develops into a migraine which puts me out for awhile."
She notices that he's tired and his voice has begun to strain a little so she stops her questioning, for now at least. "You should go to sleep." She says.
"I'm not tired." He mumbles but she knows he's lying so she kissed him on the forehead and slipped off the bed careful not to disturb any of the machines. "I'll see you later okay?"
Brooke smiled again seeing that he nodded off and stepped outside to see Nathan and Haley waiting for her. She noticed they were looking cozy with one another again but decided not to question it. "How's Luke?" Haley asked.
"Asleep."
Nathan and Haley nodded walking back to their seats in the small waiting room across from his room. "I called Karen, Keith, and my dad." Nathan said.
Brooke nodded. "Are they coming up here?"
Nathan sighed. "I don't want them too I have a feeling they will just make it worse but I'm pretty sure they all are."
"Are they that bad?"
Nathan rolled his eyes and Haley started to laugh. "Karen and Keith not so much but Dan is a category all of his own that man is a reincarnation of the devil who only likes Lucas when he feels like it."
"Hales…" Nathan said with a warning in his voice.
Haley glared at him. "Dan Scott is an evil, lying, manipulative bastard who only uses his sons as leverage and property. I don't like him, and Brooke I don't think you will either."
Nathan shook his head used to Haley's opinions about his father and got up when his cell phone rang. "That's probably my dad with information about his flight. I'm going to go take this."
Haley and Brooke both watched him go then fell into a silence both girls sinking back into their own thoughts. Brooke smiled slightly and leaned into the stiff hospital chair when she realized just how deep her feelings went for the sick man sleeping in the room across from her.
"Haley…do you believe in love at first sight?" She asked.
Haley just blinked. "Umm…not really Brooke. It took a while for me to even admit I liked Nathan. Why?"
"I didn't think I believe in it either." Brooke said dreamily, not really paying attention to the answer Haley had given her.
"Then why bring it up?"
"Because I started believing in it when I met Lucas. Hales…I think I'm in love with him." She whispered.
Brooke shut her eyes tightly. Two weeks and already thinking she was in love? Now that was definitely something new.
TBC
A/N: I think that's the cutest ending I've ever written.