Lucas rubbed his tired eyes as the truck made its way smoothly down the highway. It had just started to rain, heavy enough to warrant the usage of his windshield wipers, lightly enough to set a nice mood complete with the humming sound the drops produced as they splashed across the window. God, he loved that sound. It brought him back to another time. As a boy, he had loved rain. Whether winter, spring, summer or fall, he loved to play in it, watch it fall, listen as it sprinkled against the roof and lulled him to sleep. He couldn't help but smile.
"It's raining?" Brooke yawned as she stretched.
Somehow they had ended up making the return trip to Tree Hill together but as soon as they had begun, she had fallen fast asleep, thus eliminating the opportunity for arguments and the sarcasm laced yet playful banter that seemed to define them.
"Yeah. It just started. Why don't you go back to sleep?"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. Call me crazy but I kind of got used to that crap you dare to call music. It just doesn't have the same affect riding in this truck when my body isn't vibrating."
"Would you like me to turn it back on?"
She shot him a dirty look.
"Not on your life", she smiled, causing him to grin right back at her.
"You hungry?"
"No."
He nodded.
"Well, that was one hell of a weekend."
"Oh yeah."
"Enough excitement for your first race?"
"More than enough", she rolled her eyes.
"You know, you weren't bad, working on the crew, I mean. You're pretty good. You listened and you learned fast and you did a good job."
Brooke's lips curled into a smile as her eyes bulged.
"Who? Me? Moi? Little old me? Is the great Lucas Scott daring to pay me an actual compliment?"
"Hey, I give credit where credit is due. I'm not that bad of a guy."
"You have your moments", she teased.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do. I'm kind of…complicated sometimes."
"Complicated?" she chuckled. "Sometimes, you're a great guy and sometimes you're an asshole. Point blank."
"Okay. You got me."
Brooke smiled as she played with her fingers.
"But uh, I did kind of see you in a new light this weekend."
"Really? When I was yelling at the crew to get the maple syrup out of their asses and get cracking?" he laughed.
"No. I, um…at the hospital. I swear to God, I wasn't eavesdropping or anything. But after you said not to call Deb, I got pretty pissed. You seem to have that effect on me. Anyway, I went outside to get some air and then I kind of thought about it. I realized maybe you weren't being controlling, that maybe it was the best plan because of Deb's condition. So I calmed down and I came back inside and I wanted to see Nathan but I didn't know you were in there. And I kind of overheard you talking to him."
Lucas tensed a little.
"Really?" he asked after a moment of silence. "Well, Brooke, spill it. What did you hear?"
"I don't know. It's not my place. I'm sorry…"
"It's okay."
She took a deep breath.
"I, I just heard you say some things. Nice things. Sincere things. It was really sweet. I know how much you love your brother. And Nathan knows it, too. I don't know, it made me see you different and the whole time I'm thinking, 'Gee, what a sweet guy. Why can't he be like this all the time? Why can't he say those things to Nathan when he's conscious?'"
Lucas shrugged.
"I don't know, Brooke."
"Look, I don't want to start an argument. Usually it's kind of fun going back and forth with you but I'm not really in the mood tonight."
"Me either", he said quietly.
Brooke frowned.
"Really?"
Lucas laughed.
"Yeah. Really. See, I'm the monster you think I am. Anyway, that stuff I said to Nathan and what you heard…it's the truth. He is my brother and I do love him. I want him to be happy and okay. I do care even when I don't act like it. And I try to be a good person but sometimes it's like I'm battling this never ending war with evil or something, if that makes sense,"
"Yeah. Yeah, it kind of does,"
"Anyway, I wish to God I could say those things to Nathan when he's awake. And I wish I could walk right up to Haley and apologize and tell her I never meant to hurt her and just pour my heart out without it sounding rehearsed or without me getting pissed and flying off the deep end if she doesn't react the way I want her to react."
"Just do it,"
"What do you mean?"
"It's not hard. You just have to do it."
"Easy for you to say. Easier said than done, Brooke."
"Don't I know", she smiled. "Remember, Luke, I'm not the person I used to be either. I knew I had to change so one day I just did. Just like that."
"And?"
"I like me. I like the new Brooke. It feels good. I guess she was always here inside just waiting for me to let her out…just like the 'good' Lucas is deep inside you. You just have to give him a chance."
Lucas nodded.
"I'm not all bad."
She looked at him and just smiled.
"Yeah…I know."
"And uh, neither are you", he said in a teasing tone as he rubbed the blonde stubble on his chin.
"Really?" Brooke mused.
He laughed but softened a bit when he looked over into her eyes.
"Yeah. Um, what you did when Nathan wrecked…I mean, the way you reacted. That was really something."
"It was nothing", Brooke shrugged.
"Nothing? Oh it was something. The car was on fire and in pieces and you had no real prior training of how to react in that moment and you just went for it. You ran out there not even worried about yourself. You just wanted to save Nathan."
"I didn't plan it. It was instinct. It just sort of happened."
"Yeah well, it was the bravest thing I've ever seen,"
She couldn't help but smile. Brave. It kind of had a nice ring to it. No one had ever really referred to Brooke Davis as brave before.
"Does that mean I'm your hero?"
He smirked.
"Maybe Nathan's hero."
"But Nathan isn't here. And as his big brother, you're next in line to repay the debt."
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"Uh oh. Why do I have a feeling this is gonna cost me? Now what do you want?"
"Ice cream!"
"Ice cream, huh?"
"Oh yeah. Like a huge sundae with strawberries and pineapple and chocolate sauce with caramel and whipped cream and cherries and…"
"Okay, okay. Don't have an orgasm over there. I've got to keep the seats protected."
She playfully hit him.
"You're a pervert, you know that?"
"I try", he shrugged as he pulled off on the next exit. "Now let's find the heroine some ice cream."
They drove for miles and miles but as luck would have it, there always seemed to be and old Mom and Pop homemade ice cream shop on every country road in the Carolinas. Lucas pulled the truck into the empty parking lot as he and Brooke got out. There was no drive though so they gave orders to the elderly owner through a walk up window. Brooke repeated her order of the deluxe sundae while Lucas played it safe with a chocolate milkshake.
"Well, that's boring", she put her hands on her hips.
Lucas grinned.
"You're boring", he teased back.
"I'm insulted", she pretended to scoff. "I know karate, you know."
Lucas laughed so hard he doubled over.
"You? Karate?"
"Yeah."
"Sorry, didn't know that was on the curriculum for the Beverly Hills Academy of the Shopping Arts", he joked.
Brooke narrowed her eyes. That did it. She knew karate…sort of. Okay, she'd never had an instructor or attended a class but she had paid close attention to Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel LaRusso how to kick the asses of those mean but totally hot 80's Cobra guys. How hard could it be?
Brooke assumed a position and went for a kick but Lucas caught her. They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. They chased each other around the parking lot, giggling and screaming, playfully fighting. Then the rain began to pour. The skies opened up and it was like the heavens had released a power hose. Lucas and Brooke looked at each other again. All they could do was laugh even harder.
"Look at those two fools", the old man inside shook his head as he helped his wife fill the ice cream orders. "It's cold as the dickens and they're out there a prancing and dancing in the rain. They're gonna catch pneumonia before dawn."
The wife smiled as she shook her head.
"Oh, Henry", she sighed. "They're in love."
"Okay, okay", Brooke giggled out of breath. "Looks like the ice cream is ready. Can we call a truce?"
"You're the one that started it", he laughed, soaked to the bone.
"Then I'll end it. Truce?" she extended her hand.
Lucas frowned.
"Haven't we done this before? And as I recall, it never works. Tomorrow we'll be back to trying to rip each other's heads off."
Her silly grin morphed into a sincere smile as she looked right at him.
"Not this time", she said softly.
"Okay. So is this a for real truce or just an ice cream truce?" he questioned.
"For real", she insisted.
Her long dark hair had been plastered to her face courtesy of the relentless rain. Lucas nodded as he gently moved a wet lock behind her ears. His heart raced as he touched her. Her skin, her face was so soft. Their eyes locked, enjoying a "moment" before getting their dessert order and sitting on a covered picnic table, chatting like old friends. Then it was time to go, time to head home back to reality, back to Tree Hill. He opened the passenger door before her but she stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Brooke smirked and folded her arms.
"Your custom made seats? Look at us, Luke. We're drenched."
"Hold that thought."
With some quick thinking, he pulled some warm blankets from his bag and sat them up so they would have something to sit on and cover them at the same time. He started the truck and they were on their way.
"I'm impressed. Always prepared, huh? Like a Boy Scout?"
"Tree Hill Elementary Troop number 419 at your service, ma'am", he grinned.
Brooke shook her head.
"You're an idiot, I'm freezing cold, soaking wet and my tummy is starting to hurt from all those ice cream toppings. Wake me when we get there. I'm beat."
She winked and adjusted the blanket, getting comfortable. After a few minutes she was fast asleep. Lucas had trouble keeping his eyes on the road as he couldn't keep them off of her. God, she was so beautiful. He sighed and smiled to himself, reaching over to tenderly bring the edge of the covers to her chin. Maybe she was right. Maybe being the good guy wasn't so bad after all.