Hiya! Lol hey guys… thank you, as always, for your wonderful reviews. I have no idea why I've been hitting such a block with writing lately, but you guys have been great, so hopefully I can just get over it lol. I'm glad that you guys liked the flashback last chapter. I was seriously like giggling as I wrote it, but sometimes I'm just weird. Sorry if you thought the applause last chapter was unnecessary, but Brooke and Lucas are the golden couple at Tree Hill High, and since everybody at the party was watching, waiting, and eagerly anticipating what would happen next between them. And since everybody was paying attention to them, I figured that some sappy, clichéd applause was better than the six year old approach—"Eww!" Lol sorry… it just felt right at the time.

Janine- your review cracked me up. I'm glad that the tomatoes are safe. For now. Insert diabolical laughter here.

Linds- Hahah, I'm glad that you got what I was trying to do there.

BlueSilverLining- Lol I'm so happy you didn't think that was cringy! I was really worried about that! haha

Amalisa- Thank you! )

Othbaby08- you absolutely cracked me up. I loved your review lol.

Mags- Loved the e-mails, as usual.

I really appreciate all of your reviews. Seriously, you guys keep me going lol.

Major fluff alert. Try not to gag. Lol.

(Sorry, but my other story is so dark, and I feel like everybody's been through enough in this story to get a short break. Enjoy while it lasts. Lol)

Disclaimer: All characters belong to… somebody else.

At the Heart of It All

Twenty Five

Love Takes Time

"So, where does this leave us?" she asked slowly. Green locked on blue as they met each other's eyes, each looking for some deep meaning, some answer to all their questions.

"I don't know, Cheery, I don't know…" he said, frowning slightly. "Well, where do you want this to leave us?"

"I don't know either Luke! I mean, you're my best friend. You've been my best friend for practically our entire lives—"

"Eleven years," he coughed.

"Same difference!" she half-shouted, half-laughed. It was a tense moment for both Brooke and Lucas, and as frustrating as it was, neither could really be angry at the moment. "Promise me we'll always be best friends like this."

"Of course we will, Brooke. You're my Cheery. We're like that yin and yang thing," he explained clumsily, but she got his meaning. She could see how hard it was for him at this moment to explain to her that they would always be there for each other, even if they weren't with each other. The sentiment was reassuring, and Brooke flung her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Broody."

A few peaceful moments passed, with each perfectly content to hold the other. Finally though, Brooke just had to speak.

"How did you remember that yin and yang thing? I haven't mentioned that theory of mine in ages."

"Your necklace," Lucas admitted quietly, with a small chuckle, pointing to the small black and white circle dangling from a thin silver chain around Brooke's neck.

"Oh. I think you just lost all creativity points right there, Mr. Scott," Brooke laughed, poking him in the chest. Catching her hand as it came down, Lucas absentmindedly laced their fingers together. Both sat deep in thought, as the laughter of the previous moments faded away.

"Where does this leave us, Luke?" Brooke whispered. In that instant, she looked like her six year old self again. Lucas saw the young, frightened, tearful girl he had met that day on the playground. She looked innocent again, shaking in fear and confusion.

"Hopefully dating. For real this time," he said, placing a little kiss on the knuckles intertwined with his. Brooke's moist green eyes opened wide.

"But Luke—"

"Brooke, I know what you're going to say. And I do feel the same way. I know that our friendship is the most important thing, but we know that we'll always have that. I'll never let you go, because you matter more to me than anyone else in the world. And if you don't want to date, then I'll take you any way I can get you, but Brooke… I can't keep hiding what I feel, and I think we need to try it for real this time."

The tears pouring down her pale face made him rethink what he had just said, and how he could have possibly upset her. Instead, she leaned upwards and kissed him deeply.

"Don't hurt me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he laughed.

A charged look passed between them, and the atmosphere was much heavier. Brooke kissed Lucas again, more aggressively this time. Moments passed, full of roaming hands and dueling tongues, when his calloused hands reached the bare skin at the bottom of her silky shirt.

"Brooke, we don't have to…" Lucas started awkwardly.

"No, we don't. But I want to. I want this. I want us," Brooke whispered, looking him straight in the eye as she removed the halter herself. And as the green silk hit the floor, all protests were ended, and only one thought remained.

Us.

--------------

"Brucas reunited. Pretty crazy, huh?" she asked, her fingers playing through the sand beneath her hands, her soft brown eyes watching the waves crash against the shore. Haley had always thought that there was something truly remarkable about the beach. All the little grains, coming together to make a sand bar. The waves, which could be so rough and so gentle. The sort of reassuring nature of the entire thing, that if you got pulled out, somehow, somewhere, you would be washed back into shore.

The world we live in takes care of its own.

She smiled a little as she saw the ripples made by jumping fish. He watched her carefully. Haley James had always been an enigma to him. Beautiful, without being sexy. Smart, without being "brainy". Caring, without being sappy. Trusting, without being gullible. Nathan Scott found her just as remarkable as she found the beach.

"Hold on—Brucas?" he asked with a laugh. She blushed a little under his light blue stare.

"Well, yeah! Brooke and Lucas!"

"Brucas?"

"Yeah! All couples need a cutesy combination nickname," she explained cheerfully.

"Oh really?" he asked with a smile tugging at his lips.

"Yes really."

"Who else has one?"

"Well… um… when Brooke and I found Peyton hooking up with Jake in that supply closet, they were Jeyton. Or Pake, I guess. We used Jeyton. It just had a better ring to it."

"So Jake cheated on you?" Nathan asked, anger sparking in his clear eyes.

"No! Well yes, actually. But it doesn't really matter… we were never really 'going out'," Haley mumbled, digging deeper into the sand. Nate's large hand cupping her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

"You deserve much better than that," he said. She said nothing, but gazed at him meaningfully. There was a message in her eyes that she was desperate for him to receive. After a few minutes, Nathan realized that he was still holding onto her, and gently let go, turning slightly red.

"So, what else is there?" he asked abruptly.

"What?"

"Other couple nicknames. This is simply fascinating," he quipped.

"Hum… well, way back when you dated the she-devil herself, you were Pathan, or Neyton."

"Urgh, don't remind me," he mumbled with his head in his hands.

"And if Peyton had a shot in hell of landing Luke, they would be Pucas," Haley grimaced.

"Or Leyton," Nathan piped up.

"No. It's safe to say that they would be puke-y," she said, and both laughed.

"You and Jake are… Jaley?" Nathan prodded.

"If I had any interest in cheating basketball-playing bastards, then yeah, we could be Jaley. Or Hake," Haley stated firmly.

"Ouch for Jagelski."

"If you got with Brooke, you'd be Brathan."

"That's ridiculous. Everybody knows that Brooke and Lucas belong together. Brookie's a nice girl, but she's not for me. She never would be."

"Brooke and Lucas do belong together," Haley nodded. "I mean, just think how cool Brucas sounds. If they weren't meant to be together, it wouldn't flow that well."

"You seem to have a lot of faith in this nicknaming thing," Nathan noted with mirth in his eyes.

"Totally. It's just like a song. If it sounds right, it's more likely to feel right."

"You sing?" asked Nathan curiously.

"A little," Haley said modestly.

"You'll have to sing for me some time."

"I'll think about it."

Twenty minutes passed in relative silence, but neither noticed. This was probably the first comfortable silence they had ever sat through together, and neither wanted to spoil the moment. It could signify that maybe they were coming closer together, now that they could do something other than argue and kiss.

"We'd be Naley," he said quietly.

"What?"

"If we were dating. We'd be Naley," Nathan muttered, wishing he hadn't said that out loud.

"Yeah," Haley smiled fondly. "I like the sound of that."

"So maybe one day…?"

"Maybe one day we can be Naley."

No more words were exchanged that night, but they didn't really need them. Her tiny hand found its way into his much larger one, and they held on tight. Their hands had never found a more perfect match.

--------------

Eek? Lol I hope you guys don't completely hate me. I just thought we had to right to a little fluff before some more big drama hits. Hopefully you didn't all die because you gagged on this, and can review? Lol that would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Xo Sam