A/N: this is my first fanfic people, so please review nicely! Well, if you could just review then that would be great too. Ok so this is a completely AU story. Basically, Lucas and Haley were together before she left for the tour. She never married Nathan; she didn't go out with him either. She's now back from the tour, but her and Luke aren't exactly back together just yet. They're still really close though. She chose Lucas for the Fantasy Boy Draft thing and they are on their 'date'. One-shot.
Everlasting Moments
"As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment." – John Steinbeck.
Haley and Lucas walked down the pier, in comfortable silence. They always used to come down here when they were kids. Just like the mini-golf course on Karen's Café's roof, this was their place.
The sky glowed an orange tinge, verging on blue. The moon glowed a brilliant white, reflecting on the still river. It was like this every night on the pier. Some things never change…thoughtHaley as she reminisced about her favourite moment at this place.
"Race you down to the pier!"
"You're on!"
The two 10 year olds darted down the wooden platform.
"Hah! I won," cried Lucas, panting.
"No fair, Luke, you always win!" whined Haley, who had arrived three seconds later and was also out of breath.
Lucas just shrugged in response. Haley, in mock frustration, rugby-tackled him to the ground. They both fell to the ground, laughing.
"Hales!" cried Lucas, but still laughing, "You are so gonna pay for that", he said in a mysterious voice.
He had that look on his face that Haley always dreaded. She knew what was coming, but she wasn't quick enough to run. Lucas launched a full-on tickle attack, causing Haley to erupt in giggles.
"Luke! Stop! giggle Come on!" she managed.
"Not until you say 'Lucas Scott is the coolest, and most awesome best friend in the whole world'" he replied.
Finally, Haley relented, and Lucas stopped tickling her. They sat down in silence.
"You know", said Haley after a while, "this place is really beautiful. I mean, just at all these cute little purple flowers," she said, pointing at the wild purple fauna that surrounded them. "When I grow up, I want to get married in a place exactly like this," she said, dreamily.
Lucas looked thoughtful for a minute before replying, "Well how do you know this place will be exactly the same in 20 or so years?"
Haley didn't respond. Her face fell a little, as she continued staring out towards the lake.
Suddenly, Lucas grinned. "I know", he said, "We could get married here right now. That way, you can at least be married in the place of your dreams!"
Haley looked at him as though he had lost it for a moment, but then her face also contorted into a wide smile as she said "Sure! Ok"
They both stood up, as Lucas cleared his throat and spoke in what he thought was an 'authoritative' and 'priest-like' voice, causing Haley to giggle.
"Do you, Haley James, take I, Lucas Scott, your best friend for life, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do." said Haley, trying to stifle some more laughter", And do you, Lucas Scott, take I, Haley, your best friend forever, to be your wife?" she asked in her best priestess' voice.
"I do."
"And I now pronounce-" started Lucas, but was cut off.
"Wait! We need to exchange rings." Haley said.
"Oh yeah." Luke looked and walked around, while Haley watched him with a questioning look. "Ahh hah! Ok so they're not rings, but they mean something to you right?" He gestured to the purple flower in his hand, which he had picked from the docking area.
Haley gasped, "They're perfect" she exclaimed as she too picked on and handed it to Lucas.
"I now pronounce us husband and wife. Don't say I never gave you anything," he added as he handed her his purple flower.
Haley beamed, but her big brown eyes widened as if she had just realised something. "Erm, don't we gotta…you know….kiss now?"
Lucas blushed bright red "You know, I really don't think it's necessary," he said nervously.
Haley, seeing her opportunity, decided to seize. A mischievous grin appeared on her face. "Aww, come her Lukey, lemme give you a kiss," she cooed flirtatiously, stepping closer to Lucas.
"Eww, gross, Hales, get away from me!" he cried, a look of horror on his face. He then darted away from her. Haley ran after him, laughing, and pushed him to the ground once she had caught up with him. She had him pinned down.
"Gerrof me!" Lucas struggled.
"Sure!" replied Haley, cheerfully, "once I do this…" and with that, she kissed him lightly on the cheek.
Lucas' eyes widened "you tricked me!" he yelled.
"Dude I wasn't gonna kiss you on the lips, I mean, eww!" Haley giggled.
"Hey! Whaddya mean 'eww'? There is nothing 'eww' about me!" he replied indignantly.
Then he stepped forward and pecked Haley lightly on the lips. "See?" he asked.
Haley's cheeks turned bright pink. "Whatever, let's just go home" she said.
Haley would never forget that day that she received her first kiss. And it was from her best friend. She smiled slightly at the memory. A light breeze blew at her auburn/dark brown hair, bringing her back to the present.
As she looked around the pier, she noticed something was different. There was not a single purple flower in sight. The areas where there was nothing but shrubs and wild purple flowers had been replaced with benches and wooden tables. Her face fell. Lucas seemed to have noticed, for he asked, "Is everything ok, Hales?"
Hales. How she loved the way that word came out from his mouth, in that husky, often brooding, voice.
---
Hales. How he loved saying her name. Her nickname. How he loved everything about her. The indefinable colour of her hair, the big chocolate brown eyes, that soft voice.
He didn't really know what him and Haley were to each other anymore.They were a pretty steady couple last year. That is, until she went off on tour. He came to see her in New York a few days before she returned to Tree Hill. She told him that she wasn't coming back; that she needed to stay longer to find out if this was where she really belonged. He understood. He felt that way when he left the Rivercourt to join the Ravens.
They said their tearful goodbyes with Lucas ending on "I will always be there for you. You'll always be my best friend." Best friend. But will she still be his girlfriend?
When she returned to Tree Hill, they got on pretty well, as they had before she left, before they started going out. As best friends. Lucas didn't know if they had been more than best friends at the time. No. He knew they had been more. But how much more? Did she still love him? Will she go back on the tour? He knew they'd have to talk about this. They were pretty much in a rut. Not totally broken up, yet not completely together.
---
"Hales?" Lucas repeated. Little did he know that she had been thinking about the exact same thing about their friendship/relationship thing.
"Hmm? Oh! Well, I was just thinking about….well, remember this place was full of those cute purple flowers? Now there's barely a petal in sight." Haley replied softly.
"Yeah." whispered Lucas, even though there was really no need to whisper.
After a moment's silence, Lucas was the first one to speak. "Hales, you know we gotta talk about stuff, right? I mean…about…us?"
She did know. She slowly nodded, and looked up into his beautiful blue eyes, waiting for him to go on.
"It's just," Lucas continued "that things have been going pretty well with us since you came back…and, well…" Lucas sighed, running his hand through his tousled blond hair. "Why exactly did you come back, Hales?" he asked.
Haley understood now. He thought she was going to leave again. She looked down and took a deep breath. This was going to be hard, opening up, that is. Even to Luke. But she knew she had to do this. She had to know just how much he meant to her. She turned back up to face him, and began,
"The next day after you left, we were doing an open-air concert. Chris was playing his new song, 'Missing You', and there were three hundred thousand people there. Everyone erupted into cheers and applause when it was my turn to go up. I looked down from the stage at the 300, 000 faces staring at me. And I choked. In front of three hundred thousand people, I couldn't open my mouth and sing, because none of those faces could fill the void that was in my heart from you not being there with me. At that moment, I realised that this was not the place for me. Because ever since we became best friends in the second grade, you've been my home." Lucas had remained silent through her speech, watching her and listening to her intently with his intense blue eyes.
Haley then turned to face the river/lake A/N: whatever it is. They call it the Rivercourt, so it's probably a river. and closed her eyes. She took in the calming effect that this place always had on her. She could feel the light wind blowing back her hair. Everything was completely still and silent. if only things could stay like this forever.
She opened her eyes when she felt a gently but firm hand on her arm. She turned around to see Lucas smiling slightly, holding something in his hand. He took her hand that he was holding, and opened it, pacing a small purple flower in it. Haley looked up into his eyes.
"The only one I could find. Typical of you." he smirked, but then he grinned his boyish grin, that would make any girl's heart melt, as he added, "Don't say I never gave you anything".
Haley thought that her stomach was literally doing cartwheels. She also grinned as the distance between them lessened, and as his lips met hers in a passionate kiss. Haley put her arms around his neck, as he encircled her waist with his arms. Both were beaming from ear to ear as they broke apart, both wishing for this moment never to end.
The End.
A/N: Hope you all liked it! Please review! I want to know how I did on my first fanfic!
Rich xxx