Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews, I truly appreciate it. I like this chapter so hopefully you guys do, too!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the One Tree Hill characters or the TV show! This is just what my crazy mine has come up with.

Love, Emery

PS. Anyone watch Gossip Girl? I am totally hooked!

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Chapter 4

It felt comfortable the moment the two stepped into the bar. Kinsey's was slightly reminiscent of The Blue Post, one of the only bars in Tree Hill. Interestingly, The Blue Post was also the bar that Brooke and Lucas had spent their first date. But they chose not to talk about that. God forbid they ever spoke about their past together.

Kinsey's was complete with pool tables, dart boards, peanuts, and even a friendly bartender named Jimmy.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite locals. I know what this means. Let's try to keep it down to two bottles of liquor this time, kids." Jimmy threw a wink at the pair.

"Jimmy! It's been way too long. I've missed you!" Brooke leaned over the bar to plant a small kiss on the older mans cheek.

Jimmy chuckled as he shook Lucas' hand. "I've missed you, too, Brooke. Now, if you're here, that means it's been a rough day. What is it this time?" Jimmy eyed the both of him.

Lucas let out a big sigh and shoved his hands in his pocket. "Peyton."

Jimmy also let out a sigh and a shake of the head. "Again? I'll get the tequila." He told them before walking towards the other end of the bar.

A few minutes later, Jimmy had set the two up with a bottle of Jose Cuervo, sliced limes, salt, and 4 shot glasses each. Brooke unscrewed the full bottle and started to fill all 8 of the glasses.

"Well, Broody, you ready?" Brooke asked as she poured the last shooter. She kinked an eyebrow and smirked at Lucas.

"Let's do this." Lucas answered. They licked their hands, sprinkled the salt, grabbed a lime, and one glass each.

"Here's to tomorrows hang-over's." Lucas raised his glass in a toast. Brooke winked at him and they both licked the salt off their hands and downed the shots. Lucas winced as Brooke sucked her lime like a pro. She always had been good at shots.

"Remind me why I do this again?" Lucas grimaced looking at Brooke sideways, already feeling the burn of alcohol begin in his stomach.

"Aw, poor baby Luke can't take a few shots." Brooke mocked and Lucas rolled his eyes at her. "You do it because a few shots from now everything in the world will seem wonderful. Come on, let's do all three." Brooke urged him.

"Brooke, there is no way I can drink three shots in a row."

Brooke responded by pulling his hand up to her mouth and licking the portion between his thumb and pointer finger. She looked up at Lucas and raised her eyebrows. She saw Lucas' eyes darken and for a moment she couldn't read him. It was the first time that she hadn't been able to read him for a very long time. But before she could think about it, Lucas had already picked up his next shot glass.

"To a very interesting night." Lucas toasted. Both of them did their 3 shots in a row, slamming the last on the bar in front of them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"You, my friend, are so drunk." Lucas slurred as he pointed to her with his beer mug.

"Yeah right, Scott, I could drink you under the table any day of the week." Brooke slurred right back, a loud laugh escaping her lips.

The truth was that it had been about 2 hours and after a couple more rounds of shots, Jimmy had made the pair switch over to beer. Brooke and Lucas were both significantly intoxicated.

"Brooke, I just don't understand why I keep going back to her, to all of it. I don't even care whether we are together or not. Most the time, I want out of the whole thing anyways." Lucas complained.

Brooke was looking at him with wide eyes, nodding at everything he said.

"So, what do you think Brookie bear?" Lucas asked truly looking at her like he wanted to know.

"I think… I gotta pee." Brooke said, stumbling off her bar stool.

"Oh, no you don't. I have to go with you. I'll protect you."

Brooke laughed loudly once again. "From what? The toilets or the sinks?" She placed her hands on his T-shirt clad chest and pushed him back down on his stool. "I'll be right back."

He nodded and watched her walk away. Brooke paused to blow him a kiss and then turned the corner to enter the bathroom. Lucas shook his head smiling.

"What are you looking at there, son?" Jimmy asked, giving Lucas a knowing smile.

"I was just, you know, making sure she got there safely." Lucas replied.

"She's a beautiful girl, Luke. I understand why you would be watching. I'm rooting for you kids." Jimmy smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Lucas gave him a puzzled look but his thoughts were cut off by Brooke returning to her bar stool.

"Whatcha lookin' so broody about, Broody?" Brooke asked. She was smiling her famous Brooke Davis smile, dimples proudly on display and eyes twinkling. And Lucas thought that, in that moment, she had returned to his old high school Brooke. And to him, she had never looked more beautiful.

"I miss you, Brooke." Lucas told her, his face completely serious and looking into her eyes.

"You see me everyday, Luke." Brooke rolled her eyes and took a drink from her beer.

"No, I mean the old you, the high school Brooke."

Brooke squinted her eyes at him. "In high school, I was token party girl. Captain of the cheerleaders, easy, I drank too much, and acted like I was dumb. How can you miss that?"

Lucas crinkled his eyebrows. He was far too drunk to be having this conversation right now. And clearly, so was Brooke. Otherwise, she would have made some joke to just avoid this conversation altogether. But he guessed that the chance to finally have this conversation was being given to him right now. And Lucas was going to take his opportunity.

"Is that what you really think Brooke?" Lucas asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I do. There was nothing good about the high school Brooke."

Lucas shook his head. "That is so untrue. When we were in high school, you were so strong and brave. You told people exactly how you felt and made no apologies for that. You loved to have fun and people loved to be around you. You cared about people intensely, even when they might not have deserved it. You were so carefree and innocent, and I loved all that about you." He told her sincerely.

Brooke seemed like she was concentrating really hard on everything Lucas was saying. And then she looked angry.

"So, you're saying you used to like all that about me. So, now what? Why are you even friends with me?" She hadn't raised her voice, but there was an edge to it. Lucas knew that he had hurt her feelings slightly.

He placed his hand on her upper thigh. "That's not what I mean. I love who you have turned into. You are so ambitious and mature. You have all this great advice and are so levelheaded, and I don't think all that was necessarily there in high school. It's just that, now you are so guarded and, besides me, you never really let anyone into that pretty little head of yours. And much less, your heart. I miss your openness. And most of all, I miss when you were carefree and impulsive and didn't care what anyone else thought. I just miss all that, that's all." Lucas explained. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes focused on Brooke and he actually couldn't believe that he had put that all together and it had actually made sense. Well, to him it did anyway.

Lucas watched for Brooke's reaction, hoping that he hadn't made it sounds too terrible. He looked on as her eyes became unfocused and she nodded, he assumed mostly for herself. She turned away from him for a couple moments and Lucas was sure that he had made a mistake in telling her all this. But how could he not? It was a conversation he had wanted to have with her ever since they had become friends after graduation.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity to a drunken Lucas, Brooke turned back towards him. Her eyes had something in them that he didn't recognize and Lucas didn't think that it was because of their intoxicated state.

"Carefree and impulsive, huh?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

Lucas just nodded in response.

"I miss that girl, too." She said before wrapping one hand around Lucas' neck and pulling him towards her.

Their lips met and Lucas felt like he was coming home. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol playing tricks or maybe just the way her lips tasted of citrus, but Lucas felt like possibly she was the one who was doing the intoxicating.

Brooke felt like he old self again, which, she guessed, was that point of this kiss anyways. She hadn't kissed anyone in quite awhile and she tried to tell herself that perhaps that was why she felt that this one was particularly magical.

Their mouths brushed against each other a few more times before Brooke started to pull away, capturing Lucas' bottom lip with her teeth playfully before pulling back altogether. It always drove Lucas crazy when she did that in high school and they both knew it.

For a few moments they just sat there looking at each other, Lucas goofily grinning and Brooke smirking. There was something new in both their eyes that hadn't been there in a very long time. Possibly desire? Neither could place it exactly.

Finally, Brooke stood up. She grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers, and pulled him from his stool.

"Let's go, Broody." Brooke told him throatily.

Once they got out the door, Brooke started pulling him, very quickly, in the direction on their apartments. It was like they couldn't get there quickly enough.

Jimmy looked out the door just as Brooke pushed Lucas onto the side of the building and kissed him again. He shook his head and chuckled, hoping this story would end happily for the kids he was so fond of.

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Well, there it is... the start of Brucas love for this story. Is it love or maybe just horny 20 somethings? You'll find out soon! Reviews are still happiness!