Standing On Two Feet

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Haley shuffled her feet as she walked across the river court to a stranded basketball. She wasn't sure why she had agreed to meet Lucas when he had called the day before. Brooke said it was all a part of her having to fix things, and that she loved her for it. Haley thought it was because she was an idiot.



She picked up the basketball, shooting it towards the goal, surprising herself as it went it. She still remembered how embarrassed she was when Nathan had to show her how to shoot a free-throw. It had barely been a year and a half ago, but it seemed like another lifetime.



"What are you doing here?" a voice asked, as if on cue. Only in Tree Hill.



Haley immediately froze up before turning around to see the striking blue eyes she knew would be gazing back at her. It's funny. Even after you divorce someone, it's still the simplest thing in the word to point out their voice in a crowd.



"Waiting for Lucas," Haley replied, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, not liking the unfocused look in his eyes. "Are you drunk?"



Nathan just laughed, "You know Peyton's pregnant?"



"They don't know for sure," Haley corrected.



"It's funny, right? I mean, Saint Lucas," Nathan shook his head, picking up the ball that had rolled to a stop in between them and shooting it into the goal with ease. "He's my father's bastard spawn, I'm the one with the perfect life growing up, yet he ends up with everything. My team. My ex-girlfriend. And now, my baby."



Haley couldn't help but notice the pain behind his eyes, "Nathan, he didn't steal anything from you. It's not like he wanted this to happen. It was an accident."



Nathan narrowed his eyes as he turned to her, "Accident? God, Haley, when will you grow up and see that not everybody is a good person? People are crappy. They do crappy things."



"Everybody makes mistakes."



"Oh yea?" he asked, stepping right in front of her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Then tell me Haley, tell me...was fucking another girl while we were still married a mistake?!"



Haley shrank back, unable to not feel nervous at the large body looming over her, "Nathan, I-I promise. Brooke and I didn't do anything until after the divorce was final."



"So it's true?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh my God, it is true. What kind of sick, twisted way is this to get back at me Haley?"



"Not everything is about you."



"Oh really? What do you think people are going to say about me when this gets out?" Nathan asked.



"Well, maybe if you'd been around more."



"So, this is about getting back at me, isn't it?" he nodded, stepping towards her again. "Isn't it?"



"No, Nathan," Haley shook her head. "I--I--"



"Don't say it," Nathan warned. "Don't you dare say it."



"I love her," Haley managed.



"Damn it Hales!" he cursed, spinning around, walking a few steps away before rushing back to her. "You love her? You fucken love her?!"



Haley nodded.



"Do you love her like you loved me?" Nathan asked, inches from her.



"Nathan, please don't do this," Haley begged.



"No! Answer me," he demanded. "Do you love her like you love me? Huh? Do you hold her like you held me? Do you...do you tell her always and forever like you told me? Cause that was a bunch of crap, now wasn't it? Wasn't it?!"



Haley gulped hard. She didn't hear the sound of heels clicking on the pavement, but she felt a pair of familiar arms wrap around her from behind, protectively.



"Oh, nice," Nathan grinned. "Nice. So, I guess that answers my questions, huh? She's gonna protect you now? Is that it?"



"Nathan," Brooke warned, her voice warm against Haley's ear.



"This is great. This is so unbelievably great. I mean, all I had to do was marry her to get in her pants. Tell me Brooke, what the fuck did you have to do?"



Haley held back the sob that was rising in her throat.



"Nathan, go home," Brooke said firmly.



"No!" he yelled. "Why should I have to leave?! This is my town. I will not hide in my town. You," he pointed at Haley. "This is your fault. All of this...it's your fault. Why don't you leave?"



"My fault?" Haley choked out, straining against Brooke's arms, but the former cheerleader held her in place. "No, I will not have you blaming me. You...you did this. You borrowed money from Dante. You took off. You--You slept with my sister...while we were still married!"



"You little..." Nathan muttered, stepping towards her. Brooke pulled her back, cradling her away from him. They heard the footsteps running, and the sound of bone crunching against bone before the looked up to find Nathan stumbling back.



"Damn it Nathan," Lucas cursed, waving his hand that he had punched him with in the air, trying to shake off the pain. "Didn't you learn your lesson the last time you got your ass kicked for hurting her?"



Nathan straightened up, rubbing his jaw, "Who's to say I'm not going to fight back this time?"



Lucas tensed up as Nathan walked towards him, fists clenched.



"Stop it!" Haley called out, tears falling at the thought of the two of them fighting. "Please stop it."



Nathan and Lucas turned to her, their eyes considerably softer than moments before. No matter what, neither of them could stand the thought of her crying.



Lucas took a claming breath, "Nathan, you need to go."



"I'm not--"



"And I mean it when I say to stay the hell away from the both of them," Lucas warned, his glare cold once again.



Nathan cursed at him under his breath before walking away.



Brooke felt Haley turning in her arms, and she hugged her tightly, "It's ok."



"I'm sorry," she heard her cry softly against her shoulder.



"It's not your fault," Brooke assured her, rubbing her back soothingly.



"Hey," Lucas said softly, touching her shoulder.



Haley turned around to look at him.



Lucas held open his arms to her, his eyes apologetic.



Brooke let her go, allowing the shorter girl to fold into her best friend. Lucas held her protectively, letting out a sigh of relief.



"I'm so sorry I told him," Lucas admitted. "I'm so sorry about everything."



"It's ok," Haley replied, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, more tears falling at the familiar cologne he had been wearing since they first became teenagers. "I missed you."



"I missed you too, buddy," Lucas smiled. He looked up to catch Brooke's eye, seeing her fighting with herself as to how to react. "Brooke, I really am sorry--"



Brooke held up a hand to stop him, "If she says its ok, then its ok. This was her fight, not mine."



"S-so you're ok with this?" Haley asked, pulling back to look at him.



Lucas sighed, wiping a tear from her cheek. How could he have ever hurt that face that was staring at up him hopefully? It was one of the sweetest things he had ever seen. "I'm..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "I'm here for you Hales. You're my best friend, and all I want is for you to be happy."



Haley smiled, willing to accept that.



"See, my problem is," Lucas smiled back, trying to lighten the mood. "If she breaks your heart, then I can't very well kick her ass, now can I?"



"Nope," Haley giggled softly.



"So I guess that just leaves one solution then," he said, looking Brooke in the eye. "Don't break her heart."



Brooke nodded with a polite smile, "Was never planning on it."