"The Way"

There she was. In a beautiful white dress and her curls pulled back loosely, just hanging in and framing her face. Her hazel-green eyes sparkled as she delicately stepped on each tan, carpeted step. She stopped to stare at herself and smooth her dress in front of the mirror, even though she looked perfect already. I smiled as she got closer to the door and eventually opened it. "Lucas, I'm not completely ready yet." Peyton said, smiling brightly from ear to ear. She looked even better without the window in front of her. I stayed speechless, just staring at her, getting lost in her gaze.

"There's something 'bout the way you look tonight.

There's something 'bout the way that I can't take my eyes off you."

"I...It's okay, we have plenty of time." I answered, as she turned and I shut the door behind me. I kissed her lightly, suddenly getting nervous. She was so beautiful. I mean, she was beautiful all the time, but this was...incredible. "Lemme get my heels from upstairs, we'll take some pictures, then we'll get going. Is that okay?" She interrupted my thoughts but I definately didn't mind. The more I thought about what was going to happen tonight, the sweatier my palms got. "Of course, Peyt." I answered, quickly.

"There's something 'bout the way your lips invite.

Maybe it's the way that I get nervous when you're around."

--

We were here. We walked to the school, arm in arm, handing our tickets to the woman behind the small table in front of the school. And before we entered the gym, I turned to her, wrapping my arms around her waist. "I love you, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer." I confessed as I smiled. Peyton smiled before replying back. "I love you, too, Lucas Eugene Scott." Those were our twenty-second "I love you's," but they still felt like the first. It always felt like the first time with Peyton. Although, something was going to happen tonight that would be the first time for us.

"And I want you to be mine.

And if you need a reason why..."

After thirty minutes or so of hugging and kissing and hand holding, a slow song started to play and Peyton led me, willingly, to the middle of the gym, right under a huge disco ball, where millions of lights were flashing furiously on us. She laid her head on my shoulder as I held her tightly, whispering the lyrics in her ear.

"It's in the way that you move me,

And the way that you tease me,

the way that I want you tonight."

She raised her head up, slightly, just enough to kiss me lightly on the cheek, then I noticed a tear stream down her face. "What's wrong?" I whispered softly. She looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes, and smiled. "I want you to spend the night with me tonight." she whispered back. "Are you sure...Peyton, we don't have to..." I kept whispering, but was interupted. "I want to." She said, slightly louder as a smile crept it's way across my face.

"It's in the way that you hold me,

And the way that you know me.

When I can't find the right words to say,

You feel it in the way."

--

I locked her door with a small, almost silent, click. When I turned around, she was sitting inocently on the bed with her shoes kicked off at the edge. She smiled a little before she got up to help me shed my clothes and in return, I helped her with hers. And as the evening crept into night and as we became one for the first time in her bed, I knew things between us would never be the same, they would become stronger.

--

I laid quietly, awake, in her bed. It was 1:01 and I had been up since about 11:30. Just listening to the even breathing that came out of her mouth and the rhythmic beating of her heart. All that surrounded me was her. Her face, her hair, her eyes...her heart. She was all I thought about and all that I needed. I sighed and whispered, "Peyton...just Peyton." I closed my eyes, but only for a moment, before I felt her hot stare on me. "You wake up?" I whispered, with my eyes still closed. "Yeah, but how did you know I was awake, you didn't even open your eyes." she whispered, laying her head on my chest. I opened my eyes, looking down at her as I yawned. "I can feel when you're looking at me." I smiled. She lifted her head up, looking at me. The moonlight shined through her window illuminating her face and body, making her skin glow. "Thank you, Lucas...for a night I'll never ever forget."

"There's something 'bout how you stay on my mind.

There's something 'bout the way that I whisper your name when I'm asleep."

"You're welcome...I love you." I whispered, loud enough for only her and I to hear. Her eyes lit up, clouded with joy. She smiled, "I love you, too." She whispered before I cut her off, kissing her deeply, and we fell asleep, locked in each others arms.

"Maybe It's the look you get in your eyes,

Oh baby, It's the way that it makes me feel to see you smile.

And the reasons, they may change.

But what I'm feeling stays the same...

It's in the way that you move me,

And the way that you tease me, the way that I want you tonight.

It's in the way that you hold me,

And the way that you know me,

When I can't find the right words to say,

You feel it in the way..."