Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own One Tree Hill or any of the characters.
Summary: I wrote this a veryyyyy long time ago and never got around to finishing it/publishing it. Here it goes. What should've happened outside of Clothes over Bros during 5x04 It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding.
Peyton Sawyer stormed out of the party, her mind reeling and temper flairing. How dare he? Who does he think he is? That he can just waltz back into my life and tell me what to do? No, he gave up that right a long time ago. Shoving open the door, she walked outside and saw him. Her breath catching in her throat.
Lucas Scott. She was furious with him. She wanted so badly to hate him. Yet he still took her breath away. Even from a distance and with his back turned towards her he looked amazing. But she couldn't think about that, about how much she just wanted to run over to him and jump into his arms. To just be close to him again and have everything go back to the way it should be, the way it's supposed to be. But she couldn't. Because just like he wrote years ago, Peyton Sawyer has intergrity. And Peyton Sawyer was not going to let him get away with it.
"Hey! Don't do that!"
He slowly turned around, his piercing blue eyes locked onto her own green eyes.
"Do what?" he replied, almost bitterly.
"You know what. 'He's not good enough for you!?' Thats not fair to me, Lucas. And it's not fair to Lindsey either."
With that Peyton spun on her heel, fully intent on returning to the party, where she would once again put on a fake smile and pretend that everything was alright. Peyton Sawyer had mastered that art years ago. She had taken a few steps and was about to reach for the door handle when she heard his voice.
"What do you want me to do Peyton?" he angrily called after her. She turned around, unsure of what to do or say. Lucas walked towards her. "Am I supposed to just watch other guys hit on you and pretend that everything's fine?"
With those words, she felt something break on the inside. All the pain and emotion she had been hiding for the past two years, three months, and eight days (yes, she'd been counting) overwhelmed her and she couldn't hold them back any longer.
"You have no right to tell me what to do with my life, Lucas Scott. Who to talk to or what to do. You lost that right two years ago. We haven't talked in years and now you think that you can just tell me how to live my life? It's been two years Lucas, two years."
"Yeah, well who's fault is that?" he bitterly spat out, shooting her an icy stare. "I should've known you'd run. You're Peyton Sawyer, it's what you do."
"If I remember correctly, you're the one who ran off to New York. Luke, we were nineteen years old. You asked me to marry you. I...I got scared. So I told you maybe someday. Lucas, I was terrified. We were living thousands of miles apart. You were in Tree Hill with your mom and Lily and I was trying to get by in LA."
"You think I didn't realize that. I knew what we were up against and I was willing to do whatever it took to be with you. God, Peyton, I loved you so much. And I thought you felt the same way too."
Lucas could say all he wanted, but to question her love for him? That was uncalled for.
"Don't you dare say that," she said, slaming her fist against his chest, "You knew how much I loved you. You knew that and you left. I thought about it a lot, your proposal. And I was going to tell you yes, that I wanted to marry you. I bought a fricken plane ticket and flew back to Tree Hill to tell you that. That I loved you and wanted to marry you, to have the whole white picket fence house, golden retriver and kids. But when I went to tell you that, your mom tells me you were in New York. YOU ran off. YOU ran from me."
"Peyt.."
"I tried calling you. I called you, god, it must've been close to five times a day for a week straight. But you never picked up. You never once answered. So eventually I got the message and went back to LA. I spent months hating myself. I thought I had lost any shot at a future with you. And then you call me, months later about your book signing. And I was happier than I had ever been in months. I would get to see you again, and let you know how much I missed you, how proud I was of you, how sorry I was, and how much I loved you. But then I saw you there, with Lindsey, and I knew I was too late. And I hated myself for it..."
"Peyton, I didn't..I never..." he stammered. Glancing up into his eyes she could see the pain they held.
"Please Lucas, just let me finish. I've been keeping this in for a long time and I need to let it out. I need you to know." He nodded his consent and she took a deep breath before continuing. "I was miserable Luke, miserable with my job, LA, away from all my friends, away from home, but most of all away from you. I tried to bury myself in my work but the more I did that, the more I felt myself slipping away. I wasn't myself anymore and I didn't like the person I was becoming. But I didn't know how to make it stop, how to get back to the person I used to be. But you saved me. Your book Lucas, your words, you did it again. You saved me. You reminded me what my life was missing. It was empty, there was no love. I need to get back to that love. I needed you. You saved me. You brought me home."
"But you told Brooke and Lindsey, you said you came back here for work."
"Of course I didn't...I came back for you. Because it's you Lucas, it always has been, and I'm pretty sure, whether I like it or not, it always will be."
And there they stood. On the side walk outside of Clothes over Bros. Green and blue eyes lost in each other. Two lost souls trying to find what they've been looking for.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Peyton broke their gaze and took a step back.
"I guess I should be getting back inside now" she said weakly, her heart aching, having just bared her heart and soul to the one boy who would always have it. Once again Peyton Sawyer told Lucas Scott she loved him and he said nothing. She didn't even get a freaking "Oh" this time.
As she turned to walk back inside she felt his warm hand touch her arm, tingles flowing through her skin as she turned around to face him.
"I meant it" he whispered, sounding like a lost little boy on the brink of tears, "I meant all of it. Everything. I was and would always be in love with Peyton Sawyer."
And there on the street corner, night surrounding them stood the two lost souls, who maybe, just maybe, found each other for once and for all.