"Hold on" 1-

Lucas develops feelings for Peyton, but drama also incorporates itself.

Summary: There's a lot that goes on in Tree Hill, but Lucas has the most to carry with. He's fallen in love again with the one girl that pushed him away, Peyton. Will the overbearing drama and fear that suffocates Lucas daily overcome his courage to tell Peyton his true feelings about her?

'Hold on' was inspired by Jet's song "Hold on."

Chapter One: All I do is think of you

There she was, right in front of her webcam, drawing her latest inspiration or deepest feeling. He knew that determined look on her face when he first saw it. That look was endearing and captivating to him for some odd reason. Maybe because he really knew the real Peyton, not the superficial Peyton that many knew.

Lucas rubbed his face and ran his hands through his jagged blonde hair in exasperation. Why on earth am I thinking this way about Peyt? Lucas thought quietly to himself. She, after all, pushed me away. I don't need to be feeling this way about her again!

Lucas got up out of his computer chair and picked his jacket up off his bed and put it on hastily.

"Luke!" Cried his mom, Karen.

"Yeah, mom?" Lucas yelled back as he picked up his keys to his truck.

He heard footsteps out in the hall telling him his mom was coming to talk to him. She reached the door just a second later.

"Where you headin'?" Karen asked curiously as she dried her hands off on a towel from the kitchen.

Lucas pointed to his door lazily, "I'm just gonna go for a ride. I just want to get out of the house for a bit."

Karen shook her head in understanding. "Alright," she turned and started heading back to the kitchen, "but I want you back at a decent time."

Lucas nodded to himself silently and walked over and opened to his door. A breeze immediately hit his face and swept through his hair. He turned around a closed his door before heading over to his truck.

He got in lazily, he was ruffled about his feelings for Peyton so he didn't feel like making his numb mind think any harder on the situation. Besides, too much drama has been happening in this small town to even think straight half the time.

He turned the ignition and the truck started up and the radio came on in turn. Lucas barely paid attention to it at first as he drove down the deserted residential streets. But the longer it was on, the more he grew enthralled by it.

When all that you wanted
And all that you had
Don't seem so much
For you to hold on to
For you to belong to

When it's hard to be yourself
It's not to be someone else
Still everything's so far away
That you forget where you are, you are

When all that you wanted
And all that you had
Don't seem so much
For you to hold on to

Hold on

When all that you wanted
And all that you had
Don't seem so much
For you to hold on to
For you to belong to…

While he was listening to the song, he didn't even noticed where he was driving to. Lucas had drove to the park and parked the car by the basketball courts. He just sat there listening to the truth of the song that paralleled his life so much in the driver seat.

Knock, knock!

Lucas jumped in his seat, scared out of his skin. He looked out his window and saw Nathan standing there with a curious look on his face. Lucas rolled down his window.

"Luke, what's up? You've been in there for five minutes just sitting. What's your deal?" Nathan asked pryingly.

Lucas just looked up at him for a minute. "Well," he started slowly, "I was just listening to this song." He said with a small, hesitant voice as the song ended.

Nathan looked at him incredulously. "Right," he offered his closed hand to Lucas through the open window.

Lucas tapped it with his fist in turn. He got out of his truck and closed it.

"You wanna play some ball?" Nathan asked showing his basketball he had with him.

Lucas shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." He inhaled deeply, breathing in the sharp, cold air. "I just wanna sit and think a little bit."

Nathan looked at him oddly, but didn't say anything. He just shook his head in understanding.

Lucas took a seat on the bleachers and stuck his hands in his pockets of his jacket. He looked over the scenery, taking in everything as he thought.

Nathan sat next to him and laid the ball down next to his feet. Without looking at Lucas, but down at his feet he spoke, "Dude, you can tell me whatever's going on."

Lucas just nodded, but still kept thinking silently for a moment. "I don't know, Nate. Everything's just been crashing down on me lately."

"Yeah, I bet. A lot has been going on in all of our lives lately." Nathan said while looking on toward the basketball court.

Lucas turned to Nathan finally. "Nate," he spoke softly, "I think I may be falling for someone right as all this crap gets put on me." He looked away and rubbed his face roughly in frustration. "First, I break both Brooke's and Peyton's trust and bond when I date both of them at the same time. Then I move, come back and see them again happy but they still hate me! I justtry to make them trust me again, at least as a friend, but every chance I get, I blow it somehow."

Nathan nodded silently, "I understand man." He looked back at Lucas, "But really, you are earning that trust back. Yeah, it may not be fast! Sometimes the slower way's the more sufficient way."

Lucas looked up with a small smile playing across his face. "When did you become all insightful?"

Nathan shoved him and laughed at his sarcastic joke. "Very funny, Lucas!"

Lucas just kept laughing, but stopped and patted Nathan on the back. "Sorry man, it was too good of a chance to miss. And I really appreciate you listening. I need someone to listen to my thoughts sometimes other than myself."

Nathan looked at him curiously, "So who is this girl that you say you're 'falling for' anyway?"

Luke chuckled softly, but looked up in a serious manner to Nathan. "Peyton."

"Peyton? Peyton Sawyer? The girl that broke things off with you after Brook found out about you two's relationship?" Nathan looked at Lucas in disbelief. "The Peyton!"

All Lucas could do was nod. Just thinking about her made this tingling sensation course throughout his entire body. Her smile, her eyes, her lips, her real inner beauty! All of her was just right to him.

Nathan stood up, "Well," he said with a laugh, "good luck. I'm gonna head home since Hales is probably wondering where I am right now even though I told her I was shootin' hoops." He started heading climbing down the bleachers.

"Hey, tell Haley I said hi," Lucas called when Nathan reached car. He could barely make out the nod Nathan gave him as his answer.

Lucas just sat there, looking around, thinking. Thinking came easily, recently, to him. He just sat for long hours just thinking about his life, about school, about friends, about her. She overthrew all his thoughts until they just centered on her.

He sat there until darkness surrounded him and the stars floated brightly above him. One thought, though, lingered in his mind way longer than the day would allow, was Peyton going to love him back again after all the drama they been through before?

I know this chapter was pretty boring since there wasn't any juicy Lucas and Peyton moments, but I had to set the stage for what was to come in later chapters. I guarantee that there will be good Leyton moments and scenes soon! Just stay with me here, there's a bunch of back story to make it more real! This is TOTALLY a Leyton romance fic so stayed tuned.

Please leave me a review! Thanks so much for reading too!