Lucas looked on at Peyton and felt his heart start doing jumps much like the ones the cheerleaders did at his games and realized just how much of a woman she really was, despite her fairly young age.
She had let her hair curl in the way it wanted to, darkened her eyes with kohl, rouged her lips, and wrapped herself up in a dress that defined the color scarlet.
There was no question that she wasn't the only pretty girl at the party, but she was somehow… different. Brooke was sparkly, the embodiment of today's generation. Haley, although definitely not a love interest, was stunning in the 70s outfit with her gold boots. Peyton was a goddess. Or an actress from the raging 20s with contemporary broodings.
He was certain Nathan would dispute Peyton's goddess status since he worshipped Haley and he could bet a great deal of the high school male population deemed Brooke as divinity they'd love to get their hands on.
Peyton could be his goddess. As he tapped his lip in thought he wondered what she would represent. Love, partially; creativity, certainly; depth, of both murky and insightful kind; originality; and last, angst. Although it seemed like there was angst in everyone's life nowadays.
What was particularly drawing his eye right now was her dress. It looked like it had been made out of the softest t-shirt material, totally inappropriate to a fancy event but perfect as well. He wanted to touch it, touch her; wanted to lower the straight-cut top and gaze upon her creamy breasts and then kiss them until she threw her head back in abandon.
Shaking off such lustful contemplations, he returned his eyes to her face. It was unnaturally blank, as if she was removed from the crowded scene, lost in yet another thought that brought her to realize the shallowness of the world all over again.
He found himself walking up to her. She looked a bit startled at his sudden appearance, but her smile was real.
"Hey, you. Didn't see you. Where were you hiding?"
"Someplace from where I could openly admire you." Peyton blushed and looked a combination of timid and hopeful. "You are… gorgeous. It's a mediocre word to describe you right now, but it's the best my vocabulary can come up with."
Yet again she looked startled. As if she could guess his thoughts from earlier, she replied:
"Don't raise me on some pedestal, Lucas. I'm only human, as we both know."
It was bittersweet, being reminded of their history together and so was his smile. He discovered he had no appropriate response that would add to anything, so he just held out his hand to her. She accepted and they walked to a semi-clear space on the dance floor where they could dance. Peyton stepped into his embrace, he held her close and they enjoyed a brief peaceful moment in time.