Author's Note - Hey guys. Well this idea popped into my head while I was on holiday and was all chilled out. It's AU; it'll be a max of ten chapters and not as angsty or drama filled as my other two fics. Even I need some light relief ha! The story is fairly self explanatory, but any questions just ask. As you all probably know by now I like to try different things so as always let me know if it's worth continuing or not. Thanks and enjoy.
Summary - Commitment phobic Peyton Sawyer hadn't meant to keep on ending the night in the arms of her friend Lucas Scott. But she couldn't stop herself and as their secret affair continued to "just happen" they edged ever closer to a real relationship.
All I Ever Wanted
Chapter 1 – Just for Now
At the annoying sound of her alarm clock buzzing Peyton Sawyer had rolled over obnoxiously and in her efforts to silence the offending item she collided with the warm body that had been sleeping beside her. She quickly recoiled her arm and sat up abruptly clutching the wrinkled sheet tightly to her chest and ignoring the dishevelled curls that hung over her face. She closed her eyes shut and took a deep breath before she chanced another look over her shoulder in his direction.
Lucas Scott sluggishly opened his very blue eyes and smiled at her. "Morning," he rasped as he stretched his arms calmly and languorously.
The images of the night before flooded back into her mind. They'd been out to celebrate his newly acquired publishing deal and after both of them were dizzied from the effects of alcohol they had gone back to her place. Peyton had ordered pizza and Lucas had cracked open a couple of beers. They had settled on to the couch laughing and talking into the small hours of the morning. From what her fuzzy memory recalled he had initiated what had happened next as he told her that she was beautiful and had then asked if he could kiss her.
At the time she had giggled and had felt flattered at the same time. She hadn't been sure if he was serious but she had let him. As he had given her his boyish grin and asked if he could do it again she had of course crossed the line by leaning in and letting him and the rest had just happened.
"Oh god," she groaned then and she rubbed at her sleep deprived eyes. The awkwardness of the situation overtook her. They were friends, good friends and she didn't want to jeopardise that.
"Peyt, it's ok." He sat up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She shook him off all too sharply. Of course he thought it was ok. He was a guy who'd just had his way with his best friend. For her she had over stepped the mark with the one man she felt safe and sure of herself with.
Peyton toyed with the silk comforter, drawing patterns with her finger in an effort to avoid his intent eyes. She hadn't woken up from a drunken night like this one since college. She had no idea how she was supposed to act with him. Was she supposed to play it cool? Be desperate and demand to know whether this changed everything between them? In the past she would have made it clear that in no uncertain terms did she want any sort of a relationship. With Lucas it was different. She didn't want the events of the previous night to hang between them.
"Do you want me to go?" he asked then stirring her from her thoughts.
"Yeah," she had uttered noncommittally. "No. I don't know."
Unsure of what to do Lucas pulled himself up then and scoured the bedroom for his clothes. After he'd pulled on the last item of clothing he brushed a hand through his dishevelled sandy blonde hair and let out a chuckle.
"What?" she snapped. She slowly felt her irritation with him dissolve and she began to laugh too. His laugh was so warm and seemed to come from somewhere deep within his heart. His laugh was infectious and she often found the sound would have her giggling despite the situation or how much he may have annoyed her.
"So I'm kind of wishing there was some guide as to what I'm supposed to do or say next," he said then sitting down beside her.
Clearing her dry throat Peyton lifted her head to make eye contact with him. "Me too."
"Do you want to talk it?" he suggested.
"Not really. It just sort of happened right?" she said not sure if it was him or herself who needed convincing more. "I don't want it to change things."
"It won't."
"Lucas sex always changes things." Peyton twirled her hair absentmindedly around her finger.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But we've been friends for far too long to let one drunken mistake ruin that." It was true. In the three years they had known each other they'd weathered through bad relationships, him trying to make a success of his writing career, her opening a local art gallery and anything else life had thrown at them.
"So we just forget it?" she asked arching her brow.
Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "We're friends Peyt. I don't want to lose that. Look I don't know about you but I'm starving," he was keen to take the lead in demonstrated that everything was ok and unchanged between them. "So why don't you get your skinny butt out of bed and I'll make us some breakfast."
"Ok," Peyton swung her legs over the bed taking the sheet with her. She found one of the oversized shirts she liked to wear whilst painting and threw it on tying her tousled curls into a messy ponytail. She padded across her wooden floor and followed him on through.
He was already busying himself in her kitchen. He moved with such precision and ease as he rummaged through her drawers and cupboards. He knew by now where everything was without having to ask. It was her kitchen and he spent more time in it than he did in his own. As he tied her apron around his waist she had to smile.
"Best make yourself useful Blondie," he chided as he tossed her the unopened bag of Italian roast she had just purchased.
Peyton made the coffee adding cream and sugar to his just the way he liked it and then turned to watch him whipping the ingredients in a bowl to her favourite breakfast of pancakes. He caught her stare and offered her a shy smile.
Lucas Scott was one of the most beautiful men Peyton had ever seen. He had those vivid blue eyes, boyish yet chiselled features and the perfect body from his basketball days. He was a charmer. Or at least he could be charming when he wasn't squinting his broody orbs or goofing around stupidly with her. He was kind and sincere balancing out her sarcastic and often fickle nature.
They had first met each other on an unofficial blind date. She had been new in town and her old college roommate Haley James Scott was married to his brother. Lucas had come along so she wouldn't be a third wheel. She remembered how they hadn't got on initially. She had just come out of a long term relationship and he had tried too hard to be friendly and it had served only to irritate her. He had written her off as rude as he walked her home that first night. She had thought that she wouldn't ever see him again.
As chance would have it they had run into each other the very next day. He had been working at the coffee shop she frequented. Slowly as he talked to her making her double shot extra foam cappuccinos she had learnt they had a lot in common. He was working on his first novel and she was a frustrated artist. They shared a passion for live music and she realised he was one of the last remaining good guys in the world. They had become friends quickly after that.
Once Lucas had cooked up a storm in her small terracotta kitchen they sat down to eat. Lucas had wolfed down his food but Peyton suddenly found she hadn't got the appetite.
"So Lucas Scott," Peyton said only half jokingly as she stared into her coffee mug. "I better not end up in your little black book."
Lucas had sagged a little with embarrassment in his chair but he said, "Nah you're going to be stored in my phone." Back in the day Lucas had had his pick of the girls. He'd told her that the numbers of the ones he liked were written into his black book and the ones he really liked were saved into his phone. "You should feel privileged."
"Is that right?" she threw back. She took a bite of her pancakes and enjoyed the sweet taste.
"Well I hate to eat and run but I should go. Some of us don't have the luxury of being our own boss." He stood up and pulled on his jacket before flashing her a devilish smile. "Don't go kissing anyone."
"You are such a jackass," she slapped him playfully on the arm.
"I'll call you later." He bent down and gave her a peck on the cheek before he disappeared out of the door leaving her to wonder if a guy and a girl could really ever be just friends.