"No way!"
"It's true."
"Wow, I can't believe you actually drew all of these." Brooke is walking around Peyton's living room looking at her artwork. It makes Peyton feel exposed, her drawings are private, and she never even showed Kate. In college, she always had a roommate so she didn't hang them up, so she just never showed her. When she moved back to Tree Hill she figured she wouldn't be having anyone over to her apartment so she hung them up.
Of course Brooke found her way inside of Peyton's apartment. Peyton gets the feeling that now that Brooke has been here, she'll want to hang out here more often. Peyton looks at Brooke and the way she's lightly running her fingers over her drawings. She thinks about what it might feel like for Brooke to touch her like that. Then Peyton scolds herself. She can't go and get feelings for Brooke. She refuses to have what happened with Kate, happen with Brooke.
"Yeah, I've been drawing since I was little. I guess I'm okay."
"Okay? Peyton these are amazing. You're amazing." Peyton blushes and Brooke's dimples are on full display.
"Well, uh, thanks." Peyton puts her hands into the pocket of her jeans. "I could draw you something, I mean if you would want me to."
"Yes!"
"Okay, what do you want?" Peyton walks over to the wall in the hallway where Brooke is standing. "I mean I'm amazing, so I can basically do anything." Brooke turns around and playfully shoves Peyton.
"Great, it's all just going to your head!"
"It's all your fault, I mean first you say you'd hit on me then you go and tell me how amazing I am, what else would you expect?" Brooke rolls her eyes.
"I'm never going to live that down, huh?"
"Which part?" Peyton says teasingly.
"You know which part." Brooke crosses her arms.
"Oh, you mean telling me you'd hit on me? Yeah, probably not." Peyton jokingly pats Brooke back. "It's okay though." Brooke sticks her tongue out at Peyton.
Brooke makes her way back into the living room. Glancing at the clock on the wall she sees that it's a little past eleven, Brooke lets out a sigh. Then she sits back down on Peyton's couch.
"I really don't want to go to work tomorrow." Peyton sits down beside her.
"Just call off."
"Yeah right! Tomorrow is inventory and if I called off I'd probably be fired." Brooke pushes her glasses up and rubs her eyes.
"Sucks." Peyton starts flipping through her sketchbook that she grabbed off the counter. Brooke is looking over Peyton's shoulder. Peyton gets to the last drawing and quickly shuts the book, remembering that she drew a picture of Brooke.
"Why can't I see the last one?" Brooke pouts.
"It's not finished." Peyton gives Brooke a look that implies no more questions.
"Sure it isn't." Brooke looks at Peyton skeptically and then pulls herself up off the couch. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. I need my beauty sleep." Brooke makes her way to the door. "Peyton, it's rude to not walk your guest to the door." Peyton unhurriedly pulls herself up off the couch and walks over to the door.
"So sorry, Princess." Peyton holds the door open for Brooke. Brooke walks out the door but stops on the welcome mat in front of the door.
"Thanks for tonight Peyton. I know you probably didn't want to talk about all of that stuff but I'm really glad you did. I'll see you tomorrow." Brooke turns and walks down to her apartment, leaving Peyton rolling her eyes but still smiling behind her closed door.
It's a little after seven in the morning when Brooke wakes up. She lies in bed thinking about the dreams she had during the night, dreams about Peyton. Brooke wanted nothing more than to wrap Peyton in her arms last night and kiss her tears away but she knows that would have been bad. Brooke needs to let Peyton come to her.
Hearing Peyton tell her that her first friend turned girlfriend, cheated on her broke her heart. Brooke didn't understand how you could have someone like Peyton in your life and just completely use her like that. Brooke didn't know this Kate girl and she didn't really care to but she did think that she was an idiot. Brooke also decided last night that if this Kate girl ever made an appearance, she would kick her ass. Well, maybe not kick her ass but she would give her a piece of her mind.
On a lighter note, Brooke couldn't have been more happy to have it confirmed that Peyton was in fact into women. That was a weight lifted off Brooke's shoulders. At least now she could flirt and not feel like she was being the creepy lesbian. Brooke had a feeling that Peyton was going to be more closed off today after she had time to think about all that she admitted to Brooke. Brooke would just have to assure Peyton she wasn't going anywhere and she wasn't Kate.
While Brooke was just waking up at seven, Peyton had been awake and ready for two hours. She couldn't sleep because every time she closed her eyes images of Brooke started to rush her mind. Peyton was sitting at the kitchen counter looking at the picture she drew of Brooke. She looked beautiful even in a drawing, Peyton thought. She carefully pulled the picture free from the sketchbook and put it in a page protector. Then Peyton walked over to her Keurig, brewing her third cup of coffee of the morning.
Peyton knew that what happened last night with Brooke was good. She felt much better telling someone about Kate. And since she and Brooke had been spending so much time together it felt natural that she was the person Peyton told. Still though, it was hard for Peyton to turn off her over bearing thoughts. She can't help thinking about how this is exactly how things with Kate started; spending all of her free time with Kate, opening up to her, flirting with her, and so on. Peyton knew how that story ended and she just didn't want that happening again.
Then there was a part of Peyton who wanted to see where things would go with Brooke if she let them. Brooke had never been too secretive about her sexuality with Peyton but yesterday she full on confirmed it for Peyton. So, Peyton was sure that Brooke was in fact flirting with her. Peyton thought that maybe things would be different with Brooke. After all, Brooke is a lot different than Kate. Kate was loud and overbearing and made jokes at other people's expense and never took the time to ask much about Peyton's life. Brooke isn't like that. Already, in just three weeks Brooke knows how to tease Peyton, how to get her to relax and she can pick up on Peyton's mood. What it came down to was did Peyton think things would end up lasting with Brooke; that was something Peyton couldn't say for sure and she didn't know if she was willing to find out.
Glancing at the clock and seeing that it was a little after eight o'clock now Peyton threw on her jacket and headed out the front door. She walked down the stairs to where the mailboxes were and put the picture she drew of Brooke in Brooke's mailbox. Then Peyton got in her car and headed towards work.
Brooke wraps her sweater around her, grabs her purse, and walks out her front door. She looks out to the parking lot and notices that Peyton's car is gone and she feels a little dejected. She figured that Peyton would act a little strange but for the past two weeks they've ridden to work together. Figuring that she'll just ask Peyton about it at work, Brooke shrugs her shoulders and walks over to her mailbox. She opens it up and sees the usual junk mail and bills but what catches her eye is the slightly folded piece of paper that was in plastic. Brooke pulls it out and looks at it.
It's a picture of her from the bar b q, she's standing behind the fire pit, laughing. Only it isn't a picture, it's a drawing, from Peyton. Brooke feels herself blush. She looks beautiful and carefree in the drawing; is this how Peyton sees her? Not wanting to damage the picture Brooke runs back upstairs and puts the drawing in her living room along with the other mail and then goes back down to her car.
Peyton is waiting for Brooke in the employee parking lot with a coffee in hand. She sees Brooke pull up and she steps out her car, grabbing the coffees. Peyton hopes that Brooke won't make it weird after what happened last night and about the picture this morning. Brooke spots Peyton and pulls her car into the empty spot next to Peyton's Comet. Brooke didn't know what Peyton's car was until she got a ten minute lecture about the beauty that was Peyton's car. Rolling her eyes at the memory, Brooke grabs her stuff and gets out of the car.
"For me?" Brooke reaches out and grabs the coffee from Peyton's hand, taking a sip.
"Well, I guess it is now, since you put your germs all over it." Peyton quips to Brooke as they head into the back door of Paisley&Co.
"Lucky for me I guess. Also, this will let you off the hook for not waiting on me. But tomorrow you better or else." Brooke smirks at Peyton and holds the door open for her. They make their way to the break room and clock in. Then their manager, Sherry, came over to Brooke.
"Brooke, you know today is inventory so you can pick one unlucky person to help you in the stock room and then the rest of you guys will work the floor. I'll be here all day so I think that three of us on the floor will be enough. It is a Monday after all." Sherry says hello to everyone else and then walks out of the break room.
"Brooke please, please don't make me do inventory, it's the worst!" Jenny even put her hands together for emphasis that she was begging.
"I'm just glad I don't have to worry about being picked since last time I did inventory I messed it all up." Adam said to Brooke, Jenny, and Peyton.
"Yeah, which I'm still one hundred percent sure was on purpose." Brooke laughs at Adam. "Luckily for both of you, Peyton has never done it so she needs to learn. So hit the floor." Brooke waves them off, Adam and Jenny walk out of the break room, fist bumping.
"They hate me, I'm pretty sure." Peyton says as she stuffs her purse behind the couch.
"No they don't. They just like each other too much." Brooke throws her bag behind the couch too. "They probably don't even pay attention that you're here."
"Was that supposed to be reassuring?"
"Yeah but I guess it really wasn't." Brooke laughs. "So are you ready for your first day of inventory?" Brooke asks as she prints something off the store computer and then grabs a binder off the shelf above the couch.
"Sure, I mean can it really be that bad?" Peyton takes a drink of her coffee and shrugs her shoulders. Brooke lets out a laugh and then can't quit.
"Oh my God, you have no idea! You're going to be saying 'Brooke, please, please never make me do inventory again'!" Brooke picks her coffee, shoves the printed papers into the binder and tells Peyton to follow her.
"It can't be that bad, you're just a baby." Peyton says as she walks behind Brooke. They go out on the floor for a second and then into the stock room. Peyton looks around and is impressed. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling with clothes and accessories. "So what exactly are we doing?"
"Ah, young grasper, we are here today to make sure we have everything in this room that's on these sheets of paper." Brooke holds up the papers she printed out earlier and hands them to Peyton.
"Oh, wow. That's going to take all day." Brooke laughs again.
"Yeah, if we're lucky. Sometimes we have to stay after hours. I think we can get this months done in one shift though."
"Let's get to it, I guess."
"That's what I like to hear." Brooke smiles at Peyton and holds her hand up.
"Are you wanting me to high five you right now?" Peyton says amused.
"Yes, P. Sawyer. I want you to high five me." Brooke makes a big production of sticking her hand back up in the air. Peyton sighs and puts her hand against Brooke's. "That was pathetic but we'll work on it."
Brooke explains how the paperwork works and how to make sure that what you pull off the shelves is exactly what you think it is. Then they got busy. They worked with little talking for the first two hours but when eleven AM rolled around, Peyton had had enough. She took the pair of jeans she had in her hand and threw them up in the air.
"This is the worst thing that I've ever done and I once spent an entire night listening to audiobooks about the civil war." Peyton rests herself against the shelf filled with jeans. "I've never seen so many jeans; skinny ones, flare ones, boot cut, blue, black, grey, it's never ending!"
"I tried to tell you." Brooke laughs as she folds a shirt back and sits it on the shelf.
"I think I've gone blind." Peyton squints her eyes and looks around the room. "Yes, definitely blind. So it looks like I'll have to call it quits." Peyton sits down on the floor.
"You're not quitting! We only made it through four of the thirty pages!" Brooke walks over to Peyton stands in front of her. "Come on, get up lazy bones." Brooke reaches her hands down and Peyton puts her hands in Brooke's. Brooke pulls her to her feet.
"I just can't do it anymore. I'll just go put in my resignation."
"No way! Don't tell the others but you're my favorite."
"Oh, that's just because you want to hit on me." Peyton winks at Brooke. Brooke pokes Peyton in the side. Peyton laughs and grabs Brooke's hand before she can poke her again. Peyton tugs on her hand a little and Brooke loses her footing, she trips into Peyton, pushing Peyton against the wall of jeans with herself pressed up against Peyton. Brooke puts her hands on Peyton's hips to steady to herself.
Brooke looks at Peyton's face, which has a mixture of fear and anticipation on it, and then lets out a breath.
"Sorry, I tripped."
"Yeah." Brooke can feel Peyton's shaky breath on her lips and all that she can think is how good it would feel to lean in and kiss Peyton. Before she does something incredibly stupid like that though, she takes a step back and pulls her hands from Peyton's hips. Brooke watches Peyton lick her lips and knows that she made the right choice because three more seconds and she would have been trying to shove her tongue down Peyton's throat. God, she had it bad.
"So, we better get back to it." Brooke says as she makes her way back over to the shelves of sweaters she was currently inventorying.
"Mhm." Peyton turns her attention back to the jeans.
Peyton takes a pair of jeans off the shelf, makes sure it's on her list, and then folds it back, placing it back on the shelf. It's mindless work and it causes Peyton's thoughts to wonder. She keeps thinking about how it felt to have Brooke pressed up against her, her hands on Peyton's hips, her lips so close to her own. It gave Peyton chills and made it hard to catch her breath. And it also reminded Peyton how thin of a line she was walking. It was dangerous to be around someone like Brooke, someone who was stunning and charming, when the goal was to just stay friends. Peyton decides that she's going to stop flirting with Brooke, it isn't fair to make the other girl think it could go somewhere when all Peyton is ready for is friendship.
Brooke was also having similar thoughts on the other side of the room. She wanted to kiss Peyton a few minutes ago. She didn't know how Peyton felt; maybe she should talk to her. Brooke rolls her eyes to herself. Peyton was the most tight-lipped person Brooke knew and she's sure Peyton wouldn't be down for sitting around and talking about feelings. Brooke feels herself getting aggravated. She should be able to say what she wants and not think about if Peyton will just blow it off. She sighs, frustrated at herself for liking Peyton despite knowing that it won't ever work between them. Not that Brooke could blame Peyton for having reserves; her last girlfriend cheated on her, Brooke understands that would hurt someone. Brooke resolves that friendship is what's best for Peyton right now and that she needs to quit flirting with the curly haired woman. It isn't fair to either of them.
Peyton and Brooke work for the next couple hours with minimal conversation. Despite the task to be mindless it slows them way down to chat the entire time. When it hits two o'clock Brooke asks Peyton if she wants to take her lunch break and the blonde hurriedly agrees, happy to be getting out of the small room for an hour. They walk back to the break room, punch out and head out the front door and start walking down the strip.
"So, where do you want to eat?" Brooke asks Peyton as she slides her sunglass onto her face.
"I was thinking tacos, does that sound good?" Peyton pulls her jacket together and zips it halfway. The autumn air was brisk today.
"Sure." Brooke runs a finger through her lightly curled hair and they walk over to the Mexican restaurant a few stores down from Paisley&Co. When they get inside Peyton and Brooke both order two tacos and a drink and then sit down at a booth in the back.
"Inventory is a blast isn't it?" Brooke asks smiling at Peyton.
"Oh yes, I just wish we could do it everyday." Peyton laughs and takes a bite of her taco.
"Well then we'd never get to see all the costumers and you know they're always charming." Brooke says sarcastically as she starts to eat her food.
"Very true, they are my favorite part of the job." Peyton laughs and then looks at Brooke. She notices that Brooke has a piece of taco shell on her lower lip. "You have a piece of taco on your mouth."
"Where?" Brooke wipes at her mouth but manages to leave the taco shell untouched.
"Here, just let me-" Peyton stretches her arm across the table and gently wipes the shell from Brooke's lower lip. "There." Peyton retracts her arm and picks her food back up. She can still feel the softness of Brooke's lip on her finger. She clears her throat, now was looking to be a good time to tell Brooke that she really just wanted to be friends.
"Uh, Brooke, can we talk about something for a second?" Here it is, Brooke thinks to herself, Peyton's going to freak out because of what happened last night and say she can't be friends anymore.
"Sure." Brooke tries to keep the nervousness out of her voice.
"Well, the thing is, uhm. I don't really know how to say-" Brooke cuts Peyton off.
"Peyton, if you're going to tell me you don't want to be friends because you feel weird after last night then I don't even want to hear it. That's ridiculous. Friends see friends cry all the time and they know things about each other. I mean I've had my heart broken and I'd love to just go on and on about it to you. So, no you aren't allowed to quit being my friend over something that is seriously just so du-"
"Whoa, Brooke, slow down." Peyton lets out a small laugh. "I was actually going to say that I do want to be friends. That I really like spending time with you and that I think we should just be friends." Peyton rings her hands nervously after she's done.
"We are friends though, I'm not really sure why you needed to tell me some-" Brooke realizes what Peyton said, that she meant she wants them to stay just friends. "Ah, I see. Well, that's good because so do I."
"You do?"
"Yeah. It would mess everything up."
"I think so too and I really like hanging out with you so I don't want anything to like mess it up."
"Well, it's agreed. Just friends." Brooke smiles at Peyton and Peyton returns the favor. Both girls can't figure out why they feel so disappointed.
AN: I know you guys probably hate me but I promise this will set up the Breyton romance that is coming! Just stick it out with me! Please keep reading and a special thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing. It means a lot to me!