Title: Its Always You

Summary: Right after season 5, episode 7 "IN DA CLUB" Peyton has just seen Lindsay and Lucas. And heard their engaged. She's back at her place. Lucas stops by.

Chapter: 11 - Three Simple Actions

Previously -

"This is yours. Or should I say, Peyton's!" She scoffed. Her eyes burning with more tears. Lucas opened his hand, and what dropped into it made his heart rip. "Lindsay…"

She shook her head.

"Don't Luke."

"I'm-"

Lindsay shouted. "I said Don't!"

"It's not so easy for me Lindsay…"

She shrugged, turning her head away. "What isn't Luke? You loving me? You loving Peyton? Which is it? What's not easy?…" She shook her head again and held up her hands. "Actually Don't explain. Let me make it easy for you, Goodbye Luke." She turned on her heels and began to stalk away.

Lucas felt the urge to call after her, but why? Did he want her to leave like this? The words came out of his mouth before he thought.

"Don't go!"

***

She had stood with her back to him for at least 5 minutes. Her brain trying to be as confident as before. She had wanted to get in and out, without any of this. But it was Lucas. He didn't know what he wanted, and that hurt her, more than she liked. Her body was numb, and she couldn't feel anything. She didn't want to feel anything. The pain she would feel, if she turned to look at him now…She couldn't do it.

"Luke, you don't want me. Now, please. Don't make this any harder. We can't be together." She breathed, in and out, in and out, trying to calm herself from breaking down, making her breathing seem even and as steady as possible. She was still turned away from him, she couldn't read his expression, she didn't want to be able to. Her breathe caught in her throat as the words came out of his mouth in reply to what she had said.

"I know that…but don't go. Not like this. Can we at least talk?"

Lindsay sighed. "No Luke. There's nothing left to talk about. We're…" Her voice held back a sob. "Over."

The pain in his voice struck her as he spoke softly. "I never meant for it to be this way."

This was what did it. She swiped her head round and stared at him with cold eyes, the numb feeling returned as she continued to stare coldly at him.

"But you've made it this way Luke. It's your fault we're here, we could still be together." A hint of hope rose in her voice. "Why did we come back? If we stayed where we were…Tree Hill was never a good place to return to Luke. Your heart opened up again here, and once again, it was to do with her." She spat the last word at him, making him flinch.

"I'm sorry!" His voice broke, and his eyes shined with tears as they locked onto hers.

She shook her head. Her eyes remaining cold. "You can't say that to me. Not now, not ever. You've ruined me Luke. If that wasn't your intention, then I guess you should feel even more sorry…for yourself. But you can never say those words to me. I don't want to hear that. Especially from you. Marrying you would have been the biggest mistake of my life, knowing you'd loved her all along…all whilst we're been together. It's sick. If you loved her so much, why did you let her go?"

It was those words again. The same he had heard from Jake not so long ago. The one's he was hearing from his ex fiancée! 'Why did you let her go'

He didn't know what to say. His eyes searching to the dept of his heart, to try to reach out to her, make her understand how sorry he was, to show her he didn't mean to cause her pain. She broke her cold gaze, and turned away. Within a minute, she was in the distance. She didn't stop. Not once, not even to whisper a goodbye.

***

Her hand knocked softly, and she causally began to play with her hair. Twirling a strand of blonde round her finger tips, like a child who was about to step into the first grade, for the first time.

He opened the door, rubbing his eyes, obviously she'd just woke him up. He held back the surprise in his voice as she was standing there, but it still shone through.

"Hi." He spoke. Softly, he made a walk way through the door and him, to make room for her tiny frame.

"Good morning." She smiled shyly. His hand pushed the door closed, and he quickly scrabbled to tidy the mess on the couch. Duvet and Pillow. Classic.

"They make you sleep on the couch?" She said playfully, referring to his mother and father.

Jake frowned. "I guess they only had a bed for Jenny. I don't remember a time I stayed here this long."

She smiled, as a memory from high school played in her mind.

"So what brings you here so early?" He asked, puzzled.

Peyton smiled brightly, and looked at the clock behind him.

"It's almost 12 Jake. I don't consider that early."

Jake sighed, and laughed. "Oh dear. I guess it takes me a little while longer to get to sleep these days. This couch is uncomfortable."

Peyton laughed, she shifted her leg and smiled. Jake smiled back. "I was wondering what you and Jenny were doing today?"

Jake looked around, a crease in his forehead and he tried to assemble his thoughts. "Well…to be honest, I think my mom and dad took Jenny out, it's our last night tonight." He saw the smile on Peyton's face fade. "I'm free, what did you have in mind?"

Peyton shrugged. "Just wanted to you know…hang out. Like old times." She smiled again, yet this smile was only half hearted.

"I'd like that, let me get dressed and we can head out." He said, making more room for Peyton to sit, before disappearing upstairs.

*

The sun was beaming down on the soft blanket in which they were both lying on. The river court was quiet, and they both felt young again.

Peyton turned her head away from the sun and locked eyes with Jake.

"This is nice." She commented. Smiling brightly, as the sun radiated of her skin.

Jake nodded, smiling crookedly back. "Quite hot too." He said, fanning himself with his hand. Peyton propped herself up on her hands. "Yeah, but I like it when it's sunny. It means ice cream!" A child like grin shone on Peyton's face as she looked through the white bag beside her. Her fingers emerged, and clutched in her hands was a pot of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice cream. Jake laughed, and his hands caught around the tub.

"Mine!" He laughed. Peyton tried to grab for the tub, yet stumbled and fell on top of him. "Oh!" She cried as she toppled onto him, and he looked up.

"Sorry." They both said, laughing. Peyton grabbed for the tub, and rolled to the side.

"Ahhh Ninja Peyton Style!" Jake said, shifting into a sitting position. He rolled his eyes, and placed something behind his back.

"Shame, she doesn't have the mighty…" He pulled a silver spoon from behind him. "Spoon! How else will she eat the goodness?"

Peyton simply smiled. "Beat you." She said, as she pulled another silver spoon from her pocket.

They both laughed again, Peyton liked this feeling. She shifted closer to Jake, and opened the lid of the pot and dug her spoon in. "Yumm." She cooed. Jake smiled. He put his spoon in and put some into his own mouth. They were silent for a moment. A lock of Peyton's hair fell into her face, and she blew it away. Jake sighed.

"I'll come and visit more." He stated. Peyton looked up. Her eyes full of hope.

"You promise?"

Jake nodded. He held out his little finger. "Pinkie Promise."

They linked little fingers, and she smiled. "I feel just like I did when we were in high school. Free…Shame it wont last. The real world is out there" She sighed, her eyes closing softly as the wind blew in their direction.

Jake noted the sadness in her voice, and he said something, he didn't want to ruin the moment, but he wanted to know.

"He hurt you quite a lot didn't he?"

He meaning Luke. She nodded slightly. "I think it was my fault, I hurt him first." Jake looked puzzled for a second, and she continued. "He came to visit me in L.A and well our plans were messed up because of work…and when I got to my room, he was asleep, I found a box and when he woke up, I asked him what it was…he was going to propose to me…" She put her head in her hands. "I told him I wasn't ready…and well all of this happened, and now…"

Jake pulled her close to him. "That's not your fault Peyton. How could this be your fault, you silly mare!" He sighed, wrapping his arms around her. He felt a small smile, but salty tears were now running down his shirt. She sniffed. "Ok. No crying. Not today. I want this to be our day." peyton said, wiping her eyes, and smiling brightly. Jake laughed.

"That a girl" She hugged him softly, and then pulled back, but Jake never removed his arm from her, and Peyton, never objected.

***

He'd been walking for what seemed like forever, until eventually he had gotten tired, and retreated back into his own bedroom. Only to find that he was thinking of the same things, that had been playing on his mind. He was trying to gather his thoughts, trying to understand everything that had been happening over the past few weeks. He was no longer engaged to the woman he thought was, the girl of his dreams. He was no longer in love, with the woman he thought was, the girl of his dreams. He was just a simple idiot, for he had known all along that the girl of his dreams, was the one who he had always imagined it would be.

Peyton.

And once again, here he was, thinking of ways to show her how much he cared. How he wanted to make it right between them. It dawned on him in a moment of thought, how he was going to win her back, in hopefully three simple actions; first by sending her a single rose, each day of the week, Monday to Friday. Second, he would leave a single rose on her doorstep on the Saturday, with a card asking her to meet him. Third, she would hopefully be curious, and end up where he wanted her to be. And he would be stood there, in a tuxedo, with another rose in his hand, a song playing in the background, and he'd say something simple. The truth. It was a perfect plan. And now it was time for action. He had no thoughts of Lindsay, and that might have been horrible. But he didn't care. He wanted Peyton. He loved her, and this was the perfect way to show her…

In the sun kissed room of his bedroom, he knew he had formed the perfect plan. One that would not only show her how much he loved her, but one that would make her see, that they were meant to be together. With tomorrow, Monday, Lucas Scott smiled. For tomorrow, would be the first day he would send a rose. Tomorrow, he was to put his plan in action, and he couldn't wait.

***

Smart Idea Lucas : ) Very cute. But who knows, Peyton still might not like it!

Next chapter, Jake leaves and Peyton's upset, but starts to receive the roses, yet Lucas's plan might have flaws!

Mwahah, wait and see, but for now.

Read, and enjoy.

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