A/N: Okay! Thanks for the reviews and compliments and the want of an update! It makes me smile to know that you all are liking my story! Yipee! I'll get on with updating. This one is shorter than the others because there's more emotion involved.

Chapter five: It will all catch up eventually well, it caught up.

Note-Chapter title inspired by Taking Back Sunday's "This Photograph is Proof (I Know You Know)."

Lucas just stood there looking on at Peyton, who had silent tears rolling down her sad face. He couldn't believe what he just heard; yes he knew that she might have been physically attracted to him and have no strings attached type of relationship, but Peyton in love with him too?

He blinked finally, which released the tears that had filled his eyes as he studied her. Lucas didn't bother to wipe them away or even give them a thought. His only consuming and reigning care was on his love of his life that said she too felt the same way as well.

Lucas let out a shaky breath that he had been holding involuntarily. He rubbed his face roughly then looked down at the concrete pavement trying to think about what he should say. Luke finally looked up and gazed at Peyton tenderly.

"Peyton," he whispered softly at first, "do you know how long I have waited for you to say that to me?"

At this Peyton rushed at him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Lucas kissed back was just as much feeling than Peyton. He had longed for this moment; dreamed about it ever since she told him that they can't happen because of her friendship with Brooke after he got out of the hospital. Lucas broke from the kiss and looked her in her deep hazel eyes.

"Do you remember when I told you before the crash that I needed you?" He asked this barely above a whisper because he was afraid that if he said it too loud it would ruin everything.

Peyton placed her hands on his face, like she was cradling it kind of. She then took her right hand down from his face and put it right over his heart. "Lucas, if you feel like I'm going to leave you again because of the fear of losing Brooke as a friend, you're wrong." She inched closer to his face, still staring into his blue eyes that were like endless seas. "I need you, too, and that hasn't changed since I broke things off with us. I still feel the same way about you then as I do now." Peyton was whispering as well, but she said this with a certain solidness that made Lucas feel comfort for the first time since this emotional rollercoaster began. "I just feel more for you now than then because you have been controlling my every thought since, I don't know when, but I know that I never felt this way about anybody before and I don't want that to change for any reason."

Lucas smiled softly, he was a little afraid of the intensity between them, but he also treasured it. He stared into her eyes for a couple of seconds before he started to speak again. "Peyton," he began a little unsteady, but he cleared it, "I love you," he put his hand over her heart like she had done to his.

He closed the gap that was left between them and kissed her. He kissed her even more fervently than before. Lucas felt like he couldn't get enough of her, like she was something he needed, like oxygen. He will always need her more than that, she stabilized him.

Lucas felt Peyton's tears roll down her cheek and hit his too. She didn't break free from the kiss either. She needed it just as much as he did; he felt her say that with her kiss.

Finally, they had to break from one another, they had to get air. They rested on each other's foreheads, staring into the other's eyes. Peyton was still crying; Lucas reached up and brushed the tears away affectionately. She smiled in turn and laughed for the first time since they were together.

Peyton grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. "Luke," she said finally looking up at him, "I love you, too."

Lucas pulled her in to a hug, and held her close to him. He didn't want her to ever leave him again. He could hear Peyton crying softly on his chest, crying because of their love that finally shined through their stormy clouds that loomed over them for so long.

Peyton gently pushed back and looked up at Lucas with tears still streaming down her face. She didn't say anything, but Lucas could tell what she was thinking without her saying anything.

"I know this is going to be hard for us. Don't worry because we're going to have each other for comfort and solidarity." He said this with such a genuine and loving tone. "Just trust me, Peyt. I love you and nothing is going to change that!"

Peyton nodded in agreement, "I love you too. I'm not going to hide us or not give us a chance because we deserve it. We love each other and I'm not going to let my friendship with Brooke ruin that. This is love and it hasn't gone away."

Lucas smiled and slowly moved in towards Peyton's lips. "I'm here for you; you know that, right? I'll always be here for you. I hope you don't have to sacrifice Brooke for us to be together. I know that your guys' friendship means the world to you and I-"

Peyton cut him off as she put a finger over his lips. "No, you mean the world to me." She said this with such passion and feeling that you couldn't question her statement. "If Brooke doesn't understand that or doesn't agree with us, then she wasn't the best friend I thought she was. And I can learn to deal with it because I love you and there's nothing ever going to change that. Even if it means losing a friend."

Lucas looked at her tenderly, "I don't want you to lose Brooke because of me, though."

She nodded in understanding. "I will if I need to though."

Lucas softly stroked her face as he stared deeply into her endless eyes. Without a sign, he dived into a kiss. He kissed her frantically because of her words, because of her love. They both stood there for who knows how long just kissing one another extremely and avidly. So much feeling was involved that it was overwhelming.

What they didn't know was that they were being watched. Their only thoughts were on the other and their love just enveloped them.

"Ha, ha!" Whitey's laugh reign throughout his office when he looked outside his window. "Finally! I was wondering how much longer this dance was going to gone one between them."

A/N:

Well there you all go! I hope you all like it! If you don't, feel free to tell me. Please keep reviewing because it's a positive motivational tool for writers to actually post more of their story. Thanks so much for reading!