Chapter Five: Your Love is Gonna Drown

Chapter Note: This chapter was inspired by Death Cab for Cutie's "Marching Bands of Manhattan". Also, Lucas is going to be a little ruthless in the beginning of this chapter, so I'm giving you the heads up. I'd just like to apologize about my laziness with updating all of my stories! I truly am sorry. Anyways, I just hope you like the ending of the fic; tell me if you think it was too rushed. Thanks!

The rhythm of the ball making contact with the court and then back up to his hand with a split second was calming to Lucas. Even when life seemed to be at its hardest, basketball always seemed to smooth its wrinkly edges, making it easier on Lucas.

Surprisingly enough, the gym was empty. He expected to see it full and lively with two-a-days since they were going to be playing Duke, but then again, coach must've told the rest of the team to rest for the upcoming game and not to get sick too. But that quietness the enveloped the gym other than the thud of the bouncing ball was quite comforting.

Though even when he wanted basketball to keep his mind off of what had happened yesterday, it didn't and it caused his heart to ache incomprehensively much just by the what ifs surrounding the problem he put himself in. If anything, basketball was making him focus more on his hard spot than wallowing in self-pity.

Suddenly, Lucas just took off full speed down to the opposite end of the court, dribbling hurriedly. Flashes of Peyton looking frightened and horrified at him almost kissing her continued to play through his mind during his tiring sprint. Finally, when Lucas reached the bucket he jumped up and tried to slam dunk the ball, but he missed sloppily.

"Damn it!" Lucas yelled just as he landed. Anger, bitterness, and the fact of possibly never being able to be with Peyton—let alone be her friend—caused Lucas to grab the ball and throw it at the closest team chair, which made it topple over fiercely.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you good sportsmanship?" A too familiar voice asked from behind him.

Lucas bowed his head and wiped the sweat off of his brow, "Peyton." He didn't turn around to face her, he was too afraid of what would overcome him.

"Yeah," she said softly, awkwardly. Peyton walked past him and retrieved the still rolling ball and gave it back to him timidly, "You'll probably be needing this."

Not even bothering to look at her, Lucas took the ball back and mumbled a quick "thanks" in response. He didn't know why he was acting so standoffish towards her, but he guessed that she deserved a little indifference since she left him hanging there without any explanation or comfort for an entire day, just wallowing in doubt and failure.

Peyton huffed slightly and started to wring her hands a little bit out of anxiety. "Luke," she began, "I honestly really don't know where to begin."

At this Lucas began to laugh rudely, "You? Peyton Sawyer not knowing where to begin to shred a guy's heart to pieces?" He looked straight at her and spat, "Never." Lucas knew at this point he was being too harsh, and when he saw the tears beginning to form in Peyton's brilliant hazel eyes, he regretted his actions. But he didn't apologize; he only turned around and headed back towards the hoop.

He then heard footsteps following him—Peyton was pissed and he knew it.

"I guess I deserve that, don't I?" Peyton said seething mad, but she didn't wait for a response. "I've always been the one to run or hide when things get too complicated between us!" She was now standing in front of him and the basket so that she could have his entire attention. Peyton was becoming a little emotional and to keep from crying she looked down at the court for a second. "But I'm not hiding anymore," she whispered earnestly as she looked back up at him.

Lucas felt compassion for Peyton knowing that he had been a complete ass to her for no reason at all. He shouldn't have treated her like a verbal punching bag, especially if she was as vulnerable as she always had been, which was so endearing and beautiful to him. He started to apologize, but she cut him off by a wave of her hand.

"Luke, I know I did the wrong thing when I ran out of the room and I regret that decision," she said simply. "And then avoiding you by locking myself in my room didn't make the situation any better. But you must know that I was afraid of losing or tainting our strong friendship just by that kiss!" Tears were finally falling freely as she was exposing her soul to him, but she didn't care she just let them roll down her face silently. "You have always been the person I could run to, Luke, and if I lost you over a stupid fling that ended horribly, then who would I run to? I need you so much and I was afraid of that being lost."

Lucas nodded his head in understanding. He finally knew that she just wanted to be friends and nothing more—it killed him to think of never being able to love her like he knew he could, but it would be worse for him if she wasn't in his life. "I understand," he started shakily, "I understand you completely and I'm sorry for even putting you in this situation." He looked up at the ceiling with tears starting to sting his eyes, "And I promise I won't ever, ever bring this upon you again."

Peyton began to shake her head as if saying 'what are you talking about'. "No, no, no! You don't understand, Luke," at his she grabbed Lucas's free hand softly, "I'm saying I love you!"

Lucas couldn't believe what he had just heard. Yes, he fully comprehended what she had just said, but her plainly saying that she wanted to be with him was mind-blowing. Twenty-four hours ago, she was horrified and panic-stricken with him almost kissing her, but now it was quite the contrary.

"W-what?" Lucas stammered quickly looking at her amazed.

Peyton smiled up at him goofily and laughed, "I love you, Lucas Scott."

His heart soared from a depressed state to a new limit of joy. A smile spread across his face and before he could stop himself from doing it, Lucas kissed Peyton passionately. It was the best kiss he had ever had the pleasure of enduring because it was theirs. Something that they hadn't had in such a long time and finally it could be something they were able to do, to have, to show. Love was a great thing.

Lucas broke from the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers and whispered hoarsely, "I love you too, Peyt."

At that moment, Peyton let out a powerful sneeze. Some would say that a perfectly romantic moment was ruined because of that sneeze, but to Lucas, it only made him see that it was fate for both of them to have been holed up in that apartment of theirs with a horrible cold and finally see that they had true love standing in front of them for the longest time.

Author's Notes: Yeah, well that's it. It was a short chapter/ender but I really like the last paragraph, so I decided to not add anything on to it just in case I ruined it somehow. Lol. Well, I just want to say thank you to ya'll because you guys have been so nice and gracious just to read my story. I can't express to you all just to know that there's someone out there reading it and appreciating it. Plus, go Leyton! Yeah, us Leytoners really haven't had too much dealt our way, so yeah, I felt like cheering.

Well, I also want to say that I'm going to try to finish "Further" soon, so you'll be seeing more updates on that story because there are a few more chapters of that story that I need to write. And then when that story's finished, I'm going to finish my Cruel Intentions fic "Sweetest Goodbye" before working on "Ten Year Reunion: The Class of 2006". I'll have my plate full of finishing and working on stories, but that's my fault-- which leads me to apologizing again! I'm so, so, so sorry for not updating. School got out of hand, so that left very sparce free time for me, so I just vegged out half of the time. So yeah, but since it's getting easier and you'll be seeing updates. So I guess you'll be seeing more from me soon enough. :)