BRIEF NOTES:

Again, thanks for the support.

Time jump ahead... along with light-hearted moments between best friends and exes. Plus more tender Lucas-Peyton moments.

Enjoy

DISCLAIMER: OTH... still not mine.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Anxiety was the word for the pair seated at the corner couch of Karen's Cafe, a demeanor completed by respective blankly distant gazes and softly weighted breaths latched on each of their faces.

Haley James-Scott glanced over at her best friend, slash brother in law, and spoke. "I'm heaving sighs 'coz I'm tired from waddling around and frustrated from looking like a whale. What's your story?"

He smirked, apparently amused at her inquiry. "Oh, me? Nah, you've got a heavier load on your plate."

"Luc, you know your secrecy doesn't work for me anymore. I'm pregnant and about 2 seconds away from ripping out the information from your innards." She rolled her eyes.

He raised his arms in mock surrender. "Steady now, psycho pregnant woman." She smacked his arm playfully. "Hey!" He exclaimed while rubbing his arm, pretending it actually hurt. "Seriously, Luc. What is it? Trouble in paradise?" Haley's eyes were now filled with concern.

He furrowed his brows. "What? No! Not at all. Little arguments here and there but nothing major, I promise." He appeased. It had already been two and a half months since he and Peyton had gotten back together, and things were getting better with each day that passed. True, petty fights ensued at random points in their relationship, some of which caused both to raise voices at higher tones than necessary, but none of it amounting to possible breakup threats. "In fact, I'd say we're better now than we were in high school... more open."

"So if that's the case, then why the disheveled hair and haven't-slept-a-wink look? Obviously something's up... so tell me."

He chuckled – all their life, Haley had never been one to give up prying into his private thoughts. "I've been wanting to move faster than our current pace."

She knit her eyebrows in confusion. "You need to tone down the cryptic words a little bit, Lucas. We aren't writing a book."

"I mean" he sighed "I want to do so much – move in, have another baby, get married... and I'm kinda wanting to do that now."

This surprised the pregnant woman. Her best friend had never been one in a rush, but seeing him now – agitated at the pace in which he ran with his Peyton – amused more than worried her. "Who would've thought Speedy Gonzales would rub off on the ever patient Lucas Scott."

He softly nudged her arm. "Hey."

"I get it, Luc. I know you wanna make up for lost time and everything, but I don't think rushing things is going to fix that for you. Besides, time lost is already time wasted – you just have to make the most out of whatever time you've gained." She advised.

"I understand that. I do, Haley. It's just – you'll probably think I'm crazy – but I just think that no matter how fast or slow we go, it'd be better if we were in it for the long haul, branded as each other's own, you know what I mean?" His statement was finalized with a long, deep-seeded sigh.

Haley smiled. "Well, this doesn't really come as a shocker to me. You're your brother, Lucas – rushing is in your genes." She chuckled, recalling the pace she and Nathan had stepped to in their marriage. "However, I will tell you that you need to slow down the speed a bit when it comes to Peyton. I mean, it's great that she's totally opened up to you and everything, but I'm thinking it'll be trap to her if you pile all the things that you want simultaneously on her."

He surrendered to the notion. "You're right."

"But... for the record, I do think it's time you guys lived in the same house..." She offered "Instead of you running back and forth like a little nomad hopping from one house to another." They both chuckled at the joke.

His eyes shone, signaling the spark of a lightbulb in his mind. "I think you might be right."

"Watch where you're going on those monkey bars, Ryan!"

The river park was filled with energetic children and doting parents, alongside Peyton and Nathan who adoringly and cautiously watched their two energetic boys who were currently taking over the jungle gym.

Nathan chuckled and shook his head "Our boys are in kindergarten, Sawyer. Can you believe how old we're getting?"

"Between you and me, Nate, there's only one person showing signs of aging and it isn't me." She laughed, pointedly describing how she could remain in her casual shirt-jeans-and-chucks getup at work while he was always decked out in preppy smart casual wear for his office.

His eyes were set in a glare as he nudged her arm playfully. "Quiet you."

A few seconds of silence afterwards, Peyton couldn't help but ask. "Does it scare you, Nate?"

"Does what scare me?" He knit his brows in confusion.

"Growing up. Being a father. Raising the family. Having two children."

The last statement was said in such a shy demeanor he almost missed it. He looked over to where Ryan and Robby were.

"More than I care to admit." He said quietly.

She looked at him. "What keeps you going, then?"

This time, he smiled. "Everyday, I keep asking myself if I'm doing enough for Haley and Ryan – if I'm providing everything right, if I'm teaching my son well, if I'm giving them what they need... and now, with Natalie coming along, a new set of questions come racing in my mind. What if I'm a bad father to my daughter? What if I can't handle having two children? Am I gonna be enough for them? All the time, doubts like that come to me." He paused, looking at her as he spoke. "But then Haley comes and gives me a kiss, and Ryan comes and gives me a hug, and I rest my head at Haley's belly and feel the baby kick, and all of those things tell me I'm doing fine."

His words seeped through her veins, their weight disassembling the mountain of insecurities that had settled with her as her relationship with Lucas began to grow. Inwardly, she thought, if Nathan could do it then so could she.

Nathan had picked up on her apprehensions. "Are things moving too fast for you and Lucas, Peyton?"

Her eyes averted to his, meeting his concern. "Things are going fine, Nate." She assured "This is just me being me... you know, paranoid and freaky at the intimacy of it all."

"So you're scared because you guys are getting close?"

She corrected him. "I thought I was... but now that I think about it, I'm really not. I love him… and I figure in a while I'll be more than willing to take the next step – whatever it is." Peyton smiled, knowing fully well that her public admission had finally dissipated the final bits of her fears.

Nathan looked at his friend... and he realized that the ex-girlfriend he had in her was not the same person anymore. "Now look who's all grown up."

She chuckled and smacked his arm. "Shut up." He returned the gesture. "Anyway, are you coming over for dinner or staying in?"

Her hazel eyes sparkled with the anticipation of telling Lucas everything. "I think we're staying in."

"Can I have a brother?"

The question came out of nowhere, almost causing Lucas to choke on his chicken nuggets.

"Excuse me?" Peyton asked the little boy, amusement clear in her face.

"A brother. Can I have one?" Robby asked again.

Lucas was shocked at his son's audacity. "Where'd you get the idea, son?" He asked, though he knew the answer; he just wanted to see what his nephew had talked Robby into this time.

"Ryan. He said that he didn't ask for a sister but Uncle Nate and Aunt Haley are giving him one anyway, and I wanted a brother to play with so he said maybe I should ask you for one." explained the boy, as if manufacturing another child were as easy as that.

Peyton laughed. "And what if we gave you a sister instead?" her inquiry was out-of-character, but Lucas was too surprised to take note of it.

The little boy contemplated for a second, but shrugged immediately. "I could play with a sister. So… can I have one?" he pressed on, his face lighting up with hope.

Lucas Scott remained silent, looking at Peyton in the same manner as his son. This was an answer he truly wanted to catch. Peyton looked at the two men, obviously amused at their expectant expressions.

She decided to keep them on their toes. "We'll see, Robby. We'll see."

With their little one fast asleep in his room, Peyton and Lucas seized the opportunity to share the comfort of her bathtub in a warm sponge bath.

They were spooned together, her back to his chest while his arms held her safely tucked against him.

Lucas dropped kisses on her temple as she relaxed, leaning her weight on him.

"Long day?" He asked, nuzzling her neck.

She smiled, moving her head sideways to grant him wider access as he gladly obliged. "Hmm. No. Just glad to be with you."

He chuckled against her skin, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. He continued his ministrations as she sponged his arms down, slowly inching her way towards his lower extremities. But before things got hot and heavy, he decided to come out with his request.

"Let's live together." He spoke into her neck.

She was taken aback, not much by fear but by the surprise of his proposition. He mistook this as the former and began to regret asking. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

Peyton turned in his arms, causing water to splash around. She held her to him with a soft kiss on the lips. "I thought you'd never ask."

This time, he was the one surprised. "You're... you're not..."

"No. I'm ready now." She assured, her eyes smoldering with love. He smiled, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he held. Peyton turned her back to him again, settling herself comfortably in his arms. He held her tighter.

"I love you, Peyton."

She sighed. "I love you too, Luc."

He kissed her temple, silently wondering how fortunate he was to have this woman as his own. "You won't regret this, baby."

She smiled, knowing fully well that it was true. "I know, hun." She sat up a little, remembering that she was supposed to give him a surprise as well.

"I have something for you."

True enough, this had surprised the man… it had worried him as well. "Did I forget an anniversary already?"

She laughed and smacked his arm. "Crazy." She sat up from her place in his arms, reaching for a box resembling that of a pen case tucked away in her jeans pocket then turned away from his chest and adjusted her position in the tub, at a manner in which they faced each other.

"Here."

He received the box, clearly baffled by her gesture. "Wow. A pen…"

"Open it first, Luc."

Lucas eyed her, now curious more than confused. He opened the box and was astounded to see that it held not a pen, but a used plastic contraption… with a very pink positive sign on it. His eyes widened in shock.

"Peyt…"

Her mind took her back to the time when she confessed her first pregnancy to him, and fear took a hold on her emotions. She roughly grabbed the test from him and stood up in a rush, almost causing her to slip from the tub's wet surface. She lunged for her robe and bolted out of the room, the sharp hint of tears threatening to fall at the corner of her eyes.

His senses came back in a flash upon realizing how his reaction might have seemed. He quick-stepped into his robe and was able to grab her arm before she pushed him further away.

"No, no, baby… Baby you got it wrong… Don't think like that. I… I was just surprised, that's it." She wouldn't look at him, and this scared Lucas. He put her face between his palms and kissed her forehead. "Peyton… Peyton, please."

Then she faced him, her hazel irises filled with an apprehension he hadn't witnessed in a long time. He decided to press his question. "When…?"

She seemed to ease up when he expressed interest. "We've been so busy lately – with Tric and Thud, and you and me, and our son getting into kindergarten early, and everything else that I hadn't noticed I was late. It totally slipped my mind. Then, you remember last week when I started feeling sick and we thought I came down with the flu?"

He nodded, remembering how worried he had been at her continuous nausea during that time, his own mind forgetting to see the signs.

"Well, a couple of days ago I was looking at the gig calendar and that's when I realized that I was late… 8 weeks late, actually." She chuckled, hoping he would get the message.

He did. "You mean…"

She smiled, albeit nervously, "I took the test earlier today… and that came out. I'm… We're… We're 2 months pregnant, Luc."

He looked at her in awe, and a bolt of sheer joy overcame him. His smile felt like it had reached the back of his head. He spun her and held her down for a long, passionate kiss. The look of pleasant surprise was etched in both their faces as soon as they broke contact.

"You're not… terrified of this?"

He smiled and gave her a light peck on the mouth. His arms enfolded her. "Scared to bits, babe. But happier than I could ever imagine."

Her weight relaxed upon hearing his affirmation. "I think we'll be fine." Lucas's smile grew even wider at her statement.

"We will be, Peyt. I know it seems like this is all too fast, but we'll sift through the stuff…" His embrace strengthened. "…And this time, we'll do it together."

She returned the affection with equal force, acknowledging the truth in his words. It didn't matter if their pace sped up and from here on end, there would be whirlwinds more to come. As long as they were in tune, they would be able to work it all out.