This Is Where I Belong

The next days passed in silence for Peyton and Lucas. He did not speak when he set her meals in front of her. He could express his elation that she finally had her appetite back. Peyton on the other hand, had no words for her apology for the way she had acted. He was there to help her and she had thrown it back into his face.

The two barely acknowledged each other when they passed on the way to bathroom. Nothing more than a light nod and shy smile. There were so many things Peyton wanted to spill to him. Things she had kept bottled up for the sake that she knew he was pining for Brooke. But things had changed between them now. Their moment of crises had brought them closer together. He had seen what was really happening when no one else could. He had helped her when everyone else had shunted her aside. That left a lasting imprint on her, something that could not be soon forgotten.

Lucas himself found the silence rather deafening. They could not continue to live in silence, there was far too much to talk about. So many times had he wanted to say something when he brought her food. But the words caught on his tongue and he choked them back. They were no longer just Lucas and Peyton. They were bonded by something stronger than the both of them. All of their walls had been broken down in just a week and a half. Silence was no good for them.

He sighed falling on to the couch where he had practically made his living. Fatigue hit him like a wave of unexpected emotion. He drifted into a sleep tainted by nightmares. He awoke with a start sitting up only to find Peyton standing over him.

"Woah, Peyton what time is it?" he asked startled sitting upright letting his eyes adjust to the darkness.

"I don't know, late I guess. But there is something I need to tell you." came her voice in a whisper. Lucas nodded making space for her on the couch and flicking on a light. For the first time in what felt like ages he got a good look at her face. While she still looked frail, solid food had done her well. Her skin showed more color and her cheeks were not as gaunt. It was truly a sight to see. Her face radiated beauty that had been masked while she raged the war within her body.

"Okay. Shoot." he replied turning slightly to face her.

Peyton inhaled deeply never daring to break eye contact. "I'm sorry for a few days ago and the way I acted. You didn't deserve that, you've done nothing but help me and again I tried to push you away."

Lucas hugged her tightly, "Peyton you don't need to apologize. I understand what you're going through is something beyond my control. I could never be mad at you. You are stronger than anybody ever thought you could be. I believed you could fight this and look at you, you're practically glowing."

Peyton blushed a deep red, "Ugh there you go again with this whole too understanding thing. But thank you so much Lucas." She pressed her lips lightly to his cheek bade him goodnight and made her way back to the bedroom.

Lucas fell back onto the couch a smile stretching from ear to ear. Her in his arms felt so comfortable and so natural. They were just friends though, and he knew that. But could a nine days completely change the way you look at things? For Lucas that answer was yes. For the first time he felt like he had truly seen who Peyton was. She had touched his soul and that would forever leave a lasting impression.

Peyton fell back onto the pillows of her bed, her head swirling. She wondered vaguely if Lucas had felt the spark between them. The spark they used to feel before she ended things. It was still there, it had always been there. It was simply the denial between them both that had buried it down in the depths of their hearts. He was right, she was glowing, but not for the reasons that he thought. She was glowing because of him. At the very thought of him, the butterflies within her stomach kicked up and whirled about. It was a feeling she thought had gone away when she let him go. Now that feeling was back and raged like a monster within her, begging to come out. In her heart she knew it too that soon it would be too hard to hide the feelings she presented clearly on her face. It was only a matter of time before Lucas realized it too. A wave of fatigue washed over her as she fell asleep with a smile etching her features. Tomorrow was going to be a good day; there was no doubt about it in her mind.

The mid-morning sun trickled through the drawn blinds in her room as she awoke with such grace. She dressed quickly and quietly made her way around the house only to find him in the bedroom standing on the balcony. She wondered if he did this every morning, inhaling the fresh breeze and basking in the glow of the sunlight. As he heard her he turned around and immediately their eyes locked. Every thing they had ever shared, every moment, every touch had led them to this moment. He met her in the middle of the room, silence still hanging over them.

"Lucas." she whispered stroking his cheek. He placed a hand upon her cheek wiping away the tears that had already settled in her eyes with his thumb. "Peyton." he replied raising his eyebrows at her.

Silence seemed to take precedent in her mind as she bit back the words that begged to spill out. Then, when she could no longer hold the barrier, the words poured from her mouth and her heart.

"You've been her for me Luke every step of the way. You encouraged me to continue fighting even when I wanted to give into temptation. You saved me from the mess that was me. And most importantly, you taught me to love again and the beauty behind it." she felt light when she finished as if the weight from her shoulders was completely lifted. The burden was no longer there.

Lucas pulled her into a hug, burying his cheek into her hair. "It was always there for you Peyton, love. You just needed guidance to find it again."

She pulled away from him, the two teens found themselves caught in each others gaze, neither daring to break contact. They stared deeply into the eyes of one another, searching for their hearts desires and a flurry of unspoken words and emotions passed through them. Each seemed frozen, unable to bring themselves to make a move. Minutes, hours, seemed to pass them by. But time was not an issue anymore. Time did not seem to matter.

Instantaneously, her lips crashed against his, but he did not fight the kiss, rather he embraced it. She broke away for a moment searching Lucas' eyes as he did hers. Carefully he removed the hoodie in which she wore and Peyton fell gently on to the bed. He braced himself with one arm returning his lips to hers. She could feel the heat between them raging like a fire jumping out of control.

With his help she was to remove his shirt, leaving him clad in only his jeans. Her fingers ran over every line in his chest, tracing the muscles taut beneath his skin. His lips moved sensually down her neck and to her chest causing soft moans to escape her throat. Gently, he lifted to fabric of her tank top, kissing the exposed skin of her stomach. There was no more thinking involved between them anymore. It was the simple fact that they had each other.

Working quickly, he removed her jeans from her slender legs letting them fall gracefully to the flow. He hovered over her a small grin etching both of their features. It was a secretive grin, a lovers grin. She fumbled clumsily with his belt, finally able to unbuckle it and turn her attention to the snap of his jeans.

She brought his face back to hers once his jeans had been successfully removed. Their lips met in a heated, passionate kiss, their tongues entwining working more fiercely than their bodies. His hands worked flawlessly as he removed her tank top, his lips able to roam freely about her torso. Peyton's hand worked tirelessly over the expanse of his back, familiarizing herself with every line and ridge.

There was a moment of hesitation for Lucas, he brought his face back to hers, their eyes locking. In Peyton's green eyes he saw the flicker of reassurance and love and he knew it was real. Every moment, every touch, and every mistake between them had led them to this moment. A moment of pure clarity, a moment to realize that he was done hiding his feelings for Peyton. The heat from their bodies radiated between them, a spark to ignite the fire. His lips crashed against hers his hand found her hip.

"I love you Peyton." came his words through his breath as he tried desperately to catch it.

She had waited so long to hear him say those words they nearly caught her by surprise. She ran her hands through his hair bringing her face close to his, "I love you too Lucas." she whispered before their lips reconnected yet again.

It was a slow and teasing process as he inched down her underwear, causing a strangled moan from Peyton. It backfired on him then, the sweet sound of her moan had sent an electrical current through his body. He tossed the panties idly to one side kissing back up to her chest. His kisses begged Peyton with an unmistakable sense of urgency. She obeyed his plea hooking her finger beneath the waistband of his boxers and let them fall around his ankles.

She brought er lips to neck sucking at his flesh. She moaned at the heat the enveloped the too as she begged for more. Lucas closed his eyes as he pressed gently into her wet warmth. She shifted her hips, adjusting to his as he moved within in her, his thrusts in a slow and rhythmic movement.

With a whisper of his name, she relaxed beneath him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. He took it slow at first completely lost with the pure infatuation of making love to her. He groaned crashing his lips to hers as he was enveloped by the tight hot heat. Peyton moaned a plea of urgency. "Lucas, I need you..."

He fueled her request with not word nor sound as the pace of his thrusts quickened move more deeply inside of her. Her legs wrapped around his hips urging him deeper. He caught her mouth in a hard kiss as his pace increased as she moaned into his mouth.

He pumped inside of her rhythmic steady strokes, met by the passion in their kisses as she raked her nails along his back.

With a throaty groan he released his seed hard and abruptly. Peyton followed shortly after screaming his name as she rode out the last vestiges of her climax, his very blood was on fire as the pleasure swirled with passion around him. He collapsed next to her pressing a series of kisses to her collar bone as she raked through his sandy blonde hair. Their eyes locked, neither speaking, just smiling. He pressed a light kiss to her lips and let the silence of clarity overtake them.

--

She stood on the balcony a sheet wrapped around her body as she stared longingly at the sunset before her. She was completely lost by the sight that she did not notice Lucas who was awake. He stared at her a smile radiating from his face. She was fixture of beauty as the sunset illuminated her silhouette.

She turned around to find Lucas propped up on one elbow smiling broadly at her. Peyton found herself so at ease with him, there was no questioning or regret between them. In fact they had never been surer in their lives. Every thing felt right between them. Pressing her lips to his, she sighed, loving stroking his face.

"What does this mean Lucas?"