'Luke-'

'I, I'm sorry Nate, I'm sorry ok?' He snapped.

Nathan swallowed, hesitantly stepping out onto the porch, making sure to leave a good a distance between them both. He really wasn't sure what was going through Lucas' mind right now, but what he did know was that he definitely wasn't the same brother he'd know two years ago. He lent on the wooded railing, following Lucas' gaze to the swing hanging from the willow tree at the bottom of the garden, creaking back and forth in the gentle breeze.

'Nothings going on with me and Peyton, Luke. You know that right? She's like my sister, she is my sister.' He rambled. 'And there's no way I'd ever do that to Hales or you, ever. I swear. We were just mucking around and I-'

'Nathan it's fine. I know. I said I was sorry alright' Lucas interrupted his speech, avoiding his eyes.

'Are you sure, are you, I mean is everything ok?'

'I'm fine'

'Ok, but you know if you ever, if you ever need to talk Luke, you know I'm here right?' Nathan edged closer, gingerly, placing a hand on his brothers shoulder. Lucas tilted his head, finally looking at Nathan.

'Thanks Nate' He nodded gratefully.

'I know you must have been through a load of shit, no one's denying that, but you have a kid, a kid who doesn't know you Luke, a kid who needs her Dad in her life and you have Peyton. She needs you more than anything. She's been a mess without you. She deserves to be happy and so, so do you. Can't you remember how it was before you left, how good it was? It can be like that again Luke, don't block us all out.'

'Just, just leave it Nathan. I don't need you lecturing me alright' He said shortly, turning away from his brother, refusing to participate any further with their conversation.

Nathan sighed, dejectedly leaving him alone and heading back inside. 'Is he alright?' Peyton jumped from her seat the second her brother in-law reappeared.

'Yeah, he's alright' He reassured the three girls. 'I think we should all go though' He suggested, linking hands with Haley. 'He needs some space'

Peyton nodded tiredly, willing tears not to fall, she knew things weren't fine, they were far from fine. 'Yeah, er ok' She forced a small smile. 'Are you sure it's alright for you to have Izzy tonight?'

'Of course' Haley insisted.

'Ok well I'll, I'll go get her stuff together then'

It had been over an hour since everyone had left. Lucas had stormed into the house as soon as they were gone, completely blanking Peyton when she'd tried to speak to him, instead brushing past her and heading upstairs. She'd sat, pondering his behaviour for some time, before working up the courage to go and see him. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, her breath laboured, her twitching fingers slowly reaching out for the bathroom handle, cautiously pushing on the door. The heat instantly hit her, steam rising from the hot bath water, flooding her senses. Slinking forward into the small room, her bare feet touched the moist tiles. She silently closed the door, her attentive eyes anxiously gazing at the figure sat in the white bathtub. Her heart expanding and then contracting in fast irregular beats as she stared at the shell of what was once her loving husband. Tears blurred her vision, her eyes struggling to focus as she studied his quivering lips. He was mumbling to himself, completely oblivious to her being there. Her eyes hesitantly drifted over his taught, muscular body, her gaze abruptly halting. A sudden iciness crept up her rapidly unstable legs, her eyes fixated on the mark just below his shoulder. Unintentionally she dropped to her knees, startling him.

'Pey…Peyton' He gasped, alarmed by her sudden presence, he jerked backward causing the once still and peaceful water to spill over the tub onto the black and white tiles, pooling around her pale legs and soaking the bottom of her khaki coloured summer dress. She ignored the sudden wetness her eyes intent on one thing only. Driven by an impulse of mere panic and fear she reached out, her trembling fingers gently touching the white scar on his right forearm, a mark similar to the one that scared her own leg.

'You, you were shot?' Her voice came out in a hoarse rasp as she battled with the terrifying knowledge that she could of actually lost him, a frightful image that had crowded her unwilling mind since the day he'd left. Through dry parted lips, he forced out a shaky breath before giving her a short nod of the head. She wished she could blink her eyes and wake up and discover this to all be a terrible dream. She couldn't help feeling so naïve, she'd spent the last two years believing that when he got back they could return to how they'd been. But that's not how it worked, wars could never be forgotten, they left scars, deep wounds that would always be there.

'It wasn't bad' He avoided her eyes, feeling more than a little exposed, here he was completely naked before her. 'I er, I'm sorry about before' He apologised sincerely. He watched her nod out of the corner of his eye before she abruptly stood, her sweaty palms gripping the side of the bath for support, giving him a quick nervous glance before raising her right leg, gliding her toes over the surface of the water, disturbing the calmness as she gracefully lowered her foot causing a swirl of ripples.

'Peyton?' He instinctively pushed himself back against the tub, warily watching her. He was terrified of hurting her, breaking her. He'd only been home a little over twenty four hours and had managed to upset her, hurt her more than once. He didn't know where his sudden bursts of anger and his temperamental behaviour was coming from. But it had shaken him, he was petrified of allowing her to get too close again, in fear that he might harm her again. 'You, you're-I don't think you should-' He swallowed his last words, his eyes on her legs, her beauty ending any logical reasoning. His pulse rate quickened remarkably as she slid into the water, her dress flowering out around her. Uneasiness escaped his throat in the form of an unintelligible mumble as her slender body fell upon him, her long legs either side of him. She excruciatingly slowly stroked her nose against his and then brought her mouth down to his in a short tender, sensuous kiss that shattered the last of his rationality and transformed him into a glistening sweat. Her mouth then moved lower and brushed against his exposed neck, her lips tentatively grazing the curve of his ear.

'Luke, I'm so sorry' Her dulcet voice rippled down his spine. She could lose herself with him, hide within his warm, strong, powerful arms. She could forget the ugliness of his awful behaviour a few hours ago within the safety of his touch. She wanted nothing more than to fix him, like he had her so many times. Giving in to her desire to be as physically close as possible, she rested her rosy cheek against his wet chest, his heart violently hammering against her ear. Lucas closed his eyes, his breath choked as another shudder fled down his responsive body. Peyton slowly lifted her head and stared up into his motionless features, her fingers knitting through his dirty blonde hair in an unyielding tangle. She shivered, watching his pale eyes flutter open. The muscles in her stomach contracted tightly as he gingerly placed his hand on her heart, feeling it's rapid thumping against her chest. She was dizzied by the physical contact, her whole body becoming paralysed. 'Tell me what happened?' She whispered. Lucas didn't respond. An instantaneous, dark, straining silence webbed the room. A frustrated tear raced down her cheek, she wanted him to talk to her, feel as though he could speak to her about all the turmoil he'd been through but her efforts were futile. A black sense of failure seeped through her veins, a vile chill swallowing her amidst the quietness.

'I…I can't talk about it' Her eyes darted up to his apologetic expression. 'Not, not yet at least' he added unsurely. The truth was, he wasn't positive that he'd ever want to share the last seven hundred and sixty six days that they'd been apart with her.

Her pulse beat rose, filling the air, a feeling of hope renewed at his response. Granted, he hadn't opened up to her but he wasn't shutting her out either. A sad smile formed on her lips and she gave a slight nod, timidly leaning her forehead against his, their breath mingling as one. Unconsciously his hands laced around her, his fingers skimming over the wet cotton as he pressed her against him. Her eyes were wide, staring into his. Her unblinking green orbs that unbeknown to her, pierced deep into his soul, soothing him.

'Let me, let me help you Luke' She whispered her eyes nervously following her hands as she reached for the plug, pulling it and allowing the water to drain out. Her words made him shiver, he wanted her, he wanted to forget, even if it was just for tonight, she could give him one night without a past or present, one night without the memories of nothing but bloodshed and violence, a night without a foreboding future, just one night.

'Peyton' Her name pierced through the intense haze, her eyes dashing up to meet his. The loud sound of water swirling down the plug hole filled their alert ears. His callous palms roamed down her sides, smoothing over the wet material that clung to her sleek figure.

'Shall we go to the bedro-' He cut her off mid sentence, crashing into her mouth with a sudden matter of urgency. She moaned in shock, her lips immediately opening at the touch of his tongue demanding entry. With exhilarating, insistent caresses, his tongue glided across her pearly teeth then darted inside her warm mouth, alluring her into a sensual battle that sent a wave of tremors radiating through her. She whimpered as his mouth left hers and he began placing a string of heated kisses down her throat and across her exposed shoulders. Suddenly he bit down, none to lightly, possessively marking what was his. A strangled cry left her mouth, her shaky hands twisted in his hair, holding on for dear life. Her throat constricted, her breathing a series of lip-parted gasps. There was no time for foreplay, both far too impatient, both too far gone. The straps of her dress fell from her shoulders and moments later his hands were beneath the soaked material, her body rocking against him, neither of them in control anymore. He lifted her, carefully switching their positions, laying her back in the now empty bath, eagerly rising her dress up her thighs, reaching between her legs, eliciting a low moan from her shaking body. He ripped her underwear away in one swift motion and then a second later he was inside her. He watched her intently, her back arched, her head roll back, her eyes closed tightly, her jaw dropped in a circular o shape. For a moment he stayed still, allowing her body to adjust to his presence within her. 'God I missed you' She murmured, burying her face in his shoulder as he began to move, slowly at first, in a rocking motion that soon became a completely frantic and yet still rhythmic act. It wasn't the joining of love they both longed for though, instead they were both seeking relief for the pain they'd felt, the loneliness they'd endured over their many days apart. It was a frenzied affair, over far too quickly for either of their likings. A tangled mess of sweaty limbs, both panting heavily, trying to regain some composure.

Lucas exhaled heavily through his nose, his forehead laced with beads of sweat. Suddenly he felt an unexplainable, overpowering sense of guilt. Peyton craned her head up from his chest, leaning in to tenderly kiss him. Instinct urged him to turn away though, he needed to get away from her quickly. 'Luke?' Swamped with shame he effortlessly manoeuvred her off of him, sliding from her embrace, avoiding her loving eyes. He didn't deserve her love, he couldn't love her how she wanted him too, he wasn't the same person she'd fallen for and he was afraid he couldn't be the person she needed, after everything he'd seen he wasn't sure he knew what love was anymore and Peyton Sawyer deserved more than that. 'Luke' A sob escaped her throat as he pulled himself out of the bath, grabbing a towel. 'Lucas' She pleaded, watching him hastily wrap the material around himself before hurrying from the room, leaving her. She laid back in the tub, shivering as she pulled the straps of her wet dress back over her barred shoulders, humiliating tears sliding down her pale cheeks. Peyton Sawyer had always felt insignificant and unwanted in the world but Lucas Scott had changed that. But as she curled up, wrapping her thin arms around her, she felt ashamed and alone yet again. Childhood memories, memories that she'd thought she'd buried and put to rest invaded her mind, memories that always involved death and abandonment. Determinedly she attempted to block them out before they could acquire any permanent hold over her, but only succeeded in replacing the overwhelming sense of rejection with anger. Bitter tears stung her heartbroken eyes as she was left to wonder if her husband still actually loved her.