CHAPTER 25

Lucas smiled, he was pretty sure he was dreaming as he replayed the night before in his head. He reached out blindly for Peyton's warm body but as his hand stretched over the cold mattress, he sat up, his eyes opening and sweeping the room. He let out a sigh of content when he located her, standing out on the balcony, wrapped in a sheet and the warm breeze of the morning blowing her unruly hair all over the place, he couldn't seem to breath properly as he stood, pulling on his jeans as he located them on the floor and walking towards her before placing his cheek against Peyton's hair, his arms winding around her waist.

'Morning.' He murmured quietly in her ear before kissing the shell of it.

Peyton inwardly sighed, she was in big trouble…and she knew it. If she'd thought she was falling for Lucas before then it was nothing to what she felt now, she now felt as if she'd jumped off the highest building in the world, without a parachute. She knew that last night had tilted her over the edge and she'd fallen harder than she'd ever done before and that there was no turning back. She turned in his arms and was met with the softness of his face, he was looking down at her with such love that she felt like crying, instead she mustered up the energy and smiled and leaned up to share a good morning kiss. His hand ran through her hair and it was then she realised he was shirtless, oh god, he had a slight tan from days at the beach and his jeans were slung low, she bit her lip and he smirked before she forced his lips down onto hers again, he smiled lifted her up, the sheet billowing slightly in the wind and carried her back into the beach house without so much as a backwards glance to the beach that lay before them.

Lucas and Peyton sat on the soft sand, side by side. They'd spent most of the morning in the master bedroom but then had decided to venture out onto the beach. Lucas looked sideways at Peyton and couldn't comprehend of what they'd spent the whole day doing, so far. It was like he was in another person's body, surely this wasn't real. But as Peyton turned her head to meet his gaze, their hands locking together, the wind ruffling their hair and Peyton's smile and glowing face making his hair on the back of his neck stand up he knew that this was real and what they had was real, it wasn't going to be just a summer fling and he knew that now. He frowned at how they were going to handle them being at different sides of the country but quickly let it go, pushing it to the back of his mind wanting to focus on what was happening here and now. He leaned forward with a smile and she met him half way, their lips moulding together perfectly, he sighed with happiness before saying,

'Last night was pretty-'

'-amazing.' Peyton finished with a grin.

Lucas smirked and leaned forward once more, letting go of Peyton's hand so that he could cup her cheek as they kissed. His shirt was half open, they hadn't bothered to get dressed properly, and so she ran her hands over his torso marvelling at the muscles beneath her fingertips. He cupped the back of her head to deepen the kiss and she responded easily, then remembering that they were in fact on a beach in the view of anyone walking by, brought the kiss back down quickly ending in a short sweet kiss to the other's lips.

'Here they are!'

They turned quickly to see Nathan walking towards them, Haley and Brooke in tow.

'What're you doing here?' Lucas asked, aware that his shirt was hanging open, the fact that they both had no shoes or socks on and that they were wearing the same clothes they wore last night.

'Could ask you the same thing big bro.' Nathan answered, Brooke and Haley staring at them in a confused way.

'What do you mean?' Peyton asked, confused.

'Karen's worried, she hasn't seen you all night apparently and neither of you were answering your phones.'

Peyton quickly looked at Lucas and he looked horrified,

'Shit.'

'Where have you been?' Haley asked curiously.

'And why are you wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday?' Brooke responded.

Neither of them gave an answer as Lucas took Peyton's hand and they ran as fast as they could back to the beach house, Nathan, Haley and Brooke following.

'You didn't answer the question!'

'We stayed here last night.' Lucas said quickly and Nathan said,

'Oh. Ohh. Bom-Chikka-Wow-Wow, huh?' He smirked raising his eyebrows suggestively as Lucas and Peyton dashed up the stairs, trying to find their missing items of clothing and their phones. He stepped outside again, Brooke and Haley following and took a look at the balcony he knew to be the one of the master bedroom, sure enough the doors were wide open, the fabric covering the doors billowing in the breeze. Nathan folded his arms with a smile as he heard Lucas say,

'Where the hell is my phone?!'

He cupped his hands around his mouth before yelling up, 'Guys, you better wash the sheets!'

Brooke and Haley caught on pretty fast after that and although Haley really didn't want to think of the two of them together she couldn't help but smirk along with Brooke and Nathan. No-one answered Nathan's request but two minutes later the balled up sheets landed on his head and he let out a strangled yell, throwing them away from him with a disgusted look and then glancing up onto the balcony where Peyton was standing with a small smile,

'Sure we'll wash them, could you just hold them for a few minutes.' She asked sweetly and Nathan's hands balled into fists.

'Never hit a girl… never hit a girl.' He reminded himself and Brooke and Haley heard Lucas and Peyton laugh from inside the bedroom.

The three didn't have to wait long as Lucas and Peyton rushed down the stairs barely five minutes later, flushed and out of breath,

'Do you have everything?' Lucas asked hurriedly.

'I think so.' She nodded and he took her hand walking out of the house together and smirking slightly at the sheets as they lay on the ground next to Nathan.

Brooke opened her mouth, no doubt a tongue in cheek remark was about to be made but Peyton cut in front of her,

'Do not say a word.' She warned and took out her phone.

'20 freaking missed calls!' Peyton groaned and Lucas pulled his phone out too.

'29. Shit. How the hell didn't we hear the phones ringing?' He asked as they walked faster and faster off the beach.

'Maybe you two are loud when you-' Brooke was cut off when they both turned around giving her an angry look.

'So not the time.' Haley smirked and Brooke sighed,

'I guess I'll have to joke about it later then.'

They walked so fast that in some parts it was running, when they reached Lucas' street Peyton couldn't help but ask,

'So Nate, you got the sheets?'

'Hell no. I'll buy some freaking more; there was no way I was going to pick them up.'

Despite himself Lucas couldn't help but laugh and so did the other three as Nathan looked disgruntled. They slowed as they reached Lucas' house and Haley said,

'Good luck.'

'Karen's going to kill you!' Nathan said in a sing song voice and Lucas hands balled into fists. Laughter followed the three away from Lucas' house and Lucas and Peyton turned to each other.

'Is she going to kill us?' Peyton asked, suddenly fearful.

'No.' Lucas said fairly, 'But she'll certainly make us suffer. I'm sorry.'

Peyton turned to him, surprised, 'What on earth do you have to be sorry for?'

Lucas sighed, pulling her close to him, 'If we'd just come home last night, we wouldn't be walking to our deaths right now.'

'Hey.' Peyton said her hands reaching his cheeks. 'I can't even begin to describe last night, it was…amazing Luke and… I wouldn't have wanted it any other way even if we are about to be murdered.'

Lucas chuckled and leant down taking her lips with his own for the briefest time before they pulled away, took a deep breath and opened the door. They closed it quietly behind them but a voice cut through them like a whip, they flinched slightly and turned around, Karen was sitting at the table,

'Oh so you have decided to come back then.' She said sarcastically.

'Hi mom.' Lucas said, attempting to be jovial.

'Sit, both of you.' She said sternly and they'd never sat down as quickly in their lives. Lucas' hand found Peyton's under the table and he entwined them, his thumb drawing reassuring circles onto Peyton's hand. Karen just stared at them for a while and they looked down at the table feeling as if they were about five and being told off by a teacher at school.

'So, would you like to explain why you stayed so long after the party? Why you didn't answer any of my phone calls? Why Nathan, Haley and Brooke didn't know where you were either and why you spent the night away, without coming back?'

Lucas winced; those were exactly the questions he really didn't want to answer. Karen looked from one to the other and back again before adding, 'Well?'

Lucas cleared his throat and started wondering what kind of punishments she had planned for them, 'Um, well we had to wait for all the guests to leave, and um, er… we thought we'd clear up the place. Nathan, Haley, Brooke and everyone had left…' Lucas' throat went tight and he struggled for the words of what they'd spent the best part of twelve hours doing.

'Do go on.' Karen replied icily.

'Well I gave Peyton her birthday present and-' Lucas stopped again and Peyton closed her eyes, this had to be the most embarrassing talk she'd ever had to sit through and she was sure it was about to get worse.

'And?' Karen prompted.

'And… things… escalated.' Lucas replied, wanting the ground to swallow him whole.

'What things?' Karen asked innocently.

'Ma.' Lucas groaned, 'Please.'

'I'm just asking…' She pressed but as Lucas and Peyton didn't say another word she went on, 'So you stayed at the beach house?'

'I'm sorry, we're sorry. Can we just leave it there? Please.' Lucas asked tentatively.

Karen took in their expressions, she knew they had both learnt their lesson from the way they couldn't make eye contact with each other and were both looking at the table as if it were the most fascinating thing on the planet but she sighed anyway, she'd been waiting to have this talk with Lucas about the rules of the house and now seemed as good a time as any.

'All right.' She said and they both looked up, their eyes exceedingly hopeful. 'But I'm going to have to go over the ground rules for the house…'

'No!' Lucas said quickly.

'Honestly, it's not needed.' Peyton agreed. 'It won't happen again.'

But Karen held up her hand and they both fell silent again,

'You're both adults now, and you can do what you want but this is my house and while you under this roof I want certain rules to be obtained. No sex while I'm here or when I'm in the house…'

Lucas froze completely still and Peyton let out a barely audible gasp. Did those words just come out of his mother's mouth?! He closed his eyes again tightly, wishing that they were anywhere but here.

Lucas' grasp on Peyton's hand was painfully tight but she couldn't feel it anyway, her whole body felt numb. Lucas knew exactly what Karen was doing, she didn't want to know anymore than they wanted to tell her but she was doing it to punish them. Make them feel so humiliated they would be practically scarred for life. It was working.

'I know I can't stop it when I'm not here but I don't want to see it or, worse, hear it… all right?'

Peyton let her head fall into her free hand, closing her eyes tightly; she couldn't believe that she was having a sex talk with her boyfriend's mother! Lucas looked like he had been put off sex for a life time and Peyton, honestly couldn't blame him.

'Is that it?' Lucas asked his voice hoarse from humiliation.

'No, I want you to be responsible. I'm not naïve enough to think that this little talk will stop you both, but I want you to be safe and use the right protection, condoms are partly-'

'Oh god, ma please!' Lucas almost yelled. 'Please, are you done?'

'Yes.' Karen said and Lucas and Peyton visibly sighed in relief. 'But will you just please think about it, I know that you're adults and you make your own choices but just think about what your doing…and the consequences.'

They both nodded and were out of the room as fast as they could go, Karen exhaled… that was as embarrassing for her as for them, but she also knew it had to be done.

Lucas shut the door behind himself and leaned against it as Peyton threw herself down on her bed.

'Without a doubt, that is the worst, most mortifyingly awful talk I've ever had to endure.' Peyton said, her voice muffled as she covered her face with a pillow.

Lucas was too shocked to speak so he just stood there, like a statue. They remained that way for a while totally oblivious to anything but the talk they'd just endured. The door opened and Karen popped her head in, she saw Lucas leaning against the opposite wall and Peyton on the bed and smiled,

'Just checking.' She said before shutting the door quickly behind her, Lucas groaned.

'We aren't going to be left alone for more than five minutes now, you know that?'

'I know. But hey look on the bright side, we're still alive.' Peyton said lamely, there really was no bright side about their situation. Peyton was still in shock, her first ever parent sex talk was given by… her boyfriends mother. She cringed and wondered whether Karen was just as embarrassed as they were, she didn't give off any aura except complete control of the situation but then again, the two teenagers had been in a stupor hardly daring to listen to anymore. Peyton remembered wondering half way through the talk, vaguely what it would feel like to have her ears cut off? She would have taken any opportunity at that point.

Lucas sighed and was about to say something when a knock at the door made him roll his eyes, it would have been a sign of annoyance had it not been a sort of grimace instead. He waited but no-one came in and so when he opened the door he was surprised to see Nathan, Haley and Brooke on the other side. They laughed at the expression on his face and let themselves into the room, Haley and Brooke sitting down on the bed and all three laughing at Peyton's expression this time.

'We thought we'd give you an hour… really I'm surprised your alive.' Nathan chuckled.

When Lucas spoke his voice sounded hoarse from lack of use and total mortification, 'We look that way, but my insides have all shrivelled up.'

'I'm pretty sure death is less humiliating.' Peyton murmured.

'Jeez what did she do to you?' Haley asked, as neither Lucas and Peyton met any of their eyes.

Brooke narrowed her eyes and a grin unfurled her lips, 'Oh my god, she gave you the sex talk!!'

Lucas covered his face with his hands and Peyton's placed the pillow over her head to stop them all seeing her go red. Nathan and Haley spluttered with laughter and total understanding at what they must be going through right now.

'What did she say?' Haley asked looking at Lucas' red cheeks beneath his hands and Peyton's cushion. Brooke rolled her eyes impatiently and pulled the pillow out of Peyton's grasp, Nathan pulling Lucas' hands away impatiently as well.

'Oh come on, it's only a talk.'

'Okay lets get this straight… Brooke, your mom and dad don't actually live in Tree Hill anymore, Haley you and Nathan are married and Nathan your mom's a recovering addict and Dan, well… need I say more. Have any of you had the talk?' Lucas ranted.

'That's a fair point.' Haley said reasonably.

'It couldn't have been that bad.' Brooke said.

'Oh believe me, it was worse.' Peyton said quickly.

'How?'

'She made us say exactly why we stayed out all night, where we were, what we-' Lucas stopped, taking a breath and went on again, 'She went over the ground rules for sex in the house…' Lucas said his cheeks reddening again, 'Thinking about things before hand, being safe, protection…'

Nathan held up his hand, 'Dude too much.'

'Exactly.' Lucas smirked slightly. 'We had to sit through that.'

'I feel sorry for you now.' Brooke shuddered.

'So that's why your standing so far apart.' Haley smirked.

Nathan looked between Lucas and Peyton, neither could look the other in the eye. He smiled,

'Man Karen's scarred you two bad!'

'I bet that will last a whole ten minutes.' Brooke said quickly.

'Bet you 10 bucks it lasts five.' Nathan said.

'Fifteen.' Haley piped up, and they all shook hands, Lucas and Peyton staring at them, mouths wide.

'You're betting on our misery.'

'Gotta get money somehow bro.' Nathan smiled clapping Lucas on the shoulder.

'Anyway you two wouldn't let me make any wise cracks this morning, so this is my reward, I at least earn 10 bucks for keeping quiet all this time, its been driving me crazy.' Brooke smirked and Lucas and Peyton couldn't help but smile slightly and as they fell into easy conversation Lucas realised that maybe it had at least been durable, he'd come out of it unscathed at the very least.

As Brooke raved on and on about Peyton's party Lucas sidled over to the bed and sat down next to Peyton, putting an arm around her waist and smiling as she leaned in to kiss him tenderly on the lips until a shout rang out.

'Ha! I knew it! Hand over your money Mr and Mrs Scott, ten bucks to me!'

Lucas and Peyton turned to Brooke who was looking quickly at her watch,

'No, Brooke you said ten minutes.' Nathan reasoned.

'And it's exactly 8 minutes and 45 seconds, that's good enough for me… cough up.' Brooke finished happily.

Nathan checked his watch and grumbled loudly, 'couldn't you have just waited another six minutes Luke?!'

Lucas shrugged with a smirk as Nathan and Haley handing over ten bucks each, Brooke took it with enthusiasm wrapped it up carefully and placed it in her top patting the little bundle protectively. Lucas and Peyton looked at each other and burst out laughing at Nathan and Haley's disgruntled faces.

Long time no see! (Well that doesn't actually work as you can't see through a computer but still...) College takes sole responsibility for the late-ness of this chapter, probably my teachers do too, because the amount of work they set is hugeeee. Anyways i hope the chapter wasn't too much of a disppointment, even with the delay :S. I love to hear your thoughts so please drop a review :)

615- Good episode again i thought, although it wasn't as good as 614 in my oppinion. However Lucas taking Peyton to the spot where they first met was adorable, especially because he admitted that he used to go there when she was in LA... and i'm glad he acknoledged that giving the ring around like it's a plastic one shouldn't be allowed haha. But seriously how many proposals have LP got now?! Like four?! I liked it though, good episode. Bit bummed about the two week delay for the next one but i can't really talk with the delay for this chapter :S Ahh well it's back on Monday righttt :)

So i'm rambling now, again hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave any thoughts or questions or theories or oppinions... :) Oh and i think two people mentioned about maybe Peyton being pregnant in this story, to be completely honest it never even crossed my mind when i planned this fic! So i hope that somewhat answers the question :P