CHAPTER 27

Lucas and Peyton had been helping quite a lot at the café and honestly neither of them minded, Peyton was happy to help after all Karen had done for her over the past two and a half months. Every time she thought of the time she'd spent here she felt physically sick. She had just over a week left and it seemed a lot shorter than she originally thought, she didn't know how she was going to bring herself to leave. Comparing what she had in LA to what she had here was hard to think about, there just was no comparison, and the fact that in eight days she was giving this up to go back to an empty apartment with friends she barely remembered anymore made her heart drop. But she dealt with it quietly; she wouldn't let it bother her when she was around Lucas, Nathan, Haley and Brooke because she didn't want to taint their last memories together. Karen dismissed them from the café the day before telling them that they needed to have fun and Peyton knew this was a translation of enjoy the time you both have left...but she was grateful anyhow.

It was exactly eight days until Peyton had to leave and as soon as she woke up she wondered what the day was going to be like. No-one discussed the fact that time was moving so fast it was a blur, but she knew it was on all of her friends minds, especially Lucas' who seemed more tense than normal. She dismissed the thought as soon as Lucas made his way to her room, as normal. She didn't want to talk about leaving because it would wreck the blissful and unconcerning stage they were in right now.

As Nathan, Haley, Brooke and Chase made their way into Lucas' house late morning Peyton hid her feelings once more, although she couldn't stop the little voice in her head which was telling her that this was one last morning they'd have together, the thoughts just wouldn't leave her head but she found that when she was kept busy she didn't dwell on things as much. So when Haley suggested they played some games she jumped at the chance.

Brooke agreed too and rummaged around in the cupboard below the TV, she made a sound of joy and turned around a box in her hand,

'Twister.' Peyton smiled. 'I love this game.'

'Me too.' Haley grinned and the three girls pulled out the plastic matt and the cardboard wheel of instructions.

'Twister?' Lucas groaned.

'Oh come on Luke.' Peyton pouted and Lucas grinned encircling her in his arms.

'All right. I have you know that I am extremely good at this game though.' Lucas said and everyone laughed.

'Care to make a bet Scott.' Peyton asked.

'Oh Peyt, I really wouldn't. He is the best at this game.' Nathan warned and Lucas chuckled giving Peyton a shrug and a look of, I'-told-you-babe.'

'Luke, move your left hand onto the nearest red circle.' Haley called out. Lucas grumbled but when he saw where the next red circle was he brightened slightly, reaching over Peyton. Both of her hands were resting on red circles and both feet on blue circles, facing upwards so that when Lucas moved he was hovering over her, their faces inches apart.

'Hello.' He smiled.

'You did that on purpose.'

'Of course, makes the game interesting.' Lucas winked.

'Hmmm considerably. What're you thinking?' Peyton smiled.

'Sabotage.' Lucas reasoned.

'Ohh Lucas Scott the cheater. Interesting.' Peyton smirked cocking an eyebrow.

'I'm wondering what will make you fall, because if you did then I would win.' Lucas smirked.

'Think long and hard, Scott.'

'Will you two just finish the game? Its getting boring over here.' Nathan said impatiently. Chase had been the one to fall first, then Haley. Brooke and Nathan had battled conscientiously due to their basketball and cheerleading fitness but both had fallen which just left Lucas and Peyton. Nathan had to admit, they were both good at this game.

'Peyt, left leg move to red circle.'

Peyton gasped theatrically, 'That's impossible!'

'Do you surrender?' Lucas asked quietly.

'Not a chance.' Peyton whispered and Lucas smiled, 'Thought so, leaves me with no choice really.'

'God, they have the will power of… someone who has a lot of will power.' Brooke said and Haley couldn't help but chuckle.

'How i see it is there are two options… One, they're going to have sex in front of us all or two they'll kick us out first.' Nathan said and counted them off on his fingers as if it was the most normal thing to do,

'Ew Nathan.' Brooke said as Chase grimaced and Haley hit his arm.

'It's true. They share the most intense looks its unreal…personally I'm hoping for the first option.' Nathan reasoned.

'What is wrong with you?' Brooke asked incredulously.

'You are sick.' Chase agreed.

'No, I meant, to see who would actually win the game…not the sex part…'

'Oh please. Can you stop having this conversation?' Peyton said indignantly and the four sitting on the couch looked around surprised as if not knowing how they'd heard, Peyton rolled her eyes,

'We are in the same room, and contrary to what you might believe we aren't deaf. Now Haley spin will you, my arms are killing me.'

Brooke and Haley laughed at the indignant and painful look on Peyton's face, Haley turning to the wheel again and spinning the little dial. 'Left hand green, Luke.'

'Well that really is impossible.' He reasoned. 'Truce?' He asked.

'Hmmm, I don't think so Scott.' Peyton smirked.

'I guess its sabotage then.' Lucas said quickly and with surprising agility, leaned down pressing his lips against hers so forcefully that her arms buckled beneath her and she hit the ground.

'That's not fair!' Peyton said from the floor as Lucas grinned cheekily, standing up and shaking out his legs before raising his arms in triumph.

'Oh you wanna play dirty Scott? Right, I can play dirty.' Peyton said and got to her feet, nudging Lucas out of the way with a coy smile so that she could sit next to Nathan.

'Uh oh. She means business.' Nathan whispered to the four beside him and half an hour later when they played another game sure enough Peyton won. Lucas didn't mind in the slightest but Nathan saw the intense looks that they were giving each other and so when they said they were going to get drinks and then came back ten minutes later without the drinks he said clearly,

'You made out in the kitchen didn't you?' Which consequently made him get a sharp whack around the head by his brother and a chuckle from the other three on the sofa.

Nathan got up and said, 'So do you three still want drinks? Obviously the 'hosts' were too busy…' He smirked and went to walk down the hallway before turning back around and saying, 'Peyt, wanna join me?'

Five pillows hit him in the head, each thrown by different people, 'I'll take that as a no then.' He smirked and didn't fail to hear laughter in the living room of the five he'd left there.

It was afternoon when Nathan and Haley said they had to leave because they'd promised to spend a night with Deb and they had to prepare for it. It seemed to Peyton that Deb didn't take to the thought of Nathan and Haley straight away. It didn't really surprise her, after all Haley had married her little boy at the age of 16, which wasn't really going to go down in the mother's good books, but they were trying to build bridges and she could see how desperate Haley was to do that. Peyton smiled as Haley's face, subconsciously it seemed, grew more anxious as the hours ticked by. It was obvious that Haley liked to please, she didn't like conflict and Peyton really admired her for it.

An hour afterwards Chase and Brooke decided to leave too, not really giving a reason but Lucas and Peyton knew it was because they wanted to spend time alone; after all they were still a somewhat new couple.

'Be safe guys.' Peyton called after them with her tongue sticking out slyly as Brooke looked back with a smirk and yelled back,

'You too!'

Peyton chuckled and shut the door behind her turning around to see Lucas looking at her with a smile on his lips.

'What?' Peyton replied blushing a little.

'Have I ever told you your beautiful?' Lucas smiled, folding his arms and leaning against the door frame

'Stop it.' Peyton replied looking down and blushing even more.

'And incredibly sexy when you blush.'

'Lucas.' Peyton protested, had she ever told anyone that she couldn't for the life of her take a compliment? Apparently not.

'The fact that you can't take a compliment just makes you even more amazing.' Lucas said and Peyton looked up quickly his voice sounding a lot closer, sure enough he was standing right in front of her with a smile. He leaned down slightly but didn't touch their lips, her breathing was becoming ragged, the effects he had on her were nothing short of amazing.

'You're such a smooth talker.' She breathed, her breath mingling with his and a second later they both moved at exactly the same time, their lips fusing together frantically.

As they stumbled back into the hall and Lucas pulled his t-shirt from his body Peyton knew that the urgency was down to time alone, or lack of it. Usually they spent time together, building the passion up but she knew this was going to be urgent. She wouldn't complain because she needed it too, she needed to feel him because in mere days she wouldn't again, ever. He removed her shirt as quick as a flash and she pulled him closer, needing to feel him against her, he led them frantically to his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. As he looked into her flushed face, her eyes sparkling his urgency seemed to fall away, he didn't want to be like this, he wanted to remember the moments they had not have them slip away so fast that he didn't have time to savour it. Lucas' movements slowed and Peyton followed suite, somehow knowing what he was thinking, she wanted to savour it too. She wanted to remember him and these moments and so when their lips met again it was with a slowed pace, their movements now tender and loving.

Peyton's head found Lucas' bare chest and she lay there, breathing hard. In this moment she knew she was done for, she wanted to stay here with Lucas Scott, she didn't want to go back to LA at all. With Jake she thought she'd been in love, but this was so different. She loved Jake, she was sure she did but Lucas… it was so much more and she hated herself for feeling the way she did. If only the roles were reversed she'd probably be looking forward to going back to LA.

She heard Lucas breath heavily and raised her head, he smiled but it was half a one and he knew that she knew it. Instead he ran a hand through her hair, fingering each curl his hand ran across, cupping her cheek afterwards and gently pulling her face down to his, lips meeting for a tender but fuel-filled kiss.

Just as Peyton deepened it the doorbell rang through the house and Lucas and Peyton both froze in his bed. Peyton sat up quickly, holding the sheet in place against her body and said in a slightly panicky voice,

'Who's that?'

'How am I supposed to know, I'm here with you.' Lucas chuckled.

'Did we lock the door?' Peyton asked.

'I think so.' Lucas said with a smile and sat up too, re connecting their lips.

'So you're not going to answer?' Peyton mumbled

'Erm…no. They've interrupted at the worst possible moment and I think we should finish what we started, else it's just rude to get me all worked up again.' Lucas chuckled and Peyton smirked as he kissed her again completely ignoring the door bell as it rang again. Lucas shifted himself again so that he was on top of Peyton and blocked out the sound as he set to work on her neck.

A couple of minutes later and the doorbell was still being persistently rung.

'That is starting to annoy me.' Peyton muttered against Lucas' lips and he placed his forehead against hers. 'I'm gonna answer it.'

Lucas groaned as Peyton pushed him lightly off of her and stood, taking the sheet with her, and pulling on Lucas' hoody and some shorts, the hoody over lapped them the shorts weren't even visible but she didn't care, she knew it would be Nathan, Haley or Brooke at the door and she was going to tell them to go away for the time being and come back in a couple more hours. Plus the less she wore, the more they got the message and want to get the hell out of here, especially if it was Nathan.

Peyton opened the bedroom door before proceeding down the hallway, she saw her shirt and smirked, smiling as she reached the kitchen and saw Lucas' t-shirt haphazardly thrown on the floor, the thought not even crossing her mind to pick them up.

She walked towards the back door and opened it a fraction… a little pissed at the intruder but her annoyed look was replaced with a look of complete and utter surprise.

'Dad?!'

Cliffhangerrrrrrrrrrrr. I hate it when people do this, but as a writer it's kinda fun. Sorry, :S. Haha.

Well the reason this chapter took so long was that i wasn't too sure about it for ages, i have the next chapter half written but it was just getting there that was the problem...but even though its kind of a filler chapter it still serves a purpose, i hope. And i hope you like it.

Sooo why is Larry in Tree Hill?! I'd love to hear suggestions. :)

I'm missing OTH (and Lucas and Peyton), who else is?? Anyway thank you for the encouraging reviews and as this is my first story on this site i wasn't sure how it was going to be recieved. But it's got more alerts and reviews than i thought it would, so thank you! :)