CHAPTER 34

Sunday rolled around just as lazily as Lucas and Peyton felt. They'd not stepped foot outside since Lucas' arrival preferring to laze around in the apartment ordering takeout and spending most of their time in her bedroom.

'You know what; I think we need to venture out of this apartment.' Peyton said and Lucas frowned slightly, 'It's just you've been here since Friday and you haven't seen any of the city.'

'I've seen everything that I'd like to see of the city…' Lucas answered.

'Like what?'

'This apartment and … the sidewalk.' Lucas grinned and Peyton laughed in his arms as he pressed a random kiss to her shoulder blade.

'Come on, I'll show you some places.'

Lucas sighed, 'All right, there's only so much time that we can look at these four walls I guess.'

Peyton grinned, tossed him a wink before getting out of her bed, pulling the sheet with her and walking down the hallway to the bathroom. After a shower Lucas made his way back to the bedroom ran a hand through his hair, pulling on a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt before ruffling his hair slightly.

'You look really sexy when you do that.' He turned quickly to see Peyton leaning against the door frame, with an equally sexy smirk. He smirked back, walked closer and encircling her in his arms.

'You know that if we keep talking we won't make it out of the room.' Lucas answered.

'Oh I know. I'm considering re-thinking our day trip out.' Peyton said with a raised eyebrow and kissed him softly, he very nearly moaned and said against her lips,

'I'm up for that.'

'Hmmm.' Peyton considered, 'Nope come on. Let's go have some fun.'

'You think that this isn't fun?' Lucas said incredulously pulling her against him again.

'Definitely not, but come on we'll be back in a few hours.' Lucas smiled at her pout and took her hand leading her out of the apartment. The roads were crammed and he was glad when they started down the sidewalk,

'So where are we going?' Lucas asked.

'It's kind of random but I came across this place the other week and I've been coming here ever since because it reminds me of you.' Peyton said and looked quickly at the ground. Lucas tilted her face back up pressing his lips to hers briefly and placing his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. They walked side by side down the street and Lucas couldn't rid himself of the grin that stayed firmly attached to his lips, he'd never been in love before and it was both terrifying and exhilarating. It was unbearable not to be with that someone who had your heart but it was breathtaking when the two hearts met again. Losing your heart's desire is tragic, but gaining it is all you could ever wish for and Lucas knew that even with heartbreak and fear he wouldn't have given it back for the world.

Peyton suddenly pulled them into a store that he hadn't originally noticed but his lips rose once more as soon as they were over the threshold, they were in a bookstore.

'Hi Iris.' Peyton said to the older woman behind the counter, she smiled back at Peyton and nodded at Lucas before turning back to Peyton with a wink and a question in her eyes,

'Yeah, this is Lucas.' Peyton nodded with a blush and the woman beamed at him, clapping her hands together twice in pure joy. He smiled at her in amusement and Peyton's hold on his hand tightened pulling him away from the woman and deeper into the realms of books, surrounding them on all sides.

'What was that about?' Lucas asked with a grin, glancing back briefly to the woman who watched them eagerly. Peyton dragged him deeper into the confines of the small store, behind shelves and shelves stacked with woe-be-gone books.

'I might have come in here a lot…and she started to ask questions. I spilled that I came in here because it reminded me of you. I think she liked our story, you saw how happy she was to see you with me.' Peyton said with a chuckle.

Lucas watched her in awe, his mouth slightly open. Peyton saw his expression and blushed again, 'I was… missing you.' She murmured embarrassed. He chuckled and quickly pressed his lips against hers with as much intensity as he could muster, he withdrew soon after and she was slightly breathless,

'What was that for?' She asked.

'Cuz you're so amazing.' Lucas grinned and turned to look at all the books around him. 'And this place is amazing.'

Peyton smiled, 'Yeah it is. I kind of built up a little collection and I used to sit here, against this wall.'

Lucas grabbed a book that caught his eye and planted himself against the very wall she indicated, he patted the ground and she lowered herself down next to him. His head turned to hers and the look of excitement in his eyes due to the fact that there were hundreds of literary texts surrounding him made her love him even more.

They spent most of the morning in the small confines of the shop, in their own little world in the middle of the dusty literature, stacked away and begging to be read. Lucas was only too happy to accept this request and he ended up buying five books.

He handed the money to Iris with a smile and she looked simply over the moon for the both of them as she handed him a bag with the books in,

'Thank you.' He said with another smile and intertwined his fingers with Peyton's.

'Goodbye Peyton…Lucas.' Iris smiled and Peyton waved sheepishly, Lucas sending her a grin as they walked out of the shop.

'I feel like she knows us really well now which is all my fault… it's kinda creepy.' Peyton shuddered and Lucas laughed putting his arm around her shoulders to bring her closer.

'She's a harmless old thing and I think it is great that you talked to her. We're like little celebrities in her eyes.' Lucas chuckled and Peyton rolled her eyes with a smile,

'You goof.' She muttered.

'You love it.' Lucas winked.

'Nope, love you more.' She whispered into his ear, standing on her tip toes to reach.

Lucas sighed and closed his eyes, 'You have no idea what those words do to me every time you say them.'

'I love you, I love you, I love you…' She repeated quickly, eyes twinkling as Lucas wrapped an arm around her waist.

'Your going to give me a heart attack, you know that?' Lucas whispered back and Peyton placed a hand over his chest smiling at the erratic beat of his heart. He pulled her closer, hands on her hips with a low and almost inaudible groan. He kissed her on the nose quickly and said, 'Stop trying to get me all worked up. We're in public.'

'Me?' Peyton asked in fake astonishment. 'I wouldn't do such a thing.'

'Sure, wily.' He smirked and she gave him a coy smile, 'We're in a street full of people, stop it.'

'Stop what?' Peyton asked innocently. 'I'm not doing anything.'

Lucas rolled his eyes at her and she grinned before stepping out of his embrace with a slight look of unease, 'Okay, okay. Is it me or does it feel like we're being watched?'

'There are people about…' Lucas smirked. But Peyton frowned and turned around, to her complete and utter surprise Iris stood at the bookstore window watching them with a smile. Lucas followed Peyton's gaze and with a loud laugh he waved at the old woman. Peyton smacked his arm as Iris waved back grinning all the while. Peyton grabbed his hand quickly and walked away, Lucas giving the woman a cheeky smile as she did so, laughing all the while.

'She's hilarious. I think we've made a friend.' Lucas replied with a wide smile and before he could stop himself he let out another loud laugh.

'Creepy is what it is.' Peyton murmured with a shudder, 'I am never going back to that shop ever again. I can't believe I spent time with that woman. I mean seriously, that's like borderline stalking! Who does that?'

Lucas laughed again and this time Peyton couldn't help but join in, 'Come on Peyt. She's just enthralled by our love story. It's endearing really.'

Peyton closed her eyes stepping closer to him once more, 'When you say things like that, do you know how much I wish we weren't in a public place?'

Lucas' eyes twinkled again as he placed his hands on her hips once more, his fingertips dancing over the skin between her shirt and her jeans. She let out a low breath and he leaned in closer his breath fluttering over her skin as he placed a small kiss to the corner of her mouth.

'Stop it.' Peyton whispered and Lucas drew away with a slight frown, 'We're in a public place.' Peyton mimicked and Lucas laughed pulling her into his side, an arm around her. Peyton reached up with a smile and intertwined their hands as his arm rest on her shoulder.

'Where're we off to next?' Lucas asked and just received another coy smile in return. He shook his head with a smile. Somehow the three words that people thought meant so much didn't seem enough for him to convey how he actually felt.

'Hey Max.' Peyton smiled as they walked into the record store down the street.

'Hey Peyt.' A man with jet black hair and a raspy sort of voice didn't even have to look up from what he was doing to know that it was Peyton. He looked up all the same and gave her a wide smile before turning his eyes to Lucas, he smiled knowingly,

'So this is Lucas?' He smirked and Peyton blushed saying quietly, 'Oh god.'

'I'm Max.' He said holding out his hand and Lucas shook it with a smile.

'Peyt, we got some rare vinyl's in the other day. I saved them for you to get first pick, they're out back.'

'Really?' Peyton asked surprised, 'That's great!'

'You know where to go, I've gotta stay in the actual store but I'm giving you first refusal.' He smiled and Peyton winked at him before skipping to the back of the room, Lucas' hand still firmly in her grasp. She reached the stand they were all in and rifled through it quickly making small sounds of delight at the artists she came across.

'So how many people did you tell about me?' Lucas asked and his tone made Peyton look up to see his eyebrow raised in a triumphant smile.

'Don't get too cocky. Technically I didn't tell Max anything. I've been coming here since I discovered my love for music and anyway a few days after I came back, apparently I was looking at some sad songs so Max asked why I had a broken heart.' Peyton rolled her eyes, 'Then it all came tumbling out. I can tell Max anything though, he's my friend.'

'Kinda looks like your friend has a little crush on you.' Lucas smiled knowingly.

'Don't be such a guy.' Peyton said shaking her head.

'I am a guy-' Lucas started.

'Well then stop being so territorial.' Peyton said with another roll of her eye, 'You've got me, you dork.'

'Oh I know.' Lucas smirked and resisted the urge to kiss her as her lips lifted slightly in a smile, 'I was just merely stating a fact.'

Peyton shook her head, about to say something but an album caught her eye and she practically squealed picking it up and skipping back over to Max. Lucas followed her with a grin, 'I've been looking for this for ages Max!'

'I know.' He grinned.

'Did you order it in especially?' She asked narrowing her eyes. Max shook his head quickly but Lucas raised his eyebrows and while Peyton looked back down at the album Max caught Lucas' eye, putting a finger to his lips with a wink. Lucas smirked.

'How much?' Peyton asked reaching into her bag before Lucas stopped her and said, 'I got it. How much then?'

'On the house.' Max said. 'I got it by fluke really. Just take it.'

It took another five minutes until Peyton finally agreed, she gave Max a fleeting hug and pulled Lucas out of the shop with a gleaming smile that instantly warmed his insides.'

'Oh he definitely has a crush on you.' Lucas smiled as he intertwined their fingers once more. Peyton scoffed but Lucas carried on, 'No-one is that nice Peyt, unless they have a very good reason.'

'We've been friends ever since he started working there Luke. Plus he's practically ten years older than me. That's just weird.'

'Ahhh what am I going to do with you?' Lucas sighed and Peyton looked at him questioningly. 'As your boyfriend I'm going to have to fend off all these boys to be with you.'

'All?' Peyton scoffed.

'Well yeah. Max, Jake…' Lucas smirked meaningfully before Peyton raised her eyebrows. 'Who knows how many more?!'

'Shut it you.' Peyton smirked.

'I guess it's a compliment really. Shows how beautiful my girl is.'

'You're saying that if everyone ignored me you wouldn't like me?' Peyton asked incredulously.

'No. I'd love you either way. But it makes me feel kinda proud, cuz I've got you and they haven't.' He smirked and Peyton couldn't deny a smile, 'Anyway you just admitted that Max liked you.'

'I did not!'

'You admitted that either Jake or Max were fawning over you…'

'I meant hypothetically.' Peyton groaned closing her eyes.

'I'm glad you picked me.' Lucas said a moment later and Peyton turned to him with a smile at how serious he was being to have it ruined a moment later, 'But seriously you didn't answer my question. How many more guys should I expect 'fawning' over my girlfriend? Cuz even a proud man can sometimes get a little jealous…'

Peyton hit him in the chest and he laughed before pulling her back to him, 'I love you.' He said and she couldn't help that the words made her smile, her heart leap and practically melt into him.

They walked slowly back to the apartment laughing, joking and innocently touching each other the whole way back. Small hand grazes kept them from wondering whether this was somehow, inexplicably, a dream.

Peyton opened the door and stepped inside, Lucas behind her. He closed the door and turned around smiling as he saw Peyton kick off her boots and throw her bag down on the couch walking towards the refrigerator in the kitchen. His mind wondered to how it would feel to live with her, maybe it would be exactly like these two days had been. Just them, without a care in the world. His heart seemed to grow in size at the thought. It was way too soon for them…they were only eighteen years old after all and he lived in Tree Hill while she lived in LA but he knew that in the future he'd love to live with her. His eyes glazed over slightly at the thought as possibilities abused his mind. He stopped firmly as the thought of marriage crossed his mind. What was he thinking? It was simply crazy. And yet it felt so right.

Could it possibly be the answer? Could it keep them together?

'What're you thinking about?' Peyton asked, and he didn't realise she was in front of him until that moment, handing him a cold drink. He smiled and she raised her eyebrows before he said simply,

'The future.'

Her smile faltered slightly but he kissed her forehead lovingly, 'What do you see?' She asked hesitantly.

'You.' Lucas whispered and her eyes met his tentatively, 'with me.'

He wanted to add, 'forever' but he couldn't bring himself to creep her out so he left it at that as her eyes welled up with unshed tears. He cupped her cheek with a smile, a promise in his eyes that everything was going to work itself out eventually. He sealed the promise with a kiss and for the time being Peyton couldn't help but believe him.

They were going to work it out somehow. Everything was going to be okay.

Chapter 34.... did you like? Not like?

So i wanted to post this for you cuz i'm off climbing a mountain for a week and a half and so i don't believe they have access to a computer there!! Surprising, right? lol So just to warn you i can't update for at least a week and a bit :( I'm really sorry, and it sucks cuz OTH is just coming back and i can't watch it 'till after i come back! At least i'll have a couple of episodes to watch though :D!

Hoped you liked the chapter and as always i highly value any comments or criticisms... :) I'll be back with a new chapter as soon as i can when i come back from this little expedition, as long as i don't actually fall off the mountain... which, i'll admit, is highly possible! I'm a born klutz, but i'll try to be careful! ;P

Thanks for the comments so far!