The time it All Changed | L.S Part 2
This takes place in season 3, specifically episode 18.
WARNINGS: Slight angst, fluff, kiss scenes
Part 1
Masterlist
Word Count: 3.2k
“God, Y/n,” Nathan groaned as he put your bag in Rachel’s car. “We’re only going to be there for the weekend. How much stuff did you pack?”
“Nathan, you’ve been dating, actually, you’ve been married to Haley for a while now, right?” You asked as he closed the door. “You should know by now that it’s very rare for a girl to pack lightly.”
“Oh, trust me, I know,” he laughed, wrapping his arm around you. “I already put Haley’s things in the car and she had even more than you.”
You shook your head with a smile, squeezing him in a side hug before he pulled away and walked over to Haley. You folded your arms and looked down at the ground, kicking a stone away from you.
“Hey, Y/n/n,” Brooke says as she stands in front of you. “How are you? How are you feeling?”
You looked up at her, grateful that she could tell just by looking at you that you felt uncomfortable. You and her, surprisingly, became pretty close friends after the whole party mishap. She found you a few days later when you finally got out of bed and sat on the bleachers of the River Court. The setting brought back so many memories of you and Lucas, some of which you weren’t ready to relive, but you needed the fresh air. You and Lucas had been broken up for over a week at that point, and of course, the news of it had spread to Brooke.
She sat next to you and apologized, telling you that she was working on being a better person and that she should’ve never told Peyton to kiss your then boyfriend. You didn’t deserve that. She invited you to go to the mall with her and you ended up having a pretty decent day. You found yourself forgiving her quite quickly, because who was really to blame? Peyton knew you and Lucas were together and had been for a while, yet she still kissed him.
You hadn’t spoken to Peyton since then, despite her trying to reach out and talk to you. You heard that Lucas doesn’t speak to her either, but it didn’t make you feel any less better.
“Hi,” you say and give her a small smile. “I’m okay, really. It just… it still hurts sometimes.”
“I know,” she says and pulls you into a hug. You hug her back, surprised at how much better you felt knowing she cared about you and was there to comfort you when you needed it. You looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Luke. He looked different, more matured. It had been so long since you had a proper conversation with him. He tried to talk to you many times after the party and through the summer but you weren’t ready to go there with him.
Then Keith died and you caved.
You stood behind him at the funeral, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as everyone started to leave. He turned around and without any words or hesitation, wrapped his arms around you. You held each other for what felt like hours but in reality it was only a few minutes. You broke the hug first, pressing a kiss to his cheek before giving his hand a squeeze. After you gave him a small, sad smile, you turned around and walked away, wanting to be able to do more for him but not having the right to do so anymore. You had been broken up for nearly a year at that point.
That was the last time you had been that close to him. Until now.
“I’m sorry, honey,” she says as she pulls away, thankfully blocking your view from the blond boy.
“It’s okay, really,” you say and smile at her. “I never thanked you.”
“For what?” She asked and hooked her arm through yours as you turned your backs to Luke.
“For finding me that day,” you say and she smiles. “You really helped me. You were there for me when no one else was. And you really have become a better person, Brooke. I’m proud of you. So, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said and squeezed your arm. “But you might hate me after what I’m about to tell you.”
“Brooke,” you looked over at her. “We were having a moment. Why are you trying to ruin it?” You weren’t serious, of course, but she still pouted at you.
“I know, but try not to freak out, okay?” You nodded at her, leaning against Rachel’s car. “You know how I was supposed to ride with Nathan, Haley and Lucas?”
“Yeah,” you trailed off, wondering where she was going with this.
“Well, you and I may have switched seats,” she ended it with a smile.
“What?” You asked, standing up straight. “I have to sit next to Lucas in a small car for however many hours?”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” she says but you clench your jaw, breathing out audibly through your nose. “Who knows, this might be a good healing curve.”
“Yeah, or it could be a reset button,” you sigh.
“I’m sorry,” she says quietly. “If you really don’t want to I’ll talk to Rachel about it but she might have Peyton sit next to him instead.”
You looked over at Lucas. He was talking to Nathan and Haley, a small smile on his face that looked so forced. He looked so broken and you felt horrible about pushing him away for a year. “No, it’s okay,” you decide. “It’s just a few hours. How bad could it be? And I think I owe him an apology.”
“Really? Well, there you go!” She nudges your shoulder. “That worked out well.”
You just forced out a smile as Nathan nudged Haley towards the passenger side of the car. “Come on, guys, we’re burning daylight.” Brooke gave you one last comforting smile before opening the door to Rachel’s car and grabbing your pillow.
“Good luck,” she says as she hands you it.
“Thanks,” you take it and let your shoulders fall before making your way to the backseat of the smaller car. Your eyes meet Lucas’ from over top of the car and he smiles at you, seemingly surprised that you’re now the one who will be sharing the backseat with him instead of Brooke.
You smile a genuine smile and open the door, getting into the backseat. Luke does the same and you feel yourself tense at the close proximity between the both of you after so long. Nathan looks back at you in the rearview, his brows raising and you knew that was him silently asking if you were okay. Nathan was also working on being a better person, something he achieved quite quickly as he was the nicest guy you knew and you formed a close bond with him. He was there for you after the breakup as well, just not as much as Brooke was. You smiled at him in reassurance and with that he started the car.
The car ride to Rachel’s cabin was silent. Nathan put the radio on, a quiet background noise as he and Haley talked amongst themselves.
You had been looking out the window since the car started moving and you could feel Lucas’ eyes burning a hole in the side of your head.
When the car ride hit the thirty minute mark, you finally decided to test the waters with Luke. You looked over at him to find him staring forward but he also turned his head when he felt you looking at him. You both looked at each other's eyes for a few seconds. “Hey,” you said quietly, watching the way his ears perked up at the sound of your voice for the first time in a long time with it being directed at him.
“Hey,” he says back, his voice just above a whisper.
You smile at him. “How are you?” You really did want to know. You still cared about him, dare to say you even still love him, so you just wanted to hear that he was okay.
“Not that good,” he says honestly. “You?”
“I’m here,” you replied and he smiled.
“I’m glad you came,”
“Me too,”
No more words were said between the two of you for the rest of the ride, but the tension that had been building up finally seemed to thin.
An hour passed before you finally arrived at the house. You got out of the car, sighing happily when you got to stretch your legs. Brooke made her way over to you, once again hooking her arm through yours. “So, how was it?” She asked with genuine curiosity.
“It was fine,” you say and she smiles. “We talked, kinda.”
“You said you wanted to apologize to him?”
“Yeah,” you trail off. “I didn’t actually do that. But I will. I just wanted to test out how it would feel to talk to him again.”
“And?”
“It felt good,” you smile and she hugs you.
“I’m happy for you,”
“Yeah,” you say. “If we’re not together anymore, I still care about him. We were friends before we started dating, I’d like to think we can be friends after.”
“I know you can,” she says. “You’re a good friend. And he misses having you in his life. This will be good.”
“I hope so,” You turn around and grab your pillow, taking your bag Brooke grabbed for you before you made your way into the isolated paradise, hand in hand with the girl you cared deeply about.
-
“Are you sure you don’t mind sharing a bed with me?” You asked Rachel as you placed your bag on the bed.
“I think I should be the one asking you that,” she says as he brushes her hair. “Besides, you’ve never personally wronged me. I tolerate you.”
“Thanks,” you say as you unzip your bag, grabbing a change of clothes.
“Are you okay?” She asked as she looked at you through the mirror. “I don’t know much about what happened but I know it was pretty bad.”
“I’m okay,” you reply honestly. “It was a long time ago.”
“Okay,” she nodded at you before picking up her bikini. “I’m going to go see if Mouth wants to join me in the hot tub.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you before leaving the room.
You laugh as you sit down on the comfortable bed. The peace and quiet is interrupted a few seconds later as Haley bursts into the room with Brooke and Peyton behind her. She looked close to having a panic attack and you quickly stood up, rushing over to her.
“Haley, what’s wrong?”
“I can’t find my ring,” she says quickly, running her ringless fingers through her hair.
“Your wedding ring?” You asked and she nodded. “Why’d you take it off?”
“I took it off to wash my hands and I thought I put it back on but I guess I didn’t and now I don’t know where it is,” she all but whines. “I’m freaking out. Nathan will kill me.”
“Okay, okay, Hales,” Brooke says as she places her hands on her shoulders. “Which bathroom did you wash your hands in? Chances are that’s where it is.”
“The one in Nathan and I’s room,”
“Okay, let's go check in there,” she says as she and Haley rush out of the room.
You were left alone with Peyton, Brooke not realizing that as she helped Haley. Peyton opened her mouth to speak but you just shook your head. “We should probably go help,” you say as you try to walk past her.
“Y/n,” she grabs your arm. “Can we talk? Please?”
You wanted to leave the room, wanted to help your friend find her ring, but the way Peyton looked at you had you sighing before turning around and sitting on the bed.
“I feel terrible,” she starts, fiddling with her fingers. “I should’ve never kissed Lucas. It was wrong and it was all my fault. I’ve carried around this guilt for a year now and it only seems to get worse everyday. I made a mistake and I’m sorry. I was wrong to think Lucas would ever like me when he’s clearly only ever had eyes for you.”
Your eyes stayed glued to the floor, not sure what to say to her. “Peyton,” you trail off. “I forgive you.”
Her eyes widen and she smiles. “Oh, Y/n, thank you,”
“We all make mistakes,” you say. “Mine was pushing away the guy I love when he needed someone there for him. Lucas probably hates me.”
“No,” she says. “No, Y/n, he loves you. He’s always loved you.”
“I want to believe that,”
“So believe it,” she walks over to you. “He needs someone. He needs you. It’s been a year and he hasn’t been with anyone since you broke up. He misses you. And you miss him.”
You look up at her. “I do,”
“So what are you afraid of?”
“Getting my heart broken again,”
“Y/n,” she sighed, sitting next to you. “What happened was all my fault. Lucas didn’t kiss me, I kissed him. It was completely one sided. You probably already know this, but he hasn’t talked to me since the party.”
You sighed, playing with your fingers. “Yeah, I heard.”
“He needs you in his life, Y/n,” she says. “And you need him.”
You felt your eyes sting and you bite your lip to keep the tears at bay. Without any more words being spoken, you turn and wrap your arms around her, taking her by surprise. “Thanks, Peyton,” you say as she hugs you back. “You’re a good friend.”
“I’m trying,” she replies and you pull away.
“So,” you say. “Any chance you know where Lucas is?”
“I think he went out four wheeling with Nathan,” she laughs. “If I see him before you do, I’ll let him know you want to talk.”
You smile and nod, looking over to see Brooke and Haley standing in the doorway. “Hey,” Brooke says. “I’m so sorry to interrupt but by any chance do either of you know how to use this?” She holds up a tool used to take apart pipes and you and Peyton look at each other and laugh. She holds her hand out to you and you take it, standing up before following Brooke and Haley out of the room.
-
Mountain air was a lot fresher than the air back home in Tree Hill, you noticed. You were currently standing on the back balcony of the cabin, your arms draped over the wooden railing. You looked at the view which consisted of countless trees, a lake and pathways. You heard the sound of four wheelers around the front of the house and you smiled to yourself, picking at the slivers of wood to calm your pounding heart.
A few minutes pass and your ears perk up at the sound of the sliding door opening behind you. You had a feeling you knew who it was and you took a deep breath. “How was four wheeling?”
Luke laughs from behind you and you feel him stepping closer to you. “Good,” he says. “I scared the hell out of some cows.” You laugh, bowing your head as you do so. He laughs as well and stands next to you, mirroring your stance.
You look over at him, noticing the grey Keith Scott Body Shop hoodie he had on. It was splattered with dirt and you could only imagine the fun he had with the mud puddles just hours before. “Hi, Luke,” you say softly, smiling at the way the golden sun that was setting made him look so young and carefree.
“Hi, Y/n/n,” he says back.
“Did Peyton tell you where to find me?”
“Surprisingly, yes,”
You nod, looking down at the stone gravel. “We talked earlier, she apologized, and I forgave her,” you say and Luke tries not to show how surprised he was. “Lucas, I’ve been selfish.”
He stands up a little straighter but he keeps his hands on the railing. “Y/n,”
“I need to say this,” you plead and he sighs before nodding. “I’m selfish, Luke. I pushed you away when all I wanted was for you to hold me, tell me that everything works out in the end. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there for you when Keith died. I’ll never forgive myself for that. It took someone dying for me to realize that I need to keep the people I care about close to me…because they could be gone the next day.”
Lucas stays silent and listens to you. He didn’t want you to feel bad about not being there for him when he was the one that cheated. You didn’t deserve to feel guilty for that.
“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to talk to you. I wanted to for so long now. I’m sorry about Keith. I want you to know that I’m here now,” you continue. “Even if it’s just as a friend. I care about you, I always will. I need you in my life, in any way that I can.”
He smiled at you. “I need you in my life, too,” he says quietly. Both of you seem to think that no other words needed to be said as you stepped towards each other. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders as you wrapped yours around his waist. You stayed like that for a few minutes, breathing in happily at the feeling of being in the arms of your first love after so long.
You reluctantly pull away and look at his achingly pretty face and before you knew it, he held the sides of your face and leaned down, pressing his lips to yours. It, quite literally, took your breath away and you found yourself gripping the sides of his hoodie until your knuckles turned a few shades lighter. The kiss was filled with desperation, passion and most importantly, love. He kissed you with everything he had in him before pulling away, resting his forehead on yours, keeping your faces close together.
“I’m sorry,” he says, slightly out of breath. “I couldn’t let the last time I kissed you be on the same night I lost you.”
“Don’t apologize,” you say back, just as breathless. “I love you.”
He smiles which turns into a full on grin. “Y/n,” he mumbles. “I love you, too. It’s always been you, baby.” He finishes before he captures your lips in another kiss. He wraps his arms around your waist as yours wrap around his neck and you jump slightly, locking your legs around his waist.
“I missed you,” you say in between kisses.
“I missed you, too,” he murmurs as he kisses you harder. “I missed you so much. God, I love you.” The heated kiss was full of love and it spoke all of the words you didn’t need to say. It spoke the words of frustration from losing you, from not being able to talk to you, the hurt he had to go through when he lost Keith and couldn’t find comfort in you. All the words that were left unspoken were being said through the kiss and it had you feeling lightheaded.
You pull away, your lips beginning to swell and you hug him, your legs tightening around his waist.
“Everything works out in the end,” he says and you kiss him one more time. “Stay with me tonight.”
“I’ll stay with you forever,” you murmur and he smiles before pressing his lips to yours again.