Three Little Words

By Alaricnomad

A/N: Heavy sexual content. Reader discretion is advised.

Music buzzed through the gymnasium, a medley of sound she could not bring herself to recognize as her heartbeat seemed to beat in her head, drowning out any background distractions. Anticipation pounded through her in time with the thrumming beats of the music, sharp and potent as Brooke placed the metal of the hotel key in her outstretched palm.

Brooke grinned at her, her eyes a-light with mischief. "So…is this it?"

Peyton followed the line of Brooke's gaze, Lucas standing a few feet away. She smiled, uncharacteristically shy, and looked at the floor. "Yeah, I think so."

"As much as I hate to say it, it's about time. You two have been hot for each other way too long not to have done something about it."

"Brooke!!"

"What? It's the truth."

"Whatever." Peyton rolled her eyes at her friend's candor, but could not help but smile as she slipped the keys into the purse, "It's time, though. It feels right. That's all that matters."

"You're right. Believe it or not, I'm glad you guys are finally getting your chance."

"Really?"

"You bet. So…Haley's gonna use the eating for two excuse to get Nathan to take us out for something, so that should give you a couple hours. That good?"

"Yeah," and Peyton found herself smiling again, something she couldn't seem to stop, "Thanks, Brooke."

"No problem. What are friends for? Tell you what, though. When we get back, we'll raid the mini-fridge and do the whole girl talk thing. I only have one requirement."

"What's that?"

"I have no desire whatsoever to here how my ex is in bed, deal?"

Peyton laughed, "Deal."

"Now get going, girlie. This bud," pointing to Peyton, "Needs to get to her stud," pointing toward Lucas, "And this ho," pointing toward herself, "Still has plans with that bro," indicating Mouth, and her eyes narrowed, "as long as I can keep him away from that ho," glaring in Rachel's direction.

"You keep rhyming like that, I'll wonder if they spiked the punch here too."

"Funny," and Brooke rolled her eyes, "Seriously though, go get your man."

Peyton smiled, turning to leave, only to be cut off by Brooke's voice once more. "Hey Peyton, catch!"

Peyton turned back just in time, to face the unidentified object Brooke threw her way. She caught it with ease, staring down incredulously at the wrapped condom resting in her hand.

"Brooke!"

Brooke threw her a wink, "Always play it safe, chica."

Peyton hastily stuffed the condom away in the pocket of her purse, her face coloring with mortification as she finally approached Lucas, who offered her a small smile and his arm as they made their way out of the Honey Grove high school gym.

----------

She sat on the bed, watching as he flitted restlessly around the room, picking up and putting down random objects, pacing, pointedly looking in any direction except hers. Despite the butterflies in her own stomach, Peyton could not help but be amused.

"Luke, could you stand still for a moment, you're kinda making me dizzy."

He offered her a sheepish smile, "Sorry, Peyt."

"It's okay. C'mere."

Lucas remained standing, and she rose instead to meet him, and Lucas tentatively raised his eyes to meet hers as she approached him. She took his hands, her small palm enveloped in his, his fingers instinctually curling around hers. "Peyton…"

"What's wrong, Luke?" She laid a hand against the side of his face, her thumb gently stroking his cheek. Lucas leaned into her touch, sighing softly.

"I almost lost you again. Except…"

"Except…" she prompted.

"Except…I wasn't there this time. I should have been there, Peyton. I shouldn't have given up on you."

"When it comes to guilt, we really are the perfect match, aren't we?"

He barked out a harsh laugh, looking up at her with pained eyes. "You told me I was always saving you. I didn't this time."

"Reality check then, Luke…St. Lucas is only human."

His lips pursed into a frown. "Peyton…"

"No, let me finish. It needed to happen like this. I needed to be able to save yourself. It's not your fault, Luke…Derek had a piece of me."

"Did you get it back?"

"I think so, Luke…I think so."

She touched her fingers to his temple, smoothing his hair back against his forehead. "Three words, Luke, that I've been afraid to give anyone else. I've given them to you. You can't be so hard on yourself. You're the one that keeps coming back to me."

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him lightly and she pressed a kiss to his mouth, "I trust you," brushing her lips to the crook of his neck, "I love you," a kiss to his throat, "I want you."

A soft kiss to his lips, "And I came back to you. Trust that."

"I do. I trust you, I trust us, Peyton. I always have. Cause in the end, you're right," kissed her once more, "You're the one I always come back to."

His embrace was strong and warm, and Peyton buried her head in his shoulder, letting herself give into the feel of him. He tightened his arms around her and lightly kissed her forehead, unable to help himself as he breathed in the sweet, subtle scent of her hair.

They slowly pulled away from one another, and he looked down at her with the same soft expression in his eyes, some unreadable emotion beginning to cloud their rich blue…and she recognized the feelings as she stared up at him with a wide, vulnerable, gaze…want, longing, desire…love.

The same feelings pushed at her and she leaned forward, their lips colliding in a gentle, passionate kiss. His hand rose to cup her face, his thumb stroking her cheek as they parted and their eyes met, an unspoken agreement passing between them as their lips met again…and again, desperate to maintain the contact throwing them further and further into a forbidden, heady ecstasy.

He momentarily leaned his forehead against hers, his breath heavy and his heart thundering as he kept his eyes locked on hers, searching for signs of hesitation, discomfort or protest. He slipped his hands into her hair, freeing the silky curls from the bind of her hair-tie.

He kissed her once more, her hands linking around his neck, brushing over the fine hair at his nape as his tongue lightly skimmed over the seam of her lips, begging for entrance she gladly granted him.

He kissed her with a passionate, vehement hunger, eagerly freeing himself of the binds of his tuxedo jacket, letting it fall to the floor as he buried his hands in her hair to tilt her head back, deepening the contact even more.

As they parted for breath and he slowly backed her toward the bed, the look in his eyes lusting, loving, and unmistakable in their intentions, he wondered at the blissful feelings this girl had always been able to invoke inside him.

He sat her down at the edge of the bed, kissing her with soft reassurance as he slowly unzipped the back of her dress, revealing silken chemise underneath.

Lucas cupped her face in his hands, reading the expression of befuddled wonder mixed with desire and longing crossing over her beautiful face and he did not dare give her time to hesitate as he brought his mouth back to hers, the weight of his body pressing her back against the bed.

Her hands glided down his back to feel the ripple of the hard muscles beneath his shirt, delighting in the delicious warmth pooling through the thin fabric, and his hands traced the curves of her body, fingers lightly brushing over hips and thighs as he took in the feel of her.

He took his explorations downward, his eyes drinking in the sight of her, nose brushing against the swell of her breasts as he lowered his head.

Looking to her eyes for silent permission, he hitched up the flowing fabric of her dress from the bottom hem, revealing long, slender legs, the lacy material of her underwear, the smooth, creamy skin of her abdomen. He trailed his lips along her stomach, feathering kisses along her navel.

She reached for him, fingers fumbling for the buttons of his shirt, and desperate to feel her hands on him, he reached upward to finish the job for her, ripping his shirt open from the chest down. Peyton laughed softly as some of the buttons popped out of place, Lucas unable to help but grin in reply.

He reared upward, shedding the remains of his button-down, followed by his wife beater, and he felt a flash of masculine pride as her eyes danced over him with quiet appreciation and he lowered himself to her again. They shared secret smiles as her arms slipped around his neck to draw his mouth back to hers.

As they parted once more, wonderfully breathless, they could not help the shy, delighted smiles that broke out over their faces, and they shared again and again the same quick, light kisses before he trailed his lips to her neck.

Her eyes fluttered close, lips parting in breathless pleasure and he smiled against her skin, angling his head to take his explorations lower, lighting tracing his tongue along her collarbone, receiving a shiver of sensuality in reply. "I love you," he whispered against her skin.

"I know," came her answer, as she drew her head up to kiss him again, and from that point on, there was no more need for words.

He reclined back in the bed as she left him momentarily, standing before him to let her dress fall from her body, pooling at her feet. His eyes greedily drank in the sight of her, clad only in bra and underwear, a matching lacy set that clung magnificently to her body and did wonders to his libido.

She climbed back into the bed and he reached for her instantly, drawing her own to him and met her lips, eager for another taste of her. He rolled her over onto her back, pressing himself flush against her, and she moaned into his mouth as the heat of his body melded with hers.

"You're beautiful," he rasped out as he pressed hot, needy kisses to her neck, trailing down to her chest, "So beautiful." He ran his tongue along the edge of her bra, teasingly circling one pebbled nipple as he reached behind her, undoing the clasp shielding her breasts from his sight.

He drew the garment away from her so not to hinder his intentions, casting it off to an unknown destination as he lowered his head once more, his mouth closing over one breast.

He gently bit down as his hands molded to the other, her sharp cry of his name stabbing straight to his groin, his pants tightening all the more painfully as he attended to the taut flesh beneath teeth and tongue, paying homage to the other mammary in the same matter.

She arched into him, hips aligning with his, and his head fell back with a groan as the poorly disguised heat of her pressed against his arousal. With a throaty growl, he rocked against her, her skin flushing prominently as she moved against him with the same level of need.

He was intoxicating…he felt so good…

"Lucas…" her voice was weak, needy…wanting.

A chorus of soft cries punctuated the air as he slipped his hand between them, beneath the band of her panties and to the wet heat of her, sliding two fingers inside her. She was wet and heated to his touch, her hips lifting to meet the gentle thrust of his fingers as he moved them inside her, his thumb brushing provocatively against her clit.

She nearly came apart right then and there in his arms, ecstasy rising to startling levels of arousal as he teased and tormented. Seeking revenge, though barely able to hold on to enough coherence, she reached for his zipper, Lucas groaned with startled desire as her hands curled around his manhood.

"Jesus…Peyt…" he groaned out her name, his head lolling back, no fight in him as Peyton reversed their positions, guiding him to lay out on his back.

"Revenge is sweet, babe," she chided playfully as she kiss the side of his neck, peppering soft kisses down tanned flesh as she lapped at the hollow of his throat, feeling the swelling of his Adam's apple as he swallowed hard, hips lifting in rhythm with the way her hand slowly moved over his arousal.

"Peyton…Peyton…oh, God…"

She touched him, traced her hands down the breadth of his shoulders, down his stomach and hips, the tapered edges of his waist, tasting the skin her fingertips explored.

She ran her tongue along the contracting muscles of his stomach, nails lightly scratching along his chest. The warmth of her breath danced along sensitized skin, a low keening working its way up his throat as she smoothed her hands back to his waistline.

"You keep that up, sweetheart, this'll be over before we even start."

A soft chuckle was his reply, followed by the clink of his belt buckle the only sound to sift through the air. He freed himself of his trousers, pushing her back against the mattress as his body covered hers.

His chest heaved for breath as he pressed against her, settling himself against the apex of her thighs. She slid her hands around his neck, running her fingers through the softness of his hair.

"Peyton…do you have any idea what you do to me?"

He nuzzled against her neck, and she smiled softly, pressing a kiss to his chin. "If it's anything like what you do to me…I think I have some idea."
Like being caught in limbo between heaven and hell…falling and flying at the same time…living and dying…making love with him…

"You are amazing…need you…"

"…I'm here…"

He kissed her again, hesitating only a moment before he coaxed her hips up to meet him, gently sinking into the wet warmth of her body.

Peyton's eyes squeezed shut at the sudden intrusion, a startled gasp escaping her despite her intention. Opening his own eyes, he took in how she grimaced, wincing as she shifted beneath him, eyes squeezed shut. "Peyton?"

It was not so much pain as discomfort, unpracticed muscles stretching to accommodate the size of him. The first man she'd had in nearly a year, and it was Lucas…just Lucas…it had always been Lucas…

She took in a deep breath, reaching up to kiss him gently in reassurance. "I'm fine. It's just been awhile. Just give me a minute."

"Peyton…sweetheart…" he kissed her mouth, her neck, her breasts, her eyes, "Peyton…"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, discomfort giving way to the heated sensation of him inside her, the perfect way he filled her. Peyton shifted her hips against his, and Lucas moved with her, withdrawing and thrusting back in…carefully watching her face for her reaction.

She murmured his name, moving beneath him, bucking against him to urge him to set his pace. He began to move, rocking into her body with slow, sensual thrusts.

"God, Lucas," Peyton whimpered, her nails raking down his back, "You feel so…"

"So good, Peyton…incredible," came his gasping answer, hands sliding down to cup her buttocks, lifting her to him to shift his angle, burying him deeper inside her.

She cried out, clinging to him as the change in angle heightened the sensations he invoked inside her, his rhythm picking up as he lost himself in her, their mouths meeting again and again in hard, frantic kisses.

And finally…too soon…too much for him to hold out, he gripped her hips and pumped into the heat of her, hard and fast, and she enveloped him tightly, the air punctuated by her low, airy moans. They were close…so close…

"Come for me, sweetheart," he whispered fervently in her ear, his body straining as he continued their erotic rhythm, "I love you, Peyton…so much…"

He reached between them, found her clit and rubbed, just enough to send her over the edge, clenching around him in orgasm. Through hooded eyes she watched his face as he continued to move against her, seeking his own release.

Still reeling in her own pleasure as she lazily kissed him, she bucked beneath him, squeezing around his member, her name spilling from his lips as he climaxed, emptying himself inside her.

She held him to her, slowly stroking his back, caressed his face as she kissed his sweat-soaked hair. "I love you too, Luke."

"I'm glad to hear it."

She smiled as he lifted his head and grinned at her, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. "Say it again…and again, and again." He slid his hands up her thighs, trailing his lips down to her chest.

"Hmm…I'll say it as many times as you want, just as long as you don't stop. I love you. God, do I love you."

"I won't ever stop, not as long as you still want me."

"If that's the case…we're going to have to test that stamina."

"Ready and willing, sweetheart…ready and willing."

----------

"Hmm…this is it."

Luke's comment broke through the silence enveloping the hotel room, his tone drowsy and contented. She laid her head against his shoulder, his arm warm as it wrapped around her, his body curving around hers as she spooned against him.

"What's what?"

"This feeling…it's that feeling people spend a lifetime searching for, what they're always longing for. This is it. We found it.'

"Mmm," she smiled, kissing him softly, "I think you're right. Do you remember last year, when I told you about my art? About wanting to create something that meant something?"

"Yeah."

"If I could capture this feeling on canvas…that would be…that would be everything I've ever to express." She paused for a moment, glancing at him wryly. "Ever notice how cheesy we are?"

He laughed, slipping his arms around her as he pulled her against him, his mouth soft against hers as he kissed her. "Cheesy or not, are you happy, Peyton?"

"Yeah…yeah, I am."

"That's all that matters, yeah?"

"I guess you're right."

They lay side by side, facing one another, Lucas's expression slightly bewildered, awed as he brushed his fingers against her face, hooking a stray curl behind her ear. "Hi," he offered shyly.

She smiled. "Hi."

"I have a bit of a conundrum."

"What's that?"

He huffed out a dramatic sigh, idly running his fingers down the length of her arm. "I don't think I can sleep tonight without you beside me. Not after this."

"How many beds on in the other room?"

"Two…we wouldn't get away with it."

"Hmm," and she smiled, lips curling slyly, "We're in luck then."

"You have my attention."

"My dad sent graduation money earlier…Brooke practically blackmailed me into bringing it some cash with us…enough to cover a room of our own, no problem."

He grinned, leaning in, "Remind me to thank your father later."

"We still have a problem, though."

"What now?"

"Getting a room would involve clothes and getting out of this bed."

"Eh…no one said it had to be right now." He pulled her back to him, lying languorously back against the pillows. Peyton snuggled into the warmth of him, deciding he was right.

The outside world could wait a little while longer.