Disclaimer: I don't own OTH or Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
A/N: Thanks a million for the reviews guy, I can't emphasize enough how much they mean for a writer. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter very much. ;)
17. Kiss Your Life
Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. – Oliver W. Holmes
One by one, the bridesmaids disappeared to the side, opposite their groomsmen, next to the spot where the bride would soon stand. Lots of endeared gasps followed as the four year old flower girl came striding with a basket full of rose petals in her hands. She carefully spread the petals, making slow and elegant movements with her arm, like she was told to do. When her basket was empty, she looked at the groom, who gave her a wink. This made the five-year old blush. She shortly waved at the groom and then let the bridesmaids guide her to her place, where she sat as still as she could.
Together with the light piano tones that the pianist began to play, all heads turned as they knew this was for the bride. And indeed, there she came. Everyone rose for her and admired her beauty, which was enhanced by her stunning cream dress. Her eyes glazed over as she looked at her lover waiting for her merely metres away. The Forrest Gump theme she was walking her way to him on was soft, romantic and soothing. In her hands, she carried a bouquet which looked very much like the bridesmaids' ones, only it was larger and with more roses in between. The true beauty though, was her face, lightly made up with earth-tones and also her hair that - except for a couple lost locks- was up in an elegant bun.
The last steps to the altar were soon taken and the next thing she knew, she was looking into a pair of sparkling and visibly moved eyes. 'You look beautiful', he whispered. She replied with an even quieter 'thank you'. Neither was the overly romantic type but if you had asked them in that moment how they felt, the answer would've probably been 'like in a dream'. The words of the priest who had begun the ceremony by now were almost inaudible to the couple as they were lost in each other completely.
"It is amoral commitment that requires and deserves daily attention. Marriage should be a life long consecration of the ideal of loving kindness – backed with the will to make it last..." the priest finished his sentence and with a glance, let the two know this was their cue.
With a last deep breath, he started.
"Peyt… You're not only my lover, you're my best friend in the whole world and I wouldn't be who I am now without you… For a long time, I was convinced that I was so intelligent, brave, strong but… when you came along, you left me without words and weak in my knees. I realized then, because of you, that what takes true strength is letting someone. Letting someone love me. You…You believed in me when no one else did. You understood me. Totally. Completely, and you still do. You're amazing: your strength, your laughter, your uniqueness…And you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You're everything I wished for and more, so I vow here, before you, before God, to honour, cherish and love you for the rest of my life."
After this, Peyton was briefly speechless. He was a writer and had whispered many hopelessly romantic, heart-warming words in her ear but these were his most touching yet. Seconds passed wherein she just gazed at him with lights in her eyes before she cracked a soft smile and took a small paper. She wasn't as literate as him nor did she often spoke in public, she needed her notes.
Glad to be home, or at least at Peyton's, Lucas took his coat off and went to look for his girlfriend, who he quickly found standing above the stove. Softly he wrapped his arms around her waist, only to feel her tense up completely. That was before she let out a deep and annoyed sigh. Needless to say he didn't enjoy this one it. For a little over a year now, since they had gotten back together, their life had been bliss but these last weeks, it seemed like history had begun to repeat itself. Peyton was cold and distant towards him but sometimes, she'd come out of her room and he'd see she had been crying.
"Don't touch me," she ordered.
Lucas' mouth almost fell open. "What?!?"
"I just don't like to be touched, alright?"
"No. That's not alright. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Lucas… I'm standing here and I still can't believe I deserve you. As a little girl, I always had the feeling that I was different from the rest. No one got me, they didn't understand who I was or what I was about, and so I dreamed. I dreamed about a man who would… I dreamed of falling in love and sharing my thoughts but I had never imagined to meet someone who I'd share my soul with, and who would hear me without words, until you came along. What's so special about you…is not so much your intelligence, or the surprises, or the fact that you never give up. It's that you never stop giving, so I promise to never stop giving back to you. You've been my friend, my family, my lover, and now you'll be my husband too. I love you."
Their gaze now was more intense than it had ever been and both began to imagine about the kiss they were going to share later on and further on their honeymoon the nights they were going to spent.
Sniffling as silently as possible, Brooke let go of her bouquet and wiped away a tear. Looking at the seated guests, she saw her husband staring at her lovingly with their one-year old son Adam on his lap and smiled. Everything had turned out so good and everyone she loved was happy, and that was all she had ever wanted. Except for her friends and family, she also loved weddings and the whole atmosphere around it. So much, even, that she had been Peyton's personal wedding planner, arranging the major stuff but also she had pointed out every detail that had to be taken care off.
"Is it just me or does it look like they're gonna take each other in front of the priest?" Nathan in the meanwhile whispered in Rachel's ear. At the age of twenty-six he still hadn't gained a lot of subtlety but that was alright. He knew he could be himself around Rachel.
The redhead smiled yet slapped his arm and rubbed her stomach. "Shush, he'll hear you."
"He's seven months old…I doubt he will," he replied and put his hand over hers, on her very much expanded tummy. They had waited for years to have a child seeing as a lot of hesitation had plagued them like the financial aspect and a possible lack of time for each other but when Rachel's period hadn't come a good half a year ago and a test had confirmed she was pregnant, they had immediately been overwhelmed with joy. All doubts had been wiped away. The only negative side was that she couldn't be a bridesmaid. It wasn't a big deal to Peyton but to Rachel AND Brooke, a seven month pregnant woman as a bridesmaid was a no-no.
The couple tore their eyes away from Rachel's tummy and gazed in front of them again, where Lucas and Peyton were staring at each other with googley eyes. The location for the ceremony was a stunning garden with wild flowers everywhere and the sunlight covering the trees. It fitted them perfectly.
"Oh God…" Peyton sighed irritated. "Can you please save this for tomorrow? I'm tired."
"I'm sorry but no, I can't save 'this' for tomorrow. I want to know now what makes you act… like a bitch. Huh… What is it?" She bowed her head, refusing to answer. "Or maybe," Lucas continued "there isn't anything at all…Maybe you don't have enough drama in your life so you feel you need to create it yourself!"
"Excuse me?" she let out indulged. "I thought you knew me better than that."
"When you're acting like a normal human being!" he cried desperately.
"What are you saying? That I'm crazy?!?" she yelled back. Lucas bit his tongue, suppressing the urge to scream at her that she's indeed acting like a complete lunatic. "You wanna know what the problem is?!?" she further roared.
"YES!"
"No, you don't…" she suddenly mumbled and left her pots and pans on the stove.
Lucas turned around irate. "Yes, I do!"
The invites attention grew more intense as the couple slid their rings on each other's finger. "You may now kiss the bride," the priest then finished at last.
Peyton threw her arm around Lucas' neck as he pulled her close. Without wasting any time, he captured her lips. The invites cheered for a while but eventually stopped and just grinned when the newlyweds seemed to be trying to get in the Guinness Book of World records in the category 'surviving the longest without air'. Eventually Peyton pulled away first. Logically, since a woman has smaller lungs and hence a smaller lung content.
She ignored him and continued her tread to her room.
"Oh no you won't." Lucas cut off her way.
"Let me through."
"No."
"Let me through."
"Not bef-"
"I'm pregnant!" she then snapped at him. "I'm pregnant, OK?"
He bowed his head in complete astonishment. "How…How long have you known."
She pressed her lips together. "Three weeks," she then answered.
Dazed, Lucas hardly felt it when Peyton removed his hand from the door so that she could get in. Her answer was unexpected and not exactly what he had wanted to hear either. How selfish it may sound, he now wished her behaviour derived simply from her bad memories concerning her mother and father. What would they do with a baby? They were twenty-one! They'd graduate next year and how on earth would they find a job when they'd have to look after a little baby? With a thousand thoughts on his mind, Lucas threw his coat back on to go grab some air. He needed it.
Hours passed. It turned seven, eight, nine o'clock but no sign of Lucas. Off course she was worried, but mostly she felt alone right now, so she decided to call the first person she had told about her pregnancy and up until a couple of hours ago, the only one.
"Rachel Gattina."
"Hey, Rach."
"Peyton…How are you?"
"I…I told Lucas. About the baby." A few seconds of silence followed. "Rach? Are you still there?"
"Yeah…Sorry. I was just surprised. But that's great!"
"No, it isn't. He's gone, Rachel; I don't know where he is."
"What do you mean? He isn't here either…?"
"Great," she sighed.
"I'm sure he's alright though, he's a big boy" the redhead immediately reassured her. "Do you want me to come over? Give you some company? I get the feeling it might come welcome."
"I'd really like that, Rach. Thanks."
"Alright…See you in a bit."
"Bye."
The next day, Peyton tried to reach Lucas, but without success. In the evening, she gave up and decided to make it an early night. There was no point in exhausting herself. Around twelve o'clock, the blond was fast asleep and so didn't hear the front door creaking nor did she know the person entering was Lucas. Softly, he made his way through the apartment. He was still clueless, in panic and confused but if there was one thing he was sure about, it was his love for Peyton. As silent as possible, he opened her bedroom door and saw her sleeping quite peacefully if you consider what she was going through.
Quietly he crawled onto her bed and further under the sheets. It was courageous since there was a possibility Peyton was angry and insulted, and everyone knew hell hath no fury like P. Sawyer scorned but…He just needed to feel her right now, be able to touch her. He dared to press his body against hers and almost subconsciously began to stroke her skin before sliding further to his waist, resting his hand there. It was surreal to think a little person was growing there in her tummy.
When he felt her body move, he backed away a bit. Peyton slightly yawned and then opened her eyes, looking straight in his. He noticed the disappointment on her face and swallowed thickly. Disappointing her was the last thing he had wanted to do but he had just needed some time to phantom what she had told him.
"Where were you?" she asked. "Where did you sleep?"
"With a friend," he replied ashamed. "From college."
She stared at him for a couple more seconds before looking down and bursting into tears. "I can't do this…. We're both in college and even if that weren't the case, look at us! Look at what kind of parents this child would have!"
"P-"
"Seriously. I'm an ex-junkie who has the tendency to become a freaking fridge whenever there's a bump in the road and you…You've slept with half New York and…Disappeared off the face of the earth when I told you I was pregnant! We'd make Britney and Kevin proud! I… I can't have this baby. I just can't."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…Maybe I should have an abortion."
"Peyt…" he began with desperate voice.
Peyton's revelation had shocked him, sure, but abortion had never even crossed his mind. His worries had been about the financial aspect and their future career. However, under all the doubts did lay the desire to have this child with her. He had known she would be the woman he'd start a family with from the minute he saw her and yes, this child was unplanned but what he was concerned, definitely not unwanted.
"I know we're flawed and not always the most stable of couples, but I do love you. And I'll never leave you, you know that. You can't have an abortion, y-"
"You're a dreamer, you don't know what this means…"
"I do…It'll be though but Peyt, please… You're the love of my life. I want to have this baby with you."
She sighed as another tear ran down her cheek. Her heart was saying the same Lucas' was, but didn't rationality count for anything? "I want to have this baby with you too," she heard herself saying and what she had known for a long time was yet again confirmed: her heart around Lucas usually beat her rationality.
Lucas let out a deep breath and cupped her cheek. "You know we'll do well. I'll make sure of that."
Peyton nodded still very much troubled but realized she was lucky to have him. "I'm sorry I compared you to Kevin Federline," she said, to lighten to mood more than anything. He laughed briefly and she smiled up at him. If parenthood wouldn't work with him, it wouldn't with anybody. She placed her hand in his neck and pulled him into a searing kiss. They made love that night, slowly and passionate. Because they loved each but for a little part also because they'd want to forget about their worries for a while.
" Champagne?" Nathan asked and held the bottle above Peyton's glass. At this moment, the newlyweds plus guests all were at a beautifully decorated, outdoor restaurant.
"No, thanks, I'm fine with my coke for now."
Although she was supposed to be overwhelmed with joy, Peyton looked a bit nostalgic. Lucas knew that was for her parents. She, understandably, had wanted them to be here. However, she had accepted it in the weeks leading up to the wedding that her life would never be complete but… She could try to make the best out of it, like she was doing now, and make her parents proud. She soon felt Lucas arm slipping around her waist. He smiled at her understanding and loving. Even though they were together for years now, she still felt incredibly happy to be with him. She let her fingers flutter over his cheek before she cupped it and kissed him tenderly.
"Mommy! Daddy!" a high girl's voice suddenly cried and stretched her arms at them. Lucas and Peyton broke apart and seconds later, their daughter sat on Lucas' lap.
"Hi, beautiful," Lucas smiled and began to drop little kisses on her face. Belle to him was Peyton, before the bad happened to her. He was determined to never let her go through what Peyton had been through and treated her like a little princess, which she off course very much enjoyed.
"Daddy…Enough kisses!" Belle finally decided and 'stopped' him by taking his head between her little hands. The little blond further turned her head from her father's and gazed into her mother's eyes, which were the same as hers. Overall, Belle had inherited Peyton's physical features, except for her tiny turned-up nose. "Was I a good flower girl, mommy?" Belle then asked Peyton.
"The best, baby," Peyton replied.
"Why can't I come with you and daddy to Silicy?"
" Sicily."
"That's what I said!"
"You saw your mommy and daddy kissing there in front of the priest?" Rachel's voice sounded. "That's what they are going to do in Sicily, all day."
From the moment the redhead had found out about her pregnancy, she had wanted Peyton to be the Godmother, although the blond had chosen Brooke for that role with Belle. It had been an agonizing decision to make for Peyton but the fact that Brooke was her only real family she still had, had tipped over the scale to the brunette's side. Rachel hadn't blamed her because she knew their friendship meant the world to Peyton, she had emphasized that enough.
"I don't mind, mommy. Can I come? Pretty please? I'll be nice."
"Heh… I don't think that's a very good idea, baby."
"Why not?" she asked and became increasingly angered. Why didn't her mommy and daddy want to take her? She was a good girl; she cleaned up all her toys and was always polite.
"Your mommy and daddy just need some time alone, cupcake," Nathan jumped in to their saving.
"To do what?" she asked. Once she got her teeth into something she didn't let go just like that.
Lucas and Peyton bowed their head as Brooke, Nathan, Rachel and Haley shared uncomfortable stares.
"Are they going to exercise again?" Belle suddenly broke the silence with an eye-roll.
Everyone close enough to Lucas and Peyton to hear their conversation shook their head in disbelief. Rachel soon laughed. "Exercise? How so?"
"Yeah, how is that?" Brooke asked. Compared to Owen, sitting beside her, she was quite extravert. However, she did understand Peyton and Lucas not wanting to talk about sex in the company of their child. It was too funny to see them struggle like this.
"Brooke…" Haley warned. It had taken a couple of years but not long after Belle was born and a lot of hospital visits, a Christening and eventually birthday parties followed, Nathan and Haley had decided to leave the past behind them. He was happy with Rachel and she with the music career she had built up. Haley James was now a well-know name in the showbiz and she was over the moon about all the recognition she got for her talent.
"Brooke, how would you feel if I talked with Adam about…?"
"That isn't relevant," she replied. "He still thinks a pillow is eatable." The toddler let little noises escape his mouth and hit the table. Brooke turned him so she could look at his face and kissed his shiny brown locks. "You're so cute!"
"They-" Belle began, ready to spill everything she had seen a couple of months ago, but was cut off by her father.
"Belle, no," Lucas ordered as his daughter opened her mouth.
Lucas' refusal was followed at once by complaints from Brooke, Nathan and Rachel and this was enough for Belle to disobey. She was much like her father in that aspect and was a people-pleaser. "They take their clothes off and wrestle!"
"Oh my God," Haley sighed out as Lucas and Peyton's head turned red as a beet. Rachel, Brooke and Nathan just laughed.
It was a Sunday morning and Belle had been up for hours. As the credits of 'Peter Pan' rolled over the screen, she decided her parents had had enough sleep and marched to their room. Without knocking, she swung the door open and stared puzzled at what was going on before her eyes. She saw her daddy's eyes widening and throwing her mommy out of the bed. Her mommy was ready to yell at him until she saw her standing in the door opening.
They both dressed as quickly as they could to have a word with her in the kitchen about knocking and privacy. She listened, and when it looked like her parents had finished their plea, she asked:
"What were you doing? Why didn't you have any clothes on?"
The two grown blonds shared an uncomfortable yet understanding look. "Wrestling," Lucas then answered and ignored the kink in Peyton's eyebrow. "And sometimes adults do that without their clothes on."
"But mommy, you do that all the time!" Every once in a while, Belle still goes to their room and when the door is locked, she knows what's happening inside, rolls her eyes and goes to see some more cartoons. She had never known wrestling was so much fun and had to happen so often.
"Belle, I think we need a little talk," Peyton spoiled her friends' fun and picked up her daughter. The little blond looked over her mothers shoulder and shrugged at her godmother and two aunts. The talk that followed now with her daughter would involve the truth, Peyton had decided. Belle was bright enough to understand. She explained clearly what they were doing was sex, that it was something grown-ups do when they love each other and that it's not okay to talk about that with a whole dining table.
When they came back, Peyton saw her now husband with a flushed face and her friends teasing him still. As Brooke began to tell the story about the time she and Rachel caught them in the act, Lucas boiled over. "You're all just jealous because you I'm getting some and you aren't," he cried frustrated.
Everyone went silent as they say Belle standing looking at all of them with her big innocent hazel eyes. "Hey, princess," Nathan waved at his niece with a goofy grin. "Come here." Belle let go of her mother's hand and ran over to her uncle as Peyton shot Lucas a semi-angry look.
x
It was deep in the night and some of the guests had already gone home. Since Karen had been pretty tired too so she had insisted to take Belle with her. She had mentioned a couple times in the past how she sees her New Yorkian granddaughter too little so now that she could, she took every chance she got to be with her. Also Brooke's mother, Barbara, had taken her grandchild with her a couple of hours ago.
Instead of sitting on her chair, Peyton had seated herself on Lucas' lap. The earlier sex-talk and commotion had been long forgotten as they were openly making out. "How long before our plane leaves?" Lucas asked between kisses. Luckily for them, no one was currently at their table since they were still on the dance floor or like in Rachel and Nathan's case, sitting on the bench by the oak, rubbing her tummy and whispering to each other.
"Fourteen hours," she replied and shifted a bit so that her legs were very much exposed. She had traded her wedding dress for a little red dress a couple of hours ago since she had known her gown would've been a hazard to dance in.
Their kisses grew hungrier and more passionate. "I want to get out of here," he finally groaned as Peyton buried her lips in his neck. She knew every sensitive spot and smiled as he threw his head back and began to mumble more complaints over the fact they still had to stay for a couple of hours.
"God, get a room," Brooke laughed as she and her husband plumped themselves down opposite the newlyweds. However, she had no right of speaking since her dancing with Owen would've been labelled sixteen-plus. "Seeing you guys dry-hump is less than enjoyable."
Peyton looked up. Sighing, she descended off Lucas lap and went to sit on her own chair. They were indeed acting like two teenagers but they just wanted to do it so bad. They were just married and more in love then ever. Lucas shuffled a bit closer and instead wrapped his arm around her waist, so that he could still touch her.
Brooke lifted the champagne bottle and gazed at it pleased when she saw there was still enough left for the three of them. Owen could drink water. "Some more champagne?" she asked and was ready to fill Peyton's glass when that one said 'no' as fast as possible. The brunette kinked her eyebrow and lifted her cousin's glass. "It's…clean…"
"Well, sorry I'm not such a wino as you are," Peyton snapped.
"Huh…No need to get so defensive, P." Brooke gazed at the blond for a couple of seconds in thought. "You haven't been drinking all night and yesterday you were the sweetest thing alive in the morning...And a shrew in the afternoon."
"I'm not a shrew!"
"No… You're pregnant!" she accused.
Peyton opened her mouth but no sound left it and instead, she bowed her head.
Lucas looked at her touched. "Peyt…Are you?"
"I didn't want you to find out this way…" she almost whispered as she locked eyes with him. "I found out yesterday but didn't want to tell 'cause…We had so many stuff going on already with the wedding. I thought to tell you on our honeymoon."
"You're pregnant!" Brooke cried out with an unbounded happiness for them. She jumped up from her chair and went over to hug them both.
Owen quickly stood up and got her back to her seat. "No, sweetheart," he protested. "We'll leave and let them be for a minute." As she let herself being led away by her husband, Brooke looked over her shoulder sadly at the bottle of champagne standing on the table.
"So you're not running away…That's a good sign," Peyton joked. When Lucas remained silent for a couple of seconds, looking down; she cupped his cheek and raised his head so he'd look in her eyes. "Are you happy, Luke?"
"Yes…" he answered sincerely touched. Already now he knew this pregnancy would be calmer, more serene. They were older, had a steady job as a journalist and a painter and a beautiful house. They were one-hundred percent ready for a second child. He smiled at her and moved closer to capture her lips softly. "Yes, I am."
x
Panting heavily, Lucas and Peyton lay next to each other in a stunning hotel room in Sicily. They had been here for a couple of days now and had hardly sat a foot outside their room. Instead, they had kept themselves occupied with sex, sex, and sex.
"I'm going to shower," Lucas suddenly announced and rose from the bed.
Peyton nodded. "I'll order room-service. After she had put on her clothes, as far as you can call hot pants and a tube top clothes, and had ordered some food, she just went to sit on the edge of her mattress where she couldn't help but stare at her ring. In this day and age, a lot of people say marriage doesn't matter if you love each other and if you're certain about each other, but Peyton somehow felt it had strengthened their relationship. Somehow, it made their bond even more special than it already was.
"Lucas…I feel so bad we left her alone with the babysitter," Peyton sighed as they hang over the rim of the boat. Lucas had his arms wrapped around her as they sailed along the Niagara Falls. It was their first trip in three years and had taking quite a bit of saving. Belle had also come along and they had made plenty of walks with her the past days but this time Lucas had insisted they'd spend a day with just the two of time.
"She'll be alright," he replied and buried his face a little deeper in her curls.
"I know…"
They fell in a comfortable silence, just looking at the beauty of the falling water until the boat stopped by a wooden dam. They could now go explore town, go visit some shops…Do whatever they wanted basically. About two hours later, Lucas was packed like a donkey. Peyton had bought a bunch of records for herself, clothes for Belle, and some souvenirs for her friends back home.
"Oh no," Lucas suddenly let out.
"What? What is it?"
"My ring! It fell and I don't know where it is."
"You're talking about that ugly man-ring your mother gave you? Who cares?"
"I do, and it's not ugly. Can we stop for a minute and look for it? It must've just fell 'cause I saw it on my hand not long ago."
She sighed but nonetheless began to scan the ground concentrated. Lucas in the meanwhile kneeled down and put a whole other ring out of his pocket. It was made out of platinum gold and had a small yet beautiful diamond. "I got it!" he cried.
She ran towards him. "Wher-" Her eyes widened. "That's not your ugly man ring…And why are you kneeling down? Lucas I-"
"Peyton…" he began. He had expected her to have a bit of a scare. To calm her, he took her hand and stroke it softly. "I don't know what to say except that I love you and that I want us to be together forever. Will you marry me?"
Hearing a knocking on the door, Peyton jumped up and went to open. In front of her stood a guy she hadn't seen yet. She estimated he was a couple of years younger than her. Twenty-three, maybe twenty-four. "Ciao," she greeted him with the only Italian she knew.
The guy ran his eyes over her and smiled. "Cappucino?" he asked and showed her the one she had ordered. She nodded and he took the strawberry syrup next to the pancakes she had ordered and drew a little heart on the milk foam.
She chuckled amused. "Molto buon."
Next thing the guy began a whole rant in Italian of which she only understood that his name was Fredo. When his explanation was finished, Lucas stepped out of the bathroom in his boxers. The guy saw this as his cue to leave but still waved her bye-bye. "A domani!"
"A domani," she replied. She closed the door and walked back to the bed with the little trolley Fredo had brought with a big smile. Yes, she was happy with Lucas but once in a while, it was nice to have some confirmation of the fact that you look good because your husband is supposed to say that anyway.
"Was I interrupting something?" Lucas asked in slight disbelief. He couldn't believe his wife was flirting with the room-service guy. Not that he didn't trust her, he just didn't find it very pleasant.
"Yes…" she replied teasingly. "Look." The blond showed her cappuccino, which was actually Lucas', to him. "He thought it was mine. The heart is made out of strawberry syrup."
"It's a work of art," he replied sarcastically.
She smiled and pulled him back in bed. "You're so hot when you're jealous," she said. "A total turn-on." He raised his eyebrow at her. "Oh, come on…" Peyton sighed. "I'll make it up to you. Uhmm…You want me to feed you pancakes? I'll draw a strawberry heart on them!"
"Alright," he gave in. "Draw me a heart."
In utter concentration, she took the spoon and shaped a heart on his pancake. Unfortunately she couldn't keep her hands off the syrup after she was finished.
"That's mine!" Lucas complained.
"I'm pregnant and hungry! By the way, I got you chocolate chip cookies and you'll eat them all 'cause they were ten euros for a plate."
He checked the scales and quickly found his favourite food. "Déjà-vu," he smiled.
"What?"
He went back to sit opposite her, the only thing separating them were the pancakes with strawberry syrup. Very carefully, he cupped her cheek and kissed her soft lips which opened under his. She kept her eyes closed for another moment, savouring the moment. "What was that for?"
"I was just feeling sentimental about the first time we spoke."
She looked around her and smiled. "I love it when you're sentimental."
"All that's missing is you giving me a Catcher in the Rye quote," Lucas noticed.
"I can't," she sighed. "I've got everything want. I've got nothing to be bitter about anymore and the book is the definition of bitterness."
"Except?"
"Except what oh-Professor Scott?" Yet she reflected a couple of seconds with bowed head and then she suddenly remembered. It was one of her favorite parts. She looked up at him and began quoting:
"We'd get into a movie or something, and right away we'd start holding hands, and we won't quit 'till the movie was over. And without changing the position or making a deal out of it. You never even worried, with Jane, whether your hand was sweaty or not. All you knew was, you were happy. You really were."
It feels so weird to have finished this fic but I hope you liked the ending and the way I incorporated the flashbacks and everything. It was a bit tricky; I had to drag a lot of parts back and forward lol. Anyway, tell me what you think!