fic
AN: Here's another little update to the still untitled Ryan/Summer AU that has taken possesion of my brain.
Click the tag in the lower left for previous installments.
Caleb walked through his daughter’s open front door and was startled to hear his grandson’s chuckle from the den.
He loved Seth, but he wasn’t exactly a social butterfly.
Caleb went into the kitchen first, knowing that it was the heart of the house.
“Hi, Dad, I didn’t expect to see you tonight,” Kirsten said, accepting his kiss on her cheek.
“You didn’t call. How’s the boy?” he asked, turning to see who Seth was sitting with in the other room.
“He’s doing okay. The doctors say as long as he takes it easy and lets his ribs heal on their own that he’ll be okay,” Kirsten replied.
He sat down at the stool beside her. “When are you going to tell me the whole story about the kid?”
“Dad…it’s…he’s a part of my family now. For the immediate future. He’s a good kid, he’s just…”
“Don’t say accident prone,” Caleb said.
“What?”
“He was hurt before he came to Seth’s rescue the other night. He was bruised at dinner. Who roughed him up?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Mom? Hey, Grandpa,” Seth said, walking in.
“Who are your guests, kid?” he asked, grinning.
Seth seemed surprised. “Um, Marissa and Summer.”
“Did you need something, Seth?” Kirsten asked.
Caleb was proud of Seth for having such pretty girls over. He knew that there was more to Seth than he’d been shown.
“Can we order a pizza? Like, I’ll still eat when Dad gets home,” Seth said.
“Go ahead,” Kirsten replied.
“Are you going to let Ryan get up next time you check on him?” Seth asked as he went to the phone.
“Seth, I know you want to hang out with him, but there’ll be plenty of time for that when he’s better. He really needs to rest,” she replied.
“All right,” Seth replied. “You want some pizza, Grandpa?”
“I might take a slice,” Caleb replied.
“Good man,” Seth said, tapping the counter and leaving.
“That’s new,” he said to Kirsten.
“Yeah. Ryan’s…good for him. Opened him up a lot.”
“He was a skinny little boy,” he told her, looking away to avoid her steady gaze. “His clothes were always too big and he would always help Eva and her daughters clean up. I came in one day and he was sitting with your mother reading her the newspaper. His arm was bandaged and he left as soon as I got there. Your mother said that Eva wouldn’t let him clean that day but didn’t want to leave him alone at his house…”
“Dad…”
“Eva never brought him again. I didn’t know his name and I never asked what happened to him,” Caleb said.
“His mom kicked him out. He stayed for the weekend and Seth got in a fight and I told Sandy to take him home,” she started quietly. “But she’d…moved. He was on the streets for a week. When he found his mom, her boyfriend beat him up. He called Seth and Seth came to us.”
“He seems like a very good kid, Kiki.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I think so, too. He’s grown on me. Given me gray hairs already, though and he’s only been here a few days.”
“Thanks for telling me,” Caleb said. “I won’t say anything to him.”
“We’re going out to buy tuxes for Seth and Ryan tomorrow, Cotillion’s coming up.”
Caleb smiled. “You were beautiful at your Cotillion. Like a little princess.”
She rolled her eyes. “God, it was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. It was awful.”
“But we both still remember it,” Caleb said.
*------- * -------- * -------- * ---------- * ------------ * --------- * --------- * --------*
As much as Seth complained about going shopping with his mom, he was squeeing on the inside.
Not because of the mom element but because he was going to Cotillion with Marissa Cooper.
He was also scared shitless.
What he really needed was to sit down and have an extended conversation with his new brother.
He’d never really dated girls before. Or hung out with girls without it being assigned by a teacher.
He didn’t have any idea what he was doing.
But they’d been at the shop for twenty minutes and Summer was taking up all of Ryan’s attention.
His mom had almost called the whole thing off when Ryan refused to eat breakfast but reconsidered when Marissa and Summer had arrived.
“What is it?” Marissa asked him, startling him from his thoughts. She followed his gaze.
“Nothing, just…”
“Seth, are you still hung up on Summer? I mean…am I, like, second best? Because if so…”
“No, no, Marissa, that’s not what I was thinking at all…I was thinking…”
“What?” she asked, her hands on her hips.
“I was thinking that I need to talk to Ryan to find out how to do this whole…dating thing.”
Marissa’s eyes lit up and Seth got a warm feeling inside knowing that he had made her smile. She really seemed to like him. “We’re dating?” she asked.
“I…I mean…” he stammered. “Yeah. If that’s okay with you.”
“Yeah,” she replied, smiling at him again.
“Seth?” Ryan called from nearby. “Can you help me a minute?”
Seth followed him, curious as to what Ryan would need help with. “What’s up?”
Ryan pulled him into the male dressing area and turned and looked at him. “This is a bad idea.”
“What? You and Summer have been cutesy all morning…”
“I know, but remember what we talked about? How…how I have to be on my best behavior? I mean, your mom’s here and Summer keeps…suggesting things. What am I supposed to do?”
“Chill out, I’m sure Summer isn’t going to try anything with Mom here with us.”
Ryan gave him a doubtful look. “I saw you and Marissa getting pretty cozy over there.”
“I’m her date for Cotillion. That’s…that’s a big deal.”
“What exactly is Cotillion? I’ve never heard of it,” Ryan admitted.
“It’s like an antiquated way of introducing the young ladies of Newport into society. Everyone gets really dressed up and welcome the new ladies into the dating pool.”
“Are you serious? People still do that?” Ryan asked.
“Believe me, Ryan, the Newpsies take any opportunity to show off how rich and special they are,” Seth replied.
“And what am I doing there again?” Ryan asked.
Seth started to explain how he’d have to walk down the stage with his date and waltz, but stopped before he said the first word.
“Seth,” Ryan growled.
“Boys, you better be talking about clothes in there,” his mom called.
“We are,” they both said. Seth grinned.
“I’m taking the girls next door to my seamstress. I’ll be back in a few minutes and I want to see some progress.”
“Okay,” Seth called.
“I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?”
“Yes, but you’ll get through it. It’s going to be, like, a rite of passage. It’ll be…fun.”
“Fun?” Ryan raised an eyebrow at him.
“Well, let’s say…educational, at least.”
*------- * -------- * -------- * ---------- * ------------ * --------- * --------- * --------*
Summer watched Kirsten arrange the ruffles on the prospective dress disapprovingly.
Usually, Summer tagged along with Marissa and Julie to get gowns for the Newport events. It wasn’t like her dad or stepmom had time to help her pick out clothes.
But Kirsten was definitely not Julie Cooper. She was paying special attention to both the girls, making sure that the saleslady showed them *all* of the gowns that were available.
Marissa had already settled on a flattering off-white gown with a silk shawl to cover her bare back. Kirsten had quickly dispatched her back to the men’s side to supervise Seth and Ryan’s tuxedo progress.
But Summer couldn’t find anything she liked.
“Oh this one looks promising,” Kirsten said, picking a dress off a new rack that the lady had rolled out.
Summer had to agree with her, it was a gorgeous gown. She quickly went into the dressing room to try it on.
“You’ll need a nice set of pearls and maybe you can put those little flowers in your hair like you did at last year’s charity auction at the hospital.”
Summer was surprised that Kirsten remembered that. Her dad had used up a roll of film at that party and not one shot had been of her. “I think I still have those somewhere.”
She smoothed the dress over her hips and smiled at the way the dress seemed ‘made for her’.
She stepped out and Kirsten smiled her acknowledgement and it made Summer feel warm inside.
Kirsten was a really nice mother.
She’d started to see Marissa’s point about Ryan. He was really trying to change his life, he wanted to be worthy of parents like Sandy and Kirsten.
She stood in front of the mirror and Kirsten stood behind her and twisted up her hair to imitate how the gown would look with her hair off her shoulders.
“What do you think?” Kirsten asked.
“Perfect,” Summer admitted, smiling.
“I’ll be at the club early to help set up, so if you need any help for your hair, just let me know. I used to fix my sister’s hair when we were growing up, but Seth just isn’t the dress up type,” Kirsten said.
Summer laughed. “Guess not.”
Marissa appeared. “They’re ready, Kirsten.”
“All right. We’ll meet you girls out front. Maybe if you promise to be careful, I’ll let you and the boys go out to lunch.”
Marissa’s smile was wide. “Okay, that would be great.”
“But not too long. Ryan still needs his rest.”
“We’ll make sure he eats something,” Summer promised before Kirsten could say it.
As soon as she left, Marissa turned to her. “Nice dress, that looks great.”
“Thanks. Kirsten helped me find it,” she said.
“She’s really nice. I mean, I always knew she was nice, but could you imagine my mom acting like her?” Marissa scoffed.
“Yeah. Julie’s not exactly the nurturing type,” Summer agreed, ducking back into the changing room to put on her shorts and top again. “This was actually okay, hanging out with her today. And Ryan…”
“Is way into you,” Marissa said.
“You think?”
“Seth told me. Said you’re driving him wild and he’s worried about losing control. He’s taken a vow of celibacy or something.”
Summer slung the door open. “What?”
*------- * -------- * -------- * ---------- * ------------ * --------- * --------- * --------*
Ryan was leaning against the wall of the booth, his arm lazily around Summer’s tanned shoulders.
Marissa and Seth were across from them, fighting for the ketchup bowl with their fries.
“You alright?” Summer asked, looking up at him with those brown bedroom eyes.
“Yeah,” he replied honestly. He was reasonably mellow from the vicoden and the pain was definitely manageable.
It was worth it to be sitting in a public place without hiding from cops or people looking to kick his ass.
“You are supposed to eat something, you promised Kirsten,” she said, motioning to his burger and chips in front of him.
“I don’t want it,” he sighed, honestly. The pills were nice, but he didn’t want to mix food with his buzz. He was too prone to nausea.
“Dude, you’re being ridiculous, you have to eat something,” Seth said.
“Don’t start,” Ryan warned. As much as he liked Newport, the constant nagging about what was right for him was starting to bother him. H
“God, aren’t there any other places in Newport they can eat?” Marissa said, nodding toward the aisle where Luke and Chip were approaching.
Seth glanced at him and Summer stiffened under his arm. She was like a cat rearing up to hiss.
“Hey,” Ryan said suddenly, causing his friends to glance at him in surprise.
“Hey,” Luke replied.
“Thanks for your help the other night,” Ryan said. He knew the rules of a fight. Luke didn’t run off like a coward, he’d stayed and made sure he was alive.
Luke’s face was red but he shrugged. “No problem. And, well, it was my fault in the first place.”
“We didn’t know you were fucked up already,” Chip said quietly. “But it was still a shitty thing to do.”
“I was being a jealous prick.” Luke glanced at Seth. “Sorry, Cohen. If Marissa thinks you’re all right…then I believe her.”
Seth didn’t say anything, he was speechless for the first time since Ryan had met him.
“What the hell are you guys trying to prove?” Summer demanded.
“Summer…”
“No, you’re bullies, you’re assholes…” Summer started.
“Then you’re a hypocrite,” Chip snapped back suddenly. “’Cause you’ve been on the sidelines cheering us on a few times yourself. We’re apologizing because we like partying with you and Coop and all this bitching sucks.”
“Chill, Summer, it’s cool. They apologized, it’s not like I’ve never beat up some guy for messing with one of my girlfriends,” Ryan said.
“Girlfriends?” Summer asked, turning to face him.
“So, truce?” Luke asked.
Marissa glanced at Seth who immediately glanced at Ryan.
“Yeah, truce,” Marissa said.
“Sweet,” Chip replied. “There’s a party at Holly’s tonight…”
“Wasn’t there a party at Holly’s last night?” Summer scoffed, still looking at Ryan.
“So?” Luke asked.
“We’ll think about it,” Summer said.
Ryan looked to make sure Seth was cool with what had just happened and was impressed to see him kissing Marissa like he’d been making out for years.
“That looks like it would be more fun if we were doing it,” Summer said, blowing in his ear.
“I don’t think so, Summer,” he replied, his dick twitching and pressing against his jeans as she moved her hand to rest on his inner thigh.
“Coop told me you were trying to be celibate,” she murmured, kissing the flesh below his ear, her tongue licking his skin as her lips danced on his neck.
“Just trying not to fuck this Newport stuff up,” he replied, forcing himself to lean further into the corner.
“I get it, but…we don’t have to go all the way…” she whispered, keeping her hand insistently against his hard on, pressing down with her palm over his zipper but discreetly under the table.
“Um, Seth? We’re going to go…”
“To the bathroom. Be right back,” Summer finished, taking his hand and guiding him out of the booth before Seth or Marissa could reply.
Luckily, the bathrooms were single serve only and remarkably clean and the ladies room opened up first.
Ryan grunted in pain as she pushed him against the wall beside the paper towel dispenser and got to her knees in front of him.
“Sorry,” she said, unzipping him.
“Summer…”
“Shh, I don’t want to get kicked out, just let me do this for you,” she said.
“I like hanging out with you even when you don’t have my dick in your mouth,” Ryan said.
She looked up at him, startled. “Ryan…”
“What I mean is, you don’t have to do this. I…I really like sleeping with you, but…I like being your friend, too.” He knew that his dick was going to punish him for this.
“Oh. Oh,” Summer said, standing up.
Ryan zipped up his pants and tried to urge his cock to behave itself.
“The Cohens are being really good to me and I need to learn how to follow their rules. Which means…moderation.”
“Moderation?” Summer asked, wrapping her arms around him loosely so not to hurt his ribs.
“Yeah,” he replied, kissing her soft lips.
“I can deal,” she murmured into his mouth.
*------- * -------- * -------- * ---------- * ------------ * --------- * --------- * --------*
“Mom?” Kirsten heard Seth close the door from the kitchen.
“In here,” she replied.
Seth arrived first, the same elated expression on his face that he’d had since Ryan had come back from the hospital.
Ryan straggled in behind him, his hair mussed wearing his usual ‘post-Summer’ glaze on his face. Beneath that, she could see the layer of exhaustion.
“We’re home safe, see?” Seth did a dramatic pirouette on his way to the fridge.
“I’m very proud,” she smiled. “Ryan?”
“Still breathing,” the boy replied quietly, sitting down carefully at the opposite end of the counter. “I think I need a time out.”
“Go lie down, I’ll bring you your medicine and some soup to soothe your stomach, okay?”
He patted Seth kindly on the back and shuffled to his new room.
“He didn’t eat anything for lunch, he said he couldn’t,” Seth admitted quietly.
“He just needs to rest,” she replied.
“Are we still grounded?” Seth asked suddenly.
“Why?” she asked.
“Well, Marissa and Summer wanted me to ask if we could hang out with them tonight. And I told them that we were grounded, but since we had such a non-eventful day, I thought maybe you’d trust that we’d be all right to go out,” he said.
“Seth, Ryan isn’t in any shape…”
“It would be sitting down kind of hanging out. Just, with less suffocating parental supervision. Please, Mom?” Seth asked, blinking his big brown eyes at her pleadingly.
“I don’t think so, Seth…” she sighed. Ryan wasn’t supposed to be up and around and the girls, no matter how well-intentioned, seemed to draw trouble to her son and charge.
“Please? We’ll be fine, I promise and it’ll be good for Ryan. He’s really worried about disappointing you guys and if it seems like you trust us, it’ll make him more comfortable.”
“You’re being facetious, Seth. But we’ll see how he feels later tonight,” Kirsten conceded.
“Sweet, I’ll make sure and ask again,” Seth grinned. “Now, I’m going to see what I have to wear.”
She rolled her eyes as he trotted out of the kitchen.
She gathered Ryan’s prescriptions and a bottle of juice and put the container of soup that Rosa had made in the microwave to warm up.
Ryan had changed out of his jeans into a set of sweatpants and familiar white tank top. He glanced up at her with a sigh, accepting the pills and swallowing them.
“Seth wants me to lift your grounding so you can go out with the girls tonight,” she said.
Ryan gave her a studying look before carefully responding, “Seth really likes Marissa.”
“I kind of noticed that. Do you feel up to going out tonight?”
He rubbed his eyes and barely hid his yawn. “Is it up to me?”
“No. But I’d be more willing to consider it if you’d eat something and could convince me you felt better.”
“I’ll try,” he said.
“Good. Soup and then you can nap.”
“Nap?” he questioned.
“Yes, nap. Before dinner.”
*------- * -------- * -------- * ---------- * ------------ * --------- * --------- * --------*
Marissa had taken Seth’s hand tightly as they walked up the stairs of Holly’s beach house.
There were a few girls leaning over the railing sharing a cigarette and she could see the curiosity and need for gossip in their eyes.
But they had to get through this. If these people were Marissa and Summer’s real friends, then they would understand Marissa liked Seth Cohen.
“Hey, Coop,” one of the girls said.
“Hey, Linda,” she replied.
“That was weird,” Seth whispered in her ear. “Shouldn’t we wait for Ryan?”
“They’re, like, ten steps behind us,” Marissa said. Seth was nervous but she was going to make sure he had a good time.
“You made it,” Luke called from the kitchen. Holly stiffened, but her eyes weren’t angry.
“Yeah, we did. Luke said it was cool,” she said to Holly.
Seth seemed to realize finally that she was facing her demons head on.
Marissa had been friends with Holly almost as long as Summer and even though she’d had a lot of things in her head lately, the betrayal of Holly sleeping with her boyfriend had really hurt. Seth squeezed her hand.
She had asked Summer to hang back and let her do this on her own. Well, and with Seth. He had to have a little more confidence around her friends and she needed him to know that she was here for him, too.
“Yeah, it’s cool. I’m…I’m sorry, Coop,” Holly said, her cheeks red.
“I hope so,” Marissa replied. She glanced at Luke. “But you guys really hurt me, I thought you guys were my friends.”
Luke started to say something but stopped.
“But as long as you don’t do it again, then we should be able to get over it, right?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah. It was a mistake,” Holly said.
The tension was still thick in the kitchen but everyone turned when Ryan stepped into the room. He glanced at them, bemused for a moment before going to the counter and grabbing a bottle of soda. “Summer said there was a pool table around here?”
“Yeah, downstairs,” Luke answered, relaxing slightly. “I’ll show you.”
Ryan tossed a bottle to Seth who managed to catch it, even to his own surprise. “Thanks,” Ryan told Luke.
Seth followed them, holding fast to her hand and she paused and turned to Holly. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah,” she smiled, grabbing a bottle of vodka. “We should talk things out. I’ve really missed you.”
*------- * -------- * -------- * ---------- * ------------ * --------- * --------- * --------*
The party didn’t really start up until around midnight and Seth and Ryan were already late for curfew when Seth’s phone started to vibrate on his hip.
Marissa was thoroughly enjoying herself by the bar in the corner of the gameroom and Seth was sitting beside Ryan on the couch playing video games with some of the jocks.
Ryan was distracted by Summer’s’ drunken lips attached to his neck, but he glanced over when Seth raised the phone.
“Hello?”
“You’re late. Not exactly inspiring trust from the people that gave you permission to go out tonight. Are you on your way home?” his dad barked in his ear.
“Um, yeah, we’re almost there now, we just had some time issues,” Seth lied, nodding at Ryan and handing off his controller.
“Are you okay to drive?” his dad asked quietly.
“Yeah, we’re fine, see you in a few minutes,” Seth said.
“Summer, I’ve got to go,” Ryan mumbled into Summer’s ear, but she leaned her head back and smiled at him, shaking her head.
“No. You’re not going anywhere,” she slurred.
“I’ll take care of her,” Marissa said, walking over and kissing Seth once he got to his feet.
Seth tasted the harsh taste of the alcohol on her breath and it wasn’t exactly what he was expecting.
He’d stayed sober because he was in charge of the Rover and his parents had drilled him full of drunk-driving warnings.
But Marissa was almost as wasted as Summer and he wasn’t finding the whole ‘Tara Reid’ vibe that attractive.
Ryan had finally managed to get to his feet, maneuvering Summer onto the couch despite her pout.
“You can call me tomorrow,” Ryan said, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, too,” Marissa whispered in his ear.
“’Kay,” Seth replied, following Ryan up the stairs and through the pulsing party.
“Drive safe,” Marissa called from the porch.
“You, too,” Seth replied.
Ryan let out a long yawn once he’d pulled onto the street. “Your mom or your dad?” he asked.
“Dad. We’re late. I didn’t even check the clock,” Seth admitted.
“Parties like that are not good for the whole cleaning up my act thing. I can’t smoke because of my probation and I can’t drink on these painkillers. And now I need a cold shower,” Ryan muttered.
Seth laughed. “The whole thing’s just really surreal. Like, after years of being a leper at my school, Marissa Cooper’s approval gets me an ‘in’ to the clique. And it’s…much drunker than I ever imagined.”
Ryan shrugged. “They’re kids trying to have a good time. But yes, they were drunk.”
“I guess, I just would’ve had more fun if Marissa hadn’t been so wasted.”
Ryan was silent as Seth pulled through the gate. “I know exactly what you mean,” he said quietly.
*------- * -------- * -------- * ---------- * ------------ * --------- * --------- * --------*
Summer got up around noon and stepped into her fuzzy slippers and started downstairs to find some food and hopefully aspirin. Marissa didn’t stir from under the covers in the far side of the large bed.
She was surprised to see her father sitting at the kitchen table.
“Daddy, hey,” she said.
“God, you look a mess, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her cheek. “It’s almost lunchtime.”
“Sorry, still need beauty sleep, I guess,” she said, combing her hair down with her fingers.
“Your Cotillion dress was delivered this morning. Who’s your escort?” he asked, folding his newspaper down with the picture of him signing a contract for the new Children’s Wing at the hospital.
“Um, we haven’t finalized the list of White Knights, yet. People are still signing up,” she replied.
“I try not to interfere in your private life, sweetie, as long as it stays private. But I’ve heard things about you and this boy the Cohens have brought into the community. I understand all about charity and I admire them for taking their philanthropism to this level, but I don’t want you seen with him when his value is still in question.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Besides the fact that you’re involved with the senator’s son. Zach Stevens, remember him? The boy that’s desperately in love with you and writes you letters every week,” her dad replied.
Summer turned her back on him and went to find her cereal.
“You need to start acting like a lady and not a whore!”
She was too hungover to deal with this right now. She grabbed the box and stomped upstairs.
Marissa was standing at the door. “You okay?”
“Yeah, fine. But I forgot the aspirin,” she replied.
*------- * -------- * -------- * ---------- * ------------ * --------- * --------- * --------*