The Benefits of Being Lost -Chapter One-
Disclaimer: I own nobody, not the OC boys, nor the LOST characters
Paring: Seth/Ryan....eventually
Fandom: Lost/OC Crossover
Rating: PGish I'd say
Summary: So, someone a while ago, I can't remember who, was like "anyone think of writing a 'Lost/OC' crossover?" and I was like "dude, I gotta give it a shot." So, here is the first chapter of what will be a many chapter fic. I've been working on this for a long while. Go on, have a read.
The Benefits of Being Lost
By Ello_Kitty
Chapter One: The Last Shards of Sun
For Seth, being stuck on an island in the middle of no where was ultimately surreal at first. But then, suddenly, it became so routine. He's not sure when it happened, but he knows his mentality has definately changed from when he first woke up with a cut on his side and extreme pain in his left arm. There was shock and panic at first and then blankness, because apparently he blacked out for a while. When the screams and whirling noise faded back into his head and the scorching sunlight stung his squinting eyes, he found Ryan shaking him awake, yelling his name.
Since then, after this guy Jack was determined the 'official' doctor, Seth got treatment for his gash and his shoulder, which had to be popped back into place. He remembers biting down on Ryan's wrist cuff to control his screams -- after all, Jack was right, the company had settled somewhat and no one needed to hear any more cries of pain. Too many were still going through shock.
Ryan himself only suffered bruises and a few cuts from which glass had to be pulled out, piece by piece. It was through Ryan that Seth met Kate, apparently Jack's deemed helper. She wasn't a nurse or anything, but she could sew, and Seth watched with a careful eye as she tended to the gash at his side. She had a gentle hand and her warm, but nervous smile reassured him she was trying her best. He held Ryan's hand as it was being done and through his squinted eyes and clenched teeth he saw the looks that she was giving them and tried his best not to mind. She sewed up two of Ryan's cuts after, that were particularly deep.
The days began to go by slower and slower after the day of the crash. Hope was dwindling for everyone and there seemed to be a collective cloud of doubt and fear the hung like a thick mist in the air. Seth would think everyday that when his parents told him and Ryan to come back from Sydney and tell them of their great adventures, that wasn't quite what they meant.
Seth spent many of the long days searching through the wreckage for his and Ryan's belongings, or anything that they could use. Ryan spent most of the time exploring and looking for food. He never wandered to far though, as he was warned not to.
After a while, everyone mostly got used to each other. Even if many of them didn't know each other's names, they acknowledged each other and sometimes held mild conversation. Seth was nearly willing to except everyone, but Ryan gave him a serious talking to. Trust was very important in this type of situation and Seth understood that. He knew to be cautious.
When Ryan caught wind of the water source found in caves of the inner island and the planned move there, he insisted immediately of course that they move there with the others. Seth looked out at the shining ocean, death to drink, and groaned. If they moved, as many of the strict beach-dwellers objected, they would not see if someone came to their rescue; it was mad to move to the caves where you had no hope of being seen or vise versa.
On the other hand though, as Ryan explained, moving to the caves meant endless fresh water, which of course meant being clean and hydrated more often. And of course, as Jack had mentioned, less probability of heat stroke from scavenging under the hot sun all day. That, Seth had been doing, that was until Ryan noticed his skin was becoming much to dark, despite the layers of sun block he had on, and supply was running thin. Even though he grew up in the OC, his skin wasn't used to this much direct sunlight.
Now, after packing up their bags, they begin to follow Jack through the trees. Seth hears someone approach; it's that guy he's always seen walking along the beach with the pregnant girl, Claire. He remembers her name more clearly than anyone else's because she was the first person he met when he regained consciousness. It was a blur, but he remembers her breathing hard and his mind reeling as they exchanged names. He left her for seconds to get Ryan to help with her; he couldn't much do anything with his arm in excruciating pain. When they ran back, he noticed Jack helping her out. Seth remembers him yelling that he is a doctor, so he knew she would be okay with him. He remembers tugging Ryan back and telling him she would be okay with that man. He remembers Ryan touching his shoulder and the pain was a billion alarms firing all over his body.
Ryan touches Seth's arm, bound in a make-shift sling; one of Ryan's shirts. It's healing nicely, as Seth can imagine, because he's never had a broken bone before. The night of crash, he and Ryan make a little camp for themselves with torn blankets and a airplane seat or two. There, Ryan would tell him stories until he fell asleep some nights. He told him about the time when he broke his arm, and when he had several other parts broken for him. Seth would frown and Ryan would try his best to make light of the story, maybe even make him laugh. He was a shadow in the glow of the fire, impossible to read; Seth just wasn't Seth without a smile on his face.
The torn seats would be their permanet sleeping arrangement, even at the caves, not that they ever got much sleeping done. The first two weeks were the worst, Seth thinks. Or maybe just the first week. Certainly, the first night there was the absolute worst of all. Seth swears that no one slept, everyone was on the beach walking around or huddled near the fire just staring into the flames. Many of them were crying softly, others loudly, into the night.
It wasn't until that night, after all the mess and terror that the day had brought that Seth finally broke down. He'd thought he'd be all out of tears from the searing pain of his shoulder, but no, he had some left. He told Ryan he was scared, rolling over in his torn and uncomfortable airplane seat to look at him in the seat to his side. His eyes were brimming and made the fire in the distance looked like lava burning against a horizon of black, endless jungle. Ryan held Seth that night until he finally passed out from exhaustion. Ryan himself didn't find sleep until the wee hours of the morning when the pacing passing shadows and mourners had finally settled. The sun was just beginning to light the sky and the sound of Seth's breathing and the warmth against his chest finally lulled him away from his racing thoughts and aching body.
Since that night they slept that way; huddled close together. For Seth, it was the comfort and protection of Ryan so near that allowed him to get even a wink of sleep. For Ryan, it was a will to not break down. As long as he had Seth, he could be strong and take care of him and not succumb to the feelings that would surely torment him if he was alone with his thoughts. Fear, anger, depression. He knew he would go crazy for sure. For once, he would have to say, Seth was keeping him sane. In this new world full of strangers, Seth was Ryan's only constant, and vise versa.
Ryan thinks about Sandy and Kirsten every morning and night. He thinks about how worried she must be and imagines the looks on their faces when they found out. He tries to shake it off and he tells himself that his job now is to keep Seth safe, that was what they would imagine he would do, and he would. It's not like there was any choosing in the matter really. Ryan didn't have to choose. From the minute he saw Seth he knew he'd be fighting for him until the day he died. He was needed that way, and being needed meant that you would never be alone. Here, in this strange and spontaneous place, there was a comfort in any constant.
Seth shrugs his bag higher on his good shoulder and Ryan offers for the sixth time to carry it for him. He refuses for the sixth time as Jack leads them over a tangled mass of roots. He looks at that guy, what was his name? Oh, Charlie, that's it. Seth only remembers because the first time he heard his name, he'd thought 'and the chocolate factory' because he had been looking for anything and everything that could lighten his mood and keep him away from the sad memories of home. 'Dwelling on tragedy can consume your every thought, sleeping and awake,' Ryan once murmured to him in the night, 'keep your mind away from it as often as you can, though I can't promise what your dreams will bring.'
"I'll just stay awake all night," Seth had whispered back, closing his eyes as he felt Ryan's laughter against his face, another bittersweet memory of home. 'You're only human Seth,' he said while Seth listened closely at the deep echo of his voice, his heart, and his breath going in and out between words. He remembered sleeping against his mother or his father like this when he was a boy. It was so comforting that Seth was able to stave off his nightmares for many nights.
Seth looks at Ryan, who is carrying almost every bag they have (and still offering to carry Seth's). He's watching Jack closely, memorizing the way so he will know it well enough to go back and forth without a guide. He looks to his left and realizes Charlie is walking next to him, his head down staring at his feet. He looks up and sees Seth looking at him.
"I look familiar right?"
"A little, yea."
"Charlie," he introduces himself, reaching around for Seth's good hand to shake, "Drive Shaft."
Seth's mouth opens in awe, "No way! No way man!"
"You all everybody, you all everybody.."
"That's too cool man! I'm a total fan."
Charlie gives him a big, wide smile; a big difference from his earlier solemn-ness.
"Finally, I find someone!" Charlie throws his hands in the air, "you are..?"
"Seth, I'm Seth," he says, shaking his hand again. "I'd have you sign my CD, but all my valuable stuff is at home -- I didn't exactly prepare for this.."
He gives a curt laugh and Charlie does also, "Yea...it was unexpected, to say the least."
"How's your arm?"
"My shoulder kinda popped out of place, Jack says it's healing okay though, from what he can know with any X-rays."
"Ouch"
"Yea, a lot of ouch...Enough about me though, tell me all about the band, what was it like living the rock star life?"
Charlie frowns momentarily and he stares ahead, "it was bloody great in the beginning, then it had it's ups and downs, 'specially for me."
Seth nods, "let's focus on the ups, shall we? After suffering the biggest down of my life, I'd like to get back up."
Charlie smiles and agrees. Seth begins rambling about the band and looking in awe of Charlie's stories. Ryan hears Seth's laughter from up ahead and he stops walking as the pair catches up to him. Seth looks up with a smile, "Ryan, this is Charlie. He is the bass for Drive Shaft! Can you believe it?"
"Was," Charlie corrects him and extends his hand, "pleasure."
Ryan shakes his hand as Seth continues with a everlasting smile, "Ryan is my best friend in the entire world, and my brother to boot."
He looks at the perspiration dotting Ryan's forehead and all the bags he's carrying, "Dude, those must be heavy, here, I can handle another one."
Ryan pulls away from his extended hand, "I'm good."
"...um, okay."
"Jack says we're almost there, it shouldn't be much longer. Stay close. Nice meeting you Charlie." With a nod of his head, Ryan is ahead of them at Jack side once again.
Charlie raises an eyebrow, "he seems..."
"Quiet? Broody? Over-protective?"
"I was gonna say nice."
"Yea, you and everyone on this island."
Charlie looks down at his feet, "are you two not getting along?"
Seth shakes his head, "it's not that, it's just....since the crash he's been all not like he used to be. He's so....like motherly and protective of me. Even though I know he's only trying to help, sometimes, it gets a little annoying."
"He is your brother.."
Seth nods "that's the thing, he is, but kind of isn't.."
"Meaning?"
"He's sorta like adopted."
"Sorta adopted?"
"It's complicated. We kinda took him in, like a lost puppy. He's loyal and friendly, but he broods a lot and only barks in monosyllables."
Charlie laughes and shoves his hands in his pockets as he walkes.
"Before he came to Newport, California, that's were we're from, I had no friends at all. Then he showed up and suddenly he was fighting people to protect me and with him by my side, I ended up having two girls like me at the same time. It was a banner year for Seth Cohen."
"Sounds to me like he's just trying to look after you Seth, that's a brother's job after all."
Seth shrugs the bag at his shoulder, "I don't want to be a job."
"Now, I'm sure that's not the way he thinks of it. He cares about you Seth, I can see it just by looking at him, and the way he keeps looking back here at you every 5 seconds."
Seth stares ahead for a while and sure enough, Charlie is right.
The sound of rushing water drowns out any more thought as they step through some thick, dewy leaves into the caves of rock. The smell of water (Seth didn't even realize water had a smell) is a welcome mist in the air and it makes Seth instantly thirsty.
"This is it," he hears Jack say as he turns around, "I'm glad you boys came along." He smiles, clapping Ryan on the shoulder before leaving them. Seth looks to his left and notices Charlie is gone and then he sees Ryan approaching.
"Well," he starts, dropping their bags to the ground and wiping his brow with his arm, "what do you think?"
"I think..." Seth begins, eyeing him, "you need a shower. Dude, you reek nobody's business."
Seth grins as Ryan shoves him, "though I think people would get kinda offended if you just stripped and drove into their drinking supply."
"Ha, have you seen you lately? I had to walk with Jack because of the aura of flies buzzing around your stink."
"Oh that was low dude. Way low."
They laugh and Seth greets some of the others as he pulls out bottles and begins to fill them up with fresh, cool water. Ryan leans against a wall of the cave and drinks like a dying man when Seth returns with his bottle. Seth blinks at the sweat stains soaking Ryan's shirt; they will have to do laundry soon too.
After drinking their fill and getting relatively clean in the designated shower area off to the side of the caves, Ryan ventures out to talk to the others and eventually finds a space, unoccupied, that he and Seth can call their own. It's not close to the water, as Seth requested, because the sound of rushing water always makes him feel like he has to pee 24/7.
They walk back to the beach soon after, with Kate as their guide since they don't fully know the way yet. They arrive and begin to drag their airplane seats along as the sun begins to set along the horizon.
Seth stops and stares out into the setting sun, marveling at the brilliant colors. Of the many he has seen since the crash, he decides, this is the most stunning. He looks at the sunlight rippling on the calm blue ocean, "how can something so beautiful be keeping us from home?" he asks Ryan, standing at his side.
"It's said, a thing of beauty is a joy forever."
"Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness," Seth recites and tilts his head at Ryan, "either you've been watching to much Mary Poppins or you've been secretly reading my book of Keats."
Ryan smiles.
Seth eyes him, "Never would have picked you for the poetry type."
"Well, sleeping at night hasn't exactly been my forte since we got here. I've improvised."
Seth sighes, looking back out at the shining horizon, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty-"
"That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
They stare long enough at the fading reds and yellows to see the sun move low until it was barely a glimmer above the water line. The stars claim their places and shine brighter than Seth has ever seen stars shine, like they are trying to out-due the last shards of sun.
"Who ever would have thought that we, Seth and Ryan, would be standing on a deserted island in the middle of no where, reciting Keats to the sun," Seth laughes and Ryan puts a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Not me, that's for sure. C'mon," he tugs at Seth, slowly pulling him away from the tide, "we need to get back before dark."
Seth holds onto Ryan's shoulder, so as not to loose his way as they walk back to the caves. It's becoming darker by the second and Ryan is thankful for the light from the fire in the distance that guides him back through the path; everything looks the same in the dark. Once back, Seth helps Ryan arrange the seats as they had them back at the beach and they settle in beneath a blanket after a cool drink. They lay back for a long while, staring up at the stars, fuzzy above a cloud of smoke from the fire. The whispers of the others keep them awake for some time and finally, when the last embers of the fire are carefully stomped out, Seth rolls carefully, finding his place against Ryan's chest with his protective arm arm wrapped around his back. The steady beat of Ryan's heart lulls Seth to sleep slowly and Ryan relaxes his muscles and finds sleep as well, hugging Seth tighter to him as a night breeze rustles through the leaves above.
*So that's the first chapter. Are we intrigued? Share a comment, lemme know. (Also, I want to point out to hardcore LOST fans, that even though I've tried my best, some of the events in LOST-verse may not be in exact chronological order as far as the episodes have shown them, and/or time [as-in how long they have actually been on the island] may slightly be off, I didn't check. So, if you notice something wrong in my fic, I'd be happy to correct it) Thanks.