The Break [The OC; Ryan/Kirsten]
TITLE: The Break
CHAPTER 1
FANDOM: The OC
PAIRING: Ryan/Kirsten
SPOILERS: Through 'The College Try'
RATING: PG (for now... *snick*)
SUMMARY:
*****
"Hey Kirsten?" Ryan called, slamming the front door to the Cohen household and jogging inside. He instinctively headed for the kitchen, expecting to find her either sipping an iced tea or going over candidates for her dating service business.
When he reached the kitchen, however, he skidded to a halt at the face of Sandy Cohen. The man did not look happy. "She's gone, kid," he replied softly.
Ryan furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, 'gone'?"
"She left me."
Those three words stopped him cold. Kirsten had left Sandy? Their marriage had always seemed bulletproof. "What?"
"She packed her bags and left. I'm not sure where she is." He sighed and ran his fingers through his slowly-graying jet black hair. "I think, uh... I think it's really over this time."
Ryan noted both the expression on Sandy's face and his body language -- he didn't know where his wife was, and it appeared he wasn't about to go looking. "Are you okay?" Ryan asked, on autopilot.
Sandy chuckled mirthlessly. "No. I'm not. But I should've seen this coming. She just doesn't understand. Maybe we've been wrong for each other all along, who knows?"
Ryan had no idea what to say, so he merely patted Sandy's shoulder and excused himself from the kitchen, going to the poolhouse. He sighed and stuffed his hands through his hair while he paced back and forth near the foot of his bed. He was completely single for once, and Kirsten had left Sandy. Why did that give him the odd sensation of butterflies in his stomach?
The answer came just as quickly as the question had -- because he had feelings for Kirsten. He always had. For two years, he'd sat idly by and silently worshipped the ground she walked on. For two years she had been the most important woman in his life... the unattainable angel he was devoted to. For two years, she had been his guardian, but now that he was eighteen that title no longer stuck. She was married -- but even that restriction was now on its last thread.
It was childish and foolish, but he had often wished for all the obstacles between he and Kirsten to disappear. At the same time, though, he didn't want to be with her at the expense of her marriage and his relationship with the Cohen clan. He had to find her. He had to know what she was thinking, what she was planning... and whether or not the stars could actually be aligning.
*****
He'd taken his bike, preferring that to using up gasoline in the Range Rover trying to find her. His mind raced as he pedaled through the streets of Newport, each thought pertaining to Kirsten. Was she okay? Was she drinking?
He found her at the Mermaid Hotel in the seedier part of town. He spied her out on the balcony -- he'd know that long, blonde hair and svelte figure anywhere -- and pedaled under the balcony without being seen. He hopped off his bike and chained it to a post, then carefully made his way to the steps, trying not to make a sound. When he reached the top, however, the floor board beneath his left foot gave a very audible 'creak', and startled Kirsten.
Her blonde hair flicked across her shoulders, a silver halo surrounding her thanks to the moonlight. For a moment, Ryan was captivated, and he stared. She stared right back, unblinking, daring him to come forward.
He did, slowly, and reached out to place a supportive hand against her back when he had stepped up to her. He met her eyes in preparation to give words of solace, but found upon meeting those striking eyes of hers, that no words were needed; they often weren't, between them.
Kirsten turned in to him and stepped into his embrace, wrapping her arms tight around his neck as she sighed out heavily. Ryan echoed the sigh and tightened one arm around her waist, rubbing her back gently with the other as he held her.
"I can't do it anymore," she finally whispered, shifting and twining her arms around his waist now. "I can't keep pretending that I'm okay with everything, I can't keep playing the role of the supportive wife, I just can't do it. It's costing me. I need a break."
"I understand," he whispered back, hugging her tighter, and he meant it. He did understand, too well sometimes, what she was going through. He, too, had been reaching that point himself. Constantly looking out for everyone else, and trying to rescue every troubled female that came into his line of vision, was exhausting. "Believe me, I understand."
"I know you do." She slid her hands up his back and then down again, snuggling further into the warmth and comfort he offered so freely. After a moment of silence had passed, she had to ask. "He didn't send you, did he? To come find me?"
Ryan shook his head against her and dared to run a hand through her hair. "No. I wanted to find you."
"Why?" She pulled back slowly, remaining in his arms as she searched his eyes.
He shrugged and stared right back, too afraid to break gaze. "Just to find you."
Kirsten smiled at this. "You shouldn't have to rescue me. You rescue everyone."
"Yeah," he nodded, "And while that can get tiring... for some reason, I don't mind looking after you." He paused. "And you should have someone looking after you. Someone you can rely on, to lean on whenever you get too fed up with being supportive... with being the one everyone *else* leans on."
He had just barely finished his speech and she was in his arms again, cuddled against him securely. And oddly enough to Ryan, it didn't feel awkward... or wrong in any way. He threw a glance toward the stars and wondered.
After a moment, he spoke again. "Maybe I need a break, too."
"Would it be weird to... take a break together?"
"What do you mean?" His heart slammed in his chest as he ran through the possibilities.
Kirsten pulled back from him, only slightly, to meet his eyes. "Come with me."
"Where?"
"Anywhere. Anywhere that we can get away from the complications of everyday life."
He smiled. He would love nothing more, but... "What about school?"
Kirsten's face fell, and Ryan had all he could do not to kiss that expression away. "Right. School. I keep forgetting, you're eighteen but still in school."
"Why don't you stay here for a bit," he suggested. "I can still go to school, and then I'll come back here every afternoon and spend time with you."
A smile slowly took over her angelic face again. "I'd like that. But... what about the rest of the time? I mean, I can't stay here for a month until you graduate, Ryan."
"Are you really serious about taking a break? And about wanting me to come with you?"
She nodded immediately. "Yes. I think it would be good for me. It would be good for you, too. I think being away from Marissa and all of her complications could do wonders for getting rid of your own."
"What about Sandy?"
She shook her head and snuggled against him once more. "I... can't talk to Sandy right now. He's not the man that I married, he's not the man that I fell in love with, he..." She sighed. "He's a stranger to me right now."
"Okay."
"We'll look after each other. And hey..." She pulled away with a grin. "Maybe, eventually, you can teach me how to cook."
Ryan laughed. "I'll do my best."
TBC
{x-posted to rystenlove}
CHAPTER 1
FANDOM: The OC
PAIRING: Ryan/Kirsten
SPOILERS: Through 'The College Try'
RATING: PG (for now... *snick*)
SUMMARY:
*****
"Hey Kirsten?" Ryan called, slamming the front door to the Cohen household and jogging inside. He instinctively headed for the kitchen, expecting to find her either sipping an iced tea or going over candidates for her dating service business.
When he reached the kitchen, however, he skidded to a halt at the face of Sandy Cohen. The man did not look happy. "She's gone, kid," he replied softly.
Ryan furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, 'gone'?"
"She left me."
Those three words stopped him cold. Kirsten had left Sandy? Their marriage had always seemed bulletproof. "What?"
"She packed her bags and left. I'm not sure where she is." He sighed and ran his fingers through his slowly-graying jet black hair. "I think, uh... I think it's really over this time."
Ryan noted both the expression on Sandy's face and his body language -- he didn't know where his wife was, and it appeared he wasn't about to go looking. "Are you okay?" Ryan asked, on autopilot.
Sandy chuckled mirthlessly. "No. I'm not. But I should've seen this coming. She just doesn't understand. Maybe we've been wrong for each other all along, who knows?"
Ryan had no idea what to say, so he merely patted Sandy's shoulder and excused himself from the kitchen, going to the poolhouse. He sighed and stuffed his hands through his hair while he paced back and forth near the foot of his bed. He was completely single for once, and Kirsten had left Sandy. Why did that give him the odd sensation of butterflies in his stomach?
The answer came just as quickly as the question had -- because he had feelings for Kirsten. He always had. For two years, he'd sat idly by and silently worshipped the ground she walked on. For two years she had been the most important woman in his life... the unattainable angel he was devoted to. For two years, she had been his guardian, but now that he was eighteen that title no longer stuck. She was married -- but even that restriction was now on its last thread.
It was childish and foolish, but he had often wished for all the obstacles between he and Kirsten to disappear. At the same time, though, he didn't want to be with her at the expense of her marriage and his relationship with the Cohen clan. He had to find her. He had to know what she was thinking, what she was planning... and whether or not the stars could actually be aligning.
*****
He'd taken his bike, preferring that to using up gasoline in the Range Rover trying to find her. His mind raced as he pedaled through the streets of Newport, each thought pertaining to Kirsten. Was she okay? Was she drinking?
He found her at the Mermaid Hotel in the seedier part of town. He spied her out on the balcony -- he'd know that long, blonde hair and svelte figure anywhere -- and pedaled under the balcony without being seen. He hopped off his bike and chained it to a post, then carefully made his way to the steps, trying not to make a sound. When he reached the top, however, the floor board beneath his left foot gave a very audible 'creak', and startled Kirsten.
Her blonde hair flicked across her shoulders, a silver halo surrounding her thanks to the moonlight. For a moment, Ryan was captivated, and he stared. She stared right back, unblinking, daring him to come forward.
He did, slowly, and reached out to place a supportive hand against her back when he had stepped up to her. He met her eyes in preparation to give words of solace, but found upon meeting those striking eyes of hers, that no words were needed; they often weren't, between them.
Kirsten turned in to him and stepped into his embrace, wrapping her arms tight around his neck as she sighed out heavily. Ryan echoed the sigh and tightened one arm around her waist, rubbing her back gently with the other as he held her.
"I can't do it anymore," she finally whispered, shifting and twining her arms around his waist now. "I can't keep pretending that I'm okay with everything, I can't keep playing the role of the supportive wife, I just can't do it. It's costing me. I need a break."
"I understand," he whispered back, hugging her tighter, and he meant it. He did understand, too well sometimes, what she was going through. He, too, had been reaching that point himself. Constantly looking out for everyone else, and trying to rescue every troubled female that came into his line of vision, was exhausting. "Believe me, I understand."
"I know you do." She slid her hands up his back and then down again, snuggling further into the warmth and comfort he offered so freely. After a moment of silence had passed, she had to ask. "He didn't send you, did he? To come find me?"
Ryan shook his head against her and dared to run a hand through her hair. "No. I wanted to find you."
"Why?" She pulled back slowly, remaining in his arms as she searched his eyes.
He shrugged and stared right back, too afraid to break gaze. "Just to find you."
Kirsten smiled at this. "You shouldn't have to rescue me. You rescue everyone."
"Yeah," he nodded, "And while that can get tiring... for some reason, I don't mind looking after you." He paused. "And you should have someone looking after you. Someone you can rely on, to lean on whenever you get too fed up with being supportive... with being the one everyone *else* leans on."
He had just barely finished his speech and she was in his arms again, cuddled against him securely. And oddly enough to Ryan, it didn't feel awkward... or wrong in any way. He threw a glance toward the stars and wondered.
After a moment, he spoke again. "Maybe I need a break, too."
"Would it be weird to... take a break together?"
"What do you mean?" His heart slammed in his chest as he ran through the possibilities.
Kirsten pulled back from him, only slightly, to meet his eyes. "Come with me."
"Where?"
"Anywhere. Anywhere that we can get away from the complications of everyday life."
He smiled. He would love nothing more, but... "What about school?"
Kirsten's face fell, and Ryan had all he could do not to kiss that expression away. "Right. School. I keep forgetting, you're eighteen but still in school."
"Why don't you stay here for a bit," he suggested. "I can still go to school, and then I'll come back here every afternoon and spend time with you."
A smile slowly took over her angelic face again. "I'd like that. But... what about the rest of the time? I mean, I can't stay here for a month until you graduate, Ryan."
"Are you really serious about taking a break? And about wanting me to come with you?"
She nodded immediately. "Yes. I think it would be good for me. It would be good for you, too. I think being away from Marissa and all of her complications could do wonders for getting rid of your own."
"What about Sandy?"
She shook her head and snuggled against him once more. "I... can't talk to Sandy right now. He's not the man that I married, he's not the man that I fell in love with, he..." She sighed. "He's a stranger to me right now."
"Okay."
"We'll look after each other. And hey..." She pulled away with a grin. "Maybe, eventually, you can teach me how to cook."
Ryan laughed. "I'll do my best."
TBC
{x-posted to rystenlove}