![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
myficsTitle: Back [Part Nine of the "Trials" series, a sequel to "Heal"]
Paring: Seth/Ryan
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,891 (this chapter)
Summary: Ryan and Seth are finally together, but now Ryan's got one very big problem. Something's stopping him from really being with Seth.
Disclaimer: Me = Poor. Josh Schwartz = Both very ballsy and extremely rich. Note the difference.
Spoilers: For everything. Literally.
Notes: This is a sequel to "Heal", which you'll want to read before you read this. All 12 chapters of "Heal" can be found here.
Part One can be found HERE
Part Two can be found HERE
Part Three can be found HERE
Part Four can be found HERE
Part Five can be found HERE
Part Six can be found HERE
Part Seven can be found HERE
Part Eight can be found HERE
Summer steps into the light of the airport and is immediately surrounded by Luke’s arms, hugging her tight and whispering, “Missed you so much,” into her ear.
“Missed you, too,” she says, wrapping her arms around him for a quick hug, then backing away and glancing around at the others.
“Taylor?” she gasps. “What are you doing here?”
“Long story,” Taylor says. “I’m staying with the Cohens.”
Summer pulls her off to the side and whispers, “Where? They don’t have a guest room.”
“Seth’s room,” Taylor shrugs. When Summer’s eyes grow wide, Taylor continues, “He lives in the pool house now. With Ryan.”
“Oh,” Summer says, staring down at the ground awkwardly.
“They’re cute together,” Taylor tells her gently. “You just gotta be careful and never go in the pool house unless you knock first. They know they gotta be apart soon for the next semester so they’re always at it like sailors on leave. Or, actually,” Taylor continues, a grin spreading across her face, “if you don’t knock, you get to see some goodies, so I haven’t knocked on a single door since I got back.”
Summer can’t stop the smile that tugs at the corners of her lips. “They happy?” she asks quietly.
“Yeah.” Taylor nods. “They’re good for each other.”
Summer returns the nod and then spots her dad and Julie and heads over to them. “Congratulations, you guys,” she says, hugging each of them in turn. “I can’t believe the wedding is in only a week. Is there anything we need to do last minute?” she asks Julie seriously, ready to make mental notes to ensure that the wedding goes off without a hitch.
After Julie has listed all the things that could potentially end in disaster, Summer turns to Kaitlin. “Hey, Kay,” she says.
Kaitlin snaps, “No one is allowed to call me that.”
“Sorry,” Summer says with a sigh. “All right, Luke, will you come help me with my suitcase?”
Luke helps her find her suitcase at baggage claim and the two of them, plus Taylor, climb into Luke’s truck.
“Okay,” Summer says to Taylor once they’re in the car, “now spill it. Why aren’t you at the Sorbonne? Did you come home from break and just never go back, or what?”
“Got your letter,” Taylor says simply, watching the scenery outside the window. “Came home to say goodbye.”
“And you just never went back to the Sorbonne?”
“Never made it there,” Taylor sighs. “Stayed in Korea, got your letter, came home. Didn’t go back.”
“So you…what, like…live with the Cohens now?”
“Yeah. I got a job giving sailing lessons where Seth used to, I pay rent. They told me I didn’t have to, but I felt bad about it.” She shrugs softly and says, “Besides, it’s nice to be in that house, you know? They all love each other.”
Summer nods. She knows exactly what Taylor is talking about.
“I’m coming to Rhode Island next semester, by the way,” Taylor says off-handedly.
“What?” Summer asks, surprised.
“Remember that college I told you about that’s close to Brown? I applied there and I got a full scholarship. It’s not ivy league, but it’s nice. And if I get a job, I’ll be able to live off-campus in an apartment. Seth’s going to be my roomie. I promised Ryan I’d keep him in line.”
“That’s great,” Summer says, smiling, then glances at Luke. “Isn’t that great, Luke? Them coming to Rhode Island?”
“Yeah,” he nods, and his knuckles go white as he grips a hold of the steering wheel tighter.
Summer sighs and pulls out her lipstick, applying it carefully. This truck is like the land that happiness forgot.
*
Seth opens his eyes and tries to take a deep breath, but since his nose is currently buried in Ryan’s hair, that becomes difficult. He rolls over onto his back, wincing as the sheets come into contact with what he knows must be angry red marks on his back left by Ryan’s fingernails.
He glances at the clock and immediately jumps up with a gasp. “Fuck,” he mutters.
“Not now, okay?” Ryan says sleepily.
“No, not that. We’re late. We were supposed to leave with Taylor like…an hour ago to go pick Summer up.”
Ryan opens one eye and says, “Oh, well, too late now. Lay back down.”
Seth sighs and flops back down on the bed gracelessly and Ryan throws his arm around him and makes a small snoring noise.
“We’re back, sleepy heads,” Taylor says, opening the pool house door with Summer and Luke in tow.
“Eeep!” Seth manages to squeak as he dives for the blanket and throws it over both him and Ryan.
“I’m going to go poke my eyeballs out now,” Luke says and leaves.
“See?” Taylor says, elbowing Summer in the ribs. “I told you there’d be goodies.”
“I’ve seen Cohen’s ‘goodies’ plenty of times,” Summer says in a bored tone. “Though…nice ass, Chino.”
Ryan makes a small disgruntled noise. “Nice to have you back, Summer,” he says.
Taylor sits down in the chair and Ryan stares at her.
“What?” she asks.
“For the last time, Taylor,” Seth sighs. “Please leave the room while we get dressed.”
“Fine,” Taylor harrumphs and pulls Summer out of the pool house, shutting the door behind her.
Before Seth manages to get up, though, Ryan rolls over, kisses him gently, whispers, “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Seth says, sitting up to get out of bed.
“Christ!” Ryan gasps.
“What?” Seth asks, turning to face Ryan.
“Your back,” Ryan says, staring down at his hands.
Seth grins and says, “Yeah.”
“Don’t they hurt?” Ryan asks, running his thumb across one of the marks.
“A little,” Seth shrugs. “I like ‘em.”
Ryan stares at him and says, “Okay. Sorry.”
Seth hops up out of bed and grabs one of his t-shirts from the pile of clothes he keeps heaped up, refusing to put them away, tugging it on over his head. He starts digging through the pile for a pair of jeans, but then Ryan taps him on the shoulder. Seth turns around and takes the pair Ryan’s holding out.
“You really should put your stuff away, Seth,” Ryan tells him.
“Not all of us are neat freaks,” Seth shrugs. “Besides, you still haven’t cleaned out a space for me to put them yet.”
“If I did, would you?”
“No,” Seth grins, sitting back down on the bed to pull on his socks.
Ryan sits down next to him, tying his shoes and rubs one hand across Seth’s back.
Seth makes a small hissing noise through his teeth. “Ow. Still sore.”
“Sorry,” Ryan says again. “Didn’t realize I was…didn’t seem like…I mean, last night…”
“People do crazy things when they’re under the influence of my bod, Ryan,” Seth says seriously. “Don’t feel too bad about it, it’s to be expected.”
Seth watches as Ryan stifles a laugh. The only traces of it are the tiny crinkles at the corners that most people wouldn’t see.
“Come on,” Seth says, standing up and tugging Ryan’s hand towards the door. “Someone needs to go shut Taylor up before she starts talking.”
Ryan groans. “Why do I get the feeling that she’s already done more than enough of that?”
“Christ,” Seth says. “Or…Moses. Or whatever. Come on, we’ve got to go shut her up.”
*
Kaitlin slides into a booth at The Crab Shack and asks for fries and a milkshake when the waitress comes over to take her order.
“Hey,” a voice says behind her.
“What do you want, Charlie? Waiting on your bitch?”
“No,” Charlie says, sitting down across from her. “She left for vacation with her family yesterday. Oh, but not before breaking up with me, of course, because she wants to be free to hook up with ski instructors.”
“Bitch,” Kaitlin confirms.
“Yeah.”
The waitress sets down Kaitlin’s fries and shake, laying two straws down on the table with a soft smile.
Charlie sticks one in the shake and takes a sip. “Don’t mind if I do,” he says.
“I don’t remember saying that you could steal my food,” Kaitlin snaps as he pours some ketchup out and takes a few fries.
“Come on, Kay,” Charlie says, nudging her with his shoe under the table.
Kaitlin sighs. “Fine. But no more bringing asshat girls to our table, okay?”
“Fine,” Charlie says.
Kaitlin scrutinizes him for a moment, then says, “You want to come to my mom’s wedding on Friday?”
“On Christmas?” Charlie asks.
“Yeah, She’s a self-centered bitch.”
“Like mother, like daughter.”
“If you don’t want to come, fine, just say so…”
“No, I’ll come,” Charlie says, swallowing his fries. “A date, huh? I gotta say, Kay, I always knew you were madly attracted to me.”
“There’s no one else that will go with me,” Kaitlin snaps. “So don’t get your hopes up. You’re just coming as a…as a…”
“As a friend?” Charlie asks.
“No. As a food-stealer.”
“Fine,” Charlie shrugs. “But just for that, I’m not putting out.”
“I think I can handle that.”
“I bet you can, you saucy minx.”
*
“Hey, Lovebirds,” Taylor grins as Ryan and Seth enter the kitchen.
“Morning,” Seth says, pulling out two bowls and a box of cereal. Ryan grabs the milk from the fridge while Seth is pouring out the cereal, and Seth grabs two spoons as Ryan pours the milk.
“Aren’t they just adorable?” Taylor asks Summer, grinning from ear to ear. “They’re so in sync. It’s very domestic of them. Very…very Sandy and Kirsten-esque, I think.”
Summer laughs softly. “Very,” she agrees.
Taylor holds up a stack of papers. “I was just showing Summer the apartments we’re considering,” she says to Seth, and Ryan feels his chest tighten.
He hates the idea that in less than a month, they’re going to be separated by three thousand miles, but he doesn’t say anything. He just munches on his cereal and sits down next to Luke at the table.
“Sorry about this morning,” he says, mouth full of food.
“It’s…it’s okay,” Luke shrugs. “Just next time, try to sleep with the covers on.”
“I do,” Ryan says. “Seth throws them off during the night.”
“Don’t you get cold?”
“Not the way we sleep…” Ryan says, a grin spreading across his face.
Luke sputters for a moment.
“I’m kidding,” Ryan says.
“Oh. Um. Yeah.”
Ryan chuckles, then finishes off his cereal and heads to the sink to put his bowl in the dishwasher, stopping to pick up Seth’s empty bowl on the way.
“I’ve got a long time before I have to go to last-minute dress fittings. You guys want to go do something?” Summer asks, looking around at them all.
Seth shrugs. “Ryan and I were gonna stay home and fu—“
Ryan clamps his hand down over Seth’s mouth. “Sure,” he says quickly.
Everyone gets up and heads out to the driveway, and Ryan sighs, leaning heavily on the counter. He doesn’t really want to spend the day with everyone else. Every second that goes by is one second less that he gets to spend alone with Seth, and being apart for that long is going to be hard enough; adding extra time onto it is just torture.
“You coming?” Seth asks, peeking around the corner.
“Yeah,” Ryan says, taking Seth’s hand and heading out to the car.
Only one more chapter, and then I think I'll be done with this whole universe. If I ever write in it again, it's liable to be something that could be in this universe but doesn't have to be, because I really think I'm done with this whole thing. It's been fun while it lasted but everything must run its course eventually. :) Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and yay, only one more! :)
Paring: Seth/Ryan
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,891 (this chapter)
Summary: Ryan and Seth are finally together, but now Ryan's got one very big problem. Something's stopping him from really being with Seth.
Disclaimer: Me = Poor. Josh Schwartz = Both very ballsy and extremely rich. Note the difference.
Spoilers: For everything. Literally.
Notes: This is a sequel to "Heal", which you'll want to read before you read this. All 12 chapters of "Heal" can be found here.
Part One can be found HERE
Part Two can be found HERE
Part Three can be found HERE
Part Four can be found HERE
Part Five can be found HERE
Part Six can be found HERE
Part Seven can be found HERE
Part Eight can be found HERE
Summer steps into the light of the airport and is immediately surrounded by Luke’s arms, hugging her tight and whispering, “Missed you so much,” into her ear.
“Missed you, too,” she says, wrapping her arms around him for a quick hug, then backing away and glancing around at the others.
“Taylor?” she gasps. “What are you doing here?”
“Long story,” Taylor says. “I’m staying with the Cohens.”
Summer pulls her off to the side and whispers, “Where? They don’t have a guest room.”
“Seth’s room,” Taylor shrugs. When Summer’s eyes grow wide, Taylor continues, “He lives in the pool house now. With Ryan.”
“Oh,” Summer says, staring down at the ground awkwardly.
“They’re cute together,” Taylor tells her gently. “You just gotta be careful and never go in the pool house unless you knock first. They know they gotta be apart soon for the next semester so they’re always at it like sailors on leave. Or, actually,” Taylor continues, a grin spreading across her face, “if you don’t knock, you get to see some goodies, so I haven’t knocked on a single door since I got back.”
Summer can’t stop the smile that tugs at the corners of her lips. “They happy?” she asks quietly.
“Yeah.” Taylor nods. “They’re good for each other.”
Summer returns the nod and then spots her dad and Julie and heads over to them. “Congratulations, you guys,” she says, hugging each of them in turn. “I can’t believe the wedding is in only a week. Is there anything we need to do last minute?” she asks Julie seriously, ready to make mental notes to ensure that the wedding goes off without a hitch.
After Julie has listed all the things that could potentially end in disaster, Summer turns to Kaitlin. “Hey, Kay,” she says.
Kaitlin snaps, “No one is allowed to call me that.”
“Sorry,” Summer says with a sigh. “All right, Luke, will you come help me with my suitcase?”
Luke helps her find her suitcase at baggage claim and the two of them, plus Taylor, climb into Luke’s truck.
“Okay,” Summer says to Taylor once they’re in the car, “now spill it. Why aren’t you at the Sorbonne? Did you come home from break and just never go back, or what?”
“Got your letter,” Taylor says simply, watching the scenery outside the window. “Came home to say goodbye.”
“And you just never went back to the Sorbonne?”
“Never made it there,” Taylor sighs. “Stayed in Korea, got your letter, came home. Didn’t go back.”
“So you…what, like…live with the Cohens now?”
“Yeah. I got a job giving sailing lessons where Seth used to, I pay rent. They told me I didn’t have to, but I felt bad about it.” She shrugs softly and says, “Besides, it’s nice to be in that house, you know? They all love each other.”
Summer nods. She knows exactly what Taylor is talking about.
“I’m coming to Rhode Island next semester, by the way,” Taylor says off-handedly.
“What?” Summer asks, surprised.
“Remember that college I told you about that’s close to Brown? I applied there and I got a full scholarship. It’s not ivy league, but it’s nice. And if I get a job, I’ll be able to live off-campus in an apartment. Seth’s going to be my roomie. I promised Ryan I’d keep him in line.”
“That’s great,” Summer says, smiling, then glances at Luke. “Isn’t that great, Luke? Them coming to Rhode Island?”
“Yeah,” he nods, and his knuckles go white as he grips a hold of the steering wheel tighter.
Summer sighs and pulls out her lipstick, applying it carefully. This truck is like the land that happiness forgot.
Seth opens his eyes and tries to take a deep breath, but since his nose is currently buried in Ryan’s hair, that becomes difficult. He rolls over onto his back, wincing as the sheets come into contact with what he knows must be angry red marks on his back left by Ryan’s fingernails.
He glances at the clock and immediately jumps up with a gasp. “Fuck,” he mutters.
“Not now, okay?” Ryan says sleepily.
“No, not that. We’re late. We were supposed to leave with Taylor like…an hour ago to go pick Summer up.”
Ryan opens one eye and says, “Oh, well, too late now. Lay back down.”
Seth sighs and flops back down on the bed gracelessly and Ryan throws his arm around him and makes a small snoring noise.
“We’re back, sleepy heads,” Taylor says, opening the pool house door with Summer and Luke in tow.
“Eeep!” Seth manages to squeak as he dives for the blanket and throws it over both him and Ryan.
“I’m going to go poke my eyeballs out now,” Luke says and leaves.
“See?” Taylor says, elbowing Summer in the ribs. “I told you there’d be goodies.”
“I’ve seen Cohen’s ‘goodies’ plenty of times,” Summer says in a bored tone. “Though…nice ass, Chino.”
Ryan makes a small disgruntled noise. “Nice to have you back, Summer,” he says.
Taylor sits down in the chair and Ryan stares at her.
“What?” she asks.
“For the last time, Taylor,” Seth sighs. “Please leave the room while we get dressed.”
“Fine,” Taylor harrumphs and pulls Summer out of the pool house, shutting the door behind her.
Before Seth manages to get up, though, Ryan rolls over, kisses him gently, whispers, “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Seth says, sitting up to get out of bed.
“Christ!” Ryan gasps.
“What?” Seth asks, turning to face Ryan.
“Your back,” Ryan says, staring down at his hands.
Seth grins and says, “Yeah.”
“Don’t they hurt?” Ryan asks, running his thumb across one of the marks.
“A little,” Seth shrugs. “I like ‘em.”
Ryan stares at him and says, “Okay. Sorry.”
Seth hops up out of bed and grabs one of his t-shirts from the pile of clothes he keeps heaped up, refusing to put them away, tugging it on over his head. He starts digging through the pile for a pair of jeans, but then Ryan taps him on the shoulder. Seth turns around and takes the pair Ryan’s holding out.
“You really should put your stuff away, Seth,” Ryan tells him.
“Not all of us are neat freaks,” Seth shrugs. “Besides, you still haven’t cleaned out a space for me to put them yet.”
“If I did, would you?”
“No,” Seth grins, sitting back down on the bed to pull on his socks.
Ryan sits down next to him, tying his shoes and rubs one hand across Seth’s back.
Seth makes a small hissing noise through his teeth. “Ow. Still sore.”
“Sorry,” Ryan says again. “Didn’t realize I was…didn’t seem like…I mean, last night…”
“People do crazy things when they’re under the influence of my bod, Ryan,” Seth says seriously. “Don’t feel too bad about it, it’s to be expected.”
Seth watches as Ryan stifles a laugh. The only traces of it are the tiny crinkles at the corners that most people wouldn’t see.
“Come on,” Seth says, standing up and tugging Ryan’s hand towards the door. “Someone needs to go shut Taylor up before she starts talking.”
Ryan groans. “Why do I get the feeling that she’s already done more than enough of that?”
“Christ,” Seth says. “Or…Moses. Or whatever. Come on, we’ve got to go shut her up.”
Kaitlin slides into a booth at The Crab Shack and asks for fries and a milkshake when the waitress comes over to take her order.
“Hey,” a voice says behind her.
“What do you want, Charlie? Waiting on your bitch?”
“No,” Charlie says, sitting down across from her. “She left for vacation with her family yesterday. Oh, but not before breaking up with me, of course, because she wants to be free to hook up with ski instructors.”
“Bitch,” Kaitlin confirms.
“Yeah.”
The waitress sets down Kaitlin’s fries and shake, laying two straws down on the table with a soft smile.
Charlie sticks one in the shake and takes a sip. “Don’t mind if I do,” he says.
“I don’t remember saying that you could steal my food,” Kaitlin snaps as he pours some ketchup out and takes a few fries.
“Come on, Kay,” Charlie says, nudging her with his shoe under the table.
Kaitlin sighs. “Fine. But no more bringing asshat girls to our table, okay?”
“Fine,” Charlie says.
Kaitlin scrutinizes him for a moment, then says, “You want to come to my mom’s wedding on Friday?”
“On Christmas?” Charlie asks.
“Yeah, She’s a self-centered bitch.”
“Like mother, like daughter.”
“If you don’t want to come, fine, just say so…”
“No, I’ll come,” Charlie says, swallowing his fries. “A date, huh? I gotta say, Kay, I always knew you were madly attracted to me.”
“There’s no one else that will go with me,” Kaitlin snaps. “So don’t get your hopes up. You’re just coming as a…as a…”
“As a friend?” Charlie asks.
“No. As a food-stealer.”
“Fine,” Charlie shrugs. “But just for that, I’m not putting out.”
“I think I can handle that.”
“I bet you can, you saucy minx.”
“Hey, Lovebirds,” Taylor grins as Ryan and Seth enter the kitchen.
“Morning,” Seth says, pulling out two bowls and a box of cereal. Ryan grabs the milk from the fridge while Seth is pouring out the cereal, and Seth grabs two spoons as Ryan pours the milk.
“Aren’t they just adorable?” Taylor asks Summer, grinning from ear to ear. “They’re so in sync. It’s very domestic of them. Very…very Sandy and Kirsten-esque, I think.”
Summer laughs softly. “Very,” she agrees.
Taylor holds up a stack of papers. “I was just showing Summer the apartments we’re considering,” she says to Seth, and Ryan feels his chest tighten.
He hates the idea that in less than a month, they’re going to be separated by three thousand miles, but he doesn’t say anything. He just munches on his cereal and sits down next to Luke at the table.
“Sorry about this morning,” he says, mouth full of food.
“It’s…it’s okay,” Luke shrugs. “Just next time, try to sleep with the covers on.”
“I do,” Ryan says. “Seth throws them off during the night.”
“Don’t you get cold?”
“Not the way we sleep…” Ryan says, a grin spreading across his face.
Luke sputters for a moment.
“I’m kidding,” Ryan says.
“Oh. Um. Yeah.”
Ryan chuckles, then finishes off his cereal and heads to the sink to put his bowl in the dishwasher, stopping to pick up Seth’s empty bowl on the way.
“I’ve got a long time before I have to go to last-minute dress fittings. You guys want to go do something?” Summer asks, looking around at them all.
Seth shrugs. “Ryan and I were gonna stay home and fu—“
Ryan clamps his hand down over Seth’s mouth. “Sure,” he says quickly.
Everyone gets up and heads out to the driveway, and Ryan sighs, leaning heavily on the counter. He doesn’t really want to spend the day with everyone else. Every second that goes by is one second less that he gets to spend alone with Seth, and being apart for that long is going to be hard enough; adding extra time onto it is just torture.
“You coming?” Seth asks, peeking around the corner.
“Yeah,” Ryan says, taking Seth’s hand and heading out to the car.
Only one more chapter, and then I think I'll be done with this whole universe. If I ever write in it again, it's liable to be something that could be in this universe but doesn't have to be, because I really think I'm done with this whole thing. It's been fun while it lasted but everything must run its course eventually. :) Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and yay, only one more! :)
