Author:cheekymice.
Rating: PG
Beta: None...so all mistakes are mine.
Disclaimer: I don't own The OC, Ryan or Benjamin McKenzie.
Story: Taken from an idea over at ocplotbunnies.
Notes: This fic will be made up of short but sweet chapters...oh and there will be no sex! Heh.
The Tempest
An OC fic most definitely not written by William Shakespeare.
The rain was pelting down hard sending mini rivers flowing down the glass of the windows. California was not used to such a deluge and huge puddles formed lakes on the normally parched soil and the normally bright sky was dark and grey.
Ryan and Seth had spent most of the evening since the downpour started playing computer games and eating snacks. Chip crumbs littered the floor, orange Cheeto dust smeared their tees and jeans, empty coffee cups and soda cans lined up like soldiers on the table.
Kirsten spent the evening curled up on the sofa reading a slushy romance novel and listening to the boys banter with each other as they shot zombie invaders. She also clock watched waiting for Sandy to finish work, he was late this evening. She didn't like him driving when the weather was this bad. People in Newport drove like idiots in the rain and she wouldn't be happy until the front door opened and Sandy was home.
Sandy shook himself like a dog in the kitchen.
"Whoa…it's like the end of the world out there. The freeway is totally snarled up…. flash flood I think. I was beginning to doubt whether I'd ever get home tonight."
Kirsten rubbed Sandy's hair with a fluffy towel.
"It's getting windy out there too." Seth said as he stared out of the window. One of the pool chairs blew over on its side with a clatter and bounced perilously near the edge of the pool.
Ryan opened the backdoor and started to grab the chairs. The heavy rain was already soaking his hair and running down his body. Seth waved from inside the warmth of the house as he watched Ryan move the furniture to the safety of the garage.
Sandy had showered and changed into sweats by the time Ryan had cleared the decking. Ryan hurtled back into the kitchen, shivering and wiping water from his face and out of his eyes.
"Thanks for your help Seth." Ryan glared at Seth.
"Child of California buddy, think of my hair!"
Kirsten rushed over with the towel again and started to vigorously rub at Ryan's hair. He twisted, grimaced and firmly wrenched the towel out of her hand. He stood looking embarrassed as he continued to mop himself off. Kirsten didn't look offended at the blatant brush off from her foster son. Ryan was not like Seth who would enjoy being fussed over and would be pretend sneezing by now to get sympathy.
"Cocoa…that's what we all need." She put a pan of milk on whilst the wind whistled through the house through any gap it could find. The sound of the rain lashing against the glass sounded like an energetic tap dancer had taken up residence in the vicinity.
They all stared out the window, mesmerized by the rapidly snaking water as it ran down the glass.
The smell of burning milk and the hiss as it hit the halogen ring brought them out of their gloomy daze.
Sandy rushed and pulled the pan of milk off the stove as the milk frothed and bubbled over like Vesuvius.
"Mom, you can't even be trusted with boiling the milk." Seth snarked as Ryan got the mugs out of the cupboard. Kirsten swatted her son around the head.
Sandy scrubbed at the burnt milk on the stove whilst Kirsten fixed the cocoa, adding a final flourish of whipped cream and marshmallows. Kirsten watched as her son drizzled chocolate syrup to his cup.
"Your teeth are going to fall out one of these days Seth." Ryan sipped at his chocolate. He then gave a big open-mouthed yawn. " 'Scuse me I'm going to call it a night, get out of these wet clothes and read for a bit."
Kirsten kissed him goodnight and was pleased when Ryan offered his cheek to her. It seemed that although drying his hair was still off bounds, he'd obviously got used to the kisses now. He waved to them all and opened the door before making a dash for the pool house as quickly as he could whilst carrying a hot steaming cup of chocolate. Seth was next, he said goodnight and retreated up the stairs.
Sandy grinned.
"Not even ten and we're alone. Maybe I could get to like stormy weather." He wrapped his arms around Kirsten's waist.
"Early night?" He suggested.
Kirsten tucked a packet of double stuffed Oreo's under her arm, then added the syrup that Seth had left out on the counter and led Sandy by the hand to their room.
"Oh sexy food games huh... I'm at your mercy." Sandy turned off the lights as he passed.
The wind grew stronger as the night wore on. Several yachts broke loose from their moorings; slates blew off roofs, beachfront properties flooded, lightning struck Harbour school setting off the fire alarms, debris from people's gardens and houses littered the roads.
Most people slept through the worst of the storm and only realized the full extent of the damage the next morning when they found their pools full of leaves and snapped branches.
Some people weren't so lucky.
TBC