Title: Homecoming
Pairing: Seth/Ryan
Rating: G
Warning: -
A/N: Just a little piece that popped into my head to make it all better for myself after the last episode of Season 1.
Homecoming
Every time the phone rings, he refuses to pick it up. Theresa hates this, and always glares at him as she waddles past. How many months has it been? He doesn't count anymore, not wanting a reminder of how much time has passed since it all began going downhill. After all, he should've remembered, life could only go one way in Chino. Downhill.
"It's Seth." She's holding out the phone to him, but he brushes past her. Outside. Smoking seems to be his only reprieve right now. He can't hear her end the phone call, but he's definitely privy to the door slamming, as it coincides with the flinching and tightening of his shoulders.
He's been spoiled. There's no way he can ever fit in here again. It's no longer his niche, his home base…his haven. Newport took him, changed him then sent him away…and there's nothing he can do about it. He doesn't even know if he wants to do something about it.
Theresa comes an hour later, a duffel bag in her hands. His duffel bag. She doesn't say anything, though he can feel her hand lingering near his hair, although she snatches it back and storms inside. He was wondering when she'd decide she was better off without him. And she really is. Everything he touches turns to ashes. His cigarette drops to the ground as he picks up his bag. Maybe if he starts walking, he'll find a home somewhere. Or a place to live would be fine too…he only has one home. But he can't go back there, he won't allow it. He'll just have to leave again. And he doesn't know if he can survive a second time.
A car pulls up and Seth gets out. It doesn't really register until the duffel bag is wrenched from his hands and an uncharacteristically quiet Seth pulls him into the car. The drive seems longer than it is and Ryan looks out the window at the passing cars.
"I tried running." Seth starts, hands gripped firmly on the steering wheel. "Well, sailing really, I mean, we always figured, Tahiti, right? So sailing, yea…but I never sailed far enough away from you."
Ryan flinches. Seth places a soothing hand on Ryan's thigh. Ryan looks at it. It feels foreign. Seth's touch feels foreign. Maybe it's because Ryan feels dead inside and the living always feel foreign to the dead, and he should feel alive, going…home, but he doesn't. And it seems he's picked up quite a lot from Seth.
"That's when I realised it didn't matter how far I sailed, because you're within me, and dude, believe me, I know how minty that sounds, but I'm totally serious, look at my face man."
Ryan looks at Seth for the first time and reels with the familiarity of it. His hand hesitatingly comes up to touch it as they pull into the driveway of the Cohen house. Seth clasps his hand and presses a soft kiss to it.
"We're home" Ryan whispers in childlike amazement as Sandy and Kirsten wait at the door with eager looks on their faces.
"Dude" Seth says, helping him out of the car and holding him close for a moment "what took you so long?"