OK, so this is my first fic EVER and its my first time writing a story in almost 5 years, so I'm going to say off the bat, please judge accordingly I may be a little rusty lol But I loveee the OC, and I'm gonna try to do my best to make this story believable yet relateable. I would really LOVE reviews, good or bad, to help me out/motivate me. The more feedback I get the more comfortable I'll feel in my writing. I have an idea about where I want to go with this story, but I'm open to suggestions/future plot ideas as it can go any way. This will get slightly AU, but I doubt anything too crazy. Especially because this takes place AFTER the season 4 finale, so as far as I'm concerned anything goes (within reason, of course.)

So far, everything that has taken place in season 4 has happened, with the exception of, Summer & Seth getting married and the assumption that Taylor and Ryan are/is getting married. AND don't worry, Marissa Cooper IS NOT coming back to life. So read, enjoy, review :)

*I do NOT own the OC or any of its characters.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter One

State of being.

- Verb. ( Used without an object)

Wikipedia known as to exist or live.

To take place or happen.

To occupy a place or position.

To continue or remain as before.

To belong.

And there was no other time Ryan Atwood felt like he belonged more,than when he was intertwined between the likes of Taylor Townsend.

The setting was a sun kissed afternoon that found the two lazily lying in bed next to another in a hazy dream like condition. Some have called it the "Twilight State", being half awake and half asleep all at once.

But this was too perfect to be a dream. Each with grins on their faces, he caressed her curly golden locks while in return her fingers massaged the nape of his neck... there were no need for words. Everything that needed to be said was felt in the moment. That was just the kind of relationship they had.

Sometimes when they talked, they often said too much, but the silence always found a way to make up for lost time. Taylor suddenly turned on her side and started gazing out the window. Ryan nudged her and she looked back at him. "What?" he asked inquiring.

Taylor said nothing, only scrunched her nose, obviously in thought. "Taylor…" Ryan almost whispered. Giving him an almost identical look, she turned on her side and continued to stare out the window.

Ryan just sat there for a moment observing her body language. Taylor was much like a fine wine, in given time, you'll find yourself warming up to her. In that time, Ryan had come to be able to read her like, a map. The kind of map you take with you in the back of your pocket and read again and again, tracing along all the parts you'd like to explore.

He crept up behind her and whispered in her ear, "What's wrong?" She slightly jumped at the unexpectance of his words. She turned slowly, "What makes you think anything is wrong?" she asked sincerely. Ryan laughed a little. "I know you. I can feel it. There's so much going on here." he said as he gently removed a hair from her forehead.

Taylor only stayed silent making Ryan work harder. Ryan smirked. "OK, Taylor Townsend on mute. I'm having a hard time deciding whether that's a good or bad thing." he joked as he stroked her arm. Again. Nothing. As if he hadn't just been trying to get the bottom of something, Ryan got up casually and walked to the other side of the bed and kissed Taylor on the cheek.

"OK, I'm going to take a shower now and-" "Wait!" Taylor said finally. She grabbed his arm and sat him down next to her. "She speaks." he says triumphantly. Taylor rolled her eyes. "You always do this to me." Ryan smiled softly. "I find it quite effective. Why throw in a new strategy when the old one works so well." Taylor looked at the window, it's curtain now blowing in the wind, and looks back at Ryan.

"Do you think… this was a good idea?" she manages to sputter out. Ryan looks at her quizzically. "Well, considering it was my idea. Well…yeah," he said plainly. Taylor gives up and sighs, annoyed that he's not taking the question as seriously as she'd wanted him to. Noticing Ryan moves closer to her. "OK, no more jokes, all seriousness now. But Taylor, are you thinking this isn't a good idea?" Taylor fidgeted slightly.

"It's just… things are going to change. Well, obviously they are going to change. And I know I decided I wanted this too - we all did.. It's just., how can we be sure it was the right thing to do? I mean it's home, but it's not home." Ryan looked into her eyes.

"Look, I know this was a risk. We were really established in Berkley. We had everything going for us. But we also felt like something was missing remember? We all did. What with the Cohen's and Julie and my dad moving to Malibu.. This was the best, and maybe quite possibly the worst thing we could do. But it was an adventure and a new start. We're also closer to our family. I know this isn't Newport.. But it's just too hard to go back to the place where I spent part of my years growing up, where the house I lived in got built over and everything about that place reminds me of the Earthquake and how I almost lost you…"

Ryan put his hand on her cheek. "It's not Newport, but it's still Orange County. As much as I don't like to admit it, it feels like home to me. Home of the good times, where I met you, where I met Seth… It doesn't feel right to be in Berkley anymore. Especially without the Cohen's. This is the closest thing we got. I know we made the right choice. But if your scared, Taylor I understand. Are you scared?"

Taylor turned to him and smiled. "Whenever I'm scared or something's wrong, you always know what to do. I have faith in you Ryan Atwood. I wouldn't have moved here with you if I didn't. But I am scared. Scared of what's to come, what's to change… But whatever is to come, good or bad, I can take the fall. It is me, afterall. But I need some strength" Taylor held out her hands and looked at him.

"And I will understand, all I need is your hand." she asked wholeheartedly. Ryan kissed her. "Sure, Why not? I have an extra I'm not using." he said as she laughed into his mouth. He took her hand in his and held tightly. And they sat there in the silence, all the words they didn't need to say filling the air around them, as the sweet, cool air of Huntington Beach blew through the window.

*******************

" So…where are we going tonight?" Summer Roberts asked as she was mulling through her suitcase full of shoes. One by one she would reach for a pair and hold it against her outfit of choice to see how it would coincide. Not liking what she saw she tossed the pair into a pile with about 100 others. Pausing for a second she looked around the room.

"Cohen?" she asked as she pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. As if on cue, a somewhat tall lanky figure with curly black hair stepped out of the connecting bathroom. "Good God woman. What are you doing?" he asked eyes getting wide. Summer shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I'm accessorizing." she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The tall boy with the skinny frame nodded as if he understood. "Oh, duh." he said sarcastically. "But since when did shoe's become an accessory? I mean I always thought.. Shoes. Necessecity. We need them to walk." He said scratching his chin, clearly confused.

Summer eyed her boyfriend, formally known as Seth Cohen, "Cohen" to her. He was wearing blue board shorts and a white and blue striped collared shirt with a pair of black flip flops. "Well… you would think that." she said looking him up and down while pointing at his outfit. He shrugged and moved his way onto the edge of the bed and picked up one of her shoes. Summer continued her quest of ripping her suitcase apart. "Who's Jimmy Choo?" he asked holding up the pair to her. Summer eyes widened this time, and stopped what she was doing.

"That question doesn't even felicitate an answer." she scoffed. Seth put down the shoes, quietly mocking her words as he did. Summer glared. "I saw that." she said putting her hands on her hips. Seth smiled awkwardly as if he had been caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

Summer found the shoes she was looking for, a pair of Betsey Johnson heels that "killed the crap out of her feet", but in her opinion they "looked pretty" so that was all that mattered. She started undressing and assembling her outfit on her body.

"You know Cohen, shoes are a work of art. They're not just something you put on your feet. Artists want their best work to be seen, you can't possibly expect me to just wear anything do you? The outside world is my gallery, you should understand this more than anyone. Therefore I must outshine everybody!" she said in a serious tone.

Seth got up and cupped her face in his hands. "Aww, you are so philosophical. Brown would be proud." he joked. Summer removed her face from his hands and started putting on her shoes.

"Summer…" Seth whined and as he followed her. He put his hands around her waist. "I was just being sarcastic." he said softly. Summer looked up at him. "No. You? Sarcastic?" she said staring at him. Seth smiled and pushed her dark hair behind her shoulders. "You know I love you, especially everything you've done over the last couple of years. But I'm kind of glad that Brown didn't change everything about the Summer Roberts we all know and love." Summer smiled and kissed him. "Well, don't worry, I still have a superficial heart of gold, I just care about Ozone layer now." Seth hugged her. "I love my little environmental Barbie." Seth said as he let her go.

Summer laughed and went over to her dresser. "So where are we going again?" she asked as she put on her earrings. "I guess we're going to this place off the beach… Hurricane Bar & Grill?" Seth answered. "Oh, so Ryan can get Taylor drunk and she can forget all about his first day of work tomorrow?" Summer teased. Seth laughed. "I don't think that was the idea, but I wouldn't put it past him." Summer grabbed her purse and sat next to Seth on the bed. "I wonder why Taylor is so nervous. I mean, this is exactly what she wanted for Ryan, shouldn't she be happy?" Seth sighed. "I don't think the job is really what she's nervous about."

They both got up to leave out the door. "What do you mean?" Summer asked linking her arms with his. "I just think she's worried now that Ryan has his first real job and his first big promotion that their relationship has to take the backseat. More so with her going back to school and her new job. It's not like our jobs. We could work out of bed in our underwear if we wanted to." he said leading her through the hallway. "When did we reach that age where our jobs dictated our life? We're only 23. We're not our parents." Summer said sadly.

Seth took her into his arms. "No one said that this growing up thing would be a bundle of sunshine. That's the one thing our parents never tried to hide from us. It really does suck." he said as she laughed.

"What's so funny?" Taylor asked as Ryan followed behind her from the kitchen. "The black hole, that is our life now." Seth answered plainly. Ryan and Taylor looked at each other confused. Summer shook her head. "Just ignore him. Who wants Tequila?!" she asked leading them towards the door. Ryan and Taylor followed them out to the car. "OK, but none for Seth." he answered as he turned on the ignition.

*******************

"This was a good idea." Summer said as she grabbed some peanuts from the bowl in the center of their table. "Such a good idea!" Seth exclaimed as he rocked back and forth in his seat excitedly. Taylor tried to hold back a chuckle. Summer just looked at her counter part annoyed.

"I thought we cut him off?" Ryan asked half amused, half puzzled. "He only had two shots." Summer replied trying to get Seth to sit still. "I call designated driver." Taylor said raising her hand and laughing. "Oh no, you had two beers and if I remember correctly a rum and coke, three tequila shots, and I lost count of all the Smirnoff." Ryan said laughing along with her.

Taylor smiled and hit his nose with tip of her finger. "Lightweight." she teased. Ryan pretended to be offended. "Oh, now I'm a lightweight because I know how to control my liquor? Oh please, Townsend, I can throw it down with the best of them. I'm just deciding to be responsible, you know, that thing you used to be." he joked smiling at her.

Taylor shook her head. "Your not 'choosing to be responsible'. You couldn't even get through one beer." she said slightly sliding off her chair. Ryan grabbed her before she fell. "No, I just have work tomorrow and want to start off on the right foot." he said laughing as he propped her up. "Shoes are a work of art!" Seth yelled almost stuttering.

Ryan and Taylor looked at Summer who was trying to get Seth to eat something. Summer just motioned them to ignore him. "Cohen, shut up!" she said forcing a spoon down his throat. "You of all people should understand this Summer." he said before he took a mouthful of spoon. Taylor laughed at the sight, it somehow greatly amused her. She turned and made a goofy smile at Ryan. Ryan laughed and smiled back at her taking her hand. They stayed that way for a bit, smiling at each other in return. Another one of those moments that needed no words, even in a drunken stupor.

Seth caught this, looking at them. "You guys are cute. You two should date." he said swatting Summer's hand away from his mouth. This made the two laugh for the thousandth time that night. "On that note, I think its time we head home." Ryan said as he threw his napkin on his plate. "Oh no, no Ryan. We were having so much fun." Taylor said pulling on his shirt.

"Taylor I have to wake up early for work tomorrow." he said moving her hands. "So then..quit! That way you can stay up as late as you want!" Taylor said nodding her head. Ryan chuckled. "Tempting, but I think I'll keep it for now." Summer pushed her and Seth's halfway eaten plate of food to the center of the table. "Great, I'll get the check. And, I'll drive, considering I'm the only one at this table that doesn't reek of booze." she said getting up and taking Seth with her.

*******************

"So did you have a good time tonight?" Summer asked Taylor back at the house they shared in Surfside, a little community right outside of Huntington. It was about midnight and they were sitting down on the floor of their living room next to a burning fire. Taylor took a bite of her ice cream.

"I think? Atleast from what I can remember." she said shrugging. Summer nodded taking a bite of her own. "Where's Seth?" Taylor asked curious. Summer made a face. "Upstairs passed out in bed. You'd think he drank the whole bar. I can take him anywhere anymore." Taylor giggled. "So, are you excited for your classes tomorrow?" Summer asked looking at her.

"I'm not sure." she explained. "I mean, ever since I got back from Paris, I realized I wanted to go to cooking school. But then I moved to Berkley with Ryan and we got back together and I pretty much focused on our relationship for the those two years. But now that I'm here and its actually happening, I'm not sure how to feel." she said mashing her spoon around in the now melting liquid.

"I get that, but aren't you happy that you get to do what you want to do. I've seen you stand by Ryan as he gets his career off the ground. Now it's your turn. Are you even a little bit excited?" Summer asked glancing at her sideways. "Well, I'm definitely nervous. But more so about if I can handle it with settling in and working at that new restaurant and of course Ryan." Taylor put another log into the fire.

"Oh yeah, that French place… Ave Amour or Avet Lamour?" Summer said confused. Taylor laughed. "Avec L'amour." Summer smiled. "Yeah, that place. What does that even mean?" she asked twirling her spoon around. "It's French for 'with love'. It's supposed to be this romantic hot spot for couples. Atleast according to the paper. Its mainly known for their deserts. Which is good for me. But I doubt they'll really have me making any of their finer dishes. I haven't gotten my baking degree so I'll have to wait a bit. But now that I think about it, it gives me something to focus on while Ryan's away during the day." she said her voice fading.

Summer put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, there's always me and Seth. Plus Ryan won't always be gone. Things will be fine." She said hugging her. "I know, its just… different." she said eating the last of her ice cream. They both got up and threw their ice cream cartons away in the kitchen.

"Well, Summer I think I'm going to call it a night. I want to wake up early enough to see Ryan off. But thanks for everything tonight." Summer nodded. "Don't worry, we'll get through this. I'm going to go check on Cohen. Gotta make sure trails of vomit didn't make their way onto any of my shoes." she said making a disgusted face. Taylor rolled her eyes. "Goodnight Summer" she said and headed upstairs.