Title : Brotherly Talk

Author : Helen C.

Rating : PG

Summary : Ryan has had a bad day, and he doesn't care about consequences right now—a 500 words drabble, set during The Dearly Beloved

Spoilers : Everything up to The Dearly Beloved is fair game.

Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Josh Schwartz. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Huge thanks to my beta, Joey!


Brotherly Talk

Helen

Ryan needs to apologize to Marissa—he'll go talk to her as soon as he's done kicking Trey's ass.

He hopes she can forgive him for letting Trey come to Newport, for not seeing it coming, for forgetting that Trey is dangerous.

He feels disloyal, thinking about his brother that way, but there's no denying it.

Ryan still loves his brother. He still remembers the boy Trey used to be, before life with Dawn took away his innocence, and a good chunk of his sanity. And Ryan also remembers how uncomfortable Trey made him feel during the last months they spent in Chino. How unpredictable Trey was becoming then—the unprovoked outbursts of anger, the risks Trey was beginning to take.

Ryan remembers now, how terrified he was the night they stole that car. The gut-wrenching terror he felt while the cops were chasing after them, the fear of dying, the shame of having taken the easy road—an easy road that was going to lead him straight to jail.

He remembers now how Trey laughed and yelled gleefully, high on adrenaline, while Ryan was trying not to throw up, not to cry.

In all the upheaval that turned his life upside-down when Sandy took him in, Ryan forgot all that. He had a new life to adjust to, other problems to deal with, other priorities.

And then, fifteen minutes ago, he was forcefully reminded.

"All year, I've tried to be someone I'm not."

What Trey did explains Marissa's odd behavior recently, but doesn't explain why Ryan, who prides himself on being able to read people, didn't see it.

Later, he'll feel bad.

Later, he'll beat himself up—for giving Trey another chance, for forgetting, for letting Trey come within striking distance of the Cohens, of Marissa, of Ryan's new life.

For not seeing.

For allowing this yuppie town to dull his instincts.

"I can't do that anymore."

But for now, Ryan needs to settle things with Trey once and for all.

He knows that what he's doing is stupid, dangerous, the kind of thing Sandy told him not to do anymore, but Ryan has had a bad day, and he doesn't care about consequences right now.

He has played nice for a year and it's just not worth it. After all, what does he have to show for a result?

He has spent a year being a good boy, only to be dumped by Lindsay and fucked over by Trey.

He has tried to be a good son, only to see another mother-figure turn to the bottle.

He has been nice, and people in Newport still see him as an outsider, someone who doesn't have the right to be here.

If he has to be damned for something, Ryan would at least like it to be because of who he is.

Forget being a good boy, forget fitting in with the rich people, forget second chances.

Time for a little brotherly talk—Chino style.

END