A/N: So, I have a new story… but this is completely different this is just a 3-parter I have been thinking about since the season finale. It's basically a look at Seth and Summer's life between her leaving, and the wedding – gush – at the end. I still CANNOT believe they got married! I couldn't stop the huge grin on my face! Anyway, on with the story…
He dug his hands deeper into his slim, light colored jeans, balling his fists up. He saw it as a sort of tension release, or more, nerve release. He gulped the huge lump lodged next to his Adam's apple and suddenly found his worn, faded-out black converses really interesting.
"Seth…?" Taylor's voice rang through Seth's mind as he looked up from the shoes that covered his feet. He raised his eyebrows, in response to the mention of the name call. "Are you okay?" She said, her hand clasped with Ryan's as she looked at Seth with concern, Ryan's face etching the same concern.
"Oh," Seth said, with a long, over-drawn, sigh. "I'm fine," He said, hiding his nervous face with a fake smile, full teeth and all.
"C'mon Seth, it's not like you two are complete strangers, you talk whenever you can, and keep in contact via blogs and so forth, it really won't be that bad," Taylor smiled, knowing exactly what was on his mind.
"Who said anything about it being bad?" Seth asked, trying to act as calmly as he could, which was near impossible, he still gave that nervous Seth Cohen effect off, "Everything's going to be fine."
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Ryan commented dryly to his best friend.
Seth glared at Ryan, "I'm fine. I'm not nervous definitely not nervous."
"Ooh, look, the bus is coming," Ryan, said, more to Taylor, pointing to somewhere behind Seth. Seth's face immediately paled and he swung round on his heal of his foot as fast as he could. When he saw no bus, or anything, for that matter, coming, he turned round with a scowl upon his face. "So…" Ryan said, after a few minutes of hushed giggles from Taylor and himself, "Not nervous are we?" He asked, referring to Seth's previous statement.
"Maybe just a tad bit nervous," Seth said, emotionless as he waited for the soft chuckles from Taylor and Ryan to subside, a dull expression crossing his face.
Ryan opened his mouth, presumably to make a smart-ass comment at Seth's expense when they heard the heavy noise of an exhaust pull into the beachside parking lot. This time, though, Seth closed his eyes, breathing deeply before re-opening them. When he'd had a few moments of his over-analyzing thoughts he decided it was time to turn round. But, when he turned round he was greeted with a bus, nonetheless, but it wasn't the right bus. He sighed, "How long does it take?" He asked.
"Obviously, a long time," Ryan said, smartly.
"Shut up, Ryan," Seth snapped, "I'm freaking out, and all you can do is make jokes," He said, although his voice gave off that he wasn't really as mad as he was making out, a small smirk creasing the corners of his mouth.
"Payback's a bitch, buddy," Ryan smiled at him. "Hey, at least you're admitting you're nervous," He shrugged. "I guess it's an improvement."
Seth just rolled his eyes, his back to Ryan and Taylor as he waited for the GEORGE bus to pull into the lot. It had been almost a year now, since the Cohen's had left Newport, and since Summer had left for GEORGE. And, finally, she was coming back. Seth and Summer had tried extra hard to put the effort in for their relationship, Summer phoning him whenever she got the chance, even if it meant missing an hour or two of that much needed sleep. And he made time to check her online blogs from his busy college schedule. And somehow, even though they could hardly believe it, they'd made it through the year, with only one or two arguments. Both were extremely proud of this title.
And the day was finally here, the day Seth had been counting down to, was finally here.
And then, the right bus pulled into the lot. Seth's breath caught in his throat as he, finally, realized he was going to be reunited with his girlfriend who he hadn't actually seen for six months, when GEORGE had gone to Providence for a rally, as recommended by Che. And they'd been able to go out, together. But as soon as it had begun, Summer was off to Chicago. But in that day or two they did have together, Seth had been able to fully understand and appreciate what Summer was doing.
And then, it all seemed so real. Summer was actually on that bus, he realized. He would be able to talk to her, see her, and just be with her, almost 24 hours a day. He wondered if it would be awkward between them. Then all he had to do was remember that they were Seth and Summer; things were bound to have that awkward-yet-comforting atmosphere about them.
Seth's thoughts really had consumed his time as he realized the bus had pulled to a complete stop and Taylor and Ryan, still holding hands, were waiting a few feet away from the door. Ryan looked back, bringing his arm up over his eyes to block the summer sun out of his eyes before motioning with the same hand, for Seth to join them.
Seth nodded and gripped his palms tighter in the pocket of his jeans and slowly made his way to the bus.
"Summer," Taylor squealed as soon as the small brunette stepped off the bus, looking around for her welcome home party. She took in all three of her friends, her smile brightening as they landed on the taller, lankier, member that had just joined.
She quickly ran towards them, and Taylor being Taylor, went in for the first hug. Almost strangling the poor girl, Summer smiled and patted her back awkwardly. "I missed you," Summer offered as she pulled out of the hug to look at her friend. Taylor nodded, and it was Ryan's turn.
"Roberts," He acknowledged before Summer sighed, and wrapped her arms around him, too.
"How's flapjacks?" She asked, concernedly as if flapjacks were her actual grandson – or daughter, whatever.
"I haven't seen you for a year, and the first thing you ask me is how my rabbit is?" Ryan asked, feigning shock, although he knew it was in Summer's heart to ask suck questions at first glance. She shrugged and Ryan grinned, "He – or she – I'm not exactly sure, is fine."
Summer nodded, and for the first time since she'd arrived her and Seth made eye contact. He had been looking at his shoes, once more, during her reacquaintance with Ryan and Taylor, kicking random stones and just generally avoiding looking at Summer at all costs. Taylor obviously noticed and nudged her boyfriend, he looked to, his left, at her a weird look on his face. She, with her eyes, looked at him and then at Seth and Summer. He then knew immediately what she was hinting at he nodded, "Okay, so, umm… me and Taylor have to go do…," He trailed off and looked at Taylor for help.
"Go do the thing, right, Ryan?" She asked, he nodded furiously, "So… we'll just be in the car doing this… thing, and, um, you can just come whenever."
"Yeah, take your time, this thing could take a while," he said, still nodding. He quickly reached and grabbed Taylor's hand and dragged her off in the direction of the car.
"Subtle, you guys!" Seth shouted after the couple as they rushed off, cursing each other for not being stealth enough, they looked back and both shared the same shrug and smile, before hurrying off towards Ryan's car. Seth sighed airily and then turned round to look at his girlfriend. "Hey."
Summer smiled, shyly, before stepping one step closer to Seth. Their eye's locked, and their breath mixed for a few seconds before Summer closed the gap, and flung her arms around Seth's neck, tightly, and resting her head in the fold of his neck. "I missed you, like, so much," She said. As soon as Seth felt a little wetness on his neck he pulled back and held Summer's shoulders at arms length as a few tears decorated her face.
"Hey, hey," He said, wiping away the tears that were increasing with every second of the moment they were in, "What's with the tears?" He asked, a small smile planted on his lips. As she brought her own hand up to cover his hand, on her face.
"Nothing, I just, really missed you," She said. And Seth's miniscule smile immediately brightened and widened. And he wondered how he got to this place. How Summer Roberts had become his girlfriend. He was almost tempted to make sure that it was him he was speaking to. Of course he knew he was the only one in a couple meter radar, and with how quietly Summer had said it he was the only one that would've heard it.
"I missed you, too," He said a smile still gracing his soft features. Summer smiled up at him, and decided that she could never, would never leave again. As much as she had loved traveling around with GEORGE, she had missed everyone way too much. She was done showing herself to the world, and she was done waiting for her destiny. Her destiny was right in front of her. With this thought on mind, she leaned up and brushed her lips with his own, soft, ones. The kiss started out a little shyly, they hadn't kissed for six months. And they hadn't kissed properly in a year.
And Summer decided not to take Seth-kisses for granted anymore. She couldn't believe that she had even been close to forgetting what lip contact with him felt like. She couldn't believe that she would have given this up, just 'cause she wasn't sure of her destiny. She would've laughed. If her lips weren't doing other things.
Seth pulled away and smiled down at his girlfriend. The traces of tears that they both knew had been there earlier had disappeared and instead there was a smile as bright as – if not more brighter – than Seth's. She smiled back at him, her full lips creasing upwards. He grabbed her hand and picked up the one – yes, one – bag Summer had next to her. And dragged her towards the car, where, they both noted, Ryan and Taylor were leaned against it, and each other, watching the whole exchange between the reunited couple.
Seth and Summer both eye rolled in unison. While Ryan and Taylor both raised their eyebrows. They all smiled and packed into the car.
"Summer," Kirsten said in her calm sophisticated way, as she sat outside of her Berkeley home, with a little – even though she was bigger than when Summer had last seen her – Sophie-Rose tucked underneath her arm.
Summer smiled at the older woman, grabbing her boyfriend's hand and leading him up the pathway to his parents' house, towards his mother. As soon as she reached the pair on the lawn she wrapped her arms around Kirsten's shoulders, "Hey, Mrs. C," She greeted politely. It wasn't that she felt nervous around Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. But, like everyone, she had her own special nickname for them.
She pulled out of the hug that she'd been careful with, as to not squash her boyfriend's little sister. When she did pull away, she looked down to the little girl, "Aww," She commented as the nearly year old baby girl's nose scrunched up while she carefully snoozed away, "She's so adorable," Taylor had sent pictures of Sophie-Rose Cohen Summer's way, almost every week, but she looked completely different to the pictures – more cuter.
"Wanna hold her?" Kirsten asked, holding the baby out in front of her, towards Summer. Summer smiled, graciously and nodded taking the baby out of Kirsten's arms. And holding her still, supporting her head and wrapping her arm around her body. "You're a natural," The older woman smiled, "So, how was GEORGE?"
"It was… different," Summer commented as she looked up from the baby in her arms, to the other woman, with her eyebrows raised and arms folded, to the gangly man taking her bag out of the trunk of the car.
"Different in the good way, or…?" Kirsten asked, yet to notice the girl's attention was elsewhere as she looked at her daughter. Summer quickly looked round and up to the woman.
"Different, in a different way," After a second, Summer let out a little fit of giggles, as did Kirsten. "Okay, that made no sense, but it was good, and different, but it also made me realize some stuff, y'know?" Summer shrugged, and adjusted her arms and moved the baby carefully, and placed her back into her mother's ready arms.
Kirsten started to walk towards the front door, that was wide open, as Summer started to follow and talk to her at the same time. "Yeah, I mean when I left Newport, and Jimmy, for Berkley I was scared, I mean who wouldn't be? I, mean, I know I was staying in the same state, but I was leaving, everything I'd known, the town I grew up in. I was scared. But soon, I learnt to love Berkley, I loved the independence it gave me, but also the way I could be the person I'd always wanted to be. Not the shallow Newport teen destined to marry rich and become a stay-at-home mom. It's probably nothing like your experience but I had the same feeling," Kirsten shrugged, her long statement had lasted all the way from the lawn to the kitchen where she had started whipping up a few bottles of powder milk as Sophie started to stir, still in her arms.
Summer nodded, "I guess it's the same type of feeling then," She smiled.
"Yeah, so, if you don't mind me asking, did you find your Sandy Cohen?" She asked, smiling at the metaphor towards her husbands and her relationship. She didn't know where Seth and Summer stood at that moment in time. She knew that when Summer had left, she and Seth had been on a sort of break. But not the Ross and Rachel type of break. More the 'I love you, so I'll wait for you' break. But she still didn't know if they were a couple or if they had decided that their relationship was, just, a high school one.
Summer immediately blushed at the question, before nodding and distracting herself with looking over at Sophie. Kirsten smiled at the almost 20-year-old girl next to her. She didn't need words, just from the smile that had slowly made its way onto her face gave away the facts. Seth was her Sandy Cohen.
"Hello, mother," Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Seth entered the room, greeting his mother, and nodding to his, or Kirsten assumed, girlfriend.
"Seth, don't call me 'mother' it makes me sound old," Kirsten commented, dryly, in a good-natured way.
"Well, you are old," Seth shrugged, a smile intact on his face.
"I am not old, Seth Cohen!" She almost screeched to him, "I'm only 41!"
Seth coughed and let out something that sounded suspiciously like "Old" in-between his coughing fits. She opened her mouth to make a smart remark, but before he could he'd stolen the baby that lay in her arms and taken her into his own arms. "Isn't mommy old?" He asked, a smirk on his face as he talked to Sophie. Her intense blue eyes looked up at him, wide in wonderment. He nodded and smiled, "Yeah, she is."
Kirsten rolled her eyes at her two biological children but smiled nonetheless. Summer had stayed quiet but had a smile on her face, too. As she watched Seth play, or more talk, to his little sister.
"I'd watch it, Cohen," Summer commented, finally joining in on the conversation, she looked over at Kirsten with a mischievous look about her eyes, "Didn't Sophie need changing, or something…?" Summer pouted her bottom lip in wonderment.
Seth immediately handed the 11 and a half-month-old baby back to his mother, "Ew. You could've told me, mother," He said, putting emphasis on the word mother.
"Don't say 'Ew' again," Summer rolled her eyes.
Seth smiled at her, "Whatevs."
"Um, okay, have you changed into a teenage girl since I've been gone?" It was official, all awkward tension between Seth and Summer was gone, and in place was their casual, and familiar bickering.
"Oh, ho, no," He laughed as he said it, giving off the impression he wasn't going to do anything in retaliation, "You're going to pay for that, Summer Roberts," He said as he moved towards her, his hands at the ready. But Summer – knowing what he was about to do – quickly darted out of the kitchen and away from Seth.
Kirsten rolled her eyes after the two of them, and looked down at the eyes that were looking up at her, "I know, Sophie, they're bigger kids then you," She winked at her and Sophie let out a tiny giggle at her mother's comment, even though she didn't understand, and said, "Mama."
"Okay, later man." Seth said into the phone as he was ready to flip it down, "Don't call me that," He demanded into the cellular device.
"Just 'cause, I don't like it," Seth scowled, Summer came into the room and frowned, and mouthed 'Who's that?' Seth shook his head, "Okay, I have to go, I'll see you… oh, heck, I don't know, I'll catch up with you some other time," He said, and this time actually flipping the phone down, checking the time, and pocketing it.
"Who was that?" Summer repeated the words she had just mouthed.
"Oh, my roommate," Seth rolled his eyes and started fiddling with the comforter that was laying at the end of the bed, while Summer went into the bathroom. They'd been out that night; going out to some posh restaurant Seth couldn't remember the name of, a sort of homecoming dinner for Summer. Even though it wasn't really her home, so it was pretty stupid to have a 'homecoming' party.
"Oh, what's he like?" Summer asked, curiously, coming back into the bedroom they were sharing at his parents' house.
"Annoying," Seth said as he kept playing with the green material.
"Why?" Summer asked curiously as she found something to busy herself with.
"He's just one of those people that make up nicknames for everyone, and mine always seem to be centered around me being from California or being spoilt or whatever," Seth said as he ran out of examples of the variations of names Sam – his roommate – had made for him.
"So… you don't get on?" Summer's eyes squinted in curiosity.
"No, we get on like a house on fire," Seth laughed, "We just have a 'you're annoying, but my best friend anyways' kinda friendship," Seth shrugged he smiled as he realized it made no sense what so ever. But his relationship with Sam could only be described if you actually witnessed it. If you met them, at first glance you'd think they were sworn enemies, but they were so close. They punched each other, called each other names, and yet, got on famously.
"I thought Ryan was your best friend…?" Summer asked, once again curious, and starting to fell the effects one year could have on a relationship.
"Ryan's my brother, Sam is my best friend," Seth corrected, and shrugged, "I mean, Ryan was my first best friend, and he'll be there like, when important things happen, but Sam is my best friend of the moment. If I have a problem in Providence, he's my guy."
Summer's lip stuck out in wonderment as she thought it over before nodding, "I guess that's cool, but isn't it sad?" Summer asked, Seth looked up from the bed as Summer sat down next to him, but far enough to still look in his eyes, Seth looked at her curiously and shook his head, telling her he didn't understand, "That you can't stay best friends with people you went to high school with," Summer shrugged.
Seth nodded, "Yeah, I guess, but there's no use living in the past is there? I mean, I have to keep in contact with Ryan we're, like, related, maybe not biologically but brotherly, and he'll always be my best buddy, but I guess we all just grow up, and change, thus not staying friends with people we went to high school with," Seth said wisely, and Summer realized that there really was a lot of catching up for her and Seth, but then, she realized, it would all happen in due course, they had a whole lifetime to tell each other everything happened in that year apart.
Summer nodded, and smiled before leaning closer to Seth, and capturing his lips in their second kiss of the day. While they may not have kissed a whole lot that day, they had always been touching. Whether it be when Seth had tickled her countless times that day, or they were holding hands, they were always touching. And they had both missed this, and each other way too much to let one another go again.
They'd gone out there, and found themselves and they were now ready for their destiny. They were Seth and Summer. They were inevitable.
So, there you go, please review! And I'll try my hardest to get another chapter out before Monday night. No promises just a lot of effort!
Okay, so you can go review now. :)