Summary: Seven years later, and everything can change on a red-eye flight. (Slightly AU). Definitely Seth/Summer.
Disclaimer: Blah blah, I don't own The OC. I don't work for The OC. I don't even live in America. If I did own The OC, I wouldn't be here typing this…story.
Rating: I don't know these rating thingies. They confuse me. It's PG-13...I guess.
A/N: I apologise in advance. By chance, if you end up reading all of it…and end up hating it, well then sorry. Not my fault I suck at writing. I'm just bored. If you, by chance, like it, then be a good person and give me a review. It will cheer me up. Woo. Thanks. This is a oneshot by the way.
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Summer Roberts wasn't the biggest fan of airplanes. The turbulence made her feel nauseous, and the food literally made her puke. And sitting in Economy Class wasn't exactly what she called fun either. But she had no choice whatsoever, because she was on her way back home.
Home.
It had been seven years since she had last set foot in Newport Beach. And she didn't even know why she was heading back. Okay she did know why, but she didn't want to believe it. Her best friend was getting married. Freaking married. To her ex-boyfriend's best friend. Or ex-boyfriend's brother, if you wanted to get technical. Marissa Cooper was growing up, and she was going to walk the holy aisle in a few days in a stunning white dress. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. She knew that Marissa would marry first between the two of them; but she never thought Marissa would get married to Ryan Atwood. Marissa and Ryan went through so many obstacles during their high school years; Summer would've never thought that they would last. But apparently, it made them stronger.
Apparently.
"Excuse me, I think you're in my seat."
Her thoughts had suddenly paused, as she heard a voice that seemed to be directed to her. Summer turned her head around, and her pupils had dilated once she saw the man that was standing right there.
"Cohen? Uh, I mean, uh, Se…Seth?"
Once the man had put his luggage in his overhead-locker, he gazed at the woman once she had said his name.
"Summer."
Their eyes had interlocked and they were staring at each other with such intensity, it felt like their world was ending. They were staring at each other for a few minutes or so, until Seth broke the contact. "Um. I think you're in my seat. My ticket says I'm at 48J, and you're sitting in my seat."
"Oh."
After a few adjustments, Seth and Summer were sitting next to each other. Seth Cohen, she muttered to her self, playing with her fingers. Oh my god.
"So, uh, how are you, Summer?" Seth awkwardly questioned. She looked up from her fingers and saw that Seth was staring at the red exit sign.
"I'm… good."
"Good." When Seth had taken his eyes off the red exit sign, he turned to face her, just noticing that Summer was staring directly at him. Their eyes had interlocked once again.
Seth still looked the same as he did seven years ago, when she broke his heart. His chocolate curls on his head were still in tact, and his sultry liqueur brown eyes, still made her heart melt. Summer swiftly gazed at his chest and rolled her eyes. He hadn't changed at all. Hiding away behind his black coat was one of his infamous novelty tees - in all their glory.
"See something you like?"
Summer promptly looked up from his chest to his face, and saw Seth grin again. The same endearing grin she had fallen in love with seven years ago. She unexpectedly didn't feel awkward at all, regardless of not being in contact with him for seven years. She quickly shot back, "I was going to say…that is seems like you haven't changed at all."
Seth rolled his eyes. "You don't know that for sure, Summer."
"So you've grown a spine now, huh?" she teased.
"Oh….zing." Summer laughed.
"So, what were you doing in New York, huh? Marissa had told me you moved to Italy after graduating from Brown," he said, casually changing the subject.
"Um, well I was living in Italy."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Could you be a little bit more vague?"
"Well, I had received an intern position at Prada, and then afterwards they liked me…so I got a proper job there. But I only kept it for about six months, because I suddenly felt like, it, that it wasn't for me, you know?" He nodded, while she continued. "So afterwards, I travelled around the world just to explore what else is out there. And then one day, when I was on a flight to Switzerland, I suddenly had realised that I wasn't really doing anything with my life. So I moved to New York, and on a whim, I tried designing my own range of clothes."
"You make your own clothes?"
"Yeah. I have a boutique in Manhattan. It's actually doing pretty well at the moment, so it's nice to finally succeed in life. It took me awhile, but at least I finally something to be proud of now."
Seth had been listening to Summer intensely, admiring her newfound maturity and success. He was genuinely happy for her. "That's awesome Summer. I'm really happy for you."
She smiled. He was happy for her. "So it sounds like, you don't keep in contact with Ryrissa that much, huh?"
"I keep in contact with the folks and Ryan from time to time. Not much Marissa even though they're stuck like glue for most of the time. I'm too busy with my job."
"Ah, how's that going by the way?"
"Good. Um, I was just in New York, settling a negotiation for one of my scripts," Seth briefly stated.
Summer didn't have to ask him to explain further. While living in New York, she found that she was unable to escape the name of Seth Cohen. Seth Cohen made a name for himself in the film industry in America, with his screenplays that oozed in pure devotion and emotion, highly praised. By no means he was "famous." He was just respected in Hollywood, for his work that he so happened to be good at.
"May I ask, what the script was about?"
"In a few words or less, it's about a woman who deals with her fears and insecurity."
"Does it have a happy ending?"
"Bittersweet more like it. No one wants a script with a sad ending these days. Apparently it would cause viewers to have low morale or whatever."
"Low morale, my ass."
"Exactly."
With silence bearing in the air, they turned their heads to face each other. Both smiled, obviously shy, but grateful that they had gotten the chance to see each other again. The interruption of the speaker, didn't keep them from breaking their eye contact.
"Welcome to United Airlines. This is your pilot speaking. On behalf of the crew, I hope you have a nice flight on the red-eye. Please remember that this is a no smoking flight. Could you please fasten your seatbelt, and prepare for takeoff. Thank you."
Summer muttered under her breath, "Oh god. I hate this part."
"Still scared?"
She nodded her head, unable to speak. As the plane was slowly moving down the runway, Summer quickly grabbed Seth's hand, squeezing it tightly. She easily ignored the fuzzy tingles that she felt once she grabbed his hand - touching his soft skin, when all she wanted was for the plane to leave the ground. The plane was moving faster and faster, and once it left the runway she quickly closed her eyes, still in Seth's touch.
Once the plane was stable in the air, she slowly opened her eyes and started to slowly breathe in and out. Summer had quickly realised that a set of eyes were firmly staring at her. She gazed at the hand that was holding his, noticing that one of her fingers were drawing little circles on his hand. Embarrassed, she dramatically released her hand away, which was now fiddling with the buttons of her expensive coat.
"Sorry about that," Summer stuttered.
"It's fine. I thought you would've gotten over your fear of flying by now," Seth softly replied.
"Nope. Still hate it. Eventually one of these days, the plane will crash and all of us will ultimately die."
"That's nice Summer. You're just so optimistic."
Summer rolled her eyes, "So. We've got hours to catch up, Cohen. God, I can't believe we haven't seen each other in seven years."
"Uh huh."
"So, excited for the wedding of the year?"
"Ryan and Marissa. Getting married. Wow. Next thing you know they're going to have kids."
"Ew. Please don't say that. Coop having kids? No offence, but that would be weird."
Seth laughed. He had kind of missed Summer's common habit of saying 'ew.' He would never admit that to her though.
"So Cohen. I don't see a wedding ring on your finger. Still hopeless as always?" she cheekily replied.
Seth rolled his eyes out of habit, "I could say the same for you."
"I've basically devoted my life to my business…haven't had the chance basically."
"I know what you mean."
The conversation was briefly interrupted as they both noticed that the flight attendant with the trolley was coming their way. Both were eagerly waiting for something to eat, and something to drink. When both had understood each other's eagerness, they casually smiled at each other.
"I've been dying for something to drink. Vodka. Anything that's alcoholic," Summer said in desperation.
"For a moment, I thought I was sitting next to Marissa."
Summer rolled her eyes. The flight attendant was nearing closer to them, but when the flight attendant walked right passed Seth and Summer with her trolley, Summer's eyes had sharpened. She muttered under her breath, "Whore."
Unlucky enough, the flight attendant had heard that, and stopped her trolley. Unfortunately, Seth had heard it too. The flight attendant had turned around, politely replying with a retorted smile, "Excuse me, did you say something?"
"Yes I did say something, you --"
"Sorry about that. She's very hormonal at the moment," Seth interrupted, as his left hand was covering Summer's mouth, so she would be unable to voice how much the hostess was a skank. As soon as those words had escaped from his mouth, Summer's eyes had dilated, and jabbed him with her elbow.
"See?" Seth teased. "She's so hormonal right now, she'll just hit me whenever she'll feel like it. She's been doing this routine since we were sixteen. Anyway, I was wondering if you could get us a few drinks, since we noticed that you forgot to serve us."
"Sure thing, sweetheart," the lady replied. "What would you like?"
He gazed at the nametag that was firmly secured to her uniform, and smiled. "Vodka for the lady, and a rum and coke for me, please, Linda."
"I'll be back in a minute, sweetie."
As the lady left to get their drinks, Seth took his hand away from Summer's mouth and grinned.
"Remove that grin off your face, Cohen. You're lucky I'm not going to kick you in the balls. I'm just glad you got my drink."
Seth laughed, "You owe me one, Summer."
"Owe you one! You said I was hormonal, you ass!"
"And half the time you are," Seth grinned.
Summer shot him a deadly look, and bit back her bottom lip. She had missed their witty banter. Why was it that she could only feel this way when he was around her? Seven years, and yet she could still feel this way?
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After three shots of vodka, Summer was feeling very happy. She wasn't exactly drunk, but she wasn't completely sober either. Summer was never that good at handling her alcohol, which was why she never touched it often. But for some reason, there was no explanation except that she was in the mood for it. The two of them had been talking…and drinking for a while. Catching up on the seven years that they missed out. Their family, their friends, their jobs, their life.
"I can't believe you own four cars! What do you with them all?"
"Well I only drive one of them. My lucky one. I have one back at my mom and dad's. One in New York. And the other one is in my garage at home. Sitting there, just to look pretty for display."
"If you're not going to use it. Send it out to me, Cohen. That is just wrong, that you would keep one in your garage for display." Seth rolled his eyes, while Summer was looking at her empty glass.
"Get me the flight attendant, Cohen. My glass is empty."
"Summer, one more and I might have to carry you off the plane."
Summer giggled, "You probably would enjoy that too much."
"Uh huh." Seth joked, "Are you flirting with me?"
"NO!" Summer giggled. "Are you?"
"Would that be a problem?"
"Um," Summer wondered, thinking to herself out loud, "It wouldn't."
She had slightly sobered up and bit her bottom lip, half-smiling. "I missed you, Cohen."
"I missed you too," Seth said, smiling.
"We should've kept in touch, you know."
Seth paused for a bit, thinking for the right words to come out. "I know. I wanted to ask Marissa …so many times for your number to ring you. Or an address so I could write to you. But every time I had gotten close, I just couldn't. The memory of that night always stopped me."
That night. She didn't want to take into account the memory of that night. The night where she had told Seth in her bedroom, that it would be best to end their relationship since they were on their way to different colleges. She had told him that it would be for the best - that it would never work, if he was in Berkeley, and if she was in Rhode Island. She had told him everything that he never wanted to hear, and everything she never thought she'd say. But it happened.
"I'm sorry, y'know," Summer said, speaking up from the unquestionable silence. "I thought at the time it would be for the best. But we were eighteen and naïve. How was I supposed to know that it was the wrong thing to do?"
"Because you just know. I know you didn't want to do it….and I still don't know why you went through with it. But you hurt me. And thanks to you, most of my screenplays are about you."
"They are?"
"Didn't you ever see Damsel?"
"That was about us? But in the end, didn't she end up running back to him?"
"That was the only lie in the movie. That what was I was hoping for, but it never came true."
Summer had seemed to ignore the last part of his comment, focusing back to the movie, "What about when Sam got hit by a car? Oh my god! Did that happen to you?"
"Okay fine, that's another lie. Those smug bastards at the studio asked for re-writes. Apparently they wanted a more dramatic approach. Life in Newport Beach was gritty enough," Seth grumbled.
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
"No, Seth," Summer said, finding Seth's hand, brushing his knuckles along with her tiny thumb, "I'm sorry."
Seth looked up from his lap, to see her beautiful, graceful face. The sorrow in her eyes, the physical contact with their hands, made him want to forget. And so he did.
He took his free hand, and lightly brushed her bottom lip with his thumb. He moved in closer, breathing heavily, as he took the first move. As their noses briefly graze each other, he softly gives her a kiss; kissing her luscious, red lips intimately, conveying everything he felt for her in a kiss. Summer immediately kisses him back with the same intensity, but then breaks away from his lips, smirking.
"Um. Cohen, would you like to become a member of the mile high club?" she grinned.
"Summer," Seth laughed. "We can't do that! You're a screamer."
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Half an hour later, Seth and Summer were sitting back at their seats - smiling and holding hands, after exclusively joining the high mile club.
With the rhythm of inconsistent breathing, both were nervously aching to be within each other's touch again. Subsequently out of the blue, Summer's hand broke free form Seth's, clasping it over mouth. Seth looked at her in complete confusion. "You okay there, Sum?"
"I can't believe we just did that," Summer spoke, incredulously.
"I can't believe it either. It was awesome. But for the record, it was your idea."
"I know."
"And I'm even amazed that you didn't scream that loud."
"I know," Summer laughed. She looked up and noticed Seth's dishevelled hair, totally messed up from the strength of Summer's hands.
"Your hair is totally messy, Cohen."
"And who's fault is that?"
"Yours, silly. You've gotten so much better at it, I was unable to control myself," she whispered, grinning.
"Or maybe the thought of having sex in an airplane toilet makes everything a hundred times better."
"Shh, Cohen," Summer whispered hastily in his ear. "People can hear."
"I think the whole airplane knew, by the time we got passed second base. You're loud."
"You said I didn't scream!"
"I said, you didn't scream that loud. There's a difference."
Summer rolled her eyes. They were in complete solitude for a moment, until Seth spoke up with a serious look on his face.
"So is this just a one time thing?"
"What - having sex in an airplane toilet?"
"No…….us."
Summer desperately tried not to focus her eyes on him, but instead on the television screen. "I don't know," she whispered. "I totally hadn't thought about this. I mean... our lives are totally different now. You and I….we have different jobs now. We have responsibilities. You live in Berkeley, while I live in New York."
"Do you love me?"
"What?"
Seth spoke slowly, "Do. You. Love. Me?"
Summer's eyes had left the television screen, and impulsively moved back to Seth's eyes. "Of course I do."
"Then it shouldn't matter if we live on opposite sides of the country. It shouldn't matter, Summer. I could move to New York to be with you! That could work."
"What about your job?"
"What about my job? When I go to work, I just walk into my office at home. Or walk to the park, or the beach. I fly over to New York all the time to settle negotiations, so why not?"
"Seth," Summer sighed, "Do you realise that four hours ago, we hadn't even seen each other? Do you realise that before this flight, we hadn't been in contact with each other for seven years? And in the last four hours, I've swallowed three long shots of cheap vodka, I've had sex with you in an economy class closet-like toilet, and I've fallen back in love with you all over again? And now we're discussing this?"
"Look, if you don't want this -- us, to happen, then just say it, so I know not to waste my time," Seth grumbled.
"I do, Cohen. I'm just….not as spontaneous as you."
Summer tried to get his eyes directly fixated on her, but he refused to let her know that the memory of their break-up was flooding back into his mind. He seemed content on staring at the window.
Summer sighed, "Look, I'm in Newport for two weeks. And then I'm going back to Manhattan. We can talk about this - us - then. Later? It's too early to make irrational decision that we might later regret, okay? Trust me, Cohen."
He had taken his eyes away from the window, and turned to focus his eyes back on her. He slowly moved in, kissing her soft cheek, taking her hand and enclosing it with his. "Okay," he quietly said. "I love you."
"I know."
"Do you?"
"I…just don't want to make the same mistake twice, Cohen," she mumbled, defeated.
"Summer. You will be making the same mistake again, if you don't follow your heart this time." Seth starts gesturing her, so he could leave his seat. She stands up impetuously, wondering where he's going.
"Where are you going, Cohen?"
"Gotta go to the toilet." He instantly gives her a peck on the cheek, and stands up to leave. "Summer, only we could make this work. Only we could not see each other for seven years, and then reunite on a red-eye flight. Only we could fall in love again. Only us, Sum. Now excuse me, I gotta pee."
As Seth walked away, Summer awkwardly sat back in her seat, sighing at what just happened. She didn't know what to do. Maybe Seth was right. She was exhausted of thinking, and all she knew in her heart, was she felt for him and how she missed him.
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When Seth came back, he had arrived back to a sleeping Summer. He smiled, delicately kissing her forehead as he awkwardly tried to move back into his seat. He opted not to wake her up, but instead he decided to put a blanket over her. He grinned, missing moments like these where he could just stare at her sleeping, looking peaceful and solemn.
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Summer was looking at the food that was given to her. Breakfast omelette, puke. Instant coffee, double puke. She looked to her right, and saw Seth lightly snoring next to her. She rolled her eyes, and quickly jabbed him in the arm with her album. He quickly woke up, instantly looking at an amused Summer.
"Umm, yes?"
"Just thought I'd wake you up. The plane is going to land in about forty minutes."
"You could've lightly tapped me on the shoulder, instead of the violent attack."
"I just jabbed you in the arm!"
"And you could've hurt me with that arm! You and your rage blackouts!"
Summer rolled her eyes. "So, I've been thinking…about us. For the last hour. And okay."
"Okay what?"
"Okay, lets do it."
"Could you be a little bit more vague?"
Summer sighed. "Lets be together. Act now, think later."
Seth's pupils instantly dilated. "You sure?"
"Uh huh."
She had been taken into surprise, when he had instantly pushed his lips to hers. A compassionate kiss that felt like they had been kissing endlessly was only for a few seconds. When their lips had drifted a part, they were only millimetres apart from each other.
"Awesome."
Summer laughed, "Awesome? Is that all you can say?"
"Um," Seth contemplated, "Would you like to upgrade your membership on the mile high club?"
Summer instantly gives him a smile, biting her bottom lip. "Twenty minutes, Cohen. Twenty minutes. Race you there," she whispered, flirtatiously in his ear.
As she had departed out of her seat, she had left a completely satisfied Seth Cohen.
"Best flight ever," he mumbled. "The ending of Damsel did happen after all."
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..end.
If you could review, I swear, that would be awesome. It would make me happy. Even though I'm not completely satisfied with what I've written. But whatever.