This was posted on LJ - with a few minor word changes... hoping to make it more acceptable to the fanfic public. Thanks to elzed, the wonder beta who really made all the difference in her tweaking. And of course the usual disclaimer applies: That I don't own the O.C. or any of its characters.
Ryan banged on the bathroom door. "What's going on in there Seth? You're taking longer than a girl. And I lived with one all summer, so I know how long that really is." All Ryan got was a muffled reply. He banged again. "Come on Seth. Sandy and Kirsten told us we had to be there when they light up the tree."
"Go ahead without me, bro. I'll find my own way."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "How? Your parents took the other car. Are you going to walk there?" He fiddled with his tie. "It's at least three miles away."
On his side of the door, Seth sighed. He looked into the mirror one more time and adjusted the mask on his face. He wished there was a full-length mirror in the bathroom. But despite the fact that his massive house had twenty rooms, the only full-length mirror was in his parent's room and he was not going to try and bypass Ryan with his costume to see what he looked like. He just hoped he was passable. He hoped that his grand gesture would work. Because if it didn't, he knew that he and Summer would probably be over for good.
He took the slacks from his suit and stuffed his legs in them, knowing he'd be really hot with tights under them. He glanced at Captain Oats who was perched on his bathroom sink.
"Why couldn't we be in New York tonight, where it's probably six below zero?" He whispered to the horse. He didn't want Ryan to hear him. "Then it would make sense for me to be wearing tights under my pants. Okay, that's assuming macho guys don't wear tights under their pants. Maybe they wear long johns or silk underwear. Or maybe they just freeze their asses off. But I never claimed to be macho."
He picked up Captain Oats in his hands. "You know, man, this is my last chance with Summer. This has got to work or you know it's going to be a sad lonely year. I guess that would mean more me and Captain Oats time, but I hope you're rooting for me anyway."
Ryan banged on the door again, nearly taking it off its hinges. He hastily put the plastic horse down and buttoned his blue shirt, hoping it didn't look too tight over the costume and that it didn't show through. Ryan could never know what he had planned. Maybe if it worked, he'd fill in his best friend/brother. But he was not up to Ryan's teasing and would rather have bamboo shoots stuck up his fingernails than admit his plan to Ryan.
"Seth." Ryan rapped on the door, swearing under his breath. If Seth didn't come out by the count of ten, he would break down the door, or leave without Seth. Kirsten had been on edge with her father's trial and Julie being appointed CEO. And even though she hadn't once taken it out on either him or Seth, so unlike his own mother, he didn't want to irritate her by not doing what she asked. Especially when it was such a simple task. Seth should have been ready hours ago. "I'm coming in, man."
He started to turn the handle, but he stumbled slightly when Seth yanked the door open on his end. "What's your problem? We have plenty of time. Don't worry about mom. By the time we get there she'll have a few good drinks in her and she'll be mellow as… well mellow. And she won't notice that we're late."
Ryan scrutinized Seth. Something was wrong with his friend's attire, but he couldn't put his finger on it. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Seth was wearing dark navy slacks and a light blue shirt with a matching silk navy tie. He was holding his jacket over his arm, though he looked like he was trying to hide something under there. Ryan squinted. It was the shirt. Something was off with the shirt. It looked tight. And the shade of blue was slightly off, as if something was underneath.
"What's under your suit, Seth?"
Color rushed to his face. "Nothing," he mumbled. "Mom might be drunk by the time we get there, but Dad can hold his liquor. Let's go, before our asses are — now it doesn't rhyme," he whined, hurrying out of the house, with the hope that Ryan would stop studying his suit.
They drove in silence. Ryan, at the wheel, concentrated on the road ahead of him. Seth fiddled with the CD player until he bypassed Kirsten's CD selections and found one that he could enjoy. From the corner of his eyes, Ryan could see Seth lean back against the leather headrest and close his eyes. Something was definitely up with Seth. It wasn't like him not to share. Seth usually couldn't keep anything to himself. He was determined to find out what it was all about.
"Marissa said that Summer would be coming," Ryan said nonchalantly.
"I know. I talked to Summer at school. Are you meeting Marissa there?"
"No." Ryan shook his head vehemently. "But with Julie being CEO, I knew she'd have to make an appearance. We were comparing notes during World Lit." He caught Seth's curious stare. "We're just friends. Lindsay is meeting me there!"
Seth bobbed his head up and down. "Lindsay, huh?"
Ryan saw he was quickly losing control of the conversation. He wasn't sure what he expected. He knew that when it came to words, Seth could run rings around anyone. He sighed. He'd just keep a close eye on him at the party and make sure he didn't do anything asinine.
They arrived at the party just as the tree lighting ceremony was to begin. They slipped in besides Sandy and Kirsten. Seth spied a glass of deep red wine in his mother's trembling hand. He had hoped he was exaggerating about his mother's drinking, but he had been right. Seth let the Julie's singsong voice coming from the podium distract him while he cast his eyes over the crowd, seeking out Summer.
He finally spotted her. She was standing next to Marissa and Kaitlyn, who was apparently home from boarding school. He sucked in his breath through his teeth. She looked intoxicating. Her soft brown hair was swept up in a chignon, with little wisps, falling around her face in ringlets. Her lavender silk dress hugged her every curve and nestled against her skin. And from a distance, her lips looked deep and luscious. He hoped by the end of the night they would be touching his.
As soon as he thought it was safe, Seth crept away from his parent's side and looked for the perfect place to give Summer her Chrismukkah gift. He found his grandfather's private office and used the key he had conned from the distracted man earlier that day. Alone, he took off his jacket and slipped the cape out from the back, where had stuffed it. He wouldn't get into full costume until he knew he had successfully lured Summer to his grandfather's office. He then considered the room, looking to see what could be done. He fluffed the pillows on the couch, hoping it wouldn't be long before Summer would be pressed against the cushions with the weight of his body on top of hers.
A smile played on his lips as he pictured what was in store for the evening. He took out a lighter that he had pilfered from Ryan's secret stash of cigarettes and lit the candles that his grandfather kept there for entertaining.
"I wondered where that went." Ryan leaned against the doorjamb.
"You know, you shouldn't be smoking. It's bad for your health." Seth hastily tried to hide the cape. But he knew it was too late.
Ryan didn't bother justifying the smokes he kept squirreled away for when things got to stressful. He didn't need to. Not when Seth was looking like this. He looked his friend up and down.
"What's the cape for?"
"Nothing," Seth mumbled.
"Nothing, huh?"
"Shut up, Ryan."
"I didn't say anything."
"You want to."
Ryan bit his lip, trying to cap the laughter that was welling up inside of him. "So are you dressing up as Wonder Woman?"
"I won't dignify that with a remark." Seth refused to look at Ryan. "Wonder Woman doesn't wear a cape." He busied himself around the room, straightening things that were already perfectly straight. "Besides, I wouldn't look good in drag."
"So tell me already, what is the – " He stopped as the memory of Summer's present to Seth last year flooded his memory. Seth was going to try and recreate the moment. But this time it would be his gift to her. He couldn't help smirking.
"So which super hero is it going to be?"
The heat rose in Seth's face and he felt it turning deep shades of red and purple. He turned away from Ryan.
"Oh come on, man." Ryan stepped into the room. "Fill me in on the juicy details." He waited expectantly, hands on hips.
"You're not going to go until I tell you."
"Exactly."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Fine. It's Robin," he mumbled. He opened his shirt and exposed the red vest and green short-sleeved T-shirt. "Satisfied?" He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole, then chew him up and spit him out.
Ryan shook his head. "Why Robin?"
Seth tugged at the back of his hair. "Because Summer always said I reminded her of Robin. Except the height thing. And..." He refused to meet his brother's expectant gaze. "Because when we were in bed... when we got better at it that is... she said I was as flexible as Robin. You know," he mumbled, looking down at the floor, "Before Robin was Batman's sidekick he was an acrobat in the circus."
Something between a snort and a laugh escaped Ryan.
"I'm going to make you pay, Ryan."
"How?" Ryan bit the inside of his cheek, suppressing more laughter. He could tell Seth was miserable that his secret had been discovered. But he was having too much fun at Seth's expense not to yank his chain.
"I'll find a way. I'll make sure the parents know all the juicy details of your love life so that you can sit through hideously uncomfortable talks about safe and responsible sex. I'll create a web page and let all of Harbor know what you're up to. I'll, I'll..." But Seth was running out of steam. "Don't just stand there. Help me out, already."
"How can I be of service? I wouldn't want you to expose all the juicy details of my celibate love life."
It was Seth's turn to snort. "Celibate? Yeah. Right. That's why you spent the summer in Chino with your pregnant girlfriend."
"She was the only one."
"Right. I'm supposed to believe that you and Marissa never..." Seth stopped as he noticed Ryan's expression. "Holy Moses. You didn't? You mean, all year, I was getting more action than you?"
"Don't rub it in."
"Yeah, but you're the more...."
"Seth. Shut up. Now," Ryan said through clenched teeth.
"Shutting up, bro." He stood there silently, chewing on his lip, so that the smile that was dying to escape would stay put. Ryan looked angry enough to punch somebody. "So are you going to help me out?"
"In what way?"
"I need you to lure Summer in here."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"You're the brain. The one taking all those AP science and math courses. Figure it out."
Ryan sighed. "Fine. I'll get her here." He turned as if to leave. But then he stopped. "So if you're Robin. Then is she supposed to be Batman?"
Seth's nostrils flared.
"Or maybe she's the cat woman?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but he blew out air from his lips instead. "Go find Summer and get her in here for me... please."
"What I do in the name of love." Ryan turned on his heels and left Seth alone to finish his preparations. Now all he had to was find Summer and figure out a way to get her in the same room with Seth.
The dance floor was full. He could see Sandy and Kirsten swaying to the music. Kirsten's head was resting on Sandy's shoulder and his hand was caressing the small of her back. But Summer wasn't among the dancers. He scoped the tables and lines of people waiting by the buffet, but he knew Summer wouldn't be found near the food. She was too weight conscious. Finally, he found her near the bar. Marissa was trying to order a drink, and Summer was standing beside her, tapping her foot impatiently, eyes aimed at the ceiling, as if she knew this was a bad idea. Ryan wanted to run and not have a repeat of last year. But he had promised Seth.
"Hey." He walked up to the girls and smiled. "Having fun?"
Summer shrugged. Marissa held up her martini glass to Ryan as if in a toast. "Now I am."
He ignored the drink. "So, I was wandering around and found a quiet place for us to hang out. Get away from it all. Are you interested?"
"No. I'm fine here," Summer said. She let her eyes scan the room. "I'm hoping Zach shows up."
"He was invited?"
"I don't think so. But his father's a congressman. You'd think the Newport Group would want to make nice to him and his family."
"Is Lindsay coming?" Marissa asked. She sipped her drink.
"She said she'd meet me here. She'll be here soon. Come on, this party is lame. There's a stereo in this room. We can play something else besides holiday music. I can probably con one of the waiters out of a bottle of wine." He knew that would get Marissa's attention. And if Marissa went Summer would follow.
"Sounds good to me." Marissa turned to Summer. "Let's go Sum. Zach will find us if he comes."
"Fine." Summer relented, but the tone of her voice said that it was anything but fine.
Ryan told them which direction to head in and he let Summer lead. He pulled Marissa back and whispered, "Seth has a surprise waiting in there for Summer. We'll leave them alone as soon as she gets in there."
Marissa looked disappointed, but she nodded.
"In there," Ryan pointed. He let Summer walk through the doors and then both he and Marissa ducked away.
Summer didn't realize what was happening at first. She saw the flicker of candlelight in each corner of the room. And red rose petals sprinkled across the floor and on the sofa. And then from the shadows Seth emerged.
Her gaze immediately fell to the floor. He wore green slippers that were pointy at the toes and his long spindly legs were covered in beige tights. She let her gaze linger on the bulge in his crotch for just a moment. But Seth noticed and self consciously, he covered himself with the yellow cape.
A coy smile tugged at her lips. "I've seen it all, Cohen. Why the sudden shyness?"
His face burned red, as hot as the candlelight in the corner of the room. He stood there, all the words and speeches he had planned stuck in his throat. Suddenly, the realization that this was it, that it was do or die, dawned on him. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
"H – Happy Chrismukkah," he finally stammered.
"What the hell is this all about, Cohen?" But her voice quavered and her usual conviction wasn't there.
"I'm really here on behalf of Captain Oats," Seth said, gathering his wits and courage. "I can't be sure, but I think he's been pining for Princess Sparkles."
Summer laughed. "She misses Captain Oats too."
"It's always been you, Summer."
She shook her head and the wisps falling from her chignon stuck to her lips.
Seth leaned over to move it away. But she slapped away his hand.
"Then why'd you go, Cohen? G-d, you think you can make it all okay with a joke. But it's never been just about me. It was about you. And when you couldn't have Ryan and things weren't the way you wanted or needed it to be, you just trashed any feelings I might have and just ran off."
"I – I know I screwed up. I – I know." He looked down at his feet. This wasn't how he planned for it to go. How could he make her understand that he screwed up and he'd make things better?
"You can't go back and make things right."
"I know I can't change things. I know. But we can start again."
"And who's going to protect me from the hurt if Ryan needs to leave again? Or if something else happens? I need to protect myself from you." Her voice cracked and tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over.
Seth stepped forward, bridging the gap between them. He wiped away her tears and let his finger trace the streak it left on her face, to her luscious red lips. "I love you Summer Roberts." And he bent down and kissed her. He let his tongue explore the inside of her mouth. Seth pressed forward, holding Summer by the small of her back, caressing the soft silk of her dress and the downy skin of her shoulders.
He could feel her sag, letting her upper body rest against his chest. She was giving into the kiss, even though she said she didn't want him. But he saw the way she looked at him in the halls at school, across the cafeteria, at the Bait Shop. He knew that Summer Roberts loved him and that he loved her. They just needed to find a way to get past the hurt that he had caused by leaving that summer.
She pulled away. "Seth. No."
"You can't say no to Robin."
She smoothed out a crease in his costume. "Don't make this any harder than it already it is."
"If it's hard, then you know we belong together." He took her hands and led her to the couch, trying to ignore the hardening bulge in his tights. "We were good together. We laughed. We… we—"
"Cohen, please." She tried to break free of his grip.
"You know you want me. That you want this."
She looked around the room, noticing all the little touches Seth had put in to make the night perfect. He was right. She loved him. And trying to stay away from him now that he was back, hurt as much as when he had left her.
She closed his eyes and tears squeezed through. She could sense his head bending forward and felt the tip of his tongue graze her skin, wiping away her tears. Summer grabbed Seth's face and kissed him hard and deep so that he fell back against the cushions. She kissed him again, letting her tongue explore his mouth as she yanked off his yellow cape and threw it on the floor.
Seth didn't let his mind think about what was happening. He ran his hands down her bare silky arms and down the back of her dress until he reached her round ass and let them hang there for a moment.
"Cohen," she said, pulling away, catching her breath. "Do you have a condom with you?" She propped her elbows against his chest.
Seth picked his head up from the bottom of the couch. "Yes. In my wallet."
Her eyes slid to the tights and then his crotch. "And where are you keeping your wallet tonight?" She traced her fingers along the top of his thighs.
He let out a groan and pointed behind his head. "Somewhere over there." He brought his hands down from over his head and let his hands drift down her back and along her zipper.
He wasn't pulling it down, but running his nail along the metal teeth. It was enough for her to wet her panties. Seth wasn't muscular or toned, yet when she saw him from across the room she always felt a tight feeling in her groin. When he smiled, she wanted to run her tongue along his dimples.
"Seth. No. Please."
He stopped, not sure if he should continue. He would always respect a woman's right to say no, no matter how much it hurt. But she put her head down on his chest and then pushed his hands up to the top of her zipper. He grasped the tiny metal piece between his fingers and slowly pulled it, so that the sleek material fell to the sides. He tugged each side down her arms and the slinky little dress fell around her ankles.
Summer's smooth white skin glistened in the dark. Seth shifted, so that their bodies were touching side to side and he could pull his hands from her back and start running his fingers along her stomach.
Her hands were exploring under the red and green spandex shirt, tracing his nipples and the few chest hairs in between. Seth felt a jolt in his groin and knew that they had better get naked fast.
He helped her push up his shirt and it got stuck around his head, but it didn't deter Summer, who bent down to kiss each nipple, sending tremors up and down his body. His hands were over his head, struggling to get the shirt off and he knew he was completely at her mercy. But he didn't mind. Finally, he freed his hands, casting the shirt on the floor, next to the puddle of lavender silk that was her dress.
He slid his hands down her back and worked on her bra, cursing the little hooks and eyes that kept it together. Seth started to say something. He always said something whenever he tried to get her bra off, but Summer silenced him with more kisses. He relaxed against the back of the sofa, and he ran his fingers over her nipples. He could feel her back arch under his touch and smiled when a moan of pleasure escaped her lips.
His fingers slithered down her sides, tracing her waist and hips until they reached the top of her panties. He hooked his fingers onto the elastic and glided the offending garment over her ass and down the top of her thighs until they reached her ankles. She kicked them off and Seth hitched in his breath when he realized that he finally had Summer completely naked.
She giggled as she rubbed her naked body against his bare chest, her skin chafing from his tights. "Get them off," she commanded huskily.
He complied, with her help. Their fingers and hands fumbled and knocked against each other while they tried to guide the beige tights over his hips and down his legs. Frustrated that their hands weren't getting the job done, Summer resorted to kissing Seth's neck and moving down his neck and to the top of his collar bone.
"Get them off already," she panted.
"I'm trying."
"Now I know why guys shouldn't wear tights," muttered Summer.
She rolled off of him giving herself the leverage she needed to yank off the tights and slippers together. His penis stood at attention and Summer's lips turned up into a smile as she grabbed it in her hands, sending shivers up and down Seth's spine. She gave it a few quick strokes, remembering how he liked to be touched, and was rewarded with a moan.
"Holy Moses, Summer, we've come far."
"We sucked at this last year," she breathed, continuing her slow, deliberate moves as Seth pushed into her hand.
He silenced her with his mouth, licking her lips with his tongue. He slipped a hand down her stomach until it nestled between her legs. He ran his fingers through the curly hairs and reached for her clit, stroking it with his fingers.
Summer squealed with pleasure. Her heart was beating so fast it was in her throat. She hadn't felt this way in months. It amazed her that Seth could still have that effect on her, that the mere touch of his fingers could trigger such a wave of arousal. She drew a shuddering breath and gasped as he picked up the speed and increased the pressure.
"Sshh." He laughed. "Someone may come."
"Did you lock the door?"
"I don't remember."
"I don't care. I can't wait any longer."
Seth groaned, because it was time to get the condom and it was across the room in his pants. He let go of Summer reluctantly and got up, grabbed his wallet, pulled out the condom and tore the wrapper with his teeth.
"Cohen! Move your ass and get over here," ordered Summer.
He hurried back to the couch where she was lying on her back, propped up by the sofa's arm. She draped her legs apart, seductively wagging her finger, inviting him to join her. Seth whimpered. He knew he was putty in her hands.
Seth moved back on top of her and she wrapped her legs around his back, and raked his skin with her fingernails. He tried to stay in control as he thrust into her and she moaned again, drawing him in deeper, until they were rocking together. He focused all his energy into getting the rhythm right, keeping it going until he felt her start to shake and cry in his ear, and then he let go with a muffled "Ah, Summer!" into her shoulder.
When they were done, they rolled over together and Summer rested her head on his chest. Her skin glistened, even though the air conditioning was working full force. Seth stroked her silky mane, which fell down while he was thrusting into her.
"Does this mean we made up?" he asks.
As he said that, Summer's eyes widened with fright. What had she done? Her mind drifted back to the end of May, right after Ryan had left for Chino. She had gone over to the Cohens to see if she could cheer up Seth, but instead she found a distraught Kirsten and a worried Sandy. They were too upset to say anything, so Kirsten just handed her a small cream-colored envelope, with her name printed neatly in Seth's hand.
At first, when she read the note, she was numb, unable to think or feel. She just stood there in the Cohens' kitchen, words like glue in the back of her throat. It was Kirsten who had first tried to comfort her with a reassuring hand around her shoulders, and whispered words of "It's going to be okay."
That was when the first tears had started to roll down her face and she turned from Kirsten, fleeing from the house. Her thoughts raced. She had no guarantees that Seth wouldn't leave her again. That he wouldn't find a way to hurt her. She realized suddenly, that this had been a mistake.
Summer pulled away and started to gather her clothes in her arms, panties and bra spilled to the floor in her haste. Tears streamed down her face. She walked into a corner and started to dress.
"We can't do this, Seth. It's over between us."
Seth sat up. He felt like a two-ton boulder had just landed on his chest.
"I can't," she said, sweeping her hair into a ponytail. "I love you, but I can't be with you anymore." One shoulder strap kept falling down her arm, but she ignored it. She pulled on her dress, making sure she was covered where it counted, took her shoes in hand and closed the door behind her, leaving Seth alone and naked with his mouth hanging open.