Disclaimer: Anything you recognize does not belong to me.
A/N-For some reason, I have written like a bunch of Seth and Summer oneshots. This is one of them and it takes place between the summer of the second and third season. It's kind of a random but I enjoyed writing it and decided to post it. Thanks to Meg for her awesome editing skills.
This was how last summer should have been.
This thought entered Summer's head as she clutched Seth's hand in hers, walking through the mall. This was all that she had wanted last year and now she had it.
Okay, it wasn't exactly how she wanted it to be. She would rather not have Ryan's brother in a coma and really was getting sick of being of being questioned about that night.
She was, however, incredibly happy that Seth was with her. Despite all the other things, this fact made it all bearable and a semi-great summer. He was always spending time with her, which she was not complaining about at all. Sometimes she would ask him why he was with her all the time, instead of being with Ryan and his dad, who she thought both needed him more, considering the whole Trey in a coma and Kirsten in rehab thing. But he always was with her. He usually ended up giving her the response of things being 'tense' at home and that he would rather be with her then sit at his house.
This wasn't a problem for Summer, at all, but sometimes she wondered if there was something more to it than what he was saying. Sometimes it felt like he was trying to make up for what he did the previous year. He never came out and said that to her, but when she referenced last summer at all, she noticed the look on his face. She never missed that guilty look that he gave her but tried so hard to hide.
That was how she got him to go shopping with her. The minute she mentioned Zach going to the mall with her, he practically dragged her to the car, despite his whining from a minute before. He would never know that Zach had never actually set foot in the mall with her.
Sometimes when a girl needs new shoes, she needs to manipulate her boyfriend.
Summer just wished that before she had made this decision, she had realized that her boyfriend was officially the worst person to shop with.
While she realized that the majority of guys didn't really like shopping, some didn't seem to mind carrying bags around. Not Cohen. She wished she would have realized this before the lie. Shoes really weren't worth this. Well┘that depended on the shoes.
"Summer, are we almost done? I'm hungry," Seth whined.
"You just had something to eat."
"That was an hour ago. Since that time you have dragged me to countless stores and all of that walking has made me hungry." He paused. "And thirsty. Very thirsty actually."
"Hold these," Summer ignored him and instead, thrust the bags that Seth wasn't carrying into his hands.
"Geez, woman how much have you bought?" Seth questioned as he felt the weight of all the bags. "You could probably clothe all the people of Orange County."
"Cohen, just go and sit on that bench and wait for me. I'll be out in a minute."
Seth followed her directions and walked out of the store. Even though he knew that he was driving Summer insane with all of his whining and comments about being unable to do heavy lifting, it was exactly what he wanted to be doing. Well, not the shopping, the spending time with her. It was definitely worth a day of torture.
Soon enough, Summer came out of the store, two more bags in hand. She took a seat next to Seth on the bench. She turned her head towards him suddenly and kissed him.
"Thanks for coming shopping with me today Cohen," she said when they finally pulled away from one another.
"Anytime, if this is what I get rewarded with, then sure," Seth replied, leaning back towards her.
Summer stopped him abruptly. Seth looked at her confused. "What's wrong?"
"Marissa's here. I told her that I couldn't go shopping with her today. I normally wouldn't do that but she's just so...gloomy lately. And I don't blame her or anything, but she's really depressing sometimes and I just don't really like having my mood brought down. If she knew I came here today, she would kill me."
"Or, you know, put you in a coma," Seth commented, receiving a glare. "Right, rage blackouts. Sorry."
"Let's go in another store," Summer suggested.
"Another store? Haven't you run out of money yet?" Seth groaned.
Summer ignored him. "No, no, that wouldn't work, she would come into that store. Um..." She looked around. "Let's go in there."
Seth looked to where she was pointing-and now running- to. It was a photo booth. He sighed, then chased after her, slightly slower, considering he was the one with all the bags.
He got into the photo booth, just barely being able to fit the bags inside. Summer closed the curtain next to him and made sure the one next to her was closed tightly.
"Sum, this is a just a little ridiculous."
"I just don't want to hurt Marissa. She's having such a hard time right now, I don't want her to think that I would rather hang out with you than her."
"But you do."
"Shut it Cohen," she said, though a smile was dancing across her lips.
"Well, while we're in here, I think we should make the most of it."
"I am not having sex with you in a photo booth in the middle of a mall."
"Summer, is that all you ever think about? No, I was thinking that we should take pictures. I mean we are in a photo booth," Seth stated, searching for some change in his pocket.
"Could that be any cheesier?" Summer questioned.
"Smile for the camera."
Summer rolled her eyes and Seth started to put on a goofy grin.
Flash.
"C'mon Summer, just do something. It's fun. A little stupid, I will give you that."
"Plus it gives Marissa evidence."
Flash.
Seth gave Summer a face. A face that most people would probably have thought a little weird, possibly even frightening but Summer thought it was cute. It was Cohen being...Cohen.
Flash.
Summer decided to do something. She leaned forward and let her lips touch his.
Flash. Flash. Flash.
Time passed and they continued, letting things get more heated before Summer remembered they were in a photo booth in the mall.
"Cohen, stop."
"Seriously Sum?"
"I told you I would not have sex with you in the photo booth."
"But now its on my mind."
"You're gross. Go out and check if I can leave."
"Fine," Seth grumbled, grabbing some of the bags and the pictures.
He exited the photo booth and looked around. He was about to tell Summer the coast was clear when he heard someone calling his name.
"Seth!"
He turned to see Marissa walking towards him. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know. Getting some presents for Summer. You know," he paused and pulled something out of the first bag he saw, "some...um...underwear." Well that was a little awkward, he thought as he threw them back in the bag. Sure it was his girlfriend and he would probably end up buying her something like this, but telling her best friend was just weird.
"Right. Were you taking pictures in there?"
"Yea. It's part of her present," Seth said. "I'm going to do something creative with them. Not sure what yet, but it will be creative. Very creative."
"Oh, that's cool. Well I better get going. Shopping without Summer really isn't really that fun."
Shopping with her wasn't that much fun either, he mentally replied.
"I'll see you Seth," Marissa said.
"Yea, bye."
He waited until she was gone from sight before turning and knocking three times on the photo booth.
"What the hell are you doing Cohen?" Summer said.
"I thought it would be cool to have a secret knock. No? Okay. Coast is clear. Is that better?"
"One minute."
Seth waited, tapping his finger impatiently. He saw six flashes go off inside and heard laughter.
"Are you taking more pictures? And what are you laughing at?"
She come out of the photo booth, a smile lighting her face. "Yea. I was." She stood up and looked at him. "These are for making sure the coast is clear and telling Marissa you bought me underwear. You now really have to buy me underwear because I cannot manage to lie to her anymore than I already have."
Seth looked down at the three pictures Summer had pressed into his hand. The first had Summer smiling, the second was of her laughing, and the third she was making a weird face, that Seth thought was cute.
"And these," she pressed two more into his hands, "is for coming with me today, especially considering Zach never did go with me."
"Wait-what?" he was about to protest when he decided against it. The day had been fun and he didn't want to ruin it. He looked at the pictures. One was of her blowing a kiss and the other was another of her laughing. He thought those were his favorite ones, where she looked truly happy and carefree.
"This one is for your eyes only. I swear if you show another soul, I will kick your ass," she smiled as she it face down in his palm. "It's for you just being Cohen."
She walked away after saying this. Seth turned the picture over, his eyes nearly popping out of his head and his jaw dropping when he saw the picture.
Summer laughed as she watched his reaction the picture. She couldn't believe she had just given her boyfriend a picture of her with her top pulled up. Oh God┘she was never going to hear the end of this from Seth. Well, maybe Seth would always remember this and then he would think twice before doing something stupid, considering she was a pretty awesome girlfriend (well at least she thought so).
She started walking away but he caught up to her. He slid his arm around her and pulled her closer to him, so their bodies were touching. She knew how badly he wanted to stop and kiss her. She was feeling the same thing, but it would have to wait until later-or at least until they got to the car.
She smiled as Seth kissed the top of her head. Even though the previous summer they hadn't been together, that no longer mattered. They were together now and that's all they cared about.