The Interim (2/?)
Angelus angelus1317@hotmail.com
See first chapter for disclaimer, etc.
~*~
It was Saturday.
Seth loved Saturdays. He slept so late that his parents were usually already at work when he woke up, which was generally around noon. He would have a huge breakfast/lunch, watch T.V. or play video games or hang out by the pool until his parents got home, his dad would cook an amazing dinner, they would hang out as a family and watch a movie or play cards or some minty board game until around midnight, around which time his mom would break out the ice cream. So at about 1:30, Seth would finally get to bed, full and happy. He knew quite well that, living in Newport, having a caring family, much less one that made up cheesy weekly rituals, was rare. And that was why he savored it even more.
Although he would never admit it, Ryan was a big fan of Saturdays, too. He tried to brush it off like it was just another day, but Seth knew him better than that by now. He saw the way he would turn his head in embarrassment when Kirsten tried to hug or kiss him, or the little smile that would peek through every now and then as he helped his Sandy in the kitchen. Having Ryan here had only made Saturdays better, something that a young Seth had never thought possible. Now he had someone to watch TV, play video games, or hang out by the pool *with*; someone to share in the often embarrassing antics that were his parents.
When he was about six or seven, Seth had had a friend named Malcom. Malcom had three sisters and a brother, and loved it. Sure, every once and awhile when his brother would get mad and punch him, or when his sisters would never let him into the bathroom, but for the most part he loved his siblings. Seth had never understood that. Until Ryan came tumbling into his life.
Shutting the door to his room behind him as quietly as possible, Seth made his way downstairs. As was to be expected, Ryan was on the couch in his boxers, already deep into a game of Final Fantasy. When he saw Seth standing in the doorway of the living room, however, he immediately paused the game and looked up, and Seth knew he had been caught.
"So, I went into the bathroom this morning," Ryan began. "And I noticed that the hamper was open. When I went to close it, I found a nightgown and a pair of your boxers. Then, when I went to get dressed, I noticed that several clothing items of mine were missing, some of which you're now wearing..." Seth chewed his lip. "You gonna start explaining?"
"Yeah. Of course. Because, you see - "
"Cohen?" Her voice, unmistakable, coming from upstairs. Busted. Ryan's eyes widened to twice their normal size.
"Summer slept over?" he asked.
"Ahh..." Light, feminine footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Hey," she said from behind him. "I thought I heard voices." She nodded at Ryan.
"Chino."
"Summer." Awkward silence number one.
"Okay, well, I'm gonna borrow Seth for a minute," Summer said, and dragged him into the kitchen. As soon as they were out of the line of Ryan's sight, she leaned forward, dropping her head onto Seth's chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. Seth smiled, kissing the top of her head. So they weren't going to pretend like last night never happened - that was good. When he had woken up next to her, he had panicked, thinking that she was going to wake up, flip out, and never speak to him again. Which was why he had left her and come downstairs in the first place. But now, it appeared as if that was going to be a non-issue. God, when had he gotten this lucky?
He wasn't sure why they had instinctively hidden this from Ryan. Maybe because it was so fresh and new and he didn't really want to ruin it by having Ryan and Marissa speculating 24/7. So for now, this was just going to be between them. He was good with that.
Summer tilted her head back to look up at him. "Hi," she said. Seth smiled down at her.
"Good morning," he replied. She pouted.
"I woke up this morning and you were gone."
"I woke up this morning with fear for my physical health." Summer looked confused.
"What? Why?" she asked.
"Rage blackouts," he reminded her. "In the past, my advances have generally been met with threats of violence.
"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. "I'm not *that* bad!"
"Summer, just a few weeks ago, you threatened to poke my eyes out with a fork. Not even an hour later, you wanted to smother me with a pillow in my sleep!"
"I was *joking*!" By this point, Seth had let go of her and was shaking his head.
"Your bedside manner astounds me," he said as Ryan entered.
"Children, children," he chided. Summer whipped her head around to shoot him a glare that would have made most men cower in fear.
"Shut it, Chino," she warned. Ryan just chuckled as he padded over to the refrigerator to grab the milk carton.
"I would be nice to me if I were you, Summer," he said. "Need I remind you whose clothes you're currently wearing?" Summer's eyes narrowed, but Ryan noticed that she was also blushing. "By the way," he continued. "I never did find out exactly how you ended up sleeping in Seth's room and wearing my underwear. He didn't tell me. Would you care to?" Summer looked down, sneaking a peek at Seth out of the corner of her eye. Looking over, Ryan saw that he, too, was turning red. Shaking his head, Ryan laughed.
"You guys are so dysfunctional," he said as he left. Seth watched him go, then turned back to Summer, trying to judge if it was safe.
"Dysfunctional, huh?" he ventured. She smiled sweetly at him.
"No, I'm not dysfunctional, I'm violent, remember?"
"Summer..." She stepped forward and kissed him fiercely.
"Play nice," she warned. "Or else no more of this." Seth kissed her again.
"Can't have that," he murmured against her lips.
So...living with Summer. This would be a trip.
Angelus angelus1317@hotmail.com
See first chapter for disclaimer, etc.
~*~
It was Saturday.
Seth loved Saturdays. He slept so late that his parents were usually already at work when he woke up, which was generally around noon. He would have a huge breakfast/lunch, watch T.V. or play video games or hang out by the pool until his parents got home, his dad would cook an amazing dinner, they would hang out as a family and watch a movie or play cards or some minty board game until around midnight, around which time his mom would break out the ice cream. So at about 1:30, Seth would finally get to bed, full and happy. He knew quite well that, living in Newport, having a caring family, much less one that made up cheesy weekly rituals, was rare. And that was why he savored it even more.
Although he would never admit it, Ryan was a big fan of Saturdays, too. He tried to brush it off like it was just another day, but Seth knew him better than that by now. He saw the way he would turn his head in embarrassment when Kirsten tried to hug or kiss him, or the little smile that would peek through every now and then as he helped his Sandy in the kitchen. Having Ryan here had only made Saturdays better, something that a young Seth had never thought possible. Now he had someone to watch TV, play video games, or hang out by the pool *with*; someone to share in the often embarrassing antics that were his parents.
When he was about six or seven, Seth had had a friend named Malcom. Malcom had three sisters and a brother, and loved it. Sure, every once and awhile when his brother would get mad and punch him, or when his sisters would never let him into the bathroom, but for the most part he loved his siblings. Seth had never understood that. Until Ryan came tumbling into his life.
Shutting the door to his room behind him as quietly as possible, Seth made his way downstairs. As was to be expected, Ryan was on the couch in his boxers, already deep into a game of Final Fantasy. When he saw Seth standing in the doorway of the living room, however, he immediately paused the game and looked up, and Seth knew he had been caught.
"So, I went into the bathroom this morning," Ryan began. "And I noticed that the hamper was open. When I went to close it, I found a nightgown and a pair of your boxers. Then, when I went to get dressed, I noticed that several clothing items of mine were missing, some of which you're now wearing..." Seth chewed his lip. "You gonna start explaining?"
"Yeah. Of course. Because, you see - "
"Cohen?" Her voice, unmistakable, coming from upstairs. Busted. Ryan's eyes widened to twice their normal size.
"Summer slept over?" he asked.
"Ahh..." Light, feminine footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Hey," she said from behind him. "I thought I heard voices." She nodded at Ryan.
"Chino."
"Summer." Awkward silence number one.
"Okay, well, I'm gonna borrow Seth for a minute," Summer said, and dragged him into the kitchen. As soon as they were out of the line of Ryan's sight, she leaned forward, dropping her head onto Seth's chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. Seth smiled, kissing the top of her head. So they weren't going to pretend like last night never happened - that was good. When he had woken up next to her, he had panicked, thinking that she was going to wake up, flip out, and never speak to him again. Which was why he had left her and come downstairs in the first place. But now, it appeared as if that was going to be a non-issue. God, when had he gotten this lucky?
He wasn't sure why they had instinctively hidden this from Ryan. Maybe because it was so fresh and new and he didn't really want to ruin it by having Ryan and Marissa speculating 24/7. So for now, this was just going to be between them. He was good with that.
Summer tilted her head back to look up at him. "Hi," she said. Seth smiled down at her.
"Good morning," he replied. She pouted.
"I woke up this morning and you were gone."
"I woke up this morning with fear for my physical health." Summer looked confused.
"What? Why?" she asked.
"Rage blackouts," he reminded her. "In the past, my advances have generally been met with threats of violence.
"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. "I'm not *that* bad!"
"Summer, just a few weeks ago, you threatened to poke my eyes out with a fork. Not even an hour later, you wanted to smother me with a pillow in my sleep!"
"I was *joking*!" By this point, Seth had let go of her and was shaking his head.
"Your bedside manner astounds me," he said as Ryan entered.
"Children, children," he chided. Summer whipped her head around to shoot him a glare that would have made most men cower in fear.
"Shut it, Chino," she warned. Ryan just chuckled as he padded over to the refrigerator to grab the milk carton.
"I would be nice to me if I were you, Summer," he said. "Need I remind you whose clothes you're currently wearing?" Summer's eyes narrowed, but Ryan noticed that she was also blushing. "By the way," he continued. "I never did find out exactly how you ended up sleeping in Seth's room and wearing my underwear. He didn't tell me. Would you care to?" Summer looked down, sneaking a peek at Seth out of the corner of her eye. Looking over, Ryan saw that he, too, was turning red. Shaking his head, Ryan laughed.
"You guys are so dysfunctional," he said as he left. Seth watched him go, then turned back to Summer, trying to judge if it was safe.
"Dysfunctional, huh?" he ventured. She smiled sweetly at him.
"No, I'm not dysfunctional, I'm violent, remember?"
"Summer..." She stepped forward and kissed him fiercely.
"Play nice," she warned. "Or else no more of this." Seth kissed her again.
"Can't have that," he murmured against her lips.
So...living with Summer. This would be a trip.
