· I don't own anything having to do with The O.C. Except a poster. Pity me.
Sail Me To The Moon
"Is that it?"
Seth shifted into park and undid his seatbelt before turning to look at her.
"Yeah."
Summer sat staring at it, her hands folded together on her lap, her seat belt still taught across her chest. Seth took a moment to admire her profile, the natural blush that swept along her cheekbones, the lone freckle underneath her left eye. The silence finally became uncomfortable and Seth climbed out of the car, walking around to join Summer as she shut the door behind her.
They walked in silence down the cement path that led to the docks and Seth came to a stop just before the boat, slipping his hands self-consciously into his pockets.
"It needs a paint job. I hit a reef last week and it chipped off some paint there." He leaned over the docks to point to the patch of chipped paint just under the script that read 'Summer's Breeze.'
Summer was quiet, her arms folded over her stomach. "It's beautiful."
Seth smiled shyly and shrugged. "It's okay."
"No, Cohen. It's beautiful. I love it." She closed the gap between them with a step and laced her arms around his back, pulling him against her. After the initial shock wore off, he returned her embrace, burying his nose into her soft hair. Coconut. He smiled.
They stood together for a long time, slowly rocking back and forth to keep their balance. The sun was setting now, casting an orange hue over the ocean and bringing out the glow of their skin.
"So should I teach you the tricks of the trade?" Seth's voice seemed foreign as it rung above the comfortable silence they had sunken into.
"Isn't it too dark to go out?"
Seth shrugged and stepped over the side of the boat, turning to face her and offering a hand.
"Are you kidding? The sunsets out here are gorgeous. This is the best time of the day to be out."
"Oh." Summer grasped his hand and hopped into the boat, rubbing her hands up and down over the goose bumps that had formed over her arms.
"You cold?" He pulled his jacket off before she could acknowledge his question and slid behind her, draping it over her shoulders. She pushed her arms through the sleeves, smiling at the soft scent that radiated from it.
"Yeah. Thanks."
Summer couldn't help but stare at him as he maneuvered his way around the boat, pulling and clipping things she had never paid attention to before while on a boat. His t-shirt had crept up and as he bent over to tie a not in a long piece of rope, his tanned back peeked through. Her stomach flip flopped without her consent and she tilted her head down to hide a smile.
He was so adorable, running here and there, until he finally got them moving. She could tell he had done this hundreds of times before, and couldn't resist letting herself fall for her that much more. He obviously adored sailing. He also obviously adored her for naming his sailboat after her.
"What's so funny?" His eyes questioned her as he knelt by a metal gadget, pulling a strand of rope with all of his weight.
"Nothing. You're just so into it. You look so serious."
He brushed his hands off on his jeans and stood up, walking over to sit beside her on the wooden bench that lined the sides of the small boat.
"Sailing is serious, Summer."
She laughed at him and nudged his shoulder with hers. He smiled, admiring the way the last rays of the sinking sun glimmered off of her eyes, creating almost a reddish color.
A loud horn sounded and he jumped, startled half by the sheer volume of the noise and half by Summer's hand as it dug into his arm. He laughed as he stood and pulled a rope, guiding the sail until he steered them away from the path of a larger boat.
Summer was clutching her heart, having been scared almost out of her seat by the sudden interruption. "Oh my god!"
Seth laughed and fixed the sails so that they were back on track. "Sorry about that. I guess I should have warned you that a lot of boats pass by here this time of night."
She recovered quickly, slowing her breaths and returning her hand to rest on the wood of the bench she sat on. "So that happens, like, all the time?"
He shrugged, returning to sit beside her. "I'm usually paying attention, but I also usually don't have a beautiful woman sitting beside me. So, no. They normally don't blow their horns like that. It's happened before, though."
Summer smiled at his subtle compliment and gazed into his eyes, which were a darker shade of brown than she was used to. "You're trying to tell me you've never even brought Anna here?"
He shook his head. "No."
"But, why? This is so romantic…"
"She wouldn't understand."
Summer rolled her eyes. "She sails all the time!"
He broke his eyes to stare in front of them, over the tip of the boat and along the ripples in the water. "She wouldn't get Summer's Breeze."
Summer nodded, realizing what he'd been trying to convey. "Oh. She'd be jealous?"
"Not even that. She just wouldn't appreciate it. I helped fix up this boat when I was eleven years old. I named it when I was twelve. I don't really use it to pick up chicks, Summer."
She poked a hand out from beneath the sleeve of his jacket and grasped his wrist so that he turned to look at her. "You could. It would work."
He stretched his fingers out, grasping her palm in his before lacing their hands together. "I can't."
She turned, bringing her far leg to stretch across his lap so that she was seated on his legs, facing him. "I want you to."
He sighed deeply and leaned forward to rest his forehead on her chest, bringing his free hand underneath his coat that she was wearing and resting it on her exposed hip. "You have no idea how much I want to."
"Then do it."
"Summer…"
She pulled his hands into her own and guided them to cup her face. "Seth. I like you… I like you enough to get over the fact that you chose Anna over me so you wouldn't get your heart broken. Now kiss me."
Seth's eyes widened. "I thought you were drunk that night."
Summer growled under her breath and pulled herself down until her nose touched his. "I had to have a viable reason for stalking you and hiding out in your bushes. Let's chalk it up to a bad night and good acting."
His confused stare turned into complete and utter bliss as her lips engulfed his. He immediately grasped for her face, pulling her as close to him as physically possible. She moaned softly as he tilted his head, opening his mouth wider and taking the initiative. His lips were chapped slightly, but the way they moved along her glossy smile made her melt above him.
His hands rose to push his jacket off of her now flushed shoulders. She wouldn't be cold anymore.
Summer broke away from his kiss, leaning forward to touch his lips to hers once more before speaking. "I can't even see you."
"I know, we should get back before there's no light left."
She wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her cheek against his chest. "I don't want to leave."
He smiled into her hair, drawing circles on her waist. "Ask me anytime and I'll bring you back. Promise."
She slid off of his lap and reached out to pull him until he stood up in front of her. "Tomorrow."
"Deal."
She grinned and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Deal."
---
"Hey, Anna, it's me. Call me when you get the chance. I uh… I think we need to talk. I'm sorry about what happened at the party. I didn't mean to make you feel unwelcome and… yeah. Just, uh. Just give me a call back. Bye."
Seth flipped his phone shut and laid back on his bed. His head was spinning and he felt like he was suffering from the world's worst hangover, only it wasn't alcohol that was pumping through his system - it was Summer.
He spaced out, blankly staring at an old Bright Eyes poster that had begun to curl under at one corner. He sighed loudly when the song that was playing on his computer began to skip. It had been on repeat the entire morning, figuring maybe if he wore it out it would keep the lyrics from coursing through his brain every five seconds. It wasn't working, though. Each time he heard the first few familiar notes, his stomach jumped and his throat ached.
He hadn't slept all night… just lay awake, staring at the ceiling, feeling guilty. He didn't really feel guilty about kissing Summer. He wouldn't take that back for the world… he more so felt guilty about NOT feeling guilty. Sure, Anna had her downfalls. She was jealous, and she had a bit more in common with him than seemed normal… but she was kind, she was generous, and she cared about him. A lot. And God only knew why, because Seth couldn't fathom why two gorgeous women wanted to be with him.
And worst of all, he had cheated on her. He had made her feel guilty enough to leave her friend's party, and then he had kissed another girl. He had taken another girl on his sailboat. Seth would never admit it to Summer, but no girl had ever been on his sailboat before. Not even his Mother. His Dad, sure… Ryan, a few times, but that was all. Summer's Breeze was where Seth went to be alone, to think. It was his oasis… and he couldn't help but think that when he was touching Summer, when he was kissing her, holding her, feeling her… she was just that. She was his oasis.
He couldn't lie to himself anymore. Anna didn't make him feel this way. She had by no means the same effect on him as Summer did. God, he couldn't stop picturing the way she had looked last night, or the feel of her skin against his. He wanted to be the only one to feel that, and he wanted her to be the only one that felt this way about him. He was tired of the triangle… all he wanted was her. All he had ever wanted was her.
/ So I start a revolution from my bed
/ Cause you said the brains I have went to my head
/ Step outside the summertime's in bloom
/ Stand up besides the fireplace
/ Take the look from off your face
/ Cause you ain't never gonna burn my heart out
/ So Sally can wait, she knows it's too late
/ As were walkin on by
/ Her soul slides away, but don't look back in anger
/ I heard you say
/ Take me to the place where you go
/ Where nobody knows
/ If it's night or day
/ Please don't put your life in the hands
/ Of a Rock n Roll band
/ Who'll throw it away
/ / Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis
Sail Me To The Moon
"Is that it?"
Seth shifted into park and undid his seatbelt before turning to look at her.
"Yeah."
Summer sat staring at it, her hands folded together on her lap, her seat belt still taught across her chest. Seth took a moment to admire her profile, the natural blush that swept along her cheekbones, the lone freckle underneath her left eye. The silence finally became uncomfortable and Seth climbed out of the car, walking around to join Summer as she shut the door behind her.
They walked in silence down the cement path that led to the docks and Seth came to a stop just before the boat, slipping his hands self-consciously into his pockets.
"It needs a paint job. I hit a reef last week and it chipped off some paint there." He leaned over the docks to point to the patch of chipped paint just under the script that read 'Summer's Breeze.'
Summer was quiet, her arms folded over her stomach. "It's beautiful."
Seth smiled shyly and shrugged. "It's okay."
"No, Cohen. It's beautiful. I love it." She closed the gap between them with a step and laced her arms around his back, pulling him against her. After the initial shock wore off, he returned her embrace, burying his nose into her soft hair. Coconut. He smiled.
They stood together for a long time, slowly rocking back and forth to keep their balance. The sun was setting now, casting an orange hue over the ocean and bringing out the glow of their skin.
"So should I teach you the tricks of the trade?" Seth's voice seemed foreign as it rung above the comfortable silence they had sunken into.
"Isn't it too dark to go out?"
Seth shrugged and stepped over the side of the boat, turning to face her and offering a hand.
"Are you kidding? The sunsets out here are gorgeous. This is the best time of the day to be out."
"Oh." Summer grasped his hand and hopped into the boat, rubbing her hands up and down over the goose bumps that had formed over her arms.
"You cold?" He pulled his jacket off before she could acknowledge his question and slid behind her, draping it over her shoulders. She pushed her arms through the sleeves, smiling at the soft scent that radiated from it.
"Yeah. Thanks."
Summer couldn't help but stare at him as he maneuvered his way around the boat, pulling and clipping things she had never paid attention to before while on a boat. His t-shirt had crept up and as he bent over to tie a not in a long piece of rope, his tanned back peeked through. Her stomach flip flopped without her consent and she tilted her head down to hide a smile.
He was so adorable, running here and there, until he finally got them moving. She could tell he had done this hundreds of times before, and couldn't resist letting herself fall for her that much more. He obviously adored sailing. He also obviously adored her for naming his sailboat after her.
"What's so funny?" His eyes questioned her as he knelt by a metal gadget, pulling a strand of rope with all of his weight.
"Nothing. You're just so into it. You look so serious."
He brushed his hands off on his jeans and stood up, walking over to sit beside her on the wooden bench that lined the sides of the small boat.
"Sailing is serious, Summer."
She laughed at him and nudged his shoulder with hers. He smiled, admiring the way the last rays of the sinking sun glimmered off of her eyes, creating almost a reddish color.
A loud horn sounded and he jumped, startled half by the sheer volume of the noise and half by Summer's hand as it dug into his arm. He laughed as he stood and pulled a rope, guiding the sail until he steered them away from the path of a larger boat.
Summer was clutching her heart, having been scared almost out of her seat by the sudden interruption. "Oh my god!"
Seth laughed and fixed the sails so that they were back on track. "Sorry about that. I guess I should have warned you that a lot of boats pass by here this time of night."
She recovered quickly, slowing her breaths and returning her hand to rest on the wood of the bench she sat on. "So that happens, like, all the time?"
He shrugged, returning to sit beside her. "I'm usually paying attention, but I also usually don't have a beautiful woman sitting beside me. So, no. They normally don't blow their horns like that. It's happened before, though."
Summer smiled at his subtle compliment and gazed into his eyes, which were a darker shade of brown than she was used to. "You're trying to tell me you've never even brought Anna here?"
He shook his head. "No."
"But, why? This is so romantic…"
"She wouldn't understand."
Summer rolled her eyes. "She sails all the time!"
He broke his eyes to stare in front of them, over the tip of the boat and along the ripples in the water. "She wouldn't get Summer's Breeze."
Summer nodded, realizing what he'd been trying to convey. "Oh. She'd be jealous?"
"Not even that. She just wouldn't appreciate it. I helped fix up this boat when I was eleven years old. I named it when I was twelve. I don't really use it to pick up chicks, Summer."
She poked a hand out from beneath the sleeve of his jacket and grasped his wrist so that he turned to look at her. "You could. It would work."
He stretched his fingers out, grasping her palm in his before lacing their hands together. "I can't."
She turned, bringing her far leg to stretch across his lap so that she was seated on his legs, facing him. "I want you to."
He sighed deeply and leaned forward to rest his forehead on her chest, bringing his free hand underneath his coat that she was wearing and resting it on her exposed hip. "You have no idea how much I want to."
"Then do it."
"Summer…"
She pulled his hands into her own and guided them to cup her face. "Seth. I like you… I like you enough to get over the fact that you chose Anna over me so you wouldn't get your heart broken. Now kiss me."
Seth's eyes widened. "I thought you were drunk that night."
Summer growled under her breath and pulled herself down until her nose touched his. "I had to have a viable reason for stalking you and hiding out in your bushes. Let's chalk it up to a bad night and good acting."
His confused stare turned into complete and utter bliss as her lips engulfed his. He immediately grasped for her face, pulling her as close to him as physically possible. She moaned softly as he tilted his head, opening his mouth wider and taking the initiative. His lips were chapped slightly, but the way they moved along her glossy smile made her melt above him.
His hands rose to push his jacket off of her now flushed shoulders. She wouldn't be cold anymore.
Summer broke away from his kiss, leaning forward to touch his lips to hers once more before speaking. "I can't even see you."
"I know, we should get back before there's no light left."
She wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her cheek against his chest. "I don't want to leave."
He smiled into her hair, drawing circles on her waist. "Ask me anytime and I'll bring you back. Promise."
She slid off of his lap and reached out to pull him until he stood up in front of her. "Tomorrow."
"Deal."
She grinned and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Deal."
---
"Hey, Anna, it's me. Call me when you get the chance. I uh… I think we need to talk. I'm sorry about what happened at the party. I didn't mean to make you feel unwelcome and… yeah. Just, uh. Just give me a call back. Bye."
Seth flipped his phone shut and laid back on his bed. His head was spinning and he felt like he was suffering from the world's worst hangover, only it wasn't alcohol that was pumping through his system - it was Summer.
He spaced out, blankly staring at an old Bright Eyes poster that had begun to curl under at one corner. He sighed loudly when the song that was playing on his computer began to skip. It had been on repeat the entire morning, figuring maybe if he wore it out it would keep the lyrics from coursing through his brain every five seconds. It wasn't working, though. Each time he heard the first few familiar notes, his stomach jumped and his throat ached.
He hadn't slept all night… just lay awake, staring at the ceiling, feeling guilty. He didn't really feel guilty about kissing Summer. He wouldn't take that back for the world… he more so felt guilty about NOT feeling guilty. Sure, Anna had her downfalls. She was jealous, and she had a bit more in common with him than seemed normal… but she was kind, she was generous, and she cared about him. A lot. And God only knew why, because Seth couldn't fathom why two gorgeous women wanted to be with him.
And worst of all, he had cheated on her. He had made her feel guilty enough to leave her friend's party, and then he had kissed another girl. He had taken another girl on his sailboat. Seth would never admit it to Summer, but no girl had ever been on his sailboat before. Not even his Mother. His Dad, sure… Ryan, a few times, but that was all. Summer's Breeze was where Seth went to be alone, to think. It was his oasis… and he couldn't help but think that when he was touching Summer, when he was kissing her, holding her, feeling her… she was just that. She was his oasis.
He couldn't lie to himself anymore. Anna didn't make him feel this way. She had by no means the same effect on him as Summer did. God, he couldn't stop picturing the way she had looked last night, or the feel of her skin against his. He wanted to be the only one to feel that, and he wanted her to be the only one that felt this way about him. He was tired of the triangle… all he wanted was her. All he had ever wanted was her.
/ So I start a revolution from my bed
/ Cause you said the brains I have went to my head
/ Step outside the summertime's in bloom
/ Stand up besides the fireplace
/ Take the look from off your face
/ Cause you ain't never gonna burn my heart out
/ So Sally can wait, she knows it's too late
/ As were walkin on by
/ Her soul slides away, but don't look back in anger
/ I heard you say
/ Take me to the place where you go
/ Where nobody knows
/ If it's night or day
/ Please don't put your life in the hands
/ Of a Rock n Roll band
/ Who'll throw it away
/ / Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis