Fire Bad, Tree Pretty (8/15: Like Waves)
Angelus angelus1317@hotmail.com
See first chapter for disclaimer, etc.
Author's Notes: Now, we all know that Sandy and Kirsten love Ryan and would never throw him out. I just wanted to make it clear that that's not at all true, it's just Ryan's paranoia.
~*~
Seth woke to the feeling of warm lips against his skin, right at that special spot behind his ear. He moaned, and moved a fraction of an inch closer.
Bad idea.
His head throbbed. His mouth felt like cotton. His ears were ringing. He couldn't even open his eyes.
"Time to get up," Summer sing-songed into his ear. If he had had the energy to move or speak, he would have shoved her and told her to buzz off. But, seeing as how he could manage neither, he settled for a caveman grunt. Summer giggled, and the sound was like a jackhammer against his skull. A jackhammer to add to the three that were there already, keeping time with the bass drum and sledgehammer that were up there as well. Although he had never experienced anything like this before, Seth didn't need to be told that he was hung over. Damn. This was freaking obnoxious. Why the hell did people go out and get drunk if they knew that they only had this to look forward to in the morning?
"Here," Summer was saying, holding something under his nose for inspection. He was able to crack open one eyelid and see a handful of pills. Without waiting for a response of any kind, Summer shoved them into his mouth. It took the last of Seth's energy to concentrate on swallowing them without choking or throwing up before he promptly passed out again.
~*~
When Seth woke up again, he had no idea how long he had been out. He felt significantly better than before, but his head was still throbbing and his muscles were sore and he felt quite groggy. Sitting up didn't do much to help that - it only made him dizzy. Looking around the room, he found it empty. Ryan must have woken up and gone downstairs already. Seth was happy to find that he could stand up and walk, unlike yesterday morning. By the time he got downstairs, however, he was tripping over his own two feet and his ears were ringing and his head was throbbing again. He stumbled around the downstairs searching for his friends, but to no avail. When he had checked the last room, he headed out to the poolhouse.
There they were, laying on Ryan's bed. Marissa was propped up against the headboard, with Ryan's head in her lap. Her fingers stroked his neck and played with his hair and she murmured soothing words down to him. Ryan looked like shit, Seth noticed. Then again, so did he. Summer was laying across the foot of the bed reading a magazine, and he made a beeline for her. She dropped the magazine to the ground and pressed a soft kiss to his temple.
"Hey," she said softly. "Feeling better?"
"Better," Seth grunted as he spooned against her, pressing the entire length of his body against her backside. "Not good. What the hell did you give me?"
"*Really* strong painkillers," Summer answered. "They knock you out for a few solid hours." Seth groaned again.
"I'm never drinking alcohol again," he declared. Summer chuckled, shifting closer to him.
"So," he began. "What happened last night?"
~*~
Seth, Summer, Ryan, and Marissa hung out in the poolhouse most of the day. The girls had already packed and cleaned up all the evidence this morning, as the Cohens would be home at around six. It was nearing four now, and the boys were just starting to perk up again.
"I hate you," Ryan was muttering to Marissa.
"Why?" she asked, confused. He glared at her.
"Why aren't you hung over like the rest of us?" he countered. Summer let loose an involuntary snort of laughter, and Marissa glared warningly. Ryan looked over at Summer, only now realizing that she wasn't hung over, either. He caught Seth's eye only to see that the other boy had been thinking along the exact same lines.
"What the hell is going on here?" Seth asked, eyeing the girls suspiciously.
"That's exactly what I'd like to know," came a voice from the door. All four teens looked up to see Hailey standing in the doorway.
"Busted," Seth muttered. Hailey's eyes scanned the room, picking up the telltale details that only a twenty-five-year-old that still hadn't grown out of her rebellious teen phase would know to look for: Seth and Ryan's bloodshot eyes, Summer and Marissa's bags in the corner.
"So, what, did you spend the whole weekend getting wasted?" Hailey asked. They all looked at one another silently, confirming her accusation. Ryan had turned white as a sheet the second she had come through the door. If she ratted them out, he was screwed. He had no doubt that Sandy and Kirsten would blame this all on him. They'd probably kick him out for good this time, too. As Hailey let them all sweat it out, he found that he was holding his breath and clenching his fists to the point where his knuckles were turning white.
Hailey broke out in a grin. "Well, at least you're not hiding crack in the flowerpot, " she said airily, dropping down on the bed beside Seth and Summer, her tone indicating that she had done such before. Ryan let out the breath he had been holding, regarding her with disbelief.
"So, you're not gonna tell Sandy and Kirsten?" he asked. Hailey grinned again.
"Please," she said. "I've done far worse. Besides - you kids deserve a little fun now and then." Seth let go of Summer and sat up, patting Hailey on the back.
"Do I not have the coolest aunt in the world?" he asked. Ryan rolled his eyes and settled his head back into Marissa's lap. There was a moment of comfortable silence before Summer climbed off the bed, gesturing at Marissa.
"Come on, Coop," she said, giving the boys an apologetic smile. "We'd better get out of here in case the 'rents get back early."
"No," Seth murmured, grabbing her hand. Summer smiled and kissed him sweetly on the lips.
"I'll see you Monday," she said softly. Marissa nudged Ryan and he sat up slowly. He leaned over and kissed her, and she stood next to Summer.
"Well," Summer said. "I guess this is it, then." The boys nodded slowly, but she wasn't even looking at Ryan - all she could see was Seth. Damn. He didn't even remember what had happened in the hot tub, but still he was looking at her like he had had the most incredible time this weekend, just because she was there. Summer felt the beginnings of tears stinging in her eyes. She was pretty sure no guy had ever looked at her like that before. And what made it even sadder was that, come Monday, they were going to pretend like it had never happened. Well, she was, at least. And Seth seemed to realize this, because he stood up so that he was directly in front of her, and, ignoring the shooting pain in his skull, took her face in both hands and kissed her properly - long and hot and hard. Summer's hands reflexively grabbed his waist, and even when he gently pried his mouth away from hers, she didn't let go, because her knees were like jelly. Damn.
"Goodbye," he said softly, a gleam in his eye. Flustered, Summer took a step back, moving over to the corner to pick up her bag. As she followed Marissa out the door, she took one last glance over her shoulder to see Seth still watching her, smiling broadly.
Summer smiled back.
Angelus angelus1317@hotmail.com
See first chapter for disclaimer, etc.
Author's Notes: Now, we all know that Sandy and Kirsten love Ryan and would never throw him out. I just wanted to make it clear that that's not at all true, it's just Ryan's paranoia.
~*~
Seth woke to the feeling of warm lips against his skin, right at that special spot behind his ear. He moaned, and moved a fraction of an inch closer.
Bad idea.
His head throbbed. His mouth felt like cotton. His ears were ringing. He couldn't even open his eyes.
"Time to get up," Summer sing-songed into his ear. If he had had the energy to move or speak, he would have shoved her and told her to buzz off. But, seeing as how he could manage neither, he settled for a caveman grunt. Summer giggled, and the sound was like a jackhammer against his skull. A jackhammer to add to the three that were there already, keeping time with the bass drum and sledgehammer that were up there as well. Although he had never experienced anything like this before, Seth didn't need to be told that he was hung over. Damn. This was freaking obnoxious. Why the hell did people go out and get drunk if they knew that they only had this to look forward to in the morning?
"Here," Summer was saying, holding something under his nose for inspection. He was able to crack open one eyelid and see a handful of pills. Without waiting for a response of any kind, Summer shoved them into his mouth. It took the last of Seth's energy to concentrate on swallowing them without choking or throwing up before he promptly passed out again.
~*~
When Seth woke up again, he had no idea how long he had been out. He felt significantly better than before, but his head was still throbbing and his muscles were sore and he felt quite groggy. Sitting up didn't do much to help that - it only made him dizzy. Looking around the room, he found it empty. Ryan must have woken up and gone downstairs already. Seth was happy to find that he could stand up and walk, unlike yesterday morning. By the time he got downstairs, however, he was tripping over his own two feet and his ears were ringing and his head was throbbing again. He stumbled around the downstairs searching for his friends, but to no avail. When he had checked the last room, he headed out to the poolhouse.
There they were, laying on Ryan's bed. Marissa was propped up against the headboard, with Ryan's head in her lap. Her fingers stroked his neck and played with his hair and she murmured soothing words down to him. Ryan looked like shit, Seth noticed. Then again, so did he. Summer was laying across the foot of the bed reading a magazine, and he made a beeline for her. She dropped the magazine to the ground and pressed a soft kiss to his temple.
"Hey," she said softly. "Feeling better?"
"Better," Seth grunted as he spooned against her, pressing the entire length of his body against her backside. "Not good. What the hell did you give me?"
"*Really* strong painkillers," Summer answered. "They knock you out for a few solid hours." Seth groaned again.
"I'm never drinking alcohol again," he declared. Summer chuckled, shifting closer to him.
"So," he began. "What happened last night?"
~*~
Seth, Summer, Ryan, and Marissa hung out in the poolhouse most of the day. The girls had already packed and cleaned up all the evidence this morning, as the Cohens would be home at around six. It was nearing four now, and the boys were just starting to perk up again.
"I hate you," Ryan was muttering to Marissa.
"Why?" she asked, confused. He glared at her.
"Why aren't you hung over like the rest of us?" he countered. Summer let loose an involuntary snort of laughter, and Marissa glared warningly. Ryan looked over at Summer, only now realizing that she wasn't hung over, either. He caught Seth's eye only to see that the other boy had been thinking along the exact same lines.
"What the hell is going on here?" Seth asked, eyeing the girls suspiciously.
"That's exactly what I'd like to know," came a voice from the door. All four teens looked up to see Hailey standing in the doorway.
"Busted," Seth muttered. Hailey's eyes scanned the room, picking up the telltale details that only a twenty-five-year-old that still hadn't grown out of her rebellious teen phase would know to look for: Seth and Ryan's bloodshot eyes, Summer and Marissa's bags in the corner.
"So, what, did you spend the whole weekend getting wasted?" Hailey asked. They all looked at one another silently, confirming her accusation. Ryan had turned white as a sheet the second she had come through the door. If she ratted them out, he was screwed. He had no doubt that Sandy and Kirsten would blame this all on him. They'd probably kick him out for good this time, too. As Hailey let them all sweat it out, he found that he was holding his breath and clenching his fists to the point where his knuckles were turning white.
Hailey broke out in a grin. "Well, at least you're not hiding crack in the flowerpot, " she said airily, dropping down on the bed beside Seth and Summer, her tone indicating that she had done such before. Ryan let out the breath he had been holding, regarding her with disbelief.
"So, you're not gonna tell Sandy and Kirsten?" he asked. Hailey grinned again.
"Please," she said. "I've done far worse. Besides - you kids deserve a little fun now and then." Seth let go of Summer and sat up, patting Hailey on the back.
"Do I not have the coolest aunt in the world?" he asked. Ryan rolled his eyes and settled his head back into Marissa's lap. There was a moment of comfortable silence before Summer climbed off the bed, gesturing at Marissa.
"Come on, Coop," she said, giving the boys an apologetic smile. "We'd better get out of here in case the 'rents get back early."
"No," Seth murmured, grabbing her hand. Summer smiled and kissed him sweetly on the lips.
"I'll see you Monday," she said softly. Marissa nudged Ryan and he sat up slowly. He leaned over and kissed her, and she stood next to Summer.
"Well," Summer said. "I guess this is it, then." The boys nodded slowly, but she wasn't even looking at Ryan - all she could see was Seth. Damn. He didn't even remember what had happened in the hot tub, but still he was looking at her like he had had the most incredible time this weekend, just because she was there. Summer felt the beginnings of tears stinging in her eyes. She was pretty sure no guy had ever looked at her like that before. And what made it even sadder was that, come Monday, they were going to pretend like it had never happened. Well, she was, at least. And Seth seemed to realize this, because he stood up so that he was directly in front of her, and, ignoring the shooting pain in his skull, took her face in both hands and kissed her properly - long and hot and hard. Summer's hands reflexively grabbed his waist, and even when he gently pried his mouth away from hers, she didn't let go, because her knees were like jelly. Damn.
"Goodbye," he said softly, a gleam in his eye. Flustered, Summer took a step back, moving over to the corner to pick up her bag. As she followed Marissa out the door, she took one last glance over her shoulder to see Seth still watching her, smiling broadly.
Summer smiled back.