Smoke
Disclaimer: Guess what? Josh finally caved in, and now I own The O.C. Yay! Except not. Oh well, we can dream.
A/N: Here are the promised Anna/Ryan goodies. My longest chapter (in this story) yet! Thank you guys so much for reading, and a special super-stellar thanks to you guys who have reviewed! And, miss suga- Yay! Someone noticed. The really challenging thing to me is that I'm making this a non-dialogue story, and dialogue is usaully the main part of my stories.
Anna pulls up to Theresa's house. It looks sort of dingy and dark to Anna, but it seems more inviting than the other houses she's seen during her drive.
She looks for the doorbell, but sees there isn't one, so she knocks instead. She looks around the front yard while she waits for someone to answer. She thinks Theresa will probably answer, and isn't sure how to introduce herself if she does.
She turns her eyes back to the door when she hears it squeak open. There stands Ryan. He's wearing a wife beater and jeans, and Anna can't even hide a little bit of her excitement.
He asks what she's doing here and she tells him that she's visiting. He invites her inside and her pulls her into a deep hug. She sniffs to get his scent, and he smells like breakfast syrup. There's not a hint of cigarettes. Anna takes this as a good sign. He tells her that Theresa and her mother are at the doctor's.
They sit down and she asks him how he's doing and asks about Theresa, and she questions him on his relationships with Marissa and Theresa. He responds by shaking his head, and Anna knows that he's not seeing either one. They talk for a while, and then Anna asks the question she's been itching to ask. Ryan replies saying that he started up again when he came, but Theresa told him to stop because she'd be tempted to start again, too. Anna's interested in the new knowledge that Theresa used to smoke, but isn't surprised.
Ryan looks at her and they're quiet for a little while, comfortable just staring at each other in silence. Anna breaks the silence, knowing that he wouldn't, and says she's going to go back and says Summer probably wants her car returned now. She can't bring herself to talk about the time at the beach. She's always been foward and outgoing, but Ryan does something to her that makes her weak. He turns her into a shy little girl on the inside, even though she tries desperately to hide it from him. She has a feeling he knows.
They walk together to the door and she says the average it-was-nice-seeing-you speech, and they exchange smiles. Anna almost opens the door when she hears Ryan's voice stopping her.
Ryan asks if she remembers the time when they were on the beach and kissed. Anna thinks about her favorite Newport memory and nods. He says that he still thinks about it sometimes, and confesses that he still has some feelings for her that he doesn't know how to describe.
Anna feels a bubble of happiness in her and smiles genuinly. She says she's felt the same way, and that it's been haunting her in Pittsburgh, in a way.
Ryan returns her comforting smile and she tilts her head a little, wondering if he's sharing her thoughts.
He leans down a little, and the second kiss she's been waiting for finally happens. She puts her tongue in his mouth, tasting. It tastes like strawberries, maple syrup, and a little like waffles. She can't help but giggle, thinking that she'll have to have breakfast all the time in Pittsburgh now.
He asks he why she's laughing with a light smile, and she shakes her head. They both resume their kissing, lasting longer than their previous time on the beach.
Together, they make their way to Ryan's room to talk and cuddle and share more kisses. Ryan doesn't want Theresa or her mother to come home and see them cuddling or kissing. Soon, Anna gets a call on her cell phone from a slightly irritated Summer, who wants her car back soon. Anna tells Ryan she should probably leave now, and they say their goodbyes. He says they'll be getting a computer soon, so he'll e-mail her.
Anna drives back to Newport with a feeling of happiness and emptiness. She's unsure where they are in their relationship, but she knows he is too. And she's okay with that.
A/N 2: It's not over yet. The epilogue will be up soon. So stay tuned. Ugh, I hate that phrase.