The Way He Looks At Me

DISCLAIMER: I don't own or claim to own anything here. The characters belong to Fox, and I do not profit from my stories.

- This is a, well, WILL be SLASH. Rated R for sexual content and language.

-Thoughts thoughts

-Please, if you read this, please PLEASE review even if it's a couple words. It lets me know that there are at least some people reading!

Chapter 9 - Delovly

As Seth placed his hand on the cold, metal doorknob to room 7 in the Emergency ward of the Newport County Hospital, the realness of what he was about to see hit him once more.

He paused as he turned the knob, realizing he had been holding his breathe the whole trip from waiting room to hospital bed.

As they walked in as a group, they all looked around quickly, taking in what they could at first glance.

They couldn't see much because they lights were all turned off, with the exception of the light from the bathroom and light coming from the open door. They could make out the outline of a broad body lying in bed, the chest slowing rising and falling, and the weight of a cast on Ryan's arm as it rested atop the sheets.

Seth inched his way forward, followed closely by Marissa, but Summer remained at the doorway, silently watching.

Marissa moved to one side of the bed as Seth stepped to the other. There was a conveniently placed chair facing the bed on Seth's side, probably from when Sandy and Kirsten were visiting.

Seth sat down in the chair, leaning forward and placed his hand upon the hand connected to the casted arm. He sighed as the light hit the side of Ryan's face, illuminating the cuts and bruises on his face. Surprisingly, his cheeks and eyes were untouched, and Seth couldn't help but stare at his face.

He sighed as he leaned forward, brushing a lock of blonde hair off his face, and bringing his face closer to Ryan's. He immediately leaned back, realizing what he was doing, shifting his gaze to meet Marissa's.

"He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping, doesn't he?" she asked, shifting her eyes back to Ryan, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hah," Seth laughed awkwardly, "ya, I guess. I just hope that's what he's doing. Sleeping, that is."

"I'm sure everything is going be fine Seth. You know Ryan. Nothing can bring him down."

"I hope," he sighed and turned his attention to the door where Summer was still standing silently.

"Are you alright?" Seth asked, standing up from the chair.

"Oh………me? Ya, ya, I'm fine. This is just all a little much, ya know?" Summer responded as she moved farther into the room.

Summer continued walking over until she was standing at the foot of the bed and rested her hand on Ryan's blanketed feet.

All three looked on at Ryan for several minutes in an awkward silence until suddenly, without warning, Summer ran over to Seth and enveloped him in a hug as she started to cry. Seth, from some random reaction, had his hands out and looked towards Marissa with wide, questioning eyes.

Summer continued sobbing into Seth's shoulder until he remember his hands and started to pat and rub her on the back, but still staring at Marissa.

"I'm so sorry Seth – this must be impossibly hard for you! I've been such an ice queen. God, I'm sorry. Please forgive me!" Summer pleaded, making Seth's eyes, if possible, even bigger.

"What the hell….." he said out loud and Marissa started to finally make her way across the room.

"Hey Summ, it's okay. It's understandable that this is a bit of informational overload. Here, sit down," Marissa said as she pried Summer off of Seth and forced her into the chair.

"God, I'm such a freak!" Summer exclaimed as she stared into her hands.

"Hey," Seth started as he rubbed her shoulder, "I didn't even know you had a……uh…..problem. It's cool. No one should really be handling this well, ya know?"

"Well……..um……..now I feel stupid. I probably look stupid too." "Ew," she said as and afterthought as she caught a glimpse of her make-up in the mirror. "Anyway, um……Seth, is there anything I can do?"

"Well….lets see. You could start by wiping that black stuff of your eyes. You look like a raccoon." With that Summer smiled and gave Seth a playful punch in the arm. "Ow," Seth returned as he fake-fainted into the chair behind him.

"Just know that I'm sorry and this is so cool. It's like the Valley really happening here….in Newport!" Summer responded as she waved her hand in the air. Oh, and I just want to know one thing Seth, do you like……love Ryan?"

Marissa was suddenly interested also and acknowledged the question by nodding her head furiously up and down with a quizzical smile on her face. "Come on Seth. Now it's on both our minds and unless you answer, you don't get to leave," Marissa said as she blocked the door.

"I……oh…..look, there's a Liger!" Seth said as he pointed towards the window with a failed attempt to avoid the topic at hand.

"Answer!" Summer and Marissa shouted in unison with smiles on their faces.

"Well, I suppose, if I must answer, the answer would be yes. I do believe I love Ryan," Seth said as he examined his fingernails in another attempt to avoid the evermore increasingly annoying girls he was being forced to talk to.

"Awww!" Summer squealed as she hurried over to Seth, "and might I add oh," she finished in a defeated voice.

At Summer's last statement they both looked at her and followed her gaze to a tired-looking but now wide awake Ryan Atwood.

Ok! That's chapter 9! Woohoo! And I'm really sorry it took sooooo long, but I got really sick over the last few months and just got out of surgery – BUT that means lots of recovery time and I will update ASAP! Oh, and please review!