Disclaimer: I don't own The OC or its characters, etc.
Summary: Kandy fluff, set somewhere between The Perfect Couple and The Best Chrismukkah Ever, but timing isn't really important.
This is especially for Sunny and Michelle without whom I wouldn't have seen the season 2 finale – THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU! You wanted strawberries, you've got them!
"Come on, Sandy, you must have some idea what your father-in-law has up his sleeve?"
Sandy grunted. He had never been able to figure out Caleb Nichol.
"So…?"
"Honestly, Rachel, I got nothing!" Sandy answered, dropping a file down on the desk.
It was late Saturday afternoon and Sandy had been in the office all day. The case against the Newport Group was keeping him so busy, he felt like he might as well move into his office with all the time he had been spending there. He only went home to sleep and even that was for a few hours at a time. He felt constantly tired and drained, a feeling he hadn't had since he was studying for his finals at law school. At least then he had Kirsten keeping him company as he worked late. She would curl up on the bed and read from one of her art history books as he wrote essay after essay, pouring over textbook after textbook. Every now and again, she would silently wander through to the kitchen to top up his coffee or bring him a snack, always leaving a kiss on his temple as she did. When he was finished for the night, they would lie in bed and she would rest her head on his chest as he grumbled about something law-related that she knew nothing about, listening passively, agreeing when she needed to; and she would always wait until he fell asleep first before closing her eyes.
"Sandy? Sandy!"
Rachel's voice brought him out of his daydream.
"Sorry, what?"
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Never mind."
Sandy sighed and picked up another ecological report off his desk. On the other side, Rachel raised her eyebrows.
"I'm starting to get the feeling you don't wanna be here?" she questioned.
Sandy grunted again. "I can think of better ways to spend my Saturday nights."
If he shut his eyes for long enough, he could picture Kirsten lounging around the house, restless and bored without him. At least, that's what he hoped. In reality, she was probably just as caught up in the lawsuit as he was.
"So, how are things going between you and Kirsten now you're suing her father's company?" Rachel probed, reading his mind.
Sandy looked at her. She seemed to take delight in the strain this was bringing on his marriage.
"We're doing just great, thanks," Sandy answered shortly.
And they were. Things had settled down and, so far, they were managing to keep their work lives away from the private lives, mostly because they didn't have a private life any more. He missed his wife: he missed talking to her, kissing her, touching her. They had fleeting moments here and there, but he couldn't remember the last time they had spent any real time together.
Sandy sighed heavily and picked up the newspaper that lay on his desk. On the front page was another article about his war with Caleb. Every couple of days an article would appear, usually at the request of Partridge, Savage and Kahn, which would only deepen the feud between Sandy and Caleb, and stress out Kirsten even more. Sandy knew that Caleb was giving her a hard time about it and he blamed himself – it was his firm.
He pulled out the Arts & Leisure section and flicked through the pages, his eyes finally resting on the local movie listings. It had been months since he had done something as simple as go to the movies. He didn't recognise any of the movies listed, until he reached the bottom and noticed that the theatre was showing some old films. One caught his eye and a grin spread over his face as a memory returned to his mind.
"Something funny, Sandy?" Rachel interrupted his thoughts.
"You know what, Rachel, this can wait. It's Saturday, let's take the night off," Sandy announced, jumping up from his chair and grabbing his jacket.
"But…"
Sandy didn't wait for Rachel's objections and instead rushed out of the office and down to his car. He raced home, hoping that Kirsten would be there. He was happy to see her Range Rover outside the house.
Seth and Ryan were in the family room, fighting each other on the playstation.
"Hey guys," Sandy greeted them.
"Hey Dad. I thought you were working late tonight?" Seth asked without taking his eyes off the screen. Ryan lifted his eyes and nodded hello briefly before returning to the game.
"Change of plans. Where's your mom?"
"Uh, I think she's in your bedroom. She said something about having a lot of work to do too," Seth answered. "What? NO!"
Ryan smiled triumphantly as his ninja killed Seth's.
"No fair! I was distracted by Dad," Seth tried to argue. "Rematch?"
"Hold on, guys. Have you eaten?"
They both shook their heads, no. Sandy pulled out his wallet and handed them a couple of notes.
"Why don't you go and grab us a takeaway. Anything you want," Sandy offered.
"Oh, but Dad, my dignity is hanging in the balance here!"
"Well, you can fight for your dignity after dinner," Sandy said, his voice firmly ending the conversation.
"Ok, fine, whatever," Seth mumbled. "Shotgun on driving…"
Sandy rolled his eyes as he listened to Seth and Ryan squabble all the way out of the house, before making his way to the bedroom. He found Kirsten there, lying on the bed and propped up with pillows, a pile of papers next to her. On the table beside her was a bowl of strawberries and he watched silently for a moment as her hand absentmindedly reached for a strawberry, putting it slowly into her mouth. Sandy's mouth started to water, wishing he were that strawberry.
"Hey," he said eventually.
Kirsten looked up, surprised and delighted to see Sandy standing at the door.
"Hey! You're back early?" Kirsten questioned.
"Disappointed?" Sandy teased, walking over and sitting down on his side of the bed next to her.
"Never," Kirsten smiled, accepting the kiss he left on her lips. She frowned. "What aren't you at work?"
Sandy grinned and handed her the newspaper that he had brought with him from the office. Kirsten looked at it, her eyes immediately drawn to the circle that Sandy had put around the movie listings.
"I don't get it," Kirsten said, confusion wrinkling her forehead.
"They're showing 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' tonight," Sandy prompted.
"So? Didn't we already see that?" Kirsten asked, still not following.
Sandy slid down the bed slightly and turned on his side so that he was facing her. His grin had grown even wider and his eyes flared. "Don't you remember? We were going to go and see when it first came out, but we got a little…distracted."
He paused, waiting for Kirsten to remember. Finally, a knowing smile spread over Kirsten's face.
"I remember."
How could she forget? It was the best sex of her life. Who cared if they were in the back of Sandy's clapped-out old Audi, pulled over in a dark lane, cramped in the backseat with only some old rugs as their cushioning?
"So, what do you say? Tonight? Me, you and Freddy?"
Kirsten raised her eyebrows. "Are you expecting a repeat performance? Because I don't think I'm that bendy any more," she laughed.
Sandy nestled his nose into her neck. "I don't know about that," he murmured.
Kirsten smiled. "It's a date."
"Good," Sandy grinned. He pulled her into a deep kiss and Kirsten let the papers she was reading fall to the floor, sliding down the pillows. Sandy shifted his body so that he lay on top of her, holding himself up with his arms to stop himself from squashing her small frame.
Kirsten looked up at him and smiled softly. How come he had trouble remembering days like Valentine's Day or their anniversary, but he could remember a date they had twenty years ago?
Sandy's gaze drifted to the strawberries sat next to the bed and his eyes filled with mischief. He picked up a strawberry from the bowl and held it between his teeth, offering half to Kirsten. She tilted her head, an amused expression glazing over her face. Her eyes moved between the strawberry and Sandy's eyes, contemplating the offer. Slowly, she reached up to him, taking the other half in her mouth. Her lips lingered on his as she bit into the strawberry, all the time keeping her eyes open, staring deeply into his. When she pulled back, Sandy grinned and, holding his half of the strawberry between his teeth, his lips worked their way down her neck and over her chest. Swallowing the fruit, he then ran his tongue over her, lapping up the trail of juice that he had left over her soft skin. Kirsten murmured appreciatively until his lips reached hers. Sandy kissed her deeply and pushed her deeper into the plump pillows.
Kirsten ran her hands up his arms and across his shoulders, pulling him closer. He rested lightly on her body and she gripped her thighs tightly around his body. Sandy pushed his hands up inside her top, feeling her delicate skin turn into goosebumps as he ran his fingers over her. Kirsten groaned as his tongue ran over hers, feeling herself succumbing to him with every second that passed. His mouth left hers and his lips started to work their way back down as he nibbled her neck.
"The boys…" Kirsten tried to object, but she found herself with no willpower against his touch.
"I've sent them out for a takeaway," Sandy told her.
"Really?"
Sandy rested his hands on the bed and pulled himself up slightly, so that he was looking down at her. "Really."
A playful smile spread over Kirsten's face. She picked up another strawberry from the bowl and put it between Sandy's teeth.
"We'd better be quick then."
"Are you guys gonna be ok tonight?" Kirsten checked before they left for the movies.
Seth and Ryan had resumed their seats on the sofas, apparently settled for the night.
"Yeah, we'll be fine," Ryan reassured her. "You guys have fun."
"How come you're going to the movies anyway? Haven't you seen 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' before?" Seth asked.
"No, we, uh, never got round to it the first time," Sandy said, while Kirsten stifled a giggle. He tugged at her arm. "Come on, we're late, let's go. You boys behave yourselves."
"Sure."
"Yeah."
Sandy pulled Kirsten away from the family room and out of the house. He breathed the fresh air like a drug, enjoying the smell of the ocean. He hadn't felt so relaxed in weeks. Half an hour with his wife earlier had helped that.
"Are you ok?" Kirsten asked, curious as to his silence.
Sandy answered her with a kiss as he opened the car door for her. Kirsten smiled, placated, and climbed into the passenger seat. They drove in an amused silence, listening to the GPS lady direct Sandy to the movie theatre. They were both thinking about that night, 20 years ago, and Kirsten could help but glance backwards at the back seat much to Sandy's delight. He almost pulled the car over there and then, but stopped himself. They weren't as young and flexible as they once were.
They reached the movie theatre with only minutes before the movie was due to begin and Sandy dragged Kirsten quickly into the building. He bought the tickets and started to walk in the direction of the screen.
"Hold on, I want popcorn," Kirsten said.
"But I don't want to miss the trailers," Sandy countered.
Kirsten pouted playfully. "I thought this was supposed to be a date?"
Sandy sighed and relented. "Ok. Hurry up."
Kirsten laughed and rolled her eyes. Sandy watched her as she went over to the confectionary stand. His eyes drifted down her back to her ass and he grinned. She was wearing a slim pair of jeans that fit perfectly and he couldn't help but admire the view. Sandy noticed the admiring glances that she was attracting from other men and a surge of pride ran through him when she came back to him, her hands full of popcorn and drinks.
"Ok, I'm ready," Kirsten announced.
The lights were down when they went in, but they could see that the theatre was quiet. The movie had started to play and Freddy was already haunting his first victim. Kirsten heard Sandy grumble, 'See, I told you we'd miss the trailers' as he pulled her into the back row.
"The back row, huh?" Kirsten whispered, giggling as she sat down next to him.
"Of course," Sandy grinned.
A girl on the screen screamed and they settled down to watch the movie. Sandy reached his arm across Kirsten's shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder, the popcorn firmly in her hands.
"Will you look after me if I get scared?" Kirsten asked, fluttering her eyelashes melodramatically at her husband.
"Of course I will," Sandy agreed, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
He grinned as Kirsten relaxed and waited a moment before his hand crept down to her waist as he tickled her suddenly. Kirsten squealed and her hand jolted, sending popcorn everywhere. Sandy burst out laughing, which was made worse when somebody hushed them from the front of the theatre. Kirsten glared at him.
"That wasn't funny," she said, trying to hide her own laugh.
Sandy pulled her close again and Kirsten snuggled against him. They watched as Freddy Krueger started to terrorise a group of high school kids. Sandy felt Kirsten jump in his arms every now and again, and when she did he would hold her closer.
"Ha! I knew Johnny Depp would die," Sandy gloated when his character was sucked into his bed.
"Ew, that's disgusting," Kirsten said, screwing up her face as blood sprayed from his bed.
Sandy laughed at her squeamishness as she covered her eyes with her hand. She had done that every time there was blood on the screen, which was often.
"It's ok, it's over," Sandy said, pulling her hand away.
"Are you sure?" Kirsten kept her eyes shut.
"I promise."
Kirsten opened her eyes and sighed. "I'm sad. Johnny Depp's cute."
Sandy shook his head. "Women."
Kirsten pummelled his chest playfully. "Jealous?"
"Ha, of Johnny Depp? Did you see 'From Hell'?" Sandy teased.
"Aw," Kirsten ruffled Sandy's hair.
Sandy moved his head to kiss her as Kirsten did the same, and they caught each other's lips. Kirsten smiled.
"He's not as cute as you, you know," Kirsten gushed.
"No?"
Kirsten shook her head and her nose rubbed against Sandy's as she did. "I love you."
"I love you."
Their lips met again and Kirsten wrapped her arms around Sandy's neck, wishing they were somewhere more comfortable than cinema seats. Sandy grabbed Kirsten's legs and lifted them onto his lap, turning slightly in his seat to face her.
They missed Freddy's demise; they missed Johnny Depp's return from the dead; they missed the plastic doll being pulled through the window in the door. They didn't even notice that the film had ended until the lights came on. They pulled away from each, breathless. Sandy's hair was messier than normal and his shirt hung open. Kirsten's lips were red and the hair that had been loosely tied back before was now hanging around her face.
A cough from behind them made them spin around. A theatre attendant stood watching them, his arms folded and a look of disgust on his face.
"The movie is over," he informed them, gesturing towards the exit.
They took the hint and left the theatre. Sandy struggled to close the buttons on his shirt as Kirsten tidied her hair. Once outside, Kirsten burst into infectious giggles that caused Sandy to laugh too. He loved to see her like this, her inhibitions forgotten as she relaxed and became the same girl he had met at university. She reached the car before him and leaned back against the door. Sandy came up to her and she slid her arms around his waist.
"I had a good time tonight," Kirsten said.
"Me too," Sandy grinned. "Too bad we missed the end of the movie."
"Let's hope the kids don't ask us too many questions, huh?" Kirsten laughed.
Sandy leant against her and kissed her.
"Sandy? Will you drive home fast?" Kirsten murmured.
"Your wish is my command," Sandy said.
He sped home, careful to stay within the speed limit even though he knew his BMW was powerful enough to get them home in half the time.
Sandy followed Kirsten into the house and she turned to shut the door behind them. As she did, Sandy reached for her and pinned her against the door, finding her mouth with his. The 20-minute car journey had been torture as he had tried to control his growing urges. Kirsten groaned as his hands wandered all over her body and he pushed himself against her. She grabbed a handful of his hair in her hands.
"Mom? Dad? Is that you?" Seth's voice filtered out from the family room.
Kirsten whimpered quietly at the interruption. Sandy's lips continued to attack her face and neck.
"Uh, yeah, Seth," Kirsten called back, hoping her voice didn't give them away.
"How was the movie?" Seth called out again.
Sandy groaned as Kirsten pushed him off her and pulled him away from the door. They walked through to the family room and were surprised to see Marissa and Summer as well as Seth and Ryan, who had apparently not moved from their seats on the sofa since they had left.
"Oh, hey guys," Kirsten greeted them all.
They were greeted with a chorus of "hello's".
"So, did you like the film?" Seth asked again.
"Yeah, it was good," Kirsten said dismissively.
"The end really freaks me out," Summer commented.
"Yeah, me too," Marissa agreed.
"I suppose Mom got freaked out too?" Seth asked, looking up at Sandy.
Kirsten bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. "The end? Um, yeah, totally freaked," Sandy pretended he knew what they were talking about and made their excuses quickly. "Well…I'm sure you don't want us hanging around."
"Yep," Seth answered quickly.
Kirsten rolled her eyes and Sandy led them into the kitchen. He pulled her in for another kiss as soon as they were out of sight. Kirsten wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled as they stumbled through the kitchen.
"Did we leave the strawberries in the bedroom?" Sandy asked.
Kirsten smiled. "I think we did."
"Should I grab the whipped cream too?"
Kirsten laughed and started to drag him out of the kitchen.
"No? How about chocolate sauce?"
"What are you guys doing in there?" Seth's voice called out.
"Just grabbing some stuff from the fridge, son," Sandy called back.
Kirsten shook her head and pulled him away, still laughing. He followed her down the hallway and was relieved when they were finally in the privacy of their bedroom. Kirsten didn't have time to turn around before Sandy's arms were around her, his lips fighting her hair to find her skin.
"Next time why don't we throw the kids out and make the most of having the house to ourselves?" Sandy suggested as he nuzzled into her neck.
Kirsten smiled and spun around in his arms. "You're the one who wanted to go the movies."
"Well, next time say no," Sandy said.
"Have you ever tried arguing with you?" Kirsten laughed.
"Good point," Sandy conceded, ending the conversation by pulling her in for another kiss.
They stumbled backwards and fell onto the bed. Kirsten ran her hands down Sandy's back and up under his shirt, gliding her nails over his skin. She lifted her left leg, resting her foot on the edge of the bed. Sandy slipped his hand under her body and lifted her further onto the bed, while Kirsten pushed herself up. He followed her, leaning over her and grinning widely. He lowered himself to kiss her again: tasting her, touching her.
Kirsten pushed him off suddenly and followed him as they rolled over on the bed. She straddled his torso, resting her weight on his hips, and reached over him to pick up the bowl of strawberries that still sat by the bed. Sandy looked up at her, his eyes flaring, resting his hands firmly on her ass. Kirsten grinned as she picked up a strawberry from the bowl. She copied Sandy's actions from earlier, holding the strawberry in her mouth and offering the other half to Sandy. He took it without hesitation. He tried to hold her down but she struggled out of his grip and sat up again, smiling mischievously. Sandy grinned, loving it when she took control. He watched as she took another strawberry from the bowl and wrapped her lips around it, sucking the juice from it before putting it all into her mouth, teasing him. Sandy licked his lips. Kirsten held a strawberry over his mouth and he lifted his head to take it from her. Swiftly, Kirsten bent down and bit into it as he held it between his teeth. Sandy held her firmly this time, his hands working their way inside the top she was wearing and he pulled it off easily.
They rolled back across the bed and Sandy pinned her down, his lips attacking hers again. They both tasted of strawberries. Kirsten's hands found the buttons of his shirt and her practiced fingers quickly undid them, and she pushed it off his body. Sandy's lips wandered away from her mouth and he left a trail of kisses down her chest and stomach. Kirsten moaned softly under him.
Sandy started to tug at the button of her jeans as he traced a line of kisses around her belly button. In one movement, he stripped them off her.
"God, you're beautiful," Sandy murmured.
Kirsten closed her eyes as Sandy's lips explored every inch of her skin. She arched her back, guiding him to particular areas of her body and her whole body shook under his touch.
"Sandy…"
Sandy worked his way back up to her face, covering her with kisses as he did. Kirsten started to work on his trousers, fumbling with the button as Sandy distracted himself with the clasp of her bra. They had done this so many times, it was a fine art by now. When they had eventually rid themselves of all their clothes, Kirsten pulled Sandy's lips back towards her own.
"I've missed this," Kirsten whispered, raking her fingers through his hair.
Sandy held himself over her, looking down into her bright blue eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too," Kirsten smiled.
Her lips found his again, never tiring of his kisses. Their hands wandered over each other's bodies, leaving no place untouched. Suddenly he was inside her and Kirsten moaned deeply. They made love into the early hours of the morning, eventually relenting and spooning together under the sheets, tired and breathless.
"You're amazing, you know that?" Sandy whispered.
"Hmm, you're not so bad yourself," Kirsten returned, closing her eyes and snuggling her back against Sandy's chest. His arms were wrapped firmly around her, their fingers linked.
"Kirsten?"
"Hmmm?"
"We should buy some more strawberries."