Summary: The boy is caught in his escape from the Cooper house. The letter is addressed. Continues from right where we left off in the last act.

Story Notes: It only took me 16 acts/chapters to get to this point. This is probably one of the more defining acts in this series besides the first. This act breaks a lot of new ground and has some grand and monumental moments. Don't let the tone at the end of this act fool you into thinking this is the end of the series. It's not. I won't promise you anything except that it is continuing.

Story title comes from the song "Delicate" by Damien Rice and "White Shadows" by Coldplay. You can Google for the lyrics if you want. Also note that I use select portions from Coldplay's "White Shadows" about midway through. Full credit for the song goes to Chris Martin & co.

Disclaimer: California, I'll never come. Even though I have an Aunt who lives in Cali, I'm right back where I started from-, here in my apartment writing this fan fic series. -- Oh, right, I don't own the O.C. But I do contest we all have a little Josh Schwartz in us. So… "May the Schwartz be with you!"

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"Marissa, hey. What's going on?"

Seth's hands fumbled over his skateboard as he fidgeted and paced in a fixed position. His face came to the ground and then back up a few times before he found his footing and was comfortable enough to stand still.

"Seth?"

"That's me."

"What are you still doing here in my house?"

"Would you believe switching Julie's leopard prints so they all match?"

"Not so much, no."

"Right well, I gotta run, so…."

"Wait, the note?"

"Note?"

He tried to act unaware and unassuming.

"Seth, the letter."

"Oh, that. Right."

"So you don't want to be friends anymore?"

Marissa voice was shaken with paralyzing disbelief as she uttered the words. Seth caught wind of her desperate emotions, but couldn't find the right words to comfort her.

"It's just…"

"Yes?"

"These feelings."

"Ok,"

"But Ryan, Summer. They're our best friends Marissa. Hurt them,… we can't…"

"You know what I think?"

Seth lifted his head moving slowly but surely.

"I think you're scared shit of dealing with your emotions and waiting out my reaction."

"Hey, what! Wait a minute. I got your reaction. It was pretty clear cut if you ask me," Seth said in a harsh and uptight tone.

"You never gave me a chance to explain." "You never even called."

"Neither did you and you're the only person who does call me. So don't tell me the line was busy." "Anyway, explain, talk, what are you feeling Marissa?"

She tensed and her voice became low and hoarse.

"I, I don't know."

"Well there you go."

"Ok, fine. Tell me what you're feeling Seth."

"I did, hello, letter!"

"No, not the Seth Cohen babble. Be as honest as those sketches of yours. Talk to me, here, face-to-face."

Seth eyes were watering lightly and he couldn't muster enough courage to face her in the eyes. His face was fixed to the ground.

Seth muttered some sounds, but he couldn't talk. His face tilted up slightly and he caught her beautiful face, and intolerant facial expressions. He knew he couldn't be the lost and lonely boy forever. He had to face her. He had to look her in the eyes. He had to be as honest as he could.

"Ok, Marissa. I've felt your sweaty palms. Your heart beat. The way you hang on my words and babbling and listen as though you actually want to hear me out. Your acceptance; care, even your playful wit. I feel your faults and I still want to hold you. So yeah, I feel all of that."

Seth's posturing was apprehensive. He awaited her response almost like he awaited the call of life or death.

It was life that had answered. Marissa couldn't help but feel genuine twinges of joy when Seth had talked. She couldn't even think of Ryan or any other excuse she made to stay clear of being romantically involved with Seth.

She thought to herself, 'There are a number of steps to take before being declared romantically involved.' Step one, kissing Seth Cohen.

Marissa smiled. Her body became relaxed. She could feel little tingles flowing through her.

Seth tried to smile back, but he couldn't. He wasn't one for properly accessing matters of love so he didn't want to jump to any conclusions. He always knew to prepare himself for the worst. He never expected the best.

She stood for a moment wide-eyed, her heart racing, and her fingers freezing. Shear Bear fell to the floor as Marissa was left pleasantly enthused by his words.

Seth's head lifted slightly has he caught Share Bear falling to the floor. But he was still apprehensive. A part of him was still being typical Cohen. He was nervous. His eyes roamed the ground more than the sky. His eyes were sulked. He looked like a child whose spirit was broken.

Marissa took brief notice of his expression and child-like behavior. But she was still flabbergasted. Yet all of the sudden her astonished face turned to a smile. It was clear she was glowing.

The music that Marissa had on in her bedroom was resounding and it carried through the hall. Neither was paying much attention to it. But it was there and the words coming out where underlining the events taking place.

Maybe you'll stumble upon it

Everything you ever wanted

In a permanent state

Before either of them knew it, Marissa was nearing Seth's position. Her closing-in proximity was making Seth nervous. Her light flutters of warm breath was felt against his face and neck and it made him swallow back a lump of salvia. Seth intensely held on to Captain Oats as she inched closer and closer. He never closed his eyes. The mass of her face came so close to his vision he only saw a giant blur of beauty. But he could still feel.

Marissa's hand unintentionally traced against an exposed area of Seth's arm and he moaned as quietly as he could as to not draw attention to how excited he was becoming from her touch. Marissa smiled again when she saw how childishly nervous he still was.

"You're a romantically fool Seth," Marissa said as she smiled one last time.

Before Seth could react or respond her lips were pressing against his. At first he remained tense and stood still. But the sheer touch of his lips on hers made Marissa spring alive even more. She intensified the kiss. Seth finally broke away from his fears, for the moment, and allowed himself to fall into her kiss.

The two of them mixed movements and the placements of their lower and upper lips. The music that carried through Marissa's room back dropped the moment almost perfectly.

See it in a new sun rising

See it breaking on your horizon

Oh, come on love, stay with me...

Seth's hand casually came up as his tongue slightly slipped over her bottom lip. He took hold of the left side of her face and kissed her more passionately then he ever thought he could. Who was he kidding? He never assumed the moment would come. He always thought it would be nothing more than visions in his sleep and daydreams.

Now it was being realized. All the emotions he had for her, all the electric feelings, were culminating in a sincere and adoring kiss.

Gently and slowly he pulled away. He locked into her eyes waiting for a sign that she was just as blissful as he was. His eyes were crystallized. His face was locked in a energized expression. He felt like a child who had just got the one thing he always wanted for Christmas. It wasn't a selfish feeling. It was the feeling of pure graciousness. He couldn't of asked for anything more at this moment then a reassuring look from Marissa.

She smiled, but never spoke. For Seth this was enough to know she truly did have feelings, she really did want more from him than a friendship. She didn't have to verbalize it. All his time with Ryan taught him how to translate a mere look.

Seth finally smiled back. He shifted his head slowly and pressed his lips against her forehead giving her a comforting light kiss.

Seth moved back in, closer to her face and ran his hand up and around her neck. She giggled from the tickles it gave her and then moved her lips back on Seth's. Seth laughed slightly as her lips fumbled on to his. His body arched and conformed with every new movement. Her light and long strands of misplaced hair brushed against his face. The closing and upper area of her tight jeans pressed into Seth's upper abdomen and he smiled like a giddy child.

Marissa was slowly guiding him away from the hallway. She didn't want an impromptu passing of her mother in the hallway to ruin this moment. They eased their way to the doorway of Marissa's bedroom. Seth's foot fumbled over Captain Oats which some how dropped from his hand during all the excitement. He barely looked down to take notice of his hurt friend. He was more focused on Marissa, taking in every morsel of her mouth, every passing glance. But Marissa noticed and made a quick call out to the fallen hero.

"Captain Oats," she cried out as she stumbled back into Seth and giggled.

Her foot came over and tried to push Captain Oats out from harm's away, but also safely outside the doorway of her bedroom.

Marissa playfully pulled Seth into her room, then reached her hand back to shut and lock the door, all as he stayed fixed to her body.

Seth never paused to think how this would all impact past the next day or even the next hour. His mind was cleared of all rational thoughts. The only things he could think now were how beautiful Marissa was and how much genuine ecstasy he was feeling from this moment.

For Marissa the weight had been lifted. Ryan was clear from her head. She was sure of her feelings and couldn't stop her self from embracing them. A part of her didn't want this moment to end.

She fell down into the bed. Seth paused unsure what his next move would be. He played cautiously. And oddly enough he wasn't even thinking about releasing her top, undoing her jeans or even copping a feel. He just wanted to feel her, feel the electric brush of her skin, and feel the warmth and intimacy of their lips and bodies joining together.

Marissa playfully fought her way out of his wayward mouth. He was suspended over her with his full body. His eyes met back with hers and for the first time in a while they were genuinely lost in each other's gaze and with out any guilt or fear.

"So tell me Marissa Cooper, what are you feeling now?"

"Hmm, tingly. Alive. It feels good to be Marissa right now.

"Yeah," Seth said with a wide grin.

"Yeah," Marissa said as she matched his smile. "I think I feel your heartbeat too. Well your pulse. And, I know I don't want to stop kissing you, holding you, being with you."

He shed a half smile and looked a little tipsy. It was clear he was under her spell. He closed in on her, as she was about to talk again. He never gave her the chance. He showered her with kisses again. He couldn't let go. He didn't want to. It had been ages since he felt this alive. When things ended with Summer he just assumed he'd be a lonely, pathetic, boy till college. Even the geeks could score a girlfriend in college. But it would have been one lonely senior year until then.

But now here he was as far away from alone as he could possibly be. He had Marissa, an amazing girl, an almost perfect friend, and now a romantic partner.

Shockingly, and suddenly, Seth's brain short-circuited from all the pleasures and joys. His head flooded with thoughts of the main-four misshaped and unaligned, the four of them forever changed and worse yet drifting apart from each other. Perhaps his initial choice was right all along. He had to end this little dance for the sake of everyone. As the thought became more prominent he suddenly pulled himself off Marissa and turned over on his side.

"No," Seth abruptly called out.

Marissa was confused.

"What," Marissa asked.

"Nothing. Never mind."

Seth moved his whole body away from Marissa and put his back against the mattress. He lay just beside her.

"Ok, purge" Marissa uttered with a rather firm tone.

"Uhn?" "I mean sure they'll act all cool now. But you know, once they see how electric and real this is, it will all change. Soon they'll start resenting us. Then, slowly, they'll garner moderately evil thoughts. And finally they'll want to cut our eyeballs out and leave us for dead."

Seth looked over at Marissa who was clearly irritated and alarmed by his sudden change in motion and emotion.

"What," Marissa asked in a distressed tone.

It was clear to Seth he over babbled his point.

"I can't do this to Ryan," he continued.

"Right Ryan. And why would he care? He made his choices. He's living with them."

"Marissa, you don't understand. When I had no one, not a single friend, not even you would give me more than a hello and a head nod, he was there. He was the only real friend I had for so long. And then you came, but I owem this much. I mean I just can't Marissa."

Marissa was starting to take a keener listen.

"Do you really want your friendship with Summer to change because of me," Seth asked.

"Well, I hadn't really. I mean I had but, she seemed so cool with us being so close, you know as friends."

Marissa was starting to relate to his fear.

"Yeah. With me too."

"So they'll deal right? I just kissed you. We aren't making wedding plans."

"I seriously loved it and kissed backed."

"And then?"

"And then lonely geek boy panics and goes off to art workshop."

"You're going to go?"

"Well I mean, it is a good class. It's not like I'd be going just to get away from a hot, astounding, woman."

"Hmm, hot hey?"

"Yes, but, the point, that's not it."

"And when senior year comes?"

"We law low, keep it stealth, just try to focus on getting through the year."

"Ok, what if I'm not cool with that?"

"Well, there's not much of a choice. It's the only thing we can do to protect the fantastic four"

"But, seriously, the fantastic four doesn't exist anymore, it probably never did. We're not in that world anymore Seth. We finally settled in our world. That's how I want to keep it if you don't mind me saying."

Seth sighed and tried to hold in a smile. He turned in, reached over to her forehead, and gave her a kiss.

"God, I'm gonna miss you like crazy."

"Ok, so stay."

"Marissa, I can't, we can't."

"So you're just going to leave and then come back and pretend nothing ever happened. Well that's swell of you."

"This, it was, it was just a summer. That's all."

Marissa froze as she processed his words. She couldn't believe it could say that.

"Well if that's how you feel you might as well go. And perhaps never come back."

"Marissa."

"No it's cool. You're right. Just go before you miss your bus."

"You sure?"

Of course she wasn't.

"Totally, whatever. The course, it sounds really cool. So yeah, I'm sure."

Seth paused as he waited for a more reassuring tone or word.

"Seth, go," she said somewhat sternly.

Her harsh voice pierced him in the heart. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and comfort her. But it defeated the point. He had to go if was going to resist taking her in arms, kissing her again, or even going so far as to consider holding her hand in the halls of Harbor. 'I'm sure Ryan and Summer would warm up to that one' Seth sarcastically thought in his head.

Seth reluctantly exited out of bed and watched over her as he took each step back. She resisted turning to her other side to watch him leave out her door. She laid in bed now completely alone. Shear Bear was lying in some position in the hallway and Seth was vanishing just as she reached over for the bear that wasn't there.

Seth came out the door and again stumbled on Captain Oats. He paused, picked the horse up, and started to shutter and loose his breath. He was heavy-laden, sad, and small tears were forming in his eyes. But he couldn't turn back now, not when he tried to be so defiant in his choice.

He recomposed himself just as he reached down for his skateboard and bag. As he bent down he caught a glance of Shear Bear out of the corner of his eye, but only paused for a brief moment. Too many emotions were flooding him and he had to break free. His eyes turned to the open corner of his duffle and saw the bus ticket hanging out. He reached for it with his left hand. He held it staring down only for a few seconds before walking further away from the hallway and then down the stairs.

This was not how either of them imagined their day would turn out. But there wasn't much to change the course of events now. They kissed and he bolted. What could any one do when the other half runs away leaving no option for second choices. Sure he'd be back for school, but he was so engrossed with these notions of Ryan turning away from him that it seemed there was no turning back, no readjusting their positions. This was the way it had to be.