Title: The Next Step

Author: Charmed-Sparkle

Disclaimer: I don't own The OC or anything else related to it (But I wish I owned Adam Brody!)

Summary: Summer and Seth have been out of high school for six years, and are living together in NYC. When Seth proposes, how will their lives change? SS, lots of fluff.

Chapter 4: Smiles and Answers

Summer was still staring at him, tears in her eyes, but he couldn't tell if they were happy or sad tears, because her hand was covering her mouth and some of her nose. That's when he knew he screwed up.

"Wait, don't answer," he said, "I upgraded the tickets, the room, I planned today, I set up everything with dinner, I had most of my big romantic speech, this isn't what planned, this isn't good enough!" Summer was in shock. She was really curious about his speech, but she seemed to have forgotten most of her vocabulary and said all she could think of at the moment, "Go."

"What? You want me to leave?" Never in his wildest dreams had Seth thought she would kick him out when he proposed.

"No, the speech, go, say it." That was all she could say for now and it came out muffled by her hand. He took a deep breath,

"Okay, I'm not going to say the speech I planned. That was meant to end a perfect day, and since it is now only eleven o' clock, it needs to be more special. Summer, I love you. The day I found out we would be together in college; I didn't think I could be happier. Then, as sophomores, we got our own place. Then, we moved to New York City, and I was in my dream city, with my dream girl. I can come home, after having the crappiest day ever, and you will just be there, reading a magazine, or on the computer, and you come over and when you ask how my day was, and I don't answer, you just know, and you kiss me, and it's all better. I try everyday, to do the same for you, and I can only hope that it works, because all I want is for you to be happy, because you make me soo happy, and I want you to get that same amazing feeling. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I see is you, and I want it to stay that way for the rest of my life, the rest of our lives, our life. Summer, will you marry me?"

He finished and looked at Summer, whose tears had spilled onto her cheeks, but her hand went from her mouth back down to rest next to her leg, and he saw she was smiling, really smiling. But she didn't say anything, she just smiled and cried and then nodded. She nodded, and that was the most beautiful thing Seth had ever seen. Then he realized that the ring box was still closed, so he opened it, and, held it out to Summer. She gasped, and her eyes lit up more than when he got her the Minolo's she wanted for Chrismukkah. For the past ten minutes she had been silent, and now the words came.

"Yes, yes oh god yes, of course I'll marry you!" she said all in one breathe. This time Seth smiled his wide, dimpled, Cohen-y smile.

"Really?" He honestly seemed like he couldn't believe it.

"Yes!" she squealed.

"I think I might be dreaming," he said, completely serious. So as if to prove it to himself, he carefully took the ring out of the box and slipped onto Summer's left ring finger. Then she flung herself at him and kissed him so fiercely he had to put one hand behind him to keep from falling. She couldn't get enough of him at that moment, so she kissed and hugged him at the same time, opening her left eye once in a while to peek at the huge rock on her finger. She finally let go, and all the tears were gone, just the smile remained.

"Oh, the ring's engraved by the way," Seth said once he caught his breathe. She slowly took it off, being extremely careful. She held it and slowly turned it to read the writing. For My Summer, Love Seth. My Summer, she really was his now. Of course she had been for over six years, but now all someone would have to do was to look at her finger and know. Then she couldn't finish thinking, because now Seth couldn't get enough of her, and she didn't mind. She didn't mind at all. But then she realized something.
"Cohen, wait," she said, pushing him just a few inches away from her.

"Yeah?"

"Can we still do what you planned today? Except for the buying me lots of stuff, because this ring has you covered for a WHILE." Seth grinned even wider if that was possible.
"I knew, well no, I was hoping you would like it. But it's okay, I still want you to have the perfect day, the only difference is I won't be worried the whole time." They smiled for what seemed like the millionth time each that day. That morning, Summer got what she didn't even know she wanted- an engagement. But Seth got two things he already knew he wanted, Summer as his fiancée, and that lucky shower!

A/N: So there you go, she said yes! Now I need opinions do you want to see their perfect day? Or should I skip it? I could do it in one chapter, more fluff! Tell me what you think!