Title: The Consequences
Author: In Fair Verona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Seth and Summer engender a 'rumor' which travels around Newport and learn the consequences of their actions when the unexpected happens.
Shipper: Seth x Summer
Disclaimer: It is all property of FOX, every last bit of it. I don't own anything in this story or related to it.
A/N: Well, it's been a stressful week, my boyfriend and I broke up on Monday, and things have just been a bit weird. But due to great motivation from the folks at FanForum's Breakfast Club thread (that's the Summer and Seth thread, for you non-FanForum folk), I got this chapter out. I hope I was still able to write something good!
-
Seth Cohen looked up from the latest issue of "Shonen Jump" that was opened in his lap at the front door, which had been chiming vigorously due to somebody ringing the doorbell outside. Figuring he had better put an end to that obnoxious ringing before it woke Summer up from her nap, Seth put down the manga magazine and walked over to the front door, turning the knob and opening it. Only to a guy he did NOT want to talk to.
"Look, if you came to make my life hell-" Seth began, only to be cut off by Donnie, who made it clear that Cohen needed to be dead quiet.
"I lied okay? I was just joking around about that whole sleeping-with-your-girl thing. So, don't be such a drama queen and chill, cause I was lying, really lying. You and her can live happily ever after and have a ton of babies, I don't care, because I was just joking, okay?" Donnie rambled. Seth stared at Donnie, still trying to register what the guy was doing exactly. Furrowing his brow, Seth opened his mouth to speak.
"Um... that's really, um, thoughtful?" He questioned. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm totally appreciating the fact that you went through the trouble to tell me that, but uh, Donnie, I already knew it was a lie." Seth stated, shrugging his shoulders.
"You... did?" Donnie blinked twice. Why the hell did that bitch drive all the way out there and make him drive all the way back here if the guy already knew? Damn, that honey had issues.
"Well, I mean, it's not that you're a bad liar or anything," Seth said in alarm, afraid that he may have offended Donnie. "I mean, Donnie, you're a fascinating liar, you deserve an academy award." Seth added, nodding feverently. "And I almost believed you, but, I um... I believe Summer more." He stated, nodding his head.
"Yeah, you tell her that." Donnie nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. "See ya around, Newport." He added before turning away and walking off. Donnie wanted to get out of Newport as soon as possible.
"Actually, it's Coh- Um, right, bye." Seth cut himself off, closing the door and turning around, leaning against it to let out a deep breath. "What the heck just happened?" He wondered out-loud. Donnie just showed up at his door to apologize. Without an illegal weapon! Imagine that.
"Who was at the door?" Summer's stretched her arms above her head, emitting a soft feminine yawn as she stepped down the stairs on her tip-toes, approaching Seth after obviously waking up from her nap.
"Just one of those annoying salesmen." Seth told her, stepping away from the door and over to Summer, giving her one of his quirky smilies.
"Oh really?" Summer asked, tilting her head curiously and placing her smooth bare arms around Seth's neck, pulling him in closer to her. "What was he selling?" She inquired.
"Something I already had." Seth shrugged, his eyes flicking from Summer's deep brown eyes to her soft rose-colored lips.
"Which is?"
"The truth." Seth said simply, closing the distant between their lips and planting his softly on hers, before pulling away reluctantly.
"What was that for?" Summer looked up at him, though her facial expression was genuinely happy, she didn't seem to be expecting that.
"I don't know. I've been wanting to do that for awhile." Seth shrugged, looping his arms around Summer's waist. She leaned her forehead against his as Seth asked, "So... are we good?"
"We're good." Summer replied, and after she did so she pushed her lips onto his again, but this kiss like his was brief, and she pulled away quickly. "In fact," Summer began, "I think we're so good, we need to go out on a date." She told him.
"A date?" Seth repeated, grinning cheesily. A date! With Summer! "I thought I'd never live to the day you asked me out." He told her. "Where should we go? The zoo? The park?"
"As if, Cohen. We'll have plenty of times to go to those places after the baby comes." She told him, "When I said a date, I actually meant a date. Like, between you and me."
"You and I both? Huh." Seth nodded with enthusiasm, "That sounds good. And great. Good and great."
"Just let me get changed, and we'll go somewhere." Summer told him, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek before turning around and prancing away to change.
-
Summer emerged later, wearing a light jade colored maternity dress over black pants, with her hair in a half-ponytail. Even at 3 months pregnant, Seth thought she was breath-taking. As they walked towards the front door of the Cohen house, he offered her his arm, which she took, and they two exchanged delightful smiles, and Seth wondered with brevity what had gotten into Summer lately- not even a snarky remark all morning!
"Where to?" Seth asked, opening the passenger side door of the Range Rover before getting in on the driver's side.
"Well, first, I thought we'd go see a movie." Summer told him. Seth nodded.
"That sounds like fun. What movie? I don't think there's anything starring Orlando Bloom out right now, Summer."
"Cohen," Summer narrowed her eyes at him slightly before forcing a grin upon herself. "I was thinking of a different movie. Try the Imax theatre." She ordered. Seth eyed her curiously but obeyed, starting the engine and pulling out of the driveway, taking off down the road.
It didn't take long before the pulled up infront of the Imax, and Summer eagerly dragged Seth inside, wrapping her arm around his. They approached the box office and Summer dug in her purse, pulling out her credit card and sliding it to the employee there.
"Two tickets for the Great White Shark, pronto." Summer told him, and in no time they were handed their tickets and Summer's card was returned, which she pocketed into her purse before looking up at Seth, who had the most bewildered expression on his face.
"The Great White Shark?" Seth blinked.
"Well I was looking in the paper, and it sounded like something you'd like." Summer shrugged dismissively. Suddenly, her face paled slightly and she turned to Seth quickly, her dark hair whipping around her face. "Oh my god. You totally hate sharks, don't you? You can so never tell with geeks." Summer groaned, putting her head in her hands. "One minute, they're ranting about comics, then the second that comic gets turned into a movie, they hate it. What's up with that?" Summer mumbled to herself.
"No, no. Summer, I'm happy. I like sharks, I really do. I mean, I even had tickets to see this, but I didn't go, actually, instead I hung out with Donnie." Seth shrugged.
"Ew. Even I would've chosen the sharks, Cohen. And I mean, real sharks." Summer commented. Seth chuckled, draping his arm over her shoulders and leading them into the theatre.
"I'd jump in after you." He told her quietly, handing their tickets to an employee who tore them and directed them in the right direction.
"So cheesy, Cohen." She commented, shaking her head as they walked into the dark theatre. The two chose their seats in the center of the theatre, and made themselves comfortable. Seth's arm was still encircling Summer and her head was laying on his shoulder. Just as the beginning titles began to role, Seth looked down at Summer to ask her a question.
"So what inspired you to go to a movie you're not even into?" Seth inquired. But he never got a response. Because the girl in his arms was already fast asleep, dozing off against him, her sleeping face illuminated by the flickering Imax screen, an aesthetic sight that Seth fully appreciated.
-
"Whoo!" Seth cheered, throwing his hands up in the air in triumph. "Who is the master!?" He exclaimed, grinning at Summer and throwing her an arrogant smirk.
"I totally let you win. You know I'm into these things." Summer motioned towards the arcade game infront of them. After the film had ended (and Seth had gently awoken Summer) the two had gone to a pizza place nearby where Summer totally broke the laws of pizza flavouring by adding skittles to nearly every slice, then the pair had decided to hang out at the pier a little bit, where Seth instantly pulled Summer into the arcade, and Summer willingly complied for his sake. They were currently in a round of Street Fighter II, Summer chose Chun-Lee, Seth chose Ryu. He whooped her butt for the fifth time, and as sweet as Seth could be, she was getting annoyed with his arrogance, and fast.
"One more game? Please?" Seth asked, hopping up and down on his feet and sticking more quarters into the game.
"Whatever. You realize I'm not even trying, right?" Summer asked him. Seth nodded feverently.
"I know, but this has always been a fantasy of mine." Seth shrugged, blushing slightly.
"What? Whooping my ass?" Summer asked, arching her eyebrow.
"Er- no. Playing arcade games with you." Seth corrected. He turned back to the screen to choose their characters and begin the first round. Suddenly, Summer cleared her throat, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.
"Is it just me, or is it getting really hot in here?" Summer asked, exposing a perfectly tanned shoulder, throwing her hand abck to also reveal a quite slender neck. Seth gawked. While he was gawking, Summer took the oppurtunity to press a bunch of random buttons, and then- T.K.O.
Total Knock-Out. Definetly Summer.
"You- you cheated!" Seth exclaimed.
"Did not. I'm aware of my sex appeal, and I know how to use it." Summer said simply, adjusting her hair. She glanced over at him expectantly. "Are we done playing Geek Fighter?"
"Street Fighter." Seth corrected.
"Whatever." Summer rolled her eyes, leading the way out. Seth followed. Yes, she had won, and Seth didn't really mind losing all that much.
The two strolled along the pier, hand in hand, making occasional snarky comments but for the most part, staying in an unusual and yet even more unusually comfortable silence. As they approached the end of the dock, with the water's edge below their feet, Seth stopped, leaning against the wooden railing out at the sea, which was endlessly black save for a few sparkling waves breaking against the shore. He turned to Summer, looking her in the eye.
"Seth-"
"Summer-"
"Uh, ladies first." Seth told her.
"No, you go first." Summer shook her head.
"Er... allright." Seth nodded. "Well, Summer, I was just wondering if, um, well we, we're like- uh... I'm not sure what we are, and aside from wondering, I was hoping that um-" Seth paused, the right words were leaving him as his vocabularly grew increasingly limited.
"That?" Summer prompted, scooting closer to him and glancing up at him expectantly.
"That well, I was hoping we could be a..." He trailed off, that familiar tingly feeling taking over at Summer's proximity. "Summer, I want to know if can be a real cou-"
SPLASH.
That was what cut Seth off. The impact of cold water drenching both of them, and two giggling little boys holding Nerf Super-Soakers in their hands, laughing like hyenas and giving each other a high 5 before running off.
"And here I thought I had escaped the plague of Nerf products when I turned 10." Seth sighed, running a hand through his mop of damp hair. "Are you okay?"
"Am I okay? Um, no. Excuse me, I'm going to go kick some immature child ass." Summer told him, wringing her hair off to one side and taking a step after the trouble-makers. But Seth reached out, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, kids will be kids." Seth told her. "I'm used to things like that happening."
"Well, I'm not. And I think they deserve this heel jammed up their-"
"Summer."
"Seth."
"Children make mistakes, and really stupid decisions. It's just a part of growing up. You wouldn't do that to our child, if they did something wrong, would you?"
"Our child wouldn't do anything wrong, Cohen. They'd be perfect." Summer pointed out. "And how do you know so much about child pyschology anyway?"
"I had no choice but too grow up because I obviously didn't fit in with all the kids who were teasing me. It took me awhile, but I finally figured out why. It's because it made them happy, and they had fun, and you can't really blame somebody for that, can you? I mean, we're giving the right of the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independance." Seth pointed out.
"Oh." Was all that Summer could manage to reply. She admired him for a moment. Yeah, he was obsessed with playing video-games and comic books, but if she hadn't already known it in her gut, right then she knew that Seth Cohen was going to make one hell of a father. "Let's go home." Summer told him with a bright smile, taking his hand in hers. Seth returned her smile and the two headed back towards the Range Rover, leaving a dripping trail of water along the boardwalk after them.
-
"And the look on your face when you realized you had lost was great." Summer pointed out with an infectious giggle.
"I'm a guy, Summer." Seth pointed out, "I can't help it if I was born with the Y chromosome."
"No, you're a man." Summer corrected, closing the front door behind her. As the two stepped into the living room, Ryan walked by with a laundry basket filled to the brim with his clothes.
"Hey, what're you doing?" Seth asked, stopping abruptly with Summer at his side.
"Uh, I'm moving all my stuff into your room." Ryan told him, nodding his head.
"May I inquire as to why?" Seth asked, arching an eyebrow,
"Hey, man, this is between you and your parents. I'm just following orders." Ryan told him before walking away. Seth and Summer exchanged wary glances, before Seth took her hand and led her into the kitchen, where the lights were still on quite bright. As suspected, Kirsten and Sandy Cohen were sitting at the little island in the middle of their kitchen. The couple had been seemingly waiting up for the other two to arrive.
"Mom? Dad?" Seth questioned, looking back and forth between them. "Why is Ryan moving his stuff into my room?"
"Because you're moving into the poolhouse." Sandy told him. "Sit down, Seth." He nodded at the stool opposite of him. Seth complied, sitting down, while Summer remained planted firmly at the doorway.
"We've come up with a punishment for you, Seth." Kirsten told him, her eyes flicking at Summer quickly before darting back to her son. "I know, it's going to sound... unreasonable, at first. But your father and I have talked about it, and we think that it might be effective in its own ways. More effective than anything else."
"Okay." Seth nodded, wishing that they would just get on with it already.
"Seth, you're grounded from Summer." Kirsten stated bluntly.
"I'm sorry- What!?" Seth asked, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. Summer's jaw dropped slightly and she looked at the Cohens in surprise, trying to register exactly what this meant.
"You are grounded from Summer. From being with her, talking to her, spending time with her."
"You know, maybe you're forgetting a little fact, for instance, the fact that she is carrying my child." Seth pointed out.
"That's not a problem. This isn't forever. Until them, your father and I and Ryan will all be taking care of Summer. In fact, Summer, you have a doctor's appointment tommorow, and Ryan will be taking you." Kirsten informed her. Summer blinked twice, and Seth nearly fell of his stool.
"Ryan!?"
"Yes, Ryan, your brother." Sandy nodded.
"You two have just... you're all plotting my demise, aren't you?" Seth asked. "This is incomprehensible! What happened to me learning any responsibility? How will I do that if you guys do everything?"
"There will be plenty of time for you to assume responsibility, believe me." Kirsten told him.
"And don't try anything while you're at school together, either." Sandy told Seth. "We'll just interrogate Ryan."
"I can't believe you guys are serious." Seth told them, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Really? That's funny." Sandy exchanged glances with his wife. "We couldn't believe you were serious when you told us you had pre-marital intercourse."
"It's called sex, dad. There's no need to be politically correct." Seth muttered. Sandy ignored the comment, and both him and Kirsten got up from their stools, and Sandy walked over to his son, patting him on the shoulder. "I think it's about time you went to bed, son. Alone." He added quickly. "In the poolhouse." He and Kirsten filed towards the door past Summer, both giving her earnest and slightly sympathetic smiles and goodnight wishes.
Summer looked at Seth.
Seth looked at Summer.
Then without a word, he walked towards the backdoor and stepped outside, shutting it behind him. Summer let out a breath she felt she'd been holding ever since she stepped into the kitchen. His parents had just grounded him from her. And that was the only punishment they could find fit. That was the only thing that could get to him. Her abscence. But Summer felt helpless as she realized how much it felt like she was the one being grounded too, not just Seth.
Author: In Fair Verona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Seth and Summer engender a 'rumor' which travels around Newport and learn the consequences of their actions when the unexpected happens.
Shipper: Seth x Summer
Disclaimer: It is all property of FOX, every last bit of it. I don't own anything in this story or related to it.
A/N: Well, it's been a stressful week, my boyfriend and I broke up on Monday, and things have just been a bit weird. But due to great motivation from the folks at FanForum's Breakfast Club thread (that's the Summer and Seth thread, for you non-FanForum folk), I got this chapter out. I hope I was still able to write something good!
-
Seth Cohen looked up from the latest issue of "Shonen Jump" that was opened in his lap at the front door, which had been chiming vigorously due to somebody ringing the doorbell outside. Figuring he had better put an end to that obnoxious ringing before it woke Summer up from her nap, Seth put down the manga magazine and walked over to the front door, turning the knob and opening it. Only to a guy he did NOT want to talk to.
"Look, if you came to make my life hell-" Seth began, only to be cut off by Donnie, who made it clear that Cohen needed to be dead quiet.
"I lied okay? I was just joking around about that whole sleeping-with-your-girl thing. So, don't be such a drama queen and chill, cause I was lying, really lying. You and her can live happily ever after and have a ton of babies, I don't care, because I was just joking, okay?" Donnie rambled. Seth stared at Donnie, still trying to register what the guy was doing exactly. Furrowing his brow, Seth opened his mouth to speak.
"Um... that's really, um, thoughtful?" He questioned. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm totally appreciating the fact that you went through the trouble to tell me that, but uh, Donnie, I already knew it was a lie." Seth stated, shrugging his shoulders.
"You... did?" Donnie blinked twice. Why the hell did that bitch drive all the way out there and make him drive all the way back here if the guy already knew? Damn, that honey had issues.
"Well, I mean, it's not that you're a bad liar or anything," Seth said in alarm, afraid that he may have offended Donnie. "I mean, Donnie, you're a fascinating liar, you deserve an academy award." Seth added, nodding feverently. "And I almost believed you, but, I um... I believe Summer more." He stated, nodding his head.
"Yeah, you tell her that." Donnie nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. "See ya around, Newport." He added before turning away and walking off. Donnie wanted to get out of Newport as soon as possible.
"Actually, it's Coh- Um, right, bye." Seth cut himself off, closing the door and turning around, leaning against it to let out a deep breath. "What the heck just happened?" He wondered out-loud. Donnie just showed up at his door to apologize. Without an illegal weapon! Imagine that.
"Who was at the door?" Summer's stretched her arms above her head, emitting a soft feminine yawn as she stepped down the stairs on her tip-toes, approaching Seth after obviously waking up from her nap.
"Just one of those annoying salesmen." Seth told her, stepping away from the door and over to Summer, giving her one of his quirky smilies.
"Oh really?" Summer asked, tilting her head curiously and placing her smooth bare arms around Seth's neck, pulling him in closer to her. "What was he selling?" She inquired.
"Something I already had." Seth shrugged, his eyes flicking from Summer's deep brown eyes to her soft rose-colored lips.
"Which is?"
"The truth." Seth said simply, closing the distant between their lips and planting his softly on hers, before pulling away reluctantly.
"What was that for?" Summer looked up at him, though her facial expression was genuinely happy, she didn't seem to be expecting that.
"I don't know. I've been wanting to do that for awhile." Seth shrugged, looping his arms around Summer's waist. She leaned her forehead against his as Seth asked, "So... are we good?"
"We're good." Summer replied, and after she did so she pushed her lips onto his again, but this kiss like his was brief, and she pulled away quickly. "In fact," Summer began, "I think we're so good, we need to go out on a date." She told him.
"A date?" Seth repeated, grinning cheesily. A date! With Summer! "I thought I'd never live to the day you asked me out." He told her. "Where should we go? The zoo? The park?"
"As if, Cohen. We'll have plenty of times to go to those places after the baby comes." She told him, "When I said a date, I actually meant a date. Like, between you and me."
"You and I both? Huh." Seth nodded with enthusiasm, "That sounds good. And great. Good and great."
"Just let me get changed, and we'll go somewhere." Summer told him, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek before turning around and prancing away to change.
-
Summer emerged later, wearing a light jade colored maternity dress over black pants, with her hair in a half-ponytail. Even at 3 months pregnant, Seth thought she was breath-taking. As they walked towards the front door of the Cohen house, he offered her his arm, which she took, and they two exchanged delightful smiles, and Seth wondered with brevity what had gotten into Summer lately- not even a snarky remark all morning!
"Where to?" Seth asked, opening the passenger side door of the Range Rover before getting in on the driver's side.
"Well, first, I thought we'd go see a movie." Summer told him. Seth nodded.
"That sounds like fun. What movie? I don't think there's anything starring Orlando Bloom out right now, Summer."
"Cohen," Summer narrowed her eyes at him slightly before forcing a grin upon herself. "I was thinking of a different movie. Try the Imax theatre." She ordered. Seth eyed her curiously but obeyed, starting the engine and pulling out of the driveway, taking off down the road.
It didn't take long before the pulled up infront of the Imax, and Summer eagerly dragged Seth inside, wrapping her arm around his. They approached the box office and Summer dug in her purse, pulling out her credit card and sliding it to the employee there.
"Two tickets for the Great White Shark, pronto." Summer told him, and in no time they were handed their tickets and Summer's card was returned, which she pocketed into her purse before looking up at Seth, who had the most bewildered expression on his face.
"The Great White Shark?" Seth blinked.
"Well I was looking in the paper, and it sounded like something you'd like." Summer shrugged dismissively. Suddenly, her face paled slightly and she turned to Seth quickly, her dark hair whipping around her face. "Oh my god. You totally hate sharks, don't you? You can so never tell with geeks." Summer groaned, putting her head in her hands. "One minute, they're ranting about comics, then the second that comic gets turned into a movie, they hate it. What's up with that?" Summer mumbled to herself.
"No, no. Summer, I'm happy. I like sharks, I really do. I mean, I even had tickets to see this, but I didn't go, actually, instead I hung out with Donnie." Seth shrugged.
"Ew. Even I would've chosen the sharks, Cohen. And I mean, real sharks." Summer commented. Seth chuckled, draping his arm over her shoulders and leading them into the theatre.
"I'd jump in after you." He told her quietly, handing their tickets to an employee who tore them and directed them in the right direction.
"So cheesy, Cohen." She commented, shaking her head as they walked into the dark theatre. The two chose their seats in the center of the theatre, and made themselves comfortable. Seth's arm was still encircling Summer and her head was laying on his shoulder. Just as the beginning titles began to role, Seth looked down at Summer to ask her a question.
"So what inspired you to go to a movie you're not even into?" Seth inquired. But he never got a response. Because the girl in his arms was already fast asleep, dozing off against him, her sleeping face illuminated by the flickering Imax screen, an aesthetic sight that Seth fully appreciated.
-
"Whoo!" Seth cheered, throwing his hands up in the air in triumph. "Who is the master!?" He exclaimed, grinning at Summer and throwing her an arrogant smirk.
"I totally let you win. You know I'm into these things." Summer motioned towards the arcade game infront of them. After the film had ended (and Seth had gently awoken Summer) the two had gone to a pizza place nearby where Summer totally broke the laws of pizza flavouring by adding skittles to nearly every slice, then the pair had decided to hang out at the pier a little bit, where Seth instantly pulled Summer into the arcade, and Summer willingly complied for his sake. They were currently in a round of Street Fighter II, Summer chose Chun-Lee, Seth chose Ryu. He whooped her butt for the fifth time, and as sweet as Seth could be, she was getting annoyed with his arrogance, and fast.
"One more game? Please?" Seth asked, hopping up and down on his feet and sticking more quarters into the game.
"Whatever. You realize I'm not even trying, right?" Summer asked him. Seth nodded feverently.
"I know, but this has always been a fantasy of mine." Seth shrugged, blushing slightly.
"What? Whooping my ass?" Summer asked, arching her eyebrow.
"Er- no. Playing arcade games with you." Seth corrected. He turned back to the screen to choose their characters and begin the first round. Suddenly, Summer cleared her throat, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.
"Is it just me, or is it getting really hot in here?" Summer asked, exposing a perfectly tanned shoulder, throwing her hand abck to also reveal a quite slender neck. Seth gawked. While he was gawking, Summer took the oppurtunity to press a bunch of random buttons, and then- T.K.O.
Total Knock-Out. Definetly Summer.
"You- you cheated!" Seth exclaimed.
"Did not. I'm aware of my sex appeal, and I know how to use it." Summer said simply, adjusting her hair. She glanced over at him expectantly. "Are we done playing Geek Fighter?"
"Street Fighter." Seth corrected.
"Whatever." Summer rolled her eyes, leading the way out. Seth followed. Yes, she had won, and Seth didn't really mind losing all that much.
The two strolled along the pier, hand in hand, making occasional snarky comments but for the most part, staying in an unusual and yet even more unusually comfortable silence. As they approached the end of the dock, with the water's edge below their feet, Seth stopped, leaning against the wooden railing out at the sea, which was endlessly black save for a few sparkling waves breaking against the shore. He turned to Summer, looking her in the eye.
"Seth-"
"Summer-"
"Uh, ladies first." Seth told her.
"No, you go first." Summer shook her head.
"Er... allright." Seth nodded. "Well, Summer, I was just wondering if, um, well we, we're like- uh... I'm not sure what we are, and aside from wondering, I was hoping that um-" Seth paused, the right words were leaving him as his vocabularly grew increasingly limited.
"That?" Summer prompted, scooting closer to him and glancing up at him expectantly.
"That well, I was hoping we could be a..." He trailed off, that familiar tingly feeling taking over at Summer's proximity. "Summer, I want to know if can be a real cou-"
SPLASH.
That was what cut Seth off. The impact of cold water drenching both of them, and two giggling little boys holding Nerf Super-Soakers in their hands, laughing like hyenas and giving each other a high 5 before running off.
"And here I thought I had escaped the plague of Nerf products when I turned 10." Seth sighed, running a hand through his mop of damp hair. "Are you okay?"
"Am I okay? Um, no. Excuse me, I'm going to go kick some immature child ass." Summer told him, wringing her hair off to one side and taking a step after the trouble-makers. But Seth reached out, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, kids will be kids." Seth told her. "I'm used to things like that happening."
"Well, I'm not. And I think they deserve this heel jammed up their-"
"Summer."
"Seth."
"Children make mistakes, and really stupid decisions. It's just a part of growing up. You wouldn't do that to our child, if they did something wrong, would you?"
"Our child wouldn't do anything wrong, Cohen. They'd be perfect." Summer pointed out. "And how do you know so much about child pyschology anyway?"
"I had no choice but too grow up because I obviously didn't fit in with all the kids who were teasing me. It took me awhile, but I finally figured out why. It's because it made them happy, and they had fun, and you can't really blame somebody for that, can you? I mean, we're giving the right of the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independance." Seth pointed out.
"Oh." Was all that Summer could manage to reply. She admired him for a moment. Yeah, he was obsessed with playing video-games and comic books, but if she hadn't already known it in her gut, right then she knew that Seth Cohen was going to make one hell of a father. "Let's go home." Summer told him with a bright smile, taking his hand in hers. Seth returned her smile and the two headed back towards the Range Rover, leaving a dripping trail of water along the boardwalk after them.
-
"And the look on your face when you realized you had lost was great." Summer pointed out with an infectious giggle.
"I'm a guy, Summer." Seth pointed out, "I can't help it if I was born with the Y chromosome."
"No, you're a man." Summer corrected, closing the front door behind her. As the two stepped into the living room, Ryan walked by with a laundry basket filled to the brim with his clothes.
"Hey, what're you doing?" Seth asked, stopping abruptly with Summer at his side.
"Uh, I'm moving all my stuff into your room." Ryan told him, nodding his head.
"May I inquire as to why?" Seth asked, arching an eyebrow,
"Hey, man, this is between you and your parents. I'm just following orders." Ryan told him before walking away. Seth and Summer exchanged wary glances, before Seth took her hand and led her into the kitchen, where the lights were still on quite bright. As suspected, Kirsten and Sandy Cohen were sitting at the little island in the middle of their kitchen. The couple had been seemingly waiting up for the other two to arrive.
"Mom? Dad?" Seth questioned, looking back and forth between them. "Why is Ryan moving his stuff into my room?"
"Because you're moving into the poolhouse." Sandy told him. "Sit down, Seth." He nodded at the stool opposite of him. Seth complied, sitting down, while Summer remained planted firmly at the doorway.
"We've come up with a punishment for you, Seth." Kirsten told him, her eyes flicking at Summer quickly before darting back to her son. "I know, it's going to sound... unreasonable, at first. But your father and I have talked about it, and we think that it might be effective in its own ways. More effective than anything else."
"Okay." Seth nodded, wishing that they would just get on with it already.
"Seth, you're grounded from Summer." Kirsten stated bluntly.
"I'm sorry- What!?" Seth asked, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. Summer's jaw dropped slightly and she looked at the Cohens in surprise, trying to register exactly what this meant.
"You are grounded from Summer. From being with her, talking to her, spending time with her."
"You know, maybe you're forgetting a little fact, for instance, the fact that she is carrying my child." Seth pointed out.
"That's not a problem. This isn't forever. Until them, your father and I and Ryan will all be taking care of Summer. In fact, Summer, you have a doctor's appointment tommorow, and Ryan will be taking you." Kirsten informed her. Summer blinked twice, and Seth nearly fell of his stool.
"Ryan!?"
"Yes, Ryan, your brother." Sandy nodded.
"You two have just... you're all plotting my demise, aren't you?" Seth asked. "This is incomprehensible! What happened to me learning any responsibility? How will I do that if you guys do everything?"
"There will be plenty of time for you to assume responsibility, believe me." Kirsten told him.
"And don't try anything while you're at school together, either." Sandy told Seth. "We'll just interrogate Ryan."
"I can't believe you guys are serious." Seth told them, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Really? That's funny." Sandy exchanged glances with his wife. "We couldn't believe you were serious when you told us you had pre-marital intercourse."
"It's called sex, dad. There's no need to be politically correct." Seth muttered. Sandy ignored the comment, and both him and Kirsten got up from their stools, and Sandy walked over to his son, patting him on the shoulder. "I think it's about time you went to bed, son. Alone." He added quickly. "In the poolhouse." He and Kirsten filed towards the door past Summer, both giving her earnest and slightly sympathetic smiles and goodnight wishes.
Summer looked at Seth.
Seth looked at Summer.
Then without a word, he walked towards the backdoor and stepped outside, shutting it behind him. Summer let out a breath she felt she'd been holding ever since she stepped into the kitchen. His parents had just grounded him from her. And that was the only punishment they could find fit. That was the only thing that could get to him. Her abscence. But Summer felt helpless as she realized how much it felt like she was the one being grounded too, not just Seth.