Aftermath

- by BiSciFiGuy -

Pairing: Ryan A / Seth C

Genre: Romance?

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or character histories or places or anything except my own plot. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not responsible for any underage readers who come across this story.

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Main Author's Note: This story was originally a single story but I have decided to turn it into a collection of one shot fics. Each chapter is a different Story based on what happened in various episodes of the original T.V series.

A/N: This story picks up right after the episode titled "The way we were" (Ep 2.02) and focuses on what happened after Caleb was arrested the night of the kick-off carnival.

Summary: Seth's whole world seems like it's falling apart around him and the only person he can turn to is Ryan.

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Ryan stretched out on his soft bed in the Cohen pool house, it was good to be back, he was loathe to admit it but he had truly hated it to be back in Chino. He didn't belong there anymore, Newport Beach was his home now, the only place where he could ever be more than what he was.

It was fun being back but it wasn't all that great either. Today there'd already been more drama than he had seen in the three months in Chino. After Sandy and Caleb left the house, or rather Sandy left while Caleb was escorted from the property Ryan had felt the mood in the house sink to one of the lowest points he had ever felt it. Kirsten vanished from the room and Seth had gone off to his bedroom and slipped into his morbid, silently- contemplating- the- situation mood. Ryan had gone up to the Cohen bedroom, just to see if Kirsten was okay but had stopped at the door when he heard Kirstin sobbing on the other side.

Thus instead of offering her a comforting word he silently cleaned off the Chinese take out boxes from the table and slipped from the house with a cautious "night" to Seth, who was still sitting in his room stroking Captain Oats' mane. Ryan sighed when he'd left the room and now he sighed again. There was so much trouble here in Newport but it was welcome, it made him feel at home. Eventually he drifted off to sleep, hearing a car pull up into the driveway some time later, he lifted his head into a hazy darkness, he recognized the car as Sandy's and fell back onto the bed into the arms of dreamless sleep.

Another sound woke him a few minutes?, hours? later. He started awake when he heard the door click and pulled himself up, ready to defend himself if necessary. The shadow stood in the door, its profile was hunched over, the shoulders hanging. It took him a moment to recognise the shadow as Seth.

"Hey, what's up?". He moved to turn on the lamp on the bedside table but Seth's voice stopped him.

"Don't, please?". Ryan's hand let go of the switch slowly and he settled back on the bed.

"I know this is going to sound totally weird and I'll get it if you say no". Seth's voice sounded strange and Ryan involuntarily felt his heart warm and he fought the urge to jump from the bed and embrace his "adopted" brother.

"What is it Seth?". Ryan was shocked to hear how caring his voice sounded, how much his tone resembled Sandy's whenever they spoke after one of Ryan's run ins with trouble.

"Can I sleep with you?". Seth appeared in the light that shone through one of the windows, standing there in his boxers and shirt with his pillow clutched to his chest he resembled a child who'd had a bad dream and was begging to sleep with his parents. Ryan barely considered it for a second before be scooted back on the bed and made a space for Seth.

"Come on". His sigh sounded a bit more heavy than he intended and he saw Seth pause for a second so he patted the mattress and smiled, though he doubted Seth could see it.

Seth slowly dropped onto the bed and lay down stiffly, staring up at the ceiling. Ryan was on his side, staring at the black curls that spread themselves on the pillow, the smooth skin of Seth's face that was starting to show the beginnings of a fluffy beard, the skinny arms than ended in the long fingered hands that were crossed on his pale chest. They lay quietly, just listening to the sounds of the night and Ryan felt himself slipping away again.

Ryan's eyes shot open again when he felt something move on the bed, it took him a moment to realise that Seth was in bed with him, he'd been awake and asleep so many times tonight that it felt like he'd been drugged and was hallucinating. The strange movement came again and Ryan tried to sense what it was, it was Seth, he was doing something, something that occasionally made the bed shake. Ryan listened carefully and realised that Seth was crying violently but trying his best to suppress the sobs, which didn't really work since the tiny sobs he was holding back only resulted in them escaping in larger sobs that racked his body. He leaned close to Seth.

"What's wrong?". Again the unnervingly fatherly voice came from his mouth, Seth stiffened visibly before letting out a heavy sigh, letting his tears flow freely.

"When you left, I though my world was going to fall apart. Before you were here I was nothing, a complete social outcast but with you, with you I'm the geek who got the girl". He sobbed again and Ryan couldn't stop himself anymore, he shifted closer to the brunette and placed a hand on his heaving chest. He'd suspected it might cause Seth to freak out but as it turned out it had the opposite effect, Seth lifted a hand and grasped Ryan's. The tears coming completely unrestrained now.

"And now you're back and everything was supposed to be good again. The world is a good place when Ryan is in it, he is the protector of the skinny pathetic Seth Cohen and the strong hero that Marissa clings to". Ryan moved closer, he wanted to deny everything Seth was saying but he knew Seth was looking for an outlet, not a debate.

"But it's not right. God, my grandfather got arrested, Marissa is sleeping with the help, Summer is dating the pseudo me… Ryan, my whole world is falling apart". Seth turned into Ryan's embrace and clutched desperately at the strong arms. Ryan reached up and gently ran his hands through Seth's hair, trying to calm the heavy sobs and trying to prevent the dangerous turn Seth's thoughts were taking.

They lay in each other's arms for several minutes until Seth seemed to calm down slightly.

"God, Ryan, our lives are like a soap opera you know that?".

"Yeah, it pretty much is". Ryan himself felt all chocked up, Seth had taken the whole situation into context and he could see it more clearly now.

"Do you think we'll get it all patched up again?".

"I don't know, maybe we should just move on". Ryan wanted to say more but his words were cut off when he felt Seth's lips make contact with his. He gasped and Seth slipped his tongue into Ryan's mouth. Bewildered thoughts raced through Ryan's head as he felt Seth's lips work against his lips. Tentatively he prodded his tongue back against Seth's, who in turn groaned deep in his throat.

"I've wanted to do this for so long". Seth whispered and Ryan allowed the kiss to deepen further, adding his own tongue to the massage between their lips.

Suddenly there were no restriction between them anymore and the kiss exploded into something that screamed passion and suppressed desire. Releasing the sexual tension that had been building between them ever since they had met. Ryan lay back and pulled Seth on top of him, Seth in turn came willingly and straddled Ryan, their warm bodies pressing against each other. Ryan heard Seth gasp and pull away, Ryan opened his eyes and stared at the brunette to find terror in those usually passive eyes.

"What's wrong?". Ryan asked worriedly.

"It's well, this". Seth whispered.

"I though this was okay, I though we both wanted this?".

"It's not that, I know we want it, it's just… this". Ryan gasped as Seth reached down and the skinny hand closed over his stiff cock where it proudly tented his boxers. He blushed as he looked into Seth's face, thankful for the darkness.

"I'm sorry, it's been a while since I've actually had…".

"Ryan shut up", Ryan closed his mouth with a snap, "I've never even been in a shower with another guy, now we're here and you're hard and I'm hard and we're about to actually sleep together". Seth went quiet and stared at the wall behind Ryan's head, his hand still closed around Ryan's stiff muscle. Ryan could feel the discomfort and doubt flood over Seth like a wave and without thinking he reached between them and closed his hand around Seth's throbbing cock, making the skinny man gasp.

"Seth, you think too much. We need this". Ryan whispered as he pulled Seth close and gently began to massage the brunette's lips with his own.

Soon they had become a gasping, sweaty mass. Grunting as their boxers and shirts were cast to the ground, moaning as they touched each other's bare skin for the first time, sighing happily as they slowly stroked the unfamiliar, pulsating dick in their hands, a new experience for both, before finally letting out animalistic, yelping sounds as they came, sending sprays of pure ecstasy splashing against each other's stomachs. Seth collapsed onto Ryan, they were both gasping into each other's ears, their chests heaving against each other, their heartbeats slamming against their chests in perfect harmony. They fell asleep still clinging to each other, Seth's head resting on Ryan's shoulder.

The sun came up in tandem with bird song and the sound of the tide breaking against the rocks as it did every morning, only this morning it all seemed more clear, louder in some way. Ryan opened his eyes a few beats after becoming aware of the sounds and he sighed as he felt Seth above him. He slowly nudged the brunette and stared into the dark eyes for a moment before Seth freaked out.

"Oh god, Ryan what happened, did we really… oh no, I'm sorry I shouldn't have…". He tried to push himself off Ryan but was grabbed firmly by the shoulders.

"Calm down Seth, it's okay". He pulled the brunette close and placed a soft kiss on the panicked lips making them turn up in a smile.

"Really?".

"Yeah, now lets get breakfast".

In the kitchen they began preparing coffee and bagels, listening to the world wake up.

"So what's going to happen at school on Monday?". Seth asked as he stared at the coffee machine.

"Well, are we a couple now?". Ryan asked distractedly.

"Do you want to be?".

"I've only ever been a boyfriend to Marissa… but I guess if we want to keep doing what we did last night then we should be a couple". They stared at each other for another moment.

"Okay, we're a couple then". Seth said as he handed a cup of coffee to Ryan.

"Do we have to kiss now to make it official or something?". Seth whispered as he reached for a bagel. Ryan smiled as Seth pressed his face close to his, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Sure lover boy". Ryan said, frowning at the words, he'd never thought they would ever come from his mouth. He stood suddenly and pressed Seth against the counter, sending the bagel over the counter and it landed with a thick splat on the floor as Ryan pressed himself against Seth, placing soft kisses against his skin.

"What are you doing?". The startled yell exploded behind them and they twirled around to find Sandy and Kirstin standing in the doorway.

"Mom, Dad…". Seth's word vanished and he stood there in Ryan's arms, opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land.

"We were… we just…". Ryan too found himself at a loss for words.

"I'll tell you what you were doing", Sandy grumbled and stepped into the room, "You were letting a perfectly good bagel go to waste on the floor". He said as he reached down and picked the bread up from the floor. The boys stared at him for a second as the older Cohen took a bite from the bread and smiled at them.

"How long have you boys been thinking about this then?". Kirstin asked.

"We, um… since last night". Ryan shrugged, Seth was still struggling for air in that very fish like manner.

"Oh, well, I'm glad you finally realised what it was you wanted, now all this silliness with the girls can stop". She said and slipped off to the bathroom, Ryan noticed the look that passed between her and Sandy.

When she was gone the older Cohen poured himself coffee and glanced at the boys, who were still in the position they had been in when the adults had stepped into the room. He sighed and touched both boys' shoulders.

"Boys, this is going to be just as awkward for me as it's going to be for you…".

"Oh god Dad, no. We know about sex, believe me we do and I don't think you need to tell us anything we don't already know after last nig…". Seth found his voice and lost it again as he registered what he was saying. Sandy looked them up and down.

"So you've...?". Ryan made to say something but Sandy cut him off.

"I don't want to know, I thought I did, but I don't". With that he stormed out of the room.

"That went well". Seth said and kissed Ryan again, thinking about the gossip that's going to run around school on Monday.

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A/N: Okay, my first O.C fic, I hope it was good, I only recently started watching the show so I don't really know the characters all that well yet but I couldn't help but notice the sexual tension between these two. Please R&R.