New Fic: Never Again (Chapter One)
Feb. 9th, 2008 11:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missmara13Title: Never Again
Author: Mara
Fandom: The OC
Word Count: 1060
Rating: R
Warnings: Some violence (Mostly in flashbacks), language, possibly sex
Summary: "You hit me, even once, and I swear to god it'll be the last time you ever lay a finger on me."
Notes: Response to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
brandywine421's AU Challenge prompt #45, submitted by garnigal. Ummm... yeah... you'd think with a prompt like 'Sandy has a drinking problem instead of Kirsten', the fic would be ABOUT Sandy... but no, it still wound up being about Ryan... lol... Sandy and the rest of the Cohens WILL appear, but... it's all about Ryan and his journey in life...
This is also somewhat a response to one ofbrandywine421's old 15 Minute Challenge prompts (the first batch). The last line is anyway... lol...
Never Again: Chapter One
"We were doing fine until I brought you home," Sandy finally said, hunched over his plate.
Ryan didn't really know how to respond to that, so he remained silent, absently poking at his food with his fork.
"Seth never missed dinner over a girl, and Kirsten wouldn't have cheated on me with some asshole..."
Ryan bit his tongue to keep from mentioning that if Kirsten was having an affair with Carter, it was probably only because Sandy had cheated on her with that Rebecca woman, and then started drinking so much. "Sandy..." he began slowly.
"I should have taken you to social services when your mother left," Sandy continued. "Just turned you over like Kirsten wanted me to."
Ryan wanted to believe it was just the alcohol talking, but his own self doubts made him wonder if that was how Sandy really felt. "Why didn't you?" he asked, immediately regretting it when Sandy looked up, anger flashing in his eyes.
"Because I thought having you around might save my family," he said bitterly.
Ryan took a deep breath, and stood to take his plate to the sink. "I've got homework..." he began.
"Don't walk away from me!" Sandy said, getting up and blocking Ryan's escape out the back doors.
"Or what, Sandy?" Ryan said, fed up and wanting to just get it over with if it was going to happen. "You'll hit me like you've been hitting Kirsten? Make up can never hide it all the way."
"This is my house and I can do whatever the hell..." Sandy began, reaching to grab Ryan's arm.
"I'm telling you now, Sandy," Ryan replied, stepping away. "You hit me, even once, and I swear to god it'll be the last time you ever lay a finger on me."
Ryan had expected Sandy to snap out of it and back off, so he wasn't expecting the blow. He'd been away from drunks too long to remember that by the time they got this drunk, they were too far gone to realize what they were doing and stop themselves. When Sandy's fist slammed into Ryan's jaw, he stumbled and fell against the edge of the counter, the air knocked out of him.
"Don't you ever threaten me!" Sandy said, grabbing Ryan's arm and yanking him straight.
"It wasn't a threat," Ryan replied, yanking away and starting towards the door. He didn't even see the next blow, and only had a moment to raise his arms before he crashed through the glass doors, pain exploding through him as shards dug into his arms and side when he landed on the patio.
Ryan bolted upright in bed, gasping for air as the images from the dream... the memory... played on repeat in his mind. He felt a shiver run down his spine, followed by the gentle touch of his girlfriend.
"Ry?" she asked softly.
"Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
She sat up and wrapped her arms around his chest as her chin came to rest on his shoulder. "You are such a bad liar."
Ryan smiled sadly and lifted one hand to cover her hands, his head tilting so his cheek rested on her soft hair. "Bad dream," he admitted. "Well, bad memory."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"No, it's okay."
"Wanna lay down and get some more sleep?"
"Not really."
"Want me to shut up and let you brood?"
Ryan smiled and turned to kiss her. "It's just about time to get up anyway, I'll go start some coffee," he said, getting up.
"I'll be out in a minute," she replied.
The apartment was small, even smaller since she'd moved in and they'd bought more furniture because she had convinced him that the place shouldn't be just somewhere to sleep, it should be a home, their home, but Ryan wouldn't really have it any other way. She loved him despite his issues, like the fact that he flat out refused to have alcohol in the apartment, told her from the start that he didn't feel comfortable with it around. She'd accepted it and while she'd still occasionally have a glass of wine if they were out at dinner celebrating something, she didn't drink much herself, saying he was more important to her than getting drunk could ever be.
And that was all he'd ever really wanted or needed from someone, to be loved more than the drugs and booze in their lives were.
Ryan sighed as he leaned against the kitchen counter, wishing he could shake all thoughts of Sandy and Newport from his head. The problem was, even after what had happened that night and the two weeks after, before he had finally packed a bag and left Newport, he still missed the life he'd had there. He missed seeing the proud look on Sandy's face whenever he brought home a good report card or did well on a project for physics or any other class. He missed having a breakfast of bagels and coffee while teasing Kirsten about Yogalattes or something else that was so clearly and distinctly Newport. He missed catching a ride with Sandy to the beach and going for a jog while the man went surfing.
"You're brooding again," she said as she came out, wearing a pair of loose pajama pants and a tank top.
"It is one of my greatest talents," Ryan replied wryly, giving her a quick kiss.
"You have better talents," she replied with a smile, kissing him one more time before turning away to snag the orange juice from the fridge.
"No coffee?" he asked her casually.
"I feel like juice," she said, shrugging. "And maybe we can watch a movie and enjoy having a day off together?" she added as she took her glass over to sit on the couch, leaning back against the big velvet pillow that was worn in spots but still her favorite.
Ryan was about to respond when someone knocked on the door. "Hold that thought," he told her, smiling. He was still smiling when he opened the, but it faded as he saw who was on the other side. "Seth?" he asked, surprised.
"You need to come back to Newport," Seth replied, looking tense.
"I can't..."
"You have to," Seth insisted.
"I've got work, and commitments, and a life, and..." Ryan began.
"Dad's dying."
Ryan didn't have an answer for that.
To Be Continued...
Ryan's girlfriend's identity was delibrately left ambiguous... I'm like 75% sure of who it is, but... I haven't decided for 100% yet so I left her unidentified... lol... I can tell you for sure that it's not someone that Ryan would have known in Seasons 1 or 2 of The OC, and she's never met the Cohens and only knows what Ryan's told her about them...
I can absolutely promise a soundtrack for this fic, but it's kinda spoiler-ific, so I can't post it until at leats I'm past any spoiler-y moments... lol
On a side note? I discovered a copy of 'The Writer's Book Of Matches' at Barnes & Nobles today and bought it... so many goods prompts in there... lol...
Author: Mara
Fandom: The OC
Word Count: 1060
Rating: R
Warnings: Some violence (Mostly in flashbacks), language, possibly sex
Summary: "You hit me, even once, and I swear to god it'll be the last time you ever lay a finger on me."
Notes: Response to
brandywine421's AU Challenge prompt #45, submitted by garnigal. Ummm... yeah... you'd think with a prompt like 'Sandy has a drinking problem instead of Kirsten', the fic would be ABOUT Sandy... but no, it still wound up being about Ryan... lol... Sandy and the rest of the Cohens WILL appear, but... it's all about Ryan and his journey in life...This is also somewhat a response to one of
brandywine421's old 15 Minute Challenge prompts (the first batch). The last line is anyway... lol...Never Again: Chapter One
"We were doing fine until I brought you home," Sandy finally said, hunched over his plate.
Ryan didn't really know how to respond to that, so he remained silent, absently poking at his food with his fork.
"Seth never missed dinner over a girl, and Kirsten wouldn't have cheated on me with some asshole..."
Ryan bit his tongue to keep from mentioning that if Kirsten was having an affair with Carter, it was probably only because Sandy had cheated on her with that Rebecca woman, and then started drinking so much. "Sandy..." he began slowly.
"I should have taken you to social services when your mother left," Sandy continued. "Just turned you over like Kirsten wanted me to."
Ryan wanted to believe it was just the alcohol talking, but his own self doubts made him wonder if that was how Sandy really felt. "Why didn't you?" he asked, immediately regretting it when Sandy looked up, anger flashing in his eyes.
"Because I thought having you around might save my family," he said bitterly.
Ryan took a deep breath, and stood to take his plate to the sink. "I've got homework..." he began.
"Don't walk away from me!" Sandy said, getting up and blocking Ryan's escape out the back doors.
"Or what, Sandy?" Ryan said, fed up and wanting to just get it over with if it was going to happen. "You'll hit me like you've been hitting Kirsten? Make up can never hide it all the way."
"This is my house and I can do whatever the hell..." Sandy began, reaching to grab Ryan's arm.
"I'm telling you now, Sandy," Ryan replied, stepping away. "You hit me, even once, and I swear to god it'll be the last time you ever lay a finger on me."
Ryan had expected Sandy to snap out of it and back off, so he wasn't expecting the blow. He'd been away from drunks too long to remember that by the time they got this drunk, they were too far gone to realize what they were doing and stop themselves. When Sandy's fist slammed into Ryan's jaw, he stumbled and fell against the edge of the counter, the air knocked out of him.
"Don't you ever threaten me!" Sandy said, grabbing Ryan's arm and yanking him straight.
"It wasn't a threat," Ryan replied, yanking away and starting towards the door. He didn't even see the next blow, and only had a moment to raise his arms before he crashed through the glass doors, pain exploding through him as shards dug into his arms and side when he landed on the patio.
Ryan bolted upright in bed, gasping for air as the images from the dream... the memory... played on repeat in his mind. He felt a shiver run down his spine, followed by the gentle touch of his girlfriend.
"Ry?" she asked softly.
"Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
She sat up and wrapped her arms around his chest as her chin came to rest on his shoulder. "You are such a bad liar."
Ryan smiled sadly and lifted one hand to cover her hands, his head tilting so his cheek rested on her soft hair. "Bad dream," he admitted. "Well, bad memory."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"No, it's okay."
"Wanna lay down and get some more sleep?"
"Not really."
"Want me to shut up and let you brood?"
Ryan smiled and turned to kiss her. "It's just about time to get up anyway, I'll go start some coffee," he said, getting up.
"I'll be out in a minute," she replied.
The apartment was small, even smaller since she'd moved in and they'd bought more furniture because she had convinced him that the place shouldn't be just somewhere to sleep, it should be a home, their home, but Ryan wouldn't really have it any other way. She loved him despite his issues, like the fact that he flat out refused to have alcohol in the apartment, told her from the start that he didn't feel comfortable with it around. She'd accepted it and while she'd still occasionally have a glass of wine if they were out at dinner celebrating something, she didn't drink much herself, saying he was more important to her than getting drunk could ever be.
And that was all he'd ever really wanted or needed from someone, to be loved more than the drugs and booze in their lives were.
Ryan sighed as he leaned against the kitchen counter, wishing he could shake all thoughts of Sandy and Newport from his head. The problem was, even after what had happened that night and the two weeks after, before he had finally packed a bag and left Newport, he still missed the life he'd had there. He missed seeing the proud look on Sandy's face whenever he brought home a good report card or did well on a project for physics or any other class. He missed having a breakfast of bagels and coffee while teasing Kirsten about Yogalattes or something else that was so clearly and distinctly Newport. He missed catching a ride with Sandy to the beach and going for a jog while the man went surfing.
"You're brooding again," she said as she came out, wearing a pair of loose pajama pants and a tank top.
"It is one of my greatest talents," Ryan replied wryly, giving her a quick kiss.
"You have better talents," she replied with a smile, kissing him one more time before turning away to snag the orange juice from the fridge.
"No coffee?" he asked her casually.
"I feel like juice," she said, shrugging. "And maybe we can watch a movie and enjoy having a day off together?" she added as she took her glass over to sit on the couch, leaning back against the big velvet pillow that was worn in spots but still her favorite.
Ryan was about to respond when someone knocked on the door. "Hold that thought," he told her, smiling. He was still smiling when he opened the, but it faded as he saw who was on the other side. "Seth?" he asked, surprised.
"You need to come back to Newport," Seth replied, looking tense.
"I can't..."
"You have to," Seth insisted.
"I've got work, and commitments, and a life, and..." Ryan began.
"Dad's dying."
Ryan didn't have an answer for that.
To Be Continued...
Ryan's girlfriend's identity was delibrately left ambiguous... I'm like 75% sure of who it is, but... I haven't decided for 100% yet so I left her unidentified... lol... I can tell you for sure that it's not someone that Ryan would have known in Seasons 1 or 2 of The OC, and she's never met the Cohens and only knows what Ryan's told her about them...
I can absolutely promise a soundtrack for this fic, but it's kinda spoiler-ific, so I can't post it until at leats I'm past any spoiler-y moments... lol
On a side note? I discovered a copy of 'The Writer's Book Of Matches' at Barnes & Nobles today and bought it... so many goods prompts in there... lol...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-02-10 06:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-10 06:59 am (UTC)Harsh!Sandy is difficult to read.
I'm interested to see where this goes.
Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-10 07:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-10 10:23 am (UTC)Now, is Sandy really dying? Did Kirsten left him, did he beat on Seth too (though I don't think so).
Um... I think that's it, oh and, would this girlfriend of his be Brooke ??
Hope to read more soon by the way!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-10 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-10 04:32 pm (UTC)And who is this mysterious girlfriend?
Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to see what's next!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-10 08:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-10 11:39 pm (UTC)Update Soon!!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-11 02:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-12 05:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 06:47 pm (UTC)