missmara13 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
missmara13) wrote2008-12-13 08:47 pm
missmara13) wrote2008-12-13 08:47 pm
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24 Gifts Of 2008 - #13 - Desperately Wanting (Ryan/Isabella)
More in the new Ryan/Isabella Universe of Meeting You and One Wild Night. This one takes place between those two. I've finally named this universe, and it's the Berkeley!Verse.
Ryan hadn't really wanted to go to the 'Finals Are Over, Let's Party In The Cold!' party, not when he had so much going on at home, but his roommate insisted and practically dragged him out while he was trying to pack some clothes for winter break. As soon as he could, though, he seperated himself from his roommates pack of friend ands found a place to lean against a wall, brooding.
"Hey, no frowns, we're a step closer to graduating," Isabella said as she came up, huddling in her coat against the slight chill in the air. "How is it t-shirt weather during the day, but at night we practically get icicles hanging from our noses."
"It's not quite that cold," Ryan said, cracking a smile that quickly faded.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I just... family stuff."
"If you want to talk..."
Ryan hesitated, looking at her seriously. "Do you mean that? Because my best friend? Is also my brother, so... I can't really talk to him. He expects me to fix everything because I'm here and he's in Providence."
"Talk to me," Isabella said, chewing on her lower lip.
"My parents, Sandy and Kirsten? They're... they're having some problems. Like can barely be in the same room together for longer than 10 minutes without fighting, and they're trying to hide it from me, but I know warring parents when I see them. And I don't want my sister growing up in a house like I did, where her parents hate eachother, but I don't want Sandy and Kirsten to split up. And I don't even know why they're fighting, so how the hell can I fix it, but Seth still expects me to because that's what I do."
Isabella nodded, but instead of speaking she just stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck to give him a hug. "You can't fix the world," she whispered. "All you can do is try to make sure your sister knows how much you love her, and how much they love her."
"Thanks," Ryan replied, his arms circling her waist. "It's just... the Cohens are my stability. Without them, I'd probaby be dead by now. And God... what if I slip and say something and they hate me?"
"If they love you as much as they seem to? Hell, even if they love you half as much as they seem to? They could never hate you," Isabella said, pulling back and cupping his cheek with her hand. "And if they could, then they don't deserve you."
Ryan smiled slightly. "Thanks."
"Anytime," Isabella replied. "Now, you wanna get out of here and get some food that isn't beer and chips?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
"I know this place on Fleet street that makes these really good burgers."
"Let's go," Ryan said, putting his arm around her shoulders without even thinking. When he realized what he'd done and started to move it away, she grabbed his hand and laced her fingers through his, leaning against him slightly.
~~~
"So, wait," Isabella said, leaning across the table towards him as they ate and talked. "She asked you to be in a threesome with her and her french ex-husband?"
"Yeah," Ryan replied.
"What did you say?"
"I told her that Henri Michel is creepy as hell and I'm not sleeping with him even if she is there," Ryan said. "I've got no problem with guys who are gay, my buddy Luke's dad is gay and he's a great guy, but I'm not and I definitely don't wanna sleep with a creepy guy like Henri Michel."
Isabella laughed. "Ah, but what if the guy was cute?" she teased.
"No," Ryan said dryly.
"You're no fun."
"No, I'm not," Ryan agreed. "You're turn to share a little known fact about you."
"Okay..." Isabella said, biting her lip while she thought. "Oh! I believe in soulmates and destiny," she said.
"Really?"
"Yes!" Isabella said. "Okay, my parents were planning on buying this vineyard further south, near LA, I think, but they came up here to take a look at one in Napa, and brought my brothers with them. Well, Nico cut his hand on a piece of fence, so they brought him into San Fransisco to the hospital for stitches, and while they were there, Papa went out to smoke, and stumbles upon a girl putting her baby under a bench..."
"Are you saying..." Ryan began.
"Do I seriously look Italian to you?" Isabella asked. "Papa told me that eventually they found out my biological mother was from China and my biological father was white, probably her heroin dealer, since she was an addict and I got to go through withdrawl when I was less than a day old."
"Damn," Ryan said.
"But Papa said he fell in love with me as soon as he took me from her, and when Social Services said they were taking me into their custody, Mama and Papa decided then and there that I was meant to be theirs, and so was the vineyard in Napa. So, they bought the vineyard, and they adopted me, and that lead to me coming to Berkeley, and meeting you!"
"So we were destined to meet?" Ryan asked, smiling.
"Uh-huh," Isabella said, smiling. "And everything you went through led you to be at Berkeley at the right time to meet me."
"Oh, so getting in a car accident was just fates way of saying 'not time for college quite yet'?"
"Exactly," Isabella said. "Now, someone does need to have a talk with the fates about hurting you to make sure it happened, but..."
Ryan laughed, reaching across the table to take her hand. "Thanks, Isa."
"For what?"
"Distracting me?"
"Can I distract you a little more?" Isabella asked.
"How?"
Isabella hesitated a moment, then surged forward across the table to kiss him. Just as quickly she pulled back and saw the surprise on his face. "I shouldn't have done that," she said, shaking her head as she grabbed her purse. "I'm so sorry..." she added, hurrying out. She got outside and halfway down the block before she heard him running to catch up.
"Isabella, wait!"
She stopped but didn't turn, one hand rubbing over her face. "I'm sorry, Ryan, I know I..." She was cut off as he grabbed her arm and spun her around, pulling her into another kiss, deep and passionate.
When it finally ended, Ryan let out a soft sigh and rest his forehead against hers. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he whispered.
Isabella smiled and pulled back to look up at him. "Really?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, taking her hands in his own. "But everytime I get involved with someone... something goes horribly wrong and I end up never speaking to them again. I can't lose Isabella my friend just because I want her to be Isabella my girlfriend."
"You won't lose me, Ryan," Isabella said.
"Theresa doesn't talk to me anymore because I'm too violent, Lindsay promised to keep in touch, but... I haven't heard from here in years. Sadie did the same damn thing. And Marissa... she couldn't even be bothered to send a note after I was almost killed by an ex of hers. I don't wanna think about you in five years and be angry because yet again I wasn't enough."
"You are more than enough," Isabella said, cradling his face in her hands. "They just couldn't see it, which clearly means they are blind, deaf, and idiots."
"Isn't the expression 'blind, deaf, and dumb'?" Ryana sked, cracking a tiny smile.
"Yes, but they can talk, they're just too stupid to see what a good thing they're giving up," Isabella said.
Ryan smiled again and leaned down to kiss her, softly this time. "Why don't we go find somewhere quiet to talk?"
"Sounds good."
~~~
They ended up in Ryan's dorm room, laying side by side on his bed, hands still intertwined as they lay in silence.
"I lied when I said I didn't know why they're having problems," Ryan finally said into the dark. "Sandy's cheating on Kirsten with a student. And she's spending a lot of time with this guy she almost had an affair with a few years back."
"I'm sorry," Isabella whispered, turning to lay her head on his shoulder and wrap an arm around his chest.
"I know it's coming, but... it's gonna hurt so bad when they actually say it."
"Does your brother know?"
"I told him it's getting kinda bad, but all he said was that I had to fix it."
"You can't fix everything, Ryan, no matter how much you want to."
"I always thought they were soulmates and destined to be together," Ryan admitted. "They're the ones who made me believe that love actually existed. What does it say that they can't make it work?"
"That love isn't easy, but if you try your best, it's worth it," Isabella repleid. "Go to sleep, Ryan, I'll be right here when you wake up."
"Promise?"
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
Ryan held her a little tighter, his cheek resting against her hair, and let himself fall asleep.
The End
Ryan hadn't really wanted to go to the 'Finals Are Over, Let's Party In The Cold!' party, not when he had so much going on at home, but his roommate insisted and practically dragged him out while he was trying to pack some clothes for winter break. As soon as he could, though, he seperated himself from his roommates pack of friend ands found a place to lean against a wall, brooding.
"Hey, no frowns, we're a step closer to graduating," Isabella said as she came up, huddling in her coat against the slight chill in the air. "How is it t-shirt weather during the day, but at night we practically get icicles hanging from our noses."
"It's not quite that cold," Ryan said, cracking a smile that quickly faded.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I just... family stuff."
"If you want to talk..."
Ryan hesitated, looking at her seriously. "Do you mean that? Because my best friend? Is also my brother, so... I can't really talk to him. He expects me to fix everything because I'm here and he's in Providence."
"Talk to me," Isabella said, chewing on her lower lip.
"My parents, Sandy and Kirsten? They're... they're having some problems. Like can barely be in the same room together for longer than 10 minutes without fighting, and they're trying to hide it from me, but I know warring parents when I see them. And I don't want my sister growing up in a house like I did, where her parents hate eachother, but I don't want Sandy and Kirsten to split up. And I don't even know why they're fighting, so how the hell can I fix it, but Seth still expects me to because that's what I do."
Isabella nodded, but instead of speaking she just stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck to give him a hug. "You can't fix the world," she whispered. "All you can do is try to make sure your sister knows how much you love her, and how much they love her."
"Thanks," Ryan replied, his arms circling her waist. "It's just... the Cohens are my stability. Without them, I'd probaby be dead by now. And God... what if I slip and say something and they hate me?"
"If they love you as much as they seem to? Hell, even if they love you half as much as they seem to? They could never hate you," Isabella said, pulling back and cupping his cheek with her hand. "And if they could, then they don't deserve you."
Ryan smiled slightly. "Thanks."
"Anytime," Isabella replied. "Now, you wanna get out of here and get some food that isn't beer and chips?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
"I know this place on Fleet street that makes these really good burgers."
"Let's go," Ryan said, putting his arm around her shoulders without even thinking. When he realized what he'd done and started to move it away, she grabbed his hand and laced her fingers through his, leaning against him slightly.
~~~
"So, wait," Isabella said, leaning across the table towards him as they ate and talked. "She asked you to be in a threesome with her and her french ex-husband?"
"Yeah," Ryan replied.
"What did you say?"
"I told her that Henri Michel is creepy as hell and I'm not sleeping with him even if she is there," Ryan said. "I've got no problem with guys who are gay, my buddy Luke's dad is gay and he's a great guy, but I'm not and I definitely don't wanna sleep with a creepy guy like Henri Michel."
Isabella laughed. "Ah, but what if the guy was cute?" she teased.
"No," Ryan said dryly.
"You're no fun."
"No, I'm not," Ryan agreed. "You're turn to share a little known fact about you."
"Okay..." Isabella said, biting her lip while she thought. "Oh! I believe in soulmates and destiny," she said.
"Really?"
"Yes!" Isabella said. "Okay, my parents were planning on buying this vineyard further south, near LA, I think, but they came up here to take a look at one in Napa, and brought my brothers with them. Well, Nico cut his hand on a piece of fence, so they brought him into San Fransisco to the hospital for stitches, and while they were there, Papa went out to smoke, and stumbles upon a girl putting her baby under a bench..."
"Are you saying..." Ryan began.
"Do I seriously look Italian to you?" Isabella asked. "Papa told me that eventually they found out my biological mother was from China and my biological father was white, probably her heroin dealer, since she was an addict and I got to go through withdrawl when I was less than a day old."
"Damn," Ryan said.
"But Papa said he fell in love with me as soon as he took me from her, and when Social Services said they were taking me into their custody, Mama and Papa decided then and there that I was meant to be theirs, and so was the vineyard in Napa. So, they bought the vineyard, and they adopted me, and that lead to me coming to Berkeley, and meeting you!"
"So we were destined to meet?" Ryan asked, smiling.
"Uh-huh," Isabella said, smiling. "And everything you went through led you to be at Berkeley at the right time to meet me."
"Oh, so getting in a car accident was just fates way of saying 'not time for college quite yet'?"
"Exactly," Isabella said. "Now, someone does need to have a talk with the fates about hurting you to make sure it happened, but..."
Ryan laughed, reaching across the table to take her hand. "Thanks, Isa."
"For what?"
"Distracting me?"
"Can I distract you a little more?" Isabella asked.
"How?"
Isabella hesitated a moment, then surged forward across the table to kiss him. Just as quickly she pulled back and saw the surprise on his face. "I shouldn't have done that," she said, shaking her head as she grabbed her purse. "I'm so sorry..." she added, hurrying out. She got outside and halfway down the block before she heard him running to catch up.
"Isabella, wait!"
She stopped but didn't turn, one hand rubbing over her face. "I'm sorry, Ryan, I know I..." She was cut off as he grabbed her arm and spun her around, pulling her into another kiss, deep and passionate.
When it finally ended, Ryan let out a soft sigh and rest his forehead against hers. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he whispered.
Isabella smiled and pulled back to look up at him. "Really?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, taking her hands in his own. "But everytime I get involved with someone... something goes horribly wrong and I end up never speaking to them again. I can't lose Isabella my friend just because I want her to be Isabella my girlfriend."
"You won't lose me, Ryan," Isabella said.
"Theresa doesn't talk to me anymore because I'm too violent, Lindsay promised to keep in touch, but... I haven't heard from here in years. Sadie did the same damn thing. And Marissa... she couldn't even be bothered to send a note after I was almost killed by an ex of hers. I don't wanna think about you in five years and be angry because yet again I wasn't enough."
"You are more than enough," Isabella said, cradling his face in her hands. "They just couldn't see it, which clearly means they are blind, deaf, and idiots."
"Isn't the expression 'blind, deaf, and dumb'?" Ryana sked, cracking a tiny smile.
"Yes, but they can talk, they're just too stupid to see what a good thing they're giving up," Isabella said.
Ryan smiled again and leaned down to kiss her, softly this time. "Why don't we go find somewhere quiet to talk?"
"Sounds good."
~~~
They ended up in Ryan's dorm room, laying side by side on his bed, hands still intertwined as they lay in silence.
"I lied when I said I didn't know why they're having problems," Ryan finally said into the dark. "Sandy's cheating on Kirsten with a student. And she's spending a lot of time with this guy she almost had an affair with a few years back."
"I'm sorry," Isabella whispered, turning to lay her head on his shoulder and wrap an arm around his chest.
"I know it's coming, but... it's gonna hurt so bad when they actually say it."
"Does your brother know?"
"I told him it's getting kinda bad, but all he said was that I had to fix it."
"You can't fix everything, Ryan, no matter how much you want to."
"I always thought they were soulmates and destined to be together," Ryan admitted. "They're the ones who made me believe that love actually existed. What does it say that they can't make it work?"
"That love isn't easy, but if you try your best, it's worth it," Isabella repleid. "Go to sleep, Ryan, I'll be right here when you wake up."
"Promise?"
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
Ryan held her a little tighter, his cheek resting against her hair, and let himself fall asleep.
The End