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Title: Damaged (Snapshots Ten)
Author: Mara
Fandoms: The OC/One Tree Hill
Prompt: #052 - Fire
Rating: R
Warnings: Minor mention of past gun violence and past character death.
Summary: A light hearted conversation turns serious and Brooke sees a different side of Ryan's relationship with the Cohens.
Notes: Tenth in the 'Snapshots Series'. In order:
At First Glance
Stay The Night
Separation Anxiety
Sidetracked
First Impressions
Bedtime
Rise Up
On The Road
In Your Eyes
Damaged
Late that night, Brooke snuggled back into Ryan's warm arms as the entire extended Cohen-Atwood-Cooper-Roberts family gathered in the living room. She liked this, the sense of being accepted with open arms and seeing a functioning family for once. It was nice not to be completely alone for the holiday while her parents were off somewhere getting tan.
"What are you thinking?" Ryan asked softly.
"That I love your family," Brooke replied, just as softly.
"They love you, too," Ryan said before kissing her cheek and turning his attention back to the conversation in the room.
"Brooke, have you seen Ryan's hero complex in action yet?" Kaitlin teased.
"Hero complex?" Brooke asked.
"He faces down guys with guns," Summer said.
Brooke smacked Ryan's arm. "No more doing that!" she ordered. "People get shot and they die, Ryan, and you are not allowed to die on me."
"What..." Kaitlin asked, surprised.
"Someone I loved faced down a guy with a gun, and he got killed because of it," Brooke said. "He left behind a lot of people that loved him, and it was dangerous and stupid of him, and if I ever find out you did it again, I will use those boxing lessons you gave me to kick your ass, Ryan," she added, turning to look at him.
"I don't plan on ever being in that situation again," Ryan promised, holding her a little closer.
"Good," Brooke said. "But I doubt you planned the other times."
"Yeah, but now he doesn't have helpless damsels in distress calling him to save them after they've dumped him for a psycho guy," Kaitlin said.
"Kaitlin!" Ryan scolded, his eyes darting towards Julie.
"She's right," Julie said. "Marissa could have gotten you killed. And I never even thanked you for trying to protect her during all that."
Ryan shrugged, smiling wryly. "You saw me with the arrest record, and you saw him with the Penthouse to live in. I can't say I don't get why you thought I was the crazy one."
"Ryan..." Julie began.
"No, come on, Julie," Ryan said. "Sandy and Kirsten didn't believe me either. Seth thought I was psycho for attacking Oliver in the lounge. If they didn't believe me, why should you have?"
"Okay!" Brooke said, sitting up straight and pasting a huge, obviously fake, smile on her face. "New topic!"
"Good idea," Ryan agreed. "Didn't you tell Kaitlin you had rock star stories to tell her?"
"Yes!" Brooke said, latching onto the idea and turning to the girl. "Ever heard of Chris Keller? I spent all night hanging out with him on his tour bus once..."
~~~
"Thanks for the save earlier," Ryan said later as he and Brooke found themselves alone in the living room, sitting in front of the fire as Ryan slowly poured ashes over the flames to lessen them.
"Hey, I'll always be there to save you if you need me to," Brooke replied. "I love you."
Ryan smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. "I love you, too."
Brooke leaned against him for a moment, her chin on his shoulder and one arm wrapped around his waist. "It still hurts, doesn't it? That no one believed you?"
Ryan sighed, tilting his head to rest if against hers. "Yeah," he admitted. "Seth had been big on this 'United We're Unstoppable' thing back then, but when I needed him to be there for me, he bailed. He... I was 15, and scared, and no one would listen to me. No one even asked to hear my side, they just decided. Oliver is good, Ryan is bad. And you know what? None of them ever admitted they were wrong and I was right. No one ever said they were sorry they didn't believe me. I spent that night, after having a gun pointed at me, comforting Marissa and Sandy never even asked if I was okay. Tonight was the first time anyone acknowledged that I was right."
Brooke held him a little tighter, but caught movement out of the corner of her eye and lifted her heard to see Sandy standing at the foot of the stairs, a stricken look on his face. When the man started to step towards them, Brooke shook her head almost imperceptibly, not wanting Ryan to know they'd been overheard. Once Sandy had nodded and retreated back upstairs, Brooke turned to stare at the fire with Ryan. "I will always believe you and believe in you," she whispered.
Ryan kissed her temple. "Let's go to bed," he said, carefully moving the grate into place in front of the still slightly glowing embers, then helped Brooke to her feet.
Brooke took his hand as they headed towards the stairs, then tugged him into the doorway to the kitchen and pointed up at the mistletoe hung there. "Sorry, it's the law," she said.
"Well, if it's the law..." Ryan replied, kissing her deeply. "You have no idea how happy you make me, do you?"
"If it's half as happy as you make me, then I'm doing pretty good," Brooke said. "Come on, I wanna fall asleep in your arms and wake up in them tomorrow morning."
"Sounds like a plan," Ryan said.
The End
Hope I didn't worry anyone with the title of this one... lol... I just felt like ripping certain characters a new one a little bit... lol
And, I guess because he was mentioned, I thought of something interesting, a new take on the Charlotte thing in Season 3. What if Charlotte was Oliver's mother? What if her attachment to Kirsten was an attempt to either get revenge eon Oliver's behalf, or help Oliver get the revenge himself? I don't necessarily WANT to (Because I despise both Oliver and Charlotte), but I'm tempted to write it... as though I don't have enough fics... lol
Author: Mara
Fandoms: The OC/One Tree Hill
Prompt: #052 - Fire
Rating: R
Warnings: Minor mention of past gun violence and past character death.
Summary: A light hearted conversation turns serious and Brooke sees a different side of Ryan's relationship with the Cohens.
Notes: Tenth in the 'Snapshots Series'. In order:
At First Glance
Stay The Night
Separation Anxiety
Sidetracked
First Impressions
Bedtime
Rise Up
On The Road
In Your Eyes
Damaged
Late that night, Brooke snuggled back into Ryan's warm arms as the entire extended Cohen-Atwood-Cooper-Roberts family gathered in the living room. She liked this, the sense of being accepted with open arms and seeing a functioning family for once. It was nice not to be completely alone for the holiday while her parents were off somewhere getting tan.
"What are you thinking?" Ryan asked softly.
"That I love your family," Brooke replied, just as softly.
"They love you, too," Ryan said before kissing her cheek and turning his attention back to the conversation in the room.
"Brooke, have you seen Ryan's hero complex in action yet?" Kaitlin teased.
"Hero complex?" Brooke asked.
"He faces down guys with guns," Summer said.
Brooke smacked Ryan's arm. "No more doing that!" she ordered. "People get shot and they die, Ryan, and you are not allowed to die on me."
"What..." Kaitlin asked, surprised.
"Someone I loved faced down a guy with a gun, and he got killed because of it," Brooke said. "He left behind a lot of people that loved him, and it was dangerous and stupid of him, and if I ever find out you did it again, I will use those boxing lessons you gave me to kick your ass, Ryan," she added, turning to look at him.
"I don't plan on ever being in that situation again," Ryan promised, holding her a little closer.
"Good," Brooke said. "But I doubt you planned the other times."
"Yeah, but now he doesn't have helpless damsels in distress calling him to save them after they've dumped him for a psycho guy," Kaitlin said.
"Kaitlin!" Ryan scolded, his eyes darting towards Julie.
"She's right," Julie said. "Marissa could have gotten you killed. And I never even thanked you for trying to protect her during all that."
Ryan shrugged, smiling wryly. "You saw me with the arrest record, and you saw him with the Penthouse to live in. I can't say I don't get why you thought I was the crazy one."
"Ryan..." Julie began.
"No, come on, Julie," Ryan said. "Sandy and Kirsten didn't believe me either. Seth thought I was psycho for attacking Oliver in the lounge. If they didn't believe me, why should you have?"
"Okay!" Brooke said, sitting up straight and pasting a huge, obviously fake, smile on her face. "New topic!"
"Good idea," Ryan agreed. "Didn't you tell Kaitlin you had rock star stories to tell her?"
"Yes!" Brooke said, latching onto the idea and turning to the girl. "Ever heard of Chris Keller? I spent all night hanging out with him on his tour bus once..."
~~~
"Thanks for the save earlier," Ryan said later as he and Brooke found themselves alone in the living room, sitting in front of the fire as Ryan slowly poured ashes over the flames to lessen them.
"Hey, I'll always be there to save you if you need me to," Brooke replied. "I love you."
Ryan smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. "I love you, too."
Brooke leaned against him for a moment, her chin on his shoulder and one arm wrapped around his waist. "It still hurts, doesn't it? That no one believed you?"
Ryan sighed, tilting his head to rest if against hers. "Yeah," he admitted. "Seth had been big on this 'United We're Unstoppable' thing back then, but when I needed him to be there for me, he bailed. He... I was 15, and scared, and no one would listen to me. No one even asked to hear my side, they just decided. Oliver is good, Ryan is bad. And you know what? None of them ever admitted they were wrong and I was right. No one ever said they were sorry they didn't believe me. I spent that night, after having a gun pointed at me, comforting Marissa and Sandy never even asked if I was okay. Tonight was the first time anyone acknowledged that I was right."
Brooke held him a little tighter, but caught movement out of the corner of her eye and lifted her heard to see Sandy standing at the foot of the stairs, a stricken look on his face. When the man started to step towards them, Brooke shook her head almost imperceptibly, not wanting Ryan to know they'd been overheard. Once Sandy had nodded and retreated back upstairs, Brooke turned to stare at the fire with Ryan. "I will always believe you and believe in you," she whispered.
Ryan kissed her temple. "Let's go to bed," he said, carefully moving the grate into place in front of the still slightly glowing embers, then helped Brooke to her feet.
Brooke took his hand as they headed towards the stairs, then tugged him into the doorway to the kitchen and pointed up at the mistletoe hung there. "Sorry, it's the law," she said.
"Well, if it's the law..." Ryan replied, kissing her deeply. "You have no idea how happy you make me, do you?"
"If it's half as happy as you make me, then I'm doing pretty good," Brooke said. "Come on, I wanna fall asleep in your arms and wake up in them tomorrow morning."
"Sounds like a plan," Ryan said.
The End
Hope I didn't worry anyone with the title of this one... lol... I just felt like ripping certain characters a new one a little bit... lol
And, I guess because he was mentioned, I thought of something interesting, a new take on the Charlotte thing in Season 3. What if Charlotte was Oliver's mother? What if her attachment to Kirsten was an attempt to either get revenge eon Oliver's behalf, or help Oliver get the revenge himself? I don't necessarily WANT to (Because I despise both Oliver and Charlotte), but I'm tempted to write it... as though I don't have enough fics... lol
