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Title: Another Day (Chapter Eighteen)
Author: Mara
Rating: R
Warnings: Language. Discussion of Suicide and Depression. AU. Spoilers for Seasons 1 to 3, especially the Season 3 finale. Possibly sex and violence in later chapters.
Summary: Ryan tries to move on with his life, but it's not always easy. Good thing he still has the Cohens and Summer to help him.
Notes: People kept asking about it, and this chapter has been languishing for a long time (The first scene's been half done for a long while...) so I finished it and here you go! lol...
Chapter Eighteen
"I can't believe you refused to tell the Cohens about this," Summer said as she and Ryan stood in a crowd of people at the Art Gallery a few weeks later. It was a semi-casual event, requiring suit and tie, and Ryan had convinced Summer to act as his date, mostly because he didn't have anyone else to offer him moral support for 'the big night', as Summer kept calling it, but he teased her that it was because he knew how much she liked to dress up.
"I just didn't want them to make a big deal out of it," Ryan replied. "Beside, Seth is on another 'Ryan's getting all the attention and I feel left out' kicks, and I don't want to add fuel to that."
"Ryan!" Professor Harmon called as he came over with his friend Olivia, the Gallery Owner. "Wait until you hear this!"
"There are two competing bids for 'Fallen'," Olivia reported.
"Which one's that?" Summer asked Ryan.
"The one... the one of the alley, in Tijuana..." Ryan replied, his voice cracking ever so slightly.
"Is everything okay?"
"The girl in that one," Summer said. "It's coming up on two years since she died. It's been rough on everyone who loved her."
"I'm so sorry," Olivia said. "But it explains the emotion behind the painting..."
"Yeah," Ryan said, a little awkwardly, looking down at his feet.
"I told you Ryan's work would be a boon for the Gallery," Professor Harmon said with a smile. "He's my best student, absolutely amazing talent."
Summer noticed Ryan starting to blush and threaded her arm through his. "He really is," she said. "Best present I ever got was a painting he gave me for Christmas this past year."
"You hang on to it," Olivia said. "I'm sure it's going to be worth a fortune someday."
"Even when it is, I'll never sell it," Summer said, grinning as Ryan turned a little more red. "Am I embarassing you, Chino?" she asked in a mock-innocent tone of voice.
"What could possibly be embrassing?" Ryan replied with a snort.
"You two are such a cute couple," Olivia said.
"Oh, we're..." Summer began.
"That's all because of Summer," Ryan said, smirking when she looked up at him.
As Olivia and Professor Harmon walked away, Summer smacked Ryan in the stomach. "Why did you..."
"Revenge," Ryan replied with a grin to match her earlier one. "You embarass me, I'll make you pretend to be my girlfriend."
Summer couldn't keep up the annoyed look on her face and instead smiled and pulled Ryan's arm so it was around her waist. "You have to pretend, too, Chino," she said.
"I think I can pretend the most beautiful girl here is my girlfriend," Ryan replied with a soft smile as he kissed her forehead.
~~~~
"Let me see it again!" Summer said as she and Ryan sat in Ryan's rover following the show.
Ryan laughed but pulled out the receipt that said he had sold 3 paintings and was owed almost $3,000 once the checks from the buyers cleared. "Amazing how much people will pay when they find out others want the same thing, huh?" he asked.
"Plus, you know, you're stuff is totally worth that and more," Summer said. "We're going to celebrate, right? I mean you did promise me that if anything sold, we'd celebrate..."
"You know, you don't need to pretend to be my girlfriend anymore, Sum. We're alone," Ryan pointed out.
"I'm not, I'm just being your excited best friend who was promised celebration!" Summer insisted. "Please, Chino? Let's go... out to eat, my treat, or..."
"Summer..."
"Or we can go to a club! Dance the night away!"
"Summer," Ryan tried again, laughing.
"Come on! It'll be fun!"
"We're not dressed for a club," Ryan said.
"Well, ditch the tie and jacket, undo the top couple buttons, and you'll do. And my little black dress is perfect for anything."
"How about a late dinner?" Ryan offered. "I'm not feeling like being on my feet after walking around all night."
"Sounds good to me," Summer agreed. "Let's go!"
~~~
Once they had a small table in a nice restraunt, Ryan looked at the receipt again, shaking his head. "Who the hell pays this much for paintings by some unknown?" he asked Summer, still a little in shock.
"The kind who know talent when they see it," Summer replied. "And god, Chino, that is just for 3 paintings, minus the commision that Olivia took! Imagine if you had a contract that managed to get you a better percentage? I mean, maybe you should talk to Sandy about finding out what's standard for this kind of commision..."
"I don't even know if I'll sell anything else," Ryan said.
"You're kidding right?" Summer said. "Once word got out that I was your girlfriend, I had people asking me how much you charge for commisions, and if you were going to have another show, or if you have a catalog of work they could look through!"
"You're kidding?" Ryan asked.
"Nope, mister gonna be a big shot architect but is already becoming the next 'It Boy' artist," Summer teased as the waitress come up. "Two glasses of your best wine," Summer said with a smile. "We're celebrating."
"Of course," the waitress said before turning to leave.
"We'll switch to non-alchoholic for our second drinks," Summer said. "One glass shouldn't hurt."
"We can take a cab," Ryan replied, returning the smile and reaching across the table to squeeze Summer's hand.
Summer turned her hand over to squeeze his in return. "I like the way you think, Ry."
To Be Continued...
Author: Mara
Rating: R
Warnings: Language. Discussion of Suicide and Depression. AU. Spoilers for Seasons 1 to 3, especially the Season 3 finale. Possibly sex and violence in later chapters.
Summary: Ryan tries to move on with his life, but it's not always easy. Good thing he still has the Cohens and Summer to help him.
Notes: People kept asking about it, and this chapter has been languishing for a long time (The first scene's been half done for a long while...) so I finished it and here you go! lol...
Chapter Eighteen
"I can't believe you refused to tell the Cohens about this," Summer said as she and Ryan stood in a crowd of people at the Art Gallery a few weeks later. It was a semi-casual event, requiring suit and tie, and Ryan had convinced Summer to act as his date, mostly because he didn't have anyone else to offer him moral support for 'the big night', as Summer kept calling it, but he teased her that it was because he knew how much she liked to dress up.
"I just didn't want them to make a big deal out of it," Ryan replied. "Beside, Seth is on another 'Ryan's getting all the attention and I feel left out' kicks, and I don't want to add fuel to that."
"Ryan!" Professor Harmon called as he came over with his friend Olivia, the Gallery Owner. "Wait until you hear this!"
"There are two competing bids for 'Fallen'," Olivia reported.
"Which one's that?" Summer asked Ryan.
"The one... the one of the alley, in Tijuana..." Ryan replied, his voice cracking ever so slightly.
"Is everything okay?"
"The girl in that one," Summer said. "It's coming up on two years since she died. It's been rough on everyone who loved her."
"I'm so sorry," Olivia said. "But it explains the emotion behind the painting..."
"Yeah," Ryan said, a little awkwardly, looking down at his feet.
"I told you Ryan's work would be a boon for the Gallery," Professor Harmon said with a smile. "He's my best student, absolutely amazing talent."
Summer noticed Ryan starting to blush and threaded her arm through his. "He really is," she said. "Best present I ever got was a painting he gave me for Christmas this past year."
"You hang on to it," Olivia said. "I'm sure it's going to be worth a fortune someday."
"Even when it is, I'll never sell it," Summer said, grinning as Ryan turned a little more red. "Am I embarassing you, Chino?" she asked in a mock-innocent tone of voice.
"What could possibly be embrassing?" Ryan replied with a snort.
"You two are such a cute couple," Olivia said.
"Oh, we're..." Summer began.
"That's all because of Summer," Ryan said, smirking when she looked up at him.
As Olivia and Professor Harmon walked away, Summer smacked Ryan in the stomach. "Why did you..."
"Revenge," Ryan replied with a grin to match her earlier one. "You embarass me, I'll make you pretend to be my girlfriend."
Summer couldn't keep up the annoyed look on her face and instead smiled and pulled Ryan's arm so it was around her waist. "You have to pretend, too, Chino," she said.
"I think I can pretend the most beautiful girl here is my girlfriend," Ryan replied with a soft smile as he kissed her forehead.
~~~~
"Let me see it again!" Summer said as she and Ryan sat in Ryan's rover following the show.
Ryan laughed but pulled out the receipt that said he had sold 3 paintings and was owed almost $3,000 once the checks from the buyers cleared. "Amazing how much people will pay when they find out others want the same thing, huh?" he asked.
"Plus, you know, you're stuff is totally worth that and more," Summer said. "We're going to celebrate, right? I mean you did promise me that if anything sold, we'd celebrate..."
"You know, you don't need to pretend to be my girlfriend anymore, Sum. We're alone," Ryan pointed out.
"I'm not, I'm just being your excited best friend who was promised celebration!" Summer insisted. "Please, Chino? Let's go... out to eat, my treat, or..."
"Summer..."
"Or we can go to a club! Dance the night away!"
"Summer," Ryan tried again, laughing.
"Come on! It'll be fun!"
"We're not dressed for a club," Ryan said.
"Well, ditch the tie and jacket, undo the top couple buttons, and you'll do. And my little black dress is perfect for anything."
"How about a late dinner?" Ryan offered. "I'm not feeling like being on my feet after walking around all night."
"Sounds good to me," Summer agreed. "Let's go!"
~~~
Once they had a small table in a nice restraunt, Ryan looked at the receipt again, shaking his head. "Who the hell pays this much for paintings by some unknown?" he asked Summer, still a little in shock.
"The kind who know talent when they see it," Summer replied. "And god, Chino, that is just for 3 paintings, minus the commision that Olivia took! Imagine if you had a contract that managed to get you a better percentage? I mean, maybe you should talk to Sandy about finding out what's standard for this kind of commision..."
"I don't even know if I'll sell anything else," Ryan said.
"You're kidding right?" Summer said. "Once word got out that I was your girlfriend, I had people asking me how much you charge for commisions, and if you were going to have another show, or if you have a catalog of work they could look through!"
"You're kidding?" Ryan asked.
"Nope, mister gonna be a big shot architect but is already becoming the next 'It Boy' artist," Summer teased as the waitress come up. "Two glasses of your best wine," Summer said with a smile. "We're celebrating."
"Of course," the waitress said before turning to leave.
"We'll switch to non-alchoholic for our second drinks," Summer said. "One glass shouldn't hurt."
"We can take a cab," Ryan replied, returning the smile and reaching across the table to squeeze Summer's hand.
Summer turned her hand over to squeeze his in return. "I like the way you think, Ry."
To Be Continued...
