tampered | sing me to sleep [closed log]

sing me to sleep [closed log]

WHO: Ryan Atwood and Summer Roberts
WHERE: Casa O.C.
WHEN: Late Sunday night.
WARNINGS: talk of nightmares and some adorable cuddling?

Sleep hasn't been coming easy to Summer. Ever since the sky had been filled with crazy, scary flying monsters, Summer had found it hard to sleep. But when she does sleep, lately, nightmares assault her slumber. And tonight is no exception.

Her expression tight, her brows draw together. Her hands, which she holds close to her body, are shaking slightly, fingers closing into tight fists. A sound then wavers from her, a groan that turns into a whimper. Her fingers begin to turn white, knuckles tight as the fetal position she's pulled herself into becomes more closed. The next sound that emerges from her then was closer to a loud sob.

"Don't-" She cries out, choking the word out. "…don't touch him. Don't - !" And a moment a small shriek bursts from her, followed by a sob, and a haunting mantra falling from her lips - "Don't leave me, don't leave me, don't leave me--"

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She's got a point and those things all swirl around Ryan's brain as well but he knows that in chaos things can be okay if you've got someone to help and stand by you.

He tilts his head, leaning into the contact against his neck. His hand on her neck curves a bit more, pressing her closer to him.

She settles against him, her body relaxing despite the tension between them. She's still so comfortable with him, still so happy to have him with her. Her eyes flutter for a moment before she sighs once more, feeling content but conflicted about it.

When she relaxes, he does a bit as well. He slides his hand down over her shoulder to the small of her back. The pressing need for words has subsided.

She smiles softly, her breath fanning over the skin of his neck as she settles against him even more. Her body is tired but she's afraid to fall asleep. "I don't want to dream again."

"Tell me about it," he says quietly. "Maybe it will help."

And he is curious what she was having nightmares about.

She hesitates, her eyes opening to stare into nothingness. "It was those... things. And they..." She makes a soft sound, pressing closer to him. "Got you."

He pauses then pulls her closer, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "They're gone and I'm still here."

Her palm throbs but it makes her feel more alive, like it's pulling her back into reality. And she can smell Ryan's distinct scent as her face presses into the crook of his neck, another thing that makes her feel even more alive. Exhaling softly, her mouth pressing to his skin again. "I know."

Her lips against his skin strings him tight with tension. He fists the hem of the shirt she's wearing in the hand at the small of her back. His knuckles brush against bare skin and he catches his breath. His heart feels like it's hammering a bit faster and he forces words to his lips.

"I won't let anyone take me."

"I won't let them either," she replies a little more fiercely than she intends, though she feels the tension in him, the way his hand brushes against her bare skin and her own breath hitches at the heat.

"See. We've got it made." His hand stills against the small of her back, knuckles still pressed against her skin, perhaps with a bit more pressure this time.

"Yeah, we do," she murmurs softly, her eyes fluttering at the added pressure. Her body presses closer to him as she knows she's walking a dangerous line, a very dangerous line. And with that knowledge, she presses her lips again to his skin, instead to his jaw this time, letting it linger so there's no mistaking that she's kissing him and not something else.

It's not like the other brushes of her lips against his skin. It's not for comfort, or maybe it is but it's comfort of a different kind, crossing a line that if he's honest with himself they've been treading since the harpies. He turns his head just a little, his lips brushing hers. He moves his hands up, cupping her face with both his hands and looks at her, eyes wide open then he leans in and kisses her again. This time it's not a brush of his lips and there's no mistake he's kissing her.

Sure, the first brush of his lips could've been passed as just that, a brush of lips, an accident or something, even if she knows that's not the case. But when his hands move to her face, their eyes connecting for just a moment before he leans in to really, truly kiss her? Well, there's no mistaking that. And for a moment, just barely a mili-second she hesitates. But it's fleeting as she returns the kiss, her hands lifting to cover his, easily ignoring the sting of her palm as it presses to the top of his.

Once her hands cover his and she starts kissing him back, there's no hesitation. He doesn't know how he'll ever explain this to Seth or Taylor if they come back but right now he's not thinking about that. They're not here. Summer is.

There's no turning back now. Not that she's thinking of it in those terms. She knows it's wrong, she knows that she still loves Seth but Ryan is here and he has been. And sadly in the past few months, he's been here for her more than Cohen ever was. Her mouth molds to his as she practically melts into the kiss as her hands slip down his wrists, his arms, sliding over his shoulders to grip his back.

His hands slide into her hair, fingers tangling there and pulling her deeper into the kiss. Ryan's not thinking at all. He's just doing. It's sort of his specialty.

She knows the moment they break the kiss things will be different, things could be better or things could get worse, so much worse. So she keeps the kiss going, happily, deepening the kiss and pulling herself closer to him.

He appears to think of things the same way so he continues the kiss until his chest aches with the need to breathe. When it finally breaks, he rests his forehead against hers, unwilling to break the contact between them. His hands are still in her hair, his body flush with hers. He keeps his eyes closed, panting as he tries to catch his breath.

As she feels the rush of breath hit her lungs, she feels the guilt too. But it's not as harsh as she thinks it should be. And instead of being slapped with cruel reality, she still feels warm and safe.

Despite that, she doesn't say a word, not one, afraid that if she does, he'll snap back to reality and pull away. Their labored breaths intermingling fill the silence for a few moments before she leans forward to press another softer, briefer kiss to his lips, as if to tell him that, no, this isn't a heat of the moment thing.

On Ryan's part the guilt is still abstract. He knows it's there and he knows he should feel it but right now he doesn't want to answer for that guilt so he returns the kiss, keeping it brief then presses another kiss to her temple and wraps his arms tighter around her.

"Sleep. I'll stay here."

He likes having her wrapped in his arms. It makes him feel like he belongs somewhere. That's a big thing for Ryan because most of the time, he doesn't feel like he belongs anywhere. Or at least he didn't until the Cohens came along, which makes this all the more difficult.

Summer nods at his words, still afraid to say anything. Though there's a different fear cropping up now, that she'll wake up in the morning and he'll be gone, either back in his own room or out of the house because of guilt, or even worse gone, gone.

"Don't leave me, okay?"

He takes a moment to answer, struggling with his guilt, the need to protect Summer, make her feel safe and his own desires. Finally he nods. "I'm not going anywhere."

That pause feels like it lasts forever, her eyes searching his face nervously until he confirms he's not leaving her. She feels guilty too, Cohen was supposed to be her destiny but they are stuck here for who knows how long. And she doesn't understand why.

And the hope she had been holding onto for Cohen to return has been slipping away rapidly in the past month. But Ryan's here. And he always seems to be there for her.

Settling against him, she curls herself into his arms, burying her face into his neck.

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sing me to sleep [closed log]

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