A long time coming -- Sandy

by Elgatoneun (elgatoneun@yahoo.com)

Title: A Long Time Coming - Sandy
Author: elgatoneun
Rating: PG-13 for implied slash
Pairing: Implied Seth/Ryan
Summary: Sandy overhears the boys talking.
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.
Spoilers: Everything up to and including The Outsider.
Feedback: Would be appreciated
Notes: This is a slight future fic, will most likely be AU. It takes places in the summer after Ryan’s first year with the Cohens. This is the second part of a multi-chapter fic and is set two weeks after the first one.

Sandy Cohen was an unabashed eavesdropper. It was a trait that had helped him countless times through the years. Growing up as a skinny kid with a big mouth in the Bronx hadn’t always been an easy thing. Sometimes the most important thing to ensuring survival had been knowing when and when not to enter a room. And so, it has become an ingrained habit, just a small pause here and there, to make sure he’s not going to walk in on an awkward moment.

In the kitchen, just beyond Sandy’s range of sight, Seth and Ryan were conversing. They might not be having an awkward moment, but it would not be comfortable for him to walk in just now. As it is, he’ll wait a bit for a more properly timed entrance and listen in a little to hear his cue.

"I don’t know. I think my mom really wants me to go.

"Well, do what you think is right for you, man.

"But then, I’m not sure, like, if my mom really wants me to go or if she just wants me to want to go. 

Sandy heard the clinking of plates or glasses as Ryan started to speak.

"Hey, wipe that up. I can’t believe she drinks that stuff. That’s what I call unconditional love.

"What? Oh this, yeah well, Bloodless Marys are my special way of saying I care.

"Care for what? Man, that’s disgusting, what is in that? Sandy heard the high-pitched whirring sound of their state of the art blender.

"Um, tomato juice, a little egg white, wheat germ and ginger. Then just a squeeze of lemon and a little Tabasco, and there you have it. The special Seth Cohen Bloodless Mary, patent pending.

Sandy grimaced. He’d never gotten up the courage to ask what exactly was in those things.

"Does she actually like that stuff?

"Nah, she hates it. But she drinks it.

"Why? Ryan was clearly baffled.

"It’s our thing. I go to all the trouble of making it so she drinks it.

There was a long pause, that answer was clearly not going to suffice for Ryan. Seth sighed.

"She hates it, I know she hates it, and she knows I know she hates it, but she drinks it because the juicer and the blender are the only kitchen appliances that I’ve been able to master. She drinks it, demonstrating the depth her love for me, the sacrifices she’s willing to make for her child. Dude, we’re Cohens. We’re complicated and deep like that.

"Okay. So are you really going to go?

"I don’t know. But, I think she might want me to go, she’s always talking about how traveling broadens your horizons.

Sandy couldn’t see it, but he knew Seth had used air quotes. Kirsten did worry occasionally about how sheltered Seth seemed for a boy his age. Sandy was concerned more with how to deal with the real world outside of Newport while Kirsten fretted about Seth’s limited exposure to art and culture.

"I don’t know. It might be good to get away. Go to Barcelona and immerse myself in the language and Spanish culture. Who knows, some lovely senorita might take pity on a lonely American tourist like me. She could be drawn to my understated good looks and awkward, boyish charm.

Ryan did not respond. Seth huffed; he might have been slightly offended.

"Look, it’s a great opportunity and it’s going to look killer on my college apps. Sandy thought it strange that Seth seemed so defensive about going, almost as if he were trying to convince himself it was a good idea.

"That’s great, Seth. But what about all the … stuff you’ll miss here?

"You mean like making out with my beautiful girlfriend, cruising all the best parties, oh, wait, that’s not my life, that’s yours. Let’s see, will I miss hanging out by myself at the Spectrum, watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, again? Hm, yeah, I’m thinking not so much.

"It won’t be that bad. Slight pause. "Summer’s been asking about you.

"Right. Because she’s just been playing hard to get for about the last four years or so. And finally my masterful seduction has come to fruition.

Sandy heard a series of small popping sounds and a delicious scent wafted towards him. Ah, bacon. Ryan was pretty good at frying things up. Bacon, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, his cholesterol level had gone up quite a bit and his doctor has been getting on his case to watch his fat intake. He hated being one of the aged.

"Look, I just don’t think you should let this thing with Anna get to you so much. Ryan sounded irritated. Sandy didn’t think that was like him, however, Seth had been moping to the extreme, so much that even Kirsten’s patience was worn thin.

"Dude, the love of my life just dumped me, for, like, no good reason. I think I’m entitled to a little wallowing here.

"Well, you can wallow here instead of Spain, can’t you? I mean, you do it so well.

Sandy stifled a laugh. Ryan could be a wiseass sometimes; he just didn’t notice it as much since that seemed to be Seth’s particular specialty.

"Very funny. Sandy had thought so. This was what he had wanted for Seth – a friend, a brother, someone real who brought out the best in his smart but introverted son. The fact that Ryan was a part of the family now made it even better. Every now and then, Sandy forgot that Ryan hadn’t always been with them.

It had been tough those first few months. Ryan seemed a wild animal, not ferocious, but so wary and cautious, it had been almost heartbreaking to watch. He had been painfully polite, as if at any moment, his world would again be turned upside down and he would be abandoned. But gradually, he had opened up, let himself be taken in.

Sandy remembered the first time he had noticed Ryan’s acceptance of them as family.
They had just come back from the Black and White ball that Kirsten had helped organize to benefit the Oak Grove Children’s Home. He had told the boys to give Kirsten "mad props for the fabulous job she’d done. Ryan had smirked at him. Seth had rolled his eyes at him and asked him to never say that again. Then they had shared an amused look, as if to say, ‘Parents are so lame’.

He had watched them with a big grin on his face as they made their way to the living room to play video games, grabbing the necessary accoutrements of soda, popcorn and sour candy belts.

"Ready to get your ass kicked again? Ryan had teased.

"Are you talking to me? You must be talking to me, cuz, I don’t see anybody else. And there will be the total kicking of the ass, but it’ll be your ass that will be feeling the pain, my friend. Horrible, humiliating, excruciating ass-pain. Yes, tonight, you and ass-pain will become one.

"Gah! Seth had received a candy belt smack to the cheek. Ryan was a very physical boy.

That special camaraderie was what had been missing from Seth’s life before Ryan. That they had showed it in their mutual disdain of his attempt at hip lingo was just a small cross to bear. He couldn’t help it if certain expressions popped into his vocabulary every now and then. He spent the majority of his time with teenagers, after all.

Sandy heard the cracking of eggs against a bowl. Mm, maybe he could get some eggs over easy. He decided to make his entrance.

"Dude, what do you and Marissa talk about after sex?

Sandy froze. All noises except for the sizzling of bacon ceased.

"What? was Ryan’s choked reply.

Sandy turned around and headed back to the alcove, out of sight of the kitchen entrance.

"Well, like I said I’ve been wondering why she dumped me – "

"And that’s what she told you? There was a long pause.

"No, but what she said doesn’t really make sense. I mean, unless she’s just obsessively jealous or has a complex or something.

Funny, she hadn’t seemed that way to Sandy.

"Really? She didn’t seem like the type. Slight pause. "But, you never know. Chicks are weird.

"Yeah, so I figured she might have said one thing, you know, when it was really something else, and like, maybe she’s just waiting for me to figure it out. Then I can just grovel and beg for forgiveness and we’d be cool again.

"Just apologize then and figure it out later. It’s been two weeks. Your window of opportunity is almost gone.

"I tried. She blocked me. Phone number, e-mail, IM, everything. It’ll have to be face time, but then, I need to sound like I know what the problem was … or is.

"Um, maybe I don’t want to know, but … so where does the sex part come in?

"Okay, so when you and Marissa, you know, afterwards, what do you do? Do you talk? Do you cuddle? Do you leave? Seriously.

"Well, we talk a little, I tell her I love her. I ask her how she’s feeling. She tells me. Then we go downstairs and watch TV. What do you guys do?

"Hm, actually she usually wants to go to sleep. So I go home or I go downstairs and get something to eat. Aren’t girls supposed to want to talk?

"I don’t know. Maybe she’s just not a talker. Uh, I mean an after sex talker.

Sandy almost jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned his head to see Kirsten smiling at him. She was used to him lurking about in corners and doorways.

"So what are we listening to today? She asked teasingly.

Sometimes Sandy was truly struck by how blessed he was, this was one of those times. He turned around, embraced his lovely wife and kissed her thoroughly. Even after almost twenty years of marriage, she had the power to knock him straight down to his knees, sometimes literally.

She ended the kiss with a little laugh.

"What was that for? Sandy gave her a sheepish grin.

She pursed her lips at him, craftily discerning that he’d been up to a bit of snooping. Her face lit up all of a sudden.

"Ooh, it’s bacon day. Kirsten walked past him into the kitchen. Sandy decided to follow.

He walked in on Ryan holding the spatula, grease dripping on the floor, surprise written all over his face.

"She said I was the reason? Ryan seemed defensive.

"Good morning boys! Kirsten greeted them in a chipper voice. She didn’t falter at their less than welcoming expressions. She could be somewhat single minded when it came to breakfast. She picked up her plate and started loading it with bacon and eggs.

Sandy watched Ryan’s eyebrows crinkle at Seth. Seth shrugged his eyebrows back in response. It seemed as if they would continue their conversation later. He didn’t know how they communicated in eyebrow language. When he was younger, he used to practice intimidating facial expressions in the mirror, using his significantly heavy brows for emphasis. Well, that is until his sister caught him at it one day and told him they looked like two fat, hairy caterpillars were doing the mambo on his face.

Kirsten started to pour herself some orange juice.

"Oh, hey mom. Just a sec. Ryan might have cooked everything, but I made something, too. Seth’s gleaming smile brought a slight frown to Kirsten’s face. She seemed to brace herself. She looked down at the glass of slightly brownish-red liquid that her son placed in front of her with a flourish. She swallowed thickly.

"Oh, um … thank you, honey. Sandy saw the boys exchange wickedly amused grins.

Sandy had an answering grin. Poor Kirsten. It was wiped away when Seth presented him with a similar glass.

"I made one for you too, dad. This time he heard Ryan’s low semi-contained laughter and registered his son’s devilish glee.

"Thanks, Seth. But I can’t have raw eggs, you know, not good for me. He didn’t graduate from law school without learning a thing or two.

"But there aren’t any. Seth gave him an innocently blank look.

"I … Sandy sputtered. Seth gave him a measuring look and cocked an eyebrow at him. Damn, he was caught. He took the glass.

"Can I have a chaser? Sandy’s request was met by open laughter from all three members of his family. Diversionary tactics, it was one of the basic maneuvers in the standard lawyer repertoire.

"So, Seth, have you thought about Barcelona? Sandy surreptitiously set his glass down.

"I think I want to go. Kirsten beamed.

She started babbling excitedly to Seth about the Las Ramblas and the beauty of the Cathedral.

Sandy saw unnamed emotion flicker on Ryan’s face. It must have been a trick of the lighting, after all, there was no reason for Ryan to look devastated.

He started visualizing all the tantalizing prospects of having the house to themselves for the next two months. Seth was such a good son.

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