Title: The Chrismukkah List
Disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related.
Rating: T
Author's note: So this is just a little one-shot created for a collection of stories from the Townwood fans on the Fanbolt threads. We thought it would be fun to do a book like Henri-Michel’s but we called ours A Season for Unpredictable Love…and this is one of my contributing chapters. Please do read and review….whether it’s good or bad I always welcome people’s opinions! Thanks, Ave x x x

The Chrismukkah Gift

It had been a year since Ryan had last seen Taylor. That Chrismukkah had been pretty miserable. He was so pleased to see her again, as was she glad to see him, but they both had realised that it was just too hard living so far apart, having to leave each other not knowing when they would see each other again. Since then they had very rarely spoken. She had e-mailed him a good luck message for his finals, and he had sent her a card for her birthday, but apart from the pretty platonic formalities, they had both made every effort to move on.

So when Ryan saw Taylor strolling casually down the pier in Newport he was more than a little taken aback. As far as he knew she hadn’t been back in California since their tearful goodbye 12 months ago, and he thought that she might have at least told him she was coming back, or have fed the information to Summer, who in turn would tell Seth and slowly he would become aware of her movements. She hadn’t even mentioned anything about it in her blog, something he still checked every now and again, just to make sure she wasn’t in danger of marrying any other strange, unhygienic French poets.

“Taylor, what are you doing here?” He almost shouted at her in a tone which was hard to tell if it was concealing his anger or letting it out completely.

She stopped dead in her tracks, hair blowing in the wind, not daring to turn round, recognizing the voice instantly.

“Oh my god.” She whispered to herself, trying desperately to settle the inner battle going on in her head on whether to attempt to run away in her incredibly high and expensive Christian Laboutin heels, risking making a fool of herself falling over, or just stay and face the music.

“Taylor, what’s going on?” He had reached her by this time and rounded in front of her, his face clearly looking for an explanation. “Why didn’t you say anything about coming back to Newport?”

“Well you’re one to talk; I don’t remember getting the memo about you coming back to here for Christmas break. Why aren’t you in Berkeley, you’re supposed to be in San Francisco not Orange County. I can’t believe Summer didn’t tell me, you would think that my best friend would at least clue me on the fact that I’d be in the same zip code as my ex-b…..”

Ryan was growing more than impatient. He wanted answers. Their goodbye was an amicable one, nobody had instigated any kind of argument, but he was angry, angry that she would just turn up unannounced and totally put his getting over her off course.

“Taylor focus, I asked you first, what are you doing here? And why didn’t you want me to know?”

She hung her head knowing she probably owed him some kind of explanation.

“Well my mom asked me to come back for Christmas. She knew that I wasn’t going to be coming back to see you after what happened last year and decided to invite me. So I thought why not? And I didn’t think you’d be here, so I didn’t think that there would be a problem. I just didn’t want to go causing any problems, you know, putting a hole in the ‘post-break-up I’m so over you’ plan.” She shook her head as she spoke, the way she always did when wanting to emphasis what she was saying. It softened Ryan’s mood. It was good to see her. “And now that I’ve answered your question, you can do me the courtesy of answering mine.”

Ryan blushed slightly as he could sense the tone in her voice which was slightly accusing, was he a hypocrite?

“Well Julie and my Dad invited us down here this year, it’s Sam’s first Christmas and they thought it would be nice to get everyone together.”

Julie had been due the week before Christmas but like every member of the Cooper family little Kurt Samuel Cooper-Atwood had been a stubborn baby and refused to make his appearance until two days after Christmas.

“Oh I get it now. I guess I was just shocked to see you. So you glad to be back here then? It’s not really changed much since we both left.”

Ryan looked around him, she was right, nothing much had changed. He simply shrugged his shoulders and motioned for her to walk with him.

“I guess it’s a bit strange, but I’m just pleased to be able to spend time with my brother. It’s strange, when I was younger I always wanted to be a big brother, make a better job of it than Trey ever did, and now I have a little brother and a little sister, just wish I got to see more of Sam.”

Taylor started laughing softly to herself, which Ryan raised a quizzical eyebrow and turned towards her, not stopping from walking.

“What is it? What’s so funny?”

Taylor realised he had his eyes on her and so turned towards him, straightening her face, trying to hide her amusement.

“Oh nothing, I’m just remembering the conversation I had with Kaitlin after Julie gave birth, how she insisted that she had a say in naming the baby. And of course she wanted to name him Kurt as in Cobain.”

Ryan indeed remembered that conversation and ended up laughing in a manner which was rather unusual for him. It took Taylor by surprise.

“Yeah I remember that. Julie and my dad loved the name…of course that was until Julie figured out she’d named her kid after a drugged up rock star who killed himself. I guess she was just pleased that she gave him a middle name.”

It had indeed been an amusing sight watching the light going on in Julie’s head, and from then on little Kurt Cooper was to be known as Sam.

By the time they had finished their conversation they had reached Ryan’s car.

“So it was good to see you again, and I’m sorry if I overreacted when I first saw you back there, I guess I just didn’t expect to see you, at least not without prior warning.”

Taylor blushed ever so slightly, she didn’t know why but she was still affected in this incredible way by his smile, his eyes, well his everything. How on earth did she ever think it was going to be easy to get over him?

“Oh no, it’s my fault,” she waved her hands at him telling him not to be silly, “I should have told you all I was coming back, but this has been nice Ryan, thank you for your company. I’m sorry though, I have to go, you know my mom, she’s pretty much enough of a bitch most of the time without me being late for dinner.”

Ryan was pleased with himself, he was actually doing alright around her, no uncomfortable moments, no longing looks, just a really nice gently conversation. Maybe he had finally accepted that they were no longer ‘Ryan and Taylor’.

“Are you sure I can’t give you a ride home?” He gestured to his jeep and Taylor remembered how symbolic it was, how many nights they would go on dates and end up at the beach, tucked away in a secluded spot, taking in the night sky before mostly getting up to all sorts. She felt a little overwhelmed by her nostalgia.

“Oh no, that’s really quite alright. I’ve taken to walking most places now, it’s really the only way to get around Paris, you have no idea just how bad their transport system is, and I wouldn’t want to be getting all out of shape now just because I’m home for the holidays. Have to keep fit and healthy!”

Ryan knew she would never look out of shape even if she tried but he just smiled and nodded in reply.

“So goodbye Ryan, maybe I’ll see you again before I go, and say hi to everyone from me.” With that she hesitated.

And then it happened.

Impulsively she pulled him into her for a hug, a simple friendly embrace for someone whom she had not seen for such a long time. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything else! But Taylor felt the electricity flowing through her veins, and she felt the way he seemed to melt into her.

This was not good he thought to himself. He’d spent all year trying to move on, get over the girl who kept leaving to go back to France, and now she’d just undone all his hard work with one clinch. She’d done it before at the Berkeley house the day of Julie and the Bullit’s almost wedding and now she’d done it again. He just didn’t know what that ‘it’ was exactly.

The next thing he knew they were in his car making out like they used to, hands wandering to places left untouched for so long. He knew that she was going to be leaving after the holidays, but he really didn’t care, he remembered what it used to be like to with Taylor, to be a part of her and he wanted that, if only for one last time, for one more hook up.

“Taylor, mmm, Taylor…is this…a….good idea?” He managed somehow to get those words out as he found his hand wandering up her skirt along the length of her slender, smooth legs, encouraged that she did not seem to mind. His mouth was saying one thing, but his hands and other parts of his anatomy were doing the complete opposite.

“Hmm, your right…this is a little public….my place or yours?”

Well that wasn’t exactly what he was meaning, but he decided that he was going to just deal with the aftermath, well after. Right now he had Taylor submitting herself to him in the front seat of his car, and well to be honest, it seemed like after her year in France she had come back ten times more beautiful.

“Ryan?”

“Hmm?” He didn’t let up the assault on her mouth, his hands still wandering below. He seemed to forget everything, only just remembering she had asked him a question. “Oh right yeah, we could go back to my hotel room.”

She managed to push him off her ever so slightly, and gestured to his keys, then pointing to the ignition.

“Maybe we should go then huh? I don’t want to waste anymore time. These are very precious seconds Ryan that we can’t get back. Don’t you think?”

Ryan’s hand was shaking with adrenalin, that low cut top accentuating the curve of breast as he desperately tried to get his keys in the ignition, grinning like the Cheshire cat when he finally managed it.

“I definitely want to make the most of the time we have. Don’t you Ryan?”

He took it from her last sentence that she knew that this wasn’t going to reignite their relationship; he understood that she too felt it would be too hard. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each others company when they were together. And after all, they were both supposed to be living the college life.

Twenty minutes later they were back at the Four Seasons. Ryan took Taylor’s hand as he maneuvered through the reception and guided her into the elevator. What was it about this girl that kept him coming back for more? He felt sure that there would always be something between them, so if that was the case he was going to make the most of having her here with him in that moment. If they were meant to be together then it would happen, but right now, it seemed like all they were interested in was some long overdue no strings attached, reunion sex.

Ryan’s hands lingered around Taylor’s waist as they walked towards his room, ever so slightly caressing the curve of her ass. As they reached the room there was very little fumbling with the keys this time, Ryan on a mission to have his girl. He closed the door and quickly turned on her, placing his hands on her shoulders and moving her jacket off as his arms moved their way down her body. Taylor seemed to get lost in the moment, pushing Ryan onto the bed dropping her blouse on the floor exposing what Ryan supposed was some French lingerie, red and leaving very little to the imagination. She continued with her impromptu striptease, letting her skirt fall off of her hips to the floor to join her other clothes. The last thing to go was her hair. She pulled out the tight chignon knot and let her curls fall like a wave over her shoulders.

It was almost more than Ryan could handle, feeling the restriction of his jeans so he leaned up and pulled her down onto the bed, wearing nothing but her barely there lingerie and heels. Ryan thought he would be out of practice, having put all his energy throughout the year into his studies, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do to Taylor, and it involved them both wearing even less. It took him just a few seconds to remove his own clothing, desperate to have Taylor’s writhing body beneath him and to feel him inside of her again.

Taylor managed to grip Ryan between her legs as she removed her bra, freeing herself and allowing Ryan a good look at what he’d been missing for so long. France was so goddamn lucky. Ryan leaned up towards her, pulling her forward so she was effectively sitting on his lap, feeling his erection below her. Their zealous kissing almost made Taylor loose control as Ryan grinded himself into her at the same time, yet to be one with her. She couldn’t wait any longer and pushed him back again onto the bed sitting up on her knees and pulling at the ties at her panties, revealing everything to Ryan without hardly even moving. He gripped her ass and guided her down to him, Taylor gasping as he entered her and flipped her onto her back, maintaining his excited speed, the thought quickly flashing into her head as to how this morning she had no idea that she would end up spending her evening flat on her back in a hotel room with Ryan Atwood in between her legs. She wasn’t complaining though, he still knew how to push all her buttons.

They pulled and grabbed at each other furiously, their passion clearly a desperate one, as if to try and heave out every single ounce of sexual frustration from one and other and deal with it thoroughly before moving onto the next one. This was pure unadulterated sex. As Taylor moaned into Ryan’s ear, she sighed his name almost sub-consciously, and it drove Ryan completely over the edge. He wanted to know that his name was the only one she would say in that way, he wanted her to remember what it could be like between them, he wanted to give her a memory that no guy back in France or wherever would live up to. He knew that it would take a hell of a lot for any girl to make him feel even a fraction of the way Taylor could. She would gyrate on him, unashamed to appreciate her body, performing for him in a way that made him feel like she was there purely to entertain him.

Taking Taylor in his lap again he shifted his arm underneath her and gently lifted her off of the bed. She clung onto him for dear life, still feeling him inside of her sending her senses into overdrive. Taylor felt the cool hardness of the wall behind her, a welcome pleasuring feeling, the heat in the room was almost overpowering. Still Ryan throbbed in-between her legs. She could feel the fire insider her reach it’s peak, she was about to loose control and she tightened her grip on Ryan. He sensed this, remembering the look on her face as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes as if trying to remember every single second of her climax. As she arched her back, exposing her breasts to him even more, she felt him tense up, his right hand slamming into the wall as he came inside of her, his breathing labored as he made great effort to hold her up with his one remaining arm. He finally rested his head on her shoulder, kissing what seemed to be soft apologies on her clammy body.

Maneuvering back onto the bed they lay there entangled in each other as they both fell asleep, Taylor’s soft breathing sending Ryan into a deep sleep, what would turn out to be the best night’s sleep he’d had since she had left all that time ago. They didn’t speak, they just held each other.

As the morning dawned, Ryan awoke to find his bed empty. Almost panicking he jumped out of bed pulling his boxers on that he’d discarded the night before. He managed to stop himself before he burst into the bathroom to check for her when he heard the shower running. She hadn’t just left without saying goodbye.

By the time she came out the bathroom Ryan had ordered room service and there was plenty food to get her energy levels back up.

“Good morning Ryan, how are we today, famished I see?” looking at the table laden with croissants, bagels and pancakes.

“You could say that. I didn’t know what to order you so I just got everything.” She smiled coyly at him, knowing that he was trying to please her. It made her a little happier about where they stood.

“I’m guessing that you’re not going to bring it up so I figure I should.” She’d caught his attention now as he looked up from the newspaper he was reading as Taylor sat down beside him. “Last night, was, well unexpected and a little overwhelming, I mean don’t get me wrong, it was great and clearly you haven’t lost your touch Ryan,” She leaned over and took his hand, still feeling that electric connection, “I just don’t think that it really changes much between us. It’s too hard for us to be anything other than friends whilst we’re both doing what we’re doing right now.”

“I know, but I guess I could make more of an effort to keep in touch. There’s no reason why we can’t try and be friends while things are the way they are.”

“Exactly, besides, I’ll be back every now and again so who knows? Perhaps we could catch up again?”

Perhaps was not an option in Ryan’s mind. He was counting on it. He’d spend a lot of time recalling this particular encounter until she came home again and gave him another one to think about.

“I think I’d like that.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss, she almost thought it was a loving kiss, but she didn’t question it. They had at least gotten over their fear of attempting a friendship; she wasn’t going to throw it all off course by questioning his true feelings. She knew she loved him but she would be satisfied with the thought of her next reunion with him, and the amazing sex she was sure it would involve.

“I’m really sorry but I have to get going. My mom’s already left me like 8 voicemails telling me she’s going to write me out of her will if I don’t make an appearance anytime soon. Not that I care of course, but I guess its Christmas and I shouldn’t leave her on her own.” Taylor grabbed her purse and sashayed towards the door, Ryan following every movement of her ass.

“It’s alright, I have to get going too, I promised Seth I’d go Chrismukkah shopping with him today.” He leaned in and captured her lips with his which almost lead back towards the bed before they were both startled by the knock on the door.

“I better go Ryan. Call me before you head back to Berkeley?”

“Of course, take care ok? And don’t let your mom get you down.” This time Taylor gave the kiss, leaving her soft mark on his cheek before opening the door to find Seth standing, mouth gaping open at the sight of the honey blonde blocking the doorway.

“Good morning Seth, you look well and my, what a charming sweater,” pointing towards his knitted reindeer jumper that he had worn every year that Ryan had known him, “have a super day, oh and have Summer call me. Bye Ryan thanks for last night.” She winked at him, Seth catching the look and immediately turned to Ryan for an explanation as Taylor walked down the hall and disappeared around a corner.

Seth continued to stare at Ryan.

“What? We were catching up Seth, nothing wrong with that.”

Seth pushed past him into the room seeing quite clearly from the state of the bed that there had been a lot more than catching up going on.

“You know Ryan, you better be careful.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” It wasn’t even 9am and already Seth was trying his patience.

“Well from the looks of it you’ve been getting up to all sorts of trouble, and well you know good ol’ saint nick only visits the good boys and girls, you just might not be getting any presents this year.”

Ryan sighed, picking up his cell and his wallet before bundling Seth out of the room.

“Well it’s a good thing I have 8 other days of the Chrismukkah circus to get presents then isn’t it?”

“That’s the spirit my man! So, tell me, you and Taylor doing the nasty again, that must have been, well….one lonnnngggg night.”

Ryan could either avoid the conversation and face Seth’s constant quips all day or face the beast head on.

“You seriously have no idea man.”

The knowing look from Ryan towards his brother told him everything he needed to know.

“Well you really needn’t worry then at all about gifts, seems like you got your Chrismukkah present early this year!”

Laughingly smugly as they reached the elevator Ryan was in complete agreement.