Seth stretched out in the pool house tub amid a mass of foamy bubbles and talked animatedly to the plastic figure in his hands.

"…and then you come across a maiden in distress. What's that you say?" he asked, holding Captain Oats close to his ear. "It's Summer? Well then, giddy up! Run and get help."

He made the plastic horse gallop along the edge of the tub, caught up in an imaginary world of his own making, but his fantasy was interrupted by an amused voice coming from the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Ryan asked as he walked into the bathroom and found him lounging in the bubble bath.

Seth quickly hid Captain Oats beneath the frothy bubbles and slunk down into the tub. "Uh… nothing. Taking a bath. Avoiding the main house. Ya know, just hanging out."

Ryan walked further into the room and sank down onto the closed toilet lid. He quirked a brow at him. "Hanging out? In my bathroom?"

"How… how do you *do* that? Take such a simple question and make it… I don't know… sound so dirty and weird?"

Ryan shot him a look. "It's a gift."

"I liked it better when you weren't the funny one," Seth grumbled as he sank even deeper into the mass of bubbles.

"So? What are you doing in here?"

"I'm avoiding the women."

Ryan echoed his sigh. "I'm right there with you."

"Did you *see* them? They were all together, talking and baking and… stuff. It was scary. And my *mom.* She can't cook. What was she thinking when she decided to ask Marissa and her mom to make cookies for the charity bake-a-thon? And how could she have invited both Anna and Summer to help?" Seth moaned, sitting up and waving his hands about, forgetting that Captain Oats was still clasped tightly in one. "Those two are starting to seriously freak me out."

Ryan just looked at him from heavily lidded eyes.

In a falsetto voice, Seth continued, "'Creaming? What's creaming? Anna, do you know?' 'Oh, Summer, it's means mixing the butter and the sugar.' 'Eww. You do it.' Ok. Anything to help.' They're being so nice to each other it's disgusting."

"It's your own fault, man, telling them both no. What did you expect?"

"I don't know! Pining. Or screaming. Or *something.* This friend thing is just kicking my ass."

"Maybe you're ready for a change," Ryan suggested as he slid down to sit next to the tub. "I'd say that you've about had it with women."

"You’re absolutely right! I've had it with women. From now on Seth Cohen is a single man. No women, no worries."

"Of course, 'no women' means no kissing. Unless…"

"Unless?"

"I'm just thinking you might need an alternative if you're going to be swearing off women."

"Is that...are you hitting on me?" Seth was so startled, he dropped Captain Oats into the water with an impressive splash.

Ryan just turned to stare at him instead of replying, a deep, sultry look in his eyes.

"I, uh… I am totally speechless. Really. I have no words. I'm dumbfounded."

"I can see that," Ryan responded dryly.

"It's just… I never thought about it. Well, I've *thought* about it, but I never really *thought* about it, you know? This is something I wasn't expecting."

"Unless, of course, you think Captain Oats might get jealous."

"Again with the funny. Ha ha. And no making fun of the horse," he said as he scooped him up out of the bubbles and patted his plastic head.

"You were making him gallop along the tub rim when I walked in. How can I *not* make fun of him?"

"Ok, yes… but still… No making fun of Captain Oats." He took the horse and set him down gently on the bathmat beside Ryan.

"So, about that question--"

"Which question?" Seth asked nervously.

"If you're not interested…" Ryan's voice trailed off as he shrugged.

"What's going on with you and Marissa?" Seth inquired curiously, wanting to be perfectly clear about what was happening before he answered.

"We've decided to take a little break. Ever since the shop lifting and the drinking… I don't want to wind up back in Juvie," Ryan explained.

"That sucks, man." Realizing exactly what he had just said, Seth was quick to add, "The situation with Marissa, I mean."

"Yeah," Ryan agreed, but he didn't seem particularly upset about it. "So?"

Seth gulped. He admitted that ever since Ryan had moved into the pool house, he had been curious. And the situation with Anna and Summer didn't look like it was going to be resolved any time soon. It was time to make a decision. "Um, okay... yes?"

Ryan lurched to his feet. "It's not that big a deal."

Seth bobbed his head up and down. "Yes. Absolutely. No big deal. Says the guy who's been with – how many did you say?"

Ryan chuckled and held out a hand to help him stand. "More than you."

Seth took his hand and rose, the bubbles from the bath sliding off his body. He squirmed, embarrassed by his nakedness. He didn't have much time to think about it, though, before Ryan's mouth was on his, his lips warm and firm, tongue wet and questioning.

The kissing led to other things, and soon they were both on Ryan's bed, kissing and tonguing and touching each other.

It was less awkward than Seth had imagined it would be. There was some embarrassment in the beginning, when Ryan had to show him how to take him into his mouth without scraping his swollen flesh with his teeth. And then there was the matter of Seth coming too quickly when Ryan started to stroke him.

But overall, the experience was good. Better even then making out with either Summer or Anna. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell Ryan that, though. Mention of either of the girls might break the mood. And right now, all Seth wanted to do was concentrate on Ryan and when they might be able to do this again.

He collapsed backwards on the bed next Ryan and they lay there together, looking at the ceiling and catching their breath. "Wow. Just… wow. And I thought there was nothing better than The Goonies or comic books. I was so wrong."

"You're just your regular witty self today, aren't you?"

"Hey, you started this. And you're the one with the experience. Me? I'm Seth Cohen, who until a few months ago couldn’t get the attention of even one person, either girl or guy. And now I've got two girls lusting after me and one guy in my bed."

"Technically, it's my bed."

"Yeah, well, it may be yours, but we're in it – or on it – together. And that's a giant leap for the likes of me."

"Yeah."

They lapsed into silence and Seth wondered what Ryan was thinking. That was always hard to guess with him, since he said so much more with his expressions that he ever did with words. Was he regretting propositioning Seth? Or maybe he was wondering about Marissa? Seth wanted to ask but didn't know how.

Luckily, Ryan chose that moment to actually say something. "They'll probably be done with the cookie baking soon."

"So, um, we should probably get dressed. Yes. Clothes. I need to put my clothes on." So this is what it was like after sex – uncomfortable and embarrassing. It wasn't something Seth was looking forward to in the future.

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, intent on going back to the bathroom to get his things. He was stopped, though, by Ryan's hand clasping his arm.

"I didn't plan this," he said.

"No, no, of course not," Seth was quick to reassure him. "Just, ya know, impulse. I get it."

"I don't think you do."

"Then explain it to me."

"I think… I think we should continue this. But there are five women in the kitchen right now who would have a fit if they knew about this."

Understanding finally dawned on Seth. Ryan wanted this; almost as much as Seth himself wanted it. He was just worried about repercussions, which was completely understandable, given his background and history.

"Oh, yeah. I knew that." He nodded enthusiastically.

Ryan shot him a look. "You're such a bad liar."

"I am not!" Seth disagreed, indignantly.

"You are."

"Not!"

"Are."

Seth tried giving Ryan one of his own looks, but he was sure it lacked Ryan's trademark depth. He was proved right when Ryan laughed at him.

"Go! Get dressed. Then we'll go on up to the house and see what they've made. I'll even let you kiss Anna or Summer."

"You won't get jealous?" His question was met with yet another look. "Ok, yeah. And this? It stays between us, right?"

"Right."

"Cool." He left to go get his clothes from the bathroom. On the floor, Captain Oats waited patiently. Seth picked him up and whispered in his ear. "Have I got a story to tell you…"

Bella Lulu wrote a fun companion piece titled Pop, Pop, Fizz, Fizz. Read it and then send her FB telling her she needs to write more fic!