Never Say Never 1/3 + Epilogue
Story Title: Never Say Never
AUTHOR: ariafree (Moria)
RATING: R
WARNING/DISCLAIMER: I don't own Life With Derek. The show and its characters belong to creator Daphne Ballon. ANGST LIKE WHOA (but from me is that really a surprise?)
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Derek Venturi/Casey McDonald; Casey McDonald/OMC; Sam Richards; mentions of other characters
SUMMARY: Derek and Casey are at Queen's, doing the university thing. Together. Can they finally put aside their differences and become friends? Can they leave their mutual friend Sam Richards out of their fights? Will they finally see how perfect they are for one another? Or is all of this just too much to ask?
AUTHOR NOTES: This fic was written for holly_blackmoor on her birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETIE!!!! :) I LOVE YOU!!!! I hope you enjoy the fic!
AN2: This fic all came about because a little over a month ago I couldn't get a certain scene from Dawson's Creek out of my head. It's one of my favorites between Pacey and Joey. And ultimately it got me thinking what if Derek and Casey became friends? The result is this fic. :)
“It’s a new year. Who knows? You and I might even become friends.” ~Pacey Witter to Joey Potter, Dawson’s Creek
Casey McDonald sat in the library of Queen’s University, going over her notes for her Calculus Midterm in the next few days. She was beginning to feel the stress and pressure of exams getting to her.
She looked up in annoyance at seeing her step-brother, Derek Venturi entering the library with a blonde haired young woman on one arm, an auburn haired young woman on the other. They were hanging all over him, giggling in that high pitched way that made a person’s ears practically bleed when forced to hear it.
And worst of all Derek was just reveling in the attention. It was revolting. But then again this was Derek Venturi. Had Casey honestly expected anything different from her step-brother? The answer to that question had been a big, fat YES!
In the four years that the two of them had been living under the same roof after her mother, Nora had married his father George, Casey had, naively it seemed now, assumed that due to her influence Derek was changing for the better.
He apparently hadn’t been. He was still the same, egotistical step-brother she’d always loved to hate. Swallowing back a lump that had risen to her throat, and fighting back a wave of unbidden tears, Casey turned her blurry eyes back to her Calculus textbook and notes.
She had no reason to be getting so upset like this. It wasn’t like she had a claim on Derek. He was her step-brother and nothing more. Just because she’d thought their relationship was evolving didn’t necessarily mean Derek felt the same. She could see that now.
She looked up in surprise when she realized that he was standing in front of the table where she was trying (unsuccessfully) to study. He was looking at her with a mixture of concern and ambivalence. He kept glancing over his shoulder at the bimbos who’d accompanied him. They were waving and blowing kisses at him.
Clearing his throat he finally returned his focus to Casey, his attention unwavering as his eyes quickly roamed over her features. He leaned forward, his hands flat against the table, his gaze level with hers.
“You’re all right, aren’t ya, Spacey?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her, ignoring the incessant giggling going on behind him.
“I’m fine, Derek. You better get back to your girls before they find entertainment elsewhere,” Casey replied, giving Derek a forced smile.
Derek nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he agreed, instead pulling out the chair across from her, sitting down. “So, you sure you’re okay? It kind of looks like you have your equally stressed and freaked face on. Are you sure I can’t help you with whatever it is we’re studying this week?”
“We aren’t studying anything, Derek. This is for my Calculus exam at the end of the week. You don’t take Calculus,” Casey reminded him.
“Right. Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go to a party with me Friday night? Midterms will be over and it’ll be a good excuse for you to celebrate and relax,” Derek said.
“If you leave me alone to study for the next hour then yes I’ll go with you to this party,” Casey said, unable to prevent the smile that came to her lips.
“Deal,” Derek readily agreed, holding out his hand for her to shake. She returned the handshake, watching him wink at her before getting up from the table and escorting the giggling co-eds out of the library.
With a trace of a smile lighting up her features, Casey shook her head before once again returning to her studies.
*~<3 dasey <3 ~*
Derek couldn’t believe he’d actually convinced Casey to come to this party. There were men and women in different states of drunkenness all over the expansive apartment. Teenage rebellion and debauchery at its finest. He hadn’t intended to lose sight of her within the first few minutes of their arrival, but Derek didn’t find Casey again until he reached the keg in the kitchen.
Apparently she’d taken what he’d told her about celebrating seriously. She had a plastic cup filled to the brim with cheap beer. She smiled broadly once she saw him. Sliding off the counter where she’d been perched she grabbed another plastic cup, filling it up before winding her way through the mass of bodies, triumphantly handing him the cup once she reached his side.
“Derrrreeek, isn’t this the best night? I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of this before since you know I’m supposed to be smart,” Casey slurred, her hand resting on his chest.
Derek swallowed hard. He’d avoided this very thing for the past three months and now here Casey was, pressing up against him, causing his body to respond in all the natural ways. And he wasn’t entirely sure he had the inclination to fight his urges anymore.
“You are smart, Case. And so beautiful. And I, I, uh…” Derek trailed off at a loss for words before taking a long drink from the cup Casey had handed him, for courage.
“Derek Venturi, you are incredibly sweet. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to realize it. Do you want to go back to my dorm for a while?” Casey asked, taking a hold of his hand in hers.
“And why would I want to do that?” Derek asked her, his smirk firmly in place, raising an eyebrow.
She smiled coyly at him before leaning forward, her lips brushing his ear.
“So you can have your way with me of course. I know you’ve wanted me from the minute we met. I’m offering you something you’ve wanted for a long time. Now don’t tell me you’re going to be all noble and decline an opportunity like this? I’m not sure when I’ll be in such a giving mood again, Venturi. I’d suggest you take me up on this while you can,” Casey insisted, challenge in her eyes.
Derek nodded his consent. “You’ve got a point, McDonald,” he said, throwing back what was left of the beer in the cup Casey had given him.
Casey’s eyes lit up with excitement as she bounced on the balls of her feet. “Perfect! But not before we have another celebratory drink,” she exclaimed happily, pulling her step-brother toward the keg.
*~<3 dasey <3~*
Derek had her pressed against her dorm room door, his leg pressing against her inner thigh as they kissed frantically, each trying to gain the upper hand. His hand had traveled up underneath her shirt and unhooked her cream colored bra with a practiced ease.
Casey’s own hands found themselves running along the bottom edge of Derek’s shirt. She whimpered in frustration into his open mouth.
“Go on, Case. Take it off,” Derek encouraged her, his mouth moving over the velvety soft, exposed length of her neck.
With her eyes darkening at his words, Casey pulled Derek’s polo shirt up over his head with one swift tug. She smiled into his shoulder as she felt him shudder against her when the cold air hit his bare skin. Her head swam from the alcohol she’d consumed, colors dancing in prisms along the white walls of her dorm room. Casey found herself unable to focus on just one thing for more than a few minutes. Her attention was easily diverted. But she could feel. And she drank in every touch and caress of Derek’s mouth and hands. It was euphoric.
She’d lost her shirt somewhere in between the kisses and running her hands along Derek’s chest and shoulders. Hockey had done wonders for his body. She’d have to remember to thank the heavens for making her step-brother such a natural athlete. But that would come later. Now she had to enjoy the feeling of him cupping her breasts, his hands suddenly moving to her hips.
She squealed in delight as he easily lifted her upward into his arms. Her hair flew in her face as her legs wrapped around his lower body. She giggled into his neck as he moved them backward onto her bed.
Soon he was hovering over her, gently pushing her hair back from her face so he could look into her eyes. She smiled up at him, loving everything about this moment.
“Derek?” she murmured. Casey knew she wanted to tell him something important, but then the thought drifted away.
“Yeah, Casey?” he asked her softly, giving her a smile of his own.
“You should take my pants off now,” she whispered conspiratorially. Casey wasn’t entirely sure if that was what she wanted to tell Derek, but it was necessary if they wanted to keep going. And she was pretty sure they both wanted it.
Derek chuckled, shaking his head. “I should’ve figured. Even when you’re drunk you’re bossy.”
Casey pouted. “What’s wrong with knowing what I want and knowing how to get it?”
“Nothing, Case, trust me. Now relax,” Derek instructed gently as he helped his step-sister remove the rest of her clothes before discarding his own. Pulling a condom from the back pocket of his jeans, Derek quickly opened the wrapper, easily sliding it on.
With her mind reeling Casey found that she couldn’t stay in the moment long enough to thoroughly enjoy what was happening between them. But she had to admit she liked the feeling of Derek filling her up as he moved inside her. And his hand kept caressing her hair, his lips brushing her forehead. That was nice. Derek really could be sweet when he wanted to be.
Before she was entirely prepared for it, she heard Derek moan, his lips brushing her shoulder as he finally pulled away from her, easily tying off the condom and tossing it to the floor.
Just as Casey was about to protest that she was cold, Derek pulled her to his chest, kissing the back of her neck.
“Good night, Casey,” he mumbled, falling asleep almost instantly. She smiled briefly before resting her head on his arm.
“Good night, Derek,” she replied, finally giving into sleep as well.
*~<3 dasey <3~*
Casey groaned when she heard her alarm going off the next morning. It felt like her head was cracking in half. She’d had headaches before…but this? This was its own form of hell.
Her hand blindly reached forward intent on shutting off the shrill annoyance that was her alarm clock. When her hand instead landed on the warm skin of a bare shoulder, Casey’s eyes snapped open.
As she moved, her leg brushed up against the person in bed with her. From that brief contact she surmised that the guy sleeping next to her was naked just like she was.
Finally turning the alarm off she smiled softly to herself. She found herself wondering if this mystery man remembered what had happened between them the previous night. The whole evening was just a blur to Casey at this point.
“Thank God. I thought you were never going to shut that damn thing off, Spacey,” Derek mumbled next to her, his eyes opening for a moment as he smiled at her, throwing an arm over her waist before shutting his eyes again.
Casey’s eyes widened as she realized two things at once. The first was that Derek was the guy she’d slept with the night before. And secondly she had to escape without letting Derek know what she was doing.
But after she’d slowly and carefully moved out of his reach and sat up the world tilted, swayed and raged forcefully. She just barely made it to the bathroom in time before everything in her system resurfaced violently.
Once she finished throwing up she leaned against the cold porcelain of the toilet. After the bathroom stopped spinning (or maybe that was her head?), Casey carefully lifted her head only to be met by Derek looking at her with empathy in his eyes. She wished he’d stop looking at her like that. It made her feel like hurling again.
She saw that he’d pulled on his jeans from the night before and was holding her baby pink terry cloth bathrobe, which he’d grabbed off the hook on the outside of the bathroom door.
He walked forward, holding it open for her in an attempt to help keep her modesty even after everything they’d done with one another the previous night. Casey glared at him, not trusting his supportive attitude as she quickly pulled on her robe. He sat down next to her, his hands running gently over her shoulders and upper arms.
“Case, was last night the first time you’ve ever had alcohol?” Derek asked, his hands still on her shoulders.
“No, of course not,” Casey insisted, appearing insulted. Derek looked at her in disbelieving amusement. “Okay. If that’s the story you’re going with,” he said with a shrug.
“It’s the truth!” she snapped.
“Oh, really? Enlighten me,” Derek encouraged, finally pulling away from her, crossing his arms at his chest, lifting an eyebrow.
“When Max and I were dating we went to a lot of parties and I had a few beers. The same thing when I was with Truman. It just kind of happened and I…”
“Didn’t say no,” Derek growled, his jaw twitching while his hands curled into fists in his lap. With the exception of his best friend, Sam Richards, Derek really hated the jerks Casey had dated during high school.
Casey continued to glower at him. “You are such a hypocrite, Derek. How can you sit there and judge my behavior when you’ve been drinking since you were sixteen!?”
Derek sighed heavily, running a hand over his face. It was still too early for this argument. And it would be an argument regardless if he had the energy for it or not.
“I don’t care that you were drinking before it was legal, Case. What bothers me is that you were only too willing to let those assholes convince you to do things you wouldn’t normally do.”
“Despite what you may think, Derek, I’m not perfect. I make mistakes just like everybody else. Look at last night for example.”
“I never said you were! And what the hell do you mean last night was a mistake!?” Derek demanded, his anger over Casey’s words flooding him as he stormed out of her small bathroom intent on finding his shirt and shoes so he could leave.
“I’m not…I don’t…We shouldn’t have slept together, all right? That’s what I meant,” Casey whispered hoarsely, all of the fight leaving her as tears welled in her eyes. Hurting him was the only way either of them could move on from this. And she had hurt him. One glance at his features told Casey all she needed to know. He wanted to break emotionally, but he wouldn’t allow himself.
“You’re right. This whole thing was just one giant mistake. I’ll see you around, Casey,” Derek agreed bitterly, turning away and walking out of Casey’s room, and out of her life.
Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, Casey walked back towards her bathroom, sitting in the doorway before the tears came, hot and furious.
*~<3 dasey <3~*
In the months that followed both Derek and Casey avoided one another. It was fairly easy enough to do because Derek had hockey practice with Sam and the other Gaels while Casey was focusing on her studies.
Everything changed one night when they were at another party. Casey had been openly flirting with one of Derek’s teammates, Noah Talbot. Under normal circumstances Derek would’ve made it known to Noah that Casey was off limits. However, Derek was slowly realizing that he had to let Casey live her own life. Even if that meant he wasn’t a part of it.
It wasn’t until later that same night when Casey met Jonah Clark when everything really changed. He’d run into her, splashing the cup of beer he held all over her. It was such a rookie move that it had Derek snorting and rolling his eyes in disgust.
But it also had his stomach twisting itself painfully into knots because Casey was falling for it. Falling for Jonah’s profuse apologies, his charm and his smile. And Derek found himself in the kitchen, positioned strategically by the keg so he could keep drinking. And that’s what he did.
Until later that night into the early morning he finally stumbled into his and Sam’s dorm room, reeking of alcohol. Sam had opted out of the party because he had a paper he had to work on that was due the following week that would be half his grade.
“Derek, you all right, man?” Sam asked worriedly. Derek fell backward onto his bed turning toward his best friend.
“I’m fine, Sammy. I’m just in love with the wrong girl that’s all. I need to find the right one. A girl that’s not Casey because all she does is break my heart. She’s not worthy of Derek Venturi. I can tell you that much, Sam,” Derek said, his words slurred as he glared up at their ceiling.
Sam rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “You’re hopeless, dude. Every single time you get drunk you admit to me that you love Casey. It’s been happening since junior year at Thompson, D. You need to man up and tell Casey how you feel,” he said, holding out his own phone for Derek to make the call.
“You’re funny when you try to be serious, Sam. She’s probably kissing that Jonah guy right now. He’s helping her out of her peach-esque sweater. I think she calls it coral? And she’s unbuttoning his black button down shirt. Her hands are on his chest and his mouth is in the crook of her neck…” he trailed off, seething, his hands balled into fists at his sides.
“Shut up, Derek. Jealousy really isn’t your friend right now,” Sam insisted, feeling the beginnings of a headache starting as he pulled up a familiar number on his phone. “Hey. Um, yeah, I need your help. Would you come get Derek? He’s drunk and unfortunately I have this big paper due Tuesday so I don’t have the time to babysit him. No, honestly, Casey I don’t care if you’re not speaking to each other right now. He needs you and you’re going to help him. If it comes to it I’ll call George and Nora. All right, that’s what I thought. See you in ten,” he said before hanging up.
Ten minutes later, Sam got up from his computer chair to answer the door. Casey stood in the doorway, a tight-lipped smile on her face.
“Sam, where is he?” she asked. Sam moved aside and Casey slowly entered the room. She walked over to where Derek lay sprawled out on his bed, grabbing a hold of his hands and pulling him upward into a sitting position.
“What’re you doing here, Casey?” Derek asked her, a miserable expression on his face.
“Sam told me that I needed to come rescue you from yourself. Let’s go. You’re spending the night with me,” Casey told him, hauling him to his feet.
“You’re my hero,” Derek replied, batting his eyes at her.
Casey snorted, rolling her eyes. “Hardly. Now let’s go before you decide puking on my shoes would be lots of fun,” she said, stumbling under his weight for a moment as she wrapped her arm around his waist, putting his arm over her shoulder.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to help you get him to your room?” Sam asked.
Casey smiled gratefully, blowing a lock of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail into her face, upward. She stiffened slightly when she felt Derek’s fingers on her face as he helped her move her hair back into place.
“Your hair is so soft,” Derek murmured against her ear. Casey gave him a placating smile before returning her attention to Sam.
“Thanks, Sam, but I think we’ll manage,” she said, walking toward the door.
After they made it out to the hallway, Casey walked them towards the elevator so they could go down a flight to the girls’ dormitories without having to take the stairs. Finally reaching her dorm room, Casey managed to unlock it and open the door one-handed, with Derek being no help whatsoever as he leaned heavily against her and played with the fingers of the hand she still had wrapped around his waist.
“Derek, we’re here,” she murmured, pulling him into the room with her. Derek fell backward onto Casey’s bed, pulling his step-sister with him. He smiled drunkenly up at her, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she hovered above him.
“C’mere, Casey,” he mumbled, pressing their lips together in a warm, pliant kiss. Casey broke away from his mouth staring at him in disbelief for a moment, her eyes closing, sighing softly as she rolled off of him. As they lay next to each other she was very aware of his body next to hers.
“Derek, why did you get drunk tonight?” she asked, not really expecting him to answer.
“I miss you, Case. So damn much. And I don’t…I don’t really know where the hell I’m supposed to put all of my feelings for you,” he admitted.
When Casey met his gaze she was startled to see he had tears in his eyes. Covering his hand with her own, she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“I’ve missed you too, Derek. Would you maybe want to try being friends? I mean really try this time?” she asked.
“I’d like that,” Derek agreed, his mouth curling upward as he closed his eyes. With her hand resting on his chest, Casey watched as he slept, wondering why she was only just realizing how natural it felt to be lying next to Derek listening to him breathe.
TBC...
AUTHOR: ariafree (Moria)
RATING: R
WARNING/DISCLAIMER: I don't own Life With Derek. The show and its characters belong to creator Daphne Ballon. ANGST LIKE WHOA (but from me is that really a surprise?)
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Derek Venturi/Casey McDonald; Casey McDonald/OMC; Sam Richards; mentions of other characters
SUMMARY: Derek and Casey are at Queen's, doing the university thing. Together. Can they finally put aside their differences and become friends? Can they leave their mutual friend Sam Richards out of their fights? Will they finally see how perfect they are for one another? Or is all of this just too much to ask?
AUTHOR NOTES: This fic was written for holly_blackmoor on her birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETIE!!!! :) I LOVE YOU!!!! I hope you enjoy the fic!
AN2: This fic all came about because a little over a month ago I couldn't get a certain scene from Dawson's Creek out of my head. It's one of my favorites between Pacey and Joey. And ultimately it got me thinking what if Derek and Casey became friends? The result is this fic. :)
Click to view“It’s a new year. Who knows? You and I might even become friends.” ~Pacey Witter to Joey Potter, Dawson’s Creek
Casey McDonald sat in the library of Queen’s University, going over her notes for her Calculus Midterm in the next few days. She was beginning to feel the stress and pressure of exams getting to her.
She looked up in annoyance at seeing her step-brother, Derek Venturi entering the library with a blonde haired young woman on one arm, an auburn haired young woman on the other. They were hanging all over him, giggling in that high pitched way that made a person’s ears practically bleed when forced to hear it.
And worst of all Derek was just reveling in the attention. It was revolting. But then again this was Derek Venturi. Had Casey honestly expected anything different from her step-brother? The answer to that question had been a big, fat YES!
In the four years that the two of them had been living under the same roof after her mother, Nora had married his father George, Casey had, naively it seemed now, assumed that due to her influence Derek was changing for the better.
He apparently hadn’t been. He was still the same, egotistical step-brother she’d always loved to hate. Swallowing back a lump that had risen to her throat, and fighting back a wave of unbidden tears, Casey turned her blurry eyes back to her Calculus textbook and notes.
She had no reason to be getting so upset like this. It wasn’t like she had a claim on Derek. He was her step-brother and nothing more. Just because she’d thought their relationship was evolving didn’t necessarily mean Derek felt the same. She could see that now.
She looked up in surprise when she realized that he was standing in front of the table where she was trying (unsuccessfully) to study. He was looking at her with a mixture of concern and ambivalence. He kept glancing over his shoulder at the bimbos who’d accompanied him. They were waving and blowing kisses at him.
Clearing his throat he finally returned his focus to Casey, his attention unwavering as his eyes quickly roamed over her features. He leaned forward, his hands flat against the table, his gaze level with hers.
“You’re all right, aren’t ya, Spacey?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her, ignoring the incessant giggling going on behind him.
“I’m fine, Derek. You better get back to your girls before they find entertainment elsewhere,” Casey replied, giving Derek a forced smile.
Derek nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he agreed, instead pulling out the chair across from her, sitting down. “So, you sure you’re okay? It kind of looks like you have your equally stressed and freaked face on. Are you sure I can’t help you with whatever it is we’re studying this week?”
“We aren’t studying anything, Derek. This is for my Calculus exam at the end of the week. You don’t take Calculus,” Casey reminded him.
“Right. Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go to a party with me Friday night? Midterms will be over and it’ll be a good excuse for you to celebrate and relax,” Derek said.
“If you leave me alone to study for the next hour then yes I’ll go with you to this party,” Casey said, unable to prevent the smile that came to her lips.
“Deal,” Derek readily agreed, holding out his hand for her to shake. She returned the handshake, watching him wink at her before getting up from the table and escorting the giggling co-eds out of the library.
With a trace of a smile lighting up her features, Casey shook her head before once again returning to her studies.
*~<3 dasey <3 ~*
Derek couldn’t believe he’d actually convinced Casey to come to this party. There were men and women in different states of drunkenness all over the expansive apartment. Teenage rebellion and debauchery at its finest. He hadn’t intended to lose sight of her within the first few minutes of their arrival, but Derek didn’t find Casey again until he reached the keg in the kitchen.
Apparently she’d taken what he’d told her about celebrating seriously. She had a plastic cup filled to the brim with cheap beer. She smiled broadly once she saw him. Sliding off the counter where she’d been perched she grabbed another plastic cup, filling it up before winding her way through the mass of bodies, triumphantly handing him the cup once she reached his side.
“Derrrreeek, isn’t this the best night? I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of this before since you know I’m supposed to be smart,” Casey slurred, her hand resting on his chest.
Derek swallowed hard. He’d avoided this very thing for the past three months and now here Casey was, pressing up against him, causing his body to respond in all the natural ways. And he wasn’t entirely sure he had the inclination to fight his urges anymore.
“You are smart, Case. And so beautiful. And I, I, uh…” Derek trailed off at a loss for words before taking a long drink from the cup Casey had handed him, for courage.
“Derek Venturi, you are incredibly sweet. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to realize it. Do you want to go back to my dorm for a while?” Casey asked, taking a hold of his hand in hers.
“And why would I want to do that?” Derek asked her, his smirk firmly in place, raising an eyebrow.
She smiled coyly at him before leaning forward, her lips brushing his ear.
“So you can have your way with me of course. I know you’ve wanted me from the minute we met. I’m offering you something you’ve wanted for a long time. Now don’t tell me you’re going to be all noble and decline an opportunity like this? I’m not sure when I’ll be in such a giving mood again, Venturi. I’d suggest you take me up on this while you can,” Casey insisted, challenge in her eyes.
Derek nodded his consent. “You’ve got a point, McDonald,” he said, throwing back what was left of the beer in the cup Casey had given him.
Casey’s eyes lit up with excitement as she bounced on the balls of her feet. “Perfect! But not before we have another celebratory drink,” she exclaimed happily, pulling her step-brother toward the keg.
*~<3 dasey <3~*
Derek had her pressed against her dorm room door, his leg pressing against her inner thigh as they kissed frantically, each trying to gain the upper hand. His hand had traveled up underneath her shirt and unhooked her cream colored bra with a practiced ease.
Casey’s own hands found themselves running along the bottom edge of Derek’s shirt. She whimpered in frustration into his open mouth.
“Go on, Case. Take it off,” Derek encouraged her, his mouth moving over the velvety soft, exposed length of her neck.
With her eyes darkening at his words, Casey pulled Derek’s polo shirt up over his head with one swift tug. She smiled into his shoulder as she felt him shudder against her when the cold air hit his bare skin. Her head swam from the alcohol she’d consumed, colors dancing in prisms along the white walls of her dorm room. Casey found herself unable to focus on just one thing for more than a few minutes. Her attention was easily diverted. But she could feel. And she drank in every touch and caress of Derek’s mouth and hands. It was euphoric.
She’d lost her shirt somewhere in between the kisses and running her hands along Derek’s chest and shoulders. Hockey had done wonders for his body. She’d have to remember to thank the heavens for making her step-brother such a natural athlete. But that would come later. Now she had to enjoy the feeling of him cupping her breasts, his hands suddenly moving to her hips.
She squealed in delight as he easily lifted her upward into his arms. Her hair flew in her face as her legs wrapped around his lower body. She giggled into his neck as he moved them backward onto her bed.
Soon he was hovering over her, gently pushing her hair back from her face so he could look into her eyes. She smiled up at him, loving everything about this moment.
“Derek?” she murmured. Casey knew she wanted to tell him something important, but then the thought drifted away.
“Yeah, Casey?” he asked her softly, giving her a smile of his own.
“You should take my pants off now,” she whispered conspiratorially. Casey wasn’t entirely sure if that was what she wanted to tell Derek, but it was necessary if they wanted to keep going. And she was pretty sure they both wanted it.
Derek chuckled, shaking his head. “I should’ve figured. Even when you’re drunk you’re bossy.”
Casey pouted. “What’s wrong with knowing what I want and knowing how to get it?”
“Nothing, Case, trust me. Now relax,” Derek instructed gently as he helped his step-sister remove the rest of her clothes before discarding his own. Pulling a condom from the back pocket of his jeans, Derek quickly opened the wrapper, easily sliding it on.
With her mind reeling Casey found that she couldn’t stay in the moment long enough to thoroughly enjoy what was happening between them. But she had to admit she liked the feeling of Derek filling her up as he moved inside her. And his hand kept caressing her hair, his lips brushing her forehead. That was nice. Derek really could be sweet when he wanted to be.
Before she was entirely prepared for it, she heard Derek moan, his lips brushing her shoulder as he finally pulled away from her, easily tying off the condom and tossing it to the floor.
Just as Casey was about to protest that she was cold, Derek pulled her to his chest, kissing the back of her neck.
“Good night, Casey,” he mumbled, falling asleep almost instantly. She smiled briefly before resting her head on his arm.
“Good night, Derek,” she replied, finally giving into sleep as well.
*~<3 dasey <3~*
Casey groaned when she heard her alarm going off the next morning. It felt like her head was cracking in half. She’d had headaches before…but this? This was its own form of hell.
Her hand blindly reached forward intent on shutting off the shrill annoyance that was her alarm clock. When her hand instead landed on the warm skin of a bare shoulder, Casey’s eyes snapped open.
As she moved, her leg brushed up against the person in bed with her. From that brief contact she surmised that the guy sleeping next to her was naked just like she was.
Finally turning the alarm off she smiled softly to herself. She found herself wondering if this mystery man remembered what had happened between them the previous night. The whole evening was just a blur to Casey at this point.
“Thank God. I thought you were never going to shut that damn thing off, Spacey,” Derek mumbled next to her, his eyes opening for a moment as he smiled at her, throwing an arm over her waist before shutting his eyes again.
Casey’s eyes widened as she realized two things at once. The first was that Derek was the guy she’d slept with the night before. And secondly she had to escape without letting Derek know what she was doing.
But after she’d slowly and carefully moved out of his reach and sat up the world tilted, swayed and raged forcefully. She just barely made it to the bathroom in time before everything in her system resurfaced violently.
Once she finished throwing up she leaned against the cold porcelain of the toilet. After the bathroom stopped spinning (or maybe that was her head?), Casey carefully lifted her head only to be met by Derek looking at her with empathy in his eyes. She wished he’d stop looking at her like that. It made her feel like hurling again.
She saw that he’d pulled on his jeans from the night before and was holding her baby pink terry cloth bathrobe, which he’d grabbed off the hook on the outside of the bathroom door.
He walked forward, holding it open for her in an attempt to help keep her modesty even after everything they’d done with one another the previous night. Casey glared at him, not trusting his supportive attitude as she quickly pulled on her robe. He sat down next to her, his hands running gently over her shoulders and upper arms.
“Case, was last night the first time you’ve ever had alcohol?” Derek asked, his hands still on her shoulders.
“No, of course not,” Casey insisted, appearing insulted. Derek looked at her in disbelieving amusement. “Okay. If that’s the story you’re going with,” he said with a shrug.
“It’s the truth!” she snapped.
“Oh, really? Enlighten me,” Derek encouraged, finally pulling away from her, crossing his arms at his chest, lifting an eyebrow.
“When Max and I were dating we went to a lot of parties and I had a few beers. The same thing when I was with Truman. It just kind of happened and I…”
“Didn’t say no,” Derek growled, his jaw twitching while his hands curled into fists in his lap. With the exception of his best friend, Sam Richards, Derek really hated the jerks Casey had dated during high school.
Casey continued to glower at him. “You are such a hypocrite, Derek. How can you sit there and judge my behavior when you’ve been drinking since you were sixteen!?”
Derek sighed heavily, running a hand over his face. It was still too early for this argument. And it would be an argument regardless if he had the energy for it or not.
“I don’t care that you were drinking before it was legal, Case. What bothers me is that you were only too willing to let those assholes convince you to do things you wouldn’t normally do.”
“Despite what you may think, Derek, I’m not perfect. I make mistakes just like everybody else. Look at last night for example.”
“I never said you were! And what the hell do you mean last night was a mistake!?” Derek demanded, his anger over Casey’s words flooding him as he stormed out of her small bathroom intent on finding his shirt and shoes so he could leave.
“I’m not…I don’t…We shouldn’t have slept together, all right? That’s what I meant,” Casey whispered hoarsely, all of the fight leaving her as tears welled in her eyes. Hurting him was the only way either of them could move on from this. And she had hurt him. One glance at his features told Casey all she needed to know. He wanted to break emotionally, but he wouldn’t allow himself.
“You’re right. This whole thing was just one giant mistake. I’ll see you around, Casey,” Derek agreed bitterly, turning away and walking out of Casey’s room, and out of her life.
Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, Casey walked back towards her bathroom, sitting in the doorway before the tears came, hot and furious.
*~<3 dasey <3~*
In the months that followed both Derek and Casey avoided one another. It was fairly easy enough to do because Derek had hockey practice with Sam and the other Gaels while Casey was focusing on her studies.
Everything changed one night when they were at another party. Casey had been openly flirting with one of Derek’s teammates, Noah Talbot. Under normal circumstances Derek would’ve made it known to Noah that Casey was off limits. However, Derek was slowly realizing that he had to let Casey live her own life. Even if that meant he wasn’t a part of it.
It wasn’t until later that same night when Casey met Jonah Clark when everything really changed. He’d run into her, splashing the cup of beer he held all over her. It was such a rookie move that it had Derek snorting and rolling his eyes in disgust.
But it also had his stomach twisting itself painfully into knots because Casey was falling for it. Falling for Jonah’s profuse apologies, his charm and his smile. And Derek found himself in the kitchen, positioned strategically by the keg so he could keep drinking. And that’s what he did.
Until later that night into the early morning he finally stumbled into his and Sam’s dorm room, reeking of alcohol. Sam had opted out of the party because he had a paper he had to work on that was due the following week that would be half his grade.
“Derek, you all right, man?” Sam asked worriedly. Derek fell backward onto his bed turning toward his best friend.
“I’m fine, Sammy. I’m just in love with the wrong girl that’s all. I need to find the right one. A girl that’s not Casey because all she does is break my heart. She’s not worthy of Derek Venturi. I can tell you that much, Sam,” Derek said, his words slurred as he glared up at their ceiling.
Sam rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “You’re hopeless, dude. Every single time you get drunk you admit to me that you love Casey. It’s been happening since junior year at Thompson, D. You need to man up and tell Casey how you feel,” he said, holding out his own phone for Derek to make the call.
“You’re funny when you try to be serious, Sam. She’s probably kissing that Jonah guy right now. He’s helping her out of her peach-esque sweater. I think she calls it coral? And she’s unbuttoning his black button down shirt. Her hands are on his chest and his mouth is in the crook of her neck…” he trailed off, seething, his hands balled into fists at his sides.
“Shut up, Derek. Jealousy really isn’t your friend right now,” Sam insisted, feeling the beginnings of a headache starting as he pulled up a familiar number on his phone. “Hey. Um, yeah, I need your help. Would you come get Derek? He’s drunk and unfortunately I have this big paper due Tuesday so I don’t have the time to babysit him. No, honestly, Casey I don’t care if you’re not speaking to each other right now. He needs you and you’re going to help him. If it comes to it I’ll call George and Nora. All right, that’s what I thought. See you in ten,” he said before hanging up.
Ten minutes later, Sam got up from his computer chair to answer the door. Casey stood in the doorway, a tight-lipped smile on her face.
“Sam, where is he?” she asked. Sam moved aside and Casey slowly entered the room. She walked over to where Derek lay sprawled out on his bed, grabbing a hold of his hands and pulling him upward into a sitting position.
“What’re you doing here, Casey?” Derek asked her, a miserable expression on his face.
“Sam told me that I needed to come rescue you from yourself. Let’s go. You’re spending the night with me,” Casey told him, hauling him to his feet.
“You’re my hero,” Derek replied, batting his eyes at her.
Casey snorted, rolling her eyes. “Hardly. Now let’s go before you decide puking on my shoes would be lots of fun,” she said, stumbling under his weight for a moment as she wrapped her arm around his waist, putting his arm over her shoulder.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to help you get him to your room?” Sam asked.
Casey smiled gratefully, blowing a lock of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail into her face, upward. She stiffened slightly when she felt Derek’s fingers on her face as he helped her move her hair back into place.
“Your hair is so soft,” Derek murmured against her ear. Casey gave him a placating smile before returning her attention to Sam.
“Thanks, Sam, but I think we’ll manage,” she said, walking toward the door.
After they made it out to the hallway, Casey walked them towards the elevator so they could go down a flight to the girls’ dormitories without having to take the stairs. Finally reaching her dorm room, Casey managed to unlock it and open the door one-handed, with Derek being no help whatsoever as he leaned heavily against her and played with the fingers of the hand she still had wrapped around his waist.
“Derek, we’re here,” she murmured, pulling him into the room with her. Derek fell backward onto Casey’s bed, pulling his step-sister with him. He smiled drunkenly up at her, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she hovered above him.
“C’mere, Casey,” he mumbled, pressing their lips together in a warm, pliant kiss. Casey broke away from his mouth staring at him in disbelief for a moment, her eyes closing, sighing softly as she rolled off of him. As they lay next to each other she was very aware of his body next to hers.
“Derek, why did you get drunk tonight?” she asked, not really expecting him to answer.
“I miss you, Case. So damn much. And I don’t…I don’t really know where the hell I’m supposed to put all of my feelings for you,” he admitted.
When Casey met his gaze she was startled to see he had tears in his eyes. Covering his hand with her own, she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“I’ve missed you too, Derek. Would you maybe want to try being friends? I mean really try this time?” she asked.
“I’d like that,” Derek agreed, his mouth curling upward as he closed his eyes. With her hand resting on his chest, Casey watched as he slept, wondering why she was only just realizing how natural it felt to be lying next to Derek listening to him breathe.
TBC...