FF: An Awkward Encounter

Mar 12, 2010 10:32

Title: An Awkward Encounter
Show: Life With Derek
Category: Drabble
Rating: G
Notes: As part of that prompt meme, pheobep had asked for "Sally/Noel". Now my problem was that I had only seen a few episodes with Sally and none with Noel. (I've read plenty of fanfic with both, but that doesn't really count.) So my solution was to do a bait-and-switch. So while this LOOKS like a Sally/Noel fic... it's actually Casey/Derek. :-)



Noel was by far the most perfect boyfriend that Sally ever had. He was thoughtful, considerate and he even wrote her love poems, just because. They had reconnected his first semester in Vancouver in an English lit class and had been together ever since. Sometimes Sally would forget that they had ever knew each other while they were still in high school. (Though she's not sure that disastrous triple date really counts.) But the advantages of having a college boyfriend from your hometown turned out to be numerous. Of course, the disadvantage was that your impromptu make-out session near the Tim Horton's at the mall ran the risk of being interrupted by your ex-boyfriend and his step-sister. The same step-sister, it so happens, who your current boyfriend had an unrequited crush on in high school.

"Didn't you find that awkward?" Sally demanded afterwards.

" A little, at first," Noel admitted. "But Casey and Derek were both cool with it and that made it a lot easier."

"Yeah, what was up with that?" she grumbled. It's not that she wanted things to be uncomfortable, but surely it had to be a little weird to watch your ex-girlfriend make out with someone new. Especially for Derek. His ego would never be able to take being replaced. But he had just looked... amused.

"I guess now that they're together, the past is just that. The past," Noel said, philosophically.

"Who's together?"

"Derek and Casey."

"With each other?" Sally snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Come on, Sally. You serious? They were like an old married couple. If I didn't know better I'd think they'd been dating for years!"

"They've always been like that."

"Okay... yeah, but this was different."

Sally mentally reviewed the brief encounter to try to figure out what Noel was talking about. Casey and Derek hadn't touched each other once during the conversation. Casey wasn't wearing anything that Derek might have given her. Not jewellery. Not even his jacket. They weren't even dressed alike. There was nothing about them that screamed "we're a couple now".

"It's not like they were holding hands," Sally objected. Noel sighed.

"The way Derek is about PDA? Hell, Casey might be the only girlfriend he's ever had who wouldn't push him on that! No offense."

"None taken," Sally replied automatically. "But what made you think that they're together?"

"Well, because I asked for, one thing. Remember? Right after Casey congratulated us?"

"That's what you were asking?! You didn't even finish the question!"

"Didn't need to. They both knew what I was going to say and were already nodding. And then there was Derek's joke that being out of the closest meant that you couldn't stay in if you wanted some privacy."

"Wait. Their parents know?!"

"Looks like it. They seemed to have taken it well too."

"Were we having two separate conversations?" Sally demanded. Noel didn't say anything to that, but then he generally avoided saying anything at all when she was starting to annoy him. She must have looked upset, because Noel's expression suddenly softened.

"Sally, it's okay," he said gently, as he took her in his arms. "So, you're someone who needs things to be stated more explicitly. It's no big deal."

It was sweet of him to say so, but Sally had this feeling that it kind of was.

fic - lwd, fic - non-west wing

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