The Waitress

Inspired by a song, you know when something random appears on shuffle? Well that's what happened and I the whole time I was listening to it I couldn't keep the stupid smile off my face… and somehow I ended up with this. Also, this story is set in an alternate universe.

Disclaimer: I don't own Life With Derek or any other things I happen to mention in this story.

This relationship is built on breakfast

I'm waiting on her just to wait on me

Seth Sentry ~ The Waitress Song

He sat in the usual spot, read the same newspaper he'd been reading for the past week and ordered the regular Bacon On Toast And A Long Black Coffee. In reality he didn't even order, The Waitress brought him his meal 20 minutes after he sat down without even asking.

Derek sighed contentedly and smiled up at The Waitress. That's who she was, The Waitress, he didn't know her name. She always worked afternoons (4-7 on weekdays) and Derek always came in for breakfast after his final lecture on the way back to his dorm. (Sometimes maybe, on the days when his lectures finished early, he just came anyway…) Breakfast because it was his favourite meal of the day and why shouldn't he have it twice? Although often not given credit, Derek was also smart enough to know that anything else from the place would probably end with him curled around a toilet for most of the night.

Really though, that didn't matter. He only went to the run down diner with cheap red leather seats and linoleum floors because of Her. In this semi-twisted-slightly-definitely-not-stalkerish way, The Waitress was the love of his life.

Derek had never really been an emotional guy; he didn't do relationships and had certainly had more than his fair share of one-night stands. His parents' divorce had scarred him, though he never would admit it, so he never really cared for putting himself in a situation where he could be hurt. He'd watched his father suffer for the past 10 years of his life, which was pain enough for Derek.

If a girl (or 10) were willing to give him all the pleasure he needed without the messiness and dirtiness of a relationship (and its inevitable end,) who was he to turn them down? He was perfectly happy thankyouverymuch.

Well, he thought he'd been anyway, until he met Her. He'd tell you at the drop of a hat that she was the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen. She wasn't the typical Plastic Blonde that made up most of the notches on his bedpost.

He'd watch her hips sway to cheesy 50's music that blared from the equally cheesy jukebox when she thought no one was watching. Derek didn't believe in God, but it was at those moments, when she closed her eyes and forgot where she was and moved her body in a way that made him slightly uncomfortable, that he thought maybe he'd believe if only he could be allowed to watch her for the rest of his life.

The Waitress smiled back at him, one of those smiles that made Derek's heart beat a little faster and his insides turn a bit gooey for a moment. She looked around the restaurant quickly, and then, with the knowledge that at this time Derek was the only customer, sat down opposite him.

"I've wanted to do this for so long," She said with a hint of laughter behind her voice. The laughter reached her eyes and as she winked at him, he felt himself laugh as well. Derek was stunned really, he'd never thought their relationship would move past 'That'll be seven sixty-five thanks, See you again soon' but really he thought; it was about time something more happened. Two months in the same diner with the same Waitress... if it'd been anyone else he'd have made his move two months ago.

"You must think I'm some boring loser," Derek chuckled. He was nervous, the supposed Love of His Life and this was his first actual conversation with her, what kind of loser am I? "No what could possibly give me that impression? Same thing, same time every day… Obviously your life is filled with interesting things," The smirk playing on her lips and the sarcasm in her voice made him laugh again. Derek leant across the table and whispered, "I'm really a very interesting person," he flicked his eyes to hers, "I promise."

"Interesting like criminal record interesting? Or interesting like you could tell me fascinating stories about the stuff you do every day interesting?" The Waitress whispered back and then bit her lip. Derek's head was suddenly filled with an overwhelming number of images mostly depicting the different places he could kiss this Woman senseless. Everywhere.

"What do you want it to be?" The spark in his eyes made The Waitress blush a little, she'd never been so forward before (or been hit on by such a ridiculously attractive guy), but she'd been crushing on this guy from the first time he'd sat at that booth. "I've always secretly had a thing for bad boys…" Her blush spread a little more across her face and she averted her eyes. The whole time Derek's insides turned gooier and gooier.

"I'd promise that I'm a bad boy, but how could you believe me?" He said as his voice dropped an octave, She shivered a little but brought her eyes back to his. "Tell me a story then."

"I haven't told anyone a story since my sister was 6 years old… I might be a bit rusty," the smirk on his face hid the current process of liquidification occurring to all other parts of his body (well... almost all other parts.) "You never know if you don't try," The Waitress had gained confidence and her eyes didn't leave his again.

"Fair, but you know, I don't usually tell stories to strangers." The Waitress thought for a second, pulling back across the table and resting comfortably in the booth, "How about, I'll tell you my name if I deem your story worthy?" Her bright blue eyes shone with humour as she watched his smirk grow. "I guess I'll have to pull out the big guns then oh gracious Princess," She laughed and he noted how it would probably rank as the second best sound he'd ever hear (do you really have to guess what number one is?) "Go on peasant, impress me."

"Well I can't work with such a lack of direction, what kind of story do you want Princess?"

"Tell me about your girlfriend." Derek could see a kind of fear flicker across her face but he himself was a bit afraid of the answer to her question. Honesty, he decided, this Woman was going to know him for who he really was, it'd been a long time since he'd been honest. "Girlfriend? You mean that steady stream of girls whose names tend to all sound the same and who combined could account for half the world's peroxide usage? I'm a bad boy remember Princess, I haven't had a girlfriend since I was sixteen."

She kind of half smiled and he thought he'd said the wrong thing, too much honesty maybe? But then Her smile grew and she said with such confidence "That'll change Peasant," that Derek knew it would have to be true. "So why no girlfriend?"

Honesty Derek. "I've seen what a failed relationship can do to someone, I think my dad lost himself about 10 years ago when my mother left screaming and yelling how much she hated him. I like sex, but I don't want that." She frowned and her eyes clouded a little, Derek reached across the table and cupped her cheek, "Hey," he whispered, "It's not like I'm depressed Princess, I'm a big boy, no need to get upset over me."

She reached up and placed her hand over his, bringing it down to the table and entwining her fingers in his. He stared for a second and as she was about to pull away, thinking she'd moved forward too fast, Derek tightened his grip and held her there. She smiled again when he looked up and just said, "I'm sorry, I just… know how it feels." He only smiled sadly, not really wanting to ruin the moment.

"Okay Knight, you passed round 1, tell me your name." The tension was lifted and he laughed, "Hey that's not fair, I asked you first!" She grinned and cocked her head to the side, "So?" He traced his thumb across the top of her hand as he pretended to be deep in thought, "Hmm… If I tell you, things will never be the same when I come here…" She pretended to consider his question in return, "Well you know, if you find it too awkward can just go to the café across the road," He gasped at her disloyalty, "I hear they serve actual food there!" She stage whispered.

"Real food? We couldn't have that! I guess I'll have to tell you my name…" He leant across the rickety table and whispered in her ear, "Bond… James Bond." She laughed out loud and swatted him away playfully, "Seriously doofus, what is it?" He grinned at her and winked, "It's Derek hun, but you're lucky it isn't actually James Bond or I'd be really offended right now." She giggled softly, "So… Derek," His heart beat faster at just the sound of his name on her lips, he lost himself in another day-dream as he thought of different ways to get her to say it again, stop it Derek, stop it. "You have a sister right?"

"Marti? Yeah, she's basically the only girl who I've loved for more than one night, but I have a brother too, Edwin. I use to be able to make him do anything I wanted but unfortunately he's started learning how to stand up to me now I'm at university." She smiled again; he could sense the Awww Cute just from the way she looked at him. "I have a sister too, Lizzie, she's the same as your Edwin, growing up too fast and I'm not there to see it." She had this nostalgic look on her face and Derek tugged on her hand to brink her back to Earth.

"Sorry Derek, I can be a bit emotional sometimes," Hers eyes glistened a little and in attempt to stop the tears, (because Derek Venturi does not do tears) he pulled her hand up and challenged her to a thumb war. "Don't think that just 'cause you're a girl I'm going to let you win, bad boy remember?" She giggled and they fought the almighty Thumb War for a while, Her stumbling over laughter the entire time and him biting his lip in concentration.

After an epic win on Derek's part, (it had been a lot harder than he thought it would be) he stood in the middle of the diner and mock cheered himself. "Sit down Derek you're scaring the customers away!" The Waitress said with mirth in her eyes. "What customers? I'm pretty sure I can't scare myself Princess, I mean look at me?"

She giggled again, "I don't think I need too, seems like you look at yourself enough."

"Oh very funny Princess, maybe you should leave the jokes to the jesters?" Derek teased as he sank back to his seat. The Waitress pouted and huffed in response, "Oh I see how it is, well it's been nice talking to you Derek but you know, I really have to get back to work…" She stood and attempted to walk off but Derek grabbed her hand again and pulled her back, "Uh-uh I don't think so Princess, you aren't getting away from Derek Venturi that easily. What else do you want to know about me?"

He gently tugged her so she was sitting next to him instead of across from. "Why do you always come here? I mean of all places… This is probably the crappiest diner in the whole city and yet everyday for the past 2 months here you are… eating breakfast?" She had her body turned towards him so that she could still look him in the eye; he was taller than her, but not by a lot. "Well firstly, don't pay out breakfast, it's the most important meal of the day so why shouldn't I eat it twice? And to the other part of the question… well, if I'm being honest, it's because of you."

A flush rapidly spread across the The Waitress' neck and face, "Shut up…" She whined half-heartedly as she shoved his shoulder. "It's true Princess, and even though it goes against my utter bad boy-ness to admit it," He looked Her in the eyes, then lent in to her ear, brushing his cheek against hers, and whispered huskily, "I've been crushing on you this whole time." He lingered for a moment, his breath against her ear sending shivers down to her core.

After he'd pulled back, She looked into his eyes and then regained control of her breathing and smirked, "You're right. It does go against your bad boy-ness, you're going to have make up for this with another story." He looked at her incredulously and then chuckled. "Such a Princess you are," he grinned lopsidedly running his thumb along her jaw. She merely grinned up at him with the cheesiest smile she could muster.

"Alright then, another story… hmmm," Derek sat in contemplation for a few seconds and then as though a light bulb had gone off above his head, smirked down at The Waitress. "When I was in high school, I was basically King of the school," She scoffed, "Hey! I'm being honest Princess, I can't impress you if I'm being modest." "Maybe I'm looking for a man who doesn't have a big enough ego to swallow me whole?" She looked at him with a glint in her eye, "I thought you wanted a bad boy, Princess?" She blushed again, "Mmm thought so," Derek winked and her blush deepened.

"Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, King of the school… Well I was also the ultimate prankster, at our graduation I had convinced everyone I wasn't going to show and then as the principle called my name I had all the lights turned off and a giant poster with my face roll down in the back ground, I was basically like God." She laughed at the pride on his face; picturing it in her mind she could see this man in front of her doing such an immature thing.

"I'm surprised the principle let you graduate after that, how did you manage to get into university?" She played with his fingers as she giggled at his story. "Who says I got into university?" He said in that husky voice he had often used with Her.

The Waitress giggled again and pointed at his Queen's University jersey strewn across his hockey bags, "Oh… Well I guess I did get in then." She laughed again, her shoulders shook and she threw her head back and as he watched her, his heart pounded against his chest and, infected by her happiness he laughed as well.

"So, do you deem me worthy of the honour of knowing your name?" He bowed his head and pressed his lips to her hand, looking up at her through his eyelashes, she blushed again but didn't remove her hand. "Well good sir I'm just not sure, I wouldn't want my name to be wasted like all those other girls'" although the comment could have seemed harsh she said it with a smile in her eyes so all Derek did was chuckle. "Trust me Princess, I won't waste it," His eyes held hers and he looked so serious she knew he didn't just mean her name.

"Casey," she breathed, "It's Casey." Derek held her hand to his face and kissed her palms, Casey sucked in a breath at the intimate contact, "Well Casey," he said, "It was nice to meet you but I'm off!" He climbed over her to get out of the booth and grabbed his bags. Casey frowned in confusion and as he walked to the door she yelled out after him, "De-rek!" He turned around and laughed, "Kidding Princess, I made a promise, I'm not going to break it." He walked back to Casey and grabbed her hand.

"Come with me?"

She looked up at him, her options running through her mind, she look over at the other waitress, Doris, behind the counter who nodded at her, and she finally looked back at Derek. His eyes were filled with emotion, unsure of whether or not he should of put himself on the line like that. Here he was, asking a woman who'd he'd really only known for the past hour and a half they'd been talking, to come with him. It was more than to just come with him though, he was giving into the possibility of feeling something more than just a naked body pressed against him, to the possibility of pain.

Casey stood up against him, resting her hands on his chest, she had realised the significance of his question, but for once in her life she wanted to take a chance where she didn't know what the end looked like. She flicked her eyes to his, her mind coming to a decision. As she stared at him she knew what choice to make.

She pressed her lips against his, moving her hands into his hair. Derek dropped his bags and wrapped his hands around her waist and lost himself in her until he felt her pull away. Casey looked up at him again, her lips a little swollen, her face a little flushed and her eyes brighter and bluer then they ever had been.

"Yeah alright."