Title: My Drug
Rating: T
Author: mylifeismine
Summary: "You're like a drug, Casey. My drug. You're the most important thing in my life. Despite what I said a few days ago, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Without you being beside me every minute, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am now. And I love where I am now." [Dasey.
Genre: Romance/Drama
Length: Oneshot
Oneshot: My Drug
"When was the last time I actually saw you, Derek?!"
"On television?"
That only made his fiancée more mad.
"I'm serious, Derek."
"Five months."
'Two days, twenty-two hours, and ten seconds,' Derek finished in his head.
"Five months of reporters pounding on the door, asking me how the oh-so-famous Derek Venturi was feeling about this hockey season. And you know what?! I don't know. And that's because my fiancé is too busy to even see me, or to even help plan the wedding."
"Well fine. I'm sorry I don't have time to chitchat with you and Jenny (the wedding planner) about planning a wedding."
"It's not about planning the wedding, Derek. It's the fact that we haven't seen each other in months."
"We're seeing each other right now," Derek said impatiently, since the final game for the Stanley cup was in a few minutes.
"So we'll just see each other every five months?"
"Look Casey. It's not that hard to understand. The most important thing in my life right now, is hockey."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them so badly.
Derek swore he could see and feel Casey's heart break into a billion pieces. He wanted to reach out and taker her in his arms, but he knew that would only make it worse.
"So hockey's the most important thing, huh?" Casey said quietly, as tears began to fall on to her face.
"Case---"
"You're not the same Derek I knew in my senior year. You're just like the one I knew when I first met you. Except this time, I don't think it's a joke," Casey said, tears continuing streaming down her face.
"Casey. I didn't---"
"Just…Don't, Derek," and with that, Casey spun her heels, and walked out of the locker room.
"Fuck," Derek yelled loudly, as he punched the locker closest to him.
"Venturi. Let's go. The game is gonna start and we need out captain to win," the Leafs coach said.
Derek got up and followed the coach; but he turned back to look at the door that the love of his life had went, and his heart burned with sadness and regret.
-
"Mr. Venturi! How does it feel to win the Stanley Cup?!" reporters yelled at him.
"Mr. Venturi, what do you have to say about the game?!"
Derek was pushing his way through wild reporters at the Ottawa airport.
"It feels great," Derek said forcefully with a tight smile.
"Mr. Venturi! Sports Weekly!" a cameraman shouted.
Derek turned to the camera, "I'm Derek Venturi, and you're watching Sports Weekly."
More questions and requests were thrown at him, and Derek gave up answering them.
Derek waved at a cab, and quickly got in.
After telling the driver the address, Derek leaned back against the seat with closed eyes.
"Sir, we're here," the driver said nicely.
Derek paid the driver and got out of the car.
He went up the elevator of a condo, and up to room 204, unlocking the door, and walking in.
"Casey?!" Derek called out.
But there was no one there.
Derek noticed that Casey's keys weren't on the rack.
"School," Derek said, remembering where Casey was.
Casey was taking classes from Monday to Friday at the University of Ottawa to be a nurse, so Derek paid for the apartment while he stayed in Toronto. Casey was going to move back, once she was done school.
Derek walked around, trying to find her class schedule.
He peeked into the kitchen.
And saw something sparkling on the kitchen table.
As soon as Derek realized what it was, there was a lump in his throat and he suddenly had an urge to cry.
It was the engagement ring.
Derek picked it up, and twirled it with his fingers.
And with a long sigh, put the ring in his jeans' pocket.
Then Derek headed over to Casey's…their bedroom.
Derek found Casey's class schedule by her dresser, but found shattered glass by the wooden dresser.
He crouched down, and found that a picture and its frame was on the floor.
Derek carefully picked up the glass pieces, and put them carefully in the trash can.
Then he sat on the king-sized bed, looking at the picture that had been in the glass frame.
There was a few scratches on the glossy picture paper.
It was a picture of Derek and Casey after they had gotten off Drop Zone at Canada's Wonderland.
"I'm so so sorry, Casey," Derek said softly, as he touched the picture lightly.
Then he placed the photo on top of the dresser, and with Casey's schedule in hand, he left the condo.
He went down to the underground tenant parking, where he found his blue convertible.
It was in the exact place he had left it several months ago, so he assumed Casey either walked to school or took the bus.
Derek started the car and drove to the university.
He parked his car by the information building, which was between two other big buildings.
He walked to the Visitor Window, where a blonde redhead started to talk.
"Hi, I'm Michelle Finch. How may I help you?" she said, her eyes raking over his body.
"Um, what time is it?"
"It is four fifteen. You know what? You look like Derek Venturi; that super hot guy that plays for the Maple Leafs. Gosh, I could stare at him forever. Man, those killer abs of his…"
"Erm, I am Derek Venturi," Derek said with a fake smile at his lips.
"Oh, whoops. My bad. I'm Michelle Finch," Michelle said perkly, sticking out her right hand for Derek to shake.
"Yeah, you told me that before…" Derek said unsure.
"…Right. So what can I help you with?" Michelle said slightly embarrassed.
"Hmm…," Derek said, looking down at Casey's schedule, "Well I'm looking for someone. She just got off her last class, which is in… Highland Hall? Yeah, so where exactly is that."
"That's the building right beside this one, on the left," Michelle said with a wide smile, "If you want, I get my break in a minute, so I could help you look for your friend."
"Uh, no thanks," and Derek left, leaving a pouting Michelle.
Derek stood in the middle while students rushed passed him to get some place else, but he didn't care for the people around him, just that one brunette that held his heart.
Finally, Derek found her, walking with her back towards him.
He rushed over to her, saying sorry to the people he bumped into.
Then he stood in front of her, hands on her shoulder to keep her from running.
Casey yelped, when she felt someone touch her and jump in front of her.
Casey's body stiffened when she realized who the person was, "What'd you want, Derek?" she said annoyed.
"I'm sorry," Derek said, tilting her face up to look at him.
"Tell me, Derek; do those two words make up for five months?" Casey said coldly.
"I know it doesn't make up for all that time. And I completely understand why you're mad---"
People around them were staring at the two of them.
Casey pushed Derek's hands off her, salty tears starting to fall, "Do you really actually understand, Derek? I don't think so. To feel lonely, to feel like you don't matter, unloved. Have you ever felt that? No, because hockey will always be with you. It's the most important thing in your life."
Then she walked around him, and started walked away from him.
"I quit the team."
Casey stopped in her tracks, wiping the tears off her cheeks.
"Why?" she said, without turning around.
"Hockey's important. Yeah, it is. I grew up with it, so I was naturally attached to it. But you grow out of things, don't you?" Derek started, then slowly began to walk towards.
"Marti's been over the colour purple a long time ago, and fusses over shopping now. And me? Hockey will always be part of my life. But honestly, I think I could live without it. But you… I can't live without you. Yeah, it's cheesy line, but it's true," Derek stopped right behind her.
Casey could feel his warm breath on her neck; she hugged her textbook tightly against her chest.
"You're like a drug, Casey. My drug. I might have given up for the last few months, but seeing you again, brings the addiction back. Seeing the drug not want you, is like an iPod without songs in it. It's pointless. Without my drug, my life is pointless. There's nothing to look forward too."
Casey closed her eyes, trying to even out her breathing, clutching her textbook against her body.
"I know you don't like to be compared with a drug, Casey. But it's true. I might not have realized that a few months ago. But it's true. Hockey was to fill the holes of not having you there with me in Toronto. You're the most important thing in my life. Despite what I said a few days ago, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You helped me get through high school, and get into university. Without you being beside me every minute, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am now. And I love where I am now."
Casey was shaking, angry tears flowing down her cheeks; then she finally turned around to look at him.
Derek reached out to wipe the tears off her beautiful face, but Casey slapped his hand away.
"I want to kill you. So badly," she said, tears continued to fall as she pounded angrily against his chest.
"Okay."
"Slowly."
"Okay."
"Painfully."
"Nice to hear you care about me," Derek nodded thoughtfully.
Then Casey gave up, knowing that she wasn't hurting him with her pounding, and ended up just crying on his chest, staining his shirt with her salty tears.
"I'm sorry," he repeated, stroking her hair.
When Casey's sobs ceased, she wiped her tears away, "Gosh, I look horrible, don't I?"
Derek tilted her face towards his, and kissed her lightly on the lips, "You look gorgeous, Casey."
Even though Casey was still a bit mad at Derek, she couldn't help but to smile.
"Ew," Michelle said, breaking their happy moment.
"Oh, hey Michelle. Meet my fiancé Derek Venturi," Casey said sweetly, even though she hated Michelle, and Michelle hated her too.
"He's way to hot to be your's," Michelle snorted.
"But he is.---gasp--- See ya," Casey said with a fake smile, walking off with Derek.
They walked to Derek's car hand-in-hand, swinging their arms back and forth.
"Gosh, I hate that girl," Casey said, as soon as they were out of ear-shot.
"Why?"
"So annoying."
"So am I forgiven?" Derek asked lightly.
"Well did you really quit the team?" Casey asked.
"Yeah, did you think I was lying?" Derek said, faking being offended.
"Well considering the fact that you said hockey was the most important…"
"Not anymore."
"But since you really gave up your childhood dream to be with me… You're forgiven," Casey said shyly.
"You made my day, Casey," Derek said, putting his arm over her shoulder, then pulling out the engagement ring from his pocket, and handing it back to her.
"But you know… I really don't like being compared as a drug," Casey said warningly, slipping the ring back on, and leaning against Derek's body.
"I'll keep that in mind," Derek said, a grin on his face.
"But everything I said, Casey, I meant it," Derek said serious.
"Well I also meant it, about being compared as a drug," Casey said teasingly.
