Disclaimer: Life with Derek is copyright Shaftesbury, Disney Channel, Family Channel, and Nickelodeon. This story was created for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended. It will be removed immediately and without question upon request.
First Aid, Anyone?
She had been reading a particularly good book in the comfort of her own home on a rare Friday afternoon where no one was home, when he came bursting through the front door sounding heavily disgruntled. She had been sorely tempted to leave him be and to continue along her merry way when his heavy footsteps on the stairs alerted her of his oncoming presence. Casey knew that once he was upstairs there'd be no peace, so with a heavy heart she pulled herself up off her bed and swung her door open.
There he was, nursing a rather nasty gash on his lip as he was heading toward his room. He didn't notice her at first for his attention was focused on the cut on his lip; but when she stared at him for a good minute did he realize how awkward the moment was. He shrugged his shoulder as if it was no big deal and made his way to his room, but was stopped for she had literally dragged him against his will toward the bathroom. She had forced him down on the counter before saying, "I'll be right back." Then as an afterthought, she added, "Don't go anywhere and don't touch anything."
She knew he was rolling his eyes at her, but she didn't care. A moment later she had entered the bathroom and was pleased to see him waiting patiently, having not moved an inch from where she last left him. She stepped up to him and uncrossed his arms, which he had made an effort to keep crossed so as to annoy her.
"What happened?" she asked, examining his busted lip, slightly bloody nose and the soon to be black eye.
He shrugged his shoulder at her as if it was nothing and said just as much. Figures, she thought to herself. Since when did Derek Venturi ever willingly share anything with her? That time they were locked in the bathroom during the party hardly counted even though it was a historic event where they had actually gotten along. She pushed those thoughts aside and reached for the first aid kit she laid on the other side of the sink.
"Who did you get into a fight with this time?"
He turned his head away from her, refusing to answer. She didn't understand what he had to hide from her. It wasn't like he was beat up by Tinker or anything. Then again, maybe he was. Perhaps that was the reason why he refused to answer, because he was too embarrassed to admit anything.
"Did Tinker hit you for making fun of him again?" she tried.
Derek whipped his head around so fast it appeared as if he caught a little whiplash. "What! No way!"
She couldn't help but laugh at him. Sometimes he had too much pride for his own good. "Then what was it?"
He still refused to tell her and kept his lip firmly clamped shut even though it looked like it was rather painful from the cut.
Casey sighed and picked up the antiseptic and a cotton ball. Derek Venturi was by far the most stubborn boy she had ever met, but she wouldn't have it any other way. After cleaning him up she had stepped back to examine her handy work. It wasn't the best in the world but she knew that he hadn't done anything he probably would've wound up getting an infection somewhere. As she was turning to leave, she could've sworn she saw a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, but she must have been imagining it, for the moment she turned to look at him he had his grumpy face back on.
Then to her surprise, he offered a small smile. "Thanks." The next thing she knew she was standing in the middle of the hallway staring at the spot he had been standing a moment prior.
-ooo-
She had been enjoying a nice movie with Lizzie and Edwin when he stormed through the door looking as disgruntled as last time. This time his clothes were a mess and she couldn't help but wince at the yellowish green spot on his cheek. Lizzie and Edwin had been shocked and asked him about what happened, but like last time, he brushed off any questions and tugged on her sleeve until she followed him up to the bathroom, first aid kit in hand.
Like last time he had a busted lip, but aside from that, all he had were bruises on his torso and a rather nasty one by his left eye.
"What happened this time?"
He grunted in response and waited patiently for her to finish her job. She rolled her eyes; she should've known that he wasn't going to answer. When she finished cleaning him up and was putting away the supplies, he offered her another smile and a "thanks" before strolling out of the bathroom and into his own bedroom. Was she supposed to feel happy that he smiled and thanked her? From the smile forming on her face, she supposed that maybe she was.
-ooo-
Casey was surprised the next time he came home with cuts. He had his both his elbows and knees scrapped pretty bad and she couldn't fathom how he had managed that. He had a sheepish smile on his face as he shrugged his shoulder as if he had no idea how he got them either. She shook her head at his obvious lie but said nothing as she reached for the first aid kit downstairs.
She was not surprised as he followed her with a slight spring in his steps even though he had some rather nasty scrapes on his knees.
George noticed Derek as they passed by him and demanded to know that happened, but all Derek offered with a slight shrug and a mouthed "I'll tell you later." Casey did not know whether or not she should be upset that he was willing with share with George, but knew that he'd probably get grounded either way and telling the truth probably wouldn't make things worse.
When she closed the kit and patted his bandaged knee lightly she ordered in her best authoritative voice, "Stop falling down and hurting yourself, mister."
He had merely laughed and responded with his own childish, "Yes ma'am" mock salute and all before flashing her his usual smile and "thanks" before retreating to his room.
-ooo-
Her mother was displeased with Derek when they walked into the living room after coming home from Derek's hockey game. She was the only one available to go to the game and she was very displeased on the way home if that frown on her face was anything to go by. He had his head bowed and was hanging up his coat when Casey asked how the game went.
"Oh it went fine, honey," her mother answered. "It's what happened after the game I'm not happy about."
Casey couldn't help but furrow her brows at that. "What happened after the game?"
It was then that Derek turned to face her, waving sheepishly. She groaned to herself. He had gotten into another fight. Without saying a word she marched up the stairs toward her room where she had decided to keep the first aid kit since finding it through the mess downstairs every time this happened had begun to irk her.
She vaguely heard her mom offer to patch Derek up but she couldn't hear his response for the next thing she knew he was sitting in the bathroom waiting patiently for her and pointing to his face. She sighed to herself and brought out the all too familiar supplies.
-ooo-
"Do I even want to know why you have that in there?"
She shrugged as she laid the kit down on the bench. "How was I supposed to know you were going to trip and scrape your knee playing basketball? I thought playing hockey was supposed to give you good footing and agility!"
He merely shrugged in response and pointed to his bleeding knee with a small pout. "For your information, Case, I was shoved so I did not 'trip and lose my footing' as you call it."
She rolled her eyes. "That's only because you shoved the other guy first."
He opened his mouth to argue but then shut it a second later. She wanted to ask him what he was about to say but like the first time, he clamped his mouth shut and crossed his arms.
She sighed. She didn't know why she bothered asking if he never answered her. She also wondered why it was also always up to her to patch him back up but when she saw his pouting face for having not done a thing since she pulled out the kit, she knew that she was stuck. He wouldn't have anyone else help him, except Marti, though he came running back to her afterward to get it patched up again.
Casey opened the box and began to work.
-ooo-
"Derek, you're graduating in a month yet you still can't seem to keep yourself out of trouble," she ground out, fishing for the first aid kit that was made a permanent item in her book bag.
He merely shrugged. "The football team was up our faces about them being better than us again."
She shook her head in disapproval. "I don't see why you keep bothering them. Max graduated last year so you have no reason to bother them."
"Did you not hear me, Case?" he responded, feigning hurt as he pointed to the slight nick on his face, "They were up in our faces! I did nothing!"
"Nothing but throw the first punch," she retorted, cleaning the cut.
He rolled his eyes. "I had a good reason," he mumbled to himself, though she heard.
"And what is that 'good reason'?" she demanded, pausing mid-action from taping a band-aid on his face.
He offered another shrug and leaned back against the chair he was sitting on.
Typical, she thought. "You're just lucky the fight broke out off campus." After bandaging the small cut on his face she ordered him to roll up the sleeve of his shirt so that she could treat the oncoming bruise.
-ooo-
"How could you have gotten into a fight during the short time I was waiting in line at the concession stand?" she demanded angrily.
He shrugged his shoulders, a habit he had when answering her questions.
She could feel the oncoming migraine. Luckily she had medicine in her bag for such occasions. "You're lucky we didn't get kicked out."
"I have connections," he answered offhandedly with another shrug as if it didn't matter at all.
He was beyond infuriating, but there was nothing she could do about it. She was stuck with him for he seemed to have made it a habit to follow her everywhere, even to the mall with her and Emily.
"So…" he drawled, pointing at the small cut on his face and his slightly bloodied knuckles.
She sighed to herself, dragging him off to the car.
-ooo-
"I don't think I can ever get rid of you, can I?" she groaned to herself, fishing for the first aid kit located in her bathroom.
"Nope," he chirped, following her in.
"Even in University I end up having to patch you up," she grumbled as she pulled it out of the shelf.
"Yup," he offered just as happily.
"Are you ever going to tell me the reason why you keep getting hurt and into fights?" she tried, even though she knew by now that her efforts were in vain. This had been happening since year eleven in high school and they were now in their first year in University. He still had yet to tell her anything.
"Not a chance," he answered with his all too familiar smirk.
She rolled her eyes at his typical response and grabbed the bottle of antiseptic.
-ooo-
Not even moving out of the University dorms for their third year and into a nearby apartment seemed to deter him from constantly annoying her. If anything, he had taken residence in the third room in their three bedroom apartment.
"Derek," she groaned, tugging the pillow over her head. "It's three in the morning. What could you possibly want?"
He merely grinned and pointed to his quickly discoloring eye and slightly busted lip.
She groaned again, tugging the pillow further onto her head. "You got into a fight while out drinking again?"
He tugged on her arm until she relented and followed after him toward the bathroom. That jerk. It was three in the morning!
-ooo-
"Okay, now this is just getting old," she commented as she closed the kit and examined her handy work. Derek had been coming to her to treat his minor injuries such as cuts and bruises since the first time she offered to help and it appeared that he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. She was also amazed that he hadn't broken anything on his face after all the fights he kept getting himself into.
He shrugged, a smirk on his face.
She let out a frustrated cry and rounded on him. "Derek, I can not understand for the life of me why you keep getting into these awkward situations. You get hurt more than a five year old! And that's saying something!"
"Maybe I really am five?" he offered, the smirk still on his face.
She let out another exasperated sight and plopped down on the couch next to him. "Derek, you're twenty-one. Why do you keep doing this to me? Sometimes I feel more like your babysitter than your stepsister."
"I wouldn't mind if you were my babysitter. Way better than as my stepsister," he piped, throwing an arm casually around her shoulders.
"This is not the time, Derek," she sighed, though she found herself leaning into him nonetheless. He threw his arm around her shoulders so often that it had become second nature for her to lean into him, no matter how much it had annoyed her at first. She would never admit it to anyone, but having Derek's arm around her was very comforting.
"Then when is the time?" he answered playfully.
She rolled her eyes. "Obviously not now."
He shrugged and leaned back into the couch while pulling her slightly closer. "What do you say we eat out tonight, Case? I'll call Em and tell her."
She didn't answer at first, to which he repeated the question. When she didn't respond the third time, he became curious and slightly concerned. "Is something the matter, Case?"
"Why do you always refuse to tell me why you keep getting into fights?" she finally asked, turning her head to look him in the eyes. "Answer me, Derek. I'm sick of getting an answer."
He fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable with the question and she knew that she had him cornered. He had stayed quiet for quite a while and it was beginning to grate on her nerves. She nudged him a few times until he finally said something. "Okay… fine… do you want the real reason?"
She rolled her eyes as if it was obvious, which Derek knew, actually was.
"Well," he wasn't quite sure how to start, "the first time was because I got into a fight with Max." He could tell from her surprised and questioning look that it would be in his best interests to continue his explanation before she started pummeling him. "You know when you and Max broke up?" He didn't wait for her to answer since he already knew how well she remembered that incident. "Well I asked him why he broke up with you and he told me that he couldn't wait around for you. If it was me, I'd wait for as long as a girl needed, so let's just say that… next thing I knew I had punched him straight in the face and uh… broke his nose."
She raised an eyebrow. "You broke Max's nose? I thought it was Sam."
He shrugged his shoulders. "I told everyone that Sam did it because hey… I don't do nice things for my stepsister."
She rolled her eyes at that, for she knew just how much he had done for her. With a nudge to his ribs, she prodded, "Then what about the other times?"
"Which one?" he asked seriously. He had gotten himself into too many scrapes these past few years that Casey had officially placed a first aid kit in their bathroom and one (miniature) in her purse.
She sighed and then began to name each incident, "The one after you hit Max, your scraped elbows and knees, the one after your hockey game, during your basketball game in the park, the one with the football team during senior year, the one at the movies, when we first went to University, and that one time that you woke me up at three in the morning for, and what happened today."
He was surprised that she was able to remember so many incidents that he himself had lost track of.
"And those are only the major ones that comes to mind," she added with a nudge to his ribs.
Derek gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head bashfully. He knew that he had gotten into a lot of fights but he had no idea that it was that many. No wonder she grew annoyed at him, but was grateful that she had stopped questioning him after the third time and instead just helped him without question.
"Well…" he began.
"Well?" she repeated.
"Um…" He wondered if she would be annoyed if he dragged this out another few minutes, but judging from the way she kept nudging him in the ribs, he knew that she was about ready to rip his head off. "Okay… okay… stop with the nudging, woman!" She gave him one last nudge before stopping and allowing him to speak.
"They were hitting on you," he answered meekly.
She furrowed her eyebrows at his admission. "What?"
He rolled his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "They.Were.Hitting.On.You."
She nudged him again, harder this time, which elicited a 'hey!' from him. "I heard you, Derek." She ignored him rolling his eyes and continued, "What I don't understand is why you would willingly fend off my potential suitors."
"Because I'm a good stepbrother trying to protect his stepsister," he replied immediately, so fast that she knew something was up.
"Is that so?" and at his nod, she continued, "Because it sounds to me like you're jealous."
Derek scoffed at her accusation. "Please, Derek Venturi does not get jealous."
She knew when he was lying and since he refused to meet her gaze she couldn't help but let out a squeal, much to his displeasure. "I knew it! You can't lie to me, Derek Venturi!"
He frowned at her and purposely looked away from her. "I so can."
She smiled up at him and brought a hand to his face, turning his head until they were face to face. "Then tell me, Derek, what would you say if I like you?" She had no idea why she decided to ask this now, of all times, but it just spilled out before she realized what she had done. She had been very nervous asking this question for she had been wondering for years if she would ever get the nerve to ask him. She didn't know when exactly she had started liking Derek, but she knew that it must be better than hating him. And from the way they had gradually transitioned to friendship after nursing him back to health, she couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same as well. He was always around her, putting his arms around her, pulling her into hugs, things that he never would have done before and things like kisses to the side of her head that she considered not so brotherly.
"I-is this a joke? Because if it is, it isn't funny at all." He wasn't sure what to think of it because seriously, why would she spring that up in the middle of a conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with her feelings toward him.
The smile had dropped from her lips and she was staring at him with the most serious expression that he had seen her wear around him for the past few years. "I'm serious, Derek."
He was probably imagining things, but when she nudged him again and she remained in the same position in his arms staring up at him, he knew that he was not daydreaming. So he did what he always would have done, smirk.
"Derek…" she started, confused as to why he was smirking, "Answer my question."
"How about instead of telling you, I show you, Case?" the smirk grew bigger if that was even possible. Casey didn't know what to say or how to respond to that because the next thing she knew he had pressed his lips against hers and her heart just melted.
"I can't believe that all this time, you were fighting over me," she said with slight disbelief after they pulled apart. "And to believe that you always had me patch you up…"
He shrugged casually. "That was actually a bonus since you probably wouldn't have helped me willingly after the first time."
She let out a soft laugh. "That's true. I really wouldn't have helped you but you had been bothering me nonstop that I ended doing it in the end anyway."
"Good times," he said wistfully, pulling her closer against him. They stayed that way for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. "Hey, Case?" When she answered with a 'yea' he continued, "Remember that time when Ryan almost rearranged my face?"
She wrinkled her nose at the memory. "How could I not? I had been worried to death over you."
"Yeah, well… You know how you told me that you can't always be around to protect me?"
She was looking at him curiously now, wondering where he was going. "Yeah, and I've proved that from all the times you came to me for first aid."
"I just want to tell you that I don't mind… because as long as I have you there to patch me up every time, I don't care if you're not there to protect me," he said with a smile. When she hugged him, his smile only grew wider. Too bad these first aid sessions would have to be fewer in between now that he wouldn't need to fight over her anymore, but as long as liked him, he didn't mind that either.
A/N: Here is my second LwD fanfic and although I can't say I'm extremely pleased with out it came out, I can say that it's just enough for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this like you guys have enjoyed my other story, At the Strike of Twelve, which I must thank for. You guys have been amazing and thank you for your warm welcome into the LwD fandom. I have a few more ideas in mind and if this keeps up, you'll be seeing them very soon. Until then, enjoy! C: