A/N - So... no idea where this came from. I have a basic idea in my head where this is going, yet at the same time, I don't. It's more of moments between Derek and Casey. The awkwardness. The feelings, thoughts and actions taken by them. In other words, this is full on angst. They will be short chapters, but please review anyway cos it just keeps pushing me to update, even when I'm uninspired..

So.. Enjoy! I beseech you.. :P

**************

He's never been the jealous type. Scratch that. He's always been the jealous type. It's in his blood. He's territorial. Proud. Hates something been taken away from him. But still, he never thought he'd ever get jealous over her.

--- --- ---

He introduces her as his 'self-taught' step-sister (the one with the cooties) and no one questions him. They can see it too. The complete dislike they feel towards each other. Each eye roll, snide remark, or physical hurt they attempt on each other is not wrong. It's normal. They've been doing it for years. Since they were fifteen. Why quit now?

She shoves him. It wasn't un-called for. But still, he shoves back.

Her breathing was rapid, fierce. And he loved it when she got worked up. When she shoves him again, he's ready, grabbing her wrist, and smirking in her face. She hates it when he does that (bonus points). She pushes against him, but he holds firm. She wasn't stronger than him. In the battle between Jazz and hockey, hockey would win hands down.(It builds muscle)

"Ugh. I hate you." She snaps pushing him again.

He loses his balance before gaining it back. He smirks. "You've been saying that so many times, I doubt you mean it."

She rolls her eyes. "Of course I mean it. And if you haven't been acting like an ass this whole semester, I wouldn't have to keep saying it."

He's amused. "Who taught you to swear like that?" His fingers hold on to her wrists tighter. He didn't notice. He was too busy staring her down.

Her eyes flickered. "You did."

Those two words shouldn't have kicked him in the stomach, but it did. "I'm sorry to hear that." He whispers. And the kicker is, he is sorry.

She gulps. He notices because she's so close. So so close. They weren't supposed to stand this close. (She has cooties remember?)

She takes a step forward while his mind screams in panic. And logically he knows she can't get any closer. He leans forward, and again his brain just snaps. The words are lost in the haze, but he's pretty sure the word 'step-sister' gets tossed around a bit.

"Why did you do it?" She whispers. She's still so close.

He should deny it. He's been denying it to everyone for so many days. Trying to save his rep and trying to kick her out of his apartment. But she was staring at him so earnestly, that he doesn't even notice the words forming until it's too late. "I don't know."

Her eyes widen. "I knew it."

He grips her wrist tighter, a final pledge to keep her from letting go. "You did?"

Her eyes narrow. "This time you went too far."

"Did I? In my opinion, I did you a favour."

Her jaw tightened. "Some favour." She leaned close (if that's possible) and sneered. "Let me go."

He leaned even closer. "No."

She was against him. He couldn't remember the last time they stood this way. Skin to skin. Breath to breath. He was suffocating. The words 'forbidden fruit' materializes in his mind and it has nothing to do with the fact that his gaze had fallen to her lips (he hopes). The turmoil going on in his head compares to nothing he's ever experienced before. It was all senses to him. He could see her, feel her, touch her. But still, that didn't seem enough. She could never be enough for him. Not like this. Not while she's so far away even though their hips touched, her knees grazing his, her curly waves on his shoulder. She was too far.

He pulls her closer, and her eyes widen. She's scared. So is he. He might be the king of horror, but this between them made his heartbeat skip as it hammered against his chest. He couldn't breath. Not like this. And he really needed to breath. Somehow he knew how. What he needed to do. And that fear in his chest, wasn't going away until he did it. He did the only thing he could think of to ease him out of it. "I'm going to kiss you now." He whispers. Surely she would stop him. Move away, scream at him, slap him. Instead, her eyes open up to him, and she says "okay" so softly. His heart skips a beat at what she implies after what he implied. His chest swells, and he gives in. The moment his lips touches hers, she jumps back and slaps him. Hard.

When he looks at her, she's distraught, the tears falling freely from her eyes. Shaking her head she breathes deep. "Don't do that again." She whispers, her lips trembling.

He touches his cheek. It hurts. "Why?"

She crosses her arms, hugging herself as if to hold on to her courage. "Because..." He walks towards her while she takes a step back. "Derek!"

It takes him a minute to realize what he was doing. What they were doing. It wasn't right. It wasn't expected. What was he thinking? He always prided himself for following the norm to the letter, not going against it. Without a second thought, he walked past her and out his door, slamming it shut behind him.

He needed to think.