God help us all is all I can say besides, this is my flashfic written for Oasis Blackmore.
The description given was simply: Dasey, feline friends.
Everyone was sitting at the table eating supper, well almost everyone. Derek charged through the door, rounded the corner and threw himself into his chair.
"It's so nice of you to join us Derek. What's the excuse this time?" George said, looking at Derek pointedly.
Derek shrugged his shoulder. "No earth shattering excuse this time. Practice ran late, that's it."
Casey looked up from her food and shook her head. "Well you better start inhaling your supper faster than usual, because we're going to be late for the music club's benefit rehearsal. But please, at least remember to chew a few times. I do not want to have to do the Heimlich maneuver on you again."
"Awe, Case, your concern truly touches me."
"Glad you feel that way, Der," she said as she leaned across the table looking him straight in the eyes, "but if you don't want my hand touching the back of you head when I slap you, you better hurry up." Then sitting up straight and wiping the corners of her mouth she dropped her napkin and said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get changed."
Derek turned to his dad. "Please, can you call my teacher and tell her I'm sick. I cannot stand the though of going and running sound tonight. Really, the thought of it truly makes me ill."
"Sorry Derek, but your grade from your last progress report indicated that this would seem very necessary. Especially," he emphasized, "if you want to play in the playoffs."
"All right, all right, but just so you know, this is considered cruel and unusual punishment."
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Derek stood at the foot of the stairs, yelling up, "Come on Case, you were the one that was so freakin' worried about being late. Get down here now."
Derek heard her door open and down walked Casey. She looked completely breath taking as usual, this time in a simple pink leotard and black dance pants.
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she grabbed his hand and started pulling him out the door. "What are you waiting for, we're going to be late," she said with a twinkle in her eye as they went.
Derek opened the door to the truck and Casey slid into the middle where she would be sitting beside Derek. Once they were in and the door was closed she turned to give him a kiss and when he didn't respond in his normal fashion she pulled back and asked, "Why the foul mood?"
He looked at her and shook his head. "Hum Case, I don't know. Could it be that I hate music class, that the thought of running sound all nights to songs surrounding a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber plays while I'm missing one of the biggest hockey games of the season tonight truly sickens me, or maybe, just maybe, it's because I have to spend the whole night watching my girl dance around on stage with someone who is completely gaga over her?"
Casey was still turned toward Derek in the seat and she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "We are not going to go into the whole Noel thing again are we? Because I believe we've covered it extensively many times lately."
"No you interrupt when I try to talk about it and I just end up listening. God Case, I find it truly hard to believe but Noel's not gay. So what in God's name would possess a seventeen year old guy to want to dress up like a cat and sing a song like Mungojerrie and Rumplestiltkins?"
Casey couldn't help it. She knew Derek was upset but she couldn't help but laugh. "First off Derek, its Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer from the Broadway musical Cats, it's a great song and a lot of fun. Noel is still new to the theater and he only feels comfortable singing duets with me. Can't you understand that?"
It was Derek's turned to roll his eyes at her statement, "Listen Case, I don't know what BS he's trying to make you believe, but it's been almost two years since his theatre coming out," he stressed.
Casey pursed and lips and tried to calm herself. She hadn't intended to fight. They had been together for over six months now, and they had found that it was much more fun to get along than argue. "Derek, quit it with the coming out crap. He's not gay."
"Just thought I'd try and get a rise out of you since evidently you live to do that to me. I know he's not gay. I already told you that. If he were gay, he wouldn't be chasing after you."
"He is not chasing after me. We are just friends, end of discussion."
And it was the end of the discussion because not another word was spoken the whole way to the auditorium.
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Casey looked out from the stage and up to the sound booth. There sat a very disturbed looking Derek. The minute he saw her looking at him he turned his eyes away.
She hated it, really she did. She didn't want to fight with him. They had grown so close. Close enough for Casey to know that the attitude that he was copping earlier that evening in the truck was being used to mask his hurt and insecurity.
It still blew her mind, and sometimes she thought she'd never really truly believe it, but for some reason Derek was threatened by anyone of the male species who wanted to have anything to do with her. And Noel was number one on his list. She knew it was probably because as hard as he tried there was just not one thing about the theater he could like. And knowing that Noel shared that passion with her caused him a great deal of worry. She had tried to reassure him they were just friends, but he was forever reading things into situations, trying to turn every one of them into a play Noel was using to take her away from him.
Casey was brought out of her thoughts by Noel's hand grasping her shoulder. "Hey, I'd like to do it one more time, if you don't mind."
Casey nodded her head to let him know that she was fine with it and Noel looked to the back of the auditorium and asked, "Derek could you cue our music one more time, please? Casey's doing amazing as usual, but I need to run through it one more time."
Casey didn't even have to look at Derek to know that he was muttering to himself under his breath as he clenched his fists to try and remain calm.
"Wow, your brother really doesn't like me very much."
Casey just took a breath and muttered, "step, he's my step-brother."
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Once they had finished, Casey wasted no time gathering her things and heading towards the sound booth. She didn't want to give Derek any more ammunition by dawdling around and talking to Noel. Once they were home tonight and after they had gone to bed, she would call him and apologize for rushing off and not talking the number over with him. But right now, she had more important things to do.
Derek was putting the last of the equipment away and arranging the music so that it would be in order the next time they practiced. She tried to grab his hand but he pulled away, not looking at her. Grabbing his coat, he headed toward to the door.
Casey followed in hot pursuit. "Derek, wait up. My God, what has gotten into you?"
"You know exactly what's gotten into me. 'Derek, could you cue our music one more time, please. Casey's doing amazing as usual, but I need to run through it one more time', he said mimicking Noel. "God, he's such a suck up to you."
Casey pulled Derek around the corner where no one would see them. "You know what Derek, that kind of hurts my feelings. Are you saying I wasn't amazing?"
"Uh, no, but I don't need him telling me that. It's all just a scheme to get you."
"Derek, I'm going to say this one more time, we are friends, nothing more. If Noel does have feelings for me, which I'm not saying he does, they are not reciprocated. We are just friends."
"Well my innocent little kitten, your little feline friend, is ready to pounce on you at any moment and I don't…"
He was stopped when he felt her press her body tightly against his. He felt her move her hands into his hair as her lips crashed into his. She opened her mouth and his tongue entered and explored every crevice of it. She kissed back eagerly, until the urgency had passed and slowly they came down from their collective high. She playfully bit down on his tongue and she heard him groan.
She smiled into his lips and then slid her mouth to his neck, covering it with long slow kisses. She could feel his body reacting to her but he didn't say a word. Slowing she worked her way up his neck until she reach his ear. She blew softly in it and felt his knees buckle. She then moved to nibble on his ear lob for a moment before softly whispering, "What's wrong Derek, cat got your tongue?"
I really do love Noel, but this was a necessity for the story.
