A/N: Alright, so many of my author alerters probably won't read this once they find out it's Evan/Casey and that's fine, I suppose. My CC muse has deteriorated and for that, I blame the writers. To me, CC used to be forbidden love torn between right and wrong, future or whatnot. And I loved them to a ridiculous extent. But now, they do nothing for me. That makes me sad, considering how much of a hardcore shipper I was. That being said, I've come to love Evan&Casey (which I never thought I could do). No, they're not endgame and I fully accept that.
But, please don't bash them.
Dedication: My bestie Paul. Love ya, hun.
Alternate 3x13 ending. This little drabble just came to me and I had to write it even though it's pretty short.
Title from the song Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit. Ironic, because I first heard it watching a CC fanvid.
Is this the end of the moment
or just a beautiful unfolding
of a love that will never be
for you and me.
--
Everyone migrates to Dobler's after the game as expected and it's probably more crowded than usual. And that's saying a lot. Not to mention that it's a Saturday afternoon. (Nuff said.)
It's a wonder how Cappie got a table. (Maybe it's not, but Casey prefers not delving into that thought.)
They drink and they kiss and start the cycle over again.
He'll a crack a joke and she'll laugh not because it's funny or anything, but because it's just so ridiculous. Of course, the alcohol adds to the comical value.
And it's nice, but she hates that this has sort of become habit. They never talk about the future, their future. She wants a future with him. No doubt. And she wants to discuss it, them, but some other part of her doesn't. It's not like she wants to stay here for the rest of her life. She has goals and she has a future. (Not to say that he doesn't, but you know…)
And she wonders if it'll always be this way with him. He'll joke his way through life and she'll tag along for the ride. She doesn't want that. Oh my God, no.
She hopes her life'll be different because she has goals, aspirations.
As she comes across that thought, her mind automatically goes to Evan and how prepared he is. She wishes she could be that proactive and goal-conscious. But she shakes her head and pushes the thought away. (Or tries to.)
She looks over to his table and his and Rebecca's heads are closely together. He's just whispered something in her ear and she giggles as she quickly presses her lips to his.
Casey finds herself figuratively gagging and she has no idea why. She also doesn't know why her stomach tightens into a knot.
Cappie's in the middle of telling her this story about something that Beaver did at the party last week and she struggles to pay attention.
He notices. "Hey, you okay Case?"
She turns back toward him and nods. "Yeah, just- just a little tired."
She polishes off her drink and only looks at him. "Can we go?"
He agrees. He'll do anything for her.
She tells Cappie she'll meet him outside just as Rebecca heads to the bar.
He gives her inquisitive look as she begins to walk in the direction of the guy he probably hates most in the world right now.
Casey assures him that she's just going to ask him when the next Panhellenic/IFC meeting is and he unwillingly nods his head. Because God, how he hates that she and Evan are still friends. He shrugs his shoulders as nonchalantly as he can before he kisses her lightly on the lips with a look of smugness toward Evan, whose watching them now, which he returns with a look of disgust. She doesn't get fully into the kiss because Evan's watching them (she knows) and for some odd reason, that tingly feeling still lingers in her when they break apart.
Casey just looks over her shoulder and suddenly, it feels so much like freshman year again and she hates it. So she just sends each of them a reprimanding look before telling Cappie she'll be right out. He smiles, but she can tell it's not genuine by the colour of his eyes. They're clouded over with something she thinks might be jealously or hurt or anger or something Casey doesn't want to think about right now.
So he turns around and makes his way over to the door. Casey's headed towards Evan's table when she sees him make a face toward the exit and she sighs as she sits across from him.
They both know he'll never fully trust her.
Casey finds herself not caring as much as she should.
She's sitting in Rebecca's seat at his small table and tucks a loose hair behind her ear.
Evan sends her a semi-smug smile (hello, it's Evan) that she'd always found particularly charming and finds herself smiling back with ease. Perhaps a tad bit too large.
"What's up?" He takes a long swig of his beer before gently setting the glass back on its coaster.
She clears her throat. "I just wanted to say-"
She notices he's mouth-talking to Rebecca over at the bar. She grimaces.
It's not like she's jealous or anything.
No.
(Maybe.)
It's just that at least when they were friends again, he was hers. Not in that way. Just… she doesn't really know and she's not sure that she wants to. It's just that there wasn't anyone else. And it was nice.
She thinks that maybe she missed out on something by bringing him to Thanksgiving dinner.
If only…
If only nothing.
She makes that thought disappear.
She'd always been good at thinking and seeing only the things she wanted to.
He turns back toward her, like she's completely forgotten and it breaks her heart. "What's that?"
"Um, I-"
She doesn't get a chance to finish. Rebecca's now standing next to them as she sends Casey a look that says 'get out of my seat or I'll cut you'. So Casey does and rolls her eyes before beginning to walk away until she hears Evan calling her by her nickname. She smiles to herself before turning around.
She knows that Rebecca hates it when Evan calls her by her nickname. So Rebecca does the same thing to her and Casey calls her Bex. It's a win-win.
"What were you trying to tell me?"
Casey shakes her head like it doesn't, didn't, matter. But he doesn't let her off the hook. He sends her some weird pleading puppy dog face. It's the face that melted her heart. (Not now, of course. Pssh.)
He stares at her until red floods her cheeks and she has to look away and pass it off laughing.
Rebecca looks at her in distaste but shrugs it off and thinks it's just the alcohol talking (or laughing). Whatever, she's a crazy person anyway.
But Evan sees through the façade and smirks to himself because he totally made her blush.
Casey literally shakes the feeling off her, like she's trying to forget it. She never could before and she's delusional to think she could now.
So she swiftly composes herself and leans into their table because Jesus Christ, it's fucking loud in here. Which… it always is, but she can't think clearly right now. And ohmygod, it's not because of him.
"I was just- I just wanted to tell you that the answer is yes."
He looks her, confused. "Yes, what?"
She doesn't answer. She just turns away once more and this time, he doesn't stop her. But she does send him a sly smile over her shoulder.
And then he knows. He knows they were in love.
As if he didn't already know that. It's just nice knowing she felt the same way.
Maybe even feels. That's plausible, he supposes.
He watches her weave through the crowd of people all the way out and she can literally feel his eyes on her. She supposes she's used to it. He stares at her all through Panhellenic/IFC meetings. (It's not creepy anything like holy shit, he's staring at me. It's… nice.)
So she's used to the feeling that's not too good and not too bad. Though, she's sure she'd feel differently if she let herself.
She's used to his eyes on her, so it's normal.
But walking out of Dobler's, out of sight and maybe mind, she knows exactly when his eyes leave her.
And maybe one day, normal will be okay again.
-Fin-