Thank you for all of the support thus far! Keep sharing your thoughts; it means a lot! :)
The Dasey starts picking up a little faster this chapter ;)
I do not own Life with Derek.
Derek lied in his bed lazily, wondering if he was supposed to be waiting for Casey to finish. He heard his name being called and instantly was at the bathroom door.
"Are you decent?" he called. Hearing her agreement, he entered. She stood there, water still dripping down her body. Oh yes, he was going to need a very cold shower after this.
"I'm sorry…I just…" she was blushing furiously. He nodded in understanding.
"Let's get you warm." he told her, wrapping an arm around her waist once more to guide her out of there. She hobbled slightly, not that Derek could blame her. Truman did a number on her leg. There was a green-blue-black mix on her right shin. If she hadn't been able to walk as decent as she could, Derek would've thought he had broken her leg.
He let her pick her clothes out and then repeated the opposite process. She was shivering more now as he slid her underwear up her legs. When it seemed to be residing comfortably on her hips, he moved to her bra. He hesitated. Did girls normally sleep in bras? Oh well, it made things less awkward.
After clasping that, he pulled her pajama pants up. Casey released the towel. He couldn't help but gaze up at her only-in-a-bra torso. She avoided his admiring eyes, blushing once more. As he made to grab her shirt, his lips somehow accidentally brushed past her hip bone and she quivered.
He wondered curiously if she was being turned on by the action. After all, Sally always shivered when he kissed her in special spots and even when he just kissed her in a different way.
Ignoring his curiosity, he slipped the tank top over her head and set it comfortably on her body. She smiled gratefully at him, before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him closely. He responded by coiling his arms around her waist.
"Thanks for everything." she whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek lightly as she pulled away.
"You should get some sleep. If you need me, just call. I'm only down the hall after all. Wow rhyming galore there." he added amusedly, causing her to giggle. He squeezed her hands gently before leaving her to rest.
Derek was downstairs a couple hours later, trying to distract himself with TV. He couldn't sleep thinking about what she went through. An evil part of his brain was trying to figure out where Casey could have hidden the keys. But the smarter part of his brain stomped the other part out and attempted to concentrate on the hockey game.
Suddenly, he heard screaming. Casey was screaming like she was being murdered. It was the most blood-curdling, heart-wrenching, terrifying sound he had ever heard in his life. He took the stairs three at a time before bursting into her room, half-expecting to see Truman with a twelve-inch knife, only to find her tangled up in her sheets, having a vivid nightmare.
The sound was only made worse by the look on her face when he woke her up. Her eyes were wide and absolutely horrified and she burst into tears, shaking more and more as she tried to disentangle herself from the sheets furled around her body. Derek quickly ripped them off of her and she threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Oh Derek…" she cried. "It was him, all over again, and worse…"
He shushed her soothingly, holding her in their cluster on the floor.
"I'm so scared, Derek. He knows where I live. What if he tries something again? What if he hunts me down?" she asked hysterically.
Derek hadn't thought of that. He felt fury seep into his veins.
"I will stay with you. Tonight and every night until you feel safe. I promise. I'll protect you. He will never lay another finger on you." Derek vowed.
Casey smiled through her tears, hugging him tightly. He suddenly scooped her up bridal style and carried her to his room. Hers was a little dishevelled after all plus the bright colors were hurting his eyes after the darkness of the downstairs. She quickly moved over to cuddle with him in his bed.
It didn't hit them until the next day how out of character and weird that was.
Casey awoke in Derek's arms, hardly a change from their position the night before. Her head was resting delicately on his chest and his patterned breathing assured her he was still asleep. She let her fingers stroke down his abdomen, feeling every distinct line his muscles made. She didn't remember when he removed his shirt but she was definitely not complaining.
Then it hit her. Very quickly.
She was cuddling with Derek. DEREK. Her step-brother. Not to mention the very bane of her existence. The reason she screamed in annoyance more times in a week than she did in her full fifteen years at her old home. They fought so much it was almost a crime. And over everything, even the little stuff.
But she knew she had started feeling differently towards him. Although if she was to be honest, it seemed like it was always there, hiding beneath the surface. Waiting for her realization to hit. Last night had been the real kicker.
He had been so sweet, so thoughtful everything he did for her. Rushing over, even beating Truman up to defend her honour, then taking care of her: the simple act of making her tea and wrapping her up in his chair and getting her to talk to him. Then tending to her wounds and drawing her a bath. Helping her get undressed, even though it made him uncomfortable, he did it for her so she would feel better. He had never been so selfless. And then taking her under his wing, protecting her and making her feel safe. He held her all night and she got the best sleep she'd had in a while, despite all the happenings of the night before.
She blushed, realizing how many hugs and brief kisses and intimate touches they shared the night before. They had never so much as hugged before and then last night they were almost always in intimate contact with each other.
She knew affection wasn't exactly his thing unless he was getting physical pleasure from it but he really showed a new side to him that she couldn't help but be crazy about. He had been so incredibly sweet…
But he was her step-brother. It was almost in the job description to be there for her when she needed him. But…it was the extent that he was there…it was the lengths he went to help her…the stretching past his regular comfort zone that made her realize how much more he was there. It wasn't in the job description to do that. But he did. He truly cared about her.
That's when Casey knew. Her feelings weren't normal. She felt more for him than she had in the past. This new side of her was only making her fall harder for him. Even though she always growled about his flirty egotistic charm he used on every girl, she had fallen for it. The reason she hated it so much was not only it worked on every girl, but her as well.
As much as she screamed and stomped her feet over his pranks and teasing, she knew deep down she secretly loved the attention. Her tears spilled over. She was feeling too strongly for him. As she let the extent of her feelings for the man before her wash over her, she realized it was deeper than anything she had ever felt. And completely off-limits.
Not only was he her step-brother, as in family, but she just went through a major trauma. She couldn't be certain that latching onto him wasn't from him being there for her in her time of need or because a guy showed caring for her when Truman hadn't and she was mixing up her feelings. She would have to see what happened.
But she had a feeling that this wasn't some emotional search for comfort.
Derek stirred when he felt her tears hit his chest. Realizing what they were, he moved to look in her eyes.
"Case, what's wrong? Another nightmare?" he asked softly, brushing some hair away from her face.
Her tears just fell faster. His thoughtfulness was not helping her control her feelings.
"I'm fine, just an emotional wreck. No different than usual." she added with a small giggle. He rolled his eyes, a touch of a smirk on his mouth.
"Case, you are dramatic for sure but in this case, you are definitely not being overemotional. You went through a trauma. It's natural to be shaken up. In fact, you are doing a lot better than I expect most people would." he told her reassuringly.
"You're so sweet, Derek. How can I ever thank you?" she whispered into his neck as she hugged him.
A kiss would be nice, suddenly crossed his mind.
He felt surprised at the involuntary thought. But he knew what it meant. The feelings he were avoiding from last night and pretty much the past few years crept up.
Great.
