A/N: It's been too long. I hope you understand the writer's block, but I promise to make it worth your while. There's more to come.

Derek

'Shit.'

The sofa was never so familiar for questionings and punishments before the McDonald's moved in; as always, we were sitting there anxiously on the couch while all of the 'kids' were dragged from the living room so my Dad and Nora could talk to us privately and of course when they mean talk, they mean screaming out of frustration and confusion until we go deaf. Usually I'd be uneasy, but I was only thinking about having to sit awkwardly next to her. All I wanted to do was leave, just bolt out the door and take off somewhere so I didn't have to manage this bullshit. Two things stopped me; my mind telling me that running away wouldn't solve my problems, and how shitty I would feel dumping all of them on my near-clueless stepsister.

My leg kept shaking in nervous habit while I tried to think of a way to say what needed to be said. I wasn't going to drag this out any longer, and if it took this heavy weight off of my chest then I would take every ruling they had to give. I didn't even want to glance her way; I knew damn-well that Casey being Casey, she was pissed at me for bringing her into this and getting her into trouble, and it just made it harder to breathe or concentrate. I closed my eyes and sighed shakily.

"Derek." I heard Casey whisper after sometime, but I didn't bother looking her way until I felt her hand fold into mine. It was trembling against mine, warm, small, and with a sweaty palm showing me that I wasn't the only one. I was convinced I had her best interest at heart, but not enough to notice just how bad she was. She looked like she was about to hop out of the nearest window, or like she was the one who was about to confess to our dear old parents that she was in love with her step-sibling. I didn't ask myself why and before I could try to ask her, my dad walked into the room with Nora trailing behind him. I tightened my grip on her slippery hand before letting go as quickly as possible, making sure it didn't go unnoticed by them.

"Alright, spill. What's been going on with the two of you? I've never seen you guys like this. Well, the getting along and then arguing non-stop is common, but this time it's different." I turned my head to look at Nora, who really did seem to be worried about us. I didn't know how this would turn out, but I hoped she didn't end up hating me because of this.

'Damn, I've never had to do this before.'

"Okay, I'll tell you- but you've got to swear you'll listen. I mean really listen, and hear me out." I said, licking my lips between words to keep my mouth from being dry. My eyes shifted back and forth between them as they hesitated, but eventually they nodded their heads. I bit my tongue, straightening myself up.

"A week ago, Casey sort of made a peace offering with me. She said that she wanted to 'know the real me', the me that isn't a total douchebag. I was okay with it; really, we were fine for a while but I think I screwed it up." I scratched the back of my neck unconsciously, avoiding Casey's stare and the way my father shifted position to cross his arms and knit his eyebrows. I knew he was probably getting pissed, imagining all of the things I could have done to ruin the 'peace', while Nora just watched us calmly sticking to the promise she made to try to have an understanding.

"I kissed Casey." I said breathlessly, the air returning in my lungs almost immediately after I told them; their faces weren't pleasant, Nora covering her mouth and turning away from us, my dad gaping and running a hand through his hair nervously, and Casey blushing and keeping her stare at her feet. I instantly recoiled, knowing exactly what kind of things they were thinking.

"It's not like that, though. You swore you'd listen and that's what you're going to do. I kissed Casey, and not because I'm some playboy, or that I go after anything that where's a skirt, and it's not because I wasn't thinking straight or because it was the heat of the moment- which it most likely was, but it was honestly because I've had feelings for Casey for a long time." I lost my voice halfway through, and even though I tried it still felt like my words were falling apart. I looked at her to see her looking back, but she was smiling.

'Is she… Okay with this? Does she want me to keep going on?'

I shifted my eyes to them again with a little more confidence.

"It's not pathetic puppy love, hell I'm not even sure it's healthy love, but I'm in love with my stepsister and it's real. I know I'm not the best when it comes to emotions, but I've never felt so crazy or out of my mind about anything in my life. I've never stayed up night after night for months on end wondering what person thinks of me, I've never spent my entire day trying to get someone's attention, I've never avoided seeing someone so much even if it's near to impossible because they live with me, and I've never had to hate myself or someone else so fucking much for reasons I can't explain! She drags me through so much shit and she doesn't even know, and I constantly annoy her every chance I get to fill the thrill just being with her could be. It felt amazing to fight with her, because I at least got to let out everything that she put me through without her knowing. I didn't ask for this, I didn't want her to be my stepsister, I didn't want to fall in love with her, I didn't want to feel this low or weak, but it happened. So please, don't say that this doesn't really mean anything to me, because out the four years that she has been here, for three of them it was everything to me." I was practically dying, my throat was sore from screaming and my head was killing me. The room was silent, but the sound of my heart going off the wire against my rib cage felt loud enough to wake the dead. I didn't know what I was doing anymore, I was crashing from my rush harder than I expected and I was full out panicking. I stood and stumbled my way to the steps, running up to the safest place to calm down. All I needed was to breathe, but I ended up hiding in my room, scared to make another move.

I slammed my door, pacing back and forth and running a hand through my hair before collapsing to my knees by my bed, feeling like I failed Casey just leaving her like that. She would be okay, she wasn't involved in it as much as I was, and they would let her off. I, on the other hand, was easy enough to be sent away for bad grades, they were probably more than ready to ship me off to my mom for this.

'Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!'

I buried my face in my hands and closed my eyes.

"What happens now?" I raised my head, surprised to see Marti standing there in my doorway with Lizzie and Edwin behind her. They already knew what was going on, which was nothing knowing them, the only thing that bothered me was them being okay with it. They didn't look like they cared about it, almost like they saw no problem. I opened my mouth to tell them to get out, as loud and harsh as I could, but was interrupted.

"I'll tell you what happens; the inconsiderate jerk is going to get up, take my hand, and face this situation with me because I won't let him do this on his own." Casey walked into the room, moving past them all and standing in front of me with an outstretched hand.

'She just doesn't get it.'

I rose to my feet and glared at her, trying to make her feel my anger, just to get the hint of it. I wanted her to stop being so sweet, and to stop being so stubborn to help.

"I have to do this alone, Case, this is my fault. It's my problem." I argued, but she took my hand anyway, holding it between her own with a determined smile.

"Yeah? Well now it's mine too." She took a deep breath, taking her hands from mine and placing them on my cheeks to pull my head to hers, touching her soft lips to mine. Shock stopped me from reacting at first, but my arms found their way to her waist and I leaned in to the kiss, feeling warm even when we pulled away. Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti complained to themselves about PDA, but I ignored it. I blocked out everything but her.

"C'mon, Der, you didn't actually believe I would back down, did you? I thought you knew me better than that." She laughed.

A/N: This is horrible, I know, but hold on a while because like I said before it will get better. Review please!