AN: Once again, I apologize for the April Fools joke! Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. I was glad for all of your concern, though! It makes me glad that people are still invested in this. (And for those who don't know me personally, I would never, ever stop shipping Dasey.) ;)
I'm sorry this took me so long to post. My great grandfather passed away yesterday and it kind of deterred me from finishing up/editing this chapter. He was in a lot of pain, so at least I know he's in a better place now.
Please enjoy the next chapter and review if you have the time! I love you guys!
Chapter 14: "When you love someone, you say their name different. Like it's safe inside your mouth." - Jodi Picoult
She automatically drops his hand and the bag full of ice and stands up, looking absolutely furious. He stares up at her in nervousness. Yikes.
"Truman? Truman French? My ex-boyfriend? The kid I made very clear that I never wanted to see again?" she questions, though he knows they're all rhetorical. "What was he doing here? How did he find me?"
"Well, you know how I met up with Sam over winter break, right?" he speaks up, and she nods her head, her cheeks glowing red in rage. "I told him that you were leaving New York and transferring to Queen's because, you know, he's my best friend."
"Right." she says briskly, pacing the room and making him even more anxious.
"Um, well, Sam is sort of seeing Emily now." he chokes out.
"Sam and Emily? My Emily?" she stops moving and looks at him, eyebrows furrowed.
"Yes, Emily Davis." he says for clarification.
"Doesn't that infringe upon the male code?" She begins to pace again, and he swears she's going to wear a hole in the floor with the way she's dragging her feet around.
"Uh…" he shrugs, not knowing how to answer that, considering he has been majorly crushing on her since before Sam and her went out, and he's pretty sure he's violated every male code known to mankind and beyond just by looking at Casey. He clears his throat and continues. "Sam might have told Emily about you coming home, and she… Well, she told Truman."
"Emily told him?" He's never seen her so livid in his life, and that's saying something, considering the abundance of fights they've gotten into. "Oh, the nerve! It's not even like they were remotely close to being friends! She only did this because she thought I sabotaged her relationship with you, when, in reality, you guys were just destined for failure anyway! But seriously, revenge isn't necessary! I can't even belie-"
"Casey, slow down!" he yells, holding up his hands in protest. "Whatever motive she might have had for telling him, I'm sure it wasn't…" His sentence trails off as he thinks about his previous encounter with Truscum and the reason why he came… A light bulb goes off in his head. "Oh my god, she egged him on! She was the one who convinced him to come here to see you!" And suddenly he's almost as enraged as Casey. "Not because she was mad at you, but because she was mad at me! She knew that I wouldn't be happy to see him…
He lets out a short, almost manic laugh. "I hope he goes crawling back to her so she can see the number I did on him. I practically kicked his ass to Timbuktu! You think my eye is bad, just-" He stops ranting when Casey flops down on the bed beside him.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asks, poking her arm.
"I just can't believe someone I called my best friend would do this to me… to you."
"Don't worry about it. It's my fault. All my fault." He sighs. "I shouldn't have gone out with her in the first place. That was a big mistake. And… I'm sorry."
She sits up abruptly, her hair falling over her shoulders, her cheeks still flushed. He hates that she has to look so beautiful while she's in his bed and he can't do anything about it.
"It's okay." She blinks. "Sorry I went out with Truman… again."
She lies back down when he doesn't say anything, her hands on her stomach. He watches them rise and fall with every breath she takes. So, now that they've unearthed their rocky past…
"Why did you fight him, anyway?" She breaks the silence.
"I bumped into him on my way to hockey practice, and, let me tell you, I wasn't exactly pleased to see him to begin with, you know." He lies down beside her, one hand behind his head, the other still nursing his swollen eye. "But then he was all 'Oh, just the man I was looking for' in his snidely, rattish way." Casey chortles at this comment and he smirks.
He goes on. "And of course I said 'what the hell are you doing here?' because it was a legitimate question. So then he says 'I'm looking for your sister, Casey. I wanted some closure, and I was actually hoping for a second chance with her.' At this point I already wanted to punch his face in, but instead I responded in a calm and rational matter - '1) She's my stepsister, and 2) Don't you mean third chance?'
"And then the idiot said – 'Whatever. Can't you just tell me where she is?' And I replied – 'Sorry, but I'm pretty sure she never wanted to see your face again, so I would suggest taking the next cab back to London and your crappy job as a burger flipper at McDonald's.'"
"Der-ek!" she yells, giggling and slapping him on the arm, her mouth agape.
"What? It's probably true! Don't maim me even more! I already have a black eye, you know. I don't need a matching arm."
"Sorry." She mimes zipping her lips and he rolls his eyes at her geeky (yet adorable) antics.
"Anyway, on with my story. Where was I? Oh, yeah. McDonald's. So this is where I started to get really mad because Trollman cracked some innuendo using your last name and something about flipping you over… I can't remember; I was just really pissed. So I said, 'Yeah, right. I know for a fact that you never even got past first base with her, so I would wise up, stop spreading rumours, and shut your mouth now if I were you.' And he said 'If you would just point me in the general direction of your sister, we wouldn't have to go through this. Even if she didn't put out before, you know they say college can change a girl.'"
His fist balls up as he thinks about the incident, his mind clouding over with anger once again. She puts her hand on his fist and he relaxes under her touch a bit, finishing his story. "So then I said 'Don't ever talk about Casey that way. She deserves respect you slimy, pathetic, rat-faced douchebag.' And then he punched me in the face, and then I slugged him. The end."
The next few words that fall from Casey's lips surprise the hell out of him. "He deserved it."
He looks at her in awe, and she explains herself. "Normally I don't condone violence, but I feel that what you did was an act of chivalry rather than one of barbaric nature. Truman and I… didn't exactly break up on the best terms, and you would really think he was deserving of a smack-down if you knew about the last conversation we had."
"What happened?" She shoots him a skeptical look and he breathes out. "Look, Case, we're past the point of 'you can tell me anything.' Just say it. Why did you two break up, anyway?"
"I told him I didn't want to have sex with him." she spits out, blushing in embarrassment. "And then he went on and on, trying to convince me it was no big deal, and that we could wait until an appropriate time, and I told him… No – that I never wanted to have sex with him."
He tries really hard to hold back the laugh that is fighting to escape from his lips. "You took my advice." He can't help but smile.
"It's been known to happen." She crosses her arms, not looking at him.
"Yeah, once in a blue moon."
"Well, you were actually right for once. Anyway, after I told Truman that, he said one last 'shebang' wouldn't hurt. So, yes, he deserved the ass-whopping that you bestowed upon him."
He looks at her in fake shock. "Casey McDonald, you cuss bucket!"
"Shut up!" She rolls her eyes and shoves him off of the bed.
"Hey, what did I say about injuring me further?" He says, getting up and feigning a threatening stance.
"Guess I don't know my own strength!" She sits up, shrugging, and she shrieks as he tackles her back down.
They engage in a full-on wrestling match until Gary (aka the mood-ruiner of the century) decides to walk in the room and interrupt them.
Casey leaves with the promise of chatting with him that night and a hug (something he's grown accustomed to and actually looks forward to now.) He turns around when she walks out his door and he's got a huge, unmanageable smile on his face.
"Dude, you are so whipped!" Gary says, laughing. "And you aren't even getting any! That's the sad part!"
"Like you are!" He throws a pillow at Gary's head and he gets a mouthful of cotton. This shuts him up for the remainder of the night.
AustenLvr is signed on.
KingofBabes91 is signed on.
AustenLvr: What's up, Der?
KingofBabes91: I have some problems I need to work out.
AustenLvr: Okay, like what?
KingofBabes91: I think I'm losing my touch.
AustenLvr: Haha, what are you talking about?
KingofBabes91: I haven't pranked anyone in sooooo long.
AustenLvr: You mean you haven't pranked me in so long.
KingofBabes91: UGHHH, and here lies problem number two. I miss you and you just left only a few hours ago. Gross.
AustenLvr: You'd better watch out. You're becoming a big softie. ;)
KingofBabes91: Don't say that unless you want me to sneak into your dorm in the middle of the night and decorate your sleeping body in shaving cream.
AustenLvr: Oh, shaving cream? Come on, Der. That's so amateur. I'm sure you can do better than that!
…But in all seriousness, you've grown up a lot. You've matured a lot from that 15-year-old boy who wanted nothing more than to make me miserable by stealing all of my clothes or squirting me with shampoo.
KingofBabes91: Are you actually encouraging me to prank you? Are you sure Truman's punch didn't go straight through my head and get absorbed by you? Are you sick?
I never wanted to make you miserable, Case. I just wanted to get your attention.
AustenLvr: Haha, very funny. If you were to prank me, I don't think I would get nearly as mad as I got before, unless it was something completely terrible, of course. I just don't think it would be very satisfactory for you, considering your main purpose of pranking was to get a rise out of me.
Well, it certainly worked.
KingofBabes91: Well, that sucks. Majorly. What am I supposed to do with my life?
And now look at us. Inseparable. ;)
AustenLvr: I don't know. Get a hobby? Another one.
You mean that was what you intended the entire time you were annoying me? To create a profound bond that would stand the tests of time and, beyond all odds, make a lot of sense?
KingofBabs91: I can get a hobby… or a girlfriend. One of those would be nice.
Ha, the 'tests of time' have yet to actually be tested, Casey, dear. We've been Derek and Casey for only five years. The test would have to span over 10 years to actually qualify as a test, if you ask me.
AustenLvr: A boyfriend would be nice as well… For me, I mean.
Wow, way to be optimistic about our future, Der. I was merely implying that we'll probably stay Derek and Casey for a long while – the rest of our lives, even. I never said we had already endured the tests of time.
KingofBabes91: You know I'm going to have to approve of the guy that you date… or try to date at least.
Okay, okay. I'm sorry, alright? I was joking. I would think you would know the definition by now. I guess… if we lasted that long… I would be okay with that.
AustenLvr: Well, considering you never approve of any of my suitors, then I'm going to be single for the rest of my life. And if my guy has to have your stamp of approval, your girl has to have mine.
I would be okay with that too.
KingofBabes91: Oh, way to play that card. You've never really been fond of any of my past women, so it looks like I'm stuck in single land as well.
AustenLvr: Two virgins doomed to walk the earth alone because of their innate stubbornness towards each other's love interests…
KingofBabes91: That sounds like a great movie plot. Mind if I patent that?
AustenLvr: There you go, Der! Start making movies again as your hobby. Looky there, I am such a great problem solver. ;)
KingofBabes91: Since I am majoring in film, I should probably do some projects on the side. That was actually a good idea, Case.
AustenLvr: No need to thank me. I'm happy to help out in any way I can! Just tell me one thing – how will this crazy, twisted plot end?
KingofBabes91: I can't tell you that! If I give away the ending, it will spoil the whole movie!
AustenLvr: Ugh, fine, party pooper.
Anyway, it's really late, and I have class early tomorrow so I should probably get off… But do you want to hang out tomorrow night?
KingofBabes91: Sounds good! I'll call you and let you know what time. And you can spend the night if you want.
AustenLvr: Yeah, I'd love to. :)
Hey, Der, before I get off, I was thinking that we should go home the weekend after next and visit. Mom and George are really busy with Simon, and… Lizzie kind of asked if we would be chaperones at her school dance… and I kind of said yes.
KingofBabes91: Us… chaperoning for a bunch of dramatic tweenies at a grade 8 dance? Are you kidding me? Do you even remember what those dances were like? Oh wait… you were at an all girl's school. You wouldn't know.
AustenLvr: Come on! It can't be that bad! It'll be fun!
KingofBabes91: Oh, yeah. Girls running around crying because their crush danced with someone else sounds so much fun. Here's an idea – we can watch Simon so Dad and Nora can go chaperone instead!
AustenLvr: Lizzie wanted us to do it because we're cooler and younger and won't be as strict. Do it for her!
KingofBabes91: Aw, really, Case? You're going to make me do this?
AustenLvr: Yes. And I expect you to be on your best behaviour and wear something nice as well.
KingofBabes91: You're a cruel, cruel woman.
AustenLvr: And you're a good, good man for doing this, Venturi, no matter how reluctant you may be.
Okay, I really have to sleep, Der!
KingofBabes91: You're the one who continued the conversation, not me. ;) Night, Case.
AustenLvr: Goodnight, Mr. Stubborn. See you tomorrow.
She has to endure three, long, boring classes before Derek calls her and tells her to come over around 7ish. They talk for a while as she walks to her dorm , and he tells her he has to go when-
"Bye, Der. I'll see you later. Love you." The words slip from her lips before she has time to catch them, and her hand shoots to her mouth. She stops dead in the middle of the sidewalk and tries to control her breathing, hoping he hung up before he had the chance to hear what she said.
She's used to saying goodbyes with 'love you' tacked to the end, but normally this is only expressed to family members like her mom, dad, and gran. This feels entirely different, though.
She closes her eyes and tries to forget what she just said, but then she hears his voice on the other line, finally speaking. "Bye, Case. I love you too."
There's no click of the phone as he closes it, only his unsteady breathing on the other line. She doesn't hang up either. It's only when someone yells at her to get out of the way that she closes her phone and remembers how to breathe again. A small smile begins to spread across her face as she realizes what he said, and then she breaks out into a huge grin, practically skipping to her dorm room.
He said he loved her. He said he loved her. She bursts into her room, dropping her handbag on the ground and flinging herself on her bed, nearly flailing in excitement, butterflies swarming in her stomach.
"Someone's happy." It's only then that she realizes her roommate is in the room, and she stops mid-flail, looking over at Cora.
"Just a little." she lies, trying to keep her calm but freaking out on the inside.
"Who is it, Casey?" Cora asks, jumping from her bed to Casey's and taking a seat next to her. "Is this freakout about Derek!"
"Well, yes…" she starts.
"Tell me more." Cora urges, putting her chin in her hands and staring intently.
She hesitates to share something so personal so soon. Especially since she doesn't quite know the meaning behind his words. It could be a friendly 'I love you,' or a – barf – familial 'I love you.' She breathes in. "He… he told me he loves me."
Cora's eyes get wide. "In real life or over a text or-"
"Over the phone." she says, her heart dancing as she recalls the incident.
At that very moment, her phone buzzes, and she looks at the screen reading 'new text from Derek.' Cora gasps and nudges her. "Open it, open it!"
She wishes this was a more private affair, but she can't just tell Cora to go away. That would be rude. Instead she opens her phone and tries to hide the screen from her roommate until she can read it for herself.
'Case, I don't think I can wait until tonight to see you. Can you come over now?' Her breath hitches in her throat and she types a hasty reply.
'Of course, Der. I'll be over ASAP.'
"What did he say?" Cora asks, twisting her neck in an awkward position, clearly trying to see her phone. "Come on, spill!"
"He asked me to come over now." she says, though it comes out more of a whisper. She clutches her phone to her chest and it vibrates once more.
'Good. I'll see you soon. Love you, Case.'
She types back, and she realizes tears are welling up in her eyes. 'I'll text you when I get there. I love you too." God, she sure hopes this isn't a familial 'I love you.'
"What's going on, Casey?" Cora asks, but she's already grabbing her jacket and heading back out the door.
"I'll fill you in later, I promise!" She watches her roommate's face fall as she slams their door shut and practically sprints over to Derek's dorm.
It turns out she doesn't have to text him. He's waiting outside for her despite the extreme cold, and her heart is pounding wildly in her chest as she runs over to him and throws herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.
He hugs her back just as forcefully and whispers into her hair, "I missed you."
"Me too." she says, laughing into his chest. "Even though we just saw each other yesterday."
"Too long." he mumbles, lacing his fingers with hers. "My friend Jake and I were in the middle of a Babe Raider face-off, but I just wanted to see you. I hope you don't mind."
"Uh, no, that's fine." Her heart leaps in her chest as soon as he says the name 'Jake,' but she tries to keep her cool as he leads her up to the third floor.
They enter the lounge and she sees Jake sitting on a couch with a controller in his hand. "Casey, Jake. And Jake you finally get to meet Ca-"
"We've met." Jake says bluntly, a knowing look on his face as he nods in her direction. She gives him a weak smile and realizes she's still holding Derek's hand. She wiggles hers a little, but he doesn't let go.
"Uh… You didn't tell me that. How?" Derek asks, bringing her around to the other side of the couch and sitting down. He pats the cushions beside him and she takes a seat, watching Jake nervously out of the corner of her eye.
"She stopped by the hockey rink yesterday to find you. When, you know…" he lowers his voice to a whisper. "You got decked by that Truman punk."
"Oh." Derek says simply, bringing a hand down to rest on her knee. The gesture is casual and she would be fine with it if Jake weren't there, but he's giving her this amused look, and she's terrified he's going to say something stupid.
"Let's play." Jake says, and Derek picks up his controller, inching ever closer to her, his hands still resting on her leg as he plays. A few times during the game, she catches Jake's eye, and he just shakes his head, laughing silently.
Soon she relaxes, realizing that he isn't going to spill any of the information she told him yesterday. She plays a few rounds and Derek lets her win… once – much to Jake's amusement. Derek leaves them after a while to take a bathroom break, patting her shoulder before he makes his way out of the room.
"Jake-"
"Casey-"
They start at the same time, and then both fall silent. She states awkwardly at the carpet.
"He told you he loved you today, didn't he?" She meets Jake's gaze and can't help but smile.
"Yeah, he did."
"And you said it back."
"Yes."
"So what does that mean?" He looks at her in anticipation, and her smile fades.
"I honestly don't know." She twirls a strand of hair around her finger. "It's bizarre. But… good in a way. I mean, we know how we feel now, but it's just a matter of doing something about it. I'm still worried…"
"It's just a matter of who makes the first move." Jake says, nodding his head as if his best friend and love interest aren't the weirdest pair he's ever met. "But you don't have anything to be worried about, Casey. He-"
But she never gets to find out why she has nothing to worry about because Derek walks back into the room and their conversation is cut short. He jumps over the back of the couch and slings his arm around her, completely unfazed by Jake's presence. Jake leaves shortly after (she doesn't blame him), and her and Derek are left to duke it out on Babe Raider.
She spends the night in his dorm room, both of them whispering 'I love you's' before they fall asleep in each other's arms.
Playlist D
Song Don't Wait Artist The Duke Spirit Plays 19
Time changes every idea I've ever had
Oh, such a heavy love, rolls out like a blanket
Why must it fold up on me?
Why must it fold up on me?
Slow replies when I'm hungry enough to give
Lust is thrown around my room
I better get out of here
You can lead me on all of the way home
You can lead me on all of the way home
Don't wait, don't wait, don't wait for too long,
Don't say, don't say, don't say a word
Don't wait, don't wait, don't wait for too long,
Don't say, don't say, don't say a word
They go home the Friday after that, greeted by with plenty of smiles and – to his chagrin and her delight – lots of hugs. Lizzie thanks them for agreeing to chaperone her dance, and she almost laughs when Derek tries to act like he's actually excited. He does a pathetic job of faking his enthusiasm, but Liz believes him anyway.
They arrive way after dinner; (only because Derek insisted they eat at a restaurant because he didn't want smorgasbordiesta). The rest of the clan is immediately ushered up to their rooms to go to bed, her mom and George ignoring Edwin and Marti's protests of "but it's Friday!" Eventually they give in when Simon wakes up and starts screaming which only leads to George yelling at them for waking up the baby. She really feels like she's home when Derek is bouncing Simon on his knee and earns a shirt-full of spit-up.
After all the chaos has died down and she and Derek have changed in their pajamas (and Derek takes an extra-long, hot shower), her mom and George are already heading off to bed, no doubt exhausted from the day's events. They say goodnight and she and Derek immediately head to his room, an unspoken agreement between the two of them that this is the norm now.
She sets the alarm on her phone extra early so she can sneak back into her room without anyone finding out she slept in Derek's room. They stay up half the night talking, her head resting comfortably on his chest, his arms encircling her waist.
All that talking makes him thirsty, however, so they both get up to get a drink from the kitchen. He flicks her with the water from the filter and she tries not to shriek in fear of waking anyone up, but she gets him back, pouring part of her water on his head. They engage in a somewhat silent water fight that ends in the both of them (and the kitchen floor) drenched. She laughs as his dripping wet hair falls in his face and he attempts to blow it away, failing miserably.
"Here, I'll help." she says, sweeping his hair back so she can see his eyes again, only this makes her laugh harder as he now has a poof on top of his head. He raises an eyebrow at her. "You look ridiculous." she explains.
"I could say the same thing about you." he nods at her white shirt which she now realizes is completely see-through due to its wetness. Her pink polka dot bra is noticeably visible.
Her jaw drops in shock. "Der-ek!" she shrieks, hitting his arm. "That's so… inappropriate!"
He just smirks. "Real cute, Case."
She rolls her eyes. "I'm going to go get some towels."
She runs upstairs, retrieves some towels from the bathroom, and returns to find him trying to mop up some of the mess with napkins. She smiles and hands him a towel, and they wordlessly clean up the floor before standing up, finding themselves with only one dry towel left.
"You take it-" she starts, but then he grabs it off the counter and wraps it around her, pulling her into him so that her face is pressed against his chest and she can feel his heart pounding rapidly. They're both enveloped in the towel now, and she wraps her arms around his waist.
"I love you, Derek." she says breathlessly.
"I love you too, Case."
She'll never get tired of hearing him say that. Never. She knows it isn't familial. She also knows it's rather odd to be saying something like that when they aren't even together or when they haven't even really discussed any feelings. But it feels right and comfortable and good, so she's not going to force anything until he's willing to be more… proactive.
They finally get themselves fairly dry and head upstairs, hand in hand. He throws her some of his clothes to change into and they face opposite ends of the room as they both change. It's so natural that she doesn't even think about being embarrassed in front of him anymore. The only reason she doesn't turn around to see him in his underwear is because she's afraid the sight of a mostly naked Derek will only make her want to jump his bones more.
When they're done changing, she crawls into bed with him and is asleep within a matter of minutes, wrapped safely in his arms.
She wakes up to the sound of her phone going off. He, of course, continues to sleep through it. She gently moves out from under his arm and he groans in protest, still asleep. She brushes his hair out of his eyes, sitting up and pushing the comforter off of her body. Grabbing her phone and giving Derek one last glance, she opens his door to head to the bathroom.
She steps out of his room with a wide smile on her face… and runs right into her mom.