Paternal Bonds Shattered
Disclaimer: Do I need to say it? I don't own iCarly
A/N:Cue sugary sweet chapter.
Chapter 43 (Friends to Lovers)
Seven years later, Rachel and Derek made their way along Spring Street and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. They wanted to see the docks and sea together. It was a peaceful morning, despite the fact that there was to be an execution later that night. "So how's your mom taking things, Derek? Is she going to the execution tonight?"
"She says she has to have that closure in her life, so I guess so." He pushed his hand through his shaggy brown hair and stared ahead at the water. They both knew their mothers had, over time, sent letters back and forth with Hector. Sam, not so much, but Valerie had done so pretty often. They both had a little six year old sibling. Rachel had a younger brother, Kyle, who had been conceived by Jonah pretty soon after she'd left that mansion. Derek had a little sister named Serenity, she followed Angie around everywhere. "Your mom and dad going to the execution?"
"Yeah, but they're looking for someone who can watch Kyle. They don't want him to see the execution." Derek agreed that it was for the best. His parents were doing the same with Serenity, she was too young to have to see something like that. Angie, on the other hand, was thirteen and insisted that she go. So she was definitely not babysitting. As they made their way out onto the docks and finally stopped walking, Derek placed his hands on the railing and looked out at the water with a smile, letting the breeze cool his face. Rachel smiled at him and rested her head upon his shoulder. "It's really a beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Sun's shining, water's blue as ever, minimal clouds in the sky, you're standing here with your head on my shoulder. Yeah, I'd say it's a beautiful day." He smirked and Rachel blushed heavily while laughing nervously. She wrapped her arm around his and looked out at the sea, trying to push down the blush running across her cheeks. She could feel his intuitive eyes upon her and she knew he would be smirking so proudly, most likely pleased with himself for making her blush. As if he didn't do that constantly enough on a daily basis. "Now you see, I got you to blush, so I'm happy."
"I bet you are...asshole." She pushed him playfully and he laughed. He quickly sidestepped her, moved around behind her, and wrapped his arms around her upper body and arms. She laughed and called out. "Hey! No fair!"
"There's nothing fair in this world, except maybe your hair. Which is in my face." She had long, wavy hair. It was deep brown and constantly groomed. Rachel didn't let herself stay dirty for very long. She stuck her tongue out and smirked deviously. As Derek raised his eyebrow, she tilted her head back and rubbed her hair a little closer. "Ah!" He coughed in surprise and shook his head.
"Hah!" Rolling his eyes, he smiled and squeezed her gently. She grunted contently and relaxed into his arms. "You know, Hank asked Lilly to the junior prom." Derek lifted his eyebrows and placed his chin on her head. He was about a foot taller than she was, but that was an estimation. She stood at five foot seven, he was six foot two. "Seems appropriate." Those two were practically together more than Derek and Rachel were, so it did not come as a surprise that they'd wind up together.
"My two best friends are guys, so I wouldn't know how it feels to have your best friends begin dating each other. Unless they know something they're not telling me." Rachel giggled and closed her eyes, cursing herself mentally. She hated giggling and tried not to do that in front of him. Especially since he always ended up saying it was cute, and making her blush. "Aww, you're so cute when you giggle." Her eyes widened and a blush swept across her face once more. She could feel him smirking at her.
"Of course…" She wanted to smack him for that, it was a cheap shot. She didn't care, though. She was perfectly fine in his strong arms. He worked out pretty regularly. Surprisingly, he looked a lot like Freddie, but with some muscles. He was on the school football team, and having the time of his life. "As far as junior prom goes, I don't think I'm going to go."
"Oh? Why not?"
"Same reason as you."
"You think it's a cheap attempt to mimic the senior prom and that there should be only one, so you want to wait until the senior prom before you can get that chance?" Rachel blinked and peered back at Derek. Not in so many words, but yes, that was her reasoning. "Hey, maybe you'd become prom queen if you went."
"That's the senior prom."
"You mean it doesn't happen in junior prom? That's a shock to me!" She pressed her lips together and shrugged. So maybe he was right, there were prom kings and queens chosen for junior proms. It didn't make her want to go. "I'd rather spend junior prom…" She moved her arms out and placed her hands over Derek's hands, which were resting gently upon her waist. "Dancing beneath the stars at the park, holding my lover close to me while he holds me in his arms…" She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she imagined herself dancing arm and arm, swaying with her date. "Not a care in the world. He'll gaze into my eyes so lovingly and whisper sweet, sweet words. He'll tell me he loves me, that he's always loved me, and he'll kiss me, then carry me off into the night." Derek's eyebrows lifted as he closed his eyes and grunted once.
"That's a very romanticized view you have there."
"Hey it could happen!"
"Sure it could. I believe that. I guess that means you're ready to date, huh?" She shrugged and sighed, she was unsure about the whole dating realm. She'd only heard tidbits about dating from her mom. Her mom and dad were both very careful to watch the boys that Rachel was around. They didn't want anything bad to ever happen to her. They wanted to be able to trust whatever boy she wound up with. She had a feeling, though, they would like the man she liked.
"Well I am sixteen now, my parents are willing to let me date. The only issue is, there's this guy I like…" Derek frowned and looked up to the sky. He'd never really asked her if she liked anyone, and if she did, he couldn't help but to wonder who it was. "Flirts with me all the damn time." He raised an eyebrow and chuckled to himself. That was a pretty big hint she just dropped.
"Oh he does? And does he make you blush like I do?" She gasped and turned around in his arms, narrowing her gaze into his eyes.
"All the time! How did you know?"
"Face it, we've known each other for a very long time. I know you, Rachel Williams, and you know me."
"I bet you don't know the guy I like."
"I bet you I do." He was a smart guy, he picked up on things rather quickly. That was something that Rachel adored about him. He smirked into her eyes and held her tighter. She jumped briskly and placed her soft hands on his shoulders. "But you may have to give me some more clues as to who this guy is."
"Okay…let's see here." She hummed and held his gaze. Unconsciously, the corners of her lips turned upwards and she started to feel the heat rising in her body. "Well, he knows a bit of what hell is like, same as me."
"Oh?" Now he was just playing clueless, for the effect. He enjoyed playing around with her like that, but at the same time, he was being very serious.
"His favorite color is orange, he's my age, and we go to school together."
"Hmm, still sounds like it could be Hank." He tightened his embrace just enough to make her squeal. She lowered one hand and smacked his hands, narrowing her eyes and grinning.
"He loves to mess with me and calls me cute all the damn time."
"But you are cute, Rachel!" She blushed as Derek continued to hold her gaze. She had such beautiful eyes, they matched perfectly with her soft, luscious hair. Unaware of what he was doing, he started grooming his hand through that beautiful hair, which caused her blush to deepen. She moaned softly and closed her eyes as he caressed her. "You're beautiful, is what you are. You should never let anyone tell you otherwise."
"I don't think anyone ever has, but then…not many have ever told me I was beautiful." She opened her eyes and lifted her eyebrows up, her heart was starting to pound inside her. She was so pressed against Derek that he could feel her heartbeat, and it was like music to him. "H-He's very romantic and is my best friend…"
"Ooh, the friend zone. Yikes." He winced as Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled. At least he wasn't stuck in the dreaded friend zone. No, she wanted him pretty badly.
"He makes just about every girl swoon and fawn over him."
"Does he do that with you?" He ran his hand through her hair once more, causing her to stutter a bit in her speech. Her legs were almost like butter, and if he wasn't holding her right now, she'd be on the floor. "Does he make you feel safe?"
"All the damn time. I just don't get it, this feeling that comes over me, the power he has over me."
"Love, perhaps? Maybe you've fallen pretty hard for him?"
"Has he…fallen for me?" Derek gazed at her with a powerful intensity. It was a loving gaze. He was strong, he was handsome, he was everything she wanted in a man, inside and out.
"Yes. I'm certain the environment isn't as good as the park…"
"Doesn't matter to me…"
"Well then." He smiled and moved his head a bit closer to her. She gasped and her lips parted as her breath shot back into her throat. "I have always loved you, Rachel."
"Derek…" She let out a soft moan and wrapped her arms around his neck. She couldn't believe it was finally happening.
"But tell me, am I that guy you've been talking about?" Blood rushed to her cheeks. He pulled her close and she eyed his lips hungrily.
"You know the answer to that."
"I do.
"Would you…always protect me? Keep me safe?"
"No matter what. I'd also like to make that park vision of yours a reality, if you would like."
"I would love that." Her heart's pounding increased. She closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath upon her lips.
"You know I'm not one to ask before I do things, but would you mind if I kissed you right now? It's becoming very hard to resist…" She smiled and shook her head, she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted so bad for that feeling. She closed her eyes as he drew nearer. The second his lips made contact with hers, the fire surged throughout them. It wasn't like fireworks going off. No, it was much better than that. It felt so right, so beautiful, so perfect. Her cheeks flushed as her body heated up and her heart started skipping several beats. She thought for sure she would faint in his arms.
When they parted their lips, he looked into her eyes and smiled as she slowly breathed out, trying to recover from the kiss that had blown her away. "Derek, I…I never felt that before…"
"First kiss, I suppose? It was definitely mine." It was a perfect feeling for him as well. He was glad that she was finally his. Oddly, though, they felt like they were not alone, as though someone were watching. "What are the chances one of your aunts has arrived to pick us up?" Vanessa was going to pick them up from the docks when it was time to get ready for the execution. Since they had been walking and knew it would be a while before they could get back home, they had asked her if she'd pick them up while their parents got ready.
"Well…" Rachel looked over Derek's shoulder and saw Vanessa leaning against her minivan. She was watching the two and smirking dangerously. Rachel knew Vanessa rather well and was mentally preparing herself for the teasing of a lifetime. She knew Vanessa was the one that saw this moment coming, so there was a lot of 'I told you so' coming their way. Derek closed his eyes and sighed.
"She's right behind me, isn't she?" Rachel laughed and parted from Derek, waving joyfully.
"Hi, Aunt Vanessa!"
Ooh, well this was an incredibly nice chapter, hope you liked it. All the way down to Vanessa, haha XD.
