A/N: Hmmm hi! After another few month's absence (yes, I'm terrible), I bring you another chapter of Risks. I'm not sure if people are still reading this fic, or if anyone is interested at all so please let me know if you're still here! I appreciate any lonely soul that might read this so leave your reviews, if you wish! As always, stay safe during these times and hopefully the break in-between chapters will be much shorter next time. Lots of love!

—

CHAPTER 7- RECOVERY

The ride back to the hotel was just about as awkward as anyone expected. Derek was still very much worry-riddled, his hands were trembling near uncontrollably, something he only seemed to notice the moment he stepped out of the hospital and the freezing November air crept up his spine. At least his stomach was full now, since George had finally given in to his cries for mercy and stopped in the middle of the road for some fast-food delicacies, though he was sure it was mostly to shut him up. Not that Derek minded, that salty, greasy meal was exactly what his starved body was craving.

Now he was sitting in the back of his father's car, still unsure of what to make of that day. Nora was sitting in the passenger seat, her head turned to the window, radiating the most anxiety-inducing energy that Derek had ever been in the presence of. He was sure that George shared the same burden on his own shoulders, his son could tell by the way he was staring ahead with his fists clenched tightly over the steering wheel. Everyone was still shaken up by the hospital visit and Derek was pitying Nora so much that he almost reached out to her, perhaps to hold her hand and tell her everything would be okay. But like always, he decided against it. Not that Nora was undeserving of the gesture but because he would never be worth her appreciation of it.

His fingers touched the car window, the cold condensation melting against his feverish skin. Outside the moon smiled at him, a perfect waxing crescent though Derek could see none of its beauty, taking only notice of the way it seemed to be mocking him.

Because that day had mocked him enough, he thought. It had stretched him way out of his comfort zone, entire worlds away from it actually, and he was quite done with all of it. There was nothing more uncomfortable than having to face this side of himself, especially when he was so used to neglecting and shutting down every sympathetic feeling that emerged. But seeing Casey that way, so frail and small had awakened something within him, something he was afraid he might not be able to ignore for much longer.

—

"Thank you," Nora choked out when they arrived at the hotel room "Derek."

She was standing over the bed, her face riddled with shadows cast by the yellowish light that illuminated the room.

"Hm," Derek hummed awkwardly "I don't know what you're talking about but you're welcome."

"For being with Casey today. It would have been harder for her to go through that alone."

"Well, it wasn't really a personal choice as much as it was an inescapable order…" He shrugged, diverting his eyes away from his step-mother.

Nora shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. You were a great brother to Casey today and I really appreciate it."

The word hit him like a blow to the face. He swallowed it before it could get caught in his throat and choke him. There was nothing, nothing, he loathed more than being called Casey's brother. Even step-brother was enough to make his whole body cringe with slight disgust. He hoped his face wasn't nearly as tight as it felt because Nora was already eyeing him with suspicion. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the moment to show his distress and let his step-mother down. So Derek swallowed his pride, he swallowed that atrocity of a word and forced himself to smile weakly.

"It's no problem. I'm glad I was there too." He said "And not just because I get to skip school and spend the weekend away."

Derek could barely sleep that night. It wasn't just because the mattress on his extra-bed was lumpy and uncomfortable, and it wasn't because of George's loud snorting either, he just couldn't, for the life of him, fall asleep. Useless thoughts of Casey swarmed around in his brain, leaving him wide-awake and in an almost inebriated state.

Morning approached fast enough and as Derek glimpsed the rising sun peeking through the ugly, green curtains he wasn't sure if he had slept at all. Only his body had rested, though his back made a point of signaling to him that it was quite unhappy with the bed he slept in.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur, with George and Nora in a great rush to pick up Casey from the hospital. The whole time Derek had to try his hardest to pretend like he wasn't the most anxious he'd ever been for seeing her in a hospital bed again.

—

As soon as Derek stepped into the threshold of his house, he was relieved. Almost like his body and mind ceased battle and everything finally went still; a stillness so gentle and kind it nearly made him weep. For a moment he hated himself for feeling such vulnerability and weakness of spirit but he truly had been longing for this sense of security again. It already felt as if he had never left, except for one huge, screaming detail.

"Dad," he called, folding his arms across his chest "Why the hell is Edweirdo sitting in my chair?"

George disguised his laugh with an exaggerated cough, afraid he'd get in trouble with his son too.

"Well, the rules of ownership got a bit fuzzy after you left."

Edwin had since diverted his focus from the tv to his older brother, who was now standing right in front of him, eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"Hey, bro…" he greeted, putting down the remote control and slowly getting up from the chair "Welcome home."

"Edweirdo, I'm going to give you a 5 second headstart because I'm just that great of a brother, but my advice is that you start running and pray that I find my bedroom untouched and completely unchanged."

Like always, his little brother followed suit and took off speeding up the stairs before managing another word.

"At least this is familiar." Casey commented right as she entered the house, watching Derek take off behind him.

She closed the door behind her and took a look around the house. It looked mostly the same, perhaps a bit messier than what she would've liked but the air smelled of citrus and window cleaner instead of Derek's sweaty hockey uniform, which was a nice change. It was strange to be back home, even if it was just for a few days, yet it was the comforting kind of strange, the one that made her insides warm with familiarity.

Marti interrupted her thoughts with a stifled gasp before charging at her with her arms wide open. Casey's chest tightened at the sight of her borrowed little sister, dressed in a striped sweatshirt and denim overalls, always accompanied by her set of fuzzy cat ears, that unfortunately reminded her of Halloween night a bit too much.

"Casey!" She yelled, holding her tight and slightly crushing her side "Does it hurt?"

"Only a little." Casey comforted her, hugging her back "You look so grown up, Marti! How is that possible?"

"Thanks Casey, you look so pretty."

It was weird receiving that much attention from Marti, when she was always so much more interested either in her stuffed friends or in Derek. Thinking about it, the way she worshipped her older brother was both terrifying and utterly adorable to Casey.

"Have you said hi to Derek yet?" Casey asked, running her fingers through Marti's messy fringe.

She frowned in response.

"No."

Casey kneeled down to whisper.

"Why? Did Derek do something to you?"

"He left."

"Marti, he didn't leave you. It was our fault, and I'm really sorry we left you but you know how much Derek cares about you. He loves you so much and he talked about you all the time."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Go talk to him, Marti. He's your brother and he's expecting the biggest hug from you."

Marti nodded enthusiastically, with a sly smile painted on her face that resembled Derek's a little too much, racing upstairs too. Casey did feel bad for lying so blatantly to Marti, but what else was she supposed to say? Actually Marti, Derek and I didn't speak for almost two months so I have no idea if he talked about you at all! At least she was sure that Derek did think about his sister because that was just the kind of brother he was.

Now all she needed was to be with Lizzie too and perhaps to lie down for a bit afterwards, her body was starting to fail her due to the lack of sleep from the previous night. She grabbed her school bag off of the floor and led herself upstairs, where she was certain all the chaos was unfolding.

In the upstairs hallway she could already hear Edwin's begs for mercy and Derek's threats to perform a 'wet willy' from behind his bedroom's door. She made a point to get away from the warzone as fast as possible. Lizzie's door was also closed, apparently her younger sister didn't end up moving into her room (much to her own selfish relief) and Casey gathered the courage to knock.

"Get out, Edwin! Leave me alone!" Lizzie shouted from inside.

Casey turned the doorknob and let herself inside, hoping she would receive beneficial treatment over Edwin and be allowed to enter. She eyed her sister lying in bed, dramatically listening to the music stuck to her ears.

Casey called out to her.

"Lizzie?"

The recognition in her eyes made Casey's heart swell to three times its normal size.

"Oh my God! Casey!" She smiled, ripping the headphones from her ears and jumping out of bed.

"Didn't mom tell you I was coming home today?"

"I thought they wouldn't release you until tomorrow! I can't believe you're really here." They hugged so tightly that Casey thought her stitches might burst.

"I missed you so much, Liz! How are you?"

Casey sat on the bed beside her sister, resting with her hand over the hurt side, waiting to hear all about her last few months. Lizzie happily complied, telling her about all the high points of those days, from scoring and winning all but one soccer match; being named team captain; getting her first B+ in maths and making friends with the new girl that had moved into the neighbourhood and was now in her class.

"So you've really been doing okay?" Casey insisted, hoping her sister would open up about any trouble she might have had lately.

"Yes, we've missed you but everything's great, really." She smiled innocently "What about you? How's school? How's Derek? Oh, and you have to tell me about your surgery! Was it gruesome?"

"Things are fine in school actually. I have some friends that I like, most people are very approachable and the classes have been pretty interesting so far too. I haven't joined any clubs or anything like that yet, but for the next term I'm definitely joining theater and dance and maybe even creative writing…"

"Casey," Lizzie called, trying to regain her attention. "What about the actual school grounds? The people? The boys?"

"The buildings are quite pleasing to look at, old on the outside but with a modern vibe on the inside. In my class everyone is mostly nice, but outside of it I've encountered some really cocky and annoying people, you know how it goes. And boys… I don't like any of the ones in my class and especially Derek's friends." She scoffed, disgusted "They are total neanderthals."

"What about you and Derek?"

Casey's brain for a while to analyse her sister's words. It was funny, in a totally sadistic way, how anyone mentioning his name was enough to halt reality and materialize a tight knot in her gut.

"What about me and Derek?" Her voice didn't sound like her own as she repeated the question, mostly to herself.

"Have you been getting along? Because the tension between you was a bit overwhelming when you guys left… It didn't look pretty."

Casey forced herself to smile and hoped it didn't look nearly as fake as it felt.

"We've been worse, actually. I guess we're getting along. Don't tell mom but I'm his french tutor now."

"You're what? Oh, that must be torture."

"It is. Our teacher bribed me with extra credit and I just couldn't say no. Mom really can't know because she'll think it's a miraculous blessing and that Derek and I will become besties or something, and I can't handle that right now."

"Mom would definitely love that you're teaching Derek french." Lizzie laughed "My lips are sealed."

"Thank you, Liz."

The next hour went by ridiculously fast as the sisters settled back into their old routine with great ease. At some point, Edwin barged into the room seeking shelter from his brother, so focused he barely even noticed that Casey was there as well, whispering only a low Hey Case, how you doing?, to which Casey happily replied Hey, kiddo. Of course Derek was quick to find his scared match, barging in too until the four of them were awkwardly staring at each other.

"Hello, lizard." Derek greeted, feigning a serious voice "You look well."

"As do you."

His eyes turned quickly to Casey, who was already shamelessly staring him down, with one of those unreadable expressions Derek wouldn't dare to decipher. A moment passed before Derek spoke up again.

"I'm meeting Sam." He said, turning to Edwin, who was still hiding behind Lizzie's bed "So, Edwino, I will give you freedom for now; we'll continue this when I get back."

Casey wasn't sure what it was that bothered her when Derek spoke. Was it his serious demeanor or the fact that Casey felt that his finishing sentence was meant for her and not Edwin? We'll continue this when I get back. She had no idea what it could mean or if Derek had even meant it at all, but as finally lied down in her own bed instead of in a strange mattress in a far away artificial home, she begged mentally that he would have some mercy on her for the next few days.

—

By the time night fell over London, everyone had already retreated back to their rooms and only a weird silence remained, one that could only happen when the day was over and the house finally got to settle. Nora confessed at dinner that she hoped their first family dinner back would have included Derek as well, but apparently her step-son had completely missed the memo. Casey pretended not to notice his absence, pretending even harder that it didn't bother her that he wasn't in fact there, making little remarks of how great it was to spend time with her family, except Derek. Nora smiled with all of her innocence, You two are probably sick of each other after spending all this time away together!, and Casey stuffed an entire soft roll in her mouth so she wouldn't have to answer.

It was past midnight when Derek finally made his way home. Casey was still awake then, the only one remaining, making a cup of chamomile tea in the kitchen. She wouldn't dare to think it, let alone admit it, but perhaps she was waiting for him.

His presence seemed to rattle their home, undoing all the silence that had come to be before his arrival. Casey eyed him as he slid through the front door, closing it behind him before sneaking further into the house. He was intending to make his way upstairs and he hadn't noticed her staring yet, which gave her a weird sense of power but also of creeping where she didn't belong.

It didn't take long for him to notice her though. He glanced absently in her direction and took in her figure, standing perfectly still in the kitchen, her hips rested against the counter. Something inside him buzzed and he decided to join her for a midnight snack instead of going to his room alone. He walked slowly towards her, pacing and taking his time, almost as if he was trying to build momentum and have Casey dwell in anxiety. He picked up a cereal box and stood across the kitchen island from her.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, opening the bag and tossing a few cereal pieces into his mouth.

"I was waiting for you." She half-joked, arching up her eyebrow.

He smiled and she hated him for it. But it was refreshing for Casey to be the one joking around and he would be lying if he said that he hadn't missed this banter and side of hers for weeks, eager for this revival of their old selves. Her voice electrified him.

"Oh, I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"Not at all. I slept through the afternoon so I'm wide awake now."

"Were you terribly lonesome?"

"I've had worse days, really."

Derek let a moment pass before attempting to speak again. Casey had her scorching cup of tea secured in her hands and was determined to look around the kitchen, scanning every inch of it, all to avoid Derek's equally scorching gaze.

"I was with Sam today." He said "He asked about you."

Casey's heart nearly leapt to her throat. The air became heavy and difficult to breathe through, and she was suddenly hot, tiny beads of sweat threatening to leak from her skin.

"Did he?" She asked, faking the most non-committal attitude she could manage "What did he say?"

"He just asked how you were doing."

She shrugged.

"And what did you tell him?"

"That you were in prison for attempted murder, me being your lucky victim."

"How charming, not to mention hilarious. What did you say to him, Venturi?"

"I told him you were doing fine, Case. Perfectly fine, the happiest you have ever been. He was very glad to hear it."

She looked at him like she didn't believe a word of what he had just said, which was very reasonable, but he meant it. He wouldn't sabotage her in front of Sam, despite the very obvious temptations, especially if she was still interested in him. Yet for all he knew, she would probably always assume the worst from him.

"Funny… I told Emily the exact same thing about you when she called today."

He smiled, putting away the cereal box and swallowing down the bits of food that were sitting at the back of his throat.

"Isn't it great that everyone knows just how happy we are?"

"So great." She said, but her expression told him otherwise.

He leaned further over the counter, so close that Casey could now smell the cigarettes that he and Sam had shared over the evening.

"What is it, Case?"

"Hmm?" She hummed indifferently, playing with the string of the tea bag still inside her mug.

"Your face. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Casey, we both know you're just going to end up telling me anyway so might as well do it while I'm still interested."

"It's just…" She sighed, stopping herself and looking her step-brother in the eye "That's it? We're in a truce?"

"Was it not official enough for you, Case? Is there a five-page document you need me to sign? Or do you need me to swear it over a bible?"

"Ahah, Venturi. Did you really expect me to just blindly trust you on this? You always have a ten-step plan to ruin my day and sabotage my every move."

"Well yeah, but you're always at least five steps ahead of me, anyway." He smirked and Casey loathed the way it made her buzz inside. "Maybe we should be on the same page for once, don't you think?"

Casey nodded slowly, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Yes. Maybe."

"You can stop looking at me like that. I'm really not planning anything, all right? You might not want to stress yourself out unless you want your stitches to tear."

"Fine, fine." She sighed, taking a sip of her tea. "I know this is a useless question but have you read any of the books or notes I gave you? You need to do well on your next test, I have been lying to Mrs. Morris for the past two or three weeks and…"

Derek interrupted her with a stifled laugh.

"Really? We've ended our war not even two minutes ago and we're already talking about school?"

"I know you don't care, Derek but I'm involved in this now and it's important for me that you at least pass this time, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded sincerely "But who said I haven't been studying?"

Casey had to bite her tongue to stop herself from smiling; she wouldn't dare give him that pleasure so easily. Did he want to finally be on her good side? Perhaps even be her friend now? Well then, he would have to earn it.

"Well, if you need any help… Let me know."

"I'm sure I'll need it." He smiled "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Case, hope you sleep well."

He leaned over the counter even more, dangerously close, and winked at her, leaving her so startled that she could only offer him the weakest of nods in return. Just what kind of game was he trying to play with her? For now, Casey had no idea but there was one thing she knew for sure- she wouldn't let him win.

Having Casey across the hall from him again had Derek feeling conflicted. At any given moment, he could just walk up to her room and knock on her door. For what, one might ask? That was the part he hadn't quite figured out yet.

But for all the moments when he wished to push her away and for all the moments when he actually succeeded in doing so, they always seemed to return to this place- separated by two doors, with him waiting patiently outside her bedroom for a reason to knock. Waiting for a reason to annoy her or to just talk to her, ready to do pretty much anything that could get a reaction out of her since any response from her gave him enough reason to be there.

More often than not, he barged into her room without much to say. Only after spending so much time without this closeness to her (where sometimes it really seemed as if they were worlds apart), did he realize just how inexplicably drawn to her he truly was. To reach such a conclusion was equally comforting as it was terrifying. When had he finally admitted to himself that he didn't despise her at all? Now maybe, after fighting and contradicting himself for months on end, he could also admit that he actually enjoyed being around her.

He supposed it finally dawned on him at the hospital, when he had to watch her suffer and he seemed to feel every little drop of pain that she was experiencing. It was the first time he had whole-heartedly realized that he didn't want her to be in pain, not then and not ever, though he was sure he had already suppressed the thought a few times before.

So, the thought was there and the seed was planted. There was really no need to panic, Derek would just learn to live with it, just as he'd learned to live with every other nagging, unfortunate thought.

And it seemed to be working, at least until Monday rolled around. Because on that day, right before they were supposed to head back to school, Derek and Casey found themselves to be completely alone in the house. The rest of the family had full schedules and responsibilities to attend to, leaving Casey behind to rest and recover and Derek to look out for her.

Which he was decisively not doing since he spent most of that morning hiding away in his bedroom. Childish? Maybe so, but he wasn't actually avoiding Casey as much as he was trying to avoid the anxiety that grew from the prospect of being alone with her.

After a few hours, Derek decided he wouldn't be hanging back in his bedroom anymore.

Casey wouldn't bite him, maybe she wouldn't even want to talk to him, so there was nothing to fear. He thought a shower might serve him well before facing her though, a way to relax and stir away from Casey-related speculations.

What he didn't expect, however, was that she would be waiting for him outside the bathroom after he finished. His breath hitched as he took her in, arms folded across her chest, her full lips pursed completely. Derek's hair was still dripping down his bare shoulders and his greying towel remained tight around his waist. As soon as he locked eyes with her- it never got any easier- he became suddenly aware of just how naked he was under that towel.

Casey spoke before he could get away.

"Are you avoiding me, Venturi?"

"W-what? Of course not." He scoffed, gripping the towel with nearly inhumane force "Why would I be avoiding you?"

"Maybe you're afraid of me."

He forced a laugh that was perhaps a bit too obnoxious.

"You're dreaming, Case. I'm just busy."

"Studying french, I hope."

"For that I would require your assistance and your company."

She licked her lips in what appeared for Derek to be slow motion.

"And do you?"

"Maybe." He said, a familiar sly smile creeping up on his face "Should I get dressed first?"

It seemed like this was the first that Casey was noticing his underlying nakedness, and Derek could swear she was blushing slightly. Her wide eyes scanned him thoroughly until mid waist, where she dutifully looked away before her position was compromised. She took a breath before answering.

"Well, obviously."

"And are you going to get out my way so that I can get dressed?"

An ember burned in the pit of her stomach; fire ablaze equally in her blue irises. She took a swift step aside, giving Derek space to pass through. He had enough room to get by without touching her but decided instead to graze his shoulder against hers, making some water drops rain from his skin to stain her pajama top. Casey rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Her mind had drawn to a blank as she watched him disappear back into his bedroom. The only thought she could render was begging herself not to stare at the defined muscles lines on his back.

—

Derek was still disastrously incompetent at French.

If her own extra-credit hadn't been hanging in the balance, she might have quit her position and turned to laugh at him, or with him, instead. But the more grammar mistakes he made and the more verbs he misconjugated, the more nervous Casey grew. They'd have to work much harder to fix it, and probably more often as well if Derek was to get a half-decent grade on the next test. The idea alone overwhelmed them both, because being in a truce while spending a few days back home was one thing but just how would that translate to their circumstances at school?

They had never tried to be friends before, even their most 'friendly' moments were scarce and very far inbetween. It all made Casey wonder what lines they were and weren't meant to cross. She figured, for apparently the first time ever, that she would just let him lead, hoping he would cross just enough lines to satisfy them both.

It turned out, however, that things at school were about to get even more complicated.

After packing their bags (they both used this quick getaway to sneak more stuff into school) and saying their heartfelt goodbyes to the rest of the family, at least until Christmas break, they both got in the car with George. On his behalf, he seemed more willing to crack jokes and be himself now that the tension between his son and step-daughter had eased as well. Casey held on tight in the backseat to the birthday present that Nora gifted her, the most beautiful, leatherbound edition of her favorite classic: Pride and prejudice. She was astonished by its beauty, glancing over the smooth pages all the while trying to avoid Derek's incessant stare in the rearview mirror.

"I think the rest of your year will go by really fast." George said, almost an hour into their drive "You need to make the most of it, Derek."

Derek made a slight hum of agreement, having trouble imagining what the rest of the school year would bring them both. George gave his son's shoulder an encouraging squeeze when they arrived, and asked Casey to call home after her appointment to remove her stitches at the end of the week.

They found themselves alone again, standing awkwardly in the parking lot.

Everything had been so blissful during their quick trip home that it gave both of them the illusion that they were somewhat untouchable. They had now made amends with their number one enemy, each other, and everything else seemed very little by comparison. In fact, they were so focused on this idea of newfound common ground that they failed to notice how everyone else around them had started to question the nature of their relationship.

It was no secret that tedious teenagers, especially those locked away in a boarding school, loved to start and spread rumours. Perhaps the curiosity had simply gotten out of hand, or perhaps it had been ill-intentioned from the start, but the reality of the situation was that people were talking about them.

I think they have been secretly dating this whole time.

No, I heard that they're siblings! Ew!

Someone told me the guy was expelled from his old school for selling drugs and that she was in on it too… Maybe it's a Bonnie and Clyde type of shit.

No way, they're definitely cousins.

And Derek, who had been used to getting all sorts of attention for most of his life, was suddenly worried he would drown in all the noise.

They headed their separate ways for the rest of the day, worried they would draw even more attention on themselves for being together around campus. Derek lied back in his bed at night, after having to dismiss all the theories tossed at him by his friends during dinner, and hoped for the courage to text Casey. He was sure she had also heard the rumours by then. Maybe she was also trying to find the courage to say something, and so he waited (like a coward) for her to text first. And a few minutes later, she did.

The message was simple and clear.

"We need to talk about this."

"I know. I'm just not sure what to say."

"We have to lie, obviously."

"Why?"

"They can't know that we're from the same household. We agreed on that."

Derek read her text with amusement. Same household? Interesting choice of words, Case.

"Any ideas?"

"You're the self-proclaimed master of lies, Venturi. Come up with something good and let me know when you do."

"Oh, the queen of manipulation is avoiding responsibility? How disappointing."

She only replied after a few minutes, though it had felt like years.

"Goodnight, Derek."

"Goodnight, princess ;)"

Even after so many months around Casey, he was still unsure of what their relationship was. And if not even he knew, and he was part of it, it was natural for other people to wonder about it as well. But he was even less sure of what he would say, or what lie he would come up with since anything he might make up could very much end up coming back to bite him in the ass.

If nothing more, he was at least thankful for a reason to think about her that night, as he was out of reasons for every other night he spent lying awake with only her image in his mind.