Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations in the television series Life With Derek. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. As you may have noticed, I have used quotes from various television shows and movies. I will always cite every quote at the bottom of the fic. With television shows, I will make every effort to list not only the series but the episode.

Author's Note: I meant to update on Monday, but life got in the way. Sorry! Anyways, better late then never, right? Enjoy 

Chapter Four

Derek Venturi yanked his locker open, furiously throwing his gear away. Practice had been abysmal. He had lost control of the puck every time he gained possession, allowed himself to be checked more times in a single practice session than he had all season, was completely unable to feint at all, tripped over his own stick four times, and in a never-before seen move, had actually lost control of the stick itself as it was in mid-swing, hitting another player in the head. It had been, without a doubt, the worst he had ever played.

He had never been more grateful for Sam. Though they weren't exactly on speaking terms, Derek hadn't received any shit from the rest of the guys, which meant that, for whatever reason, Sam had not made through with his threat. If he had, practice would have certainly been a lot worse.

As if on cue, Sam came out from around the corner, having hit the showers the moment practice had ended. He paused for a moment, apparently hoping that Derek would have been gone by the time he returned. If things had been different, Sam would have stroked up a conversation, making Derek forget about his awful performance. Instead, he didn't even acknowledge him at all.

Derek glanced briefly into Sam's locker, at the picture of Casey he had not yet taken down. He had not understood why Sam's playing always got worse when he and Casey were in their make-up, break-up phase, but now he thought he understood exactly what Sam had been going through.

It had been three days since he and Casey had started… whatever it was that was going on between them now. They hadn't exactly defined it. They hadn't really talked at all, which was fine with Derek. Whenever they talked, it usually ended up in an exhausting fight. But whenever they kissed…

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Derek slammed Casey against the wall, their lips crashing into one another once again as he pressed his body into hers, needing to get closer. She pushed against him roughly, shoving him back up against the door, which rattled as their kiss deepened, her hands snaking underneath his sweater.

"God, this is so wrong," she murmured, nibbling his neck, pulling his shirt above his head and tossing it to the side.

Derek groaned. "Are you going to say that every time we start going somewhere? Because, you know, it kind of kills the moment."

"Derek, we're in such denial," Casey told him, pulling away. I mean, when we're around other people we pretend like nothing's changed… but the moment we're alone it turns into this."

"This what?" Derek asked her, smirking.

"This embarrassing, incestual grope fest," Casey said, throwing up her hands, only to have them wind up around Derek's neck.

"Okay, first of all," Derek said, kissing the nape of her neck as he began to move to her jaw. "It is not incest. And second of all, it can't be embarrassing when no one knows we've been making out."

Casey groaned as he nibbled on her ear. "But I hate you," she mumbled halfheartedly.

"Believe me, the feeling's still mutual," Derek assured her automatically.

"Well," Casey sighed, grinning as she leaned in for another kiss. "Just as long as we understand each other…."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Venturi!"

Derek's head snapped up, and he yelped in pain as he slammed it against the corner of his locker. Pressing his hand against the searing pain, he glumly turned to face his coach.

Coach Myers raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips, clearly not amused by Derek's clumsiness. "I don't know what's gotten your game out of sync," Myers told him. "But you better figure it out. Play like that tomorrow, and I'm benching you for the game."

"Yes sir," Derek said quickly, silently cursing Casey.

He turned back to his locker, gingerly swiping his fingers across his forehead, checking for blood. When he looked up again, Sam was blatantly staring at him, evidently trying to decide whether or not he should say anything.

"Here," he finally said, reaching into his bag. He pulled out an ice pack, and tossed it to him.

Derek caught it, surprised. "Thanks," he said grudgingly.

"No problem," Sam said, turning back to his bag.

Derek sighed, realizing that he was going to have to make the first move. "No. I mean, thanks for-"

"Like I said," Sam told him, cutting him off. "No problem."

Sam hesitated. "Try Babe Raider."

"What?" Derek asked, confused.

"When Casey and I were on-again, off-again…" Sam said sheepishly. "Playing Babe Raider helped me get over it."

Derek averted his eyes, suddenly feeling guilty. Somehow, he knew that Babe Raider wasn't going to help him, but he couldn't tell Sam that.

"Thanks," he said again, awkwardly.

Sam just nodded. He turned around to zip up his hockey bag, slinging it over his shoulders as he turned his back on Derek, and walked out of the locker room without another word.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Derek dropped his hockey bag into the laundry room as he made his way into the kitchen. He was incredibly exhausted and in desperate need of a shower, but as always, his food craving after practice took precedence.

"How was practice?"

Derek's hands fumbled with the plate he had been reaching for, dropping it.

"Damnit!" Derek cursed angrily as the plate crashed onto the ground, breaking into pieces. He whirled around, glaring at Casey. "Damnit, Casey! Look what you made me do!"

Casey let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "I didn't do anything.."

"You don't just sneak up on people like that!" Derek exclaimed, glowering at her.

"You're being ridiculous," Casey told him flatly, shaking her head.

"What's ridiculous," Derek snapped furiously, "Is that I have never had a more awful practice in my life, and it's entirely your fault."

Casey rolled her eyes. "And how, exactly, is this my fault?"

"Because you're all I kept thinking about!" Derek replied angrily. "I don't know what the hell is going on between us, but we better figure it out, because I can't keep doing it. It's driving me insane. I can't be benched because of some bizarre gravitational pull towards my step-sister."

"Yu think I enjoy feeling this way towards you?" Casey demanded. "I can't stop thinking about you, or wanting to be near you all the time… and it's making me feel awful. God, if our parents found out…"

She trailed off, looking away from him.

Derek drew in a deep breath. "We could stop," he said as casually as he could manage.

Casey looked up at him sadly. "Could we?"

"If you wanted to," Derek told her honestly, and he hesitated. "It won't be easy, you know. And no one can ever know."

Casey sighed. "I know."

"But you're kinda growing on me," Derek admitted, playfully kicking at her legs.

"You sure do know how to romance a girl," Casey told him sarcastically as he reached out and wrapped an arm around her, drawing her close.

"Yeah, well," Derek said, suddenly serious. "Stick around. I get better."

"Maybe I will," Casey said softly, drawing him closer.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"We're in such denial. I mean, when we're around other people we pretend like nothing's changed, but the moment we're alone it turns into this."

"This what?"

"This embarrassing grope fest"- The Longest Day, Dawson's Creek Season 3

I can't stop thinking about you, or wanting to be near you all the time"- The Longest Day, Dawson's Creek Season 3

"… and it's making me feel awful"- Stolen Kisses, Dawson's Creek Season 3

"Yeah, well. Stick around."

"Maybe I will"- Jersey Girl