A/N: Thanks for all the support. I will always accept help and criticism. Don't be too mean!

Thanks Kitty-mrow, never thought of it that way for the first chapter. I will definately incorporate what you said in later chapters.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Sweets

BAM! Casey smacked right into Derek. It was so dark in the hall and she was so overwhelmed with her thoughts that she did not see him. Derek was also lost in his own little world to even see her. Before either of them could react, Derek was holding Casey in his arms, leaning over her with her arms around his neck.

If it was a romantic movie, Derek would lean in and give Casey the most amazing kiss of her life. Unfortunately for both of them, it was just another night in the Venturi/MacDonald household.

Oh my god, I'm going to fall down the stairs and break my neck. Casey thought at she twirled into the ground. She then noticed the arms wrap around her, spinning her to face him. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, trying to find some balance as she felt she was going to hit the floor.

His arms fit so perfectly around her body, molding into every crevice. All those years of hockey gave Derek the strength to hold Casey in his arms without any strain. Casey couldn't help but feel Derek's arm and chest muscle. Over the past 3 years living in that house with him, she noticed how he developed from a lanky teenager into a built man, but not over the top with muscles. Hockey had always kept him toned, but he really grew into his body, and Casey was really appreciating hockey at this time.

As Casey started to fall after crashing into Derek, his first instinct was to not let her get hurt. He quickly grabbed her and spun her towards him. As she spun in his arms, her hair gently brushed against his face. The smell of her shampoo was intoxicating and he was swept away into a world of coconuts.

Shit! They both thought at the same time. After allowing Casey to gain her balance and get to her feet, he let go of her. Over the years the touch of one another was enticing, but neither let the touch linger too long. They were always terrified that the other would realize the hidden feelings and things would be destroyed. They were too embarrassed to go for what they wanted, afraid of rejection.

He knows! Shit! He knows. What the hell am I going to do? Why did I have to hold on to him? "Thanks" mumbled out of her mouth. Afraid to look at him, she rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Casey went to the refrigerator and took out milk and the cookies she baked earlier that day. After placing a few on a plate, she placed them into the microwave for 1 minute.

Casey got home from the mall that day around 1pm. She looked at the note on the table, seeing Derek was out playing hockey with friends and everyone else was at the zoo. She figured she had a little bit of time for herself and decided she wanted something sweet. Her body began moving without her mind telling her to.

The ingredients were out and she began to start mixing everything together. She had baked chocolate chip cookies so many times before that she didn't need to look at the recipe.

Casey knew that Derek liked sweets after playing hockey. She knew he loved homemade chocolate chip cookies. She knew he liked them warm, but from the microwave and not the oven. She knew they would be cool by the time he got home.

She began humming to the song on the radio as she began placing small balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Casey's favorite way to make cookies was to press down the ball of dough with her thumb and put the chocolate chips on top. She loved that initial taste of chocolate as the cookie entered her mouth. After a few trays were done, she started on her last as her thoughts drifted away from her.

Casey started thinking about Derek. She always seemed to be in a trance when she thought about him, like her body was on autopilot. He consumed her every thought. She wondered if he would win his game, or go out to dinner with the guys, or sit with her tonight when she watched tv. Casey wanted to call him and see if he had plans or if he would be home tonight. She wanted to know if he would be near her.

As she took the last tray out of the oven, she glanced down at the 5 remaining cookies on the tray. She couldn't remember placing the chips into the shape of letters. She looked down and sighed at the D-E-R-E-K that stared up at her.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that Casey didn't hear the front door open. She was snapped back to reality when she heard her mother's voice from the other side of the kitchen door.

"Honey, the cookies smell great." Nora said as she entered the kitchen. Casey instinctively grabbed the 5 cookies and shoved them into her mouth at once. She couldn't even look up to her mother. "I was just really in the mood for something sweet," Casey mumbled after she finally swallowed, glancing down at the counter. She was completely unaware of the knowing look on her mother's face.

Derek was left at the top of the stairs in a daze when Casey ran off. The fascinating smell of her hair could keep him in a stupor for hours. The amazing smell of coconuts with the small fruity fragrance of her skin drove him crazy. He knew what perfume she wore, the cheaper stuff smelling of apples that kept him up at night. He knew that she would never buy anything expensive.

When Casey first moved in during the union of the Venturi's and MacDonald's, Derek would always try to get up early in the morning to get to the shower first, knowing that it got on her nerves. After his feelings towards her changed, he would always wake up a little later, so he would enter a bathroom with the smell of her shampoo and perfume enveloping him. He began to love the mix of coconuts and apples.

He began thinking about how stupid he was to hold her so close. Damn it, she knows and will never talk to me again. But he knew that he would not let her get hurt, he could not see her in any pain. Why did I have to hold her so close? Derek was terrified to face her and see a look of disgust in her face, because he knew that she would never want to be so close to him.

The scent of cookies took his fear away as he found himself in front of the kitchen door. He didn't know how he got there, but he knew he was drawn to her, drawn to everything about her. He opened the door and saw near the counter, with a cookie to her lips. He sat down across the table and just stared at her.

She obviously did not notice him come into the kitchen. She was completely oblivious when she was focused on her thoughts. Derek could not help but wonder what would keep her in such a trance. What was so important to her, if she ever was swept away thinking about him.

He reached out and took a cookie from her plate. He was always amazed that cookies were always made when he was in the mood, especially after playing hockey. He was also amazed at the difference in taste her cooking had compared to Nora's. He always knew when she cooked. He could smell it in the air. And the tantalizing taste of everything always made him go for more. He would never get seconds in front of her though, afraid that eating her food would show his true feelings. He always snuck down in the middle of the night to get what he craved, any leftovers made by Casey.

Derek couldn't help but notice how perfect she looked in the slight light coming in the window from the moon. He was absolutely mesmerized by everything about her. The curves of her body, the smoothness of her skin, her captivating eyes. She had such natural beauty to her and she doesn't even know it. Casey had grown up and filled out during the 3 years that Derek knew her. He loved every single inch of her body. But it was not only her body that he loved. He loved her feistiness, her brains, and her ability to talk to anyone and make them feel completely comfortable. He loved the way he felt being near her, just sitting next to her watching tv.

Casey still hadn't noticed that Derek was with her in the kitchen, eating her cookies. It was when he was drinking from her cup that she noticed she was not alone. After reaching for a cup to come up empty handed, Casey looked up and saw Derek finishing her milk.

"Derek! Why do you have to always take my stuff?" Casey said staring at Derek's upper lip. Maybe I could just lick his upper lip and explain that I was dying of dehydration. Yup, he will definitely believe that.

"Casey, why do you always have to have what I want?" Derek said before he could help himself. Oh my god! What did I just say? She knows now, she has to. Derek immediately looked down at the counter, mentally kicking himself. He felt her gorgeous blue eyes boring a hole into his brain.

What does that mean? Why would he word it like that? Casey's mind was running a mile a minute. He couldn't want me could he? Of course not Casey, don't read too much into it. "Fine Derek, I'm going to bed. Enjoy the rest of my cookies."

Casey pushed her plate across the table towards Derek as she got up to leave. He smirked just a little bit. But it was not the smirk he used to have. It has changed, but just around her. It was always a little more of a smile than a smirk when he was with her.

Just as she was about to push open the kitchen door Derek called her name, which always made her heart skip a beat. "Hey Case."

"What Der?" Derek inwardly sighed, loving the name she called him when she was annoyed. Or that's the emotion he thought she had when she called him that.

"Are you scared?" he asked her.

Hesitating, Casey decided not to lie. "Yeah, I am a little." With that, Casey left Derek alone in the dark kitchen as she headed up to her room.