Title: In the Bathroom
Author: Kathea
Rating: T-M
Pairing: Derek/Casey
Category: Romance
Summary: Oh the things that can happen in a bathroom
AN: Okay, not anywhere near my normal fandom and not really sure what compelled me to write this but here it is. I think LWD came on Disney America after I got out of college, so I'm a little overage. This is set towards the end of their senior year.
AN2: Thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate it. Also, if this seems disjointed it is. It is continuous in the sense that one event follows after another but look at each chapter as a vignette. Also, this is almost all written. I think we'll be done at 5 chapters.
Chapter 4: Privacy
When the belligerent knocking never happened, Derek knew he won. It was a hollow victory since he still dreamed about her. He could tough it out a few more months. Graduation was coming. Once summer arrived, he'd be out of the house then on to college. Derek was sure that proximity was the culprit for the length of this particular obsession.
"Uh, Derek" a familiar voice called. The voice was in the bathroom. A little hazy from the steam and acoustics but definitely in the bathroom. "Care to hurry it up? Lizzie is waiting to berate you on your hot water usage. You're endangering the planet." Okay, not hallucinating, definitely Casey. Poking his head around the curtain, Derek indeed found Casey perched serenely on the toilet seat.
"Casey? What on earth?" His power of sarcasm had disappeared. The shock of a lifetime will do that to a person. He was, however, do a fabulous guppy impression. A nefarious gleam lit Casey's blue eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry." So insincere. " Was this your private time? I was under the impression that since you ignored an agreed upon, highly visible schedule and a closed and locked door that the bathroom was no longer a private area. My bad. But I'm sure you can see how I could misinterpret your behavior in that manner." She was all reason. "I can't think of another reason why you would so blatantly ignore our negotiated personal space rules. Especially, since you defined them so clearly. Can you? You can't be that hard up for female companionship that you'd resort to me. You've said often enough how unattractive I am." Her blue eyes were wide and a fake bright.
"No. That's not…um." Derek stuttered out. Who was this Casey? A pod person, surely. The Casey he knew and privately fantasized about wasn't this confident and brave. She definitely didn't know words like hard up much less say them without blushing.
"Towel?" Casey asked sweetly, holding out a fluffy white towel. Oh God, he'd created a monster.
~~~!~~~!~~~
The Casey victory dance began as soon as the bathroom door shut behind her. Derek made a rookie mistake in underestimating the competition. You always lull them into a false sense of security and then BAM! hit them when least expected. Casey two-stepped and twirled her way into her room. Laughing freely as Derek's fish face replayed in her head.
Critically grading her performance, Casey would give herself an A- but only because she'd forgotten a line. The rest of her act was genius. No wavering voice, no stutter, no weak knees and most importantly, no blushing. A rousing success. If it shut Derek up, it was worthy of a reprise. Derek's retaliation niggled a the back of her mind. He would return fire. She had to count on that and be ready. Casey would be ready. Forewarned is forearmed.
~~~!~~~!~~~
It was days later. Casey was still waiting for the return attack. It was like walking on eggshells. The sunshine beckoned from outside her window. Casey wasn't going to waste a beautiful Saturday indoors in her room.
Derek was stretched out in the recliner, drink in hand, watching an old hockey game when Casey skipped down the stairs. Ed and Lizzie were playing a card game while Nora and George were working at the dining room table. At seeing Casey's reflection in the TV screen, Derek jolted from his chair whirling to face Casey on the stairs.
"No. No way." Casey halted in her descent, genuinely confused. "Turn around and go change."
"What?" Indignant with hands on her hips.
"You can't go out like that."
"And why not?"
"Public decency laws, for starters. Nora, back me up on this." Derek said plaintively.
"Mom!" was Casey's aggrieved rejoinder.
"Right now, young lady." Derek ordered.
"How dare you! I look fine. You don't control what I wear!"
"You do NOT look fine. That shirt barely covers you. I've seen hookers with more clothes. Now, go." He shooed at her with his hands.
"Derek, that is quite enough!" George said sternly. "You apologize to Casey right now."
Tears appeared in Casey's eyes. "No George. I'm glad to know how he really feels." The tears were falling freely now. She turned to go back up. "Which would you find more acceptable nun or 19th century school marm." She all but shouted back before pelting up the stairs.
"Derek", George said ominously. Derek obeyed the implied threat and followed Casey's quiet ascent. Mere seconds after the door slammed behind Casey it reopened and slammed behind Derek. The yelling continued, if muted from Casey's room.
Casey was ripping her tube top over her head when Derek burst through the door. Whipping around, shirt held carefully over her chest, Casey tried in vain to control the tears.
"Der-erk! Get out!" Derek only crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Haven't you done enough damage today? I was counting on retaliation but was calling me a hooker really necessary!"
"That wasn't revenge." Was his cool reply.
"Then what the hell was it!"
"When you are dressed like that…"
"Stop," Casey interrupted. "I get it. Menace to society…"
"it makes me want you more."
"You…it what?"
"This is revenge." Derek said claiming her lips.
~~~!~~~!~~~
When the silence persisted from the second floor George looked at Nora in concern. "Should we go see which one is dead?" Nora only rolled her eyes. On the couch, money quietly changed hands.
~~~!~~~!~~~
When Derek and Casey finally pulled apart, they were breathing heavily. Derek was still holding Casey close, fingers running carefully over all the bare skin he could reach. With her shirt still clasped between them, his hands covered her back in warm, tingling circles.
"I…yeah…so." Casey started.
"So." Derek responded bringing their foreheads together.
"That's revenge?" Casey said starting to giggle.
"Yeah. It's the best I could come up with."
"I'm not complaining." Casey said quickly. "Just a little surprised."
"Oh?"
"I mean, I knew how I felt but how was I supposed to know what you…felt?"
"See, if hadn't gone to an all-girls school you would know that when a boy picks on a girl" and he tweaked a piece of her hair gently, "it means he likes her."
"Ah. I see." Confident Casey came to the surface with a smile. "Do you think you could show me again how much you like me."
"I think I could do that." Derek said with a smile and once again bent his lips to hers.
