Dreaming
Chapter 9
Previously…
He knew he was being ridiculous but couldn't stop himself.
Casey entered the room and collapsed on the bed. She was exhausted. She lay there for several minutes before struggling to sit up and dig the pajamas from her suitcase. She open the bag and immediately noticed all of her clothes were missing. She stood up and turned the suitcase upside down shaking it. What kind of prank is this? She thought. Then she froze. Prank. No. No. No. Her mouth worked faster than her brain could stop it. "Der-ek!" She screamed looking around the room frantically. She heard a chuckle and held her breath. She heard movement in the bathroom and she looked around for a weapon. She picked up the night stand lamp and yelled, "I'm not afraid of you, you bastard. Come out here."
"I sure hope you're not afraid of me." Came the deep playful voice from the bathroom that sounded very familiar.
Casey didn't move, her mind trying to process the implications of hearing that voice.
Derek leaned against the bathroom door jamb with a cocky smile on his face which turned to mock terror as he saw Casey was holding the lamp like a baseball bat. Derek raised his hands up in surrender. "Calm down Casey it was just a prank. When did you get so violent?" He crossed the room and took the lamp from her hand setting it back down on the night stand. When he turned to face her she shoved him so hard he stumbled back onto the bed.
"Casey, it's me Derek." Surprised by her actions.
"That's why I shoved you." She spat out picking up a pillow and hitting him with it.
She might have caught him off-guard with the first hit, but she wouldn't again as he picked up the other pillow and began whacking her with it. They were in a full out fight wrestling on the bed when Casey yelled, "Ow!"
Thinking he had hurt her, Derek stopped abruptly and Casey whacked him in the face one last time. He couldn't believe that he got owned twice in one fight. He pulled her to him and looked into her fierce blue eyes. They filled with tears as she put her head down on his chest and started to beat him lightly with her fists. "I hate you. "I hate you." I hate you."
Derek wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He pressed his lips into her hair and whispered, "I know."
Casey finally stopped crying and pulled away. "What are you doing here?"
"Ralph brought me."
"You answered how, not why." Casey said dryly.
"I wanted to see you."
Casey's smile trembled. "You look good. A helluva lot better than the last time I saw you."
"Too bad I can't say the same for you Princess, or is your mascara supposed to be streaky?"
"Der-ek!" Casey started to rub at her face vigorously only making the make-up smear worse.
Derek pulled her hands from her face and held them in his, his face turning serious. "I know you came to see me."
Casey pulled away, stood up, and started looking for her missing clothes. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"The air vent."
Casey turned to look Derek with a confused expression on her face. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh"
Derek's voice was low and heavy with emotion. "I know you came. I heard you talking."
Casey froze as she unloaded clothes from the air vent. After a pause, she continued unloading. "You have me listed as your ICE. I had to come." She replied haughtily.
"You were on tour. You could have called Dad and Nora." She could hear the searching in his voice.
"The doctor wanted to talk to me." Casey dumped her clothes back into her suitcase and picking up her pajamas walked into the bathroom. Never once had she looked into Derek's eyes.
"You came more than once."
Casey shut the bathroom door. "I can't hear you," She called as the shower turned on.
Derek sighed and shook his head. He walked over to the bathroom door, opened it a crack and called. "No problem, Princess. I'll still be here when you get out."
"Go to bed."
"Thanks for the invite. Where're you going to sleep?"
Casey's head popped around the shower curtain and glared at Derek who was still in the doorway. "I meant in your own room."
"Hotel's booked. Some famous band is staying here."
Casey's eyes narrowed and she snarled. "Then go sleep with Ralph."
"Eh, I don't really swing that way Case."
"Der-ek!"
"Yes?" The total innocent.
Casey growled. "Fine then you can sleep here. Just stay on your own side of the bed."
"Yes, ma'am." Derek saluted her.
Casey grumbled as she pulled the shower curtain back forcefully. Derek chuckled. It was so easy to get her riled up.
He pulled his small bag out from under the bed where he had hidden it, and turned off all the lights except the lamp on the night stand. He changed into pajama pants, plumped up the pillows, and slid under the covers.
Casey stayed in the shower for almost half and hour letting the hot water cascade over her tight muscles. Her mind spun as she replayed the last 45 minutes. Finally deciding on a plan, she turned off the water and got ready for bed.
When she exited the bathroom she noticed all the lights were off except one. Derek was sitting in the bed, propped up by pillows, reading a book. She bit her lip. He looked so domestic.
"Hey." she said casually, walking over to the bed.
He looked up and smiled. "Hey." It should be illegal to look that adorable.
She slid under the covers. "Look I'm kinda tired and overwhelmed. Can we just go to sleep and talk in the morning?"
"Sure," he replied yawning. "G'night." He rolled over facing away from her.
This was not the reaction Casey was expecting, and she almost started to argue with him, but then decided she really should be well rested before the inevitable conversation took place. "G'night." She said turning off the light and laying down. She stared up at the ceiling for several minutes before rolling over on her side away from Derek, a feeling of disappointment washed over her. A minute later she felt Derek shift and an arm encircled her waist pulling her toward him. She automatically stiffened then relaxed as his body's warmth permeated to her very soul and soon she fell into a comfortable sleep.
AN: Okay folks, that's a wrap. One more chapter to go, and it's full of the Dasey goodness that you crave.
Ralph: It's about time, Britt. The reviewers have been asking for it since chapter one.
Brittany: Ralph, you know I had to build the sexual tension first.
Ralph: AAHHH! My virgin ears.
Brittany: Cut it out, Ralph.
Ralph: Hey maybe next time you can give me a bigger part that includes a hot girl? By the way, nice shoes.
Brittany: Ralph you're lucky you got a part in this story at all. Most people don't even include you. And stop looking at my shoes.
Ralph: What! I like your shoes.
Brittany: G'night Ralph. I need to post this.
Ralph: Wait!
Brittany: What now?
Ralph: Am I going to be in the last chapter?
Brittany: You'll just have to wait and see.
Ralph: You know you love me right.
Brittany: Yeah, yeah. G'night.
Ralph: Night.
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