Well this is it! The last chapter! Thank you all who have read this story and left reviews! I hope you all have enjoyed. Sorry for the little bit of delay but I had a huge exam last week which slowed down me writing the last chapter. Anyways, please review! And thanks for reading:)

As always, from Derek's point of view and I don't own 'Life With Derek'

Chapter 5: Sweet Taste of Love

Taste. It's a hidden jewel the sense of taste. It isn't used often; really it is only used in its minimal potential. But taste can change a persons' perception on something. No one knows what something will taste like until they have had the experience. There are thousands of taste buds that line the mouth and the tongue too. Each one able to bring alive something different in the seconds that something touches your mouth. An uplifting experience that one would not think they could experience, almost like a high that one can get with that instant gratification.

Not only are there the thousands of taste buds, but those are split down to being able to distinguish between different tastes. The many different tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter. Some more favorable than others. The first bite into something bitter or vile always makes you cringe, wishing you could rinse out the taste from your mouth. Sometimes salty can be the little extra kick something needs, but sometimes, other things, like salty tears aren't something that are as appealing. Sour, hot, or spicy, any of those senses, are the tasting sensations that we drive ourselves crazy with. The ones that torture us, but yet are so irresistible that we keep putting ourselves through the torture. The torture of overexposing our taste buds to the strongest sensations that can come by.

However, out of all of them, tasting something sweet, is the one that makes us swoon with thought, with lust, and yearning. The taste that make you melt, moan and only hope to have another nibble on that sweet, succulent taste. Every little bit is just slowly savored, as every single taste bud is lit to life. You can never seem to get enough of that sweet taste.

Everyone has that 8 year old kid mentality, the yearning of that little morsel of chocolate, sneaking it whenever possible. Everyone is guilty of it. It's the guilty pleasure that we all indulge in, when we can. Even though our taste buds might not be that sensitive and sometimes miss certain flavors, it can be the one that is most rewarding to us.

I have been YEARNING to know what her lips tasted like. Three in the morning and I still can't fall asleep after the close encounter that happened only a few hours prior. I don't even know why I chickened out. When does the great Derek Venturi EVER deny a girl, especially when every moment was clicking to be perfect? It didn't feel right, to be at the countdown of New Years in front of the whole school. When did I turn into Casey, about it needing to be the right moment, the right scenario?

I rolled over to my side to be looking at the wall that I once loved that it was a barrier, but now I loathed it. It divided us even more so, when all I would like is to be as close to Casey as I possibly could. "She must think I hate her," was all I could say while rubbing my hands over my face. Of course, right after I say this, I hear the faint sound of a sob coming from the other side of wall. My heart only dropped at that. I've never felt as bad as I did at that moment, and Derek Venturi never feels bad.

"What can I even say to her? 'Casey, I'm sorry I turned away at last moment, I pulled a 'you' and freaked out,'……. Yea like that would go over well with her." I say sarcastically as I sit up and sigh. I figured I should go over and try to explain myself. Obviously neither one of us is going to be falling asleep any time soon. Why prolong the agony that is eating away slowly at us.

I get up, grab some chocolate to hopefully put a smile on her face, and take a deep breath before leaving my room and walking around to the one door down from mine. I hear her sniffles quietly, and I already can picture her lying on her bed curling up and crying into her pillow. I knock softly since I don't want to wake up the peanut gallery of Edwin and Lizzie since they would want to see what is going on. I knock again a tad louder since she didn't seem to hear me.

So what does any sensible person, like me, do? Walk in of course.

"Go away Derek," Casey said in a whisper, but the teary voice could easily be heard. Even with the slight amount of moonlight, I could see the blotchy eyes and red cheeks, but her red lips looked just as delicious as they did at the party.

"I brought you some chocolate in hopes to stop you crying so I can fall asleep," I said lazily. I know it wasn't the right thing to say, but honestly, there were too many unspoken things that I was more concerned about getting out to her.

She snatched the chocolate out of my hand, glaring at me all the way. It was Milky Way, her favorite, which is why I knew she wouldn't turn it down. "This still doesn't get you off the hook, I'm still angry at you," was all Casey could say before she sat down on her bed.

I stood in the doorway, leaning against it and pondering my next move. Sure, she took the chocolate, every girl likes something sweet when upset, but still wasn't the reaction I wanted from her. I didn't even know what to say to her, to try to explain my actions. All the meanwhile, I don't even understand it, since at that moment all I had wanted was her lips against mine, to finally give into the temptation that had been brewing in me.

"So?" she said to me in that annoyed voice.

"Why are you even crying anyway?"

Casey looked at me incredulously, "Are you really asking me that Derek? Are you really that oblivious to everything and shallow enough to only see what you want to see?"

I was taken aback; I was not expecting that from her. "Do you really honestly think that about me? Do you think I don't notice other things or how others are feeling? Geez Case, why would I even be here if I was selfish and absorbed in my own thoughts? I would be dead asleep and planning to stay that way until tomorrow afternoon." I said with a raised voice.

"Well I'm sorry but what am I supposed to think? You walked right away from me, leaving me embarrassed in front of everyone. Looking for someone else to cuddle with for New Years or trying to forget that you shouldn't be socializing with me in social settings?" She said while jumping off the bed to glare at me.

"Oh stop being a drama queen, you always jump to conclusions and attack someone before they have a chance to explain their side of the story."

"That is SO NOT true Derek. Just admit it."

I looked at her, breathing heavy and getting more frustrated every second. "Look, I'm sorry I left you by yourself at Sam's party, but I needed to clear my head, I had a lot on my mind."

"And I didn't? Derek, I had no idea what was going on right at that moment, and honestly I'm even more lost as we speak. Just admit it, you chickened out."

Wow, I wasn't expecting Casey to have balls and to say it. Hey, I figured she would just cry and leave it be, never to actually call me out on it. "HEY! I did NOT chicken out; a Venturi never backs down from anything." I took a step closer as my breathing increased in my anger, "And don't you forget it."

There was a pregnant pause as we both challenged each other, our eyes dancing in the moonlight. We were both breathing hard, our only means of getting our frustration out. This was not how I pictured the conversation going. Though, really, I didn't have a plan coming into it either. I look at her face again and spot her rosy cheeks, but her fiery, red lips were calling out to me. Through all my built up anger in this, I still wanted to know what they tasted like.

"Then what the hell is going on Der-ek? For months, there's been this….. this….. THING going on and I don't know what it is. We went from fighting like THIS but then things changed. Well, really, you started changing. You stopped pranking me and calling me names on a normal occurrence. Sometimes, yes, but it was never the same. You always had this look on your face." Casey started ranting.

"What are you TALKING about?" I said, but my nerves were starting to creep up on me.

Casey looked at me with that look. The look telling me that I wasn't kidding anybody. "Let me finish. I don't know what games you are trying to pull. You started giving me the Venturi look, the nod, the wink. Emily noticed it first. It was as if I was one of those girls that you went after…."

"Casey……", I said with her pleading.

"No DEREK, listen to me!" She yelled at me, the tears starting to pour down her face. "I've had enough. I don't know what sick GAME you are trying to pull. Did you make a bet with your 'hockey buddies' to see if you could get me to fall for you? Well CONGRATULATIONS, you succeeded. Do you really hate me that much?"

"I don't hate….."

"NO DEREK!" Casey walked straight towards me and pushed me to show how angry she was. "I'm done. Just stop whatever you are doing. After dating Noel for so long I never thought I could fall for someone again anytime soon. But you did everything right even though I knew it was so, SO wrong."

Casey stopped here, the tears still streaming down her cheeks. I just wanted to scream to her, tell her that this wasn't some bet or joke. My feelings were genuine, that I actually do care about her. The whole time she yelled at me, I just kept focusing on her lips, with the small hint of chocolate that is in the corner of her mouth. Every word that past those lips didn't matter, just the perfection of her lips was what mattered most in that second. Each heavy breath just led to me focusing on her lips even more.

I closed the distance, not able to take this torture anymore. Grabbing her face, I crash my lips against those fiery red lips that Casey has, the desire overwhelming me. I groan automatically, tasting the hint of chocolate that still lingered on her lips. I hold nothing back, kissing her with all the passion I feel for her. Wanting to engrain every texture and taste that her lips possessed because it was such a good feeling. She kissed back with the same intensity and I dug my hands into her hair. All my senses were heightened, my lips on fire as I enjoyed every taste of Casey. The chocolaty, smooth feel, but the saltiness that was fresh on her lips from the tears she was just crying. The slightest hint of caramel was dancing lightly on my lips.

The lack of air led me to pull away from her, the distance already seeming like it was miles away. I tried regaining my breath as I stared into her blue eyes, searching for an answer. What did this mean? Where did we stand? But more importantly: When can we do that again and get another taste? She was more addictive than candy or any sweet that a kid wants. My wants was her, and her alone. I wanted every inch of her and for her to be all my own. She looked at me, a sparkle in her eye.

"That was…. That was, wow," was all Casey could say breathlessly.

"I have the great Casey speechless? Call the presses," I say kidding, with a smirk, needing the little bit of humor to cool me down. All funny aside, I took a deep breath. "Casey, I care about you, and I can't describe how these feelings came about. Just, everything about you, the littlest things, all started getting to me. I've wanted to do that for so long, and you were right, I chickened out."

Casey smirked at me. "Can you repeat that for me."

"That I wanted to do that for so long?" I said with a smile, knowing full well what she wanted me to repeat.

"Derek!" she said laughing before kidding around and punching me in the shoulder, "You know what I mean."

I laugh before kissing her lightly on the forehead and look down to search her eyes. "I know Case, you were. It took so long to come to terms with my feelings and I couldn't let another day go by, ESPECIALLY with what you thought, and you thinking that I didn't truly like you. I've been falling for you, hard."

She kisses me one last time, the lovely chocolate, salty taste again. One that I wanted to know forever and never lose. One that I wanted to enjoy and learn all the different other flavors that Casey has to offer. To show her all the feelings I possess and have been holding inside of her.

"It's a good start to the year," she said, entwining her hand with mine.

I couldn't agree more with her. It only took most of the year to finally come to the understanding of what Casey meant to me. And all my animal-like instincts led to me seeing very different sides of Casey and opening many different emotions that I never realized I could have. And so many more discoveries will be made through time, but the moment was now.

"I couldn't agree with you more Casey, I couldn't agree with you more."

It's only the 1st of January and already it's the best year I've had in a long time. And for the first time, I fell hard for the girl and pursued the girl, and got the girl in the end, making me fall even more for her.

And I wouldn't change a MINUTE of it.

There you have it! The end of the story! Yay for Dasey!!!! I hope you liked it. Keep a lookout for a new story to come around the holidays and a one shot really soon. PLEASE REVIEW:)