Disclaimer: I don't own the show Life With Derek, or Eve 6, or the Cartel song: If I Fail

A/N: This is short chapter. Sorry. : ) Thanks for the reviews!

--Am I the only one that thinks it's totally awesome that Ashley Leggat has some Dasey music videos on her favorites on YouTube? Ahhhhhhh!

--Beautiful Oblivion--

Chapter Five: oh, i have the hardest time, resisting you

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…" Casey was mumbling to herself. And pacing. And picking up fallen clothes and books, and pens and just about anything that wasn't in its exact place or order around her room.

"What did I just do? What was I thinking? I obviously wasn't thinking!" she muttered to herself, sitting on her bed and trying to calm herself down. She took in deep breaths and tried to let them out slowly. It didn't work; she ended up wheezing and having to put her head between her legs.

"Oh, no, oh, no, oh no…"

I can't believe I just kissed my stepbrother. I can't believe I just kissed my stepbrother! I can't believe I just kissed Derek. I can't believe I just kissed Derek

"What is wrong with me?" she shouted towards the ceiling, as if she would get some sort or rational answer.

Her next thought, she could not help.

If Derek were here, he would probably start listing off all of the things he thinks are annoying about me right about now.

"Ugh! I don't want to think about him anymore!" But she couldn't help it.

Why did I kiss him?

She really didn't know. She'd never really thought about Derek that way before. In that moment, though, it just seemed like a good idea.

But WHY?

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Derek was still in his room, talking to himself; much like Casey next door.

"Well, obviously that wasn't a good idea," he said. He had his face in his hands. "I'm such an idiot. Why did I just do that?" He growled into his hands and then had a thought.

Wait a second…

"I wasn't even the one to make the first move! Why am I freaking out?"

He then decided that it was a good time to confront Casey about what had just happened in his bedroom. He was going to go over to her and do what she had apparently had wanted to do all along: talk. Just talk.

He stood up and walked out of his room, heading a little ways down the hall to Casey's bedroom door. When he got there, he stood in front of it, and counted to ten quietly, composing himself. Then, when he got to ten, he lifted his hand and was about to knock on her door when it swiftly opened.

Casey and Derek were once again looking at each other. This time, though, they had at least two feet in between them.

Why do we keep ending up around each other? she thought. We have the whole house to ourselves and he just has to be outside my door.

"Casey…" Derek started, but found he didn't know what he wanted to say. She just stared at him, a slightly bewildered look on her face.

"Derek," she responded, her voice calm and level, despite what her face looked like.

None of them said anything. They just watched one another.

Casey had a faint redness on her cheeks and even Derek was blushing. A little. Casey didn't notice this, though because she was too set on keeping her breathing steady. She really didn't want to be near him at the moment. She was still too wigged out about what had happened. What she had done.

Why did I do it? she thought again. Oh right. I still haven't come up with a plausible answer.

Finally, Derek glanced away from her eyes and noticed the towel and robe in her hands.

"Going to take a shower?" he asked in a bored voice. He was trying to pretend like everything was normal since she didn't seem to be in the mood to talk about the situation.

"Yes," she said simply. "I am." She shifted her feet, waiting for him to get out of her way so that she could proceed to the bathroom.

So this is how we're going to play it, she thought.

So this is how we're going to play it, he thought at the same time.

"Fine. I'll take one after you."

"Good idea."

They looked at each other for a moment more before Derek moved aside and Casey walked out of her room, shutting the door firmly behind her and leaving Derek standing in the hallway, once again alone.

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Casey entered the bathroom and sighed. After years of living in the Venturi household, she still couldn't get the men of the house to pick up after themselves. In every corner of the bathroom there was some article of clothing: Edwin's pajama pants, Derek's hockey jersey, George's white button up shirt, and a random green towel by the tub.

She walked over to the towel and kicked it towards the laundry basket. She still couldn't understand why it was so hard for them to just put their dirty things into it, rather than leaving them on the floor.

Before she disrobed, she turned on the water and then looked at herself in the mirror.

Her eyes were wide and seemed to be a darker shade of blue than usual. Her cheeks were very…pink, and her hair was in a messy bun. As she began to take her clothing off, her thoughts started to wander.

I'm surprised that he kissed me back, I mean, I look horrible right now, she thought. Derek doesn't kiss girls that look as scrubby as I do right now. Then she grimaced. Why do I keep thinking about Derek and that damn kiss? It's not like it was a good one, or anything.

"You are so in denial," she said to her reflection in the mirror.

Yeah, it was actually an amazing kiss.

For a moment she contemplated slapping herself. Just lifting her hand and giving a good one to her right cheek.

She decided against it though, since she didn't believe in violence, even if it was towards herself.

Ha! You're such a hypocrite, Casey MacDonald.

Suddenly she pictured all of the many times when she and Derek would slap, kick, and wrestle with each other. Just a little while ago she had punched him.

"Oh, whatever," she said before stepping into her bath.

Normally, she took showers, but tonight, with the snowstorm and her stormy thoughts, she wanted to go all out and relax in a hot tub filled with fresh scented, bubbly water.

"Ahh," she sighed after she shut the water off and fully submerged her body. It was hot, hotter than she'd ever made a bath before, but she wanted it that way. It kept her mind off of things, mainly her stepbrother. "No, I am not thinking about him right now."

I really have to stop talking to myself out loud, and having conversations in my head as if I'm actually talking to someone other than myself.

Realizing that she was still conversing with herself, albeit in her thoughts, she let out and "Ugh," and kicked her right leg, splashing water over the bathtub and onto the floor.

"Oops," she said, sheepishly, but she was grinning. For the first time in what seemed like all night, she wasn't thinking about Derek. And it felt nice.

She spent the next half hour relaxing. Of course, she had no idea that she had been in there for that long. So, when she heard the banging on the bathroom door and Derek's voice complaining, it was like she was being whisked back to reality after being on a short vacation.

"What?" she called out, annoyed.

"I said, are you ever planning on coming out from there?" yelled a frustrated sounding Derek.

"Of course!"

"Well, you've already been in there forever, and I need to shower, too."

"Just hold on Derek. It's not like you have to be anywhere right now."

"Actually," she heard him say before he opened the bathroom door and peeked his head in, "Right now, I need to be in here."

"De-rek!" Casey screamed as she sat up and covered the top half of her body. "Close the door!" She hastily grabbed onto the shower curtain and tried to pull it back, but it seemed to be stuck.

"Chill, out. I'm not looking at you or anything."

"Get out, get out, get out!" The curtain finally came loose and Casey pulled at it and closed herself in.

"Fine! Just hurry up!"

The door slammed shut.

Casey started to relax. She stood up pulled the plug on the drain. Then, she started to pull the curtain back a little and poked her head out, searching for her towel. She didn't notice Derek right away, but when she looked up, she saw him lounging on the toilet seat cover, his arms crossed at his chest.

Casey squeaked and grabbed the shower curtain, pulling it around her body. Next, she screamed. Loudly.

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A/N: Yippee!