Disclaimer: I had begged and threatened but all in vain.
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The next time it happened Derek Venturi had blamed it on his foot in the mouth disease. The kind where you have to pay the consequences of what you say…ah! Consequences….his fucked up frame of mind could have really done well without this one…not that he was actually complaining….
Casey had barged into his room predictably unannounced, early the next morning, and yanked the bed covers off him…not good Case…not good…you don't wake up a guy while he is in a middle of a…uh... certain dream about you…what if…what the fuck, what is she doing here?
Derek hastily pulled the covers back up to his chest. "What?"
"Rise and shine Derek. It's a lovely morning and we don't want to miss a minute of it."
"We?"
"Yeah…you have to give me a ride to school. Remember? So get up. I'll wait for you downstairs for breakfast."
And she had breezed out all bright and sunny just like the day she had promised outside.
What just happened here? Okay Casey had been doing some pretty un-Casyish things in his dream, but this?
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"Cereal?" she asked as soon as he had entered the kitchen and Lizzie and Edwin almost dropped their own bowls.
"Here" she passed him a bowl before he could respond with a viable sarcastic comment to that.
Derek was too dazed to do anything but silently munch through his breakfast. He almost wanted to remind Edwin to breathe though. Almost. And Lizzie…well she looked close to death itself ….did shock really turn you that white?
And Casey continued… "Oh Derek, don't you think it's interesting that we'll be meeting career counselors today."
"mmmm" what else do you say when you trying to contemplate whether or not your cereal has been poisoned …there really wasn't any other explanation.
"I think I'll try out for Queens and perhaps Toronto University or maybe even Harvard."
Yeah that's nice….move to the States…or maybe even Mars…
"Where would you like to go Derek?"
"What? Are you kidding me?" he started but Casey just moved on, "I think you should give Queens a try. I heard they have these really cool Hockey scholarship programs there…and it could…."
"Casey, what are you doing?" Lizzie finally broke her silence
Casey blinked as if she couldn't believe her younger sister had really asked such a stupid question. "Not avoiding Derek. He asked me not to." She said simply.
And Derek was suddenly choking on his cereal and Edwin was grinning and passing him a glass of water while continuing to thump his back, "here. Some water to wash down that foot of yours?"
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And it hadn't stopped there….
The car ride was agonizing as Casey continued to discuss some more future plans.
"….I would like to live in a duplex and perhaps convert the first floor into a wall to wall library. What do you think? Will it look nice?
"I don't know. Can we please stop this like right now?" And there was an edge to his voice.
"No. silly. I still haven't decided the color for the walls…"
"Casey, it doesn't matter what color the walls are because a wall to wall library would mean that every inch is covered by newsflash, book shelves…so will you just stop it." Oh God, he actually was discussing her silly duplex with her. What the hell was wrong with him?
Not that it mattered because Casey really hadn't heard a word, "…I think peach would look real nice…."
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It didn't end at school either….
"Derek" she nudged him in the middle of English class. Had he mentioned that she had decided to sit on the seat right next to him, something she had never done before. Never.
"What now?"
"Did you know that 'As You Like It' is also called 'What You Will' and its called so because Shakespeare really couldn't think of a title for it."
"And why would I want to know that?"
"Because it's English literature and this is an English class and more importantly I wouldn't want you to feel as if I am not letting you on to something I know about."
Derek opened and closed his mouth several times before settling with, "Casey listen. It's fine and trust me completely in character if you know about something and I don't. Especially, English literature. Okay?" His tone was quite akin to that of one explaining something to a child.
"But De-rek, that would probably make you think that I was ignoring you. You know, avoiding you or something." She really really had to be joking, and Oh God was that actually a smile?
And later.
"psst…."
"What Casey?"
"I just remembered a joke. It really is funny, this one time….."
Okay one thing he knows for sure now, Casey wouldn't know what a funny joke was even if it came and hit her on the face….
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It actually got worse by lunch time…
Derek had just found a few minutes of respite from Casey and was having lunch with Sam, who was told very pointedly that he really wanted peace for some time.
When she came. (Yet again)
"Hi! Sam. Would you mind sitting with Emily today? I really want to spend some quality meal time with Derek, lest he thinks I am avoiding him or something."
"Sure" Sam managed but his eyes had narrowed down messaging Derek that he wanted all the details later. What details, you idiot.
"Oh! I haven't seen you since English." Casey said sliding in the seat opposite him.
Derek just nodded; (what was the point of telling her that English was just last class...) it really was a monologue anyway.
"How do you think Lizzie would do in her Soccer match today? …Ooh and Edwin has this Biology test today as well….I hope he does well."
They were discussing siblings now???
"It's started to get real cold now. Maybe you should start wearing that jacket of yours. Why don't you get a new one anyway…"
And weather…
"I Can't wait to wear all those muffins and ear-muffs…."
God was she still talking?
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By the time School got over, he had had enough…
"Emily is planning to go out on a movie with Sheldon this Saturday. Why him, I wonder. But maybe love just makes you do crazy things….."
Yeah it does… (And where had that come from?)
"I wonder how this one will turn out; I absolutely adore Matt Damon though…"
And suddenly Derek had grasped her from the shoulder and pined her to the car, leaning down to draw his face at level with hers.
"Casey enough."
"But De-rek…"
"Shh….no you listen to me now. I have had enough of you and really really need you to shut up. Okay?"
(And when had he gotten so close to her face?)
Casey had stubbornly crossed her arms across her chest…(drawing his gaze there…but that's besides the point), "I refuse to shut up. You wanted me to stop avoiding you and that's….."
She never really managed to finish that sentence because Derek had captured her mouth with his own, coaxing her mouth to yield open. But she didn't respond. But just stood there. Immobile.
Okay, that had gotten her to shut up…
And then he suddenly let go of her, abruptly stepping backwards….the shock on his face mirroring hers…
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There had to be some rational explanation for this.
Had he just kissed his step-sister? (He had done a lot more in his dreams but she didn't know that and heck he didn't want to know it either.)
And the object of his dilemma was just staring out of the window. Quiet. (That was good. right?)
So what were his options?
Option1. He had to get her to shut up…(see that was simple …so why hadn't he used his hand instead?) (Crossed out)
Option2. Casey was a girl; He was a guy. Yin and Yang. Simple biology? (Yeah right. He didn't exactly go kissing every sexual counterpart, not that he would mind but he just didn't) ((sigh) But crossed out)
Option3. Casey had made the first move. She had kissed him, not the other way round. (Phew! That was a relief but his ego reminded him that she had barely responded during the whole ordeal so what were the odds that she began it…(unfortunately crossed out)
Option4. Let's just face it. This entire thing has been building up for quite some time now and he had probably wanted to kiss her umpteenth times before and there is so much a guy can take. (But before he could even consider this one, he realized that they had reached home, the car had halted and Casey had moved out, slamming the car door on her way out.)
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He had to talk to her.
Two matured people could easily talk stuff out and solve issues… (Except that considering Casey's behavior in the morning, he really didn't think maturity was an option available to her anymore.)
So he waited for her downstairs and she finally did show her face.
"Casey, Casey, Casey….it's so nice to see you. How have you been?"
"What do you want Derek?" Crisp and cold.
"Me? Want? Nothing. I was just …you know thinking that perhaps I should think a little more seriously about college. What was that you said about Queens?"
A single shaped eyebrow went right up.
"And what was that about Emily and Sheldon? Yuck! I know…"
Casey had turned around and was on her way back up the stairs, Derek right behind her…
"I think strawberry pink would look better than peach on your walls…."
And Casey had slammed the door right on his face… (Yet again)
(Too bad, because he had thought that she would just shut him up.)
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A/N. clichéd I know….kissing her to shut her up…whatever happened to good old hand? But I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, perhaps because I needed a break from the brooding Derek I have been writing for WHERE WE ARE NOW….and seriously there is just so much Derek can think of when he wants to talk maturely to Casey about something…..:) oh! i adore Matt Damon too.........
I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it and please please review….thanks!!!