A.N: Oh dear....I thoroughly apologize if I may have made either of them (Derek especially) a little, even the slightest bit out of character...especially in the end. *dodges pitchforks* It's kind of hard to write something fluffy with people like Derek and Casey, with the snark and insults and all, so I hope you guys like this anyway. This is the end of Senses, thanks so much for reading and reviewing! :)

Senses

::Touch/Feeling::

The main difference between not dating Casey and dating Casey is that now, neither of them really minds if the other holds his or her hand.

Don't get him wrong: they still fight. A lot. Just a few days ago, Casey stormed into his residence, demanding to speak to the insensitive jerk that sent her a rather…colorful voice mail in the middle of class. He'd tried explaining that it was her fault anyway for not putting her phone on silent, but she just wouldn't listen. (He doesn't mind the arguing though, because now, they usually end up in…ehem, fun.) But for all the similarities, there are definitely new things added into the equation, and this Breaking-His-PDA-Rule-By-Holding-Hands thing is one of them.

Like most things, the hand-holding think is Casey's (fault) idea. The first time he noticed it was before a hockey game. He'd been calm and collected (guess what? Today's opposite day, in case you didn't know), and he'd been trying to will away whatever –nonexistent, he swears—nerves he had. She'd been uncharacteristically quiet the whole time, but just before coach had called them back to the locker room, she slipped her hand in his, gave it a squeeze, and said, "Breathe."

(He scored the winning goal, by the way.)

He's firmly convinced that Casey's idea of couple-y behavior must have rubbed off on him (slightly. Sort-of. Definitely.) After all, it's the only logical (ha, like anything about them two is ever logical) explanation for him doing the same thing. The first time it happened, they'd been eating at the cafeteria with Casey's roommate and her boyfriend, when he noticed some guy walking towards their table. It didn't take a genius to see that he was eyeing Casey. And Derek didn't even think about it; he just grasped her hand on top of the table and, ignoring Casey's surprised look, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Was there something you wanted with my girlfriend, Robinson?" Needless to say, it didn't even take the guy more than a few seconds to leave.

He –almost- began to regret his action when, for the rest of the day, Casey kept looking at him with That Look, that one she gets when she realizes he's being sweet. But he wasn't. Being sweet, I mean. Derek Venturi doesn't do 'sweet'. (He also doesn't do jealousy, but apparently, he doesn't know as much about himself as he used to, something he—as usual—blames Casey for.)

(He didn't let go even after Robinson left. That's probably the reason why his hand felt slightly numb afterwards. And it's also probably the reason why his lips tingled and his head got all foggy, courtesy of the long kiss she'd given him afterward.)

Days later, it slips through the cracks in their routine. He notices it only after a few days, while they're walking around campus. It doesn't bother him, much to his surprise. So he doesn't let go.

(He might as well be wearing a nametag saying, 'Hi, my name is Whipped'.)

Anyway, that pushing-him-on-the-bed thing she used to do in high school? Must've been foreshadowing, he thinks dazedly as he's kissing her. She'd stormed into his dorm room again to declare 'yet another grievance she had towards him' (Her words, not his. And besides, how was he to know that Casey wouldn't appreciate him leaving her roommate a thanks for last night message for her?) They'd argued, she'd pushed him on the bed, and in a few seconds flat, he'd pulled her on top of him and kissed her. So here they are now, making out on his bed, which he doesn't mind in the slightest.

Except….

"You're thinking," he mutters against her lips. Pulling away from him, she rolls her eyes.

"Of course I am. That's what normal people do, Derek. They think. Not that I'd expect you to understand, but…"

"Haha," he replies dryly. "No wonder your relationships don't last long. Klutziness plus bitchiness? Classic recipe for Splitsville."

"Then what are you still doing here?" she asks him with a raised eyebrow.

"Eh," he shrugs. "You make good chocolate chip pancakes." Because really, that's the reason. Not because hedoesntwanttolethergo, but because of the pancakes. Really.

She slaps his arm, and then blinks. "Coming from you," she says slowly. "That's…I don't know if it's a compliment or an insult."

"Definitely insult. Compliments are so overrated. Unless they're directed to me, then that's a whole different story…" He allows himself a small smirk at her eye-roll. "What are you thinking about?" he asks as he lowers his lips to her neck.

She sighs, and he can practically feel her smile, but all she says is, "Never mind. It's nothing. It doesn't matter."

Who is she kidding? Of course it isn't just nothing, this is Casey, for crying out loud. Nothing is ever nothing with her, and from the way he can feel her body tense up slightly, he knows that 'nothing' really is 'something.'

So he (grudgingly) stops kissing her and looks up. "Just say it. I know you want to, so you might as well go ahead."

Casey bites her lip (and he swears by his hockey trophies and his Special Smarti Smugs that the word 'adorable' doesn't come to mind.) "I'm nervous about coming home for Christmas," she finally says with a sigh. "There, I said it. Happy now?"

"Nervous, huh? I'm not surprised. I mean, dad might actually attempt to cook this year. That should make anyone worry."

"De-rek," she snaps with a shake of her head. "You know what I mean. How do you think they'll react to…this?" she gestures between them. "I mean, we didn't tell them before we left last time. We can't keep this a secret, and obviously we need to tell them, but I'm just…I'm worried, okay? What do you think they're going to say? How will they take it? Will they be cool about it, or be mad or go ballistic? Most likely they're going to be mad at us, and we—and they—oh god, I knew it, they're going to have to put Sophia in therapy because of us," she groans, placing her head in her hands.

He tries really, really hard not to laugh (and fails, so why does he even bother?). She glares at him. "I'm serious, Derek. I want this thing between us to work. But not at the expense of losing my family. I don't think I'd be able to handle it right now, so early in this relationship."

It sounds dramatic and typical Casey, but the words actually get to him (much more than they should, so he knows something is wrong), and they sit in silence for awhile. "You're really worried about what they're going to say?" he finally says.

"Yeah," she replies softly, frowning up at him. "Aren't you?"

And this is the part where he's sure some alien life form has taken over his body: Derek returns her look and slowly nods. "Maybe….yeah."

Really, she should bring a camera with her, to document these extremely rare Him-Showing-His-Feelings moments (maybe she could sell them to National Geographic or something? It could be called 'Awesome Man-Species in his Rare Moments of True Expression,' or something like that, he's not feeling too creative at the moment). Judging from her expression, (which he can't really place, because it looks like a mix between surprise and something else, which frustrates the hell out of him because he's always been able to read her) she was not expecting that from him.

But he is worried. In a way. Slightly. A little bit. (He's actually pretty fucking terrified, but no one really needs to know that.) Because for all the craziness and general insanity his blended family causes on a day-to-day basis, he actually does care about them. Which is why he's driven himself crazy thinking about how this whole thing was going to affect his family. Give him some credit here, people: He isn't completely insensitive.

"Especially considering the fact that some of my intentions aren't exactly…uh, in the realm of PG-13," he adds. "Now that's a conversation I never want to have with them."

"Derek." She chokes back a laugh and shakes her head. It surprises him when she suddenly leans her head on his shoulder, because it's a very Casey-thing to do, but he's still getting used to the idea that she's doing it with him. She slips her hand in his, and really, it's lame and cliché and something that looks like it came out of Casey's romance novels, but he can't ignore the sudden thrill that goes through him at that one gesture. Because her hand is warm and –dare he say it—comforting, and in a way, it does so much more for him than anything else.

It kind of scares the crap out of him to realize how a single gesture can make him feel this much.

"We'll be okay, right?" she murmurs. "I mean, we'll still want to kill each other on a daily basis, but..." And she doesn't even need to finish her sentence, because he knows exactly what she's saying.

He's sorely tempted to make a joke, come up with a witty reply that'll allow him to avoid answering the question. But –and he swears this is the alien life form in him speaking- over the past weeks, months, he's come to realize that there's something kind of freeing in admitting things, and he's beginning (slowly) to think that there might be something to this whole 'showing feelings in a real but non-sappy way' thing.

So he holds her hand a little tighter (he wonders if she gets the message) and finally says, "We'll be screaming and pranking and making out and annoying each other—in other words…yeah, we'll be okay." She smiles at that, her hand warm in his, and despite everything he's taught himself, he feels his heart, thumping and loud and so very alive, hammering against his chest.

He feels, and, just between you and him (and he promises to hunt down anyone who lets it slip to someone else) --- It's times like these when he's pretty sure he's in love with her (Maybe. Sort-of. Slightly…

…definitely.)