NOTES: Okay...I'm a recent convert to the awesomeness that is LWD, and I'm sure I've made (insert depressingly high number of mistakes), so any criticisms or comments would be most welcome. Apart from that - this is a futurefic, with Derek and Casey in college. It's Dasey. And obviously (disclaimer time) I don't own LWD. Okay, on with the show!
During the third week of college, Casey met her dream guy. He was the kind of guy who held doors open for girls struggling with an armload of books (this was how they had met). He was the kind of guy who read the book before the exam, instead of renting the DVD (as a matter of fact, he read books even without the threat of an exam. For pleasure!). He knew that 'The Nutcracker' was a ballet, instead of a wrestling move (unlike certain people). He was tall, dark and...
"...perfect!" Casey finished.
"And why are you telling me this?" Derek asked, not looking up from their tiny television. He squinted at the minute people running wildly across the pitch, and tilted his head to the right. It didn't appear to help him decipher what was happening on the (very) small screen.
"Well," Casey crossed her arms, "since, for some bizarre reason, Emily and I are attending different colleges, while you and I are still forced to share the same living space, I have decided to make the best of things."
"You're going to bore me to death?" Derek said, hitting the volume button. "Good choice – my vital signs have dropped by at least thirty percent since you began that story. Seventeen hours ago."
"No," Casey marched to the television and turned it off. "I'm missing Emily," she continued, "and although I have met some girls who are great potential friend material, I haven't found anyone quite on my wavelength yet. I need someone to talk to, so..." she trailed off, and gestured towards Derek, palms up.
"Me?!"
"Just think of yourself as my...gal pal."
Derek finally looked at her. "I'm your 'gal pal'?" he asked in disdainful disbelief. "For the past two days, you've pretended I'm invisible, and now I'm your 'gal pal'?" He made sardonic air quotes around 'gal pal'. "Any particular reason for this revision of reality, Head-Case?"
Casey met his eyes without blushing. "No reason," she said, raising her chin. "There just comes a point in every feud where one party has to be the bigger person. Inevitably," she continued, glaring, "that person has to be me, since you don't have a conscience, or a sense of honour, or even basic human decency."
"Thank you, I do try," Derek said. He got off the saggy couch, and shouldered past Casey to turn the television on again. As the tiny, faceless crowd began to roar, she turned to leave.
"Though – a word of advice," Derek called after her, though his eyes never left the television screen, "If I'm like your new 'gal pals', I'd be worried that you're hanging with the wrong crowd."
DATE THE FIRST: THE MOVIE
Outside the front door, the conversation went something like this:
"I had a really great time," James said.
"Me too," Casey smiled warmly. "I've wanted to see that movie for a while."
"I know – it really was inspirational, huh? I mean, not only did the guy track down his long lost brother, but he even found time to defend the sacred tribal land from those interlopers. That's what I call impressive."
"It was pretty amazing. I don't know why people said the movie was hard to follow. I mean, there were subtitles."
"I know. To be honest, I didn't really see the need for them. I mean, to anyone with a basic knowledge of Latin and ancient Sumatran, the subtitles are redundant."
Casey's jaw dropped slightly, but she quickly snapped it shut. "...Um, yeah," she managed.
They stood in silence for a moment, smiling awkwardly at one another.
"Well," he said finally, "I guess I'd better go. Good night, Casey." He reached out to touch her arm, before -
"No! Wait!" Casey said loudly. He turned back with a look of surprise on his face. "I- I mean, don't you want to come inside for a while?" she said, in a softer tone.
He paused. "Uh, Casey...I had a great time and everything, but don' t you think you might be rushing things?"
"I didn't mean – that," she closed her eyes briefly in mortification. "Just...wouldn't you like some coffee?" She smiled widely, invitingly.
"I don't really drink coffee. Sorry."
"Or tea!" she interrupted, almost before James could finish his excuse. "We have tea! You like tea, right?"
"I guess..."
"Oh, this is so perfect! And, while you're having your tea, you can meet Derek!"
"Who's Derek?" he asked."Nobody. Just my stepbrother," she said offhandedly, turning her key in the lock.
"Casey, don't you think it's a little early for me to be meeting your family?"
"Oh please! I don't think of Derek as family," she waved her hand dismissively in front of her. "Half the time, I barely think of him as human!" She opened the door and stepped inside.
"O-kay..." he said slowly, "...great." He pasted a smile on his face when Casey turned and beckoned him in.
In the kitchen, Casey turned the taps on full blast and banged the filled kettle down with such force that her date blinked. She opened several cupboards in search of teabags, then slammed them shut.
"Really, I'm fine. I don't need any tea – I mean, your brother might be asleep, and I wouldn't want to wake him up," he said.
"Step-brother," Casey corrected, cheerfully slamming two mugs onto the table. "And Derek's a total night owl. No way is he asleep at," she consulted her watch, "midnight on a Friday night."
Just then, the object of their conversation staggered into the kitchen, in t-shirt and boxers, hair sticking up wildly. He glared at Casey, who had the kettle in her hand.
"Okay, Klutzilla – it appears that, yet again, I have over-estimated you. Is it that hard for you to make a simple cup of coffee, without the dying water buffalo impression? I have practice tomorrow." At this point, he seemed to realise that Casey was not alone in the kitchen. His eyes darted between Casey and her date, and then narrowed.
"Oh, Derek," Casey said, oozing false sympathy, "I'm really sorry. I didn't realise a party animal like you would be asleep so early." She smiled sweetly. "But, since you're awake now, you might as well meet my date. James, this is Derek, my stepbrother. Derek, this is James, my date."
"Nice to meet you. Sorry about all the noise," James said, stretching out a hand for Derek to shake.
Derek looked down at his outstretched hand for a moment, smirking, before shaking it. "Hey, no problem. You get used to noise, living with Casey. I mean, her snoring alone..." he shook his head.
Casey glared.
Derek stared appraisingly at James, head cocked to one side. "You know, Case, he's not as short as you said he was."
"Der-ek!" she hissed, and turned to James. "He's just making a bad joke," she said quickly. "I never said you were short."
"No, that's right," Derek agreed. He leaned forward and stage whispered to James, "I think her exact term was 'midget-city'."
"Oh, like you can talk," Casey said, stepping forward.
"Um – Derek," James interrupted somewhat nervously, "you wouldn't happen to be Derek Venturi, the hockey player?"
"Why yes I am," he said, smiling broadly, then turned to Casey, "You know, there might be hope for him yet."
Fifteen minutes (and one mug of tea) later, and James was glancing at his watch and making apologetic excuses that Casey smilingly accepted. On their way out of the kitchen, she turned back. "Derek, aren't you going to walk our guest to the door? You don't want to be rude."
"I don't?" he said, but at Casey's violent look he rolled his eyes and padded towards the front door.
"Well, it was nice to meet you," James offered. Derek silently saluted, and James turned to Casey.
"I'll call you tomorrow," he said.
"I had a really great time tonight."
"Me too."
She smiled, then leaned forward slightly. With a hesitant half glance towards Derek, who showed no intention of moving, James moved forward and kissed Casey. Then, he quickly stepped back, and cleared his throat.
For a moment, Casey just blinked at him, before straightening up and smiling again, though not as widely as before.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow," James said again, nodding awkwardly at Derek, before closing the door behind him.
There was silence for a moment, before Derek yawned loudly. "Well, I am going to bed. Though at least I shouldn't have any trouble sleeping after that little performance." He began walking towards his room, shaking his head and chuckling.
"What performance?" Casey demanded, trailing after him. "That was a perfectly acceptable first date kiss!"
Derek stopped, and turned. "Casey, that was not a good first date kiss. That wasn't even an interesting natural disaster. That was...dull."
"It was not!"
Derek raised his eyebrows.
"Okay," she surrendered. "So our first kiss didn't exactly shake the world. We're just...slow burners. When we get going...we are going to have some serious sparks."
Derek looked at her, and shook his head. "Casey, Casey, Casey," he said, "that's a nice fantasy, but, unfortunately, it comes down to chemistry. Without chemistry, there can be no sparks."
"We have chemistry!" Casey stopped for a moment. "Or – we will have," she corrected.
"Okay, lesson number one about chemistry," Derek said, holding up his index finger. "As a matter of fact, the only lesson you need to learn about chemistry – is that..." he paused for maximum emphasis, then leaned towards Casey, and whispered, "you can't manufacture it."
"Oh come on," she crossed her arms.
"Seriously. You've either got it," he flicked a thumb towards himself, "or...you don't," he turned his thumb downwards, and in Casey's direction. He shook his head pityingly.
"Yeah, well, it's really easy to stand back and pass judgement on things you obviously know nothing about," Casey said. She put on her most bored and superior expression.
"Is that a challenge?" Derek asked softly.
Despite her best efforts, the superior expression slid off Casey's face as she tried to backtrack. "What – no, Derek, I didn't" –
"Because if you're calling my expertise into question, it's my duty to defend myself," he continued, ignoring Casey's protests. He came closer, while she took two stumbling steps backwards, only to stop when she came in contact with the wall. She swallowed. It wasn't that Derek was looming over her (it wasn't even as if he had the physique to 'loom'), more...slouching very very close to her. It made her nervous.
"Derek," she stuttered, "whatever stupid thing you're thinking of doing, I want you to stop it right now, because" –
Not listening, Derek kept talking, looking straight at her. "You see, a first date kiss shouldn't be too tentative. I mean, by now, the guy knows he likes the girl. But it shouldn't be too heavy either – he doesn't want to scare her off by getting too intense. So, in my opinion, the kind of kiss that's called for in this situation is..."
He leaned forward the last few inches that separated them, and brushed his lips against Casey's. It was firm, and gentle, and Casey barely had time to think "Derek is kissing me," before it was over.
"The most important thing to remember is 'always leave her wanting more'" he said, smirking, as he swaggered towards his bedroom.
Groping for some words, Casey called after him, "Well, you're right about one thing. I do want more." Derek stopped, and Casey quickly added, "Of James."
Derek turned and looked at her. "You can't create something that isn't there."
"Watch me."