Disclaimer: I don't own. Still. Sorry. I like this chapter, lol. It's kinda sarcastic. Reviews are good!!

Previously:

He climbed under the covers to pull her against his chest again. "Nothing. I just never realized how much I've rubbed off on you."

"You have not-" she started.

"No, no arguing tonight. Go to sleep. We can fight tomorrow." His face was buried in her hair, and he felt himself relax completely against her.

"Fine", she whined, defeated.

He laughed quietly in her ear. "Baby", he teased.

"Night, Derek."

"Night, Case."

--

Chapter 10

(Casey's POV)

The next morning was Saturday, but when Casey woke up in Derek's bed, she noticed that she was alone. She got out of bed and walked to the closed bedroom door. Opening the door cautiously, she checked the hallway before heading down the stairs to get some breakfast.

The house was too quiet for the kids to be awake, so she wasn't surprised to only see her mom, George, and Derek sitting at the island in the kitchen.

"Morning", she said, announcing herself. Derek winked at her.

"Morning, Casey", her mom and George spoke in unison.

Several seconds later, Derek spoke up, as if seeing her for the first time. "Hey, Spacey. What's crackin'?"

She looked at him in disbelief, thinking, "Did he seriously just say that?" before laughing outright.

When she finally responded, her voice was laced with mirth. "What's got you so chipper this morning, and how did you manage to get up before me?"

Derek had finished his bowl of cereal and put it in the sink before leaning against the counter to look at her. "Well, Case", he started, "I just so happened to have a great night's sleep."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "And why is that?" she asked.

He smirked at her challengingly before saying, "I don't know, I guess I was just very… relaxed."

Casey glanced at their parents, who were pretending – badly - that they weren't listening. She decided to play along with his little game this morning. He could make it up to her later. She was going to win this round anyway. "What?" she asked. "Did you have a girl on your bed last night?"

Her tone was sarcastic enough that it didn't merit much worry, but George choked on his coffee anyhow.

Derek's jaw dropped open in shock, but he recovered quickly. He answered her like he hadn't noticed his father's conniption fit. "Why do you care, Case? Would you be… jealous?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, before saying in aside to George, "Not that I had some random girl in my bed last night – or ever."

This statement was almost completely true. Casey was not just some random girl, and the only other girl he had been with was Kendra, and it had not been in his bed.

George looked at his son. "Derek, you'd better not be having girls in your room. If I see anything like that going on, I'll-"

Derek cut his father off from the familiar diatribe, saying, "Hang me from the ceiling fan by my toes", he recited dutifully. "I know dad."

"Ah, so you listen", George stated appreciatively.

Nora took this opportunity to add in her two cents as well, "Derek, I know that you and Casey are teenagers, but can you try to remember that you have a younger brother and two sisters that watch every move you make, and look up to you?"

"Don't worry Nora", Derek started reassuringly. "I don't have time to try corrupting the younger ones when I'm so busy with this one." He had walked over to Casey and slung his arm around her shoulders. She shot him a look. He stayed in place and continued,"Someone has to teach Casey here to relax, otherwise she might self-destruct." He finished with a grin that made Casey shiver.

Casey sent him a sickeningly sweet smile before reaching up to pinch his cheek. "Aww that is so cute", she said in a baby voice. "You do care."

He batted her hand away, hiding a smile. "No, but as annoying as you are, if you weren't around, I'd have no one to annoy. That would be less fun for me."

She stuck her tongue out and threw a handful of Cheerios at him as she pulled away.

He looked at her in shock before saying, sarcastically, "Now that's mature."

"Well, Derek", she continued in her baby voice, "I have to act like a kindergartener so you'll know what I mean – seeing as that's you highest comprehension level."

He looked at her in feigned annoyance. "Alright, Spacey, you asked for it." That was all the warning she got before he ran towards her. She took off, and headed up the stairs with him on her heels.

Nora looked at her husband who had picked back up his newspaper and asked, "Do you think they realize?"

"Realize what?" George asked, slightly confused. He was wondering if she had missed something.

When Nora answered, she had a slight smile on her face, "That they have rubbed off on each other so much."

George looked at his wife thoughtfully, "No", he said. "They probably don't. But that's a good thing for now, though, I think."

"You're probably right", Nora replied.

"Heaven help us when they do", he muttered under his breath.

(Derek's POV)

Meanwhile….

Derek had chased Casey into her room and had managed to finally pin her down on her bed.

He started tickling her and she giggled softly. "De-rek, stop!" She laughed.

"Yeah", he said smirking. "Not gonna happen, Case."

"Why?" she whined, trying not to laugh.

"Well", he continued, "I think – now I could be wrong – but I'm pretty sure that you threw handful of Cheerios in my face." He looked down at her with an raised eyebrow.

She looked up at him in feigned stupidity. "Someone threw Cheerios in your face? Poor baby." She smirked back at him. "But it couldn't have been me. I would never do such a thing… even if you were being an antagonizing jerk."

He looked at her in shock. "Antagonizing jerk, huh?"

"I don't know", she said. "I wasn't there, but probably, yeah."

Derek looked at her in amusement before reaching down to brush her tousled hair back out of her eyes, saying, "It's okay, Casey, I know."

"Know what", she asked, truly perplexed.

"Don't worry, baby", he started. "I know you're in denial about having a dark side."

She huffed with indignation. "I do not have a dark side. That would be you!"

"Oh, c'mon, Case. We've already established that I'm rubbing off on you." He smiled mischievously. "And it makes complete sense", he said, preening. "I'm such a great guy; it would be crazy for you not to want to be like me."

"Der-ek", she started.

"Don't worry", he said, interrupting her. "It's kinda sexy."

She stuck out her lip in a pout. "So is that", he said, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip, before capturing her in a tender kiss.

The kiss continued until it quickly turned heated instead of sweet, Casey's head tilted back as he trailed rough kisses down her neck. Derek's hands were on her waist in a firm but gentle grip, her hands holding tightly to his shoulders as their lips joined feverishly over and over again.

"Derek", she groaned as his hands wandered cautiously beneath her shirt, "Door."

"It's shut", he whispered distractedly.

Her eyes were closed with longing, but they couldn't do this right now. Not with everyone home, not to mention, "Derek, the lock's broken."

When he finally realized that she had said something he voiced his confusion. "Huh?"

"Marti", she said. "She put gum in the lock."

Derek rolled his eyes before rolling onto the bed next to her. "Figures. But when we move out, we are so finishing this."

Casey laughed breathily before nodding. "Well, then we might as well go yell at our parents about college", she said.

"Yeah. I can't believe they didn't tell us." Derek grinned at her.

"I know, but they can make it up to us later", she said, getting ready to stand up.

Casey was pushing herself up when Derek grabbed her arm. "What?" she asked.

"In a minute." He was lying across her bed, and she looked at his face quizzically. "Well, I can't go down there after all that."

A look of realization crossed her face and she giggled. She went to her desk to check her email, several minutes later, they went downstairs.

--

"Mom, George!" Casey called. "Derek and I have to talk to you!" She looked at Derek, putting on her annoyed face.

"Don't look at me!" He said angrily. "How the hell was I supposed to know?"

Nora and George came up the stairs in time to hear the end of Derek's ranting. "Language, Derek", Nora reminded.

As Derek opened his mouth to retort, Casey covered it with her hand. "Quiet, Derek. This is bad enough." She turned to their parents. "How could you not tell us that we were applying for the same college? We already can't stand each other! You think it's a good idea to make us be in the same vicinity for another four years?! How is that a good idea? And don't pretend you didn't know, that's not going to work."

"How did you find out, anyway?" George asked. "Sam", they said in unison. They glared at each other before Derek spoke up. "Do you guys really think I want to be stuck with this Space Case any longer than I have to?"

George and Nora just watched as Casey shoved him, and they began to bicker. "You reject! I don't want to be around you any more than you want to be around me!" Casey's screech made them all wince.

"Doubtful." He smirked.

"So", she continued. "Could you at least pretend to be nice for a minute?"

"Not likely", he said.

"Whatever", she said, dismissing him. Looking at George and Nora, she stated, "If it turns up that we both end up in Toronto, you have to make this up to us."

"We'll consider it", George said dryly.

"Are we done yet?" Derek asked. "I'm hungry."

"I suppose so", Casey said warily looking at her mother.

"Good", he said. Derek went into the kitchen and began banging through the cupboards.

"I'm going upstairs to do some homework. I'll be down for dinner." Casey then turned and walked up the stairs, leaving the two parents slightly bewildered as to what had jus happened.