A/N: So still haven't written that Quinnshot fanfic. Oops. Here we go, kind of a filler chapter. Thinking about switching over to Casey in the next chapter. Also they're seniors in college.

Summary:"Huh." I was actually fantasizing about you panting my name but since that's not exactly Casey friendly information, I think I'll just stick with the 'huh.'- In which Derek's in like (love) and Casey's oblivious. You know the usual.

Approx Word Count: 2000

Derek was happy (no he wasn't). Ecstatic honestly (he really wasn't).

Casey was getting married.

Casey was getting married

Casey was getting married?

He tested out the different inflections in his head; hoping somehow he could make the situation make more sense (it didn't work.)

It's not like Derek ever actually expected them to like- actually get together. (Unless they were like drunk at a wedding or something and all that unresolved sexual tension from their youth came back bubbling from the depths. In which case he strongly expected? (hoped) it would happen. Because even if he only got Casey for a night of (mutually, Derek wasn't a dick despite popular belief) drunk accidental body feeling well, it would probably be the best night of his life.)

But that didn't mean it was okay (okay with him) for her to go marrying this other dude. He'd never even met him. He doesn't know his name although he's sure Casey's probably mentioned it on the phone before. (He'd always made a point of avoiding acknowledging Casey's romantic exploits unless he had the sole purpose of ruining/ending them. And, since it was a little difficult to portray Casey's crazy as fuck ways over the phone, well Derek had decided to ignore the fuck out of this dude. It was working pretty well until the "I'm engaged!")

Come to think of it. He's pretty sure his name was Dave.

God he hated Dave.

Dave would get to do all the things Derek could only fantasize of doing. Like going grocery shopping with Casey, and watching movies with Casey, and eating dinner with Casey and-ok Derek could still do all these things but Dave would fucking get to be with Casey (like in the lovey sense.)

The bastard probably didn't even realize how lucky he was.

His catastrophic train of thought that potentially could have led to him butting is head into the wall for hours on end was interrupted by Casey's fingers snapping in his face.

"Derek what were you doing? I've never seen you think that hard in... well, ever."

He's still shocked and just a little bit (a lot) broken, but she looks like she's going to start counseling him so he responds in typical Derek Venturi fashion.

"I was just lamenting the loss of that poor guy's mental state." He shakes his head hoping it will convince her that he is not being fucking ripped to shreds on the inside. Each word feels like an added weight on his shoulders, a reminder of what he can't have and it hurts.

(He thinks he sees her face flicker with concern for a moment and that she's seen right through him, but she blinks and the emotion is gone.)

Next thing he knows her eyes are rolling and she's shaking her head with a fond (he at least hopes it was) look on her face completely unaware of the immense pain she's caused him.

"He has no fucking idea what he's getting into." Or how badly I want to get into you he thinks lamely. God Derek you are fucking pathetic.

Casey's red face and Derek's words sink into his brain and he has a horrible realization. Dave's already gotten into Casey.

Oh God.

The final shred of his sanity snaps and he knows he has to get Casey out of his house before he does something stupid like admitting the feelings he's had for her since they were fifteen.

So, Derek in completely un-Derek like fashion, discomposed and frazzled, takes Casey's plate and basically throws it in the sink, thanks her for the food, and pushes her out the door. All the while she's saying "De-rek" and "What the fuck?" And it just makes the situation suck more because those fantasies of being with Casey (in the sexy way) are being fulfilled with some other dude. Just like his (thwarted and crushed) dreams of a domestic life with Casey were taken and ripped to shreds his face replaced with "Dave's."

After he gets Casey out the door he leans against it and sinks (it's just like how the girls do it in the overly dramatic movies, but he'll never admit it.) He hears Casey contemplating coming back in before the sound of her feet hitting the ground grow fainter and fainter as the distance between the two grows physically and emotionally. A wide chasm that Derek had tried to throw his heart across and where instead of landing on the other side it fell just short and into the abyss.

(He supposed he was being a bit dramatic but he was a songwriter and his heart was broken. So he's pretty sure he's entitled.)

The first few weeks are the worst. He'd wake up and the first thing that would run through his mind would be the memory of her squealing those words. "I'm engaged!"

Fucking Dave.

He doesn't answer any calls. He can't because he knows if he does he'll break. He'll break into a million tiny pieces and cry on the floor like a fucking sissy and he can't do it. He just can't.

Instead of wallowing around like the sad sack of shit he is, he throws himself into his schoolwork (which is kind fitting because he's getting over Casey McDonald, keener of the century) and hockey. He's more aggressive and the coach has to take him to the side on more than one occasion to tell him to tone it down just a bit.

He goes on like this for a while until a reality check comes in the form of Sam.

He's sitting there on the couch, the TV not much but background noise to his aimless thoughts that are mainly just Don't think about Casey Don't think about Casey Don't think about Casey. He knows it's a little counterintuitive but he's not exactly thinking straight right now because he just can't think about Casey.

He's tried everything, he's finished his school work, done his laundry, and cleaned the house when "It's a flat you dumbass-" rings through his of course brings about a series of Casey quotes. "De-rek you have to dust first you filthy monster" "Hey intellectually lacking asshat, that's not how you put away the dishes. The plates go in here and the bowls-" and fuck he's thinking about Casey (again). He's looking for something else to clean or to organize, anything to get his mind off of her (his fucking step (emphasis on the- oh fuck it)- sister), when the doorbell rings. Derek slinks over to the door ready to tell whoever's on the other side to kindly depart (or fuck off he'll see how he feels when he opens said door).

He swings it open and sees Sam's familiar face and trademark floppy hair covered with his signature beanie. He'd always been predictable. That's probably why Casey liked him so- fuck he's thinking about her again. He's fucking terrible at this.

At some point Sam must have spoken because he's looking at him expectantly. He slaps a classic Derek Venturi smirk on his face and brings Sam in for a hug and claps him on the back. Even though he dated his (step-) sister the guy still had a place in his ice cold (it really wasn't) heart.

"Hey man." Sam's smiling at him and he realizes he's missed this. He'd seen him at practice but since "I'm engaged!" Derek's kind of been avoiding the whole human interaction thing.

But since Derek's cool and he can't speak for fear of Sam realizing that he's been acting like this because of his fucking (step-) sister he just opens the door and gestures him inside.

Sam walks in and looks more confused than Derek's ever seen him. "Dude. Why is it so clean in here?" He snaps his head at him and squints "Who are you and what have you done with Derek Venturi."

Derek smirk breaks and he laughs weakly "What's up Sam? Did you come to watch the hockey game?"

Now Sam looks as if Derek just told him that he saw aliens making him a strawberry pie in his kitchen. "Bro. There's no game today." He pauses waiting for Derek to nod in affirmation. "You know that." He mumbles something and Derek almost misses it but he's pretty sure he heard a Casey in there somewhere.

"What'd you say?" Shit did he sound too eager.

"Oh no dude I didn't say anything."

There's a heavy pause.

"It's just, Casey thought there might be something wrong. She said you haven't been answering any of her calls."

Derek just stares at him.

"And she sent me here to check on you and there's definitely something wrong because you didn't remember there wasn't a hockey game today and your house is fucking clean-"

"It's a flat you dumbass."

Sam looks slightly confused "Whatever man, well your flat is fucking clean and" Seeing Derek's blank face he decides to change direction "Anyway. You clearly need to get out of here so whaddya say we go hit the ol' puck."

Derek shrugs "Sure I don't care."

"Okay now I know something is really wrong with you. I just said 'hit the ol' puck' and you said nothing."

Sam sighed. "This is gonna take more than hockey this is gonna take girls. And lots of 'em."

Sam starts pulling on his jacket "Come on Derek we're going to the first party we can find."

"I'm good. I think I'll just stay home. You go though. Have fun and be safe."

"'Have fun and be safe?'" He sounded almost offended. "This is just weird. Now I gotta pull out the big guns."

Sam pulled out a chair and sat directly in front of him. "We need to talk buddy."

Derek yawns suddenly tired from speaking. He just wants to sleep and forget "I'm engaged!" ever 's about to tell Sam to leave him (the fuck) alone so he can sleep when he asks him another question.

"Really what's wrong man? You said no to girls. Never in the history of our friendship have I ever heard you say no to girls."

Well that's because the only one he wanted was unavailable. (There he admitted it and he swore he (probably) wouldn't do it again.)

"I'm just tired. Hockey's been taking a lot out of me lately."

"Maybe that's because you've been picking a fight with everyone on the ice."

Derek grimaces "Well I've been a bit on edge. Everything's been bothering me lately." There that was all Derek would say about the subject he was done. He wasn't going to say anything else he would get over it and-

"Casey's engaged."

Fuck.

"What."

"Casey's engaged." He said it again. Why'd he say it again now there's a weird hollow feeling space in his chest where his heart is supposed to be.

"And what does that have to do with anything."

He looks at Derek for a minute and he knows.

His voice is ten times softer. "Listen Derek, if you want to talk-"

"Actually I think it's time for you to go."

"Derek."

"I said I think it's time for you to leave."

"Derek please there's nothing wrong with liking Casey."

"Really Sam because I think there are a lot of things wrong with loving Casey. First of all she's my fucking step sister. I'm supposed to be protecting her from the guys who want to do the type of shit I want to do to her. Second of all, we share a fucking brother. Third of all, our parents are married-"

He paused his chest heaving with his heavy breaths.

"I could go on but I think you get the idea."

"Listen Derek-"

"You know what Sam just- please don't. I'll see you at practice."

He shoved him out the door and slammed it.

Now that the door was closed he could have a neurotic breakdown (like a certain someone whose name rhymed with Macy) in peace.

He fucking said it. He fucking said it, his words were still hanging in the air, weighing down the room. He'd known he was in love with Casey McDonald since he was fifteen but he'd never actually said it. It felt different somehow. More tangible, accessible and real. It was even scarier than the prospect (reality) of him being in love with Casey McDonald itself.

It hit him again like a fucking bulldozer. He was in love with Casey McDonald. His step-sister. Who was getting married.

Fuck.

Derek had a plan. He supposes if he's going through the whole seven stages of grief thing he must still be going through the denial part if he really thinks this will work.

Derek was going to make his step-sister fall in love with him.

He could do it. He was Derek Venturi. And he wanted Casey.

And well, what Derek Venturi wants, Derek Venturi gets.