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Part 2 of Derek's Serenades 🎶
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Published:
2021-10-01
Words:
2,096
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
15
Kudos:
33
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1
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588

On my way to believing

Summary:

Casey knows this is Derek trying to apologize and for a moment all she wants is to just lose herself in his voice.

Notes:

If you'd like to hear Derek singing, play this :🎶The only exception (Paramore Acoustic cover)🎶

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

SPOILER-Collage-20210815-004103

 

She hates fighting with him. Like real, proper fights… and being back home in London makes everything way more complicated. 

 

Since they started dating they have made sure they don't let a fight last more than a few hours. Usually there’s a text message around an hour later... or they go to the other's dorm with their favorite ice cream as a peace offering after two, or three hours tops. But this time… Yeah, this time it's different. 

 

It's already been nine hours since they last spoke - not that she's counting. They didn't even make their usual stop at Cambridge South for some donuts and coffee, as they always do on their way home. Both of them just wanted to arrive home as soon as possible - to get out of the car they felt trapped in. 

 

It's almost 2 am and he hasn't come back from Sam's place. She knows he's a big boy who knows how to take care of himself. She shouldn't get worried. However, falling asleep will be impossible without hearing him get home safe and sound. 

 

It's a hot night, so she has left the window open. Watching the curtains slowly go up and down is her only distraction from checking the time on her alarm clock every two seconds. 

 

The only thing you can hear is the crickets serenading. She focuses on their sound. It's almost soothing. 

 

Suddenly though, there's more than just the crickets. She hears a soft melody. It seems to be coming out of an acoustic guitar and someone is singing… 

 

🎶He broke his own heart and I watched

As he tried to reassemble it

And my momma swore

That she would never let herself forget🎶

 

It's barely audible, but she would recognize that voice everywhere. And she knows this song oh so well. 

 

🎶And that was the day that I promised

I'd never sing of love if it does not exist

But darling, you are the only exception

You are the only exception

You are the only exception

You are the only exception🎶

 

Casey closes her eyes. She knows this is Derek trying to apologize, and for a moment all she wants is to just lose herself in his voice.

 

🎶Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul

That love never lasts

And we've got to find other ways to make it alone

Or keep a straight face🎶

 

"This time at least he sounds sober," Casey says to herself as she sits up in bed, before she gets up and slowly makes her way to the window. 

 

Despite the situation, she smiles for a second. There's a full moon tonight so she can see him. He has his head down, his pink shirt - that she has picked for him for today - is all messy, yet with this moonlight shadowing his features he looks so beautiful. Derek can deny it all he wants, but he likes the Ralph Lauren look just as much as he likes looking like Jim Morrison. 

 

Now standing by her window, she can listen to him clearly.

 

🎶And I've always lived like this

Keeping a comfortable distance

And up until now I had sworn to myself

That I'm content with loneliness.

Because none of it was ever worth the risk

Well you are the only exception🎶

 

Derek feels her gaze on him (his Spacey-Sense is always activate) but still doesn't have the courage to look up to her window. He knows he hurt her, and despite his assumptions he shouldn't have snapped the way he did … 

 

"So, I talked to my dad last night and I told him that I think the best option for next year would be to rent an apartment off campus and take a lease for at least two years, you know? Like to live there for senior year and after graduation too. And he supports the idea!” Casey says beaming, “And just this morning I saw this ad and I would really like to go see it…" 

 

"Woah… and when exactly were you planning on telling me about it?" 

 

"Mmh… I'm telling you right now?" 

 

"So, what? You’re giving me six month's notice? How thoughtful, dear!”

 

“I don't like your tone… What are you talking about?”

 

"Now I get it! That's why you wanted to wait till we graduate to tell the 'rents about us… because there will not be an 'us' to tell by then! I should have known I was just the dirty little college secret of Miss Perfect" 

 

Casey had no words. She could only stare at him in disbelief. She held her tongue, and now she realized that it was a big mistake to bring this topic up whilst Derek was driving. 

 

She just shook her head and gestured with her hand as if to say ‘I'm not talking to you’, then shifted in her seat to look out of the window, silently crying. 

 

Derek hit his hand over the steering wheel, taking her silence as a confirmation

 

Oh how wrong he was

 

🎶You are the only exception

You are the only exception

You are the only exception🎶

 

She has to admit she could have corrected him back on the road. Explain her plan to him properly. But he hurt her, and she was afraid that if she spoke she'd say something she'd later regret. So she decided to give him the silent treatment for a bit, even though it pained her to. 

 

When they got home, Smarti was waiting by the door. So Derek put his mask on, and in between hugs they made it inside without making anyone suspicious.

 

Since they still have their old rooms, Ed on autopilot grabbed Derek's duffle bag and headed upstairs. Casey grabbed her own bags and took the chance to chat a bit with Ed.

 

Lizzie is changing Simon by the time Casey comes back downstairs. Marti is helping Nora to set the table while the boys are in the living room. No one has noticed the black clouds over Casey and Derek's heads. 

 

Tonight is going to be just the two of them alone with George and her mom for dinner. Lizzie and Ed are going out for pizza and a movie with some friends, and Jeremy's mom offered to pick them up so they could stay with them. Marti has a sleepover party.

 

Casey is glad - they wouldn't have made it through dinner without revealing something (if not everything) with Sherlock and Watson there at the table, not to mention Marti! 

 

But of course she had been wrong to assume dinner was going to be uneventful. 

 

"So, Casey, your dad called Lizzie this morning and told her that you’re thinking about getting an apartment for next year..." 

 

"Yeah, mhmm… I barely spoke to him last night. We'll go through the details once I’ve done some more research about prices in the area. But, yeah - that's the plan…” She goes on while playing with the pink pearls of her necklace to calm her shaking hands. 

 

“I thought it could be a nice way to save some money,” she carries on, pausing to look pointedly at Derek before continuing, “Derek and I are going to be so busy that we’ll need some quiet and our own space - and we now get along really well, so living together shouldn't be a problem.”

 

“And you know how much I like to plan, I don't want to stress about where to live while and after we graduate. Plus, once we start those internships our chances to get those jobs are really high but our incomes are going to be low for a while. Being roommates it's the best option.” 

 

"Sounds like a good idea to me, we'll have to sit and discuss all the expenses properly later.” George pipes in. 

 

Casey barely manages to nod.

 

"I'm very proud of you both." Nora says, and Casey tries her best to smile at her. But Derek can see the shadow in her eyes. 

 

Just then, Simon decided to make a fuss. It was the perfect moment for Casey to offer to help and disappear with him, and for Derek to escape with the excuse to play video games at Sam's place

 

And now here he is singing to her, trying to apologize 

 

🎶I've got a tight grip on reality

But I can't let go of what's in front of me here

I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up

Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream🎶

 

He didn't go to Sam's. He just took the prince and drove. He needed to clear his head. When Casey mentioned the apartment back on the road, the only thing he could think about was her moving on and leaving him behind. Now he knows that all the accusations he made were wrong.

 

He knew he had to apologize, but saying sorry and talking about his f-f-feelings has never been easy. 

 

He really hopes this song makes Casey understand what's in his heart 

 

🎶You are the only exception

You are the only exception🎶

 

Casey wants to believe his words. That Mr. 'I'm the exception to all rules" has finally accepted the fact that he can trust her. That she can be HIS exception.

 

She needs him to trust her. To believe that she wants to be with him. To build a future together. 

 

🎶You are the only exception

You are the only exception🎶

 

He can't believe how blind and stupid he has been… if their parents (the most oblivious people on earth, although maybe not after all) were able to tell and more importantly believe that Casey's plan included him right away, why didn't he? Because he jumped to conclusions without listening to her first... that's why. 

 

Because when he's upset he turns defensive.

 

🎶You are the only exception

You are the only exception🎶

 

She really wants to believe that he has understood that she never for a second thought of leaving, that for her long ago everything was "we" and "us".

 

🎶You are the only exception

You are the only exception🎶

 

All his life it has seemed that he was never good enough. Abby left, Sally did too. Wouldn't Casey leave him too eventually?

 

He knows the answer, deep down in his heart - but now he's allowing himself to believe it.

 

🎶 You are the only exception

And I'm on my way to believing

Oh, and I'm on my way to believing 🎶

 

As he plays the last part of the song, Derek finally looks up. But... she's not by the window.

 

Derek stands up and his eyes frantically look for any sign of Casey. He runs his hand through his hair.

 

What now? What's he going to do now? 

 

Then, footsteps. 

 

He draws his attention to the back door - and there she is. Lip trembling. Eyes watering. Stepping down the stairs, and walking towards him. 

 

Once she's in front of him Derek clears his throat "Erm, Casey I…" He lets out a shaking breath. 

 

Casey smiles at him softly, and the next thing Derek knows she's grabbing his shirt and pulling him close - and kissing him like she hasn't kissed him before. He drops his guitar and wraps his arms around her, mumbling 'I'm sorry' against her lips without stopping their kiss. She nods energetically. 

 

Derek let's go of her lips and locks eyes with her. That look says everything they need to to each other. 

 

Placing his hands on each side of her face, caressing her cheeks softly with his thumbs, he kisses her. Deeply. 

 

Casey places her hands over Derek's forearms and he gives her small little kisses all over her face. Her forehead. Her nose. Making her giggle, even if tears are still falling from her eyes. He brushes them away with his fingers and kisses her again.

 

They are both happy in their little bubble, unaware that George and Nora are watching them. 

 

George, with a baby monitor in one hand, hugs Nora and kisses her hair with a mumbled: "Finally." 

 

"Finally!" Echoed Nora happily sighing, holding her now empty glass of water with both her hands. 

 

"Nora?"

 

"Mmm?" 

 

"Pay up." 

 

"Nice try - the bet was whether they were going to tell us about them this weekend or not. This is not them telling, this is we finding out. So, you pay up!" 

 

"The weekend isn’t over yet!" 

 

"We’ll see, we’ll see - now let's go, Georgie, before they see us. Or Simon starts crying again." 

 

"And I'm… on… my way to believing," Singing softly, George turns around and follows his wife back to the basement.

 

Notes:

Thanks to all my dear discord friends who helped me with some details for this fic.

Y gracias to my novio, Rob ❤️ for encouraging me to write a sequel and thanks to his Paramore binge of the other day cuz that's how I was able to pick this song.

Series this work belongs to: