First and Last - Chapter 7 (The End)
The seventh and final chapter of the fic written for love_is_epic's birthday, after THIS little comment.
Thanks to my partner-in-crime and fabulous betaceltic_flicka, as well as to birthday girl love_is_epic (sorry this is late) and wily_one24 for jump-starting my muse.
First and Last
2017
Casey knocked on the door out of habit before letting himself in. “Veronica?” He called out in the empty foyer. “I’m home.”
He headed towards the back of the house, calling out to Veronica and Jayson but getting no answer. Casey was starting to get a bit worried when he finally spied Veronica through the window, sitting by the pool.
Sliding the glass door open, he stepped out on to the patio. “There you are,” he smiled at her, for the first time noticing the bottle of wine and wineglasses that rested at her elbow. “Where’s Jayson?”
“I asked my dad to come and get him.” Casey watched as her fingers tugged nervously at the hem of her shorts. “They’re going to a movie. They won’t be back for a couple of hours. I hope that’s okay?”
“That’s fine,” Casey answered slowly. “What’s up, Veronica? Is something wrong?” He nodded towards the wine bottle. “Are you expecting someone? You know, if you didn’t want to pick Jayson up for me you could’ve just said so.”
“No, that’s not it.” Veronica made a frustrated sound, reaching out to take his hand. “Could you just sit down for a minute? You’re so freaking tall…” Her voice trailed off nervously as Casey sat down next to her, eyeing her warily.
She busied herself, filling the glasses of wine. Casey reached over, taking them from her hands and setting them aside, willing her to look at him. “What is it? Just tell me, Veronica.”
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” she murmured softly, finally meeting his eyes. What he saw there caused him to catch his breath. Casey nodded, encouraging her to continue.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said,” she said eventually, “that first day…when I was leaving your house.”
“You want to go to the zoo?” His question had the desired effect. She rolled her eyes at him, her anxiety subsiding a bit.
“No,” she scowled at him, “about us being friends.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to be friends anymore,” Casey deadpanned.
“I’m saying,” she said nervously, “that I think I’d like to be more than friends.”
Casey let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, a huge grin spreading across his face. “I think I’d like that too.”
An answering smile spread across Veronica’s face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He leaned forward, angling in for a kiss. “You’re sure?”
She nodded quickly, her tongue flicking out to wet her lips. “Let’s take it slow.”
Casey laughed softly. “I don’t know if we can go much slower than eighteen years between kisses,” he murmured before capturing her mouth with his. Her lips were just as soft and sweet as he remembered, and he took his time getting reacquainted with them.
“What?” Veronica asked, studying him carefully as he reluctantly broke their kiss.
Casey couldn’t stop the silly grin from spreading across his face. “Strawberry lipgloss,” he sighed happily, then leaned down for another taste.
END
All Chapters Here
Thanks to my partner-in-crime and fabulous betaceltic_flicka, as well as to birthday girl love_is_epic (sorry this is late) and wily_one24 for jump-starting my muse.
First and Last
2017
Casey knocked on the door out of habit before letting himself in. “Veronica?” He called out in the empty foyer. “I’m home.”
He headed towards the back of the house, calling out to Veronica and Jayson but getting no answer. Casey was starting to get a bit worried when he finally spied Veronica through the window, sitting by the pool.
Sliding the glass door open, he stepped out on to the patio. “There you are,” he smiled at her, for the first time noticing the bottle of wine and wineglasses that rested at her elbow. “Where’s Jayson?”
“I asked my dad to come and get him.” Casey watched as her fingers tugged nervously at the hem of her shorts. “They’re going to a movie. They won’t be back for a couple of hours. I hope that’s okay?”
“That’s fine,” Casey answered slowly. “What’s up, Veronica? Is something wrong?” He nodded towards the wine bottle. “Are you expecting someone? You know, if you didn’t want to pick Jayson up for me you could’ve just said so.”
“No, that’s not it.” Veronica made a frustrated sound, reaching out to take his hand. “Could you just sit down for a minute? You’re so freaking tall…” Her voice trailed off nervously as Casey sat down next to her, eyeing her warily.
She busied herself, filling the glasses of wine. Casey reached over, taking them from her hands and setting them aside, willing her to look at him. “What is it? Just tell me, Veronica.”
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” she murmured softly, finally meeting his eyes. What he saw there caused him to catch his breath. Casey nodded, encouraging her to continue.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said,” she said eventually, “that first day…when I was leaving your house.”
“You want to go to the zoo?” His question had the desired effect. She rolled her eyes at him, her anxiety subsiding a bit.
“No,” she scowled at him, “about us being friends.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to be friends anymore,” Casey deadpanned.
“I’m saying,” she said nervously, “that I think I’d like to be more than friends.”
Casey let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, a huge grin spreading across his face. “I think I’d like that too.”
An answering smile spread across Veronica’s face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He leaned forward, angling in for a kiss. “You’re sure?”
She nodded quickly, her tongue flicking out to wet her lips. “Let’s take it slow.”
Casey laughed softly. “I don’t know if we can go much slower than eighteen years between kisses,” he murmured before capturing her mouth with his. Her lips were just as soft and sweet as he remembered, and he took his time getting reacquainted with them.
“What?” Veronica asked, studying him carefully as he reluctantly broke their kiss.
Casey couldn’t stop the silly grin from spreading across his face. “Strawberry lipgloss,” he sighed happily, then leaned down for another taste.
END
All Chapters Here