#casey gardner

Cold Hands

warnings?: a kiss

who?: Casey Gardner

I wasn’t going to lie to myself. After what happened it got a little more weirder than it already was. Casey and I hung out, but we didn’t talk. We more hung out because it was a schedule we were so used to and once so open to. Now sitting in her room, it felt stale.

It felt weird.

Like always we were both studying. I don’t know why I kept agreeing to do this with her, even if I didn’t necessarily want to. I still loved Case, she was my friend, i’ve known her for so long, but she wasn’t herself around me anymore. I heard her bickering with people, being sarcastic and being a smart ass, so at least I knew she was still herself.

Just not around me.

I drew hearts and stars on my math homework, not feeling enough energy to actual do it. She sat on her bed, looking down at her textbook. This was enough. I wasn’t gonna have me and my bestfriend act like this. Hanging out with her just wasn’t as fun as it used to be. I turned towards her, she instantly looked up at me like she wanted me to finally say something about it.

Her face looked casual but indifferent, oh her face. It was just so Casey, I couldn’t explain further. I liked her face, I liked seeing her laugh, seeing her smile at my joke. I missed her. I realized then and there.

“Seriously tell me what’s wrong Case.”

She swallowed her spit and shrugged her shoulders.

“Fine. Fine I will.”

Relief but also curiosity filled me. There was something wrong that she just wasn’t talking about? Finally we would be back to normal.

“I…I guess something, i’m feeling has been different.”

“What? What do you mean?”

She looked me in my eyes and my heart dropped to my ass.

“You know what I mean.”

I looked down, red appeared on my cheeks. I guess I did know what she meant, and just maybe i’ve been ignoring it.

“You..like me.”

I stated as a fact. She side glanced something and nodded.

“Yeah, yeah I do like you.”

“But-“

“But what?”

I couldn’t look her in the eyes. I expected this, but convinced myself it wasn’t real until my mind subconsciously totally ignored the way we’ve been acting. Was it my fault? What did I do different for her to like me? Why did she like me. I mean we were both girls. Did I like girls?

I liked Casey. So…yes. I did like girls.

I could practically hear my heart beating so hard in my chest. I had that throw up feeling. Just a second ago I was doing stupid ass math homework. She saw it. She saw my self confession, she moved off of her bed and bent down to where I was sitting. Visions of her bending down when I twisted my ankle filled my mind. I finally looked up at her, she looked very red too, as she sat infront of me. We both just starred into each other’s eyes, it wasn’t awkward anymore.

it was charged with something. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, maybe even lower. I needed to get the feeling out…so I leaned, silently asking in this suddenly warm room a private thought. She leaned in too, and just like that, our lips touched. It was soft, it definitely wasn’t causal. I didn’t open my lips, she didn’t either, it was a peck, but it felt like it was way more than that. We let go and my eyes were wide. This really just couldn’t be happening, in her room, where I study and have sleepovers and make fun of rude people.

Her hand suddenly grabbed mine. Her hand was cold like always, but this time I felt like I wanted to give her all my warmth in my body, just for her to feel like I do at this moment.

We both didn’t know what to say, but we almost didn’t have to say anything. The kiss was familiar like i’ve felt it in a dream. It was soft but powerful. Our lips just fit perfectly.

What the hell.

Hair Ties and Lies

warnings?: angst and fluff

who?: Casey Gardner

The dinner went surprising well. I made the family laugh a few times, although Casey just smiled at her plate the whole entire dinner. She didn’t even make a sarcastic comment, which was extremely unlike her. I decided to not pay anymore energy into whatever she had going on.

After dinner we walked up to her room again, she walked behind me when we were walking up the stairs like she was ready to catch me if I fell. She made fun of my limp, which randomly gave me relief after how almost ‘soft’ she was being lately. We made it to her room, I sat crisscross on the floor, playing with a hair tie that was lying on her floor. She sat on her bed, phone in hand. It was silent, and I kind of wanted to go home at this point. My phone buzzed in my pocket, so of course I looked at the message, it was a school friend.

*How is your ankle?*

Casey looked over at me and nodded towards my phone.

“Who is that? Your Mom?”

“Oh no, it’s Emily from school. She just asked how my ankle is doing.”

She looked down, her eyes traced something. I watched a tone shift in her expression.

“Why does she care?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why does she care about your ankle? It’s like not that big of a deal.”

My eyebrow furrowed as I looked at her. Was she being serious and what was her deal tonight. Everything was so weird and out of place.

“Can people not care about me besides you?”

“You think I would say that?”

Her tone got defensive like she was the one getting randomly attacked for no exact reason on a Tuesday night.

“I mean I don’t know, people are obviously not allowed to care for me and text me beside you. Why are you getting jealous.”

“I’m not? You’re only my friend. There’s no need to get jealous.”

“Yeah there is no need so why are you?”

She paused, her eyes slowly looked into mine. Her face suddenly turned guilty. I had no idea what was going on. She began to speak but nothing came out. She couldn’t use a sarcastic comeback this time. She couldn’t deflect. It was rare that I held her accountable but tonight I did.

“It’s not even jealousy.”

“Then what is it Case?”

“Emily is just annoying okay?”

That was a sour deflection.

“Really? So that’s what has you pissed.”

“Yeah, Emily is a dick.”

“Not to me.”

“Why are you here? What, we’re just gonna fight in my room?”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, getting up, not realizing her hair tie was now on my wrist.

“Yeah maybe I should go.”

“Yeah maybe.”

She looked down and I felt like crying almost. I never got into fights with Casey. It didn’t help that lately we’ve been just…different. I reached for the doorknob. Of course she sprang up and swatted my hand away. I half expected it, Casey wasn’t good sitting with a problem.

“Don’t leave, i’m sorry I was being stupid.”

“That doesn’t help Case. You’ve been so weird and off lately. What’s wrong?”

I turn back around, tilting my head to try to really look at her. She looks like she was thinking, very hard. Her gaze drifts to my wrist, her hand slowly reaches for it, grabbing my wrist gently and holding it up,

“Is that mine? It’s blue, and i’ve never seen you with a blue hair tie.”

I look down too and mentally cuss at myself.

“Yeah, it was on the ground, my bad.”

I went to take it off but she stopped me, again swatting at my hand, she just kept her eyes on my wrist.

“I don’t care, keep it.”

she drops my wrist and walks to her bed, laying down. I let go of the breath I was holding. I slowly just walk out of her room. Heading out of the house after saying goodbye to Sam, Elsa, and Doug.

Frozen Peas

warnings?: none just fluff

who?: Casey Gardner

I remember it very closely. The next Friday after the diner incident. Of course I got in trouble. I was still able to do morning runs, seeing as though my Mom thought they were just trainings for track, and she would never make me quit track, no matter how in trouble I got.

That morning was foggier than usual. Walking out of my front door, the wind hit my face. I of course didn't really mind it, seeing as though my parents kept the house so warm, I just assumed they were trying to bake me alive maybe? I looked around for Casey. No sign, so I slowly walked down my front door steps, maybe she was sick this morning? She was never late. It was still dark out but she was always under the street light, 5:30 am, our Friday run. I always thought about things closely. It was instinct. My second nature, so my mind couldn't get off the fact she was late.

I pulled out my phone and decided to text her, trying to sound more causal, my fingers were cold, hard to type on the keyboard. My athletic shorts exposing my legs of course wasn't helping. I finally shot the message.

*Hey Case? Where are you??*

Okay, maybe that wasn't so causal. I instantly saw the bubble text back, then stop, then it appeared shortly after again.

*Sorry Omw.*

Okay maybe I was thinking too hard, she was just probably late, no big deal. I stretched on the side walk, waiting for her silhouette to round the corner and jog up to me. After about five minutes she finally did. Her hair in her messy bun, half of it down. She didn’t smile. A nerve instantly hit my stomach, I walked towards her.

“What’s wrong?”

I said as my head tilted. She scanned my face slowly. I noted she still had the tired look in her eyes. Her eye bags deeper than usual. Her face a bit puffy.

“Fight with Elsa.”

She said, very short. I didn’t think that was all to the story, but I just nodded, not wanting to make her mad, or push her in anyway. Just last Friday the weather was so nice, the sun finally came out of hiding. Now it was a regular winter day, and someone was pissed off.

“Let’s just run, take your mind off of it. We don’t have to talk.”

“Yeah okay.”

She began running, my eyebrows furrowed but I ran after her, catching up and keeping a bit of irregular distance. She stared at the ground, watching the side walk as she ran on it. I wonder what happened, I mean obviously a fight with her Mom, Elsa, but what could possible have her in a mood. Maybe her family ‘teamed’ against her. I paid too much attention to her face, my ankle suddenly twisted on the side of the side walk.

“Ow.”

I said, my body instantly moving to capture my ankle with my two hands, I bent down and felt pain just dramatically wash over me. Just a second ago I was worried about Casey, now I couldn’t think about anything. All I could see was Casey instantly bend down next to me, her hand went on my back, moving up and down, I assumed she wasn’t really thinking about it.

“Are you okay?!”

She said, an obviously worried tone in her voice. I suddenly felt embarrassed. Her once furrowed angry eyebrows were furrowed for a different reason. She was concerned.

“Yes, I think..I just..twisted my ankle.”

“It doesn’t matter, you need ice like five seconds ago, it’s swelling.”

She nudged her hands under my arm pits and brought me to a stand, helping her walk without putting pressure on my ankle.

We soon made it to her familiar house, she opened the door while holding me. She sat me on her couch and jogged to her kitchen, pulling out a pack of frozen peas, then holding it to my ankle, while she scanned my face again to see if the pain was too harsh. The pain thankfully calmed down right when the ice hit my ankle.

“Are you okay?”

She said quietly, I again felt embarrassed.

“Yeah, i’m fine.”

“I’m sorry for being late and being a dick.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She looked down at my ankle so I followed her eye sight. Her hand pressed on the peas. A small knowing smirk crossed her face randomly.

“I think we’re gonna have to skip another Friday. This time for a good reason.”

I laughed and nodded.

“Yeah, maybe so.”

omg this might be my favorite chapter yet.

The Shirt Incident

Warnings: None, Friendly Fluff

About?: A study sesh

Who?: Casey Gardner

I noticed when something big in her life took place, her hair always got shorter. Like she was cutting off bad memories of her mom, or Elsa should I call her. She was cutting off stress that always accumulated over time with having Sam as her brother.

But through all these years i've stayed by her side. She never cut me off and I liked to hold that thought once in a while. Lately, with her new school, new life, she's been nothing but studying. Of course I really didn't mind. What the hell, it forced me to study if I wanted to be in her presence, so I guess I killed two birds with one stone. I laid on her bed while she searched her room for something. I didn't really pay mind to what exactly. I was just purely focused with my stupid english essay my teacher somehow only gave me a week to do.

I felt a shirt land on my head. A scent of sweat filled my nose and I groaned loudly.

"What the hell Case?"

I turned my body around to look at whatever Casey was doing.

"Sorry, i'm trying to find a shirt to wear."

"Let me guess, all your clothes are dirty...obviously."

The stench of her sweaty shirt came back. She gave me a little side glance and kept rummaging.

"Well maybe do my laundry."

"Why would I do your laundry?"

We both laughed and I turned back around, making sure the shirt that she probably wore on a run was no wear near my nostrils. I hear her mutter 'finally', as she made her way to the bathroom door that connected her brother's room to hers. Before she made it to the doorway, she casually slipped off her current shirt, revealing a black sports bra. I saw it as the corner of my eye, I just looked away. It felt like in invasion of privacy. My eyesight looked too closely at the words on my paper, rereading it over and over and-

"What're you working on anyway?"

She asked as I felt her body weight dip into the bed, she rolled to the side of me, starring at my essay paper.

"English. I feel like i've told you about 5 times now."

"I just zone out when you talk."

"Funny."

I roll my eyes and start to write again, she just has her smug smirk played on her face like always. I just laugh a bit when I see the corners of her mouth in a smirk and get back to focusing.

She rolled onto her back and sighed, starring at me.

"Did you notice I cut my hair."

"I always notice."

I said quickly, almost instantly regretting it. Her face changes positions just a bit, before it goes back smug.

"You needa cut your hair, you have like as many split ends as Elsa's age."

"No, that's mean."

"Nothings ever mean if it's directed towards Elsa."

I chuckled softly and shook my head

this is just the beginning of Casey Gardner fics. the atypical show community is very much not a community anymore but i just love jack haven and casey gardners character i don’t even care rn