A/N: Sooo it's 6.30 in the morning and I just finished cause clearly I have no life! This is supposed to be a longfic, so i should be updating soon. The main pair and pretty much what's everything about is Darren/Lauren but maybe it'll have some hints of other couples (surely Joey/Jaime and Breredith)

Warning: This chapter doesn't have smut, but the fic will have smut. And swears and alcohol and all other things.

Disclaimer: I don't own Team Starkid or any other mentioned here, I do own Zack but if you want to imagine him as someone of Starkid that's fine. also it's everything in my head.


Chapter 1

Lauren got out of the car with a quick movement, and she glanced the crowd that was already waiting outside the theatre, excited and most of them with a pair of pink sunglasses above their heads. She smiled. She wouldn't mind at all to walk to them and at least say hi, but she had been told to enter for the back entrance. She leaned a little on the front seat's door of the car, to be able to talk with the guy comfortably sitting in there as he lighted his cigar.

"You're going to pick me up when it's done?" Lauren asked him.

"Sure, just text me and I'll be here. Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" he looked at the people half block from them, between curious and worried, while he took a puff of his cigarette. That wasn't an usual concert crowd.

"Oh, don't worry, it's okay. Besides, it's already sold out" Actually, she could have him backstage if she wanted to, but she didn't. She didn't want him to be there. He never understood her career. He didn't have a problem with her being an actress, actually he went to her shows in off-Broadway, but didn't really like her main work, he thought it was pretty dumb. "I'll text you" she added and leaned to give him a little kiss.

He started the car, so she went for the back entrance.

His name was Zack. They met in her first day in New York. She accidentally hit him with her bag looking for her apartment, and she said she was sorry a million times, but according to him the only way he could forgive her was if she accepted a coffee from him. They started dating the next week after that. He was always in his big white car, so he drove her all the places she needed to. She wasn't crazy about him, but he was a nice and attractive guy, she liked him and they usually get along, they attended to a several number of events together and they had a great time, he cared about her. But the only thing she could complain was that they couldn't share really deep talks. They couldn't just sit in the bed and talk all night long. They didn't have a lot in common. He was a city guy, he liked baseball, cars and wet t-shirt's contests. Of course Lauren liked baseball too, but sometimes she wanted more than that. Even though, in that moment going to the cinema and laughing together in front of the big screen was enough. She was happy.

"Miss Lopez?" the bodyguard in front of the door asked her as he saw her coming.

"Yes."

He opened the door for her and she felt instantly happy as she put a feet on that place. Irving Plaza. That was one of her favorite places in New York, even though she got to know a lot of new adventures in there in the past times. She didn't actually move to New York, but she had been renting an apartment for the last month. She was selected for a really good play in off-Broadway, and she was very happy at the moment. The cast and people were, in general, kind with her and she was making her own way. She was planning to go back to Chicago as soon as the season finished, but she was enjoying that moment in her favorite city.

She walked in the hallways and when she started to think she was getting lost, she spotted Darren's tiny agent. He greeted her and pointed at her dressing room. Although, Lauren never liked that man. She was about to enter when a sound distracted her. Some guitar's chords were messing around in the room next to her. Her heart raced, and not paying attention to that tiny annoying agent, she walked to the other room. A wide smile showed up in her face when she saw some recently cropped curls leaned near to a guitar's strings.

"Hey, stranger" she said from the door.

Darren turned his head back, immediately stopping the song that was probably still in progress. Without saying a thing, he approached her quickly and gave her a long tight hug. His hands wrapped her waist and her nose found a place on his neck. It was a long time since the last time they've met.

"I've missed you" he finally spitted "I'm glad you were here to make it to the concert."

"I couldn't miss it. I'm Darren Criss' biggest fan" she joked, and he just laughed before letting her go. "Do you have an actual idea of what the hell I am going to do here?" But she didn't need to hear his answer, she knew him too well. He didn't have anything prepared.

"Well… We have an hour left. We can still have a little rehearsal."

They barely had time to settle what they were about to sing. They did a quick sound check, and after that Lauren stayed backstage going through the lyrics while Darren was onstage with the band practicing his own songs. They decided to play Going back to Hogwarts (It was a classic, they just couldn't skip that one), Granger Danger, Even though (That was the hard one for Lauren, because she never actually learned the lyrics), and Not Alone (they weren't sure about how their version would actually be because they just decided everything so quickly, but luckily it would end up awesome).

A minutes after, she drank a sip of her bottle of water, and she took a place on the wings. Lauren sat on a chair putting her bottle on the floor, so the people wouldn't see her until it was her turn to sing, that was at the end of the show. Darren took a place next to her, stood up, looking at the staff making the last preparations on the stage. The crowd was already in the theatre, and they were screaming at the top of their lungs every time a new member of the staff stepped on.

"Three minutes" his agent warned, always a few steps behind Darren.

"How do you feel?" Lauren asked him quietly. That wasn't his first concert at all, it wasn't even the first time in Irving Plaza, but things have changed since he made a show in there for the last time. She knew he was a little nervous.

"Fine. It's just… no, I'm fine." He interrupted himself.

"What?" Lauren punched him on his lap, like a little girl who wants a kid to tell her his biggest secret.

"Two minutes left" that high pitched voice sounded. She was about to punch that annoying man.

"I have new songs." He added, as if no one was getting in the conversation. He took a deep breath before continuing "Most of them are totally new. Things are different now. Very different. You know that. Of course my style was enough a year ago, but now maybe that changed. I don't know. What if they don't like the songs?"

"They always do." She encouraged him.

"One minute…" Darren's agent cut in.

Lauren saw in that now famous and grown up man, a little insecure-college-Darren. He was playing with his own hands and didn't look at her, his gaze was stuck on the stage and he knew there were just a few seconds left. Some member of the staff handed him his guitar, and he thanked him. He took the guitar's strap but Lauren stopped him with her tiny hands. He looked so nervous, he was going to screw up if he showed up like that.

"Listen, you're going to be awesome. They all are going to get cray just because you are here. And you know you have never disappointed them. You have never disappointed me. We love you, asshole. Go out there and kick some ass. And if you mess up you can always take off your shirt to make up the situation"

Only then she let them put his guitar's string on his shoulder. He smiled, and that smile was enough for letting her know he was relaxed and confident now.

"Jesus, Lo, thank you. You know I-"

"Now, it's time." The man almost yelled, pushing him a little.

He just had time to grin at Lauren before stepping on the stage. Instant madness, the crowd exploded. She couldn't help but smile while she looked at him giving some confusing but adorable introductions. In a matter of minutes the wings were full of Darren's friends, but she didn't know most of them, it was just after a few minutes that Joe Moses came up. He greeted her and took place next to her.

The show was amazing. He did mess up a few times, but that was usual and nothing really regrettable. She enjoyed every minute watching him doing what he loved the most. His eyes were full of passion, and the way he moved around along with the rhythm of every song was gripping. She never thought he was so talented like in that moment.

Indeed, he sang a lot of new songs, but did a set of covers too. He played a Whitney Houston song, "Armageddon" of Aerosmith, and then, he kindly hushed the fans, that was something he used to do in his concerts when he really wanted to concentrate.

"Now I want to play a song…" he said, taking a little towel from his pocket and whipping his face. He was sweating like hell, it didn't matter if it was snowing outside, he always sweated. "It's a song that… Well, it earned a meaningful appreciation for me in the last times. I'm glad I'm in New York to play it because hopefully the person I want will be listening to it." He started to stroke the strings of the guitar in some discrete chords.

He looked at some point between the crowd and then, a second before starting to sing, he turned his head back and looked directly to Lauren. Her heart stopped, how did he manage to find so quickly her eyes between all of the people? She couldn't react fast enough to even put a smile, immediately he looked back to the floor when started to sing.

This is the start of something beautiful

This is the start of something new

You are the one that make me loose it all

You are the start of something new

She recognized Ed Sheeran's lyrics. She couldn't look away. Her heart was having troubles to keep going with her usual rhythm. Why did he look at her? What was his intention? In her head echoed the words "I'm glad I'm in New York… the person I want will be listening to it…" Was he playing for her? A love song? She didn't understand.

"Does he mean…?" Joe started.

"I don't know" she interrupted him. She didn't want anyone to make a sound in that moment. The only thing she cared about was the man on the center of the stage with his eyes slightly closed and his voice reaching softly every note in the perfect way.

And I'll throw it all away

Watched you fall into my arms again

And I'll throw it all away

Watch you fall, now

You are the earth I will stand upon

You are the words I will sing

The boys around her started to look at her, she was tearing up. She didn't even know why. Darren was playing that song for her. No one ever did something like that for her. She whipped some tears that flowed from her eyes, but hold her gaze on the man who was focused on singing as if there wasn't anything else in the world. His voice was so strong, but at the same time it touched her in a way no other voice ever did.

Joe rubbed her back. She didn't react and didn't look at him but she knew he was smiling, excited for them. Her own smile was shaking but she couldn't get it away from her face. It was just a beautiful moment.

And I've thrown it all away

Watched you fall into his arms again

And I've thrown it all away

Watched you fall, now

And take me back

Take me home

Watch me fall, down to earth

Take me back, home

She never would have thought something so cheesy would catch her up like that. But it did. One part of her wanted to just run onstage and hug him for being a romantic douchebag. Another part wanted to slap him in the face for being a romantic douchebag. What was he even trying to do? Everything was confusing, she was slapping the air in the dark and he was offering her his hand. And she didn't know if she should take it.

This is the start of something beautiful

You are the start of something new

When the song finished and the crowd calmed their screams, Darren started talking again, between jokes and explanations. But she didn't have an idea about what he was saying, her mind was still in the last song, in the last lyrics, in the last second where his voice broke and the last chord lost in the air. Apparently she should have been listening, because Joe punched her shoulder after a while.

"Lauren, you don't have to enter now?"

"Uhm, I-" she stuttered, confused. Then she recognized the firsts chords of Going Back to Hogwarts, and stood up immediately. That was her call. She shook her head, now she needed to forget about any recent event, she couldn't let anything affect their performance. They could solve that later.

Lauren waited until Draco's part to enter onstage. The screams were louder than ever and that woke her up. She didn't remember at all about the past song during the whole performance. Granger Danger was awesome too, and they surprised the fans with Even Though and Not Alone. It was amazing, and they were just two friends having a blast and sharing their music with other people. Not even the intimate glances between them on Even Though made the things awkward. They were best friends singing a love song. It was perfect. Luckily they didn't forget the lyrics and the final performance couldn't have been any better.

When they greeted all the people who came to the show, Lauren tried to go back to her dressing room but it was occupied by the staff, so she and Moses stayed at Darren's while he was still in the hallway getting congratulated.

"You know you're probably going to be involved in an interesting talk today, right?" he said to her. Her eyes opened as she put the biggest scared face that was possible.

"I'm not" Lauren replied. She was the worst at that kind of talks. Besides, she wouldn't even know what to say.

Darren walked into the room in that moment to put his guitar on its case. Joe approached him and said to him the show was awesome but he needed to go. He hugged Lauren and then he made his way out of the theatre. She noticed he closed the door when leaving the room, and she cursed inwardly. They were just the two of them now.

"The show was the best, thank you for inviting me. I had a blast" she said, leaning against the table.

"Me too." He agreed, smiling, and then turned to her "Do you want me to drive you to your apartment? I rented a car, I'm staying in New York for a few weeks. I have some things to do in here."

"Oh, Zack is supposed to pick me up now. But I don't know, I'll call him to make sure of it. I'll tell you in a minute" and she took her phone, which ringed a few times more than usual before someone picked up.

Darren frowned when she said that. For some reason the phrase "Zack is supposed to pick me up now" and the natural way that she told him annoyed him. So he crouched to start to order all of his stuff in his bag, trying not to hear their conversation.

"Hey, Zack, the concert just finished." She informed when he picked up the phone.

"Uhm- okay, love. Just give me… just give a minutes." His voice sounded way too shaken.

"Are you ok? You sound bad."

"I'm fine."

"What were you doing? Were you running?" she knew he used to run at those hours, but he sounded too agitated for that.

"No, I was- I'm fine." He repeated, nervous. Lauren started to suspect the worst.

"Don't tell me that's Lauren" a woman's voice sounded in the distance. She knew that voice.

"Who's that?" her tone was serious now. Darren tried to focus on his task but couldn't help to glance at her every second, and even more when she started to raise her voice's volume.

"It's just the TV, love." Zack replied, but his nervous gave him away. A cruel female laugh echoed in the room and that convinced her fears.

"That's Angela!" she yelled, her voice broken. That was one of her co-workers. She introduced them both in one of her first shows but didn't expect something like that. She couldn't possibly imagine how they got to that situation. But definitely now she was laying on his bed, and obviously she interrupted something she wasn't supposed to.

"That's ridiculous, Lauren. I'm alone here." And he whispered trying to cover the phone "Could you shut the fuck up?" but she listened it perfectly. Her heart skipped a beat and she was starting to have troubles to breath. How could he?

"What is she doing there? Oh my god, I can't believe it…"

"No, it's not what you think, love."

"Don't you dare to call me like that one more time!" she tried to hold her voice strong but she was going to cry. Darren stood up and looked at her, worried. "Right in my face, how could you?"

"Listen, I'll pick you up and we'll talk about this. I promise it's not what you think" he didn't want to give up. But it was too late, any excuses would be enough and she lost all respect for him.

"I don't want to see you. Ever again. You disgust me…" she hung up her phone, knowing that she wasn't able to hold her crying anymore. She heard him giving silly excuses, and alike he heard her first sobs.

She throw her phone away on the table, before covering up her face with her hands. The tears started falling so quickly that she didn't have time to whip them. Silly of her, he could have been cheating on her since they started dating and she wouldn't notice it. She felt angry to him and pathetic for herself.

"Lo, are you okay?" Darren didn't know what to do. Of course he realized she wasn't okay. "What happened?" And of course that what happened was pretty obvious…

"He cheated on me…" she cried, looking at him in the eyes, as she couldn't believe it yet.

Darren felt an instant anger after hearing that, he hated whoever made her cry like that and whoever made her voice shook in that way. A chill went through his backbone when she started to sob harder. He tried to keep down his wrath against that unknown guy; in that minute what he needed to worry about it was her.

"He's an idiot. He's the biggest idiot in this universe" he stated. He approached her and stood up in front of her to catch her attention, so she put her hands away from her face and looked at him with her eyes watery and her cheeks covered in tears. "You are so incredible, Lauren. Whoever doesn't realize that, is a fucking asshole, and doesn't worth your tears." He whipped gently the teardrops of her skin with his thumbs.

"I was so stupid…" she added quietly, her sobs were more distant. He held her jaws.

"You are not. Don't ever say that again about yourself… Remember what you said to me before I went onstage? About how I've never disappointed you? That's what I feel for you too. Don't let him ruin your night. You are so much more than that." After hearing that she released a sad smile and that just killed him. "Come here…" he said and hugged her tightly. She was still crying quietly when he put his hands around her and pulled her the closest he could. She just rested her hands on his strong arms and her head on his chest, repeating to herself she needed to calm down. But the good thing about Darren is that she could let it all go and he wouldn't mind. He would stay there, holding her hand. "You deserve someone who really cares about you, and loves you, and is loyal to you. Someone who realizes how beautiful and unique you are…" he couldn't control his words, they just came up all across his mouth and they calmed her, but he thought maybe he was speaking too much.

He kissed her forehead, and both didn't say anything for a while. They just stayed like that until her sobs stopped completely and his anger was totally gone, and there was nothing more than Lauren wrapped in his arms.

Then she realized that was she needed to. Those were the kind of words she wanted to hear, that was the kind of support she wanted to hold her.

She looked up to his eyes. His expression didn't say anything, but he just told her all the things she needed to hear. That was the man that thought about her while singing a love song. That was the one who truly cared about her.

She slowly closed her hands in a fist, stroking his arms with her fingertips. His thumbs rubbed her lower back.

They both saw it coming.

They both were aware of it and they both leaned forward at the same time.

Their lips found each other and they closed their eyes, as if that was the first time, even though they have kissed before for plays and shows. Darren was the more curious one this time. He headed one hand to her head and grabbed it to deepen the kiss. She noted his anxiety; she was excited too but thought she could handle it. She put her hands on his chest and squeezed his shirt, as soon as felt his tongue making way through her mouth. Her heart was increasing its speed at unimaginable levels, his way to explore her was leading her to insanity. She knew Darren was a good kisser because of his previous history, but never thought he'd kiss her; and not like that.

He only stopped the kiss when they were totally out of breath, and when he did it they looked at each other smiling because they were desperately trying to catch some air. He directed his hands to her legs and lifted her off. She gasped as she realized what he was doing but put her hands around his neck to make sure she wouldn't fall; and Darren took advantage of that movement and started to kiss her again. He carried her to the table and tried to gently rest her in there, but he passed out and she hit the mirror at the end of the table with her back.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" he asked worried, and she just laughed in response.

Lauren opened a little her legs so Darren would have place to hold her tighter. His hands were everywhere, she couldn't follow his rhythm, at one second his fingers were marking circles on her legs and at another one they were on her back, squeezing her clothes. She noticed his urgency of wanting more skin to touch, because she felt it too. They regretted being there, at his dressing room because they'd have to leave in any minute; and as if it that was a grip from the reality, a knock sounded from the other side of the door.

Darren barely separated a little from her to ask:

"Who's there?"

"Darren?" a female voice called, not very sure yet if she was knocking the correct door.

They both split up immediately when they recognized that voice. Not having the dignity to look at each other to the eyes, Lauren fixed her clothes and he went right away to open the door.

The thoughts that went through Lauren's mind were too confusing to explain when she saw Mia walking into the room. She had been Darren's on-and-off for years, but the last thing she heard about her was their break up from months ago so she just assumed they weren't together anymore. But she didn't know what she was doing there. They were friends? She went for something more? Did he invite her? All those things probably wouldn't care two hours ago, but now were torturing her.

"Hi, Lauren" Mia greeted her, but remaining a little distance. They have talked a few times but they weren't really close. They didn't dislike each other, but the only reason they met was because of Darren.

"Hi…" she replied quietly. How was Lauren supposed to act now? What was she even with him?

The woman just stayed near Darren to start talking to him in a low voice, Lauren couldn't hear what they were saying. She took his phone and, after ignoring a call from Zack, she went on Twitter to pretend she was doing something but wasn't actually paying attention to it. They were whispering into each other's ears and that was driving her so mad. After a seconds she just said goodbye and kissed him on the cheek (which confused Lauren even more), and waving to her left the room. Darren looked at her, she was still on the table, leaned against the mirror, and her clothes were still rumpled by his own touch. He had to hold himself to not jump to her, he wanted her too bad.

"I'll drive you to your house, let's go" he said. But Lauren was in a different place now.

"I'll take a taxi." She shook her head as saying so, and started to walk from the room.

"Wait, I want to take you home, what's the deal?" he asked confused.

"That I don't want you too" she responded, and Darren just looked at her as she walked away. Lauren was so confusing. At first she was friendly with him, then she liked him and now didn't want to stay in the same car as him.

But for Lauren the warmth of the last minutes abandoned them. The security of his words broke with the appearance of the doubt, and it made room to the same insecurity that she'd have being with Zack or any other city guy who liked baseball, cars, and wet t-shirt's contests. Now there was a huge abyss between them, and she wasn't ready to go through it.


A/N: If you leave a review I'll unconditionally love you forever