Title: (You Make It) So Hard To Forget Author: saar_fantasy Characters: Darren Criss, Chris Colfer and Mark Salling (very short appearance of Ashley Fink)
Rating: PG-13 Warnings: m/m kisses (is that really a warning?)
Disclaimer: As much as I wished I did, I don't own any of them.
Summary: No matter how hard Chris tries, he just can't forget that kiss with Mark. He thinks Mark has already completely forgotten about it, until Darren tells him to talk to him. Salfer friendship/love is the most beautiful thing!
A/N: So, this is a sequel to "It's All Ashley's Fault", this wasn't supposed to happen, but I just couldn't help myself.I love these four people, especially the Salferiss boys, so yeah...Here goes! :)
"Hey you,"
Chris startles when he hears a voice behind him and whirls around to see Darren walking up to him with two cups of coffee in his hand.
"Hey," Chris greets him back and takes one of the cups from him. Taking a sip from it, he smiles, "You still know how I like it."
Darren just smiles and takes a sip from his own coffee, speaking against the rim of his cup he says, "Mark only told me half a dozen times how to make it."
He watches Chris almost choke on his next sip and chuckles when he looks at him, wide-eyed.
"W-what?"
"Mark told me a few times how you like your coffee. That's how I know how to make it. You're not mad about it, are you?"
"Wha- No! No of course I'm not mad, it's just..."
"It's just that it's Mark who told me how to do it." Darren fills in for him and Chris looks down and nods. Darren sighs and moves a little closer to Chris, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, " I caught you staring at him for the umpteenth time this can't forget about that kiss, can you?"
Chris looks defeated and shakes his head before looking back up at Darren with an incredibly sad look on his face.
"I don't know why I'm making such a big deal out of this. It was just a kiss, a kiss to prove he was the best kisser nonetheless. It was just a game to him, why can't it be a game for me?"
Darren gave him a small smile, "That's where you're wrong, Chris. It wasn't just a game for him. With me it was, and however great I think the kiss was, I'm still a straight guy and he knows it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris is genuinely confused by now.
"That means that the kiss between me and Mark meant absolutely nothing but trying to prove his point. The kiss with you on the other hand...I might have been a little dazed, because I got the first kiss, but I saw the kiss with you was different than with me. I bet it felt different too. More passionate. There were feelings involved, Chris. And not only from your side of the party."
"But how...How do you know?"
"I told you I caught you staring a few times at him, didn't I. Well, I caught him staring at you even more. I think Ashley noticed too. She hasn't said anything but...Well, it's pretty obvious if you look at him. At both of you."
"But, It can't...I..." Chris lets out a frustrated sigh, "He's one of my best friends, Darren. Plus, he's acting pretty normal if you ask me."
Darren smiles and squeezes his shoulder, "That's why it's called "acting" and people call him an "actor". Seriously, Chris. Talk to the guy. You might be in for a surprise..."
Before Chris can answer, Ryan calls them all to take their place and both boys move simultaneously to the rest of the group.
If Chris feels Mark stand just a little closer to him than he's supposed to, he tries not to make anything out of it.
One look at Darren makes that effort all but go through the drain...
He's seriously screwed, and he knows it.
Chris waits until the rest of the cast all walk off in groups, laughing and talking with each other, before he walks up to Mark, fidgeting nervously with one of his sleeves.
Mark doesn't see him coming, so he jumps a little when he hears Chris' voice behind him.
"Hey. Could we talk somewhere?" Chris asks, looking anywhere but at Mark when he turns around, "Not here, though. Somewhere more private?"
Mark doesn't speak, he just nods, then inclines with his head for Chris to follow him.
He leads Chris to his dressing room, indicates for him to have a seat, then closes the door and leans against the wall, his hands tucked into his pockets.
"What's up?"
Chris sighs and flips his bang of hair out of his eyes, looking at some spot on the wall very close to Mark, but not really looking at him.
"I don't really know what to say..."
"You're the one who wanted to talk."
"I know, but," Chris shakes his head and starts to stand up out of his chair, "Maybe this was a bad idea."
He starts to walk over to the door, but is stopped when he walks passed Mark and feels his hand on his arm.
"Please, wait," there's something in Mark's voice that makes Chris want to stay, "Just...Talk to me."
Chris' eyes are fixated on the hand on his arm, Maark notices, but instead of releasing the arm, he squeezes gently.
Chris' takes a deep breath and looks up, finally meeting his friend's eyes.
"I can't forget it," his voice is soft, barely above a whisper, but he knows Mark can hear him, "I can't forget that kiss."
He sees Mark swallow and waits, waits for what he has to say.
This is big... He could lose one of his best friends with admitting this.
He didn't expect to hear what he's hearing now...Not by all means.
"I can't forget it either."
His voice is just as soft as Chris' and he lifts his hand up from his arm and gently rests his palm against Chris' cheek.
Chris lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding and feels just a little overwhelmed.
He closes his eyes and leans into the touch of Mark's hand. Then opens his eyes and smiles.
"Want to try it again?" Chris says cheekily and Mark laughs, leaning in closer.
"You bet."
Their lips crash together and Mark changes their positions, pushing Chris' back, gently, against the wall.
They both smile in the kiss and pull away after a little while.
Mark's hand is still on Chris' face, his thumb gently carressing his cheekline.
They're both silent. Both scared to break whatever it is that brought them together like this.
But still, there are a lot of questions. One in particular bothers Chris enormously.
"Mark?"
"Hmm?"
"I hate to ask you this, but..." Chris swallows and motions with his hand between the little space there is between their two bodies, "What does 'this' mean?"
Mark smiles and leans his forehead against Chris', "It means whatever you want it to mean. It's new for me, but,... I want to try and make this" he also motions with his hand between the two of them, " I want to make it work."
Chris smiles but it looks a little sad, so Mark gets worried.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you sure about this?" Chris asked gently, "Are you sure you want to come out to your parents, your friends, your family...The world. Are you sure you can handle it?"
Mark shrugs, "I've known I've been bisexual for a long time now, so I think my parents have caught onto it as well. Part of my family and friends probably too. As for the world..." He reaches out and takes Chris' smaller hand gently in his and entwines their fingers together. "I won't be alone to do it."
Chris' eyes light up and a genuine smile appears on his face. He presses his forehead harder against Mark's and breathes against his lips;
"You'll never be alone."
The next time they have a shoot for Glee, Mark and Chris both arrive together, walking hand in hand into the studio.
Their smiles on their faces and the sparkle in their eyes tells the rest of the cast, and the crew, all they need to know.
Some look surprised, some just smile and exclaim that 'they just knew it!'.
Darren looks at Chris and gives him a knowing, beaming smile, Ashley looks at Mark and gives him a wink.
When both boys aren't looking, Darren and Ashley high five each other.
Mission Accomplished.