Pairings: Darren Criss/OFC
Warnings: Slight language/angst/light fluff
Summary: Darren and Skylar aren't really all that meets the eye, and after she starts getting closer to Grant Gustin, Darren has to deal with that green eyed monster, jealousy.
Rated T for langage
A/N: I have no idea where it came from, it's most definitely not my best of work but I couldn't get the idea to budge from my average sized brain. Hope you enjoy.
Reviews welcome but as long as you enjoyed it, it really doesn't bother me :)
Feel free to find me on tumblr: iamsamball(dot)tumblr(dot)com / workingminds(dot)tumblr(dot)com
Darren wasn't an overtly jealous person; he was mellow and more often than not, let things slide. Nothing seemed to faze him. He had never had an issue with jealousy and certainly never let it show to others if he felt it; that was not a Darren thing. He was also a very secure person; he never doubted himself or others and saw the best in people. Darren was most certainly one of a kind. However it seemed that he was starting to crack. Skylar Hudson had always managed to bring out the worst in him, but also the best, it all depended on what she did to him and when. Everything about him changed when he was around her and he had absolutely no control over that. It was frustrating him no end. This was what led to his current, un-Darren-like, outburst.
He'd noticed his closest female friend had been getting rather close to one of his cast friends, Grant Gustin, and in the beginning he'd been totally fine with that. It wasn't until they were starting to share her bed when he crashed at her place with some of the others - and sometimes without the others which was something which Darren and Sky always did – that he'd felt jealous. He knew why, of course he did, he wasn't a stupid man, hell, if he came out and said to Sky, look I'm so jealous right now, stop, she's immediately know but it didn't stop her because he hadn't told her to stop. She had every right to continue and upset Darren with her fun with Grant. He hated how true that statement was.
"So you like Grant, then, huh?" He calmly asked, leaning against the doorframe as she was tidying up her cosy and quaint bedroom, straightening up the covers on her bed and neatly laying down her blanket over the top.
"What does it matter to you?" she retorted, arranging her cushions and pillow so the bed was nicely presented, the way she felt most comfortable. She was most definitely a presentation type of person.
"Sky, come on." Darren was willing his frustration to lay low. He was never one for outbursts in all the years she had known him and he wasn't about to start right now.
"Fine, yes. I have a little crush on Grant, is that what you wanted to hear?"
"You I it's not." Sky inwardly groaned, already regretting admitting her attraction to the 22 year-old actor. Hating the direction of the conversation she just knew Darren was going to turn it. It was inevitable. Not because it was Darren, but just because.
"You shouldn't have asked then."
"Do my feelings not matter to you in the slightest?"
"Of course they do, but you made your bed Darren and now you have to sleep in it." It was simple.
"That's not fair Sky, you know how I feel about you." His desperation wearing thin, he sat himself down at the foot of her bed, resting against the wall and crossing his ankles and arms. She scowled at him for disrupting the sheets.
"Yes but do you know what also isn't fair, you know how I feel about you but you called the shots and you said we couldn't be together so therefore the ball is in your court."
"You can't be with Grant, I can't let that happen."
Skylar scrunched her eyebrows and folded her arms as she leant against the opposite wall to Darren, "Whilst I don't believe you have a damned say in this; who said anything about dating him? Nothing has happened and nothing will." Darren hopefully looked at her, "and no, not because I'm trying to spare your feelings, if anything I would pursue Grant in spite of you."
"But I lo-"
"-No! You do not get to say this to me, you don't get to break my heart and then tell me you love me, that's not fair! I'm not waiting around for you to make up your mind, you can't ask me to do that." She was furious, completely exasperated that he was still playing games with her but expecting her to take it all the same. To pat him on the arm, kiss his lips and say It's okay Darren, I don't mind that you tell me that you love but make me believe that a relationship would be completely impossible and make me feel like I'm cheating on you when I have slight feelings for someone else. It's totally fine.
"It just hurt seeing you with the others – Grant - being so close to you. I want you so much."
"You can have me but you won't. You expect me to wait for you but what happens when you start dating someone, or you get engaged? Do you expect me to still hang around on the off chance you decide you want to actually have a relationship with me?"
"I want you to fight for us Skylar, I want you to care so much about being in a relationship with me that you'll try and convince me or- something?" his raised voice startled the young girl, almost afraid of this man in front of her. Scared, both physically and emotionally, of the hold and power he had over her. He wasn't supposed to be like this. Darren was the one who protected her, but who would protect her from him? Grant? No, now really isn't the time to joke.
"I'm supposed to be the child between the pair of us but I really cannot believe how immature you're being, the fight isn't worth it when I know I'm going to lose, Darren." The pair were silent, he knew he was acting like a child but he couldn't help himself. She was young, not too young, but young enough yet he was being the juvenile one and as per usual, her maturity level exceeded his by more than half. She'd fixed her eyes on the wooden flooring beneath her sock clad feet, burning holes into the floor, hoping it would pull her in and take her away from this situation.
Darren fixed his eyes on her. Willing this..this…jealousy to vanish. He wasn't used to this abnormal feeling, it wasn't in his nature. He solely blamed the girl.
He voice softened as if she was willing herself to hold back the tears, wanting t be strong to fight her case, "I feel like this is some sort of test, to prove how much you mean to me. But I'm not playing games. Either you're ruling us out because you're scared, or you don't love me as much as you think/want to, or you're doubting me. And it's not fair. I've given you everything I have and if you can't see that or be man enough to accept it then maybe you're right. We're not compatible." She pushed off the wall, turning her back to him as she turned up her music and continued her cleaning, brushing their conversation off like she would any other.
"This isn't about not loving you enough or doubting you Skylar!" He exclaimed, bolting from the bed and grasping her arm tight enough to turn her to face him but not tight enough to hurt her. That too wasn't in his nature.
"Then what is it about Darren?" she weakly mumbled, not having the energy to fight with him, much to his dismay.
He lifted her head, pressing his open palm against her cheek, lovingly. "I-I love you so much – don't look at me like that, you have no idea how much – but you're right, I'm scared."
"I don't understand – what is there to be scared of?" her eyes were warming as she placed her own palm against his cheek, begging him to explain the complications and his objections.
"It's daunting how much I love you and I'm so fucking afraid. I'm afraid that I can't be the person you want me to be or need me to be. I can't be here twenty four –seven for you and you deserve better than that."
"Is that what all of this has been about? You know I don't care about that, even if I can only have you for twenty four hours a goddamned year, knowing that I was the one girl that you truly wanted and was the one you would one day come home to after a long day on set, it makes it all worth it." Skylar brushed the curls off his forehead, lightly smiling at the man who looked terribly like a boy in this moment, realising just how intensely she was in love with this man before her.
"How can you be so perfect about all of this?" He asked, soft hazel eyes, loving glazing over her teal ones.
"I believe it's because of a little thing called love, I could be wrong though."
"I want to believe this would work but, you're only eighteen Sky, I'm twenty-five. You'll have press harassing you, being poked at, everything will change no matter how secret we try and keep it." Sitting back on her bed, Darren pulled Sky along, sitting her beside him and resting against the wall behind the bed. He turned to fall her, taking her hands and placing them in his, resting on his knees.
"You know how I feel about you and if that's the price I have to pay to be with you then so be it, it's nothing compared to how it feels knowing you feel the same way about me but not being able to act on it."
"Sky, you really have to think about this, I don't want you to feel compelled."
"Darren, I haven't thought of anything else for the past year, I know it won't be easy but we can at least try, forget what I said, I want to fight for this, I really can't give up."
"If you are a billion percent sure then I can handle that," Darren broke out into a smile, "I'll give you everything you deserve."
"You're all I need you buffoon." She places her palms on his knees and leant forward, pressing her lips firmly against his, grinning wildly.
