A/N: Just a heads up; don't be surprised if for awhile that each chapter contains a flashback. I don't want to start from the very beginning with these two, and ideas seem to come at me sporadically, and I just find it easier to insert flashbacks in the story throughout current time. I'll try to keep them at a minimal, but I can't promise anything, because well, their past is a lot of what got these two to where they are today, and, I think it'll help you all out as well. Enjoy, guys. : )
"My gift is my song and this one's for you; And you can tell everybody, this is your song."
Emberlin awoke with the rising sun peeking through her window. It was a Saturday, and one of the only days she wasn't busy doing something. Being a young adult and out on her own meant she was always busy doing something, whether it be laundry, school work or taking care of Everett, her two month old son. As she sat up, she looked over and heard a tiny whimper from the baby across the room. She smiled, and stood up, walking across the room to pick up the no longer sleeping baby.
As she made it to the crib, she smiled, and saw her son's big golden brown eyes looking up at her. She smiled, snuggling the infant close to her chest. "Hey, buddy." She said, looking down at him. "You're awake awfully early." She said. She loved being a parent; to her it was one of the best feelings in the world. She smiled as her son made cute little cooing noises and nodded. "I know." She said, kissing his forehead. "Come on, let's go wake daddy up." She said, walking back across the room to her bed, where her boyfriend was sleeping soundly.
She took her sleeping son – it wasn't very often Everett didn't fall asleep in Emberlin's arms – and placed him on his father's chest. She smiled as she watched Darren place his hands on Everett's back, and she bent over to kiss him lightly. She sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him to move.
Darren peeked at her with one eye, and smiled slightly as he saw his son on his chest. "Good morning, buddy." He said, kissing his son's forehead. He smiled as he saw that Emberlin was still sitting on the edge of the bed. "And good morning to you." He said, sitting up slightly.
Emberlin smiled, and looked at Darren. "Good morning, babe." She said, crawling to the other side of the bed and laying next to him, propping her head up on her hand. "How'd you sleep?" she asked after she kissed him lightly. This was more or less routine for them; they spent the first half an hour of being awake just laying in bed and talking. That was something they'd been doing for awhile now.
He yawned slightly and then looked at her, his curly hair moving slightly as his head moved. His hair was one of the many things that Emberlin loved about him. He looked at her. "I slept pretty well." He said. "Everett didn't wake up at all last night." He said.
Emberlin interrupted him by shaking her head. "Everett woke up at least five times last night." She said, with a slight smile. "You just slept through all of them." She said, looking at her boyfriend. He wasn't usually a heavy sleeper, so, she was rather confused as to why he slept through every single time Everett awoke.
Darren's eyes widened and he chuckled lightly. "I guess I've just been exhausted with work." He said. "I don't usually sleep through the night." He said, looking at her. His eyes got a rather sad, apologetic look in them and he looked over at her. "I'm sorry." He said.
Emberlin shook her head and kissed his cheek lightly. "It's alright, Darren." She said. "I understand work keeps you busy." She said, placing her hand on top of his, which was still on Everett's back. "He hasn't been sleeping a lot lately." She said. "I don't know what's gotten into him. He sleeps better when you're holding him." She said, running her hand softly over her sleeping son's head.
Darren smiled and looked over at her. "He's such a good baby." He said. "We really were blessed, Em." He said, kissing her forehead.
If Darren was right about anything, it was definitely that they were blessed. Everett hardly ever cried. In fact, the only time he ever got fussy was if he was hungry or couldn't sleep. But, even then, you almost wouldn't be able to tell that the baby was in the room. She smiled as she kissed Darren's cheek. "We were." She nodded in agreement. "We're probably the luckiest parents around." She said.
Darren smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "It's starting to get cold out." He reminded, kissing her shoulder lightly.
She nodded as she nuzzled his neck lightly. "Normal Michigan weather." She reminded him as well, and then placed her head back on her hand. "That's one of the things that I loved about being pregnant in a city that I was so used to." She added.
Darren and Emberlin had lived in Michigan ever since the two started college. Of course, Darren graduated about two years before her, so, he'd lived there just a bit longer than she had. Either way though, they'd both lived there long enough to adapt to the weather, so, it was easier for them than it was most people.
She sat up, rubbing her arms lightly. "It's kind of chilly in here." She said, looking over at him and sighing.
Darren nodded. "It is a little. Why don't you turn on the heat, and grab a robe or something until it warms up in here."
She nodded as she stood up, Darren following behind her to grab some socks for Everett. It had been awhile since she'd been in the coat closet, of course, it had been rather warm outside for quite sometime. She smiled as she saw something, a familiar article of clothing. She pulled it out and put it on, as Darren turned his back to her. She cleared her throat and waited for him to turn around.
As he picked Everett up from the changing table, he turned, and almost smiled immediately. "It still fits." He approved, taking a few steps towards her.
She nodded. "I'm surprised you remember this." she twirled in a circle, and looked at it. "It was kind of big when I first bought it." She admitted, and then looked at him over her shoulder.
"How could I forget that." He asked, placing Everett in his crib; the child was once again asleep. "I've always loved that jacket." He reminded her.
"Do you remember that day?" she asked, honestly curious if he remembered.
He nodded. "Yeah, I do." He reassured. "It was the night we met. I was playing at the coffee shop, and you seemed to be the only one that was interested." He admitted, almost embarrassingly.
Emberlin nodded, and took a step towards him, intertwining their fingers. "Yes. And we were the last ones to leave the coffee shop, all because we were talking and lost complete track of time."
Darren smiled and looked over at their son. "I knew the moment I met you we were really going to go somewhere." He confessed. "There was no stopping us."
"You can definitely say that again." She chortled, kissing his cheek lightly. "Go get Everett; we can go to the park." She said, smiling at him.
"I haven't been able to wear it in forever. But I can't make myself toss it out." She shrugged. "It reminds me of where we first started." She added, holding it to up to her. Knowing that she was finally able to wear something that reminded her of the times that her and Darren spent together back before they were a family almost made the girl sad, yet, she was happy at the thought of realizing just how far they'd come.
She smiled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She absolutely loved this jacket, but she loved the memories that the jacket produced even more. She smiled as time seemed to take her backwards, to the time she was truly happy for the first time in her time.
-HITM-
Winter's in Michigan are pretty harsh. This particular winter, however, the weather seemed to be even harsher than winters in the past. This winter seemed different, and none of the natives could figure out why. The normal ten to twenty degree weather seemed more cold, and the average zero to twelve inches of snowfall seemed to be never ending. It was cold, and anyone who knew anything about winter in Michigan knew that it was most likely just going to get worse. That didn't stop class however; exams were still going on, and the professors were just as cranky as they were year round. Everyone was spending their last few weeks on campus spending time with friends, and preparing to go back home in a few weeks. Emberlin, however, was spending her last few weeks cramming for exams, and on this day in particular, she was sitting in a local coffee shop, studying away. On that particular afternoon, the snow was falling hard outside, and many passerby's were now stopping and coming into the coffee shop for coffee to warm them up before they continued their journey back towards campus. As the coffee shop began to get full, it began getting harder and harder for Emberlin to concentrate. She sighed, as she closed her book, and began to scan the room. She hardly saw anyone she recognized. There were a few people she recognized from previous classes, but none of them she'd ever gotten all that close with. As she scanned the room, she took another sip of her coffee; that's when someone in the front of the room caught her attention. The man looked amongst the crowd and cleared his throat. He smiled and pulled his guitar off the stand next to him. "I'd like to thank all of you for coming out today." He said, as he began to tune his guitar. He played a few chords Emberlin recognized from when her brother's used to play, but, they weren't really any she could name right off hand. The man looked amongst the crowd again, and changed keys, getting ready for the song he was about to sing. "I'm not sure if any of you are recurring fans of mine, but if so, I'm sorry to say I'll only be playing one song tonight." He said, looking back down at the guitar. "I'm going to perform 'Your Song' by Elton John." As he began to play the song, Emberlin's attention was now fully on the man that was performing. He was good, at least what she could hear of him was anyways. He was rather intriguing, and he reminding her of the time she would spend singing with her brother's at home. She listened closely as he started singing. Emberlin was rather intrigued by the man's singing. She'd never really found anyone quite so talented in Michigan, but of course, she also hadn't been looking. She watched as he gripped his guitar, and continued to sing.
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live'
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you
And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world.'
At this point, the man began to scan the room, smiling every so often, even though many people didn't seem to be paying attention to him. He was probably used to this though. He was good, way more talented than someone who was obviously trying to make a career based on the response he got in a measly coffee shop. He was obviously used to this though, because he didn't seem all that upset about the fact that no one was paying attention to him. He played a few more chords on his guitar and began singing again.'I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on
So excuse me forgetting but these things I do As the man finished playing the chords of the song, everyone immediately began talking again. He placed his guitar beside him and sighed as he hopped off stage. He obviously looked a bit disappointed that no one seemed to enjoy the show. He walked towards the counter to order something, his jacket draped over his arm. Emberlin stood up, and walked towards the counter. She wanted to talk to him, introduce herself and give him a little feedback about what she thought of the show. She was sure he'd appreciate it in the least. As she walked up behind him, she cleared her throat, and tapped the man on the shoulder. As he picked up his coffee, he turned around and smiled at her. "Hello." He said, taking a sip of his coffee and looking at her. "I wasn't in your way was I?" he asked, realizing he'd been standing at the counter for quite some time now. Emberlin smiled and shook her head. "No, you're alright." She said, looking down slightly and then back at the man. "I actually wanted to talk to you." She added. The man's eyes widened and he looked back at the stage as a few of the members that performed with him began packing things up. "Oh." He said. "Alright." He nodded, taking another sip of coffee. He was hoping the girl didn't think he was being rude; he had never been one to be big on conversations after performing; he usually spent all of his energy trying to remember the lyrics so he didn't make himself look like an idiot. She smiled as she looked back at him. "I guess I should start off by introducing myself. I'm Emberlin. Emberlin Claymore." She addressed, holding her hand out. As she waited for him to shake, she looked back at the stage. "I, uh, was watching you up there while you were performing, and I just wanted to tell you that you're probably one of the most talented people I've ever met." The boy smiled. There wasn't really much more you could do to respond to that. "Why, thank you, Emberlin." He said. "I'm Darren, Darren Criss." He said, looking at her as he shook her hand. "It's nice to know that someone enjoys what I'm doing." He said, smiling. Emberlin smiled up at the boy. He was definitely just as cute up close as he'd appeared from a distance. "I think it's ridiculous you were going to play whether anyone was listening or not." She said, shaking her head. "I, it's just amazing." Darren shrugged, and looked at her. "I'm rather used to it." He admitted. "I mean, I just look at is as extra time to practice." With that, he nodded. "School keeps me kind of busy, so, I like to play whenever I get the chance so that I won't get rusty." he placed his hand in his pocket, bringing his left hand up just level with his eyes as he took another sip of his coffee. Emberlin nodded. "Yeah, that would be terrible." She assured, smiling up at him. "I mean, you've definitely got way to much talent to let it go to waste." She admitted, taking another sip of her coffee as well. She looked at him; he looked a bit tired, probably a sign that he'd been stressing way too much over this measly little coffee shop gig. "You want to sit down?" she asked, motioning to the seat across from her. "I mean, unless you're in a hurry." She mumbled. Darren removed the cup from his lips and smiled slightly. "No." he said. "I'd love to." He scooted himself into the seat across from him, and placed his cup in front of him, careful not to spill any of it on the girls stuff. As he sat down, he caught a glimpse of her school work. He looked up at her. "Cramming for exams too, huh?" he asked, with a smile. She sat across from him and seemed to snap back into reality as he began to speak to her. "Oh." She said, looking down at her Developmental Psychology/ Child Development book. "Yeah, well, I was trying." She confessed. "It's rather hard to cram for stuff in a place like this." She said. Darren chuckled and nodded. "I've definitely been down that road multiple times." He exclaimed. "Cramming has never really been something I've been good at though, so, I gave up on that a long time ago. Probably during my senior year of high school." He shrugged, taking yet another sip of his coffee. He looked down at her book and then back at her. "Not that the title of your book isn't obvious," he started, "but what are you majoring in?" he asked, seriously interested. Emberlin, too, took another sip of her coffee and looked at him. "Child psychology." She admitted. "It's been something I've wanted to do for years." She ran her hand across the front of the rather large book and looked back at him. "My parents wanted me to be a lawyer; they said I could debate better than anyone they knew. But, that's not what my heart was set on." She shrugged. She was never one to want to disappoint her parents, but, she'd always made a vow to herself to never do anything that wouldn't make her one hundred percent happy. She'd never gone a day without breaking it either. "That's awesome!" Darren excitedly said. He seemed to be a very excited person, which meant he probably got along well with others. "It's nice to know that you're not one of those people that does something just because it's what Mommy and Daddy want." He said, making a face as he said the phrase 'Mommy and Daddy want'. "I know plenty of people who went after a career because it's what they're parents wanted for them, and they ended up being miserable." He admitted. He laced his fingers together, placing his hands on the table. "So, how's the psychology field going for you?" he asked, a smirk coming across his face. Emberlin, too, couldn't help but laugh. "It's going alright." She said. "You can't use that psychology stuff on me though. I've been studying it, so, I know how it works." She placed a finger against her temple before returning her hand to her cup to take another sip of her coffee. "No, seriously, it's amazing. I mean, it keeps me busy, but, I love every minute of it." She finished. She took a few more sips as she kept her gaze on Darren, who seemed more than excited than to be having a decent conversation with someone knew. "What about you?" she asked after a few minutes. "What's your major Mr. Music junkie." Darren chuckled at the nickname he'd just been given and shook his head. "Do you really have to ask?" he said as a smirk grew on his face again. "Take a wild guess." He took a sip of his coffee and looked at her, waiting for a response. She looked at him, and took a breath through gritted teeth. "Well, I don't know. Could it have something to do with music?" she asked, even though she was certain that was the field he'd gone into. No one with that much musical talent let it go unnoticed. He nodded. "Musical theater to be exact." He admitted. "It's something I've always loved." He looked at her as if he was waiting for her to say something about his major. Truth be known, not very many people were very nice about it when he told them his major. "My parents have always been super supportive of things I do." He said. "I mean, like, really supportive. They've never tried to talk me into switching majors or anything. Which is probably a good thing, seeing as how it's a little late now." He shrugged. Emberlin smiled. "Wow, that's fantastic." She nodded. "I wish my parents were that supportive of my decision. I mean, I'm sure they'll come around with time, but, they're rather strict and think they can still control me." She took a sip of her coffee as she thought over the other things the boy had mentioned and then looked at her. "Wait, what do you mean since it's a little late?" she asked.
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen.'
Darren chuckled. "That's actually not the first time I've gotten that question." He said. "I'm actually in my last year of college; I graduate in a few months."
Emberlin's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that she thought the boy was younger. "I had no idea." She admitted, embarrassingly. "I guess I thought that you were the same age as me, or just a bit older." She shrugged. "But, congratulations." She added, looking at him. "Graduating college, that's a big accomplishment." He smiled. "Thanks." He responded, before finishing off his coffee. "You want to know the secret?" he asked. "Study." He said, smiling as he took another sip of his coffee. Emberlin rolled her eyes, as she too, finished off her coffee. "Well, thank you for that." She giggled, and looked at him. "I would've never guessed that's what you were supposed to do." Darren smiled and nodded. "A lot of people don't know that actually." He shrugged. "Which is why I'm always telling someone about it."
Emberlin smiled. "Nice to know that you like to make sure that people get through college the right way." She said. "Let's me know you're not a cheater." Darren smiled. "Me, a cheater? Never." He said, sort of sarcastically. "But no, really, I don't think I've taken the easy way out since high school." He declared. "I realized it wasn't going to get me anywhere." Emberlin nodded. "That's actually really smart." She admitted. "But, I mean, I've always been one to prefer actual book work as opposed to cheating. I've seen so many people get into trouble that way. Darren nodded as he heard someone tap on the microphone. "Excuse me ladies and gentleman, we'll be closing in about ten minutes." The café owner exclaimed before shutting off the microphone. Emberlin looked around and chuckled. "Wow, I didn't even notice that everyone had left." She admitted and looked at him. He chuckled, and picked up his cup. "I hadn't either." He agreed. "I guess that's what happens when you get into an intriguing conversation like the one that we're having." He said. "I'll take these to the counter." He added, as he stood up. The coat Emberlin had somehow managed to remove while in a conversation with the boy was now laying beside her, and she picked it up, wrapping it around her slender body. She then, stood up, and pulled her scarf back around her neck. She stood, trying to remain balanced on her boots as Darren came back to the table. "Nice outfit." He pointed out, and smiled at her. "It was really nice meeting you." He added, pulling the light jacket from beside him. Emberlin nodded and looked at him. "It was nice meeting you too." She admitted, smiling up at him. "You're a really talented performer." She said again, slightly blushing this time. He smiled. "Thank you." He said again. "You're really sweet." He said. He pulled a pen out of his pocket and took her hand. He wrote seven numbers on her hand and then his name. "Text me sometime." He smiled, looking at her and smiling. She nodded."I will." She said. She looked down at her hand and then pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She put his number in her cell phone and text him with a simple 'Hello. –E.' Darren smiled and read the message, saving her number in his phone as well. "Alright, and now I have your number." He smiled. "So, we can keep in touch." He added, smiling. She smiled as well. "Yes, we can." She took a few steps towards the door and pulled her coat more snug towards her. "I'll see you around?" she asked as she turned to face him. He nodded and waved at her slightly. "See you." He chuckled and turned away. With that, Emberlin left the coffee shop. She wasn't sure what was going to happen between the two, but she knew if anything, she was glad to have gotten a new friend out of all of it.