Even though Chris had to remain professional when with Darren as his colleague, he was undoubtably smitten by his charm.
"I feel like a schoolboy crush is coming on" whined Chris, to Lea, as they sat by each other between takes on Glee. "I totally knew it" laughed Lea, patting Chris on the back.
"I've never fallen for someone like this before, this is something that Kurt would do, not me". "Two very different characters, you and Kurt. Shame you can't mix fantasy with reality sometimes" Lea giggled, taking a sip of her mineral water.
That's when an idea struck Chris. He had a fiendish plan, but he didn't know whether it would work or not. It was worth a try.
Later on, after rehearsals, it was 6.20pm and Chris was stood outside Darren's place, pacing up and down until Darren would open up the door to greet him.
"Chris?" asked Darren, suprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I have the brand new script for next weeks episode!" said Chris, proudly.
"Oooh let me see" said Darren, trying to grab at the pieces of paper.
"No looky!" said Chris, putting it away in the bag.
"If you won't let me look, what's the point?" laughed Darren. "Well, erm, y'see" Chris began. Think, Chris, think! he repeated over in his head.
"Ryan Murphy thinks that you should put your own lines in for this scene. He is aware you're a talented writer!" spat Chris. Oh what am I doing? thought Chris. He never knew quite how desperate he was to be with Darren.
"My own lines? Are you serious?" said Darren, confused. "Aha" said Chris, biting his lip.
Chris looked down awkwardly, hoping Darren would buy what he was saying. After all, Darren is a clever guy and not easily fooled.
The room went silent for a moment.
"Blaine, it's so difficult being with out you, y'know" began Chris, acting as if he were speaking out his lines.
"You've memorized your lines?" asked Darren.
"Yes, now play along! What would Blaine say next?"
"I guess Blaine would walk on over.." thought Darren, shuffling towards Chris "Oh, Kurt, I've missed you even more" gasped Darren, getting into the role of Blaine, cupping Chris' face.
Chris moved closer and kissed Darren, initiating an embrace.
"We have more kisses?" asked Darren, blushing.
"Oh yes, plenty" said Chris with a wink. He couldn't believe what he was doing. Darren had fallen for it.
Chris and Darren locked lips once again, passionately tugging at each others clothes. "Being away from you has made me appreciate you even more" Chris said, improvising as he broke off. "Me too, all the time you've been away I've just... hungered for your touch" Nice thought Chris. He's good at this.
Chris caressed Darren's face, which felt slightly prickly and stubbly seeing as though he hadn't shaved in a while. Chris found it incredibly sexy. Their lips smacked together once more.
"Are all these kisses in the script?" asked Darren, laughing.
"Mm-hmm" said Chris, continuing to make out ferociously with Darren. Chris ran his hand over Darren's toned torso which was concealed with a tight casual t-shirt.
Just then, Chris realised he was getting pretty hot under the collar and felt as if he could go hard any moment.
"Oh shit" said Chris getting up. "Shit?" said Darren "I don't think Kurt's ever used expletives before!" laughed Darren.
"Can I go to your restroom?" asked Chris, blushing. "Sure, it's right down the hall and turn to your left" Darren grinned. Chris shuffled off to the bathroom nervously trying to calm himself.
Once Chris had made an exit from Darren's front room, Darren was eyeing up Chris' satchel in which the script was. A little peek wouldn't hurt thought Darren sneakily. He was wondering what was actually written down seeing as through he was told he was allowed to make his own inputs.
Darren unbuckled the satchel and pulled out the papers, just to find they were blank. That's when Chris walked in.
"Caught. Red. Handed" Chris grumbled, as he saw Darren, looking at the sheets of paper.
"Just as I suspected!" Darren chuckled "A load of blank paper stapled together!".
"You suspected...?" Chris blushed, turning as red as a tomato.
"I could tell straight away you were talking a load of crap" Darren smiled.
"But if you knew right away...why did you carry on kissing me?".
Darren's eyes widened and he looked down embarrased. Chris couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You wanted to make out with me?".
"I'm not going to lie, Chris. Out of all the people I've kissed, you really are the best kisser out of them all..." Darren smiled, blushing.
"Are you serious? But you can't say these things! You've got a girlfriend".
"Our relationship is on the rocks. Everytime I try and make out or do anything with her, I get freaked out. I'm so used to us being just friends" Darren admitted.
"Darren. Are you questioning your sexuality?"
Oh he was. He was questioning it as soon as he met eyes with his co-star. He thought he was kidding himself, that this crush would blow over. But the more he spent time with Chris, the more he wanted to make him his.
Darren looked up into Chris' mesmerizing, sparkling eyes.
"I actually really like you, Chris" Darren admitted, blushing.
"Likewise" whispered Chris, embarrassed.
"So are we...? Should we?" Chris began "I don't know what to say".
Darren leaned in, and kissed Chris lightly and sweetly.
"You don't have to say anything" Darren smiled "It's strange for me too"
"Maybe I should go home and get some sleep" grinned Chris "It's been a long day on set, and we have an early start tomorrow".
"Agreed. So maybe I should swing round and pick you up from your place, 5am tomorrow, grab some coffee and head down to Fox Studios?" Darren smiled.
"Grab some coffee? Just like Kurt and Blaine" Chris blushed.
"Just like Kurt and Blaine. Only I get to be Darren Criss?" Darren giggled.
Chris laughed.
"Even though that was a reference to the Silly Love Songs episode, what you said just totally messed with my head" Chris exclaimed, digging his hands into his pockets.
"Easily done." "But for the most part, I reckon it's because you're tired."
"Right" agreed Chris "I'm gonna head back to mine now, so five tomorrow?"
"Five tomorrow" confirmed Darren, kissing Chris on the forehead.
The next morning Chris rubbed his eyes and woke up.
"Was that a dream?" Chris asked himself, grabbing for his phone, only to notice he had received a voice message.
"Wake up sleepyhead! It's almost five!" Darren's voice shouted.
It really WAS true.
Chris looked over at this clock and it was 5 minutes to five. He leapt out of bed and pulled on some casual clothes, getting ready for Darren's arrival.
A knock came at the door.
"Just a second" Chris yelped, rushing down to the door.
There stood Darren, leaning to one side of the doorframe, looking suave and sexy in his pink sunglasses, swinging his car keys in his hand.
Chris just stared at Darren for a second just to process how unbelievably gorgeous he looked, also to process that he and Darren were now actually an item.
"You alright?" said Darren, waving a hand in Chris' face in his mesmerized gaze.
"Uh, fine" said Chris.
"C'mon then, let's go grab some Starbucks and head on down to work".
Down at Fox Studios, Lea came up to greet Darren and Chris.
"Hey guys, I was just hanging with Cory and Dianna, there was this hilarious joke that...wait" Lea looked at Chris and Darren.
Chris and Darren looked at each other, worried. Had Lea already picked up their coupley vibe?
"You guys carpool together?" Lea asked.
"Uh huh" said Darren with a nod.
Lea gave Chris a not-so-subtle wink.
"Should we tell her?" asked Chris, looking at Darren.
"What? Are you together?" laughed Lea hysterically, as if it was the most outrageous possibility.
Darren and Chris looked at eachother lovingly, blushing.
"You ARE?"
"I don't want to make anything official yet" said Darren "I'm still with my girlfriend for fucks sake".
"Oh god, that is so...how the hell did that happen? But that's awesome! But you're still with your girlfriend?" laughed Lea "I sense more drama than on Glee!"
"You guys go on, I need to make a quick phone call before rehearsals" Darren sighed, biting his lip.
"A quick phonecall? You're going to dump her via a quick phonecall?" asked Chris, taken back.
"I gotta do what I gotta do" sighed Darren, giving Chris a peck on the cheek before running off into the restroom.
Lea looked at Chris.
"What?" asked Chris, laughing.
"What do you mean what? How the frick did this all come about?" Lea giggled.
"I'll tell you later" said Chris, putting a friendly arm around Lea.
Chris emerged from the make-up room after having his make-up removed. Darren came up to him.
"Look what I got you" grinned Darren, holding a can of Diet Coke.
"You're amazing, you know that?" said Chris, taking the can from his hand an opening it.
Darren smiled that Chris was pleased. But he still had a look of displeasure on his face.
"Are you okay?" asked Chris, concerned.
"Not really"
"Oh gosh, how did it go, the ringing...?" Chris began, comforting Darren.
"I don't know, I had to leave a message"
"Ouch"
"I know, right?"
Chris put an arm around Darren and listened to what he had to say.
"I don't want to break her heart" Darren sighed.
"But you have to" Chris persisted "Otherwise that makes you a cheater".
Darren bowed his head.
"When she picks up that message, how do you think she'd feel?" Darren told him.
"What did you say?"
"Something a bit like, 'Listen Mia, I love you but I'm in love with someone else. I didn't want it to end this way, but I've fallen hard. For Chris. It might sound weird but I really like him, let's just be friends...something like that"
Chris glared at Darren.
"Look, until she gets that message, we're going to have to remain friends, I don't want to be a mistress"
"Don't call yourself that, you're a dude, dude" Darren laughed.
"Regardless, I just don't want to be someone you're cheating on, it makes me feel so dirty and guilty"
"It's over between her and I, I just want you" whispered Darren, softly into Chris' ear.
They gazed into each others eyes dreamily and pressed their lips together into a gentle kiss.
"You really are the best kisser" Darren smiled, kissing him again but with this time with a little more passion.