"So is Darren Kiss a good Crisser, Chris?"
Chris nearly fell over in his chair as Darren poked his head through his dressing room door, already in his street clothes, and curls falling out of what had become their routine Dalton Academy Helmet.
Darren chuckled as he opened the door wider and looked around, settling on Chris who, like Kurt, had had his focus on his nightly skin regime.
"May I come in?" Darren asked, because Chris hadn't stopped with-that-deer in the head light look he had fixed upon him when he entered, and he was a little unnerved by it.
Chris shook himself. He and Darren hadn't been alone since their onstage kiss. Of course it wouldn't be awkward or anything, since they've kissed before, but this was unplanned. Chris still wasn't used to the idea that he got paid to kiss, hug, and generally flirt (in character of course) with a guy like Darren. Er-Blaine. Oh all right, Darren. And vice versa, apparently.
"Of course, Dar, get in here," Chris squeaked, pulling a chair over towards his and mentally chastising himself for letting his voice get all high and breathy again. If anyone thought it was Kurt onstage who had those obvious butterflies, they should think again.
"Great," Darren laughed, skipping over to the chair, turning it around, and sitting down to face Chris. Chris observed the 24 year-old's eyes, cheekbones, and finally stubble, which betrayed the teenage-prep-school-look he had to front each night.
Chris gave one last look out of the corner of his eye before he returned his gaze to the lighted mirror in front of him, and began applying toner with a cotton pad.
"So what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Chris asked out of the side of his mouth, still massaging his face with the pad.
The cast always joked about how backstage was an absolute maze of wires, curtains, costume racks, and busy human beings, making it almost impossible to find one another until they were just moments from going out on stage.
"Eh, just wanted to hang out," Darren sighed, "I've just finished visiting the rest of the cast and crew and thanking them all for this year. I know I'll see them soon, with the movie and Season 3 around the corner… but this year has just been so special. I couldn't let them leave without them knowing how much it means to me," Darren got out in one breath. He looked so exhilarated and his eyes shone brightly through his long black lashes.
Chris tossed the cotton pad and turned to look at Darren, instinctively curling one knee underneath his body and propping himself up. "That's so sweet Darren. I wish I had gotten a chance to do the same, but after our group powwow I had a call from my agent to take…" Chris gestured with a wave of a hand and a grimace towards his phone.
"Aw that's fine Chris. No need to feel bad. You've done so much for all of us, and put so much effort into this tour. Believe me, I would know… " Darren said with a knowing smile.
"But not enough to get you to crack!" Chris cried, pretending to shake his head sadly.
Darren's smile had many powers, but the greatest was this: no matter what troubles you had at that particular moment, they would cease to exist when that smile appeared.
Or at least that was the case with Chris. That was the way had been since Day One.
"Yeah, I guess I did win that one, huh?" Darren said, trying not to give away too much of his satisfaction with this particular victory.
"I'm not going to give it to you. There was too much tongue for that to be fair at all!"
"Aha! So you do admit to making it into a competition! And here I was, just thinking you were doing this all for the fans…" Darren tutted, failing to suppress another smiling that was creeping into his eyes.
"I do it for them too! I just can't help my competitive streak. It runs in the Colfer family, you know."
"I think about half a million Glee fans became very aware of that this tour as well, Mr. Colfer," said Darren standing up. He stretched a bit, allowing his v-neck to ride up his stomach, revealing a tangled mess of dark hair, as well as a bit of hipbone.
This all happened quickly in front of Chris' face, and he shifted a little bit to cover his crotch, just in case. He didn't want a repeat of what happened on stage. He hoped he was the only one that knew about his little surprise, but judging by how tight his pants were, and the proximity of the crowd, there were probably some fans that got quite the view.
But this all quickly left his head when he realized Darren was heading for the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Chris asked, hoping the desperation in his voice wasn't too evident. He wanted to talk more about what had happened up on stage some more. It was uncharted territory for Chris, and kind of thrilling. Even if they had been in character while it happened.
"I gotta go get my crap! We're loading the vans in fifteen minutes, at least that's what Chord said," Darren spun around towards the door once more.
"Agh I still haven't packed my up my bag over there," Chris gestured towards a duffle sitting by the door.
"Here I got it for ya man, finish putting your face on," the curly headed boy said before bending down and beginning to fold Chris' clothes.
"You don't have to do that Darren, I feel bad," said Chris, getting up from the table and walking over to his bag.
"What's this?" Darren asked incredulously. He had just finished folding a pair of Chris' skinny jeans and put them aside to discover a vest that was very recognizable.
"Did you take this from the costume rack, Chris?" Darren asked, turning to his friend and holding up the vest that Kurt had worn for the Klaine skit.
"Oh god, nobody was supposed to know!" Chris blushed, ripping it out of his hands. "I just… oh just promise me you'll shut up about it, won't you?" Chris folded the vest and buried it in his bag, far from anymore prying eyes.
Darren was giggling now, and attempting to hide it with his hand, which didn't work out very well.
Chris punched his arm lightly. "You had to find that, didn't you? I don't need any trouble Mr. Criss, please just go about your business."
"Somebody's going to miss our little skii-iit," teased Darren, "And maybe something else- OW!"
Chris had smacked Darren upside the head to shut him up, and proceeded to head across the room to pick up various items strewn across the floor and place them on the table.
"What was that for?" Darren pouted his lips out. Kind of like he did right before they kissed on stage earlier, Chris observed quickly, before going back to cleaning.
"You know very well what that was for," Chris said in a false disapproving tone, still not looking up.
"Well… maybe I do," said Darren walking over the table and leaning on it.
After a pause, Darren spoke once more, "A slap on the head is not going to stop me from trying it again, if that's what you were thinking." Darren slid around the table to face Chris, who stood shocked, on the other side.
"I- uh- come again?" He managed to choke out his rapidly closing windpipe.
"I want to try it again. With less Kurt and Blaine… and more Chris and Darren."
And suddenly, Darren's lips were crushing down on his. The world seemed to spin around and he lost all bearing because he was kissing Darren Criss. Okay, so maybe he had had a couple of dreams about him since Original Song, but that was kind of normal. You kiss a guy eighteen different times for a camera, reciting lines that would make any gay man swoon… yeah it was normal for him to be on Chris' brain from time to time. But never anywhere near his lips. Or chest. Or hips, which he had suddenly become aware of, as his pants began to tighten and his muscles began to twitch upwards.
And Darren is thinking the same thing. Well kind of. He almost knew this moment was coming ever since he saw that smile light up on Chris' face a few hours before, after he Blaine finished kissing Kurt. Once he saw that, he knew that Darren was allowed to kiss Chris too, and that realization felt great.
And this felt great: hands twisting through each other's hair in a wild frenzy, while mouths released to gasp for air and immediately returned to find purchase on the other's lips and tongue. It was a delicious race to Lord knows where.
Darren pulled back after one particular breath and drank Chris in with his eyes, seeming to contemplate something.
"I cannot wait for Season 3," was all Darren breathed.
"Neither can I," Chris replied quickly, grabbing the back of Darren's neck and pulling him in this time, happy know that he wouldn't really have to let go anytime soon. Not really.