"Recap of Glee's 'The First Time' episode…"
"…this is quite a risky storyline for the musical comedy show…"
"…wow, is all I have to say…"
"…what a horrid topic to cover…"
"…it was very well written, just beautiful…"
"…disgusting, absolutely disgusting…"
Chris slammed his laptop closed and took a big breath. It was Sunday, five whole days since Tuesday's episode, and the internet was still buzzing and gossiping and criticizing the "gay guys losing their virginities" storyline. Sure, there were blogs with pleasant reviews of the entire episode who praised him and Darren for their work, but the articles that stood out to Chris were the ones that upset him most. "Awful." "Gross." "Anti-Christ." "Wrong." The words stung him each time he read them as they stabbed at his mind and stomach a lot more powerfully than the kinder comments did. Chris knew very well that the episode was extremely well-written and that any review or analysis that described it with bitter terms was clearly written by a homophobe, but still, why the fuck do people watch things that make them angry or disgusted and then go write horrible things about it online? There's never any real motive other than to be cruel.
At least it was Sunday, the casts' day off. This meant that he and Darren could be together in privacy the entire day without the risk of video cameras recording them or paparazzi snapping photographs of them. Today, he thought, will be just us.
His phone buzzed across the table on the other side of the room. Chris smiled to himself as he walked towards it, already knowing who it was from.
From: Darren
Hey babe, I'm going to run a few errands real quick before coming over. Also, what movie should I rent for tonight? I'm kind of in a musical-watching mood, what about you?
Chris chewed his lip as he thought for a moment, trying to remember the names to all his favorite musicals. Finally, he texted back:
Hmmm, see if The Producers is available. I could really use a good laugh right about now.
Darren's reply came a few minutes later.
Why is that? Is something wrong?
Sighing, Chris texted back, telling him that he would explain everything when he got to his house. He really didn't want to try to describe the hatred in the pit of his stomach that he felt for those critics who wrote shitty things about the latest episode.
I just need to take my mind off these things, Chris figured. He decided to hop in the shower before Darren showed up. Just as he was getting out and pulling a towel around his waist, he heard the doorbell ring. He looked down, shrugged at his appearance, and went to the front door to answer.
"Hey, Chr—woah." Darren's eyes got big as he looked Chris' half-naked and slightly wet body up and down, hands full with a box of pizza and the movie rental. "Well hello, Chris!" he said, his parted lips curved up into a playful smirk.
Chris snorted. "Come on in, you dork." He took the pizza from Darren's hands and set it on the kitchen counter. Darren followed him into the house and, after shutting the door, walked up behind Chris and nuzzled himself against his back.
"I missed you," he breathed warmly onto Chris' shoulder, causing him to shiver. Darren smelled of coffee and mint gum, and Chris smiled at the thought of being back in Darren's arms.
"I missed you too," Chris laughed lightly, turning in his boyfriend's arms to face him. He leaned in and gave a seductive peck to Darren's lips before whispering against them, "But I just showered, so you're not getting any anytime soon."
Groaning exhaustedly, Darren leaned his forehead against Chris' and looked up, giving Chris his biggest puppy eyes. "No…?"
Chris kissed the tip of his nose, giggling. "Nope. Sorry, dude. I'm going to go get some clothes on while you pop the movie in."
"Fiiiiiiiine," Darren whined, then muttered under his breath, "I'd rather pop something else in," but didn't complain any further as he watched Chris disappear into his bedroom, hips swaying teasingly. He knew very well that Darren was just happy to be them again, after having to pretend for at least the majority of each day. Work was crazy busy, trying to shoot a few episodes at once to prepare for the hiatus, and each day the two of them would leave too drained to do anything but say goodnight. They'd had fun last night after having to pretend at the Emmys, but today was different. Finally, they had the full day to just be, whether that meant crazy hot sex in random places around Chris' house, or just cuddling on the couch watching a movie.
Chris came out of his bedroom a minute later in a simple T-shirt and jeans to find Darren plopped haphazardly on the couch, watching the previews on the flat screen TV. Grinning, Chris sprang onto the couch and effectively smothered his boyfriend, who let out a loud "Oomph" as he was pinned to the cushions.
"Hi," Chris giggled above him, leaning down and kissing his mouth, this time much harder than a simple peck on the lips. Darren squirmed beneath him before reciprocating the kiss, lips stretched into a smile against Chris' because he just couldn't help it.
Chris broke apart from Darren's lips and breathed in a pleasant sigh, his fingers curling playfully into Darren's hair. "Love you."
Darren grinned back up at him, his eyelashes fanning over his warm hazel eyes beautifully. "Love you, too."
A few minutes later, the movie itself had started playing and Chris' head lay on Darren's stomach as they watched. Chris smiled to himself, content with the perfection of this moment, and nuzzled closer into Darren's shirt, letting the rise and dip of his belly underneath Chris' head relax him. He was about to drift off into sleep when he heard Darren's phone vibrate loudly on the coffee table, signaling an incoming text.
He had just enough time to read the letters on the screen before Darren picked it up to answer, his stomach immediately twisting painfully at the name. Mia.
Chris tried not to be too obvious when he shifted his head to get a better look at Darren's expression when he read the text. He watched in horror as Darren swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably as he stared at the words on his phone. After a moment of hesitation, he tapped out a rather lengthy reply, then locked his phone up again but kept it in his palm instead of setting it back down on the coffee table. His eyes returned to the television screen, but it was clear from his distracted look that his focus was still on the text.
Anxious, Chris leaned up a little so that he was propped up on an elbow. "Darren, sweetie…?" He asked carefully.
Darren blinked, as if coming back to reality, regarding Chris with a dazed look. "Uh—what?"
"Who was that from?" Chris asked innocently, resisting the urge to say, What the HELL does SHE want? He gave his boyfriend a tiny smile and looked pointedly at his phone.
Darren's mouth opened to answer, and then kind of just hung there for a brief hesitation, as if he could already see the danger of the situation being played out before him if he told. He must have found no better option. "Mia," he answered finally, his tone and expression suddenly a false nonchalance, as if he were trying to convince both Chris and himself that it was no big deal that his possessive ex-girlfriend just texted him.
Chris knew better.
"Oh," he said, like this was news to him, and he could already feel anger begin to flare up in his blood even before he asked the question that he knew would not receive a good answer: "What did she say?"
Darren's thin mask of unconcern could not camouflage the Oh, shit look that spread over his face. He knew better than to lie to Chris. He knew better than to tell Chris the truth, too, but he really didn't have much of a choice with Chris lying half on top of him, looking about ready to pounce to get the phone out of his hands.
"She… Uh, she said—look, Chris, it's nothing, really it means nothing—"
Bullshit, Chris thought right before he pounced. He scrambled on top of Darren, reaching for his phone as they became a tangle of limbs. Darren tried to protest, but like it or not, Chris was bigger than him, and he easily pinned Darren's arms down with his elbows and snatched the phone out of his right hand.
"Chris! Shit—please, don't take what she says seriously," Darren pleaded as Chris unlocked the phone and read the message.
From: Mia
Hey sexy, last night was fun! I wanted to thank you again soooooooo much for taking me to the Emmys. Speaking of fun, I felt like our time together last night was kind of cut short because you said you were tired. Well, now that you're all rested up… wanna meet up today and have some REAL fun? XOXO
Chris' jaw clenched at the words. 'WHORE' was the word that his mind instinctually screamed. Sure, he knew that Mia didn't know Darren's secret—and from her perspective, Darren was single and available—but still. Her desperation just disgusted him. He wanted nothing more than to type out his own reply to that skank, but his own common sense reminded him that any nastiness with Mia would danger revealing his and Darren's secret. Still huffing and glaring at the screen, Chris scrolled down a little on the phone and read Darren's reply.
Sorry Mia, I can't. I'm at Chris' house today with a few of the other cast members. We kind of just wanted to chill today, you know? I'd really appreciate it if you would understand, since work has been exhausting and all. Maybe another time.
This put Chris a little at ease. A smart white lie, he thought. Mia wouldn't suspect anything with Darren at Chris' house if there were other people involved. He was also relieved to remember that he could trust Darren, and that he had the power to keep Mia at bay while still playing nice.
Chris' jaw unclenched a little as he said, "Ok, this might not be so bad."
Darren rose his eyebrows. "Really? I thought that you'd be pissed—"
"Oh, I am," he clarified. "But only at that bi—er, Mia's desperation to get back with you. I mean, God, she's annoying! But other than that, it's not that bad because I know that as long as you keep her away from you—from us—she won't find out what's happening between the two of us."
Chris gave his boyfriend a small smile as he returned his phone back to him. He then reached up and stroked his cheek gently, looking deep into those gorgeous hazel eyes. "Darren, I trust you a hundred times more than I trust her. We've just got to stay smart about this, ok?"
Darren glanced down at his phone, then back up to Chris' gaze before finally allowing himself to smile. "Ok," he whispered, then added after a moment of staring into those shiny blue eyes, "And, Chris—I'm so sorry about all of this…about her. You're right, she's desperate, and this isn't the first time. It's why I broke up with her back when we dated in college, because she was clingy and things just got so nasty… I don't want you to have to deal with her at all. That's why I didn't want you to see the text in the first place, but now that you did… Just know that I really don't want her back. I'm with you, I'm in love with you, and—let's face it—I'm gayer than men's fashion in 17th century Europe."
Chris couldn't help but laugh at that. "Oh, you know I'm a sucker for European history!" he said between giggles.
Darren grinned, loving the sound of his boyfriend's adorable laugh. He grabbed Chris around the waist and pulled him back down to the couch so he could press their lips together. Chris' laughter subsided and he hummed against Darren's mouth, turning his head and parting his lips to allow Darren's tongue inside.
A moan erupted from one of them as their arms wrapped around the other, Chris' hands tangling in Darren's hair once again, and Darren's fingers tracing circles onto the skin where Chris' shirt had been tugged up a little. Their tongues dueled passionately for several minutes before Chris pulled back by a centimeter to speak, allowing Darren to stare hungrily at his shiny, kiss-bitten lips.
"Maybe that shower was…a little premature," Chris whispered breathlessly before leaning down and capturing Darren's lips once again. Darren hummed in agreement at the hint.
"Yes, definitely," he said between kisses. "We should—mhh—maybe take this into your room."
Chris approved of this suggestion and scrambled off the couch, pulling Darren up with him so he could reattach their lips. He cupped the sides of Darren's face and felt his stomach swoop at how deliciously rough the stubble that lined his jaw was under his fingertips.
Strong hands positioned themselves back at Chris' waist and pushed him slightly in the direction of his own bedroom. The two made out of the living room and into the main hallway, still tangled together and chasing each other's lips. They were both moaning loudly, maybe too loudly, causing neither one of them to hear the soft click of a door handle being turned.
"Darren," Chris whimpered onto his boyfriend's lips when his hands reached down to grab Chris' ass.
"Shit, Chris! I need you, I need—"
"OH MY GOD."
Both boys broke apart abruptly at the voice, hearts pounding in their chests loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Chris' eyes flicked immediately to the front door and the color drained from his face. "Shit."
The door, which Chris realized with a pang must have remained unlocked after Darren had entered his house, was open. To his absolute horror, there in the doorway stood Mia Swier, her jaw hanging nearly low enough to touch the floor.
"Yeah," she managed after a terribly long, awkward silence. Her eyes shifted between the two boys, and Chris swore he saw an angry gleam in them when her gaze landed on him. "'Shit' is right."
