Title: Who You Gonna Call?
Author: an-alternate-world
Rating: M+. Plus. Plusplusplus.
Characters/Pairings: Chris/Darren
Word count: 3,654
Summary: Darren needs to learn to move his hips for 'It's Not Unusual'. And there's really only one other person in the Glee cast that knows how to move their hips that well.. RPF.
Warnings/Spoilers: In the interests of plot...
Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Glee, FOX, Ryan Murphy or anything else related to the Glee universe. Nor do I know Chris or Darren and so I hope to God they never see this..
He was startled awake by his phone as it skittered over the bedside table. And if he'd known it was Ashley, he wouldn't have answered it.
"'lo?"
"Where are you?" she said.
"Hello to you too," he said around a yawn, rubbing the crusty gunk from his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. Where are you?"
He blinked and wondered what her problem was. He felt Darren shift behind him and shivered as a warm hand he knew well slid over his hip.
"I'm in bed," he said. Well really, it wasn't that much of a lie.
"At four in the afternoon?"
"If you woke up like I did this morning, you wouldn't want to leave your bed today either."
"Right. So whose bed are you in?"
"Whose…huh?" Apparently eloquence wasn't his forte when he was still waking up.
"Colfer, you gave me a spare key, remember? And if you're in bed, then you aren't in yours. And if you are in yours, then this key you gave me isn't for your house because I'm sitting on what I thought was your bed and you ain't in it," Ashley snapped.
Shit.
"Fine then. I'm out," he admitted as Darren's fingers skimmed his chest.
"I'm well aware of your sexuality," Ashley said. "So you're out and in someone else's bed?"
"I never said that!"
"Then what did you say? Where are you, Christopher?"
"Ash, you're my best friend, not my mother." He batted Darren's hand away. It was becoming way too distracting.
"You left the club last night drunk off your ass with Darren and didn't come home." She paused. "Wait, are you with Darren?"
Shit.
"Maybe?"
"What the hell are you doing with him?" she shrieked. He held the phone away from his ear. Ow.
"I uh…" He stared at the wall and tried to come up with a good enough excuse. "I puked last night. After we left. Darren didn't want me being home alone and drunk when I could choke on my own vomit or something and his place was closer so we went back to his."
"Uh huh," she hummed, sounding entirely unconvinced. "And did you get up to any 'funny business' last night?"
He flushed. "No, not that it's any of your business."
"If my baby's getting laid, I deserve to know!" she demanded.
"I may have had a boyfriend or two in the past, Ashley. That doesn't mean you get to know every detail of my private life," he huffed.
"Whoa, wait. I never mentioned boyfriends. Where did that come from?"
Dammit. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Look Ash, I'm nursing the hangover from hell. Can we discuss this another time?"
"I'm expecting a thorough explanation! If you've been holding out on me, Colfer…"
"Goodbye Ashley."
"Fine. Bye."
She hung up with a beep and he tossed his phone back onto the bedside table, then rolled over to look at Darren.
"Sorry about that," he apologised automatically. He knew how hard it could be to get some restful sleep and getting interrupted by a phone call was incredibly irritating.
Darren shrugged and avoided his gaze.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He reached out to touch Darren's cheek and frowned when Darren flinched away. "Dare?"
"You've had boyfriends before?" Darren asked, voice soft.
"Sure I have," Chris said, pulling his hand back and wondering what was going on.
"You told me you were a virgin." Darren's eyes flickered up to Chris' and the conflicted emotions in them made Chris' stomach flip.
"I was?"
"How can you have had more than one boyfriend and still have been a virgin?" Darren questioned.
"How…" Chris' forehead creased as he processed the question. "Wait, you think I'd just sleep with anyone I'd dated?"
"I don't know. We've never discussed ex partners."
"So you made the assumption that I was a perpetually single gay guy in L.A. who had never gotten laid? Jesus Darren, could you be any more naïve?" He wasn't even sure where this was going but it felt like Darren was trying to make an accusation without actually spitting out the words.
"What is this to you then?" Darren finally said, fist balling beneath the sheets. "You haven't told Ashley what's going on. As far as I'm aware, only Lea knows. So what does that make this? You say you love me and then can't even tell your best friend?" He shook his head. "Are you ashamed? Is that it? Does Chris Colfer want someone better?"
"What?" Okay, now he was totally confused. "Where is this coming from?"
"I don't understand why you keep this whole thing a big secret," Darren snapped, and Chris recoiled from the anger. Darren breathed deeply and shut his eyes to regain control of his temper. He didn't like to shout. He didn't want to shout. "You'll discuss your exes so calmly with Ash and yet won't be honest about where you are, that you're with me? Why is that?"
Chris floundered for an answer. "Because it's none of their business? Because some things in my life I like to keep private? Because you're a colleague that declared you were straight and I don't want to create a problem for you?"
"You're still hung up on the straight thing? Really?" Darren sat up in the bed and pulled on his pants. "I thought we dealt with that weeks ago."
"This isn't about me struggling to accept you sleeping with me!" Chris replied as he stumbled out of the bed to pull on his own clothes. If they were going to argue, he wasn't going to do it half naked. Apparently Darren felt the same because he was pulling on a t-shirt.
"Then what is it about?"
"It's about you having an image that's cultivated on the basis that you said you're straight!" Chris yelled as he tugged a t-shirt over his head. "And I don't want to wreck that! I don't want the tabloids to run with the idea that the on-screen partner thing led to this! I don't want there to be talk of character bleed! I don't want people to believe that I infected you into being gay or something equally ridiculous!"
"Right, so you're trying to protect me?" Darren scowled.
"Whatever I did was clearly the wrong thing anyway."
"Oh, so now it's my fault?"
"What?" Chris was so unbelievably lost in this discussion. "I never said that."
"You seem to have a habit of not saying things," Darren muttered.
"Is this how it's going to be? You're going to get back from New York and we're going to have a fight over something and I don't even know what the fight is about?" Chris said, trying to quell his fury.
"Just go," Darren said, walking out of the room.
"Go?" Chris stuttered and followed Darren into the kitchen. "Go? Why the fuck would I go?"
"I've had enough with this," Darren said as he dumped the toast from earlier in the bin. "I need space. I want you out."
"What on…" Chris shook his head to clear it. "Fine. Fine. You know what? I'll go. And when you've realised what a total ass you're being, I expect a fucking apology."
He found his shoes and grabbed up his wallet and phone before staring at Darren's hunched shoulders as he held onto the sink. It was so much like earlier this morning and he couldn't understand what had happened to cause the total about-face. He wanted to say something, he wanted to say anything, but he honestly had no idea what the argument was stemming from so he left without another word, slamming the door shut behind him.
The bang echoed around the apartment and Darren slumped to the floor, propping himself against one of his kitchen cupboards and wiping the tears from his cheeks.
He probably shouldn't have been surprised when the cab pulled up and Ashley's car was still outside his house. He sighed and paid before climbing out, adjusted his clothing and headed inside.
"Boo?"
"Yes, it's me," he called back as he toed off his shoes and looked up to where she was wandering around the corner.
"Hey!" she smiled and pulled him into a tight hug.
He stood awkwardly for a moment and then shook her off. "I didn't expect you to still be here."
"You kidding?" She followed him into the kitchen. "I want explanations, Colfer. I knew you'd have to come home some time."
"What sort of explanations?" He opened the fridge and retrieved a Diet Coke and a water for her.
"Oh I don't know. Being at Darren's would be a good place to start."
He rubbed his face as he handed her the bottle. "I told you. I just stayed over."
"Suuuuuuuuuure," she nodded. "Now try it again and don't lie this time."
"I'm not lying," he said. "You asked what happened last night, and nothing did."
She paused to scrutinise him carefully. He felt his face heat. "Okay, so what happened this morning?"
Dammit.
"How long have you two been screwing around?" she asked, hopping onto one of the stools.
"We're not-"
"Oh please," she scowled, pointing her finger at him. "I know you. I know him. Don't bullshit me any longer."
He sighed. "Can we at least sit on the sofa?"
She blinked and then snorted. "Oh God, you did do it this morning."
"Shut up," he whined and she burst into cackling laughter and followed him into the living room. He sat carefully on the chair before getting comfortable, glaring at her as she continued snorting.
"So, my baby's been getting a little something something," she grinned. "Although I want to say I wouldn't have expected it to be Darren, I shouldn't be surprised. You two have been so sexually frustrated around each other that it's insane."
"You aren't making me want to talk," he scowled.
She crossed her arms. "I'm not waiting any longer. Spill it."
He tried staring her down but failed. Scratching a hand through his hair, he looked down at the silver can he was holding.
"It's been going on a few months I guess now."
"A few months?" He winced. "Whoa wait, why the hell didn't I know about this sooner?"
He shrugged. He didn't really know. Maybe that was part of the reason for the argument this morning.
So he explained to her how it started and eventually found himself talking about the past month. He tried to avoid the sordid details but she asked for quite a few of them, squealing and clapping at the heated blush colouring his cheeks.
"Wait, you were in bed earlier. I didn't interrupt something when I called, did I?" she said suddenly.
"No, I was honestly asleep," he admitted, putting the empty can on the coffee table.
"He worked you that hard?" she giggled.
"We argued before I left," he said quietly and she sobered immediately.
"What about?"
"I don't know," he bit his lip. "I think he was surprised that I'd had boyfriends before. He didn't know and I guess I've always been pretty discreet about it."
She frowned. "That sounds weird. What did he say?"
"He…" Chris thought back carefully. "He couldn't believe I was still a virgin. He thought I'd always been single. I thought he was naïve." He scratched at his scalp.
"Well, I'd say he has been if he thought you were twenty-one and never had a relationship," she agreed.
"And he…he was pissed that I wasn't being honest with you. About where I was. I haven't told anyone except Lea because she basically figured it out."
"Why not?"
He shrugged. "I don't know that either. I've never really told anyone about my past relationships. I don't want it getting to the media. And this isn't just about me. It's about Darren too. He came out as straight and now we're fucking and I'm not sure if he's really aware of what the media would do."
She cuddled up to him, arm over his shoulder. "I know you overanalyse the situations and are a perfectionist." He leaned into her hand as it stroked through his hair. "But he makes you happy and you need to go with that."
"So what do I do now?"
"You eat some dinner. Tomorrow we go to the Emmy's and you enjoy the time with your granny." She kissed his hair. "You give Darren some space so you calm down from this fight and figure things out in a few days."
He breathed in deeply and tried to relax against her. What a mess.
"I'm sorry you lost."
He covered his scream with a hand over his mouth. "Don't do that," he hissed, adjusting his tie and trying to calm his racing heart.
"Sorry," Darren murmured as he took a seat beside Chris. Chris noticed Ashley's eye and inclined his head to let her know it was okay. "But I'm still also sorry you lost."
Chris shrugged. "I knew I didn't really stand a chance." He waved to Kevin and turned back to Darren. "Let's face it, Ty acts more like a teenager than I do."
Darren smiled and twisted his fingers together.
He sighed. "What do you want Darren?"
Darren's eyes flickered around the room, assessing who was watching. "I was out of line yesterday." He bit his lip as he looked at Chris. "I realise you're a private person and there was a reason the media doesn't know about your past relationships and I…" His hand was warm on Chris' knee and Chris twitched automatically. He avoided touch in public, especially at functions. Darren understood, ducking his head and pulling his hand back. "I was wrong, okay? I know that. I'm still trying to get used to being recognised and people taking an interest in my life and I'm sorry for what I said."
Chris fingered the stem of his glass nervously. He'd been careful not to drink much tonight and was hoping this after-party was going to wind down soon because he was starting to feel seriously tired.
"What happens next is up to you," Darren continued lowly, leaning down to tighten his shoelace. "But I'm being completely sincere and I hope this doesn't…" He paused and glanced at Chris anxiously. "I hope this doesn't affect what we have."
He stood and walked away before Chris could formulate a response.
"What'd he say?" Ashley said, filling the seat Darren had only just vacated.
"He apologised."
"Good for him. What did you say?"
"Uh…" He blinked and looked down at his glass. "He left before I could."
"I heard," she leaned over and held the back of his hand, "that this party is over in ten. Go after him, boo. Work it out." She waggled her eyebrows and he bumped her shoulder with a laugh.
"Thank you," he whispered. "I'm always so afraid of what people will say."
She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. "You can't get rid of me that easy."
He kissed her cheek in return and immersed himself back in the crowd, finding Darren with Heather and Harry.
"Hey, sorry about your loss man!" Harry said with an apologetic smile as he approached. Darren turned so suddenly his neck cracked.
He shrugged, glancing at Darren. The apologies were going to get old really fast. "It's okay."
"Still, you had a great year," Heather said.
"I did, it just wasn't funny."
"There were moments…" Harry said, then paused. "Weren't there?"
"And that's precisely the problem I had in finding an episode," Chris acknowledged.
"Can you guys give us a moment?" Darren interrupted, and Heather gave Chris a quick hug before skipping away with Harry to join Dianna and Naya.
"Apparently this is slowing down soon," Chris said, stuffing his hands in his pockets to stop fidgeting. Darren raised an eyebrow. "I…I was hoping you might come back to mine."
"I don't know. I'm pretty tired."
Chris stared at him, gnawing on his lip. "We can just go back to mine and sleep. I just…I hated trying to sleep last night knowing how we left things and…and maybe I could just do with being held tonight."
Darren rolled his eyes. "Of course I'll come back to yours," he assured. "I'll leave after a safe amount of time and no one will notice, okay?"
Chris hated that the implied secrecy would continue but nodded. His fingers brushed over Darren's briefly as he headed back to Ashley and Lea.
Was half an hour a 'safe amount of time'? Chris was starting to get anxious that maybe there'd be an accident and Darren's cab had been involved in it. He'd already changed out of his ridiculous tux and hung it up for dry cleaning. He'd paced around his bedroom for ten minutes and tapped out rhythms with his fingers on the countertop.
When the doorbell finally rang, he'd been home forty minutes and fairly ran to the door.
"I'm sorry," Darren huffed, pulling off his tie as he stepped inside with a small bag. "I realised I needed some clothes than weren't…" he looked down at himself. "Well, this, in the morning. So I made a detour home."
Chris shut and locked the door as Darren untied his shoes. "You could have messaged."
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," he repeated, removing his jacket and draping it over the counter. "So um…I'm not…sure what we're doing tonight," he scratched the back of his neck.
"I told you at the party. We don't have to do anything. I just…I wanted to see you," Chris said, shy and nervous.
Darren put his bag down and turned to face Chris in his regulation pyjamas of t-shirt and sweatpants. He held out his arms and Chris hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around Darren's neck. Darren's arms surrounded Chris and held him steady as Chris trembled.
"Hey, it's okay," Darren whispered, running his hand over Chris' back when he felt the warm splash of tears on his neck. "It's okay, I'm here."
Chris sniffled and breathed deeply against Darren's neck. "I don't want to fight again. I know you have to go to New York again in December but we'll figure something out. I just…I don't want to argue with you."
"I don't either," Darren agreed, clutching Chris against his chest.
It could have been an hour, but it was probably less than five minutes as the two stood in Chris' kitchen holding each other and drawing comfort and calming their fragile nerves. Darren wouldn't have let go but Chris started getting wriggly so he relaxed his grip and stepped back.
"My room?" Chris asked, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth.
"Totally." Darren picked up his back and touched Chris' hand, linking their fingers together and trailing after him up the stairs and into a room that was becoming increasingly familiar. "I'll just go change and stuff, 'kay?"
Chris nodded and climbed onto the bed. Darren watching him get comfortable, struggling to want to move, until Chris waved him away and he went into the bathroom. He folded up his dress slacks and gradually removed his suit from the Emmy's, tugging on a pair of fresh pyjama pants and brushing his teeth. He stared at his reflection from behind his glasses, the prescription ones he'd worn tonight because his eyes were so itchy that he hadn't wanted to wear his contacts.
"Aren't you done yet?" Chris called.
He laughed and gathered up his things and returned them to the bag, heading back into the bedroom. "Impatient much?"
"I just wanted to cuddle you and you were taking forever," Chris yawned, folding down the blanket as Darren crawled in beside him. Chris' nimble fingers plucked his glasses off his nose and folded the arms with a soft click. "Why were you wearing these tonight?" he asked as he placed them on the bedside table.
"My eyes were tired," he mumbled, rubbing at them. "Not much sleep last night."
"I'm sorry," Chris murmured, hand trailing over Darren's cheek lightly. Darren rubbed his jaw against it and Chris smiled at the scratchy stubble. It continuously amazed him how Darren with stubble and curls looked like a man, and Darren with gelled hair and a smooth face made him look so much like a boy. The hair and make-up department really did do spooky things to lessen Darren's age.
"I'm sorry too," Darren replied, tilting his head and kissing the palm of Chris' hand. "Now we're even and should call a truce and move on with our lives."
Chris nodded as his thumb drifted along Darren's forehead. "I love you," he breathed, so quietly Darren would have missed it if he hadn't been gazing at Chris. He reached out his own hand, cradling Chris' face and propped himself up. Realising what he was doing, Chris moved too and their lips met, soft and tender and warm. Darren's tongue swiped across Chris' bottom lip and he whimpered, mouth falling open as his own tongue licked at Darren's.
"I love you too," Darren said when he broke away, hovering above Chris and stroking his cheek.
"Can we just…just be together tonight? Just hold each other?" Chris asked nervously.
"Of course," Darren smiled, pressing a kiss to Chris' temple and lying on his side. He pulled Chris to his chest, tangling their fingers together as he nosed at Chris' neck. "It doesn't always have to be about sex."
Chris squeezed their hands together and closed his eyes. "I know," he acknowledged and cuddled closer.
Darren kissed the back of his neck. "Sleep now, love. I'll look after you."
Chris yawned, tucking their joined under his chin and relaxing into the embrace. "Love you," he said again as he drifted to sleep.
Darren grazed at the back of Chris' neck before kissing it again. "Love you," Darren whispered, eyelids drooping as he fell into a sleepy abyss.
A/N: Who skipped the entire chapter looking for the smut and now wants to stab me through the heart with a clove of garlic and follow it up with a silver bullet?
...I'm sorry okay ._.
Look on the bright side though! I hadn't planned on the fight in my head. Then it happened. Then I left the chapter for a few days to write some more of my 40k+ fic that I'm working on in the background of this and Uni. Then it appeared the fight was going to stretch through the Emmy's and into rehearsals, which wasn't part of my plan because in the days after the Emmy's featured Chris dangling from the fabric thingies on his Twitter. So I left it for another day and when I came back, the boys decided to reconcile at one of the Emmy after-parties and snuggle. D'awwwh.
And maybe I'll make up for it next chapter. It depends what the boys decide will happen.
I hope I did Ashley justice. I adore her but it can be so difficult bringing in other people. I also don't understand the fight or where it came from so hopefully you can understand it better than I can, because I know Chris is still bewildered. I hope it was fluffy and cute enough to resolve the angst of the beginning. I hope you enjoyed it, basically :3 Let me know via reviews? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease? I know this story is getting a massive amount of hits and alerts, so it would be wonderful to actually, y'know, know people are reading this and enjoying it. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?
Okay. Begging over. Thank you for reading and love you all! See you next chapter xxx