They moved on to another club after Irving Plaza, a small, dark neighborhood place where fans were unlikely to find them. Darren's friends and family were all swarming around, telling stories, inside jokes, laughing loud and long, and drinking much. His grin never faded as he good-naturedly spent time with everyone looking for his attention but never lost sight of Issey.
Catching up to her at perched on a bar stool at a corner table where she was laughing with Lucy and Lauren he slid up behind her, kissing the spot where neck gives way to shoulder and firmly holding her hips. "So do I get a dance with the most beautiful girl here tonight or what?"
Lauren smiled, "Well of COURSE I'll dance with you Darren, but really, be careful what you say, the others will get jealous."
Everyone laughed and he leaned over to kiss her cheek, "I'm coming for you later but right now I'm dancing with my girl."
Pressed close together on the floor he caressed her back, "Today's been long, we should go get some rest."
"You mean I should, and I'm fine."
"You'll feel like crap tomorrow." He nuzzled into her hair.
"Will I wake up next to you?"
His smile returned, "You'd better."
"Then everything will be okay." She swallowed and looked in his eyes, "Tomorrow will bring its own challenges but tonight is heaven. I love seeing you like this; I'm in no hurry to leave."
He spoke softly even though the music was loud, "I don't suppose you want me to be there."
"When I tell Chris? No. Can we not talk about this now? I'm so happy in this moment." She scratched lightly at the nape of his neck then snuggled into his chest, loving the way he smelled. He was wearing a tight(ish) white Henley shirt with the buttons undone, little hints of hair showing through. She could blame the pregnancy hormones all she wanted but the ultra masculine combination of his scent after being on stage under the hot lights and the promising peek of chest hair were enough to put her over the edge without a single touch.
"I don't think I've ever been happier." He agreed and continued to sway to the music, the world in his arms.
The next morning Darren was hung over and Issey was exhausted. The good news was it was a second day at Radio City so they were off until just before show time. The bad news was that she needed to talk to Chris. Issey sat up to reach for her phone but Darren touched her shoulder. "Not yet."
She wasn't aware he was awake but when he spoke she lay back against him, "I was just going to text him ask him if he had some time for me later."
"Just a few more minutes."
"Are you worried about something?"
"Nope, I'm just saying we haven't slept in together in a very long time, I want to milk it for all we can."
"Sometimes I have a hard time believing you're real." She ran a hand over his shoulder and down his arm.
"Even with how badly I fucked up?"
"You fell in love with two people. I think I can relate. I'm just, I don't know, I'm floored I guess by how much I love you. Giving in to my feelings for you is the best thing I've ever done for myself. There are things I come so close to asking you before I can stop myself."
He licked his lips before kissing her, a long, slow, deep kiss that spread warmth through her lower regions. "You can ask me anything."
"No, I know the answers, I'm just needy sometimes."
"I'll say the words every minute of every day. I love you, I will always love you. There is no one else but you, for me, not now, not ever."
They stayed like that for awhile, lacing their fingers together, him touching her belly and talking to the baby, something he'd never done. "Hey in there, don't know if you can hear me but I'm your Daddy. I can't wait to meet you."
Her phone rang; she knew from the ring it was Chris.
"Hey." She sounded upbeat.
"We need to talk. Like now." He didn't.
"What's wrong?"
"Face to face. Alone." Each word was clipped, Issey had heard him mad before but this turned her skin cold and made her heart race.
"Where?"
"My room, 354." He hung up.
Issey was hugging herself, feeling dizzy from his anger. Darren sat up beside her, "What is it?"
"Chris wants me to come to his room. He sounds really pissed off."
"I'm coming with you." Darren swung his legs out of the bed and reached for underwear.
"He said alone."
"He doesn't make rules for you anymore." Darren's voice was tight.
"No one does," she walked to his side of the bed and stood between his knees. She ran her fingers down h is scruffy face, "please, don't make things worse. I'll go alone."
She brushed her teeth and pulled on clothes but didn't bother with her hair. Even her knock at Chris's door gave away her fear.
Chris pulled the door open and immediately walked away from it. His face was a storm cloud. "I never would have believed you would do this to me."
"I don't know what you're talking about Chris; please just tell me what's happening."
He turned his laptop on the desk to face her. "Have a look."
ChrisColfer: congrats on getting free of the whore
ChrisColfer: I'm sorry- you would have made a wonderful father
ChrisColfer: She's an idiot, you could be my baby daddy any time
ChrisColfer: the kid will be a hobbit good riddance you can do better
It went on like this. Her face went white and she sat hard on the end of his bed.
"So it's true." He slammed the computer shut.
"I was going to tell you today, I just found out last night while we were at Darren's show. How the hell do they know?" the words came out in a rush.
Chris cocked an eyebrow, "You can't blame Adam this time."
"You think I put this out there? Are you insane?" Issey was yelling now.
Somehow her sudden burst of anger made him eerily calm "Who else knew?"
"The doctor's office, me, I told Darren when I got the news but we were alone. Mia figured it out when he…oh my God." She covered her mouth with her hand.
"What? He WHAT?" Chris was crimson faced.
Issey responded quietly. "He sang a song for the baby. He didn't dedicate it or anything but since it was a song about becoming a father and it was a crowd of fans that know our situation it was pretty easy to read between the lines I guess."
Chris sat hard next to her, the wind knocked out of him. "I want to punch him."
Issey shook her head sadly, "It wouldn't change anything."
"It'd feel good though, and Mia? What the fuck? He saw her?"
"WE saw her, I asked her to come to his show last night. I like her."
"So he gets both of you, and the baby."
"He gets to keep her as a friend, yes, I'm keeping you as a friend aren't I?"
The edges of his mouth formed a small smile, "I hate when you have an answer for everything."
"It's a blessing and a curse."
"The worst part is I don't even have the right to be mad. He didn't do anything wrong. He's the father, he can sing about it, talk about it, scream it from the Empire State Building if he wants to. He owes me nothing."
"He wasn't thinking, he was happy and a little drunk and you know he wouldn't want you to hear it this way."
Chris had his head in his hands, "Please don't ask me to give him credit for being a good guy right now."
She patted his thigh, "I'm sorry. I didn't know how I was going to tell you but I didn't want it to be like this."
He picked his head up, his eyes were red now, "I know its better, better for all three of you that the baby be his, I just…wanted it."
"It complicates you life less too you know, you'll be a father when the time is right, with the right person, and that baby will be so lucky to have you. You're still family to me. You know that. I'll still need you and I meant it when I said I wanted you in the baby's life whether you were her father or not."
"Her?"
"Conjecture."
"Do you feel like it's a her?"
"Sometimes, but then I was 100 percent sure she was yours."
He looked at her, his expression unreadable, "Were you?"
She nodded. "I'm fallible, who knew?"
He laughed a little at this. "I guess I should be a man and congratulate him."
They went back to Issey's room to find Darren pacing in just his jeans. When they walked in he looked up, ready for anything.
"It's all over Chris's twitter feed. I didn't have to tell him, the fans did."
Darren looked confused, "How this time?"
"Arms wide open." She said simply.
Darren's face fell. "Shit man, I'm sorry. I just went with what I was feeling, it didn't even cross my mind that they'd all know, of course they would. Chris man, I should have waited until she talked to you."
Chris shrugged the apology away, "Your baby, your call. I just came down to say congratulations." He held his hand out but Darren hugged him. Chris half hugged him back, not as comfortable with physical affection as his tv boyfriend.
"You're going to be her favorite uncle." Darren was back to smiling.
"Don't let Chuck hear you say that." Chris deadpanned. "Okay, I'm going to leave you lovebirds on your own, sorry I lost my temper back there Is."
She wanted to make him stay, to make him feel a part of things but he seemed so uncomfortable she let him go. When the door shut behind him she went to Darren and let him put his arms around her, "I wish he had someone of his own. He deserves that."
"Do you honestly think he wants it?" Darren sat on the bed, pulling her down with him.
"Of course he does, why wouldn't he?"
"I don't know much about your relationship with him and I don't really want to, but you've said some things in passing that made it sound like it was pretty much about sex and not much else."
"I don't think that's true, we love each other, we're supportive of each other."
"And that makes you awesome friends, but how much time did you spend together when you weren't in bed?"
She thought about it, "He works a lot, but then so did I."
"We weren't together very long but we made time, we went on picnics and went to the beach, he's focused on h is book, his movie, I don't blame him, he's smart to get things done while he has the platform but where does a relationship fit into that? This tour will be over in a few short weeks sure, but when we're shooting Glee his schedule will be worse than it is now."
"His movie will be done by then."
"It will be shot, if he was just an actor that would be done, but he's not. He's going to be involved in tons of post production. Babe, you and I are workaholics, but we're also romantics, he's a realist, he's driven by his projects, by the words in his head that have to come out whether he wants it or not." Darren rubbed her back lightly as he spoke.
"I know what you're saying, and I know you don't want details but I have to just defend him a little and say that Chris can be romantic."
"I'm sure he CAN, it's just not his nature, it's something he'll do occasionally, because the moment feels right, but we," he stopped to kiss her, "are different, it's in our blood."
"You must have watched him pretty closely to come up with this analysis."
"He had my girl, that put him under constant surveillance, besides, you forget, I've spent more time being his boyfriend than you have being his girlfriend."
"Those lines are written for you, but no, you're not wrong. Is it too kinky that I can't wait to watch you guys make out on set?"
"I can see the attraction. I'd give my liver to watch you and Mia make out, but I haven't even been told if I'm back next season or not."
"You're back. Ryan's not stupid; he's not going to ignore the audience reaction when Kurt asks Blaine to join glee club every night. I didn't notice, did you get to dance with Mia last night?"
"I did. She told me you convinced her to come, and warned her we were together. Thank you for that, it meant more than just seeing her, it meant you trust me and that means everything."
He stood to pull on a t-shirt but she hooked a finger through the belt loop of his jeans, "We have HOURS, do you really need to put clothes ON?"
He tossed the shirt aside and followed her onto the pillows, "You don't want to go out, maybe have lunch, its New York City after all."
She traced his shoulders, floated her fingers down his sternum, "We can go out if you want, I don't mind, but you're kind of irresistible in just jeans."
He laughed, "I can't tell if it's the pregnancy or if you're always this randy."
"It's you, I waited too long, I need to make up for lost time, but honestly if you want to go out its okay, I'll be a big girl and let you get dressed."
"Well, we do have plenty of time, we could go out later." He was already unbuttoning her blouse. "Besides, I may be a romantic but I can't let Chris beat me in the sex god category."
"Apples and oranges. Babe? Would you really want to see Mia and I make out, or is that just sort of better in fantasyland?"
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, gauging whether she was asking out of annoyance or curiosity. "I imagine it's the same way you want to watch Kurt and Blaine do it, it's hot to see but I wouldn't want there to be any feeling behind it. I don't think you'd be turned on if Chris and I kissed, but Kurt and Blaine aren't a threat to you and I."
"So if it was just a friendly make out, say, for your birthday, you'd be down?"
He'd been unzipping his jeans but now he fell over her and growled, "Don't tease me woman, I might hold you to it." in a very friendly way.
She giggled and carded her fingers through his hair, "I've told you before I think sexuality if fluid and Mia's a hottie. I'm not sure how she'd feel about it given your past, but if she was down I'd be more than happy to give you a little birthday fantasy show, that is, if I'm in any shape to be a fantasy girl by your birthday."
"You will ALWAYS be my fantasy girl, no cancer, no pregnancy, no anything will ever change that."
