"Christopher!"

Chris rolled his eyes and smirked as a very bouncy Darren Criss bounded up to him in make-up kitted up in his Blaine attire.

"You sound like a batty middle aged woman. Only my mom calls me that." Darren shrugged amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"No Christopher. I AM your mother." Chris let out a loud laugh and Darren's heart jumped in affection for the man.

"Oh D your not pasty enough to be my Mom." He looked up to see Darren smiling cheekily back at him.

"So today's the day." he grinned winking a mischievous glint in his

"Your character gets homophobically beaten by his father and you're excited." Chris looks bemused at Darren through the mirror. Darren frowns his face screwing up in that adorable way.

"Uh. Well no that kind of sucks." Darren pouts to the room. "My poor baby."

Chris chuckles and lifts his chin for inspection. His eyes lock with Darren's golden ones.

"I meant the bath scene Chris." Darren smiled cockily into the mirror his eyes doing their best smoulder. Chris visibly swallowed but tried to remain calm.

"Hmm, what about it?" Chris winced as his voice shook a bit. Damn it why did his acting skills always falter around this man.

"Are you sure you can handle it? I mean I'll be wet. And half naked. And you'll have to touch me."

Darren's eyes narrowed and he smirked ever challenging Chris' composure and elegance.

"In a comforting way D." Chris smirked back. "It's not as if we have hot wet sex in a bathtub."

He regretted it as soon as he said it. As soon as the hot, steamy and admittedly hot image flashed across his mind and he blushed.

Darren chuckled light-heartedly. "Christopher!" he cried in mock shock. "I am not that kind of man!"

"Hmm..."

"I am NOT!"

Chris threw back his head and laughed at the boys shocked expression.

/

When the time for the scene came Chris was nervous. Well shitting himself was a more apt phrase. He considered feigning illness several times during the day before reminding himself he wasn't a school kid any more. He was a professional.

So why did everything seem so UN professional when it came to Darren. Why in his scenes with his best friend did every emotion, every glance, every touch seem so damn real. He had no time to ponder this however as Ryan called for everyone to get to their positions.

Chris glanced down at Darren one final time too see that the necessary emotions were already playing across his face and Chris quickly slipped into Kurt.

"ACTION!"

For a second Chris hesitated before he started to do as scripted.

Kurt washes Blaine's face and torso lovingly and they share a long meaningful look.

He took Darren's face in one hand and picked up the sponge he breathed once long shaky gazing sadly at the fake dried blood all over Darren's face and couldn't help with a twist of the heart, imaging that it was real. He put the sponge to Darren's face and slowly and lovingly began to wash of the blood. He felt Darren's face relax slightly into his touch and felt the scorching gaze on his face. The water from the sponge ran in rivers down the sides of Darren's neck and jaw making his skin glisten in the dim lighting of the candles. Chris felt his heart thump loudly at the arousing image. Stop it Chris he's your best friend. You straight best friend. You're beautiful straight best friend...

"Oh god..." Chris croaked as he looked down on Darren's wet chest, hard and leanly muscled under the fake injuries from the belt of Blaine's father.

The line wasn't scripted but he could pass it off as anguish. Darren whimpered softly his muscles tensing in response as the sponge made it's line down to his abs washing over the supposedly painful slashes. Oh god that noise was so pained. God his acting in this episode was stunning.

Chris met Darren's eyes for the first time and the expression of deep inner torture that the shorter man created absolutely blew Chris away. It was so deep, so from the heart that the taller man had all together forgot there was a difference between character and actor. And he just needed that expression to stop. Before he knew it he was completely off script. He had whined painfully and climbed into the bath regardless of his costume. Darren gasped as he rested his body on his one hand rubbing his side soothingly the other curled in the damp curls on the back of his neck. Their forehead were touching, their noses barley brushing. Their eyes locked desperately seeking closeness, their eyes lashes brushing as they both closed their eyes, screwing up their faces and letting the tears fall and the sobs escape.

Chris felt something change between them in that moment. He felt his heart change and grow with being filled with the beauty of this new feeling until it felt like it was burst.

"Cut..."

The instruction came from so far away. Like a mirage. Shaking, almost dream like. They clung to each other in the warm water and trembled. Chris' face fell to Darren's shoulder as Darren rubbed his back. He was pretty sure at that point that Darren was feeling it too.

"Guys?" They both looked up hesitantly. Chris suddenly remembered where he was. He bolted to it up splashing water out the large bath.

"Shit Ryan I'm sorry. I d-dont know what came over me I just got caught up in it all... Jesus I'm definitely more method than I thought god I'm-"

"Chris." Ryan cut in sharply. Chris paused feeling Darren sit up tensely beside him too, waiting for the next sentence.

"That was stunning."

They both raised their eyebrows in shock. "Seriously?" Darren questioned shakily.

"Yes, seriously. God it was amazing! Half of the crew are crying. It was utterly heart breaking guys well done. Best acting I've seen in the show. I can practically smell the awards "

Their touching arms clenched. They both knew very well that they were only acting half the scene.

"Go get dry and go home you're both done for the day. Perfect both of you."

Chris' face lit up at the praise and he turned to Darren who smiled shakily back. But Chris could see the battle in his honey-hazel eyes.

"C..." he whispered raspingly. I found his hand and squeezed it.

"I know D." Chris pulled him out of the bath and handed him his robe. "Meet me at my place. We'll talk."

Darren grimaced softly and bit his lip.

"It's okay D, we're best friends forever remember?"
Darren smiled and nodded. Chris walked him to his trailer and waited for Darren to changed before they walked together in a mutual comfortable silence to the parking lot.

"I'll see you there D okay?"

"Yeah. Of course you will C."

This was gonna be one hell of a conversation.