A/N: Have a very good 2016 3

Thank you for reading, and I'd love to hear your thoughts pls! Things will happen in the next chapter. Enjoy as long as you can x -Natt

Chapter 16: Mister Enigma and other discoveries

Thank God Darren passed his exam (and with an Outstanding, of course, because in that go big or go home philosophy it couldn't be the other way), because otherwise Lauren would never forgive him the fact that she had missed her first class that day. But the entire first exam period of that year went quite good overall. She couldn't complain, considering how many distractions there had been during and after the holidays.

Caroline continued to text mister Enigma occasionally, assuring Lauren that it was better to leave her with the benefit of the doubt, and then she stopped insisting into knowing that identity in hope that it was just some minor hookup with –ironically- some older guy she would never approve of.

Darren & Co, on the other hand, were getting everything ready for Michigan's Hole return after the break, since things have been so incredibly peaceful during the last month it felt almost too good to last. Joey Richter, the guy that was helping them with the administration, as soon as Darren said, after Christmas, I think I'm just gonna call it quits, went dude –dude, if we keep going we can actually get money. Like, an actual considerable amount of money, and the way his widened eyes shined with what Darren defined as ambition were tempting him to get more involved on it than what he ever intended. But he still thought, despite Joey's insistence, that the break was necessary until things quieted down. Well, things quieted now, didn't they?, and when Darren showed that text to Joe (whom he was in surprisingly good terms now that he went back with Lauren, as if the harmony had naturally restored back in its correct place, like three years ago when Darren was dating Devin and Joe was the indisputable master of everything else), he smiled as if he's read Darren's thoughts in an instant and said something like about time.

But, first things first. That time of the year came up, and the gang decided to gift Darren for his birthday what he loved the most: a good party. Rick's house, a fridge almost overflowing with lots of different types of alcoholic beverages as it was humanly possible, and a massive group text to all the people in their circle who could matter with almost instant confirmation of attendance.

It'll be fucking-epic, Brian said, and the promiscuous excitement caused by the overconfidence of that statement was almost frightening.

"I don't know if mister Enigma will be there, but you should definitely come with me," Lauren suggested to Caroline, who was sitting on the counter while her roommate made a cake, not trying too hard to not get flour over her clothes because why does she have to sit there while I'm cooking anyways?

"I was hoping to get an invitation differently, but now that you finally ask, I'm totally in."

"I'm glad you're offering to help me, too."

"I wasn't offering to-" Caroline's pleading was interrupted when Lauren blew a fistful of flour on her face, "I should've known it was an ambush!" She claimed dramatically before snorting a bunch of flour from her mouth in return.

"Hey, Darren, catch it!" Joe yelled from the door, throwing the American football ball almost before finishing the warning.

He caught it in what it seemed a spasm, quickly getting his hands to the height of his face before he got a purple eye.

Rick pointed at both with his index fingers, warning seriously, "Hey! Put that back! The last time you did that in here, you were sober and you still broke a lamp."

"Daddy doesn't let us play inside." Darren rolled his eyes, walking to Joe and pushing the ball into Joe's chest, who grabbed with a disappointed expression on his face.

"Oh, man…" He cried, walking back to the shelf.

It was a good thing that Darren was near the door when Lauren walked in, otherwise, it'd have been more than complicated to find him. A substantial group of people had just barged in before her and the sight as the course required pushing more than one unnecessary tall guy out of the way.

"Hey, birthday boy." She called, smiling, as she wrapped a hand around his waist and gave him a kiss.

Darren smiled into the kiss, and he didn't have time to greet back.

"We made you a cake!" Caroline said, thrilled, lifting a bit the tray to show it off.

"Are you serious?" Darren asked, eyes widening as he stared to the white and pink cake with a birthday message, and trying to remember when was the last time someone made one for him, "You guys are the best." He added, honestly grateful, giving a kiss on the cheek to Caroline. "The kitchen is through here."

They put the cake in the freezer for a while, and then walked back to the living room. Despite the house was absolutely crowded, the couches around the coffee table were destined to Darren's closest friends, so without needing to introduce herself, she gave a general greeting to the group before sitting down between Darren and Caroline. Joe Walker, Jeff and Jim were in the couch on Caroline's side, and Joey Richter, Rachel and Rick on Darren's. She felt slightly worryingly in the center of everything for a bit.

Darren handed the girls a pair of glasses, and Lauren almost asked him if he remembered what happened the last time she drank at a party, but she felt it was the least appropriate time to bring that up, so instead she asked, pointing at the liquid, "What's in this?"

"Um, vodka and orange juice." Darren explained, but then he shook his head, "Don't worry, I prepared it."

"Oh, okay."

He didn't give her time to drink before asking, "I can get you something else if you want."

"Don't worry, it's okay." Lauren patted him on the arm to assure it.

Caroline jumped in, "Yeah, don't worry. I'll take her home if she ends up obscenely drunk, which would be pretty cool, actually."

"We know it's gonna be the other way around." Lauren gave her a look.

"You can spend the night in here. We have two beds upstairs, these couches, and Rick said he's got an air mattress ready too." Darren said, lying back against the couch.

"Yeah, sure." Rick assured. He had an arm around Rachel's back, but she didn't seem uncomfortable. "Darren's friends are my friends."

Darren smiled back at him. He noticed how those two have been slightly more touchy than usual, Rachel occasionally flipping her hair as she laughed loudly of something he said, and Rick placing a hand on her hip, knee or shoulder as he tried to make more eye contact. But if he knew them as well as he thought so, everything would stay there unless someone pushed it forward. Which he hadn't figured how to do yet.

"Look, there's Brian." Jeff announced, but then he frowned and tilted his head, to add hesitatingly, "And he has… a dog?"

"Apparently." Darren confirmed, even more confused.

Brian discreetly made his way through the people to the couches, a petite though vigorous brown and hairy shadow following him and throwing as many things as it was physically possible. He (Brian, clearly) shook Darren's hand as he said without no explanations, "Hey, dude. Happy birthday."

"Thanks, bro. Um, care to explain?"

"Oh, the dog?" Darren nodded, feeling he shouldn't have to need to, starting to believe he was messing with him. "It's your birthday present! A babe from my block was trying to find this guy a house and I thought I could give it to you, since you're so lame and lonely."

Brian tried to pet the dog in the head as an honorary introduction, but the pet was busy trying to see what the hell there was on every cup of the coffee table, while everyone tried to not get alcohol all over the floor. They saved most of it, but it was inevitable that two cups hadn't dropped when two big and heavy paws were unexpectedly placed over the surface and the dog inspected everything without caring much. It was obvious the animal hadn't been properly trained to act under those circumstances, and they didn't know whether to laugh or get angry, quickly budging to the first option.

"I appreciate your… honesty and obviously selfless reasons, but I can't keep animals in my place."

Brian's eyes widened in concern. "What do you mean? I live in an apartment too, and they let me have pets."

"Yeah, but you have a common inner garden, I live in a flat." Darren explained, snapping his fingers trying to get the dog's attention, but he was too busy now in Rick's lap after he had said to him you'll be the ruin of my house! and completely misunderstanding his tone of voice as an invitation.

"You're shitting me." Brian expressed in regret. Then he looked at the dog and shook his head, "Guess I'll have to keep it."

"He's a mess, Brian, isn't your room already too small?" Rachel asked, wincing.

It looked like a cross between a retriever and some street dog, although approximating much more to the second type, especially in the way he acted, excessively yearning and intruding; and he wasn't exactly little neither.

Brian sighed as he threw himself on the couch, next to Jeff. "Yeah, but I can't give him back now. I've already… accepted something in return for the favor."

"Please, don't give details." Jeff asked. "What's he called?"

"Um, he doesn't have a name, I think. Darren, you should name it, take that as a birthday gift at least." Brian suggested.

Darren finally got the dog's attention, which suddenly jumped onto his lap and started to sniff all over him, looking for food he lacked.

"He's obviously wild and raging. But I got no names in my head right now." He looked at Lauren, "What do you think?"

Lauren thought about it for a moment.

"What about Caliban?"

Brian stared at her like if she was crazy.

"The tempest." Lauren explained at him, and then rolled her eyes, "You wouldn't know."

"Caliban, huh?" Darren called, messing with its ears and trying to see if it worked, but the dog kept exploring Darren's pockets in his clothes. "I don't think he'll reply to any name whatsoever. But it fits, doesn't it?"

"Whatever, nerds." Brian shook his head and grabbed a bottle of wine from the coffee table.

Caliban offhandedly changed Darren for Joey Richter after understanding he had no food.

After midnight, Lauren granted her seat to Darren so he'd be in the center and perfectly in front of the cake. They sang happy birthday, and once he blew out the candle, Brian and Joe pretended they were going to hug Darren when they gripped the back of his head to violently push him against the cake.

"Okay, was that really necessary?!" Darren cried, wiping the white and pink whipped cream off his eyelids and surroundings.

"The aesthetic!" Lauren yelled at the same time, observing tragically her masterpiece turned into a mess.

"Okay, despite that was hilarious, I'm hungry." Caroline complained, grabbing a knife and then proceeded to cut the cake like if nothing had happened.

"Yeah, you know what, I got a sudden urge to kiss my friends." Darren said, standing up, and they weren't sure if he was smirking under the food mask.

When Joe tried to get away from Darren's grip, it was too late and the laughing didn't quite permit it, and Darren's elbow had kept Joe's head still while he rubbed his face against Joe's left cheek and hair.

"Get off me!" Joe pulled mildly of his hair, and flexed upwards and was finally able to get off his friend's embrace, with half face covered in cream. "You got some in my eye, asshole." He complained, although still laughing, rubbing his eye with a finger.

Darren grabbed a napkin from the table and cleaned his face as he sat down again. Joe disappeared through the kitchen's door, probably to do the same thing.

Lauren looked at him, smiling. "You okay?"

"Yeah. You can stop laughing now." He commented, with his features now visible.

Lauren laughed for only a few seconds more before saying, "Sorry." She bit her lip in a long pause to gather the sufficient courage. Caroline stood up with her second portion of cake and said something about ice and beer and coming back in a minute. "I have a present for you."

Darren looked at her with interest. He put a strand of hair behind her ear and said sweetly, "Baby. You serious? You've done more than enough…"

"It's nothing," Lauren cut off, but deep down she had been in some place between anxious and excited about it. "I don't know if you want to open it now or later."

"Well, now I'm curious."

She gave him the little green and yellow package she kept in her purse. Everyone was at the expectance (Except Jim that was too busy stealing a piece of cake without having Darren noticing) as he slowly ripped the wrapping paper, and everyone's reaction overtook his. Joey Richter even clapped in admiration.

"Holy shit! Look at that."

"It's so shiny I think I can see the reflection of my house."

But Darren remained still, in silence, staring at the huge golden watch in his hands. He gulped slowly, and the exclamations of veneration near him felt a million miles away.

Lauren's hand was on his back when she asked, nervous, "So what do you think?"

He looked at her and she'd have never expected to hear such serious tone of voice in a situation like that.

"Why did you buy me this?"

Lauren frowned in confusion before replying, "You said the other day you didn't have a watch, so I bought you one." She shook her head, "What do you mean?"

The corner of his lips bent as he shook his head as well, looking away. Lauren suddenly felt him incredibly distant. He left the package in the coffee table, looking worryingly troubled.

"I can't accept this." He sentenced, standing up.

It'd have been the most horrible silence in the group if it wasn't because there was music playing and the people were chatting in the surroundings. Lauren sighed quietly before following Darren. She reached him at the lane, next to a lamp post that wasn't working, where he was lightning a cigarette, his silhouette almost merging with the environment of that full moon night.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Lauren said, needlessly loud. Now that there was no one around, she didn't need to keep it down.

Darren snorted a laugh as he turned around to look at her.

"Me?" He pointed at himself with the hand that held the cigar, and then at her, "How did you think I'd feel when you gave me that?"

Lauren shrugged, upset and resigned. He had looked away again. "I don't get it. I wanted to give something nice to someone I care about. What's wrong with that?"

Darren took a puff of the cigar and exhaled the smoke somewhere else before answering, staring into the darkness in front of them.

And his voice came out calmer, though not content. "How much did that watch cost you?"

The pressure in Lauren's chest suddenly slackened until it almost vanished completely.

Her voice was calmer, too. "So this is what this whole thing is about?" Lauren gave a determined step closer, and held Darren's gaze as she continued, "I just wanted to give you something nice. Money isn't an issue for me. You know it's not."

Darren gave a miserable laugh, out of having no words to say looking down, and then finally said, "It's just that… I could never give something like that to you."

Lauren ran a hand through her hair, throwing it backwards because she felt slightly out of air from hearing him say that, with such a self-loathed tone of voice. This was a mess.

"I don't want you to give me anything. I just want to be with you." She slowly put a hand on his neck, like if she feared he wouldn't let her, but she felt him mildly relaxing under her touch. "I didn't want to make you feel like this."

"I know. Fuck, I know." Darren cursed bitterly, but he held Lauren's wrist and was caressing it softly. "I know I shouldn't have reacted like that, but I can't help it to feel like this."

Despite the situation, Lauren found it nice to discover about one of his insecurities. She felt she knew him so much better know.

"Let's agree on giving each other books and mixtapes from now on, okay?"

Darren giggled shortly, and the argument felt distant as quickly as it appeared. "Sounds great."

"I can give it back if you want." Lauren suggested. Her hand had fallen on the neck of his shirt, casually playing with it.

"But that'd be stupid, right?"

"Very stupid, but if you want…" Lauren wet her lips, knowing the risk it'd imply to say "I think you should keep it, though."

"Do you think I can have the honor to get it back after I made that scene?"

Lauren grinned, "We can try."

They shared a dovelike kiss before going back into Rick's place.

"Oh, look! The drama queen has returned." Rachel yelled almost into what it looked like her tenth glass of beer before bursting into laughs on Rick's shoulder.

"Okay, where's my gift?"

"What gift?" Brian asked, petting Caliban's ears as he had settled on Jim's spot while he went to the toilet.

"My watch." Darren warned, killing him with a stare. He already knew what was going on.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

After a not very clean ten-seconds-fight, Darren attained to get the package back from inside Brian's jacket.

"I'm gonna go put this in my bag upstairs." He informed, grabbing a can of beer from the coffee table before walking away from the couches.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Lauren said.

"Don't use Rick's condoms!" Rachel yelled, probably louder than anyone would've wanted her to. "They've been kept in there for so long, waiting to be used, they might've expired."

"Oh, shut up!" Rick said, offended, pushing her head with one hand, which seemed to amuse the girl even more.

"Ignore that." Darren said while they climbed up the stairs.

"I'm used to it by now, sweetie." Lauren replied, holding a laugh, but she honestly felt she didn't care at that point. She had drank that last drink a bit too quickly and it was just now starting to hit her, she was having one of those moments, when you're sorta happy and giggly and everything is a bit muzzy but it's nice.

They gave a few steps through the hall in the first floor when Darren placed a hand on the doorknob.

"This is Rick's room." He reported before opening.

They gave only a single step after the doorframe, before the landscape inside turned them into stone for a few seconds. Darren kind of blinked repeatedly to make sure his sight wasn't fooling him, and Lauren's jaw dropped in a yank without the permission of her musculoskeletal system.

"Shit, sorry, sorry." Darren apologized over and over, while he grabbed the bag from the floor under the bed that was being occupied by a couple that didn't look very eager for interruptions.

But Lauren didn't feel like either apologizing or leaving at all.

"Oh my god, Caroline?!" She could only ask, with a high tone of voice she couldn't control, "What are you doing here?!"

"What are you doing here?" Caroline snapped, half offended half shocked.

Lauren opened her mouth to say something she probably didn't think about yet, when Darren's arm wrapped around her belly to push her backwards.

"We're leaving. Sorry about that," Darren repeated while he laded her outside of the room and closed the door.

"Did you just see that?!" Lauren exclaimed with the same frenetic and astonished tone of voice she did before, still staring at the closed door as if she could keep seeing them, "I can't believe Caroline's making out with Joe Walker!"

Darren was under a serious attack of laugh, like if the situation was completely entertaining. He grabbed Lauren's hand as they walked through the hall, towards the other door.

"Shit, that was… unexpected." Darren admired.

"It's unbelievable!" Lauren said, too horrified to even ask if they could be inside what she guessed to be Rick's parents room, so instead she sat down at the feet of the bed, trying to process it through. "We… we gotta do something!"

Darren put his bag under the bed, like he had done in Rick's bedroom, and then he looked at her with a frown, still recovering from the giggles that had almost let him without capacity to catch a breath.

"What are you saying?"

"Have you not seen what they were doing? This is horrible."

"I don't think Joe was doing anything she didn't want him to." Darren simply said. It'd be too complicated (and completely inadequate) to explain to Lauren that Joe just had it, he could just talk to someone and in the matter of a moment they'd be on their knees disposed to do absolutely anything he asked them to. Well, on their knees, lying down or on fours, but the point was the same.

"Still! It's Joe… And Caroline is so…" She failed in her mental search for a world that could properly describe her friend the way she needed to. "Joe's an asshole."

"That's what you thought about me when we first met."

"It's different."

"Why?"

"Because… you're you." Lauren shrugged, upset of being aware she was abysmally losing the argument.

"That's a solid point."

She looked at her nails when she added, stubbornly, "She's not even his type."

Darren had laid back on the bed, comfortably as if it was his own, and he was looking at Lauren's pseudo-monologue with interest but not catching her line of thought.

"What do you know about Joe's type?" He asked, highly entertained.

Lauren snapped quickly, turning around to look at him, "I can guess." She pressed her lips together, "Stop giving me that look. I know." She finally added, and then sighed in resignation, knowing that it'd be hypocritical form her part, and from any perspective of the story, to criticize something like that, but she couldn't help it.

"Just let it happen, how bad can it be?" Lauren didn't look very convinced, so he added, "Look, I'm not enjoying the whole stealing my spotlight thing anymore. Can we go back to what's important? And I mean me."

Lauren laughed as she laid back too, dragging herself to the top of the bed, and then resting on her side to look at Darren.

"So what does the birthday boy feels like doing?" She asked with a smirk, running her thumb on the corner of his forehead, where there was a tiny spot of whipped cream left, and then licking it from her finger.

Darren watched this before saying, offended:

"Do you even have to ask?" He said before leaning into her lips and start kissing her.

It was sweet at first, Darren's lips softly grazing hers, as his fingertips held her chin up. Lauren kissed back, eyes closed, her hand falling on Darren's hip without noticing it. Darren's kisses would never fail to transport her higher, to an ethereal land where senses ruled and she was a mere receptor who couldn't handle it though she wanted to, and now even more with the alcohol loosening her inhibitions and making everything feel so nice and easy, like tightening the hand on his waist and shifting closer towards him on the bed.

Darren deepened the kiss when he sensed her moving slightly. His lips were now firmer, determined, and his jaw opened wider in a faster tempo. His hand had ran through her spine to her lower back, sneaking under the red tank top that outlined so perfectly her tight body, and he pulled her a bit closer until he felt her against him. She smelled like a sweet scent of blueberries and vodka, and he couldn't help but to inhale deeply and get drunk with the fragrance. Lauren's boobs were grazing his chest and fuck –something inside was awakening and the adrenaline didn't let him think straight. He could hear nothing else but his heartbeat ringing in his ears, their heavy breathing and the sound their lips entailed every time they crushed rougher into one another.

Lauren's legs were nibbling against his as they made out and it was driving him insane, so he shrouded Lauren's leg with his, this way pulling it closer and suddenly much more intimate.

A moment went by before she fell into the count that Darren had cut the kiss, and she opened her eyes. His gaze was fixed on her so centered and intense, like if nothing else existed, that she was absolutely positive that for at least a very short moment, it really didn't. Without saying a thing, he placed a kiss on the corner of her lips, pushing her hair behind her shoulder, then moved to the most prominent peak of her jaw, near her ear, and sucked slowly for a while, his mouth moving the same way he had kissed her lips a moment before. Darren's mouth felt warm and wet on her skin, and when he wriggled downer to her neck, his curls brushing her chin, she arched her back just a bit and pressed her knee just a tiny bit (or at least she pretended it to be, but she couldn't really reckon up the amount of appropriate anything in that moment) against Darren's jeans in that place where senses were suddenly channeling on, and felt him tightening his legs around hers to keep her like that, while he inhaled deeply once again and fuck, fuck, he wanted to stop being gentle and do things he wouldn't even dare to draw on his notepad.

If they were going to take things slow, she'd better stay away from anything near that area, or he'd lose his mind. Then his eyes were at the same height as hers again, his hand on her neck, a lazy thumb caressing her skin.

His voice came out unexpectedly thin, "I know we can't yet… But would it be okay if I touched you… down there?"

Nobody was more surprised than her that the answer was so immediate, "Yes." She breathed in, "Do it."

Darren bit his lip hard in a clear sign of lust –although she couldn't tell she was the one causing it, grabbing her knee and pulling it towards the other side, so she'd be lying on her back. He rested on an elbow to be at the proper height and to resume snogging her again. The hand on her knee went up slowly through her thigh, pulling up her tight black skirt when it reached the cloth. Darren felt how easily his fingers ran through her soft skin, his heartbeat speeding up as he went upper, now in that place were legs get thicker and curve in all the right places that he had almost memorized from observing that carefully a thousand times before.

Lauren moved her legs a bit wider when she felt his hand reaching the end of her inner thigh, in that endless caress that had started on her knee. His three middle fingers ran all the way, upon her underwear, until they reached the end of that delicate garment, and then down all the way, and it was Lauren the one who cut the kiss this time because she momentarily couldn't focus on anything else but that touch between her legs.

Darren repeated the same thing quite a few times, and the arousal increased so much she closed her eyes, pressing her head tightly against the pillow. Darren felt through the piece of cloth how she was getting gradually more wet, and the air coming out violently from her mouth, and how he could yet feel her texture under his fingers pretty damn well, and how it was making him so fucking horny he sank his face on her hair.

Then the tip of his index an middle finger pressed firmly on the top, in that especially sensitive place, and he marked small circles; and Darren heard the most fucking-amazing sound on earth since he listened to David Bowie's Cat People for the first time.

"Mmm," the moan reached air as her hips tightened , pushing against Darren's hand.

Lauren's feet curved, her toes sinking on the bed.

Darren's thumb was discreetly and slowly pulling down underwear, reaching where the hair stars growing and he bit Lauren's neck before she said:

"Wait," it calmed him that it wasn't a get away from me pervert wait, and that she added after not a long while, "Against the wall."

It wasn't commanding enough to be an order, but it was like an invitation he could never turn back; so he raised an eyebrow in surprise as he replied, "As you wish."

He adjusted the pillow in Rick's parents' bed, before settling up and laying his back against the wall. Lauren straddled him, legs cornering him as he had imagined so many times when he couldn't sleep, and he gulped heavily because he was hard as a tent and in this position there was not a way to hide it.

Her hands held his neck while she kissed him passionately. Darren's hands ran through her thighs fervently, before groping her perfect ass so hard under her skirt, completely lifting it, that his nails must've undoubtedly leaved a pink mark on her skin. Lauren started grinding against him, slowly, her lower back rippling constantly in a delectable torture.

"Fuck, yes." Darren breathed, and his voice sounded so throaty and erotic that she didn't think she'd ever enjoyed someone cursing this much. "God, keep going."

He pulled her closer so she'd feel her body in steady contact against his, her boobs against his chest while she grinded harder and faster, and his blood focusing so intensively on his crotch that it was too much –but it wasn't nearly-fucking-enough. He didn't want her, he needed her; he needed her like a person miles underwater thinks of air, slapping the liquid in the search for something that's not nearly in their reach.

"Lauren," he called in what it wasn't either a request or a warning, but somehow both at the same time, "Stop."

She wet her lips, her hands sliding from him, fearing she'd do something wrong, "Why?"

Darren looked at her, and he gravelly explained, "Because if you don't, I'm gonna fuck you right here and now."

Lauren breathed deeply, swallowing the okay that wanted to come out of her throat and stood against all of her convictions. She just sort of stayed there, still and speechless, staring back until Darren talked again.

"Get off," he said and this time it was a clear order.

Lauren sat down beside him, fixing her clothes and feeling how the moment vanished completely, and Darren quickly put his feet on the floor and drank ten sips straight from the can of beer he had left on the bedside table. He ran a hand through his messy hair, and she felt him tense and upset. Was it her fault?

"Darren, I gotta tell you something." She called.

"Sure, but it'll have to wait until I come back from the bathroom." He said quickly, giving her a look before opening the door and disappearing behind the frame.

Lauren dropped her head back against the wall, sighing.

Darren didn't come back for a while. Lauren pictured him there in the bathroom, and she wondered if the way he used to recover from horniness was to wash his face with cold water or to finish what they started alone… Then she stretched out her hand to the bedside table, deciding to finish the can of beer herself. Maybe she'd have another one of those moments that made everything nice again.

"Are you okay?" She asked when Darren came back, looking much more relaxed and she didn't dare to ask why.

"Yeah. We should go back downstairs." He suggested, knowing that was the smartest thing he had said in the entire night.

Lauren stood up and walked to him. "You were upset. I don't want to be the cause of you having a bad birthday."

Darren was frowning, "Shit, no. I wasn't upset with you. I almost had too much of a good time right there, trust me." He explained, "Please, don't think it's your fault."

He gave her a short, sweet peck on the lips that convinced her immediately.

"And you? Ready to deal with my drunken friends?"

"Is anyone ever ready for that?" She joked, grabbing his hand, "Let's go."

Like if they've spent two hours in that room, the party was at its best, the couches almost empty since everyone was either chatting vigorously or dancing, with the most known songs playing loudly and most lights off, except for the mirror ball Jeff had gotten from a bizarre secondhand website.

"I'll go spend some time with the boys outside, okay?" Darren said.

"Sure," Lauren agreed, shrugging.

She took a place in the couch in front of Rachel, who was the only one still there, drinking alone. Lauren checked something in her phone, which kept her busy for a bit, but it didn't take long until the girl started a conversation.

"Hey, your friend has earned a place in the group very quickly, right?" Rachel commented, distracted, with a smirk drawn on the fading red usual on her lips.

Lauren could feel her bad temper coming back after she had seen them there, in Rick's room, attempting to hide away from everyone.

"Yeah." She just replied, but the tension in her voice was obvious. "I know."

Rachel found her surprising response highly entertaining –wasn't she a female version of Darren sometimes?

"You don't like that couple very much, do you?"

Lauren's reply took a few seconds, "I just think it's a bad idea. I know Joe's your friend, but…"

"I think it's a terrible idea." Rachel sentenced. "Joe's an asshole. You can say that."

Lauren grinned, "Yeah, that's basically my point. I can't believe she's doing that, it's…" she shook her head, denying to herself to say the end of the sentence.

Rachel crossed her legs as she asked, "This girl is like, your best friend, right?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but she's probably been dreaming about coming to a party like this and doing something like that for a really long time, right?"

Lauren knew she should defend the girl's honor, but it was impossible to prove that statement was incorrect, so instead she sighed and said, "Yes."

Rachel shrugged, "So she's basically having her night. I think you should pretend to be happy for her."

"But that wouldn't be honest."

For some reason, she felt like an idiot after saying that.

Rachel didn't say anything about it though, so she continued, "Yeah, but think about it: they hook up, she has the time of her life or whatever, Joe never calls her again and you won't ever have to deal with him. You avoid an unnecessary discussion, and everyone is happy."

Lauren considered it for a moment before admitting, "You're actually right. Thank you."

Rachel gave her a smile before finishing her glass of beer. She wiped a tiny drop of the liquid sliding through her chin, and she settled near the edge of her seat, with a cheeky smirk, like if she was about to tell a secret (and she sort of was).

"Darren told me that you guys are waiting to have sex." Rachel didn't notice Lauren's eyes widening in shock, "I think it's great, honestly. I've never seen Darren waiting and working so hard for something. It's amazing to see him losing his mind every once in a while."

"I can't believe Darren told you that. " That was the only thing she could process from that entire discourse.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Rachel assured, shaking her head and making a gesture with her hand, "Darren's like my little brother. He comes up to me all the time to tell me his problems and asks me for advice, because I'm fucking smart."

"Huh." Lauren crossed her arms, her eyebrows up, "So I'm a problem?"

This time Rachel's eyes were the ones that widened. "Shit. No. I'm sorry, I fucked that up. I didn't mean it like that."

There was a moment of tense silence, then Rick walked to them and took a spot next to Rachel.

"What's going on?" He said, and then added to Lauren, "Whatever she's doing, ignore her. She's been drinking her weight in alcohol."

Rachel ignored him, then shook her head and said, "I made you uncomfortable, right?"

"Yeah, a bit." Lauren answered, minimizing the truth.

"Look, I'll tell you something." She concluded, "You can ask me one personal question, like, anything you want, and I'll have to answer, and then we're even. Okay?"

Lauren gulped slowly, because the question was right there, at the tip of her tongue. It's been there for a while, despite there was evidence proving the contrary, there were a few cues she couldn't ignore.

Is truly Darren like your little brother? Has he always been?

Lauren opened her mouth to ask, but a voice cut her off before she could start.

"Hey, you two, leave my girlfriend alone," Darren warned, sitting down next to Lauren, his hand falling on her lap. "What are you talking about?"

"I was just playing something with Lauren, in which she could ask me any personal question once, and I gotta answer."

"Oh, I have one," Darren said, grabbing a bottle of scotch from the table. He rested on the couch, opening the bottle, with an air of defiance in his body language that matched his tone as he continued, "In the current state of drunkenness that you find yourself in, would you fuck Rick?"

Rachel looked at Rick, casual but slightly surprised, "What do you think about that, huh?"

"Oh, no. It's you who I'm asking," Darren corrected, with very clear intentions the girl couldn't decode. "Would you?"

She shrugged, examining her friend. "I don't know. I probably would not fuck him yet, but I could work it through a little job."

Darren grinned and gave the brunette guy a look that said that's all I can do for you, mate.

"I love how… sharing you guys are." Lauren commented, looking at him.

Darren laughed and grabbed her hand.

"Let's leave these two alone," He just whispered, pulling from it.

They spent a while outside, with Brian, Jeff and Joey Richter, laughing and drinking. A group of girls barging into the conversation to congratulate Darren. Later, asking if he could play a few songs in the guitar; Darren denying. Darren playing the guitar afterwards. The group of girls being absolutely in heaven. More laughing and drinking, before going back inside, during dawn, when most likely all of the people had left, to prepare the house for the gang to sleep.

Rachel and Rick were making out in the couch in such a way they should've gone to a hotel. That's my boy, Darren said proudly.

The music had stopped, the house was a total mess, but proof that the night was a complete success.

Caroline had recently crossed the stairs when Lauren caught her arm.

"Hey," she called, probably louder than what she intended to. The girl was eager and smiling, more than what it was common in her. "I can't believe you just spent the entire night in a room with Joe Walker."

"I know, right?!" Caroline said, yet again louder than what she should've, "It was amazing, I still can't believe it happened to me… isn't it fantastic?"

Lauren swallowed back a million of thoughts along with her spit, and she hoped her smile was convincing enough, "Yeah, you gotta tell me everything."

"Well, we started talking the other night at the Hard Rock Café and…"

"Later," Lauren's hand almost pinched her from tightening the grip, "I'm exhausted."

"Okay, sure, can't wait!"

Caroline kissed her on the cheek and went to the bathroom. Darren walked to her.

"Well, the beds upstairs are taken. Do you want the air mattress?" He asked.

"If that's okay, I'll take that with Caroline. That way I'll make sure she doesn't end up in a bed with Joe."

Darren giggled, shaking his head, "Sure. I'll take one of the couches. But if my back is too sore and I gotta switch with Caroline at some point, I just want you to know it's completely innocent and unintended."

"Right." Lauren kissed him, "Goodnight, birthday boy."

Darren held her head and kissed her again.

Best. Birthday. Ever.