I own nothing.
Monday
Darren's POV
I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing rather than the alarm going off. It was Ryan telling me that he had scheduled a time for a journalist from one of the more trusted magazines to come and interview the two of us. He said that they would probably also want pictures and that they'd probably start off asking the normal kinds of questions regarding glee. He said that they would be getting to the hotel around 12:30 and so he would be coming up to my room around 11:30 to make sure I knew what I could and couldn't say and to make sure Catie knew the kinds of questions she might possibly face. I was relieved when he said he'd be there for the whole time and said I'd see him at 11:30.
I decided that I'd wake Catie up at 10:30 in that case. So, I set my alarm for 10:15 and since it was only just 8:30 I settled down to sleep a little more.
The alarm went off and I woke up with my arms still wrapped around Catie while she was still sleeping soundly. I woke her up a little before 10:30 and she looked up at me and smiled then looked at the clock and closed her eyes again. Then she looked up and said "Darren! We're a half hour late! Oh no, I'm gonna be rushing around and I won't be able to eat breakfast. Oh god… hey, let go, come on Dare," I had wrapped my arms around her tighter and hadn't allowed her to jump out from under the covers when she tried, "I want nothing more than to cuddle with you more too, but it takes me forever to get ready in the morning."
I just chuckled, pulled her closer and kissed her. She calmed down a little and relaxed into my arms. I pulled back and said, "You don't really think I'd let you be late do you? Ryan called at around 8:30 and everything is pushed back a half an hour, including the interview. He's coming at around 11:30 and you looked tired so I decided I'd let you sleep for the extra half an hour." She grinned and since she did have sufficient time now snuggled back into my embrace for a few more minutes before getting clothes and going into the bathroom to change.
We had just finished eating and I was brushing my teeth when there was a knock on the door and I heard Catie move to open it and let Ryan in. I came out of the bathroom just as he hugged her and said hello. I hadn't noticed what she was wearing before since we had both been doing our own thing to get ready and we'd eaten breakfast sitting next to each other. She looked beautiful, as always, but she and Lea had done a very nice job while shopping and her clothing fit her very well. I realized that my outfit kind of matched hers again and Ryan noticed too because he asked if we'd planned that.
She laughed and said that no, we hadn't, but that great minds must think alike. He laughed and said to her, "This is why we love you! Now let's get down to business. This is mostly for Darren so he knows how much he can give away when the inevitable glee questions come out because I am assuming that he told you the types of questions to be prepared for." I had actually, I was proud of myself, he was expecting her to say that I hadn't, but she had already guessed most of the things she'd be asked anyway.
Catie told him that she was perfectly aware of the types of questions that she would be asked and that she didn't have to answer any that she was uncomfortable about. I reminded her that I could answer some for her if she was unsure how to answer; we were a team in this now, we were in this together. She came over to me, kissed my cheek, whispered thank you in my ear, and then said louder that she would leave us to our discussion.
Ryan told her that he would be there to help answer questions too, or to step in if the questions got too personal. He also said that she needn't feel like she had to leave every time we discussed work on glee. She thanked him for saying that, but that it was really only because she didn't want spoilers herself, she was a glee fan after all. She also said that she needed to call her parents to let them know everything was ok and that she was safe. She blushed and said that she also needed to let them know the status of our relationship before they heard about it from someone else. I smiled at her, stood up, wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheek. I told her I loved it when she blushed and she blushed more.
She told me I needed to talk to my boss and gave me a playful shove back toward the chair I had been sitting in opposite Ryan. She said to get her when we were done talking so that Ryan could talk to us both together like she was sure he'd want to. I agreed and we went our separate ways.
My talk with Ryan was short, he told me what I was and wasn't allowed to say about the upcoming episodes and he pretty much just told me to look for a signal from him about whether I could or couldn't talk about anything else, since he was going to be there. He then asked me about how I wanted to do this. He said that they would be videotaping the interview as well as taking a voice recording. He said that he would be making a decision as to what would go in the final cut that would be uploaded and that he would show it to the both of us as well. I said that was really great of him and thanked him for that and said that I was kind of planning to let it go however Catie wanted it to. I didn't want to give too much information out about her so anything regarding her I was going to try to direct to her. He said that was fine, but that I should make sure that I speak up a lot too; that she needed to feel really supported and that we needed to show that we were a "united force."
He was right and we kind of finished with that so he moved on to questioning me about how the whole relationship was going so far. I told him it was amazing and I gushed about Catie for probably two straight minutes, and I could have gone longer, when I felt two arms wrap around my shoulders and a kiss to the top of my curly head. Then I heard a voice whisper "Ditto" in my ear and before I could look back to see her, Catie was snuggled up next to me with tears in her eyes and a big smile on her face.
I told her my plan for the interview and she said that she was fine with doing the majority of the talking for the questions about her, but that she wanted me to answer questions about "us" with her. She didn't want to give too much information about a private life we both now shared. I told her that sounded perfect and Ryan told us where to go for the interview and to be down there at around 12:15 so that we would be there when the interviewer arrived. He then took his leave and we had about 25 minutes to spare.
Catie's POV
My parents were, surprisingly, not caught off guard by my news about Darren. They knew how I felt about him because I hadn't exactly kept it a secret and they knew that we'd been hanging out and that we had plans for Sunday, but what they told me about him asking me out was unexpected. It seemed that Darren had seen spoken to my parents at my meet on Saturday before I had come out from the locker room. He had asked permission to take me on a date, and to just date me in general. My dad said he was astounded that Darren had been so considerate as to ask him and that he had instantly liked him. He said he'd given his consent, but said that I would probably do what I wanted whether he okayed it or not. He told me he trusted my decisions and so had given Darren the benefit of the doubt. I thanked him and told him that meant a lot to me.
My mom asked me if I was happy and I told her words couldn't describe my mood at the moment. I was over the moon that my parents had already accepted Darren and that they weren't worried that I was entering into a relationship with him too soon. I told my mom, who I am sure relayed the message to my dad, that I was doing an interview with him and Ryan Murphy later. She was confused as to why I wanted all that media attention until I explained that I would have that either way. I told her that we were hoping that if we gave them some information now, they would respect our request that I be left alone while I was at school. I told her it was Darren's idea and that he'd had that plan before I even said anything to him about it. I think she was impressed and I counted that conversation as a success. I said goodbye to my family and told my mom I'd send her the link of the interview once it was put up online.
Then I walked out of Darren's room to hear him talking about our relationship and how amazing it was. Then I stood behind him an just listened for about two minutes while he tried to explain to Ryan how perfect and beautiful and wonderful I was and how happy just being around me made him. Finally, I couldn't just stand there anymore and I grabbed his shoulders in a hug and kissed the top of his head which was now a more controlled mass of curls. I whispered "ditto" into his ear and jumped to the other side of the couch and curled up into his side. I had never felt safer than when I was there, like that, with Darren's arms wrapped around me. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, but they were only because I was so happy.
Ryan talked to us for a little while longer and then took his leave. This gave us around 25 minutes before we had to go downstairs to one of the meeting soundproof rooms. I was getting really nervous. I was worried about the reactions we would get. I knew that the only opinions I should really care about were his and his friends' and families', but I wanted his fans to like me too. I didn't really think I'd be able to take much hate mail.
Darren noticed that I was a little tense and he asked me what was wrong and I really didn't want to tell him because I didn't want him to worry about that as well. But then he was giving me so much and he'd been so honest with me that I told him what was bothering me. He said he had a plan for that, and that I shouldn't worry, just be my amazing self and if people didn't love me when they saw that they were crazy and their opinions didn't matter anyway. He gave me a kiss on the cheek, then the nose, then the corner of my mouth, then fully on my lips. It was sweet and quick, but it meant so much. He started singing under his breath and I thought I recognized the tune. So I picked my head up from his chest where it had fallen and he sang louder:
"Baby, you're not alone
'Cause you're here with me
And nothing's ever gonna bring us down
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you
And you know it's true
It don't matter what'll come to be
Our love is all we need to make it through..."
I loved his voice so much and even though I hadn't ever told him I'd always secretly hoped that someday he would sing to me like he was now. I hadn't realized that I started crying until he looked down at me and said "Hey, baby, don't cry everything is going to be fine. I meant every word that I just sang to you and I'll do it for the rest of my life just so you know how important you are to me and so you know that as long as you want me here I'll be there for you."
"Thank you, Darren. Even though I know I'm not, there are times when I feel so overwhelmed and isolated that it seems like I have to do everything alone. You mean so much to me Darren and I'm warning you now, I'll want you here as long as I possibly can have you and for as long as you want me around I'll be here for you. Thank you for singing to me Darebear, it made me feel so special, and you do that all the time, but that was just exactly what I needed then. It seems like you always know when I need you and you never fail to make me feel like I deserve you even when I don't always know how that could be.
I mean people always knew you were special, Darren, I am not surprised that you have done so well for yourself, because you just have something about you that makes people step back and take notice. But then, me, I'm just an average girl who lives in a very small town in a place that people from my own state sometimes don't know. People look at me and sometimes see something in me, which is like what you have, but everyone sees it in you. I don't know how it came to be that you showed up here and saw something in me that you found special, but I'm sure I haven't done anything yet to deserve it, but I am thankful for it, so incredibly thankful, all the same."
"Catelyn Randall, and by the way I should probably learn your middle name before we do this thing downstairs, do you really think that you are not special? That every person who walks by you every day doesn't recognize that there is something amazing about you? Because that is most definitely not the truth. Every single person that meets you or even sees you smile at them is drawn to you. I am flattered that you believe I am like that, but really it's you who people see that "something" in. I have to work for it, but it just comes naturally to you. You are a natural leader, but also a natural caretaker and you worry so much about others that it astounds me. You are an amazing young woman and you are so humble about it and I love that about you! Every single one of my friends and co-workers and RYAN MURPHY have told me that they were just drawn to you as soon as they met you. When people see this interview, it's gonna be me who has to worry about hate mail. Baby, you are the most special woman I have ever met in my entire life, including my mother and that is saying something; just don't tell her I said that."
"I-is all that true Darren? They really said that and you really think that?"
He chuckled and said, "Does this prove it to you?" and then his lips were on mine. It was hard to second guess what he had said when he did that. When he pulled back he looked at me with a question in his eyes.
"I guess so. And it's Elizabeth, my middle name. I figure you can piece together my full name without my help."
He just smiled at me and hugged me tight for a moment then he whispered my whole name and said, "A beautiful name for my beautiful girl….. You know, beautiful doesn't even cut it. I don't think there is a word on this planet, in any language to describe you, but I'll keep searching just the same."
I looked over at clock and realized that we had five minutes to get to the meeting room. We decided we should get going and Darren gave me a kiss before holding the door open and gesturing for me to walk through. He was excited and it was infectious. I found myself much more at ease after talking with Darren, especially now that his arm was wrapped snug around my waist as we walked to the elevator and then into the meeting room.
We got there a few minutes before Ryan had and Darren and I were looking at tweets his friends had been sending about the storm, they were really funny, but I didn't really expect any less from the Gleeks and the Starkids.
I don't know what he had been expecting us to be doing, but apparently it wasn't that. He seemed impressed but confused at the same time. Either way he told us that the interviewer had just arrived and that we'd be starting soon.
The interviewer, Clarice Fawn, came in to set up her equipment. When I saw the camera and boom and the digital recorder, I got really nervous. I had been expecting all of this because Darren and Ryan had both made sure to tell me what to expect, but at the same time I had never done an interview like this before. I wanted people, more importantly Darren's fans, to like me so badly that I became worried again that I would say the wrong thing and they would hate me. I could take the hate if I didn't know about it and if they didn't know who I was, but this interview was costing me and Darren, especially Darren, our privacy and I would hate it if something went wrong.
Darren could tell I was nervous and while everything was being set up he knelt down in front of the chair I was sitting in, looked me straight in the eye, and kissed me. Then he pulled away and said, "You are a gorgeous, amazing, perfect young woman and you mean everything to me. My friends and co-workers love you and my family like you so much from just my description that they are begging me to bring you home with me so they can meet you. Your friends and teammates adore you and anyone who doesn't is just plain crazy or blind, and the hate that you're worried about is just jealousy and that's all it will ever be. I could never hate you ever, and that is what's important here. Everyone here is supporting us and I will be right here with you the whole time. I can't wait to show everyone what a catch I've got here. And I can't wait to blow them away when I tell them that for some crazy reason you picked me." He kissed me again and moved to the chair that was set up next to us; he slid it so it was touching mine and grabbed my hand.
I was still a little nervous, but Darren was right and my worries about people hating me before they even gave me a chance were pushed away by the love I felt in that moment.
AN: I decided that this was a little too long so I am putting the interview by itself.