I own nothing but the ideas in my head.
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My life has been a tornado of awesomeness and stress all mixed up in one, but here it is now and it's kind of long, hopefully that make up for it! =]
Tuesday
Darren's POV
I woke up bright and early to get to a meeting with editors for a magazine I'd be doing an interview with in New York after I got back to the east coast. They were very kind in making sure no one from their network of magazines had been giving me or Catie any trouble and I assured them that there had been no problems and thanked them for that. They asked me how personal I wanted to get with the interview, like if there were any things that I wanted to use the interview to clear up. I had to think about that and then I decided that I would give a very broad statement about my previous relationship, why it ended and apologize for not having been completely up front about it while it was happening because of wanting to keep my personal life private. They said that they'd be honored to help me with that and that I could talk about it with my interviewer in New York to get the details all set. They also asked, and I can't really say that I was all that surprised, if it would be possible or okay to have Catie come to the interview as well. I told them that it wasn't out of the question, but that I would not ask her to miss school or swimming to do so. I let them know that I'd love nothing more than to have her there, but that it was also her decision to make. She only really did the first interview because we needed to let my fans know where we stood and about the nature of our relationship with each other and she didn't really like being in the public eye so much , but did so because of our relationship. I'd apologized for that multiple times, knowing how uncomfortable she was with it, but she always told me that I was worth it no matter how crazy people could be about it. And I fell more in love with her every time she said it. Either way we'd have a lot to talk about when I got back this evening. After talking to the magazine executives I went with Chris and Lea to grab a late breakfast and we went to the airport to get on the plane.
I was getting antsy and nervous about singing the song I'd written for her. I told Chris and Lea and they teased me because I'd really never been nervous about singing a song in my life.
"Wow," said Lea, "You must really lover her huh?" I nodded unable to voice my feelings at the moment. "I'm sure she'll love it no matter what. For God's sake you could sing about string cheese and she'd love it. She loves you and that's all that counts, Dare, anything you do she knows it's all for her, out of love for her."
I was still unable to speak so Chris took that moment to speak up. "Darren Criss, you played me that song and I teared up. She is going to love it. You're just nervous and anxious because you haven't seen her in a while and that's fine but completely unnecessary. Sing the song to Lea if you're that worried, but seriously she is going to melt when she hears it. Calm down and give your leg a rest you've been bouncing it up and down for the last half hour haha."
I smiled, said they were right, and apologized to Chris for the bouncing. I told Lea she could listen to the song on my iPhone if she wanted because I didn't have my guitar to play so I could sing it to her. She'd smiled when Chris mentioned her hearing it and nodded her head and made grabby hands at my phone. She listened to it and she full on cried. She looked at me and hit me on the arm. "Darren Criss! What the hell? You were seriously worried that she WOULDN'T like this? Oh my god Dare, it's just about the sweetest thing I've ever heard and she will love it and I want a copy of it as soon as possible. You goober stop worrying! We're almost there anyway."
Catie's POV
It was pretty much a typical Tuesday. I started with writing at 11, chemistry lab from 1:15 to 4:15 and then Civic Engagement workshop until 6. The only difference was that I wasn't going to the ESOL class that I was helping with each week because the teacher couldn't make it. So I was going with Joey to meet the rest of the Starkids at the airport.
Tuesdays were my "hell days" and by the time I got into Joey's car to start the drive to Newark Airport I was exhausted. I'd tried texting Darren towards mid-afternoon, because I knew he had a meeting to set up an interview, and he'd never responded. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was out of character so I was slightly on edge. This was the first time I'd ever felt like I was stressed so much that I just needed to hear from him to help me relax and he couldn't because of work or another engagement. It just seemed like the fact that he was all the way across the country was really weighing heavily on me and that day, of all days, was when it hit me hardest. I told Joey as much and he said he understood and that seeing everyone would make me feel a lot better. I agreed that he was probably right and ended up falling asleep when we hit some traffic.
Joey woke me when we got to the airport and we headed to the area where the baggage check for a flight coming from LA with a layover in Chicago, which was where the Starkids would be getting on. We were bringing a sign that Joey had made that said "Welcome Back Crazies Starkids" He had actually done quite well and I thought it was funny that he'd purposefully crossed out crazies and written Starkids. He had it folded under though, like there was more on the bottom, but I didn't question it. It seemed that the flight had arrived a little earlier than planned because while we were headed over we saw a huge group of people and as we approached we heard someone strumming a guitar. I recognized the Starkids as well as other people that looked familiar standing around the guy playing guitar. I wasn't surprised in the least that they would be there if there was music. As we got even closer, though, I recognized a lot more of the people. There was Dianna Agron, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, and Lea Michelle in a crowd of Starkids, glee cast, and just surprised but appreciative onlookers. When I saw the glee cast I looked for Darren in the crowd, but couldn't see him. Then the crowd split to reveal the player and the guitar strumming was joined with singing and I would have known the voice anywhere. It was Darren, singing a song I'd never heard before:
My life is a
series of actors changing places
except there's no back stage
and there's no place for me.
It's okay though,
the jokes on the television
make me laugh,
remind me that it's okay
not to have a backstage or a place to hide.
Well I've got dinner on my plate,
got my paycheck yesterday.
How great, how cool.
I've got places, I've got friends,
I've got Joey, Ross, and Chandler, then..
there's you.
And now, how, we like to say that we're in love,
doesn't it, seem like that should be enough,
but, the world will roll their eyes but I still think,
well I still think that we're in love.
Oh shoes and jackets,
purses and tennis rackets,
make their way as they please,
in those SUVs to the country club.
I don't play much,
but I do enjoy having the ball in my court,
and what's more,
I like playing, for love.
But I've got arms and you've got legs,
together we've made some mistakes.
But hey, we're doing well!
Well I've got reason to believe,
in the power of you and me to break,
this spell.
And now, how, we like to say that we're in love,
doesn't it, seem like that should be enough,
but, the world will roll their eyes but I still think,
well I still think that we're in love.
One more question:
how is this one big lesson?
I don't think that there's a quiz,
but if there is I'll be, outside;
playing in the yard,
swinging on monkey bars,
exercising my right to this recess from this lesson
that I tried, ohh
But I've got arms and you've got legs,
together we've made some mistakes.
But hey, we're doing well!
Well I've got reason, to believe,
in the power of you and me to break,
this spell.
And now, how, we like to say that we're in love,
doesn't it, seem like that should be enough,
but, the world will roll their eyes but I still think,
well I still think that we're in love.
well I still think that we're in love, love, love.
well I still think that we're in love.
Ooh..
He kept eye contact with me the whole time. I couldn't believe that he was here and I couldn't believe that he was singing a song to me like this. I knew that people were recording and by that time it was no secret he was talking to me. I was trying so hard not to cry, but one cliché little tear slid down my cheek and when he finished he stood up slowly. Walker took his guitar and he started walking toward me.
"Darren."
"Hey baby. I missed you."
"I missed you too.
He gave me a breathtaking smile and chuckled. "That's good. So, what'd ya think?"
"Dare, I… it was beautiful. I don't know what to say." I started crying a little more then and by that time we'd reached each other and his arms enveloped me in a strong tight hug.
"Baby, I really hope these are happy tears. Cuz I'd hate to see you cry for any other reason."
I giggled lightly, "They are. I loved it Darren, the surprise of you coming home early and taking the time to write that for me. I love you so much."
"Mmm, I love you too, babygirl. I'm glad you liked it."
"I did." We stayed there speaking softly for a while and everyone else grabbed their bags and got everything situated with rental cars. I looked up at his eyes and we made eye contact before his eyes flitted down to my lips and then back up. I realized that we hadn't kissed in a very long time and I knew at that point we both wanted that. The only problem was that we were in a very crowded airport with a lot of fans with picture phones at the ready now that they'd seen him serenade me. "Darren…"
"Yeah hun."
"I know we're in a very public place, but I really want to kiss you right now. Would that be-"
I couldn't get the rest out because my lips became, very suddenly, otherwise engaged.
"I love you katydid."
"I love you too Darebear."
We looked up from our little world and realized that our friends were watching intently and that some of the girls had tears in their eyes. I giggled nervously and he told me I was cute when I was nervous. I felt like we were meeting each other again for the first time and I had butterflies in my stomach even though it had been close to a month now since we'd met and almost as long since we'd officially started dating. I also felt like I'd known him forever and relaxed into his arms when he wrapped them around my waist. We'd turned and were standing front to back to talk with his, and now our, friends. There was an unspoken desire to keep any kind of contact possible after being apart and I helped him carry the rest of his bags out to the waiting car while he kept a tight, but comfortable grip on my free hand.
Once the car was all packed up Darren and I sat in the backseat while Joey and Lauren were in the front of the car. They were teasing us pretty hard about our apparent need for physical contact and I honestly wasn't even embarrassed about it. All I cared about was the fact that he was here. Sure I was being made fun of, but it was all good natured and I'd rather be teased about keeping the contact than not have it at all. Eventually the teasing stopped when Lauren and Joey got into a debate about whether redvines or twizzlers were better and then about whether JK Rowling should have actually killed off Fred or Ron. So Darren and I had a whispered conversation for a bit. Mostly just saying how much we missed and loved each other with soft kisses on lips and cheeks and noses interspersed with it. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was curled up against Darren and he was trying to wake me so we could bring everyone's stuff into the hotel, where they'd be staying for a few days until their apartments and houses were set to be moved into.
Darren's POV
We had talked in the car and decided, with some serious convincing from me, that Catie would stay in my hotel room with me for the night. That's not to say that she didn't want to, she just knew she had some work to get done and an early class in the morning that she'd have to be driven to in order to make it on time. I finally convinced her that it was fine and I didn't mind waking up early because it meant that I'd get to spend more time with her.
While we were relaxing and waiting for our take out Chinese food to arrive I talked to her about possibly coming along with me to the interview in New York. We talked about that for a while because while I wanted her to come with me more than anything so that I could show her off to the world I knew that she wasn't crazy about the spotlight. I also knew she'd come anyway if she knew that I wanted her to, so I tried to be very careful when I answered her question as to whether or not I wanted her to come with me. Eventually it was decided that she would come with me and I was excited, but worried that she had only agreed because she wanted to make me happy. When I said that she said, "that's not the only reason I agreed, but would it be so bad if it was? You go completely out of your way and even beyond what's necessary to make me happy, so why shouldn't I do something that makes you feel the same way?"
I have to say it was hard to reason with that logic and so we made a plan for how and when we were going to the city for the interview in the next few weeks and I had just hung up the phone with the magazine headquarters in New York when the food arrived.
We spent the rest of the time catching up, watching movies, and just generally enjoying each other's presence. For the first time in weeks I went to bed with Catie in my arms and I knew it would be the best night's sleep I'd had since the last time that was the case.
A/N: the song there is called I Still Think. It's by Darren Criss and I know it was written and used in Little White Lie, but for the purpose of this story it wasn't used in that and was composed just for this purpose.
Let me know what you think! - Cruegs =D