He's always dreamed of traveling around Europe for a summer. Visit amazing places he'd only seen in pictures and in movies. Ever since he was a kid, it was the one thing he wanted most; the one thing he knew he had to experience before dying. So, starting at fourteen he began to save for his trip of a lifetime (as he called it.)
He did odd jobs before he was sixteen: delivering newspaper, washing cars, or mowing lawns. A month past sixteen he got a job as a pizza delivery boy; then as a waiter at a local restaurant. Every cent earned was put away, saved for his trip.
So, the summer after graduating college, he buys a plane ticket for Europe, packs two bags and heads off to start a three month journey across a new continent.
LONDON
By the time the plane lands in London it's close to ten at night, and Darren is running on three and a half hours of sleep. All he can think about as he waits for a room at the hotel he'll be staying at is sleeping for the next twelve hours, and then starting his actual trip the next day. Grabbing the key from the receptionist, he heads straight for the elevator.
He opens his door to go into his room and drops his bags on the floor and collapses on the bed.
"I'm actually here." He mumbles against a pillow, smiling so big it hurts. Turning over and kicking his shoes off, he starts to feel the tiredness take over. Throwing off his jeans and falling back in bed, he falls asleep almost instantly.
He stands in front of Buckingham Palace the next day admiring the beauty of building when he first sees him out of the corner of his eye. Fully turning to see him, he is struck by how gorgeous he is; chestnut colored hair, pale skin, long, lean body and various other things that he can't keep his eyes off of.
He tries to pay attention, but he finds his attention going back to the young man a few feet away from him. At one point, he looks to him at the same time the stranger looks at him. They smile at each other, Darren seeing his cheeks get a bit redder as he looks at him, making him smile bigger. After that, he does his best not to stare too much at the man and more at the palace in front of him.
One second the sun is shining and the next thing he knows, the sky opens up and rain instantly pours down on him. Within seconds he feels himself getting soaked, but right when he's about to call his day ruined something covers him. Looking up he sees a black umbrella over his head, turning around to see who is holding it, Darren comes face-to-face with the gorgeous young man from before.
"Thank you."
"No problem." He says, smiling at him. "I saw you had no umbrella and thought I could share mine."
"I really appreciate that." Darren says over the sound of raindrops pelting the top of the umbrella. "I'm Darren." He says, holding out his hand for the guy to shake.
"Chris," he says, slipping his hand in Darren's while clutching tight to the handle of the umbrella with the other. "Savior of those without an umbrella."
"Well, that makes me Darren: person who forgets to bring one."
"Good thing you have me." Chris says, finally letting go of his hand.
Dropping his hand back down, Darren can feel a tingle in the palm of his hand where Chris' just was. They stand there for a few seconds not knowing what to do; often they'll catch each other's gaze and let out a small laugh.
"Well, since you gave me shelter from the storm, how about you let me buy you lunch." Darren says after the rain has calmed down some, running his fingers through his wet hair.
"Did you just quote a line from a Bob Dylan song to me?" Chris smiles, raising an eyebrow in question.
"Well, now I'm definitely buying you lunch." Darren states, shoving his hands in his pockets to warm them. "Anybody who recognizes Dylan is awesome in my eyes. I'm not taking no for an answer."
Chris grins as he says, "Okay, lunch it is."
They step into the small cafe, sitting by the window as the rain continues to fall outside. Chris nervously chews on his bottom lip as he stares outside, while Darren tries, unsuccessfully, not to stare at him. He watches as he releases his bottom lip a bit redder and plumper than before
"So, you're American." Darren says, mentally smacking himself for stating something so obvious.
"Really, I always thought I was a Gemini." Chris just seriously stares at him for a few seconds before he lets out a laugh, making Darren laugh as well. "But, yes, I'm American."
"Where are you from?" Darren asks after their waiter leaves with their orders.
"Clovis, California. And you?"
"San Francisco. So, that practically makes us neighbors." Darren cheerfully says, taking a drink of his water.
"Yeah, I guess it does." Chris agrees, curving his lips up in a small smile. "So, this your first time to England?"
"Yeah," Darren nods his head. "First part of a three month trip. How about you?"
"Same. I've always wanted to come here, so it was now or never." Darren sees Chris' smile drop a little as he thinks of something and then return almost instantly. "I love it here so far."
"Me too, I've been here for about two days already and it's a great place."
As their food is placed down in front of them, they eat and continue to carry on a conversation. At one point, Darren can't help but to gaze at Chris' blue eyes as he talks about having trouble with the different terms here.
"Do I have something on my face?" He all of a sudden asks, bringing his hand up to touch around his mouth.
"No." Darren replies.
"Well, you keep staring and I just thought."
"No, it's just..." Darren can feel his cheeks getting warmer from blushing. "You have really gorgeous eyes."
"Oh," Chris smiles, averting Darren's gaze and looking at his uninteresting plate of food. "Thanks." He shyly whispers.
"I just made this moment uncomfortable, didn't I?"
"Wh-...No, it's fine." Chris hurriedly says, tripping over his words some, blushing to the tips of his ears. "It's just...I wasn't expecting you to say-" he stops talking and breathes for a second before saying, "I liked it."
"Oh...Okay." Darren deeply exhales, grinning at not making a fool of himself too much.
When Chris tries to pay for his half of lunch, Darren stops him from even trying. "Hey, I'm buying lunch, remember. It was the least I could do for you after protecting me from a cold."
"Are you sure, because I cou-"
"Yes, keep your money." Darren says, placing enough money on the table for the bill and a tip. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah," Chris says, standing up and grabbing his umbrella and walking with Darren to the door.
They stand outside waiting for a cab, the ground still wet from the rain, puddles forming on the street. Raindrops glisten in the sunlight from where they stick to windows and cars and leaves.
"Where are you staying?" Darren asks.
"Why?" Chris suspiciously asks, leaning back from him.
Darren sees that and begins to laugh, "No, that way whoever's closest to their hotel can take the first cab."
"Oh...Okay," Chris sighs out, chuckling. "I, um...at the" Chris tries to recall the name of the hotel and can't remember. "Dammit, I forget what it's called. Something to do with park."
"Hyde Park Hotel?"
"Yeah, that one." Chris exclaims.
"I'm staying there, too." Darren says right as a cab pulls up in front of them. "We can ride back together and split the cab fare. If you want." He reassures him.
"No, that's fine." Chris climbs into the car when Darren opens the door, saying a quick thanks to him.
Darren gets in after him and gives the destination to the driver.
Standing close together as they wait for the elevator, Darren watches as Chris rocks on his feet whistling a song. Stepping inside when the doors open, Chris hits his floor number and looks to him, asking, "What floor?"
"Oh," Darren looks at the keypad. "Same floor as you, I guess."
They are quiet the short ride up the floors, Darren looking to Chris and seeing him watch the red numbers change on the small screen.
Stepping off the elevator, Darren turns to Chris and once again is taken aback by how gorgeous he is. He isn't sure if he should hug him or what, and decides on holding out his hand. "It was very nice meeting you."
Chris shakes his hand and smiles, "It was nice to have met you, too."
Darren turns and takes a few steps before he hears Chris saying, "Really, that's it, a quick goodbye."
"Wh-what?" Darren asks when he looks at him, not completely understanding what Chris is saying but hoping he is trying to say what he's thinking.
"After all that flirting and staring, and you just walk away. You're not gonna even try to see me again."
Darren takes a few steps forward; amazed Chris was brave enough to say something. "I didn't think...I thought you wouldn't..."
"You shouldn't assume before asking." Chris smiles as he raises an eyebrow.
"Okay." Darren tells him, turning around and taking a few steps before turning back to look at Chris who is walking to his room. "Hey," he calls to him, seeing Chris look back to him. "How about same time tomorrow? Here?"
The smile that spreads across Chris' face is already an answer enough for Darren, but he breathes an air of relief when he says, "Tomorrow then."
Just like they planned, Chris and him meet in front of the elevator and decide on what they want to visit for the day. By the time they make it downstairs and outside, they are set on seeing The Tower of London.
"No umbrella today?" Darren asks as they climb into a cab.
"Unlike someone I know," Chris turns to him and raises an eyebrow and smiles at him, "I check the weather before leaving a place."
"So, I take it not to expect rain today?"
"No," Chris laughs. "No rain today."
They spend the day together visiting the Tower of London—Darren getting a stern look from a guard for trying to touch when he shouldn't, Chris laughing at him and saying he wouldn't bail him out of jail if he gets arrested. Lunch is spent at a local restaurant where Chris vehemently says that he will pay this time. After lunch they walk around the city just looking and taking in everything around them.
After those first two days, Chris and he spend every day together seeing all normal tourist attractions: Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and many other places. But they also manage to go spots they've personally wanted to visit for a long time, which includes Abbey Road for Darren (making sure to make Chris write something along with him on the wall with all the other messages) and Madame Tussauds for Chris (which included talking Darren out of pretending to be a wax figure and scaring people walking past, saying he didn't want to get kicked out.)
It's while they're together on the sixth day does Darren comes to the realization that he likes Chris just beyond the friend he has become. He isn't sure if he should ask him on a date, afraid that if he does and Chris says no it will be too weird for them to continue to hang out. So, when he decides it is better to be sorry than safe, Darren works up the courage to finally ask him after one of their days together.
Laughing as they walk to their rooms at the end of the day, Darren realizes it's now or never if he wants to ask Chris out on a date. Turning to him, he tries not to look nervous and plants a smile on his face. Opening his mouth, he asks in a rush, "Do you maybe want to go get dinner together tomorrow night?"
"We always get dinner together." Chris says, looking at him like he's forgotten they've been doing that for almost a week.
"No," Darren shakes his head and sighs, nerves taking him over and feeling his heart beat at a crazy pace. He didn't think he would have to describe just what kind of dinner he wanted with Chris. "I mean as in: I dress up and you dress up, I pick you up from your room and we have a candlelight dinner in a fancy restaurant." He sees as it takes a few seconds for what he said to register with Chris.
"As in a date?" Chris asks making sure it's what Darren is asking.
"As in a date." Darren repeats, smiling and nodding his head.
Chris smiles at him, Darren seeing a quick flash of doubt crossing his face before it disappears and he says, "I'd love that."
"Um...is seven good?"
"Yeah, that's great. See you at seven."
"Goodnight."
"Night."
Walking the few feet back to the door of his room, he unlocks his door and steps inside and grins. He falls on the bed and flails for a few minutes at getting a date with Chris—glad to actually have the nerve to ask him.
Knocking on Chris' door at precisely seven o'clock the next night, Darren shuffles his feet side-to-side anxiously waiting for Chris to answer. He's looking down at his outfit, wondering if he chose the right thing to wear when the door opens to reveal Chris in blue jeans hugging his legs just right in a way that Darren can't stop staring. His baby blue button down shirt fits perfectly on his chest—just enough to show off his slim figure.
"Ready?" Darren finally remembers to ask, thinking he looks like an idiot staring.
"Yeah, let me just grab my jacket."
When he turns around, it takes everything in Darren not to groan out loud at the sight of Chris' ass, having to bite down on his bottom lip to make sure.
"Let's go." Chris says as he pulls on his jacket and steps out into the hall, closing his door with a soft click.
The restaurant is small enough to be cozy. Even though they've been hanging out every day for the past seven days, whenever their eyes meet, they end up blushing and quickly looking away. Darren tries to rid himself of the nerves he has by drinking wine and not stare too much at Chris.
After the nerves die down and Darren has finished his first glass of wine, he feels a bit braver at striking up a conversation that seems to be harder to start now that he's on a date with Chris.
"So," he says, drawing out the 'o.' "You having a good time, yet?"
"You mean on the date I've been on for exactly…" Chris looks to his phone for the time, "twenty minutes?" He chuckles, taking a drink of his wine. "I think you're nervous." He points out.
"Is it that obvious?" Darren questions, playing with the silverware on the table, laughing when he sees Chris nod his head yes. "I don't know what to do. It's been too long since I've been on a date."
"Relax." Chris says, covering one of Darren's hands on the table and squeezing it. "Let's just talk about anything. I'll start the conversation by asking, what you did before taking this three month trip."
"Actually, I had just graduated college last month." Darren responds, stroking his thumb over Chris' hand still in his. It surprised him for a second how easily Chris grabbed his hand in his; how easy it is to hold Chris' hand that is warm and somehow comforting as he holds it. He doesn't look over how perfect their fingers link together as if pieces of a puzzle linking together. "How about you, do you, or did you, go to college?"
"Um…No." Chris answers, dropping his smile some.
"Why?"
"I had planned to attend college; had enough saved for a few years. Then something personal happened and it threw that option out the window. That incident is the reason I can afford this trip at all; finally putting my college money to use." Chris nervously chuckles at the end.
"What happened?" Darren asks concerned. "Can I ask what made that impossible?"
"I…I rather not discuss it."
"Okay," Darren says, squeezing his hand the slightest. "That's fine."
After that, the rest of the dinner is easy and comfortable for both of them. Time passes faster than both of them expected and sooner than Darren would like, they are leaving to head back to their hotel.
As they stand outside Chris' room, Darren is trying to get up the nerves to ask Chris out again. He watches as Chris opens his door and stands there, rocking back-and-forth on his feet.
"I had a great time, thank you, Darren." Chris tells him, fidgeting with the card in his hands.
"I had a great time, too."
Right when Chris turns around and begins to walk into his room, is when Darren finally asks him, "Do you want to do this again tomorrow?"
Chris turns around with a smile on his face and a bit of a blush to his cheeks. "I would love to."
"Okay. Same time?"
"Yeah."
He just stands there for a few seconds staring at Chris—who's nervously biting on his lower lip—wanting to kiss him, but choosing not to. Leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on Chris' cheek, Darren pulls back to smile at him, seeing the blush getting redder on his cheeks now.
"Goodnight, Chris."
"Goodnight, Darren."
Darren walks the few feet down the corridor, turns and waves to Chris before he sees him go into his room, closing his door with a soft click. Walking inside his own room, he throws his arms in the air in excitement and wonders if he'll never stop being happy at getting to go on dates with Chris.
On the walk to the restaurant, Darren's hand brushes Chris'—fingers brush together, and he feels a small spark shoot up his arm at the contact. He makes the decision to slip his hand into Chris', and links their fingers together, feeling Chris squeeze his hand. It's the easiest thing in the world, walking down the street with Chris' hand in his, and now that he knows the feeling, he never wants to let it go.
Standing on the corner of the street with Chris' hand in his and the street lights on and throwing shadows on the ground, he turns to look at him with a look of hope on his face.
"What?" Darren asks, squeezing Chris' hand in his.
"Will you kiss me?" He hears him whisper, seeing his cheeks begin to redden from blushing—something Darren loves seeing, and thrills at sometimes being the cause of.
Tracing the bottom of his lip with his thumb, and moving it up to run it back and forth over his cheek, feeling the warmth there from him blushing underneath his thumb, he smiles at him. "I would love to."
Right there in the street with the moon above them, he tilts Chris' head back some and leans forward and presses their mouths together in a simple kiss.
The kiss starts off slow and easy; mouths move together as if they've done this before with each other before now. He traces Chris' bottom lip with his tongue, slipping it inside when Chris parts his lips. Licking into his mouth, Darren moans at the taste of cinnamon on Chris' tongue. Slowly massaging their tongues together, a spark of pleasure goes down his spine when Chris moans into his mouth. Pulling back, he rests their foreheads together and smiles.
"Thank you." He whispers, cupping the side of Chris' face and placing a quick kiss to his reddened lips.
Chris smiles as he says, "I should say the same."
After that first kiss, they find themselves kissing all the time; which is how they come to be in Darren's hotel room a few days later kissing on the bed. They're both on their sides with one of Chris' legs draped over his hip as he kisses him. Darren runs his hand under Chris' shirt, feeling the shivers that run through his body. His skin is soft beneath his fingertips, and Darren wants so badly to know how it feels beneath his lips, but he knows it's too soon to do more than kiss. They kiss until they have to pull back and cool off.
"How about a movie date in my room?" Darren asks once he's caught his breath.
"Okay," Chris replies, sitting up and fixing his skewed shirt. "But I want to go change into my pajamas."
"I'll do the same, then."
Both of them sit back against the headboard as the opening credits start to play. Chris is resting his head on his shoulder, and has the fingers of his hand linked with his.
It takes exactly thirty minutes into the movie before Chris is straddling his lap kissing him breathless. They both kind of new the moment the movie started they wouldn't last long into it before they ended up where they are; the only thing that surprised them was how long they lasted before ignoring the movie in favor of each other.
"Su-surprised we made it thirty minutes into the movie." Darren says against Chris' lips.
"Should have done this ten minutes in." Chris says as he kisses along his jaw. "Sorry, but that movie is terrible."
"I co-couldn't," Darren moans as Chris begins to kiss at his neck, "agree more." He threads his fingers through soft hair and grasps it as Chris begins to suck and nip at the skin where he was just kissing, doing his best to leave a noticeable mark.
Pulling him back, Darren crashes their mouths together and rolls them over. As he kisses lips already red and plump, Darren skims his fingers over the sliver of skin exposed on Chris' stomach from where his shirt has ridden up. Chris gasps into his mouth when he does that, shivering when he does it again, pulling back and trying to move out from under Darren. "Should I stop?" Darren anxiously asks.
"Ye-yeah...It's just that…" Chris begins to blush, biting his bottom lip. "That felt too good."
Darren doesn't need to ask to know what Chris is talking about. So the decide to stick to kissing for the time being.
Somehow they end up kissing until they both fall asleep; the credits roll on the screen as they sleep curled around each other.
When he blinks his eyes open, it's to Chris curled into his side with one of his arms thrown over his abdomen, and their legs tangled. He's breathing loud enough for it to be a calming sound that almost has him falling back asleep.
It's only when Darren shifts does he feel how hard he is in his pants. Gracefully trying to get out of bed—and failing—Darren manages to wake Chris up, and immediately grabs a pillow to cover his problem.
"Shit!" Darren says under his breath as Chris' eyes slowly open. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
"Dare," Chris groggily says, and that nickname shouldn't do things to him when Chris says it, but it does, and it only makes matters worse. "What's wrong?"
"I, uh...was hav-woke up-" Darren mumbles as he tries to explain why he's acting like a crazy person. "I really enjoyed sleeping next to you." He chooses to say, looking down to the pillow for emphasis on what he's trying to tell Chris.
He sees as Chris realizes what he told him and laughs.
"Hey, it's not funny." Darren tries to say with a stern voice, but ends up laughing along with Chris.
"Yes, it is, because, you look so scared, as if I will get mad." Chris laughs, finally rolling over and sitting up, pulling his knees to his chest. "Besides, if it makes you feel any better, I really enjoyed sleeping next to you, too." He says, putting extra emphasis on the 'really.'
After he says it, Darren's vision goes to Chris' legs pulled up to cover his crotch, and feels a bit better at the situation.
"Um...I'm going to go take a cold shower now."
"Yeah, me too." Chris giggles as he watches Darren walk to the bathroom still holding the pillow in front of him.
When Darren goes back out into his room, he finds a note from Chris saying to meet him in the lobby at two.
In the lobby Darren kisses Chris before they walk out to catch a cab.
"Where are we going?"
"Anywhere we want to."
It's the their last Saturday in London, so Chris and him decided to visit the Berwick Street Market and walk around for a bit.
The hustle and bustle of all the people working and walking around the market is a different kind of energy from all the tourist attractions they've visited together. The stands set up of people selling all kinds of produce is exactly what they needed to get away from all the normal things
Walking up to one of the stands selling an assortment of vegetables, Darren tries one of the cherry tomatoes before purchasing a basket and popping a few more in his mouth. At another stand he stares as Chris takes a bite out of the strawberry he holds between his fingers, moaning softly as the sweet fruit hits his tongue and making Darren bite his lower lip at the sound.
Grinning at Darren, he tells him, "We need to buy some of those, too."
All Darren can do is nod his head yes, afraid he might make a fool of himself if he attempts to say anything.
A bag of different fruits and vegetables with them, they sit at a small table and enjoy their purchases.
"This stuff is delicious." Darren says as he bites into one of the few strawberries remaining.
"Yeah, it is." Chris responds chewing the last of the tomato he is eating.
They end up sitting at that small table for the next two hours just talking and watching the surrounding people as they go about visiting the farmer's market. By the time they leave, the sky is starting to turn from shades of oranges to deep blue.
On Tuesday, they decide to ride The London Eye after Chris mentioned it was one of the things he absolutely had to ride it. But, instead of riding it during the day, they decide to wait till night when the city and wheel is alight with life and movement below them.
Looking out at the view below them, Darren wraps his arms around Chris and smiles at being here. He squeezes Chris' hand in his, and kisses behind his ear, hearing Chris sigh softly at the feeling. "Enjoying this?" He whispers into his ear.
"Very much." Chris softly says back, laying his head back on his shoulder and smiling up at him.
They're oblivious to the people around them as they stand in the capsule as it takes its thirty minutes to do a full rotation. By the time it finishes, they decide on going to grab something to eat.
"So, where're you going next?" Chris asks, swirling the glass of champagne in front of him and tensing some.
It's the first time in the two weeks they've known each other that the thought of what happens next between them is brought up. The answer to the question holds the chance of maybe continuing on this trip together, and it terrifies Darren some at the thought of this being the end with Chris.
"Italy." Darren tells him, seeing Chris relax at his answer, as if it was the right one.
"Me too."
"Really, that means we can go on dates there, too." Darren excitedly says, only realizing after he's said it that maybe Chris doesn't want to continue whatever it is that's happening between them. "If-if that's something you would want."
"I want," Chris smiles at him.
"Good...Great!" He huffs out at the thought of still being able to see Chris.
"When do you leave?"
"In two days. You?"
"Friday, but I could change that if presented with the chance."
"Oh...since you won't get there for a while, we can meet each other there if you want."
"Okay," Chris sighs, dropping his shoulders, and falling back against the chair like a child angry at not getting what they wanted.
The rest of the date is spent planning out places they want to see in Italy together, Chris sometimes half-heartedly adding his own input into things. If he thinks something is wrong, Darren brushes it off and goes about enjoying the date.
Walking Chris back to his room, Darren brushes his thumb back and forth over Chris' hand in his and thinks about spending time in Italy together.
When Chris leans forward and barely places a kiss on his lips is when Darren immediately knows something is wrong. But, before he can ask, Chris is telling him goodnight and closing his door.
The whole night he tries to think what it was that upset Chris earlier, finally falling asleep at three in the morning.
While brushing his teeth the next morning, he replays their conversation at the beginning of their date and mentally smacks himself for not realizing what Chris was implying. Quickly rinsing his mouth and pulling on a shirt and jeans, he walks Chris' room.
He knocks on Chris' door, waiting for him to answer, thinking how stupid he was, and not realizing what was practically written out for him.
"Screw meeting up there; do you want to take the plane together?" He quickly says as soon as Chris opens the door.
For a few seconds after he asks, he stands there waiting for Chris' answer, hoping he's wasn't wrong in thinking this is what Chris wanted. But before he can start doubting himself, Chris throws himself into his arms and crashes their mouths together in a kiss that leaves them both gasping for breath.
"I'll take that as a yes." Darren says once he can breathe properly again
"Yes," Chris buries his face in his neck and smiles, pressing his lips to his now heated skin. "Glad you finally understood what I wanted."
"I feel like an idiot for not realizing earlier."
"It's okay," Chris looks him in his eyes; Darren staring into his colorful ones as well. "I still like you."
By the next day both of their bags are packed and they board the plane to Italy together, ready for whatever the country brings them.