The sound of the door slamming echoed around the apartment, vibrating deep within Darren's chest. He put his head in his hands as his world came tumbling down. Magic to disaster in a matter of seconds, how had that even happened? He felt too numb to cry, but he could honestly say he'd never felt so miserable in his whole life.

Somehow Darren knew he had to fix this. His and Chris' friendship had been something special from the beginning. They'd just hit it off straight away, and they seemed to have a special bond that he'd never tried to explain to anyone because he barely could explain it to himself. It had only been quite recently that Darren had woken up to the fact that the reason his and Chris' friendship felt different than other friendships was because there was more there than them just being friends. Darren couldn't necessarily pinpoint the extent of his feelings for Chris, but he knew he couldn't live without him in his life. He was already scared for the day Glee might be over for one or both of them. It was bad enough now they weren't having so many scenes together. The sensible thing for Darren to have done would have been to 'talk' to Chris about his feelings. Heavens, they talked about absolutely anything and everything - that's part of what made their friendship special. Sure they bickered from time to time, but they actually if the truth be told, quite enjoyed that side of their relationship too.

Darren glanced out of the high rise window from where he was sitting on the couch. The snow was picking up into quite a storm outside almost mirroring the turmoil he was feeling inside. He had an idea that Chris wouldn't be going anywhere tomorrow with snow this heavy, but in a way that might be a good thing - give them both a chance to work through this. Although Darren was slightly filled with dread at the task ahead if him, he knew he had to man up, grow up and take responsibility for his actions, whatever the consequences.

Darren wasn't sure he was going to sleep much that night. He was wracked with guilt at how close to tears Chris had been, and all because of him. Chris rarely cried about anything, and Darren knew it was only because he let his walls down around Darren that he'd let himself be that vulnerable. Sometimes it was hard to remember just how young Chris actually was. He always gave off the air and confidence of someone older, especially around people he wasn't that close to. Darren felt as though he'd been trusted with the real Chris and had somehow broken that trust.

Much as part of him wished he could just go to Chris' room and sort everything out now rather than delaying the inevitable, Darren knew they should both wait until morning, when they'd had a chance to sleep on it. Although Darren did wonder if either of them would actually sleep. however a few hours to put everything into perspective wouldn't do any harm.

As soon as he slammed the bedroom door behind him Chris regretted it. Despite his current state of hysteria he knew he had behaved childishly and he liked to think that wasn't usually his style. Ok, Darren had seen a side to him his armour didn't let others see, but that's because of the strength of their friendship. The friendship Chris had been fighting not to lose these last days.

After Chris had flung himself on the bed and pressed his leaking eyes into one of his pillows, his rage had already begun to subside. MASTER OF THE OVERREACTION. 'Just grow up,' Chris said to himself still in the same position in the pillow, 'it was only a kiss.' A good kiss. A great kiss. But still only a kiss. This was Darren. Thoughtful, kind and gentle Darren who wouldn't purposely hurt anyone. Worst case scenario - maybe it was just a heat of the moment thing. As things stood he hadn't given Darren a chance to say anything.

Chris sat up on his bed feeling thoroughly miserable. He felt guilty for storming off and leaving Darren before he'd had a chance to say anything. How must he be feeling now? To cap it all, he'd said he was going home tomorrow. Really not what he wanted to do.

Chris listened carefully. He couldn't hear a single sound from outside his room. He wondered if Darren was okay. It seemed unlikely Darren would have just shrugged the whole thing off and gone to bed for a good night's sleep. Chris badly needed to phone someone for some friendly advice. Who? His mom? Maybe not the best person in the circumstances. He thought about Ashley, but really she was friends with both of them and would she really understand how he was feeling? He knew deep down that the person he'd grown to rely on for advice was Darren. He could hardly phone him about this one!

Part of Chris wanted to go back out and see Darren right now. Just throw himself into Darren's arms like he'd always wanted to do. But how could he? He didn't honestly know how he was going to face him whether it was sooner or later. People did silly things all the time without storming off like a child. Drunken kisses at parties, saying things they regretted. Even at Glee parties things had happened which nobody breathed a word about the next day. Everyone else could simply laugh inappropriate things off and just carry on as normal.

Chris reasoned that now it was almost 3 o'clock in the morning, a few more hours wouldn't make much difference. He could wait for a more reasonable hour, go and search out Darren and between them they could sort this out. Sort out the 'kiss'. God despite everything, the memory of the kiss still made his stomach swoop. He would never be able to sleep, but he could wait until morning, I mean even if Darren had meant to kiss him he'd probably have changed his mind after Chris' childish display anyway.

Despite thinking he'd not get any sleep, Chris awoke to daylight pouring into his bedroom. As he slowly cracked his eyes open he saw to his surprise Darren perched on the side of the bed, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. Darren smiled shyly at him, "I've made you a coffee." He paused. "Peace offering?"

Chris manoeuvred himself to sit up. "Yes coffee, thanks. What time is it?"

"Oh really quite early. I couldn't sleep," said Darren looking down at his hands with a sigh as Chris took a big gulp of the coffee Darren had given him.

"Darren - I'm really so sorry about last night," Chris began, putting his mug on the bedside table. He rubbed his hands over his face. "I just.. I don't know.. I just know you'd never do anything to hurt me. I don't know what came over me. I'm really embarrassed at how I behaved."

Darren looked quite shocked as Chris dared to steal a glance up at him. He wasn't expecting Chris to be apologising to HIM. "Chris," Darren sighed softly, "really you've nothing to be sorry for. It's me who should be saying sorry. Everything you said last night was completely true." He clasped Chris' right hand in both his hands for a moment. He hesitated slightly. "I've been so scared you wouldn't even want to talk to me."

"I've been awake most of the night worrying about the same thing. Thinking you wouldn't want to speak to me either," Chris huffed. "We're both being silly."

"We are," Darren smiled nervously. "But we do need to talk though, when you feel ready."

"Oh, yeah.. Can we just do it now. Go and bring yourself a coffee in here. I don't want to wait unless you do."

Darren stood up. "Let's do it now." He stopped half way to the door and turned back round to Chris. "Oh I don't know if you've looked outside, but I'm afraid you won't be able to go home to your parents today, there's been so much snow overnight. I'm sorry Chris."

Chris looked at him and shrugged. "I don't want to go home anyway. I don't even know why I said it."

Darren smiled tentatively, to himself mainly, as he left the room to get his coffee. Perhaps things would work out.

(Thanks for reading)

(also under 'morethanwords' on 'scarves & coffee' and 'it-could-happen'