The next week flew by in a blur. Darren devoted every spare moment that he wasn't teaching to making sure that the benefit was a success. There was so much to do and so little time to do it. Thankfully, it was a team effort and many people pitched in. One of his students' parent offered to make new t-shirts for the choir, another printed the programs for free at his office, and many parents purchased extra tickets to sell to their friends and coworkers. Together, Chris and Darren determined that they needed to sell 167 tickets to raise enough money to keep the choir operational. They'd done everything they could to make the concert a success, now all they could do was wait and hope.
Even in all the excitement and chaos, Chris found plenty of excuses to spend time with Darren. They'd had a "working lunch" intended to discuss marketing efforts, though they spent half of it giggling and bantering back and forth instead. One night when they were both working late, Darren had surprised him by ordering Thai food and hosting an impromptu picnic on the floor of the choir room. By the end of the night, Chris' cheeks hurt from smiling so much and he honestly couldn't remember a time he'd felt so alive. His previous relationships had often been defined by doubts and fears, but with Darren, all those anxieties seemed to melt away. Even when Chris knew how much he stood to lose professionally if he were caught engaging in a relationship with a supervisee, he found himself thinking (fantasizing, really) about a future with Darren. The revelation that losing his job didn't frighten him as much as losing Darren shocked Chris to his core, but it also made things so simple.
Chris dressed with great care the night of the benefit, wanting to look his best for Darren. He arrived an hour early, just in time to catch the end of the choir's final run-through. Darren looked incredibly handsome standing up on that stage in a suit and tie, and that's when Chris just knew. Darren was worth it to him, no matter what the cost. He'd fight for this relationship, even if it meant sacrifices. He just hoped that Darren would feel the same.
Chris took some time to handle his work duties, checking in with everyone who was working at the event. He took his time to make sure everything was running smoothly (it was) and saved backstage for last. He knew Darren would be there rehearsing with the kids, and he found himself suddenly nervous to see him, as if Darren would somehow take one look at his face and somehow just know that Chris wanted a relationship with him.
He decided to stop by the ticket booth one last time before going to see Darren. Even as he walked through the auditorium, he could tell that the news was good, seeing how over half the seats were filled when there were still thirty minutes until curtain call.
"How are we doing?" Chris asked the three mothers selling tickets for the event.
"I'm pretty sure we're going to sell out!" Mrs. Jacobson exclaimed. "We're down to only fifty tickets."
"Each or only fifty total left?"
"Fifty total," Jaime's mom clarified. "We've sold two hundred between the presales and tickets sold at the door so far."
"That's amazing," Chris gushed, heart practically leaping out of his chest. They'd done it - Darren had done it.
"Is it enough?" Mrs. Grayson asked. "Will they be able to keep the choir going? Brianne will just be devastated if they have to cancel it…"
"It's more than enough," Chris beamed with pride. "I'm going to let the kids know. Keep up the great work!"
Chris hurried backstage as quickly as possible. The kids were sitting in a circle in one of the wings backstage, chattering quietly, with Darren nowhere to be found.
"Hey guys," he said, approaching the choir. "Before you go out there, I just wanted to say good luck and break a leg out there tonight."
"Thanks Mr. Chris," several kids replied in unison.
"Does anyone happen to know where Mr. C is?" he asked.
"He's on the other side of the stage talking to Brianne," David answered.
"Great, thanks." Chris waved as he went off in search of Darren.
He made his way to the left wing of the stage, struggling to see in the dim light. He heard Darren before he could see him, speaking in a low soothing voice. Chris hung back in the folds of the curtain, not wanting to interrupt what was clearly a private moment. While he waited, he nervously fingered the small gift box and card in his pocket. Chris had never been one for big romantic gestures, but he desperately wanted this to work. He just hoped that it would be enough, that he would be enough for Darren.
Darren was on his knees to be at eye level with a student, stroking her arm comfortingly while he spoke. The young girl was red-eyed and her lip was trembling as she fought not to cry.
"Don't be nervous, Bri. You are going to knock it out of the park, okay? Just like you always do," Darren encouraged.
"But what - if I - mess it up," she managed, breath hitching. "If I do a bad - job then they - might cancel the - choir and it'll - be all my fault."
"Hey, hey no, look at me, Bri. That's not going to happen, okay? I promise. You are going to be perfect, but even if you make a mistake, that's not going to change what happens to the choir," Darren reassured.
"You swear?" she sniffled.
"Pinky swear," Darren replied, holding out his hand to Brianne.
Chris decided there was no time like the present to give Darren the good news, especially when he knew it would help give Brianne and all the students the confidence they needed to do their best. He made his way over to Darren, a bright smile on his face. "Hey guys, I didn't want to interrupt, but I've got some great news."
"Really?" Darren asked, eyes wide and hopeful. "Do tell."
"Well, I just checked in with the box office and we've already sold two hundred tickets!"
Darren's jaw dropped, momentarily speechless. "Seriously? We did it?"
Chris nodded, eyes bright. "We did it. You did it." Before he had time to react, Darren flung himself into his arms.
Darren nuzzled his face into Chris' neck. "No, we did it," he whispered. Chris just squeezed him tighter, heart racing at the word 'we' and the things he hoped it implied.
They pulled apart at last, both giddy. Darren sobered slightly as he looked down at Brianne, suddenly remembering they had an audience.
"I - I have something for you," Chris forced himself to say, before he could lose his nerve.
"Yeah?" Darren looked intrigued. "Hey Bri, do you want to be the one to go tell the rest of the choir our good news?" he asked, wanting a moment alone with Chris.
"Can I?" she said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "What do I say?"
"Just tell them that we sold enough tickets to save the choir," Darren directed. "And then tell everyone that they should start warming up because we go on stage in," he paused to look down at his watch, "about 15 minutes."
Brianne went flying off to the other side of stage without another word, leaving the two of them blessedly alone. "I still can't believe this…" Darren said, awed.
"Well, you better start believing. You're amazing, Darren. You can do anything you set your mind to." Darren and Chris were both startled by the sounds of loud whoops and cheers coming from the other side of the stage. "I guess they're pretty pumped too," Darren chuckled.
"They should be. They earned it." Chris took a deep breath and pulled the gift box and card from his pocket, knowing it was now or never. "So I got something for you…"
"Chris, you didn't need to do that."
"I wanted to. It's nothing big, just a little good luck token," he said, handing the box to Darren. "Open that first, then the card."
"Isn't that backwards from how it's usually done?" Darren teased as he worked the ribbon holding the box together loose.
"You know me - ever the innovator," Chris giggled.
The ribbon slid free of the box and Darren eased it open. He let out a quiet gasp as he saw the small platinum pin nestled in cotton inside. It was shaped like a treble clef and studded with tiny gemstones in blue and red, the school colors. "Chris, it's beautiful," Darren spoke in a hushed whisper.
"Do you like it?" Chris couldn't help but ask. "I thought it might be nice to have a good luck charm to take with you on stage, not that you guys are really going to need one.
"No, I love it. Seriously Chris, it's perfect." He carefully removed it from the box, looking down at his suit lapel and trying to decide where to place it.
"Here, let me," Chris offered, taking the pin from his hand. He carefully removed the backing from the pin and placed it just over Darren's heart. Once he was sure it was in the right spot, he replaced the backing, making sure it was secure. Chris straightened Darren's tie and smoothed down Darren's lapels, reveling at the feel of Darren's warmth and solidity beneath his hands. He took a step back and admired him for a second before nodding, finally satisfied. "There, perfect."
Darren smiled shyly at Chris. "And now the card?" he asked.
"Yeah, open it," Chris breathed, more nervous about how Darren would respond to it than he did to the gift.
Darren tore open the envelope eagerly, finding a card and folded piece of paper inside. Chris directed him to look at the card first.
"Dear Darren," he began to read aloud. "I want to give you my sincerest gratitude for working as hard as you have for not only your students, but this whole school as well. You are a model of what I want all the teachers here to strive for: loyal, hard-working, tenacious, fearless, and innovative. I've treasured the time we spent working together, as it has been the highlight of my time at P.S. 21 and one of the best experiences I've had at any school so far. You've been an inspiration, not just to your students, but to me as well. You've showed me that there are some things worth fighting for, no matter what the cost. I've included something in this card to show you just how much you've inspired me. I hope that this will just be the first of many steps towards going after my dreams, and I have you to thank for that." Darren looked up at Chris, eyes shining as he read the signature. "Love, Chris," he finished at last, eyes wide.
"Okay, open the piece of paper now," Chris encouraged.
Darren took a deep shuddering breath as he carefully unfolded the paper. Chris noticed his hands were shaking as he did so. "Dear Mr. Colfer, thank you for your submission of the manuscript titled 'The Land of Stories.' Little, Brown Young Reader prides itself on discovering new and emerging talent. However, due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we are not able to provide individual feedback and critiques. We will notify you in the next four to six weeks if we choose to share your manuscript with the senior editors for further review."
"That's your book? The Land of Stories?" Darren gasped.
"Yeah," Chris nodded, heart pounding.
"Chris, that's amazing!" Darren gushed. "I'm so proud of you." He reached out, pulling Chris in for a tight hug.
Neither seemed to want to part, and they stood for a long moment, simply gazing at each other. Every fiber in Chris' brain was screaming to kiss Darren, but he still wasn't sure if he could, if Darren felt the same way. Then Chris tracked Darren's gaze as it fell to his lips and he nodded, almost imperceptibly. Before he could register what was happening, Darren tugged him in for a long lingering kiss. Chris melted into it, running his fingers through Darren's curls and holding on for dear life. They broke away at last, both blushing and giddy.
"I'm sorry," Darren stammered. "I just really wanted to kiss you and I wasn't sure if you - if we should or-"
"Shh, Darren," Chris interrupted. "It's okay. I wanted that as much as you did…"
"You did?" Darren managed, his eyes wide.
"Of course I did," Chris soothed, reaching out to stroke Darren's cheek for a second. "There are rules, obviously, since I'm your supervisor. But you earned this money all on your own, so there's no conflict of interest there, and I'll be moving onto a new school soon enough. Plus, I just couldn't wait any longer…"
Darren's eyes went dark and he tugged Chris to him possessively for a kiss that was even more assured and fiery. Chris felt his knees almost give out and he reluctantly pulled away, gulping oxygen. "I could do this all night," he murmured, voice low, "but unfortunately you've got a show to do."
"I know, I know," Darren sighed. "Rain check?"
"It's a date," Chris smiled. "Good luck," he said, pressing a kiss to Darren's forehead, before turning to leave.
"Wait hang on," Darren said, grabbing Chris' hand. "Let me…" he continued, straightening Chris' tie. "You're kinda a mess now."
"And whose fault is that?" Chris giggled, allowing Darren to fix his shirt and coat before turning to him to do the same. "There, all better," he said at last, smoothing down Darren's hair.
"Okay, break a leg," Chris said, squeezing his hand before hurrying out front to prepare for the beginning of the show.
Chris joined the audience in rapturous applause as the final notes of "Tightrope" died down. The audience continued to cheer as Darren gestured to the members of Walk the Moon, who took a bow. There was quiet for a moment as the band members left the stage and Chris glanced down at the program in his lap. According to it, all that was left were the dedications and final song." Chris breathed a great sigh of relief, marveling at how smoothly the whole night had gone. The children had been amazing as had the special guests. The sold-out audience had eaten it up and Chris could already tell that Darren had hit on something special. He could imagine many similar concerts in the P.S. 21 choir's future and he doubted that Darren's choir would ever be on the brink of financial ruin again.
Chris looked back to the stage, heart swelling with pride at how handsome and comfortable Darren looked up there. It still hadn't sunk in that Darren was his, that someone so amazing and talented had chosen to share his life with Chris.
Darren turned from the music stand to face the audience, holding a microphone. "I just wanted to take a moment to say one final thank you to all our special guests tonight. Let's give one final round of applause to Freelance Whales, Theo Katzman, Charlene Kaye, and Walk the Moon. Weren't they amazing?" he asked the crowd, who cheered and clapped harder in response.
"The kids and I also wanted to give our sincere gratitude to all of you in the audience for coming out tonight. You can probably tell that we have a sold out show, which means you've helped us raise enough money to keep our choir going for the next few months!" Darren announced. "So you deserve a round of applause as well," Darren said as his students begin to clap and cheer.
"And finally, if you look at your program, you'll notice that we've only got one last song for you tonight. We wanted to dedicate this song to a very special person out in the audience without which tonight would not be possible." In the audience, Chris froze, unsure.
Darren smiled, looking out into the audience until his eyes found Chris. "So tonight's song is dedicated to Chris Colfer, the budgeting specialist who agreed to let us give this unconventional fundraising strategy a try. Chris, stand up," he urged.
Chris slowly rose to his feet, cheeks flaming, the crowd's roaring applause echoing all around him. He managed a quick wave and a nervous smile before sitting back down again on wobbly legs.
"So tonight's final song is dedicated to Chris, for standing by this choir when no one else would. Chris, it's because of you that these kids and I get to continue to do what we love, which is make music. So we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. This one's for you." Darren turned to face the choir, signaling the pianist who began to play the opening notes of a familiar song.
Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Don't be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
'Cause I've seen the dark side too
A lump caught in Chris' throat as he realized what song they were singing. He looked at the children up on the stage, singing their hearts out. He watched Darren conducting the choir, throwing his whole body into the music, feeling so incredibly grateful for Darren and what they'd found together.
When the night falls on you
You don't know what to do
Nothin' you confess, could make me love you less
I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you
Won't let nobody hurt you
I'll stand by you
Chris sat in rapt silence for the rest of the song, scarcely noticing the tears that rolled down his cheeks, utterly swept away by the performance. It was personal, knowing that the song was dedicated to him, and he was savoring each word. But it was the final lyrics that meant the most to him.
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And I'll never desert you
I'll stand by you
It was a promise that Darren intended to keep.
Notes: So that's all she wrote, at least for now. I've spent months working on this fic and it would make my week if you'd take a moment to leave a comment and let me know what you think. I've really enjoyed this particular AU and I'm strongly considering making it a 'verse. If you are interested in reading more, feel free to drop a prompt in my ask: ask Thanks for reading!