Turn The Lights Down Low 5/7 [RPF]
Author: Odd
Title: Turn The Lights Down Low 5/7 [RPF]
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 2,580
Spoilers: You can not spoil what was never real.
Summary: For this prompt on the kink meme. "Chris was fine with Kurt getting his first kiss with a boy before he did, and he was fine with Kurt getting a boyfriend before he did. But when he reads the script for the senior prom episode (a.k.a. the one where Kurt and pretty much all of ND book hotel rooms and go all the way), he decides that he's had enough of being jealous that his on-screen alter ego is getting all the action.
After a long and thorough process of deciding who the lucky recipient of his V-card is going to be (seriously, he made flowcharts), he decides on Darren, who -- after being reassured that Chris hasn't fallen madly in love with him, he just wants Darren to fuck him in the ass -- Darren happily obliges. Hot first-time sex ensues.
Notes: After two months, it's finally done. Big, big thanks to (in no order in particular) Birdie, Aubrey, Lucie, Ae, Rosa, Ellen, Bea, Ashley, Christine, and Laura. Whether it was letting me run down the entire story in "and then, and then, and then..." fashion so I could figure out what the hell I was doing, ripping it apart line-by-line to make something suck less, going over the whole damn thing with a fine-tooth comb to help give the illusion that I had the slightest grasp on proper punctuation and grammar, or just letting me cry over instant messages about how frustrated I was, I couldn't have done it without you.
"This is insane," Chris says on his birthday two nights later when Ashley drags him towards a suite after their show. "Why did you get us a suite? Wouldn't one of our rooms been just as good?"
"This way," Ashley grins, "we won't have the man breathing down our necks if we break into the minibar. My original plan was for us to elope, what with being in Vegas and all. This could have been our honeymoon suite, but you refused my proposal, so I figured I'd just use it to throw you a kickass birthday party."
"Don't pout," Chris tells her. "You know I'm already married to Kathy Griffin."
"Yeah," Ashley bites back. "And you married Kristin Chenoweth before her. I thought if you married me, too, we could get our own reality show. You know, like 'Big Love' gone Hollywood, but with hotter people. Come on, we don't want to be in the hall when the strippers show up. It'll ruin half the fun."
"You know I'm not into strippers, Ashley."
"Oh, I know," she says, sliding her keycard into the lock and turning the handle. "That's why I got them for me."
---
The minute he steps foot into the room, Chris finds himself on edge. It's not really that similar to the bungalow Darren had taken him to, but anything more than a standard guest room is enough to make him grit his teeth. "So, when are the others getting here?" he asks, just in time for the banging on the door to start.
"Ask, and ye shall be served," Ashley says, bouncing to the door in order to let everyone in.
They all look so happy that for a moment, Chris actually thinks this might end up being a pretty good night. That is, of course, until he spots Darren. "What's he doing here?" Chris hisses once Ashley gets close enough to hear.
"I didn’t invite him," she says behind a fake smile full of teeth. "One of the others must have assumed he was and brought him along. This is not my fault, please don’t take my cuddle privileges."
Chris doesn't answer, but he does take pains to stay as far from Darren as he can throughout the rest of the night. There are times when it looks like Darren's trying to get closer, but Ashley does a good job of fitting herself between them so that Chris won't have to talk to him. Eventually, the food and drinks arrive, and it's not long before everyone's out to get the birthday boy wasted.
"I think," Lea shouts from where she's standing on top of the blue sectional in the corner, her head perfectly level with the knees of the men in the large print hanging above, "that a game of 'Never Have I Ever' is in order! Come on, who's with me?"
The cheers of agreement drown out Chris's protests, and that's how he finds himself sandwiched between her and Ashley as everyone takes their turn.
"Never have I ever," Lea calls out in a sing-song voice, "won a Golden freaking Globe for my first professional role."
"You're kidding, right?" Chris asks her, even though the look in her eyes assures him she is not. "Fine," he mutters, and takes a sip of his margarita. "Very funny."
"Thank you," she preens. "I thought so."
The game continues along the same lines for quite a while. One of Chris's friends laughs and completes the sentence in a way that's guaranteed to get him to drink.
"Never have I ever…"
"…considered Sea Monkeys a fashion accessory."
"…lived in Clovis."
"…eaten in my sleep."
"…been one of Time Magazine's most influential people."
"…been named After Elton's Hottest Bachelor Under Twenty-Five." ("What?" Mark asks when everyone looks at him. "I don't live under a rock, man.")
It's not until they get to Naya that someone fails in their attempt.
"You know I love you, Chris, but I gotta' use this. Never have I ever," she grins, "been a twenty-two year old virgin."
When Chris doesn't drink, the entire room goes silent.
"Details!" Lea shrieks, grabbing onto him and practically climbing into his lap. "When did this happen? Who was he? Was he cute? Oh my god, why have you not told me about this????"
"It's nothing," Chris says, trying to brush it off. "He was just a guy. It wasn't that long ago. It happened. No big deal." More questions come at him, but he makes it clear he's not saying anything more. Naya mouths an apology at him from the other side of their circle, and he shakes his head as if to tell her not to worry.
"My turn," Harry says, apparently trying to deflect the attention from Chris. "Never have I ever slept with a co-worker."
Almost everyone drinks, but when Chris avoids even looking at his glass, Darren tilts his head and gives him a pointed look. "I think the birthday boy is holding out on us."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Chris huffs.
"Oh, I think you do," Darren says.
"Snap, snap," Ashley says, doing her best to sound bored. "Technically, we all have. I mean, most of us have had to share a bed with someone else during at least one stop, right? Sleeping and sex totally aren't the same thing. Drink up, Boo," she commands, nudging his arm with her elbow. "You know you fall asleep every time I make you watch a Real Housewives marathon with me."
"O-kay," Samuel laughs, clearly amused at her reasoning. "How's this? Never have I ever regretted someone I've had sex with."
Chris flashes Darren a quick look, then takes a long drink when he sees Darren do the same.
Lea looks at him sadly as she drapes an arm around his shoulders and pulls him close. "I'm sorry," she whispers into his ear. "You don't have to tell me more about it if you don't want."
"Never have I ever," Jenna says, "regretted taking someone's virginity."
Chris and Ashley both do their best not to stare as Darren takes a sip, but it's too much for Chris to take, and he pushes Lea off before coming to his feet. "Thanks, everyone, but I think I'm getting kind of tired. Keep doing…whatever you're doing," he says, "but I think I'm going to go into the bedroom and try to get some sleep."
"Right behind you, Boo," Ashley says, running behind him and turning to face the crowd while making slashing motions at her throat. Not that anyone needed them to know the party was over. For all that most of them didn't know, that was one thing that they did.
---
The rest of the tour is a lesson in misery. Every night, he mentally checks off another show and counts the days until the final show on June twenty-second. When the tour dates had first been finalized - long before everything with Darren took place - Chris had been disappointed that they weren't returning to the UK. Now, he's just relieved. Thank god for Lea and movie shoots that couldn't be rescheduled.
Night after night, the kiss becomes harder to stomach. Some nights, Chris barely manages to suppress the urge to vomit. He's not sure what's worse; that everyone's picked up on the fact that he and Darren aren't talking, or the fact that they're still stuck on the same bus. Logically, the first should have led to a change in the second, but Chris's life, apparently, was not meant for logic.
When the twenty-second finally arrives, all hell breaks loose. Everyone is exhausted, and they're pulling out all the stops to get excited. Most of them have been drinking since noon, and Chris is fairly certain he can no longer feel all of his limbs. It's a nice change, feeling less than usual.
He's stretched out on a bench backstage when Dianna flops onto the floor next to him and rests her head against his leg. "Oh, Scarecrow," she mutters, clutching a book to her chest. "I think I'll miss you most of all."
"Oh my god," Chris mutters, looking down at her. "How much have you had to drink?"
"Not much," she giggles. "Not that much, at all."
Chris raises his eyebrows at her, tempted to bring up the rumors that have circulated for over a year. 'Probably not the time or place,' he thinks to himself, then tousles her hair. "What are you reading?" he asks, gesturing to the book in hand.
"I'm not," she laughs, handing it over.
A cold feeling falls over Chris as he sees the familiar Gideon stamp in the corner. He doesn't have to open it to know where it came from. "I thought you were Jewish," he says casually, handing it back before he gives in to the urge to open it up and see what’s written inside.
"Darren gave it to me," she says, smiling as she flips it open and runs a finger along the inside cover. “'Dianna, you're a little lamb. You're filled with such a glow. No matter where life finds you now, I will be sure to go.' Isn't that sweet?" she asked, slamming it shut.
"Yeah," Chris says, doing his best to remain calm. Doing his best not to think of the almost identical bible he has back at his house. Same color, same stamping, same everything - except for the inscription. 'I will always remember tonight,' it says, in Darren's familiar handwriting. At the time Chris had found it in his overnight bag, he'd thought it was a sweet memento. Seeing Dianna's, all he feels is sick. "Sweet."
Just in time, Ashley turns the corner. "S'wrong, Boo?" she asks, looking back and forth. Her eyes fall onto the bible, and Chris can see her jaw set. "Hey, I was gonna' get something to eat. Balance the drinking out a little. Wanna join me?"
"Sounds great," Chris says, getting to his feet and doing his best not to disturb Dianna, who appears completely out of it.
They head for a quiet area, away from the chaos of everyone around them. "Gave one to Dianna, huh?" Ashley asks, face awash with sympathy.
"Yeah," Chris sighs. "Not that it's any of my business. He can fuck whoever he wants."
"Doesn't mean they did anything," Ashley says. "It could be totally nothing."
"Thanks," Chris mutters. "That really helps. He only does that for people who don't mean anything. Good to know."
Ashley curls her arms around herself and leans against the wall. "Look, Chris, I hate to tell you this, but you're not the only one." He looks up at her with confusion, and she deliberately looks away when she continues. "He's given them to everyone."
Chris just stares at her for a minute. "Everyone?"
"Everyone."
"How long have you known?"
"Since the morning after your birthday," she says lamely. "He handed me one that said, and I quote, 'Sorry I crashed the party. I'm such an asshole, I think Moses wants to kick my ass.'" She takes a deep breath and continues. "It's just a thing he does, apparently. He steals bibles from hotel rooms, writes something in them, and gives them to people he likes. Last year, he sent them all to friends or gave them to the Warblers. This year, he branched out. Think some of the crew got them, too."
Chris feels a lump rise in his throat, and he has to grab on to her for support. "It really didn't mean anything, did it? I don't get it, Ashley. I told him from the start that it didn't have to be any big thing. I just wanted to get it done and over with. He was the one who insisted on making it into a production. When he said it mattered, I thought he meant it." He sighs heavily, resting his head on her shoulder. "When I found the bible, I thought it meant something. I don't really know what, but I didn't think it was nothing. I guess I'm just confused."
"Welcome to the wonderful world of having sex with guys," Ashley nods, patting him on the knee. "For the record, that's not me trying to get you to give girls a chance. I've never really gone down that road, but I hear we're just as nuts."
"I don't need to have sex with you to know that," Chris chuckles, poking her in the ribs.
"Damn," she deadpans. "Was hoping my subtle and expert use of reverse psychology would work. Maybe next time. Come on. They're gonna let people in soon. We gotta go get ready."
Chris nods, and follows her to hair and makeup. It's just his luck that they're the last two to arrive, and the only free spots are on either side of Darren.
"Hey," Darren says nervously as Chris and Ashley sit down. "Last night, huh?"
"Thank god," Chris mumbles, refusing to even meet Darren's eye in the mirror. "I am so ready to be done with all of this."
"Yeah," Darren breathes. "Done."
"Speak for yourself," Ashley says to no one in particular. "I'm gonna miss using that student ID card I had the prop department make me. I haven't paid full price for a movie in over a year."
Chris laughs, and he and Ashley spend the rest of the time volleying jokes back and forth. If he occasionally catches sight of Darren giving him a dark look in the mirror, well, after a few more hours, he won't ever have to see him again.
---
Once onstage, everyone's completely insane. People crash into one another on purpose, Dianna forgets to even lip-synch her one solo, and at one point, Samuel and Amber come out wearing each other's costumes. It's chaos, and mayhem, and absolute confusion, and Chris loves every second of it. As hellish as this whole tour has been because of Darren, these people are still the first real friends he's ever had. The first friends that made him understand the concept of family you weren't born to, but were lucky enough to find. It's then that he realizes just how much he's going to miss them when everything is over.
He does his best to enjoy the performance, and even manages to make it through his other duet with Darren without flinching (too much). Even the Shirelles medly goes smoothly, for the most part. He bats his eyes and plays it coy, then sultry, and really allows himself to enjoy it for the first time ever.
Until the moment when he finds himself kneeling on the bed, Darren just inches away. Darren takes Chris's hands the same way he has every night, but he gives them a squeeze that Chris hasn't been expecting. The sweat is beading on Darren's forehead more noticeably than usual, and there's something in his eyes that makes Chris suddenly afraid. For a moment, he debates doing something silly, like pulling away and pretending to steal his nose. Something, anything, to diffuse the tension that's been building all summer.
He's just about to do it when it happens.
As the main lights go down and the spotlight hits them, Darren leans in for the kiss they've shared every night for the last month. Chris should be used to this, should be expecting this, but he's not.
He's not, because this isn't Blaine kissing Kurt.
This is Darren kissing him.
Part Six
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Title: Turn The Lights Down Low 5/7 [RPF]
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 2,580
Spoilers: You can not spoil what was never real.
Summary: For this prompt on the kink meme. "Chris was fine with Kurt getting his first kiss with a boy before he did, and he was fine with Kurt getting a boyfriend before he did. But when he reads the script for the senior prom episode (a.k.a. the one where Kurt and pretty much all of ND book hotel rooms and go all the way), he decides that he's had enough of being jealous that his on-screen alter ego is getting all the action.
After a long and thorough process of deciding who the lucky recipient of his V-card is going to be (seriously, he made flowcharts), he decides on Darren, who -- after being reassured that Chris hasn't fallen madly in love with him, he just wants Darren to fuck him in the ass -- Darren happily obliges. Hot first-time sex ensues.
Notes: After two months, it's finally done. Big, big thanks to (in no order in particular) Birdie, Aubrey, Lucie, Ae, Rosa, Ellen, Bea, Ashley, Christine, and Laura. Whether it was letting me run down the entire story in "and then, and then, and then..." fashion so I could figure out what the hell I was doing, ripping it apart line-by-line to make something suck less, going over the whole damn thing with a fine-tooth comb to help give the illusion that I had the slightest grasp on proper punctuation and grammar, or just letting me cry over instant messages about how frustrated I was, I couldn't have done it without you.
"This is insane," Chris says on his birthday two nights later when Ashley drags him towards a suite after their show. "Why did you get us a suite? Wouldn't one of our rooms been just as good?"
"This way," Ashley grins, "we won't have the man breathing down our necks if we break into the minibar. My original plan was for us to elope, what with being in Vegas and all. This could have been our honeymoon suite, but you refused my proposal, so I figured I'd just use it to throw you a kickass birthday party."
"Don't pout," Chris tells her. "You know I'm already married to Kathy Griffin."
"Yeah," Ashley bites back. "And you married Kristin Chenoweth before her. I thought if you married me, too, we could get our own reality show. You know, like 'Big Love' gone Hollywood, but with hotter people. Come on, we don't want to be in the hall when the strippers show up. It'll ruin half the fun."
"You know I'm not into strippers, Ashley."
"Oh, I know," she says, sliding her keycard into the lock and turning the handle. "That's why I got them for me."
---
The minute he steps foot into the room, Chris finds himself on edge. It's not really that similar to the bungalow Darren had taken him to, but anything more than a standard guest room is enough to make him grit his teeth. "So, when are the others getting here?" he asks, just in time for the banging on the door to start.
"Ask, and ye shall be served," Ashley says, bouncing to the door in order to let everyone in.
They all look so happy that for a moment, Chris actually thinks this might end up being a pretty good night. That is, of course, until he spots Darren. "What's he doing here?" Chris hisses once Ashley gets close enough to hear.
"I didn’t invite him," she says behind a fake smile full of teeth. "One of the others must have assumed he was and brought him along. This is not my fault, please don’t take my cuddle privileges."
Chris doesn't answer, but he does take pains to stay as far from Darren as he can throughout the rest of the night. There are times when it looks like Darren's trying to get closer, but Ashley does a good job of fitting herself between them so that Chris won't have to talk to him. Eventually, the food and drinks arrive, and it's not long before everyone's out to get the birthday boy wasted.
"I think," Lea shouts from where she's standing on top of the blue sectional in the corner, her head perfectly level with the knees of the men in the large print hanging above, "that a game of 'Never Have I Ever' is in order! Come on, who's with me?"
The cheers of agreement drown out Chris's protests, and that's how he finds himself sandwiched between her and Ashley as everyone takes their turn.
"Never have I ever," Lea calls out in a sing-song voice, "won a Golden freaking Globe for my first professional role."
"You're kidding, right?" Chris asks her, even though the look in her eyes assures him she is not. "Fine," he mutters, and takes a sip of his margarita. "Very funny."
"Thank you," she preens. "I thought so."
The game continues along the same lines for quite a while. One of Chris's friends laughs and completes the sentence in a way that's guaranteed to get him to drink.
"Never have I ever…"
"…considered Sea Monkeys a fashion accessory."
"…lived in Clovis."
"…eaten in my sleep."
"…been one of Time Magazine's most influential people."
"…been named After Elton's Hottest Bachelor Under Twenty-Five." ("What?" Mark asks when everyone looks at him. "I don't live under a rock, man.")
It's not until they get to Naya that someone fails in their attempt.
"You know I love you, Chris, but I gotta' use this. Never have I ever," she grins, "been a twenty-two year old virgin."
When Chris doesn't drink, the entire room goes silent.
"Details!" Lea shrieks, grabbing onto him and practically climbing into his lap. "When did this happen? Who was he? Was he cute? Oh my god, why have you not told me about this????"
"It's nothing," Chris says, trying to brush it off. "He was just a guy. It wasn't that long ago. It happened. No big deal." More questions come at him, but he makes it clear he's not saying anything more. Naya mouths an apology at him from the other side of their circle, and he shakes his head as if to tell her not to worry.
"My turn," Harry says, apparently trying to deflect the attention from Chris. "Never have I ever slept with a co-worker."
Almost everyone drinks, but when Chris avoids even looking at his glass, Darren tilts his head and gives him a pointed look. "I think the birthday boy is holding out on us."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Chris huffs.
"Oh, I think you do," Darren says.
"Snap, snap," Ashley says, doing her best to sound bored. "Technically, we all have. I mean, most of us have had to share a bed with someone else during at least one stop, right? Sleeping and sex totally aren't the same thing. Drink up, Boo," she commands, nudging his arm with her elbow. "You know you fall asleep every time I make you watch a Real Housewives marathon with me."
"O-kay," Samuel laughs, clearly amused at her reasoning. "How's this? Never have I ever regretted someone I've had sex with."
Chris flashes Darren a quick look, then takes a long drink when he sees Darren do the same.
Lea looks at him sadly as she drapes an arm around his shoulders and pulls him close. "I'm sorry," she whispers into his ear. "You don't have to tell me more about it if you don't want."
"Never have I ever," Jenna says, "regretted taking someone's virginity."
Chris and Ashley both do their best not to stare as Darren takes a sip, but it's too much for Chris to take, and he pushes Lea off before coming to his feet. "Thanks, everyone, but I think I'm getting kind of tired. Keep doing…whatever you're doing," he says, "but I think I'm going to go into the bedroom and try to get some sleep."
"Right behind you, Boo," Ashley says, running behind him and turning to face the crowd while making slashing motions at her throat. Not that anyone needed them to know the party was over. For all that most of them didn't know, that was one thing that they did.
---
The rest of the tour is a lesson in misery. Every night, he mentally checks off another show and counts the days until the final show on June twenty-second. When the tour dates had first been finalized - long before everything with Darren took place - Chris had been disappointed that they weren't returning to the UK. Now, he's just relieved. Thank god for Lea and movie shoots that couldn't be rescheduled.
Night after night, the kiss becomes harder to stomach. Some nights, Chris barely manages to suppress the urge to vomit. He's not sure what's worse; that everyone's picked up on the fact that he and Darren aren't talking, or the fact that they're still stuck on the same bus. Logically, the first should have led to a change in the second, but Chris's life, apparently, was not meant for logic.
When the twenty-second finally arrives, all hell breaks loose. Everyone is exhausted, and they're pulling out all the stops to get excited. Most of them have been drinking since noon, and Chris is fairly certain he can no longer feel all of his limbs. It's a nice change, feeling less than usual.
He's stretched out on a bench backstage when Dianna flops onto the floor next to him and rests her head against his leg. "Oh, Scarecrow," she mutters, clutching a book to her chest. "I think I'll miss you most of all."
"Oh my god," Chris mutters, looking down at her. "How much have you had to drink?"
"Not much," she giggles. "Not that much, at all."
Chris raises his eyebrows at her, tempted to bring up the rumors that have circulated for over a year. 'Probably not the time or place,' he thinks to himself, then tousles her hair. "What are you reading?" he asks, gesturing to the book in hand.
"I'm not," she laughs, handing it over.
A cold feeling falls over Chris as he sees the familiar Gideon stamp in the corner. He doesn't have to open it to know where it came from. "I thought you were Jewish," he says casually, handing it back before he gives in to the urge to open it up and see what’s written inside.
"Darren gave it to me," she says, smiling as she flips it open and runs a finger along the inside cover. “'Dianna, you're a little lamb. You're filled with such a glow. No matter where life finds you now, I will be sure to go.' Isn't that sweet?" she asked, slamming it shut.
"Yeah," Chris says, doing his best to remain calm. Doing his best not to think of the almost identical bible he has back at his house. Same color, same stamping, same everything - except for the inscription. 'I will always remember tonight,' it says, in Darren's familiar handwriting. At the time Chris had found it in his overnight bag, he'd thought it was a sweet memento. Seeing Dianna's, all he feels is sick. "Sweet."
Just in time, Ashley turns the corner. "S'wrong, Boo?" she asks, looking back and forth. Her eyes fall onto the bible, and Chris can see her jaw set. "Hey, I was gonna' get something to eat. Balance the drinking out a little. Wanna join me?"
"Sounds great," Chris says, getting to his feet and doing his best not to disturb Dianna, who appears completely out of it.
They head for a quiet area, away from the chaos of everyone around them. "Gave one to Dianna, huh?" Ashley asks, face awash with sympathy.
"Yeah," Chris sighs. "Not that it's any of my business. He can fuck whoever he wants."
"Doesn't mean they did anything," Ashley says. "It could be totally nothing."
"Thanks," Chris mutters. "That really helps. He only does that for people who don't mean anything. Good to know."
Ashley curls her arms around herself and leans against the wall. "Look, Chris, I hate to tell you this, but you're not the only one." He looks up at her with confusion, and she deliberately looks away when she continues. "He's given them to everyone."
Chris just stares at her for a minute. "Everyone?"
"Everyone."
"How long have you known?"
"Since the morning after your birthday," she says lamely. "He handed me one that said, and I quote, 'Sorry I crashed the party. I'm such an asshole, I think Moses wants to kick my ass.'" She takes a deep breath and continues. "It's just a thing he does, apparently. He steals bibles from hotel rooms, writes something in them, and gives them to people he likes. Last year, he sent them all to friends or gave them to the Warblers. This year, he branched out. Think some of the crew got them, too."
Chris feels a lump rise in his throat, and he has to grab on to her for support. "It really didn't mean anything, did it? I don't get it, Ashley. I told him from the start that it didn't have to be any big thing. I just wanted to get it done and over with. He was the one who insisted on making it into a production. When he said it mattered, I thought he meant it." He sighs heavily, resting his head on her shoulder. "When I found the bible, I thought it meant something. I don't really know what, but I didn't think it was nothing. I guess I'm just confused."
"Welcome to the wonderful world of having sex with guys," Ashley nods, patting him on the knee. "For the record, that's not me trying to get you to give girls a chance. I've never really gone down that road, but I hear we're just as nuts."
"I don't need to have sex with you to know that," Chris chuckles, poking her in the ribs.
"Damn," she deadpans. "Was hoping my subtle and expert use of reverse psychology would work. Maybe next time. Come on. They're gonna let people in soon. We gotta go get ready."
Chris nods, and follows her to hair and makeup. It's just his luck that they're the last two to arrive, and the only free spots are on either side of Darren.
"Hey," Darren says nervously as Chris and Ashley sit down. "Last night, huh?"
"Thank god," Chris mumbles, refusing to even meet Darren's eye in the mirror. "I am so ready to be done with all of this."
"Yeah," Darren breathes. "Done."
"Speak for yourself," Ashley says to no one in particular. "I'm gonna miss using that student ID card I had the prop department make me. I haven't paid full price for a movie in over a year."
Chris laughs, and he and Ashley spend the rest of the time volleying jokes back and forth. If he occasionally catches sight of Darren giving him a dark look in the mirror, well, after a few more hours, he won't ever have to see him again.
---
Once onstage, everyone's completely insane. People crash into one another on purpose, Dianna forgets to even lip-synch her one solo, and at one point, Samuel and Amber come out wearing each other's costumes. It's chaos, and mayhem, and absolute confusion, and Chris loves every second of it. As hellish as this whole tour has been because of Darren, these people are still the first real friends he's ever had. The first friends that made him understand the concept of family you weren't born to, but were lucky enough to find. It's then that he realizes just how much he's going to miss them when everything is over.
He does his best to enjoy the performance, and even manages to make it through his other duet with Darren without flinching (too much). Even the Shirelles medly goes smoothly, for the most part. He bats his eyes and plays it coy, then sultry, and really allows himself to enjoy it for the first time ever.
Until the moment when he finds himself kneeling on the bed, Darren just inches away. Darren takes Chris's hands the same way he has every night, but he gives them a squeeze that Chris hasn't been expecting. The sweat is beading on Darren's forehead more noticeably than usual, and there's something in his eyes that makes Chris suddenly afraid. For a moment, he debates doing something silly, like pulling away and pretending to steal his nose. Something, anything, to diffuse the tension that's been building all summer.
He's just about to do it when it happens.
As the main lights go down and the spotlight hits them, Darren leans in for the kiss they've shared every night for the last month. Chris should be used to this, should be expecting this, but he's not.
He's not, because this isn't Blaine kissing Kurt.
This is Darren kissing him.
Part Six
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