ficlet: the whole point of shipping
Title: The whole point of shipping
Pairing: Chris Colfer/Darren Criss
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 7,052
Warnings: Nothing really.
Summary: Chris doesnt understand why people get so invested in fictional relationships. Especially, when those aforementioned relationships involve him and one of his costars.
Notes: Finally... I dont know what made me do this though.
When Chris closes his laptop minutes later, he lets out a grunt of annoyance as something hot and heavy starts boiling in his stomach. Why does it have to be this way? He's tried to understand; maybe it's because they have such chemistry as Kurt and Blaine and people really enjoy the way they look together, or maybe because they're both such huge nerds and like the same things and fanboy all the time about random stuff... Chris doesn't know. He always tries not to think about it but when things like this happen, he gets moody and shuts himself in his trailer until the rage vanishes.
Right now, the lock of the door seems so far away. He's placing his laptop on the table when a soft knock startles him.
"Hey, may I come in?"
Oh, just fucking great.
Chris nods anyways. "Sure, come in."
"You look... worked up," Darren says, leaning against the door he just closed and looking at him. Chris doesn't look up but he can feel his eyes upon him. "Are you OK?"
"Do I look OK?"
"Wow, snarky. Did something happen?"
Chris sighs and shakes his head, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He always pretends to be tired when he wants to be alone, but he knows it doesn't work with Darren. The bastard knows him too well.
He tries it, nevertheless. "I'm just really tired and sleepy. A coffee should work."
There's an impasse. Chris busies himself going through his phone, muting his Twitter to avoid further interactions.
"That's total bullshit, Colfer. Spill."
"I don't know what you want me to say."
"How about the fucking truth?"
The thing about Darren is that he doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. Chris knows he's going to end up confessing what's bothering him and he really―really―doesn't want to make him more uncomfortable. They've been through this before: crazy fans and the whole fanfiction thing―provided by Mark Salling, of course―and some disturbing manips that Chris doesn't want to think about right now or ever.
And Darren's been cool about it.
He doesn't wince, or frowns, or says things like "ew, why do they do that" or "don't they know I'm straight and I like vagina"... he just raises his eyebrows and chuckles, amused. Sometimes, he talks about it with Mark or Lea, and he's even written a few, himself.
But why doesn't it bother him?
"Is it about the 'you-and-me' concept again?" Chris just sighs again. "I'll take that as a yes." Darren makes his way to the couch and sits next to Chris, making him flinch a little. "Oh, come on, Chris... I've told you, I'm―"
"Yeah, I know, OK?" he snaps, lifting his hands, exasperated. "I know you're cool with it and that it doesn't bother you... my question here is why."
There's another impasse and Chris strokes his thumb carefully over the phone's screen. He can hear Darren's breathing, slow and measured; Chris feels like he's just run a marathon though.
Why does Darren have to be so fucking calmed?
"You once told me," Darren said, an even voice and so, so deep and raspy. Chris gulped; "that this fandom was crazy. You warned me about it. About the fangirls and about everything... We know how the fandoms can get. We're part of several, as a matter of fact." Chris chuckled. "Look, they're teenagers and it's OK, I mean... I feel flattered, actually."
Chris frowns. "Why? Doesn't it bother you to be 'shipped' with me?" Darren raised an eyebrow. "Not as Kurt but as me, Chris? Doesn't it make you feel uneasy?"
He expects anything but a snort. "Uneasy? You're saying that as if you were gross or something." Darren sighs again. "No, it doesn't make me feel uneasy. I guess I just... you know, let them be. I've seen worse. Do you know there are fanfictions in which Kingsley and Hedwig end up together as a pretty, happy couple? That makes me feel uneasy."
"Kingsley and Hedwig? Really?" Darren hums, nodding. "Wow, that's... quite interesting."
"See? There's nothing wrong with people 'shipping' us. I think it's kinda awesome." When Chris snorts this time, Darren nudges him softly. "Hey, I'm serious! You're like the most incredible guy I've ever met. You're funny, talented, humble and adorable... no wonder why you're one of the hottest male stars… and single."
Why does he have to be so pale? He can feel the blood pounding in his ears.
"Shut up."
"Why? You don't believe me?"
"You don't even mean it."
A sharp sting in his arm makes him flinch and swear loudly.
"Darren! What the fuck?!"
"You're really stubborn sometimes. Wait, scratch that. You're really stubborn all the fucking time. It's getting annoying."
Chris grunts, rubbing the spot of his arm where he has been pinched. "So I've been told."
"But no, like seriously, dude. You should take the compliments people give to you. Compliments are nice. Especially if I'm the one giving them."
"Well, aren't you modest?"
"Don't make this about me, OK?"
Darren snatches his phone out of his hands and starts scrolling down his twitter page. "Wow, you make your followers happy," he mumbles, poking out his tongue as he reads his mentions. "Look! Here's someone pretending to be me who's willing to cut any limb you request."
Chris chuckled. "I'm not interested in having human limbs perched in my house, thank you."
"There are a lot of llamas here, too."
"Llamas are awesome."
Placing the phone on the table, Darren stares at him intently, no trace of amusement on his face. It's that look that makes Chris feel all hot and his mouth desert-dry because fuck, his eyes are like honey and gold and so, so big. Chris shifts uncomfortably.
"What?"
"So are you, Chris. You are awesome, OK? I know you think you're not and you get annoyed when someone says a lot of good things about you, but you're a hero for some people... you've saved lives, you've changed things around here." Darren's hand squeezes Chris' lightly. "Maybe I'm not the best person to say this, but you are beyond awesome. You just have this light inside you and that voice and everything about you when you sing is just so fucking perf--"
Chris cuts him off wrapping his arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. He feels Darren freezing momentarily but relaxing seconds later, burying his face in the curve of Chris' neck and inhaling deeply. His arms find their way to his back and they tangle there, squeezing him so hard but so right.
"Thank you," Chris says, his breath ghosting over Darren's cheek. "Your words mean a lot."
"I fucking hope so." Chris laughs a little and blinks quickly to avoid tears from spilling. Darren's arms unfold behind his back; the effect's immediate: the lack of the warmth of them is almost painful.
"Just think about it, OK?" Darren says, standing up and walking towards the door of his trailer. "Ships are not that bad. Personally, I think Faberry's pretty fucking awesome."
"But they're characters, Dare."
"Well, then... Sallingstreet."
"Oh my God, Darren!"
He just laughs and God, he should never stop laughing.
"What? They look hot! Besides..." Darren opens the door and turns around only to say: "Crisscolfer could happen... never say never." There's a wink and a soft laugh, and Chris just stares at the closed door with his jaw on the floor.