#crissgon

[loganjmatthews]

Promise me you will stay and remind me who I really am

[loganjmatthews]

Nobody said it was easy, but no one ever said it would be this hard

[tellmewhatyourtelescopesays]

Diarren Fic! Still not completely done (i've gotten more into it than I thought I would) but here is the part from yesterday as well as the continuation. Please enjoy and let me know how you like it!

“Hey, it’s Dianna,” Ryan Murphy heard when picked up the phone.  He already knew where this was going.  Dianna could hardly go fifteen seconds without coughing, or sneezing, or something, yesterday on set. “It’s alright Di, we’ll reschedule your scene.  You stay home and try to get some rest.  We’re keeping you in our thoughts over here.  Take care.”   Ryan hung up and considered his next move.  He decided to move the quick Klaine scene up a few hours and go ahead and get that done so that Darren and Chris wouldn’t have to wait around all night for their scene.  “I’m gonna need Chris, Darren, and the tech crew in the auditorium in 20.  Tell them if they knock out their scene now they can skip out early tonight and find something fun to do.”

***

Dianna’s feet were freezing.  She felt a cold shiver run down her body regardless of the 3 layers of cozy blankets that pinned her to the couch.  She hated missing work; she knew they were on a tight schedule.  She also hated missing time with her friends there.   They were exactly what she needed to cheer her up, but she was too sick to make it in to work that day.   She felt a vibration a grabbed her phone from under her arm.  It was a text from Lea- “Feel better darling! We miss you so much here!!! I’ll stop by tomorrow with some freshly baked cookies :)” Dianna hated the thought that everyone was on set without her having a good time and enjoying themselves.  She responded, “Thanks so much.  Tell me whats going on there.  Cory pulled any pranks today?”  She pondered all the possible shenanigans that were probably occurring as she lay helplessly in her apartment.  Maybe Mark and Chord would get back at Naya for hiding their car keys yesterday.  Or maybe Kevin would prank call Amber again.  Another vibration.  “Haha well right now Chris and Darren are in makeup for their scene.  I’m hanging out with them since youre not here to keep me company with girl talk.  Darren’s said some… interesting things.”  Dianna was a bit startled by Lea’s text.  “Did she say Darren?” Dianna thoughtlessly said aloud as she re-read the message a few more times.  Dianna knew that Lea was trying to pull her leg.  Dianna had hinted a couple times during their daily girl talk sessions that she thought Darren was sort of adorable.  Or a lot adorable.  And Lea lives to get things going between people; it was her life goal to successfully set up a couple on set.  Dianna replied “Hmmm. Darren, huh? What kind of things?”  She didn’t want to sound too excited just in case one of the boys got ahold of Lea’s phone.  Dianna’s thoughts shifted from worrying about possible pranks to thinking about Darren.  Dianna considered herself to be a pretty levelheaded girl.  Not the kind who would fall helplessly head over heels for the attractive guy she worked with who seemed to think of her as just a friend.  But Dianna lost her control a little with Darren, and it sort of scared her.  No guy before him had left her so unsure.  Normally she could tell when a guy was into her and she had the upper hand.  But with Darren things were different.  He left her nervous, weak at the knees, and heart racing every time he talked to her.  Yeah, she could pull it off as if he were no one special.  She acted as if he were nothing but a friend in her eyes.  She even had the entire cast, excluding Lea, fooled.  But sometimes she wished that she could fool herself too so she wouldn’t get her hopes up for nothing.   Lea’s next text pulled Dianna’s attention back to the situation at hand.  “Ya know.  Adorable things.  At least that’s the way you describe pretty much anything that comes from his mouth, right di? ;)” Dianna giggled to herself.  In her head she wholeheartedly agreed, but she responded with “Aw come on Lea, I’m basically on my death bed over here! Enlighten me please as to what Mr. Criss said?”  Dianna sat up to take a few more bites of her soup before lying back down and switching the television on.  She needed something to distract her from the thought of Darren before she over analyzed the situation.  “Lea’s probably just messing with me. I’m sure he was talking about his holiday plans or something” she thought.  But Dianna couldn’t help but feel anticipation when she felt her phone vibrate once more.  She took a deep breath and wished for the best when she saw how long the message was. “He and Chris get to leave early since they covered your filming time slot.  They were talking about what they might do tonight.  Chris is going to head straight to his parents’ because it’s his mom’s birthday, but Darren said he wants to go visit you.  But as soon as he said it he looked unsure.  Kinda like he crossed a line.  I told him to go for it and that your favorite treat is home made chocolate chip cookies.  Chris, who is oblivious to whatever is going on between you and Darren encouraged Darren to go too, I guess as a friend.  But I think Darren and I could sense from each other that he means it as more than a friend checking in on his sick co-worker.  You’ll be in good hands tonight ;) You’re so welcome, and owe me a smoothie when youre healthy because I rock” Dianna froze.  She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.  She also couldn’t stop re-reading the line “he wants to go visit you.”  Her mind started racing: “He want’s to see me?! Now?!?! While I’m sick!?  Sick people are no fun! Why would he intentionally use his free night off to come see some poor sick girl lie around in bed?! Is he crazy?! Am I crazy? Yeah I’m crazy.  He probably is just making sure I’m still alive so I don’t screw up the filming schedule for the rest of the week.  Oh geez, calm down Dianna.  It’s just Darren Criss.  The guy you work with.  The one who jokes around with you in between scenes.  The one who had his seat switched the day before thanksgiving just so he could sit next to you on the plane.  The one who always hugs you good morning and good night on set.  You are psycho! You are just a friend in his eyes.  But maybe I’m more.  God I hope I’m more.  Darren is coming to see me tonight!! WOOOOOOO! Yes! I gotta get cleaned up, I look ridiculous right now!  Darren’s coming over tonight :)” Dianna looked back down at her phone and simply typed, “You are the best friend ever.  Seriously.  Thank you Lea.” Lea responded, “I know.  Now go get ‘em tiger.  T-minus 2 hours until the man of your dreams should be arriving at your doorstep.”

***

Darren’s hand tapped steadily along to the beat on the radio as he drove out of the FOX television reserved parking lot.  He would normally be belting along with his favorite 90’s tunes, but he was too distracted.  He was in a state of panic, not sure what to do or where to go.  He knew he wanted so see Dianna.  Badly.  But did she want him there?  Lea had told him to go over unannounced because Dianna loved surprises.  For all he knew Lea just thought it’d be funny for sick Dianna to struggle to the door and find Darren there when all she wanted to do was sleep.  Then the joke would be on him.  That would be embarrassing.  But he wanted to see her so badly, especially after her absence today.  Darren realized that there was really only one option.  He had to see Dianna.  He wouldn’t be able to live down the regret if he drove home to just watch The Lion King for the umpteenth time.   He pulled in to the nearest market and went straight to the baking isle.  He was in a hurry and the last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene if someone recognized him.  He pulled his hood over his head in hope of shielding his identity and examined the wide variety of baking goods in front of him.  “She said Dianna likes chocolate chip” Darren thought.  His eyes were attracted to a package at the top of double chocolate chip cookies.  It was the same kind his mom always made with him back home, and they were his favorite.  He grabbed the package and headed to the checkout line.  As soon as he was about to step into line at the register he saw a large group of teenage girls walking his direction to check out.  The one holding the shopping basket had on a glee hoodie and the girl next to her sported a Starship T-shirt.  While Darren loved meeting fans and appreciated their support, he had to get over to Dianna’s before he chickened out and really didn’t want to start a scene in the grocery store.  He knew they hadn’t seen him, and he took advantage of that to slip away quickly into the flower isle.  He was immediately distracted by a bundle of pink roses displayed in the middle.  Darren examined them closely for a while and smelled them.  Oddly enough, they reminded him of her in every way.  They were soft to the touch, smelled beautiful, and were gorgeous.  Darren’s spontaneity got the best of him and he grabbed the bouquet and headed back to checkout.  The teenage girls were already out in the parking lot, and Darren decided their presence was a hidden miracle because they led him to one of the most beautiful bouquets he had ever seen.  Darren checked out and confidently drove over to Dianna’s apartment.  When he pulled up in front of her building he peeked out the car window to view the top floor.  The corner apartment facing where the sun rises, Dianna’s apartment, was still fully lit.  “Yes. She’s still awake” he thought with a smile.  Soon enough Darren was standing outside her door.  He took a deep breath a finally worked up the courage to do his infamous triple knock.  When the door opened moments later, Darren’s eyes lit up and his heartbeat felt like it stopped.

***

The knock on the door drew Dianna out of deep thought.  She was back to doubting herself and was convinced that Darren wasn’t going to show.  When she realized that she was mistaken she dashed to the door.  She stood there for a second and stared at the closed door, knowing the wonderful man was just on the other side.  She cleared her still sore throat for good measure and opened up the door.

Darren was holding a grocery bag in one hand and a gorgeous bouquet of pink roses in the other.  He smiled sweetly and said “Hey Dianna.  I know you’re sick, but I just wanted you to know you were missed today.  I hope you’re feeling better.”  Dianna returned the gesture with the biggest smile she could muster.  She thought about the medicine she forced herself to take after Lea alerted her of Darren’s plans even though the smell of it made her feel nauseous.  At least now she could stand to be on her feet without feeling faint.  But Darren could see in her puffy eyes that the illness had taken a lot out of her.  Yet she still managed to look so stunning.  Dianna thanked Darren sweetly for the roses and led him to the kitchen where she prepared a vase for them.  Darren looked around as she put the flowers in the vase and placed them as a new centerpiece for the table in the middle of the apartment.  He had been there before for movie nights and dinners among the cast members.  He loved the classic art pieces she had hung all around and the tastefully arranged furniture.  He particularly appreciated her beautiful ivory grand piano that sat next to the wall length window.  “I brought another special gift” Darren remembered as he showed Dianna back to the kitchen.  He pulled out the cookie dough from the bag and stared at her with amusement when he saw the delight in her eyes.  “No way!” She exclaimed, “These are my favorite kind! My mom used to make these with me when I was younger.”  Darren looked at her half surprised and half not at all surprised that Dianna had so much in common with him.  “Well that’s fantastic, because I was thinking maybe we could lift your spirits a little and bake these delicious cookies tonight. “  Dianna smiled in approval and headed straight to the oven to turn it on.  Darren unwrapped the dough and headed to the cabinet where the cookie sheets were located.  He knew were they were from the last dinner party he attended in which him and Chris had volunteered to bake dessert.  Dianna noted Darren’s knowledge of her house and smiled to herself that he was so comfortable there.  “The only thing we are missing is music.” Dianna stated as she headed over to the sound system and turned on some old fashioned Christmas classics.  Soon enough the two had placed about 80% of the cookie dough on the sheet and enjoyed the rest raw as they worked together.  Darren told Dianna about his day and how work went.  They both thought to themselves how couple-like they were acting, but neither cared.  It wasn’t just the physical attraction that began the playful conversation, it was the shared comfortable feeling that they both had with each other.  This was the first time they had really been alone together.  Every time they were around each other before it was always with their cast mates.  The privacy they both felt helped them feel comfortable with acting how they actually felt.  Darren didn’t remember the last time conversation came to him that easily, let alone with a girl who wasn’t trying to use him for his fame.  Dianna and Darren understood each other and the pressure the other felt with the stresses of working on such a popular show.  Both of them felt at home with each other.

Once the cookies were in the oven with the timer set Dianna and Darren moved to the living room.  Darren continuously asked Dianna if she was feeling all right, not wanting to push her to be energetic when she needed to rest.  She assured him she was fine even though she knew he could see how drained she was, and they sat down on the couch next to each other.  With the relief of being able to sit again Dianna let out a comfortable sigh.  She snuggled down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table.  Darren looked cheerfully over at her and rearranged the pillows to try to help her get more comfortable.  “Here, allow me” he said as he placed one of the blankets over her.  “You’ve had a rough week, and it’s your time to relax.  I’ll take care of you and you just get your rest.”  He leaned over her and gently tucked the blanket around her warmly.  Dianna peeked over the blanket up at Darren.  She had the blanket lifted all the way up to her nose so that she could hide the smile that was taking over.  But she couldn’t hide the smile that shone from her eyes as she looked up at the lovely man above her.  “Darren it means so much, thank you.  I don’t wanna be any trouble, I’ll be fine and good as new really soon” she said when she really was thinking “Stay here forever.  Please don’t leave me.” He was still busy tucking her in.  She looked at him with all the happiness and focus she could manage as she thought, “Look at me.  Darren look at me dead in the eyes.  The only thing I need to make me feel better is you.  Please see that. Please.”  As if on cue Darren’s eyes moved from where he was tucking in her waist to Dianna’s face.  Their eyes met.  He couldn’t help but wonder how he ended up being so close to such a beautiful girl.  He didn’t want to leave.  He wanted to stay with her all night and make her feel better.  He hated seeing her in so much pain and wanted to do everything in his power to make her feel all right.  “Dianna, you will never be any trouble.  You’re amazing.  It’s my pleasure to take care of you.”  Darren reached his hand toward her to gently place a stray piece of hair back behind her ear.  The touch of his warm hand against her chilly cheek sped up Dianna’s heartbeat.  But the warmth of him immediately calmed her back down.  Darren noticed and noted, “You’re so cold, Dianna.  Your skin is like ice, how can you stand it?  If you were warmer you’d feel better.  I can warm you up.”  Dianna allowed herself to shiver and let Darren guide her body so that she was lying horizontally on the couch.  He adjusted the blankets once more but this time climbed under the blanket with her. 

Dianna couldn’t believe what she was feeling, what was happening.  She knew she probably should have told him he shouldn’t, that he should go check on the cookies and then bid him goodnight and have him go.  But she didn’t want to do what her head was telling her.  She had been waiting for a moment like this with Darren since they first met.  She didn’t care what she should do; she only cared about what she wanted to do.  She deserved to be selfish and put her wants first for once.  Darren was so close to her.  She lay comfortably between the cushiony back of the couch and his warm body.  She laid her head on his chest as he pulled her even closer with his arms around her waist.  She didn’t know being sick could feel so good.  She was surprised when she felt him slowly tilt his head down and place a comforting kiss on her forehead.  Dianna tilted her head up to look Darren in the eyes.  She felt brave.  “I didn’t know you wanted me like that, Dare.” She questioned his intensions with a playful smile.  He immediately responded; he knew how he felt without doubt and was tired of trying to hide it.  “Of course I do.  How could I not?  You’re the most spectacular girl I’ve met.  I want to be with you as long as you’ll have me.”  He rubbed her back under the blanket and felt her shiver again, but this time not because she was cold.  Dianna stared intently into his big hazel eyes.  She too knew exactly how to respond.  “Okay.  Guess you’ll be sticking around for a while, then.”  They both moved in together and smiled as they shared their first kiss.  Neither could think of a moment more perfect.

***

Darren pulled the cookies out of the oven and quickly placed them on the countertop.  “How do they look?” he heard Dianna yell from her spot still on the couch.  Darren scraped them off the tray and onto a plate.  “All I can say is that these are probably going to be the best cookies you’ve ever had.  Maybe even the best ones ever baked in the whole world.  Milk?”  Dianna smiled to herself at the enthusiasm Darren radiated.  “Yes please!” Before she knew it Darren was at her side with a plate of warm cookies and two tall glasses of milk.  “I present to you the most delectable chocolate chip cookies ever heard of.  Bon appetit!”  Darren smiled and offered her a cookie.  “Wow.  These look damn good,” Dianna said as she took a big bite.  “Mmmm, yep.  I was right.”  The two discussed their old holiday stories as they enjoyed the cookies and washed down the milk.  Darren cleaned up the leftovers and came back over to sit next to Dianna, who was still lying on the couch.  She looked exhausted.  “Bed time?”  Darren asked her.  She tiredly nodded and held up both arms to him.  Taking the hint, Darren leaned over and picked her up.  As he made his way to her bedroom, Darren made sure to note how natural it felt to have her in his arms.  He almost never wanted to put her down.  Her tired body squeezed tightly on to him, trying to stay warm from the rush of air that was coming at her as he moved.  Once they reached the bed Darren stepped on top of it and gently placed Dianna in the middle.  He expected her to let go, but was pleasantly surprised when she continued to cling on to him.  “Nope,” she whispered into his ear when she felt him start to loosen his grip on her.  “You’re not goin anywhere.”  This was completely all right with Darren.  “As you wish, beautiful.”  Darren lay over her as she took in the feeling of his warmth all around her.  They shared a few innocent kisses, controlling themselves when it felt as if things could get out of hand.  Darren hadn’t come over for a booty call; he just wanted to see her.  She knew this, and made sure nothing went too far.  Dianna pulled away for a moment and asked, “What do we tell everybody at work?”  Darren, who sweetly kissed her neck as he listened looked up and said, “Who said any one has to know?  I mean, I don’t mind if they do, but it’s not our obligation to tell them.  If they figure out something went down then we will play our cards from there.”  Dianna smiled and pulled his lips back to hers in agreement.  Darren stopped again to add “But I think Lea can sense that I’m into you.  And she knew I was coming here tonight.  So she might catch on.”  Dianna looked up at him with the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen.  “Yeah, we’ll see how things go.  I don’t have to come back into work until Thursday so we’ll see how things go then.”  Suddenly Dianna jerked up when she realized something.  Darren grabbed her arms, unsure if it was something related to her illness.  “What?! Dianna, you all right?”  Dianna looked at him with a slightly panicked, slightly apologetic look.  “Darren, I’m sick.  Now you’ll get sick too.  They’ll figure it out.”  Darren shook his head and smiled when he realized her freak out was over nothing major.  “It’s worth it even if I get ill.  Even if I die tomorrow from being sick, it’ll be worth it because I got to be with you.  They can say or assume whatever they want about us, and it’s no big deal because nothing matters besides how we feel about each other.  And truthfully, I’m crazy about you.” 

Dianna ran her fingers through Darren’s free flowing curls that were fresh since his post-Blaine-gel-hair shower.  “Then each other is all we need.  Nothing else matters” she agreed.    It seemed so surreal.  Everything was moving so fast, and yet it didn’t seem quick at all because both had been holding in these emotions for nearly a year.  It was just that neither saw the point of putting a great friendship on the line if they weren’t sure it’d work out.  But now it was clear that they were waiting for nothing.  They didn’t need anyone else’s permission to be together.  The finally realized that all they had to do was be together; it was as simple as that.  Didn’t have to be anything over the top or too serious, just two people enjoying each other’s company.

Dianna gave Darren one last peck and then looked down his body to see he was still in his jeans and nice sweater that he wore to work that day.  She was comfy in her pjs that she had put on right after her bubble bath that morning.  “I wish I had sweats or something for you to change into, but that sort of thing works better when the girl needs something out of the guy’s closet.  I mean, unless you think you can squeeze into a pair of my yoga pants?”  She laughed at her own joke.  Darren laughed along with her and then sat up on the bed.  “Welp, I guess this will have to do” he said as he ripped his sweater over his head and tossed it to the side.  He proceeded to unbuckle his belt and unzip his jeans.  Pretty soon Dianna was smiling at a Darren who was in nothing but an undershirt and boxers.  He looked at her then down at his body and raised both hands up and shrugged.  “Hope you don’t mind” he said, already knowing from the look on her face that it wouldn’t be a problem.  “Not at all” Dianna responded, still not fully comprehending what she had just witnessed.  “Come here” she lifted the blanket and crawled under with Darren.  The starlight was the only source of light in the room as the two snuggle up together under the blanket.  Dianna wasn’t sure if it was the medicine or the handsome man sleeping next to her, but she felt recovered.

***

The next morning Darren’s eyes slowly slid open.  The sun’s rays were beginning to illuminate the room.  Quickly he recognized it to be Dianna’s room and was delighted that the previous night’s events were not simply in his dreams.  He looked down and saw the beautiful blonde cuddled up on his chest.  Trying not to move too much and wake her, Darren lifted his free arm and caressed his sleeping Dianna’s face.  She didn’t stir, still sleeping off her sickness.  He didn’t want to wake her and decided to fulfill his caretaker duties and cook some breakfast for them.  He softly slid out of the bed, after giving her a sweet kiss on the top of the head, and walked to the kitchen.  As he prepared a delicious waffle breakfast with a side of fruit salad, Darren thought about what he was doing.  He felt so right there, he wanted to do this more.  He wanted this to become a regular thing.  And the best part was that Darren knew this was not his one and only time with Dianna; he genuinely cared about her, and now that she knew it he had no intension of letting her go.  He smiled at the thought of her staying at his place, and him cooking meals for her and being her everything.  It’d been a while since Darren felt like someone needed him.  He knew he had a worldwide fan base and completely appreciated and understood their need for his presence, but Darren hadn’t had a long term one on one relationship with a girl for quite some time.  He looked forward to her needing him there to comfort her and make her laugh.  He was sure that he could make her so happy.

***

Dianna’s eyes crept open as she stretched and yawned her biggest yawn.  She rolled over in her bed and looked around her room.  She could still see his clothes on the floor and smiled when she heard him whistling in the other room.  She lay there and replayed the night in her head.  “It was perfect” she thought.  She evaluated her condition and was pleased that her body didn’t feel like it’d just been hit by a bus.  She could breathe easily again and the pounding in her head had calmed.  The whistling grew louder and Dianna’s eyes flickered to the door just as Darren came in.  He smiled at her and came to lay down next to her.  He whispered “good morning” and kissed her on the cheek.  She smiled appreciatively and the two shared an adoring glance for a while.  “There’s fresh waffles and fruit.  You want me to bring it in here or eat out there?”  “I’m up, I’m up, let’s eat out there.”  Darren lifted her out of bed and the two held hands as they made their way to the kitchen.  Two plates were already prepared and were waiting for them at the table.  Darren asked Dianna how she felt and was glad to hear a positive report back.  “You must be the best sick person helper ever, Darren, because I fell waaay better today” she said with a smile.  “That’s great, you’ll be good as new for work tomorrow, huh?”  Dianna nodded and responded, “yup, already looking forward to it.  Today I’m going to rest more and work on my lines.  What time do you have to be back there today?”  Darren wished that he could stick around and run lines with her, but he had to go back to set to do a few more scenes.  “I gotta be back at 1” Darren replied as he glanced at the clock on the wall.  Dianna did too.  They both sighed with relief when they saw the clock only read 11 am.  They still had a little time together before they had to part.  They finished their meal and reminisced on old memories from tour.  When they were both finished Darren informed Dianna that he was still on full care duty and that she was not to lift a finger until he had left the premises.  Dianna laughed and allowed Darren to clean up the kitchen as she moved to the piano.  “I’ve been practicing a little something” she said as she pressed down on a few keys.  Darren glanced over his shoulder and let out an excited “Please do!” when he saw her at the piano.  Darren swayed and harmonized as he finished up the dishes and listen to Dianna sing Elton John’s “Your song.”  Dianna stared at Darren’s back as he looked so perfect in her apartment and realized that she meant every word she sang of that chorus.  Darren finished and turned around right on the line “yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen.”  The fact that he looked her straight in the eyes as he sang it gave Dianna she chills.  They both belted the rest of the song together as Darren slowly made his way across the room to her.  He sat down next to her as they finished up the song.  “That was beautiful, Dianna.  You really have an amazing voice.  It’s so lovely.”  Dianna could tell Darren was the kind of boy who would shower her with compliments, and she loved it.  She also treasured the thought that she knew he meant every word of it.  “Will you play me something?” Dianna asked him eagerly.  She had Darren frickin Criss alone with her at a piano and would be damned if she didn’t get serenaded.  “It’d be my pleasure, “ Darren smiled as he started playing a few notes “Any requests?”  Dianna touched his arm softly “Whatever you’d like.”  Darren started pressing down a few chords as he introduced the song, “This one I wrote.  It’s from those Potter musicals a few years back.”  Dianna nodded; she had already looked all the Starkid musicals up and seen them out of pure curiosity for Darren’s life before they met.  Plus he had mentioned a few times before when referencing it with Chris.  And she had heard people call Darren supermegafoxyawesomehot about a million times before at interviews and fan meet and greets.  Darren was still introducing the song “It’s one of my favorites to sing, and I have a really big connection to my fans through this song.  It’s a big part of my life.”  Dianna already recognized the chords and felt the goose bumps emerge when Darren gorgeously started with “I’ve been alone…” Dianna’s heart couldn’t stop racing and she couldn’t take her eyes off Darren as he sang “Not Alone” for her.  She could see the emotion in his eyes and knew he wasn’t singing it just to her, but for anyone who ever needed help or someone to love them.  Darren’s love for his fans, friends, and family radiated from this song and he sang it like it was the last time he’d ever be able to sing.  Each note was flawless, every word perfect.  Dianna wanted to cry and even thought she saw Darren’s eyes start to water from how good the song made both of them feel.  He got so into it, moving forward and backward, tilting his head every which way, even starting to stand at some points.  When he finished they both sat there in silence for a few minutes, smiles on both of their faces.  Darren looked straight forward and said “I sing that sometimes when I’m home alone and feeling stressed.  It makes me feel better.  Even though we are surrounded by so many loving people with this career, it’s still easy to feel alone sometimes, you know?  That’s why I really like spending time with you.  I feel… I feel this connection, “ he turned and looked at her “with you and I feel so good.”  Dianna actual did start to tear up a little during that speech and pulled Darren’s hands into hers.  “Darren.  You are beautiful.  Your songs are beautiful.  Your personality is beautiful.  I can’t think of a single person I’d rather share this surreal lifestyle with.  You make it all look so effortless.  I’ve learned so much from you, and you make me feel like I’m doing something right, like I’m actually making a difference.  I wanted to thank you for this.  All of it.  I hope you know it means the world to me.”  She pulled him in and they hugged for a while.  It was a great hug, so full of emotions.  Love explosions, if you will.  Once again, they both felt like they were in the right place.

*** 

The time eventually came for Darren to head to work.  They spent another good hour jamming out at the piano.  One would sing a song and then tell the other what it meant to them.  They shared so much and it felt really good to get on a personal level with the other.  Darren put his clothes back on from the night before and kissed Dianna goodbye for the day.  “I’ll see you so soon, you won’t even notice I was gone” he assured her when she complained about his leaving.  “You get your rest today, Di.  Don’t want the sick to come back.”  She hugged him tight and assured him that she would see him bright and early at work the next day.  She knew he had a long day and night of filming ahead of him, and felt bad that she felt better and yet sill had all day off.   She watched him walk down the hall and head to the elevator.  “Tell everyone I’m feeling better… and I miss them!” She yelled down the corridor.  “Got it, I’ll let them know!” He replied right as the elevator door started to close.

*** 

Darren looked at the time as he got in the car.  12:34.  He had 26 minutes until he needed to be in his trailer, and it was a 20-minute drive to set.  No time to go home to change and shower.  “This should be interesting” he thought as he started to back out of his parking spot.  Soon the radio was on and he was singing along full out.  But something seemed a little off.  His head felt a little dizzy and his immune system just generally felt down.  He thought about the sleep he had gotten.  He got a full night’s sleep and slept extremely well, especially with Dianna curled up next to him.  That couldn’t be the problem.  In the back of his mind he knew what was wrong but he didn’t want to admit it to himself.  It was only Wednesday and he still had a full three days of work ahead.  Dianna had gotten sick when her cousins came to visit over the weekend.  The youngest one had a 48-hour virus that spread when Dianna kissed her before Dianna knew the girl was sick.  This was on Sunday, and by Monday Dianna was under the weather.  Tuesday morning Dianna was too ill to make it to work, and by Wednesday she was better.  Darren was putting this together in his head.  He kissed Dianna Tuesday, so on Wednesday it’d start to kick in.  So that was that, Darren would fight through the best he could.  He meant every word he had said to Dianna, it was all worth it.  He wasn’t disappointed or regretting any of it.  This is how it was and he would just keep pushing through the week.  At least he would see Dianna again right when things would get really tiring. 

Darren pulled into his parking spot at work and looked at himself in his rear view mirror.  “Not too bad for no shower and getting sick” he decided as he made his way inside.  He was hoping to check in with the producers then head straight to his trailer before any of the cast saw him.  He didn’t mind if they found out about Dianna, but he’d rather them not figure it out by the resonating smell of her perfume that was still on the clothes that he had worn into work the day before.  He swiftly made his way inside to let them know he was there and got the detailed schedule for the day.  Once that was done he headed outside to his trailer.  He looked around before turning every corner, just to be careful.  He smiled to himself as he passed Dianna’s trailer; the thought of her was enough to put him over the top.   Some of the cast was already there since they had been filming some scenes he wasn’t in earlier that day.  Darren stopped and jumped behind the nearest trailer when he saw Chris move from the main building to his trailer parking lot.  Darren stayed hidden behind what happened to be Lea’s trailer and peeked around the corner as he watched Chris sing to himself and walk up the steps of his trailer.  Darren was almost safe to move on when suddenly he heard “Dare! How was the night off?”  He didn’t want to, but he had to turn around and answer Lea.  Slightly cautious of his appearance, Darren turned around with his arms crossed over his chest and replied “Morning Lea, it was great.  How’s work been today?”  He smiled innocently as Lea looked at him with a suspicious smirk in her eye.  “What, no hug?” She said as she moved closer to him “And work’s good!”  Darren knew her game.  She could read him like a book.  Dianna had probably mentioned to Lea before that she was attracted to him, and with that information Lea sent him off to see Dianna last night.  Darren understood and had to give in to Lea’s game.  “Of course.  You look great by the way.  Did Rachel have the date scene with Finn already today?”  He hugged her and knew the entire time that she was closely inspecting everything about him, getting her information about his night from how he looked and acted.  Lea responded, “Yeah, they had Rachel all dolled up so now I’m back at my trailer to get prepped for the next scene.  But I’m sort of interested in how last night went.  You end up going to Dianna’s?”  Lea was trying to be casual, but she was pretty sure Darren was on to her scheme.  Darren smiled; she knew she wasn’t going to get any details from him.  He was a very private guy, not the kind to kiss and tell.  “Uh, yeah.  She wanted everyone to know she’s feeling better.  She really missed being here yesterday, but she’ll be back tomorrow.” Darren smiled again and raised his eyebrows. He was good at avoiding things.  “Right,” Lea paused.  She waited to see if Darren had anything else he’d like to share, but when he remained silent she decided to try her luck elsewhere “Well, I’ll let you go.  Guess I’ll see you inside in a while.  And thanks for visiting her Darren.  I’m sure it meant a lot.”  Darren nodded and turned to head to his trailer.  Before he had gotten more than a few steps away Lea called out to him “Oh, and Darren, next time… bring a change of clothes if you’re gonna spend the night.”  She smiled cleverly at him then walked into her trailer before he could respond.  Darren watched her dumbfounded, then laughed to himself.  “Yep, she got me” he mumbled under his breath as he finally arrived at his trailer.

*** 

[tellmewhatyourtelescopesays]

My first fic. It's about Diarren. I don't necessarily ship them, but I saw that someone requested a Diarren fic and decided why not? :) It's not done, but I figured I'd post what I have and see how you respond. So please, let me know!

“Hey, it’s Dianna,” Ryan Murphy heard when picked up the phone.  He already knew where this was going.  Dianna could hardly go fifteen seconds without coughing, or sneezing, or something, yesterday on set. “It’s alright Di, we’ll reschedule your scene.  You stay home and try to get some rest.  We’re keeping you in our thoughts over here.  Take care.”   Ryan hung up and considered his next move.  He decided to move the quick Klaine scene up a few hours and go ahead and get that done so that Darren and Chris wouldn’t have to wait around all night for their scene.  “I’m gonna need Chris, Darren, and the tech crew in the auditorium in 20.  Tell them if they knock out their scene now they can skip out early tonight and find something fun to do.”

***

Dianna’s feet were freezing.  She felt a cold shiver run down her body regardless of the 3 layers of cozy blankets that pinned her to the couch.  She hated missing work; she knew they were on a tight schedule.  She also hated missing time with her friends there.   They were exactly what she needed to cheer her up, but she was too sick to make it in to work that day.   She felt a vibration a grabbed her phone from under her arm.  It was a text from Lea- “Feel better darling! We miss you so much here!!! I’ll stop by tomorrow with some freshly baked cookies J” Dianna hated the thought that everyone was on set without her having a good time and enjoying themselves.  She responded, “Thanks so much.  Tell me whats going on there.  Cory pulled any pranks today?”  She pondered all the possible shenanigans that were probably occurring as she lay helplessly in her apartment.  Maybe Mark and Chord would get back at Naya for hiding their car keys yesterday.  Or maybe Kevin would prank call Amber again.  Another vibration.  “Haha well right now Chris and Darren are in makeup for their scene.  I’m hanging out with them since youre not here to keep me company with girl talk.  Darren’s said some… interesting things.”  Dianna was a bit startled by Lea’s text.  “Did she say Darren?” Dianna thoughtlessly said aloud as she re-read the message a few more times.  Dianna knew that Lea was trying to pull her leg.  Dianna had hinted a couple times during their daily girl talk sessions that she thought Darren was sort of adorable.  Or a lot adorable.  And Lea lives to get things going between people; it was her life goal to successfully set up a couple on set.  Dianna replied “Hmmm. Darren, huh? What kind of things?”  She didn’t want to sound too excited just in case one of the boys got ahold of Lea’s phone.  Dianna’s thoughts shifted from worrying about possible pranks to thinking about Darren.  Dianna considered herself to be a pretty levelheaded girl.  Not the kind who would fall helplessly head over heels for the attractive guy she worked with who seemed to think of her as just a friend.  But Dianna lost her control a little with Darren, and it sort of scared her.  No guy before him had left her so unsure.  Normally she could tell when a guy was into her and she had the upper hand.  But with Darren things were different.  He left her nervous, weak at the knees, and heart racing every time he talked to her.  Yeah, she could pull it off as if he were no one special.  She acted as if he were nothing but a friend in her eyes.  She even had the entire cast, excluding Lea, fooled.  But sometimes she wished that she could fool herself too so she wouldn’t get her hopes up for nothing.   Lea’s next text pulled her attention back to the situation at hand.  “Ya know.  Adorable things.  At least that’s the way you describe pretty much anything that comes from his mouth, right di? ;)” Dianna giggled to herself.  In her head she wholeheartedly agreed, but she responded with “Aw come on Lea, I’m basically on my death bed over here! Enlighten me please as to what Mr. Criss said?”  Dianna sat up to take a few more bites of her soup before lying back down and switching the television on.  She needed something to distract her from the thought of Darren before she over analyzed the situation.  “Lea’s probably just messing with me. I’m sure he was talking about his holiday plans or something” she thought.  But Dianna couldn’t help but feel anticipation when she felt her phone vibrate once more.  She took a deep breath and wished for the best when she saw how long the message was. “He and Chris get to leave early since they covered your filming time slot.  They were talking about what they might do tonight.  Chris is going to head straight to his parents’ because it’s his mom’s birthday, but Darren said he wants to go visit you.  But as soon as he said it he looked unsure.  Kinda like he crossed a line.  I told him to go for it and that your favorite treat is home made chocolate chip cookies.  Chris, who is oblivious to whatever is going on between you and Darren encouraged Darren to go too, I guess as a friend.  But I think Darren and I could sense from each other that he means it as more than a friend checking in on his sick co-worker.  You’ll be in good hands tonight ;) You’re so welcome, and owe me a smoothie when youre healthy because I rock” Dianna froze.  She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.  She also couldn’t stop re-reading the line “he wants to go visit you.”  Her mind started racing: “He want’s to see me?! Now?!?! While I’m sick!?  Sick people are no fun! Why would he intentionally use his free night off to come see some poor sick girl lie around in bed?! Is he crazy?! Am I crazy? Yeah I’m crazy.  He probably is just making sure I’m still alive so I don’t screw up the filming schedule for the rest of the week.  Oh geez, calm down Dianna.  It’s just Darren Criss.  The guy you work with.  The one who jokes around with you in between scenes.  The one who had his seat switched the day before thanksgiving just so he could sit next to you on the plane.  The one who always hugs you good morning and good night on set.  You are psycho! You are just a friend in his eyes.  But maybe I’m more.  God I hope I’m more.  Darren is coming to see me tonight!! WOOOOOOO! Yes! I gotta get cleaned up, I look ridiculous right now!  Darren’s coming over tonight J” Dianna looked back down at her phone and simply typed, “You are the best friend ever.  Seriously.  Thank you Lea.” Lea responded, “I know.  Now go get ‘em tiger.  T-minus 2 hours until the man of your dreams should be arriving at your doorstep.”

***

Darren’s hand tapped steadily along to the beat on the radio as he drove out of the FOX television reserved parking lot.  He would normally be belting along with his favorite 90’s tunes, but he was too distracted.  He was in a state of panic, not sure what to do or where to go.  He knew he wanted so see Dianna.  Badly.  But did she want him there?  Lea had told him to go over unannounced because Dianna loved surprises.  For all he knew Lea just thought it’d be funny for sick Dianna to struggle to the door and find Darren there when all she wanted to do was sleep.  Then the joke would be on him.  That would be embarrassing.  But he wanted to see her so badly, especially after her absence today.  Darren realized that there was really only one option.  He had to see Dianna.  He wouldn’t be able to live down the regret if he drove home to just watch The Lion King for the umpteenth time.   He pulled in to the nearest market and went straight to the baking isle.  He was in a hurry and the last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene if someone recognized him.  He pulled his hood over his head in hope of shielding his identity and examined the wide variety of baking goods in front of him.  “She said Dianna likes chocolate chip” Darren thought.  His eyes were attracted to a package at the top of double chocolate chip cookies.  It was the same kind his mom always made with him back home, and they were his favorite.  He grabbed the package and headed to the checkout line.  As soon as he was about to step into line at the register he saw a large group of teenage girls walking his direction to check out.  The one holding the shopping basket had on a glee hoodie and the girl next to her sported a Starship T-shirt.  While Darren loved meeting fans and appreciated their support, he had to get over to Dianna’s before he chickened out and really didn’t want to start a scene in the grocery store.  He knew they hadn’t seen him, and he took advantage of that to slip away quickly into the flower isle.  He was immediately distracted by a bundle of pink roses displayed in the middle.  Darren examined them closely for a while and smelled them.  Oddly enough, they reminded him of her in every way.  They were soft to the touch, smelled beautiful, and were gorgeous.  Darren’s spontaneity got the best of him and he grabbed the bouquet and headed straight to checkout.  The teenage girls where already out in the parking lot, and Darren decided their presence was a hidden miracle because they led him to one of the most beautiful bouquet he had ever seen.  Darren checked out and confidently drove over to Dianna’s apartment.  When he pulled up in front of her building he peeked out the car window to view the top floor.  The corner apartment facing where the sun rises, Dianna’s apartment, was still fully lit.  “Yes. She’s still awake” he thought with a smile.  Soon enough Darren was standing outside her door.  He took a deep breath a finally worked up the courage to do his infamous triple knock.  When the door opened moments later, Darren’s eyes lit up and his heartbeat felt like it stopped.

***

The knock on the door drew Dianna out of deep thought.  She was back to doubting herself and had convinced herself that Darren wasn’t going to show.  When she realized that she was mistaken she dashed to the door.  She stood there for a second and stared at the closed door, knowing the wonderful man was just on the other side.  She cleared her still sore throat for good measure and opened up the door.

Darren was holding a grocery bag in one hand and a gorgeous bouquet of pink roses in the other.  He smiled sweetly and said “Hey Dianna.  I know you’re sick, but I just wanted you to know you were missed today.  I hope you’re feeling better.”  Dianna returned the gesture with the biggest smile she could muster.  She thought about the medicine she forced herself to take after Lea alerted her of Darren’s plans even though the smell of it made her feel nauseous.  At least now she could stand to be on her feet without feeling faint.  But Darren could see in her puffy eyes that the illness had taken a lot out of her.  Yet she still managed to look so stunning.  Dianna thanked Darren sweetly for the roses and led him to the kitchen where she prepared a vase for them.  Darren looked around as she put the flowers in the vase and placed them as a new centerpiece for the table in the middle of the apartment.  He had been there before for movie nights and dinners among the cast members.  He loved the classic art pieces she had hung all around and the tastefully arranged furniture.  He particularly appreciated her beautiful ivory grand piano that sat next to the wall length window.  “I brought another special gift” Darren remembered as he showed Dianna back to the kitchen.  He pulled out the cookie dough from the bag and stared at her with amusement when he saw the delight in her eyes.  “No way!” She exclaimed, “These are my favorite kind! My mom used to make these with me when I was younger.”  Darren looked at her half surprised and half not at all surprised that Dianna had so much in common with him.  “Well that’s fantastic, because I was thinking maybe we could lift your spirits a little and bake these delicious cookies tonight. “  Dianna smiled in approval and headed straight to the oven to turn it on.  Darren unwrapped the dough and headed to the cabinet where the cookie sheets were located.  He knew were they were from the last dinner party he attended in which him and Chris had volunteered to bake dessert.  Dianna noted Darren’s knowledge of her house and smiled to herself that he was so comfortable there.  “The only thing we are missing is music.” Dianna stated as she headed over to the sound system and turned on some old fashioned Christmas classics.  Soon enough the two had placed about 80% of the cookie dough on the sheet and enjoyed the rest raw as they worked together.  Darren told Dianna about his day and how work went.  They both thought to themselves how couple-like they were acting, but neither cared.  It wasn’t the just the physical attraction that began the playful conversation, it was the shared comfortable feeling that they both had with each other.  This was the first time they had really been alone together.  Every time they were around each other before it was always with their cast mates.  The privacy they both felt helped them feel comfortable with acting how they actually felt.  Darren didn’t remember the last time conversation came to him that easily, let alone with a girl who wasn’t trying to use him for his fame.  Dianna and Darren understood each other and the pressure the other felt with the stresses of working on such a popular show.  Both of them felt at home with each other.

Once the cookies were in the oven with the timer set Dianna and Darren moved to the living room.  Darren continuously asked Dianna if she was feeling all right, not wanting to push her to be energetic when she needed to rest.  She assured him she was fine even though she knew he could see how drained she was, and they sat down on the couch next to each other.  With the relief of being able to sit again Dianna let out a comfortable sigh.  She snuggled down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table.  Darren looked cheerfully over at her and rearranged the pillows to try to help her get more comfortable.  “Here, allow me” he said as he placed one of the blankets over her.  “You’ve had a rough week, and it’s your time to relax.  I’ll take care of you and you just get your rest.”  He leaned over her and gently tucked the blanket around her warmly.  Dianna peeked over the blanket up at Darren.  She had the blanket lifted all the way up to her nose so that she could hide the smile that was taking over.  But she couldn’t hide the smile that shone from her eyes as she looked up at the lovely man above her.  “Darren it means so much, thank you.  I don’t wanna be any trouble, I’ll be fine and good as new really soon” she said when she really was thinking “Stay here forever.  Please don’t leave me.” He was still busy tucking her in.  She looked at him with all the happiness and focus she could manage as she thought, “Look at me.  Darren look at me dead in the eyes.  The only thing I need to make me feel better is you.  Please see that. Please.”  As if on cue Darren’s eyes moved from where he was tucking in her waist to Dianna’s face.  Their eyes met.  He couldn’t help but wonder how he ended up being so close to such a beautiful girl.  He didn’t want to leave.  He wanted to stay with her all night and make her feel better.  He hated seeing her in so much pain and wanted to do everything in his power to make her feel all right.  “Dianna, you will never be any trouble.  You’re amazing.  It’s my pleasure to take care of you.”  Darren reached his hand toward her to gently place a stray piece of hair back behind her ear.  The touch of his warm hand against her chilly cheek sped up Dianna’s heartbeat.  But the warmth of him immediately calmed her back down.  Darren noticed and noted, “You’re so cold, Dianna.  Your skin is like ice, how can you stand it?  If you were warmer you’d feel better.  I can warm you up.”  Dianna allowed herself to shiver and let Darren guide her body so that she was lying horizontally on the couch.  He adjusted the blankets once more but this time climbed under the blanket with her. 

Dianna couldn’t believe what she was feeling, what was happening.  She knew she probably should have told him he shouldn’t, that he should go check on the cookies and then bid him goodnight and have him go.  But she didn’t want to do what her head was telling her.  She had been waiting for a moment like this with Darren since they first met.  She didn’t care what she should do; she only cared about what she wanted to do.  She deserved to be selfish and put her wants first for once.  Darren was so close to her.  She lay comfortably between the cushiony back of the couch and his warm body.  She laid her head on his chest as he pulled her even closer with his arms around her waist.  She didn’t know being sick could feel so good.  She was surprised when she felt him slowly tilt his head down and place a comforting kiss on her forehead.  Dianna tilted her head up to look Darren in the eyes.  She felt brave.  “I didn’t know you wanted me like that, Dare.” She questioned his intensions with a playful smile.  He immediately responded; he knew how he felt without doubt and was tired of trying to hide it.  “Of course I do.  How could I not?  You’re the most spectacular girl I’ve met.  I want to be with you as long as you’ll have me.”  He rubbed her back under the blanket and felt her shiver again, but this time not because she was cold.  Dianna stared intently into his big hazel eyes.  She too knew exactly how to respond.  “Okay.  Guess you’ll be sticking around for a while, then.”  They both moved in together and smiled as they shared their first kiss.  Neither could think of a moment more perfect.

***

Darren pulled the cookies out of the oven and quickly placed them on the countertop.  “How do they look?” he heard Dianna yell from her spot still on the couch.  Darren scraped them off the tray and onto a plate.  “All I can say is that these are probably going to be the best cookies you’ve ever had.  Maybe even the best ones ever baked in the whole world.  Milk?”  Dianna smiled to herself at the enthusiasm Darren radiated.  “Yes please!” Before she knew it Darren was at her side with a plate of warm cookies and two tall glasses of milk.  “I present to you the most delectable chocolate chip cookies ever heard of.  Bon appetit!”  Darren smiled and offered her a cookie.  “Wow.  These look damn good,” Dianna said as she took a big bite.  “Mmmm, yep.  I was right.”  The two discussed their old holiday stories as they enjoyed the cookies and washed down the milk.  Darren cleaned up the leftovers and came back over to sit next to Dianna, who was still lying on the couch.  She looked exhausted.  “Bed time?”  Darren asked her.  She tiredly nodded and held up both arms to him.  Taking the hint, Darren leaned over and picked her up.  As he made his way to her bedroom, Darren made sure to note how natural it felt to have her in his arms.  He almost never wanted to put her down.  Her tired body squeezed tightly on to him, trying to stay warm from the rush of air that was coming at her as he moved.  Once they reached the bed Darren stepped on top of it and gently placed Dianna in the middle.  He expected her to let go, but was pleasantly surprised when she continued to cling on to him.  “Nope,” she whispered into his ear when she felt him start to loosen his grip on her.  “You’re not goin anywhere.”  This was completely all right with Darren.  “As you wish, beautiful.”  Darren lay over her as she took in the feeling of his warmth all around her.  They shared a few innocent kisses, controlling themselves when it felt as if things could get out of hand.  Darren hadn’t come over for a booty call; he just wanted to see her.  She knew this, and made sure nothing went too far.  Dianna pulled away for a moment and asked, “What do we tell everybody at work?”  Darren, who sweetly kissed her neck as he listened looked up and said, “Who said any one has to know?  I mean, I don’t mind if they do, but it’s not our obligation to tell them.  If they figure out something went down then we will play our cards from there.”  Dianna smiled and pulled his lips back to hers in agreement.  Darren stopped again to add “But I think Lea can sense that I’m into you.  And she knew I was coming here tonight.  So she might catch on.”  Dianna looked up at him with the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen.  “Yeah, we’ll see how things go.  I don’t have to come back into work until Thursday so we’ll see how things go then.”  Suddenly Dianna jerked up when she realized something.  Darren grabbed her arms, unsure if it was something related to her illness.  “What?! Dianna, you all right?”  Dianna looked at him with a slightly panicked, slightly apologetic look.  “Darren, I’m sick.  Now you’ll get sick too.  They’ll figure it out.”  Darren shook his head and smiled when he realized her freak out was over nothing major.  “It’s worth it even if I get ill.  Even if I die tomorrow from whatever you have, it’ll be worth it because I got to be with you.  They can say or assume whatever they want about us, and it’s no big deal because nothing matters besides how we feel about each other.  And truthfully, I’m crazy about you.”