The Land of Stories: Gleeful Days Are Here Again

Misunderstandings

8. Misunderstandings

In which plans are laid (but nothing else is)...

The ride back to Queen Red Riding Hood's castle was uneventful, which proved to be a bit of a problem for Chris. With nothing to distract him, he found himself increasingly aware of the way in which he and Darren were rocking together with each stride Adrenaline took. He might have enjoyed it — after all, now that he knew that Darren felt the same way about him that he felt about Darren, he didn't have to be ashamed of his body's natural reactions — but the Enchantress's wretched curse meant that he still needed to hold himself in check.

Darren seemed to have a somewhat different take on the situation, though. Once they'd gotten the horses settled in the stables, and Kurt and Blaine had gone off together to plant the magic beans, he grabbed Chris's hand and practically dragged him back to their room.

The moment the door was closed, Darren crowded Chris up against it, resolutely turning his head to the side to avoid the temptation of having his lips too near Chris's neck. He reached one hand up to tangle in Chris's hair, while the other slid down to his ass, pulling their hips together.

Chris let out an embarrassing whimper as he pushed him away. "Darren — wait — the curse."

"I know, I know. I'm keeping my lips to myself. But the curse doesn't affect any other parts of our bodies, right?" Darren panted. "I've been waiting all afternoon to get you alone."

"Darren, stop," Chris said firmly, planting a hand on his chest and holding him at arm's length.

At the seriousness of Chris's tone, Darren's face fell. He raised both hands, backing away so quickly he nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Oh my god — I'm so sorry — I read this totally wrong. Oh my god — please don't hate me! I can't believe I did that. Blame it on a contact high from Stoner Brett. I'm so sorry..."

"Dare, honey, calm down — you're babbling."

"I'm so sorry," Darren repeated, clearly dismayed. "You have to know I would never force myself on you. I know we never talked about it, but I just assumed... And obviously made a huge ass out of myself in the process. I'm really, really sorry. Please don't be mad at me."

Chris couldn't help it — he burst out laughing. "Yes, you've got a huge ass," he smirked, stepping forward and giving it a slap, "but I'm not mad at you."

Darren nearly collapsed with relief. "You're not?"

"Not even a little bit," Chris assured him, stepping forward and wrapping him in a tight hug. "But I do think we should talk."

"That sounds ominous..."

"Don't worry. It's nothing bad. It's just that this is the first time we've really had a chance to be alone together since things shifted between us, and I think we should talk about what we want out of this relationship, to make sure we're on the same page here."

"Okay..." Darren said hesitantly. "Well, you know I love you, and want to be with you. And, uh, I find you insanely hot, but, uh, if you're not interested in a physical relationship, uh, I totally respect that..."

Darren's hands were clutching reflexively at Chris's back as he spoke, and Chris could feel him trembling slightly. Taking a step back, Chris brought both hands to Darren's shoulders.

"Sweetie, look at me," he said gently. When Darren met his eyes, he asked, "Do you remember the first time we really kissed?"

"Of course I do. It was magical."