A Beautiful Boyfriendship

Chapter Twelve: You Call, and I'll Be There

Hi guys! Hope it isn't too sad :) and I don't own anything, as always.

-CC

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Darren's head snapped towards the coffee table, and his phone, almost comically. He heard more than felt his neck popping and winced. He started to get up out of his chair and grab the phone, but doubt froze him in place. What if it's Chris, saying he's coming home? Or what if it's not Chris, and his hopes will be dashed yet again? And, worst of all, what if it is Chris, but he tells Darren he's staying away for good? Darren's heart squeezed painfully at the thought.

He, for the first time, actually listened to the tinny sound playing out of his iPhone. '..the way you turn me on. I can't sleep, let's...' Teenage Dream. The song Blaine had sang to Kurt in his first appearance on Glee. The song that had set into motion Darren's whole character arc, and talk of being a season regular next season. The song he had set for Chris's personalized ringtone on his phone.

Chris! Chris was calling him! Darren imagined fireworks exploding his brain. Oh, look, little pieces of Darrenbrain all over his living room. That explained why his mind just wouldn't function. It was like someone had bent his antennae and all he was getting was static. Chris-shaped-static, of course.

After the second it took for him to realize HEY, ANSWER THE PHONE, DUMMY, he lurched ungracefully out of his chair and made furtive grabby hands for the phone on the table. He missed by a mile and crumpled abruptly onto his carpeted floor. By the time he pushed himself up into a sitting position, pouting and rubbing his elbow, his phone had stopped ringing. But he could hear Chris's voice as he left a voicemail.

"H-hey, Dare. H-hannah's in t-the ho-ospital. It's...it's real bad, Darren. I..I'm sorry for calling. But I...well, I needed to talk to someone. P-please, uh, call back."

Darren was out the door in seconds.

***

Three hours later

"Okay, okay. I totally got this. I think. Mostly. Maybe. Kinda. Just a little? Nope. Totally screwed. Shoot," Darren muttered to himself as he tried and failed to unfurl and read a map while driving down the interstate. Finally, he accepted defeat and pulled over to use his phone's map. And he didn't do this on the road because duh, using your phone while driving is a big no-no. And, double duh, opening a superbly large map directly in his field of vision is SO much safer than looking at a little phone screen while driving. Again, DUH.

Hmm...okay, let's try 'World Map.' Never used this button before, so we'll see. Uh, what do I...oh! Directions...okay, yep, from current location...to...C-l-o-v-i-s, C-a-l-i-f-o-r-n-i-a. Aaaand...go!

Darren pursed his lips in anticipation and did a mini-cheer when detailed instructions came onto his phone's screen. He punched the home button victoriously and was about to chuck the phone somewhere behind him when he noticed he had an unread text message. Suddenly childishly giddy, he opened his inbox and scanned the message, his face crumpling as he reads.

'Han isn't responding. Don't know if she'll make it. Thought you should know, even though you probably don't care. -C'

God. Talk about suckerpunch to the gut. He'd only met Hannah through one particularly poignant YouTube video and Chris's frequent adoring praise, but he'd wanted to get to know her. And now...now he might not have the chance.

But---if he feels this bad, imagine how Chris feels! It was his own sister; it must be so much worse. So Darren went a little bit over the speed limit (only 15 mph, he swears!) all the way to Clovis, only slowing when his phone chirped from the backseat, "Turn right in 50 feet" or other semi-important stuff like that.

All he could think about was Hannah. And Chris, obviously. And the fact that Chris wrongfully assumed Darren didn't care. He cared about everything related to Chris. So Darren, always having believed in some greater power, sent up a plea for Hannah's safety, Chris's forgiveness, and his own ability to comfort the Colfers.

***

Roughly an hour later

Darren screeched into the hospital parking lot with the stench of burning rubber at his heels. He barely allowed himself time to chastise himself for now needing new tires before bursting into the lobby. He rushed up to the desk and panted, "Hannah...Colfer. I...need to see...Hannah Colfer."

The receptionist, a steely looking peroxide blonde in her forties, eyed him suspiciously. "Now, son, are you family?"

Darren opened his mouth, then closed it again. Then open. Then closed. "Uh..."

"Let him come through," a raw voice rasped from behind Darren. He turned to see Karyn Colfer smiling so weakly at him it broke his heart. The receptionist relented with a sigh. "Go on."

Darren hurried over to Karyn. He wracked his brain for the appropriate greeting when the person's only daughter is unresponsive and is in critical condition. So, logically, all he came up with was a weird, awkward, drawn-out, "Heeeeyyyy..."

Karyn cracked a slightly bigger smile now, one that actually had some semblance of humor. "Hello, Darren. Thanks for coming up."

"Uh, sure. No problem. I..." Darren started to ramble on about how he wanted to be there for Chris, but he figured Karyn could care less. "Anyway, how's Hannah?"

He immediately regretted his question, as Karyn's eyes filled with sudden tears. "Aw, no, don't cry...I'm sorry, Karyn. Shh, shh, she'll be all right. It'll be okay..." And so it went on for about ten minutes:  Darren murmuring meaningless words of comfort and support as Karyn cried on his shoulder. Finally, finally the tears petered out and she straightened, wiping her eyes self-consciously.

"Sorry about that. I just...I just..." She sobbed brokenly once more before straightening her spine and standing taller.  "We'd better get back. Tim will probably be wondering where I am--he thinks I went to the cafeteria. And I'll bet you want to see Chris, right?" Darren just nodded.

And so they started off to Hannah's room, which happened to be on the third floor, in the ICU, number 321. Tim was indeed waiting outside for Karyn, and he seemed pleasantly surprised to see Darren accompanying her. Darren couldn't help scanning the hallway for Chris, and was only slightly chagrined when the elder Colfers caught him in the act. Tim smiled knowingly.

"He's in Hannah's room. He's refused to leave her side since he got here. We'll leave you two alone with her." Darren told them thanks before slipping soundlessly into the room. Luckily, he entered to find Chris's back to him. Darren kind of wanted a moment to collect his thoughts. After gazing at Chris for a second, though, just drinking in the sight of him, Darren noticed his shoulders shaking noiselessly. He was crying, Darren realized, and Darren automatically rushed over to comfort him.

He wrapped his arms around Chris from behind, startling him. Chris spun awkwardly in his seat and stared up at Darren. Darren wasn't surprised to see tear tracks down Chris's paler-than-usual cheeks, but they didn't fail to break his heart.

"Dare?" Chris whispered hoarsely, unbelievably. He began crying in earnest now. Darren just folded Chris into his arms, shifting them so he was sitting on the chair with Chris snuggled in his lap. He comforted Chris just like he had Karyn minutes ago, and eventually they both succumbed to sleep, each unconsciously feeling the love unknowingly projected by the other.

____________________________________________________________________________________

As per usual, what did you think? Message me!!!

-CC