Play my heart

Epilogue

Long ass epilogue. Warning for mild sexual content? 

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 A smack on the side of the head brings him abruptly back to reality.

"Darren!" Adryan barks in his ear, and he flinches away before he can say anything else. "Pay attention to me!"

Darren blinks and forces his sight to focus on his best friend, scowling at his side. Behind him, Dawn is smiling apologetically, resting a hand on Adryan's shoulder to get him to back off.

"Don't wanna," Darren says.

It's only thanks to Dawn's intervention that Adryan doesn't jump at him, to strangle him, maybe. He can't really say he's concerned. On his other side, Connor and Caesar shake their heads in unanimous amusement.

They're slowly making their way through the shopping mall; Dawn wanted to buy a gift for her brother's birthday, Adryan let it slip up that they were coming, and the rest tagged along. Darren tuned them out as they discussed vacation plans—Adryan wants to go skiing, Connor and Caesar prefer going somewhere warm—he'll accept whatever they settle for, as always. Upon passing by a music store, his mind inevitably wanders.

It's been two weeks since that day at the park, fourteen days he's been waking up sure that he just dreamed everything up. That is, until his phone lights up with Lee's name on the screen, and it's just the boy bothering him with nonsense, or demanding Darren to pick him up at a certain time and take him somewhere.

Despite being the one to give them the last push, Dawn hasn't once asked him how it went. Darren hasn't started the conversation either. Just for now, he tells himself, just for now he'd like to keep this close and quiet and safe.

Adryan is still chewing him out for zoning out on them; if Darren was paying little attention before, he completely forgets about him the moment his phone buzzes.

Outside.

Biting his lip does nothing to keep his grin at bay.

"I have to go."

"Huh?!"

Impatience stirs in his stomach.

"I'll see you guys later, I don't know. Don't miss me."

"What? Wait, where are you going?" Caesar asks. "Why are you smiling like that? What's wrong with you?"

Darren scratches his nose to half hide his expression, and starts walking backwards away from his nonplussed friends. Connor has to hold Caesar by the back of his collar to keep him from following Darren. Waving one last time, he turns on his heel and books it out of there.

The mall seems bigger now than it was when they first came in, and he almost takes the wrong turn a few times. Darren doesn't slow down until the glass doors open in front of him, and he's skidding to a halt on the sidewalk, panting as he looks around.

His stupid heart skips a beat when he spots the silver hair and blue scarf.

"Hey," Darren exhales, willing his expression to be calmer than he feels.

Lee studies him up and down.

"Did you run all the way here?"

If Darren's face wasn't red from the exercise before, it is from embarrassment now.

"...no."

Lee gives him the what-a-fucking-idiot look, but his mouth twitches up for a split second. Even without a smile, Darren picks up the pleased softness on his features. So what if he ran here. It's worth it.