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It’s an honest surprise when Darren drops down onto the couch next to him and Blaine. It’s even more of a surprise that he’s dressed in sweats and a threadbare t-shirt. Chris stares at him for a long moment, until Darren cocks his head to the side to look at him and lifts his eyebrows.
“What?” He asks.
“What yourself,” Chris mutters back. “What are you doing?” He folds his arms around his stomach, feeling suddenly weird in his favorite sleep sweater and pajama pants.
“Sitting on the couch?”
“I thought you were going out.” In fact, Chris remembers, quite clearly, that Darren had had plans to go out. When Chris and Kurt had come over an hour ago, in fact, Darren had been dressed as if he was going somewhere.
“Oh. Yeah, I changed my mind.” Darren shrugs as if it’s nothing. Blaine makes a scoffing noise on Chris’s other side, and it suddenly feels kind of stifling to be sandwiched between the two of them. “What?” Darren leans to peer around Chris at his brother.
“Nothing,” Blaine replies simply, and Chris’s glance pings between the brothers as if he’s missing out on something.
“So you decided to stay here and watch cheesy romcoms with us?” Chris asks, doubtfully.
“I couldn’t just let you be a third wheel all by yourself, Christopher.”
“He’s not a third wheel,” Blaine protests. “This whole thing was his and Kurt’s idea—”
“Third wheel,” Darren shoots back, and Chris glares at him. “It’s okay.” He slings his arm around Chris’s shoulders. “We can be third wheels together.”
Blaine coughs, in a loud and exaggerated fashion, and Chris drops his face into his hands.
“Alright, popcorn and DVD are—Darren.” Chris looks over the couch as Kurt walks into the room. “Weren’t you going out?”
“Fuck, I decide to stay in and you guys give me the third degree.”
Kurt stares at him, eyebrow lifted, and then just rolls his eyes, walking to sit next to Blaine.
“So for our first movie, we have A Walk to Remember—”
“Wait,” Darren butts in again, and Chris bites down on his lip, because he’s already wearing on Kurt’s patience. “I thought you guys were watching romcoms?”
“We’re watching romance movies, comedy or otherwise,” Blaine corrects, and Kurt sends him a grateful smile.
“Isn’t that movie like… Really fucking depressing? I don’t want to cry.”
“Darren, you cried at Toy Story 3—”
“Everyone cries at Toy Story 3!”
“It’s going to be a long night.”
*
“Sorry that Darren and I are like… Being your awkward third wheels,” Chris mutters as he follows Kurt into the kitchen.
“You know what they call it when there are two other wheels?” Kurt glances over at him as he empties the popcorn kernels into the trashcan. “Another set of wheels.”
“Kurt.” Chris slumps against the counter, running fingers through his hair.
“Sorry, sorry, not funny, just…” Kurt pops another bag in the microwave before walking closer to Chris, dropping his voice. “You don’t think him staying is a little… Weird?”
“Maybe someone canceled on him,” Chris responds, defensively, crossing his arms. “Kurt, can we just… Not do this?” Chris looks at him, his face falling a little. “Darren and I are friends. That’s all we’re ever going to be, so just… I wish you and Blaine would just drop it.”
Kurt’s silent for a long time. The popcorn finishes, and the kitchen is quiet as Kurt pours it into the bowl.
“You know I don’t do it to hurt you.” He looks over at Chris, eyes sad. “I’ve been there, you know I’ve been there—”
“And I’ve seen how much it hurt and embarrassed you. I don’t… I’m not going to do that, okay? Darren’s my best friend… I’m just.” Chris crosses his arms again, defensively. “I’m just not. It’s not worth it.”
“Chris—”
“No. I’m done talking about it.”
“Chris!”
*
“So…” Blaine glances over at Darren, and can see him roll his eyes before he flops his head in Blaine’s direction.
“I never knew it was so worthy of attention to change my plans.”
“Dare, I can’t remember the last New Year’s Eve you’ve stayed home. You always made fun of me for staying at home in my pajamas and watching the ball drop,” Blaine points out, and then glances back towards the kitchen where Chris and Kurt disappeared to get more popcorn. “It’s just… Out of character for you.”
“Well excuse me for wanting to relax one fucking time.” Darren lets out an exasperated noise, and Blaine can tell he’s prodding at something. Normally Darren takes everything so easily.
“So it has nothing to do with…” Blaine hesitates, folding his lips, because maybe this isn’t what he’s supposed to be doing.
“Nothing to do with what?” Darren looks at him again, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Nothing, forget I said anything.” Blaine throws another glance towards the kitchen. Maybe he should have gone with them, but the whole evening has been a little strange. Blaine had thought that, maybe, after whatever talk Chris and Darren had had, things would stop being so weird. But things are still weird, and strangely charged, and it’s a little exhausting for Kurt and him especially. He’s also really close to just whacking Darren in the head.
“Oh fuck you, Blaine, no, I fucking hate it when people do that. What were you going to say?”
“I—”
“I hate that Kurt won’t watch scary movies,” Chris mutters as he walks back in, and Blaine closes his eyes, thankful for the intrusion. Darren glares at Blaine one last time, mouths this isn’t over, but, with luck, Darren will drop it. “Can we watch something where people die? Like Lord of the Rings? That’s totally a romantic movie.”
“Oh dude, yeah. Arwen and Aragorn, totally a—”
“No.” Kurt comes back in, snaps a look at Chris. “Definitely not.”
Chris drops stiffly back where he was sitting, and Blaine can feel him go rigid as Darren cuddles up into his side. Blaine rolls his eyes—he knows he can be oblivious, but Darren just…
“Fuck everything,” Chris mutters.
*
“You know, if they wanted to make out, we could have given them the living room.”
Chris snorts, and Darren can’t stop himself from grinning at that. It’s just them now, and the TV is muted as Times Square flashes across the screen.
“I know this is probably really cliché,” Chris says, and he shifts in the way he does when he’s about to reveal something about himself. Darren perks up, scooting closer until his knee bumps against Chris’s thigh. “But I want to do that one day.” Chris nods towards the screen.
“Spend New Year’s Eve in Times Square?”
“Mmm. I’ll probably hate it, but… I’ve never really done any of the things people are supposed to do at midnight. I’ve always been content passing it at home, normally with Kurt, so I’ve never done the parties or the confetti or the getting hammered off my ass thing…” Chris pauses, shifts again. “Never kissed anyone at midnight.”
“Really?” Darren is both intrigued, but also sad for Chris. Because that fucking sucks, that’s totally something everyone should do. Even if, at the same time, Darren finds himself relieved at the fact.
“You seem so surprised,” Chris says dryly, slumping back against the couch. “But yeah, really. I mean, it’ll happen. Maybe. Someday.”
Chris always sounds so unsure about his dreams, like he doesn’t want to put too much stock in them because maybe they won’t work out. It’s so different than how Darren himself feels, or what he’s heard from their brothers. It’s almost like Chris doesn’t believe in himself, or in the future he could make for himself.
“I think Kurt’s about to get his first one.” Chris smiles, the way he does whenever he’s showing affection towards Kurt.
“I believe this calls for a high five.” Darren holds up his hand, and Chris pulls his lip between his teeth—it pops back to position almost in slow motion, and what the fuck, why is he watching? Chris smacks their hands together, and it feels like victory. It’s awesome. “We’re the best brothers those two could have asked for.”
“Hmm, maybe I am….”
“Hey!” Darren bumps their shoulders together, even as Chris’s shake with silent laughter. “I’m an awesome brother. I mean, come on, those two would still be pussyfooting around each other if it wasn’t for me. Us. Whatever.”
“Mmm. Probably, but… I think they would have come to their senses. Eventually. Even without our meddling.” Chris smile softly again. “I’m happy for him. For both of them.”
“Me too.” It’s been a long time since he’s seen Blaine smile the way he has recently. It’s not like they’ve had a hard life or anything, but Darren had never realized something was missing until he saw the way Blaine lit up around Kurt. It isn’t just that they want each other’s tongues down each other’s throats all the time, but it’s more than that. Their friendship is something that Darren’s relationship with Blaine will never be able to reach or touch.
Which is totally cool, even if it does feel like Blaine is growing up and apart. It’s good for him, good for them. Darren can deal.
“Almost midnight,” Chris says quietly, staring at the screen, but Darren watches him. He’s seemed so weird ever since their talk a few weeks ago, and Darren doesn’t know how to fix it. It had just been a kiss, and… Okay, it had felt really good, and Darren hadn’t really thought about kissing Chris until he was suddenly doing it. But they’d both agreed that it hadn’t meant anything. Maybe Chris still feels weird about it? Darren wishes there was some way he could help. He knows that Chris isn’t as casual with affection as he is—Darren has kissed hundreds of people, friends, girlfriends, Blaine on a few occasions.
Fuck, what if that had been Chris’s first kiss? And Darren had totally ruined it, fuck.
Or maybe Chris thinks that Darren feels weird? Chris knows Darren doesn’t have an issue with him being gay, because it doesn’t make a difference to him. Chris is Chris, even if he was one of those creatures that reproduced with itself (…that would be so weird though, but he’d still be Chris). Is that what it is? Maybe Chris is being all hesitant because he thinks that Darren’s uncomfortable?
Because he’s not. The only thing that’s making him uncomfortable is Chris feeling uncomfortable.
“Hey,” he says, and Chris looks at him. “How about I kiss you at midnight?”
Chris looks stricken, mouth falling open, and then he quickly composes himself.
“…I. What?”
“Well, you said you’ve never kissed anyone at midnight. And I’m here, and I don’t have anyone to kiss, so…”
Chris glances away, and Darren isn’t sure if he just stuck his foot in his mouth.
“So we’re just friends who kiss now?” Chris’s voice is quiet, and he’s staring down at his hands. “Do you kiss a lot of your friends?”
“Yeah!” Darren leaps to say. “You know, just. Totally meaningless, harmless kisses. Friendship kisses.” Because Chris is just like his other friends, and kissing him is not weird, and Darren needs him to know that. “But, if you don’t want—”
“No,” Chris says, and when he looks at Darren, he’s giving a small smile. “Sure. Thank you.”
“Awesome.” Darren scoots in closer. “I’m going to rock your world.”
Chris laughs, but he doesn’t shy away, his light eyes strangely bright even in the dim room. Their eyes flick to the TV screen, and it’s enough for Darren to catch on to the countdown.
“Twelve,” he says, and lifts up to cup Chris’s face. He stills, and Darren wonders for a moment if he’s changed his mind, but then his face tilts slightly into the touch and Darren almost wants to coo at how endearing it is. Chris is still counting, his lips hardly moving as the numbers drop down.
“Three.”
Chris’s eyes close, and Darren just looks at him for a moment, and wonders how many people have seen Chris vulnerable in this way.
One.
It’s not supposed to be a kiss kiss, so Darren just touches their lips together, a soft pressure. But Chris’s lips mold and shift around his, give to Darren’s kiss, and Darren can’t stop himself from pressing harder, especially given how Chris’s hand curls over his bicep and his mouth parts to let Darren’s lower lip slip between his. Darren curves his fingers along the sharp, defined line of Chris’s jaw, and it’s so unlike what he’s used to… But amazing, all on it’s own way.
Chris can hold his own in a kiss, gives as much pressure as he receives, but he never tries to take control of the kiss. It lasts longer than Darren should have let it, and it doesn’t stop abruptly—it slows down, each end bleeding into another kiss, their lips parting and sticking almost reluctantly.
Darren feels a little short of breath when they do pull apart, and as rattled as his head feels, he makes himself smile, calm and easy. Not a big deal, he reminds himself, even as he tries to subtly clear his throat—his voice feels like it’ll scratch coming up his throat.
“Happy New Year, Chris,” Darren whispers, fingers brushing through hair as they fall from Chris’s face.
“…Happy New Year, Dare.”
*
“Are you kidnapping me?” Blaine teases as Kurt pulls him away from the living room, and their brothers, to the quiet privacy of the backyard.
“It’s nearly midnight, and being in the same room as them right now is awkward enough without…” Kurt stops, cheeks flushing, and he just lets the sentence hang as they push out into the cold. It is cold, freezing even, and he wishes he’d thought to grab a jacket.
“Without what?” Blaine asks, a grin in his voice.
“It’s cold out here,” Kurt deflects. “I seem to forget that it’s winter before I step outside.”
“I’d offer you my jacket, but I’m not wearing one, so…” Blaine smiles apologetically. “I can offer a hug?”
Kurt glances down, and then back up, shyly.
“I can accept that offer.”
Blaine grins at him, bright and unrestrained, and then he’s wrapping his arms around Kurt, pulling him close. He’s shorter, but it doesn’t feel that way when he hugs Kurt, even when he hooks his chin over Kurt’s shoulder. It’s still cold, but Blaine is warm against him, and they only have a few more minutes left.
“I just realized we won’t know when it’s midnight,” Blaine whispers, unnecessary but thrillingly intimate.
“And why would we need to know that?” Kurt asks coyly, pressing his hands into the small of Blaine’s back.
“Well, I wanted to start my year with a kiss from you. If that’s okay.” Blaine pulls back, and there’s a shudder that starts in Kurt’s shoulder and travels down his back.
“Yeah,” Kurt says back, ineloquently, but he can’t think of another answer. “We can just… Listen for the fireworks. We might be a little late, but…”
“It doesn’t make a difference,” Blaine says, and Kurt smiles back. Because it doesn’t. It’s not like there’s anyone around them, no dozens of other couples kissing.
“I’m beginning to think this next year is going to be really good,” Kurt murmurs.
“Why is that?”
“Well, it’s going to have a good start…” Kurt blushes, feeling shy at admitting it. It’s all so new, all so up in the air still, but Blaine wants to kiss him and that’s a good tell in itself.
Kurt’s mind flicks to his brother inside, with a boy he obviously has feelings for, but who is… Kurt doesn’t even know. He doesn’t know what Darren’s deal is, if he has feelings for Chris or not. It’s obvious that he cares about Chris, obvious to both him and Blaine, but is it more than that? Kurt feels like he sees more in his gaze, hears more in his words, but he’s always sort of been that way. Chris doesn’t see things that aren’t there, but he’s also blind to things that could be right in front of him.
“You’re thinking loudly.” Blaine’s voice interrupts his thoughts.
“Sorry, I’m just… Worried.” Kurt blanches, and is quick to correct himself. “Not about you, or kissing, or us, but… Just Chris. This whole Chris-and-Darren thing. Chris… He doesn’t let people in easily.”
“Either do you,” Blaine observes.
“Either do I, but… I give people more chances than Chris does. This whole thing with Darren is new, for both of us, and I just… Don’t know how to help him. I don’t know what is up with your brother.”
“Darren is…” Blaine pauses, shakes his head. “He’s unpredictable. He never seems to have rules, or boundaries, and he forgets that other people can. I wish I knew what it was this time. I… I tried bringing it up, but I stopped. I know it’s not our place—”
“Even though they meddled with us.”
“Even though they meddled with us.”
“I appreciate it. Chris got mad at me. I was just teasing him, but… It’s hurting him already, I think. He wants us to drop it, wants to deal with it on his own.” Kurt scoffs. “And by deal with it, he means try to bury and kill it, probably.”
Blaine’s hands stroke at his back, and the motion is slow and soothing and relaxes him slightly.
“He’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out. And, in the meantime, you’re there for him as a brother, and I’m there for him as a friend.” Blaine’s smile is soft and encouraging, and Kurt wants to kiss him just then, screw midnight, but… This whole tradition does mean something to him. He’s a romantic, he can’t not put stock in these sorts of things.
“I’ll stop talking about our brothers now.”
Blaine’s eyebrows furrow.
“Why’s that?”
“Because as much as I love Chris, that’s not the thought I want on my mind when I’m kissing you.”
Blaine laughs, and it makes Kurt feel less nervous about being so bold. They still don’t know what time it is, but it becomes clear they won’t need to when a party next door starts counting down loudly from ten.
“To 2013,” Blaine whispers. They don’t even have to move much, already wound around each other, and it’s absolutely freezing even if every part that’s pressed to Blaine feels like it’s on fire.
“To 2013,” Kurt says back, and their noses are brushing as they hover on the precipice of the new year.
“FOUR! …THREE! …TWO!”
“One,” Blaine says, and Kurt leans in and kisses him, Blaine’s hands tightening around him and pulling them more tightly together. It’s not a chaste kiss, with the way Blaine sucks on his top lip and then his bottom—and where exactly did Blaine learn to kiss?—but it doesn’t keep deeper or more searching like that. It feels like dozens of tiny kisses rather than one long one, like Blaine is kissing him preemptively for every day of the new year.
Kurt can live with that.