Darien Fawkes / Reader - Part 2
Darien took a deep breath before joining you on the sofa. He had to calm his nerves to make himself completely visible again. The truth was that when Darien had been sentenced for life in jail, but since Darien had not killed anyone or committed a violent crime his brother had pulled some strings and managed to get him a deal; Darien would volunteer himself to be a human guinea pig in his scientist-brother’s top-secret project and after the experiment was finished Darien would walk free.
Now the thing was that the team of scientists had put a synthetic gland into Darien’s brain. The gland produced a substance called quicksilver which bent light when it covered Darien’s skin making him invisible. During the time Darien had spent in the secret science base in the desert, he had learned to control the gland and now he was able to turn invisible when he wanted… except when he got suddenly excited, distracted or nervous. So the deal had been that Kevin, the brother, puts the gland in, tests it and takes it out, end of deal. However things had not gone as planned because a terrorist had managed to get into the science team and tried to steal the gland.
- What’s with the glove? you asked with an amused tone when Darien returned to sit to the sofa. He handed a wineglass to you, still wearing the oven mitten in his left hand. Darien looked awkward, almost like you had caught him with an uninvited boner that he wanted just to get rid of… but instead of a boner, his left hand was invisible from the elbow down. He laughed nervously and mumbled “just a bit chilly” with an embarrassed, barely audible tone.
- How is your brother? Has he won that a Nobel –price yet? you asked curiously and sipped some of the wine. It was the third wineglass of the evening and the wine was making you feel relaxed and comfortable. You wanted to catch up and even though you knew that Darien had never been too close with his brother, not lately at least, you wanted to know if everything was alright with good-old Kevin.
- No… Darien sighed with surprisingly silent and somewhat sad tone which combined to his shifted mood made you feel slightly nervous..
- Oh, that’s… I didn’t expect that. you commented with a surprised tone.
- He’s… actually dead. Darien said with the same tone. “Dead?” you gasped with a surprised tone. Darien nodded with a sorrowful look in his eyes. You processed the news silently for a moment and then asked with a confused tone
- When did that happen? How?
- About eighteen months ago. He was shot by some terrorists and died in my arms. Darien spoke with soft tone that told you that he missed Kevin quite a bit. Yes, indeed, when the terrorist had managed to get into the science team the things had gone terribly wrong; the terrorist had had a team ready waiting for his sign and then attacked the base. Many scientists and guards had been killed, Darien’s brother included and Darien had barely managed to escape.
- I had no idea… I’m sorry. you commented and put the wineglass on the coffee table. “Yeah” Darien sighed and took the oven mitten off, put it on the coffee table next to your wineglass and emptied his glass with one big gulp.
- Oh, wow. That’s terrible! you mumbled and shifted your gaze away from Darien. You had thought that your life had been difficult with all running away and stuff, but at least you had not lost anyone… and even worse; seen someone die. Darien put his empty glass on the table and continued
- We weren’t that close since he did not really appreciate some of my life choices but-
- Yeah… I’m so sorry. you sighed and covered your mouth with your hand as you still processed the news. Darien noticed that you were quite shocked from the news so he said “Hey, it’s alright now. Don’t worry about it” and put his hand on your shoulder.
You shifted your gaze back to Darien and stared at him, not quite sure whether you even dared to breathe. You had never, not in million years, even considered the possibility that Darien had lost his brother during these three years that you and him had not been in touch. Sure you understood that what Darien and you did for living was dangerous and had serious risks… you both being criminals and so on… or… well, apparently Darien had left that life behind, having a steady income… a job and all… but still, Kevin… Darien’s brother… was… had been a scientist that was supposed to be like the safest job in the world. Naturally you had no idea about the nature of Kevin’s employment… about the secret projects that had attracted also terrorist’s interest. “Hey, it’s alright” Darien assured you again and smiled a little. He had not wanted to ruin the mood by turning this evening into a mourning-session, oh no… quite opposite actually.
- He is the one that got me out from jail. Darien commented casually to reignite a conversation.
- Ah… of course. Friends in high places and all that. you mumbled and took a deep breath. “Yeah” Darien sighed and smiled a little. You and him sat next to each other a couple of minutes in total silence, both wondering what to say next. After ten minutes of staring at the candle that Darien had put on the coffee table you finally broke the silence by asking “May I… give you a hug?” Darien turned to look at you with a somewhat surprised expression and therefore you felt that you had to say something. You inhaled quickly and stated
- I know it was totally random, after all this tim-
- Sure. I would like that. Darien said and shifted himself to sit in a way that he was able to face you while sitting next to you on the sofa. You shifted yourself as well, moved to sit on your legs to give you a bit more height and then leaned closer to Darien. He opened his arms and you opened yours and after awkwardly kind of bumping into each other by tilting yourselves into the same direction, you finally managed to wrap your arms around each other.
You hugged Darien tightly, the way you had hugged him many years ago. He felt familiar and safe but you could also feel your stomach filling up with butterflies that were flying around recklessly. You moved your hand up and down on Darien’s back slowly and enjoyed feeling him there so close. You had really missed him, more than you had even admitted to yourself and you had regretted the way you and him had split up three years ago. You breathed in Darien’s scent as you nested your face in the crook of his neck, listening to the calming sound of his breathing and almost brushing the skin of his neck with your lips. Yes… you had been deeply attracted to him before and spending time with him now was now adding fuel to the old spark.
After a while you drew back and stared into his eyes, trying to figure out whether Darien felt the spark as well. He was not pulling away or even shifting his gaze elsewhere so you leaned closer and pressed your lips against his. You were sitting on your legs which was lifting you higher and making it possible for you to act so boldly. You kissed his lips softly for a very brief moment until you realized that Darien was not kissing you back. You froze still and as soon as you had managed to get yourself back together, you drew back, opened your eyes and immediately shifted your gaze elsewhere.
- Oh, I’m sorry. This is… awkward. you said with an embarrassed tone. You had read the situation and Darien’s body language completely wrong and kissed him even though… apparently… there had not been that kind of spark between the two of you after all. It had all been in your head and you had clearly been the only one who had felt the old flame getting fueled. You did not even know if Darien had ever felt attraction towards you! Maybe you had mistaken his friendship kindness and playful character as subtle flirt and interest before as well. Perhaps he had never felt anything more than friendship towards you. You felt the air leaving the room as this brutal realization hit you like a sledgehammer to your chest and therefore you immediately reached to your glass, emptied it and stood up accompanied by a nervous laughter. Darien watched you fumbling around nervously and sighed
- It has been three years-
- Yeah… I know, I’m sorry. I suppose, I just… you said and laughed nervously a bit more. Darien kept staring at you as you desperately tried to come up with something else to talk about.
- I didn’t know that you feel that way about me. he stated with an amazed tone but you couldn’t tell whether his tone was amazed in a good way or in a bad way. You decided that he was not impressed and you had mistaken the great friendly chemistry as a romantic spark many some years ago and you were doing the same mistake even now. You scolded yourself silently for being so stupid and tried to calm your nerves before saying something.
- I don’t… I didn’t… I did. you mumbled and cursed aloud. Darien still sat on the sofa, trying to make sense of you and what had happened just a moment ago.
- Oh gosh this is awkward. Can we just… you said and took a deep breath because you felt very nauseous, almost like you would have been on the verge of passing out any second now. Darien shifted his gaze elsewhere from you as a smile appeared on his face. It was not a mocking or even amused smile but a relieved and sincere one, but you were too caught up in your feeling of embarrassment that you completely missed it… or you noticed him smiling and assumed that you had made a fool out of yourself, which was the reason for his smile. You however couldn’t have been more wrong.
-…rewind the past two minutes back and pretend that they never happened? you asked with a tone that revealed that you were both ashamed and apologetic. The smile left Darien’s face instantly and instead of happy he now looked… disappointed and a little bit sad. He inhaled sharply and commented
- Oh… I guess-
- Thank you. you sighed and walked to your bag to that was on the floor by the bathroom door. You squatted down by the backpack and opened it, went through your things despite the fact that you did not really even have to. You knew exactly what you had in the bag because you had there only your bare necessities. You just needed an excuse to gain a little bit distance to Darien.
Darien looked at you with a thoughtful look on his face. He tried to figure out why you were acting the way you were and then he realized that when you had kissed him, he had not kissed you back. The truth was that he had gotten surprised and therefore he had not reacted. His mind had stopped thinking completely and by the time he had finally realized that you were kissing him, you had already drawn back and said that you were sorry. Then he had blurted out that it had been a long time, even though he had meant to tell you that even though it had been a long time, he felt the same way and he had never know that you felt that way about him. Darien had always assumed that in your opinion the spark between you and him was just chemistry of great friendship but apparently he had been wrong; you liked him… after all this time… you had feelings for him, despite the fact that neither of you had had the courage to act upon your feelings in the past. Darien stood up and walked behind you.
- Would you like to dance? he asked with a slightly shy tone.
- What? you asked as you stopped going through the content of your bag. You closed it and stood up, turned to stare at Darien with a deeply baffled look on your face. What did this mean? Did it even mean anything? He had never asked you to dance before… although there was something that you had never done before… yeah kissed him. Quite many “never before” –things for one evening.
- Dance? With me… now? Darien asked leaving you speechless and therefore you could only keep staring at him. Darien chuckled nervously and offered you his hand. You however did not take it because you were still struggling to even understand what was happening. Darien smiled at you and gestured you to give your hand to him. Finally you managed to react and placed your hand palm-side down on his palm.
- We used to have dinners like these back in the day. Darien commented as he led you to a spot there was a little bit room to dance. You stopped when he stopped and positioned yourself to stand in front of him, as he had guided you to.
- Yeah, we did. you commented with a somewhat confused tone. Yes, in the past you and Darien had cooked a nice dinner together, eaten it together and sat on the sofa countless of times just chatting and enjoying each other’s company. It however had been five years since you had done that last time… and three years since you had even seen each other… which had been the meeting that had ended bitterly because you and he had gotten into a heated verbal fight about something that you couldn’t even remember anymore. It was almost like your mind had blocked the memory to make your life easier… to make it more simple to move on.
- And we used to also have a couple of glasses of wine afterwards while having a conversation on the sofa. Darien spoke while he held your hand and brushed the back of it with his thumb, which was a gesture that felt very intimate for some reason.
- Also true. you commented with the same confused tone. Surely if Darien was romantically interested in you he would have kissed you back… but he had not and that meant that he did not share your feelings.
- But I never asked you to dance. Darien added and placed his other hand under your chin to guide you to look into his eyes while he spoke to you. He was taller than you, about 188 cm tall in fact and it meant that you had to raise your chin up to actually meet his eyes since you were standing quite close now. “Better” he sighed when he finally had proper eye contact with you. Your knees had always gotten weak by the way he looked at you and this time was no exception. Therefore you stammered
- I-I… I don’t-uhm… I do not quite understand the relevance of dancing-
- Well, I figured, since we already had a dinner, a very nice, rather romantic dinner one could say. Darien stated to which you commented “Romantic-eh?” with even more puzzled tone. Darien chuckled a little and nodded with a smile on his face.
- And… a couple of glasses of wine on the sofa. he continued.
- Yeah… still not getting the connection. you commented with an awkwardly amused tone.
- So… the next step is to ask you to dance. Darien explained and then added “Shall we?” with a warm, deep voice.
- Uhm… Sure. you answered, not quite sure where this was going to lead. Darien shifted his hand from your chin to your waist and pulled you a bit closer. You put your hand on his shoulder while his hand was still holding your other hand. There was a groovy, jazzy song playing and you just had fun dancing together. Darien spun you around a couple of times, bent you backwards and then pulled you back into his arms tightly. The song changed into a slow song and your dancing changed into swaying to the music together. Darien was still holding your hand, keeping it against his chest and guiding you to lean on him with his other hand. You smiled a little as you enjoyed the moment… the music, the dancing… the atmosphere which was very romantic actually.
- This is nice. Darien sighed after the song had changed into a groovier one again. He however still held you close, slowly moving with you to the beat, although you and he were dancing half the pace of the song.
- It is. you replied and inhaled deep.
- How come we never did this before? Darien asked and rubbed your back slowly, keeping his hand on the lower part of your back that was covered by your halterneck top unlike the upper part.
- I have no idea. you commented and went through all the times during your friendship when you would have loved to do this… to be held by Darien, just swaying to the music and forgetting about the rest of the world. Darien stopped moving suddenly and drew back just a little bit.
- And… now I will shift my hand on your neck… he spoke with soft tone and shifted his hand from your back on your neck, felt the soft skin with his fingertips for a moment before daring to cup your face.
- Time slows down… can you feel the butterflies? he asked as he stared deep into your eyes and leaned closer.
- Yeah. you sighed and when he was quite close you closed your eyes and parted your lips a little as you got mentally ready for the kiss.
- The only natural thing to do in this situation is to kiss you. Darien said as he closed his eyes and leaned even closer so close in fact that you could feel his nose touching yours and his breath on your lips.
- How would you feel about that? he whispered against your lips. However just as his lips brushed yours his quicksilver gland reacted again and his hand turned invisible again. This time his reaction towards you was so strong that even his shirt turned invisible and suddenly the entire left side of his body was gone. “Cold!” you gasped and stepped back immediately. The thing was that the quicksilver did not only bent light away from it but it also blocked Darien’s body heat and made the quicksilver –covered area feel almost freezing cold.
- What the fuck? you gasped when you opened your eyes and noticed that the man in front of you was half-invisible.
- Oh crap. Darien cursed and tried his best to shake the quicksilver off from him but the more he tried, the more nervous he got and it made the situation even worse because little by little the quicksilver covered him entirely and he changed completely invisible right in front of your eyes.
- Darien… you are… I can see… I can’t see- you stammered as the silver-looking substance encased Darien, making him first look like he had been covered with melted silver and then suddenly… he disappeared completely. Just as you were about to turn away and probably storm out from the apartment or at least lock yourself into the bathroom, Darien, still completely invisible, said
- (Y/N)… I am working for the government now.
- What? you said and froze still. “What is this?” you asked him with a shocked and deeply confused tone as you watched Darien changing from invisible back into silver-covered and finally shaking the stuff off from him… which made him visible again. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this” he commented and brushed his hair with his hand to get the last pieces of quicksilver off. “But I can explain” he added because the look on your face was quite terrified and you clearly were not quite believing your eyes. In other words, your reaction had been quite the same has Darien’s had been when he had woken up from the coma after the surgery. The thing was that he had not been what kind of experiment it was going to be, there had not been any talks about any surgeries or glands in the brain… so he had been just as confused and spooked as you were now. “Please do explain” you managed to say as you stared at him with the same expression of confusion and incapability to believe your eyes.
- My brother… He got me out from jail by offering me a chance to help him with his top-secret project. Darien spoke with a calm tone.
- Uh-uh? you asked with a shaky voice in return.
- They needed a guinea pig and I was in deep trouble, facing a life in prison without any hope of ever getting out. Darien explained and reached to take your hand. You however pulled your hand immediately back as an involuntary reaction. You did not know what you had just witnessed but you were not mentally ready to be touched by Darien… not before the whole thing made some sense to you.
- So you… What did they do? you asked eventually when you had managed to gather your thoughts, turn them into words and form a sentence. Darien sighed and walked nervously around as he tried to find a way to make it sound logical… or at least believable.
- My brother put a gland into my brain. It produces quicksilver which bends light and so on. he stated finally. The truth was that he was not entirely sure how it worked because his brother’s notes and research results had been destroyed when the terrorists had attacked and since Kevin, who had been the mastermind behind the gland and the surgery, had gotten killed… there was really no one to explain how it worked or… to take it out without killing Darien.
- Explain to me how does that make you invisible. you demanded. There was a part of you that wanted to run out and not get involved with anything that Darien had gotten himself tangled with… but then again, Darien was still Darien and he had chosen to help you because you had been in deep shit today. It meant that you owed him a chance to explain what had happened… even though it most likely was highly classified information.
- Well, it doesn’t, but since quicksilver bends light away from me, you cannot see me but around me. Darien explained and demonstrated it by turning his hand invisible again. He however noticed immediately that it freaked you out greatly so he reached to take his empty wineglass from the coffee table and turned invisible instead. He was able to produce quicksilver and then cover objects with it which then changed the object invisible for a moment. Darien gave the glass that was freezing cold to you and after a moment it turned back into normal. It was strange; you had been able to feel the glass… hold it in your hand… but you couldn’t see it.
- Okay… so how does that turn into a government employment? you asked and took the wineglass to the kitchen counter, walked into the kitchen, behind the counter and filled the glass with cold water. You seriously needed it. Darien walked to the other side of the counter and leaned to it as he watched you emptying the glass from water, filling it with the wine and emptying the wine as well. You gestured him to give you a moment and when you had managed to fill your lungs with air again, you said “Now, explain.”
- Well, my brother was going to just test it… and take it out and I would have walked free. Darien explained and exhaled deep. You listened to him silently and commented when he stopped talking
- Somehow I get a feeling that there is a “but” coming-
- Yeah. Darien sighed and dropped his head as he got mentally ready to talk about the subject that also included the death of his brother, Kevin. Darien cleared his throat, shifted his gaze back to you again and continued
- There was a terrorist in my brother’s science team and his plan was to steal the gland, sell it to other terrorists-
- Alright… you mumbled and rubbed your chin because you suddenly got a bad feeling where this was headed. Darien monitored your expression changing as you sighed “oh shit” and then he continued
- … and he killed my brother, or one of his men did. I escaped-
- But… Why didn’t you just… disappear? I mean… you can turn friggin’ invisible. you asked with a confused tone and walked out from the kitchen. Darien followed you with his eyes as he returned to the living room –area of his spacious studio apartment.
- Well, this guy called Arnaud had modified the gland in secret… Darien stated, paused for a moment and continued
- …and now I need antidote or the quicksilver will turn me into all sorts of cray-cray-
- You’ll go… insane? you asked with a confused tone. You couldn’t believe it! Turning invisible was quite enough… no, actually Kevin getting killed by terrorists had been quite enough, having a quicksilver gland in Darien’s brain and it making him insane without a dose of some drug was just… off the charts.
- Yeah… with massive headaches and so on. Darien commented and rolled his eyes. You stared at Darien with your mouth slightly open and sat down on the sofa again. Darien walked to the sofa and sat next to you, a bit further away from you this time because you clearly needed some space.
- But… I still don’t understand. you stated and shook your head.
- You see, my brother’s work was destroyed when the terrorists attacked… every piece of data… and when my brother died- he began, trying to select his words as well as possible so he wouldn’t confuse you even more.
- Well, Kevin was the only person who could take the gland out without killing me. Darien explained and paused to give you time to process what he had said. After a while you took a deep breath and began
- So, what you are saying is that… Arnaud modified the gland and made it dependent on a drug-
- The antidote. Darien said and nodded.
- And because your brother is dead, you are stuck with the gland, which will turn you into a looney tunes if you do not get the antidote. you summed with thoughtful tone.
- Yes, but fortunately this agency that I am now working for was able to come up with the counteragent and I do not have to either work for Arnaud or be a lunatic. Darien stated. You turned your gaze elsewhere and exhaled.
- Uh-uh. Well, I suppose that it is fortunate indeed. you commented even though you did not really like the idea of Darien working for the government because you and him had spent countless of hours mocking the government and you had basically sworn that you would never… like never ever… work for the government, especially for some security agency like FBI, CIA or NSA… Wow, many things had indeed changed during these past three years!
- So this terrorist had planned to recruit you to be his little minion? you asked after a short silent moment.
- No, this scientist-slash-terrorist called Arnaud had planned to replicate the gland and make the terrorists come to him for the counteragent. Darien continued, still looking at you even though you were currently staring at the floor. “That is a good scheme.” you mumbled and then shifted your eyes to Darien as you realized something.
- Wait… you said… Arnaud? Like… Arnaud DeFöhn? you asked Darien with a surprised tone.
- Yeah, that’s the one. Why? Darien asked. It was his turn to be puzzled. Yes, Arnaud DeFöhn was the man who was responsible for the death of Darien’s brother and he had been trying to capture Darien ever since because the original gland, the one that was inside Darien’s scull, was the only thing that was left from Kevin’s work. If Arnaud was going to proceed with his plan, he had to get his hands only tangible thing that was left; the quicksilver gland.
- Well… guess who’s after me. you mumbled and exhaled deep as you leaned back in the sofa. You stared at the ceiling and when Darien sighed “oh no” you turned your head to look at Darien with a sarcastic smirk on your face.
- Yeah. Small world. you stated and rolled your eyes before shifting your gaze back to the ceiling.
You both were silent for a quite long while. You were thinking about everything what Darien had told you and Darien was thinking about the fact that his archenemy was the very same man that was chasing you. He was also thinking about the fact that he had been trying to find a way to get to Arnaud and even though he did not want to think about it… he couldn’t help but feel that it was like Christmas had come early now that you had appeared into Darien’s life so suddenly. Maybe… this could benefit you and Darien as well, maybe… you could join forces and catch Arnaud, put him behind bars for good… and revenge the death of Kevin… get some justice. Surely you would understand… you after all had been serving justice, in a way, independently during the past few years by hacking the terrorists and other dishonest people.
- Darien… before you even ask. you said all of a sudden and broke the silence. Darien shifted his eyes to you and waited for you to continue. You voice was a bit hesitant but serious and it was apparent that you had something that you wanted to say.
- I know that you want to catch the killer of your brother. you stated and paused, shifted yourself so you could look at Darien properly and after Darien had asked “What?”with a confused tone you continued
- You didn’t say anything but I know… that it is what I would do if I were in your shoes.
- Well, yeah. Darien commented but he clearly was not sure where this was heading but there was something about your tone that made him feel guilty about what he had been thinking about silently just a moment ago… about having revenge and benefiting from your situation.
- So I know that this is so selfish of me… but please do not ask me to be a bait… you know, to get to Arnaud. you stated with an apologetic tone and then added “As you know, Arnaud is a dangerous man and I screwed him up big time.” You did not want to feel sorry for yourself, especially now that Darien had lost his brother and everything, but you knew that if Arnaud managed to catch you, he would kill you without any mercy. Yep, you had managed to mess up a big arms trade –deal of chemical weapons by ratting him out to the authorities. Arnaud had not gotten caught but some of his back accounts had been frozen and his trading partner had been arrested which had naturally cancelled the deal.
- I would never! Darien exclaimed and moved to sit closer to you. He had seen the fear in your eyes even though you had done your very best to hide it. He had also sensed it at the graveyard where you had been constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure that no one was there to catch you… or to simply finish you off by shooting you from a distance.
- You wouldn’t? you asked. Your question as well as your tone made Darien feel even guiltier, so he reached to take your hand squeezed it firmly, very reassuringly. He deeply regretted even considering of using you for his own gain.
- No. I would never put your life at risk to have revenge for my brother. Darien said and placed his hand on your jaw, guided you to look at him and brushed your cheek gently as he continued
- Listen, my brother is dead, I wish he weren’t… but he is-
- Yeah, and I’m so sorry about that. you commented and interrupted him. You felt guilty for being so selfish that you were unwilling to be the bait so Darien would get in contact with Arnaud. You wanted Darien to have justice but you did not want to put your own life into danger for Darien to avenge his brother’s death, especially because it was not going to bring Kevin back. You were about to turn your head away when Darien said “The point being” and held his hand even more firmly on your jaw, being still very gentle with you.
- I would never risk your life because it wouldn’t bring him back and I might lose you too. he assured with a sincere tone. You took a deep breath and realized that capturing Arnaud was something that had to be done, not for Darien, not even for his dead brother… but for you… You had to do something so you would be able to have a life again. You exhaled slowly, inhaled sharply and stated firmly
- I want to help you to catch him… I do. Somehow.
- But it’s dangerous. Darien commented with a disapproving tone.
- Yeah, I know… but Darien… I cannot run forever. you stated and looked into Darien’s brown eyes with sadness in yours. You had been on the run for many months and to be honest, you were getting exhausted with it. It was not easy to have nothing… to live in motels and hostels and be constantly afraid of being caught. Yes, you were quite tired of it all and if putting yourself into danger in order to catch Arnaud, it was what you had to do. This constant running away was not really life anyway.
- Yeah, about that. Darien said and decided to change the subject.
- Huh? you asked as you kept trying to find answers in his eyes.
- I was kind of hoping that you would stay, here… with me… We could be… close… like in the good old days. Darien spoke and smiled shyly.
- Close friends, huh? Do you think it… we… could work? I mean… we might have changed. Maybe there is no going back to the good old days. you commented, hoping that your worries were unnecessary and you were just over-thinking it.
- Well, actually I was kind of hoping something… closer. Darien spoke and moved his hand on your neck. He caressed the skin with his fingertips and continued with soft, hopeful tone
- The truth is that I have missed you and I’ve meant to call you so many times, but then… well… everything happened-
- Yeah, I know what you mean, I’ve had your number dialed in my phone countless times and all I should have done was to tap the call-icon, but- you said and stopped talking when you realized that Darien had leaned quite close again which made you lose your train of thought and your stomach filling with butterflies again.
- I always told myself “I’ll call tomorrow”… but never called. you added with a barely audible voice.
- It sounds to me that we owe it to ourselves to… try. So just… stay. Darien commented and shifted his gaze from your eyes to your lips. They were rosy and plump, they looked so inviting and soft.
- I don’t know… I’m a cyber criminal, remember? you commented and chuckled a little. Darien moved his other hand on your knee and massaged it with slow, round motions which felt amazing and made you feel more relaxed.
- You don’t necessarily have to be. I am sure the agency I work for could use a tech-wizard like you. Darien stated and smirked at you. “Me? Working for the government?” you laughed and placed your hand on his shoulder.
- Yeah, why not? You would do what you do now but without the risk of getting in trouble. Darien reasoned and closed his eyes, you did the same. He leaned closer to brush his nose against yours a couple of times and stayed close to wait for your answer. He moved his hand from your knee to the back of your head and tangled his fingers into your hair.
- We’ll see… When this whole thing with Arnaud is settled… we’ll talk about it then, alright? you sighed and bit your lip as you placed your other hand on Darien’s side and slid it on his back very slowly. You pulled him closer and shifted yourself so you would be able to get a bit closer. “Yeah, absolutely” Darien whispered, guided you to sit on his lap, facing him with your knees on the both sides of his hips. Like this you were slightly higher than he was so you pressed your lips against his and ignited the kiss after you couldn’t wait any longer.
Darien pulled your hair gently, massaged your scalp with his fingertips and caressed your neck as his lips moved with yours, making real all the secret feelings, hopes and wishes that you both had had and kept hidden from each other. You caressed his firm shoulders and held him close very tightly as the kiss grew hungrier and more demanding, remaining sweet and quite modest at the same time. Darien moved his hand from your neck to your waist and embraced you firmly. He drew back a couple of times, nibbled your lower lip and then moved to kiss your neck. He planted hungry openmouthed kisses, bit as well as sucked your earlobe gently and then moved back to kiss your lips again. Kissing you was just as amazing as he had imagined and he did not want to even consider continuing his life without you.
You kissed for long time, completely hypnotized from each other and getting lost into the warm embrace until you suddenly yawned which made Darien laugh. He suggested that you would get some sleep so tomorrow you and he could figure out how to solve the situation with Arnaud. You stood up and went to your backpack, took out your toothbrush and asked if you could get a towel so you would take a quick shower. Darien gave you one and took a quick shower after you. When he came out from the bathroom, wearing loose pajama pants that hung from his hips, he found you in his bed, laying under the covers wearing a different top. Darien blew off the candles, turned off the music as well as the lights and lay down next to you. He placed his hand on your arm as you were laying on your side, facing him and ran his fingertips on your arm slowly up and down.
- Is this strange? you asked with your eyes closed. You were getting so tired and within a couple of minutes you would surely fall asleep, especially if Darien would continue brushing your skin in such calming way.
- What? Darien asked and stared at your serene face.
- Well, us? Are we moving too fast? you asked, still keeping your eyes closed.
- Do you feel that we are? Darien asked softly. He brushed your hair behind your ear and traced your face with his fingertips. You smiled a little because he managed to find a slightly ticklish spot. Darien adored the way you pinched your nose as you tried to stop yourself from laughing.
- Well, I don’t know. you sighed and opened your eyes. You were greeted by Darien’s smiling face but his expression changed a bit less smiling and more thoughtful by your respond. Therefore you felt that you had to explain yourself a little. It was not that you had not been dreaming about this but the reality was that “We were just-friends for many years and then lost contact entirely” you stated and after filling your lungs slowly you continued
- Now I barged into your life all of a sudden, entirely without an invitation and-
Darien interrupted you by rolling you against the bed, to lay on your back and pressed his lips against yours. He knew that this was very unexpected and you both were possibly moving a bit too fast, but the truth was that he had missed you and this evening that you had spent together had reminded him about the easiness of spending time with you and therefore he did not want to waste any time wondering whether this was a good thing or not. Yes, you and he had been just-friends and for some reason your friendship had never gotten any deeper, even though both, you and Darien, had been waiting for the right moment to make a move. Maybe you as well as Darien had feared that changing things would ruin the friendship… now you were both here, in this bed and it felt right, like you both meant to be there. However… you both knew that you wouldn’t even be able to start talking about the future as long as Arnaud DeFöhn was out there trying to track you down.