Silence Can Seem So Loud

Warm.

That is how Eleana feels whenever she is around Darren.

Warmth.

An odd sense of welcome, worthiness, and content.

The night out with Darren’s closest friends from Glee went without a hitch. Darren was the perfect gentleman to Eleana - going out of his way to open doors for her, pull her chair out, pay for dinner and then the movie the two of them went to see after everyone decided to call it a night. It was almost too much for the young woman considering Mark always made her pay her own way during their dates, which usually meant they were going to a sports bar or some country concert. Regardless, Eleana hasn’t allowed herself to go to a place where she thought about Mark since arriving in Los Angeles three days ago.

It is now Friday afternoon. Darren had just finished his shots for the current episode of Glee he was shooting and called to let Eleana know he was on his way home. The young woman chose this day to stay home focusing on cleaning since all of her school work was caught up for the week and her homework was finished. She offered to start dinner but Darren informed her of different plans.

“Eleana, you already cleaned my entire house. I’m not letting you cook. Let’s go out for dinner, a movie, and then we can have a late night walk on the beach.”

“Darren, we just went out the other night. I can’t ask you to keep doing that.”

“I can’t ask you to clean my house but you do it anyways.”

“If I didn’t do it, then no one would.”

“Hey, I keep it clean.”

“Dare, just because you don’t use the other rooms doesn’t mean they don’t get dirty.”

“Fine. You win. But please? I want to have another night with you before you have to go home. Just one more night, please?”

“I can just see you using your puppy-dog eyes and I hate you.”

“Thank you, Eleana! And I love you too.”

“You’re welcome. So, I’ll see you in a little bit?”

“Give me forty-five minutes and I will be home.”

“Okay. I will see you in a bit then.”

“Bye, Eleana.”

“Bye, Darren.”

Now, as she sits and waits in the living room with one of Darren’s beat up books resting against her knees and her eyes soaking up every word of the book.

The sound of a lock clicking causes Eleana to look up from where she was in the book and smile as the door gets pushed open.

“I have to say, this is the best sight to come home to.” Darren smiles as he shuts the door behind him. “You sitting on the couch, book in hand, and a beer on the table.”

“Oh my, I hope you don’t mind.” Eleana motions to the beer. “I saw it in the fridge after I cleaned it out.”

Darren walks over and cups Eleana’s healing face in his hands. “Do not worry, sweetheart. You are welcome to anything you want in this house.” He places a kiss to her forehead. “I’ve missed you.” He moves off the coffee table to sit to the left of Eleana, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her body to his.

“I missed you too.” Eleana dog ears her page and closes the book before setting it to the side in order to cuddle closer to Darren’s right. As she wraps her arms around his waist, a leg moves to rest over his thighs and her head gets tucked under Darren’s chin. “It was really quiet in here without you.”

“Did you not get the stereo working?”

“I was worried I would break it if I tried to turn it on.” Eleana giggles softly. A smile permanent on her face as the chuckle Darren lets out rumbles in his chest before the sound even leaves his lips. “So I just settled for listening to the news.”

“Boring!” Darren smiles and kisses the top of Eleana’s head. Stealthily inhaling the green apple scent of her shampoo and conditioner. “So, when shall we go out for our dinner?”

“I need a shower and I am sure you do as well in order to get all of that gel out of your hair.”

“I do love the freedom my hair gets on the weekends.”

“So, we shower and get ready. I guess after that we can leave.”

“Sounds good.” Darren rubs his hand along Eleana’s upper arm. “I am going to use the guest bathroom and you can have mine.”

“Darren, use your bathroom. All of my things are in the guest bathroom anyways.”

“You’re sneaky.”

“I was home alone for twelve hours, what do you expect? Things got moved around in order for me to clean.”

“You know, it’s going to be hard switching back to being without you here.”

“I know. I wish I didn’t have to go back home.”

“No talk of sadness. Let’s go get ready.”

“Sounds good.” Eleana stands up and adjusts her shirt before turning on her heels and leading Darren out of the living room towards his bedroom. Eleana stops in front of the guest room and looks up at Darren.

“Meet me in the living room after you’re finished okay?” Darren whispers after they stare at eachother for a few quick moments. He reaches up to move Eleana’s milk chocolate colored bangs out of her bright blue eyes. “Please wear one of the dresses I know you packed.”

“Okay.” Eleana nods and steps back, over the threshold and into the bedroom. Sending one last smile to Darren, Eleana shifts and closes the door.

- - - - -

Dinner was phenomenal. They had a table at Eleana’s favorite Mongolian restaurant and through the entire meal, Darren and Eleana kept the conversation going. Smiles were shared all nights. Stolen glances. And a gentle caress from Darren across Eleana’s knuckles, the back of her wrist, or her cheek. Eleana even stepped out of her zone to place a gentle kiss to Darren’s wrist the more recent time he had reaches forward to brush some hair away from her lips.

The movie was hilarious. Eleana’s sides were in stitches before the film was halfway over. Darren made sure he kept their fingers laced together and in his lap. Eleana kept her head on Darren’s shoulder through most of the movie and her legs crossed in order to be closer to Darren. They shared a small bag of popcorn, a medium drink, and each others candies - only picking at the food since they had just eaten.

Now, two hours later, Darren is walking around to open the passenger side door as Eleana kicks out of her heels and shoves her clutch into the the glove box in front of her. Upon Darren opening the door, Eleana swings her legs out and stands with the help of Darren’s strong hands.

Silently, the pair walk hand in hand. Darren’s thumb absentmindedly tracing circles on Eleana’s delicate wrist.

“What do you think about me moving here?” Eleana finally speaks after minutes of just listening to their feet shuffling in the sand or the sound of the waves crashing to her left.

“I would think it’s the best idea I have ever heard. Why do you ask?”

Eleana gives a shrug of her shoulders. “I’m happiest when I am around you. It’s always been that way, but this week has showed me just how happy I truly can be if I allowed myself the chance.”

Darren nods and stops to stand in front of Eleana. “As selfish as it sounds, I think you should move here for that reason. Because we make each other the happiest. You would get away from all of the things that bring you down. You need to smile more, baby girl and I know that you know that. In all my life, I have never heard your laugh fill up a room more or even see the brightness of your smile than I have this week. I have said it before and I will say it until the day that I die, you deserve everything good that the world had to offer.”

“I know you heard me say this the other day, and I will forever stand by it. ‘I deserve you.’” Eleana says shyly as she looks down to where she and Darren have their feet buried in the night chilled sand.

Darren closes his eyes as the words filter in through his ears. Leaning forward, he gently rests his forehead against Eleana’s. The scents surrounding him is almost too much for him to take in. The smell of the ocean, the wet sand, and Eleana’s perfume as well as her hair products. Taking a deep breath, Darren let’s the three words he had been keeping to himself, since his sophomore year of college, slip from his lips.

“I love you.”

Eleana nods and closes her eyes against the warmth of tears beading in her eyes. “I know.” Her voice comes out tight and constricted.

Pulling back, Darren gently tilts Eleana’s chin up so he can look into her tear filled eyes. “You know I don’t mean -”

“Darren, I know.” Eleana pauses momentarily. “I know because I love you too.”

Silence.

Waves cresting then crashing against the beach below their feet.

Leaves rustling in the background as a cool breeze starts to swirl around them.

Electricity crackles through the air as a storm arises out over the ocean.

“But?” Darren asks apprehensively - not totally sure if he wants to hear the answer to his question.

“Darren, there is so much more to it than that and you know it. I love you, so much. But things with Mark are just-”

“It’s hell on Earth for you, Eleana!” All she does is nod her head as Darren’s voice raises a notch in volume. He quickly falls silent after letting out a hefty sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“It’s fine.” She whispers, looking down.

“Are you scared of what could happen if you try to leave him?”

“Not really because I know he would just go to one of the other girls he has waiting in the wings.”

“Then what is it?”

“If he found out I left him for you, that would be bad for you. Mark thinks that losing to you is like the end of the world. You will forever have the number one place in my heart and he hates being anything below the top shelf. Being under you kills him. I can’t let his jealousy turn him into a monster if I ended things and was suddenly seen on your arm.”

Darren stays silent as he takes in what Eleana had just said to him. She gives a hard shudder and he quickly shrugs from his jacket, wrapping it around Eleana’s shoulders. “You know I would never let anything happen to us.”

“I was never worried about us. You and I could control the world if we wanted to.” Eleana gives a soft smile and snickers at that thought before continuing, her face serious once more. “Mark’s jealousy and hatred of you is what worries me. I am worried about what could happen to you.” More tears fill Eleana’s blue eyes and tease the edge of her eyelashes. “If anything happened to you Darren, my life would end.” A tear falls as she finally blinks.

He gently raises a hand to her cheek to swipe his thumb across the pale skin, erasing the trace of a tear as it slowly made the trek down. “Nothing would happen to me.”

“Mark may be more of a shit talker when it comes to his threats, but when it comes to you, I never know what he is going to do.” She takes a deep breath. “You’re my weakness, Darren. And if Mark wanted to do any damage to me, he would go through you.”

Darren just nods and wraps his arms around Eleana’s body, pulling her to him. “As you are mine.” Darren swallows to keep his tears at bay before he nuzzles his head down against Eleana’s shoulder. “Things would be so easy with us. It’d be so natural.”

“It’s not just Mark I have to worry about though. My dad can’t be alone... I can’t-” Her voice gets cut off by more tears constricting her throat.

Minutes pass as they stand still together on the beach. The wind picks up around the pair and another shudder passes through Eleana’s frame shortly before there is a clap of thunder in the distance, over the ocean.

“We should get back to the house.” Darren whispers as he slowly pulls away from the embrace and guides Eleana back to the car, helps her in, before walking around to climb behind the wheel just as the skies open and rain pours down around the car.

Keeping her eyes focused on the rain hitting the passenger window, Eleana tries to hold the tears at bay. But when Darren calmly reaches over and wraps his warm hand around her freezing one, she loses that control and lets out a strangled sob.

Things with Darren would be as easy as breathing. Painless. No worries of his anger or what he would do if she pushed him too far for her freedom. Darren would love her no matter what and she knew that. Happiness. A sense of companionship. Everything Eleana knows she is worthy of.

But why torture herself by staying in Sacramento where she is unhappy and forced to turn back to her cold nature?

Oliver Sterling. Her father. The man she owes nothing in the world, but feels like she owes everything. He is blood. Someone who has given Eleana the drive to prove herself and make sure her life meant something. It was also the only world she knew.

As much as she loved the feelings Darren made her experience when they are together, Eleana didn’t understand his unconditional love for her. She knew that in his eyes, she could do no wrong. Darren kept his love for her so high and heavy on his heart that if she made one wrong step, it could all come crashing down and destroy the both of them.

Quietly after she has calmed down, Eleana voices all of these thoughts. And when she looks up, she is met with a misty eyed Darren.

“That is why I love you. This exact moment.” He leans over the center console to connect his lips with her. For the first time since they have been friends. For the first time since falling in love with Eleana.

And she doesn’t pull back or push him away.

Instead, her hands curl into the fabric of the white shirt and anchors herself in the moment instead of letting herself float up to cloud nine.

When they finally part from the kiss, Darren gently rests his forehead against Eleana’s, his molten honey eyes gazing into her blue orbs. “You have to trust me when I say we’ll be able to make it work. But I am willing to do whatever it is you want. You of all people are entitled to happiness. So you need to do whatever it is will make you feel like you are in some kind of paradise.”

“I am happy when I’m with you, Darren.” She takes his hand in hers, playing with his fingers as she looks down shyly. “I just need some time.”

“Take all of the time you need.” He brings their conjoined hands up to brush his lips over her knuckles.

For what feels like the millionth time that night, the pair fall silent and just sit in each other’s presence. “Just not too much time, right?”

“Exactly.” His smile widens as Eleana grins up at him. “I just couldn’t let you go home without knowing how I felt.”

“I know, Dare. I have to say, there could not have been a more cliche end to a veru wonderful evening.”

Darren gives a full body laugh and just shakes his head with the smile that fills his whole face. And just like that. Eleana and Darren are back to the comfort of being best friends. The kiss turned a new page for the pair.

But somewhere deep in Eleana’s heart, she knew this was only the beginning for her and Darren.

Life could either change for the better now.

Or for the worse.