#p.015

Lizzie: There had been enough food at dinner to make the table groan under the weight of it all, but Lizzie really thought she'd been doing okay until the dessert came out. She'd saved her real turkey feast for Thursday, when she would be with her family, but in the face of apple and pecan pie, and her pumpkin cheesecake, plus all the other goodies, she'd been kind of powerless to stop herself at only one slice. At least she had her relatively light dinner to justify the heavy dessert, but by the time she and Darren were leaving, she did feel a little bit like he could have rolled her down the street instead of driving her home and she would have made it back in the same timeframe. At first the car ride was quiet, the music low as she let him concentrate on driving them down through the hills, her own eyes trained on the view through the trees out the window, happy for a bit of peace after the bustling party. But as they rounded a curve, the tree line broke up and gave them a few out into the night over the city that extended all the way to the ocean, the atmosphere surprisingly clear enough to give them a vista of the city lights, even if it was still too bright for any stars. "Hey, pull over here for a minute?" she asked, indicating the wide shoulder where they could safely park out of the way of any cars making the turn. As he switched the car off, she took her eyes off the view to glance at him with a grin. "I miss this place so much when I'm away, but sometimes I forget how pretty it is. I feel evangelical about this city, even if it gets a lot of heat." She laughed softly, knowing he would probably tease her about her eagerness. "Even if Giants fans try to say it's not the best city in California."

Darren: The night went well. Darren thought it was the perfect way to really get him prepared for Thanksgiving. The food was amazing as was the company and Lizzie was right when she said that the pumpkin cheesecake would change his life. He tried his best to sneak some out with him but there were just too many eyes. After everything though, he was really glad that she had asked him to go with her. The car ride was filled with a nice silence, especially considering the atmosphere they had just left. It was almost like the two were just content with the peace and with their little food comas. Suddenly, when Lizzie broke the silence, Darren was about to ask her if everything was okay as he did what she asked but he didn't want to immediately push so he gave her a second and as expected she explained what was going on. He put the car in park and then looked over at her with a small smile on his face. Of course he was waiting for a comment like that so he couldn't help but laugh. "Ignoring that little gab, I think you're forgetting that I'm not your typical Giants fan." He said, laughing a little more. "I get what you mean though. I miss it when I'm gone, too." He said, remembering the times when he was living in New York or traveling and somehow always thinking about this place. "Do you want to get out? You know, look at the view for awhile?"

Lizzie: The night had been a little chilly when they'd left Lea and Jensen's place, but not so cold that Lizzie would shy away from getting a little bit of fresh air. "Yeah, c'mon," she urged as she unbuckled, hopping out of her seat and closing the door behind her, grateful that she'd worn a cashmere sweater warm enough to make up for the lack of a coat. At the front of the car she waited for him to join her, then led the way to a small, flat ledge a few feet back from the edge of the hill, really just a few planks of wood meant to keep the small rocks that made up the terrain from rolling over the edge. It would do for a bench though, and when she sat she reached and patted the place beside her, inviting him to sit. She was still getting used to the buzzcut, and she had to twist her fingers together in her lap to stop herself from reaching out to brush her fingertips through the short bristles of his hair - she wasn't sure if that was the sort of thing he'd find invasive, and it felt too... intimate, somehow. Like she should have a better handle on herself, not give into every urge to touch him. "I didn't forget, you know. I just happen to think that even a 'not typical' Giants fan is saying much." Her words were harsh, but her laughter softened them, always lighthearted even when she was giving him a hard time. Even though they'd come for the view, Lizzie found herself drawing her knees in so she could rest her elbow in her lap, her face in her hand, so her eyes were on him instead, thinking about the unusual amber color of his irises. "Did you have fun tonight?" she asked, using her free hand to push the hair the wind had blown into her face back behind her ear. "I'm glad you came with me. It's nice to have... a touchstone, or whatever, when a party's hopping like that. Even if you know a lot of people, it's nice to have someone who's like... your person, you know?"

Darren: Part of him though that maybe Lizzie would have declined the suggestion but the next he knew, she was getting out of the car and he found himself smiling at the sudden spontaneous turn of night. He didn't mind at all being outside. For him, it was the kind of night that was a little cold but more refreshing than anything. This was coming from someone who actually missed the New York winters so a night like this was really nothing for him so he was even happier to be stepping out and getting a good look of the city. He waited a moment before unbuckling and making his way out of the car. It didn't take him too long to join her and he let her take her pick where they would settle down. Once she found a sort of makeshift bench, he laughed as he sat down next to her because this was honestly something he never would have expected to happen tonight but he found himself loving that it was happening. His focus shifted to the view in front of them as he settled in next to her. As soon as Lizzie spoke up again, he immediately grabbed his chest a little too dramatically. “Ouch.” He said, looking over at her. “Here I thought we were going to have a nice night but you just had to go show who the real mean one is out of the two of us.” The back and forth between them was just too easy and too natural. Darren had found himself genuinely enjoying talking to her because of things like this. She kept him on his toes and found a way to always tease him which he found himself actually liking. His smile said otherwise though because he actually thought she was the opposite of mean. He actually thought very highly of her and he hoped that he’d be able to tell her that someday. “I did. I’m glad I came, too, even if it was just for your cheesecake.” He gave her a gentle nudge just to show he was joking. Her words though lingered in his mind and he couldn’t help but turn a little serious in that moment. “I’m your person, huh? I’m happy to be that whenever you need.”

Lizzie: She bumped away at his nudge, exaggerating his gentle push so she could snap back with equal force into his shoulder. There it was again, that little fluttering feeling of panic that started in the pit of her stomach every time she felt things become too sincere between them, every time they pierced that thick layer of protective irony she'd built up around all of their interactions. It was a feeling she didn't really want to examine, because it felt safer, more manageable to keep it at arm's length, but it still felt foolish, when he ferreted out the sincere compliment in her teasing and held it out for examination, her immediate urge to back away, or disavow. Her need to assert immediately how platonically she had meant it, even as the words felt rushed and defensive and not entirely welcome. "Mm, I guess so. My person, my buddy. You know, like in school? Put everyone on the buddy system so no one gets lost. If we were on a field trip they'd make us hold hands. Or uh, tie us together or something." Lame. She knew it was lame even as she said it, but the words came out anyway. Breaking their eye contact, she decided to go back to watching the cityscape below them. Somehow that felt safer. "So are you here for much longer? I mean, through until the show you were telling me about? Or are you going home for Thanksgiving?"

Darren: There was a moment where he might have showed the slight disappointment he felt after seeing her reaction. Part of him thought that maybe he had done something wrong because it seemed like she was shutting down on him. The disappointment and that worrying made him think about things, too, but he knew that this wasn’t the time nor the place so he had to regroup himself quickly. Though, the lingering thought in the back of his mind was about why he would feel upset about the sudden shift in the conversation. Of course, she meant it as a joke or as a friends thing. There was no reason why it would be anything more. They had pretty much established the whole friends thing pretty much from the get-go and if that’s the person that she needed, he’d honestly be that for her. He’d be whatever she needed but now he was realizing that maybe that’s not what he wanted. “Right. I remember those days.” He said as he shifted a little and brought his hands to rest on his lap. “Does this count as a field trip? If so, I guess I’m really living up to this whole buddy thing.” He resisted the urge to joke about them needing to hold hands then or be tied together because it was clear it wouldn’t really go over too well given the tension he felt in the air. Even though she was looking away from him, Darren kept his eyes on her as he answered the question. “I’ll actually be here for Thanksgiving. Things could change before then because my brother isn’t exactly thrilled to be hosting but he’s running out of time to make a decision on things. How about you though? Do you have some time off now?”

Lizzie: She leaned forward to trail her hand through the rocks underneath her, shifting through a couple until she found one that was a smooth, perfect oval, the kind she could close her fist over without sharp edges jabbing into her skin. Lifting it into her lap, she turned the thing over and over again, marveling at its perfect symmetry, the way its pale surface had a glow of its own in the muted moonlight. With something else to concentrate on, she felt more at ease, the niggling little thoughts set aside and forgotten for now. "Mm, this is a field trip, to the Natural Museum of Ackles-Sarfati. We observed many lovers and exes trying to get along in their natural habitat. Saw a lot of bizarre mating rituals. And of course the communal food experience. It was all very educational." At that, she finally looked up at him again, and found his eyes had been trained on her the whole time. Picking up her stone, she held it out to him like an offering, a prize to be shared and not just something she'd picked up a few moments before. Maybe a peace offering for her sharpness. "I'm hosting at my house, having all of Clan Olsen there. Which is a lot because I have five siblings, plus my parents and their significant others. How many people is your brother looking at hosting?"

Darren: He didn't want to think too much into things but it almost seemed to him like her actions were so deliberate. Actually, everything she did seemed to be that way and it was part of what drew him into her. But right now, he could see her distracting herself with the rock she had found. He could hear her mind going at a hundred miles an hour and wanted nothing more than to know what was really going on in there. He settled for what he got though. Darren laughed at her description of the night, especially the part about the lovers and the exes. There definitely was a great mix of that so it seemed like wherever you turned there was something interesting going on or perhaps about to happen. "It was very educational." He agreed, nodding once. "My personal favorite was the whole communal food experience but really the whole experience was worth the trip." He smiled as she looked back over at him and it faded for only a second as she passed the stone to him. It was an odd gesture but he thought back to what he had been thinking before. It meant something. He wasn't quite sure what it was exactly but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he sort of examined it for a moment to see if whatever effect it had on her came onto him, too. "Ah, playing host, huh? Sounds fun." He joked as he sat back and relaxed a little. "Is that something you do every year or this was just your turn? Not too many. Probably about 15 or so. He's getting off easy, especially since most people are bringing the food to him."

Lizzie: Her hands free now, she occupied their restlessness with picking at the fraying edge of the hole slashed into her black jeans right above her knee, teasing out a single strand of denim thread to slowly unravel from the weave of the fabric. "The good news is that unlike many Thanksgiving dinners, I don't think any blood was shed. Unless things got buck wild after we left, but we can't be responsible for that." She'd had her own ex turned friend encounter to navigate, though thankfully the awkwardness of that particular relationship had mostly settled into bygones being bygones. Now she just took it as another piece of evidence that the idea of trying getting attached to someone on for size was an experiment best left unattempted. What was the expression? Fool me half a dozen times, shame on me for being such a fool? Something poetic like that. "Mm, I started hosting a couple of years ago, it's better for my mom's nerves if it's not in her house for some reason. If you can believe it, my mom is actually a more anxious person than I am," she chuckled, taking it with the same healthy dose of self-deprecation she seemed to take most things related to herself. Looking at him again, she let her eyes roam over his features, studying the planes of his face that were growing more familiar, smiling softly as she realized how perfectly his face captured his inherent kindness, the goodness that radiated off of him. Its why she trusted him so implicitly, warmed to him immediately, even if she still struggled with opening herself up beyond the most shallow of revelations. She kept things skin deep for his own sake, really. Anything deeper, and he might not want to find out more - that was a thought she really couldn't stand. "So what's your contribution then, besides harassing your poor beleaguered brother?"

Darren: He took a moment to actually look out at the city as his hands played with the rock. Admittedly, he had been tempted to throw it or hand it back but it actually did kind of serve as a good distraction. Kind of like one of those stress balls people have even though he was far from stressed out in this moment. "Good news? More like my hopes and dreams for the night were shattered. I was hoping for a recreation of that Mean Girls scene where everyone's going crazy in the halls." He said as seriously as he could before looking over at her and smiling. "But no, you're right. It was peaceful and nice. I mean if anything did happen, I didn't notice so I guess I have the company to thank for that." It was true that he was a bit distracted by her throughout the night in a good way. Obviously, he knew a decent amount of people there already but those people weren't who he found himself wanting to continuously interact with. "I get that. The holidays are stressful for some people plus all moms deserve a break at some point." He said with a shrug since he was all too familiar with that. "You must be a pretty great host though, huh? You know, if they keep coming back to you and all." He said with a smile that stayed on his face as she looked at him. Now that he thought about it though, he didn't think there was a moment when the smile wasn't present to some extent since the night started. "Wow, okay." He shifted slightly to move away from her as he brought his free hand up to his chest. "How do you know he's not the one doing to harassing? But if you must know, my plan for this year was somehow stealing dessert from you and using it as my contribution."

Lizzie: "I'm an okay host, I just love Thanksgiving and get a little crazy about it, and my mom is happy to let me take the lead. My friend Jade, she's one of my best friends and she works as my assistant when I'm doing Marvel stuff, she's always there helping too. She's from London so she loves getting the full American experience when she can." She rolled her eyes as she remembered the year before, deciding he was worthy of hearing an embarrassing anecdote. "She is a little Insta crazy though. I mean she's also the one who teaches me everything about it but last year she posted videos of me chopping shallots with my sunglasses on because the fumes were making me tear up. Was not a good look." She'd finally peeled the errant strand from the rip in her jeans, quickly flicking it away, then smoothing her hands against her thighs to stop herself from continuing to pick at it. If she kept up with the nervous energy, she was going to end up ruining her favorite jeans. "Don't give me that!" she protested, dissolving into laughter at his offended gesture. He might have fooled her too, if he hadn't oversold the expression just a little too much. "I know because I'm the younger sibling too, Darren. I know how we roll, so you can't trick me with this innocent bullshit act. Especially without these." Without thinking, she reached out and finally gave into the urge to skim her hand over the top of his head, feeling the short bristles tickling her palm where his mop of curls used to be. "Totally lost your boyish innocence thing, sorry. Coulda used that to trick me into making an extra pie too, too bad."

Darren: As soon as she heard what he said,    he shook his head slowly but let her continue. Once she was finished, he    brought up his hand for a moment just to kind of stress his point.    "First off, your friend is a genius because if I wasn't American, I'd    want that kind of experience, too." He then put up two fingers and    went back to shaking his head slightly. "And second, I highly doubt    you're just an okay host so I don't believe that. Don't be modest with    me." He waved that off because part of him thought she'd probably    downplay everything anyways. "Huh, so if she's Insta crazy, why    doesn't she do everyone a solid and teach you the basics like about    keysmashes and not starting political wars." The smile on his face was    a bit devilish which meant he was definitely just bringing that up to mess    with her. That was something that had become fun for him to do when it came    to her. They had a fun back and forth that he enjoyed a lot. "For the    record, that does sound like a cute look actually." He added that in    there quick enough where it would hopefully be forgotten given where the    conversation was heading next. "Wow." He dragged the word out a    little more as the hand remained on his best. "Not all younger    siblings are pains in the asses. Some are genuinely innocent." He    laughed as she reached out to touch his head. It was a look he himself was    still getting used to so the gesture and the comment caught him off guard    at first but he regrouped and laughed a little more. He waited a moment    before reaching up to grab her hand. "Are you kidding? I cut it so    that everyone could see the halo up there easier and I'm pretty sure if I    ask nice enough you'll do that anyways. No tricking needed."

Lizzie: What a tactic, bombarding her with    a barrage of teasing comments to slip in a compliment that she couldn't    even deflect, too busy already jumping onto the next thing to protest. And    he knew she would have protested, because she never knew quite how to    respond to kind words apart from bashful thank yous. It felt arrogant to    simply accept the praise, but ungrateful to brush it off, so she always    tried to split the difference and ended up feeling even more awkward than    if she'd just simply allowed it to happen. "You are NOT genuinely    innocent, Darren Criss. You will never convince me you weren't an absolute    terror of a little brother, not even with a sworn affidavit." She felt    surrounded in his laughter, in his easy good nature that had her completely    at ease, so much so that the stillness that overtook her when he reached    for her hand, closed his fingers around hers felt like an electric shock,    rolling down her arm. For a moment, she could only look at him, thinking    about the warmth of his skin against hers as her green eyes searched his -    a silent question that was there one moment, shuttered away the next as she    gently pulled her hand away, letting her laughter cover up the moment.    "Can't believe you're going to sit here on a beautiful night, in front    of this beautiful view, and lie to me, Darren. Nice boys don't do things like    that," she admonished, returning her hands to smoothing over her legs,    like she was trying to ease away the sudden intense awareness of her own    nerve endings with her fidgeting.

Darren: Despite the constant reminders not    to, Darren always felt himself somehow slipping in a compliment. Maybe it    was just the nice guy in him or maybe it was because he liked when she was    happy so he wanted to try to do his best to make that happen when it seemed    like it might be going the other route. Her words weren't exactly surprised    but he continued his fake offended act. "I feel like you're in denial    and you're just trying to justify how much of a terror you are to your    siblings but assuming I am, too. You can ask Chuck. He'll back me on this    and it's not like I paid him or anything to always say I'm the perfect    brother when asked." He said, scrunching his face up a little to make    it seem like he was being serious for a moment. There was a moment when the    thought passed through his head that it was probably a bad idea to have    taken her hand because he didn't want to let go of it. He tried to not have    that show on his face as she looked at him because the little he knew told    him not to push things or read too into what was happening. "I can't    believe you're sitting here trying to make me feel guilty, especially after    I was the most amazing plus one in the history of plus ones. You're a bit    unbelievable, you know that?" He meant the last bit as a joke but it    was true though in probably the best way possible.

Lizzie: "Unbelievably amazing, yes, I    realize." She knew she was slippery, dodging all the compliments he    gave her sincerely but turning around his attempts at jabs by taking them    as flattery, just to keep him on his toes. He was good company, he made her    laugh and he laughed easily, which was good for her ego. She liked that he    didn't seem take himself too seriously, that he could laugh and play into    every ridiculous joke she tried to take a little too far, that he could    talk about a seemingly endless number of topics, but that she could also    sit in silence with him when the moment called for it, that he wasn't the    type to try and fill the world up with mindless chatter. "You were a    really good plus one," she finally conceded, nothing but sincerity in    her voice. "Thank you for coming with me tonight. I feel like... a lot    of my personal life has been a mess for the past few months and I was kinda    worried tonight would be awkward, but it was nice to just be able to be    with my friends, to be with you and enjoy myself and just have it feel    easy, you know? It means a lot to me, that I can just be myself with    you."

Darren: “Eh,    that’s questionable.” Given the fact that he figured he’d used up his made    up daily compliment limit, he decided to just continue to mess with her there. He did want to agree    though since she really was pretty amazing. He figured that maybe this just    meant it wasn’t the right time or place to    actually tell her that just yet and that was okay. There was a moment of    silence where he could tell    she was deep in thought so he took the time to just look out towards the    city. He took in a deep breath just to kind of take in how nice it felt to breathe    a little. Being able to see the city and not actually being there was    something different and having good company added to that peaceful    experience and perspective. When she spoke back up, he smiled to himself    before looking back over at her. “Should I    mark this time and date? Because that might have been the nicest thing    you’ve ever said to me.” He laughed    a little before it faded and he turned a bit more serious as she spoke    more. “I’m glad it was a good night for    you. You deserve to enjoy yourself and show off that nice smile. And I’m    glad that you asked me to come with you. It’s really nice talking to you and just being around you.”

Lizzie: "I know, I'm sorry. I try not    to get too deep into that like, constant bickering thing because I know it    can kind of be exhausting, and it's definitely a crutch for having genuine    interaction sometimes. I have this one friend, I feel like every woman he    knows is constantly yelling at him, trying to be cute, and that just seems    like the worst life possible. So when I find myself slipping into it, I try    to keep it at a manageable level." She shrugged, shaking her head. "Not    that it's always horrible. Obviously I do enjoy it, I just don't want it to    crowd out the possibility for sincere human interaction." Turning to    look at him again, she caught his glance and offered him a small smile in    return, leaning to bump her shoulder against his gently. "Lea told me    she thought she'd invited you herself, but I'm glad I got to do it so you    felt obligated to hang out with me. I like being around you too. We    definitely don't get to do it enough. You're way too popular."

Darren: Darren laughed  very briefly and waved a hand in the air to kind of brush her off. "You  don't have to apologize. I was just messing with you but that's good to know  because the whole sincere human interaction thing is pretty nice  sometimes." He noted with a shrug and decided to leave it at that. He  was definitely not going to complain about having that for the time being and  although the bickering was fun, he did enjoy how they seemed to be able to be  serious. He was hopeful that that meant he'd continue to get to know her  more. When he felt the bump on his shoulder, he gave her a gentle one back  with the smile still on his face. "She probably mentioned it. As much as  I hate to admit it, I can be forgetful sometimes, especially this time of  year, you know?" He scrunched up his face a little in a bit of disgust  at himself but then laughed. "Me? Please, you're the popular one, Miss  Atlanta. I'm actually surprised you'd even want to come with me."

 Lizzie:  "Because you have a million things going on? I get it." She nodded  sympathetically, knowing exactly the kind of craziness that packed itself  into the holiday season. Every friend she'd ever had wanted to hang out or  was throwing a party, all of her family was planning a million get togethers,  and through it all, work never stopped. His mention of Atlanta made her shake  her head, dropping her face in her hands bashfully before turning to peep up  at him sideways. "I uh... I actually have to go to Buenos Aires on the  red eye tonight. I have a work event this weekend." She was blushing at  the admission, knowing it was kind of an insane trip to have to make  relatively last minute. "Why are you surprised I asked you,  though?"

Darren:  "Something like that." Darren admitted with a nod before he looked  out in front of him for a moment. "I feel bad though. It's not really  the best of excuses, you know? Everyone has a million things going on,  especially now.” The holidays did add to things but Darren was sometimes a  forgetful person when it came to dates and events. His ex used to fill him in  on everything and lately his brother for all their promotional things. It  took a moment for Darren to process what she had just said and he opened his  mouth a few times before letting out a laugh. “Tonight? So then what are we  doing here? I should take you home so you can rest or pack or something.” He  had shifted so that he was completely facing her at this point. After hearing  the question, he thought for a moment and just shrugged. “I don’t know. I  just am. Not in a bad way or anything. I mean I’m glad you did like I said  but it’s just…nice and surprising.”

Lizzie: "It  doesn't seem like you're making excuses, though. Even if everyone is busy,  that doesn't make it any easier for you to deal with. But maybe you should  get like, an Apple watch or something. You can just whisper your appointments  into it and it'll remind you when it's time." His reaction was exactly  what she expected, but she still couldn't help the sharp peal of laughter  that escaped her before she clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh my  god, Darren, calm down. I already packed, I promise. Ready to go, car is  booked, ticket is printed. I promise I'm okay. Though you can't keep me out  late, okay? Otherwise I'm going to look even less cute when I land." She  pushed a hand through her hair, annoyed that it wouldn't stay out of her  face. The wind on the canyons was always such a bitch to deal with. "I'm  just glad you wanted to come, honestly. Even if you didn't need the invite for  me, it meant a lot."

Darren: "Nice  plug there for Apple." Darren joked before he started jokingly looking  around. "Are you their secret sponsor or something?" He teased and  let it last for only a moment more before focusing back on the topic. "I  appreciate that though. I should probably invest in one of those things but I  don't know. I'm more of a traditional watch kind of guy." He noted,  holding up his wrist to show the one he had on. As soon as she started  laughing at him, he reached over and bumped her a little. "Rude."  He couldn't help but laugh along with her though. "But okay, fine. I'm  glad you're okay and I promise I won't keep you out late. You'll be like  Cinderella tonight and I won't miss the whole midnight thing. For the record  though, I don't think it's possible for you to ever look less cute."  That might have been crossing a line but he reasoned with himself that  friends said things like that all the time so why not? "I guess it's  kind of a good thing I forgot about the whole thing originally, huh? I would  have ended up bothering you during the night regardless but I'm just glad it  happened this way instead."

Lizzie: "Uh  yeah, they pay me ten thousand dollars every time I drop that tidbit. How do  you think I bought my new house?" These bumps were becoming a little  excessive, and she let him know by shooting him a playfully dirty look.  "Maybe I like being rude. Or I just have to be rude to men who question  my motives for recommending top of the line personal electronics. Then again,  hey. We have similar taste." When he held up his wrist, she matched him,  holding hers out so he could see the similarly masculine watch she was  sporting. "I almost always wear men's watches, even if I have to get  like five links removed to make them fit. I just like the way they look  better. I love that whole contrast between feminine and masculine." She  figured that was apparent enough from knowing her, the way her style always  mixed and tended toward the androgynous over the super girly most days, but  she found herself opening up to him, wanting to tell him things about herself  without even really realizing why. Maybe it was the way she felt the heavy  thud of her heart against her ribs when he complimented her, the pleasure at  knowing her thought of her that way - a feeling that was instantly followed  by the urge to repress, the doubt because hey, he could just be saying that  in the most platonic way possible. And even if he wasn't, well. She liked  him, she liked knowing him, getting to spend time with him, and she learned  her lesson on not fucking up things like that, things that mattered to her,  by letting romantic feelings get involved. If wanting someone always meant  losing them, then she wasn't going to be stupid enough to let herself wan  him. "Hey, thank you. I strive for cute, you know?" And see, she  could take a compliment for what it was, a face value observation, without  making it more. That part was easy.

Darren: "Ten  thousand, huh? I'm judging now that you haven't dropped that tidbit more  than. But I'm onto you now. It all makes sense." The smile on his face  didn't waver but he gave her a small nod to let her know that he got what the  look was for. "Part of me is thinking that you actually do like being  rude a little tiny bit." He narrowed his eyes just as he mentioned the  'tiny bit' part. When she showed the watch, he leaned a little closer to her  to get a better look at it. It wasn't something he was actually paying much  attention to throughout the night if he was being honest. "You've got  good taste, too. But that's interesting though and I'm not just saying that.  It's never really something I've thought of before or heard anyone really  talk about." It was at this point something that just added to how  interesting she was to him even though it was seemingly a minor thing. With  the whole topic of watches in mind, Darren happened to look at his and saw  the time. “Are you sure you’re okay with the whole flight thing?” He knew the  answer but still just wanted to make sure. Of course, there was no way of him  knowing this was happening before but had he, he would have tried to help  with everything a little more than he had just to make things easier for her.  “How long are you even going?” He added in since he didn’t ask originally and  was hoping maybe a bit selfishly that it wasn’t too long. “And hey, you’re  welcome. You strive for it and achieve it so you should feel very proud of  yourself.”

Lizzie: His glance  at his watch made her follow suit, suddenly anxious that it was getting too  late. It was very easy to make her nervous, and anxiousness caught quickly,  but she seemed to relax once she saw the time. "No, it's okay. I mean  maybe we should get going soon but I'm all ready to go otherwise. I'm trying  to stay up late so I sleep on the plane, it's a twelve-hour flight." She  winced saying it, the prospect of flying for that long, even in first class,  not at all fun to contemplate. "I'm going for the weekend; I'll be back  in time for Thanksgiving. I have a big secret project I'm doing; my whole  team is coming down." The word secret was accompanied by some waggling  eyebrows, knowing exactly how ridiculous it was to be mysterious about the  trip. "Really just like. A photoshoot and we're filming something he  next couple of months is going to be... a lot of random stuff, hopefully. Events  and stuff that I normally wouldn't be doing, 'cause of Wind River. Actually  now I feel like I already told you this, sorry if I'm repeating myself."  Still beyond annoyed with her hair, she finally gave in and pulled her hair  elastic off her wrist and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, finally getting  it all off of her face. "What about you, are you done with ACS now? Full  time focused on your music? I'm excited about your concert, I think it's  going to be super fun."

Darren: He did his best to  try to read her in that moment. It seemed like she was being genuine when she  said that it was okay so he accepted that and was relieved to hear it because  he didn't want to call it a night just yet. "Okay, you just say the word  though. I had no idea it was that long of a flight so yeah, that's a smart  idea. Just sleep most of the way." Darren liked flying but still wasn't  a huge fan of the whole process. The travel day was always so exhausting and  never really fun. He perked up when he heard the whole bit about a secret  project. It seemed like that was a theme for her and it made him wonder if  there was some secret Hollywood CIA or something out there that she was part  of. “You really are a busy and mysterious woman.”  He noted with a laugh but it faded as soon as he realized she was  apologizing to him. “Hey, no. Don’t apologize. It’s  fine. You can tell me it a hundred times. I don’t mind.” It was the truth. He  was fine with hearing about what people were doing and passionate about and  he didn’t mind hearing about it tons of times because it was part of  that person. He watched as she struggled with her hair and brought a hand up  to his now cut hair. “I don’t have that problem.” He  teased but felt slightly bad about it until she got everything in control.  “No, there’s still a little bit of ACS left. Nothing too much but it  depends on how editing goes and how Ryan likes everything, you know? Yeah? I’m excited you are and I’m really excited that you’re coming.”

Lizzie:  "So what you're saying is you think I should shave my head? Still think  I would be cute then?" She tugged on the end of her ponytail that had  looped over her shoulder, wondering if that was a look she could pull off.  Right now her hair was the longest it had been in years, and she hadn't  decided yet if she was going to keep letting it grow or if it was getting to  be time for a cut, though she didn't think she'd do like she did last time  she made a drastic change and chop it off to her chin. That decision had been  made in a fit of post-breakup impulsiveness, and while she'd liked the look  it hadn't necessarily felt very "her." "Do you feel liberated  with the buzz cut, or is your head cold without the curls?" The wind had  picked up, and she realized she was shivering inside her sweater, her arms  unconsciously wrapping around her stomach, trying to warm up her core.  "Are you really excited for me to come, or are you excited I'm bringing  your future girlfriend, Aubrey? Hey -- you wanna get back in the car? My LA  bones aren't ready for this chill without a jacket."

Darren:  Darren squinted his eyes and held his hands up to try to cover the hair she  did have to see how she'd look without any. "Still cute but yeah, maybe  just don’t go for that look ever. Okay?” He added in as he placed his hands  back down into his lap. For him, the topic of hair was something he just kind  of shrugged off. He noticed a lot of his fans freaking out over his short  hair now but he didn’t see the big deal. He did with it whatever he felt like  in the moment and that was a change he was feeling. “I feel like a whole new  man but there’s definitely been a few times where I’ve forgotten and was a  bit surprised when I went to go touch up there.” He laughed, shaking his head  slowly as he remembered the first few times he experienced that. When the wind  picked up, he actually didn’t feel a difference on his head or really  anywhere at all. Weather like this was always refreshing to him. He could  tell though that it wasn’t something Lizzie was excited about. “I was excited  for you but now all I can see is Aubrey so you can third wheel. And that’s  fine.” He said, standing up slowly and offering up her his hand so she could  get up. “You need to experience winter in New York with me to toughen you up  a little.”

Lizzie:  She made sure he got the full picture, posing into the frame he gave her to  get the image of how she would look with her hair buzzed off, her  irrepressible giggle lighting up her face as she did. "That doesn't  sound very supportive, Darren. Maybe I just want a bit of freedom to sit out on  a windy night without getting hair stuck to my lip balm." She knew it  was such a petty complain that it was bordering on ridiculous, hoping to make  him laugh, mostly because she just really liked his smile. The hair cut did  change his appearance, making him seem a bit... well, she wasn't sure how to  put it. He looked good no matter what, but the curls made him seem a little  softer, more approachable. Without them, his other features stood out more,  his eyes and his sharp cheekbones, his jaw. Okay, she could admit it. The buzz  cut was definitely a sexy look. "I actually lived in New York for eight  years, if you can believe it. I didn't mind winter that much, I just bundled  up a lot. I have a really impressive coat collection." It didn't slip  passed her how he'd insisted that she needed to experience it /with him/, but  she also wasn't going to draw attention to it. Instead she let him take her  hand and help her to her feet, her mind laser focused for the few brief  seconds their hands touched, the warmth of his around hers, before she  reluctantly let go and walked to the car, slipping back into the passenger's  seat.

Darren: Her actions  definitely got him laughing a little more which seemed to be the theme of the  night anyways so he wasn't too surprised. "I'm sorry. If I could control  the wind, I'd stop it. Now how's that for supportive?" He said with a  bit of a proud smile on his face thinking that would get him some points. It  was a cop out though since he had no true answer given the fact that he  obviously never had the hair and lip balm issue. When he felt her eyes on  him, he wondered for the millionth time what was going on in her head but he  took the chance to look at her now in this light. It was a simple change but  putting her hair up made her look different. Not in a bad way at all since he  always found her beautiful. It was just different. "No, I know that. You  went to school there and all that but it doesn't count. I have no way of  proving whether that's actually true because part of me believes you just  avoided being outside in the winter and being bundled up when you had to go  outside has made you soft. I'd let you go through that collection but you'd  be out there for a bit." He smiled as he thought of being in New York  with her. It was a place he loved so much, especially in the winter, and he  thought that maybe she'd make him love it that much more. He gave her hand a  squeeze right before he figured she'd let go. Part of him was a little  disappointed that she had and he waited a moment before walking towards the  car and getting inside. He reached over immediately to place the heat on low  so she could warm up a little. "You can adjust it if you need."

Lizzie:  For a moment, her concentration was focused entirely on her hand, on the  warmth that she could swear lingered from his skin, on the electricity that  tingled along her fingertips when he squeezed hers tight. Such a small  gesture, but it occupied her mind in a way she knew had to be dangerous -  first, because it was probably meaningless to him, and she should be careful  about overhyping it into something it wasn't, a mindless sign of friendship  he'd done without even realizing. Second, because even if he wasn't... this  couldn't happen. That was the mantra, over and over again, because as much as  the feeling excited her, it terrified her twice as much, and she couldn't  handle that. By the time he finally joined her and turned on the heat, she'd  managed to compose herself, though she still cradled the hand he'd held in  her other hand in her lap, gently massaging her fingers over it as though  trying to shake out the tingling, to push the feeling away and out of her  mind forever. "No, this is perfect. Sorry I'm such a baby about it. If  I'd been thinking ahead I'd have worn a coat, but I figured we'd be going  right from the car to the house and back again. And yes, I realize this stop  was my suggestion but I never said I was smart, Darren."

Darren: The moment after he adjusted the      heat, he took a moment to look into the backseat. Sometimes there was a      sweatshirt or something thrown back there but of course, the time he was      looking for one there was nothing. Had he had a jacket on he would have      given it to her back when they were still outside but this was his backup      plan and it clearly failed. He was glad though that she already seemed to      be warming up and he waved her off when he heard the apology. "Stop.      You're fine. I wish I had thought to bring a jacket but I guess I figured      the same thing." The stop was definitely unexpected but he wasn't      complaining about it and at least they still had the moments in the car      left. "I wasn't even going to say anything about the stop. I can      resist teasing you every now and again but hey, you said it about the      smart thing. Not me." He shrugged as he placed his hands on the      wheel. "So where to? I'm officially back living out my dream of      being an Uber driver so you name it or you direct me and I'll get you      there and will be expecting 5 stars."

Lizzie: "Everyone needs a side      hustle these days, and yours is ferrying me around. I don't know what      you're going to do when I drive myself, you might need more      clients." She wanted to prolong the night, but she knew the smart      thing would be to get home and double, triple check that she had      everything ready to leave for Argentina - and she couldn't think of      anything to do or go that wouldn't be an obvious ploy to extend the      evening. She hated to see the night end, but what other choice did she      have? Anyway, she had the feeling that wrapping things up would be wise.      Anymore time in his presence and she might find her mind wandering again,      and that wasn't allowed to happen. "Home, I guess. Laurel Canyon,      and if we don't hit traffic I'll even tip you," she finally answered,      reaching to buckle herself in now that she finally felt warm enough not      to huddle in her seat.

Darren: "I'll figure something out.      Maybe I'll just find someone who wants me to drive all the time. None of      this 'when I drive myself.' You know like loyal clients." Darren      didn't really get to drive often, especially lately. He was also on the      move when he was in LA and the only other place he visited was New York      which he tried avoiding driving in as much as possible. People were crazy      to willingly do that on a daily basis there but to each their own. He was      a bit reluctant to do so but followed suit in buckling himself in. All      good things had to come to an end and it just made him excited for      whatever their next adventure might be. "Is that how you determine      if someone gets a tip? I have no control over the traffic so you're just      setting me up for a potential loss here." He shook his head slowly      as he looked around him and then began to drive. "Lucky I know some      secret routes though so I'll avoid any potential traffic and make sure      Cinderella gets home soon."

Lizzie: "Damn, I didn't know I was      driving with an LA expert over here," she laughed, though her tone      said she'd definitely be impressed if he really did manage to get her      across the city without hitting any major traffic on a Friday night. The      food, the warmth of the car, the soft music had the effect of making her      feel sleepy and calm, resting her head against the back of her seat so      she could look at him. He still seemed to be smirking, the corner of his      lip curled up in a smile that made the corner of his eye crinkle in a way      she found painfully adorable, that made her want to make it her mission      to make him smile as often as possible. Her fingers were itching to reach      out and touch him, rest her hand against his elbow, maybe even his leg if      she was feeling particularly daring, but instead she kept her palms      pressed flat against her own thighs, studiously avoiding touching him.      "I'm so afraid I'm going to pass out on my couch and wake up groggy      as fuck to get to the airport. Trying to get through security half asleep      sounds like a fucking nightmare. Maybe I should have some coffee when I      get home, although then I'm afraid I wouldn't sleep at all."

Darren: "You should have known. Even      with no context at all to go on before this, you should have just known      deep down obviously." He played along even though he knew it was      furthest from the truth. He doubted that there was anyone out there who      was an LA expert and if there was, he wanted them to drive him      everywhere. When he started driving, he focus stayed on the road until he      noticed that she was looking over at him. He glanced over for a moment      and offered her a warm smile before focusing back ahead. Her eyes were      definitely still on him though and it kind of made him both proud and      nervous weirdly enough. It was clear to him why but it was nothing he was      going to dwell on since he was definitely reading way too into things.      "Yeah, don't do the coffee thing. I know what might work..." He      said, trailing off as he smiled somewhat devilishly and turned up the      radio. "Belt out a few songs right now and get your energy up.      You'll have that bit of adrenaline long enough to actually make it to      bed." It could work but he was mostly suggesting it just to see her      reaction.

Lizzie: She both loved and feared that      smirk, because it was thrilling, but it also almost certainly led to      trouble. Whatever he could be up to would be too much for her to handle,      she was absolutely certain of that. The song he'd turned up almost to      blasting was a Journey classic, the first strains of Faithfully making      the windows buzz as every note hit. "Wait, wait, wait. You really      think I, with my horrible voice, am going to sing in front of someone who      is literally a professional singer? Who has LITERALLY been on Broadway?      That's not happening Darren, no way," she insisted, shaking her head      as she crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest. "I'm not      subjecting you to that!"

Darren: The reaction was exactly what he      expected but that didn't stop him from genuinely laughing as he heard      what she had to say. That was the response he got often whenever he asked      someone to sing. The only time people willingly would do it is during the      always fun drunk karaoke sessions when everyone was terrible. "Hey,      it not like I'm not a professional singing judge sooo come on." That      was his logic and he offered it like it was the most obvious thing. With      a shrug, he then reached over to put on the radio lowly and there was one      of those songs that you'd hear everywhere right now on. "You can't      tell me you aren't a little tempted right now." He glanced over at      her quickly with the smirk still present before he looked forward to      concentrate on the road.

Lizzie: That would be his logic, wouldn't      it? What a dude thing to say. Rolling her eyes, she reached over and      switched the station back to the one that had been playing Journey,      feeling less intimidated by Steven Perry than she was by Demi's Sorry Not      Sorry act. She couldn't belt, that was for damn sure, but she could      muster up an older, especially one that let her sing in her lower      register. Anyway, from the neighborhood around them, they were only a few      minutes from her house - she could do this until then. As the pre-chorus      started, she closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see him if he      started laughing in her face and just started singing along, not quite at      the top of her lungs but definitely loud enough to be heard over the      music, the entire chorus and into the second verse, just because she was      feeling herself now.

Darren: Darren raised      his eyebrows and offered up a small nod of the head more so to himself      because he was impressed that she decided to change things up. Even      though anything and everything Journey reminded him of his Glee days, he      liked that this was her preference and he could sense even without      looking at her that she was getting ready to give in. A genuine smile      formed as he listened to her and he just opted to tap his hand against      the steering wheel as he let her get lost in her own little world. When      he stopped to let a turning car go before him, he took the chance to look      over at her and almost forgot that he was driving for a second. He didn't      laugh or anything. He just was in a bit of awe because it was nice to      finally see her like this. Once the song was over, he scrunched up his      face in thought. "You're not terrible but not very good      either." He said seriously before busting out laughing. "I'm      kidding. Totally would have hit the button thing to turn this chair if      this was The Voice: Carpool Karaoke edition."

Lizzie:      She kept expecting him to join in with her, and when he didn't she just      had to hope it wasn't because he was so mortified at how awful her      singing was that he was trying to figure out how to jump out of the car      without killing them both in the process. It was a longer song than she      remembered, but finally she delivered the last "I'm forever yours,      faithfully," and let the song fade into its last few chords, only      then opening her eyes and looking over at him, her cheeks flushed from      laughter and exuberance, her eyes bright with pleasure. She hadn't      expected to catch him staring at her, but there he was, instantly making      her bite her lip in mortification that he could look at her so intently      when she was so... unguarded. It felt suddenly very vulnerable, and she      tried to cover it by reaching up to smooth her hair back, as though the      effort of singing had mussed it so horribly. "You don't have to lie      to me, Darren. There's a reason I studied Theatre Arts and not musical      theatre performance, I knew from my first summer at theatre camp that I      was a mediocre singer at best, so I left it to the pros." Another      turn and they were in her neighborhood, the hill they had climbed high      enough that they could have seen all the way to the beach if the sky had been      clear. She felt a twinge of regret that she was home already, but it had      to happen eventually, right? "It's um, this one, right here,"      she pointed out a Spanish-style house done all in blue that she wasn't      yet sure she was going to keep, a small gate blocking off the driveway      that she reached into her pocket to click open with her remote key.

Darren:      Never in his life would Darren have thought that something would come      along to make him like this song even more. Seeing her so genuine and      carefree was something he could definitely get used to and he hoped that      he'd get to see more of. It was amazing how one person could make      something so innocent seem so amazing. Darren opened his mouth in surprise      as he placed his hand on his chest. "I'm offended. I'd never lie      about getting to hit the Voice button because come on, how cool is that      damn thing? It really wasn't that bad but come on, not everyone can be      Lea, you know?" He joked, remembering her being able to take a song      not traditionally sung by a woman and own it with Cory. The smile on his      face faded slightly when he heard that her house was close-by but he      quickly covered his disappointment up as he actually pulled up to the      house. "Wow." Was all he could say as he then started to drive      passed the now-open gate. Once he pulled up to the front, he put the care      in park and held up one finger to tell her to hold on so that he could      get out of the car and open the door for her. The nice gesture was immediately      followed by a smartass comment because he couldn't resist. "For the      record, I expect my tip to be in the form of another pie because I know      that was an amazing ride not just because of the lack of traffic but      obviously because of the singing, too."

Lizzie:      Never one to let a chance to display some excellent manners and then      immediately ruin it with a smart-ass comment, Lizzie still managed to be      impressed that Darren went the extra mile of coming around to open her      door, although she wondered if he might be longing for a driver's hat to      complete the joke. Grabbing her purse, she waited for him to open her      door and then stepped out, moving aside so he could close it behind her,      waiting until he was facing her again to roll her eyes, wanting him to get      the full effect. "I'll make you a pie to thank you for getting me      home in one piece... after Argentina." She found herself at a loss      again, not yet ready to say goodbye, but having no real reason to prolong      the moment. Instead, she opted for offering him a sincere smile, one that      really held all her thanks for being such a lovely companion that night,      and leaned in to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug, one that she      let linger for just a moment longer than was strictly necessary, because      she couldn't stop herself. And she really didn't want to, anyway.      "Thank you for everything, Darren. Get home safe, okay?"