Darren?" Chris calls, knocking on the door to his trailer.
"You decent?"
He doesn't get any response aside from what sounds like groaning. Undeterred, Chris opens the door and steps inside.
He's immediately met with a wall of ice-cold air. It's absolutely freezing in Darren's trailer.
Shivering, he makes his way towards the lump of blankets on the couch that he assumes contains Darren.
"Hey sleepyhead," he tries again. He sits on the edge of the couch and grips Darren's shoulder.
He tries to pull down the blankets so he can see Darren a little better, but Darren whines and tugs the blanket back over his head like a teenager on the first day of school.
"Maybe if you didn't keep the temperature in your trailer at twelve degrees, you wouldn't be so cold," Chris scolds him fondly.
"What are you talking about?"
"It's so hot," Darren groans, his voice muffled through several layers of fleece.
Chris frowns. "No, it really, really isn't. Are you sick?"
"No," Darren moans.
"I can't be sick, I'm supposed to be filming a solo right now."
Chris rolls his eyes, knowing that just because Darren shouldn't be sick doesn't mean he isn't.
He tends to have a real knack for getting deathly ill at very inopportune moments, probably because he's stubborn as fuck when it comes to his health and is lucky if he gets four hours of sleep a night.
Neither tendencies are very good for his immune system.
I'm coming in," Chris warns and then slowly peels the blankets off of Darren until he can see him properly.
Darren's eyes are glassy and his hair is plastered to his forehead with what Chris assumes is sweat, since he hasn't gotten his hair gelled to death to be Blaine just yet.
Before Chris even touches him, he knows Darren's got a fever.
He feels Darren's forehead and each of his cheeks in turn with the back of his hand, wincing at how hot he is.
"Jesus Darren," he breathes, "what are you even doing on set? You should be home in bed."
"Told you, I've got to film a solo today." Before Daren can say more, he breaks off into a harsh, barking cough that has Chris wincing in sympathy.
"You can film it another day. Everyone has had to rearrange their shooting schedule at least once because they were sick.
It happens. Ryan and everyone else will understand," Chris reassures.
"I've never had to do that before,"
Darren says and Chris isn't sure if it's a point of pride or stupidity. Possibly both.
"Well then, today's your lucky day," Chris shrugs helplessly. "Do you want me to go tell them so you don't have to move?"
"No," Darren's voice is quiet but firm. "I'm already here. I'm not going to break my attendance record for this. I can handle it."
"This isn't elementary school, Darren.
There are no perfect attendance certificates given out at the end of the school year banquet."
"Still... I've made it this far."
Chris sighs, knowing just how stubborn Darren can be when he gets stuck on something.
"Fine, give me one good reason why you want to do this performance today with a high fever rather than going home with me right now and getting in bed?"
