What the Heart Already Knows
A short story
Author: Me, ChibiCori!
e-mail (please!) me at: kamikaze_bunny_eater@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13


Disclaimer:  Anybody who doesn't know that I do not own 
Sailormoon, that the goddess of 
all things fabulous, Naoko Tackeuchi owns it, needs to leave.  
Now, move it!  No, I'm 
just kidding, all are welcome to Sailormoon Land.  But if you 
say you own it when you 
don't, you'll be killed. 

AN: Hi all!  Here is my very first short!  Which turned out to 
not be very short, but it 
is in only one part, so it's a short!  So okay, here's the sum- 
Serena does 
something extremely out of character which leaves Darien 
wondering, "Huh?"  It's in 
Darien's POV, and he has a really nasty inner voice (signified 
by a *, while 
Darien's thoughts are in ' ').  And don't look at me like that, 
we all have inner voices...Don't we?


What the Heart Already Knows

Darien squinted as he shoved the book closer to his face. 
'Serves you right, Chiba, for 
not bringing your reading glasses with you.  You are so vain.' 
He thought sourly as 
the letters continued to blur under his intense focus.  *You 
won't get any argument 
here!*  Darien scowled as a shank of black hair fell over his 
forehead.  He ignored it 
as his dark, blue eyes tried in vain to see his chemistry 
homework more clearly.

Of course, he was feeding his bad habit of walking and studying 
at the same time.  
Andrew had always marveled at Darien's knack for multi-tasking.  
Darien shrugged it off 
and claimed the talent emerged from years of practice.  He never 
had time to sit down 
and study, he was always either at school, at work or busy 
saving an adorable super-
heroine from getting fried by the latest Nega-monster emerging 
from the wood-work. 

Darien missed a step and stumbled slightly.  Quickly 
straightening, he resumed his 
stride while hiding his red face behind his book.  Mentally 
kicking himself for not 
being more focused on what he was doing, he peeked over the edge 
of his textbook to 
check out the damage.  He breathed out a sigh of relief as he 
took in the practically 
empty street, and the few who were there seemed oblivious to the 
fact he was even 
there.  

Thankful that no one had noticed his minor klutz-out, Darien 
released another 
relieved breath.  If anyone had seen him trip like that, he'd 
never hear the end of 
it.  'The last thing you need is being compared to another 
infamous klutz.' Darien 
smirked and took one last peek over his book.  Satisfied that 
his reputation was 
still intact, Darien resumed his reading, continuing to emit the 
"I'm holier than 
thou" attitude he was famous for.  *Yep, vanity buddy. You got 
it in spades.* Darien's 
inner voice teased.  Barking back a mental 'shut-up' to the 
annoying conscience, 
Darien allowed his thoughts to wander to Sailor Moon.

She was cute, he would admit that.  The way her eyes would light 
up when he showed 
up, throwing a red rose just in the nick of time.  Or how she 
would blush a soft 
crimson when he held her against him to protect her.  She was 
cute all right, but a 
mystery to him.

*Oh, yeah Chiba, you should know plenty about that.* The voice 
snickered.  Darien's 
brow gathered and he scowled at the periodic table in front of 
him.  So he was a 
mystery, even to himself.  But he was one step closer, one piece 
towards finishing the 
HUGE puzzle that was his life.  He was Tuxedo Mask.  Darien's 
hand wandered to his 
pocket and he wrapped tense fingers around the proof that showed 
plainly he was the 
caped hero.  A Rainbow Crystal.  The key which would unlock the 
door to all he wanted 
to know. 'Who am I?'

Now all Darien had to do was find the door, or rather, the 
princess in his dreams.  His 
mind flashed her face in front of his eyes.  Her figure was in 
shadow, but he could see 
the gold of her hair, flashing the faintest of silver in the 
moonlight.  The princess's 
sad blue eyes looking down at him, her sweet pink lips begging 
him to find the 
Silver Imperium Crystal for her.  Darien had no idea what she 
was talking about, but he 
also knew that he trusted her.  He had to find her and the 
crystal she asked for, and 
the Rainbow Crystals had something to do with it.  His fingers 
slowly released their grip 
on the crystal and his eyes narrowed, making his handsome face 
look ominous.  He would 
get all the Rainbow Crystals, come hell or high waters.  And 
nothing, or no one, was 
going to stop him.  Not Sailor Moon or any of the Scouts could 
keep him from discovering 
his destiny.

In the back of his head, Darien heard a scream, which 
immediately made him jerk his head 
up.  Looking around him, Darien searched for the source of the 
scream with alert 
eyes.  After a hard scan of the street, he didn't see anything.  
Not one Negaverse 
monster, or one trace of Zoicite.  Rolling his stiff shoulders 
back, Darien chuckled 
to himself, 'Boy, you're getting paranoid.  Now you're hearing 
things.'

He had just lifted the book back to his face and began to 
concentrate on 
memorizing components of Titanium when he heard the scream 
again, this time much closer 
and very familiar.

"AaaAAAAaaIiiiiIIIieeeEEee!  I am going to be so late!  Miss H. 
is gonna kill me! Again!"

Darien peered over the edge of his book and gasped as the 
meatball head of all 
meatball heads herself, came hurtling towards him at full speed 
and screaming at the top 
of her lungs.  'She must be really late today, she's really 
going at it.'  

And this is when Darien suddenly realized that he was standing 
on the tracks as the 
Meatball Express speeded its way towards him.  And it also 
dawned on him it was far too 
late to get out of it's way.  Darien automatically held his book 
in front of him for 
defense and squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.

But it didn't come.  He waited and waited, but not one appendage 
of Serena's flailing 
body crashed into him, or even touched him for that matter.  
Suddenly feeling lost, 
he opened one eye and then immediately opened the other, as his 
brain failed to absorb 
what he saw in front of him.

It was Serena, face flushed and chest heaving as she took in 
quick breaths.  Darien's 
own breath, however, caught in his throat and he struggled to 
release it.  Why was it he 
had never noticed how pretty she was before?  Because she was 
right then.  Her cheeks 
were stained a bright pink and her eyes flashed with energy.  
Her blond hair was a 
little wind-blown, fuzzy little ends stuck up out of her 
meatballs.

Serena seemed to be studying him as closely as he had been 
studying her.  She cocked 
her head to the side and gave him a look that took any 
capability for speech he had 
away from him.  Straightening her head, she looked at him a 
little longer before stepping 
on tiptoe and brushing the hank of hair he still hadn't fixed 
off his forehead.  Her 
hand lingered only a second longer before she dropped it to her 
side.

Then she did something that amazed Darien only further.  As 
silently as she had been 
through the whole interlude between them, she side-stepped on 
the sidewalk so she 
wasn't standing in front of him, and began the mad dash towards 
Crossroads again.  
Somehow, he had managed to turn and  watch as two blonde 
streamers of hair disappeared 
over a bend and he heard her distant call, "Look out folks, 
blonde on a mission here!  
Gonna be late for school!"

Darien stood frozen in place for the longest time after Serena 
had left him, 
completely unraveled.  It seemed like an eternity before he 
raised a hand to touch 
shaking fingers to his forehead, grazing them over the spot 
Serena had touched him.

Nobody, not since he could remember had ever touched him like 
that.  No one had 
even bothered to brush his hair out of his eyes, or place a 
single caring finger on 
him.  Darien had always wondered what it would be like, to be 
touched and held in love 
and caring.  It was a secret wish that he didn't share with 
anyone, not even Andrew 
knew.  He closed his eyes when he thought about the lonely 
nights when he prayed for 
lovely fingers to caress his face gently, and soft arms to 
encircle his waist and hold 
him tight.  His dream had finally come true in some small way.  
And it had been Serena 
to full fill it.

That thought brought Darien crashing back to Earth.  Serena?  
Serena had made him feel 
like this?  And once more, Serena didn't crash into him!  The 
earth-shattering 
realization hit him like a truck of bricks.  He could have sworn 
that she had been on 
a headlong, bone-crushing course towards him and knowing Serena, 
he naturally expected 
to eat concrete.

Feeling that the world was probably now spinning in the opposite 
direction, Darien began 
to walk again in dazed confusion.  His book forgotten, he tried 
to sort out his 
jumbled thoughts so he could concentrate on his lessons when he 
got to 
school.

School!  Looking down at his watch, his eyes grew wide as he 
read the time.  Looking up, 
he tucked his textbook under his arm and began a dead sprint 
towards the college, 
muttering to himself, "I am going to be so late!"

^_~   ^_~   ^_~   ^_~   ^_~

Darien was actually slouching as he walked home from work.  He 
felt absolutely defeated.  
He had been late to his first class and felt like ten times the 
fool as he walked up 
the steps to his desk in the lecture hall, every student's eyes 
glued to him.  He 
understood why, he had prided himself on his punctuality.  It 
was his strongest 
point.  Well, maybe not in Nega-sleaze busting, but for 
everything else, he was always 
on time.

After the humiliating death march of lateness, he sat miserably 
and bowed his head 
in apology to the professor, who, after a long hard glare at 
Darien, continued his 
lecture on the differences between epicureunism and stoicism. 

Darien's ego suffered another hefty blow.  He could not get 
Serena out of his head.  He 
kept seeing her eyes looking at him intently, how they seemed to 
stare straight into 
his soul, see the emptiness that consumed him and accepted it.  
But behind the 
understanding was something else, something he didn't care to 
name.  The whole 
concept frankly scared him to death.

As Darien crossed the street, his hand roamed back up to his 
forehead, where he could 
still feel Serena's warm fingers branded on his skin.  He'd been 
doing it all day.  In 
his head, he'd been replaying the whole scene.  The way her head 
had cocked as she looked 
at him, how her eyes sparked with that unmentionable something.  
How, when she rose on 
her tiptoes, her mouth had been tantalizingly close.

He found himself dragging the touch of her hand out for 
thousands of moments longer than 
it had actually been.  Then, the memory morphed into a fantasy 
where her hands had 
stroked through his hair after industriously sweeping it out of 
his eyes.  He could 
almost feel the softness of her hands on the back of his neck as 
she tugged his head down 
to her hers.  His mind's eye saw her eyes close and her mouth 
opening ever-so-slightly, 
he chin tilted upwards to meet his hungry kiss-

*Woah!  Stop right there big boy!  What do you think you're 
doing, having X-rated 
fantasies about Serena of all people?  Meatball Head!* that 
annoying inner-voice 
scolded.  

Though Darien agreed with it whole-heartedly, he couldn't help 
but answer back, 'It was 
not X-rated!'  The voice simply stated, *Yet.*

He had to get her out of his head.  She was just a silly, clumsy 
junior high kid who 
was always eating or crying or- *touching your soul as not other 
human being could with 
one touch.* the voice threw in.

"Whose side are you on?" Darien grumbled out loud.

Giving himself a mental shake and finished the rest of his trip 
to the arcade, where a 
soda and a conversation with Andrew would fix all his problems.  
*Gee, that sounds like 
the theme song from Cheers!*

As the automatic door slid open, Darien waved at his friend and 
called, "Hey Andrew, 
what's up?"

"Nothing much." Andrew said, smiling the kind of friendly smile 
he was famous for.  It 
made men relax and women sigh.  Darien, even though smiling was 
the last thing he felt 
like doing, returned it with slight, sickly upturning of the 
corners of his mouth.

Andrew noticed and pointed Darien towards his favorite stool.  
As Darien complied, 
Andrew asked, "I thought you were working today?"

Darien blanched as he thought of the concern his boss showed 
when Darien had dumped 
an entire file into the trash icon, though it was a very 
important file, because he had 
been thinking of Serena again.  Not accustomed to Darien being 
so careless with his 
work, Mr. Tomshido thought it would be best that Darien had the 
rest of the day off.

"Ask me later." Darien finally answered.

Andrew nodded and then took a good look at his friend.  He 
didn't seem to be himself.  
He looked kind of distraught.  "Hey buddy, you okay?  You look 
kind of-"

"Miserable." Darien finished as he propped his elbows on the 
counter and scrubbed his 
face with his hands, "Miserable would be the right adjective."

"Why?" Andrew asked, as he poured Darien's usual from the 
fountain.

"Lot's of things." Darien answered vaguely.  Sure, a lot had 
been on his mind today 
and stuff had happened.  But it would all be traced back to one, 
meatball-adorned girl.

As Darien internally debated whether or not to tell Andrew the 
whole story when the 
reason for his distraction entered the arcade.  Serena came in 
with the blue-haired 
girl, Ami and a tall brunette he didn't recognize.

"Hey Serena!  Ami!" Andrew enthused, waving them towards the 
counter.

"Hi Andrew!" Serena returned, then pointed to her brunette 
friend, "You remember 
Lita, right?"

"Oh yeah!  Hey Lita.  Try and be nicer to the machines this 
time.  If they break down, 
I gotta fix them."  Andrew hooked his thumb at his chest and 
flashed a smile at her, "And 
as anyone can tell you, I'm only good at slinging sodas in this 
joint."

Lita turned bright red and then looked up at Andrew through 
glazed eyes, "Sure 
thing, Andrew."

Andrew's smile grew brighter and he looked down at Darien, who 
was staring intently 
at Serena.  Confusion flashed over his face and he poked at 
Darien with his finger, 
"Hey, Darien?  You okay, bud?"

"Huh, Oh, yeah!"  Darien started and he realized that he must 
look like a total 
idiot.  Serena and her friends gave him funny looks and Andrew 
looked concerned. 
'Great, this is just great.'  Color crept up his neck and Darien 
saved face the only way 
he knew how.  By teasing Serena.

*Don't do it!  Don't do it!*

"Why don't you introduce me to your friend, Meatball He-"  *He 
did it.  I'm the 
conscience of a moron.*

Before Darien could even finish the much hated nickname, 
Serena's hand flew in front 
of Darien's face.  It stayed there for a moment until flying to 
one of her buns, joined 
by her other hand.  With a mighty yank, Serena pulled out one 
bun then proceeded to pull 
out the other.

For the second time that day, Darien was speechless.  Not only 
from the incredible feet 
she had just done, but the fact that she again astounded him 
with her beauty.  Her hair, 
it was amazing!  Long, golden waves spilled behind her, touching 
the floor.  It framed 
her angelic face and fell over her slim shoulders.  His eyes 
swept all over her until 
coming back up to meet her eyes.  In the blue depths, he saw her 
dare him to finish.  
They flashed and again, that unspoken emotion flared.

Darien felt his heart stop, and a sweat formed on his brow.  He 
gripped the sides of 
his stool and suddenly, those fantasies that he had tamped down 
came flooding back 
and filled his mind. 'Oh god, what is she doing to me?'

*You have to ask?*

Darien had not been the only one who had lost his voice.  Andrew 
stared, open-mouthed.  
Ami had put a shocked hand over her mouth and Lita, who was new 
to all this, shifted 
from foot to foot uncomfortably.

Serena's eyes searched his for a long silent moment and then she 
grabbed his hand and 
put the pins which had held her hair up, "Keep them."

Darien blinked at the softness in her voice.  She didn't sound 
angry at all.  He 
couldn't place what her tone was, but it made Darien warm to 
hear it.

Her hand slowly slid away from his and she turned to Ami and 
Lita, "Let's go check out 
the new Sailor V game guys.  I hear it's way cool!"

Hooking her arms through the crook of their elbows, she led them 
to the back of the 
arcade, her movement causing her hair to billow out behind her.  
She threw a call over 
her shoulder before disappearing completely, "See you later, 
Andrew!"

Andrew rose his arm and waved, then looked at Darien in shock, 
"What was that all 
about?"

Darien looked down at the pins in his still warm hand, and felt 
his heart grow heavy.  
'I don't know.'

*Somehow, I'm not surprised.*

"I don't know." Darien repeated, this time out loud.

Andrew looked at his best friend, who simply sat and stared at 
Serena's hair pins.  An 
idea struck him suddenly, Serena and Darien.

"Darien, I think-"

But before Andrew could tell Darien what he thought, Darien 
stood and pocketed the 
pins, "I'm gonna go.  See ya later, Andrew."

"Hey." Andrew called and Darien looked back at his friend and 
saw the understanding in 
his eyes.

"Yeah?"

Andrew took a deep breath and cast a glance to where Serena and 
her friends 
were enthusiastically playing Sailor V vs. Street Fighters, 
"It's okay to take your 
walls down, Darien."

Darien blinked, then asked, "Why?"

*Think, stupid!*

"To let her in."

"And who is 'her', Andrew?" Darien asked, his heart leaping into 
his throat.  What 
was Andrew saying?

"The One." Andrew smiled softly.

*Duh!*

"The One."  Darien repeated.

*Yeah, The One.  Is there an echo in here?*

"Yep, the one person who will give you all the answers to all 
the questions you've ever 
had.  Your soul mate.  You have to lower those defenses of yours 
or she'll never be able 
to get in."

*You know what, Andrew is the only one of your friends I 
actually like.  He's a smart guy.*

"The One." Darien repeated softly, then looked at Andrew and 
managed a crooked smile 
for him, "Thanks, Andrew."

Andrew waved away his thanks, "No problem.  Just be open, and 
everything will be fine."

With that, Darien left the arcade, his head swimming.  As night 
fell over the city, 
Darien wandered aimlessly from place to place, his mind always 
straying to Serena and 
her beautiful face and her beautiful hair and her beautiful 
soul.  Was it possible 
for someone to be that beautiful?  Sure, Serena did have her 
flaws, like great big zits 
on her nearly perfect package, but her heart was always in the 
right place and the more 
he thought about it, her meatballs were perfect for her.  

Each place he stopped, he wondered how he got there, not 
remembering leaving the last 
place and walking to the next.  'Snap out of it Dare, I mean all 
she did was take her 
hair out of those ridiculous buns!'  Then the little voice 
laughed and said, *Didn't 
you just admit 'those ridiculous buns' were perfect for Serena?*  
Ignoring it yet 
again, Darien called himself every name in the book for trying 
to read to much into 
Serena's actions today.

*Nooo, we can't do that without looking on the inside, can we?  
It's too scary in 
here.*

She was getting back at him, pure and simple.  She'd finally 
snapped after almost a year
of relentless teasing, that's all.  Serena had obviously decided 
to give him no valid 
reason to toss his usual barbs at her.

Darien fought the disappointed sigh that tried to escape his 
throat.  He would not sulk 
over some little, whiny, klutz of a junior high kid.  Even if 
the whiny, klutz of a 
junior high kid was the most beautiful, caring and strongest 
girl he had ever come 
across.

Darien was surprised that he had chosen strength as a 
characteristic of Serena's.  She 
was always crying and falling all over herself.  Why would he 
think she was strong?

Because he had seen it.  In her eyes when they always had a 
clash.  She spat curses 
and names at him and let every word he shot back bounce right 
off of her.  Before he 
would have thought it was because she was just thick-skinned, 
but now it was very clear 
to Darien that it was because of her strength she suffered his 
constant jabbing as well 
as she did.

He winced as he considered the possibility that anything he had 
said to her might have 
hurt her feelings somehow.  *Now who's thick-skinned, pretty 
boy?*

Darien muttered something about getting a new inner voice as he 
passed a construction 
site.  He read the sign simply to take his mind of Serena.

"Coming soon:  New Virtual Reality Arcade and Theater."  Darien 
read, then added, 
"Hmmm, that sounds kind of neat.  A little childish maybe, but I 
bet Serena would love 
it.  I should mention it to Serena when it opens and-"

His words immediately froze him in his tracks.  What was that 
about?  Who cares if 
Serena would like the new arcade? *You do!  You do!*  And it 
wasn't like he was 
actually considering taking her when it opened, he would just 
mention it to her. 
*Right, whatever helps you sleep at night.*  He did not want to 
date Serena.  *Yeah, 
uh-huh.  And I'm the Queen of Crystal Tokyo.*

Darien caught himself before he actually growled, at himself!  
He fought to keep his 
cool, but it was much harder then he expected when he wanted to 
kick the crap out 
of himself, which he was severely tempted to do.

"I am losing it." Darien cried in despair, "I am going slowly 
insane!  I keep having 
that stupid dream, I'm hearing voices and now I'm talking to 
myself while trying to not 
KICK MY OWN ASS!"

His last sentence immediately halted his rant.  *A little louder 
Mr. Whacko, the folks 
in Okinawa said they missed the last part.*  Darien stuffed his 
hands in his pockets 
and looked around him to see if anyone had seen his little 
outburst.  The street was 
again, blessedly free of people.  A whoosh of breath rushed from 
his lungs as he bent 
over and propped his hands on his knees.  His reputation was 
still safe from scandals 
and gossip.

*Screw you reputation boy!  You're gonna need a straight-jacket 
if you don't figure out 
what is with you real quick!*

"Argh!" Darien cried as his hands flew to his head and began to 
yank at his once 
perfectly groomed hair.

"Umm, Darien?"

Darien stilled, his hands still holding handfuls of hair.  He 
twisted around slowly to 
see which one of his friends had caught him acting like a baboon 
in front of 
a half-finished, VR arcade.

It was Serena.  She stared at him curiously and then asked, 
"Darien, are you okay?"

Darien's eyes swept over every inch of her.  Her hair was still 
down, it spilled to 
the sidewalk like golden rain.  She was wearing a light blue 
apron dress with a white 
hoodie underneath.  A crescent moon hung between the soft swells 
of her breasts.  
Darien hastily diverted his eyes up to her face, which looked up 
at him with wide, 
curious eyes.

*Great man, just ogle the girl's goods why don't you?  Can you 
say jail bait?*

'SHUT UP!!!!"

*Okay, geesh!  Can't take a joke?*

Serena's voice interrupted Darien's internal dialogue, "Hello?  
Is anyone at home?" 
she waved her hands in front of his face, then stood on tiptoe 
to peer closely into 
his face.

Even though they were in the middle of an empty street, Darien 
could feel the 
atmosphere around them thicken and shrivel.  Her eyes were level 
with his and her 
breath washed warm over his lips.  Though he knew she wasn't 
doing in on purpose, 
Darien felt every muscle tense as all he could think of was 
kissing Serena.  How would 
her lips feel, how would her mouth taste?  Did she even know how 
to kiss?  Darien 
found himself silently wishing he would teach her how.

Without warning, and to both their surprises, Darien's arms 
suddenly snaked around 
her waist.  With a jerk, he pulled her body to his.  Serena 
quietly gasped and stared at 
him with fear in her eyes.  If it hadn't been for that subtle 
flash of want he caught in 
her eyes along with the fear, Darien would have never done what 
he did next.

Darien had stared at her angelic little face for only a second 
before lowering his lips 
to hers.  Serena gasped again, and he felt her tense momentarily 
before she seemed to 
melt into him.  Her arms moved around his neck, stretching her 
small body along his.  
She stepped up on tiptoe again to meet his kiss more fully, then 
moaned softly at 
how complete it suddenly felt.

Darien's grip around her waist tightened, crushing her into him.  
A hand moved up to 
the back of her head, then tangled itself the silken mass of her 
hair.  Changing the 
angle of their kiss, Darien flicked his tongue lightly at 
Serena's bottom lip.  She 
shivered and parted her lips for him.  Taking the invitation, 
Darien's tongue swept into 
her mouth.  Serena made a small noise of surprised pleasure and 
kissed back with a 
passion completely foreign to Darien.

This thought was like a bucket of ice water thrown over a fire.  
What on Earth was he 
doing?

*You're practically mauling an underage girl on a public 
street.* the voice answered 
him dryly.

Darien ripped his mouth away from the kiss and stepped back from 
Serena.  He let out 
a series of rattling breaths before finally pointing an accusing 
finger at her, "You-you 
did this!"

"Mmmm?" Serena murmured, her head still spinning from Darien's 
amazing kiss, 
coherent thought still far away.

"What did you do to me, Serena?" Darien cried, grabbing Serena's 
shoulders and giving her 
a swift shake.

It did its job because the dreamy look on Serena's face melted 
away and was replaced 
with confusion, "What do you mean?  I haven't done anything to 
you."

"The hell you haven't!" Darien sputtered, raking frustrated 
hands through his hair, 
"I've been going nuts all day!  I couldn't think of anything 
else but you since 
this morning.  I was even late to school!  Me, Serena.   I was 
late to school!"

"I'm sorry."

"And then I couldn't concentrate at work so they sent me home 
early." Darien 
added, beginning to pace.

"Oh, you weren't fired were you?" Serena asked, putting a hand 
on his arm.

Darien jerked his arm away and turned back to her, "No, but that 
doesn't matter.  
What matters is that ever since this morning, I have been 
completely distracted.  
And do you know why Serena?"

Serena meekly shook her head, her eyes beginning to fill with 
tears.

"It's because I can't get you out of my head." Darien said, 
tapping his index finger at 
his temple furiously, "You've been stuck here ever since this 
morning when you stopped 
from a dead sprint in front of me, looked at me with your 
gorgeous eyes and then just 
took off again, without so much as a word!"

"Darien, I-"

"And then this afternoon, when I called you meatball head, well, 
let's make that 
almost called you meatball head.  When you took you're hair down 
and practically shoved 
the fact you're the most beautiful person I had ever seen in my 
entire life in my face!"

Serena blinked, "You think I'm beautiful?"

"Of course I do!" Darien sputtered, his hands flying into the 
air in disgust, "And you 
know full well I do."

"No, Darien!" Serena shook her head in protest, "I didn't have a 
clue!"

"Right.  That became perfectly clear tonight, when you used it 
to turn my brain to 
mush."

"No-"

"Yes, you did Serena.  If it wasn't for you, I'd be able to 
think of something else 
other then kissing you!"

*Hey sparky!  You fight that urge!*

Then, as suddenly as the last one had begun, Darien snatched up 
Serena's face between 
his hands and kissed her.  Serena's hands flew to his shoulder, 
ready to push him away, 
but Darien had already lifted his head and now stared at her.  
Serena gasped as she took 
in the unmasked pain.  So he was human after all.

*::Sigh:: I tried.*

"Why Serena?" Darien croaked, then cleared his throat and 
attempted to keep his 
voice steady, "Why have you done this to me?"

Serena stared at the ground and shuffled her feet.  Darien stood 
perfectly still, 
staring down at her and waiting for her answer.

Then finally, Serena spoke in a voice so small, Darien had to 
lean in to hear her, 
"Because I didn't want you to tease me anymore."

Darien felt his heart crack, he had hurt her with his stupid 
teasing.  The worse of it 
was, now he realized the only reason he had ever teased her was 
because she scared the 
life out of him.  He'd known from the moment he had first laid 
eyes on her that she 
was beautiful and wonderful.  Darien knew with every bone in his 
body that, Serena, 
more easily than any other person on the planet, would be able 
to settle herself into 
his life.  This day was proof of that, how quickly she could 
consume him with thoughts 
of her.  Hell, he was a walking testimony to what could happen 
to him if he let his 
defenses down for even one moment.  Hadn't Andrew said something 
about them earlier?  Something about letting down his walls for 
'The One'.

Darien looked down at the small woman-child in front of him and 
wondered, could she be 
that.  The One.

*DING!  And the prize goes to the jack-ass in the green blazer!*

Darien tucked his index finger under Serena's chin and tilted 
her head back to look at 
him.  Serena's eyes and cheeks were wet with tears and a fresh 
torrent of them filled 
her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Darien.  I didn't mean to screw up your life." she 
sobbed, "I just wanted you 
to be my friend, so badly!  I thought that if I didn't give you 
any reason to hate 
me anymore, you would want that too."

Darien silently marveled as Serena's words broke down every wall 
constructed around 
his heart.  Her life and generosity filled him to overflowing, 
and for the first time in 
his entire known life, Darien loved with his whole being.  He 
admitted it freely, waving 
it like a banner under that dumb little voice's nose.  'HA!  I 
love her, I love Serena!  What do you have to say to that?'

*About friggin' time.*

"Darien?" Serena's plea broke into his thoughts and he looked 
down at her sad face, 
"Oh, Darien, could you ever forgive me?"

Darien pulled her into his arms and held her tight, burying his 
face into her hair.  He 
took a deep sniff of her scent, she smelled so incredibly sweet, 
"No, don't 
apologize, Serena." he finally spoke, his voice muffled by her 
hair.

"But-"

"You don't have to apologize because you haven't done anything 
wrong.  I was 
overreacting before.  I'm just not used to feeling this way.  
You've made me come 
completely unglued in less then 24 hours."  Darien joked, 
straightening to look down at 
her.

"I'm sorr-"

"No." Darien interrupted again, putting a silencing finger to 
her lips, "You don't have 
to apologize for that either.  In fact, I should be thanking 
you."

Serena blinked in confusion, "Why?"

Darien picked up one of  her small hands and held it over his 
heart, "For forcing me to 
tear down my walls."

Though it was night and the street poorly lit, Darien could see 
her blush.  He also saw 
her eyes flash with that unspoken emotion again.  Darien's heart 
slammed into the wall 
of his chest, his soul begging him to name it.  Could she 
possibly love him too?

Serena slipped her hand free and walked past him a bit, her 
expression confused and 
hopeful.  She stopped and turned to him, her voice heavy with 
the latter, "Does that 
mean you'll be my friend now?"

Darien wondered if his heart would ever start beating again 
after what he had 
just witnessed.  Serena had transformed magically in his mind's 
eye as she turned back 
to him.  As she had turned, a breeze had caught in her hair, 
sending it floating around 
her.  Silver streaks were accented by the light of a full moon 
that glowed in 
the background.  Her eyes were glistening with spent tears and 
her face had tilted in 
an almost sad way at him.  It was his dream princess!  Serena 
was his princess!

"Darien?" Serena asked again when he had failed to answer, "Do 
you think we could be 
friends now?"

"No." Darien shook his head finally, "No, I don't think that is 
possible."

Serena looked wounded and her tone was unbelieving as she asked, 
"But...why?"

"Because I don't think friends do this." Darien explained as he 
stepped forward, swept 
her into his arms and slanted his lips over hers.  Serena's eyes 
widened in shock, but 
it was not long before they slid shut and she returned Darien's 
kiss.

When he finally finished the kiss, Serena looked up at him with 
a dazed and 
somewhat confused expression on her angelic features.  'She's 
it.  My One, my princess.'

"I love you." Darien felt the words escape from his heart, but 
did not panic or wish 
them back when all was said.  He did love her, after all.

Serena looked up at him in shock.  She gasped and shoved away 
from him, "Why did you 
say that?"

"Because I do." Darien stated simply.

"But-but, you hate me!" Serena studdered.

"No, I don't hate you.  I love you." Darien corrected her 
calmly, "And I've loved you 
ever since I met you."

"But you always teased me." Serena pointed out, her eyes 
beginning to shine brightly.  
Were they tears, or something else?

"I teased you because I was scared you'd see right through me.  
It was a defense 
mechanism  really, everything you ever say or do hits too close 
to my heart, and I 
got scared.  And being scared of you scared me even more.  
Serena, do you have any idea 
how much you could hurt me?"

"But-"

"No more buts, Serena." Darien demanded sternly, grabbing her 
upper arms, "I've 
always thought that love was impossible for me, but you've 
proven me wrong.  I love 
you, Serena.  And I know that I might have to wait a while for 
you to believe I do.  And 
you may not love me either, but I hope with time you-"

This time, it was Serena interrupting him, though she used a 
much more effective way to 
do so.  Grabbing his face between determined palms, Serena 
pulled it down as she lifted 
up on tiptoe to kiss him soundly on the lips.  The rest of 
Darien's speech was muffled 
out and when Serena's  tongue slicked over his lips, Darien 
whole-heartedly bid her 
welcome.

As the kiss came to an end, both thought they saw the stars 
exploding in the sky.  It 
was the best kiss both had ever experienced.  Well, except for 
the previous three they 
had shared.

Serena pulled away slowly and looked up at Darien, her eyes 
radiating that emotion 
that Darien happily named, "Serena, you do love me."

Serena nodded and giggled softly, ducking her head for a moment 
before looking up at 
him with soft blue eyes, "Yes I do.  I love you very much."

Darien's face split into a wide grin as he let out a celebratory 
call and swung 
Serena around in his arms, "You love me!" he then put her down 
and asked, "Since when?"

Serena's face screwed up in thought then looked at him 
seriously, "Probably as long as 
you have loved me, but I didn't realize it until this morning."

"Really?" Darien's eyebrows arched and he scratched his head, "I 
wonder why we both 
just realized it then?"

"Well, I really didn't think you felt the same way I did, so I 
thought I'd settle for 
a friendship if it was at all possible.  That's why I was trying 
so hard not to annoy 
you today." Serena admitted, looking up at him with adoration, 
"I'm so glad I didn't 
run into you this morning.  And that I took out my meatballs 
too, or you might have 
never fallen in love with me!"

Darien's face became serious, looking at her critically.  He 
then reached into his 
pocket and took her hand in his, "Tell you what.  I'll be your 
friend for as long as I 
live if you promise to always run into me every time you see me, 
and always wear your 
hair up in your meatballs."

Darien placed Serena's hairpins into her hand and then closed 
her fingers over them. 
Serena looked up at him, her eyes shining with love, "Forever?"

"Forever." 

Serena glanced at her closed fist, then said, "So, in exchange 
for being trapped 
with meatballs for the rest of my life, you get to be my friend 
for as long as you 
live?  That doesn't sound very fair."

"It isn't." Darien admitted, pulling her closer, "Its set up 
entirely in my favor.  This 
way I get to be with the girl I love and her meatballs for the 
rest of my life.  How can 
I lose?"

Serena laughed as she rose her lips to his, "You can't."

"That's right." Darien softly said as his lips fell over 
Serena's to kiss her again.  
And again, and again, and again.

^_~   ^_~   ^_~   ^_~   ^_~

The next morning, Darien was trying a new form of multi-tasking, 
whisteling while 
walking, when he heard a familiar screech.

"AAAAAAAiiiiiiEIIEEEEEEE!  I am so toast!  I am gonna kill Luna 
as soon as I get out 
of detention.  Better yet, the furball get's a flea bath!"

Darien grinned  as he watched Serena barrel blindly through the 
crowded street.  He 
then positioned himself directly in her path of destruction.

*Dear God man!  Don't do it!*

'Hey, she owes me one.'

*Have you gone completely crazy?!*

'Crazy in love.'

*Oh, yuck!  Did you just hear yourself right there!?*

Darien smiled even wider, if it was even possible, as Serena 
hurtled over the last 
obstacle before him.  Laughing softly he thought, 'I am out of 
my mind.'

*You won't get any argument here!*

Darien stifled a laugh as he braced himself for he and Serena's 
inevitable collision.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All done!  E-mail me and let me know what you think!  
kamikaze_bunny_eater@yahoo.com

 ^_~
Cori!