Hey there! *Sailor Moon salute* So I got a request for a story in my Inbox. I don't usually check it but I did and there it was. This is Riven/Darcy, who aren't really a couple I'm all that comfortable with, but it doesn't actually focus on them as a couple. It's kind of cute, I think. The characters are really OC, I'm sorry. I can't get either of their personalities right. We'll see how it goes.

So, inuyasha6457, this is for you. I hope this isn't too disappointing.

Italics like this are flashbacks!

R&R! Enjoy!

XXXXX

It was a beautiful day in Gardenia. The sun was out, the birds were singing, and a certain grumpy hero was out for his morning run.

Riven ran through the line of trees to his right. Sunday mornings were the worst, and Riven hated them far more than anyone really should. Sky had given him hell twice this morning already and Musa was getting clingy, which he had managed to turn into a huge fight. He didn't really mind all that much but just two years ago he was utterly terrified of commitment. He didn't know how they had happened, even looking back on it now he couldn't figure it out entirely. So when she clung too much and he needed his space, he lashed out at her. "Dammit. Why'd she have to cry?" He stopped running to catch his breath.

He sat down on a bench to drink some of the water that he had strapped to his back.

"Hey Riven! You want to go to the movies tonight?" Musa sipped her orange frutti drink.

"Didn't we go to the movies last night?" Riven sat his tray down. He was really tired. He hadn't been sleeping much and he could barely keep his food down. Losing Nabu was hard everyone and the guy had been his best friend. He really hoped the ass had just decided to play a cruel trick. Of course, if that had been the case then Layla would know. There was no way Nabu would do something like that to her. Right now though, Riven could just use a night at the apartment. Crash on the couch with the guys and watch football. That sounded great. He didn't even have to shave.

"Yeah, what's your point?"

Riven sighed, there was no point in arguing with a woman. "Fine. What do you want to see?"

"Um, I don't know." Musa chewed on her thumb as her eyes rolled upwards. She was cute when she had to think hard about something. "Pride & Prejudice is playing again."

"No, absolutely not. Besides, hasn't that movie already been out for a good five years anyway? Why is it in the theater again?" Riven did not want to sit through that movie again. The last time they watched it, it had been a double date with Stella and Brandon which Riven should have known couldn't end well, Musa had gotten weird for a few days. Then the fight over Jason happened. Riven shook his head, he didn't want to dwell on that at all.

Musa sighed. "Okay, what about The Proposal?"

"Why does it have to be a chick flick? Hold on." Riven turned to the girl sitting at the bar. "What can I get you?"

The brunette smiled. "How about a… large mocha frappachino?"

"Coming right up." Riven walked into the freezer to get the ice. When he came out Musa was gone. He sighed. "Brandon, where'd Musa go?"

Brandon looked up at his friend. "Something about stupid men and chick flicks. There was also something about Stella and venting. I couldn't quite understand her over this shaky thingy. What's this called anyway?"

Riven gaped at him. "It's a blender, Brandon. I'm going to talk to her before she gets to Stella."

Brandon chuckled, "Good idea. At the moment, Stella's convinced that all men are useless, brainless, and only good for thing. Guess what it is."

Riven took off his apron. "I don't know, caring her shopping bags?"

Brandon glared. "Hey now. I carry those because I love her. And you're wrong. It's to produce children." Brandon's eyes grew larger and his mouth fell open. "Produce… children…"

Riven laughed, "Man, you're in for it now."

-----

Riven turned the corner. "Musa, wait up!"

Musa turned around and glared at her boyfriend. "What do you want?"

Riven rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic Muse. Why'd you take off?"

"You were making eyes at the frappachino girl. I didn't want to watch it."

Riven sighed. "No, I wasn't. I was doing my job, which includes being courteous."

"Really Riven? Maybe you should go ask her to the movies. She'll want to see something that isn't a chick flick."

"Musa, that's not what I meant. I'm just tired and we've been out every night for the past two weeks. I have a pretty small salary, you know." Riven regretted what he said as soon as he had said it.

Musa looked like she had been slapped. "Well, I'm sorry for being such a burden. I would have been fine making sandwiches and watching football with you but no! You have to go and be a stupid jerk! Why can't you just be nice for once? Why can't you love me?!" Musa turned and ran into the building, crying, leaving Riven behind to figure out what had just happened.

"You look lost."

Riven jumped at the voice. He hadn't even heard anyone sit beside him.

"You know you're spilling your drink all over yourself, right?"

Riven shut his bottle and turned to tell the person to mind their own business but when he saw who it was, he couldn't quite manage the words. "D-Darcy?"

Darcy smirked. "Don't look so scared. I'm merely here on a social visit." She really was too. Sundays were always boring for her and this particular Sunday, Icy and Stormy had gone out to do some secret evil thing. The only person she knew who wouldn't turn her in immediately was her oh-so-handsome ex.

"Social? I don't believe it. Who are you after this time?" Riven already had his hand on the dagger he kept strapped to his waist.

Darcy noticed.

"Woah, slow down cowboy. I really am here on a social visit. I don't know where my sisters are I was bored. I figured I'd drop in on my favorite hero-wannabe and see how things were. Here, I'll even move." She stood up and walked to the other bench directly opposite his and leaned back. "I have to say, this place isn't half bad. I wouldn't mind crashing here for a bit."

Riven's eyes narrowed. "Don't even think about it Darcy."

The witch chuckled. "You're not being very friendly. I want to talk. Now, we can do this nice and easy or we can do this the hard way and I kill every person in this park, including the children and that nice couple over there. Oh look, they just got engaged.:

Riven looked around then began laughing.. "You know, that threat would probably be something to worry about but you're not going to a damn thing when you realize that you just sat in wet paint."

Darcy jumped out of her seat. "What?!" She turned around and saw her form imprinted in the paint. Riven started laughing even harder. She turned and looked at her back. She was covered in paint, even her hair was apple red. "Shit." Darcy sighed. "You know, this seems awfully familiar. The only difference is that I'm the one covered in paint with you laughing at me."

Riven stifled his laughing. "And the paint is red instead of green."

Darcy smiled. "And we hadn't just finished making out."

It got quiet. Darcy sighed. "Oh, that's right. You'd like to pretend that we never happened."

"That's not what I said." This was starting to sound familiar.

"No, but it's what you meant. It's okay, I don't mind. Really." Darcy sat down next to him again. "You have a girlfriend who's all butterflies and sunshine and if she really knew all the trouble you managed to get us into, she would probably hate you."

"Me? You got us into all the trouble." Riven turned toward the witch and smiled at the memories.

"No, what about the liquor store? Getting kicked out of the bar? The theater? Being banned from Magix Park? Oh! And you can't forget the time Icy froze us in that block of ice because she caught us in her bed. That was your doing, may I remind you?"

Riven laughed. He hadn't laughed this much since they came to Gardenia. "Okay, those times were my fault. But what about when we got banned from Café Petite for sneaking behind the counter and making the exploding pie?"

Darcy clutched her stomach, laughing. "That was your fault too! I told you to just use a pinch of baking soda and what do you do?! You go and pour the whole damn jar in the pie! I smelled like blueberries and pineapple for a month!"

Riven began laughing harder. He couldn't breathe and from the looks of Darcy, rolling on the ground and kicking her legs around in the air, she couldn't either. When the laughing subsided, he reached his hand out to help her up.

Darcy had other things in mind. She pulled him down and kissed him. Riven froze. Darcy backed up and looked away. "Sorry."

"No, you're not." Riven looked in the direction she was. It was the couple that had apparently just gotten engaged. He didn't know what to say but he was ready to get out of this situation.

"Do you love her?"

Darcy's voice was so quiet that Riven had almost missed it. "What?"

Darcy turned to face him before blushing and looking away again. He was so close. She could run her hand down his face. "Musa. Do you love her?"

Riven sat down, his back against the seat of the bench. "Yeah, I do."

Darcy nodded her head and stood up. "Then I guess I should disappear. She's about to walk around the corner."

Riven turned to look where Darcy had pointed. When he turned back around, she was gone.

"Riven?" Musa walked up to him. "Why are you on the ground?"

Riven looked up. She looked like she had been crying again. "I was just- I'm sorry."

Musa leaned her head to the side. "What?"

Riven stood up and brushed off his shorts. "About what I said yesterday, I'm sorry. I was just tired and stressed."

Musa smiled. "Oh, that? Don't worry about it. I was just worried about my dad."

"Why? What happened?" For Musa, losing her dad would be the worst thing in the universe.

"Nothing. He was just sick for a week. It was just the flu but after mom… I can't help but worry, you know?" Musa tried to choke back the tears but it was futile. Talking about her mom always made her cry.

Riven pulled her close and let her cry. When her tears were dry he let her go. "I have an idea."

Musa looked up. "Hmm?"

Riven smirked. "That new theme park just opened up. I need to grab a shower but if you meet me at Frutti Music Bar in an hour we'll spend the whole day there and then we'll go watch Pride & Prejudice and The Proposal."

Musa gasped. "But theme parks are expensive and you don't like chick flicks."

Riven laughed. "So? I don't mind paying a small price for an entire day with you."

Musa smiled. "Okay! Now go shower, you stink." She pushed Riven in the direction of the apartment the guys shared.

Riven laughed. "Alright. I'm going, I'm going."

XXXXX

Musa turned around the corner of her street and ran into someone. "Oh! I'm so sorry."

"Don't be Pixie."

Musa looked into the witch's eyes. "Darcy! What are you doing here?"

Darcy smirked. "Trying to seduce your boyfriend." Musa's reaction spoke of death. "Relax, Pixie. It didn't work, not even close. If anything, it had the opposite effect. He loves you."

Musa smiled. "I know."

"Love him and don't ever let him go Pixie. He needs you, more than you need him. He's fragile."

Musa's smile widened. "I know."

"Yeah." Darcy started to walk away.

"Hey Darcy!"

The witch turned to look at Musa. "What?"

"Thanks." Musa turned and skipped the rest of the way to Love & Pet, humming as she went.

Darcy snickered. "I'll never understand fairies."

XXXXX

A/N: Well…. I don't think that's what you had in mind, inuyasha6457. It started off about Riven and Darcy, I'm not really sure what it morphed into. It's not even medium quality work but I enjoyed rereading it. I'm sorry. When it comes to anything other than my fave pairings, I fail. Horribly.