Flowers:
Chapter One: When I'm Not Strong
Serena choked back a sob as she fled down the busy sidewalks, narrowly avoiding more than one collision as she ran, headless of her direction as tears blinded her. Luna had long since given up on chasing her down, knowing full well that if there was anything Serena was good at, it was running. She cried out sharply as she tripped over a crack in the uneven sidewalk and landed hard on her hands and knees, discarding any hope of keeping her pain to herself she finally allowed a quiet wail that rapidly drowned into weeping.
"Hey now, Meatball Head, don't cry. You just took a bad tumble." A familiar voice soothed as Darien Chiba knelt down beside the sobbing girl. "Let me see your hands, okay?" He asked sounding concerned.
Serena regarded him warily through watery eyes, like an animal tensed to flee for a long moment before she crumpled into his arms, clutching his olive green uniform jacket in her small fists as she buried her face in his chest. "Oh, Darien!" She exclaimed softly, speaking through tears.
"C'mon Serena, I'll buy you an ice cream in the park." Darien offered, noting worriedly the lack of interest she had for the food. This was indeed a strange twist. Allowing the girl with hair like spun gold to hold onto him like a lifeline he rose, cradling her slight form in his arms as he made his way to the park. A surge of anger coursed through his system as he wondered who had hurt this normally cheerful young woman so badly …and how to exact a painful revenge.
Carefully setting Serena down on a bench near the ice cream stand he reassured her that he'd return and went to stand in line, agonizing over every never-ending second that kept him from being at her side. When he finally reached the front of the line he noticed a little girl with auburn hair pulled up into adorable pigtails similar to Serena's hairstyle but lacking the 'meatballs', with tears in her eyes trying to catch the attention of the man selling the ice cream. Smiling gently at the girl he scooped up her up into his arms.
"Here you go, sweetie, you can order first," Darien encouraged, feeling a special warmth flooding him as the little girl brightened and hesitantly ordered a chocolate waffle cone and gave the man her money. "One triple-decker chocolate fudge, please," He said, paying after asking the now-beaming girl to hold Serena's ice cream.
Serena was vainly attempting to dry her eyes when he returned with the ice cream and child. "Here you go, Serena," He said, deciding to see how she was before using the nickname she hated. Serena took the ice cream and smiled brightly, licking it slowly. "All right, sweetie, are your parents here somewhere?"
The child, roughly four, smiled and nodded, looking around with increasing puzzlement. Her thick hair tickled Darien's ear but he suppressed his laughter as her cherubic face fell, her hazel eyes reflecting fear and sadness.
"Don't worry, dear one, we'll help you find your parents," Serena told the girl, taking her from Darien's arms and setting her on the bench at her side. "What's your name, dear one?"
The child smiled shyly at her, already warming to Serena's innate warmth. "Krissa," She replied in a soft voice, taking a slurp of her melting ice cream as her bright eyes closed in momentary bliss.
"Well then, as soon as the two of you finish your treats, we can search for your parents, Krissa, we don't want them to worry after all." Darien announced, sitting on the other side of Krissa. He watched the two devour their snacks, often getting flecks of ice cream on their cheeks. Laughing, Darien put the napkins he'd swiped to good use and cleaned both up, taking advantage of the moment to examine Serena's hands. "I don't think you've scraped them too badly, Meatball Head, but you might need a bandage for your knee." He pronounced, gently dabbing the blood from her injured knee with a clean napkin.
"Thank you, Darien," Serena whispered, taking one of Krissa's hands as she stood. "Ready to find your mommy and daddy?" She asked as Darien took Krissa's other hand. Krissa nodded and they started out down the path that Krissa said they were on last. It was only a few minutes later when a young man nearly cried out in relief and Krissa slipped loose of her 'temporary guardians' with a delighted squeal of "Daddy!"
"Oh my precious little doll, you've scared us so badly!" A young woman exclaimed, hurrying to reunite with her child and apparent husband with a bundle in her arms. "Please, never leave without one of us again! At least tell us where you're going!" Then she succumbed to tears of happiness.
"Did you find our daughter? Oh, thank you so much! You have no idea how much she means to us!" The young man said, letting his wife juggle the post-toddler and bundle.
"Actually, we just helped her find you, she was at the ice cream stand." Darien explained, being modest and watching with curiosity as Serena made her way to the young family. "This is Serena Tsukino and I'm Darien Chiba,"
"I'm Peter, my wife is Judith and I guess you've already met Krissa." There came a soft cooing from the bundle Judith cradled and Serena gave a cry of pure joy. "And that is Wendy."
"Oh! She's so adorable!" Serena breathed, kneeling with Judith to catch Krissa in a one-armed hug. "They both are! No wonder with a mommy as pretty as you!"
Judith blushed. "Would you like to hold Wendy?"
Serena's azure eyes grew as round as saucers. "Really?"
"Of course, here, you hold her like this …" Judith explained, easing Wendy into Serena's arms. "Now I can get back to you!" She cried, capturing Krissa in a loving hug. Darien noted the similarities between Wendy's baby noises and Serena's sounds of happiness as she cuddled the infant. An ache formed again in his heart but he pushed the old hurt away.
"I wish I could offer you something for bringing our daughter back safely, I just can't say thanks enough." Peter began. Darien opened his mouth to cut off that track of thinking when Serena cut in.
"There's only one thing we'd accept." She started. Peter looked at her questioningly. "You must let me baby-sit these two darlings!"
"Hey," Darien interrupted. "Then who would I watch?"
"Oh," Judith gasped, a catch in her throat. "You two would do that for us? It would mean so much for us to be able to get away with the knowledge that they were in good care!"
"I baby-sit for the friends of my parents all the time, it's nothing and besides, anything to help a friend!"
Darien saw the sudden appreciation swell in Judith's eyes and saw her bearing shift to one of almost motherly love for the golden haired girl who held her infant. "You seem like such a kind, gentle soul. We haven't many friends here yet; Peter's job was just recently transferred here. You're both much too sweet!"
"Anything for friends," Serena repeated, half-hugging Krissa after regretfully relinquishing Wendy to her mother. "You are my friends, right Krissa?"
Krissa beamed with absolute joy.
* * *
Serena sighed, Darien was stubborn, she had to give him that much at least. And he did try to make her feel better; he deserved to at least know why she'd been crying. She was sitting on the grass, relishing the feeling of the soft green grass, Darien had obtained a cute little band-aid from Judith and Peter – one of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask – and he had carefully put it on her knee with a small, secretive smile. Now he was leaning against a tree, running one hand through his thick ebony crop of hair while his other hand remained hooked on a belt loop, his intense gaze fully on her. His dark, stormy blue eyes could send shivers up her spine and often gave her a giddy rush.
"You were really good with Krissa. I watched you when you went to get the ice cream." She said, smiling.
"Kids are easy to get along with." He paused and his eyes took on a mischievous twinkle. "You've never seemed to have a problem getting along with anyone though. I don't think I've ever seen anyone make friends as fast as you. That's a real rare gift, you know."
She felt a flush rise in her cheeks. "Well, I consider your nice behavior towards me a rare gift in itself, thank you for that."
"Are you going to tell me why you were crying earlier, Meatball Head?"
"Not if you're going to call me that!"
"All right, let's call a truce for today. I won't call you Meatball Head and you'll explain the waterworks. I know that you don't cry that much over a simple fall."
"Truce it is then," She proclaimed, extending a hand for him to shake. He surprised her by kissing the back of her hand like a gentleman after shaking. "I'm a volunteer at the Mercy Hospital, Darien. I work with the kids in the recovery ward for the most part, but I help out with the new arrivals as well." She thought she caught a smug look flicker across his face as if he expected no less from her, but it was gone in an instant and another blush was burning her cheeks. "Today I was visiting the children who are undergoing operations and risky treatments. There was this one little boy who was bawling because he was so afraid. He had to get an organ transfer and his parents couldn't be there to support him and make sure he was okay. So I stayed with him until they came to take him down to the operating room and he promised that he would be brave, just for me, because I cared. Thankfully it was almost time for me to be finished for today because it just hurt too much to keep my emotions bottled up and to be there holding him in my arms."
"Oh, Serena," Darien murmured with a soft, subdued chuckle as he joined her on the grass, taking his thumbs and wiping away the silent tears that had trickled down her face.
"He was such a little dear, and so much braver than I'll ever be." She felt more tears well up in her eyes; tears of fierce pride for the young boy and hastily blinked them away, though she wouldn't have minded him touching her again to wipe away her tears. "I hope he's all right, I promised him a trip to the fair when he gets released. All those kids were so strong, joking and laughing to keep their fears at bay …" She trailed off, remembering their precious faces and the unmistakable fear that lingered in the depths of their young eyes.
"You are quite possibly the only girl I know with a heart so large that you weep in joy over the care and pride you find in a little boy. You truly are made of gold, aren't you Meatball Head? I have never known anyone so instinctively trusting, anyone who gives so freely without a thought to herself. It's strange, but you almost remind me of someone …" He trailed off, his mind resurrecting his fragmented recollection of his dreams of the Princess – his princess.
"You know," Serena started, attempting to lighten the moment. "You're not a frozen statue yourself, Darien. Here I thought all this time that you were 'mean' and 'icy' and 'carved of stone' and you're actually capable of having natural human emotions. Children thaw your heart …" She giggled.
"What's so funny?" Darien asked, looking offended.
"I was just thinking …maybe the reason you like kids so much is because you're so much of a child yourself."
Now he looked flabbergasted. "Me?! Look at you! There's hardly a day that goes by when you're not scarfing down a milkshake before hopping off to play Sailor V and I honestly cannot recall the last time I saw you actually walk somewhere. Your inner child must still have control of your mind, Meatball Head."
For once she didn't get mad, in fact, she was having a time containing her laughter. "You've just proven my point! Little boys tease girls, not seniors in high school! Little boys hang out with girls who still sleep with stuffed animals. Little boys are mean and spiteful. It's a common known fact, besides, I can just compare you with Sammy if I'm ever in doubt."
"Sammy is your brother, right?" He asked, apparently wanting to switch the subject.
"You're just a child, Darien, act like one! Or grow up, your choice."
"I am grown up! Wait, did you say you still slept with stuffed toys?"
"Hah, more proof! You are such a little boy!"
Darien started to say something in response but instead clenched his jaw and stood. "Drop it, Meatball Head, I'm not a child and I never was. I have things I need to do today, would you like me to walk you home?"
Serena repressed a sigh of frustration. Every time she felt like she'd made a chink in his armor he would tuck back within himself, cold and aloof once more. "No thanks," She murmured.
"Fine. I'll see you around, Meatball Head,"
"Yeah," She muttered, rolling her eyes. "Bye."
* * *
Darien looked up from the 500-piece puzzle he was working on with Krissa. The two of them were lying on their stomachs with pieces scattered everywhere …one was even in Krissa's hair. His attention had meandered again and soon it joined his eyes in their watching of Serena who stood with Wendy gurgling happily in her arms by the window in the living room. She was unconsciously swaying back and forth gently, keeping Wendy satisfied while her azure gaze was riveted on the brooding storm clouds outside and the deepening night. It was still early, but they had the rest of the night to be watching the children for Peter and Judith were at a party hosted by Peter's new boss. The function was supposed to last until sometime early in the morning so both were spending the night in the cozy little two-story house.
He saw Serena take a deep breath as her gaze flickered down to the baby wearing a little white nightdress in her arms and a warm smile shone briefly on her face before her eyes drew back up to study the sky. Darien recalled Andrew mentioning something of a fear Serena had for storms, especially thunderstorms. For some reason, she looked incredibly vulnerable just then, wearing a pair of pajama pants with a pajama shirt to match – both covered with little bunnies.
Krissa let out an excited whoop as she fit one of her pieces into its correct spot and smirked at Darien. "I'll be rid of my pieces before yours are gone," She challenged.
Darien looked at the mess of pieces everywhere. "I'll bet you aren't even sure which ones are yours anymore, sweetie," He said, opting to address her with the nickname he'd given her when he picked her up in the park. To Serena, she was 'Little One' while Wendy was 'Dear One'. Somehow, Darien thought 'Sweetheart' fit the usually content infant.
Krissa was giggling. "It doesn't matter, I'll still finish my share first," Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper then, "especially if you can't keep your eyes off your girlfriend!"
Darien was aghast, his jaw dropping in horror as a blush flushed across his smooth features. "Serena Tsukino is not my girlfriend, Krissa! We're not even friends! We hate each other!"
Krissa looked dubious. "I may only be four, but that doesn't mean
I'm not astue …er …asute …umm …"
"Astute?" Darien asked, amused.
Krissa's face lit up. "Yeah! That's the word mommy needed for her crossword puzzle!" Darien felt another smile tugging at his lips and brought Krissa into a bear hug before tickling her until she was without breath with laughter.
"C'mon, Darien, let the girl live …" Serena chided with a tense small on her face. She had moved to sit on the couch, still cuddling the delighted Wendy. Krissa smiled gratefully at Serena and squirmed, trying to break free from Darien …but to no avail. After a few more minutes of playfully torturing his charge, Darien released the child and sat up, struggling to contain his own laughter. Serena was laughing softly as Krissa scrambled to join her on the couch, but her usual golden peal of laughter seemed empty.
"Darien hasta finish the puzzle by himself now," Krissa announced, smiling brightly down on him.
"I don't think so, young miss, you aren't getting out of cleaning up this mess so easily." Darien exclaimed, half-rising.
"Here, I'll help," Serena offered, gently handing Wendy over to Krissa. Krissa beamed down at her baby sister, cuddling the slightly miffed infant close. Darien thought he saw regret in the eyes of the baby as Serena got up to help him pick up the pieces. For some reason, he held back from teasing her and inevitably saying something stupid about not needing her help, as she'd probably make a bigger mess, given her clumsy nature. Instead, a feeling of protectiveness washed over him as he looked into her frightened azure eyes and read past the small, tight smile that was only a ghost of her.
"What's the matter, Meatball Head?" He asked softly, careful to leave all traces of teasing out of his tone and inquiry.
She looked surprised at first, though whether because she hadn't expected kindness for him or because he'd seen through her flimsy attempts to hide her weakness. Her glorious eyes swept downward as her slender fingers played over the shape of a puzzle piece before she cupped it in her small hand and went on to collect several more in the same manner before depositing them all in the cover of the box and started over.
"Nothing," She replied in a quiet voice. A new sound intruded upon the moment and he realized after a moment that it was the rain, finally come. As he reluctantly took his gaze off the angel kneeling at his side he noticed for perhaps the first time how dark the living room was – even with all the lights on. His mind tried to shrug it off as an effect of the darkness outside, though his heart remained adamant on the fact that Serena wasn't smiling her radiant smile that far rivaled the sun itself.
Darien frowned but decided to drop the matter for a time. After all, it was only recently that they'd begun to act civilized to each other and he still wasn't sure how much she trusted him. He hadn't really done anything to earn her fragile trust that she seemed to give so eagerly to others – like her affection – but he supposed that, given time, she might come to see him in a new light and not just as 'conceited, arrogant, frozen Darien Chiba'. Then again, why would he want her to see him in a different way? He didn't care about her, she was just someone he teased and generally put up with because it was impossible to turn away a ray of sunshine. His heart berated him severely, of course he cared about the girl, she was the very symbol of innocence and joy and life, it would be a crime against nature to dismiss her as casually as he just had in his mind.
He shook his head in a vain attempt to clear it and finished clearing the floor of the puzzle. Serena looked around once they had finished, apparently not quite sure what to say or do then, but she stood and smiled at their charges and turned to him. "I'm going to heat up a bottle of milk for Wendy and start dinner, watch them," She said, winking at Krissa. Darien glanced over at the clock and saw that it was nearly nine. He had just assumed that the storm had made the day turn dark, but in actuality it was black outside because it was night.
"Sure, I got the munchkins covered," He said and paused, unable to resist this one small ribbing, "since when can you cook, Meatball Head?"
She almost returned to normal as she gave him a fleeting scathing look and tossed her head in an imperial manner. "I'll have you know that Lita has been helping me prepare dishes for our nutrition and foods class, in which it's mandatory to make edible meals. I'm actually getting good at it." A hint of pride blossomed as a blush in her cheeks and her eyes didn't rise to meet his as though afraid of what they'd find there. Darien repressed a sigh of frustration. It was like she was afraid of his opinion, afraid of him bruising her self-worth and sense of accomplishment in even that little domestic act.
Without another word she turned and busied herself in the kitchen, causing only a little racket. Darien bowed his head briefly in chastisement and when he looked up he was staring into Krissa's eyes. The four year old had an unreadable expression and a small, amused smile tugged at her lips. Wendy was giving him a look of disappointment and Darien felt a bit hurt by that. The baby had pale blue eyes that reminded him sharply of Serena's, only without the innate forgiveness and reassurance. For some reason, Darien was getting the distinct impression that he would have to prove something to the infant before she would accept him and he wondered idly if the baby knew more than he did.
"Well, what now, sweetie?"
"We can watch television! There might be a movie on!" Krissa suggested.
"All right, here, let me hold Wendy and I'll let you choose what we're going to watch, okay?" Darien asked. Krissa handed her baby sister over to him and scrambled for the remote control and the T.V. Guide. It was the first time Darien had ever held a baby, let alone Wendy. He silently marveled at the feeling of peace and happiness that swept over him as her diminutive body lent its warmth to his arms and she fixed her light eyes on his, studying him without making a noise for a long moment before she cooed softly and snuggled closer to his broad chest and promptly fell asleep. It was an absolutely indescribably feeling and Darien basked in it for a long time before he noticed Serena leaning against him and softly caressing one of Wendy's tiny hands within her own.
"Supper done already?" He asked in a low voice so as not to wake the sleeping baby.
Serena shook her head slowly, still absorbed in the eerie spell Wendy held over them. "It's started, but it may be awhile before it's ready."
"What's for dinner, anyway?"
She smiled and it was like the sun itself broke through the clouds. "I'm not telling." It was a teasing smile and he longed to cover her sweet lips with his own, his emotions nearly overwhelming his tenuous control as Serena let her head rest against his shoulder, still offering her unconditional care to Wendy as she dozed on. Wait a minute, what was he thinking? Just moments ago his thoughts had been battling with his feelings over whether or not he even cared about the clumsy, hyper, happy …serene girl at his side and now he had to struggle to keep from ravishing her lips with his own.
Then Krissa cried out happily as she found a cartoon show featuring Sailor Moon and her scouts as well as the mysterious Tuxedo Mask. "Well," He started absently, "it didn't take them long to lay claim to Tokyo's superheroes I see."
Serena laughed gently, a pretty silver sound. "I suppose not, but I do wonder who gets the royalties."
Darien secretly wanted to laugh out loud and demand to know why he wasn't receiving any money for the station to be using his alter ego, but he didn't, knowing full well that he could never tell anyone who he really was. Even if he felt as though he could trust Serena with his life and soul and …possibly even his heart. He wanted to smack himself …he was falling in love with a fourteen-year-old girl who had recently been on 'insulting' terms with him. Never mind the fact that he was going on eighteen, nearly four years older than her. 'I guess Andrew was right …maybe I am sprung over Serena.'
Serena straightened then and Darien felt a wrenching within his chest as she moved back to the kitchen. He didn't want her to leave, he wanted to take her into his arms from then until the end of days and cover her with kisses and hold her safe from everything and everyone who would hurt her. But then his fond thoughts of his meatball head were scattered as the princess was resurrected in his mind and he slumped slightly. It seemed as though he would forever be bound – through duty if nothing else – to the elusive woman who haunted his nights. 'I'm truly very sorry, Serena, but I'm afraid you must share my heart. Though whether my princess lives is indeed a matter of some question.' His gaze was suddenly drawn to the television screen where Tuxedo Mask had swept Sailor Moon out of danger yet again. His heart was in a spiral of despair …there was his enigmatic link to Sailor Moon as well, the surge that flooded his being whenever she was in danger, accompanied by a pang of, of what? Of love? He wanted to shake some sense into himself. Here he was in love with three different women, one who might not exist but in his dreams, one who was obviously infatuated with his alter ego but who would probably hate him if she knew how he really was …and Serena …the one who hadn't been able to retain a smile in his presence less than a week ago.
Sometimes he thought that Fate was really out to get him. Or then again, maybe Cupid just had a weird sense of humor, either way …he was at a loss.
* * *
Darien gave the dinner a cursory glance and looked dubiously at Serena. "Aren't you even going to try it before you insult it?" Serena asked in a sarcastic voice. "There are noodles and cornbread and milk and even some brownies I had at home for desert."
"I see all of this Meatball Head, but I don't see any baby food. Just Wendy's bottle."
"Oh silly, of course there's food for her too! Look, she's going to have 'koosh koosh'. Its cornbread ground up into a kind of mulch with milk mixed in. It's really good!" She paused and gave him a pretty frown. "My mom used to give it to me and Sammy when we were little babies. Didn't your mother ever give you 'koosh koosh'?"
Darien gulped. She'd gone and done it again, slipping through a wear in his guard. "I wouldn't really know, Meatball Head, but somehow I don't think that cornbread you have to slurp would really appeal to a baby." He said in clipped tones, his automatic defense kicking in. "It's not a milkshake after all."
Serena scowled at him and turned to the high chair beside her seat with a beatific smile on her face for Wendy. "What do you think, little one? You want the koosh koosh, don't you?" Wendy was shooting daggers at Darien with her pale eyes, but when Serena gave her attention, she promptly smiled a baby smile and gurgled in reply.
Serena gave Darien a smug look. "Can I have some too, Serena?" Krissa asked, always eager to sample new foods. Somehow her interest in all edibles reminded him of Serena and he quickly tossed that thought away.
"Sure, dear one," Serena replied, smiling warmly again, though her apparent joy still seemed a bit strained to Darien. "What about you, Mr. Meanie? Would you like to try it? Or is little Darien so grown up now that he wants the whole piece of cornbread?"
Darien's defense mechanism shot into action again however and he snapped at her, "I think I'll stick with the noodles, after all, it's pretty hard to destroy those." He didn't miss the hurt expression that crossed her face, but thankfully both Krissa and Wendy were immersed in their dinners. He had a strange feeling that whatever Wendy wanted of him, he was doing less than admirably.
They finished dinner – which Darien grudgingly admitted was good – and Serena took the children back into the den so Darien could wash up the dishes. It was just as he was putting the last plate in the rack to dry when the world was bathed in darkness and a scream came from the living room. Darien almost dropped the plate, whether in response to the cry or to the surge of fright that jolted through him suddenly, he didn't know. He stopped himself at the doorway and tried to peer through the smothering blackness.
"Serena, Krissa, Wendy, are you three all right?" He demanded, shaken by the fear …he rarely ever felt scared and certainly never in a thunderstorm. Wendy was wailing softly.
"Fine, Darien," Serena started in a trembling voice. "Krissa was just startled when the storm knocked the power out." She apparently turned her attention to the youngsters. "All right, Krissa honey, do you know where your parents keep the candles or flashlights?" Krissa's reply was a short scream as lightning crisscrossed the sky and Darien saw the stark terror etched in Serena's soft features. He now knew at least where to step. Wendy was still crying in Serena's arms and Krissa was clutching Serena tightly.
"Hey, come here, Krissa," Darien called, scooping the girl into his arms. "Listen now, sweetie, its almost time for bed anyway and once you're asleep you won't notice the dark. Let's just get you and Wendy to bed, okay?"
"Okay …" Krissa was nearly throttling him and a deafening crack of thunder did little to ease the girl's obvious panic. "I really hate thunder storms, Darien," She confided in a tiny voice. Darien realized he had no way to comfort her, for some reason the show nature put on was relaxing to him.
Serena saved him however as she got up, clearly swallowing her own trepidation. "Don't worry, dear one, these things frighten me too." The lightning was flashing outside continuously, giving the world an eerie light to see – somewhat – by and Serena was standing completely still, gently trying to distract Wendy by tickling her plump little cheeks. The golden-haired girl gave a slight shudder and slipped closer to Darien as if seeking comfort.
Darien quickly looped his free arm around Serena's waist and felt her relax in his strong grip. Wendy continued to cry, though she was actually clutching Serena's slender fingers with her tiny hands and seemed to be calming in the presence of all of them. Darien blinked as Wendy threw him a cautious, sweet little smile and he almost doubted that she had given him a kind look until he noticed that her cries had almost ceased after he had pulled Serena closer. 'Great, so now the Fates are mocking me through a baby …just lovely'. He thought to himself. They reached the room Krissa and Wendy shared shortly and Darien persuaded Krissa to detach herself from him long enough to slip into her pajamas as he politely faced away. Serena had a time trying to lie Wendy down in her crib and Darien was hard pressed to tell who didn't want to let go more, Serena or the baby.
Finally, Serena gave a defeated – yet happy – sigh and sat down on the edge of Krissa's bed after pulling down the velvety blankets and allowing Krissa to scramble under the covers. Darien quietly exited the room and returned shortly with a handful of candles he'd spotted in the kitchen earlier. Serena smiled her appreciation as he lit the six candles and placed them in safe, high places around the room before taking a place behind Serena. Leaning against the wall with one leg off the bed, he carefully pulled the angel into his lap and tied his arms about her waist, preventing her escape.
"Wha?" Serena started, tensing again.
Darien gave her a lopsided grin. "Little Darien doesn't want to be alone, either," He told her and silently delighted in seeing the first real smile of the night flicker across her perfect face. "We should have all brushed our teeth before we got ready for sleep, but I think that it'd be a bit difficult now."
"Our teeth can hold 'til morning." Serena agreed. Her face fell then. "Well, what now? I don't think I can fall asleep with the storm like this." Even as she spoke, Darien felt her fear.
Krissa was already looking tired, apparently feeling safe tucked in her bed with her baby-sitters and little sister close by. "Tell me a story, Serena?" She pleaded softly.
Serena gave her a sad look. "I don't really remember any stories my mother used to tell," She started and paused in guilt as Krissa's smile drooped, "but I can sing you a lullaby."
Krissa gave a small shout of glee. "Mommy never did that!" She exclaimed, waking the drowsing Wendy.
"I'll take that as an affirmative," Serena murmured. Darien waited in keen anticipation for this, he knew that Serena had a voice like a Siren, but he'd never actually heard her sing. Oh gods, with her resting so snugly in his lap, leaning gently against his chest as Wendy cooed softly in her arms it seemed more like a dream than reality and the prospect of her singing just made it more unimaginable. "Do you have any suggestions?" Serena asked Krissa.
"Sing something special to you, so I can have something that means something to you belong to a part of me as well." The little girl requested sweetly.
Serena sighed softly and shifted ever so slightly to include Darien. "What about you, Darien? Anything nice that your mother used to sing you to sleep with?"
Darien stiffened and his breath caught in his throat. He was suddenly very thankful for the storm, even though it frightened the girls or else Serena would surely have seen his reaction. He coughed lightly and shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. Serena frowned prettily and settled back in his arms, thinking for a long moment as she rocked the baby in her arms. Both Krissa and Darien were waiting in keen anticipation.
"Okay," Serena began, "my mother used to always sing this song to me, after I told it to her." She blushed under their confused gazes. "I heard it in a dream and sang it to my mother and so she promised that she would always sing it to me when I wanted to hear it. It's called Symphony of the Stars …
Shattered remnants of a broken heart,
Scattered on the fields of forever,
The echoes of foot steps in the sand,
Blown by the winds into never,
Sleep on, my lady, sleep on,
Wake not for this eternity of night,
Though trouble brews close to thy heart,
Thy slumber shall be of peace and light,
Watching endlessly, the life of these worlds,
Caring throughout eternity to their dreams,
Tongues of fire to caress the purest souls,
Falling always through the seams,
Sacrifice is the symphony of the stars.
Darien sat in awe as Serena's sweet refrains slipped into silence, unable for a long while to even find his own voice as the soft echoes of her song played within his mind. "Wow, Serena, you came up with that all by yourself?" Darien questioned.
She gave him a puzzled look. "Of course not, silly, I told you that earlier. I just heard it one day in my dream and sang it to my mother, so she could put me to sleep. Someone else wrote it and created the tune."
"Who then?" He persisted.
Her eyes grew misty and distant and her voice throbbed with reverence and longing that she was probably not even aware of. "Someone in a wondrous kingdom far away and long ago," And then the rapture faded away and she gazed down upon the sleeping babe in her arms before looking to Krissa who slept as well, with a satisfactory smirk on her face.
Thunder rumbled the house, causing the candles to flicker as a tremendous boom sounded in sync with the sudden, spectacular display of nature's fireworks. Serena gulped and tensed in Darien's arms, her face drained of color and stark terror in her fathomless blue eyes. The children slumbered on however, resting quietly through the noise outdoors. Darien could practically feel Serena's fright washed over him, dousing his own personal fondness of the dazzling storms. Finally stifling her inner dread, Serena slipped from his arms and tenderly set Wendy in her cradle, pressing a final goodnight kiss to her forehead before straightening and gazing out with unsettling anxiety to the turmoiling thunderclouds and fingers of raw electricity splayed across the overcast sky.
Darien carefully rose from the foot of Krissa's bed and crossed the room to Serena's side, wrapping her in his warm embrace with all the comfort and support he could muster. Serena gave a tiny whimper and buried her face in his shirt, shaking slightly now that she didn't have to keep up the brave front for Krissa and Wendy. Darien gently led Serena from the room, blowing out several of the candles as they went and took Serena to the kitchen, which was absent of windows and lit by the other candles Darien had located.
"Everything's all right, Serena, the storm is outside, not in here. You're safe in here." Darien soothed, rubbing her back to ease her silent crying. After a time, Serena calmed enough to look up and smiled faintly at something she read in his concerned gaze. "Here now, you can tell me all about the stuff happening in your life while I get us some 'koosh koosh'." Darien offered.
Serena gave him a real grin as he mentioned food and she extracted herself from his arms, shivering as the thunder rolled once more outside but then burying her discomfort as she tipped one of the candles over her palm and made a pool of pale blue wax in the cup of her hand. She wordlessly accepted the glass of 'koosh koosh' and carefully peeled the wad of wax from her hand, tossing it into the garbage before using her spoon to eat the milky cornbread. Darien took a quick breath to steady himself and tried a bit of the food. Rather surprisingly he discovered that it was good and attempted to ignore the smug told-you-so smile that took up residence on Serena's face.
"So, what do you what to know about my life?" Serena asked, obviously trying to sound nonchalant and carefree but there remained a tremor of fear and insecurity in her tone.
"Well …" Darien stalled; he had hoped that she would simply start talking about herself without prompting. He had seen first-hand how easy it was for people to open up to Andrew, but he was at a loss for producing the same effect on Serena. "Do you have a boyfriend?" He blurted – Serena wasn't the only one surprised by that question – aware that there had been a trace of animosity in his voice.
Serena's expression became unreadable as she leaned in closer to him, her eyes taking on a mischievous twinkle as she said in her most sultry voice, "Why? Are you …jealous?"
"Of course not." Darien managed hoarsely, a flush creeping over his features.
Serena dropped the seductress act as she crowed, "You're positively green, Darien!"
Thinking fast, Darien replied, "I'm sick." Serena gave him a hard look and he got the distinct impression that she wasn't buying it. 'And here Andrew told me I could sell anything …' he mused wryly. It was almost true however, most girls who saw him promptly became puddles of love struck adoration and would follow him around like lost little puppies, lapping up his every word when he spoke – usually to politely tell them to bug off – even though they seemed deaf to the actual meaning of his words as a whole.
Serena rolled her eyes at him and leaned back against the countertop. "Fine. Sure. Whatever." She mumbled, a small grin tugging at her lips. "Well, in answer to your question, no."
Darien feared for a moment that she would catch the relief that flooded his face. "Well, how's the boy who went in for the transfer? Did you bring him to a fair yet?"
Serena's face lit up. "Oh, he's doing so well already! His parents have been in to visit him at least once a day, and I brought him some flowers to tide him over. He'll be out within the next week and then the fair will be here again so I can fulfill my promise!" She sounded so jubilant, so full of positive energy that Darien found it hard to believe that she had been so terrified just a few short minutes ago. He could still detect the fear radiating from her, but it was almost lost in the full glow that was Serena Tsukino.
"That's good. Hey, if you need a ride to the fair, I could give you one. I'd like to meet this little trooper," Darien said.
"That's great! He said he wanted to meet you the other day when I was chatting with him!" Serena chirped.
Glee abounded in Darien's heart but he squelched it to take advantage of the opportunity to get even with Serena. "Is that so? Wherever has he heard of me?"
Serena blushed rosily and backpedaled furiously. "I, er, that is …I'm sure he would want to meet you!"
"Uh huh. Right. I'll bet." Darien said, imitating her disbelief. Serena scowled at him but even he could read the warmth in that.
"Oh fine, so I might have mentioned you in passing. It's not like I never fell into you on my way there. You made me late once and I might have let your name slip." Serena admitted.
The flame of hope sputtered and faltered but Darien's heart stubbornly refused to believe that all of her excuse was true, but she had let him off the hook earlier so he could do no less. "Okay then …how's school coming?"
Too late he realized his error. Too late he watched the smile drop from her face as her expression grew troubled. "I don't need you to tease me on my poor test grades, Darien. I get enough grief about that at home and from my friends." She replied defensively.
"Then why don't you do anything about it?" Darien asked. He hadn't meant to but the prospect was puzzling him and lately while in her presence, things had just seemed to slip from his tongue.
"Don't you think that I do? I try on my tests and quizzes! I study every night! It's just that I'm always so sleepy in school and sometimes I can't get the time to study and …it's just like no one believes that I actually try. Everyone seems to be of the universal belief that I just don't care about my grades or studying and that isn't true!"
"I'm sorry, Serena, I was just asking." He paused. "If you ever need help on any of your assignments, or just need to study someplace …I'd like to help."
Her eyes met his and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. "Do you really mean that, Darien? You wouldn't make fun of me?" She asked softly, hesitantly.
"I promise, Serena." Darien announced and as if to seal his vow he bent over and kissed her forehead.
Serena was turning a lovely shade of pink when something appeared to catch in her mind. "Will you tell me something then, Darien? Please?" She begged.
Confused, Darien nodded. "Sure, Serena, if I can."
"What do I keep on saying that makes you hate me? How can you be so nice one moment and so cold the next? You want to help me with my schoolwork, well, fine as long as I can help you with this." Serena stated.
Darien started to say something, broke it off and tried again, fumbling once more before managing to utter, "Serena, you have no idea what you're asking …I …you …" He trailed off helplessly and gave her a pained look. "You deserve to know, you more than anyone else but …"
And then suddenly she had taken him into her arms and was holding him close, her faint perfume – of vanilla and cherry blossoms – numbing his defenses. One of her arms was wrapped about his neck, her small hand against the back of his head with slender fingers threading through his ebony hair. Her other arm was around his back, rubbing gently and with more care than Darien could ever remember receiving from anyone. Without even seeming to notice, Serena had snuck beyond his barriers to the gulf that encompassed his heart and was working magic to repair the barren, empty expanse within.
She had torn down the iron bars – rusted by her compassion – and had bridged the gulf …more than that however, she had broken the dam. Quite suddenly he found he was weeping in her arms, almost solely relying on her to even stand as the raw anguish rose and he poured everything out to the angel holding him together. She said nothing as he spoke, merely hugging him and wiping away his tears as he told of the deaths of his parents at a young age and his subsequent orphaning and amnesia. He told her about his life at the orphanage, about truly befriending only three people since the incident and losing two of the three. And then when he had no more to say, she kissed the corner of his mouth, shushed him with a finger to his lips and offered another tight hug before talking.
In return for his story, she gave unto him knowledge of her that no one else knew. She revealed to him how she had been his angel that day, when he had no one and Fiore was leaving. She renewed her vow to be his family and then told him of hers. How she never felt good enough in the eyes of her mother, how she always felt bad for teasing her brother even though he tended to deserve it, how her father seemed likely to nullify any chances of her ever having true love. Her private fears that she wasn't being true as a friend to Molly, her inner torments of thunderstorms and dentists, her feeling of being just a shadow …somehow not whole, only a fraction of something greater. She told him of her dreams, dreams filled with vivid images of a silver palace and a rose garden and a terrible gnawing foreboding that whispered at the back of her mind and she told him how she was giving up her crush on Andrew, how she thought Tuxedo Mask was a hunk but how she liked someone more real and how she felt a likeness to Sailor Moon in that even the sailor suited warrior wasn't all that graceful.
Both souls lain bare, both hearts emptied and Darien's only remaining secret being that he was Tuxedo Mask. Even knowing what he did about the girl that he really did love, he couldn't throw the princess of his dreams to the wolves just to share the burden of his awful duty. Somehow he knew that she was holding something back as well, but he couldn't quite place what it might have been. There was a curious shimmer surrounding her, a sort of protecting aura that made his mind go fuzzy whenever he tried to figure out her mystery. But it was enough that she was there with him then and had shared so much of herself. Even Andrew had never been able to understand and assist him in such matters of the heart, but somehow Serena seemed impervious to his own shields and right now he felt as if she was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.
It came as no surprise to either that they were tired afterwards and so Serena led him out to the living room – jumping a bit with every reminder that a storm still raged without the house – and made him lie down before gathering up a blanket and curling up beside him, both soon asleep.