AN: Hey, sorry it has taken so long for me to upload something! Let me know what you think and if I should have a sequel?
Serena sat down at the front stool of the arcade in a huff. Her day had been so terrible. Not only had she been late for school -no surprise there but still- she had then later been ridiculed by the popular girls who thought they were so much better than her. She sighed. Normally she didn't let it bother her but today it was really affecting her. Andrew came and handed her her usual. She thanked him but her heart wasn't really in the delicious milky goodness. His frown brought her back to reality.
"You okay, Drew?" she asked softly. He smiled at her.
"Yes, but are you? You look like something is bothering you."
Serena sighed. Oh, he had frowned because he had noticed her sour mood. Andrew was like that, always looking out for her. She couldn't fool him. She looked up and let out a weak smile. They had been friends too long for her not to confide in him.
"Yeah, I'm okay… just some girls at school who are bothering me. I don't understand how people can be so mean for no reason."
"I know," he sympathized as he cleaned the counter. "Don't worry, I'm sure they will get bored of it soon enough."
Serena nodded. She sure hoped so. Little did she know that Darien was sitting just a few stools away from her and had heard the entire conversation. And how his mind was processing what he had heard and was thinking of someway to help the angel he had secretly been in love with since he first met her. She didn't know that he liked her in the slightest of course, his feelings nicely hidden by his teasing demeanour, and he planned to keep things that way for now. Still, he wanted to help. An idea came to him and he smiled behind his coffee cup.
The next morning Serena woke up extra early just to make sure that she was not late again for school. She was surprised when she made her way down the street and did not bump into the tall and mysterious older man that she secretly had a crush on. They seemed to bump into each other every day. She knew why she did it but she wondered why he hadn't started taking a different route or started walking on the other side of the street. Her mind drifted as she walked, to the possibility that he liked her and that he was always there at that fateful moment because he longed to hold her in his arms for the briefest moment when she fell on top of him. Serena squealed to herself before walking into the school's courtyard. Looking at her watch she found herself to be nearly a half an hour early so she decided to wait outside under a tree since it was such a nice morning. Catching up on her manga, and so focused was she on it, that she didn't even realize that the group of girls that had been bothering her had made their way to her and were presently surrounding her.
"Finally here on time?" one of the girls teased bitterly. Serena, finally noticing them, stood placing the manga against her chest as if it were a shield from their bitter words that would surely come.
"Yeah," she muttered. "I think I will go in now though," and with that she tried to make her way through them. She was blocked by shoulders and glaring eyes.
"You look so stupid today," another girl commented. "Ever heard of changing your hairstyle? It's not even like yours is nice enough to wear everyday. You look like a kid with such long hair in ponytails."
Serena was about to reply that they were not quite ponytails but refrained. She just pushed her way through the girls and headed towards the front entrance. But before she had gotten halfway there, the girls yanked on her arm throwing her backwards and unto the ground. They walked in front of her then turned around and looked back over their shoulders.
"Like we'd let trash like you go before us!" the seemingly leader of them announced with malice.
Lying on the ground Serena watched them as they said their hurtful words. She didn't have the courage or strength to fight back. She dealt with monsters from other universes all the time but she couldn't stand up for herself when it came to school bullies. Just as they were about to walk inside there was a flash of black in the air and then, before her very eyes, stood Tuxedo Mask. Her loud shaky gasp made the girls turn in their tracks and as they saw who stood between them and Serena their eyes widened and they fell silent in awe.
Tuxedo Mask wasted no time in helping Serena to her feet. His gloved hands extended out towards her as he grabbed her elbows and pulled her up and into his embrace. He was holding her so protectively in his arms and he didn't even know she was Sailor Moon, Serena thought amazed. His warm embrace was just as it always was and Serena closed her eyes not wanting him to see her like this even though he didn't know that she was the girl who had become quite accustomed to his embrace.
"You shouldn't tease other people so that you can feel better about yourself," he said in his husky voice, his eyes never leaving Serena's face, even though her eyes were closed. The girls, to whom he had been referring to, nodded as if in a trance and watched in horror as he dipped Serena down, lowered his head, and kissed her soundly on the lips.
Serena nearly passed out when she felt lips against her own. Having had her eyes closed, she had had no warning to what he had been about to do. Not that she would have done anything differently anyways. She lay there in his arms as his soft lips kissed her and she couldn't help but kiss him back.
And what had started off as just a kiss to help her out soon became a passionate kiss with her hands grasping at his neck.
"Serena?" called a voice, disturbing their blissful moment. Serena hesitantly pulled away, her face flushed, and turned in his embrace to find her friend Molly staring at her in shock. A second passed before Tuxedo Mask came to his senses and quickly straightened the girl in his arms, almost causing her to fall the other way. Cold met her arms as he stepped a step away from her. He couldn't believe he had let himself be so vulnerable like that. What would she think now? Unless he came clean… he couldn't just kiss her like that and not tell her that it had been him…
"Hi Molly…" Serena said in a daze.
Tuxedo Mask's head dipped again as he stood behind her. His lips against her ear he whispered, "That was a personal favour from a certain nemesis of yours. Tell Darien the pleasure was all mine," he said in his deep voice before jumping up and away into the air.
Serena just stood their completely in shock and completely confused. Darien had asked Tuxedo Mask to kiss her? Why would he have done that? Had he overheard she was having problems at school and wanted to help her? What other reason could he have in asking this bizarre request from a super hero? Besides all that, how did he know Tuxedo Mask to begin with? She shook her head as she entered the school, knowing she would have to wait until the end of the day to ask him herself. Then again at least she didn't have detention after school today!
Racing into the small arcade Serena paused searching for her hunky college nemesis that she had been waiting all day to demand some answers to her questions. She found him in his usual spot in the front of the arcade on a stool. Making her way over to him she tapped him forcefully on the shoulder and waited for him to turn around. As he did, and her eyes met his confused ones, her words fled her mouth and she was left with non other than a low yap that caught in her throat. He smiled at her, something completely new for him. New, because it wasn't a smirk nor was it a laughing smile after she had done something stupid. No, he had just simply smiled. Her heart melted.
"Yes?" he asked, a tad of his cockiness reappearing.
Her face heated up. "Umm…" she said softly, hypnotized by his eyes… there was something about those midnight blue eyes…
"Needed…to talk to you…" she mumbled, as she drifted farther and farther away into his eyes. "Something about a… kiss…"
Her body began drifting dangerously close to his own and Darien gave her a once over. Why was she looking at him like that? He hadn't been the one to kiss her… well he had but she didn't know that. She didn't know that… right? He gulped as her body pressed up against his knees and their faces became inches apart. Her eyes drifted closed.
"Same eyes…" she breathed against his face making him stare at her lips as she spoke, her eyes remaining closed. "Masked eyes," she said as she closed the distance between them kissing him as soundly as they had been kissing before. His eyes quickly drifted shut as her soft delicate lips touched his and her tongue begged entrance into his mouth. She knew it was him. His heart soared that she knew and hadn't been upset about all the lying he had done. They could finally be together… no more secrets and no more pretending…