Between Us

Author's Note:

Guess who's back~? It's been forever, hasn't it? You guys must be absolutely ecstatic that I'm off of my writer's block…even though I technically never had it. ANYWAYS, if you couldn't tell, I decided to completely start from SCRATCH. Enjoy you're first taste at the new and improved, Between Us.

I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters.

I love you too much, it shows

All my emotions go out of control

Good for you, bad for me

When I can hardly see from the tears that flow

Breathe Slow – Alesha Dixon

Chapter One

A Night Out

Serena took a sip of her peach martini and couldn't resist from checking around the lounge to see if a certain someone hadn't appeared yet. After her short evaluation revealed that he was still a no-show, she leaned against the railing and watched the sweaty, scantily-clad bodies dancing below her from the wall-to-wall windows of her VIP lounge. The music caused small vibrations along the railing she was currently leaning on and she couldn't help but get the urge to dance along with the rest of the crowd. But she was waiting for someone. And she was getting impatient.

She took another sip of her drink.

Long, tan fingers smoothly grabbed the glass from her hand and took a large swig, draining it. She watched as the person swallowed her entire drink and turned to give her a devilish smile.

"I thought you stopped drinking," he said while putting down the empty glass.

"And I thought you were going to be on time," she snapped.

"I didn't realize I was on a tight schedule," he said, keeping his arrogant smile.

She ignored his comment and resisted the urge to smack the smirk off his face. She walked over to the private bar and demanded another drink. The bartender was about to recommend that she stop drinking for the night but was left speechless by her fiery gaze. He gave a quick nod of his head and began to prepare the heated blonde's drink.

Darien stood behind her as his hand traveled down her back and let his hands gently hold her at either side of her waist. She felt his breath on her neck and couldn't help but let her anger subside for a few seconds. Before she fell even further into his attempts at seducing her, she reminded herself of why she had asked him to meet her here tonight. And she would need every ounce of self-control to talk to him, even if it was the last thing she did.

"Please don't be mad at me. I didn't mean to be late, I just lost track of time," he whispered, trying to charm his way out of her cold shoulder treatment.

She turned her body around to face him, a new drink in hand, and glared at him.

"I'm getting tired of the games you keep playing with me, Darien. I won't be waiting around for you forever." she said.

"Oh, come on Serena," he groaned, right before grabbing the drink out of her hands, "you always say that. And you should really stop drinking this crap." he said, indicating to her fruity concoction.

"I like this 'crap', but I don't like what you're giving me," she snapped while snatching her drink back.

"What's the big deal? So what, I was a little late, you know how I am with time."

"The whole damn world can know how you are with time, Darien, but the whole world also knows that you do not keep a girl waiting for over an hour," she gritted through her teeth.

She maneuvered her body to walk around him and left him standing alone at the bar.

"Someone's very cranky tonight," he muttered.

She walked back to her spot at the railing and continued her watch of the people below her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Darien lean against the railing as well, his back facing the glass windows.

"Don't you ever wonder what it would be like to live like them?" she mused.

"Like whom?" he questioned.

"Them," she indicated, pointing her gaze towards the crowd.

Darien shifted his head to glance at the crowd below him. He watched as some girls got on top of the bar counters and started to dance like the crazy drunken girls they were. He could vaguely hear the shouts and cheers of the vulgar men watching them from below, getting glimpses of what they should definitely not be looking at. A crowd of people were just dancing on the floor, while others were getting their own drinks. Strobe lights danced across the whole club, glaring off of the booths that were filled with couples and groups, some were enjoying conversation with each other, some of the more daring were openly being physical with one another, and other less intelligent members were sharing the newest drugs they purchased.

Just ordinary people enjoying an ordinary Friday night out.

"Why should we wonder how their lives are? We have everything they could only dream of." he replied.

"Maybe that's the problem with us…" she whispered,

"We never dream about anything."

Darien shifted his gaze back to Serena and couldn't help but stare at her beauty. Her long blonde hair was let down in loose waves, and she had a healthy glow to her cheeks. His eyes traveled to her thin, small nose and came to a stop at her lips. Her lips were a shade of pink that shimmered when the light hit them just right. Those luscious lips would one day be the end of him, and honestly, he didn't mind.

The makeup around her eyes didn't fail to add a spotlight to her sparkling blue eyes. Darien normally did not pay attention to a girl's features, but Serena's eyes were the most exquisite color he had ever seen. They were an innocent shade of blue, a soft color that could warm anyone's heart. Her eyes were a direct output to whatever she was thinking or feeling. They would shine when she was excited or happy about something, and they would grow a bit dull when she was upset. They would grow brighter when she got an idea or became nervous, and would grow just a shade darker when she was irritated. Until Serena, Darien had not known how much someone's eyes could tell him.

She was wearing a deep purple, silk tank top underneath her favorite tight, black cropped vest, accentuating her breasts. Her long legs were covered in form-fitting black skinny jeans while her small feet were clad in the pair of purple, suede heels he had bought for her from Manolo Blahnik himself. Serena had been so delighted to receive his gift, and her eyes had glittered when he slipped them on her feet for her.

She was perfection.

He heard her sigh before taking a sip of her pomegranate cosmopolitan, and shook himself out of his reverie.

"Why the sudden interest of living a normal life? Did something happen?"

"Darien," she started with a dry laugh "we live in New York City. Since when does something not happen."

He nodded his head in agreement before settling into the comfortable silence that had formed. The only noise was the loud music and occasional shouts from the people down below. He took another look down towards them, trying to find what Serena was gazing so longingly at.

"But sometimes I just wonder…what would it be like to start from nothing? To be born into a normal family who actually have to work to pay the bills. To just not even have to worry about who's going to backstab you next, but just worry about what grade you got on the test you took today. I mean, we probably own every single place these people work, eat, go to school, and sleep. It's as if we own them." Serena stated, turning her head to look straight at Darien.

He was slightly confused at her sudden tirade and could do nothing but stare back into her eyes. This wasn't the first time she had made a speech about how she wanted to be normal, or how she wished their Society was more dignified in its methods than it was.

"I don't get where you're going with this, Sere. If you're going on another spiel of how our Society does not know how to feel empathetic or spend money wisely then I don't really feel like listening."

"Of course you don't," she started "you're a part of that Society."

"So are you."

"But there's a difference between us. You enjoy being in this lifestyle. Getting everything you want without trouble, looking down on those who don't have that sort of power. You were born to be a Socialite."

"So were you." he said, gently grabbing her shoulders and turning her around so she was directly facing him.

The Society was an exclusive group that had formed in New York City over the past centuries. It was a tradition that could never be broken by the rich, famous, and stunningly attractive men and women of the City. Only the most elite families and people of the city were able to obtain the privilege of being a part of the Society, therefore earning the formal title of being a Socialite. Being in the Society was almost equal to being untouchable. Nothing could harm a Socialite, it was simply impossible. Although it was a difficult task to gain approval to become a member of the Society, it was a given that once you were in, you were in for good. There were only a few incidents where a Socialite was banned from the Society, but the reasons of why were always left secret and never to be spoken of again. But then again, secrets were made to be told, weren't they?

Serena lost her train of thought as she became strictly aware of Darien's hands grasping her shoulders. With just that one touch they felt the electricity winding through them. The flames that they had both tried to bury numerous times ignited into a conflagration that neither of them could put out. Not that they truly desired to.

Their lips collided as they sought for a feeling of fulfillment only they could provide for each other. Her hands went on a journey along his whole torso, traveling underneath his partially unbuttoned dress shirt. She felt him shiver as she traced patterns along his stomach and back, giving him goosebumps. Serena let out a soft groan as she felt him push her up on the railing and leave a trail of hot kisses along her neck. His hands worked their way along her legs, gently squeezing and massaging here and there.

The passion that they had was undeniable, yet they tried so hard to ignore it. She snapped her eyes open as she remembered why she originally had called him to meet her here. Darien wasn't paying attention to her soft shoves for him to get off of her and continued kissing along her exposed neck.

"Darien…w-we have…have t-to stop." she said incoherently.

His lips made his way back to her mouth before planting another fiery kiss on her lips, effectively shutting her up.

"Is that what you really want?" he whispered in her ear.

She gave one rough, final push and Darien respectfully stopped his conquest of taking her. He stared down at her swollen lips and slightly blushing face with longing, just as she was staring into his darkened eyes of lust. Her fingers began to trace his jaw line, and continued to move along his entire face in a feathery motion.

Serena was mesmerized by how gorgeous this man was. Her hands fluttered over his eyes, briefly wondering how he had been blessed with such stunning eyes. His eyes that had previously been a stormy black became as calm as the deep waters of the ocean. They were such a beautiful blue, so different from her own eyes, and she loved them. She had spent hours just staring into his midnight blue eyes during their many evenings together. Sometimes she would have his head gently lying on her lap, and she would stroke his perfectly tousled hair while staring at his eyes. He would occasionally ask her what was going through her mind when she stared at him like that, and she would just smile, responding with the classic 'Nothing'. Those were the lazy days they had shared, just lying around on his couch, listening to music with a glass of wine, or watching a movie that neither of them bothered to pay attention to.

Her hands traveled along the bridge of his nose and swept over both of his cheeks. She finally began to trace his perfectly sculpted lips. They were smooth under her fingertips, and she couldn't resist the urge to give him one final kiss. It was a deliberately slow one, a kiss she wanted to make last a lifetime. His lips always felt as if they were made for her own, moving together in a harmony neither of them had ever expected. But both of them knew this kiss was different, and while Serena was doing her best to not shed a single tear, Darien was slightly confused as to why she was giving him this dreadfully magnificent kiss.

It was a kiss of goodbye.

She broke the kiss and stood unmoving as Darien's forehead came to rest on her own. He had always been so intimate with her when they were together, and it had made her genuinely happy.

'And that's all that mattered,' Serena thought to herself, 'he made you feel like you were in heaven every time you were with him.'

Serena shifted her head to stare at Darien again, and it seemed as if she was trying to memorize each aspect of his face. Her hand came to rest on his cheek again and she let it stay there for a few seconds before removing it.

Darien went to grab her hand but was a bit shocked to have her pull it away quickly. He noticed how she began to slightly change in front of his own eyes. Her posture had become perfect as she straightened out her back and legs while clasping her hands together behind her back, hiding her nervously fidgeting fingers. Her crystalline blue eyes that had always been so easily readable to him slightly grew dull as they enclosed themselves in a mask. Her chest that had just been heaving for air a few seconds ago was as still as it could be. There was a sudden elegant and mysterious air about her, obviously stating her wealth and status.

She looked like a Socialite.

"You're wrong about me, Darien. I was never born a Socialite, I was taught to be one. It doesn't run through my blood to be a Socialite, it's just a type of lifestyle I practice. It's something I would be able to leave behind in my past, and never feel regret for doing it. But you…it's…it's all you have. Being a Socialite is everything to you. It's what you eat, sleep, breathe…it's just who you are," Serena stated.

Darien had no rebuttal, as they both knew Serena was telling the truth.

"What's you're point?" Darien asked, a bit aggravated at how she knew so much about him.

"We have to stop seeing each other, Darien. Whatever we have together, whatever it is that we're doing, it's wrong. You and I are just two complete opposites."

"You're taking our secret rendezvous a bit too seriously. We're just two people who enjoy each other's company."

"That's the difference between us. I'm sick of having to sneak around like I'm always doing something wrong when I'm with you. All of this Socialite bullshit has gotten to your head. I can't do this anymore. I can't be in you're world."

"You keep forgetting you are a part of this world, whether you like it or not. Nobody can just leave the status of a Socialite, Serena. You and I both know that."

Serena let out a small laugh as she stared down at the crowd below her for the final time. She signaled for one of the waiters to bring her purse and the two waited in silence for the waiter to return. Serena reached into her large Chanel tote bag to retrieve her car keys and began to play around with the key chains. She stared directly into Darien's eyes and reminded herself once again, why she had called him to meet her.

"You don't know anything, Darien. You don't know anything about life outside of being a Socialite, or about me. I'm over these little games we've been playing with each other. I'm over being a puppet for our Society. I'm over everything. I'm especially...over you."

There was a long pause as the two adolescents just stood there in silence. Serena was trying so hard not to show him the pain she was in, while he was trying to figure out why she had suddenly changed her mind about their relationship.

"So…you're kind of dumping me right now, right?" Darien said nonchalantly.

Serena just nodded her head at his rhetorical question and couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by all of her own emotions. She wanted to be with Darien, she really did. But at the same time…she didn't. No, she couldn't. Everything was just too complicated between them for anything to work out. She turned towards the exit of the VIP lounge and began to walk away from him.

"You'll never be able to let it go, Serena. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need the Society just as much as I do. Just like we need each other," Darien said under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.

Serena stopped in her tracks as she felt a lone tear trail down her cheek that she stubbornly refused to wipe away. Darien watched with a stone cold look on his face as she stilled before making her escape. He waited for her to turn around and walk back towards him, whether it was to lecture him more or to admit defeat, he didn't really care. She would end up in his bed once again either way.

But he was shocked and angered as she continued to walk out of the club without even looking back at him. It was true, that at some point, their casual fling had become a need to the both of them. He refused to believe that he needed anyone like he needed Serena, but everything was just so right with her. Darien had attempted to stomp down his desire for Serena so many times, but he couldn't resist his selfish desires to come back for more. He could never get enough of the blonde goddess that seemed so untouchable.

Serena felt Darien's harsh gaze follow her as she made her way down the spiraling staircase and released a breath she had been unaware of holding. The night gave her comfort, the darkness seemingly shielding her from prying eyes. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she walked over to her new, frosted white Mercedes Benz. The 2009 S550 4MATIC™ Sedan had been the first car she had ever bought with her own money, and she was so proud of it.

The warm breeze swept through her blonde tresses and she paused, closing her eyes to better enjoy the calming sensation. It helped to clear her head from the jumbled thoughts that had been constantly bugging her for the past few months.

She stepped into the car and started the engine; its soft purr soothing Serena's frazzled nerves even further. Her hand made a move to put the car in drive when she was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of deep heartache. The tears she had been trying so hard to suppress began to slowly tumble down her cheeks. She pressed a hand against her mouth to attempt to stifle her sobs, but gave up immediately as the cries of her heartache only grew louder in sound. Her chest felt constricted and there was a huge lump of nothing that had formed in her throat as she continued letting out her heart-wrenching sobs. She didn't know when, or even how, but something had happened to her. Something she would never dare tell another soul.

She fell in love with Darien Shields.

It was about three in the morning when Darien had finally decided to stumble his way into his apartment…drunk. Instead of confronting Serena after her semi-abrupt departure, he sat himself down at the bar and continued to order drinks until the number of glasses rivaled the number of duplicates he saw. One of the waiters had graciously hailed him a cab and sent Darien on his way home.

Darien leaned against the wall to get some gravitational support and began what felt like the long journey to his bedroom. That was until the lights switched on, momentarily blinding his bloodshot eyes.

"Oh, isn't this just adorable?" a voice said, sarcastically, "My dearest brother returning home before the crack of dawn, drunk off of his pathetic ass."

"I'm not in the mood to talk to you, Raye. So why don't you be a good sister and get the hell out of my apartment?" he said, gruffly.

"Now, now, is that any way to be treating your sister who's been out of the country for a week? Didn't you miss me?"

"Actually, I prefer you being in Paris rather than in my apartment."

"Actually," she said in a mocking tone, "I was in London. And I even came back early to give you a surprise visit, but you were already out. Mind telling me with whom?"

"That's none of your business, now will you just leave?" he said, suddenly becoming extremely exhausted.

"Seems like someone's a little cranky. Now is that because you're drunk, or because the female company you were with tonight was unsatisfactory? Seems as though you're losing your touch, Dare," Raye said, with a glint in her eyes.

"Shut the hell up. I'm going to bed; I think you're smart enough to show yourself out."

Darien resumed his walk, using the wall as support, and tried to ignore Raye.

"You know, I may hate the blonde bitch, but I have to give her credit. She's one smart girl to turn her back on you."

He stopped cold and his posture became rigid with rage. The drunken stupor he had been in seemed to suddenly vanish as he stomped over to Raye who had been lounging calmly on his black, leather couch. He roughly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her so she was standing on her feet. He looked straight into her ruthless eyes but saw the fear swimming beneath her defiance as she stared right back into his own furious glare.

"That 'blonde bitch'," he said, gritting his teeth, "is a better person than you could ever dream of being. You should think twice before insulting her in my presence. I may let you get away with being a bitch in front of other people, but I will never tolerate it when it comes to her."

"You would choose her over your own family?" she hissed.

He released his grip on her arms and turned his back towards her. His shoulders moved up and down in a drastic manner as he tried to calm himself by taking deep breaths. Raye's sudden appearance was doing nothing to help his headache, induced by both the alcohol he consumed as well as the abrupt loss of Serena.

"Just…just go home, Raye. I'm not in the mood to be having this argument," Darien sighed.

Raye grabbed her jacket and purse before making her way to the front door. She slipped on her shoes and turned around to face Darien one last time.

"She was the biggest mistake you made, brother." she said coldly, "Fix it."

Raye's heels continuously clicked against his apartment's floor before she slammed his front door shut, ceasing all noise. Darien shook his head and finally entered his bedroom. He sat down on the edge of his bed and became lost in his own thoughts, every single one revolving around Serena. Had he done something to make her act this way? Had someone found out about their secret affairs, other than Raye? Was there something Serena wasn't telling him? He buried his head in his hands and heaved a large sigh of frustration. What the hell had happened tonight?

Stripping down to his boxers, he laid down on his bed, thinking one last thought before closing his eyes.

Mistake's fixed.

End of Chapter One

Alright~ so what do you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? REVIEW!

I do work hard, even if it's slow and not meeting certain expectations, I would appreciate to receive the same respect that I hold for all of my readers.

Hope you enjoyed!

xoxo

sarrang