Love Blossoms

The rating R is for mild violence and sexual references…nothing more. I always rate high, just in case.

Okay, I KNOW I write a lot from Darien/Mamoru's POV but it is just soooo angst ridden. He is every writers dream drama queen (Uh…King). Well, this story is going to be my first attempt at an epic romance - with a twist, of course… Enjoy!

This is set in 19th century Ireland, about the year 1980.

Feedback is the crux of writing.

This story is mine, but the characters are not… But you knew that, didn't you?

I remember how this whole thing started, the mess I have so carefully created for myself. It was early last year, just before Easter. That was when I first met her.

I was waiting for my usual train. The station was crowded with its usual surly businessmen, and seating was in short supply. I stood by the ticket booth - apprehensively watching the passengers come and go. I had a substantial wait for my train and I certainly did not intend to stand the whole time. I looked at my watch, then the train timetable and smiled as I ascertained the proximity of the next engine.

Sure enough, within ten minutes the chug of the train could be heard not too far off. Some of the awaiting passengers readied their belongings and stood expectantly. I watched as a tall, scrawny man on a nearby bench tentatively fingered the handle on his suitcase, occasionally casting the approaching locomotive a fleeting glance.

I had found my prey.

I sauntered closer to the bench as inconspicuously as I could. The now deafening thud of the train was drowning any and all sound. As the tracks screeched and the train came to a rolling halt, the tall man rose deftly from his seat and joined the rush to enter the awaiting carriage.

I watched them for only a moment, wondering how such dignified men could behave like small children in a chocolate shop. They acted as if the seats on the train were precious stones or piles of gold - not grimy, dirty seats lined with course, itchy material. It was something I always found mind boggling.

For that split second my thoughts wandered, my targeted seat was quickly taken up by the most captivating creature to ever grace my humble world. Yet still, my belligerent personality would not relent and I inadvertently found my derisive ego emerge.

"Excuse me miss," I said curtly, "But I was waiting for that seat."

"Were you?" She looked at me, a doubtful expression in her deep cerulean eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." She then concentrated on the tracks as if waiting for a train to instantly appear.

I could feel a vein throb at the corner of my mouth. Such beautiful blonde curls I had never seen before, but that did not mean I would let my pride slide. "Well, I have just told you, and I have quite a long wait too. I'm sure a lovely young lady like you would give a seat to an old fellow like me." I smiled seductively emphasizing my subtle flirting.

She blushed at the compliment and smiled back, much more innocently though. "I would, but I too have a long wait… And you don't seem that old, mister. I'd say…twenty four."

My astonishment at her accuracy must have shown on my face because she gave a triumphant giggle. "I knew it! I'm never wrong." She winked and turned her attention back to the tracks. Her inexorable blue pupils regarded me from the corner of her eye, a slow smile twisting her rosebud lips. "Would it be rude of me to ask your name?"

I flashed her my tried and true, knee weakening smile. In the past, much more elegant and assertive women than her have turned to putty at that cocky grin, but this girl just looked at me expectantly.

That was an enormous blow to my esteemed ego.

"My name's Darien Collins," I said, extending my hand in a friendly manner.

She took it eagerly - her soft as silk fingers slid slowly along mine, as if she feared I would pull away at any moment. She shook my proffered hand with unparalleled vigor.

"Serena McMillan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Her formal greeting brought a smile to my face and lightened my somewhat tetchy mood.

"So," I said conversationally. "Which train are you waiting for?"

"Um…" She checked her ticket. "The 5:30 to Galway, how far away is that?"

"Wow, a long time. It's only 11:15 now."

"No, I mean the distance. How far is it to Galway?" She looked a little forlorn, like a child who had gotten separated from a parent.

"It's on the west coast. That's the other side of the country."

Oh," she said, lowering her head slightly. Her behavior pulled at my heartstrings. She seemed to be all alone like myself, and her obvious naivety was something that should never have gone unprotected. I knew from experience that there were people who would take advantage of her in a heartbeat, and I would have been a fool to walk away.

Since my own destination was Galway, I decided to do this girl a favor. No one should have to wait so long for a train, especially when the journey itself would take near nine hours by steam engine. "May I see your ticket?"

She took a quick look at me before handing it over. And there it was, written in black and white.

-5:30 - Dublin to Galway - one way-

"If you will let me, I'll exchange this for one on my train. I'm going to Galway also, but my train is at 2:30."

Her eyes widened. "Oh no, Sir, I couldn't possibly-"

Her refusal was cut short. I walked up to the ticket booth and greeted the haggard old woman behind the weathered brass bars.

"Mornin'," I said cheerfully. "Could I change this ticket for one at 2:30?"

She reached a gnarled hand for the slip of paper and scoffed superiorly. "This is a third class ticket boy. No you can't."

I bit back my temper and regarded her with polite tolerance. "Well…can I buy a first class one?" I glanced at Miss McMillan. She blanched, half rising from her seat, obviously considering coming over.

"That would cost plenty. Most lads like you wouldn't earn the price of such a ticket in a year." She plastered a sickeningly evil grin to her face and called, "Next there…"

This opportunity was too tempting. This woman had deliberately challenged me, and I fully intended to exceed it.

"Sure," I said reaching nonchalantly into my breast pocket. "Is that enough?" I piled a small stack of money on the weathered booth sill. The woman's smile dropped momentarily before it was resumed with strained effort. She exchanged the ticket and wished me a dubious good morning, to which I gave no thank you.

I was used to emerging the superior.

When I returned to her, Miss McMillan was as white as a sheet. "Mr. Collins," she said, breathlessly. "I really can't accept that. I very much can't afford it."

I smiled at her tenderly. "Well… If you sit in a compartment with me, and keep me company during the trip, I will consider it a payment." I realized too late what I had implied, and received a firm slap across the face.

One I justly deserved.

"No you misunderstand," I said hastily as she raised her hand again. "I just wanted someone to talk to. I'm on my own up here in Dublin. Such a long trip is terrible when you have to be on your own."

She lowered her hand slowly, looking me over. I could see the recognition on her face. My expensive navy colored suit was perfectly fitting and embroidered with my family insignia. My hair was cut about an inch and a half long and combed neatly - not a hair out of place. My shoes were polished to within an inch of ware, and tied with measured accuracy. My jacket was pristine, crease free and accentuated my broad shoulders. I looked respectable, I had made sure of that, and she knew it, too.

"Alright, I suppose I won't want to spend nine hours alone on a train."

"Thank you." I paused, taking note of her simple dress and modest luggage. This girl was neither rich nor luxurious, but her ineptitude held an adorable charm I found hard to resist.

"Have you ever been on a train?" I asked her, genuinely surprised to see her shake her head.

"No… I have never been in the need of one. My last job wasn't exactly…flexible"

"What was your job, a maid?" I looked at her soft hands, and could tell she had not had a hard life. But still, something seemed off about the way she avoided the issue.

"No… So, what are you in Dublin for? Do you live here?"

"I don't, I just came up to visit my sister, Rosa. She has a terrible flu. The doctors are really losing hope." I coughed to relieve the lump in my throat - my sister was my only sibling and her illness had been a touchy subject for me. Miss McMillan took it as a sign not to pry, and looked straight out across the tracks.

She then said something that could not have been more unexpected. "Do you know what I love about this time of year?"

I shook my head, no.

"The new blossoms! Look over there!" She pointed to a willow tree across the tracks.

The aged tree's roots were covered in moss and weeds, and the bark was ripped and vandalized with cuts and carvings. But above all the ugly twisted limbs, was a beautiful full head of lavender blossoms, intermingled with white and green - a breathtaking sight.

"See? Even things that seem impossible can sometimes spawn miracles." She looked at me with a gentle smile before averting her gaze and blushing. "Sorry, I can be such a romantic."

"Don't be embarrassed, you're right. Everything will work out fine." There was a comfortable silence. One I did not wish to break, but I still had so much to say to this wonderful person. I smiled at her, renewing my cocky grin, "So are you nervous about your trip…?"

We continued to talk for long after that. Looking back on the first time we met, it never ceases to amaze me how trusting Serena was. I was a strange man at least four years her senior. And yet, she heartily made chitchat and politely argued with me the entire wait for our train. Her lightheartedness was a quality I was not used to, being the son of a distinguished politician, and it was something I would remember wishing to experience more of - albeit, I knew that was a wistful thought.

She talked of Dublin as if it were the center jewel of a precious crown. I found her awe of the vast population a little amusing, but nothing short of intriguing. Throughout our conversation, I was astounded by her view of ordinary things. A sunrise over the river - the red and orange hue of an autumn tree - the remarkable sculpture littered around the city. She treated them all with a reverence that was foreign to me, and I envied that purity for its scarcity.

"If you love the city, why are you leaving?" To my bemusement she merely smiled, averting her gaze back to the willow tree.

"Sometimes change is necessary. Who knows? Some day I may come back…" She trailed her sentence a little, absently twisting a lively curl with nimble fingers. "Do you think that a woman should do what she likes?"

I too looked at the tree. The wind licked the branches, making the inanimate entity dance to an unseen tune. "I think anyone should do what they want, regardless of gender."

She nodded, settling eyes of firm determination on me. "I got a job at a girl's workhouse. The lady there got me a job in Galway. I'm to work for a family…as a maid, I think…" She looked at her hands, her fingers intertwining nervously. "What do those girls do?"

"How would I know that?"

"Well from the look of your clothes and your manner, I'd say you're a rich boy."

I couldn't help but laugh at her astute observation - it was absolutely precious. "You could put it like that, I suppose."

"Well then, what do they do?"

I thought for a moment. I had never actually seen these girls at work but I had some vague idea of their duties. "Well…they clean mostly. There are a lot of them, constantly moving around the house. But I rarely see them because they're not meant to be seen, if it can be helped."

She sighed, a look of worry creasing her pretty face. I was becoming more fond of her by the second, and wished greatly to be able to see her again after our train ride. But that would probably never happen. The other families I knew were very possessive of new girls, and rarely let them leave the house. I pitied them, they missed so much of the beautiful world, and now Serena - lively, caring, wondrous Serena - would miss it too.

That was another thing that heightened my amazement. Somewhere along the line of our conversation, we had dispensed with formalities - a thing I seldom do. She managed to wrap her slight fingers around my heart, without me even knowing. And that terrified me, considering such feelings were new and unfamiliar to someone as reclusive as me.

I think I knew as early as that that my feelings for her were more than genial, but to go as far as to say love at first sight… That would be ludicrous and illogical. Such a thing in shallowness is only paralleled with absurdity. But there was definitely something there, as to what I do not know.

The distant sound of a train snapped me from my brooding thoughts, and I felt a pang of loss as it approached. My time with her would be short, but I would cherish every moment - that I promised.

"Are you ready, Serena?" I asked, taking her hand tentatively.

"To face my new life? Yes I am."

"Wonderful… But for now, let's start with your first train ride."

Chapter two will be coming soon.

Thanks to my new BETA girl, Nania9, who puts up with my lengthy explanations of what not to change. And to Giniro-sama, who MADE me write this story for myself. He and Nani-chan are conspiring against me .

Tell me what you think.

: ) Aísling a.k.a. Lingy ( :