A Mistletoe Story
Author: nat-chan
E-mail: natia_99@yahoo.com
Rated: G
Genre: First Season Romance
Disclaimer: standard
Author's Notes: It's about time I reformatted this thing. Whatever posessed
me to write it in present tense, I truly do not know, but it's in past tense
now, HURRAY! AAAAHHHH my ACHING NECK! Anyhoo, I edited it and fine tuned it a
bit too--it's still one of my favs even thought it's extremely, embarassingly
old now....heh heh...sweatdrop.
Oh well, hope you enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Arcade was aglow with Christmas decorations, sweets and eggnog.
Friends and couples laughed and danced and exchanged presents.
Darien leaned back against the counter, his handsome face frowning bitterly.
"I don't know how you ever roped me into this."
He muttered to Andrew, working busily behind it.
Andrew just laughed, "C'mon, you need to get out more and have a good
time. Relax!"
"Andrew, you've hung mistletoe everywhere, I can't even cross the room
without some girl trying get me under it!"
"That's the plan. If anyone needs a good kiss under the mistletoe, it's you
my friend."
Darien glared at him but Andrew only laughed in reply.
A slow song came on and Rita pulled Andrew away for a dance. Darien
watched them a moment, then realized that just about everyone was dancing.
He carefully pulled on his coat and crept towards the door, trying to avoid
any of the cursed mistletoe.
Meanwhile....
Serena was running full force down the street, through the snow.
~I'm late again! Oh no! What's wrong with me? Can't I ever be on time?!~
Her arms were full of presents and goodies for the party as she narrowly
escaped various patches of ice and piles of snow.
~I will NOT fall, I will NOT fall, I will N-oh I'm almost there!~
The electronic doors slid open as Serena slipped on a patch of ice and went
hurtling in, righteous pigtails flying! She slammed into someone who cried out
in surprise. They both grabbed out for something to stop themselves and ripped
the twinkie lights from the door frame, which provided no help and only served
to tangle them up into a huge knot of presents, sweets, lights, hats, scarves,
arms and legs.
They landed inside the arcade, Serena on top of....
"Darien?!"
He looked dazedly up at her and she felt so bad she forgot to hate him,
"Oh I'm sorry, this is all my fault! Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, I think."
They made several tries to get up before succeeding and then untying
themselves from each other.
Andrew in the meantime had managed to stop laughing at them, but only
because he had noticed something.
~Of all the people to get tangled up together like that! I--wait a minute!~
"Hey guys?" his voice sang out.
Serena and Darien looked over together, only just getting the last of the twinkie
lights unraveled from their legs and arms.
Andrew pointed grinning to the ceiling above.
They looked up and spotted the mistletoe at the same time,
"What?!" exclaimed Serena.
They looked at each other a moment and then back to Andrew,
"NO WAY!" they hollered in unison.
"C'mon, it's tradition! You HAVE to!" he laughed.
By now other people had taken notice and Serena spied Rei and the other
girls getting a real charge out of it. She frowned.
"Yeah, mistletoe is mistletoe! C'mon you two!"
Serena felt herself flushing.
~I can't kiss him! He hates me!~
And ofcourse, Darien was thinking exactly the same thing. But he could tell by
the look on Andrew's face that he wasn't going to let this go. With a groan he
looked back to Serena,
"Sorry Serena." he said quietly to her as he caught her about the waist with
one arm and pulled her into a kiss before she could reply.
The kiss was quick and Darien had let her go before she could even catch her
breath--but they were both surprised by it. Perhaps Darien most of all, for he'd
kissed girls before, but not like this. There was something infinitely more
satisfying about kissing Serena than in kissing anyone he had before. That
sweet, surprised look on her face, that soft, but unmistakable reply to his
touch with her own. It had never occurred to him that the strong feelings she
brought out in him were anything serious. She was fun to tease, and cute to
watch.....
His thoughts trailed off senselessly as he noticed her staring up at him, her
cheeks flushed like his own, her eyes confused. They simply stared dumbly at
one another a moment, as their friends smiled with satisfaction in the
background.
He managed to choke out, "I was on my way out..." before leaving quickly.
She watched after him a long time, until her friends surrounded her chatting
excitedly and laughing. They helped her gather her presents off the floor and
dragged her to a table so they could exchange them with each other. But Serena
was oblivious to their chatter. She was almost numb when they asked her how she
ever managed to kiss the one person she hated the most. She tried to brush it
off and joke good-naturedly with them, but the sensation of Darien's lips
refused to dissipate.
Finally, after a few hours of merriment she left. The girls bid her farewell
and she headed out the door into the cold. Coming around the corner she
bumped right into--
"Darien?!"
He stared down awkwardly at her,
"I found your uh mitten in my coat when I got home." he stammered out,
wishing a giant hole would open up in the ground and swallow him for
sounding so stupid.
"Thanks," she said awkwardly, regarding his nervous face with bewilderment,
"I was-uh--wondering where that went to."
They stared at each other a moment. Serena watched Darien...he wasn't...
...was he blushing?!
"Look, I'm sorry about all that Serena. Andrew's obsessed with finding me
a girlfriend and he hung mistletoe ALL over the arcade trying to get me to
kiss someone. I was making my escape out the door when I ran into you and
I knew he wouldn't let it go."
Serena shook her head, "I think *I* ran into you. There's no need to apologize.
Besides," Her tone turned bitter, "You know everyone took a real pleasure in it
happening to us of all people." He rolled his eyes in frustrated sympathy.
Then she blushed awkwardly as she added, "I'm sorry too. Having to kiss some junior
high kid you don't even like in front of everyone probably didn't make your Christmas."
Darien replied before what she said sunk in, "Yeah well, having some
college guy who constantly tortures you, grab you and kiss you in front of all
your friends must've set the party off to a great start for you too."
They regarded one another for a moment before Darien realized the full weight
of what she said,
"I don't hate you." he said softly.
"You don't?" she asked with surprise.
"No, I--look, I'm sorry I tease you so much. I don't tease you because I
hate you, I tease you because it's fun to get a reaction out of you."
He stopped himself there, feeling utterly ridiculous admitting that.
Serena raised her eyebrows at him in surprise,
"Oh." was all she managed.
~He doesn't hate me?~
"I promise I'll try to stop calling you Meatball head." he said, unable to
suppress a crooked smile.
"I'll believe that when I see it!" she said with conviction.
They both laughed softly. He looked down uncomfortably. She could tell he still
felt badly over it.
"Look Darien, don't feel badly over it okay? I don't-really I don't. I'm
sure all the girls at the party were jealous."
He raised his eyebrows at her in surprise and she flushed uncomfortably.
~Why did I say that? Why don't I ever think before I say anything?~
"I mean, I-"
He smiled as she trailed off.
"That's a nice compliment Serena. I'll take it, and thank you."
She blushed up at him.
"Well, I guess I'll see ya around. Have a Merry Christmas!" she said, suddenly
reluctant to go--why would that be?!
"Yeah you too Serena! Bye!" he said as they headed off in different
directions.
It was a strange truce-but a truce none the less.
The next day at the arcade Andrew was working behind the counter when
Serena came in from the cold.
"BRRRRR! It's freezing out there! Hey Andrew! Can I have a hot
chocolate please?"
"Sure thing Serena!"
He waited until she was seated and sipping before teasing her about the previous
night,
"Soooooo, you had to kiss the enemy! How ironic!" he laughed unmercifully
at her indignant face.
"That was all your fault Andrew! He did NOT want to kiss me!"
"How do you know that?"
"Andrew, he teases me all the time. I'm just some klutzy, crybaby junior
high kid he enjoys getting a good laugh from! WHY would he want to kiss
ME?!"
"Sometimes guys tease the girls they like." Andrew pointed out.
"Trust me, that is NOT the case here." Serena assured him.
"You might be surprised Serena. There were a lot of girls his age at the
party last night. A lot of them tried to get him under the mistletoe and he
wouldn't kiss any of them. He would only kiss YOU!"
"Andrew! You are being so ridiculous! He was on his way out the door! I
was the LAST person he ran into! He just did it to get you off his case!"
Andrew spotted an envelope sitting next to her hot chocolate,
"What's that?" he asked.
"It's a card for Darien." she said, blushing inspite of herself,
"Will you make sure he gets it next time he's in?" She said hurriedly,
"It's just a joke card. He probably won't even think it's funny. I
don't want him to get all wierded out if I give it to him myself. He's acting
awkward enough around me as it is!"
"That's cause he likes you!"
"It is NOT!"
Andrew spotted Darien coming down the street and got an idea.
"I'm going to prove you wrong!" he said and pulled her over the counter to
his side. He pushed her down.
"Just stay there and listen-not a word!" he said as Darien came in.
"Hey Darien."
"Hey Andrew." he said wearily, sitting down where Serena had been.
"Have you recovered from last night?" teased Andrew.
Darien glares at him, "No!" then he looked down and spotted the envelope,
"Hey what's this? Did someone forget it here?"
"Actually it's a card for you from Serena. She left it here for you."
"Oh." Darien frowned and slowly opened it.
~Why would she get me a Christmas card?~
The card had a pretty average scene on the front but on the inside Serena had
drawn some mistletoe on fire and written, "Deck the Halls and burn the
mistletoe! Merry Christmas from Serena"
He laughed in spite of himself and showed Andrew,
"See? At least someone sees it my way! You've added another victim to
your list Andrew!"
"I didn't exactly see you cringing Dare." observed Andrew.
Serena's eyes widened as she hid behind the counter.
"What are you talking about?" he said, trying to ignore the sudden tightness
in his stomach.
"I think you enjoyed that kiss, and I think Serena did too!" he ignored the
sudden pinch to his leg from Serena.
"Oh come ON Andrew! She HATES me! How could she enjoy kissing
someone she hates?"
"Annnd?" queried Andrew in a most irritating way.
"And, even if she didn't hate me, why would she want some college guy like
me kissing her? I'm pretty sure she'd like him to at least be her age!"
"I don't think she cared. But you didn't answer me, did you like it?"
"It was....nice..." Darien said quietly as Serena held her breath.
~He actually thinks I hate him and hated having him kiss me?~
Andrew just looked at him. He could see right through this.
Finally Darien sighed, "Fine, it was the nicest kiss I've ever had. Are you
HAPPY now? Because it doesn't matter that it was a great kiss because she
HATES me!"
"Are you sure about that Darien?"
"Huh?"
"Did she scream at you and slap you in the face? And why would she make
you a Christmas card if she hates you?"
"She made this to break the tension." he said, and it was true.
"Why don't you just---"
"Andrew! Don't even start! You are getting to be a worse match maker
every day! It is NEVER going to happen!"
With that Darien tucked the card in his pocket and left.
Serena stood up slowly, staring dumbstruck after him. Andrew leaned in
close to her ear,
"See? I told you."
"I-I had no idea. I-"
Andrew smiled, "Darien seems like he always has everything under control,
but the truth is, he teases you because he likes you and doesn't know what to
do about it."
Serena was speechless.
She managed to gather herself together and get out the door. She headed after
Darien, unsure of what to do. She found him in the park, sitting thoughtfully
on a bench.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked and he looked up with a start.
"No, not at all." he said bewildered.
"Darien, I-I want to tell you something." she stammered, trying not to sound
awkward, "I want you to know that I'm not angry over the kiss. It's not like I
totally hate you or anything-I really thought you hated me. I just wanted
you to know I didn't hate it or anything. I don't want you to feel bad over
it."
Darien just stared at her a long moment,
"You've really forgiven me for teasing you? You don't hate me anymore?"
"I never hated you!"
He seemed to let out a long sigh of relief and she smiled.
Then he turned and smiled at her,
"Thanks for the card, it made me laugh."
She smiled, "Next year you and I can show up early at the party and destroy
all the mistletoe! What do you say?"
"Deal!" he chuckled and they shook on it.
She tried to be bold with her next words but flushed in spite of herself,
"That was my first kiss." she admitted.
The smile died on his lips, "I'm sorry-"
"No no, don't be sorry. It was...actually... really nice."
He stared at her in disbelief.
"I mean, I just figured it was awful for you because you hated me and then
when you said you didn't hate me I figured you didn't want to be kissing
some dumb little junior high girl...."
"I felt the same way!" he fairly hollared, "I thought you wouldn't want some
college creep that teased you all the time kissing you. I thought you hated
me."
They smiled at one another a moment before he said,
"Serena, it was a nice kiss." he took a breath, "Actually, it was the nicest
kiss I've ever had."
His cheeks were burning then. So were hers.
All at once he realized he would do anything that would give him the
opportunity to kiss her again.
~What am I going to do? Ask her out? What if she says no? What if she says
yes?~
The sudden joy at his last thought lent him his voice back,
"Can I......walk you home?"
She smiled, "Sure!"
They walked in a chummy silence.
"I'm glad we're getting along now." She said cheerfully.
"We've united against our two common enemies," he joked, "Andrew and
mistletoe!"
She laughed, "I think we should change the tradition. Mistletoe is far too easy
to get a hold of. Let's make it something obscure....something you'd never
get caught under...."
"Good idea...hmmmm...."
They both tried to come up with something.
"Some sort of vegetable...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile....at the Tsukino house.....
"Sammy! Stop running around with that plane this instant! You're going to
drive me to distraction! I'm TRYING to make dinner!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Something that wouldn't grow up high...."
"Yeah...like..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sammy! Watch where you're going! Sammy! Ahhh!"
Mrs. Tsukino's head of cauliflower flew out the open window....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Cauliflower!"
"Cauliflower it is! Ha ha. What are the chances of us ever getting stuck
under-"
"Uh Darien?"
"Yeah Serena?"
"Look up."
They stood at her doorway and perched in a steamy heap in the snowy
branch above them was a huge head of cauliflower.
Darien swallowed hard.
That had to be a sign.
"What are the chances of THAT happening!" she exclaimed and then blushed
madly.
Darien began to laugh, just chuckling at first but quickly giving way to
longer, louder gasps. Serena found it contagious and soon joined in. Darien
rarely laughed...which was a shame because it was a wonderful sound.
The steaming cauliflower melted through the branch and fell to a heap at
their feet. Darien smirked at it but then suddenly grew serious. He took a
step closer to her, trying not to look totally nervous. She looked up at him
with wide blue eyes.
"Should we take it as a sign?" he asked her uncertainly.
She felt her heart flutter nervously but took heart when she saw the same
stammering nervousness reflected in his eyes.
"I'm afraid we've made it a rule..." she said and slipped her trembling arms
around his neck...she remembered his words...
~It was the nicest kiss I've ever had~...she smiled and raised her lips to meet his.
He caught her up in his arms and forgot everything...even the cauliflower....kissing
Serena was like coming home...
~I'll never let you go.~ He thought fiercely.
Her own thoughts answered his....
~Neither will I....~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author: nat-chan
E-mail: natia_99@yahoo.com
Rated: G
Genre: First Season Romance
Disclaimer: standard
Author's Notes: It's about time I reformatted this thing. Whatever posessed
me to write it in present tense, I truly do not know, but it's in past tense
now, HURRAY! AAAAHHHH my ACHING NECK! Anyhoo, I edited it and fine tuned it a
bit too--it's still one of my favs even thought it's extremely, embarassingly
old now....heh heh...sweatdrop.
Oh well, hope you enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Arcade was aglow with Christmas decorations, sweets and eggnog.
Friends and couples laughed and danced and exchanged presents.
Darien leaned back against the counter, his handsome face frowning bitterly.
"I don't know how you ever roped me into this."
He muttered to Andrew, working busily behind it.
Andrew just laughed, "C'mon, you need to get out more and have a good
time. Relax!"
"Andrew, you've hung mistletoe everywhere, I can't even cross the room
without some girl trying get me under it!"
"That's the plan. If anyone needs a good kiss under the mistletoe, it's you
my friend."
Darien glared at him but Andrew only laughed in reply.
A slow song came on and Rita pulled Andrew away for a dance. Darien
watched them a moment, then realized that just about everyone was dancing.
He carefully pulled on his coat and crept towards the door, trying to avoid
any of the cursed mistletoe.
Meanwhile....
Serena was running full force down the street, through the snow.
~I'm late again! Oh no! What's wrong with me? Can't I ever be on time?!~
Her arms were full of presents and goodies for the party as she narrowly
escaped various patches of ice and piles of snow.
~I will NOT fall, I will NOT fall, I will N-oh I'm almost there!~
The electronic doors slid open as Serena slipped on a patch of ice and went
hurtling in, righteous pigtails flying! She slammed into someone who cried out
in surprise. They both grabbed out for something to stop themselves and ripped
the twinkie lights from the door frame, which provided no help and only served
to tangle them up into a huge knot of presents, sweets, lights, hats, scarves,
arms and legs.
They landed inside the arcade, Serena on top of....
"Darien?!"
He looked dazedly up at her and she felt so bad she forgot to hate him,
"Oh I'm sorry, this is all my fault! Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, I think."
They made several tries to get up before succeeding and then untying
themselves from each other.
Andrew in the meantime had managed to stop laughing at them, but only
because he had noticed something.
~Of all the people to get tangled up together like that! I--wait a minute!~
"Hey guys?" his voice sang out.
Serena and Darien looked over together, only just getting the last of the twinkie
lights unraveled from their legs and arms.
Andrew pointed grinning to the ceiling above.
They looked up and spotted the mistletoe at the same time,
"What?!" exclaimed Serena.
They looked at each other a moment and then back to Andrew,
"NO WAY!" they hollered in unison.
"C'mon, it's tradition! You HAVE to!" he laughed.
By now other people had taken notice and Serena spied Rei and the other
girls getting a real charge out of it. She frowned.
"Yeah, mistletoe is mistletoe! C'mon you two!"
Serena felt herself flushing.
~I can't kiss him! He hates me!~
And ofcourse, Darien was thinking exactly the same thing. But he could tell by
the look on Andrew's face that he wasn't going to let this go. With a groan he
looked back to Serena,
"Sorry Serena." he said quietly to her as he caught her about the waist with
one arm and pulled her into a kiss before she could reply.
The kiss was quick and Darien had let her go before she could even catch her
breath--but they were both surprised by it. Perhaps Darien most of all, for he'd
kissed girls before, but not like this. There was something infinitely more
satisfying about kissing Serena than in kissing anyone he had before. That
sweet, surprised look on her face, that soft, but unmistakable reply to his
touch with her own. It had never occurred to him that the strong feelings she
brought out in him were anything serious. She was fun to tease, and cute to
watch.....
His thoughts trailed off senselessly as he noticed her staring up at him, her
cheeks flushed like his own, her eyes confused. They simply stared dumbly at
one another a moment, as their friends smiled with satisfaction in the
background.
He managed to choke out, "I was on my way out..." before leaving quickly.
She watched after him a long time, until her friends surrounded her chatting
excitedly and laughing. They helped her gather her presents off the floor and
dragged her to a table so they could exchange them with each other. But Serena
was oblivious to their chatter. She was almost numb when they asked her how she
ever managed to kiss the one person she hated the most. She tried to brush it
off and joke good-naturedly with them, but the sensation of Darien's lips
refused to dissipate.
Finally, after a few hours of merriment she left. The girls bid her farewell
and she headed out the door into the cold. Coming around the corner she
bumped right into--
"Darien?!"
He stared down awkwardly at her,
"I found your uh mitten in my coat when I got home." he stammered out,
wishing a giant hole would open up in the ground and swallow him for
sounding so stupid.
"Thanks," she said awkwardly, regarding his nervous face with bewilderment,
"I was-uh--wondering where that went to."
They stared at each other a moment. Serena watched Darien...he wasn't...
...was he blushing?!
"Look, I'm sorry about all that Serena. Andrew's obsessed with finding me
a girlfriend and he hung mistletoe ALL over the arcade trying to get me to
kiss someone. I was making my escape out the door when I ran into you and
I knew he wouldn't let it go."
Serena shook her head, "I think *I* ran into you. There's no need to apologize.
Besides," Her tone turned bitter, "You know everyone took a real pleasure in it
happening to us of all people." He rolled his eyes in frustrated sympathy.
Then she blushed awkwardly as she added, "I'm sorry too. Having to kiss some junior
high kid you don't even like in front of everyone probably didn't make your Christmas."
Darien replied before what she said sunk in, "Yeah well, having some
college guy who constantly tortures you, grab you and kiss you in front of all
your friends must've set the party off to a great start for you too."
They regarded one another for a moment before Darien realized the full weight
of what she said,
"I don't hate you." he said softly.
"You don't?" she asked with surprise.
"No, I--look, I'm sorry I tease you so much. I don't tease you because I
hate you, I tease you because it's fun to get a reaction out of you."
He stopped himself there, feeling utterly ridiculous admitting that.
Serena raised her eyebrows at him in surprise,
"Oh." was all she managed.
~He doesn't hate me?~
"I promise I'll try to stop calling you Meatball head." he said, unable to
suppress a crooked smile.
"I'll believe that when I see it!" she said with conviction.
They both laughed softly. He looked down uncomfortably. She could tell he still
felt badly over it.
"Look Darien, don't feel badly over it okay? I don't-really I don't. I'm
sure all the girls at the party were jealous."
He raised his eyebrows at her in surprise and she flushed uncomfortably.
~Why did I say that? Why don't I ever think before I say anything?~
"I mean, I-"
He smiled as she trailed off.
"That's a nice compliment Serena. I'll take it, and thank you."
She blushed up at him.
"Well, I guess I'll see ya around. Have a Merry Christmas!" she said, suddenly
reluctant to go--why would that be?!
"Yeah you too Serena! Bye!" he said as they headed off in different
directions.
It was a strange truce-but a truce none the less.
The next day at the arcade Andrew was working behind the counter when
Serena came in from the cold.
"BRRRRR! It's freezing out there! Hey Andrew! Can I have a hot
chocolate please?"
"Sure thing Serena!"
He waited until she was seated and sipping before teasing her about the previous
night,
"Soooooo, you had to kiss the enemy! How ironic!" he laughed unmercifully
at her indignant face.
"That was all your fault Andrew! He did NOT want to kiss me!"
"How do you know that?"
"Andrew, he teases me all the time. I'm just some klutzy, crybaby junior
high kid he enjoys getting a good laugh from! WHY would he want to kiss
ME?!"
"Sometimes guys tease the girls they like." Andrew pointed out.
"Trust me, that is NOT the case here." Serena assured him.
"You might be surprised Serena. There were a lot of girls his age at the
party last night. A lot of them tried to get him under the mistletoe and he
wouldn't kiss any of them. He would only kiss YOU!"
"Andrew! You are being so ridiculous! He was on his way out the door! I
was the LAST person he ran into! He just did it to get you off his case!"
Andrew spotted an envelope sitting next to her hot chocolate,
"What's that?" he asked.
"It's a card for Darien." she said, blushing inspite of herself,
"Will you make sure he gets it next time he's in?" She said hurriedly,
"It's just a joke card. He probably won't even think it's funny. I
don't want him to get all wierded out if I give it to him myself. He's acting
awkward enough around me as it is!"
"That's cause he likes you!"
"It is NOT!"
Andrew spotted Darien coming down the street and got an idea.
"I'm going to prove you wrong!" he said and pulled her over the counter to
his side. He pushed her down.
"Just stay there and listen-not a word!" he said as Darien came in.
"Hey Darien."
"Hey Andrew." he said wearily, sitting down where Serena had been.
"Have you recovered from last night?" teased Andrew.
Darien glares at him, "No!" then he looked down and spotted the envelope,
"Hey what's this? Did someone forget it here?"
"Actually it's a card for you from Serena. She left it here for you."
"Oh." Darien frowned and slowly opened it.
~Why would she get me a Christmas card?~
The card had a pretty average scene on the front but on the inside Serena had
drawn some mistletoe on fire and written, "Deck the Halls and burn the
mistletoe! Merry Christmas from Serena"
He laughed in spite of himself and showed Andrew,
"See? At least someone sees it my way! You've added another victim to
your list Andrew!"
"I didn't exactly see you cringing Dare." observed Andrew.
Serena's eyes widened as she hid behind the counter.
"What are you talking about?" he said, trying to ignore the sudden tightness
in his stomach.
"I think you enjoyed that kiss, and I think Serena did too!" he ignored the
sudden pinch to his leg from Serena.
"Oh come ON Andrew! She HATES me! How could she enjoy kissing
someone she hates?"
"Annnd?" queried Andrew in a most irritating way.
"And, even if she didn't hate me, why would she want some college guy like
me kissing her? I'm pretty sure she'd like him to at least be her age!"
"I don't think she cared. But you didn't answer me, did you like it?"
"It was....nice..." Darien said quietly as Serena held her breath.
~He actually thinks I hate him and hated having him kiss me?~
Andrew just looked at him. He could see right through this.
Finally Darien sighed, "Fine, it was the nicest kiss I've ever had. Are you
HAPPY now? Because it doesn't matter that it was a great kiss because she
HATES me!"
"Are you sure about that Darien?"
"Huh?"
"Did she scream at you and slap you in the face? And why would she make
you a Christmas card if she hates you?"
"She made this to break the tension." he said, and it was true.
"Why don't you just---"
"Andrew! Don't even start! You are getting to be a worse match maker
every day! It is NEVER going to happen!"
With that Darien tucked the card in his pocket and left.
Serena stood up slowly, staring dumbstruck after him. Andrew leaned in
close to her ear,
"See? I told you."
"I-I had no idea. I-"
Andrew smiled, "Darien seems like he always has everything under control,
but the truth is, he teases you because he likes you and doesn't know what to
do about it."
Serena was speechless.
She managed to gather herself together and get out the door. She headed after
Darien, unsure of what to do. She found him in the park, sitting thoughtfully
on a bench.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked and he looked up with a start.
"No, not at all." he said bewildered.
"Darien, I-I want to tell you something." she stammered, trying not to sound
awkward, "I want you to know that I'm not angry over the kiss. It's not like I
totally hate you or anything-I really thought you hated me. I just wanted
you to know I didn't hate it or anything. I don't want you to feel bad over
it."
Darien just stared at her a long moment,
"You've really forgiven me for teasing you? You don't hate me anymore?"
"I never hated you!"
He seemed to let out a long sigh of relief and she smiled.
Then he turned and smiled at her,
"Thanks for the card, it made me laugh."
She smiled, "Next year you and I can show up early at the party and destroy
all the mistletoe! What do you say?"
"Deal!" he chuckled and they shook on it.
She tried to be bold with her next words but flushed in spite of herself,
"That was my first kiss." she admitted.
The smile died on his lips, "I'm sorry-"
"No no, don't be sorry. It was...actually... really nice."
He stared at her in disbelief.
"I mean, I just figured it was awful for you because you hated me and then
when you said you didn't hate me I figured you didn't want to be kissing
some dumb little junior high girl...."
"I felt the same way!" he fairly hollared, "I thought you wouldn't want some
college creep that teased you all the time kissing you. I thought you hated
me."
They smiled at one another a moment before he said,
"Serena, it was a nice kiss." he took a breath, "Actually, it was the nicest
kiss I've ever had."
His cheeks were burning then. So were hers.
All at once he realized he would do anything that would give him the
opportunity to kiss her again.
~What am I going to do? Ask her out? What if she says no? What if she says
yes?~
The sudden joy at his last thought lent him his voice back,
"Can I......walk you home?"
She smiled, "Sure!"
They walked in a chummy silence.
"I'm glad we're getting along now." She said cheerfully.
"We've united against our two common enemies," he joked, "Andrew and
mistletoe!"
She laughed, "I think we should change the tradition. Mistletoe is far too easy
to get a hold of. Let's make it something obscure....something you'd never
get caught under...."
"Good idea...hmmmm...."
They both tried to come up with something.
"Some sort of vegetable...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile....at the Tsukino house.....
"Sammy! Stop running around with that plane this instant! You're going to
drive me to distraction! I'm TRYING to make dinner!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Something that wouldn't grow up high...."
"Yeah...like..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sammy! Watch where you're going! Sammy! Ahhh!"
Mrs. Tsukino's head of cauliflower flew out the open window....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Cauliflower!"
"Cauliflower it is! Ha ha. What are the chances of us ever getting stuck
under-"
"Uh Darien?"
"Yeah Serena?"
"Look up."
They stood at her doorway and perched in a steamy heap in the snowy
branch above them was a huge head of cauliflower.
Darien swallowed hard.
That had to be a sign.
"What are the chances of THAT happening!" she exclaimed and then blushed
madly.
Darien began to laugh, just chuckling at first but quickly giving way to
longer, louder gasps. Serena found it contagious and soon joined in. Darien
rarely laughed...which was a shame because it was a wonderful sound.
The steaming cauliflower melted through the branch and fell to a heap at
their feet. Darien smirked at it but then suddenly grew serious. He took a
step closer to her, trying not to look totally nervous. She looked up at him
with wide blue eyes.
"Should we take it as a sign?" he asked her uncertainly.
She felt her heart flutter nervously but took heart when she saw the same
stammering nervousness reflected in his eyes.
"I'm afraid we've made it a rule..." she said and slipped her trembling arms
around his neck...she remembered his words...
~It was the nicest kiss I've ever had~...she smiled and raised her lips to meet his.
He caught her up in his arms and forgot everything...even the cauliflower....kissing
Serena was like coming home...
~I'll never let you go.~ He thought fiercely.
Her own thoughts answered his....
~Neither will I....~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~