Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the delay in the story. I lost a little motivation and I lost a little confidence.
It feels a bit like a filler chapter, but I am trying to keep the words to about 1500 - 2000 per chapter.
Please enjoy.
Review if like.
Chapter Two
Darien stared at the line up of things that were on his desk. There was a faded photo of a small boy holding a bid teddy bear at what can only be assumed is a carnival, in front of it was his favourite pen, his lucky pen, but he would never admit that to anyone. Also, on his desk was a textbook on English and up behind that was a single red rose in a glass of water.
These four things on his desk summed up his life, the only childhood memory that he has prior to the foster life he led up until six months ago, his pen and text book that showed his thirst for knowledge and knowing the truth and finally the red rose. Roses were always significant to him, when he was a kid he liked the colour, when he was a teenager he found their fragrance comforting and now it signified his commitment to finding the silver crystal, and during that search, helping that klutz that is Sailor Moon from getting herself killed when fighting those terrors that were now preying on the people of Tokyo as Tuxedo Mask. He didn't have to help her, but she looked like she had a family to return home to, and what kind of man would he be if he left a young girl to fend for herself and possibly get herself killed. So, he helped her the only way he could, throwing those roses at their foe, and scooping her up into his arms whenever she was in real peril.
Darien closed his eyes, and leaned back on his comfy couch, pinching his nose with his fingers. He was tired, he stayed up late last night studying, and now it being 5am, it was time for him to go for his morning run.
What those four items on the desk didn't show was the Darien was only as successful as he was because he had routine, probably the main reason why being Tuxedo Mask stressed him out. When he first started to transform into his hero form, he considered them to be blackouts he couldn't remember a thing and was ready to go get his head scanned. With the marvels of current technology, he set up cameras around his apartment, if he had a girlfriend, he could have been considered a deviant, but he didn't have time for a girl in his life, he discovered when ever he had a black out, he was transforming into the Masked Hero. By having the knowledge, it seemed to unlock those memories of his first few transformations. While he had the memories of what happened when he transformed, he still didn't have the control over when he transformed, he felt a pull at his heart and then the rose in the glass then glowed, and then he was Tuxedo Mask, which clearly was an inconvenience for the organised man.
With a guttural groan, he rocked himself on his feet, and walked to his entrance area, no matter how he felt now, he would feel a little better after his run, and if that didn't happen, there was always his daily long black to look forward to.
The first kilometre he ran of the morning was the hardest, when his legs and brain fought against each other about what they thought he really should be doing – sleeping. But once he got through that first one, he was caught up in his rhythmic steps hitting the pavement, matching to the beats of the music he was listening to from his headphones.
Now he could let his mind wander to what was going on around him and his life. He couldn't shake the idea that things were going to get bad now before they got better. Which probably means more monsters to fight, and possibly more heroes to discover to get in his way to finding this silver crystal, and the answers he was searching as to why be became the fancier version of the caped crusader – Japanese style. He laughed at himself momentarily closing his eyes.
During that split second, he managed to trip over something, falling face first into the pavement, he opened his eyes just as he managed to turn his shoulders, and hit the ground with a grunt, landing on his side. Looking down at his feet he saw a blonde girl, sitting in a similar way to him. He couldn't help feel like they had met before, those bright blue eyes, and long blonde locks. Momentarily, Darien forgot himself, just stared at the blonde girl trying to figure out where he had seen her before. He snapped out of his stupor when he realised she was trying to get up, but obviously had hurt her arm when she landed.
He stood up himself, and then just pushed his hand towards her, offering to help her up, which she gratefully grabbed his hand and when he pulled, she pressed herself up off the ground.
In a moment of awkwardness the dark haired man and the blonde haired girl, almost fell again, when Darien forgot to stop pulling the girl, and in a moment to steady them, Darien grabbed the other shoulder, that action stopped them from over balancing, his nose just about touching her head and he could smell her vanilla scent she was wearing.
With an awkward blush the two dropped each others hands, Darien finally found his voice, "I am so sorry, I was in my own little world, are you okay?" gesturing at her arm that she was now cradling.
The blonde girl looked up at Darien, and shrugged, "I will be okay, I guess, definitely had worse damage, than running into a grown man."
Darien cautiously laughed at her comment, "Are you sure?" He asked, he didn't understand why but he felt nervous by the fact she looked so familiar.
"Oh of course, I fall over a lot," She looked down at her arm that she was cradling, and gently stretched it out, and wiggled her fingers into his face with a smile. "See, I will be fine once I get some ice onto it. I tend to heal fast"
Darien returned her smile, with a tentative smile back towards her. "Well if you are sure you are okay, I will let you continue on with your run. I promise I will pay more attention while I run."
Serena smiled at the dark-haired man, and pushed her ear phones back into her ears, "You too," She said with a smile and started to run again.
Darien stared after the blonde as she ran off in front of him, he smiled watching her terrible running style, thinking to himself, that style is not effective.
Darien's day went quickly, but he couldn't get the blonde girl's eyes out of his head, and when he passed the bakery on his way home from school at lunch time, the waft of vanilla from the cakes they were obviously baking reminded him of her. If any one could read his mind, he would come across as a creep.
Aside from his inability to get the blonde girl out of his mind, his day went the way he expected, class, healthy lunch, time with his friend at the Arcade, and then home to study.
The following day as he was finishing off his standard morning run, he saw the blonde girl from yesterday, all arms, and legs flailing everywhere, and he smiled to himself shaking his head. Again, his day went through smoothly.
Everyday for the rest of the week Darien saw the blonde running, well flailing along the street. Everyday Darien couldn't get those blue eyes out of his mind, whether he be studying or at school, or hanging out at the arcade, his mind couldn't place where he had seen those large blue eyes. So, on Friday, Darien decided to talk to the blonde girl.
Just like clockwork at 5.45 am the blonde girl ran ahead of him, and instead of turning back onto his street Darien ran towards her. He caught up with her easily, the wonderful benefit of having a good running stride and being as fit as he was. When he was about 5 metres from her, he dropped his headphones to rest around his neck, and when he was close enough, he tapped her on the shoulder as she slowed down at the traffic lights.
Prepared for the blonde to jump out of her skin, because hell who wouldn't, it is before 6am on some very empty streets of the town. As she jumped, Darien steadied her shoulders.
"Hey" He said awkwardly.
The blonde with her wide eyes, balanced herself back onto her two feet, pulled her headphones from her ears, and raised her eyebrow as she said "Hey".
"How's your arm?" Darien quickly asked, suddenly feeling shy. Darien watched the Blonde as she cocked her head to the side, squinting her eyes at him, not understanding the question.
Very slowly she said, "Fine, why do you ask?" then looking down at her arms.
"Oh well, I just wanted to ask because of the collision we had early in the week, I have seen you running all week and I thought I would just check?" he said earnestly
Suddenly remembering, "Oh, that's right you're the guy that decided to not pay attention where you are doing" Darien looked to the ground shyly waiting for the dressing down from the girl, "It's fine, don't worry about it, as I said the other day, I heal quickly," as she said quickly the blonde stretched out her arm.
"Oh that's great!" he said with a smile, quickly as he could see the blonde starting to put her headphones on, "I was wondering if you would like some help with your running technique, I see you every morning, and I am worried about you getting an injury of your own making." He finished quickly, looking at her with a hopeful gleam in his eye, his inner self kicking himself at how desperate he sounded.
The Blonde thought about it for a second, for Darien it felt like an age, "Sure, why not, a little help might not be too bad for me would it." She said this with a shrug, holding out her had for him to shake, "I'm Serena, and you are?"