Hi Everyone!

I know its been a while, but I'm still here. Still writing. In the next 4 to six weeks I will be trying to update all of my still-in-progress works, so please keep an eye out for those.

Enjoy!


Six Weeks

Week 5


Monday

For the first time in three years, Serena went out of her way to avoid running into her Darien. She'd had no choice, if she ran into Darien she was afraid that she'd lose her nerve or worse, Darien would be able to read her day's plans on her face.

Serena rose early from bed, showered and dressed and was out the door – after making her own lunch and leaving a note for her mother explaining that she'd left early – before her parents or her brother were out of bed.

A true first. The only time in her life that she'd ever been up before either of her parents – her father was a natural born early riser, usually getting up before seven am every day, even on weekends! – had been Christmas morning when she'd been a little girl. She'd been up before the sun then.

After leaving home, Serena had then purposefully taken a different route to school – the long way around – one that she'd never taken before, all the way on the lookout for a drop-dead gorgeous upperclassman with raven black hair wearing an ugly green jacket that he had some inexplicable attachment too.

Serena arrived at school so early that the front gates hadn't even been unlocked yet, which was usually done by the first arriving faculty member – or so she'd heard. She'd never been the first one to school before, so she really didn't know the school's opening procedure.

After ten agonisingly slow minutes later, the vice principle finally arrived, unlocking the front gates and allowing the few early students awaiting entrance onto the grounds.

Serena knew exactly what she had to do, what she was going to do. She'd researched everything on her phone last night and she knew where she had to go and what she had to do.

But no one, not even her friends, not Darien, could know. The girls couldn't know because she had to protect the secret that was her and Darien's relationship and she couldn't tell Darien yet because . . . .

Well, she was just too damn embarrassed! Serena didn't know why. If she told Darien what she was doing and why, she had little doubt that he would not only drive her there and help her, but he'd insist on paying.

That was a funny thing with her, for what reason Serena had no idea. Darien had money. She knew he was rich – not that she cared in the least, he could be homeless and she'd love him no less. And Darien loved spending money on her, although Serena had managed to get him to agree to not go overboard, just stick with the reasonably priced gifts boyfriends typically gifted to their girlfriends, which Serena didn't mind so much.

But on the other hand, Darien was alone, he had no one to spend his money on. Spoiling her seemed to please him and that was all she wanted, to make Darien happy, even if in the beginning, before she'd convinced him to reduce the amount he spent on her gifts, it had made her feel uncomfortable.

But then again, it had made Darien happy and god knew he needed more happiness in his life.

Anyway, Serena wanted to do this today herself. It was important to her. Maybe on some level she hoped that it would make Darien see her in a more grown-up light.

It was all part of her secret fear that one day Darien would wake up and realise that she wasn't woman enough for him, that she was too immature – just a silly teenage girl with a crush – and he'd leave her.

That Serena couldn't take. Secretly, in her girl's heart, she dreamed of one day marrying Darien Shields. It was a dream she'd never speak of aloud, but it was always there, ever present ever hopeful. She wanted to be Darien's in ALL ways, even someday be Darien's wife.

Oh, how she dreamed of that!

But it seemed like such an unreachable dream. Like even speaking of it would risk everything she had with Darien now.

As the school day began and the day wore on, her impatience only continued to build. The clock never seemed to be ticking away fast enough, the day seeming to drag on relentlessly. She couldn't pay any attention in her classes, although she'd hidden a grin when her teacher had walked into the classroom and had actually done a double take at the sight of her sitting at her desk – on time – with her books in front of her waiting for class to begin.

The girls had noticed her impatience that by lunch had built to the point that she couldn't sit still at all, but Serena had dodged their probing questions and forced herself to ignore their obvious concern for her. She was careful not to lie to any of them – she really did hate lying when necessary even though it was a teenager's prerogative – as she knew it all came from their worry for her at what they no doubt saw as increasingly out-of-character behaviour.

Finally – FINALLY! – the final bell rang, and the school day was FINALLY over. Serena was out of her seat like a shot, having been devotedly counting down the last twenty minutes, and after dumping all her books and anything else she didn't need to take home with her tonight – sadly that didn't include her homework – she set off, moving briskly while forcing herself not to run. She didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention.

Serena walked with her head down as it felt like everyone's eyes were on her, wanting to know her secret.

After four buses and about two miles taken at a hurried pace, Serena was there. Finally. She very quickly ducked inside and was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

She'd made it, and as far as she knew, no one had seen her. No one knew where she was or what she was doing.

She's made it! She'd made it to the free clinic! She could do this! It would no doubt be awkward and embarrassing, but she was determined not to leave without a prescription for birth control pills.

Three hours and one hell of a lecture later Serena exited the clinic with prescription in hand.

That had been terrible! The questions, the lecture, the do-this, don't-do-this, the are-you-this, have-you-ever-that? Talk about trying to cram too much information in all at once.

And the questions! Common sense had told her that there would be some health-related questions but not that many! Had she ever had a blood clot? Etc. Etc.

And then on top of all that she had to watch out for this and for that, a whole list of symptoms that luckily for her were listed in of the pamphlets she'd crammed into her school pack.

Honestly, just how dangerous were these things anyway? They were birth control pills! What had they been trying to do?! Scare the living daylights out of her?

They'd half succeeded. Was sex really THAT big a deal?

To her parents, maybe, but overall?

Luckily, she'd been given a whole heap of information that also came in the form of brochures, booklets and fact sheets that she could go over at her own pace.

Drawing in a deep breath, Serena forced it all out of her mind – for now – and instead turned her focus on the next step. She had the prescription, one that would last her twelve months – not all at once, but she had refills enough for twelve months.

Next step was to get the prescription filled at a pharmacy.

Which just happened to be just down the street. She remembered passing one on her way to the free clinic.

It was a good thing that Serena didn't rely on her allowance from her parents so much anymore. She still got her allowance from her parents – the same amount she'd gotten when she was thirteen – but compared to the money she'd saved up from past summer jobs, it was change. Surprisingly she'd managed to save up a nice amount of money – not Darien nice – but for a fifteen-year-old girl, it was nice. It gave her a small amount of freedom.

Such as being able to purchase birth control pills without having to get the money from her parents.

If her parents – more specifically her father – ever found the pills, he'd lock her in her room until she was thirty and drain her savings account.

Her mother, on the other hand, would most likely sit her down for a very uncomfortable "talk". But whether her mother would tell her father was another story.

Drawing in yet another deep breath and giving a silent reassurance to herself that she was almost done, Serena headed for the pharmacy, already plotting her course home in her head.

Four buses there and four buses back.


Serena managed to get home right on curfew, which had saved her from a lecture or reprimand, but not from her father's icy glare on her way upstairs to her bedroom, her newly acquired birth control pills and all the information that came with it was thankfully safely concealed in her school bag.

If her father saw it, Serena would be grounded for life and Darien would be killed.

"Serena, your dinner!" Her mother called after her as Serena bolted up the stairs.

"Thanks mum! But I'm not hungry! I need a shower!" Serena called down to her mother without stopping on her hurry to her room.

A story below, in union her parents and her brother exchanged alarmed glances.

Since when did Serena pass up her dinner?


Serena didn't have a lock on her bedroom door – her father had never allowed it – and for the first time in the life she wished that she did, but she was a teenager and she knew how to get around such things.

After dumping her backpack on her bed, Serena took her chair from her desk and wedged it on an angle against her door beneath the doorhandle, effectively blocking anyone from entering her room.

Now, she had a lot to do and if she didn't want to be found out by her parents – or her brother who would delight in telling her parents to get her in trouble.

Serena settled herself on her bed and dumped the contents of her backpack out onto her bed. She quickly divided her textbooks and notebooks out from the information given to her at the clinic, and of course the actual birth control pills.

First, she needed to read all the information and the box so she was well informed; she had to get this right because the consequences could and would be far more than she was willing to pay at this time in her life.

And afterwards, Serena then had to find a place to hide her pills. Although her father very rarely entered her room – when he did it was usually to fix something or assemble a new piece of furniture when she was out – but her mother entered freely all the time, cleaning, getting her laundry, that kind of thing.

Serena mainly did a lot of that – except the laundry – herself, but with her mother some habits died hard. Serena loved her mother and her mother loved her and loved taking care of her children, so Serena didn't yet have the heart to do anything that risked putting a stop to that just yet.

The last thing Serena wanted was for her mother to feel that she wasn't needed in her life. The day would come no doubt that the day would come when her mother would realise that she was growing up and didn't need her as much, but Serena would always make sure that her mother knew that she did need her mother in her life.

The information was pretty much what they'd told her at the clinic, don't take if this or watch out for that. Remember to this, and so on.

Okay, first things first. Serena had to decide what time during her day would be the best time to take them, a time that would assure that she could and would take them the same time every day.

Mentally, Serena ran through her usual day, taking both her week days and weekend days into account, and in the end she concluded that while her days, afternoons and evenings did vary, most of her mornings were the same.

So, mornings would be the most practical. Before school. That would be easy enough. Even when she stayed over at the girls she could hide one in her stuff. They were certainly small enough. And even when she was running late, how long did it take to swallow a tiny pill?

And as she wasn't used to taking them, she was going to need a something to remind her. Which again was easy enough.

Her cell phone had an alarm program that had assorted options, so it was just a matter of setting an alarm that would go off every day at the same time.

With that done, Serena gathered up all the information she'd been given and hide them at the bottom of the bottom drawer of her desk before she turned to the real problem.

Where was she going to hide the actual pills? There was no way her mother wouldn't know what they were even if she took them out of the box.

They would stick out if she kept them in her room, so her bathroom was the most logical place.

Serena desperately looked around her bathroom. Her mother did clean her bathroom out a couple of times a week even though she did keep it clean, not tidy but clean, and that meant that her mother was often in her bathroom.

But her mother didn't go through her stuff. Her mother respected her privacy. So as long as Serena didn't make it too obvious or leave them lying around, then it should be fine.

And then Serena's eyes fell on the little baby pink and white stripped square shaped zip up toiletry bag she used to keep her feminine products in. It was something that she even took to the girl's place with her when she stayed the night just in case nature hit. But normally it sat on the basin, so it was in plain sight, but it was unlikely that her mother would ever go into it.

So, her pills were hidden, and she had a reminded alarm set on her cell phone to remind her every day. She'd also read all the information she'd been given and had committed the most important of it to memory.

Okay, so starting from tomorrow morning, she was on birth control pills. She was on birth control. She was preparing her body for what was to come, but as much as Serena wanted to be intimate with Darien – she loved him – was she still prepared to go through with her plan? Did she have the nerve and the confidence to go through with it?

And what if she did but it didn't matter? What if there were other reasons Darien had for abstaining, other reservations that she didn't know about that? Reasons that weren't as simply overcome as turning a year older?

She loved Darien so much, she wanted to be intimate with him and as far as Serena knew, Darien wanted to be intimate with her, it was just the things that were outside of their control that had him holding back – the law, her age, her father and so on.

At least Serena hoped it was just those things.

After removing her chair from where it was blocking her bedroom door, she quickly showered and changed into clean pyjamas – again noting to herself that she needed more age appropriate sleepwear – and then Serena settled into bed. It had been a long day, both physically and mentally and she was tired. She needed to get some sleep because the week had just begun.

And in the end all that mattered was that Darien and her were in love. She had to trust that.

As sleep closed in on her, Serena's last thought was that maybe she really was growing up.


Tuesday

Fifteen minutes after her wake-up alarm had sounded, for the first time a different alarm sounded from her cell phone.

Serena looked down at her cell, in the middle of tying up her school shoes, momentarily startled at hearing the different melody coming from her cell phone. For a moment she was baffled at why an alarm was going off – her mind still a little asleep – but then it hit her.

Her birth control pills. It was time to take the very first one.

Taking only a moment to make sure that her bedroom door was closed, Serena fished her birth control pills out of their hiding place and popped the small white pill into her mouth.

At the same time Serena couldn't help but realise that this could easily become very tiresome in the long run, but it was a necessary evil, one that in the end – in less than six weeks – it would all be worth it.

She hoped.


Unfortunately, even though Serena left home early – to the shock of her family – she still ended up being late for school. But oh boy, the detention was so worth it.

Darien had been waiting for her at their usual spot, but this morning his good morning kisses had been much more . . . vigorous than usual.

Apparently between not seeing him the day before and working him up a little too much Sunday night, in order to pay her back just a little for teasing him, Darien had decided to make her burn hotter than he usually did of a morning – not that Serena minded at all.

Darien was her addiction. She could never get enough of him and if he wanted to make her want him by adding more fire to their make-out sessions, then as far as Serena was concerned, he could bring it on.

And she'd been left wanting. She usually was left wanting more, but this time it had been different. She hadn't just been left wanting more, she'd been left wanting. This time had been different because Serena knew what she wanted, and her body definitely knew what it wanted, and what both her mind and her body wanted was to relieve the yearning by not stopping until the both of them were in heaven.

But still Darien refused to give the more to her, sticking steadfastly to his morally driven resolve that they wait for her birthday, but at the same time he sure didn't mind fanning the flame.

Five weeks was way too long to wait. It was going to be a vvveeerrryyy long five weeks, but once Serena started putting her plan into action, it was going to become a very long time for him too.

She's make sure of it. She wasn't going to be the only one tormented.

And as usual of their morning interludes, they were out of time far too soon. Serena had bolted the rest of the way to school like the hounds of hell had been on her heels, but she'd still been late and had earned herself a detention.

But still, it was so worth it.

And because of Darien's heated playing, Serena spent most of her day's classes and detention daydreaming about him and what they were waiting five weeks for. She didn't have much to go on being as inexperienced as she was, but she'd read enough books and seen enough movies to at least have something to work with, even if it was barely above PG13+.

Darien knew exactly where to put his hands and his mouth to make her burn the hottest. How quickly she became melting mush in his arms. Honestly, she was so easy for him. If she hadn't loved him, her female pride would've been disgusted with her.

Did Darien even know what he did to her? Did he know just how much she wanted him, how hotly she burned for him? The pleasure he gave her just by touching her was enough to make her go supernova, but at the same time it was never enough, she was always left wanting more. Oh, so so much more.

The teacher rose from his desk, announcing that detention was over – finally – bringing a secretive smile to Serena's lips.

Detention was over – at last – and unless something had held up Darien, then they might just be able to spend some time together – not as much as when she didn't have detention but hey, they'd work with what they had.


In all her life, Serena never imagined that she'd find heaven on the roof of the arcade, her favourite hangout place since she'd been old enough to venture from home without her parents in tow.

But here she was, lying on a blanket on the roof of the Arcade, her head pillowed by Darien's rolled up ugly green jacket – it made one hell of a comfortable pillow though, and the best part was that it was under her head so she didn't have to look at it – beneath Darien's hard lean body as they enjoyed the time-honoured teenage tradition known as making out.

Serena loved making out with him, especially when he was on top. There was something about having his body looming over her, a portion of his weight keeping her in place, that made her insides purr like nothing else. His hands roaming freely over her clothed body as his lips and tongue paid homage to her mouth . . . and her neck . . .

She also loved the feel of him beneath her hands just as much as she loved his hands on her body. Darien never seemed to mind her exploring his body as she pleased, running her hands threw his hair, over his shoulders, down his back and up his chest.

And unlike him, Serena had no hesitations when it came to sliding her hands under his clothes to touch his bare flesh.

Serena loved the way he flinched when she ran her nails semi-gently down his hard perfectly defined abs and flat belly, over his rock-hard chest through his chest hair that was courser than any on her own body.

And add to that, his heat and scent wrapped around her like a warm security blanket, taking her so far into heaven that sometimes she wondered if there was any way back.

This was her favourite addiction. She could never get enough, she always wanted more with such an intensity that intimate moments with him often overrun her dreams, not to mention her daydreams.

And normally, her mind and her body were completely focused on Darien and what he was doing to her, but unfortunately today there was something on her mind that she had to get out so that she could return to fully enjoying what they were currently doing.

Serena felt compelled to tell him and not even his hands and mouth could fully distract her.

"There's something I have to tell you." Serena muttered reluctantly into his hair.

Darien, who was currently nibbling on her neck, only raised his head enough to allow him to mutter, "Tell me what?"

"I'm on the pill," Serena blurted out before she could lose her nerve.

Darien froze over her, going as still and as rigid as a board. After a long moment, which Serena spent holding her breath, he pulled back enough to look into her eyes.

Serena was a little concerned about his reaction. She'd expected a reaction, just not this one.

Darien looked strained.

"Serena-."

Just from his strained tone, Serena knew what he was going to say. "Don't." She warned in her sternest voice. "Don't you dare. What? Did you really think that I wasn't going to get on the pill?"

Okay, so she'd just ruined the mood, but it had had to be done. Besides, they were also out of time. After school they allowed themselves just one hour to be together. Any longer and their absences would be noticed by their friends.

Darien extended his arms, raising himself so that his weight was lifted completely off of her and he was as far away from her as he could get without getting up off of her.

Serena had to wonder why he was being so weird about this. He had to have known that she'd do something like this, do something to prepare for what was coming.

She was serious about her choice and she was going to take it seriously and taking serious steps to prepare for it was part of it. Surely her Darien must have realised that.

He didn't think that she'd leave it all up to him, did he? That wasn't who she was. She didn't leave all the responsibility to someone else. She took responsibility for her own actions and for her own body.

"I didn't know you were going on the pill." Darien squeaked before clearing his throat so that the next time he spoke his voice was steadier. Not steady but steadier. "I was going to take care of the protection."

Serena narrowed her eyes, not understanding. "You still can. But the pill is the most effective form of protection."

"And one of the most likely to be discovered by your parents." Darien pointed out, an edge to his voice.

Ah, so that was it. Darien really was terrified of her father, her overprotective shotgun-totting father. Not that her father owned a gun, it was just that he was that homicidal when it came to his little girl.

Darien had never actually met her father, but he'd heard the stories about the man, about how postal he went when it came to his little girl's wellbeing.

Serena couldn't help it, she actually giggled at him. Her father was half of Darien's size and yet Darien feared her father like he was seven feet tall and a homicidal body builder.

Darien narrowed his eyes on her, not at all pleased at being laughed at. "It isn't funny! Do you know what your father will do to us both if he finds those pills?!"

Serena couldn't help it, she couldn't stop giggling. "You don't think I've thought of that even though my father never goes into my room?" She gasped for air between fits of laughter, so she could get the words out. "My mother might find them, but she won't show them to my father. Besides, there's other reasons for taking birth control pills. They can be taken to regulate a girl's cycle. I tell Dad that and he won't bring up the subject ever again."

Fortunately, by the end of her explanation, her laughter had subsided enough that she could talk normally.

"And neither will I." Darien stated, just like that.

Serena was sent into another fit of giggles.

"Are you laughing at me?" Darien demanded, his expression serious but his eyes were playful.

"Yep." Serena said from beneath him.

"Why?"

"Because you are so clueless about girl things."

"Is that so?" His eyes narrowed, but the playfulness remained, although it did take on a heated glint.

"Yep."

"And here I was thinking that I knew your girl things quite well . . ."

"You do."

"Well then," Darien regarded her with a predatory look on his face, one that Serena hadn't seen before. "Since you're getting ready, maybe I should do what I can to get us both ready . . ."

And he carefully lowered his weight back down onto her, only this time moving fully on top of her, supporting some of his weight on his elbows but letting her feel more of his weight than he ever had before, letting her feel more of him than she ever had before.

Then Darien cupped her side with one large strong hand and slowly ran it down the side of her body all the way to her thigh. From there it curled around the back of her thigh, just below her behind and with no more warning what-so-ever, he pulled on her thigh and with an adjustment of his pelvis, he was laying between her now spread legs.

Serena's eyes flew wide and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip in a desperate effort to keep in her guttural moan.

For the first time, they were touching intimately, more so than Darien had ever allowed before.

If not for their clothes, they would be in the perfect position to do what Serena wanted to do most.

Serena didn't get what had made him suddenly loosen his hold on his pesky morals but right now she didn't much care. He was pressing himself into the centre heat of her and it was the most delicious and sinful – but at he same time the most right – thing Serena had ever known. It was all liquid heat and pleasure and the most delicious of sensations. It felt like a pulsing liquid sun had bursted into life in her lower belly.

"Darien!" Serena gasped breathlessly through her clenched teeth.

"That's right, say my name." Darien breathed silkily into her ear, but there was a something in his tone and still rigid body that told Serena just how close to the edge he was. He was fighting for control while at the same time he was letting himself go as much as he ever had with her.

"You'll say it plenty when we finally come together." Darien whispered to her. "I promise. Once I make you ready for me, using my hands and my tongue, I'm going to climb on top of you like this. Once you're completely beneath me, so overcome with pleasure that you're all but lost to it, I'm going to work my way inside your tight hot little body."

Oh god! Serena was thrashing beneath him, lost to pleasure and unfamiliar overwhelming sensation, but she was trapped by his weight holding her down on the solid surface of the roof. She was so close to something, something so powerful and intense that it would change her forever. She both wanted more, oh god so much more, and she wanted it to stop. She wanted it to never stop, to find out where it all led, but at the same time she didn't think she could take anymore.

"It will hurt," Darien warned her, "but I promise it will pale in comparison to the pleasure that will come next. Once you've accepted me, I'm going to start moving, back and forth, in and out."

Darien matched his words with actions, moving back and forth on top of her, rubbing his hard self into her heated wet core, protected only by her clothes, stimulating her with the friction of their clothing as he moved against her. He was driving her wild; she was an animal lost to something she couldn't yet understand and as a result was relying only on instinct . . . .

Was this heaven?

Serena couldn't believe this was happening, that Darien was doing this to her, that he had awakened her body like this.

And that's what it felt like, that her body had been sleeping, lying dormant until Darien had climbed on top of her and woken her body with pleasure such as she'd never even dreamed.

"In and out. In and out, over and over and over."

Serena was close, so close to . . . . . something! She didn't now and right now she both didn't care, and she feared it. It was unfamiliar and so powerful and intense and all-consuming that she couldn't help but fear it. Her entire body was too hot and pulsing and buzzing.

Was this what it felt like to be struck by lightning? So overcome by her body that for the first time in her life her mind wasn't in charge of it? To have so much electricity contained inside one being that an explosion was inevitable?

"And when neither of us can take it anymore," Darien went on, his voice all silk and sensual promise. "When I'm inside you to the hilt and you're holding me so tight . . . when you come for me . . . . . I'll move faster and faster . . . lost in the bliss that is you, my sweet beautiful Serena . . . until I find my own release."

Darien was grinding against her, harder and harder, faster and faster, seemingly as long as she was to the pleasure, the wanting, the hot fire that had consumed them both.

And when Serena thought that she was going to die from the pleasure, from the intensity of her body's pulsing waves of electric sensation, it all imploded in liquid head and pleasure so intense that it blinded her.

Exhausted, Serena stilled beneath him and collapsed in exhaustion, feeling so heavy and drained that she couldn't even find the strength to open her eyes.

Somewhere, in the distance, Serena was numbly aware of Darien crying out as he stiffened above her for the longest of moments before he too collapsed, all of his weight coming down on her, crushing her into the hard cold surface of the roof.

And Serena didn't care, even a little.

They were both panting liked they'd been running for their lives for hours, and for long minutes that was all they could do, try to catch their panting breaths and slow their racing heartbeats.

Slowly, by degrees, Serena became aware of that outside of her exhaustion. Darien's weight that was crushing her against the solid surface beneath her was beginning to become very uncomfortable.

And speaking of uncomfortable, Serena was becoming aware of a strange wet sensation in her underwear. Where there had only been liquid heat before was now only cooling wetness.

Colour erupted in her face, colour so intense from her embarrassment that it actually felt like it was burning her skin. No doubt she was glowing like a tomato.

But there was a different glow in her as well, a glow that seemed to run from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.

Serena felt different. Her entire body felt . . . lighter even though she still felt heavy from exhaustion that was slowly beginning to pass.

Above her, Darien moaned, the sound long and deep. And then he weakly shifted his weight to the side, where he collapsed beside of her.

All at once, Serena missed his weight and his warmth. Where moments ago she had been so hot she'd been burning, now she was only cold and missing his weight and heat on top of her, shielding her from the rest of the world.

For a while there, there had only been the two of them, lost in a world of white-hot pleasure and wanting so intense that it had consumed her body and soul.

Slowly, Serena opened her eyes and with what felt like great effort, turned her head to the side, almost as if to reassure herself that her Darien was still there with her.

Darien was laying on his side, still breathing so hard that his entire body was moving in time with his breaths. His eyes were open and sweat was only just beginning to dry on his face and neck, sweat so thick that his hair was sticking to his forehead.

Serena became aware that she was just as sweaty. It seemed that her senses were only just beginning to truly recover from the most earthshattering experience they'd ever endured.

"I'm sorry," Darien whispered to her, his eyes locked with her own. "I didn't mean to take that that far."

Serena smiled dazedly at him, so pleasantly exhausted that she couldn't do more than offering him two words as reassurance that she was fine with how far he'd taken things.

"I'm not."

And her eyes drifted closed as she slipped into the deepest most peaceful sleep she'd ever had. She was sated and now all she wanted to do was rest, so that's what she did.

The rest of the world could be damned. It would still be there when she woke.


They both must have dozed for a good hour because when Darien shook her awake, Serena found that the sun was much lower in the sky than it had been the last time she'd paid it any heed.

Ignoring the uncomfortable cold wetness of her underwear and her body's obvious displeasure at being laid on a solid surface for so long, Serena had freaked out. She was going to be late getting home and that was all she needed.

At best she'd be grounded for being late for curfew. At worst her parents would question her to her where about and there was no way in hell she could tell them the truth and with no one to vouch for her whereabouts, it was just possible that they'd realise that she had a secret and that had the potential to lead to the discovery of said secret.

So, Serena had quickly kissed Darien on the lips, told him rather shrilly that she had to get home, and she ran as fast as she could all the way home.

She hadn't made it home by curfew, but she'd only been twenty minutes late, so she'd gotten scolded by her worried parents and had been given extra chores as punishment.

Serena hadn't objected in the slightest. She'd apologised and accepted the consequences.

Then she'd showered and after a half-hearted attempt to eat her dinner, Serena had gone to bed. She was exhausted, it was a sated exhaustion, but it was a bone-deep exhaustion none the less.

Her body had been put through so much today, so much that it wasn't accustomed too, and now it wanted to rest.

That night, Serena's dreams were a repeat of what had happened on the arcade's roof, except this time there was no clothing keeping them apart from each other.


Wednesday

To Serena's extreme disappointment, she didn't manage to wake before her alarm – not that she was surprised after yesterday and last night. Her dreams had been intense – and following that had one of those mornings that nothing seemed to go right. She couldn't find her school uniform blouse and then she put on odd socks but didn't realise until after she'd put on her shoes, so she had to take off her shoes and find herself a pair of socks.

After that she went downstairs to get her lunch before leaving and realised that she'd forgotten to take her pill. The alarm had gone off fifteen minutes before, but she'd been too busy trying to find matching socks.

So she'd had to go back upstairs, take her pill and as a result of everything, by the time she was out the front door she was running late.

She'd run all the way to the park where she'd found Darien waiting for her, she'd blown passed him with an apology and a promise to meet him after school if she made it on time and avoided a detention.

Serena had made it to school with only three seconds to spare, just enough to save her from another after school detention.

Only then, when sitting in her first class did she finally have the time and the energy to really reflect on what had happened yesterday afternoon.

She'd had her first orgasm. Darien had given her her first orgasm and it had come out of nowhere – Darien going that far, not the orgasm.

Serena luckily wasn't called on once today by any of her teachers, which was so lucky because she couldn't have recalled a single thing taught in any of her classes today. She'd been far too distracted today by her own thoughts and reflections to pay attention to anything happening around her, let alone what her teachers were teaching.

She couldn't believe it. She'd had her first orgasm and it had been mind-blowing – well, duh – and it had been so intense that now in the aftermath she felt different inside and out.

Inside, there was so much going on. She'd been looking forward to the day she could lie with her love in his bed and become his in all ways, but now there was something else she felt about the coming loss of her virginity.

Fear. What had happened yesterday had been so intense and unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She had been felt feeling different, detached from herself in a way. It was like she didn't know herself anymore, and after something so powerful, how could it not change her? And if that's how the on the clothes stuff felt and left her feeling, then how was she possibly going to survive actually having sex with the man she loved.

She hadn't realised just how vulnerable she was during such intimacy, and she wasn't just talking about her body. She was vulnerable physically for the obvious reason, as Darien was so much bigger and stronger than her and yesterday she'd been trapped beneath him, defenceless against anything that Darien chose to do to her.

Yes, Serena turned Darien with all her heart, the fear was fear of Darien, but a young woman's instinctive fear of the stronger bigger male.

But then there was her precious heart. What if after she opened herself up as completely as she could to Darien and in the end, Darien left her. After opening herself up like that she didn't think she could survive losing him.

She loved him with everything that she was now, how much worse would it be when he possessed her body as well as her heart.

Of course, she was just being stupid. Serena scolded herself. She knew better, she knew Darien better than that. She loved Darien and she trusted him. He'd never do anything to hurt her, her body or her heart.

After all, hadn't he even warned her yesterday that sex would hurt at first? Darien had never hidden that face from her. He'd even used it as an argument in the past to try to dissuade her from wanting to have sex with him.

But the fear wasn't all that was new. She felt changed. She was more aware of her body than she'd ever been and there was this sense that there was no going back, that she'd crossed a line and in doing so she'd lost a large piece of her childhood innocence.

She was growing up and now she was doing grownup things.

She'd had her first orgasm. Darien had touched her as she'd never been touched before and had allowed her to feel him.

Another first.

And then there was that Darien had lost control, or had come as close as he'd ever come to losing control.

Darien had lost control, but he'd still been gentle with her. He'd been passionate and intense and hungry for her, but never once had he caused her pain.

Even though the glimpse Serena had seen inside of him had also scared her a little, she'd just been too distracted to realise it at the time. There was something deep inside of Darien that he kept under tight control. Something untamed and powerful and just a little bit dark, like a warrior side that he never let the world see, never let loose.

But he had yesterday.

Did she really have that much power over him? Darien was the most controlled person Serena had ever known. He had a control over himself that bordered on superhuman. Was that why? Was it because there was something a little bit dark and untamed locked up deep inside of him?

At the very least there was a side of Darien that he kept under strict control, the way some people were adamant about keeping their tempers under control.

So, Serena was changed inside and out in ways she didn't yet funny understand and she'd seen a tiny glimpse of Darien's dark side.

But despite all that, Serena still wanted to do it – and more – all over again. She feared what such intimacy would mean but regardless she still craved it with a wanting that would not be denied, no matter what.

The fact was that she'd wanted what had happened yesterday and she still wanted to go all the way. And she wanted to do it with Darien.

As for the rest of it, maybe another conversation with the girls about sex was what she needed. Talk not about the sex act itself but what it meant for a girl, how it changed her.

How it would no doubt change her.


After school Serena went straight to the roof of the Arcade where Darien was anxiously waiting for her.

Obviously, he'd been unsure whether she'd turn up after yesterday.

Silly Darien. Not once had it entered her mind to avoid him for a while.

The sun was out, and it was a beautiful day, a cloudless blue sky above, which matched her mood because the moment Serena had seen Darien standing there waiting for her, all the doubts that had plagued his had disappeared just like the snap of her fingers.

It was as good thing that the weather had been so dry lately as when it rained they had no place to meet, no place that there wasn't any risk of being discovered anyway. Occasionally when they were desperate – mostly because it had been raining for a several days – they'd met in the Arcades storage cupboard for a quick make out session, but they were always on alert when they did that because anyone could come to the cupboard for any reason.

Fortunately, lately it had been all clear skies. And she was free to spend her limited free amount of time with her boyfriend.

And that was what she was going to do. Yesterday had happened and she wanted more, but it was clear that the right thing for now was to take their time. They didn't have to rush, as they had weeks before her birthday.

Serena walked straight up to her boyfriend and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down until she could plant a gentle loving kiss on his lips.

Darien's arms wrapped around her automatically, pulling and holding her close.

"How are you feeling?" Darien asked her, looking down into her eyes searching. He was trying to hide his anxiety but Serena knew her love far too well not to see it in him.

Serena gave him a smile that was all love and happiness. "I'm fine. Wonderful. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"After yesterday-."

Serena had a sure idea what he was going to say and she wasn't in the mood for unnecessary apologies.

"Yesterday was wonderful and what I wanted," Serena nodded her head to the side. "Or just a taste of what I really want. But we don't have to do it again if you don't want too."

"If I don't want too? Are you insane? Of course I do!"

It was all Serena could do to keep from bursting out laughing at his incredulous tone.

"But not if you don't." He added on after a moment.

Serena shook her head at him in disbelief. When was he going to learn?

Silly Darien.


"I think we need to get away," Serena said thoughtfully, not ten minutes later.

She was sitting in Darien's lap, her back against his chest, his arms wrapped around her, her arms resting on top of his own where they laid around her. They'd kissed hello but since then they'd been sitting as they were, staring out over the city from their shaded private spot, just enjoying their time together.

Serena didn't think that either of them could trust themselves after yesterday. Maybe that was why neither of them were overly inclined to make out. It wasn't because they didn't want, it was because they wanted too much.

Now that Serena was back in Darien's arms, all her thoughts and concerns had just faded away. She was just stressing for no reason. She'd had her first orgasm, and she was still going to talk to the girls about it – without giving away her secret – and of course she still wanted more, but for now being in Darien's arms was more than enough for her.

"What do you mean?" Darien asked curiously, looking down at her.

Serena leaned to the side and looked up at him. "I mean I want to go somewhere where we can just be together, where we can be us without having to worry about being seen by someone we know. Let's just get in your car and drive somewhere where we can be free of everything for just a little while."

Darien liked the sound of that. "Where do you want to go?"

"It doesn't really matter that much to me." Serena told him honestly, leaning back against him once more. It was a much more comfortable position. "As long as we're together."

"How about a day trip down the coast?" Darien suggested. "We can just drive until we find someplace interesting to stop."

"Or we could just keep driving," Serena suggested, her eyes on the horizon. The idea had so much appeal it seemed like a dream. "Just keep going and never come back."

Darien smiled into her hair, it was tempting. Just the road and the two of them with no worries or responsibilities or laws that would keep them apart. "That would be kidnapping in the eyes of the law."

Serena turned her face and rubbed her cheek against his chest, loving the feel of his hard heat all around her. She breathed in his scent, his strong masculine musky scent that was Darien's unique intoxicating scent. He smelt like coffee and man. "How can you kidnap someone who belongs to you?"

Darien smiled with soft love. How did she always manage to turn his worries around like that? "Because right now the law says that you belong to your parents, or at least belong in their care." He amended before she could scold him about his choice of words. "Your parents and the law aren't our enemy. Your parents love you and I get their overprotectiveness of you, and as for the law, that just is and it is for a reason. Good reasons."

"I know, I get that." Serena admitted, however reluctantly. "Doesn't mean I can't resent them though."

"No, it doesn't." Darien agreed before changing the subject. "So, what about this trip out of the city. You really want to do it?"

"Yeah, I do. Don't you?" Serena raised his hand to her face and ran it down her cheek, wanting his touch, needing his touch. Their time together was always so short and that only made it more precious.

"A full day with you without having to worry? I want it more than air."

Serena grinned into his hand. Her Darien was more charming than anyone else could know. He flattered her with his words, never missing an opportunity to shower her with his charming words.

Then Serena turned back to the subject at hand, silently running through her upcoming events with her parents and the girls, looking for just the right opening.

"How about the Saturday two weeks from now?" Serena suggested upon noting that it was the perfect day for her.

Darien shrugged indifferently.

Darien didn't have a family. No one but her and Andrew to wonder where he was and what he was doing.

It was probably the only benefit to having no family, but it did mean a lonely existence though.

One day, when she was old enough Serena would be his family.

"Is that enough time for you to set up an alibi with your parents and the girls?" Darien asked her as if it had been an afterthought.

"It is." Although Serena hated lying to her parents and the girls it was a necessary evil in order to spend time with her secret boyfriend.

And as much as Serena hated to admit it, her parents were easy to explain her absence too – even when they didn't know where she was they assumed she was with the girls or at the arcade. In their minds she was only ever there or at school when she wasn't at home – but it was the girls that were the hardest.

When Serena wasn't with them, and they didn't know where she was like at school or away at a family outing, they tended to call to see if she wanted to hang out with them.

And if Serena didn't answer her cell phone they would call the house.

To have a full day out with Darien, all four girls were going to have to believe that she was unavailable for the entire day.

While her parents would believe that she was with the girls and usually when her parents wanted to get in contact with her they called her cell phone.

So as long as Serena didn't miss any calls, she should be free and clear for the day.

The risk of something going wrong and the two of them getting caught was what kept her full day outings with Darien to something that only happened occasionally.

Disappearing for the full day too often would raise flags with both her parents and her friends.

"What do you want to do this Saturday?" Darien asked after several silent – but comfortable – minutes passed. "Are you free?"

Serena knew he was talking about their once a fortnight – if they were really lucky once a week – real date. The one time of the week that they did the things that normal couples did. They were discrete about it of course but they went out to dinner or they went to see a movie, or they had a picnic in a secluded part of a park on the other side of the city. They tried to do something different each date, something that they could do that had minimal risk of them being discovered.

Of course, Serena wanted to go out on dates more often but she did understand why they had to be careful. At least until she turned sixteen. Once she was sixteen she'd only have to keep their relationship a secret from her parents, or more specifically, her father.

Darien was really terrified of her highly overprotective father. Serena couldn't even discuss dating when her father was anywhere in the vicinity. He went postal, downright homicidal. Her father REALLY didn't want anyone dating his sweet little girl.

If he only knew.

With any luck Serena wouldn't have to tell her father about Darien until her wedding day – should Darien want to get married one day that was.

"I'm free on Saturday." Serena said in answer to his second question. "I don't want to plan anything just yet. What do you say we wing it? Just wait until Saturday and see what we want to do then."

"As you wish." Darien whispered silkily into her ear.

Serena smiled. Her Darien loved spoiling her, but he'd better be careful as she just might get used to it.

Turning in his arms, Serena settled herself in his lap facing him this time and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Then she did what she wished, although today they kept it above the waist.


Thursday

It was always a good week day when Serena had the pleasure of spending time with Darien both before and after school, and she'd been having a lot of good days lately. It was the main ingredient in her having a really good day, school or no school – which Serena had learned wasn't all that bad when you got okay grades instead of failing all the time.

Once again Serena had been up before her alarm and after showering, dressing and taking her pill she'd been out the door with her lunch in hand and had managed to get a good twenty minute make-out session in before she'd run like a lunatic to school, where she'd made it just in time – meaning she'd managed to avoid getting afterschool detention.

Honestly, Serena couldn't get why her father would disapprove so much of her relationship with Darien as he was the main reason she was changing for the better. After all, she'd always loved her sleep, but not half as much compared to spending time with Darien.

Meaning that getting up early was so worth the time she spent with Darien. And with both Darien and the girls helping her with her studies, she was now an average student in nearly all her classes – she was still struggling with gym class though.

Honestly, she had no co-ordination at all. If she wasn't hitting someone else with the ball, then she was being hit in the face with the ball that she'd failed to catch.

With no after school detention today, Serena had been rewarded with a full hour of free time with Darien that they'd spent talking and making out on the roof of the Arcade.

Okay, so they'd done more making out than talking, but words had still been exchanged – a few anyway – and that still counted.

Afterwards, they'd joined their friends in the arcade where Serena had had fun calling Darien a stupidhead at the top of her lungs. They'd done their usual 'hate each other' performance but then they'd both spent some time with their friends, Serena with the girls in their usual booth and Darien with Andrew, talking at the counter.

After that, Lita had insisted upon seeing the other four girls home since the sun was getting low and they'd taken the time to make plans for a trip to the mall after school tomorrow.

Serena had made a mental note to find herself some more grownup sleepwear. She had outgrown – mentally not physically – her pink flannel bunny pyjamas. They were comfortable to sleep in, but she wanted something less girly and more womanly.

And now here she was, at the dining room table eating dinner with her family, lost in her memories that she'd made with Darien today.

"Serena!"

Serena blinked and looked up at the sharp sound of her name to find her parents and her brother all staring at her, her parents with parental disapproval and her brother with barely contained glee.

It was the look Sammy wore when his sister was about to get into trouble and he was in the free and clear.

Serena had the impression that her parents had been trying to get her attention for a while. Her brother's expression was the biggest clue.

Quick to wipe any trace of her thoughts that might be lingering in her expression, Serena turned her innocent eyes on her parents. "Yes?" She asked politely.

Her parents exchanged a look, an unspoken communion passing between them, the kind Serena had seen them exchange all her life.

What must it be like to be that close to someone, to know them that well, that spoken communication wasn't always needed? To be able to communicate with a look.

Maybe one day she'd find out. With Darien.

Her parents turned their focus back to her and Serena had the feeling that she was in for a lecture, maybe not now at the dinner table but soon.

But for once Serena wasn't that worried about that. Her grades had improved, she was rarely late for school anymore – detention late that was – and she hadn't done anything scold worthy – that they knew of.

If they knew about Darien or her birth control pills, then they'd already be going postal at her. They would have started the moment she'd walked through the door.

"Your father asked you if you had any idea what you wanted to do on your birthday this year?" Her mother asked her calmly, in her gentle motherly voice.

And just like that it hit her that she was going to have to lie to her family – and her friends, everyone – if she wanted the birthday that she truly craved. If she wanted to spend the night with Darien then she was going to have to sacrifice spending it with her family and friends.

That meant that there would be some guilt both before and after, but the threat of that still wasn't enough to discourage her or make her change her plans.

"I don't know yet," Serena told them, looking down at her dinner. Lie one down but how many to go? "I'll let you know when I know."

And with a desperate need to change the subject, Serena wiped her guilt from her face and turned to her father, hoping that the look on her face was one of innocent askance and not one of teenage guilt. "Daddy, the girls and I are going to the mall tomorrow after school, can I please have some money to buy some new pyjamas?"

Ken regarded his daughter thoughtfully, the same way he did every time one of his children asked him for money.

Fortunately, it wasn't an unusual request. Her parents believed that their children shouldn't have to spend their savings on clothing, unless of course they wanted something special.

"Do you need new pyjamas?" Her father asked her, giving her a look that said she'd better be honest with him.

Serena gave her father her best please daddy face. "Yes, all of my pyjamas are too young for me. I need something worthy of a sixteen-year-old. I mean, I'm growing up daddy, shouldn't I have something more age appropriate? I am turning sixteen after all."

"I don't know, Serena." Her father told her, clearly trying to decide if she really did need what hse was asking for. "If you have suitable pyjamas-."

"But daddy!" Serena protested in her best but daddy! tone. "That's just it! I don't have suitable pyjamas for a girl my age."

Her father sighed, and Serena knew she had him. It was his giving in sigh, not his bracing himself for a debate sigh.

But she could also see the wheels turning in his head. He was going to give in, but it was coming with strings attached.

"Alright. If you want new pyjamas, then I'll give you enough for half the cost of a couple of pairs of new pyjamas." Her father was half negotiating and half teaching her responsibility. Her father never passed up the opportunity to teach one of his children responsibility. "You'll have to take the rest from your savings."

Serena was very careful not to let her delight show. She'd won but she couldn't let her father think that she thought that. He wouldn't like it and he might very well reconsider the money he had just promised her.

Things had worked out better than she'd expected. The best part being that no matter what form of sleepwear she brought home, her father had inadvertently okayed it. Not to mention that she'd paid for half of it with her own money.

Not that she was going to go too grown up, but still her father didn't like any overt signs that she was growing up, becoming a woman.

He was very overprotective of his little girl.

Which was the reason why Darien and her had to be so careful of their secret.

"Yes daddy," Serena beamed pleasantly at her father. "Thankyou daddy."

Across the table, Irene's eyes narrowed on her daughter who'd resumed eating her meal.

Something was up, and Irene didn't mean the little con job she'd just worked on her father to get some money for what Serena was calling more grownup pyjamas – just exactly how grownup she was talking about would remain to be seen.

What Irene hadn't missed was her daughter's hesitation upon answering their query about her birthday.

Serena was up to something. Her motherly instincts were going off and her instincts were rarely wrong. They'd been homed by years of raising her two children.

Irene hadn't failed to notice the changes her daughter had undergone lately. She had matured a lot in the last year and although it was a good thing, the reason behind said change was still unknown.

And as much as Irene loved and trusted her daughter, she couldn't completely trust the teenage girl her daughter had become.

An idea of what could've brought about such positive and radical change was beginning to take form in the back of her mind and just like that suspicion was taking root in her mind.

Irene knew her daughter and she wasn't blind. She was reasonably certain that her daughter was dating someone and was most likely in love with that said someone.

And Irene was happy for her daughter, happy that her daughter was so obviously happy. In fact, Serena was downright radiant with her happiness and it was something Irene loved seeing in her daughter.

But at the same time Irene still had a mother's worry. Teenagers in love, even teenagers as well behaved as her daughter, made foolish choices. Choices that could have consequences that could last beyond her teenage years.

Irene was going to have to keep an eye on her daughter. Serena was growing up true, but she wasn't grown up yet.

Maybe a mother/daughter talk was in order. Not now, but soon.

Really soon.


After dinner, Serena retired to her room where she did her homework – she didn't have as much homework as normal – and then changed into her pyjamas. Once she was in her comfortable nightwear, Serena slid into bed even though she wasn't ready to sleep just yet. She felt relaxed but not that tired.

Picking up her cell phone, Serena scrolled through her phonebook until she came to her most dialled number.

Darien didn't call her at night, when they spoke on the phone it was Serena who called him. It was a safeguard against one of her parents answering her phone when he called and realised that it was a boy on the other side of the line.

Not that it was likely to happen as her parents respected her privacy, but it wasn't impossible. It was natural to answer a ringing phone.

Darien answered after only two rings. It never took him long to answer her calls.

"Can't sleep, my sweet?" Darien asked in way of greeting. After all, they'd only been together a matter of hours ago; he didn't need to ask her how she was. He knew.

Besides, they were passed the small talk and casual polite chitchat stage of their relationship. Their relationship was become much deeper and intimate than that ages ago.

"I can." Serena replied softly. "I'm just not ready to sleep yet. I wanted to hear your voice again."

Darien's soft laughter filled her ear, his bedroom voice losing very little of its effect on her even over the phone. "You only heard my voice a few hours ago."

"And your point is?" Serena asked with a smile on her face and in her tone.

"No point, just saying."

Serena laughed, but quickly muffled it before her parents or brother heard her. She loved how at ease he sounded. He only ever sounded like that with her and it made her insides tingle. Even with Andrew Serena had noticed that he still held a piece of himself back from his best friend.

"What are you doing right now?" Serena asked, genuinely interested.

"Studying. I'm right in the middle of the complications of blood clots during liver surgery."

"What have you learned?" Serena never understood any of it, but Darien loved talking about his studies and Serena loved listening to him, especially when it was something he was excited about or fascinated by.

Not to mention that Darien had such a soothing voice, a bedroom voice. It relaxed her like nothing else, his voice was as smooth and soothing as warm milk.

The minutes passed in which Serena listened to Darien's in-depth recount of everything he'd studied about the dangers of blood clots and how he felt about what he'd learned and how he couldn't wait to start his surgical residency in two years' time when he could see it for himself.

Before they knew it, over half an hour had passed, not that Serena minded listening to Darien for that long about his studies, even though she rarely understood anything. She just loved to hear his enthusiasm and passion for his studies.

Darien was going to be a great surgeon one day, Serena didn't doubt it. With Darien's passion and determination, the sky was the limit for him.

"What are you wearing?" Darien asked with a sensual purr in his voice after he seemed to run out of things to tell her about his current chapter of study. His tone was playful and sensual all at the same time.

"A smile." Serena replied playfully, wanting to torment him just a little.

"And?"

"And my pink flannel pjs." It was an honest answer, but not the one she really wanted to give. She really wanted to be wearing something sexier than flannel.

"With the white bunnies? My favourites?"

Serena grinned into her pillow. Darien had never seen any of her sleepwear, but they'd had the "what are you wearing?" conversation several times before.

"No, the ones with the yellow kittens with big blue eyes."

"Mmmmm," Darien hummed with sensual delight, "my second favourites."

Serena laughed gleefully. She loved that he could make her laugh so effortlessly.

After that, they bided each other goodnight with words of love and the wish for sweet dreams, and Serena ended the call.

She was ready to sleep now.

As she snuggled down into her soft bed, her eyes slowly closing and sleep coming down over her, Serena felt a soft happy love-filled smile spread over her lips.

She truly had the best boyfriend in the world and she wouldn't trade him for anything, not for the whole world.

That they had fallen in love and become a couple still amazed her. She replayed those early days over and over in her mind on occasion and still she couldn't figure it out.

The Fates had worked hard to bring them together, because that's what it must have been.

Fate . . .


Serena had to wonder if Darien was going out of his way to avoid her the same way that she was going out of her way to avoid him.

She couldn't believe that he'd kissed her! Her first kiss! Her first kiss had been with Darien Shields!

And she'd kissed him back! How had THAT happened?

And the why of why it happened had been driving her crazy for the past week, since the last time Serena had seen Darien right before she'd fled from him, running all the way home and not stopping until she'd slammed her bedroom door behind her.

She could still remember that moment as clearly as if it had just happened. Her only thought afterwards had been to get home and lock herself in her room.

It hadn't been until she'd closed her bedroom door and collapsed on the floor at the foot of the door that she'd realised that the reason she'd fled hadn't been because Darien had claimed her first kiss but because of what she'd felt when he'd kissed her.

How did she even begin to describe it? The pleasure, the wanting, but it hadn't just been the passion and the heat of the kiss that had been far more mature than a teenage girl's first kiss should be but what had scared the living daylights out of her was how right it had felt. In that moment when his lips had come down over hers, she'd felt like she'd come home, like in his arms like that was where she'd been born to be.

Something had changed in her that night and it had taken several days before Serena had come to terms with not just what had happened but what she'd been left feeling, what she was still feeling.

She wanted to kiss Darien again. She wanted to do more with him. Serena wanted his tongue in her mouth again, his hands on her body, his scent and warm hardness surrounding her like a blanket shielding her against the rest of the world.

She'd soared in his arms, she'd felt more than she'd ever known she was possible of feeling and more than that, for the first time in her life she knew what it felt like to be a woman. To want and burn in a man's arms.

And that was what Darien was. A man. He wasn't a boy like some of the others she'd tried her hand at flirting with once or twice. There was nothing, not a thing that was boyish about Darien.

And what made her even more scared was that she realised that something had changed in her forever, in her life. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She was on her way to adulthood and this had been the first significant step.

Step, hell it had been a leap.

And now all because of one kiss, because of Darien's kiss, Serena wanted to grow up in more ways than the physical. She wanted to stand on her own and for her parents to stop treating her like a little girl. She wanted to be grown up, to discover all the things, good and bad, that it meant to be an adult. She wanted to do adult things with Darien and feel that pleasure deep inside of her that hummed and pulsed so much that it felt like it had been alive, this living glowing vibrating thing deep inside her belly where she hadn't felt anything like this before. She wanted.

That was it. She wanted. She wanted Darien. She wanted his kisses, his touch, his warmth and his strength wrapped around her once again.

But the biggest shock of all had come the night before when she'd been lying in bed, thinking of what had happened – hardly anything else had occupied her mind since it had happened – and she'd realised something. Something that had shocked her to her core.

She hadn't just wanted Darien's kisses and his touch. No, she wanted him. All of him. For always.

Serena had always had a secret crush on him deep in her secret girl's heart, and that's what it had been. Until he'd kissed her, and then it had become something . . . more. Something stronger, something that felt so much more . . . . permanent.

From the moment they'd met, when she'd hit him in the head with her discarded math exam – she'd gotten another F – she'd been drawn to him in a way that she couldn't begin to explain and had been too scared to explore – she'd been too young to understand it – as she'd only been twelve. But she wasn't twelve anymore and now things had changed between them forever.

There was no going back but even if there was, Serena didn't think she'd want to go back. How could she possibly go back to not knowing?

Darien had always stood out of the crowd for her, her eyes drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and it wasn't just his handsome face and drool-worthy features. He was any male model's envy, but it had been his eyes that had made her realise that there was something more to him that he didn't let anyone see.

His eyes had made her feel sad. Not sad for him, just sad. She'd watched him when he'd come into the arcade and it hadn't taken long to see that he was a good friend to Andrew, which wasn't hard. Andrew was the type of guy that everyone immediately liked, a good old boy next door, as the expression went, but it was the way that Darien opened himself up just a little with Andrew.

And then she'd eventually realised what it was that she saw in Darien's eyes that he tried so hard to hide from the world. Something beneath that had fuelled the sadness.

Loneliness. The kind that ran right through the core of a person, that went more than bone deep, it went soul deep.

Darien had been well and truly alone and had been for a long time. Darien's loneliness was the kind that made it impossible for him to really feel any kind of genuine happiness.

So that was what it had been in his eyes that had captured her attention, loneliness and sadness that ran so deep that they were a part of him.

But still, there was more to Darien than that, as she'd learned from watching him over time. He was kind and generous. He teased her to no end, tormented her every chance he had, but he'd never been mean. He'd never hurt her feelings. In all the time that they'd yelled and shouted and insulted each other it had never been mean spirited.

So, falling for him had perhaps been inevitable.

But what was she going to do now? They'd kissed!

If her father ever found out, Darien was a dead man and she'd be grounded for life, even though she technically hadn't instigated it.

And how was she ever going to face Darien again? She couldn't avoid him forever – she really missed the arcade. It was her place to have fun, unwind, and spend carefree hours with her parents while secretly trying not to stare in Andrew and Darien's direction. She hadn't been there since, but she wasn't looking forward to facing Darien the next time. Things wouldn't just be awkward they'd been downright excruciating!

After detention today, Serena still hadn't had the nerve to go back to the arcade where she knew Darien went nearly every day, so now she was walking home as she'd been doing for the past week, heading straight home after school and detention.

Serena walked slowly with her head down along the sidewalk where people brushed passed her whom she didn't see as she as lost in her misery.

And only two blocks from home, Serena walked straight into a hard broad chest and immediately was sent falling backwards from the impact, but before she even realised that she was falling, large strong hands shot out and caught hold of her upper arms, steadying her and keeping her on her feet.

Serena didn't need to look up to know it was Darien. She knew his scent, his touch, what it felt like being close to him.

In sheer self-defence, Serena froze. She didn't move, she barely dared to breathe. She couldn't look up at him, she couldn't even stand to face this moment. She'd been dreading it for a week.

She just continued to stand there as he continued to hold her like he was hesitant to let her go because he knew she'd flea the moment she could.

"Serena," Darien breathed, the word barely more than a whisper.

His tone made her gasp.

There was no smugness in his voice. Instead, there was nervousness and a pleading for something, something she couldn't or didn't want to identify.

"We have to talk."

"No," Serena told him, her gaze fixed unseeingly straight ahead. She couldn't see anything in this moment because she was feeling far too much to comprehend anything else. "We don't."

"Yes, we do." Darien insisted, more determination in his voice than had been there the moment before. "I can't stand you avoiding me. Please, just give me a chance to apologise. I promise I won't ever do it again."

Huh? Serena was so shocked by his words that she forgot about everything else and she looked up at him, not understanding. Why would he apologise?

Why would he apologise for giving her the first kiss of her dreams – sort of – with the person she'd dreamed in her secret girl's heart of kissing?

Nothing made sense. Everything felt disjointed, like the whole world had been tipped on it's axis.

Was she dreaming? Had she fallen asleep in detention again? It felt more plausible than that this was actually happening.

Serena had expected Darien to either ignore her or make fun of her the first time they were near each other again.

Not . . . this.

Serena became aware of the world moving around her and she looked around, confused in the fullest meaning of the world.

It took her several long seconds to realise that they were moving, that her feet were moving because Darien was urging her into the open mouth of the alley between two stores they were standing by.

Darien didn't lead her in too deep, just so they were out of the street but not beyond the eye line of the other pedestrians walking along the street.

Here they had a little privacy but they were far from being alone.

Serena looked dumbly back up at Darien's handsome face, feeling like her brain was underwater and everything was moving in slow motion.

Serena couldn't comprehend what was happening. She was dreaming, she had to be. This couldn't be real.

"Serena, I know you're mad and me," Darien began as if he'd been rehearsing these words all week. "And maybe a little scared of me now but I promise it won't happen again. I won't touch you again."

As if the realisation that he was doing just that, that his hands were still on her arms, holding her in place, Darien jumped back from her with all the startlement of being suddenly burned.

Serena felt herself tilt her head slightly to the side as she regarded him, but she had no mental awareness of willing the action.

This was so strange. Was this what it felt like to have an out of body experience? She was definitely out of it whether she was dreaming or not.

Maybe, if this was really happening, this was her mind's defence against her crushing embarrassment and awkwardness – to make her feel nothing at all.

Was such a thing even possible.

Somewhere deep inside her mind, Serena realised that she had to pull herself together, but she just couldn't seem to do it.

Well, if she wasn't feeling anything then she had to be dreaming so what did she have to lose? She might as well take this dream in the direction she really wanted it to go.

"It was my first kiss." Serena told him calmly, her tone so matter-of-fact that it sounded strange even to her own ears.

The expression that came to Darien's face was almost funny. He looked like he'd been slapped in the face with a raw fish without any warning.

Serena wanted to laugh but she knew that she shouldn't; Darien never liked it when she laughed at him.

"What?!"

Serena bit her lip in a desperate effort to contain her urge to burst into hysterical laughter. Now he was gaping at her like a fish.

Serena couldn't think of anything to say, and since it was her dream she decided to let the silence stretch between them.

It took Darien more than a minute to collect himself, or so it seemed, but Serena merely continued to wait and watch to see what her dream was going to make him do next.

Finally, Darien turned his attention outward once again and looked at her as if he were truly seeing her for the first time.

"I can't say that I know what a first kiss means to a girl, but I do know it's important." Darien told her wretchedly, as if he couldn't believe he'd done such a horrible thing. "I wish I could make it up to you."

And just like that, Serena knew that she wasn't dreaming, because not even in her dreams did she ever want to see such self-loathing in Darien's eyes. He was tearing himself up over taking her first kiss from her and she couldn't let him do that.

Serena had never been the type of person who could stand to see another person in pain. Not even in her dreams.

Especially not Darien.

Who was at this moment standing in front of her with his head bowed and his fists clenched so tightly that he was shaking.

And all of a sudden, Serena knew what she wanted from him, knew how to make all of this better.

A moment before Serena had felt so disorientated that she'd believed she'd been dreaming, but now she felt more alive than she had this whole week.

"Kiss me again." Serena blurted out in a rush before she lost her nerve.

Darien's head snapped up and he looked at her as if she had two heads. His eyes were so wide that they looked like they were about to bulge right out of their sockets. "What did you say?!"

Drawing in a long deep breath for courage, Serena looked him straight in the eye to show him that she was completely serious. "If you want to make it up to me, kiss me again. Give me the first kiss I should've had."

Not that the first had been bad, the actual kiss itself had been divine, it was the afterwards that hadn't been so great.

"Serena-." Darien started, sounding strangled.

"Kiss me." She insisted a moment before her self-doubts started to creep in, making her next words sound much meeker. "Unless you don't want too."

"Unless I-."

And then Darien was kissing her, having closed the small distance between them so abruptly that Serena hadn't even realised he'd moved. His lips were just suddenly on hers, his hand lost in her hair and cupping the back of her head as he held her in place as his lips slowly but devouringly moved against her own in a sensual dance as old as the tides.

Serena's eyes drifted closed and everything else but Darien's touch and kiss faded from her mind. His kisses were slow this time, but there was still that passion there, that fire, that unquenchable hunger for more.

Serena surrendered to him, to his kisses, his touch and his will. He could do whatever he wanted to her as long as he didn't stop this sweet torment that was making her body sing in a way that was so delicious it was downright sinful.

How long they stayed like that, their hands and bodies glued in place, all except for their lips and mouths, Serena didn't know but it wasn't long enough.

Eventually the need for air brought them back to them out of their dream world and back into the real one.

Serena opened her eyes to find herself staring straight into Darien's wide deep blue eyes and as if they were burning each other, they simultaneously flew apart from each other.

Panting heavily, they stared at each other with wide-eyed wonder.

"What is this?" Darien asked her as if she had all the answers. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," Serena panted back. "But I want to do it again."

"So do I."

"What does this mean?" Serena asked, bewildered.

"I don't know," Darien answered using her words from only a moment ago.

They continued to stand like that, staring wide-eyed at each other, both marvelling at how this felt like the beginning of something new, something that had the potential to be amazing.


Friday

With memories of the early days of their relationship filling her dreams, Serena woke as she'd fallen asleep, smiling and so happy that she felt like she was glowing, even though she knew that she couldn't meet up with Darien after school today as he had a study thing that he couldn't get out of. Not that she'd asked him too; she was old enough to understand that as much as they both wanted to spend every possible moment they could together, they couldn't ignore the other people and commitments they had in their lives.

Serena had her family, her friends and high school and Darien had his med school studies and Andrew.

So with that in mind, Serena had suggested to the girls that they send their afternoon at the mall. They had the whole weekend to do their homework, so even Amy didn't object.

Serena couldn't help but marvel at that while Amy, who was the most responsible of their group, made sure that they studied and did their homework, and in doing so made them more responsible, the once shy bookworm was now much more sociable than she'd once been. Amy kept them responsible and they kept her from becoming too serious.

The five of them brought balance to each other's lives. Before they'd all become friends, they'd all been . . . set apart from the crowd in their own way. Rei had been shunned because she'd been thought of as weird as she was a priestess at her grandfather's temple and Serena guessed that most other teenage girls hadn't known how to relate to her because of that. Lita had also been shunned because of her Amazonian build and her love of martial arts. Even Amy had been shunned because of her daunting intellect that had never seen her get anything below an A.

And while Mina had been admired by her fans, they'd never wanted to get to know the real her, the girl inside, they'd just want to get close to her because of her fame.

And as for Serena, except for Molly, while the other girls had school hadn't actively shunned her, they'd also had no interest in befriending her as in her days before Darien had helped her grow up just that little bit, she'd been clumsy – she still was, just not as badly as she'd once been – and she was always late and forgetting her homework and so she was always getting detention.

It was hard to make friends when she was always in detention during her lunchbreaks and after school.

And so, the five of them were perfect friends for each other, they all had something to share with the group, to help and support each other and to help each of them become better people.

But they weren't friends because they had no one else, no they were friends because they wanted to be, because they fit so well together. They accepted each other's gifts and talents and weaknesses, and they were there for each other and as a result the five of them were as close as sisters, they shared a bond that could overcome anything.

Which was why Serena really hated keeping her relationship with Darien a secret from them. She knew they would support her and that they wouldn't tell, but at the same time Serena knew why she had to keep her secret from them. It wouldn't be fair to them to burden them with her secret, to make them worry that Darien was taking advantage of her and then on top of that add that their relationship wasn't exactly legal even though they technically weren't doing anything wrong.

Not that anything they did ever felt wrong.

Serena looked around at her friends as they made their way through the busy mall, each of them with at least one shopping bag in hand.

Serena loved them all so much and she was grateful for them. She was really looking forward to the day that she could share her relationship with Darien with them, as they shared their relationships with her – not that there was much of that these days. Serena was the only one with a steady boyfriend, even Lita was between boyfriends at the moment – Lita had a good heart, but she was also very well practised at getting over heartbreak.

"Are you alright, Serena? You look like you're miles away."

Serena blinked, yanked from her thoughts by Amy's gentle and concerned tone.

All four girls were looking at her and Serena got the impression at they had been trying to get her attention, but she'd been too buried in her thoughts to notice.

Serena gave them all a genuine smile. She was with the girls and she shouldn't spend all that precious time lost in her own head.

"I'm fine," Serena assured them. "My mind just wondered."

"To where?" Mina asked, genuinely curious.

Unknown to Serena, all four of the girls hadn't failed to notice that something was up with the youngest of them. She was often distracted and lost in her own thoughts, and then there were the frequent extended periods of time that Serena just seemed to disappear for.

They couldn't figure out what she was up too. What monopolised so much of her time and thoughts? They hadn't confronted her about it yet, but they would soon. They could all feel that the time for that conversation was coming but they wanted to give Serena the chance to confide in them about it first.

If something was wrong – and it if it was it wasn't like Serena to keep such things from them – they wanted to be there for her and help her any way they could.

But for now they trusted that Serena would confide in them eventually.

Serena gave them a warm smile, relieved that for once she didn't have to lie to them or dodge the question. "I was just thinking what great friends I have."

This comment of course inevitably ended in a group hug in which Serena ended up getting squashed in the middle of.

Sometimes being the smallest, or close too as she and Amy were basically the same size – except that Serena had a slightly larger bra size – meant that she was at a disadvantage. Especially when it came to group bear hugs.

As they parted, Serena's eyes fell on the one shop she'd been wanting to get too since she'd realised that she'd outgrown – maturity-wise speaking - her flannel pink pyjamas.

Serena's eyes were glued on the lingerie store that she knew did have a range of more mature sleepwear. Maybe it wasn't just sleepwear that she needed, maybe she needed to pick out something to wear on the night of her birthday.

"Let's go in here." Serena said to the others, already walking towards the store.

The four girls exchanged a look, what did Serena want in there? It wasn't where she usually brought her underwear, what could she possibly want in there?


Saturday

Serena was on the hunt. He wasn't going to get her. Not this time. No, this time she was taking him down.

Whatever it took, she was going to get him. This time he wasn't going to win, there was too much as stake. She had him now, right where she wanted him . . .

Darien was so good at everything he did it was time that he learned what it was like to lose and at last she'd found something that she was more experienced at than he was.

Serena edged towards the edge of the wall, holding her gun high and ready. She was good at being sneaky and had only improved since they'd started going out. She knew how to watch her step.

Serena peeked around the corner, taking only a moment to see what lay beyond before flattening her back against the wall.

She hadn't seen him, but Serena knew he was close. She always knew when Darien was close. It was like a sixth sense, she knew when her love was nearby and this time she knew that he was hunting her just as fiercely as she was hunting him.

She was going to shoot him first.

Serena glanced back the way she'd come. The corridor was dark and she couldn't see far, even with the dimmed lights above. She'd have to chance it. It was her only choice.

Darkness, even only half darkness, would cover her as much as it was providing cover for him.

Serena stepped out into the next corridor and without any warning red flashing light and a blaring siren sounded from the black vest she wore, lighting her up like a mini disco.

Alerting her to the fact that she'd just been shot.

With a huff, Serena lowered her plastic gun and reluctantly turned to face her shooter.

Who was grinning like the devil himself with his victory. He was standing just outside the deep shadow she'd not seconds ago passed through, his plastic gun pointed right at her.

His own vest proudly displaying the red number three on its small square screen embedded in its centre.

His number of kills.

He'd gotten her three times. Straight.

His three to her zero.

Well, she could add lazer tag to his list of things that he was better at than her.

What really stung was that she'd been playing since she was six years old, as lazer tag was one of the few of her family's activities that both her and her brother liked to do, and this was Darien's first game.

And indoor lazer tag had seemed like a safe place for a date that had to be kept on the down-low. They were in a large two story high room, the bottom half of which was a maze of corridors, trick and hidden doors and various obstacles and features to make the game more challenging. Add to that the poor lighting and flashing darkly coloured lights and the option to have either loud music playing, war-zone sounds or nothing. Chaos or silence.

They'd chosen silence. It had seemed like more of a challenge and Serena had really really wanted to win.

Serena looked down at her vest, disgusted at herself, just as the flashing colourful lights and electronic noises that had alerted her to the fact that her love had shot her in the back ceased.

"You cheated!" Serena accused him childishly even knowing that he hadn't.

"Oh, yeah?" Darien scoffed skeptically, closing the distance between them. It would be another minute or so before her vest reset itself so they could play again.

They'd paid for the full hour after all, or at least Darien had, and despite her losing streak Serena was determined to get him at least once.

Even if she had to cheat.

"And how do you think I managed that?" Darien finished, looking down at her from above, he was close enough that Serena could feel his breath on her face but they weren't touching at all.

Serena glared at him, accusingly. "You always cheat because you always win!"

"Serena, just because I'm good doesn't mean I cheat."

Serena's breath caught in her throat. He always had an effect on her when he was this close to her and he knew it!

"And what about you," Darien glared at her, his voice taking on an accusing edge of its own. "You brought me here thinking you were going to have an advantage over me because you've done this before!"

"I did not!" Serena objected automatically, lying through her teeth.

"Oh, please! The clerk knew you by name!"

"So?" Serena didn't know why she was sticking to her story so hard, although it was probably from a lifetime of growing up with a younger brother whom she'd fought with since Sammy could speak. "I'm memorable."

"Yeah, right." Darien scoffed, not buying it for a moment. He even completed the look by putting his hands on his hips. "How many times have you been here? You probably know every inch of this place."

Serena lowered her gaze for a brief moment, unable to look him in the eye while she lied to him. "Only a few times . . ."

Darien gave her his oh please look.

Serena threw up her arms in defeat. ". . . this year." She finished, very reluctantly.

"You lost, fair and square." Darien shifted closer to her so that they were only a mere whisker from touching. "Pay up."

Serena huffed reluctantly – even though she wasn't that reluctant – and she raised herself up onto her tippy toes, resting her hand on the mostly plastic black vest that covered his chest and she kissed him, his scent filling her nose as his tongue filled her mouth.

Serena purred into his mouth and Darien's hands found their way upwards, cupping her cheeks in his large warm hands, holding her in place.

Why did he always feel the need to hold her in place? It wasn't like she was going anywhere – she made a mental note to confront him about that later.

Serena was in heaven. She really hated to do it, she really did, but she wasn't going to let go down without at least one win to her name.

Suddenly Darien's vest erupted into blaring sound and flashing red light, startling Darien enough that he jumped back from her, looking down at his vest in startled confusion.

Serena threw herself back from him, grinning like a she-devil. "Got'cha!" And with that she whirled on her heel and took off as fast as she could, laughing with smug glee.

"Now that's cheating!" Darien yelled after her but she was already out of sight.

Serena took several turns, knowing exactly where she was going. There was a mock snipers nest in the far corner and she was going to even the score.

Serena felt so happy that by all rights she should've been floating on air. How could life possibly get any better than this?


It had been a good day, but then it was always a good day when Darien spent it with Serena. She had a way of making life's simplest pleasures life affirming.

Maybe it was her zest for life, her love of having fun and her gift for finding the wonder even in the smallest things.

And she was always so happy and carefree, so innocently childlike in a way that had a habit of effecting everyone around her.

It was one of the things that had drawn him to her like a moth to a flame, even in the beginning when she'd been too young to have romantic feelings for – those had come later.

When Serena laughed everyone in the vicinity automatically turned her way. If angels existed, then Serena had been gifted with an angel's laugh, for surely that's what an angel's laugh must sound like.

God, Darien loved her so much but more than that, he treasured her. She was the most important thing in his life, a life he'd only started to really live since he'd met her. She'd brought him to life in ways that no one else had ever been able to do.

Darien looked out over the night-time view from his nineteenth story apartment, the city glowing beneath and all around. He'd chosen his apartment for the view, for which had been a wise choice because it pleased him to no end that the view pleased Serena.

After their date – lazer tag and a take away supreme pizza without anchovies for their dinner – they'd come to his apartment where they could be together without any risk of being seen. The sun had been setting just beneath the building clattered horizon when they'd closed the door behind them and Serena had immediately gone onto his balcony to admire the glorious sunset that had cast pinks and purples across the twilight sky.

They'd watched the sunset in silence and then twilight had become night and the temperature had started to drop, but both of them had been too content with the tranquillity of the moment for it to end.

Darien was standing with his elbows and folded arms resting on the railing, when Serena moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his forearm, hugging him, seeking his warmth and closeness. She rested her head against his shoulder, leaning on him and Darien didn't mind one bit.

They stayed like that until time became meaningless, enjoying the view and the peace and just being together.

But inevitably, such moments could never last. Darien's thoughts stirred, pulling his eyes from the twinkling view made by both the city lights and the brightest of the night sky's stars, to the young woman in his company.

There was something he needed to ask her, something he needed to know and now was as good a time as any.

"Serena, can I ask you something?" Darien asked, his tone gentle but serious. This had to be a serious conversation.

Serena lifted her gaze from the view up to him and she smiled up at him with perfect trust and love in her beautiful soft eyes. "Anything."

Darien had to wonder if it was her young age or if it was real love that was the reason behind that adoring look on her face. God, he really hoped it was the latter.

"Why do you want to have sex with me?" Darien asked her straight out, knowing that was the best way. He feared the answer, but he had to know. He had to be sure that she wanted it for the right reasons and not because she thought it was something he wanted or because of her teenage hormones.

Serena blushed crimson from her cheeks down her neck and beyond, and she bowed her head shyly, reminding him yet again of both her age and her innocence.

"Because I love you." She answered softly, her voice as soft and as warm as a summer breeze.

Her answer should've put Darien's mind at ease, but it didn't. Maybe it was because she'd answered without looking him in the eye as she usually did or maybe it was because that seemed to be her go to answer.

Yes, he knew that she loved him. But that wasn't enough, not now, not for him. This was one of those rare times when love wasn't a good enough reason.

"But why do you want to have sex with me?" Darien stressed the question, his tone stressed even to his own ears, so he forced himself to soften his tone to something much softer than might help her open up to him easier. He had to be honest with her and pray that she was going to be honest with him – which she usually was, regardless of her cheating at lazer tag.

"I'm concerned that you might have convinced yourself that this is something you want because you think it's something I want." Needing to see her eyes, Darien gently slid his hand beneath her chin and tilted her head back until her eyes looked up into his. "Is it because you want to please me or is it something you really want? You can tell me, Serena. You know you can always be honest with me."

Serena looked up at him then, a set look on her face, her eyes determined and steady.

There it was. Her shyness had been washed away beneath a tsunami of iron will and unshakeable resolve. That was the thing about her, she looked like a naïve small teenage girl but deep down there was an iron strength and steady resolve that no one could shake. She had the strength and will of a woman twice her age.

Serena knew her own path and no one and nothing was going to sway her. There were only a few things that brought this to the surface in her; the main of which were those she loved.

"Darien, I love you." Serena told him firmly, as serious as he was.

It was moments like this that Darien saw glimpses of the woman she'd one day be and it took his breath away. She was bordering on a force of nature now, what would she be like with a grown woman's strength and confidence?

"And I want you because I want you." Serena went on. "I want to share this special moment in my life with you. I know you're concerned about our age difference but when you're in love does age really matter so much? Do you doubt how much I love you? Or do you doubt my resolve in my choice? This is what I want."

Her words were a challenge, a dare, to him to question her love for him, her tone was one of a woman who would not be moved. It was impossible to doubt her sincerity or commitment to her decision.

And then, before his eyes Darien saw the doubt of a teenage girl slip back into her eyes.

How was it that she could slip so easily from a strong steadfast force to a vulnerable teenage girl so fast?

"Why? Don't you want me?" She asked him, so completely vulnerable that it gripped Darien's heart in a vice like grip, almost causing him physical pain.

Darien's expression softened, and he cupped her beautiful face, caressing her insanely soft smooth skin with his thumb. "Of course I want you, Serena. I love you, but I need you to be sure that you're ready, that this is what you want to do because you want to do it."

Serena smiled up at him, beaming as brightly as the sun in a summer's midday sky. "You love me Darien," she said with steady assurance. "But more than that, you know me. I want this. Am I lying to you? Have I ever lied to you? Am I lying now?"

Darien chuckled at her childlike persistence. It fascinated him that she could be so many people at once, a teenage girl who had near crippling vulnerability and doubts, a strong steadfast woman, a free spirit, a loving friend. She could be steady and certain one moment but insecure and unsure the next and it amazed him.

Darien studied her for a long moment, amazed that this wonderful young woman had chosen him and the positive effects she had on him. She always saw the best in him but more than that, she brought out the best in him. "No. You're not lying. You want me."

Darien was sure of it now. His reservations and doubts weren't gone but at least now he knew that she was doing this for the right reasons. It might not be right – morally speaking – but at least Serena was sure.

Serena's smile widened, and love shone in her bright blue eyes like the sun shining on the open sea. "Always."


Sunday

It was a typical Sunday, out with her family. They'd gone to the beach today. Her mother had packed a picnic lunch and they'd enjoyed the sun and the sand. They'd frolicked in the waves, played volleyball and built a huge sandcastle and done all the typical things a family did when they went to the beach for a day.

Sundays were the one day that Serena didn't see Darien, but that was okay with her – mostly. She loved her family, she loved that they were making happy family memories that she'd treasure all her life.

So much of her life now was about Darien and her future, when she was with her family it was just about them and the now.

It was nice.

It was another piece that kept her life such a happy one.

Honestly, she had a loving family she was close too, best friends who were as sisters to her and supported her to no end and she had a boyfriend who loved and adored her.

What more could a girl ask for?

It was dark before they had made it home and even though she was exhausted from her great day, all of them were, they all found time to whip up a quick dinner and then spend the next few hours playing cards at the dining room table.

After showering, Serena fell into her bed exhausted, but she didn't fall asleep right away. Instead she reached for her cell phone.

'Am home, safe & sound. Had great day. Hope u did 2. Have 2 sleep now. C U 2morrow?' And she hit send.

Less than a moment later, her cell phone vibrated on her bedside table, signally that she'd received a reply.

The reply made her smile a soft loving smile.

'Will c u tomorrow. Sweet dreams, my precious heart.'

Serena closed her eyes fantasising about the days when Darien could whisper the words to her instead of texting them.

Now that was the sweetest dream.


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