A/N: Chapter ten is here!! I hope you enjoy it! You know the drill…I'm not perfect LOL. Oh, and, FYI, the main reason this story is rated 'M' is in this chapter. I think you can figure out my meaning….
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to someone who is most definitely not me.
No End in Sight
Chapter 10: Decisions Made
Serena sat in Darien's bed, her hair hanging down around her loosely, as she stared out the window. She was dressed in her pink nightgown, which she'd had the foresight to pack, and Darien's comforter was pooled in her lap. She sighed heavily as a single tear slid down her cheek.
I don't want to go…how can I? What if an enemy appears? The Scouts will need my help…I could never leave them alone for something like that. A bitter half-laugh escaped her lips as another tear slid slowly in the path of the previous. They're insisting on leaving because of all the dangerous things…I wonder if they'd change their mind if they knew that leaving might only make things worse?
Darien stared up at his ceiling blankly as his mind replayed the evening's events for the umpteenth time. Serena's moving…in three weeks. It was a hard concept to grasp. But even harder was the fact that she was in his bed, just down the hall…and he really thought he could sleep the entire night on the couch.
His eyes had just drifted shut in an effort to fall asleep when he felt a tug on his subconscious. It was an extremely muted version of the pull he always felt when Serena transformed into Sailor Moon. He sat up, tossing the throw blanket aside and swinging his feet onto the floor.
Rubbing a hand over his face, his eyes fell on the barely-touched mug of cocoa still resting on the table top. He got up, carried it into the kitchen, dumped the cold contents down the sink and filled the mug with water. After he turned the water off, he braced himself against the counter top and shut his eyes to fight back a sudden surge of emotions.
Serena was moving. In three weeks.
"Dammit," he muttered.
A soft tap drew Serena's attention to the bedroom doorway as the door swung partially open, revealing Darien on the other side.
"Darien?" Serena asked quietly as he paused before stepping into the room and approaching the bed.
"Serena…" What the hell am I doing? Darien sat lightly on the bed, facing her, and wrapped his hands around hers, which had been clasped in her lap.
Silence stretched between them as they searched each other's eyes and Darien took a subtle deep breath before leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. Serena leaned into the kiss immediately.
Releasing her hands, Darien reached up and buried his hands in her hair as he deepened the kiss. As their tongues danced again, Serena reached up and buried one hand in his hair, curling the other around the collar of his shirt. At that point, he knew he needed to stop. To get up and put some distance between them. She has school in the morning…I have school in the morning.
Darien pulled his lips from hers and she leaned forward, resting against him, and pressed a kiss to his neck. A groan escaped his lips before he could stop it.
"Serena," he tried, his voice weak.
"I'm not a child anymore," she whispered against his ear. Then she tenderly pressed a kiss to his jaw and something inside of him snapped.
Before he knew what he was doing, he'd pulled her close and rolled, landing on his back on the bed with her on top of him. She squeaked in surprise and he claimed her mouth again, hotly this time, as his desire poured out of him.
Serena moaned in the back of her throat as he kissed her with a fire she'd never felt before. A tingling heat raced through her as she returned the kiss with fervor, lost in the taste of him and the sensation of his hands as one of them slowly trailed down her back and gave her goose-bumps. After a long moment of breathless kissing, Darien rolled again, this time pinning her carefully beneath him.
They pulled apart again, blue eyes locked, and Serena gave him a faint nod, accompanied with a reassuring, honest smile. Bracing himself on one elbow, he traced his other hand lightly across her jaw and down her neck, before running his finger tips slowly along the top hem of her pink, frilly nightgown. He watched her carefully for her reaction and was surprised when he felt her delicate hands slip beneath his shirt and run across his sides and back curiously. Her hands came around the front and slipped out as her fingers began fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.
Chuckling deep in his throat, Darien sat up and brought her knuckles to his lips lovingly before simply pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it aside. Then he crawled over her properly, drawing a sharp intake of breath as she ran her hands over the muscles on his chest.
"I need you to be sure, Serena," he managed, his nose practically touching hers as he searched her expression.
Smiling, Serena cupped his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his. "I promise you, I'm ready. I want to be with you."
Adjusting the angle of their heads, Darien kissed her again, tenderly this time. As he rested the majority of his weight on his forearm, resting just above Serena's head, he reached down and slipped his hand beneath the skirt of her nightgown. Pulling back from her addictive lips, he tugged the garment over her head and tossed it without looking over his shoulder, onto the floor.
Reality slammed into him as Serena traced her fingers teasingly down his chest, around the hem of his slacks. Simultaneously, she leaned up slightly and pressed her lips to the crook of his neck; suckling and nipping lightly. Then her tongue came out, caressing the spot before trailing up his neck and along his jaw before he captured it and pulled it into his own mouth. It was at that moment that Serena pulled down his zipper and hooked her fingers into the waistband of his slacks and boxers simultaneously. Another tug dropped them down, out of her reach.
Ever creative, she danced her fingers up his back before grasping his shoulders and lifting her legs. A moment later her feet were at his thighs, pushing the material of his almost-discarded clothing further out of their way. Following her lead, his hand slipped effortlessly beneath her and unhooked her bra. After he had it effectively removed, his hand trailed down her side, skimming her smooth stomach, until he'd reached her panties.
Breaking their kiss, Darien sat up a bit, finished removing his pants, and slipped her underwear off of her, sending it to join the scattered assortment of clothing on the floor. Then his attention focused on the sight before him and his breath hitched in his throat. He'd thought he knew what to expect, having seen her sprawled unconscious in nothing but glowing red ribbons on numerous, hateful, occasions…but he'd been completely wrong. Conscious, uninjured, and completely unobscured, she was perfect. And he was dying for a taste of her.
Serena's heart faltered as she watched him, sitting before her, between her knees, in all his naked glory. That clichéd description from the romance novels she so zealously read flitted through her mind and she couldn't help but grin. Perfectly sculpted and hard all over…heehee!
Darien leaned down over her, covering her body with his deliberately and stealing a brief, tender kiss from her well-kissed lips before trailing hot kisses down her neck. As his tongue slid into the groove between her breasts, Serena moaned and arched slightly beneath him, pushing her plump breasts against his face. A heartbeat later his mouth descended on one, while his hand came up to gently massage the other. She was moaning with nearly every breath before he switched to the other breast and repeated the process. Her hands curled tightly into his hair before he pulled back.
"Oh, god…" Serena breathed, releasing his hair and sliding her hands over the muscles in his shoulders.
"You okay?" Darien asked, looking up at her flushed face.
She nodded vigorously. "Fantastic," she replied.
With a deep, rumbling chuckle, Darien proceeded down until he was nestled comfortably between her thighs. Pressing a gentle kiss to the inside of each leg, he was rewarded with a soft gasp, which was quickly followed by a feminine cry as he slipped his tongue inside of her.
Serena could barely breathe as Darien teased her very first orgasm out of her with his surprisingly devilish tongue, and a couple of well-placed, long fingers. As the orgasm rocked through her, her head fell back and she cried out from the pleasure.
Suddenly, Darien was above her again, offering her the sweetest, most tender smile she'd ever seen. She smiled back at him and curled her fingers loosely into his hair to pull his lips to hers again. As they kissed, she felt him adjust their position ever-so-slightly, and a strange thrill went through her when she felt the tip of him brush her entrance. Reflexively, she wrapped her long legs around his hips, locking her ankles together.
Removing his lips from hers, Darien met her gaze. "I'm sorry, Serena…it'll hurt."
"I know," Serena whispered calmly, tracing his jaw with her right hand. "It's ok."
With a quick nod, Darien gave her a sweet kiss and plunged inside of her before holding perfectly still. He felt her muscles contract at his entry even as she tensed beneath him. Her arms held him close for a long second before she finally began to relax.
"Are you ok?" He asked softly, his lips brushing her ear.
Drawing a ragged breath, Serena replied, "Not if you stop now."
Darien nearly choked on his laughter at her unexpected declaration and shook his head. "Trust me, that's not possible." To emphasize his point, he slowly pulled almost entirely out of her, before thrusting back in. Serena cried out and arched beneath him, bucking her hips to drive him in deeper.
Darien's ears rang with Serena's scream of pleasure as he joined her in final ecstasy. Sweating, spent, and utterly sated, he used the last of his energy to pull out of her and collapse beside her on the bed. As his breathing began to regulate itself, he looped an arm beneath her and pulled her against him.
Serena willingly curled up beside him, her head resting on his chest. She could hear his heart pounding in synch with hers. I can't believe we finally made love…I thought for sure we wouldn't get this far until our honeymoon. Oh my god, that was spectacular! I can barely move…think I'll just stay right here….
With his arm still wrapped securely around her shoulders, Darien felt sleep beginning to overtake him. Sensing she was half-asleep as well, he whispered, "Good night, Serena."
"'Night, Darien…" Serena's sleep-laden voice slurred as her hand finally stilled over his abdomen.
Shrill, obnoxious beeping roused them from their comfortable, deep sleep the following morning. Serena rolled over, putting her back, and a fountain of golden hair, to Darien as his eyes blinked open.
"Five m're min'tes, 'una," Serena slurred, clearly still sound asleep.
Grinning to himself, Darien sat up, reached across his Princess, and shut off the blaring alarm clock. Then he shifted his blue eyes downwards, drinking in the sight of her nude, sleeping form. He really hated having to wake her when she looked so cute and peaceful. With a quiet sigh, he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
"Time to get up, Serena," he whispered, leaning down to place his lips beside her ear.
Barely a second later she said, "…Darien?"
As she rolled over to look up at him, he smiled. "Good morning, Princess."
Her blue eyes widened as memories of the previous night flashed through her mind, and she smiled sleepily. "Good morning, my Prince."
Sitting up and causing the blankets to pool around his waist, Darien grinned down at her. "There's time for you to take a quick shower if you want. I was thinking of making breakfast; any requests?"
Serena's eyes lit up at the mention of food. "Pancakes?"
Darien chuckled and nodded. "It's a deal."
Serena emerged from the hallway in her school uniform, her slightly-damp hair already up in her traditional "meatball" style. Darien smiled over at her as he set down a plate of five stacked pancakes, sprinkled with chocolate chips, and coated in syrup.
"Perfect timing," he greeted before returning to the plate of two pancakes that still rested on the counter and taking it to the table, setting it opposite the other plate.
Serena claimed her seat with a hungry grin. "Had to happen once in my life, right?" Taking a closer look at the pancakes, she squealed. "You put chocolate-chips in them?? Oh, you are the best!"
Darien chuckled, watching her bite into her breakfast before he began his own. "I thought you might like them."
Coffee mug at his lips as he took a sip to wash down his breakfast, Darien froze as his common sense finally returned. Clenching his hand on the handle of the porcelain, he shut his eyes and cursed beneath his breath.
Across from him, Serena looked up as she lifted the final bite of her own breakfast to her mouth. "What's wrong?"
Setting his mug down, he frowned, clearly upset with himself over something. At length, he replied, "We didn't use protection."
Serena downed her milk before smiling reassuringly at him. "Yes we did."
Darien's eyes snapped up to hers instantly, obviously not expecting that response. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Serena began, shifting subtly as awkwardness set in, "I'd been having unusually bad cramps for a few months, and so, while I thought you were away in America…I was complaining about it to Molly one day and she suggested I start taking the pill. She said her cramps had been a lot easier to deal with after she'd started taking it, so I decided it couldn't hurt to try…Mom was even okay with it; she said she'd been thinking about suggesting it, too, because of all my complaining."
Darien stared at her for a long moment, not sure which piece of her story shocked him the most. Finally, he said, "You're on the pill…" With a shake of his head, he added, "I'm not sure I wanted to know about Molly, though."
Serena laughed and grinned. "Yeah, I didn't really want to know about it, either. But, the point is, you don't have to worry. We're as safe as we can be."
Darien chuckled finally and returned her grin. "You know, when you put it that way, I actually worry more."
Serena paused before nodding. "You're right…I'll try to never say that again."
Standing, Darien drained the rest of his coffee, scooped both of their plates off of the table, and deposited them into his kitchen sink. Then he snagged his jacket from the stand in his foyer and indicated the door with a tilt of his head. "C'mon, Serena; I have to get you to school. Do you have your books?"
Serena held up her backpack proudly. "I somehow remembered to pack all the important ones when I was throwing things in here last night."
"That's good," Darien replied as he held his door open for her.
They were in his car a few minutes later, swiftly cruising towards her high school, and Serena's mind wandered back to where it had been before Darien had come into the room the night before. Fiddling absently with her skirt, she mumbled, "Can I ask your opinion on something?"
Lifting an eyebrow and briefly cutting his eyes to her, Darien replied, "Of course."
Heaving a large sigh, Serena began, "Mom and Dad are moving because of all the dangerous things that happen around here; but half of the reason things are always so dangerous is because we insist on fighting against the enemies who try to destroy our world…so it seems sort of counterproductive for me to move away…either the next enemy will strike here and I won't be able to help, or they'll come to Okinawa and I won't be able to stop them all on my own…so I was thinking…I don't know if it would change their minds or not, but I think it's worth a chance…." Finally turning to face him, Serena declared, "I want to tell them the truth. At least about me; I don't have to out anyone else. But if that's the reason they're moving, they need to know that they might make things worse isolating themselves with me…half the time, it's been the power of the Silver Crystal that drew our enemies out in the first place."
Darien's expression was solemn and serious as he thought about her words. She had a very good point.
He said nothing as he pulled to the curb a couple of yards from the front gate. Shifting in his seat so that he could face her, he said, "First, you need to know that no matter what happens, you're not going to be alone. That said, I think you might be right. If you do decide you want to tell them the truth, I'll be with you. It's up to the girls if they want to reveal themselves, too; if you even suggest it to them; but I don't mind. They need to know the whole truth; not just a piece of it."
Serena smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling with a thin layer of unshed tears. "You really don't mind? You think it's a good idea?"
Darien nodded silently, never breaking eye contact.
A single tear slid down her cheek as her smile grew slightly. "Thank you, Darien. I will tell them, and I will need your support to do it."
Reaching out and brushing the tear away, he cupped her face gently. "I'll be there; just give me the word. Now, do you want to meet up after you get out of school?"
Serena half-nodded. "The arcade?"
Inclining his head, Darien replied, "I'll be there." Leaning forward and stealing a brief kiss, he added, "You better hurry if you don't want to be late."
Serena choked on a spurt of laughter, her tears vanishing. "I know…story of my life, you know? I'll see you after school!" In a flash, she was out of his car and running down the sidewalk with her backpack slung once again over her shoulder. He watched her until she'd rounded the gate, safely on school property, before pulling back onto the road and heading back home; he had time to shower and get his books together before class. If he didn't get stuck in traffic.
Serena slid into her seat with one minute to spare and breathed a sigh of relief. She really didn't feel like standing in the hall again.
"What's with the backpack?" Mina asked curious from her seat beside her.
Serena blinked and looked over at her friend, then down at the backpack. She hadn't given any thought to explaining it.
"Oh, um…"
"Good morning, everyone!" Their teacher declared as she swept into the room at precisely that second.
Serena offered Mina an apologetic smile before both blondes turned their attention forward and the school day began.
The girls gathered together, as they always did, for lunch. It was their first real opportunity to talk, since none of them counted the ten-minute passing periods. As they sat beneath their favorite tree, Serena realized she had nothing for lunch. I knew I'd forgotten something….
"So, I've been dying to know all day; what's with the backpack?" Mina asked again as she lifted the lid off of her lunch box.
Lita and Ami turned their attention immediately to Serena's pink backpack, resting by her feet. Serena, too, looked down at it reflexively. Finally, she said, "It's kind of a long story…"
"So? We've got the whole lunch period." Mina pointed out.
"Hey, where's your lunch?" Lita interrupted as she realized that Serena didn't have any food in front of her.
Serena sighed heavily. "I don't have one today."
The girls' eyes widened and Ami set her chopsticks down, a concerned frown forming on her face. "Is everything okay, Serena?"
Looking up and meeting the concerned, curious, gazes of her friends, she shook her head. "No, not really…but I don't feel like getting into it a dozen times today. Maybe we can wait to talk about it until we meet up with Raye at the arcade after school?"
The girls smiled and Lita scooted closer, holding out her lunch box. "I'll split mine with you. You know I always bring too much."
Serena smiled and accepted the extra chopsticks her friend held out for her. "Thanks, Lita."
"You want my extra rice ball?" Mina asked knowingly.
"Always," Serena declared honestly, detouring to snatch the offering before it was taken away from her. The girls laughed and just like that the mood brightened as they ate their lunch and talked about classes…and boys.
Darien was already seated, waiting patiently with a half-full mug of coffee, at their usual booth in the back of the arcade. Lita led the entourage into Crown Arcade, smiling at Andrew, who looked up and smiled in return as he saw them. As soon as Serena's eyes landed on her boyfriend, who was watching her with a calm smile, she broke free from her friends and bolted to him. The girls watched, not at all surprised, opting to walk calmly instead.
Serena slid onto the booth effortlessly and cuddled against him, clutching to his arm. Smiling up at him, she said, "Hey."
Darien chuckled and gave her a small, private smile. "Hey, Serena. How are you doing?"
Serena's blue gaze fell down to his favorite green jacket and she shrugged, mumbling, "Okay, I guess," as the girls finally took their seats around them.
"Hey, Darien," they greeted, each offering friendly smiles.
Darien inclined his head to them. "Hey, girls."
Just then, Raye burst into the arcade, huffing. "I hate group projects!" she declared in frustration as she flopped into the booth beside Lita, opposite Serena. Dropping her briefcase by her feet, she sighed dramatically before looking up at everyone. "Sorry I'm late."
"It's ok, we just got here," Mina offered.
"I take it your project didn't go well?" Ami asked.
Raye shook her head before dropping it on her forearms, which were crossed on the table. "Oh, we probably did fine…and I hope I never have to talk to them ever again!"
The girls laughed as Andrew stepped up and took their orders. He'd barely turned to walk away when Amara, Michelle, Hotaru, and Trista entered the arcade. A moment later, they were gathered around the table, which was suddenly rather crowded.
"Hey; what're you guys doing here?" Mina asked bluntly.
Michelle smiled before looking over at a confused Serena. "We heard Serena had something she needed to tell us about."
Raye blinked, finally lifting her head, forgetting about her frustration. "Oh? What? What's going on?"
To Be Continued…
A/N: So…what did you think?? How was it?? Bad, good, somewhere in the middle? I need to know! LOL And, of course, don't forget to read the next chappie… ^_~