AN: Whoaookay... I'm on a roll.. So I'll just leave this here ^^
Disclaimer: Sailormoon universe belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.
A wave of nostalgia swept over him when he woke up alone on his bed. The panic he felt was a lot worse than when she had first walked out on him after their first night together. He got out of bed and quickly put on his robe. He made his way towards Serena's room and slowly turned the door knob. He let out the breath he had been holding in relief when he saw her sleeping form on the bed facing away from him.
"Hi," he said to her when he walked into the kitchen, still sweaty from his morning run.
Serena turned to face him and smiled. "Hi."
They both leaned in to share a quick kiss.
He leaned on the counter as he watched her. "I thought what happened last night was just a dream when I woke up this morning."
"Oh?" She turned her attention back to the stove, flipping pancakes. "Why's that?"
"Well, for starters, I woke up alone."
She turned to look at him apologetically. "Sorry, I couldn't sleep in your bed."
"Hmm." He crossed his arms on his chest. "That's gonna be problem."
"You can sleep in mine?"
He grinned and moved towards her. They shared another kiss until Serena started to push him away.
"You stink," she said, her nose scrunched up. "Go and clean up."
"See," he said as he moved away. "that is hormones talking. I've read about that too."
"Good, you understand. Now, go." She shooed him away with her hand. He smiled, taking one more look at her, and did as he was told.
"I still find it unusual to see a woman reading the morning paper," Darien said as he sat down. As was their routine now, Serena read the paper while she waited for him to join her for breakfast. "Especially those around your age."
"Especially for me, you mean." She laid the paper aside. "I'm a government employee. Of course I should be reading the morning paper to know what's happening in the country."
"I guess I just don't know that many female government employees." He poured syrup on his short stack. "What time do you get off tonight?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I was just thinking maybe we could have dinner out."
She turned to him, smiling lightly. "It's Wednesday. I'm going out with the girls tonight."
"Oh. Right. Tomorrow then?"
She nodded. "Tomorrow."
Darien was sitting in front of the TV when Serena entered the apartment. He turned towards her and smiled. "Hey."
"Hey," she replied as she made her way to the couch. They shared a kiss and she snuggled beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Darien put his arm around her.
"How was dinner?"
She sighed. "The usual. Catchup up on gossip, talk about Amy's upcoming wedding, Raye and Nick are officially dating now." She tiled her head to look up at him. "Did you know she had a crush on you when were in high school?"
He chucked. "Yeah."
"Really?" She frowned. "And did you know that she called me Meatball Head just so you would notice her?"
He nodded, smiling. "Uh-huh."
"And you didn't even give her a chance?"
He looked down at her with an amused smile. "You forget, I thought I had a crush on you that time."
"Oh." She rested her head back on his shoulder, enjoying the feel of his warmth. "But still, that was cold of you."
He laughed again and kissed the top of her head. "So, did you tell them?" He asked after a while. "About us."
"No. Did you tell Andrew?"
"No."
Serena leaned back on her chair and readjusted the cushion on her back. Even though her boss had managed to find a replacement for her previous position, she felt that the amount of work—as evidenced by the huge pile of folders on her desk, did not seem to lessen. She stretched out her hands in front of her and her eyes fell on the shiny silver bracelet on her left wrist. A smile crept to her lips as she fingered the cold thin metal. Darien had given it to her the other night for their first month together as a couple. They still had not told their friends. As far as they were concerned, the two were just pretending for Serena's parents.
There was a soft rap on her open door, and she turned her head to see Mindy walk in with a large bouquet of red roses in her hands.
"When are you going to introduce us to this mystery guy of yours?" Mindy asked she set the flowers on Serena's desk. The latter smiled as she inhaled the lovely fresh scent.
"I swear," Mindy went on, "and I'm not trying to sound cheesy here, but your office is starting to smell like spring in autumn." At one corner of the room behind Serena, there was a large vase with the two-day old pink rose flowers whose petals had just started to wilt. Every week since they got together, Darien had been sending roses of different colors to Serena. The whole time she stayed mum about the new man in her life, much to the frustration of her officemates. Even Jim was starting to ask, to which she just smiled. She was thankful that her friends never came to her place of work.
She sighed, pulling out the card. "Someday, Minday. I promise."
The phone on her desk rang a few minutes after Mindy left her office.
"Hello?"
"Did you like them?"
She smiled at the voice. "Love them. But this is the second time in three days. Something special came up?"
"Just you."
She smiled. "I think they're starting to complain that my office is starting to smell like a flower shop." She heard him chuckle on the other end.
"Come home early tonight?"
"What's up?"
"I'm cooking dinner."
"You always cook dinner."
"It's gonna be extra special tonight."
"What's the occasion?"
"Just you."
She laughed. "Okay, stop. That's cheesy."
"Couples are supposed to be cheesy, it's the rule. You should try it sometime. Come on, say something cheesy."
"No, thank you. It makes me cringe sometimes when I remember when I'm in one of those moods."
"Yeah. Those top me being cheesy."
She let out another laugh and then straightened up in her chair. "Hey, if you want me to be home early, you should hold off being cheesy and let me get back to work."
"Alright. See you tonight."
"See you. Bye."
The mild smell of Italian spices wafted through the air as Serena entered the apartment. From where she stood in the foyer, she could see the fancy table arrangement on the dining table. There was even an unopened bottle submerged in ice in the champagne bucket.
"Darien?" She called out as she walked towards the table, mesmerized by the lighting. She wondered if they were new fixtures or had always been there.
"Welcome home." Darien leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips as he made his way towards the table carrying a tray. On it was a bowl of some kind of seafood soup, and beside it was a large plate of pasta.
"Wow," she breathed. "What's going on?" She asked walking towards the chair he pulled out for her.
"Just because it's Wednesday and I felt like spending a special night with you," he smiled as she sat down beside her.
"And you felt like getting drunk by yourself too?" She gestured at the champagne bucket.
He picked up the bottle, turning to the side to show her the label.
"Sparkling cider." She read about and then smiled at him. "How sweet."
"Actually," he said as he started to peel of the foil surrounding the cork. "there is a disappointing reason for this special dinner."
She turned curious eyes at him.
"I'm gonna be gone for a week. They want me to supervise a startup project in Vegas."
"A week? When?"
"I leave Sunday night."
"Oh. When will you be back?"
"The following Sunday." He sighed and took her hand in his. "Will you be alright?"
She let out a smile. "Don't worry about me."
"I can't." His other hand cupped her cheek. "Not worry about you."
It had only been 10 minutes since Darien left the apartment, but already Serena felt the cold walls closing in on her. Like she didn't belong there without him. She put on her coat and walked towards the terrace. She gazed at the city lights below her. It was too cold be standing outside on the 16 floor on a windy night, but she preferred it to the defining silence inside. The entire flight would take about 3 hours. He would be calling her as soon as he got into his hotel.
She woke up when her phone rang. She reached for it where it lay on the bedside table of Darien's room.
"Darien?"
"Hi. Did I wake up you?"
"It's okay. I was waiting for you to call and I fell asleep." She checked her wristwatch. It was 25 minutes past eleven. "Are you at the hotel?"
"Yeah. I missed you the moment I closed the door at the apartment."
She smiled. "Me too." Her eyes took in her surroundings. "Hey, your room is twice as big as mine."
"You're in my room?"
"Uh-huh. You have a walk-in closet." She had only ever been in this room three times. The first two times, she was only conscious about the location of the bed and the door. Since he now slept in her room, he only came to this room to shower and change.
"So you slept in my bed and went through my clothes? That is just…"
She smiled. "Stuff of dreams?"
She heard him let out a breath. "You have no idea."
She laughed. "I think my room is just about as large as your bathroom."
"Have you noticed how big the bathtub is?"
"Mmhmm. I'll wait until you come back to tell me what … fantasies you've had about me in that tub."
He laughed. "Oh man, I am not gonna be able to sleep tonight."
She laughed out loud. "Degenerate."
Her eyes fell on the empty vase when she arrived at the office. It was Tuesday. She mused that perhaps the cleaning personnel thought she would be getting her new flowers today so he got rid of the ones from last Thursday. Her right hand went over left wrist to touch Darien's bracelet. She had just finished returning the morning's emails when Mindy walked in with a big grin on her face.
"Serena." Her voice was low.
"What?" Serena looked up at her, amused at the expression she wore.
Mindy giggled as she came closer to her desk. "Your mystery guy finally shows himself."
"What are you talking about?"
"He's here!" Mindy tittered. "Bringing the flowers in person."
Serena's eyes widened and turned towards the door but found no one there.
"Should I let him in?"
She took a moment to check herself. Darien had a way of surprising her but this was something she had not expected at all. She turned to the other girl and nodded. "Okay."
Mindy walked towards the door and gestured for someone to come in. Serena pursed her lips to contain her excitement and stood up.
She first saw the red roses, wrapped a beautiful arrangement of light colored paper. But her breath got caught in her throat when she saw the face of the man carrying them in his arms, his hazel eyes looking directly at her. They had the same intensity that made her weak in the knees when she was a teenager, and she felt the same feeling coming over her now.
"Seiya," she breathed and slowly sat back down. She didn't hear Mindy's words to excuse herself, as the rest of her senses seemed to have gotten numb.
He smiled at her. "Hello Serena."
"I know I was wrong," Seiya said to Serena who sat across from him. They were seated inside a coffee chop near to Serena's office. "You have no idea how much I regret that decision to leave. To leave you."
"Why are you here?" Her gaze was level as she turned to face him.
"I've come back for you." He reached out to touch her hand, but she pulled it away. "I don't expect that you'll forgive me so easily. But all I ask is a chance. To win you back."
"It's too late for that."
"I'll wait. No matter how long it takes." He leaned forward. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"You don't understand. I'm with someone now."
"Darien Shields?" A small smile curved in his lips when he saw her expression change. "Mina told me. She told me that you were carrying his child, and you have… domestic arrangements."
Serena's hand went to the small bulge in her stomach, as if somehow she could protect it from whatever was happening outside.
"I don't care," he went on. "It's all just pretend anyway. I'll treat your child as if it were my own. Together, we can still make our dreams of having a family come true."
She shook her head. "It's not like that. We are together. We are having this child together."
He leaned back slightly, eyebrows furrowed.
"Mina doesn't know the whole truth," she went on. "We haven't told anyone yet."
"Do you love him?"
She stared back at him for a few moments before answering. "I'm happy with him."
He smiled. "You didn't answer my question. You're staying with him because of the baby."
"It isn't just about that."
"Isn't it?" He leaned forward and grabbed her hand before she could pull away again. "We were together for five years. You expect me to believe that in less than 2 years you've forgotten about me? What we have is special. I was just too—"
"Had, Seiya. Had." She pulled her hand roughly from his grasp.
"It can be so again. I can make it—"
"That's your problem." She stood up and grabbed her bag. "You think only you have the capacity to make everything right. That whatever you say is right."
"No." He stood up as well. "These two years that we've been apart have shown how terribly wrong I can be. My biggest mistake was leaving you. My life is incomplete without you."
"Goodbye, Seiya."
"Serena?" Darien's voice came on the other end. Serena's hand were still trembling. She had dialed his number as soon as she got back into her office.
"Hi."
"Hey. Everything okay?"
She swallowed and took a deep breath to calm herself. "Yeah. Just calling to say I miss you. No flowers today."
She heard him laugh. "I miss you too. How's your day so far?"
Her eyes went to the roses on her trash bin. "Oh, you know, the usual. You?"
"Good, but hot. I'm actually my way to a meeting with clients. Can I call you back later?"
"Of course. Bye."
"Bye."
*** Flashback ***
"Seiya, if you go I feel like we won't see each other anymore," Serena said, tears pooling in her eyes. Seiya's arm was wrapped around her as they sat in a secluded bench in Rayvern Park.
"Don't say that. What we have is special, you need to remember that. Neither time nor distance can change that." He cupped her chin so she could face him. "It's just two years."
"But it's too long." She wrapped her arms around his midsection. "You'll be busy with your new job and you'll forget about me."
"Stop staying nonsense. Please, believe in me. Believe in our love." He pulled away slightly to reach into his pocket.
She stared open-mouth at the midnight blue velvet box in his hand. He opened the box to reveal a slim band inside, a small diamond glittered in the afternoon autumn sun.
"This is my promise." He took her left hand and slowly put the ring in her finger. "For when I get back."
She looked up at him. "Oh, Seiya…"
"Yes?" He smiled at her.
"Yes."
He called her almost every day for the first few weeks since he left. Then it gradually lessened to once a week. It was eight months later when he and Serena talked for the last time on the phone.
"It's not working." His voice was low on the other end.
"I know." Usagi stared at the ring she held in her fingers. "Please, come home," she pleaded as the terms fell on her cheeks.
"I can't."
"Can't or won't?"
"Why don't you come here? Like I said, there are lots of good universities here and you can finish your masters."
"What about my job? My family? My friends? I'm happy here. The only one that's missing is you."
"We can be happy together here. We can make our dreams come true, here."
"My life is here, Seiya."
"I'm building mine here."
*** End of Flashback ***
Serena's friends decided to have their next Wednesday get together at Darien's place since she was all by herself at the spacious apartment. Amy, Raye, and Lita were shocked when she told them about Seiya's visit to her office the day before. She was surprised that none of them knew about it.
"He asked me not to tell you," Mina said, casting a wary glance at her friend.
"Mina, I know you and your cousin are close, but you shouldn't have kept something like that from me."
"Sere, I love you like a sister. More than Seiya, I swear. But he begged me not to tell you. When he told me what his intention was, even after I told him about you and Darien, it was hard for me to say no. I was thinking about you, too."
From the tone of her voice Serena realized that Seiya hadn't told her the truth, about her real situation with Darien. "Thanks Mina," she replied. "But I have no plans of getting back together with him."
"So you're completely over him?" Lita piped in.
"Yes."
"Because of Darien?" asked Raye.
She shook her head. "Because I've moved on. Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"
"We want you to be happy," Mina replied.
She smiled at her friend. "I am."
"How'd dinner go?" Darien asked from the other line.
"Good. Lita prepared the food. They just left." Serena was leaning on the headboard of Darien's large bed, two pillows cushioning her back.
"Left?"
"Yeah. We had dinner here. Hope you don't mind?"
"No, of course not. Just surprised. Did they ask? About us?"
"No. I think they've gotten tired of asking. Why are we keeping this a secret?"
She heard him sigh. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to get used to the idea first before telling the whole world that I love you."
She sat upright. "What?"
"Oh geez… I didn't want to blurt it out like that. I'd planned on being a little cheesy. Serena?" He said when she had gone silent.
"Yeah. I'm here."
"So umm… yeah. I love you."
"Darien, I… I…"
"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know how I feel. How sure I am, of what I feel."
"Mindy," Serena called to the receptionist as she passed by her desk. "if someone comes looking for me, and I mean anybody, tell me first before you tell them I'm around. Please?"
"Like the guy the other day?"
"Especially him."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I thought he was.."
"No, he's not. My boyfriend's out of town and doesn't come back until Sunday." She felt a mixture of relief and giddiness when the words left her mouth. It was the first time that she referred to Darien as her boyfriend, and meant it.
Two hours later, Mindy informed her that Seiya was in the lobby. She told Mindy not to let him in because she was too busy, the whole day. She had no idea how long he planned to stay in Weller, and if she really was his only reason for coming back. She looked at her phone. She would have to tell Darien, and soon. However, she didn't want to disturb him at work. She didn't want him to have to worry about her and Seiya being around as well. When he gets back from his trip, then she'll tell him.
Serena pursed her lips when she saw Seiya leaning against her car in the parking lot.
"We need to talk," he said to her.
"I have nothing more to say to you." She walked to the driver's side but he got there first, blocking the door.
"Just hear me out."
"No." She looked up at him. "I don't need to hear anything from you."
"I think you're making a big mistake staying with him."
She took a step back. "Excuse me? You're not one to talk to me about mistakes. And you have no right to tell me what to do. Now, please get out of the way."
"Does he love you or is he just sticking around for the kid?"
"Yes. He loves me."
"But you don't love him." There was a look of challenge in his eyes.
"I do." Even Serena could hear the doubt in her own voice.
A slow smile crept in his lips. "No, you don't. You're not a good liar." He moved away from the door. "I still love you, Sere. I have no intention of giving you up."
"Can't I sit this one out?" Serena asked as she stood, arms raised at her side while her measurements were being taken. "I swear, I don't mind."
"Amy will mind," Raye replied. "Will you quit whining?" She was sitting on a chair nearby scribbling on her planner. On another corner of the room was Mina talking to someone on her phone.
"Who ever heard—or seen, for that matter, an eight months pregnant woman as part of the wedding entourage?" Serena went on. "I might not even fit the dress on the day of the wedding."
"We're making special arrangements for that," Raye replied. "Isn't that right, Monique?"
"You don't have to worry about a thing, Serena," said Monique. "We'll be using a special material for you."
Serena shook her head. "I still don't like the idea of walking down the aisle when I'm that big."
"Excuse you, Meatball Head," said Mina, taking the empty chair next to Raye. "I was seven months pregnant when I walked down the aisle. In my wedding dress."
"So, the wedding is in two months," Raye looked up from her planner. "That out of town thing you mentioned before, was that true or were you just making that up to skip the wedding?"
"I made that up," Serena replied in a small voice.
"Check. Nick is gonna be my date, obviously. Are you coming with Darien or do you have someone else in mind?"
She turned her head slightly to look at her friend, who was looking back at her with questioning eyes.
"Darien." She turned back to face the mirror as her mind began to fill with images of him. She pursed her lips to contain the excitement she felt that at this time tomorrow he would be home.
"What are you smiling about?" Raye asked.
Her eyes went to her friend's reflection in the mirror. "Nothing. I just remembered something funny."
"Care to share?" Mina asked. "I bet it's got something to do with Daren. He's coming back tomorrow, right?"
"That time I splashed cold water on him on your wedding."
Mina laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty funny. Some of our friends still talk about that."
"I'll have none of that for this wedding, you hear?" Raye said in a stern voice.
Serena just smiled and turned back to the mirror.
She watched as the minutes ticked by on clock on the wall. Darien's plane was supposed to land at 6:20, and it was now close to 7. He was adamant that she not go to the airport to pick him up. So instead, she stayed home and prepared dinner. The food was now being kept warm in the oven as she sat in the living room. She had given up trying to watch TV, so she put on music instead. To her surprise, she found that classical music, which she loathed when she was younger, helped her relax a bit. The sound of the of the doorknob turning made her turn towards the door. She almost ran to him when he came in.
"Darien!" She put her arms around his neck kissing him deeply, and then showered kisses all over his face.
"Wow." He laughed as he held on to her. "Maybe I should get away from if I can go home to such a grand welcome."
"I missed you so much." She wrapped her arms tightly around him, resting her head on his chest.
"I missed you more." He closed his eyes, enveloping her in his arms.
"I think it's time we tell them," Serena said, slowly running her fingers over the fine hairs on Darien's chest. They were on his large bed, clothing strewn on the floor.
"Okay. We do it together or separately?"
"I don't think you'll last two minutes if we tell all of them together," she replied. "You tell Andrew, I'll tell the girls."
He nodded. "When?"
"You can tell Andrew tomorrow. I'll have to wait until Wednesday when I have them all together. That way I can answer all their questions at one time."
He laughed lightly. "Sounds like an inquisition. So Andrew has to keep it a secret until then?"
"He better." She repositioned herself so that her chin was resting on her hand over his chest. "Are you happy?"
He quirked an eyebrow. "Is that a trick question?"
"No. And I want an honest answer."
He traced the edges of her face with his finger. "I am so happy that at times it scares me that it couldn't possibly be real. You, us, our child. I've never felt so much happiness in my life that in these several weeks we've been together. Including the week we've been apart."
"Not even with Anne?"
"Not with anyone. I love you, Serena."
She moved to kiss him deeply. "I love you, too."
He smiled and caressed her cheek. "You don't have to say it. Until you're sure. I'm willing to wait."
She kissed him again. "I love you, Darien."
AN-2:
Someone asked me about writing smut. I have another story out there (first draft) that's got smut potential.. hehe. Let's see. I won't be starting/posting new stories until I finish Magic Touch. I won't make that mistake again.