Tete-a-Tete
Disclaimer: The characters are the creation of Naoko Takeuchi, yada, yada, yada.
Harder Than Fighting the Negaverse:
I have to protect her, give her my strength. At last I know how Mr. Tsukino must feel. I have to come straight with him. It's not right, there is so much he doesn't know, can't know about Serena. He should at least know that I am seeing his daughter, that I care for her. Serena also deserves a formal affirmation of my feelings. It is the honorable thing to do. What kind of a prince am I if I don't?
He stood holding her in his arms, watching the moonrise together from his balcony. "Serena," he said softly, "there is something I've been meaning to."
"Yes, Darien?" she said expectantly. He felt her startle and tense up.
"Yes, I think I should; I mean, I need to…to…" he stammered, trying to find the right words.
"Yes, Darien?" she said encouragingly, turning to him.
"I think it's time I met your parents," he finished awkwardly.
"What? Oh!" she replied confusedly, drawing away.
"Could you arrange to have me invited to dinner? I think the sooner we do this, the better," he said, taking her hands.
"Sure, my mother will be so glad to meet you," she started happily, then continued more thoughtfully, "but my father, what will he say? What if he won't let me see you anymore?"
"He will." Darien answered determinedly, "We may have to make some adjustments, but he won't stop us. Besides," he continued with his wry humor, holding her close again, "I know now how protective a father can feel for a daughter."
"Oh, yeah," she said giggling and pushing away, "I'd better be going now and break the news. I'll call you later."
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"Mom, Dad, can I talk to you?" She approached them that evening after Sammy had gone to bed.
"Sure, dear, what's on your mind?" her father said calmly, putting his paper away.
"I'd like to invite someone to dinner- a boy." Serena said hesitantly.
"Oh, is it Melvin? No problem there. He has been helping you with your homework, hasn't he?"
"No, Dad, it isn't Melvin," she replied carefully, "his name is Darien and he's really smart, too."
"Darien! Isn't he the older boy that brought Rini home that one day?" he exploded.
"The cute one?" her mother added, "I've been wondering when you were going to ask him over."
"Serena, how long have you been seeing him? How much older is he anyway? Does he come from a good family?" her father demanded.
"Would tomorrow be too soon? Do you know what he likes? I'm glad we're finally going to get to know him. Is he the one you were upset over a while age?" her mother inquired brightly.
"Mom, Dad, one at a time, please!" Serena sat down, her head spinning. 'This is harder than fighting the Negaverse,' she thought, 'family I have to live with. No wonder Darien was dreading it. A princess should know how to handle people.' Taking a deep breath, she continued calmly.
"Darien is starting his first year at Azuba University. I've known him about a year, but we haven't really been seeing each other for long. Yes, we did break up for a while- you scared him that day, Daddy." (Not exactly true, but politic.)
"Oh, really," he commented, a bit placated.
"Yes. Mom, tomorrow will be fine and he likes almost everything but could you make a chocolate cake, please? Only just don't ask about his family, he doesn't have any. They died when he was young." She said all this in a rush.
"Oh." "Oh, dear." Her parents fell silent.
"May I be excused now to call Darien?" she asked respectfully.
"Um, yes, sure hon, go ahead."
Serena went upstairs to make her call and found Sammy leaning against his door in the hallway. "So you're finally coming clean, huh Sis?" he asked.
"Sammy, what are you doing up? What do you mean?" she squealed, jumping in startlement.
"I mean, I wondered when you were going to tell Mom and Dad about that Darien guy," he said in a knowing voice.
"What do you know about Darien?" she asked, advancing on him threateningly.
"I've heard you talking to him on the phone, and I've seen you draped over him at the park going 'kissy-kissy'."
"Oh, really! Well, why didn't you tell on me?"
"Because I figured you've been having a rough enough time with Rini around. Besides, he looks pretty cool."
"Yeah, he also knows karate and could probably break you in two. Thanks, Sammy," she said gratefully and went into her room.
AN: Serena is 15 (ninth grade), Darien is 19. I figure it is late summer/ early fall. In Japan, the first say of school is April 1st, with breaks between the semesters, so the school year is about a third over. The story is set between 'R' and 'S' season, probably before the 'R' movie. Enjoy and review.
Disclaimer: The characters are the creation of Naoko Takeuchi, yada, yada, yada.
Harder Than Fighting the Negaverse:
I have to protect her, give her my strength. At last I know how Mr. Tsukino must feel. I have to come straight with him. It's not right, there is so much he doesn't know, can't know about Serena. He should at least know that I am seeing his daughter, that I care for her. Serena also deserves a formal affirmation of my feelings. It is the honorable thing to do. What kind of a prince am I if I don't?
He stood holding her in his arms, watching the moonrise together from his balcony. "Serena," he said softly, "there is something I've been meaning to."
"Yes, Darien?" she said expectantly. He felt her startle and tense up.
"Yes, I think I should; I mean, I need to…to…" he stammered, trying to find the right words.
"Yes, Darien?" she said encouragingly, turning to him.
"I think it's time I met your parents," he finished awkwardly.
"What? Oh!" she replied confusedly, drawing away.
"Could you arrange to have me invited to dinner? I think the sooner we do this, the better," he said, taking her hands.
"Sure, my mother will be so glad to meet you," she started happily, then continued more thoughtfully, "but my father, what will he say? What if he won't let me see you anymore?"
"He will." Darien answered determinedly, "We may have to make some adjustments, but he won't stop us. Besides," he continued with his wry humor, holding her close again, "I know now how protective a father can feel for a daughter."
"Oh, yeah," she said giggling and pushing away, "I'd better be going now and break the news. I'll call you later."
----------------------------------------------------------
"Mom, Dad, can I talk to you?" She approached them that evening after Sammy had gone to bed.
"Sure, dear, what's on your mind?" her father said calmly, putting his paper away.
"I'd like to invite someone to dinner- a boy." Serena said hesitantly.
"Oh, is it Melvin? No problem there. He has been helping you with your homework, hasn't he?"
"No, Dad, it isn't Melvin," she replied carefully, "his name is Darien and he's really smart, too."
"Darien! Isn't he the older boy that brought Rini home that one day?" he exploded.
"The cute one?" her mother added, "I've been wondering when you were going to ask him over."
"Serena, how long have you been seeing him? How much older is he anyway? Does he come from a good family?" her father demanded.
"Would tomorrow be too soon? Do you know what he likes? I'm glad we're finally going to get to know him. Is he the one you were upset over a while age?" her mother inquired brightly.
"Mom, Dad, one at a time, please!" Serena sat down, her head spinning. 'This is harder than fighting the Negaverse,' she thought, 'family I have to live with. No wonder Darien was dreading it. A princess should know how to handle people.' Taking a deep breath, she continued calmly.
"Darien is starting his first year at Azuba University. I've known him about a year, but we haven't really been seeing each other for long. Yes, we did break up for a while- you scared him that day, Daddy." (Not exactly true, but politic.)
"Oh, really," he commented, a bit placated.
"Yes. Mom, tomorrow will be fine and he likes almost everything but could you make a chocolate cake, please? Only just don't ask about his family, he doesn't have any. They died when he was young." She said all this in a rush.
"Oh." "Oh, dear." Her parents fell silent.
"May I be excused now to call Darien?" she asked respectfully.
"Um, yes, sure hon, go ahead."
Serena went upstairs to make her call and found Sammy leaning against his door in the hallway. "So you're finally coming clean, huh Sis?" he asked.
"Sammy, what are you doing up? What do you mean?" she squealed, jumping in startlement.
"I mean, I wondered when you were going to tell Mom and Dad about that Darien guy," he said in a knowing voice.
"What do you know about Darien?" she asked, advancing on him threateningly.
"I've heard you talking to him on the phone, and I've seen you draped over him at the park going 'kissy-kissy'."
"Oh, really! Well, why didn't you tell on me?"
"Because I figured you've been having a rough enough time with Rini around. Besides, he looks pretty cool."
"Yeah, he also knows karate and could probably break you in two. Thanks, Sammy," she said gratefully and went into her room.
AN: Serena is 15 (ninth grade), Darien is 19. I figure it is late summer/ early fall. In Japan, the first say of school is April 1st, with breaks between the semesters, so the school year is about a third over. The story is set between 'R' and 'S' season, probably before the 'R' movie. Enjoy and review.