Selene looked all around and drunk heavily of her atmosphere through the shady eyes of her glasses. She loved the aroma of the beach, to her it smelt so fresh and felt some calm. If truth be told, it was her first time ever being on a beach, but she wasn't going to tell Darien that.
She looked at the beach in admiration of the way the waves crashes against the shore, and the way they seems to quickly escape back towards the sea. She began to further engross herself into its beauty when she heard a voice interrupt her thoughts.
"Selene" Minako cried out. "Are you going to help or just stand there?"
"Oh, sorry Minako." Selene giggled and then began to lie out the beach towels as Minako set the beach bag between the towels with all the things they would need.
At that moment, Darien then walked up with something Selene recognized to be an umbrella.
"What's that? Isn't it an umbrella?" She inquired. "Now why would we need an umb-"
"Listen, Selene." He interrupted her. "Before you go on babbling again and arching your brow at me, it's a beach umbrella, and you're supposed to use it for shade!" He said sternly before setting up the umbrella between the towels.
When he finished setting up Justin came running towards them with a stern looking Malachite not far behind. "What the...?" Justin quickly ran to hide behind Darien's muscular legs.
"That little squirt kicked me!" Malachite exclaimed.
"You star'it!" Justin cried out.
"I did not you little maggot!" He replied whilst trying to act dignified, his arms reaching out to get the boy from behind Darien.
"You did too!" Justin exclaimed.
"Justin, why did you kick him?" Selene queried sternly of her son, letting him know that he was in trouble. "How many times must I tell you not to hit anyone, it's not nice, in fact, it's very rude."
"Bu'mommy, it wan'my faul." He retorted in his defense.
"So, you mean to tell me that he took your foot and made you kick him?" She paused waiting for an answer as Justin put down his head and kicked at the sand. "I didn't think so, now I want you to apologize this instant."
"Yes ma'am." He said
"No wait." Darien interrupted. "I want to hear his side of the story."
"Darien Wales, how many times do I have to remind you that"
"I'm the parent" Darien finished the statement for her. "Yeah I know, but come on, it could be a possible misunderstanding. For all we know it could have been Malachite's fault. I can't believe you would choose a stranger's side over your own son." That'll shut her up for sure.
"Hey, I'm not a stranger and I'm innocent!" Malachite interjected. "I'm your ro-umph" He began to say when Darien elbowed him in the stomach.
"Oh, so sorry." Darien replied sympathetically. "Must be that trick elbow of mine, he-he." He ended contemptibly.
"All right Justin, tell us what happened." She said as she eyeballed Darien with serious disdain.
"I was gettin' out of da car to go afa Darien, when I 'eard him say somethin' bad 'bout you mommy, and Darien...so I kick him." He continued. "Then he yell at me so'word that starts wit a sha, no she, no, whatever, and ran after me." Darien glanced at Malachite in a way that said he knew exactly what he said, and not to say it again.
"What did he say to make you kick him Justin?" Minako kneeled before him and asked.
"He said tha' Darien was gonna, gonna, hmis ods momnsuy." He mumbled.
"What?" Selene questioned.
"He said tha' Darien was gonna hisst ondm momsdmy." He replied just a tad bit louder than the first time.
"Speak up Justin." Darien replied.
"He said tha' you were gonna hit on mommy!" Justin yelled while pointing at Darien. Suddenly Darien's face turned red as all eyes were on him; everyone just erupted in laughter. "What's so funny?" he inquired.
"Nothing baby, come and sit down next to mommy so that I can put some sun block on you." She managed to say when she had calmed down.
Selene sighed blissfully whilst taking off her son's shirt; Malachite and Darien went back to taking things out of the car whilst Minako laid back on one of the towels.
"Listen, sweetheart...next time someone bothers you, come to me first before kicking them O.K.?"
"Yes ma'am." His shoulders slumped over as she continue to massage the crème into his back; when she was done Darien came over and knelt before him.
"Ready squirt?" He asked him.
"Yeah!" Selene smiled as he jumped up from his position on the sand and ran towards the water with Darien not far behind; soon after, Malachite finished unpacking the cooler and took off towards the water along with the rest of the men.
"You know, he would make a really good father." Minako said to Selene.
"Maybe." She said.
"And a lover for that matter." She continued with a slight giggle.
"How can someone manage to be so sexy and yet so irritating at the same time?!" She inquired as she looked towards the shore where Darien stood, sun glistening off his fair skinned body. Every crevice and line in his muscles were outlined by it's rays; his hair was wet and matted to the sides of his face. He was even smiling, and she had to admit that it was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.
"You know, he is a catch, but I think Malachite's even better looking." Minako added with a smile. "Look at that body, you'd think he was some warrior god or something."
"Get a grip Minako," She shook her head admonishingly whilst handing her the sun block. "Here, put this on my back and I'll do the rest." She took off her long shirt to reveal the bathing suit underneath. It resembled one of those hula dancer's outfits, the bikini top being strapless with light blue flowers that resembled her eyes and white lilies on it as well, and the bottom a skirt that was tied up to the side with a bikini underwear underneath that matched both pieces.
When Minako had finished applying the crème, she took off her shirt to reveal a simple golden orange bikini, which resembled the style of Selene's except for the skirt. They both began to apply amounts to the rest of their bodies when Selene had finished applying it to Minako's back.
Selene searched through her bags for a brush and upon finding one stood up, allowing her hair to cascade below her knees so she could brush through it; when she had completed what she considered to be an ardent task, she sat back down and looked towards Minako.
"Could you French braid my hair please?" She inquired softly.
"Sure." She kneeled behind her braided her hair quickly, standing up and stretching when she had completed the task. "Let's go for a walk along the shore." She suggested.
Darien smiled to himself as Justin swam around him; despite the fact that his reputation for being around children wasn't a grand one, he had to admit that he was a great time teaching the boy how to swim, and to their amazement, he seemed to be a pretty quick learner.
"You're a pretty good for someone who's never swam in the beach before." He commented.
"Ma mommy says dat I pobaly got it fom my dad." Darien merely smiled in response, and was caught off guard when Malachite tapped him on the shoulder.
"L-Look." He stuttered in a half-stunned manner, his mouth agape. Darien turned his head towards where Malachite was pointing to see two beautiful women walking down the shoreline.
"Those are two of the most beautiful women I have ever seen!" Darien replied with his mouth open slightly.
"What I wouldn't give to be with one of them." Malachite lamented. As if on cue they heard Justin yell out in excitement.
"Mommy!" he called out as he swam to the shore to meet her.
The pair stood dumfounded, a little too lost in their own world to register what the boy had said as he swam away from them. It wasn't until he had reached the shore that they realized they let him leave without supervision.
Selene is going to kill me! Darien thought to himself as he watched the little boy run to the woman in the Hawaiian looking bikini.
The two looked on in confusion when they heard him start to call out something to her.
"What's he saying?" Malachite rubbed his chin in concentration. "Maui, no uh, money, no wait..."
"Mommy" Darien answered as he closed his mouth. As if being controlled by some outside being, both men looked at each other.
"Selene? Minako?" They both said.
When they became completely mobile again, they noticed that they were not they only ones who seemed to be captivated by them. It was then that they decided to join them, stake their claim, and let all other men know it was hands off, that these women belonged to them...well, at least they belonged to them more than anyone else.
They took off into the water at neck breaking speed. When they reached the shore they ran up to them and scooped them up, startling them half to death.
"Just what do you think you're doing?!" Selene cried out.
"Malachite!" Minako exclaimed. "Put me down!"
"You guys look so hot, we thought you might need some cooling down" Darien replied as they ran to the water with Justin behind them laughing all the while. When they reached the water, Darien and Malachite held the screaming women high above their heads.
"Put us down, I command it." Selene yelled authoritatively.
"Who do you think you are, a tyrant?" He mocked.
"Please put me down." Selene said
"I don't know Darien." Malachite replied. "You think we should?"
"Malachite, put me down this instant!" Minako commanded.
"Darieeeeeeennnnnnnnn!" Selene screamed.
"All right, all right." He said as they both began to release them into the water. Minako shrieked when Malachite dropped her in, the freezing cold water overwhelming her; as for Selene, she held on tight as soon as her toe touched the surface.
"The water's freezing!!!" She exclaimed and quickly grappled her arms tightly around Darien's neck and placed her legs around his waist. "Please don't let me go!" She exclaimed.
"I won't, just stop screaming in my ear." Darien looked to both Mina and Malachite for help but they both shrugged helplessly. He sighed as he watched them both left him suffocating with a startled woman holding on for dear life, Justin following in their wake. They stood starring at each other for a while in the waist high water when he suddenly had a wicked idea in mind; he smiled evilly at her.
"Darien Wales, what are you up to?" She questioned when he suddenly held on tightly to her body. "Darien?" Where the last were she said before he submerged deep in the water taking her with him. He could tell she was mad, but he never expected what she did next. She kissed him beneath the water with all her might and fury. Selene had learned this trick from Minako; something she told her to do that could distract men when you were in trouble. She wasn't necessarily in trouble, but this could help.
To him her kiss tasted of nectar and pomegranate, the wine of the Greek gods. Beneath the water she lay on top of him and just continued to kiss him. She put all of her concentration into that moment and that kiss and for a good while his entire mind went dull from it. It was a minute and a half into the kiss when he realized that by now he should be without breath, and yet somehow this kiss sustained him. These were the thoughts that trailed over his mind before she released him and resurfaced.
It took him a while to come back up and stand before her. It was then that he noticed the evil grin she had on her face. She then slowly took her right hand out of the water to reveal his swim trunks. When he looked down he suddenly understood; the kiss was merely a distraction.
"Hey, give that back!" He exclaimed angrily as she waved it over her head.
"Fight me for it." She replied.
"Excuse me, you must be joking." He retorted.
"I am so serious, fight me." She looked at him daringly, as if provoking him in every way to do what she asked.
All at once their were big splashes everywhere as Darien attempted to get back his trunks, trying to keep himself mostly under the water in the process; but she put up just as good as he gave and blocked his every move. He cursed as he realized that he would not be getting them back this way; he would have to ask politely.
"Can I have my swim trunks?"
"May I have my swim trunks?" She returned with a giggle.
"May I have my swim trunks?" He repeated frustratingly.
"May I please have my swim trunks?" She continued.
"May I please have my swim trunks?" He grumbled at her, his face turning red in fury.
"You're not smiling." She taunted.
"Selene!" He yelled.
"O.K., O.K., here!" she said sternly as she through them at him. "Such a party pooper."
Ever since Mina came into the picture, it made it even easier for Darien to get Malachite off of his back about him and Selene ever getting together. To Darien, it just seemed like a lost cause. He only continued to be around her because Malachite and Mina had seemed to find a newfound friendship, one that he had to question the intimacy of: and besides he admired Justin.
Whenever they went anywhere it was always the lot of them along with Justin and Darien and Selene in the end always ended up having an argument that concerned him.
It didn't take long for Mina to catch on and enlist the help of Malachite and Justin; together devised up a plan to get them to become friends. Of course they had to promise Justin something in return for his help.
"So you guys all ready to go to?" Darien asked as he looked at the two sitting on the couch nonchalantly, Malachite having his arm draped around Mina.
They had all made plans to go by plane to Puerto Rico, and then to go on a huge cruise ship in the waters. It was well known fact that only in the waters of Puerto Rico and France could one witness the magic of the dinoflagellites that inhabited the water. When agitated they glowed, making the waters sparkle green like the stars in the sky, the waves a fluorescent emerald.
"Actually, Darien" responded Malachite. "There's been a change of plans. Mina's feeling sick, so I decided to stay behind and help out." He replied.
"But I already paid for the trip, we can't cancel it." He crossed his arms in a semi-argutative state.
"Look Darien, you can still go, both Selene and Justin are going." Mina added as she moved to lie on the couch with her head on Malachite's lap.
"What's going on? Minako, why are you not dressed?" They turned to see Selene coming downstairs, suitcase in hand.
"Malachite and Mina aren't going." Darien said flatly.
"I'm not feeling good Selene, I'm going to stay home." Mina looked towards her direction with a melancholy glance.
"Minako," Selene responded sympathetically. "If you're not feeling good, then I'll stay with you."
"Oh no you don't Selene." She quickly replied. "You're going to go and have fun. You told me you always wanted to see this because you never got a chance when you were in France."
"Besides Selene, I'll stay with Mina...that way you, Darien, and Justin can go" Malachite added smugly.
"O.K., I guess that's all right." She sighed as she looked to the stairway to see Justin walking down resembling a tower of whip cream. "Justiiinnnn." She whined. "What did you do?"
"I wanted ta put on som'o dis stuff like I saw on tevevision but it kep'on comin' out and it got all ova my clothes." He bent his head down low and humble like, the toe of his shoes digging into the carpet. "I'm sowee mommy."
"Justin, you hurry up and march up those stairs and wait for me so you change into some different clothes this instant!" She reprimanded.
"B-but mommy, I-I got it all ova my clothes." He added meekly; she shot up the stairs like a thunderbolt and came back down five minutes later with a blank expression. They watched as she allowed herself to fall onto the reclining chair that was opposite Mina and Malachite.
"I can't believe that room," She paused. "It's like a huge shaving crème can exploded in there; it'll take hours to clean out."
"Selene, look don't worry...we'll take care of it, why don't you and Darien just go...me and Malachite will take care of the mess and Justin as well."
"Oh no, there's no way in this universe that I'm going to allow myself to be stuck on a ship with just him to talk to." Selene crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, turning away with her nose in the air.
"My sentiments exactly." Darien stated as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Look you two, you're parting in 4 days, the least you could do is separate on good terms!" Mina added.
"Come on, just try to get along for 4 days." Malachite stressed.
"We've been together for a week now and we haven't gotten along!" Darien reasoned as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"Besides, we could last if we wanted to, we just don't want to." Selene added nonchalantly.
Darien nodded in agreement.
"All right then, prove it to me." Malachite replied. "If you two can last for this whole trip being nice without parting, then I'll, I'll"
"You'll leave us alone!" Darien and Selene added and then gave each other awkward glances.
"Fine, I'll leave you alone." Malachite added.
"Minako too." Selene added.
"Sure, sure, me too." Mina replied.
"Deal." They both agreed.
"Selene, come on." He yelled into the door while knocking at the same time. "We're going to miss the show!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She all but screamed. "Hold on!"
It was the morning of the departure, after they had already steeled in, and the captain had requested that all guests come to the ballroom for the welcome party. It was really more of an invocation in which they would hand out the papers with all the scheduled events on it. Darien was a bit surprised that there were so many things to do, he had expected it to be a simple trip with the sparkling waters being it's main feature. As it turns out, Malachite had booked them a somewhat of a deluxe suite.
He was startled from his revere when she he heard the door open and she then stepped outside. He mentally came to the conclusion, as he glanced at her light blue spaghetti strapped dress with white lilies on a light blue background, that the however long it took her to get ready, it was well worth the wait. He really admired the way her straw high thick-heeled sandals crisscrossed round her leg; it accented the dress greatly. And her hair, it was the first time he had seen it down, especially in the curly state it was in.
Unbeknownst to him however, whilst he was getting his full taste of her, she was getting her full drink of him. Silently admiring the way in which his light brown Khaki shorts with a dark blue polo shirt fit him snuggly, his hair still wet from a recent shower. She was brought back to reality when he spoke to her.
"Ready, M'lady" He put out his arm for her to take, unintentionally getting a whiff of her scent. Mmmm...wildflowers.
"Certainly my good man." She replied as she placed her arm in his.
"Welcome to the Sea Escape Cruise line." The captain began. "My name is Captain Jim and I just wanted to tell you that we call this the 'Sea Escape' because we want you to relax and leave all your troubles behind you. We have taken the liberty of coordinating many activities on the ship that you can take part in, feel free to make yourself at home. All along the ship you'll find various exotic foods, so please, help yourselves. We're here to serve you, so any problems at all, just let us know. So now, I bid you to have fun and enjoy yourselves!"
When the captain had finished talking, Darien turned to Selene to translate what the captain said and then told her that he would be going to the casino to play some games should she be looking for him. He could of sworn he saw her frown when he had said this, but brushed it off when she smiled and said that she would be walking on deck should he want to find her. Soon after he departed, she sighed. She really hadn't wanted to walk around alone when everything was so new and different to her, but she digressed.
Well, first time for everything. She concluded.
She walked around aimlessly, unaware of all of the male eyes watching her and making no moves for fear of rejection; one of the many gave into compulsion and approached her.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Said a male voice.
She turned to acknowledge a blond man with a white polo shirt and a pair of blue shorts who was a head over her in height.
"Yeah, it is...how you say...wonderful." She replied nonchalantly with a deep French accent.
"My name's Andrew, and your name is?" He asked with the arch of a brow.
"Selene, Selene Gustof" She answered.
"You speak French?" He stated rhetorically.
"Oui." She replied " J'ai vécu en France pendant 8 ans." Which was basically a lie, but he didn't know what she was saying anyways.
"Do you know any English?" He asked.
" Je comprends l'anglais un peu," She replied while using hand motions to demonstrate what she was saying.
"Tu, uh, tu come by yourself?" He continued, attempting to speak French but speaking mostly English instead. She laughed at his efforts; he thought he would melt by her smile.
"No, I come with friend." She countered.
"Oh." He replied. "Selene, tu veux, eh...ah dance?"
"To dance, yes" She replied and smiled when he put his arm out for her to take. She accepted the gesture and allowed him to lead the way.
Darien sat at the bar of the dance room. Many women had already asked him to dance but for some reason he didn't want to. He had to admit that he wished he had her company with him right now. He enjoyed arguing with her; she looked too cute to him when she was pouting. He also had to admit that she was different from most women he dated. Most women that he was with agreed with everything he said just to get closer to him. But Selene didn't care; she always made her true opinion known to him. With her he could actually see what people thought of him, and what more, she wasn't at all scared of him. He picked up his cocktail and sipped the last bit of it and when he turned around he saw her out of the corner of his eye. She was square dancing with another man! Suddenly Darien felt anger rise within in him.
"Darien, snap out of it man!" Said a male voice. " You look like someone who just got hustled! After winning so much money in poker, you'd think you would be celebrating! "
"Why so Greg?" He asked as he kept his eyes on the dance floor.
"Because, I have watched a couple women ask you to dance in the past 10 minutes, and you have managed to turn them all down. You need to relax, socialize." He returned smoothly.
"No thanks." Darien replied.
"It's a woman isn't it?" He inquired.
"What, huh, no." He responded; he really wasn't paying much attention, he was looking at her.
"OK, then do you mind telling me what you're starring at?"
"Well, um, I'm um," He searched dumbfounded for an excuse for his obvious distraction.
"...am looking at that woman." Greg finished for him; Darien turned to look at him and smiled. "Not that I blame you, she's really beautiful."
"That she is, that she is." He replied. "So...why aren't you at the palace?"
"Excuse me?" He inquired shockingly when Darien turned his total attention to him.
"You know what, that's why you can't play poker, cause you can never keep a straight face Nephlite." Darien continued as he looked at the man with an unmistakable black wig on. "Malachite told you to watch me?" He sighed at being caught, but nodded his head in agreement.
"He told me he was staying back in Savannah and told me to come on this trip."
.
"You know, I am capable of taking care of myself." Darien looked at him in a frustrated manner. "I wish you guys would stop following me like this."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, so how's the vacation so far?" He dismissed the conversation with the wave of his hand.
"How's the palace holding up?" He ignored his question and posted his own, his brow arching in process.
"Zoycite and Jedite are doing just fine managing everything, it's all under control." He replied easily.
"Well, I guess I can say that I am having an interesting time."
"Whatever, Malachite told me the whole story. I don't see how you can possibly argue with a woman with that body." He looked to the dance floor to see a woman smiling gleefully while dancing in another man's arms before looking at Darien once more.
"It's easy, believe me. She's the most annoying, irritating, and yet intriguing woman I have ever met. How can someone manage to be so sexy, and yet so infuriating at the same time?" He threw his hands in the air as if giving up on some hidden battle.
"So, you slept with her yet?" he asked.
"No!" He snapped. "Is that all you guys think I do? Have sex all the time? Sex, sex, sex! What am I, a raging body of hormones ready to burst at any moment?" He exclaimed.
"I'm only going by what I see okay...in any matter, what's the problem, you would have usually done so, and had her out of your mind by now."
"I don't know, she's not like any other woman I have ever met, she's, she's well, different." He replied.
He was beginning to worry now. She was supposed to meet him here at seven so they could watch the water; it was now eight. He knew she could be late sometimes, but this was ridiculous. His concern getting the best of him, he decided that he was going to walk around and begin to search for her.
He went back to the dance hall and after not seeing her anywhere; he headed straight for the bar to speak with Nephlite.
"Have you seen Selene?" He asked.
"No, she left with that guy more than an hour ago after taking a drink." He replied.
"I want you to look for her, if you see anyone harming her in any way, hold them, and look for me. I'll deal with them myself." He ended coldly before walking away.
He was going towards the direction of her room to see if she was there when he was certain he heard someone calling his name softly; almost immediately he stopped and traveled his steps previous steps, attempting to track down the sound. When he reached the door that he was sure it had been coming from, he gave it one look before stepping back and busting through. The sight that he was greeted with he was sure would haunt him for weeks.