All My Brothers – Part 5
By: Reba Jean, June, 2001
E-mail: rjean@g5hg.net
Rating: R (be warned)
Genre: Romance/comedy
Disclaimer: Characters are based on Sailor Moon copyright 1992 by Naoko
Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation, English language adaptation
copyright 1995 by DIC Entertainment. This story is not intended for
monetary gain or tangible profit, but purely for entertainment of the
readers.
Notes: This is an alternate timeline-storyline. Names are a mixture of
English and Japanese (mostly like the translated manga).
"Luna, come over and look at this," said Artemis as he watched the
computer screen.
As Luna joined him in front of the computer, she scoffed, "You know I
don't read or watch the eGossip feeds. That's just a lot of garbage."
But what was on the screen caught her eye.
"An item of local interest, Juuban district, publisher Kenji Tsukino's
daughter was re-married in a small ceremony for family and three
hundred close friends at the Crossroads Chapel this afternoon. It
seems the sixteen year old high school student and her twenty year old
boyfriend, a second year student in the accelerated medical program at
T.U., had eloped several weeks earlier without her father's permission.
The couple remained at odds with her father until a reconciliation
occurred this morning. The beautiful blond bride has a reputation of
taking the phrase "dumb blond" to new lows. Maybe not so dumb as she's
reputed to be, her catch is smart and well off as well as good looking.
Known a few years back on the runways, covers, and commercials for
sportswear as Dare, the groom is also a part owner of the upscale
Garden Towers high rise where the couple now resides. Not just another
pretty gay cover boy it seems, if something of a cradle robber now.
And it makes you wonder why, though, the whole affair was thrown
together so quickly. Could it be the pitter-patter of little feet is
expected not too long from now? This is Lei Lo, your Gossipbyter on
the street, live from Crossroads Chapel. And now to you, Chang Lu, in
Hong Kong."
"That is so mean! I want to rip that catty woman with all four sets of
claws," Luna hissed.
"Well, unfortunately it's all true," said Artemis. "Maybe if we show
this to Serena, we can finally convince her to study more at school."
* * * * * * * * *
The plane ride south was long and tedious. So Serena curled up and
fell asleep. Her extremely bored pillow sighed and stretched. Trapped
with nothing to do, Darien soon followed her into dreamland.
The two flight attendants in first class moved past the sleeping couple
into the galley to set up for the meal service. "Look at those two;
isn't that sweet? They're adorable. Anita said that the girl told her
they were on their honeymoon. But they're so young!"
The flight arrived in Tahiti after midnight. By the time the ferry
arrived at the resort and they checked in at their cottage, it was into
the early morning hours. Neither was tired though, since they had
slept most of the flight down. "It's too bad you couldn't see this
island from the air, it's shaped like a heart. There are a lot more
beaches and it's a lot less developed than Tahiti. Tomorrow we're
booked on an all-day islands tour cruise. It stops over near the
airport at lunch and at the outdoor market. I did remember how you
love to shop." Darien commented.
With a mischievous look in his eyes he said, "Let's go for a walk down
the beach and maybe go for a swim. It's a beautiful night out."
"What are you up to now? You have that look I don't trust," Serena
speculated.
"If you're very, very, good maybe you'll find out," he replied as he
led her out on the terrace and down the path to the beach.
She looked around at the spectacular vista and asked him, "Why did you
do all this anyway? I mean, the south Pacific and Hawaii. I would
have been happy just to go out of town somewhere for the weekend."
"I wanted to surprise you and do something for both of us. Our lives
are so busy, always somewhere we have to be, work, studying, our
friends, or youmas. There's so little peace. We can use some downtime
alone together. These last few weeks especially, we've hardly seen
each other. Was that ceremony and stuff everything you wanted? It
seemed to go like you planned," he answered.
"It was all I ever wanted. Thank you for everything. And this trip
too!" she replied.
"I didn't do much of anything, just sign a few charge slips. Those
affairs are for the women anyway. The groom is just an accessory, like
those fashion dolls' boyfriends Rini used to play with," he glanced
over at her with a smile.
"You understood what it meant to me. That it was something I had
wanted all my life. Most guys would have blown it off because of the
cost and trouble," she answered seriously.
"Aren't you glad I'm not most guys then, and a super hero too," he
smirked.
She snapped her beach towel at him as he dodged away and ran into the
surf. She followed splashing. An all out water fight ensued. Darien
dived under the surface and swam under Serena trying to trip her. She
fell on him and started a tickle attack. He picked her up, carried her
back out of the water, and put her down. He kissed her and said,
"Enough. Let's walk."
They continued down the beach for three or four kilometers until they
came to an area with sand dunes up to where the hills began. He began
laying down beach towels. Serena was turned toward the water looking
out to sea. She looked over at him, "Did you know your eyes are the
same color as the night sky or the ocean out there? There's even the
reflection of the stars."
"And I see the same color as the lagoon in the day, when I look into
your eyes," he replied as he stood next to her. "Have you been reading
some of those silly romance novels again?"
"No, I just am a romantic. You should know that by now," she replied.
"It's pretty out here, but far from our cabin. Why did you want to
come way down here anyway?"
"I was looking at travel brochures one day on the commuter train. It
was some time mid-day because it wasn't too crowded. They had an
oldies radio station playing '80's music on the speakers. Anyway, as I
was looking at the beach pictures, they played this old song that
sounded just like this place. And I had this fantasy…"
"I knew it! It had to be something warped like that," she started to
fuss.
"No, not at all." He silenced her complaints in the easiest way he
knew how, by drawing her close and kissing her to silence. He
continued, "The lyrics went something like, 'making love at midnight in
the dunes at the cape.' You can almost see a place like this." He
smiled and looked down at her.
She had caught the mood as well, "Then what are you waiting for, love
me."
He drove her wild with lips, tongue, and fingers. Several times she
was right at the edge but he stopped. She finally groaned in
frustration, reached over and grabbed him, squeezing to get his
attention. "I want you now or I'll finish it myself. Stop torturing
me."
"Now why would I want to do that?" he answered with a lazy smile and
hooded eyes.
"What?" she questioned.
"Look how hot you are for me," he answered with an insolent grin.
"Oh," comprehension dawned in her eyes. He rolled over on her and they
moved together in a rhythm unconsciously imitating the slap of the
waves on the shore.
Afterwards, sated, they slept. Waking at first light of dawn, they
watched the sunrise. Darien traced circles on Serena's stomach with a
finger. "You won't be able to wear that little bikini much longer.
Especially with the way you've been eating. And you haven't been sick
much lately either. I don't see much difference yet, maybe a little
bigger on top," he grinned.
She smiled at him. "I've noticed a few differences about you though."
He raised an eyebrow in question.
"You've managed to compliment me almost as often as you insult me.
That's quite an improvement for you, you know. But most of all, your
ego has gotten much bigger. Proud of being able to procreate, it
seems. You're even more insufferable than you used to be." She
commented.
"I'll take that as a compliment, myself. And all those big words, I
didn't know you had it in you, 'Ami' my love."
Darien picked Serena up and dumped her upside down over his shoulder.
He carried her kicking and screaming out into the surf and dumped her
in the water. She came up sputtering, "You'll get payback, you just
wait! It will be your turn to be tormented," Serena yelled.
"I'm looking forward to it," he smirked. "Now that we're not all
sticky and sandy, let's go back to our cabin. We've still got a couple
of hours to sleep before we leave for the tour boat."
* * * * * * * * *
The tour boat was midway between the two islands. The wind had picked
up and its direction was crosswise to the current. The size of the
swells had increased dramatically from the calm waters near shore. A
miserable Serena was curled up against Darien. "I feel really awful.
I shouldn't have eaten so much for breakfast. How much longer is it
until we get there?" she asked.
He looked out toward the next island. "It shouldn't be much farther,
we're almost there," he lied soothingly. He had no real idea how long
it would really take to get there.
The boat hit the choppy wake from a cruise ship that had just passed.
"Ooh, I'm gonna be sick," moaned Serena as she ran for the lee rail.
Her breakfast hit the water and she sagged in a heap on the deck.
"Just let me die," she protested as Darien tried to help her clean up
and move back to her seat.
Eventually the boat docked and they staggered ashore.
"No more boats! I'm not going back on that stupid boat today. Let's
just get a room somewhere around here," Serena said.
"But the ferry the other night didn't bother you. All our stuff is
over on the other island," Darien protested.
"I don't care, you can't drag me back on any more boats. I'm staying
on land! I don't want to get sick again," she announced.
"I don't ever remember you being seasick before," he commented.
"And I've never been on that rough a boat ride when I was pregnant
before either. Duh. Some 'protector' you are today."
"Should I change part of my name then? Cross out Mamoru Chiba and
write in Baka maybe?" he snapped.
Serena giggled, "I don't think I want to be known as Mrs. Baka. Of
course then I could get one of those tee shirts with the arrow pointing
to the side that says 'I'm with Stupid.'"
"Well I'll have to cancel the rest of the boat tour today. We can at
least go eat lunch and you can go shopping at the outdoor market," he
decided.
Serena brightened up at the thought of food and shopping. Looking
around as they walked toward the restaurant, she stopped to read a sign
in French and English. What about flying back? They say that they
give helicopter tours of the islands on that sign. Riding in Michiru
and Haruka's helicopter was a lot of fun."
"It probably costs four or five times as much money as the boat,"
Darien complained.
"I don't care. I'll stay here on this island and You can ride a boat
back and bring all our stuff back over here then. I'm not going on any
more boats!"
Darien sighed, "I concede defeat to superior forces, mi lady. You
win."
They arrived at the seafood restaurant on the waterfront with the rest
of the tour group. A table on the top floor deck gave a spectacular
view of both the harbor and the inland mountains. Both were glad for a
chance to sit and rest. Darien was full after a couple of plates from
the buffet. He watched in amazement as Serena continued to put away
food. "That's the third plate you've filled at the buffet. It sure
didn't take you long to get over being seasick," he commented.
"Well I lost my breakfast. I have to make up for that," she replied as
she continued to clear her plate.
Darien lounged in the shade against a building watching Serena as she
haggled with the jewelry merchant. She was buying loose black pearls
to give to her friends as thank you gifts. He smiled silently.
Unknown to Serena, he had bought enough pearls to make a necklace,
bracelet, and earring set for her they when returned home. She had
been oblivious to his short disappearance while she was clothes
shopping earlier that afternoon. His backpack was full of souvenir
trinkets, floral pareaux (wrap skirts) she had bought for all the
girls, and a tifaifai patchwork quilt was draped over his shoulder like
a Mexican serape. He hoped she would tire of shopping soon, but knew
this was probably wishful thinking even though it was late afternoon.
He sauntered over to her and put both hands on her shoulders, "Let's
take a break after this for drinks and maybe a snack," he told her.
They found an outdoor table at a nearby café. Serena gave Darien the
rest of her purchases to put away. She rummaged through his bag and
pulled out the pareau wrapped skirt she had bought for herself. "I
want to go try this on and see how it looks," she told him.
A short while later he looked up and saw her walking toward him with
her back to the sun. His breath caught, and he stared openly as she
approached. She had taken down her hair and it flowed down her back in
a loose twist. Behind her right ear was a tiare flower. Her turquoise
blouse was knotted up like a crop top. The wrap skirt was tied around
her hips and opened diagonally above one knee dropping to mid calf
behind. The material was not transparent, but was sheer enough he
could see her legs silhouetted by the sun shining through the material.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are," he asked her. Her smile
showed that she knew exactly the effect she was having on him. And
from the comments from some of the other tables, he wasn't the only guy
who noticed her. "You're wearing that flower on the wrong side. That
flower should be behind your left ear. You're taken. You're mine."
She laughed at the possessive tone in his voice, "You can fix my hair
if you want in a minute. Take these and put them in your bag." She
handed him the clothes she had changed.
As he put away the tennis skirt he noticed some lacy things bundled
inside it. "You didn't?" he questioned. She plopped on his lap and
leaned against him. He ran a hand down her side and over her hip. "Oh
that's evil, woman."
"Payback!" she chirped brightly and wiggled for effect.
He groaned and asked, "What happened to the innocent, naive Usako?"
"She watches TV and movies and spends way too much time around you,"
she answered.
"All these people are going to think I'm some kind of hentai. How can
I go anywhere now?" he complained.
"Do you want to go to that Polynesian feast tonight then? They're
having the native dance exhibition too. On the boat ride over you said
that you wanted to see them. I think it would be a lot of fun." she
smiled and tilted her head.
"How about we take that chopper you wanted to rent back over to the
other island we're staying at, like now," he countered. He took the
flower out from behind her ear and moved it to the other side. "At
least now you won't send out the wrong message to all the salivating
hounds over there," gesturing to a table full of guys passing round
pitchers of beer.
"They'll be able to guess what's on Your mind anyway," she teased.
"I wish I had my old green jacket that you made me leave at home now.
Give me that quilt back; I'm 'cold'. I'll wear it like a serape." he
said as he made a grab for it.
She hopped up and dangled it out of his reach. "Come and get it."
"Quit trying to embarrass me! Give it back!" He started to get up,
looked down, and flushed. "Or I'm not going anywhere," he amended,
sitting back down under the table.
Check. She tossed the throw back to him. Walking behind his chair,
she put both hands on his shoulders to hold him still. She nipped his
shoulder and alternately blazed a trail of bites and kisses up the side
of his neck and along his jaw. He wrenched around and captured her
face between his hands. In a conversational tone he informed her, "If
you continue that, you will be joining me in the john or in that alley
over there backed up against the wall."
Eek. So Mr. Control has limits she thought. Well that's useful to
know. And even though she admitted to herself with surprise, the idea
had a certain kinky appeal. There was no way she'd risk embarrassing
herself in public like that. She took his hands and pulled him up.
"Let's go find that helicopter charter place." Stalemate.
Serena trailed behind Darien, towed along by his death grip on her
hand. She hurried to keep up with his longer strides. They entered
the hanger and went over toward the somewhat seedy fellow lounging on a
deck chair reading the sports section of the paper. He was encased in
greasy gray flight coveralls, a backwards red baseball cap, and chewing
on an unlit cigar. Just the sort of pilot to inspire confidence she
thought sarcastically.
Darien said, "I want to hire a chopper to take us over to the Sunrise
and Moonlight Resort on the other island."
The pilot answered, "The ferry is a lot cheaper and goes right near
there. I usually do scenic tours around the islands." He looked up at
them, giving Serena an appreciative once-over, and smirking slightly
when he noticed Darien's flustered expression and obvious distraction.
"Or there's plenty of rooms for rent right around here," he drawled.
Serena flushed and pulled at Darien's shirt and said, "Let's go. Maybe
I won't get sick on the boat this time."
Darien looked at her, "I don't want you to risk it. Just because
something is cheaper is no reason to make you feel ill." Addressing
the pilot, "Can the advice. Just give me a price for a trip over now
and a return the day after tomorrow in the morning."
"There's a two hour minimum charge each trip," the pilot dickered.
"Done. That will be fine. Just get us there in good time. Fly
smooth, straight and level, no fancy stuff," Darien answered.
"Okay. I'll go fire her up. Come on out when I give the word. Name's
Jim Bob, by the way," the pilot answered. Rich tourists, paying a two-
hour fee for a thirty-minute ride, ya never know when you'll hit pay
dirt around here, he thought to himself.
Jim Bob kept up a running monolog of the sights as they rounded the
last of the mountains and headed down for level flight across the open
water. Serena was curled up comfortably against Darien on the second
row bench seat. As the helicopter dipped suddenly when it hit an air
pocket, she turned pale and greenish. "I think I'm going to be sick,"
she moaned.
Darien looked around frantically and retrieved a bucket and roll of
paper towels from the box between the front seats. They were put to
work as Serena repeated her morning's performance on the boat. When he
was sure she was finished, he scrounged through his backpack and
retrieved a water bottle, toothbrush, and toothpaste. She looked at
him gratefully. "Thanks. I feel better now. Are you always prepared
for everything?"
After she finished cleaning up, she stretched out across the seat with
her head cradled on his lap. He absently stroked her forehead and
smoothed her hair. The pilot glanced back in his mirror, "You folks
didn't just meet up here in the islands, I'd guess. Honeymooner's?
Too bad the filly gets seasick and air sick," he commented.
Serena roused a bit, remembering that it really was Darien's fault.
"If somebody remembered that I get morning sickness and that rough boat
rides don't help," she flared.
"You know I feel really sorry about that. Sometimes I'm such an
idiot," Darien admitted, cuddling her closer.
The pilot made a gagging sound, "Awe ain't that 'tweet."
"Not that it's any of your business anyway," Darien growled.
By the time they were deposited on the beach out back of their cottage,
Serena was pale, shaky, and looked exhausted. Darien helped her
inside. "Well at least it's door to door service. It should be for
that price," he commented mostly to himself. Serena was fading fast.
She crawled up on the bed and conked out face down diagonally across
it.
There was a long evening ahead and it looked like he would have to
spend it alone. So much for her driving him to distraction and getting
his hopes up for the night. It was payback all right, big time, he
thought. Oh, well. He covered her with a light blanket and brushed
her hair off her face. Plenty of time, for a long run down the beach,
a long swim, and a nice long cold shower. I would let her talk me into
not bringing any textbooks on the trip. I can't even study.
He decided to order room service for himself and some food for in the
morning. "Je voudrais la soupe de légumes, la peche, une salade verte,
et aussi pour demain matin une bagette, du fromage, des fruits, du
café, et du thé." Not sure if that was grammatically correct but they
should be able to understand it, he thought as he hung up the phone.
A quiet knock on the door woke Serena. It was light outside, but
extremely early for her. She went over and peered out through the
peephole. An attendant stood outside with a cart holding a continental
breakfast tray. Serena immediately opened the door, quickly grabbed
the tray off the cart, and slammed the door. She set the tray down on
the table near the window. She had missed dinner the night before and
was famished. She poured herself a cup of tea, grabbed an apple and a
banana, and sliced pieces of bread and cheese.
A silent shadow crossed the room and stopped behind her, the tall
elongated shape visible on the wall. It grabbed her shoulders and then
hugged her as she let out a squeak of surprise. "I didn't hear you get
up; you surprised me."
"How are you feeling this morning?" Darien asked.
"Fine, except I'm starved. I must have fallen asleep as soon as we got
back here. I'm still in the same clothes." She answered.
"You walked in, flopped down on the bed, and were out as soon as you
laid down. What do you want to do today? We can do whatever you feel
like," he answered.
"Nothing, just veg out, lie on the beach in the sun, go swimming,
sleep, and eat," she said.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"No, I can't think of anything," she answered trying to maintain a
deadpan expression and not to giggle at the exaggerated faces he made.
"I can certainly think of something I want to do," he commented with a
crooked grin and eyes widened in feigned innocence. Serena burst out
laughing.
So they spent the rest of the day doing whatever appealed to them both.
At the end of the day they fell across the bed in exhaustion. Serena
decided Darien needed to be picked on a little, "So you want to go
swimming again now or play some of 'your' games right here?"
"We went swimming this morning. I'm too tired for any games. You wore
me out woman," he admitted.
Serena smiled, "You know we've never done anything transformed, it
might be fun and you should have plenty of energy then."
A speculative look crossed his face, "That Sailor Moon costume does
have that really short skirt and those boots, and some of the stuff
I've dreamed about doing with her would be really fun to try."
She smirked, "You hentai. I don't think I have the energy for a SM
transform, how about a beautiful princess instead. You were always
dreaming about her anyway. And you can wear your mask and cape…"
"What is it about women and that cape anyway?" he wondered aloud.
"I've had so many comments about it from female fans."
"Well why don't we try and find out," Serena proposed.
* * * * * *
"Wow, you got through the whole flight this time and didn't get sick.
I'm proud of you," Darien teased Serena as they checked into the hotel
near the airport for their last night in French Polynesia.
"Let's go to the 'native' feast and dance tonight," Serena said as she
looked at the publicity flyers for the island attractions in the lobby.
"Ok. I did tell you the other day I wanted to see that," Darien said.
He moved out of hitting distance and added, "I sure wanted to see those
girls dance; they can really wiggle." Poised to flee, he waited to see
if she would react explosively.
Instead she just gave him a wide fake smile, "Well the native men dance
too and they don't wear shirts. They look sooo good," she threw right
back at him and tried a leering expression. She looked so funny he
just leered back at her, which started them both giggling helplessly.
"And I love you, man of masks and funny faces. You make me laugh," She
told him.
"I love you too. You brought light and happiness into a dark and
lonely life," he answered.
* * * * * * *
Another long plane ride the next day brought them to Honolulu
International Airport on Oahu in Hawaii. "I got reservations at the
Hyatt for a room in one of the towers on the 36th floor. It's across
the street from the beach. We've got dinner reservations at the
rooftop restaurant. There's a nightclub too, if you want to go
dancing. It's formal this weekend for some reason though; some
convention or benefit or something has most of the hotel. We're only
booked for two nights here since we both have to be back at school on
Monday," Darien commented.
Serena groaned, "Oh, don't even mention that place. I don't want to
think about it until Monday!" She paused a minute and a mischievous
smile lit her face, "I don't have any formal dresses with me. I didn't
bring any. You know what that means!"
Darien moaned, "Oh, no. No-o-o-o-o! Not that! Not more . . . shopping."
By: Reba Jean, June, 2001
E-mail: rjean@g5hg.net
Rating: R (be warned)
Genre: Romance/comedy
Disclaimer: Characters are based on Sailor Moon copyright 1992 by Naoko
Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI Animation, English language adaptation
copyright 1995 by DIC Entertainment. This story is not intended for
monetary gain or tangible profit, but purely for entertainment of the
readers.
Notes: This is an alternate timeline-storyline. Names are a mixture of
English and Japanese (mostly like the translated manga).
"Luna, come over and look at this," said Artemis as he watched the
computer screen.
As Luna joined him in front of the computer, she scoffed, "You know I
don't read or watch the eGossip feeds. That's just a lot of garbage."
But what was on the screen caught her eye.
"An item of local interest, Juuban district, publisher Kenji Tsukino's
daughter was re-married in a small ceremony for family and three
hundred close friends at the Crossroads Chapel this afternoon. It
seems the sixteen year old high school student and her twenty year old
boyfriend, a second year student in the accelerated medical program at
T.U., had eloped several weeks earlier without her father's permission.
The couple remained at odds with her father until a reconciliation
occurred this morning. The beautiful blond bride has a reputation of
taking the phrase "dumb blond" to new lows. Maybe not so dumb as she's
reputed to be, her catch is smart and well off as well as good looking.
Known a few years back on the runways, covers, and commercials for
sportswear as Dare, the groom is also a part owner of the upscale
Garden Towers high rise where the couple now resides. Not just another
pretty gay cover boy it seems, if something of a cradle robber now.
And it makes you wonder why, though, the whole affair was thrown
together so quickly. Could it be the pitter-patter of little feet is
expected not too long from now? This is Lei Lo, your Gossipbyter on
the street, live from Crossroads Chapel. And now to you, Chang Lu, in
Hong Kong."
"That is so mean! I want to rip that catty woman with all four sets of
claws," Luna hissed.
"Well, unfortunately it's all true," said Artemis. "Maybe if we show
this to Serena, we can finally convince her to study more at school."
* * * * * * * * *
The plane ride south was long and tedious. So Serena curled up and
fell asleep. Her extremely bored pillow sighed and stretched. Trapped
with nothing to do, Darien soon followed her into dreamland.
The two flight attendants in first class moved past the sleeping couple
into the galley to set up for the meal service. "Look at those two;
isn't that sweet? They're adorable. Anita said that the girl told her
they were on their honeymoon. But they're so young!"
The flight arrived in Tahiti after midnight. By the time the ferry
arrived at the resort and they checked in at their cottage, it was into
the early morning hours. Neither was tired though, since they had
slept most of the flight down. "It's too bad you couldn't see this
island from the air, it's shaped like a heart. There are a lot more
beaches and it's a lot less developed than Tahiti. Tomorrow we're
booked on an all-day islands tour cruise. It stops over near the
airport at lunch and at the outdoor market. I did remember how you
love to shop." Darien commented.
With a mischievous look in his eyes he said, "Let's go for a walk down
the beach and maybe go for a swim. It's a beautiful night out."
"What are you up to now? You have that look I don't trust," Serena
speculated.
"If you're very, very, good maybe you'll find out," he replied as he
led her out on the terrace and down the path to the beach.
She looked around at the spectacular vista and asked him, "Why did you
do all this anyway? I mean, the south Pacific and Hawaii. I would
have been happy just to go out of town somewhere for the weekend."
"I wanted to surprise you and do something for both of us. Our lives
are so busy, always somewhere we have to be, work, studying, our
friends, or youmas. There's so little peace. We can use some downtime
alone together. These last few weeks especially, we've hardly seen
each other. Was that ceremony and stuff everything you wanted? It
seemed to go like you planned," he answered.
"It was all I ever wanted. Thank you for everything. And this trip
too!" she replied.
"I didn't do much of anything, just sign a few charge slips. Those
affairs are for the women anyway. The groom is just an accessory, like
those fashion dolls' boyfriends Rini used to play with," he glanced
over at her with a smile.
"You understood what it meant to me. That it was something I had
wanted all my life. Most guys would have blown it off because of the
cost and trouble," she answered seriously.
"Aren't you glad I'm not most guys then, and a super hero too," he
smirked.
She snapped her beach towel at him as he dodged away and ran into the
surf. She followed splashing. An all out water fight ensued. Darien
dived under the surface and swam under Serena trying to trip her. She
fell on him and started a tickle attack. He picked her up, carried her
back out of the water, and put her down. He kissed her and said,
"Enough. Let's walk."
They continued down the beach for three or four kilometers until they
came to an area with sand dunes up to where the hills began. He began
laying down beach towels. Serena was turned toward the water looking
out to sea. She looked over at him, "Did you know your eyes are the
same color as the night sky or the ocean out there? There's even the
reflection of the stars."
"And I see the same color as the lagoon in the day, when I look into
your eyes," he replied as he stood next to her. "Have you been reading
some of those silly romance novels again?"
"No, I just am a romantic. You should know that by now," she replied.
"It's pretty out here, but far from our cabin. Why did you want to
come way down here anyway?"
"I was looking at travel brochures one day on the commuter train. It
was some time mid-day because it wasn't too crowded. They had an
oldies radio station playing '80's music on the speakers. Anyway, as I
was looking at the beach pictures, they played this old song that
sounded just like this place. And I had this fantasy…"
"I knew it! It had to be something warped like that," she started to
fuss.
"No, not at all." He silenced her complaints in the easiest way he
knew how, by drawing her close and kissing her to silence. He
continued, "The lyrics went something like, 'making love at midnight in
the dunes at the cape.' You can almost see a place like this." He
smiled and looked down at her.
She had caught the mood as well, "Then what are you waiting for, love
me."
He drove her wild with lips, tongue, and fingers. Several times she
was right at the edge but he stopped. She finally groaned in
frustration, reached over and grabbed him, squeezing to get his
attention. "I want you now or I'll finish it myself. Stop torturing
me."
"Now why would I want to do that?" he answered with a lazy smile and
hooded eyes.
"What?" she questioned.
"Look how hot you are for me," he answered with an insolent grin.
"Oh," comprehension dawned in her eyes. He rolled over on her and they
moved together in a rhythm unconsciously imitating the slap of the
waves on the shore.
Afterwards, sated, they slept. Waking at first light of dawn, they
watched the sunrise. Darien traced circles on Serena's stomach with a
finger. "You won't be able to wear that little bikini much longer.
Especially with the way you've been eating. And you haven't been sick
much lately either. I don't see much difference yet, maybe a little
bigger on top," he grinned.
She smiled at him. "I've noticed a few differences about you though."
He raised an eyebrow in question.
"You've managed to compliment me almost as often as you insult me.
That's quite an improvement for you, you know. But most of all, your
ego has gotten much bigger. Proud of being able to procreate, it
seems. You're even more insufferable than you used to be." She
commented.
"I'll take that as a compliment, myself. And all those big words, I
didn't know you had it in you, 'Ami' my love."
Darien picked Serena up and dumped her upside down over his shoulder.
He carried her kicking and screaming out into the surf and dumped her
in the water. She came up sputtering, "You'll get payback, you just
wait! It will be your turn to be tormented," Serena yelled.
"I'm looking forward to it," he smirked. "Now that we're not all
sticky and sandy, let's go back to our cabin. We've still got a couple
of hours to sleep before we leave for the tour boat."
* * * * * * * * *
The tour boat was midway between the two islands. The wind had picked
up and its direction was crosswise to the current. The size of the
swells had increased dramatically from the calm waters near shore. A
miserable Serena was curled up against Darien. "I feel really awful.
I shouldn't have eaten so much for breakfast. How much longer is it
until we get there?" she asked.
He looked out toward the next island. "It shouldn't be much farther,
we're almost there," he lied soothingly. He had no real idea how long
it would really take to get there.
The boat hit the choppy wake from a cruise ship that had just passed.
"Ooh, I'm gonna be sick," moaned Serena as she ran for the lee rail.
Her breakfast hit the water and she sagged in a heap on the deck.
"Just let me die," she protested as Darien tried to help her clean up
and move back to her seat.
Eventually the boat docked and they staggered ashore.
"No more boats! I'm not going back on that stupid boat today. Let's
just get a room somewhere around here," Serena said.
"But the ferry the other night didn't bother you. All our stuff is
over on the other island," Darien protested.
"I don't care, you can't drag me back on any more boats. I'm staying
on land! I don't want to get sick again," she announced.
"I don't ever remember you being seasick before," he commented.
"And I've never been on that rough a boat ride when I was pregnant
before either. Duh. Some 'protector' you are today."
"Should I change part of my name then? Cross out Mamoru Chiba and
write in Baka maybe?" he snapped.
Serena giggled, "I don't think I want to be known as Mrs. Baka. Of
course then I could get one of those tee shirts with the arrow pointing
to the side that says 'I'm with Stupid.'"
"Well I'll have to cancel the rest of the boat tour today. We can at
least go eat lunch and you can go shopping at the outdoor market," he
decided.
Serena brightened up at the thought of food and shopping. Looking
around as they walked toward the restaurant, she stopped to read a sign
in French and English. What about flying back? They say that they
give helicopter tours of the islands on that sign. Riding in Michiru
and Haruka's helicopter was a lot of fun."
"It probably costs four or five times as much money as the boat,"
Darien complained.
"I don't care. I'll stay here on this island and You can ride a boat
back and bring all our stuff back over here then. I'm not going on any
more boats!"
Darien sighed, "I concede defeat to superior forces, mi lady. You
win."
They arrived at the seafood restaurant on the waterfront with the rest
of the tour group. A table on the top floor deck gave a spectacular
view of both the harbor and the inland mountains. Both were glad for a
chance to sit and rest. Darien was full after a couple of plates from
the buffet. He watched in amazement as Serena continued to put away
food. "That's the third plate you've filled at the buffet. It sure
didn't take you long to get over being seasick," he commented.
"Well I lost my breakfast. I have to make up for that," she replied as
she continued to clear her plate.
Darien lounged in the shade against a building watching Serena as she
haggled with the jewelry merchant. She was buying loose black pearls
to give to her friends as thank you gifts. He smiled silently.
Unknown to Serena, he had bought enough pearls to make a necklace,
bracelet, and earring set for her they when returned home. She had
been oblivious to his short disappearance while she was clothes
shopping earlier that afternoon. His backpack was full of souvenir
trinkets, floral pareaux (wrap skirts) she had bought for all the
girls, and a tifaifai patchwork quilt was draped over his shoulder like
a Mexican serape. He hoped she would tire of shopping soon, but knew
this was probably wishful thinking even though it was late afternoon.
He sauntered over to her and put both hands on her shoulders, "Let's
take a break after this for drinks and maybe a snack," he told her.
They found an outdoor table at a nearby café. Serena gave Darien the
rest of her purchases to put away. She rummaged through his bag and
pulled out the pareau wrapped skirt she had bought for herself. "I
want to go try this on and see how it looks," she told him.
A short while later he looked up and saw her walking toward him with
her back to the sun. His breath caught, and he stared openly as she
approached. She had taken down her hair and it flowed down her back in
a loose twist. Behind her right ear was a tiare flower. Her turquoise
blouse was knotted up like a crop top. The wrap skirt was tied around
her hips and opened diagonally above one knee dropping to mid calf
behind. The material was not transparent, but was sheer enough he
could see her legs silhouetted by the sun shining through the material.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are," he asked her. Her smile
showed that she knew exactly the effect she was having on him. And
from the comments from some of the other tables, he wasn't the only guy
who noticed her. "You're wearing that flower on the wrong side. That
flower should be behind your left ear. You're taken. You're mine."
She laughed at the possessive tone in his voice, "You can fix my hair
if you want in a minute. Take these and put them in your bag." She
handed him the clothes she had changed.
As he put away the tennis skirt he noticed some lacy things bundled
inside it. "You didn't?" he questioned. She plopped on his lap and
leaned against him. He ran a hand down her side and over her hip. "Oh
that's evil, woman."
"Payback!" she chirped brightly and wiggled for effect.
He groaned and asked, "What happened to the innocent, naive Usako?"
"She watches TV and movies and spends way too much time around you,"
she answered.
"All these people are going to think I'm some kind of hentai. How can
I go anywhere now?" he complained.
"Do you want to go to that Polynesian feast tonight then? They're
having the native dance exhibition too. On the boat ride over you said
that you wanted to see them. I think it would be a lot of fun." she
smiled and tilted her head.
"How about we take that chopper you wanted to rent back over to the
other island we're staying at, like now," he countered. He took the
flower out from behind her ear and moved it to the other side. "At
least now you won't send out the wrong message to all the salivating
hounds over there," gesturing to a table full of guys passing round
pitchers of beer.
"They'll be able to guess what's on Your mind anyway," she teased.
"I wish I had my old green jacket that you made me leave at home now.
Give me that quilt back; I'm 'cold'. I'll wear it like a serape." he
said as he made a grab for it.
She hopped up and dangled it out of his reach. "Come and get it."
"Quit trying to embarrass me! Give it back!" He started to get up,
looked down, and flushed. "Or I'm not going anywhere," he amended,
sitting back down under the table.
Check. She tossed the throw back to him. Walking behind his chair,
she put both hands on his shoulders to hold him still. She nipped his
shoulder and alternately blazed a trail of bites and kisses up the side
of his neck and along his jaw. He wrenched around and captured her
face between his hands. In a conversational tone he informed her, "If
you continue that, you will be joining me in the john or in that alley
over there backed up against the wall."
Eek. So Mr. Control has limits she thought. Well that's useful to
know. And even though she admitted to herself with surprise, the idea
had a certain kinky appeal. There was no way she'd risk embarrassing
herself in public like that. She took his hands and pulled him up.
"Let's go find that helicopter charter place." Stalemate.
Serena trailed behind Darien, towed along by his death grip on her
hand. She hurried to keep up with his longer strides. They entered
the hanger and went over toward the somewhat seedy fellow lounging on a
deck chair reading the sports section of the paper. He was encased in
greasy gray flight coveralls, a backwards red baseball cap, and chewing
on an unlit cigar. Just the sort of pilot to inspire confidence she
thought sarcastically.
Darien said, "I want to hire a chopper to take us over to the Sunrise
and Moonlight Resort on the other island."
The pilot answered, "The ferry is a lot cheaper and goes right near
there. I usually do scenic tours around the islands." He looked up at
them, giving Serena an appreciative once-over, and smirking slightly
when he noticed Darien's flustered expression and obvious distraction.
"Or there's plenty of rooms for rent right around here," he drawled.
Serena flushed and pulled at Darien's shirt and said, "Let's go. Maybe
I won't get sick on the boat this time."
Darien looked at her, "I don't want you to risk it. Just because
something is cheaper is no reason to make you feel ill." Addressing
the pilot, "Can the advice. Just give me a price for a trip over now
and a return the day after tomorrow in the morning."
"There's a two hour minimum charge each trip," the pilot dickered.
"Done. That will be fine. Just get us there in good time. Fly
smooth, straight and level, no fancy stuff," Darien answered.
"Okay. I'll go fire her up. Come on out when I give the word. Name's
Jim Bob, by the way," the pilot answered. Rich tourists, paying a two-
hour fee for a thirty-minute ride, ya never know when you'll hit pay
dirt around here, he thought to himself.
Jim Bob kept up a running monolog of the sights as they rounded the
last of the mountains and headed down for level flight across the open
water. Serena was curled up comfortably against Darien on the second
row bench seat. As the helicopter dipped suddenly when it hit an air
pocket, she turned pale and greenish. "I think I'm going to be sick,"
she moaned.
Darien looked around frantically and retrieved a bucket and roll of
paper towels from the box between the front seats. They were put to
work as Serena repeated her morning's performance on the boat. When he
was sure she was finished, he scrounged through his backpack and
retrieved a water bottle, toothbrush, and toothpaste. She looked at
him gratefully. "Thanks. I feel better now. Are you always prepared
for everything?"
After she finished cleaning up, she stretched out across the seat with
her head cradled on his lap. He absently stroked her forehead and
smoothed her hair. The pilot glanced back in his mirror, "You folks
didn't just meet up here in the islands, I'd guess. Honeymooner's?
Too bad the filly gets seasick and air sick," he commented.
Serena roused a bit, remembering that it really was Darien's fault.
"If somebody remembered that I get morning sickness and that rough boat
rides don't help," she flared.
"You know I feel really sorry about that. Sometimes I'm such an
idiot," Darien admitted, cuddling her closer.
The pilot made a gagging sound, "Awe ain't that 'tweet."
"Not that it's any of your business anyway," Darien growled.
By the time they were deposited on the beach out back of their cottage,
Serena was pale, shaky, and looked exhausted. Darien helped her
inside. "Well at least it's door to door service. It should be for
that price," he commented mostly to himself. Serena was fading fast.
She crawled up on the bed and conked out face down diagonally across
it.
There was a long evening ahead and it looked like he would have to
spend it alone. So much for her driving him to distraction and getting
his hopes up for the night. It was payback all right, big time, he
thought. Oh, well. He covered her with a light blanket and brushed
her hair off her face. Plenty of time, for a long run down the beach,
a long swim, and a nice long cold shower. I would let her talk me into
not bringing any textbooks on the trip. I can't even study.
He decided to order room service for himself and some food for in the
morning. "Je voudrais la soupe de légumes, la peche, une salade verte,
et aussi pour demain matin une bagette, du fromage, des fruits, du
café, et du thé." Not sure if that was grammatically correct but they
should be able to understand it, he thought as he hung up the phone.
A quiet knock on the door woke Serena. It was light outside, but
extremely early for her. She went over and peered out through the
peephole. An attendant stood outside with a cart holding a continental
breakfast tray. Serena immediately opened the door, quickly grabbed
the tray off the cart, and slammed the door. She set the tray down on
the table near the window. She had missed dinner the night before and
was famished. She poured herself a cup of tea, grabbed an apple and a
banana, and sliced pieces of bread and cheese.
A silent shadow crossed the room and stopped behind her, the tall
elongated shape visible on the wall. It grabbed her shoulders and then
hugged her as she let out a squeak of surprise. "I didn't hear you get
up; you surprised me."
"How are you feeling this morning?" Darien asked.
"Fine, except I'm starved. I must have fallen asleep as soon as we got
back here. I'm still in the same clothes." She answered.
"You walked in, flopped down on the bed, and were out as soon as you
laid down. What do you want to do today? We can do whatever you feel
like," he answered.
"Nothing, just veg out, lie on the beach in the sun, go swimming,
sleep, and eat," she said.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"No, I can't think of anything," she answered trying to maintain a
deadpan expression and not to giggle at the exaggerated faces he made.
"I can certainly think of something I want to do," he commented with a
crooked grin and eyes widened in feigned innocence. Serena burst out
laughing.
So they spent the rest of the day doing whatever appealed to them both.
At the end of the day they fell across the bed in exhaustion. Serena
decided Darien needed to be picked on a little, "So you want to go
swimming again now or play some of 'your' games right here?"
"We went swimming this morning. I'm too tired for any games. You wore
me out woman," he admitted.
Serena smiled, "You know we've never done anything transformed, it
might be fun and you should have plenty of energy then."
A speculative look crossed his face, "That Sailor Moon costume does
have that really short skirt and those boots, and some of the stuff
I've dreamed about doing with her would be really fun to try."
She smirked, "You hentai. I don't think I have the energy for a SM
transform, how about a beautiful princess instead. You were always
dreaming about her anyway. And you can wear your mask and cape…"
"What is it about women and that cape anyway?" he wondered aloud.
"I've had so many comments about it from female fans."
"Well why don't we try and find out," Serena proposed.
* * * * * *
"Wow, you got through the whole flight this time and didn't get sick.
I'm proud of you," Darien teased Serena as they checked into the hotel
near the airport for their last night in French Polynesia.
"Let's go to the 'native' feast and dance tonight," Serena said as she
looked at the publicity flyers for the island attractions in the lobby.
"Ok. I did tell you the other day I wanted to see that," Darien said.
He moved out of hitting distance and added, "I sure wanted to see those
girls dance; they can really wiggle." Poised to flee, he waited to see
if she would react explosively.
Instead she just gave him a wide fake smile, "Well the native men dance
too and they don't wear shirts. They look sooo good," she threw right
back at him and tried a leering expression. She looked so funny he
just leered back at her, which started them both giggling helplessly.
"And I love you, man of masks and funny faces. You make me laugh," She
told him.
"I love you too. You brought light and happiness into a dark and
lonely life," he answered.
* * * * * * *
Another long plane ride the next day brought them to Honolulu
International Airport on Oahu in Hawaii. "I got reservations at the
Hyatt for a room in one of the towers on the 36th floor. It's across
the street from the beach. We've got dinner reservations at the
rooftop restaurant. There's a nightclub too, if you want to go
dancing. It's formal this weekend for some reason though; some
convention or benefit or something has most of the hotel. We're only
booked for two nights here since we both have to be back at school on
Monday," Darien commented.
Serena groaned, "Oh, don't even mention that place. I don't want to
think about it until Monday!" She paused a minute and a mischievous
smile lit her face, "I don't have any formal dresses with me. I didn't
bring any. You know what that means!"
Darien moaned, "Oh, no. No-o-o-o-o! Not that! Not more . . . shopping."