"Serena! We've been looking for you. We tried calling your house but your mom said you had left really early this morning so me and Lita thought you might be here." Mina and Lita walked down the aisle and, then, sat down beside Serena and Darien.
"Oh, Serena... now that I've found you, there's something I'm sort of curious about."
"Shoot," was the simple reply that tumbled from her parched lips.
"I woke up real early this morning to clean my apartment and stuff. Anyway, I saw you run by my window. Why on earth were you wearing that dress?" Lita furrowed her brows as she looked at her friend.
Darien and Serena immediately paled. "Dress?" Darien choked out.
"That's the same thing I was thinking. It was, like, six in the morning and there goes Serena running home in some fancy white dress."
"Get up," commanded Darien as he glared in Serena's direction. The girls heard the authority in his tone and didn't dare disobey. As they all exited the booth, Darien grabbed Serena's wrist and drug her into a room marked "Employee's Only."
Once the door was shut behind them, Darien turned to tower over the small girl who was trying her best not to look guilty. The only sound that could be heard was the soft music that came from the speakers of the radio.
"Explain."
"There's nothing to explain, Darien. Come on, let's just go..."
"Don't give me that, Serena. What were you doing this morning?"
Serena sighed. There was no avoiding her fate now. "You know very well what I was doing, Darien."
"But how?"
"How what?"
"How did you know about the princess?"
"I heard you. I was walking through the park when I heard you talking about her."
"So you just happened to be walking in the park wearing HER dress?"
Serena sucked in her bottom lip and lightly bit down on it. "I have this pen. It's a magic pen that gives me different disguises..."
Darien rolled his eyes at her answer, "Get real, Serena. A magic pen?"
"I'm telling the truth and I'll prove it to you." Serena pulled out the Luna Pen and once again commanded it to dress her as Darien's princess. The only reaction she got from Darien was a look of utter shock.
After several long, silent moments, Darien managed to find his ability to speak. "Why would you do a thing like this? How cold hearted are you?"
"Cold hearted? That's what you think I am?"
"Obviously! Was this your idea of some joke to play on me for all the times I've teased you?!"
"Joke?! Don't you see?! I did it for you! I saw how sad you were and I just wanted to help! I thought that maybe if I turned myself into your princess then you it would make you feel better... and it did!"
"Next time don't even bother! I can't believe how stupid you are!"
Serena blanched at his last statement. Stupid? After everything she went through for him... listening to him proclaim his love for the princess when she loved him so... all he had to say to her was this cutting insult?
"You lied to me, Darien..." Serena's tone was even and lifeless.
"Lie? Look who's talking!"
"You told me that you would love me even if I wasn't perfect."
"I told what I thought was my princess that!"
"Who were you dancing with last night? Who were you kissing? Who were you singing to? Last night, you told me that it was the girl that was there with you right then that you loved..."
"Serena, you've had your fun. Let's just drop it."
"No, Darien... I won't, not before you understand why I did what I did. When I heard you call out to your princess, I wanted to do whatever I could to help you feel better. I hate seeing you upset. I got jealous. I wanted you to feel that way about me. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to sit there while you spoke of how much you loved the princess?"
Serena searched his eyes before continuing to pour out her heart. "No, you don't. You never considered how I felt. You just automatically assumed that I was just trying to hurt you. I would never do anything to hurt you. I... I love you..."
Darien's features softened at her soft confession. "I'm really sorry Serena, but you know I love the princess."
"Why? Why do you love her? No one will ever love you as much as I do! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"Of course it does. I'm really flattered, but my princess was the one that's been there for me since I was a little boy. Obviously, she's the one that loves me more... I really am sorry."
"You're wrong, Darien. She can't love you as much as I do. How can a dream love? Even if it could, she still couldn't possibly have the kind of feelings for you that I do. The only side of you that she's ever seen is the kind and generous one. But me, I've seen everything. I've seen the cruel way you treat me and the cold attitude you have towards everyone else... and even though I know how horrible you can be, I still love you. She hasn't seen these things... nor has she experienced them. She's never stood in front of you professing her love when she knows you don't love her back... She's never felt how much it hurts to know that the one you love chooses some stupid fantasy over you!" Serena's knees buckled underneath her and gravity pulled her to the floor.
As Serena cried, Darien fought an internal battle. 'Was Serena right? Should he give up his princess? What if Serena changed her mind later? What if she really didn't love him? Was it worth the risk?' As these thoughts passed through Darien's head, he listened to the song that was presently on the radio. Darien nearly gasped as he heard the lyrics...
"I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
I don't wanna miss one smile
I don't wanna miss one kiss
I just wanna be with you right here with you
Just like this
I just wanna hold you close
A feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment, for all the rest of time"
Serena must've heard the song as well because her gaze was cast intently on the radio. She began to sing with the chorus as the song came to an end...
"I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do..."
Serena could not make it further than this line, though. She looked up at Darien and tried to read his expression, but to no avail. Darien was always a master at hiding his feelings.
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do...
This line ran over and over in his mind like a broken record player. He remembered how it felt to have Serena in his arms and how it felt to kiss her lips... but most importantly, he remembered lying in his bed praying that things could be that way again... Here she was, giving him the chance... Darien knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to just visiting his princess in his dreams... He couldn't feel her hold him nor could he feel her breath tingle his ear as she whispered sweet nothings. But Serena could give him this. She was practically begging for him to let her. The only thing left to decide was... could he return her love?
Darien thought back to the first time he had met Serena. He remembered watching her as she trudged down the sidewalk, thinking to himself how beautiful she looked. He also remembered silently cursing himself for calling her Meatball Head... he had desired nothing more than to bring a smile to her face but, somehow, the only thing he was capable of saying was some sort of insult. Then, as time went by, he began insulting her just to get her attention. He always saw her having so much fun with Andrew, and he was jealous. He wanted to be the one that made her laugh. He even started getting up every morning and going out of his way just so he could bump into her each morning. He had told himself that he was just going on a typical morning stroll... but, honestly... he finally realized that he enjoyed all the times she had bumped into him. It gave him the chance to hold her, even if it only lasted a matter of seconds. So many different collisions flashed in front of him, all ending with him wrapping her in his protective embrace and placing her safely onto her feet.
Back to the question at hand... could he return her love?