How to Have Fun
Chapter 5

Author: natia_99
E-mail: natia_99@yahoo.com
Rated: PG

Author's Notes: It seems that a small army of fiery moon wanded
individuals wish me to continue with this fic....er..at my
earliest convenience...heh heh....*sweatdrop*.....

Arigato for the frightening e-mails minna!

Disclaimer: I found these old letters I wrote to my cousin's
a few years ago when we were ALL Sailormoon obsessed, and we
each had a Sailor nickname....so I KNOW I am not Naoko...I am
actually......*drumroll*.....Sailor Chibi-Star! bwahahaha, I
get this star in the middle of my forehead when I tranform too!

hee hee hee......what? I'm not crazy! You are!
No you are!
You!

............*sweatdrop*................

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serena met Mina at the campus cafe, plopped down and threw her
head into her arms in despair.

"What's the matter?" Mina asked in alarm.

"He can dance!" She wailed.

Mina smothered a smile.

She listened calmly as her friend listed all the fantastic attributes of the
said Darien--she already knew them all.

He was handsome. He was smart. He was responsible--but he had a great sense of fun--but
it was overwhelmed by the responsibility part most of the time.

"What am I supposed to do Mina? He's NEVER going to be with me because he
feels so dutiful as a father!!!! I just have to keep going back and having so much
fun with Rini and seeing him come home all handsome and tired every night and then
leave!!! Arrrrrrggghhhhh!"

Mina laughed, "Of course not Serena! You just leave it to me."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
*

Darien saw Mina coming down the hall--could feel her matchmaker gaze burning into him
from behind. He tried to run. He tried to hide. But it was no use. The girl
might as well have been the magical Princess of Venus for God's sake!

She cornered him grinning madly, "So, when are you going to make your move?"

Darien groaned and shut his eyes, "Come again?"

"With Serena! You sure are waiting long enough! Why, the semester's nearly over!
You must have a GREAT plan all put together!"

She nudged Darien knowingly, "Something reeeeeally romantic--that she'll just love
since you know her so well now!"

Darien shook his head, "Why me?" He mock-sobbed.

Mina just laughed.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
*

Darien had no such plan. He felt all chances were lost. And she wanted to leave.
To dance around the world. And she deserved to--she was so lively and wonderful he
could never justify cooping her up in his small life. The world deserved her too.

His eyes narrowed. He didn't really believe that. The stupid *world* didn't deserve
her. They didn't need her! They didn't lo---whoa, hang on a second there. Was I just
going to say LOVE there? Hmmmm?? Was I!?

Unfortunately, bullying his own brain turned out to be a destructive idea since
his own brain caved and screamed YES OFCOURSE YOU WERE YOU IDIOT! causing him to
fall over backwards in his office chair.

Rini came in to find him thus--feet sticking up.

"Uhhh....are you alright?" She asked uncertainly.

"I think I'm crazy..." He muttered so she couldn't hear.

She skipped over and pulled him back up, "I have something I want to tell you."

He lifted her up onto the desk in front of him, "What is it pumpkin?"
He prompted, his mood lifting as he temporarily distracted himself from the
disconcerting argument with....himself.

"It's about Serena."

His brain did a funny little dance inside his head, and......was that mocking laughter
coming from the back?

"What about her?" He asked uncertainly.

Rini smiled, "I know I've been mean to all the OTHER girls.....and I'm sorry I guess.
But I really really like Serena so I just wanted you to know that if you want to
take her out on a date, I won't cause any trouble. Okay?"

He regarded her incredulously. Was she giving him permission? Was that what this
was? He was speechless.

Rini grinned at his blank face, "You should take her dancing! This friday! Rei said
she could come over and take care of me!!! Go have fun! You deserve it!"

She kissed his cheek and skipped out of the room.

Darien stayed frozen in place.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Thursday Night~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serena stood in the doorway regarding Darien oddly. They'd been standing like this
for some time. He had asked her to wait a minute before she left for the night.
And she had.

Then he'd stopped speaking altogether.

"Uhh....what is it Darien?"

Darien swallowed again--it was more like swallowing sawdust. His nerves were shot.
He was taking a big chance. What if she said no? How would he face her after this?
He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. And yet.....he'd come home again
and found them playing together--joined in. Had fun.

He looked up and met those impossibly blue eyes. She smiled curiously at him.

His jaw worked a moment, "Do you want to go dancing tomorrow night?"

She stepped back, surprised.

"Rei can watch Rini." He added.

She looked into his half-hopeful eyes and memorized them forever. Cherishing that
hungry, vulnerable expression in their depths.

She smiled, "I-I'd love to!" She exclaimed dazedly.

She watched him let out the breath he'd been holding, "Okay! Great! Then, tomorrow
night it is. Right. Okay."

~Shut up!~ His brain commanded, ~You sound like a---

"Okay, I'll come tomorrow and meet you? Alright. Cool. Great. I'll see you
then I guess."

She was doing the same thing! He smiled.

"Okay."

"Okay, g'night."

"G'night."

click. Went the door.

Thump thump thump. Went Darien's feet to Rini's room where he hauled her little
sleeping body into his arms.

"Wha--??!!" Cried Rini.

"WAHOOOOOOOO!" Hollared Darien swinging her round and round.

Rini laughed, "She said yes?"

"I have a date! I have a date! I have a date!" Sang Darien loudly.

Rini laughed somemore and joined in, "La la la la!" She chorused after every
verse.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Friday Night~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Darien was running--really running--from room to room.

"Where's my jacket? Where's my shoes!?! What shirt should I wear?!"

He ended up with his pants and shoes and coat on--no shirt or socks.

Rini shook her head laughing at him, "You're still half-naked!"

He put his head in his hands, "I'll never make it!"

Rini ran into his room, "Wear this shirt!" She proclaimed, pulling out a short
sleeved shirt in a nice colour.

He walked back in, "Are you sure? What about this one?"

Rini cringed, "NOOOOOOO!"

"Alright, alright!" He laughed. Then he went back into his rush, buttoning it up
and smacking on cologne, fixing his hair, putting on his watch.

A knock sounded at the door.

"She's here! She's here! She's here!" Rini chimed, running for the door.

Darien tried not to faint.

~I look fine. I smell fine. I feel fine. Yes. I am calm. I am fine. I am
to---tally relaxed. Who am I kidding?!~

~No one.~ His brain replied.

~Sigh.....~ (Inner monologue inspired by Grace-chan, *I'll* give you your
credit where you deserve it!)

He walked out to meet Serena and tripped over--well, absolutely nothing. She looked
utterly gorgeous.

"You look so pretty Serena!" Rini said with rapture.

And she did. She had on a dance skirt and top, her hair was braided up in two buns
with little flowers in them. She took out one flower and pinned it into Rini's hair.
Rini giggled delightedly.

She looked up then--her eye shadow and lip gloss giving her a look he had not
expected from her--doing terrible things to his insides.

He watched her start a bit and smiled. It was nice the way she reacted like that
so obviously. He could read the compliment in her eyes. She blushed a little.

"You look beautiful." He said sincerely.

"You look pretty good yourself." She quipped but she wouldn't meet his gaze.

He offered his arm, "Shall we go?"

She giggled and took it.

Rini pushed them out the door as Rei arrived, "Have fun!" She called after them.

Rei closed the door smiling and turned to the still-grinning Rini who sighed with
all the delight of a six year old and said, "Maybe they'll get married!"

Rei only nearly escaped fainting.



Darien took Serena to a local swing club and watched her face light up like a star.
"Swing dancing!!" She exclaimed delightedly, "Do you really know--"

She never got to finish for he pulled her out onto the floor and swung her out with
great skill.

She laughed and quickly joined in.

They danced for hours, getting more and more daring until--with a few little pointers
from Serena--Darien took centre floor and even the regulers stopped to watch them.
They weren't just great dancers, they were obviously in love.

Finally, winded and spent, they went over to a little table out of the way and chatted
over drinks.

Serena folded up the little umbrella from her float and tucked it away for Rini.

They talked about school and family and the usual for a while until finally Serena
asked, "Why did you ask me out again? I thought you didn't want to...."

"I thought you didn't either." He returned evenly with twinkling eyes.

She grinned, "Yes I did! I was only trying to make YOU feel better!"

He laughed, "I was an idiot for blowing my first chance--forgive me?"

She smiled, "Of course!"


And so, when they caught a cab home and he walked her to her door, the moment created
itself anew. Under the bright moon, as she slipped the little paper umbrella in his
shirt pocket for Rini and looked up to catch her breath at the expression in his
beautiful eyes.

He looked earnestly at her, "I had a really great time."

She chuckled nervously, "We should do it every friday!"

He grinned then, making her relax a fraction, "We will then!"

"I take it that means you'll ask me out on a second date." She joked.

He smiled and stepped closer, "I'll confirm the next million dates with you
if you'll let me."

She blushed a bit then and looked right into his eyes, "You know, I lied when I
said I got used to how handsome you are......"

He looked into her eyes then, and saw the kiss there waiting for him....it caused
a strange pull in his heart and his breath caught. A beautiful moment, for him alone.

He leaned down and took it, bending his dark head to meet hers and finally completing
the first kiss that had lingered since that moment back at the park so many months ago...

And it was worth the wait.

The soft feel of her lips against his own, he felt himself get lightheaded. Who
knew a kiss could feel this way? Not him. Not until now.

His hands were frozen at her shoulders where they gently held her, until she
pressed forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly, drawing him closer.

And that's when he learned that just when you think a great kiss can't get any better,
it does. He also realized at that moment, no matter how insane he sounded, he would
do anything and everything to always have kisses from her. He would be her slave
if it meant a few moments of this ecstasy. He knew he was helplessly in love. It
filled him with such incessant giddy glee that any and all thoughts that might have
delved into the pessimistic were blotted out by the wondrous golden light her kiss
was filling him with.

And finally, his hands came back to him and slipped around her to bury themselves in
her hair as he murmured something soft into the kiss.

She pulled back and he opened his eyes with such regret that she bit back a laugh.
"Hmmm?" He asked dazedly.

She smiled softly, "What did you say?"

He gazed at her with unspoken everything in the air, in his eyes.
"I....I said....." He trailed off in a fog, "I don't remember....?"

She giggled then and slipped her arms around his neck, "Can I have another kiss?"
She asked, opening her eyes wide and pleading.

He had no idea what kept him standing.

"Anytime...." He smiled, leaning down and losing himself again.

The cab left. Another one was called. It left too.

Finally, reluctantly, he untangled himself from her and stepped reluctantly
out into the night. He made it a few steps before she ran down after him and caught
one last blissful kiss.

Then she ran back up, her figure like a beautiful angel in the dark night, with the
moon lighting her silver.

He stumbled off to go home--never fully recollecting later how he managed to get
there. He was so dazed from her sweet kisses.

Serena flew to her window and watched him disappear. She grinned and hopped madly
around before brushing her teeth, washing her face and climbing into bed to have
the sweetest dreams she could ever recall having....

And what made them sweetest of all....was that maybe, just maybe, they'd come true....

And across campus, in his own apartment, Darien sat in bed thinking the same thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Awwwww, some good old fashioned mush just for YOU minna! nat-chan's had some soul-luck
in the matters of the heart of late, and was thus inspired to spill a little bliss
into this fic. Hope you liked? Write me write me write me!!!! natia_99@yahoo.com!!!!