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What is it about Disney movies? ^_^
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Chapter Twelve: Lady and the Tramp
Darien tapped on the arm of the chair nervously. What was taking so long?
"Oh man," he groaned, worrying about the various ways his 'brilliant' idea could have gone wrong, "Where *is* she?"
"Right behind you, silly!" a familiar, bubbly voice came from behind his chair.
Jumping up, he turned around to the very welcome sight of Ami tugging Serena toward him. He almost cried with relief to see that the blonde was smiling at him. He had come so close to losing her… Wait a second, since when am I trying to win her? He pushed away the question, not really caring as long as she was here rather than crying alone in a bathroom somewhere… His heart wrenched painfully at the mental image.
"So did you miss us terribly, Dare?" Ami was asking, with a grin. He gave himself a mental shake. Get a hold of yourself, Chiba. He grinned back and winked.
"Of course! I just don't know what to do with myself without you lovely ladies by my side," he teased, good-naturedly.
"Well, I think I'll let you make do with one lovely lady for a while, Dare…ah, things to do, people to see, you know," said Ami, with a terribly obvious wink in his direction. "Toodle-oo!" she called, waving her fingers at them as she disappeared into the crowd.
Darien laughed easily, happy to be alone with Serena. "That is so Ami. Don't you just love her? Her personality is as bright as her hair."
Serena giggled, suddenly feeling a little shy. She looked down at where her fingers were absently picking at a loose string on her dress. The realization came to her that she was very tired, drained from the emotional whirlwind of the night.
"Um…Darien? Is it all right with you…I mean, I'm kinda tired…do you think we could go home now?"
As he was also very tired of this party and the close calls of the night, Darien happily agreed. Using the excuse of the heavy crowds to put his arm around her, he guided her out to his car.
~----------~
Diamond watched as they left together, the other man's arm draped possessively around her waist. He swirled the spiked punch in his paper cup, experiencing an unfamiliar feeling, something he hadn't felt in a while. Jealousy, perhaps? Such a petty emotion… Anger, maybe. Displeasure, certainly.
With an irritated sigh, he pulled black power into his mind and called. Sapphire.
After a moment, the door to his room opened, spilling loud music and party sounds inside. A dark blue head ducked and entered, and the door was shut again, restoring the relative quietness of Diamond's personal bedroom. Diamond did not turn his head, but continued staring out of his window at the fast-disappearing car that carried the girl and the man.
After a moment of standing in silence, the younger man cleared his throat nervously. "Ah… you called me, brother?"
"Yes," he answered simply, still not looking at the other man. After a space of silence, he could hear Sapphire shift his weight uncomfortably. Diamond smiled a small smile to himself. He loved such games. When the tension mounted to its climax, he turned and fixed a piercing gaze on his younger brother, catching him just as he was about to speak. With the other man thrown off guard, he pressed the advantage.
"This…Serena, and Darien. Tell me, brother, what are your…impressions of them?"
Sapphire swallowed hastily, trying to regain his self-poise. Diamond watched with amusement as the younger man hastily shifted his features to a blank mask. It was pathetic, really, that he actually thought he could hide his emotions. His voice was quiet when he replied, "Well, Serena seemed a sweet girl, a little young, but fairly mature for her age, I'd say, and Darien seemed rather protective of her and…" A flash in Diamond's pale eyes warned him, and he halted immediately.
"You know," the older man enunciated slowly, menacingly, "that that is not what I meant." Sapphire kept his mask, meeting his brother's icy gaze. Diamond dropped the connection and took a swig of his alcoholic fruit punch, trying to control his frustration. His patience was wearing thin. Damn Sapphire and his defenses! It was so much easier to just bend people to his will by force… Aware of the improbability, he decided to try anyway. Summoning a little bit of power, he crept very, very slowly, with utmost caution, against Sapphire's mind, barely moving at all.
The younger man smiled for the first time. "You should know better, brother," he chided gently. The force was turned back.
Diamond sighed and looked away, out to the dark street again. The heavy music from below pounded through the floor and into his brain, causing an ache of pain there. Obviously, his little brother was getting too smart for his own good. He would have to try a different tactic.
Turning back, he made his hard, ice blue eyes as soft as possible, no easy feat. "Come, brother," he wheedled, in a gentle tone, "don't be like that. You know I only ask because you are quite likely to know better than I." That was true, as much as he hated to admit it. "Come, sit with me. Have a drink," he pleaded, using his softest tones.
Sapphire's blank mask melted for only a moment, but Diamond caught it. For an instant, he could see, quite clearly in the glittering, dark blue eyes of his younger brother, the other man's deep fraternal love for him. He almost balked, as he did every time he caught a glimpse of it, but he was much more adept at smothering such things than Sapphire. Still, it was a mystery, and one that he spent quite a lot of time thinking about. He just couldn't understand why the younger man loved him so. He would sometimes, perversely, do things simply because he knew that Sapphire would hate them, and be angry, just to test the boundaries of this hidden emotion. But no matter what he did, his younger brother's love held: a sense of faith, no matter how many times he proved himself unworthy of the affection. Perhaps that was why he kept the man with him so much, he mused. Perhaps that was why he had chosen Sapphire, out of all his siblings, as the sole one that he trusted with the knowledge of what he carried.
"I prefer to stand," the younger man said quietly, and a chuckle almost broke through Diamond's control. He may love me, but he does not trust me, he thought wryly, feeling inexplicably proud of his little brother.
"Then stand," he said mildly, shifting his long legs beneath him where he sat on the window seat. He paused for a moment, then continued carefully. "Well, you won't tell me flat out, perhaps you will answer my questions?"
Caution was written in every line of Sapphire's body. "It depends on the questions, I suppose," he answered in a falsely light voice.
Diamond smiled. "That's my brother. You *are* wary of me tonight, aren't you? Tell me, little brother, what exactly do you think I am going to do if you tell me what I want to know?"
Confusion broke through the mask. "I…don't really know."
"But it must be something horrible, correct?" Diamond leaned back and chuckled, taking a sip from his paper cup. "Well, you're probably right." He sighed with sudden moodiness and regarded Sapphire pensively. "I suppose you've known me too long, brother."
Sapphire swallowed, not knowing what to say. Diamond sighed again and reached into the pocket of his jacket, withdrawing a small, square, silver case, etched with a design of moon and stars. Opening it, he let a round, black stone roll from the velvet lining into his palm. He watched as his brother tensed. Holding it up to the light, he let it shine and sparkle before his pale eyes; a dark light, a black glow, seemingly impossible, but right there in his hand. It never ceased to fascinate him. He caught his brother's fearful sapphire gaze.
"So you won't tell me what you think? Well, then, I'll tell you what I believe. Each of them," he nodded toward the window, "has one of these. What colors, I'm not sure; that's your forte. But there is no other explanation that I can think of for how they each resisted me. Each of them carries a sacred crystal."
He watched his brother's face carefully, and years of experience in reading the man told him all he needed to know.
~----------~
Flicking on the lights, Darien tossed his keys on the counter and tried to pretend he wasn't watching as Serena stretched herself almost out of her dress. She let out a big yawn and flopped down on the sofa, kicking off her platform sandals. Smiling at her cuteness, he crossed to the living room and leaned over the back of the couch.
"So what now?" he asked, smiling down at her aquamarine eyes, half-lidded with heavy eyelashes. "You gonna go to sleep on my couch? Good, then I'll get the bed tonight," he teased, grinning.
Her eyes came open all the way. She picked up a throw pillow and swung it at his head. "No, you silly!"
He ducked, and came up grinning. "Oh, so you want me to sleep on the couch with you?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Why, Serena, I didn't know you cared!"
She sat up, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "That does it, buster. You're going down!"
Laughing and screaming, they chased each other down the hall, each armed with pillows. Swirls of feather escapees followed after them, drifting through the dusty air. In the TV room, Darien managed to grab her pillow away and pinned her beneath him on the couch.
Gasping with laughter and exertion, Serena shrieked, "Not fair! I'm unarmed!" She squirmed and struggled, but he had her body locked beneath his own.
"Is too fair! I got you! Say 'uncle!'" he commanded, still laughing. He felt so strange, like a little kid again, instead of a twenty-one year old businessman. It was a nice feeling, to not have to be an adult all the time.
Her hysterical laughter slowly died down in fits, and she met his eyes, inches above her. Suddenly he realized how close they were; the curves of her body pressed into his, heat melting through clothing between them. The childlike feeling immediately evaporated in a puff of steam from very adult hormones. Her lips parted slightly, and he could feel her hot breath on his own mouth, hovering above hers. Obeying a voice far beyond his control, he slowly closed the distance.
"Uncle!"
He froze, and it took a full five seconds for his brain to process the word. She was grinning up at him, still caught in the game. The word's meaning finally slammed into him with the force of a brick wall, and he immediately rolled off her, as though burned. Sitting up, he desperately shook himself, trying to regain control. Chiba, you idiot! You were going to kiss her! he admonished himself. And why is that such a bad thing? another voice countered.
Oblivious to his distress, she rolled off the couch and crawled toward his television, then laid on her stomach to peer at the boxes of videos stacked under its table. His train of thought came to a screeching halt and refocused completely on her. Did she have any idea how she looked in that short dress, barefoot and stretched out across the floor? She looked back at him with innocent fun sparkling in her eyes. "Let's watch a movie, Darien! Do you want to?"
He took a shaky breath. No, she was completely unaware of her effect on him. He gathered his wits.
"Uh, sure! What do you want to see?"
She looked back at the videos he owned, squinting to read their titles in the dim light. She pulled one out and gave him an incredulous look. "'Lady and the Tramp?' Why, exactly, does big, grown-up Mr. Chiba have a copy of a Disney movie?"
Darien colored, and was glad for the insufficient lighting. "Well, you know my little sister, Mina? It's her favorite movie, and she comes over sometimes, so I keep it here for her."
Serena grinned. "Aw, that's so cute! Unless you're just making up an excuse…" she pulled an expression of mock suspicion, then smiled again. "But I believe you." She turned around and stuck the video into the VCR's slot, then came over and sat next to him on the couch. He gave her a strange look as the FBI warning appeared on the screen.
"We're watching this?" he asked, in a carefully neutral tone.
"Yep," she replied happily, not giving any more explanation than that. She snuggled into the couch, and the opening credits started rolling, with black and white sketches of the town and a snowy Christmas evening. Jim, Dear handed the wiggling package with a big bow to Darling, and Serena sighed with delight. "I love this movie."
[AN: If you haven't seen the movie, or don't remember, 'Jim, Dear' and 'Darling' are Lady's owners]
Darien laughed when she laughed at the cuteness of the puppy Lady. He found himself marveling at how she was so completely unabashed about her love for something as childish as a kid's movie. Most girls he knew would rather die than admit they cooed over a cartoon puppy. They all thought they were so sophisticated and sexy, but Serena didn't even try, and he found her more attractive than any other woman he had met. Barefoot on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow and giggling at a Disney movie, she was, for some inexplicable reason, the most beautiful sight he had ever laid eyes on.
During the beautiful music after the famous "spaghetti scene", Darien felt a soft thud on his shoulder and looked down to see waves of golden hair spilling across his buttoned shirt. He waited a very long moment, then slowly inched his arm behind her, praying she wouldn't move away. Someone up there must have been listening, because far from moving away, she snuggled in under his arm, laying her head on his chest. He let his cheek rest in her hair, breathed in the heavenly smell of lavender shampoo, and sent fervent, multiple prayers of thanks. The rest of the movie passed in a blur for him, as he was too busy concentrating on the sensations that she sent rocketing through his body to really pay attention to anything else. The ending screen appeared and faded to static, but Darien didn't want to get up to stop the tape. In fact, he didn't ever want to move again. Just to stay like this forever, holding her…
He closed his eyes. There was no more denying it. He had fallen. Hard. Opening his eyes, he lifted his head to look down at her face. Her eyes were closed, the picture of angelic serenity resting against the fabric of his shirt. A small, tender smile crept up on him. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.
"Serena," he whispered, half just to say her name. "Are you awake?" He waited. No response.
Gently, so as not to disturb her sleep, he pulled her legs across his lap and slipped an arm under her knees. He carried her down the hall, not bothering to shut off the VCR. He laid her in bed, and she rolled into the pillows, making a small sound in her throat. Luna, who was sleeping on the bed, stirred and stretched, greeting him with a sleepy meow. He ran a hand down her soft fur and gently picked her up, settled the covers over Serena, and set her back down again. The cat settled herself, purring, against Serena's legs, and Darien knelt beside the bed, reluctant to leave.
Her long lashes rested lightly on her cheeks, trembling slightly as her eyes moved with a dream. Her hair was tangled, lying in messy waves, a halo of gold on his pillow. The edge of pale blue and silver fabric showed under the hem of the bedspread, twisted and wrinkled with the abuse of careless sleep-movements. Moonlight poured through his gauzy curtains, casting her delicate features in a silvery glow. A single strand of wispy hair hung across her face, invitingly mocking him. Unable to help himself, he reached out and gently moved it back into place, stroking his fingers over her cheek. Feeling as though he was in a kind of trance, he let his fingers linger, following the lines of her cheekbone, her jaw line…and with a quickened breath, her lips. He reverently traced the softness of them, feeling his heart rate increase. It was but a small movement, to lean his head closer to hers…
He shifted so that he supported his weight on either side of her. "Good night, Serena," he whispered, and allowed his lips to gently touch hers. Then he tore himself away, not trusting himself to be alone with her any longer.
~----------~
As soon as the door was softly pulled closed against its frame, Serena's eyes sprung open, and she sat up in bed. Luna stirred agitatedly at being disturbed yet again, and let out a grumpy protest as she resettled herself. Paying no attention to the cat, Serena lifted her fingers in wonder to lips that were tingling with his kiss. Her breathing quickened as she thought of how it had felt to lay her cheek against his chest, to feel the warmth and firmness of his skin beneath thin fabric and to hear the beating of his heart. She had felt…safe and warm, like nothing could hurt her. He had laughed with her, teased her, made her feel beautiful. And he had…he had…kissed her. Her first kiss.
Slipping out from beneath the covers that he had laid over her, she went to stand at the window. Gauze curtains parted to reveal a strange landscape of a city street transformed by silver moonlight. The moon was very bright that night, large, round, and resting contently, cradled in the arms of the diamond stars.
Serena sighed softly, leaning one cheek on her slender hand. This had been such a confusing night. Quite possibly the furthest range on the emotional spectrum that she had ever experienced in such a short amount of time. She had started out feeling confident and adult, going to a party on Darien's arm. Then she had seen…and then Diamond had made her feel like a helpless child, weak and easy to manipulate. After that, she had been miserable, out- of-place and lost, with no set course of action. And then she had been a little kid, chasing around with pillows and watching a Disney movie. And now…she was floating somewhere up there with the stars.
It was all so strange… Just a few days ago, she had been regular old orphan Serena, trying to make it with yet another foster family. Now she…well, now she didn't really know quite what she was, or what she was doing.
She looked up, and his beautiful eyes smiled down at her from the heavens. She drew in her breath, and knew only one thing. She didn't want to leave.
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AN: okay, that's it again for a while…..gomen, but I do think that is a nice place to leave it and I will try to get more chapters out a lot sooner than last time! ^.^;;
What is it about Disney movies? ^_^
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Chapter Twelve: Lady and the Tramp
Darien tapped on the arm of the chair nervously. What was taking so long?
"Oh man," he groaned, worrying about the various ways his 'brilliant' idea could have gone wrong, "Where *is* she?"
"Right behind you, silly!" a familiar, bubbly voice came from behind his chair.
Jumping up, he turned around to the very welcome sight of Ami tugging Serena toward him. He almost cried with relief to see that the blonde was smiling at him. He had come so close to losing her… Wait a second, since when am I trying to win her? He pushed away the question, not really caring as long as she was here rather than crying alone in a bathroom somewhere… His heart wrenched painfully at the mental image.
"So did you miss us terribly, Dare?" Ami was asking, with a grin. He gave himself a mental shake. Get a hold of yourself, Chiba. He grinned back and winked.
"Of course! I just don't know what to do with myself without you lovely ladies by my side," he teased, good-naturedly.
"Well, I think I'll let you make do with one lovely lady for a while, Dare…ah, things to do, people to see, you know," said Ami, with a terribly obvious wink in his direction. "Toodle-oo!" she called, waving her fingers at them as she disappeared into the crowd.
Darien laughed easily, happy to be alone with Serena. "That is so Ami. Don't you just love her? Her personality is as bright as her hair."
Serena giggled, suddenly feeling a little shy. She looked down at where her fingers were absently picking at a loose string on her dress. The realization came to her that she was very tired, drained from the emotional whirlwind of the night.
"Um…Darien? Is it all right with you…I mean, I'm kinda tired…do you think we could go home now?"
As he was also very tired of this party and the close calls of the night, Darien happily agreed. Using the excuse of the heavy crowds to put his arm around her, he guided her out to his car.
~----------~
Diamond watched as they left together, the other man's arm draped possessively around her waist. He swirled the spiked punch in his paper cup, experiencing an unfamiliar feeling, something he hadn't felt in a while. Jealousy, perhaps? Such a petty emotion… Anger, maybe. Displeasure, certainly.
With an irritated sigh, he pulled black power into his mind and called. Sapphire.
After a moment, the door to his room opened, spilling loud music and party sounds inside. A dark blue head ducked and entered, and the door was shut again, restoring the relative quietness of Diamond's personal bedroom. Diamond did not turn his head, but continued staring out of his window at the fast-disappearing car that carried the girl and the man.
After a moment of standing in silence, the younger man cleared his throat nervously. "Ah… you called me, brother?"
"Yes," he answered simply, still not looking at the other man. After a space of silence, he could hear Sapphire shift his weight uncomfortably. Diamond smiled a small smile to himself. He loved such games. When the tension mounted to its climax, he turned and fixed a piercing gaze on his younger brother, catching him just as he was about to speak. With the other man thrown off guard, he pressed the advantage.
"This…Serena, and Darien. Tell me, brother, what are your…impressions of them?"
Sapphire swallowed hastily, trying to regain his self-poise. Diamond watched with amusement as the younger man hastily shifted his features to a blank mask. It was pathetic, really, that he actually thought he could hide his emotions. His voice was quiet when he replied, "Well, Serena seemed a sweet girl, a little young, but fairly mature for her age, I'd say, and Darien seemed rather protective of her and…" A flash in Diamond's pale eyes warned him, and he halted immediately.
"You know," the older man enunciated slowly, menacingly, "that that is not what I meant." Sapphire kept his mask, meeting his brother's icy gaze. Diamond dropped the connection and took a swig of his alcoholic fruit punch, trying to control his frustration. His patience was wearing thin. Damn Sapphire and his defenses! It was so much easier to just bend people to his will by force… Aware of the improbability, he decided to try anyway. Summoning a little bit of power, he crept very, very slowly, with utmost caution, against Sapphire's mind, barely moving at all.
The younger man smiled for the first time. "You should know better, brother," he chided gently. The force was turned back.
Diamond sighed and looked away, out to the dark street again. The heavy music from below pounded through the floor and into his brain, causing an ache of pain there. Obviously, his little brother was getting too smart for his own good. He would have to try a different tactic.
Turning back, he made his hard, ice blue eyes as soft as possible, no easy feat. "Come, brother," he wheedled, in a gentle tone, "don't be like that. You know I only ask because you are quite likely to know better than I." That was true, as much as he hated to admit it. "Come, sit with me. Have a drink," he pleaded, using his softest tones.
Sapphire's blank mask melted for only a moment, but Diamond caught it. For an instant, he could see, quite clearly in the glittering, dark blue eyes of his younger brother, the other man's deep fraternal love for him. He almost balked, as he did every time he caught a glimpse of it, but he was much more adept at smothering such things than Sapphire. Still, it was a mystery, and one that he spent quite a lot of time thinking about. He just couldn't understand why the younger man loved him so. He would sometimes, perversely, do things simply because he knew that Sapphire would hate them, and be angry, just to test the boundaries of this hidden emotion. But no matter what he did, his younger brother's love held: a sense of faith, no matter how many times he proved himself unworthy of the affection. Perhaps that was why he kept the man with him so much, he mused. Perhaps that was why he had chosen Sapphire, out of all his siblings, as the sole one that he trusted with the knowledge of what he carried.
"I prefer to stand," the younger man said quietly, and a chuckle almost broke through Diamond's control. He may love me, but he does not trust me, he thought wryly, feeling inexplicably proud of his little brother.
"Then stand," he said mildly, shifting his long legs beneath him where he sat on the window seat. He paused for a moment, then continued carefully. "Well, you won't tell me flat out, perhaps you will answer my questions?"
Caution was written in every line of Sapphire's body. "It depends on the questions, I suppose," he answered in a falsely light voice.
Diamond smiled. "That's my brother. You *are* wary of me tonight, aren't you? Tell me, little brother, what exactly do you think I am going to do if you tell me what I want to know?"
Confusion broke through the mask. "I…don't really know."
"But it must be something horrible, correct?" Diamond leaned back and chuckled, taking a sip from his paper cup. "Well, you're probably right." He sighed with sudden moodiness and regarded Sapphire pensively. "I suppose you've known me too long, brother."
Sapphire swallowed, not knowing what to say. Diamond sighed again and reached into the pocket of his jacket, withdrawing a small, square, silver case, etched with a design of moon and stars. Opening it, he let a round, black stone roll from the velvet lining into his palm. He watched as his brother tensed. Holding it up to the light, he let it shine and sparkle before his pale eyes; a dark light, a black glow, seemingly impossible, but right there in his hand. It never ceased to fascinate him. He caught his brother's fearful sapphire gaze.
"So you won't tell me what you think? Well, then, I'll tell you what I believe. Each of them," he nodded toward the window, "has one of these. What colors, I'm not sure; that's your forte. But there is no other explanation that I can think of for how they each resisted me. Each of them carries a sacred crystal."
He watched his brother's face carefully, and years of experience in reading the man told him all he needed to know.
~----------~
Flicking on the lights, Darien tossed his keys on the counter and tried to pretend he wasn't watching as Serena stretched herself almost out of her dress. She let out a big yawn and flopped down on the sofa, kicking off her platform sandals. Smiling at her cuteness, he crossed to the living room and leaned over the back of the couch.
"So what now?" he asked, smiling down at her aquamarine eyes, half-lidded with heavy eyelashes. "You gonna go to sleep on my couch? Good, then I'll get the bed tonight," he teased, grinning.
Her eyes came open all the way. She picked up a throw pillow and swung it at his head. "No, you silly!"
He ducked, and came up grinning. "Oh, so you want me to sleep on the couch with you?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Why, Serena, I didn't know you cared!"
She sat up, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "That does it, buster. You're going down!"
Laughing and screaming, they chased each other down the hall, each armed with pillows. Swirls of feather escapees followed after them, drifting through the dusty air. In the TV room, Darien managed to grab her pillow away and pinned her beneath him on the couch.
Gasping with laughter and exertion, Serena shrieked, "Not fair! I'm unarmed!" She squirmed and struggled, but he had her body locked beneath his own.
"Is too fair! I got you! Say 'uncle!'" he commanded, still laughing. He felt so strange, like a little kid again, instead of a twenty-one year old businessman. It was a nice feeling, to not have to be an adult all the time.
Her hysterical laughter slowly died down in fits, and she met his eyes, inches above her. Suddenly he realized how close they were; the curves of her body pressed into his, heat melting through clothing between them. The childlike feeling immediately evaporated in a puff of steam from very adult hormones. Her lips parted slightly, and he could feel her hot breath on his own mouth, hovering above hers. Obeying a voice far beyond his control, he slowly closed the distance.
"Uncle!"
He froze, and it took a full five seconds for his brain to process the word. She was grinning up at him, still caught in the game. The word's meaning finally slammed into him with the force of a brick wall, and he immediately rolled off her, as though burned. Sitting up, he desperately shook himself, trying to regain control. Chiba, you idiot! You were going to kiss her! he admonished himself. And why is that such a bad thing? another voice countered.
Oblivious to his distress, she rolled off the couch and crawled toward his television, then laid on her stomach to peer at the boxes of videos stacked under its table. His train of thought came to a screeching halt and refocused completely on her. Did she have any idea how she looked in that short dress, barefoot and stretched out across the floor? She looked back at him with innocent fun sparkling in her eyes. "Let's watch a movie, Darien! Do you want to?"
He took a shaky breath. No, she was completely unaware of her effect on him. He gathered his wits.
"Uh, sure! What do you want to see?"
She looked back at the videos he owned, squinting to read their titles in the dim light. She pulled one out and gave him an incredulous look. "'Lady and the Tramp?' Why, exactly, does big, grown-up Mr. Chiba have a copy of a Disney movie?"
Darien colored, and was glad for the insufficient lighting. "Well, you know my little sister, Mina? It's her favorite movie, and she comes over sometimes, so I keep it here for her."
Serena grinned. "Aw, that's so cute! Unless you're just making up an excuse…" she pulled an expression of mock suspicion, then smiled again. "But I believe you." She turned around and stuck the video into the VCR's slot, then came over and sat next to him on the couch. He gave her a strange look as the FBI warning appeared on the screen.
"We're watching this?" he asked, in a carefully neutral tone.
"Yep," she replied happily, not giving any more explanation than that. She snuggled into the couch, and the opening credits started rolling, with black and white sketches of the town and a snowy Christmas evening. Jim, Dear handed the wiggling package with a big bow to Darling, and Serena sighed with delight. "I love this movie."
[AN: If you haven't seen the movie, or don't remember, 'Jim, Dear' and 'Darling' are Lady's owners]
Darien laughed when she laughed at the cuteness of the puppy Lady. He found himself marveling at how she was so completely unabashed about her love for something as childish as a kid's movie. Most girls he knew would rather die than admit they cooed over a cartoon puppy. They all thought they were so sophisticated and sexy, but Serena didn't even try, and he found her more attractive than any other woman he had met. Barefoot on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow and giggling at a Disney movie, she was, for some inexplicable reason, the most beautiful sight he had ever laid eyes on.
During the beautiful music after the famous "spaghetti scene", Darien felt a soft thud on his shoulder and looked down to see waves of golden hair spilling across his buttoned shirt. He waited a very long moment, then slowly inched his arm behind her, praying she wouldn't move away. Someone up there must have been listening, because far from moving away, she snuggled in under his arm, laying her head on his chest. He let his cheek rest in her hair, breathed in the heavenly smell of lavender shampoo, and sent fervent, multiple prayers of thanks. The rest of the movie passed in a blur for him, as he was too busy concentrating on the sensations that she sent rocketing through his body to really pay attention to anything else. The ending screen appeared and faded to static, but Darien didn't want to get up to stop the tape. In fact, he didn't ever want to move again. Just to stay like this forever, holding her…
He closed his eyes. There was no more denying it. He had fallen. Hard. Opening his eyes, he lifted his head to look down at her face. Her eyes were closed, the picture of angelic serenity resting against the fabric of his shirt. A small, tender smile crept up on him. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.
"Serena," he whispered, half just to say her name. "Are you awake?" He waited. No response.
Gently, so as not to disturb her sleep, he pulled her legs across his lap and slipped an arm under her knees. He carried her down the hall, not bothering to shut off the VCR. He laid her in bed, and she rolled into the pillows, making a small sound in her throat. Luna, who was sleeping on the bed, stirred and stretched, greeting him with a sleepy meow. He ran a hand down her soft fur and gently picked her up, settled the covers over Serena, and set her back down again. The cat settled herself, purring, against Serena's legs, and Darien knelt beside the bed, reluctant to leave.
Her long lashes rested lightly on her cheeks, trembling slightly as her eyes moved with a dream. Her hair was tangled, lying in messy waves, a halo of gold on his pillow. The edge of pale blue and silver fabric showed under the hem of the bedspread, twisted and wrinkled with the abuse of careless sleep-movements. Moonlight poured through his gauzy curtains, casting her delicate features in a silvery glow. A single strand of wispy hair hung across her face, invitingly mocking him. Unable to help himself, he reached out and gently moved it back into place, stroking his fingers over her cheek. Feeling as though he was in a kind of trance, he let his fingers linger, following the lines of her cheekbone, her jaw line…and with a quickened breath, her lips. He reverently traced the softness of them, feeling his heart rate increase. It was but a small movement, to lean his head closer to hers…
He shifted so that he supported his weight on either side of her. "Good night, Serena," he whispered, and allowed his lips to gently touch hers. Then he tore himself away, not trusting himself to be alone with her any longer.
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As soon as the door was softly pulled closed against its frame, Serena's eyes sprung open, and she sat up in bed. Luna stirred agitatedly at being disturbed yet again, and let out a grumpy protest as she resettled herself. Paying no attention to the cat, Serena lifted her fingers in wonder to lips that were tingling with his kiss. Her breathing quickened as she thought of how it had felt to lay her cheek against his chest, to feel the warmth and firmness of his skin beneath thin fabric and to hear the beating of his heart. She had felt…safe and warm, like nothing could hurt her. He had laughed with her, teased her, made her feel beautiful. And he had…he had…kissed her. Her first kiss.
Slipping out from beneath the covers that he had laid over her, she went to stand at the window. Gauze curtains parted to reveal a strange landscape of a city street transformed by silver moonlight. The moon was very bright that night, large, round, and resting contently, cradled in the arms of the diamond stars.
Serena sighed softly, leaning one cheek on her slender hand. This had been such a confusing night. Quite possibly the furthest range on the emotional spectrum that she had ever experienced in such a short amount of time. She had started out feeling confident and adult, going to a party on Darien's arm. Then she had seen…and then Diamond had made her feel like a helpless child, weak and easy to manipulate. After that, she had been miserable, out- of-place and lost, with no set course of action. And then she had been a little kid, chasing around with pillows and watching a Disney movie. And now…she was floating somewhere up there with the stars.
It was all so strange… Just a few days ago, she had been regular old orphan Serena, trying to make it with yet another foster family. Now she…well, now she didn't really know quite what she was, or what she was doing.
She looked up, and his beautiful eyes smiled down at her from the heavens. She drew in her breath, and knew only one thing. She didn't want to leave.
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AN: okay, that's it again for a while…..gomen, but I do think that is a nice place to leave it and I will try to get more chapters out a lot sooner than last time! ^.^;;
