Title: Dream Diary
Rating: G-PG
Written by: Raseyu & Mistic
anglemoon_raseyu@yahoo.com & mistic@flash.net
Chapter 2
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Serena's eyes were wide and desperate, pleading with
Darien to understand. For some reason, she had a feeling
he would. "Please, Darien."
Dumbfounded, Darien found he could do nothing more
than nod his head.
"Thank you!" Serena cried giving Darien a bear hug
and a peck on the cheek before running towards the voice
leaving Darien to sit where he was and ponder what the
heck just happened.
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Stranger things have happened to Darien Shields. He
fought the minions of the Dark Kingdom on a regular basis.
He dreamed of a beautiful princess that had stolen his heart,
or so he thought. He had had incredible urges to climb
lampposts and leap fences in the early stages of
adolescence--although, Darien's adventures as Tuxedo
Mask quickly quieted those urges. He fought along side the
reluctant heroine Sailor Moon and saved her just in time with
a perfectly aimed rose or desperate leap meant to pull the
young girl to safety. Yes, stranger things have happened
indeed. So why was it that the kiss of a young, beautiful girl
brought him to his knees?
Azabu High School knew Darien as a heart breaker. He
was 6ft 2in tall with a lanky frame that did little to hide the
power within. He had a slight build that accented formal
clothes in a way no other could. Finely chiseled features
stood out in stark contrast to golden skin. Darien's stormy,
sapphire eyes held an air of mystery that captivated the
hearts and imaginations of women, both young and old.
Yet for all his looks, Darien scoffed at the way women
looked at him. He often ran the other way rather than suffer
their advances. His manner seemed almost cold in the way
he treated women. No, Darien never hurt them only scorned
their attention.
Only one woman had ever held Darien's attention. At
fifteen, you could hardly call this girl a woman yet her
appearance spoke volumes against her age. She stood at a
height of 4ft 11in with a body any girl would kill for. She had
long slender legs and arms that hid strength beyond
imagining. Her waist was tiny, and she could eat almost
anything without gaining a pound. Long golden hair
cascaded down her back like a halo. Azure eyes shone with
happiness as well as life, and she brought joy to all those
around her.
Yet for all her beauty, this girl was a klutz. She could
hardly walk a block without tripping over something, usually
her own feet. She was a carefree youth that preferred
sundaes to studying. Her grades were less than stellar yet
that did little for her disposition. She was a true friend to all
those around her. Always smiling trying to make others
happy even when she was sad.
For all his charms and killer smiles, Darien could not
find a way to be nice to the girl. He insulted her, and she
insulted him back. They bickered with each other nearly
everyday making their friends believe they could not stand
each other's company. Poor Darien, all he ever wanted to
do was say something nice to the girl, but it always came
out, "how ya doin', Meatball Head," or "fail any tests lately."
The suave things he had planned to say went out the
window, along with his self-control, the moment he saw her.
Never in his life had Darien had it so bad for a girl. Too bad,
she hated him with a passion. Still Darien longed for the day
they could be friends and maybe even more.
The chimes of the Crown Fruit Parlor brought Darien
out of his silent retrieve. He had not even realized he had
been moving until that moment. Therefore, when the chimes
sounded, it is safe to believe that Darien jumped almost
visibly. He had not expected to find himself there of all
places.
Shaking his head, Darien mindlessly shifted his
precious bundle and began to make his way slowly across
the tiled floor. For what seemed like the hundredth time that
day, Darien's mind conjured up the events of an hour prior.
Again, his mind began to analyze every word, every action,
and again he puzzled over the young girl's actions.
All of a sudden, realization slammed into Darien's
overtaxed mind.
Serena trusted him.
Darien abruptly halted midway to the old fashion
counter. Shock filled his mind so completely he could no
longer move. His mind raced trying to sort out jumbled
thoughts and images.
'No that can not be right,' Darien thought dejectedly,
'there has to be some mistake. Why would Meatball Head
trust me, her worst enemy, of all people? No, no there has
to be some kind of mistake here.'
'If she did not trust you, why did she give you her
diary?' The voice of his heart challenged in an arrogant
tone.
'She did not want her father to have it.' Darien's
rational side responded automatically.
'Why?' The voice mocked.
'Because she...'
'Trusts you.' The voice exclaimed gleefully. 'She trusts
you more than her own father.'
Darien's rational side remained speechless and
gawking at this revelation, for it rang of truth. Serena trusted
him. She trusted him to guard her deepest, darkest secrets.
A sense of overwhelming happiness swelled within
Darien's heart. And for the first time in his life, he felt giddy
all over, and he *liked* it! The sensation of knowing that
Serena trusted him overwhelmed him with its intensity.
Never before in his life had Darien felt so completely happy.
The knowledge of Serena's trust filled him with unimaginable
hope that he still stood a chance of beginning anew and
winning her heart.
A small, genuine smile hovered about Darien's lips. His
eyes sparkled with hope as he took a seat at the counter.
Carefully, Darien stacked Serena's diary and pencils off to
the side. The girl had, had the good sense to give him the
case for the pencils; therefore, they had no chance of rolling
off the counter any time soon.
'She's more intelligent than she gives herself credit for.'
Darien thought, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Well, somebody's in an -offly- good moon this morning!
What happened?" A sandy haired blonde inquired from the
other side of the counter. A large grin spreading across his
face at the sight of Darien's vacant, love-struck look. 'He's
got it bad,' the young man thought, causing his smile to grow
bigger with every passing second.
Startled, Darien nearly jumped off his stool, but after
realizing whom had spoken to him, he just smiled
mysteriously. A few moments of quiet contemplation passed
before stormy, sapphire eyes lifted to meet the inquiring
gaze of his grinning friend. Darien gulped at his best friend's
Cheshire grin. He did not like that look one bit.
'Some friend you are,' Darien thought with a sigh.
"Oh, nothing." Darien paused. Looking into his friend's
rather suspicious gaze, he gave an inward sigh before
continuing, his eyes taking on a mischievous glint. "Just ran
into someone this morning..."
Silence settled between the two young men as Andrew
scrutinized Darien's gaze. What he saw there was mischief
as well as hope. Taken aback by the mischief shinning in
his stoic friend's eyes, Andrew had a hard time finding his
voice. His mind raced trying to find a reason for the other
man's good mood. Finding nothing in his friend's gaze,
Andrew nearly shouted, "For Peter's sake! Who? Who did
you run into this morning!"
Laughter bubbled within Darien's throat, but he stifled it.
He pushed it down yet his eyes shown with mirth. He just
could not hide the amusement building within him.
Therefore, knowing this, Darien offered just a bit more bait.
"A friend."
"Yes, I gather that, but who is she!"
Darien faltered--openly no less. He had not expected
his friend to figure it out so easily. 'How...'
"W-who said it was a she?" Darien stuttered, trying to
hide his initial shock. "It could have been one of the guys for
all you know."
"Yes, but I highly doubt that." At Darien's pointed look,
Andrew hastily continued least his friend murder him. "That
is to say, you had this vacant look on your face when you
came in, and I think I am safe in saying you care about this
person, deeply. I assumed that the person in question is
female because I didn't think you swung -that- way-"
"ANDREW!"
"Okay, okay! Sheesh! Jeez, you don't have to bite my
head off." Andrew exclaimed backing away from the
counter, hands raised in defense of Darien's steely gaze and
clenched jaw. "I know you don't, but still..." Andrew lowered
his hands while Darien just glared at his so-called best
friend. "You've go to admit..."
"WHAT!"
A visibly shocked Andrew jumped nearly a mile high
with a yelp that sent many stares in the direction of the
counter. Seeing nothing wrong, customers turned back to
their meals and light chatter grumbling about overworked
teenagers and so forth.
Darien drew a deep, calming breath, "What? You've
got to admit what?"
"N-nothing-just forget it." Andrew stuttered shakily,
nervously. "Now, tell me. Who is she?"
Again, silence draped around the two young men. The
hum of soft chatter and the ding of silverware on china were
the only sounds that newcomers heard upon their entrance
to the arcade. Darien's eyes became hooded and steely
against Andrew's inquisitive gaze. His silence was that of a
brooding man while Andrew's was that of quiet scrutiny.
Neither man spoke lest they start another argument.
"Excuse me." A voice called softly from beside Darien.
"Umm...Could I place an order please?"
Both men jumped slightly at the voice. Two heads
turned in near unison to gaze upon a young woman in her
early twenties. She had startling amber eyes and hair so
green it looked black. So engrossed were they in their own
world, the two men had not paid any attention to the young
woman's approach.
'Guess, this'll have to wait for another time.' Andrew
thought with a dejected sigh before pasting on a smile and
speaking to the newcomer. "Sure, what can I get you?"
The young woman just smiled mysteriously as she
stated simply, "Green Tea."
"Green Tea. Got it. I'll be right back," and with that,
Andrew disappeared into the back storage room in search of
some tea bags.
Silence fell once more and the young woman took the
opportunity to give Darien a once-over. Stormy sapphire
eyes, chiseled features creased in a frown, unruly bangs
falling into his face. He was handsome, she decided with a
small smile. 'Now wonder the Princess has fallen for him.'
"Umm, excuse me." The soft voice ventured.
Startled, Darien jumped slightly. He had not expected
this newcomer to speak to him. Very few ever ventured to
speak to him when he was in 'one of his moods,' as Andrew
put it once. Therefore, he was very surprised someone had
decided to brave his temper.
Darien responded with a raised eyebrow and a half
smile.
"I'm sorry. I just could not help but notice..." She
looked down to see a piece of paper falling from the--what
looked like a diary from her angle. Slowly, she bent down
and picked it up. As she gracefully straightened, she could
not help but notice how lovely the drawing was.
"This picture...did you draw it?" she asked Darien
offhandedly as she continued gazing upon the drawing in her
gentle hand.
Darien eyes widen in shocked terror as swiftly he
grabbed the picture from the young woman's hands. So
hastily did he shove the drawing back into Serena's book; he
did not even take a moment to look at the picture. Instead,
Darien held the diary close to his heart like a little child would
hold his favorite teddy bear.
The women could not help but giggle as Darien hugged
the diary so close to his chest nor could she miss the
protective glint in his eyes.
"I guess not. Then do you know who the artist is?" she
asked, raising a perfectly formed eyebrow and eyeing him.
Nervously, Darien scanned the area around him before
turning back to the woman. For a moment his protective
hold loosened on the leather bound book as his eyes
twinkled almost impishly as he taunted, "Yes, but I'm not
telling."
The woman could not help but laugh at Darien's mock-
serious tone. He had seemed almost innocent holding that
black book so near and with such fierce protectiveness in his
eyes. She could have almost sworn she had seen that look
before...
It was then that Andrew sat a steaming mug of green
tea down before the woman. Upon glancing at Darien, he
could not help but laugh at the spectacle that his best friend
made holding Serena's diary so close to him--even if not as
close as he had held it only moments before.
"Buddy what are you doing?" Andrew asked, raising
one suspicious eyebrow in question and bringing his head to
rest on his hands. He cocked his head to the side as though
he was trying to derive the answer from the close inspection
of his friend's steady gaze. However, Darien did not
respond right away; instead, he decided to search the
arcade for a way to change the subject. However, much to
his eternal shock, Darien found the focus of the room to be
on himself and the rather absurd spectacle he made holding
Serena's diary as though it were a child in need of
protecting. Why was he acting like this anyway--so
protective of something as silly as a diary?
'But it's not just a silly diary,' Darien's heart cried out in
defiance against his mind's insensitive inquiry.
"Well?" Andrew drawled inquisitively, one eyebrow
raised in amusement. Never in their years of friendship had
he ever seen Darien be so protective of something--well,
except for his past, but that's another story--that wasn't
even his.
Gazing upon the mildly inquisitive amusement
expressed in Andrew's boyish features, Darien finally
realized just how foolish he must look--almost a grown
man--clutching Serena's diary as if it held the greatest
treasure in the world. And to tell the truth, had he been
honest with himself, Darien would have seen that the book
did indeed hold a treasure--the treasure of an angel's
trust--but he chose to ignore that fact. Instead, he opted
rather hastily to gulp down the remains of his coffee--
burning his tongue yet again in the process--in a single
gulp. Hissing gently in order to cool his abused tongue,
Darien decided to take a moment to think before stating
simply, "I'm just protecting Sere-er-Meatball Head's
privacy. She deserves at least that much for the way I treat
her..."
Abruptly, Darien trailed off as a stupefied look clouded
Andrew's features only to be followed by a stupid grin as he
finally put two and two together. A silly grin steadily spread
across his boyish face and vibrant emerald eyes began to
cloud over in a dreamlike state. Finally, finally he was
getting somewhere.
"That's it," Andrew exclaimed, snapping his fingers in
gleeful delight, "That's who you've been with all morning--
how come I didn't see it before? You always stare at her
when she comes in, and you always talk to her--even if it's
just to tease her mercilessly--" Abruptly, his eyes grew
incredulous as he smacked himself on the forehead. "How
could I have been so stupid!!! You've never looked at a girl
that way before--hee hee--Darien's in love!"
A collective gasp rose from the arcade as if Andrew had
just spilt the biggest secret in the universe. The great Darien
Shields was in love--and with Meatball Head no less!
Who'd a thought that the cold aloof Darien would fall so
hard? No one but a very smug looking Guardian of Time
sitting on his right side, desperately trying to hide her
laughter at the insane situation she had suddenly found
herself in.
Desperately, Darien tried to find some way out of this
conversation--this "confession" of emotions that he had only
recently realized burned deep within his once frozen heart.
He had no classes today and Andrew knew it, or he would
have used that excuse. However, Darien did have one card
up his sleeve that Andrew did not know about. His work
schedule. It was something that Darien only shared with
Andrew when the later wanted to drag him to some party or
nightclub. Today Darien was not scheduled to work but what
Andrew did not know would not hurt him. Therefore, Darien
hurriedly glanced down at his watched and exclaimed, "Sorry
to interrupt your littler tirade, Andy, but I have to get to work."
And with that, Darien gathered Serena's art supplies
and headed towards the door. Halfway there, he abruptly
spun around on his heel to face Andrew square in the eyes
and stated in a calm, even tone, "I am not in love with,
Meatball Head, nor do I loath her. She is an enigma--one
that I plan on solving in the near future--but my feelings do
not run any farther than that."
Andrew only looked at Darien with a single eyebrow
raised mockingly. "Sure Darien, sure. That's why you are
holding--rather--protecting her dairy so carefully." Andrew
stated calmly, pointing to the black book inscribed with the
word "Bunny" in fancy golden script.
"I don't have to take this from you Andrew," Darien
exclaimed puffing him self up like a blow fish and crossing
his arms (Think Steve Urkle ~ Mistic), " I DO NOT like
Meatball Head, and I mean for my feelings to stay that way."
And with that Darien spun on his heels only to wind up on his
butt for all his troubles (Raseyu: tee-hee ^_^).
"You're a regular Serena, Darien," Andrew exclaimed
as he laughed and pointed at his disheveled friend, "This is
classic, wish I had a camera!" Suddenly, a light bulb went
off in Andrew's mind and within a second he was furiously
rummaging through the lost and found drawer--which, just
happened reside right in front of him. Seconds later, a
triumphant Andrew yelled out, "Wait! I do have a camera!"
(I am so mean! *evil laugh* ~ Mistic)
Nevertheless, it was too late for Darien's tomato red
face to be immortalized on film. (Ah--too bad... tee-hee! ~
Mistic) For almost as quickly as Darien had fallen, he had
gathered himself up off the floor and ran out of the arcade,
Serena's diary clutched in his hands and Andrew's laughter
ringing in his ears.
~*~
To be continued...
~*~
Raseyu: Ha, I wrote this time!
Mistic: not much... *rolls her eyes*
Raseyu: *raspberry* I don't have to take this from you!
Mistic: whatever...*walks away*
Raseyu: Humph! I don't! *walks away, bowing her head*
Mistic: Next chapter is already in progress. Hope you
enjoyed this one! Oh! And constructive criticism is
appreciated but flames are not! Thanks! ^_^ \/
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are
(c) Naoko Takeuchi, Bandai, Kodansha,
Toei Animation, etc.
Rating: G-PG
Written by: Raseyu & Mistic
anglemoon_raseyu@yahoo.com & mistic@flash.net
Chapter 2
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Serena's eyes were wide and desperate, pleading with
Darien to understand. For some reason, she had a feeling
he would. "Please, Darien."
Dumbfounded, Darien found he could do nothing more
than nod his head.
"Thank you!" Serena cried giving Darien a bear hug
and a peck on the cheek before running towards the voice
leaving Darien to sit where he was and ponder what the
heck just happened.
-^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ -
Stranger things have happened to Darien Shields. He
fought the minions of the Dark Kingdom on a regular basis.
He dreamed of a beautiful princess that had stolen his heart,
or so he thought. He had had incredible urges to climb
lampposts and leap fences in the early stages of
adolescence--although, Darien's adventures as Tuxedo
Mask quickly quieted those urges. He fought along side the
reluctant heroine Sailor Moon and saved her just in time with
a perfectly aimed rose or desperate leap meant to pull the
young girl to safety. Yes, stranger things have happened
indeed. So why was it that the kiss of a young, beautiful girl
brought him to his knees?
Azabu High School knew Darien as a heart breaker. He
was 6ft 2in tall with a lanky frame that did little to hide the
power within. He had a slight build that accented formal
clothes in a way no other could. Finely chiseled features
stood out in stark contrast to golden skin. Darien's stormy,
sapphire eyes held an air of mystery that captivated the
hearts and imaginations of women, both young and old.
Yet for all his looks, Darien scoffed at the way women
looked at him. He often ran the other way rather than suffer
their advances. His manner seemed almost cold in the way
he treated women. No, Darien never hurt them only scorned
their attention.
Only one woman had ever held Darien's attention. At
fifteen, you could hardly call this girl a woman yet her
appearance spoke volumes against her age. She stood at a
height of 4ft 11in with a body any girl would kill for. She had
long slender legs and arms that hid strength beyond
imagining. Her waist was tiny, and she could eat almost
anything without gaining a pound. Long golden hair
cascaded down her back like a halo. Azure eyes shone with
happiness as well as life, and she brought joy to all those
around her.
Yet for all her beauty, this girl was a klutz. She could
hardly walk a block without tripping over something, usually
her own feet. She was a carefree youth that preferred
sundaes to studying. Her grades were less than stellar yet
that did little for her disposition. She was a true friend to all
those around her. Always smiling trying to make others
happy even when she was sad.
For all his charms and killer smiles, Darien could not
find a way to be nice to the girl. He insulted her, and she
insulted him back. They bickered with each other nearly
everyday making their friends believe they could not stand
each other's company. Poor Darien, all he ever wanted to
do was say something nice to the girl, but it always came
out, "how ya doin', Meatball Head," or "fail any tests lately."
The suave things he had planned to say went out the
window, along with his self-control, the moment he saw her.
Never in his life had Darien had it so bad for a girl. Too bad,
she hated him with a passion. Still Darien longed for the day
they could be friends and maybe even more.
The chimes of the Crown Fruit Parlor brought Darien
out of his silent retrieve. He had not even realized he had
been moving until that moment. Therefore, when the chimes
sounded, it is safe to believe that Darien jumped almost
visibly. He had not expected to find himself there of all
places.
Shaking his head, Darien mindlessly shifted his
precious bundle and began to make his way slowly across
the tiled floor. For what seemed like the hundredth time that
day, Darien's mind conjured up the events of an hour prior.
Again, his mind began to analyze every word, every action,
and again he puzzled over the young girl's actions.
All of a sudden, realization slammed into Darien's
overtaxed mind.
Serena trusted him.
Darien abruptly halted midway to the old fashion
counter. Shock filled his mind so completely he could no
longer move. His mind raced trying to sort out jumbled
thoughts and images.
'No that can not be right,' Darien thought dejectedly,
'there has to be some mistake. Why would Meatball Head
trust me, her worst enemy, of all people? No, no there has
to be some kind of mistake here.'
'If she did not trust you, why did she give you her
diary?' The voice of his heart challenged in an arrogant
tone.
'She did not want her father to have it.' Darien's
rational side responded automatically.
'Why?' The voice mocked.
'Because she...'
'Trusts you.' The voice exclaimed gleefully. 'She trusts
you more than her own father.'
Darien's rational side remained speechless and
gawking at this revelation, for it rang of truth. Serena trusted
him. She trusted him to guard her deepest, darkest secrets.
A sense of overwhelming happiness swelled within
Darien's heart. And for the first time in his life, he felt giddy
all over, and he *liked* it! The sensation of knowing that
Serena trusted him overwhelmed him with its intensity.
Never before in his life had Darien felt so completely happy.
The knowledge of Serena's trust filled him with unimaginable
hope that he still stood a chance of beginning anew and
winning her heart.
A small, genuine smile hovered about Darien's lips. His
eyes sparkled with hope as he took a seat at the counter.
Carefully, Darien stacked Serena's diary and pencils off to
the side. The girl had, had the good sense to give him the
case for the pencils; therefore, they had no chance of rolling
off the counter any time soon.
'She's more intelligent than she gives herself credit for.'
Darien thought, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Well, somebody's in an -offly- good moon this morning!
What happened?" A sandy haired blonde inquired from the
other side of the counter. A large grin spreading across his
face at the sight of Darien's vacant, love-struck look. 'He's
got it bad,' the young man thought, causing his smile to grow
bigger with every passing second.
Startled, Darien nearly jumped off his stool, but after
realizing whom had spoken to him, he just smiled
mysteriously. A few moments of quiet contemplation passed
before stormy, sapphire eyes lifted to meet the inquiring
gaze of his grinning friend. Darien gulped at his best friend's
Cheshire grin. He did not like that look one bit.
'Some friend you are,' Darien thought with a sigh.
"Oh, nothing." Darien paused. Looking into his friend's
rather suspicious gaze, he gave an inward sigh before
continuing, his eyes taking on a mischievous glint. "Just ran
into someone this morning..."
Silence settled between the two young men as Andrew
scrutinized Darien's gaze. What he saw there was mischief
as well as hope. Taken aback by the mischief shinning in
his stoic friend's eyes, Andrew had a hard time finding his
voice. His mind raced trying to find a reason for the other
man's good mood. Finding nothing in his friend's gaze,
Andrew nearly shouted, "For Peter's sake! Who? Who did
you run into this morning!"
Laughter bubbled within Darien's throat, but he stifled it.
He pushed it down yet his eyes shown with mirth. He just
could not hide the amusement building within him.
Therefore, knowing this, Darien offered just a bit more bait.
"A friend."
"Yes, I gather that, but who is she!"
Darien faltered--openly no less. He had not expected
his friend to figure it out so easily. 'How...'
"W-who said it was a she?" Darien stuttered, trying to
hide his initial shock. "It could have been one of the guys for
all you know."
"Yes, but I highly doubt that." At Darien's pointed look,
Andrew hastily continued least his friend murder him. "That
is to say, you had this vacant look on your face when you
came in, and I think I am safe in saying you care about this
person, deeply. I assumed that the person in question is
female because I didn't think you swung -that- way-"
"ANDREW!"
"Okay, okay! Sheesh! Jeez, you don't have to bite my
head off." Andrew exclaimed backing away from the
counter, hands raised in defense of Darien's steely gaze and
clenched jaw. "I know you don't, but still..." Andrew lowered
his hands while Darien just glared at his so-called best
friend. "You've go to admit..."
"WHAT!"
A visibly shocked Andrew jumped nearly a mile high
with a yelp that sent many stares in the direction of the
counter. Seeing nothing wrong, customers turned back to
their meals and light chatter grumbling about overworked
teenagers and so forth.
Darien drew a deep, calming breath, "What? You've
got to admit what?"
"N-nothing-just forget it." Andrew stuttered shakily,
nervously. "Now, tell me. Who is she?"
Again, silence draped around the two young men. The
hum of soft chatter and the ding of silverware on china were
the only sounds that newcomers heard upon their entrance
to the arcade. Darien's eyes became hooded and steely
against Andrew's inquisitive gaze. His silence was that of a
brooding man while Andrew's was that of quiet scrutiny.
Neither man spoke lest they start another argument.
"Excuse me." A voice called softly from beside Darien.
"Umm...Could I place an order please?"
Both men jumped slightly at the voice. Two heads
turned in near unison to gaze upon a young woman in her
early twenties. She had startling amber eyes and hair so
green it looked black. So engrossed were they in their own
world, the two men had not paid any attention to the young
woman's approach.
'Guess, this'll have to wait for another time.' Andrew
thought with a dejected sigh before pasting on a smile and
speaking to the newcomer. "Sure, what can I get you?"
The young woman just smiled mysteriously as she
stated simply, "Green Tea."
"Green Tea. Got it. I'll be right back," and with that,
Andrew disappeared into the back storage room in search of
some tea bags.
Silence fell once more and the young woman took the
opportunity to give Darien a once-over. Stormy sapphire
eyes, chiseled features creased in a frown, unruly bangs
falling into his face. He was handsome, she decided with a
small smile. 'Now wonder the Princess has fallen for him.'
"Umm, excuse me." The soft voice ventured.
Startled, Darien jumped slightly. He had not expected
this newcomer to speak to him. Very few ever ventured to
speak to him when he was in 'one of his moods,' as Andrew
put it once. Therefore, he was very surprised someone had
decided to brave his temper.
Darien responded with a raised eyebrow and a half
smile.
"I'm sorry. I just could not help but notice..." She
looked down to see a piece of paper falling from the--what
looked like a diary from her angle. Slowly, she bent down
and picked it up. As she gracefully straightened, she could
not help but notice how lovely the drawing was.
"This picture...did you draw it?" she asked Darien
offhandedly as she continued gazing upon the drawing in her
gentle hand.
Darien eyes widen in shocked terror as swiftly he
grabbed the picture from the young woman's hands. So
hastily did he shove the drawing back into Serena's book; he
did not even take a moment to look at the picture. Instead,
Darien held the diary close to his heart like a little child would
hold his favorite teddy bear.
The women could not help but giggle as Darien hugged
the diary so close to his chest nor could she miss the
protective glint in his eyes.
"I guess not. Then do you know who the artist is?" she
asked, raising a perfectly formed eyebrow and eyeing him.
Nervously, Darien scanned the area around him before
turning back to the woman. For a moment his protective
hold loosened on the leather bound book as his eyes
twinkled almost impishly as he taunted, "Yes, but I'm not
telling."
The woman could not help but laugh at Darien's mock-
serious tone. He had seemed almost innocent holding that
black book so near and with such fierce protectiveness in his
eyes. She could have almost sworn she had seen that look
before...
It was then that Andrew sat a steaming mug of green
tea down before the woman. Upon glancing at Darien, he
could not help but laugh at the spectacle that his best friend
made holding Serena's diary so close to him--even if not as
close as he had held it only moments before.
"Buddy what are you doing?" Andrew asked, raising
one suspicious eyebrow in question and bringing his head to
rest on his hands. He cocked his head to the side as though
he was trying to derive the answer from the close inspection
of his friend's steady gaze. However, Darien did not
respond right away; instead, he decided to search the
arcade for a way to change the subject. However, much to
his eternal shock, Darien found the focus of the room to be
on himself and the rather absurd spectacle he made holding
Serena's diary as though it were a child in need of
protecting. Why was he acting like this anyway--so
protective of something as silly as a diary?
'But it's not just a silly diary,' Darien's heart cried out in
defiance against his mind's insensitive inquiry.
"Well?" Andrew drawled inquisitively, one eyebrow
raised in amusement. Never in their years of friendship had
he ever seen Darien be so protective of something--well,
except for his past, but that's another story--that wasn't
even his.
Gazing upon the mildly inquisitive amusement
expressed in Andrew's boyish features, Darien finally
realized just how foolish he must look--almost a grown
man--clutching Serena's diary as if it held the greatest
treasure in the world. And to tell the truth, had he been
honest with himself, Darien would have seen that the book
did indeed hold a treasure--the treasure of an angel's
trust--but he chose to ignore that fact. Instead, he opted
rather hastily to gulp down the remains of his coffee--
burning his tongue yet again in the process--in a single
gulp. Hissing gently in order to cool his abused tongue,
Darien decided to take a moment to think before stating
simply, "I'm just protecting Sere-er-Meatball Head's
privacy. She deserves at least that much for the way I treat
her..."
Abruptly, Darien trailed off as a stupefied look clouded
Andrew's features only to be followed by a stupid grin as he
finally put two and two together. A silly grin steadily spread
across his boyish face and vibrant emerald eyes began to
cloud over in a dreamlike state. Finally, finally he was
getting somewhere.
"That's it," Andrew exclaimed, snapping his fingers in
gleeful delight, "That's who you've been with all morning--
how come I didn't see it before? You always stare at her
when she comes in, and you always talk to her--even if it's
just to tease her mercilessly--" Abruptly, his eyes grew
incredulous as he smacked himself on the forehead. "How
could I have been so stupid!!! You've never looked at a girl
that way before--hee hee--Darien's in love!"
A collective gasp rose from the arcade as if Andrew had
just spilt the biggest secret in the universe. The great Darien
Shields was in love--and with Meatball Head no less!
Who'd a thought that the cold aloof Darien would fall so
hard? No one but a very smug looking Guardian of Time
sitting on his right side, desperately trying to hide her
laughter at the insane situation she had suddenly found
herself in.
Desperately, Darien tried to find some way out of this
conversation--this "confession" of emotions that he had only
recently realized burned deep within his once frozen heart.
He had no classes today and Andrew knew it, or he would
have used that excuse. However, Darien did have one card
up his sleeve that Andrew did not know about. His work
schedule. It was something that Darien only shared with
Andrew when the later wanted to drag him to some party or
nightclub. Today Darien was not scheduled to work but what
Andrew did not know would not hurt him. Therefore, Darien
hurriedly glanced down at his watched and exclaimed, "Sorry
to interrupt your littler tirade, Andy, but I have to get to work."
And with that, Darien gathered Serena's art supplies
and headed towards the door. Halfway there, he abruptly
spun around on his heel to face Andrew square in the eyes
and stated in a calm, even tone, "I am not in love with,
Meatball Head, nor do I loath her. She is an enigma--one
that I plan on solving in the near future--but my feelings do
not run any farther than that."
Andrew only looked at Darien with a single eyebrow
raised mockingly. "Sure Darien, sure. That's why you are
holding--rather--protecting her dairy so carefully." Andrew
stated calmly, pointing to the black book inscribed with the
word "Bunny" in fancy golden script.
"I don't have to take this from you Andrew," Darien
exclaimed puffing him self up like a blow fish and crossing
his arms (Think Steve Urkle ~ Mistic), " I DO NOT like
Meatball Head, and I mean for my feelings to stay that way."
And with that Darien spun on his heels only to wind up on his
butt for all his troubles (Raseyu: tee-hee ^_^).
"You're a regular Serena, Darien," Andrew exclaimed
as he laughed and pointed at his disheveled friend, "This is
classic, wish I had a camera!" Suddenly, a light bulb went
off in Andrew's mind and within a second he was furiously
rummaging through the lost and found drawer--which, just
happened reside right in front of him. Seconds later, a
triumphant Andrew yelled out, "Wait! I do have a camera!"
(I am so mean! *evil laugh* ~ Mistic)
Nevertheless, it was too late for Darien's tomato red
face to be immortalized on film. (Ah--too bad... tee-hee! ~
Mistic) For almost as quickly as Darien had fallen, he had
gathered himself up off the floor and ran out of the arcade,
Serena's diary clutched in his hands and Andrew's laughter
ringing in his ears.
~*~
To be continued...
~*~
Raseyu: Ha, I wrote this time!
Mistic: not much... *rolls her eyes*
Raseyu: *raspberry* I don't have to take this from you!
Mistic: whatever...*walks away*
Raseyu: Humph! I don't! *walks away, bowing her head*
Mistic: Next chapter is already in progress. Hope you
enjoyed this one! Oh! And constructive criticism is
appreciated but flames are not! Thanks! ^_^ \/
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are
(c) Naoko Takeuchi, Bandai, Kodansha,
Toei Animation, etc.