Love Is So...Yummy!
By: Jessica M. Moonflower
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Sailor Moon. Simple enough, ne? ^_~
ANs: Hi people! I decided to write this short fic for WAFF vs. TAFF Day. I hope you like it and I dedicate this fic to my best gal Chibi Cori and my echo and long lost sis on the web Bear-chan! ^_^ Love ya both!
"There's nothing half so sweet in life as love's young dream." *~Thomas Moore*~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Darien was making his way to the Crown Arcade which was his usual routine every afternoon after work. He was having a lousy day after going through hell at the television studio and to top it all off, his paper on nuclear physics got a B minus! His countenance held a sour look and glared at anyone that got in his way. All he wanted to do right now was sit in his usual stool, have his usual black coffee, and sulk to his heart's content.
He turned a corner and noticed a small bakery with the name, Claudine's Sweet Shop, printed neatly in beautiful white script. He glanced at the polished shop's windows and saw many assorted cakes, tarts, chocolates, and any sweet goodies imaginable. He then glanced at a sign taped right above the display which read, "Try our special cherry chocolate cake! It's irresistibly good and brings couples together!"
Darien's eyes widened at the oddity of the last line. It brings couples together? They got to be kidding! They're that desperate to sell their food that they use a corny gimmick? What was the world coming to?
He backed away from the window and was about to resume his walk when a forty-something year-old lady stood right in front of him! He jumped back in surprise causing him to trip on a crack in the sidewalk and land firmly on the floor with a loud thud. He moaned and grumbled under his breath about his sore bottom as he glanced up to see the same lady that stood in front of him extend her hand for him to take.
"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I didn't mean to frighten you."
He accepted the offered hand, swiftly got up, muttered a quick thanks, and gathered his books and papers that were strewn all over the sidewalk. Once he gathered all his things together, he turned to speed it out of there when that very same lady stood in his way again! Feeling irritated and losing his last ounce of patience, he did what he normally did under such circumstances...he started yelling.
"Look, lady, I'm not in the mood so can you please GET OUT OF MY WAY?????!!!!!!!"
Not the least bit fazed by his angry ranting, she put on a cheerful smile and with an amicable voice said, "Would you like to try some of my baked goods? It's half off because of the grand opening."
"No, I would not like anything thank you, now will you excuse me I have to get go--"
"Then how about a free sample?" she brusquely cut him off.
Exasperated by her persistence, he finally gave in with much reluctance.
"Fine. Give me whatever you have if that's what it'll take for you to leave me alone."
"Wonderful! Right this way please," she beamed eagerly, skipping back into her store like a little five-year old with Darien following warily.
The pleasant scents of cookies, cakes, and tarts filled Darien's nostrils and made his stomach grumble hungrily. He blushed at the sound and prayed that the store clerk hadn't heard his grumbling stomach.
The lady went behind the counter and brought out a small delectable looking cherry chocolate cake. The frosting and cherry filling made Darien's mouth water and became all the more tempting to eat.
"This is my special cherry chocolate cake. I call this the 'Love Cake'."
Darien snatched his hand away from the fork to glance up at the lady critically, suddenly losing his appetite.
"A love cake? No offense, lady, but you're full of malarkey."
He was ready to turn and leave this lunacy of a store when the lady grabbed his arm from over the counter.
"You don't believe that this cake can bring out your true desires, do you? Well, why not take a small bite of it then since you don't believe in such rubbish...unless you're afraid that this cake will have some affect over you."
She let go of his arm, crossed her arms over her chest, and gave him a triumphant look as if she were saying, "Take that, Mr. Big Shot."
Darien, not able to pass up a challenge when presented to him, grabbed the fork off the plate, took a small piece of the cake, and took a bite of it from the fork. The chocolate and cherry filled his senses and couldn't help, but let out a pleasure filled sigh. Remembering where he was, he made eye contact with the lady and declared quite proudly, "There, I had a taste of your cake and nothing happened. You really need to think of a better slogan if you want to sell your food."
He quickly turned and stalked out of the store, feeling quite smug for proving the lady wrong. The lady in the store, on the other hand, smiled discreetly and whispered, "You haven't seen nothing yet, Darien."
*~*~*~*~*~
Serena burst in through the automatic doors of the Crown Arcade and promptly plopped herself on a stool where Andrew greeted her good naturedly.
"Hey, Serena, what's up?"
"Hey, Andrew! Nothing much, but I'm waiting for the girls to get here so we can plan some afternoon activity. We might just check out that new sweet shop a few blocks down. I heard it has amazing cakes and pies!" she beamed excitedly.
"You mean you haven't been there yet? I thought you'd be the first in line to clean out their entire store," Andrew teased, chuckling at her pouty face.
"Ha ha ha, Andrew, you're such a riot!" She rolled her eyes in his direction then stuck out her tongue. "I can control my sweet tooth sometimes!"
"What's this I hear? Meatball Head can actually control her food intake? This is BIG news!" a deep voice exclaimed behind her.
Serena gritted her teeth and faced her new visitor with a fist shaking in their direction.
"Gee, Darien, at least I can control my food intake while you're still learning to get a new personality!"
Darien laughed and moved over to sit on the stool beside her, completely brushing her off and provoking her anger even more.
"One of these days, Chiba, one of THESE DAYS..."
"Or you'll what, Meatball Head--"
But he was at a lost for words when he took one look at the blonde girl. For some reason he found her very attractive with the cute white blouse and matching long skirt she was wearing and how her eyes looked intensely into his, daring him to say his biting come back which never came. He shook his head and looked back down at the counter top.
What was happening to him? Since when was the Meatball Head appealing to him? He knew she was cute, but so not his type, was she? No, definitely not! But still, her lips look just as yummy as that cake he--hold on a minute! It couldn't be the cake, could it? That's preposterous!
He started laughing like a maniac as if he were one of those ax murderers in a slasher movie with Andrew and Serena shrinking down in fright and utter surprise. The same thought was going through both their minds, has he snapped?
"Uh, buddy, are you okay?" Andrew slowly but cautiously pat him on the back, afraid that Darien might have an ax hidden somewhere in his pocket.
Darien finally came to his senses and wiped the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Andrew. I was thinking about something absolutely funny, but really I'm fine."
"If you're sure..." Andrew trailed off, still unsure of the stability of his friend's sanity.
"Really, now get me my usual coffee!" he exclaimed a little too excitedly, even for him.
Andrew left his side to go grab the order, hoping that it'll bring back the old Darien to his senses while Serena sat back on her stool to continue drinking the vanilla milk shake Andrew laid down on the counter for her before Darien went into his laughing fit.
Darien sat there, feeling very restless and started drumming his fingers on the counter top. Serena became quiet after his laughing ceased and was more interested in the magazine she was flipping through.
He started thinking about the weird feelings that was just surfacing about Serena and why he was acting slightly out of character. There has to be a logical explanation for all this he reasoned and it most certainly isn't because he finds her irresistibly charming and wants to be with her. No, that can't be it. And why was his feelings for Serena always pointing back to the cake he ate at that sweet shop? No cake has ever had the power to bring two people together. It simply didn't happen.
"Here's your coffee, Dare." Andrew laid the hot mug before him on the counter top.
Darien broke away from his thoughts to take a sip out of the hot liquid until he had a sudden urge to blurt something out...
"Serena, you look very beautiful today."
Serena whirled her head in his direction to gawk at him, her blue eyes as wide as saucers. Had she heard right? Darien called her by her first name AND said she was beautiful? Yep, Darien officially lost his marbles.
Meanwhile, Darien clamped his mouth shut with his hands in an attempt to keep himself from blurting some other stupid thing! Jeez, how come he can't control anything that goes on with his body anymore? As if some force was in control now. Maybe the cake had something to do with it. Whatever it was, he's never going to eat anything in that store ever again no matter how delicious they are. Right now, he had to get his body and emotions under control and fight that weird urge in his body that's making him do insane things!
Clearing his throat, he was going to try and explain that comment to Serena before she started thinking that he has some sort of a crush on her.
"You have beautiful eyes, eyes as blue as the sea and the very sky above on a clear sunny day."
'Argh! That's not what I meant to say! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!!!!!'
Darien started banging his head on the counter top while chanting over and over in his head to stop shooting out flattering comments towards Serena. Meanwhile, Serena had no idea what to say to this new comment from Darien. Her eyes are beautiful? It was weird that it was coming from her enemy of all people and now he was banging his head on the table! Maybe Darien has a high fever and was delirious. Hey, it could be possible and would explain a lot!
Andrew gaped at his best friend, who was having a grand old time developing a huge bump on his head. What has gotten into him? For a guy who never paid any girl no mind, he was certainly giving Serena all his attention now. He observed Serena's expression who looked confused and unsure about Darien's abnormal behavior.
Finding it time to stop Darien's little bang fest on the counter top, Andrew decided to grab his head before it reached the hard marble which probably got a few cracks from his incessant banging.
"Okay, buddy, that's enough. We wouldn't want you having a concussion now, would we?"
Darien nodded his head mutely and decided to take his friend's advice. His head was throbbing anyway and he was getting queer looks from the customers as they passed by.
"Maybe you should go home? You have been working hard down at the studio and at school. You deserve some relaxation time," Andrew suggested.
Darien nodded again without saying a word, afraid that some other unexpected remark about Serena and her beauty might come flying out of his mouth. He stood to leave when another one of those urging forces got a hold of him once again. He tried to keep his arms from reaching for Serena, who was backed up against the counter, giving Darien a face that clearly read, what has gotten into you? But try as he might, he couldn't hold back his body any longer and grabbed Serena off the stool, swung her in his arms, and kissed the living breath out of her!
His judgment was so clouded that all he could do was wrap his arms around her and kiss her gently yet deeply. His hands ran over her silken hair and caressed her cheeks in the softest of touches. Serena's mind was doing cartwheels and it just sunk in that Darien Chiba was kissing her! Whatever got him to kiss her, she wasn't complaining and happily participated in it. He was a good...no GREAT kisser. How could a girl like her want to resist such a kiss?
Once Darien made sense of his current situation, he snapped out of his little daydream and pulled away from the kiss. He didn't want to, but something was happening to him and he wanted to know what it was.
"I'm sorry, Serena, but I can't do this. I have to go."
He jogged out of the arcade, leaving Serena speechless and lacking some air while Andrew laid sprawled on the floor after he saw his best bud plant a big wet one on the bubbly blonde. First his friend was going nuts and now this?! It was a little too much for him to accept in one day!
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Darien spent his time walking around the streets of Tokyo. It was slowly going to be dark soon and normally he was home around this time, but he couldn't bring himself to walk in the direction of his apartment. Too many things were going on in his head right now that he needed answers to. It was bad enough that he, a smart guy like himself, can't even figure out why he has been acting so crazy today. He sighed feeling frustrated and lost. He looked up and saw that he was back at the very same sweet shop he ran into earlier this afternoon. Somehow knowing that this would be the place to get his answers, he went in. He saw the same lady he met earlier now getting ready to close up shop. She was organizing a few things by the display window and he firmly tapped her on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, miss? We need to talk."
She turned around at the sound of Darien's voice and clapped her hands excitedly.
"Oh, so you're back for more cake, eh? I knew you wouldn't be able to resist it--"
"That's not what I came for."
She stopped her rambling to stare at him with seriousness and concern, not at all like the lady he met this afternoon.
"You came here for answers."
Darien's eyes widened and nodded dumbly.
"It's the cake," was her simple reply.
"That can't be true! There's no such thing as magical food." He blurted out, unable to accept this explanation.
"Listen, does it even matter if my food has magic in it or not?"
"Well--I um..."
"The real question here is, do you love this girl that has been on your mind for a while?"
Darien did a double take and wondered how this lady knew so much about him without him even saying anything.
"How did you know--"
"Do you love her?" she brushed his question aside, finding it important for him to answer hers.
"Yes," he said with much force and certitude.
"Then what are you doing here? Go after her and tell her that you do."
Darien smiled at the lady and hugged her.
"You're right. Thank you, uh--"
"It's Claudine. I'm the owner of this shop, Darien, if you hadn't noticed the sign outside."
They both laughed and as Darien let go of his embrace around Claudine, she handed him a small parcel in a white box tied with a red and white ribbon. He looked down at the box and was about to question it when she pushed him out the door.
"It's a little something I had prepared for you, now go!"
He thanked her again and was on his way to Serena's house when it suddenly occurred to him that he never told Claudine his name! How could she have known? He shrugged it off and decided that right now it wasn't important, what was important was confessing his feelings for Serena.
He was sure lucky that he knew where she lived since he came by with Andrew one time when he was returning a video he borrowed from her. He found himself in front of a small yellow house with a nicely trimmed lawn and sweet smelling rose bushes. Grasping onto the package, he bravely marched up the steps and rang the bell. He waited a few minutes until he heard a muffled voice on the other side and then the sound of locks being undone. The door opened to reveal Serena in the same clothes she wore at the arcade, only her hair was out of its usual style. He was amazed by the beauty this one girl had and thought he was looking into the eyes of a goddess who had come down to earth by accident.
"Hi, Darien. What are you doing here? It's ten o'clock at night." Serena tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear, never taking her eyes off of him.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but it couldn't wait until tomorrow. Do you mind if we sit and talk?"
His eyes held longing and urgency that Serena found it hard to deny him of his simple request.
"All right. We'll talk out here since my father wouldn't like the idea of having a boy inside our house during this time of the night."
She stepped outside and closed the door softly behind her. She walked to the porch swing where she sat down and patted the empty spot next to her, indicating that he sit next to her as well. He accepted the invitation, and both sat in silence just looking at the luminous moon rise above them.
Darien fumbled a little bit with the white box causing Serena to give him a sideways glance and inquire about the white parcel.
"Did you buy something, Darien?" she asked with unconcealed curiosity.
"Not exactly, but this did come from that new sweet shop that opened up today. The store owner gave me this as a gift, but I'm not sure what's in it."
"Really? Well, why not open it up?"
"Okay."
He unraveled the ribbon and lifted the lid off the box and was startled by what lay there. The same cherry chocolate cake he sampled earlier was inside the box. He chuckled to himself at how Claudine would purposely pack this specific item.
"Wow! That cake looks absolutely delicious," Serena commented, suddenly craving to have some of the perfect looking dessert.
"Would you like some?"
"I couldn't." She turned her head away as if trying to resist the temptation.
"Don't be silly, Serena. Besides, the owner provided two forks inside the box so you can help yourself."
After much thought, she finally gave in, mostly because her stomach refused to let her say no.
"It does look good. Okay, I'll try some."
She took the offered plastic fork from Darien and took a piece for herself. As soon as it came in contact with her mouth, she thought she was in heaven! This cake tasted different from all the others she had eaten in the past and wondered how this could be so, but decided not to dwell on it anymore and just enjoy this wonderful little confection.
"Good, huh?" Darien asked, finding the expression on Serena's face just too adorable not to love.
"You bet! I definitely got to stop by sometime!"
"You know, the owner of the sweet shop said it was a love cake."
"A love cake?" Serena squeaked, gulping hard on her last piece.
"She said that if a person took a bite of it, their true desires would surface," he whispered huskily into her ear, running his hands through her long wavy hair.
"Really? And why are you telling me all this?" Her body tingled at his gentle caresses and craved them more than the dessert.
"Because I took a bite of it earlier and realized that I like you and I would hope we can be something more."
Darien tilted her head slightly and closed the gap between them, sharing a kiss that was sweeter and more intoxicating to their senses. It made their last kiss at the arcade, pale into comparison with this one.
They broke away feeling breathless and very flushed by their heated kiss. Serena ran her hands all over Darien's face and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"So, all your crazy ramblings and behavior back at the arcade was all because of a cake?"
"Basically, yeah. Unless you have a better explanation for it?"
Serena cocked her head to the side in thought and finally, said, "Nah, I'm not going to bother. What matters is that we're together."
Their lips touched for another kiss, forgetting about their surroundings and the cake.
A dark silhouette was carefully hidden behind the bushes and smiled victoriously that her plan had worked in bringing the two lovebirds together.
"You certainly did it, Claudine. Our brother will be so proud of you when he hears about this. Putting a few drops of our love oil in the cake was sheer genius!"
"Why thank you, Iris. Someone has to do Cupid's work and I guess that person is me!" She turned from the couple to look at her sister.
"Do you intend on keeping your sweet shop here?"
"Honestly, I think it'll be a nice addition to this earth. People need love and it certainly worked for those two."
"A wise choice, Claudine. Well, we better get going since Cupid is waiting for our return."
The two women disappeared in a flurry of gold dust and feathers, but not before Claudine wished Serena and Darien a lifetime of happiness and love together.
^_^The End! ^_^
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`
I hope you like this little shorty and go WAFF!
Written on March 29, 2002
By: Jessica M. Moonflower
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Sailor Moon. Simple enough, ne? ^_~
ANs: Hi people! I decided to write this short fic for WAFF vs. TAFF Day. I hope you like it and I dedicate this fic to my best gal Chibi Cori and my echo and long lost sis on the web Bear-chan! ^_^ Love ya both!
"There's nothing half so sweet in life as love's young dream." *~Thomas Moore*~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Darien was making his way to the Crown Arcade which was his usual routine every afternoon after work. He was having a lousy day after going through hell at the television studio and to top it all off, his paper on nuclear physics got a B minus! His countenance held a sour look and glared at anyone that got in his way. All he wanted to do right now was sit in his usual stool, have his usual black coffee, and sulk to his heart's content.
He turned a corner and noticed a small bakery with the name, Claudine's Sweet Shop, printed neatly in beautiful white script. He glanced at the polished shop's windows and saw many assorted cakes, tarts, chocolates, and any sweet goodies imaginable. He then glanced at a sign taped right above the display which read, "Try our special cherry chocolate cake! It's irresistibly good and brings couples together!"
Darien's eyes widened at the oddity of the last line. It brings couples together? They got to be kidding! They're that desperate to sell their food that they use a corny gimmick? What was the world coming to?
He backed away from the window and was about to resume his walk when a forty-something year-old lady stood right in front of him! He jumped back in surprise causing him to trip on a crack in the sidewalk and land firmly on the floor with a loud thud. He moaned and grumbled under his breath about his sore bottom as he glanced up to see the same lady that stood in front of him extend her hand for him to take.
"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I didn't mean to frighten you."
He accepted the offered hand, swiftly got up, muttered a quick thanks, and gathered his books and papers that were strewn all over the sidewalk. Once he gathered all his things together, he turned to speed it out of there when that very same lady stood in his way again! Feeling irritated and losing his last ounce of patience, he did what he normally did under such circumstances...he started yelling.
"Look, lady, I'm not in the mood so can you please GET OUT OF MY WAY?????!!!!!!!"
Not the least bit fazed by his angry ranting, she put on a cheerful smile and with an amicable voice said, "Would you like to try some of my baked goods? It's half off because of the grand opening."
"No, I would not like anything thank you, now will you excuse me I have to get go--"
"Then how about a free sample?" she brusquely cut him off.
Exasperated by her persistence, he finally gave in with much reluctance.
"Fine. Give me whatever you have if that's what it'll take for you to leave me alone."
"Wonderful! Right this way please," she beamed eagerly, skipping back into her store like a little five-year old with Darien following warily.
The pleasant scents of cookies, cakes, and tarts filled Darien's nostrils and made his stomach grumble hungrily. He blushed at the sound and prayed that the store clerk hadn't heard his grumbling stomach.
The lady went behind the counter and brought out a small delectable looking cherry chocolate cake. The frosting and cherry filling made Darien's mouth water and became all the more tempting to eat.
"This is my special cherry chocolate cake. I call this the 'Love Cake'."
Darien snatched his hand away from the fork to glance up at the lady critically, suddenly losing his appetite.
"A love cake? No offense, lady, but you're full of malarkey."
He was ready to turn and leave this lunacy of a store when the lady grabbed his arm from over the counter.
"You don't believe that this cake can bring out your true desires, do you? Well, why not take a small bite of it then since you don't believe in such rubbish...unless you're afraid that this cake will have some affect over you."
She let go of his arm, crossed her arms over her chest, and gave him a triumphant look as if she were saying, "Take that, Mr. Big Shot."
Darien, not able to pass up a challenge when presented to him, grabbed the fork off the plate, took a small piece of the cake, and took a bite of it from the fork. The chocolate and cherry filled his senses and couldn't help, but let out a pleasure filled sigh. Remembering where he was, he made eye contact with the lady and declared quite proudly, "There, I had a taste of your cake and nothing happened. You really need to think of a better slogan if you want to sell your food."
He quickly turned and stalked out of the store, feeling quite smug for proving the lady wrong. The lady in the store, on the other hand, smiled discreetly and whispered, "You haven't seen nothing yet, Darien."
*~*~*~*~*~
Serena burst in through the automatic doors of the Crown Arcade and promptly plopped herself on a stool where Andrew greeted her good naturedly.
"Hey, Serena, what's up?"
"Hey, Andrew! Nothing much, but I'm waiting for the girls to get here so we can plan some afternoon activity. We might just check out that new sweet shop a few blocks down. I heard it has amazing cakes and pies!" she beamed excitedly.
"You mean you haven't been there yet? I thought you'd be the first in line to clean out their entire store," Andrew teased, chuckling at her pouty face.
"Ha ha ha, Andrew, you're such a riot!" She rolled her eyes in his direction then stuck out her tongue. "I can control my sweet tooth sometimes!"
"What's this I hear? Meatball Head can actually control her food intake? This is BIG news!" a deep voice exclaimed behind her.
Serena gritted her teeth and faced her new visitor with a fist shaking in their direction.
"Gee, Darien, at least I can control my food intake while you're still learning to get a new personality!"
Darien laughed and moved over to sit on the stool beside her, completely brushing her off and provoking her anger even more.
"One of these days, Chiba, one of THESE DAYS..."
"Or you'll what, Meatball Head--"
But he was at a lost for words when he took one look at the blonde girl. For some reason he found her very attractive with the cute white blouse and matching long skirt she was wearing and how her eyes looked intensely into his, daring him to say his biting come back which never came. He shook his head and looked back down at the counter top.
What was happening to him? Since when was the Meatball Head appealing to him? He knew she was cute, but so not his type, was she? No, definitely not! But still, her lips look just as yummy as that cake he--hold on a minute! It couldn't be the cake, could it? That's preposterous!
He started laughing like a maniac as if he were one of those ax murderers in a slasher movie with Andrew and Serena shrinking down in fright and utter surprise. The same thought was going through both their minds, has he snapped?
"Uh, buddy, are you okay?" Andrew slowly but cautiously pat him on the back, afraid that Darien might have an ax hidden somewhere in his pocket.
Darien finally came to his senses and wiped the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Andrew. I was thinking about something absolutely funny, but really I'm fine."
"If you're sure..." Andrew trailed off, still unsure of the stability of his friend's sanity.
"Really, now get me my usual coffee!" he exclaimed a little too excitedly, even for him.
Andrew left his side to go grab the order, hoping that it'll bring back the old Darien to his senses while Serena sat back on her stool to continue drinking the vanilla milk shake Andrew laid down on the counter for her before Darien went into his laughing fit.
Darien sat there, feeling very restless and started drumming his fingers on the counter top. Serena became quiet after his laughing ceased and was more interested in the magazine she was flipping through.
He started thinking about the weird feelings that was just surfacing about Serena and why he was acting slightly out of character. There has to be a logical explanation for all this he reasoned and it most certainly isn't because he finds her irresistibly charming and wants to be with her. No, that can't be it. And why was his feelings for Serena always pointing back to the cake he ate at that sweet shop? No cake has ever had the power to bring two people together. It simply didn't happen.
"Here's your coffee, Dare." Andrew laid the hot mug before him on the counter top.
Darien broke away from his thoughts to take a sip out of the hot liquid until he had a sudden urge to blurt something out...
"Serena, you look very beautiful today."
Serena whirled her head in his direction to gawk at him, her blue eyes as wide as saucers. Had she heard right? Darien called her by her first name AND said she was beautiful? Yep, Darien officially lost his marbles.
Meanwhile, Darien clamped his mouth shut with his hands in an attempt to keep himself from blurting some other stupid thing! Jeez, how come he can't control anything that goes on with his body anymore? As if some force was in control now. Maybe the cake had something to do with it. Whatever it was, he's never going to eat anything in that store ever again no matter how delicious they are. Right now, he had to get his body and emotions under control and fight that weird urge in his body that's making him do insane things!
Clearing his throat, he was going to try and explain that comment to Serena before she started thinking that he has some sort of a crush on her.
"You have beautiful eyes, eyes as blue as the sea and the very sky above on a clear sunny day."
'Argh! That's not what I meant to say! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!!!!!'
Darien started banging his head on the counter top while chanting over and over in his head to stop shooting out flattering comments towards Serena. Meanwhile, Serena had no idea what to say to this new comment from Darien. Her eyes are beautiful? It was weird that it was coming from her enemy of all people and now he was banging his head on the table! Maybe Darien has a high fever and was delirious. Hey, it could be possible and would explain a lot!
Andrew gaped at his best friend, who was having a grand old time developing a huge bump on his head. What has gotten into him? For a guy who never paid any girl no mind, he was certainly giving Serena all his attention now. He observed Serena's expression who looked confused and unsure about Darien's abnormal behavior.
Finding it time to stop Darien's little bang fest on the counter top, Andrew decided to grab his head before it reached the hard marble which probably got a few cracks from his incessant banging.
"Okay, buddy, that's enough. We wouldn't want you having a concussion now, would we?"
Darien nodded his head mutely and decided to take his friend's advice. His head was throbbing anyway and he was getting queer looks from the customers as they passed by.
"Maybe you should go home? You have been working hard down at the studio and at school. You deserve some relaxation time," Andrew suggested.
Darien nodded again without saying a word, afraid that some other unexpected remark about Serena and her beauty might come flying out of his mouth. He stood to leave when another one of those urging forces got a hold of him once again. He tried to keep his arms from reaching for Serena, who was backed up against the counter, giving Darien a face that clearly read, what has gotten into you? But try as he might, he couldn't hold back his body any longer and grabbed Serena off the stool, swung her in his arms, and kissed the living breath out of her!
His judgment was so clouded that all he could do was wrap his arms around her and kiss her gently yet deeply. His hands ran over her silken hair and caressed her cheeks in the softest of touches. Serena's mind was doing cartwheels and it just sunk in that Darien Chiba was kissing her! Whatever got him to kiss her, she wasn't complaining and happily participated in it. He was a good...no GREAT kisser. How could a girl like her want to resist such a kiss?
Once Darien made sense of his current situation, he snapped out of his little daydream and pulled away from the kiss. He didn't want to, but something was happening to him and he wanted to know what it was.
"I'm sorry, Serena, but I can't do this. I have to go."
He jogged out of the arcade, leaving Serena speechless and lacking some air while Andrew laid sprawled on the floor after he saw his best bud plant a big wet one on the bubbly blonde. First his friend was going nuts and now this?! It was a little too much for him to accept in one day!
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Darien spent his time walking around the streets of Tokyo. It was slowly going to be dark soon and normally he was home around this time, but he couldn't bring himself to walk in the direction of his apartment. Too many things were going on in his head right now that he needed answers to. It was bad enough that he, a smart guy like himself, can't even figure out why he has been acting so crazy today. He sighed feeling frustrated and lost. He looked up and saw that he was back at the very same sweet shop he ran into earlier this afternoon. Somehow knowing that this would be the place to get his answers, he went in. He saw the same lady he met earlier now getting ready to close up shop. She was organizing a few things by the display window and he firmly tapped her on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, miss? We need to talk."
She turned around at the sound of Darien's voice and clapped her hands excitedly.
"Oh, so you're back for more cake, eh? I knew you wouldn't be able to resist it--"
"That's not what I came for."
She stopped her rambling to stare at him with seriousness and concern, not at all like the lady he met this afternoon.
"You came here for answers."
Darien's eyes widened and nodded dumbly.
"It's the cake," was her simple reply.
"That can't be true! There's no such thing as magical food." He blurted out, unable to accept this explanation.
"Listen, does it even matter if my food has magic in it or not?"
"Well--I um..."
"The real question here is, do you love this girl that has been on your mind for a while?"
Darien did a double take and wondered how this lady knew so much about him without him even saying anything.
"How did you know--"
"Do you love her?" she brushed his question aside, finding it important for him to answer hers.
"Yes," he said with much force and certitude.
"Then what are you doing here? Go after her and tell her that you do."
Darien smiled at the lady and hugged her.
"You're right. Thank you, uh--"
"It's Claudine. I'm the owner of this shop, Darien, if you hadn't noticed the sign outside."
They both laughed and as Darien let go of his embrace around Claudine, she handed him a small parcel in a white box tied with a red and white ribbon. He looked down at the box and was about to question it when she pushed him out the door.
"It's a little something I had prepared for you, now go!"
He thanked her again and was on his way to Serena's house when it suddenly occurred to him that he never told Claudine his name! How could she have known? He shrugged it off and decided that right now it wasn't important, what was important was confessing his feelings for Serena.
He was sure lucky that he knew where she lived since he came by with Andrew one time when he was returning a video he borrowed from her. He found himself in front of a small yellow house with a nicely trimmed lawn and sweet smelling rose bushes. Grasping onto the package, he bravely marched up the steps and rang the bell. He waited a few minutes until he heard a muffled voice on the other side and then the sound of locks being undone. The door opened to reveal Serena in the same clothes she wore at the arcade, only her hair was out of its usual style. He was amazed by the beauty this one girl had and thought he was looking into the eyes of a goddess who had come down to earth by accident.
"Hi, Darien. What are you doing here? It's ten o'clock at night." Serena tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear, never taking her eyes off of him.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but it couldn't wait until tomorrow. Do you mind if we sit and talk?"
His eyes held longing and urgency that Serena found it hard to deny him of his simple request.
"All right. We'll talk out here since my father wouldn't like the idea of having a boy inside our house during this time of the night."
She stepped outside and closed the door softly behind her. She walked to the porch swing where she sat down and patted the empty spot next to her, indicating that he sit next to her as well. He accepted the invitation, and both sat in silence just looking at the luminous moon rise above them.
Darien fumbled a little bit with the white box causing Serena to give him a sideways glance and inquire about the white parcel.
"Did you buy something, Darien?" she asked with unconcealed curiosity.
"Not exactly, but this did come from that new sweet shop that opened up today. The store owner gave me this as a gift, but I'm not sure what's in it."
"Really? Well, why not open it up?"
"Okay."
He unraveled the ribbon and lifted the lid off the box and was startled by what lay there. The same cherry chocolate cake he sampled earlier was inside the box. He chuckled to himself at how Claudine would purposely pack this specific item.
"Wow! That cake looks absolutely delicious," Serena commented, suddenly craving to have some of the perfect looking dessert.
"Would you like some?"
"I couldn't." She turned her head away as if trying to resist the temptation.
"Don't be silly, Serena. Besides, the owner provided two forks inside the box so you can help yourself."
After much thought, she finally gave in, mostly because her stomach refused to let her say no.
"It does look good. Okay, I'll try some."
She took the offered plastic fork from Darien and took a piece for herself. As soon as it came in contact with her mouth, she thought she was in heaven! This cake tasted different from all the others she had eaten in the past and wondered how this could be so, but decided not to dwell on it anymore and just enjoy this wonderful little confection.
"Good, huh?" Darien asked, finding the expression on Serena's face just too adorable not to love.
"You bet! I definitely got to stop by sometime!"
"You know, the owner of the sweet shop said it was a love cake."
"A love cake?" Serena squeaked, gulping hard on her last piece.
"She said that if a person took a bite of it, their true desires would surface," he whispered huskily into her ear, running his hands through her long wavy hair.
"Really? And why are you telling me all this?" Her body tingled at his gentle caresses and craved them more than the dessert.
"Because I took a bite of it earlier and realized that I like you and I would hope we can be something more."
Darien tilted her head slightly and closed the gap between them, sharing a kiss that was sweeter and more intoxicating to their senses. It made their last kiss at the arcade, pale into comparison with this one.
They broke away feeling breathless and very flushed by their heated kiss. Serena ran her hands all over Darien's face and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"So, all your crazy ramblings and behavior back at the arcade was all because of a cake?"
"Basically, yeah. Unless you have a better explanation for it?"
Serena cocked her head to the side in thought and finally, said, "Nah, I'm not going to bother. What matters is that we're together."
Their lips touched for another kiss, forgetting about their surroundings and the cake.
A dark silhouette was carefully hidden behind the bushes and smiled victoriously that her plan had worked in bringing the two lovebirds together.
"You certainly did it, Claudine. Our brother will be so proud of you when he hears about this. Putting a few drops of our love oil in the cake was sheer genius!"
"Why thank you, Iris. Someone has to do Cupid's work and I guess that person is me!" She turned from the couple to look at her sister.
"Do you intend on keeping your sweet shop here?"
"Honestly, I think it'll be a nice addition to this earth. People need love and it certainly worked for those two."
"A wise choice, Claudine. Well, we better get going since Cupid is waiting for our return."
The two women disappeared in a flurry of gold dust and feathers, but not before Claudine wished Serena and Darien a lifetime of happiness and love together.
^_^The End! ^_^
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I hope you like this little shorty and go WAFF!
Written on March 29, 2002