Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love

By Chibi J

Rated G

Alternate Reality

Edited by my darling Sailor Sista!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or the characters. The "Bohemian Ideals" of truth, beauty, freedom, and love are known by many and are mentioned many times in books, songs, and movies. I, however, started writing this after watching Moulin Rouge. So, I suppose that I should credit the movie for sticking the ideals, which I believe highly in, back into my mind once more.

This is dedicated to everyone who ever believed that love would over come all obstacles.

*~*

BEAUTY

The next few days varied little from the first night that Darien had spent in Serena's apartment. Most of the time he slept, awakening occasionally to eat or use the restroom. Serena, herself, was going crazy. She had learned little of the man who was sleeping in her bed, but did not want to leave him alone and go work. Although she was grateful that she set her own hours and knew that she wasn't upsetting any boss, she was a little saddened that her funds would be significantly lower in the next couple of weeks.

On the fourth day in her apartment, Darien finally felt strong enough to stay awake for a longer period of time. However, Serena was painting with her headphones on again. He didn't want to bother her, he had done that enough already, and so he said nothing. Lying there watching her was inspiring, and Darien felt as if he were watching some beautiful performance at a Broadway show. Not only were her movements on the canvas graceful, but also she would often spin away from the canvas and dance around to the music on her headphones. Although he was no expert, he could tell by Serena's movements that she had been trained in various forms of dance. In the time he watched her, she appeared to do several ballet moves, followed by some interpretational dance, and then ending with a modern dance routine.

She was astounding. Darien found that although he knew nothing of this woman, she was the most awesome woman he had ever met. Not only did she have obvious talent, but she also had heart. Here he was, a complete stranger, and she had befriended him, taken care of him. He was staring at her with a large smile, when she happened to turn and notice he was awake.

"Oh, hey," She smiled warmly, removing her headphones. "You're awake."

"Yeah, thought it was time I woke up." He said with a slight laugh. Serena noticed that his voice again sounded normal. He had been coughing a lot less and when he did, there was no longer any blood.

"How are you feeling? Are you hungry?" Serena asked as she approached the bed. He nodded his head no and sat up in the bed. Quick to help him, Serena grabbed an extra pillow from beside the bed and propped it up behind him.

"Thank you, Serena," He said with a smile. "It seems like I'm constantly thanking you."

"It's no problem, really." She smiled, the honesty of the statement shining in her eyes. "Oh, that reminds me." Serena started as she walked away from the bed into the kitchen. She picked up a bag and brought it over to him. "Lita's boyfriend, Ken, gave these to me for you." She said, handing him the bag.

A smile lit Darien's face as he looked into the bag. Inside he found several pairs of pants and jeans, some shirts, a sweatshirt, socks, and a fresh pack of boxers (AN: First, who would want to share their underwear. Second, ooh! I bet he looks good in boxers). At the moment, he felt like jumping out of the bed and running into the shower, but knew that he still needed to take it slow.

"Thank you." Darien responded to the wonderful gift. He hadn't had fresh clothes in a long time and his cleanliness came from gas station sinks.

"Don't thank me. You can thank Ken later. But for now, why not take a shower and change. While you're in there, I'll change the sheets." Serena instructed Darien in a mothering tone. He had gotten used to that voice when she would help him eat.

Standing up with a little sway, Darien slowly headed into the bathroom. He thoroughly enjoyed the shower and found that the clothes fit him very well. Leaving the bathroom in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, he proceeded to look for Serena, who was sitting watching television.

Hearing the floorboards squeak, Serena looked up to find Darien walk towards her. However, her voice caught in her throat. He looked devilishly handsome in clothing that fit and with his damp hair framing his face. His face was gaining back some life under her care and constant feeding, and it seemed as if the shower had provided him with more energy than ever.

"Feel better?" Serena finally asked when she felt that she wouldn't stutter or choke on her words.

"Much." He said with a happy sigh. "Can I sit over here with you?" Darien asked like a little child asking to stay up late at night.

"Of course, make yourself comfortable." Serena replied. Darien arranged a couple of pillows beside him and leaned back into the couch. For a while, they sat there silently, although neither was watching the program on the television.

Serena looked over to Darien, who appeared to be watching the television. She wanted to talk to him, yet didn't want to disturb him. This was his first time out of bed and she didn't want to bother him yet.

Darien looked over to Serena, who appeared to be watching the television. He wanted to talk to her, but didn't want to impose on her. She had already done more for him than anyone had in a long time and he didn't want to be more of a bother.

At one point, while Serena was looking at Darien, he turned to look at her and their eyes met. For a moment, their eyes locked into place, deep blue entranced with a gentle light blue.

After a moment, Serena let out a rush of air, not realizing she had been holding her breath. She blushed and looked down at her hands in her lap. She quickly found great interest in her fingernails.

Darien took in a deep breath of air. He felt guilty for staring at her in such a way. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. The room fell again to the silence of the television.

A little while after Darien's apology, Serena finally found her voice. "It's okay, honest." And silence resumed again. The sound of the television on a nightly comedy did nothing to bring either person out of their silent state. It was actually the rumbling of Serena's stomach that broke the soundless mood that had settled around them.

"Oops. What time is it?" Serena asked herself as she looked down at her watch. "Wow, when did it get so late? It's already 6:00. You must be starving. I know I am!" Serena said with a chuckle.

Darien's eyes wandered down to the ground. "Maybe a little." He replied quietly. Inside, he felt immensely guilty for taking advantage of her hospitality. He could survive on less than a full meal a day, he didn't need to eat. Yet, he knew that she wouldn't let him not eat.

"Great! Are you feeling up to going out? Or maybe we should just eat in?" Serena asked, secretly hoping that he felt well enough to go out. She was quite bored of being cooped up in the apartment. Not that she blamed Darien, she liked caring for someone, but she desperately needed some fresh air.

"I think we could go out. But I don't have any money and I don't want to keep taking from you." Darien replied honestly.

"Nonsense! I know where we can eat for cheap." Serena said with a sly smile that practically scared Darien. "Come on, it's not going to be scary. It's just a few blocks down the street." She said with a bright and energetic smile.

Not one to upset such a lovely smile on a girl, Darien nodded his head and got up from the couch. His head spun a little, but quickly cleared, allowing him to walk. His muscles were a little sore, but he was certain that the walk would help greatly.

After slowly walking four blocks down the street, Darien looked up at the neon sign above the restaurant. "The Hourglass?" He questioned her. She simply smiled. "But I thought this was, um, well, a men's club."

"Yeah, sort of. It's more like a women dance, mostly men watch thing. No stripping or lap dances." She said, defending the restaurant.

"Are you a lesbian?" Darien asked simply. He figured it was a fair question. However, she didn't seem to agree.

"No way! I'm not saying that being gay is a bad thing, just not my thing. Why? Are you gay?" She asked back, making sure that she wasn't making a mistake bringing him to the club.

"No. Just no sex life." He said with a grin. "There is a difference."

"Well, if you're not gay and you don't mind women dancing with their clothes on, then this is a fine place to eat." Serena informed him. Darien, however, was still uncertain why a straight woman would want to go into a club designed for men. He decided not to question her anymore and just followed her in.

"Serena, darling!" A round gentleman said gleefully as Serena entered the front door. "Lita promised you'd come by soon. We've missed you around here!"

"I've missed this place too, Jimmy. Been busy with the taxi, I love that car." Serena said with a big smile. "But, hey Jimmy, my friend Darien and I want to eat." Serena said, signaling to Darien, who was standing behind her.

"No problem! Want Mina, Rei, or Ami to waitress you?" Jimmy asked.

"What's everyone's mood?" She asked. The conversation between Jimmy and Serena played out in front of Darien, who seemed very confused.

"Bubbly, Pissy, and Quiet. The usual." Jimmy responded.

"Give us Ami. I don't think Darien here can handle meeting Mina again and I don't think I feel like explaining him to Rei." Serena ended in a chuckle. Jimmy began to walk towards a table and Serena waved for Darien to follow.

They were seated at a table in the back corner of the club. Although the stage was still visible, they were not near it. The restaurant was still fairly calm and quiet, being as the stage shows didn't begin for another hour.

With nothing to do but order food and eat, Serena decided that some conversation was in order.

"So, Darien, what do you do?" She began, hoping that her attempt at talking wouldn't end badly.

"Well, I used to work at a hospital, but I quit so that I could write. Problem was, I never got published. I had a lousy agent that continuously scrapped my stories." He ended with a sigh. "What about you? Or do you just paint and drive a taxi?"

"I also write. Nothing published, just an obsession." She responded with a smile.

"She also dances." A new voice added to the conversation. Serena and Darien looked up to see a small-framed woman with short hair.

"Ami! Don't sneak up on me!" Serena said exasperated. Ami just giggled. "Ami, this is my friend Darien."

"Nice to meet you. Do you know what you want?" Ami asked as she got out a notepad and pencil.

"Well I want an amaretto sour and Darien will have..."

"Water with lemon. Don't want to upset my cold."

"Okay, a water. As for food, I need you to tell Lita to get us a cheap dinner. Have her talk to Jimmy for me." Serena said with a wink.

Serena and Darien resumed talking while waiting for their food and drinks. Although she said her father worked for Stanton Industries and her mother for Stanton designs, she never said what they did. Darien just assumed it coincidental that both her parents worked for the Stanton's.

Darien informed Serena of his parents' death in a car accident when he was ten. He also told her of the fact that he was in the car and lost most of his memories. He told her how he went to college, which she informed him that she had as well.

"Here are your salads." Ami said with a smile. She placed a salad in front of each person and then turned to Serena. "Lita said that Jimmy agreed. But you need to be in the kitchen to see her right after you are done eating."

"Thanks Ami." Serena said, quickly taking a bite of her salad.

"I thought you asked for a cheap meal? Shouldn't that be like a hamburger and nothing else?" Darien asked with an odd expression of confusion.

"Nah, not when your good friends with the cook and the establishment." Serena said with a wink. Darien shrugged his shoulders and began to eat.

In between bites of salad, the two continued to converse about little things. The conversation mostly stayed around the arts, with brief moments of personal information. Serena felt as if she were really starting to know Darien and was quite glad that she had taken him in when he had no where to go.

Dinner came and went, at least for Serena. For Darien, it was the most heavenly food he had eaten in over a year. A small piece of steak, a portion of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn filled his plate. He ate slowly, savoring every bite as if his last meal on the earth. He was near exploding when Ami brought them both a slice of apple pie. Not one to turn down a perfect desert, Darien stuffed it into his stomach.

"I'm glad to see you like Lita's cooking. She'll be delighted to know." Serena said with a laugh as Darien took the last bite of pie.

"Lita, the Lita that lives below you, made all of this?" Darien asked stunned.

"Most likely. She is the head chef, but takes great pride in making the majority of the food, not just overseeing." She informed him.

"Amazing." Darien said with a tone of wonderment. "You need to take me on more cheap dinners. What other restaurants do you have connections at?" Darien said with a laugh.

"None, but I love to come here. Actually, I have to go earn us this meal now." Serena said as she stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Darien asked with concern. He hoped that she wouldn't do anything drastic just to earn them a meal.

"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough." She said with a wink, leaving Darien at the table by himself. He sat at the table for a half hour sipping his water, wondering if he had been ditched or if Serena was in trouble.

Just when his worries were at there worse, Darien found Serena. The lights around the restaurant dimmed as the lights on the stage came on. Music, which had before been playing quietly in the background, began to pound out of the speakers on the stage. An announcer came on stage.

"Welcome to The Hourglass!" He said. Darien recognized him as Jimmy, the man at the door earlier. "Enjoy the show."

Light applause filled the room. Slowly, one by one, girls came out on the stage in spectacular costumes. Serena had been honest with Darien; they were fully dressed in costumes that seemed impossible to strip.

Jimmy introduced each girl as they pranced out onto the stage. "Mina! Lita! Rei! Ami! Michelle! Alex! Aria! Leanne! Drema! J! And making a special appearance tonight...Serena!"

(EN: *bursts out laughing*)

The crowd was applauding wildly, except for one man sitting up in the corner booth of the restaurant. Darien was sitting with his mouth dropped to the ground. Serena was dressed in a beautiful red dress with black tights and red high-heeled shoes. In a word, she was breathtaking. In another, seductive. Darien was at a loss for words, however, and found he could do nothing but stare.

The music faded from one song into another and the girls began to dance. It was a choreographed and well-rehearsed piece that each girl knew perfectly. Darien was still stunned by the sight that Serena made up on the stage. Her beauty was enhanced by the multi colored lights spinning around her. Years of dance lessons were obvious in her moves and her grace.

After the first song ended, half of the people on stage left to resume their positions as waitresses, bar tenders, and cooks. However, Serena remained on the stage with Rei and Mina.

"Not too bad, eh." Ami asked as she approached Darien at the table. He continued to stare at Serena.

"So that's how you get a cheap meal, huh?" He asked, although Ami was certain that he knew he was right.

"She used to work here, before she got her taxi. But don't worry, this is an all business establishment." Ami said as she walked away from Darien. Although not his first thought, Ami's comment about "all business" made him feel a little better.

However, his happiness soon turned to jealousy. All around him, other men were looking at Serena. Although he knew little of her, he knew that he liked her a great deal. Determined not to let the feelings ruin the good night, he decided to just watch the show. Or, just watch Serena.

After a few songs, the girls took a break, with a promise from Jimmy to be back after. Darien was relieved to see Serena walking in his direction. She would say hi to a few men as she passed them, causing the anger of jealousy to rise back up in Darien's throat.

"Hey!" She said with a large smile, as she sat down with a bottle of water in her hand. "Like the show?"

"Yeah." Darien grumbled.

"What's the matter?" Serena asked with concern, reaching over to check his forehead for a temperature.

"I'm okay, just a little tired, I guess." Darien supplied, knowing that he didn't want to upset the girl that was his savior.

"Well, I just need to change and I can go. Jimmy said that one set was more than enough to pay for dinner. I think he just likes the way I dance." She said with a laugh. However, Darien was clutching his fists below the table. "I'll be right back." Serena said as she got up and left the table.

True to her word, Serena was back after only about 10 minutes. Her hair was still pulled up, as it was when she was dancing, and she hadn't removed her make-up. Darien, through all his anger, had to laugh. Her head was made up as if going out to an elegant restaurant, yet she was wearing a pair of jeans and a baggy sweatshirt.

Darien offered Serena his arm and she took it as they strolled out into the night sky. Both walked in silence to the apartment, just enjoying the night air and the company. When they re-entered the apartment, both Darien and Serena collapsed on the couch.

"Okay you, time for bed." Serena instructed Darien like a mother would her four-year-old child.

"You take the bed." Darien responded. However, Serena immediately gave him a face that indicated that it would not happen. "I feel better. I can sleep on the couch. This is your place, after all."

"Nope. Not having it." Serena said. She stood up and went to Darien's side. She reached down and grabbed his hands, pulling him to stand up. "Nurse Serena says that the patient must sleep in the bed."

Serena grabbed onto Darien's hand and led him towards the bed. She grabbed the nightclothes that were folded neatly on the end of the bed, put them in his hands, and pushed him into the bathroom. "Now change."

While Darien changed in the bathroom, Serena quickly changed into her nightwear. Darien emerged from the bathroom to find her brushing through her extremely long blonde hair. Her beauty once again awed him.

"Need help?"

"Darien! You scared me!" She said and turned around to smack him on the arm lightly with the brush. "Now, in bed!"

"Yes ma'am!" He said and gave a mock salute. He laid down on the bed and Serena pulled the covers up to his chin. A large yawn from Darien indicated that he was in fact very tired.

"Good night, Darien." Serena said as she brushed a strand of hair out of his face.

"Good night, Serena." Darien said as he shut his eyes, immediately falling to sleep.

Serena made her way to her makeshift bed on the couch. It wasn't terrible, in fact, the worn pillows on the couch made her quite comfortable. However, her mind was far from ready to sleep. Millions of thoughts, all about Darien, were racing through her mind. She finally fell asleep with the barrage of questions still circling in her mind. The most prominent question being: Do I really like him like that?

Both Serena and Darien awoke the next morning in the early hours of the day. Neither seemed to feel like moving much and both settled around the small table in the kitchen. Serena managed to make some coffee, which Darien accepted graciously. Both sat quietly, sipping their coffee. Then the silence broke.

"Serena, I..."

"Darien, I..."

Both giggled at the situation. "Ladies first." Darien insisted when neither finished the statement they had started.

"Darien, I just wanted to say...well, I've, um, enjoyed having you stay here." She stuttered out. "What did you want to say?"

"That you're beautiful." Darien replied without thinking. However, he quickly realized what he said. "I-I mean, well, I mean, aw damn. That's exactly what I mean." He said as he dropped his head into his hands.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Serena asked, very unsure of herself. Darien nodded his head in his hands. "Wow. I don't know what to say. No one has ever said that before."

At this statement, Darien immediately lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers. "You must be kidding." He stated, completely shocked. A shake of her head confirmed that she was quite serious. "I can't believe that."

"Besides, you're just saying that to be nice to me. You don't mean it." Serena said, still in doubt of his words.

However, Darien wasn't one to be taken lightly. He stood from his seat and walked over to Serena's side of the table. He squatted to the ground beside her, taking her hand into his. "Serena, you are beautiful, inside and out. I know that I've only known you for a few days, but I really think that I like you."

Serena took in a sharp breath of air. Never before had someone said something so sweet and heartfelt to her. "I think I like you too." She replied, her breathing becoming harder to control.

Darien, afraid that another moment like this would never come along, brought his lips to meet Serena's. He allowed himself to feel her lips on his for a moment before pulling away. Serena sighed in happiness. His kiss was very gentle and she enjoyed it immensely.

"Perhaps I should go brush my teeth." Darien said, standing from the table.

"Why?" Serena asked, her mind still in a haze.

"Because I want to do that again, but not with morning breathe." He said with a chuckle. Serena nodded her agreement and stood to follow him to the bathroom to brush her teeth as well.

*~*