Chapter Five
@}------------
Ring...
Ring...
Ring...
Darien grumbled and pulled himself up off the couch. "Who the hell is calling at," he checked his watch, "nine o'clock on a Saturday morning." Picking up the phone, he tried to sound more cordial when he said hello.
The voice on the other end totally ruined his morning. "Hi, Aaron."
"Listen Darien," Aaron sounded as if he was Darien's best friend and called everyday. "You know I've been seeing that girl Serena, right?" Without waiting for an answer he continued, "Because I haven't been able to track her down. She just took off the other day without saying anything and I've been wondering, would you know where she is?"
Darien felt a surge of anger threaten to overwhelm him. He forced himself to remain calm though, no good letting Aaron know that he knew something of what was going on. "No, I haven't seen her in the longest time."
"Oh well, just thought I would ask seeing as how you knew her before and everything."
"Just cause I knew her didn't mean we were friends," Darien pushed out through gritted teeth.
"I never said you were friends. Just that you knew her." A chuckled accompanied
Aaron's words. "No need to hide it from me Dare, she is a pretty girl."
Before Darien could slip and say something he would regret he slammed the phone down, efficiently hanging up. Bracing himself on the counter he took deep, steadying breaths, attempting to dispel his anger. Quiet footsteps on the carpet alerted him to the presence behind him. Turning around he saw Serena staring at him, her eyes wide.
"Who was it Darien?" he voice shook slightly, as if she already knew the answer.
Trying to spare her, all he would say was, "It was nobody important, don't worry about it."
She must have read something in his eyes because the shivering in her voice extended to the rest of her body until she was shaking uncontrollably. "Oh god," she barely breathed the words, "He's found me."
"No Serena," Darien said, desperate to calm her. Reaching out he laid a hand on her arm. When she didn't jerk away from his touch, he tried to draw her closer so that he could comfort her. Before he could though she moved away from him and, though she did not run, she clearly retreated into his room.
Darien followed her and was grateful that she didn't even close the door let alone lock it. He found her crouched in the far corner. Kneeling in front of her, he reached out and laid his hand on hers. "I promise you, he doesn't know that your here. I told him I haven't even seen you."
When she met his gaze, he could tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted to believe him but something inside her was preventing it. "But what if he didn't believe you and comes here to check for himself?" Her voice was small and scared and all Darien wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her until she was her normal, confident self again. Unfortunately, that option was not open to him, so instead he lowered himself into a more comfortable position on the floor.
"I promise you that even if he does do that he won't ever know your here. Never." He put as much emotion into his voice that he could, urging her to believe him. Slowly she stopped shaking, or at least it became less noticeable and she too found a more comfortable position.
"Darien, why have you been so nice to me?"
Her question shocked him and he found that he couldn't answer right away. For some reason he couldn't tell her the truth, it was his turn to be scared, and he knew there was no way he could ever lie to her. Looking into her ocean blue eyes though, he found that he wanted to tell her. Then he would think about the state she was in and how she may react to the news that even if he did not love her he was very close to it.
Darien was saved from answering by the doorbell. He didn't leave to answer it right away though. Instead, he sat and watched how she was going to react. Serena just stared right back at him. Her fear was in her eyes but she didn't ask him to ignore the door. Finally, he got up to answer it. If he found that Aaron was standing on the other side, it would not be his fault if his fist took on a life of its own.
Opening the door he found instead two of Serena's friends. Mina held in her arms a white cat and Lita held a black one. Oddly, they both had perfect crescent moons on their foreheads. "Hey."
They walked past him into the apartment. "I hope you don't mind that we brought these two. The black one is Serena's and we figured they were probably missing each other," Mina informed him.
"No problem," Darien said as he closed the door, "Just make sure you take both of them with you. Animals aren't technically allowed in the building."
"Sure," Lita agreed. Then she looked at him a little more closely, "What's happened?"
"Aaron called." Darien did not say anymore and braced himself for their reaction.
Fortunately, all they both said was, "Oh," and with that, he knew that they understood.
"She's in my room. I'll stay out here."
@}-------------
"Serena?"
The familiar voice calling to her made Serena smile. "Luna," she said, reaching up to take the cat from Lita, "I've missed you."
"How are you feeling?" the cat asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I've been better," she replied. "I take it they told you."
Luna nodded. "Now, why are you hiding in here?"
Serena couldn't help but look guilty. Now that she thought about it she was being pretty silly and she was worrying Darien for no reason. 'Now where did that come from?' "I'm scared Luna. I'm scared of my own shadow it seems."
"That's all that's holding you in here? Is fear?" At Serena's nod, Luna took on a commanding tone. "How many times has the negaverse and being a sailor scout scared you?"
Serena stayed silent, not sure if Luna actually wanted an answer to that question. When the cat stayed silent, she spoke up, "Just about every time I transform."
"Exactly," Luna said, believing she had proven her point. Serena was not so sure though.
"What does one thing have to do with the other? What he did was so much worse than anything the negaverse has ever done."
Luna looked up at her and Serena had the distinct impression that she was seeing much more than one would suspect. "Are you sure about that? The negaverse did kill you, and all the scouts, and Tuxedo Mask. As far as I can tell, you're still breathing."
Shaking her head in sadness Serena looked away from Luna, unable to let her see that emotion in her eyes. "That was different. You just don't understand Luna. When I died, I was still me. Now though, now I don't know who me is anymore."
"You're wrong. I do understand and so do the girls." Mina and Lita both nodded. "Trust me, you are still you. We all know it even if you don't. Besides, coming back from the dead seems a little harder to me than getting on with a life you still have."
"And you have us to help you," Mina confided.
"Thanks guys," Serena said, a faint, but real, smile showing on her lips. "I'll try and do what you suggest Luna. Knowing that you'll all be there for me is going to help." Setting Luna down she lifted her hands for assistance in getting up. Lita and Mina soon had her on her feet but Mina's next words just about sent her back down to the floor.
"Don't forget. Darien is there for you too." Serena could have sworn she had a smug look on her face.
"What do you mean?"
Lita laughed. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed Serena. He is so gone on you."
Serena looked down at Luna for help but the cat sat down and started bathing herself, clearing staying out of this conversation. "You guys have got to be kidding. He hates me."
"Nope," Mina said, a huge smile on her lips. "Didn't you tell me yesterday that you caught him watching you more than a few times? Also, do you really think he would do everything he's done for you, for someone he hates?"
"Well no, but…"
Lita interrupted her before she could voice any more doubts. "You have to like him even just a little bit. I mean, look at him. He is pretty cute."
Serena couldn't believe what she had just heard. "There's more to him than that! Can you guys really believe that I'm so shallow!" she cried in indignation.
"Ah ha!" Mina exclaimed, jumping up and down. "So you admit it. You do like him!"
"Shhh," Serena gasped, going still and listening as hard as she could to see if there was any chance Darien had heard. When she didn't hear anything, she moved over to the bed and sat leaning against the headboard. She grabbed one of the pillows and curled up around it. Lita and Mina joined her on the bed and waited in silence for her to
talk.
They had to wait awhile because Serena was busy seeing things in a completely new light. Breathing deeply the smell of wood pine, roses and fresh air, the smell of Darien, filled her lungs. She couldn't argue with Lita, he was cute. However, as she had said, there was more to him than that; she just hadn't noticed it before. He was considerate, and interesting to talk to. Not only did she enjoy hearing him talk but also he actually listened to what she had to say, and not just out of courtesy but because he was interested in it. He knew just when she needed time to herself and, unlike her, he knew when silence was just as important as words. Even before, when they constantly fought, she had enjoyed it. She had waited to run into him just so she could see him, and she had to admit, colliding into him had often been the best part of her day.
"Great," she muttered, startling her friends.
"What?" Mina asked worriedly.
"Now I have another thing to be scared of. First, do you guys know what you are talking about and he doesn't hate me. Second, do I want to take the chance of being hurt again?" Though Serena tried to appear serious, it just was not in her and she cracked a large smile that lit up her face.
Both girls couldn't help it. They started giggling and it was so infectious that Serena could not help but join in. All Luna could do was shack her head and wonder about the weirdness of teenage girls.
When they finally came out into the living room hour later, Serena wasn't sure how to react. Normally if she had a crush, she would talk non-stop and make sure the guy noticed her. But this was Darien. He already knew her and he was her friend. At least she now liked to think he was. So, she tried to be normal and knew that she was failing miserably. The whole evening, even after, or maybe especially after Mina and Lita left, she stayed quiet. Not trusting her voice or the words that may slip out of her mouth.
@}-------------
Darien could not help but notice that Serena was even quieter tonight than she had been when she was scared. Recalling the conversation he had with Mina before they left he debated on whether or not he should take her advice. She had suggested that Serena seemed ready to get out of the apartment now so maybe he should take her somewhere. Start small like the movies or something. Then, as if she had just thought of it that moment, though he suspected she had planned the whole conversation, she suggested that he take her to the fair when it arrived on Tuesday.
The problem was that he wasn't sure if one, she was ready to leave the apartment, and two, if she would ever agree to go anywhere with him if it even remotely resembled a date. Looking over at her, he smiled when he saw that she was watching him. His smile broadened when she blushed and quickly glanced away. That was another thing that was different about tonight. While he had been thinking his gaze had wandered away from her and she seemed to have taken the opportunity to watch him. Getting up suddenly enough to startle her to make her stop brushing her hair, he moved over to the couch behind her. "May I," he asked, reaching out to take the brush. Without a word, she handed it to him. He could tell she was more relaxed around him now for some reason because it took her nearly no time at all to start enjoying his pampering. She actually started leaning into the brush with each stroke, like a cat that loved being petted.
Slowly he started phrasing his question. "Serena, I was wondering if you would like to, maybe, go to a movie tomorrow, with me."
Though she remained where she was while he brushed her hair he could tell she had tensed up a bit. "A movie?"
"Yeah. I just thought that... that you may want to go out. Seeing as you've been inside this apartment for a week now." When she didn't relax again Darien was certain
he had blown everything it seemed he had gained between them.
Until she spoke, then he was not so sure. "You... you would want to go out with me?" Her voice was small, almost as if she feared what his answer would be.
"Of course," Darien said. Then realizing how desperate he probably sounded, added, "That is, if you could handle going out with an old guy like me."
Serena giggled, obviously finding his comment at least a little funny. "What movie do you want to see?"
Darien relaxed, allowing the motion of brushing her hair to soothe himself as well as her, and started a debate about what would be the best movie in theaters at that moment.
The next night Darien couldn't help but sneak into his room after Serena fell asleep. That day had been one of the most fun days he had spent in a long time. Despite the fact that now he no longer had her to himself, instead having to share her with the world. Kneeling down beside the bed, he looked at her, enjoying the sight that the almost full moon revealed to his eyes. She was lying on her back, her head turned toward him. One hand tucked up under the pillow, while the other was resting on her stomach. Her braid fell over her shoulder, running down her chest, splitting her body in two. Personally, he liked it there.
Shaking his head, he grimaced into the dark. He could not believe the kind of things he was thinking about her. The fact that those thoughts were following him into his dreams and being elaborated upon was not helping much. After all, she was only seventeen, five years younger than he was. He did not think it mattered much, but she might. But if she didn't...
Sighing, he broke off his thoughts. There was no point in adding fuel to his dreams. Reluctantly he pushed himself to his feet. He still could not leave the room though, so he stood looking down at her. As he watched, she rolled over, kicking off the covers slightly. Hiking the long shirt she slept in high up on her thigh, rewarding him with a view of a length of leg. Before any more thoughts could enter his mind, he reached over and pulled the quilt back over her. Leaving the room, he could not help but make one more backwards glance. He knew it was getting late and he should get some sleep but he bypassed the couch and headed out to the balcony.
Looking out over the city, he watched the lights of cars streaking down the road. Looking back over the day, he thought again about how much fun he had. If someone asked him, he would never be able to recall the name of the movie, only that it was about ghosts of some kind. After the movie, they had gone out for ice cream. Though not to the cafe at the arcade because Serena had not wanted to take any chances. Instead, they had just gone to a stand then took the ice cream to the park. Closing his eyes, he remembered everything in perfect detail.
*****
Serena was subdued but Darien thought he understood why. This was her first time outside his apartment in a week. Instead of walking along the crowded paths of the park, he led her off into the trees. She seemed grateful and soon was enjoying herself. Darien watched her, laughter ready to break free, as she skipped ahead, careful not to drop her cone. Unfortunately, the inevitable happened. Serena, being who she was, had to look back at him. When she wasn't paying attention to were she was going her foot caught in a root. She tumbled to the ground, a small cry escaping her throat.
Darien dropped the little that was left of his own cone and ran over to where she was sprawled. Reaching out he asked anxiously, "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, just horribly embarrassed."
Darien smiled and grabbed her elbow to help her stand. When she turned to face him, she moved a little faster than he did. Suddenly they were both on the ground, his face only inches from hers. His breath stopped and his heart sped up. The look he saw in her eyes seemed to match the feelings in his gut. A kind of longing jumbled up with uncertainty. Bracing himself up from the ground Darien moved slowly, angling his head to hers.
He saw Serena's eyes drift shut but he continued to watch her. He was sure that if his heart went any faster it would burst out of his chest. He was only a moment away from laying his mouth on hers when she opened her eyes. Before he could say anything, she pushed away from him and was on her feet. He stood and watched her walk over to where her cone had landed it slipped out of her hand. She kicked at it, and he guessed she was taking her emotions out, whatever they may be, on the poor cone.
Walking up to her he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I can get you another one, if you want."
Serena did not look up at him and he could tell she faked the gaiety in her voice. "That's okay. We all know I am a klutz. How about we just go home now."
Darien was glad that she was truly happy again by the time they reached his car. It seemed as if she had totally forgotten the incident.
*****
Rubbing his hands over his face Darien looked up at the sky. He wished he could see the stars better; maybe they could help him find an answer. The truth was, there was no way he could make himself feel guilty, and he had tried. At the moment just before she had pulled away he had felt as if he was about to discover the most precious thing in the world. Darien swore softly. Whatever had happened to her, it had her fearing any kind of contact. His only regret was that by unintentionally pushing things a little too far he might have pushed Serena away.
At the sound of a soft beep, he looked down at his watch. The illuminated figures told him that he had been standing out there for nearly three hours. A large yawn was all the encouragement he needed to find the couch and get some sleep.
@}------------
Opening the door to the bedroom and making her way into the living room, Serena was surprised to find that for once, she was the first to awaken. The chance was too good to pass up. She snuck up behind the couch and leaned on the back of it. Gazing down at Darien she was happy to see that he did not appear so serious when he slept, he actually looked younger, with his mouth curved in a slight grin and his hair tousled.
Cautiously she reached down and with a gentle touch, she ran her finger down the side of his face. Following the natural lines of his face, she found her finger was tracing around his mouth. She could not help it and she was curious. With the flat of her thumb, she felt his lips. They were so soft and warm and she found herself wishing that she hadn't pulled away so hastily yesterday. All week he had been gentle and slow, helping her overcome her fears without actually knowing what those fears were. She couldn't imagine him being any different when he kissed her.
Serena felt the heat of her blush rise up to choke her. These were not things she should be thinking about. Especially not after what had happened. 'But,' her heart argued with her mind, 'this isn't Aaron. Darien is totally different. You can trust him completely.'
Before he could wake up and find her staring at him, she pulled herself away and retreated into the kitchen. Once there she forced the errant thoughts from her mind by concentrating on making breakfast.
There was no way she should know because she never left the kitchen. Somehow, she knew almost the exact moment that Darien woke up. She listened to him trudge by into the bathroom. By the time he came back into the kitchen, she had the food on plates and everything was ready for them to eat.
They ate and cleaned up in silence. Only when they were relaxing on the couch, taking time to wake the rest of the way up, did Darien say anything. "I was wondering. Those clothes Lita brought over from her place. Are they all sweaters and jeans?"
Serena did not go on the defense as she would have before but she did grow a little wary. "Yeah. Why?"
Darien shrugged. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go to the fair tomorrow. If you said yes those kinds of clothes may be a little warm."
"The fair?" Serena asked, her disbelief clear in her voice. "But there are so many people at the fair. Everyone goes."
The look he gave her made Serena feel almost guilty about her fear. He looked as if he was actually looking forward to going with her but didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for. "I... well.... I guess. No.... I know I can manage. As long as you don't disappear on me."
The smile he gave her immediately alleviated all her doubts. She would do almost anything if it would get him to look that happy. "So, if you think my wardrobe would be a little to warm, then what do you suggest?"
"Go get dressed. We can go down to your house and pick something up." Before any fear could even enter her mind he added, "I'll be with you the whole time so you have nothing to worry about."
Serena jumped off the couch and ran into the bedroom. She was not sure why but where before the idea of going to the fair, where she may run into Aaron, had filled her heart with dread. It now, seemed she couldn't wait for tomorrow and the chance to go to her favorite summer activity with Darien. She pulled on her clothes quickly and got out of the bedroom so he too could get dressed. As he passed by her in the hall he said,
"Wear your hair in a low braid or something. It's a perfect day for taking my motorbike."
When she first heard that, she had been a little scared. She never had been on a motorbike before. This fear also turned into excitement before long. In addition to braiding her hair, she folded it up in an elastic so that it only reached mid-back instead of her ankles. Before they left the apartment, Darien handed her a knapsack as well as a helmet. He said she would need something in which to hold her clothes.
Now they were sitting at the door to the garage, waiting for traffic to slow a bit so they could get on the road. "Hold on," Darien called back to her. She tightened her grip on his waist just in time for him to gun the engine and pull out. The bike tilted into the turn he made and Serena could have sworn they were going to tip over.
At the first light, they stopped at Darien flipped up his visor and turned to talk to her. "You have to relax. Don't fight me on the turns. Lean with them." She was about to say something but he silenced he with a look. "Trust me." He turned back around and the light changed to green. Serena did trust him, so she tried to follow his advice. After the first couple of turns, she was so relaxed that she leaned on his back, closed her eyes and thought only about the wind whipping past them and the warmth of Darien's body in front of her.
Before she knew it, he was killing the engine. Opening her eyes, she saw that they were parked in front of her house. Reluctantly she climbed off. "Enjoy yourself?" Darien asked.
"Totally," she told him truthfully. She had to stop and admire him before continuing up the sidewalk. His hair was spiked in all directions from the helmet and despite it being a full-face helmet his cheeks were flushed, just as she suspected hers were.
"Shall we?" Darien questioned.
The flush on her cheeks quickly turned into a blush. "Of course." Digging the keys out of her pocket, she was glad she had thought far enough ahead to take them to Lita's. Opening the door, she led the way upstairs to her room. Only when she got up there did she think about how eerie the house was when it was completely empty. Normally her mom would have yelled hello to her as she ran up the stairs and when she got to her room Luna would have been sleeping on her pillow. Sighing she looked down at the pillow, wishing there was a small black ball rolled up on it.
"You okay?" Darien asked when he caught up to her.
Serena shrugged. "Yeah, it's just that it all seems way too quiet in here."
"If you don't like it then get what you want. We'll get out of here." Serena found that just his presence was reassuring and she took time deciding what to bring. Instead of grabbing whatever and getting out of there as had been her original intention.
She settled on a pair of blue jeans that had a slight flare to them. All her other pairs were too tight for her to feel comfortable in and she didn't want to where her really baggy ones. She grabbed a couple of t-shirts but the one she decided on for the next day was a white shirt with a ring of blue daisies around the bottom, which hung just past her butt. Just before they were about to leave she decided that the sneakers she had with her totally did not match. She ran back in the house and grabbed a pair of white sandals that she knew wouldn't fall off.
"Ready," she called when she was seated back on the bike, her arms firmly around Darien's waist. She was surprised when he turned in the opposite direction of his apartment. "Where are you going?"
Not being able to look back Darien had to yell all the louder so she could hear him. "You looked like you were enjoying yourself so much on the way there; I thought I would take the scenic route back. You mind?"
"Nope," she yelled back. She didn't mind at all. Once again, she closed her eyes and hung on.