A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back! Did you miss me? My trip was a disaster! My grandparents got into a car crash and nearly gave me a heart attack when I heard they were in the hospital! Over all I spent most of my trip worrying my little head over their safety. Now that their lives are no longer in danger and the surgeries were successful and I'm back I'm extremely relieved. Anyhow here is the next chapter…again sorry for making you all wait so long! Please Review!
Disclaimer: I don't own sailor moon
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Acceptance
"Ooh…roller coasters are a bad idea! The next time I want to go on one please warn me okay Dare?" Serena's head seemed to spin in circles as she held on to Darien.
"Hey it was your idea to go on it in the first place…there's no use complaining."
"Well excuse me! You were the one who wanted to be a good friend! Good friends have to be there to comfort one another not blame the other for stupid mistakes!"
"Okay…okay…let's not fight anymore…do you want to do anything else?" Darien felt a small drop of rain on the tip of his nose. "I think we should take cover." He looked up at the sky for signs of dark clouds.
"Why do you say that?"
"Looks like it's about to rain."
"Oh…okay."
They both walked into one of the many booths game booths.
"Oh my gosh look Darien isn't it so cute!" Serena screeched as she pointed to a big pink stuffed bunny displayed as a prize.
Darien raised an eyebrow. "You like that stuff?"
"Of course I do it's so cute! Aw…I wish I can have it…but I suck at aiming! My hand eye coordination is like zero…I'm never going to pop all those balloons!" Serena pouted.
Darien chuckled; he couldn't help but think she looked cute when she pouted. The expression on her face made him adore her even more then he already did. "If you want it then I'll win it for you."
After trying four times Darien finally won the big pink stuffed bunny for Serena. When he handed her the bunny she squealed with delight and hugged it to the point where if it were alive you'd think it's eyes would bulge out.
"So what do you want to do now?" Darien asked a bit tired out.
Serena merely grinned mischievously giving him a look that only made him shiver in response. "Well…Darien…you really want to prove to me how sincere and determined you are about being my friend?"
"Yes of course…I'd do anything."
"Oh really? ANYTHING?"
"Yes ANYTHING!"
"Okay…is that a promise?"
"Yes it is." Darien responded without thinking.
"Okay come with me!"
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"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! No no no! No Serena anything but that! This is horrible! Completely not right! This is injustice in everyway possible!" Darien cried helplessly.
"Uh uh uh! A promise is a promise and you made me a promise therefore you will just have to keep it!" Serena smiled as Darien slowly got onto the ride.
Around him little children gleefully stepped onto the kiddy airplane ride complete with UFO's and all. Darien seemed to be the biggest person there. Gee I wonder why?
Serena tried hard not to laugh but soon her laughter could be heard even from where Darien was riding a very small colored UFO.
Darien hid his face in his hands hoping that no one would recognize him. Who knew proving how determined you were would end up like this? No wonder many people find love painful…friendship is just as bad…especially with a girl such as this!
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"That…was cruel Serena…even for you!" Darien finally spoke after he got off of the kiddy ride.
"Oh come on! It's just a joke besides…I got you back…now we can officially say that we're even!"
Darien sighed and shook his head. He really had to hand it to her she's got some really cruel tricks up his sleeve if it continued to go this way pretty soon he'll ruin his reputation! "Alright! All right! I give up! We're even no more practical jokes!"
"You mean it?"
"Yes. Now how's about I take you out to get some lunch?"
"Great! I'm starving!"
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After the rain passed Darien took Serena out to lunch at a small restaurant nearby.
After ordering a burger fries and a drink for both Darien walked back to the table where Serena was waiting patiently and sat down.
Darien handed Serena her burger and begun eating his own.
"What are you doing?" Darien asked when he saw how she was examining her burger so very carefully, looking at it as though it would bite her.
"How do I know you didn't do anything to my burger?" Serena asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes.
"I wouldn't do anything to your burger…besides…there's always your drink."
"…You know what Darien? You are so not funny!"
~*~*~*~*~*~Later…in Darien's car
"I'm so glad I'm not dead…I guess I was wrong about you…you didn't poison my burger or my drink after all." Serena remarked teasingly.
"How do you know that meatball head? The day is still young…you never know when the poison will kick in." Darien let out a grin.
"Again I must say…you are not funny." She stated flatly.
Darien chuckled. "I can be funny when I want to be."
"And when exactly is that? Hmm let me think…how about…never!"
"Sheesh…girls these days are just not what they used to be…you know you're really hard to please. And you didn't even thank me for the pink bunny! Maybe I should take it back."
"No way! You gave it to me…it's a gift there's no way you can have it back. But thanks for winning me the bunny."
"There you go…was that so hard? And by the way…you're welcome."
Serena smiled genuinely at him before asking. "So where are we going to go next?"
"You'll see."
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"Darien are we there yet?" Serena whined for the 6th time.
"No…not yet."
"Oh…now are we there yet?"
"No"
"…How about now?"
"No."
"And n-"
"Don't even think about it Serena! If you complain one more time I'll just drop you off here and you can walk home!"
"Hmph sheesh! You don't have to be so mean about it!" Serena crossed her arms across her chest and turned to face the window. They have been driving for quite a while now and her patience was slipping away from her slowly like the grains in an hourglass.
"Okay…now we're here."
"Finally! So where's the surprise place?" Serena stepped out of the car and stretched. She felt cramped up after being stuck in a car for such a long amount of time.
After stretching Serena looked up to observe her surroundings. She spotted a lake and ran over to it. Near the lake benches were placed for people to sit and admire the picturesque view.
The sun hit the lake in a way the made the water glow and made everything come to life. It looked like a scene in a fairytale.
"You like it?" Serena heard an all too familiar male voice ask from behind.
"It's beautiful…since when were you the romantic type to like lakes? What's next Darien? Moonlit walks in the park?"
"Nah…A handsome guy such as myself needs his beauty sleep." Darien teased.
Serena laughed and walked over to the bench to sit down…soon Darien joined her.
"This is a nice park…it's calm and quiet…" Just before she could finish her sentence she heard strange muffled noises behind her. Serena's head whipped around to look at a couple sitting on a bench not too far from them. Relieved she turned back to Darien. "Isn't that cute…young love." Serena looked at him starry eyed.
"Um…uh…Serena…I'm not sure if you noticed but…there not exactly that young…and they aren't exactly just cheek pecking either."
"Huh?" Serena turned back and her jaw dropped.
Sitting on the bench not to far from theirs was an old couple around there sixties fully making out.
"You know…maybe we should move…the view in this area isn't as good as the view over there." Serena got up and began pulling Darien away. All Darien could do was laugh.
After getting out of view from the old couple they sat down at a bench similar to all the others.
"And what exactly were you laughing at Darien Shields? I believe you are just as jaded as I am!"
Darien shook his head and chuckled. "You know Serena your cute when you're naïve. I think that couple had spunk…being in love for that long even when your old is something to admire."
"…I guess you're right" She let out a sigh.
"So tell me Serena…did you have fun today or did I fully bore you?"
"Actually I must admit…I'm actually enjoying it. You're not as bad as I thought you were."
"I'm glad to hear that…I told you, there's more to me then you think."
"Yep who would've thought that Darien…our school playboy would actually be a hopeless romantic?" Serena meant it in a teasing way but it somehow affected Darien a great deal.
Darien's face was stern as he looked at her. "Look Serena…I may have had a bad past…but people can change…I don't plan on walking on that same path forever. After all life is short…I want to get married someday and have someone to spend the rest of my life with…"
"I'm sorry…I was only teasing you…I know you're not like that…not anymore at least…not that I know of."
"I'm happy to hear that…let's head back before it gets dark." And they both got up to walk back to the car
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Darien got out of his car and opened the passenger door for Serena to walk out. She carried the stuffed bunny in her right arm and turned her face to smile at him.
After walking Serena to her house Darien turned to leave but Serena's arm on his shoulder made him stop. He could almost shudder at her touch. He wanted badly to hold her…but did not dare to even think about it.
"Darien wait…I need to say something to you before you go."
This made Darien turn and face Serena. His eyes met crystalline blue orbs. Her eyes seem to calm his nerves and soothe his soul in a way he could never before imagine possible.
"I just wanted to say thank you…for the bunny…and for being so sweet. I was wrong about you…I guess people can change…and yes…I consider you as a friend now…a very close one at that." Serena rewarded him with one of her dazzling smiles and gave him a friendly hug."
"Thanks." The moment seemed to last forever. Darien didn't want to ever let her go.
"For what?" Serena questioned she was truly puzzled why would he thank her after she just thanked him.
"For…giving me a chance."
Serena looked at him in the eye and smiled. She let go of him reluctantly. "It's late…you better get home." With that she turned and walked into her house.
Darien too turned back to his car and they both went their separate ways…knowing that a new friendship bloomed out of the mists of long-term denial.
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_ I'm so mad! It seems that after I got back from my trip I got a bad case of writers block gomen…please forgive me…I tried my best. Anyways…the bench incident…and the old couple…yeah that was what I spotted on my trip…it caught me off guard although I find it quite a sweet gesture…it was kind of disturbing! Please review!