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Chapter One: Boy Meets Girl
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Darien watched the red head in amusement. Her hips were jutted out to the side in an attempt to look sexy; her breasts were nearly spilling out of the lacy, dangerously low-neck line. Her shifty green eyes kept shooting him a sultry pout, trying to soften him up and loosen the airtight walls built around him.
Typical. "So, what are you doing tonight, Mr. Shields?" She asked him, openly letting her hungry gaze undress him.
Darien most definitely felt violated. "I have an important meeting that will last me all night long," he said, as if he was regretful he couldn't sleep with such a... "lovely" creature.
She touched his hand and moved her fingers over it in repeated, deliberately slow circles. "Oh, all work and no play? Hasn't anyone told you that that can't be good for you?"
Darien's brow rose as he pulled his hand back. "No, at certain times, work has its benefits." He gave her a disgusted glance and picked his glass of champagne up. Obviously, this woman had no respect for herself or an ounce of pride that kept her from acting so undesirable and desperate. "Actually, at times it can save me from... unwanted situations." With those last parting words, he swept past her red face and smirked when he heard her huff indignantly.
Darien poured himself another shot of champagne and grimaced at its bitter taste. God, these charity parties turned real old, real soon. He loved charity—but he did not love the parties that came along with donating money. Glancing around him, Darien felt immediately as if he was suffocating by the fake smiles and the strong scents of designer perfumes that gave him headaches he was sure would last him all night long.
Darien set his empty crystal glass down on a random table and walked towards the balcony doors. Relief at last! He would finally be free of the overly polite men and no longer had to laugh every five seconds!
Darien almost groaned aloud when he saw another—woman, no less—had beaten him outside. Her dainty palms were pressed against the freshly painted railing as her incredibly long, silvery-blond hair flowed freely behind her. He noticed her odd hairstyle—two elegant buns wrapped up on each side of her head. They almost resembled meatballs.
With feet, which had a mind of their own, Darien stepped closer to the radiant blond who seemed entranced by the alluring moonlit night. The moon was unnaturally beautiful tonight, Darien suddenly realized as he stared at the glistening moon. His thoughts confused him. Where had that come from? Moreover, since when did he notice how the moon looked? Didn't it look the same each night?
Before he had a chance to break the exotic woman from her reverie, Darien heard his name called out from behind him. Turning around in partial annoyance, he saw that one of his old clients was excitedly motioning Darien towards him.
Torn between duty and his curiosity, Darien stole a glance over his shoulder and saw, much to his dismay that the mysterious blond had disappeared like a leaf in the breeze. There for a minute, then gone the next.
Sighing in disappointment, Darien pasted a smile on his face, slowly made his way over the balding man, and prepared himself for another round of the glorious "high society."
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Serenity frowned inwardly as she lifted the edges of her long skirt up and headed towards her parents, who were leaning close to each other and talking in low voices. The petite, silver haired woman was the first to acknowledge her daughter. "Serenity, darling, is there anything troubling you?"
"I... I don't know, Mother." Serenity confessed uncertainly. On second thought, she added, "Nothing is troubling me, actually." Serenity fought against the sudden urge to spill her feelings about how boring the party was and how she wished that she could shoot each man that came up to her and flat out asked her out. They were by years her seniors! It wasn't proper, Serenity thought to herself. "The party is..." Serenity hesitated and searched for the right word, "...fine, I guess. I was wondering if..."
"Yes, dear...?"
"...If they are going to be serving the food soon?" Serenity finally finished.
Selenity laughed, but she hid her worry well. She knew her daughter better than that. "My hungry little kitten. Yes, they should be serving the food soon, no doubt they don't want to keep you hungry."
Serenity forced herself to smile. Gods, how much she wanted to leave and go back home to the sanctuary of her room. At least there, she could stare at the moon without strange men walking up from behind her! Serenity unconsciously shivered, she had felt someone step up from behind her, but Serenity hadn't turned around. She pretended she hadn't heard him; she had been afraid that the person had been another suitor in search of her.
"Serenity? Are you alright?" Her mother's worried voice broke her thoughts.
Nodding quickly, Serenity brushed a stray hair from her face and gave each of her parents a reassuring hug. "I'm fine, really. Mother, please don't worry about me so much. It's just that I'm tired and it's beginning to get to me."
Damion, sensing his wife's worry, studied Serenity. "Do you want to leave? We could leave now, if you wish."
Serenity shook her head, smiling in reassurance. As much as she wanted to go home, she knew that they couldn't. Her mother and father had been looking forward to all of them going out together to this party as a family. It had been such a long time since they had all spent time together; how could she think to be so selfish to take this time away from her family? "No, we don't need to leave. I'll be fine, I'm just making a fuss over nothing. Honestly. I'm just going to go and have a drink. I'll be back when they start serving the food, okay?"
Selenity, still skeptical of her daughter's sudden change in attitude, let it slip for once. "Alright. But… just be careful."
Serenity nodded as she walked away from her concerned parents. When she was leaving the balcony, she had caught sight of part of a man's face and she had literally felt her heart stop in her chest. He had been so handsome...
It had taken all her years of disciplined self-control to keep walking and to mask the attraction that Serenity was sure glowed from her eyes.
Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, Serenity decided that it was best if she didn't think about the enigmatic man anymore. He was too much of a distraction and just thinking of him caused her to feel things that she wasn't sure she wanted to feel.
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"And this magnificent piece was donated to the Harlem Orphanage for Boys Funds by the noble and very generous gentleman, Darien Endymion Shields."
The sounds of polite applause rang in the spacious hall. It soon faded after Darien stood, bowed his head slightly, and quickly sat down, whilst silently praying that they would end the display of who-bought-what-for-what-price soon. They only did this part as an ego-booster for those who donated. But at the same time, it was done to make those who did not donate feel worse and provoke them to have the sudden need to prove themselves worthy by contributing more than a charitable amount of money. However, it was all to a good cause, was it not?
After a few more names were called out, the presenter announced that they would be having a short, fifteen-minute break and then the display would start up again.
Darien had only been standing for a half-second before he heard a familiar, deep voice call his name. Curious, Darien turned around and found Damion and Selenity Moon, one of the wealthiest couples on planet, gradually making their way towards him. Selenity followed closely behind Damion, her small hand entwined with Damion's larger one.
Darien appreciated Selenity's undeniable beauty and venerated how comfortable they looked together. They radiated an air of grace and admiration, Darien smiled faintly as he felt his chest bubble with pride that they had taken the time to seek him out solely.
"Darien Endymion Shields, I presume?" Damion asked cheerfully.
"The one and only." Darien said as he took Selenity's outstretched hand and lightly kissed the top in greeting and respect.
Selenity smiled kindly. "You donated quite a lot today to the children's fund."
Darien shrugged indifferently. "I was an orphan and I had lived there most of my life, so donating to them is the least I could do." Darien recoiled as memories assaulted him full force.
Selenity's gaze softened. "Oh, I'm..." She stopped and her cheeks turned a pinkish hue. "I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what it would like to be without parents."
Darien felt touched by her sympathy; he was pleased to see there wasn't an ounce of pity in either Damion or Selenity's affectionate eyes. "It is not your fault." Darien sighed, "And I am also sorry."
"How much did you donate to children's' charities?" Damion asked, breaking the moment of silence.
"A quarter of a million, I think."
Selenity didn't seem fazed. "In all?"
"Oh, heaven's no. To each." Darien paused. "Why should I only give them only a little bit when I can give more? What am I going to use the rest of the money I keep for? Clothes? Food? I think not. Those children deserve better and I want to help them make a new start and enjoy better lives. No one deserves to live in poverty and hunger for most of their lives. They deserve to live a prosperous life where they can one day look back and tell others that they lived their lives to the fullest and they have no regrets about it. And sometimes, they need the help of others to make that possible, and I'm more than willing to be apart of that change' in their lives."
Damion looked impressed by the young man's passion for helping others. Darien was so much like his daughter, Serenity, always giving and trying to better other people's lives and help make them happier.
"I must agree." Selenity said energetically. It seemed that she had read Damion's mind and was thinking the same exact thing. "My daughter, Serenity, believes the same thing."
"Hmm." Darien made a sound of agreement. "She sounds lovely, from what I hear."
Damion's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh and she is. She is a unique flower, delicate in size. However, do not mistake her appearance for weakness. She takes after her mother, strong-willed and stubborn, but soft at heart for anyone in need, good or bad."
Damion perked up a bit. "As a matter of fact, instead of taking my word for it... you can meet her right now."
Darien felt his heart dissolve in his chest when his cobalt depths clashed with Serenity's twin pools of oceanic blue; flecks of silvery powder surrounded the pupil. Freckles showered the edges of her nose, and her lips were formed in a half smile.
Darien melted when her smile went from barely there to a large smile that spread across her face and further flaunted her flawless features.
Her silvery-blond hair was tied up into two gentle buns and—
Darien's thoughts came to a screeching halt when he suddenly recognized whom she was. She was the girl from the balcony! Darien mentally scolded himself: why hadn't he recognized her before?
Realization also flooded into Serenity, as her eyes grew large and stared at him for a half-second before their owner shook herself out of her stupor and continued to hug her mother and father, as if nothing had happened.
The "moment" between Serenity and Darien went unnoticed by Damion and Selenity.
"This is Serenity." Damion said, looking at Serenity with eyes full of pure love and pride. "My daughter who we were discussing about before."
"Bragging about me again, Daddy?" Serenity joked, trying to conceal the shakiness in her voice and slow the pounding of her heart. "Honestly, sometimes I think you talk of nothing else."
Damion laughed, he was completely oblivious to the electricity that crackled between Darien and Serenity. "You are my only daughter." He looked at his wife as a second opinion. "Are there any other topics as important?"
Serenity could only smile in response. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Darien said, wiping his sweaty hands on his black dress pants before taking her hand and lightly kissing the top of it. Darien quickly dropped her hand and avoided her gaze, his lips burned from grazing her smooth skin.
"Yes, it's a pleasure." Serenity repeated, instead of looking at him, she looked at her mother, who was smiling, but had her brows furrowed, as if she was thinking deeply. "Are you the man who donated all that money to the Harlem Orphanage for Boys Fund?"
"Yes, I am."
She nodded coolly, and mentally cheered as her regal posture kicked in and controlled her. Serenity silently thanked her mother for putting her through all those tedious lessons that taught her how to master her abilities to stay calm on the exterior—no matter how she was feeling on the inside. "That's very generous, donating so much money."
Darien offered her a small smile, but Serenity only barely returned it. It took all her will power to not shower him with dazzling smiles that she wished she could give him. What was this man doing to her? "I do what I can." He simply told her.
"I see." Serenity uttered.
"Your family seems to have given a lot of money too. I'm not the only one who so graciously gave money to this fund." Darien pointed out. Darien was desperate to have her bathe him in the glow of her smile, but he dejectedly noticed that she would not be revealing her true smile any time soon.
Had it been something he had done?
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Selenity and Damion had left Serenity and Darien alone to go outside and catch some fresh air. Selenity gazed her husband with delight as they held hands and walked around the rose garden. "Did you see it?"
"See what?" Damion asked as he basked in the surroundings around him.
"The way they were looking at each other, of course." Selenity exclaimed excitedly.
"The way that who were looking at each other?" Damion questioned, perplexed. Sometimes, Selenity made absolutely no sense to him. Even after being married for almost twenty years, Selenity was still a puzzle that Damion just couldn't seem to put together. "Selenity, I don't understand. Are we talking about Serenity and Darien?"
"Yes. He's such a nice young man, don't you agree?" Selenity suddenly asked, switching subjects.
Damion sighed and decided against trying to solve his wife's intentions. "Yes, I think so. Very well rounded and he has good morals."
Selenity smiled slyly. "I think so too." Selenity turned towards him and focused her turbulent blue eyes on him. Damion smiled. He knew that look well enough to know that she wanted something.
"What is it that you want, love?" Damion asked as he pulled his wife closer to him and nuzzled her neck fondly.
Selenity laughed and her eyes warmed when she saw the fire that still burned brightly in her husband's eyes for her. "I only want your opinion, dear."
"Really?" Damion smirked. "That's all you want?"
"Yes, that's all I want from you, well, at the moment, Damion."
Selenity admonished playfully. "I want to know what you think of Serenity... and Darien."
Damion cocked his head to the side and glanced up, as his eyebrows narrowed in thought. "Well, of course I think that Serenity is lovely and good hea—"
Selenity interrupted him with a quick shake of her head. "No, no, no. That's not what I mean. I want to know what you think of Serenity and Darien—together."
Damion's eyes darkened slightly. The protective streak in him grew. "Wait, are you implying that…"—at the look on Selenity's face, Damion suddenly understood—"I think that Darien is quite a nice young man, yes. But Serenity is very young and doesn't need any of that boyfriend nonsense."
Serenity stared at him in amusement. "Too young? If I remember, we started dating when we were... seventeen? Then we got married when I was about... I think, twenty-one. We had Serenity only a year after getting married." Selenity pointed out. "You're just being an overprotective old man. You're biased because you are too protective of your daughter for your own good."
Damion looked down at her stubbornly. "Can I help it? After having boys nearly break down our doors to ask her out, you develop a bit of a protectiveness for the girl." Damion said defensively.
"You know Darien is a nice young man."
Damion's refusal to see from her point of view was slowly fraying at the edges. "So..."
"Damion, stop being so silly." Selenity pouted adorably at her husband.
Damion sighed. Why was it that he could argue with some of the most powerful people on the planet and get his way, but with his wife, he had yet to win a single argument with her! "Alright, I like him, but I don't like that he's almost six years—"
"Damion, you're almost nine years older than—"
"Alright! All right! Darien is a perfect gentleman and I think that Serenity, if she were to feel that way towards him, would be very happy being married with him! Are you happy now?"
"Very." Selenity said, kissing him on the cheek.
Damion exhaled noisily as mentally wondered, for the hundredth time, how she did it and got her way so easily with just a smile and a few words.
"Magic, dear. It's female magic." Selenity read his mind as she giggled and caressed the side of his face. "I think that we've had enough interrogation for one night, don't you agree?"
"Yes, I do."
"I think that when we get home, we can, you know, see what Serenity thinks of him and hint around a little..."
"But I thought you said we've had enough interrogation for one night!"
Selenity looked at him straight in the eye and gave him an innocent look. Damion's resistance began crumbling. "I know. I've had enough interrogation for one night. But by we, I meant you on the other hand..."
Damion saw that Selenity knew that he would eventually agree. With a laugh, she wrapped her arms around him once more before she headed back inside.
Following behind, Damion muttered incoherently to himself about petite, manipulative women who always seemed to get their way.
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SerenityofEarth and Lady Amethyst: The first chapter is finally finished! Review, please! Not to be demanding or anything… but reading comments from our readers always helps. ;)
DISCLAIMER: We definitely DO NOT own any of the Sailormoon characters. Not even a little. No matter how much we want to.