Chapter 4

They spent all evening arranging and cleaning the house, and by seven o'clock, there was only one box remaining that hadn't been opened yet. Serena was relieved they were almost finished, and quickly approached the box. The blonde was unaware, however, of a kink in the carpet, so she was rather shocked to find herself falling as she tripped over it. Darien -- by chance -- happened to be standing nearby, and quickly moved to catch her, "Ouch!" Serena and her would-be rescuer yelped as they fell to the floor with a soft thud. Darien, having wrapped his arms around the girl in an attempt to shield her from the impact of the fall, managed to do this quite successfully. They lay there for the briefest of moments before Serena propped herself up on her elbows and touched her head gingerly, assuming she had hit her head on a blunt object as her fingertips felt a small bump forming on the back of her head, "That hurt…" she whimpered.

Darien just lay there, staring hazily up at the ceiling, feeling slightly dazed. Then the realization that there was a warm weight pushing down on him registered in his mind. He tried focusing on what it might be. His gaze then met Serena's azure-blue eyes. A shiver ran up and down his spine at the innocence he saw in there depths.

Serena blushed at the awkwardness of their situation. She was lying on top of him -- his abdomen to be exact -- her face inches away from his. Their proximity was unbearable. Despite this, she took the opportunity to examine him closely: from the perfectly proportioned nose, to the set of his jaw and his high-cheekbones – not, of course, forgetting his lips that gave him a rough looking appearance, but at the same time, looking simply delicious. It made her wonder what it would feel like if she kissed… Serena quickly pushed the thought aside.

She continued examining him, bringing her gaze down to his eyelashes -- dark and thick -- yet not feminine. They complemented his midnight-blue eyes that seemed more than capable of drowning her in their intensity - it was as if he were a masterpiece sent to her world by God to fill what had been her boring day with a work of fine art in the form of this beautiful man. She was brought back from her reverie by the fact that those same adorable eyes were now staring back at her.

Darien was acutely aware of the weight of her soft body upon his stomach and more than just a little flustered. He absentmindedly examined Serena's features while basking in the compromising situation they were in: her skin so soft and silky in appearance, her perfectly proportioned ears - one a whisper away from his lips -- made him want to nibble one and make Serena scream out for more. Her slender neck beckoned him to trace kisses down its delicate length - the thought made him shudder -- her lips looked so soft and inviting. He wanted so much to kiss her fiercely. The thought of brushing his lips against hers was more than he could stand. He felt his body heating up, just at the thought and quickly cut it off before losing control of himself.

He noticed her cheeks were flushed and quickly brought his eyes back to his goddess' baby-blue eyes, which, at that moment, stared back at him. Wait a minute… is she staring back? Both blushed madly at the situation -- each giving their apology before disentangling themselves from one another. Darien quickly stood up and offered his hand to Serena, helping her up, "Are you OK?" he asked, unable to meet her eyes.

Serena nodded, "I-I'm sorry. I wanted to move the box there," she pointed to the box in question, her voice quivering ever so slightly, "I tripped on the carpet." She looked at the box with the name, 'Raye' written on it. She gazed at the name curiously. Raye, I'll ask him later, who is this Raye.

"It's OK. I'll do it. The box is quite heavy, and I want to put it upstairs, so let me do it later," Darien insisted, glancing at the box with a frown on his handsome face.

"If you insist," Serena replied, relieved the air of discomfort was finally clearing, "I guess I can't say anything to change your mind," she added, detecting the sudden change of expression on Darien's face.

Then an odd sound distracted them, and made Serena blush more than she had earlier. She put a hand on her stomach, hoping desperately that he hadn't heard her stomach complaining due to lack of food.

Darien looked at her before turning his attention to the clock on the wall, "How about having dinner here? Sounds like the monsters are ready to be fed," he said, holding back a chuckle. Serena nodded shyly, "Well, what about pizza?" he suggested, the corners of his lips twitching as he resisted the temptation to laugh.

Serena's eyes brightened at the prospect of pizza, "Sounds wonderful," she replied enthusiastically. Immediately she put her hand to her mouth, embarrassed that her voice had climbed an octave higher than it should have. Darien grinned, but said nothing as he quickly dialed the number.

Serena turned to find there was nothing more to do. She sat down and reached for the book that Darien had lent her earlier. The cover was very simple -- brown with golden embroidery and golden letters making up the title, "The Book of Life." She lost herself in her own little world as she began to read it, but her thoughts were interrupted as Darien brought the pizza into the room, "Don't you want some?" he asked teasingly, noticing the far off look in Serena's eyes.

Serena didn't miss his tone, "I won't let you finish it all." And with these words, she stood up and quickly grabbed a slice.

It was ten when Serena and Darien made their way along the path leading to her doorstep, "Serena… is it OK that you're arriving home this late?" Darien asked -- a little concerned.

"It's fine. I live alone, so no one will be mad at me if I come home late," she answered with a smile. She turned to face him, looking up into his hypnotic blue eyes, "Thanks for accompanying me home," she added, smiling cheerfully.

"Gentleman never allows a woman to walk alone at night," he explained, his words sincere. Serena was taken aback by his answer. So you're that kind of guy, huh? She thought to herself.

"Well, do you want to come in?" she asked with a smile, "For a cup of coffee, I mean," she quickly added, not sure if Darien would take her words to mean she wanted him to share much more than just a cup of coffee with her. It would have torn her up if he thought she was an easy girl to share a bed with after spending only one evening together.

Darien looked at Serena. It was obvious he hadn't detected any other meaning other than an innocent invitation, "No… thanks, but no thanks. Maybe next time when it is not too late," he gently declined her invitation, "I'm afraid I'll be very late getting home as it is," he explained, noticing the look of disappointment on her face.

"Oh, it's fine. I didn't realize how late it was. Sorry for making you escort me here." She flashed him a smile to show she wasn't too disappointed, "Maybe we can get together some other time, when you're not busy." she added, before she blushed at the realization she had just given him a blunt invitation for a date. Thank God, it's quite dark here…

Fortunately, for Serena, he was too tired to pay attention to digest what she had said, "Fine. We'll have to find a day that works for both of us."

Serena held back a wide grin, "Well, see you soon. I'm afraid if you don't go now, you'll be arriving home tomorrow morning," she teased, grinning.

Darien nodded, "Yeah, okay. I guess it's time for me to go. Goodnight… Serena," he said with a slight bow.

"Good night Darien. Thanks for the book," she smiled, holding up the book in her small hands, "Itterashai…" she called out as she waved to him.

He walked back along the dark street alone, only the light from the street lamps as his friends on the journey back home.

Serena watched him until he disappeared into the night, turned on her heel, and entered her home.

Darien continued to stroll down the street. His mind still on the blonde he had just left behind. Serena looked so beautiful today. I still can't believe that she actually helped me clean up my place. Still, I enjoyed having her as my companion. She's funny, smart, spirited; unique... it's so rare to find a girl who isn't afraid to be herself these days. I like that...

After Serena closed the door behind her, she leaned against it for support and rapped her arms around herself. She sighed as she contemplated the events of the day as well. Today was Darien's birthday, If only I had known... But I enjoyed having him as my companion. He's considerate, good -- and I can't ignore his good looks either -- plus he's sincere, a gentleman by nature, and fun to be with. Serena sighed dreamily, and locked the door before heading towards her bedroom.