Dear Reders,
(Peeks around the corner timidly)... Hi! Sorry for the minor cliffhanger. At least I only left you hanging for a day. It could have been way worse. Hope you're still here, still reading and having as much fun as I am!
I did receive one review yesterday, from guest reviewer, (I didn't even know this was possible) but it was perfectly blank. I don't know if that was on purpose because of the cliffhanger, or a glitch. But hopefully today's post more than makes up for it. THANK YOU!
Dedicated to anyone whose ever dressed up as Santa before! Your work is tremendous, even if it's all for one kid. God bless you and this one is for you!
"A Memorable Christmas"
Chapter 17 - Underneath the Tree
Blessings Can Hurt!
(Serena's Perspective)
Tessa was gone, she'd lpassed earlier this evening and went home to God. Watching this take place, watching her become light when she stepped through it had been one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I'll never forget it and I'll never forget the conversation we'd had. Before she crossed over. The promises made, hers or mine, it was a Christmas miracle. Heaven was bound to be that much a better place because she's there.
That being said, that doesn't mean her loss is easy, painless, or fair. Having all of that warning and trying to brace yourself doesn't help either. When that hollow heavy coldness swallows you up, it's suffocating and merciless. Nothing prepares you for saying goodbye to anyone you love so much. I was absolutely wrecked by this and I love my friends. But I just couldn't stand to be with anyone right now. I would simply ruin their night and drag them down to the dephts with me.
Which wouldn't be fair to any of them.
I couldn't stay in my room either. I just felt like I couldn't catch my breath like there was an invisible bolder sitting on my chest constricting my back and chest. A heavy nothingness the weight and size of 'Starlight Tower.'
So the first chance I got, I slipped outta my room and left the Scout wing of the manor. Which had come when Kirk had left to check something with Zane. He'd stepped towards the library which wasn't far, but luckily I got away before anyone saw me. I'd slipped by and ran back to the biggest Christmas tree in the house. I figured if I got far enough underneath of it, no one would see me or find me. Some staff were still tidying up after the Gala. But thankfully none of them paid me any mind. I was laying where they'd already cleaned and they went on to bed after a while.
I ended up calling my brother and talking to him for a little while. Do you know, he was laying underneath my grandparent's tree with my favorite cousin Brian. They took turns talking to me, sending me pictures of their views, asking for snapshots of my view. Because we're dorks like that. For a minute it was like any normal Christmas… We could almost forget what we'd just lost. We'd lost our favorite aunt and Brian had lost his mom. But between their goofing around and my own teasing… we forgot how far apart we were, the miles and ocean separating us. It was like we were all laying there together like so many Christmases before. I just wish it could have helped my aching heart more.
Right after I hung up with them and felt so homesick. I curled myself a little tighter on that tree skirt behind my head. I felt someone trip over my pink bunny slipper-clad feet. Not only did this person go down after tripping over me. But she fell completely faceplanting beside me and pulled me with her so hard that I was ripped out from under my hiding place completely.
It was, "Mina?"
It'd come out sounding like a question just because I was so shocked. She'd locked herself in her room, swore she wasn't coming out. She'd been my only friend (besides my knocked-out boyfriend) who hadn't been hovering over me earlier. She was in the middle of her own struggle and she seemed to be just as emotionally disturbed as me. Even if differently and from completely different circumstances.
Mina's reaction to seeing me, and my burgundy, puffy face. Was to grab me into a tight hug, and apologize. "Sorry I took longer than everyone, sorry I haven't been able to be here for you more. I'm so mad, I'm so furious with Kirk, with myself. I don't know what to do."
I hugged my friend back and told her honestly, "You have nothing to be sorry for. Mina, you were the first one of us to become a Scout in this life. You were a heroine longer than any of us and you had to do it all on your own. Just you and Artemis, the biggest adjustment you needed to make when you did join the rest of us was letting us help you. Leaning on someone else for a change and not trying to shoulder it all yourself. You've been a great teammate, a terrific friend, and an even better sister to me. Why do you think even for a minute that you would need to apologize?"
She wiped at her fresh tear streams and explained, "This is my duty, my mission, and my life's most important job. Being here for you, for our team, and whatever it is we're supposed to be facing. That is where I belong and I feel like I abandoned you."
"You didn't-" I tried to say, but she wasn't through. Mina cut me off and went on explaining…
"-No!" She flipped out on me. "I couldn't do my job, because I didn't remember. If my ex-boyfriend had been any common joe. I wouldn't be this mad or pissed off. But no!" She got up off of the ground and helped me up too. Still venting, "He's not just any guy, he knew how important this was to me. He knew my mission, wishes, and how I would feel from Venus' standpoint. It's very similar to his own mission to help Endymion. Then he did absolutely nothing to help me achieve these goals. He just let me live out a year in the dark, totally oblivious. While he was basically taking my place protecting you. What other assumption am I to make from these actions? Besides the obvious one, he wanted my job and he took it. Hostel takeover."
"Mina!" I tried to interrupt, but my voice cracked and my throat throbbed from all of my earlier emotions.
Mina grabbed hold of my shoulders and said, "I shouldn't be saying any of this right now. I'm so sorry about Tessa. She was such a special person, to all of us. Forget I said any of this."
"No," I said patting her hand. Then I shared, "When Amy, Lita and Raye were all going through this. I wished more than anything that I could be there to help them. But I couldn't be there like I'd wanted to be. I have a chance to be here for you and I'm not passing it up."
I went to sit on the sofa nearby and pat the seat next to me. It was close to the still-lit fireplace, and Mina came to sit next to me. From there I told her everything I could, before answering any other questions she could think up. How Kirk had never meant to hurt her. He really was trying to do what was best for her the same way that I had. I even explained how all four kings and I had to remember by force and necessity. It had been so painfully brutal to all of us, we'd done everything we could to let the rest of our team linger in that peace we'd all worked so hard for.
By the end of all of that explaining, and questioning. Mina's eyebrows had relaxed, her posture had de-stressed and it wasn't long before she was hugging me goodnight and telling me. "I think I need to go apologize to someone else. Before I call it a night."
I told her to, "Please don't ruin his Christmas and stop calling him an ex."
"I was so mean to him, Ree." Mina confided. "How can I face him after being so unreasonable."
"He'll understand and he'll hear you out," Before I pushed her in the right direction and told her. "Just speak from your heart and you'll get the answer you want. He loves you just as much as you love him. Trust me, I've never seen either of you so happy as you are when you're together."
She thanked me and shared, "Maybe I'll sneak back in my room first and dress in an outfit that'll make certain I get and hold on to his attention though."
I shrugged, "You gotta take every advantage you can. Good luck!"
After that, I climb back into my original hiding spot (Underneath the biggest decorated Christmas tree in the house) and went back to looking at pictures on my phone.
That is until someone else came and tripped over my pink bunny slippers again. This person didn't faceplant thankfully. But this person did grip my ankle and tug on me. As they asked, "Serena?"
Was that Darien's voice I'd heard? No, he's asleep, it's late, why would he be up? He tugged on me again insisting, "Serena? Is that you?"
And So We Meet Again
(Darien's POV)
"Yes, it's me." She said sounding like she was all cried out.
"What are you doing down there, at this hour?" I asked, and I tried to crawl under there so I could look at her when I talked to her. Her hands lockdown on my shoulders and she pushed me back. Not letting me come underneath with her.
She said, "Stop. Don't look at me."
"Why don't you want me to look at you?" I had to ask.
Serena's hands stopped me again, the moment I tried to peek at her. How were such small, soft hands so strong? "Because I'm…I'm completely destroyed under here... The last person… any girl wants… to see them look this terrible… is her boyfriend."
"Do you really think I'm superficial enough to care about something like that?" I asked, making a good point I thought.
She admitted, "No… I just…I know I'm not much to look at even in the best of times and… right now… it's bad. Bad as it gets, I'm afraid." After she took a minute to blow her nose on a tissue I'd handed her.
I took her hand and said, "I heard about Tessa… Serena, I-I'm so sorry. I wish there was something that I could say or do to make it all better. To make all of the hurt go away, and more than anything I wanna see your face right now, but… " I kissed her hands even if they were pushing me back. I said. "Can I please lay with you… even for a minute?"
I almost didn't hear her say, "Okay." Her voice was so hoarse, strained, broken, and used up from crying. But I didn't miss my chance, I climbed under and took her in my arms at the first possible moment. I just held her and she just cried. No tears were coming out of her eyes because they were already all used up. Her face was red and a little puffier than earlier. But in the lights peeking through the branches of that tree. She was still so heartrendingly beautiful. She was still my girlfriend, my princess, my light and my everything. And even though I was finally able to lock my arms around her, my heart was breaking for her.
She asked me, "Are you okay?"
"I should be asking you that?" I answered back.
"No," she waved a hand at me. As if to brush the question away. "I'm a lost cause… What I'm talking about is that I know you and I were both found… laying in the snow after the battle was over. I checked on you before I came here, but Andrew and Rita were-"
"You came and checked on me?" I repeated.
"Of course." She said, "I was worried about you, but you were asleep and so was Andrew and Rita. They were camped out next to you. How did you even get outside anyway?" She asked, and here I was thinking the last thing we would be talking about would be me.
"The Moonlight Knight," I eluded and there was something in her eyes. When she looked at me, I could see that she already knew about that too. But I said it anyway, "He told me to tell you Goodbye; and to let you know that he went back to where he belonged. But somehow, I don't think Tessa was the only goodbye you saw when you were asleep tonight."
She shook her head at me and told me, "I don't know what you're talking about."
I shot her a look that said, 'Come on.'
She fessed up, "Alright I did see him but he didn't say goodbye. It was sort of trippy and he was swearing he was you, but not you. Just a part of you, I really thought that was more dream and less visionary."
"If he didn't say goodbye, what did he say?" I asked, feeling curious.
"He was explaining that for him to return to the person he belongs to, two things needed to happen." She croaked in a voice far too tired for this discussion. But she went on and counted off on her fingers, "One, his real self needed to be Tuxedo Mask again, and Two! His original self needed to feel a certain way towards me. Once those two things were confirmed, he would go home. But he wasn't like 'and that happened, so peace out.' He was just like, 'you should be aware of this.' I guess because technically it involves me."
"Technically?" I asked, "You're calling it a technicality when this whole thing, doesn't happen at all, without you?"
"How do you know that?" She asked me, and I had to be honest.
"Because he went home," I revealed and she shook her head like she already knew. She didn't even look terribly surprised.
She just said, "So Mina's weren't the only memories to return today?"
"No, they weren't," I validated, and she somehow only got a little sadder.
When she did speak she sounded like she was crying again, as she said, "I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" I questioned.
"Because after Beryl there was supposed to be peace and our fighting was supposed to have ended-" She tried to explain.
I cut in and reminded her, "-Serena! You can't help it that other evil forces found our planet and are trying to take it over."
She reasoned right back, "But if I was any kind of good superheroine. I would have been able to stop those evil forces all on my own. All of you could have been left alone in peace. Gotten to live out your normal happy human lives. But because I'm such a pathetic weakling all of you were ripped outta hiding and dragged back into this life none of us wanted. All because I'm not strong enough."
I let her finish getting this thought out because I knew she was struggling to find the right words. I also wanted to hear her thinking on the subject, even if everyone had been going out of their way to warn me before now. But I'd listened to everything she'd said intently and I found what needed to be said, "But it's like you just said yourself. As peaceful as our lives could have been if we were left alone and normal humans. I know none of us would trade who we really are or having you in our lives. I would have been alone all Christmas break again. I would have been locked away in my apartment and I would have missed out on all of this-"
She interrupted, "You wouldn't have gotten hurt either."
"I wasn't hurt, that was just the side effects of the Moonlight Knight going home. I know that you know what I'm saying too, Sailor Moon." I had to point out and even went as far as to point out… "Or do you prefer Serena, Sailor Moon, Serenity, dream princess? Unquestioned keeper of my heart? Those are all you."
She answered, "Any and all of those names work. They're all me, luckily you have nearly the same amount of alter egos." She recapped for me, "Darien, Tuxedo Mask, Endymion and… in a twisted trippy turn of events, the Moonlight Knight. Which hero are you gonna stick with now? Arabian Prince or Tux clad Cape boy? I think you could get away with both if you wanted to. Keep our enemies and fans guessing."
That quickly, she's back to teasing me and making me smile. "No-no!" I insist, "I do not wanna do that. The Moonlight Knight went home and as far as I am concerned he has retired his desert garb. I will gladly take back Tux all day any day over all of that white. How was I supposed to hide and get the jump on anyone in all of that white? Day or Night? Snow or no Snow?"
She did smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. My heart ached for her, as I tried to keep on this more lighthearted conversation. Which was oddly more geared towards my regained pasts. You would think that topic would seem weightier than all others. I asked her, "About Serenity? Do you remember much about that time as well? Because when I was given these memories before. I didn't really get much time with them before they were all twisted by Beryl and Metalia. I feel like I was hit by a tidal wave of memories when I woke up today."
She admitted, "That's kinda how it was for me too. The first time around I was given just enough information. When I remembered this second time, it was so much more. Instead of just remembering for the most part their tragic end, which was such a downer. I had all of the good memories too."
"That's how this has been for me too." I agreed, before tightening my hold on her. "You don't know how good it feels to finally be with you. Like this again, afterall we've overcome."
She let her head rest on my shoulder and closed her eyes. After releasing a deep breath, she brought up, "And yet there are still too many things that we still have to face."
"We'll face them together," I promised.
She leaned back to look me in the eyes and smirked sadly. "I know it's terribly selfish of me. But I'm so glad you are back. I can't even express how much I've missed you."
"I missed you too, so much…Can I tell you something a little weird?" I asked her, and she nodded for me to continue. "Those first kisses in the park? Before the Arcade Party, when I kissed you then. I was slammed with so much relief and solace. I remember thinking then it felt like I already missed you before I knew what being with you would be like."
"You did?" Serena asked, and I felt her hand on the side of my face. "I felt the exact same way. But I thought it was all one-sided. Because I was the only one going into that kiss with my memories. You know?"
"I bet you did," I said as I turned my head to kiss her palm, it was so cold. I hope I warmed it up a little. Then found her other hand so I could kiss it. As I pulled her closer to me. She closed her eyes, probably because it wasn't just her hands that were cold. She must have been freezing because she was ice cold to the touch. We were laying full length together on a stone floor. No wonder my normal temp felt like heaven to her. I told her, "You're so cold. Why don't we try to lay back down in a bit of a warmer location? Preferably a softer one too? Does that sound good?"
"That does sound better now, it really does." Serena agreed, but then something caught her eye. Something in the branches underneath the bottom of that tree. And I saw the question marks all appear around her head. So she changed her quick agreement with me too, "Hold on a second. Before we go, do you mind explaining that?"
"That? That what?" I asked playing dumb, even though I knew exactly what she was pointing at. Even without the benefit of looking.
"That right there!" She pointed up slightly to the left of my head. "Where did that come from?"
I lied, "All I'm seeing is tree branches, tree needles, and more tree branches. Then Lights, beads, ornaments and more tree… and you. The tree's skirt we're laying on, what are you looking at?"
She demanded in her Serenity voice, "Turn around a lie-down flat on your back like me. At the angle you're in laying face down next to me you'll never see it."
So I did as she asked, and looked up, even though I already knew what I would be looking at. When I was flat on my back and looking up, it was right in front of my face. I had to really fight back my smile, she was already convinced it was me. I asked her, "What? So someone hung a little mistletoe. So what?"
She said, "That wasn't there yesterday, and that's the same sprig you were carrying around when you first got to my house. I recognize it but the only thing I didn't get is, that this isn't the spot you were laying in then. You put it overtop where I was laying. Why would you do that?"
"Isn't it obvious?" I asked her but her face was oblivious. I clarified, "I wanted to trap you the next time we were down here and get more than a measly peck. Like you gave me then, No this time I would get a real kiss. And I knew we'd be under here together again."
She closed her eyes and nuzzled my face with hers giggling, "You don't need the plant anymore for an excuse. You can kiss someone who is your girlfriend whenever you want."
I couldn't resist another minute, I tried to be gentle. I tried to remember to not devour her, she needed support. Not make-out skills, even though she had a real gift. Her answering kisses had been so impassioned and all-consuming that I had to really remember to not let Serenity and Endymion take over. Or Sailor Moon and Tux for that matter. Both were brokering for dominance or a chance to be together again. Now that they were free, and could take such liberties.
I could have laid there all night. I really could have, but she needed to rest. She needed to warm up, be in bed and her needs right now were of the utmost importance to me. Not to mention I could hear her teeth chattering when we parted. She needed blankets and snuggles stat.
"I'm impressed you recognized that mistletoe because this little branch has a deeper history than even you remember." I shared, plucking it from my hiding place and coming clean. "This is the very same one that you kissed me under in the Arcade last year."
She gasped and looked at me with an adorable 'oh' face. "You really did keep it? That wasn't something Andrew made up?"
"Nope, he has fabricated many tall tales, but that was true." I smiled before whispering directly into her ear. "Don't tell Andrew I have it though, incase you haven't noticed he's a total weirdo about mistletoe in all forms. Especially if he knows it was his at one time."
Serena's laugh was almost a real one, but it was still choked off a bit short. She said sarcastically, "I'm so glad you're here to tell me these things. I never would have known if you hadn't told me that."
We walked back to her room hand and hand, Kunzite was still camped in the meeting area I'd talked to him in earlier. Even if everyone else had disappeared (probably headed off to bed it was late). He told us goodnight and Serena told him, "Don't make you're self sick. Everyone needs sleep after that party."
He'd told her, "Stop worrying about everyone else and take a moment for yourselves."
When we were alone and her bedroom door was shut. She busied herself with fixing her bed, turning down the covers, and fixing the pillows just right. I did the same on my side and she told me matter-a-factly. "I know that you're bound to be feeling the same push and pull calling of Serenity and Endymion or Sailor Moon and Tux. Wanting a chance to reunite and take us over for a moment."
"I have," I admitted, amazed at how nonchalant she was able to be. Talking about other sides of ourselves like they were other people. She was so used to shouldering all of the weirdness on her own, I wondered if it was as big of a relief to her as it was to me. Just to talk about and acknowledge.
Serena went on undeterred, "I want to give them that moment and that chance. I really do, but Darien…" She covered her face for a sec, then continued. "I can't tonight… I have to face this… this loss, this pain. I can't face it as anyone else. I have to be Serena and I'm sorry if that's selfish-"
"-No. It's not." I rushed towards the center of the bed as I climbed in under the covers. She was climbing in too and meeting me in the middle. I took her in my arms again. "You have to do what's best for you. I'm sure they'll all understand and take their moments when they're meant to. They've waited this long, it won't kill them again to hang in there a little longer."
That was the way that we spent the rest of the night. Curled together in the center of the bed, we talked, we cried, and I hope I was able to bring her some peace. Just to make certain she was comfortable and pampered a little. My favorite thing that I got to do in all of this time is, I got to help her take down her meatball-headed hairstyle. Then I got to run a brush through her hair a little, I'd never gotten to do anything like that before. It turns out, I really enjoyed it, and she had to be more relaxed without her hair all bound up to stay on top of her head like that.
She did nod off here and there. It never lasted long. She kept jarring back to wakefulness and continued to cry throughout the night. I watched her sleep and marveled at her strength, the size of her heart, and her ability to love. I feel like that's all I've done since I met her. But as great as all of her different selves were… alter egos and lunar royalty… It occurred to me that none of them amazed me as much as Serena herself still did. She was how we'd finally beat Beryl, she'd made me love her even when I was completely possessed by evil. The way that the Shitennou was. None of it had been possible till she was in the mix and… I don't think it's possible to love anyone more.
Bonus Fun:
When Mina's door finally opened (sometime late in the AM)
(Kirk's Perspective)
It had been hours since the last time I'd seen Mina, I had been camped out in the meeting area of the girl's wing All night. The Furahatas family had all headed off to bed, Darien had gone off to find Serena, found her, and returned her to bed. In all of that time, Mina still hadn't reemerged and wasn't likely to.
Even knowing that, I couldn't bring myself to leave my post. Zane and Amy were the next ones to konk out. They passed me both holding on to each other and neither able to walk a straight line. I'm sure they weren't inebriated, they're both too straight-laced for that. I do believe that they were silly sleepy though. They headed off to bed together, walking into Amy's bedroom. Waving to me cheerfully as they went. After the door closed behind them, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I spun to find our head butler Jeeves saying "Goodnight, sir."
I thanked him for everything and wished him a "Merry Christmas Eve." Since I was certain it was well past midnight by now.
When he was gone, I rested my head on top of my crossed arms and tried to see if sleep would be possible. When it was obvious that sleep wasn't happening. I started to try and list all of the good things and tried to look on the bright side. The way Serena's always encouraging us to.
I don't think I'd even managed to think of two things good about tonight, before I heard someone say, "Kunzite?"
I turned around and there was Mina. In a skimpy baby blue silk nightgown. Spaghetti strapped and very short, I was so preoccupied with the view. I completely missed whatever she'd said, I asked, "Say what?"
She smiled and repeated, "I asked you what are you doing sleeping here in my hallway? This is your house, why aren't you in your bed?"
"If this is my house, how is this your hallway?" I asked, just a bit out of sorts, sure. But even I was like that doesn't make sense.
"It's mine because you gave it to me and my team." She clarified as she came closer. "What I was really asking is what are you still doing up? Have you been to bed at all?"
"No," I answered her honestly, I was in enough hot water for not being truthful with her as it is. I wasn't about to make matters worse for myself. "I couldn't bare to leave you up here suffering, even if you didn't want to see me. I understand why you're mad at me and want me to stay away. But I figured the least I could do was look out for you. From here, and if I got the chance to talk to you, take it."
"Really?" She asked and I nodded my head up and down. She went on to ask, "So if I were to ask you to come inside my room where we can speak in private. You would take me up on that?"
"I would," I ratified, and she held out a hand to me.
She beckoned, "Then come with me."
I think I would have followed her just about anywhere dressed like that. Her hair was taken down, so her customary red bow was retired for the night. As she took my hand and pulled me along towards her room she asked me, "Why is it you never told me about this room before."
I corrected her, "I mentioned you're own personal room up here all the time. You were just so content to hang in my room and stay with me. I never could show this to you."
"It really is perfect," she complimented. "If I had known you'd worked so hard on it I would have come a lot sooner. We could have been making some memories here too. Not just in your room."
"Well, I know we broke up earlier," I brought up, and it still hurt to say the words. But I pressed on, "But if you're ever able to find it in your heart to forgive me. I would love to make some memories here too… "
"Isn't that what we're doing now?" Mina asked me as she closed the door and leaned against it giving me her most mysterious and seductive expression. "I close the door, apologize for being so rude, short-sighted, and mean. I get on my hands and knees, begging you to not let the best thing that ever happened to me, end. Not tonight, and not like this."
"I'm not the best thing for you Mina, you've got that turned around." I realigned, taking a step closer and fighting the urge to touch her face. "The only reason I've been given this second chance at all is you. You and your team finally set us free once and for all."
"Then I treated you terribly," Mina pouted. It showed in her tone of voice just how much she regretted her actions and felt bad about them. "I can't believe how awful I treated you. I even accused you of trying to steal my place in our team to your face… How could I be so stupid?"
I leaned into her space a little and shook my head, "Baby," I began and the word sounded like I'd breathed it out. She'd reached up and pulled me closer till we were nuzzling faces and just having her arms around me again felt like absolute heaven. Nirvana that I would never experience again, since she'd had it with me a few hours ago.
We were just hugging it out, innocently and I could already hear… All of the moves that I would have been making if this were any normal time. Since this was after a breakup and we were still treading on thin ice. Since there were so many things we still needed to say to each other… I had to maintain control over the situation and myself… Just a little bit longer. Just till I knew where we stood. As a couple, or individually, as teammates or rivals? I had so many questions, still.
Then that minx of a love scout just had to grab onto me and pull my face down to her level. And lay a kiss on me so good, all my questions and careful analysist were out the window. I let myself be lost, but I did keep my hands to myself in a vain attempt to try and hold myself back.
"Kirrrk?" She drew out between kisses. "Why won't you… hold me… Why won't you… kiss me? I'm running this whole thing… Are you still mad… Is it the dress… is it too much? Trying too hard?"
"No…" I managed, "The dress is… perfectly messing with my heartrate… I love it."
"Then why won't you hold me?" Mina asked more insistently. Clearly thinking along the same lines as me and wanting to maintain her own control. Classic Venus style.
"Be-CAUSE Mina!" I said as I stepped away and walked over to sit on the side of her bed. In my ice blue snowmen pajama bottoms. "There's still so much we need to clear up. So much to say and work through. We can't just kiss and melt into each other on this one. We have too much at stake and too much to lose."
"But that's just the thing, Kirk." Venus insisted. "There's nothing to lose and nothing at stake. I'm trying to prove to you that I'm not going anywhere. That you have nothing to worry about anymore and the best way that I can think is to tell you all of that. Climb into my new bed and spend the rest of tonight or this morning doing just that."
She said as she'd pointed to the bed I was sitting on. "This one, this bed right here?" I asked pointing downwards myself.
"Yep," She smiled again. "This nightgown was something I had planned to give you the night after Christmas morning. But I figure I have something else for that occasion." She teased as she started to unbutton the button-down shirt I was wearing.
By the third button, she'd unfastened, I picked her up and spun us till I was placing her in the dead center of her bed. I asked her, "Do you really like how we fixed it up for you?"
"Are you kidding I love it, I plan to be spending more time here in the future? But the only time I'll sleep here is if you come with me. Deal?"
"I think I can easily agree to that," I said as I placed a long soft kiss on her lips sealing the promise. Then there wasn't a speech for the longest time. Just love, being expressed in every way and reclaimed between the two of us. We'd both needed it, so badly. This wasn't our first time together by any means. Yet this was our first time together since she'd reawakened and it felt completely new.
Afterward when we were catching our breaths and snuggling, I asked her. "Are we good? Are we still together? Are we a team, finally?"
Mina giggled and nuzzled my face asking, "You seriously have doubt after that?" She'd asked emphasizing as she'd pressed me in place with her body. A body that wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing, and neither was I.
I'd struggled to speak, clearly. But I'd shared, "Yes! We still have so much to talk about. So much that we need to figure out-."
She kissed me deeply, and said, "It's left unsaid silly, because it doesn't need confirmation. Wasn't the love we just made answer enough?"
I took another breath and confessed, "I want it to be. But I have left things to chance between us for too long. I think a little confirmation is healthy and needed here too."
"Yes." She said before wrapping me back in her arms and kissing me so well, that I forgot my question. "Yes, we're a team…" Kissed me again, "Yes, we are together…" Kiss, kiss, kiss.
"Yes! I love you!" Make-out, Make up! "I will never end it again." As she kisses me she pins me to the mattress. "My question is how many times are we gonna do this before you believe me?"
"At least one more time," I promised as I pulled her to the right spot and she let out a breathless laugh.
"Again? So soon? We just-"
"I know, and I can wait if you still need to-"
"No. I don't need to, I'm just surprised is all."
The rest of our morning was spent making similar promises and pacts. Among those promised, was we agreed to never even entertain the idea of breaking up again. Not as long as we love each other. Tucked away in that room, with her. I couldn't imagine ever loving anyone as much as I loved her.
That's all for today folks!
I hope everyone is feeling a little better having Serena and Darien finally reunite in this way. I know I feel better and Mina and Kirk, whoo! Still fanning myself from that one. If you get a chance please review, hope you're having a great day!
~SailorLeia
