AN at the bottom. Standard disclaimers apply: Characters belong to Naoko, but the plot and story are mine. Please enjoy!
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CHAPTER 2
He had finally made it! After long years of studying and preparation, Darien Shields had the reputation and the know-how to make it in the big city, and without hesitation had moved right in, hoping that the change in pace and the up-beat atmosphere would help him get rid of the doom and gloom that seemed to emanate from his very core. Darien didn't mean to be grumpy or come across as unapproachable; as a matter of fact, he felt that he was quite friendly. No matter how hard he tried to change his image, it always turned out the same: if he was feeling shy and had trouble making eye contact, he was seen as ill-tempered and mean; if he was feeling proud or accomplished after a job well-done, then he was seen as arrogant and pompous- he couldn't win, so he had stopped trying.
'Ah, but new city: new life! It will all be different now!' he thought optimistically as he entered his new (and very bare) apartment on the 14th floor. It would be a pain to have to move in to the 14th floor, but the view would definitely be worth it!
Darien grinned as he looked out of the wall-to-ceiling window located where his living-room would be. "Now that's a view!" He took one last look and walked around his new apartment before heading back out, hoping to be moved in and settled within a few days, as his first day in the new office would be in less than a week and he had to be prepared.
Goofy grin still in place, he walked out the door just in time to hear the door across the hall slam shut, the occupant seeming to be in a rush.
'Odd, seems I might have some interesting neighbors…' All he saw was a flurry of blonde hair disappearing around the corner, rushing to whatever destination.
He continued on his way out of the building at a more leisurely pace than the owner of the golden-blonde tendrils.
"Interesting, indeed."
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Serena could NOT believe she was pulling this stunt again; she had been so good with her punctuality for so long, yet here she was back to square one.
"I'd been doing so well, too. I'm sorry Mina! I'll be there soon, I promise. Please don't leave!" After having promised again and again that she would be on time, here she was 20 minutes late! Poor Mina was probably fuming by now. She shut her phone and continued to [amazingly] maneuver her way through the street without knocking anyone down, quite a feat in the overly-busy streets.
She was attempting to catch her breath when she spotted her cousin Mina and who she assumed was the boyfriend that she was supposed to be meeting today. Mina waved her over happily, seemingly not bothered by Serena's lack of punctuality.
With a rushed breath, she walked over to the couple who were comfortably chatting on the outside seating of Serena's favorite little Italian Café. "I'm so sorry I'm late, what a horrible first impression I must be making! Hi, I'm Serena; you must be Malachite!" She gave the man a cheeky yet apologetic grin, and his charming expression told her that he had not minded one bit spending some extra alone time with Mina, who at the moment had her fingers intertwined in his.
"Hi Serena, pleasure to meet you" he politely stood to greet her, reluctantly letting go of Mina. After Serena sat down, he reclaimed his place next to Mina, confirming to Serena their turtle-dove status.
Mina had a sheepish look on her face that Serena initially attributed to her obvious public flirting, but as it became directed at her, she began to worry. With a suspicious narrowing of her eyes, she addressed her cousin and soon-to-be ex-best-fried if she was reading Mina's look right. "Mina, just spill it; I know you're up to something. Please just tell me it's not another one of your match-making schemes…"
"Well…in my defense, it was totally last-minute that Malachite's best friend came to town and wanted to meet me, so it just so happened to be very convenient and we invited him along…" She hesitated to continue.
Serena continued to give her the suspicious stare. "So far sounds innocent enough, so why do you look guilty, Mina? I'm going to find out soon, so it's best you spill it."
"Well, Serena- you see: I had NO idea, I promise you that I didn't, otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to this unless I gave you ample notice but there was no way for me to know so please, pretty please don't hate me, I promise I'll owe you one if you just promise to be nice. Remember that he's Malachite's best friend and I want to make a good impression, pretty, pretty please?" Mina managed to rush all of this out in one breath, and was now pausing for air.
It took Serena a few seconds to process, and as she did her stomach sank, expecting the worst due to Mina's reluctance to divulge the identity of the mystery man. She urged Mina to continue, raising an eyebrow as she asked "so, who is this man and why are you stalling?"
"I'm not stalling" Mina said with an exaggerated cheerfulness.
Serena gave Mina her best "oh, please" look and turned to Malachite for assistance.
"Well, from what I hear, it seems that you knew my best friend back when you were much younger, right Mina?" Malachite expertly and successfully diverted the attention back to Mina, not wanting to be the recipient of the death-glare Serena was now sporting.
"Well Serena, you see…he's umm…well, he has dark hair and midnight blue eyes, used to go to Azabu high, if I recall correctly, and well…he, he, err…"
"He's here" interrupted Malachite, standing up and waving over this mysterious friend of his.
Serena was almost afraid to turn around and look, already having a sneaking suspicion of who that dark hair and midnight-blue eyes might belong to, judging by Mina's obvious hesitation and her own dread sneaking up on her.
She slowly turned around, and as blue met blue, she felt that familiar surge of electricity flow throughout her being, a feeling she hadn't felt in twelve long years.
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A/N-
Hello again! I know it's a bit short, but I plan on making up for it with frequent updates. Please review, I LOVE to hear your thoughts; they truly motivate me, and a writer can never have too much motivation!
Thank you to those who have reviewed and added my story to their notifications/favorites, it means the world to me!
Let me know what you think! I already have a few things planned for the next chapter, but the ideas are just floating around in my mind; nothing is set in stone yet ;)