Chapter Twenty Three

Love

It was a beautiful spring day. The snow had melted, the buds of life had awakened, and the song of the birds filled the air. The gentle breeze tickled her skin while the warmth of the sun seeped through her body. She lay on her back over a blanket while she held a book above her face.

He sighed, somewhat restless and bored. "Why are you reading so much?"

"I'm almost finished with my chemistry for the year."

"But isn't your school finished in July?"

"Yes, but I'd rather be done and out of the way. I only have six more chapters to complete."

"Ami-chan," he said sternly. "Just put the book down."

"It'll only take a few minutes."

He rolled over from his back toward her. He grabbed the book away from her. She tried to snatch it back, but he sat up and held it away from her.

"Hayate! Give me my book!" She tried to reach for it.

"No!" He kept it away from her.

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Hayate! Give it to me!"

"Ami-chan," He threw the book across the grass.

"Hayate! That's my chemistry book!"

He grinned. "Yes, and I'll let you have it later."

Frustrated, she lay back down and stared up at the sky. He leaned over her still smirking. He thought it was extremely cute when she was angry, but her anger didn't relent.

"Ami-chan, there's more to life than books," He reached down and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes.

"I know that," She hissed. "I just want to get good grades."

He nodded. "I know you do, but Ami-chan, you're smart. You're doing a good job. Sometimes we've done all we can do and can do no more. You're going to miss out on a lot of things if you keep reading about things instead of discovering them yourself."

Her anger relented. He lay back down at her side, and they stared up into the blue sky in silence.

He sat at the table writing letters to his sisters. He would write the letters and set them to his sisters' school in Hokkaido. His sisters' would then pick them up, write replies, and send out letters to their brother in Tokyo from their high school. He would pause to think occasionally then start writing again.

"Is there anything you want to say, dear?"

She smiled whenever he called her that. She stood in front of the stove cooking lunch. "Just that I love and miss them."

He nodded and continued to write. Soon, he finished the letter, and started to get it ready to mail.

She stirred the red sauce then pulled the spoon up for a taste. She then added more spices. Glancing over at the noodles, she exchanged utensils to stir them. As she focused on making lunch, she felt two arms side around her waist. She leaned back into him as his face went to her neck.

"What are you making?" He mumbled gently against her neck.

"Hmm…spaghetti," He almost giggled as his voice tickled her. "It's almost done. Can you set the table?"

He inhaled deeply, catching her scent. He slowly backed away from her and started to rummage in the cupboards for the dishes.

"Thank you." She said, always trying to be thankful. She it was always a problem for married women to get their husbands to help around the house, but she didn't have too much trouble with Eiji. Of course, he might not always put his laundry in the hamper, but he generally was a help around the house. Sometimes they fought about stupid things such as him not putting the toilet seat down—not realizing it made her fall in the toilet during the middle of the night. Sometimes they fought about serious things such as money or chores, but overall, their relationship was great. They loved each other few much. She smiled as she pondered over all this. She looked up to stare at him lovingly, but he was already staring at her. She faintly smiled. "Yes?"

He pulled a glass down from the cupboard while keeping his eyes on her. He faintly nodded his head while he pondered. "I love you."

She gently nodded back. "I love you too."

He always knew the way to her heart—food. He watched her, fist pressed into his cheek while she gorged herself on a hot fudge sundae. Chocolate smeared all over her face as she shoved bite after bite into her mouth. Tearing her eyes away from her sundae, she glanced up at him, cheeks stuffed. "What?"

He shook his head, and smiled. "Nothing."

She shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. After a few seconds, she finished off the sundae. She let out a loud sigh, pushed the dish away, and leaned back into the booth. "Thanks for taking me here. It's my favorite."

"I know," He smiled and glanced away.

"Is there something wrong, Darien?" Serena looked at him suspiciously.

He looked up at her. "No, nothing." He was somewhat flustered.

"Then what is it?"

He looked around the Crown Fruit Parlor, the favorite hang-out of the Sailor Scouts. "It seems like so many years ago that I first saw a klutzy meatball head in this place."

Her eyebrows hunched. "I thought we discussed the meatball head thing a long time again."

"I know, I just meant…" He trailed off. He had promised Serena a few years ago that he would never say that infamous catch phrase anymore. "I just meant a lot of things have happened since we first met."

She nodded in agreement. The past four years of knowing Darien had its ups, downs, twists, turns, rips, and healings. She had thought of all they preserved through to come to this moment.

"Serena, I know we have some difficult times, and we didn't get along at first, but when I saw for the first time, you did steal a piece of my heart." He shook his head and dug into his pocket. "I know this is an unusual time and place for this, but this place has a lot of meaning for the both of us." He pulled out his hand with a ring between his fingers. "Serena, I love you. Will you marry me?"

She screamed, tears instantly welling in her eyes as if she was being murdered. The entire crowd turned toward a screaming Serena and a mortified Darien.

"Are you okay?" Darien asked, thinking she was upset.

"I'm just so happy!" She leapt over the table, knocking her sundae dish out of the way, to embrace him. He grabbed her in his arms as her sobbing tears fell over her.

"Are you sure?"

She looked up at him and wiped her tears. She noticed everyone was staring at her. "I'M GETTING MARRIED!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "I LOVE DARIEN CHIBA!"

The entire restaurant erupted in cheer while Darien smiled gingerly and Serena kept screaming.

"So Mina, what do your parents do for a living?" His mother coldly asked while stirring her tea with a silver spoon.

"Uh, my father is a psychologist, and my mother is a housewife," Mina said before nervously taking a sip of her tea.

"A licensed psychologist?" She asked.

"Of course, he's licensed mother!" Diego hissed in annoyance.

She fluttered her long eye lashes. She was a beautiful and elegant woman, but very cold and stern. "Well, who would know with all these phonies running around these days?" She took a sip of her tea. "That's a lovely dress," She looked at Mina.

Mina glanced down at her sundress. "Thank you, Señora de La Vega."

"Yes, I saw something like it in the charity pile for the homeless last month at my women's activist club."

"Oh," She looked down at her dress again.

"Mother," Diego hissed again.

She paid no attention to him. "Well, it looks lovely on you, dear. I mean," She held her cup up and motioned with her hand towards Mina. "I mean, it must take all you have to offset those split ends and poor nail grooming, but you do it somewhat well with the resources you do have."

Diego shot up from his chair, and grabbed Mina by the hand. "That's it, we're leaving now."

Diego's mother, Elena de La Vega, set her tea cup down. "Leave so soon, Diego? Why you just got here,"

His eyebrows hunched. "Don't play innocent with me!"

Her seemingly gentle face instantly froze into coldness. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you expect, my son?" She held her head high and stuck her nose in the air.

"I expect you to be nice to the people I bring home—especially my girlfriend!"

Her eyes grew colder. She stared at Mina. "The sooner you break up with my son, the better. You're not his type. You're not one of us."

"Mother!"

Mina jerked her hand away and instantly stormed off the patio. She went back into the mansion and charged through the marble floors, sitting rooms, and long hallways until she finally reached the door. Diego followed behind her every step of the way. She finally reached the front door and exited back out into the daylight.

"Mina, wait!" He hollered for her.

She didn't answer. She kept charging off, tears streaming down her face. She didn't care, but she walked straight on the front lawn of the mansion.

"Mina, please!"

The heel on her shoe snapped. She collapsed over, shrieking and falling into the fresh cut grass—staining her new white dress. Diego rushed over to help her up, but she didn't want to be touched. Suddenly, the sprinkler system came on soaking them both. Mina closed her eyes and groaned.

"Mina, are you alright?"

She was silent with rage for a moment. "Just leave me alone."

Diego stood up, and tried to help her up. She refused his help, and tried to stand the best she could. She took off her heels, and walked across the wet lawn barefoot.

Diego sighed and walked alongside her. "Those things she said were uncalled for, I hope you know that."

"Well, she still said them. She hates me, you know."

As much as he wanted to believe that his mother didn't hate his girlfriend, he knew it was too true. "I know."

She walked in silence for a few minutes then stepped onto the pavement of the driveway. "Well, then how are we supposed to ever survive when your parents hate me?"

"We'll survive because we love each other." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "You know I'll always side with you, right?"

She didn't answer.

"Mina," he said sternly.

She nodded, and breathed deeply. "Yes, I know."

He took the shoes away from her so he could hold her hand while he carried the shoes with his other hand. "If they want any part of me then they're going to have to accept you."

"I know, I…" She paused. "I feel so self-conscious when I'm around them. I never feel like I measure up to their standards."

He almost laughed. "I completely understand." As they walked, they finally reached the entrance to the property. They opened the gate, and walked out onto the sidewalk. "They just don't see you as I do. You're absolutely beautiful, and you look wonderful in that dress."

She faintly smiled, cheeks blushing from embarrassment, as she looked down at her dress. She looked back up with the same smile.

He smiled too. "That's better."

He wanted to assign them more chores, but how could he? He watched from a distance as the young couple sat upon a rock holding hands. Her head on his shoulder and his leaned against hers. He shook his head in disbelief, and turned away to complete some other task.

The couple watched the sun sink into the horizon while the sky filled with shades of red, purple, pink, and orange. She sighed as she gripped his hand tighter. It felt like his hand fit perfectly into hers—as if they were made for each other. She glanced up at him for a moment. His attention was firmly fixed on the sunset. He could be very serious and reflective at times. He was still somewhat shy at school, and people wondered why she traded Daita for him, but she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She was so proud of him. He noticed her staring. She smiled. He faintly smiled back. They turned their attention back to the sunset. No words were needed; they knew they loved each other.

"You want anything to eat or drink?" She hollered from the kitchen.

"Just water, please." He hollered back.

Soon she came in with a glass of water. She sat down on the couch next to him, and handed him the glass of water. He took the glass, gulped half of it, then set it down on the end table.

She stared forward at the television as the movie started to play. Of course, he started to get distracted quickly. Sometimes she wondered if he had ADD, but he only ever seemed to be distracted by her. She made him watch the movie for the first half, but by the second half, she was responding more to his teases and advances. First a pinch or a quick kiss on the cheek, but finally she gave in. As the movie played on, she tore attention away from it and kissed him. Her hand came up over his ear. Her fingers gently played with the locks of dark blue hair that fell over his ear. To the entire world, Mizuno Ami was a shy and quiet girl, but for Kaiba Hayate, she was passionate and expressive. She surprised him once again with her forcefulness as she pressed him back. His back pressed hard against the couch while she came up out of her seat and leaned over him, almost pressing herself against him.

She was even surprising herself with her own actions, but it felt so natural and right. It felt as if running rivers of passion flowed through her. As if everything inside her had been locked up like a dam, and was now bursting forth into a torrent. His powers were ice, but she unfroze him on the inside. Her touch was cool and cleansing, but his heart was on fire for her. Their lips crashed again and again like the ocean crashing into the shore. It was like the ebb and flow of the tides—withdrawal and advance.

The front door opened. Ami jerked away and immediately flew into her position on the couch. Hayate immediately scooted over to his side of the couch while Ami sat in terror.

Umiko Mizuno stood in the entrance of the house clutching and gripping her keys tightly while holding a bag of groceries. Her eyes narrowed as she looked upon the two that were committing atrocities on her couch. She looked at Hayate, her eyes narrowing. "Get out of my house." She uttered slowly, trying to restrain fury and rage. "And leave my daughter alone."

"Mom, that's completely unnecessary!" Ami stood up from the couch.

"I don't want to hear it, Ami!" Umiko dropped the bag of groceries on the floor. "He was practically leading you into fornication on my couch and in my house!"

"Mom!" Ami's face completely red. "That was hardly what was happening!"

"Well, it's what he wants to happen!" She pointed at Hayate. "What do you think a guy his age is after?"

Hayate stood up. "Mizuno-san, I can highly assure you that I only have pure intentions…"

"Be quiet, you!" Umiko held her hand up to Hayate.

"Mom, we weren't doing anything!"

She almost laughed. "It looked like you weren't doing anything!" She put her hands on her hips. "Yes, I know it seems like nothing—just a little hand holding and some kissing. It all seems fine and wonderful when you're in love, but one day you'll wind up pregnant, and he'll be off telling another woman the same things he told you!"

Ami rolled her eyes. "You're being a bit dramatic!"

"I most certainly am not! I know the real world, Ami…"

Hayate stared at Umiko. All the screaming and yelling blurred into one big noise as he stared at her; however, he could feel and sense things as clear as day. He closed his eyes and pondered deeply for a moment. "Mizuno-san," He said.

They didn't hear him.

"Mizuno-san!" He hollered deeply. The two women fell silent. There hadn't ever been the stern deep voice of a man hollering in their house ever before; it immediately grabbed their attention. "Mizuno-san," He said more gently this time, but still firm. He looked Umiko straight in the eye. "I'm not going to hurt Ami like Ichiro hurt you."

Her anger shattered. She turned to Hayate. "What do you know about Ichiro?" Tears almost welled in her eyes.

"Umiko-san," Hayate breathed. "I know that I'm a few years older than your daughter, and I'll never deserve her, but your daughter is the best thing that's ever happened to me. You daughter has believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. I know she's young, but she is wise and compassionate beyond her years." He faintly smirked. "That is why I love her so much." He looked toward Ami. "I will never leave her or forsake her because I love her with everything in me."

Umiko stood silent for a moment with tears running down her face. She looked at Ami. Her daughter stepped toward Hayate and took his hand. "Mom, I love him. I know you would have wanted me to be with a doctor or…"

"Ami, I…" Umiko dried her tears. "I've always wanted to protect you. I never wanted you to be with anyone because I was afraid you'd be hurt like I was." She shook her head then looked up at Hayate. "I see now that Kaiba-san is to protect you now."

"Mom!" Ami leapt forward and entered her mother's embrace.