Wow… I'm actually updating back to back this time, huh? It must be all those wonderful reviews I've been getting. It gets me in the mood to write the next chapter… and here it is!
A few responses to the reviews:
Serena221 – Thank you for the idea! I haven't completely decided the ending myself just yet, but I really did enjoy reading your idea. Thanks for the input.
Channah – I know, I hated making Darien cry. ;; Hopefully you'll like how this chapter turns out for him.
Brucasforever – Ah, that's part of the surprise… but don't worry, you will find out who the two are eventually.
And to everyone else, thank you so much for reviewing! And now… Chapter 4!
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Darien was barely conscious as the hot water of his shower struck his sensitive skin, sending a chill through his already aching body. He winced against the feeling, his eyes shutting tightly in a futile attempt to ward off all the thoughts that insisted on nailing themselves into his mind. He couldn't get her face out of his head, no matter how hard her tried… she was permanently stuck. The tears on her face, the anger in her eyes, the same pout of a mouth that had torn his heart out once again. Once again, he had ruined her Valentine's Day.
"I give up…" Darien murmured into the hot stream of water washing over the top of his head. He was not himself the first two days… he was the same cruel Darien he had always pretend to be when he was around her, and she hated him for it. He ruined her day twice, purposely… knowing what he was doing, even if he regretted it. But yesterday, if you could call it that, he had been himself. He let every emotion run free, let his heart love her… let his voice speak the words, and she hated him for it. "I'm cruel, I'm nice… she just…"
Hates me… Will never feel that way about me…Never… The words rang through his head like the harsh clang of a bell. Earth shatteringly loud, shaking every part of him inside. She would never care for him that way. Serena, the bright and cheery, ever loving girl… would never love him.
Damn it, his mind screamed, his left hand punching the wall of his shower. The pain that echoed through his knuckles lasted only a moment before giving way to the same cold reality he kept denying. How could he make her love him in a day? It was impossible… Friendship with her in a day was even a laughable notion. He had already pushed his teasing too far, too many times to win her friendship with the mere time span of a day. I can't… I can't do this… I have a day, one day… and I can't even get her to trust me!
He shut the shower off in one swift motion, wrapping a towel around his form as he made his way to his dresser. He searched through his drawers for something… anything that was different from the day before. He didn't want it to be the same anymore. He needed a change, something different… something that wouldn't lead to the further decay of his heart. But everything… every shred of clothing… had her in it.
He held up one shirt, staring at it with blank eyes and his mind full of thoughts. Full of memories. Full of her. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, remembering the day that he had found himself in quite the heated argument with Serena… he was wearing this shirt. His laughter soon stopped and he tossed the shirt aside, knowing it was just another reminder of the many reasons why she hated him. Why should would always hate him.
"Fine… nothing here, obviously," He walked back into his shower, snagging the bathrobe off the door hanger. He slipped it over his form and knotted the tie securely around his waist. Now, normally he would have stopped himself… he would have thought it was a crazy idea and he would have been sensible by slipping on one of his tired outfits. But he had lost all reason last night and he was now left with nothing other than the desire to change the ending to this long day.
Armed in nothing other than a pair of bath slippers, a bathrobe and his wallet, Darien marched out the door.
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"May I… err… help you… sir?" the clerk stuttered between giggles as Darien walked through the doors of the shop. She had to admit, he was a gorgeous man, but why he was clothed in nothing but a bathrobe… she shook her head, dismissing the thought. It was a rare occasion when such a lovely specimen walked into her shop, needing everything down to a new pair of socks. Darien didn't even notice the laughter, setting his wallet down upon the desk in front of the woman.
"I need clothes," he stated simply, waiting for her response.
The woman perked a slender brow, giggling once again at this amusing man. Valentine's Day always brought in the most desperate of customers, "I can see that."
"I don't care what it is," Darien began, pacing from one side of her desk to the other. The woman watched him with curious eyes and Darien could only begin to imagine what was running through her head… not that he cared. He didn't care, so long as this worked… as long as he was different from yesterday and the day before. He stopped his pacing, placing his hands upon the desk to stare intently in the woman's eyes, "Just make me look… make me…" his brow scrunched up in concentration. How did he want to look? Or did he just want to be different? No… no, no matter how much she hurt him, he still wanted her, "Make me look irresistible. Make me look like the kind of man any woman would want, no matter how much she hates…"
"Well, give me a challenge," the girl cut in, rolling her eyes. Hated or not, she could make him look irresistible. Not that there was much work to be done… the man was already very attractive, even if he wore nothing other than a dark blue bathrobe. Blue… Yes, dark blue and black appeared to be wonderful colors on him. The blue complimented his strikingly brilliant eyes. "Well, let's get started, shall we?"
Darien stood there, feeling quite out of place as the woman ran this way and that across the store, searching for all kinds of clothing. She muttered quietly to herself as she rummaged over the racks, "Dark blue shirt… silk, yes. Everyone loves silk," she threw a few shirts to the side before racing to another rack, "And no girl would resist a black suit, a nice jacket… matching pants, yes…" Darien perked an eyebrow as the pile of chosen clothes grew to a mountainous form. He glanced over to his wallet, barely able to imagine how slim it would be after this little escapade.
"Here we are!" The woman said cheerful, nearly toppling over as she carried the massive pile of clothes over to Darien. Darien quickly stepped forward, taking the load of cloth into his arms, setting it down carefully upon the desk next to his wallet. The woman smiled at him gratefully before picking out the first outfit, "Off to the dressing room with you!"
And so he set off into the little dressing room, assorted articles of clothing in hand. He momentarily thanked himself for remembering underwear before leaving his apartment before slipping on the pair of pants she had given him. He pulled them up and strained a little, finally getting it to close securely around his waist. Looking down, he noticed his ankles smiling up at him. He shook his head, obviously the pants were too small, but perhaps the jacket...
"I… think it's too small," Darien shouted from inside the dressing room. The woman sighed, pulling out a label a good few sizes higher than the one she had chosen. He had never offered her his size, so this was the only reasonable path to finding a suitable outfit. He stepped out of the dressing room, walking as though his legs were stuck in place, unable to bend at the knee. His arms were raised slightly on the sides, the seams not allowing him to rest them at his sides. She giggled, handing him the new set of clothes. Darien rolled his eyes, unable to hide his own grin, "Thanks."
After finally escaping the prison of clothes, he pulled up the second pair of pants… and pulled… and pulled. He looked down, finding that his feet were completely hidden by the long slacks. Again, he tested the entire outfit, pulling the shirt over his head and slipping the jacket on to watch his hands disappear. He sighed, slapping his forehead with nothing but sleeve.
"This is too big!" he called to her, stepping out of the dressing room and nearly tripping out of his own pants. The woman was already waiting at the door, holding out yet another outfit. He took it gratefully with one hand, the other attempting to keep his pants from falling off. He waddled back into the dressing room, allowing his pants to drop as the door shut behind him. "Let's see…"
Perfect…just perfect… Darien turned from side to side, observing himself in the mirror with a look of astonishment. The silk shirt hugged his form perfectly, matching the color of his eyes in every way. The black jacket came directly over his wrists, just the way he preferred his long sleeved items. His pants covered the top of the black shoes the woman had just placed upon his feet. No need for another outfit, no need for any alterations… "Hate to sound like Goldilocks, but this is…"
"Just right," the woman finished for him, setting her hand upon his left shoulder as she stared at his reflection in the mirror. He definitely looked irresistible, so much so that she had a hard time keeping her hands off him herself. She sighed, pretending to clean dust off the shoulders of his jacket before turning him around. "Well, let's hurry and ring you up so you can get to sweeping this girl of yours off her feet."
Darien finished paying, thanking the woman for her great efforts before walking out the door. Walking down the street, Darien enjoyed the cool breeze as it danced through his raven locks. Running a hand through his hair, he turned to glance at himself in a nearby store window. Not normally like him to be quite this confident in his appearance, but he was definitely enjoying this now.
"Assorted gifts and necessities," Darien muttered, reading the title of the store as he walked past the window. Well, it couldn't hurt to pick up a couple of things to further enhance his chances with his lovely blonde angel. He pushed his way through the door, heading over to the colognes in search for the perfect scent. Something spicy and warm… Ah ha. Darien picked up the perfect bottle and, after a test sniff, decided it was the one for him.
"Anything else?" the store clerk asked with a smile. Darien paused in his answer, looking up to the shelf behind her. It was decorated in little bears, bushels of flowers and with a grin, he chose a fluffy pink bear squeezing a little red heart and a dozen pink roses. The store clerk couldn't help but feel envious against the girl that was receiving this man's affections. With a smile, she waved goodbye as Darien walked out of the store.
"Perfect," he whispered after slipping the stems through the arms of the bear so that it was now hugging the flowers and the heart. He had already decorated himself in the new scent and had long since slipped the bottle of cologne in his pocket. He walked casually, happily down the street towards the arcade… where he knew his angel would be waiting. At the doors, he took a deep breath in perpetration, "Okay, Darien… he it goes."
With a whoosh, the doors of the arcade opened to allow him inside. He stepped through the doors, his dark blue eyes tracing the expanse of the room in search for the object of his affections. He heard a few gasps and whispers as the girls pointed to him, giggling and chattering amongst their friends. He dismissed them, his attentions settling upon Serena who had long since given up on the arcade machine and was now sitting at the counter, speaking to Andrew.
"He's so cute!" a girl squealed to one of her friends, causing Serena's attentions to turn in the direction of the doors. And there he stood, his gaze connecting with her light blue eyes, peering deep into her. She felt her body freeze in her seat, unable to move or speak… or pull her eyes away from him. He was staring at her so intently, so purposefully that it made her insides turn over in excitement. Excitement? Why?
"Wow…" Andrew muttered, releasing Serena from her momentary state of shock. Andrew… of course, he was looking at Andrew. He wasn't looking intently at her, he was just looking for his friend. That had to be it. Darien walked over to the pair, a grin sliding across his lips as he came to a stop behind Serena. Andrew perked a brow at his friend, "Nice outfit, Darien. Is it new? What's the occasion?"
"Her," Darien stated simply, drawing a surprised look from his good friend. He noticed the blonde stiffen, her gazing roaming the arcade as if looking for the girl he was speaking of. She turned around in her chair to further her search only to be met with his stormy blue eyes. He smiled softly, having kneeled down to be at eye level with her. He placed a finger under her chin, drawing a gasp from her lips, "You."
"M-me?" Serena stuttered, captivated completely within his eyes. He nodded before taking her left hand in his, setting the bear within her open palm. She stared down at it in shock, the soft fur tickling her skin. This wasn't like Darien at all… there had to be something else to this, "What's the joke here?"
"There is none," Darien stated simply. This time he was expecting her reaction from the day before, he was expecting her to hurt him with her words. He knew she wouldn't trust him. "You don't have to believe it… and I know you probably won't. But there is no joke, Serena. This is me… wanting to make your Valentine's Day special. If you still want to pretend it's a joke, then take it as nothing more than a free bear and flowers."
Darien squeezed her hand affectionately, gazing at her with content and honest eyes before releasing her and standing to his feet. He nodded to Andrew, who could do nothing but nod completely dumbfounded back at him. Darien decided this was the perfect moment to leave the room. It was a step that he needed to take, a day that he needed to end without heartbreak. He smiled to Serena, who was still staring down in shock at the bear, before turning and walking out of the arcade.
"Andrew…?" Serena spoke softly, turning back around in her seat after she had gained her composure. "Was that some sort of joke?"
"I honestly can't say…" Andrew said, staring at the empty doors for a moment longer before turning his gaze to Serena, "I don't… think he was joking. Darien teases people, but he doesn't…" Andrew shook his head, turning around to clean one of the glasses, "He never tries to hurt them. Then again, I've never seen him so genuinely nice to a girl."
Andrew turned around to find that he was speaking to no one except a giggling bunch of girls. His eyes flew to the door, just barely catching a glimpse of two long golden ponytails flying down the street.
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Darien was walking down the street, completely content in his accomplishment. It was time for him to be heading home… he had spent a majority of his day in shops and the sun had already begun its descent into the horizon. He had made her happy with that… at least that was what he hoped for. She wasn't there to tell him otherwise, so he could be happy in the fact that…
Darien was suddenly brought to a halt as his hand became attached to something warm. He spun around, his eyes meeting the bright blue gaze of Serena. She held his hand in hers, staring up at him with confusion written across her beautiful features, "Why would you do something like that?"
Did he hurt her again? Darien sighed inwardly, his shoulders sinking as he waited for the array of insults that were about to come his way. But they didn't… she was waiting for his response. "I… I didn't think I was going to hurt you with that. I really just wanted to make this a good day for you, Serena. I'm sorry if I hurt you somehow…"
"Hurt me?" she questioned, staring at him in the same state of confusion as before. He thought that he had hurt her by giving her a gift on Valentine's Day? His eyes were too honest for it to be some vicious plot to hurt her… "I'm not hurt, Darien. I just wanted to know… why me?"
"Because I…" Darien stopped himself this time. It was too fast last time… too much and too soon. He was not going to make that mistake again. He reached out, taking her hands in his. She obliged, holding onto his hands, waiting for his answer, "I want to get to know you, Serena. I hate fighting with you. I want you to like me."
"Don't be silly, Darien," Serena said, rolling her eyes. Darien was waiting for the worst, the comment that had injured his spirits yesterday. But instead, Serena smiled up at him, squeezing his hands in response; "It's not like I hate you or anything. I do like you, Darien, in your own special way."
"You… wait…" Darien muttered. But yesterday…
"I wish you would have given this to me earlier, Darien," Serena said, nodding to the little bear in her hands, "I would have liked to spend the day making a friend. Maybe tomorrow… if you still want to tomorrow, that is… maybe we could get to know each other?"
She stared at him with almost hopeful eyes. Hopeful… hopeful that he would want to spend the day with her. She wanted him to spend the day with her. As giddy as Darien was, he kept a calm exterior. "Of course, Serena," he said with a tender smile, "I'd like that."
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," she said, releasing his hands long enough to offer a wave goodbye before turning and running off in the direction of her home. However, she soon skidded to a stop, pausing long enough to shout, "Thank you, Darien! Happy Valentine's Day!"
"Happy Valentine's Day, Serena," he said more to himself than anyone around, waving to his sweet blonde angel. With a huge grin upon his lips, Darien turned and set off in the direction of his apartment. No heartache… his heart didn't break… In fact, it felt full. Full of love. Full of her.
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"So, is that the best you can do?" the red-headed woman whispered as she watched Darien walk down the street.
"Of course not," the blonde said, coming to stand at the red-head's side. She stared at her mission as he strolled up to his apartment, "This is just the beginning."
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"…Yesterday you'd forgiven me,
But it will still be two days 'til I say I'm sorry."
But it didn't wake Darien up this morning either. The song barely reached his ears as he stepped out of the shower and the announcer's voice barely finished its speech before he closed the door behind him.
I'll grant your wish…Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Please review! )