Understanding Hurt

Chapter 13: He Never Left

Darien's POV

I stopped and turned around again. Giving myself one last chance to see her...

I walked swiftly back towards the front door. Only to stop right in front of it and freeze up again. It took all the strength I had left in me to bring my fist up towards the dark colored door, ready to knock.

But just then the door opened, letting a light gust of warm air hit my cheeks. And what I saw, that very second, made my heart sink. Break. Shatter.

It was easy to see what was happening... Serena had moved on.

The guy looked at me, he seemed a little shock that I was there or something. He nodded once at me giving me a smile I guess. "Excuse me." He said in his low deep voice as he slid past me.

So that was it.

After it being almost a year since I have left, she obviously moved on to someone else...

Why didn't I see this coming?

I looked down at my feet as I shoved my cold hands into my pants pockets, and slowly started turning away.

"Can I help you?"

I knew that voice, almost as well as Serena's, from anywhere. Seiya.

I turned around and looked at the face of an old friend.

I could tell by how his eyes widdened a little and his mouth slightly dropped open, that a years time had changed me a lot.

I looked different. Matured.

"...Darien?" He asked still looking at me in shock.

Serena's POV

Seiya called me down for dinner about an hour ago. But I didn't want to go downstairs while his friend, from work, was over.

I could hear Seiya's voice as I walked downsairs...but no one responding.

I was sure he was on the phone.

It took me a long time before I actually started coming back downstairs. Now everytime I come down-

This time a voice responded to Seiya's.

And I knew that voice too well.

Normal POV

She slowly started backing up the stairs, making sure no one can see her.

"You just...look at you!" Seiya said laughing as he pulled his old friend into a hug. "It feels like it's been centuries!"

Darien laughed with Seiya as he hugged him back. "What'd ya do to your hair?" He asked ruffling Seiya's now short hair.

"Hey!" He said laughing harder as he slapped Darien's hand away. "I'm not the only one sporting new looks!" He said pointing at Darien's clothes. "Looks like Darien's got a new style!"

Darien put his hands on his hip scooting his coat out of the way showing his white button up shirt with his tie. "I'm a business man now."

"Oh I'm sure you're in business where you live now." Seiya said sarcastically. "So what made you come back? Here for a visit?"

I never left. Darien thought. "..Yeah.." He lied as he set a small fake smile on his face.

"Well that's great! Let me just go get Serena, you don't know how much she has missed you since you've been gone-" He said starting to turn away.

Shit. Darien thought. "Seiya, no!" He said grabbing his shoulder as he spun him back around.

Serena creeped down a few more steps, trying to hear them better.

"What's wrong? I'm sure she realy wants to-"

"Seiya, stop it." Darien said in a low, deep, harsh, scolding tone. Then he sighed and looked away from Seiya's confused/hurt face. "Now probably isn't a good time..."

"Why not?" Serena asked in almost a whisper as she choked her words out through her dry throat, and walked down to the bottom of the stair case.

She's so much taller Darien thought probably an inch or two. Her face is more structured, like a model. Her hair was still in those odangos...I guess somethings never change. The only thing that didn't fit, was the hurt in her eyes...the hurt I know I caused...

"Well," She said looking away, breaking the chain they had going. "Come in. Your letting the cold air in." Then she walked over and jumped up, to sit on the counter.

He shut the door behind him, and walked over slowly to Serena. Instead of sitting beside her, he stood in front of her. Here goes nothing.

"Marry me..." He said looking straight into her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said shaking her head, shocked. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me.." He said not taking his eyes off of her.

"You left me, Darien! Why would I marry you after that? And even if you stayed, were too young!"

"We're 18 now, and I never left you."

"But you did." She shot back.

"But I didn't." He shot back at her. "I made you think that I left, because I thought it was what was best for you at the time. But now I realize how much pain I put you through.

"Oh really?" She asked sarcastically. "Darien..it was more than just a little pain you put me through. I was hurt, truly hurt..." She said looking at him, showing him all her sadness through her eyes. "So my answer to you Darien...is no..I will not marry you."

"Serena, who understands your hurt better than me?" He asked narrowing his eyes as he slapped the serious tone on her.

She looked at him for a few seconds, feeling her eyes water up. To keep him from seeing her fall for him all over again, she looked down at her hands pushing any thought of him out of her head.

"Exactly...no one." He said knowing he had her right where he wanted her.

Feeling a lump rise in her throat, she swallowed hard while keeping her eyes on her hands. He lifted her chin up and moved right up to her, until he was touching her knees, he then pulled her lightly off of the counter, leaned down and kissed her.

Feeling his flaming hot lips against hers made her stomach turn. She felt dizzy, but not the kind that made her want to stop. She roughly grabbed onto his jacket with both hands and pulled him as close to her as possible. He smiled through the kiss as she did this. Before pulling away he held her face between his hands, wanting this perfect kiss to last longer.

"I love you, Serena." He said out of breath after he pulled away.

"I love you too." She said with a smile. "But I will not marry you." When she saw sadness spread across his face she added. "Yet..." Then she laughed lightly as he smiled wide and kissed her again.

THE END