Chapter 2

The next morning began somewhat like the one before, except this time Luna wasn't harping on me to get out of bed and I felt the distinct warmth of Darien's body beside me. I rolled over to face my lover, who was still peacefully asleep. I guess he decided not to go for his morning jog, I thought as I watched his chest rise and fall evenly. I snuggled against his arm, which was extended as if it was inviting me to be embraced. Leaning my head on Darien's chest, he shifted and opened his eyes. "Mm, good morning, my darling," he said quietly before kissing my forehead. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully, as usual," I responded with a smile.

"Hungry? I picked up ingredients to make pancakes."

"Oh, Darien, you sure know how to spoil me."

Darien chuckled, gave me a squeeze and a kiss, and then got up from the bed. "After all this time, I better know how to spoil you. You certainly aren't afraid to voice what you want."

"True. I don't like to be the mysterious silent type like you," I said as I rolled onto my back, taking up as much space as I could manage on the bed.

Darien smiled and then walked away saying, "I have my reasons."

I sat up and took in my surroundings. Darien had upgraded to a slightly larger, more private apartment since I had first met him and he lived in a small studio apartment. He had also opted to get a larger bed, which I was certainly thankful for. Our first several sleepovers were a challenge with nothing but a twin-sized bed, especially when Rini decided to tag along. Looking to Darien's nightstand, I saw his favorite picture of the three of us sitting in a frame that Rini had decorated at school while she had stayed with us. In the picture, Rini stood slightly in front of Darien and I, the three of us all with smiles that certainly matched out personalities. I had my mouth open and eyes closed, Darien was close-lipped with a satisfied expression, and Rini's smile fit perfectly in between the two – it was a huge, close lipped smile that still made her cheeks look round and pink and her eyes close. I wondered how she was doing in the future. It's hard to wrap my head around what age she is now with the difference in the time. Plus, the people of the thirtieth century aged much slower, being blessed with youth for a huge number of years. As I sat thinking, Darien tapped on the door, "You okay in here? I thought you were following me right out."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about Rini. I wonder how she's doing these days. Or in her days."

Darien smiled, "I'm sure she's happy. You'll see her again before you know it, I'm sure."

"Oh, I know. It's just different having not seen her in so long. And you know, it's hard for a mother to not see her child," I said blushing.

Darien knowingly smiled and walked towards me. He sat next to me and wrapped his arms around me. "I know how you feel. I miss that little girl every day. But, I know I'll see her again and get to experience so much with her for the first time in the future. We've only been a small part of her life in this time. We have so much left to look forward to."

I nodded, resting my head on Darien's shoulder. "You're right. I need to appreciate things in the here and now more often. So, let's now go enjoy your delicious pancakes!"

Darien laughed, "Okay, meatball head. They're waiting for you in the kitchen."

"Yippee!"

I sprang from the bed and ran into the kitchen. In front of me was a heaping stack of Darien's handmade pancakes, perfectly golden brown and steaming with warmth. I inhaled deeply. Pancakes were definitely one of my favorite foods, as well as Rini's, so Darien had practiced making them until they were perfect every time. Next to the stack, Dairen had set out maple syrup, strawberries, blueberries, and banana slices. Licking my lips, I took a plate with two pancakes smothered in syrup and then filled a salad bowl with the fresh fruit. Despite my love of junk food, Darien had started to get me hooked on the healthier stuff, especially since he took the time to prepare it nicely for me. Once I had my food ready, I set it on the table and waited patiently for Darien to get his plate ready. He slowly made his way to the table with his food and two cups of tea. We ate in silence, both savoring the moment together.

It was amazing how much time we spent simply enjoying one another's company. While I loved talking about everything with Darien, we both had become so comfortable with one another that constant conversation wasn't necessary. Communication between us had developed into relying on glances, caresses, and gestures to show each other how we were feeling or what we were thinking. It was something that I only could accomplish with him and made me feel closer to him every day.

After we had both cleared our plates, Darien looked at me, took my hand, and then glanced at the clock on the wall, which told us that the morning had gone by rather fast and it was already 11 o'clock. "What do you want to do today?" Darien asked. "You have your graduation rehearsal tonight, right? And then you're hanging out with the girls?"

I nodded, "Mm hmm. I'm not sure what I want to do. I am ready to get out of here, though." I looked out the window and saw a clear blue sky, the sun shining brightly. "It's a beautiful day. Why don't we rent a rowboat and spend some time on the pond at the park?"

Darien nodded, "That sounds good. It's been a while since we've done that."

We both stood up. Darien took my plate and bowl off the table and went into the kitchen to clean up. Meanwhile, I retreated to the bedroom and made the bed, carefully making sure to tuck the sheets in the way that Darien liked them. He always kept his apartment meticulously clean and I was desperately trying to learn to do things his way. While I hadn't perfected his methods of cleaning, he was generally satisfied with my job and rewarded me with pecks on the cheek. Once the bed was made, I walked to the closet where a few of my favorite things were held. I thumbed through my clothes that hung on the closet rod and decided on a simple pale blue dress with a white blouse underneath. It had been one of my favorite outfits when Darien and I started dating and while it was starting to show wear, I couldn't bear to part with it. Thankfully, Darien had started to make better fashion choices from our early days together and had a much more tasteful wardrobe. Nonetheless, I tended to pick out his outfits. Turning my attention to his side of the closet, I selected a pair of jeans and a faded green t-shirt for Darien to wear.

As I finished picking out our clothes for the day, I heard Darien start the water for a shower. He peaked his head out of the door, "Do you want a shower first? I know you take a while to do your hair."

"I could, or," I said lowering my gaze, "we could take one together."

Darien blushed. As much time as we spent around each other, he was always slightly uncomfortable around the idea of us being naked together. Of the two of us, I was certainly the instigator in trying to sexually advance the relationship. Time and time again, Darien insisted that he wanted to maintain what was left of my innocence. "Serena, c'mon now. We've talked about this…" he said, looking at the ground.

I picked my head back up, even though I was slightly disappointed, I had expected the response. "Okay, I'll go first."

Once Darien and I had both managed to wash up, we made our way to the park and went up to the boat rentals.

"One rowboat rental, please," Darien stated as he held out the money to cover the cost of the rental. As Darien handed him the money, the attendant fumbled with the cash register and seemed to have trouble making change. "It's okay, keep the change," Darien eventually said, seemingly sympathetic to the young man's struggles. With only a grunt, the attendant handed Darien the ticket to retrieve a boat. As we walked away, I glanced back at the window, where the attendant hadn't moved and looked straight ahead, seemingly at nothing.

"Did that guy seem a bit off?" I asked, concerned with the strange interaction.

"He may just be a tired. I'm sure a job like that can get dull," Darien stated matter-of-factly.

"I suppose so, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone quite that spaced-out on the job."

Darien smiled, "You're concerned with people being spacey, Serena? There's been plenty of instances where your safety has been at risk because of spaceyness."

"Oh, hush. I know I can be just as bad, but normal people don't tend to be that way, do they?"

"Some people may be. If you can, why can't anyone else, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Okay, let's go!" I said, trying to focus instead on our date.

Darien extended his hand to help me lower into the rowboat, which had proved to be quite a challenge a number of times. Once I had successfully managed to sit on the bench without tipping the boat over, Darien lowered himself down across from me and took hold of the oars. "Ready?" He said as he pushed the boat back from the dock. I nodded, turning my attention to the water behind him. "Coast's clear."

Darien rowed, his stroked even and smooth, until we were in the center of the pond. He then pulled the oars up out of the water, letting the boat drift along with the bobs and waves from other boats. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, letting the April sun warm my face. "You're stunning, you know?" Darien said, barely above a whisper. I lowered my head and looked ahead at him. His eyelids were lowered and a slight blush had crept across his cheeks. I smiled, feeling my own face flush. Darien began to lean in towards me, his eyes closing. I reciprocated the motion until I felt his lips pressed against mine. He then lifted one hand to the back of my head while the other was pressed into the small of my back, pulling me closer. After a few moments, Darien pulled his head back. I opened my eyes to meet his as he said, "I love you, Serena."

"I love you, too, Darien. With all of my heart."

Darien sat back into his seat and pulled a small box out of his pocket. Even though we were already engaged, I felt my heart give a jolt in my chest at the sight of the small velvet box. "I saw this the other day and thought you may like it."

Taking my hand in his, Darien placed the small box in my hand. I opened it and took in the sight of the gift. It was a delicate silver necklace with a ruby red rose pendant. "It's beautiful, Darien, thank you," I said.

He leaned in and took hold of the box, "May I put it on for you?"

I nodded and pulled my hair aside. Darien gracefully lifted the necklace out of the box and easily clasped it behind my neck. As he released the pendant, I surprised by the weight of it as it came to rest on my chest. "It suits you perfectly."

"Thank you. Oh, you're always so thoughtful and I never do anything to return the favor."

"Of course you do. By simply being yourself and spending time with me, you give me the greatest happiness I could ever imagine."

I blushed and smiled as Darien leaned in again for a kiss. He pulled back rather quickly and looked up at the sky. I followed his gaze to see that the beautiful blue sky from the morning had been enveloped by gray clouds. "That's funny," Darien said, "the weather didn't call for any rain today." As he spoke, rain began falling from the sky. I covered my head as best as I could from the sudden shower as Darien lowered the oars into the water and quickly paddled to the dock. Once the boat was tied up and we had both managed to get onto land, Darien took my hand and we ran to the bus stop for cover. As I caught my breath, Darien hailed a taxi to take us home and out of the cold rain.

After we had reached Darien's apartment, we both headed to the bathroom to grab towels to dry off. I walked back to the closet and picked out a more relaxed outfit for my evening with the girls. We were only going to watch a few chick flicks and eat popcorn, so there was no need to get dressed up. Darien picked out his own outfit and opted for a pair of old sweat pants and an ugly t-shirt. I glared at him upon seeing his selection. "What's the look for? If I'm spending the evening alone, I might as well be comfortable. I plan on doing some reading tonight," Darien defended.

"Yeah, maybe you should do some reading on weather. This storm came out of nowhere!" I said.

"I was actually thinking of that. You know, you had mentioned a storm cloud the other day, right? I wonder if they're part of the same storm system."

"If they were, wouldn't the weathermen have said something about it? I mean, I know that they can be way off in their predictions, but I think an entire storm system would be hard to miss."

"Hmm, you're right."

"Darien, do you think something else is going on besides funny weather?"

"I don't know. I would like to hope it's just strange weather, though. But, I am starting to see your point in being concerned. Maybe you could talk it over with the girls tonight and see if they've noticed anything strange."

"I'll be sure to do that. I'm really getting nervous."

Darien smiled, "You sure have grown up a lot from your beginning days. Remember how you used to be oblivious to any sign of evil lurking?"

"How could I forget?" I said rolling my eyes.

Darien laughed and pulled me into him. He kissed my forehead, "You know I'm only teasing, Serena. I'm proud of you, you know that, right?"

I nodded, looking up at him. I rose up on my tiptoes and planted a kiss square on his lips. "I better get going. Raye won't be very happy if I'm late."

Darien kissed me again and released me from his embrace. "Okay. Let me know what you find out in the morning."

"I will."

I turned on my heel and walked into the bathroom to change into my dry clothes and freshen up before heading out. Before leaving the bathroom, I grabbed my hairbrush and a few other toiletries to get me through the sleepover at Raye's. Realizing I had forgotten to pack a bag, I dashed back into the bedroom and tossed pajamas and another set of clothes into a daypack along with my toiletries. Double checking that I had everything, I zipped the bag closed and headed out to the living room, where Darien had already planted himself with a book on weather and a cup of tea resting on the coffee table. I kissed his temple, "Bye, Darien. Have a good night."

Putting his book down, Darien stood up and gave me yet another kiss and a firm hug. "Stay safe, my love."

I nodded as he released me, "I will."

Even though I had affirmed my own safety, I became increasingly nervous for some reason as I made the familiar track from Darien's apartment to Raye's home. Looking around me, I noticed the roads and sidewalks to be strangely empty, despite the rain. Something is definitely going on. I only wish I knew what it is.