-1Darien walked into the Crown Arcade an hour later than he had planned. He took a seat near the end of the counter and, as he expected, Andrew sat next to him a few minutes later, setting a steaming cup of coffee at his elbow.

"What took so long? Did you have to do overtime teacher work or something? " Andrew demanded. A sly look crossing his face, he added, "Did you meet a girl?"

Darien calmly sipped his coffee. "Detention. You'll never guess who's in my class."

Andrew stared blankly at him for a moment. "It wouldn't be Serena, would it?" The sly look returned.

He regarded Andrew levelly as he stirred his coffee, though he had not added anything to it. Andrew took this to be a sign of nervousness.

"The same Serena you pick on every possible day; the same Serena you hate; the same Serena who is the hottest senior at Crossroads High School?"

"Andrew," Darien growled. "Where in the hell did that come from?" The grip his coffee cup turned his knuckles white.

Andrew shrugged. "Some weird, dorky, kinda crazy kid. Comes in every now and then. Very sneaky. He's always writing things down."

"Sounds familiar," Darien said flatly, thinking of the boy who had spent most of his lunch hour asking a Darien million questions. He only got the kid to stop by threatening to call the superintendent. Darien thought that his name was Malcolm or something like that.

"Don't get all touchy, Darien," Andrew replied with smirk.

"I'm not getting 'touchy.' I'm just trying to point out the fact that it's not right for a guy your age to make comments like that about a girl Serena's age."

Andrew made a noise of disbelief. "I'm just trying to point out that if you're just going to argue with her all the time, you shouldn't sound so upset about someone else having the hots her, as they say."

Just then, a boy who had been waiting patiently nearby tapped Andrew on the shoulder.

Andrew spun around. "What? Can't you see I'm talking here?"

The boy looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I, er, just wanted a soda."

"Right you are." Andrew stood up sheepishly. "This one's on the house." After handing over a large soda and patting the boy gently on the shoulder, he took his seat next to Darien again.

"You're great with teenagers." Darien hid a smile in his coffee cup.

"Thanks!" Andrew said cheerfully. Darien was so great at setting himself up. "So are you, especially the girls."

The sound of Darien strangling on his coffee was the only response.

"It's true, you know. You don't notice all the little girls in here who stare at you. Hell, you don't notice all the beautiful women who stare at you when we go out. In fact, the only female you ever notice is Serena." In his head, Andrew amended that to include little old ladies trying to cross the street, but saying it would have ruined the effect. "Why do you think that is?"

"I notice them," Darien protested after regaining his composure.

"The hell you do. If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were a total asshole. As much as you try to keep up that façade, you're a softie on the inside." Andrew nudged him in the arm with an elbow. "And one of your soft spots is for Serena."

"Andrew, if I had one thought that she was anything other than an annoying teenager, I would be forced to throw myself off of my balcony," Darien replied.

"Put me in your will as your sole heir, will you? If you're going to die that soon I want everything. After all this time and effort, I feel I deserve it." He grinned widely. "Still on the clock," he commented, jumping up from the stool.

Darien frowned at Andrew as the blonde moved down the counter to help a customer.

Serena sighed as she trudged down the sidewalk. Heat was radiating from the ground, and she really wasn't looking forward to her time at the Crown Arcade today. Normally, she had only one encounter with Darien Shields each day, but this would make two. Lucky her. The anxiety and heat had her in a terrible mood. There was no avoiding it, though. Saturday night, she had agreed to meet Amy, Lita, Raye, and Mina after school.

She glanced up and saw the building at the other end of the street. Her pace lessened to a crawl in her dread. She was already late to meet her friends, so there was no need to hurry to spend more time being tortured by Darien. She expected him to start teasing her the moment she walked in the door. "For the millionth time today," she thought. Then there was the fact that she still had the dream on her mind. Her cheeks reddened at the thought.

As much as she would have liked to, Serena was unable to put off her arrival forever. She took a deep breath and stepped into the arcade. The cool air that greeted her cheered her quite a bit, as did the realization that her friends were sitting in a booth that was as far away from Darien's seat at the counter as possible. Adding to her good fortune, his back was to her, and it was too loud in the crowded building to hear the slide of the doors. She went quickly over to the group of four with a renewed bounce in her step.

"You're late," Raye stated from her seat across the table.

"I know," Serena replied, dropping her bag under the table next to Mina's.

"Well?" Raye asked, She still hadn't looked up from the cappuccino she was drinking

"Detention," Serena said.

"I already told her that, Serena," Amy piped up from the other side of Mina. She turned a page in her book. Serena recognized it as the literature book but noted that the other girl was reading much farther ahead than necessary.

Mina and Lita exchanged glances across the table. "What happened?" Mina asked. Lita laughed, but it quickly turned into a cough a Serena's glance.

"What's your problem? You're acting weird, except Amy." Serena stared at each of her friends individually.

"Well, you iwere/i alone with Darien for a whole hour," Mina said with a grin.

"Oh, please, you're still on that kick, Mina? We were even at school, and you're trying to say that something happened between us," Serena exclaimed quietly.

"So you admit that something happened?" Mina asked, a slightly evil smile coming to her face.

"No way, Mina," Serena said.

"You have heard of the river in Egypt, de Nile?" Mina asked. Lita snickered.

"Hey, girls, how are you today? What's Serena in denial about?" Without anyone noticing, Andrew's sister, Liz, had come up to their table to take their order.

"About how she's totally in--"

Serena cut off Mina's sentence by clamping a hand over her mouth. "In trouble because Mina thinks I failed a test," she finished for her mute friend.

Liz laughed. "Okay, I won't pry. I'm sure you did fine on your "test," Serena. What can I get for everyone?" She whipped out a notepad and pulled a pencil from behind her ear. Once their orders were complete, she went back to the kitchen.

After checking around to make sure no one else was nearby, Serena turned back to Mina. "What do you want me to say? That we went into a closet and made out for the entire time I was supposed to be in detention?" Serena demanded, glaring at her friend.

Mina rubbed her hands together. "AHA!"

Serena sighed in exasperation and looked at Raye and Amy for help.

Raye stared at Mina. "I'm sure that's exactly what happened," she said sarcastically.

"See!" Serena crowed.

"She wishes," Raye added, smirking.

"Raye!" Serena's whine made the girls wince.

"Guys, leave Serena alone. Even if she was going to try to make a move on Darien, she wouldn't do it at school," Amy said calmly. Everyone turned to look at Amy in shock. Serena felt her cheeks redden. "What?" Amy asked. Raye shook her head and went back to her drink, Lita smirked and looked back down at her magazine, and Mina continued to stare at Serena with an evil look on her face.

Serena glanced to her left, checking to make sure that Darien was still in his seat. She was alarmed to find him missing. She began scanning the arcade to find him.

"You aren't looking for me, are you?" a male voice purred in her left ear. A shiver went down her spine at the breath that tickled her neck. Raye and Lita looked up at her. Lita's mouth twitched slightly, but she managed to contain her mirth.

"No," Serena retorted, trying to stay calm. That was no easy task with his mouth inches from her skin. Though she hadn't noticed his approach, Darien's presence in the booth behind her weighed heavily on her senses.

He folded his arms on the booth top and rested his head his sleeve. "Then what were looking for?" he asked. Noticing Raye's stare, Darien winked at her. She promptly blushed and moved to read over Amy's shoulder.

"I was looking to see if there were any open Sailor V games," Serena replied. She could feel herself flushing and wished that Liz would hurry back with her milkshake.

"There's only in one corner. So what else were you looking for?" Darien insisted.

Crossing her arms and glaring straight ahead, Serena replied, "I was checking to make sure that there weren't any creeps around, but I guess I was wrong about thinking there weren't."

Darien smirked at her quick response. "You didn't have any more daydreams about me on the way here, did you, Meatball Head?" Lita and Mina perked up, looking very interested in this comment. Darien could saw Serena's shoulders stiffen and almost felt guilty. Almost.

"You're not part of any of my dreams." Serena knew that she needed to relax if she didn't want to seem guilty, but with Darien so close that the hair on the back of her neck was standing up. It made it impossible for her to sit casually.

"Keep telling yourself that," he murmured.

Amy looked up from her textbook and surveyed the scene before her. Darien was leaning over Serena's shoulder, and Serena was looking very uncomfortable. Amy couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. Plus, she wasn't sure if Serena's face could take on more blood without causing the girl to pass out. "Mr. Shields, isn't it against the law to seduce your students?"

Darien looked up at Amy in shock. "I'm not seducing her." His voice rose slightly on the word seducing. "You know I always tease her." He stood abruptly and began to walk off. His mind was churning, but he was unable to resist a parting shot and called over his shoulder, "Sweet dreams, Serena."

Serena groaned, dropping her head into her arms. Was it her imagination, or did she smell him as he walked away? He smelled good. "Thank you, Amy," she mumbled into her elbows."

"You're welcome, Serena," Amy answered cheerfully.

"You dream about him?" Mina questioned.

"Not now, Mina," Amy scolded. "Look, Serena! Milkshake!"

Serena's head snapped up to see Liz holding a tray of food and drinks. She brightened. "You're the best, Ames. Leave me alone, Mina. You too, Lita. And, Raye, he's gone; you can stop pretending to read and go back to drooling over him."

"I do not drool over him!" Her voice had a shrill edge to it.

As Serena and Raye began to fight, Amy quietly accepted her drink and went back to reading. Serena had turned the situation around nicely, and Darien had backed off. Amy had seen the confusion in his eyes before he schooled his features, and a little thought on his part made the whole ordeal worth it in her mind.

--

Serena reached over and turned out the light next to her bed. She stared at the dim light on her ceiling that was provided by a streetlight, thinking deeply. She knew she was not supposed to like Darien. They fought all the time, and she liked to mentally associate the term "arch nemesis" with him. The guy was a total jerk and seemed to get off on picking on her.

At the same time, he was showing her attention. Taunting was not positive attention by any means, but it was definitely better than the fawning over her done by guys at school. Plus, she couldn't help certain other words she mentally associated with him, like "sexy."

"So he's attractive, but that doesn't make up for his utter lack of personality. Does it, Luna?" The cat looked up at her as she scratched behind its ears. There was no other response before she fell asleep.

--

Serena stirred to the sound of shuffling footsteps across the carpet. She knew she should be alarmed, but she was oddly calm, considering that she might be facing death and all. She thought about that for a moment as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey, Serena," a man's voice whispered huskily above her.

"What are you doing here?" She glanced at the glowing, red face of her alarm clock. "It's three o'clock in the morning," Serena whispered. Though she asked the question, it didn't seem that strange.

"I haven't seen you in so long, and I was passing through the neighborhood, so I thought I'd drop in," he replied.

"At three o'clock in the morning?"

"Just for you," Darien replied, sitting on the bed next to her.

Serena suddenly became aware just how close she was to him. Unlike the Arcade, though, this was on a bed with her wearing a nightgown. Plus, she'd had the whole epiphany about his attractiveness and all. "Darien, I suggest you leave before I jump you," she said bluntly. Serena heard him chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Allow me," he replied. In the blink of eye, he had swung around onto the bed and pressed his knee between Serena's legs. She marveled at his chest and vaguely wondered why he had taken a walk without a shirt on.

--

The alarm clock on Serena's bedside table went off, making Serena fall off onto the floor in surprise. A blush covered her face as she untangled herself from her sheets and wondered where the dream may have gone. Glancing at the alarm clock, she realized that it had actually woken her up for once.

"Just when it was getting good," she thought on her way to the bathroom. She instantly hated herself for it. "This is so bad." As she did her hair, she hoped that her face would eventually return to its normal shade.