Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: As usual Sailor Moon and the characters etc. Don't belong to me and I make no profit from writing this it's just for my own enjoyment.

My big mouth

The Complications

Darien's apartment was small but neat and tidy. Everything had a place...in fact it barely looked lived in. The only personal item the entire apartment contained was a photo on the bookshelf.

Serena looked at it and smiled. It was taken the day the arcade first opened. She could see Andrew, Rita, Darien and Lizzie by the doors smiling. She looked closer and pointed to the bottom corner.

"Hey look there's me and Molly!" she smiled. "I remember we begged my mum to let us go for ages, she finally said yes as long as we took my little brother with us."

Darien looked closely at the small blonde girl in the picture. She was only about twelve but it was definitely her.

"I can't believe I never noticed before." He murmured.

"Of course you wouldn't, you're too busy being a jerk!" she jabbed. "I remember we all got ice creams but when I handed Sammy his I dropped it all over some poor guy's shoes I had to give Sammy mine but Andrew saw and gave us another one anyway. He was so cute!"

Darien wanted to tell her that the guy was him but it was her fond memory, why stick her worse enemy in the middle of it?

"Do you want a drink or anything?" he asked.

"Um...do you have anything other than coffee?" Serena asked.

"Of course I do Meatball Head." He grinned. "It just happens that I make the most amazing Hot Chocolate in the world!"

She followed him into the kitchen where he began to make the hot chocolate. She stood quietly and watched. A few minutes later Darien handed her a cup and ushered her back to the coffee table in the front room.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

Darien helped himself to Serena's books and started sorting through them. Before sighing and turning to her.

"Serena you need a tutor." He said honestly. She groaned in response, anything that related to homework was bad! "Serena I mean it. The reason you're finding this hard isn't because you're stupid, you've just gotten behind and now that you're so far behind you can't learn the stuff they're teaching you because you don't know the stuff that came before it. You need a tutor and I promise it'll start to make sense, half of this homework you haven't even started."

"I hate maths!" she protested, looking at the book he pointed to.

"Well, it not all maths, we can go through several different subjects but since maths is the worst that's what we're going to do today." He said.

Serena was quite the trooper. She tried and tried until she was practically sleeping with her eyes open. Some things he couldn't get her to take in but there was also quite a few things that she did take in and whilst her pile of homework was still enormous, at least there wasn't much of the maths pile left.

"So what does that leave you with?" Darien asked. "Serena?...Serena?" Serena looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

"Please no more. I've tried really hard and I've had enough!" she whined.

"Alright you win. You've done quite a lot. We'll do some more another day." He said. Serena just looked frustrated and dropped her head against the coffee table. "Hey it's not that bad Meatball head."

"Yes it is." She groaned. "Hey don't call me that!"

"Sorry...old habit." He said. "But I wasn't being mean I promise." She looked up at him with big eyes. How had he never noticed how gorgeous she really was? Maybe because he was never looking before, so why was he now? She far far too young for him. Unfortunately that was his last sensible thought before he lowered his lips down to hers. After all they would be expected to kiss as part of their act so he needs to make sure she wouldn't run away from him if he was to kiss her in front of people. But he knew that probably wasn't why he was about to kiss her.

Serena held her breath as she realised what was about to happen. Darien was going to kiss her! Darien the hot older guy (even if he can be a jerk) kissing her, clumsy little Serena. His lips pressed against hers briefly and she froze. She heard him chuckle and then his lips pressed against hers again, firmer this time.

As Darien hoped this time he felt her mouth relax against his, so soft and unbearable sweet. He didn't try to rush her just slowly brushed his lips across hers.

Serena let out her breath as Darien continued to kiss her, her lips parted subconsciously and seconds later his tongue sunk deep into her mouth causing them both to moan loud at the attraction that flared. Could all kisses be like this? Could any man evoke this reaction from her or was it just Darien?

Darien felt this young beautiful blonde turning into a small supernova under his touch. He couldn't get her close enough. He couldn't get enough of her. This thought more than anything made him force himself to pull back.

Darien pulled away from her lips placing more last kiss against them before pulling away completely. Serena was left both relieved and disappointed that he'd stopped. Whatever he had done to her it had felt wonderful and she could have easily lost herself in his kisses.

"At least we know people will believe that." Darien murmured. Serena didn't respond, she was still trying to gather her thoughts back into something that resembled order. "Are you hungry?" He smiled at her.

"When am I not?" she couldn't help but grin back.

"OK let's go get a snack before I take you home. My treat." He said, getting to his feet. "I'll get rid of the mugs you gather your books and we'll go." Moments later Darien disappeared to the kitchen with the mugs and Serena hurriedly gathered her books.

Darien stood in the kitchen after washing up the mugs. He let out a deep breath. He definitely hadn't expected to react to her so strongly. It had come as a surprise to him that they had such chemistry but then again...they seemed to cause plenty of sparks when arguing so maybe the attraction was there all along, just unnoticed. He took one last deep breath and returned to Serena in the front room.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded and followed him out the door. They headed down to the car park at the side of his building and got in his car. "Do you want to just stop by the cafe just down from the arcade?"

"Sure." She agreed.

He pulled over outside the cafe and ushered Serena inside. The red haired waitress greeted them with a bright smile.

"Hey Darien! What brings you here this late?" she asked.

"Well Lizzie, Serena and I needed something to fill our stomachs after all the studying we've been doing." Darien said.

"Serena?" the waitress practically choked out. "As in Andrew's friend Serena from the arcade? The one he's always telling you off for making fun of?" Lizzie looked Serena over.

"Yeah...that would be me." Serena said awkwardly.

"Haha I guess Lita owes Andrew twenty bucks!" she laughed.

"You know Lita?" Serena asked.

"Sure she's comes in here for a slice of cherry pie around the same time as Andrew picks me up from work every Sunday." Lizzie replied.

"Hey how come Lita owes Andrew twenty bucks?" Serena suddenly asked. Lizzie looked a little apologetic. Serena looked at Darien for an answer but he looked just as surprised.

"Well...Andrew bet that you and Darien really had a thing for each other and Lita bet that it would never happen because you hated his guts...this was months ago so they've probably forgotten all about it." She explained.

"Just like you've forgotten all about it?" Darien asked. They moved to a circular booth and Lizzie handed them each a Menu.

"I can't believe he was right!" Lizzie said. "Let me know when you want to order!"

Serena and Darien were left sat facing each other in a slightly awkward silence until Serena mumbled something.

"What was that Meatball Head?" he asked.

"I didn't really hate your guts." She mumbled.

"And I didn't hate you either." He replied. "No,no hate is much too strong a word...I would have gone with dislike."

"Hey!" Serena protested leaning over to whack him with the menu.

"Kidding!" Darien grinned, ducking the assaulting menu. "Are you going to order with the menu or just beat me with it?"

"Both of course." She replied, opening the menu to look at. "Oooo...I want the Texas BBQ chicked and fries!"

"That didn't take long." Darien commented. "What drink did you want, I'll go order..."

"Just a cherry cola is fine thank you." She said. Darien went to find Lizzie to order.

When he returned he slid further into the booth and sat right next to Serena. She blushed a little but didn't move away. After all how suspicious would that be?

"So what do you study?" Serena asked, trying to rid them for the uncomfortable silence.

"Chemistry mostly, I've got a position at a medical pharmaceutical company lined up for the end of the year." He replied. Serena pulled a face and he chuckled. "It's not that bad I promise. What your favourite subject?"

"Urgh! They're all awful!" she replied. Lizzie appeared with their food and then their drinks which brightened Serena's face considerably. "Thanks!"

"Thanks Lizzie." Darien agreed.

"So...who is she anyways?" Serena asked carefully.

"Who?"

"Lizzie."

"Oh Lizzie's Andrew's sister. You remember the photo of the arcade opening? She was in it too." Darien explained.

"Oh." Serena nodded, then started laughing. "I thought she was an old girlfriend! I should've know no one would be able to put up with you!"

"Hey! You do!" he pointed out. "Even if it is just for show."

"Actually...this isn't as weird as I thought it would be." She said slowly. "When you're not being a jerk you're actually ok."

"Cheers." He said rolling his eyes. "But you're right this isn't as weird as I thought it would be either."

"Plus there are perks! You buy me food and have a nice car! And you got me to understand math! Seriously Math!" she exclaimed. "We'll get through this week easy."

However watching Serena licking the BBQ sauce from her fingers obliviously Darien shook his head. No he didn't think they would get through this week easily at all.

"I'll take that as a compliment Meatball Head." He replied. "Nice to know you're using me for my brain!"

They both started laughing at this.

"Well we know you're not using me for my brain...so what do you get?" Serena quipped. "Other than my amazing company that is..."

"I'm just enjoying having a little fun and chaos in my life." He chuckled. "I can certainly say that the man who wins your heart will never be bored."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Serena accused, putting her knife and fork down a little too quickly causing her to knock over her glass and spill her drink across the table before the glass rolled onto the floor and smashed. Serena just looked up at Darien sheepishly before they both start laughing again.

Author's Notes: Hope you like this! Sorry it's late but I was an idiot and wrote this chapter, I then started to write the next one but...I save over this one. So I had to rewrite the whole chapter from scratch. But at least I already have some of the next chapter ready so you won't have to wait as long for the next one!