Darien looked at Haruka for a moment like she was crazy, but he looked into
her eyes and saw that she was completely serious. He also saw that she
wouldn't let go of him unless he agreed to go. There wasn't any reason why
he shouldn't, but he couldn't really think of a reason why he would need to
talk to her. He loved talking to Setsuna, of course, who didn't? She was
lovely, beautiful, elegant, graceful, and mature. She could talk about the
things that Serena couldn't, which was one of the reasons why he had coffee
with Setsuna every Monday morning, lunch with her every Tuesday and
Thursday afternoon, and dinner the first Saturday of every month. Darien
couldn't think of any time something had happened that either of them
would've felt wronged over. Yet, he would talk to her. He loved her as a
close friend, and if she needed him, he would go to her.
"She's in Michiru's room."
Darien looked to Serena, who was still enjoying the scenery, and said, "I'll be right back, Bunny."
Serena stared at him for a moment and, almost immediately, she had a hunch that this was about Setsuna. She smiled passively and said, "okay," and watched for just a second as Haruka led Darien away. Secretly, she felt a bit angered and slightly jealous. She knew she shouldn't; Darien and Setsuna were obviously just friends and nothing more. However, sometimes Serena saw something else in Darien's eyes when he was looking at Setsuna than just friendly admiration. She saw this "something else" even more frequently in Setsuna's dark red gaze. Serena was a stubborn girl, and she would not admit noticing this, nor would she admit that she was jealous of their connection.
Nothing had ever come of this, so Serena never really worried about it. Not really.
Haruka pointed down the hall to the door of Michiru's room and watching Darien go. Then she went back into the living room and closed the double doors leading out to the hall. Haruka put a smile back on her face and enjoyed the party, which was good. She could think about what the hell was going on and still pretend that it was nothing.
Darien raised his hand to knock softly on the door, but instead, he paused and listened. He could hear her sobbing in there, horrible, wretched sobs of a woman who feels like her heart must burst if she continues to cry alone. Something about that thought caused his brow to furrow in worry. Finally, he knocked gently and said, "Setsuna." He listened and decided she hadn't heard, or was choosing to ignore the knock. Quietly and slowly, Darien opened the door, stepped into the room, and shut the door.
Setsuna lay almost sprawled across Michiru's big, white bed, one hand to her mouth, and the other laying uselessly next to her. She lay on her side, her hair spilling over the bed by her back. Moonlight came through the big window, casting its light upon her body, and she looked almost too divine to disturb. Other than the moonlight, the room was dark. The miserable sound of her heartbreaking sobs made him move toward the bed.
Darien sat beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He whispered her name and saw her open her eyes. She sat up suddenly, obviously humiliated, yet she had said nothing yet.
"It's all right, Setsuna," Darien assured her, and he held out his arms to her. Setsuna gladly went to him, and Darien held his dear friend very close. Setsuna continued to cry on his shoulder, but only for a few more minutes. By then, she was completely spent, and thought she couldn't cry anymore if she was being paid to do it. They shared a few moments of silence, and then Darien asked her, without letting go of her, "Can you tell me what's the matter, Setsuna? You cry like someone's broken your heart."
"Someone has," she admitted, still sniffling.
Darien was a bit surprised at this. He hadn't known that Setsuna had a boyfriend or a lover, and that wasn't something she would keep from him. They were close enough, so he thought, that they confided in each other even the deepest confessions. How unlike her, not to tell him about something like this.
"You know that it will get better, Setsuna. You've gotten through these types of things very well be—"
"It's not the same this time, Darien."
The statement silenced them both. Darien drew back from her, holding her by the shoulders, and he looked at her. Mascara lines of tears streaked her pretty face, and tears sparkled in her eyes, which were bloodshot. Sadness etched her every fine feature. "Tell me," he urged.
Setsuna looked down and away from him, biting her lower lip. She took a breath and opened her mouth to say something when Darien screamed, "Look out!"
He pulled her down and used his body as a shield over hers just as the big glass window in Michiru's room shattered to pieces.
"She's in Michiru's room."
Darien looked to Serena, who was still enjoying the scenery, and said, "I'll be right back, Bunny."
Serena stared at him for a moment and, almost immediately, she had a hunch that this was about Setsuna. She smiled passively and said, "okay," and watched for just a second as Haruka led Darien away. Secretly, she felt a bit angered and slightly jealous. She knew she shouldn't; Darien and Setsuna were obviously just friends and nothing more. However, sometimes Serena saw something else in Darien's eyes when he was looking at Setsuna than just friendly admiration. She saw this "something else" even more frequently in Setsuna's dark red gaze. Serena was a stubborn girl, and she would not admit noticing this, nor would she admit that she was jealous of their connection.
Nothing had ever come of this, so Serena never really worried about it. Not really.
Haruka pointed down the hall to the door of Michiru's room and watching Darien go. Then she went back into the living room and closed the double doors leading out to the hall. Haruka put a smile back on her face and enjoyed the party, which was good. She could think about what the hell was going on and still pretend that it was nothing.
Darien raised his hand to knock softly on the door, but instead, he paused and listened. He could hear her sobbing in there, horrible, wretched sobs of a woman who feels like her heart must burst if she continues to cry alone. Something about that thought caused his brow to furrow in worry. Finally, he knocked gently and said, "Setsuna." He listened and decided she hadn't heard, or was choosing to ignore the knock. Quietly and slowly, Darien opened the door, stepped into the room, and shut the door.
Setsuna lay almost sprawled across Michiru's big, white bed, one hand to her mouth, and the other laying uselessly next to her. She lay on her side, her hair spilling over the bed by her back. Moonlight came through the big window, casting its light upon her body, and she looked almost too divine to disturb. Other than the moonlight, the room was dark. The miserable sound of her heartbreaking sobs made him move toward the bed.
Darien sat beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He whispered her name and saw her open her eyes. She sat up suddenly, obviously humiliated, yet she had said nothing yet.
"It's all right, Setsuna," Darien assured her, and he held out his arms to her. Setsuna gladly went to him, and Darien held his dear friend very close. Setsuna continued to cry on his shoulder, but only for a few more minutes. By then, she was completely spent, and thought she couldn't cry anymore if she was being paid to do it. They shared a few moments of silence, and then Darien asked her, without letting go of her, "Can you tell me what's the matter, Setsuna? You cry like someone's broken your heart."
"Someone has," she admitted, still sniffling.
Darien was a bit surprised at this. He hadn't known that Setsuna had a boyfriend or a lover, and that wasn't something she would keep from him. They were close enough, so he thought, that they confided in each other even the deepest confessions. How unlike her, not to tell him about something like this.
"You know that it will get better, Setsuna. You've gotten through these types of things very well be—"
"It's not the same this time, Darien."
The statement silenced them both. Darien drew back from her, holding her by the shoulders, and he looked at her. Mascara lines of tears streaked her pretty face, and tears sparkled in her eyes, which were bloodshot. Sadness etched her every fine feature. "Tell me," he urged.
Setsuna looked down and away from him, biting her lower lip. She took a breath and opened her mouth to say something when Darien screamed, "Look out!"
He pulled her down and used his body as a shield over hers just as the big glass window in Michiru's room shattered to pieces.