"This place seems vaguely familiar," Serena said looking around as she took off her seat belt.
"It has been a few years since we been here?" Darien said nonchalantly, as he got out of the car, leaving Serena confused.
He came around and opened her door, reaching out his hand for her to grab on the way out. She was still examining the area around her.
"When have we ever been here?" Serena asked still confused.
"You probably don't remember because those were the nights you would only go out with me when you were "buzzed." Darien used his free hand to make air quotations.
"Psh... not true." She carefully took a step onto the sidewalk.
Darien pulled the door with the with opened sign on it opened for her to walk in.
"Oh it smells so wonderful here..." Serena took in a big whiff of all the scents. The sounds of things deep frying, and the flames from the wok, caused her salivate.
"I remember how much you liked this place then, and I know they are opened pretty late. Figured why not?" Darien said pointing at an empty table, signaling to the host they were going to sit there.
The hist simply nodded, and walked over with two glasses of water and the menus.
"Just a couple minutes please." Darien nodded at her, as she walked away.
"Hmmmmm, I can't remember what I ordered last time I was here."
"Everything." Darien casually answered.
"Shut up I did not!" Serena responded as she looked over the menu.
"No you actually didn't, I just ordered a few things and we split it." He put his menu down and just observed her. "Like we always do."
She could feel his stare, so she put her menu down too. "So what are you going to order?"
After Darien ordered, the two just sat there across from each other. The place maybe had three other tables. One was obviously a business meeting. One a family with two kids dressed in sports uniforms, and the last one a single guy, just eating alone.
"I used to be like that guy, on these days." Darien, he took a sip of his drink as Serena just watched that guy eat alone, watching whatever was on his phone. "He is playing the part like it is not bothering him, but I know it is."
"Did it bother you?" Serena asked looking back at him.
"I mean before it didn't but now..." He just shrugged. "I gotta say Serena, the idea of not having you on Valentine's Day...which is weird because I know I have worked basically every holiday we've been together. But just knowing you weren't going to call or be home." He reached his hand over the table to grab hers. She took her hands out her lap to hold his. "I am not sure I can ever go back to that."
"I am really sorry, I overreacted the way I did. Honestly I am not sure why I did. I swear I am not mad that you had to work. You help people, and I love love that about you." Serena started to ramble. "But the idea that you were calling a quits, made me really feel like I needed to take the first shot and beat you to the punch. I am not sure why... It is not like I wanted to, I just feel like in my movies, the one who always gets dumped is the loser, and I didn't want to be the loser. Which out loud sounds beyond ridiculous."
Darien could feel her guilt was going to cause her to go down a rabbit hole of emotions and she was just going to spiral with what she was trying to say, "Hey, Sere," He finally interrupted. "I am just as much at fault. I really am, if not more."
"How?"
"I know you love those movies, and you say that you don't need all that, but for how long? I can't have you waking up one day, and seeing something over the top romantic and regretting you stayed with Darien, the guy who can hardly plan tomorrow nights dinner."
"Hey you planned my morning coffee and flowers..." Serena said trying to make him feel better. "And you know how much I love your coffee."
"Was it still warm?" Darien checked.
"Yes, and Mina and I have been trying to figure out how to make it. We must have purchased 6 different roasts, but could never get it." Serena took a sip of her water. All the rambling was making her mouth dry.
"It is not the roast, it is what you do with the roast."
"Is it? And what do you do that makes it so special?" Serena tried to pry.
"I'll show you one day...kinda hard to explain."
Serena gave him a look of disbelief.
"Fine it is easy to explain, but it is my little secret and maybe one day when we are old together, I will tell you. Until then, my hope is that I always get up first to make your coffee for you."
Serena just smiled. "That was very cheesy."
"But the truth. Look our food is here."
One by one plates were placed on their table.
"Everything smells so good Darien," Serena complimented. "I am sad I really don't remember this place."
"Like I said, you were buzzed, and that was the only way you would ever come out with me."
"First of all," Serena started, as she cleaned off her chopsticks. "You wanted to go home every night, and it wasn't like you were inviting me to go, I just simply said I was going to go eat."
"First of all being the gentleman that I am, I would never try to take you home when you were intoxicated. And the food thing, I had to tell you I was just tagging along, you never asked me to go."
"Darien, half the time you hate the idea of taking me home."
"Yeah, because I just wanted to spend time with you." He quickly dismissed her claim. "It was always you. Since the first day."
"Really?" Serena couldn't help but gush. "You never told me this."
"I am not good with my feelings, and you know that. But I am going to work on it."
"Darien, again, I don't want you to be someone you are not comfortable being. I don't need you waking up one day feeling like you are just playing a part to be with me."
"It is not a part, it is me. And I don't want to argue about that fact anymore. I need to be better for you."
Serena just sighed deeply.
"Now eat before the food gets cold." Darien demanded.
She watched as Darien scooped her servings on to her plate.
"I really love the flowers." Serena finally said, breaking the two seconds of silence that felt like forever. "Where did you find them."
Darien put the serving utensils down. And looked Serena dead in her eyes. "I can't lie to you and take all the credit. Malachite helped me with all of it. I thought about the coffee and the gift card, he added all the other stuff."
"You got Mal to help?"
"Yes, does it make it less special now?" Darien's voice dropped.
"No, it makes it just as perfect." Serena said taking a bite of her food. She quickly spit it out. "Wow that is still piping hot. I think I burned my tongue!" Serena took a sip of her water.
"Just like the first time we came here."
"Wait... was that the night you drive me home, and you had a sudden stop..."
"Yeah and your noodles flew all over my car." Darien completed her story. "I remember so vividly saying 'no food in my car.'"
"But you still let me do it." Serena squished her face.
"Yup, even then I couldn't say no to you." He took a bite of steaming hot noodles, and watched as Serena continued to blow on her food. "Please move home."
She stopped midblow and sat up straight.
"I know you just moved most of your things out, I can get movers, I can buy you new ones. I just want you home. The idea that I am literally going to drop you off at Mina's tonight, is getting under my skin, and I can't do anything about that, but if I know that soon you will be back next to me in the morning, I need that."
Serena simply cleared her throat. "I actually did not plan to go back home tonight, I was originally, then I started to get tired, and I put on one of your shirts, figured if I fell asleep you wouldn't mind. Then you woke me up, and the idea came back to my head that I would go home, because I was feeling awkward. Then just now, the idea of going back to Mina's knowing she's all curled up next to Mal-
"Please don't put that image in my head." Darien interrupted.
"Well fine, you know what I mean. All that matters was I wasn't liking the idea of going home tonight either." She flat out said.
"Then it is settled."
They finished their food, and Darien boxed up all their to goes.
"Are you sure that is safe, you obviously remember last time." Serena said as he unlocked his car.
"I will put it in the trunk."
Serena got in the car, and buckled herself up.
Darien followed on his side.
"Before we head home, anything you want for dessert?"
"Is anything opened right now?"
"I can think of one place."
Darien started to drive, the entire time he was on his phone.
"Darien are you sure, you do not want me to just drive?" Serena asked implying he was driving recklessly.
"I am fine okay! Just relax, we will get there soon."
"I would like to get there in on piece. Do you even know where we are going? Why don't you put it in the nav?"
"Serena..."
"Darien..."
"I will get us to where we need to be safe just trust me."
The light turned red, and he continued to text.
"Darien, if we are lost, maybe we shoul-"
"Serena, just enjoy this night with me, I will get us to where we need to be."
The rest of the car, Darien drove, and checked his phone at every chance he got.
"Isn't this the way to our place? Did they open a new place." Serena asked as she started to recognize street names and landmarks.
"Have you never taken this way home?"
"No, I guess not..." Serena leaned back into her seat.
"Is there a new place around?"
"Nope." Darien pulled into the complex garage, and they circled until they reached his parking spot.
"I am so confused I thought we were doing something for dessert?" Serena said as she got out of the car. "And why did it feel like it took us so long to get home, like you were trying to stall."
"We are getting dessert." Darien said reaching for her hand, as he held their left overs in another.
"Again, confused."
"Just wait you will see."