Finding Love Chapter 12: Love Poetry, a sailor moon fanfic

Thank you blueeyedevil06 for being my beta!

Darien knew what the others did not. Love wasn't necessary. He was one of the top ranked high school students in the nation, and he was already accepted into the best pre-med program in all of Japan. He did that all without help. Without parents. Without love.

His best friend Andrew was extremely aware of his feelings on love which was why, when they arrived at the Ancient Japanese Love Poetry section in their literature class, he began laughing. He knew what Darien's reaction would be before he even heard it.

Darien did startle him a little. His opinion on having to read the poems was that, "It will be interesting to see why people feel that love is important." Andrew chuckled, of course he should have realized that Darien would look at it as a social experiment.

After school, he sat at the counter of the Arcade and studied as Andrew worked. Never once did it dawn on him that he liked studying there, because it was one of the few places where he never felt alone.

Darien studied in peace, until Serena walked in. She marched up to the counter, and told Darien, "You owe me a milkshake!"

He rolled his eyes, and said, "What gave you that idea, Dumpling Head?"

She stomped her foot, and scrunched up her face, "You are a jerk, baka!" She huffed and added, "A month ago, you said you would buy me a milkshake, if I could make it to school, on time, three days in a row.

"It took you this long?!" he laughed at her.

"Baka! Yes, now buy me the milkshake, and I can go back to being popular over there, away from you." she gave him a fake smile.

"There is more to life than just being popular." he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes dramatically at him and said, "Not everyone can be like you!"

"Like me?"

She shot him an annoyed look, "Yea. Smart, good looking, and popular."

He didn't understand why his insides grew warm. "Aww, does Dumpling Head have a crush on me?"

With as much sarcasm as she could muster, she leaned forward and said, "Oh yea, baby. I want you so badly. My body gets tingly everytime you walk by. Now, send my milkshake over to the table. Andrew, knows what I like."

She stomped off, and he went back to his homework. He rolled his eyes as he opened up the Ancient Japanese Poetry book. He read:

How desolate my former life,

Those dismal years, era yet

I chanced to see thee face to face;

'Twere better to forget

Those days before we met

By Atsutada

He couldn't figure out why that poem made him so uncomfortable. He fidgeted in his seat a bit. He then slammed his book shut, ordered Serena a milkshake, paid for it, and went home.

It was two horrible weeks later that he finally couldn't fight it any more. He, Darien Shields, had actually fallen in love. And, he was completely distraught. He didn't have time for love, not with his goals. And there were times when he believed that was the real reason for not confronting the fact that he was in love with Serena. In the moments when the truth seeped in, and he was honest with how he felt, he knew that it was that he was scared.

He was scared that, in his life, love didn't last. It wasn't like it faded. It literally died. Leaving him alone. He was also scared that he had fallen in love with the one girl at school that wasn't interested in him. He had received enough love letters to know what a girl acted like when they were thinking of confessing to him. That was when he usually made it a point to let them know that he couldn't remember their name. The love letters had really tapered off after employing that tactic.

He sat at the Arcade and worked through his math problems as he listened to Serena entertaining her friends. As always, she had them howling with laughter. He even quietly chuckled along from time to time.

Andrew refilled his coffee cup and asked, "Okay, what's up with you lately? You seem off. I am starting to get concerned."

Darien sighed and calculated the risk of telling Andrew. He knew Andrew would never tell his secret. He just didn't like the feeling of being vulnerable, even with his best friend. He thought about facing his feelings alone, without any support, and he sighed. He didn't like that feeling either.

He looked around to make sure that no one was near and motioned to Andrew to listen carefully. "I have come to realize that I have feelings for someone."

Shock briefly flashed past Andrew's face before he schooled his features. "Who? If you don't mind telling me. You know I would never say anything."

Darien nodded, "I know." He then paused. He didn't want Andrew to confirm his worst fears. He looked around to make sure they were still alone and pushed on. "Serena."

Andrew had better control of his emotions this time. Truthfully, the biggest shock of it all was that Darien was admitting to any feelings. After that, it was hard to surprise him. He decided to give Darien his honest opinion, "Well, leave it to you to pick the kindest girl. Of course, when you have a crush on someone, it would be her. You have a knack for going after the best of everything with your apartment, pre-med program, car. Now, if you ask her out, people are really going to be even more jealous of you."

Darien snorted, "As if I stand a chance with her."

"Wait, you want to ask her out?" Andrew failed to mask his surprise.

Darien looked up at him in confusion, "Want to? Yes. Will? No way. There is no way she would consider dating me."

Andrew stood there and thought about all of the things that Darien had said to her in this very spot.

"You really think that much of her?" Darien asked.

Andrew nodded in response and said, "Maybe you should be nicer to her."

The next day, while Darien was studying, Serena walked in and skipped up to the counter. She took one look at Darien and said, "I need your help."

"And, what makes you think I would help you, Dumpling Head?" Darien immediately cringed and thought, Shit! That wasn't being nicer. He could almost feel Andrew rolling his eyes behind him.

He did see Serena roll her eyes. She said, "Because, baka, you just pretend to be a jerk to me. I actually need help and you haven't ever said 'no' when I really needed it."

Darien heard Andrew drop a glass, and it shattered. Then he heard him muttering to himself about being clumsy. He understood what led to him dropping the glass. She shocked him too.

"Oh, yea?" was his admittedly lame reply.

"Yes, and it's a big favor. I need you to be my plus one to a formal dinner Friday. My father is receiving an award for one of the photos he took last year for the paper. It is a big deal for him and his career. His boss's, boss's, boss will be sitting at our table for the banquet. I get a plus one and I need to bring someone who's impressive. You wouldn't even have to pretend like it was a date. You would just have to be nice to me for one evening." she looked up at him expectantly.

"So, you want me to dress up for a not-date on Friday?"

She nodded, "And, really, you wouldn't have to act like we are together. My father will introduce you as my friend, and everyone will expect him to do that. No one would expect you to even come close to touching me in front of my father."

"Wait, so everyone will assume I am your boyfriend, but I won't have to act like it?" he asked.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "We will tell them you aren't my boyfriend, and they might assume otherwise."

Well, that sucked. He wondered when he was friend-zoned so badly. "So, I am there to make you seem smart?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically and said, "No, you are there to keep the son of my father's boss's, boss's, boss from hitting on me all night. Again."

Now he was a heck of a lot more on board with going. "Wait, he hits on you?"

"Believe it or not, some men find me attractive." she harrumphed. "I just am not the type who falls all over themselves for a rich, attractive man."

Andrew scoffed, "Yea, because those are awful."

She smiled at him and laughed, "Okay, so he has other qualities I don't like. I am just saying that I won't overlook them because of the money or his face."

Darien pried, "It isn't really his money though, is it? It would be his father's."

"Actually, it is. Right after graduating college, he got a job at a company that deals in logistics and transportation. Apparently he made such a good name for himself, he made VP in six months. I am sure having a wealthy daddy helped." she informed them.

Andrew's brows furrowed, "How much older than you is he?"

"Six years. That, being one of the reasons I don't want to date him. What successful guy goes for a girl that is a senior in high school? I didn't like his answer, either."

Darien wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he asked anyway, "What was his answer?"

"It was insulting, actually. He said, if I am this beautiful now, I will grow up to be even prettier. He then said he got to VP so young because he could see raw potential. He said we could go far together." she said in a melancholy tone. "I am not, and will never be, a trophy wife."

She huffed and stared at him when he didn't say anything to that. She said, "This is where you say, 'You wouldn't make much of a trophy, Dumpling Head.' I will call you 'baka' and then you agree to help me after I plead some more. Do I need to actually do the pleading part? Or, can we skip that, and pretend it happened?"

One of the reasons Andrew was Darien's best friend was because he had an ability to know when Darien wanted to be left alone. He proved that again when he said, "I have some re-stocking to do." Then he walked away, leaving them to talk.

Darien had to admit that the guy was right. She would grow up to be even more beautiful and make the perfect wife. Not only would she be lovely, but she would also be kind, gentle, caring, loving. The list went on. Andrew assumed he had a crush. His feelings were no mere crush.

"So, you are asking me because I am rich and good looking? You admitted as much before."

"No."

"Just, no? You are asking me for my help."

"You are also fun to be around. I would like having you there." she admitted.

His shock showed on his face when he said, "Fun? No one has ever accused me of that."

"You don't have fun when we banter? I assumed you did. I am the only girl you talk to after all. You would have to be getting something out of it."

"I talk to other girls."

She huffed and rolled her eyes, "I will amend my statement. I am the only girl you talk to when it isn't school work related or going to end up with someone crying in the girls' bathroom." He went to speak, and she held up her hand. "I know you aren't interested in girls." There was an awkward pause and she said, "I will amend that statement too. You aren't interested in dating right now. You are focused on your grades and your goals."

"Who said I am not interested in dating?" His brows knit together, and his fingers twitched.

"Your actions. I get that these girls that ask you out don't really know you, and you have no reason to say 'yes.' I mean, just because you help them with a question they have on their homework doesn't mean you are falling for them. But, you are more than capable of asking someone out, and you haven't. What else should I assume other than the fact that, if you haven't bothered to, you don't want to."

He snorted, "I do like someone. There's just no way that, if I asked her out, she would say 'yes.'"

Serena dissolved into hysterics. She started laughing so hard that she was struggling to breathe. When she calmed down enough, she said, "You are way too funny."

"I'm serious." He didn't really like his heartbreak being taken so lightly. Especially from the very one his heart was set on. Some of that showed on his face.

She looked him in the eye, and paled. "You're serious. You really are interested in someone." She took a step back and pulled at the hem of her shirt. "Forget I asked you anything. I will leave you alone."

She walked away, found a booth to sit at, and set her bag down next to her. He followed her over and sat across from her. "What just happened there?"

"We can't give whoever it is the wrong idea with you taking me to the awards dinner." she mumbled.

"So, this is because I am interested in someone? What if I told you I was kidding?" He wanted to make this right.

"You weren't. I saw it in your eyes. You wanted me to take you seriously. I do."

"What if going with you to this dinner didn't bother her? It won't." he was absolutely sure of that in fact.

Her eyes teared up, and she said, "Oh. Um…" A few tears had started falling down her cheeks.

"Why are you starting to cry?"

Raye was behind him and hit him in the head. "You get the hell away from her, right now. You can't ask her why she is crying after you said THAT to her! Baka, is right!"

His eyes grew huge, "What did I say?"

Raye yanked him out of the chair and made him follow her. She hissed at him saying, "You just said that she is so unthreatening to this other girl that she wouldn't mind if you went to this dinner with Serena. Is she really that insignificant to you?"

He hissed back, "Well, she is only asking me to keep someone else from flirting with her."

"So, she is asking you because you are impressive. You would say yes because she is insignificant?" Ray countered, glaring at him.

He sighed, and looked over at Serena noticing the booth was empty. He panicked, and then yelled to Andrew, "Please watch my things!" He then raced out after her.

He saw her on the sidewalk and yelled for her to stop. She did, and when she turned around, there were still tears in her eyes.

He let out all of the air in his lungs in a big woosh. He then said, "I can't do this to you of all people. Please stop crying. You've misunderstood everything, and I promise you that you assumed wrong. You are amazing."

She stopped crying and looked up at him with curiosity.

He rubbed his hands through his hair, and said, "I am going to tell you something that you have to promise to forget. I am also going to say 'yes' to this Friday, right now." He sighed, and didn't ask her for the actual promise. He knew she wouldn't be able to keep it. "I really don't want to tell you who I am interested in but, it is more important to me that I don't hurt you than it is for me to keep the secret. We have been friends for a while, and you are right. You are the only girl I enjoy talking to. Serena, the girl I am interested in wouldn't mind, because she's you."

His stomach instantly tied in knots. His feelings were out there, and he couldn't take them back. He pivoted on his right foot and walked back to the Arcade to collect his things including what was left of his dignity.

He felt a strong grip on his arm and turned. He was surprised that it was Serena with all of that strength. She rolled her eyes, stomped her foot, and said, "Baka, you can't say that and just walk away. You didn't wait to hear how I feel. Of course, the way we start dating will be with you thinking that you already know everything! Typical!" she huffed.

"Start dating?"

"You said you would go to the awards dinner with me Friday, right?" He nodded. "You implied that you wanted to date me, right?" He nodded again. "So, since I would say 'yes.' That would mean that we have started dating. Or, does that logic not work out? You are supposed to be smarter than me."

"Wait… wha…? You want to date me?"

She sighed, "Do you only speak in the form of a question now?"

He shook his head as if to clear it. "Sorry… I just convinced myself that there was no way you would be interested in me."

"Kind guy, always willing to help me, enjoys banter. Yea, there is nothing to like there." she said, dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, and wear a tuxedo. It would look good on you."

"Um… okay. Really?"

She laughed, "Are you back to speaking in questions?"

"Sorry, no. I am just a little shocked." he admitted.

She smiled, and it lit her whole face. "You really thought that you didn't stand a chance with me?"

He nodded, "You are perfect and everything that is good and kind in this world."

Her eyes misted up this time with happy tears.