Blueeyeddevil06 thank you for being amazing and my beta!

Serena found herself suddenly in a room, and Darien stood there across from her. He walked up to her, and without a word, he was kissing her, his hand sliding down onto her ass. She moaned into his kiss, and he deepened it. Tasting her, and nipping at her bottom lip.

She pulled back in shock. "What're you doing?"

"Finally kissing you like I have wanted to for so long." He pulled her close and looked her in the eye. He then kissed her forehead and then her eyes. "You are amazing."

"This is a dream."

"This sure feels like a dream to me." He caressed her face. "I sure hope it's not. I would hate to not be actually touching you. Maybe we're sharing this dream."

"That would be nice." She kissed him.

"Buns, you're perfect."

She smiled at him. "Buns. I like that so much more than Dumpling Head."

He looked her in the eyes, "Buns, I promise I will never call you that again."

She teared up. "You're too perfect. This can't be real."

"It's real. Everything I feel for you is real. I love you."

Her heart swelled, "I love you too." She beamed at him. "I wish you would tell me this in the waking world too."

"Come to me tomorrow at the Arcade. We will talk about this, and I'll kiss those perfect lips of yours. You're my woman now."

Serena sauntered up to Darien. She was excited to talk to him about last night's dream. He had confessed his love to her, and she hasn't come down from the clouds since.

She sat down on the stool next to his at the counter, and smiled at him. She drew his attention away from his book and said, "So, how about that dream last night, huh?" She leaned a bit towards him. She was so drawn to him. She loved him.

He rolled his eyes at her and looked back down at his text book. "What dream?"

"The one we had last night." she smirked. He was not going to get away with messing with her.

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her in confusion.

She just shook her head, "You aren't being funny."

"I have no clue what you're talking about." He looked over at her. "Have you been dreaming about me, Dumpling Head?" He just laughed at her.

She dug her fingernails into her palms to hold back her tears. It really was a good trick. The pain in her hands distracted her from the pain in her heart. She replied, as lightly as she could. "Yup, I did have a dream of you last night, as a matter of fact. You looked hilarious in that slutty red dress. It barely covered your ass. You would think something would be hanging out, but apparently you aren't as big as you pretend to be. Maybe that motorcycle of yours is really just compensating for something."

He shook his head. "Little girls don't understand those things. You shouldn't talk like that."

"Have fun studying boring…" she glanced at his book, "Chemistry. I have other things to do now." She slid off of the chair. She didn't care how it looked. She left the Arcade without ordering anything. It might look strange, but she knew she didn't have long until she would be a weeping mess. As it was, she barely made it to her room.

She wept all alone in her bed. Her heart was broken. She thought they were connected through their dreams. Now that she thought about it, that sounded silly. Of course that couldn't happen. It was just as silly as the idea that he was actually in love with her.

She stepped into her dream world that night, and she collapsed crying. Darien ran over to her and asked, "Buns, what's wrong? What can I do to fix this?"

"Nothing! Get away from me!" She cried harder and shrunk away from him.

She felt a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Why? I love you. I thought you loved me too. What changed?"

"Reality! I discovered that these dreams aren't even real. The real you isn't here. Get away! Don't touch me!" She wiped her tears away.

"But, I love you."

"Shut up! No, my head wants you to love me, so you say you do. This isn't real." She was angry at him, but mostly herself for believing him, her… oh, it was so confusing!

"I love you."

"Stop saying that! I don't want your love! I want his love. I want a love that's real, one that isn't the product of my messed up brain." She stomped her foot. "I will not settle for lies and hiding in my dreams. Get away from me. I need to figure out what's wrong with me that made me believe this lie." She willed herself out of the dream.

She woke up the next morning with tears in her eyes. The best part of her day had turned into an utter nightmare. What good were touches and sweet words if they were only lies? She needed to make a change.

And so she did. She stood in front of Mina and asked, "So, I want you to dress me up, and take me clubbing with you tonight."

"This won't get Darien to see you. Those tricks don't actually work." Mina sighed and looked at her sadly.

"You misunderstand me. This isn't to get him to see me. This is to move past him. I'm pathetic. Admit it. I practically dangle myself in his face, and he doesn't even look. It's time for me to grow up and move on." She hardened her treacherous heart. "Why would I waste my life waiting for someone who doesn't even want me?"

Mina eyed her in an attempt to judge her resolve. "I believe you. But, you aren't the hookup type. There's a guy I know who wants to ask you out. Let's set you up with him. He really likes you."

Serena shook her head firmly. "I won't use a guy like that. I don't want to hurt a guy by dating him just because I want to get over Darien Stupid Sheilds."

"You still aren't the hookup type. Instead of clubbing, why don't you just start flirting. I can teach you." She smirked at Serena. "And, I have a few outfits that would look H-O-T on you."

"Deal."

The next day, Serena walked into the arcade wearing a tight crop top and a mini skirt with Mina by her side. She ignored Darien at the counter. His head was buried in his book. She wasn't there for him. She was there for Mina to give her some pointers. Turned out she was a very fast learner.

As she blasted the youma while playing Sailor V, she was irritated with herself. She had some guy hanging around her. Chuck was his name, she thought, and he was feeding the machine quarters for her. She wasted all of that time on Darien when she could have been playing free video games! Really, her allowance could have gone so much further this way. She perked up when Andrew brought her a chocolate milkshake that Chuck had ordered for her. She was so mad at herself.

Andrew made his way back to the counter. He was scowling and cursing Chris' name under his breath.

Darien looked up, "What's your problem?"

"Chris over there is hitting on Serena. I don't like the way he's looking down her shirt." He narrowed his eyes.

Darien laughed, "She would have to have breasts for him to look at something."

"You're my best friend, but you're an ass. You haven't noticed that girl for so long, and now she is moving on. And, it doesn't seem she's doing it in the most appropriate ways either." Andrew wiped down the counter in aggravation.

"Little Serena? She'll be fine." He went back to studying.

Andrew stared at him in shock. "You really don't have feelings for her, do you?"

"No, why would I? She's a child."

Serena was wishing she hadn't come over to drop off her empty milkshake glass. She set it on the counter and looked up at Andrew. "Thank you for telling Chuck what I like."

"Chris."

"Oops. That was why he stormed off. Now I feel bad." She frowned and headed back to the booth she had been at earlier.

Andrew wanted to beat Darien over the head with the empty glass. "She's not a child. She's more emotionally mature than you are. You're so emotionally repressed, you don't realize that it will hurt you when you lose her. And, don't get me wrong. You are losing her. That's if she isn't gone already." He stomped off and took the glass to the kitchen.

Two days later, Mina was standing in front of Andrew with her hands on her hips. "Okay. What's going on?"

Andrew shrugged, "You see this too, right? One day, everything just broke. Darien called her Dumpling Head, and it was like the light went out of her eyes. She left without even ordering anything."

"She came to my house, wanted to dress up and go clubbing. I talked her out of the clubbing part. I taught her about flirting. She's really good at it. It's a bit annoying actually. Yesterday, I found myself taking notes from her!" she sighed in frustration. "Please tell me he's secretly in love with her."

"If he is, even he doesn't know it."

"Crap." she looked him in the eyes. "What am I going to do? She's faking every single smile."

"You aren't going to like my answer. You have to just be there for her. She'll have to get over him." Andrew ran his fingers through his hair. "She can find someone to love her. He's going to be the one to lose out in the long run. He won't find another girl like her."

Mina smiled at him. "You're sweet. I just hate that she's hurting, and I can't do anything about it."

Andrew noticed Darien walk in and sit at the counter. He looked at Mina and said, "I will miss seeing you both, but it will be easier on her if you stay away a bit. She doesn't need to see him every day."

Darien noticed Mina walking by and he said, "Hello, Mina."

She rolled her eyes at him and walked out of the Arcade.

Darien looked over at Andrew and asked, "What's bothering her?"

"You."

Darien felt uncomfortable. Andrew had been short with him a lot lately, and he didn't like the feeling at all. He opened his book and said, "You're still talking to me though, right?" He tried to hide how nervous he was for the answer.

"I'm the only one. Yes." Andrew poured him a cup of coffee, and they talked about class.

A few days later, Darien was thinking about how Andrew wasn't kidding. He was the only one still talking to him. He hadn't seen Serena in a while, and her friends all ignored him. His life had gotten very quiet. He didn't know what to make of the bad feeling he had in his heart.

Serena hated going to sleep every night. She was tired all day long since she tried to avoid sleep. Of course, it wasn't working.

She stood in front of Darien. Well, fake Darien. He asked, "What can I do to make you love me again?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone." She stepped back from him. He looked broken, and she hardened her heart again. She continued, "You only love me because you're made up in my head. I deserve better than fake love." A tear slipped down her cheek.

"You are everything-"

"Stop saying that! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She spun away from him. "Stop torturing me every damn night. If you love me, leave me alone. Please, I beg of you." She let all of the hurt slip into her tone.

He nodded sadly, and backed up. "Have sweet dreams tonight."

All of a sudden, she was on the beach by the ocean, and seagulls soared above her. It was beautiful. She spent the rest of the night playing in the waves.

Unbeknownst to her, Darien woke up with tears in his eyes the next morning with no idea why. All he knew was that he felt empty.

Every day for the next week, he woke up feeling hollow with tears in his eyes and made his way to the Arcade to have a stilted conversation with Andrew. He was miserable.

By the time he was sitting down, Andrew had poured him coffee and went off to take someone's order. He returned to the counter a bit later. Darien sighed and decided he had to bring it up. "Where is Serena? She hasn't been here for awhile."

"Yup. She doesn't come here anymore." Andrew didn't answer his question on purpose.

"Where is she then?"

Andrew rolled his eyes, "Why do you care?"

"We're friends."

Andrew just laughed and said, "No, you haven't been friends for a while now. I told you that you were losing her. You just didn't listen."

Darien snapped, "I can't lose her!"

"Too bad." Andrew was secretly pleased over his outburst.

"Something's wrong with me. I wake up…" He looked around to see if anyone could overhear. "I wake up with tears in my eyes, and I don't know why."

Andrew looked Darien in the eyes and said, "I'm going to only tell you this once. You are in love with Serena, and you don't even realize it. You are so emotionally repressed, that you don't let yourself feel anything. That is why you wake up that way. Your subconscious is crying over her." He just really hoped he was right.

Darien stared at him and said, "I don't know what to say to that."

"Don't say anything. I have a feeling it would be stupid anyway." Andrew huffed and walked away.

Darien slowly made his way out of the Arcade and went to his apartment. It was incredibly quiet. That day, he paced and tried to sort out his feelings. He thought about Serena, and it hurt. After a long fruitless day, he woke up in an odd dream world. He was alone.

All of a sudden, he remembered dreaming of her. Of her telling him that she thought the dreams were real. Of him confessing his love. Of her telling him she loved him too. It was incredible. Then the rest came back. Her telling him not to call her Dumpling Head and him promising he wouldn't. Of her telling him that she would seek him out the next day. Of her arriving after that in tears yelling at him to get away. Her telling him that she didn't love the fake him. Of watching her heart break. Of her commanding him to go away. Of him finally relenting and giving her a beautiful dream of the beach. Of him coming alone to that empty room every night afterwards.

He woke up the next day horrified. She had come to talk to him about the dreams. They had just confessed their love to each other, and he laughed in her face when she talked to him. He lost her. He lost her, and he didn't even realize he loved her until it was too late. He saw her weep, and she wouldn't let him comfort her.

He sprinted to the Arcade that day. He took one look at Andrew and said, "You're right. I am in love with her. Where the hell is she?"

"Mina's."

"Crap. She's not going to let me in."

Andrew sighed. "You gave up rather easily."

Darien looked startled and shook his head. "No, never again." He took off sprinting.

He arrived at Mina's and pounded on the door. A very irritated Mina answered it, and he looked her in the eye. "Let me in. She's mine, and you can't keep her from me!"

He was shocked when Mina stepped aside, "So, you finally fucking figured it out. Good. I hope she makes you beg."

He nodded at her and paused. "Which room?"

"Follow the crying, jackass."

He paled, sprinted up the stairs and opened the door to the room where he could hear her crying.

She looked up, startled, and wiped her eyes. "I stubbed my toe. You know I'm a cry baby."

He was panting and out of breath. He looked her in the eye and said, "Make me beg. Torture me. Scream at me. I deserve it all. Just please don't turn me away. I love you."

She stood up and walked over to him. He looked at her curiously, and she slapped him, hard.

"I deserve that too."

"Fucking wake up! Why am I stuck in this damn dream, again!?" She pinched her arm really hard.

"This isn't a dream. That wasn't either really. I just didn't remember them until now. Everything I said in them was true. I love you." He looked at her with vulnerability in his eyes.

"Prove it." She crossed her arms and glared at him.

He looked at her curiously. "Do you really think I'm that much of an ass? What would I get out of lying to you?" He walked over to her and lifted her chin. "Buns, I love you."

Buns. He watched tears fill her eyes. "I love you too." She surged up and kissed him.

She pulled back suddenly, and Darien tried to figure out what was wrong. She held up one finger and she said, "Wait here a minute." She then went into the hall, and yelled, "Mina, it's time for you to head out for a bit." He then heard her slamming a drawer somewhere.

He was shocked when she walked back in and threw a box at him. He caught it and looked at her dumbfounded. "Condoms?"

"Yea, I stole them from Mina. She'll get over it." She shoved him onto the bed. "You're a virgin?" He nodded. "I am too. You better be a quick study." She took off her shirt.

His jaw dropped. "Serena, I need a minute to catch up."

She glanced at his crotch, "I'll give you some time."

"Oh, no. I didn't mean that. It was hard the moment I read the box you threw at me. Seeing you in that sexy bra just got me even harder." He paused and adjusted himself in his pants to make more room. "I want to lick you." He shook his head, "Back on track for a second. You want to have sex with me after I hurt you?"

"I thought you said you've loved me all along. Was that wrong?"

"No!"

She took off her shorts and stood there in a matching bra and panty set. She then grabbed her breasts in her hands and massaged them.

Darien whimpered.

She smirked and said, "You have two choices. You can go home, call me on the phone and we can talk about our day. Or," She pinched her own nipples. "you can come over here and not make me get myself off." She moaned as she rolled her nipples in between her fingers.

Darien swallowed hard and his Adam's Apple bobbed. He watched her play with her breasts as he removed his button up shirt. He then removed his pants and stood there in his boxers. He stepped forward, reached around her, fumbled with her bra, and then managed to take it off. He then leaned down and licked each breast.

He looked her in the eye and said, "You're my woman." He pulled down her panties, they slid to the floor, and she stepped out of them. "I think we will be in here for a while. I have a lot of making up to do to you." He grabbed her bare ass. "Teach me your body."

Later, while he was rutting into her and buried to the hilt, he growled. He loved how tight she was and how amazing they felt together. He looked her in the eye and said, "Mine." He then pounded her into the bed. He played with her clit and chased their release with a singular focus. She was screaming his name, and he took her even harder. The louder she was, the happier he was. She came screaming his name. He took her with four more thrusts and spilled into the condom.

He laid there in her bed and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head and said, "Give me an hour and I will be ready again. Before that, I'll be eating you out. I'll need dessert after all that exertion."

She gave him a heated look, "You want to go again? Today?"

"You aren't leaving this bed if I can help it. I'm eventually going to hunt up some food in this house. I have a lot of making up to do. I plan on leaving you so satisfied and so exhausted that you forget what an ass I was." He pulled her even closer.

She smiled at him. "We're together. That's all that matters."

Andrew saw Mina walking into the Arcade. He asked, "How's it going? Is she going to forgive him?"

She just laughed and said, "All I know was that when I left, she was yelling his name really loud."

Andrew looked sad, "It's too bad it's-"

"Sex. They were having sex."

"Oh."