Oh, it feels so good to be back!  This is a silly little first season AR fiction that I 
wrote while on a recent plane trip.  Decided I'd written enough dramatic stuff for 
once, and tried something a little new.  Keep in mind I was on a plane and rather 
more out of my mind then usual.  And if the age difference between Serena and 
Darien bothers you, do like I do and make-believe that it's all just one big typo.  Oh, 
I don't own Sailor Moon (really?  Yeah, really, it's the truth, I swear!).  Enjoy!
 
	Serena was having a remarkably good day.  She'd made it to school on time, 
never mind that she had tumbled through the door just as the bell sounded - that still 
counted as being on time.  She'd done excellently, er, well, ah, she'd passed her math 
test, a fact that pleased her immensely.  It was also early dismissal that day, and she'd 
received her allowance that morning.  No detention, an arcade practically screaming 
for her patronage, money, and no guilt.  Yes indeed, it was a fine day.
	" Hello, Meatball Head", said a voice.  I spoke too soon, Serena thought, a 
frown coming across her features.  If anyone could ruin her perfect day it was Darien.  
The self-centred, arrogant, jerk, Darien Chiba, who considered himself an expert on 
everything – including everything that was wrong with Serena.
	" What do you want?" Serena said suspiciously.
	" Just making sure you knew I was here, so you could avoid 
careening into me.  I'm kind-of tired of being the victim in your klutz attacks", 
Darien said.  Then he couldn't resist smirking.  " Although, maybe it won't 
make any difference, seeing as how you bump into me on purpose."
	Serena's face went red with barely constrained fury.  Stamping her 
foot, she said sharply,
	" Have you lost your mind?  Me purposely run into you?  Ha!"
	" Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've had a girl infatuated with me.  
So, tell me Meatball Head, am I right?"  Darien didn't tease everyone.  In fact 
Serena was the only person he conversed with on a daily basis, if you 
considered their screaming matches as 'conversations'.  Something about her 
just got under his skin.  He was particularly proud of this new line of pestering 
– it was quite effective.  He expected her to explode at any moment.
	" You're completely correct, as usual Darien", Serena said sweetly, 
batting her eyelashes.  Darien's cocky expression faded to disbelief, and then 
to worry.  " I do run into you everyday on purpose".  Darien's heart started 
beating erratically, Serena's not so subtle hinting having a surprising effect on 
his emotions.  Serena saw the change in Darien's expression and knew it was 
time to shut the trap.  " I run into you hoping that you'll have the decency to 
fall over and die!  One of these days, I'm going to hit you just right, and 
maybe I'll be lucky enough that you'll be so crippled that you'll stay out of my 
life forever!  Now, move it lame-brain, I have important things to do", Serena 
said triumphantly, stepping past him.  She took two steps, tripped over her 
'seemed to be too long' legs, and fell.
	Darien snapped out of his stupor of disappointment and anger, in 
order to laugh.
	" Whatever you say Serena, I'll just believe what I want to believe, 
and you believe what you want to believe."
	" Arg!" Serena screamed in annoyance.  She didn't risk a backward 
glance as she sped away from Darien.  Darien watched her storm off, before 
turning around to walk in the opposite direction.  That girl, Darien thought.  
Spoiled brat didn't know how good she had it, and all that wasted potential…  
Maybe if she had some encouragement?  Said a compassionate voice in his 
head.  " What she needs is a good kick in the ass", Darien said aloud.  Two old 
women walking by, were startled by his words, and glared at him like he was 
crazy.  You are crazy, getting all happy when you thought Serena was in love 
with you, and in the same breath cursing the fact that she exists.  Darien 
decided to go home; he was all hot and bothered from the argument – all 
charged up with nowhere to go.
	Though Serena wouldn't admit it to anyone, including herself, she 
thoroughly enjoyed her arguments with Darien.  The altercation today had 
been no exception.  She loved the fact that she could vent all of her 
frustrations, without being thought less of.  Even when she argued with Raye, 
there was a guilty part of her thinking that 'Sailor Moon' shouldn't act in such 
a way to her senshi.  But with Darien it was different, after all he couldn't 
think less of her if she tried and, besides, she didn't care what he thought of 
her.  The only drawback to the arguments was all the energy she had when 
they were over.  She always felt so alive, so special and in charge afterwards, 
and she never knew quite what to do with that feeling.  Today, the Sailor V 
game was the recipient of her hyper condition.
				***
	" Serena!  You promised me on a stack of manga that you would go 
running this morning if I let you miss training practice yesterday.  Now get 
up!" Luna screamed at her charge, the following morning.  When Luna again 
got no response, she had no choice but to dig her claws into Serena's foot, 
which was conveniently sticking out of the bedclothes.
	"Yeouch!" Serena screeched, jumping a few in the air.
	" Finally.  Now go running like you said you would.  Imagine how 
you would feel if one of the senshi was hurt because of your lack of 
preparation", Luna said in her haughty voice, which always seemed 
particularly grating to Serena when heard before nine o'clock on a Saturday 
morning.
	" I will go running, but why does it have to be early?  Aren't the 
benefits the same if I go, at say, noon?"
	" If I don't pester you now, you'll find some excuse why you can't go 
later on.  Now, get up or I'll use my left paw", Luna said, dropping her voice 
dramatically.  Serena's eyes widened in apprehension.  Luna had one very 
long, specially sharpened claw on her left paw that Serena was in no hurry to 
experience.
	" Okay, okay, I'm going.  Sheesh!"  Serena said sliding out of bed.  
Serena got dressed in her running clothes: the black leggings that hugged her 
toned legs, the black running bra that emphasized her flat stomach and 
surprisingly large chest, and the grey sweatshirt that she wore unzipped unless 
it was cold.  With her hair in its trademark meatballs, she let herself out of the 
house and started off at a modest pace for the park.  Despite all her whining, 
she quite enjoyed running.  It was one of the few training drills she was any 
good at and usually she got to do it on her own, which was a nice break from 
having Luna breathing down her neck.
	The air was crisp but clear and Serena gave a little sigh of 
contentment.  Lengthening her stride, she entered the park and headed for the 
lake.  She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't notice that there was 
another runner in the park.
	Darien had long ago discovered the enjoyment to be had in a morning 
jog.  (AN: I myself have never discovered that joy.  I prefer the 'full pot of 
coffee and Saturday morning cartoons' kind of joy. J).  It usually made him 
feel peaceful and when you lived the kind of life he did, peace was always 
hard to come by.  That was why he was so annoyed to see Serena coming 
down a path that would soon join up with his.  He knew it was juvenile but he 
felt like it was his park, and she'd never struck him as the type to go jogging.  
Then again, considering what she ate in a typical day, she must exercise a lot 
to keep that figure.  That lithe, toned, and thoroughly delectable figure…  
Darien's mood got even darker.  Since when had he developed a thing for 
silly, annoying, spoiled brats, like Serena?  Maybe he'd been without a 
girlfriend too long…  Well, there was nothing for it - he would have to bug 
her.  If his day was ruined, then he had to make damn sure that hers was as 
well.
	" Meatball Head.  This is a surprise, finally figure out which foot 
goes in front of the other?"
	" Should have guessed I wouldn't get one day of peace.  What do you 
want, jerk?"
	" I want my park back.  It's obvious you've never been here to run 
before."
	" What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
	" Well, I mean, just look at you.  I'd be willing to bet you haven't 
seen this side of exercising for quite some time."
	Serena did look down briefly, her low self-confidence betraying her.  
The moment her eyes left the path, she stumbled, and her face flushed.  She 
did NOT need this kind of aggravation.  She increased her pace.  For the first 
time in her life, she was extremely glad for her Sailor Moon abilities; she 
knew she could easily out distance Darien and possibly even beat him in a 
race.
	Darien laughed when she tripped, and when she sped up, so did he.  It 
was a good thing he ran on a daily basis, either like this or as Tuxedo Mask.  
Despite his teasing, she could move.
	" Hate to break it to you, but unless you're king of all the earth, then 
this park doesn't belong to you.  Now get out of my face, before I sue you for 
harassment."  Serena was still smarting from his insults and she increased her 
pace yet again.  Just go away, Serena prayed in her head.  If he kept this up, 
she'd very soon snap and then Darien would be at the receiving end of a sailor 
senshi's wrath.
	Darien was impressed when she started running faster.  He caught up 
to her, but they were now keeping a pace that was much faster then his usual 
easy jog.  He wouldn't (couldn't) give her the satisfaction of out pacing him.
	" Harassment?  Excuse me, but I think you're the one who is 
annoying me."
	" Yeah, well what do you call this?  Or is it normal for you to chase 
down innocent girls at the park, and insult them?  Tell me, are you an asshole 
by birth or is it something your parents brought out in you?"
	Darien saw red; nobody dared to mention his family, not if they knew 
what was good for them.
	" And your parents, how long until they disown you out of shame for 
your embarrassing immaturity, your incredible self-centredness, and your 
sheer stupidity?"  Darien hissed.
	It was a good thing Serena was so angry by this point, or she might 
have given in and cried.  Instead, she argued back using language she thought 
she'd never use on another human being.  But then, she reasoned, Darien 
wasn't human – he was a walking, talking, jerk-machine.
	" You'll shut the fuck up, if you know what's good for you.  And 
don't you EVER speak to me again."  With that said, she started sprinting, 
hoping to put distance between herself and Darien and from the things he'd 
said.
	Darien was surprised to hear the swear drop from her lips, he must 
have struck a nerve.  That was fine by him, she deserved as good as she got.  It 
took some effort, but he caught up to her again.  This time he didn't say 
anything to her, he just ran alongside her for a moment before putting on an 
extra burst of speed and overtaking her.
	Serena was not to be outdone.  She caught up with him, and the 
contest began.  The two most stubborn people on the planet were running side-
by-side, at a speed that not many would have been able to maintain, each 
trying to shake the other.  It was a question of pride, it was a battle of wills, 
and it was an exercise in… stupidity.  Serena felt like she was going to pass 
out soon, but did that stop her?  Of course not.  She was sweating and her 
heartbeat was pounding in her ears, but she refused to let Darien win.  She'd 
die before she let him have that satisfaction.  She just prayed that she didn't 
have a klutz attack.
	Darien glanced covertly at his running 'partner', hoping she would 
show some sign of weakness.  She was breathing hard, as he was, but her face 
had a determined look he was accustomed to seeing only on the face of a 
certain sailor-suited senshi.  Serena wasn't about to give up and a part of him 
was impressed at the stamina she was showing, since he was feeling close to 
exhaustion.  Another part of him was becoming exasperated.  Why didn't she 
just give up?  He'd already run twice as far as his usual jog, and at three times 
the speed, and somehow he just knew that it was her fault.  He should just 
leave, but he'd rather die then have the klutz queen outrun him.  Klutz queen?  
That gives me an idea, Darien thought.  Sure, it wasn't very sporting, but if he 
didn't do something to stop this mad contest, they'd both end up with heart 
attacks.  So he nudged her with his shoulder.  Serena shot him a dirty look as 
she stepped off the path briefly, but then came back and pushed him.  Darien 
stumbled, caught up with her again, and nudged her a little harder.  They were 
at the crest of a hill, on either side of the path was a gentle, grassy slope, and 
this time when Serena was pushed, her feet somehow managed to tangle with 
themselves.  Knowing from numerous past experiences that she was about to 
fall, she grabbed on to Darien's arm, determined that if she was going down, 
then so was he.
	If Serena had been in the mood to laugh, she would have at the 
expression on Darien's face as he was pulled along with her to the ground.  
They might have been all right - if not for the fact that they were on a slope 
and they'd had considerable momentum going into the dive.  They started to 
roll, faster and faster, until Darien's arms were gripped hard to Serena's 
shoulders to keep their heads from knocking.  When the hill bottomed out, 
they came to a jarring stop with Darien on top.  Their heads smacked together 
with a resounding thud.  For a moment, they were both too dazed to do 
anything but take deep breaths and try to forestall the dizziness.  Then they 
resumed the argument.
	" Look what you've done!  You are the most annoying, insensitive, 
manipulative, girl I've ever met!"
	" I can't believe you're blaming me for this!  And I can't believe you 
pushed me!  Here I am, having a perfectly normal Saturday morning, when 
you come along, like some crazed army drill sergeant, and then, when you 
can't hack it, you push me!  It's unbelievable.  And look at my head!  I'm 
going to have a huge, horrible bump for sure after smacking into your cement-
head.  You really are the biggest creep I've ever met, and I've met some 
strange things in my lifetime.  I don't know what…"  Serena continued with 
her loud, screaming, rant, which Darien eventually had to tune out or risk 
getting permanent hearing damage.  
	" Don't you ever shut-up?" Darien yelled at her.  Serena kept right on 
speaking.
	" And here you are pinning me to the ground and you haven't even 
asked me if I'm okay.  I could have broken bones or a concussion you know, 
and, hey don't you want to be a doctor or something?"
	Darien could think of only one way to stop her tirade, but even as he 
was going through the motions, a part of him was wondering at his 
motivations.  He was going completely on instinct, and that was not Darien's 
usual way of making decisions, but it didn't stop him.
	He kissed her.  He didn't meet her eyes, or ask for permission.  He 
just focused his attention on her lips and stopped their moving with the 
pressure of his mouth.  Serena was so shocked that she completely lost her 
train of thought.  Maybe it was because of their argument and their run, but 
she suddenly felt alive as though her blood was made completely of adrenaline 
and she kissed him back.  He was the enemy, but she somehow managed to 
convince herself that the Darien she knew and the Darien whose body and lips 
were pressed against her, were two separate entities.  That meant it was okay 
to run her fingers through his hair, and to let him trail his hands down her 
body.
	Definitely been too long without a girlfriend.  I mean, this is Serena, 
the girl I can barely tolerate?  So what if she's scantily clad, if her breasts are 
pressing against me with every deep breath, and if  every inch of her bare skin 
is toned and slicked with sweat?  Wait, where was I going with this thought?  
Ah, who the hell cares?  Darien kissed her roughly, as though trying to impart 
some of the frustration he was feeling over doing this with her, and managed 
to get his tongue in her mouth.  If he had any illusions that this meant anything 
more then a purely physical attraction, they were gone the moment their 
tongues met.  She bit him none to gently, and he pressed into her so harshly, 
that there was no chance of her lips not being bruised.  When his hand brushed 
against her waist, he felt no remorse for gripping her a little too tightly, just as 
she felt no guilt for punching him hard in the shoulder when he accidentally 
leaned on her hair.
	" Hey, you kids!  This is a public, family place.  You can't do that 
kind-of stuff here!"  Yelled an outraged father from the path.  Darien and 
Serena broke apart, staring first at the man, and then at each other.  The 
sudden realization of what had occurred between them, made Serena's face 
blanch and Darien's face curl into disgust.
	" Get off me you pig!" Serena snapped, pushing Darien away and 
scrambling to her feet.  Darien wiped his hand over his lips, as though he 
suddenly found the taste of her disagreeable.  He wished that that were true – 
his eyes had already fastened to her swollen lips, wanting to kiss her again.
	Serena was trying to pretend like she wasn't cold now that she was 
out of Darien's arms.  She became flustered when he kept staring at her 
without saying anything, and decided to leave.
	" See you around, Meatball Head.  And try not to throw yourself at 
my feet the next time we meet, okay?" Darien muttered to her retreating form.
	" Excuse me?"  Serena said furious.  " You kissed me, not the other 
way around.  Really, learn to keep your hormones in check, will y'a?"  
	Before Darien could retort, Serena took off, running away as fast as 
she could.  Inside she was shaking like jelly, and although she should have felt 
completely out of energy after her marathon run, she somehow found enough 
energy to make it all the way back to her house without slowing down.  Luna 
was still curled up on Serena's bed.  She stretched as Serena came in.
	" That must have been a long run Serena.  Perhaps you're learning to 
take things seriously, I'm proud of you".
	Serena had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.  She wondered how 
proud Luna would be if she knew that her charge had just been caught making 
out with Darien in a public place?  She stepped into the shower and tried to 
forget the whole thing, but a handprint on her waist reminded her that things 
were likely to never be the same again.
				***
	A few days later, at the arcade, Darien was peacefully sipping his 
coffee and perusing his newspaper.  He was deliberately not thinking about 
Serena and the fact that he'd kissed her.  And it had been him who had 
instigated the kiss, no matter what he'd told Serena.  Still, she had chosen to 
kiss him back, and more besides.  God, he could still recall how her skin had 
felt: taut and hot to the touch.  Darien crossed his legs sharply to forestall his 
wayward thoughts, when a blonde whirlwind bumped into him, causing him to 
spill coffee all over the newspaper.
	" Watch it, Meatball Head!" he said sharply.
	" You're the one who spilled", Serena retaliated, turning around to 
face him.
	" That's because you just bumped me", Darien explained gruffly.
	" Well, excuuuuse me", Serena said, rolling her eyes skyward.  She 
started to walk away when Darien caught her wrist.
	" No, I don't think I will excuse you.  You ruined my paper, just like 
you ruined my run the other day, and just like you ruin everything else you 
touch".
	" I ruin everything?  Oh, and I suppose you're perfect?  You know, 
some people would think picking on a girl was a less-then-nice thing to do."
	" Oh, just be quiet, your voice is becoming lethal", Darien yelled at 
her.  He was so loud that everyone in the busy arcade instantly stopped what 
they were doing to find out what all the commotion was about.  It was so quiet 
all of a sudden that everyone heard when a plastic drinking straw rolled off a 
tabletop and hit the floor.
	Serena smiled, " I think our audience just proved your voice is at 
least as shrill as mine."
	" You are BOTH driving me and everyone else nuts!  Honestly, if 
you're going to fight, and I realize it's all but inevitable, could you at least use 
the backroom?  If only for the sake of my business?"  Andrew said, 
interrupting the quarrelling pair.
	Serena and Darien turned to look at him, faces going red with 
chagrin.
	" See what you've done?  You've upset poor Andrew," Serena chided 
unable (unwilling?) to let the argument stop.
	" Me?  He's my friend", Darien responded.
	Andrew didn't interrupt them a second time.  Instead, he herded the 
two squabblers up and then pushed them through the kitchen, to the very back 
of the building where there was a little room, scarcely bigger then a closet, 
with a heavy door.  He pushed them inside and slammed the door shut.  
Andrew was met with mild applause when he returned to the arcade floor for 
having dealt with the 'troublemakers'.
	Serena and Darien barely registered their change in environment.  
The argument kept right on going.
	" I would have thought it was impossible to get kicked out of an 
arcade, but congratulations, you've done it", Darien said sarcastically.
	" Shut-up Darien, you're back here to.  In fact, this is all your fault", 
Serena screeched, taking a step towards him.  She was breathing hard, and she 
felt warm and excited.  This was turning out to be one of the best arguments 
they had ever had.  Best?  Didn't she mean worst?  True, the insults had been 
coming fast and thick, but even as she gave vent to her rage, a part of her was 
using the energy and turning it to something else.  Something akin to 
passion…  She began losing the thread of the argument as certain other facts 
began gaining in importance.  Like how dark Darien's eyes had gone all deep 
and dark, and how close his lips were when he leaned in to yell in her face.  Or 
how the constant raking of his fingers through his beautiful, soft hair, was 
making it look sexily dishevelled.
	" You're selfish, you're greedy", Darien railed on as Serena's mind 
wandered.
	" Sorry, what was that?" Serena asked politely.
	Darien gawked at her in disbelief.  " Unbelievable, your attention 
span can't even cover the length of an argument!"
	" Well, it's your own fault.  You're too damn attractive!" Serena 
cried out in frustration, as her distaste and self-control gave over to lust.  
Darien had only a moment to register her comment before Serena had 
catapulted into him.  Her arms circled his neck expertly, her lips covering up 
the grunt of surprise that was Darien's only immediate response.  They 
tumbled to the floor due to the momentum of Serena's attack.
	Darien considered being angry for his unceremonious trip to the 
floor, but the fall had caused Serena's already short skirt to ride up nicely, so 
he decided to make the best of the situation.  (AN: Such a hard life he 
leads!J).  Their tongues wrestled with more force that was probably 
necessary, plunging and nibbling with all the energy their argument had stirred 
up.  Serena's hand had found it's way inside his shirt, and she was switching 
back and forth from a gentle caress to digging her nails into his skin.  She 
didn't like him, she reminded herself, but she had to admit that she liked how 
he felt beneath her.  It was clear that she loved to hate him.
	Darien had about five different voices in his head arguing about what 
he should do.  First voice: she's you're sworn enemy – throw her off you and 
rinse your mouth out.  Second voice:  you're in the backroom of an arcade – 
not the best place for whatever you decide to do.  Third voice:  just get her out 
of your system – you've done nothing but whine about her since that day in 
the park.  Fourth voice: even if you hate her, it's no excuse to treat her like this 
– you're practically mauling her.  Fifth voice: she's gorgeous, she's nubile, 
and she's willing – why the hell are you listening to us?
	Darien (AN: surprise, surprise) listened to the last voice.  His hands 
began stroking the soft skin of her bare legs and he could feel her breasts 
pressing gently against his chest, through her blouse.  Her hands might well 
have been electricity; every place she touched him, he shuddered and twitched.  
Always, their mouths moved together in a constant battle between supremacy 
and desire.  He loved the taste of her even as he loathed the mouth that usually 
poured insults at him.  Their near violent and certainly intense coupling, was 
brought up short by a knock at the door.
	Serena's eyes sprang open and fastened on Darien's, the implications 
of her situation washing over her like a cold wave.  What if Andrew had just 
come straight in and seen them?  She'd never have lived it down.
	" If the silence means you've stopped arguing, you guys can come 
out", Andrew said through the door.
	" Oh my God, he's going to find out about us", Serena whispered 
fervently.  
	" What did you think was going to happen?  Or were you so 
desperate to have me, that you pounced without thinking?"  Darien whispered 
back, a smug smile gracing his features.
	" Desperate?  Pounced?" Serena managed to eke out in disbelief.  
The doorknob rattled before Serena could retaliate and she sprang to her feet.  
She settled her skirt and straightened her skirt just before Andrew entered the 
room.
	" What's going on?" Andrew asked, seeing Darien on the floor, and a 
seething Serena, who also seemed a little embarrassed?
	" Meatball Head's a knock-out, literally", Darien said, " I wonder 
what's wrong with a person to make them so violent?"
	" Serena, is it true?  You pushed him over?"  Andrew said 
incredulously.
	" But I… but he… it was…" Serena tried to defend herself but 
couldn't come up with another reasonable excuse for Darien being on the 
floor.  She glanced at Darien and even in the gloom she could tell he was 
laughing at her predicament.  " You little bastard!" she cried in frustration.
	" Whoa!  Relax Serena.  He's already on the floor.  Come on Darien 
let me help you up", Andrew said.  Darien blanched, realizing he couldn't let 
Andrew get closer or, gloom or no gloom, Andrew would notice Darien's, er, 
'growing' attraction to Serena.  Serena noticed his expression, took a quick 
look to confirm her suspicions, before smiling in devilish merriment.  In a 
silky-smooth voice she said, 
	" Oh, I wouldn't worry Andrew.  Darien's 'getting up', one piece at a 
time".  Serena laughed before turning on her heel and sauntering out of the 
room.  Darien just flushed.
	" What did she mean by that?" Andrew asked, still not getting what 
Serena had been implying.
	" How should I presume to know what goes on in that ditz's brain?" 
Darien said tensely.  Above all, Andrew must not find out that he had now 
made out with Serena twice.  He'd never hear the end of it.
	" So you coming?" Andrew asked, since Darien still hadn't moved.
	" In a minute.  I want to make sure she'd gone first."
	" Fear a rematch?" Andrew asked, laughing at the thought of 
someone being scared of the pint-sized Serena.
	" Something like that", Darien agreed with a smile.  You have no idea 
how dangerous she can be.  While he lay there, Darien began planning out his 
next encounter with Serena.  It had to be something that would provoke an 
argument (which for them could be just about anything) because that seemed 
to be the catalyst, and it had to occur somewhere where Serena was the one 
who would be discomfited.  He acknowledged that his plans were causing him 
to grin like an idiot, but he attributed the reaction to the promise of revenge, 
and not the opportunity of being with Serena again.  She would pay for the 
painful, though pleasurable, position he was in.
				***
	Nearly a week went by during which both Serena and Darien were 
more agitated then usual.  They tried to account for their recent actions in a 
rational way, but found it was rather difficult.  Once could be dismissed as a 
simple lapse in judgement, twice implied there was something a little deeper 
that was pulling them together.  And seeing as how Darien and Serena were 
both looking forward to their next argument, meant something else again.  
Serena was handling her unwanted attraction to Darien in typical fashion: she 
ignored it and hoped it would go away.  (AN: that's my favourite way of 
dealing with problems, too!)  Darien did everything he could to rid himself of 
his excess energy, and he even went so far as to go on a date with someone 
Andrew had suggested.  The woman had turned out to be beautiful, intelligent, 
and completely smitten, but he'd felt nothing in return for her.  The heat, the 
passion, the sheer excitement, he felt when he was Serena simply hadn't been 
there.  Ahh, Serena.  He was realizing that she, and only she, satisfied a part of 
him that he had long ignored.  Lust, Darien readily admitted to that, but maybe 
something more?  Such thoughts made Darien uncomfortable so he pushed 
them to the back of his mind.
	The next morning Serena awoke in trademark fashion.  " I'm late!  
Ooh, why didn't someone wake me up sooner?"  Serena screeched, tearing 
down the stairs.  She grabbed her book bag, her lunch, and stuffed a muffin in 
her mouth, before running out the door and waving goodbye to her parents. 
	" Should we tell her she's a half-hour earlier then usual?"  Her father 
asked idly, refilling his coffee cup.
	" Too late now.  At least she'll be on time for once, although I really 
don't approve of your prank, Sammy.  Make sure you set her clock back to 
regular time before tomorrow", Serena's mother said, although the smile in her 
eyes betrayed the fact that she found the trick amusing.
	Serena happened to glance at her watch halfway through her mad 
dash and nearly fainted when she read the time.  However, before she had time 
to confirm that she was indeed early and slow down, she had turned the corner 
and run into what felt like a solid wall of muscle.
	" Don't you ever get tired or running into me, Meatball Head?"
	" Don't you ever get tired of being hit?  Why don't you ever move 
out of my way?  And my name isn't Meatball Head, you jerk", Serena said, 
highly offended.
	" I can't believe you're offended.  I'm the victim here, and do you 
ever apologize, once you find it's me you've hit?  No, you don't.  You know, 
somebody should really teach you some manners".
	" You're yelling at me in the middle of a public street and causing a 
scene.  I don't think you should be lecturing me on my manners", Serena said 
snidely.
	" Arg!" Darien cried out in annoyance.  He was determined to win at 
least one argument, and he could do without the benefit of the spectators who 
were looking on curiously.  He grabbed her wrist and pulled her roughly 
through a nearby hedge.  They found themselves in a relatively secluded spot 
– blocked from the view of the house whose property they were on by a row of 
tall trees, and blocked form the street by the thick bushes.  " You run into me 
all the time, do you have any idea what that does to me?"
	" I suppose you're going to tell me?" Serena said, crossing her arms 
and raising her chin in the air.  It was meant to be seen as a cold and haughty 
gesture, but really it was because Serena didn't want to look him in the eye in 
case she jumped him again.  Really, what was wrong with her?  Normal girls 
didn't stop to make-out with their enemies while on the way to school, did 
they?
	Darien's eyes were glued to Serena's flushed face and the elegant 
turn of her neck when she lifted her chin.  He could practically see how her 
pace was racing, despite her attempts to look calm.  How was it that she 
managed to look adorable and innocent in one instant, and shockingly sexy in 
the next?  He was about to lose another argument he could tell.
	" No, I'm not going to tell you", he said huskily, " I'm going to show 
you".
	Before Serena could blink, Darien was crushing her to him; moulding 
his hard form into hers.  Serena gave a startled gasp as Darien's mouth 
covered hers in a wildly, passionate kiss.  Her book-bag fell heedlessly from 
her fingers, her legs instinctively locking around his hips when he lifted her 
up, effortlessly, so that she could feel just how much he needed her.  With 
fluid grace, Darien dropped to his knees and carefully arranged Serena on the 
soft earth before leaning over her again.  " See?  This is what happens when 
you touch me.  Every time you bump into me, we argue and I start to feel alive 
or something, but then you run away and leave me all… confused.  Then all 
day, all I can do is think about you and wonder what it is about you that drives 
me so crazy", Darien said breathlessly.  He kissed Serena before she could 
respond, and the kiss was rough and seemed to be both a punishment for her 
always running away and thanks for running into him just the same.  He broke 
off his assault to trail kisses down her jaw and neck.
	" At least you know your affect on me is just as bad.  I can't tell you 
the number of times I've run into you on the way to school and then gotten 
detention, because I was daydreaming about causing you some pain.  Even 
worse is that lately, instead of the usual daydreams of planning your hideous 
demise, I've been thinking about… well, doing what we're doing".
	Darien lifted his head to gaze at her, interested by her comment.  
Serena blushed, as though having thoughts about him, was worse then the 
actual actions, and that made Darien chuckle.
	" At least you don't have to go around the rest of the day with 
everyone thinking you're a horny teenager.  I think Andrew suspects 
something, I never did thank you for leaving me there on the floor."
	" Well you deserved it", Serena said.  Darien inched his face closer to 
Serena's until they were nose to nose, and then tried to look threatening.  " I 
mean, I'm sorry?"  Serena squeaked.
	" Not good enough.  I wonder what people will say when you arrive 
at school completely dishevelled?"  Darien asked rhetorically, lowering his 
mouth to taste her lips again and loosening the bow on her school uniform.  
Serena struggled briefly and half-heartedly, knowing that if she didn't leave 
soon she would be late for school, but soon found that leaving Darien's 
presence was even harder then it had been to leave her bed that morning.  In 
fact, nothing felt as right as being in Darien's arms did.  She felt Darien's hand 
give up on her bow and begin sliding down over her hip to her skirts hem.  
Deftly, that hand began its journey back up her leg, this time along her delicate 
skin. 
	Suddenly, Serena froze; every muscle stilled as she caught sight of 
two pairs of feet on the other side of the concealing bush.  Low heeled sensible 
Mary-Janes, perfectly polished – those could only belong to Amy, and the 
other pair of flat, brown loafers with the scuffed toe belonged to Lita – that 
girl didn't need heels, she was already tall enough.  Oh God, two of my best 
friends are standing perhaps half a metre away.  Any sound and the whole 
shameful secret of 'sleeping with the enemy' would be out in the open.  
	Darien was worried that perhaps he'd gone a little too far (he might 
have reasons for disliking Serena but it didn't mean he was going to force her 
into anything), before noticing her rather fixed gaze.  So she feared detection, 
did she?  Well, he'd probably regret this later but it was too good an 
opportunity to pass up on.  With his index finger he gently traced a line up the 
highly sensitive skin of her inner thigh.  Serena yelped in surprise and both 
pairs of feet turned in the direction of the noise.  Serena screwed her eyes shut, 
expecting detection at any moment, when the school bell rang, and her friends 
departed.  When the noise of students entering the school building had died 
down, Serena pushed Darien off her and climbed unsteadily to her feet.
	" How could you do that?  Those were my friends - they would have 
found us.  Oh man, now I'm going to be late for class", Serena realized.  She 
stepped over the prone Darien, and looked around for her bag.  Darien got up, 
retrieved the bag, and pretended to hand it to her.  When she reached for it, he 
held it over his head.
	" I would have thought you were accustomed to being late".
	" Accustomed, yes, but it doesn't mean I like it.  I screw up enough 
without having to do it on purpose.  Can I have my bag, please?"
	Her desperate and subdued tone caught Darien off guard.  It was easy 
to forget sometimes that Serena had a life outside of their arguments.  He 
found himself wondering what sort of things she liked to do when she wasn't 
with him.  Really, he didn't know all that much about her – he'd never wanted 
to get past the label of selfish, annoying, brat that he'd given her.
	" Yeah, I'm sorry.  Here" Darien said, passing her the bag gently and 
then straightening the bow on her uniform.  Serena stood there staring at 
Darien like he'd grown another head.  " What?"
	" Nothing, it's just you've never apologized to me before", Serena 
explained.  This simple act of common courtesy was more confusing to Serena 
than anything else that had previously occurred.  At first she'd thought her 
attraction to Darien was purely physical, and then she'd begun to actually look 
forward to seeing him, and now this.  Suddenly she was seeing a whole new 
side to Darien that was decidedly hard to dislike.
	" So, I guess I'll see you Friday?"  Darien asked warily.  They were 
treading into uncharted waters now.
	" Huh?" Serena asked, mystified.  Had she forgotten something 
they'd planned?
	" We always argue on Fridays – you have early dismissal and I don't 
have afternoon classes on Friday, so what else would we do?"
	" So we're still going to argue, even though we, uh",
	" End up fooling around?  Sure we will, I figure our arguing is just 
part of our routine, our M.O.  Can't have one, without the other.  And I rather 
like this new addition to our usual pattern."
	" So do I", Serena confessed, daring to meet his eyes.  She sighed, " I 
can't do anything normal, can I?  Right then, Jerk, I'm off to school and 
detention.  See you!"
	" Later Meatball Head", Darien said, leaving in the opposite direction 
– but not before he'd seen the automatic tense up of Serena's shoulders at his 
nickname.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------    Please read aand review.  I have so little else to look 
forward to…J  Next part, Serena and Darien find out each other's secret 
identities.  
Okay, here's the second and last part.  I think.  Anyway, thanks a 
billion times to everyone who reviewed part one.  I was so touched!  I tried 
really hard on this part to live up to expectations, so please let me know if I 
failed or succeeded.  I'm still rating this as R, and not NC-17, because I don't 
think I'm being very explicit, but yes, this story is basically about sex.  Serena 
and Darien are whatever age you want them to be, it doesn't really matter to 
the story.  I don't own Sailor Moon, unfortunately.  Enjoy!
 
Serena couldn't believe how long it took for Friday to come around.  
Of course Friday always seemed to take its time arriving, but this week it was 
especially frustrating.  It was silly, she knew, to be so looking forward to a 
confrontation with a so-called enemy, but part of her was optimistic that if 
things continued on as they had been of late, they wouldn't be enemies much 
longer.  And deny though she would, she rather liked the idea of having 
Darien in her life on a permanent basis.  
	Such blissful thoughts floated through her head as Serena rammed 
her books more or less successfully into the mess that was her locker.
	" Hey, Serena.  Ready to go or do you have detention?" Lita asked, 
coming alongside Serena.
	" No detention.  Miss. H hates to give them on early dismissal days.  
Where's Amy?"
	" Probably waiting outside.  We all going to the arcade then?"
	" Yup.  And then to Raye's."
	The trio left in high spirits, Serena's mood the best of all.  She was 
going to see Darien and for the moment it was enough if all they shared was a 
good argument.
				***
	Darien thought Friday was never going to happen.  He could have 
sworn there had been three Tuesday's and at least two Wednesday's (AN: 
Ever have one of those weeks?).  But finally, Friday was here. And when his 
last class of the day was over he let out an uncharacteristic cheer, jumped out 
of his chair, and was the first one out the door.  He raced to his apartment, 
threw his books onto the coffee table, and went to take a shower.  Soon, he 
was heading back out the door to stake out the arcade.  If he thought it was 
odd that he was in excited anticipation of an argument, then he didn't let it 
worry him.  He'd enjoyed himself (mostly) so far, so he was prepared to let 
nature continue its course.  He sat down and prepared to wait.
	The door to the arcade jangled and Darien's head popped up like he 
was a puppet on a string.  He didn't even need to see her to know Serena was 
in the room – his other senses alerted him to her presence as though she was a 
jolt of electricity.  His face assumed the expected sardonic grin, and he was all 
ready to accuse her of all number of horrible things, when he saw her face.  
She was sad, tears had welled up in her eyes, and she walked as though she 
were dragging along a piano.  He was halfway out of his seat, ready to take her 
in his arms and console her no matter what the problem was, before he 
remembered that they were 'enemies'.  He couldn't do any of that, at least not 
in front of spectators.
	" What's up with Serena?" Andrew asked Lita.
	" Oh, some guy started teasing her and she got all upset.  Just 
yesterday this guy asked her for a date, and she said no, she was seeing 
someone.  Then he found out that she wasn't seeing anyone and he got nasty.  
I would have popped him one but he was yelling from a car window and drove 
off when I got closer."
	" That's rough, Serena.  But I don't see why you're so upset.  I mean, 
you know the guy's a jerk, why bother listening to him?"  Andrew said.
	" Well, he called her an ugly, lying, uh, 'female dog'?  And then he 
kind of started to, uh, bark", Amy explained.  Darien was seething.  Okay, so 
maybe he'd been no better about teasing her before, but at least he'd always 
stuck around to get as good as he gave.  Then he got an idea, 
	" That explains it then.  You're upset because this guy told the truth 
about you.  Wish I'd thought of doing that years ago", Darien said, hoping he 
could get Serena's attention.
	" Hey, give her a break Darien".
	" Yeah, I really don't want to deal with you right now", she said, 
regaining enough pride to yell at Darien.
	" Are you sure?  Maybe it's time you heard what I really think of 
you", Darien yelled, all the time trying to communicate to her the real message 
with his eyes.
	Serena glared at Darien.  Sure, they argued, but kicking her while she 
was down seemed a tad harsh.  She looked hard into his dark blue eyes, and 
noticed the gentle, pleading, look that lay hidden in their depths.  Suddenly, 
everything made sense.  She was so startled that it was hard to continue with 
the charade.
	" Uh, yeah, maybe I should hear what you have to say.  Time I 
learned my lesson, and stuff.  Maybe, we should go outside to yell at each 
other?"  Serena asked, still yelling, despite her almost conversational words.
	" I think that's a good idea!" Darien said.  His tone implied anger but 
it was completely incongruous with his statement.  Darien took Serena by the 
hand, and the two of them left the arcade in a blur of motion.  The stunned 
witnesses watched them through the windows until they had disappeared from 
sight.
	Lita looked at Amy, Amy looked at Andrew, Andrew turned to look 
for someone else who might explain, but since it was only the three of them, 
he was forced to conclude that they were all equally mystified.
	" Did everyone else think that was odd?"  Andrew eventually asked.
	" Odd?  That was downright bizarre.  Were they arguing or 
agreeing?"  Asked Amy.
	" I don't know, but for the sake of my sanity, I'm going to pretend 
like it didn't happen", Lita said, and took a long sip of her milkshake.  Amy 
and Andrew nodded in agreement with Lita's wise advice.
	Darien was still holding Serena's hand as he dragged her down the 
street.  They had already reached the park when Serena spoke up,
	" Darien, where are we going?"  Darien stopped so abruptly that 
Serena crashed into his back.  He steadied her as he turned her around so that 
they were face to face.
	" You know, I have no idea?  I just wanted to cheer you up and I 
couldn't do that with our friends around", Darien said with a loopy grin on his 
face.  Serena laughed.  Darien started laughing too before asking what was so 
funny.  " What?"
	" It's just that my enemy, the guy who teases me relentlessly, is 
desperate to make me feel better because another guy made fun of me".
	" Oh yeah, I see your point.  Is it hypocritical of me to be with you 
now, should I not have tried to look after you?"
	" No, I'm glad you did.  I feel better already", Serena said, stepping 
closer.
	" Don't say that.  I was planning on kissing you better", Darien 
teased, wrapping his arms around her.
	" In that case, I feel just awful", Serena said, smiling softly.  Darien 
reached out his hand and cupped her chin gently, tipping her head up slightly.  
He lowered his head with deliberate slowness, and their lips met very tenderly, 
like wind through a dream.  It was the first gentle kiss they had ever shared.  It 
deepened naturally and gracefully, and was charged with the same passion and 
desire that their other kisses had been, only this time there was meaning 
behind it.  They held each other as close as they could, arms holding, lifting, 
and linking them together.  
	Serena couldn't get over how good he smelled.  He must have just 
showered as the smell of soap lingered over his body, accentuating his own 
natural scent. He was so solid and down to earth; she felt completely protected 
in his arms.  The feeling was so strong that she felt like she was drowning, 
only it was the most wonderful sensation she had ever experienced.  It was so 
shattering and beautiful that she almost felt like crying.
	Warm and soft, gentle and inviting, these, and many other thoughts 
besides, circled through Darien's brain as he held Serena to his body.  She fit 
so perfectly into his arms, into his life, as though he'd been waiting for her to 
complete him.  He couldn't remember how he'd lived before he'd met her.  He 
didn't want to either.  He just wanted to go on holding her and encase himself 
in that soft glow that followed her every move.
	Darien's hand brushed her neck and Serena giggled.  The kiss ended 
and Serena's eyes fluttered open.  " Sorry, I'm ticklish, especially around the 
neck."
	" Ticklish?  Really…" Darien said, a devilish smile forming.
	" Oh no, please, no", Serena said, backing out of his embrace in mock 
fear.  Darien stepped after her and before she could run he was tickling her all 
over.  Serena shrieked with laughter, and made hurried, unsuccessful, attempts 
to get away from Darien's wandering hands.  She crumbled into a ball on the 
grass to try and escape but the tickling continued, until Serena couldn't stand it 
anymore.  She felt sure she was going to run out of air soon,
	" Please, I can't breathe!" Serena gasped out between fits of laughter.  
	" Fine, we'll resume this later", Darien said.  They lay side by side in 
the grass taking deep breaths.  Darien sat up first and pulled Serena into his 
lap.  The sun was just setting over the lake - a shimmering orb of brilliant 
orange light.  Serena's eyes were drinking in the amazing scenery, and Darien 
was drinking in the sight of Serena.  The slight rise and fall of her chest, the 
long arch of her neck, the shining, golden bangs that threatened to spill into 
her sea-blue eyes.  He began to gently nuzzle her neck, just below her ear.
	Serena sighed, thinking nothing could be as perfect as this moment.  
The nuzzling at her neck tickled, especially when she felt Darien's tongue 
touching her sensitive skin every now and then.
	" Darien, what are you doing?"  Serena asked after several minutes 
had gone by.  She was beginning to worry that Darien had a neck fetish or 
something.
	"  It occurred to me today, when you said that that other guy asked 
you out, that other men are probably looking at you, and wanting you, 
because, hey, who wouldn't?  And I thought I'd better do something to let 
other's know you're spoken for."  Serena basked in the compliment for a 
moment, before realizing what Darien had done.  She turned around and fixed 
her gaze on him.
	" Darien Chiba - did you just give me a hickie?"  She asked sternly.
	Darien actually flushed. He wasn't the kind of guy to be so playful 
but something about her made him feel completely at ease.  And he'd always 
wanted to give a girl a hickie, so he was almost proud when he admitted, " 
yup".
	" How could you?  How am I going to hide this from the kids at 
school, from my friends, from, oh God, my family", Serena said, eyes going 
wide at the thought of her father spotting the bruise.
	" Tell them you had a run in with a vacuum", Darien said.
	" You know what the worst thing about that excuse is?  Everyone 
would believe I was klutzy enough to get a vacuum stuck to my neck, but 
everyone would wonder what I was doing with a vacuum in the first place.  
I'm not exactly known for my cleaning skills", Serena admitted.
	" Excuse me while I try and act surprised", Darien said.
	" Jerk", Serena muttered.  Then something occurred to her, " Do you 
realize we didn't fight first this time?  What do you think that means?"
	Darien paused to think about it, not sure if he was ready to admit that 
he was happy in her company, with or without the arguments.  
	" I… don't know.  It could just have been a freak occurrence, us 
kissing without an argument.  I mean you don't like me or anything, do you?"
	" Oh no", Serena said, a little too quickly to be convincing.  " You 
still dislike me, right?"
	" Of course", Darien said, just as unconvincingly.
	" Right then.  I'll stand here", Serena said, standing up.  " You'll 
stand there, and we'll both say something insulting to the other and everything 
will be back to normal.  If you can call this normal…"
	Darien looked at Serena and couldn't think of one hateful thing to say 
about her.  Fortunately, they were interrupted by a loud voice calling for 
Serena.
	" That's Raye", Serena explained.  " I was supposed to meet up with 
her and the other girls after we'd been to the arcade.  I'd better book it", 
Serena started to move towards her friends, when she thought of something to 
say, " Just so you know.  Next time I plan on arguing that I'm not your 
property, so you can't go marking me as you want.  Really, what typically 
male behaviour".
	Serena sped off as Darien muttered, " You try to do something nice".  
He was glad she was gone because he was anything but mad at her, and they'd 
only just narrowly escaped the threat of having a real, caring, relationship.  Of 
course, he was ludicrously happy that she'd stated they would be meeting 
again.
				***
	The following evening, Serena was again in the park, only this time it 
was for an entirely different reason.  An extremely well endowed and badly 
dressed female toaster-like monster was attacking a group of bystanders.  
Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter, were dashing around it 
avoiding giant pieces of steaming hot toast.  Sailor Moon was on her butt, 
fuming.  I really hate it when these things waste food.
	Climbing to her feet, she activated her tiara and shot it at the monster.  
She succeeded in chopping off an arm, but the monster failed to turn into dust.  
It let out another scream of outrage and shot another round of toast, or rather 
bagels, at them.  
	" That's it!  I am Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice, and I 
will not let you waste food like that", Serena said angrily.  She readied her 
tiara but her speech had given the monster enough time to fire directly at her.  
Before she could think about moving, a pair of arms was sweeping her off the 
ground.  It was Tuxedo Mask and although Serena was relieved, she couldn't 
help wondering why she wasn't as excited as she usually was by the 
appearance of her dashing saviour.  Could it be she was more interested in her 
tormentor Darien, than she was by her 'perfect' match Tuxedo Mask?  At first, 
the thought seemed so absurd that she dismissed it, but then she thought some 
more and realized Tuxedo Mask had always been more of a dream guy, then 
an ideal one.  She couldn't imagine being with him other then at times like 
this.  She needed someone who needed her.  Someone solid, like Darien.
	" Finish it off, the monster's back is turned", Tuxedo Mask said, 
setting her down.  Darien wondered why it was that his dream girl, Sailor 
Moon, suddenly seemed to mean no more then that to him – a pleasant dream.  
He liked being able to rescue her and he admired her determination and heart, 
but he couldn't really see being with her on a permanent basis.  You don't just 
ask a superhero for a date and he could never picture himself settling down 
with an illusory person like Sailor Moon.  He wanted someone who didn't find 
it necessary to ooh and ahh over his every move, someone who spoke her 
mind, and kept him guessing.  Someone like Serena.
	And it was around that time that he saw it.  Sailor Moon's choker had 
slipped a little, revealing a middle-sized, oval shaped, bruise just under her left 
ear.  Darien was so stunned that he forgot how to blink.  It couldn't be a 
coincidence.
	" Ha!  Moon Dusted!"  Serena cried triumphantly, unaware that her 
secret identity had just been discovered.  She hurried to check on her friends.
	Once the initial shock where off, Darien started smiling, and then he 
started to laugh.  It was too perfect – not only did he have further reasons for 
being with Serena, but also he got Sailor Moon as an added bonus.  In fact, if 
he believed in that stuff, he'd think it was fate.  He'd even go so far as to say 
that the arguing was just a last resort from whoever was in charge to get them 
together.  Well done Fate, well done.
	Serena waved goodbye to her fellow scouts, and started off for home.  
A figure in black stepped out of the shadows so suddenly that she gave a little 
gasp of surprise.  It was Tuxedo Mask, but he looked different.  He had a smug 
smile on his face as though he knew something.
	" Sailor Moon, looking beautiful as ever", Darien drawled.  Serena 
was nervous.  Tuxedo Mask never usually stuck around after a battle.  What 
did he want?  " Or maybe, I should say Serena."  
	" Excuse me?"
	" I know who you are Sailor Moon.  Your Serena Tsukino, you go to 
Juuban High, and you hang out at the arcade."  
	Serena's jaw dropped and Darien couldn't help himself.  She was so 
adorably perplexed that he knew who she was, and it really was a once in a 
lifetime opportunity.  He backed her into a tree, placed his arms on either side 
of her (blocking off escape), and kissed her hungrily.  He wasn't really sure 
what he thought would happen, but it certainly came as a surprise when she 
punched him in the face.  Hard.
	Worrying that she might have broken his nose, he held his face 
cradled in his hands, his mask and hat had fallen to the ground with the force 
of the blow.
	" Bhat de heb fo bat fior?"  Darien said intelligibly.
	" What?"  Serena said.  Darien stood up and met her eye to eye.
	" I said: what the hell did you do that for?"
	Serena's eyes widened.  Flashing midnight blue eyes in a face she 
knew so well.  Why had she never seen the similarities before?  Darien was 
Tuxedo Mask.  She could have her down-to-earth, handsome, stimulating 
Darien, with the added bonus that she could share with him all the stuff that 
went on in her life as Sailor Moon.  It was a perfect situation.  Then she 
noticed that Darien was still bleeding.
	" Oh, I'm so sorry!  I thought you were… well you are, but I thought 
that you weren't you, and I didn't want that".
	" Serena, that didn't make any sense", Darien said, still a little 
moody.  He couldn't believe she'd actually hit him hard enough to draw blood.  
	" I didn't want anyone but Darien Chiba kissing me, and that 
included Tuxedo Mask.  I just didn't know you were Tuxedo Mask." Darien 
perked up a little.  How flattering that she would go to such lengths to reserve 
herself for him alone.  "Come to think about it, how long have you known I 
was Sailor Moon?  And how could you not tell me you were Tuxedo Mask?"  
Serena said, voice getting louder.  She transformed out of her Sailor Suit, and 
back into the long skirt and blouse she'd been wearing before.
	" I saw the mark on your neck.  And what about not telling me you 
were Sailor Moon?"  Darien said, following her example and de-transforming 
into his former outfit of khakis and white button-down shirt.
	" I couldn't just go around telling people who I was.  That's kind of 
the point of a secret identity, that it remains secret? Duh", Serena said rudely.
	" Well, why would I be any different?  I don't really like the idea of 
monsters coming around to my apartment.  You're being totally irrational", 
Darien said loudly.  He started walking in the direction of his home.  Serena 
caught up with him.
	" I'm being irrational?  Sure, blame the hysterical woman.  You're a 
real piece of work, you know that?"
	" You're the one who's arguing for no apparent reason.  What are 
you so mad about?"
	" I don't know!"  Serena yelled.  She really didn't.  It was kind-of 
annoying that for the time they'd been together, they hadn't been able to talk 
about the pressures of superhero life, but other then that she was actually 
really happy.
	" You are unbelievable.  Only someone with an amazingly small 
brain, could forget why they were yelling at someone", Darien said, rolling his 
eyes skyward.  They were now at the front doors of Darien's apartment 
complex.  The space between them had closed dramatically, their eyes more 
on each other then they were on where they were going.
	" I don't even know where the hell you're taking me", Serena said, as 
Darien ushered them inside to the foot of the elevator.
	" I'm not taking you anywhere, you're following me because you 
can't bear to let me win at an argument!" Darien shouted.
	" No, I just refuse to let you call me stupid and get away with it".
	" Well, it would take way longer then this walk to convince me of 
your intelligence.  So I suppose I have to invite you into my apartment, now 
that you're here?"
	" You don't have to do anything, just tell me you don't think I'm 
stupid!"
	" Fine, you're not stupid, you just never concentrate on one thing at a 
time.  Now are you coming up?"  Darien said angrily, as the elevator doors 
pinged open.  Serena didn't say anything; she just stepped inside and crossed 
her arms over her chest.  When the doors had closed again, she approached 
him.
	" So help me, Darien, I still love to argue with you, but sometimes we 
go too far", she said.  Her face was flushed, she was breathing hard, and her 
eyes were alive with inner fire.  Darien watched her with predatory eyes, 
loving the intensity of the moment.
	" Agreed.  I should never say things I don't mean", Darien said, 
brushing some of her hair back behind her shoulder.  " Now, do you think 
we've had enough foreplay for tonight?"
	" Absolutely", Serena said, allowing herself to be drawn into his 
strong embrace.  Lips locked with a force that was strong and undeniable.  
They had a struggle to get out of the elevator at the correct floor, since they 
couldn't separate for even a split second.  Darien pushed Serena up against the 
door of his apartment while he fumbled for his keys.  A neighbour came out of 
the apartment across the hall and gaped at the amorous couple, before Darien 
caught sight of the onlooker.  Darien fixed his piercing gaze on the man for 
daring to look at his Serena with anything less then complete respect and the 
man promptly fled back into the safety of his own apartment.  Finally, the door 
was managed, and the couple stumbled through the door.
	Darien carried her with ease to the middle of his living room.  He put 
her feet on the floor and placed his hands at the small of her back.  Serena 
hands were twined around his neck, gently holding his head in place above 
hers.  She slid her hands down his chest shyly, before daring to undo one of 
the buttons.  One of Darien's hands came up to cover hers and to let her know 
it was okay to continue.  She undid another button, followed by another until 
his chest was bare.  The first thing she did was to put her palm over the 
beating of his heart.  She could feel Darien's strong hands through the thin 
fabric of her shirt, spreading their heat up the length of her spine as he 
caressed her gently.  
	The telephone rang shrilly, startling them both.  Darien groaned into 
her mouth before tearing himself away to go answer it.  " It's probably work, I 
have to answer", he muttered by way of excuse.  He answered the phone in the 
kitchen and Serena could tell by his tone that it was likely to be a lengthy 
conversation.
	The interruption gave her time to analyse the situation.  That she 
loved Darien there was no question, but whether or not he loved her was still 
unknown.  That he cared for her was apparent, and maybe that was enough?  
Maybe she should just do what her body so clearly wanted, and hope Darien 
came around eventually.  Ooh, it was all so confusing.  Nothing in her entire 
life had ever been normal, so how was she supposed to know what the right 
thing to do was? 
	Serena began to take notice of her surroundings.  There was very 
little to see, and nothing that could tell her anything about Darien personally.  
Everything was neat, organized, and sparse.  There were only a few pictures 
on the wall and they were just reprints of various famous impressionist 
paintings, no photographs.  The books on the shelves were all textbooks with 
titles that she couldn't understand.  Darien's voice was still drifting from the 
kitchen, so she risked a quick look into his bedroom, but found it to be just as 
cold as the living room.  Only the fact that his bed hadn't been made, gave any 
impression that someone lived there.  That and a vase of roses on the dresser.  
Still no photos, no dog-eared much loved book, or favourite sweater.  The 
bathroom was messy, thank God, at least this guy wasn't a complete neat-
freak, but all in all, the apartment lacked warmth.
	She came back to the living room at the same time as Darien.  They 
eyed each other almost warily, before Darien gave a sigh as though he were 
tired and flopped to the floor.  He nonchalantly crossed his arms behind his 
head, shirt gaping open, and rested his gaze upon Serena through partly lidded 
eyes.  
	" You're apartment is something else.  Tell me, did you deliberately 
suck the life out of this place?"
	" What do you mean?"
	" What do I mean?  I mean that this place is so impersonal.  How can 
you live like this, where's all your stuff?"
	" Oh yeah, I can just imagine what you're room looks like.  Covered 
from roof to floor, in pink, frilly, junk, and an absolute mess.  I happen to like 
the fact that I've executed a little self-control."
	" Self-control's a big issue with you isn't it?"  Serena asked.
	" I consider it a virtue, yes", Darien said.
	" So, there would never be something you really wanted that you 
couldn't deny yourself?"
	" I believe I'm strong enough to resist most temptations.  Why all the 
questions?"
	" Just curious", Serena said, with an overly innocent look to her face.  
As Darien watched she calmly slipped her feet out of her sandals and put them 
to the side.  Slowly, she reached for the zipper at the back of her skirt.  
Standing with her profile to Darien's now widening eyes, she slid the zipper 
down.  Hesitating for only a moment, she let the skirt drop to pool at her 
ankles.  She pushed the material away with her foot and noted with 
satisfaction that Darien had gone very, very still.  Her blouse still covered her 
from mid-thigh up, but that didn't stop him from staring at her long, sleek legs.
	Serena stood with a foot on either side of Darien's hips and slowly 
lowered herself.  The soft skin of her inner thighs brushed Darien's bare skin, 
just above the waistband of his khakis, making him draw in a rather ragged 
breath.
	As Darien watched she reached up to the buns in her hair and undid 
them, sending down a cascade of golden hair that tickled his stomach and 
made him wish he could run his fingers through it.  In fact, it was impossible 
to resist, and he twirled the delicate strands around his fingers.
	Serena was starting to have doubts, but didn't think she could stop 
now.  If she could just get him to admit that he cared for her…  She reached 
for the top button of her blouse, intensely grateful that she'd worn her new, 
white bra, rather then the one with all the holes in it.  She undid it and moved 
on to the one beneath it.  Four buttons to go and Darien was either going to 
have a heart attack or have his eyes pop out of his head.  She deliberately 
skipped the two middle buttons much to Darien's disappointment, and undid 
the lowest one.  Darien's hands were clenched into fists at his side; he would 
not respond, he would not give in... he WOULD go crazy if she didn't hurry 
up with those damn buttons.  Number four came undone, and Darien's vision 
began swimming because he hadn't blinked since she'd started.  Button 
number five Serena had problems with since her hands were shaking so bad.  
And that left one.  He could already practically see all of her, but that wasn't 
the point and they both knew it.  She leaned forward slowly, and whispered,
	" I think I'll leave this last one, unless you want to do something 
about it?"
	" Damn", Darien muttered as all his self-control went up in smoke.  
He reached up and pulled the button off by force, and ran his hands along the 
exposed skin.  His hands circled her waist, his thumbs stroking her stomach, 
and he lifted his head to kiss her with all the emotion that he kept hidden 
inside him.
	" Say it", Serena said, breaking free from the kiss for a moment.  She 
had to know how he felt.  That kiss had seemed to say he not only cared for 
her, he also loved her, but she needed to hear it.  Otherwise this was all a 
mistake.
	Darien wasn't thinking straight, never had he been so confused in his 
entire life.  That he loved Serena, there was no question, but he didn't want 
this to be some temporary thing.  But what if he confessed and she didn't feel 
the same way?  Would he ever see her again?  They wouldn't even have their 
arguments to draw them together, since she would know that none of his 
insults meant a thing.
	" Fine, I'll say it.  I have no self-control when it comes to your body, 
Meatball Head", Darien said teasingly.  It was a safe way to answer, wasn't it?  
Apparently not.  Serena pushed herself away from him as though she'd been 
bitten.  Wordlessly she got to her feet and found her skirt, pulling it on with 
ease.  With shaking fingers, she tried to redo the buttons of her shirt, but she 
couldn't see them through the tears that were forming.  Darien got to his feet, 
unsure what was happening, but upset just the same.  He brushed away her 
hands and did the buttons for her, resting his hands on her shoulders when he 
was finished.  Serena wouldn't look him in the eyes,
	" I'm sorry", she said, " I just realized that I'm a slut".
	Darien didn't like the word 'slut' at the best of times but to hear it 
coming from the love of his life and in reference to her was horrible.
" Don't you say that, don't you EVER say that, do you hear me?"
" What else do you say about a girl who was going to do…  with a 
guy who has never once called her by her name?"  Serena said regretfully, 
finally lifting her tearstained face to meet Darien's eyes.  He wiped one of the 
tears from her face, but didn't know what to answer.  He'd blown it, big time.  
If he told her he loved her now it would sound like he was only doing it to get 
her into bed.  But if he didn't tell her…
" It's not like that, with us, is it?"
" I wish I knew", Serena said, breaking free of his hold.  " I'm just 
going to go".
" No", Darien said resolutely.  She, more then anyone else, couldn't 
abandon him.  " Don't leave me."
" I don't know…"
" Look, we won't do anything.  We'll, uh, call a truce for tonight.  
You can stay over and we'll just hang out like I was one of your friends", 
Darien pleaded.
" You want to watch 'Dirty Dancing', talk about boys, and eat junk-
food?"  Serena asked sceptically, thinking of all the slumber parties she had 
with the girls.  Actually, the thought of Darien being just one of the 'girls' 
actually made her smile.  Darien saw this and it gave him hope,
" Well, for sure we can do the last one.  There has to be some food 
around here, somewhere.  So, you gonna stay, Serena?"  Darien asked, making 
sure to state her name clearly.
" Hey, who am I to turn down free food?"  Serena said capitulating.
She followed Darien into the kitchen and for a while a tense silence 
hung over the two.
" Okay, I confess" Darien said, when the silence got too heavy.  " I 
have very few friends, and none of them have ever stayed over.  I have no idea 
what to do".
" It's a good thing we're friends, or I would make some smart 
comment about why you have no friends".
" Serena", Darien said threateningly, a smile tugging at the corners of 
his mouth.
" Right, sorry.  Old habits die hard.  But you are in luck my friend, I 
am an expert in all things fun and trivial, and that cannot be found in a book.  I 
shall be your tutor tonight and you shall learn how to do things that most 
'normal' people do."
" That doesn't sound fair to me, what are you going to get out of it?"
" Tell you what, you can tutor me for my math test next week.  Not 
tonight though", Serena said quickly, fearing a study night on a Saturday 
above all else.
" Okay, it's a deal.  So what do we do first?"
Serena opened up all the cupboards of Darien's kitchen and came up 
with a vast supply of chocolate.  Darien got out bowls, which Serena filled 
with chocolate ice cream.  Then they poured on chocolate syrup, chocolate 
sprinkles, chocolate chips, and Serena wouldn't let them use spoons, they had 
to use chocolate chip cookies.
" See, if you nibble them just right, you can make the cookies into 
really big spoons", Serena said, concentrating really hard.
" Aren't we going to be sick after this much sugar?"
" One, you can never have too much sugar.  Two, this isn't even that 
much sugar by my standards", Serena said, with a wink.  Darien laughed, and 
ended up eating five cookies, because he couldn't master the spoon making 
technique.
They put the bowls in the sink, Serena admonishing Darien when he 
started to wash them since that could wait until morning.  They headed back 
into the living room, where Darien sat heavily onto his couch.
	" I can't believe you eat that much on a regular basis", Darien said, 
rubbing his stomach.
	" Being Sailor Moon is a huge drain on energy.  Now we need music, 
do you have anything besides these three CD's?"  Serena asked, holding up a 
Bach, a Mozart, and an Enya CD.  Not that there was anything wrong with 
those three but it was hardly the festive mood she was going for.  Besides, who 
had only three CD's when they owned a state-of-the-art system?
	" I don't think so.  No, wait.  The previous owners left a box of junk.  
I think there was some music in there", Darien said, and he went looking for 
the box.  He came back, covered in dust and sneezing, but triumphant.  Serena 
giggled and brushed the dust out of his hair.
	" ABBA.  This will do fine", Serena said, rummaging through and 
coming up with a tape.  The cheery, pop music filled the apartment.  " Hmm, 
now I'm not sure what to do.  Usually with my friends, we'd either be 
watching a movie now, or we'd be playing truth or dare, which always turns 
into a gab-fest about who likes who."
	" Interesting.  No tickle fights in your underwear?"
	" Sorry to disappoint you", Serena said, rolling her eyes.  " Although, 
we do sometimes play with each others hair and give ourselves makeovers.  
Want me to give you mysterious eyes and pouty lips?"
	" Not really", Darien said laughing.
	" Spoil-sport", Serena muttered, grinning also.  She then shivered, 
and chafed her arms to get rid of the goosebumps.  Darien noticed and went to 
grab her a sweater.
	" Here", he said, dropping a heavy blue sweatshirt in her lap.  She 
pulled it on and then grimaced as her hair got all messed up.
	" Now you see the reason for the meatballs", she said, trying to put 
some order to her metres of hair.
	" Here, I'll do that", Darien said, trying not to sound too eager.  
Serena sat on the floor at the foot of the couch, with Darien behind her.  " 
Okay, junk-food, check.  Music, check.  Messing with your hair, check.  
What's next, oh learned one?"
	Serena was just enjoying the feeling of his fingers against her scalp, 
lifting the weight of her hair, so that her head felt amazingly light.  But she 
forced herself not to think of that, they were just friends right?
	" We talk.  Favourite colour, animal, food, and celebrity?" Serena 
asked.
	" Umm, probably black or red, don't really have a favourite animal, 
chocolate obviously, and Sailor Moon".
	" Bah!  I'm not a celebrity", Serena said, but smiled delightedly 
anyway.
	" Okay, let me ask you something.  Is your whole family golden 
haired and blue eyed?"  Serena started laughing.  " What's so funny?"
	" Just that I look nothing like my family.  My parents are tall, my 
father has dark brown hair and my mother's is purple – both have brown eyes.  
And I have an annoying younger brother, who looks a lot like my dad.  I used 
to think I was adopted."
	" Used to?"
	" Well, after I found out I was Sailor Moon, I reasoned my looks 
probably had something to do with that."
	" Makes sense.  There, I braided your hair.  Rather messily, I'm 
afraid, but then I'm new at this", Darien said, relaxing again against the couch.  
Serena ran her hands along her hair and was satisfied it wouldn't get in her 
way.  She hesitated about asking her next question, but wanted Darien to trust 
her.
	" What happened to your family Darien?" she asked gently.  At first 
she didn't think he was going to answer but then he said softly,
	" They were killed in a car crash when I was younger.  I was in the 
car too, but all I suffered was amnesia.  I don't remember them at all."
	" I'm sorry, that must have been really tough.  You should have a talk 
with Lita some time.  Her parents were killed in a plane crash a few years 
ago", Serena said softly.  Darien was a little stunned that she hadn't offered 
the usual insincere condolences, or worse, the pity.  In fact, she was very 
understanding – she had obviously experienced a great deal through her 
interactions with her friends.  
	" It's not so bad, but I do get lonely sometimes.  Especially on 
holidays", Darien said.
	" Yeah, like Valentine's Day", Serena said with mock horror, since 
the day was approaching quickly.
	" Oh please, you probably have a hundred guys asking you out", 
Darien teased.
	" No.  I've never been…  It's just I'm not normal, and people pick up 
on that right away.  Maybe that's why I like arguing with you so much, you 
treat me like a real person."
	" What do you call not normal?"
	" For one thing I'm a super hero running around at all hours of the 
night.  But, I'm always set apart, even from the other scouts.  I'm not sure 
why, but there's always me and then there's the scouts.  And I'm not really 
good at anything, like I have no specific talent, and I'm not smart.  Even when 
I really try, I can't get good marks.  Even this thing with you is weird.  You're 
someone I…  Well I'm here, telling you things I've never told anyone when 
earlier I was screaming at you.  Life; sometimes I despair of ever getting it 
right."  If Darien wasn't already in love with her, he fell in love at that 
moment.  
	" I meant it earlier when I said you're not stupid.  And if it helps, I 
don't believe there is any such thing as a normal life.  You are who you are, 
and I admire that."  Darien said.
	" Thanks.  I'm sorry for saying you have no personality.  You do 
have one, but you try too hard to keep it hidden.  I can understand why, but 
I'm your friend and I would never hurt you like that."
	Darien picked her up and gave her a big hug.  They settled down on 
the couch, wrapped up in each other's arms.  Serena let her head fall against 
his shoulder.
	" Hate to break it to you, but this is something I don't do with my 
friends", Serena joked.
	" Dang, there goes another one of my fantasies", Darien said.  Serena 
hit him playfully on the shoulder.  " Just kidding.  Now tell me Serena, what's 
your middle name?"
	And the questions and answers continued long into the night, as the 
couple discovered all there was to know about each other.  Some things were 
serious and others not so much, but every moment was precious.  They had 
gone about this relationship all wrong, practically backwards, but the end 
result was the same.  So long as they could finally admit to that pesky emotion 
of love…
	Serena awoke sometime the next morning, still nestled in Darien's 
arms.  She moved slightly and his arms tightened around her, holding her in 
place.  She sighed contentedly and the sound brought Darien out of his 
slumber.  His back ached from being in the same position all night, but it was 
worth it to feel the reassuring weight of Serena pressing against him.  For the 
first time since he could remember, he woke up without the usual feeling of 
loneliness.  He looked down and saw Serena's eyes staring back into his.  She 
had a faint smile on her face and she looked so adorably bedraggled that he 
kissed her gently.  Serena's smile widened.
	" You do know it's the morning right and our truce is over?" she said.
	" Do we really need that anymore?"
	" I don't know, do we?"
	" Do you have to answer all my questions with a question?"
	" Do you?"
	" Do you want breakfast?"
	" Yes", Serena said brightly, before realizing that she'd forgotten to 
answer with a question and therefore had lost the mini-battle.  " Using food to 
trick me, how cruel", she said, before giggling.  They shared a simple 
breakfast and kept the conversation light, but all the time they were worrying 
that time was running out to tell each other what they were really feeling.
" Are your parents going to wonder where you are?"
" Nah.  I have a system set up with the other scouts to cover up when 
one of us is gone for some time.  It's necessary when we're off fighting in 
some other dimension.  Still, I should probably get going", Serena said, 
wavering.
" I guess, if you have to", Darien said, just as unconvincingly.  He 
walked her to the door and watched as she stood at the elevator doors.  They 
looked longingly at each other, and Darien summed up his courage.
" Serena, I…"
" Yes?" she said hopefully.
" I… really like your shoes", he said, unable to through with it.  He 
cursed at himself.
" Oh.  Darien?  I love…"
" Yes?"  Darien said, eyes wide with anticipation.
" … that you made me breakfast", she said, and then stamped her foot 
in annoyance that she hadn't said what she really wanted to.  The elevator 
doors opened and Serena threw one last look at Darien before stepping inside.
" Bye Serena", Darien called and the elevator left.  " I love you", he 
said to the empty air.  The same man as yesterday happened to come out of his 
apartment at that time and was startled by Darien's words.  Darien flushed at 
having been caught and glared at the man before shutting himself back in his 
apartment.  The neighbour decided he was going to have a peephole installed 
so he never again had to meet this insane young man.
Why couldn't I just say it?  Three little words - you'd think even I 
could manage that.  And now what kind-of excuse am I going to come up with 
to see him again?  Oh, I miss him already.  Serena was muttering to herself all 
the way home.  She walked in the front door and was relieved that her family 
was still asleep – it was Sunday after all.  She called her friends, and 
discovered Lita had covered for her.
" Yeah, your mom called and asked if you were here.  I told her you 
were, but that you'd already fallen asleep.  She didn't seem very surprised by 
that…"
" Thanks Lita, I owe you one", Serena said.  She'd still be in some 
trouble for not having called her mother herself, but it wouldn't be too bad.
" You can repay me by telling me where you were", Lita said slyly.
" You wouldn't believe me even if I told you.  But seriously, can we 
talk about this later?"
" Yeah sure.  See you at school tomorrow?"
" Unfortunately, yes", Serena said, already upset by the thought of 
school.  "Later".
" Yep, Bye", Lita said and hung up.
Serena went upstairs and took a long shower.  She redid the buns in 
her hair and put on a casual outfit of jeans and a T-shirt.  She realized she had 
inadvertently taken Darien's sweater with her, so she put that on also.  It 
smelled like him and she recalled every blissful moment of last night.  She'd 
have to return his shirt…  And then she made her decision.  She'd take the 
shirt over right now and tell him she loved him more then anything else.  She 
wouldn't go another second without knowing how he felt, and if it didn't work 
out she'd just have to live with that.  Right now she just wanted to be with 
him.
Darien couldn't place what was wrong with his apartment after 
Serena left.  It felt cold and empty.  It's because she's not here, you moron.  
You could have told her how you felt but, no, you had to get all shy all of a 
sudden.  You can scream insults at her but you can't sat those three little 
words?  I love you.  It's not that hard, is it?  Darien's thoughts continued to 
berate him for letting her walk away.  That's when he decided it.  He had to 
see her and right away.  He would tell her in explicit detail how much he loved 
her and he wouldn't let her go until she responded.  Darien grabbed his coat 
and rushed out the door.
On her way to Darien's, Serena took the shortcut through the park.  
She was still thinking of how to tell him when she was interrupted by the 
appearance of a Negaverse creature.
" Oh sure, it had to happen now", Serena said.  She transformed 
behind a tree and came out to face the disgusting, green, blob of a monster.  It 
was at least three times her height and about three or so metres wide but she 
noticed that with every blob of jelly that it threw, it got smaller.  The few 
people unfortunate enough to be covered in the slime, were losing energy.  
Sailor Moon ran around and around, getting it to throw as much jelly as she 
could, so that it would get down to a manageable size.  
Darien had been walking through the park on his way to Serena's 
when he'd heard the ruckus and rushed to the scene.  When he saw Sailor 
Moon, he transformed into Tuxedo Mask, and wondered how to help her.  It 
seemed, however, that she had everything under control.  He was so intent on 
her progress though, that he failed to see the goo that was headed his way.  
Suddenly he was covered in cold, greenish, slime.  The life of a superhero isn't 
all glamour.
" How dare you!"  Serena yelled at the monster.  She knew if she 
destroyed the monster, the slime would stop draining energy from people, and 
that included Darien.  Anger fuelled her attack (AN: pick your weapon of 
choice) and she destroyed the enemy in one move, but unfortunately the 
monster didn't turn too dust like usual.  It exploded and sent green slime flying 
everywhere.  Serena was covered head to toe, but she still made her way 
across the battlefield to Darien.  She kept slipping on the goo covered grass.  
Darien rose to his feet also, wiping a hand over his face in disgust.  He saw 
Sailor Moon walking towards him and went to meet her.  He too, kept falling 
about due to the slippery ground.  
" Fancy meeting you here", Serena said.  She was right up close to 
him but at that moment she slipped and started to fall.  Darien reached for her 
but slipped as well and they fell into a heap making a loud squishing noise.  
Serena started to laugh, and then she de-transformed, only to discover she was 
still covered.  Tuxedo Mask turned back into Darien, and laughed along with 
Serena at their ridiculous position.
" You know, I've had a hundred chances to say this to you, and all of 
them were in places more impressive then this, and I also wasn't covered in 
guck, but I love you Serena.  Not because your perfect, but because your you."
" I love you too, I was on my way to tell you that.  I love you."
" I want to kiss you, but I'm covered in…" Darien started to say.  He 
didn't get to finish since Serena pressed her lips to his, ignoring everything 
else but the fact that he loved her.
" I was going to return your shirt too, but it's a little messy now.  
Stupid monster", Serena said.
" Yeah, stupid blob like thing.  But you know something?  I think I 
liked fighting it more then I enjoy fighting with you?"
" I do feel sort-of energized, like I used to after an argument with 
you", Serena said suggestively.  Darien's heart started racing.
" My place or yours?"
" Yours.  Unless you want my cat to watch", Serena said.  They went 
back to Darien's apartment, and after they'd both had a shower and were 
completely free of the goo, they made good use of the adrenaline the attack 
had stirred up.
Darien glanced over at the other side of his bed at Serena.  She was 
on her back with her eyes closed, and he wondered what she was thinking.
" Serena?  Are you okay, I mean, I didn't like hurt you or anything, 
did I?"  Darien asked nervously.  Serena let him worry for a moment before 
breaking into a smile and opening her eyes.
" Darien, just this afternoon I fought a monster three times my size.  
Trust me, I can handle the attentions of a mere mortal man", she teased.  
Darien smiled and pulled her into his arms again.  He whispered in her ear,
" I'll have to do something about that 'mere mortal' comment, you 
realize?  I can argue it out with you or maybe I should just prove to you I'm a 
superhero?"
" How were you going to prove it?"
Darien kissed her and then leaned over her until she was pressed into 
the mattress beneath him.  " We superheroes have amazing stamina."
" This should be interesting", Serena said.  " Can't wait to tell that 
tidbit of information to the girls."
" You wouldn't", Darien said.
" Would".
" I'll never be able to look them in the eye again."
" Sure you will".
" Do you really want to argue now?"
" Not really."
" Good.  I love you, Serena", Darien said softly.  " I didn't want to 
love anyone but you snuck into my heart through the back door.  I thought I 
hated you so I never saw it coming."
" I love you, Darien", Serena whispered back.  " I thought if I acted 
like myself that nobody would like me anymore, but with you I knew it didn't 
matter.  And it still doesn't, you love me because of who I am".   
Certain things still made Serena and Darien argue, and sometimes 
they teased each other for no other reason then that they could.  But no matter 
how many differing opinions they had, or how many times they refused to see 
eye to eye on a subject, they knew they were meant for each other.  Love was 
something they never argued about.
 
	I hope you'll read some of my other stuff; they're not all this lemony.  
Please review!