Title: Bubblegum Short story Author: Shell Presto Email: mangetsu@email.com Summary: Darien gets into a sticky situation with Serena Bubble Gum by: Shell Presto PG Legal Stuff!!!: I don't own any Sailormoon characters. Naoko Takeuchi and various companies hold that priviledge. *However,* this STORY is my own, and I'd like to keep it that way. I'd love for you to read it, even better if you enjoy it, hope you may be inspired by it, but plead that you do not copy it. Give credit where credit is due, and to each their own. Have honor, okay? Most importantly, though, ENJOY!!! It was funny. A blonde teenage girl could get his heart going so fast, and he didn't understand why. Darien Shields stared at the meatball headed ditz just one block away from him. He smiled, trying to decide what to say today. Then he saw it, the perfect oppurtunity that no human being could ever pass up. Usagi was chewing bubble gum, and was in the midst of seeing how large a bubble she could blow. Darien began to move faster than he knew he could, with the stealth of a big cat. His timing had to be perfect. He approached, waited, approached, and then... "Hi, Meatball Head!!!" "Dari..." BAM! The gum went everywhere, on Serena that is. It was covering her face, her neck, and got in her bangs. Darien cracked up laughing as Serena wailed. It made a scene, people were staring at the duo, but Darien didn't care. He thought it was hilarious, and it was. Until Serena got the gum away from her eyes. "Darien... you JERK!" she screamed. He calmed dowm, giving her a wry smile. "It was just a joke,Meatball Head!" "I've got GUM in my HAIR!" "So you do. And on your face. And on your neck..." By now Serena was ignoring him, trying desperately to release her bangs from the pink captivity. "Uhm... Serena, you shouldn't do that. You'll work it in." He gently took her wrist in his large hand. "C'mon, I'll take you to my apartment, I'll get it out with some cooking oil..." "Don't touch me!!" she wailed. She tried to pull away... "Meatball Head! Don't...!" Turned quickly on her heel... "You'll get your..." And cried as one of her pigtails flew up into her face. It stayed there. "DARIEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she bawled as she ran away crying. Darien stood in shock as he watched her run, tripping twice along the way. He couldn't move as he thought about it. He couldn't understand why he felt so sick to his stomach. It remained as such into the night. He laid in bed, talking to the ceiling. "Why did I do that? It was a joke, that's all. How did it get so out of hand? And why do I feel so guilty? It was a joke, I didn't mean to do it. She sure was upset, though... Why do I care about that meatball head, anyway? I don't. I don't care about that meatball head and I..." His voice became lower than a whisper. "Oh, man... I... care about... Meatball Head..." He vowed to make it up to her, and do the hardest thing in the world... apologize. "I'm sure he didn't mean to Serena," Lita comforted as her friend played the Sailor V game. "Yeah, Serena, Darien may be a jerk at times, but he's not that bad," Andrew added. "Still, I can't believe what happened." "I'm sure it was an accident. He'll definitely apologize..." Ami stated in her own level headed way. Andrew winced and felt like kicking the school girl. He had to speak in his best friend's defense. "Well, maybe not apologize, but I'm sure he's sorry..." Darien watched Serena as she played the game. He cringed. Her bangs were extremely short, and her pigtails were lopped off at her waist, all because of a joke. He screamed internally at what he'd done to her. Everyone's jaw dropped as they watched Darien enter the arcade, and walk directly to Serena. He stopped directly aside of her, held out a small bouquet of spring flowers, and said in a clear tone, "Serena, I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I apologize." Andrew's face went white as a sheet, and Lita caught him as he fell backwards. She would have been ecstatic if not for what was going on. Serena continued to play her game, not giving Darien a second thought. "Uhhhmm... Serena? I said I was sorry. Got you some flowers, too..." Darien repeated. "Ami, tell Darien that he is a jerk, and I am not talking tohim." He began to plead with her. "C'mon, Serena. I really am sorry! It was a joke. I didn't mean to ruin your hair!" "Ami, tell Darien to GO AWAY!" Instead, Ami apologized for Serena. "Look, Darien. She's still upset over what happened, but I'm sure she forgives you..." Serena stood up and started yelling at Ami, "You can't do that! He's a jerk and I won't forgive him!" Darien felt something within him give. "You're a jerk, Darien! You're nothing but a jerk and I hateyou!" Then crack. "I hate you!" Then finally shatter. He felt like dying as he swallowed back the lump in his throat. He'd never heard Serena say those words, especially not to him. He looked down at his hands, he was shaking. The others could see it, too. The look of sheer horror on Darien's face. They knew he liked her. Andrew voiced a silent "I'm sorry" to his friend, and Darien couldn't take it anymore. He wrapped his hand about Serena's wrist and took off, her in tow. She carried on the entire way. "Let go of me, you jerk! Where are you taking me?! Let go!" It went on like that for three blocks, and into the store, where Serena finally stopped whining. "Where are we?" Darien didn't answer as he bought a pack of bubble gum and dragged Serena out of the store, and into a rather clean alleyway. "Here," he said as he handed her the gum. "I said I was sorry, but I see that you don't believe me. So here, make us even. Do whatever the heck you want with it. I won't stop you." Serena grinned maliciously as Darien handed her the pack of gum. She wasn't about to forgive him for what he did to her hair. She was about to pay him back, tenfold, as she chewed the small piece of plain bubblegum. Slowly, she removed it from her mouth. Darien shut his eyes, expecting the worst. Serena cheered herself on. She held the gum right above Darien's head. Then she stopped. She looked at his face, eyes shut tight, and not a trace of regret. she realized. Somehow, she couldn't stay mad at him. She reminded herself of all the times he called her a meatball head and a klutz. She smiled, but didn't know why. Something about him warmed her, almost as if she LIKED being called a meatball head. She lowered the gum to his nose, he could smell the sugar and he tried to back into the wall. She pushed the gum onto the tip of his nose, took two steps back, and announced, "DONE!" Darien opened his eyes, which instantly crossed to gaze at the pink mound on the end of his nose. He flicked it off with one finger, then ran his long fingers through his hair. "I didn't do anything. Have a little faith in me, Dare." He stared at her a bit sceptically. "Just checking. So why didn't you?" "You were sincere about that apology, weren't you?" "'Course I was, Meatball Head. I didn't mean for it to get out of hand like that." She looked at him, in his eyes, seeing things about him she never saw before. It was like she could suddenly read his very soul. "You wearing make up?" "No, Darien, why?" "You're all red..." She turned away quickly. She did feel all hot, she was blushing. "You know, I still owe you one for yesterday," she informed him quickly. He looked down at his shoes, not sure of what to do. They still weren't even. "I... If you want, I'll stop calling you 'Meatball Head'..." he told her, a tone of sadness in his voice. "NO!" And the loud pitch caused Darien to look at her in shock. She covered herself. "I mean, I'd rather save it for something good..." She wouldn't meet his eyes as he silently questioned her motives. Nervously, she began to hum something. "So, Meatball Head, buy you lunch?" he offered her in a nonchalant manner. "Sure!" she chirped. He extended his arm to her, with his hand in his pocket (the other was not hailing a taxi cab, nor making a peace sign). Serena had no qualms over latching on to it, and smiled at him with that wonderful smile. The one he always wanted to himself. They walked in silence for a while, until Serena spoke up. "Darien?" "Yeah, Meatball Head?" "Did you ever do that romantic thing where you share a milkshake with someone from a glass with two straws?" A Beginning. Another short story, do you guys like these? Please tell me, I'd like to know. I got a good bit of negative commentary (Send it, I like all commentary, even flames!) from "It Must Be Magic." So I figured I'd write a nicer story this time. I want everyone to know I wrote that because I like the song, I don't really think that Darien and Serena should break up. Consider this an ammends, Moon Rose (uhm, don't go assuming it's a Moon Rose you know, I think there may be more than one. They know who they are.) because their love IS eternal, and always will be. This is just fanfiction, not law. EMAIL ME!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!! I LIVE FOR EMAIL!!!!!! I WILL WRITE BACK!!!!!!!! (If I haven't yet I probably didn't get your letter.) Reach me at mangetsu@email.com ,ne? Bubble Gum Lover (You would miss it if you ever had braces, admit it!) -Michelle Prestileo