How to Have Fun
Chapter 1

Author:  natia_99
Mail:  natia_99@yahoo.com
Rated:  PG
Genre:  Romance/Alt. Reality


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By Friday night all of Darien's momentary enthusiasm had flown the coop and he was a bag of
nerves.  He stood in front of his mirror and gazed at his reflection.....tall, dark hair,
blue eyes....he looked like his father save for his nose and mouth....they were exactly
like his mothers...

He looked sadly to the photo of them on the dresser.
"Wish you were here.  I could sure use some advice....like what to wear!"

It probably seemed ridiculous that a man of twenty-four was nervous about a date.  But
Darien had been on very few....and even less successfully.

Rini rushed in at this moment all wide eyes and pigtails, and noticed the stack of discarded
shirts at a pile by Darien's feet.

She crossed her arms and frowned, "Are you going out with a *girl*?

He turned to look at her at her scornful face and couldn't help but smile,
"Yes, I *am*!"  He threw back imitating her.

She stuck out her tongue, "Why?"

Darien shook his head helplessly a moment.  It was a good question.
But then he smiled, "For fun."

Then he winked at Rini and swept her up onto his shoulders, "Will you be good for Rei?"

"Yes!"  She sang back, giggling as she clung half frightened to his tall frame.

There was a knock at the door and he answered it with Rini still on his shoulders,

"Rei!"  Rini sang out happily.

Darien took her back to the couch and tossed her playfully down on it.

"Ahhh!"  She cried out with childish fear and delight.

He bent over her and tickled her sides, "Be good?"

"Okay, okay!  Stop!  Please stop!"  She laughed.

"Alright, see you later squirt!"

Rei picked up Rini and headed for her room to get some toys and Darien headed out the door,
only to come nose to nose with Serena--her hand still raised to knock on the door.

His eyes widened, "I thought you were meeting me there!?"

She grinned, "Thought I'd come get ya since I was ready early."

She looked past him into the apartment, "Hey, nice place--"

He quickly slammed the door and hurried her away looking very pale, "Yeah, it's great, let's
go."

"Al---right."  She managed as he pushed her towards the elevator.

Once inside he breathed a sigh of relief and tried to ignore her curious frown.
That had been far too close a call.  What if she'd come in?  What if Rini had been by the door?!
Oh Gods but his heart couldn't take this!

"That's a nice shirt."  She commented.

"Hmm?  Oh, thanks."  He replied, breathing another sigh of relief and causing her to chuckle
a bit.

He got a good look at her now, jeans and a nice top, hair in a ponytail and sneakers.  She was
in phenomenal shape--even casual clothes couldn't hide it.  Soft blond hair, ivory skin,
full almost pouty lips....and those bewitching blue eyes.  He felt his stomach tighten with
nervousness....here he was, on a date, with a beautiful girl....he felt all his well laid
control crumble to dust.

What should he do?  What should he say?  Oh God this was like every other time!  He was
lost...utterly lost!

But then he stopped himself as the elevator stopped and she turned to wink at him and
grin, "Ready?"

He remembered their first conversation.  How she offered to be friends.  How they were going
out to have fun.

Fun.  It had a much different flavour in his life now, but for this one night, with this
cheery girl, why not?

He smiled back and offered his arm, "Where should we go?"

"I thought we'd try bowling!"

His smile widened at her enthusiasm, "Alright."

"Hopefully you're as terrible as I am!"  She laughed.

And truly she was.  Everytime he hit a strike she wailed.

"What?  AGAIN!?  NO FAAAAIRRR!  *I'm* supposed to be the fun expert here!"

And then she'd stumble up, somehow manage to throw the ball straight down the middle
whereupon which it would swerve viciously to the left or right--seemingly of it's own 
will power--and miss the pins completely.

And most surprising of all was he found himself laughing and carrying on and teasing
and making her laugh.

It was strange and wonderful.

And then there was dinner.  Pizza while they walked through the park to the pond where
he actually heard himself suggest they get a boat and go for a row.

What was it about this girl?  Suddenly things were flying out of his mouth without
consulting his mind at all!

But she really was a lot of fun.  And it had been a long time since he had felt carefree.
They walked back through the park afterwards and she grabbed his arm, 
"You lied!  You don't have any trouble with fun at all!"

He laughed, "Just with you.  Just with you.  I'm really awful the rest of the time."

"Oh really?"

"Uh huh, all work no play.  Study study study.  That's it!"

"I don't believe it!  You seem like the King of fun!"

He just laughed in reply.  If she but knew.

She smiled up at his handsome face, "You know, when Mina told me about you I didn't 
want to go out on a date.  I'm finishing my degree this year and auditioning for 
a company that tours the world.  It's been my dream for as long as I can remember.  So I 
didn't want to make any ties it would be hard to break.  But now I'm glad I did.  I had
a really good time."

He looked at her open, honest face and felt his heart grab.  Oh this was too much like
a sweet dream or a fairytale.  If only he was free to....but he wasn't.....

A sudden gust of wind pushed her off balance and into his arms....suddenly they were
nose to nose in one of those romantically charged moments, and for the first time to his
recollection, he ached to complete it.

She was looking at him with wide blue eyes that begged him to, and he couldn't help but lose
himself, lean down and pull her close till their lips were just barely touching.....
but then he pulled back--she would never know with how much reluctance.

"Oh I can't, I can't!  I'm so sorry.  I'd like nothing more then to get swept up in a
romance with you--I really would!  But...I just can't.  My life is....complicated.  I can't
be carefree....everything I was tonight....I can't offer you that....I....I'm sorry."

She read the real regret in his eyes and bit her lip.  And he watched her choke back the
emotions that had been lighting in her eyes all evening and it hurt him.  But she smiled
and hid them away, 

"You don't have to apologize!  You've nothing to be sorry for.....friends then?"

He sighed sadly and looked down nodding, "Friends..."

He missed how she shook her head sorrowfully at him.

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