Title: In Frustration
Rating: G
Author: Li’l M

Note: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters or any of its 
storylines.  This story is written from my imagination and my own 
thoughts.  I apologize if it seems that this story is inspired from 
another.  If it is, I didn’t know; if it isn’t, I hope you enjoy!

~~~~@~~~~

	Darien scowled and rubbed his head as he sat up.  He glared at the 
blond girl in front of him and demanded, "Why don’t you watch where 
you’re going, Meatball Head?"
	Serena shook her head, trying to clear the stars dancing in her 
eyes.  Even before the stars had cleared she was apologizing.  "I’m so 
sorry, Darien!  I didn’t-"
	"-see you there, I know!" he glowered.  "Learn how to walk, 
Meatball Head, or don’t walk at all."
	She stared up at him in surprise, her eyes filled with shock.  
"I-I said I’m sorry, Darien."
	He glared at her as he climbed to his feet.  "Just stay out of my 
way, Meatball Head," he said and walked away, leaving her on the 
ground in front of the arcade.
	She watched him disappear around a corner, tears filling her 
normally clear eyes.  As she climbed to her feet and slowly walked into 
the arcade.	"Hi, Serena!" Andrew called as he wiped down the counter.  He 
stopped when he saw the look on her face and asked, "Are you okay?"
	She took a seat at the counter and looked at him.  "Did I do 
something wrong, Andrew?"	He gave her a strange look.  "Uh . . . "
	"I mean to Darien."
	"Uh, no," he said slowly.  "At least not that I know of.  Why?"
	She shrugged.  "I ran into him and he bit my head off.  He told 
me to stay out of his way, and I don’t even know what I did wrong!"  
Her eyes filled with tears again and her lower lip trembled.  "I’ll 
fix whatever I did wrong, Andrew, really I will, but I don’t even 
*know* what I did wrong!"
	Andrew bit his lip.  "I’m sure it’s nothing, Serena.  Darien’s 
probably just in a bad mood or something.  He’ll be back to normal 
tomorrow, you’ll see."
	She didn’t buy it.  "If you see him, please tell him I’m sorry 
for whatever I did.  Will you?"  He nodded.  "Thanks, Andrew."  She 
slid off the stool and slowly walked out of the arcade, her twin 
ponytails dragging on the floor behind her.
	"Aw, man," Andrew muttered.  "Why’d you have to go and do that to her, Darien?"
	He’d never before seen Serena so sad; but then again, he’d never 
seen Darien so frustrated before either.
	The door of the arcade slid open again and a giggling group of 
four girls walked inside.  He recognized them immediately; they were 
Serena’s friends.  "Hey, girls, what can I get you today?"
	Mina gave him a dazzling smile.  "Hi, Andrew!  Have you seen Serena?"
	"She left right before you guys came in."
	Her face fell.  "Oh.  Did she say where she was going?"	He shook his head.
	Rei sighed.  "Well, we better go find her.  She was supposed to 
meet us here before we go shopping but I guess she forgot or something.  
Thanks, Andrew," she said and waved as the group walked away.
	Lita suddenly turned and said, "If she comes back, tell her we’re 
at Rei’s place, okay?"	"No problem."
	Ha! he thought.  Like she was going to come back here today, not 
after what Darien did to her.~~~~@~~~~
	Darien stared out over the park from the balcony of his apartment.  
He’d calmed down after yelling at Serena and he’d felt awful about it.  
It wasn’t her fault he was feeling frustrated and it certainly wasn’t 
her fault she-	He stopped before he finished the thought.  A heavy sigh escaped 
his lips as he braced his hands on the railing.  How was he going to 
make it up to her?  Would she even talk to him again?  Probably not, 
and he didn’t blame her if she didn’t.  He deserved it after today.  He 
dropped his gaze to the street below and shut his eyes in frustration.
	A sweet breeze skipped over his back, ruffling his dark hair.  He 
ignored it and raised his eyes back to the park.  Then he saw her.
	She walked slowly down the path through the park, almost as if 
each step took a tremendous amount of energy.  And each step seemed to 
be more difficult than the last.  Her blond ponytails dragged over the 
cement path behind her and he cringed slightly at the sight of her 
beautiful blond hair getting dirty.  The urge to call out to her pulled 
at him, but he shoved it down before he actually did it.  He watched 
her disappear in the direction of the lake, his favorite thinking spot, 
then looked away in anger.
	Why didn’t you call out to her? he thought to himself.  You’re an 
idiot, Darien.  You’re head-over-heels for her but all you can do is 
insult her!  You’ll be lucky if she even-	Rrriiiinnngg!
	He glanced over his shoulder into his apartment as the phone rang 
again.  It rang seven times before he finally picked up.  "Hello?"
	"It’s about time you answered!"	"Hello to you, too, Andrew.  What’s up?"
	"I don’t know, man, why don’t you tell me?  Serena came into the 
arcade today looking about ready to cry, saying something about you 
biting her head off!  What happened?"
	Darien sighed and combed back his hair with his fingers.  "Nothing."
	"What do you mean ‘nothing’?" Andrew demanded and Darien winced.  
"You can’t tell me that nothing happened when you upset Serena!"
	Darien didn’t say anything.  How was he supposed to tell his best 
friend that his feelings for this fourteen-year-old girl were 
overwhelming him to the point of insanity?
	"Fine, Darien, don’t say anything.  You know, if I were you, 
Darien, I’d tell her you’re sorry, or at least explain to her why you 
almost made her cry," Andrew said and hung up.
	Darien hung up slowly.  He’d almost made her cry?  He’d almost 
made that sweet, adorable, bubbly Meatball Head cry?  He’d never meant 
to make her cry; it was the last thing he wanted to make her do!
	He looked out through the open sliding door and whispered, 
"Tomorrow.  I’ll tell her tomorrow."~~~~@~~~~
	Serena didn’t bother going to the arcade the next afternoon; she 
knew Darien would be there, and she wanted to avoid him for at least 
one day.  Instead, she took off for the park.  She ran all the way 
there from school, and she stopped at the lake and took a seat on the 
bench next to a tree.  She set her backpack down beside her and just sat there.
	As the sun began to set, she wrapped her arms around her waist as 
a cold breeze swept through the park, causing a chill to run down her 
spine.  But she didn’t move from her place.  Instead, she simply sat 
there watching the park lights flicker on and the stars appear in the 
heavens above.	She asked a jogger the time and was told it was almost eight 
o’clock.  She had an hour and a half to get home, and she’d leave in a 
few minutes.	She rose from the bench and walked a little ways onto the path.  
Tilting her head back and wrapping her arms a little tighter around her 
waist, she gazed at the stars twinkling so high above her head.  They 
danced in merriment, and, for the first time since yesterday, a slight 
smile tipped up the corners of her lips.  "Beautiful," she whispered in awe.
	She turned in a slow circle, the sky of stars becoming a 
kaleidoscope of sparkling lights.  She laughed a little and spun a 
little faster, letting her arms fly away from her body.  She danced in 
circles as her laughter grew louder, and when she stopped she blinked 
rapidly to see straight.  She looked back up at the sky and smiled, 
closing her eyes as her body cooled down.
	Darien stopped a little ways from the bench as she rose to her 
feet.  He frowned.  Was she leaving?
	She stepped onto the path and looked up at the sky, her lips 
moving as she whispered something.  Then she started spinning.  At 
first it was slow, then she picked up speed, her arms flung away from 
her body as if she were embracing the air around her.  He listened to 
her laughter ring through the empty park, and when she finally stopped, 
her back was to him, her eyes on the sky once again.  Her arms wrapped 
around her waist again as she cooled down, and he wondered what was 
running through her mind right then.
	His own heart and mind warred within him, and he struggled as it 
went on.  After what seemed like years, his heart won and he silently 
walked up behind her.  He watched her shiver as another breeze swept 
over her, and he dropped his jacket around her shoulders.
	She started in surprise and spun around.  "D-Darien!" she 
stammered.  "What are you doing here?"
	He couldn’t reply.  He just stood there staring down into her 
upturned face, drinking in the sight of her, memorizing her features.
	"I-I have to get going," she said softly and tried to step around him.
	Darien, though, wouldn’t let her.  He blocked her escape and 
grasped her shoulders in his hands, holding her captive with his hands 
and his eyes.
	Serena was scared.  Was he going to yell at her again?  If he was, 
she wished he’d get it over with.	"I came to apologize," he said ever so softly.
	She blinked in surprise.  "Wh-what’d you say?"
	"I said I’m sorry for yesterday."
	"Oh.  Apology accepted.  I have to go home, Dari-"
	"And I wanted to tell you why I yelled at you yesterday, if 
you’ll listen," he quickly added.	Serena nodded softly.  "I’m listening."
	Where do I start? he thought to himself.  Taking a deep breath, he 
released her from his hold and began.  "There’s something about you, 
Serena," he said, "that makes me want to kiss you one minute then 
yell at you the next.  You get at me in ways no other girl has.  You’re 
stuck in here-"  He tapped his head. "-and in here."  He placed a 
hand over his heart.  "You’re everywhere I go, even at school.  I see 
your smile in the sunshine, your eyes in sky and in the water.  I can 
feel you even when you’re nowhere near me.  I get so frustrated with my 
feelings for you that I usually end up insulting you.  I’ve never met 
anyone like you, Serena," he said honestly and brushed his thumb along her jaw.
	"What are you saying, Darien?" she whispered, and feared what 
his answer would be.
	"I’m saying that I love you.  I always have and always will," he 
smiled.  "You’re everything I could ever want in life, Serena.  Your 
soul touches mine, even when you’re angry with me.  I love your 
innocence and your sweetness and your sincerity.  You brighten up my 
day with just a smile or even a glare.  I can see my entire life in 
your eyes, Serena, and I want you to know that I love you with my entire being."
	Serena was in shock, and close to tears, too.  She struggled to 
hold back the tears in her eyes, but they slid down her cheeks anyway.  
"Oh, Darien," she whispered.  "I-I don’t know what to say."
	"Do you love me, Serena?"
	She knew the answer to that one; she’d known it all along.  She 
nodded her head.  "Yes, I love you.  I love you more than the air I 
breathe, Darien, and I need you more than I need ice cream," she added 
with a smile.  "I love you, Darien, really, truly, honestly."
	Darien smiled and leaned forward.  The smile faded as he touched 
his lips to hers in a tender, first kiss.  When he felt her respond, he 
deepened it slowly, slipped his arms around her waist and holding her 
close.  Pulling away, he butterfly kissed her cheeks and forehead, 
enjoying the giggle that came from her.  He buried his face in her 
hair, inhaling the vanilla scent that was uniquely hers.
	"I love you, Serena," he whispered.
~~~~@~~~~
Hey, peeps!  This is my first fan-fic and I’m sorry if it’s kinda 
wrong, or whatever.  You don’t have to let me know what you think (I 
get enough email about everything else anyway) but if you want, then 
email me:  prayin4breakthru@netscape.netLi’l M