"Love Waits for You"
   by Stormlight

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Eight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Serena was exhausted by the time she finally got home, but 
she was happy, as well.  Things were different now between her and 
Darien; she could sense it.  If not exactly friends, they were at 
least a little beyond being enemies.  He had given her a ride home, 
after they'd walked the whole way back to his car, and the entire 
way he had talked to her like she was a normal person, instead of 
just "Meatball Head."  He teased her, just a little, when she'd 
stumbled over some hidden root in the park, but it wasn't like his 
normal teasing.  Maybe it was because he had caught her and held 
her gently while she steadied herself, and maybe because his voice 
and smile had been so soft and kind as he spoke to her.  This time 
the teasing was like the kind very close friends often used.  

	Luna was there, and she fussed over Serena until she was 
tempted to throw the cat out the window.  "For the last time I'm 
okay, Luna!" she exclaimed, combing her ponytails.  "Darien and I 
made up, and it's gonna be fine.  Besides...he's on our side!  And 
it wouldn't do him any good to have me as his enemy.  I could 
moondust him in a snap!"  She giggled as she climbed under the 
covers.  "But who would've ever thought Darien was Tuxedo Mask?  
I mean...it's like some kind of freaky dream or something!"

	"I think you should be very cautious around him from now 
on," Luna replied seriously.  "We still don't know what his motives 
are..."

	"Awww...Luna, even now you STILL don't trust him?!  This 
is DARIEN!  He may be a creep sometimes, but he's not a traitor!  
Really, Luna, you never trust ANY of the guys I like!" Serena 
complained.  She snapped off the light.  

	Luna sighed, curling up at the foot of the bed.  "Maybe 
that's because she never likes a guy worth trusting..." she 
muttered to herself.

	"Did you say something?"

	"Wha...?  Er...no!  No, of course not.  Go to sleep, Serena," 
Luna replied with a nervous chuckle.  "Goodnight."

	Serena didn't answer; she was already fast asleep.

*	*	*	*	*
	A few days later, Serena went to the arcade after school 
as she usually did, and it was there she saw Ryan.  It had been 
the first time she'd seen him since the mall-he'd been out of 
school all that week and had not even bothered to let her know 
where he was-and she frowned to herself, feeling a little miffed.  
He was sitting at a table and talking with one of the waitresses, 
who was perched on his lap quite cozily, and Serena felt a spark 
of jealousy flare within her.

	**Play it cool, Sere,** she told herself as she strode over 
to the table, fixing the waitress with a glare that could melt steel.  
The waitress got the hint and hightailed it out of there, leaving a 
surprised Ryan behind.  "Hello, Ryan," Serena said coolly.  "Been 
awhile since I saw you.  Where've you been lately?"

	"Wha...?  Oh, Serena.  Hey, babe, how ya been?"  Ryan 
quickly covered up his surprise with a charming grin and a look 
that melted Serena's anger like butter.  "Have a seat, gorgeous.  
Want a milkshake or something?" he nearly purred.  Serena didn't 
stand a chance against that, of course.  Forgetting the fact that 
the last time they'd spoken he had publicly humiliated her, she 
grinned at him in consent and slid into the booth beside him, where 
he greeted her with a soft kiss on her cheek, making her blush and 
giggle.

	"So...where've you been all this time, huh?" she asked.  "I 
was starting to think you'd been kidnapped or something."  

	He gave a slight chuckle, tugging at the collar of his shirt.  
"Well...I've...been around," he replied with a shrug.

	"Why haven't you been in school, though?" she pressed, not 
noticing the annoyance that briefly flashed in his eyes.

	"I didn't feel like going, that's all," he replied defensively.  
"Gees, lighten up!  What are you, my mother?"

	Serena blushed.  "Well...I...just thought maybe you were 
sick or something, is all," she mumbled.  "I was kinda worried."  
That wasn't an ENTIRE lie.  When she thought about him (which wasn't 
very much lately, she admitted guiltily) she did worry...at least as 
far as wondering where he might be.  In truth...with the rift in her 
and Molly's friendship and the discovery of Tuxedo Mask's true 
identity, she hadn't had too much else on her mind lately.

	"Well, no need to panic," Ryan was saying.  "I got everything 
covered."

	"What about your grades?  Don't you worry about them?  
You're a senior, after all.  Shouldn't you be preparing for college 
or something?" she asked.

	He smirked.  "What makes you think I haven't been doing 
that?" he replied, deadpan.

	Now it was her turn to smirk.  "Come on, Ryan!  I'm no 
brainiac, but even I know that you do not prepare for college by 
playing hooky for over a week!  So where were you, really?"

	"Hey!  I said to lay off, okay, and I meant it!" he snapped, 
going from teasing to angry in a single moment.  "I don't have to 
answer to you for anything, got it?  So drop the subject!"

	Serena, taken aback, stared at him with wide eyes for a 
moment, before she slowly stood and slid out of the booth, turning 
to leave without another word.  She walked slowly away, half 
expecting him to call her back, to apologize for his rude behavior.  
She should have known better.  Ryan never apologized for anything.  
**He's sort of like Darien on that subject,** she thought sadly, 
then abruptly shook her head.  **Not is...WAS!** she reminded 
herself fiercely.  **He WAS like Darien...but Darien's better 
now...**

	She walked slowly and dejectedly home, occasionally 
swiping at an errant tear that managed to escape.  **What's 
WRONG with me?** she asked herself harshly.  **Why does everything 
involving relationships have to be so hard?**  She sighed and sat 
down on her favorite bench that overlooked the lake in the park.  
She barely noticed when another person sat down beside her, and 
when she finally did realize that there was someone sharing the 
bench with her, she was hardly surprised to find that it was Darien.

	Normally, had it been any other day, she would have chewed 
him out for daring to invade her space.  But not anymore.  Now that 
she knew he was Tuxedo Mask...now that he had gone so far to make 
amends with her and become her friend, she felt almost...
comforted...to know he was there.  They sat, side by side, for a 
long time, saying nothing, simply enjoying each other's company.  
Finally, Darien shifted, then broke the silence.

	"Penny for your thoughts?"

	Serena blinked, as though waking from a trance, and glanced 
over at him with a slight smile.  "I doubt they're worth that much," 
she replied with a trace of humor.  "I was just thinking...why does 
love have to be so hard?"

	Darien sobered instantly.  "Another fight with Ryan?" he 
asked, grimacing with distaste at the name.

	She looked over again, the sunlight playing in her hair and 
turning it to burnished gold, momentarily stealing his breath away.  
"How'd you know?" she asked.

	He gave a sheepish grin.  "I was...ah...in the arcade 
talking with Andrew," he replied.  "I overheard, and I thought 
maybe I could cheer you up.  I called your name three times on 
the way over hear, but I guess you didn't hear me."

	Serena's cheeks turned pink.  "I was...um...thinking," she 
mumbled, glancing away.  "About...things."

	"About why love is so hard?" he asked, repeating her 
earlier statement.

	She sighed, resting her chin in her hands.  "Is it supposed 
to make you crazy?" she asked wistfully, then straightened and stuck 
her nose in the air.  "If it is, then love is VASTLY overrated!" 
she added haughtily.

	Darien chuckled, before turning serious again.  "It's 
supposed to heal you," he replied softly, fixing her with an 
intense gaze.  "It's supposed to make you feel like you're a 
part of someone's soul, and they're a part of yours."

	Serena stared at him, obviously impressed.  "You seem like 
you know what you're talking about," she said.  "Have you ever...I 
mean..."

	"Have I ever been in love before?" he finished for her.  
She blushed again and nodded quickly, and he smiled, gazing back 
out over the lake.  **Yes,** he thought.  **I'm in love right 
now...with you.**  Out loud, he merely replied, "It's hard to 
know what real love is.  Sometimes when you think you love someone, 
it turns out that it wasn't really love at all.  Love-REAL love-is 
something that happens to someone once in a lifetime, and when it 
does, those people will never be separated.  It's like...two souls 
spending their entire lives trying to find each other, and when 
they do..."  He trailed off, not knowing how to explain.

	But Serena seemed to understand.  She leaned back on the 
bench, linking her hands across her knees.  "That reminds me of 
how my mother used to tell me a story about how a soul was split 
in half, and how those two halves became two separate people who 
spent their lives searching for each other, and were never happy 
until they found each other and were made whole again.  I always 
thought that was so romantic...but sometimes I wonder if it's true.  
I mean...with all the people in the world, what if the other half 
of MY soul is sitting somewhere in...in Australia or something?"

	**Or what if he's sitting right beside you...?** Darien 
thought sadly, gazing at her steadily.  "Whoever your soulmate is, 
I know you'll find each other," he told her.  "You'll be drawn to 
each other, no matter where you are."

	"Really?" she whispered, looking up at him hopefully.  He 
nodded, smiling at her gently.  She seemed comforted somehow, but 
then a shadow passed over her face.  "What about Ryan, though?" 
she asked.  "I mean...isn't he my soulmate?"

	Darien winced.  "Serena...do you really love Ryan?  Or do 
you just love the fact that you have a boyfriend?  You two are so 
different...I just don't see HOW you managed to get hooked up in 
the first place!"

	Serena bristled, getting ready to chew him out, but then 
she suddenly deflated, like a balloon.  "I...I care for Ryan," she 
whispered.  "When he asked me out...it was like a dream come true.  
No guy-at least no guy that age-has EVER asked me to go out with 
him before.  So I...I guess I wanted to impress my friends, and Ryan 
can be really sweet...when he sets his mind to it..."

	Darien wasn't impressed.

	"Look, Serena," he began carefully.  "You shouldn't go out 
with someone just because you...you want to impress people.  You'll 
end up being miserable."  Serena tried to protest, but he silenced
her with a finger to her lips.  "Are you really happy, Meatball 
Head?" he asked softly.  "I mean, are you really, truly happy being 
with Ryan?  'Cause if you are...then I promise I won't say anything 
else against him, no matter how much I think he deserves it."

	Serena stared up at him, her brow furrowed.  "I-I'm happy," 
she said, a bit uncertainly.

	He raised an eyebrow.  "Really?  Are you sure?"

	She frowned and looked away.  "Of course," she replied.  
"Why wouldn't I be?"

	Darien fought the urge to grab her shoulders and shake her.  
Instead, he took a deep breath and smiled at her, forcing his 
frustration aside.  "Well, then, I'm glad for you," he told her, 
hoping he sounded cheerful.  He stood up and looked down at her.  
Then, as though just remembering something, he snapped his fingers 
and pulled a small package from his jacket pocket.  "Almost 
forgot," he said.  "Somebody left this for you at the arcade with 
Andrew.  He asked me to give it to you since you left in such a 
hurry."

	"For me?"  Serena looked surprised as she took the small 
box and turned it around.  There was a slip of paper wrapped 
around the box, and she opened it curiously and read it.  Darien 
watched, his face expressionless, as her eyes widened slightly 
and a faint blush stained her cheeks.  Glancing up at him, she 
quickly stuffed the note in her pocket, then opened the box.  Her 
mouth dropped open in shock.  "Oh, my..." she breathed.

	It was an elegant bracelet.  A beautiful, silver bracelet 
with delicate charms in the shapes of crescent moons and roses 
dangling from the links.  Serena was in awe as she lifted it from 
its bed of black velvet, holding it up so that it caught the light.  
"It's so pretty," she whispered.  "But...it must have cost a fortune!"

	"It suits you," Darien said quietly.

	She blinked and looked up at him as though she'd forgotten 
he was there.  "Yeah," she replied with a smile.  "I wonder 
how...how he knew?"

	"He?" Darien questioned with a raised eyebrow.

	Her blush returned.  "M-my secret admirer," she admitted.  
"I thought...he'd forgotten about me or something, or that maybe it 
was some kind of joke..."

	"Who could forget you?" Darien asked teasingly.

	"Did...did Andrew say anything about who it might have 
been from?" she asked hopefully.  "I mean...was it anyone I know?"

	He hesitated.  "He didn't say anything to me," he replied.  
"I just got the gift, is all."  He took the bracelet from her and 
held it up.  "It sure is pretty," he added, trying to distract her 
from her curious inquiries.  "Hold out your wrist.  I'll fasten it 
on for you."  She obediently held out her hand, and he carefully 
fastened the bracelet about her slender wrist, his fingers softly 
brushing her skin and making her blush even more.  When it was on, 
he slid his fingers from her wrist to her hand and gripped it 
lightly, looking into her eyes.  "It suits you..." he repeated, 
losing himself in her gaze.

	She seemed speechless as she gazed at him, then managed a 
smile.  "Um...thanks," she replied.  "I...I have to get home now.  
Don't want to be late for supper."

	He grinned.  Well, that was normal.  "Aren't you going to 
let me read the note first?" he asked teasingly.

	She swallowed, her cheeks turning pink.  "Um...I don't think 
so," she replied with a nervous chuckle, tugging on her hand, which 
he refused to release.  "M-maybe another time..."

	"Awww...come on, Meatball Head!  Let me have a peek," he 
pleaded, just to see her blush.  It wasn't like he HAD to see the 
note.  He'd written it, after all, but it didn't hurt to help his 
innocence along.  The more he begged to see the note, the less 
likely she was to suspect him of writing it.  Although...he had to 
wonder what her reaction might be now if she DID find out that he 
was her secret admirer.  **No,** he decided just as quickly.  
**It's not worth the chance.  At least...not yet.**

	"I have to go now, Darien, really," Serena was protesting,
tugging her hand free of his grasp.  This time he let it go, 
grinning as she turned and ran home, calling a goodbye over her 
shoulder.

	**Someday, Meatball Head.  Someday you'll know...**
	

Continued...