Title: A Storm to Remember Name: Golden Usagi E-Mail: Serena_S_moon99@yahoo.com Golden Usagi here. Hello again everyone, here’s chapter 4 of my story, I hope you enjoy it and please, feel free to tell me what you think of my story, I love all the comments and questions I get from all of you, it makes a girl feel important ^_^ Please continue to read. I’m still trying to get the chapters to you as quickly as possible, so keep reading, sorry, I’m in the middle of finals week and it’s just crazy. Please enjoy my story. Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, I wish I did, because then I could have the proud honor of knowing that I made one of the greatest stories of all time! Chapter 4: An Awakening to Friendship, and Maybe Even Love Serena feel into his arms and began to cry. She didn’t even know why, her heart was aching so much, she just needed someone there, and she knew, that she loved him then, and he was the only person she felt who could take away at least a little of her pain and pure confusion she felt inside. Darien was a little confused to say the least by her actions, but graciously held her close to him. Her warmth enveloped him, and her smell surrounded him, he felt truly alive at that moment. She slowly brought her eyes up from his now slightly moist shoulder and looked into his sapphire gaze set steadfastly on her. She let out a slight gasp, as she knew for sure she could see worry and caring in his eyes as she sniffled and began to wipe away her tears. Darien slowly tipped her chin up to have her eyes focus again at him, when her gaze had fallen downward toward the floor. “Serena….what is it, are you alright?” He said softly, luring her into saying what she was feeling and why she had been crying. “Please Serena…..what is it?” he said just as gently as the first time as a soft smile crossed his lips. Serena couldn’t help but feel comforted by him, something about his eyes, or the way he was smiling, maybe the care he was showing her, or could it simply be…..the way he was holding her closely and hadn’t loosened his hold in the least. She looked once again into his sapphire eyes, which were now glazed in a shade of midnight blue from his worry. He wiped away another tear as another escaped her eyes, but he did it so gently, so softly, that Serena’s longing heart began screaming for him causing her to spill over a few more of her crystal tears. Darien’s heart wrenched in pain and confusion. His poor little angel, what could be hurting her, troubling her so? “I…..” Serena spoke out briefly unable to think of what to say next. Darien placed a single finger over her lips to quiet her and he smiled softly to her once again. “I hope you aren’t crying for the bowls again, you don’t have to worry, I can get new ones, please stop crying, I hate to see such an angel cry….” He said softly, then realized what he had said and cursed himself for his mistake. “Angel…….” Serena whispered more to herself then anyone else. “Darien? Why were you so close behind me in the kitchen a moment ago anyway…..you scared me so and I was wondering why you were standing there in the first place” Serena stated simply. Darien’s breath caught in his throat. He knew it was a perfectly legit question, but he hadn’t expected her to just come right out and ask him about it. He felt himself grow hot as a blush reached his cheeks. “It…..was….oh….no reason Meatball Head” He said knowing perfectly well it was a lie, but he couldn’t help, but feel guilty for lying to her, and he just about killed himself when Serena looked down at the ground and seemed to look……what was that she seemed to look…..disappointed was it? He shook his head slightly then realized he had to say something. “Serena…..I’m lying…..I wasn’t standing there for no reason…..I just wanted to say…..there’s been a change…..in our relationship, hasn’t there?” Serena’s mouth opened slightly in shock, but then closed as a somewhat disappointed brought her eyes back up to Darien, then a slight smile crossed her lips. ‘be strong, of course he wasn’t going to say that he liked you, and that the whole reason he was standing there so close…. behind you was because he just wanted to be close to you, as close as you want to be to him…..’ she thought sadly to herself. “Yes Darien, our relationship has changed, we’re friends now aren’t we?” She said softly and smiling warmly to him. ‘Not exactly what I was going for with Serena…….and not exactly what I was hoping she’d say……but like she’d ever think that about me…’ Darien thought bitterly to himself, but then he looked up and smiled to Serena. “Yes, you’re right Serena, we are friends, thanks so much for listening to me talk about my parents earlier, it helps to get things like that off your chest” “Oh, well, that’s what friends are for, right?” “Right again Serena” he said and smiled down at her. The both noticed each other still remaining in locked together in their tender hold and blushed slightly, but neither one moved to come apart. In fact, Serena laid her head against his shoulder and just rested it there as they listened to the rhythm of each other’s breathing and sat there contentedly for a good 10 mins. ‘She never said why she was crying….I wonder if she’ll tell me….. I don’t think I should ask now, she’s obviously upset right now, and right now, I’m just happy sitting like this with her soft breathing against me. I can still remember when I was this close to her not to long ago at the arcade and her smell surrounded me, that wonderful vanilla…..I can smell it now…..just stronger….and much more welcoming.’ Darien thought to himself. He sighed softly happy with there position, but his sigh was enough to wake Serena from her little paradise. ‘O my…..I can’t believe I’m holding him like this…..he must be so annoyed, like I’m nothing, but a small obnoxious child to him….he must be sighing in his annoyance, that must be it’ Serena thought to herself. She pulled away slowly and looked up into his eyes. They both felt the loss immediately, and Serena felt a sudden urge to fling herself back into his arms. She didn’t have a right to she thought, but Darien felt he didn’t have any right to be holding her so. She was so young, so frail, so beautifully innocent, he didn’t want anything to change that, even himself, he would only do that if something told him it was right, but now, everything was telling him, it just wasn’t the right time. Serena looked up to look out a new by window and noticed the rain had gone down dramatically, it was simply a soft regular rain, not the harsh threatening rain it had once been. She then flashed her eyes to a delicate wood clock that hung perfectly positioned on the wall near the refrigerator she had begun to get to know so well. It was 10:12 PM. She could make it home still without having to stay that night, and she felt that would be a good idea right now, because all she wanted was to be alone, and maybe cry for awhile. “Darien….the rain seems to have stopped pouring…” Serena informed him. Darien looked up quickly from the floor he had been studying with so much vigor it was sad. He flashed a quick glance from the clock to the window, which showed the now slowing rain. “I think you should give me a ride home now…..my parents must be very worried, and I don’t want to have them worried about me….for the whole night” Darien nodded slowly and came out of his slight trance of deep thinking. “Alright Serena” Darien said without emotion as he grabbed his keys and headed toward the coat closet for his coat. Serena followed him and Darien handed her a coat, the same one of soft brown leather. “There you go Serena, we don’t need you to get anymore sick then you already are.” He said smiling to her gently as he grabbed her school bag and walked toward the door. “Alright, let’s go Sere” Serena nodded and followed him out the door. Soon they reached the stone parking lot located at the bottom floor of Darien’s apartments. They walked toward Darien’s familiar smart black sports car. Darien opened Serena’s door then shut it softly behind her after she had settled herself into her seat before he walked around the car and climbed into the drivers seat. He shot her a quick smile then started the engine and driving to Serena’s house. ~Serena’s House~ They reached Serena’s house and Darien pulled up slowly to the curb. The rain was still drizzling making the pavement keep it’s wet shine as they came to a stop in front of Serena’s home. Both looked at each other for a moment and smiled. They knew they weren’t sure when they would see each other again and neither was quite ready to leave each other’s company. They smiled to each other nervously and Serena knew it was time to go. She opened her door slowly and stepped out into the rain. She leaned over and peered into Darien’s car as she grabbed her school bag. “Thank you for taking care of me Darien……it means so much, you were I guess….my hero today. She smiled to him and he nodded back. “Oh!” She said startling both of them out of their own thoughts. “Your coat, I forgot!” Serena stated. “Don’t worry about it Serena, keep it for now.” Darien said as she smiled to her care written all over his face. “Thank you Darien.” She said as she smiled, gave him a quick nod, then shut his car door and headed toward her house. She knew once she got inside she would have a lot of explaining to do, but she didn’t really think of that. At that moment, all she could think about was the fact that Darien hadn’t pulled away from her house yet, and that he must be watching her before she headed inside. Serena reached the door and then turned suddenly and waved madly for a moment smiling brightly to him. “Thank you Darien!!” She yelled out to him then opened her door and rushed inside shutting the door behind her and leaning back against it and sighing happily to herself. ~Next Day~ Serena hadn’t gone to school the next day because some of the power was still out all over the city of Tokyo and even if there had been. Her parents had been so worried about the bump she had on her forehead and the slight fever that she still had, that they probably wouldn’t have let her go to school. Serena looked out her window and thought about the night before. Her parents had asked so many questions and after she had explained the whole story they were grateful she was okay and very impressed with this Darien ‘young man’ that they simply sent her to bed after filling her with some warm soup. Serena had slept all the way until noon and woke up to find that the rain had stopped and the birds were back to chirping cheerfully outside her window. She smiled and thought to herself ‘it’s a new day….’ She jumped out of bed, showered, re-bandaged her slight wound, and dressed for day practically bouncing down the stairs. “Hi mom, hi dad!” Serena spout out as she came into the kitchen and grabbed an apple out of a fruit basket sitting on the counter and took a big bite out of it immediately. “mmmm……delicious” she said to no one. “Morning Honey” Chimed in her mom. “Morning Sweety” Her dad added when he slightly looked up for the paper that had him so completely focused. Serena smiled and kissed them both on the cheek like a sheepish little fairy jumping from friendly flower to flower. Both parents smiled up to her. “You look much better Serena, but here’s some water, go and take those pills the doctor gave you yesterday” Irene Serena’s mother ordered softly. She nodded slowly and headed toward the glass and containers of prescriptions slowly. Serena didn’t really feel like arguing she felt like she was having a good morning and didn’t want to start it off on a bad foot. So she picked up the glass and began to take all the pills she was suppose too. Just as she finished the 3 and last pill the phone rang. Serena dived after the phone and answer it; she always wanted to be the one to know who was calling and why they needed to call. “Hello?” Serena answered. “Hello, Serena?” “Yes, this is her, Ami?” “Yes, it’s me, hey, I called about a hour ago and your mom told me what happened, are you alright, I was very worried, I told all the others, how you feeling?” “Oh, I’m fine” “Good, the scouts were planning on having a meeting this afternoon at the arcade at 3 o’clock, do you think you can make it?” “Hold on, let me ask” Serena covered the phone slightly, as she called to her mom not all to quietly…. “MOM!!??” She called. “Yes dear?” came the reply. “Can I go to the arcade to meet the girls for awhile?” “Well…..I don’t know….” “PLEASE!!???” “Well, since your fever has gone down, I think it will be alright, just don’t be out to late, I know there’s a weekend starting tomorrow, but I’d still like you to get some rest, okay?” “Alright mom” Serena answered “Hey Ami, still there?” “Of course Serena” “I can go!” “Oh good, please be there on time, but be careful, hey, how about I stop by your house and we walk down to the arcade together?” “Oh, that’d be great Ami, okay, see you then!” “Alright Serena, goodbye” “Bye!” Serena smiled glad she’d get to see her friends, maybe she could talk a little to them about the other half of the story about her night with Darien she had kept from her parents. She wasn’t sure though, somehow it was also a story she wanted to keep to herself too. ‘Hmm….’She thought to herself ‘I might just keep this to myself, I’m not sure yet’ Then another thought crossed her mind. She smiled thinking of how surprised everyone would be when they saw Serena and Darien actually getting along while in the same place for an actual period of time. ‘I can’t wait to see their faces, it will be like Darien’s and my own personal joke.’ She liked the idea of having something with Darien that no one else had, even if it was something as simple as that. She smiled and went into the kitchen announcing her need for some lunch. ‘I’ll have you yet Darien…..I just have too……’ ~Darien’s Apartment~ Back at home Darien woke up at about 9 o’clock and roamed around his house for the first hour he was awake and cleaned his already clean house. (This is probably only possible for Darien….) Then he attended to taking a shower and getting dressed for the day. After his usual early morning ritual was finished he went to his door opened it and reached out to grab the morning paper, which he set down on the couch as he approached the kitchen and served himself a cup of black coffee and sat down in the living room. He turned on the TV to morning News and began to read the paper. To his own surprise he found he wasn’t even really reading it, he was simply holding it up in front of himself and thinking about the night before and his dear little Bunny Serena. ‘I want to see her again so much’ he thought to himself ‘I can still smell her soft sent all around me. I was like magic. She is such a goddess the way she can control me, image if she knew she had such power over me, I’d be her slave. I think Serena is the only person I’d be happy to be a slave too. She’s so wonderful, and I’m so happy that now I have the freedom to be nice to her and show her what a gentlemen I can be now that we’re friends. Maybe she’ll be at the arcade this afternoon; I want to check on her to make sure she’s okay and everything. I also have to admit I just want to see her for her, I already miss her. I know that in time I can win her heart.’ He thought wearly to himself. I’ll have you yet my little Bunny…..I just have too…..’ These thoughts ran through both of their heads as they planned their afternoon at the arcade to meet up with their friends…….right? To be continued…… ************************************************************ Golden Usagi here, how do you like this chapter, any good? I hope so, but tell me what you think, okay? Write me at Serena_S_moon99@yahoo.com And tell me all about how you like or dislike my story, all right? Well I’m off for now, it’s late, and I’m really tired, I hate being sick, it always drags you down ^_^ Konban wa, Ja ne!