A Trap For A Truce:  Chapter 5:  You signed us up for WHAT?!

AN:  Here's chapter 5 minna!  I'm super busy so writing these is 
tricky, but I'll try!
Thanks for all the e-mail about this story!  

Anyways, I'll shut up now and let you read!
Rated: G
Set:  First Season
Disclaimers:  I keep TRYING to get my hair up in those blasted odangos 
but alas....wait
what am I writing here again?

Enjoy minna!  And ofcourse, drop my pathetic, computer addicted self a 
line won't you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~&~~~~~~~@

Day 4......(AN:  Okay minna, upon re-read I realize I said their trip 
was 2 weeks in chapter
one and 1 week ever since then.....it IS 1 week and I'll submit chapter 
1 again with that 
corrected kay? kay.  gomen nasai!)

Serena and Darien got up and jogged together for a change. Darien 
enjoyed the company and the 
Meatballhead could really run!  
They raced each other home and then got ready for the day's 
activities.
Little did they know what they had signed up for.....

They arrived in the dining hall and found it set up much like the set 
of a gameshow.

"Wow, I wonder what's going on here?"  Serena murmured to him.

Suddenly their names were called and they were pulled towards the 
tables lined
up to face one another near the back wall of the room.

Jenkins greeted them, "Ahh, I'm glad to see you two will be 
participating in the couple's 
quiz game."

"COUPLE'S QUIZ GAME?!"  They blurted together....Darien could feel his 
stomach falling.

"Yes, each couple is asked to answer question's about their partner to 
see which couple
is the closest."

"WHAT?!"  Serena squawked, "DARIEN!  WHY would you sign us up for 
this?!"

"ME?!  I didn't sign us up for this!  YOU must've!"

"I did NOT!"

"Did TO!"

Then they stopped realizing Jenkins must think they were a few bricks 
short of a load.
They smiled serenely and walked over to the table, hissing under their 
breaths,

"It was YOU!"

"No it was YOU!"

"How are we gonna do this?"

"I don't KNOW Meatballhead!"

"Ohhhhh!"

They took their nametags grudgingly and sat across from one another, 
glaring daggers of blame
at the other with venom.

The announcer began, "Welcome everyone!  Let's begin!  We'll ask our 
couple's questions about
their significant other and the couple that knows the most about one 
another wins!"

The audience that had gathered cheered.

Darien had paled terribly by now.
~I don't know anything about Serena!  How I'm going to do this?  
Andrew, when I get home
I'm gonna--~

"Mr. Chiba!"

"Yes?"  He replied, startled from his thoughts

The announcer grinned at him, "Your girlfriend is Miss Tsukino?"

"Yes."  He croaked sending apologetic glances to Serena.

The announcer continued down the aisle of couples, confirming and 
introducing.
Each couple was given a pen and paper to answer each question and they 
had to match the 
answer their partner gave.
Darien shot Serena a pitying glance and she tried to smile 
encouragingly at him, but failed
utterly.

The announcer cleared his throat.
Alright, first question is for the ladies..."Where did you and your 
partner first meet?"

Serena perked up, ~Hey, that's easy!~

Darien scribbled down his answer and looked up to give her a wink.
The announcer got to her and she answered confidently,
"I met him outside the jewelry store downtown.  I accidentally hit him 
in the face
with my crumpled test paper and he got mad at me!"
The other couples chuckled.
Darien handed his answer to the announcer as he asked, "Is that what 
you wrote Mr. Chiba?"
Darien nodded.
"It IS!!!  Congratulations!"

"Alllllright....next question....gentlemen....what is your lady's 
favorite food?"

Darien almost laughed out loud.
~EVERYTHING!~  But then he thought again, ~Wait a minute....everytime 
she comes into 
the Arcade she orders....~

"Mr. Chiba!"

He jumped.  That announcer guy was WAY too loud!

But Darien smiled confidentally as he read out, "Triple hot fudge 
sundae."  with flourish
and winked at Serena who was smiling madly.

~Hey, this couple game is a breeze!~  She thought happily.

And truly, they were an amazing pair.  Due to vehnemently hating one 
another, they had pretty 
much memorized the other's habits.

Darien knew what Serena liked and hated, and thanks to their recent 
friendship, her personal
hobbies and interests.  
Serena surprised him by knowing exactly how he took his coffee, which 
clothes were his
favorites--though the chuckle she and the audience shared over his 
green blazer did NOT
amuse him in the slightest--what he was studying and ofcourse, who his 
best friend was.

They were both grinning wryly, and winning, when the terrible final 
question arrived.

"Last question of the game people!  Where was your first kiss?"

Serena and Darien froze, staring at one another blankly for one long, 
terrible moment.  There
was no way they could come up with a story just by exchanging glances!
Darien shrugged helplessy, ~There's no way we can answer this!  What am 
I going to write down?~

Serena watched him a moment and then her eyes narrowed strangely, and 
she began to 
write, slowly at first....

~What is she writing?!~  He thought with a shock, ~Maybe just her own 
first kiss story...?~

He thought of his own....and then his heart beat strangely, watching 
her...as though he
suddenly remembered.....Serena looked up at him with something akin to 
hope as she finished 
writing...

~Please let it have been you...~

The thought echoed in his mind as though she had spoken...but she 
hadn't....

~What the?~

He gazed back at her a moment before grabbing his pen and writing 
feverishly.....it was a long
shot....but....he might as well write his own first kiss story.....

"Miss Tsukino?"

Serena swallowed hard and read what she had written, not daring to meet 
Darien's eyes.
She didn't know what had possessed her to write out the details of her 
first kiss...but
somehow, at that moment...she could have sworn it had been....but it 
had been Tuxedo Mask!
What was she thinking?  Now she HAD to read it and who knows WHAT he 
had written!

"I was at a masquerade, in disguise,"  She began softly, not noticing 
Darien stiffen with 
surprise, "He was wearing a Tuxedo and mask and we danced.....then 
later, after the ball, he
carried me out to the balcony and kissed me..."
She blushed embarassedly and then chanced a glance over to 
Darien--oblivious to the sighs
of the other women.

Darien was staring at her open mouthed as he passed his paper to the 
judge mechanically.
"It was you."  He breathed.

The announcer raised his eyebrows, "You wrote the same thing Mr. Chiba 
but--didn't you know it 
was Miss Tsukino?"

He shook his head dazedly and Serena's mouth had now fallen open.
~It was him?  He's Tuxedo Mask?  He's Tuxedo Mask?....~  Her thoughts 
trailed off senselessly.

The announcer was smiling, "Neither of you knew until this moment that 
you kissed each other
that night?  That was truly your first kiss?"

They nodded mutely.

He laughed delightedly, "Well, I have to say that's one of the most 
romantic things I've
ever heard!"

And in a blur they had won the quiz game, applauded and cheered, each 
getting a medal with
the words, 'most romantic couple' engraved on it.
They were very silent, smiling vaguely for the picture and then walking 
away to a secluded deck
of the ship the first chance they got.

They stood a long moment when finally Serena spoke, "Y-You're Tuxedo 
Mask?"

He nodded, leaning against the rail and looking out to sea.
"And it was you at the ball that night....dressed like a...like a 
Princess?" He stumbled over
the words.
It had taken him some time to remember that night once he figured out 
he was Tuxedo Mask--but
he had and he cherished that memory...wondered endlessly who that girl 
had been....

She blushed again and nodded, "Yes."

"What were you doing there?"  he asked and she stiffened, 

~Should I tell him?  Wait, Luna was so worried he was the enemy--but I 
know he isn't!  But
maybe I should ask him questions before I confide in him...~

"You search for the silver crystal in the night?"  She asked carefully.

He nodded again, trusting her completely, "Yes, I believe it's the key 
to remembering my 
past....I have these dreams Serena, about the crystal and a 
Princesss....and--and I think 
if I can find it then I will remember who I really am..."
He stopped, figuring he sounded crazy.

Serena was thoughtful a moment, ~He's not the enemy!  He's just 
searching for his identity!
And a Princess?  We're looking for a Princess too!  He must be 
connected with us somehow!~

She touched his arm lightly, "I was at the ball in disguise.  I was 
looking for the silver
crystal too."

He turned to look at her in shock, "What?"

"You heard me.  I am also searching for the silver crystal.  I'm trying 
to find the Princess
that me and the other scouts are sworn to protect--our leader."

He was staring wide eyed at her now.

"I'm Sailor Moon."  She finished, smiling at him.

He stared in disbelief, "You're Sailor Moon?!"

She giggled and it broke the strange tension.  He tugged one of her 
pigtails playfully,
"Should've known from the hairstyle."  He teased.

They chatted then, comparing notes.

"It sounds like you're looking for the same Princess as we are."  

"I'm so glad to hear you say that--I thought I was going crazy!"

They headed back toward the room, talking endlessly about battles, and 
Youma's and 
misunderstandings and so on.  As they reached the doorway however, 
Serena halted him.

"Darien?"

"Hmm?"

"Was that....was that really your first kiss?"

He turned so she couldn't see his face, "Yes, it was."  And he walked 
into the room without 
another word.

She followed him.

He grabbed his things and headed for the bathroom, shutting the door 
mercifully behind him.
He couldn't face her.  Couldn't describe to her the play of emotions he 
had felt that night.
How absolutely beautiful that kiss had been. 
His thoughts were still reeling.  Serena....Sailormoon...Princess at 
the ball....
He was beginning to realize his feeling for the three girls was the 
same...and what that
implied he didn't know what to make of.

Serena unfortunately, figured he was bitterly disappointed that SHE had 
turned out to be his 
first kiss, not some romantic Princess, or sophisticated woman, but 
HER, Serena, the meatball 
head.
She bit her lip.  A few days ago she could've easily matched that 
sentiment with on of her own.
Cranky old Darien her dream hunk?  What a let down!  
But now it was different.  Now he was her friend, and his opinion 
mattered.
She grabbed her book and walked out, shoulders slumped.
She headed down the deck with a heavy heart when she suddenly spotted a 
vase of tropical
flowers perched on a table nearby.
She straightened.
So what if Darien was disappointed?  He didn't HAVE to be romanced by 
the idea.  The important
thing was, the romance of that moment had not been spoiled for her.
She plucked one of the flowers carefully and headed back to the room.

When Darien emerged from the bathroom he found Serena gone and the 
flower with a note, tucked 
in with his things.
He picked them up curiously,
                             ~It was a beautiful kiss.~

That was all the note said.  He smiled and smelled the flower briefly.

And now my dear readers, you must be wondering, WHERE did Serena go?
Well.  Though on a romantic cruise, our two fav heroes did not actually 
spend every waking minute
together!  That's right!  GASP!  They did spend some time apart to 
enjoy their own things.
Plus, there were a bunch of activities organized for girls or guys 
only.
Darien would be--in the next few days--rock climbing and water skiing 
and a few other things 
that the mere mention of made Serena feel faint.
Serena on the other hand took the opportunity to prepare.....
Which is where she was now.
She padded quietly into the fancy dining room, over to the piano and 
sat down.
Jenkins was tidying when he spotted her,
"ahh, Miss Tsukino, practicing again?"
Serena smiled and blushed, "Yes.  I hope you don't mind listening to 
me..."
"You have a lovely voice, it's very pleasant company while I work."
She played and sang softly as Jenkins continued around to each table.

On the last day of the cruise there was a talent night.  Serena knew 
about it--Darien did not.
She intended to surprise him.  Before the cruise, she reflected, she'd 
never have had the 
confidence to try anything like this.  Ironically, spending the week 
with her worst enemy had
given her that confidence.

*******************************************************************************************

Day 5

Dusk was settling sweetly over the ship and sea when Darien returned 
from his rock climbing.
He'd spent the day away from Serena, since it was a girls only and guys 
only activity day.
He'd never have imagined he would miss her company so much.  Nor could 
he have anticipated
how much fun it was to compare notes with other guys about girlfriends 
and their various
adorable mannerisms.  
He'd had a couple of great laughs about them, reflecting, with a bit of 
a pang in his stomach,
that it was almost like they really were a couple.  Almost.
With a maddening and delightful rush, the weeks events once again 
washed over him.  
Serena playing tennis, watching the sunset, swimming, sketching, 
studying, sleeping in his arms
to hide from the storm.....the way she tripped because she was always 
so excited, the way
her eyes lit up at every little thing, they way her face had looked 
when he surprised her 
sketching, the flower and note she left about the masquerade kiss.....
He shook his head.  His whole life had felt empty, lonely, incomplete, 
and now in a week it
seemed bursting to the brim.....he didn't know what to make of it.
And what about when they returned home?  Would everything that had 
sprung up so beautifully
between them vanish just as quickly as it had come?
They'd been enemies, and as Tuxedo Mask he'd always been cold and 
distant...he frowned.

He never wanted it to end.  Him.  Darien Chiba.  Ever practical, face 
the future, no nonsense
Darien was wishing with all his heart that this funny little cruise 
could somehow stretch on
to eternity.
Soon it would be over, just two more days....he vowed to make them 
count.  He'd spend all 
day tomorrow with her, and there was always the silver ball on the last 
day.  That night, he would
make up for every cold encounter with Tuxedo Mask, every harsh word at 
the arcade, every
misunderstanding between them.  That night he would spin out the 
beautiful thread of this 
dream to it's full length and make something beautiful.

He returned to the room to find Serena in the throes of fury, trying to 
untangle her hair.
He could hear her muttering and moaning as she pulled at the knots 
desperately.

"Serena?"  

She turned around suddenly, "Oh, hey Darien.  Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah actually, rock climbing was a blast! What did you do all 
day--besides apparently, tangle
your hair?"

She smiled ruefully, "I fell asleep on it and now it's a mess!  I 
canNOT get the knots out!"

He plunked down his stuff and sat down in the chair near the couch, 
"C'mere, lemmie see if I can
help."

She walked over and stood in front of him, "Good luck!"

He turned her around, "Watch me!"

He started carefully at the bottom and tried to gently work his way up.  
It was no easy task 
though.

"You sure have a lot of hair--have you just never cut it?"

"Actually I have cut it, lot's of times, but it always grows back 
really fast.  I don't know if
it has something to do with being Sailormoon or what.  I've cut it to 
my shoulders and in a 
week it's back down to the floor."

"Hmm.  Maybe it does.  It's beautiful hair though."

"Yeah, a big beautiful TANGLE! Ohhhhh!"

He laughed.

They chatted about various things....rock climbing, the irony of 
winning the couple's contest,
the negaverse, the various pro's and con's of being tall or short....

Finally Serena's hair was tangle free, and thanks to Darien's gentle 
touch, she was beautifully
relaxed.

"Oohh am I ever ready for bed!"  She murmured.

"Not so fast there princess meatball!"  he teased, tugging her back by 
the hair, "You have to
study!"

"Nooooo!  Look, y=mx+b, leaves gather light and process chlorphyl by 
photosynthesis, Huckleberry
Finn is actually a social criticism, the capital of Tokyo is...."
and in one long blur she recited everything they had studied all week, 
so determined not to 
study it again that she simply reiterated it all.

Darien stared wide-eyed at her, "Why Serena!  You remember everything!  
You've learned and
memorized everything!  I knew you could do it!"

He swung her happily around.  She grinned, "Yeah, I guess I did!  ha 
ha, Miss H is gonna
flip!"

She laughed as he dropped her on the bed with a bounce, "Does this mean 
I don't have to study?"

He grinned, "Yes.  Have a good sleep, you've earned it!"

She shrieked with joy and impulsively grabbed his face and kissed his 
nose with a loud 
zmoi noise.
"yahoo!  Thank you thank you thank you!  Thank you Darien!  Thank you 
Tuxedo Mask!  Thank you
brain!  Thank you universe!  siiiigh!"  She laid back and fell promptly 
to sleep.

Darien crawled onto the couch smiling madly.  He would have to kidnap 
her away to his apartment
so she could make his life this delightful all the time.

This being his last thought before sleep it shouldn't surprise you to 
know he dreamt of marrying
her all night.
What it may interest you to know is that Serena dreamt it too.  In fact 
they shared the same 
vivid dream of getting married all night.
It made for a very awkward morning to follow over breakfast.

"Sleep well?"
"Yup.  You?"
"Oh great, just great."
How's your toast?"
"Fine, fine."

~Why did I dream of marrying Darien?  What's wrong with me?  That's 
NEVER going to happen!
We're just friends!  He could never fall for me!  I'm just having a 
childish fantasy!  I'm 
forgetting that this is all pretend and I'm really just a....just a...I 
don't know...~

In truth she couldn't just list off her faults anymore.  Now she found 
herself realizing that
she was funny, and smart when she put her mind to it, and coordinated 
with her hair out of the
way, and a real hero too.  

~Maybe I do have some things going for me.  Maybe I do have a lot to 
offer...~

Darien meanwhile, stared out the window, terrified that if he looked at 
Serena, she would 
somehow read his dream in his eyes...

~Why would I dream of marrying Serena?  And in such vivid detail?~  He 
had an odd sense of
premonition but brushed it quickly aside.  Unlike Serena, Darien held 
no rose tinted ideals of 
himself.  He knew he was ill-equipped to handle love and friendship.  
Although some strange,
half-familiar instinct arose in him to be different to Serena, it also 
made him wickedly
nervous.  He knew he teased her to dispell the tension, but that didn't 
make things any 
easier!

Serena chewed her lip thoughtfully.  Maybe, just maybe, Darien WOULD be 
interested in a girl like
her.  And was she interested in him?  She sighed....~ofcourse~.
Not only had he turned out to be a wonderful friend, but he had also 
turned out to be Tuxedo
Mask.  If she'd been uncertain of her feelings for Darien in the 
slightest, the fact that he
was her masked hero dispelled them.  She knew in her heart that Tuxedo 
Mask was her true love.
And she never questioned her heart.  And now that it was Darien....it 
all seemed to fit....
She looked up at his handsome face.  He was staring out the window, 
deep in thought.

~I'll tell him.  I will.  Maybe I have a chance....~

She opened her mouth to speak the truth when he suddenly turned 
determinedly back to face her,
"So, what do you want to do today?  It IS our second last day 
together!"
He smiled good-naturedly at her, all traces of anything else hidden 
carefully.

Her momentary certainty faltered, her smile faded for a moment before 
she quickly pasted it
back on, "I don't know....what do you feel like doing?"

He paused thoughtfully, "Hmmmm. let me think...we can't have done 
EVERYTHING there is to do
on this ship yet...."

"There's a salsa dance and limbo competition tonight."

"I know, I remember."

"We could go into town..."

"I guess...did you have any place specific in mind?"

"Actually, there was a space observatory in town I was hoping we could 
get into.  They have
a huge telescope that they track the moon and stars with.  I'd love to 
see it."

"That sounds great.  How did you find out about it?"

"It was in the brochure I got with the map the other day."    
She picked up her bag and sighed, "I love looking at the moon..."  she 
said dreamily.

He smiled, times like this he really believed she was some sort of 
faery.
They took a cab to the observatory and managed to get one of the staff 
to take them on a tour and
even let Serena look through the telescope.

"Ohhhh, there it is!"  She sqealed delightedly as the moon came into 
focus.

The scientest zoomed the lense in close enough for her to make out the 
surface and she suddenly
grew serious.

"oh, it looks so empty and desolate...."

Darien took her arm gently and smiled at her.  She looked sad a moment 
but then smiled back.
They decided to walk back since the night was warm and Darien took her 
hand as they walked.
Serena smiled a bit regretfully at him,
"You know, no one's around, you don't have to keep up the charade if 
you don't want to."

He smiled a bit sadly and released her hand, and she immediately 
regretted saying anything.
They walked on in silence until she spotted the moon again.
"Look!"  She gasped, taking his hand gently, "Doesn't it look beautiful 
from here?"

He followed her gaze and suddenly she shivered.

"Are you cold?"  He asked, realizing helplessly, that he had nothing to 
offer her.  He was in 
shorts and a t-shirt, and she in a sleevless summer dress.

She nodded slightly, "A bit."  She admitted.

He tucked an arm carefully around her and pulled her close, not missing 
the sweet sigh she gave
as she wrapped her arm round his waist.

"Mmm, how are you so warm?  I'm freezing!"

He chuckled, "I dunno, cause I'm bigger I guess."
Then he leaned down to her ear, "Actually, that's a lie."  He said 
softly, "It's a 
Tuxedo Mask thing."  He said mysteriously and she laughed.

"Oh is it?"

He laughed too.  Then he felt his heart grab, ~I'm flirting with her!~

Apparently she didn't notice.

They walked on and Serena asked, "Darien?  Do you mind if I ask you 
something?"

"Shoot."

"Well, have you ever...I mean...was that really your first kiss?  
Haven't you had a girlfriend
before?"

"It was, and no I haven't.  Does that surprise you?"

"Well, yeah!"

He laughed, "Why?"

"Because!  You're so, I dunno, handsome and older and sophisticated!  
Girls must throw themselves
at you on a reguler basis!"

"Not quite."

"Don't try that on me!  I KNOW they do!"

"Alright alright, I confess.  I do have my offers."

"But...?"

"But...no one's been the right one...."

She seemed to accept this and relaxed a bit, letting the soft warmth of 
him soak in.

"What about you?"  He asked.

"Huh?"

"Haven't you had any offers?"

"WHAT?!  Are you kidding?!"

"Why should I be kidding?  I've seen the way guys look at you...."  He 
trailed off a bit
angrily at that....there were some guys who didn't know the self 
control he'd exerted to avoid
pummeling them into next year.....

"Now I KNOW you're kidding!  I am NOT pretty!  I am NOT popular!  No 
guys pay attention to me!
Except ofcourse, to laugh when I trip and tease me about my hairstyle!"

He pulled her to a stop just before the ship, "Do you really think 
you're not pretty?"  He asked
seriously, his blue eyes intent as they searched hers.
She felt her heart beating wildly.

"N-no."  She stammered.

He ran a gentle hand down her cheek, "You're wrong."  He said softly, 
leaning down closer to
her face, "You're the prettiest girl I've ever met...."

His breath was warm on her face he was so close....so close that a kiss 
was inevitable....she
watched until his face was blurry and then shut her eyes, tense with 
anticipation....
Darien, completely swept up in the moment, slipped his arms around her 
and moved to pull her 
into a kiss....

*************************************************************************************

aaaahhhh!  SUSPENSE!  I know, I'm cruel minna!  Forgive me?  I promise 
I'll have the next 
chapter out soon!
Drop me a line and rant about how terrible I am for cutting it off 
there after you've waited
so patiently for some mush!  ;)