Hi everyone! This is my first fan-fic ever, and boy am I nervous. Please be gentle with all flames and PLEASE give me a break. This took me forever to write, and it took me even longer to get the guts to post it. Just ask my faithful friend Sailor Song, who single handedly proofread my fan-fic and helped me with all my problems. I couldn't have done this without her, and I hope I do her justice by putting her name with my story. Well, enough of my ranting: for those of you who actually kept reading, I'll let you know that in this story, Darien and Raye NEVER went out or had feelings other than friendship. There is no fighting in this at all and no scouts either. I wanted this to be strictly Darien and Serena's romance. I really hope you like it. **************************************************************** The Fateful Snowstorm That Started It All by Evangeline "I hate the cold!! I hate the cold!! I hate the cold!!" Serena chanted to herself, walking through the streets. Everything around her was now being covered in snow. It made for a beautiful setting, if only she had someone to share it with. "Hey! Meatball Head! Where are you headed?" 'THAT CREEP! How dare he invade my private time by calling me Meatball Head! When I said wanted someone to share this with, I meant someone DECENT' "It's none of your business, Darien! But, if you must know, my mother wanted me to run to the grocery store to get some bread for her before the storm gets too bad." 'That is great! I'll have more time to tease her!' "Great, Serena!" he answered back. "The grocery store is just were I'm headed too. We could go together." He added a fiendish grin to that last part. 'Uggh! Why did he show up and ruin my peaceful walk? I never seem to get any rest from him, EVER. He's such a jerk and I hate when he's near me and?. Gosh, he's awfully handsome with the snow falling all around him?. SERENA!! What are you saying?' Serena tried to hide her thoughts as she spoke, "That's fine with me, just so long as you don't call me Meatball Head!" 'Yes! She's gonna let me walk with her. Boy is she going to get the teasing of her life! Think up something witty to say back: 'Ok, meatball head' Good, now?.maybe you shouldn't call her that, it does seem to get her mad. Boy, she sure looks pretty in the snow like that. Makes her cheeks all rosy and?.. MAN! What are you thinking? "Fine by me, Serena. I can actually be quite charming, if I try." Serena smirked, "You don't find the energy to try very often, do you?" Darien winced, "Good one, Serena. That actually stung" A sad look came into her eyes, "I learned from the best." With that said, Darien's heart suddenly dropped. He looked to see what Serena's face could tell him, but she seemed to be lost in thought. 'Did I do that to her? Am I really that mean to her? Maybe my little game to see how mad I can get her should stop now. I guess I forgot I was teasing a 14-year old. I just can't seem to help myself? I wonder why.' They walked in silence all the way to the grocery store. It was of course, deserted (AN: who in their right mind goes to the grocery store in the middle of a blizzard?), and Darien walked over to get a hand basket, and started walking away from Serena. "Darien!" Serena called out as he was walking. He turned around. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that." He just gave her a slight nod, and went on with his shopping. 'Great way to save the day Serena! You could have had a nice time shopping with Darien, together with Darien, and you blew it! Maybe for good!! ?What am I saying? I didn't want to be with that sleaze anyway.' Both Darien and Serena went on shopping in silence, alone, until the lights started to flicker. Serena began to panic as the lights went out. "DARIEN!!!" she wailed as the darkness settled. Darien inwardly smiled, because his name was the first thing she said. "Serena, don't worry about it. It's just a little dark. The emergency lights will be on in no time." As he said this, the lights came back on momentarily, then shut off again. 'So much for the back-up generator' Serena began to wail again, "Darien! I don't want to be alone in the dark!" He smiled. Ok, he was her choice, at the time her only choice, but her choice nevertheless. "Keep crying Meatball Head, I'll walk towards the sound of your mouth," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. He continued to walk toward the sound and soon found her on the ground. He reached out to let her know he was here, and he noticed that she was shaking. She was truly scared. Without thinking, he pulled her up with one arm, while the other held her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and sobbed into his shirt. He felt like he held her so close, it must have been physically impossible, but he stood, nonetheless, his body pressed against hers, stroking her hair, and she stood sobbing as fear pervaded her. "Come on Serena, don't cry." 'Good, Darien! No Meatball Head. See how long you can keep it up.' "We should just walk to the door, we can already see some of the light, and then we'll be out, and be safe. OK? Sound like a plan to you?" He spoke to her in his most comforting voice, which, unbeknownst to him, had the most soothing effect anyone could dream of. Serena sniffled one last time, and peeled herself, regretfully, away from Darien. "Ok, I think we can do it." He smiled at her, and whether she saw it or not, she could feel it's warmth, and they walked off together. Serena had Darien going at a fairly quick pace, and before they knew it, they had run, full speed, into the soup shelf, and knocked themselves unconscious. "Oh, my head!" Darien said as he finally came back to consciousness. He looked around him for clues for him to see what had happened, but when the darkness would not leave, he remembered where he was. "Serena?" he yelled uneasily. He groped around for some sign of Serena, and his hands fell on her silky hair. He followed the hair up to her head, and he placed his hands on either side of her face. "Serena?" he almost whispered, wishing he could see if she was alright. Serena stirred for a moment, and she woke confused. She could feel the hands on her face, and she had heard her name called lovingly, so she wasn't worried at the lack of light. "Yes, my prince?" she asked as she lifted her head, along with Darien's hands, up. Her lips somehow found Darien's, and before he could say anything about it, they were locked in a passionate kiss. Somehow, Darien lost all control as the kiss deepened, and too much electricity was going through his body for him to pull away. Once Serena was finished, she asked, "What did you need, my prince?" Darien could barely find enough breath to murmur to her, "Nothing, princess." Darien heard her sigh, and lie back down. 'That was from bizarro land' Darien thought to himself, as he stared at the darkness where he knew Serena lay. He was shocked into motionless from what had just happened (not that happiness wasn't filling his heart) but he was also ashamed of himself. Serena obviously hadn't been aware of what she was doing, and he had sort of taken advantage of that. Ok, maybe he didn't have the willpower to pull away, once under her spell, but he should have had it. As he began to move around, to orientate himself, Serena began to stir again. "Where am I?" she asked getting up. Suddenly, she remembered where she was. "Darien!" she called out, fear filling her voice. He wouldn't leave her here, would he? "I'm right here, Serena," he said walking towards her. As she grabbed his arm for protection, he was glad of the darkness to hide his face. He knew that he was blushing profusely, and he was pleased Serena couldn't see it. He shouldn't be blushing, the kiss shouldn't mean anything to him; not if he was just kissing some Meatball Head. But, as he was learning, Serena wasn't just some Meatball Head. "What happened? I remember walking towards the door, and then I woke up on the floor." Serena voiced was sopping with confusion. Darien chuckled to himself. "I think we ran into a shelf." He and Serena had a laughing spell, followed by one of silence. To break the silence, Darien continued, "How about you stay here while I go look for the door?" Fear flashed into Serena's eyes, although Darien couldn't see it. "Will you be able to find it alone?" She hoped desperately he would change his mind and take her with him. Darien knew instantly what her fear was, and it hurt him that she would think that of him. "Serena, I promise I will not leave you here. I'm going to look for the door, and then I WILL come back for you. You should stay here and maybe look for the person that should be running the store. You remember that person we saw at the registers as we walked in?" Serena nodded, but, remembering the darkness, answered him back aloud, "Ok, Darien." Once that was said, Darien turned what would have been the most graceful turn Serena had seen had it not been for the darkness, and then he left. 'Great! I'm alone, what do I do now? I know that Darien really just wanted me to stay put, but I don't know?. I've got it. I'll find that person he was talking about. He'd be so proud of me!' Satisfied with her brilliant idea, Serena left, moving slowly, to find the person. 'I hope Serena will be okay where I left her' Darien's thoughts were interrupted when he lightly ran into the hand baskets. 'I must be close to the door now, but why don't I see any light?' As Darien steadily moved closer to what he thought was the door, the air around steadily became colder. Suddenly, his hand found the handle of the door. A tiny fear went through Darien as he realized that he was at the door, and yet there was no light coming from where it should have. He pushed on the door and didn't even budge. Confusion spread through him. He began to push and pull again, and still the door did not moved. Then it hit him: They were snowed in. At that fact, much to Darien's shame, happiness flowed through him. He was trapped in here with Serena, possibly alone with Serena. What could be better? But a thought flickered in his mind: What if Serena didn't want to be stuck in here with him. Of course she wouldn't, so Darien decided to try the door again. He began pushing and pulling to his heart's content (which was now the content of her heart). After a few minutes of this, he sank to his feet in defeat. When he looked up, Serena stood there with a lit candle, which she obviously found on the shelves somewhere. Her eyes glimmered with tears. 'Wonderful, she's crying because she has to be stuck with me. Way to make myself feel great.' A tear fell down Serena's cheek. 'Look at how bad he wants to get away from me! He was at that door for so long, pushing and pulling like it was killing him to stay within 50 feet of me. He can't bear to be near me!!' She felt a wailing fit coming on. Before she could begin to wail, Darien was next to her, his arm around her, trying to soothe her with his voice. "I'm sorry, Serena. I tried to get us out, but I think that we may be snowed in. I know it's scary, but you don't have to worry, I won't let anything happen to you." He smiled a tender smile, "You did a good job finding those candles, Meatball Head." Serena felt relief run though her as she heard his words (minus the 'Meatball Head'). Maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought. He just might have been trying to save her. "Thanks, Darien. But what do we do now? We're stuck in here, and I'm getting cold." Darien looked at her face in the candlelight, and his heart melted. "I think this store was selling special blankets for the snow storm, so we should try to find those. I think they were just over by the checkout," Darien said in a soothing, attentive voice. Serena looked up into his eyes, they were a deep blue that was twinkling in the candlelight and also soft with affection. At that moment, anything he would have said she would have done. "That sounds great Darien." They walked to the checkout in the dim candlelight. It was a slow walk, since they didn't want the candle to go out, and the walk contained an uncomfortable silence. Serena kept secretly glancing at Darien, who somehow managed to look even more handsome in the candlelight. When they finally reached the blankets, there was of course only one left. Serena immediately shot a glance at Darien, seeking him for guidance. She was very cold, but she certainly wasn't going to snatch it from Darien if he was cold too. Then an outlandish idea came into her mind: Maybe she and Darien could share it!!!! On instinct, Darien grabbed the blanket without flinching, swung it around Serena's shoulders, and wrapped her in it. "Here, Serena. You can use it, I'm not nearly as cold as you are." Serena was touched, although slightly disappointed that her idea of sharing didn't work out. "Thanks, Darien, but tell me when you get too cold and we can switch." The silence fell on them again, until Darien almost began to think aloud. "I think that we might have been unconscious for awhile. Do you know what time it is?" Serena regretfully shook her head. "Well, it doesn't matter. I know we've been out for awhile. And I think the reason that we're all alone here is, while we were unconscious and the lights were out, I think everyone else evacuated. They probably called out to anyone left in the store, and since we were unconscious, we didn't answer." "That sounds logical to me," Serena said back, trying to sound like she also knew what was going on. Then a foreboding feeling came over here. "If we're all alone here, and no one knows we're here, what are we going to do?" A tear came down her cheek. Darien's heart went out to her, and although he wanted to hold her and rock her until everything was alright, that would be too weird. He settled on just calming her with his words, "Come on Serena. We'll be fine here. If worse comes to worse, we'll be stuck in here for a day or two. Relax. We're in a grocery store!" He smirked at his next statement, "We've got all the food we can think of, and if we do have to stay for a night, there's soap!" Serena busted out laughing, and without thinking, she ran over and hugged Darien's waist. Darien accepted this gesture with an open heart, and they stood like that for quite some time. Serena looked up at Darien as he began to speak, "Maybe we should go and look for something to eat, I'm starting to get hungry." Serena laughed as she looked up at Darien, "Hey! That's what I was going to say!" They both busted out laughing as they walked through the store to see if they could find something to eat. As they were walking, Darien spoke, "Well, since we can't cook anything, maybe we should head over to the fresh fruit." Serena's eyes bugged out. "Darien, we can have anything we want in this whole store, and you pick fruit? You are CRAZY! Just leave it to me, and I'll find us real food." And with that, Serena left Darien with a quirky smile on his face. Darien had been waiting for what seemed like hours when he finally heard her soft footsteps. He looked up to see her carrying what looked like a picnic basket. "What's this, Serena?" Darien asked, a puzzled look on his face. Serena smiled sweetly. "Well, since you weren't in your right mind enough to provide dinner for us, it was up to me, and this is what you get." She giggled and wrinkled up her nose. "Don't worry, I have it all: paper plates, napkins, silverware, and of course food." She knelt down and opened the picnic basket. "We can have a nice little meal on the floor. I brought tablecloth that we can sit on and candlesticks so we don't have to hold the candles while we eat." As Serena was saying this, she began unpacking the picnic basket. First she took out a beautiful lace tablecloth and spread it out carefully on the floor. Next she took out picturesque pewter candlesticks and she placed hers and Darien's candles in them. As she was doing this, Darien sat down opposite her, across the candlesticks. After that, she placed one paper plate in front of Darien, one in front of herself, and also placed an attractively folded napkin next to the plates along with the plastic silverware. Once she was finished setting the "table", she looked up a Darien. Serena could tell that he waiting anxiously to see what she had chosen, and she felt a twang of guilt due to the fact that she had chosen only what she would like. Oh, well, better just get this over with. Serena reached back into the basket, and pulled out an enormous chocolate cheesecake. A satisfied smile came to her lips as she saw Darien's face light up with pleasure. "That is so great, Serena! Chocolate cheesecake is my favorite. That is too cool!" "I'm so glad you like it, Darien!" Serena answered back as she cut them both slices, and they began to eat. They managed polite small talk as they ate, and small talk was probably all they were capable of considering all the thinking they were doing. 'I wonder what Serena is thinking? She's probably just come to terms with being stuck with me, and decided that we shouldn't fight in a situation like this. What I wouldn't give for her to be almost?happy? we were here. DARIEN'S DAYDREAM "Marco!" Serena shouted as she walked slowly, searching blindfolded for Darien. "Polo!" Darien shouted back as he darted behind an aisle. Serena knew that was going to be his next move, so she also turned down the aisle. She was getting tired of this game, she just wanted to be with Darien. "Marco," she said with firm voice. A bright, colossal smile appeared on Darien's face when he knew he was caught. He stood still, no more games. "Polo." Serena ran in the direction of Darien's voice, and threw herself into his arms. He willingly wrapped them around her, picked her up, and twirled her. She giggled wholeheartedly, wishing this to never end. Darien set her down lightly, and he gingerly removed her blindfold. "You found me, you win!" A calculating smile appeared on his face. Serena's smile matched his as she answered back, "That's right I won. Now where's my prize?" Darien's lips curled upward, "Right here," and he scooped her up and into his passionate embrace. Their lips met with force, and yet with a gentleness, and they were lost in the bliss of the kiss. END DAYDREAM "Darien! Earth to Darien!" Serena shouted as she saw that Darien was spaced out. "Oh, sorry, Serena. I guess I just spaced out for a moment. Anyway, we were talking about the new Sailor V game?" Serena smiled, "Yeah, we were. It's okay, we both have a lot on our minds now. What were you going to say about Sailor V?" Darien continued to talk of Sailor V as if he was actually interested as Serena's mind began to wander. SERENA'S DAYDREAM Darien looked nervous as he was sitting across from Serena. Several times he looked as if he wanted to say something but stopped before it came out. Serena was about to plainly ask him what was wrong, when Darien finally found the courage to speak, "Serena, can I tell you something?" "Sure, Darien. Whatever you like, we're friends now." Darien's look became irritated. "But you see, that's just it. I don't want to be your friend, I want to be MORE than just friends. I've been trying to hide my feelings for you by teasing you and pushing you away, but I can't deny my feelings any longer. I love you, Serena. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you. I can't be without you anymore, I need you, Serena; your beauty, kindness, warmth, and your love. Please," Darien pleaded franticly, "tell me you feel the same way!" "Of course I love you too!" Serena screamed as she leaped into Darien's arms. He grabbed her desperately, and pressed her tight against him. After awhile, they stared into each other's tear filled eyes for a moment, before their lips met in ecstasy. END DAYDREAM "Serena, are you okay?" Darien asked as she finally came back to reality. "Oh, gosh, Darien! I guess we both spaced out now. Sorry." A slight blush appeared on both their faces. "That's okay. I was just asking you if you'd like the last piece of cheesecake." "Sure, that's super!" Serena said as she snatched the last piece and gulped it down. She looked up to see Darien smile at her. That was incredibly nice of him to give her the last piece of his favorite cheesecake. Before she could stop herself, Serena said, "I never knew you could be like this." A blush suddenly appeared on her face and Serena lowered her head. Darien saw this, and was happy, but before he could control himself, he answered back, "I never let you know I could be like this." Serena looked puzzled by his answer, Darien cursed himself for saying such a stupid thing, and they both cleaned up the remnants of their 'candlelight dinner'. As they were cleaning up, Serena looked up at Darien, and suddenly became concerned. "Darien you are shivering. Here, take the blanket now." Serena began to take the blanket off, but Darien stopped her. "No, Serena. You keep the blanket, I'll just use this tablecloth." And with that said, Darien took the white-lace tablecloth and wrapped it around his shoulders. Serena was about to protest, but when she saw Darien with the white-lace tablecloth around him, she started laughing so hard tears came down her face. Darien looked sheepishly at her, "What?" "Nothing," she said through broken laughs. When she finally stopped, a huge yawn overtook her. "Boy am I getting tired now." "Yeah, I am too. Maybe we should lie down. We'll have clearer heads in the morning." Serena nodded. "You're right." Then, while she was thinking, a look of resolve came over her face. "Let's share the blanket tonight." She laughed, "There's no way you'll be warm under that tablecloth. Besides, we can use the tablecloth as a pillow." Serena was afraid he wouldn't agree, but he gladly did. So they rolled up the tablecloth into a semi-comfortable pillow. Then they lay down relatively close to one another, and soon both were fast asleep. During the night, as if on instinct, they wound up in each other's arms and slept the rest of the night in rapture. THE NEXT MORNING Serena woke first, with a sensation of warmth around her. She opened her eyes and saw someone in front of her. At first she was a little frightened, but as she looked up and saw the peaceful face of a sleeping Darien, calmness moved through her. After relaxing, she lay her head back to where it was, on Darien's shoulder, and scooted closer. Before long, she was back asleep. She didn't even notice the morning light that was coming through a window somewhere. Soon after, Darien woke up. He felt something soft at his neck and shoulder, and he looked down to see Serena's peaceful face. Joy leaped though his heart. Without thinking, his hand began stroking her hair. Darien just stared at her and wondered at the feeling of completion he felt. As he was lost in thought, memory of what happened last night flooded through him. Finally, he realized that there was light, and he immediately looked up. A small window, near the ceiling, had the morning light shining through it. He was partially happy that they had an escape, but he didn't want to leave her. Regretting these words, he said to Serena in a soft voice, "Serena, wake up." Memories of what happened the last time Serena woke up flooded through him. A slight blush came to his face as she woke up. "What's wrong, Darien?" Serena asked, as she woke, concerned. Seeing the blush on his face, she thought he was embarrassed to be sleeping so close to her. She reveled in this because he wouldn't be embarrassed if he didn't feel something for her. Through his blushing, he meekly said, "There's light coming in here, so that means there's a window somewhere. Maybe we can get out now." Serena was very disappointed, not being able to stay with Darien much longer, and she was afraid he would go back to being the old Darien. But she had to be wrong; this was a whole new side to Darien, a whole new side for her. The disappointment on his face let her know she was wrong. He reached for her hand on instinct. "Let's go see if we can find it." Serena, happy with the physical touch, followed blindly. Together, they walked towards the light, painfully adjusting their eyes. Soon, they found the window. "Wow, Darien! It's so high! Will we be able to get up there?" Darien smiled confidently. "Of course we will. Have I ever led you wrong before?" Visions of his suggestion of fruit the night before came into her mind, but she said nothing. "Ok, Mister Never Doubt Me, how are we getting out that window?" Almost before Serena could finish her sentence, Darien had lifted her (practically weightless to him) and soon she was at the height of the window. "Ok, Serena. Can you open the window?" Serena looked down at Darien like he was crazy, but she complied, and soon the window was open and the cold air was coming through. Once open, Darien gave her a little shove and she was through the window. Serena looked down on him as he stood there in the light, and overwhelming love came over her. If only she could tell him, and he wouldn't laugh at her. Then she came back to the task at hand. "Darien, how are you going to get up here?" As she said this, Darien jumped up to the edge of the windowsill, pulled himself up and through the window, and was standing next to her within seconds. "Like that," he said that quirky smile of his plastered on his face. Then they stood in the open for awhile, not knowing what to say, until finally Serena broke the silence, "Well, I guess I had better go now. My family is probably worried sick about me." Darien nodded slowly. "Bye, Serena." Serena looked hurt that this was all they would part with, but she knew she had to go home. "Bye, Darien." Serena began to walk away, when all of a sudden Darien called her back. "Serena!" She rushed back to see what was the problem. "What's wrong, Darien?" She looked into his ocean-blue eyes for any indication of what might be wrong. Darien looked slightly uncomfortable as he stuttered, "Well?uh?I just wanted to say that I uh?had a really nice time?even though we were?you know?and all so?" Fed up with his stuttering, Darien grabbed Serena by the waist, pulled her close, and pressed his lips up against hers. At first she was a little frightened, this all being so new to her, but once Darien's warmth and passion overtook her, she welcomed anything he did. She pulled herself closer to him by wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tight; he ran his fingers through her hair and pushed her closer yet by pressing on her back. They stood there like that, their bodies mingling into one, for what seemed like an eternity to them both. Neither showed any signs of stopping anytime soon. Then suddenly, something cold bit both of them in the face. They stopped their embrace to look around, and what they saw totally shocked them. From the time that they had left the store, the snow had picked up considerably, and now they couldn't see ten feet in front of them. Serena grabbed Darien's arm for comfort. "What should we do, Darien? We can't stay out here like this, or walk anywhere. Should we go back inside the store?" Darien was about to comply, when a simple thought came into his mind. "No, my apartment is about a block from here. I think we can make it. And if we're lucky, the power will be on there. Just keep your blanket on tight, and let's go." Darien grabbed her waist again, and Serena turned to him for protection. It was a cold walk, and it took them quite a long time to reach Darien's apartment because the snow was so heavy. They almost didn't make it to his apartment. But sure enough, just when they were ready to fall to the ground, his building came into view. They practically ran to it, and walked into the forgotten sensation of heat. They both had the biggest smiles on their faces as they walked in, went up the elevator, and into Darien's apartment. Darien walked in first and turned on a light. 'His apartment is plain!' Serena thought as she walked in. "I'm so glad I'm finally warm!" Serena shouted throwing off her blanket. "I guess make yourself at home. I'll make us some hot chocolate." Serena's face perked up at the mention of hot chocolate, but the remark about hot chocolate made her feel a warmth she could not imagine in her wet, cold state, so she began shivering noticeably. "Oh, gosh! You're shivering and soaking wet! Let me see it I can find anything for you." And with that, Darien rushed to his bedroom as quickly as his feet could take him. Serena heard him shuffling through his drawers, and delighted in the fact that it was all for her. However, Darien's momentarily departure left her with a few minutes to contemplate their kiss before. Serena was still left with a feeling of utter happiness. DARIEN HAD WANTED TO KISS HER!!! And for her first kiss, it wasn't too shabby. In fact, it was actually the best it could have been. Darien had been so gentle, and yet so passionate, almost like what he was doing was natural and an instinct, not his simple desire to kiss her. Only he did prove that he had indeed desired to be near her. If Darien wasn't in the next room, she would have leaped for joy and screamed aloud that she loved him, because she most certainly did now, but she didn't know how Darien would take that. He may like her now, but it might take some work for him to love her. 'Wait until I tell the Scouts about my first kiss. Wait? my first kiss with Darien. Who would have thought?' She mused to herself as Darien finally reemerged. "Sorry it took me so long, but these are the smallest I could find. At least they will be drier and warmer for you. If you like, you can use the bathroom and maybe take a quick hot shower while I make the hot chocolate." "That sounds so great, Darien. Thank you so much. I'll be out in a jiffy." And with that, she left to go into Darien's shower. FLASHABCK (to Darien finding clothes for Serena) 'Okay, buddy think. What can you put her in? What do you have that would fit her??What would she look good in? What am I thinking? Don't do this buddy, don't go all crazy on yourself. Okay, so you somehow managed to get stuck with her yet again (a gift from God, you'll have to thank Him some time when you get your sanity back), and now you have yet another chance to get her to love you back. You were doing a very good job in the store, and it paid off. You kissed her twice, only she only knows about one, but if one did matter more it would have been that one because that one was THE ONE that was?just?perfect.' 'No, black isn't her color, she needs something way more lively.' 'Okay, buddy, back to the mindless rambling. Did she mind THE kiss? No I rather think she enjoyed it.' And sinister smile placed itself upon Darien's face. 'You'll have to try that number again, possibly quite a few more times, but only if you keep up being nice, being great to her. Gosh, man, what does she do to you. You can't even think normally with her around you. And she must be electrically charged or something, because when you touch her, something happens. Magic? If it is magic, it is the sweetest kind in the world. Wait, quit thinking about her (well, just leave a fraction of your thoughts to bodily functions, like breathing) and find her something to wear.' Then a slightly selfish thought came into his mind. Darien walked over to another drawer, and pulled out his jogging pants and a T-shirt. 'If she's going to have to wear my clothes, they might as well be something I can wear again?just to be near her.' He smiled in triumph and walked back out to Serena. END FLSHBACK (back to present time) Darien heard the water in his bathroom turn on as he started the hot chocolate. A smile came to his face as he thought of her soft skin touching his clothes, but he soon scolded himself for thinking like that. She was fourteen. He needs to be careful. As Darien was waiting for his pot to boil, his thoughts began to wander again. 'I wonder what she's thinking. Is she happy to be stranded with me again.' He smirked. 'Maybe, just maybe, she is. For the situation's sake, I'll go with she is. Now, how do I make the best of this situation? Where should we drink the hot chocolate? In the kitchen, in the living room?in the bedroom.' A big smile spread across his face as he again scolded himself, this time more playfully. 'Well, maybe the bedroom is a far stretch, but I should kiss her again. Possibly a light kiss. One only to show her that I would welcome any more. And what if while we were talking, she brings up the kiss in the snow. How much do I tell her? Do I tell her that it was sweet passion that led me to it, the love I've felt for her since the moment I saw her, the loss of my self-control that I lose whenever I'm around her, or do I just blow it off and say I was caught up in the moment. No. You are not that Darien anymore. She now knows how you feel about her, go from there. Try to find how she feels about you, let her behavior be your guide. Sounds like a good plan to me.' As he came back to reality, he heard the water shut off. He couldn't help but smile to himself at what she was doing in there, in his apartment, in his bathroom. Somehow, it didn't seem at all unnatural, and it was weird to him. But he couldn't ponder about that much longer, because Serena was out in a jiffy, just like she said. "Gosh, Darien! I feel so much better now. Is my hot chocolate ready yet?" She grinned the most dazzling grin she could muster up. She decided in the bathroom that it was her mission to dazzle him into admitting his love for her. FLASHBACK (to Serena's time in the bathroom) Serena shut the door, and leaned on it a moment. 'Darien must be the sweetest guy in the world!' He was right there with her, in such a close proximity, and yet her heart ached for him. She wanted him to whisper sweet nothings into her ear while his arms were wrapped tightly around her. She wanted him to shut out the entire world and have only eyes for her. She wanted him to love her the way she loved him. The man she couldn't stand two days ago had become the man she couldn't live without. She now wondered how she made it through any day without him, never knowing how thrilling it was to be around him. The?MAGIC?she felt when he was around. He was in every way her match, and she knew it?but did he? She shook her head, and came back to the task at hand. She took off her wet, cold clothes, and was actually warmer. She ran the hot water, and then jumped into water. She spent more time looking at his shampoo and soap than she did actually using it. She felt stimulated using HIS things. From what she heard, he never really gets close to anyone, so she may actually be the only other person to touch half the stuff she has. She reveled in this. But she didn't want to be too long, she wanted to be near Darien. She jumped out of the shower, and grabbed a towel off the towel rack. 'I wonder if Darien used this before he left yesterday?' She was shocked she thought this, and was thinking such things about Darien, but could she help it? He was too beautiful, if beauty is applicable to men. After thinking over the towel situation, she reached over to put some clothes back on. She reached to the clothes Darien had given her. She put on the shirt first, and it's smell, so heavenly, overwhelmed her. Visions of rose gardens filled her mind as the smell enveloped her. 'Is this what he smells like? This paradise?' The smell almost overtook her, and she then made it her mission to get as close to him as possible, to get close to this. The smell emanated kindness, and she fell in love with him all over again. She looked in the mirror, and tried to find a way to dazzle him, although she had no make up, and not a brush. She saw his brush on the side of the sink, and began to use it to brush through her wet hair. She was about to put her hair back into the meatballs, but decided that her charm would be much better if her hair flowed about her wildly. She giggled softly at what she was doing, sort of entrapping an older man, but Darien didn't seem like that to her. He seemed the perfect love for her, no matter what anyone said or thought. She took one last glance at herself, pinched her cheeks for redness, braced herself, and opened to the door. The door to Darien. END FLASHBACK And there Serena stood, her hair flowing about her, wild, and Darien's clothes barely clinging to her lithe body. "Well, is my hot chocolate ready?" She asked again, walking over to him. Her plan was working, if only she could keep her composure up. Serena walked over next to Darien, who lost any ability to speak, as he was finishing their drinks. She came close to him to watch him working, when the smell of roses engulfed her again. Why had she not smelled that heaven before? Darien smiled at her closeness. Was it a sign of their both getting closer? He hoped. "Here you go, Serena." He handed her a mug, and she gratefully started to drink it. It was the best she had ever tasted, possibly not because it was a better brand than she had ever had, but more that Darien had made it for her. "I think I'm going to go jump into the shower now. Is that okay? Will you be alright out her alone for a few minutes?" She charmed him with her smile, "I'll be fine, don't worry. You need to change clothes too. You're as wet as I was." And with that, Serena quickly shooed him away so he could get warm. Darien quickly went into his room, trying to find himself something to wear. His room was a mess from his looking for clothes for Serena, and amid all the mess, he now had to find something for himself to wear. And he wanted something special, something that would just dazzle Serena. He found a pair of black slacks, equal in comparison to his hair, and he found a loose-knit red sweater that brought out the deep ocean blue of his eyes. 'Yes, this will be the outfit I can win her over in!' Darien smiled to himself, and walked back into the living room. "Serena, I'm just going to quickly jump in, and I'll be out in a sec." "That's fine, Darien." Serena said, calmly sipping her hot chocolate. She was quickly getting warmer inside and out, and she was relaxing considerably. "If you don't mind, I'll call my parents to let them know I'm fine." Darien smiled a most kind smile (one that Serena didn't know Darien was capable of, but she was learning quickly) and said back, "That sounds great." And with that, he was gone into the bathroom. `Serena` Serena walked over to Darien's kitchen, and decided to use the phone there. She picked up the receiver, and while dialing, she was praying that her parents weren't going to make her march straight home. She braced herself and waited for them to answer, but as she held the phone up to her ear, she realized that it wasn't ringing. She pressed it against the hanger, and then tried again, but received no dial tone. She tried a few more time, but still no luck. With a tone of perfect happiness that she could not contain, she said, "The phone is dead! We are ALONE up here!" She squealed in delight, and drank more of her hot chocolate. Then she finally decided that it was boring in the living room, so she decided to explore the rest of the house. What Darien didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She leisurely walked over to his bedroom, making sure that the water was still running, and upon entering, she was shocked at what she found. His room was messier than hers was! 'And the rest of the house was so clean. WAIT! I know why his room is so messy?It's for me! When he was looking for my clothes, he made the mess. How sweet!' She lingered in the doorway until she saw a picture on his nightstand. She walked over and saw that it was a picture of her and Darien. This shocked her. When had they been in a picture together? 'Wait, this surrounding looks familiar. Wasn't that the day the scouts and I took Andrew, Rita, and Darien to the park? It has to be, but where is everyone else?' To answer her question, Serena took out the picture and found it to be folded on one side. Once unfolded, it revealed the rest of the group. Unending love poured through her. 'He loves me! HE LOVES ME!' Joy surged through her body, and she pictured in her mind, the picture of him she had on her nightstand, the one Andrew had given her. 'And I love him.' Boy, the next time she saw him, she was going to let him know just how much she loved him back. She happily walked back to the living room to be there when he got out. On her way, she saw a vase with roses in it. It seemed odd that he would have roses in his place, but Serena didn't care too much. All that mattered was that he had HER there. She sighed while she sat down, and dreamed of her sweet "prince". `Darien` 'Hurry, buddy! You don't have all day to waste. She's out there waiting for you.' He hurried into the shower, washed everything appropriate (especially since he planned to be so near to Serena), and was right back out. He was then trying to do something fetching with his hair, when the lights began to flicker, and then go out all together. "Darien!" Serena screamed, as an all too familiar scene began again. Suddenly, she tripped over something and fell to the ground. Then there were no more sounds of movement. Without thinking, Darien ran out of the bathroom (towel still rapped around his waist) and searched for Serena. He knew his place well, and didn't run into anything in his search. Suddenly, Serena was in his arms again. "What's wrong, Serena?" He asked softly as she felt Serena's tears falling on his bare chest. "I'm afraid of the dark," Serena meekly said, a blush coming to her face as she realized the closeness of Darien's bare skin. She was thankful for the darkness to hide the blush. Darien smiled. "Don't worry, Serena. I'm sure you'll be safe here." He smiled as he realized he was still in a towel, but it felt good having her that close, like nothing was between them. "But I still need to get dressed, so I'm going to sit you down on the couch. I promise I won't be more than two minutes. Is that okay with you?" He spoke softly and gently, and somehow managed to wash away nearly all of Serena's fear. "Okay, Darien. But promise you won't be longer than that!" She paused for a moment, "And don't close the door. It's dark and I can't see anything anyway." Darien laughed and pulled her close, the reason was half to comfort her, half to comfort himself, and then he sat her down on the couch and left her with a comical line. "I won't close the door, but if the power comes back on while I'm changing, you're dead." He and Serena both laughed. Serena was still so shocked by the closeness they had just shared. She would hold that memory with her forever; it was too unbelievable to be true, and yet it was true. It seemed that every time they were threatened to be pulled apart, fate would intervene and they would be brought closer together. Fate was fine with Serena as long as Fate kept this up. She knew that after having her first taste of life with Darien, that she could not willingly give it up. She'd just have to trust this new side to Darien, and share her feelings before she lost her chance. Just as she decided that she would tell him the next chance she had, a pair of hands grabbed hers and began to lead her away. Don't ask how, but Serena just knew they were Darien's hands, and it shocked her because she hadn't heard his footsteps. They both remained silent as Darien led her to a part of his apartment that Serena remembered him to have a large checkered mural on the wall. Suddenly, she felt Darien move it. "What are you going, Darien?" Serena asked with curiosity, not fear, in her voice. She'd never be afraid now when Darien was around. He smiled (boy, he's been doing a lot of that lately, maybe more so than in his whole life put together. It must be his Serena). "Not many know, but my apartment has a fireplace. It'll be getting cold soon, and we will need some light." (AN: this is fiction/make-believe. If I wanted him to a have a flea circus, complete with spotlights, behind the wall, it'd be there too! I don't care if a fireplace is realistic or not, it's there!) Serena's heart leaped at the sound of a fire and Darien together; as did Darien when he too thought of this. He moved quickly in the dark, halfway fumbling, halfway knowing what he was doing. Suddenly, there was a roaring sound as the fire started, and light rushed into the room. Darien and Serena's eyes quickly met, both with the determination of telling the other their feelings. But Darien finally lost his resolve. 'Why would she even think about me in that way? Sure, lots of girls have said that I'm cute, but Serena doesn't care about things like that. She'd like a guy for his personality, and I've not shown her a decent personality. And I don't really have that great of a personality anyway, I shoved people as far away from me as I can.' He decided that he wouldn't say anything about his feelings, yet. "I'm sorry that we're stuck again, Serena. But the way the storm was going, and now that we've lost power, I don't think we'll be going anywhere any time soon." Serena, her resolve still intact, wanted to find out all about Darien before she told him of her love, so she quickly switched the subject. "So, did it ever snow like this where you used to live, or have you always lived in Tokyo?" A sad, far away looked coated Darien's eyes. Serena immediately saw that this was apparently not a good subject to touch on. "I'm sorry, Darien. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry I said something that upset you." Darien looked at her, tears almost coming to his eyes. "No, it's not your fault. You didn't know." Serena, seeing his obvious pain, wanted to end the subject, but she just had to know what could break his heart so much. "What's not my fault, Darien?" He looked intently at her. 'Could I possible tell her, and would she understand? Or would she just laugh like all the other kids? No, Serena wouldn't do that; Serena would understand. Now would be the best time to get this off your chest. "It's really difficult to talk about, but I'll try." Darien braced himself, and tried to look for the words. As he was thinking, Serena moved next to him and grabbed hold of his hand. He didn't notice this until he finally found the words to start, and he welcomed the comforting gesture. "When I was young, my parents and I were in a car accident. They both died, leaving me an orphan, and I had amnesia. I have no memories of them. My childhood was spent in an orphanage with?vicious people. I don't think I had one true friend until Andrew, all the others just laughed at me. I was different, and children thrive on making sure that when you are different, you know it. So I never really had anyone to hold on to, to share anything with, and I still don't know how to?I don't know how to show affection. That's why I'm always so cold to everyone, and I don't ever let anyone get close, not that anyone would want to get close. I've never really loved anyone," 'until you' "and I don't really think anyone has really loved me?" He lowered his head, and Serena saw tears fall down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Serena, you probably didn't want to hear me complaining." Serena looked at him, dumbfounded. "Complaining? No way, Darien! I am so sorry that those horrible things happened to you. I never knew." 'That must be why he teases me so much. He doesn't know how else to act. Poor Darien! I'll just have to fix him.' "But you're wrong, you know?" Darien looked at her, puzzled. "You are not cold to everyone and people do love you. Andrew, he's your best friend in the whole world, and he loves you. I've seen you with a couple of your other friends from school, and they don't think you're cold. And I know for a fact that Raye likes you. In more ways than one," Serena added this last part bitterly. "So don't sell yourself short. Even if you don't have a lot of friends now, I'm sure you could get as many as you want. Look at how nice you've been to me all yesterday and today. You could have been at any moment just as 'cold' as you say you are and left me, but you weren't and you didn't. You stayed with me, you helped me, and you never had to. That's not cold, Darien, that was kindness." Darien looked touched, and he squeezed the delicate hand he had been holding the whole time. 'Alright, her it goes, Serena. Just blurt it all out, don't flinch, and everything will be okay. He told you about his past, that must mean something, especially since it seemed so hard for him. Just go for it.' "And, I love you." Darien just stared at her for a moment until the full impact of what she had said, settled in. 'Did she just say that she LOVED me?' Darien's puzzled look prompted her to say more. "I know that you may not believe me, and now may not be the best time, but I just had to tell you. I love you. I've loved you since the moment I threw that first test paper at you. I don't know what it is, but I just love you. I can't explain it, why whenever I see you, I get happy inside, and I can't wait to speak to you. I needed any relationship I could get with you, and since it seemed like you wanted to tease me, I needed to act like I hated you. I thought that would have been the only way that anyone like you would have even spoken to me. But deep inside, I knew that you were different. I'd see you smile at Andrew, or someone else, and I saw the compassion in you. I knew that you played cold on the outside, but were a wonderful person inside. And then, just being with you these two days, proved everything I've believed in. You've put up with this whiny little fourteen year old, when you could have been doing anything else, you worked so hard to keep me calm and safe; you tried to comfort me with just your voice and make sure that I was sheltered from all the cold; and then you brought me here, to your house. You are not at all cold, like you say. You just make yourself out to be because it's easier for you to act that way. But I see right through you, Darien Chiba, and, somehow, I know exactly who you are. I love you, but you don't have to be pressured into feeling the same way. I'd understand if you didn't, and I don't expect you too. I'm just a little girl and you have no reason to lo.." Serena was cut off by Darien's soft lips enveloping hers. He took her head in his hands, and caressed her face. She leisurely threw her arms around his neck and relaxed in the tranquility of the kiss. She could feel the warmth of the fire, and of Darien, and she was perfectly content. But the kiss, of course, had to stop for lack of air. Darien took both her hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm so glad you told me. I'd never have the guts to tell you this now, if you hadn't said that. You see, you are the most beautiful, caring, loving, self-less person that I've ever met. You are the light of my day and if I don't see you, it as though my day is ruined. I need you, somehow, I can't explain this either, it seems as though you complete me(AN: Jerry McGuire rip-off. I know, I know?but it fit!). And I thought that there was no chance in this world that you would feel the same way back, but I guess I was wrong. I can't believe that this almost wasn't said between us and that we could have stayed apart from each other. If Fate had anything to do with this, we owe her big." Serena looked at him, but he still hadn't said what she need to hear. "What are you saying, Darien." He smiled devilishly at her. "I'm madly in love with you. Sometimes I'd have to walk on the other side of the street from you just because I didn't think I could keep myself from kissing you right then and there. I've been madly in love with you so long, I don't even remember what I used to think about before I met you." He smiled and shook his head as if he still didn't even understand it. "I even have a picture of you and me together in my bedroom. It was from the picnic in the park, and we were stuck standing next to each other in the picture. I folded it so it's just you and me. I've got it bad for you." He embraced Serena, and she felt love pouring all over the place. Then she giggled, and Darien looked at her. She was blushing. He was about to ask her what happened, when she spoke, "You know what, I've got a picture of you in my room too. It was a picture Andrew gave to me of him, and you just happened to be in it. I kept it with Andrew for a few days, and then I just cut him out and then it was just you." Darien laughed, and they laid down, side by side, next to the fire. "How could we have been so clueless about one another?" Serena laid her head on his chest. "I don't care, just so long as we aren't clueless now." The two stayed there together all night long. Darien got a blanket and pillow, and they curled up in each other's arms. They stayed up until three in the morning talking about all the things that they had missed, and all the things they weren't going to let themselves miss. They shared so much that night (including many, many kisses) that it seemed that they'd never be as young as they were before that night, and they knew that they would be forever grateful for the fateful snow storm that started it all. Something awakened in them both: Darien finally came out of his shell, so to speak, and he didn't have as many problems opening up to people; and Serena seemed to grow up overnight, because she wasn't nearly as ditzy, lazy, or clumsy as she once was. The love they felt for each other, from that moment on, seemed like instinct for them both. It was never a question if they still loved one another, and they were immediately able to do almost anything in front of one anther, as if they'd know each other for a very long time. And even if they hadn't, they surely did love one another very much, and Serena was right: She fixed Darien's broken heart, and he was never alone again. So, what'd you think? I hope you liked it. Let me know what was good and bad so I'll have the guts to put up another one, or tell me that I had no right to put up this one. Whatever, just let me know: evangeline_28@hotmail.com Well, I'm gonna stop babbling now, but I do hope you liked it.