Title: A Million Kisses - Chapter 4
Author: Alicia Blade
E-mail: Kammi22@sprintmail.com

I have, like, zilch to say, except thank you much Klutz and Lady S! You
are so helpful!! And hi to the Pack too. ^_^ I always forget to say
that. Aishiteru, Jo-chans!

From me, expect a few shorts in the new future. I have so many in my
head and am finally finding the time to write them. Woohoo!

"The Lord said: Ezekiel, now say to the wind, 'The Lord God commands
you to blow from every direction and to breathe life into these dead
bodies, so they can live again.' As soon as I said this, the wind blew
among the bodies, and they came back to life!"
							Ezekiel 37:9-10


Chapter 4: The Moon and Sleeping Shepherd

	"So… Darien…" Serena said somewhat nervously, staring down at
twiddling thumbs. "Where we goin'?"
	"It's a surprise," came the mysterious answer. She raised her
eyebrow staring at him from the corner of her eye. "I hope you'll like
it," he continued, "I wasn't exactly sure… But even though I don't
really know you too well… I think you'll enjoy it…" His voice faded
away to uncertainty as he spoke and she could see his blue eyes cloud
over in slight uneasiness.
	She let her lips turn into a tiny grin as she watched him. It was
so obvious that he was as, if not more, scared than she was. A
comfortable warmth seemed to engulf her heart at the simple thought
that he wanted to impress her. As if he needed to. Reaching out, she
placed a tender hand onto his arm, making sure not to jar his steering.
"I'm sure I'll love it, if even just because I'm with you."
	He furrowed his brow for a minute, before a sweet smile lightened
his features and he took a short glance into her eyes. His grin only
widened by looking at her, and he returned his focus to the road.
Serena's hand came back to her lap satisfied, and she let the
rest of the car ride go on in content quietness, her gaze constantly
switching from the outside view of down town Tokyo to the man in the
driver's seat next to her.

	Only a few minutes later, the sleek black sports car came to a
stop and Darien inhaled a sharp breath. "Well, we're here!" he
exclaimed, stepping out from the car. Instantaneously, Serena's door
opened for her and a young man in a red suit with gold trimming held
out his hand. Serena placed her palm uncertainly into his and was
carefully dragged from the passenger's seat while Darien handed his
keys to the valet parking.
	As Darien came around to the sidewalk and linked his arm through
hers, Serena allowed her gaze to drift upward, and her jaw fell. Her
date watched her from the corner of his eye, gulping nervously when she
didn't respond, only stared at the building before them.
	"Are you alright?" He waited a moment, and she managed a nod.
Thinking the worst, he let his head drop. "Oh, goodness Serena, you
hate it. Of course you would hate it, what was I thinking? Look, we
don't have to stay, we can go somewhere else if you'd like, anywhere
you want to go…"
	She sucked in her breath, blinking back a few delighted,
emotional tears, before shaking her head back and forth. Her eyes never
left the sign hanging above the pair of grand oak doors reading 'The
Tokyo Art Museum presents A Gallery of Greek Mythology'.  "No, Darien…
I love it… I just… can't believe you would… Oh…" Her hand came up to
clasp over her mouth for a moment, before she turned to him, taking his
hands into hers. She looked up at him with eyes pooling over with
wonder and awe and exquisite delight. "I simply can't believe that you
would actually… WANT to take me here! I mean, I'm a ditz and immature,
at least everyone says so, and coming here… just makes me feel so very
sophisticated and special… and of dire importance. Thank you Darien, it
couldn't be more wonderful!"
	Slowly, he let a smile crease his lips, the fear dissipating from
his mug and thoughts. "You really like it?"
	She nodded vivaciously.
	Letting out a long breath, his eyes closed briefly. Impulsively,
he leaned forward, kissing her on her forehead, feeling her loose blond
bangs tickle his lips. She gasped, unsuspecting to the sudden movement
and when he pulled away, only utter amazement was etched onto her pale
rose-colored cheeks. "I'm glad. So… I guess there's no point in staying
out here now, is there? Come on, let's go."
	She let her eyes wander to the doors again as Darien once again
strung her arm with his and began to lead her up to the entrance. He
handed an old man a couple of tickets and they were ushered inside,
immediately greeted with marble floors, overhead, contemporary
lighting, and a young woman passing out brochures. They avoided her
carefully, shifting to the left side of the large room. There were many
hallways branching off to the sides of the gallery, no doubt leading to
more collections of priceless artwork. In the center, tall podiums,
some with glass boxes on top, held sculptures, jewelry, and even
dishware. Serena's eyes darted over the intricacy of it all. Her free
hand came in front of her stomach to hold onto his, still tied with her
arm.
	Darien glanced down on his angel as they walked to the nearest
wall, a few select paintings hanging in grand wooden frames, spotlights
allowing them all to glow miraculously.
	"Where would you like to start?" he whispered, to match the
serene environment around them. She chewed her lip mindlessly, looking
up at a painting before her.
	"Here is fine…" she replied in equal reserve. Immediately, Darien
turned his focus to the wall before them, reading over a small plaque
on the right side.
	'HERMES; by Nike Addin; Hermes, the god of Mercury. Zeus'
messenger who flies as fleet as thought to do his bidding.' The picture
presented a young man with a simple sash about his waist, and brown
sandals with glorious wings protruding from them. His head was bent
down, dark blue, almost black curly hair falling across his forehead
and deep charcoal eyes, and he seemed to be reaching his hand down to a
small village in the lower corner. The residents beneath him were
engaged in a wild festivity, dancing with bright colors against a
mostly dark background.
	"I think he just gave them a message of hope," whispered Serena,
tilting her head to the side. Darien only raised an eyebrow to see her
contemplating expression from the corner of his eye.
	"Are we going to analyze everything we see today?"
	She giggled, letting the serious face wash away. "Well, isn't
that the point of coming to an art museum? Come on, let's go onto the
next!" Giddily, she dragged him to the next painting, sighing and once
again listing her head to her shoulder.
	'OF THE UNDERWORLD; by Leonardo DaVinci; Hades, also referred to
as Pluto, fell in love with Persephone of Earth and made her his wife,
Queen of the Underworld'. On the large canvas, a glowing, ethereal
woman, holding dying wildflowers in her hand stunningly lightened a
background splashed with abstract dark colors. Over her shoulder, the
white outline of a man could be seen watching her curiously, the only
thing clearly seen of him was a dark gold chain he held in his hands,
extending to the woman's ankle.
	"Why can't you see him?" Serena asked, analyzing the figure
carefully. Darien smiled, glancing over the painting and admiring the
beautiful workmanship.
	"Hades had a special… helmet, and when he wore it, he was made
invisible to everyone."
	"Oh… she must be Persephone then."
	"I imagine so."
	"She's beautiful, but it's a sad painting. It's like he was
holding her there… a prisoner."
	Rubbing some fingers over her bare arm, Darien shifted her
attention away to move onto the next print.
	'ADONIS AND APHRODITE; by Anna Sapphire; Adonis, a human, was
loved by Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Persephone, queen of the
underworld. But when he was killed by a boar in hunt, the pain in
Aphrodite's heart was cut much deeper than his wounds, and she wished
that she could be a human and die with him.'
	Serena wrapped her arms around Darien's, staring at the
exquisite, and melancholy, painting. It was divided through the middle,
the upper half showing a beautiful land with flowers and grass, pale
blue, sun filled skies, and tall elegant trees, while below was a dark
and depressing atmosphere. On the upper earth, a gorgeous, slender
woman with long golden hair hovered over the motionless, bleeding body
of a young man, tears sliding down her pale cheeks as her long arms
tied around him fearfully. While in the underworld, an equally
beautiful woman with ebony locks and dashing emerald eyes held a pale,
translucent form of the same man alive in her arms, glaring upward in
victory.
	"Oh, my…" Serena whispered, tears building up in her eyes. Darien
almost wanted to laugh at the picture she made, a carefree, immature
girl crying over a painting of Greek mythology. She was certainly full
of surprises.
	"Are you okay?"
	She nodded, slowly removing her delicate hand from her face.
"It's just so sad. I mean… you can see the pain that Aphrodite was in.
She really loved him… and I think he loved her too."
	"Why do you think that?"
	"Well, if you look at him in the underworld, or… his soul in the
underworld, it looks like he's staring into space, almost as if he
misses something, or is daydreaming about something or someone else.
And you can obviously tell that it's not Persephone, since she's
holding him so tightly, and he's really not making any moves to return
the act."
	Darien sighed, lacing their fingers together. Yes, she was
perfect. "I can't believe you would read that far into it, Serena. You
really are a wonder, you know that?"
	She blinked a few times, before lowering her head, a shy smile
and blush rising up on her features. He chuckled briefly before walking
a bit further down the wall. At that moment, Serena looked up and felt
her heart jump into her throat. Her feet froze beneath her.
	"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Darien, turning to see her face paling
by the second.
	"Endymion…" she whispered.
Furrowing his brow, Darien turned to follow her gaze. Above a
large door hung a sign reading 'Lonny Lanai's Collection; Selene, the
moon goddess, and Endymion, the shepherd.'
	"Serena?"
	Finally snapping from her reverie, the blond turned to see Darien
staring down on her worriedly. "You okay? Spaced out for a minute
there…"
	"Yeah, sure, I'm fine. It's just… that… What's in there?"
	"Huh? You mean Lonny Lanai's Collection?"
	"Yeah."
	"Well, Lanai is an artist from Paris, I believe, and is famous
for all sorts of artwork; painting, sculpting, pottery… and most of her
work centers around a mythological story about Selene and Endymion. All
of her works on the two are in that special gallery. Er… do you want to
go see them?"
	"YES! Oh, I mean… please… it… it's my favorite story…"
	"Really? I didn't even know you liked mythology."
	"Well… I like Endymion," she said simply, taking a deep breath
and stringing her arm through his once again. Steadily, they began to
head towards the next room, all the treasure in the main gallery
forgotten.
	The first thing they saw was a large sculpture in the center of
the room, set on a marble table. It was life size, very large and
lifelike, and every detail was carved perfectly, straight down to the
last strand of hair. The piece depicted a man lying on the ground, his
eyes closed peacefully, one arm stretched over his head, the other on
his stomach. He had one leg strewn straight in front of him, while the
other was propped up casually. Above him kneeled a woman, dressed in
only a simple wrap for a dress. Her hair collapsed to well past her
ankles and her eyes stared into his sleeping face with love. One hand
lay on his chest, while the other stroked a finger on his jaw line.
Though her lips tried to smile, tears were rolling down her face. A
large bronze plaque below read:

Endymion the shepherd,
As his flock he guarded,
She, the Moon, Selene,
Saw him, loved him, sought him,
Coming down from heaven,
To the glad on Latmus,
Kissed him, lay beside him.
Blessed is his fortune.
Evermore he slumbers,
Tossing not, nor turning,
Endymion the shepherd.

	"I don't get it…" Serena whispered uncertainly. The sculpture was
stunningly beautiful, but… a shepherd?
	"Well… in the story, Selene is so in love with Endymion that she
puts him into an eternal sleep so that she can love him and be with him
whenever she desires. But they say that her passion for him brought her
endless pain, knowing that no matter how many kisses she gave him… he
would never return the favor."
	Serena sighed, her eyes caressing the art. 'I'm sure at least SHE
gave him a million kisses,' she thought almost bitterly. In another
moment, Darien was guiding her to the next sculpture. In this, slightly
smaller, figure, a similar man stood with a rounded cane clutched to
his chest, staring up in awe at a women who was floating before him,
about a foot off the ground, and only an inch or two taller than him
now. She was nude, with only endless lengths of hair to cover her, and
though he seemed frozen in shock, she was smiling down lovingly with
one hand on his shoulder, the other on his cheek, evidently about ready
to kiss him.
	"Why do they always depict him as a shepherd?"
	"Well, not always. Some poets and artists call him a king, and
others thought he was a hunter. But MOST say he was a shepherd, that's
all."
	"I think he was a prince," she said wistfully.
	Darien laughed quietly, wrapping his arm around her waist. Her
light blue eyes left the statue, quickly landing upon another painting
on the wall. Taking in a deep breath, she walked over to it, Darien
always at her side.
	Beneath the image was another tablet, which read, 'A MILLION
KISSES I; Endymion never woke to see the shining silvery form bending
over him. In all the stories, he sleeps forever, immortal, but never
conscious. Wondrously beautiful he lies on the mountainside, motionless
and remote as if in death, but warm and living, and night after night
the Moon visits him and covers him with her kisses. It is said that
this magic slumber was her doing. She lulled him to sleep so that she
might always find him and caress him as she pleased. But it is said,
too, that her passion brings her only a burden of pain, fraught with
many sighs.'
	The painting was similar to the first sculpture, more colorful,
and more emotions pouring forth from the canvas. Asleep he lay, propped
against a rock, as her glowing angelic body stayed with him through the
night, beneath a sky of diamonds. She rested at his side, her head
collapsed against his shoulder while her eyes searched his, as if
waiting for him to arouse. Holding his hand in hers, she kissed a
fingertip, immaculately tender, her silver eyes once again glossy with
tears, those unshed.
	Serena sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. 'I won't end up
that way. His memories will awake, and I will give him a million
kisses, and he will kiss me back! I can't end up like the story,
forever alone… I just can't… I won't.'
	Darien risked looking over at her, slightly scared of her
silence. Her eyelids were closed down tight, her head bowed slightly,
and it looked almost as if her lips were speaking to herself. Furrowing
his brow, he reached up to place a finger beneath her chin.
"Are you okay?"
	Her eyes instantly snapped open and she turned to face him
directly. "Yeah…" she whispered, damp eyes staring into his surprised
gaze. Pursing her lips together, she took a quick step forward and
wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Unsuspecting, he began to step
away, but stopped. More than surprised, and clueless as to how to
react, Darien very slowly returned the embrace. He barely heard her
when she whispered almost silently, "I just need you to hold me right
now…"
	Gulping, he let his fingers rub through her curled locks of hair
and over the smooth material of her dress. He shushed her, letting
silky bangs caress his lips. He ignored some of the strange stares they
received, pouring his full concentration onto the incredible lady snug
in his arms.

~ FLASH ~
	I smoothed my finger over her jaw line, feeling her tremble at my
touch. A gasp flooded from her pink lips and finally she allowed
herself to look me in the eye. A steady breeze blew around us, tossing
my cape around my body, and the streamers of her back bow in the wind.
	"Endy…" she whispered quietly, crystal pools building up in her
pale blue eyes. "Must you go?"
	"You know I have no choice, princess. I am so sorry… Not a moment
will go by when I won't think of you."
	"Please promise me that you'll return…"
	I stared at her for a moment, scared that I wouldn't be able to
keep my word if I told her that. But if it would make her stop crying,
I would say just about anything at that moment.
	A small smile curling on my lips, I nodded carefully. "I promise
I will come back to you, my love." She knew I was lying. She knew I
couldn't be sure about that. But I knew that saying the words had
somehow comforted her. "We'll be together forever…"
	Just as the first tear slipped down her cheek, I grabbed a hold
of my cape, wrapping it around her slim shoulders and bringing her body
close to mine. We had had our last dance, and now after one more kiss,
our last, I would be forced to leave her. As my lips neared hers, I
could hear the soft voice whimper, "I love you, Endymion."
	And her lips were warm and soft, as they would be remembered.
~ FLASH ~

	Shaking his head, Darien clenched his eyes shut tightly, before
drawing himself back to focus on the now, and not these strange images
in his head. "Hey, Serena, what's wrong? What is it? Do you want to
leave?" He felt her chest rise steadily, taking in a shaky breath,
before her eyes lifted to look at him. A smile was lingering on her
face and she shook her head, holding down the choking tears.
	"No, I don't want to leave. It's just that the story is so sad.
I… feel sorry for Selene."
	He stared into her eyes for a moment disbelieving, before letting
a grin tug at his own lips and he rested his forehead on hers. "But
it's just that, Serena. A story."
	"I know… I just think it would be wonderful if Selene could
awaken him, and then he would fall madly in love with her and… and they
would share a million kisses…" Her eyes closed lightly and Darien
tensed on instinct.
	'A million kisses? Where have I heard that… before…? The
painting. It's the title of the painting, that's all.'
	"Ya know, if this gallery is depressing you, we can go look at
something else for awhile. There's a big showcase on Zeus upstairs, I
think."
	She giggled quietly, her eyes regaining that lively sparkle. "I
think that's a good idea!"
	"Great, let's go," he said, breaking apart from her just far
enough so that he could let his hand linger at her lower back and began
to tug her off into the room they had come from.
	On her way out, Serena took a glance at one of the many paintings
they had skipped, and gasped before a grand smile dawned on her
features.
In front of a pale, lavender-blue sky, two lovers stood in each
other's arms, tying themselves together in a sweet, lasting embrace.
His neck was bent down and her feet were stretched to her tiptoes, a
vibrant, loving kiss glowing between them. Beneath the artwork, it read
simply, 'A MILLION KISSES II'.

	"What do you think they're up to now?" Amy asked, suddenly
raising her eyes from the book in her lap.
	Raye shrugged, "Beats me!" Her violet eyes never left the TV
screen before her as her fingers constantly banged on the small
controller in her palms. "I never knew how fun the Sailor V game could
be! I'm gonna have to come over here more often!"
	Amy sighed. She had a happy feeling in her stomach. And though
she didn't know what it was, she had a premonition that it had
something to do with their missing Meatball Head. Inside, she knew that
Serena was having a good time on her date. With a grin still on her
lips, she nestled back into the cushions of the couch, beginning to
scan over the pages of the large novel again. Her mind automatically
zoned out the beeps and explosions from the Tsukinos' television set to
concentrate on more important matters, such as the chemical
construction of DNA molecules.

	Serena was having a hard time imagining any better feeling than
his strong hand holding onto hers. His long fingers had automatically
laced themselves with her own slender limbs, and his arm remained half
wrapped around hers as well. The rough material of his shirt rubbed up
against her bare shoulder. She could hear his soft breathing above her,
and they both knew that words need not be spoken.
	After walking through the many galleries, the couple had deserted
the museum and decided to take a midnight stroll through the park,
which was destined to be empty. A small sliver of a moon hung in the
sky, surrounded by tiny sparkling stars. There was a gentle breeze,
tickling Serena's neck occasionally, and yet it seemed warm, possibly
in part to the man beside her. He had always made her warm, even when
it was simply due to her blushing.
	They had been holding a silent conversation for sometime.
Remarking on the flowers, the stars, the water, with neither uttering a
word. Only laughs and gazes and special looks that no one else in the
world could possibly decipher. They understood perfectly.
	The path beneath their feet was made of dirt, their footprints
sinking in among countless others of those who walk the trails daily.
Once in awhile they would cut across a field of perfect green grass,
dewdrops already beginning to fall to the ground at the change in
temperature from the warm sunny afternoon. They admired the rose
gardens, the lake, and the flowered tunnels, where you could walk
beneath a dome of scented color, glistening silver in the moon rays.
Darien carved their names into the pillar of a gazebo, and Serena shyly
added a heart around them. He only laughed, his eyes twinkling with
delight, and traced his finger over the heart once. Placing his arm
around her waist, he had kissed her blushing cheek, and led her out of
the small arbor.
	A quick game of tag had left both of them breathless, tired, and
hot, lying side by side on a slightly damp patch of grass, their chests
heaving exhaustedly. The soothing sound of water bubbled up from a
large fountain to their right, and they listened to it happily, once
again letting comfortable silence wrap them in her clutches.
	Sighing, Serena forced herself to roll onto her side, scooting
closer to him and lying her head down on his chest. He was surprised
for a moment, before letting his arm hang around her waist. His lips
caressed the top of her head for a moment, before letting his eyes
wander to the sky yet again.
	"Do you have any idea how terrified I was of asking you out?" he
whispered finally.
	Serena opened her eyes, stealing herself away from the happy
fantasies she had been having, only slightly better than the present.
"Why would you be terrified of that?"
	"Because I thought you would say no." She giggled for a moment,
tilting her head up to gaze into his midnight blue eyes. "I was afraid
of rejection. Especially from you… I'm not sure why exactly, but right
now I don't feel like I could… live without you. And I know that sounds
awfully stupid, saying I hardly know you, but… if you had turned me
down, I know I would have been crushed."
	She stared at him for a brief moment, before pulling herself
forward a bit and placing her forehead against his. "But I didn't say
no."
	He grinned, pulling her even closer to his body so that she lay
almost directly on top of him. "And for that, I am grateful, and
blissful, and feel like the luckiest man alive at this very moment."
	She laughed again as their noses touched, rubbing together
gently.
	Suddenly, a spark of mischief entered Darien's eye and he propped
himself up slightly, pushing her backward a bit. "Are you still tired?"
	She creased her brow for a moment, before shrugging. "I'm
definitely not ready for another game of tag if that's what you're
asking."
	"Not exactly. I was just thinking… about how wonderful that water
sounds…"
	She tilted her head to the side, listening to the pouring
fountain. "I suppose… so… What do you mean?"
	"Oh, nothing…" he replied nonchalantly, standing before her and
pulling her to her feet. "I was just wondering… how would you like to
go for a swim?"
	"Wha…?" Before Serena could reply, she was swept up into his
strong arms, lifted easily against his chest. Her startled scream
instantly turned to protests as he began to near the water fountain,
his intention blindingly obvious. He only decided to completely ignore
her continuous pleas and struggles. Laughter poured from his smiling
lips, standing on the bench and holding her out over water. "No!
Darien, you must be kidding, it's too shallow!" she shrieked.
	He laughed. "Yes, you're right, it is…" he teased. Truly, the
water was only about a foot and a half deep. And so, instead, he
stepped into it, trotting onto years of collected nickels and pennies.
The cold water sent goose bumps over his legs, but he ignored it, along
with his black slacks now clinging to his calves. Serena screamed even
louder, paining his eardrums incredibly, as he neared the fountain in
the center.
	"No, Darien, please don't do this, this dress cost me a fortune,
DARIEN!!!" And the words died into gurgles immediately as he submerged
her beneath the oncoming waves.
	She came out gasping for air, spitting out water, her eyes locked
down tightly. Darien chuckled, still holding the fragile girl in his
arms.
	"Cold?" he asked innocently.
	Slowly, her blue eyes opened to glare up at him as he grinned
back quirkily.
	"Alright, you've had your fun. Now put me down, Darien Chiba,
this instant!" she exclaimed, pointing down at the water. He chuckled,
pretending to think about it for a moment, before shaking his head.
	"Nope."
	"No?! What do you mean 'no'?! Darien!!" Once again she began
kicking and thrashing her legs and arms around wildly. His cocky smile
only widened and he carefully placed her feet in the water before
wrapping his arms around her waist, locking her hands against his body,
weaving their forms tightly together. She almost immediately silenced
herself.
	"Well, you see, Serena, I rather enjoy having you in my arms," he
replied to her comment huskily. She could feel a bolt of electricity
shoot through her spine as his touch delicately seared her skin. Her
hair was matted to her forehead and neck, the curls beginning to
straighten out with the weight of the water on them. Tiny droplets
dripped down her cheek, her arms, her legs, as her dress clung to her
every curve. She realized that Darien wasn't exactly dry anymore
either. Though his head hadn't really been touched, his entire front
side was just as drenched as she was.
	Slowly, her lips ran dry, and she licked them in response,
quickly drawing Darien's attention down to the puckered, surprised, oh
so tempting pout. Their breaths were ragged, the fountain forgotten,
and now there were only each other's arms, bodies, eyes, lips… He
leaned in, and she first felt his dry bangs brush like feathers on her
skin. Seconds later his breath tickled her cheek, nose, her lips. Her
eyes fluttered closed. He kept his open, just barely, blurred at her
skin, until their lips met and he let everything go.
	As if at all possible, his arms managed to tighten around her
waist, one coming up around her back, his hand spread over her
shoulder. His head tilted to the right, his lips pushing at hers,
pressing against the soft tenderness. She was shaking beneath him, but
he knew she wasn't scared. Possibly just cold, or as caught up in
desire as he was. She shifted, and pressed herself into him further,
listing her head to the side and allowing her mouth to open. He did the
same, and soon could taste her on his tongue. A jolt of pure delight
shot through him.
	After minutes of holding each other motionless, Serena felt weak,
faint, and let herself slide away from him. For a brief second he was
startled that she was gone, but soon her head fell against his chest,
and he once again began to breathe. His head collapsed on top of hers,
feeling her wet hair cling to his cheek. For some odd reason, it was a
glorious feeling. He heard her sigh happily, and his heart seemed to
turn into a feather. He gave her a brief squeeze, before kissing the
top of her head.
	"You're going to catch a cold," he whispered to the air, nervous
concern etched into his voice.
	"Do you mean we should get out?"
	"It would be smart."
	She giggled secretively. "Nuh-uh, I haven't gotten my revenge
yet."
	"Huh?"
	And before he could even begin to think of what she was
conniving, the mischievous girl was gone from his arms, a good five
feet away, and splashing him with all she was worth. Instinctively, he
raised his arms in front of his face in order to protect himself,
yelling roughly in surprise. Soon, the splashing stopped and she
laughed loudly, grabbing at her stomach for a moment, before quickly
frolicking over to the opposite side of the small pool, around the base
of the fountain. Darien looked up, a good natured, yet semi-evil grin
plastered to his tingling lips. Shaking in hidden laughter, Darien
swiped his arm across his forehead, rubbing away some of the water
drops dripping from his thick, currently soaked ebony bangs.
Immediately, he began running after her, chasing the minx in circles
around the chuckling fountain, each of them taking cheap shots at the
other whenever they could. At one point, he stopped mid-fight, out of
breath for the time being.
	"Alright, now what happens if I want another kiss?"
	She giggled, her eyes twinkling in utter joy. "Then you're going
to have to catch me first!"
	He somehow managed to regain his breath very quickly.

	Serena's delighted laughter must have echoed for miles away as
she clung to Darien's arm, walking up her driveway. He finished up with
his joke while Serena clutched at her stomach, giggling hysterically,
and provoking a smile from Darien as well. He guided her up the steps,
making sure that she wouldn't stumble on them as he did so, before
stopping before the door. She leaned back against the porch railing,
her eyes closed as tiny teardrops began to seep through the lids. Both
their cheeks hurt from the constant smiling, but it was a 'good hurt'.
	Breathing in deeply, Serena wiped her arm across her eyes,
managing to look up at Darien through a hazy stare. They stood like
that for quite awhile, happy in their company.
	"I've never heard anything so hilarious in my life!" she finally
exclaimed, grinning excitedly. He chuckled in response, tossing his
hands in his pockets.
	"Hey, anytime. You have no idea what a gorgeous smile, and laugh,
you have."
	She blushed, turning away as the dim porch light allowed him to
see the bright coloring in her cheeks. Sighing, she quickly began to
search through her evening bag for her key as Darien watched silently.
He had half an urge to grab the purse from her and toss it across the
street, just so he could keep her out here with him longer. But he knew
that would be immature.
	Clearing her throat, Serena lifted the key from the small handbag
and easily fitted it to the doorknob. Darien inhaled deeply, eyeing her
solemn face. The smile had died somewhere down the line.
	"So I guess this is goodnight?" he whispered just as she
hesitated to walk inside. Her lips pressed together for a moment, and
then she turned to him, staring into his navy eyes. A tiny smile grew
on her face.
	"I had fun tonight…" she whispered, unconsciously holding her
breath. She let it out the second his corky grin returned to his
handsome features.
	"Me too. Can we go out again sometime?"
	And her smile widened even more. Breathlessly, she managed, "I
would love to!"
	Darien chuckled and took a step towards her, pinning her against
the door. She obviously didn't mind. "Great. Then I'll call you."
Licking his lips, he craned his head downward, easily pressing their
mouths together. She let out a muffled groan and sigh, her hand rising
up to tie around his neck. He broke apart for a second, let one last
gentle butterfly kiss tickle her lips, before pulling away completely.
	"You'd better call me," she whispered, innocently, and yet with
an undertone of seductiveness. He traced a finger along her jaw,
pressing it tenderly against the tip of her nose.
	"Good night, my angel." Turning, he began to saunter back to his
car.
	"Good night, my prince!" she called after him as he opened the
door to his car. He smiled up at her, winking briefly just as she
stepped inside the front door. Outside, she heard his car drive off,
and immediately let out a loud, ecstatic squeal, sinking down to the
floor and tossing her hands upward. Her legs kicked around a bit as she
squirmed joyfully. She felt like dancing, singing, and jumping all at
the same time.
	"Well it's about time you got home, missy!"
	"Yes, do you have any idea what time it is?"
	"Did you forget about your curfew?!"
	"We have been worried sick all night!"
	Surprised, Serena opened her eyes and let her gaze travel up the
staircase to be met with two teenage girls, hands on their hips,
staring down on her with imagined anger.
	Raye raised her eyebrow as she stared at her obviously joyful,
and drenched, blond friend. Amy only giggled at her stunned expression.
	"Alright, girl, we want ALL the details!"


I hate disclaimers. Generally don't write them, but I need to for this
chapter since NOT everything was mine. First of all, Picasso,
obviously, who must likely never painted anything like I have described
here, but get over it. I wanted someone famous. 'course, Nike isn't
famous, but her art is so good it might as well be.  She's my buddy.
Also, I got all of my information, as well as some direct quotes from
Edith Hamilton's "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes".

Love and God bless!
<3 Alicia

    Source: geocities.com/uummwhy