This is a short little first season story, written merely because my friend, Angela requested some Darien-Angst from yours truly. So Angela-chan, this one's for you. Consider it thanks for that little Mamo-Usa dance scene, and other nice images that you've planted in my head. ^_~ Disclaimer: No own. @}->-- Coffee By Aimee "I'm not crazy, you know," the uncomfortable man began, his eyes darting nervously from the ornate wooden desk to the degree-littered wall. His hands tugged mechanically at his tie, which had suddenly become awkwardly tight around his neck. "No one is trying to say that you are," the mild-mannered woman behind the desk replied simply, her face reflecting off of the water glass her fingertips traced in an absentminded pattern. It was a good thing Dr. Mildred Woods had the patience to match her chosen profession. It was much called for when dealing with such a patient as the gentleman before her. "Then why am I here?" he persisted, aggravated by the woman's uncanny ability to turn his questions around in an annoyingly undesirable fashion. "Didn't we discuss this last week, Mr. Chiba?" she inquired pleasantly, peering at the squirming young man with an amusement that few patients could bring about. "I don't need a shrink," Darien argued, his eyes still unconsciously studying the fleets of certificates and framed degrees that decorated the wall of the office. "We're called psychologists, these days. Unless, of course, you're referring to Dr. Clements down the hall. In which case, I'd say 'shrink' would readily define him," the elderly woman informed him with a lighthearted chuckle. "My, aren't we fussy this week? Did something happen that I should know about?" "Why do you get to ask all the questions?" "I wouldn't have to ask so many if you would answer them the first time around." Darien sighed deeply, pulling at the tie that seemed to be bent on choking him to death. The unendurable woman before him could try the patience of Job. She was even worse than Serena, little meatball headed brat that she was. But the day had been long, and Darien wasn't feeling quite up to par. Thus, he gave in without much of a fight. "Please repeat the question, Dr. Woods. I seem to have forgotten it." "That's hard to believe, seeing as I've been asking you the same question since our sessions began," she commented, removing her reading glasses as she glanced up from her notes to regard the young man seriously. "Are you happy, Mr. Chiba?" "I just..." He sighed, pushing unruly bangs away from his eyes. "I guess I just don't understand what kind of question that's supposed to be," he evaded. "I mean, is anyone truly happy?" "I didn't asked about 'anyone.' I asked about you." "I'm...I'm happy," he struggled with the words. "Why wouldn't I be?" Dr. Woods replaced the reading glasses and began taking notes once more. "What did you do today, Darien? Start from when you woke up this morning." The leather chair squeaked a bit as he shifted uncomfortably. "Why?" "Please. Humor me," she requested, smiling pleasantly. "It was a typical day, I guess. I went for a jog, showered, went to work, and then came here." "And what will you do after you leave my office?" she inquired, leaning back in her chair, thoughtfully studying the young man as he eluded her continuously with his eyes. "I have classes at the university this evening." "Ah, yes. You're quite the student, I hear. 4.0 for three years straight, is that right?" He nodded absentmindedly, still not bringing his eyes to meet hers. "Mr. Chiba, do you associate much with your peers? At school or at work?" His shoulders lifted momentarily with a halfhearted shrug. "Yeah, a few of them, I guess." "How many is a few?" He looked up, annoyance flashing in his dark eyes. "A few." "But do you socialize with them much aside from the classroom or on the job? Do you ever go to parties? The movies? Study sessions?" "I prefer to study by myself," he commented, crossing his arms over his chest. "You prefer to do many things by yourself, don't you?" Dr. Woods inquired, her question causing the young man to look up suspiciously. "Just what are you trying to say?" She smiled, the lines in her aged face creasing gently. "You're such a bright young man. You have so much to give, so much talent, so much love. No, don't look at me like that. You would have love if you would let it show. Yet you persistently hide yourself away from people. Haven't you ever desired to share part of yourself with another person? To let them inside?" "No." She shook her head. "You're not being honest. With me or with yourself." "Loneliness suits me, Dr. Woods," Darien commented darkly, sinking down into the chair with a sullen expression marring his face. "I've been alone my entire life." "That's not true. Your parents must have loved and cared for you dearly when they were alive." Cold, blue eyes flashed at her. "Well, they're not here anymore, are they?" "No, they're not," she answered honestly. "But there are over 5 billion people in the world that are here." His eyes closed in displeasure, opening again only to stare off in the distance. "No one can replace what you've lost, and what you've lost is great. But there are a certain few who can make it easier...who will love you if you'd let them." He shook his head unhappily. "Loneliness suits m--" "No, it doesn't, Mr. Chiba," she cut him off. "It doesn't suit anyone. It never has. Your loneliness is the reason you show up here week after week, trying to fill that void that's inside of you." Darien shifted uncomfortably, placing his head in his palms, but Dr. Woods continued regardless. "You try to fill that void with scholastics and your job, but it's not enough. Is it, Mr. Chiba?" He didn't respond, shifting once more. "Mr. Chiba...Darien..." she began, leaning forward, eyes serious. "Tell me honestly. Are you happy?" His eyes fell to his lap, where they studied the white, clenched knuckles that lay there. He bit his lip, forehead creasing. "No," he whispered softly. "Darien?" "No," he repeated with more volume. "I'm not happy." "Why?" His lower lip quivered a bit, eyes still affixed to his lap. "It's just like you said. I'm lonely." The elderly doctor capped her pen and set it down on the desk. "You're right, Darien. You are." He blinked, glancing up in confusion. "That's it? That's all you have to say?" "What more would you like me to say?" she inquired, leaning back into her chair. He faltered momentarily. "Well, what can I do? How do I get over this?" She smiled. "I think you know, Darien. I think you know very well. The rest, however, is up to you." Eyes falling from her face in silence, Darien glanced wearily into his cup of coffee, which sat before him on Dr. Wood's desk, untouched. @}->-- Serena skipped happily between the rain puddles, bunny umbrella in tow as she hummed a song under her breath. The rain wasn't so bad when it wasn't thundering, she decided as she contently sipped on a cup of steaming hot chocolate, compliments of Andrew at the Crown Arcade. But then again, nothing could have put her in a bad mood that day. Not even a little thunder. Not even Darien and his annoying "Meatball Head" comments. It was Friday, the best day of the week. It meant no more school for two whole days. Thus, the tune she hummed under her breath was a happy one, filled with thoughts of sleeping in late and spending her newly awarded weekend allowance with blissful glee. But as she skipped up one side of the pond's wooden bridge, the song she hummed ended abruptly. A familiar young man stood in the center of the overpass, leaning against the railing. Gasping faintly in apprehension as she recognized her archenemy's dark, albeit handsome profile, she momentarily considered turning on her heels and finding another route home...fast. But another tentative and curious glance at his stationary, brooding form only brought her closer to where he stood as her brow creased in concern. She studied him with confusion and--though she didn't want to admit it--worry. Darien stood in perfect silence, his body unshielded from the afternoon shower as he watched the rain droplets splash into the pond below. His head was downcast as he stared, and little beads of rain trickled from his hair and down his serious face. He didn't seem to notice...or care. Serena blanched in confusion, bringing a finger to her mouth to chew on it in uncertainty. What was wrong with him? He looked almost physically ill. His face was pale, and his features bleak. But something inside of her told her that it wasn't a physical sickness that the man was plagued with. She knew dejection when she saw it. But what better to cheer her archenemy up than a fight with his favorite Meatball Head? It was the least she could do... "Darien! You baka!" she accused, making a big dramatization of holding her bunny umbrella over his head. "It's pouring! Don't you have enough sense to get in out of the rain?" His stormy eyes met with the two orbs of clear blue that peered at him intently. He simply stared at the girl for a moment or two before turning away, his attention falling once again to the water below. Inwardly, he felt his heart twist painfully in guilt, thinking that perhaps he could have been her friend once upon a time, if he hadn't shut her out of his heart so many times. "Hey Serena," he offered hesitantly as he glanced into the cup of coffee he forgot he was holding. Surprised that her nemesis had actually vocalized her name correctly, the golden child stopped all movement mid-swallow into her hot chocolate. Her actions served to choke the poor girl, sending her into a coughing fit. Darien grimaced guiltily, and his eyes briefly met with the heavens in exasperation. He couldn't even be nice to her without failing. What was the use of trying? Patting the recovering girl on the back in an attempt to help her through the brief oxygen crisis, he inquired, "Serena? Are you okay?" The sputtering blond squinted up at him, eyes filled with pained tears from her coughing fit. "I should be asking YOU that, Darien. You actually addressed me without an insult. *Twice*," she breathed, amazement painted across her features. Darien blinked in astonishment. Incredible. Serena hadn't yelled at him. No fit had been thrown. And her hot chocolate hadn't been dumped unceremoniously on his head. Funny how being nice to someone could bring about such an unexpected response... "Yeah?" he responded to the gaping girl. "Well, Serena is your name, isn't it?" He took a sip of his coffee, which had grown cold in his hands. She smiled at his light teasing, which somehow didn't seem as cutting as it usually did. His entire demeanor seemed to have changed, in fact. His eyes weren't as piercing, and she couldn't help but notice that they had grown somewhat dull and lifeless. But she'd noticed the slight sparkle in them at the sight of her smile. Timidly, she leaned in closer, chiding him carefully, easing him out of his shell into something comfortable. "Baka-san," she teased, peering with a silly smile at the cup he was sipping. "Your coffee has rainwater in it. Don't drink that..." He shrugged indifferently, and Serena replaced the teasing smile she wore with a grimace of concern. Placing a hand on the sleeve of his jacket, she tugged on it lightly. "You're really upset, aren't you? Darien...what happened? I've never seen you like this. It worries me." His head shook, beads of water dripping from his wet bangs. "It's nothing." "But I'll still listen, even if it's nothing," she persisted, smiling at him shyly. "After all, what are friends for?" He offered a weak smile in return, but his dark eyes were hesitant to meet hers. He studied her face momentarily, seeing things he'd never seen before in her eyes. They offered him an invitation. She wanted him to open up to her. To let her inside of his confused head. A little warning signal went off within him, and he looked away quickly in confusion and unease. Serena tugged on his arm lightly, dragging him from his fleeting thoughts. "Come on, Darien. I'll buy you some fresh coffee. And you can tell me what's on your mind. Please? It'll make you feel better. I promise." Wearily, he glanced briefly at the small, pale hand that gripped his sleeve, feeling uncertain and frightened inside. Just what was he agreeing to? Why did she even care? The words of Dr. Woods ran through his mind. "No one can replace what you've lost, and what you've lost is great. But there are a certain few who can make it easier...who will love you if you'd let them." 'If I let her...' Darien realized silently, turning uncertain eyes towards the small girl that tugged on his sleeve. As though reading his thoughts, Serena smiled playfully, her eyes lighting up in stark contrast to the bleary weather around them. Stringing her arm through his, she repeated, "Come on." Swallowing his fear, Darien abandoned the half empty cup of coffee. He followed her. @}->-- And the rest is up to your imagination. ^_~ All right, I guess I should explain why this story is named "Coffee," ne? I suppose I've always associated coffee with "works," so to speak. In other words, things we do, things we strive for, such as work and school. Get it? If you don't, well...think about it a bit. ^_~ Write me! Love, Aimee-chan sailor_moon89@hotmail.com http://www.oocities.org/moonlit_eclipse/