"For Argument's Sake." By: Isis @}->-- isis@moonkingdom.com Rating: G Disclaimers: Don't sue and don't copy! AN. "Is it over yet?" "Is it over yet?" "Is it over yet?" - NO!! But I promise, all those with funny bones out there, prepare for a tickle! Chapter 20 *@}->--* It had been a couple weeks since their talk and they had commenced actual dating. Serena had purposefully called every one of her friends home that weekend so she could tell them the good news one by one in person so that she had the satisfaction of seeing their faces. Molly and Melvin had heard it first and they had both looked at her like aliens had taken over her body, followed promptly by the casual 'I always knew this would happen' speech. Her other friends were little more receptive. Ami had stood shocked and completely transfixed with the news for a full ten minutes before congratulating her and wishing them the best, saying that Darien was a good choice for her. Lita and wrapped her up in a bone crushing hug and practically smothered her with questions of how it happened and when the wedding was. Mina's voice rose three octaves and she squealed nonstop continuously hugging her and then releasing her to ask a question before starting the episode all over again. Rei fainted. But all in all, she was very happy with the responses. They had both decided to inform Andrew and Rita together so they had invited the couple out for dinner one night and then broke the news in the middle of dessert. Andrew had been expecting it and smiled like a proud father giving away his son. Rita had dropped her spoon and nearly took a nose dive into her cream cake. Of course they left quickly after that so she could sufficiently berate her husband for not telling her when he'd had his conversation with Darien. Romola was a bit different. They had intended to say something to her together as well, but she had met them at the top of the stairs one morning with a huge grin. They had entered, late as normal, and they were laughing over something when they looked up to notice her standing there. 'Nice to see the two of you back to normal,' she'd said with a very mischievous glint in her eye. Serena had blushed lightly and told her that it wasn't exactly normal anymore. The older woman simply laughed and walked away saying that they should have started this a long time ago. Both of them were blushing slightly by the time they'd entered their office. Of course she hadn't quite gotten around to telling her parents yet, but it would come. Somehow she figured Mom already knew anyway and Dad… well Dad should be more receptive now. She hoped. But for tonight, she was going to be perfectly content to stay next to the man that she was falling in love with. Oh and she was falling fast. A fact she quietly admitted to him as they entered the movie theater. "A body falling in a straight motion has its greatest rate of speed just before it hits bottom." She looked up at him and blinked a few times. "What's that suppose to mean?" He smiled and shrugged, "Sorry, the physicist in me." "Yeah well, I get enough time with the physicist. I want the real you tonight," she gushed. "All yours Love," he said back. One heated argument, two tickets, two drinks, and one extra large bucket of popcorn later they were sitting in the movie that she had wanted to see. And she was monopolizing the popcorn on top of it. The, unbelievably cute, actor on the screen had begun to state his feelings for the heroin and she was all heart eyed despite herself. *'I can't believe I've kept these feelings from you Amanda.'* "I can't believe I'm sitting here," Darien said from beside her. She ignored him. *'I don't know how to tell you what I feel for you.'* "Then don't. It'll shorten the movie." She glared at him and took his arm sufficiently silencing him for a time. *'Oh, Amanda, I love you.'* "Of course I love you, I can see right down your dress," he said taking on a breathy accent. Just for that she elbowed him rather viciously and was rewarded with hearing him cough painfully. "Shhhhh!" she chided not turning from the screen. *'It's like my heart bleeds for you.'* "He's not the only one," he whispered rather loudly to her. She gave him a stern look to be quiet when she noticed another guy sitting a row in front and little right of them look back and give Darien a very empathetic look. The woman he was with didn't notice. She giggled to herself happily. It was just like they were a real couple. Already arguing and… wait, they were a real couple and they always argued anyway. This was taking some adjustment. *'Oh, John, I never hoped to dream that you would feel this way about me. I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you.'* "Why would you hope to dream something anyway?" *'I didn't think that you could possibly love me back.'* "Hey, with that dress, Toots, I'd tell you I loved you just about any way you wanted me to." Serena slowly turned to fix him with a death stare. He looked over at her and shrugged. "Just kidding." She turned back to the screen with a low growl in the back of her throat. *'Oh, Amanda.'* *'Oh, John.'* "Oh, brother." "Oh, shut up!" she said in a loud whisper. This time she noticed the woman sitting a row in front of them and little to the right, turn around and give her an empathetic look. The man she was with didn't notice. ** "Look, it's a Hoover commercial." OK, now that one she laughed at. * 'Where is he Amanda? I know you're hiding him!'* "Enter Ken Tsukino." She hit him in the arm. *'Daddy! Daddy, what do you mean? Hiding who?'* "That lousy boyfriend you've had stashed under the bed for a month." *'You know who, Amanda. They've told us that he's not to be trusted. Where is he?!'* "He went out for Chinese food. If you hurry you can have him bring you back a fortune cookie!" *'Daddy, I don't know what you're talking about. John hasn't been here. I don't know where he is.'* "But by the way, don't check the closet." That growl in the back of her throat was getting louder. *'Don't lie to me!'* "I brought you into this world I can take you out of it." *'Daddy please, you're hurting me.'* "If I were your father I'd smack you too. And put some clothes on!" "DAR-I-EN!" "What?" "Oh!" she snarled leaning as far way from him as her seat would allow. *'Tell me! Where is he!' * "Yeah, all right. I've felt like clubbing one of you over the head with a blunt object like that all night." Serena hid her face in her hand and moved over a seat. "Serena?" "I don't believe you," she hissed. "What?" The movie ended, finally, and she was fuming. "I don't believe you!" "I don't believe I watched that," he said not the least bit interested in her tantrum. "You didn't! You just sat there and talked through it." "I know. And somehow, I think mine sounded better." She crossed her arms over her chest and walked quickly ahead of him to his car. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that same couple turn to give them looks. They were obviously veterans at this. "I still can't believe you ruined a perfectly good movie." "It was ruined before I got here. Besides the best part was when he got blown up in that lab thing, of course how some reporter guy just happens to get into a place like that we'll never know." She stopped and turned to look at him. "I liked it." "You would," he said stepping around her towards the car. "And what is that suppose to mean?" she asked extremely agitated with him. Why was she dating him again? "It was a chick flick. Which basically means that is was dumb, boring, and mushy," he didn't pause as he got out his keys. She stared after him like they didn't come from the same planet. "I was right," she said quietly, a memory just now hitting her. He finally turned to regard her. "You do have the romantic sense of a dictionary." He looked at her confused for a moment. "A dictionary?" "Yes," she nodded perfectly serious and continued her trek. "I do not," he said finally coming to grips with what she'd said. She simply continued walking. "I can be perfectly romantic when I want to be," he said walking behind her again. She continued walking. "Granted, if that ball of hormones was what you consider romance, then we may have a problem." She kept walking. "Of course, you've never seen me be romantic." She stopped walking. He stood there with a very dangerous glint is his eye. One that she knew not to trifle with… But why not? "Well, I hope I haven't or I'd have to say I got stuck with a total dud for a boyfriend." He smiled evilly and just stood there. "So? Are you ever going to try this out or not?" she asked tapping her foot. He just stood there. "Darien?" "This might be fun," he mumbled. "Yeah, it might be fun for my significant other to show me some real affection," she said only half kidding. Two weeks and she could count the number of times he'd kissed her. That was if those slight brushes could be considered kisses. And lets face it, she still blushed when she thought of their first kiss. "Am I not being affectionate enough to you Love," he asked lightly, coming up and placing a hand under her chin. "Not nearly enough," she mumbled staring back up at him. Oh how did he do this? But to her surprise, he smiled. "Good." "What?" "I think I'll let you suffer. A dictionary!" he added indignantly heading for the car. Her mind registered that his hand wasn't under her chin anymore faster than it did the words he'd said. "What?" He unlocked his door mumbling something all the way. He didn't even hold her door for her like he had usually done even before they were dating. A bit peeved, she went up, opened her door, got in, and slammed it. "Something wrong Meatball Head?" "Yes." "What?" "You!" He blinked at her. "What did I do?" "Nothing! Like normal," she muttered turning away from him. She felt his hand come up and turn her chin to look at him again. He was smiling but that spark was still glowing in his eyes. "That's just me be unromantic," he said leaning over and gently brushing her lips again. But it wasn't the deep, passionate kiss that she wanted so badly. He pulled away again before she could pull him closer. "Is there a romantic bone in your body?" she asked warily. "Yes," he said smiling and kissed her—lightly—again. "Just let me prove it." Friday night. Seven o'clock. Darien's apartment. Totally critical demeanor. *Let's just see what my dear love calls romantic.* Serena had started her appraisal of the their night by giving Darien a complete look over. Definitely cute, but nothing out of the ordinary. Although she swore he was wearing just a bit more after-shave. She'd never known him to wear cologne before. He wore a very simple pair of slacks, and a black shirt. Nothing fancy all right. He had said that in a week's time he could have their evening plotted out very nicely, which she assumed meant that he would have everything down to the details ready for her. He was always such a perfectionist. But he had shown up on her doorstep with a single red rose in hand. And she had to admit she was looking forward to enjoying this. He had brought her to his apartment and ushered her inside and she would have to admit that she was impressed. "Where did you get the lighting?" she asked glancing at the two small lamps placed strategically in different corners and set to produce a muted glow. "I'm resourceful." She giggled as he wrapped her in a hug backwards and placed a light kiss on her neck. But unwrapping her he took her hand and led her over to the table he had set up for dinner. "You mean to tell me that you actually cooked?" "Yes. Believe it or not I do know how to cook when the mood strikes me." "I think I'll wait 'till the taste test to believe it." "Fine," he snipped as she sat down by the table. She laughed at him as he walked into the kitchen to get something. She roamed a critical eye over the table's lay out. Two candles stood off to each side, their wax tinted a deep blue. Odd, she thought, why blue? But she had to admit that they looked very nice sitting next to the centerpiece of roses. She leaned over admiring the flowers. Red roses looked back at her off set by small white babies-breath. It was beautiful. And expensive. He returned with a lighter and a bottle of wine. Purposefully he leaned over her to light the candles, pecking a light kiss on her check in the process. But she was looking very critically at the bottle he had set down for a moment. "Wine?" she asked a bit oddly. He laughed and knelt down on the floor beside her for a moment. "Actually, it's sparkling grape juice. I figured you were bad enough normally, I don't even what to know what you're like when you're drunk." She gave him a sour look and leaned over to kiss him fully. "Well, it's nice to know you're looking out for me." "I always will," he mumbled warmly and kissed her again before beginning to pour the red liquid. She watched him carefully, studying his movements. For someone that didn't get much practice, he was certainly acting very proficient at this. "So this is your idea of romantic." He chuckled merrily. Somehow she thought he was enjoying this. "I think a lot of things can be romantic. But this was the best cliché I could think of so I went with it. Besides," he said taking her chin in his hand, "don't tell me you're bored already." She smiled at him, "I don't recall ever being bored with you around." "Good," he mumbled kissing the tip of her nose lightly, "then be quiet and let this dictionary try his hand at this." She giggled and let him slip back to the kitchen. She sighed and leaned down on the table. He was incredibly sweet to her and she shouldn't have ever said that. After all, their normal routine before had been the rival to most married couple's love lives anyway. It was just the little things he did that always kept reminding her that he cared so much for her. The way he would absently play with her hair. Or the way he would sometimes space out halfway through a conversation just staring at her. The way he was always worried about her when they were outside on a cold night. The glances from him that she caught every now and then. It all meant that he loved her, and she was falling for him so fast sometimes it still scared her. But he was very gentle, and he was moving very slowly. He would never push her, but she was at a point where she was ready to be pushed just a little. Her thoughts were cut short as he walked in and placed a plate in front of her and one for him as well. But as he passed by the stereo he hit the play button. A soft melody could be heard faintly. And she giggled at it. "You have to be the only person I know that has a supply of elevator music." "It's classical music, and harpsichord at that, and I have quite a collection yes." She continued laughing at him and before crossing his legs under him to sit down he leaned over the table to nab a kiss from her, and she wasn't complaining any. He pulled away slightly and she looked up into his eyes. "How do two perfect opposites fall for each other like this?" she asked quietly. "They were made for each other," he answered, his lips brushing hers very lightly as he spoke. She couldn't stand that fluttering feel anymore and kissed him, purposefully making it long and deep. And she was discovering a passion behind him. They finally broke apart and he brushed his nose against hers as he moved back to sit down. She giggled at the move and involuntarily brought her hand to her nose. He smiled at her enjoying the little blush on her checks. He could be so sweet. But the conversation turned lighter and she was quickly lost in her food. In all truth she didn't pause to wonder what it was called or how he'd made it. She just knew it was delicious! "Oh yumminess! You know, I think I could get use to this kind of treatment." He chuckled at her and she noticed that he really hadn't eaten much. Looking up curiously he shrugged. "I ate half of it when I made it." She laughed at him and sipped at her drink. "You know, this stuff is really good." "I'll agree to that." "No way! We agreed on something. No, take it back. You'll jinx us both!" He laughed at her and she had to laugh along with him. So what if they had a few minor problems with agreeing? They were of one heart when it counted. "So, my dear romance victim, what else is on tap for tonight?" He leaned back with a hand on the floor for support. "I don't know. I thought maybe we'd just wing it from here." "Spontaneous? I didn't think you had it in you." He smiled evilly. "There are a few things in me that you don't know about." "Really?" she asked with the same tone of voice. She crawled around the low table until she was right next to him. Silently she leaned over and blew each of the candles out with as much drama as she could. Looking back to him she saw a very interested gleam in his eyes and smiled at it. This was not what he had been expecting she was sure. "Then how do I figure out the rest of you?" He smiled at her and she wrapped her arms around his neck sufficiently holding him still. With her arms she slowly leaned him over to meet her lips. He didn't struggle any against her advances, and she had to admit that she should have tried this a long time ago. It took a while but they separated again, extremely breathless. He chuckled at her and she looked back into his eyes. "And here I thought you'd slap me if I moved this too fast." She smiled and leaned up to peck another kiss on him. He then promptly stood up and offered his hand to help her up too. She looked at him curiously, "What's this?" He smiled down at her. "I would very much like a dance with this angel that I seem to have caught all alone in my apartment." She laughed at his words and let him help her up. He could certainly be poetic from time to time. He walked over and turned up the stereo a bit. And actually that old stuff was growing on her. As long as she didn't hear it twelve hours a day she could handle some culture. He pulled her into a tight embrace and they began a slow circling. Talk was kept light and their circles were broken by a periodic kiss that would leave them motionless despite themselves. And Serena remained curled in his arms very content to just be with him. She had stopped attempting to name the emotions floating through her, and her mind wasn't the least bit interested with labels. All it wanted was Him. He snuggled his chin into her hair and held her close pecking a kiss on the top of her head again with really no cause for it. She smiled to herself. Somewhere in her heart she felt a strong pull. "You really are trying to steal that last piece of my heart, aren't you?" There was a slight pause as he stopped her and lifted her chin to look at him. "No," he said gently. "I can't steal that from you. It has to be given freely." She stared up into his blue eyes knowing that his words were true. But at the same time she knew that he already had that last piece. Maybe he always did. "Darien…" She didn't know what she wanted to say, but she had to say something. She had to tell him what she felt inside. And there was only one thing that her heart told her to say. "I love you." Despite the lack of warning that those words were coming, he seemed to absorb his shock rather quickly and smiled down at her. He pulled her back into a fierce hug and just held her close a moment before chuckling lightly. "Well, if I'd known that this was all it took to make you fall in love with me I would have done this a long time ago." She snuggled into his chest as far as she could. "Would you have?" He laughed again, "Yeah, say like five years ago." She looked up smiling at him thinking what it would have been like to have fallen for him when they'd first met. Of course, then she remembered what they were like that long back. "I didn't even like you five years ago." "Oh," he said smiling slightly. "Then for argument's sake, can we just make up for lost time?" Her answer was in her kiss. And his kiss echoed back every emotion she felt and in her heart. She knew it was a thank you for finally loving him back. Suddenly everything just felt right to her. The world could have been obliterated right then and there and she wouldn't have cared. In fact if she never came out of this kiss she would be perfectly happy. All she wanted was to stay forever in his arms. To always be held like this. To always feel her heart melt inside of her. To always have him here with her. To always just be in love with him. He kissed her again sweetly, as though he was afraid that if he pressed too hard he would wake them from a dream. And if this was a dream she wanted to hibernate 'till she was dead! That thought brought a chuckle out of her and she had to break away from his lips. He looked down at her confused. "What's so funny?" She chuckled looking back at him. "Pinch me." "What?" "Pinch me." He did. "Ow! I didn't mean really!" He shrugged innocently. "I just did what you asked. I'm not a mind reader." She giggled and wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck. "Read this." She pulled him back down to her and trapped his lips against hers once again. *Oh…* That was her last thought as her world was lost beneath her again. He pressed her closer and kept her there. And this time she wasn't letting go for anything. Eventually they had come back to orbit at least, but somehow she didn't suspect that she would be touching down for a long, long time. Once they found themselves dancing around to non-existent music, since the CD had run itself out, they had promptly sprouted in another of their famous arguments. After which they had found themselves clearing the table and putting his apartment back into order. Why it seemed like such an appropriate use of their time together she didn't know. She didn't even clean her own apartment let alone someone else's. But between cuddles it occupied their time. They had finished the last of the dishes and collapsed on the couch giggling over how much water they'd ended up spraying on each other. Of course the argument of the hour had been whether or not she was doing a good enough job at washing. Yes, having a boyfriend perfectionist had its drawbacks. But snuggled in his arms watching—OK , not watching— some goofy movie, she was more than happy with her surroundings. They laid there together the same way they always used to, and he was still playing with her hair. The difference being that this time her lips still tingled lightly from his touch. She smiled to herself, sighing contentedly. "Darien?" she asked thinking of something. "Yeah." "Can we still get married next April?" She popped up to lie on his chest to see his reaction. "I don't know. We've always moved very slowly. I don't know if we want to jinx ourselves with this," he said laughing. She giggled too. "Well, I hope you don't plan to make me wait another five years for you. You'll kill me!" He smiled down at her. "Me too. April, that gives us about a year to get use to this." He paused thoughtfully, "Why not?" She laughed playfully and stretched up to kiss his chin, which lying like that was the only thing she could reach. "Thanks Muffin." He laughed at her and brushed her bangs back. "Of course that has to be the most unromantic proposal I've ever heard of." "Yeah, like you haven't written the book on how to be unromantic," she sniffed. He picked that moment to sit up, sufficiently spilling her off of him. "Little ingrate! I am perfectly romantic." He sat up and she was still sprawled out and beginning to get stuck between the couch's back and the cushions. "You are not!" she yelled indignantly, still trying to stop the sofa from eating her. "Am too," he said watching her struggle. "Are not!" she said leaning up on an elbow. "Am too," he said amused with her. "Are not!" "Am too." She leaned up and placed her arms around his neck and lowered him back down with her. "Oh shut up," she said lightly, maneuvering his lips to hers. Somehow she believed she was going to like winning arguments this way. _____________ @}->-- "Eternity is the ocean; time is the wave" –Maurice Maeterlinck. The End!! Copyright August 4, 1999 AN. It's done, it's done, it's really, really done! OK, so I'm thinking about an epilogue, but I want FEEDBACK before I do that. Oh, and by the way, E-MAIL ME. Even goddesses get lonely when no one writes. Lousy devoted subjects anyway. Oh well. Here are a few last thoughts for you. But until we meet outside of eternity's shores God bless and keep you. Love, Isis _____________ @}->-- "I think I did pretty well considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper" -Steve Martin.