STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
A Sailor Moon Sekkushiaru Roman

by Sailor Mac
	"Wow! Will you just look at this place?"
	Serena darted from one area of the suite to the other, first hopping on
the king-sized bed, then flinging open the doors covering the entertainment
center, then dashing into the bathroom and peering into the sunken jacuzzi.
	"It's so beautiful, Darien!" She flung herself into him and clung to him
tightly.
	"It is, isn't it? And to think, I almost didn't enter that contest because
I thought my chances of winning were absolutely zero. . ."
	"Aren't you glad you changed your mind?" She kissed him. "We're gonna be
so spoiled, honey. . .after this, we'll never be satisfied with an ordinary
New Year's Eve celebration again."
	"As long as I'm with you. . .I'll be satisfied." He stroked her long, long
pigtails, thinking how wonderful it had been to spend Christmas together,
and how wonderful tonight was going to be.
	In the past, he thought, I wouldn't have given a single thought to
entering a contest to win a New Year's Eve for two at a fancy hotel. I had
nobody to share it with. But now. . .
	"Come on!" she said. "Let's test out the jacuzzi!"
	"Um, sweetheart, I don't think we'll have time. Dinner starts at 10, and
it's almost 9 now. . ."
	"Just a quick dip?"
	There's no such thing as a quick dip with you, my dearest, he thought.
Once I get in the water with a beautiful, naked Meatball Head. . .I want to
linger there for a *long* time.
	"After midnight, okay?"
	"You drive a hard bargain." She kissed him again. "Okay, then, after
midnight. . ." She turned around so her back was to him. "Now, how about
unzipping me so I can get dressed?"
	"I always love unzipping you, my little minx."
	The hotel was having a traditional dress New Year's Eve ball (much to
Serena's relief. . .she was worried that her formal wear wasn't quite
dressy enough). She did her makeup, then slid into her kimono and slippers.
	One good thing about traditional dress, she thought. . .it's fast and easy
to take off. She couldn't wait to get Darien into that jacuzzi. There was
just something about the idea of all that steamy, bubbly water that was
incredibly erotic. . .
	But for now, she thought, there's food to look forward to. Course after
course after course. . .and then, the traditional noodles after midnight!
	"Oh, I just love *food* holidays!" she said as she fixed little pink bows
that matched her kimono on her "meatballs."
	"I'm sure you do, Meatball Head." He put the finishing touches on his own
outfit, then held out his arm to her. "Shall we?"
	"Yes!" And they headed downstairs into the ballroom.
* * *
	"Serena! Save room for the noodles! And the dessert!"
	Serena finished swallowing the mouthful of shrimp. "Oh, I *did* save room,
Darien! See, I only had *two* helpings!"
	He chuckled and shook his head. The size of her appetite was matched only
by the size of her heart. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
	"Oooh, look at all the jewelry that woman is wearing!" Serena said. "I
guess *traditional* doesn't mean you can't jazz it up!"
	He smiled at her. "You don't need any jazzing up. You're beautiful as it is."
	"This is so wonderful, Darien. . .all this. . .and being here with you. .
." She finished the last of her food, and paused a moment, just enjoying
gazing at him and listening to the music of the orchestra. . .
	"Hey," she said, "you wanna dance?"
	"I'd love to, madame." He bowed to her and held out his arm.
	They swayed together on the dance floor, wrapped tightly in each other's
arms, oblivious to everyone and everything around them. . .
	She leaned her head on his chest. "What a year this has been," she sighed.
	"Pretty amazing, wasn't it? We got rid of the Dark Kingdom for good. . ."
	"We went to the Olympics. . ."
	"We both got new weapons. . ."
	"And I learned to use my psychic talent. . ."
	"And then there was the cooking cruise, and the formal dance. . ."
	She let out a sigh. "Darien, what do you think is ahead of us in the next
year?"
	"I'm not quite sure, honey, but I can't shake this feeling that something
is about to happen to us. Something huge. Something that could change our
lives forever. . ."
	"You've had those feelings too? I'm wondering if. . .it has something to
do with the new Sailor Scouts we've had visions of?"
	"Before the New Year is out, Serena, the four girls will cross our paths.
I'm certain of that."
	"And the other ones? The boys who turn into girls?"
	"That will be a bit longer. . .but somebody else is about to come into our
lives. And that somebody will be *very* important to us."
	I want to know who that somebody is, Serena thought. She took a deep
breath and relaxed, trying to open her mind. . .
	She had a fast vision of a tiny figure standing in shadows. A tiny figure
with a hairstyle very similar to her own. . .but almost as soon as the
vision came, it vanished.
	And then, Serena's head was flooded with other visions, visions of what
her friends were doing at that moment. . .
	She saw Mina and Glen walking around the grounds of his manor, and she
knew that later that night they'd be going to a party on a private boat
sailing up the Thames. "Why are you so sad, my love?" Glen was saying.
	"Because I have to go home the day after tomorrow. This past week, Glen. .
.it's been pure paradise. I don't want it to end. I'm going to feel so
lonely when I have to go back to Tokyo. . ."
	"But we're here together now. . .and that's what matters. And we'll make
enough memories to last us until we can see each other again." The couple
kissed.
	Serena's vision shifted and she saw Lita and Ken at a street festival.
There was a fish pond there, and they were having a competition to see who
would catch a fish first. . .
	"And if I win?" he was saying.
	"Then you get a big kiss at midnight. And if I win. . .*you* have to kiss
*me* at midnight."
	"Now *that's* a win-win scenario if I ever heard one!"
	Serena saw Amy and Adam in another part of the same festival,
contemplating the various food vendors who were boiling big pots of noodles
in preparation for the traditional New Year's Eve repast. . .
	"Which do you prefer?" she was saying. "Udon or soba?"
	"Actually, either one of them would taste great. . .if it were eaten in a
horizontal position. With you. Alone."
	She blushed bright red. . .but she said, "That idea has possibilities. . ."
	And then, Serena saw Raye and Chad in the fire room of the temple. . .
	"You keep a vigil *every* New Year's Eve?" he was saying.
	"Yes. I pray for the future, and try to see visions of what the next 12
months will bring. . ."
	"Yeah, but what about the parties, and the buckets of noodles, and. . ."
	Her grandfather entered the room at that point, and said, "Chad! In the
spiritual life, we have to have *discipline*!" Pause. "We have the
champagne and noodles *after* midnight!"
	"GRANDPA!"
	Then, to Serena's surprise, her vision shifted again, and she saw somebody
else. . .She gasped when she realized it was the couple she and Darien had
spied on during the formal dance. They were at another fancy party in the
city. . .
	The girl was saying, "This is it. I know for a fact. Before the year is
over. . .they will be found."
	Her date took her hand and squeezed it. "The end of our mission. . .what
we've worked for all this time. . ."
	"In a way, it will seem strange. . .knowing that the world is safe from
The Silence, and we don't have a mission anymore. . ."
	The Silence? Why do those words send such a peculiar chill through me?
Serena thought. . .
	And then her vision shifted yet again, and she saw three figures in
another planet, another solar system. . .
	"We might as well just give up," one of them was saying. "We're not going
to find her here."
	"Give up? We can't! There's still areas we haven't investigated yet. We
found a couple of clues a little while back, didn't we?"
	The third figure went up to the second and hugged her. . .yes, all three
are definitely girls right now, Serena thought. "I know how much she means
to you. . .how much you miss her. We all do. But you have to admit, this
planet is a dead end. . ."
	"Then where do we go? What do we do?"
	"I've made some calculations. The next planet we should try is Vesta, just at the edge of the next solar system. And then, if that one doesn't work out. . .Earth."
	The heads of the other two snapped up. "Earth?" they said in unison.
	"But to fit in there, we may have to do something. . .drastic."
	The three looked at each other, and the first said, "Oh, boy. . .I do
*not* like the sound of this."
	Then, suddenly, Serena's vision seemed to snap, and she was back in the
ballroom again, limp and clinging to Darien.
	"Serena? What happened?"
	"I. . .I saw. . ."
	"I know, honey. I saw them all too."
	They just hung onto each other for a moment, trying to absorb what they
had seen, knowing that once again, their minds had touched. . .
	And then, their thoughts were interrupted by the voices of the crowd in
the ballroom shouting, "TEN! NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN. . ."
	"This is it!" he said, holding her closer.
	"THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
	Everyone cheered and confetti was flung about. Serena and Darien kissed,
long, hard and deep, shifting their bodies a bit so they could rub up
against each other. He became very aware of her sweet scent, the luxurious
feel of her hair, the swell of her breasts against him. . .
	"Serena," he whispered, "how about that dip in the hot tub?"
	She kissed his ear and whispered back, "I guess we can take our noodles
and dessert upstairs."
* * *
	He'd told her to wait in the bedroom for a minute while he got everything
ready. She heard things being moved around, the sound of water running into
the jacuzzi. . .
	"Okay, love," he called. "Come on in!"
	She opened the bathroom door, and saw the room flooded with candlelight.
Votives in round glass holders were set on what looked like every available
surface. At the side of the jacuzzi, she saw a bucket of champagne on ice,
a big bowl of noodles with two sets of chopsticks, and a plate of little
pastries. And in the water was her one and only love.
	"Hey, baby," Darien said. "Want to come in? The water's fine!"
	"Oh, Darien! This is wonderful!" She dropped her clothing to the floor and
slid into the tub, feeling the just-perfect-temperature water bubbling all
around her, seeming to caress her entire body. . .
	"Mmmm," she said. "This feels nice."
	"It's lovely, isn't it?" He pulled her to him, his mouth claiming hers for
a long, sensuous kiss. She rubbed her body against his, feeling her nipples
sliding along his slick chest, her womanhood pressing against his leg. .
.Almost unconsciously, she shifted her position so that she was straddling
his thigh, moving up and down on it so that her jewel rubbed directly on
his skin. . .
	"Aaaahh," he said, "somebody's an eager little minx." He took her into his
arms and pulled her toward him so his mouth could reach her nipples. He
drew one in and began to suck, which only made her moan and move harder and
faster against his thigh.
	"Ooohhhh, baby," she moaned, "oh, Gods, that feels *so* good, ohhh yes. . . ."
	He eased his mouth away. "Now, love, we still have things to eat and
drink. . ."
	"I don't want to eat. . .not now. . .now, I just want you. . ."
	He leaned over and kissed her lips. "Come on, sweetheart. . .let's make
this evening last. . ." Slowly, he eased his thigh out from between her
legs, despite her whimper of protest. "It'll be sweeter if we wait."
	She made a face, but picked up the bowl of noodles. "Okay. . .we'll eat."
Picking up the chopsticks, she picked up some food and brought it to his
mouth. He wrapped his tongue around the strands of soba before pulling them
into his mouth, and she felt a little thrill at the sight.
	Once he'd swallowed them, he said, "Your turn." When he brought the bunch
of noodles toward her, she took two of them in her mouth and sucked on
them, slowly drawing them in, catching his eye and winking. He made a
little "oohh" sound. . .
	They fed each other a few more bunches, then, as he was eating, she took
the other end of the strand he was sucking on and began drawing it into her
own mouth. Their lips ended up meeting mid-noodle, and they lingered. . .
	Serena placed the bowl back on the side of the tub and let her hands roam
over her lover's body. Oh, Gods, she thought, he feels *so* good. . .his
body is so tight, so muscular, and his skin is so soft. . .no matter how
much I touch that man, I will never, *never* get sick of it.
	When the kiss finally broke, he whispered, "I think we ate enough to be
lucky next year, don't you?"
	"I'm lucky already. I have you."
	Their lips met again, and she grasped his buttocks in her hands, feeling
how tight and shapely they were, squeezing and releasing over and over
again. . .His hands were exploring her curves, running along her hips and
over her bottom. . .
	I feel like I'm on fire, she thought. Darien, Darien, my love. . .let me
give you pleasure, I want to make you feel *so* good. . .
	"Darien," she said, "can we have some champagne?"
	She knew that the glasses were just out of his reach, he'd have to get out
of the jacuzzi to get them.
	"Of course, my sweet." He reached up to the wall and started to pull
himself out of the water. . .
	When he was in a sitting position, Serena made her move. She locked her
arms around his waist, holding him in place. Her lips kissed along his
stomach, moving slowly down. . .She ran her tongue lightly over the tip of
his manhood before drawing it in. Oh, how good he felt, how good he tasted!
She bobbed her head up and down, up and down, and the sound of his moaning
was sweet music to her ears. . .
	Darien was leaning his head back, his eyes closed and his mouth open in an
expression of pure rapture. Gods, what she was doing to him! The wetness,
the heat, the pressure in all the right places. . .This was the ultimate
kiss, he thought.
	"Aaah, you minx," he groaned. "Ohhh, yes, that's good, that's soooo
gooood. . .oh, keep doing that, baby, ohhh yeesss. . ."
	He felt her arms slide away from him, and then her hand was caressing the
sac beneath his maleness, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to hold on
very much longer. . . "Serena. . .oh, darling, baby, my Serena. .
.ooooooohhh. . ." And then, one of her fingers found the spot right where
the sac joined his body, and she was stroking it, and his control broke.
Letting out a yell, he released himself, and she backed away just in time,
his fluid landing on her breasts and upper torso.
	He fell back against the floor, dazed and spent. She hopped out of the
water, got a washcloth and delicately cleaned herself up. Then, she got the
glasses and lay on the floor next to him. . .
	"How about that champagne now, Muffin?"
	"Oooh, you minx," he whispered. "You know that you're going to have to pay
for that one, don't you?"
	"How am I going to pay?"
	"Oh, don't worry. The price will be. . .sweet." He brought his mouth to
hers, and she felt his hands cupping her breasts, the thumbs brushing back
and forth over the nipples. . .
	"Oooh," she moaned when she took her mouth away from his. And then she
felt his lips on her nipple, tugging gently, sending blasts of electricity
running throughout her, his tongue dancing on the hardened tip. "Ohh, ohh,"
she groaned, as his mouth moved quickly from one rosebud to the other and
back again.
	He slid back into the water, and she sat on the edge of the jacuzzi, her
legs open and spread wide. "And now, my love," he whispered, "it's payback
time!"
	"AAAHHH!!" she cried as she felt his tongue thrust deep inside her. He
moved it rapidly in and out, in and out. . .he swirled it around inside
her, then plunged it in a series of very short, very rapid strokes. She
tangled her fingers in his hair, trying to pull him closer and closer,
trying to get more and more pleasure from him. . .He slipped his tongue out
of her, and she groaned in disappointment. . .only to feel it moving up to
her jewel. "OOOHHH GODS!" she shrieked as his tongue began to relentlessly
lash the little organ, and her hips were jerking, jerking, jerking as her
head rolled from side to side and her breath came in ragged pants and
gasps. . .then, he was sucking it, and she flew over the edge, screaming
his name as she was wracked with hot shudders.
	She slid down into the water, weakened and trembling, and he was pulling her into his arms, kissing her gently, holding her tightly. . .
	"Oh, Darien," she sighed, "that was incredible."
	"*You're* incredible." She felt him let go of her briefly, heard the pop
of a cork, then something being poured. . .
	"Your champagne, my princess."
	"Thank you, my prince."
	They sipped the bubbly liquid, and he took one of the little pastries off
the tray and held it to her mouth. She nibbled at it, marveling at how
especially delicious it tasted after making love. . .
	"What a beautiful evening," she sighed.
	"It's not over yet, you know. Hmm, I don't think we tested the springs on
that big bed yet, have we?"
	She laughed and gave him a little, playful slap. "And you call *me* a minx!"
	"Serena, I can't imagine a more perfect way to start the New Year. You and
me, alone together. . .
	"And I hope we see a lot more New Years in together like this."
	"Oh, we will, my darling." He kissed her again. "Happy New Year. . .I love
you."
	"I love you, too." She brought her mouth to his again, and as they kissed,
it felt to her like time itself had stopped, as if they were suspended in
eternity. . .
	"Now," she said, "about those bedsprings. . ."

AUTHOR'S NOTES: In Japan, it is traditional on New Year's Eve to eat
noodles for good luck and to attend parties and festivals in native
Japanese dress.

A big hello and thank you to my compadres in the Lemon Tree, and to
everyone who's supported me over the past year. I hope to be writing a lot
more sekkushiaru romans and MSTings during 1999 (look for stories based on
each of the latter four seasons of Sailormoon. . .)

Standard Sailor Moon disclaimers apply. These characters ain't mine, I'm
just borrowing them for a little while.