Title: The Day I Saved for You [Full Story]
Author: W. Bymeeh
E-mail: jhyunl@aol.com
Rating: PG
Website: http://jayhyun.tripod.com/sm/

[First Season, Valentine's Day fic, alt. reality, mostly 
mush...you've been warned.  No evil youmas or Negaverse generals 
around, besides MK, who found her way into my author's notes]

*Reference notes: Valentine's Day takes place on a Monday this 
year [2000].  For convenience sake, let's just say that it 
actually takes place on a Saturday.  I mean, it really doesn't 
matter, since within a number of years Valentine's Day *will* 
take place on a Saturday. Anyway.    ^^  

**A _lot_ of thanks goes to Antigone for all her help and putting 
up with me through countless e-mails (the anime Mamoru _is_ 
cool), and to MK, whose well of creativity is endless and never 
ceases to amaze me with everything that she's done (ack---another 
layout, MK?  ^^).  More thanks and credit at the bottom of this 
story. 

Warning: high sugar content ahead (as most of my first seasons 
are, *sigh*).  Read.  Enjoy.  E-mail, darn it.  E-mail E-mail E-
mail E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail [get the picture?] 

*Disclaimer: Characters are copyrighted by their respective 
owners.  But I pay for all the sprite that goes into the well of 
creativity.    



				The Day I Saved for You  		


[Thursday]
	
	"Serena, I really don't see what the big deal is," Molly 
said as she pointedly looked at her watch for the ninth time in 
twenty minutes.  She tapped her foot on the tiled floor of the 
stationary store, purposely making a loud 'clacking' sound with 
her heel.  She glared at a certain blonde who was oblivious to 
her growing irritation.  "Why can't you just pick one?"  
	Serena barely glanced at her best friend, her unusually 
large blue eyes focused intently on yet another card decorated 
with lace and pink teddy bears.  "Just another minute, Molly," 
she muttered, not really paying attention to the annoyed redhead.  
	"SERENA!  What is the big deal?  Since when does it take 
anyone-" Molly checked her watch again, "---twenty-five minutes 
to pick out a Valentine's Day card?"  Her eyes narrowed.  "Who's 
this one for, Serena?  Is this one *more* than just a friend?"    
	Serena straightened up and scowled, turning to face her 
friend.  "Molly, you *know* who this is for..."  Serena's blue 
eyes changed from annoyed to mischievous.  "And besides, didn't I 
spend two hours with you while you shopped for the perfect gift 
for your sweet little Melvin?"  
	Molly flushed a bright red, but quickly retorted, "I'm 
going to spend Valentine's Day with him...of course I had to find 
the perfect gift!  As for you," Molly put her hands on her hips, 
"I know your Valentine is not going to be that picky about any 
card you pick out!"  
	Serena sighed at the reminder, her mood swiftly changing 
from teasing to serious.  "Molly, I just have to find the perfect 
card this year.  I just have this feeling that if I find the 
perfect Valentine's Day card..."  
	Molly winced slightly.  "Serena, how many years has it 
been?  I don't think I even remember what got you started on this 
strange tradition."  
	Serena played with a few strands from one of her ponytails, 
twisting it around her fingers as she scanned the top row of the 
cards.  "This will be my fifth year."  She smiled, a soft, dreamy 
look settling in her eyes.  "It started on a Valentine's Day 
years ago when my mom gave me a Valentine...it was a simple one 
that said 'Happy Valentine's Day' with a quick little message to 
me inside.  And then, I saw the Valentine that she gave to my 
dad."  She picked out another card and flipped it open, but 
didn't really look at it.  "It was really beautiful, with a 
romantic poem and hearts and baby cupids...and there was the 
scent of my mom's favorite perfume, too.  And I remember being 
awed by that wonderful Valentine card.  And I wanted to know why 
my mom didn't give me a card like that.
	"My mom said that on Valentine's Day, you gave a really 
special card to your true love.  She said that one day I'll find 
someone to love, too, like how she and my dad love each other.  
And then he'll give me a special Valentine of my own, and I'll 
give him a beautiful one too, just like the one she gave my dad.  
I had thought that Valentine's Day was all about chocolates and 
sweets and exchanging Valentines with everyone in school, but she 
said it wasn't.  She said it was a secret, and that one day I 
would know why I couldn't know what the day really meant by just 
being told."  Serena smiled a little, winking at Molly.  "I'm 
sure you and Melvin know *everything* about how special this day 
is."  She ducked Molly's swing and backed away, laughing and 
waving her hands in defeat.     
	"Anyway, I was only nine then...and after that, I decided 
that for Valentine's Day I had to always be ready with a 
Valentine card, in case I met my true love...with pink hearts and 
red roses and little cupids...and I'd add my favorite 
perfume...the one with scent of cherry blossoms, because that 
would make the card *really* special, only from me and only for 
him."  Serena giggled, but her eyes were hazy, and had a distant 
look in them.  "I always saved the Valentine from every year...so 
that when I finally *do* meet him, I can give him all the 
Valentines from the past years, and tell him that I've been 
thinking of him all this time!"  Serena glanced at Molly, who was 
softening up.  She smiled to herself, and decided not to mention 
that her desire for finding the perfect card was really because 
for the first Valentine's Day ever, she knew *exactly* who she 
wanted to give it to.  "You know, Molly...all I want is to just 
find that special guy to spend Valentine's Day with..."
	No, that wasn't exactly it.  She had already found 
him...she just had to figure out how to tell him.  And this was 
something that no one, *no one*, knew but herself; it was a 
secret buried in the depths of her heart, and she refused to let 
even a sign of it show...until the moment her wish would come 
true.    
	Serena was brought back to the real world when Molly threw 
her hands up in the air and laughed, her earlier impatience 
completely gone after the reminder of Serena's childhood memory.  
"I give up.  You're a hopeless case."  
	Serena stuck her tongue out at her.  "We can't all be as 
lucky as you...there's only *one* Melvin in this world, after 
all."  With a sly look on her face, Serena darted out of the 
front door of the store as Molly chased after her.  
	Neither of them saw a tall, dark-haired young man step out 
from the next aisle over, and walk out the door.  He watched the 
laughing blonde run off with her friend into the distance...and 
said softly to himself, "All I want...is to spend Valentine's Day 
with you, Serena..."  

***

	Serena was walking home with a smile on her face, happily 
thinking about the afternoon she spent with Molly.  For some 
reason that she could not guess at, she felt special, because she 
had a secret that not even Molly, nor any of her other friends 
had any clue about.  Wouldn't they be surprised?  
	But Serena knew.  She knew exactly how she felt, what she 
was hoping for, and what she wanted for Valentine's Day. 
	And it had nothing to do with chocolate.  
	Humming a light tune under her breath, she walked along the 
sidewalk, absentmindedly taking the time to skip over the cracks.  
	But absorbed in her mindless game, she still very wasn't 
surprised that when she turned around the corner, she crashed 
into a tall, young man who immediately said on impact:   
	"Watch where you're going, Meatball Head!"  
	She had been expecting it, really.  After the number of 
times they had "coincidentally" bumped into each other, she had 
come to the realization that her day could not be complete 
without running into his arms.  And even if she was only in his 
arms for a few seconds, at least she could imagine that his arms 
seemed to linger on hers... 
	Serena forced herself to step away from the tall man in the 
[ugly] green jacket, and huffily replied, "If it isn't the jerk 
who *never* fails to ruin my day!"   
	Glacial blue eyes narrowed at her, and she glared back 
unrepentantly, her eyes bright with her fury...or was it simply 
the energy that surfaced whenever he was around?  He made 
*something* come alive in her, and it always showed...
	Darien retorted something sharp, and Serena automatically 
responded with something equally provoking.  But in the back of 
her mind, her thoughts began to drift...if they hadn't done this 
so many times before, she would have made a mistake.  But she was 
a pro, and so was he, and the words they exchanged slipped easily 
from their lips.  
	What they were saying wasn't important.  It was the same 
every time, harsh words that neither of them meant. It was an 
act, a play, a scene that they went through every time they met, 
every moment they shared with each other.  But there was 
something more going on then the words they shared, currents that 
swept from her to him and back again.  Waves of electricity 
rolled between the two, in their own little world, that they both 
fought against and refused to be caught by, because of their own 
insecurities and fears...Neither one would give in to the forces 
that pulled at them.  
Oh, but Serena wanted to break out of their act, and recite un-
scripted lines from her heart.  She wanted to be able to coax 
kind, soft words from his lips, and look into his midnight-blue 
eyes and see that a warmer part of him existed.  She knew it did, 
she had a feeling of certainty that there was a more loving side 
to him...and even as she said her usual parting words, and turned 
to march away, she wanted to reach out to him.    
	But did he feel the same way?  Hope and doubt could not 
live without each other, and it tugged on the confidence of her 
heart.    
	She walked away, but after only a few steps, she glanced 
back casually over her shoulder, and she saw him staring after 
her, with *that* look in his eyes.  Almost immediately he turned 
away from her and walked briskly off in the other direction, as 
if nothing had ever happened between them.  But she had seen it.  
That look, the one she had not understood the first time she had 
seen it, but had burned itself into her heart, igniting some kind 
of fire in her heart that she had never known could 
exist...giving her the hope to dream for more.  
	"Valentine's Day," she whispered to herself.  She believed 
that that day had magic for people who loved each other.  And all 
she and Darien needed was a little bit of magic to give them that 
little push, the realization that they *belonged* together, and 
it would sweep all of their past encounters of insults away, and 
give them a new start.  
	She knew that she could reach out to him...and on that day, 
she would.    
		     
***

	Darien wondered if any of the people who knew him as the 
dedicated, award-winning and hard-working university student 
would ever believe how empty his life was.  
	Ever since he had met her, everything else in his life had 
paled in comparison.  How could it not, when her mere presence 
acted like a flare that lit up the sky?  She was like that to 
him, a golden-haired angel from a place he had never known, 
somewhere with warmth, comfort, and love...in her arms.   
	How ironic it was that all he had ever managed to do was 
drive her farther away from him.  
	And even more surprising was that fate kept bringing her 
back to him, if only for a few fleeting moments.  And if only for 
them to exchange harsh words and insults.  It was all so natural 
to both of them, these "fights"...part of their daily routine; 
the hurtful words, the anger, the careless remarks...
	And yet, as simple as they were, it meant so much to him.  
More than his studies, more than his few close friends, more than 
any and all of his material possessions.  Just *seeing* 
her...that one time a day...  
	Did it mean as much to her?  
	He had seen her coming, of course.  He had somehow known 
that *she* was near, and with that strange, compelling sense of 
urgency, he had looked around the corner, and there she 
was...skipping innocently along the sidewalk, dancing around the 
cracks, with the most carefree expression on her face...happiness 
literally sparkling in those sky-blue eyes.  
	He couldn't resist...he had to have her in her arms.  Like 
so many times before, he placed himself directly around the 
corner, so that when she walked around it, she would find herself 
directly in his arms. 
	How he wished she would *stay* there.  
	But no, of course, she always pulled away before he could 
really savor the sweet sensation of holding her, and smell the 
sweet scent of cherry blossoms that seemed to hover magically 
around her...
	But she never tried to linger in his "embrace"...
	And then, of course, he opened his mouth...and out would 
come the most trivial insults, ridiculous remarks, and mocking 
words meant to sting.  Words ironically the exact opposite of the 
real feelings he felt in his heart, the emotions in his heart 
that seemed to fire up only for her.  
	After their usual battle, she flounced off, not a care in 
the world, and all he *really* knew was how deeply affected he 
was in her presence...and even more when she was not there.  
	He should have just walked away, and pretended not to care, 
but for some reason he couldn't.  Maybe it was the fact that 
Valentine's Day was coming, a day for lovers, and all *he* had 
was a few seconds of holding her in his arms...and that was 
"accidental."
	And he could not help but to stare at her retreating 
figure, walking farther and farther away from him.  She was 
everything to him; she was light and sunshine and happiness and 
love...everything that had been missing in his life for so long, 
everything that he might have had once, but had forgotten.
	And then, she had looked *back*.  And for one moment, 
Darien had felt his heart beat faster, and his head began to 
spin...dizzy with the hope that maybe he was seeing something in 
those beautiful eyes that understood the way he felt...
	But then she turned away, and she kept on walking, farther 
and farther into the distance, farther and farther until she 
disappeared from his sight, his life.  But not his heart.         
	
	He sighed.  He didn't know what the right words to say to 
her were.  He didn't know how to make her smile, and he didn't 
know the simplest action to make her happy.  There was a wall 
between them, and he didn't know how to breach it.  And so all 
they could do was exchange their daily bout of insults over it, 
around it...but they never could reach through it.  
	Valentine's Day was a day to express one's true feelings, 
wasn't it?  Darien considered telling her about the feelings he 
harbored in his heart, about everything she meant to him.  Maybe 
on that day, something could happen to change the way things were 
between them, and break down that wall...
	Was it impossible?  She would never be willing to spend 
such a special day with him.    
	But how he wished she would...

***

	Serena crawled underneath her bed and immediately sneezed.
	"Yes, I really do have to clean more," she muttered to 
herself.  "Too bad I never will."  
	She inched her way toward the far corner, trying to avoid 
hitting her head on the mattress above.  After squinting for a 
bit, her eyes slowly began to adjust in the darkness.  As soon as 
she noticed the dark, rectangular shape of her goal, she reached 
for it eagerly, at the same time banging her head on the ceiling 
with her abrupt movements.
	A dirty, rumpled, but very triumphant Serena with one 
'meatball' falling out emerged victoriously from underneath her 
bed, pulling a large carton with one hand and rubbing her aching 
head with the other.  With a glorious smile on her face, she 
dusted herself off and sat on her bed with the carton in her lap.  
She grabbed a tissue and briskly cleaned the lid off before 
opening it and peering inside.
	Serena giggled at the sight of years and years of 
Valentine's Day cards stuffed into the box.  She had kept some 
from every year, and there were many piled in the box, because 
she had always been the girl who had a Valentine for everyone and 
still received twice as many.  
	She shuffled through the cards on top, noticing the most 
recent ones from last year---with a larger amount of cards that 
focused on romance rather than friendship.  She made a mental 
note to sort through the cards at another time and only keep the 
ones from her closest friends.  
	She reached underneath the massive pile of Valentines, and 
her fingers found a layer of plastic.  She tugged on the corner, 
and successfully managed to pull a plastic bag out, with four 
cards sealed inside.    
	She opened the bag and pulled out one of the cards, and 
smiled as the faint scent of sunflowers wafted to her nose.  She 
pulled out the other cards and sniffed it, trying to remember 
what scent she had used that year.  The earliest card, a simple 
generic Valentine's Day card with some childish hearts and cupids 
added on with her own hand, smelled faintly of strawberries; that 
had been her mother's perfume that she had snuck into her 
parent's room to "borrow" for the card.  
	The sunflower scent had been a present from Molly, and she 
had used it for the second year of her little tradition...the 
raspberry perfume, the year after, won in a gift exchange...and 
the peach scent, something she had saved up her allowance to buy.
	The little perfume scent on the card was her trademark; 
Serena almost felt as if she was putting a part of herself into 
the card.  And the only Valentine's Day card she ever did this 
for was the one for *him*.   
	She glanced over at her dresser, and picked one of the 
vials up and opened it.  She sniffed the sweet, light scent of 
cherry blossoms.  Raye had given it to her for Christmas, and it 
had been her favorite perfume ever since.  This would be what she 
used for this year's Valentine's Day card...
	With a laugh that had no real reason other than a feeling 
of giddiness, she placed the perfume back on her dresser and 
dumped the pile of old Valentines back into the carton.  The four 
special ones she scooped back into the bag and placed it next to 
her perfume.  
	'When did I begin to fall for him?' she mused to herself.  
'From day one, all he did was tease me and make me mad.  But 
still, if he had been just a regular guy I would have been able 
to stop thinking about him, and dismiss him as annoying as 
Melvin...'  She grinned a little, thinking of Molly.  
	'That time I first looked into his eyes.  Really looked.  I 
was angry when he called me 'Meatball Head,' and I was marching 
away, and I could only hear his laughter behind me.  And then I 
turned around, for some strange reason, and I saw those dark, 
blue eyes still staring at me...He still had that smirk on his 
face, but it was so strange, because his eyes...they touched me.  
	'When I looked at him, I felt something hurt inside, an 
ache inside my heart, when I saw what his eyes held.  His eyes, 
they were so different from the harsh words that he said.  They 
were so sad...and alone...and dark.  That same look that I saw in 
his eyes today.  From that first time, I wanted to make those 
eyes light up.  And I still do.'
	She fell back on her bad, and glanced out the window.  The 
moon was almost full, shining more brightly than she had ever 
seen it before.  It seemed that it was shining full of promise 
for her.  Gazing at it, she smiled, and her blue eyes sparkled as 
brightly as the stars in the sky, full of hopes and dreams for 
the day she hoped to share with someone...with him... 
	
***

	Darien walked into his dark apartment.  He shouldn't have 
noticed how stark and lifeless it was---after all, he came home 
to this everyday.  But somehow, after his fiery encounter with 
Serena...it seemed so dead.    
	He tossed his keys onto the counter, his eyes checking to 
make sure they didn't fall to the floor in an unorderly mess.  He 
shrugged off his green jacket and hung it neatly on the hook on 
the wall.  As he walked into the kitchen, he clicked on the 
radio, and then he rolled up his sleeves and started on that 
day's dishes that he had left stacked next to the sink.  
	The soft music played for a while as Darien completed his 
mindless chore, but as he finished a commercial began to play.  
	"Valentine's Day is only two days away, so find that 
special gift for that special someone now!  For a limited time 
only---" 
	Darien switched the radio off, and did not bother asking 
himself why.  In his mind, he quickly ran over a mental checklist 
of everything that he had to do for the next day.  
	He didn't have a quiz in Friday's class; his professor 
apparently had a soft spot for Valentine's Day.  He had already 
finished his assignments for the week...he had also already 
finish the work for the next week as well.  He looked around.  
His apartment was clean...he had paid the month's rent already.  
The kitchen was spotless and he didn't need to go to the market.  
	He was completely free to do anything, see friends and go 
out and have fun.  
	The only thing was, there wasn't anything that he wanted to 
do...and there was no one he felt like calling up and going out 
with on a moment's notice.  His life was so *empty*.  So 
hollow...was he going to spend the next day by himself too?  On 
Valentine's Day, was he going to sit in his empty apartment and 
study for an exam that wouldn't take place for another two weeks?  
	He *could* spend the next afternoon finding "something 
special for that special someone."   And exactly who was it that 
he wanted to spend that day with?     
	Darien knew the answer; hadn't he known it since the moment 
he had first looked into those stunning eyes of blue?  
	But Valentine's Day...what did he know about that?  

*****flashback*****

	"All right, children.  Time to exchange the Valentines you 
made for each other yesterday."  The teacher clapped her hands to 
get the children's attention, and after she finished speaking, 
there was a noisy hustle as the children immediately got up and 
began walking around the classroom, excitedly dropping their poor 
handmade valentines in the box.  
	Darien pulled out the Valentines he had made for his 
classmates.  He was new at the orphanage...and kind of lost.  He 
didn't know what Valentine's Day was for.  But he had tried, and 
listened to the instructions carefully.  He had spent time making 
one for every single child in his class.  
	He carefully went around and placed one in each of the 
decorated shoeboxes on the desks.  He noticed that some of the 
boxes were overflowing, while some of the boxes had a little 
less.  One of the boxes that had many cards stuffed in it 
belonged to the most popular boy in the class, who was always at 
the center of attention and constantly surrounded by the other 
kids.  
	He walked back to his seat, and looked into the plain 
shoebox on his desk.  
	His box was empty...

***end flashback***   

	Darien felt a lump rise in his throat, and forced himself 
to shove the memory aside.  It wasn't a big deal, anymore.  He 
was past that.  So he had never had anyone to spend Valentine's 
Day with...
	But he knew, in a heartbeat, that the whole of his lonely 
past would disappear if he had Serena to take its place.  
	Serena...beautiful, wonderful, delightful Serena.  When had 
he first realized that he wanted her, needed her in his life?  
	Maybe it was the time he had walked into the arcade, and 
seen her chattering away with Andrew, those brilliant blue eyes 
literally sparkling as she laughed and talked a mile a minute.  
	And then she had turned to him, and almost instantly her 
smile disappeared, and her attitude cooled.
	It was probably the sudden switch that had brought the 
thought into his head; what would it feel like if she was smiling 
at *him* with those incredible eyes of hers?  
	And he couldn't stop thinking about that question...the 
possible answers...and everything *else* that had a chance of 
happening if they no longer fought...And after *that* got into 
his head, he couldn't stop thinking about her at all.  
	He would do anything for her, anything she wanted, if she 
only gave him a chance...to maybe spend Valentine's Day with her 
this year.  
	The day meant so much to her, he remembered her muffled 
words enthusiastically talking about Valentine's Day, the 
excitement in her voice clear.  Maybe if he went out of his way 
to do something special for her...Even Darien wasn't impervious 
to the magic of Valentine's Day.  Maybe because he had never 
known its magic, but it still seemed to possess something special 
that he wanted to know.
	Maybe if he found something special for her...
	Maybe there would be a chance.  The slightest one...
	"Carpe diem," Darien murmured to himself.   
	He walked out onto the balcony, and felt the midnight 
breeze sing swiftly by.  His gaze traveled to the moon shining 
its light down on the sleeping city.  He wondered if she was 
watching the same moon, wishing on the same twinkling stars...
	Thinking of him.  
	Because it was certain that he was thinking of her.

******************

[Friday]


	Serena was eager to get started with her shopping.  She 
walked into the arcade right on time, having been on her best 
behavior at school.  There was no way on Earth she was going to 
miss this day, of all days.  
	She let out a dreamy sigh as she thought of her plans for 
Valentine's Day...she crossed her fingers and prayed that it 
would be one that she didn't spend alone...but with him. 
	  It was such a simple goal, and yet she had waited for 
such a long time for the perfect moment to even attempt it.  
Determination burned in her crystal blue eyes, bright and 
beautiful with her passion.  'I'll tell him, tomorrow...and 
maybe...just maybe...he'll spend Valentine's Day with me.'  She 
smiled, a nervous tingling in her heart filled with the pain and 
sweetness of anticipation.  
	She had never felt this way with anyone before; the 
insecurities, the hoping, the dreaming.  How did she know what 
she felt was real?  Was she dreaming of too much?  Was she hoping 
for something she could not have?  She desperately wished that 
her Valentine's day would be perfect; it just had to, this desire 
had been driving her for so long.  
	"Hey, Serena.  Can I get you anything?"  
	A warm voice interrupted her thoughts, and Serena looked up 
to see the smiling face of Andrew.  She grinned back 
automatically.  "Not today, Andrew.  I'm just sitting here to 
wait for Lita, Ami, Raye, and Mina to show up.  We're going 
shopping!"  
	Andrew grinned.  "Well, Serena, I'm amazed.  For once, 
you're here before they are!"  
	Serena made a face, but then she giggled.  She was feeling 
giddy and reckless and so very hopeful, all because of her 
anticipation of finding the perfect Valentine to give, and 
spending the day with the guy she had always dreamed of sharing 
Valentine's Day with.  "Today is a special day for me, Andrew!"  
She grinned mischievously, her bright blue eyes merry.  
	Andrew, amused, stopped cleaning the counter for a moment 
to listen to Serena.  "Valentine's Day is tomorrow, Serena.  
What's so great about today?"  
	Serena hopped off the stool and spun around, unable to hold 
still and hold in her excitement, and barged heedlessly ahead.  
"Today, I'm going to find the perfect Valentine to give to the 
most wonderful guy in the world!"  Her cheeks were flushed a 
bright red, but she was so happy, and she just had to be hopeful 
about Valentine's day; it was her dream and she believed that it 
had to come true. 
	Andrew looked at her in complete surprise and not a little 
amount of curiosity.  "Serena, I had no idea!  Who's the lucky 
guy?"  
	Serena winked, and playfully said, "It's a secret, Andrew!"  
She held up a finger to her lips.  "Shh, don't tell anyone, okay?  
I'm going to spend Valentine's Day with him, but you can't know 
yet who it is yet!  This will be the first time I've ever spent 
it with him!"  She giggled, and thought to herself, 'You'll find 
out soon enough, if I have my way!'            
	Andrew opened his mouth to say more, but at that moment a 
group of rowdy schoolgirls came through the door. 
	"Serena!  You're early!" Mina said in surprise as she 
spotted Serena talking to Andrew.  "Doth my eyes deceive-ith?" 
she said in a bad English accent.  "Amy's been tutoring me in 
Shakespeare," she added.      
	Amy turned around and whacked Mina with her schoolbag.  
"Mina, that was low.  That was worse than low.  That was awful."    
	Mina shrugged, and turned to the blue-haired genius.  "What 
does it matter?  Let's get going!"
	Amy was about to go off in one of her deep reflections on 
life, but Raye cut her off.  "Come on, let's hurry up and get 
started on our shopping; Serena still has to find the perfect 
Valentine for her perfect guy," Raye needled.  
	Serena cheerful returned the favor by saying, "And Raye has 
to find the most romantic gift for Chad.  In fact, I think she 
said she wanted to get him something *extra* special!"  She 
wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.  
	Amidst Raye's outraged protests and the girls' laughter, 
the five walked out of the arcade, leaving what seemed like an 
enormous silence in Andrew's ears.  
	Amused as always by the strange bunch of girls that were 
Serena's friends, Andrew finished cleaning the counter.  He 
looked up as he felt a cold gust of wind blow through the door 
with the latest customer, and was surprised to see Darien's tall 
figure walk up to the counter and sit down.  
	"Darien!  What are you doing here today?"  
	Darien raised an eyebrow.  "What's wrong with me coming to 
the arcade?"  
	Andrew laughed.  "What's wrong?  Let's see, in all the 
years that I've known you, I know you hate coming to the arcade 
on Fridays.  You know that that Friday is when my shift ends 
early, and if you're here, then I'll bother you to stay and go 
out and actually do something *fun*, heaven forbid."  Andrew made 
a 'tsk, tsk' sound with his tongue.  "So why are you here, 
Darien?  Here to ask for my expert advice?"  
	Darien gave him a mock glare, and then his handsome 
features relaxed as he noticed the sincerity in his friend's 
eyes.  "It's Valentine's Day tomorrow," he said simply.   
	Andrew pulled out another rag and began cleaning the 
counter.  Again.  It was the only thing he could do when he had 
to listen to his friends pour out their daily troubles, and still 
be able to pay enough attention to what they said.  If he tried 
to do anything more than clean the counter, they would stop 
talking and say that they couldn't keep him from his work; if he 
did nothing at all, they would say that they didn't want to 
bother him during his break. 
	Between Serena and Darien, the counter was always spotless.  
	Andrew nodded, and said, "Darien, Darien, Darien.  Did you 
eat the chocolates you were going to give your secret girlfriend 
whom you haven't told me about?"  
	Darien stared while Andrew looked at him quite seriously.  
"Very funny, Andrew."  He frowned, not knowing how to pose his 
question.  "Andrew, what did you give Rita for your first 
Valentine's Day?"     
	Andrew paused for a moment as he tried to remember.  
"Well," he said slowly, "Rita and I had been a couple for a 
couple of months already by the time Valentine's Day came 
around..." 
	Darien frowned.  "So it wasn't a big deal for you?"  
	Andrew gave a guilty grin.  "Well, it wasn't for me, but it 
was for Rita!  I had thought a nice, quiet evening to ourselves 
at my place would be enough, but luckily a friend of hers tipped 
me off."  He smiled.  "So I spent some time searching for some 
special jewelry that she might like, bought some flowers, and 
took her out to a restaurant.  Pretty simple, eh?"  
	"That's it?"  
	Andrew shrugged and grinned.  "I turned on the romantic 
charm, you know me...after all, Rita deserves it."  He blushed a 
little.  
	Darien muttered, "Sounds simple enough."  Then he spoke 
louder, "But you two were already a couple, right?"   
	Andrew nodded, waiting for Darien to continue.  He had no 
idea why Darien was dancing around with such peculiar questions, 
but then again all he did was clean the counter.  
	Darien frowned.  "Well."  He coughed.  "So, what would you 
have done if you had just met Rita, and you wanted to...ask her 
out on Valentine's Day?  What do you think would be appropriate?"  
	Andrew was glad that cleaning the counter was such a mind-
numbing task.  "Appropriate?  What, Darien, were you planning on 
asking the girl's father for permission to 'court' her too?"  He 
grinned.  "Sweep her off her feet, Darien.  Buy her some 
Valentine's Day chocolates, get her a card, bring her roses, and 
take her to dinner.  The works, Darien."  	
	Darien shook his head, "I want to do something *special* 
for this girl.  I mean...uh...*really* special.  Valentine's Day 
is really important to her...and..."  
	Andrew grinned.  "Ah, so there *is* some mysterious girl 
that you've got your heart set on...Well, we've made more 
progress in five minutes than we have in the five years that I've 
known you, seeing as you've never admitted anything like this to 
me before."  He paused his cleaning for a moment, staring at the 
bowed head of his long-time friend.  "Do I know her?"  
	"This is a girl who really, really loves Valentine's Day.  
I mean, she's been waiting around forever for some special guy to 
come along and share this day with."  Darien avoided the question 
of exactly who she was.  
	"Ah.  So you think you're that special guy, huh?  And you 
want to impress her, shower her with wonderful gifts, and win her 
heart, all in the spirit of Valentine's Day?"  Andrew asked with 
perfect logic.  
	"She deserves it...she deserves more than I could give her.  
She's the sweetest girl I know, but she has so much spirit she 
could outshine any star,"  Darien babbled on.  Perhaps it was the 
idea of Valentine's Day that let him be so reckless and giddy by 
just thinking about the one who had occupied his mind for so 
long.  "And...she's just so beautiful.  I think it's everything 
about her that adds to her *specialness*, and to me she is just 
the perfect vision."   
	As Darien yammered on, Andrew suddenly had a moment of 
clarity in the midst of his everyday confusion.  'Oh my goodness, 
could he be talking about Serena?  The girl he makes fun of every 
day and calls Meatball Head?'  He paused for a moment, thinking 
on the possibility.  'How perfect!  How incredibly perfect those 
two would be!  Maybe I could help them out a little...could this 
really be...my chance to finally fix the two up??' 
	He stared at Darien, and then reality hit him on the head.  
With a sledgehammer.  'Wait, what am I thinking?!?  Serena and 
Darien?  Ha.  Ha.  Ha.  I can't perform miracles.  I'm just the 
arcade boy, and all I do is clean counters and listen to Serena 
and Darien rant.  No matchmaking for me.'  The moment of clarity 
flew away and the usual fog drifted back into Andrew's mind.    
	"Well, Darien, I think that you should just try and find 
something that she'll like, and don't worry about whether it's 
absolutely perfect or not.  If she's worth it, then she'll see 
your efforts, as sad as they are," Andrew grinned, "and she'll be 
happy because of it anyway."  
	"She is definitely worth it," Darien said firmly, his 
midnight-blue eyes focused on the napkin that he was clenching in 
his hands.  Andrew leaned over and plucked the napkin away, 
worried about what Darien might do in his arcade.  
	"Darien, why don't you go and hurry up and check out the 
stores for Valentine's Day gifts?  You only have a few hours left 
to find the *perfect* Valentine for your special girl, who 
*cough* you still need to tell me the name of," Andrew suggested, 
an innocent look on his face.  But he was a patient man; he had 
to be since Darien had so often kept to himself.    
	Darien looked up at his friend in shock; he had been 
worrying so much about a reaction to a Valentine's Day gift, that 
he had forgotten he didn't have it yet.  "Oh, you're right...I 
guess I better go."  His mood seemed to of changed, and his face 
brightened up with the idea of finding something special for 
*her*.  "Thanks for the advice, Andrew.  And I'll tell you who 
the girl is...if everything goes all right."  
	Andrew gave him a thumbs up, and cheerfully said, "Go for 
it, Darien!  You know, you really ought to take a page from 
Serena's book.  I've never known anyone to be as excited as her 
about Valentine's Day."  He chuckled, remembering the excited 
look on the bubbly girl's face.  "Don't let her know I told you 
this, but apparently this is the first Valentine's Day she's 
spending with a guy.  She's off shopping madly with that crazy 
group of girls to find the perfect Valentine to give him, and---"  
	Darien whirled back to the counter and had Andrew by the 
collar before the latter knew what was going on.  Andrew still 
clutched a rag in his hand as he stared directly into the crazed 
blue eyes of his friend.    	
	"What did you just say?"  

***

	"So, Serena, spill.  Who's this mystery guy of yours?" Mina 
asked, curiosity glowing in her blue eyes as they wandered 
through the department store, which was the main entrance to the 
other boutiques and shops in the mall.
	"It's probably not Melvin, since Molly snapped him up 
awhile ago," Lita remarked with a grin.  
	Serena tossed her hair over her shoulder and breezily said, 
"You guys aren't going to find out until after whatever is going 
to happen happens, so you might as well stop asking."  
	"What would be the fun in that?" Raye said with her usual 
sarcastic edge.      
	Serena sighed.  
	"Does it have to be a Valentine's Day card?  How about a 
gift, like heart-shaped chocolates or something?" Lita asked as 
they wandered through the clothing department.   
	Raye grinned wickedly.  "Are you crazy?  Serena would *eat* 
the chocolates before she even had a chance to give it the poor 
guy!"  
Serena stuck her tongue out at her, which Raye heartily returned.  
Before the tongue war could continue, Amy came up with another 
option.  "Lita's right, Serena.  You don't have to get a nice 
card for him.  How about...a book on something he's interested 
in?  Or a computer program, or..."  
	Serena and Raye stopped their tongue war to look over at 
Amy, dumbfounded.  Serena opened her mouth to tell Amy that she 
was crazy, but she was stopped by the reappearance of Mina, who 
had disappeared into the racks of clothing.  
	"Ta da!  Here's the perfect gift for your special guy!"  
Mina, with an evil glint in her eye, proudly held up a pair of 
red silk boxers with a pattern of pink and white hearts over it.  
	Serena's mouth dropped open wide.  
	Lita snickered, Raye doubled over with laughter, and Amy 
turned a bright red while Mina gleefully danced the boxers around 
and made smacking sounds with her lips.  
	Serena could never in a million years imagine herself 
giving anything like that to a guy. 
	She couldn't even picture Darien wearing something like 
that...or could she?  Serena turned even more red than Amy.
	"No, Mina...that's inappropriate," Raye said, quite 
seriously.  The others turned to stare at her in amazement.  Raye 
grinned.  "Serena needs to buy something for herself.  Those 
bunny pajamas of hers would turn guys off faster than those 
meatballs!"
	Raye ran. 	
	Serena followed.  
	The other girls calmly waved to the male cashier, and Mina 
threw him the boxers and blew him a kiss as they walked out of 
the department store.  

***

	A little while later, Serena was disgruntled, and more than 
a little exasperated.  But then she saw the one thing that could 
take away her troubles: chocolate.  
	With a squeal, she ran into the store and clapped her hands 
with glee as the rich scent of chocolates floated into her 
nostrils. 
Amy, huffing behind, looked around the chocolate factory with a 
critical eyes.  "Okay, Serena.  Buy him some chocolates." 
	Lita said cheerfully, "Better yet, get a chocolate card and 
have the best of both worlds!"  She pointed to a shiny display 
case next to the door. 
	"Eh?" said Serena.  
	Lita grinned.  "Look, they have these thin chocolate 
'sheets,' and they write your message on it with frosting, and 
they put it in a cake-box for you.  A chocolate card."    
	Raye remarked, "I believe we went through this 
before...Serena would eat the card before she gave it to the poor 
guy." 
	Serena glared, and Raye smiled broadly.  
	Serena turned her mind to the more pressing issue at hand.  
"I want to get him a card...It just *has* to be a card!  And 
we've looked at three stationary stores and I still haven't found 
one that I like!" she fretted.  
	Mina put an arm around Serena.  "Cheer up, Serena.  You 
know, if you really want it to be special, why don't you just 
make him a Valentine?  Have you ever tried that before?" 
	Serena shook her head.  "No, I always bought cards every 
year..."  
	Amy said in her practical manner, "Well, just make a card 
this year.  Nothing could be more special.  Some paper, some 
glue..."  
	Serena tapped her chin thoughtfully.  "Hmmm...maybe you're 
right."  Serena smiled.  The others nodded.  And waited.  And 
hoped.    
	Raye coughed.  "Now that that's decided...I...er...I need 
to find a Valentine for...er..grandpa."
	Lita looked at her strangely, but then she grinned.  "And I 
need to find one for this guy I just met...and no, he doesn't 
look like my old boyfriend!"
	Amy blushed.  "Oh, and I...er...well, I want to go to the 
bookstore...there's this book I think I'll get for someone 
else..."
	Before everyone had the chance to faint, Mina stepped in.  
She declared, "Oh, too many guys and so little time!  I'll never 
be able to get enough Valentines for all the guys who'll have 
presents for me tomorrow!"  
	-_-;

***

	"I'm sorry, Darien...I didn't know you felt that way about 
her," Andrew said quietly, not knowing what else to say. 
	Darien shrugged, as if it didn't matter, but an almost 
imperceptible tremor in his fingers as he gripped the counter 
betrayed him. "It doesn't matter how I feel...if she feels that 
way about someone else."
	Andrew didn't know what else to say to his friend of so 
many years.  Darien had never been one to share his feelings very 
well; Andrew had only learned of how true of a friend he had when 
Darien had always been there to give him support, in good times 
and bad.  
	He wanted to give him some kind of comfort, but he 
remembered the excited look in Serena's eyes as she talked about 
Valentine's Day, the one she was going to spend that day 
with...and he recalled how Serena and Darien always fought so 
fiercely...
	He simply couldn't add the images together.  
	Andrew opened his mouth to try and say something, but 
Darien shook his head, "Thanks, Andrew...I'll be seeing you."  He 
released the counter, and he straightened up and brushed his 
bangs out of his eyes.   
	Andrew looked at him, but did not have the power to look 
into those eyes for longer than a fleeting instant in which he 
felt his stabbing coldness, hurt...and anger.  
	Anger at the world?  Anger at the fates?  Anger at...
	Andrew could not guess the complex character that was his 
friend.  
	"Have a wonderful Valentine's Day."  And Darien turned and 
walked out the door.  
	Andrew sighed, and went back to cleaning the counter. 

*** 

	Darien walked down the street, feeling numb to the world 
around him.  His heart was bleeding with the pain that he felt, 
and yet at the same time he felt like screaming to the world that 
didn't care about how he was in love with someone who obviously 
did not love him in return.  
	He was seething inside...with hurt, with resentment...and 
pain.  So much pain...
	And then, everything came into focus...on *her*.  
	"Darien!" she said, a surprised look on her face, pure 
innocence of what the man before her was feeling.  Delight was 
creeping slowly into her eyes...it was one day to Valentine's 
Day, and it was too hard to keep her secret forever...she felt 
like she was brimming over.  But she couldn't say anything to 
him, not until tomorrow and she had made her special Valentine 
for him!   
	"Serena."  
	Serena was startled.  Never before had she heard him say 
her real name...and in a tone like *that*.  Icy.  Cold...Serena 
looked up into his eyes, trying to search them and discover what 
was wrong.  But before her eyes could meet his, Darien clenched 
his fists...and tried to fight the anger that arose in him when 
he saw how beautiful, bright and sweet the girl before him 
was...and how she would never be his.  
	He lost the battle. 
	"Out buying some stupid Valentines for some boy who's as 
idiotic as you, Serena?" he bit out.  These were not words that 
were part of their regular routine, their everyday fights...they 
were words from his anger, his pain.  At the shocked, hurt look 
that crossed her face, Darien felt some sort of triumph...however 
fleeting it was, however much pain he would pay for it later.  
His heart was screaming at him now, but it was drowned out by the 
hurt, the anger, and the pure jealousy that was running through 
him...and he could not stop it.  "But you know, Meatball Head, 
what makes you think that anyone would want to spend Valentine's 
Day with you?"  
	She let out a little cry, and that little sound of hurt had 
more effect on Darien than any of the words that she could have 
said.    
	Her eyes welled up with tears, and she yelled, "I'm going 
to have a WONDERFUL Valentine's Day, Darien!  But of course you 
don't think so.  After all, a cold-hearted jerk wouldn't 
understand what Valentine's Day is all about!"  
	She turned and ran away from him...and she didn't look 
back.  
	If she had turned, she would have seen the most pain, 
loneliness, and sadness ever in the two blue eyes that she had 
grown to love, the eyes that she had first seen and realized she 
wanted to make happy.  There was no anger anymore, only regret.  
	But she didn't stop, and Darien was left looking 
sorrowfully after her...tears dropping onto the cold pavement 
below.

***

	Serena sat quietly through dinner, and ate without her 
usual vigor.  When her mother asked her how her special Valentine 
project was coming along (labeled thus so her father wouldn't 
have a fit at her making Valentines for a specific somebody of 
the opposite sex) Serena merely shrugged and excused herself.   
	In her room, she stared blankly at the stack of cards that 
she had saved for *him* throughout the years.  And what was the 
point of it all?  She wasn't going to be spending the day with 
him...she would never have the chance to know what Valentine's 
Day would be like if she couldn't share it with him.  
	She didn't *want* to share it with anyone but him.  It had 
no meaning, no value...nothing special that *she* would ever 
know.  
	She had always believed that Valentine's Day was special.  
She had hoped, that one day she would find someone to spend the 
day with, and discover why it was so wonderful.  And she had 
learned that it could only be *him* that could make the day 
worthwhile...
	And without him...nothing mattered.   
	Mindlessly, Serena kneeled on the floor of her room and 
began to...clean.  She picked up her dirty clothes, set aside 
some dishes she had used for late night snacking to take down to 
the kitchen, stacked loose papers (mostly bad test scores) 
together...
	After a long, immeasurable amount of time, Serena looked 
around her spotless room.  She felt no satisfaction, or joy...she 
walked back to her dresser, and she stared at the Valentines that 
she had laid so carefully there.  She did not have the heart to 
put them away where they rightfully belonged, buried in a carton 
beneath her bed.  
	She looked out the window...and the moon seemed to mock her 
from its place in the sky, and Serena felt sadness simply well up 
in her heart...and she turned away from the window.  
	She lay down on the bed, and she cried herself to sleep.  

***

	Darien walked into his apartment, and tossed his keys onto 
the counter before shrugging off his jacket.  He watched as the 
keys skittered across the tiles and fell over the edge, 
clattering on impact before being overtaken by silence.  
	He dropped his jacket to the floor with an indifferent 
shrug of his shoulders, and walked into the kitchen. 
	He stared at the breakfast dishes stacked neatly that 
morning next to the sink...and he walked over and tugged at the 
plate upon which the bowl and mug rested.  The dishes fell to the 
floor and shattered...and Darien watched, some kind of strange 
satisfaction at seeing all the little parts of his life begin to 
crumble, like the rest of it had.
	He might have gone through the rest of his apartment, but 
Darien wasn't on an angry rampage.  Not anymore...he was numb, he 
couldn't feel, couldn't think about anything.  There was no way 
he could be furious; he had gotten rid of his angry feelings when 
he had yelled at her, saying the most hurtful words he had ever 
uttered...words that he so wanted to take back...
	He had hurt her...he had actually *hurt* her.  It had been 
real, not an act, not their usual game.  And he had no more hope 
left for them together, no more questions about Valentine's Day 
and what it would be like to spend the day with her.  
	He was tired, he felt drained, and most of all, he felt 
very, very, empty.
	Without her.  
	
******************

[Valentine's Day]

	It was Saturday, so Serena hadn't set her alarm (not that 
she always remembered to do that anyway) but it didn't matter 
when she found herself awake at a horrifyingly early time.  
	As she tossed and turned under the covers, she realized 
that she couldn't go back to sleep.  Obviously, the restlessness 
in her heart was not going to let her sleep peacefully, so she 
finally gave up to the inevitable and threw back the blankets.  
	But she lay in her bed for awhile longer, not wanting to 
get up, and live a day that was not going to have any special 
meaning...it broke all her dreams that she had built up for so 
many years.  
	And then her mother came in.  
	"Serena, dear, here are a few extra cards for your friends 
at the arcade, in case you ran out," her mother smiled and held 
up a package.  "You had better hurry and write the messages 
inside if you want to have them ready on time."
	Serena glanced at the cards listlessly, and turned away.  
"I don't really feel like it this year.  Valentine's Day is 
silly...for people who have nothing better to do than eat 
chocolates and watch stupid movies."  
	Her mother paused for a moment, holding back her automatic 
rebuke...she gazed at the sad expression on her daughter's face, 
one that was strangely foreign to her.  And then she gently said, 
"Serena, Valentine's Day *is* special...don't let yourself miss 
out on it.  The day has only just begun."  
	Serena stared at the cards in her mother's hands for a 
moment, and looked at her mother's honest, sincere smile...and 
she remembered why she had started this whole tradition in the 
first place.  
	And she held out her hand to take the cards.      

***
	
	It was late in the afternoon when Serena walked into the 
arcade, holding the last two Valentines she needed to deliver.  
Looking around, her eyes confirmed the echo of the emptiness in 
her heart---he wasn't there.  
	Putting on the same brave front she had used all day, she 
waved at the blond man behind the counter.  "Happy Valentine's 
Day, Andrew!"  Her voice was cheery, but in her own ears, it 
sounded surprisingly fake.  But Andrew did not seem to notice 
anything, and he smiled at her. 
	"So, where's that special guy, Serena?" Andrew asked 
casually as his eyes noted her pretty attire.   
	Serena flinched internally, but she shrugged and she smiled 
brightly at him.  "He's out there, Andrew," she said, not giving 
any details.  "I'm going to spend some time at the lakeshore, 
Andrew," she said quickly, rushing herself out to not deal with 
any more questions.  "Have a wonderful Valentine's Day with 
Rita..."  
	Andrew waved goodbye to her a bit absentmindedly, wondering 
if Serena was all right.  Was it his imagination or was he always 
being left in the dark?  
	He was still thinking about it later when Darien walked in.   
	"Hey, Darien," Andrew said, scrutinizing the looks of his 
friend.  He didn't look any different than usual...but Andrew was 
not going to risk the chance of looking into those eyes again.  
They had cut him to the core last time, and had told him more 
than he had needed to know...   
	Andrew paused for one moment as he stared at the dark-head 
of his best friend, who was examining the countertop.  He reached 
over and took the envelope that Serena had left for Darien.  
"This is something Serena left for you."
	Darien's head snapped up instantly, and his hand was out in 
a moment to grab the envelope.  But once it was in his hand, he 
handled it gingerly, as if it would break.  Scrawled on the front 
was simply "Darien."  No hearts or fancy writing, simply Serena's 
slightly messy handwriting that spelled out his name.  
	He quickly flipped the card open, his eyes not really 
looking at the simple hearts and cupids pattern on the card.  He 
only focused on the words that were written by *her*, and he read 
them over and over and over.  

-----

	Darien, 

		Happy Valentine's Day

				Serena

-----

	He had a single instant to feel massive, although 
irrational, disappointment...but then he smelled it.  The sweet 
perfume that drifted up from the card.  
	Cherry blossoms. 
	'...and I'd add my favorite perfume...the one with scent of 
cherry blossoms, because that would make the card *really* 
special, only from me and only for him...'  
	He remembered her sweet voice saying those words...only he 
never thought that *he* would be the one...
	"'Only from me, and only for him,'" Darien repeated in an 
awed hush.  "Only for me," he said, his eyes softening as he 
gazed at the card.  "Only for her..."  
	He stood up, and in his haste lost his balance, and lunged 
at the chair to keep his balance.  Straightening up, he looked up 
to meet the eyes of an amazed Andrew.  
	"Andrew, do you know where she might be?" Darien blurted 
out.  
	Andrew stuttered, "I---I think she said she was going to 
the lake...but Darien, that other guy---"   
	But Darien was gone...

***
 
	Darien was running down the street at a breakneck pace when 
something caught his eye. 
	"Uh, excuse me sir, but how much will you take those 
roses?" he asked desperately, perhaps a little bit too crazed, as 
the stranger with the bouquet of roses stared back at him 
puzzled.  
	"These are a present for my wife," the man replied.  
"Besides, the flower shops have already been sold out, and I have 
to have something to take home to her, or else she'll beat me 
up."  
	Darien took out his wallet.  "Why don't you take her to a 
nice dinner?  I'll pay you...a hundred dollars for that bouquet!"  
	Shrewd brown eyes stared back at him.  "These roses cost me 
seventy-five dollars, are you crazy?"  
	Darien heedlessly said, "Please, sir, I really want to have 
these roses for this really, really special girl, who won't even 
look at me right now..."  
	The man's eyes softened, and he opened his mouth to speak 
when Darien blurted out, "How about a hundred and fifty dollars?"  
	A few minutes later, Darien was on his way to the lake, 
clutching a bouquet of roses and trying to stop thinking about 
his empty wallet.
 	"I really wish I could just make roses out of thin air," he 
muttered to himself.  

***

	She was sitting by the lakeshore, a small bag next to her.  
His eyes briefly took in the lovely picture she made; the 
sunlight that glinted off the two streams of golden hair, the 
dark red dress that clung to her shapely figure, the skirt that 
was tucked modestly underneath her legs.  
	She must have heard his footsteps, or maybe she heard the 
sound of his heart beating, it seemed so loud!  Her golden head 
turned, and he found himself faced with her clear blue eyes, 
staring straight into his soul, and he forgot all of the words he 
had been reciting in his mind...he was left only with the 
incredible feeling he felt thrumming for her in his heart.
	"She's here, she's here," his heart seemed to sing, and he 
watched the look of surprise -and fear- and hope cross her 
face...and he only prayed that somehow everything would turn out 
all right.    
	Serena was surprised when she heard- or rather felt the 
sensation of someone coming near her; after all, everyone else at 
the park was in pairs and she hadn't seen anyone by themselves 
when she had first arrived at the park.  It had made something 
ache in her heart...and she had quickly found a place by the lake 
to just sit and think...by herself.  
	And then she had turned, and she saw *him* coming toward 
her.  What could he possibly have to say to her?  Her hopes and 
dreams for the day were gone, crushed with the words of 
yesterday...but in spite of that, Serena's heart began to beat 
like a hummingbird's wings, and she could not stop the familiar 
feeling of anticipation and hope that began to flare up in her 
heart.  
	He held out the bouquet of roses to her, and she looked up 
at him, surprised.  She hadn't even noticed that he was carrying 
roses; she had only been able to see him, his face, his eyes, and 
everything else blurred and faded away as the only thought that 
ran through her head was, "He's here, he's here..."  
	She took the bouquet from him, sniffing the sweet scent of 
the beautiful roses.  Her hand trembled a bit, and she didn't 
understand what was happening; how was it that he was here...how 
was it that he was giving her red roses on this day?  
	"I...I wanted to thank you for the card," he finally said, 
breaking the silence.  
	"You're welcome," she said, softly, looking away from him 
and focusing on the roses in her arms.  "Thank you for the 
roses."  Darien couldn't help but just *look* at her, her sweet 
face, her delicate hands, her gorgeous eyes...that were avoiding 
his...   
	Still nervous, his heart was running a marathon, he said 
very slowly, "I...I thought you were going to spend today with 
someone else..."
	She glanced briefly at him, and he was treated to the sight 
of her beautiful, glimmering blue eyes, and then she turned her 
gaze back to the waves of the lake.  "He said that he didn't want 
to spend the day with me." 
	Darien felt something in his heart just break at the sound 
of sadness in her voice.  It was because of *him*...he had caused 
her pain.  How he wished he could take those words back...but the 
only thing he could do was try and make amends.  
	"I..."  He paused.  "What if he said...he was sorry?"  
	Serena continued to stare unwaveringly at the lake, trying 
to blink away the tears that threatened to spill over.  "He'd 
have to really mean it," her voice broke a little, and Darien 
moved next to her, and took her hand in his.  And he took a deep 
breath...because he was putting his heart on the line, all for 
her.  He *wanted* this, wanted to tell her how much she meant to 
him, wanted to say the way she made him feel.  But it was 
difficult...and scary...and Darien had never felt more afraid in 
his entire life.    
	"What if he said he never knew what Valentine's Day was 
about, because he had no one worth sharing it with until he met 
you?  And what if he said that the worst part in his life was 
when he thought you were gone forever?"  He paused.  "And what 
if...what if...I said...I love you?"  
	Serena turned to face him, and tears began to spill over, 
but her eyes were wide with shock...and happiness at a dream 
coming true.     
	And then he kissed her, and somehow her arms found their 
way around his neck, and she felt his arms wrap around her 
waist...and they pulled her body closer to his, as if he could 
not bear to be so far apart from her...  
	It was a kiss of promise for both of them, one that 
fulfilled sweet wishes and dreams from before and hinted at more 
to come; it was an ending to their past apart and a beginning to 
their future together, and it was the most wonderful thing that 
had ever happened to either of them.  
	And when they finally separated, Serena looked up dreamily 
at him, with a soft, beautiful smile on her lips that Darien had 
never seen her smile for anyone else...and Darien felt a pleasure 
so fierce it was almost like pain fill his heart.  
	"I've been waiting for this day for a long, long, time," 
Serena said softly as she laid her cheek on Darien's chest, 
hearing the strong, soothing heartbeat and treasuring the feeling 
of being held by him.  
	"Not as long as I have," Darien smiled.  
	Serena lifted her head to look into his eyes, which had a 
glint of humor in them. But the laughter in his eyes was dim in 
comparison to the warmth and the love that was reflected at 
her...and only her.  
	She reached to her side and picked up the bag that lay next 
to her.  She placed it in Darien's hands.  
	"These are for you...I've been waiting for this day for a 
very, very long time...ever since I first found out that 
Valentine's Day was supposed to be for two people who loved each 
other."  She watched as Darien opened the bag and took out the 
cards still left there.  
	"Serena, where are these from?" Darien asked, looking at 
the aged cards and reading the name 'Serena' scrawled inside, 
next to hand drawn hearts and roses.  His heart and his mind was 
still in shock that she was here, with him, on this day...all he 
wanted to do was concentrate on the wonderful girl in his arms, 
and it was difficult for him to think, to remember *everything* 
she had said just a few days ago, in the aisle of a stationary 
store...
	Brushing away some of the bangs that fell across his face, 
Serena quite seriously told him, "I made them every Valentine's 
Day for the past four years.  I was thinking of you even then, 
waiting for you, all this time..."  Her voice trailed off as she 
noticed the emotion stirring in Darien's eyes.
	She had been thinking of him, all this time...waiting for 
him?  All his years of loneliness...and she had been there, this 
whole time.  Saving her cards for him...  
	"I didn't know Valentine's Day could be so...special.  I 
never had a chance to know."  His eyes saddened, and for a moment 
Serena saw a glimpse of that Darien that she had seen before, a 
sad, lonely soul that she had felt the most desperate need to 
embrace and never let go.  And she wrapped her arms around his 
neck and pulled his face down for another kiss, one that would 
chase his fears away, assure him of her presence, that she was 
there and she would never leave him.  
	When they finally parted, Serena looked into Darien's eyes, 
and saw a love burning in his eyes.  A love that he was no longer 
afraid to hide, or willing to let fade away into the background.  
A love that would take the place of his past loneliness...because 
both could not be in his heart at the same time, for love chased 
all else away.  
	And Serena knew her love was being returned as much as it 
was being given, and felt a dizzy joy because she knew what she 
was feeling was the most wonderful feeling on Earth, and she had 
a hard time believing it was not one of her many wistful 
daydreams.  
	"I'll teach you.  About Valentine's Day...about cards, 
cupids, and paper hearts.  About being with the one you love," 
Serena said softly, bringing her hand up to caress the side of 
his face.  Her honest blue eyes met his dark ones, and the 
sincerity that sparkled truer than any star touched his soul.  "I 
think I always knew that Valentine's Day was supposed to be 
special..."    
	"Did you?" Darien asked, leaning his face into the palm of 
her hand, and holding it close with his, treasuring her nearness 
and the sweet sunshine of her presence, giving him a warmth 
inside that he never knew before.  
	And she smiled shyly, her eyes brilliant with the secret 
that she had known to keep to herself, had taken such care to 
save and cherish, and those blue eyes brimmed over with delight 
because she now had someone to share it with.  
	"That's why this is the day I saved for you."  



***************














This fic had a whole lot of cheese.  I usually don't use this 
much cheese, except on spaghetti, in which case parmesan is 
always good.  And hey, then there's a loaf of bread.  Bread and 
cheese go well together.  ^_^

*I'm rather tired right now---this is to explain the strangeness 
of the above.  Eek!  

Well, I had to start this fic in early January in order to get it 
finished before Valentine's Day; I had to work on it practically 
everyday in February.  And I neglected my other fics shamefully.  
hehehe.  Umm...Wings of Freedom?  It's getting there.  Give me 
another month, por favor.    

Please...E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail 
E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail.  Or else I'll do what Antigone 
suggested.  And you don't want to know what Antigone suggested.  
^^    

W. Bymeeh
- aka Jayhyun

jhyunl@aol.com
http://jayhyun.tripod.com/sm/  


[Final Story Date: 02.12.00 - Um, betas and such were published 
at random intervals since January.  I've got the e-mails to prove 
it.  ^^]


-------


Thanks & Credit:  

Thanks to Antigone, to whom belongs the ideas of chocolate paper, 
and who inspired me to abuse Motoki aka Andrew (not because she 
doesn't like Motoki, but because she does...hehehe).  Also, her 
e-mails never fail to cheer me up.  

	http://antigone.homestead.com

Thanks to MK, just because she's amazing and she does way too 
much stuff, including writing theme songs for our beloved Tux.  
She also suggested cherry blossoms as Serena's perfume.  

	http://www.lunap.com

Thanks to Sailor Starlite, because she's such a huge WAFF fan and 
seems to eat up all this romance.  She also beat up my calc book 
for me.  ^^  

	http://www.eternalprincess.com

Yay for the SMRFF, which has such wonderful writers, and who gave 
a ton of suggestions for perfume ideas and gave me feedback on 
the first scene of this story, and gave me the greenlight.  

	http://www.lunap.com/smrff.html 

-_-;  What a lot of thanks.  I'm going to try not to do such a 
long listing everytime...but one more...

Thanks to all the wonderful visitors to my website.  I get my 
kicks by checking my counter stats and saying, "Wow!  ## people 
visited my site today and *didn't* let me know!  Hooray!"  ^_^
But really, thanks to *everyone* who encourages me and writes me 
e-mail...it does help.  ^^  

	http://jayhyun.tripod.com/sm/ 

lol.  Happy Valentine's Day.  <3  Did you remember to e-mail me?  
^^