I'll *NEVER* Confess!!!!!  (aka Nat's exceedingly
late mamo b-day fic)

Rated:  G???
Author:  nat-chan
Mail:  natia_99@yahoo.com

Apology:  Sorry I've been psycho-busy and haven't
replied to any e-mails, I love you all
you sweet great wonderful people that e-mailed me
about In the Buff and my other stuff!
THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN
NNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKKkk-
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU
!

Disclaimer:  

	nat-chan:  "Mamo-chan, I'm sorry I forgot
your *dodges chair* b-day, but 
		you see I was really bus--*dodges
couch*, I had a lot going on and
			it just kind of slipped my
mind--*dodges RV*"


eeps.

Forgive my non sanity.......

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Serena Tsukino stormed into the arcade in a
distinctive huff.  Even the jangle of the door
bells seemed dark and foreboding, corrupted by her
rage.

"I *HATE* him!"  She announced to no one in
particular.

Andrew shook his head as he wiped the counter.  
"I assume you mean Darien?"

Serena's wide blue eyes narrowed and--if possible--
the two buns on her head did too.
"ARGH!  Don't even mention his NAME in my
presence!  That jerk!  Do you *KNOW* what he 
did today when I ran into him?  HMMM??  Do
you??!!"

Andrew sighed again, "Gee....let me guess....it
started with "Watch where you're going
klutz" and finished with "oh it's you again
Meatballhe--"

"DON'T SAY IT!!!!!!!!  I SWEAR TO YOU I WILL
DAMAGE YOU BEYOND REPAIR ANDREW!!!"

"Alright alright!"  Andrew chuckled backing away
from her shaking fists.

"He made fun of me again!"  She announced as he
plunked her usual sundae in front of her.

"Quelle surprise."  Muttered Andrew rolling his
eyes.

"Why does he have to be such a jerk?  Why is he
such a big fat zero?"

"Don't you mean why do you have to be madly in
love with such a big fat zero?"

Serena hung her head, ".........."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you.."  Mocked
Andrew leaning closer.

"......mumblemutteryesmumble..."

Andrew laughed sympathetically, "Awww, don't
worry Serena I bet he just makes fun of you
cause he likes you!"

And like night and day Serena's eyes went from
angry to sad--how *did* she do that?
Andrew felt sympathy rip from his heart before he
could stop it.

"I don't think so."  She said with all the sadness of
some kind of thousand year old romance.

Andrew smiled at her, "Awww don't look so down
Sere.  What you need....is a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yes a plan.  Darien has never shown interest in any
girls except you.  I think he likes you 
but is afraid to admit it.  He's lived most of his life
alone.  He doesn't get out much.
You'll have to pull him out of his shell.  But if
anyone can do it it's you!"

Serena brightened a bit, "Maybe I could!"

She jumped up, "Yes, I can!"  Then she frowned
again, "Uhhh...how exactly?"

Andrew was thoughtful a moment, then smiled,
"Hey, it's his birthday this thursday, you could
surprise him with a secret birthday present!  The
only one who knows it's his birthday is me!"

Serena broke into an excited grin, "That's a great
idea Andrew!  YEAH!"

She lept up in true Serena fashion and grabbed her
purse, "I have just the right idea!  I'm
outta here, byeeeeeeeeee!"

And with that said she flew out the door, leaving
only a trail of smoke and the faint jangle
of the arcade bells (now happy and tinkling) behind
her.

"Serena!"  Andrew cried after her, "You forgot to
pay for your sundae......again."  He muttered
in defeat.


~~~~~~~&~~@     Thursday.  


Darien strode into the arcade in his usual cloud of
mystery and pensive darkness.

Andrew sat the usual coffee before his friend, "Hey
Dare, anything new?"

Darien shrugged, "Nope.  You?"

"Nope."

And with that dramatic delve into the philosphical
nature of life they fell silent and busied 
themselves drinking coffee and wiping the counter
respectively.

Darien's thoughts were preoccupied--as usual--with
thoughts of his mysterious alter-ego, the
rainbow crystals and his mission.....??

He sipped his coffee, contemplating whether he was
on the side of good or the side of evil when 
suddenly Andrew piped up, "Oh hey, I almost
forgot!  Someone left this for you."

He produced a rose and an envelope addressed
simply 'Darien'.

Darien looked up confused.  The only thing that
ever pulled him out of his fog of thoughts
completely was the Meatballhead, but this had his
full attention.

He fingered the red rose and envelope uncertainly,
"Who?"

Andrew shrugged, "Beats me."  He lied, "It was just
sitting in one of the booths...."

He left Darien to open the envelope and read the
small note......Darien paled and walked out
of the arcade without another word.  Andrew would
never understand his reaction....

He cut through the park and sat down at his usual
bench, breathing hard as he read the note
again....it read simply:

				~I know you're
secret!~

The rose, the note.  Someone knew he was Tuxedo
Mask!

How?  What did they know?  More than him? 
Would they blackmail him?  Were they after him or
on his side?  What did it all mean?!

It simply never occurred to the poor fool that it was
a birthday present.

Serena meanwhile, was perched in a nearby tree,
rose in hand with another note, Luna perched
on her shoulder lecturing.

"Serena, this will never work!  And BESIDES, we
should be focusing more on scout business--you
don't have TIME for romance!"

Serena looked through her binoculars--unnecessary
since she was barely two trees away from him--
-and positioned her rose,

"Quiet Luna, you're ruining my concentration!"

Then she zinged the rose so it landed at his feet.

It simply never occured to her that it was just like
Tuxedo Mask.


Darien lept up and looked wildly around and Serena
hid carefully.  He reached trembling fingers
to retrieve the rose and note.

		~You can't hide it forever!~  It
mocked--and he looked wildly around again.

They were just toying with him now!

He stormed home as best he could, jumping around
like a maniac at the slightest sound.
It was getting dark by the time he neared home and
he felt like he was being followed.

Serena watched him through her binoculars from a
nearby rooftop, "Do you think it's working?"
She asked Luna excitedly.  Luna simply rolled her
eyes and sighed.

She grabbed up her cranky kitty and started for the
park again, "C'mon, it's time for phase
three!"

Darien meanwhile, heard a noise behind him and
finally lost it completely.
In one swift motion he transformed and whipped
around, roses poised, 
"Alright, BRING IT ON!"  He hollared and then
stopped short as a couple jumped back startled,
staring at him strangely.

His shoulders fell, "I'm losing my mind."  He
sobbed quietly and lept off to his apartment
building.

He reached his apartment door and was showered
with rose petals as he turned the handle.
True terror was seizing him.

~What do they want?~  He thought in horror.

And then another note fell and something
else.....something that made his long legs shake...
....it was a white mask.....

He picked up the note and opened it slowly...

			~Meet me at the pavillion....~

A battle at the pavillion was it?  So be it.  

He lept off into the night ready to fight but then
stopped and de-transformed, thinking the
better of it....afterall, how could this person really
PROVE he was Tuxedo Mask?

They couldn't, he reasoned logically.

So he stepped into the dimly lit pavillion in his
usual clothes, clutching the two roses and
the notes....and the mask.

~I'll never confess!~  He thought darkly.  ~Never.~

Someone stepped from the shadows and he jumped.
In the dusky night air stood a young woman in
a pale dress, she wore a white mask like the one he
held and there appeared to be a glowing
light in her hands??

Darien felt his mouth run dry as he recognized
her.....the Princess from his dreams!
She was here at last!  She knew!

"I know your secret."  She said softly, "And--"

But she never got to finish for he ran to the centre
of the pavillion, "Alright!  I confess!
I'm Tuxedo Mask!  It's me!"  And he transformed as
he said it.

He fell to his knees in front of her, dropping the
roses and notes and mask.

The Princess stepped into the light, removing her
mask and he felt shock strike through him like
a bolt of lightening.

There stood Serena, in a pretty pink dress, holding a
lopsided looking cupcake with a lit 
candle in it.....

"Darien?!"  She choked, "You're Tuxedo Mask?!"

"SERENA!?"  He blurted.

And for a long moment they simply stared at one
another in utter disbelief.

Then Serena seemed to piece it together--which was
good since for once in his life Darien was
rendered dumb.

"It-it was your birthday....in the notes I meant I
knew it was your birthday......"

"Oh..."  He managed feebly, "Well....now you
know....."

She dropped to her knees in front of him and put the
cupcake aside, taking both his hands
in hers.

"I'm glad.....I'm glad it's you....I knew you were on
our side!  You see, I'm Sailormoon-hard
to believe I know but I am and the scouts were
worried you were the enemy but I just knew
you weren't!"

She continued babbling on breathlessly while
Darien's thoughts did a crazy spin in his head.

Serena....Sailormoon....Princess.....

Suddenly he knew he wasn't their enemy.  He
protected her.  He always protected her.

And suddenly the rest sunk in.

Cute little Meatballhead with those stunning blue
eyes......trying to suprise him for his
lonely birthday....why?

"Why?"  He cut in breathlessly.

"Why what?"  She asked uncertainly.

"Why did you do this for me?"

She blushed then and looked so utterly sweet and
familiar and true he felt something strange
grab in his heart.

"For your birthday.....and....uh....because
I........mumblemutterwhisper..."

"What was that?"  He asked smiling, "Couldn't quite
hear you meatballhead."

Her eyes widened then but when she saw the
expresssion on his face she stopped short.

He was smiling.  Smiling wide and happy just for
her.

She smiled back, "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks."  He replied and then looked over to the
forgotten cupcake.  He picked it up and looked
at it.  Small, crooked, covered with too much pink
frosting.

"Did you make this for me?"

"Yup."  She grinned proudly, "And the frosting is
totally edible!"

He chuckled a bit.

"Make a wish."  She smiled.

He arched an eyebrow and blew out the candle, then
he reached over and pulled her into a kiss.

"It already came true......all my wishes....they all
come true at once...in you..."

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Agggggg, nat-chan is drowning in her own
sap....glug glug.....just a crazy little short till
nat-chan has time to write something longer!

hope ya liked!  ^_~