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Live Each Moment Like the Last

Genre:  First Season Romance
Author:  nat-chan
E-mail:  natia_99@yahoo.com
Disclaimer:  When I called Naoko and offered to
trade my film history textbooks for the ownership of
her beloved Sailormoon she merely laughed and hung up
on me.  I just can't understand why?
*looks at film history textbooks*
What I'm really trying to say here is:  I hate studying, and I
don't own Sailormoon.  kapeche?

AN's:  This has got to be the fastest moving plot I've
ever written.  Just a bizarre little narrative I dreamed up
while NOT studying for my exam (I've started like five other
fics too bwahahahahaha!).  The whole thing is just so I 
could write the arcade scene near the end....heh heh...*sweatdrop*

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Serena hurried down the busy streets of Tokyo to the arcade.
The Sailor V game was waiting and she had a pocketful of
quarters!  

She entered with a jangle and then cringed.

The baka was there.

"Meatballhead!"  He greeted, seemingly vastly amused,
"You're late, detention AGAIN?"

She frowned and stuck out her tongue, "Baka!"  

Then she hurried over to the video game, righteous
odangos flying.

Soon she was entirely absorbed in playing and only
barely caught what Darien and Andrew were talking
about.  Something about Darien's new motorcycle.  
The baka!

She became aware of someone standing over her sometime
later and it distracted her so badly she lost the game.
She looked up to see Darien's mocking blue eyes gazing
down at her.

"Darien!  You made me lose my game!"

He grinned, "Now now Meatballhead, be reasonable.  You're
terrible all by yourself, you don't need my help to lose!"

Her eyes turned red, "Ohhhh, you jerk!  That was my last 
quarter too!  Why do you ALWAYS have to ruin my day?!"

And with that she stormed out in a huff--cut short as her
odangos got caught in the arcade doors, again...

Darien shook his head and looked futiley at the quarter in
his hand.  Andrew walked over and sighed.

"The mission was simple Dare.  We reviewed it in detail,
remember?  Walk over, offer Serena another quarter
to play.  What went wrong?"

Darien shook his head, "It's hopeless..."
He hung his head in defeat and went back to his
seat, letting Andrew poor him a coffee to drown 
his sorrows.

The girls entered at this moment and clacked over to
him.

"How goes it?"  Lita queried, amused.

Andrew shook his head, "Well, so far Darien's 
success has been....zero!"

They sighed, "Darien.  What is so difficult
about NOT teasing Serena?  I mean, you like 
her....what's the problem?"

Darien buried his head in his arms, "I dunno..."
Wretched eavesdropping girls....they'd overheard him
lamenting to Andrew one afternoon and that had been
the beginning of the end.

Ami tapped at her computer, "Okay, so far, you haven't
bought her a sundae.  You haven't offered her a ride
home.  You haven't given her another quarter for the
sailor v game and you haven't apologized for teasing her."

"And you haven't been any nicer to her as Tuxedo Mask
either!"  Scolded Rei.

A muffled moan game from Darien's buried face.
They'd waited after a battle till Serena was gone and 
chased him down, knocked him out and unmasked him
to figure out who the heck he was--without the love
sick Serena around to defend him....and when they'd 
realized it was *him* they'd REALLY started in on
him about Serena...turns out the Meatballhead was 
Sailormoon too!

It shouldn't be difficult.  He knew he cared
deeply for her.  Loved her.  Wanted her and only
her.  And yet....everytime he tried to approach
her decently...he freaked and took to teasing her 
instead.

"I'm so pathetic..."  He sighed.

Everyone sweatdropped.

"You shouldn't keep letting it go like this." 
Rei said softly, almost prophetically, "Stop 
living your moments so thoughtlessly, you never
know which one's going to be your last."

He considered this a moment....


Meanwhile.....

Serena rushed home and flew through her front door, still furious.
She sat down in the kitchen and crossed her arms angrily.  Serena's
mother simply sighed without looking away from her cooking.

"Had another fight with Darien dear?"

"ARRRRRRRRGH!  Don't even speak his wretched NAME in 
my presence!"  She flared dramatically and stormed to the
living room.

Her father sat watching the news.  He turned
to her and smiled, "Hello Pumpkin, what's the matter?"

"ARRRRRGH!  I HATE BOYS!"  She exclaimed.

This was music to Ken Tsukino's ears, "You're
write sweetheart.  Absolutely right.  Come sit
with Daddy and I'll calm you down."

Serena obeyed and let her father put a 
soothing arm around her.  He was about to change
the channel when a breaking story cut in and 
Serena grabbed his hand to stop him.

"This just in, a young man was killed in a terrible
motorcycle accident just ten minutes ago....he has
not been identified yet....he was speeding and rounded a 
corner blindly where he collided with a truck and was 
killed instantly..."

Serena froze and turned ghastly white.

One thought ran through her mind and one
alone.  

~Darien just bought a motorcycle.~

What if....what if?  She couldn't even think it.
And here she had left in a huff and
fought with him AGAIN!  She was always putting off
examining how she really felt about him and now
it all came crashing in.  She loved him!  Loved
the wretched baka with his beautiful blue eyes
and half melancholy presence.  

What if it was all over and she'd never get
the chance to tell him?  How could she have
wasted every precious moment with him so 
carelessly?!

"Honey, honey what's wrong?"  Ken asked worried.

His daughter was pale and silent, eyes glued to
the tv.  Tears shone in the corners and suddenly 
she bolted out the door without so much as a word.

Ken shook his head.  He wondered if Sammy would be 
this strange when *he* was a teenager.  
~Oh well, at least Serena hates boys!!~  He cheered.

Serena in the meantime, was running blindly towards the
arcade praying with all her might that it wasn't Darien
in the accident.  That he was still sitting there with
Andrew drinking his usual black coffee.  That he would
laugh and call her Meatballhead again.

She swore if he was that she would tell him first thing
how she felt--how she had always felt!



At the Arcade....

"I think the next time you see her, you should tell her
how you feel."  Rei said matter of factly, "She probably
feels the same way!"

Darien snorted, "Yeah right!"  He swung around in his 
stool, "Rei, what do you think the chances of Serena
running through those doors and declaring her undieing
love for me are?  Hmmm?!"

Rei stared in mute helplessness and shrugged just as
Serena burst desperately into the arcade.

Her eyes darted wildly around and then spotted Darien.
She shrieked joyfully and bounded towards him in glee,
"DARIEN!!  OH THANK GODS!!!"  She jumped into his
arms, "I LOVE YOU YOU WRETCHED BAKA!!"  She laughed
with tears in her eyes and then kissed him full on
the mouth in a moment of sheer madness.

Darien had stayed frozen in shock as she shrieked
and jumped into his arms, darting glances to the 
girls and Andrew to confirm that they could see this too--that
it wasn't just another fantasy.

The kiss undid him.  The girls eyes widened, Andrew chuckled
as he heard the news on the radio and pieced it together.

Darien let out a muffled yelp of surprise and then
forgot everything else in the world, wrapping his arms
around her and kissing her back.

This continued for some time until Serena finally pulled away,
giggling at the regretful look on Darien's face.  She had NOT
expected him to kiss her back.

"I promised myself I wouldn't waste another minute
with you not knowing how I really feel."  She explained.

Darien smiled, "Me either.  I love you--Meatballhead."

Her face turned serious, "Y-you do?  Are you sure?  Is
this a joke?"

He turned serious too, "No.  I mean it Serena.  I've been 
trying to build up the nerve to tell you for weeks."

She grinned, then turned serious, "Listen buster--return
the motorcycle!!"

"Huh?"  He asked, confused and still dazed from the kiss.
She sat in his lap, wrapped around him....and smelled
so nice....

"The motorcycle!  It's too dangerous!  You can't ride it!
I won't let you!"

Andrew laughed, "Ha ha good luck Serena!  He's been planning
to buy that thing for years!  NOTHING could make him retur--"

"Okay."  Darien said.

Andrew nearly fainted, "What?!"

"I said okay."  Darien confirmed, eyes on Serena's.  

The absolutely pleased grin she beamed at him was well
worth the sacrifice.

"yaaaaay!"  She cheered and nearly squeezed the life out of 
him--and he loved every minute of it.

He held her tight and smiled, "Alright, now, how's about I 
buy you a sundae?  Oh, and give you some quarters to play
Sailor V--and hey, did I ever apologize for teasing you?"

He shot Ami a grin, "And afterwards I'll drive you home."

Ami smiled back and gave him a thumbs up after confirming 
with her computer.

Andrew just laughed behind the counter.

Serena eyed them all suspciously, "Hey, is there something
going on here I don't know about?"

Darien laughed too and squeezed her tighter, "Alright,
the truth is--"

He was cut short by the beep of Serena's communicator.  She
jumped up awkwardly, "Oh, uh, I have to go Darien."

The other girls were already running out the door.  Serena bolted
after them but Darien ran beside her.

"Don't you think I'd better come to?"  He smiled.

She frowned, "Er, no Darien...."

He pulled out a rose and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You never know when you might need me..."  He said amused.

Then he swept her up and carried her to the battle--which was a 
good thing since she was about to faint.

They touched down several feet from the battle, where the Scouts were
already blasting the Youma, and both transformed.

Then Serena dazedly stumbled into the frey, vaguely threw her tiara
and stood staring rather blankly after she dusted it.

The girls just giggled at her still-shocked state of mind and left quietly.

Darien took full advantage, sweeping down to meet her as Tuxedo Mask and
then drawing her into a long, romantic kiss.

Rei was right, you should live every moment like your last.

"I love you Sailormoon."  He murmured, "Beautiful Warrior, and my favorite
odango-ed goddess..."

She giggled into his kisses and wrapped her arms about his neck,
"Did you really love me back all along?"

"I did indeed."

"I was so afraid to tell you!"

"Not as afraid as *I* was."  He laughed.

She pulled back and de-transformed, causing his own transformation 
to fade away.

"I transform to protect you."  He said softly as her eyes widened.

"My hero..."  She said softly and smiled, "For real!"

He smiled back and kissed her until she was breathless and dazed and 
blissfully content.

Then he leaned down and whispered sweetly in her ear, "Serena...can I 
please keep my motorcycle?"

Her eyes flew open, "NO WAY BUSTER!!!!"

He sighed.  It was worth a try.

She softened a little and her eyes were dancing when she said,
"How's about, everytime you think about the motorcycle, you can have
a kiss from me to make up for it?"

He considered this thoughtfully, smothering his smile, "I dunno....that'd
be an awful lot of kisses..."

She met his eyes solemnly, "You just do what you have to do."

And that's just what he did.

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eeps, don't ask minna....that's the weirdest little blurb I've ever written...
write me?  please?  natia_99@yahoo.com