Chapter Eleven: Now You Come Crawling Back?

 

            *As she ran into the building, she knew she was going to be late. As fast as she possibly could, she threw on her dress and shoes and sat at her vanity to do her makeup.

            “So Goddess, how’s your son?” Called out a high and soft-pitched voice. She spun her head briefly to give a half smile to the owner of the voice.

            “He’s doing fine, thanks Connie. He just had a scare. That’s all.” And for the first time in a long time, Serena truly meant it. Her son was going to be alright. Everything really would come out alright in the end.

            “So everything came out alright Selene?” Jake asked her while watching the performance on stage. He was, after all, the stage manager, and he did have to inspect the dancers to make sure they preformed their peek level at all times. Applying the last touches of glitter to her cheekbones and eyes, she heard him telling her she was on.

“Yeah Jake, everything came out alright.” She told him.

“And who was that young man we saw you speaking to on television? The one that came out of the building and picked Ben up?” Jake asked her. Serena sighed. She knew the teasing would set in sooner or later.

“That was a friend of mine, and that’s all he was. He was the leader of the team that infiltrated the building.” She told them bluntly, almost wishing she was saying he was her boyfriend in place of her friend. No. She couldn’t do this to herself. Not again, not here and now. But it felt almost natural…

“So then he’s available? Can I have his digits? He was way too hot to let go!” Connie squealed.

“No!” Serena cried out. Then she blushed and shied back. What had gotten into her? She had never been this protective over Darien. Ever. But why? If she didn’t want  to get involved with Hiiro, why wouldn’t she let Connie? Connie was nice enough.

“So if I can’t have him, does that mean you really like him and are in denial? And what’s his name anyway?” Connie asked her. Serena never became emotional over any man besides Darien, so this guy must be something special to have thrown her so off- balance.

“Hiiro. Hiiro Yui. And I…” Why fight it? It was only going to catch up to her sooner or later anyway. “I might  like him. Oh I don’t know. What I do know is that I do not want a repeat of Darien, and if that means no Hiiro, then I will give him up no questions asked. Then you can have him Connie.” The redheaded Connie smiled. Serena smiled too. It as going to be a better night then she had previously imagined.

“Ok, girly chat time is over. Selene, you’re on!” Jake called to her.

Serena shook her head slightly and grinned. His eyes were still glued to the dancer on the stage. Some things would never change. She knew he was supposed to watch all of the dancers, but knowing he was watching her made her nervous. He had noticed it her second night and confronted her. From then on, he had promised only to briefly glance at her dancing to make sure she was still breathing. He was very understanding, and for that she was glad. Standing and pulling on her gloves, she breathed deeply, trying to dispel the same rotten feeling that always hit her before she preformed.

            Shaking it off, she heard the music introduction begin and to step on the stage with her most seductive smile pasted on her face. Beginning her usual routine she looked out into the crowd. Huge mistake. There, in the front row of the stage seating, was Darien Mamoru Chiba, the greatest scumbag on the face of the Earth.

>>>)(<<<

            “Mr. Hiiro, why are you in bed?” Ben asked the same question for the fifth time in the hour. Hiiro had to smirk. So far he had avoided the boy’s persistent question, yet this time he had run out of ideas.

            “I’m in bed because I promised your mother I would stay in it.” He told him, trying as hard as possible to hide his smile.

            “But why? Momma only makes me stay in bed when I’m sick. Are you sick Mr. Hiiro?” Ben asked, piercing blue eyes questioning Hiiro’s prussian ones.

            “I am a little sick. I got hurt in your school, so your mother wants to make sure I get better fast.” He tried to sound menacing, but the little boy laughed. Why had he even bothered trying?

            “Where did you get your ouch? I gots a ouch on my knee last yesterday and momma fixed it up with a band-aid. Where’s your band-aid?” Ben was just full of questions. But an inquisitive four year old was better than one without any feelings at all. Hiiro admired the child for having such stamina.

            “My band-aid is right here.” Hiiro lifted his shirt to reveal the white linen bandages that wrapped his chest from the middle all the way down to his stomach. It pained him to look at the damage he had caused to his body, but at the same time made him feel good. The pain let him know he was still living. And besides, pain was just weakness leaving the body. He, the Perfect Soldier, certainly needed no weakness.

            “Did momma kiss it all better? Momma kissed my knee all better! Now it only hurts in water!” Hiiro’s eyes went wide. Wasn’t this kid just slightly too young to think about kissing? Then he took the word into context and sighed. Apparently, some mothers ‘kissed’ away their children’s pain. He remembered Hilde kissing Duo’s sprained wrist in much the same fashion. Wait, how come Serena hadn’t kissed his pain? Bad trail of thought… bad, bad Hiiro! He maimed himself for nearly letting his emotions get the better of him. This girl, woman, Serena was getting the best of him, even while she wasn’t anywhere near him. This could be a dangerous downfall if he pursued it…

            “Ben? Hiiro? Is everything ok in there?” Kelly’s voice echoed through the hall. Hiiro had almost forgotten she was there. He had told her he could watch Ben while she did her homework, and she had agreed and left them alone. Now she popped her curly head of hair into the room and surveyed the scene. On the bed was a slightly red tinged Hiiro and a very giggly little boy.

            “So what’s going on in here gentlemen?” She asked Ben, trying to be very proper.

            “Hiiro showed me his ouch. It’s big!” Ben stood up on the bed and made a flying leap for the girl’s arms. She caught hi and held him, propping him on her hip.

            “Big? Well, your mom did say he was hurt pretty badly… how bad is it Mr. Yui?” She addressed Hiiro. He had slightly unnerved her with his glares and threats, so she had decided to stick with being more formal with him.

            Hiiro shrugged. It didn’t seem to feel that bad to him, but he had noticed that other people often thought what looked bad felt ten times worse. He glared at the girl slightly, then decided she was safe. Lifting his shirt, he revealed his bandages once more.

            “Oh my…” Kelly’s breath dropped the rest of her sentence into an unrecognizable whisper. “That’s horrible!” Just as Hiiro had predicted. “How did you get it Mr. Yui?” She asked him.

            “In the school.” He answered her curtly.

            “You mean you were in there yesterday? Are you a teacher?” She asked him incredulously.

            “Mr. Hiiro isn’t a teacher! He saved us! Mr. Hiiro is a SCAT man, right Mr. Hiiro?” Ben tried to say SWAT team, but failed to get the correct letters. Hiiro practically chocked, although he never flinched physically, and Kelly balked with laughter.

            “What he means is, I’m part of the SWAT team Gundam. We were the ones who infiltrated the school yesterday and took out the terrorists.” He hadn’t wanted to give away so much information to such a young girl, but he didn’t want to lose face either. Besides, if worse came to worse, he could easily sneak into her apartment and kill her, it wasn’t like he didn’t know where she lived.

            “Oh! You’re the guy that walked out after the building exploded! I thought you were familiar! And I thought I recognized Ms. Serena, but I wasn’t sure if it was her. So it was you two. Huh. What a funny world.” The teen fell silent, and Hiiro wondered how many television stations had broadcast him walking out of the building and talking with Serena. Well, he couldn’t think about it now.

            “Well, now I know why you’re hurt. Hey, Ben, you ready to go to bed?” She asked the small boy

            “No! I’m not even sleepy.” As he spoke, the little boy yawned and crinkled his nose. He sure was cute when he was tired.

            “I’ll bet. Well, I’ll tell you a story if you get ready for bed, so you better hurry up!” The bubbly teen told the little boy.

            “Yeah! Dino P.J.’s and a bedtime story! Let’s go!” The little boy began to follow the older girl out of the room, then stopped. She too, stopped wondering what he was doing. Ben turned and ran towards the bed. Jumping up, Hiiro was able to catch him without too much effort.

            “I almost forgot. G’night Mr. Hiiro, and thank you!” The little boy kissed Hiiro on his cheek, then squirmed out of his grasp and back to Kelly’s. For a moment Hiiro was speechless. No one had ever said good night to him, much less with a kiss. He felt… cozy. Snuggling deep under his own covers, he himself yawned. He was getting lazy, yawning at eight thirty. But for some odd reason, he didn’t feel lazy, he felt more alive than ever. What could he possibly feel next?

>>>)(<<<

            The old proverb ‘the show must go on’ ran through one ear and out the other. Serena Usagi Tsukino was completely frozen with fear. Her eyes went wide and her mouth popped open to form a round ‘o’. He was sitting there, watching her, smirking and waiting. And watching. With those cold, aloof, knowing eyes.

            “Psst! Selene! Move it! There’s a crowd out there!” Jake whispered to her from the curtain. At least his voice shook her from her petrified state. Glancing around once more, she did notice she was beginning to get booed. Well, this was her chance. Her chance to show Darien Mamoru Chiba just what he had missed out on when he walked out on her four years ago. She began to sway.

            Seductively, she swayed her hips back and forth. Going painstakingly slowly, she grabbed the pole on the left side of the stage and swung around it. Ripping her skirt, she received whistles and hooting. He almost always blushed at some of the things that were suggested, but tonight she simply smirked and wagged her finger back and forth as if to say ‘no no bad boys’ to the crowd of dirty and perverted men. This performance was for another.

            Untying her drawstring bodice, she slipped it down her creamy arms to reveal her practically non-existent black lace bra. She tossed it into the crowd, directly in Darien’s range. Now she had nothing but her underwear on, and where as normally she would begin picking up the tips thrown, she kept her dirty dancing going.

Grabbing the pole on the right side of the stage, she hoisted herself all the way to the top, then licked it all the way down, slowly moving and shaking her butt, hips, and thighs to the rhythm of the music. She dipped low over the stage and bushed her hair across the tables. As sweetly as she possibly could she smiled and her eyes gleamed.

“Hello Dare-baby. Like what you see? Too bad.” It was worth it. She thought he was going to have a coronary. His face went pale, his eyes widened and rolled back into his skull. She could see his grip on the edge of the table make his knuckles go white, and a rage filled blush crossed his deathly white face. Oh yes, it was most definitely worth it.

Now she began to collect her tips like normal, stuffing them into her bra and panties as slowly and impishly as possible. Blowing one final kiss to the aroused and rowdy crowd, she made sure to give one final wink to Darien.

“Wow! Hey Selene, that was new! It was good too, the crowd loves you!” Connie squealed as she walked to her dressing room.

“Good. Darien was in that crowd.” She smirked.

“You mean the asshole that knocked you up and left you high and dry?” Connie said in a laughing tone.

“The very same.”

“Good going. He’ll hate himself for leaving you.”

“Well, when my bodice landed on his head, I think I did.” She smirked at the memory. Good times, good times.

“You mean that was him? Damn, he sure as hell is hot Selene You do have good taste in men, I’ll give you that!”

“I’d like to think so.” Both girls laughed as Serena stepped behind a folding wall to change.

“Selene, you have a visitor. He knew your real name, so I figured he’d be alright.” Jake poked his head in the dressing room. A figure pushed past him and stood looking around the room.

“I don’t see her! Where the hell is she?” The figure cried.

“Chill out Darien, I’m right here. No need to go ballistic.” Serena told him as she stepped out from behind the folding wall, now in her short shorts and red tank top again. All her heavy silver makeup had been removed, and her hair was up in a ponytail.

“Se…Serena?” ‘Oh sure, he barges in yelling, and now he has nothing to say.’ She thought.

“Yes Darien, it’s me. Did you think I would go back home? With no money? Pregnant? And then beg my parents to forgive me and take care of me again? Sorry Darien, things don’t work that way.” He told him, checking her appearance in the vanity’s mirror.

“No, but I never expected to see you in a strip club either.” He smirked, thinking he was going to gain the upper hand in the argument. Boy was he in for it.

“Neither did I, but a mother will do strange things to support herself and her son.” Her face was grim, but her eyes held a fighting spark to them.

“A son? You mean…”

“No, I didn’t give him up. And if you really want to know the truth, the thought never crossed my mind. Ben and I are happy, we don’t need a creep like you screwing up our lifestyle now.” Se grabbed her purse, fully intending to just leave him. He, obviously, had other plans when he grabbed her wrist and held it tight.

“I do believe I have a right to see my own son Serena.” He growled.

“Oh, touchy! You gave up any rights you had with him when you walked out on me when I was pregnant. Let go.” She struggled to free herself.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and I want to see him.” She saw his eyes were red with rage. Even now, he was a very impressive man… especially with him towering over her, gripping her poor arm like no tomorrow.

“No.” She stayed firm.

“Now. Where is he?”

“ You don’t have…”

“I swear to God Serena, if I don’t see my son, I’m going to take you to court and sue you for every goddamned cent you own, not to mention take him away from you.” Darien threatened. How could she compete with that? If he took her to court, she couldn’t afford a lawyer. She’d lose, miserably, and never see her son again. Blinking away hot tears, she sighed in submission.

“Fine.”

“I want to see him now.” Darien screamed at her.

“He’s at home with a sitter.” She told him, hoping that would deter him a little longer.

“I don’t care. Take me to your apartment, now.” She had no choice. Nodding slightly, she gave a quick look to Connie, who was cowering in the corner, and then tore her hand out of his grasp and walked out the door, Darien close on her heels.*