Hey there peoples!  I just had a major brainstorm 
for a story and I just HAD to write it!  I finished it in 
nearly an hour and a half!  Normally it takes me two or 
three to get everything I want down for the first version 
and then check it over and stuff, but this one went pretty 
fast!

	Alright!  Alright!  I'll stop blabbering now and 
tell you what's going on here.

	This is a story that is just between the episodes  
"Tuxedo Melvin"  and  "Sailor V Makes the Scene."  If 
you're not familiar with those ones then lets just say 
they're the episode where Melvin dresses like Tuxedo Mask 
(but with funny glasses instead of a mask), and the episode 
where the scouts first meet Sailor Venus.

	This is definitely a romance story.  A sappy one at 
that.  But I hope you'll still like this.  It's a Darien 
and Serena fanfic of course and remember, they don't know 
who each other are yet.  This is quite short and I'm 
warning you of that right now, so don't flame me about it 
if you e-mail me.

	And, as everyone should know, I don't own anything 
from Sailor Moon and the characters most definitely aren't 
mine.  Sailor Moon was created by a few big companies and 
stuff like that and I would never be able to do anything 
like that so I congratulate them for the show!

	Well, that takes care of that!

	Read on!

	
	     Feelings Concealed, Feelings Revealed
			   By: Jade

		
	Darien stared out at the park lake in silence, his 
forearms leaning against the cold metal railing.  The 
springtime birds chirped above him cheerily, flying in 
formations in the distance, as happy as could be, and that 
only furthered to darken his already gloomy mood. 

	The water in front of him rippled lightly, and the 
cool breeze in the air russled both the leaves on the 
trees and his dark ebony black hair.  Like the birds, this 
peaceful atmosphere only served to strengthen his dismal 
countenance.  Although it was still early in the evening the 
sun in the distance was setting and it cast a beautiful pink 
and gold glow over the whole area.  

	Darien barely reacted at all to this breathtaking 
sight.  He was far to deep in thought and depression to 
care.

	Today was May the 10th.  Mothers Day.  One of the 
few days of the year Darien felt completely out of touch 
with.  The others were Valentines Day and Fathers Day and 
pretty much every other famous holiday like that.  Holidays 
were always something that involved things Darien had never 
seen, felt, or experienced after the accident which had 
taken both his memory and his parents from him.  Love and 
family.

	Love was something Darien was sure he had 
experienced at least once before in his life, but that had 
also been before the accident.  Family was something that 
Darien would most likely never have again.  He doubted he 
would ever marry and have a family of his own, mostly 
because of who he was, and all the family he'd ever known 
existed had died in the car crash.  Only he, Darien, had 
survived.  

	He'd always resented that.

	What had been so different about him, what had made 
him so special that he had been the one to survive?  He 
hadn't known he was Tuxedo Mask yet, so what could it have 
been?  He would much rather have prefered that both, or at 
least one of his parents had survived rather than him.  He 
would die in their place if it would only bring them back.  
He would face a thousand deaths if only they could live 
again.

	But even if he did face a thousand deaths, even if 
he died a thousand times, they would never come back.  
Death was something that could not be reversed.  Not even 
the great Tuxedo Mask could do that.  He doubted if even 
Sailor Moon could do that.  

	He sighed and looked down into the clear crystal 
water, his dark bangs falling in front of his eyes.  

	When he had first found out about who he was he had 
scoffed at Sailor Moon's fighting techniques, whining, 
crying, and other bad habits.  But she had proven herself 
in battle that night, at the construction site, two weeks 
ago when she had saved him from Zoisite's deadly ice 
crystal.  And he had seen that her newest attack, was really 
not an attack at all.  Her 'attack' healed rather than 
hurting the Youma or person she was using it on.  Like a 
healing touch that she projected and used to change the 
crystal carriers back to their normal selves.  

	But he didn't think that her Crescent Moon Wand 
could heal physical wounds.  And especially not at the 
amount of energy that doing that would take.  He could tell 
that using her wand was tiring for her.  Although others 
may not see it, his sharp eyes could always see the lines 
of exhaustion after she used that wand of hers.  As if he 
knew her better than the others, her scouts.  But he 
didn't.  He didn't even know her name outside of her super 
hero identity let alone what she was like or how she felt 
inside.  

	But he had a strange feeling that he 'should' know 
that.  That he should be able to tell how she felt on the 
inside.  That he should know every emotion she felt like 
his own.  But that was just silly.  Know one could know 
another that well.  Not even parents to children or husband 
to wife.  Right?

	But how should he know about 'that'?  He didn't have 
either of those things, and he probably never would.

	He wasn't sure just how long he stood there in 
silent bitterness, but eventually he became aware of another 
presence beside him.  He turned slightly to see who it was, 
and to say he was shocked would be an understatement when he 
saw that it was Serena.  

	Serena.  Just her name was enough to brighten his 
mood.  Serena was one of the few girls he had ever known that 
could do that.  No actually, she was the only one.

	His feelings towards her confused him.  He teased 
her, taunted her, infuriated, and annoyed her.  Yet, even 
her mere presense was enough to cheer him up instantly.  
Always they exchanged insults, always fighting, arguing, and 
both trying to show up the other.  And still he was always 
happy when she was about, even when she was mad at him.  
That was always the way things were between them.  When she 
was laughing he was frowning.  When she was sulking 'he' was 
laughing.  When she was angry he was smiling.  She mocked 
everything.  And he always took everything seriously.  They 
were total opposits.  And yet, he felt that without Serena, 
without his little Meatball Head, then he would truly be 
missing something in his life.  Missing the only thing in 
his life that was golden and shining in contrast to his dark 
and lonely life before she had come along.

	"Meatball Head?"  He asked, surprise clearly 
showing on his face.  Serena frowned but said nothing and 
continued to look out at the beautiful lake in front of 
them.  Darien stared at her profile for a second.  

	Sunsets really suited her.  Her face was both 
shadowed and illuminated by the lowering sun, making her 
pale, nearly white skin look golden.  Her hair reminded 
Darien of silk and gold.  Smooth and bright.  Actually, to 
him it seemed that her hair was even darker than gold, and 
the suns rays shining through it only darkened it further.  
Her hair was naturally in its normal style and curled 
slightly near the ends.  Dark blue bows were tied around 
the golden spheres. 

	Her eyes were light and glittering in their sockets, 
whether it was from the sun or not Darien couldn't tell.  
She wore the palest ice blue dress that was probably made of 
silk and clung tightly to her until it reached her hips 
where it flared out slightly and reached to just above her 
ankles.  The low cut neck and translucent material that 
covered her shoulders made her look even more ethereal than 
she normally did.  She also wore blue sapphire colored 
earings that went well with her sky blue eyes.  Darien had 
taken a good long look at her that day when they'd gone 
together to Peggy's house to pose for the painting and he'd 
only then noticed how pretty she was.  Now Darien confirmed 
and corrected himself.  Serena was very pretty indeed, but 
not only that.  She was absolutely beautiful. 

	Darien snapped out of his stuper and only then 
realized that he hadn't said a thing for at least five 
minutes, and that Serena had been silent the whole time.  
"Uh..."  he began, trying to get a conversation started.  
"Hi Serena.  What.. are you doing here?"  Serena was silent 
a moment her head tilting to the side ever so slightly one 
hand coming up and twirling a strand of her long golden 
hair while the other stayed at her side, holding something 
that Darien didn't see or notice.

	"Nothing."  She answered at last.  Darien frowned.  
"Well, you must have come here for something.  Why are you 
here?"  There was a long pause.  And then her soft voice 
answered.  "I came to see you."

	For a moment Darien was stunned into silence.

	She'd come to see.. him?  Had he heard right?  Why 
in the world would she want to see him?  For a moment or two 
he just stared at her, as if he expected her to add 
something more, and her beauty caught him again.  She really 
was breathtaking in that dress.  Like a princess.  Albeit a 
very clumsy one.  He smiled at that, his mouth quirking in 
that familiar grin, his eyes lighting as he looked at her. 
He couldn't believe how he'd never noticed before how pretty 
she was.  Even the sunset couldn't compare to her.

	Darien shook himself again, scolding himself for 
even thinking of Serena like that.  She may be pretty, but 
that had nothing to do with him.  

	"Pardon?"  He asked her, wondering again if he had 
heard right.

	Serena glanced over at him and said with emphases,  
"I came to see 'you'."  Then she looked out at the lake 
again.

	Darien opened his mouth to speak, to ask something, 
but found no words emerged from his dry throat.  He 
couldn't think of anything to say to that.  What 'could' he 
say to that?  He closed his mouth silently, wondering what 
was wrong with him.  Why was he so tongue tied all of a 
sudden?  After waiting a few moments in the quiet, the 
chirping of the birds the only sound disturbing it, Darien 
asked,  "Why?"

	For a moment Serena seemed to hesitate and Darien 
saw something akin to fear flicker in her eyes.  What 
could she be afraid of?  But then she seemed to shrug off 
the feeling and that odd serene expression returned as she 
answered, her voice quiet, and light as a feather.  "To 
help you."  

	Before Darien could take in that rather confusing 
sentence, Serena continued.  "You're always so sad, 
Darien.  You hide it well, but I've grown up all my life 
figuring out how people feel and trying to help in any 
way I can.  I see how you're always so miserable and 
distant on holidays.  You can't fool me."

	Again, Darien was stunned into silence.  This was 
most certainly not the Serena Darien was used to.  The 
laughing, crying, smirking, ditzy crybaby that Serena was 
had dissapeared without a trace.  This was someone new, 
someone Darien didn't know or had ever seen.  

	Before he could even get his vocal cords working 
Serena was speaking again, with that same soft, caring, 
lovely voice.

	"I know you don't want to talk about it.  I can see 
that much.  But it does help to have someone around to help 
you, even if you don't want to tell them about it.  You 
don't have to say a word, just know that I'm always here to 
listen."

	Darien was beyond shocked now and he barely kept his 
mouth from dropping open with the way Serena was speaking.  
She sounded... mature, graceful.. and wise.  All of which 
the Serena he knew was not.  

	She was looking at him now.  Imploring him to
believe her.  And Darien found, by looking into her crystal 
blue eyes, that he could believe anything.  

	Darien swallowed thickly and turned his eyes away 
from her, looking again out to the lake.  Should he tell 
her?  Could he?  He had never told anyone before, of his 
past.  No one but Andrew knew.  Could he tell someone now?  
Of his life.  His parents death.  His memory loss.  His 
life as it had been in the orphanage, and then growing up 
in an apartment by himself, without any family at all.  
It would be so good to get that weight off his 
shoulders....

	Darien struggled with himslelf.

	No, he couldn't.  Not here.  Not now.  Because he 
felt if he said a single word he would start crying.  
Something he hadn't done since his parents death.  
Something he had sworn he wouldn't do ever again.  To cry 
showed weakness.  Didn't it?  But Sailor Moon always cried, 
and yet she was strong.  Not as strong as you might expect 
a warrior to be, but strong.

	Getting as much control over himself as possible 
Darien straightened up.  "I appreciate the offer Serena, I 
really do."  He told her, trying to keep his voice even and 
controlled.  Why was that so hard?  He found it a lot more 
difficult than he'd thought it would be.  "But you're 
right.  I really don't want to talk about it, or anything 
right now for that matter.  So why don't you just go home 
and do your homework or something?"  He had managed to 
level his voice off sufficiently at these last words.  
Perhaps teasing would help him to hide his feelings.  It 
had always worked in the past.  And Darien knew Serena had 
probably never done a single sheet of homework in her life 
so he waited for the enevitable comeback.

	But to his surprise there was no comeback at all, 
just as there had been none when he'd called her Meatball 
Head.  He stole a glance at her and when his eyes met 
hers Darien was forced to return her penetrating gaze.  

	Her eyes burned into his, the fathomless blue 
irises around the pupils of her beautiful eyes seemed to 
spark and electrify as he watched.  Her eyes were boring 
into him, reaching deep inside him, searching for, and 
finding, the deepest, most carefully hidden secrets of 
his soul.  The things Darien had never told anyone.  

	He wrenched his locked gaze away from her as he 
realized what she'd nearly seen.  What she'd nearly found 
out about him.  He heard her voice again, that gentle, 
insistent voice that right now seemed to be tinged with a 
touch of... was it sorrow?  "Yes, I know you don't wish 
to talk of whatever it is that's bothering you.  But as I 
said before, you don't 'have' to tell me a thing.  All 
you need to know is that I am always here to listen."

	He turned his face and eyes even further away 
from her, trying to hide the building tears in his eyes.

	He felt himself trembling slightly and tried to 
still it but found he couldn't, so he sat down on the bench 
behind him.  He felt Serena do the same.

	Darien swallowed again trying to find words to speak 
past the lump in his throat.  He hadn't relived his memories 
like this in a long, long time.  And doing it now, in front 
of Serena, who had just told him he could share them with 
her, but did not 'expect' him to as all the therapists and 
doctors he'd ever been to had, was breaking down the walls 
that he had built around him over the hard years of growing 
up.

	He felt warm, soft arms encircle him and looked to 
the right and up to see Serena staring down at him, 
compassion and care in her eyes.  Darien tried to pull away, 
tried to stand, but Serena held him back and whispered in 
his ear softly.  "It's alright to cry, Darien.  Crying can't 
hurt anyone, least of all yourself.  It will hurt you more 
to keep it locked up inside."  And as Darien realized the 
truth of her words he felt the tears begin to burn paths 
down his cheeks and tried to keep himself from shaking.  

	This whole situation was ridiculous!  Utterly 
ridiculous!  What in Gods name was wrong with him?!  He was 
crying!  Crying damnit!!  Something he hadn't done in 
decades.  Literally!  And now, not only was he sobbing 
hysterically, he was doing it in front of Serena.  He could 
probably expect a years worth of torment and teasing over 
this.  But he couldn't stop for the life of him.  He 
couldn't halt the tears and sobs from escaping from his 
soul, where they had been buried so deep they'd almost been 
forgotten.

	And Serena stayed quiet throughout the whole time, 
whispering consolations to him and rocking him gently as one 
would a child.  It was really the only thing she could do.  
Serena had never seen Darien so.. so.. well, so open.  Open, 
and hurting.

	He clung to her like she was the only thing in 
this world keeping him from going insane.  And Serena knew 
that she was.

	When his sobs began to slow and recede Serena 
continued to rock him lightly and after a few moments when 
his crying ceased altogether she gently pushed him to an 
arms length and looked him in the eyes.  There was such 
caring and understanding in her eyes that Darien felt tears 
begin to surface again.  But he pushed them back and gave 
her a shaky smile, whiping at his cheeks and blinking 
rapidly.  Serena smiled back and then, in a move that took 
Darien completely by surprise, she leaned forward and 
kissed him lightly on the cheek.  He froze, his mouth 
moving in shock but no sound coming out.  His eyes were 
wide and disbelieving.

	Serena pulled back quickly and looked away, 
obviously embarassed and Darien could see her cheeks redden 
slightly, making her already beautiful face look even more 
beautiful.

	Darien moved away from her slowly and got to his
feet, stumbling in the process.  Serena followed his 
example.

	He stared at her again, his eyes questioning and 
uncertain.  He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but he 
suddenly felt a lot better.

	Serena gazed up at him silently, the blush still on 
her cheeks.  And looking closer Darien saw that sparkle in 
her eye that always told of happiness.  She had been happy 
to help him, and Darien felt a warm feeling spread through 
him as he looked at her.  Serena was certainly more than 
he'd thought her to be.  She was not 'just' a young school 
girl that got bad grades and pigged out all the time.  She 
wasn't just the ditzy clutz and crybaby he'd taken her for.  
She was a lot more.  She was a kind, gentle, caring girl, 
and Darien knew that she was also a wise and mature women, 
though she didn't show it often.  He knew she was all those 
things.  And more.

	And by looking into her deep blue eyes Darien knew 
that she wouldn't tell a soul about what had happened here.  
That none would ever know.  And that she understood what he
was going through, even if she didn't know exactly what it 
was.  And Darien knew that Serena would keep the promise in 
her eyes.  He knew that she would hold this secret forever, 
and that no one, not even he, would ever hear about it 
again.

	Nodding to herself Serena stood on tiptoe and spoke 
in his ear to make sure no one passing might here, though, 
she doubted there way anyone else in the park at all.  
"I'll always be around if you need to talk, or want someone 
to listen.  I'm always here.  For you, and anyone who needs 
me.  Remember that Darien."

	Then she placed something cool and soft in his palm, 
turned and walked away, the bright sunlight outlining her 
figure as she dissapeared around the corner.

	And as Darien looked down at his hand he saw what 
lay there.

	A beautiful, shining, crimson red rose.  Perfect in 
every way with the thorns cut off, and in full bloom.  

	And wrapped around the stem, with a small jewel in 
the shape of a heart at the center was a beautiful blue 
ribbon with the words  "I'm always here"  embroidered on it 
in gold.

	Darien looked up and stared at where Serena had been 
a moment ago and repeated to the air,  "I'm always here."

	And then Darien felt the tears begin to burn again.

	Because now, after all his years of suffering, of 
hopelessness, of misery, pain, and loneliness, Darien had 
finally found something worth living for.  'Someone' worth 
living for, caring for.  Someone he could love and hope to 
be loved back by.

	Someone with a heart of gold.

	Serena.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Well, what did you think about that?  I hope you 
liked it.  I really enjoyed writing this!

	Please don't flame me because of the sappy ending 
or anything like that, because I warned you that this would 
be sappy, and this was a good way to end one of these 
stories.

	And also, I know Serena seemed to pick up a couple 
years in this story, but I needed it that way to get the 
plot line the way I wanted it.

	As usual, all comments and questions and other stuff 
like that go to  tnag@lightspeed.bc.ca

	I hope you enjoyed reading this!

	E-mail me on it!

  - Jade