Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Love is so...Yummy! ❯ Love is so...Yummy! ( One-Shot )
[ A - All Readers ]
By: Jessica M. Moonflower 
Can a chocolate cake have the power to make people fall in love?
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.23.2002 | Updated On: 12.23.2002 | Pages: 8 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 538 | Status: Completed
Can a chocolate cake have the power to make people fall in love?
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.23.2002 | Updated On: 12.23.2002 | Pages: 8 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 538 | Status: Completed
Love Is So...Yummy!
A Short Story
By: Jessica M. Moonflower
Rated: G
E-mail: salud731@earthlink.net
Web site: www.angelfire.com/realm/moonlightroses/index.html
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Sailor Moon.
Simple enough, ne? ^_~
ANs: Hi people! I decided to write this short fic
for WAFF vs. TAFF Day. I hope you like it and I
dedicate this fic to my best gal Chibi Cori and
my echo and long lost sis on the web Bear-chan!
^_^ Love ya both!
"There's nothing half so sweet in life as love's
young dream."
*~Thomas Moore*~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Darien was making his way to the Crown
Arcade which was his usual routine every afternoon
after work. He was having a lousy day after going
through hell at the television studio and to top it all
off, his paper on nuclear physics got a B minus! His
countenance held a sour look and glared at anyone
that got in his way. All he wanted to do right now was sit
in his usual stool, have his usual black coffee, and
sulk to his heart's content.
He turned a corner and noticed a small bakery
with the name, Claudine's Sweet Shop, printed neatly in
beautiful white script. He glanced at the polished shop's
windows and saw many assorted cakes, tarts, chocolates,
and any sweet goodies imaginable. He then glanced at a
sign taped right above the display which read, "Try our special
cherry chocolate cake! It's irresistibly good and brings couples
together!"
Darien's eyes widened at the oddity of the last line.
It brings couples together? They got to be kidding! They're
that desperate to sell their food that they use a corny
gimmick? What was the world coming to?
He backed away from the window and was about to
resume his walk when a forty-something year-old lady
stood right in front of him! He jumped back in surprise
causing him to trip on a crack in the sidewalk and land
firmly on the floor with a loud thud. He moaned and
grumbled under his breath about his sore bottom as he
glanced up to see the same lady that stood in front of him
extend her hand for him to take.
"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I didn't mean to frighten you."
He accepted the offered hand, swiftly got up,
muttered a quick thanks, and gathered his books
and papers that were strewn all over the sidewalk.
Once he gathered all his things together, he turned
to speed it out of there when that very same lady stood
in his way again! Feeling irritated and losing his last
ounce of patience, he did what he normally did under
such circumstances...he started yelling.
"Look, lady, I'm not in the mood so can you
please GET OUT OF MY WAY?????!!!!!!!"
Not the least bit fazed by his angry ranting, she
put on a cheerful smile and with an amicable voice said,
"Would you like to try some of my baked goods? It's half
off because of the grand opening."
"No, I would not like anything thank you, now will
you excuse me I have to get go--"
"Then how about a free sample?" she brusquely
cut him off.
Exasperated by her persistence, he finally gave in
with much reluctance.
"Fine. Give me whatever you have if that's what it'll
take for you to leave me alone."
"Wonderful! Right this way please," she beamed
eagerly, skipping back into her store like a little five-year
old with Darien following warily.
The pleasant scents of cookies, cakes, and tarts
filled Darien's nostrils and made his stomach grumble
hungrily. He blushed at the sound and prayed that
the store clerk hadn't heard his grumbling stomach.
The lady went behind the counter and brought
out a small delectable looking cherry chocolate cake.
The frosting and cherry filling made Darien's mouth
water and became all the more tempting to eat.
"This is my special cherry chocolate cake. I
call this the 'Love Cake'."
Darien snatched his hand away from the fork
to glance up at the lady critically, suddenly losing
his appetite.
"A love cake? No offense, lady, but you're full
of malarkey."
He was ready to turn and leave this lunacy of
a store when the lady grabbed his arm from over
the counter.
"You don't believe that this cake can bring
out your true desires, do you? Well, why not take a
small bite of it then since you don't believe in such
rubbish...unless you're afraid that this cake will have
some affect over you."
She let go of his arm, crossed her arms over
her chest, and gave him a triumphant look as if she were
saying, "Take that, Mr. Big Shot."
Darien, not able to pass up a challenge when
presented to him, grabbed the fork off the plate,
took a small piece of the cake, and took a bite of it
from the fork. The chocolate and cherry filled his senses
and couldn't help, but let out a pleasure filled sigh.
Remembering where he was, he made eye contact
with the lady and declared quite proudly, "There, I had
a taste of your cake and nothing happened. You really
need to think of a better slogan if you want to sell your
food."
He quickly turned and stalked out of the store,
feeling quite smug for proving the lady wrong. The lady
in the store, on the other hand, smiled discreetly and
whispered, "You haven't seen nothing yet, Darien."
*~*~*~*~*~
Serena burst in through the automatic doors
of the Crown Arcade and promptly plopped herself
on a stool where Andrew greeted her good naturedly.
"Hey, Serena, what's up?"
"Hey, Andrew! Nothing much, but I'm waiting
for the girls to get here so we can plan some afternoon
activity. We might just check out that new sweet shop
a few blocks down. I heard it has amazing cakes and pies!"
she beamed excitedly.
"You mean you haven't been there yet? I thought
you'd be the first in line to clean out their entire store,"
Andrew teased, chuckling at her pouty face.
"Ha ha ha, Andrew, you're such a riot!" She rolled her
eyes in his direction then stuck out her tongue. "I can control
my sweet tooth sometimes!"
"What's this I hear? Meatball Head can actually control
her food intake? This is BIG news!" a deep voice exclaimed
behind her.
Serena gritted her teeth and faced her new visitor
with a fist shaking in their direction.
"Gee, Darien, at least I can control my food intake
while you're still learning to get a new personality!"
Darien laughed and moved over to sit on the stool
beside her, completely brushing her off and provoking her
anger even more.
"One of these days, Chiba, one of THESE DAYS..."
"Or you'll what, Meatball Head--"
But he was at a lost for words when he took one
look at the blonde girl. For some reason he found her
very attractive with the cute white blouse and matching
long skirt she was wearing and how her eyes looked
intensely into his, daring him to say his biting come
back which never came. He shook his head and looked
back down at the counter top.
What was happening to him? Since when was
the Meatball Head appealing to him? He knew she was
cute, but so not his type, was she? No, definitely not! But
still, her lips look just as yummy as that cake he--hold on
a minute! It couldn't be the cake, could it? That's
preposterous!
He started laughing like a maniac as if he were one
of those ax murderers in a slasher movie with Andrew
and Serena shrinking down in fright and utter surprise.
The same thought was going through both their minds,
has he snapped?
"Uh, buddy, are you okay?" Andrew slowly but
cautiously pat him on the back, afraid that Darien might
have an ax hidden somewhere in his pocket.
Darien finally came to his senses and wiped
the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Andrew. I was thinking about
something absolutely funny, but really I'm fine."
"If you're sure..." Andrew trailed off, still
unsure of the stability of his friend's sanity.
"Really, now get me my usual coffee!" he
exclaimed a little too excitedly, even for him.
Andrew left his side to go grab the order, hoping
that it'll bring back the old Darien to his senses while
Serena sat back on her stool to continue drinking the
vanilla milk shake Andrew laid down on the counter
for her before Darien went into his laughing fit.
Darien sat there, feeling very restless and started
drumming his fingers on the counter top. Serena became
quiet after his laughing ceased and was more interested
in the magazine she was flipping through.
He started thinking about the weird feelings that
was just surfacing about Serena and why he was acting
slightly out of character. There has to be a logical
explanation for all this he reasoned and it most certainly
isn't because he finds her irresistibly charming and wants
to be with her. No, that can't be it. And why was his feelings
for Serena always pointing back to the cake he ate at that
sweet shop? No cake has ever had the power to bring
two people together. It simply didn't happen.
"Here's your coffee, Dare." Andrew laid the hot mug
before him on the counter top.
Darien broke away from his thoughts to take a sip
out of the hot liquid until he had a sudden urge to blurt
something out...
"Serena, you look very beautiful today."
Serena whirled her head in his direction to gawk
at him, her blue eyes as wide as saucers. Had she heard
right? Darien called her by her first name AND said she
was beautiful? Yep, Darien officially lost his marbles.
Meanwhile, Darien clamped his mouth shut with his
hands in an attempt to keep himself from blurting some
other stupid thing! Jeez, how come he can't control
anything that goes on with his body anymore? As if
some force was in control now. Maybe the cake had
something to do with it. Whatever it was, he's never
going to eat anything in that store ever again no matter
how delicious they are. Right now, he had to get his
body and emotions under control and fight that weird
urge in his body that's making him do insane things!
Clearing his throat, he was going to try and explain
that comment to Serena before she started thinking that
he has some sort of a crush on her.
"You have beautiful eyes, eyes as blue as the sea
and the very sky above on a clear sunny day."
'Argh! That's not what I meant to say! Stop it! Stop
it! Stop it! STOP IT!!!!!'
Darien started banging his head on the counter top
while chanting over and over in his head to stop shooting
out flattering comments towards Serena. Meanwhile,
Serena had no idea what to say to this new comment
from Darien. Her eyes are beautiful? It was weird that
it was coming from her enemy of all people and now
he was banging his head on the table! Maybe Darien
has a high fever and was delirious. Hey, it could be
possible and would explain a lot!
Andrew gaped at his best friend, who was having a
grand old time developing a huge bump on his head. What
has gotten into him? For a guy who never paid any girl no
mind, he was certainly giving Serena all his attention now.
He observed Serena's expression who looked confused
and unsure about Darien's abnormal behavior.
Finding it time to stop Darien's little bang fest on the
counter top, Andrew decided to grab his head before it
reached the hard marble which probably got a few cracks
from his incessant banging.
"Okay, buddy, that's enough. We wouldn't want you
having a concussion now, would we?"
Darien nodded his head mutely and decided to
take his friend's advice. His head was throbbing anyway
and he was getting queer looks from the customers as
they passed by.
"Maybe you should go home? You have been working
hard down at the studio and at school. You deserve some
relaxation time," Andrew suggested.
Darien nodded again without saying a word, afraid
that some other unexpected remark about Serena and her
beauty might come flying out of his mouth. He stood to
leave when another one of those urging forces got a hold
of him once again. He tried to keep his arms from reaching
for Serena, who was backed up against the counter, giving
Darien a face that clearly read, what has gotten into you?
But try as he might, he couldn't hold back his body any
longer and grabbed Serena off the stool, swung her in his
arms, and kissed the living breath out of her!
His judgment was so clouded that all he could
do was wrap his arms around her and kiss her gently yet
deeply. His hands ran over her silken hair and caressed
her cheeks in the softest of touches. Serena's mind was
doing cartwheels and it just sunk in that Darien Chiba was
kissing her! Whatever got him to kiss her, she wasn't
complaining and happily participated in it. He was a
good...no GREAT kisser. How could a girl like her want
to resist such a kiss?
Once Darien made sense of his current
situation, he snapped out of his little daydream
and pulled away from the kiss. He didn't want to,
but something was happening to him and he
wanted to know what it was.
"I'm sorry, Serena, but I can't do this. I have
to go."
He jogged out of the arcade, leaving Serena
speechless and lacking some air while Andrew laid
sprawled on the floor after he saw his best bud plant
a big wet one on the bubbly blonde. First his friend was
going nuts and now this?! It was a little too much for him
to accept in one day!
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Darien spent his time walking around the
streets of Tokyo. It was slowly going to be dark
soon and normally he was home around this time,
but he couldn't bring himself to walk in the direction
of his apartment. Too many things were going
on in his head right now that he needed answers
to. It was bad enough that he, a smart guy like himself,
can't even figure out why he has been acting so crazy
today. He sighed feeling frustrated and lost. He
looked up and saw that he was back at the very
same sweet shop he ran into earlier this afternoon.
Somehow knowing that this would be the place to
get his answers, he went in. He saw the same lady
he met earlier now getting ready to close up shop.
She was organizing a few things by the display window
and he firmly tapped her on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, miss? We need to talk."
She turned around at the sound of Darien's
voice and clapped her hands excitedly.
"Oh, so you're back for more cake, eh? I knew
you wouldn't be able to resist it--"
"That's not what I came for."
She stopped her rambling to stare at him
with seriousness and concern, not at all like the
lady he met this afternoon.
"You came here for answers."
Darien's eyes widened and nodded dumbly.
"It's the cake," was her simple reply.
"That can't be true! There's no such thing as
magical food." He blurted out, unable to accept this
explanation.
"Listen, does it even matter if my food has
magic in it or not?"
"Well--I um..."
"The real question here is, do you love this
girl that has been on your mind for a while?"
Darien did a double take and wondered how
this lady knew so much about him without him even
saying anything.
"How did you know--"
"Do you love her?" she brushed his question
aside, finding it important for him to answer hers.
"Yes," he said with much force and certitude.
"Then what are you doing here? Go after her
and tell her that you do."
Darien smiled at the lady and hugged her.
"You're right. Thank you, uh--"
"It's Claudine. I'm the owner of this shop,
Darien, if you hadn't noticed the sign outside."
They both laughed and as Darien let go of his
embrace around Claudine, she handed him a small
parcel in a white box tied with a red and white ribbon.
He looked down at the box and was about to question
it when she pushed him out the door.
"It's a little something I had prepared for you,
now go!"
He thanked her again and was on his way to
Serena's house when it suddenly occurred to him that
he never told Claudine his name! How could she have
known? He shrugged it off and decided that right now it
wasn't important, what was important was confessing
his feelings for Serena.
He was sure lucky that he knew where she lived
since he came by with Andrew one time when he was
returning a video he borrowed from her. He found
himself in front of a small yellow house with a nicely
trimmed lawn and sweet smelling rose bushes.
Grasping onto the package, he bravely marched up the
steps and rang the bell. He waited a few minutes until
he heard a muffled voice on the other side and then
the sound of locks being undone. The door opened to
reveal Serena in the same clothes she wore at the arcade,
only her hair was out of its usual style. He was amazed by
the beauty this one girl had and thought he was looking
into the eyes of a goddess who had come down to earth
by accident.
"Hi, Darien. What are you doing here? It's ten o'clock
at night." Serena tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear,
never taking her eyes off of him.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but it couldn't wait until
tomorrow. Do you mind if we sit and talk?"
His eyes held longing and urgency that Serena
found it hard to deny him of his simple request.
"All right. We'll talk out here since my father wouldn't
like the idea of having a boy inside our house during this
time of the night."
She stepped outside and closed the door softly
behind her. She walked to the porch swing where she sat
down and patted the empty spot next to her, indicating that
he sit next to her as well. He accepted the invitation, and
both sat in silence just looking at the luminous moon rise
above them.
Darien fumbled a little bit with the white box causing
Serena to give him a sideways glance and inquire about
the white parcel.
"Did you buy something, Darien?" she asked with
unconcealed curiosity.
"Not exactly, but this did come from that new sweet
shop that opened up today. The store owner gave me this
as a gift, but I'm not sure what's in it."
"Really? Well, why not open it up?"
"Okay."
He unraveled the ribbon and lifted the lid off the
box and was startled by what lay there. The same cherry
chocolate cake he sampled earlier was inside the box. He
chuckled to himself at how Claudine would purposely pack
this specific item.
"Wow! That cake looks absolutely delicious," Serena
commented, suddenly craving to have some of the perfect
looking dessert.
"Would you like some?"
"I couldn't." She turned her head away as if trying to
resist the temptation.
"Don't be silly, Serena. Besides, the owner provided
two forks inside the box so you can help yourself."
After much thought, she finally gave in, mostly because
her stomach refused to let her say no.
"It does look good. Okay, I'll try some."
She took the offered plastic fork from Darien and took a
piece for herself. As soon as it came in contact with her mouth,
she thought she was in heaven! This cake tasted different from
all the others she had eaten in the past and wondered how
this could be so, but decided not to dwell on it anymore and
just enjoy this wonderful little confection.
"Good, huh?" Darien asked, finding the expression
on Serena's face just too adorable not to love.
"You bet! I definitely got to stop by sometime!"
"You know, the owner of the sweet shop said it
was a love cake."
"A love cake?" Serena squeaked, gulping hard
on her last piece.
"She said that if a person took a bite of it, their true
desires would surface," he whispered huskily into her ear,
running his hands through her long wavy hair.
"Really? And why are you telling me all this?" Her
body tingled at his gentle caresses and craved them more
than the dessert.
"Because I took a bite of it earlier and realized that
I like you and I would hope we can be something more."
Darien tilted her head slightly and closed the gap
between them, sharing a kiss that was sweeter and
more intoxicating to their senses. It made their last
kiss at the arcade, pale into comparison with this one.
They broke away feeling breathless and very flushed
by their heated kiss. Serena ran her hands all over Darien's
face and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"So, all your crazy ramblings and behavior back at the
arcade was all because of a cake?"
"Basically, yeah. Unless you have a better explanation
for it?"
Serena cocked her head to the side in thought and finally,
said, "Nah, I'm not going to bother. What matters is that we're
together."
Their lips touched for another kiss, forgetting
about their surroundings and the cake.
A dark silhouette was carefully hidden behind the
bushes and smiled victoriously that her plan had worked
in bringing the two lovebirds together.
"You certainly did it, Claudine. Our brother will be
so proud of you when he hears about this. Putting a few
drops of our love oil in the cake was sheer genius!"
"Why thank you, Iris. Someone has to do Cupid's
work and I guess that person is me!" She turned from
the couple to look at her sister.
"Do you intend on keeping your sweet shop here?"
"Honestly, I think it'll be a nice addition to this earth.
People need love and it certainly worked for those two."
"A wise choice, Claudine. Well, we better get going
since Cupid is waiting for our return."
The two women disappeared in a flurry of gold
dust and feathers, but not before Claudine wished
Serena and Darien a lifetime of happiness and love
together.
^_^The End! ^_^
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`
I hope you like this little shorty and
go WAFF!
Written on March 29, 2002
A Short Story
By: Jessica M. Moonflower
Rated: G
E-mail: salud731@earthlink.net
Web site: www.angelfire.com/realm/moonlightroses/index.html
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Sailor Moon.
Simple enough, ne? ^_~
ANs: Hi people! I decided to write this short fic
for WAFF vs. TAFF Day. I hope you like it and I
dedicate this fic to my best gal Chibi Cori and
my echo and long lost sis on the web Bear-chan!
^_^ Love ya both!
"There's nothing half so sweet in life as love's
young dream."
*~Thomas Moore*~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Darien was making his way to the Crown
Arcade which was his usual routine every afternoon
after work. He was having a lousy day after going
through hell at the television studio and to top it all
off, his paper on nuclear physics got a B minus! His
countenance held a sour look and glared at anyone
that got in his way. All he wanted to do right now was sit
in his usual stool, have his usual black coffee, and
sulk to his heart's content.
He turned a corner and noticed a small bakery
with the name, Claudine's Sweet Shop, printed neatly in
beautiful white script. He glanced at the polished shop's
windows and saw many assorted cakes, tarts, chocolates,
and any sweet goodies imaginable. He then glanced at a
sign taped right above the display which read, "Try our special
cherry chocolate cake! It's irresistibly good and brings couples
together!"
Darien's eyes widened at the oddity of the last line.
It brings couples together? They got to be kidding! They're
that desperate to sell their food that they use a corny
gimmick? What was the world coming to?
He backed away from the window and was about to
resume his walk when a forty-something year-old lady
stood right in front of him! He jumped back in surprise
causing him to trip on a crack in the sidewalk and land
firmly on the floor with a loud thud. He moaned and
grumbled under his breath about his sore bottom as he
glanced up to see the same lady that stood in front of him
extend her hand for him to take.
"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I didn't mean to frighten you."
He accepted the offered hand, swiftly got up,
muttered a quick thanks, and gathered his books
and papers that were strewn all over the sidewalk.
Once he gathered all his things together, he turned
to speed it out of there when that very same lady stood
in his way again! Feeling irritated and losing his last
ounce of patience, he did what he normally did under
such circumstances...he started yelling.
"Look, lady, I'm not in the mood so can you
please GET OUT OF MY WAY?????!!!!!!!"
Not the least bit fazed by his angry ranting, she
put on a cheerful smile and with an amicable voice said,
"Would you like to try some of my baked goods? It's half
off because of the grand opening."
"No, I would not like anything thank you, now will
you excuse me I have to get go--"
"Then how about a free sample?" she brusquely
cut him off.
Exasperated by her persistence, he finally gave in
with much reluctance.
"Fine. Give me whatever you have if that's what it'll
take for you to leave me alone."
"Wonderful! Right this way please," she beamed
eagerly, skipping back into her store like a little five-year
old with Darien following warily.
The pleasant scents of cookies, cakes, and tarts
filled Darien's nostrils and made his stomach grumble
hungrily. He blushed at the sound and prayed that
the store clerk hadn't heard his grumbling stomach.
The lady went behind the counter and brought
out a small delectable looking cherry chocolate cake.
The frosting and cherry filling made Darien's mouth
water and became all the more tempting to eat.
"This is my special cherry chocolate cake. I
call this the 'Love Cake'."
Darien snatched his hand away from the fork
to glance up at the lady critically, suddenly losing
his appetite.
"A love cake? No offense, lady, but you're full
of malarkey."
He was ready to turn and leave this lunacy of
a store when the lady grabbed his arm from over
the counter.
"You don't believe that this cake can bring
out your true desires, do you? Well, why not take a
small bite of it then since you don't believe in such
rubbish...unless you're afraid that this cake will have
some affect over you."
She let go of his arm, crossed her arms over
her chest, and gave him a triumphant look as if she were
saying, "Take that, Mr. Big Shot."
Darien, not able to pass up a challenge when
presented to him, grabbed the fork off the plate,
took a small piece of the cake, and took a bite of it
from the fork. The chocolate and cherry filled his senses
and couldn't help, but let out a pleasure filled sigh.
Remembering where he was, he made eye contact
with the lady and declared quite proudly, "There, I had
a taste of your cake and nothing happened. You really
need to think of a better slogan if you want to sell your
food."
He quickly turned and stalked out of the store,
feeling quite smug for proving the lady wrong. The lady
in the store, on the other hand, smiled discreetly and
whispered, "You haven't seen nothing yet, Darien."
*~*~*~*~*~
Serena burst in through the automatic doors
of the Crown Arcade and promptly plopped herself
on a stool where Andrew greeted her good naturedly.
"Hey, Serena, what's up?"
"Hey, Andrew! Nothing much, but I'm waiting
for the girls to get here so we can plan some afternoon
activity. We might just check out that new sweet shop
a few blocks down. I heard it has amazing cakes and pies!"
she beamed excitedly.
"You mean you haven't been there yet? I thought
you'd be the first in line to clean out their entire store,"
Andrew teased, chuckling at her pouty face.
"Ha ha ha, Andrew, you're such a riot!" She rolled her
eyes in his direction then stuck out her tongue. "I can control
my sweet tooth sometimes!"
"What's this I hear? Meatball Head can actually control
her food intake? This is BIG news!" a deep voice exclaimed
behind her.
Serena gritted her teeth and faced her new visitor
with a fist shaking in their direction.
"Gee, Darien, at least I can control my food intake
while you're still learning to get a new personality!"
Darien laughed and moved over to sit on the stool
beside her, completely brushing her off and provoking her
anger even more.
"One of these days, Chiba, one of THESE DAYS..."
"Or you'll what, Meatball Head--"
But he was at a lost for words when he took one
look at the blonde girl. For some reason he found her
very attractive with the cute white blouse and matching
long skirt she was wearing and how her eyes looked
intensely into his, daring him to say his biting come
back which never came. He shook his head and looked
back down at the counter top.
What was happening to him? Since when was
the Meatball Head appealing to him? He knew she was
cute, but so not his type, was she? No, definitely not! But
still, her lips look just as yummy as that cake he--hold on
a minute! It couldn't be the cake, could it? That's
preposterous!
He started laughing like a maniac as if he were one
of those ax murderers in a slasher movie with Andrew
and Serena shrinking down in fright and utter surprise.
The same thought was going through both their minds,
has he snapped?
"Uh, buddy, are you okay?" Andrew slowly but
cautiously pat him on the back, afraid that Darien might
have an ax hidden somewhere in his pocket.
Darien finally came to his senses and wiped
the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Andrew. I was thinking about
something absolutely funny, but really I'm fine."
"If you're sure..." Andrew trailed off, still
unsure of the stability of his friend's sanity.
"Really, now get me my usual coffee!" he
exclaimed a little too excitedly, even for him.
Andrew left his side to go grab the order, hoping
that it'll bring back the old Darien to his senses while
Serena sat back on her stool to continue drinking the
vanilla milk shake Andrew laid down on the counter
for her before Darien went into his laughing fit.
Darien sat there, feeling very restless and started
drumming his fingers on the counter top. Serena became
quiet after his laughing ceased and was more interested
in the magazine she was flipping through.
He started thinking about the weird feelings that
was just surfacing about Serena and why he was acting
slightly out of character. There has to be a logical
explanation for all this he reasoned and it most certainly
isn't because he finds her irresistibly charming and wants
to be with her. No, that can't be it. And why was his feelings
for Serena always pointing back to the cake he ate at that
sweet shop? No cake has ever had the power to bring
two people together. It simply didn't happen.
"Here's your coffee, Dare." Andrew laid the hot mug
before him on the counter top.
Darien broke away from his thoughts to take a sip
out of the hot liquid until he had a sudden urge to blurt
something out...
"Serena, you look very beautiful today."
Serena whirled her head in his direction to gawk
at him, her blue eyes as wide as saucers. Had she heard
right? Darien called her by her first name AND said she
was beautiful? Yep, Darien officially lost his marbles.
Meanwhile, Darien clamped his mouth shut with his
hands in an attempt to keep himself from blurting some
other stupid thing! Jeez, how come he can't control
anything that goes on with his body anymore? As if
some force was in control now. Maybe the cake had
something to do with it. Whatever it was, he's never
going to eat anything in that store ever again no matter
how delicious they are. Right now, he had to get his
body and emotions under control and fight that weird
urge in his body that's making him do insane things!
Clearing his throat, he was going to try and explain
that comment to Serena before she started thinking that
he has some sort of a crush on her.
"You have beautiful eyes, eyes as blue as the sea
and the very sky above on a clear sunny day."
'Argh! That's not what I meant to say! Stop it! Stop
it! Stop it! STOP IT!!!!!'
Darien started banging his head on the counter top
while chanting over and over in his head to stop shooting
out flattering comments towards Serena. Meanwhile,
Serena had no idea what to say to this new comment
from Darien. Her eyes are beautiful? It was weird that
it was coming from her enemy of all people and now
he was banging his head on the table! Maybe Darien
has a high fever and was delirious. Hey, it could be
possible and would explain a lot!
Andrew gaped at his best friend, who was having a
grand old time developing a huge bump on his head. What
has gotten into him? For a guy who never paid any girl no
mind, he was certainly giving Serena all his attention now.
He observed Serena's expression who looked confused
and unsure about Darien's abnormal behavior.
Finding it time to stop Darien's little bang fest on the
counter top, Andrew decided to grab his head before it
reached the hard marble which probably got a few cracks
from his incessant banging.
"Okay, buddy, that's enough. We wouldn't want you
having a concussion now, would we?"
Darien nodded his head mutely and decided to
take his friend's advice. His head was throbbing anyway
and he was getting queer looks from the customers as
they passed by.
"Maybe you should go home? You have been working
hard down at the studio and at school. You deserve some
relaxation time," Andrew suggested.
Darien nodded again without saying a word, afraid
that some other unexpected remark about Serena and her
beauty might come flying out of his mouth. He stood to
leave when another one of those urging forces got a hold
of him once again. He tried to keep his arms from reaching
for Serena, who was backed up against the counter, giving
Darien a face that clearly read, what has gotten into you?
But try as he might, he couldn't hold back his body any
longer and grabbed Serena off the stool, swung her in his
arms, and kissed the living breath out of her!
His judgment was so clouded that all he could
do was wrap his arms around her and kiss her gently yet
deeply. His hands ran over her silken hair and caressed
her cheeks in the softest of touches. Serena's mind was
doing cartwheels and it just sunk in that Darien Chiba was
kissing her! Whatever got him to kiss her, she wasn't
complaining and happily participated in it. He was a
good...no GREAT kisser. How could a girl like her want
to resist such a kiss?
Once Darien made sense of his current
situation, he snapped out of his little daydream
and pulled away from the kiss. He didn't want to,
but something was happening to him and he
wanted to know what it was.
"I'm sorry, Serena, but I can't do this. I have
to go."
He jogged out of the arcade, leaving Serena
speechless and lacking some air while Andrew laid
sprawled on the floor after he saw his best bud plant
a big wet one on the bubbly blonde. First his friend was
going nuts and now this?! It was a little too much for him
to accept in one day!
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Darien spent his time walking around the
streets of Tokyo. It was slowly going to be dark
soon and normally he was home around this time,
but he couldn't bring himself to walk in the direction
of his apartment. Too many things were going
on in his head right now that he needed answers
to. It was bad enough that he, a smart guy like himself,
can't even figure out why he has been acting so crazy
today. He sighed feeling frustrated and lost. He
looked up and saw that he was back at the very
same sweet shop he ran into earlier this afternoon.
Somehow knowing that this would be the place to
get his answers, he went in. He saw the same lady
he met earlier now getting ready to close up shop.
She was organizing a few things by the display window
and he firmly tapped her on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, miss? We need to talk."
She turned around at the sound of Darien's
voice and clapped her hands excitedly.
"Oh, so you're back for more cake, eh? I knew
you wouldn't be able to resist it--"
"That's not what I came for."
She stopped her rambling to stare at him
with seriousness and concern, not at all like the
lady he met this afternoon.
"You came here for answers."
Darien's eyes widened and nodded dumbly.
"It's the cake," was her simple reply.
"That can't be true! There's no such thing as
magical food." He blurted out, unable to accept this
explanation.
"Listen, does it even matter if my food has
magic in it or not?"
"Well--I um..."
"The real question here is, do you love this
girl that has been on your mind for a while?"
Darien did a double take and wondered how
this lady knew so much about him without him even
saying anything.
"How did you know--"
"Do you love her?" she brushed his question
aside, finding it important for him to answer hers.
"Yes," he said with much force and certitude.
"Then what are you doing here? Go after her
and tell her that you do."
Darien smiled at the lady and hugged her.
"You're right. Thank you, uh--"
"It's Claudine. I'm the owner of this shop,
Darien, if you hadn't noticed the sign outside."
They both laughed and as Darien let go of his
embrace around Claudine, she handed him a small
parcel in a white box tied with a red and white ribbon.
He looked down at the box and was about to question
it when she pushed him out the door.
"It's a little something I had prepared for you,
now go!"
He thanked her again and was on his way to
Serena's house when it suddenly occurred to him that
he never told Claudine his name! How could she have
known? He shrugged it off and decided that right now it
wasn't important, what was important was confessing
his feelings for Serena.
He was sure lucky that he knew where she lived
since he came by with Andrew one time when he was
returning a video he borrowed from her. He found
himself in front of a small yellow house with a nicely
trimmed lawn and sweet smelling rose bushes.
Grasping onto the package, he bravely marched up the
steps and rang the bell. He waited a few minutes until
he heard a muffled voice on the other side and then
the sound of locks being undone. The door opened to
reveal Serena in the same clothes she wore at the arcade,
only her hair was out of its usual style. He was amazed by
the beauty this one girl had and thought he was looking
into the eyes of a goddess who had come down to earth
by accident.
"Hi, Darien. What are you doing here? It's ten o'clock
at night." Serena tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear,
never taking her eyes off of him.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but it couldn't wait until
tomorrow. Do you mind if we sit and talk?"
His eyes held longing and urgency that Serena
found it hard to deny him of his simple request.
"All right. We'll talk out here since my father wouldn't
like the idea of having a boy inside our house during this
time of the night."
She stepped outside and closed the door softly
behind her. She walked to the porch swing where she sat
down and patted the empty spot next to her, indicating that
he sit next to her as well. He accepted the invitation, and
both sat in silence just looking at the luminous moon rise
above them.
Darien fumbled a little bit with the white box causing
Serena to give him a sideways glance and inquire about
the white parcel.
"Did you buy something, Darien?" she asked with
unconcealed curiosity.
"Not exactly, but this did come from that new sweet
shop that opened up today. The store owner gave me this
as a gift, but I'm not sure what's in it."
"Really? Well, why not open it up?"
"Okay."
He unraveled the ribbon and lifted the lid off the
box and was startled by what lay there. The same cherry
chocolate cake he sampled earlier was inside the box. He
chuckled to himself at how Claudine would purposely pack
this specific item.
"Wow! That cake looks absolutely delicious," Serena
commented, suddenly craving to have some of the perfect
looking dessert.
"Would you like some?"
"I couldn't." She turned her head away as if trying to
resist the temptation.
"Don't be silly, Serena. Besides, the owner provided
two forks inside the box so you can help yourself."
After much thought, she finally gave in, mostly because
her stomach refused to let her say no.
"It does look good. Okay, I'll try some."
She took the offered plastic fork from Darien and took a
piece for herself. As soon as it came in contact with her mouth,
she thought she was in heaven! This cake tasted different from
all the others she had eaten in the past and wondered how
this could be so, but decided not to dwell on it anymore and
just enjoy this wonderful little confection.
"Good, huh?" Darien asked, finding the expression
on Serena's face just too adorable not to love.
"You bet! I definitely got to stop by sometime!"
"You know, the owner of the sweet shop said it
was a love cake."
"A love cake?" Serena squeaked, gulping hard
on her last piece.
"She said that if a person took a bite of it, their true
desires would surface," he whispered huskily into her ear,
running his hands through her long wavy hair.
"Really? And why are you telling me all this?" Her
body tingled at his gentle caresses and craved them more
than the dessert.
"Because I took a bite of it earlier and realized that
I like you and I would hope we can be something more."
Darien tilted her head slightly and closed the gap
between them, sharing a kiss that was sweeter and
more intoxicating to their senses. It made their last
kiss at the arcade, pale into comparison with this one.
They broke away feeling breathless and very flushed
by their heated kiss. Serena ran her hands all over Darien's
face and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"So, all your crazy ramblings and behavior back at the
arcade was all because of a cake?"
"Basically, yeah. Unless you have a better explanation
for it?"
Serena cocked her head to the side in thought and finally,
said, "Nah, I'm not going to bother. What matters is that we're
together."
Their lips touched for another kiss, forgetting
about their surroundings and the cake.
A dark silhouette was carefully hidden behind the
bushes and smiled victoriously that her plan had worked
in bringing the two lovebirds together.
"You certainly did it, Claudine. Our brother will be
so proud of you when he hears about this. Putting a few
drops of our love oil in the cake was sheer genius!"
"Why thank you, Iris. Someone has to do Cupid's
work and I guess that person is me!" She turned from
the couple to look at her sister.
"Do you intend on keeping your sweet shop here?"
"Honestly, I think it'll be a nice addition to this earth.
People need love and it certainly worked for those two."
"A wise choice, Claudine. Well, we better get going
since Cupid is waiting for our return."
The two women disappeared in a flurry of gold
dust and feathers, but not before Claudine wished
Serena and Darien a lifetime of happiness and love
together.
^_^The End! ^_^
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`
I hope you like this little shorty and
go WAFF!
Written on March 29, 2002