Inside the temple, the noise level was up, way up. Raye and Lita and Mina and Amy were all talking loudly and laughing. Outside the temple, all was quiet, as two

people sat snuggled together. Serena's birthday was over. And oh, Gods, what a day it had been. The events whirled through her head like a cyclone. Darien not

knowing it was her birthday. . .him being frozen in ice. . .her heart crystal being stolen. . .Mina impersonating her (I am not going to let her live that one down, Serena

thought). . .and then the final showdown, when Sailor Uranus saved all of their lives. . . I am completely exhausted, she thought, leaning heavily against Darien. He

stroked one of her long pigtails and kissed her. "Tired, sweetheart?" "Mmmm." "Me too. Are you sleeping over with the other girls tonight?" "No. . .I just want to go

home and go to sleep in my own bed." "Come on--I'll drive you." Almost as soon as she sat down in his front seat, her head drooped and her eyes closed. He looked

at her lovingly. Poor Serena, he thought, you've just had the birthday from hell. But don't worry, honey. . .tomorrow, I'll make it up to you. As he headed toward her

house, the wheels began to turn in his head. . . "Mom, I'm headed for the arcade," Serena called over her shoulder as she headed out the door. "Do you need any

money?" Mrs. Tsukino asked. Serena opened her purse to check - and saw a piece of folded notebook paper. Darien had his notebooks in the car last night, she

thought. . . Unfolding it, she read: "Happy Birthday, Meatball Head (one day late). Tell your mother you're sleeping at Raye's tonight and come on over, about 6:30. I

promise you, it will be a night of magic. . . I Love You, Darien." She looked up slowly, her heart pounding. A night of magic. . . "Mom," she said, "by the way, we're

having a sleepover at Raye's tonight. . ." It felt like 6:30 would never come. She played games at the arcade, visited the temple, hung out for awhile with Molly and

Melvin. . .but all the time, she felt like she was trembling inside with excitement. What could he possibly have planned, she thought. . . She knew she couldn't dress up

too much for the evening - after all, she was supposed to be going on a sleepover, not out on a date. But she made sure she put on nice underwear - a silky, pink

matching bra and panty set. Hopefully, I won't be wearing my clothes very long anyway, she thought. When she knocked on his door - at last, at last! - there was no

answer, at first. "Darien?" She tried the knob - the door was open. When she looked around, her senses beheld beauty everywhere. There were roses, roses, and more

roses. The only light came from the candles placed throughout the room. Soft, romantic music came from the stereo. And then, there was a voice from the kitchen.

"Hello, darling. Happy Birthday." He stepped out into the living room, and she sucked in her breath. He was wearing his tuxedo, but not his mask or hat. He looked

stunning. He walked over to her, and they came together in a long, deep kiss. The overnight bag she was carrying dropped to the floor. Their arms wrapped tightly

around each other, and their lips parted, their tongues dancing and stroking. The kiss broke, and his whispered in her ear, "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes,

honey. In the meantime. . .shall we dance?" Their bodies began to sway to the music. She rested her head on his chest, hearing the thump of his heartbeat under her

ear. Such a beautiful, comforting sound. . .Her hands slid up and down his back, and she felt his hands stroking her hair. "You feel so good in my arms," he said.

"Gods, I've been waiting all day to hold you." In response, she rubbed her body up against his, feeling his heat even through all their layers of clothing. . .He lowered

his head to hers again, and she felt herself shifting her body so that his thigh was trapped between hers. Making a purring noise in her throat, she began to wriggle

against it, feeling the pressure against her most sensitive spot. . . Darien pulled her closer, his mouth ravishing hers, his tongue flicking in and out of her mouth. Oh,

Gods, she was exciting him so much. . .her beautiful body against his, her womanhood sliding against his thigh. . .Her mouth broke from his, and she leaned back,

gasping with passion. . .He could see her delicious nipples sticking up, hard and swollen and straining at the fabric of her blouse and bra. . . And then, the timer on the

stove went off. The spell was broken. Slowly, reluctantly, she eased away from him. He gave her a last tender kiss on the top of her head. "Sit at the table, my love," he

said. "I'll be right there. . ." She gave him a big smile. Oh, Gods, she thought, for once in my life, the last thing in the world I want is food. . . But she ate heartily,

anyway. He started her off with a fabulous pasta salad, which had chunks of onions, red and green peppers, and celery (but no carrots). Then came a magnificent

paella, which had all kinds of seafood in it - chunks of fish, crab, mussels, shrimp. . .And on the side, he served super-fresh, homemade buttermilk biscuits, which

Serena ate several of. "This is delicious, Darien!" She looked at him with a sly smile. "But not half as delicious as you." "You're pretty delicious yourself, you little

minx." He put down his fork. "Finished?" "I just want to have a little bit more. . ." He chuckled. This was her third "little bit more." Serena and her hearty appetite were

so much more appealing than those little waifs who thought they would get fat if they ate more than two stalks of celery. Not that all that food did any damage to her

figure. She was developing some very dangerous curves, but her waist remained slim. And her face was getting more and more lovely by the day. It seems fitting, he

thought, that such a beautiful soul be in such a beautiful body. "Time for your cake," he said, getting up and heading for the kitchen. "It's an ice cream cake." "Oooh,

good!" He brought it in, ablaze with candles. She wished that they could have a bright and happy future together, and she blew out every one. After they enjoyed the

cake and coffee, he reached under the table. "And now. . .presents." He handed her two wrapped boxes and three cards. "Three cards?" "Look closer." She did,

and saw that each had a different name on it: "Serena," "Sailor Moon," and "Serenity." "Oh, darling. . ." The first was spicy and humorous, and signed, "I love you,

my little minx. Darien." The second was decorated on the front with a big bouquet of roses, and bore the signature, "You are everything I'd ever dreamed you'd be,

and more. Love forever, Tuxedo Mask." And the third had a passionate love poem written on the front, and inside, she read, "To my eternal, everlasting love.

Endymion." She leaned over and hugged him tightly. "And I love you - all three of you." "Open the gifts," he whispered. The first box contained a pair of earrings

which bore the same moon and rose design as the necklace he'd given her for Valentine's Day when they were in Nagano. "Oh, honey, they're beautiful!" "Now the

second." The other box was smaller. Inside was a gold ring, with a little red stone on it - a stone that was cut to resemble a rose. "Oh, Darien!" He took her left hand in

his. "Serena. . .I know you're too young for us to get formally engaged. . .yet. But. . .I love you. I love you so much, I don't know what I'd do without you. Before I

met you, my life was so cold, dreary and lonely. . .I didn't think I'd ever know happiness. I got bitter and nasty. And then, a little meatball-headed minx bounced a

flunked test paper off my head, and my life turned right around. You've made me so happy, and I want to make you happy as well." He slid the ring onto her third

finger. "Call this a pre-engagement ring, or a commitment ring. But what it means is, I love you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life." She pulled him into

her arms, tears of happiness brimming in her eyes. "I love you too. . .and we'll be together forever, my darling, I promise." Their lips came together, sealing their

commitment with a sweet kiss, a kiss whose flavor quickly became very spicy. Their lips urgently caressed each other, and soon his tongue was flicking in and out of

her mouth. Her own tongue began to thrust, parry and dance with his. Her heart was pounding, her breath coming rapidly. He picked her up in his arms and carried her

to his bedroom, where he had also placed candles, along with some delicious-smelling simmering potpourri. His bed was turned down, waiting for them. . . He lay her

down gently, and bent over her again, kissing her lips tenderly, his hands starting to roam over her body. Expertly, he undid her blouse as she sighed with anticipation.

It landed on the floor, along with her skirt, shoes and stockings. Darien leaned back and admired the beauty lying on the bed before him. "Oh, Serena, that pink lingerie

is so beautiful on you. . ." "But don't you think I'd be more beautiful without it?" The bra and panties joined the rest of her clothes on the floor, and for good measure,

the pins that had been holding her "meatballs" in place were flung on top of them. "You may very well have a point," he said. "Stay right there, sweetheart, I'll be right

back. . ." She stretched out like a cat while he went into the bathroom, purring with delight in anticipation of what was to come. He'd promised magic, and so far, he'd

delivered. . .Now, the really magical part would come. When he returned, he was naked and carrying a bottle of something. "I'm going to make you feel really

good tonight, Serena," he said in his sexiest voice. "I'm going to make you feel pleasures you didn't even know were possible." "Oh, Gods. . ." "I'm going to give you

a rubdown first, sweetheart. Turn over on your stomach. . ." She complied, but not without giving him a few good kisses first. He opened the bottle and poured

something in his hand, and when he touched it to her skin, Serena knew it was a coconut-scented lotion which he had warmed up in the sink. He began to massage her,

rubbing in circular motions up and down her back. "Just relax, honey," he whispered. "Relax and let me please you." She felt his hands moving up and down her back,

then over her hips and down her legs, then up again. . .She found herself sighing deeply and biting her fist. Oh, it felt so, so good. . . Then, his hands were on her

buttocks, massaging them gently but firmly, and she let out a moan. He patted her bottom softly, a sign that she was to turn over. . .She flipped on her back, noticing

how very hard her nipples were - and he hadn't even touched them yet! Darien leaned over, kissing Serena's lips, then began to massage her fingers, moving up her

arms, slowly, slowly. . .He moved over her shoulders and down her sides (to her disappointment), then down to her legs. . .When he moved up her legs, she began to

tingle with anticipation, expecting him to plunge his fingers into her womanhood, but no plunge came - he moved up her sides again, then over to her belly, which he

took his sweet time squeezing and caressing. Serena writhed and moaned, aching for the touch of his fingers on her nipples, between her legs. . . Darien paused to coat

his hands with the lotion again. Then, he cupped her breasts in his hands , squeezing them, releasing them, then squeezing them again. "Ummm," she said. "That feels

soooo good. . ." Then, he began rubbing his thumbs on her nipples, and she cried out, her hips arching upward. "Feels nice, doesn't it?" he whispered. "Oooohhhh. .

." "It'll only get better." And he brought his mouth to hers again, as his fingers continued to caress her nipples. Then his lips were moving downward, leaving a trail of

wet kisses down her neck , down her chest. . .When his tongue began flicking at her left nipple, she jerked upward and cried out. "Darien! Ooohhh!!" He licked the

luscious bud hungrily, then brought it into his mouth and began to suck. She moaned, writhing in pleasure. Then his mouth was moving to the other breast, and she

was opening her legs wide, mutely begging him to move downward. . . Darien answered her plea, kissing slowly down her stomach, moving closer and closer to his

goal. . .And then he was at the sweet juncture of her thighs, and all he wanted to do was greedily lap at her. . .but this was her night, and he wanted to make the pleasure

last as long as possible. He spread her soft folds and began to gently explore them with little flicks of his tongue. He felt his love shudder. He nibbled gently on her

nether lips, then went back to his teasing flickers. Serena moaned loudly. "Please, please, Darien, lick my. . .my. . ." He slowly began to move toward his goal, planting

kisses and tongue-flickers along the way. Quickly, he swirled it around her jewel before rubbing his tongue back and forth against it. Serena let out a loud cry, feeling an

orgasm starting to build. . . And then Darien took his mouth away from her. Serena shrieked in frustration. "Sshh, love, patience, it will be worth it, I promise." He

moved back up to her breasts, kissing the erect nipples, drawing them into his mouth and suckling. She almost screamed. Then he kissed her lips, then her breasts

again, and then, suddenly, he was back between her legs, licking her pearl, kissing it, drawing it into his lips and beginning to suck. . . "OOOOHHHH!!!

AAAAHHHH!! DARIEN!! DARIEN, I'M COMING. . .AAAAAHHHH!!!!" He knew his timing was essential for what he planned to do next. While she was still

shuddering, he pulled away from her, quickly unwrapped and pulled on a condom, and lay atop her. Caressing her nipples with his fingers, he began to rub his

manhood against the outside of her womanhood, making sure he stayed in constant contact with her jewel. "OOOHHH!!" she cried. She hadn't had time to recover

from one onslaught of pleasure, and here was another one. . .oh, Gods, I can't handle it, I can't handle it, but it's sooo soo good yes I can yes I can oh yes oh yes. . .

"DARIEN! Now! Please, please now. . ." He gave a big thrust, and he was inside her. She flipped him over so that she was on top, and began to pump up and down

wildly. His hands were on her breasts again, the thumbs stimulating the nipples, then he raised his head so that he could suck those delicious buds. Electric heat was

racing all over her body, and she thought she would explode. He felt so, so good inside her, like he had belonged there since the beginning of time. "Yes, baby, yes,

yes, so good, soooo good. . ." "Serena. . .ohhh, Serena, I love you so much, honey. . ." "Oooohh. . .Darien. . .DARIEN! I'm gonna. . .I'm gonna. .

.AAAAHHHH!!!" She threw back her head as another orgasm wracked her. As she slumped after her climax, he quickly flipped them back over so he was on top, and

started driving into her hard and fast, lowering his head so he could lick at a nipple, determined that they come together. He was rewarded for his efforts - she jerked

and began to cry out again, and he shouted her name. They hit the pinnacle of pleasure at exactly the same second, and it felt as if their very souls had merged with

each other. They fell back on the bed, totally exhausted. He disposed of the rubber, then kissed her, drawing her head to his chest. "Happy Birthday, my darling. I love

you." "I love you too. . .and it's the nicest birthday I ever had." Curled up in a tight embrace, they fell asleep. He awoke early the next morning, sitting up in bed

and looking down lovingly at her. My dearest Serena, he thought. You're everything to me. . .no matter how much I do for you, I don't think I'll ever be able to repay

you for all that you've done for me. Slipping out of bed, he pulled on his boxer shorts and went into the kitchen. Soon, coffee was brewing, eggs were sizzling, and

toast was cooking. The good smells woke Serena up. She rolled over, finding her lover had left the bed. "Darien?" "Just stay right there, sweetheart. You're going to

have breakfast in bed." She snuggled into the warm spot where he had slept, embracing the pillow which still carried his scent. He's so, so good to me, she thought. He

entered the bedroom, carrying a tray. On it was a cup of coffee, a plate of buttered toast with a jar of strawberry jelly on the side, another plate containing scrambled

eggs and bacon, a little glass of orange juice, and a vase containing a rose. "Oh, Darien!" "Eat up, honey." He placed the tray on the nighttable. She attacked the food

with relish, slavering generous amounts of jelly on the toast, scooping up big forkfuls of the eggs. "Darien, aren't you eating anything?" "I had coffee before. . .it's all I

want." "Oh, come on. . .at least have a bit of the toast!" She extended a piece of toast to him, planning to feed him. . .and then, a big glob of the jelly fell off and

landed - splat - square on her nipple. Both of them just stared at it for a second. And then, a wicked smile spread over both their faces. . . "Hmmm," he said, "I think I

see something that I very much want to eat for breakfast." And he lowered his head, his tongue flicking out of his mouth to lap up the luscious sweetness. . .and

continue to lap at the sweetness underneath. Serena moaned and writhed. "Ohhh. . ." Then, she caught sight of the jar on the tray, and more delightfully wicked ideas

entered her head. "Would you like to have a second helping of that, sir?" she said. "I'd like it very much." She opened the jar, scooped out some of the jelly, and

daubed it on her lips. He licked at it, running his tongue over her mouth before plunging it inside for a deep, hard, hot French kiss. Now he was taking the jar from her,

dipping his fingers in, painting both nipples with the sticky stuff. . . "Ummm," he said when he took his mouth away from hers, "now that's what I call a sweet treat. I

think I'll have more. . ." He kissed his way down her neck, over her chest, and then he was back at her breasts again, licking and licking at her left nipple, then pulling it

in her mouth and sucking hard. "OOOHHH!! Yes, oh Darien, keep doing that, that's so good. . ." She arched upward, trying to push her breast even further into his

mouth, feeling hot dampness spread between her thighs. He only stopped what he was doing to begin the process again with the other breast, lapping up the jelly like a

starving man, twirling his tongue over and over on the hard little bud. She moaned and moaned, pumping her hips in time to his licking and sucking. He raised his head,

and she opened her eyes, looking deep into his and smiling. "Darien. . .do you mind if I borrow that jar of jelly for a minute? There's something I very much want to

spread it on. . ." And she pulled down his boxers, then picked up the jar. He sucked in his breath in anticipation. . . Slowly, she coated him with it, moving from root to

tip, rubbing extra dollops on the head. . .She bent her head, and slowly, slowly, her tongue began to move over the surface. Oooh, she though, the jelly tastes better

now than it did on the toast! She moved her tongue in little swirls, working her way slowly upward. . .Darien moaned loudly, tangling his hands in her hair, well aware

he was getting jelly in it. . .but he didn't care. One other good thing about love play with food. . .they could look forward to washing it all off in the shower afterward.

She moved up to the head, then took the whole thing in her mouth, moving her head up and down, up and down. . .He leaned back and cried out her name, resisting

the urge to thrust his hips against her face hard. "OHHH! Yes, yes, that feels so good, oh, Gods, Serena, I love you so much. . ." She pulled him out completely, ran

her tongue all the wayup and down its length quickly, then swirled it around the head, then put it back in again. . . "SERENA! Ohhh, I'm gonna come, oh, baby. . ."

Quickly, she pulled away from him, then grasped him with her hand, pumping as fast as she could, and he released himself, letting out a huge shout of

"AAAAHHHH!" He flopped on his back on the bed, spent. She tenderly kissed his temple, then his cheek, then his lips. Grabbing tissues from the nighttable, she

quickly wiped off her hand, then reached for the jar of jelly again. . . "Have you eaten your fill?" she asked him. "Or do you want another course?" He took it from her.

"There's still one thing I haven't eaten yet." She brought her mouth to his, and they kissed fiercely, their tongues tangling and dancing. Then, he lay back down, and she

straddled him, kneeling so her legs were on either side of his head. . .He dipped his fingers in the jelly and coated her nether lips, scooping out a big dollop and slipping

it inside her, making sure a generous portion was on her jewel. . . Then, he grasped her buttocks in his hands and drew her down to him, and his tongue was licking,

licking, licking, and she groaned as the hot pleasure spread through her. . .He savored the delicious taste of the jelly combined with the delicious taste of her honey. He

pushed his tongue inside her, wiggling it around, trying to get every luscious drop. . . "Darien, oh Darien, that's so good, soooo gooood, OOOHHH!!" He flicked it

upward, then downward, then up again, nibbling at the sweet, soft flesh of the lips, kissing them, then going up toward her jewel. . .He captured that sweet little nub of

flesh in his lips, flicking his tongue over it before beginning to gently suck. She gasped, panting, groaning, oh yes, oh yes, oh baby, keep going, keep going, I'm almost

there, almost there. . . "YES! OH GODS, OH BABY, I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH. . .AAAAHHHH!!" Serena stiffened, then shuddered, as crazy hot passion

screamed through every cell of her body. Then, as she was still shaking with passion, he gently rolled her onto her back and reached into the nighttable for a rubber. He

lay atop her, kissing her lips, then her breasts, with sweet, sweet tenderness, and then he gave a big thrust and was inside her. At their joining, both of them gasped,

savoring the luscious, luscious feel of being one flesh. . .Then, he began to move, slowly, then picking up speed. Her hands grasped his buttocks, trying to pull him

deeper and deeper into her, trying to hold him there forever, and he was pumping harder and harder, and his manhood was kissing her jewel again and again. . . "Ohh

yes, ohh yes, Darien, I love you, I love you. . ." "Serena. . .Serena, my darling. . ." Her hips rose to meet his every thrust, over and over, and her heart was pounding,

coherent thought far, far away, all she could think of was getting there, reaching paradise. . . Then, suddenly, the explosion came. She arched, screaming his name as

hot pleasure roared through her, and her climax touched off an answering one in him. He shouted, a wordless cry that nonetheless spoke volumes to her, as he released

himself. He fell down next to her, and they held each other tightly, gasping and kissing each other's faces. "Now that's what I call a birthday breakfast!" she

whispered. "Was it as delicious for you as it was for me?" "It was the most luscious breakfast I ever ate." "I love you." "I love you, too." As they curled up and

drifted off to sleep, she thought. . .hmm, his birthday's about a month away, I wonder what I can do for him?