Welcome to the final chapter. It's been a wild ride and I hope you've enjoyed it. To the many who have reviewed along the way, my sincerest thanks. Every now and then i'll re-read the old reviews for early chapters and smile. To those who have read this story, made it this far and have not yet reviewed, please do so. This is the time to do it.

Many wondrous thanks to: claireylee824, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, CharmedSerenity3, Jenbunny, KageNoNeko, itsxdeexdork, Halo 4360, SerentiyMoonGodness, merangelgal and SulliMike23 for their awesome reviews on the previous chapter

Title: Only In My Dreams
Author: Crystal Saturn
Rated: T
Chapter: 18- Once in a Lifetime / You Love Like Nobody Loves Me

"Good morning, Meatball head!" Darien arrived, knocking on the door as he walked in. He held out a tall vase with a single red rose suspended within the water. Serena's eyes lit up at the sight as she eagerly reached for her gift.

"It's beautiful! Thank you so much, Darien." She grinned broadly, gently caressing the soft delicate petals.

"You're welcome, just don't eat it." Daren warned as he placed his stack of textbooks on the table near the window. He couldn't help but smile as she childishly pouted at him.

"What's that?" Serena scrunched up her nose at the sight of the large heavy hardback books.

"Don't worry, they're not for you." Darien reassured, playfully poking his tongue out at the disgusted blonde girl. "I have two exams coming up and I'm behind in my studies. I have to majorly cram before next week."

"Oh, and you're going to do it here?" Serena subconsciously tilted her head at an angle.

"Sure. Hospitals are horrible places when you don't have visitors. It can be quiet and lonely. I thought I'd give you a bit of company. Your friends all have exams to study for too, if you're wondering. They wanted to come and see you, but since you may not remember them, it may be a little too overwhelming for you to have a herd of people in here. Maybe in a few more days when you've recovered a little more energy, but until then you'll just have to put up with me."

"Thank you." Serena smiled warmly as she continued to admire her gift. She quietly occupied herself with the rose, playing with it gently as she allowed Darien to settle down to his studies. He opened up a textbook and reached in to his coat pocket, pulling out a pair of black rectangular framed reading glasses. As he placed them on the bridge of his nose, Serena sensed a familiar feeling. A wave of nostalgia overcame her. The way his glasses framed his eyes set off alarm bells in Serena's mind, but she couldn't remember why.

Serena placed the rose on the table beside her and continued to examine Darien. He had defined features and the deepest blue eyes. His jet black hair fell across his eyes at times, but was still well kept. Broad shoulders gave him a strong masculine look, but no matter how much she tried not to, her gaze constantly returned to his soft inviting lips. She cleared her throat, attempting to also clear her mind of her secret thoughts.

"How are you going there?" She asked, uncomfortable with the silence.

"Good. Just reading up." Darien glanced up briefly before returning his attention to the text in front of him. Once again, the room filled with silence. Serena squirmed as the lack of conversation meant that her thoughts would constantly roam back to Darien and how strikingly attractive she thought he was. She scratched her head nervously; unable to stop herself from coming to the conclusion that she liked his concentrating face. His jaw line seemed to catch the light just in the right way. Serena's eyes traced the curve from beneath his ears and followed it along the straight path towards his chin. She silently scolded herself and cleared her throat once again in an attempt to break the silence, clasping her hands together in nervousness.

"Do you remember your first kiss?" Serena asked, her cheeks flushing a bright crimson colour. She looked away in embarrassment, avoiding his gaze.

"No." Darien stuttered uncomfortably. "I mean, I haven't kissed anyone before."

"You haven't?" Serena's head shot up as she looked at Darien skeptically.

"Serena, your first kiss is something that only happens once in your lifetime. It should be special and with someone special." He brushed off her question and continued to jot down study notes from his textbook. It was a common misconception among the campus that Darien was a ladies' man. He was often spotted making idle chatter with a number of beautiful classmates. It was purely platonic on his behalf, but the stories spread nevertheless.

Serena observed Darien's cool demeanor as he continued to study from his physiology textbook. The thought lingered at the back of her mind, constantly nagging away, yearning to be explored and contemplated. A silence fell between the two as Darien focused his attention to his studies. Serena chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she watched the dark haired man intently. Darien glanced up from his reading glasses to see Serena staring straight at him.

"What is it?" He looked about to see if he had something hanging off him. Serena's heart began to beat uncontrollably fast. Her breathing became short and shallow as her palms became cold and clammy. She frowned for a moment, trying to find a way to express her thoughts with words.

"Darien I'd like to, I mean, would you… will you kiss me?"

"I… You want me to kiss you, even after everything I just said?" She had succeeded in gaining his full attention. He put down his reading glasses and closed his textbook. Strolling toward the innocent looking girl, he took a seat on the bed beside her. "Serena, you don't even remember me. What makes you think you want your first kiss to be with me?"

"I don't know…" Serena admitted sheepishly.

"You should save your first kiss for someone you love and care about." He reached out and lifted her chin up so she was looking at him.

"I know but…" Serena glanced away once again. "I get these feelings when I'm around you. I'm not sure how to explain it. I'm not even sure what it is, but I like it. I feel happy."

"Sere…"

"Are you saving your first kiss for someone you love?" Innocence glistened within her light blue eyes and Darien felt his heart begin to beat faster. At that moment, she was so close. He made a small nodding motion and watched as she lowered her head and began to pull away. He swiftly took a hold of her hand, immediately drawing her attention as she turned to look at him once again.

Darien placed another hand affectionately on Serena's neck, his thumb softly caressing her cheek. He looked deeply into her eyes and felt her hand slowly begin to tighten her hold on his. Gently encouraging her closer, Darien leaned in just as she did. His lips gently touched hers to begin with and he heard her breath catch at the back of her throat. Another feeling of déjà vu overcame Serena as she felt Darien's lips lightly brush up against hers. She felt tingles run up and down her spine, giving her goose bumps across her arms. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but Serena wasn't about to give up that easily. She longed for more and leaned further into him. Darien tensed as he felt Serena's hand resting on his chest. Gaining her approval, he deepened the kiss.

Flashes of light and hazy faces whirled through Serena's mind as she savored the giddy feeling of every gentle touch and caress. A scrunched up test paper. A black shoe. A piercing red rose. A white mask. Tuxedo Mask. Why did that sound so familiar?

"Talking to your cat now, Meatball Head? / Princess, do not fight me please. / As I said, before you turn into a pumpkin. / I feel as though an ocean lies between us. / Good morning, Princess Serena."

His voice echoed through her head. Images from memories flashed in rapid succession within her minds' eye like a kaleidoscope of moments frozen in time. Serena was beginning to feel overwhelmed as the memories seemed to surge back all at once like a huge wave. She continued to press her lips against Darien's, relishing and responding to his every movement.

" You don't always have to put on a brave face. / You're much more fun to tease when you're happy. / I'll be here for you. / It's not my intention to let you jump off a cliff. / You're my everything. Serena, I'm in love with… you."

Serena gasped as she abruptly pulled away from the kiss. Attempting to catch her breath and slow her rapid pulse, she grasped a hold of Darien's arms to steady herself. She felt lightheaded as the images began to subside and fade. Silently protesting the sudden lack of warmth and closeness, Darien shot Serena a questioning look. Something had obviously startled her. She inhaled a few deep breaths to compose herself.

"Darien," She paused, making sure that she held his eye contact. "I think I'm in love with you too." Darien pulled back slightly, a look of puzzlement gracing his features. A faint blush crept upon Serena's lips as she smiled back at him.

"Sere, are you… do you…?"

"I remember." Serena giggled, nodding her head in excitement. She flung her arms around the man, displaying her gratitude and affection. He sighed in relief as he responded by wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace.

"I'm not letting you face anything alone, ever again." Darien closed his eyes as he silently thanked the Supreme Being that watched over them and blessed him with the gift of her.

"I can't believe you kissed me even though I didn't have any idea of who you were." A faint blush stained Serena's cheeks as she playfully stuck her tongue out. "Taking advantage of innocent teens with no memory, that's a new low for you Mr. Chiba."

"That's not fair. You asked me to." Darien reeled back slightly in discomfort. "You may recall that just a few days ago you were giggling and hoping I was your boyfriend because of my striking handsomeness."

"I was out of it. It doesn't count. I didn't know what I was saying." Serena haughtily stuck her nose in the air. Darien smiled at her antics. He lifted his right hand, tracing along her jaw line with his index finger. He gently persuaded her to turn toward him. Gazing into her eyes, he slowly began to lean in for another kiss. Stopping just as her nose touched his, he pulled back ever so slightly. Serena frowned slightly in protest as she leaned in to make up for his hesitation. He placed a finger on her lips to stop her.

"Did you ever think that you, Serena Tsukino, would be telling me, Darien Chiba, that you love me?" Darien gave a small smile as Serena removed his finger from her lips and held his hand. She glanced away in thought for a moment before looking him directly in the eyes. A gentle smile graced her lips.

"Only in my dreams."

I hope you all enjoyed the ending to Only in My Dreams. Please Review! Check out my latest Serena/Darien romance, Akai Ito. Thanks for reading :) Thanks for your support, and please let me know what you thought via review.

Crystal Saturn