AN: Hello, dearest readers. I know you're probably thinking that instead of this story, there should be a BL update, but I had a very sad computer death a few months ago and lost what I'd written- just yesterday I retrieved the lost info. In the interim, inspiration struck and I couldn't get this idea out of my mind. But before I continue let me say this- I rated this story M for a reason.

!!!WARNING!!!
Avert your eyes or hit the back button immediately, underage people; this story is not for you! Or, if you are offended by explicit sex and underage alcohol consumption, please just hit the back button now. It'll save me flames and the time of me having to flame back. I'm trying to give fair warning ahead of time- I'm not saying I condone underage alcohol consumption and all that, but this was a fun idea in my head and I wanted to write it. Also, a million thank yous to my beta reader, Princess-Serenity-324! You're the best! This was tons of fun for me to write and I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks!

Right Hand Red

By Usabelle

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

"Darien, this has to be the most pathetic party I've ever been to."

Serena looked up at the older man in front of her with disdain. It was a shame this was her last chance to see Rita before she left to spend a semester in South Africa; she was currently trapped in her sworn enemy's lair for the going away party.

The things she did for her friends...

He sneered, "Well clearly you don't get invited to many parties, Meatball Head."

His blue eyes narrowed and he took a swig of his beer. It contained more water than actual beer but if he had to be subjected to a party, he may as well be buzzed. "I'm still trying to figure out why you were invited in the first place; what are you, fourteen?"

"I'm seventeen, asswipe, and don't act all high and mighty because you were underage up until two weeks ago," she shot back, grabbing the beer bottle from his hand and taking a drink herself.

Damn, that tasted awful but being in close quarters with her mortal enemy required some form of distraction.

"There's a big difference between seventeen and twenty-one, Meatball Head. Maybe your friends are mature enough to hang around with us," his eyes slid to the four girls sitting on his couches and his grin widened as her eyes narrowed. "But you'll always be the whiny baby who tags along." With that, he grabbed the bottle back from her and took another drink.

Her sudden, sweet smile and slightly dazed look confused him. She should be spitting mad and instead she was just smiling up at him, large blue eyes soft. It was very unnerving; even more unnerving was that strange fluttering in his stomach as she did so. "Shouldn't you be screeching like a howler monkey right about now?"

She came out of her trance abruptly, "Oh sorry, I was just imaging how good it would feel to break that beer bottle... over your head," she added sweetly, white teeth gleaming in the dimmed lights.

"You..." he was at a loss for words, which was a rarity for him. He was so pissed off that he couldn't think of a comeback. Maybe he should cut back on the beer.

"I, you conceited jerk, am currently wondering why Andrew would want you to plan a party of any kind. I've been to funerals with more cheer than this crapfest."

Darien scowled, same old Meatball Head.

"It's not like this party was my doing, anyway. Andrew's just using my apartment for Rita's going away party because his place sucks."

"I resent that!" his perpetually chipper blond friend added, walking over to them with an arm around his auburn-haired girlfriend's waist. "This place is great though."

And it really was; Darien's apartment was nothing if not impressive. An entire wall of his spacious apartment was glass, providing a stunning, almost panoramic view of the city. He was a minimalist, with sleek-looking black and white furniture, a huge flat screen, and all the latest gadgets you wondered if people actually bought due to their exorbitant prices.

Expensive taste he may have had, but he didn't know how to throw a party to save his life. A couple of six-packs of cheap, watered-down beer with a ten-dollar bottle of vodka were set out on his dark granite countertops with a small store-bought cake. Music from his iPod was blasting through expensive-looking, unobtrusive speakers. That was the extent of his party planning.

"But Serena's right; we do need some form of entertainment around here other than your angry emo music," Andrew finished, planting a kiss on his lovely girlfriend's cheek.

Darien glared at him. Traitor. "And what do you suggest we do? Play checkers?"

Rita beamed at his words. "No, I brought something better. Something exciting!" She moved out of Andrew's arms for a minute and rummaged through a large black bag, pulling out a long white box with colorful pictures all over the front. She held it up so everyone could see, "Twister!"

For a moment, all you could hear was the angry rock coming from the speakers as everyone stared at her, completely unimpressed, until Serena squealed in delight, "I love that game!"

So as she and Rita were practically jumping up and down, talking excitedly about their mutual love for the game, Andrew and Darien glanced at each other. Really? Twister? Exciting?

And then Darien had an image of Serena in his mind, falling flat on her ass as she tried to put even one extremity on the right colored spot. "You, the Klutz Queen? You can't even walk without falling down; how do you expect to play unless the spinner calls out 'ass anywhere on the mat?'"

Serena gritted her teeth and sauntered up to him, hands on her low-rise, jean-clad hips. "I think you'll be surprised to find that I'm actually quite flexible," she said quietly, but there was no mistaking the underlying meaning in her statement.

Darien's eyes went wide as he stared down at her. That mischievous glimmer in her eyes caused thoughts to fill his brain that he definitely did not want there and they had nothing to do with the childhood game.

Her smile of victory broke him out of his stupor and he swore he hated her... well some parts of him did... other parts, not so much.

"That, and I can never pass up an opportunity to kick your ass at something," she added sadistically, her bare arm knocking into him slightly as she walked past him to Rita.

He followed her, even though he knew he shouldn't. "Do you realize that Twister is a game for children?"

But Rita answered for her. "Clearly, you've never played drunk Twister. Every time you lose, you take a shot. Kinda like beer pong, but even more fun. Trust me, I've done it in college; it's highly entertaining."

Suddenly Raye decided to enter the conversation, never liking to be in the periphery, especially where Darien was concerned. "I think that's a great idea," she interjected, sidling up to Darien and arching her back to accentuate her chest as much as possible in her short red dress.

He merely raised an eyebrow at Rita and Andrew, "Are you aware that there are children present?"

Rita rolled her eyes, "Oh who are you, the police? You're barely legal, buddy! And I seem to remember a time where somebody was throwing up in Andrew's backseat from drinking too much Jager at a high school graduation party."

He glared at her. "Fine, I'll play, if only to watch Meatball Head's miserable failure."

Raye let out a high pitched laugh in agreement, and he looked at her as though she'd grown an arm out of her head. She stopped laughing abruptly and followed close behind him as they moved into his spacious living room.

Serena busied herself with taking the large plastic mat out of the box and began spreading it on the floor. "So who's in? Aside from me, Rita, Raye, and dipshit?" She was rewarded with an icy glare and smiled as she smoothed out wrinkles in the mat. "We need five players total. Amy?"

Her conscientious friend smiled. "No thanks, I have SAT prep in the morning. I think it will be far more enjoyable to watch," she stated quietly, as though she knew something the others did not.

"Mina, you in?"

Mina shook her head, "Hell no, I'm wearing a skirt! But I'll be happy to drink with the losers," she said brightly. And indeed, her ruffled orange skirt was not appropriate for the game. She would be happier hanging out with the unattached college guys Andrew had invited anyway.

Raye shrugged, "I'm wearing a dress and I'm playing. It's no big deal," she said nonchalantly, looking at Darien for a reaction. She'd worn the tight red dress in hopes of getting his attention. So far, he wasn't biting.

"What about you, Lita? Ken?" Darien asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.

The on-and-off couple looked at each other. "I'll spin," Lita offered. Ken declined, as he thought it may not be a good idea to get caught in a compromising position with his girlfriend right there.

"Andrew will play too. There we go, all five players," Lita commanded, eager to get started; actually, she was mostly eager to see how Darien and Serena would react in such close quarters.

The five stood around the plastic mat as Lita grabbed the spinner and flicked the little black needle. Serena adjusted her long ballet pink tank top so that Darien didn't get an eyeful if she bent over. Teasing from him about a wardrobe malfunction was the last thing she needed. Everyone kicked off their shoes and waited for the first call.

"Left foot green!"

It started out simple enough. Raye nearly jumped to the little green circle next to Darien's foot. Serena was stuck on his other side.

"Right foot red." This was not so simple. Everyone had to move their free leg to the other end of the mat in a pseudo-splits position.

"This is very, very uncomfortable," Andrew groaned.

"Agreed," Darien choked out, wondering if men were meant to play this horrendously cruel game.

"Left foot blue," Lita called out, and both men breathed a sigh of relief.

For the next couple of turns, everyone did their best to stay in the game, until a left hand green was called and Andrew toppled over, falling into Raye. A few more spins and it was down to Serena and Darien.

"I'm surprised you've managed to stay up this long, Meatball Head," Darien breathed, his body contorted painfully in a crab-walk position. "You're usually gravity's bitch."

"Right hand red," Lita called out, and Serena gracefully moved her hand underneath his body to the correct circle, her face inches from his.

"Nervous, Darien?" She whispered, her breath tickling his lips as she smiled slightly.

His muscles trembled as he placed his hand on the red circle below and he blamed it on the physical exertion. Not her proximity. Definitely not her proximity. He could feel the heat rushing to his face as he stared at her lips, practically nose-to-nose. They were so close; really, one wrong move and they would...

"Left hand green!" He didn't know whether to thank or curse Lita for that.

Serena moved with surprising grace, sliding by him with such little effort he had to stare. He was staring at her effort, and not her jean-clad ass, of course. He attempted to move his hand to the other side of the mat, but as staring at her 'effort' distracted him, he missed entirely and went crashing to the floor.

Immediately, Serena sprang up from the ground, a triumphant smile on her face. "Woo! Who's gravity's bitch now, Chiba?"

He glared at her and got up from the ground, grabbing a shot of the cheap vodka Andrew had bought and gulping it down in one burning swallow. "You win round one, Meatball Head, but the war's far from over."

Three rounds later, Serena and Darien were tied for number of games won. Everyone else began losing their balance after the fourth round on the first or second spin and were giggling like mad as they crashed to the ground. But Serena and Darien were still holding their own, their coordination slightly better than everyone else's.

Raye, on the other hand, was valiantly trying to stay in the game in hopes that she'd end up close to Darien, but she wasn't having much luck after that fourth drink.

Serena was feeling just a tad tipsy when Lita called out left hand blue and she giggled as the room tilted just a little. She looked over to Darien whose large frame was twisted like a pretzel and she laughed more.

Darien looked at her laughing and he frowned, uncomfortable. "What's so funny?"

She giggled again, "You look ridiculous," she said lightly, smiling brightly at him. Her eyes were slightly unfocussed and she tilted her head to the side as she took him in. He was really attractive when he wasn't busy being an asshole.

Raye's sharp intake of breath caused Serena to look over at her. "That's so rude, Meatball Head! Apologize to him."

And for some reason (probably due to the cheap vodka) he smiled at Serena, his discomfort momentarily forgotten as he gazed at her. "Well I feel ridiculous so I probably look it too."

"Right hand red!"

This time, Darien had to move his hand from one end of the mat to the other, causing his tall frame to hover over Serena's smaller one. As he did so he ended up with his face in the niche of her neck.

Serena's breathing increased as Darien moved over her on the mat. She could feel his breath tickling her neck and she shivered a little. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her racing heart but it wasn't working. Her neck tingled as she felt his lips barely brush against her skin. It must have been a mistake or he must be slipping, because he would never intentionally...

"Right foot blue!"

Serena crashed to the ground, her concentration broken. She figured she'd let Darien and Raye battle it out; they wanted to be together anyway, right? He would never come onto her on purpose. She immediately decided that what he did was in no way a come on and he was definitely not into her.

Scooting off of the mat, she poured herself a shot and grabbed a soda from the countertop. She took the shot and grimaced, quickly downing the soda to mask the taste. Looking over her shoulder at the mat, she saw Darien's legs tangled under one of Raye's arms and she frowned. She certainly wasn't jealous of the situation, or at least that's what she told herself. Darien didn't mean to kinda-sorta kiss her neck.

She did wish she'd worn long sleeves, though; brushing up against him make her skin tingle and she didn't like it one bit. Her skin should be crawling from contact with him.

Glancing at her friends on the couches, they weren't even paying attention to the game anymore; Mina, Andrew, and Rita were laughing obnoxiously loud about something while Amy read one of the books on Darien's coffee table. Ken and Lita were making out in between spins and Darien... was looking right at her.

Staring blankly back at him, she wondered what he was thinking about. He looked really good in that plain black t-shirt and jeans; she rarely saw him dressed so casual and he somehow seemed more approachable.

And his ass looked especially good in those jeans, she thought distractedly as he bent over to move across the mat. She found him immensely attractive and the thought was disconcerting.

She glared at him for making her feel like such an idiot. Trust her to develop warm and fuzzy feelings for a guy with the emotional capacity of a peanut. He raised an eyebrow then and deliberately fell to the floor. Smiling crookedly, he got up off the ground, congratulated Raye on her first win and walked over to where Serena was standing.

"What's the glare for, Meatball Head? If looks could kill, I'd be chopped into tiny pieces and cemented in your basement," he said lightly, pouring himself a shot for his loss.

"If looks could kill, you'd have been dead the day I met you," she said flatly, backing up a little. His close proximity wasn't helping her warm and fuzzy feelings. She needed distance, that was all... maybe then her head would clear.

"Ouch," he said, the crooked smile still playing on his face, "It almost sounded like you meant that one."

Before Serena could reply, Raye sauntered up to him, fixing her dress and messy hair before she reached them. "Oh Darien, don't take what Serena says seriously; it's not like anyone ever does," Raye said sweetly, putting her hand over his and rubbing lightly. She traced her finger along the rim of the shot glass he was holding and smiled seductively. "Maybe we can play some private Twister in your room now."

Extricating his hand from hers, he downed the shot and placed the glass on the granite countertop. "Well that's a shitty idea; it's not fun unless there're lots of people!" he exclaimed, clearly feeling a buzz from the last shot.

She smiled again, eyes glassy from liquor and Serena felt a little nauseous at her display. "I don't think you understand... you and me playing alone... maybe on your bed?"

His brow furrowed, "My bed doesn't have the colored circles."

Serena groaned and threw her hands in the air, "Oh dear God, Darien, she's clearly trying to get you to bone her! Do us all a favor and put an end to our misery!"

He looked shocked for a fraction of a second, and then his navy eyes narrowed. "You would want me to do that, only 'cause then you won't have any competition for the game!"

"Oh please, like I would consider you competition!" she shot back, secretly thrilled that he hadn't taken the bait.

Raye shrank away then, glaring at Serena for capturing his attention yet again. "Serena, it's time to leave. You've had enough tonight and we're taking a cab."

Looking over to the girls, they did look about ready to go; Ken and Lita were obviously going back to his place and Rita and Andrew to theirs. Even the college kids had cleared out and the room was nearly empty.

"Fine, Serena, quit now," Darien said shrewdly, "You would use that as an excuse, since you are clearly incapable of beating me."

"Incapable? I beat you twice!" she shot back, voice rising in pitch.

Raye yanked Serena by the arm away from him and glowered. "I said it's time to go, Meatball Brains. You want to walk home?" The bitterness and jealousy were plainly written on her face as she stared down Serena, trying to intimidate her into leaving.

Darien grinned then, interrupting before Serena could get a word in, "I'll make sure she gets home. You guys can go."

Raye's mouth fell open and she stared up at the taller man, stunned. "But-but..."

He continued to smile charmingly and grabbed his wallet from his back pocket. "Here's fifty bucks. Take a cab home, on me. I'll make sure she gets home."

Serena nodded enthusiastically, maybe just a bit excited to spend more time with him. "Yeah Raye, you guys can go. I'm not done humiliating him," she said sharply, casting a sideways glance at him. He was also grinning like a fool and her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults. His smiles were rare and strangely enough, she wanted to see him do it more often.

"Girls!" Raye barked, "Let's go!" She continued to stare angrily at Serena, violet eyes flashing. As the girls were reluctantly getting up from the couch, Raye made a last ditch effort to seal the deal. Serena may have captured his full attention for the past three years, but what guy would turn down sex? She grabbed Darien's tanned arm and pulled him from Serena's side.

"I'm going to give you one last opportunity, Darien. To put it simply, I want to fuck you senseless."

He took in a deep breath and looked down at the black haired beauty. Her dress was barely covering her behind and she was looking at him like she really did want to fuck him senseless.

But she wasn't who he wanted.

"I'm going to give you one last opportunity to walk out of here with your dignity intact," he said coldly, shaking her hand off his bicep. "Sorry, I'm just not interested."

Her jaw tightened at his words and she stepped away. "You want her instead? I hope you enjoy disappointment. That clumsy virgin wouldn't know where to begin with you," she shot back with venom in her voice.

Darien bit back the urge to retaliate; how he wanted to tell Raye just how much more appealing Serena was, how her clumsy innocence was endearing instead of off-putting. He looked over at Serena then, hoping she hadn't noticed their interaction. It seemed that she was talking quietly to Amy. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Amy glanced at Raye warily. Jealousy was coming off of her in waves and the girl had made an absolute fool of herself. She'd suspected for a while that her jealousy stemmed from the nearly explosive sexual tension between Darien and Serena from day one. Even Amy, who had the least amount of relationship experience, could see where they were headed three years ago. She pulled Serena aside and smiled at her friend who looked slightly embarrassed.

"Serena, I just have to ask you one question. It's a little personal," she explained.

Serena's brow furrowed, "Anything, Ames."

Amy blushed. "Are you on the pill?"

Her turquoise eyes widened and she blushed. "Uh yeah... Why?"

Simply shaking her head, Amy smiled and yanked Raye to the doorway with surprising strength. "Never mind. Mina went home with a guy so Raye and I will take a taxi." She plucked the fifty dollar bill from Raye's closed fist. "Have a good night, Serena."

Serena stared back, perplexed. "You too?"

Everyone filed out with knowing smiles on their faces and Serena watched them a bit dazedly. Was she really going to be alone with Darien? By choice? She looked up at him and noticed his face was flushed as he shut the door.

He couldn't deny that this was an opportunity and it made him nervous. The vodka he'd ingested made his head swim and he knew he wasn't thinking completely clearly; all he knew was that he felt good and didn't want the feeling to go away.

Serena frowned as she looked around the apartment and noticed a few stragglers still in the living room. Rita and Andrew were passed out on separate couches looking like they weren't going to wake up anytime soon. "It looks like you've got some squatters," she commented, a wry smile on her face.

He grimaced as he noticed Andrew drooling on his leather sofa. "Apparently." Running his hand through his thick black hair, he sighed. "We can play in my room, I guess," he suggested, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that it was probably a very bad idea.

Something told Serena that it was probably not a good idea to be alone with him when she wanted to jump his bones, but she couldn't find it in herself to say no. She shrugged. "Kay, I'll get the mat." Doing so, she followed Darien who made a detour to his kitchen.

Darien came out of the kitchen with chocolate sauce and a different bottle in hand. At her confused look, he explained, "I'm tired of vodka. Let's do peppermint patty shots."

She looked at him skeptically, following him to a room she'd never been in before, dragging the mat the whole way. "What are those?"

He smiled roguishly down at the blonde. "Peppermint schnapps and chocolate. I am a very bad influence, aren't I?"

"It took you this long to figure it out? You are slow," she shot back, but the statement lacked the venom she normally had in her voice when she insulted him.

As soon as he flipped the lights on, she was treated to the sight of a room that looked like it could be in a magazine. She was taken aback by the neatness of it all; he had a ridiculously large, immaculately made bed in the center of the massive room. There were minimal decorations and a skylight on the ceiling above the bed, allowing moonlight to shine in the dimly lit room. Everything was white-on-white-on-white and looked very expensive but it was all very... sterile. "Wow, Darien, do you actually live here?"

He smirked. "Impressed?"

"Well, yeah, but where's all your stuff?" She asked, looking around the room and not finding anything personal. No pictures, mementos... nothing.

"I don't keep stuffed animals and dirty laundry all over the place," Darien countered, a little insulted. For some reason, he had hoped his room would impress her.

She smiled and threw him off-kilter yet again. "It is an awesome room but... this place needs some life!" she said brightly, dropping the mat to the floor by the bed.

And instead of being offended by her comment, he suddenly realized that she was right; she very well could give his place the life it needed. "Would you redecorate, Meatball Head?"

Giggling, she spread out the mat and stood up to face him. She decided she liked him so much better when he smiled like that. "No, no, this place is like the embodiment of you. Obsessively neat and totally boring," she said sarcastically.

He raised his eyebrows at her words. "Boring? Me?" Maybe he was a bit more organized than most, but... boring?

She sighed. "Well you don't let loose very often. You kind of strike me as the guy who folds his dirty laundry before putting it in the hamper."

It sounded like a challenge. His dark eyes narrowed. Despite the fact that he did in fact fold his laundry before putting it in the hamper, he knew how to be spontaneous.

He unscrewed the bottle of schnapps and uncapped the squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce, smirking. "Well then, Meatball Head, let me change your mind." With that, he chugged a good amount of the schnapps and finished it with a squirt of chocolate sauce in his mouth. Swallowing, he felt dizzy but the expression on her face was worth it.

Serena stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. She did not just see Mr. Let's-Stay-In-and-Watch-the-History-Channel do that! There was a little extra chocolate sauce on the side of his lip and she smiled, reaching up on her tiptoes to wipe it off.

When she did, he got utterly still and his glassy eyes grew even wider when she licked the chocolate off of her fingertip. She smiled up at him, "Okay, when I'm wrong, I'm wrong."

The room spun around them and he felt like she was the only thing he could see clearly. He knew he'd be horrendously sick and regret it in the morning, but right now he couldn't seem to care. And when she licked the chocolate remnants off of her finger, he thought himself a genius for thinking of bringing in chocolate sauce.

"May I have one, please?" she asked innocently and her grin widened as he nearly tripped over his own two feet to pour her a shot. She handed him the chocolate, "Would you do the honors?"

He laughed and watched her down the shot, opening her mouth wide for the chocolate chaser. And he wiped away the excess chocolate from her mouth just as she did, sucking on his finger as heat coursed through his body.

"That was good," she said hoarsely, licking her lips. She tried to ignore the way her heart pounded when she looked at him but was failing miserably. "So are we going to play, or what?"

"Play what?" he asked confusedly, still focused on the little pink tongue that darted out to lick the remainder of the chocolate from her lips. It made him think of what else that tongue could do and only then did he realize that he had a pretty obvious erection.

After a brief pause, they both began laughing hysterically, finding his question unusually hilarious. When they eventually quieted down, she took a deep breath and grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the mat. "Silly Darien, we'll play Twister. We'll have to um... take turns with the spinnering, right?"

His smile brightened at her words, hand still holding hers. "I don't think that's a word, Serena." They both laughed again, finding the other more amusing than ever before.

She broke away then, stepping back a bit to fan herself. "Oh my gosh, it is burning up in here! Here, hold this." She unthinkingly peeled the long tank off her body and threw it to Darien, who clutched the piece of cloth numbly. "Aren't you hot too? Take your shirt off, I'm dying in here."

He complied, dumbfounded.

Her eyes grew impossibly wide at the sight. There he was, shirtless and sculpted like a freaking marble statue. His chest was roped with muscle that appeared bronze in the dim light. She couldn't help but stare at the small amount of dark hair trailing from his chest that disappeared into the waistline of his jeans. "Geez, Darien, when did you get ripped? I mean... wow."

But he wasn't answering. He was just staring, navy eyes wide as saucers as he gripped the hell out of her discarded shirt. His strong jaw was lax as he gawked at her with his mouth open.

She was a little lost for a minute at his almost catatonic state until she realized what he was staring at with such intensity. Her chest. She was suddenly so thankful she'd worn her nice pink, lacy bra with underwear that actually matched for once.

If he was going to stare at her like she was an alien life form, at least she wasn't wearing old, mismatched lingerie.

He blinked. He blinked again. They were so much better than he ever imagined. And he had to admit that he'd had a pretty active imagination when it came to her body. "Um... when did you get such nice tits? Shit, you don't look like that in your uniform." He was flustered and couldn't stop staring.

She frowned, starting to rethink (or think about for the first time) her impromptu disrobing. "Have you looked at them before?"

He still hadn't moved a muscle and his eyes held such intensity that she thought they were going to burn a hole right through her. "Not from this angle," he said dazedly, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, don't tease me about them, I get enough of that from you on a regular basis," she muttered, turning away from him and obstructing his view.

Dimly realizing that his objects of fascination were out of his line of vision, he moved to follow her. He could finally admit, in his state of inebriation, that he'd wanted this for a long time, and wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to see more of her now.

Letting go of her discarded shirt, he touched her bare arm and a jolt of what felt like electricity shot up his arm. She turned around to face him suddenly, apparently feeling it too. "Serena, I can honestly say that I would never tease you about those."

Her face broke out into a smile then, the vestiges of embarrassment slowly fading away. He'd actually used her name, and not in a condescending way! "Well, good. And FYI, I have to wear sports bras at school; gym is mandatory."

He continued to stare, nodding blankly at her words. It felt like the room was a thousand degrees and he raptly watched a bead of sweat make its way down her neck, falling between her breasts.

His first instinct was to bend down and follow that path with his tongue but something in the back of his mind stopped him- she didn't even know that he... felt a certain way about her. Until tonight he hadn't ever really acknowledged his feelings, whatever they were, and he didn't want to scare her off.

Wanting desperately to squash that last little voice of reason in his head, he ran a hand through his dark hair and found himself sweating too. "It is hot in here. Hot." He eyed his new friends again. "Like. Your. Tits."

She scowled then, the embarrassment coming back full force. Stepping away from him, she felt her entire body flush with anger and something else she couldn't name. "I told you not to tease me! Ugh, why did I even bother staying? You could have taken Raye in here-"

He cut her off right there, his expression stony in obvious annoyance. "Yeah, I could have taken Raye in here and it would've been easy. But you're in here." He paused, not sure what to say. "Uh... You want another drink?"

She shook her head and it made the room tilt a little. She grabbed onto his arms for balance and flushed as she felt his smooth, firm biceps as he reached out to steady her.

Somehow, her hands moved from his arms to rest on his chest. And somehow, the hands he used to steady her waist were now on her butt.

"Darien?"

"Yup?"

"Why are you grabbing my ass?"

He flushed at her words, reluctantly letting go of her. "Oh, uh, sorry."

"Don't apologize, I was just curious." She was looking at the blur of scenery around her because she was too embarrassed to get caught staring. Not only did he look like a marble statue, but he felt like one too.

All hard, sinewy muscle and the face of an angel. Okay, well, maybe not an angel considering his previous activity, but beautiful nonetheless. She sighed; she shouldn't be thinking of him like that, but it was impossible not to.

"So..." she started, "You wanna play?"

He coughed. Surely she didn't mean for it to come out like that. Her tone was inadvertently seductive... welcoming. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to think of something to calm the raging erection he had.

Dead puppies... old ladies in nursing homes... and somehow, that vision shifted into Serena wearing a skimpy nurse outfit asking him if he wanted to play doctor.

He couldn't win.

"Yeah, just let me turn up the air conditioning."

Turning away, he walked into the hallway to the thermostat and tried to think clearly for a second. His thoughts were racing and surprisingly clear about what he wanted to do to Serena and he couldn't shake them. Walking back into the room, his heart nearly stopped as he found the blonde standing next to the mat in her bra and underwear, her jeans discarded by the foot of his bed.

"What?" she snapped, modesty returning as she looked away from him to find the spinner. "It is hot in here and my pants get in the way of my mobility."

Clearing his throat, he tried not to stare. "Wouldn't want to impede your mobility," he muttered, navy eyes wandering back to her body against his will.

She stared at the spinner as she felt his eyes on her again and her entire body flushed. Flicking the black needle, she glanced up at him. "Right foot red," she said quietly, stepping next to him onto the mat. Somehow she'd lost all that bravado from when she'd first taken off her pants.

He towered over her, his bare chest mere inches away from her back and he reached around her abdomen, letting his large hand move across her skin to flick the spinner she held in her left hand.

She jumped at the contact of his hand snaking across her front and he smiled, bending down to whisper in her ear, "Left hand green."

They continued on with subtle touches as they moved around the other on the mat for the next few turns until they ended up in yet another compromising position. Serena's form was bent over his larger one, her pastel lace-covered breasts in his face. For a moment, she wasn't sure he was breathing until she felt warm puffs of air dance against her chest, making her break out in goosebumps.

"Darien, hello, right hand red," she prodded.

"I'm sorry, I was mesmerized by your magical rack," he stated in a daze. He continued to ogle the soft swells, entranced by they way they rose and fell with each shallow breath she took.

Rolling her eyes, she chose to ignore the comment and attempted to move her hand to a red circle in the vicinity.

Her torso inadvertently (or so she told herself) slid along his and she froze in place as her lower abdomen came in contact with his groin. "Darien, what's that?"

He groaned, extremely frustrated and trying desperately not to make a mess in his pants. "What do you think it is?" he asked sarcastically, attempting to focus on anything but the warm, half-naked body pressed up against him.

If possible, she blushed even more, her chest splotchy in her embarrassment. "Well I have an idea but I don't think it's possible." The not-erection (as she had convinced herself that she couldn't cause that for him of all people) moved against her belly and she gasped.

Grunting, he closed his eyes and struggled against the intense urge to tackle her to the mat and show her just how correct her assumption was. "I hate you," he moaned, hands gripping the plastic mat in an attempt to prevent him from grabbing her.

"You hate me?" she asked innocently, voice barely above a whisper. Rubbing her body ever so slightly against his, she noticed even in her inebriated state that he was bunching the plastic beneath his hands and breathing rapidly. "Really?" she prodded, her hand moving off of the red dot to his cheek, turning his head to face hers.

His navy eyes flew open at the feather-light touch, only to find the object of his newfound affection centimeters from his face. "Maybe not," he said contritely, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke, making his mouth tingle from the contact. "But you're going to hate me," he added wryly, letting his lips continue to move over hers ever so slightly.

He felt her smile against his mouth. "Whatever you do," she said hoarsely, purposely rubbing her lips against his, "I don't think I could hate you if I tried."

Serena squealed as she was tackled to the mat, her head smacking against the plastic as Darien pushed her down. But her discomfort was instantly forgotten as Darien's mouth crashed into hers, his hands fisting her golden hair to bring her closer to him.

Her surprised eyes quickly fluttered closed as he moved over her as though he was starved for whatever she was offering. She was sure she would leave an impression in the mat from the way he was pushing her into the ground, his lips pressing against hers over and over again, reveling in the friction between them.

His tongue quickly darted out to lick between her lips and she opened her mouth unthinkingly, still in disbelief that kissing her mortal enemy would be this good. As his tongue began to move against her own, the kiss became less urgent and something sweeter.

She decided that she liked this slower, more languid and thorough kissing even more than the rushed, frantic coming together they had when he tackled her to the floor. Her whole body felt like it was on fire and Darien simply stoked it by moving a hand from her hair to her lace-covered breast.

Darien's mind reeled at the sensations coursing through his body from their first kiss. Never before had a simple kiss turned him on so completely and made him want more... so much more.

His body demanded gratification and he found that she was more than willing to comply, threading her hands in his dark hair to pull him closer. The frantic need to touch her was the only thing he could think of as she made a soft noise in the back of her throat, opening her mouth for him as though she knew exactly what he wanted.

As he slid his tongue along hers in an almost tender caress, he dimly realized that they had stopped gripping the life out of one another and had begun a soft, sweet exploration of each others' bodies. He felt her tiny hands on his chest, gliding over the rippling muscles to his abdomen where she absently played with the waistline of his jeans. His much larger hand somehow untangled itself from her mass of golden hair and found its way to her breast, his fingertips running along the dangerous line of pink lace.

Her soft body arched into his hand and he groaned, squeezing involuntarily. Breaking away from her lips for a moment, he kissed his way down her neck and tried to think clearly for a second. Was she as into this as he was? He wanted to know before he did something he'd regret later.

"I'm a bastard," he breathed against her neck, squeezing her breast again.

She smiled, "I know, but I like you anyway."

He raised himself up on his forearms to look at her for the first time. And it really was like seeing her for the first time; there she was, flat on her back, her hair in total disarray, lips swollen and red, pale skin flushed all over, and turquoise eyes brimming with an emotion that echoed his own. She was beautiful.

"You can't possibly want this," he said as he stared down at her, hating every word that came out of his mouth.

Once again, she surprised him, propping herself up on her elbows so she could place a sweet kiss on his lips. "You can't possibly know what I want," she replied slyly, gingerly brushing his ebony hair out of his eyes.

His heart swelled at her simple statement, yet he couldn't let go completely. "You want to be with me? Your tormentor? I've made your life a living hell for the past three years and you still want to...?" he didn't know how to finish it because he didn't know exactly what she wanted to do.

"Fuck?" she finished for him, and his eyes widened at her blunt response.

Rolling her eyes, she pushed him off of her and noticed the hurt on his face, quickly masked by the resigned expression that took over. In that brief moment where she saw that hurt clearly written in his features, she realized that perhaps her three-year long, extremely suppressed crush on him wasn't so one-sided.

Standing up, she walked over to his large bed and took a seat, her feet dangling off the edge. The resignation and confusion within him amused her and she smiled slightly. He sat up on the mat but his form was hunched over, dark eyes looking at anything but her.

"You've tortured me for over three years now, Chiba. You've called me every name in the book and embarrassed me more times than I can count."

Darien reeked of rejection and shame, visibly upset by her words as his eyes glittered with an unspoken apology. She smirked. "And sadly, it doesn't seem to matter because I still want you," she finished, noting in satisfaction as his head snapped up at the last part of her statement.

He crawled over to her on his knees then, for once at eye level with each other. His large hands slowly crept up her bare thighs and wrapped around her waist. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into," he chided, but his voice was soft with adoration.

She let him draw her closer, his head dipping to nuzzle her cleavage. "Kiss me, you idiot," she shot back, letting her hands move over his shoulders to feel the smooth muscles of his upper back.

"Serena," he breathed affectionately, kissing up her neck until he found her mouth.

He licked her swollen lips and she felt that now familiar electricity coursing through her body. She lightly bit down on his lower lip and then sucked on it, eliciting a groan of approval from him that reverberated through her mouth. She felt herself getting pushed backwards and eventually realized that she was now laying beneath him on his bed, his huge form covering hers.

The hand that had lightly pushed her onto the bed released her shoulder and found her breast once more, long fingers tweaking her nipple through the thin fabric. Her sharp intake of breath simply encouraged him and he did it again, watching her squirm through lustful eyes. His mouth descended once more and she shivered, his wet kisses evaporating on her heated skin.

She vaguely noticed that he had some sort of fixation with her chest; apparently her nemesis was a breast man. His hands and mouth kept on finding the soft swells, becoming more daring in their exploration as she sighed softly.

Licking along the edge of lace on her breast, he moaned slightly and paused to look up at her. "Can I take it off?" he asked, eyes pleading.

She blushed, shyness creeping into her system again. "If you must."

He grinned and reached around her to her upper back, fumbling with the clasp. "This thing is like Fort Knox," he complained, brows knitted together in frustration. She felt his warm hands tremble against her skin as he tried to undo her bra, but to no avail.

Rolling her eyes, she sat up on the bed and grabbed his hands from behind her back, steadying them. Finding the two small hooks, she curled his fingers around them and helped him unhook her bra. She busied herself with discarding the pink lingerie on the side of the bed so she wouldn't have to concentrate on the fact that she was topless in front of someone she'd considered until very recently to be her worst enemy.

As soon as she pulled the lacy confection from her body, Darien's heartbeat kicked into overdrive and he was fairly sure he was headed for cardiac arrest. At least, he mused, he would die a happy man. A very happy man, considering the sight in front of him.

He stared, unblinking, at her newly bared chest in wonder. Her breasts were large, but not overly so, considering her small frame, and perky as they moved in time with her uneven breaths. Licking his lips, he stamped down the urge to jump her right then and there and tried calm himself down. He noticed the bright pink tinge to her chest and only then did he look up to see that she was seemingly mesmerized by the tiny stitching in his bedspread.

"Serena," he said hoarsely, but she didn't seem to notice as she continued to look away from him. "Serena," he prodded, moving over her so that she had no choice but to respond. He felt her nipples brush against his chest in their closeness and he let out a strangled sound from the back of his throat as he felt her stiffen. "Look at me," he commanded, one large hand cupping her face and turning it toward his.

She felt like she couldn't get any redder. That midnight blue wide-eyed stare burned through her, making her feel inadequate and so completely exposed. His silence had put her on edge and the feeling of bare skin on bare skin was just too much. Her eyes met his and she attempted to raise her arms to cover herself.

Her arms didn't even make it above her waist before his hands grabbed hers, his thumbs lightly massaging her wrists as he shook his head. "No," he said quietly, almost an admonishment.

"This is so embarrassing," she confessed.

He frowned for a moment before the creases in his forehead smoothed and he placed a light kiss in the palm of her hand. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about."

Groaning, she fell back on the bed, noticing how he fell into a daze as she did so. She stared at him for a minute, wondering why his eyes were glazed over until she noticed her chest still jiggling from the abrupt movement. So fucking embarrassing. "Yeah, well you're not the one pretty much naked here, are you?"

It seemed that his entire body tensed at her words. "I can be naked in seven seconds," he offered suddenly, eyes completely earnest.

She couldn't hold back the giggle bubbling up in her throat at his expression. He seemed more than happy to oblige and his urgent expression lightened the mood a bit. "Well take your pants off... maybe then I won't feel so..." She didn't know how to finish; how could she put in to words how she felt?

Before she could blink, his pants were crumpled on the floor and he was hovering over her once again. He smiled crookedly and she couldn't help but think he looked boyishly sweet despite his actions. "Serena," he started, voice warm and soothing, "you're... you're..."

The fact that he seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say unnerved her. She raised an eyebrow at his words. "A klutz? A ditz? A hurricane of failure?"

He flashed a grin at her last comment before his face grew serious. "You're... more than I could ever want."

They were both still for a minute in the aftermath of what he'd just confessed as they took in one another. After a brief pause, she reached up and grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head down to hers. She latched onto him with an intensity she didn't know she was capable of, her tongue sliding against his as she wrapped her legs around his hips.

He moaned against her swollen lips, his erection apparent against her groin as he pressed himself into her further. She thought she'd pass out from the sensation of having him right there, separated by only thin pieces of fabric. When she voiced her approval with a strangled sigh of her own, he pulled away for a moment, only to latch onto her left breast with his mouth.

Shrieking at the sensation, she arched into his mouth as he sucked on the pale flesh. His hand was playing with her other breast as he lightly bit her nipple, the almost-pain nearly making her jump out of her skin. She felt so, so warm at the apex of her legs and the restlessness was beginning to get to her.

This man, the bane of her existence up until a few hours ago, was making her feel things she'd never imagined feeling... especially with him! Her heart fluttered as she felt him grow more daring in his explorations, the hand lightly stroking her waist slowly moving to brush against the pastel pink at her hips. She clutched his hand then, knowing what she wanted.

"Take them off," she commanded softly, small hand squeezing the larger one at her hip.

He looked up at her through hooded, glazed over eyes. "You sure?" he cautioned, his hand tensely gripping the scrap of material.

Her eyes narrowed and she let go of his hand, snaking her arm over his hip to squeeze his rock-hard ass. "I wouldn't have told you to if I wasn't," she said sarcastically, somehow knowing that this is how it would always be between them.

With foresight she didn't know she possessed, she knew that they would always argue with one another; it was simply the dynamic of their relationship and made everything much, much hotter.

She felt the pink lace slide down her legs as he pulled, hands gentle as they moved down her legs and back up, stopping at the apex. His first touch was tentative and she bucked her hips off the bed, amazed by how one small touch could set her off. He seemed to gain more confidence then, stroking lightly with his fingers as he kissed his way down her flat abdomen. Stopping as he got to the juncture at her legs, he pushed them apart and abruptly ceased all movement. On his forearms he lay there, staring blankly at the exposed flesh.

She flushed at the exposure and propped herself up on her elbows, wondering why he had stopped so suddenly. What she saw shocked her; he was staring, eyes glassy, as he leaned on his forearms unmoving.

"May I help you?" she asked, embarrassed and wondering what caused the abrupt change. It was hard enough for her to be naked in front of him and his catatonic state was even less encouraging.

His dark eyes met hers and he smiled sheepishly. "Well... I don't really..." he stammered, face red as he ran a hand through his hair.

Serena felt the humiliation washing over her as she watched him stumble over his words. There must have been something wrong with her for him to be acting like that. She growled slightly, withdrawing from him immediately. "I should have known!" she spat, snapping her legs closed.

But to her surprise, a strong hand caught her knee and pushed her legs back apart. He looked up at her, almost pleading, and placed a light kiss on her inner thigh. She shivered at the brief touch. Glancing up at her angry and confused turquoise eyes, he reddened further.

"I... uh... want to go down on you," he muttered against her thigh.

"And?" she choked out, eyes wide as saucers.

"Well... I've never... done it before and I don't really know what to do."

"You're a virgin?" she questioned dubiously, causing him to recoil.

"No!" he shot back immediately, clearly defensive. "Of course not! It's just that..." he sighed and his features softened. "I've never felt the... compulsion to do this before. And I... don't want to mess it up."

She found the confession sweet and her heart beat unevenly at the unsure expression on his face. "I don't think you really can mess it up," she muttered, almost to herself. "You've really never done this before? With all your fan clubs?" she asked curiously, feeling like quite the masochist.

He frowned. "Well I've been on the receiving end... but I kinda just let the girl take over, take care of business, and leave"

"You really are a jerk," she said lightly, secretly pleased that this was different, special.

Nodding, he lightly massaged her inner thighs. "So... I'd... uh... like to try, but... it may not be very good," he said nervously, avoiding her eyes.

Something told him that he shouldn't be sharing all this information, that he would probably be very embarrassed later, but he couldn't seem to focus on anything but the sight in front of him.

She sighed, wondering if the alcohol was making her feel all warm and fuzzy about his concern for her or if it was something else. "Well, it's not like I have anything to compare it to. If you want to then- oh my God!" she shrieked out the last few words as she felt a long, warm lick up her center.

His dark eyes flickered as he glanced up at her, "Good?" he mumbled against her skin, the vibration making her gasp.

She nodded once, falling back onto the bed as he began to lick at her in earnest. He was making her feel things she hadn't thought possible and she gripped the comforter beneath her hands as he quickly learned what she liked best.

He continued to indiscriminately kiss and suck on the most sensitive part of her, making her limbs feel heavy and her core too warm. She thrashed against his tongue, not knowing what she needed.

"I-I want..." she stammered, feeling entirely too restless as she writhed on top of the white comforter.

Absently she felt his smile against her and she shuddered. "What do you want?" his deep voice ground out against her skin, making her lose her mind. "I'll give you anything you want, baby. Just tell me." His voice was seductive and almost reverent as he prodded her with his tongue once more.

She looked down at him, unseeing and drowning in something she didn't understand. "I... I don't know," she choked out, the sight of his dark eyes staring up at her wickedly making her even hotter.

He ground his tongue against her, the added pressure making her even more wild and out of control. She lifted her hips off the bed to meet his mouth, desperate for release. Smirking, he flicked his tongue lightly against her and lifted his head briefly. "I know what you want. I'll give it to you"

She couldn't answer, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but writhe in bed as he sucked on her once more, the pull making her whole body tense. The suction increased and she moaned obscenely loud, uncaring. But it wasn't until he bit at her ever so gently that everything seemed to explode in warm, wonderful fireworks all over her body.

His tongue continued to slide along her skin as she came back down and she shuddered as she felt her body pulse with release. She felt as though all of her joints had become unhinged as she lay there, limp as a rag doll. Closing her eyes, she tried to catch her breath. She felt... amazing.

Darien took in her thoroughly pleasured, languid form and smiled. Fucking amazing. "God, you're hot," he murmured, almost to himself.

He hadn't thought it would be good. He'd only wanted to try it because she was different. And now he knew... he'd do it a million times over, because it was her, because she was better than anything he'd ever known. It turned him on like nothing had before; to have such influence over his strong-willed enemy, for him of all people to elicit such a reaction from her. It was beyond his realm of experience. He loved it.

His heart fluttered a strange, broken beat as he stared at her sated form and he knew that he was in too deep. Maybe the liquor was causing the maudlin thoughts running through his head, but he had a feeling his sobriety (or lackthereof) had nothing to do with his racing pulse as she smiled up at him. She had ensnared him, he knew it, and he couldn't seem to care.

Serena sighed contentedly as she sat up on the bed, any previous embarrassment long gone as she looked at her once-enemy. His dark eyes shined in the dim light of his room as he made an off-handed comment about her appearance and she smiled. "The same could be said for you, mister," she teased, crawling on her hands and knees to the other side of the bed to meet him.

He smiled a bit drunkenly, eyes slightly unfocussed as he pulled her into his arms. "How long have you been hot for me?" he asked, perfect teeth a sharp contrast against his tan skin.

Her eyes narrowed and a faint blush spread across her face. "None of your business, you conceited jerk!"

Nuzzling her neck, he felt her shiver as he placed a wet kiss below her ear. "Come on baby, I just want to know I wasn't the only one suffering for the past couple years," he coaxed, squeezing her breast as he continued to kiss her neck.

Her breathing sped up and she groaned. "Fine, I've been secretly checking out your ass for the past three years. And a couple of times I crashed into you solely for the purpose of feeling you up. Damn it, I am so going to regret my big mouth in the morning!" She squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to clear her thoughts. No such luck.

Darien practically beamed at the flustered blonde. It was not only a huge ego boost to know that she wanted him, but also a huge relief to know that his little crush hadn't been one-sided.

"No worries, Meatball Head, the feeling is mutual." Before she could yell at him for the nickname, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "I haven't dreamt of anyone else since you threw that shoe at my head."

Raising a golden eyebrow at his words, she pushed him lightly onto his back. "What do I do in those dreams?" she asked curiously, crawling on top of him. His large hands lightly stroked the sides of her hips and she sighed.

He was silent for a minute, mesmerized by her breasts dangling enticingly in front of his face. Blinking, he struggled to remember what she'd asked, and then blushed. "Oh... uh... nothing you'd approve of?"

Laughter bubbled up in her throat at his words. He was honest to a fault and incredibly charming like this; how could she have not seen it before? "You underestimate what I'd approve of," she taunted, placing a hot kiss on his jaw.

Sitting up slightly, he watched her with possessive, lust-filled eyes. "Well now I'm curious," he admitted, smirking.

"Lay back," she commanded, and she was rather pleased to find him suddenly still as death as she hovered over him. Placing her palms on his chest, she felt the tension in his muscles and smiled wryly.

She kissed along the planes of his chest, lashes fluttering open to find him watching her, eyes dark and gleaming. "You smell so good," she breathed, "like that breath of fresh air you take in right after it's rained."

He reddened at the comment, secretly relieved that he didn't smell like liquor and sweat. "Thanks," he muttered, watching raptly as her kisses moved lower down his body.

A radiant smile spread across her face as she noticed how edgy he was. All strung out... over her of all people. She placed a wet kiss just above the waistband of his black boxer-briefs and his sharp intake of breath encouraged her.

Lightly fingering the elastic band she looked up at him to find him frozen in place as his hands gripped fistfuls of ivory comforter. "Do you mind if I-" she began tentatively, and before she could finish the sentence, he'd yanked the material down, kicking it to the floor.

Well she if ever had any doubts about him liking her, they were all immediately put to rest as she stared at the erection straining against his belly. She felt her face flush as she looked at him, curiosity overriding any embarrassment. It wasn't like what she'd expected, not that she knew what to expect, but it was a pretty good size and made her feel... hot. Her body felt restless and heavy and warm just like before and if that had such a good outcome, she was curious about this.

"Can I-"

"Yes," he choked out, an urgency in his voice that wasn't there before. "Whatever you want, yes."

She couldn't help but giggle at the sheer desperation on his face. He looked as though he was going to rip the bedspread to shreds if he didn't find some relief soon. Tentatively, she curled her small hand around him and smiled as he hissed through his teeth, his slim hips arching off the bed.

"Shit, Serena," he breathed, eyes closed tightly shut as he grit his teeth.

Running her fingers down his length, she reveled in the feeling of him, rigid and smooth against her palm. "Do you like this?" she questioned, still unsure of herself.

He nearly laughed at her question, but it merely came out as a cough when she tugged at him slightly. "Yeah," he muttered roughly, biting the hell out of his upper lip as she moved her hand again.

After a few minutes of trying to figure out what he liked, she began to feel a little discouraged, not knowing what to do next. Her realm of experience comprised of some late night cable t.v. and her friends' bragging about sex with their boyfriends. "I don't know what to do, Darien," she admitted, feeling like a silly little girl way out of her league.

Finally, he opened his tightly shut eyes to reveal lust-crazed, out-of-his mind navy orbs. "God, Serena, I don't care, I don't care," he moaned, shaking his head back and forth. "Just don't stop whatever you're doing," he begged, voice hoarse and desperate.

Blushing, she smiled at his response and removed her hand. She noticed how his eyes immediately flew to her face, dismayed. "What the fuc- Oh shit!" he bellowed as she leaned over and lightly tongued him.

Her blonde hair was everywhere as she bent over him, turquoise eyes watching raptly as he gasped for air, hips thrusting toward her face as he moaned. His frenzied movements surprised her but she didn't stop, continuing to drive him insane as she sucked on him.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, pushing her ever so slightly away. "You've gotta stop, babe. I won't," he groaned, "I won't last otherwise."

"But I-"

"I know." He sat up, face flushed and body incredibly tense as he seemed to be deep in thought. "I need to see if I can find some condoms around here."

She lightly grabbed his wrist to stop him. "I'm on the pill, Darien."

He froze. "You'd be okay with-"

"Yeah," she cut him off, nervousness beginning to seep into her mind. "I should probably tell you, uh, that I haven't done this before," she confessed quietly, twirling her blonde hair around her fingertip in anxiety.

A rare, blinding smile spread across his face and he grabbed her hand, softly kissing the back of it. "I know," he replied, just as quiet, "I like that."

Her incredulous eyes flew to his face, noting his soft, adoring expression and lazy smile. "Well, I just know that most guys don't like to, you know, mess with virgins," she babbled, anxiety increasing as she realized how little she knew about sex... good sex, at least.

Shaking his head, Darien cut her off with a kiss, fully intent on ridding her of all those ridiculous insecurities. Pressing his lips to hers gently, he lightly ran his fingers up and down her spine, trying to get her to relax. He pulled away slightly and rested his forehead on hers, fingers still stroking along her mid-back. "Lay down, Serena. I'll take care of you," he whispered affectionately as he watched her relax ever so slightly beneath his fingertips.

Serena did as she was told, laying back against his ivory pillows, because she inexplicably trusted him. His soft lips were coaxing her into a state of blissful unawareness of her inadequacies and she sighed softly. Once she was flat on her back, his hands moved to her lower abdomen, rubbing small circles between her hip bones.

She felt his hands move lower, urging her to open her legs, and she did so unthinkingly. It wasn't until she felt his fingers parting her that the nervousness began to return. Shutting her eyes tight, she waited, anticipating the pain but was surprised to feel his erection slide along her slick skin, making her gasp.

"You okay?" he asked, a note of worry in his voice as he towered over her. He thought he was going to die if he didn't relieve the throbbing ache in his groin, but he'd feel worse if she regretted it. The slippery feel of her so very close made him insane and he struggled not to complete the act.

A faint smile graced her face as she nodded, moving her hand to his hip to spur him on. The relief on his face was apparent as he moved cautiously forward, his hand cupping her chin and bringing her lips to his for a sweet kiss.

She felt stretching and pulling... it felt so good... and then... a tearing. "Ow! Ow. Ow. Ow. What the hell?" she cried out, digging her nails into his rigidly flexed biceps.

"Sorry," he ground out, breathless. And really, he felt like a heel for causing her pain, but all he could focus on at the moment was the deliciously tight squeezing he felt as she adjusted to him.

She squeezed her eyes shut against the horrendous pain. "That was not magical in the least," she muttered disappointedly, almost to herself.

His mind cleared a bit at her words. He'd wanted it to be special, if not 'magical' like she'd dreamed of. "I'm sorry," he ground out again, "You... want me to pull out?" he asked hesitantly, not so sure that he had the self-control to continue if she kept wiggling against him like that.

Her eyes narrowed at his words and she smacked his chest lightly. "Of course not, idiot! I'm just getting used to it. There, see?" She arched her hips up to meet his and he moaned, the feeling of being all the way in setting him aflame.

Clutching her breast with one hand, he steadied himself with the other on the bed and began slow, shallow strokes, afraid to hurt her and too out of his mind to stop. The nearly inaudible mewing sound she made turned him on like none other and he shuddered, spine tingling as he moved in her.

Serena couldn't suppress the noise that escaped from her throat as he moved carefully between her legs. His caution and restraint was obvious as sweat beaded on his forehead, biting his lower lip in an attempt to maintain control.

The searing pain had faded to a dull ache, a mere discomfort in the background of something much more wonderful. A warm, fluttering feeling that made her toes curl was taking over, and she somehow knew that this carefully controlled, halfway-in-and-out was not what she needed.

"Darien," she whispered, surprised at how hoarse her voice was. His eyes snapped open at the sound of his name and he stared at her, unfocussed as he kneaded her breast. "I'm not made of glass, you know," she said playfully, smirking as he groaned.

At her words, he thrust into her much more forcefully than before and she gasped, hips arching to meet his. "That better?" he ground out, drawing blood from his lower lip as he bit down, trying to keep himself from doing it again.

She wiped the small amount of blood off of his lip with her hand, pulling his head down for a kiss. As she flicked her tongue against his, she snaked her other hand over his hips, squeezing his rock-hard ass. "Harder," she moaned against his lips, her hand placing more pressure on his hips.

With that quiet half-moaned word, Darien's control snapped and he drove into her, all thoughts of gentleness and caution erased from his mind. His skin smacked against hers and he felt her nails dig into the flesh of his behind, her little mews encouraging him.

Groaning, he grabbed her ankle, putting her slender leg over his shoulder as he continued to pound her into the bed. He ran his hand down her side to grip her hip for more leverage as he moved deeper in her.

It had never been this good for him, and he'd had good sex before. Darien looked down at the girl he'd once written off as a waste of his time and his pulse raced with unchecked lust and adoration. She was writhing beneath him, emitting nearly inaudible noises of pleasure that only served to drive him more insane in addition to the friction her movements created between their bodies.

It pleased him immensely that he was the one turning her on, making her so slick he slid in with ease now. He was burning now, his whole body feeling as though flames were licking at his skin, pouring into his veins. He grunted as she tightened around him in response to his more forceful thrusts and he covered her mouth with his once more.

Slamming into her with such force the bedpost pounded against his wall hard enough to leave a mark, he felt an intensely tight, wet squeeze as her back arched off of the bed, a strangled sound escaping her mouth. Whimpering, her body froze in that arched position, her muscles contracting again and again around him in ecstasy. He kissed her softly, tenderly as she came down from her high, her body pulsing and limp like before.

Her blissful smile was enough encouragement for him to continue and he picked up his pace, knowing he couldn't take the burning much longer. As though she knew what he needed, she arched her hips off the bed in time to meet his, fingernails raking down his abdomen. With each thrust she squeezed at him a little bit more, causing the burning to spread like wildfire through his body. She kissed him forcefully, thrusting her tongue into his mouth to play with his as one hand ran through the sweat-matted hair at the back of his neck.

With a tingling warning shooting down his spine, the wonderfully addictive fire combusted, burning through every inch of him as he released into her. A wild, uncontrolled moan reverberated through the room as every cell inside of him exploded in pleasure. He collapsed on top of her, barely finding the energy to support part of his weight on his forearms.

And she treated him like a real lover would, stroking his face and lightly kissing his lips as he slowly came back to reality. Her soft body cushioned his and felt so comfortable; it felt like the most natural thing in the world for him to drift off in her arms. But when he realized he was probably crushing her, he rolled off of her and onto his back in amazement.

"Wow," he breathed, stunned and out of breath as he looked up at the ceiling in wonder.

"I know," she agreed, covered in sweat and staring blankly through the skylight in that same dumbfounded afterglow.

He turned to face her, dark eyes glazed over as he watched her slick, nude form turn toward his in response. "I love you," he blurted out, voice trembling with the realization. He felt just as surprised as she looked.

Once the shock faded, she couldn't help but smile at the vulnerable and somewhat terrified expression on his face. Giggling, she snuggled against him, pressing a warm kiss against his mouth.

"I love you, too." She felt him tense for a millisecond before molding his body to hers, mouth covering hers in tender adoration. "Who'd have thought?" she asked sarcastically when they broke away. She knew by the look in his eyes that they were in for a long night and let out a squeal when his hands were suddenly everywhere on her body all over again.

One year later...

"Serena! You have to dish! What are your plans with that hot college man of yours for your anniversary?"

Serena smiled as she walked with her friend Molly down the sidewalk toward the arcade. 'Hot college man' really didn't do him justice. "Oh not much, I think we'll stay in. Have dinner, play a game; something small."

The brunette frowned as they entered the arcade and Serena's handsome boyfriend walked over to her immediately, kissing her soundly on the lips. After they were done (which was a good and uncomfortable twenty seconds), Molly turned to the slightly out of breath older man.

"Are you really not taking Serena anywhere special for your anniversary? Are you really going to just sit at home and play a game?"

Darien smiled and slipped his arm around his girlfriend's waist. "We really like Twister."

Serena grinned and stared up at him adoringly, "It's our favorite game."

Molly shrugged. "Okay, well, you guys have fun, I guess." She stared as the couple walked out of the arcade hand in hand, giggling as they went. She swore she'd never met two stranger people than Serena and Darien... or two people more right for each other.

The End

AN: How was it? If you get a chance, please review and let me know. I love love love reviews and e-mails. Thanks again and I'll post updates regarding BL as soon as I can!