NEVER BROKEN: A SailorMoon Fanfiction

Love's Treasures

Serena could feel Darien's eyes on her while she was arranging her things on the modern dressing table. She had moved into his apartment right after the night she spent in his arms. When he told her to pack her most necessary belongings, she carefully took her jewelry case from her closet. It was so small, her hand could conceal the lot of it.

It was an authentic Egyptian trinket that always brought a sad smile to her lips. Sammy said it looked like a cursed chest—a miniature casket was his last crack. It reminded her so much of two of her favourite movies—The Mummy I and II.

She gently put the miniscule, rectangular chest on the vanity and hoped that Darien wouldn't inspect it for it had no lock and she didn't want him to know what was inside.

"Who gave this to you?" he asked drily. He didn't miss the smile on her lips.

"Dad."

"When?"

"The month after we broke up, I think." That was why Sammy's referring to it as a casket had a lasting impact on her. What she put inside it had ever since been dead and buried. Or so she thought. "He went to Egypt for a short vacation. Sammy's souvenir was a gold-plated pyramid about the same size."

Before Serena could react, Darien had reached for the chest's lid and flipped it open. She knew that he instantly recognized her engagement ring and her wedding ring. He should. He bought them for her.

"I—I really meant to return them to you."

"Good thing you didn't. I might have flushed them down the toilet. You didn't think of selling them?" Darien was still looking at the rings.

Serena willed herself to look up at him, as she was then sitting and he was standing beside her. When he remained immobile and would not return her stare, she sought his eyes in the mirror. She knew that there was a hurt look in her face. She was indignant that he could think that of her.

But it seemed that Darien didn't know the effect of his words on her. Or maybe, what he said didn't really register even to him.

Serena's glance flew to the metal trinket when she saw Darien's lean fingers picking up the pair of rings from among the few pieces of possessions that were really just mementos. She didn't take the jewels that he gave her when she left him.

"What are you—"

"I want you to wear these again." He picked up her hand and shoved both bands on her ring digit, one ring on top of the other. The rings were made to be worn together. "I was actually thinking of buying you another pair."

"I saved you from doing that, huh?" Her throat felt constricted. She wondered why she held onto these rings. Why didn't she leave them with the other jewelry when she left?