Best Friends Make The Best Lovers [XxMoonlightRomancexX & last_true_romantic]

Roxanne sighed as she looked out the window with her emerald green colored eyes, at the snow outside, they were supposed to get a foot or more over the next few days. One thing was that they didn't have to worry about classes being canceled though, because they were both out on Winter break. She had long and curly brown hair that was pulled back into a pony tail for now and she was eighteen. Today she wore a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms with moons and stars on them, on the top part of her body she wore a black 'Rascal Flatts' t-shirt from the Still Feels Good 2008 tour. Over that was one of her best friends zip up hoodies that he had let her wear home the night before. It was black. She had one tattoos. On her right arm was a tattoo of a lion, the only tattoo her best friend had talked her into getting. At the same time he had gotten a tattoo of a phoenix. You couldn't see it because it was covered by her hoodie, but everybody knew it was there, and she didn't give a damn who liked it or not.

In the two holes in her ears were a pair of white 'Fender' guitar pick earrings. Around her neck was a key necklace On the head of the key was a big heart with fake diamonds in it, under that was a smaller heart and at the bottom of the key were two more smaller hearts, also on the necklace was a lock and a locket. On her right hand ring finger was her class ring and on her left hand thumb was a dragon ring that was her best friends. She never took off the ring or the necklace he had given her. Today her nails were painted black. Roxy looked outside the window, unsure if he would come today or not, already it was getting pretty bad outside.

Roxanne loved to play her electric guitar, sing, take pictures and write. But as much as she loved to do those things she loved to spend time with her best friend more and didn't pay attention to anybody when they said he was a bad influence on her and that they were far too different to be friends because really they weren't. She also loved photography and was currently going to college for photography and planned to make a career out of it. She picked up her cell phone from the table beside her bed and punched in his number, trying to think of what to say. 'Hey.. I think you should stay home today. I don't want you risking going out in this blizzard just to see me. I'm not worth it. I love you, my lion.' She typed in and sent. For what had seemed like the longest time Roxanne had had feelings for her best friend, but had never told him and as she awaited a reply she wandered if he felt the same.

Leo smiled as he trudged through the snow on his way to Roxanne's house. Earlier that year he had successful convinced her to get her first tattoo, a lion, to symbolize his everlasting friendship with her. He in return got a phoenix to symbolize Roxanne. It had taken a long time to convince her, but when he did, he promised that he would get one for her two. It wasn't his first tattoo, nor would it be his last. In truth, he had an ulterior motive for convincing Roxanne to get the lion. It had always been a nickname for him, not only because of his sign, but also because of his name.

He shivered a bit as the wing rushed by him, his nose and ear piercings feeling as if they were frozen to his body. Leo gave a jump as he felt his pocket vibrate and smiled more when he saw who the text was from. Quickly as his frozen fingers would allow he typed up a quick message back. 'My dearest phoenix, I shall be at your house soon. I hope you don't mind me climbing up in through your window. I love you too Roxanne, I'll see soon!' Leo quickly sent the text and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. He was now only a half a block away from her house, he wasn't going to turn back now.

As he walked, Leo fingered the friendship bracelet on his wrist. It was the first thing that Roxanne gave him, and was tied into how they met. He had taken it off since she first tied it on his wrist. For as long as Leo could remember he loved Roxanne. So much so that he stayed by her, through all her break ups and make ups, and everything. Although what he really wished for was to be the one to date her. They had been telling each other 'I love you' for years, but the thing was, Leo really meant it, with his whole heart. He wondered if Roxanne felt the same.

Soon he was at her house and he climbed the fence that was around her backyard. From there he pulled himself up to her window and then to the balcony that led to her bedroom. Leo knocked lightly on the door and waited with a grin on his face until Roxanne let him in. "Hey Roxy!" He said happily as she let him in her room. "Its fucking freezing out there." Leo said as his tongue played with his snakebites.

Upon receiving a reply from Leo, Roxanne was pulled away from her deep thoughts and back to reality by her phone ringing as the text message from him came through. Roxy picked up her phone, her lips forming into a smile as she read it; knowing that since Leo said he was almost to her house that there was no use in her continuing to try and talk him into turning around and going home. 'I don't mind you climbing through my window, but it would be a lot easier to come through the front door. I Love you and see you soon,' was what she sent as a reply to him, knowing he would probably be here by the time it went through to his phone. After pressing the 'Send' button she looked down at her wrist, looking at the Turquoise and Royal Purple colored friendship bracelet that was tied around her left wrist. That had been the first gifts they had exchanged with each other all those years ago: friendship bracelets. Her's was Turquoise and Royal Purple and his was Red and Black and just like Leo, Roxy had never taken her's off. They had had the nick names 'Lion' and 'Phoenix' just as long as the bracelets if not longer and for years now Leo had been trying to convince her that they should get tattoos together, Roxanne had finally given in about a year ago.

As she waited for him to arrive she went back to thinking, thinking of all the times he should have ended the friendship but didn't and of all the things they had been through. After what seemed like forever Roxanne had just recently built up the courage to get out of an abusive relationship, thanks to Leo. After a few months of just putting up with it she had finally told Leo. She remembered the night she had finally told him perfectly. Leo wasn't pissed off at her, like Roxanne thought he would be. She could just tell he wanted to kill the bastard who had been doing this to her, though, despite him not saying anything to her. Yes, the two of them were that connected, and they had been for as long as Roxy could remember. From that night she remembered him staying the night with her all night, holding her as they laid in her bed and Leo telling him how so deserved so much better. That was the night she had decided to leave the guy.

The next time she was pulled away from her thoughts was when Leo had finally gotten to her house, after he had climbed the fence around her backyard and had pulled himself up to her window, then onto the balcony. When he knocked at the door that lead from the balcony into her room Roxy was brought back to reality and when he saw him waiting on the other side with a grin on his face she smiled at him. Roxy stood from her bed and walked over to the door, letting him inside. "Hey." She said before closing the door behind him. She then hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry you had to freeze your ass off to come see your Phoenix." She apologized as she looked up at him. Like Leo, when Roxy said that she love him, she meant it with everything she was. What she had yet to realize what that he wished for her to one day be his girl.

As he climbed up the window, he remember the last time that he did this. That night when Roxanne came clean to him about her ex. That night he knew that he would never love anyone more than he loved Roxanne. He had known something was wrong between her and the bastard when she started showing up with bruises and flinching when people tried to give her high fives or hugs. Leo tried to get her to tell him, or at least tell someone, but she could be so stubborn. That night when he told her, he was so relieved. Relived because he knew that this relationship would end for certain now. Relieved that he didn't have to worry about her any more. He remembered clearly holding her all night, whispering words of assurance and comfort. He was snapped out of his daydream when she opened the door.

His eyes brightened as she opened the door. Leo slipped in quickly so that the chill air wouldn't fill the room, or touch his beloved phoenix. "It was worth it." He said with a laugh, hugging her tight. Leo kissed her cheek and then her nose. "So how are you miss sleepy head?" He asked, teasing her a little. His teeth chattered a little as he talked and let go of Roxanne only to take off his jacket and drape it over her desk chair and slip off his boots. "When did you wake up Roxy girl?" Leo said with a smile and kissed her other cheek.

He began walking toward her bed, guiding Roxanne backward to it as he continued to hold her in his arms. Leo gently pushed her onto the bed so that she was sitting and took a seat next to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder as Roxanne answered his questions. Leo had always been very a very cuddly person, despise his appearance that suggested otherwise. He was especially cuddly when he was around Roxanne, always having an arm around her or hugging her tight.

Around the time Leon had started to suspect that something wasn't right between Roxanne and her now ex boyfriend was the same time she began wearing long pants, long sleeve shirts and hoodies to hide any marks that the bastard would leave on her. In addition, she would use make up to hide marks on her face and any other skin that was visible. To this day, Roxy didn't even know if Leo had ever seen any of the marks he had left on her. It was the night she had confessed everything that was going on between Roxanne and her ex that she learned something. Up until that night she had done her best to ignore any feelings she had for Leo, simply telling herself that all those feelings would ever be was a dream of her's; that there was no way Leo could ever love and care for her like she loved him. But, after he stayed with her all night instead of walking out on her, Roxy had finally realized that she could no longer simply ignore the feelings she had for him that night.

When Roxy heard Leo say that braving the cold was worth it to see her she couldn't help but smile as she hugged him, and when she felt his arms wrap around her she rested her head against his chest, feeling safe. If there was one thing she knew about Leo it was that he would brave anything just to get a chance to see his Roxy girl. When she lifted her head from his chest she found Leo kissing her cheek and then her nose. "I'm good. I must say that I've missed my lion, though." She said, feeling a bit sad when he let go of her, even though it was only to remove his jacket and boots. "If you're cold you can have your hoodie back." She offered when she noticed Leo's teeth chattering a little, talking about the hoodie of his that she was wearing. "A few hours ago." She said, smiling when he returned to her and kissed her other cheek.

When he began to walk to her bed, guiding her backward as he held her in his arms Roxy smiled. When Leo gently pushed her onto the bed she watched after landing as he sat beside her. When his arms were around her waist and his head rested on her shoulder she looked down at him and smiled, moving one hand up to his head and beginning to run her fingers through it. She didn't mind when Leo wanted to cuddle with her or hug her or felt like he needed to be near her. In fact, she very much enjoyed being close to Leon.

Ever since that night, Leo felt closer to Roxanne and he had become much more protective about her. Not only that but he always seemed more eager to be near her. Leo wouldn't admit to her that he saw the marks, it would only make her feel worse about hiding it, and besides that, he never wanted her to think about the abuse ever again. Leo had become more bold about his feelings for Roxanne and didn't hesitate to be affectionate toward her anymore. In truth, treasured ever single moment he was able to hold her close.

Leo kissed the top of her head softly when Roxy rested it on his chest. Maybe today, he thought to himself, maybe today I can work up the nerve to ask. He shook his head as she offered his hoodie back. "No way. You look much better than I do in it." He replied with a smile. "Then you should have told me to come over sooner silly." Leo responded when she told him when she woke up. "Although, I could have come over and woken my little phoenix up." He teased. It wouldn't have been the first time he had come over and woken her up. Multiple times over the last year he had done so, using the excuse that his parents were fighting or he wanted some company,but really it was just to spend time with her.

"I know! How about you cuddle me to warm me up?" He asked, pouting like he did when he tried to be cute. Although, it was hard to b cute with all the piercings on his face. Leo closed his eyes and hummed happily as she ran her slim fingers through her hair. That simple touch always made his heart beat faster and only want to hold her closer. Leo sat up and slipped under her covers on her bed, making himself comfortable. "Pwease?" Leo asked again, holding out his arms to her, the cute and rather silly pout still remaining. When she did agree, he held her close, laying her head on his chest. His fingers playing with her long curls in the ponytail.

Roxanne had noticed that since that night Leo had become much more protective of her and it seemed to her like he was afraid she would end up in another abusive relationship. Roxy couldn't say that she blamed him, though. Last time she hadn't confirmed his fears until he had pretty much figured out what was going on behind closed doors on his own. If she were to get into another relationship like that what would it be like? Next time, maybe she wouldn't tell him until she was taken to the hospital with broken bones, when she couldn't hide it anymore. If Leo had seen the marks she was glad that he didn't say anything to her, even if he were to say something now, after the relationship was ended, Roxanne would not only feel bad but she would start thinking about the abuse that went on over the six or so months they were together and beat herself up for not leaving the guy sooner. Like Leo, Roxanne had become less hesitant to be affectionate with him and she valued any time they got to spend together, no matter if that time was just talking on the phone or physically spending time together.

As Leo kissed the top of her head when she allowed her head to rest her head on his chest after he returned to holding her after taking off his jacket and boots she couldn't help but think about what might happen if she were to tell him about her feelings today. Girl, you should tell him. Somewhere deep down you know he's crazy about you and has been forever. He wants you two to be more than friends just as badly as you do. Roxanne thought to herself, knowing it was true. In fact, they had become so affectionate with each other in public that many thought they were already a couple. What pulled her away from her thoughts and back to him was when he told her how much better she looked in his hoodie then he did. "I look better in it then you do when it is too big for me?" She asked. Truthfully she wore things like his hoodies and t-shirts that he left here because she loved how they smelled and loved to hear him say how beautiful she looked in them and she thought he liked to see her in them because it made it seem as if she really was 'his girl'. "I thought you might be busy and I didn't want to bother you." She used as an excuse as to why she didn't let him know that she was up earlier, even though Roxy knew that Leo was always more then willing to drop everything for her. "I would have liked that." Roxy added when he said he could have come over and woken her up and she lifted her head up to look at him. It wasn't like he would've had a problem getting in, her parents knew him well and would let him in to see her, even if she was asleep. She remembered many times just within the past year where he had done just that. Either the door from her balcony to her room would be unlocked and he would get in that way or her parents would let him in through the front door. Hell, even when her parents weren't home Leo knew where they hid the spare key. Once he got up to her room he would simply watch her sleep and when Roxanne did finally wake up he was always the first thing she saw.

"I don't mind cuddling with you." Roxy said when he suggested it, smiling and kissing him when he made his little pouting face that she had always thought was so cute. As for all the piercings in his face she didn't think they made him look any less cute. In fact, she thought they were sexy. As she ran her fingers through his hair she listened to the song he was humming and as he hummed it she began to sing the lyrics to it. Of course, she didn't know what a simple touch from her did to him. Both the singing and Roxanne running her fingers through his hair stopped when he sat up and slipped under the wolf covers on her bed. When he asked her to cuddle with him again she leaned down and kissed his forehead before moving to lay with him. As his held her she was laying next to him and she smiled when he moved her head to his chest and closed her eyes as his fingers played with the curls in her pony tail.

Thats it...tonight I'll tell her. I have to.... Leo thought to himself, making up his mind. He wanted this for two reasons. One, he loved her and Leo desperately wanted her to know this, and two, then he knew that no one else could do what the last guy did. Leo wasn't capable of hitting anyone. Sure, he knew how to fight, and he was strong enough, but he never did. He never could because he never wanted Roxanne to think any less of him. Even when she finally told him about the abuse, he didn't go and beat up the bastard. Yes, he rattled him, but he didn't lay a hand on the guy. After all, he felt much more pleasure in reporting him to his cop uncle who took care of the rest. Leo had noticed that Roxanne had become much more affectionate too, but he simply chalked it up to her needed support that he was willingly giving. Or that she just felt bad to turn his affections away so instead she returned him. If Leo had known that Roxanne felt the same, he would not have pussyfooted around for so long. The only reason he had been putting it off was he was afraid of rejection, afraid of loosing her because she didn't feel the same.

"You look cute in my clothes." He said with a laugh. Leo never let anyone touch his favorite hoodie, except of course for Roxanne, who was wearing it now. Purposefully he would leave some of his hoodies and t-shirts at her house so that she might try them on and wear them. He liked that when she returned them they smelled like his sweet phoenix. It also made it feel like she was his and that she may feel the same way about him. "Psh. Me, too busy for you? Impossible." He replied with another chuckle. It was true, no matter what he was doing, or even where he was, he would drop it if Roxanne asked. A few times he had even skipped class so that he could hang out with her during her free period. "Then I promise I'll do that sometime this week, sound good?" He asked with a smile. He never had any problems with waking her up, and her parents seemed to love him, despite his piercings and tattoos. But that was the only rebel thing about Leo. Besides that, he had a stable job, was on the honor roll at school, and had never been in a lick of trouble. It was just his style, and sometimes his attitude towards other people, that made him seem like a real bad influence...a punk.

"Yess! Sweet!" Leo replied happily as Roxy agreed to cuddling. His cheeks blushed a little as she kissed him. It didn't matter how much she kissed him, he would still get a tad bit flustered even if it was just his cheek. Leo sang along softly with Roxy, his smooth low voice harmonizing with her sweet high one. He stopped his singing as well as she crawled under the covers with him. Leo blushed a bit more as Roxy kissed his forehead and his arms wrapped around her as soon as she was settled. "So miss Roxy....You know I love you, right?" He began, whispering as he closed his eyes. Leo continued to pet her hair and paused so she could respond. "Well...ummm..." He started, his voice sounding a little nervous and he held her a little tighter to his chest. "W-will you be my pheonix...?" He asked, stuttering the words at first, still unsure of weather this was a good idea. "I-I mean only if you want to Roxanne...I don't want to pressure you..." Leo added quickly, trying to assure her that this was ENTIRELY up to her. "A-and you don't have to tell me now Roxy. You can think about it if you need to." Leo said and waited eagerly for a response. He held her close and kissed the top of her head as he awaited an answer. His heart was threatening to beat out of his chest and he hoped like hell that she couldn't sense how nervous he was about this. But Roxy would definitely know since her head was laying right over his pounding heart. Leo kept his eyes shut tight as the agonizing silence went on for a few moments.

Roxanne had no clue that he he was planning to tell her how he felt about her tonight as they sat together on her bed. It wasn't like she needed him to tell her, though. Although she was still denying it by telling herself that he could never be in love with her because she wasn't the perfect girl for him, deep down she knew that he loved her and wanted to be much more then friends. His other reason, though, would surely be something Roxy wouldn't expect Leo to talk about. One thing she didn't seem to pick up on since breaking up with her ex was how much more protective over her Leo had become, just like a lion would be over his mate and it was clear by the way the two of them acted around each other that it wouldn't belong until they were boyfriend and girlfriend. When Roxy had told Leo about the way her ex had been using her as his personal punching bag she was shocked to see Leo maintain control and not hunt the guy down and beat the shit out of him, but then again Roxy knew that wasn't how Leo did things. Of course, she didn't know about Leo going to the guy and rattling him a bit before going to his uncle who was a cop. All she knew about it was that Leo had went to his uncle and that he had taken care of it. Truthfully, Roxanne didn't want to know anymore details besides that, either. Something else she didn't know about was what was Leo's reason as to why she had become more affectionate and of course what he thought couldn't be farther from the truth.

"Thank you." She said in response to what she felt was a compliment before smiling up at him. Roxy knew how he prized his favorite hoodie and yet she knew that whenever she wanted to take it she could do it and he'd be fine with it. Roxy didn't know that he purposely would leave both hoodies and t-shirts here, hoping she would try them on but when they were left it was almost always guaranteed that she would be wearing them around the house and even to school and other places outside. One of the many things she loved about Leo was how he didn't mind his clothes smelling like a girl when she returned them. The reason she wore the things he left? It made Roxanne feel like she was Leo's girl, even though the two of them weren't an official couple just yet. "Hey, it could happen!" She said before laughing, knowing that it would never happen. There was no way that Leo would ever be too busy for her. On quite a few occasions he had even skipped class to spend time with her during her free period. "Sounds good to me." She said before kissing him on the cheek, now happier then before knowing to expect to be waking up to him at least one morning this week. Her parent did indeed love him and her mother and father wished that the two of them would get together already. It seemed to be a reoccurrence that everybody saw how perfect Roxanne and Leo would be together except them. Sure, there were some friends that had told her how bad Leo was for her but she paid no mind to them, clearly valuing Leo much more than any of her other friends and rightfully so, the two had been best friends their whole lives.

Roxanne couldn't help but smile down at Leon when she agreed to cuddle with him, one of the things she found cute about him was how his eyes seemed to light up anytime the two of them were together. When she kissed his forehead she did notice that his cheeks blushed a little, but she understood why he did it because she was the same way. No matter how many times he kissed her she always found herself flustered when he did it, even if it was just a simple kiss to the top of her head or her cheek. When Leo stopped his humming to sing along with her she couldn't help but smile to herself. Something Roxanne always seemed to notice when the two of them would sing something together was how their voices harmonized perfectly, his smooth, low voice covered any imperfections her voice had and her sweet, high voice did the same for him. Once she was under the covers with him though they both stopped their singing and she looked up at him, feeling safe and protected once more when he wrapped his arms around her after she was comfortable. "Yes, Leon, I know you love me." Roxanne replied, in a whisper, the same tone he had asked his question in. As she replied she could feel him still playing with her hair and she found comfort in it. When Leon started to speak though she almost instantly picked up on his nervousness and it was then that Roxy began to really wonder what he was about to ask. The next thing she knew she was being held tighter to his chest before hearing Leo speak again. When Roxanne heard him ask she was shocked to say the least, but not in a bad way. Roxy let him finish speaking before replying. Of course, she had her mind made up as to what her reply would be as soon as he asked the question. She had already known that this was completely her choice without Leo even saying so. "I don't need time to think about it and I want to tell you now." She began as she looked up at him, into his eyes. "Leo, I would love to be your Phoenix, that is as long as you would want to be my lion." She said with smile as she felt his lips touch the top of her head. Of course she knew how nervous he was just because of where her head was laying on his chest. Not waiting for an answer from him she lifted her head from his chest and treated him to a tender, loving kiss.

Roxanne was the perfect girl for Leo. She was everything he dreamed of and more. Not to mention that he also loved her family and they were quite fond of him too. Leo smiled a little as she answered his first question. At least she knew that, but he wished she knew just how much he did. In his mind as he waited for her answer, questions raced. Would she say yes or no? Would she be upset that he hadn't done this sooner? Would she be creeped out? Would she be mad and kick him out? Would she be happy? His heart raced and pounded in his chest until she spoke. His heart stopped as she told Leo that she wanted to tell him now. He looked down at her and waited for her to push away and scream at him...but that didn't happen. When he opened his mouth to say something, Roxanne interrupted him with a kiss. His heart stopped and his breath caught in his throat. His eyes closed softly and his whole body relaxed as the feeling of the warmness from her tender kiss washed over his body. When she pulled away, his eyes were watery, his cheeks were red, but he had the goofiest and happiest smile on his face. One hand went to her face and caressed her cheek. He leaned closer and gave her lips a soft peck. He couldn't possibly begin to tell her how happy this made him. How it made Leo's heart soar, how it was the only thing that he could have ever wished for. He was silent for a few minutes longer, just staring into Roxy's eyes, his eyes shining with happiness and joy.

When he finally came back to the world, off the high from the kiss, Leo didn't hesitate to kiss her forehead. "I'll always want you to be my Phoenix. And I'll be your lion forever and always." He promised her with a charming smile and another gentle and sweet peck to her lips. When he pulled away from the kiss, his hand kept up its gentle stroking of her cheek. He leaned up on his elbow so that he could get a better look at the girl in his arms. "I do have to admit something..." Leo told her, a blush appearing on his cheeks once more and biting his lip. "...I hope you don't mind that I asked your parents first...." He confessed, feeling a little guilty that he did that. "Its just, I wanted to make sure that your parents would be okay with it. I didn't want you to have to fight with your parents about it. And I wanted to stay on their good side." Leo explained, feeling a little less guilty. When he had asked her parents, the only thing they had to say was why he hadn't asked sooner? Keep in mind, he had asked her parents last week and they had been bothering him about it since then. They were thrilled and responded that as long as it was Roxy wanted, they would be more than happy to see the two of them together. Leo knew that getting their permission would be a piece of cake. He wasn't really worried about them saying no. It was Roxy that he had been unsure about, even though her parents insisted that she would be crazy to reject him.

It had taken him a week to work up the guts to ask, and now, he was wishing that he had asked sooner. If he had known that Roxanne would have reacted this way, he would have asked years ago. But it didn't matter anymore. Now their love for one another was out in the open, he didn't have to hide his feelings, he didn't have to lie about why he did certain things. Now he could hold her close, kiss her, take her on real dates, everything that he had always wanted to. He would always remember this day. He made a mental note of the date, Leo was really good about remembering dates when it concerned Roxy. He always remembered her birthday, when they first met, and even the first time he had come over to her house and had dinner. However, this date would be one that he would always look forward to...their anniversary. Leo began to plot in his head. Where was he going to take her on a date first? When and where would he get the promise ring for her? Did he have enough money saved up to do all this, yes, he did. He couldn't stop smiling as his mind was a buzz with ideas of wonderful dates and ways of showering his beloved Phoenix with gifts and love. His eyes didn't leave hers as he began to daydream about what a wonderful and loving relationship he and Roxanne would have, looking into and dreaming of the future they would have together.

Despite Leo seeing her as the perfect girl for him Roxanne didn't see it that way. In fact, she was so hard on herself that the few girlfriends she could remember Leo having over the years Roxy would compare herself to, telling herself all the ways each one of them were the right girl for him and why she wasn't. But, clearly she had been wrong because he had just asked her to be his Phoenix and he said that he would be her lion forever and always. Sure, Roxanne knew that Leo loved her, but in all honesty she would probably never truly understand just like he would probably completely understand just how much she meant to him. As if she was reading his mind before she spoke to tell him that she wanted to give him an answer now she seemed to know all the questions he was asking himself, but she didn't say anything in regard to those questions just yet and as they looked at each other as she told him Roxanne smiled when she saw a look of shock on his face. Clearly she could tell he hadn't gotten the answer he had been expecting. After she stated her answer and it had time to sink it she could tell that Leo was about to say something and that was when she leaned in to kiss him, silencing anything he was about to say for now. Even with her eyes closed as the the two of them kissed she could feel his heart stop and also could tell when the breath got caught in his throat. What made her smile against his lips was when she felt his whole body relax as the warmth of her kissed washed over his body. When she ended the kiss by pulling back to look at him she smiled at him and just like Leo's her cheeks were red, too. "I love when you smile that goofy smile at me." Roxanne said in a whisper and when she felt his hand go to her face and begin to caress her cheek she smiled, loving the feel of his skin against her's. When Leo leaned in to give her a soft peck she didn't pull away, in fact, she met him half way and just like him, there was no way she could start to try and explain how happy she was. This was one of the things she had been wishing for, for as long as she could remember and as they starred into each others eyes in the silence her Emerald eyes mirrored the happiness and joy in his.

Roxanne looked up at Leo as he kissed her forehead after coming back to the world after the high from the kiss faded. "You always have been my lion and I will always be your phoenix. I think we have always known that, but for some reason we were both fighting it by telling ourselves that the other would never feel the same way and that we were meant to be with other people." She said and her heart melted when he flashed her one of his charming smiles before kissing her again, this time on the lips. When he pulled away she looked up into his eyes as he kept up the gentle stroking of her cheek. When he said he had to admit something to her as he was leaning up on his elbow to get a better look at her she wandered if what he had to tell her was good or bad. She watched as during his pause his cheeks turned red and he bit at his lips and as she awaited an answer the silence seemed to drag on forever. When he finally spoke again she was relieved to hear him asking if it was okay that he asked her parents permission to date her before actually asking her. "Of course it's okay, but I don't see why you felt you needed to when you already knew their answer. They had been waiting forever for use to get together." She said smiled, hoping to ease his guilt. "They are definatly okay with it, Leo. Hell, when they find out about us they will be congratulating us." She added, hoping to ease the rest of his guilt completely. "Leo, I love you." She said softly before kissing him, moving one of her hands to the back of his head as she did.

One thing Roxanne didn't realize aside from just how much Leo loved her and how long he had been wanting her to be his girl was just how long it had taken him to build up the courage to tell her about his feelings for her. Even if she did, though, none of that mattered mow. What mattered now was that they were finally done hiding their feelings for each other and done lying about reasons why they wanted to spend so much time together. What she liked most about their feelings being out in the open, though, was that she could tell him she loved him and he would know exactly the way she meant it and they could now kiss each other and she could lay in his arms and both of them were completely sure of what it meant. As Leo did Roxanne made a mental note of the date, too. Also, just like him she was good at dates that involved him and she would always remember today as it would be their anniversary and day she would consider one of the most important in her life. It was almost as if she had read his mind when she spoke. "For our first date why don't we figure out something here?" She asked before kissing him. "We could cook something and then watch movies or something." Roxanne suggested. Just like Leo, her eyes didn't leave his as she wandered about their future.

All the other girl that Leo had dated previously never lasted long. Not that he was a bad boyfriend, of they were bas girlfriends. It was more of the fact that he would put Roxanne over them as well. They didn't like that so much, but Leo couldn't help it. Roxanne was and would always be the most important thing to him. She couldn't do nor say anything wrong. She was the definition of perfect in his mind."Really?" He asked, glad that she liked it. He hated his goofy smile, he hated his smile in general. However, he knew that Roxanne loved to see him smile and it made her happy, so, just for her. He felt giddy as he noticed Roxy met his soft kiss. Everything just felt so right, so much better now. Leo was more than happy to see her emerald eyes sparkle and smile as he stared into them. No words could describe what an absolutely perfect moment this was.

"You know if i had known sooner, I would have swept you off your feet before anyone else had the chance." He whispered with a smile. "None of the other girls were never, and will ever be like you Roxy. None of them could ever mean as much to me as you do. I could never live without my precious phoenix." He gave a laugh at her response to his confession of asking her parents first. "Yeah, I know. But I just wanted to be absolutely sure." He chuckled, no longer feeling guilty. "They were mad that I hadn't asked them, or rather you sooner." Leo loved how even if he was feeling guilty about something as silly as her parents approval, she would say and do anything to make him feel better. He held her close and met her halfway for the kiss. His hands hold her face gently, thumbs caressing her cheek. His lips only moved away to whisper a few words before kissing her sweet soft lip once more. "I love you too Roxanne, so so very much...."

Everything was so much clearer now that they were together. Leo didn't feel that he had to second guess what she meant when she said she loved him, or when she kissed his cheek, or when the simply cuddled like this. It was because she loved him, that was the simple and honest truth. Not only that, but the world seemed to brighten up, his whole body felt warm and tingly. This feeling was an entirely new sensation...and yet, it brought back fond memories of when they first met. It had been love at first sight, just as he thought. Leo nodded in agreement as Roxanne suggested their first date be here. However, at her next suggestion, he shook his head. "Nope. I will cook something for us while you relax and then we can watch a movie while we eat." He insisted. Leo wanted this night to be perfect, and it would be if he had anything to do with it. Leo didn't want Roxy to have to lift a finger, he wanted her to know what it felt like to be treated like a real woman should, like a queen. Now Leo was a good cook. When he was younger, and even still, he didn't have any friends aside from Roxy, and he became close with his grandmother, who taught his how to cook everything from scratch. "Now Roxy? What would you like for lunch? And you get to pick the movie out too." He insisted with a smile and a kiss to her nose.

Most of the boys Roxanne had dated before didn't last for almost the exact same reasons none of Leo's previous girlfriends had lasted for him: because Leo always had come before them and there had been many a time where she had canceled plans with them when Leo said he needed her. There had been one major difference with many of her now ex boyfriends, though. Most of them had used Roxy as their personal punching bag, leaving all sorts of scratches, cuts, bruises and burns on her. Just as Roxanne was and always would be the most important thing to him, Leo was the most important thing to her. He was perfect in her eyes and could do no wrong. "Yes, really. Have I ever lied to my sexy boyfriend?" Roxanne asked with a smile, thinking he would love to hear her call him her 'boyfriend'. She knew that he hated that goofy smile of his and his smile in general, but she also knew that he smiled a lot around her because she loved to see him smile and it made her happy. But, Roxanne also believed that when he smiled when the two of them were together they were genuine smiles because he was happy, not just ones with the purpose of pleasing her. When their kiss ended she pulled back far enough so that they could look into each others eyes. All of a sudden everything just felt so right, like everything had fallen into place exactly where it should have. When she saw Leo smile as he saw the sparkle from his eyes mirrored in her's Roxy couldn't help but smile. Roxy couldn't help but to wish that the moment would never end because of how perfect it was.

"I know you would have." She replied in a whisper. "I know if I would have been brave enough to tell you how I felt that you never would have let any of them hurt me the way they did, because I would have been your Phoenix a very long time ago." Roxanne finished before listening to what Leo had to say about the girls he had dated in the past even though it was stuff she already knew. "I know, you dated other girls for the same reason I tried to date other guys: because the feelings you had for me would have driven you crazy otherwise. You felt I was something you couldn't have so you settled for less." She responded and from the raw emotion that showed in her Emerald Green eye it was clear that she understood exactly every emotion he had felt for her over the years. "As I could never live without my lion. I laid awake many nights, wandering what could be between us." Roxy confessed to Leo before her eyes softened as she heard him laugh at her response to him asking her parents. "Leo, my parents love you. They are fine with us being together. You and I both know they are always joking about us getting married one day and they have since we were little." She said, smiling. Indeed, she would do or say anything to make him feel better because when he was sad or upset, she was too. They had always mirrored each others emotions. As he held her close and met her half way for the kiss she smiled against his lips, closing her eyes as they shared the kiss and as he held her face between his hands, using his thumbs to caress her cheeks. When he moved his lips away from her's she opened her eyes to look at him, smiling when she heard him speak. "I love you too, Leo. Much more than I even thought it was possible to love someone."

Now that they were together Roxanne was noticing how much clearer everything was to her. Unlike before, she didn't find herself questioning herself about every action of Leo or every word that he said or about what they meant to him. Roxy simply knew that everything was now as it seemed between them and that they had always loved each other and always would. As they laid in her bed and Leo was holding her she found her mind wandering back to the day they had met, when they were just toddlers and how, even back then, they seemed to have some unbreakable bond binding them to each other. It had not been love at first sight for Roxanne back then, but she knew within a few days that Leo was the boy she was going to marry. "But, if you are in the kitchen doing all the cooking I'll be bored and all alone." She said before kissing him. Roxy knew how Leo treated her, even before today he had always treated her like a princess, always offering to do things for her and such, never wanting her to lift a finger. Just like Leo, she wanted tonight to be perfect, and it seemed to be getting off to a great start. Roxanne knew Leo didn't have many friend aside from her and that his grandmother had tough him to cook everything from scratch. "I'm not sure, what would my lion like for lunch?" She asked, not bothering to protest when he said she would be the one to pick out the movie. Roxy already knew that wasn't a battle she was going to win and she knew for dinner she would have to pick what she wanted. When Leon kissed her nose she smiled. "After lunch we could always go for a walk outside." She said and kissed him. Roxy had always loved winter.

Leo blushed brightly as Roxanne called him her 'sexy boyfriend', he liked the sound of that. "Sexy boyfriend, huh?" He said as he planted a kiss on her lips. "No, no you haven't my adorably sweet and sexy girlfriend." He replied as the back of his hand stroked down her face. He loved Roxanne so very much, his heart was swelling with love and joy. As they looked into one another's eyes, he felt that nothing in the world could bring him down. He leaned his head down and nuzzled his nose against her. A gentle and sweet laugh escaping his lips in which the goofy smile still remained.

"I'm so sorry I didn't do a better job protecting you Roxanne." He replied, leaving gentle kisses her all over her face. "And I didn't date the girls for that reason Roxanne, well that wasn't the main reason anyway...." He began to blush. "I felt like I had to because otherwise....." Leo said as he bit his lip. "Otherwise I thought that you would think I was gay." Leo felt a little ridiculous, but it was the truth. Then again, the only reasons that the girls dated him was to seem bad-ass or piss of their parents, which didn't work either. But he did still have the feelings that she had, and although it didn't work very well, that was another reason why he tried to date other people. His eyes began to water as he heard her admit that she used to wonder late at night about their relationship and how it would grow. They were tears of absolute joy because there was a soft smile on his face. "I know, I know. Your parent's are the best, you know I love them, almost as much as I love you." He said, laughing gently and smiling. "I always knew it was possible. But it is possible for us." He said with a happy sigh.

"You can be in the kitchen too Roxy. I'd really enjoy your company and conversation. I never said that you couldn't watch." He said with a laugh after she pulled away from the kiss. Leo playfully ruffled her hair a little as he sat up, his arms still around her. He shook his head when she asked what he wanted. "No no no, I want what you want my phoenix. Its up to you." He insisted, kissing her forehead. He began to push the blankets off of them with one hand, the other arm pulling Roxanne so she could sit up too. "Lets head downstairs and tell your mom and dad before they yell at me again for not asking you already." He said with a laugh. "And of course Roxy, I'd love to. We can make snow angles and snow people like we used to." Leo suggested, hugging her and smiling. "I know how much you love the snow."

When he planted a kiss upon her lips she smiled up at him and nodded before speaking. "Yes, my sexy, romantic and caring boyfriend." Roxy said before protesting. "I'm only this sweet to you and no way in hell am I sexy." Of course, in not only Leo's eyes, but in many others eyes, too, both of those statements were lies. For as long as Leo had known her, Roxanne had always been a caring person. Even going as far as treating even those who treated her like shit, such as her exes with sweetness and care. As the back of his hand moved done her face she closed her eyes, loving the feeling of his skin as it touched her's. Her eyes didn't stay closed long, though and when they did open back up they returned into her boyfriend's eyes, as she did that she couldn't help but notice the love and admiration she noticed that shined in his eyes, but she would never know just how highly Leo thought of her and just like Leo, Roxy felt as if nothing in the world could bring her down from the natural high she was given when around Leo. When Leo nuzzled his best friend turned girlfriend with his nose she mirrored his sweet and gentle laugh with a giggle of her own as she felt his nose rub up against her cheek and when her laugh faded and she noticed that his signature goofy smile was still on his face.

As Leon spoke she listened to him and she enjoyed the feeling of his lips brushing against her skin as he planted kisses all over her her face. When he admitted the main reason as to why he had dated all those other girls Roxy couldn't help but to laugh. "Leon, I never would have thought you were gay and you have no need to feel bad about no protecting me from all the guys from my past. especially when I never said a word about any abuse until that last guy and by the time I did say something it was too late for you to do much of anything. He had already been using me as his personal punching bag for months by then. Besides that, you had no solid proof of what they were doing to me, you only had your intuition to go on. " She said, no longer wanting to hear a word of him being sorry for not protecting her. Roxy knew why all the other girls had Leo: most of them had just wanted a bad boy to piss of their parents. But, why Roxy wanted and needed him wasn't because of the bad boy that he was. It was because she was in love with him and somewhere deep down she had known it for years now. Now, that didn't mean that Roxy didn't find the bad boy attractive, in fact, she found him quite sexy, but it had never been the driving force behind why she wanted to be with him. When Leo's eyes began to water she smiled weakly at him and moved her hands up to either side of his face, using her fingers to gently wipe away any stray tears that escaped his eyes. She listened to him speak before kissing him. "Shh... They love you too, hell, you know they have always seen you as the son they never had and as for us both laying awake at night wandering what we would become to each other, if we would ever become more then friends.. Those nights are over, my wolf because now we are boyfriend and girlfriend and nothing will ever tear us apart." She said.

Roxanne smiled when Leo said that she could be in the kitchen while he cooked, she just wasn't aloud to lift a finger to help him. "Really?" Roxanne asked, as if she was shocked when he said that he would really enjoy both her company and conversation. When she heard him laugh there was still a smile on her face and when her best friend turned lover moved a hand up to her beautiful brown curls and ruffled them playfully before sitting up she laughed a sweet, bubbly laugh. As Leo's arms were still around her she leaned back, into him so that her head was rested on his chest and she tilted her head up so that she was looking at him. "If it were up to me I'd want grilled cheese and tomato soup." Roxy said with a smile, knowing how lame what she wanted sounded. "Not exactly something that is considered a romantic dinner." She added, wincing as his lips brushed against her forehead, Roxy had had a pretty bad headache all day. She watched as he pushed the covers over them away with one hand and the next thing she knew he was using his other to help her so that she could set up with him. Once she was sitting up she moved her head so that it rested on his shoulder instead of his chest. When she heard him say he would love to go out and play in the snow with her after dinner she couldn't help but smile and lifted her head up to kiss him on the lips. "Which is kind of funny, when you consider the nickname you have for me is a fire bird." Roxy said with a small laugh.

Leo shook his head and smiled. “Now Roxy. You know it’s true.” He said with a chuckle. “Why do you think I call you my little firebird?” He gave her cheek a soft kiss and whispered in her ear. “Its ‘cus I think you’re smokin’ hot babe.” He whispered sweetly in her ear, giving her cheek another kiss. He just smiled and continued to gaze at his wonderful girlfriend. Who would’ve thought that just a few minutes ago they were the best of friends, clueless about how they felt for one another. He was just so unbelievably happy to be able to hold her in his arms right now, now that she knew what she really meant to him, everything. He nuzzled her cheek once more, not wanting to from this position. Everything was happening better than he could have ever imagined. He couldn’t ask for a more perfect day with a more perfect girl. “God Roxanne. You are so beautiful. I can’t bare take my eyes of you.” Leo whispered and kissed her nose. “Promise me you won’t change anything about you?” He asked her, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand once more.

“Yea..I guess it was a kind of stupid reason, huh?” He asked, chuckling at himself.He shook is head as she wiped away his tears. “I assure you Roxanne, these are good tears. I am just so god-damned happy to be with you.” “And I know I had no proof Roxy babe, but I would have said something anyway. Even if I did get in trouble for it, you’re worth it.” He said, kissing her forehead tenderly. “And I know they do. They are like the parents I never had.” He smiled and hugged her tight. “They are perfect. Just like my girl.” He smiled as she assures him that nothing would tear them apart. “I love you so much my phoenix.”

“Of course sweetie. I love talking and looking at you.” He assured her with a soft kiss to her lips. He kissed the top of her head as it rested on his chest. He loved when she did that. It felt so right, like her head fit perfectly there. “If it’s a dinner with you, it’s always romantic.” He said with a smile. “Besides, its a grilled cheese and tomato soup kinda day. Don’t you think?” Leo looked down at Roxy, concern on her face as she winced. “You okay babe?” He asked, a worried look on his face as he cupped her cheek in his hand. “Something wrong with your head?” He laughed along with her as she made the point about her nickname. “Yea. I guess it is.” He answered with a smile. He began to stand up, pulling her up in his arms with him. He stood and held her. “Ready to tell your parents that it’s official?”

"I don't know why you call me that." She said, smiling when Leo planted a kiss on her cheek and returning the favor by giving him a soft peck upon the lips before his mouth moved to her ear. When it did she closed her eye, listening to him as he spoke into her ear and biting down on her lips as she fought to suppress the urge to moan as Roxy felt her boyfriend's warm breath caress the skin of her ear and neck. "I think you are the only one who thinks I'm beautiful, sexy or anything like that." If you were someone who didn't know her when she had been with all of her ex boyfriends and were to hear her talk about herself this way, this was when it really showed just how much the emotional abuse from those boys had messed with her. When his lips moved away from her ear to kiss her cheek again she smiled at him, just as she had done the last time. When there was enough space between them once again Roxy went back to simply looking at her best friend turned boyfriend in the silence as he looked at her and as she did, in the back of her mind Roxanne wandered how they could have felt this way about each other for years and go on spending all that time together without ever once bringing up those feelings until today. Roxy too, was shocked at how well everything was going. Of the many times she had dreamed about this day over the years, never did it end this well, even when in her dreams Leo told her that he had the same feelings for her. Roxanne, just like Leo, was extremely happy that the two of them were now completely open with each other; that there wasn't any double meaning behind the words 'I love you' and that they didn't have to guess at what the other meant every time something was said. Since Leo had told her about his feelings for her, Roxy's day had seemed to had gone from an okay day to a perfect one and she couldn't ask for a more perfect boy, in her eyes. When he nuzzled into her cheek she moved her head down to his neck and nuzzled into Leo's neck after that she rested her head on his shoulder and smiled. "As long as you promise not to change a thing about you, Leo." She said, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the feel of him stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, it kind of is." Roxanne agreed before beginning to laugh with him. When he shook his head after Roxy had wiped away his tears she let her hands fall down so that they were resting at her sides, glad to hear that not only were the tears he was shedding happy tears, but that they were because he was so happy that she was now his girl. "To be truthful, I'm glad that you didn't tell anybody about what they were doing to me just based on your gut feeling because if word had gotten back to any of them about it they would have hurt you and the things they were doing to me; all the physical and emotional abuse would have gotten worse." Roxy said with a sigh, anybody that knew her also knew that Leo getting severely hurt because of something she did or was involved in was one of her biggest fears. In fact, it was probably her second biggest fear. Her first was losing him, of course. "I would not have been worth it had they put you in the hospital or killed you." She said, able to feel her muscles tensing and her eyes beginning to water just at the thought of something happening to him. When his lips pressed up against her forehead and he kissed it tenderly she smiled up at him. "Us dating won't change that, hell, they might see you even more like the son they never had." She said. Roxanne had always been glad that her parents loved Leo so much and when he hugged her tight Roxanne wrapped her arms around him, not wanting to let go of him. "I'm no where near perfect, Leo." She said, and truthfully Roxanne knew she would never see what it was that Leo saw in her that was so perfect to him. She was glad to see him smile, though, as she assured him that nothing would tear them apart. As far as Roxanne was concerned the two of them were soul mates.

When Leo confirmed that he wanted her in the kitchen as he cooked it made her smile to know that he genuinely enjoyed her company. When he kissed her on the lips she lifted her head and and moved one of her hands to the back of his head, applying just enough pressure so that he couldn't pull away from the kiss, but not enough to cause any feelings of discomfort for either of them. She simply wanted to enjoy the feeling of his lips as he pressed them against her's for as long as she could. When Roxanne knew they both needed air she removed her hand and hesitantly broke the kiss, letting her head return to resting upon his chest. In deed. it was like her head fit perfectly upon his chest. His next comment made her wander if maybe he had something planned for their dinner together. "Yeah, I think it is a grilled cheese and tomato soup kind of day." She said and smiled up at him. When she winced Roxy was a bit surprised at how quickly Leo reacted to it. "Yes, I'm fine. I just have a bit of a headache." She said, moving one of her hands to rest on top of his, holding it there when he cupped her cheek in one of hos hands. "I've had a slight headache since I woke up." She said. "It's also kind of ironic that I call you my wolf, when your name means lion." Roxanne added with a smile. When he began to pull her up in his arms as he began to stand up she didn't fight him. In fact, she let Leo bring her to her feet beside him. "Yeah, I'm ready, but how are we going to tell them when both of them are at work?"

“Because its true of course.” He simply replied to her, nuzzling his nose to hers. Leo smiled as he noticed her bite her lip while he whispered in her ear. He would remember to do this later for sure. Leo’s smile faded a bit as the effects from the abuse that she had lived through began to show. He hated those guys for taking away her self confidence, her feeling of self worth, he could never forgive those guys for doing that. He put a finger to her lips to silence her and held her face in his hand. He spoke to Roxanne in a stern yet loving voice, looking at her with the same feelings. “You know that isn’t true Roxanne. Everyone loves you. Everyone at school thinks you are the most beautiful girl at the school. Hell, is you ask any guy at school, they would agree with me, even the gay ones.” He ended his rant with a kiss to her forehead. As he did this, he swore to himself that he would un-do what these bastards has done. As they stared into one another’s eyes, his smile quickly returned. ”But today is all about making her smile…” He thought to himself. Leo let out a soft sound that sounded halfway been a relaxed sigh and soft moan. He nodded at her words and kissed the top of her head. “I promise my sweet Roxy.” He whispered, enjoying the warmth of her head on his shoulder and the smell of her hair as he rested his upon hers.

“You don’t know how bad I wanted to Rox. But I didn’t want risk you getting hurt more. I know how those guys think.” His expressions becoming more serious and he pulled Roxy closer to his chest. “And you know very well they wouldn’t be able to hurt me. They wouldn’t have a chance, not when I’m fighting for you sweetheart.” He held her tighter as he noticed her body becoming tense and the way her eyes watered. He was glad that the kiss to her forehead distracted her thoughts and brought back her stunning smile. Leo gave a chuckle, she was right, her parents would only treat him more like a son then they had before. “I disagree. I know you are perfect. And I am going to do everything I possibly can to make you believe that too.” He promised her with a charming smile. He wanted the love of his life, his one and only, his other half, to see what he saw when he looked at her.

Of course he enjoyed her company. He always had. Just being around Roxanne had always made Leo smile and fill with joy. He was surprised when Roxanne moved her hand to the back of his head and to keep his lips against hers. He felt his cheeks blush, Roxanne was becoming more open about her affections and showing him. Leo didn’t fight her, only encouraged her by pressing his lips a bit more against hers as his tongue softly traced her soft pink lips in a more affectionate than sensual manner. He seemed breathless when she hesitantly pulled away from the kiss, and his smile showed that he couldn’t have been happier. He noticed how perfectly her head fit in the spot above his heart, and his smile threatened to split his face in two it was so large. As she confessed her headache, Leo pouted. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner babe? We gotta get you something to fix that.” He insisted as he helped her up. “I don’t want anything to bother you on our first date. Not even a simple headache.” He insisted as he lifted Roxy into his arms. “And I’m going to carry you down stairs and around the house till that cute and smart head of yours feels better.” Leo insisted, nuzzling his nose against hers. He thought for a moment as she brought up the fact that her parents were at work. “Hmm, that is true….” Leo said and thought for a moment. “How about we get them both on a conference call and tell them?” Leo offered as he began to walk out of her room, Roxanne in his arms, carrying her like a knight would carry his new princess bride. “They should both be on their lunch break right about now.” He mentioned with a smile as he made his way down the stairs.

"No, it has never been, nor will it ever be true." Roxanne protested, this was when the effects from the things the boys she had dated began to show. She seemed to be getting ready to say something else when Leo pressed his nose to her's and nuzzled her, but Roxy didn't say anything so it must have slipped her mind; which was probably a good thing because anymore most of the things that came out of her mouth when she was talking about herself were negative and hateful things. Things like how repulsive she thought her body looked or what a bad friend and girlfriend she was. Hell, sometimes her comments about herself were much worse than that and every time she talked about herself in a negative way she could see rage in Leo's eyes, although, most times it was long gone as quick as it had come. Even when Roxy saw a flash of rage within her lover's eyes she knew he wasn't made at her; he was mad at the assholes who had made her like this. When he put his finger against her lips to silence her she didn't try and pull away, not even when he took her face and held it in his free hand did she try to pull away. Roxy simply let her eyes wander until she was looking up into his face. Then, when he started to speak, Roxanne couldn't say she was shocked by the stern, yet loving tone he was using and she found that as much as she wanted to deny every word of what Leo was saying that she couldn't because every word of it was true. Many times at school she had found both friends of theirs and boys she hardily knew watching her as she made her way down the hall and it seemed amazing that she had never caught Leo watching her along with the other boys. When he ended his rant with a kiss to her forehead she couldn't help but smile up at him. What she didn't know was that he had swore to himself to undo all the damage those boys had done to his best friend turned girlfriend and what Leo didn't seem to know was just how hard that was going to be. Something else that Roxy didn't know was that Leo was devoting today to just making his girl happy and to make her smile. As they stared into each others eyes Roxy too, smiled when she saw a smile return to Leo's face. "Then, I promise to not change a thing about me." She agreed upon hearing his promise to her. As her head rested on his shoulder she found the movement of his body as he breathed in and out relaxing and when he leaned down, resting his head on her's she closed her eyes.

When Leo spoke again after breaking the silence that lasted only seconds between them Roxy didn't open her eyes just yet, but she was listening to him and was far from falling asleep. "You could have told them, no matter what they might have done to me I could have handled it." Roxanne said, although it the back of her mind she knew exactly what would have happened to her. Whoever she had been with at the time would have beat her within an inch of her life and she would have ended up in the Emergency Room and maybe even in an a coma. After spending most of her teenage years with abusive guys like her all of her ex-boyfriends she knew how guys like that thought just as well as Leo did. When Leo pulled her against his chest and his grip tightened that was when Roxy opened her eyes and as her back rested against his chest she could feel not only his muscles tensing up, but her's too. "No, you're wrong because they would have pulled guns out on you and no matter how strong I make you, you couldn't have survived a bullet to the heart or head." She argued, tears filling her eyes at just the thought of her exes doing something harmful to Leo. When he did kiss her forehead that seemed to be just what she needed to pull her thoughts away from the possibilities of what might have happened if Leo had confronted them and to bring her back to him. She was also able to blink most of her tears away and upon hearing him chuckle she began to relax once more. "Making me believe that might take awhile." She said and smiled up at him, but seeing that charming smile of his made her want to melt in his arms. Roxanne knew that she wouldn't see just what he saw when he looked at her overnight, hell, it might take years; but eventually she would.

Roxy knew that Leo enjoyed her company and knew that he always had and probably always would. Just being around Leo had nearly the same effect on her. When the two of them were alone, like they were today Roxy seemed to become much more outgoing and happy. in addition to that she usually couldn't stop smiling when she was around Leo. The intoxicating feeling of happiness she got from being around him was something she needn't explain to him and it was almost impossible to explain to anybody else. As the two of them shared a kiss it made Roxy smile against his lips to see that he was surprised by the movement of her hand to the back of his head, in an attempt to keep his lips from leaving her's. In the short time that had passed since he had confessed his true feelings for her to her, there were already visible changes in Roxanne. Not only was she becoming more open with her feelings for him and showing Leo more affection but she was becoming more open when telling him things, too. She was no longer going out of her way to hide things from him and everyone else like she had been before they got together. Once more, she smiled against his lips as he pressed them against her's and she moaned softly as he traced her soft lips with his tongue. At that moment she regretted having to pull away so that the both of them could get some much needed air. But, when she pulled away her smile mirrored his, showing that she was just as happy as he was. As she caught her breath she moved her head to the spot just above his heart, listening to its strong and steady beat as she caught her breath. "I didn't tell you sooner because I didn't want you to worry." She explained. "Up until now it wasn't hurting that bad."" Roxy added as he helped her up. When he said he didn't want anything to bother her today, no matter how little it was she smiled, finding it cute how he worried about her so much. When he lifted her into his arms she was a bit surprised, but didn't fight him. In fact, she just moved her head back down so that it was resting in the place just above his heart once more. "I have no objections to you carrying me around the house, my lion, but after a while your arms might start to hurt a little." She said, smiling as he nuzzled her nose against her's once more. "That sounds perfect, but I think the question is would we rather tell them in person?" She asked, looking up at him as he carried her out of her room before making his way down the stairs.

"Roxy…I don’t care what I have to do, or how long it takes babe, but I am going to show you just how amazing and special you are. I am determined to make you see and believe just how perfect you are.” He promised her with another kiss. “And you don’t have to worry about them anymore. I promise that you will be safe. Even if I am not around, I’ll make sure of that.” Leo said lovingly as he stroked her cheek. His charming smile never left his lips. His eyes continued to stare into hers with the most loving of looks. If only Roxy knew….if she knew that she was everything he lived for, maybe she would begin to understand just how much control she had over this lovesick puppy of a boyfriend. “Now, no more talking till that head of yours feels better. Let’s go down stairs and get you some medicine and a compress my sweet phoenix.” He said with a smile as he carried her down the stairs.

He shook his head as Roxanne said his arms might get tired. “I could carry you around all day sweetheart. You are even lighter than my mother’s weekly groceries.” He teased playfully and kissed her cheek. Leo thought for a moment as she suggested they wait. “You know what; I think that’s a better idea. I don’t know about you, but I want to see the looks on their faces.” He said with a smiled and sat her on the marble counter. His hands held her hips gently as he leaned in for another soft peck to her lips. “Now you wait right here babe and I’ll fix that headache of yours right up.” Leo promised and gave her side a playful squeeze. Leo knew where everything was in her kitchen, having been over and cooked at her house so many times. He reached into the cabinet above the sink and fetched two pain pills for her. Then he went to the cabinet next to the refrigerator and grabbed a glass before filling it with her favorite drink. Leo smiled as he walked back over to Roxanne and held out the glass and pills for her. “You should feel better in like five minutes.” He promised and watched as she took the pills. Once that was done, his hands returned to her hips and he gave Roxy another soft yet sweet kiss to her lips.

“Madam Roxy ordered a grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. Is that correct?” Leo asked with a fake French accent, his attempt at being funny. “And what would you like to drink?” He asked with a smile, taking her empty glass and preparing to refill it. He smiled and laughed as she did, happy that she found his lame jokes happy. After Leo refilled her glass and returned it to Roxanne, he started getting the kitchen ready so he could cook their lunch and have a romantic day in as it snowed outside.

"Leo, getting me to see exactly what you see every time you look at me could take forever and a day." Roxy said and when he kissed her she smiled against his lips before kissing him in return. But, Roxanne knew that if anybody could undo what those assholes had done it was Leo. You would think it would take a lot less time to get her back to how she was before she had met any of those bastards, especially when Leo was going to be the one helping her, but her ex boyfriends had all but completely destroyed who she was. "I know I'll be safe with you Leo because if it was up to you, you would have put an end to this a long time ago." Roxanne said, and ever though she wasn't sure how exactly she would be protected from her exes even when Leo wasn't around she never found herself doubting what he was telling her, not even for a second. "How about I give you full permission to kill them if they so much as look at me in a way you don't like?" Roxanne asked with a small laugh, clearly joking. She knew that Leo didn't need her permission, but she just wanted him to know that if the boys of her past did something to her that she wouldn't be mad at him for doing whatever he saw as necessary to protect her. As he stroked her cheek Rox looked up at Leo and when that smile of his that she found so charming returned to his lips, the smile that Leo had always found so beautiful appeared on her face and it stayed there, even as she stared at her boyfriend with nothing but love and admiration for him in her eyes. Clearly she didn't know that she was everything he lived for, nor did she truly understand just how much he was in love with her and truth be told, she probably never would. But, in her eyes Leo didn't understand just how much she loved him and she was doubtful that he was what she lived for; that he had been what kept her going when she was getting both physically and emotionally abused by her exes every night. Then again, she was sure Leo realized a lot more than she gave him credit for. When Leo spoke again, insisting that there would be no more talking from her until her head felt better she was glad. She simply nodded, as if agreeing not to speak and rested her head on his chest, looking up at him as she was carried like a princess would be down the stairs.

When he said she was even lighter than his mother's weekly groceries Roxanne couldn't help but let out a soft, cute giggle and shake her head no in silent protest. She wanted to make it known that she clearly disagreed with his statement and wanted to do it without breaking her vow to not speak until her head was feeling better. Then, when he kissed her cheek after thinking for a moment she smiled weakly up at him before listening to what he was saying. In response, she simply nodded in agreement; as if saying she wanted to actually see the looks on her parents faces when they were told that Roxanne and Leo were finally a couple. As he made his way into the kitchen and placed her so that she was sitting on top of the marble counter she smiled at him, taking his hands in her's she removed them from her hips and pulled Leo closer before placing his hands back on her hips and moving her arms so they were wrapped around his neck. Roxy had just enough time to return his kiss with a soft one of her own to his lips before she found his pulling away from her only long enough to get her a couple of pain killers and to fill a glass with Cherry Pepsi for her. When Leo returned to her will the pills and full glass of soda she didn't hesitate to accept it from him and get the pills down. After drinking to get the pills down she sat the glass beside her and smiled, resting her head on his shoulder as his hands returned to her hips, only lifting her head to return his kiss with an innocent peck of her own and when her head dropped back down to resting on his shoulder she allowed her eyes to close.

Her eyes stayed hidden behind her eyelids for a few minutes as they stood there in silence for a bit, but as soon as Leo spoke again her Emerald eyes came into view again and she lifted up her head to look up at him. "Yes, that is what I want, as long as that is what I want for lunch. So long as that is what my lion prince wants as well." She said before laughing at his fake French accent, wandering how Leo would react to being called her 'Lion Prince' as she awaited an answer from him. Roxanne seemed a bit surprised when he took her glass, asking what she would like to drink almost as soon as it she emptied it. "More Cherry Pepsi would be great." She said with a smile. Since they first met she had always found his corny jokes funny, just as he seemed to find her jokes funny. "Thank you." She said when he returned her newly refilled glass to her and Roxanne watched as he prepared the kitchen to make the two of them lunch. So far it seemed his plans to treat her like the princess he thought she was for the day was going perfect.

“Then I guess you’re gonna have put up with me trying to get you to see what I see for forever and two days.” He teased. “And even then, I will never stop telling and showing you just how amazingly perfect you are for me.” Leo added, caressing her cheek lovingly, trying to distract her from continuing the conversation. When it switched back to her exes, he remained calm. He nodded and smiled as she gave him permission to kill any of them if they did something that Leo didn’t like.“I’d like that, but I’d rather just put ‘em behind bars and get ‘em help. Now enough about that my sweet phoenix.” He answered. Leo wouldn’t touch her exes without permission from her. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get other people to do it for him. Though, since he only had proof of one of the abusive relationships she had been in, he could only get that guy collard for the crimes. And along with a little bribe money, some forged paper work (which he was not all to proud of), and doctored pictures, he got that son of a bitch’s ass thrown in jail without having to put Roxanne and her family through a trial. No, Leo was not too proud of himself for basically forging most of the evidence and paying off people to get past the legal system to get justice for Roxanne and her family, but he figured that it wasn’t nearly as bad as letting that guy go free and risk hurting other girls. He smiled down at her, his eyes watching her as he took her downstairs. Leo knew her house even better than her own since he had been there so often.

“Yeah you are sweetie. Maybe I should start trying to fatten you up with my food.” He teased and poked at her belly playfully. “I’m kidding sweetie. You are perfect just the way you are.” He assured her and nuzzled his nose with hers. “I’m glad you agree. Gosh, this will probably the only time you will hear this next line come out of my mouth. I can’t wait till your parents get him.” Leo teased with a chuckle and then shook his head. “Nope, I stand corrected. I can think of a few more times when I’ll be repeating those words. At least I hope. But that is all up to you sweetheart.” He said as Roxy pulled him closer and returned his hands to her hips. His smile widened to the silly one Roxanne loved so much. He blushed deeply when she returned the kiss. He quite enjoyed it when she was a bit more aggressive with what she wanted. Nothing turned Leo on more than a strong woman, like Roxanne, to show him his place. “That-a-girl.” He cooed when Roxanne too the pills from him and swallowed them down with the coke. His cheeks turned a bright shade of red when she returned his kiss with her own peck. He kissed the top of her head, taking in the sweet scent of her hair, when she rested her head against his chest.

He enjoyed the sweet silence as he stood in the kitchen, holding his beloved’s hips in his hands. As her emerald eyes gazed into his. He nodded. “As long as I get to eat and get to enjoy you at the same time, I’ll eat anything put in front of me.” He laughed. “Besides, it reminds me of when we were little and I came over here to play when we were little.” He added truthfully and poked her nose. “Lion prince eh?” He laughed again and shook his head. “Whatever you say babe. I’ll be whatever you want me to be.” He promised and then got the pots and pans needed to make their lunch. He started making the soup first, putting the put up with water and pouring in the can of soup. Then he went to work on the grilled cheese, getting out bread butter, and cheese. Then he went to work setting the table while everything got ready. In the end, he set up a wonderful lunch, two bowls of soup and a pile of heart shaped grilled cheese sandwiches. “Lets dig in Mon Ami’” He smiled.


After their wonderful lunch, along with the viewing of The Princess Bride and plenty of cuddling, Roxanne’s parent’s were finally home. They were alerted by the sound and sight of the two cars parking the driveway. “They’re home!” Leo said excitedly, bounding up and holding out his hands for her. Like the gentle man he was, as soon as they finished their dinner, Leo put all the dishes in the dish washer and washed all the pots and pans. After the movie had finished, he and Roxanne put everything away before continuing to cuddle on the couch and talk until her parents arrived. Leo took both of Roxy’s hands and led her to the front door, waiting a few feet away from it so when her parents walked in the two of them would be the first thing they saw. Leo placed Roxy in front of her and placed his arms around her waist. When they finally walked through the door, he had his goofy smile on face. “You want to tell them Roxanne, or do I?” He asked, trying hard not to laugh and jump with excitement.

"I'm sure it won't take you that long to get me to see what it is you see every time you look at me." Roxanne reassured Leo with a smile. "We have better ways to spend the rest of our lives together then you trying to convince me of something, after all." Roxy added, and with the added statement she unknowingly confirmed something for him: that she did plan on spending the rest of her life with him, but, what wasn't shown in her statement was that there was still a small part of her that questioned wither Leo would really want to be with her for the rest of his life. In the back of her mind Roxanne had always told herself that even if the two of them did end up together some day, that he would eventually grow tired of her and they would become nothing but really good friends. When Roxy felt Leo's hand move up to her cheek and begin to stroke it she closed her eyes, letting them stay closed for a few minutes before forcing them open again to look up at her boyfriend. His attempt to distract her and to steer their conversation in another direction had worked, although probably not in the way Leo had hoped because they were soon back to talking about her exes. When the subject returned to the boys of her past it made her smile to see that even as they talked about the boys Leo hated with a passion, he was able to remain completely calm. In fact, he was so calm that even when Roxy would look into his eyes she didn't see any trace of anger within them. When he nodded and smiled as she granted him permission to kill them if any of them tried to do anything that Leo didn't approve of Roxanne couldn't help but smile again, and she couldn't help but to find herself amazed at the fact that Leo would rather get all of them thrown in jail and try to get them help rather than go after all of them himself for all the things he had done to her. When Leo spoke and silenced her she didn't try to fight him, Roxy simply put her head on his chest and looked up at him as he carried her down the bottom of the stairs, wanting to enjoy the moment they were sharing as looked at each other. Of course, if any of her exes were to try anything she wouldn't hesitate giving Leo her consent to do whatever the hell he wanted to them. Roxanne was completely naive as to what lengths Leo was willing to go to, to make sure she was protected from the guys that had already done so much harm to her. Truth be told, it was probably better off that way, too because if she knew Roxy would surely find some way to blame herself for his guilt. When she noticed he was smiling down at her as he was carrying her down the stairs she smiled up at him. She was glad that Leo knew her house so well because it meant she didn't constantly have to explain to him where everything was at.

When he broke the silence by suggesting that he should use his food to try and fatten her up Roxy couldn't help but laugh at him. What made her let out the small laugh wasn't so much what he was saying as it was when he poked her in the belly playfully. Of course, before he had even assured her that he was only joking Roxanne knew he was just kidding. "As are you." She said with a smile. The two of them were like yin and yang, where each of their faults lie was where the others strengths were and vice versa. Yet, at the same time they had so many of the same interests. When he leaned down and nuzzled his nose against her's she took the opportunity to kiss him. Roxy lifted her head from his chest just enough to plant a soft, sweet kiss upon his lips before letting her head fall back down onto his chest. When Leo said that he couldn't wait until until her parents got home it earned another laugh out of Roxanne and when she did stop laughing she flashed him a goofy smile as she looked up at him. "If it is up to me I can tell you right now that you will be saying that on a few more occasions. At least you'll be saying it if you really do want me to be your girl forever." Roxanne said after her goofy smile faded and looking up into his eyes as she spoke, and when she was done speaking she flashed him a weak smile, only able to imagine the kind of happiness that would give him. When his smile widened to the goofy smile she adored once more as his hands rested upon her hips she couldn't help but be happy and she flashed him another smile, this one a bit bigger than her last. She was running her hands through his hair when she noticed him blushing from the kiss she had just give him and that made her smile once more. "Why all the blushing, my love?" Roxanne asked in a slightly teasing tone. She found it cute when she was able to make him blush and without an answer she guessed he was blushing because of how aggressive she was becoming with him, knowing just how much he loved it when she showed him his place a bit. When he cooed as she got the pain killers down with a drink of her soda she winced a bit, although this one wasn't as visible as her ones up stairs had been, and that was a good sign that the pain killers were already helping. Her reaction to seeing him blush after she gave him a peck on the lips was to give him another kiss and when he kissed her on the top of her head, almost as if it were some kind of reflex she moved her head to his chest. Then, when he began to take in the scent of her hair she just closed her eyes, listening to the steady beat of his heart as her head laid on his chest.

A few minutes passed before she opened her eyes and lifted her head from his chest to look up into Leo's eyes. It seemed that listening to his steady, strong heart beat had calmed her because when her Emerald eyes looked into his eyes there wasn't any trace of anything but love and tranquility, there was also no trace of tension within her body. Now, that was a first for even Leo, because even up until the last time they had seen each other before today when she would look at him the tension, fear and every other emotion left in her by her exes was still present when he would look into her eyes. "I'm sure you wouldn't each anything I put in front of you, my love." Roxanne challenged him before planting a soft kiss upon his lips. Like wise for her, grilled cheese and tomato soup reminded her of when he used to come over here when they were little so that the two of them could play. Indeed, they ate it quite often together as they were growing up, yet they never did grow tired of it. In fact, they ate it so often that at one point her mother threatened to stop making it for them, saying that they needed to try different kinds of foods so that they could learn what they did and didn't like. When he poked her nose she looked at him with a bit of a puzzled look upon her face. "May I ask what that was for, sir?" Roxanne asked, in an attempt to be serious, but in the end failing miserably when she busted out laughing as soon as she got the words out. When Roxanne heard his reaction to her calling him her 'Lion Prince' she was a little surprised that he didn't call her his 'Wolf Princess' in return. She wasn't hurt buy it, though because she figured that it was to come sooner or later. As he gathered the supplies he needed to prepared their lunch she watched quietly, even staying silent as he went on to prepared the meal and set the table for them. When he was done with preparing the soup and the heart shaped grilled cheese that were piled onto a plate Roxanne gently pulled Leo back over to her so that he was standing directly in front of her. "I'm ready to eat when you are, but does 'Whatever you say' mean that my boyfriend will do whatever I say?" Roxy asked, using the opening she saw to be a bit more dominant, aggressive and frisky with him.


When Leo and Roxanne were alerted that both her mother and father were home by the sights and sounds of two cars pulling into the drive way Roxy lifted her head from Leo's shoulder where it had been resting and pulled her eyes away from the television, along with whatever boring show they had turned on to kill time while they waited for her parents and turned her attention to the front door. While they waited for her parents to walk in, in the back of her mind Roxy wandered how her parents were going to react to her and Leo's news. The next thing she knew Leo had her by both of her hands and was helping her up off the couch and then leading her over to the door. When they both stopped a few feet from the door and Leo put his arm around Roxanne's waist she looked up at him and kissed him on the lips before her parents walked in the door, although she knew that once her mom and dad were told the news that neither of them would mind Leo and Roxanne kissing in front of them. Then, when her parents walked in she rolled her eyes at Leo. "I'll go ahead and tell them, my love." She said to him and then took a deep breath before telling them. "Leo and I are together."

“Forever and always my sweet Wolf Princess.” He replied with kiss to her cheek. “I want to be with you forever, even after we die.” Leo assured her, nuzzling his nose to hers. His cheeks blushed a bit brighter when she asked about it. “W-well…It really turns me on when you get all dominant and aggressive…its really s-sexy.” He answered Roxy shyly.

“You know I would. I’m such a pig when it comes to food. You know that I eat anything.” He laughed, giving her cheek a soft kiss. He laughed as he remembered the good old days, but stopped when she spoke. “Because you are being so adorable my Wolf Princess, I could not resist.” He answer, kissing the tip of her nose and hugging her tight. When he brought over the food and heard her question, he nodded. “Absolutely anything that my Wolf Princess asks, I will do without hesitation.” He promised, blushing a little and setting the food in front of her.


Her parents laughed at the sight of their daughter rolling her eyes as Leo. “It took you long enough son.” Her father said, speaking first and clapping his hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Congrats baby girl. You picked well.” Her father said with a chuckle as he kissed her forehead. Her mother on the other hand was smiling and had a few tears of joy on her face. “Leo? What took you so long? You asked permission from us nearly a month ago.” She walked over to the two of them and embraced Leo and Roxy in a hug. “I am so happy you two.” Her mother said, giving Leo a kiss to his cheek, and kissing her daughter’s forehead.