In Need Of Coffee And Company {{Open!}}

[Aimee Reynolds]

Aimee had been stressed lately. It seemed everywhere she went, there were reminders of what had happened. Her best friend was completely torn apart, having lost two people who meant so much to him. Matt had been staying in his dorm a lot more lately, and often times he wouldn't even come back to the school. She worried about him, but he had talked to her, even told her he'd had a panic attack. That had scared her. He'd always been her source of comfort, but now he needed her. Sadly, she could rarely find him. He was in classes or working most of the time. But it seemed he had found a friend in Charlotte Darcy, and she was glad. He needed more friends. And sometimes, two people with problems just made things worse.

She had decided she had to get away. The school's mood had been terrified, confused, and depressed ever since the attack. She hadn't been able to see Alex in a while, which worried her. She was terrified, though. One of the students was still in the hospital wing, and a teacher had yet to wake up. She had decided to visit a nice little coffee shop on the corner in Paris. She desperately wanted a nice big cup of coffee, and where else was better to get it than here? She stopped outside of the little shop and pushed open the door, stepping into the warmth. She rubbed her arms a little, dressed simply in dark jeans and a turtle-neck sweater. The sweater was a pretty green with different shaded horizontal stripes, white thrown in here and there.

She went to the counter and ordered a large cup of French vanilla cappucino with a sprinkling of hot cocoa mix. She paid and took it, looking around for a table. She spotted a table for four that had one other occupant seated there. It was Jonathan Halliwell. She smiled and headed over, seating herself beside him. "Hey. What's got you so down?" He looked up from his cup of coffee. He, too, had a large cup. She took her hat and scarf off, both white, and looked at him, taking a sip of her cappucino. He smiled weakly and said,"Roxie, my girlfriend, has a twin sister, apparently. Scarlet, her twin, bewitched herself to look like Roxie and tricked me into kissing her, then Roxie showed up..." He shook his head lightly. "I don't know if she'll ever trust me again..." There were actual tears in his eyes. "Hey, no attitudes like that, mister. I'm sure she'll understand. If you never knew she had a sister, what were you supposed to think?"

((Anyone can come, I just felt like using these two... Had plenty of muse, too. xD))

[Alexander Aindrea]

Ugh, it was cold. Why did France have to have a winter? Winter was awful. It was cold, and you had to wear warm - usually unflattering, unless it was on Aimee - clothes. Alexander was currently clad in a pair of blue jeans and a dark blue jumper, with a thick black coat over the top. He was in a surprisingly good mood, considering the weather, and the only dampener on his mood was that his girlfriend seemed to have disappeared from exsistence.

Little did he know, though, that she was, in fact, thinking something along these similiar lines about him, and she was in the same cafe that he was just about to enter. Funny how the world goes round, isn't it? Upon entering the room, he looked around curiously. This cafe was quite close to the school, so he rather hoped that he's see somebody that he knew. Someone to sit with, at least.

Well, he certainly got that, for, as his eyes fell on a table in the corner, he recognized the girl sitting at the table, along with a rather glum-looking male of, what he guessed, was about his own age. Raising his eyebrows, he made his was over to their table, made himself known with a little, "Hey," and a smile, and sat down heavily in a seat near Aimee. He soon realized that he didn't actually know the boy sitting at the same table, and, hoping that Jonathan would realize also that Alex knew Aimee, greeted, "Hi. I'm Alex."

Before he could say anything else, though, a thin girl with blonde, wavy hair and a red face approached the table. Shooting Aimee and Alex nervous glances, she said quietly, "Jon? Can I... could I... er..." She looked a bit sheepish, and seemed to be wishing she was somewhere else where there wasn't two extra people observing her so curiously as she tried to speak to - what she hoped was still - her boyfriend. "-speak to you for a second?" she finally finished anxiously, adding, "Please," on the end.

{LOOK, LOOK, I BROUGHT IN ROXIE AND ALEX. *squeal* Roxie's going to be apologetic. *nods, deciding this*}

[Aimee Reynolds]

Jonathan looked at Aimee and said softly,"You don't understand... I couldn't tell which was which... I--" He cut himself off, setting the cup down and rubbing his eyes. They were bloodshot... He hadn't got much sleep lately. He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing heavily and drawing a shaky breath before he took a large gulp of the drink. He then spoke even softer this time,"She deserves better than that..."

Aimee locked her eyes with his, and then she spoke firmly. "Don't let me ever hear you say that again, Jonathan Halliwell. You know that this has nothing to do with either of you. This sister of hers obviously has an evil mind, and if she wishes to spend her life ruining her sister's and her sister's friends, than she will get what is coming to her sooner or later. Believe me. However... You, sir, are going to find Roxie and talk to her. You're going to straighten this out, because you two make a really cute couple, and I'd hate to see that ruined because of the acts of one person who can't be satisfied with their own life..."

Jon just looked at her, but no words formed in his mouth. It was at this time that Alex chose to appear, and Aimee looked around, a smile brightening her face considerably. White teeth showed themselves as she grinned, eyes sparkling. Man, had she missed him! She leaned over and hugged him tightly, squeaking once when she nearly squished her cappucino, quickly placing it on the table. She then kissed his cheek, pulling away and grinned. He then spoke to Jon, and she smiled. However, it was then that another face appeared.

Jon looked at Alex and said,"Jonathan Halliwell." It was then that his eyes fell on Roxie as she approached, asking to speak with him for a second. A light blush threatened his cheeks, but he brushed it aside, taking his cup and getting to his feet. He nodded to the other two in a clear farewell. He then nodded to Roxie and headed for a table not too far away, though empty and made for two. He offered her a chair before sitting in one himself. He waited for her to come over, hopefully to sit, before saying,"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" His voice was soft and quiet, almost sounding defeated and broken.

Aimee then looked back at Alex and said,"Hey, you. Where on earth have you been all this time? I went to see you in the hospital wing, but they said you had already gone!" Her face then got serious and she asked,"Are you okay? They said you'd been attacked! I was off with Faith Halliwell, Jon's sister, on a trip to Paris. We were in need of a few things... But when I returned, I heard, and I went to find you, but they said you'd left. So I've been looking for you everywhere these past few days!" She smiled slightly and leaned her head on his shoulder, slipping her arm around his waist, for their chairs were close enough. She then whispered,"I'm just glad you're here, safe... I don't know what I would have done if..." She couldn't finish the sentence...

((There we go. xP Now we can move things along. ^^))

[Alexander Aindrea]

Alexander smiled widely, of course, when he received the hug from his girlfriend. He hugged her back, and grinned even harder at the soft kiss on his cheek. He nodded in response to Jonathan's greeting and then farewell, his eyes flicking breifly to the boy before resting, once again, on Aimee. He raised his eyebrows in a silent, 'what's up with him?'

After all, he knew nothing of the conversation Aimee and the Fina had been having before he arrived, and the other boy had looked pretty upset before - and as - he left the table.

Roxie plopped down in the chair that was offered so politely to her, and waited for Jon to do so, the same anxious look on her face from before. He spoke wearily, and she bit on her lip, thinking of something to say. When she did finally speak, it came out in a whisper. "I'm sorry about the... about the..." She paused, trying to think of a word. Incident? What was she supposed to call it? "About the thing the other day," she finally finished lamely, knowing that he's know what she meant anyway. She bit her lip once more, nearly breaking the skin.

"You couldn't have known about Scarlet. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I'm sorry. You couldn't have told us apart, not with her hair like that. I hate her. I don't know why she did it. I'm sorry. You look even more upset than I was. I'm sorry. I was just hurt, and I acted selfishly, and made you hurt, too. I'm sorry." Roxie had just babbled this out, voice growing a little louder as she said it, the word 'sorry' thrown into the mixture at random places.

Oh dear.

Meanwhile, at the table for four that wasn't so far away from Roxie and Jon's, Alex was looking a little confused as Aimee started her own little outburst, about where he had been, telling him where she had been, telling him how she had been looking for him everywhere... Eventually, it made him smile.

"Shh," he said, stroking her face gently with a hand, then pulling her closer, almost onto his own chair, as she leaned against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and said, "It's okay. I've got a few sore bones from the attack and all, and a bashed head, but I'm alright. Adam... saved my life, I think." He shook his head, in pause, and then continued a little more cheerfully. "There was no bloody way I was staying in that damn hospital place for longer than I should, so I got out of there quickly."

Kissing her on the top of her head once more, the Lioano sixth year said, "You know what? We can go out tonight. Or stay in. Whatever. Let's just be together, okay?" He shook his head again, a pained look on his face, and said seriously, "You can sleep in my dorm, too, if you want." -Because I've been scared shitless for the past few nights, he added silently.

[Jonathan Halliwell]

"I'm sorry about the... about the..." He was patient, waiting for her to finish her sentence. Finally it came. "About the thing the other day..." He was silent for a long moment, eventually shutting off his thoughts long enough to hear her next speech. "You couldn't have known about Scarlet. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I'm sorry. You couldn't have told us apart, not with her hair like that. I hate her. I don't know why she did it. I'm sorry. You look even more upset than I was. I'm sorry. I was just hurt, and I acted selfishly, and made you hurt, too. I'm sorry."

He was silent for a while, allowing her words to echo within his mind. Man, she blamed herself. It truly wasn't either of the two's fault, but the blame fell more on him than on her. He couldn't tell the difference between his girlfriend and her twin, for crying out loud! He had already beaten himself up over it... And he hadn't been able to find Faith, so he had been forced to come here instead of talking to his sister. She was always like a voice of reason for him. He may be intelligent, but she had more common sense than he did. He just had book smarts; she had both.

At last, he spoke, but the words were soft. His voice was a little rough, sounding rather hoarse and misused than anything. Truly, it had rarely been used until today, and he had been losing sleep by the days... "Roxie, it's not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I couldn't tell that there was something off about her, and even when I was suspicious, I pushed it aside... I didn't even think..." He shook his head, looking down at the table. What was he going to do? He had kissed his girlfriend's -- was she still his girlfriend? He hoped so -- twin...


Aimee smiled softly, snuggling closer to him. She had been so terrified when she had heard... All she could think about was 'what if...' But he was okay. The next few days had been torture, especially when she couldn't find him, but she was okay now. He was healthy, safe, and he was here. Now. With her. She smiled again, closing her eyes for a moment as she listened to him speak. His voice was very soothing to her, and his kiss planted on the top of her head was very relaxing. It felt so good to be with him again...

"I'm just so glad you're okay... Bashed head?" She opened her eyes, twisting her head slightly to look up at him. "It's not bad is it?" Worry flickered into her eyes, but it was wiped clean when he mentioned Adam. Saving his life? Her eyes widened slightly, more in shock than anything. He had been involved too, huh? "He... did?" She was still a little surprised... She smiled softly at his next statement. "Of course you wouldn't. If you had, I would have been shocked."

Her smile widened, a flash of her teeth peeking through as she said,"It sounds wonderful, Alex. I vote for staying in tonight. I've missed you, and I really don't want to have to share you with anyone tonight." She let a flicker of a joking smile grace her lips before she continued on. "And I would love that. I believe it's a date..." Of course, she didn't tell him that she had been terrified every night... She didn't mention the nightmares and thoughts that plagued her inside and outside her dreams... She forgot to tell him that she doubted they were through with Beauxbatons, and that something told her they would be back soon...

[Alexander Aindrea]

Oh damn. He was being silent. So silent, and it unnerved Roxie, who started chewing on her nails furiously, eyes trained on Jon. He must be mad at her. There was nothing else the Fina thought that it could be. She wasn't sure why he was mad, but she still thought he was.

Roxie shook her head, slightly exasperated, as Jonathan finally spoke. "No, no one's to blame. You couldn't have known I had a twin!" She shook her head again. "I would have pushed away any strange thoughts, too! It wasn't your fault. I was just angry, and hurt, and irrational..." She trailed off.

"Yeah," Alex said, waving a hand again. He laughed, and said, "Aimee, darling, if it was bad, do you think I'd be wandering around cafe's searching for my gorgeous girlfriend?" The paused, then added, "Well, yes, but I would be doing it with extreme pain and dizziness. So, no. I'm good. And... yeah. He kind of did. I probably would have... yeah. Not been here otherwise."

What she said made him smile; he was glad, damn glad that she didn't want to share him with anyone else. What she said made feelings, unfamiliar feeling, rush through him until he was dizzy. "I vote for it, too. I'll do whatever you want." That came out sounding a little wrong... but he was sure she knew what he meant. "I'd love it, too." He leaned down and lifted her head, and then kissed her lightly on the lips.

[Aimee Reynolds]

Jonathan looked at her, his eyes a mix of so many emotions. It was entirely impossible to extract one from the other at this point, so were they all entangled with one another. Some went hand in hand, and others were simple loners. There were so many, he wasn't sure what he was feeling any more, but he was pretty certain that it was far from happiness. He felt miserable, to say the least. Thoughts exploded within the chambers of his mind, and he was forced to try and sort through them. It was nearly impossible, and his eyes slid shut, covering those mezmerising green eyes as his hand came up and gently massaged his temple, praying that his head would stop pounding very soon, else he might just go insane.

He eventually heard her speaking again, and his hand fell onto the table beside the other, both of them lacing together. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself, and this seemed the easiest choice. His eyes slid open simultaneously as they locked onto her own, listening to each word that slipped from her mouth as though his very existence depended upon those simple words. He shook his head a little after she had finished. His eyes slid closed as his head dropped slightly, and he would have been looking at the table if those emerald depths had been open. However, they were not, and instead he saw the blackness of the world behind his eyelids, and he was pretty content with it right now. At least it wasn't as much of a reminder of his mistakes...

He then opened his eyes, though he remained looking down at the table. His eyes found his cup of cappucino, and he simply stared into the open part in the lid that allowed him to sip from the thick steamy liquid. He then spoke softly, unable to find the words easily nor the strength to speak them. "Roxie..." He turned his head away from her, looking out the window at the swirling snowflakes that were falling. What was he going to do? The letter... He shoved the thought out of his mind. No, now was most certainly not the time to be thinking about that. In fact, how about never. There was no way it was true... She was just messing with him... Right? Of course. She had to be. Because there was no way that she was coming to Beauxbatons, right? This time, there was no answer, and a lump appeared in his throat, which he swallowed. Things were going to get interesting...

He then continued to stare out of the window as he tried again, the words barely audible to even him. She would be able to hear him, but it wasn't going to be for everyone else to hear, either. "Roxie... I've had a lot of time to think since then... And I should have known. I'm the Head Boy, and I've seen her before. I was stupid, and I'm sorry if I hurt you. I never meant to hurt you, Roxie... Ever." He paused, swallowing the tears that formed in his throat. "I don't know where I stand with you any more, and I need to know if you still want to be my girlfriend... If not, I understand... But there's some things you have to know, Roxie. I should have told you sooner, but I never could bring myself to tell you..." This was going to be tough; it really was.

"Roxie, at my old school, there was a girl. I loved her. We dated for years, and eventually, we decided that it was time to take it to the next step..." His eyes had grown distant as he stared out of the window, and it seemed like it had been just yesterday. He could see her now... "We were talking about marriage, even. And..." Now came the hard part. "We were together, Roxie... And after that, she left. She... She said she was sorry, and that things just weren't right. She said I wasn't 'the one', and then she was gone. Just like that..." He took a deep, shaky breath. "I was crushed, Rox... I didn't know what to do, and it was only Faith that got me through it. I don't know what I would have done without her... She's my best friend. Always has been, always will be..."

He forced himself to look back at her. This was painful, and it was evident on his face. His eyes were filled with heartache that he had masked for the past few months. Afterall, it had only been at the end of the first semester of his sixth year that it had happened... He then forced himself to continue. "It was hard to trust in another relationship, and then this happens... I took a huge risk in asking you out, something I had sworn to never let happen again. I don't regret it, but after this..." He swallowed. "I'm not sure that I'm good enough for you, Roxie McElroy. I'm really not sure... You deserve so much better, and I know that you could find much better than me... But I don't want to let you go. I just want you to be happy, and if you're happy with me, then we need to talk through this and move on. If you're not, then..." He trailed off, unable to find the strength enough to finish.


His kiss caused those darn butterflies to stir up again. She didn't mind it, though. After a time, she gently pulled away, but she didn't go far. She kept her eyes closed and pressed her forehead gently to his, her arms wrapping around his neck. She rested there for a moment, content to be wrapped up in his arms. It was very comfortable, really. It brought a grin to her lips, and they curved in complete and utter happines, her white teeth showing themselves fully and proudly. She then whispered,"You have no idea how happy it makes me to call you mine..." She had this crazy thought just then that she wanted him to be 'hers' forever, but she pushed it aside. Afterall, he wasn't even sure if he loved her yet, much less talks of marriage.

This didn't change her feelings though, and she felt the need to tell him. "Alex... I love you. So much..." She felt a single tear trickle down her cheek as the joy overwhelmed her. "I'm just so happy that you are okay..." She wrapped her arms more tightly around him and rested her head on his shoulder, keeping her eyes closed. She burrowed a little towards his neck, just comfortable to rest there with him holding her. God, she had missed him! He was her strength when she was weak, and right now, she needed to be weak. There were times when she had to be strong, but right now, damnit! She was going to be weak! She gently kissed his neck, as it was the only part of him she could really reach, planting another butterfly kiss on his shoulder before resuming her position on his shoulder. She could stay like this forever...

After a short time, she sniffed and pulled away slightly, looking to try and meet those beautiful eyes of his. She smiled a little and pressed a kiss to his lips, lingering briefly. She pulled away again, this time a little more devious smile in place. She then planted another one, this one just a tad longer, just to tease him. She did this a few times before she laughed lightly, eyes closing as she imagined this was a little frustrating for him. She then looked back at him and said,"You have no idea what you mean to me..." She then pressed her lips to his, lingering the longest. However, she did attempt to pull away, but she hoped he would stop her somehow. Afterall, that would make this whole thing even more enjoyable!

((*claps* I officially LOVE this post! ))

[Alexander Aindrea]

Once again, there was silence. Roxie stayed completely quiet during this time, and then Jonathan said her name. He looked so, so troubled... what was it? Was it her? Was it the attack? Was it something worse? That thought made her shiver a little, and she tried to meet his eyes. They were turned, though, and he gazed out of the window, so Roxie simply resigned to staring down at her slightly trembling hands.

"Stop it." Damn. Roxie had caused all this, as well. Why had she made it seem like it was his fault? God, she wanted to kick herself for this. She should have just punched Scarlet or something... storming off and refusing to speak to Jon had been one of the worst mistakes of her life, as Mirabelle bloody Miette kept reminding her, oh-so-'kindly'. Why did she care so much, anyway? "Of course, I know you didn't mean to hurt me... Yes, I want to be your girlfriend, your..." She trailed away, having told him so, and got confused at the next part. "What... what is it, Jon?"

She nodded patiently, content for now to just let Jon speak... to just listen, and add bits in, when she thought it was necessary. "Wow," she said quietly, before falling silent once more. He spoke about what happened, and a hand rose slowly to her mouth. How could she have done that to him? What was the point in going so far with someone just to end it so abruptly?It was ridiculous, and just plain cruel.

Roxie listened as he went on, slightly confused now with where this was going. It was good for her to know that he had been in such a serious relationship, but... Soon, he told her how this involved her. "Look, Jonathan. I was - I, I am - happy with you. Of course you're good enough for me... the only stupid reason that this has happened is because of my twisted sister." Roxie flushed a little with anger just thinking about her sister.

After a couple of moments of being so close to Aimee, Alex grinned at her totally admiring expression. When she spoke, he laughed quietly, and said, "You? You're happy to have me? I look at the gorgeous girl sitting opposite me, kissing me, telling me that she loves me, and the happiness I feel is..." He trailed off, shaking his head and appearing to not know how to describe it. "It's just... wow." And now... maybe he'd tell her just how much.

When she said the next thing, Alexander decided to do so, and took a deep breath. You know what? Screw it. After all that had happened, he couldn't afford to be afraid of a feeling! Time was far too precious to waste, with all these attacks going on. "I love you, too." He lifted her head to wipe the tear off her cheek, and kissed the place where it had been. "God, I love you so much." Why had he been so freaked out about saying something so damn true? At least now, finally, he was being completely and totally honest.

At the little, teasing kisses that she scattered over his neck and shoulder - and then the longer one's, the one's to his lips, the one's that affected him so damn much - Alex grinned harder, and was surprised to find his voice slightly hoarse when he said, "I suppose I don't.. but I could guess." There was a pause, and then he said, "But God, Aimee, stop driving me mad..." This was refering to the kisses, of course.

And stop her from going he did, at the last, longer kiss. He pulled her closer instead with one arm, and murmured against her lips, "Don't go, Aimee. Don't go."

[Jonathan Halliwell]

Jon looked at her and gave the smallest of smiles. Well, at least she didn't completely hate him now... He spoke once more, his voice softer than usual, but it wasn't so rough now. "Rox... I..." He trailed off, trying to find the words to say. What was he supposed to say? He looked back out the window once more, having looked over at her. He had never imagined relationships being this hard... His parents' had been so easy, so beautiful... It had been perfect. Why couldn't he have what they had lived with?

He then looked back at her, determined to get through this if it killed him. Oh, man, it just might actually kill him... He looked into her eyes and took her hands in his, trying to slow his racing heart. His breaths were shallow and rapid, but it was both from fear and nervousness. He took a deep breath, swallowing hard and starting once more. "Roxie, there's something else you should know... I... You have no idea how hard this is for me. Rox, I'm terrified..." He was being serious, completely honest with her. It was time to lay all the cards on the table. "Roxie... I..." He let go of her hands, unable to look at her. This was the hardest thing he had ever done...

He looked down at the table and looked down at his hands. They were shaking terribly. He clenched them in his lap and refused to look at her. "I love you..." It was spoken so she couldn't hear. He then forced himself to look up at her, eyes searching for her own. "Roxie... I... I love you..." Oh man, he'd said it. Everything inside him screamed at him not to. Every last freaking part of him! But no! He has to be stupid and blurt it out to her! She must think he was an idiot... She must be freaked out... She didn't love him... He pushed away from the table, muttering,"Excuse me..." He darted out the door, holding his cappucino cup. He leaned against the wall of the shop, away from the window, and stared out at the falling snowflakes...

What had he just done?


Her eyes sparkled at his words, and she giggled a little, snuggling a little closer to him. He was warm... Suddenly, she just wanted it to be the two of them, alone, in his dorm. She didn't want to go back to her dorm, though... She wanted to stay with him tonight. No, sex wasn't on her mind. Instead, she just wanted to talk and cuddle and fall asleep in his arms. Was that too much to ask? She certainly didn't think so. Sex could wait. Right now, she just wanted to spend time with him. All of these attacks and such scared her to death, and she felt safer with him. Plus, she would feel better if she was with him, because together she knew they would be able to protect themselves.

"I love you, too." Those words echoed in her head, and she looked at him, her expression softening as she simply melted. "You do?" It was more to make sure she had heard him right, and then he repeated it. She felt tears well up behind her eyes, but these were tears of pure joy. God, it was amazing to hear those words from him. She felt the tears begin to spill down her cheeks, but she didn't bother to stop them. Instead, she just snuggled close to him, closing her eyes. This had to have been the best day of her entire life. In fact, this was going to be written down in her diary... He stopped her escape the last time, and he held her there with one arm. His voice begged her not to go, and this time, she stayed. She whispered,"I'm not going anywhere, Alex. Ever." She then pressed her lips to his one final time, keeping them there. She was never going to leave him... She loved him.

And love was something she would never just throw away...

[Alexander Aindrea]

There was something else? Oh Jesus. He was okay, wasn't he? He wasn't really ill, or anything, right? Hey, he looked pretty rough. Roxie didn't know what the heck was going on right know, she didn't know what was going through his head, what was- wait. He wasn't going to break up with her, was he? Because right now, the more the Fina female thought about it, the more convinced she was that this was what it was. It sue seemed that way.

She bit her lip hard, blue eyes meeting his green ones, as he took her hands in his. This was it, this was the end, this was- wait. He was terrified? If he was breaking up with her, then why was he scared about it? Roxie shook her head in an attempt to clear all the thoughts from it, and, hands shaking, she silently begged him to just get it out. This was making her so anxious you wouldn't believe.

When he said it almost inaudibly, her face remained blank, but then he repeated it. "What?" She gasped this in complete and utter amazement. Merlin, had she not seen that coming. Not in a million damn years. Of course she didn't think he was an idiot, though... the girl was just shocked out of her head. As for her loving him... she didn't know! She didn't know what love was! Tears of frustration flooded her eyes, and she banged the table in confusion.

Sure, she felt all bubbly and smiling whenever he was about, her heart beat faster when they kissed, and she missed him terribly when he was gone... but she didn't know if it was love. Damn; it wasn't fair. Before she could voice any of these thoughts... he was up and away. She jumped up immediately, and followed him to the door. Before going out, she took a deep breath. And then, out she went.

Silently, Roxie approached her boyfriend, wondering what she could possibly say. As it were, she didn't say anything, and instead, took his coffee out of his hands, glancing around for a place to put it, she eventually shoved it on the nearest outside window ledge. This done, she turned back to the male, and then... pulled him closer. Arms around his neck, she hissed, "Jonathan Halliwell!" A tear slipped from her eye, and her voice cracked slightly. "If you ever tell me you love me and then desert me in a crowded coffee shop again, then I swear to God, I'll give you something to be bloody scared about!"

And with that, she kissed him on the lips, and then put her head on his shoulder in a hug, muttering tearfully into his shoulder, "I love you too, you stupid ass." And that was that, right?

Meanwhile, inside the warm, crowded coffee shop mentioned before, Alex thought, with a grin of his own, how much he liked that laugh of hers. That was sweet, man. Sweet. And yeah, sex hadn't been what he was thinking about, either- God, he must love this girl. And, guess what? He actually felt safer with her too. It would be much better than sleeping all by himself, the way he had been while she had been away. In fact, he wanted to go home, too.

Hey, look at that: home.

"I do, I do, I do..." he murmured the words over and over again, leaning his head down and burying it in her soft hair. I do. They flew around his head in sort of chant. And he did. He had for so long... he just hadn't had the courage to say it yet. But the Lioano male needed courage more for other things right now; not denying the truth. "Thank Merlin." He kissed her back, and then said quietly, "I've been angry and alone before, and God... it's not worth it."

[Jonathan Halliwell]

Were those tears in Jon's eyes? He had heard her exclamation of surprise, and it haunted him. He stood outside in the freezing weather, and all he could think about was the last time he had loved a girl... He had given her everything... And what did he get in return? She had ditched him and moved on to the next best thing, which just happened to be his best friend at the time. Even now, that was like a knife in his chest. His hand unconsciously moved to rest over his heart, clutching the fabric there as if he wanted to rip it out. He didn't want to feel like this anymore... He just wanted to be happy again, to be content with life. Sure, he was a smart, nice guy, but underneath it all, he was unhappy with a lot of things.

Then she came out, and he didn't even look at her. The more correct expression would be that he couldn't look at her. She was going to go back to the school and tell everyone, and they would laugh at him, wouldn't she? She hated him, didn't she? Stupid! God, he was so stupid! Then, suddenly, he felt his coffee jerked out of his hand and shoved onto the window ledge. He looked, and found Roxie, and he got a little paler. Oh man, what now? Was she going to rub salt in the wound? Was this really even Roxie? Or was it Scarlet, just trying to make him think Roxie was okay with it, when really she wasn't, and she wanted him to think everything was okay when really it wasn't and... He was confusing himself here.

Then she was talking, and it was all he could do to listen to her. Why was she crying? What was going on? Oh man, he was so confused... The world had been flipped upside down in a matter of a few weeks, and all he knew was that he loved her... But why was she crying, and why was she still here? His head hurt... "Wha--?" What on earth?! Then he felt her lips on his, and he felt the familiar racing of his heart. Then she was resting her head on his shoulder in a hug, and he let his arm find their way to her waist, though he was still confused beyond shiz right now. Then came the words. "I love you too..." What?! Oh man, he almost fell at that point, he felt so weak. But somehow he stayed on his feet, simply staring down at her.

"I..." What the heck was he supposed to say to that?! "I, uh... I'm sorry for, um, walking out..." He swallowed, still completely and utterly confused. What was he going to do with himself? He needed to think through everything that had happened, and that was going to take a while... But hey, it seemed he had all the time in the world. "It's just..." He was so tense right now, every fiber of his being was completely tense. "I was afraid... it would happen again..." He felt ashamed to say it, but it had to be said. She had to know the truth. You didn't lie in a relationship, especially when you loved the person. Did she really love him? She hadn't seemed to back in there... Okay, enough thinking. Time to just let things happen...


She smiled and didn't try and move from their current position, because she was pretty happy with the way they were. She didn't want him to leave, and right now, she had no intentions what so ever to move just yet. Yes, home. They should go home soon, because dangit! She wanted him all to herself! She had pretty much had enough of sharing him with the entire coffee shop, and she didn't even care if they were staring. They deserved this, and she had missed him so much. Finally, those happy tears had stopped flowing, and she sniffed, lifting her head to look at him as she wiped her cheeks to get rid of most of them. She smiled at him and just looked into his beautiful eyes, completely content to do this all day.

She gave a small laugh before she pressed her lips to his forehead this time. "Good. Because I think that it's time that I get you all to myself..." Her smile widened, and she pressed her lips to his, holding them there for a little longer. She pulled away, but this time, she didn't go far. She kept her eyes closed for a moment, feeling those familiar butterflies and her heart as it skipped a beat every now and then. She doubted her heart rate would be back to normal any time soon... She then kissed him again, though this time it was more of a butterfly kiss. It was brief, but it was oh so sweet. She then sniffed again and opened her eyes, wanting to meet his as she spoke. "Let's go home, Alex... Let's go home..."