Him & I (discounted/paused)

We are all we need.

- Federico -

Happiness.

Since I was a little kid I have believed that happiness is brought to a person by those around them.

Since I was a kid those around me have never brought me happiness, which proves my theory right.

Until Rox.

We've been laying in silence for about 10 minutes since she asked me a question I don't think I know how to answer. I think she thinks I didn't hear her, which is why she asks again,

"Federico? I asked you a question" she says as she props herself on my chest, her arms under her chin as she looks up to me.

I know she asked a question, I'm just hoping I heard wrong so I don't have to answer. I don't think I can without putting my emotional baggage out.

She asked, and I quote "Why are you not an asshole?" but I think she meant it more as, why am I sweet to her and not the asshole she was expecting me to be, I'm not sure though which is why I ask her what she means

" I mean, how come you haven't tried to kill me, not to be stereotypical but most men in your place are nowhere near as nice and open as you, so yes, I want to know why"

I never saw myself as who she's describing, I never thought I was being sweet, or caring, or open.

I simply saw what she deserved and treated her with the intensions to never let her forget her worth.

"I was 3 years old when my father hit me for the first time." I begin because as much as I hate talking about my father, he made me who I am.

"I was 5 when I saw him lay a hand on my mother for the first time."

I leave out the part where my father beat me purple afterward, hoping it will make me forget, but it just added to the rage.

"7 when I started to understand that the arguing, the hitting, the resentment that he felt, that was because of all the affairs, all the regret to being tied down because of the family legacy"

"And once he saw that I understood the reason behind his behavior, he decided I was no longer the piece f shit that tied him to his marriage, but the person he could leave his empire to.

Lots of kings wait until they die to let someone take their throne, but my father realized he had no option when I finally turned 16 and made him regret everything he did to my mother."

"Training since I was 8 gave me all the strength I needed of course, but it wasn't physical strength that made him realize he was done, it was me outsmarting him, taking the thing he liked the most about life which is the empire he built. I took it away from him just like he took the light out of my mom's eyes with all the abuse he put her through"

Roxana's hand moves, taking a grip of my own and holding it, saying all she needs to say.

"The day I finally had the courage to stand up to him and show him I'm the man he will never be, I promised myself that if I ever found a woman I loved enough to protect like I protected my mother, I would never treat her the way he treated her"

"I don't do much Rox, I give you the bare minimum which is respect and love, both things you deserve. Only you. Seriously, If you were anyone else you would've been dead by now, I only vowed myself to you, so only you get me."

Roxana moves so she's straddling my lap on the bed, both of her hands making their way to my face as she leans in and gives me a quick peck before pulling away, her thumbs start to caress my face as she simply says something I didn't know I wanted to hear from her until now,