Christmas Came Early

Lillith interjected almost immediately, cutting him off before he could get too far into his self-deprecating apology for failing to protect her. Silver eyes blinked in surprise when she caught his cheek with a dainty alabaster paw, forcing him to look her in the eye when he truly wanted to look everywhere but right at the fair maiden he'd let down so grievously. His heart wrenched and sank when he saw the genuine appreciation and severity in her eyes, speaking of how he'd saved her life. Lillith called him her hero, and honestly he felt like anything but a hero. All his life, he'd heard the stories of the might of the Armada family, the strength of their bloodline and the power of their family. It was hard for the young wolf to feel like a hero when he'd been seconds away from watching the girl who held his heart get her skull crushed in by a jaguar.

Romulus listened to her words, but the self-doubt and skepticism still lingered in his gaze despite her fervent reassurances. It wasn't until Lillith brought her lips forward to capture his in a sweet gentle kiss did Roman's defenses begin to crack. No crumble, but a fracture had definitely appeared in his walls. He kissed her back, feeling his heart skip a beat or two, and for a brief moment he felt a little more heroic. She said those three words once more, and Romulus felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest. No matter how often he heard them, they felt as impactful as they had that wintry day in the snow. "I love you too. Thank you, Lil," he spoke softly once their lips had parted, and though he smiled, there was still some self-doubt clouding his usually clear eyes.

"I just... I should've been better for you. I said I'd keep you safe, but you still got hurt on my watch. I guess that's what I'm sorry for. That I couldn't..." Couldn't be perfect. He turned his eyes down again, not wanting to let Lillith see just how much he hated that he couldn't be perfect for her.

"Speech"