Baby I Loved You First- Leonetta

Chapter 24:

/Violetta/

Leon covers Violetta's eyes as they walk through something soft yet prickly, maybe grass. Leon had told her it was alright to take off her shoes, so she's being maneuvered through what she assumes is some type of field. Her giggles fill the air as Leon keeps telling her to wait just another minute, they're almost there. She's very excited to see what's in store.

"Alright, I'm going to uncover your eyes now. One-two-three!" A momentary screen of black shields her eyes from the view, but when her vision clears up, she grins from ear to ear.

The sun has gone down for the day, a beautiful sunset in the works. Golden rays of light mix with purple and pink, creating a blanket of color in the usually blue sky. A beauty like no other is right before her eyes. Leon tugs on her hand and she looks to her right to another beautiful sight.

A sheet had been thrown around the branch of a tree, forming a sort of tepee over a blanket covered patch of grass. Fairy lights hang along the branch making a sort of halo around the area. On the blanket covered grass, various plates of food are arranged in a semi-circle and pillows cover the other half of the circle. Leon has Violetta sit on one of the pillows as he reaches across to grab a plate of chocolate covered strawberries.

"Care for a snack?" Violetta picks one of the strawberries up, biting into the chocolatey outer shell.

"These are delicious." Violetta praises, finishing the first one and grabbing another off the plate.

"Well, you have Andres to thank for these. He was actually the one who set this entire thing up while we were still filming, along with Fran." So that was why Fran wasn't there once they finished the scene. But she's glad that her friend helped make this such a wonderful picnic.

The sun fully sets, the moon shining brightly in the sky. The food has been cleared away and all that's left is to stare up at the sky where dozens of stars are illuminating the night sky. Constellations create games of connect the dots as Leon points them out to Violetta. Her head rests on his chest and it's wonderful to be in his arms again.

"I remember when we would do this as kids, sneaking out past curfew to count the stars. We knew there was way too many to count, but we did it anyway, so we could spend time together." Leon whispers into the night.

Violetta remembers those nights, laying together in the moonlight, their bodies keeping each other warm in the cool night. It was then that she remembered coming to terms with her love for him.

|Flashback|

It was cold winter night when Leon and Violetta were out in the park, laying the grass. Although they were wrapped up in winter clothing, they held each other tight to keep warm. Their feelings were settling, the moment before the big reveal.

Violetta could feel the love in the air and could hear the rhythmic thumping of Leon's heart. It was soothing and reminded her so much of the fact that Leon was real and in love with her, just as much as she loved him. She leaned in, to breathe him in, smelling his sweet cologne and thinking that she could spend the rest of her life like this.

"Violetta. There's something I want to tell you." Violetta felt when her heart jumped at the words, firstly scared of what he had to say. Then she looked into his eyes and knew that it wasn't bad, far from being bad at all. He pulled her close, connecting their lips in a kiss that Violetta can feel to this day. Her hands wound on the edge of his shirt, her emotions getting the better of her.

"I love you Vilu, I love you a lot. People will say we're too young, but I can't help how I feel." She could hear the vulnerability in his voice and it made her even more expressive as she let a tear fall.

"I love you too Leon. I love you so much." The power of those words held true through the night as they held each other until the early morning, laughing when they barely made it home before their parents noticed.

\Leon\

The memory of it is burned into his brain and it's a night he'll never forget. He'll never forget the way his heart elated at the sound of Violetta telling him she loved him too. He'll never forget the way his arms automatically tightened their hold, never wanting to let go of the moment. He will never forget that when they kissed after their confessions of love, time stopped for those few minutes.

Those feelings carry through today as he stares at the women he loves in his arms. She will always be the one, no matter what he wanted to believe in the past. He now understands that his feelings were never going to go away. He would always love her, will always love her. She is his everything.

"Violetta, I want you to know that I've never stopped loving you. I loved you then and I love you know and maybe it's too soon to tell you this, but I can't keep it in anymore." It's like that moment all over again and she raises her head to look at Leon properly. Her eyes are brimming with tears, but this time, they aren't out of sadness. They're tears of joy. She gives Leon a watery smile, tucking her face back into his chest. She mumbles words into his shirt and Leon has to jostle her gently to have her speak up.

"I- I love you too. I don't know what I was thinking when I told myself I could forget about you. You're always on my mind, even when I was with Tomas. I could never erase the memories." Her gaze meets Leon's and his heart races with a surge of love that he's only ever felt for Vilu. He grips her waist, lifting her until he can properly kiss her. His head spins when he feels her smile into the kiss, something he's missed dearly since they were apart.

He holds her and kisses her and promises to love her better this time around. He understands what this is now and he doesn't ever plan on letting the most important thing in his life go, ever.