faelans_folly | [Closed - Levi and Bella]

Bella stood there when the door opened, hand raised as if to knock and she gave him her half-smile. The one that was coming a little easier every time she attempted it.

"Probably a good idea," she said and, true to his request at mini-golf, in her real voice. "I might very well have broken it down without meaning to."

"Hey," he said, grinning back at her and feeling his heart speed up a bit at the sight of her. It was ridiculous and sappy and stupid, but he couldn't help it. He was crazy about her. Objectively, he realized that part of that was just the fact that she was so different in personality from anyone he had met. She was special in ways she didn't think she was and he liked that.

"And that would be a shame, because the neighbors are really nosy. So, you're probably wondering why I invited you here. To my place. That you've apparently already been to."

Bella's lip got caught in her teeth at being called out in person over her drive by check-ins. "Yeah, about that. It wasn't anything, you know, creepy. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, that nothing that goes bump in the night made it to you. Or anything."

Her hands went to her cheeks. "I feel like I'm blushing," she said, knowing better than to use the broken analogy again, "even though that's not possible. So," she continued, "going to let me in or let the neighbors gossip more?"

"Completely unnecessary, but sweet all the same," Levi assured her, still smiling. It was probably something he should think twice about condoning, but he didn't think she meant it in a creepy way. Just making sure he was safe, and he could understand that.

"You're blushing. I can tell when you are, even if it's not real blushing. It's cute," he added, stepping aside so that she could come in then giving a wave to the neighbors before closing the door.

As she walked into the house, she took what he said and compared it to the things Valkyrie had said while they'd gone shopping and put it on the list of things that pointed the arrow away from 'cop being nice to undead rescuer.' If that's what he was, she really doubted that he'd have called her cute.

Or asked him to her house.

"I think that might very well be the first time anyone's ever referred to me as cute. Deadly, frightening, creepy, yeah. Never cute."

She looked up at him. "I kinda like it."

"Adorable. Precious. All of the cute synonyms," he said, smiling down at her while reaching out to give her hand a small squeeze. Levi was actually a little surprised that she had come to see him, he was half afraid she wouldn't show. Sometimes she seemed... skittish.

"So, I guess you're wondering why I asked you to come here?" Levi said, leading her toward his bedroom.

Bella was almost getting used to the blush feeling now, and it bloomed again when he threw out the list of adjectives. She took a deep breath she didn't need and nodded. "The question did cross my mind a few times, yeah. But if it means anything, I'm glad you did."

"It does," he reassured her. That meant that she wanted to come, she wasn't here just out of obligation or because he tricked her, like the first time. It meant she would probably be open to accepting invitations like this again.

"But, I promised you that you could see me with my pants off whenever you wanted. So, I thought I'd get pantsless now, when you didn't have somewhere to be. But first, I got you an outfit. I realize this is becoming a reoccurring theme, but I think it makes it easier to surprise you if I don't tell you how you should dress ahead of time."

"So you brought me here to take your pants off but I need to wear something else first? Forget what Valkyrie said, humans are the confusing ones," she said the last as a soft, almost inaudible mutter. "I should warn you about surprising me, though. I don't, well, I don't react well."

Now there was an understatement if ever she heard one.

But his comment about clothes had her looking at his. And she'd been wrong in the shop. The tux was nice, the jeans were great, but this? Sweatpants, tank, his broad shoulders bare? This was her favorite. Hands down.

"You've handled everything I've thrown at you so far pretty well," he said, smiling as he stopped at the bedroom. Maybe she would freak out a bit, but he doubted it. Not to congratulate himself too much but Levi felt like he was handling their differences in species pretty well. It was kind of like he knew what he needed to do with her.

"But the outfit is on the bed," Levi told her. It was a simple outfit of flannel pajamas in red and black, soft and warm, even if that sort of thing might not matter to her.

Whatever she'd been expecting when he said bedroom, it wasn't to find a simple flannel and tank on his bed waiting for her. Okay, so, she hadn't been in a bed for years, but she knew it was the more traditional place for hookups (not everyone made use of alleys and storerooms/bathrooms/shadowed corners.) The clothes didn't look like something for pantsless seduction, yet she'd felt him pressed against her that one time on the golf course.

It was all so confusing.

"I'm trying," she said at last. "I just don't want to mess up."

"It's okay. If we mess up, I mean," he said, stepping forward to put a hand on her shoulder. There was the momentary flash of cold, but he was getting used to that and knew if he left his hand there her shoulder would warm up.

"Because we just figure out what went wrong and then we fix it. That's all. As for the outfit... I was thinking we could just lay in bed and watch old movies?"

There were so many different ways this could get fucked up, though, Bella wanted to say. Not the least being him dead or turned by her hand (or mouth, rather.) She wasn't going to say that, though. He knew that ultimate risk, or most of it anyway. He didn't need her pointing it out.

Not when he was being incredibly sweet to her like this.

"You just...," Bella couldn't help the smile, and the broken flutter in her chest. "There you go, making me feel things that shouldn't be possible. "I haven't watched TV, except for what I see in bars or houses I pass. But there are times I wish I could. Just lay and experience someone else's world."

She turned to him with a smile. "I think that sounds like an amazing idea."

"Well, you're still not because you're experiencing our world," he said, pointing back and forth between the two of them. "Because it's what we're doing together. So now it's part of yours and mine. Ours."

It was a simple thing, but he imagined the inclusion of her in his world would mean a great deal to her. She didn't seem to have a lot of that, she seemed to always be on the fringes.

"So get dressed and hop into bed," he told her, shucking off his pants. "Casablanca is up first."

"Ours," Bella repeated on a soft whisper. She liked the sound of that probably a lot more than she should have liked. She'd spent almost all of her time since coming here making sure she didn't interact or get involved. Valkyrie was, to date, the only exception and...that was sort of a blurry line. Val was a lot like her in some ways.

She told herself she wasn't going to peek when he changed, but she did. Boxers again. She couldn't help but smile. And before he could look up, she was out of her jeans and into the sweats. The tank was form fitting - so much so the lace bra wasn't needed. She left it on top of her clothes instead, setting the pile on a chair by the door. Then she climbed into the bed, laying on top of the comforter.

This all took 15 seconds. Tops.

"What's 'Casablanca'?"

"Come on, under the covers," he said with a bit of a laugh. He wasn't laughing at her, really, except that it was kind of adorable. "Proper snuggling should be done under the covers."

Demonstrating, he folded back the covers on his half of the bed and got into them, scooting over next to her. Hopefully she wouldn't be too bothered by the close contact, although she had seemed to like it well enough before.

"And it's a classic movie, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman."

"Are you sure? With...with the blanket as a buffer, I won't make you as cold?" But she didn't wait for an answer before climbing under the blanket and slipping her legs down the mattress. "Promise to tell me if you do, okay? I'm pretty sure you're the type to suffer in silence no matter how uncomfortable you are."

Besides, she really wanted to be close to him again. She loved how it felt dancing with him; she wasn't going to say no to being held by him again.

"We both know the longer you're up against me, the warmer you'll get," he said, scooting over next to her so his body was pressed up against hers. She was cold, but the blankets helped with that and soon they'd both be fairly warm. Smiling he put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her close.

"And just so you know, this movie doesn't have the happiest ending," he told her, grabbing the remote to turn on the TV on the dresser at the foot of his bed. "But it's in no way some sort of... indication of anything I feel about you? So don't read anything into it other than it's a movie I enjoy and want to share with you."

"In theory," she protested. "I mean, that happens when I hold your hand, but over time? I don't know. I don't have a lot to go on. Just promise me, okay?"

Bella rested her cheek on his shoulder. "Unless this movie is about the guy killing the vampire when the movie's over, I promise i won't read anything into, okay?" She turned to look at him, gasping a little at how close they were. "Um. Even if it does, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt?"

"Okay, I promise," he said, smiling at her before leaning over to kiss the top of her head. It seemed like a natural, and safe, thing to do. Relatively innocent and hopefully not something that would bother her too much.

"No vampires. Just a really fantastic story. It's generally considered one of the best movies ever."

Bella did go statue when she felt his lips on the top of her head. Frozen. Not moving, not breathing, just letting her mind work through the feelings. After a minute or two, she relaxed and nodded. "I can't wait to see it, clearly it's one you like very much."

"It is," he said with a nod. Although really this all was mostly just and excuse to spend the evening relaxing with her. Maybe, eventually, he wouldn't have to come up with that kind of excuse. She was already stopping by his house afterall.

He pressed play on the remote and settled in against her. She wasn't exactly comfortable to lean against, but he did enjoy it.

It didn't take long for the story to grip her and pull her in until it held her riveted, trying to figure out how it was going to end, what was going to happen next, and just enjoying the story as it unfolded. When he shifted again, Bella turned to look up at him. "You sure you don't want a blanket between us or something? Not many people bring ice cubes to bed for movie night."

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