Sinful (WICKED #2) | ✓

46

LEVI HAD SOMEHOW BECOME friends with her mother as her martial arts tournament neared. With most of her intensive training in the weekend at home, he was an unmissable factor there, either simply there to support her or participating to help. It was nice to see him blending in with her family, especially because she knew his own was weighing heavy on his mind these days. He hadn't gone to visit Kai in the hospital yet, the man having been close to being in hypovolemic shock when he had arrived there. Had they not rescued him, he probably would have died, the doctor had said. Levi had been silent and the day after he had gone to visit his mother without another word about it.

She had wanted to ask if she needed to go along, but he simply had taken her hand in his, so she had followed. When they had arrived she had stayed in the car so he could have a private moment and as soon as he had returned she could see the way his breath had tangled itself in his throat. He had rested his head against the steering wheel, knuckles white as they clenched around it.

"It's so fucking dysfunctional," he had whispered," all of it, me. I am not allowed to feel happy without something happening, am I?"

When she had hugged him, he had stayed silent, but his grief had been so loud she could practically hear it through his heartbeat.

"What are you thinking about?"

Levi's voice shook her out of her thoughts during her morning run. She had been waking up earlier these days, despite how much she hated being up before two PM, because she had learned quite quickly that there was no way to do anything after six at St Joseph. There always was something which distracted her, whether it was Alex' long, strange speeches about whatever caught his attention that day or Will's new plans to make the campus more green. So six o'clock it was and honestly the habit was kind of growing on her.

The air tasted of morning dew and the world glowed softly, as if Mother Earth had dusted it all gently with faint fatigue and promises of a new day. She came across Clarkson quite often on the sportsfield during her voluntary laps, his morning routine very consistent, but Levi was a surprise. A pleasant one, but a surprise still. She knew rising early was yet another thing on his Hate List, which was effectively a list of things he hated. With his messy bed hair and sweatpants it was clear he had arrived here straight from bed.

"Nothing at all," she smiled, her words clouding up in the air," what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep." He swallowed the rest of his sentence, instead smiling at her. "I wanted to see you. And I know you've been doing this so persistently, so I guess I wanted to support you as well."

"You know there's no need," she smiled fondly at him," I know you support me, always."

He nodded at her, voice soft. "I do. I'm lucky to have you, Eleanora."

"O my god, who do I see there?" someone yelled across the field," two lovebirds running away together?"

"Run harder," Levi whispered, but it wad too late, Alex had already caught up, slapping him amicably on the shoulder.

Alex at least had put on jeans, but somehow he still looked rougher than Levi, almost like he had gotten here straight from a streetfight. Will was right behind him, wide awake and beaming, uniform ironed and clearly ready for the day. Honestly, she was just curious if he could even get tired at this point.

"Who knew the day would come I'd see you three this early?" Ella said.

"I had hoped it wouldn't," Alex sighed," we were woken up loudly by your brother barging into our room. No wonder he's called a demon."

"Ah yes," Ella nodded solemnly," him waking people up early, that's the main source of his reputation."

"That and my amazing sense of humor."