Keysmith [NOT FANFICTION] ✓completed

Rules

LEX LONDON strode back into the living room with a neutral expression on his face, making sure to keep Levi in suspense.

He didn't say a word as he walked towards the couch where both Isabel and Levi where seated, staring them down and forcing Levi to speak first.

"Look," Levi began nervously, standing up, "I know you're the lonely type, and you're obviously not looking for company, but..."

Lex's eyebrow shot up in a questioning arc, and Levi trailed off, backtracking his sentence in an attempt to figure out what he'd said wrong.

"What?" he asked eventually, finding no fault in his own phrasing.

"Nothing," Lex shook his head, "do go on."

"I... uhm... I don't really have anything else to say."

"No convincing argument as to why I shouldn't just kick you out of my apartment right now?"

"I have no where else to go," Levi shrugged, "I'd probably hang around in front of your house until you let me in. You have to give in eventually."

Lex let out a dark laugh.

"No I don't. Not if I didn't want to."

Levi shifted uneasily, and a satisfied smirk chipped at Lex's stern expression. This was where he was in his element — in control, making other people feel uncomfortable.

Instead of letting Levi continue, Lex took the conversation into a different direction.

"You're what, thirteen?"

"Fifteen," Levi mumbled.

"You'll need to go to school, won't you? Who's going to pay that?"

"Ray payed for me to go to a school three blocks down from here. He's payed ahead for a year, if he's still in jail after that you're allowed to send me back to Dani."

An involuntary shiver ran down Levi's back. Dani was Raynold's wife, and she was the very definition of the fine line between fanatic and lunatic.

"I could walk there, so you won't have to pay bus fees," he added, hoping it was a convincing argument.

"Uh-huh? And how am I supposed to pay your breakfasts? It's not like I have a regular job. Yet."

"I have a small reserve that Ray gave me," Levi mumbled, "it's not a lot, but it should be able to feed me for the first month or so. After that," his voice lowered to a barely distinguishable mumble, "I guess I'll have to get side-job. Or we could just... steal... some...stuff..."

Lex's eyebrows shot back into the air.

"Would you care to repeat that last sentence?"

"Get a side job?"

"The other part."

"Oh, that. I said we could just... um... steal... some money... if we... um... need it."

Lex's eyebrows stayed in their questioning arc as he waited for further explanation.

"I mean, Ray's taught me a few pickpocketing tricks, so..."

Lex shook his head.

"If you start pickpocketing, you'll end up dead. What's stopping other thieves from just stealing off you what you've stolen off others, hmm?"

"I know karate," Levi shrugged.

"Really?" Lex enquired, another smirk playing in the corner of his mouth.