LEVI 🔞

( 18 )

~ levi
[ 12:22 PM ]

I feel weight on my chest when I wake up, and I remember what it is as I open my eyes to Astraia, still fast asleep on top of me. I sigh softly before turning my head and reaching onto the coffee table for my phone.

I check the time, seeing that I'd only gotten maybe four full hours of sleep. I could feel my body craving more, but my mind immediately went back into business mode. I had shit to do.

I set my phone back on the table and look back down at Astraia. How the hell am I supposed to get from beneath her?

I wait a moment trying to figure it out before realizing I only had the option of hoping she wouldn't wake up. I slowly turn onto my left side, making her slip from on top of me and into the space between me and the couch cushions. She stirs a little but only sleeps through the movement. Then I see her face.

Her fluffy lashes flutter and makes me think she's in the middle of a dream. I wonder what she dreamt about. Better yet, I wonder why she decided to use me as a mattress when she had a entire king sized bed in the room. I feel something moving down my skin, and when I glance down at my bare chest, I notice she'd drooled onto me. I wipe it away as I softly snicker. Was I that comfortable?

I stared, hypocritically but whatever. I had so many questions. Why couldn't I move? Why didn't I want to move? I hear her quiet breathing as she seemed completely content using my bicep as a pillow. And her curly hair was big and frizzy, mostly brought up to the top of her head and flooding over my arm.

"I'll be your perfect toy..."

I look down at her arms tucked into her chest, her hands beneath her chin. And I look down at the bruise left by the investigator. How did I allow that to happen? I had noticed that I'd been being followed, so why hadn't I realized that I had led him to the house? To her? Why didn't I do something about it sooner? How could she trust me with her completely when I failed? If it had been anyone else, she could've been taken, beaten, killed. Why did she trust me, of all times? I brush my fingertips over the bruises in thought. I never really thought of myself as an over thinker, not when it came to anything outside of my work, but I simply couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Angel." I coo quietly, gently waking her up while brushing some hair out of her face. Her eyes flutter open to a tired, agitated squint. I smile at her strained expression. She groans before shutting her eyes again and tucking her face back into my arm and the couch cushions.

"You have to wake up, we have to go." I explain, sliding my arm from beneath her.

"Go whereee?"

"Back to the house." I answer as I stand from the couch, "I still have to fix up your room."

She groans and looks up at me without moving her head, "Can't I just stay here?"

"You can if you're okay with having no food til I get back."

I laugh as she grudgingly forces herself up into a sitting position. "That's what I thought."

[ 1:19 PM ]

We'd stopped by Lowe's to grab some equipment I'd need, Astraia staying close behind me as we strolled through the aisles. I rolled a cart in front of me as I leaned my folded arms over the handle and scanned the shelves.

I needed to choose the carpet and some paint to repaint the walls with, and in the paint aisle, I catch Astraia some feet behind me, observing the section of green shades. I return to her curiously, "You like the color green?"

She nods her head without looking at me, reaching up for one of the tabs, "This shade is really pretty to me."

It was a light, pastel color; according to the tab, it was "Pistachio 561". She reaches up for another with another little excited squeak, "Ooh, or this one!"

I take it in my other hand with a bit of confusion, "They're the same thing."

"Noooo," She shakes her head and points to the new one, "This one's Spring Break! It has a tinier tint of blue undertone, so it looks a little bit darker."

"I literally don't see the difference."

She rolls her eyes and takes them back, "It doesn't matter, really, I was just looking."

"You can pick one, Angel. We can paint your room whatever color you'd like." I shrug my shoulders and look up at the tall wall of greens, "I was just gonna repaint it white so it doesn't matter to me."

"For real?" She looks up at me with wide eyes, "You'd let me paint the room?"

I meet her pretty gaze as both my eyebrows raise, "Oh, you're gonna repaint your room?"

"Well I'll help you if you let me." She shrugs. When I smile at her, I see the excitement physically wash across her face. She looks back up, "Well shit, now it's gonna be even harder to choose!"

I chuckle, "Well hurry and pick a color. I'm gonna keep looking around." As I turn to continue down the aisle with the cart, she quickly speaks up again, "Wait, you're leaving me here?"

"You're not a child, Astraia." I remind, "I'll be in the carpet section, only a few aisles over."

She watches me exit the aisle and I continue past a few into the other section where different floorings were. Tiles, vinyl, carpet...

I scanned carefully over the different colors and textures. I personally hated triexta. Sorona, maybe? Or wool or saxony if she wanted something soft. She might like something soft. Money wasn't an issue but damn! I didn't realize how expensive natural wool flooring was!

"I picked one!"

I look over my shoulder at Astraia approaching, waving one of the tabs in her hands. "That was quicker than I thought you'd be." I say.

"I ended up staying with Pistachio." She answers, fanning the tab in her hand. I nod and look back at the selection of carpet. I have her help me choose which one she likes best and then I grab the correct square footage based on her room's measurements.

I take the paint sample from her as we head out the aisle where she asks, "By the way, what's today?"

I look down at her, "You don't know what today is?"

"It's not really easy to keep up with with nothing but the TV."

"Haven't you been seeing all the decorations?" I wonder.

"Well it's obviously October..."

"It's Halloween, Angel." I answer as we walk up to a worker, "It's the 31st." I then ask the man to help prepare the paint canisters, handing him the paint tab. As we follow him to the machine, Astraia looks up at me with surprise, "Are you serious? Already?!"

"Yes, really." I answer, sighing a little, "I was out grabbing a surprise for you when the break-in happened."

"Oh yeah... I wondered where you went." She says in thought, unknowingly and inadvertently hurting my feelings. I don't respond until she suddenly loops her arm under mine, "What'd you get? Decorations? Candy for trick-or-treaters?"

"There's not gonna be anyone trick-or-treating on my side of town." I explain, "But something like that. I don't think it really matters anymore though."

"What do you mean?"

I shake my head, "Nothing."

After grabbing our paint, I set them in the cart beside the roll of carpet before going to grab the necessities. I'd need new rollers and adhesive for the carpet. However, as per usual when I shop at crafts places, I come across other things that could come in handy.

I stop at metallic chains, checking out the widths and durability. I nearly forget Astraia was following behind me until she speaks up sheepishly, "What'd you need that for?"

"It's not for your room." I smirk at her before glimpsing down at the chain in my hands, "That wire I have is too thin, and handcuffs just don't seem to last. I need something that can hold your body weight without breaking or hurting you too much."

I see she questions what I mean with fear. I wanted to see the same look but with anticipation instead. I take her hands and force them together in front of her, wrapping the chain around her wrists and through the loops into an intricate knot. I place one hand on my hip and hold both ends of the chain with my other, raising them above her head and forcing her arms up with them. 

I smile as I lean my upper body down to her eye level, demonstrating what I'd use the chain for. "See, not so scary." I smile at her lips.

I hear a gasp come from behind her, "Sir!!!"

I look over her shoulder at an older woman, maybe in her early fifties, rolling a cart down the aisle towards us with a disgusted look on her face. Blond hair, wrinkles, with a Lois Griffin ass outfit on. She grimaces as she begins to walk pass us, eyeing both of us, but especially me with repulsion. I smile sweetly at the miserable cunt, "I'm just showing her how I'm gonna fuck her tonight for Halloween—"

"LEVI!" Astraia gasps even louder than the lady had, and my words practically make the woman run out the aisle, face reddened as she yells, "Have you lost your mind?! Do you have no store etiquette?! No manners?!"

"I'm so sorry, ma'am! He didn't mean that!" Astraia tries but is completely ignored. I only laugh as I look back at her in front of me, "Oh, I completely meant it." She meets my gaze with a hint of anger, arms still held by the chains above her head.

"You can't just say things like that to people!" I could see she was embarrassed.

"She should've minded her fucking business." I let her arms come down and begin to undo the chains, "Clearly doesn't get dicked down enough at home."

"Levi..." She only snickers at me, "She's probably getting a manager thinking we're having sex in the aisles."

"I wouldn't be opposed. I kind of like the idea actually—"

"Levi, come on!" She sets her hands on my chest and pushes. I let her step from my grasp and grab the cart to walk forward with, "You play too much."

"Who said I was playing?" I wonder as I push my hands into my pockets with a smile, watching her walk ahead of me, "I told you I meant everything I said."

She glimpses at me over her shoulder with wide eyes, "But we just did it last night—"

"Don't tell me you're getting worn out already, Angel." I smile wickedly at her as I remind her of my claim last night, "I thought I made it clear that I'll fuck you whenever and wherever I want—"

She turns to me and puts her finger over her lips, "Shhh!! Anyone can hear you!!"

I ignore her as I stop beside her and look down at her with knowing, raised brows, "The only reason you're not getting railed against the shelves right now is because lucky you, time is not on my side today. I gotta get your room finished as soon as possible and take care of the PI's personal belongings."

She stares up at me with a loss of words. I'm sure she was finally noticing the switch she'd flipped when she agreed to our deal. Good. Was I always going to seem this horny and demanding? Of course not. I'm purposefully coming on strong, constantly, to condition her. She needed to learn sooner than later that she was mine wholly now. Mine to take how, when, and wherever I wanted.

~ astraia
[  8:53 PM ]

We started repainting the room nearly as soon as we got back to the house. We'd painted over with primer first before going in with the Pistachio color.

Levi had went downstairs to make dinner and I'd stayed upstairs to continue painting, although I no longer used the rollers and instead used the brushes to create a little doodle.

I broke out of thought when I heard vibrations coming from my left. I notice Levi had left his phone on the floor across the floor. I decide to ignore it until it goes silent again, but only seconds pass before it goes off again.

I look at the screen, the Caller ID saying "C".

Maybe it's important?

I set my paintbrush down and reach for the phone before standing and making my way out the room. The last time I was caught with his phone, I felt as though I was gonna be killed. I...didn't feel that way right now.

As I go down the stairs, I call out to Levi.

"Your phone keeps going off, I think it might be important." I announce, starting to hand him the phone that had missed the second call, but I stop when I see a message from Laura pop up: "so you're still coming right?"

Levi was on the other side of the island, turning off the stove before turning to face me. He takes the phone from my hands when I stop beside him, "Who was it?"

"C?" I answer before my face slightly furrows, "What does Laura want?"

Levi shakes his head as he suddenly seems invested in something else, "Uh, nothing."

"She said you were going somewhere?" I ask.

He sighs and texts on his phone as he responds, "I was, but now I'm not."

"Where were you gonna go?"

"Damn, you're nosey." He glimpses over at me. I stare at him expectantly before he sets his phone down with a deep sigh.

"Remember the surprise I said I grabbed earlier?"

I nod my head.

"They're costumes."

"You're going to a Halloween party?!" I get a bit excited.

"We were going to go to Laura's but not anymore." He answers while starting to make our plates.

"What? Why not?!"

"Because of the break-in. I don't think it's a good time-"

"Well I think it's the perfect time." I interrupt, "We should actually go do something fun for once."

"We can have fun here-" He smirks at me before I roll my eyes.

"I mean other type of fun," I elaborate, "And I've been thinking... I kinda wanted to hang out with Laura again."

"...what?"

"Look, in order to have the normal life that you promised, I need friends! And Laura is my friend!" I immediately take my words back, "Actually, no she's... she's not...But she's kinda the closest that I've gotten to one in a really long time, and I honestly want someone to go to that's not a man for once, you know? I need that feminine energy to balance out-"

"Okay! I get it." He interrupts me while slightly throwing his hand into the air. I look back at him with surprise, "Really?"

I couldn't believe he was making this all so easy for me.

He inhales deeply and nods his head. "Yes. We had a deal, and if you feel like you need a friend to have a somewhat normal life, then okay. I told you that I trust you." When he starts to see me smile, he points his finger up, "But there will be ground rules with Laura because she is not just your average person. And I am not forcing her to be friends with you, she doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to. Wash your hands." He points to the sink and reaches for the two plates before passing me to the dining room with a roll of his eyes, "Unfortunately, I think she actually likes you though."

"Yeah?" I ask at the kitchen sink, washing off any paint from my hands and wrists.

"After you called her a bitch, apparently."

I go to sit down, "...interesting."

"Yeah, you both are... weird for liking each other." He sits across from me. Dinner tonight was salmon and sides.

"Well are you going to help me at least?"

He glimpses up at me, "Help you with what? Making friends with Laura?"

I nod and he practically laughs at my face. "In the normal world, you make your own friends, Astraia. You'll get your shot tonight."

I smile at him, "So we are going?"

"Eat your food then I'll show you the costumes."

After dinner, I'm brought to his bedroom as we let mine air out. I'm instructed to sit on the bed as he retrieves a bag from the top of his dresser. He walks back over to me and reaches inside the bag before handing me a collar and leash. I can feel my smile fading, especially when he pulls out a muzzle.

I look up at him with a little resentment, "You're dressing me as a dog?"

He sets the bag beside me on the bed as he begins to unclip the muzzle. "No," He answers as he sets the barred muzzle over his nose and mouth, "This one's for me."

I felt a little fire in me. That muzzle kind of looked good on him. Plus he needs it cuz he bites.

He leans for the bag beside me, "This is yours."

I cover my mouth to block my laugh when he pulls out a white angel costume. He looks down at me dumbly, "What?"

"Nothing." I shake my head.

"Why are you laughing? You don't like it?"

"No, I do!" I laugh some more, "I-It's just..."

His eyes widen, "Just what? I tried really hard picking one for you."

"And I'm sure you did." I grin as I take the costume from his hands, "It's cute!"

"Just cute? It's supposed to be sexy." He crosses his large arms over his chest.

"And it is, it is. It's just... also cute." I shrug before looking back up at him and tilting my head, "It's corny."

"Corny?!"

"You call me Angel so you got me an angel costume..." I hum knowingly and the realization hits him. For such a smart, meticulous man, damn he was an idiot sometimes.

He slowly shakes his head as his eyes drift to the side, "I wasn't creative, was I?"

"Not at all." I agree, "But it's okay. It's the thought that counts."

He rolls his eyes back at me, making me laugh a little again. "I've never been to a Halloween party, so I'm not being picky." I say as I look back at the costume.

"You're really excited, huh?"

"I am."

He stares at me for a moment before smiling softly. "Then go get dressed."

[ 10:28 pm ]

"I hope you know this costume isn't going to make it past tonight." He says as we walk down the busy curb to a nightclub, large and blasting with hip-hop music and an ocean of people in various getups. "I should've got you something satire instead of something I was going to rip off."

"Where would the fun in that be?" I tease, holding his leash as he walks behind me.

"I do think these ears are a bit unnecessary though." He complains. I'd made him stop and grab a canine headband to complete his feral dog costume, to my utmost liking but not so much to his. "It takes away."

"From what?" I wonder.

He circles his hands over his abs as we approach the tinted door, "All this."

"It emphasizes all that." I circle my hand over his abs before smiling and shrugging while swinging the door open, "Come on, they're cute!"

"Again, supposed to be sexy, not cute," He says as he follows me. Vape and haze fill the entire club, crowded with dancing bodies and sections occupied by people drinking and hookah, strobe and neon lights the only thing illuminating the room. I felt as though I could feel the floor shake from the bass in the walls coming from the speakers.

As I attempted to find a spot for us, I feel Levi's hand tightly grip my hip and close the gap between us. I look up at him in confusion but see his expression no longer whiny or soft. He'd taken on his persona tonight as the territorial apex predator he is, face simply emotionless yet so threatening as he stared at the men to our left: a group who ogled me but immediately looked away after meeting Levi's gaze.

I'd do the same; I've seen that stare before and what happens after is not nice.

"Come on," I tug on the leash as I continue walking, "They're just looking."

"They don't need to drool and make it that fucking obvious." He replies as he follows closer behind me than before. It felt like I truly had a guard dog tonight. He had picked out the literal perfect costume for himself.

"Are you going to be down my neck all night?"

"What?"

I turn around and look up at him, "I wanna have fun, but if you don't let me do anything because of other people looking at me in a costume you picked out because you're too possessive, then what was the point in coming?"

He surrenders his hands, "Alright, fine. I can let loose."

"Oh you can?"

"Yes, I can and I will." He gestures out, "Go make friends since you wanna make friends so fucking bad-"

"You are so jealous!" I look up at him with a little shock from his childish tantrum.

"I told you that I don't get jealous, I'm just possessive. You know that." He corrects, "But I'm letting you go, so you should probably do that before I change my mind."

"I will." I shrug.

"Then go!"

"I am going!!"I turn to walk away, "Maybe you should go find your girlfriend Laura in the meantime."

"Oh real funny. Maybe I will."

I look back at him, "Then go do that!"

"I am!!"

And yet I find her first after making my way to the bar. The long-haired brunette sat in one of the stools, sporting a sexy succubus costume and speaking to someone to her left before I tap her right shoulder. When she turns to look at me, her face lights up in a smile.

"Oh shit! New girl! You're here!" She greets, "So Levi decided to come after all!"

I sit beside her, "He didn't tell you?"

She shakes her head before appraising my getup. "So I see we're complete opposites tonight!"

"Makes sense, doesn't it?" I wonder with a small laugh before calling over the bartender. I ask for whatever Laura was drinking and she glimpses over at me with an arched brow.

"And how are you paying for that?"

I reach into my bra and take out Levi's debit card I'd pick-pocketed again, "I'm not. Levi is."

"You are SNEAKY!" She takes the card and smiles at it before laughing and shaking her head, "I never understood why he chose the name Harold."

I laugh as the bartender sits the shot glass of clear liquor in front of me. Laura taps the counter, "Another one, please. And do put it on her tab."

I wondered if this would be a new pattern if Laura and I were to become friends: us managing to get alcohol in our systems. Didn't seem healthy but it sure as hell was fun. I wait to take my shot until she takes hers. When we clear the liquor with our lime chasers, she looks back at me with a more sober expression.

"So I haven't seen you in a while. How's it been being his new pet?" She wonders. With her, I couldn't tell if it was from a place of spite or actual curiosity. Both, probably.

"I don't know... hard." I answer, shaking my head, "It's a lot different from what I'm used to."

"I can only imagine." She snickers, sipping her other pink drink through the thin black straw.

"I think he's trying though. Struggling but trying at least." I elaborate, "I'm trying to teach him to give me a little more freedom! I'm sure he's watching me from a distance right now."

"I'm sure he is, it's my party, after all. He knows how these things get. How I get."

My brow raises, "Crazy?"

"Batshit." She emphasizes, "But people like us need to blow off steam, you can only imagine how stressful our jobs get. For him, he likes to fuck. For me, I like to party, shake my ass, and get fucking black-out drunk."

"So you're... not on duty...?" I hint.

She shakes her head, "Oh, nah. Not tonight. Not unless I wanted to, which I don't. I just dealt with this real nasty motherfucker, and nasty in a bad way, by the way. I need to drink til I wash that horrible taste off my tongue and black out so I don't remember him by the morning."

She takes another shot.

"How many of those have you had?" I question.

"Like five or six." She answers before looking over at me, "Don't worry, I come from a strong bloodline of alcoholics. It'll take a lot more to kill me."

"Oh my God," I whisper to myself in shock, yet... awe of her confidence and toxicity.

"Where is Levi, by the way? I need to make my annual advances." She props her breasts up in the red leather bustier top she wore before looking at me with furrowed brows, "You don't mind if I try to fuck him, right?"

"Do you actually care?" I ask back and she winks at me.

"No, I don't. I was just trying to be polite."

"How the fuck are you so confident?" I sigh deeply, resting my temple against my fist and playing with the rim of my empty shot glass, "Especially to a man like him."

"We live in a man's world, sweetheart, but got their one weakness." She leans in close to my face, "A pussy. And I got a killer one, babe. I'd be damned if I didn't use it to my full advantage, reap all the benefits, and dance on their motherfucking graves about it."

"You are intense."

"So I've heard." She shrugs and leans away before suspiciously squinting at me.

"What?" I ask.

"You look way too sexy tonight to be over here socially awkward sitting at the bar by yourself," She tilts her head and looks at me knowingly, "Not at my fucking party."

"Well what do you want me to do?"

"If you want to hang with the big dog, then I'm going to have to teach you a lesson or two in confidence 101." She puts her arm up for the bartender and gestures to the two empty shot glasses in front of her. When she comes over with the bottle of tequila and refills the cups, Laura picks hers up with three fingers, "Number one, liquid courage."

I hesitantly follow her lead and take my shot with her. I shiver from the burn, lacking a chaser this time. Then she suddenly slaps her hand onto my wrist and grips it tightly, "Lesson two, getting dicks hard."

She pulls me off my stool and I nearly trip in my heels catching my feet beneath me. I try to ask what she's doing as I'm practically dragged into and through the crowd. We stop in the middle and she pulls me close to her.

"You know how to dance?" She asks.

I shake my head, "I don't know, I haven't danced in years."

"Well it's easy." She rolls her waist, "It's all about your hills and valleys, new girl. So you're going to wanna focus on your hips, your breasts, your ass, even your elbows and knees."

"Sounds complicated-"

"It's not. Isn't anything but wining." She explains with more demonstration, "They love it in circles. Isolation though. Just listen to the music to figure out your tempo, but don't ever go too fast. Give'em a chance to see what your working with."

I try to mimic her movements, and I start with my hips which seem like the easiest as of right now. She twirls and smiles back at me, "Okay, okay!" She sets her hands on them to guide them into a more fluid movement, it almost felt like tracing the faintest infinity sign with them, left and right, left and right.

"See, once you get one part, the rest of your body follows. Look at what your doing with your chest." She points out before doing it herself, "Rolling your back, poking those titties out, that's gonna do it!"

"But what do I do with my hands?!" I ask back, "I feel like they're awkward at my sides."

"That's because they are!" She answers me, "Feel on yourself! Get into it! Throw them in the air, do anything but keep there!"

She drags the backs of her hands up her sides and up her neck, into her long hair. I see now what she meant by even her elbows were important. She was hot and she knew it.

I hesitate a little before setting my hands on my swaying hips, trying to be sexy as I rub up my exposed stomach. I see Laura had already gotten into her dazed groove, but I felt like I was failing to mimic her. I'd never be on her level. My eyes dart from her to the side, and it's then I notice the eyes on us. Mostly men in groups, even some already dancing with women watching over their shoulders. I feel my heart pump out some adrenaline as I suddenly remember reality and become completely self-conscious.

Those hungry gazes I'd grown up with, invisibly undressing me and what'd they do if they had the chance. I felt my breath become short. My body had stopped moving as my mind started suddenly racing. I'd never be like Laura; she used men while I was the one used and discarded. I'd never be like -

I feel myself completely freeze when large hands come onto my hips and a warm, hard body presses behind me. His warm, musky cologne engulfs me as he smiles over my shoulder, and when I look over at him, I feel my lungs take a deep breath. "Levi."

His grey eyes are dark in the lighting but comforting as he moves his hands into mine.

"Why are you teasing me like that?" He wonders while pushing his fingers through mine and slightly outstretching our arms.

"I-I was just trying to do what Laura taught me..." I answer as I feel him move his hips against mine. I follow the sway as Laura calls out at us, "You're welcome!!"

I snicker softly before the amusement fades, "...I don't think I'm doing it right, though."

"Trust me, you are." He claims, "Don't overthink it."

He switches his hands from the bottom of mine to the backs of them, again interlocking our fingers before setting my hands back onto my hips. He slowly moves our hands up to my waist and up my sides. When I feel the curves, it's like the first time realizing I had them. Like I actually had an image of myself, this new-self. I've never had any desire to care much about myself more than surviving, let alone how I looked. Even having been with Levi for these few months, I still had no clue how he was molding me. I simply wasn't interested.

I look down at how we moved and where he guided our hands. My hips were wider, and my thighs jiggled under the tiny white skirt. I notice the peaks and valleys Laura was talking about. I watched how they moved, trying to comprehend how.

Levi's amused voice in my ear pulls me out of my examination, "You're overthinking it."

"Sorry-"

"Close your eyes." He instructs huskily. I inhale a deep breath as I do. After a moment, I focus clearer on the music and his body wrapped around mine. I feel our hips now completely in sync. Our hands feel up onto my chest, and my breasts fill up my hands under his. I think those two shots were finally kicking in because a very soft wave of pleasure washed over me. I felt myself melt into him.

I don't know how long we were grinding for, but I didn't want it to stop. I feel his hand wrap into the tip of my ponytail before forcing my head back onto his shoulder. Tingles run up my spine as I decide to pull on the leash still hanging from the collar around his neck, forcing him closer and his muzzle further over my shoulder. He lightly brushes his hands down my arms to quickly turn me at my waist. I see the neon lights glistening off of his skin, and I can't help but feel. The hard bumps of his abdomen under my fingertips to the smooth flat of his chest, back around his wide shoulders. Our eyes meet as a result of both of our territorial pulls. He just knew he was sexy, that barred muzzle around his face emphasizing the danger in his eyes. He looked like he was ready to go home then and there, or even take me in front of everyone here. I doubt he'd care, really, and I came to find myself getting excited from the look.

Was this what Laura felt when men looked at her? Not a hint of fear, no discomfort or self-consciousness. Was this confidence? Why was it any different with him than before?

I'm suddenly grabbed and yanked backward by my waist, straight into Laura where the gap completely closes between us. She comes in close over my shoulder, "Lesson number three. Leave'em hot and bothered." She smirks at me, "Trust me, you'll thank me later." My daze is interrupted when the succubus then walks from around me to behind Levi instead, setting her hands on his biceps and pressing her torso against his back. She peeks at me from around his shoulder. "My turn, new girl," She bobs her head towards him, "We need to talk a little business real quick."

Levi steps forward to grab my wrist and pull me closer to him, looking back down at her unfazed by her attempt to pull him away. "What business?" He wonders.

"Tweety business." She answers, looking up at him knowingly. I feel the discomfort as he loosens his grip from around my back and hips. Tweety business? What does that mean? Was that a person? Code for something?

"Well what am I supposed to do?" I ask as she starts to pull him away by his hand.

"Go get another drink at the bar, talk to people!" Laura answers with a flashy grin, "Tell them you're Laura's friend."

Before he follows her, Levi sets his other hand back on my hip and lowers to my ear, "I won't take long."

I smile helplessly at him, "Yeah, it's Laura we're talking about. Good luck with that."

I'm standing there for a little, lost and awkward before deciding to return across the club to the bar. I was already feeling light but I could get lighter. It was my first party for fucks sake.

As I patiently wait for my margarita to be made, I fold my arms over the bar counter, and I move my shoulders side to side to the beat of the music. A deep voice suddenly speaks to me from my side, "Wow. I didn't think I'd ever meet an actual angel."

I roll my eyes with a little laugh, "You mean my costume-"

When I look over, my voice cuts off. I wasn't expecting the man to be tall and handsome, flaunting his bulky, sculpted body in a shirtless Greek God costume. It looked like the gold cuff around his veined bicep was going to pop off with any sudden movement.

"No, I mean you." He corrects as he sits beside me.

His jaw is clean shaven, and he has light brown eyes and dark, curly hair, tan skin and a white smile as he locks his hands together over the countertop, "And a little bit of the costume."

I quickly look forward. The stranger calls out to the bartender and he puts in an order when she approaches, "Manhattan on rocks. And put her on my tab." He bobs his head towards me, and I quickly insist otherwise.

"Wait, you don't have to do that!" I shake my head.

"It's alright. No strings attached, I swear." He interrupts me with a small smile, "It's on me."

I tried not to stare at him, trying to find another way to decline but fail.  Why had I completely forgotten what it was like being picked up by these men? The routine, how I'm supposed to react... There're always strings attached.

I look ahead again and just imagine how Levi would react to a man flirting with me. I nervously tap my finger on the counter.Can the bartender hurry up?!

"Are you alright?" He laughs softly.

I nod my head without looking at him.

"Do you have a name?"

I shake my head.

I quickly look over at him as he scoops my tapping hand into his, "You can call me Seven."

I'm a bit stunned as he brings my knuckles to his lips, and his eye contact is unwavering. I could tell just from that look itself that this man was dominant. Not good.

I pull my hand back, "S-Sorry...I can't talk to you."

"Why not?" He wonders while slightly tilting his head, "I don't see a ring on your finger."

When I stutter, his brow arches with amusement, "Boyfriend?"

I don't even think I could describe Levi as that either. He smirks a little deeper while leaning closer to me and speaking lower, "Then I think you're just being shy. I think it's kinda cute."

I don't know what it was about complete confidence that always left me dumbfounded. I try to get it together as I look at the counter, "I'm taken. Best I can explain it."

"Sounds complicated." He says, and I feel my face furrow. I couldn't just tell a stranger I'd agreed to a deal to ultimately be used as a sex toy. I don't respond, so he keeps going, "You're far too beautiful not to be titled-"

I meet his gaze and slightly shake my head, "You don't know me-"

"Well I'd like to get to know you-"

"Not interested." I watch as the bartender sets my lime green margarita in front of me and his cylinder glass of brown liquor in front of him.

"Alright. Loyal, I understand. But I'm quite the lucky man." He picks up his glass and slides off his stool, speaking quietly over my shoulder as he walks past me, "It's why they call me Seven."

I turn my head and watch as the stranger walks towards a group of guys and women that greet him excitedly, gradually walking deeper into the crowd til I can't see them anymore.

I was a little surprised, most men didn't let up that easily or that quick. A lot of men wouldn't let up at all. It was a new sensation rejecting and rejecting successfully. I sip my tasty drink and fold my arms back over the counter, waiting here for Levi to return.

[ 12:41 am ]

I hear smacks and vibrations beneath me, and I open my eyes tiredly. I look up to see the bartender slapping her hand on the counter, looking at me knowingly.

"Here." She pushes a glass of clear liquor in front of me, " Drink that."

I hum as I reach for the glass and gulp it down. She points to the two empty shot glasses and two margarita flutes -- one empty and one a little less than half-full. "You gonna pay for those?"

I lean up heavily as I confusedly reach into my bra and take out Levi's card. "I fell asleep?"

"Only for like forty minutes." She answers as she takes the card, "And no, nobody spiked your drinks. I been watching you this entire time."

I bring my hand up to my hazy head, "...thanks..."

She points to the glass, "That water should start making you feel a lil better."

"Forty minutes?" I look at her surprised before remembering what I was here for. I'd been waiting for Levi and Laura for like thirty minutes at the bar, conversing with a lot of people who were coming up to grab a drink. Unlike me though, they didn't stay there long. I guess drunk Astraia doesn't stop drinking...

Anyway, that means I had to have been waiting at the bar for over an hour. I look back at the crowd that still partied like there was no tomorrow. Where the fuck are they?

I inhale sharply as it comes to me. My breathing gets quick and heavy.

"They're fucking!" I yell angrily to no one in particular.

The bartender sets the card back in front of me as I twist back towards her in my stool. "Who's fucking?" She asks.

"Those fucking assholes." I answer grudgingly as I mess with the rim of my water glass.

"Assholes are gonna be assholes-"

"EXACTLY." I point, "What's your name? You get me-"

"Leia." She answers.

"Like Star Wars?!"

She chuckles and rolls her eyes as she starts cleaning around the bar, "Yes."

"See, that's pretty. Mine's fucking Euphoria. Euphoria?!"

"That's pretty too-"

I throw my hands in the air, "It sounds like the name of a freakin cruise ship!!"

My only company snickers right before my other name is called.

"Astraia!!"

I look to my right to see the brunette approaching with a quick pep in her step, face serious, it was almost urgent. My face frowns into a grimace.

"It's time to go." She tightly grabs my wrist and immediately pulls me from the bar, back the way she came from. I poke her hard although she's completely unfazed by it.

"You bitch." I scowl, "You used me as bait, didn't you?"

"Bait for what?" She asks without looking back at me.

"To get to Levi," I explain, "That's why you wanted to teach me how to dance."

"Oh, yeah. I definitely used you for that."

"You bitch!" I poke her again, "And then you just left me at the bar!? Anything could've happened to me!"

"Well I didn't expect you to get this drunk within one hour." She admits while glimpsing back at me for the first time since dragging me through the crowd and through a door that leads to an empty hallway, lit by regular white lights, "And we weren't supposed to be gone that long."

I squint at the back of her head, "Did you get what you wanted? HMMM?!"

She furrows her brows and looks back at me again, "What?"

We burst through the emergency exit at the end of the hallway where the muffled music and the shaking walls go nearly silent and is instead replaced by the ruckus of a smaller crowd, all yelling with excitement. That's until three loud shots were suddenly fired in the alleyway we were in. I scream and duck and cover my ears along with everyone else. I see the crowd instantly disperse as I look up to see Laura holding a gun to the air, "That's enough! Get the fuck outta here!"

When I see what they were circled around, I feel myself temporarily sober up. My eyes widen as I see blood on the dimly lit concrete.

"Levi?!"

I try not to trip and bump into the panicked group of people as I make my way to the center where he held onto his bare side and breathed deeply, slightly hunched over. The accessories that made up his costume were all missing and blood dripped from both of his nostrils. He looks over at me as I make it to him, looking down at his hand that was also stained in blood.

I move beneath his arm to provide a little support, demanding he tell me what happened until I'm cut off from that voice from before.

"If it isn't the angel from the bar."

I turn and look. The man in the God costume: Seven. He bleeds from his head, nose, and mouth, his knuckles stained like Levi's except one of them gripped the handle of a bloody knife. He smiles at me after spitting blood from his mouth, "I knew I was lucky."

"You talked to him?" Levi growls at me as he removes his arm from around me to instead push me behind him.

"N-No! I didn't-"

"We had a short-lived conversation. She wasn't making it easy." Seven answers as he inhales painfully, setting his hands on his hips and letting his head fall limp onto his shoulder as he exhales with disappointment, "I can see why now though. This is pretty enlightening."

"I told you to take her home." Levi aims at Laura.

"What, and leave you two to kill each other?" She approaches and crosses her arms. I try to hold him up but he doesn't let me help as he demands me to be taken home again.

"You're bleeding!" I remind with exasperation and he responds quickly and lowly with "I'm fine."

I step in front of him and hit him in his stomach, meaning to sound serious and intimidating but my voice accidently wavers, "You're NoT FinE-"

He looks down at me, his brows pushed together and irritation in his eyes, "...are you drunk?"

I swallow and stare back at him, knowing from his tone that he wouldn't like my honest answer.

"What the fuck are you here for, Seven?" Laura asks as she comes to the other side of Levi, "And pulling a knife on a fist fight, real fucking low." It gives me a chance to carefully grab Levi's wrist to pull from his new wound: a deep, bloody gash on his waist.I gasp softly as he grunts and covers it again.

"There's no definition of low for people like us, Laura," Seven flips the knife unamused before sheathing it and reassuring her, "And I'm back for business. Depression season's coming, the New Year. Business is about to be boomin, and I want in."

So he was one of them. That explains the sense of danger I felt from him earlier, something similar to what I used to feel from Levi.

"You need stitches, we should get you to a hospital." I whisper up to him as Laura continues toward Seven. Levi speaks quietly back down to me, "We're not ... going to a hospital-"

"You're bleeding!"

"I didn't mean to ruin your Halloween Bash, Laura, I really didn't." Seven claims, sounding genuine, "I just didn't expect him to be here. And I surely didn't expect him to already be tangled up in the one woman who caught my eye tonight."

I look across the alleyway at the stranger again. His expression was nothing like Levi's, despite their similar conditions. It was soft as he seemed completely unfazed by the two mercs beside me. He only watched me.

"I never got your name-"

"Don't talk to her." Levi interrupts. Seven meets his death glare, brows raising with not even a glint of intimidation in his eyes, "Oh, it's like that?"

When he doesn't get an answer, he smiles again. "I really am lucky."

Laura rolls her eyes and wraps Levi's arm around her shoulders, "We get it. Your name's the lucky number, don't make it your whole fucking personality."

Seven laughs and wipes his bloody nose with his forearm, "Alright, I see I've overstayed my welcome. I'll be seeing y'all around... probably."

We watch closely as he turns around to walk out of the alleyway.

"You didn't tell me you invited him-" Levi glares at Laura as we help him to the brick wall to lean against.

"I didn't. I told you shit was getting around with the New Year coming," She corrects him while removing his arm from around her and wincing at the sight of his nasty gash, "God, your poor slutty waist... You don't need to move, I'm gonna pull the car around."

~levi
[ 1:57 am ]

We don't end up getting back to the house til two in the morning. Laura had driven us since Astraia was drunk and I, wounded. I'm actually not sure if Astraia even knew how to drive.

Before Laura gets out of the driver's seat to help me, I speak up.

"I'm fine, I can make it up to the front door."

"You're stabbed, Levi-" She protests.

"I need you to go do some damage control. Find out what the fuck is really going on." I instruct her while opening the passenger door. Astraia gets out of the backseat and tries to help me despite her wobbly state. I take her aid however as pain shoots up my side and throughout my torso. I shut the door and speak to her through the rolled-down window, "Make sure you call me in the morning."

Laura nods her head and pulls off quickly as Astraia helps me back inside the house.

"First aid kit?" She asks, kicking off her heels as I go to the kitchen sink to grab a large plastic bowl and fill it with cold water.

"Downstairs bathroom."

As she goes to fetch it, I grab the kitchen towel from the oven handle, the bowl, and the sewing kit from the TV stand from the living room before waddling to the dining room where I painfully take a seat in one of the chairs. Astraia returns and takes a seat in front of me, setting the first aid kit on the table beside us.

"I got it, Astr-" She slaps the top of my hand hard when I reach for the kit.

"No! I willll help you." She slightly slurs her words, eyes hung low as she opens it herself. I watch her dip the towel in the bowl of water and focus super hard on dabbing all the blood away from my uninjured skin. Brows furrowed with a little stress line appearing on her forehead and nose.

It almost makes me laugh. She was trying so hard. Those sexy low eyes deserved to sleep.

"You look exhausted." I announce.

"I am. Apparently I took a little thirty minute nap at the bar." She shrugs her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Angel, I was supposed to be back sooner." I frown, "We shouldn't have gone if I knew you were that tired."

"I wasn't tired, I swear!" She looks up at me with sudden alert eyes, "It didn't hit till the liquor did!"

"And how much did you have to drink?" I wonder.

"...four shots of tequila and two watermelon margaritas?" She smiles sheepishly as she gently cleans around my wound. I notice every time she put on her serious face to focus, her hands became a lot more stable. She could hold her liquor well if she focused hard enough, but her expression itself gave it away. At least it will to me from now on as I study it.

Then she asks the question, "What happened?"

"You've lived in Fayette for how long and never seen an alley fight?"

"I mean who was that?" She rolls her eyes.

I sigh. "Average competition."

"Average?" She scoffs, "He pulled a knife on you."

"We don't have the best history," I clear my throat before shrugging a little, "Anyway, it's never good when he's in Fayette. Something always ends up going down."

"And how's that any different than you?" She smirks up at me, rinsing the towel before gently dabbing at my nose and left cheek.

"It's different because it always involves people in my industry." I answer, "He likes to fuck people over to get rid of competition. He's never been able to shake me though. But I may have just given him the perfect way to tonight."

She looks at me again, knowing what I meant. She frowns a little and speaks softly, "I didn't know-"

"I know." I interrupt her, "It was my fault."

I fucked up, again.

She blinks and looks down at my chest in thought. She returns to cleaning me up and setting a bandaid on my cheek. "So are you going to give yourself stitches or what since you don't want to go to the hospital?" She asks.

"No... You're gonna give me stitches." I answer, opening the canister of sewing supplies. She immediately shakes her head with widened eyes, "OH NOOOO, nonono, I cannot do that. See, I'm only about five more words from throwing up my guts. I can't-"

"You ever sew, Astraia?" I ignore her as I take a thread and loop in in the tiny curved needle.

"No! I haven't!"

I smile at her reassuringly, "It's easy. I promise."

"I'm drunk, Levi!"

"I don't care," I say, holding the towel beneath my wound and grabbing the bottle of rubbing alcohol. I clench my jaw and tilt my head back as I pour some onto the stab. The urge to punch a hole in the wall has never been stronger. My entire body tenses up but as I bare it more, I'm able to dip the needle and thread into the alcohol as well. I hand it to her, "Alright, here."

"W-What-"

I point to my skin, "All you have to do it close the opening with one hand and loop the needle through with the other. Come on, I know you can do it, baby. Come on."

She swallows and sets her hands around my wound, clearly gathering her courage. I shut my eyes tightly and tense up again when she pinches the wound closed before squeaking, "You're still bleeding!"

"It's gonna bleed when you squeeze it, Astraia, it's normal! Just hurry up!" I quietly grunt and purse my lips when I feel the cold, sharp penetration of the needle into my skin. I manage to look down through the tenderness, seeing she'd only just gotten started. "Okay," I breathe deep and painfully, "Pull it through."

I guide her throughout the entire operation. She put her squimishness aside, and I was very proud of her for that. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't gonna be a pretty scar, not in the slightest, but she still did it. Who knew when the next time she'd have to do this again would be, and she'll be even better at it sober.

When she ties the end and cuts the excess, I exhale a huge breath. Felt like I'd been holding it this whole time.

"You did it, baby." I smile tiredly at her, "Thank you." She smiles softly and leans forward a little.

"...I'm gonna throw up."

"Huh-"

"In like two seconds-" She stands and runs down the hall past the stairs. Fuck, I hope she makes it to the bathroom.

I set a gauze pad and an adhesive bandage over my wound before carefully standing up from my chair. Tender couldn't describe the ache in my side or how it felt to move my torso. I hold my side as I slowly make my way to the bathroom, seeing her leaned over the toilet, gagging her stomach out.

I wobble to her side and carefully kneel down to take off her feathery angel wings so I could rub her back and encourage her properly. She breathed deeply between her heaves, resting her head on her folded arm as she caught her breaths. She went through about three rounds of heaving before it was all out of her system, at least the first wave for the night. I couldn't speak for the morning hangover.

"I think I'm done..." She opens her eyes just the slightest to look at me.

I flush the toilet for her, "Do you wanna wait here a little bit just in case? Fuck-!" Reaching up had pulled at my wound, and I bring my hand back down to see blood spreading through my bandage. I breathe deeply and slightly laugh towards her, "We're a fucking mess."

She snickers softly as I lean back against the wall tiredly. She lazily rolls her body to the side, into the space between my legs where she then rests her body against mine in fetal position, using my arched leg as a back support and my pec as a pillow. And we waited to see if she'd throw up again.

After maybe ten minutes, I break the silence, "You feel better?"

She doesn't answer me. I tilt my head to look at her face, seeing her out cold against me. I sigh again while looking around the bathroom. I guess she was just going to have to wait to shower and brush her teeth till the morning. I honestly might do the same. We've both been running on fumes today and both of our predicaments didn't make it any better.

I try to be as quiet as possible as I wrap my arm around her back and beneath her knees that were brought up to her chest. My side throbs and aches as I force myself up onto my feet. I can already tell just that made my wound start to bleed again.

I take a tight breath as I hold Astraia in my arms and head out the bathroom, flipping the lightswitch with my elbow as I pass back into the hallway. I do the same with the lights downstairs as I pass them. Getting up the stairs was very painful, but I eventually make it to the top. I glimpse into Astraia's open door, stopping in the doorway when I notice something on one of the walls. One wall was fully painted green and the second one was halfway done, but on the portion that was still white, there was a small portrait drawn with the green paint. My brows furrow as I look at the monochromatic outline of what was clearly a woman's face.

I glance down at Astraia in my arms. So art was her natural talent...

I continue to my bedroom where I carefully lay her in the bed. I have to catch myself with one of my arms from falling on top of her as I have to grab my side again. My entire bandage was red now, and I already had to replace it. Luckily, I had bandages in my own bathroom so I didn't have to retrieve the ones from downstairs.

I easily unzip Astraia's costume off of her and remove her halo headband before pulling one of my shirts over her torso. She slept through all the movements. Liquor completely altered her state of unconsciousness because she was usually a light sleeper. I pull my blankets over her as something drops from her costume, and when I pick it up from the floor, I realize it's my debit card. I glance at her sleeping face. How the hell does she keep stealing it? I shake my head and set the card on my dresser before going to my bathroom to replace my bandage. After doing so, I brush my teeth and rinse my mouth. I stare down at the slightly pink tint of the toothpaste suds and water as it went down the drain. I kept rinsing til it was clear, but it just reminded me of the fight. I shouldn't have engaged, but Seven always knew how to piss me off.

Why the fuck does he have to be back now of all times? Does Callaghan know he's back? He didn't mention anything to me if he did. Seven's not hired by just anybody...

I flick off the light and walk back into the bedroom. I head back downstairs to the couch to let Astraia sleep off the alcohol, but I stop when I make it to my door. I turn and look back at her in my bed.

What was I thinking?

I walk to the left side of the bed. I sit on the edge to kick off my shoes and strip down to my boxers before rolling into the sheets. I turn to face her, her back to me as she slept.

Stop, Levi...

I wrap my arms around her and pull her into me, exhaling with exhaustion, physical pain, confusion, disappointment... I rest my chin above her head and close my eyes. I could hear both of our breathing against the silence.

Why did I lie? I couldn't give her a normal life, not even a near-normal one. How was I supposed to? How was I going to keep her a secret now?