SNEAKING OUT IN THE middle of the night when her brother had just been arrested was a very bad idea, but that didn't stop Ella from saying yes. She had exchanged her outfit for her usual streetwear, lila cargopants underneath a matching crop top, ready to run if need be, and walked back to her balcony. Levi was silently waiting, back towards her and eyes wandering across the garden. In the beginning she had found it hard to guess what he was thinking, but these days it had started to be easier to read him.
"How did you even get over here?" she said as she took a place beside him, glancing over to the room he had been sleeping in," that's like three windows over."
"I climbed," he said.
She rolled her eyes, a laugh escaping her lips.
"I wasn't assuming you flew," she said, nudging his shoulder with hers," but I suppose the desire to see me was so strong that you couldn't help but risk some bruises."
"A broken leg, more like it," he said as he looked at the ground. His gaze flicked towards her then, taking her in like she was a flowerfield at dawn. "But I wanted to see you."
"Cheesy," she said.
He nodded, unembarrassed, before gesturing at the ground with a jerk of his head. "Let's try not to break the fence this time."
"Who knew you could be considerate?" Ella teased.
"I just don't want your mother to kill me," Levi replied.
"Valid reason," she said, before shaking her head amusedly," no worries though, she's less stern than she looks."
"I saw her throw a shoe at Sebastian's head."
"Okay, but that was Sebastian. You would throw a shoe at him too."
His lips tugged up faintly, which was an all-out laugh coming from him. They climbed down more smoothly this time, carefully avoiding the fence and quietly sneaking out of her garden. The sky was washed with shadows and stars, the moon lighting their way as they reached the streets. Only the silence of the night kept them company, no one visible in miles.
"So," she said to Levi," what did you have in mind?"
"Show me around," he suggested, walking beside her in the middle of the road," this is where you grew up, right?"
"Count yourself lucky," she smiled, hooking her arm through his," I'm the best guide to have here and you have me all to yourself."
"Normally I'd have you all to myself at dinner," he said," but I'll settle for running around illegally in the middle of the night instead."
"Is that how a normal date with Levi Peterson, the infamous gangleader looks like?" she said, raising an eyebrow," I expected more of a streetfight at noon, escaping from the police at night kind of day."
"Streetfights are reserved for the second date," he replied matter-of-factly," I wouldn't want her to fall in love too quickly."
They rounded the corner, walking in another street lined with houses, the moonlight coloring the walls gray. It felt like they were the only two people in the world somehow, the city sleeping as quietly as the sun. Her conversation with Levi had somehow lapsed into their favorite martial arts, the time passing easily. They walked by a tall building then, looking almost haunted without any lights. She glanced up against the fence surrounding it, looking up as they continued on.
"What is this?" he said," your local prison?"
"This is my old school," she said, throwing a look towards it," or well, my fourth one."
"You got expelled, right?" he said, placing a hand around one of the bars of the fence. "What'd you do?"
"Broke a few chairs," she began, trailing off," and uhm, perhaps a few bones as well."
"That's my girl," he drawled, pulling her closer by her waist.
"Anyway," she said, pointing at a large mall in front of them," that's where I often hung out instead of being at school."
Though everything was closed, bright lights were still flashing on the front of the buildings, the name of the wall in big letters above it. They walked past multiple small stores and she smiled fondly as she looked at one of the places at the end. To her left stood the arcade, glittering in neon colors, and to her right a black building with a glass door, providing view of the ice skating rink inside.
"I haven't done this in so long," she said as she let her hands graze against the door in passing," when I was younger I always used to go with my father."
Levi stopped walking and she turned around in confusion, blinking at him.
"Then let's go," he said.
"Ice skating?" she frowned," but it's closed."
"You forgot who taught Will how to pick locks," he said, grabbing a Swiss army knife out of his back pocket and crouching down in front of the door.
"Why do you casually have a Swiss army knife?" she said, sitting down next to him.
"You're not going to ask me where I learned to pick locks instead?" he asked amusedly, eyebrow raised.
"It is a handy trick," she shrugged," and I don't think you're sneaky enough to become a burglar, so I'm not really worried."
A click resounded and she cheered, lips parting in awe as another click came and the door opened. Levi pocketed his handknife, rising to his feet and extending a hand towards her. When she took it he pulled her up fluidly, causing her to fall in his arms. He looked down at her, before flicking his gaze to the ice skating rink in front of them.
"I'm not sure if it's dysfunctional that I found the sight of you picking a lock very hot," she said," but I'll roll with it."
He grinned at her, an uncharacteristic sight on him. When he did so he always seemed so innocent somehow, a certain vulnerability he didn't like to show often, and she took him in. Only when she pulled back did he let her go, a twinkle in her eyes as she let him follow towards the rows of ice skates to their left. They both grabbed a pair their size, the rink spreading out in front of them. It was smaller than she remembered, but still was wide enough make big circles, so she strapped on her skates and took a hesitant step on the ice.
Levi did so as well, not bothering to hold the fence around it to steady himself. She had a bit more difficulty keeping her balance, but he remained closeby as she kept going, until she finally picked up some speed. The air was chillier here and yet she was warm enough not to even wrap her arms closer. Perhaps it was adrenaline at breaking in or Levi's close proximity, but either way she felt carefree.
They skated circles around each other, laughter echoing against the walls, until she dared to do more, spinning around as he turned her. When she jumped in his arms Levi slid back and they glid across the rink, her giggles as warm as his skin on hers. One of his hands was on the small of her back, the other on the nape of her neck, both of their cheeks flushed.
"If we're caught here I'll be grounded forever," she whispered.
"Then we'll just not get caught," he murmured back, lips grazing hers.
They kissed softly underneath the moonlight spilling in from the windows, until he bumped against the fence and they stopped moving. She gently pushed herself out of his grip, so her feet touched the ground again, and looked him in the eyes as she glided back, hair carried by the wind around her. He watched her quietly, a warm expression on his face and a hint of a smile on his lips.
"I feel so calm with you," he said.
"That's the first time I've heard that," she said as she came closer to him again," but so do you. You disentangle the mess in my mind somehow. There's no guessing with you, I always know what you want."
"I don't like overthinking things," he shrugged," it's unnecessary. I know that I like you, so why would I play games?"
She smiled at him, before her mind wandered off to Sam. He had been the type to overthink, to the point where at the end he could get jealous about the smallest things. After a second she glanced back at him, asking the question which had been lying on her mind all day.
"Aren't you going to ask me about Sam?" she said.
"Sam?" he repeated, looking genuinely confused.
"The guy from the supermarket," she clarified," my ex."
"Ah," Levi said, eyes lighting up in recognition. He shook his head, not looking that bothered. "And do you want me to?"
"I don't mind if you do," she said," I'd be curious as well if I saw you with one of your exes."
"Is there still something going on between you two?" he asked.
There was nothing venomous or bitter about the question, no intentions she couldn't read, and that somehow made her feel lighter. It had stressed her out a bit to need to talk about something she was sure would cause drama, but he didn't look anything close to angry. Rather than that he just looked curious, the confidence that naturally laced his expression still there.
She thought about it. Was there still something going on between her and Sam? The answer came up in her mind surprisingly quick - there wasn't. It was uncomfortable, sure, but not romantic. Though she knew she needed to talk with him to really understand whatever was going on between them fully, there was another thing she was starting to understand more and more. As she looked at Levi the fact settled into her heart, until it escaped her lips, lying bare on the ice.
"I like you, Levi," she said.
He blinked, lips parting, but before he could reply the lights went on and they turned around, standing face to face with a police officer.