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Levi offered Hannah a shrug again at the mention of her dating prowess, only it was the sympathetic kind of shrug that suggested he wasn’t being such an *** at that precise moment in time. There was nothing really there to be said because it meant picking open a fresh wound and that kind of **** was inappropriate given their relationship. Plus, it was difficult for Levi to have a real heart to heart with anyone. Most of the time, the Italian shrugged these kinds of conversations off with humour or threats or just changed the subject. Nevertheless, it occurred to him that, despite not knowing a damn thing about what went on with Hannah and Mr Wrong, he was able to draw a parallel between their individual relationships. For instance, Hannah had run off to be rid of that man in her life and apparently Lorelai had done the very same thing to Levi. The Italian knew he hadn’t been the perfect fiancé, or boyfriend, and was unlikely to be the best husband either, but did it warrant running away from him without a word? Couldn’t they have just talked it through and split amicably if a death sentence was warranted on their relationship? He wasn’t an unreasonable person – all murderous inhibitions and ceaseless rage set aside. Levi could accept he was wrong even toward his closest enemies and rivals, but he couldn’t admit his problems if he couldn’t see the problem. You can’t fix **** if you don’t know that **** needed fixing. And that was his difficulty with Lorelai because she avoided communication like it was ******* cholera. She didn’t want to talk to him because she didn’t like “confrontation.”

In hindsight, he supposed that he had no less than 20% of the responsibility for that communication breakdown, but certainly no more than 40%. At the very start of their relationship, Levi had remained tight-lipped about just what kind of a man he was – not that he had a ******* choice in the matter – and he had purposefully tried to keep the woman at arm’s length in order to protect them both. It took months for Levi to trust her enough to expose some of the kinds of details of his life that he could be killed for – a leap he wouldn’t have taken with just anyone. Yet, it seemed he’d either taken too much time to come around for the blonde’s appetite, or maybe, she just didn’t like what she’d seen once the walls finally came down. Levi had never confessed to be a saint at any rate, and he had even warned her that he was not a very nice man when she began chasing him. One of Gino’s henchmen had even called Levi a monster right in front of the blonde, making light of his own damn crimes when he’d kidnapped the woman, and when Lorelai had questioned it, questioned him, Levi hadn’t refuted the idea. How could he? He profited from the terror, plight, and deviancy of the world, growing fat like a demon drinking sin.

Thus, he could draw a line through the amount of blame that was his due. Levi might have been a horrible ******* person, someone who was tight-lipped and private and protective, but he was also somebody else. Lorelai had known another man beneath the rage and the hostility and barbed skin. She had known the man who loved her, who would kill and die just for her, who was willing to give up everything he had built in his life, who was willing to tear down all his defences and present his raw heart on a platter even without request. Yes he was possessive, and yes he still didn’t trust her wholly and likely never would, but he was willing to. It just couldn’t work at a snap of the fingers. He had spent over 30 years growing into a certain type of person and he couldn’t undo it so quickly. But he would try. And he was trying. When Gino first approached him about freeing William from prison and therefore freeing Levi from the Patriarca, his first thoughts were that he could put his hellish lifestyle aside and devote himself to a new more harmonious life with the blonde. He envisioned a wholesome future, one with children and maybe even pets… but for no apparent reason at all, that future was torn from him by the hands of the woman who should have been there to help him build it.

So of course Levi still felt raw and hurt and bitter. Control freaks need closure in order to help them get over their losses, and yet Lorelai had given him nothing. In his mind, it was one of the worst things she could have done to him, vanishing like that, and what was more painful was the fact that she ******* knew it. She knew how to hurt him, or maybe she didn’t really know him at all, and that was still a stake to the heart. So Levi wasn’t willing to accept any more blame for their failed relationship. He wasn’t a pretty ******* picture, but hell, he’d never been so cruel to her. He’d never made her believe that there could be more to life than stealing and screwing and shooting, then just take it all away with no explanation, no lesson to be learned. He wasn’t even willing to go halfsies and split the difference, accept that they were both equally to blame for the **** up because that wasn’t true. He’d been one way, one arguably very wrong way for a time, but the minute he pulled himself together and renounced all that ********, committed to doing better and living just for her, she was already packing her bags. And he just couldn’t see where he was to blame for it, not when she could have just told him the answer. Maybe if he was 100% to blame, even 50% to blame, she would be able to list the reasons for why their love was over. But she hadn’t. She’d vanished like a ******* coward and he had no justifiable excuse to accept that his blame exceeded hers.

But Levi didn’t want to talk through any those thoughts tonight; not with Hannah and not really with anyone at all. There probably wasn’t enough booze in the world to dissolve his filter around this subject. It was like a naval mine sitting at the very heart of him, left there to wait until it was triggered by the approach of an enemy vessel because all it really needed was a slight brush to set it off, to detonate months’ worth of compressed anger and grief. In knowing that, Levi hid it well and diverted people from the subject. It was better to just take the offered wine bottle and pour. Though, it did make him feel slightly guilty on account that he was helping her drink down her birthday present – not forgetting the fact that Levi’s idea of a birthday present was a wine coupon and a journal.

“He was probably too much of a pussy for you anyway,” Levi said suddenly, offering a wry grin as he poured the first glass of wine and handed it to her. So after all that debating with himself to say **** all, he decided to try and pass the woman a compliment. Sort of. “Better to come to Canada and meet a whole other class of people. Better people.” The sarcasm obviously came free with the wine. “You know, people who kidnap your cat and smell like cheese because they ain’t washed in a fortnight…”

Or people who were murderers, thieves, drug pushers, Mafioso, and Vampiro…

“So twenty-nine. That’s all?” he looked her up and down, this faux shocked expression on his face.

In reality, Levi would have pegged her as being 26 years old at the most. But, if she was going to make a mockery of her age, then he would jump on that chance too. It was off with the kid gloves for now and to see where this new road would take them. There was some kind of warning blooming in his mind – something relative to a woman’s sensitivity regarding her age – but Levi expertly ignored his own advice and carried on the onslaught.

“At least you got a few years before it all goes downhill, I guess. Me, meanwhile, I’ll just get better with age. You know, provided I don’t get killed by this,” he gestured to the wine bottle. “Or this,” and he gestured to the cigarette that he was still holding alongside the glass; the ash escaping with the movement and blowing away from them. “Or just my charming personality. Speaking of which,” he said, sharing his concentration between her and the second glass he was pouring. “I am gonna make you guess my age since you said you ain’t very good at it. I won't even get mad if you guess wrong. Promise.”

Which was easy enough to promise when he didn’t give a **** about the promise he was making. It wasn’t really possible to get angry just because she thought him older or younger than he actually was – not even for the man who was nicknamed the Leviathan on account of his endless wrath. Levi moved his focus off of Hannah entirely for a moment when he reached to put the wine glass on the ledge beside him, and then the bottle in a safer place behind him. Since the ledge they were sitting on was about hip height for him, it was a bit of stretch to put down, and getting back up required the use of his stomach muscles since he only had the one hand free – because helping yourself up is obviously lower on the priority list when it came to keeping hold of that half cigarette. Though, if he wanted to rationalise it, a few stomach crunches could stave off some of that damage he’d done to his body what with all the toxins he imbibed on a daily basis. Surely even Vampiro bodies were not immune to that influx of damage, they probably just had a better shot at healing it. When he was sat vertical again, umber eyes passed back to Hannah expecting an answer or for her to try and wriggle her way out of the game she didn’t want to play. Both options would provide plenty to keep him entertained. On her night.

A suggestion about her ex's character was made, and all Hannah could do was protest, just a little. "You can't just say-well, maybe." The protest on Kaede's character didn't last long, because he was a lot of things and a 'pussy' probably summed it up nicely. Since his little hack fest in her apartment, she hadn't seen hide or hair of the guy. Levi nailed it right on the ringer, which was why Hannah didn't protest too much. "Probably." Hannah agreed with a smile before she started working on the glass of wine he gave her. The first thing Hannah noticed in this wine was the hint of oak to it, which identified it as being the Cabernet and not the other she had picked up. There was also a faint smell of tobacco in the wine, but maybe it wasn't the wine, so much as it was Levi's cigarette. Hannah, never having been a smoker, really couldn't place the difference between what she was tasting and what she was smelling.

She laughed at the reference to the first guy she met in the apartment complex. Again, Levi summed the guy up nicely, though to say he kidnapped her cat was maybe a little far fetched. Amarillo seemed to crave exploring and asserting his possessiveness over everything he could; in a passive aggressive sort of way. For instance, the cat would wait until Magnolia got up to go get some food, use the litter box, or just stretch out to position her body in a different angle, before curling up for a cat nap again, but Amarillo saw it as a 'you snooze, you lose,' opportunity. He would claim that sunny spot and wouldn't even move an inch or acknowledge that she was in the area as he slept with eyes tightly shut. "Mmm. Canada certainly does have its own special league of people, doesn't it?" She shook her head, eyes twinkling with good humor as she joined in on the picking of their not so friendly neighbor down the hall.

At his questioning of her age, Hannah nodded her head, enjoying another sip of the wine. "Yes, that's all." Her eyes narrowed, as if Hannah were offended at him thinking she might be older than that, but then stuck her tongue out at him. When he took a jab at her age and how things went downhill after a few years, her tongue disappeared inside her mouth, as quickly as it came out. Hannah gave Levi a light, closed handed smack on his upper thigh as she gave him a set of very dangerously narrowed eyes in his direction. "Well, with the amount of wine in your system, it's guaranteed, that like wine, you'll only get better with age." Hannah laughed, amused with her own sense of humor at the moment.

But all jokes aside, what if Levi did get better with age? He wasn't bad looking now, but if he did get better with age...Her eyes flitted down to the glass that was in her hands as Hannah swallowed, thinking it was almost impossible for Levi to get better in any capacity. Hannah bit down on her lower lip before bringing the wine glass back to her lips and drinking some of it down. "But, just so you know, not everything goes downhill for a woman once she hits the hump of thirty." Hannah decided to focus the subject back on herself, or women in general, because thinking of Levi in any form 'better' than he was now, was setting Hannah's mind-frame into some other direction she wasn't willing to go into yet. "Sure, there's the whole gravity thing, but studies have shown that the se-" Hannah slowed her words down because while she was busy defending a woman's (and by admission her own) aging flaws, she took the scientific route of things someone should never tell someone, especially if that someone was someone you might have a small 'crush' on for lack of words. "a woman's libido increases with age." Hannah finished, half into the glass of wine before she gulped the rest of it down.

The empty glass was set down between them as Hannah tried to salvage her vomit of words that didn't need to be said, but just did get said. "I see a lot of busy nights in your future if you do end up getting even handsomer." Was that even a word? 'handomser?' Hannah rolled her eyes at herself, realizing she not only sounded like an idiot, but also failed to save the diarrhea of her mouth. Thankfully, she could focus on something else; anything else to keep from stumbling over her less than intelligent conversation a few seconds ago. There were two ways she could take this; Hannah could make Levi just a year or two older than her, to be polite. Or Hannah could give it a real attempt based off how little she knew about Levi. Take it based off the way he talked, and the way he talked about whatever they talked about.

"Uhm...Okay. Here goes." Hannah said with a nervous shift of her body on the ledge before she decided to take a guess, based off what she genuinely thought, and not to be polite. "Maybe...thirty-five?" Hannah said with a lift of her shoulders before she rolled her eyes and sighed. "See. I told you I suck at this game." Hannah angled her body so that she could hop off the ledge and land on the rooftop. She set the throw on her 'spot' before Hannah moved around Levi's seated body and grabbed the bottle of wine to pour herself another, hearty glass of the dark liquor. "How bad did I do?" She asked after setting the bottle back down in the designated place Levi choose for it, not yet moving back to reclaim her spot on the ledge.

The Italian knew he probably wasn’t being particularly fair when it came to judging Hannah’s ex, but then again, he wasn’t trying to be fair. He was trying to give her some kind of a vague and well-meaning commendation, maybe insinuate that Hannah deserved someone who would have chased her down and stopped her from leaving, someone with passion, someone with a pair of balls. Levi was insinuating that she deserved someone more like him in fact, which came with a two-fold justification. One; he thought a lot of himself, and two; he did kind of like the girl. In saying that though, he didn’t think she deserved him specifically. Case in point; he was a ******* monster and had proved that trying to change himself didn’t yield particularly positive results. Besides that, he was more than Mafia, he was a Vampiro too, and those facts just couldn’t change. There was no cure as far as he was aware, and just like how he couldn’t change the colour of his eyes, he was stuck like this for an eternity. It wasn’t as easy as changing your mind, which seemed to come to Hannah easily enough when she quickly waved the white flag on defending Mr Wrong. Levi had to assume that this was because she was just trying to show that she wasn’t some petty ***** who couldn’t stomach their ex after they split, but in the end, Hannah had come to her senses and decided that the boy probably deserved to be dumped. In return, Levi decided to reward her with a smile and then drank down some of his wine.

“See, I was right. And I usually am, by the way.” He paused to consider the wine he was drinking – it was more mauve than red as he swirled the glass against the lights of the city. “Like how I expertly chose your birthday present…”

So he might have been conceding a little there on the ego front based purely on the fact that he knew he could have done better. Levi shrugged his shoulders ultimately, but it didn’t save him from Hannah’s wrath. His comment regarding her age was going over like a lead balloon – proving that the saying was a myth. After all, you could get a balloon made of lead to inflate and rise, you just needed to be smart about it. You needed to manipulate it properly, have accurate measurements, and be brave enough to test your theories. Levi had been daring enough to insult a woman about her age and Hannah had responded by taking a swipe at his leg. He almost didn’t feel it – the nerves in his leg being too damaged to suitably recognise the soft, playful swipe – and Levi almost thought he was being attacked by one of her cats. He looked across to her like he was confused by the action, and he partly was because here she was pressing into his personal space without invitation again. Though, it could be said that Levi had invited the intrusion by being a **** head, and subsequently, Hannah shouldn’t have expected him to relent any time soon.

There was a moment where Levi considered going easier on her since she was appealing to his ego whilst simultaneously appealing to his sense of humour. Honestly, it took a certain kind of skill to be able to make his ego swell alongside his chest from laughter. In one concise and succinct sentence, she had managed to comment on the fact that he was a lush, and use that factoid as a vehicle for praise and criticism. The Italian was impressed, and when the subject of a woman’s increasing libido came up in casual conversation, Levi arched a brow, staring at her as if he was questioning whether or not she’d actually just said that. And, worst of all, had said that to him. It was the verbal equivalent of dangling a steak in front of a lion – he was going to bite, and maybe take her whole arm off in the process too.

“That explains cougars then,” he offered, then softly nudged her with his elbow since she appeared to be curling inward from embarrassment. “Hey, and I reckon you’ll make a great one in a few years, so don’t worry about it. They got all kinds of surgery tricks and you probably know people too seeing as how you’re in the industry. Sort of.”

If she hadn’t pushed him off the rooftop yet, she would soon enough – he was convinced. After all, every time Hannah had opened her mouth, Levi was right there to make her regret it. He’d given her so many free shots the last time they were together like this, so it only felt right like he had a bit of payback. Besides, she was leaving the goals wide open – he would be a fool not to score as much as possible. Hannah was also making a little too much like fun to pick on her.

“Handsomer?” he parroted with a small smirk, umber eyes wider than they ordinarily would be in any normal scenario – save probably for being in pain around a certain part of his anatomy.

There was a mixture of shock, humour, and arrogance at play there. Hannah seemed to think he was so handsome that she could barely string a decent sentence together while thinking about it, and that worked wonders to both stroke his ego and make him laugh again. It was rather dorky, but endearing in its own way; the Italian thought it was pretty ******* adorable. So behind the glint of surprise, comedy, and conceitedness, there was also a touch of admiration and affection lingering quietly. Unfortunately for her, Levi didn’t think that it made her invulnerable to attack.

“Wow, ok then,” he laughed. “I’m so handsome that I broke your brain.”

Although he was still smirking to himself, he stopped talking immediately. Yet, it would be easy to see that this was nowhere close to being over. If Hannah had a crush on him then he could easily do the mature thing of rubbing that in her face. Plus, he had to stop there before he said anything else – something crass that involved breaking other things on account of being such a stud. Maybe he could filter it a bit, though.

“Might be seriously fatal in a few years then,” he said, giving her a dark look. “You know, if I continue to get handsomer.”

To her credit, she was using the correct word and in the right place within a sentence, but her own insecurity just ended up placing a massive target over it. Not that Levi was precious over grammar or anything like that, but seeing as how English was his second language, he did enjoy making others feel that awkward sense of shame when they fumbled over words. The Italian’s pettiness really did know no bounds…

When she moved onto guessing his age, Levi couldn’t stifle the laugh that came punching out of him in several short, sharp bursts. It wasn’t really a surprise that she’d guessed older – he did have that surly, cynical outlook on life like he’d been raised in the dark ages. He attributed this to the fact that he was brought up by surly, cynical old bastards, and was subsequently surrounded by the surplus idiocy of average folk that invariably exacerbated his symptoms. Being intelligent, over-critical, and disproportionately wise for his age had its drawbacks in the form of being frustrated by a world that just didn’t function the way it should have. Likewise then, Levi wouldn’t have been particularly surprised if Hannah had guessed that he was younger than he actually was. He was a childish, petty, and sometimes insufferable person. The way he and Hannah played tit-for-tat with their soft insults was a prime example of this immaturity. Plus, it could be said that Levi was somewhat underdeveloped in certain aspects too, such as not having been appropriately socialised. Perhaps by the time he’d been released to interact with average folk it was already too late to expect him to care. Small talk was just another grievance to the hard-nosed Italian, like a tiger being expected not to maul somebody’s face just because you brought him out of the jungle and into the city. It was fortunate that he genuinely enjoyed Hannah's company and would likely settle for shredding clothes, then.

“You ain’t done badly,” Levi said, turning to get a better look at her, which involved pulling both legs over the ledge and setting his back to the cityscape. By then of course she’d stepped off the ledge herself and was back on the roof, fetching herself another glass of wine from the bottle he’d put down beside him. “Just a couple of years off,” he continued, watching her carefully. “I’ll be 32 in October.”

His birthday was just over a week away, which meant they were both Libras. Levi didn’t believe in astrological signs dictating one’s personality, particularly when Libras were said to be diplomatic, sociable, and kind-hearted. He could see those traits in Hannah, but maybe not in himself, or at least not all of the time. But he didn’t want the focus to remain on him – especially not today – so he decided to do the honourable thing and ask Hannah to divulge more about herself.

“So tell me about your best birthday,” he basically demanded. “Like, how old you were and what made it the best day you can remember.”

The more and more Hannah got to know Levi and the more he talked about himself, Hannah concluded that the guy thought an awful lot about himself. Some might see it as cocky or even egotistical, but there was some humor behind his potentially large ego. Hannah rolled her eyes as Levi claimed that he was usually right, and how he was an expert at gifting her the right gift. “Or, maybe you just wanted an excuse to see me again, knowing I know you like wine as much as I do, if not more.” Hannah countered, feeling as if she had a right to toot her own ego for a second, since Levi was so proudly displaying his for her to see again for tonight.

Hannah laughed when Levi commented about cougars, hoping that once he gave his two cents on the matter, they could move on from the vocal projectile vomit she tossed his way. That was sort of their thing, wasn't it? Make fun of the person a little bit for what they said or did, then move on to another subject for whatever reason. For genuine interest, or circle to a different topic that they could poke fun at. Hannah's eyes narrowed when Levi mentioned Hannah's potential cougar years only being a 'few' years off, and even going so far to suggest that she may need surgery. She shook her head and rolled her eyes a little. “Dating younger men never appealed to me. If I wanted a baby, I would have one.” Hannah quipped as she grabbed her glass and sipped at it. While Hannah was aware the biological time clock was working against her in that respect, she didn't feel the need to have any children at this time, or any time soon. Maybe that was due to her professional lifestyle, or because Hannah hadn't ever slowed down to think about it, but children were the farthest thing from her mind until this casual jab at younger men as a whole. Was it unfair? Maybe.

And then Levi focused on the way Hannah had described Levi-or the future Levi. She could see how amused he was at it, and it was hard in that second not to toss the wine in his face for being a prick. Not that Hannah was at all offended, or really pissed off about it, but Levi needed to be reeled back in a little bit before his head got so big, the wind blew and carried him right off the roof's top. “Yes, Handsomer.” Hannah parroted him back, after he parroted her. More wine was drunk to keep from saying something more incriminating against her personal thoughts, which allowed Levi to claim Hannah's brain was broken. He probably wasn't wrong, because Hannah knew deep down, going down this road, and unlocking something was dangerous in at least two different ways. She didn't think the Serpents would approve of it, not since her last meeting with Takano and the threat he dished out. The second was, should Levi ever find out about her association with the Serpents and those doors had been open...what would he do? Other than smoke and drink himself to death? What would he do to her? He was dangerous; just how dangerous had yet to be seen.

And just then, Hannah looked into Levi's eyes as he talked, noticing the change in them. The overcast tones to them. Was it a secret confession of his personality; of who Levi genuinely was, or was it possible there were thoughts that conjoined with some of her own? Levi sure didn't mind teasing Hannah as much as she teased him (if not more), and he had complimented her a couples times over in the past. Suddenly, Levi laughed and Hannah looked surprised. He had chuckled before, in low undertones, but this held some genuine hilarity behind the laugh. Even if it was at her (or her guess), Hannah believed this was the first time she actually heard Levi laugh. When he told her she hadn't guessed that poorly, Hannah smiled and waited to hear what his actual age was. When it was revealed, there was a 'no way,' look on her facial features that vanished if Levi glanced in her direction for too long. It was revealed that Levi would be 32 not that far off from today, and Hannah nodded. She could believe that they were close in birth-month's because they both seemed to have some similar traits and attributes. “What?” Hannah blinked in surprise when Levi asked her to tell him about her best birthday ever.

Was any birthday better than the other? Hannah could remember things about some of her birthday parties when she was just a little girl, but nothing specifically stood out to her. No special present she wanted more than anything that entire year. “Oh, I don't know.” She started off, words slow as Hannah bought herself a few more seconds. Her eyes found his, and for not being a walking cliché, because Hannah hated those types of people more than anything, she couldn't help but think about how this one wasn't that bad. Would it be the most memorable? Probably not, but it was better than the last few years. “Oh. I know.” Hannah said suddenly as her eyes lit up. “My ninth birthday.” Hannah groaned slightly, thinking about the memory. “The year before, my class took a trip to an ice skating rink. I loved it, but wasn't any good at it, come to think about it. I hounded my dad like a total brat to get me some ice skates for my birthday. He did, probably to get me to shut up, even though he was against the idea the entire time. But I was so positive then that I was going to be a professional ice-skater, as pathetic as that sounds.” Hannah laughed into her wine glass before taking a small sip. “After falling on my butt at least two dozen times, the next time I didn't fall on my butt, but ended up getting my left foot caught under me instead. I only ended up with a sprain, but needless to say, I didn't skate much after that, mostly because my step mom and dad were positive I'd snap my neck the next time I put them on.” Her eyes moved off Levi, to focus on the lights of the city as Hannah briefly relived those memories.

“So what are your big plans for your special day that's coming up? Let me guess. Drinking and doing the alone thing?” Hannah teased him of the same thing he accused her of at one time, as her hip pressed against the ledge that Levi was still sitting on, her attention back on him. “If so, that will make my gift to you, simple. I happen to know this place where they sell a lot of wine.” A small smirk pulled at her lips, finding it hilarious to more or less 'steal' his idea for his birthday when it came to the big day.

When he’d asked her to reveal to him one of her best birthdays he’d had a few assumptions. He’d assumed that she would recite a time in her early childhood when she’d gotten the best presents ever, when all of her family had come down to visit, when her friends surrounded her too. He had even expected to hear her tell him about a time in her early twenties when she was finally of legal age to get completely hammered, because that’s what all 21 year olds did on their birthday, wasn’t it? What the Italian hadn’t expected was for Hannah to recall a time when she’d gotten a gift she’d wanted in a phase, and quickly learned that it was a phase when her parents banned her from her own birthday present and Hannah seemed totally fine with that. Levi gave her a look that suggested he was dumbfounded, which generally involved his features twisting into a soft frown and for him to blink more often when he stared. His lips drew a faint line, albeit a relaxed one, which shifted into a wry smile in a few moments at any rate. He shook his head, puffed on his cigarette, and let the bemusement go along with a breath of smoke. Imagining her on the ice as a child was kind of adorable, he had to admit. If he’d have been in her parent’s position though, he doubted he would have just pulled her off the ice because of a few scrapes or sprains. He’d been stabbed and shot a number of times and nobody ever thought to pull him out of this lifestyle. It was difficult to summon what-if scenarios, but it was always better to offer people at least a semblance of a choice. He’d had no choice to give up, just as maybe Hannah had no choice but to keep going. Who knew what their lives could have been like if they just had more freedom.

Despite the Italian’s attempt to keep the limelight where it could be better utilised, where it was more appealing for it to shine on clear blue eyes and heart-shaped lips, Hannah seemed intent on turning that brightness on him. Levi internally cringed at its glare, but at least the girl was sympathetic enough to shield him from some of it with her humour. Levi stopped focusing on the radiance of the question and just smirked. Of course he was better off doing the alone thing. Levi was a loner much of the time as it was. He valued the distances he built between himself and other people because it made him feel invincible around them. After all, Levi had been brought up knowing a few facts of life: the more you knew, the more powerful you were. Specifically this was true about people. The more you knew about someone, the easier it was to predict their movements, manipulate their actions, and take control of their lives. This didn’t necessarily mean you had to kill them, but, you could easily build connections with people when they thought you were their knight in shining armour. Gino was one of the best at this, and he had made the mistake of revealing his cards to an influential upstart. That upstart had learned that everything he said and did from that point on was up for judgement, which was why on the day he felt most vulnerable and sentimental, he gathered himself to roost like a solitary dragon in his castle and didn’t come down again until he was done sulking.

“Something like that,” Levi confessed, rolling a shoulder so casually that you might never anticipate the surly thoughts going on behind the neutral visage. Umber eyes held to steely blues, even though he felt fairly uncomfortable sitting on that ledge while she stood there in front of him – within pushing distance. “I also appreciate Whiskey, just so you know. So feel free to bring a bottle or two around on the 10th.”

All in all, wine didn't really suit Levi as far as his personality went, but he was used to drinking it. Every party or social event hosted red wine and champagne like they’d hired Jesus to do the catering. It was ridiculous how much the Mafia idolised red wine, they even used it in their rituals and often to signify blood; similarly to how the Church would use wine in their blessings and sermons. The drinking and keeping of wine was a cultural thing most of all, where cases of Brunello di Montalcino in the cellar were marks of money and influence rather than taste. Wine is the drink of power in most cultures. Levi had always found it a bit too sweet on the palate, however, and preferred the smoky, woody, and leathery notes of whiskey and other similarly produced beverages. Wine might have been the drink of power, but whiskey – with its spicy warmth and darker, muskier character – could certainly be considered the drink of rage. Of all the seven deadly sins that man could suffer, Wrath was certainly the Italian’s greatest flaw. It never took much to cross that line for him, and because Levi rarely allowed for chaotic, violent actions to permeate his plans, it could do him just as much damage to lose his **** and rage on people as it would for the people he was shooting at. Funnily enough, booze was a good rage inhibitor regardless of whether it was wine or whiskey or even some dank liquor you pulled out from last year’s Christmas party. The more the Italian drank, the more often he was tolerable, sociable, and maybe even faintly charming.

“So, what are your next milestones in life?” he asked, then finished off the remainder of his glass. “I’m assuming that turning 30 is like a bigger deal for you women than it is for us. Presumably then, you’ve got yourself a list of goals before you hit that number?”

And so the spotlight was returning to its rightful place with that question. While he wasn’t one to engage in small-talk – partially because he wasn’t any good at asking the right questions at the right times – he did enjoy listening to Hannah talk regardless of the subject. Levi also liked to listen to her thoughts and not give her any feedback, specifically when she made assumptions about him. He would smile, with this dark and knowing look in his eyes that suggested that he might very well be what she was expecting – and then some – but wouldn’t say much if anything at all. The Italian often had this intimidating air about him, the kind that made the air in your lungs go cold, though it was uncommon for that sensation to linger around certain females that he might have been fond of. Maybe he had learned his lesson after all. Nevertheless, he wasn’t giving Hannah the full dose of how much of a hateful ******** he could be, but he wasn’t going to pretend like he wasn’t capable of some horrible **** either. As it happened, Hannah was just sort of lucky she hadn’t seen more of that behaviour. Perhaps it was because the bar of his expectations was higher because of what type of a person she was too. She dished out the insults as much as she could take them, so maybe she wasn’t too much of a wimp and could actually stomach the Vampiro. Maybe. Time would tell.

A shrug was offered in response to Hannah's question, but finally Levi elaborated just a little bit. Not as Hannah would have predicted, but it was something she would store away and remember. But what was more interesting was that it seemed in a roundabout way, Levi was inviting Hannah over to see him again, at his place. He did say for her to bring a bottle, or even two 'around' on the tenth of next month. That was definitely interesting and led Hannah to believe that under all of Levi's 'I hate people' attitude, that maybe, just maybe, that wasn't exactly true. Maybe it was some sort of facade Levi put on, for whatever reason.

Something, she wasn't interested in knowing about right now. Everyone had to wear a 'face' of sorts in all walks of life. Hannah wore the epitome of what a physical therapist should be face, at work. Then there was the face everyone had to wear around their parents. The one who they wanted to see versus the one you really were. Not that Hannah was a lot different around them, exactly, but she definitely didn't drink around her parents, and she minded the topics she discussed with them too. There were things she could talk about with her peers compared to the things she talked about with her parents. Then there was the face she tried to wear whenever Hannah met Takano; the one that she wanted him to believe. The one that spoke of making great strides when dealing with Levi and finding out things about him. That face, try as she might, wasn't always visible, but in trying to display that she felt accomplished to him, hopefully kept them off her back a little longer and away from her family.

That thought had Hannah glancing out to the city street lights again, ready to wash it away because while tonight she should be gathering information for them to use against Levi in whatever way the Serpents saw fit, Hannah wasn't exactly on the same page. A small part of the reason why she invited him up here, and not back to her apartment. Here, they could discuss anything and everything, openly, without Hannah having to steer the conversation away from something, or in a certain direction. Everyone deserved a night off; especially on their birthday. That's what she would tell them, though she knew the real reason. Hannah wanted to have something the Serpents simply couldn't have. Something they didn't know about, even if it was as something as little as Levi preferring whiskey to wine.

A question that seemed like something asked in an interview of sorts was asked of her and the sound of a glass coming to rest on a surface drew her attention away from the lights and back to Levi. Milestone, big deal, a certain age number dropped and finally, goals. If Hannah could be honest, her answer would consist of something along the lines of, making it to her thirtieth birthday, but that would raise too many questions she just couldn't answer in front of Levi. Instead, Hannah preferred to ignore that 'goal,' and focus on something smaller. The milestones. Did she have any? She thought of the typical things women wanted by a certain time frame. An example of that would be children. Again, nothing she thought of. Marriage would typically be considered something that came first, but didn't always. Had that been on her radar? Not really. She supposed it was hard to think of having things, of doing things when those things might be swept out under your foot at any given moment. So, something smaller then.

She laughed and shook her head. “Not really. Besides, what do I have to worry about? You said it yourself, I'll be a great cougar in a few years.” Hannah grabbed the bottle of wine and poured Levi another glass as she thought about it some. “Maybe one day take my boss's place. That's a typical goal everyone has, right? Use their degree and what they know to their full potential?” She asked before setting the almost bottle down, her eyes searching his face, as if looking for his thoughts on her questions. Only, Hannah didn't really care what his answer was. Maybe Hannah was fine with just being a physical therapist. She loved her job, in truth, and believed that if something wasn't broke, why fix it? Taking Adam's place would earn her another ten or twelve thousand dollars a year, at the least, but maybe Hannah didn't want to deal with the bureaucracy behind it. “Finally sit down and read 'The Prince,' was it?” Hannah teased Levi, a laugh trickling out from between her lips, before the laugh and the playfulness of her features diminished. With the turned up corners of her lips gone, the twinkle in her eyes; a different look was birthed. One of intrigue and thoughtfulness. As if perhaps Hannah had had an epiphany of sorts, of what she wanted to finally do before the dread three-oh reared its head. That thought was partly true, not in the sense of the ticking time clock working against her, but Hannah came to realize that there was something that she did want to do. Something she wanted to do for a while, but was held back by caution.

“Actually, now that you mention it,” Hannah began quietly as she moved around Levi and reclaimed her 'space' on the side opposite to him, leaving her glass behind on the ledge. “There is something that I want to do.” Hannah admitted with a shrug of her shoulders as her back found the wall, while both palms of her hands found the ledge. After a small jump she was back on the ledge with Levi, thanks to her own upper body strength. “Not a goal, maybe.” She confessed with a small smile before Hannah turned towards Levi and looped a leg over the one closest to hers. The other remained bent, its knee pressed against the ledge's surface, while both arms came to rest on each one of his shoulders. “But it's definitely a milestone of sorts for tonight.” Hannah openly divulged to him as a palm came to rest against his left cheek. “And hopefully, you won't end disappointing the birthday girl what she really wants on her birthday.” Hannah made sure to use that ammunition against Levi, in case it was needed, but hopefully it wasn't, while she leaned in closer to Levi. The arm with a hand that didn't have his chin, wrapped around his neck, while her lips gently brushed against his. At first she pressed a couple, light kisses to his own set of lips, before Hannah pressed her body closer to Levi, seeking out a reply from his own lips.

There were often times when the Italian thought far into the future and criticised every tiny eventuality, every possibility that could linger out there on the horizon, so he could work them into his plans. There were other times of course too when the Italian didn’t think **** through at all. Inviting Hannah over on his birthday hadn’t been his direct intention. Not that he hated the idea of seeing the woman again so soon, but, it was more to do with the fact that he wasn’t a very good host. And as a matter of fact, he was an especially bad host on the day of all days. Levi reserved his birthday as a day of mourning, a day to reflect on all the **** which had happened to him, the tasks he had yet to achieve, and all the crap that was undoubtedly about to come in and stand in his way. It put him in a sour mood – to put it lightly – and while a bottle or seven of a fine whiskey, wine, or… whatever was going might improve that mood of his, the probability wasn’t worth testing. Basically, the Italian didn’t want to overburden the woman so soon, which begged the question as to why the **** he cared what she thought of him. Levi didn’t think he needed any more “friends” in his life, especially not now while he was focused on keeping his life, and the lives of his Vampiri companions, afloat. He certainly wasn’t looking to get caught up in a romance any time soon either – or like, ever a-*******-gain. So, again, it begged the question: what the hell?

Umber eyes shifted from Hannah to what she was looking at, causing him to glance over his shoulder to the city behind. He hadn’t moved to put his feet back over the edge since Hannah was still standing on the rooftop before him. When she began to talk though, his attention shifted back to her and he listened fondly to the laugh which bubbled out of her, followed quickly by the mass of information concerning her life goals. She didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about sharing that information, however. Whether that was because she genuinely wasn’t interested in the subject matter or because she simply didn’t want to share that kind of thing with him. Levi could understand her hesitation given he had presented himself as a massively successful businessman – that kind of thing could be intimidating. Milestones were important to him, he saw them as markers of success, and he was the type of guy who had to measure everything. Everything. He was also incredibly ambitious, his nose having been pointed in the direction of what it meant to be successful from a very young age. In the grand scheme of things, independence sat at the top of his pyramid – it superseded power and money because it was the culmination of them both. And since he had been shown just how to get what he wanted from a similarly early phase, it was all he ever focused on. For the Italian, life was about reaching goals and everything else was superfluous, which explained why he couldn’t understand the people who were his complete opposite. Levi didn’t understand these people who existed under the premise of ‘getting by’, like that was their main focus. Why do your best when you can just scrape by on the skin of the ***, right? He couldn’t comprehend it at all.

But, the Italian was brought out of his brooding and his assessment of Hannah when she asked him a very direct question. At first he wondered why she was laughing, and then he was wondering why she had stopped laughing. The abrupt change of subject also made his left eyebrow twitch upward ever so slightly. Was she trying to distract him or maybe make the point that not every goal could necessarily come true? He doubted Hannah had clairvoyant powers, or enough to read into the finer details of his life, but he did suspect that she was smart enough to make very astute observations. For instance, when he had asked about goals, she had immediately attributed her answers to align with what she suspected he was asking; about her work. After all, she understood Levi to be very business focused, which was true, but that wasn’t everything that he was. Granted, it was around 80 to 90% of what he was nowadays, but that was because he had no alternatives. It would be fair to say that Levi suffered from tunnel-vision too, being so focused on one task that he couldn’t see around it. That wasn’t to say he was completely one-dimensional, however. He appreciated that people could have other goals beyond their work; maybe they’d like to achieve a hobby, maybe they wanted a family, maybe they wanted to break a world record. And so when the next thing Hannah did was ask about the book he’d been reading, then put on this curious yet adorable expression, Levi’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“It’s 194 pages,” Levi said flatly. “But, no. I mean, I should have done by now, but, the cat actually chewed it up when I left him and it alone that night. Which kinda makes it your fault,” he said with dark humour strumming in his gravelly voice. “But, I’ll look past it seeing as how it’s your birthday and all.”

Now that that much was out there between them, Levi could resume making his list of their compatible traits, desires, and skills… because he wanted to and didn’t appear to need any further justification, thanks very much. Levi made lists about everything. Whether via abstract thought or on an Excel spread sheet, he compiled lists about the things that mattered to him so he could properly analyse them, resolve them, appreciate them. That could all seem rather trite, not to mention highly characteristic of an extreme control freak, but, he was totally fine with people knowing him as such. Levi would rather be honest about how much he cared rather than be one of these blasé individuals who held less passion and thought in the whole of their bodies than he did in his ******* toe – the pinkie, even. Perhaps that came off the wrong way a lot of the time, but at least it weeded out the types of people he shouldn’t be engaging with in the first place. The jury was still out on Hannah, mostly because he couldn’t justify why he was engaging with her beyond this need to satisfy his curiosity and it made him uncomfortable. Obviously, the Leviathan was not an insecure individual – he had demonstrated that wonderfully throughout the evening – but he still had problems figuring out just why someone like her was interested in someone like him. But then she sat up on the ledge again, sidled closer, and hooked a leg around his. Soon there were hands on his shoulders, a warm body close to smothering him, and he forgot whatever it was that he was thinking about.

There was a look that passed between them, one of equivocal uncertainty and curiosity. At first, Levi was baffled by the sudden revolution, but he was quick to adapt – it was another one of those skills you learned when hardly anything went your way. And while it might have seemed obvious to anyone else just what was stirring in the waters of potential for the pair, it hadn’t entirely been obvious to him that Hannah would basically seat herself in his lap and kiss him after a discussion about life goals and reading books. So he reciprocated just a second or two short of being considered casual and smooth. The arm closest to her slipped behind her back, trailed lower over sensual undulations where muscle curved toward a spinal column and curved out again toward a backside. His hand cupped the underside of a cheek, fingers claiming territory between her buttocks and the ledge as if he was prepared to lift her away from it, up into his arms. Judging by his preternatural strength, he could have done that effortlessly. Instead, he kept his arm firm like a branch to rest her weight on, to block a retreat, and as something she could use to feel secure as they teetered on the edge of a twenty storey drop. Even through the layers of broadcloth and silk, she would be able to discern the rigidity of bicep and forearm muscles hugging her back, but what she probably couldn’t immediately notice was the fact that Levi had hooked his ankles against the wall to stop them from plummeting to their deaths.

To be brutally honest, Levi didn’t like it when people – or rather women, because no man ever got within that kind of proximity without being head-butted – touched his hair. Whether it irked some subconscious part of his brain that remembered a time when someone who’d touched him like that had subsequently betrayed him, cut him so deep he’d be fucked up in the head forever; or because it was the only part of his anatomy that felt things normally and with such tingling sensitivity that he just couldn’t tolerate it. He didn’t know which it was. The thing the Italian did understand, however, was that he never really liked it when fingers gripped his hair, tugged at his scalp, and pressured him closer despite the fact that he ultimately enjoyed the destination. It was probably the equivalent of being taken to Disney Land in a shitty Sedan; the journey was uncomfortable, made you nauseous, and prickled your growing ego, but ****, you were going to Disney Land – the happiest place on Earth! So, instead of pouting like a spoilt child when Hannah’s fingers toyed with the thick curls at the base of his hairline as she peppered him with light kisses, Levi decided to accept the fact that this was happening and even decided to take advantage of it.

There was a body pressing closer to him, a warm body with such pleasing features and contours that it was like being hugged by living caramel. His eyes lids became heavy from comfort, half-closing, and he watched the pink of her lips until they became too close to distinguish. At that point he felt them, a soft peck of flesh at the corner of his mouth, and he moved to chase the heat of it. The Italian wasn’t nearly as subtle or chaste when he returned his affections, though he failed to give into those passionate, wet kisses right away. He pursued that bottom lip, dragged it into his mouth, and once she was in range, he shifted closer as if to consume her entirely. Their lips sealed together neatly and powerfully in several bursts. He could already smell her, taste her, from this little contact. The sweet perfume of the wine gave her natural scent a touch of something entirely too irresistible to lean away from. He didn't force his tongue in, or pry those lips open even so. Levi just got close, applying a little pressure. He could feel the softness of Hannah's skin brushing against his grizzled jaw and wanted more. His spare hand, which had done a remarkable job of holding the wine glass and **** all else, released its grip and found something better by fixing to the base of her ribcage; thumb positioned in the soft, warm crease below the bust.

Hannah had set him the challenge to not disappoint her, and while Levi thought much of his skills in all areas of his life, he suspected he would probably disappoint her anyway. Not because he was anything less than a spectacularly passionate kisser, not because he basically grabbed her *** and brushed a thumb against her breast all in the last ten seconds either, but because he was only assuming her expectations and figured he was going to be assuming wrong. The Italian was very much used to playing a certain role, one that involved him making the first move, taking control, and dominating the situation. And he could do that here too quite comfortably, but, there was a chance that he’d disappoint the birthday girl by moving too quickly. Besides, there was still the question of what he wanted, and by lining himself up to please her, he would still be putting himself in a position of servitude. That notion made his skin tighten unpleasantly, injecting a contrast of cold and discomfort into an otherwise satisfying situation. Levi hadn’t paused his assault on her lips in all that time of self-reflection, but he realised that he would have to take some kind of cue from her before he could continue. So he found a space in which she would need to breathe and detached his lips. He didn’t move away immediately, instead he brushed his cheek along hers and whispered close to an ear.

“So, tell me,” he murmured, his voice low and slightly coarse. “What does the birthday girl really want?”

Maybe it was unfair of Hannah to demand such a thing and put any form of pressure on Levi just because it was her birthday. What if Levi wasn't at all interested in her, or the proposition Hannah laid down? That's what this was, wasn't it? Still, maybe it was slightly misguiding of Hannah to expect Levi to just go along with what she wanted under the pretense of this being just because of her birthday. But, in the same token, it was her birthday and if she could get away with it, this was the night that she could get away with making a move on her really attractive, among other things, neighbor.

The last time she locked lips with someone had been years ago and was the very reason she was here today, locking lips with Levi. So when Hannah's lips found the corner of Levi's own lips, instead of anywhere near the front and middle of them, Hannah was reminded how out of practice she really was. This didn't result in her discontinuation from her intended desire; because Hannah wanted more. Her figure took shelter against his broader figure as his lips absorbed her soft set into his own. Not that her lips were the only thing that became sponged against Levi D'Amico.

The fingers in his hair dropped as her hands came to rest over each of his shoulders, as her arms lightly wrapped around the back of Levi's neck. It was tempting to crumple up against him,' get lost in the throngs of passion, to lose herself in that more desire, but Hannah was all too aware of the ledge they were on and the steep drop down from that same ledge. Besides, the hand on the curve of her butt and the one beneath her breast had an unyielding hold on her, meaning Levi was all too well aware of it too. Her newfound position had been risky in more than one way, but the results had been far from disappointing.

Just as Hannah felt the stinging rise of heat slap against both of her cheeks, Levi pulled away, unhinging his lips from hers. Her blue irises searched his dark eyes for a second, but broke contact when his cheek met hers. Very slowly, Hannah sucked in the late September night air, not recognizing just how out of breath she was until she brought the air into her lungs. Though, the night air was refreshing to her lungs, it did little to wash away those pink tinted cheeks of hers, which could be faulted to two things. Levi's approaching closeness, and the thoughts racing through her mind while Levi started to speak. Cheeks that were a shade of ballet slippers darkened and spread further across the apples of her cheekbones by the time Levi finished speaking. What Hannah wanted could be summed up in one simple word, but instead of saying what was on the tip of her tongue, Hannah resisted the magnetic urge to press her cheek against his and instead, pulled away to look Levi in his eyes again.

She was positive her apartment was under some form of surveillance. Hannah had come to believe this months ago, but couldn't find any solid proof (not that she knew what she was looking for). Not that she cared what they might hear, or even see; Hannah couldn't help but remember Takano's strong dislike for her swimming 'thing' with Levi that may or may not happen. She could only imagine his sour face when she met up with him again for lunch or dinner, knowing what he knew. No, this was something Hannah was keeping all to herself, if she could. These thoughts flitted through her mind quickly, spanning over a handful of seconds before Hannah nestled her lips against his for a gentle claim while her arms tightened around his neck. The kiss was done before it started, only so that Hannah could finally oblige Levi with a response. “More.” She said in a warm breathy voice against his lips before Hannah amplified her previously spoken answer. Really, 'more' could mean a lot of things and was relatively vague, even if Hannah knew what the word meant and implied.

“I think,” Hannah began, as her arms gradually unwound from around Levi's neck, to break away from the desire to envelope herself within him-only because of the ledge ordeal. This however, did allow Hannah's hands the freedom she craved to run down the length of his chest, before clutching the fabric of his button down shirt. “We breathe some new life into that apartment of yours.” She suggested with a slight roll of her shoulders, as Hannah's lips composed themselves into a small smirk, before she unwound from him completely and slid off of Levi. This was done for two reasons; allowing him to get off the ledge without toppling backwards off it, and for practicality reasons. They couldn't very well leave behind the wine, or the throw. She reached for the throw that was cozied up against Levi, before concluding, “That is, if, you're interested in that sort of thing.” The throw was draped over her left arm, while Hannah collected the bottle that had no more than half a glass of wine in it.

The dark smile which had cut across Levi’s features was sharper than a knife. The purr of Hannah’s voice and the words she had spoken had pulled him closer, welcomed him in, and gave him no good reason not to indulge himself. Arms had tightened around his neck. She kissed him softly. He kissed her back hungrily. There was a point where he didn’t want to let her wriggle out of his grasp so he could continue to steal the breath and pleasure out of her, but at the prospect of more, he had to concede that their current position on the roof was probably not all that accommodating. Insistent fingers relaxed and let her slip away, only for Hannah to lure him to her again with a provocative suggestion. As umber eyes watched her baby-blues glisten with promise, he couldn’t summon a single reason to oppose or reject the offer. Levi wasn’t at all bothered by the prospect of someone teleporting into the apartment to find them in the throngs of passion. As it happened, that notion appealed to him on what was undoubtedly a bitter and malevolent level as well as just being some sort of kink. There didn’t seem to be any downsides to whisking the beauty away and subjecting her to a night of profoundly intense love-making – save the bruises, aches, and welts that would develop at any rate. So he followed Hannah’s lead; dropping down onto his feet, grabbing their wine glasses, and making devious comments of his own.

“I reckon you’ll find I’m interested in a lot,” he said as he approached her. Those umber eyes were focused on Hannah in much the same way a tiger studies a potential new mate. “So, if you think you can handle that, let’s go. I’ll even let you pick the safe word. I just end up suggesting a particularly long and difficult one to pronounce anyway.”

And there was that trademark humour again; the type which was boastful and sinister yet still managed to make the right women laugh and blush. He’d caught the colour change in Hannah’s cheeks once tonight already and thought he liked the way it made her look more… alive. But perhaps that was the predator in him speaking because he was equal parts horny and hungry in her presence. He could probably manage to sacrifice one urge for another, fortunately enough. So the Italian opened the door back into the apartment complex and allowed Hannah to step on through before they walked side-by-side to the elevator. Frankly, Levi’s ego had one of two effects on people; it either pissed them off and made them think he was a total idiot, or they found it extremely attractive. Nevertheless, there were several instances where people had been surprised when the Italian’s confidence regarding his own capabilities resulted in flawless outcomes. Therefore, Levi was hardly worried about disappointing Hannah now.

If there is one thing that Italians are known for, it is their inexhaustible passion. In Italy, love is art waiting to be expressed. Whether in reference to relationships, business, or anything else, compliments are the keys to opening many doors. Italians, regardless of gender, like to be admired and often go out of their way to make a good impression on whoever they think is worth the effort. Both men and women go for dreamy eyes, a good smile, and a lovely figure. But it’s not all about the physical attractions. While charming and doting, Italian men are often stubborn and volatile. Women and love are two of the most cherished concepts in the Italian culture, and men can be quite possessive of their women. Once an Italian man has given his heart to a woman, he considers her to be his to keep forever – even in spite of her friends. It takes a patient or equally passionate woman to appreciate this extreme form of desire and affection. Love therefore provides the perfect rollercoaster material. A lot of arguments, frequent sex to make up for it, lots of seduction, and rampant flirtations are pretty standard in their relationships. The down-to-earth paradigm “what you see is what you get” does not necessarily apply in Italy. Instead, it’s a never-ending cycle of hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

One of the world’s best-known love stories features two Verona families whose feuding results in the death of a pair of star-crossed lovers. While the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet does result in the families setting aside their differences in the end, it is the play’s portrayal of the battle between the Montagues and Capulets which does well to express the volatile side of Italian passion. The two households are described as being very much alike, even to the point of holding onto archaic grudges against the other. Rash decisions and knee-jerk reactions occur plentifully throughout the play as well, including the final scene which ultimately leads to the young lovers committing suicide. Unable to live without the other – after just five days of knowing each other – they plot to take their lives and escape together in the next life. Critics are quick to denounce the affections of Romeo and Juliet as puppy love gone terribly awry, describing the emotions shared by the young couple to be shallow and transient in comparison to other forms of love. But love is love. Whether it is passionate, young, foolish, crazy, or experienced, love is madness, pain, and ecstasy.

No matter how far away from home he might be, an Italian could never be too far away from his roots. Those radicles were threaded into the soil of him, represented as arteries, bronchioles, neurons, and more. They controlled the way he thought, how he breathed, the rhythm of his pulse, and ultimately determined who he was. Try as he might to set aside his passions, to lock away his heart in dragon hide and thorns, it was ingrained in Levi to love. Of course, it was far too early to think about such matters with Hannah. They barely knew each other, and with the way of their conflicting worlds, would be unlikely to find the opportunity to share a true and honest bond. The best they could offer each other was an illusion of intimacy and comfort, a distraction, some warmth in a cold and unforgiving situation. And he was fine with that. Really. It didn’t have to be a case of all or nothing again. Levi was convinced he could learn from the mistakes of the past and keep an eye open for the future. But the present was what mattered; both the time period and what could be unwrapped in that dusty, gloomy apartment.