Simple Kind of Life (Levi)

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Levi claimed he didn’t back down and Hannah could believe that. But that didn’t mean she did either, and so it should be an interesting time, no matter how it ended-as in who ended up winning. Working in the medical field didn’t really allow people to give up, but Hannah was pretty sure she had that passion within her long before Hannah knew what she wanted to be. When she was a girl, she wanted to be a teacher just like her biological mother. She supposed every kid wanted to be like their mom, or dad when growing up. In middle school, Hannah wanted to be a dentist after one of her classmates dad came in to talk about his job. There were a lot of parents who had cubicle jobs and none of those had ever appealed to Hannah. In some respects, Hannah suspected that while she didn’t agree with her mother’s lifestyle (currently) they were probably more alike than she wanted to admit. Being tied to a desk, answering phones all day made Hannah internally cringe at the idea and even somewhat depressed her. How anyone could do that, and live to talk about it, was beyond her.

She noticed the coolness of his hands and the first thing Hannah thought of was the old saying, ‘Cold hands, warm heart,’ but somehow...Hannah wasn’t positive she could believe that saying to be true in respects to Levi. Sure, he was a nice enough guy, but she didn’t see him going over and beyond his way of life to be exceedingly nice to anyone. So, maybe he, like a fair few people in the world had circulations problems and Hannah disregarded it as that. Nothing more, nothing less, and nothing she was going to bring to his attention. People tended to like to keep medical things to themselves, because it was a sore, personal subject.

Things became a little uncomfortable when Levi mentioned taking a day or two off. Hannah hadn’t considered going anywhere with Levi for longer than a day, but here he was implying that they might go some place that would result in that, depending on her answer and preferences. Again, caution needed to be taken, because of the situation she was in. Going with him could end up fine, but then again, going with him could turn out not fine and what would happen then? What would happen if she needed the assistance of the Serpents, should she need it if things went really, really badly. Being a couple hours away compared to being almost a day away was a lot different. Besides, if they were away for a couple days...the other trouble she; rather, they could get into….

“I don’t really like pools, but if that’s what you end up picking, so be it.” Hannah shrugged as she weighed her options. Sit back down where she had been, next to her cat to keep herself from Levi and any potential further awkwardness, or sit next to him and try her hardest to keep her mouth from running away with her again. Which it seemed to be doing a lot of lately in the last hour or so of their conversation. With him pointing the open cushion out and Hannah starting to wonder if this was some sort of ‘challenge,’ to her, though not said, Hannah lifted a shoulder and moved around the table to sit next to him. “I typically have off in the middle of the week. Not always together at the same time; say a Monday and a Thursday. Or a Tuesday and Thursday. I’m always off on Thursday it seems.” Hannah said as she took a seat, her back to the arm of the couch, so she could keep her eyes on Levi and everything he was or wasn’t doing while she talked. “I have about three days of personal saved...I can use whenever. They just prefer to have a seventy-two hour notice. So, whenever you decide when it is we are going and for however long...I, along with they, would appreciate knowing sooner than later.” Hannah finished as she tucked a leg under her body, getting more comfortable now that she knew she was going to stay here a while. “Lake swimming is my favorite.” She admitted softly, but still shrugged a shoulder, offering him the choice to yet again pick whatever suited him, in hopes he won instead of her.

[Levi DAmico]

After Heather chose to seat herself next to him, rather than opposite, Levi shifted in his seat to focus comfortably on her again. They were nothing like mirror images; his elbow relaxed along the arm rest while her back was against it, his body slightly twisted toward her while she looked at him dead-on. It was a challenge to keep just the right amount of smugness showing in his smile and eyes too when the woman herself was behaving so nonchalantly in that moment. Levi found it amusing how she dismissed his test with an air of coolness, acting as if this was all entirely normal. But maybe it was normal for Heather and Levi was actually receiving the wrong end of the stick. Perhaps it wasn’t even a stick. It wasn’t as though he was particularly current. He knew of the culture of the Western world, knew what effectively made it tick, what they deemed important, and what the fads were, but the extent of his knowledge was probably equivalent to knowing that birds flew, rather than the nitty-gritty science of flight in itself or how birds took advantage of that. He wasn’t that close to the subject and didn’t care a whole lot to try and get any closer. Ironically, the Italian probably better understood how flight was possible and how birds had evolved to dominate the skies. The reality check at least helped Levi reign in his arrogance so that he wasn’t sneering at Heather when she sat down. There was still a whole couch’s worth of distance between them too, since Levi had sat in one corner and Heather had sat in the other.

As Heather began to answer his questions, Levi converted the details to memory. The Italian had a surprisingly exceptional memory, but was nowhere near to being eidetic. "Eidetikers", people who have an almost faithful mental snapshot or photograph of an event in their memory even after a brief encounter, were generally born that way. Meanwhile, Levi had learned that the Devil was in the details, and if you wanted to be a few steps ahead of that wily ********, then you needed to be aware of those details too. The Italian had trained himself to remember events, what people had said to him, as well as the way they’d said it and their behaviour at the time. These things were important for making your mind up straight away, but also for planning an attack down the line. You couldn’t be seen making notes, and Cosa Nostra never took notes anyway. That was a good way to get indicted. What Levi did was attribute what he perceived to memory in a kind of code; simmering what he wanted to remember down into its most basic forms and attributing it to something that was deeply personal to him, something that he wasn’t easily going to forget, and something that could be remembered with a quick cue. There was also a degree of repetition involved with his method, where he might rerun an event in his mind until it stuck. It wasn’t a perfect formula, but, it was so damn successful that it often provided Levi the edge.

Levi would remember that Heather’s regular day off was Thursday because it was the day after his date of birth. Also, he would remember that Heather preferred lakes because that was the place that Levi dreaded most of all when it came to swimming. Basically, he had watched one too many documentaries, which had led him to do research into parasites. Sure, the problem wasn’t such a big deal now that he was no longer counted amongst the living and invariably frail, but, it still grossed him out to a degree. Parasitic infections affect millions of people in the United States every year, with symptoms ranging from upset stomachs, headaches, rashes, and nervous disorders, all the way to organ failure, meningitis, necrosis, and death. At least Levi and Heather could both agree that a swimming pool was out of the question, even if it could be argued that public pools had to maintain a certain degree of sanitation in order to be lawful. Technically it would be safer to swallow the chlorine-rich waters of a swimming pool than the parasite-infested waters of a lake, but, Levi probably disliked them both on account of them being so… confined. He preferred the vastness of the ocean because it felt infinite, and for a little while, he could pretend he wasn’t so shackled or bound to his responsibilities. He could float on his back, close his eyes, and finally locate that sense of freedom he so often craved.

“So a Thursday. Alright. I reckon I can probably handle that much. Our deal did involve the coast specifically, however. So I might not be able to get a lake on the cards for that reason.” And obviously not for any other reason. “How would you want to get there? Should I meet you at the pre-confirmed destination, or, should I do the gentlemanly thing and escort you? Bear in mind, I don’t drive… well.” Because he drove every vehicle like he was driving a ******* tank: in the middle of the road and with no concern for any other person on the planet. And if they got pulled over, he would probably go to prison on account of not even having a driving licence. He’d never bothered to pass that test. Besides, you don’t need to drive anywhere when you have the resources to be chauffeured to destinations, or the fundamental equipment and abilities to teleport. “Which is why, as you guessed it, I got people for that,” Levi said with a blasé grin and a shrug. It was almost expected that this was going to become one of those long-standing jokes between the pair – however long their connection remained – and he didn’t mind it. She was sure to find many other things to take a stab at too seeing as how there were plenty of flaws on offer from the Italian. “And yeah… before you ask. I am this stupidly organised about everything.”

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

There was a prolonged amount of silence from Levi as he listened to Hannah. She wondered if he was genuinely interested in what she was saying, or if Levi was analyzing every small detail she gave him. Believing it to be the latter, Hannah retraced everything she had said in those last few minutes of her talking in her own silence. Levi was certainly a challenge to try and figure out. More than any singular patient she had dealt with in the hospital, offering an ear to those in a familiar setting. A listening ear didn't raise any brows in a place like a hospital. It wasn't that Hannah didn't genuinely want to listen to people, it was just that people seemed to be more open with speaking to hospital staff than a neighbor on the same city block.

She nodded when he mentioned the day of the week she spoke about, but didn't react to the mention of a coast. He wasn't wrong, and she suspected Levi was the sorts that didn't want to give anyone-even her, any form of an advantage. Needless to say, Hannah wasn't surprised they more than likely wouldn't be going to a lake, as mentioned by her.

A series of questions came her way at the same time Hannah was thinking about how they wold get to his chosen location. Meeting there, wherever it was, seemed the better option; just in case things ended up on a not so good note for either of them. When Levi mentioned he didn't drive, Hannah just blinked. She couldn't imagine not driving.

"In the best interest of, oh...my life, I'll relieve you of any obligatory gentlemanly things and just meet you there." Hannah teased before she leaned to the side of the couch to retrieve her wine glass, eyes on him as she did this. They were after all, much closer than she intended them to be for the night. "You know, you should really work on that driving thing. Winter is coming and accident rates go up due to the snow and ice. I'm sure your drivers are competent enough, but that doesn't mean other drivers are. But what happens if they get in an accident and they're seriously hurt. You wold hate to have to take a taxi, or a train." She glanced down at her couch, noticing how it didn't seem to be bothering him now that Levi had been here a while and had some wine in him. "Though, I imagine your people, have people, so I doubt it matters." A slight quip that couldn't be helped passed through her mouth before she took a sip of her wine, humor sparkling in her eyes as she looked at Levi, or more specifically, his face.

As to not be obvious at her longer than normal stare, Hannah pulled her feet up to her chest and continued. "So, you pick the location and dates, and I'll be there with bells on." Her head came to rest on the top of the couch cushions, as her lips parted further for her to speak. "Ready to win." It was said so casually and confidently, that Hannah clearly believed she had a chance at winning. "I'm assuming this is an over night thing...should I book our hotel rooms, or should I leave that to your people to do?" Hannah asked before finishing off her glass of wine, the glass once again finding a spot on her table as she kept her gaze on him.

[Levi DAmico]

When the conversation imminently took a different turn from what the Italian was expecting, Levi felt like they were in that hypothetical car crash. They’d veered off course, from a light-hearted journey of mutual exploration, and onto a road that was rocky, rough, and littered with harmful memories. He’d had this kind of conversation before and it was as welcome now as it was back then. That talk of other people’s safety, that Levi was somehow supposed to give a crap about their lives over his own life – it wasn’t something he wanted to discuss, it wasn’t something he thought he had to discuss. At least Heather was only mocking him – Levi knew the difference – and she wasn’t expecting him to explain himself, to justify himself, and to ultimately fail. It had always felt like a test with the blonde, like she was measuring his morality and finding him lacking, like he wasn’t ever going to be good enough. And maybe they were both right about the other in the end; Levi had suspected that Lorelai was going to be nothing more than heartache to him, and she was probably convinced that he was nothing but a monster. At least now, and with Heather, he was done pretending to be anything but what he was. He was fine with being a brute, being a cruel, vindictive, and self-centred criminal – he was even starting to publically accept he was a Vampiro. Of course, that wasn’t to say that Levi was going to jump at the opportunity to confess what he was, just that he was no longer going to deny it when they asked.

At least when Heather and Levi had veered off course, and their conversation had taken a bit of a tumble, the Italian had managed not to respond to the tormenting thoughts in his head. Strong, dark features conveyed their trademark stoic strength, and even when the Italian smiled, it was the earnest smile of a gentleman only with a touch of something cunning and proud. Umber eyes kept their resolute focus on Heather; on how her steely blue eyes were bright with mischief and confidence, how her rosy lips curled provocatively at the edges, and how she shifted in her seat and drank her wine so casually it bordered on being called profound. It became easy enough for Levi to smile again just by looking at her, by listening to her, and understanding how different Heather was to the aforementioned blonde, to how different this scenario was too. And at least when they’d veered off track, it was only momentarily. They hadn’t flipped the car, rolled into a wreck, and therefore couldn’t drive back to the road. As a matter of fact, Heather made the transition rather effortless for Levi. Their long-standing joke seemed to be the airbags in this scenario so they could bounce back to where they’d begun; even if it was because Heather didn’t know how right she was about the Italian’s indifference toward his people’s safety.

It really didn’t matter if they died – and that wasn’t because Levi was a callous ******** who cared about no one but himself – that was all just a part of the job for these men. They all understood it to a degree; they all understood that they were replaceable, expendable assets. It wasn’t just a soldier who could be substituted and traded, who changed hands like rolls full of cash. That nature of a Mafioso’s life was persistent through from Mob boss to associate. They were all parts of a bigger machine and when those parts failed in whatever way, they were replaced. It was as simple as that, even if they tried to convince themselves that they were more important than the guy they were replacing. Arrogance was rife in their world, and it was usually the most arrogant and desperate of them all that were either the first man to go or the last. That provided particularly interesting statistics where a scientific brain was concerned, because what could you determined from those numbers? Was it therefore wise or incredibly stupid to hold ruthlessly onto your seat? Perhaps it was none of these things. Perhaps it was simply luck, and with luck on your side, you could effectively overcome the odds. Levi supposed that Heather would need a whole hell of a lot if she really was attached to this idea of beating him in their swim-off.

“Ready to win the opportunity of granting me a wish, you mean,” Levi corrected with a sneer. “Because you ain’t gonna beat me in a swimming competition, bella. Not unless you’re going to bewitch the sea with your beauty and cheat.”

It wasn’t true that Levi thought Heather was all beauty and no brains or brawn, but, it was one of those things that he could use to push her buttons. Heather was probably one of those people who just so happened to be blessed with good looks, but really wasn’t obsessed with the idea of beauty or being the fairest in the land. She seemed more contented by what she could achieve with her words, her actions, and her spirit. Physical therapy is hardly a glamorous job, and it spoke loudly about what kind of a heart she had. That’s what he assumed, but it was possible that Levi was completely off base and was actually complimenting the vain airhead in front of him. Not that he wasn’t also complimenting Heather – the intelligent, wise-cracking, nurse. He did think she was beautiful. Stunning, actually, but that wasn’t the point. The point was to get her worked up, to make their little game just a bit more fun. Levi wasn’t interested in getting involved with her in a particularly meaningful way, not after his streak where the opposite sex was concerned. The thought made him take a rather large gulp of the wine before he shrugged his shoulders to her question about hotels.

“Knowing my schedule,” Levi said casually. “I’ll be busy much of the day, so I’ll probably have to make our little challenge an evening or a night time ordeal. There will be less people there too, which is good for me because people irritate me and I might drown them. So… yeah, good call on the hotel. And I guess you will need to lie down after I beat you.”

And then he paused, eyeing her listlessly as she put her empty glass on the table and he thought to himself about what was best here. Should Heather arrange her own accommodation once she knew the date and location, or should he arrange all that for her? It was the chivalrous thing to do, he supposed, and it really wasn’t a problem to pick up that small task when he was already going to be handling the rest. He might even have offered to arrange her travel if she didn’t seem so dead-set on driving up herself, which made him laugh when he realised he wasn’t being chivalrous, and that he was probably just being a controlling ******** again.

“Whatever suits you, Heather,” he said after a little deliberation, and then emptied the rest of his glass, putting it down on the table to mirror her earlier movement. “I could add that small task to my list, but, if it’s a personal thing to you, you can pick where you wanna lay your head. I’m fine with either. Just be sure to choose wisely. It’ll probably need soundproofing because I don’t really wanna hear you crying all night long.”

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

There was something to be said about a person who was confident. They typically attracted certain more people, had more friends and were seen positively. While Hannah could view Levi's confidence, it did shake her just a little. What if she didn't win? It was a good possibility. What would Levi, 'wish' for, as he so put it? What could Hannah offer him that he didn't already have? Anything he could buy, she supposed he already had and owned.

When he mentioned bewitching things, Hannah could only laugh a little as she tried to resist the color that crept slowly on her cheeks, not missing his personal thoughts about her appearance. She had received compliments before, sure, but it was different when Hannah actually found herself slightly drawn to a person. And Levi definitely had her attention in more than one way. At the mention of her potentially cheating, Hannah's socked foot pushed lightly against Levi's outer thigh that was closest to her before the woman rolled her eyes and brought the foot back in her undefined space. "Don't tell me you're one of those people. That if someone else wins something every blue moon, they're a cheat?" She teased him, as Hannah sat up and crossed her legs, still facing Levi. "If I win, it will be because I'm naturally the better swimmer." She openly mocked the scenario, alluding once again to her own confidence.

Funnily enough, when Levi mentioned drowning people, Hannah for a second, could actually imagine him doing something like that. Maybe not until the person was actually dead, but enough to make his point, then release them and go about his way in the broody manner that was Levi. Night swimming could pose a problem, only if not because of the temperature, then because of the lack of being able to see much in front, or behind her. Still, while it bothered Hannah; the potentially dangerous scenario, she wasn't about to let it show. Hopefully, she could be so confident the night of their swim competition.

Levi took another jab at her, implying she might be the one to be sore and bitter, should she lose. Did it suck to lose? Absolutely. It wasn't something she was planning on doing, but there was a fifty percent chance that Hannah could very well lose. When was the last time she had cried? It wasn't that Hannah lacked emotion, but she wasn't overly emotional either. Maybe when her gran died in her early twenties. Hannah couldn't even recall crying at her predicament with the Serpents; being thrust into a world no one wanted to be part of, unless they were the top dog, or probably the right hand guy of the top dog, due to someone else's big screw up. "And should you lose, don't worry. I'll make sure there is an impressive bar in the hotel, with ample choices, to drink your sorrows away." Hannah countered casually before her eyes landed on both their empty win glasses. "I might even buy you a pity drink." She felt her own lips curl into a small smirk before her eyes bounced back on Levi. With their arrangements made, and neither one of them reaching for the bottle, or indicating they wanted another glass, it seemed their encounter might be coming to and end. "How did I do? Comparable to eating a box of nails, or was your night slightly better? Maybe not a box of nails, but a scrap of sandpaper?" Hannah's blue eyes hinted at her jest, before she stood up and collected their glasses. "Did you want another glass or something else? Hungry, yet?" Hannah felt the need to make sure 'something else,' didn't hang there so openly, even if there was interest there. Hannah was by no means a prude, but she the type to act on any light flirtations the first go around.

[Levi DAmico]

Was he one of those people who declared his adversary was a cheat whenever they bested him? Not necessarily. He did, however, do it regularly enough with certain individuals. Such behaviour was indicative of their relationship; that childish, though invariably harmless, game of tit for tat Levi would play with people he enjoyed the company of and trusted to a degree. Likewise, however, it was also indicative of the Italian’s supreme pride. Levi was generally so sure of himself that when he did lose, he was compelled to pick apart how the inconceivable had happened. It was less about figuring out if the other party had cheated, and more about how the ****** had managed to best him. The capo could hardly cling onto any sense of morality or honour given his circumstance. It was simply that Levi was often too methodical in his approaches to lose track of any avenue of potential success, so when it turned out he had fucked up, he had to know why. It would result in a better outcome the next time he was in such a predicament, maybe even expand his horizons indefinitely, and put him back in his throne of self-perceived awesomeness.

Despite all outward appearances of Levi being a complete jackass in general and a bad champ, he could be a gracious loser and a good sport. Levi conceded where necessary, he bowed to those who showed that their skills or intellect exceeded his own – he wouldn’t be much of a businessman if he couldn’t manage that much. Granted, he would regularly do so through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw because those who were capable of besting the Italian at anything were often dickheads in their general mannerisms, never mind when they actually won something or bested the infallible Leviathan. **** was his nickname a source of massive contention whenever somebody thought that they’d gotten the jump on him. Though, in saying that, it was always worth it in the end when his vengeance came – and it always did. If Levi was being cruel, there was nothing to stop him from pretending that his loss was all just a part of the bigger game plan – and sometimes it genuinely was. Sometimes you did have to sacrifice a few pieces, throw a few rounds, concede a couple of shots, and lose a few battles to ultimately triumph.

Levi didn’t feel like conceding one way or the other to Heather’s question about cheating, however. Umber eyes narrowed on her slightly, like she was suddenly prey, and even after she’d gave him a little nudge with her foot, he decided to smirk and roll his eyes.

“Sure you are,” he said, adding a scathing retort to this idea she had about being a better swimmer. “Compared to a cat.”

He could have caught that foot before it had retreated like a tide, and maybe if they were a bit more intimate with one another, he’d have caught it and given her sole a quick tickle. That was generally how the Italian responded to females and their taunts. Men would have things tossed at their ******* heads because a little bit of physical aggression was typical for them. Women were a lot less tactile than that, he had learned. Since raising your voice or even using some off-the-cuff yet profane word choices were enough for a lady to claim abuse, it was easier just to hold her down and tickle her. This worked on females of all ages, Levi had determined – though males tended to grow out of it at about five or six years of age. There’s nothing easier than threatening a tickle attack against a four year old to get them to behave themselves, or contrarily, start up a war. Either way, it was fun exercise for both parties.

Perhaps Levi could rearrange a tickle attack for Heather when they were better acquainted. Or drunk. At least the latter appeared like it was in closer proximity given Levi’s status as a lush and him generally being a douchebag with trust issues. Heather immediately decided to pick on that one aspect of his personality when it came time to return fire; promising a round of drinks to make him feel better when she would beat him to the coast. Levi had to laugh, and not just at the absurdity of her beating him in a swimming contest. It was amusing because she’d known him for what must have been just a handful of hours now, and she had already successfully identified one of his major character flaws and dependencies. Not that the Italian had been particularly subtle about it; he had practically dished the matter up on a silver platter with all the relevant accompaniments. The other reason for why he had laughed, however, was simple: it was funny. Humour could be a complex thing, enhanced or inhibited by a number of variables; culture, age, education, the situation, and even the timing. Getting the balance right was almost an art form, and Heather just so happened to be able to play to her strengths where the Italian was concerned. They shared that almost cheap brand of humour that devised itself from taking pot-shots at someone, and he was ok with that.

“You mean a victory drink,” Levi decided to correct her again, being as petty as he could manage in such few words. The point being to make her think he’d just ignored everything she said because he was so stubbornly convinced of his victory. “Because I’m going to win.”

He honestly expected to be kicked again for that. Or, perhaps she would just smother him with the pillow this time instead of chucking it at him – it was probably more effective in the long term for shutting him up. Well, if he weren’t immortal and needed to breathe at any rate. Technicalities… Levi wasn’t entirely expecting for Heather to ask for feedback so suddenly, however. And the surprise showed on his face when his features twisted from smiling and leering at her to just plain frowning and cocking his head slightly to the left. At least the humour steadily dripped back into his lips and tore the frown from his face when she offered him some interesting comparisons with which to grade her performance. Levi thought he could compare some of the interactions he’d had with people to being less fun than chewing a light bulb, less irritating than rubbing your nipples against sandpaper, and even less painful than dipping your balls in acid, but none of those thoughts had come to mind when he was with Heather. If anything, she was a welcome relief to be around, the exception to the rule when it came to socialising.

“Hungry?” Levi parroted back at her with a smile. “Nah, not really. Are you? I could leave you to eat in peace, I suppose. Or cook for you. It’s been a while since I actually had the time to do that. And, I guess I do owe you now for the wine and the company.”

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Hannah decided to let Levi believe that he was going to win, because at some point, to her, the topic would be like that of beating a dead horse. Time would tell who was the more proficient swimmer, when he picked the location and she showed him up. "We'll see. Though, I hope for your sake you do win, because I'm already thinking of a whole crate full of things I wouldn't mind getting from Japan." She teased as she moved into the kitchen with their two glasses. They were promptly put in the sink, as she thought about him cooking for her. Because he felt as if he owed her something. Like a tit for tat sort of thing. She would have to remember that, and also address it.

"The only thing you'll owe me are the things I want after I win, Levi." Hannah said as she came back into the living room, her shoulder pressed against the wall. "I invited you inside of my own free will. You hardly owe me anything. I don't really 'work' like that." She suddenly wondered if Levi had a lot of people like that in his life. That felt he needed to repay them back for something as simple as sharing their liquor, or borrowing the guy a pen or pencil. It was actually...sad. To think that Levi didn't have friends that just offered or gave him things just because that's how friendship worked. At least that was what Hannah believed.

"Besides, I don't want to risk my life eating something you haven't cooked for at least a decade, that might make me sick before our big swim off.." She laughed, mocking his cooking ability just a little. After all, the guy seemed to imply it had been a while, which meant he had people doing that for him too. "That would be a form of cheating." Hannah once again found a spot next to Levi, in the same spot and position she had been in before she rid them of their glasses. Her eyes bounced with lightness, before her slight smirk turned into a thin line of thought. "In all seriousness...How about a rain check? That way you can enjoy the spoils of your hard work too?" In her attempt to not damage his cooking skills too badly, Hannah offered something else, which indicated she wanted to see him again, and was it a...date of sorts? It wasn't how she had meant to imply it as, but the notion was there, wasn't it? Getting together with him, Levi cooking in his apartment or hers. No neighbors did that sort of thing without really knowing their neighbors and making it a, 'I'll cook some day for you this month, if you do it next.' "If you have the courage to show your face around me after our swim competition." Hannah said slowly, giving this more thought. It wasn't a potential date, she told herself. Just another opportunity to get together with Levi, gather more information and hold him to his offer. Not a date.

[Levi DAmico]

It was all fun and games up until the point where Heather got up from the couch and made her way over to the kitchen with their empty wine glasses. He could hear her footsteps leading to the sink even as she was talking, as well as the clatter of glass meeting steel as she deposited them there. This time, Levi slowly rose from his seat with a sigh, stretching the joints in his arms and legs as if he’d finally succumbed to rigor mortis in his short time seated there. The funny thing was that Levi generally wasn’t the type to stay in other people’s company for longer than was actually necessary, yet when it felt like Heather was trying to shoo him out of her apartment, expressing that it was time to wrap things up for the night, he was grumbling on the inside like she’d stolen something particularly precious from him. Levi must have been there for an hour – surely two at the most – but it hadn’t seemed like he had actually overstayed any kind of welcome until right then. But maybe he was over-reacting and maybe this was just late for her – he didn’t know what time the women went to bed and got up the next morning. It wasn’t like his sense of time was particularly relevant outside of those office walls anyway. When you stayed awake all the days and nights of your life, it was impossible to stop the moments all blurring into each other. Maybe he should just bow out now and stop things from getting weird.

The Italian idly checked his watch, just as Heather was returning to the room – it was 9.35pm. She halted in the doorway again, her weight settling against the frame making her appear as casually elegant as a Roman empress sprawled upon her triclinium, but, vertical. Levi smiled softly at her return, even as the woman proceeded to gently chastise him about how she didn’t operate on a case of trading favours and obligations. He supposed he could understand her right to have that viewpoint even if he didn’t necessarily understand the viewpoint itself. He’d had people tell him this kind of thing before, referring to the fact that not everything was a business transaction and that every deed should not be a measurable token. You can’t compare apples and oranges, they would say. Better tell mathematicians that, he would retort, seeing as how most equations would involve fruit being traded back and forth in most early examples of tutoring. It was a weak retort, he understood that too, especially as it did nothing to clarify his justifications. Apart from the fact that Levi just lived in a world where such transactions were the norm, it was a matter of control for him to be able to ensure he owed nothing to nobody. He didn’t want people having a favour to hold over his head, and even if Heather didn’t seem like she would be that petty, his observations about people – particularly pretty females with big blues – had been spectacularly wrong in the past. Levi ended up shrugging his shoulder, shrugging the whole subject off because he didn’t really want to discuss it.

“It ain’t been that long,” he did say, defending his cooking abilities when he had the opportunity, and potentially waving a red flag over a bone of contention for him. “Two years max. And you don’t just forget how to cook.” Bellyaching over with for now, Levi had to add another comment, say just enough to let her know that he wasn’t that bothered about what she thought about his cooking abilities. Because he wasn’t. Seriously. “It wouldn’t do me any good to be poisoning you at any rate. It’s hardly something to brag about if I beat you because you aren’t at your best.”

Thank the heavens she let him off the hook by laughing lightly and offering him a rain check before he said anything else that was pathetic. In return, Levi offered another shrug even though she had seated herself down on the couch in her original position and he seemed to be standing there like a ******* idiot.

“Fine, a rain check,” Levi groused. “Maybe after the swim thing too so you can trust I’m not actually trying to poison you.”

He really wasn’t thinking this through. How was this supposed to happen, Levi? Was she supposed to eat while he sat there smoking a cigarette and drinking whatever he had in the house? It wasn’t like he would eat. He could, he just didn’t like to any more. Also, where were they having this meal, this date that wasn’t a date? What was he going to do, invite Heather back to his actual apartment, where the Zombies, Ferals, and Vampiri roamed? Levi had stumbled terribly off his game and what was worse was that he wasn’t completely aware of it…

“So, I should get out of your hair,” Levi said after a few moments, in a voice that suggested he was feeling a little less confident than he generally believed himself to be.

Soon enough, Levi retreated toward the front door, but kept his eyes on her. It was probably too graceful, too skilful, that he’d managed to walk back to her door with perfect precision. He even knew where the door handle was, its proximity to his spine as he’d walked that short couple of feet backwards; his hand held ready to open the door when he’d reached it. Umber eyes were set on Heather the entire time, and the fact that he hadn’t stepped on Amarillo as he’d moved was probably just another point of interest because the ginger Tom had started to patrol his territory. While Levi seemed somewhat desperate to leave, he did pause by her front door for a moment, allowing her the opportunity to have any last words.

“Thanks for… keeping me entertained.”

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Two years? Hannah couldn't imagine letting that much time go by and not even make a grilled cheese sandwich. It wasn't that Hannah did a lot of cooking, or baking herself, but she did it at least once a week. Typically the days and nights that don't require her being at work. The other days? A lot of take out, followed by some running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Probably the real reason Hannah managed to keep the weight off. She typically ate while on the go, if Hannah actually thought about it. "A rain check." Hannah confirmed softly with a nod of her head."Whenever you want." She added with a small smile.

When Levi implied he should leave, there seemed to be some sort question, or reluctance even? Maybe that was just in her head. While Hannah wasn't off to bed any time soon, she didn't want to risk the night ending on a different note. "Yeah. I have a book, and eventually, a bed, waiting for me." Hannah reminded him, even tossing her thumb in the direction of where the book had been laid. She watched him walk backwards towards her door, her brows lifting up in both surprise and humor. Was he afraid one of the cats might try and pounce on him from behind? Or get out? Wouldn't that be funny? An escaped cat again?

"No need to thank me. Honest. I really enjoyed myself. Even if I was under the microscope, a little." She teased him, her laugh light and slightly mocking. "Besides, if anyone should be thanking anyone, it should be me thanking you. It's not every day I get anyone offering to cook me dinner." Hannah left the competition out of the picture for now, not wanting to start their back and forth of who was the better swimmer again. Her eyes fell on the male cat who seemed to either take a liking to Levi, or was wary of the guy and wanted him to know that this was his apartment and not Levi's. People never thought of cats being territorial, minus the ones that were out in the wild, but Hannah had been witness to Amarillo strutting his manhood around, not once, but twice. The first time had been when the tiny dog down the hall wandered into her apartment during the actual moving day. The second was when it was outside her door, scratching to be let in, wanting to investigate where the cats were in her apartment. Amarillo bared his fangs and even made a few growling sounds at the door or creature, both times. "Just leave we a...post-it, when you decide when we're going on our trip." Hannah laughed softly, her eyes off Levi and to the tiny stack of post-its that were on the table near her apartment's front door. "Bye, Levi." Hannah said with a small wave as she leaned against the wall in the hallway, having taken a few steps after the guy as he made his way out.

[Levi DAmico]

The only time that umber gaze had moved from Heather was when he sensed Amarillo moving toward him and likewise, the front door. The Tom seemed to be making a habit of this, which probably explained why Heather had lost him that first night and had run into Levi at all. The Italian watched as the ginger and white fluff ball approached, yet kept an inch or two of distance between himself and those highly-polished loafers. Almond-shaped eyes stole glances at the door more often than he looked up at the great hulking beast that was towering over him. Occasionally there would be a glance up at the man who was standing between his freedom and his home, and then he would meow expectantly. The sound curled outward from the back of the cat’s throat, a mild purr barely registering beyond the scope of that low-pitched cry. Levi had to smirk to himself as he watched the cat then seat itself before him. Bester wouldn’t have been so subtle or regal about the whole ordeal; the cat had zero patience – just like his master. In less than twenty seconds of standing there and not getting what he wanted, the over-sized Bengal kitten would have started to push his way past Levi and scratch at the front door, yowling while he did so. Siberians tended to have a better temperament than Bengals, they were generally more friendly and docile – considered lap cats in a lot of instances. Levi couldn’t imagine living with a soft and fluffy pair of felines like Amarillo and Magnolia, apparently the Italian needed chaos in his life in order to make him happy.

“It’s not every day I offer to cook either,” Levi told her with a dark smile on his lips and something equally mischievous playing in his eyes as his attention pulled its way back to the woman in the room. “So yeah, just keep that in mind when I make good on that rain check. You already have my number. Ring it and leave me yours and we won’t need the post its.”

He was in the hallway shortly after his declaration, his focus on making it back to the apartment, even if he did have a glance over his shoulder toward Heather and Amarillo – simply to check their positions. It wouldn’t do to have that orange and white bundle sprinting out of the apartment again and causing a fuss. They both had better things to be doing than chasing a cat around West Towers again, like reading and checking on what kind of a mess Bester had left in the apartment in Levi’s absence. After that, Levi had to do a little research about coasts in Canada – since he hadn’t bothered to do that in the years he had been living here. Mostly, Levi would just wait until he was back in Boston to go swimming in familiar waters, but since there was no such thing as a leisurely trip back to Boston, even those occasions had been rare these years. The last time Levi had the luxury to go swimming was with Lorelai and well, that was something that was better left forgotten. Not to say that the memories weren’t good ones, but, they didn’t help in the fact that he was trying to get over the woman. Besides that, it didn’t help with thinking up a place he could take Heather. Neither did it help him think about what he would have to cook for her and when, but maybe if he arranged it right he could kill two birds with one stone.

Cooking was not something the Italian ever really professed to being particularly talented at; predominantly because it was seen as “woman’s work” in his culture. For Italians, food is not just about survival and nourishment, it is a way of life. It’s said that Italian food is "twice blessed” because it is the product of two arts: the art of cooking and the art of eating. It is always the Matriarchs in the family who take the lead in the kitchen, following a list of strict rules that likely haven’t seen change since Leonardo da Vinci’s time – or maybe even the dawn of time itself. Suffice it to say, Italian food culture is generally inflexible and Italian men aren’t expected to get involved in the cooking process. Even in this modern era, men like Levi were expected to rely on their mothers or wives or grandmothers and aunts for all their food needs. Unfortunately, men like Levi probably didn’t exist in any great numbers, if they even existed at all. Levi’s relationship with his immediate family was strained and his relationship with his wider family was non-existent. William hadn’t gotten along with his brothers and sisters; too focused on work to care about family values. Even when his father had died in 1992, William hadn’t shown up to the funeral and Levi hadn’t even heard about the man’s passing. It wasn’t a natural thing to ask about since, from the time of his birth to 13 years of age, Levi had only known his parents, the neighbourhood families, and the people his father associated with.

It was an oppressive childhood where the family home felt more like a prison made for one, and his parents patrolled like prison officers on uneven shifts. Levi didn’t go out to play like the other kids and didn’t even go to formal education services past the age of 9. It wasn’t until the D’Amico family moved to America that Levi’s horizons began to stretch out and he felt like he’d finally been released from prison. He was old enough now to make his own decisions, to make his own connections with people. America was like a whole other world when compared to Italy, even if the province of Boston that they were living in was like a miniature-sized simulation. At least the rules were different here, less strict, and when William was too busy sticking his nose up the *** of Patriarca’s don, at least Levi didn’t have to be alone or stay with his mother. It was, perhaps, 13 years too late and in amongst the wrong crowd, but at least the Italian was finally starting to learn some social skills. Judging by Levi’s interactions with Heather tonight, and their future plans, he wasn’t doing too badly. All he had to do was follow-through and see where things would go.

“Ciao, Heather,” he offered with a small wave and a smile as he headed back to the apartment. “Alla prossima. See you next time.”