♡ His night ♡ (Closed)

[Lorelai]

This RP takes place on Saturday 10th October 2015.

Are you sure about this plan?
No. Not really. Do you think I've got it wrong?
Erm... Actually. I'm not really sure.
So... Do you have a better idea or not?
Not.
Then why did you say something.
Because someone had to.
But you aren't helping. You're just making me nervous.
Well excuse me. I just wanted to point out that as far as plans go, this isn't... you know... exactly original.
I know, but it's the best I have.
But it's his birthday. We should be doing something special.
This is special. We don't usually go out or away like this.
Yeah. But you have. So this isn't anything new.
But I don't have any better ideas. This is all I have. I can't change my plans now. There's no time.
I know. I just wish...
What?
I wish we knew him better.
So do I but I think we know him as well as anyone does.
But is that enough?
It has to be.
What are is he doing with us again?
*sighs* I don't know. Can we not just be thankful that he is?
I suppose. Okay. Shutting up now.
Thank you.

Lorelai lightly pinched her cheeks in an effort to bring a little extra colour to them, not that she really needed it. She wasn't much one for make-up but she'd made an effort, which meant she'd gone to a vampire friendly hair and beauty salon instead of working that evening. She'd considered asking Prudence to help her get ready but she wasn't entirely sure that her sire could do 'understated'. More than that though, she didn't want to waste Pru's valuable time on such a menial task. Once her make-up had been applied and her hair tastefully styled, the beautician took her photo so that she could approve the work they'd done on her. Delicate fingers skimmed the side of her hair, which had been secured back and off her face with a bejewelled hair slide, her natural waves having been professionally tamed. Her make-up was simple, highlighting her already pretty features. All in all, the blonde was very pleased with the results. As modest as she was, even she couldn't deny that she looked beautiful when she looked at the image on the computer screen. To finish her look, she'd dressed herself in a stunning silk dress that would allow her to look as if she belonged, not only in the venues they'd be seen but more importantly on Levi's arm.

Lorelai paused at the entrance to the fadeportal having dressed at her old apartment, the one she now used as some sort of commuting hub.

"Deep breath. You can do this Lorelai."

Taking to yourself is the first sign of madness.
...
Yeah. I know. We're long passed that now, but you don't usually talk to yourself out loud like that. That's new.
*sighs*
What's wrong?
What if... you're right?
Right about what?
that this is a bad idea.
I don't remember saying that Lorelai. You're twisting my words.
But what if he hates my plan. What if it isn't good enough. He deserves something better.
I don't know what to say to make you feel better. Honestly. You could... erm... call it the start of a tradition. Maybe?
A tradition?
Yeah. You do this every year for his birthday and it becomes your thing. A mini break of sorts, from the rat race that he calls life.
You think he'd like that?
We won't know until you try... Now go.

Biting her lip, Lorelai nodded to herself and stepped through the portal. Having told Levi that she had something planned for that night, he agreed to take the night off but she had yet to see him that night and could only hope that he had remembered. Not that the Italian was likely to forget, he was far too organised to mess up like that and he wasn't flighty like Lorelai and so was even less likely to find himself detained by what should have been some fleeting task.

"Levi?"

Lorelai was never one to shout and even if she did raise her voice a little, it was usually due to excitement rather than anger. The woman was exceptionally quiet, even if she were being talkative.

Turquoise eyes scanned the living area, as her mind began to run through what she had to do next. The limousine she'd ordered would be arriving in around thirty minutes and she'd yet to pack an overnight bag. She'd considered packing the night before but had thought better of it, that and she didn't want to pack for Levi. It was far better to wait until she could reveal a little of what they would be doing and let him do it himself since he was so particular. Top of her list of things to do however, was to wrap her arms around his neck, kiss him tenderly and wish him a very happy thirty-first birthday.

[Levi DAmico]

Levi D’Amico was born on October 10th 1984, which meant that today was his 31st birthday. The Italian never liked to celebrate this particular event, preferring instead to while away the hours in despondency as he marinated his liver in whatever alcohol was available and polluted his lungs with cigar smoke. Levi hadn’t managed this annual routine last year on account of violently projecting anything that wasn’t blood right back out of his system, but since he’d managed to make negotiations with this strange-*** life form that he called his body since, the Vampiro was determined to pick the tradition back up again this year. Or, at least that would have been the plan an instant or two before he remembered that Lorelai existed, that anything existed beyond his self-centred griping. Levi had made the mistake of revealing his date of birth to the blonde some months back, and now that they were officially dating, Lorelai had seen the opportunity as a chance to surprise and spoil the tempestuous Italian. He deserved and wanted neither, but of course there was no use in rejecting her attempts to cheer him up. What kind of a monster would he be if he kept on deflecting and shooting down her desires to spend time with him? Besides, it wasn’t like he hated spending time with her – quite the contrary, actually. Levi would just have to suck it up and get out of his head. Who knows, maybe he’d actually manage to enjoy himself this year if he wasn’t focusing on all the **** in his life.

When Lorelai had declared that she was going to make plans and had asked Levi to clear his schedule for the day and night, the Italian agreed to put his self-destruction and pride aside, and let the blonde do whatever it was she was going to do. In order to get everything set-up, however, Lorelai had had to leave the Italian alone, giving him just enough time to sink back into his brooding and focus on everything that usually pissed him off at this time of year. Of course, without the alcohol, it was like revisiting last year and Levi angrily paced the living room of their apartment like a junkie left alone to detox. The tightness in his chest, the ache of his willpower to drop and surrender to his need to down an entire bottle of Whisky, was suddenly overcome by a throbbing in his chest. Levi looked down to his breast pocket and noticed he was vibrating. He took the phone out of his pocket, eyeing the screen, but the caller’s ID wasn’t known. Of course there were several legitimate reasons why an unknown number would be calling his mobile at seven in the evening on his birthday when he told everyone to **** off, but none of them sprang to mind immediately. A chill ran down Levi’s spine contrasting sharply to the heat and tension building in his chest. He passed the phone over to his left hand, leaving him free to respond with his more dominant hand if need-be – probably to break something – and answered the call quickly.

“What?” Levi growled into the receiver; Bostonian accent weighing down his words and revealing his anxious rage.

“I see you’re in a good mood tonight. You know, just for a change.”

The Vampiro wasn’t expecting that voice to howl into his ear like a strange, gravelly echo. It was distantly familiar, not to mention so perplexing and unfathomable that it was like the spirit world had reached out and possessed Levi’s phone. For a moment, the Italian was certain that it was just the detox-fug playing tricks on him because it just couldn’t be right. Why would he be calling Levi on today, the day of all days, if it wasn’t a figment of Levi’s over-active imagination? It just didn’t make sense. Jail bars and mutual contempt had kept the two apart for at least sixteen years, and contempt alone had kept them practically voiceless toward one another for almost a decade before that. They had nothing to say to one another, certainly nothing ******* nice, so why was his ******** of a father calling now?

“What do you want?” Levi returned in a low, growling voice as he decided to test his hold on reality.

“Why do you act like I want something?”

“Because, unless you’ve forgotten, you and I? We don’t talk.”

A laugh crackled the line – smug and scathing – the usual.

“So, what do you want?” Levi repeated.

“I don’t want anything.”

“Uh huh. So, someone hit you over the head and you forget you’re an asshole?”

“I see you haven’t.”

“Cute.”

“How’s the guns, by the way?”

“****. You can have em back.”

“Oh, really? Maybe you’re holding them the wrong way up again, that’s all. I’ll give you a proper demonstration when I get out.”

“Which is when?” Levi said, biting back the venom and making his way out of the living room as if he could squash his anger underfoot. There really was no point arguing with this ******, not really.

“Soon,” William replied casually. “I suppose Gino doesn’t keep you as updated as he should… Old habits and all that.”

“Haven’t seen him for him to update me. He’s avoiding me. Didn’t he mention?”

There was a short pause before a humming sound. “He mentioned you pissed off Eddie, but none of us were surprised. Good job on that, by the way.”

“Yeah, well, you could almost say it was expected.”

“Meaning?” William smirked, asking for the sake of hearing himself speak it seemed.

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time this year that Gino’s tried to kill me.”

“Stop pissing him off then.”

“Don’t act like it’s warranted, you prick. I’m ******* delightful, I keep telling you that.”

Another scathing laugh. “And no one believes a ******* word you say when you go around like a bull in a china shop, Levi.”

“What can I say? I’m full of rage and a compulsive liar. Kinda runs in the family, doesn’t it.”

“From your mother’s side, no doubt.”

Levi had to laugh scathingly at that one. “Yeah, because you’re a ******* saint. Never done a thing wrong in your life and aren’t planning to either, right?”

“We can talk about that some other time.”

“I need a date.”

“The date of the appeal is January 6th. Think you’ll want to make it?”

“I doubt it.”

“Make an appearance anyway. You can have it out with Gino then.”

“How long’s this whole process gonna take any way?”

“Who knows,” William said with a grumbling sigh. “The prosecution are stalling. No doubt they are looking for evidence to prove I’m more of a threat outside than in.”

“Well, they ain’t wrong,” Levi said, smirking when he heard the grumble down the line back at him.

“We’ll need to talk once all this is over, Levi. In person, I mean.”

“Sure.”

There was a pause then, as if William couldn’t believe his ears. Levi had agreed to his offer without any complaint whatsoever. Though it wasn’t like they couldn’t agree on things, like they were both negatively charged atoms destined to repel each other across time and space. They could agree, it was just that each one of them presented a many fantastical array of reasons not to. It just so happened that, in this instance, Levi didn’t have any reasons not to agree. He needed to talk to his father, establish some ground rules and understand exactly what the **** was going on as much as William and Gino probably needed Levi to be their raging bull. During the lull in their conversation, Levi’s supernatural hearing picked up the sound of movement in the apartment, but they both probably heard the blonde’s voice calling out to him – regardless of how quiet it was. Levi had to end this conversation now, while he was stood in the hallway. Keeping distance between his father and Lorelai was as imperative as keeping a wolf away from a rabbit in Levi’s mind.

“Yeah, look, I’ve gotta go. Uh… good luck with the trial or whatever.”

Levi was about to hang up when he heard humming down the line at him and then the words, Buon Compleanno. Levi didn’t know how to take that information, the tone sounded strangely sincere even though neither man would automatically believe that William would be wishing his son a Happy Birthday. Levi hung up the phone anyway, hoping that he could let that weirdness die when the call had, but the chances of that were pretty ******* slim to none. On today of all days, it was difficult – if not impossible – for the Italian to lament about his past, about his fucked up family and how everything in his life was holding him down, like sticking his head under water, hoping he’d just give up the fight and drown already. If Levi couldn’t drink away his problems tonight then he would have to rely on Lorelai to distract him from them. He had to admit, she was pretty good at that, and when he opened the door back to the living room, he smiled genuinely for the first time in as long as he could remember doing on this date.

“Hey, wow,” Levi said, the surprise and adoration in his tone almost shamefully obvious.

The Italian stepped toward her as if he had to inspect every inch of her dazzling appearance. Lorelai had really put in the effort to make her understated beauty shine tonight, and it was pretty ******* obvious that he appreciated it with the way he was grinning like a love-struck idiot. She’d left enough of her blonde hair down that he could snatch some between his fingers and lovingly toy with it, her make-up was subtle, complementary, and she’d dressed in silk. Levi probably hadn’t mentioned it before – though she might have learned it from experience – a woman in silk was something of a turn-on for him. Scarred hands found their way instantly to her waist as he stepped into her space; the scent and sight of her making his normally stern umber eyes warm and soften.

“You look beautiful, amore.”

[Lorelai]

Unaware of the odd conversation that had taken place between Levi and his father just moments before her arrival, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his neck. The blonde couldn't help but smile, not only upon seeing him but when he complimented her appearance after looking her over. The rather modest female blushed, even though it wasn't unusual for Levi to pay her such compliments.

"Happy Birthday Levi," she said in a slightly breathy voice as nestled against him.

She had to try to recover from the rather thorough inspection his eyes had made of her. The way he'd looked at her, so full of love had her debating as to whether or not she should cancel their plans for the night and keep him to herself. A plan she quickly chastised herself for even considering, since the pair deserved a little time away outside of their routine and night out of the city was definitely that. The softest of sighs that escaped her lips betrayed the fact that she was all too content in his arms, the sound repeating itself with a little more frustration in the mix after she pushed up onto her toes to gently kiss him.

"We need to pack some belongings since we'll be staying away from home tonight."

The reluctance to move was echoed in her voice, along with the fact that she kept her arms wrapped around his neck. Her fingers played in the hair at the nape of his neck and she continued to stare into his umber eyes. Adoration and desire was what he was sure to see inside her own turquoise pools, as Lorelai was somewhat of an open book when it came to her feelings for him; especially since they had declared themselves to be in an actual relationship. Before then, Lorelai had had to try and hide a little of her affection for him, always hoping that he didn't realise how deeply she cared for him, in case she scared him away. Now she was more scared to lose him than ever, this was perhaps the reason that she had planned the night away for them to celebrate his birthdays. Birthdays were important milestones to Lorelai, though they never used to include such extravagant expenditures. Not that money had ever mattered Lorelai, it hadn't really existed for her before she came to the city and now it was little more than a necessary evil that one required to get by, and get by she did, a little too well even for her own liking, hence the hefty donations she often made to charity to assuage her conscience.

"We're going a few towns over, and I don't want us to have to worry about being caught out when the sun rises, so I made a reservation for us at a hotel."

It was unnecessary to spell it out for Levi, as he was bright enough to work all that out for himself but she explained it nevertheless as she wanted him to know that she thought the evening through and that they weren't just disappearing for the night on a whim. Not that anything would have been wrong with that, if that were the case, at least not to her, she just seemed to have it in her head that Levi was the sort to always plan ahead. He was the sort of man that followed a schedule, thus needing to be informed to keep the night free for her. She'd once thought that he liked his schedule, not because he was a busy man and needed to know where he needed to be, but rather because it gave him a sense of control over himself and actions. Lorelai had Levi pegged as the kind of man to whom control was important, even if he did allow her more freedom in their relationship than his sire ever had. This was one of the many things she loved about him, the fact that he allowed her to make her own decisions and more often than not seemed to support them. None of this played through her mind though as she looked into his eyes, as all she could think about was him; what they would do, what she had planned and what she should would really like to do regardless of said plans. Try as she might, it was difficult to completely dismiss the reoccurring desire to say 'to hell with it' and just give in to her baser urges.

[Levi DAmico]

The Italian probably should have been paying attention to whatever it was that Lorelai was saying, but he was far too preoccupied with the slide of silk under his hands, the way the natural curves of her body were exaggerated beneath, and how much he was looking forward to unwrapping his gift. Although his hands had lost some of their sensitivity due to repetitive damage, Levi had converted every inch of her to memory and this new sensation blanketing over such a treasured and familiar one made the whole experience that much more thrilling, compelling him to explore her with renewed lust. The warm hands on Lorelai’s waist slid higher, curling around her shoulder blades before dropping lower and back, settling on the part of her he liked the best. When the blonde nestled into him, Levi seized the opportunity to press her closer, and when she reached up for a kiss, he took those delicate lips hostage and tried to steal her breath away. Though obviously one of them was required to have more willpower than the other – to prevent them from simply rejecting Lorelai’s plans, shedding their clothes and racing off to bed – and that responsibility had been pushed onto the delicate shoulders of the blonde. Levi probably couldn’t manage much in the state that he was in, because there wasn’t much luck of him making wise decisions when his brain had a lack of blood and oxygen flowing in.

Lorelai managed to break free from his ravishing kisses to push out further words, and the Italian maybe stared at her for a second before simply relocating his efforts, shifting lower to kiss the crook of her neck, and even going so far as to rake a canine over the tight skin of her collar bone. Levi grinned like a hungry wolf at the subtle sounds she made; sighs, breathless gasps, and the struggle in her voice convincing him that she didn’t really want him to stop either. Hot, wet kisses and an agile tongue massaged her collar bone, her throat, the underside of her jaw and that sensitive spot just beside her left ear. Although the Italian was in a better position to hear what Lorelai had to say, once again, Levi wasn’t really paying attention. Still, he had managed to uncover the word ‘hotel’ from the muffled velvet of her words. A jolt went through the Vampiro like electricity in his veins. Everything in him – every breath, every bone, every instinct, every drop of blood – seemed to nearly leap out of his skin. Levi tightened his jaws slightly on the little pink morsel of her ear, then quickly stopped nibbling on the shell. The Italian forced himself to back off a few scant inches, subduing a heavy breath, and managed to form an actual coherent sentence.

“A hotel, huh?” he murmured, his pupils narrowed to slits in those dark umber eyes. “That certainly saves us having to clean up.”

While the Italian immediately resumed his attack on Lorelai’s ear, it probably wouldn’t be for much longer now that it had become obvious that he hadn’t listened to a word she’d been telling him about their plans tonight. If they were going to be running across country to take up Lorelai’s plans, she would need to adopt a bit of tough love and make sure that he was paying attention this time.

[Lorelai]

Lorelai had no idea as to just how distracted her lover was, especially since he'd seemed to have picked up on the fact that they were going to a hotel. It took all of the willpower she possessed to untangle herself from her man. Taking his hand in her own, as she fanned herself with her free hand she began to lead him towards the bedroom. Her plan was to get them packed and get them out the door as soon as possible. The chances of them staying in and ruining her plans was all too great if she allowed that man of her to get too close and she knew it. The poor blonde felt starved for his attention, even if he gave it freely these days. All those months of fighting for his attention, had her giving in to him whenever he wanted her; a habit that was very difficult for her to break.

"Do you need a bag of your own, or will you simply place a suit in a garment bag and place any extras in my bag?" she asked as she reluctantly broke all contact with Levi and went to retrieve a small suitcase from the closet, which she then placed on the bed.

She'd found the strength to pull away from him and knew that focusing on the task at hand would help her to keep her mind from him. This worked with somewhat limited success however as she kept sneaking glances at Levi as she went. He confused her, even now. He could be passionate or cold, loving or distant, and the man she knew now was so far removed from the person she'd met almost a year ago. Even then she'd seen goodness in him, but then that wasn't difficult for Lorelai to do, as she saw goodness in everyone; it was as much a strength of her character as it was a flaw. Always expecting the best from people often led to disappointment in the city, not so at home , where innate goodness seemed to be a quality inherent in almost all of the residents of Hoshkosh. This was perhaps a reason she'd left, as Lorelai had always felt there was more for her out in the world and was unable to see the same spark of goodness and worth in herself that she saw in others.

Unzipping the suitcase, she removed her empty toiletry bag, placed it on the bed and began to make a mental list of what she needed to pack to sustain her for a day or so. She wasn't sure if they needed to take blood with them, or if doing so was even practical. Levi could probably feed before they left and once they got home and since he removed her hunger on a daily basis with his power, she didn't require any. The only reason to take any with them would be in case of emergency and she was cautiously optimistic that, that would be an unnecessary precaution given they were leaving the town on pleasure, rather than business.

[Levi DAmico]

Of course Levi wasn’t too impressed when Lorelai untangled herself from his affections and removed one of his hands from her, but he was willing to employ some patience when he recognised just exactly where she was leading him. Once they reached the bedroom, Levi decided to wait and see what Lorelai had in mind, but soon found that he wasn’t best pleased with the outcome. Although it didn’t make any sense at all for the Italian to fret, when Lorelai broke their contact and crossed the room to haul her suitcase onto the bed, Levi felt an incredible pang of pain enter his chest. It was as if a cold hand had reached through him, grabbed his heart and was squeezing. The cold burn, the tightness, the pain – it was teetering on the edge of his expressions, especially when it had come out of the blue and he couldn’t automatically fathom why the **** he was feeling this way. After a little consideration, Levi supposed he was envisioning an entirely different scene in his head, like Lorelai was getting her suitcase ready for other reasons. Frustrated, the Italian ran a hand through his hair, breathing out a heavy sigh, and decided that actions were better than thinking right now. It was all ******* irrational ******** anyway and it wouldn’t do him any good to start getting pissed at Lorelai for fucked up imaginings going on in his own fucked up head. Still, it was obvious that it had killed the mood. Those umber eyes went cold again, solidifying into a cool expression. Levi silently set about the task of getting some items and clothing together that might last a weekend.

The packing list was surprisingly short and concise, despite the Italian’s reputation for packing everything but the kitchen sink whenever it came to going anywhere, for any length of time. Levi was just the type to over-think everything, to make back-up plans to his back-up plans, and to make arrangements for every eventuality. Ordinarily the packing list may contain anything from medical supplies to arsenals, clothing, food, electronics, survival gear and of course, booze and cigarettes. The Italian had gotten slightly out of the habit of carrying this **** around with him when he’d settled some place and could hide caches around the city. Harper Rock was no exception to the rule, though Levi mostly stashed his **** in three key areas: work, Lorelai’s old apartment and their new home. Levi had supplies back in Boston too if he needed them and even Shiro could be relied on for emergencies. However, for this trip, Levi was just taking what he needed: a spare change of clothing, the essentials (phone, wallet, cigarettes) and the guns – his father’s plus Hope. Levi decided he would make use of the hotel’s facilities and amenities if need be and everything else was just a tome away. He didn’t need to feed so much anymore, ignoring that itchy burning in his stomach and fangs, and since Levi could sort out Lorelai’s hunger, they really would be packing light. This meant that there was, unfortunately, plenty of time for the Italian to obsess again.

Why was he always doing this to himself anyway? It was as if he was trying to sabotage any possibility of having happiness because he knew what would happen once he had it. After all, Levi had grown up around professional thieves. Money, territory, power, loyalty and life were equal treasures to snatch from anyone you felt like. These people that were supposed to be closest to you were often worse than your enemies too. You couldn’t trust anyone with anything, so believing that any good could from anything he did, believing that one good thing was there to stay too was just a dream before the harsh reality where those things would be taken away forever. It was inevitable in the Italian’s mind, something or someone would come along and ruin what he had taken so long to build. Whether that was because Lorelai might wake up and realise she was living with a monster, or because she was just the type to skip from lover to lover like a fly on a pond. Try as he might to put that paranoia of his to bed, concealing his frenzied theories of her betrayal behind smiles, warm words and affection, the Italian couldn’t chase those thoughts away, he couldn’t bury them deep enough and he certainly didn’t expect them to leave all on their own. With all the evidence before him, it was illogical to expect any other outcome. So, why was he even bothering with any of this?

Well, why the **** not? The Italian reasoned with himself. The alternative was giving up the fight and that certainly didn’t sound like something he would ever do. Sure, life was exhausting and it was frustrating and sometimes it was ******* horrifying, but there were good things too and those things – however small and however fleeting – were worth fighting for. Levi wasn’t going to give up just because it was tiring. There was so much that Lorelai brought to his life that was worth a hundred bullets to the heart. The gruff, hot-tempered and over-thinking Italian Mafioso found peace, quietness and normality in the blonde. She was the escape he needed from a world full of horrors, when he could forget the type of monster he was, it was strangely satisfying – like peeling back a strip of his personality and finding that there was something else under there, something that wasn’t completely off putting and acerbic. Levi knew what type of a man he was, he was abusive, controlling, abrasive, arrogant, fascistic, and cruel, but he was also a killer, a thief, a liar, and wasn’t worth trusting either because of how selfish he was. The Italian wasn’t overflowing with the kind of qualities that made you friends and even though Levi convinced himself that he was a lone wolf, he was still hardwired to this idea of family. Deep down he probably wanted that same thing every Italian man wanted; a wife, some children maybe, a home and although cats weren’t exactly indicative of a family unit, he preferred them to dogs. The only problem was, Levi couldn’t trust anyone to fit the bill and frankly, the pool of candidates were slimmed out by his ******* attitude.

Umber eyes flicked across from what he was doing to look back at the blonde. Why she had endured him to this point was a complete ******* mystery, but the Italian assumed it was because she was so desperately lonely after having lost so much that she’d clung to the first person who hadn’t outright rejected her. Because, despite Levi’s aloofness at the beginning, he’d never told her to actually stop and in his weird way, he was affectionate and caring toward her. They had that bond too, that blood link through Prudence that kind of magnetised them to each other – or, that’s what Levi assumed it was. Even though he never felt any kind of bond with Prudence, or anyone else in the “family” for that matter, he let Lorelai convince him that it was because they were connected that they had originally found one another. Truthfully, Levi wasn’t sure what it was that made him stop that night to find the blonde sobbing in an alleyway, and he certainly didn’t know what the **** had possessed him to walk her home. At the time, the Italian had told himself that he’d needed to – for research and information about this Vampiro crap – but he knew that there was definitely more to it than that. Some unseen hand had set them on that path, tied a rope around them to join them forever, and Levi still felt that tug on his soul whenever he even considered the idea of them parting.

“Hey, do you reckon we’ll still be celebrating birthdays in two hundred years?” Levi asked; an off-handed comment that revealed his reinvigorated mood as he watched Lorelai with a smile. “Or d’you reckon the novelty would have worn off by then?”

[Lorelai]

Lorelai was unaware of the pain she had unintentionally caused the man she loved, and even if she had been sneaking glances at him, she was yet to notice that the depth to which he had cooled. Packing required them to separate and gather the items they needed and so she saw nothing wrong when he too set about the task. Having made her mental list, she quickly set to gathering what she needed and since she wasn't particularly materialistic or vain, she took few items with her. As it was, Levi would likely be travelling home alone the next night (due to her curse) and so she'd have to remind herself to pack her belongings before she retired for the day. The items the female procured for herself consisted of a slightly more comfortable set of underwear, a more informal dress, her favourite cardigan/coat and her toiletry items. Her tome was always on her person, though she doubted it would be needed, it wasn't something she was leaving home without.

She was securing the items in place in the suitcase when Levi spoke and she turned to look at him. His question had surprised her, and that fact likely showed on her face before she smiled at him. He may not have meant it the way it sounded but Lorelai was an eternal optimist, most of the time, and so she couldn't help but feel the fluttering of butterfly wings within her. Did he really mean to suggest that they might still be together in two centuries time? She wasn't sure, but she hoped so. This fact had her moving close to him, taking both his hands in her own and kissing the back of them before she replied.

"I'd like to think that we will always celebrate our birthdays Levi. Anniversaries are important, not only in marking the passage of time, but to celebrate the event itself. The day you were born was important and deserves to be recognised. Perhaps we won't celebrate then in quite the same way, but I'm sure we will acknowledge it in some way."

Do you really believe that?
Yes.
Are you sure? I'm not sure you care for our birthday.
That's because the day we were born was not important.
Riiight.

Lorelai lightly squeezed the Italian's hands, her thumbs brushing lightly over the taught skin at the back of his hands. She didn't want to release them but as she gazed up at him, she knew she'd have to move away soon, as a familiar tingle of desire swept through her.

"Do you have everything you need. We won't be gone long, so it likely doesn't matter if we forget anything, but I'd rather you had everything you require."

The blonde lowered her head as she lightly bit her lower lip as a light flush passed across her face. Her head tilted away slightly, so that the hair that hung loose on one side offered a little protection from the man before her. The silky curtain didn't allow for much privacy but then, she didn't truly require any. It might be a little embarrassing to be so attracted to someone, but it warmed her insides and made her feel human too, so she cherished this feeling.

[Levi DAmico]

The Italian might not have entirely been thinking that comment through when he’d said it, but impulse had forced it out of him and sensibility had him quickly dissecting it. Maybe he was being optimistic here too, thinking that they might be together for two centuries and that he might actually live that long anyway. Being optimistic certainly wasn’t known to be in his nature. Levi was a realist – taking the **** and sugar together and looking at the bigger picture regardless of the beauty and the ugly. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t aspire, could it. Levi was quite aspirational in a lot of ways and sometimes having that positive mental attitude and believing in yourself when everyone else expects and damn well wants you to fail, can give you the edge. The Italian’s arrogance and supreme self-confidence had done him well up until this point, and surely it was better to believe in yourself and still be able to admit your flaws than to do yourself in constantly. If Levi could pick just one thing he wanted to change about Lorelai it would be her self-confidence – or rather lack thereof – even if it did mean opening up a can of worms. Self-assured motherfuckers like him weren’t exactly a pleasure to be around and perhaps the reason he liked Lorelai so much in the first place was because she wasn’t like him. She wasn’t like CC or Prudence either, or the Italian women he’d known. Lorelai was demure and this bashfulness seemed to lure him in better than any showy display that the women he was probably supposed to like expressed. So despite what it might do for him, Levi just wished Lorelai could find that she deserved to have a positive opinion of herself.

“Sounds good to me,” he said with the same manner as before.

Maybe over-thinking here wouldn’t do him any good. It had already proved to ruin his mood and he was doing what he could to claw back that light-heartedness. Admitting that he hated his birthday on account of hating his ******* family would definitely put a damper on things. It was easier to forget himself when she was standing that close too, kissing the back of his hands. He was lucky to feel a proportion of her soft lips and teasing warmth against the scarred skin, and although it never bothered him before about what it might feel like for her to encounter the roughness of his skin, Levi recoiled slightly from her grip. There was this weird thought in his head that she was kissing sandpaper and he didn’t like her putting up with any kind of discomfort for his benefit – especially when he couldn’t feel much to begin with. The Italian disguised his actions rather well, or so he thought. As he slipped his hands out from under hers, intent on finding her waist and pulling her into another embrace, Lorelai slipped away from him. Levi felt the threads of silk pull away from him like the end of the world. Umber eyes, confused and slightly irritated, looked to the blonde’s features for some kind of explanation, but found her cowering and speaking to him about belongings. Like any of that mattered to him. Materialistic as he might have been, Levi could wear the same suit for 48 hours if he needed to. He’d roughed it longer in the past and wasn’t above doing it again. He had everything he needed, so long as she was there, and before Levi knew what the **** was going on in his head, his mouth was betraying him.

“I have everything I need in you.”

Despite Lorelai’s attempts to flee, the Italian gave her no option of retreat. One strong arm coiled around her waist, around the back of her and pulled her nearer. He brought a hand to her chin, tipping her head up to look at him again. The Italian allowed himself a moment to appreciate the sight of his docile woman, her porcelain skin even more fair and lovely against the golden veil of her hair and the mottled cinnamon colour of his own hand now on her cheek. Turquoise eyes glistened like rare stones pulled out of moonlight and rose petal lips begged for his attention. Levi kissed her just the once, something to seal the deal of the words he shouldn’t have spoken, and in a weird way, make himself feel better about this too. Tonight was a weird night. He felt up in the air about everything and was letting his imagination get the better of him, letting this weirdness overtake his rational thoughts and bring down his guard to the point he was saying stupid – though not untrue – things. Although it wasn’t a death sentence to admit his feelings to her these days, Levi still felt a bit sick about being so cutesy. Thus, in the effort to get back into his own gruff and spirited self, the Italian gave the blonde’s rear a light and playful spank before he grinned at her.

“Now come on, mia donna,” he teased. “We’d better get a move on unless you wanna stay here all night.”

Of course, staying here in the bedroom wasn’t a terrible option, but only if Lorelai was happy with that. Levi had let her plan this night and had no idea how much of an effort she’d gone to. No doubt if he’d been the one in charge, he probably would have behaved himself better to get them on a strict time schedule. Lorelai was more lenient than him and was more likely than not trying her best to gauge his mood even now to see if her idea was a good one or not. The Italian was tempestuous and Lorelai had learned through months of experience just how quickly his blood could run from hot to cold. No doubt Levi wasn’t the only one feeling up in the air, but he had no right to complain when she’d made him feel this way for one night and she’d likely been feeling this way for almost a year. It was for this reason that Levi decided to show some pity and be a little more straightforward with his woman. Regardless of whether they were to stay here and fool around or get on with Lorelai’s mysterious plans, that suitcase needed to be moved. Levi approached the bed, ensured the suitcase was closed tightly and then hauled it off, standing ready to move on Lorelai’s command.

[Lorelai]

Being told he had everything in her, Lorelai flushed all the deeper, her light pink cheeks, turning a deeper shade of crimson. She wasn't used to anyone being so complimentary towards her, for that was exactly what that comment was to her, a compliment of the highest order. Lorelai had always hoped to be everything to someone, but had doubted that day would ever come as she didn't think herself worthy or lucky enough. It was true that Lyle had desired her, but her feelings for him had never strengthened to that of his, and so he had to be rejected. It was a kindness in her mind, for as much as she desired to be loved, she would never allow someone to commit themselves to her, if she could not be all that they required in return. Love was unselfish, or should be, and she couldn't take what she couldn't return. With Levi, she had no such issue, as she had fallen for him long before he told her he loved her.

She'd gone willingly into his arms, but his closeness had done nothing to calm her. The light spank to her rear had her gasping in shock. It didn't hurt and the attention wasn't unwelcome but she wasn't used to him doing that and had not expected it. The shock of the act showed in her eyes before the draining colour returned once more. The blonde smiled, shaking her head lightly and went back to her suitcase. Happy that she had everything she required, she zipped it closed and allowed Levi to take it for her. He was a true gentleman. To her at least.

"I am more than ready to leave."

Lorelai moved closer to the birthday boy and leaned up to place a gentle kiss to his cheek, her soft lips barely brushing against his skin.

It was time to leave and so she hooked her arm through his and walked with him out of the bedroom. The car would likely be downstairs waiting for them by now, and if not they probably wouldn't have long to wait until its arrival. Their journey would take them a few hours and the time spent in the car would likely be spent in comfortable silence, or, perhaps in amorous affection; it would all depend on the atmosphere and whether or not the pair could behave. Lorelai would have to remind herself that she was dressed like a lady and should behave as such. She wanted to take Levi out after they checked into the hotel the night wasn't supposed to be about staying in and proving how they felt for one another by connecting on a physical level. Besides, that could be done any night of the week, and tonight wasn't about them, it was about Levi and the fact that he was another year older.

"We have a few hours drive to the city Levi. Do you wish to take a book with you?" she asked as they were almost out of the door.

Lorelai would be happy to take her kindle if Levi required a little time to himself, but she wasn't going to force the alone time on him by retrieving her kindle first. The journey would be distracting enough to the blonde with or without the appliance. In fact, if she had a steady connection to the internet while on the road, she'd be able to read without physically holding the devise. Of course holding the device offered her tangible connection with the world and allowed those around her to know that she her mind was otherwise engaged. It seemed almost to Lorelai to be so much in her own mind and not to allow others to know when she was, like she was hiding something from those around her.

[Levi DAmico]

Weirdly enough, the Italian followed the blonde’s lead out of the bedroom, through their tastefully decorated love nest and to the door, only to stop at her question. Umber eyes looked at her with a bemused quality akin to having been asked if he’d fed the plants before they’d left. Of course it was perfectly domestic and a normal thing to do, but Levi couldn’t automatically fathom the connection between them being in a car for a few hours and him needing to take a book. Maybe Lorelai suspected he might get bored on their journey, almost as if she had an in-sight into what he was like when he was travelling for hours. The Italian rarely spoke on such occasions, it was true, but that was generally because of the company he kept. Usually when Levi had to travel for hours, it was because he was returning to Boston and that meant travelling with his guards – not exactly an interesting bunch of folks. The Italian neither needed to consult them or involve them in his life or business, so silence was always the preferred option. In this case, however, he had Lorelai to keep him company and he always had pointless bits of trivia to converse with her about if he wasn’t allowed to get his hands on her – he rather doubted his luck in the car. However, if she was asking in a round-about fashion about him bringing a book to avoid talking to him, then the Italian wasn’t going to play ball.

“Nah, I’m good,” he said with a smirk. “If I get bored, I’ll just think of ways to occupy myself. Like… asking you dumb questions or playing stupid games. Actually, have you ever played I Spy?”

It was a perfectly appropriate question and served as evidence of his words – if he got bored, he would ask dumb questions because standing around waiting for a car wasn’t exactly thrilling. Levi wasn’t aware of Lorelai’s game-playing experiences since she’d come from such a simple lifestyle, where you were more likely to spend your time working rather than playing around, so it was good to ask these things. Everyone had their suspicions of everybody else’s childhood, and most believed that everyone else’s childhood was never as good as their own. The Italian wasn’t sure if that was the case here. His childhood wasn’t great, but, it wasn’t that bad either because if it had been, he probably wouldn’t have survived it. It wasn’t just the men in Malavita who died after all, and picking off whole families of people you hate was smart business. William had certainly pissed off enough people to make a target out his wife and child, but, somehow they’d been spared. So in the grand scheme of things, Levi’s childhood was alright. Of course, Levi hadn’t done much playing around in his youth, and had first come across the game in juvenile detention just seconds before punching the idiot who’d suggested it straight in the face. Levi had broken the kid’s nose and he’d ended up crying like a *****, giving away their position. They’d all had a beating because of that, but Levi wasn’t going to take the blame – too proud even as a nine year old.

It was perfectly understandable to assume that Levi wasn’t the type who could relax and play around, joke, and slap someone on the backside jovially, but he was capable of all these things. Again, it just depended on the company and, possibly, the sobriety of said company. Levi had played this game of I Spy with Shiro a number of times. Shiro was weirdly good at finding the most obscure items to pick out, that and he didn’t play fair. Since the ****** spoke like a dozen languages and was slippery enough to point out that nobody had declared a rule that objected the use of any language but English and Italian, Shiro could generally get the upper hand on his bi-lingual companion. Twenty-two years of experience, growth and fortune separated Levi from his nine year old self, but his pride and arrogance had not wavered. Of course, Levi had learned the difference between winning a battle and winning a war, and that sometimes you had to admit defeat a few times to thoroughly be declared the victor. So, he let Shiro have these petty little conquests if it made him feel better; bring out a deck of cards or a chess board though and see how quickly the tables would turn…