safe & sound

LEVI: hey

at least someone is happy he came home. deep down, charlie knows he’s being dramatic and that not everyone hates him but… there were days where that’s all he felt. “well, if i hadn’t come home, i wouldn’t be with you right now and… that thought is unbearable,” he muses dramatically, nails gently digging into levi’s skin. he sucks in a bit at the feeling his hands fingers moving along his waistband and onto his back, “mm, I’m here.” he slowly pulls away so he can climb onto the bed, laying on his back and tugging the smaller man into his arms, “nothing could make me happier in this moment than holding you like this.” he knows that they were both getting at more over text, but in the moment, charlie wants to be vulnerable and present in a non-sexual way. he just wants to hold levi close. gently, he rubs his back as he speaks, “i can’t believe you actually came over and i’m so glad you did.”

closed starter for @leviastcn​

cordelia stood at the center counter in the post office, hands delicately rubbing over a piece of tape. the brown paper that covered her care package to her kids in paris felt so bare, so boring. it didn’t seem like it was doing much of a great job at showing them what was inside. something exciting, something fun, something american. it isn’t long before her black pen is drawing over it, little images of their favorite things: unicorns, fairies, mermaids, dinosaurs, books, and more. perfectly sketched outlines litter the blank canvas, it now looking more like wrapping paper than plain packaging. she steps back, gently bumping into someone. as she turns, delia can’t help but gasp. “oh! i’m so -” about to apologize, she realizes it’s levi, her shoulders straightening, brows raising. “levi. hi.”

immediately, charlie can tell the tone has shifted. he didn’t mean to push or pry at levi - he’s just genuinely curious. he looks down at their hands, squeezing as he speaks, “we don’t have to talk about you if you don’t want to. i didn’t mean to push at all. but, lev?” a pause. “i’m happy you came home.” he quirks an eyebrow at levi’s smirk, stepping closer and inbetween his knees. gently, he pulls his hand from levi’s and rests both of his on his shoulders, “maybe we should change that then, huh?” being this close to levi is making charlie’s heart race - he wonders if the other man can hear it. "don’t worry, i’ll try to avoid pissing owen off,” he whispers, fingers dipping under the collar of levi’s shirt. he stays quiet for a minute before speaking again, “you’re handsome, you know that? stunning.” his fingers are gently caressing his skin as he meets his eyes.

“oh? and why wouldn’t he like it?” the subject of her relationship with ezra was still a bit touchy, but she could keep the conversation lighthearted for as long as he could. “when you say it like that, it sounds like a challenge. and god, you know how much i love a challenge.” while she still didn’t know much about what had happened, she certainly didn’t regret missing the bonfire. “so, how bad was it? did anyone cry?” the girl prodded carefully, not sure what to expect. “guessed, huh? am i really getting that predictable?” she almost laughed, before taking a sip of her coffee. “c’mon, let’s walk and talk. unless that’s too much multitasking for you?” 

the two men are floored by each other and it’s obvious. the smiles on their faces seem to be almost stuck there. charlie can’t help but listen to levi when he speaks - it’s not something most people can get charlie to do. he doesn’t often care about what others are saying - especially in lake wisteria. but for levi? charlie will listen. “what happened?” he feels like he should know… it’s likely something he missed when he dipped out of lake wisteria. “don’t belittle yourself, levi. you’re not just anything… you’re a wonderful high school coach. tell me about that,” he request softly, hand still under his chin and eyes still on levi’s. he smirks again, a booming laugh leaving his lips, “everywhere? will they get you in my bed tonight?” he’s not necessarily pushing for sex - but he also wouldn’t be opposed. he mostly just wants levi to stay with him for the night. he smiles at his words, butterflies filling his stomach, “well, it’s good you feel that way because i’m sure being associated with me will get you into plenty, tiny dancer.”

“well, then i want to hear two things… tell me who you used to be… then tell me who you are. because… tiny dancer, i like who you are now,” charlie coos softly, reaching the injured hand up to gently tilt his chin up ever so slightly. he’s rarely this vulnerable with people but levi feels safe. he smirks slightly, shamelessly eyeing the other man up and down, “you’re pretty damn attractive under those clothes in my mind, aston.” he squeezes his hand, shrugging, “you can call me yours. i do like the idea of you fighting for my honor. would you if i said yes?” he’s curious - because he would definitely duel for levi’s hand.

“why are they hard to look at?” charlie asks gently, his voice low and soft. he’s happy to hear levi opening up a little bit - maybe it’s a good step for them. if he’s honest with himself, he only truly knows levi on a surface level. he’s drawn to the boy’s personality and presence, but he wants to know him deeply too. he smirks as he watches levi fold his arms over his chest, hands still placed on his own hips, “who said my intent was to get you over here?” he’s bullshitting - they both knew charlie wanted him over. it was almost funny that charlie was trying to hide it. he can’t help the grin that spreads onto his cheeks when levi holds his hand out and speaks, laughs still tumbling from his lips as he lets levi have his unbandaged hand, “your blue boy, huh?”

“why do i get the feeling you like having those old medals there too?” charlie questions softly, eyes studying the shorter man’s features. was that a faltered smile? or was it his imagination? he laughs again, shrugging and taking a big step back from levi. he places his hands on his hips, “i’m not the one who drove here practically in the middle of the night after being thirst trapped.” he’s teasing the other boy with his lips slightly pursed. he bursts out laughing as he answers, “blue.” it feels so freeing to laugh - something he hadn’t done much of since he’d gotten back to lake wisteria. he’s thankful for levi’s presence - it’s almost calming. (only almost because he also gives charlie nervous butterflies - in the best way.)

dianna felt herself relax as he looked back at her, glad that reading levi still came easy to her. he reached for her hand and she squeezed it back, relieved. in many ways, levi had truly symbolized her transition to a new life in lake wisteria. a new support network, a new job, a new family, a new home. levi was all of those to her, and losing him felt unfathomable. “good,” she returned, running her thumb over the back of his hand. “this isn’t my fight, i understand you want to stand up for people you care about. you’ve stood up for me before, it would be unfair of me to expect not to do it for him,” she said warmly, giving him a smile. dianna used her other hand to push the hair off her eyes. “so i’m staying out of it. i will be there for dante when he needs me, but i will not stand in the middle of it. if i know that you and i will be okay, then that’s all i need. we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.” dianna’s smile widened a bit, wanting to lessen the tension. “i am glad we are stuck with each other, i really like having you around.”

“what’s your bedroom like?” charlie asks softly, watching as levi’s eyes wander around his bedroom. it was bare - it didn’t tell much of a story about his life. if he was going to stay longer he’d likely put things on the wall but… that isn’t in his plans. he’s supposed to leave. he laughs softly, shaking his head and slipping his arms around levi, “nope. hasn’t been so much as febreezed since high school. it’s just been stewing with all of my teenage boy sweat for years.” he leans in to give levi’s lips another peck before shrugging, “that’s pretty deep. but i can ask you more questions if you’d prefer. like… what’s your favorite color? and if you say blue, i’m gonna be disappointed in you. no offense if it’s blue.” he’s joking - mostly. 

closed starter for @leviastcn​

charlie wants to stay tangled into levi - he wants the smaller man’s hands to stay tangled into his curls, his lips to stay on his… but he knows they should watch the fireworks. how often does the opportunity present itself? not very. he keeps an arm around levi as he adjusts to watch, not wanting to lose contact with him. he shouldn’t feel attached to levi - or feel anything for him - it’s too early. but… he feels something for the man. maybe it’s just because he’s kind to him, but the butterflies fluttering in his stomach are undeniable. he blushes when he meets his eyes, voice nearly inaudible, “don’t give up on me like everyone else.” it’s a rather sad statement, but he feels like it needs to be said out loud. he can’t help the self doubt that’s creeping into his mind.

returning to lake wisteria for her grandparents funeral had been a bittersweet experience to say the least. the town that she had loved so much seemed to dim in beauty and excitement without her favorite people in it. for a couple of weeks, as the dust settled, dianna considered selling all of it: the house, the music shop, the memories. she was sure her grandparents had expected she would do just that. a huge house in lake wisteria would go for a lot of money, money she and zac could use. but nowadays when she thought about the day she had made the decision to stay in the small town for good, she thanked all of her lucky stars she did. things had been easy once she found her people, levi being one of the first. no wonder it was her favorite sweatshirt. so when he looked away from her, leaning back on his chair to put distance between them, she felt sick. “thank you, for being honest,” dianna said after a moment. “i guess i started this all wrong,” she continued searching for his eyes with hers. “what i meant to say is that i do not have a problem with charlie personally, but dante is my family. he’s always been my family.” dianna bit her lip. “but you are family too, and i just need to get this out of the way so that you and i can be okay. because i need us to always be okay. i think you are so incredibly kind and patient, and i’m glad charlie has someone like you. but if you are friends with him and i’m friends with dante, i need to know that is not going to be a problem between us. i know this is not high school anymore, but sometimes this town feels like it is.”

ambrose comes out of the cafe, his macbook in one hand and his wallet and car keys in the other. the one thing that he really hasn’t given up from his life on the road is the fact that he needs coffee to wake up and to function. he’s running behind on a few video cuts for a local band and he’s stressed out about it, though he doesn’t really show it as he smiles at levi. “blueberry lemon muffins? i mean, why wouldn’t he be excited with such a description? he said something about pumpkin spice and i and just smiled and nodded, honestly.” he admitted playfully. “i don’t really function until after i’m done with one of these.” he showed his the cup of black coffee in his hand. “you in school or something?”

charlie: i mean i can eat them if i'm willing to put up with throat swelling

charlie: don't worry, i'm way ahead of you

charlie: which was your favorite tho :p

charlie: so are you, lev

levi: no way we’re not risking your life just so you can try a muffin

levi: thank god

levi: all of them duh