Dedication to EmmaOsborne7 for being an awesome human being

"Where've they gone?" Levi asks, sounding completely exasperated.

My voice feels like a pill I've dry swallowed, it's stuck in my throat, refusing to pass through easily. "Er..." I begin to mumble, reddening at how awkward I sound. "They've gone to get some milk."

"What?" Levi asks, the single word sounding both disbelieving and irritated. I still don't have the guts to turn and face him and begin grow aware of how strange I look fixatedly staring at Imogen's front door. "They've gone now?"

I want to snap back: 'Yes,' but my growing agitation won't let me. All I can think about is how bad this is, how I'm stuck here with the last person I want to be in the company of. I take a deep breath that's supposed to calm me but instead leaves me feeling more rattled.

At my lack of response Levi sighs and finally I turn around. His gaze meets mine and for a moment I lose my breath. I've had him look at me furiously before, back when our files had been mixed up, but this time it's somehow different.

There's something entrancing about Levi's eyes when he's angry. They're that shade of familiar, deep brown but now there's darkness within them- a darkness that somehow burns. His eyes are old autumn leaves burning, curling into ashes and flame. Scorching coffee that's scalding rather than soothing. The deepest depths of a forest of ancient trees, all alight. His eyes are spellbinding, something that makes me feel like I can get lost into worlds unknown simply by peering into them.

Swallowing, I finally drag my eyes away, all the while ignoring how hard my heart's hammering in my chest. I stalk to the living room, mindful of how tense my shoulders are and how stiffly I'm walking- I couldn't be any more awkward if I tried. Sitting back down on the sofa, my fingers find a lose thread on my dress and, distractedly, I begin to pull at it- trying to find anything to focus on.

The music that continues to play fades in to the background when Levi sits opposite me. Suddenly, I become a whole lot more interested in the loose thread. I can feel his gaze on me, its unfaltering. The hot weight of it mirrors the warmth spreading across my cheeks, making me think of how often his dark stare extinguishes the air in my lungs and leaves me feeling so on edge.

Urgently, I begin thinking of my possible options to get out of here. My eyes flicker towards the large window situated in the room, leaping out of it seriously seems more appealing than continuing to sit here, where the air feels stifling and the tension sits in the atmosphere, heavy and maddening. Then there's Plan B, which is gritting my teeth and just staying put which doesn't sound fun at all.

Abruptly, Levi gets up and I'm almost nervous about what he's going to do next when he walks to the music player. I exhale a small sigh of relief as he searches through Imogen's family selection of CDs- something I know spans across a whole range of genres because of the Grace family's individual tastes.

Levi seems to find something he likes because then Paloma Faith stops crooning and out of the speakers drifts a new sound, one that's hypnotically dark-hued, the languid mix of leisurely drum beats and deep melodic notes of a guitar shift the mood, subduing it. Once a slow, Sheffield-lilted voice fills the room I recognise the band playing as the Arctic Monkeys, one of Imogen's older brother's favourites.

Levi sits on the sideboard alongside the music player, leaning back he stares at the wall ahead, his expression unreadable. He doesn't look at me again as the album goes on. As flustered as it made me, a part of me prefers the weight of Levi's stare rather than him not acknowledging me at all.

My mouth feels dry and at once I take that as an opportunity to leave the room to get something to drink. I hastily get up and head to the kitchen, silently thinking of all the possible swearwords I can use to help describe this god-awful situation. Some aren't very pretty.

Imogen's kitchen feels cooler and less stuffy than the living room, the atmosphere for which reminds me of the inside of a volcano about to explode. The temperature of my skin and my breathlessness makes me long for something cold. Crossing the room and reaching the fridge, I silently hope there's something in there I'd like to drink.

After swinging the door open the sight that meets my eyes makes my eyes widen. A few seconds pass as I digest the new-found information. Then I curse loudly, "For fuck's sake!" Not one, but two full bottles of milk are sitting on the middle shelf, right by a bunch of celery and a carton of eggs.

I cannot believe this.

"What?" Levi asks as he walks into the kitchen. The small frown on his face and crease in between his eyebrows suggests he's bemused at my sudden outburst. Once he comes up behind me he stops in his tracks when he sees the milk in the fridge, swiftly understanding just why I look so livid.

"Fucking hell," he mutters under his breath, shaking his head. "They've set us up."

I roll my eyes before closing the door with much more force than needed. "No bloody way," I reply, the pitch of my voice rising a few notches. I completely forget how awkward it's meant to be talking to him; my sudden anger makes me acknowledge nothing but the stupid milk in front of me. "God, I am going to kill Imogen!" My statement doesn't even feel like an exaggeration, a furious scowl takes over my face as I think of how all this has been a bloody plan.

Levi's phone beeps, momentarily pausing the angry tirade of thoughts rushing through my mind. He peers down at it and his expression turns darker once he's read the message.

"What is it?" I ask. Surely nothing else can make this night worse than it already is?

He looks up at me, his face an assortment of frustration and wariness. "Max says he's getting the bus."

My mouth falls open and I'm torn between gasping and yelling in frustration, the outcome ends up being a fusion of the two: a strangled, choking nose. "What?" I stutter, not believing it. It couldn't be any clearer; these past few moments- this whole evening has all been a place, a ruse to get Levi and me together.

Getting over the shock, my blood boils even hotter. What the fuck is Imogen thinking? All this time I've been stuck here, not so I can spend time with her but so she can play bloody Cupid. Well, I'm not having it.

"I'm leaving," I announce, deciding I've had more than enough of her antics. If she thinks I'm just going to along with this then she's got another thing coming.

"So am I," Levi says and, irritatingly, he exits the kitchen first- his rapid exit leaving me to hastily follow after him. I quickly reach him in the hallway and there's a bit of a silent competition as Levi and I contend in who can leave first. He shrugs on his coat as I hurriedly pull on my jacket before there's a fumble for who'll get to the door, neither of us are able to spend a second here longer.

Satisfyingly, I reach the door handle before him but after pushing me aside he manages to get out onto the doorstep first. Outside everything's submerged in inky darkness, night has fallen hours ago- resulting in a thick quiet settling in the open-air.

Levi strides away from the house in frustratingly long steps, leading me to quicken my steps to keep up. Levi glances behind his shoulder momentarily, noticing I'm struggling to keep up. A lazy, infuriatingly charming smile pulls at his lips as he turns back, apparently amused at the fact I practically have to jog.

I close my eyes briefly, thinking of how within a matter of seconds I'll take a different turning from him and I won't have to see the idiot again- at least not for a while. Opening my eyes, I think of this fact and grit my teeth.

Three streets later, such a thing hasn't happened. I'm still accompanying Levi and our paths seem to go along the same direction, something that has my lips pursing tightly. "Are you following me?" I irately demand as we both walk along the same corner of a road that leads to a street full of terraced houses.

"Don't flatter yourself," Levi answers, scoffing.

I huff at the remark and spend the next moment trying to think of something to say in reply. Whether it's due to getting increasingly annoyed or because I'm crap with comebacks, I come up with nothing. Well, nothing intelligent anyway.

"You're always such a... an irritating, pretentious-"

"Me?" Levi abruptly cuts in, suddenly swerving around so I have to come to a swift stop to avoid crashing into him. He glares down at me, his dark stare making my heart stutter helplessly. "I'm the irritating, pretentious one?"

Opening and closing my mouth, I struggle to immediately come up with a response. "I... Yes, yes you are-"

"Please," Levi interrupts again, rolling his eyes. "I'm not the one that's responsible for all this shit to happen."

His words leave me silent. I stare at him, not even opening my mouth to respond because I have no idea whatsoever on how to respond. I hadn't expected this sudden confrontation, the panic fluttering in my chest not to mention how tired I am from the night serve as facts that I'm not ready either.

A small voice at the back of my head whispers: coward, but I ignore it, shoving the thought towards the back of my mind.

"I don't need this right now," I say, my voice worryingly unsteady.

Levi sighs in exasperation, shaking his head as though he hadn't expected anything else. "Of course you bloody don't."

I glare at him, about to retort when, again, my mind draws up a blank. I don't even have anything stupid to say. So instead, I press my lips into a tight thin line before pivoting on my heel and marching away; hating myself with each step I take. I try hard not thinking how spineless I'm being but it doesn't matter anyway, because of what Levi says next.

"That's right. Just fucking run away, like you always do," he says, the anger loud and evident in his voice.

It's one thing thinking I'm being cowardly but for Levi to accuse me of it so blatantly hits a nerve. Unexpectedly, I feel my temper rising and my patience snap as I stop in my tracks, swerving around sharply. How dare he just presume I always 'run away'? "You know nothing about me," I say in a low voice, glaring at him fiercely.

"Yeah?" Levi asks. Undeterred by my anger he seems to be spurred by it. "Well I sure as hell have learnt a lot,"

He strides up to me, each foot of space lost running in correlation with how much faster my heart beats. "Whenever things go the way you don't want them to you run away, you close yourself off and, Jesus- I don't know what to do anymore!" That dark anger has returned to his eyes and it makes them look so very alive it's impossible to look away.

"Oh for fuck's sake," I cry, nearly slapping my hand against my forehead in frustration. "I didn't mean to do any of that- I was trying to do the best for both of us."

Levi exhales a deridingly-amused huff of air. "By doing what? Acting like you've forgotten everything that's happened?"

"Yes!" The response leaves my mouth before I even think about it, the word feels wrong and I groan quietly, hating how each reply feels like such a struggle. "No... Just, don't you see?"

Levi's eyebrows furrow as he sighs irately. His usual composed exterior is completely diminished and his face is a picture of exasperation. "No I bloody don't," he snaps. "You're always either fucking confusing or pissed off- it's that or nothing,"

"How can I not be with you pissing me off every minute?" I angrily retort.

"It's not my fault your temper's fucking crazy, Bug," Levi says, throwing in the last word purely to make me mad. It works.

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not?"

"You fucking well know why!" I burst, clenching my fists. "This is what you do- you infuriate me and make me feel, you make me..." I trail off, unable to find the proper words.

Hate comes to mind first, hate and extreme anger. Yes, hate is what I feel towards him, surely?

Levi and I pause for a second; the temperature's dropped a few degrees making our breath fog as we exhale in short bursts, both of us trying to get out breath.

Hate. Even now, Levi makes it hard for me to hate him. He may tease and mock me like it's his day job, I may rarely ever manage to feel calm around him and he may make me feel as though I'm turning madder by the day but, god- that's nothing compared to everything else.

"You make me feel angry," I finish my sentence, the last word hollow and dull.

Levi scoffs before the corner of his mouth tilts upward in an empty smile. "Tell me something new."

"Well I've just told you the obvious," I say loftily, folding my arms.

Levi's smile widens by the smallest fraction as he shakes his head slowly. "You know, I should be the pissed off one here," he says, his voice suddenly calmer.

"It's not like you're bloody perfect," I immediately reply, my voice quietens too but it's not quite as composed. "Thanks for that remark at Imogen's by the way, about how I haven't slept with anyone yet. I really effing appreciated that."

I expect Levi to reply with something mean, maybe even further mockery of my non-existent sex life. He doesn't. He remains quiet and swallows, his gaze lowering towards the ground for a few moments before meeting mine once more. I'm taken aback to see he's not scowling or smirking any more.

"I know," Levi finally says. "I know I can be a dick."

I think of how months ago I would've agreed, given my first impressions of him.

"Yes I've fucked up- during your date, tonight and whenever else," Levi says, each word that comes out of his mouth sounds more tense than the last. He rubs the back of his neck and appears almost nervous before peering at me; with a new earnestness in his eyes that that makes unexpected warmth flow into my chest. "But I'm sorry for it."

For a short while I'm silent, not expecting any form of apology. Levi's never regretful about making me annoyed; in fact it's quite the opposite. Then I begin to feel bad, because, really, this evening and this fight isn't about Levi fucking up. If I hadn't done so neither of us would be standing out here late at night, angry and cold.

I know what I have to say to make things right- that I need to admit I have messed up, because cutting him off feels like nothing but a mistake. Stubbornness and my age-old difficulty with apologies make the task hard and silence settles between us as I struggle for words. "And I get I've been..." I begin before stopping, not knowing what to say next. Bloody hell, is it always so hard?

I sift my fingers through my hair, attempting to think harder of what to say. "I'm sorry," I say at last, sounding utterly pathetic. I glance at Levi, expecting to see an eyebrow quirked up as he waits for more of an answer. I stand corrected once more.

The dark look in his eyes softens and something like relief sweeps through me as Levi offers me the softest of smiles.

I'm about say something spontaneous I haven't thought of yet when everything's startlingly interrupted by the flash of car headlights that come out of nowhere, blinding and bright. A small, startled shriek leaves my mouth as Levi and I both stumble backwards, both taking backwards steps onto pavement.

The bright lights belong to a car, the window of which a man pokes his head out of. "Get out my fucking drive!" he yells at us, waving his middle finger at us as he drives into front porch. Shit. I look towards where we had been standing moments before and see we were indeed standing right in front of someone's house.

"Oh my god," I breathe, my skin flushing in embarrassment.

The man stops his engines and swings open his door to get out. He has thick, bushy eyebrows which are pulled taught in a scowl. "Come on, let's get a look at ya! Effing hooligans loitering around my home!"

"I think we should leg it," Levi says in a low voice and I nod frantically. We both turn together before madly running off down the street, away from the man who yells obscenities after us.

Once we're far enough to be sure the man wouldn't come after us we come to a stop, having run enough of a distance to be out of breath. I lean against a hedge that lines someone's the outside of someone's lawn as I breathe hard, praying hard that the man hadn't had a proper look at our faces.

Levi looks towards me as he gets his breath back, grinning slightly. "Well this has been some evening."

I smile both at his words and in relief at how there's normalcy between us again. The new-found relief roars within me like the strong crash and fall of a tidal wave and, faintly, I think of how I'm probably feeling a little too relieved.

Getting up off of the hedge, I look around to see where we are, before recognising the street as one close to mine. "Well, I've to go down there," I say, looking towards the road to the left of me.

"I've got to head there," Levi says, nodding towards an opposite street. That familiar, awkward quiet appears whenever we have to say goodbye and neither of us quite know how exactly to say it. Last time it was with a hug, something I wouldn't have dreamed of doing before. Now it feels like something that'd be too soon after what's happened.

Then I realise I don't care if it'll be too soon. I don't care at all.

I want to feel Levi's arms around me, that feeling of warmth that had bloomed in my chest the last time I was enclosed in his arms was a sensation I'd missed since the day it happened.

Levi suddenly grinned, raising one eyebrow. "Done staring at me?" he asks, making me aware of how I'm just blatantly staring at him, fantasising of hugging of him.

My cheeks heat and I groan internally. Levi's grin broadens at the sight of me blushing, his eyes are full of amusement and the uncontrolled smile that brightens his features steals my breath, causing heat to pool in my stomach. I feel glad that it's dark otherwise he'll notice that my cheeks are completely burning now.

The previous feeling of this not being normal strikes me again and I swallow; the sudden sensation of something dawning on me invades my mind.

"Well," Levi says, looking at me a little confusedly as I fail to respond. "Bye."

I barely manage to breathe a bye back when- oh god. Oh god.

As I watch Levi turn and walk away I realise, I realise the thing that everybody seems to have found out before me.

Racing hearts, dizzy heads and emotions beyond any control have nothing to do with friendship, nothing at all. They're linked with something completely else.

I swallow again, but this time it's more a gulp. The further Levi walks away from me the clearer it becomes.

Do I like..?

Oh, fuck.