[It is Levi's actual first kiss, and he couldn't have asked for anything better. More than ever before, it feels right. The taste of Kara on his lips, the smell of her, the warmth of her body against his as he absently brings her close and the steady beating of his heart as he takes it all in... It's never happened to him before, but his gut feeling tells him he knows what's going on here.
He's falling madly in love with this girl.
He breathes out through his nose and lets out a gentle hum against Kara's lips. Eventually he pulls back, almost a little dazed.]
[ When he pulls away, she also feels extremely dazed, and her eyes are half-lidded when she smiles up at him. Like Levi, Kara is also falling in love very quickly. It's what happens when you meet someone who accepts you and makes you want to actually be a better person.
What a wild thought, but it's one she won't discredit. Levi has only made her life better by being in it. ]
Yeah. Definitely.
[ She laughs softly. ]
I've had a lot of kisses, but yours are seriously the sweetest and the warmest. Nothing beats how you make me feel.
[Kara looking at him like that is going to make him weak...]
R-Really?
[Knowing Kara has more experience with this sort of thing was intimidating to learn at first. He felt like he had hidden expectations to measure up to, and he's...had some rough experiences with meeting expectations.
Not only is he relieved to find out he apparently had nothing to worry about, but he's proud to have been able to give so much to Kara that she would rank him well above the rest. He feels like he really might be better than he gives himself credit for.
He's so happy to make Kara happy. She deserves it, more than he can properly say.]
Hopefully you never get tired of them, then, because I have so many more in me to give.
[He leans in for another as if to punctuate that claim.]
[ She senses a little hesitation at first, and her fingers gently squeeze his hand in response, trying to reassure him. Then, he speaks...and her heart skips a beat again.
She gladly leans in when he does and presses her lips to his, capturing him in a sweet, lingering kiss. The grip on his hand gets even tighter, a display of trust -- and then she pulls away, only slightly. ]
Good. I'm looking forward to every single one.
[ She plays with his hair with her free hand, and she ducks her head a little bashfully. It's still surreal that she's here with him, face-to-face. ]
Let's get more comfortable?
Edited (I HIT ENTER TOO EARLY...) 2023-08-25 06:17 (UTC)
[He seems just as reluctant to pull away, but he doesn't mind settling for enjoying the sensation of Kara playing with his hair.
"Let's get more comfortable?"
Levi's grip on her increases in surprise and he draws in a shaky breath. He tries not to look overly eager about the suggestion, but it's written all over his reddened face.]
Let's.
[He starts to guide her to the bed to settle down onto...but then a thought hits him and he laughs.]
W-Wait, I haven't even given you a tour of the place yet...
[ She's grinning as she leans her head on Levi's shoulder.
Yeah. The real deal makes this super worth it. ]
Have you told anyone, yet? Like, about us dating, I mean. [ ... ] Man, it's been a while since I've been able to say that, too. Couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend, though.
Um... [With Kara so close, Levi uses the opportunity to gently press his face into her hair like he's trying to hide.] N-Not yet.
[He immediately realizes that makes it sound like he's not proud to announce his change in relationship status.]
Not that I don't want or plan to! I... I just...haven't figured out a way to do it yet. I've been practicing in the mirror, but...I don't know how they'll react, so I c-can't be completely prepared...
[It's his brothers. Why is he so worried about this??]
[The back rub helps a lot. That, combined with Kara's reassurance lets him calm down and release the tension in his body. He visibly sinks a little bit.]
Same here. I told my brother Barrett it feels like I won the lottery after connecting with you at the dunk tank.
[A little anecdote to further affirm that he isn't ashamed at all.]
I do want to tell Lucas while you're here, though. I was thinking...maybe having you there with me would help. Just so he doesn't think I'm being delusional.
[...]
If I said I had an online girlfriend he would have dismissed it outright. I know him.
[A bashful little chuckle. He really does believe that, though. Of course, he used an incomprehensible analogy about rolling SSRs first and still likes that better, but this works too.
He lifts his head when Kara mentions the gift.]
Your...? Oh! I'm so sorry, I totally forgot about it!
[He reaches into his pocket to retrieve the little package. He looks at her with an excited smile before going ahead and opening it.]
No, it's okay! Honestly, it's...kind of embarrassing, but I hope you like it.
[ And what Levi sees is a mixtape! It's a CD with a track list written on it in pink sharpie. There's also his name written on it at the top in purple.
Finally, there's a little signature at the bottom: A heart, and her name. ]
I... I'm kind of shy sometimes, so if you ever find yourself doubting how I feel, listen to this.
[A mixtape... His eyes brighten and smile widens big time. Wow! He's always wanted to share something like this with someone, so to have one given to him makes him so happy.]
Kara, this is amazing! I love stuff like this. Thank you!!
[He starts to scan the track list.]
Heh, that's hard to imagine, though. You being shy, I mean.
[ She can't help but bring her hand up to hide her face a little. She was so nervous about giving this to him, that hearing his approval makes her both relieved and excited for him to listen to it. ]
G-good! I was worried it'd be kind of lame... Do you know any of the songs on it?
And I'm kind of shy about this stuff, yeah. [ ... ] I'm not used to being so vulnerable.
[Levi usually finds normie love playlists to be hella lame.
...but now that he's in a relationship and receiving one made for him, he wonders if he only thought that because he was single and bitter about it. After all, he was convinced he'd never get something like this.]
Mmm... [He reviews the tracks.] I recognize some of the artists, but not the songs. Oh, I do think I heard "Call Me Maybe" once or twice, since you couldn't escape that song when it was mega popular. I never paid much attention to the lyrics aside from the chorus, though, so I'm looking forward to listening in another light.
[He almost continues his TL;DR, but Kara mentions being vulnerable and he can't help but pump the brakes on his playlist review.]
...
Is that why one of the songs is called "Terrified"?
[ She laces their fingers together when he takes her hand. It's becoming easier and easier for her to do so, especially after he says things like that. ]
I won't, either. I don't want to do that to you.
[ She might have, a couple of weeks ago, to someone else. Thankfully, Levi's helped her realize a few things about how flawed her way of thinking is. ]
If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here to listen, especially since I think there's a lot we don't know about each other, still. ... It'd be nice to learn as much about you as I can.
The air around Levi shifts. His kneejerk reaction is reluctance. He never wants to talk about this stuff, and he especially doesn't want to dump all his baggage on Kara. Still, he can't just not acknowledge her offer. It's coming from a good place, and she's right about how they still have a lot to learn about one another.
Though his eyes cloud over with something akin to brooding as he considers this, he's stroking his thumb against Kara's hand in the process.]
Maybe...not now. I don't wanna bring the mood down when you just got here.
[He pulls out of his temporary funk to smile at Kara's warm kiss.]
I'd like that a lot.
[Letting go of her hand for the time being, he shifts so he can lie back and prop himself up against the guest room bed's many pillows. Kara's welcome to join him however she likes.
Once they're situated, though, Levi murmurs:]
Thanks for being willing to listen once the time's right.
[ She joins him and lies down next to him, rolls onto her side so she's facing him. She gets in close, just wanting to be in his orbit more than anything else...and she nods when he thanks her. ]
Yeah, of course. I know you'll do the same for me, too.
[ Kara offers him a gentle smile in an attempt to lift his spirits a little. ]
You told me that you wanted me to be honest with you, through the good and bad, right? Then the same goes for you, too. Even if we, I don't know, get into a fight or something... I don't want to shut you out.
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He's falling madly in love with this girl.
He breathes out through his nose and lets out a gentle hum against Kara's lips. Eventually he pulls back, almost a little dazed.]
So much better IRL.
[He'll give this one to the normies.]
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What a wild thought, but it's one she won't discredit. Levi has only made her life better by being in it. ]
Yeah. Definitely.
[ She laughs softly. ]
I've had a lot of kisses, but yours are seriously the sweetest and the warmest. Nothing beats how you make me feel.
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R-Really?
[Knowing Kara has more experience with this sort of thing was intimidating to learn at first. He felt like he had hidden expectations to measure up to, and he's...had some rough experiences with meeting expectations.
Not only is he relieved to find out he apparently had nothing to worry about, but he's proud to have been able to give so much to Kara that she would rank him well above the rest. He feels like he really might be better than he gives himself credit for.
He's so happy to make Kara happy. She deserves it, more than he can properly say.]
Hopefully you never get tired of them, then, because I have so many more in me to give.
[He leans in for another as if to punctuate that claim.]
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She gladly leans in when he does and presses her lips to his, capturing him in a sweet, lingering kiss. The grip on his hand gets even tighter, a display of trust -- and then she pulls away, only slightly. ]
Good. I'm looking forward to every single one.
[ She plays with his hair with her free hand, and she ducks her head a little bashfully. It's still surreal that she's here with him, face-to-face. ]
Let's get more comfortable?
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"Let's get more comfortable?"
Levi's grip on her increases in surprise and he draws in a shaky breath. He tries not to look overly eager about the suggestion, but it's written all over his reddened face.]
Let's.
[He starts to guide her to the bed to settle down onto...but then a thought hits him and he laughs.]
W-Wait, I haven't even given you a tour of the place yet...
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[ WHOOPS. She had completely forgotten... ]
Heh, I guess I got a little too excited. If you'd like to do that, I wouldn't be opposed.
[ Sometimes your brain is just settled on cuddling your adorable boyfriend, okay. ]
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Levi's gaze drifts towards the door, but ultimately redirects to the bed.]
I mean...it's not like the house is going anywhere, right?
[Moments later, they're sitting on the bed.]
I don't think either of us are gonna be able to concentrate on any of that, anyway.
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[ She's grinning as she leans her head on Levi's shoulder.
Yeah. The real deal makes this super worth it. ]
Have you told anyone, yet? Like, about us dating, I mean. [ ... ] Man, it's been a while since I've been able to say that, too. Couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend, though.
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[He immediately realizes that makes it sound like he's not proud to announce his change in relationship status.]
Not that I don't want or plan to! I... I just...haven't figured out a way to do it yet. I've been practicing in the mirror, but...I don't know how they'll react, so I c-can't be completely prepared...
[It's his brothers. Why is he so worried about this??]
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[ Her hand moves to gently rub his back. She remembered he liked that last time. He seems so anxious... ]
You can take your time. I didn't think it was out of shame, don't worry.
[ She laughs, trying to be reassuring. ]
I mean, I consider myself to be incredibly lucky, so I have no reason to be ashamed, either!
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Same here. I told my brother Barrett it feels like I won the lottery after connecting with you at the dunk tank.
[A little anecdote to further affirm that he isn't ashamed at all.]
I do want to tell Lucas while you're here, though. I was thinking...maybe having you there with me would help. Just so he doesn't think I'm being delusional.
[...]
If I said I had an online girlfriend he would have dismissed it outright. I know him.
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[ She doesn't think of herself that highly, but it's nice to see him so happy with her.
As for that online girlfriend thing... ]
Heh, well, it's a good thing I'm actually here then, huh. Now I'm not just an online girlfriend. This is the real deal. I may have told Hani that I...
[ She blushes a bit, and glances at his jacket. ]
Well, I think my gift will say it all for me.
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[A bashful little chuckle. He really does believe that, though. Of course, he used an incomprehensible analogy about rolling SSRs first and still likes that better, but this works too.
He lifts his head when Kara mentions the gift.]
Your...? Oh! I'm so sorry, I totally forgot about it!
[He reaches into his pocket to retrieve the little package. He looks at her with an excited smile before going ahead and opening it.]
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[ And what Levi sees is a mixtape! It's a CD with a track list written on it in pink sharpie. There's also his name written on it at the top in purple.
Finally, there's a little signature at the bottom: A heart, and her name. ]
I... I'm kind of shy sometimes, so if you ever find yourself doubting how I feel, listen to this.
1/2
Kara, this is amazing! I love stuff like this. Thank you!!
[He starts to scan the track list.]
Heh, that's hard to imagine, though. You being shy, I mean.
[He studies the titles of the songs.]
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It's a lot of normie music that he's not familiar with, but it doesn't take much to conclude that this is a whole lot of love songs.
His smile softens as he holds the CD close to his chest.]
I'm gonna give it a listen later tonight.
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[ She can't help but bring her hand up to hide her face a little. She was so nervous about giving this to him, that hearing his approval makes her both relieved and excited for him to listen to it. ]
G-good! I was worried it'd be kind of lame... Do you know any of the songs on it?
And I'm kind of shy about this stuff, yeah. [ ... ] I'm not used to being so vulnerable.
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...but now that he's in a relationship and receiving one made for him, he wonders if he only thought that because he was single and bitter about it. After all, he was convinced he'd never get something like this.]
Mmm... [He reviews the tracks.] I recognize some of the artists, but not the songs. Oh, I do think I heard "Call Me Maybe" once or twice, since you couldn't escape that song when it was mega popular. I never paid much attention to the lyrics aside from the chorus, though, so I'm looking forward to listening in another light.
[He almost continues his TL;DR, but Kara mentions being vulnerable and he can't help but pump the brakes on his playlist review.]
...
Is that why one of the songs is called "Terrified"?
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[ She laughs a little bashfully, but at the mention of that particular song... ]
Yeah. I showed it to Hani, and they really liked it. I think they understood what I was trying to say about everything with it, so...
[ But that sounds kind of depressing, doesn't it? ]
Don't worry, though! It's a good song. It's not meant to be negative.
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I'll pay special attention to that one, then. I wanna hear what you have to say through the songs you picked.
[He carefully sets the CD down on a side table and reaches for Kara's hand to hold.]
Still, I think I do get it at a glance. We've both been through...a lot, so entering this territory is pretty scary.
I'm not gonna take advantage of that. Of you.
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I won't, either. I don't want to do that to you.
[ She might have, a couple of weeks ago, to someone else. Thankfully, Levi's helped her realize a few things about how flawed her way of thinking is. ]
If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here to listen, especially since I think there's a lot we don't know about each other, still. ... It'd be nice to learn as much about you as I can.
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The air around Levi shifts. His kneejerk reaction is reluctance. He never wants to talk about this stuff, and he especially doesn't want to dump all his baggage on Kara. Still, he can't just not acknowledge her offer. It's coming from a good place, and she's right about how they still have a lot to learn about one another.
Though his eyes cloud over with something akin to brooding as he considers this, he's stroking his thumb against Kara's hand in the process.]
Maybe...not now. I don't wanna bring the mood down when you just got here.
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Fair enough. We can talk about it some other time.
[ She leans in and up to plant her lips on his cheek. ]
Should we lay down?
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I'd like that a lot.
[Letting go of her hand for the time being, he shifts so he can lie back and prop himself up against the guest room bed's many pillows. Kara's welcome to join him however she likes.
Once they're situated, though, Levi murmurs:]
Thanks for being willing to listen once the time's right.
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Yeah, of course. I know you'll do the same for me, too.
[ Kara offers him a gentle smile in an attempt to lift his spirits a little. ]
You told me that you wanted me to be honest with you, through the good and bad, right? Then the same goes for you, too. Even if we, I don't know, get into a fight or something... I don't want to shut you out.
[ Like she has with so many people in the past. ]
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