Long Time, No See - Levi x Reader (Modern!AU)

20 - Back Where We Belong

"She sounds like a bitch," Levi muttered.

"She's not that bad," I said through a laugh. "It was just... she wants me to do well. And I didn't, so she expects me to fix it."

"Not everyone is going to be a star student," he countered. "She should know that if she's a professor."

"She does know that," I assured him. "She's really not that bad, Levi. I just kinda made her seem worse than she is with the way I explained it, that's all."

He didn't reply after that. Not for a few minutes, anyway. I let my eyes travel upwards, towards the stars once more. I willed my brain to remember what Levi told me about the stars so far, the Summer Triangle. What were their names again? Alistair. No, Altair. Of... the constellation of Allegra? No, that's a medicine. Ale...jandro? No, that wasn't right either.

Shit, maybe I should've just written them down, because I'm sure he wouldn't want to explain it a third time.

"Tomorrow I'll stay after with you," he finally offered, breaking through the silence. "If you want."

"No, I... You don't have to do that."

"I'm going to walk you home anyway," he insisted. "You'd get lost otherwise."

"Sure, sure," I responded quietly, too tired to argue further. 

I knew all too well that this was just his way of diverting, of trying to convince me that he wasn't doing it because he wanted to, but because he had to. But we both knew that was bullshit, and I smiled. Hell would freeze over before he would admit it to anyone, let alone anyone other than himself.

When Levi had run out of things to talk about as far as his knowledge of the cosmos went several minutes ago, he asked if I was ready to talk yet. And I had been, so I had talked, finally opening up about how shitty of a day I had been through.

And not only talking about, but in firstly acknowledging my feelings, had all but exhausted me. But at the same time, it was as though a physical weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and so I felt a lot better on that front. I felt freer, a bit lighter, and a whole lot better.

At some point as I'd talked about how dreadful of a day I had had, I'd leaned over, gently letting my head come to rest against his shoulder. And if he had any complaints about it, he didn't voice them.

Instead, he'd allowed me to physically lean against him (as I already had been, metaphorically, in talking to him about my feelings) and take in the quiet comfort of just having someone there with me that would listen.

"Maybe you could... come over for a bit," I offered quietly. "Tomorrow, I mean. Not now, in the middle of the night."

"Maybe," he echoed. "I'm sure I can. If you want me to."

"I do," I said. "I feel bad making you study with me all weekend for nothing, so..."

"So you're making it up to me by making me spend more time with you?"

"Oh, shut up," I laughed. "If you don't want to, just say that."

"I'll come over," he said. A chilled burst of wind blew through, rustling through the leaves and bringing with it the fresh scents of autumn. Instinctually, I leaned closer to Levi, ducking my face towards his shoulder and wrapping my arms around his forearm.

I didn't even realize I'd done it until I'd done it. And I didn't realize it was so quiet because he'd already spoken and he was waiting for me to speak or move or something.

"Though, asking my parents might be a hassle," I mentioned, decidedly ignoring it. If he wasn't going to mention it, neither would I. And besides... it was comfortable, and he was warm. "Since they're not too happy with me right now. And especially if they catch me sneaking back in."