Love Never Quits

The Morning After

The sun rose at 6:30, thin rays of light shining through the curtains into the room in which Levi and Petra were calmly sleeping. The light hit Levi's eyes and his eyes blinked open, but squinted at the blinding light. He was going to move his right arm to shield his eyes, but found it stuck under something. Or rather someone.

Now, he didn't know what love was, really. After his dealings with Becky, love seemed fake. Unreal. But as each day goes by, he realizes that love isn't a thing, and it isn't even a feeling like most think. Love can only be defined as a person for him. And that person was sleeping soundly on his arm.

Levi hated metaphors, he really did. But she was a metaphor for the light, the love, in his life. And even just this moment was a metaphor. The light was shining on him, and she was refusing to let him go into the dark, no matter how comforting it was for him.

Petra was what he was looking for after his life went down the drain. She didn't immediately give him what he asked for. She didn't hand everything to him. She gave him what he needed, even if he didn't ask for it. And she made him work for everything. He had seen improvement in himself. And not just on his body, he had seen it in his behavior. In how he acted.

It was weeks that had passed at this point, and he didn't know what to think. What happens when he gets back on his feet? What happens when he becomes completely able to do as he pleases and she can't be his crutch? He can't fall back on her when times get too hard? When he gets a new house, and when he gets a job, and when he's back in shape, does she have to stay behind? Can't she come with him?

But there was only one way he could guarantee that she would be by his side for the rest of his life. Sure, they could stay friends and hang out for dinner with their friend group every once in a while, but he didn't want that. He wanted to live with her. To grow with her. To truly be with her. He wanted her to be the main focal point in his life.

But Levi did, in fact, know what love was. He knew that love was right here on his arm. He knew that love for him was defined by a person. He knew he was in love with her. He was in love with Petra. But what he doesn't know is how love works when you're the only one who seems to be in love.

He sat there for what seemed to be hours, just watching her. Watching her mouth hang slightly open as she slept. Watching the rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took. Watching her snuggled closer to him, most likely for warmth.

He sat by her until her eyes fluttered open and she sat up yawning. At this point, Levi couldn't feel his arm, but it was well worth it. Seeing her hair disheveled, seeing her sleepy eyes, seeing her wrinkled clothes and smeared mascara. She looked like a mess, but she was still the most beautiful woman he has ever had the honor of laying his eyes upon.

"Levi?" She asked with a small yawn, waking from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes to adjust them to just waking up. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Petra's half-asleep voice was music to Levi's ears.

What was he supposed to say? 'I was staring at your beautiful face?' Not a chance. "You look like a raccoon." Levi blurted, regretting it instantly. He should have gone with the smooth one, but now he just looks like even more of an asshole than he already was. 

"A... Raccoon?" Petra blinked, then raised a brow and punched Levi in the bicep. "You're a jerk, you know?" She laughed and stood up, grabbing the boxes from their late Chinese food dinner, leaving the room to take care of the trash. 

Levi mentally slapped himself for his stupidity. He felt a buzz in his pocket and grabbed his phone from it. It was barely alive. He had received a text from Hanji. "Great..." 

"Wanna do breakfast?"

"Hey, uh, you got the text too?" Petra popped into the room, jumping over the back of the couch to show Levi the message she had gotten as well. "That didn't go over so well last time." 

He ran a hand through his hair, "I'm not going."

"Maybe we should retry?" Petra suggested.

Levi blinked at her. Was she serious? 

And as they pulled into the nearest Denny's not to long later, he realized, she was serious.

~~~

pLEASE READ "Does This Count as a Love Story?" BOTH VERSIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO READ NOW. ONE FROM ARABELLA'S POV AND THE OTHER FROM JESSAMINE'S PLEASE READ IT ON MY ACCOUNT AND THEN ARABELLA'S POV ON kyleisagaybean's ACCOUNT!!1