I Have An Objection! [ Levi x OC ] [ Moderate Editing ]

Ch. 16: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

In all honesty, there were multiple perks to finally moving in with Levi. This included the fact that the dishes never over-amassed in the sink, fresh laundry was always abundant (since Levi stressed the fact that the purpose of dirty laundry was to wash it), and the guilty feeling of sleeping with Marco passed now that I had Levi to spoon with in the quietude of his apartment bedroom.

However, the largest upside to our living arrangement fell into the category of Levi's morning routine. Levi, who was one surprise after another, was an avid yoga student, and I had the pleasure of walking in on him bending over each forenoon at seven, calves, thighs and rear defined from a pair of dark leggings.

I was tempted, multiple times, to saunter up behind him and palm his backside, aching to touch the firm, sculpted muscle. Much to my disappointment, Levi would soon realize my gawking, the only indication being my widened eyes and fingers tightly gripping a coffee mug.

With a tender sigh, Levi would finish whatever pose he was in the middle of, then confront my semi-aroused figure and gently place his hands on either side of my neck. "Finish getting ready," he would scold, proceeding to press a soft kiss to my lips, his thumbs stroking my jawline at a teasing pace.

Again, my instincts would prompt me to place my hands on him, a desire to feel every inch of skin underneath his muted tank-top coursing through my nerves. It was a throbbing sensation, and it only knotted more when Levi would pull back, growling, "If you're patient, I'll give you a treat later, because now isn't the time to fool around."

I had always complied, my sole motivation being Levi's positive reward system. Whenever I agreed to his conditions, I was recompensed for my actions. However, if anything negative were to happen, Levi refrained from expressing anger about the subject. Instead, he normally pinched the bridge of his nose or muttered to himself the strain wasn't worth it.

One peculiar morning, however, the routine went unwitnessed, since Levi had to rush off to a major case straight after breakfast. While I washed the dishes, he scurried off down the hall, only to race back a few minutes later and quickly proffer me a chaste kiss. "Remember to lock up when you leave," Levi reminded, "and don't forget, I'll be back at the firm tonight, so don't come home without me."

"I got it, I got it," I said, placing a semi-damp plate onto a metal rack. Flickering my olive hues to him, I noticed the fretting grasp on his satchel and wary glimmer in his cobalt eyes. "Oh, and good luck today. I'm sure you'll do amazing."

Levi perked his whole body up at my reassuring words, then let it relax naturally. "This is why I love you," he cooed, lightly pinching my cheek and smooching the said area affectionately. With a smile, Levi uttered a sweet goodbye and dashed for the front door, the wooden object slamming shut behind him once he exited.

"So rambunctious lately," I pondered aloud, finishing up with the dishes from breakfast. "I'm starting to wonder what has him so wound up when we're together . . . "

Trailing off, I shrugged aside the insignificant thought and continued with completing the daily routine of workday preparations. Although less excitable with Levi absent, the silence allowed me to occupy my time with dressing myself, styling my hair and primping without haste, or barked at for wasting time.

Even if Levi and I have had our arguments here and there about the difference between the time it takes for a man to get ready versus a woman, we normally ended with a compromise and curt apologies to one another. Levi, being the laid-back and stoic man he was, despised instigating fights altogether, and I never tolerated violence, be it verbal or physical in the slightest, so it worked out perfectly for the two of us.

Maybe it stemmed from the fact that we both had invested so much in the other, that it was hard not to be furious with our clumsy mistakes, or surprising mishaps (much like the time I came very close to shattering one of the decorative, mosaic vases in the living room while dusting). Whatever the case was, we loved each other no matter the circumstance that attempted to blockade our advances, whether they were short hurdles or major obstacles.