Chapter Text
Despite the duvet curled around your shoulders, you wake up feeling cold. The sheets are frigid against your bare legs and you blindly feel around next to you for the warmth of Levi.
Only to realize that you’re alone in bed. No wonder you’re freezing. With a huff, you crack your eyes open and rub sleep from your eyes. The bleary darkness of the late night settles around you, wrapping you in it’s frigid arms.
It’s the week before what is bound to be an incredibly draining finals week. While you prefer to study during the day and sleep early, Levi hardly ever sleeps. In fact, he enjoys studying at night. Way after you’ve gone to bed. At first, you had tried to stay up with him, to give him company. But your eyes would always close of their own volition, hours before him. And he’d gently scold you to go to bed.
You know he’s been stressed the last few days. Well, really, the whole semester. His master's program in computer science was a lot more rigorous this semester than it was last year. He takes it in stride, hardly ever complaining but you’ve witnessed him breaking down a few times. In his own way. Not outright, but subtly. In the way he wouldn’t let himself sleep, the way he would hardly indulge with you.
Levi wasn’t taking care of himself and so you push yourself off the bed, tugging a hoodie over your head and walking out of the room as if you were on a mission. In the darkness of his apartment, you bump into the walls several times with a low groan.
You find him out on his small balcony, with a cigarette lit between his lips. Levi turns his tired eyes to you, lighting up in acknowledgment and opens the balcony door for you to join him.
“Baby,” You murmur, “It’s cold outside. And you’re standing here shirtless. What will the neighbors think?”
“Our neighbors aren’t awake at 2:58 AM,” Levi scoffs. You wrap an arm around his hips, leaning your head on his shoulder and press a kiss to his neck.
“You shouldn’t be either,” You mutter and pull his cigarette from his fingers, taking a drag for yourself.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Levi mumbles, nosing at your neck.
“I know, baby,” You reply softly, cupping his cheek. You shift in his arms, standing in front of him, over the railing of his balcony. You tilt your head up to the darkened sky and look at the nearly full moon curiously. Levi’s always had a beautiful view of the city skyline from his apartment. It’s part of the reason why you prefer to stay at his apartment rather than yours lately.
Levi’s strong arms wrap around your waist and he pulls you into his chest. Despite the chill of the night air, he keeps you warm and toasty. The softness of his lips passes over the column of your neck as he inhales you in deeply and he follows your gaze over the sky.
“Would you tell me that my eyes are prettier than the stars,” You murmur with a laugh.
“Shut up,” Levi rolls his eyes, “What do I look like? Romeo?”
“You’re my Romeo,” You grin, squirming when he pinches your waist teasingly.
“I’d tell you,” Levi mumbles, turning you around so he can see your sleepy, pretty eyes, “You’re my stars-” he kisses your forehead, “My moon-” a kiss to your chin, “My angel-” a kiss to your lips.
Your cheeks are heated when you meet his eyes. “I was wrong. You’re worse than Romeo.” You toss the cigarette in the ashtray and you surge forward for a real kiss, one that steals his breath away the minute you deepen it.
“Let’s go to bed, baby,” You whisper, “You’re cold…” You drag the pads of your fingers over his bare chest, his shoulders and finally into his hair. You scratch his undercut lightly, grinning when he lets out a low groan.
Levi holds you a little longer in his arms, dropping kisses to your cheeks, your neck, and finally your chapped lips. You hum when he scoops you up in his arms to carry you inside, locking the balcony door behind him.
“You are a real Romeo,” You tease, cupping his cheeks and ignoring his soft glare at you.
“Shut up, or I’ll drop you,” He threatens, no heat in his voice. Except, he does drop you on to the bed before climbing over you and pulling you under the duvet with him.
“Sleep, baby. Tomorrow’s a new day,” You mumble when he lays with his head on your chest. You rub his back, in between his tense shoulders as your nails also skate through his hair and wait for his breaths to even out.
With a kiss to his forehead, you let yourself sleep, too.