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.・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.
Levi had been forced out of the house by Rick. He said that he needed to get some fresh air. After a long argument, the boy reluctantly left Stella's side to join Tara, Glenn, and Noah in exploring the new community which Levi saw as a good opportunity to scope out anything that he found even slightly suspicious.
Levi walked a step behind Tara and Noah, his hands fidgeting like they weren't used to being empty. His eyes moved constantly, cataloguing every stranger's face, every house with its freshly painted siding, every neat little garden.
"You know," Tara said, glancing over her shoulder at him, "you look like a dad on prom night. About to hunt down whoever your daughter went out with."
Levi blinked, pulled out of his thoughts. "What?"
"You've got the face," she said, deadpan. "The whole 'I'm pretending to be fine but I'm two seconds from loading a shotgun. Very intimidating."
Noah chuckled, shaking his head. "She's right, man." He placed a hand on Levi's shoulder. "You need to relax. Stella will be fine. She's not alone, Levi. And you burning yourself out doesn't do her any good."
Tara snorted softly. "Exactly. Besides, if something happens, you'll be the first to know. You've got that sixth sense thing going on, the whole 'true love radar.'"
Levi cracked a small laugh at that, shaking his head. "Radar, huh?"
"Yeah," Tara said, smirking. "If she so much as sneezes, you'll feel it." She put on a flat, robotic voice. "Alert. Stella has sneezed. Must return immediately."
Levi surprised himself with a laugh, small but real. The sound loosened the tightness around his chest.
"See?" Noah said, grinning. "That's better. That's you. And she's gonna need that guy when she wakes up."
Levi glanced between the two of them, grateful despite himself. "Thank you, guys. Really."
Tara smirked at him and patted his back. "Don't get sentimental now. That's just awkward."
Noah and Levi exchanged a grin at the girl's comment just as they turned the corner. Ahead of them came Nicolas and Aiden. Aiden's smile came first, slick and too sure of itself. He lifted a finger as he counted them off. "Glenn, Tara, Noah, and...." He paused on Levi, feigning forgetfulness. "Sorry, man what's your name again?"
"Levi." His jaw tightened. He gave his name like a blade, sharp and clipped, then let his eyes sweep over Aiden to examine his appearance. Clean clothes. Clean shave. Not a scar in sight. Only the faintest scrape on his knuckles, more accident than battle.
"Levi, that's right." Aiden smiled. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm Aiden. You met Nicolas when you arrived, right?"
"You're Deanna's son?" Glenn asked, his voice calm but his posture stiff, measuring.
