Return to sender

One step closer

In the end you'd done as requested, spoken until sleep took hold. You kept the laptop on, staring at Levi's slumbering image and the small smile that was still on his lips, peace embodied and you sighed, content that you'd been able to offer companionship from so far away, received it too. Batteries would run out eventually, screens turning to black before morning but for now, you basked in the picture before you. Over twelve hours had been spent together, quality time indeed and any thoughts on how bizarre this may seem had no place in your mind - if this was happiness, then bring it on.

~~~~~~

By morning you'd been faced with a blank computer of course, no idea when you'd fallen asleep, however you knew there had probably been at least ninety minutes life remaining the last time you were aware of consciousness, lids dropping to the sounds of measured male breaths until you'd drifted away into bliss.

Scooping cereal into your mouth, you rubbed at the milk dripping down your chin and glanced at the time. Half eight, a respectable hour and it left you with plenty of the day to actually get some much needed housework done. As you crunched through your breakfast, an alert on your phone broke the quiet and you opened the message.

'How long did you lie there watching me (F/N)?'

'Not sure. Sorry if it was a bit weird. How did you know?'

'I woke up and there you were, sound asleep with your hand on the keyboard.' Oh yea. You'd forgotten about that, a childish stroke to the screen given by way of saying good night which inadvertently seemed to have turned into a hug with an electronic device. 'So you could say we slept together on our first date?' Keeping liquid in your mouth somehow, you swallowed quickly and laughed, head shaken as a reply was formed.

'You could say that, yes. Who knows what might happen on our second.' You were sure this was going to continue, the constant contact via a variety of different means all adding up to a swiftly solidifying connection and therefore you had no trouble suggesting that this would occur again.

'I'd imagine marriage would be appropriate.'

'Makes sense Levi, such is the society we live in.' Sudden images crossed your mind of wheeling a laptop on a stick down the aisle, virtual wedding in play and you started to giggle, wishing there was a way to convey that picture sufficiently to him. You needn't have worried.

'I wonder if anyone ever got fucking married over Skype before. We could sell the rights.' Levi smirked as he could see the ridiculous ceremony, dark pyjamas still on as he planned to be indoors all day, rain forbidding much else.

'They must have. People marry buildings.'

You left that one hanging and stacked the dishwasher, cleaning products lined up in order of use as you hummed, totally at ease with talking about weddings even if it was in jest; others would have freaked out at the very notion. Black clouds were marching in on the horizon, apartment dull and shadowy so you flicked the lights on, added some much needed illumination and allowing your weekly scrubbing session to be visible. There had been no more messages from Levi's side as you worked at the sink, scourer doing it's job as fizzy kitchen spray was rubbed in circles, your arm getting quite the workout. Maybe he had his own stuff to do, you mused, of course he did - the man wouldn't just sit there and be at your beck and call at all times.

Levi wasn't having an internal struggle really, just wanted to give you a break and stop pestering you for five minutes. He paced the upper floor of his home, moving sheets and stripping the mattress down, getting on with things he really ought to have done yesterday but there hadn't been time.

"I can't fucking call her already. Don't be so damn stupid." Mumbling to himself, he secured pillow cases and fluffed the cushions up, far too many for one bed but it gave him a sense of comfort, almost like someone else was there. Loneliness in such a tiny community was common, everyone either married already or not suitable due to compatibility. "Or because you're too bloody grumpy all the time." Self-chastising without much energy, the covers were smoothed down perfectly and the stack of soft items got piled up to almost mountainous proportions that would surely smother him one day.