Cars and Calories {Brandon}

Brandon leaned into Levi's tender gesture, smiling back at him. He was gentle and kind, but also hungry and forceful at the same time. It was no good. Before he could utter a single word, even make up his mind if he wanted to go any further or not, Levi was all over him again, firmly trapped between the sink, and Levi's rock hard body. Just the way Brandon liked it. Common sense and reasoning went out the window, replaced by passion and desire. Flesh against flesh. Lips locked. Brandon's heart was hammering out of his chest like a beating drum.

He released all his inhibitions, and let Levi take control, stirring him to a clearing on the counter top, before lifting the man up on top of it. Brandon's hand trace Levi's jaw, once again feeling the smoothness of a freshly shaved face. Even after hours of wear, Brandon could still smell of aftershave musk on him. It was intoxicating. He had a kid like glee on his face, evident by his grin as Levi found the nook between Brandon's thighs. He wasn't making it easy for Levi to kiss him again as he squeeze his thighs together; but like Levi told him earlier, Levi gets what he wants.

But Brandon too wanted something. His hands worked more than his lips, as he reach down at the base of his black shirt, pulling up and over his head. Now shirtless, Brandon was able to explore Levi's body more thoroughly. First, it was Levi's biceps which ripple like waves under his touch. His hands glided over the smooth, hairless body as if his fingers were skating on ice. Brandon had the power to turn Levi into stone because every muscle he touched turn hard.

It wasn't only Levi, who lost articles of clothing in this long, entangled embrace but Brandon as well. It was first his shoes, which Levi tugged at their strings, until they were loose enough to make them clatter to the floor.  After Brandon gave the go ahead for shirts to be optional, Levi tore open Brandon's business coat. Several more small clatters, as buttons went in every directions, but neither Levi nor Brandon cared, as that too was thrown into the abyss.

But before his undershirt could be viciously torn from Brandon's flesh, Levi stopped and pulled away ever so slightly. He was still close enough to send goosebumps down Brandon's neck, but their lips were not interlocked with his anymore. The same hesitation resurface once more as Levi pose his question. What did Brandon want, he did not even know. Levi already knew what he wanted, tempting Brandon to make that same choice. Brandon's thighs clinch together in excitement as Levi found a trail he preferred. A low moan escape Brandon's mouth as Levi's lips brushed up against his Adam's apple. Even though Levi was making a strong argument, Brandon still had his doubts.

"I want...I want..." you. But he never got to finish it, because all of a sudden he got light headed, dizzy as if he felt the whole world spinning on its axis. "...Get down." Levi just looked at him quizzically, not understanding what Brandon wanted. "Get down!" He said for a second time, throwing his whole wait onto Levi's shoulders until until he buckled, taking both of them to the floor. Right at that moment an load explosion happen just outside the door than another large crash as the metal door and it's frame crashed against the bookshelves on the opposite wall.

"SALLY!!!" A man's booming voice spoke, with a thick Russian accent. "Where's my money you, bitch." He approach slowly into the apartment kicking over whatever was closest to him. In the kitchen, Brandon was on top of Levi. Instead of getting off of him, Brandon poked his head over the center island to get a good look at the intruder. "There you are!" The moment he stuck his head out, the ублюдок (bastard) discharged something from his right hand directly at Brandon's head.

Brandon’s voice was breathy and warm on Levi's skin as he tried to force out the words in answer to Levi's prodding question. Levi chuckled at the moan that escaped the other man's lips as he struggled to make up his mind on how he wanted the night to progress. The sound not only amused him but made his desire spike, wanting to elicit more of those delicious sounds from Brandon.

“Oh? You do know what you want, don't you?” Levi liked the thought of what he imagined Brandon wanted and was eager to obey. He gave him another wicked grin before he started to move to his knees. When Brandon reiterated his command, though, Levi finally noticed the tone of his voice was no longer inviting but...scared?

“Wha-” Levi had only time to mumble before he was pushed to the floor, Brandon crashing down on top of him. The skin of their unclothed chests stuck to each other, pleasant even in the confusion of Levi's mind. It took little time for him to change from confusion to clarity, though, as he heard a man's thunderous voice ring through the apartment, calling out for Sally, of all people. Levi groaned, slammed his hand onto the floor and cursed. What had Sally gotten herself into? His attention was wrenched back to Brandon, who was starting to move above him.

“No, don't-”

Brandon was pushing himself up, stupidly about to expose himself to whoever was waiting in the doorway. Levi's body reacted fast as a lightening strike, jumping to his feet and roughly shoving Brandon back down onto the hard wood floor. He could not care in that moment whether he had hurt the other man, for whatever injuries he sustained from Levi's rough treatment would be much less severe than what could have happened. Now Levi was in Brandon's place, watching as a blast of crackling energy was pulsing towards him at incredible speed. Whatever spark that went off in his brain was enough to make him dodge to the right, barely avoiding getting hit full in the face.

Levi gave Brandon a side glance, the fire in his eyes urging him to stay right there and don't move. He took a quick step out from behind the island, moving lightly on the balls of his feet towards the large man intruding on his evening.

“What the fuck do you want with Sally?” He growled, menacing and deadly. Sweat beaded on his skin, rolling down his neck and back as everything around him gained in definition, making him aware of every movement and urging his body to react to the slightest provocation. The Russian merely grunted and held his hand out again, seeing that his target was not there. Levi wasn't about to let the man ignore his question; if Sally had been stupid enough to get herself into trouble he needed to know what he could do to fix it. He couldn't let his little sister get hurt. His eyes caught sight of the beginning of another beam of energy forming in the man's palm and he effortlessly lowered to the floor and rolled out of the way, his body moving fluidly. He was back on his feet before the man even had time to notice he had missed. “Don't you fucking ignore me you jack ass. What do you want with my sister?”  

Levi had gotten cocky, not realized the man could use both hands to fire his energy from. He didn't have time to move away, not even his mutated genes could react fast enough to the explosion so close to him. He felt the blast tear through him, alighting all the nerves in his body with the shock of a thousand volts coursing through him. He felt the energy pulse, causing every muscle in his body to tighten to uncomfortable stiffness before going limp. The impact of the beam lifted him from his spot near the intruder and flung him through the air the same way the metal door was flown, until he slammed into the wall across the warehouse, broken bookcase and torn and smoldering pages doing little to break his fall. The crash caused his vision to blur in front of him and Levi had to shake his head to clear the blackness edging in. He looked down, hand going straight to the spot where the blast had hit him just below the ribs. A large circle of skin was completely gone, melted away by the heat of the energy that had discharged into his body. Where the skin used to be was exposed flesh, red and angry and inflamed beyond recognition. The muscles and tissues that were meant to be protected were laid out to the air that burned as it touched, forcing Levi to mash his teeth together in a grimace. Around the edges of the wound  the remaining skin was charred and curled, nearly smoking with the heat. This was bad. Blisters formed instantly, and Levi was pretty sure that tingling sensation he felt inside was not a good thing; the organs in his body shouldn't be struggling to function so much that he could feel them, right? That wasn't good. Definitely not good.

“Ungh...” Levi groaned, slumped against the wall and fighting to remain conscious through the pain. Was he healing? He couldn't tell through the agony that was clouding his mind. He blinked rapidly, attempted to stand, only to slide back onto the floor as he legs gave out beneath him. His determination wasn't as strong as his injury, and even though he could see the man he wanted to destroy he couldn't get to him. A jolt of worry crossed his already pain flushed face as he turned his head to look for Brandon, who was no where in sight. This was all his fault; he shouldn’t have let the other man into his home, or into his life. This was just the reason he kept his distance. His jumbled mind couldn't focus on those thoughts anymore, though, as the thick blackness was making its final attempt to claim Levi. Just as it enveloped all of his vision, Levi felt the familiar warm sensation of his healing factor kicking in, felt the skin around his wound begin to expand and form a new layer, to stitch itself closed. He had enough coherence left to think about fucking time before he passed out.

Everything happen all at once. The moment Brandon peaked his head over the island, the room was ablaze with a white, hot golden aura. It ark, like lightning, towards Brandon at blinding speeds, but Levi was quicker. His natural, god given talents took over, as if it was just an after thought that Brandon was in danger. He grabbed Brandon by the collar of his shirt and manhandle him back to the floor, back away from danger. Levi wasn't playing games as he slammed Brandon into hard wood floors, the roles now reverse. Levi sat on top of him, pinning his shoulders to the floor. Just moments before the beam of light missed Levi by mire inches. Even Brandon felt the back of his neck hair prickling up, just by being near it. At that moment words did not need to be spoken, only a look was needed for Brandon to understand Levi's intention: 'Stay here. Stay out of sight.'

With the intent clearly illustrated, Levi confronted the intruder head on. Brandon thought that was a ballsy move on Levi's part, but it gave him time to think. One thing Brandon had to learn fairly quickly on once becoming a mutant, and having to deal with numerous mutants in both his prior line of work and his social work, without having an active power himself, was analyzing the situation and coming up with a plan to subdue the threat. He was fairly good at it too.

Once again, he did not take Levi's orders to heart as he too got up off the floor. The Russian looked like he came straight out of the Rocky movies, blonde crew cut and a scar over his left eye. Levi's muscular body had nothing on this man's body. His muscles had muscles tucked away in camouflage slacks and shirt. He was menacing to say the least, and that cold, dead chuckle he gave sent a wave of shivers down Brandon spine.


The man's appearance was not a factor at the moment, what was, was the man's mutant power. He only saw the power used twice. The first was the door of its hinges. A chard black spot and a large dent where the only signs left, where Brandon presume had hit the door. It did not give him much information to work with, so he moved. As Levi confronted the Russian soldier, Brandon was hastily trying to formulate a plan under extreme circumstances: He had no sleep, his cognition and vision were impaired and Levi and the Russian was feeding off his energy. He was at a disadvantage and time wasn't on his side. He had to act quickly.

Think...Think...

He repeated to himself seeing the same damage the second attack hit. It chard and mangled the stainless steel pot and the granite counter top it was sitting on. Multitude of powers came to him that could cause such damage, but he ran with one, the best plausible power. The mutant used energy in the form of light. What did Brandon know about light? His mind was drawing blanks especially with all the surrounding confusion going on.

Another dizzy spell washed over Brandon, making it hard to stand, but it was a cue. Out of instinct Brandon spun around in an instant, seeing Levi thrown across the room. "Noooo," Brandon screamed, seeing him buried under a mound of rubble. 'Please don't be dead. Please don't!' He pleaded to anyone who would listen. He would have ran to Levi's side but the Russian now was in between them, blocking Levi from view,  chuckling all the more wickedly. "Now it is your turn, scared little lassie," the Russian said, as if the only English he knew was from cowboy movies.

"Why did you come here?" Brandon asked trying to bid more time as he backed away. The man did not answer him, but nor did he attack. Why? Was he waiting for Brandon to make the first move. All he did was match Brandon's strides. As Brandon moved back, he moved forward.

Shortness of breath, blurred visions, weakness in his limbs, they were all signs that Brandon was at the end of the line. Than it dawned on him; each arm needed time to recharge. He was waiting, making Brandon weaker and himself stronger. As he stepped next to the stainless steel fridge, keeping weary eyes on the Russian, who was now passed the island and direct line of sight with Brandon, Brandon notice a third, smaller black chard etching in the wall behind the man. How could that be? The only thing he remembered about light was that it traveled linear...unless...unless...

"Time to die," was the man's final last words. He lifted both hands up and point them leveled with Brandon's chest. His hands started to glow amber gold color.

...unless it was reflected. Light reflects off of any clear surface. The pot! It was stainless steel. Before he could talk himself out of a ludicrous plan of his, which frankly he had no other option, he thrust open the fridge door and took cover behind it just as once again the whole warehouse was illuminated under the scrutiny of the mutant's power. Then everything around him went pitch black. His eyes readjusting from the light. His vision was blurred, but clear enough to see. The refrigerator door was pretty much incinerated, taking the force of two beams instead of one. The mutant on the other hand, looked fairly fine but unconscious. Brandon did not have the energy to speculate on the reason why, nor cared as he clumsily stumbled  to Levi's side.

He collapse beside Levi, willing all his last ounces of reserved energy to stay conscious for him, even though his energy was fading exponentially fast. He heaved away the books that buried him and a shelf or two, before he could see the extent of the damage. It looked like Levi was breathing, which was a good sign, but There was blood everywhere, and the smell of burnt flesh choked the air. Brandon was sure that Levi would have a large gaping wound. It was worse than Brandon could imagine, it was raw, pink and fleshy with black chard around the edges of the damage skin, but no hole. Where was the blood coming from?

If he took a closer look, he would have notice the skin stitching itself back together on its own, but he didn't. It took all he strength and will himself to peel  his undershirt, which was cake in dust and his own sweat, to apply pressure to the gaping wound. It got snag only once by his amethyst and platinum ring he wore around his neck. "You will be okay," he muttered repeatedly to both Levi and himself, to reassure himself that he could do this.

Commotion from behind drew him to peel his eyes off Levi and onto the now conscious but dazed mutant intruder. He was blue in the face and held his chest, as he stumbled through the whole in the wall, which used to held the door, but other than that fine. Brandon had no more energy than he did to stop him from leaving and his main priority was Levi.

"You will be fine," he said weakly pulling out his cellphone to call for help. He dialed 9-1-1, but before he could hit send a hand reached out and pushed the phone away. It was Levi. He was awake, weak and weary but awake. "You're alright?" Brandon asked, pulling away his under shirt to see his skin, pale, pink and flawless. "How...what?" His mind was reeling. Complete sentences eluded him. Nothing seemed real anymore as he succumbed to his own faint of unconsciousness.

Levi was slowly aware that he was awake, could feel the hard floor beneath him and presence of someone close by. His eyes opened with the delicacy of a child as he struggled to focus. The room around him was a mess, and it was only then that he recalled what had just happened. He snapped up to his feet, quick and quiet, and moved over to Brandon, who had a phone in his hand and was looking nearly panicked. Whoever he was calling was not a welcome guest in Levi's mind, and so he slapped the phone from his hand. Brandon turned to face him and he saw his eyes dilate in shock, glancing down to his exposed abdomen. He muttered something Levi didn't catch before slumping forward, eyes rolling back and finally shutting. Levi reacted instantly, reaching his arms out to catch Brandon before he hit the floor. Together they slumped back into a sitting position, and Levi set Brandon down gently.  

“Brandon?” He voiced, checking to see if the man was breathing before standing back up and again surveying the damage caused in the fight. Levi knew that he needed to get out of here before more attackers showed up, knew that this was no longer a safe place to be. He hastily gathered up everything that could link him to the apartment and threw it into a backpack, racing around the room as quickly as he could. The scattered i.d bands, fake i.ds, pictures, notes, and maps he used regularly were shoved inside the pockets of the bag along with a few changes of clothes. He didn't have much hope of returning to the warehouse to collect any of the other things laying around. When he was done he knelt by Brandon's unconscious form and thought for a moment about where he could take the man and be safe for the night. The idea dawned on him suddenly, though it would have been obvious sooner if Levi wasn't so scatter brained. His lips turned up in a smirk as he reached his hand into the front pocket of Brandon's jeans, feeling for his wallet. A slight shiver ran down his spine as his hand brushed over the other mans crotch through the fabric before grabbing hold of the wallet and removing his hand. Brandon's license was safely inside and Levi was relieved to find his current address printed across it. Pocketing the wallet, he took hold of Brandon's middle and slung him over his shoulder, carrying him fire-man style out of the building.

Outside the night was quiet, the empty street lit only by the intermittent working street lamps. The air had cooled during the last few hours, yet it was still a warm thickness on Levi's skin, causing him to miss the cold New York nights spent wandering the city streets. He looked all around him, searching for a sign of the intruder or any other lackeys that might be laying in wait, yet the coast seemed clear. He thanked his good luck, as he wasn't certain he had the energy to defend himself and Brandon against another attack, especially not by the big Russian mutant. Reaching Brandon's car, Levi wrenched the back door open and slid the other man's unconscious body into the seat, none too gently. Brandon would more than likely wake up with a few new bruises after Levi's treatment.

He slammed the door, the sound loud in the abandoned street, and climbed into the driver's seat. Luckily his handiwork earlier in the day was still functional and he was able to once again get the car started without the keys. It purred into life, a sound that made Levi smirk in the knowledge that he had been right to fix the engine up that day, otherwise his escape from the warehouse would have been that much more difficult.

As he drove he felt a vibration in his front pocket and took his hand off the wheel to retrieve his phone. The bright LED screen flashed into his eyes, making him wince and squint to read the small text. It only took him a second to see who it was from, and of course it was Sally. Her texts came one after the other, as if her thoughts were never completed in time when she hit the send button. Levi made an angry noise in the back off his throat as he continued to read what she had to say, her nonchalant nature grating on his nerves.

"I may have 'accidentally' sent a friend to the wrong safe house. Have fun!!!” -"I would astral project to explain but I am holding up a thief at gun point. He stole jewels from a house I was casing." -"He is kind of cute. Should I go for it?"  Here she sent a picture message: a young man dressed in a leather jacket was looking away from the camera, seemingly lost in concentration on something off screen. Levi nearly yelled in frustration, appalled that Sally would be chasing boys instead of taking care of the mess she had made. "Gotta run. He is on the move."

Levi took both hands from the wheel, using his knees to keep the car on a steady path. He did not slow down nor look where he was going, but instead kept speeding through the nearly deserted night streets, confident that if he veered off course or ran a red light he could react fast enough to keep from crashing. His fingers moved rapidly across the touch screen of the phone, anger evident in the overuse of the caps lock button. “What the FUCK Sal? Someone almost died because of this! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?! I'm coming to meet you. You need help.” He didn't expect her to answer any time that night, not until she had her way with whatever she was was planning for the thief and house she was watching. When she did answer, though - and Levi was certain she would if he kept slamming her with texts - he would be off in an instant to her side. Whatever she had gotten herself into with the Russians was not going to go away on its own, and he wasn't about to let her try to deal with it herself. Besides, he wanted to scream at her for her immature antics that had nearly gotten Brandon killed. She needed to learn a thing or two about taking responsibility for what she had done.

His anger slowly faded as he drove along the outskirts of the city, relaxing back into his natural state. This was just another night in his life, really. Things like this happened so often that if Levi stayed on edge about them he would never enjoy anything. This was the life of a mutant on the run; constant threats and dangers were the backdrop to his life. Levi sometimes wondered, though he would never admit it, if settling down was something that would ever be in the cards for him. His thoughts wandered from the topic, instead taking in the neighborhood around him. It was shoddy, though not completely run down as some other areas this far form the city were. The houses around him could all use some work, but they were liveable. When he reached the address printed on Brandon's license Levi's parked the car in the driveway and lifted the still unconscious form from the back seat over his shoulder yet again. With a quick look around to check if any nosy neighbors were wondering why Brandon was being hauled into his house by a stranger, Levi made his way to the front door.

He tried the handle and found it locked firmly. Levi sighed, his good luck beginning to run out. He could pick the lock, he thought, but that would take a few moments and would risk being seen by anyone driving by or looking out a window. He didn't want to chance the police showing up for a breaking and entering complaint. Keeping hold of Brandon with one strong arm, Levi reached up and into his back pocket, this time searching for keys instead of a wallet. His fingers clenched around the metal of a key chain and he pulled back his hand to open the door. Inside it was dark, the lights having remained off since the morning. Levi nearly tripped over the toys littering the floor as he walked through the entry way and into what passed for a living room. With a fluid movement Levi tossed Brandon onto the nearest couch, the cushions sagging deeply when his body plopped onto them. The familiar feeling must have roused Brandon from his sleep as his eyes began to flutter and slowly open. Levi couldn't hold back a smile when he saw the soft brown irises focus on him. “Good nap, sleeping beauty?”

The force of the blow stirred him out of unconsciousness. He was in that between state of being self aware or succumbing back into the dream state. A haze settled in his mind preventing him from perceiving what was real and what was fiction in his mind. Shapes and silhouettes did not complete have substance or form. Words spoken into the either were just sounds floating into the abyss. A low moan escaped his lips as he felt, or thought he felt hands messaging his chest. He was falling, falling back into sweet nothingness, back into a catatonic state, blissfully unaware were he was or who he was with. But all his blissful ignorance came to an end when a sharp smack to the chest stirred the sleeping beast. His eyes fluttered open.

"What? Where..." He was at a lost for words as he tried to comprehend what was going on. He was in his own home, but how did he get there? His body was heavy as of it was made of lead, and he ached all over, but still he sat up to look around. His house looked pretty much the same, crowded and cramp and full of chaos but with an added guess. "Levi?" It took Brandon another moment through the gaps in his memory what just happen earlier in the evening. He was with Levi at his loft. Brandon made dinner. Images and flashes of the prior evening were all that he had to run with. Strong feelings and desires left an imprint longer lasting than any solidified image ever could, but still he had trouble piecing it all together.

As he sat on the couch, without any thought, rubbed new bruises that had form, and the red mark that was left behind by an abrupt wake up call from Levi, when he realize he had dried blood on him and it all came flooding back. The Russian mobster mutant, the attack of the safe house, Levi getting hit and his miraculous recovery. It all seem so surreal, like it happen to someone else but it did in fact happen and it happen to him. Instead of freaking out about what happen, or concern about his own well being he asked Levi, "are you alright?"

Instead of fully opening and becoming aware of the world around him, Brandon's eyes still remained unfocused. Levi bent over the mans form on the couch and placed his rough hands on his bare chest, gently massaging the muscles in hopes of waking him up farther.  The act had the opposite effect of what was intended, though, and seemed to be lulling Brandon back into a peaceful slumber. Annoyed, Levi removed his hands and tried a new tactic by smacking his open palm onto the other man's chest, leaving a distinct red hand print on the skin. This time his eyes snapped open, fully alert. Levi stretched back up to his full height and looked on with an amused smile as Brandon stumbled through his words.

At Brandon's question Levi recalled the blast of energy that had sent him sprawling across  his warehouse apartment and the damage it had caused to his body. When he had woken up from his daze he had paid it no mind, as he knew his body had taken care of itself. Now he took a moment to look down at his abdomen and the spot right below his ribs that had previously been a gaping hole of sizzling flesh. It was now only possible to discern that there had been a wound there by the slightly more pink tone of the skin, the new flesh that had yet to brown in the sun like the rest of Levi's body. It was a flawless patch of new skin, no scar or bruise left behind as evidence of the brutal attack. Levi ran his hands over the spot, feeling the baby soft skin with no hint of pain. It was as if he had suffered the wound weeks ago, not merely an hour previous.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” he said, removing his hand and letting it fall back to his side. “Healing factor. I don't stay down long.” It wasn't the first time - and it wouldn't be the last – that Levi had relied on his super human healing to survive. It made him nearly fearless in a fight, giving him that extra confidence that turned so quickly into arrogance.

Turning from Brandon, Levi walked over to a near by lamp and switched it on, finally illuminating the small room. He took a moment to look around, to walk the perimeter picking up small objects and randomly putting them back down. He looked at the pictures adorning one wall, seeing Josh grow from an infant to the boy he was now and the occasional photo including Brandon. As he continued his aimless search Levi spoke to Brandon over his shoulder, not paying him much attention.

“You passed out, so I took you home. Nice walls, by the way.”

It was in Levi's nature to jump from one thing to the next, and after he had examined with indifference all the small accents in the room he walked back to Brandon and took a seat next to him on the sofa. While gazing at the fading mark on the man's chest he noticed a thin chain dangling down from his next, ending in a delicate ring with a light purple stone. Levi absent-mindlessly reached out to touch it, wanting to know just what it was and having no qualms about invading Brandon's privacy.  “What's this? Fashion statement?” Levi said as he turned the ring around in his fingers, admiring the amethyst set among the silver. It was well crafted and looked quite expensive, though Levi couldn't be certain. Sally was the more knowledge twin when it came to fine art and jewelry.

Levi just stood there in the between area of the kitchen and living room. His was cloak in shadow and the only light illuminating him was the street lamp outside that flickered on and off, as it continued spazzing out. His expression was hard to read and the last two times Brandon meet him was any indication, it was impossible to read him at one given moment, because in the next moment he was like another, totally different person. The only consistent thing about him was that he is unpredictable. That made him all the more intriguing to be around him, even though he knew him only in a short period of time.

"Healing factor, huh?" That in and of itself explained why Brandon's energy was being consume at an alarming rate. He held no malice against him, seeing as his life force was being swapped with Levi's. In fact, Brandon was content that in a small, minuet way, he was able to help save Levi's life.

Brandon watched as he caressed where the light beam hit him at point blank range. It was too dark to see, Levi after all was just a moving silhouette, but if he remember correctly through haze that surrounded his mind, the fresh layer of skin thin was a blank canvas, ruining the masterpiece that was already there. That was the second thing that Brandon notice about him, that made him so damn attracting. The first? Well...

He snapped out of his thoughts when the couch shriek in agony and the cushion beside Brandon sank even further to the floor. Levi was watching him, as he too caressed his chest. His fingers sliding through the jungle of thick chest hair, messaging his latest marks and bruises. Brandon only turned away for a second but when he turn back Levi was inches from him. Brandon's heart skipped a beat, just because of his sheer stealthiness of Levi's movements taking him by surprise. A small tug around his neck, indicated to Brandon that Levi was examining the ring around his neck, made up platinum silver band with a simple amethyst gem set into it. Brandon truly felt uncomfortable, like he was wearing a slab of meat around his neck, and Levi was the king of the jungle.

He tugged the chain around his neck, forcing the ring to slip out of Levi's fingers. "I would please asked you to reframe from touching it. It is late and I have work tomorrow." It was the first time tonight that Brandon out right dodge a question. He may have simplify an answer or spoke partial truths, but he did not refuse no matter how personal it was. This was different though. It was a piece of him that he would never get back. An open, festering wound that still struck a nerve. He did not feel like talking about it here and now.

He got up and was about to head into his bedroom, not caring what Levi did next, but he did care. He stood in the darken hallway, his back turn to Levi, weighing things in his mind before turning back to Levi. "I am sorry," Brandon said, not elaborating on why he was apologizing for. He realized that Levi had no place to go. His home was in ruin, and he, himself could be endanger if he did anything rash at least for tonight. "You are sleeping here tonight." It wasn't an offer, it was more of a command. "You can take my bed and I will take the couch." He said.

It was Brandon's turn to suddenly stalk away from the couch, a far away look in his eyes. Levi felt his fingers lose contact with the metal hanging from Brandon's neck as he stood up and made his way out of the room. It only vaguely registered to Levi that he had said something that may have offended, or at least brought up unwanted thoughts. He did not dwell on it, letting the firm tone of Brandon's voice filter into the back of his mind where it was immediately forgotten. He did not have the attention span to consider what may or may not be something important that was not being said.

Instead, he followed suit and stood up, tagging along behind Brandon as he walked farther into the house. “Oh, excuse me for interrupting your nightly routine. Can't have you missing any of your beauty sleep.” Levi taunted, his voice inappropriately loud in the silent hallway. He wasn't thinking of much else beside the present moment, and when Brandon informed him he would be staying the night, Levi immediately agreed as it saved him the trouble of sleeping in his car back at the warehouse or finding a motel.

With the smallest hint of an invitation Levi placed himself firmly in the middle of the bed, flopping back into the soft pillows. It was comfortably worn, sheets smooth against his bare skin. Rather than being tired, he felt more awake now that he was laying in someone else's bed. The tumult and danger of the night was finally hitting him and it was energizing, invigorating, and all at once just what Levi's adrenaline addicted body craved. He loved the unpredictable nature of nights such as this, when laying shirtless in a near strangers bed was the least odd thing to happen. It took some effort for him calm his eager nerves and focus back on Brandon's voice coming from beside him.

“Don't be an idiot.” The words had barely left his mouth before Levi had sprang out of the bed and landed lightly on his feet next to Brandon. With a tackle a bit more forceful than intended he brought Brandon tumbling down onto the bed before the other man had the opportunity to defend himself. The act was done completely out of no where, but Levi had seen Brandon standing nearby looking exhausted and downtrodden and he had the urge, the compulsion, to do something to change his stupid expression. It was nearly impossible to predict just what Levi would do when the impulse struck him, and in this situation he was feeling spirited enough to take part in some good-natured rough housing.  They landed among the pillows and sheets, Levi half on top of Brandon before rolling over to his side, laughing heartily. The surprised look on Brandon's face had been enough to make him lose control of his serious demeanor and shift into one more at ease and comfortable. If Levi had paused to think about it, he would have been shocked at how easily his mood shifts had been dealt with by the other man all night. Not many people were able to put up with the sudden and severe changes quite as gracefully as Brandon had been doing.  

“You're the tired one. Old men need soft beds, better for your back, you know.” Levi teased playfully from his position next to Brandon, one arm draped casually over the mans chest. It was alarmingly pleasant, and even through the chaos that was Levi's mind he realized this was not how most of his one night stands progressed. The fact that Brandon was not making a huge fuss over the incident at Levi's apartment or freaking out because of the attack did not go unnoticed by Levi, but he did not bring it up, preferring to let the other man deal with it as he would instead of divulging more of his life than necessary.

Even though Brandon was being courteous to Levi, his facial expression, his body language told a different story, that he didn't want to talk anymore. Levi did not take the hint as another jest went brandon's way. Brandon shook his head in utter defeat as he showed the boy where he was sleeping. Luckily for them, they both had shoes on because it was a well known fact the hallway was a Lego mine field. Josh seemed to forget his toys everywhere or they spill out like waves from his bedroom, until the whole house looked like a toy graveyard. Brandon worked tirelessly to keep the chaos at a minimum but sometimes it was enough and an atomic bomb would send toys every which way, until you found toys everywhere.

He open the door to his bedroom at the end of the hall, letting Levi in first before proceedings in after him. It was a nice size bedroom for what it was. Very dark wood and masculine with airy colored bed sheets and furniture upholstery. When Brandon flicked the light switch, the connected fan started to spin haphazardly as if the whole thing was about to come crashing down on them at any moment. "I don't have an air unit in this room and I usually have the revolving fan off because it is two seconds away from breaking so it might get a little hot in here...are you listening to me?"

Midway through his sentence, Levi flopped on the bed, bouncing up and down like a little kid, testing the springs, how fluffy the pillows were and just being all around obnoxious. He was about to Leave Levi to sleep, masterbate or whatever he does in privacy, when he was tackled onto the bed, Levi half on him. He punch a pillow out of the way that was trying to suffocate him, and was about to scold Levi, when he saw that sideways grin, making him look more his age than the perpetual grumpy attitude look. The childish impulse and playful antics greatly alleviate his mood. Finally throwing his hands up and saying, "Fine. You win."

Even with the sporadic fan on and the window open, the dry heat just made Brandon feel sticky. He could feel the beads of sweat trickle to the side of his chest soaking into the covers. It was to damn hot. Even Levi's hand, which was resting on his stomach skate over his bare chest. It tickled his chest hair but he did not try to stop him as two fingers slide back down circling his exposed bully button, running into Brandon's belt buckle several times.

Levi heard the defeated tone in Brandon's voice and it caused him to smile in triumph. He hadn't known it was a game, but with his competitive nature he was more than happy to accept victory when it was granted. “I usually win,” he said smugly, knowing it would only exasperate Brandon further. The minutes ticked by with the two of the them quiet before Levi quickly uttered an apology for the night, suddenly feeling it was necessary due to the generosity of the the older man.  “Hey. I'm...sorry I dragged you into this. Thanks, for letting me crash here.”

Again the room was quiet but for the spinning of the fan overheard, working endlessly to provide the miniscule breeze that only served to waft the hot air around the room. Levi hated the heat. He hated the way made him feel sluggish and fuzzy, the way his brain slowed down even more. Everything around him seemed less solid, a haze of heat covering the room and threatening to suffocate the men laying still on the bed. His body was slick with the sweat that coated it, glistening in the dim light of the over head lamp. He was barely moving, a rare occurrence for him, and still he felt too hot. The steady breaths he took caused his chest to rise and fall in a regular pattern, calming him into less action for the sake of comfort.

With a lazy movement, so slow for Levi yet still full of the all the luxuriousness of a stretching feline, he rolled onto his side to better see Brandon beside him. The other man was sweating, too. He could see the beads of moisture sliding languidly down his skin, catching in the ample hair on his chest before continuing down to pool into the light colored sheets. Levi was momentarily entranced by their path until he had the urge to reach out and feel the moistness of Brandon's skin. His hand gently ran over the mans chest, enjoying the way the hair was rough and manly and damp. He could feel Brandon intake a breath beneath his palm, whether in pleasure or surprise Levi did not know. It did not suspend his attention, though, and his hand continued to roam freely over the exposed skin. His flesh was soft, pliable, not the usual build that Levi want for. He assumed that having a kid to look out for left little time for hitting the gym. Still, Levi could feel the remnants of solid muscle beneath the thin layer of soft flesh, and the way it tightened and reacted to his light touch was enough to send a shock of desire through him.

He moved his eyes from their game of watching his hand up to Brandon's face, which was a mixture of relaxation and anticipation. His eyes were shut slightly, looking like they would flutter open at any moment. Levi slid closer yet, this time his head resting right near Brandon's. Rather than continuing the manner in which the two of them had been heading at Levi's apartment,  he gently pressed his mouth against Brandon's neck. Salty warm moisture stuck to his lips: the sweat from Brandon's skin. Levi licked his lips, his tongue gliding over them in an attempt to capture that intoxicating taste all the more. His mouth found its way to the hollow of Brandon's neck and he continued his delicate, achingly slow progress of kisses until he found the other man's lips. When they pressed together Levi look his hand from its spot still roaming over Brandon's chest and brought it to his hair, eager to again feel the sweat matted curls twine around his fingers. A low moan escaped Brandon's lips at the touch, and Levi would not resist deepening the kiss. As he did his body moved about agilely until it was pushed up against Brandon's, each part of their bodies touching the others. The slickness of their sweat coated chests rubbed together, generating more heat in the already muggy room.

After a few long moments, Levi broke from the passionate kiss and held his face mere inches from Brandon's. The brown of his eyes were killing him, melting some hard block of ice inside Levi that hadn't been touched in years. He couldn't decide if he liked it or not, but went along with it anyway. It was then that he noticed the bags under Brandon's eyes were visibly darker, the lines more sullen and prominent than earlier that evening.

“You're tired, aren't you?” He asked, a look of uncommon concern darkening his features. As much as he wished to spend hours, days, years, in the act of exploring Brandon's body, Levi could tell he was fading. It wouldn't be very satisfying to have him pass out in the middle of something.

Levi knew what strings to pull to coax a smile out of Brandon. "You do, do you?" He asked, knowing the truth behind Levi's matter of fact statement. Brandon eased into the bed, letting the mattress conform to the contours of his body. The familiarity of his surroundings, just being in the four walls of his bedroom, made him more at ease, able to unwind after a long and stressful day. He placed his arms behind his head, using them to prop his head up like a pillow, and stared deeply into the speckle ceiling as if his roof was made up of all the stars and constellations in the sky.

Levi's apology came as a surprise to Brandon. He did not seem like the type of guy who apologize, especially when what happen today wasn't his fault. "You're sweet," he said softly, letting warm air blanketed over him, lulling him into bliss and comfort. "No need to apologize. I knew what I was getting myself into when I showed up on you front door step." That was a bull face lie. Not in his wildest of dreams did he thought that he would find himself fighting off mutants and ending the night half naked, with another man in his bedroom. It did not seem feasible, but there they were. Even though his words were flawed the sentiment behind them still stood.

His eyes seemed perfectly content to stay closed. Even after the bed shifted as Levi scooted himself over, which Brandon presume, to get a better look of companion's body. He did not only look, like a show piece of one of his prize collections. No, Levi did much more than that. He traced the outline reminisce of a younger, more fit Brandon. His fingers had a mind of their own as they took a trail less traveled. His gentle touch made Brandon quiver with excitement, but quivering wasn't enough for Levi. A low groan seemed to rumble deep inside of Brandon as Levi tugged on his thick maim. Even that did not sedate his curiosity; Levi wanted more.

Brandon could had stop him at any time. He could have easily come up with a thousand reasons why they shouldn't but he didn't, so Levi continue. He honed into where their was a chink in Brandon's armor.  His lips grazed the base of the neck, slowly finding its way up until his lips press softly against Brandon, making him ache for more. Brandon could not resist anymore. He un cuffed his hands behind his head and aided Levi, situating him where he wanted to be most, on top.

Levi's body was slick and hard pressed up against his. The heat that radiated off their bodies were fuel for their desire. A wildfire that seem to never quench no matter how long they continue in this moment. They melted into one another as one of them pressed their bodies into the other. They continue until Brandon could not bare to hold his breath any longer, before Levi made the first moves, parted his lips from Brandon's. They stared at each other. Both of them out of breath, neither of them speaking.

Just by one stare, he was able to pierce deep into Brandon's soul. Levi was being gentle as if he was caring for a newborn cub, cradling Brandon in his arms and with his words. It was too late; Brandon was already his, even at the very beginning. He placed the palms of his hands onto Levi's chest, pushing Levi in the up right position. Brandon was pinned between Levi's thighs. He wasn't going anywhere, just the way Brandon liked it. To answer Levi's question, he retorted as he unbuckled Levi's belt, "Levi gets what he wants."

Levi had fully expected Brandon to reply with an answer that sent the both of them back to separate rooms, concede that yes, he was in fact on the verge of falling asleep. Perhaps it was the way in which Levi had been incrementally inching his hand farther down Brandon's stomach, though, that made the man seemingly push his exhaustion away for the time being. Warm palms found a place on Levi's smooth chest and pushed him away, and for a brief second he thought that Brandon was trying to tell him he did not want him so close. When the hands remained where they were even after Levi had been moved into a seated position he realized that was far from what Brandon wanted.

He could feel the body beneath him, the lines of the other man’s hips and sides being held tight by the muscles of his thighs. With a sharp contraction his legs pressed even tighter, letting Brandon know he was trapped right where he was, that Levi was in control. The position was one that he was more than comfortable with, one that he fell into with ease. His dominant nature was in full form here, enjoying the knowledge that he was in charge - and the eager look in those brown eyes below him let Levi know that that was just fine.

As he heard Brandon's words he chuckled, recalling what he said earlier in the evening. “You're a fast learner. I like that.” He let his words hang in the air and focused his attention on what Brandon was doing with his hands. It struck him that this might not be the best thing to do, that he knew he was just going to end up hurting this somehow caring man by going along with his advances. Levi couldn't stop it though, didn't have the will power to reach out and smack the hands away. No, he wanted this too greatly, and Levi could not deny his impulses.  

*** Really naughty smut goes here. I'm not going to post it in case it would be deemed inappropriate and in consideration of whoever may not want to read it. If you're interested, though, message me and I can send it to you! ***

Brandon was in a euphoric state, neither here nor there. Coming down from his high, he had no energy left within him to disobey Levi, as he watched him in all his glory get up off the bed and into the hallway. Through half awake state, he could hear the faucet running but did not have the energy to speculate what for. Moments later, Levi came back into the room with two glasses in hand, and a damp towel. He handed one of them to Brandon, who only took a few sips before setting it aside as well. His thirst quench and tired from the day's activity, Brandon eased into the pillows ready for a good nights rest, forgetting that he had to wake up in a couple hours for work.

It was only when Brandon put his arm over his eyes to block out the light over head did he feel the rough dampness of the towel against his skin. He looked down to see Levi diligently cleaning between his legs and his bare stomach. He said in a dreamlike voice,"You know I am a grown adult. I can take care of it myself." It was half hearted and he really didn't mean it. It felt good to be taken care of for a change even in something as small and inconsequential as this. His now cool, wet skin mixing with the warm night air felt good too.

Levi finally satisfied joined him on the bed, pulling Brandon closer in. Brandon just laid there, at peace, lying so close to a warm body, even in this god awful heat. Levi could not sit still, even in bed. He kept twitching and moving. His arm around Brandon's shoulders seemed to find the built up knots in Brandon's neck, messaging them out. His legs finding a comfortable position on top of Brandon's, all the while consistently talking.

At first Brandon tried really hard listening to Levi's amazing tails, but the warm night air, being comforted by his lover lulled him into slumber. The last thing Brandon did was lean into Levi's embrace and wrapped his arms around him, like cuddling a warm teddy bear. Through mumble syllables, not even realizing he said it out loud, "Marshmallow."

It was evident that Brandon had fallen asleep curled up on Levi. The smooth rising and falling of his chest prompted Levi to stop his rambling and let the other man sleep. He reached out to switch off the lamp on the side table, plunging the room into warm darkness. Not caring to stifle the yawn that racked his body, he let his head fall onto the pillow and his eyes to flutter shut. He did not sleep immediately, but listened to the rhythmic breathing of the man snuggled up next to him and let his mind wander. It had always been difficult for Levi to sleep; his body never seemed to slow down long enough for it to get the rest it needed. His eyes would open every so often to watch the progress of the thin light begin to shine through the curtains of the windows, to watch as night faded away into something less forgiving. When he finally managed to fall into a light slumber he tossed and turned, but always kept the smallest amount of contact with Brandon, even in unconsciousness.

It was only two hours later when a buzz from the floor awakened Levi. His eyes snapped open and darted to his jeans laying on the floor, where a small patch of bright light from his phone screen could be seen. The noise and light woke him up completely, as he was never in a deep sleep anyway. Careful not to disturb Brandon, he untangled his arms from around the other man and slipped out of the bed towards his phone. When he picked it up a new text message flashed across the screen.

1pm. San Francisco, that old pier near the street market.

Levi cursed under his breath. Fucking Sally. It was just like her to assume he would drop everything and do what she wanted, that he had some sort of leash she could tug and bring him back any time she wanted. With a sigh, he reached down to gather his clothes and start putting them back on. She probably wouldn't even say anything about the inconvenience she was being, let alone apologize. Still, despite Levi's inner rant about what he perceived as selfishness on Sally's part, he wasn't going to leave her waiting. After what had happened tonight he was worried about her; she would never ask for help, so he had grown accustomed to fighting his way to her side whether she wanted him there or not.

After tugging his shirt back over his head, Levi placed his phone back in the pocket of his jeans and was surprised to pull out Brandon's wallet. He had forgotten he still had it after looking through it back in his ruined apartment. A moment of indecision made Levi stand very still in the dim light. Usually at this point he would take whatever he could out of the wallet; cash, credit cards, an I.D to commit fraud with – Brandon wouldn't be the first person to get fucked by Levi and then realize their identify had been stolen the next day. Something made him toss the wallet onto the beside table though, leaving everything inside untouched. Sally had been telling him lately that he was getting soft – maybe she was right.

With a final look back at Brandon's sleeping form, back turned to Levi and curled on his side, Levi left the bedroom with no trace that he had ever been there. He stole out into the approaching dawn, the heat already rising as surely as the sun. On his way to the airport he couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow making a mistake leaving Brandon without a word of warning, but that was the normal routine for Levi and he didn't know how to break the habit.