Thankfully Cath wasn't ready to stop reading just yet. A red flush spread up her face as she told him she was thirsty, in a husky, throaty voice. Levi was torn between finding it incredibly sexy, and feeling guilty that it was his fault her voice was starting to give out. That always seemed to be the way when he was around her, one part wanting to kiss her breathless, and the other wanting to take care of her.

He was struck by an impulse bring her something. Anything. Water, soda, the moon, whatever she wanted. He could tell from the moment he suggested a gingerbread latte that he had found a winner. "I'll be back in ten" he promised, throwing on his coat and boots before walking to the door. He turned around to give her one last smile and she gave him a double thumbs up that managed to be both awkward and endearing at the same time. He had never met anyone like her, that was for sure

He raced to his truck as quickly as he could, partly because of the cold, but mostly to get back to Cath as quickly as he could. The roads were snowy and he had to drive more cautiously than usual, taking more time than he would like. The ten minutes he promised was starting to seem a little ambitious.

He felt his the smile that had been plastered on his face for the lat few hours grow even wider. For the first time in his life, he didn't mind his reading problem. If he could just keep Cath reading to him always, he felt like there was very little in the world he would be bothered by ever again.

He pulled up into to the Starbucks parking lot and made his way inside. Harry, who was both his housemate and coworker was on duty by himself tonight, not that it seemed to be a problem. There were only two customers in the entire store, a couple, sitting side by side working on the local newspaper's crossword puzzle. They sat with their heads bent together, swapping a pen back and forth, holding hands when they weren't writing, trading kisses when they thought nobody was watching. Levi thought he would very much like to do the same thing with Cath.

"You're looking happier than you were this afternoon" Harry said "Did you find your friend?"

"Nope, I found something even better" Levi replied, shaking the snow from his hair, trying to keep his smile from engulfing his face. He stepped behind the counter and grabbed a couple of venti cups, and began making coffee, whistling to himself as he carefully poured the gingerbread syrup. He pretended not to hear Harry over the sound over the hum of the espresso machine.

"Is it a girl? It's a girl isn't it? Is she pretty? Is she hot?" Harry was relentless. "It's about time! Me and the boys were starting to worry about you, you know?"

Levi busied himself with placing lids on the steaming mugs and placing them in a cardboard tray. He pocketed an energy bar and threw a few dollars in the till. He didn't want to talk about Cath. "Gotta go" he said as he ran out the door, waving apologetically over his shoulder.

Shivering, he got back in the truck, checking the thermostat as he started the engine. It was five below. He thought about why he wouldn't answer Harry's questions. He felt like, for now, he wanted Cath all to himself. He wasn't ready to share her with the world. Or share his feelings about her to the world. Cath was special. She wasn't the kind of girl you told your friends stories about. He didn't want to answer lewd questions her body, her hotness or whether he had got her into bed yet. She was worth so much more than that. Cath was vulnerable, and he never wanted to do anything to hurt her. He never had that problem with Reagan, he thought, remembering how he would spare the boys no detail when it came to their love life. Then again, Reagan never seemed to mind.

It was different with Cath. The first time he met her, he just wanted to put her at ease, protect her and comfort her. He had also found her very attractive, sexy even, but it confused him. Reagan had been all about the sexual attraction, but there was something more to this, and if he thought about it too hard, it started to scare him. He pushed it out of his mind. She liked him back, at least a little, and for now that was enough.

There were no parking spots left when he got back to Pound Hall, so he parked illegally on the curb, worrying about more important things than a parking ticket. He doubted the inspectors would be out at this time in this weather anyway.

Before he took the elevator up, he stopped by the dining hall, filling a glass with water and adding it to his Starbucks tray. A middle aged woman in a pink apron marched up to him, glaring.

"Put that back, now!" she snapped "You can't take the glassware out of here"

Levi flashed her the most dazzling smile he could muster. "I'm really sorry, Rose" he apologized, reading her name tag "It's just my girlfriend has a sore throat, and I was so worried I wasn't thinking. I'll put it back, of course"

She let out a small laugh and put her hand to her chest. "Such a thoughtful young man" she chuckled, glancing around the room "Nobody's looking, quick, take that lucky girl her drink". She sent him away with a wink, which he returned.

He had thoroughly enjoyed referring to Cath as his girlfriend, even if had been for the sake of appearance. In fact, he thought as he approached her room, he would very much like to get used to it.