Well, this chapter gets about as racy as this story will come. Nothing explicit, just a little cute fanfiction interaction between our favorite couple.

Also amped up the language a bit. So if that offends you be warned.

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh," Lauryn all but screamed when she came into fiction writing class that next Monday. "Cath, have you read it? Puh-lease tell me you've read it!"

"Read what?" Cath said. She tried to think through what had been in her email inbox that morning in terms of chapter updates, but she was drawing a blank.

"Oh my gosh, you're kidding me," Lauryn said. "He posted his first chapter!"

"Who?" Cath said with a frown.

"Thomas! He posted his first chapter, and guess who it's dedicated to!"

"Um…you?" Cath guessed, trying to avoid the stares from several of her other classmates. Two of the senior girls were already whispering and giggling as they shot looks towards Lauryn and Cath.

"No!" Lauryn said. "He dedicated it to you, dummy!"

Cath frowned. It had been a few days now, but she'd started spending even less time around Thomas. In fact, they hadn't exchanged two words since Reagan had told her what had happened.

"Skim it before class. Seriously. You have to. I'm dying to see what you think."

Cath opened up her laptop and quickly entered fanfixx . net to scan over Thomas' profile. She easily found his newly posted story, clicking on it and reading over what he'd written.

She scanned as fast as she was able, even as Professor Piper walked into the room. Cath noted that Radovan was recounting years of acting in behavior that wasn't his own to Bernadetta, explaining to her that he'd dealt with some bad influences but trying to convince her that he'd changed. And it was true, at the end of the chapter her name was listed as the inspiration and dedication.

"I cannot wait for the second chapter," Lauryn gushed. "Oh my gosh he writes beautifully. Like poetry. But seriously, what do you think?"

"I think that might be as close to an apology as I get," Cath said quietly. "But I liked it."

"You think so? Gosh I hope he actually says sorry to your face. He's been acting like a royal jerk. But I am just so in love with this already. It's so hard to find good Radovetta fics out there."

"Yeah," Cath said, even as she thought about what she'd learned and pondered if she could ever forgive him even with an actual apology.

"Seriously, you have to talk to him about it in journalism," Lauryn advised. "This is really cool and it might mean things are back to normal, which would be great."

Cath nodded, even as she didn't really believe it. "Yeah," she said weakly. "Well, if nothing else at least he's holding up his end of the deal."

"Thank god," Lauryn said. "I'd been thinking my femslash would be for nothing."

Cath smiled. "At least that's not the case."

"Cath, Lauryn," Professor Piper said. "We're starting. So since you two seem so eager to chat. Why don't you go ahead and read your exercises first."

Lauryn groaned before pulling out her laptop. Since Cath had hers open, she realized she was going to be required to go first.

Her voice shook some, but she'd found that a month's worth of practice of reading to the class or to smaller groups had given her more confidence in just getting through her work without stumbling too many times. Even so, her heart was racing by the time she came to the end.

Just as she'd told Levi and others, she'd thrown her first chapter draft together in a matter of hours the night before, swigging coffee and trying her best to come up with a decent idea. Stuck and unable to come up with anything, she'd just stuck with her characters of Ben and Andrew, even though she really didn't have any idea what sort of book she'd write for the two of them.

When she was done, she sat quietly while the class considered for a moment.

"Loved your first sentence," a junior boy said. "Sounded good to me. You phrase things really intricately and it's fun to listen to."

"I still just love your two characters," someone else said. "But I guess I thought part of that love came from the other sections you wrote rather than this one. I think you need to remember most people would be come into this fresh and rewrite it with that in mind."

Cath nodded, doing her best to not show the wince that she was feeling internally.

And then one of the senior's raised her hand.

"I felt like your writing was pretty good," she said. "But your characters feel…tired. Like you don't really want to be writing about them at all. It honestly just feels like you got bored writing it, and it was therefore boring to listen to you reading."

Well, that's true, Cath thought. At least they weren't making things up in their criticism or being overly nitpicky. She knew she was tired of Andrew and Ben. It would be a different thing if she could write on Tom and Cornelius.

"I agree," Professor Piper said. "Your details were lovely, but I think your basic premise needs some work, or maybe just a rewrite.

Cath nodded and sank down into her seat as Lauryn began reading hers. To Cath's utter frustration, Lauryn's was playfully witty, full of great moments between the characters even in a few lines. People gushed compliments afterwards. Not surprising really, Cath supposed.

The rest of class had a lot of the same results. People were sharing stories that already seemed so amazing.

By the end of class Cath was feeling discouraged. She had no idea how to write something like this. Short stories were hard enough.

Class ended. Lauryn was gabbing about something else, but Cath was having trouble listening. Of course, to make matters worse, Professor Piper snagged her before she could leave.

"Cath, you write beautifully, but I think it's the idea process you get stuck on," she said. "I really think you need to make a list of things that are important to you, ideas that are relevant. I mean, think about what inspired your 'Prarie Schooners' piece last year."

Cath nodded, trying her best to not take the advice too personally.

"To be honest, some of the problem does really seem to be in your subject matter. Love stories…they're something we like as humans…but I think love just tends to bore us sometimes too," Professor Piper said. "We crave it but we hate it at the same time. Just something for you to consider. I like the conflicts you've had with Andrew in your earlier writes. If you can include some more of those in your story, it might help add more depth. Love can simply be incredibly flat in terms of a plotline."

Cath nodded and then quickly scooped up the last of her things to head to the door after Lauryn.

Lauryn refused to leave the issue of Thomas' fic alone. She kept speculating over possibilities for the entire hour between classes, discussing how perfect his portrayal of Radovan had been and how she thought his plot set up had been perfect.

Of course, none of it helped settle Cath's nerves. Between the criticisms that morning in fiction class, and all the confusion with Thomas and Levi, she was not feeling very good continuing to talk about it.

"So, are you going to tell him he did a good job?" Lauryn asked.

"Maybe," Cath said. "I don't know."

"Well, I'm going to tell him he's a little shit for not writing it sooner and for being such a jerk before."

Cath nodded, trying her best to listen even as her mind wandered. Of course, by the time class came she was even more anxious. Sitting in her seat, fiddling with a pencil as she glanced towards the door.

Thomas came in about two minutes before class was about to start. He slid into his usual seat beside Lauryn. Cath tried staring at the ground instead of at him.

Her phone buzzed.

Cath looked down at it, quickly flicking it onto silent even as she scanned the message.

Meet me after class?

Thomas. She glanced up and looked at him. He was tucking his phone away, but he made eye contact. She knew there was no pretending she hadn't seen it.

She nodded, even as her heart began racing faster. What was he even going to say? What could he say to make it better? All Cath had to do was picture Levi's face, and she wondered if she could ever look at Thomas the same way again.

Class dragged. Talking about libel and slander, nothing that really interested her too much. Her mind kept going back into the words of Thomas's fanfiction, remembering those parts that had caught her attention beyond just the dedication.

By the time class was over Cath felt even more at a loss for words. She couldn't really put these feelings into easy phrases. Any writer who could would have to be amazingly talented.

She packed up her things, telling Lauryn that she'd be skipping lunch. Lauryn just nodded and headed off by herself, leaving Cath to follow Thomas out of the building. He picked a bench not too far away where he sat down and patted the place to his side. Cath sat and waited for him to start talking.

"So, I didn't really think about it…but…have you read my fic?" Thomas asked, reaching up to adjust his glasses as he peered at her.

"Yes," Cath said. "I did. It was…very well written."

"Thank you," Thomas said. "But…did you see my dedication?"

"Yes," Cath said.

"And…?"

"I don't know what you want me to say," Cath admitted.

"Look," Thomas said with a sigh, "a few days ago the way you looked at me…I realized you must have talked with you boyfriend and you knew the full story. And honestly I just felt awful afterwards. I mean…I'm not the same person I was freshman year and I did a lot of dumb shit that year."

"You really were cruel to him," Cath whispered. "And I just don't know if I can be around you because of that."

"I'm not the same guy I was freshman year," Thomas said. "I mean, are you the same person you were the first day you walked onto campus?"

Cath tried to think back to that day. Nervous little freshman version of herself who just wanted to go home and was scared of her weird roommate and said weird roommate's boyfriend. The girl who ate granola bars and peanut butter because she didn't know where the cafeteria was. The girl who turned in fanfiction for her first writing assignment. She thought about Reagan's freshman roommate who still looked so young and fresh-faced, that sparkle still in her eye.

No, she wasn't the same person either.

"I come from a pretty well to do family," Thomas said. "I came here pretty ignorant about the world and the people in it. And yeah, I screwed up. I'm sorry, ok? I really am."

Cath held her tongue, still trying to think about it. Really she wasn't the one who needed an apology.

"Do you forgive me?" Thomas said.

Cath shrugged.

"If…you need some time or whatever…that's fine," Thomas said. "You seem like a really awesome person, Magicath. And I would hate to have to stop talking to you."

He laid his hand on hers for just a second and then he pulled away. Cath sat still for a moment, glad he hadn't tried to touch her any further than that. Thomas rose to his feet and walked off towards the library without another word, leaving her to simply consider. Maybe he had a point. Maybe he didn't.

She tried to think about what Simon Snow would do in a time like this. What about when Penelope had messed up and been mean to him, hadn't he forgiven her? Or what about Cornelius after Tom left him? He'd forgiven his friend too. And maybe Thomas didn't quite count as a friend yet, but in terms of human decency, Cath couldn't see a reason to withhold forgiveness.

Of course, there was one factor she had to consider no matter what. One she'd been trying to ignore for a few days.

Levi.

Levi's roommate answered when she knocked. He smiled at Cath, beckoned her inside and closed the door behind her.

"Hey, Cath. Been a while since I've seen you around."

She offered a half smile. "Yeah I've been busy. Is Levi in his room?"

She scanned the living room and kitchen area and didn't see him.

"Yep, go ahead and just head up."

Cath nodded her thanks before heading through the maze of house up the stairs and to Levi's familiar door. She hesitated only for a second before knocking, biting her lip as she listened to the rustling inside.

"Come in."

She opened the door and stepped inside. Levi looked up from where he was lying on the bed. He didn't give her that usual bright smile, and her heart sank.

"Hi," she said. She held out the bag she'd brought with her. "I got you burgers. They're as big as your fist."

Levi's eyes warmed even if his mouth didn't move. Cath came over, walking slowly, before extending the bag to him. Levi took it. He opened it and looked inside to find the promised burgers.

"I also brought fanfiction," Cath said, holding up her laptop. "So…"

Levi shook his head. "We need to talk first. Maybe eat too."

Cath nibbled her lip again, but managed a nod. She'd thought maybe this would happen.

Levi led her over to his bed, sitting down and opening the bag. He handed her one of the two hamburgers from Pears.

"Why didn't you just tell me how you were feeling?" Levi asked.

Cath shrugged. "I just didn't know how. I already told you…I'm not good at…this…"

"At talking to people about how you're feeling?" Levi said.

Cath took a deep breath. "At this…this boy girl…boyfriend girlfriend…how to be a normal person in a relationship stuff. I don't know how to do it, Levi. I'm so stupid about these things. And then Reagan was getting all angry about me being around another guy and I just thought I'd done something wrong and then you got upset too and I thought...I worried about losing you and I couldn't take it."

"Oh sweetheart," Levi said. "Never think like that. Fuck, if I'd known…I just…I felt like you didn't trust me. Or something. Like I wasn't good enough for you to talk to me or…Cather I just need you to be honest with me, okay? But never think those things. You're beautiful and fantastic and you're the best possible girlfriend a guy could have."

Cath started feeling teary suddenly. You're just going to make it worse, she chided herself. But it didn't matter. She already had a tear on her cheek and that started the landslide.

"I'm sorry, Levi. I'm so sorry," she whispered, feeling extremely pathetic. This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all.

Levi didn't say another word, simply pulled her into his arms and let her bury her face in his neck and cry, clinging tight to him while she did.

"You're so wonderful, Cather," Levi said. "Please never doubt that. Please, you can't just sit and let these things bother you. I don't want to hear anything like that through Reagan ever again. Please, promise me you'll come to me next time something's bothering you."

"I…I promise," Cath managed, squeezing him just a bit tighter, eyes screwing shut when she felt him begin to truly reciprocate, hugging her closer.

"God I love you so much," Levi whispered into her hair.

Cath let out a shaky laugh. The l word. They'd never discussed it. But there it was. Just like in any of her fanfictions, it certainly had a level of weight to it, but here in the moment it simply felt right.

"Love you too," she whispered, taking a deep breath, finding that familiar scent that was only Levi.

They were still for a moment. Cath started to wonder how long standard makeup hugs went, until Levi finally sighed and pulled away.

"Guess we should eat those burgers before they get cold," he whispered.

His smile had returning much to Cath's relief, and his fingers came out to brush a tear from her cheek before gently straightening a piece of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. Cath blushed and pulled her glasses off to wipe them on her sweatshirt.

"So, look…this guy might have been a jerk to me…but if he's your friend that's great," Levi said softly.

Cath opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

"No Cather, you need friends. You've already said this is hard on you. I want you to have a great year of college."

"He said he was sorry," Cath suddenly said. "I believe him."

Levi's jaw twitched, but he did manage another smile. "That's great."

"But if you want me to stop spending time with him I will. You're…you're more important," Cath admitted.

"No, sweetheart. It's fine. I'm not jealous or anything. And you know…it's been a few years…maybe he's really changed. Look, you do what makes you happy, all right?"

Cath nodded and then reached for the burger bag. "Hungry?"

"Starving," Levi admitted.

Cath tried to start up an easy conversation with Levi while they ate. Really, it wasn't too hard. Once she got him started on one of his favorite classes it was almost hard to get him to shut up. By the time he was done jabbering about his latest projects, they'd both finished their burgers and Cath was awkwardly sitting there, waiting for the right moment to butt in. She couldn't find it.

"Oh," Levi said, suddenly noticing her laptop to the side. "Um…your fanfiction? Want to read it to me?"

Cath nodded. "I need to use the bathroom really quick and then I'll be back to read it, ok?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever makes you more comfortable."

Cath disappeared into the hall, finding the bathroom and slipping inside. She eyed the toilet that had mold gathering along the sides before closing the lid and sitting down.

It wasn't too hard. She wriggled out of her sweatshirt, and then undid her jeans and decided to just kick off her shoes too. She shoved them back into the corner of the bathroom, hoping Levi's housemates wouldn't disturb them for some reason. Knowing them, they'd probably just ignore them.

She stepped back into his room, reaching down to smooth the long fabric hanging around her legs. Levi was laying on the bed looking at his phone. He didn't look up until she closed the door.

There was something sort of cartoonish about double-takes. Little moments of looking and not processing and then looking again.

"Um…Cather?" he said, still staring at her.

"I want to read you some fanfiction," Cath said, trying to steady her heartrate and appear calm even when she was anything but.

"All right."

He was still studying her, taking in the Watford robes she'd worn for the last movie premier. He managed a smile as she sat on the bed, pulling open her laptop. Cath cleared her throat before beginning to read.

By seventh year, Cath Avery was pretty sure she was going to be alone for the rest of her life. Well not alone alone. She'd probably buy a cat or a dog or maybe a small dragon or something. But her romantic future wasn't looking particularly bright.

"Holy fuck, Cather, what the hell is this?" he said, pulling her out of her story.

"Would you just shut up and listen?" she said, rolling her eyes.

Levi settled back on the bed, but his eyebrows were still furrowed.

I mean, just watching her Watford roommate Reagan was indication enough. She'd bring back a new guy once a week. And she seemed to have some sort of a steady boyfriend anyways, or at least judging how often he was over.

That was the hardest part of being alone actually. It had been fine for a while. Cath hadn't really felt aware of it for the longest time. It was normal not having a person to flirt with or talk to late into the night or go to the school dances with. But when Levi was around, things were different.

Loneliness was fine in itself. But when faced with the possibility that there was someone like Levi out there, the future suddenly started to become altogether too grim. Levi was everything. Bright smiles and friendly jokes and an ability to see Cath even when she was certain she must have swallowed an invisibility potion based on the way others looked past her. Levi was sunshine and hot tea and nights by the fire. And with Cath wanting him and knowing she couldn't have him, life started to seem like hell.

That was until one fateful night…

"This is ridiculously cheesy," Levi said though he was grinning all the same. "How long did you take to write this."

"This part, not long at all. The end took me a bit longer. Now shush."

Cath had been helping Levi with an assignment for his Hexes class. They'd stayed up late into the night, laying together on Cath's bed to try to work over the ancient tomb that Levi had dragged along. The work of reading it was exhausting, and Levi soon was drifting off. Cath found herself following, and soon the two were asleep.

They woke together. Warm and comfortable and still quite sleepy. Unthinking, Cath leaned in and brushed her lips against Levi's. It was wrong. She knew it was wrong.

"I'm sorry," she said in a whisper. "I know you're Reagan's but…I really like you."

Levi smiled and shook his head. "I'm not. Where'd you think that, Cather?"

"But you're here to see her all the time," she said.

"I'm here to see you all the time," he said with a grin. "Oh my god, Cather. It's always been you. Reagan and I broke up years ago. Sure, she's my friend and I come see her sometimes. But you're the one I wanted to spend time with. You're the reason I keep coming back."

Cath leaned in and kissed him again. Levi didn't try to stop her. This time their lips stayed together longer. Cath let out a little sigh and

"That is not what happened," Levi said.

"It's fanfiction, Levi. It doesn't have to be what happened."

"Uh huh," he said, still eyeing her Watford robes. "Ok continue."

Cath let out a little sigh and opened her mouth a little more. Levi accepted her invitation and deepened the kiss, tongue moving in to brush against hers.

There was a moment where they laid there. Levi's hand had moved down her waist to brush her hip. Cath drew away.

"I've never done this before," she said.

"Done what?" Levi said.

Cath blushed, but she didn't stop. She reached up and slowly undid the first button. Levi's eyes widened.

"Only if you want to."

Cath nodded, reaching to undo the next.

Cath pushed her laptop off her lap and copied her written character. She undid the first button, then the second, then the third. Slowly she managed to open the rest of it in sync with her reading. Levi stared.

"Oh my god Cather," he whispered.

Cath let the robe slip off her shoulders, revealing the blue lingerie set that Wren had bought her for her birthday.

"You can't be going around in those five pack underwear and cheap bras anymore," Wren had said. "Not when you have someone to see them."

She'd hidden them at the bottom of her drawer and very nearly forgotten them until she'd been trying to think of a good way to apologize to Levi. Well, after all the fanfiction makeup sex she'd read, she was hoping people were right about how good it would be.

"Oh Cather," Levi said, beaming at her. "Look at you. Making something that's still so utterly you…so cute and nerdy and sweet… and yet still so utterly sexy."

Cath smiled, a lock of hair falling in front of her face as she ducked her head.

"Read the rest?" Levi whispered.

"Well…from here…it's sort of more interactive…choose your story type thing," Cath whispered.

Levi smiled, reaching forward to wrap his arms around her, lips finding their way to her forehead, and then her cheeks and nose and finally her mouth.

"Love you, Cather," he whispered. "God you're magical."

A/N: Sorry guys, was a bit too busy writing some personal stuff today so this section's a bit short. –Magicath

Just tell him how you feel. That had been Anna's advice. It had sounded so simple. But feelings were complicated things and sometimes Cornelius found that putting them into words was simply too difficult. Besides, what if Tom reacted badly. What if he hated Cornelius.

Just tell him. Could it really be so simple? He was so awful at this whole thing. He always had been. He remembered his first bumbling attempts at asking another boy out back in secondary school. He'd been laughed at and then teased mercilessly after. Even when he'd found a boyfriend his last year it hadn't been a very healthy relationship. Gwendolyn had always compared the boy to an end table. Convenient and steady and simply there. But not the things you really wanted in a person.

So it came as no surprise that he had no concept of how to tell Tom what was on his mind. He was pathetic in that respect. Cornelius might be a genius, but even he had his limitations.

He sighed. Time to face the inevitable. He walked down the hall, held his hand up, and rapped twice on the door.

Tom answered with a weary "what is it."

Cornelius opened the door and stepped into the room. Just tell him how you feel. He's your best friend. That was what Anna had said.

"Tom I…" he broke off and swallowed. "I need to tell you something."

-From Just What the Doctor Ordered posted Oct. 2012
by FanFixx . net author Magicath

A/N: I've had a few people worried about Levi/Cath. Don't you fret darlings. I'm a Cavi (Leth…Lether…? They're all terrible honestly) shipper all the way through. No matter what I put these two through, just know probably 90% of the reason I'm writing this is because of how amazing Levi is. So lay those worries aside. The course of true love never did run smooth after all.

Also, my Fangirl copy is STILL not in from the library and so I couldn't check if they wear robes at Watford…I really just want to assume they do but if someone wants to correct me on that it's fine, just know I honestly did try to find out the truth.

Thanks to my many amazing reviewers The Marvellous Seeweed, stormyskies73, JuliaBC, shiningstar456, and FanimeLuv (sorry if I missed anyone).

Reviews inspire me so please keep them coming! They are so wonderful!

Lastly- just read Eleanor and Park also by Rainbow Rowell and it was also very good. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it!