Fever by Peggy Lee

"Moonlight."

Thalia decided she quite liked kissing Levi. The steady beat of his heart under the pads of her calloused fingertips and the rise and fall of his chest against hers made her mind oddly silent. She allowed herself to sink into the gentle pull of her innocent desires. Permitting them to wash over her cracking heart in the hope it holds together.

His mouth was uncertain against hers. His hands timid. But his breath was steady. His pulse a strong, steady thrum. For such a crude man, he was heartbreakingly gentle with her as they clumsily spoiled one another with affection.

She buried her face in his bare shoulder and kissed the scarred, pale skin. He cradled the back of her neck gently, letting her head fall back as he pressed gentle kisses to her forehead and temple, murmuring softly.

The pull on her fragile heart strengthened, tugging her beneath the waves of her emotions and submerging her fully until all she could do was to breathe them. The silence in her head morphed into a steady buzz and she allowed herself to feel it. To feel him.

The moon had reached its peak when they settled for the night. Thalia was wrapped in one of Levi's long sleeve shirts. She sat up with her shoulder against the headboard, her legs carefully folded beneath her.

Levi had his back to her, sitting on the edge of the bed facing the window. His back was curled as he rolled up the cuffs of his cotton pants. Many scars crossed his back. Some jagged with teeth like edges and others smooth lines. However, several stood out to her.

On either shoulder were thick, long lines that crossed down his back and disappeared under his arms to his chest. They were too wide for them to be caused by a blade or tree branch laceration.

They were from his ODM gear, she realized. Her heart sank.

Her palm pressed against his right shoulder blade. She felt him flinch beneath her touch. The scar was just as wide as her hand. It was rough and raised and discolored from the rest of his pale skin. It was fresh.

"Does your gear always rub your skin raw?" she asked, shifting closer to him.

"Usually," he grunted.

Ignoring his bitter mood, she traced her fingers along his back. He stilled under her touch. She ghosted her touch to the waistband of his pants. "Do your leg straps also damage the skin?"

He grunted again. He straightened his spine, the outline of his vertebrae disappearing from sight. He twisted to face her.

Thalia instead focused on his chest, where the rest of the irritated skin was. She didn't know if she could change how the weight was distributed, but she could try. If she had known when he brought the gear into the shop all those years ago, she would have found a way by now.

Levi turned fully, pushing himself between her thighs and forcing her on her back. She met his steady gaze with her own and though her heart had picked up pace, she was calm. She brushed her hands across his skin and cupped his cheek. "I'll try to find a way to adjust the gear," she said, brushing strands of damp hair from his eyes.

He kissed just under her eye and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Thalia lazily wrapped one leg around his waist and buried her fingers in his hair. "You need a haircut," she said, tugging at the long strands.

He grunted once more, replying by kissing her neck. Then, he sat up and pushed on her side gently. Following his lead, she shifted so that her head was on her pillow and he settled between legs once again, pressing his nose on her neck once more. His arms settled on either side of her head and rested his elbows above her shoulders.

Thalia refrained from speaking and allowed him to explore the newly found physical affection. She wasn't about to speak against his mouth pressed against her neck. She wrapped one leg on his waist and the other rest on his left calf, allowing herself to sink into the pressure of his stomach against hers and her chest meeting his with each breath.

He moved down to her clavicle. She turned her head and kissed his wrist, right where the long, curious scar ran.

The buzzing in her head grew. Her cheeks felt hot and his skin grew warm.

"Levi," she murmured against his scar.

He stopped, his nose pressed onto her sternum. "Ready to call it a night?" His voice was soft, a whisper in the dark.

She dragged her right leg up his side and around his waist. He pulled back to look down at her and she tilted her head to the side. "Only if you are,"

In the gray darkness, she saw his lips thin and the crows feet around his dark eyes deepen. Instead of replying, he kissed her squarely on the mouth and pressed harder into her abdomen.

An idea slipped into her mind. Instead of letting it simmer, she decided to act.

Pushing her hips against his, she rolled him over, straddling his hips and grinning devilishly at his wide eyes. "Okay?" She asked. The buzzing grew in her head, sliding forward to her forehead. She blinked down lazily. Wolfishly.

Levi dug his elbows in the mattress and met her halfway, kissing her firmly.

But despite the pleasure of her husband between her thighs and the comfort he wrapped her in, the cracks that spiderwebbed upon her heart still remained. The void in her chest did not fill as he rolled her on her back and made her softly sigh.

The buzzing in her head only temporarily filled the numbness in her skull.

But Thalia refused to fall into the deep, pitch black pit that her feet slipped against. No. Not tonight. She would not let go.

For now, she would listen to Levi murmur her name as though it were a prayer. Memorize the feeling of him move gently against her.

For now, this was enough.

AN: I thought about pushing this to be later, but honestly, I thought like it fit. How far they go is up to you guys as the readers to draw up, not for me to always tell. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

I love hearing from you guys, please tell me what you think :)