All during that not-so-little scuffle, Skye went away as far as she could from that house, finding a place to be alone on a bus stop bench. There was no one to bother her, nobody around period. It was just the way she needed it, at least that's what she believed.

"Goddammit!" Skye cursed to herself, crossing her arms as shivered. The one time she goes to a "legit" party it ends in utter shit. She should've known better than to go to a stereotypical high school party full of assholes that could care less about her, but if it weren't for Levi, she wouldn't have given it any sort of chance.

A few moments later, Skye feels a familiar presence sit next to her, and she looks over to see Levi sitting a few inches away from her. He clasps his hands, waiting for her to say something like "go away" or "you came after me?", but Levi decided he should say something first.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I was okay when I was all alone." She scoffed and scooted away from him. Part of her didn't want him there, knowing he would want answers, but at the same time, there was another part that was so glad he came to check on her.

Levi didn't even try to argue though. Her feelings were completely valid in his mind. It was clear she'd rather be anywhere but here, and it was understandable. He wasn't there for all of what happened, but he knew enough to know that Skye had every right to want to get out of there.

"I can leave if you want to." Levi shrugged, waiting for her to respond. She turns and faces him, then looks down at his knuckles, noticing that they were bruised.

"Levi, why do you do this?" Skye asked in a low, serious tone.

"Why do I do what?" He furrowed his eyebrows, unsure of what she meant as it was pretty vague.

"This." She replied, motioning her hand from him to her, referencing what was going on between them. "Wanting to spend so much time with me, "Skye time", buying me things, punching guys for me, wanting to fight my battles for me, always trying to make sure I'm okay, all of it. Why?"

"How did you know I punched him?" Levi asked. Although he didn't mention it, the bruises on his knuckles did all of the talking for him.

"Look at your knuckles, they're bruised," Skye said. "I can imagine you saw what happened, practically everyone did."

"I..." he began, his mouth slightly agape as he was struggling to form words.

"Levi, do you just do all of this because you love me?" She asked, not even thinking of the consequences in her question. It was the only explanation of why he cared so much. After what happened with Hunter at the party, Skye could imagine that Levi was just playing nice for some kind of reward, just like Hunter until it all blew up in his face. It was hard to see that Levi genuinely cared now, especially after what she just had to go through.

Levi falls silent after Skye's question, to which Skye sees the answer as a hard no. Her assumption wasn't the answer at all, but Levi didn't know how to tell the truth when the timing couldn't be any more horrible. Skye didn't even know why she asked that out loud, but the question had been haunting her mind for so long and tonight night as well get a little worse.

"Forget I said that." Skye frowned, turning her head away and looking out into the night. "I'm not thinking clearly."

Levi had to explain himself someway, somehow. He didn't necessarily have to say he had love for her, but Skye deserved some sort of explanation as to why he puts in all of this effort for her, but first, he had to explain punching Hunter. "Skye, Hunter deserved to get hit after what he called you."

"Huh?" She quickly turned. After what he called me?

"He called you a slut." Levi said, looking her right in the eyes. "Do you think I'd let him get away with that?"

"He what?" Skye asked, feeling her heart be ripped out of her chest and thrown into a ditch. This was the worst feeling, and it just wouldn't stop.

"I thought that's why you left?" He questioned.

"No, not at all." She shook her head. "That just makes me feel worse than I already do right now."

"Why did you leave then?" Levi asked.

Skye hesitated in her answer, thinking that if Levi knew the truth then he would do a lot worse than a punch across the face (newsflash: he would if Skye let him). If Levi could turn to violence over her being called a slut, imagine what would happen if she knew what Hunter did physically. Whether he'd turn to violence or not, Levi deserved to know, even if she would regret telling him.

"I..." she paused. "I left because he groped me and then I threw my drink in his face."

"Oh hell no-" Levi began, immediately starting to stand up so he could go after Hunter. There was no way Levi could let Hunter live another day after doing that, but there was indeed someone who could stop him to avoid himself from getting hurt.

"Hey!" Skye yells out and grabs his wrist, pulling his arm a little, which made him stop and turn back to her.

"What?"

Skye looked Levi in the eyes, studying his face while her hand still held onto his wrist. Even in the darkness, Skye could see the anger in Levi's face. Not anger towards her, but anger towards Hunter. There was something about the look on his face that showed what he was willing to do for Skye, and it reminded her of something Xavier said to her long before she considered Levi a friend.

"Well, he's a good guy. He's been there for all of us."

Levi was a good guy. He may be a little clingy and he may think more with his heart than his head, but he was the best damn guy (besides her father, obviously) that Skye could see as somebody to hold near and dear to her heart. "Stay. You've done enough for me."

"Skye..." Levi said, the anger in his face fading as he looked down at Skye while she gave him pleading eyes. He watched as Skye began to tear up, noticing how she was trying so hard to hold back the tears that were begging to stream down her face.

"Please." She whispered, just about ready to fall apart at any moment, but Levi would be the one to keep her from breaking.

"Hey, come here." He whispered back, extending his arms out and pulling her in for a hug. "Push me away if you want to. I don't mind."

But she doesn't push him away. Skye lets out a quiet gasp as he pulled her in and stands still, not quite expecting to be physically comforted by him considering the awkward or almost moments they've shared. She wasn't all too well with expressing her feelings, but the silent embrace was just enough for her. Levi doesn't force anything onto Skye, he doesn't put his hands in the wrong places, and he surely doesn't mind holding her as long as she needed him to.

"Give Levi a chance. I promise being his friend is worth it."

Skye wraps her arms around his neck and rests her chin on his shoulder, letting the tears she once held back stream down her face. Levi closed his eyes as she returned the embrace, holding her tighter than before. As much as he wanted to go after Hunter and do a lot more than just punch him in the face for what he did, making sure Skye was okay and just being there for her was much more important. Plus she wanted him to stay, and he would do anything for her at this point.

"I'll never let anybody hurt you again, Skye, and if someone did, I'd make them pay for it. I'd make them pay because-" he paused. "because you matter to me. So, so, so, so, so much. More than I could probably ever express."

"Thank you," Skye whispers, holding him tighter. "I mean it."

After holding onto each other a little longer, Skye finally let go, giving Levi the okay to stop as he would hold her tight as long as she wanted him to. The two take a step back as the intensity between them hits Skye and Levi way too fast, but the most important thing on Levi's mind was whether Skye was okay or not. If he managed to make Skye feel just the slightest bit better, then it was better than nothing at all.

"You okay now?" Levi asked, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep them warm.

"A little bit." Skye shrugged. "I mean, I've had a really shitty winter break, and somehow you just manage to make it all better. I don't know how you do it, but just you do."

"I do the best I can." He lightly chuckled.

"Well, you're doing pretty good." She smiled a little. "I'm sorry for being a little hostile at first, by the way."

"No, I get it. What happened back there was awful." Levi assured her.

"Yeah." Skye sighed. "Um, I think I'm just gonna get outta here. I really don't wanna go back to that party."

Of course she wouldn't want to go back in there, Levi already assumed that. He could imagine that Skye would just want to lay in bed and shut out the world for just a little. "Let me take you home then."

"Okay..." she paused, not really wanting to go home after such an eventful night. "Um, actually, I don't really wanna go home."

"Do you want the spend the night at my house?" Levi asked, regretting asking that as he thought he was just ruining the mood. Skye wasn't exactly opposed to it as she wouldn't have to face her dad right away, but some rules would have to be established.

"Well-"

"I mean, I don't mind if you do-"

"Let me just walk home and say I got sick instead," Skye said, crossing her arms to keep warm and preparing to start walking home.

"No, stay!" Levi exclaimed, which made Skye stop and turn immediately. "I mean, you can stay at my place for the night if you want."

"I'll only say yes if you agree to no funny business." She replied. There was no way Levi would ever attempt such a thing, especially after what Hunter attempted earlier. Skye didn't need another guy being an asshole towards her, she just needed a friend, and that's exactly would Levi would be no matter what.

"I'll let you sleep on my bed and I'll sleep downstairs in the living room, does that sound good?" He asked.

"That's perfectly fine," Skye said. "Um, I'm gonna text my dad and say I'm spending the night at Nini's to avoid him having a stroke."

"That might be best." Levi awkwardly laughed. Lord knows what would happen if Scott knew his daughter would be in Levi's bed. It didn't matter if he would be all the way downstairs, Levi would be a dead man if her dad knew that information.

Skye texts her dad as fast as possible, her cold hands shaking as her thumbs pressed onto the keyboard. Scott messaged her back a minute later, saying "as long as you're having fun", which translated to a definite yes. After putting her phone back in her pocket, Skye crossed her arms once more, continuing to shiver.

Levi took notice of how cold Skye was, so he offered that they get to his car so he could get the car running and help her warm up. "Come on, let's go to my car."

"What about Nini, Danny, and Xavier?" She asked, seeing as they were still inside the party.

"I can figure something out, don't worry." He assured her. "Let's go."

"Alright," Skye said, sticking close to Levi while they walked down to where his car was parked so they could drive to his house and hopefully have a peaceful start to the new year.

•••

Dear Future Me,

I always told myself I hoped I could find someone that liked me for more than just my body, someone that won't judge me for my imperfections and instead say it's their favorite thing about me. I wanted them to hold me tight like I matter to them just as much as they matter to me. It's more than I thought I could possibly ever ask for. It felt selfish, but it's not selfish to just want to feel like your life matters to someone.

I never thought I would find all these things that I wanted in somebody like Levi Daniels, and I never imagined being grateful to have him in my life either. He's consumed all of my thoughts, my time, and every fiber of my being completely, and for some reason, I don't mind one single bit.

It's crazy to say this, Future Me, but I think he's worth it. No, I know he is. Levi Daniels is worth it all.

Sincerely,

Past Me.

•••

MARIA TALKS!

did i snap? hell fucking yeah. isn't levi just the best? also hell fucking yeah. does hunter suck total ass? again, hell fucking yeah.

i literally can not tell you how long the end  part of this chapter has been sitting in my notes app like- this is what inspired dear future me!! that first paragraph from the dear future me part? the start of it all, and now everyone finally got to see it (well, a modified version of it, but still, the gist is basically the same). it's crazy how just one paragraph led to all of this.

as i remind you once more, don't forget to vote <3