Do you tear yourself apart to entertain like me?

[Selina Taylor]

    Of course she'd come to this place alone. She could have asked so many people to come with her, but yet... she just couldn't bring herself to. Sometimes anonymity and no one knowing your name was a comfort. She closed her eyes for a brief moment as she finished lacing up her white skates. She took in the comfort of being around so much frozen water, the chill pleasantly seeping into her bones as her thin deep blue sweater wasn't near enough to keep her warm, but she didn't care. Selina had always loved the chill, and even though her ears and nose were already tipped with red, she wasn't the least bit bothered by it.

    Selina slowly got up, her black stretch jeans tight against her hips as she slowly started her first lap around the ring, taking her time and not concerned about rushing in the slightest. She let the others speed by her and allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts as she mindlessly moved at her own pace. So much was going on, and she wondered if she should allow herself to be swept up in it all or resist. Selina glanced around her, taking in the sparse individuals who still remained, it was quite late at night, but she'd never minded staying up late.

    Selina shut her eyes as she blocked out all the old memories that always seemed to make themselves known when she spent her time alone. There was a reason she had people over almost every night. She wasn't quite as bad as she'd been three years ago, yet... her conversation with Alistair came to the forefront of her mind as she wondered if she shouldn't try something other than shoving the old memories away. Accept herself for who she was, including for her past. Accept what that man did... she shuddered briefly at the thought. 

    No, that's not what this meant, and she knew it. Still... Selina felt herself slam into someone and her eyes opened as she crashed to the ground on top of him, "Shit!" she swore, about to apologize... but yet not.

Levi Alexander Wolfe

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

It was beginning to get colder. The holidays were quickly coming and going. Levi was on his way home from work when he stopped by the town hall. It was that time, he knew it was here, but now he saw it. The decorations were up and so was the rink. He let out a sigh and parked his car. He stuffed his work bag under the front seat and zipped up his hoodie. He was not dressed for the occasion. He had changed out of his uniform at work and now all he had on were his grey sweatpants, white tee-shirt and black hoodie. He felt the cold from the air smack him in his face when he got out of his truck.

Slowly he walked over to the rink. There were only a few people out there. It was late, and Levi should have problem continued on home to his babies, but there was something different this time. This was the first year since he was eighteen that he had set foot on this property this time of the year. He used to come here all the time as a child growing up. Him and his entire family would skate here together. It became an annual tradition. They would always come on the first day it opened, but every day after Levi would come alone or with his older brother to improve on his skating ability. He couldn’t recall the last time he put skates.

Nevertheless, he grabbed a pair of rental skate and proceeded to attempt to skate. He was off balanced and wobbled a bit at first, but after sometime he got the hang of it. He ignored the few people who were still sprinkled about on the ice. He was free. Finally free. He had held off on coming here on years past in fear of running into his family. But now. Now, he had no family. There was no concern. He could go where he want and do whatever he wanted. He was truly free.

He had been sucked into his own thoughts and pure bliss of the situation that he was obvious of the other person he had forcefully collided into. He felt his back and head hit the cold ice beneath him and the weight of a girl on top him. Levi blinked a few times, letting the impact of the hard ice on the back of his head disperse a bit before speaking. “You okay?” He remained still his hazel eyes adjusted to focus on the girl who was laying on top of him. At least one side of him was warm.

---

Tag: Selina Taylor

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina blinked a bit, still surprised by the initial impact but quickly regaining her senses as she looked at the man she'd just barreled over. She slowly took in his features and was slightly surprised when she heard him speak. She was expecting him to yell at her or cuss her out, not to ask if she was ok. "Um, yeah, I'm fine... I had a soft landing," she teased gently, her expression softening a bit.

    "What about you?" she asked looking him over for injury, she'd heard his head hit the ice. Her hand was halfway to his face to gently turn his head and check when she paused and realized what she was doing. The hell? She'd been spending far too much time around people she actually gave a damn about lately. She withdrew her hand with no offered explanation as she glanced down.

    "Sorry about this," she finally offered, her usual cold demeanor slightly less hostile than normal. She paused as she realized she was still on top of him, quite comfortably though. She suddenly smirked, "Although, maybe not quite as much as I should be," she offered suggestively, but she still tried to get up off of him as she knew it wasn't exactly polite to lay on top of strangers. Or at least, not without their consent. She didn't mind being on top of him in the slightest. 

Levi Alexander Wolfe

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

The local remained still. Pain was still radiating from his back and his head. He really didn’t want to move. He knew sooner or later he’d have to or his back would turn into a popsicle. At least it was him to have taken the brunt of the fall instead of the girl. It probably would have been worse if he landed on her. He would have squished her like a bug.

He remained calm, the whole thing was an accident. Although he probably should have just kept driving home. Work would be interesting tomorrow if this pain didn’t subside. This was the first time since he got the job that he actually wanted to have desk duty. He could only hope.

The girl said she was fine. That was good, at least one of them was. Better her than him. He gave a half smile to her remark. Funny. He was about to speak when she started looking him over for injuries and hand her hands on his face turning his head and checking him. He furrowed his brows, hazel eyes filled with confusion and fascination. He took her hand gently and moved it aside. With her hand still in his he spoke, voice calm and steady, “I’ll be fine. Eventually. I might just need to lay here and not move for a minute or two.” He dismissed her apology. There was no need for it. It was a simple accident. No one was hurt. Well, seriously hurt at least.

Levi raised an eyebrow at her comment. He was surprised how long she had remained on him for. Normally people would get up immediately, yet here they were laying in the middle of an ice rink. He remained still as she shifted in attempt to get off of him. Her weight wasn’t a problem, she was a tiny thing compared to him. He released her hand, unaware that he had been holding onto it for so long. He blinked a few more times wanting to shake the headache he felt developing in the back of his head. He was scared to get up and see red stained ice. He didn’t think he was bleeding. He didn’t feel anything. Then again, his entire dorsal side of his body was numb from the cold ice beneath him.

---

Tag: Selina Taylor

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina was surprised that he took hold of her hand when she’d been about to pull back. As he continued to hold it though… she let him. Why the hell she didn’t pull away from him was baffling, but… he was injured. Maybe that was it. She normally never allowed a man near her unless she was fucking him or beating the shit out of him. Platonic touch wasn’t something she did, even with women… but he’d also been hit in the head, perhaps he needed something to help ground him. Either way, she hadn’t tensed at the touch, hadn’t minded it at all really… was almost disappointed when he let her go.

    As the man spoke of not moving she nodded to him, able to understand that, before she slowly got off of him. She then knelt down next to his head and slipped off her sweater, only a tight t-shirt underneath, but she didn’t care. Selina tenderly placed the fabric warmed by her body heat under his head, careful not to jostle or accidentally bump into his injury. It wasn’t much but it would at least give him some sort of temporary barrier between his head and the chill of the ice until he could move again. “My apartment’s close by, as soon as you feel a bit better we can head there and you can rest properly until you can make it back home,” she offered calmly, goosebumps on her arms from the cold.

    Selina hardly noticed them though, as she wasn’t unused to such weather after having lived in Montana for upwards of four years now. She merely wished she could offer him better, as this had been her fault. She also wished she liked driving more, but she’d always walked when she could… perhaps she could call for a taxi to come pick them up, now that Kalispell had grown so drastically. It was something to consider at least. There was no way in hell she was letting him drive anywhere after a hit like that.

    Selina studied him for a brief second, taking in his condition and his physical build with a calculating glance. He was certainly no frail weakling, and he could probably put up a pretty good fight if he weren’t on the ground. She wasn’t worried about taking him back to her place though, Selina was more than capable of taking care of herself, and besides, he certainly didn’t seem dangerous with how kind he’d been so far. She also had a good instinct with these things, her job practically demanded it, and she felt no malice from him. It didn’t mean she’d be stupid, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t have to be too paranoid around him.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

Levi remained still as he felt weight lift off from him when she had managed to remove herself from him. She was now sitting next him placing her sweater underneath his head. He started to move slowly when she did that. “That’s not necessary. I’ll be okay. Put your sweater back on it’s cold out.” He said, feeling as though the roles should be reversed at this point, but then again, he didn’t want her to be the one that was hurt. Not to mention, he didn’t want her, or anyone to think that he couldn’t handle a fall on ice.

He sat up slowly in order to get his head and back off of the ice. He didn’t think he was ready to stand yet, but he’d get there eventually. He felt his back crack and he felt a bit lightheaded from the rush of blood out of his head. Maybe he didn’t sit up as slowly as he thought.

The local raised an eyebrow at the girls offer. It seemed odd that she would invite a stranger to her house. Not that Levi was dangerous, but if he was, that wouldn’t end well. She also looked young. But then again Levi gave up trying to assume peoples age’s years ago. It was something he was never quite good at. He had also been told over the years that he looks much younger than he is.

He was a bit taken aback by it. He didn’t live that much further from here, but at the same time she seemed sweet, and probably thought it was her fault. Even though it wasn’t really. Accidents happened all the time. “That’s very kind of you, but like I said I’ll be fine. I can drive home soon.” He declined respectfully. He thought of his time in Europe, but quickly shook the thought. Why the hell did he just think of that? “I could always give you a ride if you’d like.”

---

Tag: Selina Taylor

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina glanced at him as he sat up and watched him carefully. "Take your time," she offered quietly. She grabbed her sweater and put it back on after he'd gotten up, not truly caring but not one for foolishness either. "I get that you're a tough guy who can handle anything, but head injuries aren't to be taken lightly," she teased gently, but she was serious too. 

    Selina could more than handle herself, and when she noticed his reaction to her offer she smirked, "I have strange men in my house all the time, trust me, you're probably a safer bet than the majority of them, particularly when injured," her tone more than suggestive at her first words. It was the truth too, and he could take that however he wanted.

    Selina almost laughed at being called 'kind,' "Inviting a handsome man back to my place for a night isn't usually thought of as kindness on my part, but I'll take it," she replied with a wry grin. She then frowned at his mention of driving. "If you're feeling dizzy, you shouldn't get behind the wheel of a vehicle. It's dangerous. If you don't care for yourself, then for the others on the road as well." She would have offered to drive him, but she didn't have her car with her.

    "My place is only a few blocks from here. I'll be fine. I'm not the one who hit my head... besides, you should probably have someone wake you up every few hours tonight..." her initial thoughts were purely medical in nature, but the slow grin that crossed her features was indicative of just where that train of thought had gone.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

As Levi sat up he felt the girl’s eyes on him. He ignored it just as he ignored the couple of people who were still skating around them. He was glad that she had taken her sweater back. It was a bit cold out. His hazel eyes watched as she put it on, realizing he had been staring a bit too long he averted his eyes from her and slowly tilted his head from side to side. It almost felt as though his brain was loose and sliding about crashing into each side of his skull. He blinked a few more times. As a kid he was always out and about doing stupid things that would get him hurt. He had his fair share of broken bones and scars, luckily nothing ever too serious. Although some could argue that a broken bone was serious, but to Levi it wasn’t.

Her comment caused him to chuckle. “What makes you think I’m a tough guy?” He knew he was, but he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of thinking she knew who he was. “Maybe I’m a huge wimp and I’m holding back my tears right now.” He jested, a smirk making an appearance on his face. “My head will be fine.” He said, trying to reassure her that it wasn’t serious.

Between the radiating pain in his head and the thoughts that were trying to surface Levi tried ignoring both of those things. Although he was unsuccessful, his face remained unchanged. The more she spoke the more he was further intrigued. He let out another chuckle, “First off. I’m not strange…well, at least I don’t think so…” He said as he looked off into the distance pretending he was in deep contemplation over the thought. “Second,” He stuck up two fingers and wiggled them. “I’m not injured. I thought we established this.” He said with his impish smirk growing.

As much as he did not want to admit it, she was right. It would be best for him to relax a bit before driving again, preferably not on freezing ice. His head was pounding and he wasn’t quite sure what would happened if he tried standing, let alone skating. He should go about this responsibly, especially now with his job. Ugh, great. Why couldn’t he go back to a time without responsibilities? Those were much better days. As his thoughts battled with each other, he knew he should be grateful for everything he has now. He had really come a long way.

Letting out a defeated sigh he looked at the girl. “Fine. BUT...I’ll only stay for a little bit, and it’s mostly because I want to get off this ice.” He really hated feeling defeated and weak. But he knew she was right as much as it killed him to admit. He started to adjust himself to get into a better position so he could stand. Pushing his hands on the ice, he slowly starter to rise, making sure he had his balance on his skates before moving at all. He blinked a few more times, feeling a bit dizzy now. Dammit.

---

Tag: Selina Taylor

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina caught his gaze and smirked a bit, "If you like what you see, you can always stay the night," she offered with a sultry gaze. She certainly wouldn't mind. Besides, if that dizziness of his faded... there were just so many possibilities. At his question she grinned. "Tears wouldn't make you a wimp," she offered wryly. "And denial isn't going to change the fact that you might have a mild concussion," she added a bit more sternly. No, she probably wasn't going to let him go home tonight, no matter much he protested. If he did have a concussion, she'd been very serious about someone needing to be there to wake him up every few hours. However, she knew better than to push him right now, besides she could always make sure her apartment was so welcoming that he wouldn't want to leave...

    Selina grinned as he talked of not being strange, "Well then, even more reason for you to come," she offered, lingering a bit on the last word with an impish smile of her own. "And of course you're not," she replied with a half laugh as he claimed to be uninjured. As he finally agreed, Selina let out a silent relieved sigh, “There’s no rush, you can take all the time you need… and however much time you don’t,” she added with a playful smirk. He was definitely intriguing and she didn’t think he was quite as disinterested as he wanted himself to be. This was going to be so much fun... or it be would if he weren't in so much pain.

    Selina almost winced in sympathy as she watched him try to move though, "Hold on," she offered before standing and leaning down, her arm gently wrapping around his back in support as she ducked under his arm and placed it on her shoulders to help him balance, "Might as well help keep me warm," she teased lightly, knowing he probably wouldn't be too excited about needing someone to help him get up. Besides, it wasn't a lie... his warm body was hard to ignore, even if she wanted to... which she didn't. Selina was gentle as she could be though, and kept her movements slow so he could hopefully adjust and not suffer too many dizzy spells as they made their way off the ice.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

Levi tried holding back his smirk at her comment. It was still half noticeable. Glazing over the first part of her sentence he was tempted to acknowledge the latter part. But he refrained, he simply offered a chuckle as a response. The girl was clearly more than capable of handling herself and she seemed more than comfortable with who she was. He admired that about her, his thoughts were no longer remaining quiet in his head.

He gave another laugh, “What would make me a wimp then?” He asked, slightly curious. He opened his mouth to object to her comment, but he knew by doing that he would just be proving her thoughts. Perhaps he was in denial, but then again, he thought he was fine. A concussion hadn’t even crossed his mind. “I don’t have a concussion.” He said rather matter-of-factly. Whether he did or not was irrelevant. He didn’t think he did, so therefore for him he didn’t have one. Whether it was denial or stubbornness didn’t matter. If he kept fighting it, it could potentially be a problem.

She was persistent. Whether it was because she actually cared or had an agenda of her own he didn’t know. He wasn’t oblivious, he was fully aware of her flirty demeanor and implications. He just wasn’t sure where he stood on the matter. He had hoped it would have died down by now, but seeing as it hasn’t and his mind was screaming at him he was torn.

As she spoke, he’d chuckle or nod every so often. Stuck in his own head for the time being. He wasn’t ignoring her, he just needed to figure himself out. There was no running away from his past. He was fully aware of that and had long ago accepted it. Levi felt her arm wrap around his back as she helped him stand. He wasn’t going to fight her help anymore. There was no point. He had been defeated, and he was strangely okay with that. Wrapping his own arm around her he smirked, “Yeah, you’re not exactly dressed for the occasion.” He said, his hazel eyes quickly giving her a once over. He’d be a fool not to notice how her tight black pants fit her…well, to say the least.

Ignoring his the pain and thoughts that were violently making themselves known. He slowly began to move. Wanting to get off the ice. Having her next to him helped with his balance, and as they made their way off the ice he made his way towards a bench. Happy to have a seat on something that wasn’t freezing. He waited a moment before taking of his skates. He eyed his truck parked in the distance. He knew he should leave. It would be best. For the both of them.

Sliding his sneakers on, he smiled at the girl who had been so nice, “So how far is your place?”

Bad Levi.

---

Tag: Selina Taylor

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina grinned at his question, “If you couldn’t keep up with me in bed,” she teased, a challenging glint in her gaze. He would be fun, that was for sure. Selina merely nodded as he disagreed with her about a concussion, not interested in pushing the point. Besides, he was probably right… probably. Either way, Selina certainly wouldn’t mind keeping him company for the night.

    As she helped him up and he commented on her attire, Selina smirked, “Depends on which occasion,” she replied suggestively. Selina truly didn’t mind the cold… much. Besides, her thin clothing had given her an excuse to cozy up to a handsome guy, so she was dressed perfectly. Did it matter that she would have offered him her shoulder regardless of what she wore? …not really.

    The fact that he was actually accepting her help now, had her smiling though. Selina felt a warmth stir in her that had little to do with body heat as his arm wrapped around her, and she barely kept herself from leaning into his touch. There was time for that later, for now they needed to get off the ice. She didn't stop herself from enjoying how he felt against her though.

    Selina moved at his pace and let him go once he got to the bench, “I’ll be right back,” she offered, swaying her hips a bit more than necessary as she walked over to grab her duffle bag, which held her shoes amongst other things. She returned quickly and sat down next to him to pull off her own skates and don her black boots. She then glanced up at him as he started to speak, a wicked grin crossing her features when he asked where she lived, “Not more than a few blocks from here,” she replied easily, a nod of her head indicating the direction of her home.

    Selina then stood and held out her hand, offering to help him up, “And it’s a hell of a lot warmer than that bench,” she offered wryly. Selina couldn’t help her gaze sweeping over him once more... goddamn he was fine. She felt a flicker of anticipation run through her at the mere thought of him in her apartment… Tonight would be a good night, she hoped.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

Levi chuckled. Clever. He kept quiet. It had been a while since was in the midst of flirty banter. She however, seemed well versed. He was struggling to keep his thoughts from making themselves visible. He rubbed his temple, as if by some miracle that would help them disappear. It didn’t. It just made his the pain more noticeable. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, staying awake may be best for him. If he had a concussion. If he had a concussion, having someone else around would be helpful…if.

His subconscious justifications were laughable. “For this occasion. Skating on ice. Not the best option.” He clarified as he gestured with his free arm to the rink, although he knew she knew what he had meant.

At the bench, he nodded as she walked away. Before tending to his skates his eyes lingered a bit longer as he watched her walk away. Glad that he was off the ice, he wiggled his toes around in his sneakers letting his feet adjust to the shoes. He gave a nod. A few blocks isn’t too bad. His mind flashed to his dogs. They’d be okay for a bit longer right? For the night?

He watched as she stood. Taking her hand, he stood. Not really doing it for the help. “God. I’d hope so.” Levi said with a chuckle. He felt her eyes on him, he gestured towards her apartment. “Ladies first.” He swallowed, and clenched his jaw. What was he getting himself into?

---

Tag: Selina Taylor

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina watched him, concern etched into her features as he rubbed at his head, “I’ve got some extra strength tylenol back at my place,” she offered. She made a mental note to get him some ice as well, though he’d probably had quite enough of that already, it would help with any swelling. Selina hated that she was responsible for his pain, but his sense of humor had her smiling despite herself.

    She laughed as he motioned to the ice rink and conceded his point, “Very well then… I suppose you’ll just have to help me warm up later,” she teased. Selina laced up her shoes quickly, her usually nimble fingers fumbling only a bit because of the cold. Gloves, why did she always forget gloves? At least her fingers could have been warm... Selina sighed and decided she didn’t care. She’d be home soon enough and then she’d forget all about the cold... although, when his hand gripped hers, she appreciated the temporary warmth his body heat provided.

    Selina nodded as he gestured for her to take the lead and started making her way to her apartment, the path familiar and well traveled by now. “By the way, you like coffee or tea?” she asked in curiosity, knowing the caffeine would help the pain killer go to work faster and figuring a hot drink would be preferable. She’d had enough injuries to know her way around how to deal with basic damage.

[Levi Alexander Wolfe]

The concern was evident on the girl’s face. He could tell she really was worried about his well-being. He couldn’t remember the last time someone cared about him like that. Even if it was because she was feeling guilty. He couldn’t seem to figure her out. She seemed like a head strong independent no bullshit kind of girl, but at the same time he couldn’t help but feel like there was something more there. He pointed to her. “Tylenol sounds good.” He realized in that moment that he didn’t know her name. Part of him didn’t want to know.

“I can do that.” He said a bit absentmindedly, still rubbing his temples. It took him a moment to catch on to her subtext. His hazel eyes watched her as she tied her shoes. He was still fascinated by her lack of clothes.

As they began to walk, she took the lead. He followed suit, and glanced at his car as they passed it. He should just turn around and get back to his car and go home. That would be the best thing to do. He gave up the fight within himself and put his arm around her as they continued down the street. “I’m not really a fan of either to be honest.” He said with a shrug. “You got any whiskey?”

---

Tag: Selina Taylor

[Selina Taylor]

    As soon as Selina realized she wasn’t the perfect picture of indifference, he started speaking again and she found herself grateful for the opportunity to focus on something else, “It’s always helped me out,” she offered with a friendly smile.

    Selina then smirked as he answered her offer, “Looking forward to it,” she replied easily. He hadn’t even asked for her name yet… she liked him already.

    Selina was slightly surprised when he put his arm around her, but she certainly didn’t mind. He was warmer than she was, and she wasn’t going to act like she was unaffected by his touch. Selina had alway been tactile and the contact incited her baser nature. She slid her arm around his waist in turn as she chuckled at his question, “I have Jack and Jameson,” Hard liquor was a luxury she kept in stock at all times now that she could truly afford to.

    When they reached her apartment, Selina slid her hand into her pocket and grabbed her keys, pulling away from him to swiftly unlock her door and flick on the light. The furniture was modest but homey as this was her corner of the world where she could relax and unwind, and she always kept her place clean. Anything personal was hidden away, as she had no desire for her occasional nightly guests to ask prying questions. Perhaps the lacking individual aspect said more than she intended, however most didn’t care to focus on that, so she didn’t either. The warmth of her home felt heavenly against the cold and the smile that crossed her features as she crossed her threshold was unaffected and genuine.