Priceless

Anna didn't know how to react when Ephraim lifted the blanket to her. Was she supposed to sit with him or take the blanket for herself? She hadn't the slightest clue considering she never had been offered to share a blanket with someone, she'd never really been in a place where there were blankets to share. But before she read to much more into it, she stood up, walked over and slipped herself into the space left on occupied beside him. It wasn't hard for her to fit, and she looked up at the large screen in front of them. There wouldn't be anything she liked to watch, since she never had cable or a TV for that matter, but she figured anything to keep his mind occupied would be best.


Flicking the channels she stopped on a sitcom, something black and white. It featured a curly red haired woman, beautiful but very loud. She was constantly getting into trouble, and the repeating sound of laughter was enough to be able to space off and drown out what was going on. She was sure that neither of them really cared what was on TV, it as merely something to fill the silence that fell between them. Again the thought that she might be making Eph uncomfortable crossed her mind and she glanced over at him. He didn't move away, or make an odd expression, his mind was somewhere else entirely it seemed, and for once she was grateful for that. He really needed a break from the life he'd been given, and she wondered if he would ever get it.


They sat this way for a long time, had Annabelle been paying attention she would have noticed that they'd gone through four episodes already. But it was about on the fourth one the two of them fell asleep. It was easy to sleep when you were so warm and the chair you were in was so comfortable, and it wasn't until a few more episodes in that Levi managed to wake them.

((I'm going to assume that Levi is taking Anna over to see Ephraim.))


Anna had waited in the car while Levi had run an errand at a large store. This was never a place she'd been allowed to go into, at least not with her appearance. So when he'd asked her if she wanted to come in, she turned it down waiting in the car would bring her much less judgment than trying to walk into a sore where everything cost more than her whole life. Besides that, Anna could tell something was bothering Levi and she didn't exactly want to add to that stress because he could be kind of an ass hat when he was in a sour mood. As she waited, she sung softly along with the radio and leaned comfortably in her seat. She'd heard footsteps a while later and looked up to see a scowling Levi stomping toward his car, and his bad mood was only solidified when he put something fancy into the trunk and slammed it shut.


When he got in Anna looked at him, frowning slightly, "Are you okay? You're in a pretty crappy mood..." She'd always been very straightforward with him when she spoke. It had been that way since they'd managed to get tangled up together in different crazy events. She wondered just what it was that was causing him to act the way he was. He probably wasn't going to tell her, and instead yell at her, but in the last few weeks, slowly they'd become some what friends at least and she was worried about him. Anna kept her eyes on him, waiting for him to blow up at her or maybe even shut her out completely. "I'm worried about you..." She finally added before Levi had the chance to respond. It was the truth though this would be the first time that she'd ever admitted that to him. Normally she'd never be caught dead saying something to him like that, but this mood, this time something was truly bothering him and she could see it.


While she waited for an answer she wondered how Ephraim would handle his brother's horrible moods. Levi was a rather angry person most of the time, and she had never really seen him be that way around Eph, but what if today he blew and said something to him...mentally she shook her head. Levi would never do anything to hurt his brother, he loved him and that was clear, but her...he might just go for the throat. In for the kill.

Anna frowned at his dismissals, she wasn't going to stop worrying about him just because his pride was hurt by it. This time his facade was cracking and she was seeing glimpses of the real Levi the one that she knew was there even if she let the putter him annoy her so much. It was hard to know with him if he wanted your help or he wanted to shut you out more often than not he chose the latter but that didn't mean she was going to give up on him. Sure they weren't the closest of friends, but besides Ephraim that was who she had and she wanted to make sure he was okay. The last couple of days Anna had noticed that he was acting weird and when he explained the situation she understood.


"It's perfectly normal to not want to see an ex marry someone else..." Anna started, looking over at Levi with a soft and sympathetic smile, "I'd feel pretty shitty too if I'd had the privilege of being in love and they were getting married." She didn't say it to rub it in, but to say that she understood how hard this must have been for him. No wonder he'd been so sour more so than normal the last week or so. She wasn't sure how friday was going to go for him but she was sure that it would end with him plastered and angry. Unless...someone helped him get through, god willing he would accept the help.


"I know we don't always get a long...but I don't like seeing you like this..." She looked away shyly then. She was admitting she cared for him in some fashion an that she even noticed his mood change no matter how much he'd tried to hide it. "I could go with you...if that would help?" She offered and nervously tucked her fiery hair behind one ear. She worried this was cause him to blow up, to possibly throw her out of the car and never speak to her again. That seemed like something Levi would do over a suggestion like that.


"I mean...I'm not worth much, nor am I the most impressive girl you could take to a wedding with you...but I think going alone might make things even harder on you," Anna said without looking at him, she was looking out the windshield still sitting in the parking lot, wondering how far of a walk it would be to her house from here.

((I'm going to time skip to the day of the wedding! Hope that's okay.))


It was late morning and Anna was sitting in her apartment, looking at a cracked and dirty mirror. Her stomach was turning in knots and she couldn't help but feel nervous about the event of the day. It was Levi's ex-girlfriends wedding, which he'd seemed to broken up about that she'd wanted to at least try and ease his suffering. She sighed as she put the last bobby pin in her hair, it was done up in soft curls, some falling down to frame her face. She'd pulled out her best dress for the occasion, not as nice as it could have been but it was nice. It was a light pink color, it hugged her chest, and hips perfectly and flowed down to about the middle of her calf. The color of it made her shining red locks stand out, her eyes like glowing embers from the fire place. Anna bell looked herself over, then closed her eyes for a moment. Just doing this much make me exhausted she thought, hoping that this wouldn't affect her during the day. It would have been a travesty if she were to have an attack at a stranger's wedding.


Standing up finally, Anna glanced at the time, it was almost noon and the wedding would be starting in a few hours, though of course that would only be the ceremony, there was no telling just how long the whole event would last. Though, she guessed that Levi wasn't going to stick around too long if he even made it through the nuptials. Shaking her head at the thought, Anna walked over and pick up a bottle of perfume carefully spritzing it on either side of her neck and her wrists. It had been such a long time since she'd ever taken the time and energy to put herself together this way. A small smile crept to her lips, this was going to be so much better than sitting home alone. But not only would it pass the time, she'd be able to be there for a friend if he needed her to be.


The final touch was a thin shawl that draped around her shoulders and then Anna was out the door. She slowly walked down her steps not wanting to slip in her heels, and made it out to the curb. A man who was driving by stuck his head out the window and whistled at her. Her face flushed as she stood and waited for Levi to come get her. She was sure that he'd make a comment on her lack of better appearance, but all she could do was grin and bare it. She knew that Levi was having a hard time today especially, so she wasn't going to give him any snide remarks or retorts.

Anna smiled when Levi pulled up, it was going to be a hard day for him and she knew it. She would t have offered if she didn't think he really needed it. It had surprised her that he even was letting her go, but he was here picking her up to go to a wedding that he clearly was putting on a brave face for. She kept her smile though and slipped into the seat beside him. "You look nice, too" Anna replied happy to except the half feigned compliment. It was probably the nicest thing he'd ever really said to her, and she didn't take it lightly coming from him. She looked Levi over then, he did look nice, very nice actually. Before she was caught staring she looked out her window and kept her mouth shut. If he didn't want to talk she wouldn't bug him with the sound of her voice. Silently she smoothed her dress out and tucked away a miss placed curl, this was the prettiest she'd felt in a long, long time and she wondered if Levi would be proud to have her there with him.


They drove in silence for a long time, before she looked over at Levi with a slight frown, "if at any point you want me to go..." She said looking back out her window, "... Just let me know," she was a poor sickly woman, it wouldn't surprise her if Levi decided at some point during the wedding that she was embarrassing to have following him around. Her cheeks flushed slightly but she kept her face angled toward her window so that he wouldn't see. She didn't expect an answer from him and that was fine she just wanted to make sure he was comfortable and as happy as possible during this difficult time that was watched someone you cared for or maybe even loved get married to someone else.