Levi’s life changed quite a bit after that night. He awoke the next morning and found Eloise still nestled into him lovingly. He almost believed that she spent the entire night like that, until he checked his phone and noticed his lock screen changed to a picture of her. 

His socials were also updated to list him as ‘seeing someone’ and there were a few extra pictures of them together taken while he was asleep. Maybe he should have been angry with her for the invasion of privacy, but one had to admire her tenacity for brute-forcing through the four-digit passcode.

When he went to the bathroom and saw himself in the mirror, his neck was absolutely covered in visible lovebites. How she managed to accomplish this without waking him, he had no idea. When he asked her for an explanation, she simply told him that she was ‘marking her territory’ so other girls would know to stay away. That was the start of their life together.

The next month passed by in a flash.

The police never did contact Levi for another follow up interview, but a newspaper did. Levi declined the interview even though there was a chance it would give him free publicity. He spent a few more days biting his nails over whether the police would knock down his door. Eventually, he was able to sigh with relief when it was obvious the investigation had stalled. With time, his neighbor's murder would become just another cold case that got forgotten.

His attention became free to focus on more important things like girls and writing.

Eloise truly had no idea what ‘take things slow’ was supposed to mean. Levi tried to set boundaries for them, but she was devious. No matter how he tried to keep her out, she would always be in his bed in the morning like magic. A second toothbrush appeared by his sink. Half of his wardrobe was claimed for her clothes. One day, Levi realized that she had fully moved in with him without realizing exactly when or how it happened.

Eloise also had no concept of ‘personal space’. She loved to be in his lap all the time. While he ate, while he worked, while he read and relaxed. He became so used to her being there, that holding her and casually petting a hand up and down her legs became his new normal. It only took her two weeks before she had him trained well enough that he was doing it even out in public.

They became ‘that couple’. Just completely unaware or uncaring of how overbearing their displays of affection were to everyone else. Eloise insisted on him walking her to class everyday and would outright refuse to leave his side if he didn’t kiss her at the door. She wanted everyone to see her with her new boyfriend. She wanted everyone to know that he was hers and only hers.

It didn’t get any better once she was in class either. Instead of paying any attention, she could always be found doodling hearts in her notebook. Sometimes she’d just write his name hundreds of times all over the page. No one else understood her or what she was feeling. The stupid counselor even called their relationship ‘unhealthy’ and strongly suggested that they spend more time apart. Yeah right! She would never leave his side.

That wasn’t to say that the two of them didn’t have any problems. Eloise loved to push his boundaries and constantly test just how much she could get away with. There were a few times when she would try to cross a line even Levi’s superhuman forbearance couldn’t allow. In such cases, he would set her straight and she would be obedient afterwards. For a few hours.

There was one minor incident when they were at the café together. A barista was a little too friendly to Levi. The slut was batting her eyes and smiling at him, saying things like, “Hope you come again!” She practically asking to be bit after picking a fight with Eloise like that. Later on, the steamer machine somehow malfunctioned and sprayed the poor girl with boiling hot water. It didn’t matter how innocent Eloise acted, Levi wasn’t convinced.

But these small things didn’t stop them from growing closer. Levi had experienced betrayal before. When they met, he was closed off, unwilling to accept another chance at heartbreak. However, slowly but surely, Eloise’s undying earnestness won him over until he couldn’t help but accept her. 

Eloise might have a few quirks, but you know what else she has? Absolute loyalty and endless affection to give. Levi never needed to worry with her. He never needed to wonder if she was enjoying their date or if he was boring her. He never needed to worry if she was happy. She was always happy so long as she was with him. He didn’t need to pretend or put up a front around her. She liked him the way he was and never missed a chance to show it. It had only been a month since they met, and he hadn’t said it out loud yet, but Levi had already admitted it to himself. 

He was in love.

Despite his best efforts to keep her at arm’s length, Eloise had pulled down the walls surrounding his heart. He never intended for their relationship to become so serious, especially not so quickly, but he didn’t care to resist any longer. He didn’t care if their relationship was toxic. He didn’t care if other people gave him weird looks when she cuddled up to him giving him ‘crazy eyes’. To Levi, there was no sight in this world more beautiful than those eyes, staring up at him like she wanted to devour him whole. Levi would do anything for this silly girl so long as she kept looking at him like that. Anything.

***

Eloise couldn’t be happier with how her life had changed since meeting Levi. He gave her everything that she always wanted. Everything except for one thing that is. There was no sex!

At first it had been just because their relationship hadn’t reached that level yet, but that wasn’t the case anymore. She was ready. She was more than ready. 

She had been dropping hints and teasing him for weeks. Pressing her ass into his lap, kissing his neck, guiding his hand under her clothes. One time she slipped her panties into his pocket so he would find them while she was at class. Nothing worked. Eloise was ready to pull her hair out. She just wanted to scream, “If you’re a man, then fuck me already!” 

Ironically, her actions were what had doomed her to this life of abstinence. It wasn’t as though Levi didn’t notice what she wanted. And it wasn’t that he was too pure or didn’t approve of her teasing. In fact, it was the exact opposite. He loved her efforts to attract his attention so much that he was withholding his own desires to rile her up more. Levi wanted to make her desperate for him. He was evil!

It turned into a game between the two of them to see who would break first. Eloise liked this game in the beginning, but he was too good at it. She couldn’t get Levi out of her thoughts. Even in class she couldn’t help squirming as she daydreamed about all the things they could do together. If this game didn’t come to a close soon and Levi didn’t give her what she wanted, there would be violence!

She could sense that they were both at their breaking point. They were teetering on a knife’s edge. The tension had reached an extreme. It could happen any moment and when it finally did.. Her first time was bound to be memorable. 

But Eloise had run out of patience. She would break him. And now she found an opportunity.

Levi’s writing had been gaining popularity recently, and his publisher suggested that he attend a local convention for indie horror books and films. This particular convention was well-known for cosplay. So Eloise convinced him it would be a good idea and that she wanted to go with.

Let’s see if he can still resist her once she’s dressed up in a skimpy costume! She searched for the most risque thing she could get away with. Eloise eventually settled on a fallen angel costume with black wings, a corset and high-waisted skirt, and thigh-high stockings. A halo of thorns and a little fake blood completed the ‘horror’ look. Once they got there, she was going to pull out all the stops to drive him crazy. All day long he would be able to look, but not touch! 

Tonight, it would finally happen. They would take their relationship to the next level. Once Levi got a taste, he would be hers forever. 

***

Because he was there as a creator, albeit a small one, the convention set Levi and Eloise up with a suite in the hotel next door. That way he would be able to arrive early and set up a booth. His booth would technically be for the publishing house and not just ‘his’, but since horror wasn’t the genre they specialized in and no one else would bother with a small indie event, he was going to be the only author there operating it.

Levi still insisted that his works were romances and not ‘horror’, but the market didn’t lie. His reviews lately were good even if they left him with mixed feelings.

[“Extremely creepy and unsettling. Will leave your skin crawling!”]

[“It feels like a real psychopath wrote this. 5 stars!”]

Levi stopped reading reviews and put away his phone. He turned towards the bathroom door. Eloise was inside changing into her costume, but she was taking a while. They needed to get to the convention floor soon or they would be late.

He had been surprised when she told him she wanted to come to an event like this and dress up. She never seemed like the type to be into the convention scene before. Not that he minded. He wasn’t big on crowds, but it sounded like fun and he was up for trying something new if it would make her happy. Plus he could tell himself that it counted as ‘work’.

“Eloise? Are you about done?”

Levi called out to her through the door. He got back a cheerful and melodic, “Mhm!” There was some shuffling on the other side. When it finally opened and Eloise appeared before him, he was instantly enchanted.

She kept her costume a secret until now for the surprise, and it got her exactly the reaction she was hoping for. His eyes roamed over her starting from her legs, up her lithe and petite body, tracing across her exposed shoulders and neck. Usually, Eloise was cute. In that outfit she wasn’t cute though, she was sexy and dangerous.

Levi didn’t even try to hide the way he looked at her. Eloise swayed her hips a bit as she stepped up to him and met his eyes. His hands instinctively came up to hold those hips once she slipped into his arms. Usually, she was the one looking at him like that, but for once it was the other way around.

“Do you like it~?”

She traced her tongue across her front teeth seductively. He seriously considered whether the convention could wait an extra hour or so for them. With great willpower, he finally managed to tamp down on the urge. Now he understood why Eloise wanted to come to the convention. She wanted to make him desperate for her. She was evil!

“It’s alright, I guess. Ready to go?”

“Kiss me first.”

Levi gave her the slow and intimate kiss that she wanted. She draped her arms over his shoulders. As he pulled away, he brushed his thumb across her glossy lips.

He could wait just a little longer.

The two held hands as they left their room and made their way down to the convention hall across the street.