Devious Levi

A month before.

Sam was reading the toxicology and serology result for a Homicide when she heard the lab door open behind her. "I thought you had a case?" Sam asked as she started calibrating the Spectrophotometer, adjusting the Wavelength control knob to her desired wavelength. She then opened the Sample compartment and inserted her blank solution after wiping the outside of the cuvettes to ensure an accurate reading. Levi had mentioned before, that he will not be coming to her Lab that day for a case he was doing.

"Finished faster than I expected." Sam heard Levi's voice say behind her and took a seat on the chair, while she took out the Blank solution and inserted the Sample solution in. She frowned at the sound of his voice; it sounded a bit raspy, she mentally wondered if Levi caught a cold or something.

Slowly the redhead turned and her green eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him. His usually perfectly slick blond hair was sticking at the side, of which the psychologist tried to fix it subconsciously with his left hand. His knuckles she took note were bruised and bloodied. His usually perfectly pressed suit had tears and dirt on it.

But most importantly was his face, he had a cut lip, bruised neck, and a black eye. His left cheek was swelling and had a small gash on it too, and blood caking under his nose.

Sam's mouth opened in a gasp, "What the fuck happened to you?!" her tone was higher than she intended. She approached him immediately, scanning him for more injuries as she removed and disposed of her gloves.

"Do you kiss your momma with that mouth?" Levi jokes, stretching his jaw to get rid of some of his facial strain.

"My mom's dead. Levi." Sam deadpanned, her hand reaching to touch his chin gently and turning his face carefully so she could see all the damage.

"Your fangirls are going to riot when they see this." Sam joked, earning a chuckle from Levi.

"Any serious injuries I should attend first?" Sam asked, peeling off the coat he was wearing then draping it over the table.

"No, I'm fine," Levi says, earning a glare from the woman. He was far from 'fine', and Sam could tell what happened to him just by the state of his injuries. He was in a fistfight, by the state of him it wasn't a fair fight.

Sam grabbed an icepack from the freezer and pulled the first aid kit from the drawers. After wrapping the ice pack with a paper towel she told him to press it against his swelling left cheek.

"Your injuries are peculiarly all on the left side of your face." Sam commented, and Levi smiles widely, "I had to protect the right, it was my good side." He joked.

"What happened?" Sam asked, taking a penlight and flashing it to each eye at a time, checking his pupillary light reflex for any sign of a structural brain injury that may require immediate emergency attention.

"I said I'm fine." Levi insisted noticing she was being too methodical with her approach, then casually dusting his dusty pant leg. He could still recall where he got that dirt, it was when he was taken down to the ground.

Sam checked the bruises around his neck, and she scowled recognizing the pattern of long fingers on it. And she glared at him, Levi looked away quietly knowing full well she knew a man had tried to strangle him during the ramble.

"What were you doing dumbass?" she seethed at the blond.

"I was in a backroom game, " He says shrugging.

"I thought you were quitting?" she asks, cleaning his wound with antiseptic.

"I am, and it was for a case," Levi claimed, earning an eye roll from Sam. She didn't believe him at the least.

"And you got caught cheating" Sam assumes confidently, earning a sly smile from Levi, she knew him so well he thought.

"Bang on, I got caught," Levi admits,

"So, they clapped you? Isn't this a bit too much even for a backroom game?" Sam wonders out loud, "And if this was really for a case, why didn't you come to Marco first?" Sam challenged,

"Aaah, fast as usual," He complimented.

"I trusted you more?" he lied through his teeth, grinning at her as she dabbed ointment on his wounds. Sam paused, giving him a stony look and gestured to each of his eyes.

"Want me to give you another black eye? So, their twinning?" she asked.

"No, thanks, but it was really for a case," Levi insisted, and Sam just shrugged, not caring either way.

Levi could see the focus on her face, and he tore his eyes away from her for a second to look around the lab. Outside the small glass window on the door he noticed someone standing, watching, recognizing the familiar blond hair, he knew who it was.

Clark, Sam's intern. The younger man had an obvious crush on his teacher. Levi had noticed it from the beginning, through his obvious body language towards the redhead. More than the usual admiration of a student to his teacher. People are so easy, Levi thought, they are so transparent, especially when they think no one's watching.

A plan came to mind and his lips curved up on one side, "What is so funny?" Sam asked, taking note of his sudden glee.

"Nothing. Will you kiss the pain away?" Levi suddenly asks, and Sam pauses, her hand holding a small ointment applicator hanging halfway towards his face. And she blinked twice before she could absorb what he just said.

"Don't be ridiculous, Levi. You're not a child." Sam retorts, annoyed at his question.

Levi expelled a lungful of breath, and pretended to look away thoughtfully in sadness, "My mother died when I was young. I never had anyone kiss my pain away. Kiss it for me." He says, looking straight at Sam's green eyes, tears formed on the corner of his eyes and he sniffed for effect.

Sam stops for a moment to look at him, wondering if he was either lying or if he hit his head during his scuffle. Most likely both, she thought.

Looking at Levi's saddened face, she knew he was acting. Something he was very good at, she had to admit. But his words, she felt. She too had no mother to kiss her pain away growing up. And she wondered if she was thinking the worst of him, maybe he hit his head really hard and wanted to have someone kiss his pain away? Who knows? Sam sighed in defeat.

"I applied antibiotic cream on your wound just now, I can't kiss it. I'll kiss your pain away next time." Sam says, almost vomiting at her own words.

"Then kiss me on the right side." Levi offers, turning to his left and patting his right cheek casually. Sam glared at him, but he simply grinned at her childishly.

"Will you shut up then?" Sam spat, holding the urge to smack him then and there. He nods. Sam leaned in and kissed his cheek, not that it was anything unusual between them, but he never really verbally asked to be kissed before.

Before Sam could put distance between them, his hand tangled around her waist and he pressed her body towards him as he remained seated on the chair. His face laid against her chest, Sam froze for a moment.

"What. Are, you. Doing?" Sam asked, her tone changing deadly. "It's been a while since someone had held me like this. If I was honest, I'd tell you that I like hugs." Levi says, his tone almost a confession. Sam fisted her right hand, "I want to honestly smack you right now," Sam warned.

"I'm injured. What kind of doctor hurts their patients?" Levi retorts.

"I'm a pathologist, my patients are dead. Want to make it official?" Sam asked, glaring down at the top of Levi's blond head. Levi peeked over her shoulder just in time to see Clark walking away in a hurry outside. Levi's lips cracked in a self-satisfied grin then abruptly released Sam.

"I'm good now. Thanks." He says, looking back at the redhead who had the urge to pull his hair.