Work Text:
You and Levi woke up at your normal times, both of you getting ready for work this morning. Luckily, your job started later than usual today, so you were enjoying a slow morning with your boyfriend. You two share tea that Levi made, brewed to perfection, while he was currently cooking up a delicious breakfast of sausage and pancakes. It was nice to relax like this, even when it wasn’t a day off.
Sitting on the bar stool in your kitchen, you chat with Levi about work and such while you wait for the food to be done.
Once the pancakes and sausage were finished, Levi diligently worked on serving plates for you and himself. He places yours in front of you and then slides into the stool on your right.
You smile at him gratefully. “Thanks, Levi. It smells amazing,” you earnestly express.
He grunts. “Don’t have to thank me. I’m happy to make it for you,” he asserts while placing his hand over yours in an affectionate touch.
Your gaze softens at him. Levi was never this outwardly affectionate when you first became a couple, but over the years you’ve been together he has opened up so much to you. You were eternally grateful for all Levi has done to open up to you and trust you. He communicates with you about what you need and what he should do and not do. He respects all your boundaries. He does his best to support you in every way. He truly is the best partner you could ever ask for.
As you two chow down on the tasty breakfast, you decide to go on your phone to view the weather forecast. You recall it stating that the weather today was going to be a bit cloudy, possibly a chance of rain as well. You wanted to make sure you brought your umbrella in case it would still rain.
The app came up, but in the next second you received a notification that stole your attention.
NEWS: Roe v. Wade Overturned
Your eyes widened and you couldn’t believe what you were reading. Was this real? Did it actually get overturned?
Immediately, you search up more about it, discovering multiple articles confirming the mortifying law change. How could this be happening? The law has saved so many people. Why did they change it?
Anger. Anger and sadness. It was all you could feel at the moment. For yourself. For women. For anyone with a uterus. For anyone of childbearing age. For children themselves. One of your rights slipped right out of your hands without you even being aware of it.
You cover your mouth with your hand and lean on your elbow, staring at nothing in particular. The kitchen became a blurry mix of color as your eyes teared up, your throat constricting.
“Hey, Y/n, are you okay? Look at me,” Levi gently calls out to you. He noticed how still you were, how you became so quiet. The remarked difference in how you were just a few minutes ago concerned him.
You slowly turn your head to Levi, unable to hide the tears now dripping down your cheeks. His expression was soft as his eyes were trained on you. “D-did you see the news?” you ask, trying to hold yourself together.
He mentally curses himself for not checking. Shaking his head, he replies, “I haven’t yet, sorry, what happened?” Levi’s brow furrows.
With a shaky breath, you tell him. “Roe v. Wade was overturned. I-I read that our state is likely not going to ban abortions, but still…” you trail off, breathing erratically as you cry.
Levi stands up beside you and settles a hand on your back, stroking your spine reassuringly. “Hey, hey, shh, it’s…” he stopped himself from saying it’s okay. It was far from okay, and he couldn’t let you believe he didn’t think this was a big deal. It is a huge deal. He didn’t need you to explain why this is so important to you. “Do you want a hug?”
You nodded and he folded his arms around you. He held you tight as you did the same to him. Everything hit you like a bus, and you began loudly sobbing into his shoulder. Oh, all the emotions you felt poured out.
He knew how scary this was for you, having told him long ago that you had a fear of being pregnant, along with a fear of giving birth. But even without those reasons, he knew this was a step back that was going to directly hurt you and everyone else with a uterus. It was a choice that would possibly be ripped away from millions of people in the following days, weeks, and months, because abortions were no longer a federally protected right. It was completely understandable why someone would be crying over the headline this morning.
You and Levi discussed early on in your relationship that you both didn’t want children. Later on, when you explained to Levi your fear of getting pregnant and giving birth, he voluntarily scheduled an appointment for a vasectomy. You were so grateful for what he did, as it eased your anxiety greatly about sex.
A wail escapes you as you exclaim, “I’m so angry about this! Do they even consider all the people who are going to die because of this? Do they consider how we feel?” You express all the rage you feel about the situation as Levi supports you with his arms and gentle motions of his hands rubbing circles on your back. “Do they even think about all the people who won’t be able to get abortions they need? Or about the black people and people of color who will be more affected by this? Or the teens and children that may have to carry a pregnancy to term? It’s so unfair!” You sniffled, feeling defeated. “I don’t feel like I even have power over my own body. I feel like a goddamn incubator!”
Levi pulls back to look at you. He places one of his hands on your cheek, stroking it gently. “You are not an incubator. You are a person. It’s so shitty of those old assholes to do this to you. It’s extremely unfair. I’m so sorry, Y/n. I wish I could undo the decision they made.”
At Levi’s words, you begin sobbing again. He was so kind and understanding, and you were happy he was here now, comforting you. You were glad someone else in this world understood the pain you were going through.
Levi leans forward and places a doting kiss on your forehead before holding you once more. You cry for a few more minutes before speaking again. “I worry…what if…I got raped…and had to give birth…I don’t think I could do that…”
“Shh, I’m not going to let that happen to you, okay? I will protect you and do everything in my power to not let that happen. I promise,” he firmly claims, petting your hair in a soothing motion.
“But what about…if it does happen…then what are we going to do?” You shudder at the thought.
He was quiet for a second before he spoke. “Then, we will search for the health care you want to receive. If that is an abortion, then we can find a clinic, hopefully in our state. If we can’t find one, we will travel to another state, okay? I could take off work to help you. I promise I will be there for you and I will protect you.”
You peer up at him with your red-rimmed eyes. “You promise?” you ask, your throat dry.
“I promise.”
Those two words leave you feeling safe, something you haven’t felt since you found out about the news earlier. You calm down, replying with a small “okay” and returning back to his shoulder. He smelled like clean laundry, the thought making you smile.
Levi hugs you for a couple more minutes before you let go. You jokingly utter, “Well, I guess we better change clothes, sorry about your-”
“It’s okay,” Levi interrupts, knowing what you were about to tell him. “I’ll do our laundry later. You don’t have to worry about it. Now, are you still feeling up to going to work? You can take a sick day if you want.”
You pondered over that option. It would be nice to take a day off, but you felt like you needed to go. You needed to prove to yourself you were strong enough to go on with your day after this heartbreak. You needed to prove you were capable of moving forward.
“I’m still going to go,” you decided. “I’ll go get changed.” You kissed Levi before standing up and heading into your bedroom.
Levi felt like he should convince you to stay home, but you likely wouldn’t want to hear it. Plus, after the news, he knew you may have felt like you didn’t have enough control right now over your own life. So he chose not to say anything about it as you came out of your bedroom, wearing a fresh shirt.
“I have to leave pretty soon. Could you please put my leftovers in the fridge for me?” You seemed more put together than you were feeling as you spoke.
He nodded before coming over to you, giving you another hug. “I’ll do that. Make sure you aren’t too hard on yourself today, okay? When we’re both off work later we can spend time doing whatever you want.”
You gazed at him gratefully. “I’ll try. Thank you, Levi. I love you.”
His heart melted at the words. “I love you, too.”
You parted from him and finished getting ready for work. Levi was putting away your leftovers when you came over and kissed him for a brief moment.
“I’ll see you later, Levi.”
“Bye, Y/n. Stay safe,” he softly responded.
You paused for only a second after he said the last part, before exiting your apartment, heading for work.
Hours later, when you returned home, you felt the same melancholy feeling you had as before, no longer suppressed by focusing on tasks at your job. It was a struggle getting through everything you needed to do at work today, distracted at times about the future, but you made it through, and were proud of yourself for going. You did your best today.
Since Levi wasn’t going to be home until another hour, you decided to lay on your bed and decompress for a while. Today’s exhaustion caught up to you as you set your phone down on the nightstand and slept.
You woke up some time later to the door opening and someone moving around in the kitchen. Unworriedly, you crept out of bed into the main space of your apartment. Levi was there, of course, and he had a few bags of groceries, some of them he was putting away.
“Hey, Levi,” you announce with a small smile. “What’d you buy?”
At the sound of your voice, he turns around and peers at you lovingly. Those steel-gray eyes held nothing but adoration for you. “Hey, Y/n, I got you a couple things. How was work?”
“It was alright. I made it through the day.” Then you playfully add, whilst putting your hands on your chest, “What did you get for me?”
Levi chuckles at your behavior. “Oh come here, I’ll show you.”
You walk over to him and he pulls out some of your favorite snacks, along with your favorite ice cream. You were ecstatic.
“Oh my gosh, Levi! Thank you!” You declare and wrap him in a tight hug. He rolls his eyes in fake-annoyance. When you let him go you plant a fat kiss on his cheek. Levi blushes, making you laugh so hard.
For the rest of the night, you and Levi cuddled on the couch, watching your favorite movies while eating the snacks and ice cream he bought you. Afterwards, Levi helped you through your nightly routine. You both showered together, and Levi washed your hair for you. Every movement of his fingers across your scalp felt heavenly. Once you finished your shower, you both got dressed in your nightwear and sat on your bed. Levi offered to massage your shoulders, and you took up the offer gratefully. His hands worked the stressed muscles in your neck and upper back and you melted. You felt so pampered tonight, so treasured, and felt undeniably lucky to be with someone as special as Levi, who would go far to help you and make you feel safe, especially after a day like this one.
Once Levi was done massaging your shoulders, the two of you laid under the covers and held one another. You pressed your face into his chest, feeling the warmth and safety radiating off of him. The anger and sadness about the earlier news faded into nothing…until you started remembering again. Remembering all the comments you read online from people who thought the decision today was just. All the posts you’d seen on the pro-life movement. All the people who were against abortions being legal.
Levi must have sensed your anger returning, and he petted your hair in gentle, comforting motions. “Shh shh, you don’t have to think about that tonight. You don’t have to worry about anything right now. You can sleep. You’ve had a hard day, and I’m truly sorry for what has happened.”
His words made sense to you, but you tried fighting against them. You tried to stay angry. Because how else could you feel right now? How can you rest when so many people, including yourself, have been negatively impacted by a handful of supreme court justices today?
But then you realized something more important than being angry right now. You should rest, and you can be angry tomorrow and do what you can to bring change to what has happened. You don’t have to do anything right now.
As Levi’s words and your own thoughts calmed you, you realized how safe and protected you felt with Levi. You sighed, finally content to sleep.
You let Levi’s gentle embrace, the soft sheets, and Levi’s words guide you towards the blissful darkness. “You’re safe. I love you,” he whispered into your hair, hugging you tighter.
You were out a second later, dreaming peacefully.