Are you dying to know what a couple's relationship is really like? Elite Daily's series, ILYSM, celebrates couples who met on dating apps and dives into the inner workings of their relationships. How did they know they were falling for each other? Who sent the first awkward message? What's the one thing they fight about? Are they astrologically compatible, and do they care? By the end of each story, you'll love them both so much.
Hunter Grace Simpson, 20, and Levi Leidy, 19, are a perfect match — literally. This couple matched on Tinder just under two years ago, back when they were both living in Seattle with their parents. After a whirlwind date that involved a trip to Denny’s, a roller-skating accident, and some "funky-tasting" green tea ice cream, they began to fall hard and fast for each other. The two began texting and calling day and night, even seeing each other in their dreams.
When Hunter was accepted into the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in California, Levi decided to come along for the ride. Today, they live together in a cramped, but sunny studio apartment in Los Angeles, where Hunter attends school and Levi works as a content specialist. Together, they’re encouraging each other to push boundaries, try new experiences, and better trust themselves.
Here’s their story:
Which app did you meet on?
Hunter Grace Simpson: We met on Tinder.
How long have you known each other?
Levi Leidy: A year and 11 months.
How long have you been dating?
HGS: Almost two years.
Do you live together? Are you engaged? Do you have a pet you share? Any other relationship markers?
LL: We just moved in together. We're both from the Seattle area, so when Hunter got into FIDM, we decided to move down to Southern California together! It just felt like the next step.
HGS: We just moved in together a week ago and we share custody of several plants. I think our greatest relationship marker was flying in an airplane together for the first time. Levi discovered that my “fear of planes” was all too real, and he did everything possible to help me through it. I think the experience really helped him to understand how all-encompassing my anxiety can be. I feel loved and supported every day; I don’t have to explain myself every time I feel anxious. He just understands, even if there’s nothing he can do to help.
What initially attracted you to each other’s profiles?
LL: Her favorite song is “I Wanna Get Better” by Bleachers, which I love. I automatically associated her with the band. When I burned a CD for our first Christmas together, I put a Bleachers song on it.
HGS: Honestly? His smile. It's bright, warm, and toothy. It just warmed my heart — it did a big ol’ thump!
Who sent the first message, and what was it?
LL: I did. Her bio mentioned dogs, so I said, “I have a dog!”
How long did you exchange messages or texts before your first date?
LL: Maybe a week? She was the first person I messaged on Tinder.
HGS: Not long. I was surprised, actually. When he asked me on a date, I was gobsmacked. I certainly didn’t think it would happen so quickly.
What was your first date like?
HGS: Man, it was cute as heck. He picked me up (my mom and I hid in the next room so he wouldn’t know we were eagerly waiting for him), and when I opened the door, he nearly walked past me to shake my mom's hand. I could see him shaking.
We went to Denny’s. We both ordered full meals and hardly ate. Then we drove all the way to Seattle to go roller skating. I remember I wore this one pair of pants that made my butt look good, and I later learned he had done the same! We held hands, and he knocked us both over onto the floor. After that, we went to the grocery store and bought ice cream, then sat in his car and talked. Gosh, I felt like I was in a movie. The streetlights warmed up his face, and the green tea ice cream I had picked out tasted weird. I imagined spending a lot of time sitting in that seat, learning over and kissing him. But he didn’t kiss me — not even when he walked me to my door that night.
LL: I picked her up at her house, which was a whole hour away from mine. When she invited me inside, I sort of just barged past her to introduce myself to her mom. I was too nervous to eat anything. Then, when we went roller skating in this seedy little area of West Seattle, I suddenly remembered that I’m terrible at roller skating, so I fell a bunch. I also had really, really bad pit stains, but she didn't seem to notice.
Describe the DTR conversation.
HGS: It was on our third date, right after attending a fair. We were laying in bed and he asked me to be his girlfriend.
LL: I accidentally referred to her as my girlfriend on the third date at a fair. Later that night, I was like, “Yo, remember when I called you my girlfriend earlier? How ‘bout we make that a thing?” Not my smoothest move.
If you're Instagram official, what was your first photo together?
LL: Oh boy. Hunter calls me an “old man” because I wasn't on Instagram until we met, but our first post was a selfie she took back before I transitioned.
Describe the moment you first realized you were falling for them.
LL: The moment I realized that I’d rather sleep in a Denny’s booth with her in the middle of the night than drive home by myself.
HGS: We were in his bed and he played "Riptide" by Vance Joy on his ukulele and sang to me. He has a beautiful voice. I felt a heaviness in my chest that was beyond butterflies.
Who said “I love you” first?
HGS: I had a dream that he said it, then spent the first few hours the next morning trying to figure out if it actually happened. When he figured out my dilemma, he took a long pause, then told me he loved me. His voice shook. I’ve never heard anyone mean it like that before. I said I loved him, too. We fell in love so fast. But If I’m really honest with myself, I think I loved him the moment he opened his mouth.
LL: I did, but only because I could tell she was too scared to say it first. She had a dream the night that I’d rolled over in the middle of the night and told her I loved her. At that point, I was pretty confident she felt the same way.
What was your first fight about?
LL: Heck if I remember.
HGS: I can’t remember our first fight because it was probably pretty stupid and small. Levi loves to tease me, so some might say we fight constantly, but it’s just banter.
What's your favorite underrated thing about each other?
LL: I love her attention to detail; everything from her Instagram to our grocery list. She keeps a daily planner and plots out different themes for each week.
HGS: Well, gee. I could go on and on. I think it's how soft his skin is. His hands, his earlobes, his chest, his feet. Even his gosh darn forearms.
What was the last thing you texted about?
HGS: Where he was going to pick me up after school.
LL: I said, “I can see you.” I was waiting outside her school gates to pick her up.
How often do you text throughout the day?
LL: We used to be in a pseudo long-distance relationship, so we texted and called constantly. Now that we live together, it’s pretty infrequent. We text about most mundane things, like, “I locked myself out.”
HGS: When we lived apart, almost constantly. Now? Hardly ever. He's right here!
Levi, you’re a Leo; Hunter, you’re an Aquarius. Do you know if you are astrologically compatible? Do you care?
LL: Of course! I’m a Leo and she’s an Aquarius. We are on exact opposite ends of the zodiac, and, as they say — opposites attract! It seems pretty natural that we gravitated toward one another.
HGS: We are opposite ends of the zodiac, which means there can be an extremely intense connection between us, that is often aggressive and sexual in nature. Our signs are either extremely compatible, or we don't click at all.
Which TV show do you marathon together?
HGS: We have no WiFi in our apartment right now, so we’ve been watching Kim Possible nonstop.
LL: The Bachelor (my guilty pleasure), Are You The One?, and Ex on the Beach. We have super different tastes in TV.
What has been your favorite date together?
HGS: On my 20th birthday, Levi booked us a fancy hotel room for a night. We spent two days exploring a city we thought we knew, drinking Ghost Alley coffee, and falling more and more in love with each other. The best part, though, was when we stumbled upon an improv show. I was a theater kid in high school. It was cold as heck outside, but we had hot drinks and each other’s company. We sat front row and watched a fully improvised puppet musical. I was cracking up the whole time. It was so exciting to see Levi enjoying something special to me that others might find silly. He makes the most out of every second of being alive.
LL: When we first met, she declared that she hates her birthday. Naturally, I had to prove her wrong. Giving her a fairytale birthday was pretty magical for me.
What's one word to describe your sex life?
LL: Ardent.
HGS: Exploratory.
Why do you think your relationship works?
HGS: It works because we make it work. It’s that simple. Falling in love was the easy part — relationships take hard work. But we’re both willing to put in the effort. We try our best to accommodate each other’s needs, and never forget to care for ourselves as well. We also listen to each other. The key to making it through rough patches is communication, which means more than just finding the right words to describe your feelings. Communication is all about making an effort to do better, love more, and work harder.
LL: Because we make it work.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from each other?
LL: I've grown more secure. Hunter has always been my biggest supporter in every sense of the word. I think I’ve learned not to sell myself short.
HGS: Levi has taught me to open my arms to the world and absorb opportunity and adventure. I've always found it easy to shrink into my shell, but Levi constantly pushes his limits, talks to new people, takes new opportunities, and embarks on new adventures. He inspires me to expand my horizons.
What’s your best piece of advice for people on dating apps?
LL: Go for it!
HGS: It’s easy to laugh your way through the process. You’ll chuckle to yourself, thinking, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” But keep an open mind. You just might find your soulmate.
