Love and Misadventure
Four
The train ride wasn't so bad when Henry was there and Levi could go over their notes together, but every now and again Henry insisted that sitting for too long was giving him back pain and he wanted to go for a walk alone. It may have been because he wanted Levi and Juliette to chat, but any time he left they would bury themselves in books or stare out the window. Anywhere they didn't have to look at each other.
Levi was deep in what he was reading as Juliette looked out the window, body turned completely away from him. She glanced over at him, then wrinkled her nose.
"Why are you breathing so loud?" she said.
"I'm just breathing," Levi said.
"Well stop breathing."
Levi rolled his eyes and went back to his book.
"You chose to come on this trip, you know," he reminded you. "No one forced you. You knew I would be here."
"I'm here to take care of my father," she said. "It has nothing to do with you. Don't flatter yourself."
"Regardless, you're stuck with me," Levi said. "You better get used to the fact that I will be breathing."
"I wouldn't be bothered by you if you didn't act so pretentious all the time," she said.
"Pretentious?" he said with a humorless laugh. "Are you drunk? If you're drunk, let me know."
"God, you're annoying."
"You wound your hair too tightly, it's messing with your head."
"You are such a-"
Levi was sure she had a colorful insult lined up for him, but at that moment Henry returned to the compartment and they both pretended to be immersed in their books. He didn't even seem to notice the tension, grinning ear to ear.
"We'll be stopping at the station in an hour or so," he said. "The rest of our team is already waiting in Granges. Then we're on our way."
Juliette and Levi both gave an enthusiastic nod, but not so much because they were getting off the train. More because some others would be there to act as a buffer between them.
The expedition captain met them at the station, and right away there was something about him that rubbed Levi the wrong way. Captain Royce Fuller was an older man with an established resume, and this was meant to be his last expedition before retirement. He was tall and strong, but there was something sly about the way he smiled that made Levi think he was up to something. Henry shook his hand with a smile, so all Levi could do was trust his judgement.
"Good to see you again, Royce," Henry greeted. "Levi, Juliette, this Royce Fuller. He will be leading the trek to the temple. Royce, this is my partner, Levi. And this is my lovely daughter, Juliette."
"Pleasure to meet you both," Royce said, his tone polite.
Still, Levi didn't know why he couldn't trust the man. He glanced over at Juliette, and her expression suggested she had a similar reservation. Neither of them were about to question Henry's judgement, though.
Henry and Royce walked a little further ahead and chatted as Royce led them to the inn where the rest of the expedition team was staying. They were all gathered at a pub next door, but none of them seemed too impressed by Levi or Henry. There were some leering looks at Juliette, but Levi imagined no one was admiring her for her academic achievements.
She stayed quiet and close to her father, but as he got deep in conversation with Royce and some other men on the team, she sort of drifted to the back. Levi didn't pay her much attention, sure she was happy to soak up the attention, until he noticed that one man in particular was getting a little too close to her. She had an uncomfortable expression on her face and seemed to be trying to catch her father's gaze for help, but he was too deep in conversation to notice.
Levi didn't want to get involved, but sighed and gave in. She was annoying, but she didn't deserve to be harassed like that. He stood up from his table and moved over to where they were. Juliette was a little annoyed to see him at first, but her expression softened when she realized he wasn't there to add to the harassment. The man bothering her looked at Levi warily, seeing that Levi was quite a bit taller than him.
"She doesn't want to talk to you," Levi told him simply, not bothering with subtlety. "That's usually what it means when women lean away and look like they want to throw up on you. She's not interested."
"And what do you know about women?" the man scoffed.
"All I know is that her father is right over there," Levi said, nodding towards Henry and Royce. "They haven't noticed whats going on yet, but I'm happy to make a scene and ruin your day."
The man looked like he wanted to challenge him, but decided against it and chose his job over a girl he couldn't impress. Juliette seemed unsure of what to say to Levi and whether she was supposed to thank him. It felt weird to the both of them for her to do that. She sort of just gave him an awkward nod instead. Levi shifted awkwardly, then wordlessly went back to sit at his table.
Levi was deep in what he was reading as Juliette looked out the window, body turned completely away from him. She glanced over at him, then wrinkled her nose.
"Why are you breathing so loud?" she said.
"I'm just breathing," Levi said.
"Well stop breathing."
Levi rolled his eyes and went back to his book.
"You chose to come on this trip, you know," he reminded you. "No one forced you. You knew I would be here."
"I'm here to take care of my father," she said. "It has nothing to do with you. Don't flatter yourself."
"Regardless, you're stuck with me," Levi said. "You better get used to the fact that I will be breathing."
"I wouldn't be bothered by you if you didn't act so pretentious all the time," she said.
"Pretentious?" he said with a humorless laugh. "Are you drunk? If you're drunk, let me know."
"God, you're annoying."
"You wound your hair too tightly, it's messing with your head."
"You are such a-"
Levi was sure she had a colorful insult lined up for him, but at that moment Henry returned to the compartment and they both pretended to be immersed in their books. He didn't even seem to notice the tension, grinning ear to ear.
"We'll be stopping at the station in an hour or so," he said. "The rest of our team is already waiting in Granges. Then we're on our way."
Juliette and Levi both gave an enthusiastic nod, but not so much because they were getting off the train. More because some others would be there to act as a buffer between them.
The expedition captain met them at the station, and right away there was something about him that rubbed Levi the wrong way. Captain Royce Fuller was an older man with an established resume, and this was meant to be his last expedition before retirement. He was tall and strong, but there was something sly about the way he smiled that made Levi think he was up to something. Henry shook his hand with a smile, so all Levi could do was trust his judgement.
"Good to see you again, Royce," Henry greeted. "Levi, Juliette, this Royce Fuller. He will be leading the trek to the temple. Royce, this is my partner, Levi. And this is my lovely daughter, Juliette."
"Pleasure to meet you both," Royce said, his tone polite.
Still, Levi didn't know why he couldn't trust the man. He glanced over at Juliette, and her expression suggested she had a similar reservation. Neither of them were about to question Henry's judgement, though.
Henry and Royce walked a little further ahead and chatted as Royce led them to the inn where the rest of the expedition team was staying. They were all gathered at a pub next door, but none of them seemed too impressed by Levi or Henry. There were some leering looks at Juliette, but Levi imagined no one was admiring her for her academic achievements.
She stayed quiet and close to her father, but as he got deep in conversation with Royce and some other men on the team, she sort of drifted to the back. Levi didn't pay her much attention, sure she was happy to soak up the attention, until he noticed that one man in particular was getting a little too close to her. She had an uncomfortable expression on her face and seemed to be trying to catch her father's gaze for help, but he was too deep in conversation to notice.
Levi didn't want to get involved, but sighed and gave in. She was annoying, but she didn't deserve to be harassed like that. He stood up from his table and moved over to where they were. Juliette was a little annoyed to see him at first, but her expression softened when she realized he wasn't there to add to the harassment. The man bothering her looked at Levi warily, seeing that Levi was quite a bit taller than him.
"She doesn't want to talk to you," Levi told him simply, not bothering with subtlety. "That's usually what it means when women lean away and look like they want to throw up on you. She's not interested."
"And what do you know about women?" the man scoffed.
"All I know is that her father is right over there," Levi said, nodding towards Henry and Royce. "They haven't noticed whats going on yet, but I'm happy to make a scene and ruin your day."
The man looked like he wanted to challenge him, but decided against it and chose his job over a girl he couldn't impress. Juliette seemed unsure of what to say to Levi and whether she was supposed to thank him. It felt weird to the both of them for her to do that. She sort of just gave him an awkward nod instead. Levi shifted awkwardly, then wordlessly went back to sit at his table.