...
SURPRISINGLY, THEY WORKED WELL together. If you left the cursing and threats out, it all went quite smoothly. As the midday sun warmed their backs they tried to put everything together as neatly as possible, their conversation minimal. She didn't mind, Levi really didn't seem like the small talk kind of person anyway.
Instead he nodded with satisfaction to himself whenever something went right and she chuckled every time he did so, the cuteness of that small movement warming her heart. Before Will and Alex even got back, they had succeeded in putting together a raft. It wasn't exactly the best or the sturdiest, but they had one and that was all that mattered.
"I'm proud of us," Ella said as she waved a hand at the raft," look at our baby."
"If Will and Alex dare to break it," Levi said," I'll break both their noses."
"That's the spirit," Ella said.
She loosened the bun she had made on the top of her head, causing her hair to spill down her shoulders. Levi glanced her way, but didn't say anything.
"Want to try it out?" she said," before they come."
"What if it sinks?" Levi frowned.
"It won't," Ella said as she waved his concerns off," it's a raft, it's made to float."
Levi rolled his eyes, but complied anyway. He pushed the raft in the water, waiting a second until it steadied before he got on it. When she walked to the edge to join, he reached out his hands.
"What are you doing?" she said, surprised.
"Come," he said.
"I can do it just fine myself you know," she said.
And she was just about to do it herself too, when she heard his answer.
"I know," he said," now come on, don't be stubborn for once."
She scowled at him, but lowered herself in his arms anyway. The raft started to wobble, but he didn't seem to care as he carried her.
"Let me down," she said," we'll sink."
"Didn't you just say we wouldn't?" he said.
She was just about to protest some more when she saw the faint smile on his lips, the sparkle of mirth in his eyes. If she had thought he was hot when he was glaring, he was absolutely beautiful when smiling.
"I lied," she said when she recovered herself," now let me down."
"Whatever you want," he said as he gently put her on her feet.
Their raft was far from steady, the current of the waves carrying it along, tugging at it from all sides. She was just about to sit down when a wave crashed against it and she lost her balance. A loud string of curses started to leave her mouth as she fell, her hair like a curtain of ink behind her. Then, right before she hit the water, she was pulled back.
"This is why you shouldn'tve let me go," Levi whispered in her ear, his hand reassuringly on her arm.
"Yeah," Ella breathed," I'll make sure to never let you go again. If I'm going down, we're going down together."
She had meant it as a joke, but his usual scowl didn't come, his face instead uncharacteristically calm. When he just nodded, she had to stop her mouth from falling open.
"You've gotten more docile," she commented as he sat down carefully, before tugging her along.
"You've gotten less annoying," he said.
"We both know that isn't true," she smiled, taking a place opposite him.
The raft was too small for multiple people, causing her to almost sit on his lap, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead he even pulled her closer, the distance between them shorter than ever. It was quite peaceful altogether, even though it was wobbly and unsteady half of the time. The current took them along, the wind a gentle breeze through her hair.
"I don't mind camping when it's like this," she said.
"I don't mind it like this either," he said, his hands brushing against her legs again.
"Look at us," Ella said as she slapped him amicably on the leg," we're not even fighting right now. Miracles do exist."
"It's because you're not being stubborn," he said.
"No, it's because you're not being stubborn."
Dissatisfaction was clearly visible on his face as he glowered at her, but it didn't bother Ella anymore.
"How long have you known Will and Alex?" she said.
He glanced at her, his lips pressed into a thin line, as if he were wondering whether to give her any information or not.
"I've known them both since we were very young," he said.
"So childhood friends?" Ella said," you've known Ava for a long time too then?"
He nodded. "We were a group of four," he said," until Ava and Alex started dating, I guess. They're both quite big personalities. Fought all the time."
"I can imagine that," Ella muttered as she thought back to the conversations Ava and Alex had had until now.
"They still liked each other a lot though," he said, more to himself than her," when Ava broke up with him a year ago, it was hard on both of them."
"On you too?" Ella asked.
Levi frowned at her.
"Why would you think that?"
"Because you've known them both for a long time," she said," of course it's hard for you when they split up and you have to choose sides in a sense."
He averted his gaze, his combed back hair falling in front of his eyes as the wind played with it.
"I really find it sweet though," she said," you've all been friends for so long. That kind of relationship is great."
"Sweet?" Levi said, his voice laced with disbelief," that's certainly not a word I would use to describe anything related to me."
"Oh, shut up," Ella said as she rolled her eyes," you're a great friend."
"For someone who doesn't fight, you sure say anything that comes to mind in a place like this."
"Don't act all macho," Ella teased," I know you won't do anything to me."
"I can throw you in the water," he threatened.
"I'll pull you along," she countered," and then whatever will you do with your perfectly styled hair?"
"I'm not that invested in my hair," he protested.
"Let me mess it up then," she said, leaning forward and stretching her arm out.
"Don't you dare," he threatened, backing away as far as he could on the small raft.
A devilish smile lit up her face, but before she could touch his hair she lost her balance and fell right into his arms. Levi's eyes widened in surprise as he caught her.
"The raft is too small to do shit like th -" he began as it already began tilting to the right.
A second later they both splashed into the water.
The water was a clear blue, stinging in her eyes and spilling into her parted lips. She coughed, which only resulted in more water entering her mouth. A moment later she had swum back to the surface, gasping when air finally filled her lungs again. Once she had recovered somewhat she looked around, a frown on her face as she swam a bit further.
"Levi?" she called out.
The water next to her splashed up, his angry face appearing out of it.
"Fuck this," he gasped.
"Don't act so dramatic," she said as she squinted through the haze of water in her eyes," where's the raft?"
It was then she saw it, the wooden raft sticking out half a couple of feet away of them. Vertically, as it sank to the bottom. Seconds later, all that was left of it were bubbles, the ropes having come loose as they rose to the surface.
"Okay," she said," I take it back."
Levi started cursing beside her and she nodded her head slowly.
"Now's the time to act dramatic."