Julia's Pack.

Chapter 5 - The Otter arrives

Was he jealous of Levi again?

She tried to focus in the shower, the hot water running against her skin, trying to shave her legs. Julia felt kind of nervous, anxious, like Levi's strange mood was something she had to fix. She heard the bathroom door open. Oliver slid in, shutting it, and got into the shower with her. Already naked. Arms slipped around her.

"You miss him that much?"

"A week from now and I'll be doing this for you." Julia reminded Oliver, trying to shave as his hands teased her, squeaking as something brushed her from behind. "Hey,  I might cut myself."

Julia had to give up, halfway, Oliver pressing her against the cold tiles. She giggled as he turned off the shower- they had to save water- and pressed kisses against her  shoulder, gentle, careful of the bruises.

"Last chance before our girls come home. Right?"

"You don't mind that I have one hairy leg?"

Apparently not. She leaned against him after, head against his chest, Oliver turning the shower back on and holding onto her for a few more precious minutes while they tried to 'wash'. Sort of. It was the most tender he'd been for a few days, actually, and she shut her eyes against him as his hand slowly moved the soap across her aching muscles, back, sides, even if he didn't quite notice the bruises. He was trying.

She tried to make dinner, only for Oliver to let her know he'd done it again, and Julia wandered around the house trying to tidy it, trying to make their bedrooms look good, even if the kids probably wouldn't even notice. Burnt white sage insense to clear the house, opened windows to let in the summer air, put flowers all over the place, changed sheets. 

It got dark. Julia found herself watching the ocean more and more, restless, sitting in Levi's 'lookout' as she waited for the big Pack Boat to come. Beth still hadn't come back with this mysterious guest and she'd had to guess they were waiting for the boat to come back to the island for the weekend. Maybe Levi hadn't wanted a strange man living with the kids and they'd lived on the boat with the 'guest'. Julia wouldn't have blamed him for that. 

 She felt kind of tired by the time the boat was spotted, the bright lights of the above deck shining, and Julia went down to the new pier as they carefully got it tied up beside it. Oliver wrapped an arm around her, his warmth nice in the cool night, and she leaned against him.

"You excited?" He asked softly, kissing her hair, and she nodded. Oliver seemed to relax somewhat as he waited. "Me too."

Levi jumped down, or attempted to, stumbling as his bad leg didn't quite do what he'd hoped it'd do. Julia didn't care- she just grabbed onto him and held on, hugging hard, Levi leaning against her and the two of them standing there a while, hearts racing, both of them inhaling deeply. He smelt so good after so long. Julia could get totally drunk on it.

"Hi." She grinned up at him in the dark. 

"Hi." Levi agreed, leaning down so his forehead rested against hers, breathing in slowly as their noses pressed against each other. "The kids went to sleep on the way home like we expected. What time is it?"

"Good. It's nearly midnight." Oliver said, nearby, coming over as well. The two of them embraced and then Levi got the little gangplank thing down and secure, while someone else in the dark was tying up the boat. Yasmine glanced up and waved to Julia, before tugging at it harder, and rushing past them to get the other end. Oliver went to help, while Julia followed Levi up onto the deck and into the boat.

The kids were curled up in a cabin, two to each bed, fast asleep and barely aware that they were home. Levi leaned against the door, looking exhausted, but he smiled warmly down at them as he spoke softly. "We got some dinner into them and had them change here."