Levi and Petra had returned a little while after I had read the diary. At the time, I was resting in my sleeping bag.
Not that I actually got any sleep anyways. I guess it was just a 'I close my eyes and think in the darkness' kind of thing.
Days passed after I've found Ilse's diary.
I made sure to act normally, as if nothing ever happened.
Levi asked me how I was holding up the moment he arrived, and I can't figure out if he was really giving shit about my wellbeing or that he was suspicious.
I didn't give it much thought anyways.
After Levi and Petra had returned, they took the rest of the day to rest, and we began exploring around the overhang the next.
Honestly, gathering information for the final report had caught most of attention, and wether I liked it or not, Ilse's diary was pushed to the back of my mind.
There was barely anytime for rest. We spent days after days writing down notes about the flora and fauna of the overhang.
It took us about 2 weeks or so, but we finally finished the forest and the living creatures part.
Since it was impossible to bring out a laptop out here, the three of us agreed to finish writing down every notes for the report, pack up and leave, and spend the rest of the leftover time making the final paper.
We had a week left out here, and that's going to be used to examine the waters in front of the Grassy Overhang.
Every time we needed to resupply or needed new equipments, Levi and Petra would make the journey back and I would stay behind.
And no, I did not find anymore crazy diaries out there.
Two had recently gone back to get the equipments so we can dive into the water.
Even if it is just some diving masks and scuba snorkels they found in the storage room.
"Do we really have to dive into the water?" Petra groaned, saying the same sentence for the third time of the day.
Levi was certainly getting annoyed from it. "For fuck's sake Petra, it's just swimming. You can fucking swim right?"
"Y-yeah," she stammered, looking slightly flustered.
"Then that's enough." The raven sighed and walked off to the lake, leaving a rather disappointed Petra and an awkward me.
I gently nudged her. "What's the big fuss Petra? You scared of eels or something?"
The strawberry-blonde looked down. "It's just I don't exactly feel comfortable swimming in a lake that God knows what went in. And yes (Y/N), I don't like eels."
"Oh," I scratched my head uncomfortably. "Well, the waters look pretty clear and fresh to me. And everyone else is probably swimming in it as well, so if there really is some sort of weird disease in it, at least we'll all be infected."
"I don't get how that's supposed to help."
I shrugged. "Never was good with words Petra. I say things how it is."
The girl chuckled. "You got that right. But hey, you're right. If I go down, everyone else will as well."
"That's about it. See, you're looking less pale Petra. I'm guessing my shitty pep talk helped?"
The girl laughed this time. "Yes (Y/N), your shitty pep talk helped. Now let's go. My future boyfriend awaits."
I snorted when she called the bitch "future boyfriend". I can't even imagine Levi being in a relationship. Who the hell can stand his snarky comments and rainbow vocabulary.
What the hell would happen if you marry him?
Have a child with him?
I shook my head. Clearly I was giving Petra's intentions of being being in a relationship with Levi too much thought.
I shuddered at the thought of marriage and kids.
Not yet. I still want to be free.
Levi was impatiently tapping his foot when we arrived, muttering how we certainly took our damn time.
Petra apologized, and I just gave my usual shrug before we all splashed in the water.
Basically, it stayed in that same routine for the rest of the week.
As time goes on, so does the journey. And thus, the expedition was nearing an end.
We were going to head back to basecamp tomorrow. It was only a little after dawn, but Levi, Petra and I decided to hang in the lake, going for a dip for absolutely no reason.
It was all just relaxing in the peaceful atmosphere until Petra thought it was a good idea to splash water on my face as I was closing my eyes.
My eyes darted open, and I started coughing and spluttering water, sending a glare to Petra who just gave a sly smile.
I smirked and splashed water back, and sadly, some of that water got to Levi who had his eyes closed like me before.
The raven opened one of his eyes, his peaceful features turning into a nasty scowl.
My smirk turned into a grin. "Oh sorry Levi. I totally didn't mean for that to happen," I apologized, clearly not feeling sorry the slightest.
Levi raised an eyebrow, fully opening both his eyes. His gaze seemed to say something to me.
"Oh?"
Levi smirked, suddenly diving in the water.
Everything stayed silent, until I felt a a current beneath me, and something pushing me out of the water.
I let out a surprised yelp as Levi flipped me and I came crashing down into the water head first, water splashing everywhere.
I quickly bobbed my head out of the water, taking a sharp gasp of air, before getting splashed by Petra and Levi at the same time.
Are these two ganging up on me? Hell no.
I threw a handful of water to Levi, who dodged easily. The raven dove back in the water, and I quickly moved, trying to get back at Petra for splashing me before.
I swam quickly, wrapping my arms around Petra before she could even realise what was going on.
The strawberry-blonde let out a shriek as I pulled her underwater, only to go back up soon after, the both of us taking much needed breaths.
Levi suddenly appeared at my back, his weight pushing the three of us back in the water.
We swam back up, me and Petra laughing as we took breaths, making us sound like dying seals.
I looked back to Levi, my eyes widening in surprise as I looked at his face.
His steel blue eyes were soft, not in the usual glare he was in. His lips that were usually in a frown, was curved up in what seemed to be a smile.
"It suits you," I whispered lightly, making him glance at me in confusion.
"What does?"
"You should smile more often. It suits you."
Petra seemed to be in her own world, splashing the water around her.
Levi turned his head so that his face was away from me, covering his face with a hand.
A few seconds later, he turned back to me, his gaze still soft and teasing, his voice a gentle purr.
"But that wouldn't make me Levi now, would it?"
*
The sun was setting. Everything was packed except for the tent, obviously.
I was eating another pack of military food. At this point, the food tasted just as decent as the food in the cafeteria.
In other words, I couldn't give a fuck about it.
I was still busy munching on the bland food when Petra suddenly approached me, saying words that made me splutter what I had in my mouth.
"(Y/N), I'm going to confess tonight."