Khrysopos ✔

FORTY

- Narrator's POV -

Juliet and Alex helped each other find the books they wanted at the library. They went to a cafe later, ordered warm butter croissants, and quietly read their books.

They stayed like that for two hours.

For lunch, they went to an Italian restaurant and had pasta. Later, Alex got ice cream for the honey-blonde girl in pigtails with a large sweater with a rainbow on it.

Alex smiled faintly.

They walked along the stone path to a museum, Juliet holding Alex's hand and chattering the time away. She made Alex laugh quite a few times.

In the museum, Juliet insisted on taking pictures. There was Juliet kissing the statue of Aphrodite. Juliet hugging Medusa. Juliet frowning at Zeus' male reproductive organ and mouthing small. Juliet winking at Apollo. Juliet giving Hestia a kiss on the cheek. Juliet hugging Achilles and searching for Patroclus' statue.

Then Alex. Alex standing glumly next to Hephaestus. Alex standing glumly next to Aphrodite (and outshining her easily). Alex standing glumly next to Hera. And then Alex smiling and holding Juliet's waist when she asked a nice old couple to take a picture of them. This was the one picture he wouldn't dare ruin with his frown.

When the old couple called them 'a lovely couple', Juliet did not correct them. It made Alex giddy.

The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping. Juliet loved shopping. But somehow, most of the clothes she bought were for Alex.

She got him this and that and this and that and he couldn't help but feel a little special. She was fussing over him and patting his shoulders and dusting his arms.

"Tell me something about your family," Alex had told her. They stared at the Aegean Sea.

Juliet said, "my mother is homophobic. My father is sexist. I think Nathan is homophobic as well. My grandmother is very busy with her own life, and my grandfather...he is just quietly living out his days. I have no one," she said simply.

A few seconds later, Alex quietly said, "you have me."

Juliet grinned. "There is that," she said softly.

"Tell me something positive about them."

"My father will defend every one of us," she said. "No one would dare insult his kin. And my mother wants everybody to have the best. If I ask her for stationery, she will get me the most expensive and perfect stationery ever to exist on the planet. And Nathan... he cares. A lot. And he's observant. My grandfather constantly makes sure I'm independent and able to handle things on my own. My grandmother showers me with love every moment she gets."

"They don't sound so bad now, do they," he said softly.

The waves of the beach crashed against the rocks.

"I guess so."

They bought a few more books together. Walked around a little. Talked away. Shopped some more.

Juliet was looking for a dress for tonight's clubbing. She showed him a long black dress and asked if it was okay. He had made a little face and picked another dress which was shorter, but infinitely nicer and sparkly, and he said, "you'd look lovelier in this."

"Is it because it's shorter?" She asked instantly, sharply, without even thinking.

The middle of his eyebrows creased. "No. I just think you'd look nicer," he answered. "You don't need to get it if you don't like it."