She's Not Afraid. (Niall Horan)

Chapter 30.

Marina.

 

"Are you sure we don't need life jackets. The guy in the boat house said it would be safer..."

"Maz, stop worrying. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Uh... we could fall in? The boat could capsize? We could drown?"

He threw his head back in laughter, clutching his stomach as he looked down on my unimpressed face. After he composed himself he started where he left off and began to unhook the small boat from the dock. It wasn't a rowboat, it was a punting boat. Something I had never heard of, apparently it was popular in Cambridge. We weren't in Cambridge however; we were sat on a lake in Hyde Park. I was starting to wonder where he got all these visionary ideas. When I first met him, I had him pegged for the boy who took their girl to the pub for a Sunday lunch for a date. 

"Ready to hit the high seas?" Niall beamed, full of joy and excitement as he threw the rope back to land and picked up the long oar. I turned around to look at him as he stood on the end of the boat like a small platform. He wasn't exactly dressed in sailor attire but he did have a farmer's cap on which made him look nonetheless adorable. I felt the smile creep up higher and higher on my face as I continued to look in amusement at him.

"Niall, we're on a lake," I chuckled back humorously. His smile soon descended as he frowned apathetically at me.

"Use your imagination. And by the way that's Captain Niall to you."

"Captain Niall?" I chortled.

"What? I am the captain of this ship."

"Whatever floats your boat."

"That was lame."

"I know." I sighed, shaking my head at my pathetic not so much pun. "Now are you sure we don't need those life jackets, I'm sure it's not too late to go back and get them."

"Don't you trust me?"

"It's not you I don't trust. What if a wave appears and sends us under?"

"A wave?" He laughed uncontrollably. "We're on a lake, where the heck is a wave gonna come from?"

"Shut up," I pouted up at him, I fidgeted around on the wooden bench so I could see him clearly from my awkward position.

"We'll be fine, I'll look after my fair maiden. Trust me." 

His over powering smile was setting the butterflies in my stomach in over drive. I almost felt nervous. Relationships weren't my forte. I didn't know how they worked, how I was supposed to act let alone feel. This whole concept was new to me but I liked it, really liked it and it had only been a mere two hours. 

Before the boat started to sail, Niall, I mean Captain Niall bent down onto one knee, captured a sweet, gentle kiss before beginning to push us away from the pier. 

Luckily there were no waves, no disturbances and no hassle. The current was gentle and with a helpful hand from Niall paddling, we slowly flowed down the river. The river circled in a giant loop around the park and lake. I'd been to Hyde Park countless times but not like this. It felt like a completely different place. I was used to staggering around in the early hours, a bottle of Jack in one hand and a friend holding onto the other. Now all I could think was; this place was the clarity of romantic – in my eyes anyway. All this scene needed was a film crew and we could star in the next rom com. 

After paddling downstream for half an hour we had reached a small boating lake where we decided to just dwindle for a while and chow down on our homemade picnic, made by yours truly. No picnic is complete without my famous ham and pickle sandwiches.