Little Shy Ariel (ft. Harry Styles)

Chapter 17 - By The Dock

Saying it’s just Harry actually makes it worse.

I can do this, I can do this. I did it before.

Yeah, but I was in a excitement rush kind of thing, now it’s different.

I still can do it.

And I have to stop having conversations in my mind.

When I open my eyes Harry is looking at me, a little smile on his lips that barely shows his dimples, but they are there. My heart is beating so strongly in my ribcage that I have to put my hand on my chest as if like that I can keep the muscle inside of me. I have a lump in my throat and I know all my limbs are shaking, but I keep telling myself I can do it.

“Hi,” he says, his smile widening and my heart jumps in my chest, I can feel it in my hands. Holy cow!

“H-hi,” I reply, my voice trembling like my limbs. “H-how… how are you?”

Well done, Ariel! Keep going! I imagine Mare saying and that actually helps.

“I’m great,” he replies with that big smile of his, a heart-warming smile that puts me at ease, just a little bit. “It’s nice to see you. Making sure everything is okay for the tours today?” he asks and I nod. It’s just what comes more naturally to me. “No one is dying today then.”

I chuckle at the goofy way he says that, it’s hard to describe, but it makes me laugh and his smile widens even more, if that’s possible. “No, no one is dying,” I agree with a bit more of ease as I start to get a bit relaxed in his company.

“So… too busy right now? Can I steal a bit of your time?” he asks next a bit unsure and my eyes widen in shock.

“Do-do you need… do you need anything?” I ask, my eyes still wide open.

He chuckles a bit embarrassed, messing with the curls in the back of his head and looking down for a few seconds. I never imagined I could’ve seen the Harry Styles being shy. I didn’t think that was possible. He looks so confident all the time in a way so different from Mare, but confident nonetheless.

“No, it’s just… it’s okay if you don’t have time or you don’t want to. I thought it’d be nice, that’s all,” he replies and I notice his cheeks are a bit rosy. Is he blushing?

I can’t stop blinking. Surprised is an understatement because I realise even people like Harry, who are practically on top of the world, get shy and insecure.

“I-I have time,” I reply and he flashes me a lovely smile.

“Is it okay if we sit by the dock? I love the view of the lake,” he adds and I nod before I turn around to sit at the edge, my feet not touching the water. I wait there until Harry sits by my side and his proximity makes my heart race by I try to keep it together. “This place is amazing,” he adds and I nod.

“I’ve… I’ve always loved it here,” I reply lowly, not looking at him. It’s not as hard when my eyes are locked on this familiar place, on my kingdom, the place that brings me serenity. “I grew up here.”

“That must’ve been amazing,” he comments on my statement. “This place reminds me of a video we shot in Kent,” Harry adds next and I stop to think of which video he could be talking about.

“Live While We’re Young?” I suggest and I feel his eyes on me so I turn to meet his gaze for a few seconds but then I turn back to look at the lake.

“Yeah. It’s true you’re a fan then,” he says and I can hear the smile in his voice. “Yeah, there was also a lake like this one and a forest and it was so fun. We had an amazing time shooting that video.”

“It looked like fun,” I reply with a smile of my own. “I used to be the only… the only one to swim here but now so many people come. It’s good, I think,” I hurry to explain. “I like that more people can enjoy this lake.”

“That’s nice,” he says and I look at him for two seconds before I focus on the lake again, feeling my cheeks heating.

I pull some hair behind my ear, still avoiding Harry’s gaze but I feel it on me, examining me and it makes me feel so self-conscious. “You also met Niall yesterday,” he says and I nod. “He says you’re really shy and I agree,” he chuckles and I feel my cheeks heating even more. Even my ears and neck. I’m totally blushed.

“I-I-I am,” I stutter. That he says that makes it kind of worse. I know he’s not insulting me or laughing at me, but I still feel like a little ant under the lens of a microscope. I feel like running but I’m anchored there. I can’t move.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Sorry,” he apologies and I pull another lock of hair behind my ear that falls next to my face when I look down, focusing on all the little dots of my dress.

“It-it’s okay,” I say but I still can’t look at him and I know I’m still blushing.

“Still, I’m sorry. Eh, so… what else do you do here? Besides delivering the vegetables and those things,” he asks and I know he wants to change subjects so I let him.

“I-I help in the house. I-I make sure all the boats are okay,” I reply and dare to meet his eyes for a few seconds. He’s always looking at me.

“So you’re always around,” he muses. “And if someone, let’s say, would fall into the lake you could totally save him, right? I mean, you must be an expert swimmer.”

I look at him with my eyes wide open for a full second before I look away again, my heart racing again because the night I saved him flashes in my mind. I don’t know if he suspects it was me again now that he knows I’m not mute and I guess I could tell him now that it was me, that I actually saved him. I really don’t know why I don’t tell him.

“I-I guess I could,” I reply pulling another lock of hair behind my ear. Looking down at my lap makes my hair fall around my face all the time.

“Well, it’s good to know you’re around, then,” he says casually and I smile although I don’t meet his eyes. “Don’t you feel lonely here, though? You say there are more people now, but what about before?”

“I have six sisters,” I say and I hear his exclamation of surprise, which makes me chuckle. “But they all left already. I’m the youngest,” I add. “So it’s Dad and I now. It’s a bit lonely, but I’m… I’m used to it.”

“How old are you? If you don’t mind telling me, of course.”

“Seventeen,” I reply. “I’ll be eighteen in a few days, though.”

“Your birthday is coming?” he asks and I chuckle as I nod. “When?”

“The twenty-fifth of June,” I reply.

“Oh, really soon! We must do something that day, then!” exclaims Harry, really excited.

I look at him, surprised myself. I know eighteen is important but I was a bit bummed this year, knowing none of my sisters was going to be here. But now… now I feel excited again and really nervous, though.

“That’d… that’d be lovely.”

-:-:-

PLEASE READ! There's a book called "Aware Princess Series (Extra Material)". You can look it up or go to my profile to find it. In that book I post one shots related to this series. So far I've posted two from Harry's POV (for those who always want to know his view on the events) and just today I posted one from Mare's POV. My last attempt to make you understand she's not the villain of the story and she won't hurt Ariel. Read those short one shots if you want to see other perspectives of this story as it's solely Ariel's POV.

Dedication to @SnowlyNouis. I'm proud of you for standing for yourself and that this story helped you makes me so happy. I also hope we can meet one day.

Bel, xx

NU: Tuesday

PS: Video of Bella Ferraro (Ariel's voice) singing Skinny Love. Perfect.