In The Rain - A Niall Horan Fanfiction

5

Noelle POV

He grabbed my hand.

I was not expecting it, but I tried not to look too startled. I know it's just because he's leading me somewhere, but I felt those stereotypical "sparks" that the main character of some fan fiction would feel.

I let this event play out and didn't pull my hand away. I was letting Niall take me wherever he wanted to go. I looked up at his face to try to see what he was thinking but he was just looking forward, not even paying attention to me.

     We were now at the playground and I thought he was going to stop, but he kept going. Oh my god, he's taking me to the trees behind the playground. I'm gonna be raped. But this is Niall, and I couldn't see him doing that.

     Even if Niall didn't seem the type, I still didn't want to be violated, so I stopped following. Since Niall didn't know I'd paused yet, he still went on and held my hand until it slipped out of his. He looked down at his hand, confused as to why mine wasn't there anymore, and he seemed a little frustrated that we weren't still moving.

     Niall's face turned around to see where I went. I was tense and stiff from fear. It wasn't a serious fear like "I'm being chased by a guy with a chainsaw" but more like an uneasy fear that you feel in the pit of your stomach.

     "Come on, we aren't too far," Niall said and looked in the direction he was going. I saw the realization wash over his face. "Oh, I see. I guess this is pretty sketchy, but I promise I won't hurt you. Will you feel better if I tell you where we're going?"

     I nodded.

     "A tree. My tree. Now, will you follow me? I know you'll like it," Niall tried to convince me. "Or if you would rather me walk you back to your house then I will." He added with a bit of defeat seeping into his voice.

     "If it's just a tree then I'll come. I didn't think you would do anything to me, I was just scared I guess. Let's just go."

     We walked a bit further past the playground and into the trees. The trees were beautiful in the moonlight. The way the moon illuminated the leaves perfectly made me happy. As we walked deeper into the wooded area, the amount of rain that got through the leaves faltered.

     In very little time, Niall turned toward the biggest tree in sight. It was large and had full branches. It covered the rain completely. The roots that twisted their way out of the ground were big enough to sleep on. I stood with my mouth open, taking in the perfect monstrosity this tree was.

     Niall walked over to the roots with pride in his step and took a seat. I walked over, still gazing at every detail, and took a seat on a root across from him. I didn't realize how much walking in wet clothes wore me out until I sat down and took a load off of my feet.

     "Well? Glad ya came?" He asked with a smirk on his face as if he knew the answer. He probably thought I would say yes or something.

     "Yes," I replied, "This tree is amazing. And I can still hear the rain but I'm not getting wet anymore. This is nice." I said while leaning back and bending one leg and putting it under my other.

     "Told ya," Niall said like a 5-year-old. He had a playful smile.

     I rolled my eyes and listened to the rain hitting the leaves. Me and Niall sat in silence for a bit before I asked him,

     "How long have you known about this tree?"

     He leant back on his hands and looked up like he was thinking hard. He looked back down at me.