Back to You: A Niall Horan Fan Fiction

Chapter 10: Disaster Date

Chapter 10: Disaster Date

Hope bubbled up inside Soleil at his words. She would be able to spend more time with him after all! She broke into a grin and grabbed his hand without thinking.

"Let's go then!" She cried in excitement.

Niall was staring at their hands in shock, so Soleil gave him a tug and began dragging him down the street. He finally snapped out of it and pulled her back, smiling.

"What?" She asked, "Why'd you stop?"

He laughed. "Because we're going the other way," he replied with a smirk.

"Right," she grinned back, without any hint of embarrassment. She spun on her heel and followed him, swinging their arms lightly.

She couldn't deny the tingles and sparks she felt when they touched, or the way her hand fit perfectly in his. She caught him glancing down at their hands and his light smile told her that he felt it too, whatever IT was.

They chatted as they walked leisurely for about another 15 minutes. The sun had recently set, casting purple shadows around them and bathing them in a soft gray light. Soleil noticed the way Niall's eyes darkened slightly when he turned to talk to her, and his dark roots were barely visible when his hair ruffled in the breeze. He bit his lip when he was trying not to laugh, and he became quiet when he was uncomfortable, unlike her nervous rambling.

He was so much more attractive in person than she ever would have guessed, and as she scrutinized him, she realized that instead of becoming a quick fling like she had expected, he was slowly weaving his way into her heart and mind. She was so comfortable around him, and she had to remind herself not to get too attached. This was friendly fun; he was probably just looking for a new person to hand out with, or just hook up with, and she would be leaving in a little over a week and then she'd never see him again. A rush of sadness came over her at the thought, but she quickly pushed it away. She would just live in the moment and see where things went. That's what she had always done and she wouldn't change just for a boy, even if her feelings for him were undeniable and growing. This year was about living with no regrets; she just had to remember that.

She was pulled out of her reverie when Niall stopped in front of a tall gray building. The sign marked in as a recreational center, but there were hardly any cars parked in the lot.

"Is this the part where I find out you're actually a crazy psychopath and you're going to lock me up in here?" Soleil joked.

Niall laughed. "Not today," he responded with a grin. "Come on."

They walked in the door and Soleil's jaw dropped at what she saw. A rock climbing wall towered in the center of the room. It was easily a few stories tall, and a few people were climbing up; tiny dots in the distance.

"No way," Soleil breathed.

"Do you like rock-climbing?" Niall asked her nervously, although she could plainly see the childish excitement on his face. "If you're scared we could do something else," he said softly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I am most certainly not scared," she huffed. "It looks like fun! I've always wanted to try it," she said grinning. His excitement was infectious and she realized she hadn't felt this much like a kid in a long time. It was a good feeling.

He returned her grin and led her over to a table with harnesses, helmets, and karabiners. Like a true gentleman, Niall helped Soleil into her harness first, tightening the straps and tugging them to make sure they were secure. His fingers worked deftly with the ease of someone with lots of experience.

She blushed when his fingers grazed her bare back where her shirt had ridden up in the harness. He looked at her in surprise before gently pulling her shirt back down and moving to attach his own harness. When he stepped away from her, Soleil felt drawn to him as if she was a marionette and he was holding her strings.