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Marcus had been getting off from work when he got her text. In his car to be exact on the timing. The ping had him stop from pulling out from his parking spot to consider his options. He had a pair of tennis shoes in his trunk and he could roll up his pant legs...



He arrived not soon after, pant legs rolled up and showing off a pair of very brightly striped socks.

"Hey."

He looked down at his socks, momentarily having forgotten which pair he'd worn that day, (orange and green- pumpkin socks he liked to think of them as). Looking back up at her then at the beach he didn't look too enthused about going out on the water. He just thought it was going to be off of the pier or something.

"A boat?" He questioned, walking over to kiss her nose briefly. "Like, an actual boat? I well. I don't get sick I just- prefer to stay on land." Not a fear he told himself just a general healthy caution of avoidance.

No boat- he relaxed a bit and smiled as best he could. But- "I mean we can. If you paid I mean, it would be a waste to not I just-" He made a half shrug gesture, "I'll be in a very large life vest is all."

Plus, "I also really do want crab now, and we would need deep water for that."

Looking at the water then at her then towards the boats-
"Define entertaining. Because I didn't bring a deck of cards with me." He was completely serious.

"I uh-" How did one explain 'I nearly drowned and caused the death of my best friend when we went white water rafting so now boats just make me very nervous?' to your not-but-almost-kind-of girlfriend.

"I just get seasick pretty bad sometimes is all. I mean. I'll take some pills, wear a big life jacket. It'll be fine. I'll be fine." He just had to tell himself that. Fear however, floated away quickly as Cass leaned up to kiss him, his hands wandering into her back pockets while the sound he made was a soft hum of contentment.

"That-" he began pulling back and removing his hands from her backside, "-I don't think that's polite on a boat. Not one we're renting anyway. We could-" he huffed and looked around them.

"Well. We'll figure something out. So.. lets do this. I can do this just... Please do not ask me to jump OUT of the boat is all." He blushed.
"I can swim I just would rather be IN the boat."

Heat filled his face as he nodded, letting his not-girlfriend go to get the boat all ready while he- he pretended to take a pill. It was actually a mint tic-tac. Something told him they would be doing a lot of kissing and if anything he could at least have nice breath even if he might also be near having a small panic attack.

She deserved better than his paranoid a**, that was certain. Swallowing down his fear as best he could, Marcus steeled himself for the boat. It wasn't like rafting. It was big, secure. They could STEER it and, it had an anchor. Nothing like rafting. Totally different. The water was different to as was the smell and-

He kept telling himself he could do this.

By the time he reached Cass once more, a clear look of fear was on his face and his hands were fidgeting with a loose thread of his pant pocket.
"I'm ready." He said, voice catching on the last syllable.
"Let's go."

Fake it to make it was just what Marcus did. Usually, it worked just fine. However, usually his life didn't involve boats. But, Cassandra had planned this for him, he wanted to make her happy, it would be a waste to have come out and not to it not to mention she would probably avoid going out with him on these sorts of outdoor types of date-not-dates.

"I- I am. I promise. I can do this." He was lying and he felt bad for it and while he knew, logically, that the chance of anything bad happening was low? Fear wasn't easy to control when it was something that had a relation to trauma.

Leaning into her touch he brought his own hands to run over her's. It was grounding.
"I want to do this Cass. I want to do this with you." He looked at her wishing he could somehow explain it better without bringing up his affection for her. She wouldn't have liked that. It would have come off as attachment and too 'boyfriend' perhaps.

"If you can get on the boat. I can get on the boat. Just... slower." Probably a lot slower. "Please, just, let me do this? Or at least let me try."

When she kissed him, he didn't push it. This wasn't a moment to seduce her with his addictive lips as she'd called them once. This was more... intimate in an odd manner of turn. Cassandra wasn't the most open of women, so her trying to assuage his fears was all the more precious to Marcus. She cared, and he knew how that was its own topic of contention.

For now, he'd take what she'd give him.

Breathing in deeply to try and help his rapid heartbeat, Marcus slipped his fingers to intertwine with her's. Lifting her hand he didn't kiss the back of her knuckles, but rather bent to bring them against his forehead.
"Thank you. I'm sorry I am like this."

Walking as best he could he was standing a bit taller than normal, forcing himself to try and appear confident when it was obvious by his expression he wasn't, not really.

Her smile had him smiling in return, the faint color in his cheeks helping remind him why he was currently going against his gut instinct and getting on a boat.