"Nobody else wanted to come with us?" Machiavelli queried, following the two men along the edge of the lake.
"Nah, it's just the three of us," Billy called, looking back at him. "Just like when we first met." He stopped for him, seeing that the boy was falling behind. Machiavelli had been having some trouble keeping up with Black Hawk's long strides. Though the younger version of the Italian had retained its lankiness, his legs were still much shorter. "We'll have fun," Billy assured him when he finally caught up.
"Where are the boat rentals?" Machiavelli asked, skipping every few steps in order to keep up. He grasped Billy's hand to ensure that he wouldn't be left behind. "Are we close?"
"It's about half a mile around the lake," Billy said, pointing to a small building in the distance. He looked down at the Italian. Machiavelli was wheezing slightly with the effort of keeping up with the two taller men. "Ah, sorry, baby." He came to a stop. "Hey, Black Hawk! Slow up a bit. Want me to carry you the rest of the way," he asked quietly. Machiavelli shook his head. He gave the outlaw a little smile.
Black Hawk glanced back at them. He dawdled while they caught up. "Too slow?" he drawled.
"He's short," Billy defended. "Still a little boy."
Black Hawk looked down at the boy, but didn't say anything. Machiavelli felt a little bit of his happiness slip away. It felt like the Native American was making fun of him.
Billy seemed to notice the slight shift in his mood. "What kind of boat do you want to get?" he asked, giving the Italian's tiny hand a squeeze. He decided he would carry the boy anyways, so he scooped him up. "We could get a row boat or a canoe or a paddle boat," he listed off. Machiavelli looked at him quietly through his long lashes. "Ah, we can always decide when we get there. We're not too far away now." He pointed to the hut which was much more in focus now. It looked like it was almost leaning into the water.
"Why am I wearing my swim shorts if we're taking a boat?" Machiavelli asked, perking up a little in his excitement.
"We're going to toss you in," Black Hawk teased.
Billy actually smacked him, hard. "Mostly in case you fall in," Billy said, amending the other man's statement. "Don't worry, I'm putting a life preserver on you too."
"But I don't need a life preserver, I know how to swim," Machiavelli protested, but it was little use against Billy who had apparently made up his mind before they had even started out. Eventually, the boy ended up in a blue life jacket, snuggly fitted to him by Billy. The Italian had made things a little difficult by insisting on finding a preserver that matched his suit.
They decided on the paddle boat, or rather, Machiavelli got really excited by it and they gave in to him. Machiavelli suspected that Black Hawk might have felt bad for his earlier comments, otherwise the paddle boat wouldn't have been an option.
Billy got on first, followed by Machiavelli who climbed in the back. Black Hawk was the last to get on and it was the weight of his bulk that really pushed down on one side of it, meaning that the Italian was suddenly waist deep in water, when he had been siting normally a moment before. He giggled though, the sudden dunking amusing him greatly.
"I think you better come over to my side," Billy said, glancing back at him. Machiavelli scooted over to the right side of the boat more, but he was very happy to just let his legs dangle in the water. With a little maneuvering, Black Hawk was better able to shift his weight, reducing the risk of tipping the boat over.
The Italian immortal gave a little, undignified squeal when they finally took off. Billy and Black Hawk seemed to be competing with each other on who could pedal faster, making the boat practically fly over the edge of the water. Gradually, Black Hawk seemed to win out. Billy's legs weren't nearly as long as his, meaning he had to put in double the effort. As he got more tired, the boat began to move more in a leftward arch.
"Let's stop for a while," Billy said at last. He sounded a little winded and Machiavelli was almost a little insulted by the fact that Black hawk didn't say anything about it. He was sure that if it had been him, he would have been ribbed for sure by the Native American immortal. Billy helped him climb over the back of the boat into the front where they were sitting.
Machiavelli looked around. They were farther out in the lake than he'd ever been well swimming. The boat floated gently on the water. He leaned over the edge, seeing fish swim below them. He lay on his stomach by the boat's edge, trailing his fingers in the cool water.
"Do you like it?" Billy asked. He rested a hand on Machiavelli's neck. Mac glanced up and smiled, nodded. "Good."
The Kid left him to his own devices then, engaging the Native American immortal in conversation instead. Machiavelli came over to the other man's side to look over the edge. He was a little surprised when Black Hawk kept a protective hand on his arm when he leaned over the edge.
Carefully stepping through their legs, he sat on the floor of the boat and fit his feet to the pedals. He strained to turn them himself, but it was surprisingly difficult. Billy fit his feet on the edge of the pedals and helped him push. Because they were just pushing on one side, the boat turned in a small circle.
Machiavelli ended up laughing too hard to keep it up. Falling back, his head dropped onto Billy's lap. A little uncomfortable, he pushed himself up. "I wish I could pedal on my own," he said, glancing up.
"I wish you could too," Billy replied easily. "Then you could do the work and I could lie about."
"Lazy," Black Hawk drawled, poking him uncomfortably in the ribs. Billy stuck his tongue out at him.
"Come on, let's get moving. You've rested enough," the outlaw jabbed, ignoring the fact that he had called for the break in the first place. He ran a hand through Machiavelli's long locks. "Hey, partner. Are you sitting up with me or going back to the back of the boat?"
Machiavelli considered carefully. "Here," he decided finally. He patted Billy's thigh. "I want to stay up here."
"Alright," Billy said.
They toured the edge of the lake, passing their cabin at one point. Machiavelli could feel Billy's legs pumping at the pedals. He exuded strength; leaning against the American's torso, he felt very safe.
Too soon, they came back to the boat rental place. Black Hawk got off first and pulled Machiavelli off. Billy was the last to disembark, stepping slowly onto the dock. Reaching up, he pulled the life jacket off. Machiavelli kept expecting Black Hawk to let him down to the ground again, but was surprised instead when the man boosted him up onto his shoulders. They walked back to the cabin.