Valerie

I was nervous but Chanyeol's warm hand holding onto my mind calms me down. It was weird to what Chanyeol's presence could do to me, but I decided not to think about it at the moment and simply focus on the task. We were on our way down for dinner where a few of the Park family members are already waiting in the living room and the one I dread to meet the most would be Granny Park.

Yes, I decided to name her Granny Park since there are too many Parks in this house.

I took a deep breath just as we step into the living room and I immediately saw Mrs. Park (a.k.a Mommy Park) and Mr. Park (a.k.a Daddy Park). I also spotted Yoora talking animatedly with a tall guy with big 'sparkly' eyes, and I quickly assumed that he was the groom-to-be when he absentmindedly plants a kiss on her cheek, causing her to blush.

"Yeol!"

My gaze flickered to a guy walking towards us with a beautiful smile on his face, and Chanyeol releases my hand to embrace the man tightly.

"Baekhyun! God, I miss you!" My boss exclaimed excitedly as they pull away. The scene totally amused me since I've never seen Chanyeol behaving that way. The two quickly exchanged greetings before the man - Baekhyun's - gaze flickers to me. Chanyeol caught his look and pulled me closer to him. "Baek, this is Valerie, my girlfriend. And Ahyoung, this is Byun Baekhyun, my cousin."

Baekhyun looked confused and blinked owlishly at my boss. "Wait, I thought her name's Valerie?"

Chanyeol laughed as I smiled. "Yeah, but Ahyoung's her real name. And only I can call her that."

I actually blushed at that.

"Possessive freak," said a voice from behind us and I turned to see Yoora approaching with her fiancé. "Don't you feel suffocated with his possessiveness, Valerie?" she asked me, making me smile.

Chanyeol scowled at her.

"Not really," I told her. That's because he has no reason to be. "He has his moments." Yeah, like never.

Yoora chuckled and then seemed to remember another presence behind her. She pulled the man forward before clinging onto his arm with a bright smile. "Valerie, this is Choi Minho. He's my fiancé. And honey, this is Valerie Kim. She's Chanyeol's girlfriend."

"Finally," Minho exclaimed with a chuckle, surprising me. I glanced at Chanyeol and saw him looking away with an embarrassed look on his face. Baekhyun snickered. "I kept asking him when he was going to actually focus on one person and bring home a girl, and it took him forever! Honestly, I was getting worried about him."

I laughed. "If I knew, I'd presented myself sooner." Okay, that was cheesy.

Chanyeol sighed and butted in. "Okay, enough of this. Where's grandma?"

I unconsciously stilled at this. Chanyeol noticed this and gently grabbed my wrist where his hold lingered for a moment before moving his hand to hold onto mine. I nervously interlaced our finger together and tried my best to focus on the soothing thumb rubbing the back of my hand.

"She's the head of the house," Baekhyun answered with a roll of his eyes. "She'd definitely grace us with her presence later."

Later ended up as a minute later. I was silently standing beside Chanyeol just as Mummy Park decided to join us, and we turned when one of Chanyeol's aunts announced the old lady's entrance. I swallowed nervously when I saw the hard look on the woman's face and notice the authorative aura emitted from her.

This is it.

Everyone quickly greeted the eldest Park in the house, and I watched as the lady wraps her arms around Yoora to congratulate her, her face void of emotions. I then noticed Sehun coming from behind the elder and Granny Park's expression turned 180° almost immediately. It surprised me when I saw her brightened at the sight of Sehun and I was suddenly reminded of something. I glanced at Chanyeol and saw him roll his eyes. It was obvious he saw the interactions too.

"So Sehun was the cousin you mentioned?" I asked him, making sure my voice could only be heard by the two of us.

Chanyeol sighed and nodded his head. "Grandma spoils him too much which is why he grew up as a brat," he grumbled.

Without me realising, Grandma Park had moved further from her spot and suddenly, she was standing in front of Chanyeol and I. I gulped nervously when her scrutinizing eyes met mine and I timidly bowed at her. Chanyeol squeezed my hand momentarily before pulling away to engulf the woman in a hug.

"Hi, grandma." he greeted her and kissed her cheek when he pulled away. But all the while, the elder woman had her eyes on me. Gosh, why do I suddenly feel like I committed a crime? I tried my best to smile and bowed at her once again, and then I caught the smirk on Jiyeon's face as she stood peering from behind Granny Park's shoulder.

Noticing the sudden awkward tension, Chanyeol's mother approached us and placed her arms around my shoulders tenderly. I felt myself relaxing under her hold and gave her a brief smile before we both turned back to Granny Park. "Mom, look who Chanyeol brought home with him. He's finally seeing someone. Her name is-"

"Ahyoung," I cut her off. I doubt an old lady like her would be able to remember my English name. "My name is Kim Ahyoung, grandma. It's nice to finally meet you."

Grandma Park continued to stare at me, making me feel small about myself. It was embarrassing to stand in front of the lady with a crowd like this, and it didn't help that my ex-boyfriend, my boss's supposed fiancé, and my boss are all in the crowd as well. I could feel the tears starting to build their way into my eyes due to the embarrassment but it all disappeared when I felt an arm wrap itself around my waist, pulling me close to a tall figure. I glanced up and realised it was Chanyeol, and he was slightly frowning at his grandmother.

"What's wrong, grandma? Aren't you happy to meet my girlfriend? You're the one who always told me to bring a girl home," he said and his hold slightly tightened around my waist when his grandmother turned to him.

What she said next made me feel like tiest person in the world.

"I want her out of my house. Now."

Valerie ended up hiding herself in Chanyeol's room after his grandmother's harsh order. Mummy Park and Yoora had worriedly escourted her to the room when Chanyeol demanded to talk to his grandmother alone. This was what I dreaded would happen, Valerie thought to herself as she covered herself under the comforter. She was still pretty much still embarrassed after the scene in the living room, and it didn't help that Jiyeon had a very smug look on her face all the while.

But what she hated most was the worried look Sehun threw her as he stood behind his grandmother. She didn't like how it reminded her of how the man used to care about her. Valerie cursed under her breath just as the door to the room opened and she peeked her head out to see Chanyeol approaching the bed with an apologetic look on his face.

"Ahyoung," he began but she put a hand up to silent him.

"It's not your fault," she told him and he sighed as he took a seat next to her on the bed. They stared at each other for a moment before Valerie decided to look away with tears in her eyes. "It's funny how all this is actually just an act but I still feel like I wasn't good enough to be your girlfriend," she admitted quietly.

Chanyeol bit his bottom lip and scooted closer to her. He grabbed her hand gently and caressed them with his thumbs, and she looked up at him with such sad eyes that it pained him. "I'm sorry," he apologised but Valerie shook her head, dropping her gaze again. He sighed and got up from the bed only to sit right next to her and pulled her in between his legs. She leaned back against his chest tiredly, and Chanyeol wrapped his arms around her frame before resting his head against hers.

"I didn't think she'd react in such a way," he told her quietly.

Valerie swallowed. "You spoke to her, right? What did she say?" Chanyeol sighed and looked away. Still, she insisted by tugging onto the sleeve of his cardigan, and he finally relented. "She wants you out of the house. And to 'break up' with you."

She expected this but she couldn't help but feel the pain.

"Chany-"

"Let's just not talk about this right now," Chanyeol interrupted her. "Are you hungry? Mom's worried about you. She wants me to let her know if you need anything."

Valerie shook her head. "I'm fine. I lost my appetite."

"Me too." Chanyeol admitted with a sigh. "Let's just go to bed, huh? It's been quite a day. You take the bed and I'll take the couch, okay?"

Chanyeol got up before she could say a word and she slowly got under the covers again when she felt her eyes watering once more.

Valerie couldn't sleep that night. She had been replaying the earlier scene in her head countless times and no matter how many times she willed it to disappear, it just wouldn't. The fact that there was a thunderstorm that night did not help either. Valerie hated the loud sounds of rain hitting onto rooftops and the thunderstorms that would make her shiver under the covers.

What's worse was that she wasn't home in her own bed and it was beginning to make her restless.

She involuntarily let out a whimper when the thunder boomed like as if it was right above her head. Valerie closed her eyes tightly and tried to sing herself to sleep, but the loud booming sound of the thunder overrode her own voice - not that she could sing too loudly or else she would wake Chanyeol up.

But it was futile since the cover was suddenly lifted, making her shriek in surprise. She lifted her head from beneath her arms to see Chanyeol standing by the bedside looking worried. He then bent down so he could see her better in the dark and place a comforting hand on her head, it.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

Valerie wished she could just say yes but the sound of the thunder made her close her eyes tightly once more. Suddenly, she felt the mattress dip from under her and opened her eyes again to see Chanyeol getting under the cover. He then made sure to cover both their bodies with it before pulling her close to his side.

"Try to get some sleep, okay?" he told her and Valerie blinked owlishly at him. He chuckled. "Come on, just close your eyes. I'm here, and I promise I won't do anything inappropriate. If I do, I give you the permission to punish me in whatever way you want. Just don't kick my balls."

Valerie managed a smile at this before slowly settling herself. She felt awkward lying on her side with a small distance next to Chanyeol when he had his arm under her head as a pillow, and apparently the man felt the same way. Chanyeol pulled her closer and soon her head was placed on his chest with her one arm around his torso. Chanyeol hummed at the comfortable position and gently rubbed her back.

"Go to sleep, Ahyoung. I'll keep you warm."

Valerie tried to still her heartbeats at the sudden turn of events, but it was impossible to do so when she could feel his own calm ones from underneath her fingertips. Chanyeol was beginning to fall asleep again, and she gently smiled to herself as she realised that he was trying to keep himself awake just to make sure that she'd get some sleep. Making herself comfortable, she tightened her hold on him and snuggled closer before closing her eyes, and she heard him chuckle quietly before there was a light brush of a fingertip on her nose.

"Good night, Ahyoung."

Sehun quietly closed the door of his cousin's room from behind him and sighed tiredly to himself. When the storm had begun, he immediately thought of Valerie, knowing how much she hated thunderstorms, and decided to check on her when he was sure that everyone, especially Chanyeol, was asleep. When he got there, he found the two sleeping soundly in bed with Valerie snuggled closed to Chanyeol's side. He felt his heart break at the sight but deep down, he knew it was his fault that it was Chanyeol there, not him.

He was about to leave when Valerie moved in her sleep, and Sehun quickly bolted out of the room when Chanyeol turned to his side and wrapped both his arms around his ex-girlfriend. He didn't want to wait to see how Valerie would've reacted in her sleep at the comfortable position.

After a few minutes standing frozen at the door and mending his own broken heart, Sehun finally dragged his feet to his own room and got back under the covers. He ended up not sleeping a wink.

Author's note:

{07.11.15} I'm going to do some editing from chapter 1-7 soon. I apologize in advance if you guys will get annoyed with the constant false notification on this story then.