Val thought about what I told her for the rest of the day. Was she really sure she trusted my advice? Did she really want to follow the advice from a girl who loves cows more than boys? Probably not. But I was the only one who actually gave her something else than “ him” or anything along those lines. She didn’t listen in her classes that day, not caring at all about all these horrible projects the teachers gave them. She walked all day long with her “I’m thinking so I look like a zombie” mode on. She ended up, who knows how, to the bus stop and waited there. She had her headphones on, music off, just to keep herself of the world without any distraction to disturb her.

Valerie was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even realize few people have gathered around the bus nor the fact that the bus was there, letting people in. She was there, standing with a blank look on her face.

Of course, Eunhyuk was there, after all, he was his neighbour. And, of course, he saw. Actually, he secretly stared at her the whole time. Sometimes, Valerie’s lucky and she doesn’t even realize it. Not because a wonderful, handsome boy liked her (well, yes, for that too, but that’s not the point here), but because that wonderful, handsome cared about her.

He had to wave at her, his hand way too close to her nose. In other circumstances, he wouldn’t have done that, but… Valerie wasn’t mentally there, her eyes looking at something invisible. And the bus was about to leave. His “I wave in your face” technique didn’t work. He sighed and prepared himself to be slapped… or killed. He touched her shoulder, lightly shaking her to bring her back on Earth, almost looking away, his eyes half-closed in fear of her reaction.

It worked.

He wasn’t hurt.

She didn’t slap nor kill him.

She simply looked at him, not really there, then saw the bus and got on, whispering an almost silent “thank you”.

He smiled and followed her in the crowded bus. He stopped a second to search where he could sit. There were two places available: One next to Val and the other was actually the half of a seat beside a huge man with a suit two size under what he needed eating some salad with a big moustache and his case next to him. Since he wanted to have a little place, he decided to go next to Val. After all, she thanked him earlier, which was the best he heard from her since he told her he appreciated her presence.

Val stared at him when he sat down next to her. He had his head low, just as if he was expecting a violent reaction from her. She smiled thinking about that. Maybe she could play with him a little…

Wait.

What ?

Yes, she smiled thinking about him. In fact, she thought about him all day, but that’s just a little detail. Just a little, tiny thing. Just the reason why he had to shake her so she could get on the bus.

Eunhyuk, on his side, saw her smile and felt relieved. She wasn’t in a bad mood. Maybe they could talk a little… Make things clear… He cleared his throat.

-Um… Va…Valerie ?

She stopped smiling and turned her head to his side, uncovering her ear of the headphone.

-What do you want?

-I… um… Sorry, nothing.

His head went down in a second.

Until he heard a laugh.

He raised his head slowly, then stared at a laughing Valerie.

-Oh man, I just love that scared look on face. You don’t even realize how much of a monkey mixed with a puppy you remind me when you do that.

Valerie saw and enjoyed the lost eyes he was giving her. He didn’t know what to think at all. She “gently” punched him the best she could.

-Dude, I think we need to clear things out.

Eunhyuk’s eyes went even bigger. His mouth opened and closed a thousand times before he decided to shut it.

And all that time, Valerie laughed softly. She laughed, but inside, she was shaking like hell. She talked to him. For real. Not really in first, but she talked to him. Maaan… She actually listened to me… She tried to act like she would do with anyone, with any guy. But she couldn’t. He was so… him. So freaking hot and cute and hot and y and hot and monkey-like and hot and lost like a puppy and hot and handsome and hot and scared and hot… He [i]really[/i] was hot. She slowly stopped laughing as she realized what was clear for everybody since the start…

The bus arrived at their stop and they got off without any of them talking. He felt that she was, once again, far from here. He knew that she had to be by herself for a time. They walked, side by side, until they ended up in front of their houses.

Eunhyuk was about to step on his porch when he heard Valerie say :

-Mind if I come over?

He turned to her, a question on the tip of his tongue. But he never said it. Valerie was frozen at the same place he left her, staring at the car in front of her, in the alley.

-Sure, I’ll sleep on the couch if you stay for the night.

-Thanks.

But she stayed there, not moving. Eunhyuk went back to her and shyly, but firmly, took her hand and led her to his house. They went straight to his room and the second he closed the door after them, Valerie let go of his hand and started exploring without touching anything. Ten minutes and three complete explorations around the room, the worried puppy-monkey stopped her by putting his hands on her shoulders.

-Let’s sit and you’ll explain to me what’s going on. And don’t try to tell me everything’s alright, he added when she opened to talk back. I’m really happy, you don’t even know how, that you started to talk to me again, but there must a very good reason for you to ask me to stay over. So, sit here and tell me what’s wrong.

Valérie hesitated for a moment before doing as he said and sitting beside him, not too close, but not far from him neither. It took her another moment before she started talking. If he had tried to stop her, she wouldn’t have let him do so. She didn’t believe what she was doing, but there she was, telling an almost-stranger a secret she talked about once or twice in her whole life.

-You saw that car in front of my house, right ? Well, it’s the car of an old relative. It’s my uncle, well, more like my aunt and her husband, but… yeah. I don’t like him. When I was younger, around 10 years old, I had to pass a month living with them. They don’t have any child and they are just old and despicable people. My uncle…

At that part, the imagination of Eunhyuk filled his mind with hundred of scenarios, each and everyone being worst than the one before. Before he would react more he wanted to, he forced himself to listen to her. There was no need to make up ideas while she was telling him the true story.

-Actually, it’s not that much of a big deal, but they had that dog, a giant and overaggressive one. I heard that, before, when he was young, he was most adorable and kind puppy of the universe. Man, I LOVE dogs, you don’t even know to which extend I do, but… My uncle, more than my aunt, treated the dog so badly, keeping him in cage most of the time and yelling at him when he made sound, not matter what it was. I never saw it, but I’m sure they were beating him too.

He sighed of relieve. It was about a dog, nothing terrible happened to her. He didn’t know what he would have done if it would have been the case…

-So yeah, the month I lived, all naïve and young I was, I was always around the dog, asking them all sorts of questions about him and complaining that I couldn’t play with him because he was stuck in his prison. Halfway through the time I spent there, my uncle decided he had enough of my curiosity toward the dog and let him out of the cage. Of course, the first I did was to go near him and try to cuddle him. But the dog saw me as a threat and… he bit me. My uncle started shouting and cursing on about how stupid I was and irresponsible and how much of bastard the doggy was. My aunt took me away of the basement, where I was when it all happened and I’m sure my uncle killed the dog at that moment. I heard him, that monster, cursing and swearing to all gods, his breath heavy and fast… And I heard the dog… I mean…

Valerie raised her head a little and looked right in Eunhyuk eyes.

- I can’t forgive them. They are monsters. I have never talked to them since that day.

She lowered her head, staring at the floor with her arms around her waist just as if she tried to protect herself from the memories she brought back from the past.

To Eunhyuk’s eyes, it only made her more desirable. He wanted to protect her, to hug her closely and comfort her. He knew she loved animal since she had told him before (yes, she actually told him else than “I don’t care” or anything like that). But he would have never guessed how much she did.

When Valerie finally looked up, she had teary eyes. She tried to suppress them. She wanted to show off a strong face, but she just couldn’t fake it. It was still hurting her too much.

Eunhyuk hesitated for a second, wondering what she would do, and finally decided to a chance.

And he hugged her.

A big, comforting hug with a little touch if shyness.

-- 

I hope you'll hate me, Val.

I finally post something, FINALLY, and it ends like that 

*evil smile*