Valerie didn’t move at first, not fully conscious of what was going on. When she finally realised he was hugging her, her first reaction was to try to push him away, but son stopped to do so. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but it was actually quite pleasant. She could feel how much he wanted for her to feel better… and all his muscles too.

Eunhyuk was guy… no. Eunhyuk was a man. And there she was, in his room, being hugged by him after telling him a secret almost one knew about. And, the bad memories apart, she was actually [i]enjoying[/i] it.

When Eunhyuk felt that she calmed down a bit, he softly let her go. He thought to himself “I hugged her. I finally did it. And she talked to me. And she’s in my room. And she didn’t didn’t pushed me away… And she’s staring at me.”

Following his thoughts, his cheeks went to a flush pink to a bright red.

Following Eunhyuk’s cheeks coloration, Valerie blushed too, wondering what he was thinking about.

Someone watching them from afar would see two people, sitting closer than friends should be, but with the shyness and the distance of two people who starts to realise their feelings toward each other.

Valerie knew deep down inside that his jawline wasn’t his only quality. Just before, when he was hugging her, she was able to feel all his concern toward her. She could feel how much he wanted her to feel better, but she also knew that he controlled himself not to overdo it. She never really saw him with his friends, except that one time in Ama’s studio. She knew he would not completely smile as long as he was conscious of himself, but the moment he would just be submerged by a feeling, his smile would look more true… and more gummy. The first time she saw that, she thought it was cute. Out of luck, this smile didn’t appear at lot of time on his face when he was with her. She was conscious that she made him feel bad when she ignored him, but she was scared – she still was, but a little less – of what he was feeling. She couldn’t understand what he found so interesting in her. After talking with the girls, she felt more confident. Not that she knew what he was seeing in her, but she hoped she could find out. She hoped she wouldn’t destroy the image of her that he had. She hoped she would get to know him better. She wasn’t ready to say that she loved or even liked him, but the moment she passed at his house, confessing to him one of her darkest memory, made her feel like being close to him would be easy and comfortable. He didn’t push her, he didn’t try to interrupt her, not once, and he never tried to say that things weren’t that bad. Maybe he didn’t understood why she reacted that way, but he didn’t judge her for that. He was there and he showed it to her. A silent hero. A presence.

Eunhyuk felt in his heart that Valerie wasn’t really mean and that she actually cared about the others. The few times he saw her with her friends before showed him how sweet was her smile and how nice she could be. He remembered that time when he helped that lost girl that turned out to be one of her friends. He saw her worried and relieved at that time. He wished he could see more of her. He knew it would take time before she would accept to open her heart and feelings to him, but he wished with all his heart that, one day, she would. By accepting the hugged he gave her, she silently told him she started opening to him. She told something important to her and he knew how hard it must have been. He never really had bad moments like she did, life went easy on him for this, but he could feel the scar “these monsters” left on Valerie’s soul was still open, not fully healed. He wished he could do anything to help her feel better. He wished this evening, this night would never stop.

Valerie and Eunhyuk were blankly staring at the other, the two of them lost somewhere in their heads. They never saw the time pass and what got them away from their inner world was Eunhyuk’s mother knocking on the door.

Even thought she knew he hated that, she opened the door to peek on what was going in. It was one of the first times Eunhyuk brought a girl home, even more in his room.

He sighed loudly when he emerged of his thoughts and saw his mother slowly peeking in the room.

-What ?

-Nothing, dinner’s ready. There’s enough for your friend, if she want to join us, of course

Valerie looked a second to Eunhyuk’s face before nodding.

-If it doesn’t bother you, I’d like too…

-I hope you like pastas !

-I…started Valerie.

-Mom… interrupted Eunhyuk, joining an insistent stare clearly telling his mom to get out.

-Fine, fine. I know. “Don’t enter in my room just after knocking”. I get it. But hurry before it gets cold.

She closed the door behind her, did just as if she walked away, but stayed the ear glued to door, trying to hear what they were saying. Out of luck, Eunhyuk knew her too well and told to really go away. Sighing, his mother went back to the kitchen to do the last preparation for the meal.

Once Monkey was sure his mother was gone, he bit his lip, slowly turning his head toward Valerie. He wasn’t sure how she reacted to the hug. But, at least, he was still alive and she was still there. He thought that these two things were a good sign.

-I… he started.

-Thanks.

Valerie’s eyes were trying to see what he was feeling. She was staring at him, a lot softer than she used to do. Eyes to eyes.

Hyukkie stared at her for a second or two, to be sure she was serious.

-I… no problem. I’ll always be there.

Valerie had a shy smile.

-I know. I… euh…

-You…?

It was probably not what he was hoping for. It would be a miracle.

-I… don’t hate you.

Well, that was a start.

-I don’t hate myself either. Like that, we’re two.

-You know what I meant.

Getting more confident than before, he passed a hand in her hair, messing them up gently.

-I know.

Valerie blushed a little – again – remembering what he had told her before she stopped talking to him.

-Let’s go eat, before my mom comes back eavesdropping again.

He stood up, lending her a hand to help her do the same.

If someone told her she would have accepted that hand, she would have laughed at that person for saying nonsense. Apparently, Valerie, the Nice-but-I-hide-it-with-being-mean Valerie was starting to get more and more conscious of Eunhyuk. From the start, she knew he was hot and y and gorgeous and hot and nice and monkey-like, but the more she talked with him that day, the more she realized he was more than his body. It was a big plus, but he wasn’t only hot. He was everything she couldn’t even dream of her perfect guy. He was more than what she ever thought being able to get close to. And there they were, hugging each other after letting a big secret out, eating at his house and with him helping to get up even if she was absolutely able to do so.

She took his hand, got up and let his hand go as fast as she could. She stormed out of the room to hide the embarrassment she was feeling due to her thoughts about him. With a soft smile on his face, Eunhyuk gazed at her as she was going out, fighting against the door, happy to see her in such a state.

Maybe he did not have a lot of experiences with girls, but he knew how she was feeling. He knew she had trouble accepting the short time it took them to get so close. He knew she was fighting against her feelings, not ready to completely take them in and them with him. Less than a week since their first talk. Less than a week and there they were.

The only thing he hoped for was that it would continue to go well… and maybe get an other hug from her. 

--

Ama, I KNOW I always forget words and do lots of mistake, but, PLEASE, don't tell me everytime. I'm too lazy to re-read myself so bee it.

You better love me, Val. I'm still writing now.