Did I learn from my mistakes of sitting by the lake on my own in the middle of the night?

Definitely not.

Did I care?

Nope.

I just sat there, staring at the water, which was moving in a relaxed way, caused by the breeze. Stains of tears were printed on my cheeks. My throat hurt from sobbing. I had my notebook by my side, but couldn't write any words. I felt empty. Nothing made sense anymore.

Panic rose in my chest the second I heard a branch cracking. My mind went to the Builders right away, and it made me feel a fright I had never felt before. But, it wasn't them. Well, technically it was a Builder, but not— yeah. It was Gally, anyway.

"Leave." I told him again, my voice hoarse and weak. "Just leave."

"I'll leave once I've apologized." He decided sternly, talking with the confidence he always had.

I admired that strength of him. He never seemed to mind what other people thought of him. He was confident and wouldn't let someone hurt him easily. When he spoke he moved his hands in a way I could only stare at him more. He knew exactly when to act cold or nice. He knew in what tones to speak and how to impress people with that. Me, mostly.

"An apology won't turn back time and it won't make me forgive you." I shot back.

He liften an eyebrow. I could barely see it in the dark, but after sitting there for a while, my eyes got kind of used to it. "We'll see about that."

Without permission, he sat down next to me, staring at the lake too.

"Hurry before I... I- I push your head... underwater." I threatened weakly.

He laughed. "You're kind of funny when you're angry."

"I'm about to be hilarious."

He smiled again, though it soon faded. "Look, Val. What I said today, I-."

"It's fine." I said quickly, but then I frowned and crossed my arms. "Actually, it's not fine. It's anything but fine. You broke my heart. Literally!"

A tiny smile. "I promise I won't do it again. But, just let me explain, yeah?"

"Don't tell me you were talking about Josephine."

"I wasn't." He said. "I do think you're a piece of shit."

Another crack in my heart. "Oh."

"I'm kidding."

I swung my elbow through the air and hit him right in the crotch with it.

He groaned, bending down and groaning even more. "Did you really have to do that?"

I scoffed. "I bet the pain you're going through right now is way less than the pain I'm feeling in my stomach every damn second for a few days! Anyway. You gonna explain or what?"

"Yeah." He bit his lip and sat straight up again. "You're right."

"Of course I am."

"Yep."

"About what am I right, though?"

An offended glare.

"I can't help it that all I say is facts!"

He sighed, smiling as he looked away, yet I noticed. "You're right about how I was talking about Josephine."

I. Am. So. Dumb.

"Ben held her and kept bugging me too feed her again. I told him no a million times, until I said she was a piece of shit."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "You said I only take care of her because- and then you got cut off. You don't take care of Josephine. Explain that, Potato."

"I do take care of her." He assured.

"Pff. No you don't." I tilted my chin.

"I do. When you're not around I feed her, and Ben noticed."

I pressed my folded arms closer to my torso. "I refuse to believe that."

"You can ask Ben." He replied.

I shook my head. "Why would you do it behind my back?"

"Because I appear to be too tough to be feeding a chicken." Gally said, confident again. "I'll never do it again anyway."

I covered a giggle with my hand. Muted some laughs, but soon couldn't help to burst out, almost rolling over the ground.

Gally, the tough, giant guy secretly took care of a chicken! He denied by calling her a piece of shit and I believed he was taking about me. It was hilarious.

"What's so funny?" He grumbled. I kept on laughing, yet explained while gasping for air. "I don't see how that's funny."

Slowly my laughs turned quieter. "But why do you take care of her? Ben interrupted your sentence so I never got the answer."

"Oh, well." He sniffed as he looked down at the ground. "Thought that it would... make you- ya know. Uh... happier.

Oh, lord. He took care of Josephine for me? I was happy he couldn't see my bright red face in the dark.

"But then I realized how dumb it was to feed her. Everyone would see and laugh about it, which is why I did it secretly, kind of hoping you would- uhm, notice after all, but then Ben did."

I buried my face in my hands. "I'm sorry. I- I thought you were talking about me and-."

"Don't ever apologize."

"Stop saying that." I snapped. "It's my least favorite sentence. Of course people apologize sometimes!"

"Why the hell are you all sad first? Then angry, then laughing until you're gasping, then sad, and then you're angry again!" He threw his head back in annoyance.

"I explained it to you. I told you everything I knew about periods, don't deny it. Just live with it. And I'm still sorry. I punched you like twenty times."

"It didn't even hurt."

"Yeah, man, your chest is like stone." I ran a hand through my hair. "But I did still punch you, so, I am sorry."

"You're not sorry."

"I'm not sorry." I smiled.

He started laughing, bright, with squinted eyes. It made me admire him again, blushing deeply. He was cute and hot and everything at once.

"Gally...?" I started slowly and careful.

"Yeah?"

I rubbed my chin. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded. "Shoot."

"Did you bring cookies?"

His mouth almost dropped open, eyes widening and twinkling at once. "I thought this was gonna be this super important thing."

"Chocolate?"

"Nope, sorry. Want me to get some?"

"Nice offer, but no, thanks." The corners of my mouth curved up again. "Gally?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something again?"

He smiled. "Shoot."

"Can we wrestle?"

He looked as if he wanted to roll his eyes. "No. It's late. Come up with it during the day."

"You come up with it during the day." I argued. "You're the man."

"That doesn't make a difference."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Sure it does."

"I do appreciate you think I'm a man, and not a boy." He teased, smiling annoyingly.

A middle finger. "Well, it depends how mature you are being. Or any other male. Like Minho, he's always a man."

"He's not exactly what I call mature."

"Yeah, but Minho is... Minho. And Peter, he'll always be a boy. A very stupid one."

"Agree."

We were both silent for a while, secretly glancing at each other until our eyes met and we were both ashamed. My whole face was hot and red by now, shivers everywhere on my body.

"Shall I bring you to your hut?" Gally suggested out of a sudden.

I shrugged. "Are you tired?"

"Are you?"

"Not really." I jumped up from my place. "But okay, you may bring me to my hut."

"What a pleasure." He grinned and got up too. His hand got lain down on my lower back, guiding me through the dark, which caused more butterflies to be born in my stomach.

No one seemed to be awake. Everything was silent except for a few animals, mostly birds, and our footsteps. I could hear Gally breathing beside me, but it wasn't loud enough to actually bother me.

Soon we faced a few lights, including my hut. His hand moved off of my back way too soon for me to have enjoyed it even more.

"Good night, Valerie." He smiled softly again.

"Night, Gally." I got ready to open the door while Gally was about six feet away from me, waiting for me to go in, but I hesitated. Biting my lip, I slowly turned around again. And I walked closer to him.

"Gally?" It came out higher-pitched than how I intended it to be.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?" I wondered for the third time that day. My palms were getting sweaty.

He shook his head, laughing. "Shoot."

A pause as the words were begging to leave my mouth. And then,

"May I kiss you?"

Damn, okay. First move was made. By the girl, for once.

I had to stop myself from looking at the ground instead of his eyes. I had to see his real emotion, and so I did. His eyes shined in moonlight. They seemed happy. His eyebrows scrunched in confusion for a few seconds. His jaw clenched.

I was afraid I ruined everything for a second.

"Yes. Yes, you may, Valerie." He nearly seemed breathless, nodding heavily.

I looked up at him even better, realizing I would have to stand on my toes to even reach his face. I leaned in, slow-paced and nervous. My heels lifted into the air as I stared at his kissable lips.

And then I contacted them with mine.

Neither of us seemed to move in the first two seconds. It was kind of awkward, but I didn't expect any first kiss to be awesome.

Then slowly, he moved his lips. And they were soft. So, so soft. To keep balance on my toes, I took ahold of one of his shoulders. I wouldn't have believed any book or story about how amazing kisses were at first, because they used to disgust me, but now my mind definitely changed.

My bones were on fire. My eyes closed automatically. I was wide awake, kissing him deeply, suddenly not unsure anymore. And he moved in sink with me perfectly.

Out of a sudden, he took my waist in both hands. My chest exploded and my breathing hitched. He pulled me closer to him, then did the best, most amazing, seductive thing he could do, in my opinion.

He lifted my waist up just enough so I could reach his lips easier. Just enough that I still stood on my toes, but couldn't feel my own weight. Just enough that I could slide my hand into his hair and kiss him even deeper, especially when he bent his head closer.

It was so magical that the world around us just disappeared. I wouldn't even care if anyone saw us. All I cared for was the way he kissed me soft and sweet, yet passionate and deep at once.

Our movements started to slow down after a while. My eyes fluttered open, and his did, too. Gally was still holding me, looking me right in the eyes. His heavy breaths sent waves of air onto my face.

I smiled at him, he smiled back. That was good. He liked it too.

"That took long enough to happen." I blurted out.

He chuckled as I looked down, already embarrassed by what I said and how I ruined the magical moment. Slowly his laughs faded away, and I felt his hand on my face.

In fact, he tilted my chin up by using his fingers, forcing me to look at him. "Valerie." He said quietly. Neither of us wanted to share this with the whole Glade. "I... I want us to be more than friends."

First of all, I was glad I didn't have to do the confession, because that crap was hard.

And then I smiled even brighter. "I want that too."

I was screaming on the inside, everything sparking and burning. He likes me back, he likes me back, he likes me back. He likes me back!!

"Then we should definitely kiss more often." He muttered. I was glad a hint of humor was still mixed into it all.

I nodded, agreeing happily. "I think we for sure should."

"How about right now?"

"Hm. Sounds amazing."

Our lips made contact again, this time maybe even deeper than the first time. Gally smiled through it, pulling my waist so close to him our bodies touched a bit, fire almost springing off us.

Then our foreheads pressed together as I talked to his lips, "Do you want to stay?"

He smiled again. Not that he ever stopped. Neither did I. "If you're comfortable."

I beamed with joy. "Always."

Our hands connected and fingers intertwined while we walked into my hut. I put on a small lamp and looked around as Gally sat down on my bed. My eyes fell on the clothes I had stacked on my chair.

I didn't want to ruin the moment, I really didn't. But I knew for sure that I wouldn't be changing in front of Gally. Not yet. Maybe it wasn't a big deal for others, but it was for me.

Did he expect me to do so, though? Would he find it normal to immediately go further than just sharing two kisses like the ones we had back outside?

"Hey." His hands on my shoulders, twisting me around. Made me look at him again. "It's okay. You don't have to change in front of me or anything else."

I nodded fast. "I know."

He nodded too, a long time, looking me in the eyes. "Really, Val. I could see the discomfort on your face, so just... always just tell me what you want or don't like, yeah? I'll do that too."

"Okay." I attacked him with a hug immediately, waves of comfort hitting me at his caring, kindness, and touch. "Thank you."

He put a hand on the back of my head. "I'll walk to my hut to change into pajamas too real quick, okay? I'll knock when I get back. Take as much time as you need."

"Thank you." I said again, smiling at Gally before he closed the door behind him.

Then I turned around and screamed into my pillow, kicking my feet, and smiling brightly.

Quickly I changed into black, soft shorts and a blue button-up shirt. I did feel comfortable enough to wear that around Gally.

His knock followed not long after he left. I let him in right away, still smiling.

"Are you really okay with this? Comfortable?" I questioned once he got into my bed, taking up most of the space again. My thoughts from the Slammer came back for a second.

"I'm not."

I blinked a few times. "Oh. I'll-."

"Because you're not next to me." He added. A crooked smile was on his face.

I couldn't help but giggle at that, then got under the sheets too, snuggling up into his side and taking in his amazing smell once again. He slowly drew circles in my hair with his fingers, which was the nicest feeling ever.

And this was probably the nicest night of my life, too. The best one.

~

A/N: Aaahh!! It happened 😄

In my opinion, my kissing scenes can suck, so I'm sorry if that is the situation here :)

And I hope we can all kind of respect both of their choices into not going too far with everything (immediately).

Talking about that, just wanted to say that this book won't contain any smut. I don't feel comfortable writing it and I am quite young to be writing it in the first place.

There will be spicy scenes, though, don't worry!!

Thanks for reading!! Have a good day/night ❤️ x Vera