BAD NEIGHBORS

A STOLEN KISS

Wang He Di was exhausted.
Since he and Shen Yue had arrived at the house in the woods, the girl had done nothing but drag him from one side of the small grove to the other to show him all the animals that populated it.
He was impressed by the amount of species of birds, reptiles, insects and anything else she knew! She described their characteristics and habits in great detail.
Wang He Di tried to follow her and memorize all the information she was giving him, but at a certain point he gave up and decided to just nod with enthusiasm and focus on the joy that Yue had painted on her face, on the play of light that the sun that penetrated the thick canopy of the trees reflected on her skin... And on their hands entwined in each other.
"Once, we found an injured owl right here, in this spot! I medicated him and luckily it started flying again after a few days! And then... Oops! Sorry, I'm boring you, right?" Yue blushed when she realized how much she had talked so far.
Dylan smiled and ruffled her hair.
"Not at all! Go ahead! You look so sexy when you become Doctor Shen!"
Yue blushed even more and shook her head.
"Idiot! Are you hungry? Shall we go eat?"
He nodded and they went back to the little glass house.

===

After dinner, they sat outside on a tree trunk and Shen Yue lit a small bonfire.
Dylan was surprised at how many things she could do...
"Didi?"
"Um?"
"Tell me about you".
"What do you want to know?"
"I don't know... What were you like as a child?"
"I was adorable" he grinned.
"Tsk! I don't believe you! I bet you were a little devil!"
Dylan pinched her arm.
"That's not true! I was really adorable! I was the cutest and most obedient kid in the world! Everything changed in high school."
"Why? What happened in high school?" Yue was curious.
"I found out that I'm handsome ."
The girl burst out laughing heartily.
"Hey! Why are you laughing ?! Well... The little girls started buzzing around me all the time... They all wanted to be near me! Every time I passed in the corridors of the school, I saw them whispering to each other and if I looked at them they blushed. I realized that I had the world in my hands! And then... Well, I didn't have a good company of friends. They pushed me to learn how to smoke... We played jokes... I didn't care about school. The important thing was to have fun, it has always been like that.
Luckily my parents got me back on the right path. I feel so guilty for everything I put them through!".
Shen Yue listened intently, struck by the sadness in Wang He Di's eyes.
She moved a little closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder.
"I'm sure your parents are very proud of you! Everyone does stupid things at that age" she said.
"You too?" Dylan asked as he played with her little hands.
"No, not me. I was and still am perfect" she replied.
"Hmm... I bet you were the prettiest in the class and everyone was trying to impress you, but you didn't even notice because you were too focused on studying."
"Nonsense. Nobody was trying to impress me."
Dylan shook his head, snorting.
"Didi... Can I ask you something?"
"Cutie, you don't have to ask me for permission! Just shoot!" he chuckled.
"Do you... Do you really think I am... Pretty? Are you just saying that because you're used to do it? Be honest!"
"Why this question?"
"I don't know... It's just that since I've known you... Okay, don't mind me, forget it."
Yue tried to pull away from him, but Dylan put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her, forcing her to lean her head against him again.
"Speak" he told her softly.
Shen Yue sighed, embarrassed.
"It's that honestly, Didi, no one has ever made me feel like this. I mean... You look at me in a way that makes me believe that all those compliments you give me, you really think them. It's... Weird. Since when I know you I feel more confident" she explained.
Wang He Di smiled and stroked her arm with his thumb.
"I've already told you a million times: I'm honest with you.
All time.
The night of the speed date, do you remember what I told you? That you were the most beautiful of all. It was true! I saw you and you immediately took my breath away! With those huge eyes you looked around and you looked like a child... And those lips!  Pfiuuu! Let's talk about legs? I could write a book about your legs!"
Yue hid her face against his chest, feeling shy.
"Stop it, you fool" she whispered.
Dylan laughed at her and kissed her on the head.
"I am happy that thanks to me you feel more confident of yourself. You are extraordinarily beautiful, tiger. Trust me!"
She smiled and hugged him tightly.
"Thanks" she said.
"So... Is that why you keep wearing those mini dresses to go out with all those idiots?" he muttered.
"Exactly!"
"Shen Yue!"
"Wang He Di!"
Yue laughed heartily.
"Cutie?"
"Mmh?"
"Did I really give you such a bad impression at the speed date? I mean, you decided not to see me again before I sat down in front of you!"
"Let's say you really looked like an idiot. With that latin lover way of acting... You were ridiculous."
Dylan's eyes widened, not expecting so much sincerity.
"But when you take off that cool boy mask, you're adorable" Yue added sweetly.
A huge smile broke out on Wang He Di's face.
The old Dylan, the one who lived in the illusion of being happy in a world of superficiality, had discovered a new planet... The one of feelings.
"You've felt more confident since we've known each other, but for me it's the opposite" he confessed.
Yue lifted her head and searched his eyes, sorry to hear him say those words.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I grew up in the belief that I was perfect, that everyone would like me... And then you came and made me doubt everything! Now I live in fear of making mistakes... I think: what would my tiger tell me if she saw me doing this? "
Shen Yue was surprised... The more she thought about it, the more incredible it seemed to her that their relationship had become so deep in such a short time.
She pulled away a little and took his face in her hands.
"You are perfect in your imperfection.
Isn't it great when people like your imperfections too?  Be yourself and don't be afraid of making mistakes.  But yeah, keep thinking about what I'd tell you, before doing some stupid thing "she smiled at him.
Wang He Di looked into her eyes.
If possible, she was even more beautiful in the warm glow of the fire.
He felt a desperate need to kiss her...
Kissing those pink lips that always had a sweet smile all for him, that always had words of comfort and that funny laugh that made everyone laugh with her.
Was that love? Was it just attraction?
He was so tempted to try to find out!
A kiss. Only one.
"Shall we go to sleep? I'm sleepy," Yue yawned, breaking that eye contact that was driving Dylan out of his mind.
He nodded, a little shaken by everything that was happening inside him, then he helped her to turn off the fire before heading back into the house.

===

It was late at night and Shen Yue had just woken up from a bad dream. She sat up and looked for Wang He Di, who was asleep in the sleeping bag not far from hers.
She got up and knelt beside him.
His baby face made her feel better in a second.
That evening, in front of the bonfire, something strange had happened...
For a moment she had felt the desire to kiss him... She blushed at the very thought!
Was she crazy?! Maybe it was the relaxed atmosphere... Maybe the tenderness of their cuddles or the sweetness in his eyes...
Kiss Wang He Di? She? Shen Yue? It was crazy.
But her eyes didn't listen to her head and they paused to admire Dylan's thin lips.
It wasn't like her to follow her instinct and leave all thoughts aside, but in that moment she felt she had absolutely no control over herself.
She brushed her hair to one side of her so as not to tickle him and slowly she brought her face close to his.
Their lips barely touched, causing a flood of emotions in Shen Yue so strong that her heart seemed about to explode.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Wang He Di's lips had curled into a tiny smile and Yue was afraid she'd woken him up.
She stood still, not breathing, for a moment... Until she was sure he was sleeping.
She sighed and went back into her sleeping bag.
"What have you done? What's wrong with you?" she muttered to herself.
She tried in every way to think about everything except what had just happened, but her mouth continued to pinch, mindful of the sweet taste of Dylan's lips and their softness.
"He's your neighbor. Only your neighbor. He's a good friend. Stop it. Don't be ridiculous!"
She spent the night scolding herself and convincing herself that absolutely nothing had happened.
It was just the madness of a moment.
She hadn't felt anything.
She had to forget everything.

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