Why. One word said so much about her, Valentine thought. She was so uncertain, so unsure of everything about herself it seemed. He wondered if that was why she was so quiet and timid – because she just didn’t know how to be anything else. But it did not deter Valentine from wanting to be her friend, and it pained him to hear the words that came from her own mouth – she was so brutal and unforgiving when it came to her opinion of herself. He shook his head slightly as she spoke. “But it is possible,” he retorted, his voice earnest as he tried his best to make her understand that what he said was true. Although he had not wanted to part his skin from hers, Valentine pulled back, separating himself from Dock’s creamy gold body so that he could look her in the eye. He wanted her to see that he was not lying to her, no matter how much she seemed to want to believe that. “Other mares aren’t better or worse than you just because they have bigger mouths,” he began, his tone kind but his expression serious. “And I’m sure you would feel a lot better if you stopped believing that.” His dark eyes sought to hold her gaze, those pretty blue eyes made tired with tears, as he watched for her reaction. “As I said, I like you Dock – I wouldn’t have come to see you if I didn’t, would I? You don’t have to think the worst of yourself – I certainly don’t. I’d like to think that we can be friends, and I look after my friends.” He paused a moment, curious to see how she felt about that title. “So if you ever need help, you can ask me.” he reiterated, speaking slowly and firmly. He titled his head at her as the final word fell from his lips, a simple question meant very seriously. “Understand?” |