Taste | Changbin

Chapter Seventy-Four

"You don't have to do this." Lennon glanced down at the tub full of bubbles. She gently scooped some up in the palm of her hand and blew them into the air. 

"I know, but I want to." Changbin scooped warm water into a plastic cup and dumped it over Lennon's head. He curled the bottom half of his palm around her forehead to prevent soapy water from hitting her eyes. "I made you feel like shit, so let me make you feel better." 

"I don't feel like shit, I'm a little sore; in the heat of the moment, it was amazing. They're just over-stressed muscles, it's not that big of a deal." 

"To you, it's not that big of a deal, but to me it is. This is the least I can do for you. Let me take care of you for once. Tilt your head back, I don't want to repeat what happened last time." 

Lennon let out a sigh and tilted her head back. Changbin was insistent when they got back to her hotel room. He marched directly into the bathroom with her still on his back. He placed her on the floor and grabbed the edge of her dress. With one yank, she was standing in nothing, but a black laced bra. 

He started the warm water, disappeared out of the room, and came back with a bottle of Hyunjin's lavender bubble bath. Supposedly, it was infused with melatonin. Lennon didn't believe it until she was nearly half asleep beneath the bubbles. 

She was only shaken out of her half slumber because Changbin grabbed her by her wrists and pulled her up into a sitting position. He promised her that he would tuck her in after she was washed. She tried to tell him she could do it herself, but he refused. 

Eventually, she gave up, and he was glad. He loved scrubbing her strawberry scented shampoo into her scalp. He loved touching her and being close. He loved the way she looked half dazed as the scent of lavender floated up from the water. Being with her made him feel important. 

"Why do you like me?" The words blurted out of Lennon's mouth before she could stop them. "I mean..." she trailed off. "I feel like you could have anyone, but you picked me. Why? I don't think there's anything special about me. I'm nice sometimes and that's good, I guess, but there are so many other people out there that have incredible talent and abilities." 

"They're so much more evolved as a person. I'm just," she shrugged, "I'm just me. There's not really anything that makes me stand out as a person. It's not shocking that you had a crush on Hana, she's amazing." 

"Stop that," Changbin mumbled. "The thing for Hana was in the past. I don't like her anymore and she's happily married with a kid. I gave the whole crush thing up for her when she got engaged. Besides, I don't think we'd do well as a couple. She can be very strongly opinionated on things." 

"Is that a bad thing?" Lennon frowned. 

"No, no, of course not! It's just that even as friends, we have very different opinions on things and it leads to a lot of bickering and whining and it wouldn't have worked. Plus, that was how I met you. You shouldn't be comparing yourself to Hana. You're both amazing in your own way." 

 She pressed her lips together and let out a quiet hum. 

"I like the way you smile and it causes your dimple to appear. You only have one, but I love it. I love the way that in every photo you take, I can see your teeth. I like that time seems to freeze when I'm with you. For once, I don't feel like I'm Changbin from Stray Kids. I don't feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders." 

"When I'm with you, I feel like I can breathe properly. Yes, you are nice, but you can also be kind of bratty and I love that. I love teasing and bickering with you in an unserious manner. I like how your hand is smaller than mine and it makes me feel like I can protect you." 

"I hate to interrupt, but I have no doubt that you can protect me and you would if you needed to," Lennon cut in. "Your muscles are fucking huge!" 

Changbin let out a chuckle and went on. "You make me feel like I'm alive. Sometimes I get too caught up in my head, but every time you touch me, you bring me back down to reality. You remind me that I'm human and that's okay. I don't have to be superman and I don't have to try and be a god, I'm allowed to be a mere mortal." 

Lennon picked up the body wash beside her and squeezed some of it into her hands. She started rubbing it onto her body while Changbin continued speaking. 

"I took you on this picnic date tonight because I was hoping you'd appreciate it. You do so much for me without realizing it and I will never be able to thank you enough for it." 

"I mean, you did screw me over the side of the hotel. It was incredibly hot and you looked so good." Lennon bit her lip and nodded her head. "So, so, so good." 

"Okay, you're in the tub with a melatonin bubble bath and it was supposed to relax you. It wasn't supposed to make you horny again." 

"I'm not horny! I'm just simply reminiscing about the past and I don't think the wine is fully out of my system yet." 

Changbin shook his head and dumped a cup of warm water over her. She laughed as it slid down her naked body. He shook his head and poured another cup over her to rinse off the body wash. He dumped water over her a few more times before he pulled the plug out of the tub. "Alright, come on, let's get you tucked into bed." 

"Are you going to join me?" 

"I've got to go back and get the picnic stuff and your shoes." 

"They can wait until morning." 

"It's supposed to rain in a few hours. Besides, I told the hotel employees that we'd be out of there by two and it's almost one thirty in the morning. Let's get you dried off and into bed." 

Lennon pursed her lips in a pout and stood up. Changbin grabbed her hand to help her out of the tub. He wrapped a lavender towel around her body and threw her hair into another one. Being careful, he gently squeezed her hair between his hands. Water soaked the towel around her head. 

Lennon stared up at him with wide eyes. She clutched the towel around her chest tighter. Changbin caught her eyes and quickly looked away. "What are you looking at?" 

"You." 

"Why?" 

"I think I might love you." 

Changbin froze at once. Water dripped down her body onto the navy rug beneath her feet. The tips of his ears turned bright red. That was the one thing he hadn't been expecting her to say. He quickly brushed off his embarrassment. 

"I think I might love you too." 

Lennon grinned, her dimple appeared on the side of her face. Without missing a beat, Changbin quickly kissed the tip of her nose. Her cheeks darkened in response. She glanced down at the floor. 

"Okay, let's get you dressed, and into bed."