Stray Kids POVs (collection)

scratches - Changbin (3)

It seems to become a routine on your days at the animal shelter – Changbin driving you to the place, doing whatever he has planned for the day while you do your voluntary work there, and him waiting for you on the parking lot as you leave the shelter with this silly smile on your lips as soon as you see his car. Sometimes the boys are with him, and you eat something on the way home.

Changbin has tried to accompany you to the shelter, but his allergy was pretty bad and even though he has tried to convince you about taking some remedies, you have suggested he should not force himself to it. He has surprised you with his willingness to take allergy medication to accompany you, but his health is more important to you than the few hours. Especially since you both stayed together in the living room since a few weeks when you're both home.

And God, this guy is such a good listener. With the full program – listening carefully, asking questions, letting you speak about every little detail and every seemingly uninteresting theme, everything while eyeing you with such an attentive look that your cheeks flush as soon as you notice it.

But you yourself love to hear his voice, hearing him talking about his day and his work and his friends you know better already. It's like you two just needed a starting signal, a little push to get along. And it's easy to get along with him, easier than you thought. He makes it easy for you to like him, with just the way he is.

Like the way he smiles at you as he spots you through the front windscreen of his car while you make your way over the parking lot to his car.

It's easy to like him when he smiles at you like this while he waits for you, after taking a diversion to drive you home with him.

"How are the kittens?" He asks while you drop into the passenger seat and fasten your seatbelt.

"Healthy and very active." He must have switched on the seat heating before, because now you feel the heat wandering through the layers of your clothing. It's already dawning and pretty cold these days, but Changbin is very attentive. A trait of your husband you didn't expect at the beginning.

"Sounds good." He eyes your hands while he starts the car. "Any new scratches?"

Your heart skips a beat with his question, the usual question he asks you like every day. At some point during the evening or the rest of the day after your work or at the shelter, he asks you this, after eyeing you intently, trying to do it without you noticing it.

You notice it, obviously, like your body is coded to react to him looking at you, with flushing cheeks, or goosebumps, or a fasten heartbeat.

"No. They were all pretty nice today." You smile at each other, before he starts to drive back to your apartment.

"So, any ideas about what we want to eat today?" Changbin asks and grins with a short look to you. "We could get something on the way or order something?"

"Ohh, you don't want to try and cook together again?" You giggle with the memory of the last try.

"No, we should buy a new pan and the other tools we've ruined last time before we try again." You see the tips of his ears redden with his next words. "And I'm not ready for the teasing of the others so quickly again."

You huff amused. "You know it was my fault and they've teased me not you about it. Everything would've worked out perfectly if I weren't next to the pan."

"That didn't make it any better." He mumbles, tightens his grip on the steering wheel and bites his lip for a moment as he remembers it, remembers how he wanted to defend you even though he has known that it was just jokingly teasing by the guys and you were fine with it. "So, what do you want to eat?"

You hum lightly while you think about the options. "I know it's not the healthy option, but what do you think about pizza?"

"If it's what you want, I'm totally fine with it." He smiles this adorably little smile when you nod excitedly.

"Yes." You whine lightly and playfully. "I crave some good pizza with too much cheese."

"Then pizza it is." He giggles and sets the car's blinker.

It's a little later when you two enter your apartment, placing the pizzas on the coffee table in front of the couch. You sit down while Changbin goes into the kitchen to grab something to drink.

"Have you changed your clothes?" He asks as he enters the living room and sits down as well, putting down the drinks next to the pizza.

"Mh, yes." You look down on yourself, the hoodie and the leggings on you. "Already at the shelter."

"Why?" You both open the pizza boxes and grab the first slice. "Something happened?"

"No." You take the first cheesy bite, instantly satisfied with this pizza. So good. "But the cats were all over me and you are allergic, so I thought it would be better to change them."

He pauses in his actions, pizza halfway to his mouth, and stares at you, blinking surprised. "You-You've changed...because of me?"

"Yes." You answer and stop eating as well, returning his gaze questioningly. Was this awkward? You've just thought about his allergy. You're surprised he has even noticed that you'd changed your clothes. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, sorry." He finally moves again, just to put the slice back into the box. "I just didn't expect this."

"Sorry if it's weird." You say quietly, your cheeks redden with the thought that you could've weirded him out. Was it too much? You look down, avoiding his eyes, feeling embarrassed what he could think of it.

"No, no!" He slides closer and lays a hand on your shoulder, his voice sounding hasty and apologetic. "That's not what I meant."

His hand wanders from your shoulder to your jaw, his fingertips touching your skin just lightly, but you feel the goosebumps from it, your whole face flushing, because he has never been this close before.

He moves your face to look at him again, his fingertips still so soft and carefully on you.

"I'm sorry, I was just surprised that you've done something this cute and thoughtful for me." He strokes over your cheek lightly, a small smile on his lips that you slowly return. "Thank you for that."

"It's nothing, really." You try to brush it off, you heart still pounding, now because of his reaction. Was it that surprising? After all, he's the one who takes the extra diversions so that you don't have to drive in the dark. He is the one who buys plasters and bandages and antiseptic before you could run out of it. He's the thoughtful, cute one. You've just changed your clothes.

He eyes you, tucking a stray strand of your hair out of your face, biting his lip before grinning satisfied. "No, now that I see it, it's a lot."

He slides back to his place and you feel the loss of his fingertips instantly. He takes a bite of his pizza, still grinning, and grabs the remote control.

"What do you mean?" You whisper, curious about his words.

"It takes a while for me, sorry." He gives you a smirk and you feel your heart beating in your chest. "But now I can see how you express yourself. The little details and actions you do for others. At first, I thought you'd be rigid with your reactions, but you're just shy at first, hm?"

You open your mouth, trying to reply something, like – yes, you are, you aren't good with expressing your feelings. Instead, you just close your mouth again and nod, what makes him chuckle.

"Yes, I understand now." His smirk turns to a lovely smile. "And just that you know it, I really like the way you are. Everything about you, in fact."