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Still in his embrace, Hongbin turned me around and lay back, with me falling over onto his chest, snuggled up close. I loved the feeling of being in his arms, they were strong yet never felt too strong or suffocating. Safe and comforting, as well as his usual scent, that of his tangy body wash. And he usually wore soft and comfy tees, which are great for when we hug, especially nights like this.
Hongbin tucked some hair behind my ear, that stray lock still hasn't seemed to find its place, I guess. He gazed down at my lips before reconnecting with my eyes. Understanding, I moved up a bit and placed my lips on his, taking the initiative wasn't rare for me since he often shied from it. I decided to make him take it from there however, I didn't move my lips until after he did.
The kiss was soft and warm, unhurried yet passionate, and tasted of my lip balm; some sort of berry, perhaps. We stayed like that for a while, him kissing me and me kissing back, hands in each other's hair, but at some point he'd flipped us over and leaned over me. Pulling away to breathe, our lips still lingered and were barely apart, while we caught our breaths.
I felt Hongbin smile, lips not showing any sign of leaving mine. "What?" I mumbled.
"You're so pretty, smart, funny, cute... How did I ever meet a great girl like you" he mumbled back, his deep voice full of sincerity and love, still giving me butterflies even after all this time.
"I-I don't know... But I'm really glad I met you too. You're all that and more," I muttered shyly, not wanting to leave his confession hanging in the air. I hid my face in the crook of his neck because he kept making me blush.
"Oh, so you think I'm pretty?" Hongbin joked.
"Not funny, Bean!" I playfully nipped his neck, making him laugh again, and I felt his chest heave against mine.
"Leslie?" he suddenly called out.
"Mhm?" I hummed and looked up at him.
"Where do you see us in the future?" he asked.
"What do you mean, Hongbin?" I was confused, fearful that this may not head somewhere pleasant. I tried to sit up, only to have him pull me back down and kiss my forehead, he must have sensed my fear and train of thought.
"Relax~, I'm not breaking up with you. I'm just curious about how you feel." He paused, sighing, "Do you feel like I'm just another boyfriend to you," he stopped again, thinking of how to phrase his question, "or do you think we could be... more?" His eyes shone with an expression I'd never seen before. Fear? Hope? Anxiety? Maybe it was all or none of the above.
"Oh, Hongbin Lee, you idiot! Of course I do!" I reached upwards and hugged him tightly, like never before. He pulled me even closer to him, is possible, and turned so we both lay on our sides. Hongbin began to hum an unfamiliar tune– I wonder, was he writing a new song? He'd written a few, mainly back in high school, and I loved to hear him sing them.
He began to sing All 4 One's "I Swear", full of that same love and passion I'd come to know personally. I'd closed my eyes to be able to focus more, but didn't realize when I'd begun to fall asleep. Just when I was about to slip into a peaceful slumber, he called for me again, making me stir. I hummed a soft yes in response so he'd know I was awake and listening.
"I... I love," Hongbin confessed as he placed a sweet kiss on my lips, as well as his confession. I smiled as I felt the puzzle pieces shift in my mind and came together. Ah, so that's why he seemed so nervous and worked up today...
"I love you too," I answered, and I meant all of those short but powerful words.
"Before you fall asleep, can I ask you one more thing?" he asked shyly.
"Yeah, but if you choose right now to propose, without even a ring or a flower, I'm going to hurt you." I joked.
He laughed suddenly and snorted, choking on his breath, and I had to pat his back so he could breathe.
"No, that's not quite it, but I'm glad it wasn't a flat-out no~" he winked cheesily, making my hand fly up lazily to his face, as if it would somehow magically shush him. Hongbin merely kissed my hand and lightly bit a finger, to which I pulled it away quickly, pouting.
"Meanie," I mumbled and stuck my tongue out childishly. If you saw us right now, you'd probably think we were some high school couple acting like lovesick puppies– and I'd have to agree to that last part, our maturity level did vary.
"Have you ever wondered if someday we'll... you know...?" he finally asked what he'd been so curios about.
"Take our relationship to the next level?" I filled in cautiously, trying to search for the simplest wording I could manage at the moment.
Hongbin nodded, eyes suddenly widening as if he'd just made a huge mistake. "U-um yes, no wait no." He bit his lip and tried to calm down before continuing, "Yes that's what I meant, but I also meant I wasn't trying to get into your pants tonight. I don't want to rush into anything, I was just curious what you thought on that, uh, matter. Like if you'd ever wondered too–"
"Just go to sleep, please," I begged, praying he'd stop rambling because I was really tired. Whatever happens will happen when it happens, but for now... "I'm sleepy," I whined, making him laugh and go back to our previous cuddling position.
And with that, we fell asleep happily, with that conversation tucked away at the back of the bottom drawer in our minds, waiting to be found again and re-discussed. But that wouldn't happen until much later on.
