It Started Out Good And Then I Lost It A Little Bit - Tumblr Posts

"Settle Here; Let Me Love You" - [B.C.]

Pairing : Bang Chan / Chris Bang x Reader

Warnings : Overall Fluff, Small mention of Chris' tendency to look down on himself

Word Count: 850>

Looking at Chris was like peering at the hardcover case of a book you'd just bought off a dusty, cracked thrift shop shelf.

The feeling of running your hands over the soft skin of his shoulders and biceps was akin to trailing your fingertips down the spine of the book. It was new to you - had once been someone else's. It was soft and offered a sense of warmth and familiarity but held texture that proved it had been someone else's before sitting on that shelf; Bumps and soft crevices of scars that held experience from whatever may have caused them - be it small accidents or marks he'd had from birth. The gentle ridges of the title printed along the spine were the beauty marks painting Chris' skin; The small print of the Author's name was that of his mother.

Meeting his eyes was the same as opening the cover for the first time; Flipping through the first few title pages that were a soft and small insight on what the story would be about - maybe mentioning who the book was written for; Why it was written in the first place. His eyes held a sincerity that likened that of the first page of the first chapter - and both made you feel the exact same way. It was a breath of fresh air, something of a new start, and looking Chris in the eye - though you had been together for some time now - always managed to bring the butterflies back into your ribcage.

Every turn of the page was a day spent with him. Every sip of coffee was a word on a page; Every word spoken between the two of you was soft dialogue that brought two characters closer together.

His smile was the climax of the story.

The wide, gummy brightness that showed all of his teeth and made his cheeks dimple in deep - His eyes crinkling, shoulders pushing up towards his ears and head tipping one way as a feeling of bashfulness pushed into his chest. The feeling it created in your own was the same as the excitement and joy of sliding your hand over the last page of the book; Reading the final sentence and slowly pulling it to a close, flipping the book back over to peer at the cover one more time before it was set on your shelf to be adored in passing.

And this book wasn't perfect. You knew that; He knew that. With the nicks and scars, dents of being tossed around and told harsh words; The subtle but apparent fraying and tearing of the edges of the cover. It stuck out on the polished wood of the shelf it now sat upon, lingering with the others.

You'd given him a chance.

Took a look at him. No judging by the cover, just flipping through the pages and reading the back to raise a brow in interest - and taken the plunge into falling in love with him and his story.

And though you could read this story over and over - falling more in love every time you spoke even just a few words in exchange with him - you would always continue to learn something new.

"... What?" Chris murmurs, having taken notice that your eyes had been lingering on him for a while now off to the side.

You blink once, twice - then offer your boyfriend a soft smile that he knew all too well. You'd been lost in thought again, peering at him while spacing out and talking to yourself in your head.

"Nothing," You hum in reply, reaching to take his hand and rub your thumb along the ridges of his knuckles. "You're just beautiful."

Chris' cheeks dimple under the sweetness of his smile, his lips pressed together and the corners turning downward in a habit he'd picked up from Changbin. He giggles, looking back down at his phone in favor of trying to hide the red tint that brushes over his cheeks.

You let the brief conversation end there. No more words need to be said, feelings laid out with just a few short sentences between the two of you.

As you peer a bit longer at your boyfriend, the adoration in your chest begins to settle - the excitement of just being so close to him dulling from a rolling boil to a subtle simmer.

Perhaps you'll look back on this again in the future - continue to make the connection after a sequel is written and the two of you are experiencing the journey of the story together - hand in hand, facing the world together under the sunlight of the blue sky instead of being alone under the white lights of a studio.

But for now you'll continue to read the story that is Chris Bang, over and over until your eyes lull with sleep and your hands fight to turn the page. And continue to love it as much as you did the first time you read it through.