10. PHONE CALL

As I was slowly gathering up my consciousness, an uncontrollable smile spread on my swollen lips. I them, knowing why they were so swollen.

I stretched my body, feeling out the soreness that spread to my muscles as they straightened. I felt bare without my clothes. Opening my eyes, I reached out for the wool blanket at the end of the bed and yanked it towards me, covering my body with it.

The sunlight tried to slither in through the blinds. The strands of light flickered in the dim room, illuminating the person sleeping next to me.

I chuckled.

He had hoarded the bedsheet all to himself.

I crawled closer to his sleeping figure, leaning my chin against his shoulder. He didn’t flinch. I pecked his skin. Still no movement.

”Are you gonna sleep ’til noon?”

Silence. Then he mumbled something I couldn’t understand.

”Hm?”

”…five more minutes…” he muttered.

I huffed and crossed my legs. Last night’s events stormed around in my head, making it impossible for me to think straight. My smile wasn’t going to fade any time soon. That much I knew.

I traveled my finger across his neck, his shoulder, down to his chest and drew circles there. Hanbin’s chest moved calmly up and down, in sync with his breathing. He was lying back towards me, so I hadn’t seen his face yet. ”Turn this way.”

Hanbin groaned, but slowly shifted so that he was sleeping while facing me. He wasn’t awake, but he wasn’t quite asleep either.

”Can I come under the blanket too?”

His hand reached out and yanked me against his chest. I listened to him grunt in his sleep.He wasn’t making any sense. I didn’t mind - it sounded pretty funny.

”What?”

”… did I hoard the blanket?” He slurred.

”Yeah”, I chuckled.

”Hmhsorry.”

I his stomach under the sheet. It earned a low moan. I moved my leg between his. Hanbin’s lips were twice as full as they were usually. His eyelashes were flickering, trying to fight off the draught of lassitude. I leaned in for a kiss, which he responded sloppily. I rolled half on top of him. I wanted him to open his eyes.

I lapped his lower lip, it determinedly. ”Wakey, wakey.”

Hanbin wrapped his arm around me. ”I’m up.”

My mouth moved down to his jaw. ”I’m a morning person.”

”Mhm.”

”And you’re obviously not.”

A low groan. I propped myself up and looked at his peaceful expression. Finally his eyes squinted open. His lips parted.

I chuckled. The realization. It had happened to me too. His dark eyes beamed at me, like flames a firewood.

”Good morning”, I said.

Hanbin lifted his head from the pillow and pecked my jaw. When he realized that he couldn’t keep kissing me in that position, he quickly grabbed me and switched our places. Once he got on top of me, he finally woke up. I was thrilled.

Our make-out session turned into hot morning , and I was once again the first to grip the sheets with white knuckles. My whole lower body was throbbing by the end of it, and just like last night, I couldn’t suppress a single cry.

I nuzzled his neck, enjoying the slow descent. ”How do you feel so good…” I heard myself moan. I hadn’t made a conscious decision to say out loud, but it seemed like nothing was stopping me anymore. The words just poured out of me. Just like my last night’s confession.

Hanbin panted on top of me. He flashed me an energetic grin. ”Now you’re flattering me.”

I shook my head. Then forgot how to form words again.

Hanbin was catching his breath. ”You’re perfect.”

My breath cut off. Then I let it flow again. ”And that’s not flattering?”

Hanbin climbed up from on top of me and swung the blanket over his shoulders. ”I’m only stating facts.” He dropped down from the bed. ”Fact or not fact; you love me.”

I pulled the sheet up to my chin. ”Fact”, I whispered. Hanbin grinned. So wide I was afraid he would pull a muscle. He stumbled to find his boxers.

”Fact or not fact; we’re together now.”

I hesitated. There was nothing else in the world that I would’ve wanted more than him to be mine. That was enough for my answer. I couldn’t even think of saying no. ”Fact.”

Hanbin put on his boxers. Then he picked up his jeans and turned them around. His expression really spoke for him. ”Good.”

”Just good?” I arched a brow at him, challenging him at his own game. He seemed to notice it.

”Good doesn’t cut it?” He asked, buttoning his jeans.

”Not in the least. And who gave you the permission to get dressed?”

Hanbin laughed, his bare shoulders trembling. ”Oh I need a permission?”

I held in my laughter. ”Yeah you do. Get back here.”

”You said you’re a morning person”, Hanbin said, smirking. ”I thought we’d go do something.”

”Like?”

”Like go for a stroll. Around the town.”

”I had a different kinda activity in mind.”

Another chuckle. ”What kind?”

”The kind that doesn’t involve getting dressed.”

”Shower?” Hanbin suggested.

I giggled.

”A dip in the ocean?”

”Gosh, get back here”, I groaned, reaching my hand towards him. Hanbin strode back to the bed and crushed me beneath him. This time our kisses were slow, emotional. Our mouths were having a silent conversation, nibbling, , lapping, biting. I breathed in his breaths and he breathed in mine. I just couldn’t get enough.

Then I heard a phone buzz somewhere on the floor.

Hanbin inhaled deeply and held my chin still, so that I couldn’t break the kiss. I melted and forgot the phone. My fingers found his zipper again.

***

”Your hair looks like a birds nest.”

Hanbin was lying across the bed, looking up at the ceiling while massaging my shins. His thumbs were drawing powerful circles on my calf. It was already past noon, closer to two o’clock I guessed, and we still hadn’t gotten out of bed. To my surprise, it had been me every time, who wanted to stay in bed, stay inside these four walls and never leave. Because out there, the reality would hit me as soon as I took in a breath of fresh air. I desperately wanted to breathe this air, our air that shut us in here. Or out of there. Hanbin clambered up and shook his head like a wet dog. His hair got even crazier.

”Better?”

”I’m actually pretty sure a bird would land there if you went outside like that.”

Hanbin shivered. ”I’m al