Taste | Changbin

Chapter Seventy-Five

"Wakey, wakey!" Changbin shook Lennon's shoulder. 

She groaned and shoved a pillow over her face. "Stop it, go away, it's too early for this!" He could barely hear her through the cotton fabric. 

"It's time to get up and go to Texas. You know what they say, everything is bigger in Texas. Larger food portions, larger buildings, bigger cars, everything is bigger in Texas." 

"Besides you, we're still in New York and you're being a big pain in my ass!" She picked up the pillow and swung it to the side. 

Changbin yelped as it came into contact with his side. His fingers grasped the white pillow and he yanked it out of her hand. It didn't take much considering she was still half asleep. "You're totally going to pay for that." 

He pounced on the bed, straddling over her, the pads of his fingers found her sides. Giggles filled the room as he wiggled his hands. She shimmied beneath him trying to escape his grasp, but there was nowhere for her to go. 

"Stop it!" 

"Say you're sorry!" 

"No! Why should I be sorry for telling the truth?" She let out a gasp as his fingers dug into her sides further. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pull the king sized comforter out from beneath him. The air in her lungs caught in her chest, she couldn't breathe. 

"Just say you're sorry and I'll stop!" 

"I am no-" She attempted to suck in a deep breath. A wad of her own saliva shot down her throat. Coughs immediately interrupted her giggling as she choked. Panicking, she shoved Changbin's hands off of her. 

Sensing that something was wrong, he paused. After realizing what was happening, he scrambled to get off of her. His fingers wrapped around one of her wrists and he yanked her into a sitting position. Like burping a baby, he quickly started patting her back trying to help her breathe. The only difference was that his whacks were a little too hard. 

Her hand found her chest and she struggled to take in another breath. Nearly tripping over his feet, Changbin hurried off the bed, and out the door. Lennon's eyes had begun to water from the lack of air. It didn't take long before there was a click, the door sprung open, and he came sprinting back inside. He must have snatched her extra key-card that Chan carried for emergencies. 

He twisted the cap off a cold bottle of water and thrust it into her hand. "Here you go, drink this." 

She tilted her head back and let the iced water run down her throat. Her eyes closed with relief as she swallowed. Her coughing came to a stop almost immediately. She sat back up and thanked him. 

"I'm sorry I didn't stop sooner, I thought you were faking it." 

She shook her head, "it's fine, I just hate being tickled." 

"I'll keep the tickle monster locked away from now on, I promise." He leaned forward with a bow. "I swear with my life, I won't do it again." 

She nodded and took a few more sips of water. 

"But really, you need to get up and get dressed. I've let you sleep for as long as possible. We leave in about a half hour and I know you do your makeup in the mornings. Our manager doesn't want us to be late." 

"I know, I know, I'm getting up. I just hate waking up in the mornings. What time is it anyway?" 

"Like five thirty, I think. Chan was going to go get us breakfast and it should be here by the time we board the bus. I've gotta finish packing in my room because I made a mess last night trying to find these shorts." He tugged at the navy blue shorts he was wearing. "I'll meet you back here when I'm done." He turned to start towards the door. 

"Wait!" Lennon called after him. "Aren't you forgetting something?" 

He slowly spun around to face her. "Uh...no?" 

Her face fell, "oh." 

"What?" He hurried over to her. "What did I forget? Is something wrong? Did I hurt you? I mean I know I did last night, but I said I was sorry. I promised I wouldn't rail you so hard anymore, at least, while we're on tour. I-" 

She pulled herself to the edge of the bed and gently cupped his cheeks in her hands. She laid her soft lips on his to shut him up. Within seconds, she pulled away, and crawled back over to her spot on the bed. She glanced back at Changbin. "You can go now." 

"O-oh." His face was flushed. A hand reached up and brushed across his tingling lips. "I guess I did forget that." 

"And don't forget it again or else," Lennon joked. 

"Right, right, I won't, I promise!" 

The single kiss had made him giddy with joy. "I'll be back here soon! Don't leave this room without me. I'm going to carry you to the bus, I know you're still hurting." 

"My hero," she placed a hand to her heart. "Maybe there is still hope for a love like the ones in the romance novels." 

"Hey! What about last night?" 

"That was only one cheesy romantic thing you've done an-" 

"I'll show you, come here and let me kiss you properly!" 

He climbed back onto the bed and pulled her face towards his. Cutting her off in the middle of a laugh, he kissed her again. He had brushed his teeth before he invaded her room. The essence of peppermint invaded her senses instantly. His lips danced along hers for a few extra moments before he pulled away. 

"Don't forget to brush your teeth," he called over his shoulder. 

She rolled her eyes and picked up a pillow. He scrambled for the door before she could throw it towards him. As it flew through the air, he protected himself behind the wooden barrier. With only his head peeking around the door, he laughed loudly while the pillow hit the floor. Lennon's aim was so bad that it hadn't been near him at all. 

"Screw you!"

He laughed to himself all the way back to his hotel room.