"Move!" I groaned, kicking my leg back to push Jungkook off of me. I keep my eyes shut tight with my eyebrows tensed as I kept my face into the pillow.
"Don't push me," He whined back, fighting the blankets to get closer to me. The bed in the hotel is so comfortable, I feel as if I'm under a spell that keeps my body bounded to the mattress. It's probably noon now, but I have no intentions of doing anything other than appreciate this bed.
"Stop," I huffed, lazily throwing my arm back, possibly whacking his face in the process. At least I hope I did.
"Why?" Jungkook's voice was low and groggy early in the morning, just the way I liked it.
"Your fart," I shook my head against the pillow, "Horrendous."
He finally gives up with a heavy plop on his own side of the bed, but his arm still sprawls out far enough to hang over my waist.
"So mean," He grumbled, and I hide my grin against the fabric. I shift myself onto my back and finally open my eyes to look at my husband. Jungkook was already staring at me with the most upset expression he could put on. I'm still not used to thinking him as that, sometimes I'm even still wrapping my head around the fact that we're together. It's been nearly a year, but there're still times when I feel like I'm going to lose him again.
I frown, "Okay, come here," I spread my arms out to embrace him, and he happily makes his way over.
"Oh!" I retract a hand and pinch my nose, "Still horrendous, never mind." I turn my back to him once again and snicker under my breath at the sound of him scowling.
It's less than a second later when my body gets attacked by one single yet powerful whack of a pillow, "Aera!"
My arm hurried to press on my back where the sore spot was. He did not hold back with that attack. I grimace and let out a groan.
"That's what you get," Jungkook scowled before settling himself behind me, taking my waist into his arm and successfully spooning me. A spot on my stomach is suddenly cold and I know it's the ring on Jungkook's finger. He seems to always make sure I know he's wearing it.
His chin hooks on my shoulder, and it pokes at my skin when he speaks, "What are we doing today?"
"Sleep," I simply said, scratching his leg with my foot from under the blanket. I feel him fighting back by trapping me, wrapping his legs around mine. It's like we're having two separate conversations when we're in bed, one verbally, and the other with our feet.
"You said you wanted to explore nature. We can sleep back in Korea too." He was obviously getting comfortable and slipping back into sleep too though, with that raspy tone returning to his voice as his words slurred.
"My back hurts from the plane ride."
"Is it from riding the plane or riding something else?"
My mind travels back to what happened on our way here. Heat runs to my cheeks as I breathed out. He still has the energy to make jokes about it?
"We were supposed to do it after we arrived at the hotel." I whined mindlessly while my cheek found comfort in the softness of the bed. Fuck. I think I really could just spend the whole month in this hotel room.
"We can still do it tonight." Tingles ran down my spine with the touch of his lips on my bare shoulder.
"Again, my back."
His breath falls on my skin while he chuckled, "Sorry honey."
I hummed nonchalantly, twisting my body so I could face him. I wrap my arms around his torso and rest my head against his warm chest. Jungkook dips his head to kiss the top of my head, "Thirty more minutes, then you come with me to check out the gym."
"Okay," I know it'll take way longer than thirty minutes for me to leave this heaven on earth, but I'll let Jungkook dream.
"I love you," He confessed out of the blue when I feel his arms tighten themselves around me. I opened my eyes then. I lift my head up to look at him, he was already staring at me.
"So suddenly?"
"No, every day."
Jesus. I gulped and tried to ignore the way my stomach reacted.
"Say it back," His foot poked at my calf.
"So you just wanted to hear me say it," I closed my eyes and adjusted myself back against his chest.
I couldn't hide the shock when Jungkook grabbed my chin and raised it to force my eyes back on him, "What?"
"What's with you teasing me today? Just say it back,"
I rolled my eyes, "I love you."
"Now you're just saying to get over with it."
"You told me to say it!" I kneed his leg. "Let me sleep before my sleepiness runs out. I don't like sleeping when I'm fully awake."
"What does that even mean?" He snorted.
I flicked his chin and dived myself back into his embrace, closing my eyes tightly this time. And for a moment, it was perfect. Jungkook abided and we were silent in the hotel room. His wrap around my body had us warm like a fireplace. The tempo of his breathing above my head calmed my heartbeat, and I was so comfortable in his loving embrace that I could fall asleep smiling. We don't have so many moments like this, not in Korea. It was bliss, this moment of peace with the man I found my happiness in.
And then it wasn't.
My phone on the bedside table rings loudly for my attention, its sound waves bouncing violently off the walls. I slam my head into the pillow and let out a yell, "Fuck!"
Jungkook's groaning into my back as the deafening sound continued to exit from my phone. We shouldn't have gotten SIM cards for this trip.
"Get it, get it!" My husband that was once encouraging me to get out of bed now whined for me to end the hellish noise that disrupted our sleep. And yet his strong hold around my torso made it nearly impossible for me to reach off the device. But I make it with a painful stretch.
After getting the phone and picking up the call, I plop onto the mattress on my back. While I put the phone to my ear, Jungkook takes the chance to rest himself between my legs.
"Hello?" I tried not to sound as mad as I am. He places his head on my chest and I smile at the endearing sight of his cheek being squished. I stuff my free hand into his hair and start raking my fingers through his locks.
"It's me, Lana."
And suddenly I couldn't be so mad at the caller anymore.
"Oh baby, hi! I'm so glad you called. Are you doing okay?" I sat up against the headboard, causing Jungkook's head to slip and fall on my lap harshly.
"I'm okay. I miss you."
My bottom lip pops out at the sound of her sweet voice. Maybe I should've brought her with us. Hearing her through the phone somehow had me feeling guilty about this trip. I still have a nine year old sister at home that I should be watching over. What the hell am I doing here?
"Oh do you? I thought you were busy with your boyfriend Leon?" I teased while Jungkook shifted his head onto my thigh and twisted himself so he could look up at my face.
"Lana?" He mouthed. I nodded back at him.
"No, he's not my boyfriend," It sounded so innocent coming from her, "We're not together anymore."
"Aw, why?" I frowned with my lips pouted. My eyes found Jungkook mocking my expression with his own lower lip protruding. I scowl silently and pinch his cheek, but not hard enough to really hurt him.
"He cut his hair, it looks weird now."
I nearly snort that this young lady's shameless reply. Lana is miles more mature than those of her age, but it's things like this that remind me not to treat her as a teenager. Hell, I'm not even sure what teenagers these days are like. That makes me sound old. I'm married now too, even that sounded far away from me just a year ago. It's weird having such an age gap between me and Lana, she always makes me think about things like this.
Things like time, and getting older, and drifting further away.
Jungkook's actions go undetected while I continue to interrogate my younger sister, "What if it grows back?"
I heard her hesitate with a pause, "Then maybe?"
I shake my head with a smile, "We'll see when that happens. 'Leon' aside, how has my little sister been? Is she okay without me?"
"Yes," She replied without a pause, not even a millisecond, "Axl took me to dinner last night."
"Yeah? When did you get home?" Axl is my best friend, but Lana is my baby sister. If I'd known about this earlier, I honestly wouldn't allow Axl to take Lana somewhere alone while I'm out of the country. I wouldn't risk it, not with anyone.
"I don't remember. Maybe eight?"
I let out a quiet breath of relief, "What did you eat? I hope you were polite and didn't order a whole buffet!"
"I didn't!" Lana quickly defended herself, "I ordered lasagne and pumpkin soup, that was it."
"Good, I won't be asking next time then, since you're so polite on your own already. Where did you eat? Should we go there next time?"
***
"Jungkook, looking at you makes my body sweat," I sat against the mirror at the hotel gym while he was on the mat working with dumbbells. I was glad about joining him in the gym, mostly for the reason that I could watch his muscles flex. I was here to make my mouth water, I didn't expect my pores to do the same.
"You don't exercise at all, what if someone robs us and you forget how to run?"
I roll my eyes and hug my knees, "I don't have any money, I won't need to run."
Jungkook lets out a laugh that makes my stomach dip and I watch the sweat on his temple drip down onto the ground.
"You should do yoga," He stood and put the equipment back onto the rack, "It'll be good for you, for your body and your mental health."
I thought I came to Bhutan to rest. I slump my shoulders at the suggestion. I've heard it already from other people online and Dr.Kim himself. But my body feels and looks entirely different from how it was in high school. I don't know if I want to experience having to climb from the bottom up. I was good at it once, exercising and dancing. I was once used to the heat, the sweat, the burning of my calves. But now it seems as if I'm another person, like I haven't run a day in my life. It's almost as if when I gave up on exercising my body, my mind had also learned to be lazy and less resilient like before. It's weird how I kind of look up to who I was in high school. I was so driven and determined.
I wonder if Jungkook still thinks I'm the same person. I know I've changed a lot, not exactly in a positive way either. When an airplane changes all of its parts through time until every piece has been replaced, is it still the same airplane?
"Hey," Jungkook snaps his fingers at me while brushing his hair back with his other hand, "I mean it, come on, I'll show you some stuff."
Jungkook makes his way over and hovers over me, "You're spacing out, you okay?"
I nodded, looking up to meet those doe eyes I've been spoiled enough to get used to. He bends down and leaves a subtle kiss on my crown while patting the back of my head, "Get up then, let's see the twenty-three-year-old creature move for the first time!"
My lips lift involuntarily as I laugh with my cheeks burning red. I push myself up from the mirror wall with one last huff and follow Jungkook to the roll up mat.