The early summer sun streams in through the blinds of your shared bedroom, filtering through your closed eyes to stir you from a pleasant slumber. You squint one eye open in annoyance, unhappy to be woken up. The white linen of the bed sheet moves to your right and you sleepily gaze at the lightly snoring man next to you. Daehyun lays there, the golden sunlight creating a soft haze around him. In his sleep he looks peaceful, his honey-colored hair falling over his eyes and his plump lips parted slightly in a pout. Smiling, you reach out to gently brush his fringe out of his face. You continue to run your fingers lightly through his hair, knowing just how much he enjoys it. He lets out a soft hum of appreciation and moves closer to your touch. You giggle quietly but you don’t stop.

“Daehyun,” you whisper “we have to get up now or else the traffic to Busan will be awful.”

A small groan of protest alerts you to his unwillingness to move just yet. He wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you in closer to him and burying his head against your neck.

“Just five more minutes, please,” he mumbles into your skin.

You concede to his request and sigh as you wrap your arms around him, making sure you’re still able to card your fingers through his hair. After all, five minutes won’t make much of difference.

-

However, two hours will.

“Dae, let’s go!” you shout as you stand beside the car, impatiently waiting for him to grab the last bag.

“Okay, okay I’m ready!” he smiles as he appears in the doorway, holding up a small backpack. “We can’t have a road trip without snacks.”

You roll your eyes at him and turn to sit in the passenger seat. Daehyun opens the driver’s door, tossing the bag at your feet and plopping down behind the wheel. With the car loaded for a weekend trip to Busan, you settle comfortably in your seat as Daehyun pulls out of the driveway and heads towards the highway.

-

You don’t get very far before traffic brings your car to a stop. Just as you had figured, many others had the same idea to get out of town for the weekend. An exasperated sigh escapes your lips as you eye the offending cars around you. Sensing your displeasure, Daehyun reaches for the volume dial on the radio. The latest pop song comes through the speakers, but it isn’t what you want to hear. You lean over to change to a different station, repeating the process until you are furiously punching away at the buttons to find even one song you like. Daehyun watches you for a moment before pulling your hand away, afraid you’ll break something in your fury. Irritated, you glare at him.

“Why can’t they play one decent song?” you huff.

Daehyun chuckles and shakes his head, “How about I sing something instead? I’m your very own human jukebox!”

You relax a little at his suggestion and nod your head yes.

“Uh uh,” he chides, wagging a slender finger, “you have to pay the jukebox before you can listen to a song.”

You tilt your head in confusion at first before catching on to his meaning. You laugh and reach down for the bag at your feet. Rummaging around for a moment, your hand closes around a bag of cheese puffs. You open the bag with a quick tug and place a puff into Daehyun’s awaiting mouth. Immediately he begins to belt out the beginning notes of some obscure song causing you to jump in surprise and scramble to cover his mouth with your hand.

“No, no, no, next song!” you laugh. He’s still trying to sing under your hand so you playfully poke him in the side to change to the next song. This sends him into a fit of giggles but he still manages to switch gears into a sorrowful ballad. You shake your head at the morose lyrics and give him another nudge in the side. He shies away from your touch with a small giggle and begins to hum a new song. You recognize it instantly as the sweet love song he wrote specifically for you. Daehyun stares at you with warm eyes as you relax back in your seat and begin to sing the opening lines with him under your breath. By the time the song comes to an end and Daehyun starts it over, you have made it out of the traffic.

-

About halfway through the trip, your stomach begins to grumble in hunger; Daehyun’s stomach soon follows. Thankfully there is a rest stop a few miles ahead. Daehyun pulls into a parking spot and has barely turned off the engine before the both of you are bolting from your seats. He grabs your hand in his, tugging you gently next to him to the nearest counter. After placing an order you decide to stretch your legs with a walk around to check out the little knick-knacks and souvenirs lining the shelves. You’re inspecting a stuffed puppy that reminds you of a particular someone when you hear your name being called. Glancing up, you spot Daehyun waving you over with his free hand; the other is precariously balancing a tray of food.

Once you’re close enough Daehyun speaks up, “Let’s eat outside. I found a nice spot under a tree.”

You nod your head and make your way to the tree he pointed out; a small picnic table sits in shade. Despite the heat, the two of you sit close together. In a matter of minutes all the food is gone and you lean into Daehyun’s side with a satisfied sigh. He smiles at your sudden cuddle and wraps his arm around your shoulders, pulling you in even closer.

“It’s such a beautiful day,” you remark. The leaves above sway gently in the light breeze, allowing the golden beams of sunlight to break through and dance across your skin.

“Not as beautiful as you,” Daehyun admits quietly next to you.

“That was cheesy,” you laugh. You glance up to see him break into a smile, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. The two of you stay quiet for a few more minutes enjoying each other’s company and the fresh air.

“Are you ready to go?” Daehyun asks. “We just have a little while longer before we reach the beach.”

“No, let’s just stay here for the weekend. I don’t want to get back in the car,” you complain.

Daehyun laughs at the pout on your lips and gives you a quick kiss.

“Shall I go see if the rest stop sells any camping tents? I think this would make a nice camping spot, though, there will be a lot of bugs,” he says thoughtfully.

“Oh my gosh, no! I was kidding! I want to sleep in a comfortable bed tonight, far away from any bugs,” you say as you punch him lightly in the shoulder, slightly shocked that he would suggest camping out.

“Alright, alright,” he laughs, holding his hands up in defense, “let’s get going then.”

The two of you stand, gather up the trash, and head back to the car hand-in-hand. Daehyun opens your door for you and makes sure you’re safely inside before shutting it. You settle in comfortably, ready for the last stretch of the trip. Full and warmed by the sun, sleep begins to pull at your eyelids as Daehyun slides into his seat and starts the engine. You decide to give in and close your eyes; the last thing you remember is Daehyun’s warm hand wrapping around yours and his thumb rubbing soft circles on your palm.

-

You are awoken by Daehyun gently shaking your shoulder. You unwillingly open your eyes and notice that the sun now hangs low on the horizon.

“We made it,” Daehyun informs you.

“Mm, let’s go watch the sun set by the water,” you mumble, sleep still making your mouth feel heavy.

Daehyun easily steps out of the car and comes around to open your door. The cool ocean breeze fills your lungs and you inhale appreciatively. He helps you out of the car, keeping a hold of your hand as you both make your way down to the waves lapping lazily at the shore. You kick off your shoes and step tentatively into the waves, letting out a sigh of relief as the cool water swirls around your bare feet. You glance to your side and notice Daehyun has done the same, his eyes closed in appreciation. A smirk forms on your lips as an idea pops into your head. Slowly, you reach down until your fingertips reach the water. With a quick flick of your wrist, you send sparkling droplets arcing through the air to Daehyun’s face.

“Ah!” he exclaims. He snaps his head towards you, brows furrowed in annoyance. You dissolve into a fit of giggles before you see his expression change.

“No! Dae, NO!” you squeal as he tugs you to his chest then drops quickly to throw you over his shoulder. You flail uselessly, hitting his back and trying to wiggle off, but his grip around your waist is too strong and you watch in horror as the shoreline shrinks and the water inches ever higher. You’re helpless as he descends deeper into the ocean until he finally comes to a stop. You are about to plead your case, but the words are caught in your throat as he lets go of your waist and mercilessly tosses you over into the awaiting blue.

“Jung Daehyun!” you shout as you break the surface of the chilly water. He stands in front of you with a giant grin on his face, laughing until his eyes form crescent moons. A glint of revenge flashes in your eyes and you pounce on your too-dry boyfriend. You collide into his chest and push down on his shoulders, his laugh stops short as he realizes his fate.

He comes back up to the surface, spitting out the salt water and shaking his head. He looks up at you laughing, a scowl on his face, before he breaks out in laughter with you. You playfully splash some water at him to which he retaliates with his own forceful splash. You continue to splash each other for another minute before Daehyun wades slowly over to you, circling his arms around you and pulling you flush against his torso.

“You’re shivering,” he mutters into your hair, “let’s get out.”

You nod your head and let him lead you out of the water. He sits you down on the warm sand and leaves to grab some towels. You hug your knees to your chest, staring out at the ocean glinting in the setting sun. The sky itself looks as if someone had spilled their water colors, shades of blue, purple, and pink painting the horizon. You marvel at its beauty, letting the serenity of the scene quiet your thoughts.

A towel is soon wrapped around you and Daehyun plops down in the sand next to you, wrapped in his own towel. He smiles at you then turns to watch the sun sink lower to its bed behind the darkening sea. You scoot closer to him to rest your head on his shoulder, never taking your eyes off the expanse before you. Daehyun relaxes at your touch, reaching out to place his arm behind you. He turns slightly and kisses the top of your head softly. Wrapped in his warmth, you decide that you don’t want to leave this spot. Maybe someone nearby is selling a camping tent.