You stirred as the morning sun infiltrated the blinds, and your slightest movement made for the little dog resting at your feet to get up and stretch before toddling her way up to your side, giving you lots of kisses and tiny paws at your face.

“Coco,” you murmured, trying to hold the little dog within your embrace to settle her down enough for you to grasp onto the remnants of your slumber. You were tired, and the alarm hadn’t signalled around the room yet. If you could placate the Maltese enough to let you sleep just a little longer, you’d be thankful.

But you knew when she woke, so did everyone. A small yip left at your attempts and another paw to your face made you jerk back. You felt the arm over your waist tighten, and his body shifted into yours more as a soft groan fell from his lips. You sighed.

“You’ve woken Daddy now,” you told her as you opened your eyes wearily, shooting the bright-eyed dog a reproachful stare. You couldn’t help but smile when you felt lips fumble onto the bare skin of your shoulder from behind you and forgot all about your efforts to silence your dog. Instead, you focused on the man behind you now waking up himself, burying into you as he kissed along your neck.

“Good morning Coco,” he greeted huskily and you let out an indignant sigh.

“What about me?” you asked and heard a small chuckle leave him.

“I think I already greeted you with my lips, didn’t I?”

“Youngjae, I hardly accept that as a greeting,” you refuted and spun around in his embrace, smiling all the same when you saw his face. You loved waking up next to Youngjae. It was if the sunshine from outside had seeped in further than through the blinds when he lazily smiled at you like that.

“Mummy is so demanding,” he told Coco with a slight nod and you pouted which made him laugh. You loved hearing his heartfelt happiness any time of the day, but it always seemed more magical first thing in the morning, perhaps because there was nothing happening around you both to distract you from fully focusing on the tone. It was a melody that you preferred to hear often.

“Mummy often wonders who comes first,” you pointed out with feigned annoyance and Youngjae gave you a look. You shrugged, nonchalant. “Coco is the star of this household.”

“Then you’re my moon,” he replied earnestly and you couldn’t help but melt into his words, burying into him happily. He kissed the top of your head. “How would I see our star Coco if you don’t light up the way?”

“Okay, that’s enough cheese.”

“Really?”

You shook your head as you giggled. Youngjae knew how much you adored when he got all mushy with you. And even if sometimes he cringed from his statements, he never once stopped them, knowing how much you lived for the romantic, cliché style of love. Where everything felt magical even if you had experienced it many times over.

And waking up beside Youngjae was something you had done for two years now. It never failed to set you up for the day in all the right ways. The cuddling that extended until you had to get up for work, the kisses that were soft and playful, much like the banter was, and not to mention, Coco’s insistence to be a part of the routine too. Even if you didn’t want to wake up initially, your weariness was long gone by the time you climbed out of bed.

It was all worth it, waking up with Youngjae brightening up each morning with his endless love for you.