Naeun twisted her hair tightly, wringing out the water and watching as it plip-ploped into the still lake. She sighed softly as she watched the ripples distorted her face. Once the ripples had settled back, and the lake was again as smooth and untouched as a glass mirror, a face appeared beside hers. However, instead of being afraid, Naeun smiled at the other face. “Your hair is still soaked.” With a shake of his head, water droplets again broke the surface of the lake, and the two could no longer see their reflections. Instead, Naeun turned around to wrap her arms around Taemin’s neck.

“At least our shirts are dry, right? Well, most of them, at least.” Taemin’s hand wrapped around Naeun’s waist, pressing the wet part of her t-shirt against her body and making her shiver and giggle. “That’s cold.” She protested, but didn’t move away from his grip.

He pressed his forehead against hers. “I’m cold too, you know.”

Taemin’s outer shirt had gotten soaked after their fall into the lake, and he now sat in front of Naeun in no more than a man’s tank top and shorts. Naeun let go of his neck to hug his waist as she placed her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as she hugged him. “Are you warm now?” She asked softly.

With a small tug, Taemin pulled her into a more comfortable position on his lap. Still hugging her, he placed his chin on top of her head. “Much warmer now.” As Naeun giggled in reply, Taemin chuckled. Oh, how he loved the sound of that giggle. As sweet and sparkling as the sound the water had made as it broke the surface of the lake.

They simply hugged in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s presence and basking in each other’s warmth. It was more than comfortable for them—snug, like two halves of a puzzle fitting together when they hugged. It was home. It was love.

“Oh!” Naeun exclaimed softly. She’d opened her eyes and lifted her head from Taemin’s chest. She pointed across the lake, where their rowboat still sat, half submerged in water, just as they’d left it. But unlike when they’d left it, which had been at sunset, the sky around them had darkened. No matter, of course, they had flashlights and lanterns they’d salvaged—and they knew these woods like it was their own backyard. What else was different, though, and that they didn’t recognize from their many trips into the woods before, were the glittering lights flickering in and out of the gaps tree branches left in the air. Small, blinking lights began to fly around them, illuminating the air. “Fireflies!”

Taemin let her turn so she was facing the lake, then wrapped his arms around her once more. “We’ve never seen them before.”

Naeun’s hand went up to cup Taemin’s cheek, and she tilted her head back to look at him. “Every day with you is a new adventure. A picnic turned lake bath turned light show. There’s just never a dull moment, is there?”

Taemin smiled. “With you, there never could be.” He leaned down to press a chaste kiss to Naeun’s lips, and when he pulled away, there was a lingering, loving grin on both of their faces.

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