“We really need to stop falling asleep here,” you groaned when you woke up to find yourself sprawled out on the couch with Jae under you again. “Even after all this time, old habits die hard.”

Jae smiled lazily, not opening his eyes. “Maybe we should just move the couch into the bedroom and the bed out here. At least then you’ll stop complaining about waking up on the couch.”

“You’re a nuisance,” you griped, sitting up only for Jae to tug you back down against his chest. “No way, Jae! I’m not even giving you five more seconds of my time.”

“It took you longer than five seconds to say that sentence.”

“You’re the one who pesters me about your sore neck and back. It’s because we keep falling asleep here.”

“Don’t blame me. You’re the one who falls asleep first, remember.”

Grumbling at his comeback, and even more so the smug smile that featured on his face, you eventually grinned. Jae, having waited for more of your bickering, peered out of one eye. “You’re smiling too. You acknowledge you can’t help but fall into my warm embrace every time.”

“Maybe a teddy bear would be a better choice after all. For one, it’s softer than you-”

Jae’s expression turned sour. “How clever.”

“Sometimes, I can be. Choosing you, however, some might say was a poor choice on my behalf.”

“Still, you chose me,” he reminded as he sat up, moving closer and kissing you softly. You melted into the embrace, kissing Jae three more times before you patted his shoulder gently.

“Time to get up.”

“Do we have to?”

“We have a wedding to attend, so yes, we have to.”

“You’re putting on the ugliest dress in your wardrobe, okay?”

Rolling your eyes, you got up and headed into the bedroom towards your clothes. “How about the most revealing?”

“Like you own something that sinful,” Jae responded with a snort, stopping in his tracks when you held up a familiar black dress. He launched into action instantly, coming over and snatching the dress out of your hands.

“No way. You wore that the day I proposed. No one else gets to see you in that dress.”

“It’s just a dress. Besides, if it makes you happy, no one will see me out of it other than you.”

“Don’t do this to me,” Jae complained, rubbing a hand down his face. “That’s it. We’re not going.”

“We can’t not go! It’s Brian’s wedding.”

“Yeah, the man who held your heart for ten years, right? Even more reason for us to skip it.”

“He came to our wedding. We owe him the same. Besides, who knew he’d end up with Lainey after years of her telling me what a jerk he was. I’m on Maid of Honour duties today.”

“Stranger things have happened.”

You smirked. “Like saying I Do to me?”

“Stop teasing,” Jae said, gathering you up in his arms and smiling down at you. “That was the second-best day of my life.”

“Second best? What was the first?”

“Managing to eat the entire menu at Taco Bell without puking.”

“It was not! Wait, you actually did that?”

Laughing, Jae shook his head and leaned down to nuzzle your nose with his. “The day you reached out for that box I was holding. That was the best day of my life.”

“Really?” He nodded. “Why?”

“Because when I saw you, I knew I was going to be ruined forever by you.”

“Hey! You said to stop teasing!”

Jae grinned. “I mean it. You ruined all my dreams and goals that didn’t have you in them.”

“Okay, maybe I like you more when you’re like this. Keep going.”

“If I keep talking, we’ll be late to Brian and Lainey’s wedding.”

Deliberating for a moment, you then grinned. “Not if we do everything together.”

“Just as we do now?”

“Just as we always will too.”

Kissing you softly, Jae then smirked at you. “Thanks for ruining my life, Y/N.”

“I couldn’t imagine anyone better to make new goals with.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Are you up for it?”

“I bet you won’t be able to keep up,” Jae stated, and you laughed, pushing your husband towards the shower.

“It’s you I’m worried about more than my performance.”

“HEY!”

Life was strange. You still lived in the same apartment as before, you weren’t inclined to follow your marriage up with children just yet or move to suburbia like you had once dreamed of when it came to wedded bliss. Then again, that dream was with a different man than the one you now loved.

You didn’t need to dream anymore either. You preferred what you had with Jae every day.

A love that was real.