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Taehyung scooped Nia up.

“Tae.  Don’t.  Do it.”

He grinned before tossing her into the pool.

“It’s cold!” she squealed after pushing the hair out of her face.  She swam to the edge, where he was sitting with his feet dipped in the water.  She grabbed his arm and pulled him in.

A moment later, he resurfaced, coughing water out of his lungs. “Oh, it’s on!”

They swam around the pool for the next few minutes, splashing water at each other as the sun peeked over the horizon.  They both climbed out after a while, laying down on the lounge chairs to watch the sunrise.  Taehyung grabbed Nia’s hand.

“You cold?”

“Nah.  It’s pretty warm already today.” She laced their fingers together. “But that’s ok.”

“This is nice,” she muttered a moment later. “Last year I spent most of the day staring at my ceiling.”

“Really?” he frowned, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand.

“Yeah.  Everybody else had to work.  Honestly, it’s why I started looking for a job.  I was so bored at home alone every day.”

“Are you bored again now?” he asked, his voice soft.

“No.  I have Tan during the day.  And painting is so, so much fun.  I forgot how much I enjoyed it.  You gave me the best gift ever, Tae!”

“I did?” He was completely confused.

“Yeah.  You helped me find myself again.  And of course, you’re amazing too.  You know that?”

“Am I?”

She looked over at him.  He looked rather sad, and his eyes were glossy.

“Yes, Tae.  I love you so much.  You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.  Twice.”

She stood up off her chair, tossing her towel onto it.  Then she sat down on his lap and cupped his cheeks in her hands.

“You’re so lovely, Tae.  I know you don’t let other people see it very often, but you’re the sweetest man I know.  You’re so thoughtful, and you have the softest heart.” She kissed his nose. “I love you.” Another kiss. “I love you.” One more kiss. “I love you.”

Taehyung grinned, his cheeks now covered in tears. “Today is supposed to be about you,” he muttered.

“Nah.  Today is about us.  We don’t get a lot of time alone right now.  We just need a day to enjoy us.  We can celebrate the fact that I’ve spent thirty-one years on this earth another day.  I’ve missed you so much the past couple months, so today I just want to enjoy having you home with me for a whole day.  Let’s just spend the day on the couch.  We can watch some cheesy drama and cuddle.”

He laughed. “You’re going to ruin my plans, aren’t you?”

“Yup!  Let’s go jump in the pool one more time for good measure, though.”

“Right now?” he frowned, wrapping his arms around her waist. “But I like having you on my lap.  Can we just stay here for a few more minutes, please?”

She smiled, pressing a gentle kiss against his lips. “Ok.  Just a few more minutes.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest.

He leaned his head on top of hers. “It’s nice to know I don’t have to rush to go do something in a few minutes.” He smiled. “I hadn’t realized how much I’ve missed this until now.”

“You spent twelve hours a day working.  You hardly have time to miss anything.”

“I guess that’s true.” He buried his face in her hair. “We should do this more often.  I like holding you in my arms.”

“That’s fine with me,” Nia giggled.

“Is this a good birthday?”

“It’s the best birthday.  There’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now.”