That morning, the sky was a soft pale blue and the mountain breeze gently brushed against Jaehyun's face as he raised the axe and swung it down onto the log positioned perfectly on the chopping block. The sound of wood cracking echoed in harmony with the rustling leaves and the distant chirping of birds. He wore a sleeveless shirt, but as the weather began to warm and the sun dared to shine a little brighter, he decided to take it off completely. A light sheen of sweat dampened his chest and temples, but Jaehyun never complained. Ever since they moved into the small wooden house by the lake, surrounded by tall trees and far from the noise of the city, each day felt like a dream slowly coming true. There were no car horns. No emergency meetings. No office deadlines waiting on the other end of a conference call. Just the two of them. And everything felt just right. Perfect.

Of course, Jaehyun still had to work. Responsibilities didn't disappear just because they were somewhere this beautiful. But when free time came around, like today, he used it for simple but meaningful things like gathering firewood, fixing the little fence, or preparing breakfast from what they could pick and find in nature. And most of all, looking after his lover.

When he heard the light steps and a soft laugh approaching from behind, Jaehyun didn't even have to turn around. He already knew who it was. The gentle scent of natural soap from their hair, the cheerful footsteps that always got a little too close to where he was swinging an axe. All of it was familiar to him now.

Sure enough, within seconds, a bundle of new wood was dropped onto the pile he had just cut, making Jaehyun let out a brief sigh. Not out of anger. Out of worry. He quickly turned, raising an eyebrow and squinting slightly at the figure smiling proudly at him like they had just saved the world.

His lips curved into a small smile. Tired? Maybe a little. But the urge to protect his girlfriend far outweighed everything else. Especially seeing her laugh so freely.

"Baby... I told you, don't get too close when I'm swinging the axe. You're small and quick, sure... but you're also way too precious for me to risk anything happening to you, okay?"

**[ WELCOME TO AU NCT! JEONG JAEHYUN IS HERE! HAVE A GOOD DREAM SWEETHEART!<3 ]**