A/N: Italic indicates a flashback. Good reading!

Most people think Chaewon is the one that is always in charge of everything, with her smart eyes and eloquent speech, she looked perfectly the part – except that it wasn’t always like this. In a relationship it’s normal to rely on the other partner and the older Kim was no exception to this rule, if anything, she was the perfect portrait of it.

“Here, baby.” Minjoo said handing Chaewon her car keys after watching the girl fumble around the room searching for it for the last five minutes – it was a common occurrence, Chaewon was always losing stuff and Minjoo was the one to help her finding it. She didn’t mind, she liked to be there for the other woman even if in such small ways.

The older woman’s eyes blinked in confusion for a moment, hands still trying to get something from under the couch cushions – why would her keys be there when she hadn’t even sat on said couch that day? Minjoo didn’t know but Chaewon was never good at finding stuff either. “Oh, my keys!” Jumping on the spot, Chae came closer with a relieved smile on her face, leaning in to give her a sweet kiss on the lips before taking the keys back. “Thank you. I don’t know how this keeps happening and you always have to help me.” The shorter woman gave her an apologetic smile, no matter how many times Minjoo told her that it was okay, Chaewon still felt bad for burdening the other with her clumsy personality – after all she always tried so hard to be the one taking care of the others, it was a little embarrassing how most of the time it was the other way around.

“Not for this, Chae.” Minjoo reassured with a soft chuckle, feather like fingers meeting the face of her girlfriend as she brushed her bangs to the side. Chaewon was extra forgetful lately with a big project on the way, always flustered about getting things done and unable to do all of them at the same time – it was an endearing sight for her, how Chae always tried her best to take on the world, even if sometimes she pushed herself a little too much. It was Min’s job to make sure she wouldn’t. “Now get ready for work, you’ll be late.”

“Oh , my meeting!” With a grimace Chaewon went back to running around the living room, grabbing her bag and double checking to see if she had everything she would need for it. Her eyes grew wide for a moment, yet she never managed to voice her concern, Minjoo pointing out the small shelf at the corner of the room.

“Your laptop, you left it there yesterday.” She gently reminded her and the other gave her yet another slightly embarrassed, grateful smile before grabbing the laptop.

Precariously balancing her heavy bag, cellphone, a sandwich and a cup of coffee in her hands, Chaewon must have broken another record for quickest breakfast as she forced down the food without really savoring it, she didn’t even bother to sit down by the table. Minjoo frowned at her behavior but didn’t say anything. She was used to it by now – not that she really condone this behavior, she was just trying to be understanding.

Gulping down what was left of her coffee, the older woman finally stopped to take a proper breath, her gaze meeting Minjoo’s. “I know. I’ll eat something good for lunch.” The promise was done often here, Chae sending her a picture of her lunch to prove she had kept her word – Minjoo knew it, it was such a Chaewon thing to never break her promises, still she never told her to not do it.

Nodding, she reached out to take Chae’s hand between hers, squeezing it slightly. “Good luck with your presentation. I’ll be home the whole day today, so just call me if you need anything.”

Chae covered her hands with her free one, her thumb caressing the soft skin with gentle motions. “Will you be fine on your own? I may get home a little late tonight…Perhaps we should call-”

“Chae, I’m not a child. I don’t need a babysitter.” Shaking her head slightly, she nagged her with a gentle tone. “I’ll be fine. Just don’t make me wait too much, okay?”

She could simply go to sleep early, wait up was a waste of time when she had things to do earlier tomorrow, still they both knew she would wait. Minjoo didn’t sleep well when the other brunette wasn’t around.

“I’ll try my best to get home early.” With this promise, Chae leaned in to give her another sweet kiss. “Take care, I’ll miss you.”

“You know I always do.”

“This...Well it should be like this...It can’t be the other way around or...Why mine are looking so ugly?” Chaewon muttered to herself, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to put together the paper flowers for Minjoo’s next event at the flower shop. She would try to help her with things, but most of the time she would just make it messier instead of helping – Minjoo didn’t have the heart to tell her she wasn’t really helping here.

Therefore, the taller brunette would only smile patiently at her girlfriend and slowly fix the things Chaewon messed up, giving her smaller, less prone to accident, things to work on while she focused on finishing the most complex parts. Someone else would probably just tell Chaewon to stay away and stop ruining things, but Minjoo would never do it. “It’s okay, I’ll just finish here and you can help me to do the basic folding for the other flowers.”

She appreciated every little action of her girlfriend, grateful for Chaewon’s very own existence in her life. No matter how clumsy the other was, she always tried her best to help her, sacrificing her sleep to keep Minjoo company until she finished her laborious work.

The older woman let out a frustrated sigh as another one of her attempts of helping end up in disaster, the flower torn into a weird angle, looking like anything but the model Minjoo had shown her.

“Thank you, Chae.” Minjoo said, reaching out to pat her head lightly.

The other woman looked her with a mix of confusion and guilt. “Why are you thanking me? I’m ruining your project and tomorrow is the first anniversary of your shop.”

Minjoo only shook her head in a negative, her smile never leaving her lips as she looked at the other with fondness. “I can always make new ones. I meant, thank you for being with me.”

“I...” The older brunette looked away, a light shade of pink on her cheeks. She used to complain about Minjoo's habit of thanking her for the smallest things, Chae was never good with words while Minjoo seem to always know what to say. “I’ll try harder. I’m sorry for not being great at it.”

Chaewon wasn’t the type to say ‘I love you’ often, instead she would show it with her actions. Minjoo loved her for it too.

“It’s okay. It's okay even if you’re bad at it.” Minjoo added with a hint of playfulness in her voice. And it really was okay. Maybe not for Minjoo’s customers that would have to stare at Chaewon’s not-so-pretty creations. But for Minjoo, who loved Chaewon so much, it would always be okay – she didn’t mind if the flowers were ugly.

After that they went back to work in silence.

After some time one of Minjoo’s flowers falling on the ground and quickly being picked up by Chaewon. “It’s the third time today.” She muttered more to herself than to the other girl that barely had the chance of thanking her before being lifted off the floor by Chaewon’s thin, yet surprisingly strong arms. She let out a yelp, holding onto tightly to Chae’s neck as the older woman took her to bed. “I’m getting good at this.”

Minjoo giggled at Chaewon’s words, nodding in agreement. “Much better. At first, I always thought you’d let me fall and both of us would get hurt, now I know you won’t let me fall.” She replied in a light tone. “I’m still concerned about your back though.”

“My back is just fine. You’re lighter than you look.” Chaewon helped her to sit down on the bed in a comfortable way, giving her a loving peck on the lips like she would always do. Minjoo stole another quick kiss before loosing up her embrace, allowing Chae to pull away. “I’d love to. But I still have flowers to ruin and you to fix it.”

She pointed out the small mountain of paper flowers on top of the younger Kim’s working table at the corner of their bedroom. Minjoo let out a small sigh before smiling. “Can you get that for me, please?”

“As you wish, my lady. Ruining craftwork is my passion!”

Minjoo only laughed as she watched Chaewon bringing to their bed all that paper. They would have a mess to clean up later but it would be more comfortable for her to work there and she mentally thanked her girlfriend for being so thoughtful and generous always – she double thanked her later, when Chaewon woke up from her nap to help her clean up and do her usual massage on Minjoo’s legs and feet.

“You don’t have to do it now, Chae. I don’t think we even need it.” Minjoo patiently said for what must’ve been the eighth time that day – and just like all the other times, her words went into empty ears. Whenever Chaewon got something into her head, she wouldn’t give up until she was done with it. In the moment, it was installing some safety equipment around the house, fixing whatever was broken and replacing it with better ones – as she claimed, Minjoo wasn’t sure from where she was getting all this information. “I don’t need it.” She reinforced from her place right outside the bathroom where Chaewon was installing new handrails.

“You might need it. Or even I. Or our friends if they drink a little too much an decide to sleep over again.” Chaewon replied without looking at her direction, still concentrated in finishing up her work. Minjoo sighed, why her girlfriend was so stubborn? She appreciated her care, but she would much rather to just cuddle with Chaewon under the blankets and enjoy a lazy Sunday instead of staying here, outside a freaking bathroom, watching the older struggle with a bunch of tools she clearly didn’t know how to properly use. “You know, it can be useful, maybe not now but in the future.”

Chae still wasn’t looking at her, but there was something else in the inflection of her voice, a bit of a hopeful tone that Chaewon rarely used.

The younger Kim let out a small sigh, a soft smile on her face as she stared at the older woman with fondness. “Yes, maybe.” She agreed in a small voice, fidgeting with her fingers. She wished Chaewon was right, that the handrail installed above the old ones, at a shoulder level, could be of use to someone someday, just like the higher shelves in the cabinet at the kitchen or the ones at Chaewon’s office…Still, it was still nothing more than a blur image in the corner of her mind, painting with the yellowish color of hope that was hard to notice in between the grey of reality.

She was taken back to reality when she heard a scream of pain, a moment before a hammer hit the bathroom’s floor, dangerously close to Chaewon’s feet.

“Chaewon!” She called, her eyes glued to her girlfriend that currently had a pained expression on her face, her right hand holding onto her left thumb – the said thumb was in a new shade of red, so red that for a moment Minjoo thought it was bleeding, but thankfully it wasn’t the case. However, it was clearly hurting a lot, even though Chaewon tried her best to not let it shown on her face, she was unable to hide the tears in her eyes.

Minjoo was torn between trying to get to her and to go to the kitchen get an icepack for Chaewon’s hand – seeing all the tools scattered around the floor, she choose the latter.

Chaewon followed her, quietly whimpering, still holding onto her thumb as if it was about to fall off of her hand. Minjoo couldn’t help but feel bad for her, urging her to sit by her table and allow her to take a better look at the injury.

It wasn’t anything serious, but still painful. Luckily, she had spared her nail, ruling out the chance of it being affected in the long run. Therefore, Minjoo only applied the icepack on it – Chaewon tried to pull away, but Minjoo kept her wrist safely in between her digits, her grip firm but gentle. “I’m sorry, I know it hurts but you’ll feel better after.” She apologized, placing a chaste kiss close to the injured area.

Chae nodded slightly, forcing a smile. “Thanks, Min. I guess I’m not really fit for this kind of job.” She grimaced, looking down at her throbbing thumb. It wasn’t the first time she hurt herself while trying to fix things around the house, Minjoo almost lost count of how many times it happened, still the older brunette would stubbornly insist on trying to do it. Chaewon would probably do it again, as soon as she forgot about the pain in her hand – Min would make sure to call a professional to finish the work before Chaewon had the chance of giving it another try.

“If you know that, why do you insist on doing it?” She asked, eyes still focused on applying the icepack. Maybe she should put some ointment on it later, Chae was never the type that deals well with pain and she didn’t want her girlfriend sulking like a baby for the rest of the day.

“Hm, I just…” Chaewon hesitated, giving her a small smile. “I just like to make sure you’re comfortable at our house.”

Minjoo almost sighed at it – she already knew Chaewon would always go to such extents to keep her as happy as possible, what was both, heartwarming and concerning. “I’m comfortable here, Chae. Always been. Even at the shop you made sure I’m. You don’t have to overwork yourself doing things that aren’t even necessary yet.”

The older brunette nodded slowly, gingerly replying: “You’d do the same for me.”

For this, Minjoo didn’t have a reply other than giving her a fond smile. Chaewon was right, she would do the same for her in a heartbeat if it was ever needed. She may be the one taking care of Chaewon now, but Chaewon was always looking after her, in her own ways.

Lifting the icepack off Chae’s finger, she inspected it and sighed in relief at the sight of a much less swollen and not as red thumb, it would probably still hurt for a while, but it didn’t seem broken. She brought it closer to her lips, blowing gently to ease the pain, before placing a feather like kiss on top of it. “I want you to feel comfortable here, too.” She said in a gentle tone, her free hand cupping Chae’s cheek. “So don’t go around fixing things, just stay with me and watch a movie instead.”

“But, the bathroom is still-” Chaewon tried to argue, but Minjoo didn’t let her.

“No ‘but’s.” Shaking her head, the younger brunette placed a kiss on her lips to silence her girlfriend. “And keep the icepack on. I guess we both will need some massage tonight.”

Chaewon didn’t protest that time, instead she just stole another kiss from the younger girl, with a little, slightly smug, smile on her face. “It helps me to feel better.”

Minjoo didn’t protest either, after all, she felt the same way.

Even her reliable, intelligent girlfriend was susceptible to getting sick – especially when the said reliable girlfriend wasn’t very good at taking care of her own health, even though she would constantly try to look after others. Luckily for Chaewon, it wasn’t more than just a cold – a bad one, but still.

Minjoo had sent her off to take a hot shower as soon as she noticed the woman’s precarious state, handing her a dry change of clothes and two pills to help ease her symptoms.

Now, out of the shower and back to their bedroom, Chaewon looked like a baby cheetah, with her damp hair messy, big pink pajamas looking a little too big for her, eyes heavy with sleep and her nose red from sneezing so many times. Minjoo found her absolutely lovely – but she wouldn’t say it, too busy nagging her about focusing only on her work and forgetting about her own wellbeing.

Chaewon’s only reply was another sneeze.

With a white towel in hands, Minjoo approached her girlfriend who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Chaewon just leaned in, lowering her head to allow the other woman access to her still wet hair. Minjoo gently brushed the white fabric against her hair, slowly drying it in what was more of a massage to Chaewon’s sensitive scalp than anything else.

The older let out a pleased sigh, throwing her head back so she could look at Minjoo through her barely open eyes and give her the laziest smile she could muster. Minjoo tried to glare at her, but it was no use when Chaewon looked like she just could use some hours of sleep and a blanket.

“You should’ve come back home when you started feeling unwell.” She still managed to say, her hands still gently massaging Chae's hair with the towel. “You were burning when you arrived.”

“I wished I could’ve. But we had an important meeting and I’m the new team leader, I can’t just leave because I had a little fever…Or not so little one.” Chaewon added noticing her girlfriend cold stare on her. She lifted her hands to rest them over Minjoo’s, making her stop moving for a moment. “Don’t be mad at me. I just want to do well in this job. If they like my work I may get another promotion within the year and then we’d have enough money for a new house.”

Chaewon was having a hard time at work, Minjoo knew it because of the increasingly darker circles under her beautiful eyes, and by the amount of hours she would stay up working in the living room after she thought Minjoo was asleep. She tried to ease her burden, by helping her prepare for her presentations and packing her meals to eat at work even if the other argued she didn’t have to do so. Supporting her girlfriend wasn’t hard, Chaewon was brilliant and she just needed to get the chance of having her ideas heard, still she didn’t like how much her job demanded from her.

“I don’t need a new house. I need you to be healthy and not passing out because you didn’t pay enough attention to your own pain.” Clicking her tongue, she went back to vigorously drying Chae’s hair, a little frustrated. She knew Chae had her reasons and she admires the older woman’s tenacity, but her heart had sunk into her chest at the sight of Chaewon with a burning hot face and eyes barely focused, steps heavy and difficult as she came to greet her after arriving back home. “I know you love your work, but I love you and for me you’re far more important.” Her words weren’t said in her usual sweet voice, showing her annoyance with the current situation.

Chae made a face, a glimpse of guilt on her expression, before it was replaced by something else Minjoo couldn’t identity at first. “You’re more precious than anything for me, you know that. I just…I just thought that living in a house instead of an apartment could be better for when we have kids…I mean, in the future, after we get officially married and you...”

Silence followed her broken sentence, Minjoo staring at her blankly. For her, more than anyone else, building a family of her own was a big dream, especially if Chaewon was the one to be with her in this journey.

“Do you want to marry me? Have kids with me?” Minjoo’s hands fell to her sides, leaving the damp towel on top of Chaewon’s unraveled dark brown hair. Her voice was small and it took a moment for Chaewon to stop talking and look at her with wide eyes, a blush creeping its way up her neck.

“Well, isn’t it what people usually do?” She tried to shrugged her shoulders, making the towel slip down to the bed sheets. The silent in the room made Chaewon’s sweet voice echo, making clear the bits of hesitation on it – nervousness. “I know now is not the best moment, but-”

“I want it too.” Minjoo admitted, her big brown eyes coming to meet the chestnut ones with a glint of hope in them. They had lived together for almost two years now, still marriage and especially kids, seem like a huge step – one that she would be willing to take if it was with Chaewon by her side. “I don’t know if I can be a good wife, or even take care of a baby well, but I always wanted it.”

 “You’re the best wife one could ask for. Not having a paper saying we’re married, doesn’t mean we’re anything less for me.” Chaewon smiled at her warmly, her sleepy eyes turning into crescents as she leaned in to kiss her forehead loving. “I’m sure you will be a great mom, too.”

Minjoo returned her smile with one of her own, kissing her cheek before adding: “But I can’t raise our kids on my own. So be sure to stay healthy until they are at least 70 years old.” This was enough to crack a chuckled out of the older woman and from Minjoo herself. “We don’t need a big house, Chae. We just need each other.”

She expected Chaewon and her ever present realistic self to argue, but for once the other just nodded, her hands running up and down Minjoo’s arms in a gentle caress. “I guess you’re right, Min. Everything is better when we’re together.”  Cupping her face in between her hands, Chae leaned in to give her a soft kiss that lasted for a long moment – not passionately, slow and gentle, patient and full of love. She kissed away her worries, pushing aside her fears and filling her up with hope and excitement for the future, in a way only Chae was able to do so.

Minjoo rested her forehead against hers, her lips curved in a small, genuine smile. Once she thought this dream would be impossible for her, however now it seem like it was within her reach once more. Her chest was filled with a light feeling as she pecked Chae’s lips once more. “You’ll make me sick too, you know?”

The other woman looked at her in surprise, as if she hadn’t thought about this more practical aspect of things, giving her trademark apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I forgot about it.”

Just shaking her head slightly, Minjoo searched for her lips again, leaving a sweet kiss on it. “You’ll take care of me if I get sick, won’t you?” Of course, Chaewon nodded positively right away and Minjoo’s smile turned into a silly grin. “Then I guess I don’t mind having a cold once in a while.”

Chae returned her smile, with a playful one that didn’t match quite right with her still tired, reddish face. “Come on and help me prove it with some cuddling!”

As usual, Chaewon tried to carry her bridal style, however she must have overestimated the strength of her still sick body, in short: they indeed made it into the bed, but only Minjoo landed safely on it, the other girl tripping on her own feet and landing by the edge of it, almost entirely on the floor. Minjoo tried her best to help her, yet the other just laughed at her own lack of balance, slowly climbing up the bed to be with her girlfriend properly. Minjoo would’ve nagged her again, but in no time she was locked in the warmest, safest hug and she couldn’t help but snuggle up to Chaewon, forgetting about everything else.

The next day, however, they were both nagged by Eunbi and her wife for getting sick together – Minjoo wished she could say next time she wouldn’t surrender to the temptation of kissing Chaewon, but it would be a lie. Therefore, she just apologized to her sister in law for making her come all the way there to take care of them, for what Eunbi only sighed and proceeded to make them eat all the porridge she could cook.

It was a Saturday and they were at the place they had frequented religiously for the past two years, even if in days like this Minjoo would rather just be at home, hiding under her blankets and trying to pretend all her pain and frustration was gone – Chae wouldn’t allow her to do so.

Sweat dripped from her forehead, her breath as heavy as her body felt at the moment, her arms holding on so tight to the bars that her knuckles had turned white. It was hard to think about anything other than how tired she felt, how much every step took from her and how much easier it would be to just give up. “Chaewon…Please, l can’t do it anymore.” She managed to say in a whisper, gritting her teeth due to the effort.

Warm arms come to her rescue, wrapping themselves around her body, taking in all her weight and allowing her to relax for the first time in that hour. She let herself rest against Chaewon’s body, her breath still coming out of her dry, hot lungs that urged her to take in the cold air in to fill them up again. Closing her eyes, she felt like she could pass out from how tired she felt, clinging onto Chae like she was her saving grace – and she was. “You’re doing so well, love, it’s okay to take a break once in a while.” Chae said against her ears, as she gently took her into her arms so she could carry her back to her wheelchair that waited for them at the end of the short path Minjoo was walking – the small ramp inside a physical rehab center, the same one she was visiting ever since she had lost control over her legs two years ago.

She didn’t feel like she was doing so great. Two years and she still could barely take a couple of steps on her own, and even then, it was like her arms were still doing the most of the work by holding onto so tightly to the bars, making them sore for days after every session. “Can’t we just go home?” Minjoo gave her girlfriend a pleading look, for what she only received an apologetic smile in return.

“You heard the doctor, your legs are getting stronger with every session, we can’t stop halfway through or it might affect your progress.” Chaewon recited, the words that they both knew all too well by now. She had started a new phase on her physiotherapy three months ago, no longer relying on the metal supports on her legs to walk, but her own body. She struggled to see the improvement her doctor insisted to say she was showing, still she would visit the clinic three times a week, two with Yuri and Yujin – her best friends – and one with Chaewon when she was free at the weekends. Minjoo hated every single moment of these visits.

Minjoo wanted to cry, both due to the pain in her arms and legs, and for the frustration of her situation. It should’ve been clear on her face, or perhaps Chaewon just knew her too well, because she felt her arms hugging her again, gentle kisses on her face and hair, not minding how bad she must’ve looked now with all the crying and sweat. “You can do it, love. I’ll be with your all the way.”

Like she always was.

It was true she was the one to take care of Chaewon most of the time, but the opposite was also correct. Chaewon was always there for her, paying attention to even the smallest details, making sure she would have a comfortable life, one that almost allowed her to forget about her disability. Be it carrying her – even when Minjoo stated it wasn’t needed –, changing things around the house to meet her needs, reminding her to take her meds – ironically, she never remembers her own appointments –, helping her with her daily exercises, or just making sure she wouldn’t miss her therapy sessions…Chaewon took care of her in every aspect and Minjoo was grateful for every little thing she did.

They were together for less than six months when the incident happened, taking away not only Minjoo’s control over her legs, but also over her life.

One moment she was having a lazy day of work taking care of her small business, a flower shop she had inherited from her grandma, at the other she had a hostile man pointing a gun at her and pain was all she could feel as the sirens of the police cars sounded into the distance. That man never intended on robbing her place, he was running away after a bank robbery, looking for a place to hide and someone to use as a shield. It was all bad luck, she was at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Still, it was enough to ruin her.

Back then she had thought it was all over, for her and Chaewon, and for her life as a whole – and for a while, it really looked like it.

She felt pain everywhere all the time, what added to her emotional suffering, made her days a living hell. Even the smallest tasks seem so much harder now, almost impossible. She felt useless, always needing others help, deprived of her own independence and pride. Most days she would put up a strong face, trying to make everyone believe she trusted in the doctor’s optimistic prognosis, when in reality she would cry herself to sleep tormented by the idea of staying like that for the rest of her life.

Part of her expected Chaewon to leave, she knew all too well that what was once a nice, playful and passionate romance had turned into a sobbing fest for them. She would spend a whole month in the hospital, and even after that she wouldn’t be able to go back to their old routine. Their dates would turn into medical appointments, their easy-going conversations would be flooded by her depressive rants, instead of steamy make out sessions there would only exist massages with ointments to relieve her pain…Their relationship was just too young and fragile to survive such thing.

Minjoo heart hurt at the thought of losing the person that she had learned to love so fast, the person whose smile never failed to warm her heart and brighten her day, the person that could make her happy with the simplest actions…Maybe she should just be grateful for having met Chaewon, put aside her egoism and set her free, keeping only the memory of better days instead of ruining it with new, unpleasant ones.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to do the right thing and break up with the other girl that would religiously visit her every day, bring with her an encouraging smile, a single piece of Minjoo’s favorite chocolate and a bunch of stories – mostly made up – to make her smile. Chaewon would hold on tight to her hands, asking about her day and only smiling and nodding when Minjoo clearly lied about it, only giving her a patient look as she allowed the other to change subjects. Chae would spend two hours there every day, even begging the nurses to let her come in after visiting hours when her job didn’t allow her to be there at the right time. Minjoo appreciated all her effort, and if anything, it only made her love Chaewon more. That’s why she couldn’t do it, that’s why she would live off of these hours they spent together, trying her best to capture each moment into her heart so it would never be forgotten once Chaewon finally got tired of giving so much to someone who could barely offer her anything.

That was also why when Chaewon disappeared for days, she didn’t let out a single painful sob, not even a single tear. When her friends and relatives threw her pitiful looks and gentle words, she pretended to not notice it, her optimistic facade more present than ever. Minjoo didn’t hate Chaewon for leaving her, she loved her for staying for so long – even if it still felt not long enough.

The day Chae returned, four days since their last meeting, with a serious expression and a nervous look in her eyes, Minjoo knew it was time to say their farewells. She wished Chaewon hadn’t come back, that she would just let things as they were, saving her the pain of seeing her one last time and remembering again how much love she had for her. But here Kim Chaewon was, and she didn’t even seem fazed by Minjoo’s friends hostile attitude, waiting patiently for them to leave before speaking.

“I’m sorry for not coming this week. I’ve been really busy.” Was the first thing her girlfriend said, taking a seat beside the bed, her beautiful chestnut eyes looking for Minjoo’s. “I’m sorry for not keeping contact, I just didn’t want to-”

“It’s okay, Chae. You didn’t have to come back here.” Minjoo tried her best to keep her voice from breaking, averting her eyes to their joint hands – she didn’t know why Chaewon decided to hold her hand in such moment, but still she felt a little less weak having this small source of comfort. She caressed these hands that she loved as much as their owner, squeezing it one final time, before letting go of it. “It’s okay, you don’t have to do that, you already did so much for me.”

Chaewon frowned in that way that seem intimidating at first, but now only made Minjoo find her adorable – what a weird thought to have right now. “I don’t think I’m following here.” Chae said in a tired tone, lifting a hand to cover her eyes for a moment, as if trying to keep herself awake. “It’s never okay to leave the people you love alone. So, don’t tell me it is.”

“People you love?” In their months together, Chaewon had never uttered the three words. And although Minjoo could feel her love in her sweet actions, a part of her always thought it was still too early to expect love from the other woman. But now Chae was just saying that, as if it was a known fact, in the moment Minjoo thought would be their last one as a couple. She felt the tears she had been keeping to herself attempting to run down her face, a burning feeling in her eyes as her hands started to shiver. “Chaewon, please. You really don’t-”

“Move in with me.” Chaewon cut her off middle sentence, a determined look on her face as she leaned in to grab Minjoo’s hands once more. “Your apartment is too far away from the hospital, your building also has too many stairs and it would be a hassle for you to live there. Mine is not the best either, but they have proper elevators you can use and I made some changes in my place with Hyewon’s help so it will be more comfortable. I also got a new car that will be more appropriate for us to go back and forth from the hospital…” Chaewon spoke fast, as if she was afraid Minjoo would interrupt her before she was able to tell her everything – Minjoo indeed did, but not with her words. “Min, why are you crying? Minjoo, please don’t cry!” Chae looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she watched her girlfriend breakdown, her arms coming to hug Minjoo tightly, gently rocking her back and forth in an attempt to calm her down. “Baby, please. I’m really sorry for not coming earlier, but I wanted to make sure I could’ve everything figured before asking you.”

“Y-You…I told you…I told you to not…” Minjoo couldn’t really form a coherent sentence in the moment, her body shaking with sobs as she sunk into Chaewon’s safe embrace. Her heart swell to the double of its size, full with every single word Chae said, filled with both pain and relieve, sorrow and so much love. Chaewon didn’t let go of her, caressing her hair and back and kissing her head, every gesture containing as much love as Minjoo’s heart possessed in the moment.

Bit by bit, Minjoo managed to calm down, her face buried on the crock of Chae’s neck, inhaling her mint and strawberry scent that was so unique to her. It was easy to surrender herself to the warmth and comfort of this moment, to let herself just rely on Chaewon’s love and kindness. Still, there was a bittersweet taste in . “I don’t want to be a burden to you.” She confessed after a while, her words as small as she felt since the incident.

 “You’re my love, not a burden.” Chae kissed her head again, proceeding to lightly rest her chin on it. “You wouldn’t say the same if I had asked you before, would you?”

No, she wouldn’t have. She would’ve been excited, if not a little worried about taking the next step so soon, but she wouldn’t have said ‘no’ to the chance of waking up with Chaewon every day. Ever since they met a little over a year ago, to their first dates and getting into a serious relationship, she always had the feeling that Chaewon would stay for good in her life – yet she was hesitating now. Afraid of accepting it and fating them both to a relationship that was so far from what they always wanted to share.  “Yes, but before I was different. Now I can’t even leave this bed on my own.”

“Now you’re still the person I love.” Chaewon didn’t even think twice before replying, as if she had thought long before coming there – and perhaps she had. Perhaps in the four days she was away, she considered everything and came to the conclusion she still wanted to be with her regardless. “You’ll have me by your side and we’ll figure things out together until you can get back to your feet again.”

Minjoo held on tighter to Chaewon’s jacket, pressing her eyes closed as she forced out the painful question she tried so hard to avoid. “And what if I never walk again?”

“I hope you can, I really do. Because I know that would make you happy, but even if you don’t, I will try to keep you happy in my own way.” Her girlfriend took a deep breath, hugging her closer to her chest, invading her with the warmth that only Chaewon had. “I’ll still be here for you.” Again, no hesitation, her words heavy with sincerity. “I always will.”

That afternoon Minjoo cried all the tears she had been holding back, but it didn’t make her chest hurt in a bad way, maybe because she was in Chaewon’s arms and she just knew that as long as she had Chae with her, things would be okay.

She was correct.

A week later, they moved into Chaewon’s apartment – what would be their house for the next years to come.

Living with Chaewon brought a breath of fresh air into her life, making her want to try her best to get better. At first it wasn’t easy, she still had to rely a lot on the other girl, but Chaewon was always patient and willing to adapt to her needs, just like Minjoo had to learn to deal with it. In the course of these two years, her biggest progress still seemed small compared to what she once had, however, she had found other ways to live her life.

Chaewon never treated her differently due to her newly gained disability, and maybe this was the one thing that allowed Minjoo to start to feel like herself again.

They had moved the flower shop to a small building closer to their apartment, selling the old place that carried such dark memories, and giving her the chance of starting anew after a year of the incident. Minjoo worked there with the help of an employee and every single thing in the new shop was projected to give her autonomy, guaranteeing she would be able to work even when she was alone there – it would be a lie to say it was easy, that sometimes she didn’t struggle with the work or felt embarrassed and uncomfortable with people's stares, still, working again made her feel a little more normal.

As for her and Chaewon’s relationship, it had evolved in many ways. They didn’t go out as much, it demanding more planning to even do something as simple as have dinner out – the number of places that couldn’t accommodate her was innerving –, but whenever they did it was still as fun and nice as their first dates, maybe more now that they knew each other so well. Minjoo liked staying home more, in the safety and comfort of the house that was only theirs, the place where they could just spend as much time as they wanted in each other’s arms, sharing more than kisses and happy moments, but also their own secrets and insecurities, surrounded by the comfort of having the other to protect and look after them.

That’s why she forced herself to wipe away her tears, pushing aside the pain to focus on Chaewon’s warmth and care. Chae was right, she could do it – it might take a long time, but she couldn’t allow herself to just give up now. Not when Chaewon still had so much faith in her.

Nodding slowly, she took in a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll try again.” Holding onto Chaewon’s arms, she slowly stood up, being engulfed into a tight hug for a second. She responded to it, hugging Chaewon tightly before allowing her to led them back to the point in the path she had stopped – halfway through the ramp.

“Just a little bit. I’ll give you a massage when we arrive home.” Chaewon offered with another encouraging smile, moving back to the end of the ramp to wait for her.

“A special one?” Minjoo tried a smile, her hands once more taking a hold of white bars as forced her legs to cooperate with her, slowly dragging her feet towards Chaewon’s direction.

“The most special one, just like you.” Chaewon cheesily replied, getting her smile to grow a bit, keeping a frown from taking over her face.

 “I’ll wait…Patiently…For it.” Minjoo’s hands pressed hard on the bars, her smile wavering for a moment as she slowly approached the love of her life. Saying that the incident that took away so much from her was a blessing in disguise would be a lie, but she was grateful that life had presented her with a second chance in the form of Chaewon’s presence, giving her the chance of keeping going.

Chae smiled, looking like a proud parent and leaning on the railings as she waited for her. “You know I keep my word, so just come to me, baby.”

Sweat covered Minjoo’s skin, the effort making it hard for her to keep their flirt conversation going, as she tried to concentrate in every little step – an inch at time, getting her closer to Chaewon. Her breath was all over the place after only a couple of steps, pain reminding her of why she had nearly giving up early – still, Chaewon’s sweet voice with encouraging words kept her going.

It must have taken several minutes for her to finally reach the end of the ramp, just a couple of meters that seemed like a whole ocean separating her from Chaewon. She was panting when she looked up to meet Chae’s gaze, being greeted by the face she loved so much.

“Hey there again, baby.” The older brunette had kept her warm stare over her all the way, affection and care painting her chestnut eyes with the colors of love. “Thank you for not giving up.” Chae greeted her, pulling her into her arms again, giving Minjoo her well-deserved rest.

“Thank you for being here for me.” Minjoo rested her head on her girl’s shoulder, a shaky smile on her face as she tried to regain her breath and mint was all she could feel. She felt proud of herself for this little victory, it was just a tiny one in the path to recovery, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t important. She didn’t want to waste Chae’s faith in her, maybe it was time to have some in herself as well. “I love you.”

She couldn’t see Chae’s face, only feel her smile against her hair as the older Kim kissed her head. “That’s what you do for the people you love.” Kissing her head again, Chaewon gently lifted her in her arms, taking her to a bench instead of her chair, in a way Minjoo could still be in her hold as she sat down. “I love you too.”

Maybe Minjoo wouldn’t be able to walk for a couple more months, maybe for years. Maybe she would never be able to completely go back to what she once was.

Still, she knew Chaewon would be there with her all the way and somewhat their love for each other seem more important than anything else.

A/N: Hello again! So, I had this idea yesterday and I just decided to write it out to celebrate iz*one’s first birthday (yes, I had zero planning). I would say ‘please don’t spoil the ending’ but I know it will be of no use, so I just hope you all appreciate the story one way or another XD

I’ll probably post one of my big OS’s soon for 2kim and maybe even a little project for Loona, but we’ll see about it next month…

As usual, thank you a lot for reading and I’m sorry for all the mistakes!

P.S: No angst for the angsty people (you know who you’re) in this good house :p